Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

The seven-time world champion was the man of the hour as he went fastest at the Yas Marina Circuit, a great start to the weekend for the Mercedes PETRONAS AMG Formula One team.

Lewis Hamilton‘s best time of 1:26.633 around the circuit put him two-tenths clear of his team-mate George Russell, whilst Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc took third.

Amongst the usual suspects, the first practice session welcomed a handful of rookie drivers, including Liam Lawson in for Max Verstappen at Oracle Red Bull Racing, who claimed fourth in the early minutes of the session, whilst Sergio Pérez slotted in fifth followed by Sebastian Vettel slotting into sixth.

Further changes in drivers included FIA Formula 2 champion, Felipe Drugovich debut in his maiden free practice session, run for the Silverstone-based team Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team, while Pato O’Ward did likewise for the McLaren F1 Team.

F1 promotion hopeful Logan Sargeant was in again for Williams Racing, while Jack Doohan built on his mileage from Mexico City for BWT Alpine F1 Team. Robert Shwartzman was back behind the wheel at Ferrari, Pietro Fittipaldi ventured out for Haas F1 Team and former Grand Prix racer Robert Kubica drove the C42 Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN.

As the Dakar Classic enters its third year of operation, ninety-one entries representing 187 drivers and co-drivers will take part in the 2023 edition.Although run in conjunction, the Dakar Classic differs from the Dakar Rally. Rather than being based on speed and time like in most rally raids, the Classic is a regularity rally that emphasises navigation ability as competitors maintain a given speed around the course. As such, in lieu of adding up times, a points system is in place and the winner is whomever accumulates the fewest. Points are “earned” for errors such as exceeding the speed limit, missing checkpoints, and arriving too soon or too late at the finish.

Vehicles are also limited to those built before 2000, which are then split into three categories of 2×2, 4×4, and trucks. Fourteen of the entries are in trucks, which are easily discernible as they are assigned numbers starting with #900 and their teams consist of three members.

Serge Mogno, who won the 2022 Classic, was assigned the lowest number of #700. Mogno comfortably won by over 300 points in his Team FSO Toyota Land Cruiser. He ran his lone Dakar Rally in 1988 on a quad.

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series head Jérôme Galpin will race with #701. He finished fourth in 2022 driving a Team FJ Protruck; Team FJ is the Euro Series’ organiser and designer of the EuroNASCAR FJ car that some NWES teams use.

The 2023 Dakar Rally begins on 31 December 2022.

Dakar Classic entries

Just shortly after Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT announced their 2023 FIA World Rally Championship line-up, the South Korean team Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT announced also their driver’s line-up for 2023 which sees some expected drivers being included.

It´s been rumored for a long time that Esapekka Lappi will move from Toyota to Hyundai and that got confirmed this morning as the Finn wasn´t included in the Toyota line-up for the next season.

Lappi has shared the third Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 this year with Sébastien Ogier but now the Finn will get a full season campaign with Hyundai, meaning he will now have driven cars from all three of the leading manufacturers. 

Craig Breen and M-Sport Ford WRT announced earlier this week they will not continue in 2023 which sees Breen joining back to Hyundai where he has been from 2019 to 2021 and will share the third car with Dani Sordo who goes for another part-time program.

As expected, Thierry Neuville will continue to drive for the South Korean manufacturer and will contest every round. It has not yet been determined how Breen and Sordo’s outings will be alternated. 

Haas F1 Team Principal Günther Steiner discussed the excitement of taking pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix, as well as the team’s goals of maintaining eighth in the constructors championship going into the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and extending their forward momentum into the 2023 season. 

“The feeling when we realized that the pole position was done – which was pretty quick after the first six or seven cars came over the finish line because the rain intensified – was just a feeling of satisfaction. For me personally I was so happy for the team as they always put so much effort in. 

“I always say being last is the same amount of effort as being first so hats off to them as they made no mistakes at all during qualifying, it was perfectly executed. The mechanics, engineers and Kevin did a fantastic job on Friday afternoon.”

When asked about the importance of the point Magnussen earned in the Brazil sprint, Steiner said that every point counts in such a tight battle with Scuderia AlphaTauri— who are two points behind in ninth– and that it may be the difference.

“Finishing eighth was not only a point that counts, it’s also that he kept position not only because we knew the top-three teams will overtake us and only one McLaren got past. I’m very proud of what was achieved in the Sprint and I think we could’ve done something very similar on Sunday if Ricciardo hadn’t of taken us out on the first lap. Anyway, here we are and hopefully that point makes the difference, and we can stay in front of AlphaTauri, as that’s what we’re aiming for now for the last race.”

Charles Leclerc has just one race remaining to fight Sergio Pérez for second in the Drivers’ Championship, a result which would be a personal best for the Monegasque driver. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is one where himself and Scuderia Ferrari will be aiming to end on a high, given the struggles they’ve faced this season.

When the curtain closes on his fifth season in Formula 1, Leclerc will likely ponder on the number of errors that have been made by the Scuderia this season. Reliability woes, strategic blunders, and driver errors have ultimately cost Leclerc either a World Championship or more victories.

All that is left to fight for is second best, something he would still prefer than third especially as it’d mean he’d split the Oracle Red Bull Racing squad.

Leclerc is aiming to “try” his best to claim second spot, with him literally just needing to beat Pérez to do so.

“Obviously, it won’t be easy, but we will certainly try. This season has had its ups and downs, but it must be seen in perspective. Compared to the past two years, we have made an incredible step forward and it would be nice to bring home both second places.”

Andretti United XE will continue with Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen as their driver duo for a third season in 2023 and beyond. On Thursday, the team announced the two have signed multi-year contract extensions to remain in the #23.

“Catie and Timmy are one of the top driver combinations in the Extreme E paddock and we are thrilled to have them leading our team for Season 3 and beyond,” stated team owner Michael Andretti. “Their experience and commitment to the series only helps us to continue to develop our sustainability journey through the series and continue to push to the front of the field.”

The two joined Andretti ahead of the inaugural Extreme E season in 2021. They enjoyed success from the start by finishing second in the opener followed by victory at the Arctic X Prix en route to a third-place points finish. While their 2022 performance has dipped, they still scored a third at the second Island X Prix in July and currently sit fifth in the standings.

Munnings hails from a rally background, having raced in the European and World Rally Championships.

“I’m so excited to continue my journey with Genesys Andretti United Extreme E. As a team, we have been able to continue to challenge the front of the field over the past few seasons,” said Munnings. “We have a great set of people around us that strive for the best, a focus of Extreme E not only in racing but in protecting and supporting our environment. I’m looking forward to continuing my time with the team. Roll on next year.”

Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, Frédéric Vasseur, shares his thoughts of an up and down season for the team as they prepare for the final race of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season in Abu Dhabi.

Alfa Romeo came into the 2022 season not knowing what to expect or just how they would fair against the competition. They finished the 2021 season with only thirteen points and sat in ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

As they headed into pre-season testing in Barcelona, it became apparent that there were problems with the C42 and a lot of work would need to be done to make sure that the 2022 season wasn’t a repeat of the prior season.

A few weeks later, the opening race began in Bahrain and from feeling in the worst possible way only weeks before the season, that feeling turned to elation as the team opened up the season with a double points finish as both Valtteri Bottas and rookie driver Zhou Guanyu picked up points.

From that moment onwards, there has been ups and downs for Alfa Romeo across the whole season but, as we enter the final race weekend of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the team are currently on fifty-five points and sit in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, which is a massive step forward for the team compared to last season.

Oracle Red Bull Racing have made a statement regarding the last lap of the São Paulo Grand Prix and the events that unfolded after the race.

Max Verstappen, who has already wrapped up the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship after winning fourteen races this season was allowed to overtake his team-mate Sergio Pérez in an attempt to chase down BWT Alpine F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso who was in fifth place. If Verstappen was unable to catch Alonso, he would be asked to give his position back to Pérez as the Mexican driver is competing with Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc for second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

However, it appeared that the now two time world champion had not listened to the teams orders as he crossed the finish line in sixth place with his team-mate finishing in seventh. When asked by his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase “what happened” after the race, Verstappen insisted for the team not to mention it again saying that he had given his reasons for not allowing Pérez to retake his position.

In the statement that Red Bull have released regarding this situation, they confirmed as a team that they made mistakes during the race and that they had not agreed on a strategy for such a scenario before the race. They added by saying that Verstappen was only informed at the final corner of the request made by the team without all the necessary information being relayed to him. The team then states that this situation put the Dutchman in a compromising situation with little time to react.

It seemed to be a bit tense after the race as both Red Bull drivers were clearly unhappy but the team have confirmed that both drivers have resolved any outstanding issues or concerns. The team has a accepted Verstappen’s reasoning for not giving the position back and say it was a personal matter that will remain private.

Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen looks forward to finishing out the season with the exciting atmosphere of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after a year filled with exciting achievements and a notable return to form for the team. 

“Yas Marina is a special race because it’s the last one, the atmosphere is special. Obviously the title has already been decided and usually there is a big party here too. It’s quite cool because it’s a night race as well – everything looks very shiny and bright. They’ve changed the track quite a bit and I’ve not driven this layout yet so I’m looking forward to trying that.”

When asked to reflect on his first year back in the series since the 2020 season, he felt that getting the opportunity to rejoin the grid in the first place was of utmost importance to him, as well as being a part of the team’s resurgence after a difficult 2021 season. He said that the pole position he earned last time out at the Brazilian Grand Prix was also an incredible achievement for him and the team, being not only his first pole position, but the first in Haas’ history in F1. 

“The first standout moment was coming back to the sport altogether. Of course, it was surprising at the beginning of the year to even be on the grid. Then to finish fifth and get the teams’ first points in a couple of years was great as well. After that, we had been strong for many races, but I’d say nothing beats that pole position. 

“It’s those three things – coming back to the sport, scoring points in the first race and then getting pole position. Overall, it’s being a part of this comeback for the team into strong competitiveness again, that’s been the main thing.” 

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN driver Valtteri Bottas reflects on his first season with the team as he prepares for the final race of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season in Abu Dhabi.

Last time out in Brazil, Bottas finished in ninth place securing the team some much needed points as they currently sit in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, five points ahead of their nearest rivals.

After a season of ups and downs for Alfa Romeo, Bottas and the team will be hoping that they can pick up more points at the Yas Marina Circuit to clinch that sixth place in the championship, a result which would mark a massive step forward for the team from previous years.

“The 2022 season wraps up in Abu Dhabi: it’s been a busy year, and I am glad to be getting some well deserved time off with my family and friends soon. My first year with the team has been really good, with a strong start and a slightly more challenging second part of the season, but overall above expectations.”

“I am glad to have started this journey with the team and I am confident about the future. The points we scored in recent races recently gave us a further advantage on our closest championship rivals, but we still have a job to finish: we showed strong pace last week in Brazil, which lets us head to Abu Dhabi with confidence.”

The rear tyres will be under particular scrutiny in the last race of the season, according to Mario Isola. The modifications made to the Yas Marina circuit back in 2021 increased the speed, balancing out the work required from the tyres.

As the characteristics of the Yas Marina circuit aren’t particularly demanding, Pirelli has chosen the three softest compounds for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The white-walled C3 tyres are the hardest in the mix, with the yellow C4 tyres acting as the medium compound which is most popular for the teams operating on a two-stop strategy. The C5 is the softest compound, these tyres last year won the ORACLE Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen his first ever Drivers Championship after he pitted under the safety car and swapped out his medium tyres for a set of fresh soft.

Yas Marina is made up of sixteen corners as well as some fast sections that allow the drivers to create a slipstream, particularly down the straights. Aerodynamics, at Abu Dhabi, are paramount to guaranteeing a strong performance and optimal tyre management and degradation. One of the most important factors to consider when securing a solid is falling track temperatures. The asphalt isn’t abrasive at the track, which warrants the softer compounds, however, the falling temperatures can impact the team’s choice of tyres.

This is the final race of the season and the lights of Abu Dhabi are rapidly approaching to close what has been a spectacular season.

“At Abu Dhabi, a truly thrilling season comes to an end,” said Isola, “Last year’s modifications to some of the straights and corners on the Yas Marina track have made the circuit faster, balancing the longitudinal and lateral demands on the tyres – whereas previously it was more about traction and braking.”

Andreas Seidl says anything can still happen for the McLaren F1 Team this weekend in Abu Dhabi as they look to overhaul the BWT Alpine F1 Team to finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

McLaren suffered a nightmare weekend in Brazil last weekend, with both Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris retiring from the São Paulo Grand Prix, and the gap between McLaren and Alpine now sits at nineteen points in the French outfits advantage thanks to top eight finishes for Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

Despite this deficit, Seidl says McLaren will not give up on the challenge, and on the weekend where they will say goodbye to Ricciardo after two seasons with the team, they will be looking to maximise their potential around a track that could offer good overtaking opportunities.

“The team are excited for Abu Dhabi,” said Seidl.  “It has been a long season with everyone working extremely hard, so we have one final big push to go. The team will also say goodbye to Daniel at the end of the weekend, but until Sunday evening we keep fighting together. 

“It will be interesting to see how this year’s car runs on the new layout that we debuted last year as hopefully it will allow for good overtaking opportunities. Vuse have also taken over the livery for this race weekend as part of their Driven by Change initiative which is a nice way to celebrate the end of the season.

Daniel Ricciardo will participate in his final FIA Formula 1 World Championship weekend with the McLaren F1 Team in Abu Dhabi, and the Australian is keen to end his two-year stint with the Woking-based team on a positive note.

Ricciardo will not continue with McLaren in 2023 after the team opted to replace him with his countryman Oscar Piastri, and with the news that the Haas F1 Team have now signed Nico Hülkenberg for next season, the chances of the Australian being on the grid next year have all but gone.

Despite the realisation that he won’t be racing in Formula 1 in 2023, Ricciardo is looking to end his time with McLaren, where he took his last race victory in the Italian Grand Prix of 2021, with a strong result and a top ten finish.

“Here we go, one last time in papaya,” said Ricciardo.  “I’m looking forward to getting out there and giving it everything for these last days of the season.

“I think there could be some fun battles and potential to overtake in these new cars so it will be great to put the MCL36 through one last dance.

Logan Sargeant will compete in his fourth free practice session in as many race weekends this weekend in Abu Dhabi, with the American racer edging closer to claiming the final spot on the grid for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

The twenty-one-year-old has run sessions at the Circuit of the Americas, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in recent weeks, and he will also run in the post-season Young Drivers’ test in Abu Dhabi with Williams Racing next week.

Sargeant will take over the car from the driver he could be in line to replace at Williams next year, Nicholas Latifi, although his primary focus this weekend is to finish his FIA Formula 2 season on a high and secure enough points to earn himself the Superlicence he needs to race in Formula 1.

“I’m looking forward to my last Free Practice outing of the year followed by the Young Driver Test with Williams,” said Sargeant.  “It’s been a fantastic opportunity to get this much time behind the wheel of the FW44 across four race weekends.

“Over the sessions, I’ve been able to learn a lot about the new generation of cars compared to what I drove in the Young Driver Test last year. Alongside FP1 this weekend, my focus is on the final race of my Formula 2 season which I’m hoping to finish as strongly as possible.”

Nicholas Latifi will bring his three-year stint with Williams Racing to an end after this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Canadian eager to end the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season on the highest note possible.

Latifi will miss the opening free practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit to allow his potential replacement for 2023, Logan Sargeant, his fourth consecutive free practice outing, but he does not think this will impact him as much as it would do on other circuits due to the session taking place in the daytime and the important sessions – primarily Qualifying and the race – taking place at night.

But whatever happens, Latifi is looking to enjoy his final weekend, although he knows it will be tough to better his best result of the season, which was an excellent ninth place in the rain-affected Japanese Grand Prix in October.

“I’m coming into my final race weekend with the team and in Formula 1 so I’m looking to enjoy it as much as I can,” said Latifi.  “I’ll be sitting out of FP1 this weekend but as we qualify and race at night it won’t make too much of a difference.

“It’s sad to be at the last race but it’s been a great three years at Williams with a lot of ups and downs. Hopefully I can end the season on as high a note as possible.”