Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula One

  • Alonso to replace Vettel?

    Acording to a report, Fernando Alonso is on Aston Martin’s radar again to potentially to replace Sebastian Vettel for 2023.

    Vettel’s seat is probably one of the most talked about this year, he doesn’t give anything away with what he will be doing next year.

    Alonso is now into his second season, since returning to Formula 1 last season with Alpine, he has had an strong start to the 2022 capmaign even though his result do not show that…

    Bad luck has played a part in the Spaniard’s season, such as a retirement in Saudi Arabia and then a hit from Mick Schumacher at Imola later forced Alonso to retire because of a large chunk of his sidepod went up in the air… As well as this, at the Australian GP it looked like Alonso was a contender for pole, but a hydraulic problem caused him to crash in Q3.

    Aston Martin have ambitions to become title contenders within the next five years, but early in 2022 they find themselves as one of the slowest cars on the grid. Vettel and Stroll scored their first points of the year at Imola.

    But with Aston Martin having a lot of work to be able to be a contender to challenge the top teams right now, it is suspected that Vettel could leave the team. F1-Insider.com report that Alonso is on AM’s radar, having first been linked to a move to the Silverstone based team ahead of the 2022 season, when Vettel’s future was also not clear.

    My Opinion-

    We all know Alonso wants to keep on driving in F1, whether thats with Alpine, or Aston Martin I don’t think he will mind. If this happens, then I could see Alpine getting in Piastri, which a lot of people will want to see!

    But will Seb retire or will he find another seat? It’s a tough one, Seb says his still got a few more years in him, but does he actually want to stay?…

  • Miami Grand Prix

    The first Miami Grand Prix weekend is here! And what a crazy couple of days we’ve seen and there hasn’t even been any racing yet… A sign of things to come?

    Being at a new track, it is a fresh start for everyone but going into the weekend there is a lot of unknown aswell. Who will come out on top this weekend, Ferrari or Red Bull? Or will Mercedes new upgrades put them further up the field…

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Mercedes, even though George has been having a consistent season so far, they will be wanting both drivers to be doing well. Once they unlock the problems on the W13, they should have a decent car…

    Carlos will be wanting a good weekend, his been caught up in a few incidents which hasn’t been his fault. But it does seem like the pressure may be getting to him, he knows his got a car which can perform and he will want to get his first win and help the team get those points up for the Constructors.

    Alonso as well will be wanting a good weekend, another DNF in Imola which wasn’t his fault meant he hasn’t scored points in 3 out of 4 races. The Alpine has got pace so it should be up in that top 10 fighting for points with the McLaren and Mercedes.

    Mick, will he be getting his first points? It’s needed and the Haas does have pace, will be interesting to see how he handles the car on this track.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top 5 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz and P5: Alonso. This track is a bit unknown on whose car it will suit, but we all know the battle will be between Ferrari and Red Bull for pole.

    A battle i’m not sure on is Mercedes, McLaren, Alpine and probably Haas, they all have strong cars which could make that final top 5 place, but it should be a good battle between the teams.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 6th-

    • Free Practice 1- 19:30pm – 20:30pm (BST)
    • Free Practice 2- 22:30pm – 23:30pm (BST)

    Saturday 7th-

    • Free Practice 3- 18:00pm – 19:00pm (BST)
    • Qualifying- 21:00pm – 22:00pm (BST)

    Sunday 8th-

    • Race- 20:30pm (BST).

  • DTS Season 5 & 6 confirmed

    Netlifx and Formula 1 have confirmed that the popular series, Formula 1: Drive To Survive has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season on Netflix.

    DTS first debuted on Netflix in early 2019, in which they covered the 2018 season with 10 episodes pers series focusing on teams and drivers.

    The series, has grown more popular over time, with Season 4 attracting the biggest audience to date, with it breaking into the weekly Top 10 in 56 countries!

    The series offers unprecedented access, with the new season once again taking fans behind the scenes to witness first hand how the drivers and teams prepare to battle it out for the 2022 and 2023 championship.

    It is said, this is the reason why Formula 1 has broke America, and seeing more American races on the calendar, this year us having two and next year three, with Las Vegas joining the calendar.

  • Miami tyre allocation

    We are back this week, but no longer in Europe, as we have headed to Miami for the first ever Miami Grand Prix which is round number 5 of the 2022 season!

    Pirelli have chosen the middle of the range, C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft), this combination is the most commonly used throughout the year as its the most versatile.

    The 5.41 kilometre Miami International Autodrome is set in the Hard Rock Stadium Complex in Miami Gardens with 19 corners, three straights, elevation changes and a chicane. Top speeds are expected to be in the region of 320kph with an average of around 22kph and drivers on full throttle for around 58% of the lap.

    The Miami track will be the 11th venue to host a grand prix in the USA, with it being brand new to everyone, Pirelli has had to rely on simulation data to come up with the tyre nominations.

    The brand new asphalt is likely to lead to a high degree of track evolution, especially at the start of the weekend, with the Porsche Challenge and W series as support events.

    The weather could be unpredictable aswell, with ambient temperatures of around 20 degrees and quite a high risk of rain and wind on the Florida coast at this time of year.

    There’s been a huge buzz of excitement around the first Miami Grand Prix, where the track has some similarities to Jeddah, although there are some parts that are slower and more technical than Saudi Arabia: especially the section from Turns 11 to 16. The rest is a very quick layout, running anti-clockwise, which puts the emphasis on the tyres on the right hand side of the car. We’re expecting the usual rapid track evolution and a smooth surface with the new asphalt, but the track has been jet-washed at high pressure, which means that it should offer quite good grip from the beginning. Because it’s a fast track the cars are likely to run a low to medium downforce set-up, which could lead to a bit of sliding in the high-speed corners on the hard compounds in particular. For any new track our choice tends to be on the conservative side, so it will be interest to confront the simulations with real data.

    Mario Isla, Head of Pirelli Motorsport.

  • Audi & Porsche to enter Formula 1

    After months of speculation, Volkswagen’s chief executive, Herbert Diess has confirmed that Audi and Porsche will be entering Formula 1 in 2026.

    It seems that Porsche’s plans are a little more certain at this early stage- which may see them link up with Red Bull for an engine programme.

    Since last summer when both became involved in talks over F1’s next generation of engines from 2026, Audi and Porsche who are both apart of the Volkswagen group have been linked with joining the grid quite a lot.

    Unofficial confirmation occurred in early April, as reported by Reuters, who are now attributing the official word to chief executive Diess in a Youtube video. There were not however any specific details although Reuters reported that Porsche “intends to establish a long-term partnership”.

    Reuters are also sticking to their story from March that Audi have out a bid of 500 million euros for the McLaren team, which if accepted would enable them to enter Formula 1 as a constructor rather than an engine manufacturer. But Zak Brown shut down the not for sale talks but that ‘vert preliminary’ talks with VW had taken place.

    McLaren aren’t the only potential option for Audi, Sauber operators of the Alfa Romeo branded team were close to selling to Andretti Autosport last year and already have a connection to Audi whose Le Mans cars were developed in the wind tunnel at Hinwil. It is also feasible that Williams’ owners Dorilton Capital could be interested in a deal.

  • Miami Track Details

    This week we are in Miami, as F1 keeps on growing in America. Last years US Grand Prix saw a record breaking 400,000 crowd which was unseen before at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

    Miami is now the second US Grand Prix on the calendar, with there being a new addition next year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix making it a third US event.

    The Miami International Autodrome, is a temporary circuit but one designed to have a permanent feel. It’s set in the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, which is home to the NFL’s famous Miami Dolphins franchise.

    The track is culmination of a development process that stimulated no less than 36 different layouts before settling on the final one.

    What is the circuit like?

    The 5.41km layout, will feature 19 corners, three straights and potentially three DRS zones and an estimated top speed of 320km/h. The race will be 57 laps.

    There are also elevation changes too, the main one being found between Turns 13 and 16, with the track heading over an exit ramp and under various flyovers across uneven ground. Whereas Turn 14 – 15 chicane has an uphill approach with crest in the middle, and then drops down on exit.

    One thing for sure, is that the track is going to be fast, as after Turn 1 there are a number of long sweeping corners that eventually loop round into a massive straight. There is expected that there will roughly be 3 main overtaking spots, but I’m sure we will see some drivers risking it in other places on the track.

    There is a very high speed and high lateral g section from Turns 4-8 where cars will likely struggle to pass and where vehicle performance on the exit of Turn 8 is critical to laptime, followed by two fast power-limited corners at Turn 9 and 10 where it is credible to imagine side-by side racing. In Sector 3, where we have the low-speed and grade-changing Turns 14-16 beneath the Turnpike flyovers, it is intentionally a very challenging technical sequence. We have engineered ‘mistake generators’ in the form of grade – and grip – change on corner apexes that could result in changes of position and where a team might choose a set up that optimises low-speed traction over high-speed grip. We’re seeking to challenge the race engineers and their vehicle setups as much as possible. It’s notionally a street track with some really challenging corners, so you’d expect high downforce, but we have some really long straights and some high-speed corner sequences too that would favour a lower drag setup. There will definitely be a compromise here between downforce levels, and it’ll be interesting to see the top speed differentials between the teams. We want to see a big mix to make the racing as exciting as possible.

    Apex Circuit Design, talking about the Miami Circuit.
  • Alpine to explore Piastri loan

    Alpine to explore Piastri loan

    Recently in the past few weeks there have been quite a few news articles about Australian, Oscar Piastri and him having an F1 seat next year. Well Alpine are considering to loan him out to another team, but they don’t want to loose him permanently.

    After winning back to back Formula 3 and 2 titles, there was no available seat for him on the 2022 F1 gird, so he is spending this season as Alpines reserve, with a heavy simulator schedule, access to engineer briefings and upcoming FP1 sessions, all with the aim of him getting on the gird for 2023.

    If Piastri was to step up to Alpine, then it would be replacing Fernando Alonso, however the Spanish driver appears to be on top form and shows no sign of him declining a seat.

    If it’s a solution that allows me to get him back at some point, I might think about it, I’m not opposed to the solution. You understand I want to develop Oscar, I don’t want to leave him sitting on the bench waiting forever. He needs to be ready when the day comes. And the day will come because he’s very talented, he’s very worthy of one of the top 20 seats here. And I do believe he has the potential of being a future World Champion, I’m persuaded of that. So he needs to be trained as much as he can in the meantime. [Looking at a loan has] always been a parameter for all of us.

    Laurent Rossi, Alpine CEO talking on a possible loan for Piastri, quoted by Motorsport.com.

    But, there is a paddock rumour going around, which was revealed by Sky F1 broadcaster, Ted Kravitz.

    One of the latest paddock rumours has Williams interested in the services of Oscar Piastri. This is for next year. I know I said [recently] you might see Oscar Piastri potentially at Aston Martin, but it seems I was wrong about that and actually Oscar Piastri/Alpine are looking at Williams potentially as a place for him next year. I don’t know if that will be in place of Alex Albon or Nicholas Latifi as both are very happy and ensconced within this team at Williams, but it’s one to look out for later in the season.

    Ted Kravitz during Ted’s Notebook for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

    Williams, have had a loan deal before, the British team had George Russell from 2019 to 2021 from Mercedes. After a blank first two season, Russell scored 16 points in his final season with the team.

    My Opinion-

    I’d pay money to see Oscar Piastri have a F1 seat for 2023! Whether that be with Alpine, Williams or a completely different team. But if Williams took a shot at Oscar, I don’t think they would be disappointed.

    He is obviously very talented, as seen by many current F1 drivers, Alpine and Mark Webber (his manager) and also the fact he has won back to back titles, which not many juniors can say they have done. Surely it’s only a matter of time? Right?…

  • Round 4- Emilia Romagna GP

    Round 4- Emilia Romagna GP

    It was a mixed conditions type race today, and it’s safe to say its one for Red Bull to remember but one to forget for Ferrari!

    Max Verstappen wins the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with his teammate, Sergio Perez coming home in second to make it Red Bull’s first 1-2 of the year! Lando Norris took the final podium spot, for a second year running, a first for the young Brit!

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Perez, P3: Norris, P4: Russell, P5: Bottas, P6: Leclerc, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Vettel, P9: Magnussen and P10: Stroll.

    Lets start with Ferrari, another DNF for Carlos, 2 in 2 races not good for him or the team… Himself and Ricciardo made contact on the first lap which saw Carlos not being able to move out of the gravel trap (again). Maybe Miami will be good for him? Now onto the Championship leader… he looked set to take P3, he pitted on lap 50 to try and get the fastest lap point and once he did this, both Bulls followed suit… Lap 54 was where it went wrong though as he went into the barriers at the chicane and dropped down to P9.

    Now onto McLaren, another up and down day! After the collision, Ricciardo just couldn’t get back up anywhere. But for Norris, what a day! Sometimes keeping out of trouble and not pushing tyres is good (like how we saw with Russell in Aus), the podium was well deserved for all at McLaren from where they started to where they are now!

    Mercedes, well a good race by Russell and some amazing defending by him to stop Bottas getting past, but for Hamilton I think his race was done when Ocon got released early in the pitlane and pushed Hamilton… A regroup needed for the Silver Arrows for Miami.

    Aston Martin! All the teams have now scored points after AM had both drivers score points today which I didn’t expect to see especially after Australia. But it was good to see and quite a mixed top 10.

    Points for Tsunoda, a very good weekend for him, he started P16 yesterday for the sprint and finished P7 today! Hopefully we see this happening more often throughout the year now.

    The Championship-

    Leclerc is still on the top spot and leading with 86 points, but its now the reigning world champion in second and now with 59 points! His teammate is close behind, Perez has 54 points. We then have Russell in that battle aswell in 4th i’d say, his consistent race finishes are helping with the fight.

    We then have Carlos rounding out the top 5 with 38 points, 11 away from Russell. Norris moves up to P6 with 35 points.

    Now looking at the Constructors, Ferrari still lead with 124 points, but Red Bull have closed in massively with 113 points. Then there is quite a gap between RB and Merc, the silver arrows are sat in third with 77 points. McLaren are 33 points of Mercedes so another gap and then Alfa Romeo are fifth with 25 points so its quite spaced out…

    We are back in two weeks, for the first ever Miami Grand Prix and the round number 5, on the weekend of 6th to 8th May, where the battle between RB and Ferrari continues!

  • Round 4- Imola Sprint

    Round 4- Imola Sprint

    The first sprint race of the season is complete and what a race it was! Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc to the checkered flag. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing as Charles got the better start and led for 19 laps.

    With the top 8 now scoring points in the sprint, we wasn’t sure if there would be much on track action, but it is safe to say we were not disappointed.

    The top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz, P5: Norris, P6: Ricciardo, P7: Bottas, P8: Magnussen, P9: Alonso and P10: Schumacher.

    First up, Mr Zhou Guanyu was our only DNF, he made contact with Pierre Gasly which saw Zhou go off at Turn 9. Pierre also picked up damage and needed to pit for a new front wing and tyres. Zhou will be starting from the pitlane as his pitcrew needed to work on the car during parc fermme conditions.

    Both Perez and Sainz had a lot of making up to do before the Sprint even started and I think its safe to say that they both put in the work to do damage limitation in the sprint, ready for the main event tomorrow.

    Yuki was the saving grace for Alpha Tauri as he made up 4 places, giving him that advantage tomorrow for the race.

    Disappointing sprint for the king of sprint, Alonso. He lost 4 positions during the sprint and that may be to his tyres not heating up enough and he was just a sitting duck. Hopefully we see more from him tomorrow.

    Predictions-

    Top five for tomorrows race is- P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, and P5: Ricciardo.

    Now, seeing as Mick has the perfect opportunity to score points as he starts in the top 10, I am hoping this happens. It does look like he is comfortable in the car on this track so lets hope he can do it.

    A possible chance for points for Russell, Tsunoda and Vettel. There could be a chance of rain tomorrow so that could shake up the order quite some what and then that would give the 3 drivers I just mentioned to move up a few spots.

    Times for tomorrow-

    Feature Race F3- 7:50am (BST)
    Feature Race F2- 9:20am (BST)
    F1 Race- 14:00pm (BST).

  • Round 4- Imola Qualifying

    Round 4- Imola Qualifying

    A very mixed qualifying is now complete from a dry track to a red flag and then a wet track. Safe to say the Imola cat will be keeping dry in paddock.

    But with his first pole position of the year for the current world champion, Max Verstappen!

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Norris, P4: Magnussen, P5: Alonso, P6: Ricciardo, P7: Perez, P8: Bottas, P9: Vettel and P10: Sainz.

    Not a good day for the home heros, both Alpha Tauri’s out in Q1 as they couldn’t manage to get through the next stage of qualifying. Lots of work for them to do in the sprint and the race if they want to score some points this weekend.

    Due to a red flag in Q2, caused by Carlos Sainz, the running stopped in qualifying completely even after the red flag went as the rain started to come down and the drivers had already set some laps so none of them were going to change.

    Mercedes did not have a good qualifying, you could put it down to Carlos’ crash as well as they are just having problems with the car also. Both drivers out in Q2 the first time a Mercedes car hasn’t been in Q3 since Japan 2012

    Williams having more and more problems as the weekends go on, this time for Albon as his breaks set a light whilst in Q1 and cause a stop to the session as there were debris from the brakes being on fire.

    A total of 5 red flags throughout qualifying. A lot for teams to work on. Disappointing that Perez could’ve been higher up and benefit on the fact that Ferrari only have one car at the top.

    A good showing from McLaren, hopefully we see some more good work from the pair throughout the rest of the weekend as well as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen!

    Predictions-

    My top 5 for the sprint is- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Norris, P4: Alonso and P5: Magnussen.

    If it is a dry sprint tomorrow, like expected then I can’t really see much happening. A couple of positions switch around in the top 10 but nothing major unless it’s mechanical issues…

    Times for tomorrow-

    Free Practice 2 F1- 11:30am – 12:30pm (BST)
    Sprint Race F1- 15:30pm – 16:30pm (BST)

  • Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

    We are back this weekend racing not just Formula 1 but Formula 2 and 3 also! We are now in Italy for the return of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Sprint returns this weekend also, for the first time in 2022.

    Its both Ferrari and Alpha Tauri home race this weekend, can the teams provide a good weekend? Will Max have more reliability issues? Or will he conquer through? Carlos retired last race, can he get back on the podium on Sunday?

    Could we see a wet qualifying? It’s definitely looking that way and a possibility of some rain across the weekend also. This could shake the order up quite a bit!

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Red Bull, or more likely Max. 2 DNF’s in 3 races isn’t a good start for defending his title. I know it isn’t his fault as they were things to do with the car and not himself but he will be wanting this weekend to go as smoothly as possible.

    Aston Martin will be wanting a good weekend especially Seb, he DNF’ed in Australia and will be wanting to get through the whole Grand Prix this weekend.

    Carlos will also be wanting a good weekend also, he has had a good start to the season apart from the DNF in Aus, but with his new contract being announced this week he will be wanting to perform even more than before.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top 5 are- Pole: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz and P5: Hamilton. Apparently Red Bull are bringing upgrades this weekend, if they work well the fight could be on between both RB and Ferrari.

    A part of me don’t want to count out Russell, we all saw what he could do in qualifying when it was raining and at the moment its predicted to rain whilst quali is going on, so we could see a masterclass from him again.

    Hopefully we see at least one Haas in Q3, would be nice to see both in there as well as the McLaren’s. Lando likes driving in the wet as we all saw last year, so it may help him get further up the grid for the sprint on Saturday.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 22nd-

    • Free Practice F3- 8:55am – 9:40am (BST)
    • Free Practice F2- 10:05am – 10:50am (BST)
    • Free Practice 1 F1- 12:30pm – 13:30pm (BST)
    • Qualifying F3- 14:00pm – 14:30pm (BST)
    • Qualifying F2- 14:55pm – 15:25pm (BST)
    • Qualifying F1- 16:00pm – 17:00pm (BST).

    Saturday 23rd-

    • Sprint Race F3- 9:35am – 10:15am (BST)
    • Free Practice 2 F1- 11:30am – 12:30pm (BST)
    • Sprint Race F1- 15:30pm – 16:30pm (BST)
    • Sprint Race F2- 16:55pm – 17:40pm (BST).

    Sunday 24th-

    • Feature Race F3- 7:50am (BST)
    • Feature Race F2- 9:20am (BST)
    • F1 Race- 14:00pm (BST).
  • Sainz signs till 2024!

    Sainz signs till 2024!

    Ferrari and Carlos Sainz have made an agreement (finally), and it will now see Carlos stay with the team for another two years, until the end of 2024.

    Sainz had an excellent debut season with the Italian team last season, scoring points in all but two races and managing to grab four podiums on his way to a career best fifth place in the standings, two places above his teammate.

    Last month, former Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren driver Sainz said he was “extremely close” to signing the new deal with Ferrari and in the days leading up to Ferrari’s first home race of the season an agreement was reached.

    Carlos’ new deal brings him in line with Leclerc, both drivers now being contracted to Ferrari until at least the end of 2024.

    Sainz currently sits in third in the drivers’ standings on 33 points, having finished second and third respectively in the opening two races, before having to retire last time out in Australia. The team will be hoping to have another good weekend this week as they come into the weekend leading both championships.

    I am very happy to have renewed my contract with Scuderia Ferrari. I have always said that there is no better Formula 1 team to race for and after over a year with them, I can confirm that putting on this race suit and representing this team is unique and incomparable. My first season at Maranello was solid and constructive, with the whole group progressing together. The result of all that work has been clear to see so far season. I feel strengthened by this renewed show of confidence in me and now I can’t wait to get in the car, to do my best for Ferrari and to give its fans plenty to cheer about. The F1-75 is proving to be a front-runner, which can allow me to chase my goals on track, starting with taking my first Formula 1 win.

    Carlos Sainz on his new contract.

    I have said several times that I believe we have the best driver pairing in Formula 1 and so, with every passing race, it seemed a completely natural step to extend Carlos’s contract, thus ensuring stability and continuity. In his time so far with the team, he has proved to have the talent we expected from him, delivering impressive results and making the most of all opportunities. Outside the car, he is a hard worker with an eye for the smallest detail, which has helped the whole group to improve and progress. Together, we can aim for ambitious targets and I’m sure that, along with Charles, he can play a significant part in fuelling the Ferrari legend and will write new chapters in the history of our team

    Mattia Binotto, Ferrari Team Principle on Carlos Sainz.

    My Opinion-

    I don’t think anyone expected anything different! I wasn’t sure on how long the contract would be, as Ferrari do have Mick Schumacher to think about. But it was the right decision by the Italian team, after Carlos’ great debut season.

  • Imola tyre allocation

    After a two week break we are back this week and we are in Imola for Round 4, along with Formula 2 and 3.

    Pirelli have chosen the C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft) tyres for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This is the same nomination which was made for Imola last year, although the compounds are of course different with the latest 18 inch tyres.

    Imola, marks the first sprint of the year, with rules that are slightly revised compared to last year, including more points on offer. The tyre rules are the same as last years sprint events though, rather than 13 sets for a normal weekend, this weekend will see 12 sets.

    The asphalt dates back to 2011, which makes the 11 year old surface reasonably abrasive, that’s why we don’t see the same double step between medium and soft tyres, like we did in Australia. The more mature surface at Imola, generates more grip and therefore more heat in the tyres.

    The forces at work on the tyres are generally equal between lateral and longitudinal, making it a flowing track where drivers need to find a good rhythm.

    Imola is an old-school, challenging track, where overtaking can be tricky, also because the circuit is quite narrow in places. So the strategy is likely to centre around avoiding traffic, and effectively the teams start from scratch here in terms of tyre knowledge – as the compounds are completely different this year, and last year’s race also began on the wet-weather tyres, before being interrupted by a lengthy red flag period. Generally speaking, Imola is a medium severity track for the tyres, and it’s a venue that is used quite frequently. This means that we might see a little less track evolution than we’ve been accustomed to at other circuits as the track is well rubbered-in already: the first round of the Pirelli-equipped GT World Challenge took place at Imola last month, which gave us some useful data. These are just some of the factors that the teams will have to take into account when establishing the tyre strategy for the opening sprint session of the year: another first for the 2022 season.

    Mario Isla, Head of Pirelli Motorsport.

    Formula 2

    Formula 2 will support a Formula 1 grand prix at Imola for the first time in 16 years, when the championship was known as GP2. The Medium and Supersoft tyres have been nominated- this will be the debut for the revised supersoft tyre for 2022, featuring optimisations to improve resistance.

    Formula 3

    This weekend will be the first time that the modern Formula 3 championship has raced at Imola. The medium compound is the sole nominated tyre for the first time this season.

  • How long are the ’22 tracks on the calendar for?

    Seeing as some tracks have renewed their contracts already this year, lets take a look at the tracks in the race calendar for this year and see when their contract runs until.

    Bahrain- 2036

    The Sakhir International Circuit signed a huge multi-year contract last month, which makes it the longest contract currently in F1.

    Saudi Arabia- 2031

    With Jeddah making its debut last season, Saudi Arabia has a deal for a decade, if not longer. But the race will be moving from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to another new track in Qiddiya for 2023.

    Australia- 2025

    Imola- 2025

    The historic Italian circuit, signed a new deal last month to stay on the calendar until 2025, after coming on the calendar during the 2020 season.

    Miami- 2031

    The newest addition to the calendar has bagged a 10 year deal before they have even race their!

    Spain- 2026

    Monaco- Expired

    Monaco’s contract, expired last year and no agreement has been announced yet, but the iconic circuit has already been confirmed for this season with an altered weekend format.

    Azerbaijan- 2024

    Canada- 2029

    Great Britain- 2024

    Austria- Multi year deal

    The Red Bull Ring, has a “multi-year deal” according to Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s Advisor, but no confirmed year.

    France- 2022

    The Paul Ricard circuit, could be under threat for not being on the calendar next year as their contract runs out this year.

    Hungary- 2027

    The Hungaroring could potentially be extended for another five or ten years as their are talks already on going.

    Belgium- 2022

    Another track which could be under threat, but I very much doubt it will be as the track has been updated which could see a new deal on the table.

    Netherlands- 2023

    Monza- 2025

    Singapore- 2028

    The Singapore GP, was renewed in January, after being absent for the past two years.

    Japan- 2024

    USA- 2026

    Mexico- 2022

    The last out of 4 tracks which contracts are running out or have run out. I have not heard of any talks going on to renew at this time, but things are always changing!

    Brazil- 2025

    Abu Dhabi- 2030

    China- 2025

    Even though its not on the calendar this year, it still has an contract till 2025, could we see a return soon?

    Qatar- 2033

    After an debut last year for Qatar, it is not on the calendar (at the moment) due to the FIFA World Cup, but it could make an appearance to take over Russia’s spot this year.

  • Traditional venues at risk

    Formula 1 boss, Stefano Domenicali has said “pedigree” is not enough for established venues to be safe from the upcoming calendar shake-up. After the Russian Grand Prix got cancelled last month, Formula 1 is still planning to hold a record 23-race season in 2022.

    There is space in the current Agreement for 25 races to be held in a season, this would create space for new venues to join the calendar, but even if it did go to 25 races, F1 will still need to disappoint some hopeful promoters.

    Domenicali gave an insight into the current discussions saying that there are promoters who have expiring deals and it is likely that some of them will drop off the calendar. There is a possibility that some of the venues could appear on a rotational basis with other venues.

    Apparently the choices of the tracks will be announced soon, and there shall be some new grand prix’s coming aswell. But it is not easy to plan everything in advance for example China.

    What tracks could these be?

    It is understood that France, Monaco, Belgium and Mexico have yet to secure a deal beyond this year…

    The French Grand Prix’s future is the most uncertain, despite recent encouraging words of support from the countries president, Emmanuel Macron, whilst Domenicali suggests that traditional venues like Monaco and Spa- cannot assume their places are guaranteed.

    We know we have to balance the arrival of new races with historic grands prix, and tracks that must continue to be part of our calendar. The arrival of offers from new promoters has an advantage for the F1 platform, and that is to force the organisers of traditional grands prix to raise their level of quality, in terms of what they offer the public, and infrastructure and management of the event. It’s not enough to have a pedigree any more. You also have to demonstrate that you are keeping up. There is also a lot of interest in the Far East. Guanyu Zhou’s arrival in Formula 1 is attracting attention and does not surprise us. Beyond Ferrari, in the end, it is the drivers who make the interest in this sport grow in their countries. We have seen it in Brazil, in Spain and there are many other examples. From China we have had new requests to host a grand prix, and Zhou has yet to have his first race.

    Stefano Domenicali

    My Opinion-

    I can no way see Monaco or Belgium come off the calendar this year, especially Belgium as there have been changes made to the track. I do understand though that they shouldn’t automatically have a spot on the calendar, as that is not fair to other countries which all have to go through the same process of extending the circuit contract.

    Also interesting saying that there could potentially be some new grand prix’s, obviously we have had the Las Vegas announcement but it sounded like there was more than one. I think F1 needs to be sensible about how many more new tracks or returning tracks will be coming back on to the calendar, as it could get silly very quickly.

  • Verstappen launches racing team

    Max Verstappen has unveiled his own racing team ‘Verstappen.com Racing’ which he has launched with full support from Red Bull.

    The World Champion, is well known to be a fan of racing in both the virtual and real worlds and his new team will bring the two together, with the drivers running under the moniker in real life and on screen.

    His father, Jos Verstappen will compete with the Verstappen.com Racing team when he takes part in the Belgian Rally Championship, whilst young Dutchman Thierry Vermeulen will race with the team’s support in the ADAC GT Masters series this year.

    Looking at the virtual aspect of it, Verstappen.com Racing is going to be represented by Team Redline- the team in which Verstappen has won races with in the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours in the past.

    Racing has always been my biggest passion in life, from the moment I first stepped into a go-kart until today. Besides my own Formula 1 career, racing is what I dedicate most of my time to. I am truly happy that, with the Verstappen.com Racing team, I can share the love for racing with drivers and teams I feel closely connected to. Apart from the fun it brings me, I can also share my racing knowledge with them, which hopefully helps everybody to improve themselves. After agreeing upon a long-term deal with Red Bull Racing earlier this year, I am very happy to be part of the Red Bull family for many years to come. T he close partnership with Red Bull as a company is also reflected in the fact that they are supporting the Verstappen.com Racing team for the coming years, which makes me very proud. I can’t wait to get started and keep pushing flat out.

    Max Verstappen on his racing team.
  • Round 3- Australian GP

    Round 3- Australian GP

    What a race we have all just seen, this season is truly unknown but it is looking more unknown for Red Bull… Before the race started it looked like another Charles and Max battle, and it was during the race until just over half way through.

    Charles Leclerc wins the Australian Grand Prix, his second win this season and extends his championship lead! Sergio Perez takes P2 and makes the day a bit better for RB. And Mr Saturday is now Mr Sunday, George Russell takes P3!

    The full top 10 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Perez, P3: Russell, P4: Hamilton, P5: Norris, P6: Ricciardo, P7: Ocon, P8: Bottas, P9: Gasly and P10: Albon.

    Well reigning World Champion, Max Verstappen looked like he was going to take P2 after Charles ran away with the lead of the race, but it wasn’t meant to be. He had to retire the car after being asked by his engineer to stop at Turn 2, so Max’s 2nd DNF in 3 races. In that aspect it does not look good for Red Bull with their reliability, if this continues its going to damage their season massively. But Red Bull have to look at the positive with Perez scoring some good points especially after their first round.

    Carlos Sainz, you have to feel sorry for… It didn’t go his way yesterday in qualifying with the Red flag and then his engine not turning on. He started the race in P9, but his race only lasted for 3 laps, as the Spanish driver spun and got stuck in the gravel in which he couldn’t get his car out of.

    McLaren, are they back? Both drivers scoring good points which is good to see especially Daniel at his home race. I don’t think it could’ve gone better for the team. It will be interesting to see where the car will be after they bring upgrades.

    Another good weekend for Mercedes, a second podium for the team this year and a first podium for George with Merc. It looks like the Silver Arrows have a very reliable car, but they still have a few problems, but once those problems are unlocked, could it be a three team constructor fight?

    One person I have to mention is Alex Albon, what a drive! Starting P20 after being disqualified from qualifying- the driver finished P10, his first point for Williams and the first for the team this year. Albon lasted 56 laps on the hard tyre!

    More problems for Aston Martin again, they didn’t have the best weekend and it got worse when Seb crashed into the wall and pulled over to the side to a stop, on lap 24. Will it get any better for the team?

    The Championship-

    Charles extends his championship lead to 34 points, he is sitting top with 71 points. George Russell is in 2nd with 37 after his podium today. Even though he didn’t finish today, Sainz is in P3 with 33 points. Max drops to 6th still with 25 points, with Ocon behind him with a gap of 5 points.

    Looking at the Constructors, Ferrari is in the top spot with 105 points and Mercedes are sitting in 2nd with 65 points, so quite a gap between the two. Red Bull are in 3rd which is quite good considering the races so far. McLaren have done a big leap and now in 4th, where they finished last year.

    We now have a break before our next round, we will be returning to Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on the 22nd to 24th April, it’s a home race for the Scuderia team and the Sprint race returns also, for the first time this year! Formula 2 and 3 return in Imola also.

  • Albon disqualified from Qualifying

    Alex Albon has been disqualified from the qualifying result, after his team were unable to provide the FIA with a sufficient fuel sample from the FW44.

    Albon qualified P16 in Melbourne, faring better than his teammate Nicholas Latifi, who was swiped by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll into a heavy crash in Q1, for which Stroll received a three place grid penalty.

    Already with his own three place grid drop (ironically for his crash with Stroll), Albon had a lot of work to do coming into the weekend. Albon stopped on track after dropping out of Q1- with Williams later unable to provide the required 1.0 litre fuel sample to the FIA, as dictated by Artivle 6.5.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. The driver was then disqualified from the results by the stewards.

    After qualifying, Car 23 had insufficient fuel to yield the required one litre sample.Given this situation, Car 23 is not in compliance with the requirements of Article 6.5 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations. According to Art. 6.5.2 competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time. The procedure was followed however the one litre sample of fuel was unable to be taken. The stewards determine to apply the standard penalty for technical infringements. Therefore they took into account, that it shall be no defence to claim that no performance advantage was obtained. The stewards have received a request from Williams Racing to allow Car 23 to start the race. The stewards therefore grant permission for Car 23, Alex Albon to start the race.

    The Stewards statement.

    The late red flag in qualifying only gave drivers two minutes to cross the line from leaving the pitlane. That meant Albon had to queue at the end of the pitlane to gain track position ahead of the green light, and Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson believes that extended period out in the pitlane and the outlap “race” with fellow competitors may have contributed to Albon’s lack of fuel.

    We could see a problem as he came towards the pitlane at the end of that lap where something wasn’t quite right, so we opted to stop the car just to make sure we didn’t damage anything. I think the fact that we had to go and queue at the end of the pitlane after the red flag to get that lap in meant that the outlap was then a lot more aggressive than we had planned. So, I think that’s why we were a bit lower than we would’ve liked.

    Robson explained the verdict.
  • Round 3- Australia Qualifying

    Round 3- Australia Qualifying

    Well, qualifying in Australia is now complete and what an interesting one it was with two red flags disrupting the sessions.

    But through all of it, Charles Leclerc takes his second pole position of the season, and Ferrari’s first pole in Australia in 15 years! With Max Verstappen in 2nd with his teammate, Sergio Perez joining him in 3rd. Just a note in case anything changes, Perez has to go to the Stewards on an alleged breach of not respect single waved yellow flags.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Perez, P4: Norris, P5: Hamilton, P6: Russell, P7: Ricciardo, P8: Ocon, P9: Sainz and P10: Alonso.

    Shall we start off on something good? Both McLaren’s in the top 10!! What an improvement they have made since the first race and its nice to see them back where they should be! Let’s hope tomorrow will be even better for the team.

    Moving on, Stroll and Latifi touched in Q1 after Latifi let him through and then decided to overtake him a few seconds which saw the pair touch and their qualifying come to an end, as Latifi hit the wall in which will cost Williams a lot of money. Strolls qualifying also came to an end there aswell, both starting at the back of the grid.

    Magnussen got out qualified by his teammate for the first time this year so far. Magnussen starting P17 and Schumacher p15. Both Haas cars have got a lot of work to do tomorrow if they want to get into the points.

    Fernando Alonso looked like he was on a flyer and potentially be up in the top 3 until he crashed in Q3 at Turn 11 putting his qualifying to an end.

    Valtteri Bottas run of 103 consecutive Q3 appearances came to an end today as he only managed to go P12 in Q2.

    Predictions-

    Top 5 are: P1: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris and P5: Russell. I feel like this is quite mixed up, especially if Leclerc won as recent years in the Australian Grand Prix the pole sitter does not win from pole.

    Sainz has a lot of work to do, starting 9th whilst his teammate is up in 1st. It will be interesting to see the way the Ferrari works its way through the field.

  • Australian Grand Prix

    We are back in Australia after a long awaited return! Round 3 and it is Danny Ric’s home Grand Prix, but since we was last here in 2019, the track has changed quite a bit with it now having four DRS zones…

    Will it be a good weekend for the home hero? Can Mick finally get those all important points his been waiting for? Seb is back, what can he now do in the Aston? So many unanswered questions, and I can’t wait till we get some answers for them!

    The newbies who have come into F1 will be racing in Australia for the first ever time! Those being, Nicholas Latifi, Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda and Zhou Guanyu.

    Who needs a good weekend?

    I would say the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll needs a good weekend, he has finished outside of the points in both races this year and it seems like the Aston has better race pace, rather than one lap pace. With Sebastian being back its now Stroll’s time to shine, but the question is, can he?

    Yuki needs a good weekend, after not even being able to race last time out, he will want to do the best he can, even more so because of the track, he has a fresh start here as none of the drivers have drove on this track with the new cars and since its changed.

    Perez, will be wanting to be on that podium this weekend, first race was a DNF, and finishing 4th in Saudi Arabia was a good comeback but with Ferrari having both drivers on the podium in the first two rounds, and with the Mexican having a good car underneath him, he knows he can get on their, its just a matter of if he can.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top 5 are: Pole- Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Carlos, P4: Perez, P5: Hamilton. If Red Bull have brought upgrades to Aus, then I could see them running away with it all this weekend.

    It would be nice to see if McLaren can get at least one car in the top 10 for qualifying. Someone else who will be hoping to get into the top 10, is Mr Mick Schumacher, he has seen what this car can do, finishing in the points in both races for his teammate, so the German will be wanting to qualify in that top 10, to hopefully get those points!

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 8th-

    Free Practice 1: 04:00am – 05:00am (BST), Free Practice 2: 07:00am – 08:00am (BST).

    Saturday 9th-

    Free Practice 3: 04:00am – 05:00am (BST), Qualifying: 07:00am – 08:00am (BST).

    Sunday 10th-

    Australian Grand Prix: 06:00am (BST).

  • Australia tyre allocation

    It’s race week once again which means looking at the tyres for the third round of the 2022 season.

    The nomination for the tyres is rather unusual for Melbourne’s track, with a bigger than normal between the medium and softest compounds. C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C5 (Soft). This will be the race, the softest tyre debuts in 2022 Pirelli range, marking a change from the aborted 2020 race and the 2019 Australian Grand Prix when the C2, C3 and C4 tyres were selected.

    As a temporary facility, Albert Park used to be quite bumpy but the new asphalt may reduce this. The new surface should offer low grip and reasonably contained levels of asphalt abrasion, which is set to result in moderate wear.

    The track-

    The track underwent significant modifications for the first time since 1996 when it made its championship debut.

    Seven corners have been modified with two removed entirely, bringing the total of turns down to just 14 and shortening the track by 28 metres. The most significant modification is the removal of the Turn 9-10 chicane, which is been replaced by a long sweeping bend.

    Turns 1 and 3 have been widened on the inside as has Turn 6, which is now significantly faster. Later in the lap, what was Turn 13 (now turn 11) has been realigned to tighten the angle. The penultimate corner (now Turn 13) is another to have been widened and also one of several to have its camber adjusted to allow for different lines to be taken.

    Compared to previous occasions, and with the drivers not having raced there for two seasons, this year there are a few unknowns to the Australian Grand Prix: first of all the circuit layout has been heavily revised to improve overtaking and, as a result, there’s also new asphalt that should be quite smooth. This means the track is likely to offer very low levels of grip at the start, with a high degree of evolution expected over the weekend and an extremely slippery surface if it rains. We will also head to Melbourne a couple of weeks later compared to previous seasons, when autumn has already started in the southern hemisphere, so conditions could be more variable. Last but not least, there is a completely new generation of cars and tyres that the drivers are still trying to learn about. All these factors mean that there will be a lot of work to do for teams and drivers in the free practice sessions. We decided to opt for the step in the compound nominations because we noticed that there was a relatively small performance gap between the C3 and C4 compounds during development testing, and we believe that Albert Park – with its new asphalt and layout – is a good place to try out this option.

    Mario Isla, Head of Pirelli Motorsport.

  • Reserve drivers 2022

    As the season has started let’s take a look at the reserve drivers each team has.

    Since the pandemic started a few teams have had to call on their reserves and some have changed in the past few years.

    Mercedes-

    Stoffel Vandoorne- Vandoorne, currently competing in Formula E with Mercedes. He has been an official reserve driver for the constructors’ champions since 2020. Stoffel already has experience in F1, with 41 starts to his name from 2016-2018 with McLaren.

    Nyck de Vries- Partnering Vandoorne with the reserve role for Mercedes, he also partners with Stoffel Vandoorne for Mercedes in the Formula E Championship. De Vries is the 2019 Formula 2 Champion and reigning Formula E Champion. He was promoted to Mercedes Test and Reserve driver in 2021.

    Red Bull-

    Liam Lawson- Red Bull junior and current F2 driver is added as Red Bulls reserve driver in 2022. Lawson has been apart of the RB juniors since February 2019.

    Sebastian Buemi- Buemi is Test and Reserve driver at Red Bull this year, after Alex Albon’s departure from the team. Buemi has lots of experience in F1 and other FIA Championships. The Swiss driver has 55 F1 starts to his name from 09-11 with Toro Rosso and has also won the World Endurance Championship twice and the Formula E Championship.

    Ferrari-

    Antonio Giovinazzi- Giovinazzi, has been a Ferrari reserve since 2017. After loosing his Alfa Romeo seat for this year, he went on to race in the 2022 Formula E Championship with Dragon Penske Autosport.

    Mick Schumacher- New to being a Ferrari reserve this year, the Italian team doesn’t have to look far as he takes on this role as well as driving for Haas.

    McLaren-

    Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries- The Mercedes reserve duo are also available to McLaren as part of an agreement between the two teams.

    Paul Di Resta- Di Resta was confirmed as a third reserve driver last year in case both Stoffel and Nyck were occupied during a Formula E race weekend, it is understood that this agreement is still in place for this year.

    Oscar Piastri- The reigning Formula 2 Champion, is a McLaren reserve as well as Alpines. Alpine made an agreement with the British team, to share Oscar.

    Alpine-

    Oscar Piastri- Oscar has been apart of the Alpine/ Renault academy since January 2020 and now moves to the Reserve role after winning Formula 2 last year and not being able to get an F1 seat.

    Alpha Tauri-

    Liam Lawson- Lawson shares both Red Bull Reserve Driver and Alpha Tauri’s Reserve- being a RB junior he has been given a big opportunity.

    Aston Martin-

    Nico Hulkenberg- The super-sub, has been called up for two rounds already this year, and three times in 2020 since loosing his seat for the 2020 season.

    Williams-

    Jack Aitken- Aitken got his F1 debut during the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix when he replace Russell as he got promoted to Mercedes due to Hamilton testing positive for Covid-19.

    Alfa Romeo-

    Robert Kubica- Kubica is a well known name in the F1 paddock. After making a remarkable comeback since his rallying accident, he raced for Williams in 2019 before joining the Alfa Romeo team as a reserve driver. He covered for Kimi last year at Monza and Zandvoort.

    Haas-

    Pietro Fittipaldi- Fittipaldi made his F1 debut in 2020 whilst replacing injured Romain Grosjean for the final two races. He was a favourite for the seat after Mazepin was removed but it went to Magnussen. He still has his reserve role for 2022.

  • Vettel back for Australia

    Vettel back for Australia

    Sebastian Vettel will return to the grid for the third round of the season in Australia after Covid-19 saw him miss the first two rounds.

    Whilst the four time world champion was recovering at home, Aston Martin brought in their super-sub Nico Hulkenberg to fill the spot for Bahrain, and then waited round until confirmation came through that Seb wasn’t racing in Saudi Arabia either.

    “TEAM UPDATE: We are pleased to confirm that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race and will therefore line up alongside @lance_stroll in Melbourne to kick off his 2022 @F1 season at the @ausgrandprix,” tweeted Aston Martin on Thursday after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

    The team are still awaiting a points finish along with Williams- Could the Australian Grand Prix be the one?

    Ahead of Sebastian’s positive covid result- which came after Official Pre-Season Testing- Vettel spoke about the AMR22 and driving it: “The car wants to be driven in a different way. I am playing with driving styles and what I can do. Equally we are playing with the car, we are trying to sort some problems that we have, some of the challenges that we’ve faced, find solutions.here is still a lot to do, everybody is flat-out and there is still a very, very steep and high mountain to climb… but it’s fun, I think the challenge is fun and the belief is there that one day we will reach that peak.”

    Great to see that Seb will be back! He can finally start his 2022 season.

  • Vegas Baby, 2023!

    Vegas Baby, 2023!

    The worst kept secret of 2022 has been confirmed, we will be racing in Las Vegas from 2023.

    The Las Vegas Grand Prix, will be taking place on a Saturday next November, and be joining the one of three races for the United States.

    Las Vegas, hosted a Grand Prix back in 1981 and 82, but this will be the first time F1 cars are going to race on the iconic Vegas strip, with the circuit passing famous hotels and casinos.

    The track itself-

    There are 14 turns, the track will run for 3,8 miles (6.12km), with top speeds expected to hit around 212mph (342km/h).

    The design of the track features three straights, a high speed cornering sequence and a single chicane section, with the Grand Prix set to be run over 50 laps.

    The news was announced at a glittering event in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening with Liberty Media President and CEO Greg Maffei and F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali in attendance.

    They were joined by local stakeholders including Nevada Governor, Steve Sisolak, CEO and President of the LVCVA, Steve Hill and President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, Michael Rapino.

    Iconic Las Vegas and Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is the perfect marriage of speed and glamour. Our confidence in this unique opportunity is evident in our decision to assume the promoter role for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in partnership with Live Nation. We could not be more excited to work with our local partners to create a marquee event. The potential of Formula 1 has been well demonstrated over the last several seasons and the Las Vegas GP will only take it to the next level.

    Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO.

    This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US. Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills, and of course, the famous Strip.There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world and we cannot wait to be here next year. I want to thank everyone who helped deliver this event, especially Governor Sisolak, the Clark County Commission, Steve Hill at the LVCVA, and our local partners.

    Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO.
  • Third US GP?

    Third US GP?

    Formula 1 seems to be looking at adding a third US race next season as F1 is getting closer to cracking America, with Austin already a staple on the calendar after the attendance last year, and Miami is set to make its debut in May.

    Liberty Media, F1 owners have been looking at ways to increase the sports popularity across the pond. Netflix’s Drive To Survive and more TV coverage there has been a boom in American fans, and the bosses are set to capitalise on this.

    According to the Sports Buisness Journal, talks are ongoing between F1 and the cities officals to bring the sport to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. These talks are apparently well underway, with F1 executives having visited the city several times in recent months to assess how suitable it would be to host a race.

    It’s suggested that the track could pass by the iconic dancing fountains as the drivers would battle their way down a mile of the strip.

    F1 is still yet to comment/confirm anything on this but it is to be suggested the first race could be next year or the year after depending on when it gets confirmed etc.

    It wouldn’t be the first time the Caesars Palace Grand Prix will be featured on the calendar as it did back in 1981 and 1982, before being abandoned due to low popularity.

    But should it be in Las Vegas if they were to have a third? America has a lot of different tracks but could we possibly go to a different track which is already built?

  • Round 2- Saudi Arabian GP

    Round 2- Saudi Arabian GP

    What a great race, these new cars are definitely providing such closer racing which we have been waiting to see!

    The battle between Leclerc and Verstappen does not seem to be slowing down any time soon and I think we are all looking forward to seeing how it goes between the two great drivers.

    But it was Max Verstappen who took the win in Saudi Arabia, with Charles Leclerc finishing 2nd and Ferrari having another great weekend with Carlos Sainz taking the final podium spot.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Gasly, P9: Magnussen and P10: Hamilton.

    An okay weekend for Alpha Tauri, Pierre Gasly managed to get some points after his disapointing race last weekend, but unfortunatley it was Yuki Tsunoda who had the bad luck this week as he didn’t even start the race as he stopped on track on the way to the grid.

    Not a good weekend for Williams, as Nicholas Latifi crashed during the early stages of the race which brought out safety car. Towards the end of the race, Stroll and Albon made contact which brought Alex’s race to an end.

    Ricciardo looked like he had an engine problem at the end as he stopped at the pit entry, the same with Alonso but it looking like an overheating issue instead.

    Another good race for Russell, another good amount of points helping the Mercedes team, great way to start the season. Also a great race for Norris too, starting P11 and finishing 7th, which makes it the first points for McLaren this year.

    The Championship-

    Leclerc leads from his teammate by 12 points, with Max 8 points behind Sainz and George in 4th with 22 points. Ferrari leads the constructors by 40 points from Mercedes with Red Bull just 1 point behind them.

    We are back in less than two weeks and we are returning to Australia for the first time since 2019, for round 3!

  • Schumacher to not race

    Haas driver, Mick Schumacher “physically well” after his high-impact crash in qualifying yesterday. Despite that Haas, confirmed that Mick will not be taking any further part of the Grand Prix.

    The German driver was circulating in Q2 when he lost his car through the back end after riding over the kerbs, the driver spinning heavily into the wall and the impact causing massive damage to his car.

    Schumacher was taken to the circuits medical centre and from there by helicopter to a hospital for a precautionary check.

    But ahead of today’s race, Haas confirmed that Schumacher would not take the race start, writing on Twitter: “In light of today’s qualifying incident, Mick Schumacher will not participate in tomorrow’s #SaudiArabianGP.”

    The team provided an update later on: “We can confirm that Mick has been released from hospital and has returned to his hotel.”

    Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, confirmed that he’d been in contact with Schumacher following the crash, saying: “I spoke with him directly. He spoke to his mum, I spoke to his mum a few times and kept her updated. He has no injuries which you can see – they just wanted to check on him, doing some scans to see that there is no damage from the impact of the forces. Taking any risks tomorrow, it’s not on,” added Steiner. “We are in Melbourne in two weeks and it’s better to focus on that one to make sure that we are in a good state there.”

  • Round 2- Saudi Arabia Qualifying

    Round 2- Saudi Arabia Qualifying

    What on earth happened today in qualifying! But it’s Sergio Perez taking his first ever pole position in F1! With Leclerc in second and Carlos Sainz on third.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Perez, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Verstappen, P5: Ocon, P6: Russell, P7: Alonso, P8: Bottas, P9: Gasly and P10: Magnuessen.

    You’ve probably noticed Hamilton who isn’t in the top 10, well, he got knocked out in Q1 and qualified 16th. His first time since 2017.

    Mick had a nasty crash in Q2, which stopped the running for a while whilst checking he is okay and clearing up the track. Thankfully he got out of the car okay and is going to hospital for check ups to make sure!

    McLaren had a better weekend than last weeks already, both drivers making Q2 and starting P11 and P12. Hopefully some points for the team tomorrow!

    So far a good weekend for Alpine, both drivers starting in the top 10. They had a good weekend last weekend so let’s see what they can do!

    Predictions for tomorrow-

    P1: Leclerc, P2: Perez, P3: Verstappen, P4: Sainz and P5: Russell. I think the Ferrari’s are that just bit in front of the Red Bull’s and if the pit stops go okay for the Italian team, I can see them winning the race.

    Hopefully McLaren in the points, that will boost the team massively before a break, and they have clearly made a step forward too!

    Times for tomorrow-

    Feature Race F2: 13:35pm (GMT). Saudi Arabian GP: 18:00pm (GMT).

  • Should F1 even be racing?

    This weekend is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as-well F2’s second round, but should we even be racing their this weekend?

    An oil depot- around 7 miles from the track and owned by F1 sponsor, Aramco- was set ablaze during the first free practice in Saudi and a large black smoke cloud could be seen from the circuit…

    F1 drivers met for four hours yesterday, after practice on Friday- which included team bosses and F1 chiefs, it continued till 2.30am Saudi Arabia time.

    It is to be understood that the drivers raised concerns over the safety of the event in the wake of the attacks. But while the lengthy meetings suggested some drivers may have wanted to boycott.

    But the Saudi Arabian GP is still set to go ahead as planned and team bosses have insisted they will be racing this weekend.

    The fire at the North Jeddah Bulk plant.

    My Opinion-

    Plain and simply I think no. Putting drivers and team members at risk for what? And marshals too, people who are offering their time to make sure the race goes ahead. It’s quite unbelievable we are going to see a race happen.

  • Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Hulkenberg to race in Jeddah

    Sebastian Vettel will miss the second race, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the German is still recovering from contracting Covid-19 before the season opener in Bahrain.

    The news means that, as in Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg has been called up to jump in the AMR22 again.

    Hulkenberg will now get to experience the dramatic Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the very first time, following a difficult opening for Aston Martin as both drivers didn’t manage to score points.

    The team have confirmed they expect Vettel who is currently recovering in Europe, having flown home after the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix weekend taking place from the 8th to 10th of April.

    “It was interesting,” said Hulkenberg after the race. “It was difficult, very difficult to be honest – first time [racing] obviously in a long, long time. There’s so many things happening in the race, it’s so dynamic, the car balance is changing, the fuel load is changing, so it’s difficult to keep up with all these changes and stay on top of things.”