2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Haas believe they know where early-season pace has gone.
Mick Schumacher says Haas "have an idea why" their car was down on performance during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Mick Schumacher says Haas "have an idea why" their car was down on performance during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

The American outfit are confident in their race pace at high-speed circuits, and will have more time to make progress through the field in race conditions thanks to the event being a Sprint weekend.

"I'm sure that we'll be, hopefully, back in the position where we were supposed to be," Schumacher continued. "There were a lot of things that we learned, a lot of positives, and things we need to improve."

‘Having An Idea’;

https://racingnews365.com/haas-belie...-pace-has-gone


British journalist gives verdict on Ferrari ‘threatening’ Haas, turning down their engine
For the first time in 2022, Haas failed to score points at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
13 April 202213 April 2022

Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz has dismissed any conspiracy theories suggesting that Ferrari attempted to put a halt to Haas’ momentum at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.

Having spent the entirety of 2021 developing for the all-new technical regulations this season, Haas have cemented themselves in the early going in 2022 as contenders for the top four in the Constructors’ Championship.

Kevin Magnussen returned to the team to replace the sacked Nikita Mazepin, and he managed points finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to declare that he has not lost any pace in his year away from the pinnacle of motorsport, and that the American outfit are ready to consistently compete for points again.

‘Turning Engine Power Down Dismissed’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/british-j...-their-engine/


Kravitz rubbishes Ferrari v Haas paddock rumour
Date published: April 11 2022 - Henry Valantine

Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz has quickly shut down a rumour in the paddock that Ferrari may have been “threatening” Haas to turn down their customer engine, with their strong performances in Bahrain and Jeddah raising eyebrows.


“From scoring points in the first couple of races with Kevin Magnussen to finishing P13 and P14 in Australia is very, very odd. There have been some suggestions among the rumour-mongers that maybe Ferrari are thinking Haas are doing a little bit too well and threatening them. Of course, that’s rubbish. Ferrari are never going to threaten Haas to turn down their own engine.”

“But that’s the rumour out there and you know I like to keep you across all these rumours in F1. I think the truth is, really, that they arrived here with the wrong set-up and never got it back. When you essentially write off Friday because you don’t have the right set-up, it’s very difficult to get it back.”

‘Rubbish Rumours’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ted-kr...-haas-rumours/


Magnussen highlights reason behind Haas' recent struggles
‎10‎ ‎April‎ ‎17‎:‎15
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Kevin Magnussen believes that Haas' change in fortunes at the Australian Grand Prix was down to the track not suiting their car, and thus remains hopeful that the team can bounce back.

"[It was] good fun, [and a] nice track," the Danish driver said after the Grand Prix. "[I'm disappointed] not to get points today. We made a small gamble, I would say, with the Hard tyre, because we felt like we were faster than our opposition, which we were.”

"But, again, [the] Safety Car came and ruined completely the strategy. We know that's the gamble, but it's happened two times now [having happened at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix], so it's a bummer. We'll take them next time!"

‘Small Gamble’;

https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...cent-struggles


K-Mag ‘on eggs’, but Haas trouble ‘an outlier’
Date published: April 11 2022 - Jon Wilde

Kevin Magnussen said he was “on eggs” at the Australian Grand Prix – but it had nothing to do with his diet. After having to miss his Friday morning media commitments due to feeling nauseous, it would have been understandable if the Dane was watching what he ate in Melbourne.

Haas were generally a little bit off the form they had produced in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, where Magnussen enjoyed race results of fifth and ninth respectively to collect 12 points after a blank 2021 campaign for the team.

Adopting the reverse strategy to the majority of the field at Albert Park, with hard tyres from 16th on the grid, the 29-year-old duelled with his team-mate Mick Schumacher and both started and finished one place behind the German, 13th and 14th.

‘Haas Woes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kevin-...-haas-outlier/

[Fortitude]

Williams point “just as sweet” as Red Bull podiums – Albon.
Alex Albon feels his points finish for Williams in the Australian Grand Prix was “just as sweet” as the podiums he scored for Red Bull during his time at the sharp end of F1.
Will Gray
Tuesday 12 April 2022 13:35

Albon revealed: “To be honest, I was guided by them [the team]. I was surprised we were never boxing under the VCSs or the safety cars. I thought ‘Okay, well they know something I don’t'.

“I thought that one of the Haas’ boxed in front of me and that’s the point when I thought ‘Okay, it’s going to be a tricky race now’ because that DRS was saving me from being overtaken by the pack behind.”

“But once we got clear air we just went and we were on much older tyres than the guys around us, keeping pace more or less with the McLarens and at the very end pulling away from the Alpines.”

‘They Know Something I Don’t’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...podiums-albon/


PALMER: How Albon pulled off a blinding strategy call to take Williams' first point of the season
13 April 2022
Special contributor
Jolyon Palmer

Williams must have been concerned that there would be a void at the team following George Russell’s move to Mercedes this year...

Starting from plumb last, after his car was disqualified for having too little fuel in it at the end of qualifying, it looked like it would be another tough afternoon. It ended up being a fairytale for the team with a perfectly executed strategy jumping them into the top 10 and earning a coveted first point.

Williams kept Albon out and it worked perfectly. After the event both Haas and Alpine will have looked at Williams’ strategy and rued a missed chance.

‘Blinding Strategy’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...sk9Jx702X.html


Albon feeling like a 'team leader' at Williams
Phillip van Osten
13/04/2022 at 15:18

Williams recruit Alex Albon says he's feeling like a genuine "team leader" at the British squad for which he scored its first championship point of the 2022 season last weekend in Melbourne.

But Albon had to work hard to earn his and his outfit's solitary point, as there was little to separate Williams' FW43 from the machines of fellow midfield rivals Alfa Romeo and Haas in the first half of the 58-lap event.

Albon said that he actually enjoyed his battle around Albert Park with his Alfa and Haas adversaries "It was nice to mix it [with them] and when I was in that group of cars, I guess part of me was mostly looking in my rearview mirrors. But then, very quickly, I was losing them and I was pulling away from them," he said. "And I was like: 'Oh, okay, here we go. We're gapping them!'. It was really good."

‘Pulling Away From Alfa and Haas’;

https://f1i.com/news/438357-albon-fe...-williams.html


Albon’s 10-place rise ‘is what racing is all about’
Date published: April 11 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

Williams team boss Jost Capito says Alex Albon’s rise to claim a point in Australia after starting from P20 was what racing is all about.

“I would say this is racing and this is what racing is all about,” said Capito in a Williams social media video. “Coming from P20, last car on the grid and getting a point.”

“Alex did an outstanding job – the race pace was extraordinary. The strategy, I would say, was a bit risky – but no risk, no fun – and at the end, it worked out perfectly.”

‘No Risk, No Fun’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...australia-p10/


Alex Albon Needed a Series of Qualifying Laps to Secure Unexpected First Point in 2022
13 Apr 2022, 09:14 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

Williams’ Alex Albon came to Albert Park while nursing a three-place grid penalty following a contact with Lance Stroll at Jeddah. Ultimately, the Anglo-Thai driver started the race from the back of the grid and managed a monster 57-lap stint on his original hard tires.

“It just got better and better and by the end of it, it felt like qualifying laps for the last 25 laps of the race,” said Albon in an interview with Motorsport. “Obviously it’s completely unexpected, but it really highlights all the work that’s been done at the factory and here at the track.”

“That’s what determination and motivation – that's where it gets you. It’s been an amazing day and I’m glad I could get this result for the team.”

’25 Qualifying Laps’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/a...22-186288.html


The full story of Albon’s against-all-odds Melbourne point
Apr 11 2022
By Edd Straw

PART 1 (Lap 1-3) Albon made little progress early on, with wheelspin at the start preventing him from attacking the cars in front then a cautious approach in bringing the tyres in to ensure longevity. He chased the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, with the only position gained thanks to Carlos Sainz understeering off the track at Turn 9 and then spinning into the Turn 10 gravel.

PART 2 (Lap 7-23) Albon remained in 18th place at the restart at the start of lap seven and settled into chasing team-mate Nicholas Latifi, who slipped back from the cars ahead.

PART 3 (Lap 28-39) Albon reported during the safety car period that he struggled with the front end when behind another car. He also said he was struggling with over-rotation in the medium and high-speed corners, describing it as “the pendulum effect”. He also reported “a bit” of graining but said it was nothing to worry about, indicating he wasn’t having the same troubles Latifi was.

‘PART 4 (Lap 40-52), PART 5 – ENDGAME (Lap 53-58)’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-f...lbourne-point/


How Albon's pace in Australia surprised a rival team boss
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer says he was surprised at the pace of Alex Albon in Melbourne, with the Williams driver finishing 10th after running all but one lap of the race on the Hard compound tyre.

Speaking after the race, Szafnauer noted that he hadn't expected Albon to be able to lap so consistently on one set of tyres for such a long period of time.

"I wasn't surprised that they scored a point; I was surprised at their pace on a 57 lap-old Hard tyre, so there's things to learn from it," Szafnauer told media including RacingNews365.com.

‘Alex Albon Pace Surpriser!’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-albons...sed-rival-boss


Points finishes ‘unimaginable’ for Williams after Saturday DSQ – Albon
A stupendous opening stint for Alex Albon helped him score a point at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
10 April 202210 April 2022

His pace was nothing short of magnificent on old hard rubber, and he was told by Paul di Resta that he almost wiped out one or two people in the pit lane during his visit to the pits.

“Oh did I? Oh okay, we’ll ignore that,” he replied with a chuckle.

“It was good, it was a hard one. We fought hard and it was like qualifying for 30 laps for us,” he told Sky Sports. “I don’t know what it is about that tyre, but that Hard tyre suits us every time we put it on, and of course P10 seems unimaginable to us.

‘Stupendous’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/points-fi...day-dsq-albon/


Tenth an “unimaginable” result for Albon after strategist predicted 19th
2022 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on
10th April 2022, 12:4411th April 2022, 7:48 | Written by Will Wood

“I know for a fact we went into the race, the strategist tells you, ‘OK, this is our best performance, this is what we have to do to get the best outcome’ and it was 19th and 20th and it wasn’t pretty. It didn’t look great behind P18, either. And to come out P10 – it’s completely unimaginable. It’s a very special moment.”

‘From a Predicted 19th, to an Unimaginable 10th’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/10/...redicted-19th/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari extends Rory Byrne's F1 contract.
Former F1 driver Marc Surer also sees the hand of great Ferrari
designer Rory Byrne, whose consultancy contract has just been
extended.

Marc Surer: "The extension of the contract sounds like a huge thank
you," Surer told Auto Bild. "Byrne seems to have done a super job in
his role. The Ferrari this year has similar characteristics to the
Schumacher Ferraris - fast everywhere and in all conditions, great
traction and always getting the best from the tyres. "That is clearly
Byrne's signature," he added.

F1 legend Gerhard Berger thinks Byrne's influence may have helped
Ferrari to minimise the downsides of the ground effect 'porpoising'
that has caught out many other teams.

"In his own way, Byrne is just as much a genius as Newey," he said.
"Even in the 80s we had big problems with the so-called bouncing, the
extreme hopping of the cars on the straight.”

‘Rory Byrne Genius Rewarded’;

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...3.html?newsnow


Leclerc warns against adding ‘extra pressure ahead of Imola
Date published: April 14 2022 - Michelle Foster

Heading into the first of Ferrari’s two home races leading the
championship, Charles Leclerc says Ferrari must not “overdo it” nor
put undue pressure on their shoulders.

But, having won two of this year’s opening three races, Ferrari’s
tifosi are expecting more from Leclerc, they want a win on home soil
such as the one he managed in 2019 at Monza.

“Italy will be incredible, but we need to approach the race weekend,
just like we approached the first three weekends. I think it’s
extremely important not to put on ourselves extra pressure and not try
to overdo things. Because we are working, I think, as a team
extremely well since the beginning of the season and yeah, we just
need to keep doing our job, just like we did in the first three
weekends.”

‘Imola Pressure’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...ressure-imola/


Di Montezemolo hails ‘united, determined’ Ferrari
Date published: April 13 2022 - Jon Wilde

Luca di Montezemolo has congratulated Ferrari on their brilliant start
to the season – and singled out Mattia Binotto and Charles Leclerc for
praise. “Leclerc has been able to prove he is a driver of the highest
level. The season is long, the rivals won’t sleep, but we couldn’t
have started better than this. Onwards like this.”

Di Montezemolo was the president of Ferrari from 1991-2014, so he
knows all about success having overseen the golden era at the start of
this century when the team won six consecutive Constructors’ titles
and five successive Drivers’ crowns through Michael Schumacher.

The 74-year-old naturally hopes the team managed by Binotto will
continue as they have started and go on to land their first
championship since 2008 when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen’s
combined efforts left them 21 points ahead of McLaren.

‘Ferrari Hailed’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...zemolo-praise/


Binotto reveals why Ferrari won’t bring any upgrades to Imola
Ferrari were anticipated to introduce an upgrade at Imola that would
help them save weight.
by Rob Kershaw
14 April 202214 April 2022

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has said that his team will not
be bringing anything major to the fourth round of the season in Imola
due to the lack of practice time the teams will have.

An hour-long practice session will be followed by Friday qualifying as
Formula 1 embarks on the first of three sprint events next weekend, so
the teams will be extremely restricted in their ability to trial new
parts.

Ferrari were anticipated to introduce an upgrade that would help them
save weight and, while one or two aspects of the car may be different,
Binotto has stressed that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will need
to prioritise qualifying preparation over testing new parts.

‘Qualifying Preparation Prioritised’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/binotto-r...ades-to-imola/


Elkann: Delighted Ferrari competing at the highest level
Reuters
13 April, 2022

Ferrari Chairman John Elkann is delighted the Scuderia are competing
at the highest level in the 2022 Formula 1 season, the team heading
both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships so far.

“We said two years ago that we had to work hard to get back to being
competitive and the 2022 championship has got off to a truly thrilling
start,” Elkann said at Ferrari’s annual shareholders’ meeting.

“Like all our tifosi (fans) around the world, I am delighted we are
competing at the highest level,” said Elkann. “That said, we know the
season has just begun and in Formula 1 you are always surrounded by
fierce competitors. We must work tirelessly as a team to optimize
every aspect of our performance. That is the spirit and approach I
look forward to seeing at Imola and as the season progresses.”

‘Working Tirelessly’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...highest-level/


Ferrari chairman buoyed by early success, but 'season has just begun'
Phillip van Osten
14/04/2022 at 17:09

Ferrari chairman John Elkann says the Scuderia's early success in 2022
is a validation of the team's hard work, but the executive warned
there's a long road ahead for the Italian outfit this season.

After years of underperformance, Ferrari took advantage of the
introduction of F1's new technical rules to regroup in Maranello and
to rekindle its strengths to design and develop a winning package for
2022.

Leclerc's success and lead in the championship will ensure the
Monegasque receives overwhelming support in next week's Emilia Romagna
Grand Prix, a home race of sorts for the Scuderia. "Oh yeah, I can
imagine it," said Leclerc after his win last weekend in Australia.
"But I don't want to think about it too much because it's still very
early in the season.”

‘Season Has Just Begun’;

https://f1i.com/news/438409-ferrari-...ust-begun.html


Ferrari boss warns Leclerc and Sainz could suffer reliability-induced
DNFs like Verstappen
Mattia Binotto maintains that Ferrari must keep a keen eye on
reliability if they are to sustain a title challenge this year.
by Rob Kershaw
13 April 202213 April 2022

Following three reliability-induced retirements for Red Bull in the
early going of the season, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has
emphasised the importance of having a reliable car.

Binotto is therefore acutely aware of the significance of sustaining
performance while also enduring that both cars consistently make it to
the end of races. “Reliability is part of the performance I think to
finish first, first you need to finish,” he said, quoted by GPFans.

“The reliability is a key element of the performance itself and I
think that as a team, we put a priority on it. We know it may be that
it will happen to ourselves as well, not to finish races, and that is
part of the job, of the game, but it is something we are keeping a
very high priority on,” he explained.”

‘Reliability part of the Game’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ferrari-b...ke-verstappen/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull playing catch-up ‘from encouraging position’ – Horner.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes the squad has “a very good
direction” for development of its RB18 and says its current position
is encouraging.
15th April 2022, 06:44
by Phillip Horton

Despite its in-race failures in Bahrain and Australia it had the
second-fastest package, behind Ferrari, albeit sizeably so at the most
recent of those events. “I think they started this project a lot
earlier than we did,” said Horner on Ferrari.

“So to a degree, we’re playing catch up. But the fact that we’re
playing catch up from the second fastest position is encouraging.
We’re starting to understand some of the issues that we have.”

“I think it’s all part of the development and evolution of these cars.
As we learn more about the tyres and how the car’s performing, that
gives you a development direction. Over the first few races we’ve got
some very good direction for the development vein for the rest of the
season.”

‘Very Good Direction For Development And Catch Up’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...sition-horner/


Horner reveals how happy Red Bull are with Perez's early-season performance.
16th April 2022, ‎13‎:‎40
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Christian Horner has offered an update on how satisfied Red Bull are
with Sergio Perez's performances so far in 2022. Red Bull team boss
Christian Horner has heaped praise on Sergio Perez, with the Mexican
driver appearing to have found another gear for his second season at
the team.

While fortune hasn't been on his side so far, such as when an
unfortunately-timed Safety Car spoiled his chances of victory in Saudi
Arabia after dominating from pole position, his slightly better
reliability than the sister car means that Perez leads Verstappen in
the Drivers' Championship.

"It's always gonna be easier for Checo [Perez] coming into his second
season," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com. "He knows
the team, he knows the infrastructure. We've also had a reset in terms
of regulations, so the car has been a complete reset. I think he's
driven very well so far. I think that the gap between him and Max has
converged.”

‘We've been delighted with his performance so far.’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-rev...on-performance


‘Very complex’ issue led to Max’s Australian fuel leak
Date published: April 14 2022 - Michelle Foster

Helmut Marko says Red Bull have discovered the cause of Max
Verstappen’s latest retirement but refused to go into details. For
the second time this season the Red Bull driver suffered a fuel
pressure problem, his RB18 slowing before stopping on the side of the
track.

Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, has now revealed that it was a
fuel leak that led to the driver’s DNF. “We were able to clarify the
cause of the fuel leak in Max’s car,” he told Speedweek.

The Austrian, though, would not go into details as to what led to the
leak. “The matter is very complex,” he said, adding that “the problem
is absolutely different from that of Bahrain.”

‘Very Complex Fuel Leak’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/comple...australia-dnf/


The set-up mistake that helped Ferrari dominate Red Bull in Australia
‎14‎ ‎April‎ ‎14‎:‎30
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Charles Leclerc crossed the line 20 seconds ahead of his nearest rival
as he claimed victory at the Australian Grand Prix, marking his second
win of the 2022 F1 season. Christian Horner has set out one potential
reason as to why Red Bull were lacking pace against Ferrari during the
Australian Grand Prix weekend.

"I think what we saw on Friday [meant] that we thought the race was
going to be rear-limited, as we'd seen quite a lot of graining on rear
tyres," Horner explained, speaking to select members of the media,
including RacingNews365.com.

"I think a combination of perhaps the surface rubbering in, and
particularly the temperature, it then was almost an inverse problem.
And having tried to counter the issues that we expected, we ended up
with a car that was very front-limited. That was why, I believe, we
were out of the balance window with our car, so that's why we had a
lot of graining, particularly on the Medium tyre. On the Hard tyre it
was actually not too bad."

‘Red Bull Set-up Mistakes’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-set-up...l-in-australia


Red Bull's Marko critical of Verstappen, praises Perez after Australian GP
Ben Issatt
14 April 2022

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko had some rare criticism of his star
driver Max Verstappen following the Australian Grand Prix. “He goes
over the limit, he wants too much,” Marko said via formula1news.co.uk.
“That didn’t work out here in the last sector.”

“We thought that with the World Championship title there would be some
calmness from him, but he probably needs another title so that he
doesn’t go into qualifying with so much pressure.”

In contrast, the Red Bull chief was happy with Verstappen's teammate
Sergio Perez, who finished second after Max's retirement. “Checo
drove a great race, he was on par with Max,” Marko was quoted by
SpeedWeek.

‘Verstappen Critical, Perez Praise’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...-australian-gp


‘Upgrades are coming’: Marko fires warning at Ferrari, says RB18 is
‘way too heavy’
Max Verstappen suffered a second reliability-induced retirement in
three races at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
14 April 202214 April 2022

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has revealed that his team’s car is
an astonishing 10 kilograms heavier than Ferrari’s 2022 challenger.

“Our car is way too heavy,” he told de Telegraaf. “The RB18 finished
late, as we were in the title race right through to the end last year.
Updates are coming for the upcoming race at Imola and the Grand Prix’s
after. Hopefully we can get closer to Ferrari then.”

“We are currently more than ten kilos heavier than Ferrari. In terms
of lap time you are already talking about a loss of three tenths,” he
affirmed.

‘10Kg overweight, a Loss of 3/10ths’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/upgrades-...way-too-heavy/

[Fortitude]

DC doubts Mercedes can take ‘massive step forward’.
David Coulthard is sceptical whether Mercedes can make the strides
they need with the W13 to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull this season.
Date published: April 14 2022 - Jon Wilde

Coulthard does not see Mercedes making the big leap required to
transform their fortunes between now and the end of the campaign in
November – especially as they will not be the only team figuring out
how to make improvements.

“I think what’s happened is there has been a number of changes to the
rules and regulations, fuel has also changed, it seems like the
Mercedes package hasn’t actually responded to that as well as Ferrari,
Honda, Renault, and of course Ferrari are right out front,” said the
Scot on Channel 4. “But I think this will be a long, hard season for
them.”

“I totally accept they’ve got a different group of people there that
can help develop that car but nobody else stands still, that’s the
problem they have. So they have to take not baby steps, they need to
take a massive step forward, and in my experience that never happens
during a season.”

‘Long Hard Season for the Mercedes Package’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/david-...rcedes-doubts/


‘Sulking’ Hamilton may be ‘thinking of switching teams’
Date published: April 17 2022 - Jon Wilde

Mika Hakkinen has remarkably suggested that a “sulking” Lewis Hamilton
may now be thinking about a move away from Mercedes.

“It’s a tough spot for Lewis, it’s obvious,” said the two-time former
World Champion. “The last race in Australia was a tough spot for
Lewis – really tough. They got a good result – not the result they
hoped for but still good points for the team.”

“But I’m sure Lewis is still annoyed by the situation. It’s hard to be
beaten by George. I’m afraid this will be a really difficult season
for Lewis. It’s already difficult for Mercedes but especially for
Lewis.”

‘Switching Teams’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...kinen-sulking/


Wolff: Solving bouncing issue won’t completely fix Mercedes’ pace
16th April 2022.
by Fergal Walsh

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff says solving the team’s porpoising
issues won’t completely eradicate its pace deficit to the front of the
Formula 1 grid.

“When you look at the overlay in sector one [in Australia] we are very
competitive, sector two we are competitive and then in sector three,
through Turns 9, 10 and 12 we are losing all our margin. It’s almost
like a second through a couple of corners. So is curing the bouncing
going to miraculously unlock a second within the car? No, for sure
not.”

“But there are many other little improvements we can make on weight
and other things we can optimise and we just need to chip away the
small gains while understanding the car. “I’m optimistic that
eventually we will get there, whether it is two races or five, we need
to stay humble.”

‘Mercedes Staying Humble’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...mercedes-pace/


The 'enormous' work Mercedes are doing ahead of Imola
‎16‎ ‎April‎ ‎11‎:‎10
Author Tom Leach

Mercedes will undergo an "enormous" amount of work ahead of the
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as they look to keep pace with Ferrari and
Red Bull.

"I think often people see the race team on TV and think that's the
entire team. It's not. We are fortunate to have a base in Brackley,
and in Brixworth, with hundreds of people working every hour they
possibly can to make this racing car fast, competitive and a
championship winner," Mercedes' Chief Strategist, James Vowles,
explained.

"The work that goes on between races is enormous. There is a
turnaround of components, there are upgrades, there is an
understanding of problems that we have and how do we move the
performance forward both on the PU side and also on the chassis side."

‘Working Every Hour’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-enormo...ahead-of-imola


Wolff reveals why Mercedes are keeping faith with the W13
‎16‎ ‎April‎ ‎16‎:‎10
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Toto Wolff has revealed some of his thoughts on the current state of
competitiveness of Mercedes' W13, after a troubled start to life for
the car.

"I've been in this situation before in life, and you just need to be
humble about it," he told media, including RacingNews365.com, during
the Australian Grand Prix weekend. "When I said last year with the
new regulations, how things were set up, that we could have a
different pecking order – this is exactly what's happened. “

"The midfield is very, very compressed and we're just not quick
enough, full stop. There are so many areas where we know we can
improve, and others where we don't comprehend the car yet.”

‘Different Pecking Order’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reve...h-with-the-w13


Hamilton calls for instant Mercedes improvements.
Ian Parkes & Sam Hall
Friday 15 April 2022 07:00

Lewis Hamilton has called on Mercedes to make improvements "now, not
in two or three races" after a difficult start to the F1 season.
Hamilton, who travelled to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night after the race
to speak with fuel supplier Petronas, explained: "I'll be just making
sure we leave no stone unturned, making sure the hunger is really
there and we're maximising absolutely every moment.

"So I'll have a lot of Zooms, chasing the people who are in the wind
tunnel, the aero guys, just looking at absolutely every single area.
There's performance to be gained in areas that we know and we need it
now, not in two or three races, as we all know as a team.”

"I've just got to keep that encouragement, keep that energy high.
I'll also be on the simulator prepping for the next race."

‘Leaving No Stone Unturned’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/80...-improvements/


Hamilton issues Russell report card as he laughs off Villeneuve theory
‎16‎ ‎April‎ ‎17‎:‎50
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Lewis Hamilton says George Russell has settled in well as Valtteri
Bottas' replacement at Mercedes during his impressive first three
races with the team.

Speaking ahead of the Australian GP, 1997 World Champion Jacques
Villeneuve suggested that Russell was "coping better" with the
struggling Mercedes W13, with Hamilton having previously driven only
"perfect" cars.

"I find it amusing, some of the things that come out of his mouth,"
said Hamilton, in response. I remember my first go-kart was
fifth-hand. I've driven lots of different cars and found myself
relatively adaptable, so I should be good."

Hamilton Laughs Off Villeneuve Theory’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-i...leneuve-theory

[Fortitude]

Szafnauer pledges to give Alonso 'the car he needs'.
Alpine F1's new team principal Otmar Szafnauer says that the rapid
pace shown by Fernando Alonso in Melbourne was 'real' even though the
former world champion went on to finish the race in last place.
Andrew Lewin
17/04/2022 at 16:04

"It's real, it can't be unreal," he said when asked whether the pace
shown by Alonso last week was a genuine reflection of the car's
current level of overall performance.

"Our car is strong in some areas," said Szafnauer, after the car
matched the speed of Ferrari and Red Bull rivals in sector 2 at Albert
Park. "It's not weak in anything, but it's less strong in others."

Asked if the speed shown in Melbourne would carry over to other
circuits in 2022, Szafnauer replied: "It has characteristics that
other circuits have too, so we will be quick in other places.

‘Strong Car Real’;

https://f1i.com/news/438549-szafnaue...-he-needs.html


Szafnauer: ‘We will give Fernando the car he needs’
Date published: April 16 2022 - Henry Valantine

Otmar Szafnauer says he is confident Alpine can give Fernando Alonso
the machinery required to compete towards the sharp end of the field
this season.

“Because he is 40 years old? I hope so,” Szafnauer responded when
asked by AS if the team can produce a fast car quickly enough for
Alonso to get the most out of it. I remember when I was 40 and I
didn’t get tired. Now I’m 57 and I do get tired. This year, what we
have to do with Fernando, and also with Esteban [Ocon], is to improve
the car more than the others.”

“If we do that, what we learn this year we can apply it next year. At
the end of the year we will be able to see how our learning has been,
compared to the rest.”

‘Machinery Required Will Be Provided’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...mpetitive-car/


Alpine's plan to carry mighty Alonso pace into Imola.
17/04/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer says the pace shown by Fernando Alonso in
Australia was "real" and will be replicated elsewhere, in a warning to
his team's midfield rivals. Imola will also mark the beginning of
F1's development race, with upgrades tipped by some to be more
important than ever this season, given the dramatic change in
regulations.

Alpine will be looking to keep pace with their rivals by bringing
modifications of their own. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone
brings upgrades to Imola," continued Szafnauer.

"It seems, in my 25 years of doing this, for whatever reason, the
first European races [are] where everyone finds upgrades. It used to
be Barcelona, now it's Imola. It's our fourth race as well, so around
the fourth or fifth race everyone brings upgrades. So, we too will be
bringing upgrades."

‘Upgrades For Imola’;

https://racingnews365.com/alpines-pl...ace-into-imola


ALPINE: “NICE UPGRADE” TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN IMOLA
16th April 2022, 12:13
Dalila Zanardo

Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer announced to Motorsport.com that
the French team is preparing news for the Emila-Romagna Grand Prix:
“We’re going to bring some upgrades to Imola, that’s for sure.”

However, Szafnauer’s predictions might be tweaked by the sprint race
format coming up in Imola. As a matter of fact, both Ferrari and Red
Bull already announced they will not bring any upgrades in Italy due
to the lack of practice time, while Mercedes also agreed with the lack
of updates as Brackley wants to continue understanding and analyzing
its car for the moment.

‘Upgrades For Sure’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/f1.../?nowprocket=1


“It’s a good sign that we’re not satisfied” – Alpine’s Laurent Rossi
By Nick Golding
April 14, 2022

The BWT Alpine F1 Team where left with mixed-emotions following the
recent Australian Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon finishing inside the
points in seventh but with Fernando Alonso ending up towards the back,
despite electric pace at the Albert Park Circuit.

It left Alpine CEO, Laurent Rossi, disappointed with the team’s
weekend after only managing a seventh and seventeenth place finish
with both drivers.

“We are generally disappointed with today’s result, however, it’s a
good sign that we’re not satisfied as it underlines how far we have
progressed as a team. We know that we had the speed, and the
potential, for a much better result with both cars today but the race
weekend just didn’t quite unfold in our direction. The track proved
very difficult for overtaking, especially in comparison to the
previous two races, and we knew that Saturday’s qualifying result
would play a huge part in the outcome of Sunday’s race.”

‘Good Signs’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...laurent-rossi/

[Fortitude]

Seidl confident McLaren have made another big step forward.
"I think we have a package which is able to fight for top 10 positions at every race," said Seidl, speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.
‎17‎ ‎April‎ ‎09‎:‎30
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Anna Francis

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth and sixth in Australia, their best results of the season so far, as McLaren grow in confidence.

Just as he did during his debut season at McLaren, Ricciardo has found himself playing catch-up to Norris during the early rounds.

The young Briton has managed to build an eight-point advantage over his experienced Australian teammate.

‘McLaren Big Steps’;

https://racingnews365.com/seidl-conf...g-step-forward


McLaren must 'execute clear plan' - Seidl
Ewan Gale
Saturday 16 April 2022 17:15

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has insisted the team now has a "clear plan to execute" after overcoming a difficult start to the season with a double points finish in Australia.

Brake issues plagued McLaren in pre-season testing and the rushed compromise to ensure the car would be reliable enough to reach the end meant the performance of the MCL36 was not where the team expected.

Sndrea Seidl: "It was obviously important that after realising we were lacking performance that we did, as quickly as possible, analysis, study, to work out how we can improve performance as quickly as possible. I am very happy saying we have a clear plan in place now of what we need to do with the car in terms of making steps in terms of performance.”

‘Clear Plan Executed’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/80...ar-plan-seidl/


Norris shakes off "empty" feeling
Ewan Gale
Sunday 17 April 2022 16:00

Lando Norris has revealed his relief at shaking off his "empty" feeling of missing out on points after ending a tough start to the new F1 season.

“The atmosphere obviously was great," said Norris. "I guess as a driver you always enjoy it a little bit more when you’re closer to the front. You’re fighting for the points, you feel like you’re bringing something back to the team.

“When you don’t have any points, it feels like you’re just empty and you’ve missed out. When you do get points, it’s a lot more rewarding for myself and for the team.”

‘Shaking Off Empty Feeling’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/80...empty-feeling/


Ricciardo wants two wins this season ‘or more’
Date published: April 15 2022 - Jon Wilde

Daniel Ricciardo is keen to double his 2021 victory tally for McLaren this season – at the very least. The Australian endured a tough first year with the Woking-based team, being outperformed for most of the campaign by Lando Norris.

But there was one particularly big exception in that scenario, when Ricciardo revelled in the team’s highlight of the season as he led home a one-two finish ahead of Norris to take Italian Grand Prix victory.

“Hopefully it will be two victories this year. Or more,” said Ricciardo, quoted by Sport Bild. “But I’ll take it as it comes. I’ve already set goals in my head. But above all, I don’t want to go through another difficult season like 2021. “Despite the success at Monza, it wasn’t an easy year. Looking at the results, I have to say there is still room for improvement in qualifying. That didn’t go well.”

‘’Two Wins Or More’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel...ants-two-wins/


Ricciardo didn’t want to ‘force’ friendship with Norris
Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on his relationship with Lando Norris after its skewed portrayal by Netflix.
16 April 2022
by Rob Kershaw

McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he did not want to “force” a friendship with Lando Norris after the anticipation of their relationship as team-mates.

Having enjoyed frequent jokes with each other in 2020 and famously, in the British Grand Prix press conference in 2021, Norris and Ricciardo were confirmed as McLaren’s driver line-up for the 2021 season, sparking jubilation among fans.

The Australian endured a difficult season though and, perhaps conversely to what many were expecting, he was out-qualified 15-7 by the 22-year-old, finding himself out-raced by the same score.

’15-7 Qualification Result’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ricciardo...p-with-norris/

[Fortitude]

Valtteri Bottas: “I am happy with the calls that were made and how we raced”.
Valtteri Bottas may have seen his run of Q3 appearances end on Saturday at Albert Park, but the Finn responded from that disappointment by taking eighth place for his second top ten finish of 2022.
By Paul Hensby
April 15, 2022

The Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN driver admitted to enjoying his race in the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019, and he felt the C42-Ferrari was a much better car on the long runs than it had been in Qualifying where he was eliminated in Q2, which ended his run of one hundred and three appearances in the top ten shootout.

He believed the choice to run a thinner wing hindered him in Qualifying, but it all came together on race day, and he was able to move up through the field from twelfth on the grid.

“I really enjoyed the race today, it was a good performance with close racing and battles from beginning to end,” said Bottas.

‘Happy with the Calls’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-how-we-raced/


Bottas ‘couldn’t have same role’ at Mercedes as he does at Alfa
Date published: April 18 2022 - Michelle Foster

Valtteri Bottas says he feels like he is more than just a driver with the Alfa Romeo team, the Finn finally in a position of “proper authority”. After five years racing for Mercedes, Bottas joined Alfa Romeo ahead of this year’s championship.

The 32-year-old has not only found himself in a very different environment, but also in a different position as he is firmly entrenched as Alfa Romeo’s lead driver.

No longer carrying the tag of “wingman” as he was once called by Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, his new team boss Fred Vasseur has made it clear that Bottas is the team leader, the one in the position to drive the team forward.

‘Team Leader’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...es-alfa-romeo/


‘If I ask for something, it happens’ – Bottas’s new authority
Apr 17 2022
By Scott Mitchell

Valtteri Bottas is experiencing something for the first time in Formula 1. After nine seasons, almost 200 races and 10 grand prix victories, he is finally top dog.

Just a few races in, Bottas has already noticed a big difference. “I really feel a big part of the team,” Bottas tells The Race. “And it’s been really nice to have proper authority on things. If I ask for something it happens, and everyone really listens. And I’ve been able to motivate some people.”

“It’s just a really motivated and good feeling in the team now, everyone is really trying hard. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do but of course, the results, like at first race, scoring those points, you could see how uplifting it was for people, and that helps.”

‘Motivated and Good Team Feeling’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/if-i-...new-authority/


Alfa Romeo praises 'calm, motivational' Bottas
Andrew Lewin
18/04/2022 at 07:42

Alfa Romeo sporting director Beat Zehnder has praised Valtteri Bottas for the way that the Finn has handled his move to the team after five seasons at Mercedes. Zehnder said that the 32-year-old deserved praise for the way he'd come in and led from the front.

“He is always motivating,” he told Sky Sports. “We’ve had other drivers who would have freaked out, but Valtteri says: ‘Guys, I have faith in you, we’ll get this done’. He is calm in himself, and that also helps us a lot."

“He came to us with an enormous amount of experience from Mercedes, and that helps us enormously. So far he is doing a great job," he continued. "In the way he gives the development direction, the right way to improve the car and improve the team in every detail."

Valtteri Bottas calm, motivational, with development direction’;

https://f1i.com/news/438551-alfa-rom...al-bottas.html


Bottas impresses Alfa: ‘Others would have freaked out’
Date published: April 17 2022 - Henry Valantine

Alfa Romeo sporting director Beat Zehnder has praised Valtteri Bottas for how he has acclimatised with the team, staying calm in situations where others would have “freaked out”.

Team principal Fred Vasseur has also offered similar praise of his new driver, saying that despite Lewis Hamilton being the dominant force at Mercedes his pace has been strong throughout – he just had the misfortune of partnering the seven-time former World Champion at the peak of his powers.

Vasseur admitted the team’s improved form has galvanised his staff in their quest to stay in the chasing pack behind Red Bull and Ferrari, and they are continuing to search for every small improvement they can – with Bottas himself wanting to battle with his former team as a result.

‘Alfa Romeo Staff Galvanised’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...omeo-calmness/


Alfa Romeo to kick off tyre testing at Imola
Date published: April 15 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse

Alfa Romeo will be on duty after the Emila Romagna Grand Prix as Pirelli begin testing work for their 2023 compounds.

According to Motorsport.com’s Italian arm, Alfa Romeo, using their 2022 challenger, the C42, shall remain at Imola after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to carry out the first two testing days of Pirelli’s schedule on Tuesday April 26 and Wednesday April 27.

The report states that these are the first two days of what is expected to be 25 allocated to Pirelli by the FIA, but there is a catch with that plan. With a record 23-race season still planned for 2022, Motorsport.com report that Pirelli are having a difficult time trying to find where they will fit in 25 days of tyre testing with the teams.

‘Alfa Romeo tyre testing’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-r...lli-tyre-test/


Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur: “The team did a good job in difficult circumstances”
By Paul Hensby
April 15, 2022

Frédéric Vasseur, the Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, says the fact they got both cars into the top eleven in last Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix proves the Hinwil-based outfit after heading in the right direction with their C42-Ferrari in 2022.

Valtteri Bottas scored four points at Albert Park after taking eighth place, while Zhou Guanyu only just missed out on the top ten, ending the day in eleventh after seeing Alexander Albon use an unusual pit strategy to claim the final point on offer.

It means Alfa Romeo have already equalled their points tally from 2021 in just three races, and Vasseur feels there is a lot more still to come heading into the first European round, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, later this month.

‘Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN equal 2021 Points Tally in three races’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...circumstances/


Imola tipped to start 'interesting' new chapter in F1 battle.
‎16‎ ‎April‎ ‎10‎:‎20
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Alfa Romeo Trackside Engineer Xevi Pujolar has tipped the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to start an "interesting" new chapter in the 2022 F1 season. And with Imola laying claim to the first Sprint event of 2022, Alfa Romeo see the upcoming race weekend as a golden chance to score big points.

"The Sprint quali format, if anything, will be good for us. We'll have to see all the updates and everything that people will bring to Imola, but we hope to have both cars fighting for the points," Pujolar continued.

"Obviously, you can see that, for Zhou, this type of format is even better as well, because it's giving him a chance. I think he's a very good racer, so in the Sprint he can gain some further positions."

‘New Chapter’;

https://racingnews365.com/imola-tipp...r-in-f1-battle

[Fortitude]

Gasly hopeful Imola upgrades will propel AlphaTauri up F1’s pecking order.
AlphaTauri have perhaps slightly fallen back this season, and the lack of reliability in the back of the car from the Honda-manufactured Red Bull engine has not been helping matters.
16 April 2022
by Rob Kershaw

Pierre Gasly scored a ninth-placed finish in both Jeddah and Melbourne, but his performances might have yielded a little more had he been more fortunate.

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly is hoping that the new upgrades his team are planning to implement in the coming races will have the desired effect, and stresses the importance of maintaining good development throughout this season.

And in an ever-fluctuating midfield battle in which the teams are within extremely close proximity regarding performance, Gasly recognises that the AlphaTauri is not as slow as one might have perceived in the opening few races. “We should have a couple of new parts on the car,” he told RacingNews365.com.

‘Up the Pecking Order for AlphaTauri’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/gasly-hop...pecking-order/


The major AlphaTauri upgrade Gasly’s ‘big time’ excited for.
AlphaTauri will run its first major update of 2022 in this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a development Pierre Gasly has big hopes for.
Apr 19 2022
By Scott Mitchell

Red Bull’s sister team finds itself in the heart of the midfield battle after a middling start to the season fighting for the lower points positions.

Without a late MGU-K failure in the season opener in Bahrain, Gasly would have finished in the points in all three races – although a best grid position of ninth and best result of eighth indicates AlphaTauri does not have the peak performance it enjoyed in 2021.

Gasly says “it’s not like we’re dead slow” but admits AlphaTauri is lacking something compared to the top midfield teams.

‘Exciting Upgrade’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-m...e-excited-for/


Red Bull can ‘count on’ engine problems being solved
Date published: April 18 2022 - Henry Valantine

Helmut Marko has said Red Bull can assume their engine problems will have been fixed by the time they head to Imola, if Honda are to be believed.

Red Bull now race under the Red Bull Powertrains moniker, but previous engine supplier Honda are still involved in the assembly and maintenance of their power units as the team transition to becoming a manufacturer in their own right.

But the team have suffered three retirements in the first three races with reliability issues, with Max Verstappen having dropped out from second place on two occasions, while Sergio Perez made it a double DNF for the team at the season opener in Bahrain.

‘Solving Red Bull Powertrains’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bu...oblems-solved/


AlphaTauri’s Jody Egginton: “We have a lot of work to do ahead of the next race”
By Paul Hensby
April 15, 2022

Jody Egginton said the Australian Grand Prix was far from straight-forward for Scuderia AlphaTauri, with the team able to score only two points thanks to Pierre Gasly’s ninth place at Albert Park.

“Today’s race was not straight forward with, similar to the last race, Pierre losing track position with the safety car, meaning he had a lot to do to recover into a points-scoring position,” said Egginton. “These battles took a lot out of his front left tyre and, unfortunately, a small mistake meant we lost a position to Bottas in the closing laps, finishing P9.”

“Yuki has had a tough day struggling for pace on both compounds, so we need to understand the factors behind this as he was reasonably happy with his car during the Friday and Saturday sessions. We have a lot of work to do ahead of the next race, but at the same time we are looking forward to the challenge.”

‘Work to Do’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...the-next-race/


AlphaTauri ‘don’t need to find much’ to fight rivals
Date published: April 20 2022 - Sam Cooper

Pierre Gasly has said AlphaTauri “don’t need to find much” before they are ready to fight their rivals after a tough start to the season. Three races down and Gasly and his team-mate Yuki Tsunoda have a combined 10 points having suffered from similar reliability issues as sister team Red Bull.

“We know we still have work to do, we must bring more performance to the package and that’s the plan for Imola this week,” Gasly said.

“Then, looking at the other teams [in Australia], we saw that McLaren and Alpine were very quick so that with the three top teams out in front, we found ourselves 11th in Qualifying. It’s very close in the midfield, but we don’t need to find much performance to be able to improve.”

‘Very Close Midfield’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...-rivals-imola/

[Fortitude]

Haas’ Guenther Steiner: “What I take to Imola is that the car is still performing”.
“I think it is a good thing for the championship to have these sprint races and I really look forward to it.”
By Paul Hensby
April 19, 2022

Imola hosts the fourth round of the 2022 Formula 1 season, and after Kevin Magnussen scored points in both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, neither the Dane nor team-mate Mick Schumacher were able to break into the top ten in Australia.

Steiner admits it will be more a challenging weekend at Imola with the sprint Qualifying format having its first outing of the season, particularly as there is only one hour of free practice time before they go Qualifying on Friday afternoon.

But despite this, he feels the team are up for the challenge, and he is hopeful of a points-filled weekend for the Haas team in Italy. “For sure it will be challenging because we’ve only got one free practice session to find a good set-up,” he said. “With the difficulties of these cars and the inexperience we have got with it, it won’t be easy but it’s the same for everybody and who is better prepared will have a better car so we will be trying our best like everybody else.”

‘Haas Car is still Performing’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ll-performing/


Haas F1 boss hits back at accusations the team are ‘copying’ Ferrari
20 Apr 2022 6:26 pm
Callum McAvoy

German publication Auto Motor und Sport have reported that three Formula 1 teams have called on the sport’s governing body, the FIA, to look into the legality of the Haas VF-22, with the accusers claiming that it shares too many similarities with Ferrari’s F1-75 car.

Haas boss Guenther Steiner says his team have done nothing wrong after it was reported that several rivals want the American team investigated for ‘copying’ Ferrari’s car.

‘Haas took a huge leap forward from last place. It’s an interesting step,’ said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. ‘It’s a learning curve for us because as an organization of 2,000 people that has been successful in the past, we’re now struggling with teams that are much smaller. They must have done a great job.’

‘Haas have done nothing wrong’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/20/haas-...o=newsnow-feed


Teams ask FIA for white Ferrari clarity
APRIL 19, 2022

Gunther Steiner has dismissed claims that Haas' 2022 car is effectively a 'white Ferrari'. The small American team, despite the pre-season controversy about the Mazepins and ousted title sponsor Mazepin, has leapt up the grid with its all-new car for the new regulations.

"That came as a bit of a surprise," Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer admits to Auto Motor und Sport. "I didn't expect the balance of power to change with such a big rule change because it favours the teams with more know-how and better infrastructure.

"But I'm sure the FIA will investigate and come to the right conclusions about how similar these two cars are."

‘White Ferrari Clarity’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/teams...i-clarity.html


Steiner outlines Haas ambitions for Imola weekend
‎19‎ ‎April‎ ‎13‎:‎40
Author Thomas Maher

Guenther Steiner is hopeful Haas will be in a position to return to the form they showed in the first two races of the year when Formula 1 heads to Imola this weekend. "It's a very competitive championship this year and you need to be perfect to get points," he commented. "What I take to Imola is that the car is still performing, and we will perform as we go on. I hope we get to Imola having fewer unfortunate instances."

With Haas seemingly going in the wrong direction with their set-up for Australia, Steiner admitted there's an extra layer of challenge awaiting in Imola. This is due to F1 using the Sprint qualifying format for the first time this season, with the cars being put into parc ferme conditions from the start of Friday qualifying.

"For sure, it will be challenging, because we've only got one free practice session to find a good set-up," Steiner stated. "With the difficulties of these cars and the inexperience we have got with it, it won't be easy, but it's the same for everybody, and who is better prepared will have a better car, so we will be trying our best like everybody else.”

‘Haas Ambitions At Imola’;

https://racingnews365.com/steiner-ou...-imola-weekend


Haas refuses to hand back $13m Uralkali funds
APRIL 19, 2022

Haas' reported refusal to return $13 million in sponsorship to ousted title sponsor Uralkali has been slammed by Russian F1 commentator Alexey Popov. "I understand that they were under pressure and it was impossible not to break the contract with Nikita," the Match TV broadcaster admitted.

"But after they cooperated for a year, they survived last year with Uralkali's money and built a good car this year. "So it was possible for them to behave differently than this," Popov added. In fact, Popov says he is in "total shock" about the latest reports about Haas. "Remember how the Mazepins begged for a new chassis and paid more than the sponsorship contract to build it," he said.

"I've heard stories that Haas employees left because their salaries were too low and Dmitry Mazepin paid them personally to stay. "And now, it's not just 'we took the money and we won't give it back', but also 'you need for pay us extra even through your driver is no longer in the car'," Popov added.

‘Total Shock’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/haas-...ali-funds.html