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F1 2022

Italian Grand Prix grid penalty so far

Max Verstappen has become the latest Formula 1 driver to be slapped with a grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix. The World Championship leader will incur a five-place grid drop for taking a new Internal Combustion Engine at Monza and not a back of the grid one as he got in Belgium. As the Red Bull driver is only taking the new ICE, he will not suffer any further penalties.

The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz Jr and Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez will drop to the rear for taking new power units overall, in Hamilton's case it being the legacy of his first lap collision with Fernando Alonso at Spa. AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda's expected grid penalty for reaching five reprimands.
 

FP1: Ferrari enjoy early Monza boost with opening practice 1-2

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz gave Ferrari an early boost in their hope of enjoying a home victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Fastest by 0.077 in FP1 from his Scuderia team-mate, Leclerc may never get a better chance to repeat his 2019 victory at the ‘Temple of Speed’ due to penalties set to affect a host of main rivals. Ten minutes before the opening track action began, the pit lane united in a minute’s silence in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday. Teams, drivers and the sport’s top officials had sent messages of condolence to the Royal Family following the announcement of the sad news.

As focus switched to track running, eight drivers were facing the prospect of engine-related grid penalties with Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz among those facing the heaviest sanctions, while Verstappen was reportedly looking at a five-place drop for a new ICE. We also got the first look at Ferrari’s special yellow-tinged livery on honour of their 75th anniversary as being an independent constructor, three years before the inauguration of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Aston Martin had Nyck de Vries participating in his third rookie FP1 session of the season, all for different teams, this time standing in for Sebastian Vettel. He was out early for a couple of sighters but was last of the 20 drivers to try a ‘hot’ lap. They included Antonio Giovinazzi, returning to F1 in the first of two guest appearances for Haas, standing in for Kevin Magnussen for this initial hour of running.

Pierre Gasly was the first driver to partake in slalom skiing between the bollards when going straight on at the end of the pits straight, smoke emanating from the AlphaTauri, and he was quickly called into the pits for investigation into an issue. In the opening 20 minutes, Verstappen, who has been totally dominant just before and since the summer break, was maintaining the form that has taken him 109 points clear at the top of the Drivers’ standings, over a second quicker than anyone else – until AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda squeezed inside that parameter on the soft tyres.


Approaching the halfway mark, Leclerc leapt to the top of the timings as most cars had the soft tyres fitted – including Verstappen, who was unhappy as his attempt to go faster was thwarted as he ended up in a ‘race’ with Lando Norris just ahead. “Unbelievable,” was the World Champion’s reaction. George Russell, a serious contender for victory due to the impending grid penalties, jumped up to P2 despite not being fully happy – “the thing is just not stopping into Turn 1” – before being displaced by Sainz. The Briton was even more disgruntled when he almost ran into the back of Sainz, whom he said had “parked” his Ferrari at the second chicane.


De Vries was sitting 19th on the leaderboard when he took a trip across the gravel with five minuts remaining, possibly trying a touch too hard, as the Ferrari duo headed the Mercedes pair when the chequered flag fell, Russell and Hamilton both ahead of Verstappem.

Free Practice 1 results

PosDriverTeamTimeGapLaps
1Charles LeclercFerrari1:22.410s25
2Carlos SainzFerrari1:22.487s+ 0.077s23
3George RussellMercedes1:22.689s+ 0.279s27
4Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:22.831s+ 0.421s24
5Max VerstappenRed Bull1:22.840s+ 0.430s27
6Esteban OconAlpine1:23.075s+ 0.665s28
7Fernando AlonsoAlpine1:23.099s+ 0.689s26
8Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri1:23.260s+ 0.850s26
9Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo1:23.394s+ 0.984s27
10Daniel RicciardoMcLaren1:23.511s+ 1.101s26
11Alexander AlbonWilliams1:23.529s+ 1.119s24
12Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo1:23.570s+ 1.160s28
13Pierre GaslyAlphaTauri1:23.640s+ 1.230s27
14Sergio PérezRed Bull1:23.661s+ 1.251s21
15Lance StrollAston Martin1:23.688s+ 1.278s28
16Lando NorrisMcLaren1:23.856s+ 1.446s27
17Kevin MagnussenHaas1:24.006s+ 1.596s24
18Antonio GiovinazziHaas1:24.317s+ 1.907s25
19Nyck de VriesAston Martin1:24.731s+ 2.321s22
20Nicholas LatifiWilliams1:24.941s+ 2.531s24
 

Carlos Sainz fastest in FP2 at Monza

Carlos Sainz went fastest in FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix, making it a successful Friday for the Scuderia on their own patch. The Tifosi would like nothing more than to see their Ferrari team atop of the podium on Sunday afternoon, even if it might now prove academic in terms of both championships. Indeed, it has been a season of high initial hope and then gradual difficulty for the Scuderia but they still have time to try and end this campaign on a high and they can certainly set-up a final flourish in style with a win at Monza before we start jetting off outside of Europe once again.

Of course, it’s still early days in terms of the weekend but Ferrari seem to have a decent level of pace at Monza, with Sainz going fastest of all ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who were both under two-tenths off of the Spaniard’s fastest time. Lando Norris would go fourth-quickest ahead of George Russell in the Mercedes, whilst Sergio Perez was P6 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon.


Fernando Alonso was ninth ahead of Alex Albon in 10th, with the Williams driver hoping the car’s good straight-line speed is going to aid their cause this weekend in Italy. Further down the field it was a session to forget for Mick Schumacher with him having to pull his Haas car over to the side of the track, prompting a red flag. He was only able to get nine laps in before the issue struck and, after giving up his seat in FP1 for Antonio Giovinazzi, it means Schumacher has had very little running so far this weekend in Italy.

Results (Classification):

  1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:21.664
  2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.143
  3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.193
  4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.674
  5. George Russell Mercedes +0.722
  6. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.730
  7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.839
  8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.064
  9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.088
  10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.171
  11. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.247
  12. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.274
  13. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.329
  14. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.471
  15. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.553
  16. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.893
  17. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +2.067
  18. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.121
  19. Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +2.318
  20. Mick Schumacher Haas +2.922
 

Albon out of Monza F1 race, de Vries gets shock debut

Nyck de Vries will make his Formula 1 debut in the Italian Grand Prix, replacing Alex Albon at Williams. A Williams statement revealed that Albon is undergoing treatment for appendicitis. “Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and local hospital, Alex Albon is now undergoing treatment for appendicitis,” the team said. “Following on from this, we can confirm that the team’s reserve driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery.”

De Vries, the 2019 Formula 2 and 2021/22 Formula E champion, is Mercedes’ reserve driver and available to its customer teams if needed. He is present at Monza, having already taken part in the Monza weekend, albeit at another team. De Vries drove for Aston Martin in the first Friday practice session, fulfilling one of the team’s mandated rookie outings. That will speed up his adaptation, which will be further aided by the fact he also drove for Williams in an FP1 earlier this year. De Vries drove the FW44 in Spain and also participated in FP1 in France for Mercedes.

That makes him probably the most experienced person outside the full-time drivers in terms of 2022 machinery, perhaps with the exception of Nico Hulkenberg, who competed in the first two grands prix weekends for Aston Martin. This shock call-up is a great chance for de Vries to further his case for a 2023 Williams race seat. He is a contender to replace Nicholas Latifi, even though he was previously set to undertake a dual FE and World Endurance Championship programme.
 

More engine changes mean nine drivers will take grid penalties

The FIA has confirmed three more drivers have exceeded their maximum allocation of power unit parts this weekend, meaning they will take grid penalties. Six drivers were already due to move back places on the grid for tomorrow’s race after parts were changed on their cars yesterday: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz Jnr, Valtteri Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda. They have been joined by Esteban Ocon and Haas team mates Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher. The Alpine driver will take a new engine only, meaning he incurs a five-place grid penalty.

Of the Haas pair, Schumacher has also only taken a new engine, meaning a five-place penalty. However Haas have also changed his gearbox, exceeding his allocation, increasing his penalty to a total of 15 places. His team mate Magnussen will lose the same number of positions after Haas changed his engine plus turbocharger and MGU-H.

Ferrari have fitted a complete fresh power unit to Carlos Sainz Jnr’s car, but as he had already incurred enough penalties to start at the back of the grid it makes no difference to his starting position. Another Ferrari engine user, Zhou Guanyu, has had a new exhaust fitted to his car, but this remains within his allocation and he will not take a penalty.

Among the previously announced penalty takers, Hamilton and Tsunoda will drop to the back of the grid with Sainz, Bottas will move back 15 places, Perez 10 places and Verstappen five.
 

Italian Grand Prix Third Practice session

Max Verstappen was fastest as the usual suspects dominated the top of the standings in final practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The World Champion was 0.347sec faster than Charles Leclerc to set himself up as favourite to also clock the quickest time in qualifying. But Verstappen knows he will not be on pole position because he is taking a five-place grid penalty for taking a fifth Internal Combustion Engine of the season – among eight, and potentially nine, drivers facing sanctions due to exceeding the permitted number of power-unit parts for the campaign.

Leclerc is now likely to start on pole if he can reproduce his practice performance in qualifying, with four of the six Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes driver all facing penalties. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton are set to start at the back of the grid, while Sergio Perez is staring at a 10-place penalty. That will boost the hopes of Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Lando Norris, both of whom have shone in practice at the ‘Temple of Speed’. Shortly before the session began, Williams announced Alex Albon had been taken to hospital with appendicitis and would be replaced for the rest of the weekend by Nyck de Vries, making his F1 race debut.

De Vries had taken part in FP1 for Aston Martin the previous day, but is the official reserve driver for Williams. The Dutchman put in a strong FP3 performance, finishing immediately behind Nicholas Latifi in the other FW44 in the standings with less than a tenth of a second between them. Mick Schumacher endured a troubled FP3 session due to problems with his Haas car which meant he could only take to the track towards the end of the hour’s running. There were also strong reports that Schumacher could increase the number of drivers incurring penalties to nine – the others confirmed being his Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda.

Times
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:21.252
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.347
3 Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.596
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.645
5 Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.054
6 Lando Norris McLaren +1.067
7 George Russell Mercedes +1.105
8 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.178
9 Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.254
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.315
11 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.405
12 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.503
13 Nicholas Latifi Williams +1.524
14 Nyck de Vries Williams +1.617
15 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.619
16 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.698
17 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.852
18 Mick Schumacher Haas +2.140
19 Kevin Magnussen Haas +2.188
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.487
 

Ferrari Chairman Elkann Backs Team Principal Binotto but Insists Mistakes Must End

Scuderia Ferrari chairman John Elkann says he is still backing the current Team Principal Mattia Binotto, but he says the team need to remove the mistakes that have blighted their 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season. Ferrari started the current season with two wins in the opening three races but have seen only two further victories since, while Oracle Red Bull Racing have taken a march on them with victories in each of the remaining eleven races.

Charles Leclerc remains Max Verstappen’s closest rival in the Drivers’ Championship with only seven races remaining, although he is one hundred and nine points behind the Dutchman. The season has seen a number of reliability problems for both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., while driver errors and strategical mistakes have seen Ferrari’s season fall apart at the seems and drop away from the front in both championships.

“We have great faith in Mattia Binotto and appreciate everything he and all our engineers have done, but there is no doubt that the work in Maranello, in the garage, on the pit wall and at the wheel needs to improve,” Elkann is quoted as saying to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport by Motorsport.com.
“We must continue to make progress and that goes for the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers and obviously, the entire management team, including the Team Principal. We have seen that there are still too many mistakes when it comes to reliability, driving and strategy. Putting our trust in Binotto and his team was the right decision and it has paid off. Thanks to them we are competitive and winning again. But I am not satisfied because I think we can always do better.”

Elkann believes Ferrari still have what it takes to achieve its target of winning World Championships again before the end of the current engine cycle, and he feels the team have possibly the strongest driver pairing on the grid. “Our first goal was to be competitive,” said Elkann. “If you are not, then you have nowhere to go, whereas you can always work on reliability. That’s why I believe that before 2026 Ferrari will once again win the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles, with Charles Leclerc in pole position. We are lucky to have two great drivers, probably the strongest pairing in Formula 1.”
 

Ferrari slate AlphaTauri "force majeure" Herta bid

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has claimed AlphaTauri's use of force majeure to push through a super licence for Colton Herta is "completely wrong". AlphaTauri has identified IndyCar driver Herta as a replacement for Pierre Gasly who would be allowed to leave to join F1 rivals Alpine for 2023. But Herta is eight points shy of the 40 required to earn an FIA super licence. Even if he took part in the six remaining FP1 sessions this year, he would still fall short.


AlphaTauri has used the Covid pandemic as grounds for a force majeure ruling, but as IndyCar took place that year and Herta's progress was unimpeded, rival teams have taken a dim view of this. Binotto is the latest to voice his opposition. He said: "Force majeure cannot be used for Herta. That would be a completely wrong approach. Regulations are in place in order to protect our sport and make sure we are making the right processes and choices for our sport itself. Herta may participate in the championship if he has [achieved] what he is required to do and not differently. That is very important and we will certainly overview what the FIA will do in that respect. And each team will do so because, for the importance of our sport, we cannot have force majeure for a situation which is not force majeure, certainly in this case."

AlphaTauri voice support for FIA rule change
With opposition to AlphaTauri's plan growing, team principal Franz Tost has suggested the FIA should consider a regulation change to make it easier for IndyCar drivers to make the switch. "This is a question you have to ask the FIA because there is a regulation and if the FIA wants to change anything, we would support this," said Tost. "If it is necessary to run him in FP1, we will do everything that is being requested."

As for who will be driving for the team next year, Tost added: "This is a decision from Red Bull which driver that they will bring into the team. But if it is not Colton Herta then Pierre Gasly will stay and nothing will change. The latest with Pierre is that he has a contract with us. Regarding Colton Herta, it is the decision of the FIA whether he gets the super licence or not. And I hope the FIA will take this decision as soon as possible so we know how to build up the team and where to go for next year."
 

Qualifying Results 2022 Italian Grand Prix


Q3

  1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:20.161
  2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.145
  3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.268
  4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.045
  5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.363
  6. George Russell Mercedes +1.381
  7. Lando Norris McLaren +1.423
  8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.764
  9. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +2.487
  10. Fernando Alonso Alpine NC

Q2

  1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:20.878
  2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.330
  3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.387
  4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.480
  5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.830
  6. George Russell Mercedes +0.869
  7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.953
  8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.977
  9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.983
  10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.184
  11. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.252
  12. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.357
  13. Nyck de Vries Williams Racing +1.593
  14. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.699
  15. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri NC
Q1

  1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:20.922
  2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.358
  3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.426
  4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.573
  5. George Russell Mercedes +0.863
  6. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +1.081
  7. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.088
  8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.098
  9. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.126
  10. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.167
  11. Lando Norris McLaren +1.208
  12. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.217
  13. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.244
  14. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.332
  15. Nyck de Vries Williams Racing +1.645
  16. Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +1.665
  17. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.714
  18. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.826
  19. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.986
  20. Mick Schumacher Haas +2.083
 

2022 Italian Grand Prix - Provisional starting grid


PosDriverTeamTimeSessionNotes
1Charles LeclercFerrari1:20.161sQ3
2George RussellMercedes1:21.542sQ3
3Lando NorrisMcLaren1:21.584sQ3
4Daniel RicciardoMcLaren1:21.925sQ3
5Pierre GaslyAlphaTauri1:22.648sQ3
6Fernando AlonsoAlpineNo timeQ3
7Max VerstappenRed Bull1:20.306sQ3See [1]
8Nyck de VriesWilliams1:22.471sQ2
9Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo1:22.577sQ2
10Nicholas LatifiWilliams1:22.587sQ1
11Sebastian VettelAston Martin1:22.636sQ1
12Lance StrollAston Martin1:22.748sQ1
13Sergio PérezRed Bull1:21.206sQ3See [2]
14Esteban OconAlpine1:22.130sQ2See [3]
15Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo1:22.235sQ2See [4]
16Kevin MagnussenHaas1:22.908sQ1See [5]
17Mick SchumacherHaas1:23.005sQ1See [6]
18Carlos SainzFerrari1:20.429sQ3See [7]
19Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:21.524sQ3See [8]
20Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauriNo timeQ2See [9]


Notes
[1] 5 place grid penalty - engine components
[2] 10 place grid penalty - engine components
[3] 5 place grid penalty - engine components
[4] 15 place grid penalty - engine components
[5] 15 place grid penalty - engine components
[6] 15 place grid penalty - engine components
[7] 'Back of the grid' penalty - engine components
[8] 'Back of the grid' penalty - engine components
[9] 'Back of the grid' penalty - engine components
 

Will 22-year-old Brazilian driver replace Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri?

There is, as yet, no guarantee that Pierre Gasly will leave AlphaTauri at the end of this season, but who should Red Bull choose to replace him if he does? Gasly has impressed since his return to the junior side following his tough half season alongside Max Verstappen in 2019, earning three podiums and a race win in the process. The Frenchman has always made it clear that he wants to return to the main fold, and his performances with the Faenza-based squad were putting him back in contention, but Sergio Perez has proven a solid team-mate to Verstappen.

The Mexican has earned two wins since his arrival in 2021, and he looks set to help the Austrian side to their fifth Constructors’ Championship success this year. That has earned him a new deal that keeps him with the team until the end of 2024. Gasly’s contract with Red Bull expires at the end of next year, at which point he wanted to move up to the main fold again. With Perez extending his stay though, this will no longer be possible for the 26-year-old, who will be looking for another seat when his term with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri runs out.

That alternative could come in the form of Alpine, who have fumbled two drivers in as many months. The French side have lost both Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri going into next season, so they are looking for another option. They are currently mulling over whether to pay Gasly’s buyout clause at AlphaTauri, along with 13 other drivers they have been in touch with. Should Gasly leave, Red Bull have several drivers in their pool that they could call upon to replace him, the most immediate ones being Liam Lawson, Jehan Daruvala, Juri Vipa, Ayumu Iwasa and Dennis Hauger in Formula 2.

Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s adviser, however, does not feel that any of his juniors on the final rung before Formula 1 are ready to climb up to the junior side, which is why Red Bull are trying to convince the FIA to grant Colton Herta a superlicense. The Andretti IndyCar driver has won four races in the American series, but IndyCar does not hold the same value as F2 or Formula 3 regarding superlicense points, so Herta only has 32 of the required 40.

However, there is another possibility, one that still beggars belief as to how it has not even been considered, and that is Felipe Drugovich. The Brazilian leads the F2 championship by 69 points heading into the penultimate round of the season in Monza this weekend, so he is poised to wrap up the title in Italy. Somehow, Drugovich remains unaffiliated to an F1 team and, despite showing dominance and supreme consistency this year, no team even appears to have cast a glance in his direction.

Red Bull could be fighting a lost cause with Herta, when they could be bringing in a driver who will qualify for a superlicense in Drugovich. That, of course, if entirely dependent on whether Gasly leaves for Alpine, and whether Yuki Tsunoda leaves when his contract expires but, after a solid season for the Japanese driver, he is expected to re-sign. Even if Gasly does not leave, getting a talent such as Drugovich on the books, perhaps as a reserve driver with AlphaTauri, might be a prudent move by Red Bull.

[Drugovich has now won the F2 championship with 3 races left]
 
The grid

POSDRIVERNATIONALITYENTRANT
1.Charles LeclercMonacoFerrari
2.George RussellBritainMercedes
3.Lando NorrisBritainMcLaren-Mercedes
4.Daniel RicciardoAustraliaMcLaren-Mercedes
5.Pierre GaslyFranceAlphaTauri-Red Bull
6.Fernando AlonsoSpainAlpine-Renault
7.Max VerstappenNetherlandsRed Bull Racing
8.Nyck de VriesNetherlandsWilliams-Mercedes
9.Guanyu ZhouChinaAlfa Romeo-Ferrari
10.Nicholas LatifiCanadaWilliams-Mercedes
11.Sebastian VettelGermanyAston Martin-Mercedes
12.Lance StrollCanadaAston Martin-Mercedes
13.Sergio PerezMexicoRed Bull Racing
14.Esteban OconFranceAlpine-Renault
15.Valtteri BottasFinlandAlfa Romeo-Ferrari
16.Kevin MagnussenDenmarkHaas-Ferrari
17.Mick SchumacherGermanyHaas-Ferrari
18.Carlos SainzSpainFerrari
19.Lewis HamiltonBritainMercedes
20.Yuki TsunodaJapanAlphaTauri-Red Bull

[It looks the same to me as the one I posted yesteday]
 
Yes, it has been in the news a lot here in Brazil but he isn't backed by a manufacturer. For sure he would get some good sponsorship from Brazilian companies but at the moment he doesn't have massive sponsorship.
Well, I hope he has some good management to kick some doors open. A talented driver with strong sponsorship should be able to elbow his way into a team.
 
Not sure Max will be too pleased having him behind him going into that first chicane. He's seemed a bit late on the brakes this weekend so far.
It will be interesting if Damon called Red Bulls strategy correct and Max starts on the mediums and Nyck starts on the softs :)

Max on softs
 
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