Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Felipe Drugovich is keen to race something in 2023 to complement his role as reserve and test driver for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team.

The Brazilian, who claimed the FIA Formula 2 title in 2022, was the first driver to be brought into the Aston Martin young driver programme earlier this year, and he was given his first taste of Formula 1 machinery by the team, as well as a free practice outing in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside FIA Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne, Drugovich will act as part of the reserve driver rota in 2023, but he is keen to not lose his competitive edge by adding a racing programme alongside his Aston Martin duties, something the team are also happy for him to do.

“I will be doing the reserve role for Aston Martin, I’m going to be following the team and learning as much as I can, I’ll do a few FP1s as well, that’s something very nice to look forward [to],” Drugovich is quoted as saying by F1i.com during the FIA Gala in Bologna.

“The team is keen to let me do something else, which I don’t know yet, but we’re trying to see if there is an opportunity to just keep racing, but the priority is also going to be Formula 1.”

Sergio Pérez does not feel any additional pressure despite the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo at Oracle Red Bull Racing as their reserve driver for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Ricciardo has re-joined Red Bull after losing his ride with the McLaren F1 Team, despite the Australian taking the team to their first race victory in nine years when he took first place in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

The Australian’s first spell at Red Bull between 2014 and 2018 saw him take seven of his eight career race victories, with his lowest finishing position in the Drivers’ Championship in that time being eighth in 2015.

Pérez finished third in the Drivers’ Championship in 2022, the best finish in his career so far, but he only took two race victories compared to the fifteen of team-mate Max Verstappen as the Dutchman stormed to his second World Championship triumph.

But despite the obvious pressure of having a multiple race winner looking over his shoulder as reserve driver, Pérez insists the Australian’s arrival does not add any pressure onto him, and he is going about his preparation for the upcoming 2023 season in the same way he was always going to.

The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team will not benefit from their new wind tunnel until at least the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, according to Technical Director Dan Fallows.

Aston Martin are currently building a new factory at Silverstone, and part of the development plan is to build their own wind tunnel, something the current set-up does not have.

Fallows hopes the wind tunnel will be in operation midway through the 2024 season, which means the 2025 car will be the first to benefit from its use.

“The target for the wind tunnel is to be online in the middle of 2024,” Fallows is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “We’re hoping that will have at least some contribution to the ’25.

“I think depending on how the commissioning and things of the tunnel goes, that will be probably the first car that will have a significant impact with the new tunnel.

Esteban Ocon has warned that the planned banning of tyre blankets could pose warm-up problems and cause unnecessary safety concerns if they are introduced as scheduled for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Pirelli were set to drop the tyre blanket temperature from seventy degrees Celsius down to fifty degrees for the 2023 Formula 1 season in anticipation of removing tyre blankets all together the following season, and they tested this scenario in free practice for the United States Grand Prix.

However, Ocon reckons that safety could be compromised should the tyre blankets be outlawed in 2024, and it would have a negative effect on strategy, with the BWT Alpine F1 Team driver reckoning that any idea of using the undercut to pass someone would disappear.

“It’s not working at the moment,” Ocon is quoted as saying by PlanetF1.com.  “We’ve tested in Austin, which was quite a warm weekend. It’s a high energy track and we were improving every lap, but we were very far off the pace on the out-lap, it was like being on ice, for example, in the first couple of corners.

“So it is not Formula 1 philosophy let’s say, you can forget the undercuts, you can forget any strategy goal, because you will take three or four laps to warm up the tyres, so it is quite boring.

Both Mitch Evans and Sam Bird concluded pre-season testing for Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship seemingly happy with Jaguar TCS Racing‘s Gen3 challenger the I-TYPE 6, with the British side having completed over 1,500 kilometres of running across the test.

The team were met largely by dry weather at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, excluding on the first day of the official test (Tuesday), where typical winter weather met the all-electric series.

This week has seen Jaguar get as much of an understanding of the new era of the sport as possible, with Gen3 being a “big step forward in technology and electrification”. The peak of the team’s weak was perhaps Evans and Bird claiming first and second during the fifth testing session of the week, in regard to the new 300KW race power mode. Evans also claimed third on Wednesday during the mock-practice and qualifying sessions, suggesting that he won’t experience the same qualifying struggles that he faced in Season Eight.

Team Principal James Barclay labelled testing as a “vital process”, and admitted that the team had “seen some promising car performance and efficiency” from the I-TYPE 6 in Valencia.

“This pre-season all-teams test week marks the start of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season. It has been good to return to Valencia and test our Jaguar I-TYPE 6 race cars along with all other teams for the first time and gauge where everyone stands from a performance perspective. The Gen3 car represents a big step forward in technology and electrification.

Mitch Evans enjoyed a solid week of pre-season testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, with the New Zealander having looked particularly strong over a single push lap, something that let him down in Season Eight.

Whilst the timing sheets were being set alight by Maserati MSG Racing and DS Penske, Jaguar TCS Racing quietly went about their business, before cementing their place in the leading group on Wednesday.

Wednesday saw a mock-race weekend take place, with Evans having claimed third in the practice and qualifying sessions, suggesting that his qualifying woes of Season Eight won’t reappear in Season Nine. The week sadly didn’t end brilliantly for the Season Eight Vice-Champion, who brought out a red flag during the afternoon session on Friday after appearing to breakdown.

Nevertheless, Evans hailed the week and their qualifying simulations as “positive”, with the Jaguar driver hoping that the team will be “in a good place” come the season opener next month.

“We’ve been competitive in the sessions, as well as the qualifying simulation which is positive. Qualifying is key to success in Formula E so to be at the front of the group gives me confidence. Technically, the Gen3 race car is more complex, but as a team we’ve learned a lot this week and hope to be in a good place in Mexico in a month’s time.”

It has been a dream return to the motorsport scene for Maserati, as Maserati MSG Racing have looked imperious in pre-season testing for Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The team’s new signing, Maximilian Günther, has been driving like a man possessed all week at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, with the German having topped the vast majority of the sessions. Throughout Tuesday-Friday, Günther has ended everyday on top except Thursday, with the twenty-five year old having also set a new Formula E lap record in the final afternoon session on Friday.

Edoardo Mortara hasn’t been fair behind all week, with the Swiss driver – who remained with the team through it’s rebranding from ROKIT Venturi Racing to Maserati MSG Racing – having consistently been in the top five all week. He did dip below the top five in the mock-race weekend that was trialed on Wednesday but only just, after finishing sixth. Günther claimed second in the mock-race, despite having topped the practice session and qualifying.

By the end of the week, the duo had completed 597 laps, putting them in a great position looking ahead to the season opener in Mexico City.

Team Principal James Rossiter labelled the side’s performance as “immense”, with Maserati having looked like perhaps the team to beat going into the first round of the new era of the all-electric series.

Andreas Seidl, the outgoing Team Principal of the McLaren F1 Team, says his former team will want to make a step forward during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season after losing ground last season compared to 2021.

McLaren slipped to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, scoring only one podium finish thanks to Lando Norris in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, having taken fourth place in 2021.  They were involved in a season-long battle with the BWT Alpine F1 Team for that fourth place, only to fall short in the final reckoning by fourteen points.

Seidl, who will take up a new position as CEO of the Sauber F1 Team in January, admits McLaren do still have some limitations, such as using a wind tunnel that is not their own, but it is up to the team to overcome those limitations and push forward to develop a better car for 2023.

“The objective is clear also next year, we want to make another step again in all areas of the team,” Seidl is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com prior to his departure from McLaren.

“That’s not just with the car itself, including some of the weaknesses we’ve seen this year, but also with just simply making another step as a team in all aspects.

It has been a dream start to Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for Maximilian Günther, as the German has adjusted to life at Maserati MSG Racing somewhat perfectly, after topping three out of four days at pre-season testing in Valencia.

Maserati’s return to motorsport has been majestic so far, with Günther and Edoardo Mortara having looked extremely comfortable in the Maserati Tipo Folgore, their first Gen3 challenger.

Günther in particular has been incredibly impressive, with the twenty-five year old having gotten up to speed in the new era of the all-electric series instantly. The German ended both Tuesday and Wednesday at the top of the timesheets, as the times quickly tumbled below what the Gen2 cars produced at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. After finishing towards the bottom on Thursday, he returned to the top in the final afternoon session on Friday, setting a new lap record for a Formula E car around the Spanish circuit.

The former Nissan Formula E Team driver also looked good during the trial race weekend that took place on Wednesday, after topping the practice and qualifying session before finishing second in the mock race.

The German is certainly in a very solid position looking ahead to the season opener in Mexico City, with Günther admitting that pre-season testing was “very positive”.

Mike Krack reckons Fernando Alonso’s own passion will increase the desire for the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team to improve after the Team Principal of the Silverstone-based team was impressed by the Spaniard during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.

Alonso joined Aston Martin after two seasons with the BWT Alpine F1 Team, with the two-time World Champion replacing a four-time World Champion in Sebastian Vettel after the German announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Krack was immediately impressed by Alonso during the post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit last month, feeling the Spaniard has continued to show himself to be extremely dedicated and motivated despite debuting in Formula 1 way back in 2001.

“With Fernando, I always hold up this picture of the Mexico City Grand Prix of his frustration at not finishing seventh – this is an example of dedication and motivation,” Krack is quoted as saying by Racer.com.

“If you have someone with this passion and drive to win it has an impact on the team, we could really see that, how everyone was really happy to have this guy in the car last Tuesday.

Pierre Gasly does now know where his former team Scuderia AlphaTauri will be in the pecking order during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, with the Faenza-based squad set for a concept change with its AT04 chassis.

Gasly will move to the BWT Alpine F1 Team in 2023 and will be replaced by Dutchman Nyck de Vries, with the team enduring an extremely difficult 2022 season that saw them slip to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead only of Williams Racing.

The Frenchman scored only twenty-three points during 2022 on his way to fourteenth in the Drivers’ Championship, with only six top ten finishes, the best of which was a fifth place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June.

Despite this, and the fact he is moving away from AlphaTauri to join Alpine, Gasly is confident the team will come back stronger in 2023, and he is expecting the AT04 to be the best car they have developed.

Gasly hopes Alpine can improve on their fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship from 2022 next season, but he knows it is always difficult to predict the order from one year to another in Formula 1, particularly in the extremely close midfield.

Frédéric Vasseur will do a good job as Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, according to one of his new drivers, Carlos Sainz Jr.

Sainz has had his first chat with the incoming Team Principal, who has moved across from the same role at the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN outfit to replace the outgoing Mattia Binotto for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

It will be Vasseur’s third Team Principal job in Formula 1, with a single season with the Renault F1 Team in 2016 being followed by six years with the Sauber F1 Team/Alfa Romeo.

Sainz, who will begin his third season with Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc in 2023, revealed Vasseur had wanted him to join Renault whilst he was leading the French team back in 2016, and after a brief chat with his new boss this week, he knows the Frenchman will do well at the helm of the team.

“I’ve heard very good things about him,” Sainz is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.  “I know him personally, he already wanted to sign me to go to Renault.

Álex Palou insists his primary focus in 2023 will be reclaiming the NTT IndyCar Series title with Chip Ganassi Racing despite the Spaniard being confirmed as a reserve driver for the McLaren F1 Team.

Palou, the 2021 IndyCar champion, was involved in a tug-of-war battle between Ganassi and the Arrow McLaren SP during the 2022 season over his services for 2023, with both teams laying claim to a legally-binding contract with the Spaniard.  The outcome saw him remain with Ganassi for a third consecutive season whilst also involving some running with McLaren in Formula 1 machinery.

He tested three times with McLaren in 2022, twice in the 2021 MCL35M before making his free practice debut with the team in the opening session of the United States Grand Prix driving the MCL36.

Despite the confirmation that Palou will be part of the test driver rota for McLaren in 2023, he insists that IndyCar remains his priority and it will only be weekends where he is not racing for Chip Ganassi that he would be available to take up his reserve driver duties in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

“I’m 100 per cent in IndyCar,” Palou said to Motorsport.com. “When we announced [the McLaren F1 reserve driver role] we made it clear that I was going to be a reserve driver only when it didn’t coincide with the IndyCar program.

It has been a mighty fine week for Maserati MSG Racing and Maximilian Günther, who ended pre-season testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, in the same way he started it, on top.

Pre-season testing for Season Nine and the start of Gen3 for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has been truly intriguing, as it has become apparent fairly quickly who has developed the best powertrain on the grid. All the stars seem to be pointing at DS Automobiles, with Maserati and DS Penske having looked strong all week.

Morning Session: DS Penske seal one-three in strong session

It was double Formula E Champion Jean-Éric Vergne who topped the morning session on the final day, after posting a 1:25.248, with DS Penske having locked-out a one-three Friday morning with Stoffel Vandoorne having claimed third.

Rookie Jake Hughes claimed a brilliant second spot in the morning session, just four-hundredths behind the experienced Frenchman. Hughes was remarkably the only non-DS powered driver in the top five, as Günther claimed fourth with Edoardo Mortara in fifth. Jake Dennis claimed sixth for the Avalanche Andretti Formula E Team, despite having broken down earlier in the session. He was followed closely by fellow Brit Dan Ticktum, who rounded off the top seven.

Whilst it was a pleasurable morning for the NIO 333 FE Team, who continue to show promise, it was a nightmare start to the day for Envision Racing. Sébastian Buemi caused a red flag following a crash at Turn Four, whilst Nick Cassidy failed to even post a lap-time.

Mick Schumacher saw his chance at a seat in the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship slip away with Haas F1 Team deciding not to renew his contract past 2022. Haas instead elected to bring Nico Hülkenberg back into the F1 ranks, leaving Schumacher on the sideline. Since then, It has been announced that he will be joining Mercedes in a reserve role, with Schumacher intent on remaining involved in F1.

Reviewing Schumacher’s time with Haas F1 Team

In reflecting on Schumacher’s F1 career up until this point, it is clear that it was at times tumultuous, as he himself attests to. Schumacher got his start with Haas at a time when the team was struggling from both a financial and performance standpoint– the team had a difficult 2020 season, only scoring three points and finishing ninth in the constructor’s championship.

As a result, Haas decided to shake things up with an all-rookie lineup of Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in 2021, which was a monetarily strategic move for the team. This season, however, marked Haas’ worst performance since entering F1, finishing last in the constructor’s with zero points. 

Haas couldn’t get off the ground when it came to performance, which meant that both Schumacher and his team-mate were left to flounder at the back of the field. With this, it was particularly difficult to size up his individual ability. 

Schumacher outperformed Mazepin by a comfortable margin, beating him out nineteen to three in qualifying and sixteen to five in race results. He did, however, suffer some rookie woes in 2021, from spins to race-day tangles. Ultimately, his 2021 performance left fans wanting to see more from the German driver, particularly in a competitive car.