Jak Crawford will be returning for a second Formula 2 campaign next year, partnering up with DAMS for the 2024 season.
The 18 year old became an F2 race winner in his rookie year, taking the Spielberg Sprint Race victory for Hitech Pulse-Eight. He went on to finish 13th in the Drivers’ Standings with a further four podium finishes and a pole position to his name.
Crawford’s single-seater career began in 2018 when the American driver finished second in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship. From there, he moved over to racing in Europe, claiming five wins and further seven podiums on his way to second in the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 Championship, alongside sixth in Italian F4.
Graduating to Formula 3 in 2021 with Hitech, he earned his maiden podium in Spa. At the same time, he achieved third in Euroformula Open, despite only racing in 16 out of the 24 races.
Returning for a second campaign the following year with Prema Racing, Crawford kept himself in title contention until the final round, eventually finishing seventh overall with one win and four more podiums before stepping up to F2 this season.
I’m very excited to be joining DAMS for 2024. I believe the team is the best place for me to be for the coming season to get the most out of myself as a driver in my second season of Formula 2. I’ve been impressed by the work ethic and achievements of the squad. I believe that together, we can achieve strong results in next year’s campaign. Our goal for next year is to make the absolute most of every race weekend. I’m looking forward to joining up with DAMS in the post-season test to begin working with them ahead of next season.
Crawford on the news.
We’re delighted to have such a young talent in Jak driving for us in next season. He has already demonstrated his ability and dedication throughout his career, and showed he is ready to compete at the front in F2 with his victory and podiums this year. We’re excited to work with him during post-season testing at Abu Dhabi and to deliver a strong 2024 campaign together.
Invicta Virtuosi Racing have confirmed their line-up for the 2024 Formula 2 season with Alpine junior Kush Maini and 2023 Formula 3 Champion, Gabriel Bortoleto joining the team.
The Indian driver competed this year with Campos Racing in what was his rookie campaign. He achieved 12 points finishes and a podium in the Melbourne Sprint Race during an impressive season.
Starting out in single seaters in Italian F4 in 2016, Maini claimed podium finishes in the series before moving up to British F3 where he finished third and second overall in 2018 and 2020 respectively. He moved up to F3 in 2022 and finished 14th before graduating to Formula 2 this year and impressing in his first full season.
Bortoleto became the first Brazilian to win the F3 title, where he took two feature race wins and a further four podiums en route to the Championship. He failed to score on just three occasions during the ’23 season, achieving an unmatched level of consistency with 15 scoring results from a possible 18.
Prior to winning the F3 title, the 19 year old achieved wins in Italian F4 and Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine between 2020 and 2022 before his move to F3.
I am very excited to announce that in the 2024 season, I will be competing with Invicta Virtuosi Racing in FIA Formula 2. They have a winning history, having secured the runner-up position in the team championship three times, and together, our goal will be to aim for the best positions for the team. In 2023, they achieved pole positions and victories, and I hope to build a strong and consistent story with them throughout the year. We will have a new car in the championship, and our first challenge will be to adapt quickly and efficiently to start the year on a high note. I am coming from a season of significant personal growth, culminating in the FIA F3 title. I hope to continue this process of evolution as a driver in 2024 and naturally become a victorious driver in the next stages of my career.
Bortoleto on moving up.
I’m super excited and grateful to be joining Invicta Virtuosi Racing for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 championship. They have a great pedigree in Formula 2 and, prior to that, in GP2, and I am looking forward to growing further as a racing driver with the team. A massive thank you to Invicta Virtuosi for putting their trust in me and to the Alpine Academy and my management team for their support. I’ll do my best to hopefully bring many trophies back to the workshop.
Maini on the switch.
We’re delighted to have Gabriel Bortoleto joining us for his debut season in Formula 2. His consistency throughout his rookie campaign in Formula 3 impressed everyone and earned him a convincing and thoroughly deserved championship victory. This was acknowledged by the world of F1 as he became a McLaren Development Driver. Gabriel has visited us at our base in Norfolk and kept in touch since his signing. He’s left a good impression on everyone here and has quickly become part of the team. We were impressed by his adaptation to Formula 3 and, like everyone, are excited to see what he can do in 2024 as he continues to hone and add to his already admirable skillset. Kush has had a solid debut season in Formula 2. He got up to speed immediately and was able to produce good results in 2023. We’ve already spent considerable time with Kush since he first signed for the team and his mentality and approach align well with ours. He has shown dedication and an impressive work effort, and we look forward to helping him add to his F2 podium tally as he continues to improve as a racing driver. He joins Gabriel Bortoleto at the team for 2024, and we are expecting to achieve big things with such a strong duo at the wheel.
McLaren have opted for continuity and stability by extending their deal to run Mercedes power units until 2030.
The British team have run Mercedes power since 2021 and previously between 1995 and 2014 – and already had an arrangement that run until 2025.
However, with new power unit regulations – with an enhanced focus on electrical power looming in 2026, McLaren and Mercedes have moved to get a deal done quickly.
After returning to Mercedes following a disappointing partnership with Honda, followed by three seasons of Renault power, McLaren have since won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix – the most recent win for any customer team in F1.
They have also had 15 podiums in that period, plus pole at the F1 Sprint in Brazil and pole and a victory in the F1 Sprint in Qatar earlier this year – and they have emerged as the second-fastest team on pure pace behind Red Bull in the second half of this season.
Mercedes-Benz have been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. The extension signifies the confidence that our shareholders and the wider team have in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead. We have been successful together, both in the last three seasons and when they previously powered the team, so we look forward to the success to come as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations. We have great confidence in Mercedes and our relationship with them. They’ve supported our journey back to the front of the grid so far, and the security and stability this partnership brings is vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I would like to thank them for their collaboration so far and we look forward to the years to come.
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal.
It has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy to work with strong customer teams. This has many advantages. It gives a clear competitive benchmark, accelerates our technical learning, and strengthens the overall F1 business case for Mercedes-Benz. McLaren have been fierce and fair competitors since 2021, especially in the second half of this season. McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all customer teams in the sport, if we wish to achieve the goal of 10 teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.
Tina Hausmann has become the third driver announced for the 2024 F1 Academy season, as Aston Martin have revealed that the Swiss racer will representing them in the all-female series next year, competing for PREMA Racing.
Hausmann, first began karting aged seven, going on to compete in the Swiss Rotax Mini and finishing fourth in the OK-Junior series before progressing to Germany’s DKM and ADAC Masters Championships.
This season saw her graduate to single seaters, earning a podium on her debut weekend in the Formula Winter Series and going on to finish 10th in the Standings. Furthermore, she claimed overall victory in the Italian F4 Championship’s female category.
Additionally, Aston Martin Driver Ambassador Jessica Hawkins is expanding her role with the team, becoming their Head of Racing for F1 Academy. In September, Hawkins became the first woman to drive a modern F1 car in almost five years.
As part of her new role, Hawkins will be working closely with Hausmann to provide mentorship and support both on and off the track.
F1 Academy is an incredible opportunity for me; it’s an amazing series that I’m proud to be a part of. I know I’ll learn so much that will really help me as a driver, including the experience I’ll gain from racing at seven new tracks in front of big crowds. It’s going to be a whole new world, but I’m so excited to get started. Representing the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team in the series is a huge honour. My first day at the AMR Technology Campus showed me just what an incredible team it is. I am already so comfortable there and can feel everybody’s full support. Having Jessica Hawkins as a mentor is a real benefit, too; she has so much valuable advice to share. Inspiring the next generation of female drivers is something that’s incredibly important to us both. I’m also very proud to be competing with PREMA Racing. PREMA is a team that every young driver hopes to race for – they’re the best at what they do – and I know that they’ll help me develop as I continue in my motorsport career. There is so much to look forward to, and I want to thank everybody who has made it possible.
Hausmann on the news.
We are extremely delighted to move one step closer to the 2024 season by announcing Tina as a driver for the upcoming series. She showed great promise moving her first steps in Formula 4, and we are convinced that with the support of our team, F1 Academy and the Aston Martin Formula One Team, she will make more progress to become a high-profile contender.
Mexican driver, Pato O’Ward has earned a promotion to McLaren’s reserve driver pool for the 2024 season, dovetailing the role with his driving duties for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar.
O’Ward has steadily been increasing his experience with F1 machinery, taking part in several development tests in the MCL35M as well as driving in the 2021 young driver test in Abu Dhabi and FP1 at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
After finishing fourth in this year’s IndyCar championship with seven podiums, he accrued enough points to qualify for a Super Licence that paved the way for him to step up into the reserve role for McLaren.
The 24 year old, who first joined the McLaren Racing family in 2020, will join Le Mans 24 Hours winner Ryo Hirakawa in the papaya team’s reserve pool for 2024. They will be available to step in if regular race drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are unable to drive.
The McLaren Formula 1 team are pleased to welcome Pato O’Ward to our pool of reserve drivers for the 2024 season. Pato had an impressive season in the NTT IndyCar Series and has performed well in his Driver Development tests, so it felt natural to take this next step now he’s been granted an FIA Super Licence. With the expansive calendar, it’s prudent to ensure we have a wide pool of drivers that we can call upon if required. We look forward to seeing him progress in this new role.
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal.
Pumped to take on this new role within the McLaren Racing family. I’ve spent a lot of time with the F1 team having driven previously in free practice and taken part in a few tests. I’ve always said it’s never a bad day when you get to jump into an F1 car, so I look forward to joining the reserve driver pool for next year alongside my driving duties with Arrow McLaren. Thank you to Andrea and Zak for this great opportunity.
Formula E confirms the full calendar for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Italy’s Misano World Circuit hosting a Formula E race for the first time, and Portland expanding to a doubleheader weekend to create a 17 race season, the biggest calendar to date.
The FIA World Motor Sport Council approved the addition of Misano to the Formula E schedule, which makes it the third new venue alongside Tokyo and Shanghai.
The Misano track is located close to the Rimini beach resort in the historic Emilia-Romagna region on the northern Adriatic coast. It is a popular venue in the MotoGP World Championship and the home circuit of legendary rider Valentino Rossi. Formula E will race at Misano on Saturday 13th April and Sunday 14th April.
The debut race at the Portland International Raceway last season was seen as an experiment for Formula E, offering a wide, open track compared to the compact street circuits that remain the hallmark of Formula E racing.
The race was hailed a success by fans, race teams and organisers alike as tickets sold out and the 22 drivers were able to showcase the potential of their revolutionary GEN3 race cars in a completely new environment, delivering a record-breaking 403 passes in the 32 lap race.
Portland’s double header will be on Saturday 29th June and Sunday 30th June, the penultimate race weekend of the season.
Formula E is a great opportunity for our country and after many wonderful years in Rome, the next Italian E-Prix will be held in Misano in 2024. It is important that Italy welcomes this event that promotes sustainable mobility and has an extraordinary charm. Motorsport holds a special place in the heart of Italians, and we have learned to appreciate these new cars that bring hope for the future and deliver a legacy of cutting-edge technology.
Andrea Abodl, Minister of Sport.
The choice of Misano to be the Italian stage of Formula E is another recognition of the extraordinary teamwork that has made Emilia-Romagna the Italian region with the highest number of sporting events in the country. Particularly in motorsport, this event adds to the return of Formula 1 to Imola, and MotoGP and Superbike which have all taken place on the circuit. Congratulations to the organizers for this new milestone, it sends a very important message beyond its sporting value: Formula E is the first and only sport to be certified net zero carbon since inception and reminds us how the fight against climate change is the priority in this historical moment.
Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna region.
We are excited to race at the historic Misano track for the first time and introduce the huge local motorsport fanbase to Formula E’s uniquely competitive racing. Everyone associated with the track and region has been incredibly enthusiastic in welcoming Formula E to the area, and I would like to thank them for their support. The same message goes to the local promoter and officials in Portland, we cannot wait to return for a full weekend of racing and entertainment in the City of Roses.
Alberto Longo, Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer, Formula E.
Formula E delivers street racing better than anyone, and our final Season 10 calendar presents the ultimate challenge for teams and drivers in the second year of the GEN3 race car with the perfect blend of iconic street circuits and established tracks. Misano will be a great new experience for everyone, while the additional race in Portland signifies our ongoing commitment to the US market alongside the potential for growth in the region.
Mick Schumacher has announced he will be racing for Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) next season – his first foray into racing outside of single seaters.
Schumacher has been serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver during the 2023 campaign, having lost his place on the F1 grid after two seasons with the Haas team in 2021 and 2022.
With Williams the only outfit year to confirm their full line-up for 2024, Schumacher has been weighing up his options outside F1, which included a recent test at the wheel of the A424 hypercar Alpine have been preparing.
Having impressed the team, the 24 year old German has been named as part of Alpine’s line-up, which also includes French racers, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi amd Paul-Loup Chatin, and Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg.
Following Alpine’s announcement, Mercedes confirmed that Schumacher will continue as their F1 reserve driver for 2024, providing support to regular racers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in a combined programme.
A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine in the FIA WEC hypercar category. The car is impressive, and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve grown up with single-seaters, so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills. I sorely missed racing this year; it’s what I’ve loved to do since I was a kid, and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track. Endurance racing is a new challenge for me, and I’m sure we will share great moments together next year with Alpine.
Schumacher on the news.
With [Team Principal] Philippe Sinault, we wanted drivers who are not only fast and reliable, but also showing a real team spirit and good racing acumen to best represent the Alpine colours in the premier category of the World Endurance Championship. It might be [Schumacher’s] first foray into endurance, but his enthusiasm for the project and his will to join us are palpable. I’m sure he will be a real asset.
Getting a better launch off the line, Vesti stole the inside line into Turn 1 and went side by side with Fittipaldi, though the Rodin Carlin driver emerged out of Turn 3 ahead.
Capitalising on their duel, Hadjar and Verschoor made it four wide down the back straight. Both managed to slip past either side of Vesti and demote the title contender to fourth. In contrast, Championship leader Pourchaire was already on the cusp of points, climbing from P14 to ninth.
The Safety Car was deployed at the end of the opening lap after Juan Manuel Correa spun at Turn 3. Victor Martins found himself caught up in it leaving him with nosecone damage and forcing him to pit for repairs.
Back to racing conditions on lap 6, Fittipaldi aced his restart, immediately pulling half a second clear of Hadjar. Vesti wasted no time making up for lost ground, squeezing up alongside Verschoor down to Turn 6 to snatch third.
On the fringes of the points, Jack Doohan steadily made his way up from P10, swooping ahead of Ayumu Iwasa after the DAMS driver went wide out of Turn 9. Meanwhile Pourchaire was trying to put together a charge of his own, going late on the brakes to wrestle eighth from Kush Maini and nosing his own way past Iwasa for 7th.
Told to push for the fastest lap, Vesti began hunting down Hadjar and was on the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver’s tail by the time they reached Lap 10. Hadjar opted to go early on the defence but couldn’t stop the Mercedes junior’s charge, as Vesti took third around the outside of Turn 9.
Vesti loomed large in Fittipaldi’s mirrors and was eyeing up moves for the lead. A lock up by the Rodin Carlin car handed Vesti a chance, but he too locked up through the Turn 5 hairpin. Fittipaldi tried to break the tow, but another mistake at the same corner three laps later was the moment for Vesti.
Benefitting from better grip, he dived up the inside of the Brazilian into Turn 6 to snatch the lead. Instantly breaking free of Fittipaldi behind, Vesti pulled out of the DRS window and reached the chequered flag a comfortable 3.8 seconds clear of the Red Bull Junior.
Day 3-
Doohan held the lead comfortably at lights out while Kush Maini cleared Martins to take second, with the latter opting for mediums for the start. Further back, Vesti was up to eighth at Turn 1, passing Richard Verschoor having also started on the yellow-walled tyres.
Starting on the softs, Pourchaire was on the cusp of the points by the end of the opening lap, but an opportunistic Oliver Bearman snatched 10th from the ART driver to leave him 11th going into lap 2.
Those on softs nursed their tyres in the early stages, and Iwasa was in as soon as the pitstop window opened on lap 7, he was joined by Pourchaire both swapping to the medium compound tyres and rejoining in 19th and 20th respectively.
Zane Maloney, Isack Hadjar and Dennis Hauger made their way to the pits on lap 9 for their mandatory stops, but a slow release for the Hitech driver dropped him behind the Norwegian on pit exit. Pourchaire was ahead of all three after a dive to the inside of Hauger at Turn 5 as he continued to make the most of his fresh rubber.
Having led from the start, Doohan relinquished the lead on lap 10 to fit the mediums. The Australian was back out in 12th position, three seconds clear of Maini, who found himself under pressure from Iwasa.
Now in clear air, Vesti set about closing the gap to new leader Martins who was six seconds up the road. That gap was down to four seconds by lap 15 as the PREMA driver took a minimum of two-tenths of a second per lap out of the Alpine Junior’s advantage.
After forcing Iwasa to depend one lap earlier, Maloney was pressuring the Dams for P5 on the road as the Japanese driver desperately attempted to keep him back. The Rodin Carlin man fought his way by at Turn 6 and was late on the brakes at Turn 9 in his efforts to keep the position, but Iwasa bravely fought back around the outside to hold on.
On lap 26, Vesti managed to pass Pourchaire into Turn 6 and once again, Pourchaire slipstreamed his way past by Turn 9. It was third time lucky for Vesti as he waited for DRS out of Turn 8 to clear his championship rival and claim fifth position.
Entering the final lpa of the season, Vesti drew to within DRS range of Maloney in the fight for third. The Bajan driver went defensive into Turn 6 opening up the chance for Vesti on the run to Turn 9. The pair banged wheel on corner exit, sending Maloney into a spin and leaving the PREMA driver in third.
Doohan secured a comfortable victory by 3.8s from Martins with Vesti rounding out the podium, but it was Pourchaire and ART Grand Prix’s day, as they secured the double with the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles.
The 2023 season is officially over which means Round 23 is done! Let’s take a look at how it went in Abu Dhabi…
Max Verstappen once again converted pole position to victory, where he made it win number 19 of the season. Charles Leclerc grabbed P2 and George Russell P3, after Sergio Perez had a five second time penalty due to a clash with Lando Norris which promoted both drivers up a spot.
The full top 10 is: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Russell, P4: Perez, P5: Norris, P6: Piastri, P7: Alonso, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Hamilton and P10: Stroll.
A great result for Red Bull, having Max win the final race of the season, ideally they would have wanted Perez on the podium too but with the penalty looming over his head they probably knew they weren’t going to get there.
Leclerc, the only Ferrari in the points, unfortunately it wasn’t enough to beat Mercedes to P2 in the Constructors. Carlos Sainz ended up finishing in 18th due to the alternative strategy which caused him to do a late pit stop which ruined his chance of points.
Overall a strong result for McLaren, a double points finish! I still find it crazy to see that they ended P4 in the Constructors after a shocking start at the beginning of this season, but it makes you think, what can they do next season with a car which is great from the start…
Points for Tsunoda, but it wasn’t enough to grab P7 in the Constructors, they were only 4 more points away and they would’ve been successful.
Alonso came out on top for the fight for P4 in the Driver Standings with 206 points, Leclerc finished P5 with 206 points but Alonso just ahead with higher finishes. Norris in 6th on 205 points and Sainz 7th with 200 points.
Now we have a bit of a wait till the next race… It’s only 97 days away until the new season starts and we have cars back on track!
The last qualifying session of the season is done with a few drivers out of place, so let’s take a look at how it went down!
Max Verstappen claimed another pole position, with Charles Leclerc claiming P2 and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Norris, P6: Tsunoda, P7: Alonso, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Perez and P10: Gasly.
The only team which had both drivers do well i’d say is McLaren both in the top 5, where as Ferrari and Mercedes one driver is outside the top 10 and the other driver inside the top 10.
Piastriiii, what a result from the Australian driver, a nice way to end the season for him and the team, he will be hoping to grab a podium in the race, and help McLaren in their fight for P4 in the Constructors standings with Aston Martin.
A lovely result from Leclerc and Russell, just what the teams would want from them, however with both their teammates starting outside the top 10 they have a lot of work to do, and will be wanting to score as many points as available. Hamilton starts 11th and Sainz 16th.
A really good result from Tsunoda, P6! That equals his best qualifying result in his F1 career. The team will be wanting him to secure points so that they get that P7 in the constructors.
Nicoooo Hulkenbergggg! A lovely little P8 from the Haas driver, he will have high hopes to score points so Haas don’t finish the season at the bottom of the Constructors.
A bit of a rough one from Aston Martin, P7 for Alonso which isn’t too bad, but Lance Stroll 13th, quite a bit of work to do from the Canadian driver if he wants to score some decent points.
Battles to look out for-
As it’s the last race of the season, there will be a lot to look out for the fight in the constructors, so here are the main ones…
Mercedes VS Ferrari for P2
McLaren VS Aston Martin for P4
Williams VS AlphaTauri for P7
Alfa Romeo VS Haas for P9
Sainz, Alonso, Norris and Leclerc all fighting for 4th in the Driver standings.
Andretti Global has announced that Zane Maloney has been names as Andretti Formula E’s Reserve and Development Driver for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Maloney joins full-time teammates, reigning World Champion Jake Dennis and Formula E race winner, Norman Nato to complete Andretti Formula E’s Season 10 line-up.
The Formula 2 and Red Bull Junior Team driver made his Formula E debut with Andretti at the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix rookie session, finishing the day with the third quickest time overall.
Maloney earned another opportunity with the team in a Free Practice session at the 2023 Hankook Rome E-Prix, as well as a rooking outing at the official Season 10 test in Valencia.
The Barbadian will actively support the team in his official role with simulator development work at Andretti Formula E’s Banbury headquarters and will attend race events throughout Season 10, starting at the Formula E opener in Mexico City on January 13th.
Joining Andretti Formula E as the official reserve and development driver is an incredible opportunity. I’m grateful for the trust the team has placed in my abilities, and I’m determined to support Jake and Norman as best I can. The Andretti name has such a rich history in motorsport, so it’s a pretty surreal moment for me in my career. I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s continued success in Season 10.
Maloney on the news.
We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Zane, and his dedication, talent and enthusiasm really stood out to us. Not only has he proven himself in other racing series, but also on multiple occasions during the rookie sessions where he demonstrated an excellent understanding of our GEN3 car. We are delighted to have Zane join us as our Reserve and Development Driver and look forward to working closely with him throughout the coming season.
Victor Martins left it until the last minute but was the man to beat in the final Free Practice of the 2023 Formula 2 season. The ART Grand Prix driver ended the first session of the weekend on top after setting a 1:37.389.
Zane Maloney put Rodin Carlin second with a late effort of his own while Theo Pourchaire kicked off a potentially title-winning weekend as third quickest. Title rivals Ayumu Iwasa and Frederik Vest finished seventh and ninth respectively.
Newcomers Paul Aron and Franco Colapinto were on the track early to get some mileage under their belts ahead of their debut. The latter suffered a spin coming through the right-hander of turn 11 in the early running but was able to avoid the barriers and continue on his way.
After a relatively quiet start to the session, the circuit filled up quickly approaching half an hour remaining as the majority of the field headed onto track. Nissany lowered the time to beat to a 1:38.492 on his next flying lap to lead by 0.6s from Maloney. The red flags were out soon after as Arthur Leclerc came to a halt in his DAMS between turns 1 and 2.
Doohan briefly went to P1 after running resumed, but it was beaten in quick succession. Pourchaire was pipped by teammate Martins by 0.022s with the rookie setting a 1:38.219 to take the spot from the Championship leader.
The full top 10 are- P1: Martins, P2: Maloney, P3: Pourchaire, P4: Doohan, P5: Verschoor, P6: Boschung, P7: Iwasa, P8: Correa, P9: Vesti and P10: Maini.
Qualifying-
Invicta Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan secured the final pole position of the season with a 1:35.567, beating out Alpine Academy drivers Victor Martins and Kush Maini.
In the title fight, Theo Pourchaire has a difficult weekend ahead of him after missing the top 10 and ending qualifying down in 14th position. Direct rival, Frederik Vesti will start tomorrow’s Sprint Race from the reserve grid front row after ending the session in ninth.
Trident’s Roman Stanek was the first to get a time on the board with a 1:37.591. His effort didn’t stay top for long as Ayumu Iwasa went quickest with a 1:37.181, three tenths ahead of Amaury Cordeel.
Martins jumped straight back into things after topping Free Practice, launching himself 0.489s clear of the DAMS’ driver on a 1:36.692. Doohan sliced the ART Grand Prix driver’s advantage to two tenths, as Ralph Boschung and Maini slotted both Campos Racing cars inside the top four.
After a brief break in the pitlane, the field were back out with 16 minutes remaining. Iwasa regained the fastest time on a 1:36.085, and Martins’ response left him 0.008s adrift of the DAMS driver.
However, Doohan was on a charge, breaking into the 1:35s and rocketing up into provisional pole, two tenths ahead of Maini. Martins and Iwasa tried to find an answer for the Australian but couldn’t. Doohan showed no signs of slowing down, bettering his previous effort to snatch pole by over two tenths.
The full top 10 are- P1: Doohan, P2: Martins, P3: Maini, P4: Maloney, P5: Iwasa, P6: Hauger, P7: Verschoor, P8: Hadjar, P9: Vesti and P10: Fittipaldi.
Jak Crawford has announced that he will leave the Red Bull Junior Team in 2024, but has already secured his racing future with a second season in Formula 2.
The 18 year old became a Red Bull junior in early 2020, and that year he finished second in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. He was Euroformula race-winner in 2021, took a first FIA Formula 3 Championship win in his second there last year then became a winner on his 13th F2 start in Austria.
He currently sits in 13th in this season’s F2 standings ahead of this weekend’s season finale, and has so far stood on the podium five times and claimed a pole position.
Crawford has been racing for HiTech Pulse-Eight this year, and has not indicated if his 2024 F2 deal is with the British outfit or a different team.
We are thankful for the Red Bull funding for four years, and honestly, we could not have done much of it without their substantial support. We were wanting to make key decisions and we let them know mid-year. After that, they didn’t pick up my fifth and final year, so we are in control now. I truly appreciate everyone at Red Bull, especially Rocky [Guillaume Rocquelin]. I really enjoyed the last two years with him at the factory. Everyone has a different path, but mine has been to be moved up fast and to a different team every year. In two years, I will be only 20 years old, so we are going to slow it down and work a more thoughtful plan. That is all I can say about our plans at this point in time. Again, I am grateful for Red Bull for four years of support.
Crawford in a statement issued by the Sunday Group Management firm.
Trident has confirmed that Paul Aron will race with the team at the final round of the 2023 season at Yas Marina.
The Estonian is fresh from completing his rookie season with PREMA Racing in FIA Formula 3, where he claimed one race win and a further three podiums en route to third in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to his F3 campaign, Aron competed in the Italian F4 Championship in what was his maiden campaign of single seater racing. He took two wins and a pole position, finishing that year third in the Drivers’ Standings.
He followed that up with a campaign of Formula Renault Eurocup before he moved on to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, where he took two wins and seven podium finishes on the way to third in the Championship.
He then had a follow up season of FRECA where he claimed six race victories, seven pole positions and eight podiums as he finished third in the 2022 season, before moving on to FIA F3 in 2023.
I’m very excited to be on the Formula 2 grid at the end of this year and I’m very grateful to Trident for giving me this opportunity. It will be a big step in my career, Formula 2 is the highest level of junior single seater racing. I think getting early experience will be key, it will not be an easy weekend as I’ve never been in a Formula 2 car, and we only have one very short Practice session before getting into the car for Qualifying. I’m very excited for the challenge and I’m sure that Trident will help me do the best job possible.
Aron on the news.
It’s with great pleasure that we announce that Paul Aron will make his debut under the Trident Motorsport banner in the FIA Formula 2 Championship next weekend in Abu Dhabi. The team will make its best effort to help him gain confidence in the new category, as this will certainly be an important step for his career. We can’t wait to start working with Paul, who will replace Clément Novalak. As he has long been part of the Trident Motorsport family, we wish the Frenchman the best for his future endeavours.
Mahindra Racing has signed Indian driver Kush Maini as a reserve driver for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The 23 year old from Bangalore joins the team after an impressive rise through the FIA single-seater pathway over the past seven years.
He started in Italian F4 back in 2016, where he subsequently enjoyed success in British Formula 3, the Formula Renault Eurocup, FIA Formula 3 and at present, competes in FIA Formula 2 and scored his first podium in Melbourne, Australia this year.
Maini, a protege of two-time Formula 1 champion Mika Hakkinen will work closely with Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries and closely in conjunction with fellow reserve driver, Jordan King. His role will involve simulator sessions, attendance at selected at selected E-Prix to support the team, and possible opportunities to test the team’s M10Electro race car in the future.
It’s a huge honour to be joining Mahindra Racing, being an Indian driver, and the team being Indian, it feels in many ways like coming home. A lot of my work will be concentrated on the simulator, and hopefully getting in the car for the Rookie Test. I’m just going to try and learn as much as I can, it’s a different style of racing. I’ll be doing as much work as possible on the sim with the engineers to try and be helpful for both Edoardo and Nyck, and to try and help push the team forward on-track. Mahindra is a huge manufacturer, so for me, it’s a massive deal to be signing with them. Being an Indian brand, it’s the cherry on top of the cake. I’m super excited to get started.
Maini on the news.
We are excited to welcome Kush to Mahindra Racing as a Reserve Driver. He has a great record that speaks for itself in the junior formulae and is an exciting talent to add to our driver lineup. We are a very future-focussed team, so the opportunity to support new and emerging talent, such as Kush, is one we are naturally keen to explore. We’ve been watching him in FIA Formula 2 this season, and believe he has all the key skills and attributes to help Mahindra Racing push on for greater success in the future. His synergy with Edoardo, Nyck and Jordan will play an important role in the team’s continued push for better performance on-track, and off-track he is a superb ambassador for India within motorsport.
The tyres have been selected for the last Grand Prix of the 2023 season! The chosen compounds are- C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft).
Nearly all of the drivers started last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the medium tyres. The top three finishers – in order, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez – all stopped just once to put on the hard tyre, between laps 16 and 21.
The Yas Marina lap consists of 16 corners as well as some faster sections, including a 1.2 kilometre straight between turns 5 and 6. The track modifications that took place in 2021 shortened the lap to 5.28 kilometres.
Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver on five wins in Abu Dhabi, followed by Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel (on three wins each). Mercedes and Red Bull are the most successful teams, with six wins each.
We go from the lights of Las Vegas to the Abu Dhabi sunset in the space of just a few days, after a journey of just over 13,000 kilometres, for a race that is now well-established as the season-closer. Yas Marina will host the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the 15th time this weekend, and 11 of those have marked the final race of the season.
The track was modified in 2021 to make it faster and more flowing, which also created extra overtaking opportunities, as we saw over the last two races there. Yas Marina is on the lower end of the scale when it comes to tyre demands, despite the vertical loads on the front axle in particular. As a result, we’ve selecting the softest three compounds, with C3 as the hard, C4 as the medium, and C5 as the soft. This is the same choice as last year, and also an identical selection to that seen at Las Vegas last weekend: confirmation of the versatility of the current compounds.
As has become customary now, there will be a test day on the Tuesday after the grand prix with each team fielding two cars: one for young drivers and the other in theory for testing tyres. However, there will be no new compounds to try out: the FIA recently communicated that the 2024 compounds will be the same as this year, with the only change being that there are now five rather than six available of them, due to the elimination of the C0 (which was never used during a race weekend this year). So the test could be helpful for the teams to work on tyre management by gathering data for next season. The teams will have a predetermined tyre allocation for the test. The car doing the tyre work will have 10 sets available at the test, consisting of one C1, one C2, two C5, and three sets each of C4 and C3. Meanwhile, the car for young drivers will have two sets each of C3 and C5 available as well as four sets of C4.
Williams, have announced that American racer Lia Block will be representing them on the 2024 F1 Academy grid, as she joins their Driver Academy programme.
Block has already made a name for herself competing in rally, Extreme E and rallycross, becoming the youngest American Rally Association champion in history when she won the Open Two-Wheel Drive class this year.
2024 will see the 17 year old undertake her first full season in open-wheel racing, driving for ART Grand Prix in F1 Academy alongside McLaren junior, Bianca Bustamante.
All 10 current Formula 1 teams will have one driver and have their livery on a car competing in the all-female F1 Academy from 2024.
I am so excited to be joining the Williams Driver Academy and competing in F1 Academy in 2024! This is something I never could have dreamed of. I can’t wait to embrace this new experience and learn as much as possible.
Block on the news.
We are excited to welcome Lia to Williams Racing as our F1 Academy driver for 2024. Lia has already achieved a tremendous amount in motorsport, has incredible natural talent, and the champion mindset and dedication to make a success of her journey into open-wheel racing. We cannot wait to get started on this journey together. As a team, we are committed to Formula 1 and F1 Academy’s joint efforts to improve female representation in motorsport, and we look forward to working with Lia as a key part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy.
Vowles on the news.
Extreme sports are part of Lia’s DNA and her debut in high-profile international competitions attest to her talent and her adaptability to a wide range of demanding environments. At 17 years old, Lia is driven with a great determination and an appetite for major challenges, that should allow her to quickly find her place on our team and in the F1 Academy.
ART Grand Prix Team Principal, Sebastien Philippe.
Paraguayan driver Joshua Duerksen will make the step up to FIA Formula 2 with PHM Racing next season.
The 20 year old joins off the back of his second campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, earning one podium this season in Spa-Francorchamps.
Duerksen made his single-seater debut in 2019, finishing second in the Formula 4 UAE Championship. That same year he completed a dual campaign in both Italian and German F4, where he finished eighth and eleventh in the Standings respectively. In 2020, he made a return to the German Championship, achieving two wins and a further four podiums to improve to sixth overall.
Another Italian F4 campaign would follow the next year as he secured sixth in the Standings, with two wins and a podium, before graduating to FRECA in 2022 where he finished his rookie season in 14th.
In the meantime, Duerksen has been keeping his driving skills sharp, participating in the Formula 3 post-season test in Imola last month and getting 85 laps on the board for the German team.
I am very excited to announce that I will be stepping up to FIA F2 with PHM Racing! It’s a big step in my career, and I can’t wait to start this new and great challenge! It’s a huge honour and privilege to be the first Paraguayan driver in history to represent my country in FIA F2. I am more than grateful to God, my family, my sponsors, my fans, and of course, PHM Racing for believing in me. Now, I am focused on preparing in the best possible way with PHM for the season. The new car and new circuits will make this year a challenging and exciting one. Let’s go all in!
Duerksen on the news.
Herzlich Willkommen Joshua! We are very happy to announce with Joshua Duerksen our first driver for next year’s FIA Formula 2 season. Joshua is coming straight from FRECA into F2. We all know that this is a massive step to manage for him and also for the Team. Joshua convinced us with his ‘hands on’ attitude, working ethic and 100% dedication to his profession, which is essential to develop himself with the Team at the highest stage of Formula Racing below F1. Joshua has more potential as he was able to show in 2023, but through Formula 4 and Formula Regional Europe and Middle East he delivered already great performances and results. I guess a whole country will support him as being the first Paraguayan Driver, who is competing at this level. He in particular and all his supporters and partners deserve this chance and we will prepare him as best as possible to be competitive from the beginning on. Vamos Flaco…and see you in Yas Marina for the Post-Season Testing.
Round 22 is officially over and what a thrilling Las Vegas Grand Prix we had! From VSC to full Safety Car’s and penalties, it was all going on…
But, Max Verstappen took the win in Sin City, with Charles Leclerc finishing second for Ferrari and Sergio Perez rounded out the top three.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Ocon, P5: Stroll, P6: Sainz, P7: Hamilton, P8: Russell, P9: Alonso and P10: Piastri.
A brilliant result from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, seeing the Mexican come through the field and be fighting for podiums was nice to see and the battle with Charles towards the end of the race.
Leclerc had a great race, I definitely think he could’ve won it if the second Safety Car didn’t come out. He will be hoping that he can hopefully get an even better result next week! His teammate had an okay race, obviously he had a bit of a tangle on lap 1 with Lewis Hamilton with a bit of under-steer, but he still managed to grab P6 after his penalty this weekend.
Alpine have had a good weekend but it seems like their driver’s swapped places? Gasly started the race fourth but finished 11th just outside the points. And Ocon started 16th but finished fourth? In the end it’s a good haul of points for the team.
Stroll has another good result! Two P5 finishes in two weeks, just what him and the team needs for their fight in the Constructors battle. As they look to fight for P4 against McLaren.
Talking of McLaren a mixed day for them, Lando Norris crashed on lap 3 just after the VSC ended due to loosing control of his car through turn 11, he slammed into the barriers and was very close to taking his teammate out. Thankfully he is all okay and went to the hospital for extra precaution but the team has since confirmed his okay.
With Perez finishing third and Lewis 7th this means Perez has claimed P2 in the standings and Hamilton third, as Sainz cannot score more than 32 points next weekend. However, there is a four way battle for P4, Sainz currently sits fourth on 200 points, Alonso in 5th on 200 points aswell, Norris on 195 points and Leclerc 188 points.
Looking at the Constructors, Mercedes are still ahead of Ferrari and are on 392 whereas Ferrari is on 288 just 4 points between the teams. McLaren are still fourth on 284 points, and Aston Martin is on 273 points, just 11 points between the teams.
But we don’t have too long to wait, as the season finale is next week and we close the season out in Abu Dhabi!
Qualifying is done for the day, so let’s take a look at how it went in Sin City!
Charles Leclerc stormed to pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix around the all new Strip Circuit, Carlos Sainz finished second and Max Verstappen third. However, Carlos Sainz has a 10 place grid penalty for the chaos from FP1, which forced Ferrari to change parts on his car so he will start 12th…
The full top 10 after penalties are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Russell, P4: Gasly, P5: Albon, P6: Sargeant, P7: Bottas, P8: Magnussen, P9: Alonso and P10: Hamilton.
Well, Charles and Ferrari had a feeling they were going to be okay here, so for them to get pole position I think they will be happy with that! Hopefully they can turn it into a win for Charles!
George had a good result for Mercedes, however Lewis had a bit of a rough time he originally qualified 11th, due to not being able to go any faster and improve on his lap time, so he will have some work to do in the race!
Gasly had a really good result! P4 and he will be hoping for points tomorrow and to keep out of trouble. Unfortunately his teammate, Esteban Ocon starts 16th which is a bit rough compared to Gasly.
Now onto Williams! Albon P5 and Logan Sargeant in P6!! Wow, that is the teams best qualifying result in 7 years! Logan will be hoping to score points again this weekend so he can secure his seat for next season, could the points come again?
A bit of a shocker for McLaren, P15 for Norris and P18 for Piastri, they both seemed to really struggle, i’m not sure whether it’s the track which doesn’t suit them or not being able to heat up tyres who knows? But the team will want to score points this weekend.
But, we do have some drivers coming through the field including Hamilton 10th, Perez 11th and Sainz 12th and the McLaren’s, so we could have some drama…
Formula 1 has announced that the Sao Paulo Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar until 2030 inclusive following a five-year extension.
The Interlagos circuit, officially known as the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace after the 1975 race winner, has featured on the Formula 1 schedule for over 50 years and is one of the most iconic racetracks in the world. Featuring 15 corners over 4.3kms, the circuit’s design originally took inspiration from racetracks in the UK, the United States and France, but has since had part of the track, including the famous Senna ‘esses’ replicated at other venues.
With its carnival atmosphere, Interlagos has been the scene for some of the most memorable moments in Formula 1 history including Ayrton Senna’s emotional home victory in 1991, Kimi Rakkonen clinching the World Championship in 2007 and Lewis Hamilton’s enthralling battle with Max Verstappen in 2021.
The 2022 Grand Prix welcome 235,000 fans across a dramatic race weekend as George Russell won both the F1 Sprint and the Grand Prix, taking the top step of the podium for the first time in his F1 career. Kevin Magnussen also secured a shock first Pole Position of his career for the F1 Sprint, as Interlagos again delivered an entertaining weekend of racing action.
The extension of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix follows recent significant investment by Sao Paulo Mayor Nunes’ administration, as the city looks to upgrade the Interlagos circuit into a venue suitable for hosting wider entertainment events, including music concerts.
In addition, the Grand Prix continues to evolve under the leadership of the promoter MC Brazil Motorsport, backed by Mubadala, who have closely with the City of Sao Paulo to enhance the fan experience and have placed an increased focus on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including the upskilling of 100 women from vulnerable backgrounds to become qualified mechanics, all of whom graduated in a special ceremony at the circuit last week.
I am delighted to announce we will be staying at Interlagos until 2030, and I can’t wait for many more years of the wonderful atmosphere that the Brazilian fans bring. Brazil has such a rich racing heritage, and this iconic circuit is a favourite of drivers and fans around the world. It embodies everything that is great about racing, and we look forward to seeing how it develops over the years to come to create an even better experience.
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
The extension of the contract for the Formula 1 Grande Premio de Sao Paulo, broadcasted in approximately 180 countries, solidifies our city as a global leader in hosting major events with economic and social impact, generating jobs, revenue, and opportunities. Each year, we also advance our sustainability agenda, incorporating innovations to overcome challenges and bring more benefits to the city of Sao Paulo and Brazil.
Ricardo Nunes, Mayor of Sao Paulo.
It is a great honour to have the contract extension that ensures Sao Paulo’s place on the Formula 1 calendar. This is the recognition of the work we have been doing, with the crucial support of the Sao Paulo City Hall. Continuing to be a partner of Formula 1 is a matter of great pride. Now, we will immediately start planning for the years ahead so that we can have even better Grand Prix editions in the coming years.
Williams are set to fulfil their final remaining rookie Free Practice 1 outing of 2023 by running their academy driver Zak O’Sullivan in Abu Dhabi – with the Briton and fellow Williams Driver Academy member Franco Colapinto to share driving duties at the subsequent post-season Young Driver Test.
Since 2022, F1’s regulations have included a mandatory pair of FP1 outings per year for drivers who have completed less than two Grands Prix, with each team’s race driver obliged to give up their seat once.
Williams running rookie Logan Sargeant in 2023 used up one of those requirements for the team in Bahrain’s FP1 – while O’Sullivan’s Abu Dhabi experience is set to fulfil the second, the Briton to take over Alex Albon’s Williams FW45 in the final Free Practice 1 session of the year.
I’m really excited to participate in FP1 at Abu Dhabi. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the FW45 for the first time and get some good mileage under my belt. In addition to that, I’m returning to the car for the post-season rookie test to further my development with the team.
O’Sullivan on the news.
As O’Sullivan mentions, he will then be run by Williams at the post-season Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina Circuit, sharing driving duties with fellow F3 racer Colapinto – who claimed P4 in the standings in 2023.
The Argentinian driver will also make his Formula 2 debut in Abu Dhabi, ahead of his and O’Sullivan’s promotion to the series in 2024 with MP Motorsport and ART Grand Prix respectively.
Both Zak and Franco have had impressive seasons in Formula 3. We’re now looking forward to giving them the opportunity to drive the FW45 in Abu Dhabi to aid their development as part of their roles in the Williams Racing Driver Academy. The pair have demonstrated a high level of understanding and maturity during their simulator work conducted at Grove. I know they’ll both be working hard in preparation for this experience and will make the most of it.
The tyres have been chosen for the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend!
The tyres chosen are: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft), this is the softest selection of tyres in the range.
For the first time in F1 history the sessions will overlap more than one day, with a different schedule for the night race weekend.
The new Las Vegas street circuit consists of 17 corners and three straights, with two DRS zones. The lap is 6.12 kilometres long, with an estimated top speed of 342kph. The finish line is on the corner of Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane, with the layout stretching from Las Vegas Boulevard to Sands Avenue and a race distance of 50 laps.
More than 30 different variants of the street track were designed before the final layout was selected. The main infrastructure, including the pit building in the shape of the F1 logo.
Formula 1 previously raced at Las Vegas as the last round of the 1981 and 1982 seasons, with both events called the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. On each occasion the race decided the championship: Alan Jones won the Grand Prix for Williams in 1981 but the title went to Brabham driver Nelson Piquet.
The podium finishers will wear a special edition Pirelli podium cap with gold braiding. The Stars and Stripes flag as well as “Las Vegas 2023” scrip will also appear on the cap.
Formula 1 returns to the United States for the third time this year, following Miami and Austin. And it’s with one of the most-eagerly grands prix of the year, in Las Vegas, where the pinnacle of motorsport hasn’t been seen since 1982. This will be an incredible race, as every day is showtime in Las Vegas, and all of us working in Formula 1 want to put on the sort of spectacle that is worthy of this amazing city.
It will also be a major technical challenge for both the teams and us, as we head into this race with no real references apart from simulation. Nobody has ever actually driven the 6.12-kilometre Las Vegas Strip circuit before, which is second only to Spa in terms of overall length this year, characterised by three straights and 17 corners. The surface will be a mix of the usual street asphalt, especially on the actual Strip, as well as other parts that have been completely re-asphalted for the occasion; adding another unknown element. There won’t be any support races and the track will be opened again to normal traffic for long chunks of the day, which means that the surface won’t rubber in as usual and deliver improved grip.
We’re expecting the cars to run quite low levels of downforce, similar to Baku or indeed Monza: hitting a high top speed will be key to being competitive. All the sessions will take place at night, with unusual ambient and track temperatures for a race weekend; more similar to those found back when pre-season testing used to take place in Europe. Those long straights also make it harder to warm up tyres in qualifying, as well as keep them in the right window: the same challenge as seen in Baku, which will probably be more pronounced in Las Vegas.
Bearing all this in mind, we’ve selected the trio of softest compounds for this weekend: C3, C4, and C5, which should guarantee good grip. Minimum tyre pressures should be 27 psi at the front and 24.5 psi at the back, due to the expected low temperatures as well as the track layout. In cold conditions, the gap between cold tyre pressures and normal running pressures is greatly reduced – so when the car is moving, tyre pressure will increase a lot less than on other circuits due to the low asphalt temperatures. As a result, we think that running pressures will still be lower than on other circuits that are tough on tyres, such as Baku for example.
So all the elements are in place for an extraordinary race, packed with surprises and unpredictability. As the title of Elvis Presley’s famous racing film goes…Viva Las Vegas!
Ferrari have unveiled a special livery for the Las Vegas Grand Prix with the traditional red of the SF-23 cars featuring a hint of white. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s race suits and helmets have also been given the same treatment to celebrate Ferrari’s look from the 70s.
With Formula 1’s highly anticipated return to Las Vegas fast approaching, the Italian team’s design is a nod to the first golden age of the sport in the USA where Ferrari enjoyed some of the most memorable moments in its history.
The great Niki Lauda won two world titles in that era – in 975 and 1977 with victory at Watkins Glen in 1975. Clay Regazzoni also won at Long Beach in 1976 while Carlos Reutemann triumphed at Watkins Glen in 1978. More success followed in 1979 when Gilles Villeneuve scored an American double with wins in Long Beach and Watkins Glen.
Throughout that decade there was plenty of white alongside the Ferrari red on the livery, with the team deciding to reprise it for the unique spectacle that is this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
MP Motorsport has become the first team to finalise plans for 2024, re-signing Dennis Hauger and completing its driver line-up for next season.
Hauger joins Franco Colapinto at the Dutch team for what will be the Norwegian’s third FIA Formula 2 campaign and second in MP colours.
During the two seasons of F2 so far, Hauger has notched up four victories, four fastest laps and eight podium finishes, with two wins and four podiums coming in the 2023 campaign.
Before joining F2, Hauger rose through the ranks enjoying plenty of success. Finishing his maiden single seater season fourth in British F4, he completed a dual effort in 2019 across Italian and ADAC Formula 4. He finished second in the latter and won the Italian Championship in dominant fashion, taking 12 wins and 16 podiums across the season.
From there, he graduated to FIA Formula 3 in 2020, finishing his rookie season 17th before returning in 2021 to win the Championship ahead of his F2 promotion.
I’m really happy to stay with MP Motorsport for another season of FIA Formula 2. I’m truly looking forward to the challenge of setting up a winning new F2 car, as we aim to build on the experience we gained as a team working together in 2023. I welcome Franco as my new teammate – he’s a familiar face to MP too, and that can only be to our advantage in the transitional winter period while getting to grips with the new car.
Hauger on the news.
We are delighted that Dennis has decided to continue with us in the new season. He’s quick, with a cool and smart head on his shoulders. His feedback will help us in the development race with the new car as we move into a new era of FIA Formula 2. With Dennis and Franco, we have two known quantities in our top team on the single-seater ladder. Having signed both at a very early stage will surely contribute to our getting up to speed as soon as we can.
ART Grand Prix has confirmed that Williams Driver Academy star, Zak O’Sullivan will join the team for the 2024 Formula 2 campaign. The Briton has signed with the team after finishing the 2023 FIA F3 season as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship.
Competing with PREMA Racing in F3 this year, O’Sullivan notched up four race wins throughout the 2023 campaign, the highest number of victories during the season.
The 18 year old, has been climbing the junior motorsport pyramid in quick fashion, switching from the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2019 to British F4 in 202, achieving runner-up finishes in both campaigns. In 2021, O’Sullivan secured the GB3 Championship title, with seven race wins and 14 podiums comprising his impressive record that year.
Promotion to FIA F3 with Rodin Carlin followed in 2022, and he earned two podiums and a pole position during his rookie campaign, finishing the season 11th overall. Swapping to PREMA in ’23 he went from strength to strength, going on to finish second in the Championship.
I’m exciting to be joining ART for my rookie F2 season. I’m really looking forward to getting started. The team have a great depth of experience so can’t wait to get going in the Abu Dhabi tests with them.
O’Sullivan on the news.
I’m delighted about the collaboration between Zak and ART Grand Prix. He’s a driver we’ve been following for a long time, and he has consistently elevated his level of performance. His background and mindset align with ART Grand Prix’s mission of supporting young drivers to the highest levels of motorsport. It’s with pleasure and honour that we welcome a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy. With proper winter preparation, his racing approach and adaptability should enable him to compete at the front.
Sebastien Philippe, ART Grand Prix Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have announced that Red Bull Junior, Arvid Lindblad will round out their line-up for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign, joining returnees Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Mini at the Italian outfit.
Lindblad makes the step up off the back of a successful first full season in single-seaters. After finishing fifth in the F4 UAE Championship, the 16 year old took six wins, 10 podiums and two pole positions on his way to securing third in Italian F4 alongside claiming fourth in the Euro 4 Championship.
The British born racer, enjoyed plenty of success in karting, achieving the WSK Super Masters OK Junior in 2020 and followed that up with the WSK Euro Series title the next year. From there, he made his single-seater debut in 2022 with a three-round appearance in Italian F4 where he earned a best result of seventh, before partnering up with PREMA for the dual campaign this year.
Lindblad has already gotten his first taste of F3 machinery during the six days of post-season testing. Getting 414 laps under his belt, he netted four top 10 finishes, including the sixth-fastest time of the opening afternoon in Imola.
Super excited to be continuing with PREMA for 2024 in FIA Formula 3. We had a great year in Formula 4 together, leading and competing for both Championships for the whole season. PREMA has been very strong in F3 this year, and that’s why I’m really excited and honoured to have the opportunity to continue and move up the ranks with them. We had positive post-season tests together with good progression and steps made, and I can’t wait for the season to get started.
Lindblad on the news.
We were deeply impressed by Arvid this year, and we think he has the potential to succeed a Formula 3 level as well. We will work as hard as possible to ease his transition to such a challenging environment and allow him to be successful as soon as possible. Our driver line-up for 2024 is now complete, and I could not be happier with the team we put together.
MP Motorsport have announced that Franco Colapinto will make his Formula 2 debut with them in 2023 season finale at Yas Marina this month, ahead of a full campaign with the Dutch team next year.
Colapinto steps up off the back of a second successful year in Formula 3, earning two wins and five podiums for MP. The Williams Racing Academy driver ended up fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Argentine racer is already well acquainted with MP. After storming his way to the 2019 Spanish F4 title in his debut season in single-seaters, Colapinto partnered up with the Dutch team the following year in Formula Renault Eurocup. He secured two wins and nine podiums, he finished his rookie campaign in third.
Remaining with them for another season, he achieved sixth in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. From there, he graduated to F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, taking two wins on his way to ninth in the Drivers’ Standings in 2022 before reuniting with MP for the 2023 campaign.
I’m absolutely thrilled to be moving up to Formula 2 with MP. MP are proven race winners in the category, and staying with them feels absolutely right. It’s a familiar atmosphere for me, and it will be to our advantage that we know each other so well as I enter my debut season in the category. I’m very much look forward to the fresh challenge of a new series, with a brand-new car to help develop. I can’t wait to get in the car in Abu Dhabi and then work with the team to be ready for a long and challenging 2024 season.
Colapinto on the news.
It’s great news that we are able to announce Franco’s promotion to our F2 team so early. This will give us a headstart in our preparations for an exciting 2024 F2 season in which we all start from zero, with the new F2 car offering everyone a new baseline to work from. Retaining Franco helps us to maintain stability in that transition, apart from the fact that he’s become a member of the MP family and is an extremely quick and talented driver.
Gabriele Mini will return for a second Formula 3 season in 2024, switching to reigning Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing.
A two-time race winner after scoring victories in the Monte Carlo Feature Race and Budapest Sprint, Mini rounded out his rookie campaign seventh in the Drivers’ Standings for Hitech Pulse-Eight.
Participating in the three two-day post-season tests with PREMA, the Alpine junior put together an impressive showing. The 18 year old topped the timing sheets across both days in Imola and earned a further three top two worthy times in Barcelona and Jerez.
Next season, Mini reunite with the team that helped take him to glory in Italian F4 in 2020. From there, the Italian racer finished seventh in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. Returning for a second campaign, he earned the runner-up honours, just behind eventual Champion and 2024 teammate Dino Beganovic.
I’m very happy to join PREMA Racing for the 2024 season. The team had a very strong season last year, and we had some very promising tests together at Jerez and Barcelona. Our only goal will be to fight for the title, and I cannot wait to hit the track and start the new season! I would like to thank the Alpine Academy and All Road Management for their strong support to make it happen.
Mini on the news.
We are really proud to have Gabriele back with us. We thoroughly enjoyed working with him back in 2020 and we are happy to do it again now. We are extremely delighted by how our 2024 line-up is coming together as we have proven winners with high potential and great experience on our side. We cannot wait for the new season to start, and we look forward to the preparation work ahead.
Alpine have announced that Formula 2 rookie, Kush Maini has become the latest addition to the team’s growing young driver programme.
Maini is about to complete his first full season in Formula 2 with Campos Racing, where the Indian driver is sitting 11th in the drivers’ standings. He secured his first F2 podium with a third-place finish in the Sprint Race in Australia, as well as his best qualifying result of second at Silverstone.
He will now benefit from the guidance and support of both the Academy’s fleet of staff and the wider Alpine F1 team, as well as access to their state-of-the-art facilities at their Formula 1 base in Enstone.
The 23 year old joins an Academy line-up that currently features F2 rivals Jack Doohan – who is currently Alpine’s reserve driver – and Victor Martins, and has a host of successful F1 graduates in Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
I am super excited to be joining the Alpine Academy. It’s a dream come true to be associated with a team like BWT Alpine F1 Team, where I can learn and grow to hopefully one day be ready to take the step into Formula 1. A massive thank you to Alpine for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.
Maini on the opportunity.
We are happy to welcome Kush into the Alpine Academy. He is a young talent who we believe has strong potential and will be a great asset to our driver development programme. The Alpine Academy will enter its ninth year in 2024 and currently features nine drivers of eight nationalities, spanning four different series from FIA Formula 2 through to European Karting. The continual expansion of the Academy’s talent pool runs in parallel to the expansion of our facilities at Enstone with the development of our new state-of-the-art training and testing facilities, the AHPC, underway.
Julian Rouse, Alpine F1 Team Interim Sporting Director.
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