F1 2022

[1%er]

Albert Park completes circuit modifications for 2022​

Organisers of the Australian Grand Prix have reported that modifications to the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne have been completed and should result in improved overtaking and considerably quicker lap times. If the first time that the track has been significantly altered since the event moved there from Adelaide in 1996. Australia had won itself a a regular place on the calendar as the traditional season opener, but has been absent from the most recent campaigns due to the impact of coronavirus. The race in 2020 was called off minutes before the gates were due to open to the public for the start of Friday's free practice 1. And last year's race was cancelled due to concerns about the country's local COVID immigration restrictions.

That hiatus has given the Australian Grand Prix Corporation the opportunity to plan and implement major changes to the existing circuit, which is held largely on public roads through the park. As well as resurfacing work, turns 9 and 10 have been reconfigured into a fast sweeping complex, and a number of other corners have also been widened to increase apex speed with the aim of improving overtaking opportunities. Event CEO Andrew Westacott predicted that along with the new technical rules and regulations and introduction of 18-inch tyres, the new layout will see cars going "five seconds a lap quicker, but the new-spec cars [should mean] closer racing. "You can actually tail the car in front and expect to be able to overtake and be in a competitive position," he explained in comments to Motorsport.com this week. The main location is Turn 11 at the south end of the lake near Ross Gregory Drive and Ross Gregory Oval," he continued. "We expect that to be a major overtaking opportunity. The widening of five other turns particularly the increase of speed at Turn 6 where they're going to go from about 90 km/h to 150 km/h really does set it up for speeds in excess of 330 k /h around Lakeside, pulling four and a half Gs. Making sure the racing is going to be as exciting as possible is the reason why Formula 1 has changed the specification of the cars for this season, and it's the reason why we've resurfaced the track for the first time in 25 years."

The organisers have teased a forthcoming new series of videos on YouTube going into details of the latest upgrades. This year's Australian Grand Prix has been given the go-ahead by local state government to proceed as scheduled on April 8-10, making it the third round of the 2022 championship. However there are concerns that any further rise in coronavirus cases could end up forcing another postponement or cancellation. And the recent furore over Novak Djokovic's vaccination status causing him to be denied entry to play in this year's Australian Open tennis major has also raised concerns about possible disruption when F1 flies into the country. The most recent race in Melbourne in 2019 saw Valtteri Bottas beat his Mercedes tam mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen to the line.

 

[1%er]

F1 power units an "urgent matter" for new FIA president​

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has described locking in F1's 2026 power unit regulations as an "urgent matter" for recently elected FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Although F1 will race to an all-new set of aerodynamic regulations this year, it is not until 2026 that the sport is set to usher in a new power unit era. Given the lead time in creating new specification power units, however, and with manufacturers including the Volkswagen Group considering joining the grid at this point, decisions on a future direction cannot be allowed to drag on.

"I'm already in touch with him," said Binotto, speaking in an end-of-season interview. "I was in touch before the elections, no doubt, and I'm already in touch with him for what's next and what are the most urgent matters for F1. I see that on the urgent matters, [the] power unit [for] 2026 can be one of the subjects." The FIA has already laid down a basic framework for the new power units and has confirmed the current 1.6 litre V6 engine will remain but with increased electrical power [350kW]. A power unit cost cap will be introduced in order to tackle the constantly rising financial commitments required from manufacturers whilst the MGU-H will be removed entirely. "I'm very happy to cooperate with him," added Binotto. "I myself am part of the World Council. As an F1 commission delegate, as Ferrari, [that] means I'm there."

 

[MrCurry]

If ending flypasts was about sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, how does it make any sense for the Red Arrows and that Italian display team frecce tricolore to have exemptions?

F1's plan to end military flypasts won't stop Red Arrows flying at Silverstone

The traditional pre-race flypast by the Red Arrows at the British Grand Prix has not been outlawed by Formula 1, Silverstone has confirmed.

www.racefans.net

If anything, display team flying will be pumping out more CO2 than a single F-18 hornet stooging around Albert Park with afterburners.

 

[1%er]

Metals giant buys Williams Advanced Engineering for £164m​

British technology and engineering firm Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is to be acquired by Australia's Fortescue Metals Group for £164 million. WAE, founded in 2010 as an off-shoot of the late Sir Frank Williams' eponymous Formula 1 team, provides engineering, technology and design to firms across the automotive, motorsport, aerospace and defence industries. Its acquisition by Fortescue from Williams Grand Prix Engineering and EMK Capital "brings together leading thinkers and engineers into one organisation to drive progress and combat climate change, enabling Fortescue to become a major player in the growing global market for green industrial transport equipment". One of the world's largest iron ore producers, Fortescue was founded by Australia's richest man, Andrew Forrest.

He said the two firms will now "work to decarbonise" Fortescue's global operations using WAE's battery technology. Fortescue aims to achieve net-zero carbon-neutrality by 2030. Instrumental to this goal will be the introduction of cleaner propulsion systems for its 1.9-mile-long freight trains, 400-tonne quarry trucks and heavy plant machinery. The company's mining fleet currently burns through 400-450 million litres of diesel per year. WAE's acquisition is part of Fortescue's strategy to "acquire critical capabilities needed to help decarbonise this industry worldwide".

The BBC reports that one of the first projects planned as part of the deal is the development of a battery-electric train. Fortescue and WAE have been working together for nearly a year to develop a battery for an electric mining truck. This could be instrumental in reducing emissions across the heavy industrial sector, which Fortescue says accounts for more than 20% of global carbon emissions. Fortescue is also exploring the use of "green electricity, green hydrogen and green ammonia" as a means of enhancing the sustainability of its global fleet. WAE CEO Craig Wilson said: "High-performance battery and electrification systems are at the core of what we do at WAE, and this acquisition and investment will enable the company’s further growth to support the delivery of zero-emissions products and services across existing sectors – such as automotive, motorsport and off-highway – and new sectors, too.
"This will benefit all of our stakeholders, along with current and future customers, who are very important to us. My thanks also to EMK Capital for their support during the past two years that has enabled us to accelerate the successful progress of WAE and development of technologies to help tackle climate change." WAE says it will continue to "service its existing customers and commercialise new technology opportunities" alongside its work with its new parent company after the acquisition is completed in March.

 

[1%er]

Colombia eyes Formula 1 race​

Colombia, the country that produced Juan Pablo Montoya, could be making a bid to host a Formula 1 race. El Tiempo newspaper reports that Ivan Duque Marquez, the country’s president, is open-minded about Barranquilla mayor Jaime Pumarejo’s proposal to aim for a spot on the bustling annual F1 calendar. “As a team, we are able to make dreams come true,” the president reportedly said. “Pumarejo says there is an option to present a project that allows us to have a circuit,” president Marquez added. “The possibility is still far from material, but the mayor has already told me that he had spoken with the organisers of Formula 1, and he has all of our support.”

The president said the idea is for a semi-street circuit located a stone’s throw from the sea. Barranquilla mayor Pumarejo also commented: “With the arrival of F1, the number of international visitors who come to Atlantico for the three-day event would double.”

[For the more cynical members of this thread I feel I should point out that there is an election coming in late May in Colombia]

 

[Limejuice]

Another street circuit? It might be pretty, but it ain't great racing.

 

[Ax^]

another Tilkie street circuit whilst they treating classic races with being removed from the calander

yay

 

[1%er]

Why first F1 2022 test will be more private than usual​

Formula 1 has officially confirmed its 2022 pre-season testing dates, with two three-day tests taking place in Barcelona and Bahrain – and the first of them officially regarded as a ‘shakedown’ and held largely in private. The 2022 Formula 1 cars built to all-new technical regulations will run in public for the first time at Barcelona on February 23-25. The second test will take place in Bahrain on March 10-12 prior to the season-opening grand prix at the Sakhir circuit, which takes place on March 20.


These dates have long been expected to be used for testing, although there had been some debate about extending the available test days given the steep learning curve expected with the new cars. The Barcelona test will not feature any live timing or television coverage supplied by F1 although reporters will be on the ground to bring you all the latest news. In Bahrain, there will be television coverage and live timing as teams take the final opportunity to fettle their cars before the season starts.

In addition to the six pre-season test days, teams also have the opportunity to use one or both of their permitted promotional days of running on which up to 100km can be completed using demo tyres. A number of teams are expected to use this opportunity to shake down their car ahead of testing, although plans are fluid given the tight lead times for building up the new cars.

 

[1%er]

Ricciardo made Member of the Order of Australia in country’s 2022 Honours list​

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has been honoured by the Australian government in the country’s 2022 Australia Day Honours List. Ricciardo was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to motor sport as a competitor and ambassador, and to the community”, joining compatriots including wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist swimmer Emma McKeon as one of the 1,040 Australians on the Honours List for this year. Ricciardo is preparing for his second season with McLaren, having endured an up-and-down first year with the team in 2021, the highlight of which was a shock victory in the Italian Grand Prix Ricciardo giving McLaren their first win since 2012, and his own first since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. Ricciardo’s award comes just over a month after Lewis Hamilton received his knighthood at Windsor Castle, Hamilton becoming only the fourth F1 driver in history along with Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Jackie Stewart to be knighted.

 

[1%er]

Allison: 2022 regulations dwarf anything else I’ve ever seen​

Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison believes that the new Formula 1 regulations for the 2022 season are so significant that they dwarf anything else he has ever seen over his career. The Mercedes technical boss was speaking in a Youtube video on the team’s channel regarding the new regulations, insisting that the changes are huge, more than anyone could imagine. “It’s easy to forget sometimes just what a massive set of regulation changes, these 2022 rules represent, Allison said. “I’ve been working in the sport for over 30 years, and they dwarf anything else I’ve ever seen. The ruleset is not only enormous, the regulations are about twice, twice the size of what’s preceded them. But they’re all almost entirely different from what came before them. And that has meant that we’ve had to reinvent the car, tip to toe,” the Briton revealed. “Everywhere you look, it’s completely new, not just new as in new parts, but new as in completely new philosophy, completely different aerodynamic package, different brakes, different wheels, crucially different tires. And even the engine, one of the things that is less touched by the regulations, the many. Even there, the engine has to be or the power unit has to be prepared, so that it can be frozen for three years, all the goodness that you can possibly pack into it, has to be packed into it now or forever hold your piece, because after that changes will be very, very difficult to make real,” Allison explained.

New regulations a fun challenge to relish:
The former Ferrari technical director went on on explain the challenges they faced as they tried to interpret the new regulations and try to come up with the best solutions, something they relished and enjoyed as a team. “It has been incredibly hard, incredibly hard, very, very challenging, and long to get our heads around this, and to try to figure out what the best response is to these regulations, and where the opportunity is to be found, in order to put a car on the track,” he said. “But we only want to be at the front of it,” Allison went on. “And that will be true for every team on the grid. So we approach a regulation set like this, not with a view of of whether or not it will deliver on its objective, we just take the regulations as they’re written, and try to figure out how to make the car as fast as we possibly can. And when the regulations change in such large measure, as these ones, well, then we approach that with all the fun and relish that that challenge deserves, because our job is to look for technical opportunity and regulations, and then use our combined wit and skill and all the effort that we make collectively, to try to find a configuration of car that will be better than anyone else’s approach to it. And when everything is as new as this, then everywhere you look, in that regulation set twice as thick as the old one, there’s opportunity,” the tech boss insisted.

Who will be fast? Who won’t?
All the F1 teams are looking at the 2022 regulations revamp as chance to make their break to the front of the grid, but there will be some who got their sums right and others wrong. “Well, that is a difficult thing to anticipate in terms of what the pecking order will be,” Allison said of the subject. “It’s a difficult thing to anticipate in terms of exactly how everything will play out. And we’ll all get to find out together at the start of this season in the races that unfold from there exactly how that shakes out. I would imagine, given that the cars are so new and so different, that one or two cars on the grid will have got it really badly wrong, and that they will have a terribly painful year,” the 53-year-old warned. I would imagine that all of us to some degree will have left things on the table that we just didn’t anticipate. And we will look at other cars and think oh, why didn’t we think of that? And then we’ll be scrambling around to try and get that idea onto our car as fast as possible so that we can claw our way from whatever position we land in that first race so that we can claw our way forwards or if we’re lucky enough to be in front to keep the attacking wolves behind us. It’s going to be quite a rush and, and definitely something that’s going to keep us all from having too much sleep for the whole of the season,” Allison concluded.

Mercedes who returned to F1 as a works team back in 2010 after 55 years, with Legend Michael Schumacher spearheading the project from the cockpit, will be gunning for a ninth consecutive Constructors’ Title when the new season starts in March in Bahrain.

 

[MrCurry]

Allison: 2022 regulations dwarf anything else I’ve ever seen​

Mercedes’ Technical Director James Allison believes that the new Formula 1 regulations for the 2022 season are so significant that they dwarf anything else he has ever seen over his career.

He‘s one of the best communicators in the sport, isn’t he? Always speaks so eloquently. He‘d make an awesome TV pundit if he ever decided to give up his day job.

So it’s clear these 2022 cars are such a different beast to what’s gone before, the form book stands for nothing. I wonder who will dominate and how long it takes before we are back to the close field spread we enjoyed last year. I bet the ones who’ve got it right will hide their performance in pre season testing, so it will be the usual frustrating wait into springtime to discover how the pecking order really stands.

 

[1%er]

Raikkonen becomes Team Principal of Kawasaki motocross squad following F1 retirement​

Kimi Raikkonen has revealed the first stage of his post-F1 retirement plans, with the Finn announced as Team Principal for the works Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP. Raikkonen has made no secret of his love of motocross, having previously been involved with his own Ice One Racing team while the Finn has previously posted videos on social media showing him using motocross to train for the demands of F1. But now 2007 champion Raikkonen who retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2021 with a record 349 starts to his name will take over the running of the factory Kawasaki Racing Team in MXGP, the highest level of motocross racing.

“It’s no secret that, for me, one of my great passions in life for many years has been motocross,” said Raikkonen of the news. “But this team is not what you might call a hobby; it’s very serious, very focused and we aspire to be the best we possibly can. Now I have retired from racing I will be able to spend more time on this project; not on the daily issues but more from a strategic point of view using my experience of how teams work and what creates success on the world stage.” Raikkonen will run the team alongside his long-time motocross collaborator, Finnish former rider Antti Pyrhonen.

 

[1%er]

Jeddah circuit tweaks ahead of next Saudi Grand Prix​

Some minor adjustments will be made to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to improve driver visibility around some of the high-speed, blind corners, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix organisers confirmed on Thursday. "Firstly, there are going to be one or two slight changes to the track,” Saudi Motorsport Company Chief Executive Martin Whitaker said in a statement. These tweaks are directly related to a drivers’ sightline from the cockpit. It’s minimal work, but it will help improve forward visibility in a couple of corners.”

The 6.1-km long Jeddah Corniche Circuit made its Formula 1 debut in December and is considered to be the second-fastest track on the calendar after Monza in Italy. Its flowing layout of mainly flat-out blasts along the city’s Red Sea waterfront and a succession of high-speed corners hemmed in by walls, made it difficult for drivers to spot slower-moving cars around some turns.

We have been striving to improve on some areas for our second event:
That led to some near misses in practice and qualifying, before the track produced a dramatic race on Sunday that was halted twice due to crashes. Drivers enjoyed tearing around the high-speed layout but raised concerns about the lack of visibility around corners. Whitaker explained: “The length of time between the two races has enabled us to reflect on some aspects that did and didn’t work.” Adding that some barriers around the track would also be modified to accommodate the racing lines drivers were taking through certain corners: “We’ve been striving to improve on some areas for our second event.”

The first Saudi Grand Prix was won by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, after a controversial and incident-packed race defeating Max Verstappen on a memorable night that set up the last round decider in Abu Dhabi a week later. The 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place on 27 March, one week after the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

 

[spitfire]

FIA admits that Masi's F1 job could be under threat

www.motorsport.com

Masi's position has been in question since the controversial ending of the Abu Dhabi GP, when the drivers between leader Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappenwere waved past the safety car deployed after Nicholas Latifi's crash, and Verstappen used his fresher tyres to win the race and hence the 2021 championship.

An investigation into the events in Abu Dhabi, as well as an analysis of how to improve FIA procedures, is still ongoing.

Among the options under discussion are reducing the workload on the race director – which built up when the late Charlie Whiting took on multiple roles – and having more than one race director, and rotating them during the season.

Plans are also in hand to provide extra remote help to the decision-makers in race control, in a similar fashion to the way teams make use of engineering and strategy support from mission control facilities at their factories.

"He has done a super job," Bayer told journalist Gerhard Kuntschik when asked about Masi.

"We have told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there will be a new race director.

"I can only make suggestions to the World Council, and they will definitely include him."

 

[MrCurry]

They should ditch him. Too weak and indecisive and FOM TV broadcasting the team / FIA radio chat made that visible to the world.

 

[Limejuice]

"Christian, I have an offer..."

Horner's Little Helper needs a 100% cut in his duties, matched by a 100% reduction in salary.

If I were involved in any of the nine teams Mr Fixit hasn't helped to a world title, I would find it impossible to have confidence in him.

 

[1%er]

Crisis unfolds: Aston Martin will not make first test​

Aston Martin Racing has appointed a new F1 team principal for the 2022 season. Former head of BMW’s global motorsport operation Mike Krack has joined the outfit after the departure of long-standing team member Otmar Szafnauer, but the new boss will be taking on a Formula 1 team in crisis. Krack has plenty of experience during his time in motorsport, after a decade in Formula One working for Sauber. Most recently Krack was in charge of the BMW Formula E team as well as the GT and IMSA programmes. But Krack will be tackling some significant issues in a team that has over the years gained a reputation of punching well above its weight, but now appears to be headed to disaster.


A source within the team has revealed a deepening resentment in the factory at the situation unfolding. Canadian billionaire Lawerence Stroll took over the self confessed ‘plucky family team’ known as Force India owned by Vijay Mallya. A team who gained a deserved reputation for making the most of limited resources, often at the head of the fiercely competitive midfield and frequently embarrassing far better funded competitors. Now the squad has received significant investment and a total rebrand as the official works Aston Martin team with the focus of a marketing vehicle for the carmaker rather than a grassroots style racing team. Further, the team has gone from a modest, but efficient workforce to a far larger entity of what appears to be ‘headless chickens’ according to our source. Despite the 200+ additional employees, the issues within the team have impacted the development of the brand new 2022 Formula 1 car, the AMR22, set to be the first car of the grid with a presentation date of Thursday the 10th of February.

Despite being first out of the blocks with the show car, it is understands that the real car will be far from ready when the first winter tests start later in February. Furthermore the source reveals that: “The car is miles behind to the point if it makes 1st test at Barcelona on Feb 23rd everyone will be so surprised you’ll hear the cheer from outer space….”

Understandably Lawrence Stroll is not a happy bunny; the new highly paid executives and their underlings too scared to voice what needs to be said in countless meetings in an attempt to resolve the problems, whilst significant sums of money are being thrown at the issues. Indeed it seems to many within the team feel that the former team principal Otmar Szafnauer jumped ship to Alpine having seen the writing on the wall. The new boss Mike Krack will have a mountain to climb to get the team back on track.

 

[1%er]

FIA’s Peter Bayer all but confirms Masi’s exit ​

​

Michael Masi’s future in Formula 1 seems to be even more grim, as FIA executive director of single-seaters Peter Bayer said there could be a new Race Director for 2022. Reports about Michael Masi’s future have been aplenty recently, as previously reported that the F1 Race Director’s future maybe insecure with the FIA planning a race-management restructure. Peter Bayer, the FIA executive director of the single-seater division, spoke in an interview with Speedweek about the whole Masi situation in the aftermath of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, and the ongoing FIA investigation of the matter.

“In those seconds in which he had to decide, he had several options, all based on the regulations,” Bayer began. “He could have ended the race behind the safety car, he could have stopped, but Nicholas Latifi’s accident wouldn’t have justified that. Or he could have done what he did, which was to get out of there somehow. I always compare the situation to a soccer referee when a disputed penalty was awarded or not. It’s also about having respect for the race director.”

What will the FIA change?

Bayer revealed that the FIA plans to make changes to the job description of the Race Director by “dividing the various tasks of the race director, who is also sports director, safety and track delegate” which he admites is “simply too much” with the solution being that “these roles are divided between several people. This reduces the burden on the race director,” he insists. “The second point is questioning the current regulations, especially the subject of the safety car. The NASCAR series, for example, stops counting laps when neutralization is necessary in the last two laps of the race and adds the laps at the end of the safety car period. However, this could cause a fuel problem in F1, so this is being looked at more closely. The third theme is the idea of creating a constant connection during the race to a “mission control” how they keep the teams connected to their factories. We are considering establishing a backup team in Geneva that can support race control. The fourth point is the constant radio traffic,” Bayer went on. “We will abolish the ordeal of the race management and make massive changes. The team bosses will no longer be able to get involved on this channel, but the team managers will still be able to, they have to be able to ask questions. We want to build in a buffer with an employee who accepts these requests. In the future, the race director will be able to concentrate on his task and will no longer be distracted,” he explained.

Masi was told he might not be around in 2022
When asked about Masi’s position after all the changes are implemented, Bayer admits that it is not secure at all. “That’s not decided yet,” he pointed out. “Michael did a super job in many ways. We definitely don’t want to lose him. We told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there could be a new race director. I can only make suggestions to the World Council and they will definitely include Michael,” Bayer claimed. As of Masi’s personal take on matters and his will to push on with his job, the FIA director said: “He has developed a relatively thick skin against attacks by individual teams. When you work for the FIA, you have to be aware that you work for the sports police. The policeman rarely gets sympathy, as in everyday life. What became unbearable are reactions on social media, where nothing is shy, as seen in the death threats against Williams driver Latifi. Michael doesn’t have a social media account, but the hostilities on other channels really hit him. In our talks, I assured Michael of the support of the association and let him know: We want to continue working with you, but I also need your understanding that we have to deal with the issue,” Bayer concluded.

The results of the ongoing investigation launched by the FIA to analyze what happened at the 2021 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, and the manner in which Michael Masi administered the safety car period prompted by Nicholas Latifi’s crash are expected to be announced on March 18 as per the confirmation of the sport’s governing body.

[I think a restructuring of the race directors job is the best way politically to solve this whole situation with everyone able to be satisfied and no-one able to claim victory]

 

[1%er]

Honda to continue engine supply to Red Bull​

​

Honda will continue to supply the Red Bull Formula 1 team with power units until 2025. The Japanese manufacturer announced that they would pull out of F1 at the end of the 2021, and would supply against a fee power units to Red Bull in 2022 along with consulting services, as the energy drinks outfit build their Red Bull Powertrains division which was initially planned to take over the whole power-unit aspect of the team’s activities from 2023 onwards. The plan was for Red Bull Powertrains to simultaneously work between 2023 and 2025 on developing a new power-unit as per the new regulations set to debut in 2026. Honda’s F1 Chief Masashi Yamamoto has previously claimed that he expected for Honda to return to the sport, but it seems the Japanese company will not fully leave yet and will based on Helmut Marko’s claims continue supplying Red Bull with power-units until 2025.

Honda’s change of plans
Speaking to reporters, Marko said: “We have now also found a completely different solution to the one originally envisaged. The engines will be manufactured in Japan until 2025, we will not touch them at all. That means that the rights and all these things will remain with the Japanese, which is important for 2026 because it makes us newcomers,” he explained. It seems that Max Verstappen F1 Title triumph in 2021, with Honda power at the back of his RB16B, seems to have changed Honda’s initial F1 plans. “In the course of our ever greater successes, a certain rethinking has taken place among the Japanese,” Marko revealed. “And also that they could of course use the battery knowledge for their electrification phase. It was initially planned that they would only make our motors for 2022,” he went on. “Now it has been decided that this will continue until 2025, which is of course a huge advantage for us. This means we only have to make fine adjustments and calibrations,” the Austrian explained.

Marko also spoke of the team’s plans for their new power-unit facility and said: “The prerequisite for this agreement was that engine development was frozen. Because the first phase would have been that we do everything ourselves. That’s why we started in Milton Keynes and dutifully bought in from [dyno supplier] AVL. The plant will go into full operation in May/June. The final decision to do it ourselves was conditional on everything being frozen. Because otherwise we wouldn’t have had a chance with this complex thing,” the 78-year-old concluded.

 

[1%er]

Las Vegas moving closer to Formula 1 comeback​

Formula 1’s return to Las Vegas in the United States is reportedly moving ever closer after a reported breakthrough in talks, discussions between Formula 1 and the city have now reached a stage where ‘exact specifics’ and logistics of the race are being finalised. According to the report, Formula 1 representatives have visited the area multiple times as they look to seal the deal, holding talks with ‘the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Steve Sisolak [Governor of Nevada] and businesses around The Strip’. The report adds that a Las Vegas Grand Prix could join the Formula 1 calendar as soon as 2023.

Already there are two United-States based races scheduled for the 2022 season, with the Miami Grand Prix set to debut in May as round five of the 23-race campaign. The United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas will then follow in October, scheduled to be the 20th destination on the calendar. Formula 1 last raced in Las Vegas back in the 1980s, but the two stagings of the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in 1981 and 1982 were a flop around a circuit based in a parking lot at the Caesars Palace hotel. If Formula 1 does indeed strike a deal to return to Las Vegas, then it was previously reported that the event could take place on a street track designed around the Las Vegas Strip. The 2022 F1 calendar may already stand at a record 23 races, but the series is looking to expand further into new and existing markets alongside this drive to increase its presence in the United States.

Two races in China is a future possibility, while the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami is also believed to be contending for a return. Even Colombia is eyeing a Formula 1 race. F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has also named South Korea as a market which Formula 1 wants to tap back into. In fact, such is the interest in hosting a grands prix, Domenicali said recently that the calendar could expand to 30 races “tomorrow. I think that with no doubt there could be easily over 30 venues that we could do [a deal with] tomorrow, but we cannot go in this direction,” he said

 

[Limejuice]

A 30 race calendar?

Stefano, have you discussed this with the teams? Have you told them where they can find tip-top staff who want to be on the road for 30 weekends a year? Inside Liberty's magic pocket?

Or are you talking media-owner bullshit to support your share price?

The lizard-brained business types call this "sweating the asset". It's not sustainable, and ultimately diminishes the value of the business.

 

[MrCurry]

A 30 race calendar?

Stefano, have you discussed this with the teams? Have you told them where they can find tip-top staff who want to be on the road for 30 weekends a year? Inside Liberty's magic pocket?

Or are you talking media-owner bullshit to support your share price?

The lizard-brained business types call this "sweating the asset". It's not sustainable, and ultimately diminishes the value of the business.

To be fair he does add “ but we cannot go in this direction,”

I read it as a coded message to the various places who are currently bidding for a GP that F1 is spoiled for choice.

 

[1%er]

FIA release statement to address Masi rumours​

The FIA has released a statement surrounding the rumours swirling about the future of Michael Masi as race director, declaring that no decision has yet been taken about the events of Abu Dhabi. A report from the BBC claimed that the FIA are planning a change in structure that would see the responsibilities of the race director split across several people, and the FIA’s new head of Formula 1 hinted that there could be a change coming. Peter Bayer told Austrian journalist Gerhard Kuntschick, as quoted by the BBC: “Michael did a super job in many ways. We told him that. But also that there is a possibility there could be a new race director.”

But amid the reports around Masi’s future, the FIA responded to say that no concrete outcomes have emerged from their findings just yet -quelling any rumours that he has lost his job. Formula 1’s governing body added that they are sticking to their original timeline for announcing the results of their internal investigation, which are set to be shown at the next meeting of the F1 Commission in mid-February.

The statement reads: “At this stage, no decision has been taken on the outcome of the detailed analysis currently underway into the events of the last Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. As previously announced, the findings of this detailed analysis will be presented at the F1 Commission meeting in London on 14th February after an open discussion with all F1 drivers and then finally have to be approved at the World Motor Sport Council meeting on 18th March in Bahrain, under the authority of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.”

 

[1%er]

No concerns at Red Bull after crash test failure rumours emerge ​

Rumours have recently emerged regarding Red Bull's 2022 Formula 1 car, with a report in Italian media suggesting that the RB18 has failed the FIA's frontal crash tests for the new regulations. At this point, such a failure would result in some hasty re-design work and an inevitable delay to future development as the team prepare for the 2022 season. It would not be the first time an Adrian Newey-penned design has fallen foul of the FIA tests, with Newey's 2003 McLaren MP4-18 never actually taking part in a Grand Prix after being troubled from the start. The rumours appear to centre on Red Bull's failure to confirm a launch date for the RB18, as the majority of the teams have now done so including Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri.

Red Bull have no concerns over their new RB18
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently explained that the RB18 is hitting "the majority" of its targets, entering the car build phase of its development last week. Addressing the rumours of a crash test failure, a Red Bull source confirmed that there are no concerns regarding the RB18 in this area. The planned reveal date for the 2022 Red Bull is understood to be linked to the timeline of a sponsorship activation, as opposed to any car issues, the same source indicated.

 

[1%er]

Who is Guanyu Zhou?​

Each year, Formula 1 introduces a new name into the record books; some have been forgotten in the winds of time, whilst others made their mark to become record-breakers. Guanyu Zhou is the latest man to join the illustrious grid and here you get the lowdown on the new F1 driver. The Chinese racing driver is set to make his F1 debut for the Alfa Romeo team in the 2022 campaign. Zhou is just the second man born in mainland China to have participated in a Grand Prix weekend. It’s a hard reset for the sport which sees a raft of regulation changes with the drivers having to get to grips with new machines. It’ll be the ideal time for Zhou to make his mark on F1 as every driver will be required to do a bit of learning.

Early years and karting​

The 22-year-old hails from Shanghai and has a wealth of experience under his belt already. At the age of eight, Zhou started competing in karts and moved to Sheffield in the UK in 2012, racing for the Strawberry Racing team. The Chinese lad flourished in the competitive environment winning the Super 1 National Rotax Max Junior Championship, and finishing second in the Senior Championship in his final year of karting. During this time, Zhou raced alongside well-known drivers such as McLaren’s Lando Norris and Formula 2 ace Jehan Darvuala. In mid-2014, Zhou joined the Ferrari Driver Academy and he stayed with the Italian squad until 2019 when he moved into the Renault Sport Academy. This enabled Zhou to take the role of development driver for Renault in F1 where he eventually got promoted to official Test Driver for the team in 2020.

Formula 4​

Zhou graduated from karting with a promotion into Formula 4 where he competed in the 2015 Italian F4 Championship. The young Chinese man raised some eyebrows when he won all three races in Round Two of the championship at Monza. Zhou was a regular visitor to the podium, just missing out on the championship and finishing runner up. During this year, he also competed in various rounds of the German ADAC F4 Championship.

Formula 3 European Championship​

Zhou moved into F3 for the 2016 season racing for Team Motopark. With two podium finishes in the opening rounds at Paul Ricard and the Hungaroring, Zhou found life more difficult in F3 as the season progressed. In the second half of the season, the young Chinese man failed to match his performances from earlier on and finished down in a low-key 13th place. Zhou spent another season in F3, this time racing for Prema. After dusting himself off from a poor first season, Zhou had an improved year and finished 8th overall with five podium finishes. A particular highlight of that year saw Zhou lead the race in Spa and fending off Norris at Hockenheim. Zhou stayed with Prema for a third year in F3 and had a hugely competitive year. With a win at Pau, and a string of podiums, his season was marred with bad luck and a series of retirements saw Zhou finish in eighth in the standings.

Formula 2​

In 2018, Zhou joined the UNI-Virtuosi Racing team partnering Luca Ghiotto for the 2019 championship. Zhou was the first Chinese man to ever score a podium after securing the front row at Silverstone. A strong season which saw Zhou score five podiums allowed the Chinese man to finish the year in eighth place in the standings. Zhou stayed on with UNI-Virtuosi for another year partnering Ferrari’s Academy Driver Callum Ilott. There were clear signs of progress in 2020 after Zhou secured his first race victory in F2 at Sochi. With six podiums, Zhou finished in sixth place in the championship. In 2021, Zhou entered his third season in F2 and stayed with UNI-Virtuosi yet again. it was strong season for Zhou who claimed four race victories throughout the season, but he was unable to maintain the consistency and ended the season a strong third place.

Formula 1

Having had stints with the Ferrari and Renault Driver Academies early on in his career, Zhou competed in the Abu Dhabi post-season test for Renault alongside Fernando Alonso. He made his debut in an F1 weekend for the renamed Renault team Alpine when he took part in the first practice session for the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.

 

[1%er]

Red Bull face huge issue to tie down Max Verstappen as Marko makes contract admission​

Red Bull are set to face a huge issue to tie down Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, after team advisor Helmut Marko made a worrying confession about the Dutchman’s demands. Verstappen secured his maiden world championship last month, as he pipped Lewis Hamilton on the very final lap of the season to claim the title in dramatic fashion in Abu Dhabi. Following his first F1 title, the Dutchman revealed he was looking to remain with Red Bull for many years to come, and this was echoed by team principal Christian Horner. At the end of season awards in Paris last month Horner revealed: “I look forward to racing with Max for many years to come and I believe the best years are very much still to come."

Despite already holding a lucrative deal that is said to be around £18.7 million per year, along with a race win bonus of £750,000 Red Bull are said to be in talks to improve his package. Talking to Austrian magazine Autorevue Marko confirmed: “We will have talks with Max in the next few weeks. His manager [Raymond Vermeulen] was difficult to contact because his son was at the 24-hour race in Dubai [in mid-January] together with Jos [Verstappen]."

However there is some doubt over a new deal for the Dutchman, after Marko revealed Verstappen’s improved demands could well pass his team’s limits.
He commented: “With Verstappen, we are already close to this limit. There will be an end at some point.” Another man who has plans to enjoy a long and successful time as part of the Red Bull team is Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. There had been rumours that Perez could well be replaced following the upcoming 2022 season. However the Mexican revealed he has a reassuring message from both Horner and Marko regarding his future. Perez told reporter's: “I think we matched really well, really quickly, within the Red Bull family. And very early on, Helmut and Christian told me to not look anywhere else, because they wanted to carry on with me."

 

[1%er]

Mercedes reportedly join Red Bull in failing crash test​

In a similar fashion to Red Bull, Mercedes have failed an FIA static crash test on the side of the W13, according to a report from Italy. The Italian branch of Motorsport.com claims that the reigning Constructors’ champions had tried an “extreme solution” regarding the design of their car but, having failed the crash test a few days ago, the report adds that the team have reverted to a ‘plan B’ option that was already in place if their ambitious design failed, meaning “no problems other than a slight delay” in completing the construction of their car.

FIA crash tests are an integral part of getting Formula 1 cars approved and homologated ahead of the new season starting, to prove they can meet the governing body’s strict safety standards if it is involved in an accident. The teams have been hard at work to finalise the designs of their car ahead of the new era of Formula 1, which Mercedes design boss James Allison says sees the biggest regulation changes in the sport’s history take effect. He spoke of the challenges associated with designing a car to the new specifications, which he said involve twice as much paperwork from the FIA with rules by which to abide. “It has been incredibly hard,” Allison said on a video posted by the team. “Very challenging, and long, to get our heads around this and to try to figure out what the best response is to these regulations, and where the opportunity is to be found in order to put a car on the track in a few short weeks from now, that gives us a chance of being competitive right from the beginning.”

Mercedes had already posted a video of their car firing up for the first time, and the W13 is set to be unveiled on Friday 18 February, five days prior to pre-season running beginning in Barcelona. The team will be gunning for a ninth consecutive Constructors’ Championship crown when the season gets underway, with Lewis Hamilton aiming to win back the Drivers’ crown should he decide to continue.

 

[1%er]

Technical Insight: Pull rod suspension confirmed on McLaren MCL36​

Formula 1 fans don’t have to wait long until the covers are pulled off the first 2022 F1 cars. In fact the first reveal is less than two weeks away! In recent seasons, launches have taken place exclusively online, owing to the pandemic. However interest around launches remains high, even if it’s really just a livery launch, with teams keeping their secrets hidden until the cars hit the track during testing. Don’t expect that to change this year. In fact, teams will likely take an even more secretive approach and could even hide developments until the first race, in an attempt to get a jump on their rivals. However, even if that is the case, the cars are going to look dramatically different. Teams have begun teasing images of their cars and McLaren has been particularly active on social media throughout January. Although the images have mostly been obscured, we can begin to gather some small details, thanks to a video of their engine fire-up.

Through the video clips and photos published, we were able to take a first technical look, managing to capture some small fundamental details on what will be the 2022 car of the Woking team. As for the chassis, a photograph made it possible to collect very interesting information on what the design choices of the engineers in the front area of the MCL36 are. In addition to the shape of the conventional air intake for those who run the Mercedes PU, the large opening in the front part of the chassis is evident, which allows access for technicians to adjust the suspension elements. It appears McLaren have abandoned the push rod suspension philosophy in favour of a return to the pull rod layout, which could be motivated by the larger 18″ Pirelli wheels. In 2021, when McLaren adopted the push rod strut suspension, the springs and anti-roll bars were accessed by removing a vanity panel, with the third shock absorber placed in the upper part of the body. In a pull rod scheme, the element is substantially turned by 180° with respect to a front view, and the third shock absorber will be present in the lower part of the frame.


The choice to return to the pull rod would be dictated by both mechanical and aerodynamic needs, as both the lowering of the frame section compared to 2021, and the introduction of reduced shoulder tyres with 18″ diameter rims, would be more congenial to a pull rod pattern. Since 2010, all the teams have adopted the pull rod scheme at the rear, while at the front the global choice has always fallen on a push rod scheme, with the exception of Ferrari (2013, 2014, 2015) and McLaren (2013). According to some sources, even Ferrari seems to be certain that it will switch to a pull rod suspension scheme. It will be interesting to see if it will be a common choice of all the teams, or if some will insist on the 2021 layout.

Another non-negligible detail, which could be seen from the photo of the chassis published by McLaren, is the arrangement of the sidepods, which will be quite different from the 2021 car philosophy. By regulation, the cones that are part of the lateral protection structure (side impact protection structure) which will be lower than in 2021, and this will lead to the abandonment of the design present on last season’s cars. For aerodynamic reasons, the air intake of the radiators has been moved above the side impact structure (a choice introduced by Ferrari in 2017), in order to increase the air flow towards the top of the flat floor. With the 2022 cars the floor will no longer be flat. Two large venturi ducts will be housed in the lower part, which will generate most of the downforce. With the upper cone moved lower, you will see a return to a more conventional choice, with the air inlets located below the protective structure.

From an aerodynamic point of view, this area is very free in the regulations, compared to all the other macro-areas in which the regulations impose very strict limits, leaving little room for interpretation. The shape of the sides in the direction of the rear could still have a down wash shape, to energise the diffuser in the rear. The air slits will also return for the hot air to escape, in the rear part of the radiators. With the regulations that came into force in 2009, the “gills” were eradicated, and most of the thermal disposal took place in the back of the engine cover. With the cars of the new era set to kick off in March in Bahrain, some of the technical choices seen in the past in F1 could make a comeback.

Finally, in the video clip showing the fire-up of the MCL36, it was noted that the exhaust is much longer than in 2021. The most important technical aspect is that (for regulatory reasons) it will no longer feature the mufflers of the wastegate, which will be incorporated into the single exhaust of the endothermic engine. By regulation, the last 15cm of the tube must be of circular geometry and above all a single element. From this shot you can also see the rear impact structure.

 

[1%er]

Mercedes says W13 passed crash tests in mid-January​

Mercedes has confirmed that its 2022 car, the W13, received the necessary homologation from the FIA almost three weeks ago, amid rumours suggesting it failed a crash test. Reports originating from Italy suggested that Mercedes had encountered problems in trying to get the W13 through the mandatory crash tests. Formula 1 has stringent crash tests and any chassis homologated by the FIA must pass each one.


“For clarity, W13 completed its FIA homologation process on 13 January 2022,” Mercedes confirmed on Monday. “The relevant procedures for this (which have changed somewhat for this season, including a reinforced side squeeze test) are captured in Article 13 of the 2022 Technical Regulations.” Mercedes’ W13 is due to be presented during a digital unveiling on February 18. The W13 is due to be shaken down later the same day at British Grand Prix venue Silverstone, five days before the start of pre-season testing in Spain.

 

[1%er]

The under-the-radar F1 rule change that could have big impact​

The arrival of Formula 1’s all-new aero rules has slightly overshadowed another regulation change that could impact the grid for years to come - the engine freeze. It’s another facet of the sport that’s being locked down in order to rein in costs and give the manufacturers necessary time to prepare for the arrival of a new power unit in 2026. However, there’s still time for the manufacturers to make improvements before the homologation deadlines come in to force, so they’ve been working flat out to extract everything they can until the point of no return. The ICE, turbocharger, MGU-H, exhaust system, engine oil and fuel specifications take precedence in this case. The deadline for any changes or upgrades to these must be presented to the FIA before the season gets underway, with their freeze date set for March 1. The MGU-K, Energy Store and Control Electronics have a small reprieve, as the deadline has been set as September 1.

After this, only in extreme circumstances of one manufacturer being well behind its rivals, will there be any scope for changes. So the power unit formbook will be essentially set in stone this season until the end of 2025. The ongoing development of the power unit throughout the hybrid era has been intense, with all-new specifications delivered year-on-year by the manufacturers in an effort to improve their performance relative to the opposition. Mercedes provided that benchmark from the outset, with its class-defining PU106A sporting a split turbocharger layout that enabled it to house the MGU-H between the v of the ICE. The layout undoubtedly had wide sweeping implications in terms of packaging the rest of the components required of the power unit, but it also called for a much more complex MGU-H design to cater for the forces that would be spread across a larger distance. Honda followed suit when it arrived just a year later, as it tried to keep the power unit's footprint as small as possible. Whilst it made numerous changes to the turbocharger and the MGU-H’s size and layout in the time that’s intervened, the split turbocharger has remained a feature throughout.

Meanwhile, Ferrari and Renault have thus far resisted the temptation to make the switch. But there are rumours circulating that could change for 2022, given this will be their last chance to do so. Both would have to be certain that it’s going to offer tangible performance benefits without increasing reliability concerns though. This is where Ferrari has been quite shrewd, as it used the tail end of its 2021 campaign to road test its new energy recovery system, introducing the new components on Charles Leclerc’s car in Russia, followed by their introduction on Carlos Sainz’s car in Turkey. Waiting until the end of the campaign to deploy new components, rather than introducing them at the start of the season, essentially gave Ferrari a way of testing them under competitive conditions. And, had any issues arisen, it would have given it the opportunity to rectify them or alter the course of its development programme, given it could make another change heading into the 2022 season.

Honda, which already made a laundry list of changes to the other components that make up its power unit at the start of the season, also waited it out in regards to the deployment of a new Energy Store. Max Verstappen was the first of the Honda powered drivers to benefit from the upgrade, as it was installed in his RB16B at the Belgian Grand Prix. This was the first time Honda had deployed an Energy Store upgrade during the hybrid era, and it had required the manufacturer to fast-track a project that had taken several years to develop and was originally scheduled for introduction in 2022. The closely fought battle between Red Bull Honda and Mercedes proved enough of an incentive to bring forward the project, with improvements in energy efficiency and significant reductions in weight, key to that decision.