2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer pleased with “strong haul” of points after eventful race in Silverstone.
It was a bittersweet weekend for BWT Alpine F1 Team at the British Grand Prix, as Fernando Alonso earned a season-best finish of fifth place, while Esteban Ocon had to retire due to a mid-race fuel pump issue.
July 4, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer was happy to see all the drivers involved in the first-lap incident make it out okay, considering the magnitude of the crash that ensued– adding that this outcome was made possible due to Formula 1’s safety standards. “First of all, it’s good news that the drivers involved in the incident at the beginning of the race are OK. It’s testament to the extraordinary safety standards and implementation in Formula 1 that everyone was OK after a quite frightening incident.”

Szafnauer was pleased with Alonso’s result after the “brilliant” race, which saw him implement a successful strategy and allowed him to engage in a dynamic battle with the frontrunners for the final podium places.

“From there, this afternoon, we’ve witnessed a quite brilliant Grand Prix, which, for Formula 1, is a great advert for the exceptional entertainment of this sport. We’re very pleased with Fernando’s fifth place. He drove a well measured race and credit to the team for the pit-stop under the Safety Car, which allowed him to importantly jump Lando [Norris] and fight at the front towards the end.”

‘EL PLAN: Strong Points Haul’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...n-silverstone/


Hill: ‘You can’t keep Alpine and McLaren apart, it’s like a pub brawl’
Date published: July 5 2022
Sam Cooper

Damon Hill has said McLaren and Alpine’s fight is “like a pub brawl” and that the two teams just can not be kept apart. Being two of the older teams in the sport, McLaren and Alpine (formerly known as Renault) have had plenty of battles down the years.

Both are multiple Constructor Championship winners with McLaren having won eight and Renault two in 2005 and 2006. The two teams were seen battling it out once again at Silverstone when Lando Norris fought with Fernando Alonso for a spot on the podium.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Hill said the final moments of the race were “thrilling” and described how Alonso played his part in that. “Absolutely brilliant wasn’t it?” the 1996 World Champion said. “After the Safety Car, my mind was set on who was going to win this race from the front and you kind of took your eye off the ball, because there was Sergio [Perez] as well lurking and then Fernando Alonso lurking as well.

‘Alpine, McLaren Pub Brawl’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/damon-...e-a-pub-brawl/


Alonso admits he was eyeing podium finish as leaders battled in front of him around Silverstone
04 July 2022
Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso reckons his run to fifth place in the British Grand Prix was Alpine’s best race of the year – but says he was even eyeing a podium as the cars in front of him engaged in some dramatic wheel-to-wheel racing in the final laps.

The veteran Spaniard qualified seventh and had a great start to get up to P5 on the opening lap, before the red flag came out for Zhou Guanyu’s crash, putting him back to P7 for the restart.

But thereafter he had a textbook Alonso race, climbing to fifth when he was able to pit under the Safety Car and jump Lando Norris ahead of him. But with Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez fighting it out with some hard racing just ahead of him on the track in the closing laps, Alonso was ready to pounce if any of them made an error.

‘EL PLAN: Eying Podium Finish’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...r9DRfvjr9.html


Fernando Alonso: “I felt more competitive than in any other races so far this season”
July 4, 2022
By Ashley Cline

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso earned a season-best result at the eventful British Grand Prix with a fifth place finish, after taking part in an exhilarating battle for the podium positions. Alonso was happy with the performance of the A522, and felt he was at his most competitive so far this season– a momentum he hopes to ride for the races to come.

“Looking back at the weekend as a whole, I think the car was very good and I felt more competitive than in any other races so far this season. We executed our race very well and showed consistent pace. I’m expecting us to keep this up and hopefully maintain our competitiveness again over the next few races.”

“I must say congratulations to Carlos [Sainz] on his first win and, also, I’m glad Zhou is OK after his incident at the start. It shows how far safety has come in modern Formula 1 racing.”

‘EL PLAN: A522 Very Good and Competitive’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...r-this-season/


Fernando Alonso makes joke about Charles Leclerc penalty after Ferrari nightmare
Alpine driver Fernando Alonso ended the British Grand Prix in P5 after a thrilling race in Silverstone.
5 July 2022
by James Clifford

Fernando Alonso quipped after the British Grand Prix that Charles Leclerc should get 15 seconds’ worth of penalties for weaving at Silverstone.

“So, definitely our package is working well and this P5 feels good, even though I have to say that I expect it’s P4, because Charles was moving three or four times in front of Hamilton on the back straight. I moved once in Canada and I had five seconds penalty so I think by moving three times it will be 15 seconds penalty for Charles unfortunately!”

Alonso ended the race sixth having made a great start initially to move up to fifth, but he was forced to do it all again after the red flag caused by the massive crash at the start. He jumped Lando Norris at the end of the pitstop phase as he finished ahead of the Briton, bringing the gap between McLaren and Alpine down to six points in the battle for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

‘Fernando Alonso quipped: “Moving three times it will be 15 seconds penalty”.’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...ari-nightmare/


Alonso expected penalty for Leclerc and promotion to fourth place
2022 British Grand Prix
Posted on 4th July 2022, 11:03
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Fernando Alonso expected to be promoted to fourth place in the classification for the British Grand Prix because he thought Charles Leclerc would be given a penalty. Leclerc was involved in a dramatic three-way scrap with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix. Alonso, who was given a five-second time penalty for weaving in the previous race at Montreal, claimed Leclerc broke the same rule he was penalised for two weeks ago.

“P5 is mega,” he told media including RaceFans after the race, “even though I have to say that I guess it’s going to be P4 because I saw Charles moving three changes of direction on the back straight defending from Lewis. I did once in Canada and I had five seconds [penalty] on the last lap. So I guess three movements are not allowed.”

The stewards also noted a possible infringement involving Sergio Perez, who finished ahead of Alonso. The Alpine driver expected he would end up “for sure fourth, maybe third. After the race, there is always action. I guess today I am not in the stewards, so I will have fun from the outside I hope.”

‘EL PLAN: P4 or maybe P3!’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/04/...-fourth-place/


Fernando Alonso Smashed Insane F1 Record At British GP, Wants to Get Closer to the Moon
5 Jul 2022, 07:39 UTC ·
by Monica Coman

Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, who is currently driving for Alpine, bagged a very important record at the British Grand Prix: longest distance driven in Formula One!

After the completion of the British Grand Prix, Alonso drove 92,643 km (57,566 mi), which is another big record in his illustrious career. The official F1 social media account shared a post to congratulate Fernando Alonso for the record, with a picture displaying the calculation of the distance the racing driver covered on an F1 track, with several other quirky measurements, which also included “Quarter of the Way to the Moon” and “2.3 times around the Earth.”

Alonso re-tweeted the post, adding: “Let’s make it (at least) half way to the moon,” which means he would like to add 100,000 km (62,137 mi) on the track.

‘EL PLAN: The Moon’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/f...on-192786.html

[Fortitude]

Alpine’s computers haven’t pinpointed why Alonso was so fast in Canada.
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer has said the team’s computers are yet to figure out how Fernando Alonso was so fast during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Date published: June 25 2022
Editor

Indeed, so quick had Alonso been, that Alpine were left confused by the situation. Having placed his Alpine in second place on the grid, seemingly way above the car’s potential, Szafnauer said the data had to be examined closely.

“It’s a very good question,” Szafnauer told AS.com, when asked about where Alonso had plucked the lap time from. “With all the computers we have, and there are many, we are still trying to understand the differences.”

“Part of the reason is that he was great in the rain, but he had already been quick on Friday. It wasn’t just Saturday. Another part is the circumstances, the track is drying up and there are many variables.”

‘EL PLAN: Fernando Alonso Defies Computers, Computer Programmers and Programming!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...-canada-speed/


Alpine will decide on Alonso’s 2023 F1 seat after the summer break.
A decision on Fernando Alonso’s future with Alpine could come after the triple-header later this year.
Published: 05 Jul 2022
Joe Holding

Alpine will likely make a call on Fernando Alonso’s future with the team after the triple-header of F1 races at Spa, Zandvoort and Monza later this summer, says team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

A couple of months ago it had been reported that Alpine would choose between the two-time world champion and the highly-rated reserve driver Oscar Piastri around the time of the British Grand Prix. However, Szafnauer now says that the timeframe for making that decision is still a little while away.

“If I said we’d make the Alonso decision around this time, I misspoke,” Szafnauer told TG prior to qualifying at Silverstone. “What I meant to say was we’re going to start thinking about that decision about this time, and usually those decisions are made after the [summer] break.”

‘EL PLAN: Alonso’s 2023 F1 seat’;

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/for...r-summer-break


British GP: Alpine felt more competitive than ever - Fernando Alonso
Published: 4 Jul 2022, 10:11
By George Dagless

Fernando Alonso said that he felt that the Alpine car was as competitive as it has ever been during the British Grand Prix on Sunday. The Spaniard had a fine race with him starting P7 and ending up with good points, with a double points finish potentially on for the team before Esteban Ocon’s retirement.

Even so, Alonso can be happy with a really strong result and speaking to the gathered press at Silverstone after the race, he felt as though the car was about as competitive as it has been all season, whilst also saying he’s hopeful for more strong results in the weeks ahead:

“We were P5 and I was hoping two cars might touch each other and we’d be on the podium but in the end they raced really hard with a lot of respect and it was fun to watch from behind.”

‘EL PLAN: Strong Results Ahead Predicted’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88029542...ernando-alonso


Alonso hints career is far from over after setting remarkable F1 record
05/07/2022, ‎14‎:‎30
Author Robyn Schmidt

After reaching a unique F1 milestone over the weekend, Fernando Alonso has hinted that his career at the pinnacle of motorsport is far from over.

By reaching Lap 45 of the British Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso set a new record in Formula 1 and has now driven further than any driver in the sport's history. The record was previously held by Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen, who completed a total of 92,636km during his two stints in F1 between 2001 and 2021.

Posts on Twitter claim this new milestone means Alonso has raced a total of 2,195 marathons, 2.3 times around the earth, 54.2 million Alonsos laid out head to foot, and a quarter of the way to the moon. Alonso's response was simple: "Let’s make it (at least) halfway to the moon," indicating that he plans on sticking around for quite some time yet.

‘EL PLAN: 54.2 million Alonsos laid out head to foot, indicating F1 Career Continues!’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-hin...able-f1-record

[Fortitude]

'It should have been P5’ says Norris after losing out to Alonso during final pit stops at Silverstone.
Lando Norris was pleased to finish with a decent points haul in his home race at Silverstone – but was left frustrated as he felt his strategy had cost him an even better result.
04 July 2022
Formula 1.

The McLaren man qualified sixth for the British Grand Prix – and finished the race in the same position, but said he could have had fifth, but for the timing of his last pit stop.

Norris was ahead of Fernando Alonso when he made his last stop on Lap 34, but just five laps later the Safety Car was deployed to allow marshals to clear Esteban Ocon’s stranded car, and Alonso was able to dive into the pits for a quicker stop that brought him out in front of Norris.

“I’m happy because P6 is a good result for us, but it should have been P5 today,” Norris said after the race. “The second start to the race was very strong and the pace was good – I held Fernando behind and then we just made the wrong call with the pit stop, with the strategy, and lost the position.”

‘P6, instead of P5’;

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


Lando Norris felt P5 was possible at British Grand Prix
Published: 4 Jul 2022, 10:41
By George Dagless

McLaren driver Lando Norris revealed after the race that he felt as though a fifth place finish was possible at Silverstone. The British driver was obviously looking to secure a good result in front of a home crowd and started the race from sixth place.

That is where he would finish though, too, with the Alpine of Fernando Alonso able to get past him over the course of the race to take fifth, whilst the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez were obviously too fast to catch.

Norris, felt, though, that P5 was possible with him saying to the press post race: “It was a long one, the first stint was tough and we just made the wrong call with the pit-stop. P5 was where we should have been.”

‘P5 Was Possible’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88029477...ish-grand-prix


Positives for ‘More Competitive’ McLaren to Take Away from Silverstone – Andreas Seidl
July 4, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Andreas Seidl says the McLaren F1 Team can take a lot of positives away from Sunday’s British Grand Prix, with Lando Norris returning to the points with a strong drive to sixth place at Silverstone.

Seidl says the MCL36 appeared to have more pace at Silverstone than in the previous two rounds in Azerbaijan and Canada, at least on Norris’ side of the garage, with the Briton scoring sixth place, although he acknowledges that it could and should have been fifth but for a delay in pitting him behind the safety car that allowed Fernando Alonso to jump ahead.

With the positives from Silverstone, Seidl says McLaren can go to the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring aiming high, particularly with Norris having been on the podium there in the past. “So, some positive signs and, as always, a lot to learn before we get going again five days from now in Austria, on a circuit where we’ve had tremendous results in recent years,” he said.

‘McLaren More Competitive Positives’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...andreas-seidl/


Norris calls for change after horror crash: Something needs to be done
‎04‎ ‎July‎ ‎13‎:‎40
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken

A frightening collision (happened) in the Formula 2 Feature Race between Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger. Hauger was forced off track by Nissany at Vale and flew over the sausage kerbs, prompting his car to land on top of Nissany's.

Some drivers have previously voiced concerns about the usage of sausage kerbs. Following the incidents at Silverstone, Norris was asked whether they should be banned, to which he told media, including RacingNews365.com: "Yep.”

"I think we've mentioned it several times. Every now and then, you maybe have a year where you get away with it and nothing happens, and everyone's like, 'Oh, it's okay'. But you have freak accidents. What you saw in the last corner in F2, it can happen, even when you least expect it.”

‘Ban Sausage Kerbs’;

https://racingnews365.com/norris-cal...eds-to-be-done


Norris: Social media abusers ‘wasting their lives’
06/07/2022, 12:01
by Fergal Walsh

Lando Norris has hit out at those who use social media to spread hate messages, insisting that they are wasting their lives in doing so. On the build-up to the British Grand Prix last week, Norris gave an interview to The Sun, in which he highlighted the abuse that he and his girlfriend have received online.

“I’ve grown up on these platforms, and Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, whatever,” said the McLaren driver. So, it’s just something I love being kind of part of, and I’m very involved in – but of course, me and I’m sure, pretty much every other driver gets a lot of hate and abuse and things like that.”

“And I guess from a mental state of it, it’s never an easy thing to continue to go through. There’s just no need for it, whatsoever. The point of it literally just coming from a person who’s sitting behind their phone, or a computer, whatever it is, I just find it odd that someone’s wasting their life doing something like this, you know?”

‘Wasting Their Life’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...g-their-lives/


Norris: Critics of long-term McLaren deal 'are clueless'
06/07/2022 at 15:53
Michael Delaney

In February, Norris extended his allegiance to McLaren until the end of 2019. However, given the young charger's highly rated profile, many were surprised that Norris committed to such a long-term contract.

"They're clueless!" the Briton told Sky Sports F1. "I don't know why... everyone thinks they know, he definitely could have gone here, he could have done that," he added. "But most of the time they know absolutely nothing, all these people coming up with these conclusions."

Norris admitted the skepticism has "come from people that I have a lot of respect for and of course I respect their opinions. But at the same time, I have a good team around me so we know where I want to be and when, what the team can offer me going into the future. I still believe it's the best place for me because it's where I've grown up, I know what we have coming."

‘Clueless Critics Know Absolutely Nothing’;

https://f1i.com/news/447194-norris-c...-clueless.html

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo completely ‘off the radar’ in McLaren ‘pub brawl’.
Daniel Ricciardo is at a loss for answers as the Formula One season quickly slips away from him following another poor result.
July 6th, 2022 10:46 am
Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au

The Australian finished 13th in the British Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEST) – as only 14 cars finished the race. Ricciardo endured another frustrating day as his McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished sixth behind breakthrough race winner Carlos Sainz.

After starting in 14th position on the grid, the Aussie did well to avoid the carnage created by Zhou Guanyu’s terrifying crash on the first lap. He worked his way up to ninth at one point but – as has been the case often this season – was then plagued by issues outside of his control.

A DRS failure and an extra pit stop cruelled his chances of finishing in the points – something he’s managed to do just twice in 10 races this season. Ricciardo said his race was “a pretty sad one” and said he struggled with grip on his tyres throughout the entire Grand Prix.

‘A Pretty Sad One’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...46905a94a4a816


Ricciardo confused by 'zero pace' McLaren at Silverstone
05/07/2022 at 10:43
Michael Delaney

"Zero pace," a frustrated Ricciardo told the media at the end of the day. "A little bit like Barcelona where I didn’t seem to operate at the same level of grip as the cars around me. "I could just feel it through the tyres as well, trying to carry speed.”

"Obviously a little bit confused by that at the moment. It’s clear what I felt, but the reasons why I’m obviously not sure. It was just a bit odd, so we have a bit of investigating to do." Ricciardo also revealed admitted that a DRS failure that materialized on lap 31 also weighed on his efforts.

"Something honestly felt a bit off. I remember turning or braking into Turn 6, and the car was all over the place," he explained. "I thought I had a puncture, so when I went to look at the rear tyre, I saw the DRS was open.”

‘DRS Failure’;

https://f1i.com/news/447120-ricciard...lverstone.html


McLaren perplexed by Ricciardo's lack of Silverstone pace
05/07/2022
NEWS STORY

"We need to understand," says McLaren's Andreas Seidl, as lack of pace and DRS issue left Daniel Ricciardo struggling at the back of the field on Sunday.

So anonymous was Ricciardo's British Grand Prix, that there must have been times fans were wondering if he'd parked up and begun work on the script for his forthcoming TV series for Hula.

"We need to understand why, during the race, we just didn't have any pace for a chance to actually do anything," said Seidl.

‘Perplexion Pace!’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73001/McLare...lverstone-pace


Ricciardo mystified by ‘odd’ lack of Silverstone pace
Date published: July 4 2022
Jon Wilde

A downbeat Daniel Ricciardo thought it was a “bit odd” that he had “zero pace” during the British Grand Prix. Two days after his 33rd birthday, the Australian found himself in the ignominious position of being among two drivers, the other one Yuki Tsunoda, allowed to unlap themselves during the Safety Car period just after the three-quarter mark at Silverstone.

The McLaren driver caught up with the pack but could not improve his position, crossing the line 13th whereas his team-mate, Lando Norris, had an outside sniff of a podium finish amid a fierce battle for the positions behind winner Carlos Sainz before eventually having to settle for sixth.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl kept things diplomatic regarding Ricciardo’s performance, saying: “Daniel’s weekend didn’t go to plan, which will need careful analysis over the next few days. “He wasn’t in a position to deliver competitive lap times yesterday and today.” In the Drivers’ World Championship, Ricciardo now finds himself in 14th position with 15 points, 43 fewer than Norris who sits seventh.

‘Mystified Pace’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel...verstone-pace/


'It was a bit of a lonely afternoon' – Ricciardo rues lack of pace at Silverstone after P13 finish
05 July 2022
Formula 1.

Daniel Ricciardo finished the British Grand Prix 13th and explained some of the issues that affected him during the race – explaining his hopes of finding a solution ahead of the Austrian GP.

Ricciardo qualified 14th for the race and made it as high as P10. After the late Safety Car brought by Esteban Ocon's stoppage, Ricciardo pitted for softs but failed to make an impression on the Canadian duo of Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi ahead.

“So, hopefully we find some answers because obviously it’s a quick turnaround until Austria. Then we had an issue with DRS, which meant I couldn’t use it after lap 31 which was also a bit of a shame. Obviously, it’s tough to overtake with that as well – but simply we weren’t really quick enough anyway today. It was a bit of a lonely afternoon.”

‘Lonely Pace’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...3ZqqAwjK9.html


Ricciardo: We’ve got some work to do before this weekend
6 July, 2022
Editor

Daniel Ricciardo revealed he and McLaren have some work to do ahead of Formula 1‘s weekend in Austria , after a disappointing British Grand Prix.

After starting to show some glimpses of hope that he may be on his way to recovery from his performance slump, Daniel Ricciardo was nowhere to be seen at Silverstone, qualifying 14th, and racing to 13th, compared to a sixth and sixth for Lando Norris respectively.

Ricciardo will again be hoping to have a batter weekend in Austria, but is wary of the challenge ahead. He said in his team preview of the race: “The Austrian Grand Prix is always a fun one. “It’s a great track in a beautiful location and it’s always an exciting race,” he went on. “The past few Sprint races have proven anything is possible so I’m ready to pounce on any opportunities that come my way, as well as creating a few of my own.”

‘Work to Do’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/07...-this-weekend/

[Fortitude]

FERRARI CIVIL WAR? STAFF REFUSED TO ATTEND SAINZ’S PODIUM CEREMONY.
A group of Scuderia Ferrari staff initially refused to celebrate Carlos Sainz’s first-ever career win at Silverstone as fears of a rift between the engineers in Scuderia’s garage grow.
6th July 2022, 13:20
Jay Winter

Multiple debatable decisions from Ferrari’s pit wall saw Leclerc’s race lead slip through his fingers. After prohibiting their Monagasquen driver from overtaking Sainz early on in the race, Ferrari engineers twice failed to bring Leclerc into the pits under a safety car, leaving him as a sitting duck for the pack behind him on fresh soft tires.

Former Ferrari press officer Alberto Antonini now believes there may be alarming signs in the Scuderia garage. According to a source that Antonini trusts, the former employee believes an unpleasant scene unfolded after Sainz’s victory. “I have been told – and I trust the source – of an unedifying episode that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Silverstone race at the winners’ pit,” wrote Antonini on formulapassion.it.

Since the drama in Silverstone, Leclerc was captured in Monaco on Tuesday night, having dinner with Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. Whilst Ferrari were able to finish the race with a driver on the podium, their tactics were severely criticised by Tifosi. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s claims of Ferrari “dropping the ball” appear to carry some weight as Ferrari failed to capitalise on Max Verstappen finishing seventh in Britain.

‘FERRARI CIVIL WAR?’;

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


Some Ferrari staff refused to attend Silverstone podium – report.
A portion of the Ferrari staff initially refused to attend the Silverstone podium following Carlos Sainz’s victory on Sunday, according to a former Scuderia team member.
Date published: July 6 2022
Sam Cooper

Now a report has emerged that a section of the Ferrari garage initially refused to attend the podium ceremony and the following photo shoot. According to former Ferrari press officer Alberto Antonini, a source told him that the staff initially did not want to celebrate the race win.

“I have been told – and I trust the source – an ugly episode that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Silverstone race,” Antonini wrote on formulapassion.it. “Part of the Ferrari staff allegedly refused, at least initially, to attend the podium ceremony and photo op. If true, as I fear, this is not a good sign.”

“A little healthy rivalry inside the garage is fine, it is fine for each mechanic and each technician to cheer for ‘his’ driver, but the common interest must be to aim to win.”

‘Ferrari Staff Refused to Attend Silverstone Podium’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...podium-report/


Ferrari chaos as staff 'refuse to attend podium ceremony' in Charles Leclerc anger
CARLOS SAINZ won his first F1 race at the British Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc slipped to fourth.
09:25, Wed, Jul 6, 2022
By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH

Ferrari staff refused to celebrate Carlos Sainz’s win at the British Grand Prix as fears rise the Scuderia is imploding. Former Ferrari press officer Alberto Antonini said a source had told him some members of the team did want to celebrate with the Spaniard at the podium.

He claimed "this is not a good sign” for the team as the common interest should still be for one of their drivers to win. Antonini told formulapassion.it: “I have been told – and I trust the source – an ugly episode that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Silverstone race.”

Leclerc appeared to criticise the team over his radio in the moments after the chequered flag, adding: “The amount of race time we have lost in this race is…oh my God. The only good thing about today is Carlos won but frickin’ hell, guys! Anyway, enjoy the victory.”

‘Ferrari Frickin’ Hell’;

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


Carlos Sainz victory at Silverstone led to Ferrari camp split, claims ex-employee
The Spanish driver had to bite back at a directive to protect his teammate’s lead in the closing stages of the race
07/06/2022, 11:34
Karl Matchett

Each driver has their team behind the scenes and the suggestion is that Leclerc’s were so unhappy at the way the race finale panned out that they baulked at having to partake in the overall team celebrations after the chequered flag.

The potential Ferrari division may also have arisen due to an initial call over the radio that Sainz should help to protect Leclerc’s lead, with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez - both of whom went on to claim podium spots - looking to overtake.

“I have been told – and I trust the source – an ugly episode that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Silverstone race,” wrote Alberto Antonini, noted as Ferrari’s former press officer, in a column for formulapassion.it.

‘Ferrari Camp Split’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/car...-b2116896.html


Claims of Ferrari mutiny surface as team members 'refuse' to celebrate Carlos Sainz win.
Charles Leclerc was left unhappy with Ferrari's strategy during the British Grand Prix and was left out on hard tyres following the late safety car as teammate Carlos Sainz took victory
09:43, 6 JUL 2022
BY Mark Whiley

In the view of many, the wrong red car won after Charles Leclerc was handicapped by the team’s decision not to change his hard tyres following the late-race safety car. Sainz, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton all pitted for fresh rubber and ended up filling the podium positions as a frustrated Leclerc came home fourth.

“Part of the Ferrari staff allegedly refused, at least initially, to attend the podium ceremony and photo op. If true, as I fear, this is not a good sign. A little healthy rivalry inside the garage is fine, it is fine for each mechanic and each technician to cheer for ‘his’ driver, but the common interest must be to aim to win.”

Following his complaints over the radio, Leclerc was given a stern talking to after the race by team boss Mattia Binotto after the race and the Monegasque was diplomatic in his post-race interviews.

‘Mutiny on the Ferrari’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...notto-27408887


Ferrari warned ‘the Leclerc situation is exploding’.
La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy has criticised Ferrari after Charles Leclerc had another win cruelly taken from his grasp at the British Grand Prix.
5 July 2022
by James Clifford

Leclerc had already been adversely by a strategy call in Monaco, where he lost the win having started on pole, and the Italian publication attacked team principal Mattia Binotto, who appeared to tell Leclerc to keep his cool after the completion of the race. “Leclerc is punished by the people at the pit wall,” they wrote.

“How can you ask Leclerc to stay calm? He could win for the first time since Australia, but just like in Monaco Ferrari went wrong with their tactics, so Ferrari are missing out on points and barely benefiting from Max Verstappen’s problems. It is totally unclear whether Ferrari is focusing on one driver or still betting on two horses.”

“Leclerc might not want Ferrari’s decision-making to be a headline, but there is no way that it cannot be after what happened at Silverstone, where they made a series of calls that caused more than one observer to remark that it looked like they were actively trying to lose Leclerc the race and the championship,” they stated.

‘Ferrari Exploding’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ferrari-w...-is-exploding/


Ferrari’s Worst Enemy Is Itself
2:34 PM EDT on Jul 5, 2022
Kathryn Xu

Ferrari chose to only pit Sainz for new soft tires as Mercedes also pit Hamilton, dooming Leclerc on older, harder tires and likely dooming Sainz, too, if he’d listened to Ferrari’s instructions to put 10 car lengths between him and Leclerc when the safety car came back in. But Sainz, with Hamilton and Pérez breathing down his neck, ignored the suggestion, which is valid for self-preservation alone and—once the safety car withdrew after lap 41—successfully overtook Leclerc, probably singing happy songs to himself as he all but waltzed to his first ever race win.

What we got was arguably better—perhaps not for discourse, though Ferrari strategy drama will always last a decent media cycle, but for watching. I mean, the racing! Hamilton’s first stint on the medium tires! The four-way battle after the safety car! Ferrari trying to screw themselves the entire way to the finish line and only managing halfway with Sainz’s first race win!

Sainz wasn’t the fastest car on track for most of the race and suffered a plethora of miseries during: failing to meet his target times, dealing with Ferrari’s sloppy communication, obeying team orders to let his teammate pass. It took Carlos Sainz Jr. 150 races to get his first win, a number only surpassed by Pérez’s 190. Fortune is a fickle mistress, and Sainz got both ends. Funny how those things happen—41 laps, 150 races, and then you get all you could ask for, all at once.

‘Ferrari Enemy No1, is Ferrari!’;

https://defector.com/ferraris-worst-enemy-is-itself/

[Fortitude]

Haas’ Guenther Steiner: “I’m very happy for the whole team to have scored double-points”.
Guenther Steiner was delighted for the whole Haas F1 Team as they scored their first two-car points finish since the 2019 German Grand Prix in Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
July 5, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Despite having started well outside the top ten after falling short in Saturday’s Qualifying session at Silverstone, both Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen drove strongly to bring home points, with the former finally breaking into the top ten after several near misses.

Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says it was not luck that brough them points at Silverstone as they were able to show they had a fast car all race long, and should they be able to qualify higher then scoring points would become a more regular occurrence.

“I’m very happy for the whole team to have scored double-points today,” said Steiner. “We deserved it – it wasn’t by luck – starting from P17 and P19 and ending eighth and tenth, we couldn’t have wished for more.”

‘Very Happy Haas Team’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...double-points/


Mick Schumacher's touching radio message about dad Michael after first ever F1 points
MICK SCHUMACHER finished in the points for the first time in his career at Silverstone.
15:55, Tue, Jul 5, 2022
By CHARLIE GORDON

Mick was able to pay tribute to his father with a heartfelt radio message after picking up an impressive P8 finish at Silverstone. "I said it, hell, it's been brilliant," he stated. "They've been brilliant guys, unbelievably brilliant. Prove them wrong and believe in yourself, that's what I told dad."

His team and the wider F1 community were also overjoyed to see the youngster put his first points on the board, with his barren run ending after 31 Grand Prix. "You've done it, you've done it, awesome! Well done, absolutely brilliant. Slow mode now please slow mode," he was congratuled over the team radio. "Great job, great run, Mick."

Team principal Guenther Steiner then jumped in and said: "Mick, fantastic job, thanks for your driving, it finally happened, impressive driving, thank you." Schumacher's four-point haul capped off a solid day for Haas with Kevin Magnussen also finishing in the points, two back in P10.

‘Prove them wrong and believe in yourself, that's what I told Dad’;

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


Schumacher relief at finally silencing F1 media.
Monday 4 July 2022 14:30
Ian Parkes

Mick Schumacher expressed relief at finally being able to get a monkey off his back in scoring his first points in F1 which has also silenced the sport's media.

With Haas developing a strong car for F1's new aerodynamic era, and after team-mate Kevin Magnussen scored points in three of the first four races, the pressure on Schumacher grew as he continued to miss out on a top-10 finish.

"It’s great to be able to score points in a double-points finish, something we’ve been aiming for, for a while now," said Schumacher. "It’s obviously very helpful in the constructors’, but for me, it’s great to just get those questions from the media away and focus on what’s really important and that’s the racing and the driving itself.”

‘Mick Schumacher Relief’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/86...sh-grand-prix/


Vettel screamed ‘go Mick’ in car during British GP climax.
A few seconds behind his compatriot on track, Sebastian Vettel has revealed he was a cheerleader for Mick Schumacher at the end of the British Grand Prix.
Date published: July 5 2022
Jon Wilde

With a ringside seat for that tussle as he was just behind in ninth, Vettel found himself joining many of the spectators in the crowd who were urging on Schumacher – the British fans having cast Verstappen in something of a pantomime villain role due to his rivalry with home hero Lewis Hamilton.

“I was very happy for him,” said Vettel, quoted by ESPN, of Schumacher, whose father he had idolised himself when growing up. “I saw what happened and I saw he was closing the gap and I was actually screaming inside the car like ‘go Mick, go Mick!’”

The German duo are often seen together in the paddock and they conducted interviews in close proximity after the British Grand Prix. “I think it’s been a long time since he deserves the result and it’s great to get it,” said the four-time former World Champion, speaking on his own 35th birthday.

‘Go Mick’, ‘Go Mick’, ‘Go Mick’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sebast...go-british-gp/


K-Mag never doubted Mick’s points-scoring potential
Date published: July 4 2022
Jon Wilde

Kevin Magnussen has insisted he always had faith in Mick Schumacher scoring his first F1 points – simply because his Haas team-mate has “got it”. What the Dane is referring to is Schumacher’s talent, which should never really have been in doubt having won both the Formula 3 and 2 Championships a couple of years apart in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

“For the team, it will be great,” Magnussen told Formula 1. “They know the car has been good and everyone has been a little down about the last couple of races, but there have also been some things that just didn’t go our way and that’s how things go sometimes.

“But for Mick it will be a confidence boost, I’m sure. He’s had a bit of a tough start to the year. I’ve certainly been able to see, from the data I compare with, that he’s got it. I told everyone it would be fine, that he would get there, and today he showed it.”

‘Never Doubted’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/kevin-...macher-points/


Mick Schumacher: “It’s great for the team, a double-finish in the points”
July 4, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Mick Schumacher can finally celebrate his first points in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, after the German impressed to finish eighth in Sunday’s British Grand Prix, despite having started down in nineteenth.

The Haas F1 Team driver, who has come close before to the top ten only to fall short, pitted for fresh tyres under the late race safety car for Esteban Ocon’s on-track stoppage, and he was able to convert his pace into eighth place. Schumacher was also able to put a lot of pressure onto World Champion Max Verstappen across the final laps, although he was unable to find a way passed the ailing Oracle Red Bull Racing driver.

“We’re really happy,” said Schumacher. “Coming back from P19, I said we have the speed to go forwards and we definitely showed it today. It’s great for the team, a double-finish in the points, so that’s obviously very helpful in the constructors. For me, I’m happy now to focus on what’s really important and that’s the racing and the driving.”

‘Double Points Great for the Team’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...in-the-points/


Montoya on Mick’s challenge against ‘wash-out’ K-Mag
Date published: July 5 2022
Michelle Foster

Sebastian Vettel, Schumacher’s mentor, urged the media to back off after his Monaco crash, saying they are putting undue pressure on the youngster. Former F1 driver Montoya disagrees especially as Schumacher is losing his “wash-out” team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

“Does he need more time?” he said to vegasinsider.com. “Yes, he needs more time! The media needs to lay off? It’s difficult because, so when Magnussen comes in being out of a car for a year and straight to the first race and beats him, how do you expect the media to back off?”

“You can’t. It’s Mick, you know, it’s the son of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. You know, he won every younger series, won F3, won F2, you know what I mean. And then you got this guy Magnussen that is supposed to be a wash-out and he’s beating him every week.”

‘Mick’s challenge against ‘wash-out’ K-Mag’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/juan-p...out-magnussen/

[Fortitude]

Vettel talks nonsense in F1 paddock says Stuck.
"He still drives well," said Stuck, "but otherwise he just talks nonsense.
JULY 6, 2022
GrandPrix.com

Sebastian Vettel should stay in Formula 1 but stop talking "nonsense" in the paddock when not driving the car. That is the forthright view of Hans-Joachim Stuck, as the quadruple world champion is still yet to commit to Aston Martin for a further contractual term beyond 2022.

"He can drive a car and he belongs in Formula 1, there's no discussion about that," said 71-year-old fellow German Stuck, a former Formula 1 driver. "And when he's in the car, he can't talk either."

Indeed, 35-year-old Vettel is coming under increasing fire for his outspokenness and activism on social, cultural and environmental issues. I don't know what he's doing because he's an intelligent young man, a good racing driver, but I don't understand why he keeps up with these themes."

‘Vettel Nonsense!’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/vette...ays-stuck.html


Sebastian Vettel clueless why Aston Martin are so slow despite British GP upgradesQualifying for the British Grand Prix was a disaster for Vettel and Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll, as they could only set the 18th and 20th fastest times in a rain-soaked session
• 14:12, 3 Jul 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Aston Martin have struggled for performance all season, which has been frustrating for the German. As a four-time world champion and winner of 53 races in Formula 1, Vettel is not used to being so uncompetitive on a Grand Prix weekend.

Despite bringing a new car upgrade for this race, Aston Martin suffered from a lack of pace as the rain pounded the Silverstone track during qualifying. "We just didn't seem to be quick enough," said Vettel. "We lost a lot of time. And I guess everywhere around the lap, I mean, balance-wise, I had a lot understeer in the car, and was waiting for the car to rotate.”

"But I don't think that's the main issue. For some reason, we weren't able to generate the grip that we should have had, I guess. And then you don't rotate the car, and then your outlook on traction isn't great. So everything sort of happens delayed. And one thing adds to another, so not great."

‘Lot of Understeer’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ettel-27386889


Vettel in state of confusion over Aston Martin pace
Date published: July 4 2022
Michelle Foster

Baffled as to why he was out of qualifying in Q1 only to race his way into the points at Silverstone, Sebastian Vettel admits Aston Martin’s performance is a “bit confusing”.

Qualifying down in 18th place in the wet at the British Grand Prix, Vettel acknowledged his AMR22 “just didn’t seem to be quick enough”. He and the team were mystified as to why, with Lance Stroll also out in Q1, the Canadian slowest of all in 20th place.

Fast forward a day and Vettel and Stroll were both fighting for the points in Sunday’s 52-lap grand prix, Vettel finishing ninth while his team-mate fell 1.5s short in 11th place.

‘Confusion’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sebast...ace-confusion/


INSIDER: United by passion at the British GP
06.07.2022
Aston Martin

Throughout the British Grand Prix, we brought you with us on our journey and celebrated what we all have in common – a passion for F1.

Now, we're taking you behind the scenes in our latest episode of INSIDER to give you an even closer look at our Silverstone weekend.

Join us as we welcomed fans to our Silverstone HQ to get up close and personal with the AMR22 show car, take on a pitstop challenge and meet AMF1 reserve driver Nico Hülkenberg.

‘Aston Martin United’;

https://www.astonmartinf1.com/en-GB/...the-british-gp


Aston Martin comment on Vettel’s future as Saudi sponsor opposed to his activism
Sebastian Vettel is yet to sign a new deal with Aston Martin, with Aramco unhappy with the four-time World Champion.
4 July 2022
by Nick Golding

Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel did brilliantly to salvage a points finish at the British Grand Prix, despite having started in 18th place.

The German was initially involved in a collision with Alex Albon on the opening lap, due to the Williams Racing driver slowing down to avoid Guanyu Zhou’s horrific crash. Vettel went up the gearbox of Albon, sending him into the wall at Turn 1.

In the German’s defence, he had no where to go; thankfully, the German’s AMR22 could be repaired during the red-flag interval. Vettel’s 9th place finish saw him score vital points for the Constructors’ Championship, especially with both Haas F1 Team drivers finishing in the points.

‘Aramco Oppose Vettel’s Activism’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-mar...-his-activism/

[Fortitude]

Williams ‘able to repair’ Albon’s upgraded FW44 for Austria.
Alex Albon will have a second shot at scoring points in Williams’ revised FW44, the team revealing the new parts have all been repaired or replaced in time for Austria.
Date published: July 7 2022
Michelle Foster

Debuting Williams’ upgraded car at the British Grand Prix, Albon’s hopes of coming from the back of the grid to score points were undone on the very first lap. As a multi-car crash played out involving Zhou Guanyu, George Russell and Pierre Gasly, those behind hit the brakes with Sebastian Vettel tagging Albon.

The angle of the impact sent him 90° into the concrete wall along the pit straight, Albon airlifted to hospital for precautionary checks. But while the driver was okay, released later that same night, the car took a heavy whack with Williams uncertain as to whether they’d have the time to fix it before heading to Austria for part two of the back-to-back.

They have managed to do so, Williams’ head of vehicle engineering Dave Robson confirming Albon will be behind the wheel of the revised car at the Red Bull Ring. “Having damaged Alex’s car at the race start last weekend, coming straight into a sprint event is logistically difficult,” Robson said. “However, we have been able to repair or replace much of Alex’s car such that we can continue to understand the updates during FP1 on Friday.”

‘Alex Albons’ Car Repaired’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...-fw44-austria/


Williams’ Dave Robson: Latifi “raced hard until the end and put up a strong fight against faster cars”
July 5, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi finished twelfth place at the British Grand Prix, while Alex Albon retired after an intense multi-car crash on the first lap. Robson praised Latifi’s efforts to bring home points after his season-best qualifying result of tenth place, but said that the car lacked the pace to secure a top ten– due in part to the damage done to the floor mid-race.

“However, Nicholas backed-up his strong drive yesterday with a very good race today. He showed good pace and took advantage of opportunities that came his way, including the late safety car.”

“Unfortunately, he didn’t quite have the pace at the end to challenge for the final points position, but he raced hard until the end and put up a strong fight against faster cars. When he ran wide at T9, he did some damage to the floor, which harmed his pace in the crucial period after his first pit stop.”

‘Nicholas Latifi Raced Hard’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...t-faster-cars/


Nicholas Latifi: “It felt really nice to be properly racing in the pack”
July 5, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi finished the British Grand Prix in twelfth place, missing out on the chance to convert his tenth place grid position to a points finish on race day. He enjoyed being able to compete in the midfield on race day rather than filling a backmarker position, and said that he was surprised by his ability to keep up with the pack at the start of the race.

“From lap one we were always fighting an uphill battle. At the beginning I was surprised at how much I could stay with the cars ahead but in reality, there was a little DRS train that was keeping me there because the cars behind were much quicker. It felt really nice to be properly racing in the pack.”

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have the basic pace in the end alongside managing the car towards the end of the race. The car’s lacking downforce compared to the others with us missing pace in the high-speed corners, which wasn’t helped by some floor damage today. We put up a good fight, but it wasn’t meant to be today. Frustrating in the end but overall a positive weekend.”

‘Racing in the Pack’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...g-in-the-pack/


Williams confirm new-spec car repaired for Austria
07/07/2022 at 09:51
Phillip van Osten

Both Alex Albon and Williams' new-spec FW44 are fit and well for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix following the Anglo-Thai's big crash at the start of last Sunday's British Grand Prix.

Wet sessions at Silverstone, zero race distance on Sunday and only one practice session in Austria will leave Williams well short on mileage and data for its updated car ahead of Friday's sprint qualifying, but Albon is determined to make the most of the allocated time.

"It’s obviously disappointing we didn’t get to properly test the new upgrade last week, however looking forward to Austria, I know the team has been working hard to make the repairs, so we’ll be ready to test it further and gather more data," commented Albon.

‘Williams Ready for Austria’;

https://f1i.com/news/447222-williams...r-austria.html


Albon not yet feeling 100% after Silverstone crash that left him in hospital
07/07/2022, ‎14‎:‎55
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Revealing what he remembers of the crash, Albon said: "Not much to be honest. It all happened very quickly. "Obviously, I was hitting the wall and then at that point it was kind of like a pinball reaction and I was just going wherever the cars were hitting me.”

"I was a little bit sore on Monday and then each day so far it's just been getting better and better, so I'm sure by tomorrow we'll be back to 100% [for Friday]," he told media, including RacingNews365.com. "It's a little bit sore and all that kind of thing but yeah, I'm all okay."

‘100% for Friday’;

https://racingnews365.com/albon-not-...im-in-hospital

[Fortitude]

‘I DIDN’T REALISE I WAS BETWEEN THE BARRIERS’ – ZHOU RECOUNTS HORROR F1 CRASH.
Alfa Romeo rookie Guanyu Zhou says he “didn’t realise” that his horrific crash at turn one in Silverstone left him stuck between the barriers.
07 July 2022, 17:17
Jay Winter

The 23-year-old managed to escape the brutal incident unscathed thanks to his halo, and his quick thinking. “Obviously when the flip happened, the first thing I was trying to do was trying to release my hand off the steering wheel,” he explained.

“Because you never know, you can break your wrist very easily with a crash like that. The next thing I tried to do, while I was just rolling on the ground, I knew I’ll be facing a massive impact coming up, because the car wasn’t stopping. And then I tried to lock myself in a position that is the safest possible, just waiting for that last impact.”

“It’s not like I was just holding the hand backwards, but keeping it reasonably in tension, so it doesn’t get flying around when you have that last impact. Basically, I was just waiting for the last stop hit. And once I was basically stopped, I didn’t know where I was, because I was upside down.”

‘Last Impact’;

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


Zhou: I knew if the fire starts, it would be difficult to get out.
Zhou Guanyu revealed that he feared a fire would ignite in his Alfa Romeo after his life-threatening crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix, last weekend. He repeated that the halo head protection system, a titanium ring around the cockpit, had saved his life.
7 July, 2022
Reuters


“(I’m) happy to have back-to-back races because if you had a summer break after (such a crash) that would be terrible, because you would be thinking about it and repeating the crash in your mind again and again,” he said. “Good to be back as soon as I could.”

Zhou issued a picture on Twitter of him with FIA medical staff at the Red Bull Ring: “Finished the final medical check, all good to go,” he said. Reliving the crash, Zhou said his instinct after the car took off and flipped upside down at speed along the asphalt in a shower of sparks was to remove his hands from the steering wheel.

“Once I was basically stopped, I didn’t know where I was, because I was upside down. There was (something) leaking. I wasn’t sure if it was from my body or is this from the car? So I just tried to switch (off) the engine… I knew if the fire starts, it would be difficult to get out.”

‘Feared Fire & Ignition of the Alfa Romeo’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/07...lt-to-get-out/


Zhou Guanyu opens up on horrifying British GP crash: 'I don't know how I survived'
Last Updated: 08/07/22 6:12am
By Matt Morlidge

Zhou Guanyu speaks to the media at the Austrian GP, where he will be back in the car just five days after his scary Silverstone crash. Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu has detailed his horrifying upside-down crash at the British GP, admitting he had no idea where he had landed, feared his car was going to catch fire, and feels lucky to be alive

"I was thinking I was next to the barriers," he stated. "I don't know how I survived. But looking back, obviously the halo saved me there." Zhou also spoke about feeling a "liquid" and fearing it was blood. He now believes it was down to numbness.

"It did not hurt but it was very cold on my left-hand side so I didn't know if it was blood or if I had no feeling on my left-hand side," he said. "I was more worried about if the engine caught on fire because in that position you're really stuck."

‘Zhou Guanyu: 'I don't know how I survived'.’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...how-i-survived


‘I didn’t know where I was’ says Zhou, as he relives scary Silverstone start crash ahead of Austrian GP
07 July 2022
Formula 1.

Zhou Guanyu has spoken about the high-speed crash he walked away from at the start of last weekend’s British Grand Prix, the Alfa Romeo driver recounting in vivid detail how it felt flying across the gravel at Turn 1.

The Chinese driver also revealed that, despite the violence of the impact – with Zhou examined in the Silverstone medical centre before being given the all-clear – the first thing he thought of was returning to the wheel of his Alfa Romeo to compete in this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix and Sprint.

“Honestly, Sunday night I was texting my engineers asking ‘is my seat okay?’… as obviously the engine takes a bit of time but for the drivers, the seats are very important, very comfortable, and so far so I don’t want to change something.

‘Checking Seat Damage’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ku0UkmL2f.html


Formula One: Guanyu Zhou ‘good to go’
The rookie driver's car was involved in an accident in the British Grand Prix
Published 08.07.22, 02:42 AM
Reuters | Spielberg

Chinese Formula One rookie Guanyu Zhou was looking forward to a quick return to racing in Austria this weekend after a huge crash last Sunday in which he feared his car would catch fire with him trapped inside.

“(I’m) happy to have back-to-back races because if you had a summer break after (such a crash) that would be terrible, because you would be thinking about it and repeating the crash in your mind again and again,” he said. “Good to be back as soon as I could.”

‘Good to Go’;

https://www.telegraphindia.com/sport...go/cid/1873664


Austrian GP: Zhou Guanyu itching to get back racing after Silverstone smash
• Published: 7 Jul 2022, 13:03
• By George Dagless

Formula 1 drivers are a rare breed and Zhou Guanyu is set to underline that this weekend by getting straight back into his Alfa Romeo after the British Grand Prix.

It was a horrible accident, but Zhou got away pretty much unscathed and has passed all the medical checks in the time since to clear him to race this weekend in Austria.

Indeed, he’s been looking forward to doing that ever since leaving the track last weekend, too, with him eager to put it all behind him: “The moment I left Silverstone last Sunday, I was already looking forward to getting back into the car.”

‘Get Back Racing’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88031225...verstone-smash


Zhou: Alfa Romeo roll hoop impact exceeded FIA requirements
Jul 7, 2022, 2:53 PM
Motorsport.com

Zhou Guanyu says that the impact that caused the roll hoop of his Alfa Romeo Formula 1 car to fail at Silverstone was greater than that specified in the FIA’s safety tests.


The C42’s roll hoop was lost early in the Chinese driver’s spectacular accident seconds after the start of the British GP when his car was flipped over after contact with the Mercedes of George Russell.

However, he was protected by the Halo, which remained intact as he skated along the track and into the gravel trap before bouncing over the barriers and coming to a halt.

‘Roll Hoop impact exceeded FIA requirements’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/z...ents/10334311/


Natural instinct drove Russell to check on Zhou after F1 crash
July 7, 20224:22 PM GMT+1
Reuters

July 7 (Reuters) - Briton George Russell said natural instinct drove him to jump out of his Mercedes to check on Chinese racer Guanyu Zhou after a crash on the opening lap of last week's British Grand Prix left the Formula One rookie trapped upside down in his Alfa Romeo.

Sunday's race was not the first time that Russell, who urged Formula One to learn lessons from the crash, had rushed to the aid of a fellow competitor. IndyCar racer Callum Ilott, in a tweet on Sunday, recalled the time Russell had lifted his go-kart off him after the Briton ended up upside down.

Russell said he himself had received help from a fellow competitor when he rolled his go-kart in 2008.

‘Natural Instinct’;

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sp...7-07/?rpc=401&


Russell: It was just sort of a natural reaction
7 July, 2022
Reuters

Briton George Russell said natural instinct drove him to jump out of his Mercedes to check on Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu after a crash on the opening lap of last week’s British Grand Prix left the Formula 1 rookie trapped upside down in his Alfa Romeo.

The race was immediately halted and Russell jumped out to check on Zhou. “It was just a horrifying accident and I saw it was a red flag,” Russell told reporters on Thursday at the Austrian Grand Prix. I thought my car was broken so for me it was just sort of a natural reaction,” added the 24-year-old, who is a director of the drivers’ union GPDA.

Russell said he himself had received help from a fellow competitor when he rolled his go-kart in 2008. “To be honest this hasn’t gone through my thought process whatsoever during any of these incidents, I’m just actually thinking about it now. I rolled in 2008 and I was trapped under the kart and I was actually burning my arm because the exhaust was stuck on top of me and this other driver stopped to lift the kart off me,” he revealed.

‘Natural Reaction’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/07...ural-reaction/

[Fortitude]

Austria FP1: Advantage Verstappen, Leclerc chasing.
Max Verstappen hit the ground running in Spielberg, and went fastest at the end of FP1 for the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
8 July, 2022
Jad Mallak

Verstappen could have gone faster towards the end of the session had he not been hampered by traffic several times, but in the end his lap time of 1:06.302 was good enough to claim top spot.

Charles Leclerc was second for Ferrari, 0.255s off the top, as George Russell was third fastest for the Silver Arrows, 0.400 slower than Verstappen.

Sergio Perez did not seem comfortable with his RB18 during the session, and was only good for fourth, 0.537s down on his teammate.

‘Max Advantage’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/07...clerc-chasing/


F1 2022 Austrian Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (1)
8 Jul 2022
Connor McDonagh


2022 F1 Austrian Grand Prix - FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1)
Pos Driver Nat. Team Time
1 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m06.302s

2 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1m06.447s

3 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m06.702s

4 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m06.839s

5 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m06.909s

6 Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team 1m06.965s

7 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m07.039s

8 Fernando Alonso ESP BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m07.100s

9 Mick Schumacher GER Haas F1 Team 1m07.246s

10 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m07.296s

‘Results from the first practice session at the F1 Austrian Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2022 Formula 1 world championship’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/100...tice-results-1


Lando Norris' car catches fire during Austrian Grand Prix practice
LANDO NORRIS has struggled this season with the McLaren star only securing one podium so far this season.
13:03, Fri, Jul 8, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lando Norris has been forced out of practice just hours before qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix as his car caught fire. Norris came to a rest just before turn six, complaining his car was on fire over team radio.

The McLaren driver said his car was in limp mode during the opening part of the session, suggesting there was an error. Usually, his engineers would be keen for Norris to get the car back to the garage but the Briton made it clear wanted to stop urgently after claiming his seat was “smoking”.

He explained: “I'm on fire, I need to stop. Race engineer Will Joseph added: “If you’re on fire and need to stop do it." Norris responded: “It's smoking from underneath my seat mate so I'd rather get out alright."

‘Smoking Seat’;

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


Everything that happened in first Austrian GP F1 practice
8th July 2022, 13:48
By Jack Cozens

Max Verstappen headed 2022 Formula 1 title rival Charles Leclerc in the sole practice session before Austrian Grand Prix qualifying at the Red Bull Ring.

Key moments:

> Verstappen leads FP1 throughout

> Two red flags in only pre-qualifying practice session

> Norris causes first by stopping on track

> McLaren team-mate Ricciardo experiments with and without Gurney flap

‘Everything FP1’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/every...p-f1-practice/


FIA’s new porpoising restrictions delayed by a month
2022 Austrian Grand Prix
Posted on 8th July 2022, 13:238th July 2022, 13:37
Written by Keith Collantine

The FIA has agreed to delay the introduction of new limits on Formula 1 cars ‘porpoising’ until the Belgian Grand Prix.

Following a meeting of the F1 Commission today the sport’s governing body confirmed it will postpone the enforcement of its new metric governing the allowed vertical movement by cars. It was originally due to be imposed from the French Grand Prix, but has now been pushed back to the Belgian round following the summer break.

Some teams had raised concerns over the FIA’s plans to limit porpoising. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described it as a “dangerous avenue” to pursue as the directive raised the possibility of the FIA instructing teams to alter their set-ups. Williams CEO Jost Capito described the proposed restriction as “much too complicated.”

‘FIA Porpoising Delay’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/08/...ed-by-a-month/


Deal struck on budget cap break for F1 teams due to soaring inflation
2022 Austrian Grand Prix
Posted on 8th July 2022, 13:52
Written by Keith Collantine

A deal has been agreed to relax Formula 1’s budget cap due to soaring inflation levels, though not all teams were in favour of the move.

The budget cap was introduced last year and set at a level of $145 million (£120.9m), with several exceptions including the salaries of top team staff and drivers. It fell to $140m this year as planned, however a sharp rise in inflation since the beginning of the season left several teams concerned they would be unable to avoid exceeding the spending limit.

“The proposal recognises the unexpected increase of costs incurred by teams in 2022 thereby permitting indexation at a limited rate of 3.1% (which takes into account the original 3% inflation threshold already set out in the regulations) and permitting compounding of this rate as from 2023. This will preserve the long-term integrity of the Financial Regulations.”

‘Soaring Inflation. Budget Cap Break’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/08/...ing-inflation/