Jordan's Track Talk

Author: jordanlhaynes

  • ART GP confirm F3 Champ, Victor Martins

    Victor Martins will be stepping up to Formula 2 this year with ART Grand Prix, with the Frenchman lining up alongside Theo Pourchaire, completing the team’s line up for 2023.

    He arrives following Formula 3 title success last season as the reigning Champion. Martins claimed two victories in 2022 and a further four podiums in his second year of FIA F3.

    The 21 year old also claimed the Formula Renault Eurocup title with ART back in 2020, scoring seven wins and 10 poles that year.

    The Frenchman took part in post-season testing with ART at Yas Marina last year, getting to grips with the F2 car for the first time.

    Martins said he was looking forward to the challenge of Formula 2 and is confident in his capabilities for what will be his rookie campaign.

    The 2023 season will be exciting and motivating. After a successful year with ART Grand Prix, I was not considering taking the next step with any other team. I can’t wait to discover the Formula 2 championship, which is tough and competitive, with such a professional and experienced team. The tests made it possible to remove what little doubts I might have had about my adaptation because I felt comfortable and confident. My objective will therefore be to do everything possible to win the title in my first year. With ART Grand Prix, I have all the tools to have big ambitions.

    Martins on his seat.

    Taking up the challenge of Formula 2 in 2023 with Victor is a logical continuation after an intense year which concluded with the first ART Grand Prix title in the modern era of F3. Victor made enormous progress in 2022 and has proven that in both difficult personal and sporting conditions, he has the mental strength and the talent to achieve great things at the highest level of motorsport. The Abu Dhabi tests confirmed his ability to adapt quickly and well to his new single-seater. His determination, his enthusiasm and his conquering spirit will be weapons in a championship where competition is fierce.

    Team Principal, Sebastien Philippe.

  • 31.01.23

    Haas have announced that they will be presenting the livery for their new F1 car at the end of January, completing the initial launch plans for all 10 teams.

    Rather than a full-scale launch, Haas will be mirroring Williams by only showing off their 2023 colour scheme, with an online presentation set for January 31st – the earliest of the dates confirmed.

    The car will be piloted by a revised, Haas driver line-up, after the US-led team opted to part ways with Mick Schumacher and bring in experienced driver Nico Hulkenberg alongside recent returnee, Kevin Magnussen.

    Magnussen continues for a second season, and eighth in F1 overall, having claimed P5 on his comeback in Bahrain and scored a stunning pole position amid mixed qualifying conditions, at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

    Sporting a new title sponsor in MoneyGram, Haas reported a significant landmark in the development of their VF-23, in December, sharing on social media that the chassis and nose had passed the FIA’s tests and were officially homologated.

  • Diriyah Preview

    The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to Diriyah for Rounds 2 and 3 of Season 9 as we have a pair of night races in Saudi Arabia this weekend.

    The Diriyah Street Circuit, just outside of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, forgoes the permanent circuit layout of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City for a full street circuit – snaking the historic city’s walls at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Its a second new challenge in as many weeks with the snaking, bumpy bobsleigh run of the Diriyah track a favourite of the drivers – and it’s one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar for balancing energy management and outright pace, through drivers have never found overtaking a problem.

    With 21 twists and turns, the 2.495km Diriyah Street Circuit skirts around the historic World Heritage site. The Drivers face a challenging lap from the finish line as a technical first sector leads into the snaking Bobsleigh Run at Turn 6, a series of fast changes in quick succession.

    diriyah-track-map-details

    Last year’s visit to Diriyah saw De Vries win Round 1, as well as his teammate making a 1-2 for the Mercedes EQ team and Edoardo Mortara then won Round 2.

    Weekend Schedule-

    Thursday 26th-

    • Free Practice 1- 14:55pm – 15:45pm (GMT)

    Friday 27th-

    • Free Practice 2- 10:25am – 11:15am
    • Qualifying- 12:40pm – 13:55pm
    • Round 2- 17:03pm – 18:30pm

    Saturday 28th-

    • Free Practice 3- 10:25am – 11:15am
    • Qualifying- 12:40pm – 13:55pm
    • Round 3- 17:03pm – 18:30pm

  • Pourchaire sticks with ART GP

    ART Grand Prix have retained 2022 Formula 2 vice champion, Theo Pourchaire for the 2023 season, announcing that the Frenchman will continue his partnership with the team for a third season.

    Pourchaire’s relationship with the French squad began in 2020, the Sauber junior scored two wins and six additional podiums to finish runner-up in Formula 3. Graduating to the second tier in 2021, he went on to become the Championship’s youngest-ever race winner and pole sitter in Monaco.

    A second campaign last year brought a battle with Felipe Drugovich for the title, Pourchaire claimed three victories and a further four podiums, finishing the year as runner-up.

    Alongside competing in F2, Pourchaire will also take on the additional responsibilities with the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team as one of their reserve drivers. With the 19 year old already having some F1 experience as he made his FP1 debut with the team at the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

    I couldn’t be happier to extend my career in this top-level Formula 2 championship with ART Grand Prix, which has become a family to me. We have had intense moments over the past three years and it’s important to prepare for the 2023 championship with a team that knows me and knows how to put me in the best possible situations. We may have lacked success last year, but we gained experience that makes us even stronger. I will do everything I can to bring the title to ART Grand Prix this season.

    Pourchaire on his seat.

    Théo will still be one of the youngest drivers on the grid, but he has acquired a technical and personal maturity which, combined with his speed and his combativeness, will be a major asset to be consistently at the front of the field and will help the team in its technical focus. Last season showed us how much every detail counts and after two seasons in Formula 2 with Théo, ART Grand Prix’s mission will be to master everything in our power to optimize our chances of winning the title in 2023.

    ART Team Principal, Sebastien Philippe.

  • Van der Linde to step in for Frijns

    Kelvin van der Linde will be making his debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Diriyah, with the 26 year-old set to replace Robin Frijns as the Dutchman begins his recovery from an injury to his hand.

    Frijns suffered fractures to his left hand in a collision on the first lap of the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix and underwent surgery that same evening in Mexico.

    Since the decision, van der Linde, who also lives in Kempten, has spent every day from morning until late evening at ABT, on data analysis and countless hours in the simulator.

    The South African competed for ABT in DTM in 2021 and 2022 and was a title contender right up to the finale in his debut season.

    He first got a taste of Formula E, at the 2020 rookie test in Marrakesh and is supporting ABT Cupra in simulator preparation this season too.

    Kelvin has been part of the ABT family for years in a variety of roles. He has been involved since the beginning of our comeback project and was intended as Reserve Driver right from the start – so it was immediately clear to us that he would take over from Robin. We are in constant contact with Robin and wish him a speedy recovery. Even though everyone in the team misses him a lot, we’re giving him all the time he needs to fully recover from the injury – that’s our absolute priority. The task and challenge for Kelvin to start in a World Championship without any testing is of course gigantic but he is highly motivated, works hard and the whole team will support him without any pressure.

    Thomas Biermaier, Team Boss.

    To compete in Formula E is a dream of mine – but of course I wanted the circumstances of my debut to be different. I’m very sorry for Robin and I hope he’ll be fit again quickly. I am happy about the trust and the challenge. Now I have a few long days ahead of me and then I will do my best to stand in for Robin as well as possible.

    Kelvin van der Linde, on him stepping in.

  • HiTech confirm line-up for 2023

    HiTech Grand Prix will be fielding an all-Red Bull Junior driver line-up for the 2023 season, announcing that Isack Hadjar and Jak Crawford will be graduating to Formula 2.

    Both are familiar faces to the British team, with the pair having previously driven for them in Formula 3 – Crawford in 2021 and Hadjar most recently in 2022 – as well as getting their first taste of F2 machinery at post-season testing in Yas Marina last November.

    18 year old Hadjar, arrives off the back of a fourth-place finish in F3 last year. A title contender all the way to the final round, he managed to clinch three wins and a further two podiums.

    I’m really excited to be part of the Red Bull Junior team and continue this journey with Hitech for another year. Hopefully we can win some more races and have a strong season together.

    Hadjar on his seat for 2023.

    Meanwhile Crawford returns to HiTech after a year away, the American finished his debut F3 campaign 13th in the standings before switching to PREMA Racing for the 2022 season.

    There he scored one win and four podiums to take seventh, helping the Italian team to the Teams’ Championship title, alongside fellow 2023 graduates Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc.

    I am delighted to be back with Hitech for my first season of Formula 2. It will be a tough season with a strong grid but I am looking forward to what lies ahead.

    Crawford on his seat.

    We are excited to field once again two cars in FIA Formula 2 in Red Bull Junior Team colours, especially with two such promising young talents. Isack we saw first hand his last year as a rookie in Formula 3 and Jak we know him well from his first F3 season with us in 2021.

    Oliver Oakes, HiTech Team Principal.

  • 07.02.23

    Alfa Romeo have become the ninth team to reveal when they will be launching their new car ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

    The Swiss based outfit confirmed that they will be pulling the covers off their 2023 challenger on Tuesday, 7th February. The car, which will be called the C43, will be launched at an event in Zurich.

    Alfa Romeo will be hoping the car can build on the promising start they made to Formula 1’s new era which kicked off last season. They were regular point scorers in the first half of the season before other teams began to catch up. Nonetheless, the team managed to hold on and beat Aston Martin to P6 in the constructors’ championship.

    Piloting the cars this year will be Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – the team one of four in the pit lane to stick with the same line-up and retain both drivers for this coming season.

    But there changes at the top, as Andreas Seidl is joining the Sauber Group as CEO, with one of his first tasks set to be finding a team boss to replace Vasseur.

  • Montoya steps up to F3

    Sebastian Montoya will be joining HiTech Grand Prix for his first FIA Formula 3 campaign this season. The 17 year-old is part of the Red Bull Junior Team, freshly signed ahead of the 2023 season.

    The Colombian made two appearances last year across the Zandvoort race weekend with Campos Racing and tested with HiTech in Jerez in last year’s post-season test.

    Montoya graduated from karting in 2020 to Italian Formula 4. he finished the season 11th in the standings and competed in six races in ADAC Formula 4. The same programme followed the next year, improving to fourth in the Italian Championship in 2021, taking two pole positions and nine podiums across the season.

    In 2022, Montoya competed in the Formula Regional Asian Championship ahead of the European season beginning, winning twice and finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings. His step up from F4 to Formula Regional European Champioship by Alpine with PREMA Racing was a tough one, but he ended the season 13th on 44 points.

    During 2022, his two F3 appearances in Zandvoort with Campos where he acquitted himself very well, finishing both the Sprint and Feature races in eighth position.

    We will all work together to have a great year and fight at the front consistently. I just want to say thank you to my family and everyone else involved. Let’s bring on the season and give it everything.

    Montoya on his seat.

  • Carlin confirm 2023 line-up

    Carlin has confirmed its FIA Formula 2 line-up for the 2023 season, with Enzo Fittipaldi switching to the team, as well as FIA F3 graduate and vice champion, Zane Maloney.

    Both drivers, are newly announced Red Bull Junior Team drivers for the 2023 season and arrive at Carlin after successful 2022 campaigns.

    Fittipaldi already has one full F2 season under his already with Charouz Racing System in ’22, where he took six podium finishes on the way to finish eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    He first moved to single seater racing full time in 2017, racing in the Italian F4 Championship and finishing 9th. He then followed that up with a full season in Italian and ADAC F4 in 2018 finishing 1st and 3rd respectively.

    The Brazilian then went on to finish second in Formula Regional European Championship with two wins and 13 podiums to his name in 2019. Moving to FIA F3 in 2020 brought a difficult spell in 2020, with HWA Racelab in 2020 and Charouz Racing System in 2021. Fittipaldi was promoted to Charouz’s F2 team mid mid-way through ’21 but suffered a serious accident in Jeddah at the penultimate round of the year.

    He rebounded from that setback though in style, putting together a strong F2 season with multiple podiums and fighting for top rookie honours.

    I’m extremely excited to be joining Carlin and as well to be part of the Red Bull family for the 2023 season. It’s an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait for the first race weekend in Bahrain.

    Fittipaldi on his announcement.

    Maloney arrives at Carlin after one of his best seasons in racing. He sparked a late title bid with three-consecutive Feature race wins to close the season, ending up only just five points from glory.

    He has worked with the team previously, winning the British F4 Championship in his first year of single seater racing back in 2019.

    In 2020, he moved to Euroformula Open with the British outfit, finishing that year’s season eighth. Moving to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021, winning once and achieving seven podiums on the way to fourth.

    The Bajan driver stepped up to FIA Formula 3 with Trident last year, and after a tough spell at the start of the campaign, transformed his season. He took three wins and four podiums, in the final four races made Maloney an unlikely title contender. His efforts won him FIA Rookie of the Year in 2022.

    Joining Carlin in F2 and to do so as part of the Red Bull Junior Team is a fantastic opportunity after my first year of F3 last season. I’m re-joining a team I know extremely well and have won a championship with before in F4. I’ve seen first-hand how strong the team are in F2 and we had a great test together last year in Abu Dhabi. To embark on this journey in Red Bull colours is a dream come true and I’m incredibly excited to get the season underway in Bahrain next month.

    Maloney on his new seat.

    As a Team boss, Enzo and Zane are a dream pairing with both experience and potential. Enzo was a driver who really caught our attention last year and will be looking to build on the strong results he had in his rookie season. Zane was incredibly impressive in his rookie season of F3 and it’s fantastic to welcome him back to Carlin. He certainly needs to focus on building his experience in the first half of the season but I think by the mid-way point we’ll start to see some real flashes of potential.

    Trevor Carlin, Team Principal.

  • F1 update 2023 calendar

    Formula 1 has confirmed that the 2023 season will consist of 23 races, as they ruled out a replacement for the Chinese Grand Prix.

    The original schedule had been set for 24 events, with the race in Shanghai provisionally put down for April 16th. However, ongoing restrictions in China relating to COVID-19 meant it was not possible for F1 to go ahead with the race there.

    The cancellation of the Chinese GP and with no race replacing it, it now leaves a big gap in the calendar between the Australian GP on April 2nd and the Azerbaijan GP on April 30th.

    F1 did consider options to shift this around, either by moving the Azerbaijan race forward to separate it from being a back-to-back with Miami, or by finding a replacement.

    However, Azerbaijan GP Chiefs were reluctant to move their event any earlier in the year because of concerns about poor weather in Baku.

  • Gray steps up to F3

    Carlin have announced that British Formula 4 Vice-Champion, Oliver Gray will step up to Formula 3 with them for the 2023 campaign, with Williams confirming that the young Brit will continue as part of their Driver Academy for another year.

    Last year, the 17 year old finished as runner-up in the F4 British Championship with Carlin, claiming an impressive 16 podiums, two wins and two pole positions in his only second season of single-seater racing.

    Prior to making his debut in cars, Gray enjoyed karting success in the UK and Europe. He achieved the 2019 Motorsport UK Kartmasters and British Karting Championship titles at the X30 junior level, alongside taking the Vice Champion honours in the IAME Euro Series.

    Graduating to single-seaters for the 2021 British F4 season, he took two wins and two pole positions on his way to finish seventh in the standings. As well as making a two-round appearance in Italian F4 – earning him a spot in the Williams Driver Academy.

    I’m super excited to be making the step up to F3 next season. I’m indebted to my sponsors and for the belief that Williams and Carlin have shown in me. Hopefully this will be the first year of a two-year programme in F3, so the aim this season will be to really learn as much as possible about the car, circuits and tyres, all of which will be new to me. To be able to embark on that with the team at Carlin is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get going.

    Gray on his new seat.

    Ollie was a complete pleasure to have in the team last season and we really believe in his potential. It’s a big step up to FIA F3, which is an incredibly competitive championship so it will be a steep learning curve. Making steady but recognisable progress with every event will be the aim, and Ollie has the attitude and talent to be able to do that.

    Carlin Team Principal, Trevor Carlin.

  • Stanek graduates to F2

    Trident have confirmed that Roman Stanek will be graduating to Formula 2, where he will team up with Clement Novalak to complete the team’s line-up for 2023.

    He joined the team having raced for Trident in FIA Formula 3 last season, where he finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    The 18 year old graduated from karting to single seater in 2019, where he won twice in German F4 and once in Italian F4 and finishing fourth and fifth in both Championships respectively.

    From there, Stanek graduated to Formula 3 for 2020 and has made improvements across his three seasons in the championship, culminating in his top five finish last year.

    Stanek subsequently took part in the post-season test with Trident at Yas Marina following the end of the 2022 F2 season, logging a total of 246 laps across the three days.

    We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Roman Staněk and partner with him for his move to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is always a key step for a driver’s career. I think that moving up within the same organization is an important added value in terms of continuity. He knows the team very well, and we will be able to support him in the best possible way. Staněk had a remarkable 2022 season in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Trident Motorsport, and I think there are all the components that are needed to perform at a high level this year as well.

    Trident Team Manager, Giacomo Ricci.

    I’m very thrilled to be working with Trident again this year. I’m already at work with the team and Giacomo, who is a great mentor to me, to achieve our goals together. This is going to be a year full of challenges and I’m ready for it.

    Stanek added on.

  • Sebastian Montoya joins RB Juniors

    Sebastian Montoya, son of ex-Formula 1 driver, Juan Pablo has joined Red Bull’s Junior Team for 2023, as he looks to follow in his fathers footsteps.

    Juan Pablo spent six years competing in F1 from 2001 to 2006, initially representing Williams and then later on McLaren – taking seven victories, 30 podiums and best finish of third in the drivers’ standings.

    Now, Sebastian is forging his own motorsport career and having risen up the karting ranks, made his single-seater debut in 2020, contesting in both ADAC Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 Championships with Prema.

    The Colombian-American racer stayed in both categories for the 2021 season, placing fourth overall in Italian F4 and ninth in ADAC F4, bagging his first podiums in the process.

    Last year, the 17 year old added campaigns in the Asian and European Formula Regional categories, along with selected LMP2 outings in the IMSA SportsCar Championship alongside his father, as well as a points-scoring appearance in FIA F3.

    Excited to announce I am now part of Red Bull’s Official Junior Team. This past year, I became part of the brand’s athletes and now we will work together for the ultimate goal: F1.

    Montoya took to social media announcing the news.

  • 03.02.23

    Reigning F1 World Champions, Red Bull have announced that they will hold a ‘season launch’ in New York early in February, as the team look to continue their run of success.

    After winning the 2021 drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen, 2022 saw the Dutchman (15 wins from 22 races) and the outfit (17 wins) romp to both world titles, making the most of F1’s recent rule changes.

    They enter the 2023 campaign as the force to beat with Ferrari aiming to offer a more sustained challenge this time out, as well as Mercedes bid to join them in the fight.

    Running power units developed under their own in-house Red Bull Powertrains operation, the team will field an unchanged driver line-up, with Max committed through 2028 and Sergio signed until 2024.

    However, there will be one new addition for the upcoming season, as former driver Daniel Ricciardo returns in a third driver role.

  • Round 1- Mexico City E-Prix

    Round 1 is now complete, lets take a look at all the action from our first ever Gen3 race and first round of Season 9.

    FP1-

    There was no hanging about in the first session of Mexico City E-Prix, as all 22 drivers got a chance to lock in laps in their all-new cars…

    With only pre-season testing under their belts the half an hour session, proved extremely valuable for the drivers. Teams will be keen to compare the data from the first practice session to pre-season testing in Valenica.

    Rast saved a big spin in the final moments of the session but was left with damage to his rear-left wheel and suspension. Several drivers, including reigning champion, Stoffel Vandoorne complained of issues with their rear axels locking at certain points around the 19 turn circuit.

    But it was Jean-Eric Vergne who topped the timesheets with a 1m 13.294s, with rookie Jake Hughes following him closely in 2nd and Sergio Sette Camara rounds out the top 3.

    FP2-

    The early morning session, brought a very cold track and air temperature at just six degrees celsius; which is highly unusual conditions for a Formula E race weekend, but it brought a new challenge for the Gen3 cars and Hankook tyres.

    The top 18 drivers were split by just a second, with only 0.865s diving Wherlein at the top of the timesheets and McLaren’s Rene Rast in 17th.

    As seen in FP1, drivers were still finding the limits of their new cars. A handful of drivers were still going straight on at Turn 1.

    But it was Pascal Wehrlein who took the top spot with a 1:13.496, JEV continues his run of good form as he finished second and then Sergio Sette Camara makes it two top 3 finishes as well as he rounded out the top 3.

    Qualifying-

    Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi strode to Julius Baer Pole Position for the Mexico City E-Prix taking advantage of Jake Dennis’ slip in the final.

    Both Di Grassi and Dennis were fighting hard to keep their cars in check over what set out looking like a scruffy final effort for both drivers. Ultimately, Dennis did fall foul, with a real deep dive into the hairpin at Turn 5 costing him.

    Rookie, Jake Hughes impressed once again with the NEOM McLaren driver winding up third on the grid after bypassing Dan Tickum in a sharp looking NIO 333 in the quarters, the latter lining up fifth. Fellow rookie, Sacha Fenestraz fired his Nissan into eighth after also making the duels.

    Neither DS Penske or Maserati could count a driver in the duels – massive turn around given their benchmark pace in testing. That meant reigning champion, Vandoorne would settle for 14th on the grid with it all to do.

    Round 1-

    Dennis soaked in the adulation of the Foro Sol and the packed grandstands watching on, with ultra-passionate Mexican fans here to be a part of the first race of Formula E’s latest generational leap.

    The Andretti driver made what would be the race-winning move on lap 12. From there, Dennis stretched his legs through three safety car periods, he was able to run away with lead – eventually heading home Wehrlein by a huge seven seconds. Wehrlein produced a storming driver, as last year’s winner pulled out an eventual 11 second margin on third place di Grassi.

    Robin Frijns was one driver who didn’t make it through the first few turns of the race which brought out an early safety car. As he went into the back of Norman Nato’s Nissan at Turn 9, with the ABT driver breaking his wrist.

    One lap after the restart, Sam Bird then grounded to a halt with another technical issue on the inside of Turn 2.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Wehrlein, P3: Di Grassi, P4: Lotterer, P5: Hughes, P6: Buemi, P7: Da Costa, P8: Evans, P9: Cassidy and P10: Vandoorne.

    We are back racing in just under two weeks for a double header of night races in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on the 27th & 28th January.

  • Williams announce Merc strategy chief, James Vowles as TP

    Williams have revealed that Mercedes, strategist James Vowles will take the place of Jost Capito as their new team boss.

    Capito and Technical Director FX Demaison both left Williams in December, following a 2022 season in which the team placed at the bottom of the F1 constructors’ standings having scored just eight points.

    Vowles has enjoyed a 21-year career in F1, representing the Silver Arrows since 2010 and serving as their Motorsport Strategy Director over the last four years. He previously held key engineering and strategy roles at Mercedes, Brawn GP, Honda and BAR.

    Vowles, who also worked with Williams Brand Ambassador Jenson Button during their title-winning days at Brawn, will be joining the Grove operation on February 20th ahead of the 2023 season opener i Bahrain.

    I cannot wait to start with Williams Racing. It’s an honour to join a team with such an incredibly rich heritage. The team is an icon of our sport, one I greatly respect, and I am very much looking forward to the challenge. Williams Racing have placed their faith and trust in me, and I will do the same in return. The team has tremendous potential, and our journey together starts in a matter of weeks.

    Vowles on his new role.

    We are delighted to welcome James to Williams Racing. He is one of the most highly respected talents in Formula 1 and will bring performance. He has been a key part of some of the most impressive feats in the sport over the past 15 years. As we continue our relentless pursuit for results, we believe that the appointment of James reinforces our dedication to ensuring we have energetic, experienced, and strong leadership as we move into the next phase of transforming Williams Racing.

    Matthew Savage, Dorilton Capital Chairman.

  • 15.02.23

    Mercedes have confirmed when their 2023 F1 car will be launched, with the Silver Arrows pushing to return to their regular winning ways.

    Mercedes racked up seven drivers’ titles and eight constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021, having initially mastered the turbo-hybrid regulations, but major changes to the 2022 technical rules, saw them struggle with a trouble W13 package.

    It took the team most of the season to get on top of porpoising, and to get on terms with rivals Red Bull and Ferrari, allowing George Russell to lead home Lewis Hamilton in a break through one-two at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

    After a busy winter, Mercedes will be hoping they can score consistent wins with the new W14, which will be launched on February 15th, one day after rivals Ferrari.

    Russell and Hamilton will continue as team mates for a second season in 2023, whilst Mick Schumacher takes up the reserve driver role.

    At the end, it comes back to the sentence, ‘The days we lose are the days our competitors will regret’, because we learn the most. Hopefully the future will be proof of that. With our learnings, the values in the team, the empowerment and the no blame culture, I think we will be back in a more potent form next year – hopefully winning races on merit and fighting for the championship. But is it a given? Certainly not.

    Toto Wolff, speaking on the Beyond The Grid podcast.

  • Mexico City Preview

    The season opener is finally here as we head to Mexico for Round 1 of Season 9; the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix, where we are jumping into the Gen3 era!

    Mexico has always been a mainstay on the Formula E calendar, since its initial appearance. With the first race taking place in Season 2, Mexico City has been on the calendar every season since apart from Season (with Puebla filling the gap).

    The 19 turn, 2.630km circuit is a perfect mix of long, fast straights and a technical infield section that passes right through the legendary Foro Sol stadium – housing tens of thousands of fans.

    With race-ready surface and long corners, Mexico City is not only of the fastest tracks on the calendar but its also the highest at 2,250m above sea level.

    The Mexico City E-Prix will be running on a new track layout with a chicane being added after Turn 8, down the back straight. The 19 turn layout will be the fourth different configuration across the seven Mexico City E-Prix.

    Last years visit to Mexico saw Pascal Wehrlein claim his maiden Formula E victory, with the German leading home Andre Lotterer for a Porsche 1-2.

    The last three Julius Baer Pole Positions in Mexico City have been claimed by German drivers, however pole position isn’t always the spot to be in Mexico, with three of the six pole sitters having failed to make it to the chequered flag.

    Weekend Schedule-

    Friday 13th January-

    • Free Practice 1- 22:30pm – 23:00pm (GMT)

    Saturday 14th January-

    • Free Practice 2- 13:30pm – 14:00pm (GMT)
    • Qualifying- 15:40pm – 16:55pm
    • Race- 20:03pm – 21:00pm

  • 06.02.23

    Williams have shared plans for a season launch – during which they will be showing off their 2023 livery – as the team looks to climb off the foot of the F1 standings this year.

    Amid a challenging run of form, Williams have classified last in four of the last five seasons (P8 in 2021 being the exception), with the 2022 campaign yielding only eight points.

    Looking towards 2023, the Grove operation will stage a pre-season launch event on their official website at 14:00 GMT of February 6th, in which Alex Albon and new team mate, Logan Sargeant will be on hand to show off the team’s 2023 colours.

    Williams are one of the several squads to field a revised driver line-up this year, with the American rookie, Sargeant replacing Nicholas Latifi after finishing fourth in the 2022 F2 standings.

    Alongside a revised driver pairing, Williams will head into 2023 under a new team boss, with Jost Capito having departed late last year amid a merry go round of managerial changes – though his replacement is yet to be announced.

    It’s a huge honour and a dream come true to be given this opportunity to compete in Formula 1 with Williams Racing. A massive thank you to every person at Williams Racing and (owners) Dorilton Motor Sports for the support they’ve given me since the day I first joined the team at the 2021 United States Grand Prix. Being a part of the Williams Driver Academy for the past year has given me an important platform to develop as a driver and prepare me for this next chapter. I’m ready and excited to be a part of this journey as the team looks to progress up the grid.

    Logan on his F1 seat.

  • Collet completes VARs line-up

    Caio Collet will be joining Van Amersfoort Racing for his third season in Formula 3, as the Brazilian racer makes the switch from MP Motorsport.

    The 20 year old, first made his F3 appearance in 2021, scoring two podiums, including one on debut in Barcelona.

    After a successful rookie season, Collet put in more strong performances in 2022 earning sprint race wins in Budapest and Zandvoort where he went on to finish eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to his move to F3, Collet secured the 2018 French F4 title in his maiden season in single-seaters. There he achieved an impressive 11 podium finishes which included seven victories.

    The following year saw him finish fifth in Formula Renault Eurocup, claiming six podiums along the way. He then returned for a second campaign in 2020, Collet took five wins and seven further podiums on his way to finish second in the Championship.

    Exciting times are coming as I am extremely motivated to get started with Van Amersfoort Racing. During their first year in F3, the team proved to everyone how much potential they have. From my side, I am very confident going into the new season. I have used the winter period effectively and feel ready, more than I ever did. I have set high goals for myself, and the team is as motivated as I am to take the maximum out of this year, so let the games begin!

    Collet on his move.

    Caio has shown in the past how fast and talented he is, making it extremely exciting to have him as part of our F3 driver line-up this year. Caio brings valuable experience to the team, which will help us to grow at an even higher pace than last year. Clearly, he is determined to perform strong this year, and so do we as a team. Our motivation levels are really high, the least said, and our crew is very much looking forward to working with an experienced driver as Caio!

    Rob Niessink, VAR CEO.

  • Williams sign Colapinto

    Franco Colapinto has become the latest signing to the Williams Driver Academy.

    The Argentine competed in his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign last year, finishing 9th in the drivers’ championship with Van Amersfoort after several stand-out performances across the season, including his debut in Bahrain.

    The 19 year old captured the Spanish F4 title in his first full season of single-seater racing in 2019, where he took 11 race wins. He drove in both Formula Renault Eurocup and Toyota Racing Series in 2020, finishing third in both series with three victories and 17 podiums combined.

    For his second FIA F3 season, Colapinto switches from VAR to reunite with MP Motorsport. The 19 year old took part in the post season test with the team last year, achieving 248 laps at Jerez and ending the test with the fastest time on the third and final day.

    It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing as an Academy Driver. They are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history and I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of my fellow countryman Carlos Reutemann. It’s an incredible opportunity for which I am forever grateful. Thanks to everyone at Williams for putting their trust in me. I am also excited to announce that I will be back with MP Motorsport for the 2023 FIA F3 season. I really enjoyed my time with the team in Eurocup and FRECA and we achieved some great results together. The goal is to reach even higher this time. My first year in FIA F3 was all about learning and I will use all the knowledge I’ve gathered to aim for the title next year. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible. Bullet Sports Management, YPF, ROFGO Racing, and of course, my beloved country Argentina. Thank you for all the support. I can’t wait to get the season started.

    Colapinto on joining the Academy and his new seat.

    We’re delighted to welcome Franco to the Williams Racing Driver Academy. His career achievements since starting karting highlight Franco’s natural ability behind the wheel and what he’s capable of in the years to come. He had a standout rookie season in Formula 3 with several strong performances that led to podiums and wins. We look forward to working closely with Franco to support and nurture his development as a driver.

    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Williams Racing.

  • Colapinto switches to MP Motorsport

    Franco Colapinto has switched to MP Motorsport for his second campaign in FIA Formula 3.

    A standout performer of the 2022 season, as Colapinto scored pole position on his and Van Amersfoort Racing’s debut weekend in Sakhir before going on to take two wins and a further three podiums.

    Having made his single-seater debut in 2019, Colapinto immediately set out to make his mark by achieving the Spanish F4 title at the first time of asking.

    Progressing up to Formula Renault Eurocup the following year with MP, the Argentinian secured third in the standings. Embarking on a campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with the Dutch squad in 2021, he closed his season in sixth with two wins and two further podiums.

    Alongside his running in FRECA, he gained additional experience in endurance racing, taking home a victory in the European Le Mans series LMP2 class and finishing seventh in his first 24 hours of Le Mans.

    I’m so pleased to have signed with MP for my second season in FIA Formula 3. I only have fond memories of my years in Formula Renault and Formula Regional with the team, a cooperation that resulted in many wins and pole positions. I’m eager to resume the run of success that we have had and fully intend to expand on it. Next year is going to be great!

    Colapinto on his seat.

    It’s so good to be able to welcome Franco back into the MP fold. He’s been outstanding in his two years with us, and in his other two seasons since his promotion from karts Franco was always among our most daunting rivals! With a first season of FIA F3 under his belt, he now carries the weight needed for a consistently frontrunning campaign – and we’re here to help him achieve that.

    Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Principal.

  • Villagomez sticks with VAR

    Van Amersfoort Racing has confirmed that Rafael Villagomez will be racing with the team in 2023 in his third FIA Formula 3 campaign.

    Villagomez began his single seater career back in 2020, winning the Richard Mille Young Talent search and racing in British and French F4, consistently scoring points in both that season.

    Graduation up to Euroformula Open in 2021, with VAR brought four podium finishes and P8 in the championship, he also paired that campaign with his rookie season in FIA Formula 3, driving for HWA Racelab.

    Last season, his focus was solely on a follow-up F3 campaign, and he will be sticking with VAR for this year’s Championship.

    I am really excited about competing in Formula 3 again. Both myself and the team have grown a lot last year and it’s great to be able to continue working together in 2023. I have used the winter period to fully prepare myself physically, and I am really excited to be already racing in January in FRMEC. It feels like this is the best approach to get fully ready for the season and I can’t wait for it to finally kick off again!

    The 21 year old said.

    It is great to continue working with Rafael this upcoming season. Rafael is very dedicated to his goals, which makes him an absolute pleasure to work with. Having a driver in the team for multiple seasons has clear benefits. Due to the intense contact, you grow stronger as a team, which ultimately is key for performing well on track. Our crew is very committed to support Rafael in progressing both on- and off the circuit and all are fully dedicated to book strong results this season!

    Rob Niessink, CEO of Van Amersfoort Racing.

  • 13.02.23

    McLaren will launch their next Formula 1 challenger in mid-February after hiding the news in an image on social media.

    The team that finished fifth in the 2022 constructors’ champion will unveil their 2023 car due to be driven by Lando Norris and rookie, Oscar Piastri on February 13th at the McLaren Technology Centre.

    McLaren’s former Team Principal, Andreas Seidl left the team at the end of the 2022 season to join Sauber as Chief Executive Ofdicer, whilst Andrea Stella steps up to the role.

    The outfit announced the news of the car launch on Twitter having hidden the date on a sticky note in one of their images…

    I’m looking forward to being able to show what I have, but also there’s undoubtedly going to be things to learn along the way, and I think Lando’s a very strong team mate to be able to learn from. I think it’ll be a good working relationship. We’re both quite similar in age, we’ve got a few friends in common, like I said, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to work well together and hopefully bring the whole team more towards the front of the grid – that’s the aim.

    Piastri on his teammate.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnFDZ-Drvrr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Andretti & Cadillac announce F1 entry plans

    Andretti Global and General Motors have announced plans to enter a new Formula 1 team in the coming years under the latter’s Cadillac brand.

    Andretti revealed last February that it was planning to open an F1 operation in the future, and spent much of the 2022 season discussing the possibility of expanding the field with the existing 10 teams.

    The FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed on Twitter last week, that he had asked his team to look at starting the process for expressions of interest from potential new F1 teams, marking a first step to expanding the current 20 car grid.

    In an announcement made last Thursday, Andretti and General Motors revealed their plan to enter an “all-American team” in response to the FIA’s calls for expressions of interest as an Andretti Cadillac team.

    The potential team would initially receive a power unit supply from another engine manufacturer, but both Andretti and Cadillac are set to offer technical support as part of a collaboration.

    The team would operate chiefly out of the new Andretti Global headquarters that is under construction in Fishers, Indiana due to start operations in 2025. A satellite facility would also operate out of Europe for the team, as well as aiding with Andretti’s other racing interests.

    F1 has not had a new team since Haas joined the grid in 2016, but there is understood to be interest from a number of parties about joining the field in the future.

    The process for Andretti and Cadillac to join the grid is one that requires the support of F1 itself and the current teams, only two of which have been publicly supportive of Andretti’s plans amid concerns of the potential financial impact.

    Any new teams which join the F1 field is required to pay a $200 million fee as a dilution fund that is split between the current grid to make up for splitting the teams’ payouts with another entrant.

    Since first discussing plans to join the F1 grid, Andretti has been vocal about wishing to field an American driver in one of its seats, namely Colton Herta who races for Andretti Autosport in IndyCar.

    We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next.  feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula 1 and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We now have the opportunity to combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid.

    Michael Andretti, the chairman and CEO of Andretti Global.

  • 16.02.23

    Alpine have announced the launch date for their 2023 Formula 1 car, which will be called the A523.

    The Enstone/Viry-based constructors fourth in the championship with their 2022 car, the A523 and will field an all-French line-up this season with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the wheel – as Fernando Alonso has departed for Aston Martin.

    This year’s Alpine, A523 will be launched on February 16th in London with the team confirming on social media.

    Gasly who joins from AlphaTauri, tested the A522 at Yas Marina Circuit after the 2022 season had concluded and said at the time : “Firstly, thanks to the entire team for making me feel so welcome over the last two days and I’m feeling ready to begin this next chapter in my career. I’m looking forward to visiting everyone at Viry and Enstone, debriefing on this test, before working towards our objectives alongside Esteban for the 2023 season.”

    The team’s CEO Laurent Rossi said that their P4 in the standings in 2022 was an important step for the constructors as they look to push on towards fighting for the championship. “I mean, it’s always better to finish P4 than P5, no doubt. At the beginning of the season, the goal was to put a new structure in place, which we did, that structure was supposed to deliver innovations, upgrades throughout the entire season, to be more competitive, which we did, which culminate, ultimately in a better position, which we are very close to be doing. So, it is important, not just financially but also for the momentum. We said we would try and progress every year to catch up as much as we can with the top teams. It’s important not to miss the first step. Hopefully, we’re going to get there.”

  • 11.02.23

    Alpha Tauri have announced they will be holding a launch event in New York City to reveal their new livery for the 2023 season.

    Alpha Tauri are the third team to announce as Aston Martin and Ferrari have confirmed their launches for their new challengers – but Alpha Tauri will be the first out of the teams to show the car’s colour scheme at least.

    The AT04 will be raced by Yuki Tsunoda, where it will be his third year in Formula 1 and rookie Nyck de Vries who replaces Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly.

    Former Formula 2 and Formula E Champion, De Vries was Mercedes reserve driver and stepped in last minute to replace Williams driver, Alex Albon when he was struck down with apendicitis at the Italian Grand Prix.

    De Vries immediately looked at home, qualifying P13 and racing to a points finish of P9 on his debut – a performance so impressive that shortly afterwards he was signed up for a full time seat alongside Tsunoda.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhIYuqqYRA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

  • Edgar switches to MP Motorsport

    Jonny Edgar will be returning for a third Formula 3 season, making the switch from Trident to MP Motorsport for the 2023 campaign.

    The 18 year old finished his sophomore season strongly, scoring four top five finishes in the final six races to take 12th in the Standings, despite missing two rounds early on due to health problems.

    Edgar already has four years of single-seater experience under his belt, where he progressed up to Italian F4 in 2019 after a successful karting career. From there, he stormed to the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 title, claiming six wins, 11 podiums and five pole positions across 21 races.

    Making his F3 debut in 2021, for Carlin the British racer took five points-scoring finishes before moving to Trident the following year.

    First linking up with MP during post-season testing in Jerez, Edgar clocked in 259 laps across the three days and will be continuing his partnership with the Dutch team alongside Spanish rookie, Mari Boya.

    I’m really happy to become part of the MP family for 2023. The team are proven race winners in FIA Formula 3, a fact that they have consistently showed over the past few seasons. It was great to get a headstart with the team at Jérez and meet up with Mari and all the guys. This year has been difficult with my health issues, but I have fought back and really worked on my fitness in the car. So now I’m relishing the thought of a fresh attack on FIA F3, as it feels like unfinished business to me. I can’t wait to get going!

    Edgar on his new seat.

    We are truly pleased to welcome Jonny in our FIA F3 team. He is an outstanding driver with loads of natural talent, his titles in karting and Formula 4 vouch for that. We look forward to having a hand in rebooting his promising career by providing him with a competitive F3 car. We enjoyed working with him at Jérez and aim to help him convert all of his obvious raw speed into strong results. Bring on 2023!

    Sander Dorsman, MP Team Principal.

  • 14.02.23

    Ferrari have became the second team to announce the launch date for their 2023 Formula 1 car.

    Aston Martin was the first F1 squad to confirm when the covers would be coming off their new car, and now have revealed their 2023 challenger will be unveiled to the world on February 14th.

    The car currently goes by project number 675 but has no official name yet.

    Ferrari’s last car the F1-75 returned the team to winning ways after a fallow couple of the season for the team. The Scuderia had not won a race since 2019 but Charles Leclerc took two victories from the first three races in 2022 to put himself and the team right back in title contention.

    Ultimately, that challenge fell short as Max Verstappen and Red Bull swept to victory in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

    Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will continue as team mates at Ferrari for the third consecutive season, but it’s all change at the top after Scuderia recently appointed ex-Sauber head, Frederic Vasseur as Team Principal.

    The Scuderia last won the constructors’ championship in 2008 and have since finished runners up six times.

  • Smith joins VAR

    Tommy Smith will be making his Formula 3 debut for Van Amersfoort Racing next year, as the Dutch team confirms the Australian racer as their first signing for the 2023 campaign.

    The 20 year old steps up off the back of his first full season in the GB3 Championship, where he took a maiden victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

    A consistent performer, Smith would finish eighth and seventh in the standings across his two seasons in the Championship. Alongside this, he gained further experience in both the 2019 Toyota Racing Series and the F3 Asian CHampionship, finishing 10th in his sophomore Asian F3 campaign at the beginning of 2020.

    After almost a year out, Smith dovetailed a full season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with a three round appearance in the GB3 Championship. Remaining in GB3 for the 2022 season, the Australian went on to achieve 18 points-scoring finishes in 24 races, including one victory and a further podium finish.

    I am absolutely thrilled about this opportunity. Having raced in both FRECA and GB3 championships, stepping up to the FIA F3 feels like the right next move. I’m certainly aware that it will be a challenging season in which I will have to learn and adapt continuously, but I am convinced I am taking on this challenge with the right team. VAR’s achievements already in their first year competing in FIA F3 are a clear indicator of their level of commitment, and I look very much forward to get started with them and the championship!

    Smith on his move to F3.

    We are excited to have Tommy as part of our driver line-up. He is new to the FIA F3 Championship, but Tommy’s time spent in FRECA and GB3 will certainly help him to pick up quickly. Tommy is very eager to learn and quickly book progress. He showed this positive attitude already in the past and that will help both Tommy and the crew to jumpstart the season. We look very much forward to supporting him in this important next step of his career!

    Rob Niessink, Van Amersfoort CEO.