2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Leclerc 'made it clear' he opposed Ferrari strategy.
"I made it clear that the medium [tyre] I wanted to keep it as long as possible, but we pitted very early for the hard, which we need to understand why," Leclerc said after the race.
31/07/2022, 18:32
ESPN.com
Nate Saunders F1 Associate Editor

The strategy Ferrari chose was not on any of the four projected fastest strategies Formula One tyre supplier Pirelli mapped out ahead of the race.

Ferrari must get better in every area after the team blundered its way through the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ferrari's track record of poor strategy calls continued on Sunday as Leclerc went from leading the race to finishing 16 seconds behind Max Verstappen, who looks likely to wrap this year's championship up with a handful of races to spare.

‘Ferrari Strategy, different to the four Pirelli projected fastest strategies!’;

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...t-better-whole


'Always something going wrong': Leclerc demands Ferrari answers
Issued on: 31/07/2022 - 19:42
France 24

Budapest (AFP) – Charles Leclerc said he pleaded with Ferrari to stay out on medium compound tyres while leading Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix before a pit-stop for hard tyres wrecked his victory hopes and claimed "there's always something going wrong."

"I said on the radio I was very comfortable with the mediums and that I wanted to go as long as possible with those tyres because the feeling was good, but I don't know why we took a different decision."

"It feels like there is always something going wrong -- reliability, mistakes, whatever. We need to be better at putting a weekend together. Now, we will try to use the few days we have to reset, but also try to analyse and understand where we need to be better and what we can do to be better because it is extremely important."

‘Always something going wrong -- reliability, mistakes, whatever’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...errari-answers


Charles Leclerc all but concedes F1 title - 'The last part of the race was a disaster for me'
31/07/2022, 18:57

CHARLES LECLERC ALL but conceded the world championship to Max Verstappen after he admitted it is going to be “very difficult” to stop his rival following another Ferrari blunder at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Such was Leclerc’s dramatic loss of pace, Verstappen raced past his beleaguered rival with ease at the second corner five laps later. An extra pit stop saw him cross the line a desperate sixth.

“A race like this is frustrating and we need to get better as a whole,” said the 24-year-old, who crashed from the lead of last weekend’s French Grand Prix. It always feels like there is something going on, whether it is reliability or mistakes, so we need to get better at putting a weekend together.”

‘All but concedes F1 title’;

https://www.the42.ie/f1-championship...30292-Jul2022/


Leclerc: Ferrari ‘needs to get better’ at executing F1 weekends
31/07/2022, 17:33
The Race
By Edd Straw and Josh Suttill

When Verstappen opted for mediums that would get him to the end of the race, Ferrari called Leclerc in on the very next lap for a set of hard tyres. This proved to be a crucial error as, like the other cars such as the Alpines and the Haas that had fitted hard tyres, Leclerc couldn’t fire temperature into them, and his pace plummeted.

Leclerc said he felt “all over the place” on the hards and he was passed twice for the net race lead by Verstappen after the Red Bull driver spun shortly after completing his first overtake.

“I said I wanted to stay on the mediums as long as possible, so yeah we need to understand why we went on the hards because I made it clear that I wanted to keep the medium as long as possible so need to understand why,” Leclerc said after the race.

‘Crucial Error’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...g-f1-weekends/


Ferrari defend Leclerc error that will 'take days to analyse'
Sunday 31 July 2022 18:30
Ewan Gale

Mattia Binotto has conceded it may take days to analyse Ferrari's latest strategy blunder as F1's championships slipped further towards Red Bull and Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc had made his way to the front with a move on George Russell's Mercedes but an early switch to hard tyres to cover an undercut attempt by Red Bull and Max Verstappen left the Monégasque a sitting duck.

The mistake was later underlined by a switch to softs, with the three-stopping Leclerc eventually finishing sixth. "What happened will take at least a few hours, or a few days, to analyse," Binotto told Sky Sports F1.

‘Days to Analyze… …Hard Tyre Strategy!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88...leclerc-error/


Mattia Binotto defends tyre strategy, claims car 'didn't behave well'
31/07/2022, 16:42
Sky Sports

Mattia Binotto was quick to defend Ferrari's strategy at the Hungarian GP and appeared unhappy with the car;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...-what-happened


Ferrari: Lack of car performance forced defensive strategy in Hungarian GP
31/07/2022, 17:30
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Ferrari Formula 1 boss Mattia Binotto says the team’s lack of performance during the Hungarian Grand Prix didn’t give it the “freedom” on strategy it wanted.

“I think we were all expecting a different result today,” Binotto told Sky Italia. “Today the car was not performing the way we were expecting it to, and that was the issue more than the strategy. Carlos’ strategy was the same as Hamilton’s and it didn’t work either.”

“The performance of the car did not give us the freedom to do what we wanted and we were forced on the defensive,” Binotto said. “The pace was different from what we saw on Friday, we were not fast enough in the race today in these conditions. Something did not work on the car.”

‘All expecting a different result today’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/07/3...-hungarian-gp/


Binotto blames Ferrari woes on pace, not strategy
Date published: July 31 2022
Henry Valantine

Leclerc dubbed his doomed stint a “disaster”, but the Ferrari team boss felt it was the first race this season in which the Scuderia had not quite been on the pace. “Certainly we didn’t have today the performance we were expecting as in whatever the tyres we were using, soft, medium or hard,” Binotto told Sky F1.

“I think at the end, the performance of our car was not as expected and the car is not performing well. Whatever, because of maybe the weather conditions, it was a lot cooler today compared to Friday, so it is difficult somehow to try to have the right speed, the right pace and keep up the position on track.”

“So today the car was not behaving well. I think that’s the point that the first time this season, [in] 13 or 12 races, the first time it’s not working as we are hoping for. We’ll try to understand the reason of [it]. I think it was working but not as well as we were hoping or expecting for, so I think if I look at Friday at least, [and the] pace we’ve got, we had an edge, we had an advantage on the competitors, which was not the case today.”

‘Mattia Binotto: Today the car was not behaving well’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia...-hungarian-gp/

[Fortitude]

F1 trio caught on camera mocking rival says it all about fresh Ferrari shambles.
Ferrari’s constant strategy blunders this F1 season has their rivals amused after Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell shared a laugh at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
August 1st, 2022 11:45 am
Staff writers from Fox Sports

Leclerc was once again cruelled by a poor strategy decision from Ferrari, who pulled in their lead driver for hard tyres when he was comfortable on mediums. Leclerc’s preference was to stay out longer and complete a shorter final stint on the soft tyre, but was instead left to battle with the hards that struggled for grip.

In the end, he finished a distance sixth, his teammate Carlos Sainz was fourth, while Verstappen vaulted from 10th on the grid to claim the win. The podium was rounded out by Mercedes pair Hamilton and Russell.

In the podium green room, the trio were shocked to learn Ferrari put Leclerc on the hard tyre — a decision they clearly found amusing. Hamilton could be heard on the broadcast asking in surprise: “Ferrari were on the hards?” Both Russell and Verstappen snickered, and simply replied: “Yeah.”

“Ferrari were on the hards?” “Yeah.”;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...d8e26caf877eee


Time for Ferrari to ask hard questions of Binotto after yet another strategic blunder
01/08/2022, 05:16
David Tremayne
The Straits Times

When something just keeps going wrong so many times, it's natural to regard it as faulty no matter how much faith and affection one might have invested in it.

So why does Ferrari team principal and managing director Mattia Binotto, the man tasked with winning the most famous motor racing team in the history the 2022 World Championship, keep getting things so desperately wrong?

‘Just keeps going wrong’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ategic-blunder


F1 2022: ‘Crazy’ — Verstappen stunner rocks Ferrari after ANOTHER ‘incredible’ F1 ‘disaster’. Max spins but still wins in Hungary.
August 1st, 2022 6:54 am
AFP with staff writers from Afp

F1 world champion Max Verstappen fully exploited another Ferrari flop to pull 80 points clear of Charles Leclerc in this year’s title race with an emphatic Red Bull triumph at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Just a week after his crushing win at the French Grand Prix, where Leclerc crashed out of the lead, the 24-year-old Dutchman scored his first win at the Hungaroring on Sunday, his eighth this year, and the 28th of his career.

Starting from 10th on the grid, after engine problems in qualifying required a new power unit, he sliced through the field to finish 7.8 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who had started from his maiden pole position. That was despite a 360 degree spin on lap 40 from which he managed to recover from. “When we woke up this morning who would have thought we would win this race?” said the Dutchman.

‘ANOTHER ‘incredible’ Ferrari F1 ‘disaster’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...3e666a03938405


Leclerc suggests "clear" wish ignored by Ferrari
Sunday 31 July 2022 17:15
Ewan Gale

Charles Leclerc has revealed he pleaded with Ferrari to remain on the medium tyre before the strategy error that cost him the Hungarian Grand Prix.

"I said I wanted to stay on the medium as long as possible and so yeah, we need to understand why we went to the hard," explained Leclerc.

"I made it clear I wanted to keep the medium as long as possible but we pitted very early for the hard, which we need to understand why.”

‘Pleaded with Ferrari, before the strategy error’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88...clerc-ferrari/


What the teams said – Race day in Hungary
31 July 2022
Special contributor
Becky Hart
Formula 1.

Mattia Binotto, Team Principal Ferrari: "Today’s result is unsatisfactory. In general, we did not perform well, with the car unable to reproduce Friday’s pace and in terms of how we managed the strategy and pit stops. Analysing every aspect of this race is our top priority over the coming days, in order to prepare as well as possible for the remaining Grands Prix."

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “It was a fantastic race today. Everyone put in a top performance. Max was exceptional, even adding a little spin to his race as if coming back from 10th wasn’t hard enough. Equally, Checo had a brilliant race and I believe if it hadn’t been for the VSC he would have podiumed. Strategy played a big part in our victory. We were due to start on the hard tyre but switched things up as a result of the ambient conditions.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "George had a great qualifying session with pole and drove a solid race. He was in the fight utilising the tyres but ran out of them in the second stint. Lewis’ fight today was unbelievable, Budapest continues to be a success story for him. He came out of nowhere and was quicker than everyone else. I think we lost the race with him yesterday with the DRS failing.”

‘Feedback from the F1 teams’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...4Xng9J3hu.html


Max Verstappen takes grip on title race with victory in Hungary as Ferrari implode
August 01 2022 02:30 AM
Luke Slater

In a season when Ferrari’s and Charles Leclerc’s challenges for the title have consistently faltered, it should come as no surprise that their final act before the summer break would be to leave the Hungaroring with an even greater championship deficit.

Leclerc finishing a lowly sixth makes any chance of a Ferrari title turnaround almost impossible. Ferrari leave Hungary scratching their heads and licking their wounds, and the manner and frequency of their implosions must surely hurt, especially after they blew another opportunity to claw themselves back into contention.

With Leclerc starting third behind team-mate Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ surprise pole-sitter George Russell, Ferrari looked like a decent bet to win and eat into Red Bull’s advantage. That was still the case with Leclerc leading at halfway. At the chequered flag, Ferrari did not even have a car on the podium, with their race falling apart through more strategy errors. The decision to put Leclerc on hard-compound tyres at his second pit stop seemed baffling and compromised his race.

‘No Ferrari Podium’;

https://www.independent.ie/sport/oth...-41881011.html


"It was a disaster for me," says Leclerc
31/07/2022
NEWS STORY

As he falls 80 points behind title rival Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc rues Ferrari's strategic error. While fans of a certain vintage have grown used to seeing the prancing horse shooting itself in the hoof, drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are slowly begin to see it for themselves.

If ever one needed an example of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, today's Hungarian Grand Prix was a perfect example. At a time rivals, Kevin Magnussen and Fernando Alonso were seeking to get off their hard tyres as soon as possible, Ferrari opted to put Leclerc, who was leading the race, on to the white-banded rubber.

Struggling on the hards, as other had done so before him, Leclerc suffered the indignity of being overtaken by Verstappen twice, the second time after the Dutchman had spun. In the final stages of the race, now under attack from Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc was forced to make a third stop, thereby dropping him to sixth. While Ferrari does its best to keep a lid on things, to wash its dirty linen behind closed doors, it was hard for the Monegasque to hide his frustration at race end.

‘Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73288/It-was...e-says-Leclerc

[Fortitude]

Podcast: Why Ferrari’s defence of its tactics doesn’t hold up.
The Ferrari Formula 1 team tried its best to explain how it got the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix so wrong, but did any of its arguments hold up?
01/08/2022, 07:08
The Race

Exactly how Ferrari went from such a strong position at the Hungaroring to not even getting a podium is analysed in forthright depth.

Every other team’s performance – including Red Bull’s brilliance and Mercedes’ latest important step – is discussed too, and as ever we also answer questions from The Race Members’ Club.

It’s fair to say Mark Hughes, Scott Mitchell and Edd Straw aren’t convinced, as they make clear in the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast.

‘Ferrari’s defence of its tactics doesn’t hold up’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/podca...oesnt-hold-up/


Max and Lewis laugh at Ferrari Strategy | Cooldown room | 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
Jul 31, 2022

Lindsay Fennell
I have no idea how ferrari could be this incompetent unintentionally. It's really impressive how good they are at making the absolutely worst possible strategy decisions.

Alex Fu
"They were on hards?", this has now become the joke in the paddock. It is embarrassing. Binotto and the entire Ferrari strategy unit will have to go!! Enough is enough!!

TARKAS! TARKAS!
Happened with Mansell, with Prost, with Alesi, with Massa, with Alonso, with Vettel and Raikonnen, and now with Leclerc and Sainz. The Todt-Brawn-Schumacher era really was the exception and not the rule of the circus that is Ferrari.

memmener
What exactly was Ferrari's strategy switching to the hard? Were they expecting the front runners to go with a 3 stop strategy so they tried going with a 2 stop with the hard compound on the 2nd stop? Or they thought everyone was going with a 2 stop, and they thought the hard compound would perform better towards the end of the race?

philaw123
Ferrari strategy is the gift that keeps on giving.

Marcus Sarmiento
Ferrari going to fall to 3rd in constructors.

Samuel Kamoche
May Ferrari continue that way... so inspirational

greg izzo
As an Italian I think I am allowed to say this, but I feel Ferrari needs a little non-Italian brains in their team. A Ross Brawn for example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUvLdhO6hPo


RACE HIGHLIGHTS: Hungarian Grand Prix 2022! ����
Jul 31, 2022

Patrick Hodgen
I just spent an hour and a half of my life watching channel 4’s coverage for the first time in a few years and this is so much more worth it even though it’s a fraction of the length

Mansoor Hussain
Lec on hard is a Titanic Italian job & Strategic master class, should be on the payroll of Redbull

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...i+hungary+2022


Charles Leclerc Team Radio After P6 in Hungarian Grand Prix
Jul 31, 2022

Smith Js
Charles: I am in the lead

Ferrari strategist: Hold my beer

Quiet_Ocelot
Ferrari Drivers : We can make big Points this Weekend!

Ferrari strategist : I feel a great disturbance in the Force!

Juliusz Kopczewski
Leclerc: Why did we go on the hard tire?

Ferrari: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cleber Alves
Even the mechanics were shaking their heads in disapproval.

mgi 12321
I feel embarrassed to call myself a Ferrari fan. All the strategists need to be fired and the pit stop mechanics need a huge dressing down after today.

Nayan Mandala
How Kimi won the championship with Ferrari is unbelievable. He must have not spoken to anyone on the team and they prob just listened to Kimi cause they where scared. Charles might as well do his own strategies on the fly at this point he would probably have better chances than plan ABCDEFG or what ever the f### Ferrari comes up with.

Corvonix plays
I find incredible how they don't answer Charles right away, that shows how embarassed they were

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r0fE3ar3os


Carlos Sainz “We clearly struggled as a team......"| Post Race Interview | 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
Jul 31, 2022

Fahhad
Leclerc was damn fast man.

Ferrari, reward? Hard tires

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7laGS9ILaE


Mattia Binotto comments about Ferrari Team strategy ���� in race F1 Hungary 2022
Jul 31, 2022

Bigali Begimovich
Yeah, very sorry for the team. He looks panic & nervous.(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8PcBqhBjy0


Christian Horner “ No hard tyres for us…” | 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix | Post race interview
Jul 31, 2022

Russ Serpico
Glad to see Chris gives due credit to Sergio.

TheMrBennito
It was Max who made the call on the hard tyres, warming up on softs. Max is the boss, RB team superbly tuned to their top driverys input.

MadIIMike
RB: Takes off Hard Tyres last second because they figure they'd suck. Alpine (and some others): Struggles with hard tyres mid race. Charles' race engineer near the end of the race: HOLD MY BEER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An1NhMliBWk

[Fortitude]

The first cautious start of Verstappen’s F1 career?
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Max Verstappen’s start to the Hungarian Grand Prix was “the first time I’ve seen him being cautious” in the early seconds of a Formula 1 race.
01/08/2022, 07:39
The Race
By Edd Straw

Verstappen won the race at the Hungaroring despite starting only 10th on the grid, which is the lowest starting position he has won from in his grand prix career.
While you might usually expect a driver winning from the fifth row to be more attacking at the start, Verstappen’s approach to the first lap was conservative.

“I think it’s right up there,” said Horner when asked where this victory stands among Verstappen’s 28 F1 wins. “The start, you saw him, it’s the first time I’ve seen him being cautious. He got himself a little bit pinched in the middle of the pack there, but thereafter his pace, the way he managed the issues that he had was phenomenal.”

‘Max Cautious Start’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-f...ens-f1-career/


Conclusions from the Hungarian Grand Prix
Date published: August 1 2022 - Oliver Harden

Max Verstappen continued his march towards a second successive Formula 1 title with his eighth victory of the 2022 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix as Ferrari suffered another disastrous day. Ever get the feeling you’ve seen this all before? Here are our conclusions from Budapest… Verstappen is laughing all the way to a second title. And to think this was supposed to be one of Red Bull’s weaker races of the season…

Another day, another Ferrari disaster If it’s not reliability, it’s strategy; if it’s not strategy, it’s driver error. If there is a way to lose a grand prix in 2022, rest assured Ferrari will find it. Two cars on the podium again, but are Mercedes really here to stay? With two cars on the podium on consecutive weekends and a first pole position of 2022 in the bag, Mercedes have ended the first half of their most difficult season in a decade on a high.

Finally hints of tension at Alpine? But leopards, to continue the big cat theme, tend not to change their spots and one day short of a full year since Alonso helped Ocon to victory in Hungary, the team-mates turned on each other. Such is the way in the animal kingdom that is an F1 starting grid… Norris continues to shine for McLaren As the weeks have passed, Lando Norris’ podium finish at Imola in April has almost come to symbolise the end of his F1 adolescence.

‘Hungarian Grand Prix Conclusions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/co...an-grand-prix/


How did Alpine let its star driver slip through its fingers?
2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 1st August 2022, 11:381st August 2022, 13:52
Written by Keith Collantine

After yesterday’s Hungarian Grand Prix Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer gave every indication the team’s star driver Fernando Alonso was going to sign a new contract to remain with them. Asked by RaceFans whether he was confident Alonso would stay at the team which lured him back to F1 last year, Szafnauer said: “Of course.” Did he expect a straightforward contract negotiation? “Very straightforward.” Were there any big sticking points in Alonso’s new contract left to resolve? “No, not really. We’ve gone through all that. It’s just a matter of time. Just details. Little stuff.”

Yet, less than 16 hours after Szafnauer spoke those words, Aston Martin issued a press release declaring the two-times world champion had signed a “multi-year” deal to join their team from 2023.

It wasn’t only Szafnauer who gave strong outwards signs that, despite Sebastian Vettel’s impending retirement opening up a seat at Aston Martin, Alonso intended to stay put. The man himself said as much after Vettel made his announcement on Thursday. “I would like to stay here,” he said in response to a question from RaceFans. “But there are two parties and I will not put a gun in the head of anyone.”

‘EL PLAN: Alpine to Aston Martin’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/01/...h-its-fingers/


F1 Hungarian GP 2022 race report: 5 things we learnt at the Hungaroring
Published: Today 12:28
Curtis Moldrich

The Hungarian GP always seems to deliver a classic race – despite how tricky it is to pass at the Hungaroring – and this year was no different. A damp qualifying session produced a relatively mixed grid, with George Russell’s Mercedes beating both Ferraris to pole. Sunday was equally chaotic, with the ongoing threat of rain and some very interesting strategy calls resulting in a race that was finely balanced on tyre management and robust overtakes.

So what were the key takeaways for the 2022 Hungarian GP, keep reading to find out. 1. Ferrari fumble. If Verstappen wins this year’s championship, it’ll surely be seen as the one gifted to him by Maranello. 2. Mercedes makes a step. If Ferrari are failing in every area but pace, it’s fair to say Mercedes are doing the exact opposite.

3. Alpine loses Alonso. But the biggest news? Just a day later, Alonso announced a move to Aston Martin. 4. Red Bull cleans up. Logistically Red Bull is the team to beat. 5. Life without Flexi-floors. First time we’ll see the effects of a new technical directive banning flexible floors.

‘5 things we learnt at the Hungaroring’;

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/featur...y-race-report/


6 Winners and 5 Losers from the Hungarian Grand Prix – Who finished the first half of the season on a high?
01 August 2022
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Lawrence Barretto

Max Verstappen made it eight wins in 2022 with a brilliant fight back at the Hungaroring to head into the summer break buzzing. The same can’t be said for some of his rivals, though. We’ve picked out six winners and five losers from the Hungarian Grand Prix…

‘6 Winners and 5 Losers’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...FcAoSeGm1.html


Paddock Diary: 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
2022 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on
1st August 2022, 16:051st August 2022, 16:05 | Written by Claire Cottingham
THURSDAY: The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend began with the bombshell news of Sebastian Vettel’s retirement and ended with a clue to his replacement.

SUNDAY; The day ended at Alpine with team principal Otmar Szafnauer. I and several other journalists quizzed him on Fernando Alonso’s future, which the driver had indicated would be sorted before the season resumes at Spa. I asked if he was confident Alonso would be staying at Alpine in 2023. He paused for three seconds, then answered: “Of course.”

A rainbow formed in the sky as the F1 teams began packing up for the break. By now Vettel’s impending retirement had been replaced as the main paddock talking point by Ferrari’s latest debacle. That had allowed Verstappen to take an 80-point lead into the next race at Spa, some four weeks away. As it turned out, we didn’t have to wait anything like as long as that to discover Alonso’s future.

‘Paddock Diary’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/01/...an-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen took crucial strategic decision just before start of Hungarian GP.
In the final moments before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen – who went on to win the race – made what turned out to be a very important decision for the Red Bull team.
02/08/2022, ‎17‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Max Verstappen has revealed that he made a last-minute decision to start on the Soft tyre for the Hungarian Grand Prix after originally planning to use the Hard, a compound that proved challenging for the likes of Ferrari.

The Dutchman went from the Soft to two stints on the Medium compound in the race, and was able to work his way from P10 on the grid to claim victory ahead of the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

"We were planning to start on the Hard tyre, but then I went to the grid on the Soft tyres, and I was already struggling for grip," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com. "So I was like, 'No way we're going to start on the Hards'. So, it's also credit to the team, because we of course planned the strategy around that, with the Hard tyre, and then we were like, 'Okay, we're switching it to a Soft'. "We had a lot of confidence in just changing it around, then that's what we did."

‘Max Crucial Strategic Decision’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...f-hungarian-gp


Verstappen credits 'reactive' Red Bull strategy for 'crazy' Hungarian GP win
01 August 2022
Ben Issatt

Max Verstappen credited Red Bull's "reactive" approach to strategy for his victory in a "crazy" Hungarian Grand Prix. “It was a crazy race and of course very happy that we won it," he said in parc ferme. "I was battling a lot of guys so it was a lot of fun out there."

With the Hungaroring historically a difficult circuit to overtake from, Verstappen admitted victory wasn't on his mind before the start. “I was of course hoping that I could get close to a podium, but [it was] very tricky conditions out there," he said.

“I think we had a really good strategy. We were really reactive and always pitting at the right time. I think we had some good out laps, and then at the end, even with a 360, we won the race.”

‘Max: Even with a 360, we won the race’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ngarian-gp-win


How Verstappen was 12km from disaster — what you missed at the 2022 Hungarian GP
F1
August 1st 2022
Author Edward Hardy

In hindsight, it is a good job Verstappen had a disappointing Saturday because that’s what allowed him to win 24 hours later. During Q3, an engine-related problem struck which meant the world champion had to back out of his final flying lap, consigning him to P10.

Verstappen was fitted with a new engine for Sunday and had the problem not happened in qualifying, Christian Horner confirmed he wouldn’t have been able to race at all. “We changed the power unit because there’s a component that broke in Max’s car yesterday,” Red Bull’s team boss explained.

“Thankfully, sitting here now with 20-20 hindsight, we’re grateful that it did break yesterday because [with] another 12 kilometres it would have broken on the way to the grid. “So we elected to change the whole power unit rather than try a repair in the field. And as a precaution, we also changed Checo’s. Had the problem not struck on Saturday, we could be sat talking about Mercedes’ first one-two of the season.”

‘20-20 hindsight’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...-hungarian-gp#


Is the F1 title Verstappen's already? - GPFans Stewards' Room Podcast
Monday 1 August 2022 16:30
GPFans Staff

Max Verstappen completed a stunning recovery drive from 10th to win the Hungarian Grand Prix but his path was eased by yet more errors from Ferrari. GPFans editor-in-chief Ian Parkes, deputy editor Sam Hall and F1 correspondent Ewan Gale join Oliver Wilson for this week's roundtable.

Ferrari was again its own worst enemy in Hungary as the team put Charles Leclerc on the dreadful hard tyres for the closing 30 laps of the race, dropping him from first to sixth. With the gap to Verstappen now 80 points, is the battle over?

The GPFans team also react to Monday's breaking news that Fernando Alonso will move from Alpine to Aston Martin for next season.

‘Is the F1 title Verstappen's already?’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88...-room-podcast/


Verstappen survives spin to win 2022 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
13:10 Mon, 01 Aug 2022
Motor Authority

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen managed to overcome the odds on Sunday to take home victory in the 2022 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished ahead of the two Mercedes-Benz AMG drivers, with Lewis Hamilton crossing the finish line 7.8 seconds behind to claim second and George Russell crossing 12.3 seconds after Verstappen to claim third.

Both Verstappen and Perez slowly moved up the order, with Verstappen up to fourth by the end of lap 21 and Russell still in the lead at this point, ahead of Leclerc now in second and Sainz in third. Leclerc's attempts to overtake Russell caused both drivers to slow, allowing Verstappen to close the gap with the lead pack. Leclerc finally took the lead on lap 31 and would hold it comfortably until lap 39 when he switched to hard tires, a move that didn't suit the conditions. Leclerc was now third and Verstappen fourth. Ahead were Sainz and Hamilton who both needed to make another stop.

With Leclerc struggling for grip with the new tires, Verstappen put in a fastest lap to catch and was soon on Leclerc's tail. He powered past the Ferrari on lap 42 but then suffered a spin that allowed Leclerc to jump back in front. Fortunately he didn't end up in wall, and with some defensive help from Perez, Verstappen was soon able to catch up to Leclerc and pass him to move into third, with Sainz and Hamilton still head.

‘Verstappen survives spin to win’;

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...d-prix-results


Jos Verstappen praises Max: He overtook them easily, like he always does
02/08/2022, ‎14‎:‎30
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Jos Verstappen has heaped praise on the Red Bull team for their strategy calls during the Hungarian Grand Prix, along with hailing the racing efforts of his race-winning son Max. Jos Verstappen was full of praise for his son and the Red Bull team following Max Verstappen's ninth victory of the season in Hungary.

Max's father – former Formula 1 driver Jos – commented that he didn't need to give any advice ahead of Max's against-the-odds victory from the fifth row of the grid. "He did a fantastic job," enthused Jos to Viaplay. "I don't need to tell him anything, the good thing is that he understands himself."

‘Max Overtook them Easily’;

https://racingnews365.com/jos-versta...he-always-does


Horner defends Perez following Marko criticism
02/08/2022
by Fergal Walsh

Christian Horner has defended Sergio Perez after the Mexican driver came under fire from Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko. “I made a joke to Helmut the other day, I said ‘I think Checo’s gone on holiday already’, and he went and told all you guys!” Horner laughed to Sky F1.

Horner commended Perez’s race in Hungary, after the former Racing Point driver crossed the line in fifth place. However, Horner is confident that Perez would’ve been challenging for a spot on the podium if not for the late Virtual Safety Car intervention following an on-track stoppage for Valtteri Bottas.

“Look at Checo’s race in the second half today,” Horner said. “Without that VSC, he would’ve been challenging for the podium in the closing stages of both George [Russell] and Carlos [Sainz]. He was coming very, very quickly.”

‘Very, Very Quickly’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...rko-criticism/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin: Ted Kravitz reacts to bombshell F1 move as Alpine lose world champion.
Why is Alonso, at the age of 41, leaving a team for one that is five places and 79 points worse off in the championship? What's in it for Aston Martin? And what are the ramifications for Alpine?
Last Updated: 02/08/22 6:15am
Ted Kravitz

Ted Kravitz: "I don't think there's any shame in saying that this was a surprise to everybody! "Obviously Fernando is out of contract and has been looking around the big teams.”

"He admitted when I spoke to him before the Spanish Grand Prix that he would be happy to go to any big team and be a number two to Charles Leclerc or Max Verstappen, so his mind was clearly not with staying at Alpine. Or at best, staying at Alpine would be a second choice to joining a big team.”

Ted: "For Alonso, if his mind is not to stay at Alpine, and with other avenues closed, he might be looking at what Aston Martin are building up. They've got a lot of people in from Red Bull, Dan Fallows, for example, has arrived as technical director and has started coming to races, and Alonso will know about him and others. He will also know there is money there and he thought this was the best option. But what does this say about Alpine?”

‘Fernando Alonso bombshell F1 move’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...world-champion


Five Talking Points As F1 Takes A Break: From Ferrari's Problems To Mercedes' Recovery
Ferrari's team boss Mattia Binotto faced increasing pressure on Monday after Sunday's flop as the side started the Hungarian Grand Prix second and third but finished fourth and sixth.
• Updated: August 02, 2022 11:19 AM IST
• Agence France-Presse

Alonso move triggers 'silly season'. Fernando Alonso's swift move to take Sebastian Vettel's seat has triggered 'silly season' speculation forecasting more action in the driver market for 2023.

The first vacancy to fill will be at Alpine. Reserve driver Oscar Piastri, winner of the 2020 Formula Three and 2021 Formula Two titles, is an obvious candidate. The Australian, managed by former Red Bull driver and compatriot Mark Webber, is regarded as a major talent.

Another vacant seat could be at Williams, where Nicholas Latifi will be out of contract this year. Williams may be interested in Piastri, if he misses the Alpine seat, or Mercedes reserve Nyck de Vries.

‘Alonso move triggers 'silly season'.’;

https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/fi...covery-3216064


Felipe Massa points out "problem" Aston Martin face with ex-F1 team-mate Fernando Alonso
The surprising news broke on Monday that Fernando Alonso will leave Alpine at the end of the season to replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin, and his ex-Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa has given his verdict
21:22, 1 Aug 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Aston Martin have been warned that their new driver Fernando Alonso could "split the team in the middle" if the Spaniard becomes unhappy with how things are going.

Asked by Sky Sports' Any Driven Monday what the team will get from their newest recruit, Massa replied: "For me he is an amazing driver. He is talented, very intelligent in his driving and he understands how to be quick in qualifying – he is one of the quickest drivers.”

"But he is also very consistent in the race. He understands how to manage the tyres in the right way and to speak with the team. The problem he has is that he splits the team in the middle a little bit. I never had any problem working or talking with him, but he always managed to put everything on his side and split the team a little bit in the middle.”

"If he has a competitive car he definitely can help the team, but if he doesn't then he can be a problem by splitting the team in the middle. He could even decide to fight with the team. But as a driver, definitely one of the best in the history of Formula 1." He may have to be careful, though, considering at Aston Martin he will be in a position he has not experienced before. Team-mate Lance Stroll is the son of the team's billionaire owner, and so will have to watch what he does.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...massa-27633144


Podcast: Will Alonso’s final F1 switch gamble pay off?
16:28 Mon, 01 Aug 2022.
The Race

Fernando Alonso wasted no time in signing a deal to succeed Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin in 2023, a move that shocked the Formula 1 deal with its swiftness.

Scott Mitchell joins Edd Straw to explain how it happened and why, and whether or not it was the right decision for team and driver.

Alonso’s contract impasse with Alpine, which meant the door was still open for such a move, is also explained along with whether the team has any realistic alternatives to Oscar Piastri given it has yet to announce its replacement.

‘Fernando Alonso Switch’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/podca...amble-pay-off/


Four knock-on consequences of Alonso’s surprise Aston F1 move
13:35 Mon, 01 Aug 2022
The Race
By Scott Mitchell

News of Fernando Alonso’s shock move to Aston Martin in 2023 is a grenade launched into the plans of various Formula 1 teams. On the surface, it looks to have resolved some potential complications, chiefly what Alpine was going to do with Oscar Piastri. Its reserve driver is the red-hot favourite to succeed Alonso next year.

Aston Martin obviously had one. Alpine technically had one. Williams has one or two (depending on whether the belief it has an option on Alex Albon is correct). Haas has one. McLaren might have one too, subject to whether Daniel Ricciardo stands by his public declaration he will continue for 2023.

PIASTRI THE FAVOURITE – BUT NOT ANNOUNCED
RICCIARDO’S OPTIONS DWINDLE
WILLIAMS’ LOSES ITS IDEAL 2023 LINE-UP

‘Alonso’s shock grenade launched move’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/four-...aston-f1-move/


ANALYSIS: Why Alonso accepted Aston Martin’s advances and signed a shock deal – and why it could be a perfect match
01 August 2022
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Lawrence Barretto

The timing of Aston Martin’s announcement that scooped the prized signing of Fernando Alonso was something of a shock – but the move itself makes a lot of sense, as F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto explains. When Sebastian Vettel revealed on Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that he would be leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season, he sent the driver market silly season into overdrive.

His decision caught Aston Martin a little off guard. Sure, they knew there was a strong chance he would leave, but they had told the four-time world champion they wanted him to stay on for a third year and had thrown everything at convincing him to do so. When he told owner Lawrence Stroll last Wednesday night that he was off, the billionaire accepted Vettel’s decision and is believed to have got straight on the phone to Alonso, whom he has known for many years.

‘Perfect Match’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ja4chM7c4.html


Alpine salutes Alonso, says proud of collaboration
01/08/2022 at 12:12
Phillip van Osten

"We wish Fernando the best for his future in Formula 1," Alpine said in a message posted on social media.”

"Fernando has always been, and always will be, part of the Renault and Alpine family and we’re proud and privileged to have shared so many on-track moments together.”

"We look forward to finishing the remainder of the 2022 season with Fernando in blue, and we’ll keep pushing to the maximum until the final lap in November.

‘Alpine salutes Alonso’;

https://f1i.com/news/450335-alpine-s...aboration.html

[Fortitude]

Mattia Binotto ‘in danger’ of getting fired by Ferrari in coming weeks.
Former Formula 1 driver, Ralf Schumacher, has indicated that Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto’s job is not safe after the team’s latest failures at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
1 August 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari will go into the summer break with their tails between their legs following a horrible error on strategy in Hungary. Verstappen strolled to victory, and Ferrari were left wondering how they had let another victory slip from their grasp.

Such is the situation in the championship – after throwing away a handful of wins in 2022 – that Schumacher believes someone will have to go. “I see two people’s jobs in danger, Daniel [Ricciardo, who finished down in 15th] and also Mattia,” he told Sky Germany.

“When you get the gift of being able to go for the world championship with Ferrari and throw it away so carelessly, it should become difficult for you. So I see him in danger during the summer break, there are too many little things that are going wrong and too many technical problems.”

‘In danger’ of getting fired’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-bi...-coming-weeks/


Ferrari crew ‘not free or confident to make decisions’.
Former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley says a culture change is needed at Ferrari, based on what his ex-Scuderia friends told him.

Date published: August 2 2022
Jamie Woodhouse

During BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, it was suggested that the summer break which Formula 1 now enters is the perfect opportunity for Ferrari, offering a chance to reset. Priestley though says this will do Ferrari no good. Instead, they have deep-rooted flaws in the team which must be put right. Focusing on the strategy side, Priestley says he has spoken to friends who formerly worked at Ferrari, all of which told him that there is no freedom or confidence when it comes to making strategical decisions. The culture then must change in Priestley’s opinion, and some heads need to roll.

“I’m going to be honest, I don’t think the break is going to do them any good over the course of this particular season,” he said. “So for me, the summer break, that’s not what Ferrari need here. They need a total reset, heads are going to have to roll here and there’s no mistaking about that. I don’t know who’s going to take the fall, Mattia Binotto [team principal] clearly at the top of the tree, he’s going to have the biggest questions to answer, but this feels like a cultural problem that’s deep within Ferrari.”

“I’ve got a lot of friends who’ve worked there in the past, they all say the same thing. People can’t make decisions, they’re not free to make decisions, they don’t have the confidence to make decisions when it matters. And ultimately, that’s exactly what you have to be able to do. When you’re a Formula 1 team it’s all about making decisions on the fly. Red Bull got it right, Ferrari got it horribly wrong.”

‘Heads are going to have to roll here and there’s no mistaking about that’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...ing-decisions/


Ferrari will not make F1 staff changes over summer
02/08/2022, 10:48 AM BST
Nate SaundersF1 Associate Editor

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says there is no need for changes within the Formula One team despite its catalogue of blunders in the first half of this season. Binotto thinks Ferrari just needs to understand why it made mistakes in Budapest rather than make wholescale changes to its race-day operation.

"It's not a matter of bad luck, and there is nothing to change as well," Binotto said after the race on Sunday. "It's always a matter of continuous learning and building, building experience, building skills.”

"Certainly there is something that you need to look at [from the race] and understand why. But if I look again at the balance of the first half of the season, there is no reason why we should change.”

‘Not making F1 staff changes’;

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...changes-summer


Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says there is ‘nothing to change’ at Scuderia this summer despite strategy calls
Charles Leclerc plummeted down the order at the Hungarian Grand Prix after some questionable strategy calls from the Ferrari pit wall.
02/08/2022, 12:07
Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 Correspondent

Mattia Binotto insists there is no need to change anything at Ferrari this summer despite Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix again being overshadowed by some questionable strategy calls on the Scuderia pit wall.

Ferrari’s Championship hopeful Charles Leclerc qualified in third place and led halfway through the race, but finished down in sixth after switching bizarrely to the hard compound tyre.

Verstappen Claims F1 Championship Lead ‘Bigger Than It Should Be’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/fer...-b2136360.html


Ferrari strategy chief given vote of confidence by Mattia Binotto despite latest shocker
Some fans and pundits have called for Ferrari to make changes in their strategy department as they keep making costly mistakes, but team chief Binotto appears to be holding firm
07:34, 2 Aug 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Mattia Binotto insists his strategy team is "great" and dismissed the idea of bringing in fresh faces in the wake of Ferrari's latest blunder. Asked if he would consider bringing in new people to help his struggling strategy department, the Italian dismissed the idea and instead threw his support behind director Inaki Rueda. He added: "Sometimes we make mistakes, and the others are making mistakes, so not only Inaki but the entire team is great and I'm fully supporting them."

Just a few minutes before that interview, Leclerc spoke to the media and said he didn't understand why his team made him switch to the hard compound. "I said on the radio I was very comfortable with the medium and that I wanted to go as long as possible with those tyres because the feeling was good," said the Monegasque. "I don't know why we took a different decision."

Meanwhile, the Italian media's reports on Monday morning were scathing. Quotidiano Nazionale said Leclerc "deserves more" than what he is getting from the team, while Corriere dello Sport's headline described race winner Max Verstappen's performance as a "masterpiece".

‘Not only Inaki but the entire team is great and I'm fully supporting them’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ngary-27633814


Ferrari could sack team boss Mattia Binotto over summer after Hungarian GP disaster
Mattia Binotto and his Ferrari strategists are under intense pressure after a series of tactical blunders left them needing a miracle to catch Red Bull and Max Verstappen
16:14, 2 Aug 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Ferrari may show up for the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of the summer break without team principal Mattia Binotto. That is according to Ralf Schumacher, who believes the Italian could be axed over the team's string of strategy screw-ups. The latest came at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc had his race ruined by the call to put him on hard tyres that would just not warm up.

All those errors, plus the team's ongoing reliability problems with their power units, have led to speculation that changes in personnel could be made. And former F1 racer Schumacher believes even team principal Binotto might not be immune to the axe.

Despite Leclerc publicly questioning his team's methods and the Italian press' scathing analysis of the situation, Binotto is holding firm. He insisted after the race in Hungary that "most of the time we are right", and gave his backing to chief strategist Inaki Rueda.

‘Ferrari may show up for the Belgian Grand Prix without Mattia Binotto’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...acher-27640167


Ralph Schumacher questions if Mattia Binotto’s job at Ferrari is “in danger”
2 Aug 2022
F1 Desk

Mattia Binotto could lose his job as Ferrari team principal over the F1 summer break, speculated Ralph Schumacher.

Ralph Schumacher, the brother of Ferrari legend Michael, told Sky Germany about Binotto: “I already see him in danger during the summer break.
“There are too many little things that went wrong and too many technical problems.
“If you get a gift like this, being able to drive for the World Championship and then you endangered it and throw it away, that’s already bitter.

Ralph Schumacher questions if Mattia Binotto’s job is “in danger” Crash.Net14:44

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/100931...o-s-job-danger

[Fortitude]

Alpine/Piastri row makes possible McLaren/Ricciardo split clear.
Oscar Piastri and his management team would not go to war with Alpine and spurn a guaranteed F1 2023 race seat were they not pursuing another one AND extremely confident they will get it.
02/08/2022, 20:39
The Race, By Scott Mitchell.

As Alpine and Oscar Piastri provide us with a front row seat to a colossal Formula 1 contractual row, there’s another party being unwillingly dragged out alongside it. The implication of an extraordinary and brutally public dispute is simple: if Piastri’s camp gets its way, he will replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.

That leads to another safe assumption, which is that Piastri’s management must have – or think it has – something very firm in place with McLaren. Piastri has clearly been advised it is OK to publicly denounce his current employer. To do so without a safety net would be extremely negligent.

But what about McLaren? Assuming that Piastri’s faith is not wildly misplaced, there are two scenarios here. Either Ricciardo has indicated to McLaren he is, in fact, planning to walk away from F1 or is willing to use his option to end his contract early and those talks have begun…. Or McLaren has gone behind Ricciardo’s back and lined up Piastri as his successor with the intention of doing what it takes to ‘convince’ (read: pay) Ricciardo to walk away.

‘Front row seat to a colossal Formula 1 contractual row’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alpin...o-split-clear/


The F1 Drama Continues, Piastri Says He Won't Drive for Alpine in 2023
2 Aug 2022, 19:23 UTC ·
by Florin Amariei

The 2022 Formula 1 (F1) season remains very intriguing. Oscar Piastri was announced everywhere as Fernando Alonso’s replacement, but the young racing driver took it to social media to deny everything the Alpine F1 Team said. Here’s what’s going on.

But the young racing driver published a message on social media in which he said that Alpine F1 lied about his involvement with the French team. Piastri points out that the press release was sent out without his agreement and confirmed for everyone that there’s no contract signed between him and Alpine.

“I will not be driving for Alpine next year,” concluded Piastri. Now Alpine is in a tough spot. They have to clear this out, or they might have to start recruiting another F1 driver for the 2023 season that will match well with Esteban Ocon. Until then, fans have something to talk about.

‘Tough spot for Alpine’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/t...23-195063.html


Piastri makes shock announcement he will not debut in F1 with Alpine next year
2023 F1 season
Posted on 2nd August 2022, 19:172nd August 2022, 19:52
Written by Keith Collantine

Oscar Piastri has issued a statement denying he will make his Formula 1 debut for Alpine next year, hours after the team claimed he would.
Piastri, the reigning Formula 2 champion, seemed a logical choice of replacement for Alonso. However he has now issued a statement insisting he will not race for the team next year.

“I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,” he posted on social media. “This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”

‘Shock Announcement’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/02/...ine-next-year/


Our verdict on Alpine’s extraordinary Piastri mess
02/08/2022, 20:18
The Race

A tumultuous start to the summer break for Alpine continued on Tuesday evening when, barely an hour after it had named Oscar Piastri as one of its drivers for the 2023 Formula 1 season, its current reserve driver emphatically rejected that announcement.

So what does this sorry mess say about Alpine’s handling of events and the damage to its public image that has been done? Our writers have their say.

An embarrassing situation for Alpine
Edd Straw

Piastri better have had good guidance on his actions
Scott Mitchell

A major, major cock up
Gary Anderson

Anything IndyCar can do, F1 can too
Glenn Freeman

Parallels on two wheels too, not just four
Valentin Khorounzhiy

A lot of mess for two drivers to potentially be worse off in 2023
Matt Beer

‘The Race Verdict’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/our-v...-piastri-mess/


How did Alpine end up in such a mess with its drivers?
In the space of a few days, the 2023 driver market has been turned upside down.
02/08/2022, 21:04
ESPN.com
Laurence EdmondsonF1 Editor

At 5.12 p.m. BST, Alpine issues a press release saying Piastri will be promoted to race driver alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023. The statement says the decision has been made "in line with the commitments made by the team to the young Australian" but there is no quote from Piastri himself and no confirmation of the news via his social media accounts.

At 7 p.m. BST, Piastri breaks his silence with a tweet that makes clear he has no intention to driver for Alpine next year. "I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year," he wrote. "This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year."

In the space of 48 hours, Alpine has lost Fernando Alonso beyond the end of this year and appears to have lost its promising junior driver Oscar Piastri. It is likely that Alpine and Piastri will now enter a legal dispute over the contract, which may also explain why Alpine issued its statement without consulting Piastri, so as to trigger a clause in his contract.

‘Alpine Trigger a Contract Clause’;

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...h-mess-drivers


The future of top F1 prospect Oscar Piastri descends into chaos as he refutes Alpine's announcement that he will drive for them in 2023
2022-08-02T19:56:14Z
Cork Gaines

• F1 team Alpine announced that Oscar Piastri would replace the outgoing Fernando Alonso in 2023.
• Piastri refuted this claim, saying he is not under contract and would not race for Alpine next season.
• The Australian has been linked to other teams and now his future is up in the air.

The 21-year-old Australian has been linked to both McLaren, as a potential replacement for Daniel Ricciardo, and Williams, where he would replace Nicholas Latifi. Several outlets have reported that Piastri and his agent, former F1 driver Mark Webber, have been working on a deal with McLaren. However, according to Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, Piastri is still under contract with his team.

"I'm not privy to whatever pre-arrangements he has with McLaren, if any at all," Szafnauer told Motorsport.com. "But I hear the same rumors that you do in the pit lane. But what I do know is that he does have contractual obligations to us. And we do to him. And we've been honoring those obligations all year. And those obligations last through '23 and possibly in '24, if some options are taken up."

‘Descent into Chaos’;

https://www.insider.com/f1-2023-osca...mclaren-2022-8

[Fortitude]

Alpine issue defiant response to Oscar Piastri's bombshell social media statement.
"We believe we are legally correct in our statement but don't have anything further to say", a spokesperson told F1 correspondent Andrew Benson.
2 Aug 2022, 21:29
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Piastri rocked the F1 world by publicly denying that he has signed a contract to replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine in 2023, not long after the team announced their reserve driver's new role.

The tone of Piastri's statement suggests that he too believes he is in the right. The whole fiasco comes after it was reported that his mentor and manager Mark Webber has been in negotiations to secure a seat with their midfield rivals McLaren.

Earlier in the day, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer had claimed that Piastri is contracted to the team and therefore would not be able to leave for a rival. "I'm not privy to whatever pre-arrangements he has with McLaren, if any at all," he told Autosport.

‘We believe we are legally correct’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...tweet-27642887


Alpine: We are legally correct in our statement.
Alpine have said they are legally correct in their announcement of Oscar Piastri as their driver for the 2023 Formula 1 season, as the story continues to develop.
3 August, 2022
Reuters

Alpine believe they are legally correct. Alpine, as part of a major manufacturer, are unlikely to have taken the step of announcing a driver without feeling confident, however. “We believe we are legally correct in our statement,” the team said, without further comment.

Piastri heading to McLaren? Media reports suggested the Australian, managed by former F1 racer Mark Webber, had signed a pre-contract with McLaren – a team that officially does not have a vacancy but might be creating one. Alpine principal Otmar Szafnauer was asked about that in a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday.

“We do have a legal contract with him (Piastri) into the future for ’23. And if an option is taken up, for ’24,” he said. “I don’t know what he’s done with McLaren… I’m not privy to that,” Szafnauer added.

‘Legally Correct’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08...our-statement/


Aussie rising star Oscar Piastri insists he's NOT driving for Alpine next year in bombshell statement - as speculation mounts that his manager Mark Webber is trying to get him to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren
• On Tuesday, Alpine announced Piastri would replace Fernando Alonso in 2023
• Piastri responded with a blunt statement insisting he won't drive for the team
• Rumours are rife that manager Mark Webber is getting Piastri a seat at McLaren
Published: 23:47, 2 August 2022
By Pa Sport Staff and Shayne Bugden For Daily Mail Australia

Oscar Piastri has insisted he will not be driving for Formula 1 team Alpine next season hours after his appointment as Fernando Alonso's replacement had been announced. In the Alpine announcement, team principal Otmar Szafnauer had praised Piastri as a 'rare talent' who is 'more than capable' of making the move into Formula 1. Szafnauer said: 'Oscar is a bright and rare talent. We are proud to have nurtured and supported him through the difficult pathways of the junior formulae.”

'I'm not privy to whatever prearrangements he (Webber) has with McLaren, if any at all,' Szafnauer told Autosport when he was asked about the speculation. 'But I hear the same rumours that you do in the pitlane. But what I do know is that he does have contractual obligations to us. And we do to him. And we've been honouring those obligations all year.”

'And those obligations, last through '23, and possibly in '24, if some options are taken up. 'So therefore we do have a legal contract with him into the future for '23. And if an option is taken up, for '24. So I don't know what he's done with McLaren. Like I said, I'm not privy to that. Oscar and his camp are considering their options, whatever that means.'

‘Considering Options!’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...en-switch.html


Why Australia’s Renault racer Oscar Piastri is the hottest prospect in Formula One.
Alpine, McLaren, Williams and AlphaTauri are all potentially ready to take the 21-year-old into Formula One racing in 2023. A tug of love has developed over Oscar Piastri as the highly-rated young Australian prepares to make his Formula One race debut in 2023.
03 August 2022, 11:48
Paul Gover

Renault thought it had him locked in for next year with its Alpine team – even announcing its plans this week — but Piastri has responded that he has not signed any firm contract. Piastri and his manager – fellow Australian and retired Formula One race winner Mark Webber – are now believed to be in talks with McLaren, where fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo's future looks extremely shaky.

Piastri's graduation comes after an incredible run of success in junior single-seater racing, which saw him take three major championship wins — including the FIA Formula Three and Formula Two categories that race on some Formula One weekends — in consecutive years. He became a member of the Renault (Alpine) Academy for junior drivers at the start of 2020, where he first drove a Grand Prix car.

After missing out on a spot on the F1 grid for 2022, Piastri joined the Alpine squad this year as a reserve driver, with a program that includes regular Formula One testing time and work in the high-tech F1 simulator at Alpine's headquarters in the UK. Piastri has earned plenty of praise for his test and development work at Alpine, but it is his raw speed and commitment in races that has attracted the attention of other teams.

‘Tug of Love’;

https://www.drive.com.au/news/oscar-...claren-update/


Fernando Alonso in poorly-timed post as Oscar Piastri causes chaos with Alpine statement
OSCAR PIASTRI has denied he will replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine despite the team announcing that he would.
07:30, Wed, Aug 3, 2022
By Joshua Lees

Amid Oscar Piastri’s sensational claim that he would not be driving for Alpine next year, despite a statement from the team saying he would be doing so, the man he has replaced Fernando Alonso was seen uploading a poorly-timed post on his Instagram. Piastri was initially confirmed as one of Alpine's drivers for 2023 on Tuesday afternoon.

Alonso was criticised for a poorly-timed post on social media, after he uploaded a smiling selfie with his thumbs up on his Instagram story amid the saga surrounding his employers. The Spaniard’s switch to Aston Martin came after four-time Sebastian Vettel announced he would be retiring at the end of the current season.

‘EL PLAN: Uploaded a Smiling Selfie’;

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


‘Aston Martin pushed Vettel to decide after speaking with Alonso’
Date published: August 2 2022
Michelle Foster

Sebastian Vettel’s retirement announcement came after Aston Martin ‘requested’ he make a decision before the summer break as the team had already been in talks with Fernando Alonso for a ‘few weeks’. That’s according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport.

Vettel announced last Thursday that this season would be his last in Formula 1, the decision surprising many in the paddock. It was thought that it also surprised Aston Martin as team boss Mike Krack said they did not have a “Plan B” in mind should Vettel opt not to continue.

But, according to AMuS’s Tobias Gruner, it was with that Plan B in mind that Aston Martin urged Vettel to make a quick decision. According to the respected F1 journalist, the “negotiations between the team and the driver [Alonso] have apparently been taking place in the past few weeks”.

‘EL PLAN: Plan B’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...rnando-alonso/


Piastri stars as F1 ‘silly season’ explodes
AUGUST 3, 2022
ANDREW MAITLAND

Otmar Szafnauer admits Fernando Alonso’s decision to turn down a one-year deal and instead sign what is believed to be a $25 million per season multi-year contract with Aston Martin caught Renault-owned Alpine by surprise. “There were rumours in the paddock and I heard them,” the Alpine boss is quoted by L’Equipe. “But I learned of the signing through the press release.”

Szafnauer admits he also saw Alonso with Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll in Hungary last weekend, although he says the 41-year-old denied signing a deal. I couldn’t speak with Fernando on Monday as he is on a boat in the Greek islands,” Szafnauer added.

The best option for Alpine now may be a McLaren ‘swap’ with Ricciardo, but a source pointed out: “There’s so much chaos that Piastri may end up having nowhere to go.” When asked about Alpine’s embarrassing limbo, Szafnauer said: “We are not ready to think about what will happen after Piastri. What happened with Fernando is still too fresh.”

‘F1 ‘silly season’ explodes!’;

https://grandpx.news/piastri-stars-a...ason-explodes/

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris: “Seventh was the best we could have done for the points” at Hungarian Grand Prix.
After a stellar qualifying result of fourth place, McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris ended up taking seventh place at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
August 3, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Though he would have wanted to finish higher up the grid, Norris admitted that his McLaren didn’t have the performance to stay ahead of the likes of Red Bull Racing and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

“P7, happy with that. After yesterday, of course we’d all wished for a bit more, but we just didn’t have the pace today with the quicker cars behind. We just did an extremely good job yesterday. I’m happy with it, it’s the maximum we could do today with the cars ahead.”

Norris said that seventh place was likely the best possible result for the team this weekend, behind only the leading teams and ahead of their main competition, BWT Alpine F1 Team. The result sees McLaren sit just four points behind Alpine in the battle for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. “Tough in places but seventh was the best we could have done for the points today, and we were ahead of our rivals.”

‘Seventh was the best we could have done for the points’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...an-grand-prix/


Norris outlines what McLaren need to work on after 'expecting more' in Hungary
03/08/2022, ‎07‎:‎50
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Lando Norris started the Hungarian Grand Prix from P4 on the grid, but finished the race in seventh, leaving him slightly disappointed with his result. Lando Norris admits that he had been "expecting more" from the Hungarian Grand Prix after dropping from P4 to P7. The McLaren driver had put in a strong qualifying performance to achieve fourth on the grid, and initially was able to fend off the challenge from Lewis Hamilton behind.

While Norris was pleased with his performance in relation to who he was racing, he was left feeling slightly disappointed by his end result. "We did [have a good performance] against the people we are racing, really," Norris said after the race.

"If you think of P4 as a grid position then you expect a little bit more on Sunday, and to end up 62 seconds behind just the next car ahead of me, it's a big challenge to do anything more from that, so therefore our race was against Alpine and the cars behind me."

‘Expect a little bit more’;

https://racingnews365.com/norris-out...ore-in-hungary


Norris finds positives in chastening McLaren gap
Tuesday 2 August 2022 13:45
Ewan Gale

Lando Norris has conceded that finishing '62 seconds off Charles Leclerc' was the best McLaren could achieve despite qualifying fourth at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The result, however, was still enough to beat both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon in the race against Alpine for fourth in the constructors' championship.

But it exposed the mountain McLaren has to climb in order to cement itself at the top of F1's pecking order. Insisting the wind was as detrimental as the coolness to McLaren's pace, Norris explained: "That car, you have to drive it one way, which I like.

"But especially when the wind is involved, you drive it the same way and it has the same limitations so I think that is why we struggled with the same characteristic, same things, destroying the front-left tyre and everything. It is just how the car is. The quicker cars, you can play around a bit more, use different lines, [more] resistant to the wind and therefore it is better."

‘Finding positives’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88...an-grand-prix/


McLaren’s Andreas Seidl: Understanding of recent upgrade “put us into position to be the fourth fastest team” at Hungaroring
August 3, 2022
By Ashley Cline

McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl said that Lando Norris maximized his position to take seventh at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing behind only the top three teams. He was pleased to see their recent upgrade placed them ahead of their main rival in the standings, BWT Alpine F1 Team, when it comes to pace at the Hungaroring.

“With all six cars from the top three teams finishing the race, P7 was the best we could achieve today – and we did it. The upgrade we introduced at Paul Ricard – and improved our understanding of here – put us into position to be the fourth fastest team, which is a great achievement.”

Seidl said that despite running essentially the same tyre strategy on both cars, Daniel Ricciardo ended up struggling after his second stop on the hard tyres, a compound that ended up being difficult for other teams on the grid as well. Ultimately, Ricciardo’s race ended out of the points in fifteenth after starting ninth.

‘Understanding Recent Upgrade’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...t-hungaroring/


Is McLaren looking to axe Ricciardo after Piastri talks?
Tuesday 2 August 2022 16:49
Sam Hall

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has poured cold water on a possible move for reserve driver Oscar Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.

It is reported the driver and his race-winning agent, Mark Webber, agreed a pre-contract deal with McLaren to prevent this from happening, something that raises yet more questions over Ricciardo's future despite a contract for 2023.

‘Rumours’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88...oscar-piastri/


Damage spotted on Landi Nozza Norris’ car at Hungarian GP
McLaren Lando Norris took P4 in qualifying for 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix.
1 August 2022
by James Clifford

Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz spotted an error in an official FIA document during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. When referring to Lando Norris in a document this weekend, the governing body made a typo, calling him “Landi” instead of Lando.

When speaking about Norris’ fantastic performance in qualifying that will see him start the race fourth, Kravitz called him Landi, and explained the hilarious mistake that the FIA had made.

“If you’re wondering why I’m calling him Landi Norris now, the FIA did a document where they misspelt Lando Norris and called him Landi,” he said on his Notebook show.

‘Ted Kravitz spotted an error’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/damage-sp...-hungarian-gp/


Daniel Ricciardo pulls off brilliant double Alpine overtake
Sun, 31 Jul 2022, 15:00
Sky Sports

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...lpine-overtake


The four options facing Ricciardo as rising Aussie star sends shockwaves through F1
August 3rd, 2022 10:28 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

Piastri’s social media protestation that he “will not be driving for Alpine next year” can only be a sign that Webber is confident he’s got the job done. But Piastri can claim a set of orange overalls only if F1’s other Aussie isn’t already in them. And so this latest — but not final — chapter of silly season shenanigans begs the question: what’s in store for Daniel Ricciardo?

OPTION 1: STATUS QUO The first alternative is what’s officially the case at the moment.
OPTION 2: RETURN TO ALPINE But with McLaren apparently clear in its intention to switch Ricciardo out for a younger alternative, the eight-time race winner may admit the writing is on the wall and seek employment elsewhere.

OPTION 3: TAKE A PUNT ON A SMALLER TEAM If returning to Alpine were too bitter a pill to swallow but Ricciardo definitely wanted to continue racing in Formula 1, there are several teams with openings for 2023.
OPTION 4: RETIRE The last option will be the most crushing to contemplate for fans of the forever likeable Aussie, but Ricciardo may decide to call time on his F1 career after 232 starts and at least eight wins and 32 podiums.

‘Four Options Facing Ricciardo’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...f87aa536000f03