Van Amersfoort Racing have announced that they are set to continue their partnership with Rafael Villagomez, as he makes the step up to FIA Formula 2.
Villagomez joins having achieved multiple points finishes in his three years in Formula 3, including at the final round of the 2023 campaign in Monza. The 22 year old also comes with experience in F2 machinery having completed the post-season test for the team last year at Yas Marina.
This means the Mexican driver is set to race in Van Amersfoort colours for the fourth consecutive season having competed for the Dutch outfit in 2021 at the Euroformula Open Championship, and in the following two years in Formula 3.
I am very excited to step up to F2. I am ready for this next level up. The dynamics coming from an F2 car are overly impressive, but I grew great confidence after a successful post-season test in Abu Dhabi last year. The test has proven to both myself and the people around me that F2 is the right category for me to further develop myself as a driver. The team and I know each other very well, which will only be of great benefit to all of us. I look very much forward to continuing our journey together and getting the season started.
Villagomez on the news.
As a team, we always aim for long-term cooperation with our drivers. The benefits of such a long-term relationship are extremely valuable and will help Rafael to progress at a high pace, as his experience in F3 will do of course. As a result of his unparalleled determination, we’ve seen Rafael grow and mature strongly as a driver and he is ready for this next challenge. We are fully committed to offering him our continuous support, especially in this exciting next chapter of his racing career.
MP Motorsport have confirmed Kacper Sztuka as their second signing for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign. The Polish driver joins Tim Tramnitz at MP for the upcoming season fresh from winning the Italian F4 Championship last year.
Sztuka was dominant in the latter half of the 2023 season, winning nine races across the season and taking a further three podiums en route to the title.
He spent three years in Italian F4 having graduated from karting in 2021. He ended his first campaign 36th before improving to sixth in year two, taking two wins and four podiums before his crowning campaign in 2023. He also claimed the Formula Winter Series title last year, winning five of the six races he competed in an finishing the other in second.
Sztuka took part in the final post-season test last year with MP Motorsport, finishing with a best result of 12th in the second morning session. He was also named as a new member of the Red Bull Junior Team lineup for 2024.
I’m extremely happy to be able to step up to FIA F3 with MP Motorsport. The team has a strong pedigree in the series, which will help me with a smooth transition from F4 to F3. I loved the car when I drove it in the Imola test, and can’t wait to step back into it for more testing and the new season ahead. It’s going to be a huge challenge but I’m up for the task. Bring it on!
Sztuka on the news.
We are really pleased to welcome Kacper to the team. He has had a sensational season in Italian F4, and being invited to join the Red Bull Junior Team was just reward for what has been a brilliant year. He immediately showed his promise in the Imola test, so we are confident that Kacper is ready for a strong debut in FIA F3. The whole team are looking forward to working with him during the season.
Ferrari Driver Academy member, Maya Weug has been announced as PREMA Racing’s third driver for the 2024 F1 Academy season with the reigning Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions the first to finalise their roster.
Born in Spain, 19 year old Weug started karting aged seven, she went on to become Vice Champion in the Spanish Championship in 2015, before going on to make her debut in the European Karting Championship two years later.
She became the inaugural winner of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme and broke new ground, becoming the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021. The same year, Weug made her single seater debut in Italian and German F4, achieving points in her sophomore campaign with a best result of sixth.
Joining the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine grid. Weug went on to claim one rookie victory alongside several top 10 finishes.
I’m super excited to get back on track this season! I’m sure it will be a great season working together with such a prestigious team as PREMA in the second year of an interesting category like F1 Academy. It is a great honor to represent Ferrari again this season and I can’t wait to continue the hard work with the Academy and PREMA to prepare the season the best way possible!
Weug on the news.
We deeply respected Maya as a competitor, and we were always impressed by her potential and achievements. We are really delighted to finally get her on board for the second season of F1 Academy, and we think we will do a great job together. Our lineup is really promising, with three outstanding racers and the support of three great Formula 1 teams. We are proud of the trust we received and cannot wait for the season to start.
Haas have revealed a series of digital renders of their 2024 challenger the VF-24 that is adorned by an evolution of their traditional black, red and white livery.
As has been the case for several years, the American team have gone for a low-key launch, preferring to send out imagery of their new challenger before revealing the real things when it hits the track for a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th with Nico Hulkenberg behind the wheel.
This will be their first season in F1 without Guenther Steiner at the helm, with Ayao Komatsu stepping up from his engineering leadership role to take the reins.
The team, will once again run Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, aiming to improve on their last place finish in 2023 constructors’ championship.
Following the car’s shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th, a second shakedown will take place in Bahrain eight days later, before pre-season testing begins at the same venue on February 21st.
I’m looking forward to seeing the VF-24 running and racing – a sentiment. I know I share with our partners and indeed the entire team. In Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, we also know we’ve got a great pair of drivers behind the wheel, their experience will prove invaluable again as we develop our program through the year. We’ve used the off-season to put the processes in place to be better and ultimately improve our overall performance. Soon we get to see how we’re doing.
Gene Haas on the new car.
We’re realistic about our expectations for the VF-24 to start but it’s still an exciting moment in any Formula 1 season to showcase the car. There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make progress and increase our performance but everyone here is highly motivated and eager to get on track with the VF-24. I know we’ll be maximizing our time in Bahrain with all the various items we need to push through. Bottom line, we can’t wait to get going and get the season underway.
Mercedes Technical Director, James Allison has signed a long-term contract extension, the news coming after Toto Wolff signed a new deal with the Silver Arrows.
Allison joined Mercedes in 2017 as Technical Director, with the team going on to win four drivers’ titles and five constructors’ championship during that stint.
He moved up to Chief Technical Officer four years later, focusing on longer term strategy for the F1 project and working on other projects outside the sport such as the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup team.
The 55 year old returned to a more frontline role as Technical Director in April last year, swapping positions with Mike Elliot.
Allison boasts a wealth of F1 experience beyond his championship-winning time at Mercedes, the Brit also picked up drivers’ and constructors’ championships at Renault and Ferrari in an illustrious career that began in the early 1990s and has marked him as one of the greatest technical mind in Formula 1.
Mercedes has endured a challenging couple of seasons, having secured just one victory in that period as they have been comfortably outperformed by rivals and reigning world champions Red Bull.
F1 has brought me a lot of good fortune, but none greater than answering Toto’s call to join Mercedes in 2017. It is a great privilege to continue this adventure, working alongside brilliant colleagues and fighting together for championship success.
Allison on the news.
I am thrilled that James has committed his long-term future to the team. Put simply, he is the most impressive technical leader in our sport. His gladiator spirit, along with his knowledge, experience, and determination, make him second-to-none. His influence and impact, however, goes so much further than that. Since joining in 2017, he has been a key ally and sparring partner for me personally. We can challenge each other openly and honestly; an embodiment of the ‘tough love’ culture of the team that is vital in helping us all perform at our very best. Most importantly though, James is a true friend you can rely on, not only in times of success but in difficult moments too. It has been a pleasure to work with him over the past seven years and I look forward to doing so for many more to come.
ART Grand Prix have announced that they have retained Victor Martins for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season, with the Alpine Academy driver set to continue with the French outfit for a third consecutive campaign.
Martins’ relationship with ART extends back to 2020 and has proven a successful one with the Frenchman having won his first championship with the team in the Formula Renault Eurocup that year – where he won seven races to go along with 14 podiums that season.
He reunited with the team in 2022 for his second campaign in FIA Formula 3, and enjoyed a successful year as he became ART’s first F3 champion in the modern era after coming out on top in a tight championship battle.
Martins now returns for a second F2 season, after enjoying a stellar first season in 2023, which saw him earn the prize of the best rookie, having scored 10 podiums including one victory at Silverstone.
This now fills out ART’s line-up for the year with the French team having previously announced that last year’s F3 runner-up Zak O’Sullivan for 2024.
Together with ART Grand Prix, we have a mutual past that is made up of passion and success. One which has seen the crowning of several titles, I hope to add another in 2024, a decisive season for my development. But I will not have my eyes solely focused on the standings: I want to correct mistakes from last year, manage the championship over time and always strive to obtain the best possible result, whether the circumstances are favourable or complicated. There is no shortage of serious competitors in this discipline. There is also an element of unknowns with a new car, but I trust ART Grand Prix to make the most out of it. The team supplies me with all the support I need, just like Alpine, and I am holding all the cards I need to achieve my objectives.
Martins on the news.
The collaboration between ART Grand Prix and Victor dates back to 2020 when he was successfully crowned the Formula Renault champion. We did a good job and have grown together since then. Therefore, I didn’t envisage not continuing our adventure with him. His first year in Formula 2 was very good and very informative. It allowed him to constantly fight for pole positions and victories. In 2024, our common objective will logically be to erase any small mistakes from last season and win the title.
Haas have announced that they will be showing their 2024 car this week!
After a winter overhaul, at the outfit that’s seen Team Principal Guenther Steiner replaced by Ayao Komatsu and Technical Director Simone Resta also departs. The new VF-24 is set to be presented in digital form on February 2nd – sticking to Haas’s usual pre-season approach.
Schedule for 14:00 UK time, it will slot in as the second F1 launch of any kind so far this year, following on from McLaren’s livery reveal earlier this month.
Hass’s car will break cover during a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th, before another run in Bahrain ahead of pre-season testing at the same Sakhir venue from February 21st-23rd.
It means all 10 teams have now confirmed when their new machines will be seen for the first time – the opening two weeks of February crammed with launch events.
American racer Chloe Chambers will be joining the 2024 F1 Academy grid as Haas have announced the 19 year old as their nominated driver, where she will drive for Campos Racing.
Starting in karting aged eight, Chambers went on to win several regional and national Championships. In 2020, she became a Guinness World Record holder for the fastest vehicle slalom.
Progressing to single seaters the following year, she competed in the Formula 4 United States Championship before moving to W Series in 2022.
Last year saw Chambers make history in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, becoming the first woman to start on pole and win a race in the series, earning her the “Most Improved Driver” award. Additionally, she raced in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America.
I’m super excited to be driving for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team with Campos Racing in F1 Academy. Having the backing of Haas is going to open many doors for new experiences and it’s going to be a place where I can learn. I’m excited to be going to Miami for Haas’ and my home race, that’s a race I’m looking forward to. It’s my first season in F1 Academy, so I’m looking forward to getting good results and developing as a driver. I did some testing over the winter with Campos Racing, and the team and I work very well together.
Chambers on the news.
As a father to two karting enthusiasts myself, I know the importance of representation in encouraging the next generation to take that leap and follow their dreams. It was great to meet Chloe and see her enthusiasm for the season ahead, and the team thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her at the factory – from speaking with our engineers, participating in pit stop practice and undertaking her first media obligations. MoneyGram Haas F1 Team fully supports Formula 1 and F1 Academy in its objectives, and we’re committed to increasing the talent pool of young girls and women entering the sport, utilizing our resources.
Jenzer Motorsport have confirmed the second of their three drivers for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign, with Max Esterson joining the team.
The American driver took part in post-season testing with the team in Jerez, Barcelona and Imola, logging over 400 laps with the team. Not only this he raced with Rodin Carlin last season across the Silverstone and Budapest rounds.
Before his F3 foray last year, Esterson began his racing career in single seaters in the UK, racing in FF1600 events including the Walter Hayes Trophy and Formula Ford Festival between 2020 and 2022.
He claimed P1 in the Walter Hayes Trophy in 2021 and followed that up by winning the Formula Ford Festival the year after as well as competing in a full season of GB3. He returned to the British series last year and ended the season 11th overall. He claimed one race victory and three podiums across his two seasons in the GB3 Championship.
I’m excited to be joining Jenzer Motorsport and to be racing in FIA F3. Jenzer has a great history of success and has proven they can run at the front in F3, which has to be considered one of the most competitive series in the world. It’s a big step up for me with more power, more downforce, and a heavier car, but I feel like I’ve gelled well with Jenzer’s family environment in the post-season tests last year and at the Macau Grand Prix in November. I’m grateful to Andreas and everyone at the team for the opportunity and to all my supporters like iRacing who have stepped up and helped me make this move. We’re working hard to be well prepared for Bahrain in February and I’m excited to get going!
Esterson on the news.
American racing driver Max Esterson will take on the challenge of competing as a rookie in the FIA F3 Championship with Jenzer Motorsport this season, after completing the official post-season 2023 test days with our team as well as the prestigious Macau World Cup. With Max competing with the American flag and sponsors, we will work to bring the next American driver into the FIA F1 paddock!
Tim Tramnitz has become MP Motorsport’s first confirmed driver for the upcoming FIA Formula 3 campaign.
The German driver joins the team fresh from competing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine where he finished the 2023 season third, he achieved three wins and a further seven podiums.
Before that, the 19 year old claimed multiple German karting titles before graduating to single-seaters in 2020. Seasons in ADAC and Italian F4 in 2021 brought runner-up finishes in them both before he switched to FRECA in 2022.
Tramnitz was also announced as a Red Bull Junior Team driver for the forthcoming season, joining the Formula 1 junior team’s ranks for 2024 and was present at all three-post season tests for MP Motorsport at the tail end of 2023.
It’s wonderful to be able to step up to FIA Formula 3 with a team such as MP Motorsport. They have won in every single-seater category that they have competed in, and I’m confident that their experience will contribute to being on the pace in FIA F3 straight out of the blocks. It was a joy to test the car at those three tracks, and I worked well with the team. So now let’s translate that to the races – I can’t wait to get started!
Tramnitz of his signing with MP.
We are truly happy to see Tim become a new member of our FIA Formula 3 driver line-up. He has been a force to be reckoned with all through his time in FRECA, so he is more than ready for his step up to the next level. The tests showed that he’s up there among the more experienced drivers, I’m sure that Tim will do the Red Bull name proud in 2024.
McLaren have become the first Formula 1 team to unveil their 2024 look by revealing their livery for the upcoming season.
The 2024 challenger will be named the MCL38 and is due to break cover on February 14th, when the team complete a shakedown at Silverstone. It will then head to Bahrain for pre-season testing, which begins on February 21st.
It features more papaya, which has been a staple of the colour scheme since 2018 in referring to their early cars, compared to last year’s livery. Anthracite is the other dominant colour – along with hints of chrome, the latter being a colour used more extensively by the team from 2006 to 2014.
The British team will run an unchanged line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Team Principal Andrea Stella set for his second season in charge. He’s been joined by respected ex-Red Bull technical wizard, Rob Marshall and former Ferrari aerodynamic David Sanchez, the duo starting work on January 2nd.
We’re delighted to launch our 2024 Formula 1 livery ahead of the new season. The design looks awesome, and I can’t wait to go racing and see it come to life on track next month. We didn’t start 2023 as we wanted but Andrea and the team did a great job following the organisational restructure coming into action, and the hard work continues as we carry that excellent momentum into the 2024 campaign. I’m confident the exciting pairing of Lando and Oscar will continue to create more mega memories together after such an impressive second half of last year, which saw the team finish fourth in the championship with 302 points. These are all steps forward from the year before as we continue our mission to push and compete at the front of the grid.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
After a busy and productive off season, we head into 2024 with our sights set on continuing our journey towards the front of the grid. Last year allowed the team to set a strong foundation for the future through continued hard work, commitment, effort and talent. With our new infrastructure upgrades and people in place, we must continue to elevate our standards and incorporate high performance in everything we do. The 2024 livery looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing our exciting driver line-up of Lando and Oscar take the MCL38 to track next month.
Stella adding to the news.
I’m looking forward to the new season ahead, it will be my sixth in Formula 1 and I’m hoping to carry the momentum we gained as a team at the end of last season to hit the ground running in Bahrain. The new livery looks great with the inclusion of segments from last year’s enhancements, I’m sure the fans will love it as much as me. Everyone at the factory has worked incredibly hard in the off season, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the 2024 car to challenge our competitors towards the front of the grid.
Norris on the livery.
The 2024 livery looks really cool and I’m looking forward to racing in the iconic colours of McLaren for a second season. I made some special memories with the team in my rookie year, securing two podiums and a Sprint win. I‘m going to work hard alongside the whole team to take those results into the start of the new season and compete well with our competitors to give the fans more memorable moments.
Doriane Pin has been announced as the newest member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme, with the 20 year old representing the German team in the 2024 F1 Academy season.
Competing for PREMA Racing and supported by Iron Dames, Pin switches over to single-seaters after enjoying tremendous success in endurance racing. Starting her career in karting in 2016, she went on to win the 2019 French Championship female category before progressing to the Le Mans Cup in 2021, where she scored five podiums.
2022 proved to be a breakthrough year for the Frenchwoman. Dominating the Ferrari Challenge Europe, she secured nine wins out of 14 races on her way to being crowned Champion. Not only this, her victory at the 24 Hours of Spa and achieving a historic win in the GTE-AM Class at the European Le Mans Series season-finale.
Making the step up to the FIA World Endurance Championship grid for 2023, Pin became the first woman to win the coveted ‘Revelation of the Year’ Award. Last year also saw her get her first little taste of single-seaters, finishing second in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship with one win to her name.
I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme and to represent the team in F1 Academy this year with PREMA Racing. A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project. I am grateful for their trust and honoured to race for their colours. Moving into single-seaters was a clear objective for my career, and to be in this environment is a great approach. I am working very hard to reach the top level of this sport and I cannot wait to go racing.
Pin on the news.
Doriane is an exciting talent and we’re pleased to begin our participation in F1 Academy with her as our chosen driver. We have kept a close eye on her development in recent years as she has consistently impressed. The fantastic support of Deborah Mayer and the Iron Dames organisation has enabled her to display her abilities to this point; she has taken full advantage of that opportunity with determination and skill. We now look forward to working in conjunction with Iron Dames, PREMA Racing, and F1 Academy, to support Doriane as she takes the next step in her career.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal.
It’s extraordinary for a young woman of 20 to join the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, one of the most prestigious teams in Formula 1. Since her entry into the Iron Dames project in 2021, Doriane has been a demonstration of talent, determination, and exceptional maturity. Becoming a member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme is a promising step in her young career. As F1 Academy has developed, lining-up for its second season promises to be an interesting challenge for her. This is also a wonderful and very positive symbol of the resonance and impact that the Iron Dames project can have in nurturing and blossoming talent. We are proud and delighted to be able to continue to support Doriane as she takes her dream as far as possible.
Reigning world champions Red Bull, have followed swiftly in the footsteps of Mercedes and Alpine by confirming the launch date for their 2024 challenger.
Red Bull are preparing for their 20th season in Formula 1, having debuted back in 2005, and will show off their car on February 15th.
Following F1’s move to ground effect regulations in 2022, Red Bull have dominated proceedings to rack up drivers’ and constructors’ titles for the last two seasons. It was a particularly commanding display from the Milton Keynes quad last year, who won 21 out of 22 races, with Max taking 19 of them.
Verstappen will be pushing to make it four drivers’ crowns on the bounce in 2024, having also claimed the 2021 title after a fierce battle with Mercedes rival, Lewis Hamillton. Whilst his teammate Sergio Perez is looking to build on a personal best P2 in the standings.
Nissan’s Oliver Rowland went quickest in the Diriyan desert, as the grid prepared to take on the first double header of the season.
Track evolution meant that the times kept tumbling, although the session was brought to a brief halt as the Envision Racing car of Sebastien Buemi stopped on track.
Jean Eric-Vergne for DS PENSKE finished the session in second 0.165s behind Rowland, with his teammate Stoffel Vandoorne popping into third.
The Envision Racing duo of Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns were the first to set the lap times, but quickly the rest of the grid followed. Reigning champion, Jake Dennis was the last to get a time in, but it didn’t impact his session as he finished in the top five.
Just over halfway through the session, double yellow flags were waved as Buemi came to a stop on the circuit between Turns 3 and 4. He made his way back to the garage, but his car was in a red condition which meant extra precautions had to be taken to remove it from the track. As a result of the delay, the session was extended by 12 minutes by the FIA to make sure the drivers got as many laps on the board as possible.
FP2-
Andretti’s Norman Nato topped the timesheets in the second Free Practice session, as the drivers took to the epic Diriyah track in the midday sun. His teammate, Jake Dennis finished third, with Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther sandwiched between the two in second.
Teams and drivers headed out in the midday sun to get as much track time and data as they could. Track evolution continues to be rapid here, as the dirt and dust from the desert is kicked up by the grid as they fly around this 2.49km circuit.
Jake Dennis topped the timesheets with a 1m15.067s as he set the three fastest sectors with 18 minutes to go, and continued to keep locking in faster laps over the session.
Both Mahindras were looking rapid, with Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries going first and second with 13 minutes left on the clock. De Vries has won here twice before and Mortara has had some amazing overtakes.
Qualifying-
DS PENSKE’s Jean Eric-Vergne sealed Julius Baer Pole Position and jumped up to the top of the Drivers’ standings.
Vergne went up against the Jaguar TCS Racing of Mitch Evans as both drivers and teams were fighting for their first pole at this circuit.
Group A, was packed with lots of familiar favourites. However it was Cassidy, Dennis, Wehrlein and Evans who made it through. Last year’s polesitter Jake Hughes looked an early favourite, as he pushed his McLaren to the limit and even clipped the wall slightly to get himself half a second clear. However, a second attempt at a fast lap led to Hughes making a mistake and not doing enough to improve on his time to finish fifth in the group.
Group B, the next group took to track shortly after, with plenty of big names trying to make it through to the Duels.
In the end it was Vergne who went to the top when the chequered flag fell with a 1m 12.856s. Joining him in the Semi’s was Sette Camara who got ERT’s first Duels appearance of the year, Guenther in third and Nato in fourth.
The biggest shock of the Group Stages were Antonio Felix da Costa as he finished Group B in ninth. The season 6 champion hasn’t looked completely comfortable in his Porsche so far this weekend, so will hope he can make up some good positions.
The full top 10 from qualifying are- P1: Vergne, P2: Evans, P3: Dennis, P4: Sette Camara, P5: Nato, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Cassidy, P8: Guenther, P9: Bird and P10: Hughes.
Round 2-
Reigning champion, Jake Dennis bounced back from disappointment in the Mexico City season-opener to win by more than 13 seconds in the first round of the Diriyah double-header!
Polesitter, Jean Eric Vergne had bolted off the line to hold an early lead and was forced into fending off the Jaguar TCS Racing pair of Mitch Ecans and Nick Cassidy as the race reached its climax.
A last lap lunge from Evans, running third at the time but with second in his sight, cost the Kiwi a podium as he overcooked the stop into Turn 18, handing third to his teammate Cassidy. Cassidy, took his own direction on strategy of the leaders, opting to take his two mandatory Attack Mode boosts late on as he clambered through from seventh on the grid at the start.
The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Vergne, P3: Cassidy, P4: Bird, P5: Evans, P6: Nato, P7: Guenther, P8: Wehrlein, P9: Sette Camara and P10: Frijns.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal and also owns one-third of the team, will remain in his role until at least the first year of F1’s next big rule change.
Wolff, INEOS and Mercedes-Benz said the trio decided “let’s do it again” as they plot a way back to the summit of the sport.
The Austrian has held the team principal role in addition to shareholding at Mercedes since joining from Williams in 2013, which led them to a record eight successive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 to 2021.
There was some speculation over Wolff’s future in the day-to-day team boss role at Mercedes, but the 52 year old feels he remains the best person for the job.
Mercedes this year are looking to build on respective P3 and P2 finishes in the 2022 and 2023 constructors’ standings.
I think the most important thing between the three of us is that we trust each other. At the end of the day, as a shareholder myself, I want the best return on investment. And the best return on investment is winning. I’m not going to try to hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me. I make sure that I have people around who can tell me otherwise. In the end the three of us decided: ‘Let’s do it again’. I’m part of this team in various functions. I’m a co-shareholder. I’m on the board. These are things which will not change whatever executive, or non-executive, role I have. But I feel good. The risk for me is always more bore-out than burnout. And that’s why I embrace the challenges we have today, even though they sometimes feel very, very difficult to manage.
Mercedes and Alpine are the latest teams to confirm their launch plans ahead of the 2024 season, meaning more than half of the F1 grid have done so.
Slotting in a couple of days after the Williams and Sauber outfits, Alpine will stage what they have described as a ‘motorsports season launch’ for their F1 and World Endurance Championship operations on February 7th.
Alpine, finished the 2023 season sixth overall, falling down two places since the 2022 season. The team will add to their F1 programme with an assault on the hypercar class of WEC – with Mick Schumacher having being signed as one of their drivers.
One week later, and coming just after Aston Martin and Ferrari, the Mercedes W15 is set to break cover on February 14th via a digital launch event broadcast live from Silverstone.
It is a car the Silver Arrows hope will bring them back into contention after their run of eight successive constructors’ titles came to an end in 2022, with only just one race victory recovered over the last two campaigns.
Rodin Motorsport have announced that Joseph Loake will be racing for them in FIA Formula 3 in 2024.
The 18 year old is making the move to Formula 3 after enjoying a stellar season racing in the GB3 Championship in which he finished third overall, scoring four wins to go along with eight podiums and three pole positions.
Loake started his single seater career back in 2019, where he went to BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship, even though he missed the opening round he still went on to finish second in the Championship. A year later, he came back for a second year in the series, he won all eight races and clinched the championship at Croft, where he won the title 50 points ahead of his nearest rival.
The Brit then moved onto Formula 4 in 2021, where he took 3 wins, 5 podiums on the way to finish 6th. He done a second consecutive season with JHR Developments where he grabbed four wins, two poles and 9 podiums on the way to finish 5th.
In 2023, Loake moved onto GB3 Championship, but stuck with JHR Development for the third year running. He took four wins, three poles and eight podiums to finish 3rd overall. In December 2023, Loake was also named as the winner of the Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year award, and is set to receive a test drive with Aston Martin.
I’m so pleased to be moving to the FIA F3 Championship for the upcoming season. To have been given the incredible opportunity to race in such a fantastic championship with Rodin Motorsport is something I could have only dreamed of a few months ago, so I cannot wait to get cracking and make the most of it.
Loake on the news.
Joseph is a driver who has already done great things in his short career. He’s adapted well to every car he’s ever driven and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do behind the wheel of the F3 car. While it’s going to, no doubt, be a big challenge for him I have confidence that he will work well with the team and put everything into the upcoming year. I can’t wait to start working together.
Guenther Steiner has left his role as Team Principal of Haas F1 Team, with Director of Engineering Ayao Komatsu stepping up to replace him.
Steiner has led the team since the American squad entered F1 in 2016. The Italian was F1’s third longest-serving team principal, behind Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, and a popular figure in the sport.
The team enjoyed genuine highs while under Steiner’s guidance, including points on debut in Australia in 2016, a maiden pole position in Brazil last year and a fifth placed finish in the constructors’ championship in 2018.
However, when there is highs, there is lows… Last year was tough for the Haas team, the finished last in the constructors’ championship, a drop of two places on the previous season, as they struggled to transform one-lap pace in qualifying into points-scoring race pace on Sunday.
After discussions between Steiner and owner Gene Haas over the winter, it was decided that Steiner would leave the team with immediate effect.
His replacement Komatsu, 47, has worked with Haas since they debuted in F1 in 2016, starting out as Chief Race Engineer and rising to Director of Engineering.
He has over 20 years of experience in Formula 1, working across engineering and management roles with British American Racing, plus a long stint at Renault before he joined Haas.
Haas say Komatsu will take responsibility for the team’s overall strategy, and ultimately on track performance with a brief to maximise the team’s potential through employee empowerment and structural process and efficiency.
With Komatsu focused on the on-track performance, Haas plan to recruit a European-based Chief Operating Officer who will look after all non-competition matters and departments, including areas such as HR, admin, finance, marketing and communications.
I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future. Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management. We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization. We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team. I’m looking forward to working with Ayao and fundamentally ensuring that we maximize our potential – this truly reflects my desire to compete properly in Formula 1.
Gene Haas, Owner.
I’m naturally very excited to have the opportunity to be Team Principal at Haas. Having been with the team since its track-debut back in 2016 I’m obviously passionately invested in its success in Formula 1. I’m looking forward to leading our program and the various competitive operations internally to ensure we can build a structure that produces improved on-track performances. We are a results-based business at the end of the day, and we obviously haven’t been competitive enough recently which has been a source of frustration. We have amazing support from Gene and our various partners – particularly MoneyGram, and we want to mirror their enthusiasm with an improved on-track product. We have a great team of people across Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello and together I know we can reach the kind of performances we’re capable of.
Carrie Schreiner will be returning for a second F1 Academy season, as the German driver has been announced as part of the Sauber Academy for the upcoming season, where she will drive for Campos Racing.
Last year, saw the 25 year old score 11 points-scoring finishes, including a maiden victory in Race 2 at Zandvoort.
Schreiner, began her racing career in 2011, she became the first and only female driver to secure the X30 Junior Championship title in the 2012 ADAC Kart Masters. After graduating to single-seaters in 2015, she made the switch to GT Racing two years later.
In 2018, she secured both titles in both the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East Pro-Am class and the DMV Grand Turismo Touring Car Cup – Class 1. Further success followed when she won the SP8 class in the 2021 ADAC 24 Hours of Nurburgring alongside finishing fifth in the Italian GT Championship GT3 Pro-Am Class Sprint Standings.
I am proud to represent this team and the Sauber Academy in F1 Academy this year. After an exciting first season, I’m looking forward to getting back to work. Sauber has an impressive motorsport history and I want to play my part in continuing its success story in F1 Academy. My goal for this season is only one: to win, and to do so flying the flag for the team, while generating more awareness for women in motorsport. F1 Academy is a great platform to realise my ambitions, and I am highly motivated to achieve new milestones with our team and Campos Racing.
Schreiner on the news.
It is a pleasure to welcome Carrie to the team, and we are looking forward to our journey together in F1 Academy. Despite her young age, Carrie already boasts an impressive track record, which shows great racecraft and a strong ability to adapt to so many different series. We can’t wait to get started and see what we can build together. With the expertise and the support of our Formula 1 team, the Sauber Academy, and Campos Racing, entities with decades-long experience in motorsport, we are confident we will achieve great things together.
Beat Zehnder, Sauber Academy Director.
We are delighted to welcome Carrie to the team, and to begin a new collaboration with Sauber. Both our outfits boast vast experience in nurturing and raising the champions of tomorrow, and we cannot wait to get started. Carrie showed great promise in her previous racing experiences, and we are ready to support her as we go for gold in the 2024 F1 Academy season.
Jenzer Motorsport have announced that they have signed rookie Matias Zagazeta ahead of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 season – the 20 year old becoming the first of the Swiss outfit’s three drivers confirmed for the year.
From Lima in Peru, Zagazeta began his career karting in the USA, winning multiple titles, before taking his talents across the pond to Europe. He then moved over to single seater racing in 2020, taking part in the F4 British Championship, finishing as the runner-up in his second year in the category back in 2021.
After two seasons, in Formula Regional, Zagazeta took part in the F3 post-season test in Imola with Jenzer at the end of the 2023 campaign before also competing in the Macau World Cup with the team.
I am delighted to confirm that I will be driving for Jenzer Motorsport for the 2024 FIA F3 season. It is an incredible opportunity for me, and I can’t thank Jenzer enough for this opportunity and to my sponsors for making this possible. Working already with the team during testing and the Macau Grand Prix helped us understand the position we are in and get to know the team. I am excited to see what next year will bring and we will work hard to achieve some memorable results together.
Zagazeta on the news.
We are looking forward to continue working with Matias after getting to know him in testing and at Macau. He is a great young racing driver with a big passion and strong motivation. It takes a big heart to step up to the third highest level of motorsport, and we are happy that Matias will be at the steering wheel of one of our FIA F3 racing machines this season. Let’s get some great results together.
NEOM McLaren has confirmed Taylor Barnard will be its Reserve and Development driver through Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
In his new role, Barnard will work directly with the team in Bicester and Woking, contributing to the team’s development, while growing his knowledge and experience within the series.
The 19 year old got his first taste of Formula E in October 2023, having driven for the team as a rookie driver during the Valencia pre-season test.
Barnard from Norwich, England, first entered single seater racing in 2020. Since then, he has become the 2022 ADAC Formula 4 runner up, as well as the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship runner-up.
In 2023, during his debut season in FIA Formula 3, he took his maiden victory in the championship at Spa-Francorchamps.
I’m super excited and honoured to be joining the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team as a Reserve and Development Driver. Having an opportunity to work with a team such as NEOM McLaren is a great opportunity for my future and I will be working as hard as I can to support the team and working hard to learn as much as possible!
Barnard on the news.
I am delighted to officially welcome Taylor to the team, after giving him his first taste of electric racing in Valencia last October. He is an incredibly impressive up-and-coming talent in single seater motorsport, and I’m looking forward to working with him in 2024. Taylor will play an important role within our team, and I am confident he will be adding value to the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team with his drive and talent, while also gaining valuable experience himself along the way.
Ian James, Managing Director, NEOM McLaren Electric Racing and Team Principal, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.
Williams have announced that Mercedes-Benz will remain as their power unit supplier from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards.
Mercedes started supplying Williams with engines in 2014, when the turbo-hybrid got underway, and the new deal means the partnership will extend into the 2026 technical regulation changes.
F1’s future power units will exclusively use 100% sustainable fuel, reducing overall consumption, while their electrical systems will be upgraded to achieve higher performance.
Williams’ Team Principal, James Vowles spent more than a decade at Mercedes and will have an impressive knowledge of the work Mercedes HPP do at Brixworth to create such a successful power unit.
For Mercedes it makes sense as they have enjoyed a long relationship which helps them to gather data to develop the new generation of power units, also it’s about maintaining the relationship for Mercedes to potentially run one of their juniors with Williams in the future, as they did with George Russell.
We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1. The expertise, support and technology that Mercedes brings to the table align perfectly with our team’s aspirations in the medium and long term. This long-term agreement with Mercedes is a positive step and forms part of our objectives for the future, whilst we will still retain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities in-house.
James Vowles on the news.
We are delighted to confirm Williams Racing as the second customer team that we will supply for the 2026 power unit regulations. Today’s news highlights the strength of the Mercedes-Benz offering in F1 and importantly not only validates, but reinforces, our overall motorsport strategy. Since 2014, we have continued to build and develop our relationship with Williams. As the team continues to put the foundations in place to challenge at the front of the grid, we look forward to supporting them with our power unit supply
Tim Maylon has been confirmed as the new FIA’s Sporting Director within the Single-Seater department, replacing Steve Nielsen.
In his new role, Maylon will oversee all sporting matters, including Race Direction and the Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Geneva. He will report to Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s Single-Seater Director. Under Maylon’s direction, Niels Wittich will continue in the role of Race Director.
The Canadian has had a distinguished career within motorsport, which includes a 12 year period with Red Bull Racing, whom he joined when the team was previously Jaguar Racing. He helped contribute to Red Bull’s four constructors’ and drivers’ title from 2010 – 2013 as he worked in various engineering roles.
He went on to work for Sauber Motorsport in 2015, becoming their Head of Track Engineering, before joining BMW Motorsport as a Chief Engineer for its DTM programme in 2016. Following two successful years, and one championship, Maylon would then take the roles of both Track Engineering Department Leader and Chief Engineer for BMW’s Formula E team.
In 2019, he went on to join the FIA as Head of Research and was then appointed to the position of Safety Director in 2021. He also had a key role in the establishment of the ROC and has performed the operational duties of ROC Project Leader since May 2022.
I am delighted to be taking on the role of Sporting Director. We have already brought significant change to our Race Direction operation with the support of the ROC and I look forward to taking that to the next level. We are also committed to a broad regulatory review of sporting matters, and I look forward to applying a sharper focus to those efforts in the future.
Maylon on the news.
I am excited to welcome Tim to the role of Single-Seater Sporting Director. Tim has a wealth of motorsport experience and expertise at the highest level. He will play a major role as we continue to bring rigour to our sporting and regulatory practices and procedures, and he will drive the innovation we have brought to our Race Control operation. Tim has been pivotal in creating a strong synergy between Race Control and the ROC with the introduction of new technology including artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art data analysis and processing systems. He will continue to oversee advances in that area as well as taking the lead on the evolution of FIA sporting regulations.
Sporting Director, Tombazis.
With Maylon stepping in as the new Sporting Director, the FIA have confirmed that his predecessor Nielsen will be leaving the organisation at the end of January.
I’d like to thank the FIA for the opportunity to work on the regulatory side of the sport, which has been a fantastic experience for me over the past year. The FIA team working in Formula 1 are a hugely passionate, dedicated group of people who work incredibly hard to achieve the best outcomes for the sport, and I am sure that the positive work that we have done together already will continue into the future.
Nielsen on the news.
It has also been confirmed that Tim Gloss will leave his position as Technical Director at the FIA to take up a position outside of the federation.
It’s been an honour to work as Technical Director at the FIA and to help shape the future of the sport. I take immense pride and satisfaction from the numerous achievements of the Technical Department during my stint at the FIA. The department boasts a number of highly-talented individuals and I believe the organisation is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations. I leave with fond memories of my time with the FIA.
Aston Martin have become the fourth team to confirm their 2024 car launch plans, with the new AMR24 set to be revealed on February 12th.
It follows on from announcements that Williams and Sauber will kick off their seasons on February 5th, and Ferrari on February 13th a day after Aston Martin.
Aston Martin were one of the surprises of the 2023 campaign as a busy winter of development saw them initially emerge as Red Bull’s nearest challengers.
While that strong start did fade throughout the season, the team and new signing Fernando Alonso ended the year with eight podium finishes, as well as rising from seventh to fifth in the constructors’ standings.
As per the rest of the F1 grid, the Silverstone based team will field an unchanged driver line-up in 2024 as Alonso continues alongside Lance Stroll, who is set for his fourth season in green.
Alonso recently commented that Aston Martin had opportunities to win races in 2023 and set a series of targets for the AMR24, including improved top speed, a wider operating window and more consistency.
The FIA Formula E World Championship got underway with Free Practice 1 in Mexico City. 22 drivers took to the 2.63km Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, but it was NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes who set the early pace with a 1m 14.364s.
However, no sooner had the British driver gone top of the timesheet’s, he had made a mistake and ended in the barrier. TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein finished in second, with ABT CUPRA’s Nico Mueller making a surprise appearance in third.
Getting the laps in under the hot Mexican sun, Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans started quickest. However, green flag conditions didn’t last long as Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther brought a stop to the session.
Guenther managed to slide his way around the final corner in dramatic fashion, kicking up a tonne of dust in the process. But although the move might have looked stylish, the four-time race winner damaged his suspension in the process.
The dirty track made for lots of close calls coming out of the final corner, with Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz almost replicating the same slide as Guenther but with better consequences as he just ran wide over the kerb.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hughes, P2: Wehrlein, P3: Muller, P4: Frijns, P5: Dennis, P6: Da Costa, P7: Evans, P8: Fenestraz, P9: Rowland and P10: Nato.
FP2-
Mitch Evans topped the timesheets on the first session of race day in Mexico City. The Kiwi driver, who will start the E-Prix with a one place grid penalty for not following red flag procedure in FP1, finished with a time of 1m 13.606s.
Maserati’s Maximilian Guenther finished in second which would be a welcomed result after hitting the wall the day before, and third was Envision’s newest recruit Robin Frijns.
It was a cold start to the second Free Practice session as it got underway at 7:30 local time. The low temperatures meant drivers would take a few more laps than usual to warm up their tyres.
With ever-changing conditions, the times were always improving. Several drivers were pushing their Gen3 cars to their limits, with reigning champion Jake Dennis exploring all of the track and NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird going straight on at Turn 1.
ERT Formula E’s Sergio Sette Camara brought out some double-waved yellows with seven minutes left of the session. The Brazilian made a similar mistake making contact with the barriers in shakedown.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Gunther, P3: Frijns, P4: Cassidy, P5: Vandoorne, P6: Buemi, P7: Rowland, P8: Vergne, P9: Dennis and P10: Hughes.
Qualifying-
Formula E’s first qualifying of the year got underway, with drivers wasting no time heading out onto the track. During Group A, Norman Nato kissed the barriers on the entry to the iconic Foro Sol stadium and narrowly managed to avoid any serious damage and contact with the wall. Not only this, Lucas di Grassi had a whack with the barriers, on what is the team’s 100th E-Prix in Formula E. Dan Ticktum was on a strong lap, before he was impacted by debris from di Grassi’s incident.
In Group B, it was much less eventful on track, with Maximilian Guenther going top. Joining him in the duels were Hughes, BUemi and Evans. There was plenty of eyes on Nyck de Vries in the Mahindra car as the Season 7 Champ makes his return to Formula E.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein started Round 1 in the best possible fashion, sealing Julius Baer Pole Position in Mexico City. He has tied the Formula E record for the most pole positions at a single circuit.
Wehrlein took on Envision’s Racing’s Sebastien Buemi in the final of the duel, with both Jaguar TCS Racing drivers being knocked out of the semis. Reigning champion, Jake Dennis was knocked out during the Group stages and will start 14th in a shocking twist as he fights to retain his title in Season 10.
The full top 10 are- P1: Wehrlein, P2: Buemi, P3: Cassidy, P4: Evans, P5: Gunther, P6: Hughes, P7: Vandoorne, P8: Frijns, P9: Fenestraz and P10: Vergne.
Round 1-
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein repeated the feat of two seasons prior, where he secured his and Porsche’s first Formula E victory, as the German driver sealed another well-managed drive to the top step. He lead home, Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi and Jaguar TCS Racing debutant Nick Cassidy.
Wehrlein, who was a title contender in Gen3’s inaugural campaign, threw down the gauntlet with a controlled drive from lights out and pole to the chequered flag, only briefly losing the lead through Attack Mode and a spell under Full Course Yellow.
Robin Frijns, fell all the way back through the pack from seventh on the grid to 15th, thanks to a technical issue, causing a knock-one melee in mid-pack which forced him into making up a lot of places.
At the start of lap 3, it was as you were in the top six with Wehrlein still leading. Meanwhile, contact between the sister TAG Heuer Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa and Nico Mueller saw the end of the race with broken suspension for the former and the latter in the wall and to 19th and last.
On lap 9, Robin Frijns – perhaps to make up for his slow start – found the wall, over cooking it on the exit of the Foro Sol and finding the wall in a big way, having just rounded Edo Mortara’s Mahindra. A full course yellow would be required for his car’s removal from the circuit.
With the race reaching its climax, Wherlein looked comfortable and capable to managing things from P1 – with Buemi being held back by some two second with eight laps to go plus two added laps for time lost from the full course yellow.
The top 10 is- P1: Wehrlein, P2: Buemi, P3: Cassidy, P4: Gunther, P5: Evans, P6: Vergne, P7: Hughes, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Dennis and P10: Nato.
Callum Voisin will step up to FIA Formula 3 with Rodin Carlin in 2024. The 17 year old joins F3 after winning the GB3 Championship with the British team last season.
After spending 2019 and 2020 racing in karting, Voisin made the step up into car racing, competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2021. He followed that up with a switch to single seaters and GB3, racing with Rodin Carlin in 2022 and 2023, culminating in last year’s title success.
He claimed 17 podium finishes, five fastest laps, 11 pole positions and five race victories across those two seasons, with two victories and six poles launching him to the GB3 title success.
The Brit also took part in post-season testing with the team, following the end of last year’s F3 season, forming part of the Rodin Carlin lineup at the Jerez, Barcelona and Imola tests.
I am absolutely thrilled to be staying with Rodin Carlin for the 2024 FIA F3 season. It is a dream of mine to race alongside the Formula 1 stage, so I can’t wait to get started with pre-season testing in Bahrain. There is plenty for me to learn, not least new tracks and a different car. I am immensely grateful to Rodin Carlin, RDA and Edge management for making this possible.
Voisin on his promotion.
I’m so pleased that Callum will be joining our FIA F3 team for the upcoming season. Callum has been part of the wider Rodin Carlin team for the past two seasons so being able to build on that strong working relationship is something I’m incredibly happy we can continue. Despite the learning curve ahead, I have no doubt that Callum with be a huge asset to the team following what was a brilliant GB3 Championship winning campaign.
The Sauber-run Formula 1 team that previously operated as Alfa Romeo has officially launched its new identity ahead of the 2024 F1 season, now known as Stake F1 Team.
Betting, entertainment and lifestyle brand Stake has stepped up its involvement after joining the then Alfa Romeo-branded team as a title sponsor in 2023. Stake will now be the squad’s official name for two years before it transitions to Audi in 2026.
Audi is in the process of taking over what’s now Stake, before entering F1 as a manufacturer in 2026 with its own team and engine. It bought a minority stake in the team at the start of 2023 and is set to increase that to 50% and then 75% over the next year or so.
But while Audi gears up for 2026 and Sauber’s existing Ferrari engine deal runs till the end of 2025, Sauber has struck new naming rights deals for the intervening years.
It has run under the Alfa Romeo name for the last few seasons, initially just in title sponsorship form in 2018 before selling the team and chassis name to the Italian manufacturer from 2019 through to the end of 2023.
The end of the Alfa Romeo deal could have led to a revival of the Sauber name, which the team ran under until its BMW takeover in 2006 and then again after BMW’s exit from 2010 until the Alfa tie-up.
Williams and Sauber will launch their respective 2024 Formula 1 campaigns on February 5th.
Williams did not reveal many details about their launch plans, as they look on to build a superb seventh-place finish in the constructors’ championship this season.
The British team have been working on their car for a significant amount of time, having shifted all of their resources to 2024 after race eight in Canada.
Sauber, who will be known as Stake F1 Team from 2024, also didn’t reveal much in details. However, the Swiss team did reveal they will hold an early evening event that will take place in London for the first time.
The London launch will be the first chance to see their new team identity in the flesh, with the team saying it will delivery the wow factor to our sport.
Williams and Sauber are the second and third teams respectively to send out a save the date for their season launch, after Ferrari got in first when they pencilled in February 13th.
Hitech Pulse-Eight have become the fifth team to confirm their lineup announcing that Cian Shields will be driving for them in the 2024 Formula 3 season.
The 18 year old moves up to the third tier off the back of a successful campaign in the Euroformula Open Championship this year. He earned the Vice Champion title with four wins and 10 podiums to his name.
Shields got his first taste of the F3 car during the three post-season tests, earning the sixth-fastest time of the second day of running in Jerez.
Shields’ karting career began in 2016, with him going on to achieve third in the IAME Winter Cup X30 Junior category two years later, before being crowned Champion in the IAME Series Benelux Junior category in 2019.
Graduating to single seaters in 2022, he competed in the GB3 Championship with Hitech, he finished 13th in the standings, securing one victory and two podiums across the season. He will be reuniting with the British team to partner compatriot Luke Browning and fellow rookie, Martinius Stenshorne next season.
I am excited to join Hitech in FIA F3 next year. It will be a new challenge for me, but one I am looking forward to. Having raced with the team in GB3 in 2022, I have every confidence that they will allow me to develop in my rookie season in the series. Looking forward to getting the season started in Bahrain!
Shields on the news.
We are delighted to add Cian to our Formula 3 line-up for next season. We are confident in his ability, having raced with the team in GB3 last year and taking a win and podiums together. Here’s to a successful season ahead!
DAMS have finalised their driver pairing for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season, announcing that Juan Manuel Correa will be joining the French team, partnering up with compatriot Jak Crawford.
The American driver made his full time return to the Championship this year with Van Amersfoort Racing, achieving six points-scoring finishes and a best result of fourth in the Spielberg Sprint Race.
Correa brings with him an abundance of single seater and sports car experience since his debut in ADAC and Italian Formula 4 in 2016. He then graduated to GP3 full time in 2018, finishing 12th overall.
A promotion to Formula 2 the following year, where he scored two second place finishes before sustaining major injuries in the tragic event at Spa-Francorchamps.
Proving his resilience and determination in the face of extensive rehabilitation, Correa made a hard-earned comeback to racing in 2021 to compete in Formula 3. His sophomore campaign last year was capped off with a podium finish in the Zandvoort Sprint Race before he made his return to the second tier with a one-off appearance at the 2022 Yas Marina season finale ahead of his 2023 campaign.
Additionally, the 24 year old claimed a European Le Mans Series victory last year and contested the 2023 World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
I’m delighted to be a part of DAMS for the 2024 season. I feel that it is the best place for me to continue to rebuild my career and push towards my long-term objectives. I’m eager to begin working with the team and to show what I can do on track.
Correa on the news.
We are excited to see Juan Manuel join us for 2024, he has potential and is a great team player. We’ve already seen encouraging signs that he’s forming a strong working relationship with Jak and the rest of the crew. He has shown his resilient mentality with his desire to return to racing after a very difficult period out of the sport. His ability to provide useful feedback to our engineers and his willingness to absorb new information leaves us confident that we can achieve strong results together in the coming year.
Jordan's Track Talk 