2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Mattia Binotto declares Ferrari’s 2022 upgrades are done for this season.
While one could say that pride is still at stake, so too is P2 in the championships, Ferrari are right to switch their focus to 2023.
Wednesday 12th October 2022 2:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Ferrari’s upgrades for the 2022 season ended with the new floor they ran at the Japanese Grand Prix, says team boss Mattia Binotto. The big prize is gone, Max Verstappen has won the Drivers’ Championship title, and the money prize, the Constructors’ Championship, is also going to Red Bull barring a complete meltdown from the Milton Keynes squad.

It’s simply a case of try again next year. But in order to get it right Ferrari have a lot of ground to make up on Red Bull. The F1-75, which will be the basis for next year’s car, has fallen behind the RB18 in recent weeks. Not so much because of its pace but because of tyre wear that’s impacting the overall performance. Ferrari have, somewhere in their spate of upgrades, got something wrong, something that is abusing their tyres.

It was evident at Suzuka when Sergio Perez reeled in Charles Leclerc in the final laps, the Mexican driver able to attack while Leclerc was barely hanging on with his intermediates that had turned to slicks. In the end he couldn’t hang on, the driver off the track and penalised five seconds which dropped him behind Perez in the results – and gave Verstappen the extra points he needed to secure the title.

‘Upgrades are done for’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia...ades-are-done/


Ferrari explain 'big conundrum' they faced at Japanese GP
12/10/2022, ‎12‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

The wet conditions of the Japanese Grand Prix posed several challenges. In their post-race analysis, Ferrari have outlined one of the key dilemmas they were confronted with. Ferrari have explained the "big conundrum" they were faced with at the Japanese Grand Prix in terms of tyre choices.

"When we came in on Sunday morning, we saw that all the dry tyres that we had saved for the race were good for nothing," Rueda said in the Scuderia's post-race analysis. "Why? Because we had a forecast that was very damning. We expected rain to start at noon, and to not finish until late at night."

'Big conundrum';

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-ex...at-japanese-gp


Gary Anderson: The balancing act behind Ferrari’s new F1 floor
12/10/2022, 07:49
By Gary Anderson
The Race

Ferrari introduced a modified floor at the Japanese Grand Prix as it continues work on its four-time race winning F1-75. If you take the underfloor as a complete unit, the diffuser can only increase the speed of the airflow that comes in through the leading edge, plus any leakage along the sides of the floor.

The expansion – and more importantly the expansion rate – of this flow coming along the underfloor is what creates the low pressure under the car and increases the overall downforce. It’s not like a wing, where it’s all about accelerating the airflow over its lower surface. The underfloor works in conjunction with the track surface, so in effect, it’s more like half of a venturi.

Try to expand the flow too quickly or too much and you lose control of it with the flow separating somewhere along the underbody surface. So, in effect, the balancing act is the detail of the leading edge along with the leading-edge splitter positions.

‘The balancing act’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...-new-f1-floor/


'What are you doing?!' | Ferrari's biggest strategic blunders of 2022
12/10/2022, 10:25
Sky Sports

‘Ferrari Strategy’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...unders-of-2022


Jacques Villeneuve: Ferrari blunders have started to rub off on Charles Leclerc
Jon Wilde Tuesday 11th October 2022 7:00 AM

Jacques Villeneuve believes Charles Leclerc’s latest mistake in Japan was a knock-on effect of the blunders that have littered Ferrari’s season. Even though it would have merely delayed the inevitable, Leclerc had the chance to take the World Championship chase on to the United States Grand Prix when he looked all set to finish second to Max Verstappen in Japan.

Villeneuve thinks Ferrari’s blunders have rubbed off on Leclerc, his biggest faux pas having been when he crashed out while leading the French Grand Prix. “The championship for Max Verstappen is obviously well deserved,” said the Canadian in his post-race column for Formule1.nl. “Except for the first three races, Red Bull have been almost perfect. Ferrari collapsed after that, the team went wrong far too often which also increased the pressure on Charles.”

“He also started making mistakes and the question will always remain ‘would that have happened without the team’s blunders?’ His mistake when leading at Paul Ricard was ultimately crucial to the championship. And in Japan, it happened again in the final corner.”

‘Ferrari blunders have started to rub off’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...rari-blunders/


Sainz hints Japanese GP "impossible" start caused by F1 public pressure
Tuesday 11 October 2022 09:12
Will Gray

Carlos Sainz believes public pressure calling for F1 to create high drama led to a “dangerous” situation at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix after crashing out on the opening lap. Despite heavy rain, the race got underway from a traditional standing start at Suzuka, quickly resulting in Sainz losing control of his Ferrari at the Spoon corner, spinning to the inside of the right-hander before crossing across the track and into the barriers.

With visibility poor, there were numerous other incidents on the first lap and after the safety car was called, red flags were eventually thrown at the end of the second lap. Asked whether a standing start was the right decision in the conditions, Sainz said: “Maybe the best would have been a rolling start on extremes, but anyway it was going to get worse... just to avoid any dangerous situation.

“But then if we start in a rolling start on extremes then everyone complains that Formula 1 doesn’t race in the wet. "When you see the situation, how can you drive an F1 car at 300mph without visibility?”

‘Japanese GP "impossible" start’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93...s-sainz-start/

[Fortitude]

Latifi “extremely happy” as pit stop gamble leads to first points of season.
“Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions,” said Robson (Williams Head of Vehicle Performance). “He was part of the decision to make the early switch to intermediates and this paid handsomely as he soon got into a potential points scoring position.
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 9th October 2022, 15:13
Written by Keith Collantine

A delighted Nicholas Latifi scored his first points of the season in the Japanese Grand Prix after he successfully gambled on making an early switch to intermediate tyres. The Williams driver, who has already learned he will be dropped by the team at the end of the season, worked his way forward from 19th on the grid. He moved up to 14th place at the start, then was one of the first drivers to pit to replace their full wet weather tyres.

He ran as high as eighth at one stage but was unable to keep George Russell behind him and finished ninth. However that delivered his first points score for more than a year. He said the early pit stop was key to his result. “We made the right decision to pit straight away for the inters which was critical in jumping the cars ahead of us,” said Latifi.

“I struggled at the end with the front tyres but I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season. Overall, I’m really happy for the team and it’s a nice morale boost.” Latifi took the chequered flag narrowly ahead of Lando Norris’s McLaren. The team’s head of vehicle performance Dave Robson said the driver played a role in the decisive tactical call. “Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions,” said Robson. “He was part of the decision to make the early switch to intermediates and this paid handsomely as he soon got into a potential points scoring position.

‘Pit stop gamble’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/09/...nts-of-season/


Williams’ Dave Robson: Latifi ‘did an excellent job in tricky conditions’ to score Points in Japan
October 12, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Williams Racing scored two points during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix thanks to Nicholas Latifi, and Dave Robson, the Head of Vehicle Performance, praised the Canadian for performing an ‘excellent job’ in difficult conditions.

Robson said it was an enjoyable race at the Suzuka International Racing Course once conditions allowed the cars to properly race, and it was pleasing to see the team score points for only the fourth time in 2022.

“Today was hectic and enjoyable, and in the end provided a very good race,” said Robson. “Track conditions were fine at the initial race start but the visibility made it incredibly difficult for all but the leader.

‘Excellent job in tricky conditions’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ints-in-japan/


‘Points a nice reward for everybody’ says Latifi after first top-10 finish of the season
09 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Williams driver Nicholas Latifi finally got off the mark at the Japanese Grand Prix, scoring two points for ninth place – and the Canadian says his switch to intermediate tyres was the key to ending his duck.

‘Points a nice reward for everybody’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...408330154.html


Latifi welcomes 'morale boost' after scoring first points of the season
‎11‎ ‎October‎ ‎12‎:‎50
Author Anna Francis

Nicholas Latifi admits that scoring his first points of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix delivered a "morale boost". The Canadian – who will leave Williams at the end of the campaign following a three-year stint with the team – had been the only full-time driver in the field yet to claim a point in 2022 ahead of the race at Suzuka.

However, after lining up at the back of the grid, Latifi made a strong start in the wet conditions before the race was then delayed for two hours due to the heavy rainfall. When the event was restarted, a well-timed switch to the Intermediate tyres helped Latifi to move into the top 10.

Williams praise Latifi's performance in Japan. Latifi's drive at Suzuka has been praised by Williams' Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson. "Both Alex [Albon] and Nicholas had excellent starts and made places initially but were unable to capitalise fully due to poor visibility at T1," Robson said. "When the race finally restarted, Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions.”

'Morale boost'

https://racingnews365.com/latifi-wel...-of-the-season


Nicholas Latifi: “I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season”
October 12, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Nicholas Latifi felt his ninth place finish in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix was a ‘nice morale boost’ both for him and his team as he scored his first points of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season amid tricky weather conditions at the Suzuka International Racing Course.

The Williams Racing driver was one of two drivers – the other being Sebastian Vettel – to pit immediately at the end of the safety car period to switch from the full wet tyre to the intermediate compound, and he gained many positions on track as a result of this.

“The beginning was quite tricky with the red flag and the delays,” said Latifi. “We made the right decision to pit straight away for the Inters which was critical in jumping the cars ahead of us. I struggled at the end with the front tyres but I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season. Overall, I’m really happy for the team and it’s a nice morale boost.”

‘Extremely happy to hold on’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...of-the-season/


Japan points finish would not have saved my F1 career - Latifi
Monday 10 October 2022 15:50
Will Gray

Nicholas Latifi believes his ninth-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix would not have spared him the axe from Williams even if the team had yet to make a decision on his F1 future.

The 27-year-old is now exploring his future options, with a potential move to Indycar on the cards. Despite his points finish in Japan, he conceded: “It’s a points finish so it’s a positive, a nice moral booster.

“But if a decision hadn’t already been made up to this point about my future, I don’t think a race like this would have changed much because it was always going to be about consistency across the year, not one good result here and there.”

‘Japan points finish would not have saved my F1 career’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93...ams-f1-career/


Williams super fan honours Nicholas Latifi tattoo pledge as F1 driver breaks points duck
The much-criticised Nicholas Latifi secured his best result of the season at Sunday’s chaotic Japanese Grand Prix, forcing a Williams fan to get a new piece of body art
15:13, 12 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Latifi was then staring at the ignominy of going through the whole season without scoring a single point. However, he avoided that fate with an excellent drive to ninth in treacherous conditions at Suzuka, finishing ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. That came after a rather embarrassing start to the weekend when he went the wrong way before a corner during practice on Friday.

As a result, a US-based Williams fan has seemingly got himself a tattoo to mark the occasion, having previously promised to do if the driver scored points this season.

The fan, posting under the name @Williams_F1_USA (Latifi Points Enjoyer), tweeted an imagine of his new piece of body art. The fan is now hoping to meet Latifi at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

‘Nicholas Latifi tattoo’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...oo-f1-28221040

[Fortitude]

Haas call a press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
While the conference could be linked to a driver announcement, another possibility could be a sponsorship deal – given that the race at COTA is a home race for the American squad, a commercial link-up is a very valid possibility.
Thursday 13th October 2022 1:30 PM
Thomas Maher

Speculation regarding the second cockpit at Haas continues to float, with team boss Guenther Steiner making it clear the team have been in no rush coming to a decision regarding their choice.

“We’re not in a hurry. And there’s not a lot of things moving. So why should I be in a hurry?” he said at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Asked about what the team are looking for in their second driver signing to go alongside the experienced Kevin Magnussen, he said: “What do we need to do to get the team better, to help ourselves? What kind of drivers? We just want to see how Mick is doing. There’s a lot we are watching.

‘Haas call a press conference’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-c...es-grand-prix/


Haas set up special US Grand Prix press conference with Mick Schumacher decision imminent
MICK SCHUMACHER'S future with Haas remains up in the air following a tough time with the constructors.
17:03, Thu, Oct 13, 2022
By Matthew Cooper

Haas have set up a special press conference ahead of the US Grand Prix, with the team still yet to make a decision on Mick Schumacher's future. The race, held in Austin, takes place next Sunday.

The press conference is set to take place on October 20th and Planet F1 report Haas have not yet revealed who will be at the press conference, suggesting the team could be ready to reveal whether or not Schumacher will still be partnering Kevin Magnussen next season.

Schumacher's current contract is due to expire at the end of this year and Haas could opt to either re-sign him or replace him with another driver such as veteran Nico Hulkenberg, who has not raced full-time in F1 since 2019 but has been heavily linked with a move to the team.

‘Haas set up special US Grand Prix press conference’;

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


'Points were up for grabs' – Schumacher and Magnussen disappointed with point-less outing in Suzuka
13 October 2022
Formula 1.

Haas are now on a run of seven races without a top-10 finish after another point-less outing for the team in Japan, as Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher finished 14th and 17th respectively, leaving both drivers to reflect on another “disappointing” Sunday.

Lining up in 15th place on the grid, Schumacher made a quick start, getting up to 10th before the race was red flagged. After it was restarted, many of the drivers came into the pit lane early to switch from the wet tyres to the intermediates, but Haas opted to keep Schumacher out on track in the hopes of gaining an advantage under a possible Safety Car.

While the German briefly led the race, he was then quickly overtaken by those on faster tyres, meaning that when he did pit for the intermediates, he came out at the back of the field. And while disappointed with the outcome, he was able to see the positives in the team’s performance.

'Points were up for grabs';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qUcYQxM9G.html


Ralf Schumacher: Haas strategy deprived Mick of a better result
11 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Ralf Schumacher criticized for their questionable strategy during the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, that deprived his nephew Mick of a better result. Mick Schumacher is currently fighting for his Formula 1 career and seat at Haas, as the US team has been openly critical about the young German’s performances so far, and they cannot be blamed for that.

Schumacher has been error-prone and consistently beaten by his teammate Kevin Magnussen who came back after one year away from F1 and hit the road running in a car he has never driven before. In Japan however, Schumacher came back after a crash in FP1 – requiring a chassis change – and put his VF-22 on Q2, albeit 15th place only, but beat Magnussen this time around.

After the race was restarted, the German made progress up the grid, and was running third at some point and even leading for a few laps as other drivers pitted for Intermediate tyres, but Haas kept him out on full Wets hoping for a Safety Car that did not come.

‘Ralf Schumacher criticized HAAS for their questionable strategy’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10...better-result/


STEINER: SCHUMACHER HAS “HOME ADVANTAGE” AS NEW CONTENDER EMERGES AT HAAS F1
The Haas team principal alludes to Schumacher having an edge over competitors for the second Haas seat
13/10/2022, 07:05
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds

Guenther Steiner discusses Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas F1, coinciding with Fittipaldi’s announcement. The excitement surrounding the Formula One driver’s market is coming to a close, with only two seats remaining for 2023. But, there are still question marks surrounding the future of the current Haas driver, Mick Schumacher.

Haas’s alternative options. Regarding the most significant rivals that may stand in Schumacher’s way, Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi are regularly discussed. With the latter driving for Haas at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in FP1. One of these three drivers is more than likely to get the open Haas 2023 seat.

‘STEINER: SCHUMACHER HAS “HOME ADVANTAGE” ’;

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


Fittipaldi handed F1 outings with Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi
11/10/2022 at 16:12
Phillip van Osten

Haas reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will take part in Friday's opening practice with the US outfit in Mexico City and in Abu Dhabi. The Brazilian driver's nomination for the two sessions is part of Formula 1's mandatory rule that calls for teams to field a 'young driver' in at least two practice sessions this season.

The Brazilian also saddled Haas' VF-22 car during pre-season testing earlier this year in Bahrain. "I’m excited to announce that I will be doing FP1 in Mexico and Abu Dhabi," Fittipaldi said.

"I want to thank the Haas F1 team for the opportunity. I drove the car at the beginning of the year in Bahrain, but to get another chance to drive the VF-22, it’s going to be pretty amazing. It’s a very fast car and I’m looking forward to driving in Mexico and Abu Dhabi."

‘Pietro Fittipaldi will take part in Friday's opening practice’;

https://f1i.com/news/456977-fittipal...abu-dhabi.html

[Fortitude]

McLaren Will Have a Hard Time Keeping Up with Alpine in the Standings, Says F1 Team Boss.
While McLaren’s P4 and P5 result in Singapore was a very strong one, Alpine finishing P4 and P7 at Suzuka gave the French outfit a 13-point advantage with just four races remaining.
14 Oct 2022, 08:39 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

According to McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl, it could prove “very tough” for the Papaya Orange outfit to stay in the fight until the very end.

“It’s important now for us really to focus on ourselves, make sure that we execute clean weekends, extract every single session the maximum that we have at the moment in our car,” he said, as quoted by Motorsport. “Only then do we have a chance to stay in the battle with a very strong Alpine team.”

“We have to acknowledge they did a great job so far this season. It will be very tough for us to stay in this battle until the last lap in Abu Dhabi, but that’s what we’re here for.”

‘McLaren Will Have a Hard Time’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/m...ss-201244.html


Norris sets McLaren target of winning F1 races by 2024
14/10/2022, 11:52
• Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Lando Norris says he is prepared to be patient until McLaren is in a position to win Formula 1 races, hoping the team can contend for victories by 2024. Norris is yet to register his first victory in F1, coming closest at last year’s Russian Grand Prix when he led from a maiden pole position before a late rain shower saw him slip down the order.

The British driver had hoped McLaren would use the major overhaul of the technical regulations to forge itself as a front-running outfit, but the team has instead slipped into the midfield. Norris, who is contracted to McLaren until 2025, is the only driver outside Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to stand on the podium this season, with limited opportunities to score bigger results.

Analysing the team’s prospects in the long-term, Norris believes McLaren can realistically work towards the aim of winning races within two to three years. “I would say even between 2022 to 2023 I’m not expecting realistically a win or a couple of wins,” said Norris, as quoted by Motorsport Week. “For me my confidence is in 2024 and 2025, and until then I need to play a little bit of the patience game.”

‘Prepared to be patient’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/10/1...races-by-2024/


Brown: Making McLaren the most exciting racing team in the world
13 October, 2022
Paul Velasco
Grand Prix

McLaren is famous for its legendary Formula 1 team, but now under boss Zak Brown the focus is to go beyond that, namely to become the best race team in the world, hence their rapid expansion into other series.

Speaking to Road & Track, Brown was enthusiastic about the current state of F1 and what the future holds: “I’ve never seen Formula 1 so hot, ever. I’ve been running McLaren for six years, but I’ve been around the sport for 25. That’s a fact, not opinion.

“TV ¬ratings are up; record number of grands prix; more people want more grands prix than we can put out; teams want to enter the sport, new manufacturers on the doorstep: Porsche, Audi; Digital numbers are through the roof. Corporate partnerships with the biggest brands in the world are on fire, brands that have historically not been in this sport: Google, Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Dell, and Coca-Cola. All the races are sold out. The sport is on fire.”

‘Making McLaren the most exciting racing team in the world’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10...ld-mclaren-f1/


Teams share responsibility for F1’s confusing rules – Seidl
CONFUSING RULES – SEIDL
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 14th October 2022,
Written by Will Wood

Last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix saw confusion at the finish when the race appeared to end one lap too early, then full championship points being awarded despite the race only just covering half of its original scheduled distance. Seidl says teams take some responsibility over the confusing rules due to failing to foresee problems arising during discussions with the FIA.

“I feel responsible for this as well, because in the end, we do this review each winter and each team has the opportunity to bring up points that are not clear, for example,” Seidl said. In the round-up: McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says F1 teams share responsibility for some of the sport’s confusing and unclear rules.

“And I didn’t go into the full details yet with the team, what exactly the loophole was. We understood everything we have defined together with the FIA in Formula 1 – after Spa, it’s only valid if the race doesn’t finish normally and that’s clearly something we have all overlooked is that’s the case. Therefore, we are responsible for trying to do a better job over the winter and to close the loopholes if there are any left.”

‘F1’s confusing rules’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/14/...nd-up-14-10-5/


Norris criticisms suggest he's "rattled", reckons Alpine.
Alpine suspects that the swipes that Lando Norris is taking against it this season must be because he is "rattled" by the pace of the French Formula 1 manufacturer.
Oct 14, 2022, 11:23 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Norris has said several times in recent races that he believes Alpine has made heavy weather of the fight that his McLaren squad and its closest rival are having over fourth place in the constructors' championship.

The Briton reckons that considering the pace that Alpine has shown with its A522 car this season, it should have wrapped things up long ago.

Speaking at the Japanese GP, where Alpine retook fourth spot, Norris said: "They are so much quicker than us. I have no clue how we are still fighting them in the championship.

‘He's rattled’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/n...pine/10384413/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes: Final W13 upgrade in Austin also about learning for 2023.
Mercedes will head to Austin next week with one final upgrade for its W13 in its crates, to hopefully produce performance gains but also to accumulate more learnings for next season.
13/10/2022 at 16:09
Phillip van Osten

The aerodynamic complexities of Mercedes’ 2022 car and the troubles they spawned threw a massive curve ball to the Brackley squad’s engineers who have spent their year tirelessly trying to understand and solve their design’s problematic and often erratic behaviour.

The hope of achieving a step forward in the wake of an update or fundamental set-up change was often followed by two steps backward. Nevertheless, each passing race has delivered its share of knowledge, most of which has been canvassed and channeled towards next year’s contender.

“It’s our final step of aero development and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance but importantly with every step, we are learning more and more and that learning we can carry into next year,” said Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director

‘Final W13 upgrade’;

https://f1i.com/news/457077-mercedes...-for-2023.html


Mercedes plan final W13 upgrade package for Austin
14 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Mercedes are planning to introduce a final aero upgrade package for their 2022 Formula 1 car, the W13, at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin. Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin said of the W13 upgrade; he said: “It’s our final step of aero development and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance.

“But importantly with every step, we are learning more and more and that learning we can carry into next year,” he added. “So that’s part of it, also there is a few bits where we have taken some weight out of components that will hopefully get the car closer to the weight limit.”

“It’s very difficult for us to predict where we are going to be,” he said. “In Singapore Lewis was awfully close to pole position, yet in Suzuka both cars had a big gap to the front. Now, our race pace has been reasonably strong, so, if we can make a step hopefully, we can get into the fight with the Ferraris and the Red Bulls but qualifying for us is the really difficult one to predict at the moment.”

‘Mercedes plan final W13 upgrade’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10...ge-for-austin/


Mercedes see light at the end of the tunnel after W13 "experiments"
Friday 14 October 2022 12:38
Sam Hall

Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott believes the team can now finally see light at the end of the tunnel after a difficult year. The Silver Arrows face ending the season without a win for the first time since 2011 after failing to adapt as well as Red Bull and Ferrari to the new technical regulations.

The team has been open with regard to its struggles despite a number of promising performances that have included 13 podium finishes, a number greatly aided by faultless reliability. Asked if Mercedes has improved the W13 as much as it can without making "fundamental changes", Elliott said: “I think we never have.”

"We probably got about halfway through the season and realised - probably not even halfway - that we were not fighting for the championship and I think your aims then change. While we want to do well this year, what we are really aiming to do is to get back fighting at the front.”

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93...3-experiments/


Mercedes explain why W13 was so slow on straights at Suzuka
Thursday 13th October 2022 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Lacking straight line at Suzuka, which cost Lewis Hamilton in his battle with Esteban Ocon, Andrew Shovlin says Mercedes paid the price for running “our highest downforce level” in a race without DRS.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Hamilton and George Russell were tied for 19th and 20th place at the two measuring points, the first on the home straight and the second on the straight after the Spoon curve. Their deficit to the Red Bull was ‘eight to ten km/h, to the Ferrari and Alpine six to eight km/h’.

Mercedes’ problem on the day was that they ran a large rear wing, bigger than that used by Red Bull, Ferrari or Alpine, and with no DRS in play on the wet track the drivers found it difficult to overtake. “We decided to stay at our highest downforce level,” explained Shovlin, the team’s trackside engineering director.”

‘Mercedes explain why W13 was so slow on straights’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...aights-suzuka/


Mercedes admit to mid-season ‘kick in the teeth’ with W13 development
Wednesday 12th October 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Mercedes have admitted they suffered a “kick in the teeth” with the W13, just when it looked like their worst problems were behind them. An underlying problem remains and, says Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott, will need to be resolved during the winter if the team are to have a stronger 2023 campaign, still seeking a first victory of this term.

“The issues we’ve built into the car we couldn’t see because of the bouncing,” said Elliott, quoted by Motorsport.com. “The bouncing was just dominating everything. And once we’d got on top of that in Barcelona – we got a package that made quite a substantial difference there – we thought ‘we’re in, we’re going in the right direction’, and then got a proper kick in the teeth in the next two races.”

“You peel the next layer off the onion, if you like, and you’ve got another problem. That was the one we’d really baked into the car in the winter. Since then, we’ve brought various steps to try and move us in the right direction, but to really undo that will take the winter.”

‘Mid-season ‘kick in the teeth’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...-kicked-teeth/

[Fortitude]

RB18 is officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design ever.
As Max Verstappen took the chequered flag at the Japanese Grand Prix, the RB18 became Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey’s most successful car ever.
Wednesday 12th October 2022 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Sunday’s victory at the Suzuka circuit brought Red Bull’s win tally for this season up to 14, 12 for Verstappen and two for Sergio Perez. That’s one more than the team achieved in 2013 when Sebastian Vettel won 13 times on his way to a fourth Drivers’ title.

The most wins previously for a Newey-designed car was 12 with the Williams FW18 in 1996, a feat matched in 2011 by Red Bull. Told of his success by Sky Sports, the official F1 website quotes Newey as having replied: “I’m not very good [with] numbers, but that’s very rewarding to know. We’ve obviously had a good run.”

‘RB18 is officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/rb18-a...uccessful-car/


F1: Mika Hakkinen lauds Adrian Newey over Verstappen title win
Published: 14 Oct 2022, 12:26
By George Dagless

Mika Hakkinen has praised Adrian Newey for his role in Max Verstappen’s title-winning season this year. Red Bull are once again top of the tree with them on course to win the Constructors’ championship to go alongside the Drivers’ title Max Verstappen won at the Japanese Grand Prix last time out. Indeed, it’s been a phenomenal year for the Bulls and, naturally, praise has been afforded to Adrian Newey, who has once again led a team of designers to produce a truly brilliant car, with him getting a very good handle of the 2022 rules and regulations changes.

When someone like Newey is in your team you've always got a chance of winning titles, as he did with Williams and McLaren in the past, and it was with McLaren that Hakkinen got to work alongside Newey to pick up two Drivers' titles, as Max has now done with Red Bull. The Finn, then, was full of kind words for Newey in his latest column for Unibet: "I am very happy for Red Bull's technical boss Adrian Newey. It was thanks to his work at McLaren that I had great cars with which to win both my World Championship titles and he is still winning at Red Bull all these years later.”

"He really is the most successful designer in F1 history, and although I know he has a great team of design engineers working with him, his technical leadership is just brilliant. Even during Mercedes' dominant years [between 2014 and 2021], Red Bull remained competitive and it's amazing to see Adrian's team take advantage of this year's new regulations to win another title. Congratulations to him."

‘It was with McLaren that Hakkinen got to work alongside Newey to pick up two Drivers' titles’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88071155...ppen-title-win


Red Bull: The RB18 design process was ‘potentially a disaster’
Thursday 13th October 2022 5:45 PM
Thomas Maher

Some of Red Bull’s prominent technical staff have admitted they were unsure of the RB18’s potential until pre-season testing got underway. Until the cars actually hit the track to begin testing in the real world, Red Bull’s leading technical crew have admitted they also had some concerns about the RB18 during the design process.

Red Bull: ‘There wasn’t a carryover part on the car’ “I guess, under new regulations, it’s always difficult to know whether you’ve done the right thing or not,” Red Bull’s chief engineering officer Rob Marshall explained on the F1 Nation podcast after the Japanese Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen wrapped up the 2022 Drivers’ Championship.

“I think we got to the first test, and we found that, actually, what we had done wasn’t too far off the pace. We didn’t seem to be struggling on certain issues that other people were clearly having problems with, and many have continued to. I don’t think it was a great triumph of design. But we certainly avoided some design banana skins, and whatever the other people slipped on. There wasn’t a carryover nut or bolt on the car.”

‘RB18 design process was ‘potentially a disaster’ ’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bu...tial-disaster/


‘It’s very rewarding’ – Newey reflects on Red Bull RB18 becoming his most victorious design
11 October 2022
Formula 1.

While Max Verstappen made the headlines in Japan by securing a second F1 world title, Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey claimed his own special record – the Red Bull RB18 becoming his most successful car design in terms of race wins.

Verstappen’s 12th victory of the season, added to team mate Sergio Perez’s brace, gave Red Bull 14 victories from the 18 races held so far, with four rounds left to run. That number surpasses the 13 wins the RB9 achieved at the hands of Sebastian Vettel across 19 Grands Prix back in 2013.

As it stands, in addition to the most wins outright, the RB18 holds the highest victory percentage of Newey’s F1 designs at 77.77% (for 14 out of 18 races), with the potential for that to increase to 81.81% if Red Bull can win the remaining rounds in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

‘It’s very rewarding’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...GZMm5JBuZ.html


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

Christian Horner believes the Red Bull RB18 is potentially the most successful car ever produced at Milton Keynes despite starting late with its development. Red Bull were locked in an intense and bitter fight with Mercedes in 2021, as Max Verstappen sought to win is maiden Formula 1 Title while Lewis Hamilton aimed for his eighth.

The fight went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi’s controversial season finale where Verstappen prevailed, but that meant Red Bull had to keep on developing their 2021 car, the RB16B till the last minutes with a risk of compromising this year’s RB18. Speaking to F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Christian Horner responded “I would say so” when asked if 2022 saw his team perform at their highest level.

“In 2021, we were operating at an incredible level and we finally got a sniff of putting a challenge together for a world championship and that was a 22-race championship bout, a heavyweight fight from race one to race 22,” he said. “What has been particularly pleasing about this year is despite colossal regulation changes we had to undergo coming into this year – and we honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year – the team came up with an amazing car, a super car,” the Briton hailed.

‘We honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year’;

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


How RB18 diet helped Verstappen step it up in F1 2022
Max Verstappen's charge to being on the cusp of his second Formula 1 title has been pretty smooth, but that's not to say there were no bumps in the road.
Sep 22, 2022, 9:19 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Amid all the current dominant form that means he could capture the crown at next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, it is easy to forget the dramas that overshadowed the start of the campaign.

In fact, early on in the year, it appeared that his championship challenge could be over before it started, as a spate of reliability dramas allowed main rival Charles Leclerc to open up a pretty hefty advantage in the drivers' championship.

Then, once Red Bull had finally got its RB18's reliability sorted, Verstappen found himself battling against some car characteristics that were not to his liking.

‘Easy to forget the dramas that overshadowed the start of the campaign’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...2022/10372673/


Red Bull: Development path of RB18 not to Perez's benefit
16/09/2022 at 17:03
Michael Delaney

Red Bull admits that the development this season of its RB18 has come to the detriment of Sergio Perez whose confidence has declined with the winning car's evolution. But the onslaught of the Dutchman's dominance was gradual in the first part of the season during which Perez was very much a match for Verstappen, with the Mexican snatching a pole in Jeddah and winning outright after a brilliant race in Monaco. However, as the season unfolded, and Red Bull's 2022 car evolved, Verstappen came into his own while Perez helplessly lost ground relative to his teammate.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache says the development path chosen by the Milton Keynes-based outfit, as much as it has benefitted Verstappen by producing a more 'pointy' car, clearly hasn't suited Perez. "It is multiple factors, but the main factor is clearly the car balance and the confidence with the car compared to the beginning of the year when the car was a little bit more balanced for him and a little bit less for Max," Wache explained at Monza last weekend.

"After the potential of development we put on the car during the season, [the car] moved away from that. "And after, finding a right set-up for him is quite difficult [and makes it hard] to put him as confident as he could be to beat, or to fight with, Max."

‘Development path of RB18 not to Perez's benefit’;

https://f1i.com/news/454554-red-bull...s-benefit.html

[Fortitude]

De Vries was once McLaren’s ‘next Hamilton’ – so why did he end up elsewhere?
With Nyck de Vries, McLaren sought to replicate the success they enjoyed with Hamilton. But De Vries will make his debut as a full-time driver with a different team next year, long after parting with McLaren. So what led the team and their promising young talent to part ways?
2022 F1 season
Posted on 15th October 2022, 11:0015th October 2022, 10:57
Written by Ida Wood

Although McLaren were unwilling to fund De Vries in Formula 2, they wanted him to still do paid simulator work at their Woking headquarters. De Vries, believing on-track results were now more critical than ever to his F1 hopes, made F2 his focus instead.

De Vries reunited with ART GP for 2019 and won the Formula 2 championship, with some exemplary performances in the wet and dry and being rapid in qualifying and races. A few days after charging from 17th to third at Monza, De Vries was announced as Mercedes’ first driver for Formula E. In F1’s eyes, De Vries’ high standard that season was devalued by a failure to win the title earlier. No matter how dominant the 2019 campaign was going to be, the ship had already sailed on it turning into an F1 opportunity.

His Formula E crown was followed up by an erratic title defence, but his F1 test performances since 2020 and now his starring race debut in the recent Italian Grand Prix has convinced multiple teams of his calibre. But De Vries is probably the best case study for why F1 teams plotting out paths for prodigal talents from a very young age can actually do more harm than good and lead to a longer route to F1 rather than the rapid rise (which it was for its time) of Hamilton and even more extreme examples since. In the end, De Vries did get his F1 chance, and he made it count.

‘Next Hamilton’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/15/...-up-elsewhere/


Verstappen told de Vries to call Marko after Monza F1 debut
09:30 Fri, 14 Oct 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Max Verstappen has revealed that he pushed Nyck de Vries to call Dr Helmut Marko over a 2023 Formula 1 seat following his debut at Monza. De Vries stood in at Williams for an unwell Alexander Albon at the Italian Grand Prix, and impressed en route to a ninth-place finish.

“This is incredible for him,” Verstappen said. “He’s been pushing hard for it for a long time and to finally get that opportunity is amazing for him. But also, I think after Monza, there was no real discussion anymore. Helmut is the guy, when he likes something he is daring enough to then put him in the car, right, whereas maybe other teams are a bit more careful. That’s great news. We are good friends as well. We had a dinner the day after Monza and I told him, like, just give him [Dr Marko] a call.”

‘Max Verstappen has revealed that he pushed Nyck de Vries to call Dr Helmut Marko’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...onza-f1-debut/


Tost: Easy decision to take De Vries after Monza
14 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Franz Tost, team principal of AlphaTauri, revealed Nyck de Vries’ performance during his debut over the 2022 Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, made the decision to sign him for 2023 an easy one. Nyck de Vries impressed when he substituted for the ill Alex Albon at Williams over the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, making it into Q2 in qualifying, and finishing the race ninth after a fine drive.

De Vries was announced over the course of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix weekend, and facing the media, AlphaTauri boss was asked why they chose the 27-year-old. “Because he’s fast,” Tost said. “I know his history. I saw him in karting, he won, I think it was 2010 and ’11, the European and the World Championship in karting, and then he was really successful in all the categories where he raced.”

“He won in Formula Renault, he won in GP3, he won in Formula 2 and also he won the Formula E World Championship, and therefore I think he is a very high-skilled driver, and he deserves to be in Formula 1, and we are really looking forward to having him in our car,” he explained. Asked how much De Vries’ Monza performance affected the team’s decision, Tost admitted: “This had a great influence because it showed his potential. He drove a fantastic race, did not make any mistakes. And therefore, it was an easy decision to take him,” he insisted.

‘“Because he’s fast,” Tost said’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10...s-after-monza/


De Vries spotted early at AlphaTauri factory
14/10/2022, ‎17‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Nyck de Vries has been at the AlphaTauri factory in Faenza, Italy this week to do his first seat fit for the team. Images of De Vries on AlplhaTauri's social media with the post "Welcome to Faezna" were accommodated with images showing the driver getting comfortable in the seat fit.

"Currently it's not planned to do an FP1 session with Nyck, and I think that we will do another F1 session with Liam Lawson, in America or in Mexico," he explained to media.

‘De Vries spotted early’;

https://racingnews365.com/de-vries-s...atauri-factory


De Vries visits Faenza - undergoes first seat fitting with AlphaTauri
15/10/2022 at 10:28
Phillip van Osten

AlphaTauri welcomed its recently signed new driver Nyck de Vries to Faenza this week. As for the Dutchman's prospects for 2023, Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko believes de Vries could assume a leading role at AlphaTauri even despite Tsunoda's greater experience. "Yuki is still young and doesn't have that experience technically, so Nyck can lead the team," said Marko, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"We'll see how it goes next year in practice, but judging by his experiences and personality, Nyck should be the team leader. Nyck may not be the youngest anymore, but he has gained a lot of experience," said the Austrian. "He had to work very hard to come back after that period with McLaren, and that shows that he is very determined. He had to fight back after a kind of a break in his career, which means he can fight, and that's an important quality for us.”

‘Had to work very hard to come back’;

https://f1i.com/news/457140-de-vries...lphatauri.html


AlphaTauri 'can't wait' for De Vries to join
15/10/2022, ‎10‎:‎30
Author Rory Mitchell

After his successful debut with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix, AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost says that he "can't wait" for De Vries to join the team citing his recent accomplishments as reason for the anticipation.

"He is fast. I know what he has accomplished," said Tost. "I've seen him go karting in 2011 or 2012 and he was already very successful at that time. "Actually in all categories where he has raced: Formula Renault, GP3, Formula 2 and also Formula E where he was world champion."

After getting points in the Williams on his debut, something that took regular driver Nicholas Latifi 18 races to achieve, Tost says the race at Monza had a big influence on whether they went with De Vries. "This has been very influential as it showed his true potential," said Tost. "He drove a fantastic race and made no mistakes. So it was an easy choice to go for him."

‘ 'Can't wait' for De Vries to join’;

https://racingnews365.com/alphatauri...-vries-to-join


The unusual F1 record de Vries and Tsunoda will set in 2023
by Ashley Hambly
15/10/2022, 09:24
Motorsport Week

After the announcement of Nyck de Vries replacing the outbound Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri, the new partnership of de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda is set to break a Formula 1 record. That is, of course, the shortest-ever F1 driver line-up.

With Davidson and Sato measuring up at 166cm and 164cm respectively, their average height of 165cm looms over de Vries and Tsunoda’s average of 163cm after measuring the Dutchman at 167cm and the Japanese driver at 159cm.

‘The shortest-ever F1 driver line-up’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...l-set-in-2023/


How to turn a weird career into a late F1 chance
15/10/2022, 13:40
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

If a list were drawn up of the drivers in the last 10 years who deserved a shot at F1 and didn’t get one, then De Vries would have been one of the first names on it. Although one of the most impressive things is that De Vries never held a grudge against that.

“There are a lot of racing drivers who would be very keen to be in the position I was before moving to Formula 1,” he says.

“It’s easy to be frustrated by what you don’t have, but it’s harder to be grateful for what you actually have.”

‘De Vries never held a grudge’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-t...ate-f1-chance/


AlphaTauri expects De Vries to be ‘very competitive’ from the get-go in 2023
15:56 Wed, 12 Oct 2022.
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

AlphaTauri says it expects new-for-2023 signing Nyck de Vries to be “very competitive” from his first outing for the team in Bahrain next year.

“I expect that this learning period for Nyck will be reduced to a couple of tests,” Tost said after De Vries was confirmed alongside Yuki Tsuonda at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

“That means I expect him to be very competitive from the first race onwards in 2023.”

‘Very Competitive’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/10/1...et-go-in-2023/

[Fortitude]

Esteban Ocon v Pierre Gasly: Will they bury the hatchet or re-open old wounds?
The strained relationship between the two has been highlighted as a potential sticking point in their time as Formula 1 team-mates.
Saturday 15th October 2022 6:00 AM
Henry Valantine


The pair know each other extremely well – for 20 of their 26 years, in fact – but the strained relationship between the two has been highlighted as a potential sticking point in their time as Formula 1 team-mates. Having grown up near each other in Normandy and being the same age, their lives and motorsport careers have been closely intertwined all the way through the junior categories – and Ocon and Gasly were very close friends until their teenage years, before on-track incidents began to cast a cloud over their off-track rapport.

It is worth noting that Ocon has rarely publicly commented on how the two have got on over the years, whereas Gasly has been more vocal on the subject as time has passed.

An episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast featuring Gasly back in his debut season in 2018 saw the then-Toro Rosso driver open up about how he and Ocon grew up together, but things slowly started to deteriorate when fights on track began to get more serious.

‘The strained relationship’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/es...-relationship/


Gasly and Ocon “will work well together” at Alpine despite past tensions
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 12th October 2022, 7:1511th October 2022, 23:47
Written by Ida Wood

Alpine team management are sure Esteban Ocon and new team mate Pierre Gasly will put their past differences aside and be productive rather than obstructive when they join forces at the team next year. Gasly was chosen as Ocon’s new team mate for next year after Alpine lost their first two choices for the seat. Incumbent Fernando Alonso will leave to join Aston Martin while reserve driver Oscar Piastri stunned the team by switching to McLaren.

Gasly’s current employer Red Bull has agreed to release him from his 2023 contract with AlphaTauri to join Alpine. He and Ocon – both from Normandy in France – had closely aligning careers as youngsters in karting, but their on-track rivalry intensified as they made their way into single-seaters. “I started to beat him and he didn’t like it so we’re not friends any more,” Gasly said of their relationship in 2018.

Gasly beat Ocon to the 2013 Formula Renault Eurocup, then they did not race each other again until both were on the F1 grid in 2017. However Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer is confident the pair will have a constructive relationship next year. “They’ve known each other for a very long time and they’ve raced together,” he said. “They’re about equally experienced, they’re both very fast, both ambitious. So I think they’ll work well together.”

“Will work well together”

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/12/...past-tensions/


Pierre Gasly ‘definitely not worried’ about partnering Esteban Ocon at Alpine
Friday 14th October 2022 10:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Pierre Gasly is not at all worried about tension between himself and Esteban Ocon next season, adamant they are mature enough to put the team first. After seven years in Formula 1 with the Red Bull family, Gasly is off to Alpine next season having signed a multi-year deal to replace Fernando Alonso.

It is a move that a year or two ago, nobody would have thought possible such was the rumoured animosity between Gasly and his 2023 team-mate, Ocon. Although they were boyhood friends, coming through the junior motor racing ranks together, a rivalry began to grow – and so did the acrimony.

Neither has ever revealed the exact cause, or moment, their friendship broke down but Gasly is not worried it will be a problem next season. “I think it’s more than talking about the relationship,” he told Motorsport.com. “It’s talking about the odds of us being team-mates when we were six years old and racing in karting on a small track next to our hometown.

‘Definitely not worried’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...-esteban-ocon/


Pierre Gasly Says He and Esteban Ocon are “Mature Enough” to Work Together at Alpine
14 Oct 2022, 09:11 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

Gasly and Ocon used to be childhood friends during their karting days in Normandy, but as various personal issues manifested themselves through adulthood, many believed that they could never work together well as teammates.

Well, the pair will be put to the test next year as Gasly will be joining Ocon at Alpine to form an all-French driver lineup. “I think it’s more than talking about the relationship,” said Gasly during an interview with Motorsport. “It’s talking about the odds of us being teammates when we were six years old and racing in karting on a small track next to our hometown.”

"We have had our ups and downs in our relationship, but I do believe this is also an opportunity for us to clear a bit what's happened in the past, and I'm definitely not worried. We are mature enough and intelligent enough to know what is best for us, and mainly most important for the team.”

“Mature Enough”;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/p...ne-201249.html


Esteban Ocon: “To finish fourth is a fantastic result for us”
October 10, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Esteban Ocon was left delighted with what he called a ‘fantastic result’ at the Japanese Grand Prix, which helped his BWT Alpine F1 Team reclaim fourth-place from the McLaren F1 Team in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship Constructors Standings.

Ocon would come home for a fourth-place finish with Hamilton just over five tenths of a second behind in fifth-place. Ocon’s twelve-point haul from Suzuka has helped the Enstone-based team overtake McLaren in the tightly contested battle for fourth in the Constructors and Ocon was left delighted with his day’s work in Japan.
“To finish fourth is a fantastic result for us, especially in these conditions. It was a difficult start with the rain and poor visibility, so we had to be fully focused to get through the early stages. I’m glad we managed to race and reward the fans who have been so good in their support all weekend. Racing Lewis [Hamilton] is always a pleasure and I was having to drive while looking in my mirrors the whole time. Congratulations to Max for winning the world championship. He deserves it after dominating and driving brilliantly at every race. We leave Japan with a great haul of points, claiming back fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.”

‘Fantastic result for us’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...result-for-us/


Ocon explains how he managed a race-long battle with Hamilton
‎11‎ ‎October‎ ‎14‎:‎50
Author Anna Francis

Esteban Ocon scored his best finish of the season so far by claiming P4 at the Japanese Grand Prix, but was tasked with holding off Lewis Hamilton en route to the result. In terms of how he managed his lengthy duel with Hamilton at Suzuka, Ocon explained: "Racing Lewis is always a pleasure and I was having to drive while looking in my mirrors the whole time."

Alpine pleased with result for Constructors' battle. With the team continuing to battle McLaren for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer was thrilled to secure a double-points finish thanks to Ocon and teammate Fernando Alonso's efforts. "As a team, we can be pleased with our points collection from this race, with Esteban delivering a fantastic result in fourth place after a supremely well managed race and Fernando in seventh to score 18 points," Szafnauer commented.

"We've been strong all weekend here across every session, so we are deserving of the points we scored today and we move back into fourth in the Constructors' Championship. "It's been a busy two weeks for the team across both Singapore and Japan, and the hard work will continue as we look ahead to the next double header in Austin and Mexico in a fortnight."

‘Managed a race-long battle with Hamilton’;

https://racingnews365.com/ocon-expla...-with-hamilton

[Fortitude]

Aston Martin on a ‘good progession’ but realistic over P6 chance.
P6 in the Constructors’ standings now seems very much on for Aston Martin, but team boss Mike Krack is stressing the need to stay realistic.
Saturday 15th October 2022 2:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Aston Martin are one of Formula 1’s most intriguing outfits in terms of their potential for growth, the team having brought in key personnel such as Martin Whitmarsh, the ex-McLaren Racing CEO, to take over that position at Aston Martin, as well as snatching Red Bull’s aero chief Dan Fallows.

Having languished in P9 for much of the campaign, Aston Martin have scored 20 points across the most recent rounds in Singapore and Japan, a P6 each for Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel, the latter also finishing P8 in Singapore. This has brought Aston Martin right back into play against the struggling Alfa Romeo, Haas and AlphaTauri teams.

Aston Martin are now up to P7, with Alfa Romeo only seven points further up the road with four races of the season remaining. Alfa Romeo have scored only one point in their last nine races, so the form book dictates that Aston Martin should be claiming a P6 finish this season. Krack, though, is urging that his team cannot get carried away by such thoughts.

‘Good progession’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...tic-p6-chance/


Aston Martin boss staying realistic in championship battle
16/10/2022 at 08:08
Andrew Lewin

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is determined not to get carried away about the squad's chances of overhauling Alfa Romeo in this year's constructors championship.

The team was down in ninth place in the standings following the Italian Grand Prix, after a problematic start to the season. But a new rear wing design has helped them revive their fortunes in recent outings.

Double points finishes for Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in Singapore followed by a strong sixth for Vettel in Japan mean the team is now back in seventh and just seven points behind Alfa Romeo.

‘Aston Martin boss staying realistic’;

https://f1i.com/news/457174-aston-ma...ip-battle.html


Aston Martin Need to be Honest with Alonso to Keep Him Happy – Pedro de la Rosa
October 15, 2022
By Paul Hensby

The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team can keep Fernando Alonso happy by just being honest with him, according to the new Team Ambassador, Pedro de la Rosa. De la Rosa has previous experience of working alongside his fellow Spaniard after being test driver at both the McLaren F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari whilst Alonso was racing for those teams.

And with Alonso joining Aston Martin in 2023 to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, it will be another opportunity for the two Spaniards to work together. Alonso holds a reputation, perhaps unjustifiably, of being difficult to handle and sometimes abrupt with his opinions, but de la Rosa says this is far from the truth, and the fact that English is not his first language makes him sound harsher than he is.

“I don’t think that Fernando is a difficult guy to handle,” said de la Rosa to Motorsport.com. “He’s just very genuine, very honest. The fact that English is not his native tongue sometimes make him a bit harsh when he tries to describe things. But he’s very honest. And what he tells you is what he feels about the car, about the team, about how to be competitive.”

‘Need to be Honest’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ro-de-la-rosa/


Fernando Alonso set for Pedro de la Rosa reunion as ex-Ferrari test driver joins Aston Martin
13 October 2022
Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso will be reunited with his former McLaren and Ferrari colleague Pedro de la Rosa when he joins Aston Martin next season, after the Spaniard was appointed as an ambassador for the British team. De la Rosa, now 51, started 104 Grands Prix for teams such as Arrows, BMW Sauber and HRT, and worked with Alonso as test driver at McLaren and later at Ferrari.

He also scored a memorable podium when he took P2 at the Hungaroring in 2006, after he replaced McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya for the second half of the season. The Spaniard will undertake media, PR and advisory duties and serve as a consultant to Aston Martin's new Driver Development Programme – which has already signed F2 champion Felipe Drugovich.

"I am delighted to be joining Aston Martin as team ambassador," he said. I already know many faces within the team, having worked extensively with [2023 race driver] Fernando Alonso during my time at McLaren and Ferrari, and I look forward to getting to know everyone within the organisation.

‘Ex-Ferrari test driver joins Aston Martin’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...D7n48Mchi.html


Pedro de la Rosa insists Lance Stroll is an ‘underrated’ driver
Saturday 15th October 2022 8:00 PM
Sam Cooper

New Aston Martin team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa believes Lance Stroll is an “underrated” driver as the two begin to work with each other. De La Rosa’s arrival at the team was announced last week with Aston Martin creating a new role for the 51-year-old which, among other duties, will see him work with the team’s Driver Development Programme.

Felipe Drugovich became the first signing to the new driver academy and while Stroll is much further along in his career, he will no doubt be looking to draw on both De La Rosa’s and Fernando Alonso’s experience for the 2023 season. De La Rosa has been complimentary of Stroll’s ability and said he saw him as an “underrated” driver.
“I’m just looking forward to working with them [Alonso and Stroll],” De La Rosa said, as reported by the Race.

“One is 23 years old, and the other one is 41. The combination will be fantastic. “Fernando will work very well with Lance, because there is this age gap and Fernando is so mature now that they will help each other to become stronger as team-mates.”

‘Lance Stroll is an ‘underrated’ driver’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pedro-...ll-underrated/

[Fortitude]

VIDEO: Alfa Romeo track down young fan who sent generous donation.
The team embarked on a search effort to find a loyal fan that sent in the donation in 2019.
15/10/2022, ‎08‎:‎40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

In 2019 Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur received an envelope from a young fan containing €19 along with the message: "Sorry I couldn't save more to help the team forward."

The letter was just signed 'Goto' without any last name, address, phone, or email details. The team embarked on a search to find their generous 'contributor' and at the last race weekend in Japan, they finally found Goto.

Along with showing him around the garage, Goto also got his name as a sticker on the car - much like the other sponsors!

‘Loyal fan’;

https://racingnews365.com/video-alfa...erous-donation


Alfa Romeo gives its youngest sponsor a special day in Suzuka.
15/10/2022 at 13:42
Phillip van Osten

The young fan wished to help the Swiss outfit improve its fortunes during a season of struggles, hence the money - or Goto's hard-earned savings - included in the envelope. "Sorry that I could not save more money for the improvement of the team," he wrote.

Vasseur was overwhelmed by the missive and donation and wished to express his gratitude towards his team's biggest fan, but unfortunately there was no surname, email or return address on the envelope. The Hinwil outfit then set about tracking down Goto through its social media channels, an operation that proved successful.

Upon Formula 1's return to Japan for the first time in three years, Goto and his family were invited to Suzuka as special guests of Vasseur and the Alfa Romeo team. And as you'll see in the video below, Alfa gave young Goto "the place he deserved" as one of the team's sponsors...

‘Youngest sponsor a special day’;

https://f1i.com/news/457150-alfa-rom...in-suzuka.html


Improving poor starts “critical” to keeping ahead of Aston Martin, says Alfa Romeo
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
16th October 2022, 0:0115th October 2022, 20:10
Written by Will Wood

In the round-up: Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar says that improving the team’s start performance will be “critical” to their efforts to keep Aston Martin behind them in the constructors’ championship. Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar says that improving the team’s start performance will be “critical” to their efforts to keep Aston Martin behind them in the constructors’ championship.

The team have struggled from poor starts relative to their rivals, with both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu losing multiple positions off the line and over the opening lap during many races this season. Alfa Romeo remain in sixth position in the constructors’ championship, but now are only eight points ahead of Aston Martin, who have outscored them by 29 points to one over the last nine rounds.

“The starts and lap one is something that for us is getting a bit critical,” admitted Pujolar. “We need to get out of these positions, losing places at the start on lap one. We’ll have some new parts coming at the next event again in Austin and the plan is, okay, another step in performance. Let’s see if we can have both cars in Q3 – and from there, we saw early in the season that then it’s easier starts on lap one – and fight for the points with both cars. That’s what we want to do. We want to increase the gap to Aston Martin again because they’re getting too close. That’s our the main target and our main worry in the next few races.”

‘Improving poor starts critical’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/16/...nd-up-16-10-5/


Alfa Romeo: Pourchaire one of the most promising young drivers
14 October, 2022
Paul Velasco

Highly-rated young Formula 1 wannabes will be in action for FP1 during the 2022 United States Grand Prix, in Austin, with 23-year-old Robert Schwartzmann in action for Ferrari and 19-year-old Théo Pourchaire in an Alfa Romeo.

Grasse-born Frenchman, Pourchaire said of his opportunity: “I am thrilled to be making my Free Practice debut in Austin; it will be my second time behind the wheel of a F1 car, but in some ways, it will feel like it’s the first time, as this time it will be during an official Grand Prix session.

“It feels like a dream coming true, and I want to thank Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN for putting their trust in me and granting me this amazing opportunity: I am looking forward to being on track, and I will make sure to get the most out of it and to do my best to support the team as they prepare for the United States Grand Prix.”

‘Promising young driver’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10...f1-austin-fp1/


Zhou ponders what might have been after ‘lost gamble’ at Suzuka, as Bottas eyes more Alfa Romeo updates
11 October 2022
Formula 1.

Zhou Guanyu felt more was possible for himself and Alfa Romeo during the Japanese Grand Prix after an alternate strategy amid the wet conditions failed to pay off.

Zhou was one of several drivers, along with Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher, to extend an initial stint on wet tyres in the restarted, rain-shortened encounter at Suzuka – Zhou having spun on his own at the original start – while the rest of the field jumped into the pits for intermediates and instantly lapped quicker.

Eventually stopping four laps later than the first drivers who made the switch, Zhou dropped from a temporary top-three position to the foot of the order, before pitting again in the closing stages for a fresh set of intermediates, which saw him wind up as the 16th of 18 finishers.

‘Zhou ponders what might have been’;

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


Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur: “There was no top ten finish for us, despite a quick car”
October 13, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur said that the team’s pace advantage against rival teams was no match for the tough conditions at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Valtteri Bottas finished in fifteenth and Zhou Guanyu finished sixteenth after struggling to overtake.

“Today was a difficult day in which the team performed under very tough conditions. In the end, there was no top ten finish for us, despite a quick car: overtaking turned out to be very difficult, even with a pace advantage, and we couldn’t make the progress we wanted after a challenging start.”

Vasseur is confident in the team’s ability to work hard over the next weeks to prepare for the United States Grand Prix and fight for points positions against the midfield’s frontrunners. “It’s a shame to leave Japan with no points: we now have to regroup and make sure we hit the right note in Austin, in two weeks. We know our car and our team are capable of battling towards the front of the midfield, but we need to get our work done to be there.”

‘Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...e-a-quick-car/