2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Alfa Romeo is more of a ‘racing team’ compared to ‘company’ Mercedes says Valtteri Bottas.
Valtteri Bottas said Alfa Romeo feels less of a “company” and more of a “race team” in comparison to his previous employers Mercedes.
Tuesday 20th September 2022 2:45 PM
Sam Cooper

Having spent five seasons at Mercedes, Bottas moved on at the end of 2021 to join Alfa Romeo and be reunited with Fred Vasseur who he raced under in the 2011 GP3 Series.

Having helped Mercedes win the Constructors’ Championship every season he was there, the challenge at Alfa Romeo is a different one as the Finn no longer finds himself fighting for race wins and podiums.

He started the season strongly, finishing P6 in Bahrain, and has cut a happier figure around the paddock during a race weekend. Bottas said he is enjoying an “environment with less pressure.”

‘Alfa Romeo ‘racing team’, compared to ‘company’ Mercedes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-r...ltteri-bottas/


Alfa Romeo CEO insists they will only ever use Ferrari engines in Formula 1.
Alfa Romeo and Sauber will split next year.
26 September 2022
by James Clifford

Alfa Romeo CEO, Jean-Philippe Imperato, has insisted that there are a number of avenues the Italian car maker could go down after they split with Sauber at the end of 2023. Alfa have a rich history in Formula 1, winning the first-ever championship race in Silverstone in 1950 through Giuseppe Farina.

The Italian, and then Juan Manuel Fangio, both drove for the Turin-based outfit when they won the first two titles in 1950 and 1951 respectively, but their 10th win in the latter of those years would also be their last. They left the pinnacle of motorsport in 1985 having teamed up with Benetton, but they would make a sensational return in 2018.

Alfa Romeo have been linked with a partnership with Haas, as well as moves to other motorsport series, but Imperato has time on his hands, so he does not need to rush into anything at this time. “I’m totally open to everything, by the way, it’s a period that gives me the opportunity to study everything with no pressure. That’s what I have,” he told Autosport. “And I would say, even if we have to take a decision before the end of this year, we have some weeks, months, to see how is the business, and as well to choose in a kind of serene atmosphere.”

‘A number of avenues the Italian car maker could go down’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alfa-rome...-in-formula-1/


Alfa Romeo CEO: “No hurry” to decide F1 future beyond 2023
Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato says the company is in “no hurry” to make a call on its long-term future in Formula 1.
Sep 25, 2022, 4:36 PM
By: Adam Cooper

Alfa Romeo announced last month that it will conclude its sponsorship deal with the Sauber team at the end of the 2023 season ahead of the Swiss outfit’s expected alliance with Audi. The Alfa announcement was made on the same day that Audi confirmed its intention to enter F1 in 2026, and it was seen by some observers as a clumsy attempt to draw attention away from it.

Alfa can only stay in F1 beyond 2023 if it can agree a deal with a team using Ferrari engines, which at the moment leaves Haas as its sole option. The only other possibility would be to hook up with a new entrant who agrees a PU partnership with Maranello, such as Andretti. Alternatively, the company could look at other categories, such as Formula E or the World Endurance Championship.

Like other manufacturers Alfa is moving towards electric vehicles, which could inform any decision on its motor sport future. "I'm totally open to everything,” Imperato told Motorsport.com. “By the way, it's a period that gives me the opportunity to study everything with no pressure. That's what I have.”

‘Company is in “no hurry” to make a call on its long-term future in Formula 1’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...2023/10373803/


Alfa Romeo eyes Haas as BMW says no to F1
BMW says it will not be following Audi and Porsche into Formula 1.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
ANDREW MAITLAND

BMW’s racing boss Andreas Roos insisted: “We are definitely not interested in Formula 1 at the moment. “We need to be realistic,” he told motorsport-total.com. “In order to participate in Formula 1, you need to invest a lot of money. And before you get a return, you need to be successful for a long time. For now, we are satisfied with the large set of projects that we are engaged in.”

The Swiss F1 team’s current title sponsor Alfa Romeo has already announced its departure at the end of 2023. There are rumours that Alfa Romeo may instead team up with Haas from 2024. “I am completely open to everything,” said Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato. “There is absolutely nothing that is definite for 2024,” he added.

‘Alfa Romeo has already announced its departure at the end of 2023’;

https://grandpx.news/alfa-romeo-eyes...says-no-to-f1/


Zhou Guanyu ‘hopeful’ on Alfa Romeo extension as team assess 2023 candidates
Saturday 24th September 2022 10:00 AM
Mark Scott

Zhou Guanyu thinks he has done enough to extend his Formula 1 stay into a second season with Alfa Romeo after receiving positive feedback. The 23-year-old became the first fully-fledged Formula 1 driver to hail from China after he was chosen alongside Valtteri Bottas to form an all-new line-up at Alfa Romeo, replacing Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Speaking to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Zhou is confident he can retain his place at Alfa Romeo. He said: “It is my first year in F1 and therefore the team is analysing my performance, but the feedback is promising and the team is very happy with the work I have done, and so am I with them.

“I think I would have finished next to Valtteri Bottas, with him or a place behind him,” he added. “If we went back to the beginning of the season, especially to Bahrain, I finished 10th, but with the experience now, if Bottas was 6th, maybe I could have been 6th or 7th. “But for my part the most important thing is to do the best I can with what I have now, and of course the retirements this year have not helped, because we would have easily finished more races in the points. But they are things that happen.”

‘Zhou Guanyu ‘hopeful’ on Alfa Romeo extension’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/zhou-g...eo-2023-hopes/


Valtteri Bottas is ‘not sure’ he will race in F1 at 41 but is open to other series
Thursday 22nd September 2022 8:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Valtteri Bottas does not know if he will follow the example set by Fernando Alonso, racing in F1 aged 41, but would “never say never” to a different path in motorsport once he retires. The 33-year-old moved to Alfa Romeo on a three-year deal for the 2022 season, with Mercedes having opted for George Russell to partner Lewis Hamilton this season.

“I’m not sure,” Bottas said to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com when asked if he would follow Alonso’s career path. I’m really impressed with Fernando’s performance, he’s still at a really good level, but as for me I don’t know, so I say…never say never.”

“I’m absolutely open to any challenge. I love driving and I could find the motivation in many other contexts. I believe the day my Formula 1 adventure ends, I will continue driving in other championships. The only condition will be to find something that gives me more free time.”

‘Never say never’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...-41-years-old/

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo is the wild card, Nyck de Vries is the key, and Guenther Steiner is the mystery for the final 4 available seats in F1.
With Zhou Guanyu signing an extension with Alfa Romeo, there are now 17 drivers under contract for 2023.
27/09/2022, 18:34
INSIDER

Four seats remain undecided for the 2023 Formula One grid and 27-year-old reserve driver Nyck de Vries appears to be the key to deciding at least three of them.

On Tuesday, Alfa Romeo announced that Zhou Guanyu signed an extension and will remain with the team in 2023. There are now 17 drivers under contract for the 20 seats on next year's grid. However, four are still up in the air, including one at AlphaTauri, where Pierre Gasly is under contract but could be on the move.

For three teams — Alpine, AlphaTauri, Williams — there are still two likely scenarios and one less likely, but all three depend on where de Vries calls home next year.

“Final 4 available seats’;

https://www.insider.com/f1-2023-grid...illiams-2022-9


Zhou stays for second Alfa season, four 2023 F1 seats left
27/09/2022, 10:25.
By Josh Suttill
The Race

Zhou Guanyu will remain with Alfa Romeo for the 2023 Formula 1 season following a formal announcement from the team that he will stay on. Zhou’s six points pale in comparison to the 46 points his more experienced team-mate Valtteri Bottas has earned for Alfa Romeo. But that deficit is partially skewed by the competitiveness of Alfa’s C43 dipping just as Zhou started to make progress during his rookie season.

That improvement coupled with Zhou’s financial backing has earned him a second year in F1 alongside 10-time race winner Bottas, who previously said he was “rooting” for Zhou to stay for 2023. “I am happy and grateful to Alfa Romeo for the opportunity to be part of the team for another season,” said Zhou.

“Making it to Formula 1 was a dream come true and the feeling of competing for the first time in a race will live with me forever: the team has been incredibly supportive, welcoming me from day one and helping me adapt to the most complex series in motorsport. “There is more that I want to achieve in this sport and with the team, and the hard work we have put together since the start of the year is just the first step towards where we want to be next season.”

‘Zhou stays for second Alfa season’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/zhou-...f1-seats-left/


F1 driver market: The contenders for 2023 seats with Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher futures unclear
Last Updated: 27/09/22 4:18pm.
By Matt Morlidge

Zhou Guanyu's new contract at Alfa Romeo means there are three seats remaining on the 2023 Formula 1 grid, at Alpine, Williams and Haas; Alpine are targeting AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly, while there are several contenders for the other spots...

Zhou Guanyu's contract renewal at Alfa Romeo has closed another door in Formula 1's 2023 driver market - and made the remaining seats all the more appealing for the established, and emerging, stars in the running.

As a competitive market continues to take shape deep into the 2022 season, we've rounded up the runners and riders for each of the seats as we edge closer to a full confirmed grid...

‘The contenders’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...utures-unclear


DRIVER MARKET: Will Nyck de Vries be on the F1 grid in 2023 – and if so, with who?
24 September 2022
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter

A few months ago, Nyck de Vries’ hopes of making a dream Formula 1 switch next year looked slim. At the French Grand Prix, the Mercedes-backed driver borrowed Lewis Hamilton’s car for first practice, but after the session Silver Arrows’ boss Toto Wolff admitted the team might not be able to provide their junior with an “interesting Formula 1 project”.

While rated highly by many in the paddock, there were simply no obvious landing spots for De Vries, who has Formula E and Formula 2 titles on his CV, in 2023. But in the space of two days over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, everything changed. De Vries completed a run for Aston Martin in FP1, as previously planned, but then got a late call on Saturday morning to jump in for Alex Albon (who was to have appendicitis surgery) at Williams.

The Dutch driver got up to speed incredibly quickly – having only once driven that Williams back in Spain in an FP1 appearance. Not only did he start inside the top 10 – helped in part because of a slew of penalties for others – but he held on to score two points on debut. In the blink of an eye, De Vries has become the most sought-after driver on the current grid with Alpine, AlphaTauri and Williams all realistic options for a race seat in 2023. But where will he end up?

‘In the blink of an eye’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...3MQgi6r7x.html




NINE drivers... for five (NOW FOUR) seats: F1’s musical chairs set to erupt — but one star is holding everything up
September 22nd, 2022 7:13 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

There are only six races to go this season, but not fewer than five seats (NOW FOUR) remain unaccounted for in the 2023 driver market. This has been one of the more chaotic silly seasons of recent years. From Sebastian Vettel’s retirement to Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri’s sudden defections and Daniel Ricciardo’s sacking, it’s twisted and turned with abandon, keeping even the most experienced paddock watchers on their toes.

But at last it feels like it’s entering its end game, with the final candidates are just about aligned. And yet no-one is pulling the trigger. What’s the hold up? Alpine, as the most competitive team with a seat available, now holds all the cards, and it’s fielding three drivers in a private test this week in Budapest to try to decide which one it will play first. Featuring in that test are expected to be Australian F2 rising star Jack Doohan, Formula E champion Nyck de Vries and former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.

But Nico Hulkenberg, Mick Schumacher, Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu are also in play. With only four seats available — or five including Pierre Gasly and his will to move — some are going to miss out. With less than two months until the end of the season, this is the state of the driver market.

‘F1’s musical chairs’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...ce24e1778220c5

[Fortitude]

Steiner - "Fans would love" Magnussen-Hülkenberg partnership.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes fans would "love" to see Nico Hülkenberg join forces with Kevin Magnussen next season.
Saturday 24 September 2022 08:30
Ewan Gale

Current Aston Martin reserve driver Hülkenberg has spent three seasons on the sidelines, appearing only in substitute appearances across that time. The 35-year-old stood in for both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll in 2020 at Force India before covering for Sebastian Vettel in the first two races of the current campaign for Aston Martin.

Discussing the possibility of recruiting Hülkenberg, Steiner told RTL: "A man like Nico brings experience with him. I think the fans would love it! But what can a driver contribute to making the team better and bringing us to the top? How much risk are you willing to take? You usually take more risks with a young driver because you don't know how far he can go."

On the possibility of signing the Australian, Steiner conceded: “In his situation, Daniel first has to decide for himself what to do. "It makes little sense to persuade him to do something. He has to decide for himself. If he feels like it, he'll definitely call, otherwise he'll probably say I'm taking a sabbatical or something else."

‘Nico brings experience’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/92...lkenberg-haas/


Guenther Steiner on Mick Schumacher’s future: ‘We’re just playing against ourselves’:
Guenther Steiner is yet to decide who will partner Kevin Magnussen in 2023, with Mick Schumacher set to be axed.
25 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Despite admitting to RTL that Schumacher “had a good race at Monza”, the German driver appears likely to get the boot from the team, with his contract set to expire following the season finale. There is a “50/50 chance” that the 23-year-old will be retained, with a number of high-profile drivers having been linked to the German’s seat.

Nico Hulkenberg, Antonio Giovinazzi and Daniel Ricciardo have all spoken to Steiner about a potential move to the American’s; however, Steiner doesn’t feel “any time pressure” to make a decision. “That’s where you put yourself under pressure, and we don’t need that,” Steiner told RTL. “We’re just playing against ourselves. We don’t really have any time pressure. All the others have the time pressure but not us. That’s an advantage we don’t take away.”

One of the areas Steiner is currently debating is whether to go for experience over youth, with the likes of Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin having recently featured for Haas and arguably failed to deliver consistently. With the likes of Hulkenberg, Giovinazzi and Ricciardo having been linked to the seat, it does appear that the team are taking the approach of having a deeply experienced line-up next season, with Magnussen being no newbie himself.

‘We don’t really have any time pressure’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/guenther-...nst-ourselves/


Steiner: Three US F1 races have come ‘at the right time’.
12:51 Tue, 27 Sep 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Haas Formula 1 team boss Guenther Steiner believes it is the right time to include three US-based races on the calendar. Next year, F1 will visit the US three times throughout the season in a record-breaking 24-race calendar, starting with Miami at the beginning of May, following its inaugural event earlier this year.

It will then travel to Austin, Texas in October for the US Grand Prix, before Las Vegas hosts its first ever race in mid-November as the penultimate race on the 2023 schedule. F1 is currently witnessing rocketing growth in the US in terms of audience engagement, which Steiner believes makes it the right time to have multiple races in the country.

“I think obviously 24 races is a lot of races but the demand is there, the fans want to see what we are doing which is the biggest compliment they can give us and we need to work hard to make them happy,” Steiner said. “Three races in America, I think it comes at the right time. The sport is already popular and it’s getting even more so as we speak in America.”

‘US F1 races at the right time’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...he-right-time/


Guenther Steiner: Demand for F1 justifies having 24-race calendar in 2023
Monday 26th September 2022 2:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has given a positive appraisal of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar comprising a record 24 races. Although the plan for both 2021 and 2022 had been to stage a season consisting of 23 grands prix, one fewer than that total has been possible each time. With Haas an American-owned team, Steiner has understandably spoken in favour of the number of races in the United States being increased to three, with Las Vegas supplementing those in Austin and Miami.

“I think obviously 24 races is a lot but the demand is there, the fans want to see what we are doing, which is the biggest compliment they can give us and we need to work hard to make them happy,” said Steiner in Haas’ preview of the Singapore Grand Prix. More immediately, Steiner is relishing the Asian swing of the 2022 calendar as F1 returns to Singapore and Japan, on consecutive weekends, for the first time since 2019. “They are two races I think we missed in the Covid seasons,” added Steiner.

“Firstly, with Singapore coming up, it’s a night race on a city circuit and it’s a very cool place. Secondly, Japan, which in my opinion [Suzuka] is one of the best race tracks in the world. Two completely different reasons why I like them but two good reasons to have them back. I really look forward to going to these race tracks because we haven’t been there the last two years and it’s almost like going back to a new, old race track.”

‘Demand for F1 justifies having 24-race calendar’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...ces-justified/


Haas F1 Team: Singapore Grand Prix: Preview
Haas F1 Team is returning to the Singapore Grand Prix for a dose of night fever around the floodlit streets of the city state.
September 27, 2022
Haas F1 Team

The vibrant city of Singapore has been an important trading post on the tip of the Malay peninsula for several centuries, and has had an at times tumultuous history, but in recent decades the region has been transformed, emerging as a popular tourist destination and business hub. Formula 1’s calendar expansion through the 2000s eventually brought the championship to Singapore in 2008, and for the first time in history a grand prix was held after sundown, with thousands of lights illuminating the course.

The bumpy 23-turn 5km-circuit, located in the Marina Bay district, takes Formula 1 drivers past some of Singapore’s famous landmarks, including the National Gallery, the Esplanade Concert Hall, and Singapore Flyer. The floodlit architecture provides a stunning backdrop to one of Formula 1’s most challenging events.

‘A dose of night fever for the Haas F1 Team’;

https://www.haasf1team.com/news/sing...d-prix-preview


Haas publicly criticise Mick Schumacher: ‘What he said after that wasn’t great’
Mick Schumacher's future beyond this year has not yet been finalised.
27 September 2022
by James Clifford

Haas’ chief race engineer, Ayao Komatsu, feels that Mick Schumacher spends too much time comparing himself to his team-mate. If looks could kill, those in the media pen after the session would have been fleeing, and Komatsu has revealed that it all made for an interesting debrief as their young driver vented his frustration. “Mick was behind Kevin and that frustrated him,” he told Motorsport-Total.com.

“His focus in the sprint race wasn’t the right one, we talked about that afterwards. We talked before the sprint race about how we would do it as a team, but what he did after that wasn’t great, and what he said after that wasn’t great either.”

“Then I say to him ‘look, Kevin really likes to help you and he tells you things he would never have told Romain [Grosjean] before’. Then Mick thinks and realises the most important thing for the team is to get up in the Constructors’ Championship. I explain it to him: ‘Mick, come on, you’re doing well, focus on your own performance and not on this thing’, and then it’s fine again.”

‘Haas’ chief race engineer, Ayao Komatsu: Mick Schumacher spends too much time comparing himself to his team-mate’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/haas-publ...t-wasnt-great/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen on brink of winning 2022 F1 title this weekend.
Max Verstappen could clinch the 2022 Formula One title in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, depending on how his nearest opponents Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez perform.
28.09.2022
Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

The Dutch driver could win one of the earliest titles in history in two possible case scenarios. If Verstappen finishes the race first and sets the fastest lap, his teammate Perez must finish no higher than fourth, while Ferrari's Leclerc must finish no higher than eighth.

If the Dutchman wins the Singapore GP without setting the fastest lap, Perez must finish no higher than fourth or fifth. If the fastest lap is set by Perez, Leclerc must finish no higher than ninth.

If one of these unlikely are conditions met, 24-year-old Verstappen will equalize the second earliest drivers' championship win in F1 history, with Williams driver Nigel Mansell, who won the 1992 title with five races to spare.

‘Verstappen on the brink’;

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/vers...eekend/2697219


Verstappen on verge of second world title as F1 returns to Singapore
Issued on: 28/09/2022 - 05:16
Modified: 28/09/2022 - 05:14
France 24

Singapore (AFP) – Red Bull's dominant Max Verstappen can clinch a second world championship when the Singapore Grand Prix returns this weekend after a three-year absence because of Covid.

The flying Dutchman has a mathematical chance to seal back-to-back world titles under lights around the spectacular and demanding Marina Bay street circuit. To do so, the 24-year-old must win the race -- something he has never done in Singapore -- and needs his closest rivals to falter badly.

If that does not happen, the championship fight will move on to the Japanese Grand Prix a week later. It looks a case of when, not if. You need a bit of luck for that as well," Verstappen told Sky Sports of retaining his crown in Singapore. "I don't think about it."

‘Verstappen on the verge’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...s-to-singapore


Why Marko hopes Verstappen's title win waits until after Singapore
28/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎25
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Helmut Marko admits that he would prefer Max Verstappen to win the World Championship in Japan rather than at the forthcoming Singapore Grand Prix. There is a chance that Verstappen – who currently has a lead of 116 points in the standings – could potentially clinch the title at the Marina Bay Circuit, though this would require him to outscore closest rival Charles Leclerc by 22 points as well as claiming 13 more points than Sergio Perez.

However, Marko hopes that the Dutchman's victory might instead come one week later at the Japanese Grand Prix. "From a marketing point of view, winning the title would be better in Japan, because of our engine partner Honda," Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "But in general we can assume that Max will be World Champion. It's just a question of when."

Marko praises Red Bull's progression throughout season Ferrari initially looked to hold the edge in the early stages of the 2022 season, but it was Red Bull who seemed to get stronger as the campaign progressed, something that Marko is proud of. "We were 46 points behind after three races," he explained. "That was predominantly due to the car being overweight. The first failure was caused by a weight-saving measure. The second failure was due to technical reasons. Due to the excess weight, the car was initially pushing over the front axle.”

‘From a marketing point of view, Japan for Honda’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-marko-...fter-singapore


Christian Horner explains why he was shocked by Red Bull’s 2022 car
Red Bull were one of the last teams to switch their focus to the new regulations during the 2021 season.
28 September 2022
by Nick Golding

With Max Verstappen on the cusp of retaining his Drivers’ World Championship at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed how amazed he’s been by his side’s complete domination. Red Bull put more time into their 2021 challenger than arguably any other team, with the Austrians having been the last side to switch their focus to the 2022 aerodynamic regulations.

During the 2021 campaign, a number of teams prioritised designing their 2022 car, due to the brand-new aerodynamic regulations. Mercedes and Ferrari were two of the sides who halted development on their 2021 challengers fairly early in the season, whilst Red Bull pushed on with making their RB16B as strong as possible.

Their strategy ultimately worked, with Verstappen claiming the 2021 title, albeit under controversial circumstances. However, Horner was worried that their 2021 pursuit would “compromise” this season, due to spending less time working on a car for the new regs. What has unfolded this year is beyond the Briton’s wildest dreams, as Red Bull have remarkably built the best car on the grid.

‘Amazed by complete domination’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/christian...ulls-2022-car/


Horner: The RB18 is potentially our most successful car
26 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Christian Horner believes the Red Bull RB18 is potentially the most successful car ever produced at Milton Keynes despite starting late with its development. Despite intense 2021, Red Bull did not compromise 2022. “What has been particularly pleasing about this year is despite colossal regulation changes we had to undergo coming into this year – and we honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year – the team came up with an amazing car, a super car,” the Briton hailed.

“Max has made another step, Checo [Perez] has felt more part of the team this year with a lot more familiarity. To be sitting here having won 12 grands prix, and with 16 podiums so far has been an incredible season for us.” The fact that Red Bull kept developing their 2021 car late meant their was a risk their RB18 – built to the new regulations with ground effect – might have been affected. Clearly that has not been the case.

“We were probably the last team to transition onto the ’22 regulations,” Horner pointed out. “We went quite late on development through ’21 because when you have a sniff of a championship, we would have kicked ourselves if we hadn’t done everything you possibly could, which meant compromising ’22. The team in Milton Keynes, whilst we were away fighting for the championship, did an incredible job over the winter to come up with the RB18 which has been potentially our most successful car ever.”

‘An incredible season’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09...uccessful-car/


Horner predicts tough Singapore GP test for Red Bull
The Red Bull boss thinks the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix will be one of Red Bull's toughest races in the 2022 season, but said Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will still be aiming for the win
September 25, 2022
By Adam Dickinson

“It should be one of the harder races I would say,” Horner told the press after the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

“Singapore compared to here it’s got the most corners on the circuit it’s bumpy, it’s a street track so it’s a much different challenge.”

“But we’ve been quick at Spa or Zandvoort or Monza and even Budapest so on different variants of circuits the car’s performing really well.”

‘Red Bull's toughest races’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/hor...test-red-bull/


‘It wasn’t fair’: Christian Horner makes Michael Masi revelation
Michael Masi left the FIA over his controversial handling of the 2021 season finale, which saw Max Verstappen come out on top.
28 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Despite his poor handling of the finale, Horner has revealed he still speaks to the former F1 race director who he believes “followed the principles”. “Yes, on a couple of occasions,” Horner revealed to the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I felt that it wasn’t fair, the way he had been treated, because I think that he’d done the best that he could, following the principles. The only thing he screwed up on was not allowing the final two cars at the back of the field to unlap themselves. As we saw recently in Monza, nobody wants to see a race diluted and finished under a Safety Car.”

“So he did everything to get that race going again, which would have been a horrendous finish to the season, to see it just diluted and peter out under a Safety Car. I think the reaction after the race, there was a huge amount of abuse sent to him, there were death threats to his family. No individual deserves to go through that.”

‘Followed the principles’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/it-wasnt-...si-revelation/

[Fortitude]

Binotto says Ferrari still missing 'Schumacher mentality'.
Mattia Binotto on what Ferrari is lacking: “That winning mentality that was there in the Schumacher era and which pushed you to do better after every victory.”
25/09/2022 at 16:59
Andrew Lewin

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says that the team is still missing a vital 'X Factor' that is stopping it from fully competing for the world championship against the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes. Asked to say exactly what Ferrari was lacking, Binotto told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com: “That winning mentality that was there in the Schumacher era and which pushed you to do better after every victory.”

Binotto joined Ferrari's engine department 27 years ago just before Michael Schumacher moved across from Benetton. The partnership went on to yield five of Schumacher's seven titles. Of course it was more than just Schumacher, but he was at the core of a iconic management line-up that included Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and car designer Rory Byrne.

Binotto himself was trackside when Schumacher recorded his maiden win for the Scuderia in the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix. “It was also my first win," he said. "When I heard the anthem I realised what it means to be Ferrari," he continued. "Then we started winning championships in 1999 and 2000."

‘'Schumacher mentality' missing’;

https://f1i.com/news/454976-binotto-...mentality.html


‘Honestly’: Mattia Binotto hits out at baseless Ferrari rumour.
Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has rubbished suggestions that his team suffered as a result of the rule changes midway through the 2022 season.
26 September 2022
by James Clifford

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have fallen out of title contention this year. The Milton Keynes-based team’s increase in pace compared to Ferrari has been linked with the floor changes, but Binotto insists this is not the case.

“No, it has nothing to do [with it], honestly,” he said, quoted by GPFans. “I know there have been a lot of rumours on that but that is not the point. As I said in Hungary, we are not quick enough and maybe we need to simply review the packages we introduced or the way we are balancing our car. The potential of the car could be higher.”

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have taken four wins between them this year, the last of which arriving through the Monegasque in Austria.

‘Baseless Ferrari rumour’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/honestly-...errari-rumour/


‘Mattia Binotto catching the bullets’: Ex-Ferrari chairman calls for change in Maranello
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is coming under increasing pressure following the team's 2022 disappointment.
19 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Ferrari’s somewhat disappointing 2022 season isn’t entirely team principal Mattia Binotto’s fault according to former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who puts the blame on current chairman John Elkann.

The Italian’s will come to regret the current season, after arguably throwing away both championships to Red Bull. Ferrari built a magnificent car for the brand-new regulations, which has proved time and time again this season to be breathtakingly fast; however, it’s also proven to be incredibly unreliable.

The Scuderia seemingly went for performance over reliability when designing this season’s power unit, which has blown up on several occasions, costing Charles Leclerc victory twice this season.

‘Catching the bullets’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-bi...-in-maranello/


Elkann misspoke over number 1 policy says Binotto
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022
GrandPrix.com

Ferrari does not have a 'number 1' driver policy, Mattia Binotto insists. The issue returned to the headlines recently when the Maranello marque's John Elkann said at Monza that Ferrari is aiming to win the title by 2026 "with Charles Leclerc in pole position".

But team boss Binotto insists that doesn't mean Carlos Sainz is the team's number 2. "I think what our chairman meant is that if we look at the current season, Charles has been faster than Carlos on average and he's also been on pole more often," he told Sky Italia.

Once a campaign is well underway, however, Binotto said Ferrari may ultimately issue team orders in order to push for the drivers' crown. "Should the need arise, we could at some point determine who has the better chance of winning," he admitted.

‘Misspoken Number 1 Policy’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/elkan...s-binotto.html


Ex-FIA president responds to report he’ll replace Mattia Binotto at Ferrari
Ferrari's title push has fallen at the wayside this year, and Mattia Binotto's job is believed to be under threat.
27 September 2022
by James Clifford

Former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, has laughed off rumours linking him with a return to the Scuderia. Suggestions around Binotto’s future have been rife, and that naturally leads to speculation about who his replacement would be.

Todt waved away links between him and the Maranello-based team, and joked about previous whispers about him following in the footsteps of former Ferrari team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, by joining Juventus.

“I would doubt that is real news, there is a lot of news underneath it that is not true,” he said, as per thejudge13.com. “I had breakfast in Turin with Andrea Agnelli, many saw me and thought that I would also work with Juventus!”

“It is obvious that when I was president of the FIA I was often with John Elkann, and we talked about Ferrari’s ambitions. But there is a difference between talking, sharing hope and working together, I think that chapters are designed to pass from one to the next.”

‘Ex-FIA President, Jean Todt, has laughed off rumours’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ex-fia-pr...to-at-ferrari/


Can Ferrari’s reported upgrade delay the inevitable in Singapore?
Wednesday 28th September 2022 11:30 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Max Verstappen and Red Bull are surely destined for title glory, but could a Ferrari upgrade delay celebrations for another round at least? Although not mathematically the case, effectively Ferrari’s title hopes are over for 2022, the Scuderia going into the Singapore Grand Prix, the first since 2019, 139 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ standings.

Meanwhile, in the Drivers’ Championship, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may be P2 in the standings, but a gap of 116 points at this stage is pretty much insurmountable with six rounds to go. Verstappen is looking to see out the season in style, on a run of five successive wins having galloped clear of the chasing pack, but Ferrari are apparently not yet ready to wave the white flag and put everything into their 2023 challenger.

Instead, Motorsport.com’s Italian branch has reported that Ferrari will bring upgrades to Singapore, rejuvenated by their showing at Monza on home turf, with another planned before the season is out. So, will this be enough to keep the title fight technically alive? Upgrades or no upgrades, Ferrari at the very least would expect to be the third-fastest team behind Red Bull and Mercedes, which would be enough to keep Leclerc in contention, but as Ferrari have demonstrated a fair few times this season, a costly error or reliability disaster can come into the equation.

‘Can Ferrari’s reported upgrade delay the inevitable in Singapore’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...ed-bull-delay/


Jean Todt reminds Ferrari: ‘To win, you need excellence at all levels’
Tuesday 27th September 2022 2:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Between 1999 and 2004, in the middle of Todt’s 14-year spell at the Ferrari helm, the Italian giants were a well-oiled machine of metronomic success that brought six straight Constructors’ titles and five Drivers’ crowns in a row for Michael Schumacher. “Every era is different, I don’t want to give advice. It’s easy to give advice,” said Todt, quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport, speaking at the Festival of Sport in Trento, northern Italy.

“The only one I can give him (Binotto) is to hang in there. And Ferrari are doing very well. It seems to me people don’t fully realise that. “Ferrari are back to winning. I think everyone – well, almost everyone – would like to see Ferrari win championships, not just a few races. We can wish that for next year, because this year I don’t think it’s possible anymore. But to win, you need excellence at all levels. It is difficult to achieve it and even more difficult to maintain it.”

“It starts with excellence in the details. From whoever answers the phone in the company. If in a company they don’t answer the phone after 10 rings, that is not a good company. You cannot make two mistakes the same – if it happens, it means there is something to change.”

‘To win, you need excellence at all levels’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jean-t...llence-needed/

[davidloeil]

Mercedes and Ferrari are so great this year (and not only)

[Fortitude]

Wolff: "Awesome" if Mercedes can win "on merit" in 2022.
Faced with the prospect of a first winless season in F1 since 2011, and potentially Hamilton going winless for the first season in his entire career, Wolff believes a win is still possible "on merit."
‎27‎ ‎September‎ ‎08‎:‎10
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Despite not being in contention for either championship, Wolff still believes the potential of the W13 is enough to secure a win. "I think it would have be awesome if we could win a race on merit, without any grid penalties," Wolff explained to media including RacingNews365.com.

"If you had asked after Spa, I would have said it was nearly impossible, but we nearly won in Zandvoort, but in Monza it was not so good. "It must be the target - we don't want to have a season with no race wins. Even if the sails are set for 2023, it would quite a nice thing in a difficult season for all our people."

Wolff did err on the side of caution when playing up their chances. "I think the track layout should suit our car, the bumps not," he explained. "The simulations say it should be one of our better tracks, but I'm trying to stay on the careful side with any predictions for Singapore."

‘Err on the side of caution when playing up their chances. "I think the track layout should suit our car, the bumps not,"’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-awes...-merit-in-2022


Not Singapore: George Russell disagrees with Toto Wolff, says this track will suit Mercedes
George Russell is targeting his first-ever victory in Formula 1 and Mercedes' first of the season.
26 September 2022
by Nick Golding

George Russell has tipped the upcoming United States Grand Prix as a potentially strong weekend for the W13, as the British driver sets his sights on achieving his first ever Formula 1 victory in one of the remaining six races of the season.

The former Williams driver has performed excellently since joining Mercedes this season, and the Brit looks staggeringly on track to beat team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

Russell is currently fourth in the standings and is incredibly in the fight for second, whilst Hamilton occupies sixth place, 35 points behind his 24-year-old team-mate. The formerly dubbed Mr Saturday has maximised the woeful W13’s potential this season, in a year that the Germans simply want to end.

‘Targeting first-ever victory in Formula 1’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/not-singa...suit-mercedes/


Next two months of development “crucial” for Mercedes’ 2023 chances – Wolff
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 19th September 2022, 0:0118th September 2022, 21:39
Written by Will Wood

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that the next two months of development work on their 2023 car are “crucial” to their hopes of being race winning and championship contenders for next season. With Mercedes’ W13 often performing differently on track to how the team’s simulations predicted, Wolff says that the coming weeks are critical to their work on making sure their 2023 car performs more predictably.

“We lacked the tools, the simulations and the understanding of uncovering the problem that we would create with the way the car was developed,” said Wolff. “That we couldn’t run it where we wanted to run it. Aerodynamically and mechanically, it was never in the sweet spot. It took us months to undo some of the steps we’ve done.

“It’s not like that I believe we’ve discovered the Holy Grail and we understand everything and it’s going to be a blast next year. This is now a crucial period. Literally over the next one-to-two months we need, with a certain degree of precision, to understand what needs to be done for next year.”

‘W13 often performing differently on track to how the team’s simulations predicted’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/19/...nd-up-19-09-5/


George Russell fires firm warning to Lewis Hamilton as he explains win-win position
George Russell has starred at Mercedes since switching from Williams.
15:01, Thu, Sep 29, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

In a subtle threat to Hamilton, Russell stressed he wants to be a world champion and had pledged to “make it happen”. Speaking to i, Russell said: “I am going up against the greatest driver of all time, I have nothing to lose.”

“He has won everything, the stats speak for themselves, so why should a young 24-year-old be able to compete with that? If you have that mindset, I am in a win-win position. I want to be world champion, but saying it, dreaming about it, is one thing – you have got to make it happen.”

“Short term I am working as hard as I can on myself to improve the overall package and performance. Then there is no reason why I can’t achieve my long-term goal.” Russell has given Hamilton a run for his money in 2022 with a string of solid performances to elevate him up the table. The ex-Williams star lies 35 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship due to his incredible consistency.

‘Wants to be a world champion and had pledged to “make it happen”.’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...es-news-latest


George Russell interview: ‘There’s no reason why I can’t become F1 world champion’
September 29, 2022 9:34 am(Updated 12:02 pm)
By Pete Hall

This is not how George Russell’s season was supposed to go. The 24-year-old sits fourth in the drivers’ standings, 35 points ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, in his first season at Mercedes having remarkably finished in the top five for all but one of the 16 races this campaign. Talk about dealing with the pressure.

But that is one of the reasons this season has gone so well – for Russell, the pressure is off. “I am going up against the greatest driver of all time, I have nothing to lose,” Russell tells i. He has won everything, the stats speak for themselves, so why should a young 24-year-old be able to compete with that?”

“If you have that mindset, I am in a win-win position. I want to be world champion, but saying it, dreaming about it, is one thing – you have got to make it happen. Short term I am working as hard as I can on myself to improve the overall package and performance. Then there is no reason why I can’t achieve my long-term goal.”

‘The pressure is off’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...99?ITO=newsnow

[Fortitude]

Five key storylines to emerge from the Singapore GP press conference.
‘feels for the fans’, ‘fighting as fit’, ‘future is still undecided’, ‘just want smooth sailing’, ‘thrilled to see the Singapore GP return’
Thursday 29th September 2022 8:08 PM
Henry Valantine

Formula 1’s original night race is back after a pandemic-induced absence, and the drivers are seemingly universally looking forward to taking on the Marina Bay Street Circuit again.

The heat, humidity, chance of rain and physicality of the circuit under the Singapore lights make it a true test of driver skill, and they cannot wait to get going this weekend.

Lando Norris said: “I’m very excited. For me, one of the coolest tracks on the calendar. At the same time, one of the most difficult to put together, so rewarding I think come qualifying, especially.

‘Singapore GP press conference’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/five-k...ss-conference/


Singapore GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
29/09/2022
NEWS STORY

Please, can we start with Alex? First up, great to see you back. How are you feeling?
Alex Albon: Good, thank you. Yeah, it feels good to be back. Yeah, I came here, obviously. I feel ready. I feel as fit as I can be. And we had a good week of training, or two weeks almost, to get back to where we are today. So, you know, we'll see how it goes. Obviously, we are realistic. And we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year, so we do have to be mindful of that. But I feel good. I've been karting. It's felt okay, so, yeah...

Q: Lando, let's come to you. You've been here for a few days already. How's the acclimatisation to the heat going?
Lando Norris: Yeah, well, I think. I've not done too much, just exploring little bits here and there. Yeah, that's it, not too much else. So just having a little look around going to some different restaurants and nice places for dinner and lunch and everything but that's all.

Q: And Mick back to you. You've never raced here before. Just tell us about the challenge ahead? What are you expecting?
MS: Yeah, I mean, I can only refer to what everybody else is saying, as I've never raced here myself. So I guess that the humidity is one of the points that probably everybody talks about, but also the track itself as you know. I've done a few simulator sessions on this track and watched a load of videos on this place, but really excited to go out there and make my own kind of experiences of this place.

‘FIA Drivers Press Conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73703/Singap...ess-Conference


Max Verstappen feels like there’s “no rush” to claim second crown
September 29, 2022
By Nick Golding

Max Verstappen has admitted to feeling like there is “no rush” to claim his second Drivers’ Championship, despite the Dutchman having his first chance to do so this weekend at the returning Singapore Grand Prix. Verstappen is aware that he needs to be “ready for anything”, with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver preparing to take it “race by race”.

“We haven’t been to Singapore for a while so it will be interesting to see how the track has evolved. It’s definitely one of the best races of the year and it’s a beautiful place to be. It’s important to have a good qualifying lap here so we’ll be focussing on that. During the race we just have to be ready for anything as there’s usually a lot of safety cars.

“In general, it’s a challenging circuit, the humidity is tough on the body and it’s very difficult to do a perfect lap because of tight turns and how close the walls are. I don’t really think about the Championship, I just want to have a positive weekend on track and take it race by race, there’s no rush.”

‘No rush to claim second crown’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-second-crown/


Fernando Alonso wishes Max Verstappen 'luck' as Dutchman looks to avoid copying Spaniard
Max Verstappen is closing in on a second world drivers' championship.
22:50, Thu, Sep 29, 2022
By Sam Smith

The Alpine star believes that Verstappen will be an all-time great in Formula One and deserves to win the championship this season. He has backed the 25-year-old to get even better.

“I think so, yes. He’s 24 or 25, no? So there’s still a lot in front of him, but I wish him more luck than me because I was also 26 with those stats and still have the same stats at 40! But I’m sure with Red Bull and how things look for the future, he will only get better,” Alonso told journalists.

“It’s very well deserved. They were the best team and the best driver by far, so when they win it I don’t think it is an important thing, it’s just that they will. Whether it’s here or Japan, let’s see.”

‘Alonso wishes Max Verstappen luck';

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


Albon feels 'as fit as I can be' for grueling Singapore GP
29/09/2022 at 13:51
Michael Delaney

Alex Albon says he feels "ready" and as fit as he can be for his return to racing at this weekend's grueling Singapore Grand Prix. The Williams driver will be back in the saddle after missing the Italian Grand Prix due to an acute case of appendicitis that sidelined him from Saturday morning at Monza.

"I feel ready. I feel as fit as I can be - no pain," he said on Thursday in Marina Bay. We had a good week of training or two weeks almost to get back to where we are today. We're realistic and we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year.”

"We do have to be mindful of that. But I feel good. I've been karting and it's felt OK. I don't think we truthfully had in mind Singapore on the cards," he said. "But just with the way that the speed of recovery, it was definitely a possible thing."

'As fit as I can be';

https://f1i.com/news/455131-albon-fe...gapore-gp.html


Perez warns plan to lower tyre blanket temperatures will ‘put drivers at risk’
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 29th September 2022, 17:1829th September 2022, 17:25
Written by Ida Wood

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is concerned the FIA’s plans to further reduce maximum tyre blanket temperatures in Formula 1 next year could compromise safety. A reduction in temperatures for the heated blankets, which wrap around Formula 1 car tyres while they are sat on the grid pre-race and are also used to warm up tyres prior to pit stops, was introduced this year. The previous upper limits of 100C for front tyres and 80C for rears was lowered to 70C for both this season.

For 2023, another decrease will be written into the regulations, reducing the blankets to 50C. Safety concerns over F1 cars running on cooler tyres has stopped previous attempts to outlaw blankets entirely, but F1 is aiming to do this by 2024. However Perez says it has been more difficult to generate heat in tyres since the temperature limits were lowered this year.

However Perez says it has been more difficult to generate heat in tyres since the temperature limits were lowered this year. “I think for me, the only concern is the warm-up,” said Perez when asked about the difficulty of getting Pirelli’s 2022 tyres into the right operating window for on-the-limit qualifying laps.”

‘Lower tyre blanket temperatures will put drivers at risk’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/29/...ivers-at-risk/


Rain expected during Singapore GP weekend, but F1’s sessions may avoid it
2022 Singapore Grand Prix weather
Posted on 29th September 2022, 11:0029th September 2022, 12:59
Written by Ida Wood

It is almost certain that there will be rain over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, but Formula 1’s competitive sessions may avoid it. Friday afternoon has a 50% chance of thundery showers, with the first practice session beginning at 6pm once the rainy weather is set to clear. However there’s still a 40% estimation that rain could return by then, with air temperature expected to be 29C. Three hours later, the cars take to the track again for second practice, and with only a slight temperature dip to 28C. Rain is still possible, but looks unlikely for the first bit of on-track action under the spotlights.

The weather is set to follow a similar pattern for Saturday, with temperatures being the same as the day before and with rain at its most likely in the early afternoon and therefore long before F1 hits the track for third practice session at 6pm. Any standing water could also be cleared by the two support series running beforehand.

But the forecasts indicate the race will start on a wet track, as was the case for the 2017 edition of the grand prix. From 6am to 7pm there is a consistent expectation of rain, although it dips to a 45% chance of precipitation at 8pm when the race begins.

‘Rain expected during Singapore GP weekend’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/29/...-may-avoid-it/

[Fortitude]

Hamilton on top during opening Singapore GP session.
Hamilton’s lap of 1:43.033s left him 0.084s faster than runaway title leader Max Verstappen.
30th Sept. 2022, 12:13
by Phillip Horton.
Motorsport Week.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time during opening practice for Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix. Singapore did not feature on the calendar in 2020 or 2021 owing to Covid-19 entry restrictions but secured a fresh deal through 2028 during its hiatus.

Formula 1 cars returned to the streets of Marina Bay on Friday evening, with the circuit unchanged since its last appearance in 2019, and seven-time champion Hamilton clocked the quickest time. Hamilton’s lap of 1:43.033s left him 0.084s faster than runaway title leader Max Verstappen. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc recovered from an early brake issue to set the third-best time.

Sergio Perez was fourth for Red Bull, with George Russell fifth for Mercedes, having slid wide at Turn 11 during the early stages of the session and made light contact with the barriers.

‘Hamilton on top’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...re-gp-session/


F1 2022 Singapore Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (1)
30 Sep 2022
Connor McDonagh

2022 F1 Singapore Grand Prix - FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1)

Pos Driver Nat. Team Time
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m43.033s
2 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m43.117s
3 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1m43.435s
4 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m43.839s
5 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m44.066s
6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m44.138s
7 Esteban Ocon FRA BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m44.736s
8 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team 1m45.221s
9 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m45.258s
10 Fernando Alonso ESP BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m45.336s

‘Results from the first practice session at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, Round 17 of the 2022 F1 world championship’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/101...tice-results-1


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
30 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

The F1 circus is back at the Marina Bay circuit for the first time since 2019. The drivers are hyped to be here, the fans are out in force - and the excitement levels are already building ahead of the first Friday practice session.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...opKArDMn1.html


Formula 1 teams’ Singapore Grand Prix upgrades revealed
30/09/2022, 09:55
By Mark Hughes
The Race

The full list of upgrades Formula 1 teams are bringing to the Singapore Grand Prix is out. Mark Hughes summarises what’s new at Marina Bay, including changes at Red Bull and big pushes from the teams fighting for fourth in F1’s constructors’ championship. Red Bull: A subtle reprofiling of the floor fences is all that Red Bull is reporting.

McLaren: Although the reprofiled radiator inlets are the most visually obvious of the changes McLaren has brought here, they also include accompanying changes to the fences and forward floor body. Alpine: Alpine has brought a very significantly different new floor, the effectiveness of which the team is very bullish about.

AlphaTauri: A new front wing is quite rare occurrence in the cost-controlled era but that’s what AlphaTauri has brought, to increase load on the inboard part and changes to the outboard part to improve wheel wake control. Aston Martin: Aston Martin has introduced different detail to its floor edge for more effective vortex generation. Williams: Williams has changed the material of the rear brake duct for better reliability. Mercedes, Ferrari, Haas: No updates reported.

‘Upgrades revealed’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/formu...ades-revealed/


McLaren snub at Singapore Grand Prix slaps Daniel Ricciardo in the face
September 30th, 2022 7:57 pm
Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au

Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed suggestions McLaren is treating him as its No. 2 driver after the team revealed he would not get the same engine upgrade as Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix. This weekend Norris will be the sole recipient of McLaren’s upgrade package, which includes a new floor and sidepods.

But Ricciardo won’t get the upgrades until the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka the following weekend. The Australian was relatively unphased by the snub, suggesting the upgrades were designed with on eye to the 2023 season.

“Lando has got it,” he said ahead of the first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019. “Just with time and whatever, resources – ultimately it’s both – we’ll both have it in Japan, but this weekend it’s just him.”

‘Daniel Ricciardo slapped in the face’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...cdeacf02153d59

[Fortitude]

Sainz heads Ferrari one-two in second Singapore practice.
Sainz’s best time of a 1’42.587 was two tenths of a second quicker than his team mate, with George Russell a further tenth behind, just ahead of Max Verstappen.
2022 Singapore Grand Prix second practice
Posted on 30th September 2022, 15:3330th September 2022, 15:33
Written by Will Wood

The two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc were fastest in the second Friday practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix. Sainz’s best time of a 1’42.587 was two tenths of a second quicker than his team mate, with George Russell a further tenth behind, just ahead of Max Verstappen.

Despite the sun having set between the end of first practice and the start of the second session, the temperatures had hardly changed by the time the second hour of practice got underway around the Marina Bay street circuit. Despite the sun having set between the end of first practice and the start of the second session, the temperatures had hardly changed by the time the second hour of practice got underway around the Marina Bay street circuit.

After being quickest in the opening session, Lewis Hamilton set the early benchmark of a 1’44.091 on medium tyres, half a second ahead of Fernando Alonso and George Russell in the other Mercedes. Russell, who gently nudged the barrier at turn 12 in the opening practice session, almost committed the same mistake in the early minutes, but managed to avoid contact with the wall.

‘Sainz heads Ferrari one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/30/...pore-practice/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
30th Sept. 2022, 15:22
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:42.587
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.208
3. George Russell Mercedes +0.324
4. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.339
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.595
6. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.825
7. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.844
8. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.933
9. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.319
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.395

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-80117


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
30 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

Hello and welcome back to Singapore...
The sun has set, the lights are on and the track is looking spectacular ahead of the second practice session and the only one that's fully representative of the conditions the drivers will qualify and race in.

‘AS IT HAPPENED;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qpmY1nift.html


Max Verstappen: Lost time for 'changes' means Singapore GP practice times 'not representative'
30 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen says that "we couldn't really run a lot" during Friday's practice sessions for the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix due to changes Red Bull made to the Dutchman's car, meaning that his lap times were "not really representative."

‘Lost time for changes’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...769760802.html


2022 Singapore GP FP2: Russell slides towards the wall again at Turn 11
30 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

George Russell slides towards the wall at Turn 11 of the Marina Bay Street Circuit during second practice at the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, in a carbon copy of his bump into the barriers during first practice.

‘Sliding towards the wall!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...991232032.html


Pierre Gasly forced to bail as car suddenly catches fire in scary scenes at Singapore GP
Pierre Gasly suffered the issue in the closing stages of FP2 for the Singapore Grand Prix
14:54, Fri, Sep 30, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Pierre Gasly’s car burst into flames while the Frenchman was still in it in a scary moment at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Alpha Tauri’s cockpit caught fire moments after Gasly returned to the pits towards the end of second practice.

The fire appeared to come from the top of the roll hoop as mechanics tried to push the car back into the pit garage. Gasly quickly jumped out of the car as mechanics put out the blaze with an extinguisher. However, the incident did not rule Gasly out of the session as he returned to the track moments later. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Ted Kravitz said: “Everything’s been sorted out. There’s been a bit of tape that’s been out over the fire-damaged engine cover.

“The team are telling me the fire started when the fuel breather was connected to the car but it was put out quickly and then he’s going back out on the circuit. I haven’t heard that before. I’ve had a fuel breather put in the wrong way and supercharged the air in the system.

‘Forced to bail as car suddenly catches fire’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ore-grand-prix


HOW MAX VERSTAPPEN COULD CLINCH THE F1 CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE SINGAPORE GP
September 30, 2022, ‎9‎:‎19‎ ‎AM
Jonathan Brazeau

Max Verstappen has the opportunity to wrap up his Formula One title defence as early as Sunday at the Singapore Grand Prix. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Verstappen's Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez, Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz are the only other drivers remaining in the title hunt — mathematically at least.

Verstappen (335 points) holds a seemingly insurmountable 116-point lead over Leclerc (219), while Perez (210) is an additional nine points back and Russell (203) lags behind by seven more. Sainz (187) is only still in the picture until Sunday if we're being honest.

What are the scenarios? First off, Verstappen must win the Singapore GP. The Dutch driver needs to outscore Leclerc by 22 points, Perez by 13 and Russell by six. Even finishing second and earning the fastest lap bonus would only net Verstappen a total of 19 points and keep Leclerc hanging on by a thread for at least another week.

‘Further analysis’;

https://www.sportsnet.ca/auto-racing...-singapore-gp/