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F1 2022

Indeliblelink said:
Poor Alex but sounds like he's on the mend.
www.bbc.co.uk

Alex Albon treated in intensive care after respiratory failure

Alex Albon was put on a ventilator after suffering complications following appendix surgery, say Williams.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...

The wife's a senior operating department assistant working in anaesthetics. What the ill-educated call an anaesthetics nurse.

She confirms instances like this are very rare (she's been qualified for 35 years) and says it could be a few thing but it's most likely "aspiration" which to the ill-educated (me and you) means inhaling stomach contents. Allergic reaction to some of the muscle-relaxant drugs used in appendectomies is also a possibility.

But it could also be the front for a plot by SPECTRE to take over the world.

Remember that scene in Thunderball?




They are all anaesthetists...
 

Drugovich heading to F1 with reserve driver role​

Aston Martin have named Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich as their new reserve driver, as well as the first member of their Driver Development Programme. The 22-year-old secured the title at Monza with three races remaining, with the result putting him on the radar of several teams, including Aston Martin. On Monday, the team announced they had signed Drugovich, who is expected to step in for Lance Stroll in FP1 at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Brazilian is also expected to take part in the Young Driver Test at Yas Marina the week after. “Becoming a member of the AMF1 Driver Development Programme is a fantastic opportunity for me and only adds to what has been an extremely enjoyable and successful 2022 season,” said Drugovich. “Winning in Formula 2 has long been regarded as the best possible launchpad into a career in Formula 1, and I see my role at AMF1 as giving me all the tools to take that crucial next step. For me, 2023 will be a learning curve: I will be working with the F1 team, but my primary goal is to learn and develop as a driver. I hope that will give me an opportunity to race in Formula 1 in the future.”

Drugovich’s Aston Martin role
Drugovich will test Aston Martin‘s 2021 AMR21 car and also attend select races for the team in 2023, where he will support Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. “Felipe has shown incredible talent, determination, and consistency to win this year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship I particularly remember his fantastic Sprint and Feature victories at Barcelona in May, which were hugely impressive,” said Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack. “We are delighted that he is joining us as a member of our Driver Development Programme, and we look forward to welcoming him as part of our team in Abu Dhabi this November.”
 

Nyck de Vries to replace Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri​

Despite Colton Herta’s potential move to AlphaTauri breaking down, Pierre Gasly could still be off to Alpine. And it is now being reported that Nyck de Vries is waiting in the wings to swap the Mercedes fold for Red Bull as the Frenchman’s replacement. Red Bull appear to have accepted Indy Car racer Herta will not be granted an FIA Super Licence to make the switch to Formula 1, so that deal appears to be off the cards. It had originally been claimed that Herta’s availability for AlphaTauri was a condition upon which Gasly would be released from the final year of his contract in order to join Alpine following Fernando Alonso’s departure to Aston Martin for 2023.

However, Red Bull may yet let Gasly go, with De Vries said to now be first in line to replace him at AlphaTauri. De Vries has long been linked with an F1 race seat but in recent times, more so at Williams with whom he made his debut at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix when deputising for the unwell Alex Albon and impressed greatly by finishing P9. It appears that performance also caught the eye of Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko who, according to De Telegraaf newspaper in De Vries’ homeland, has met up with the 27-year-old in Graz, Austria. Auto Hebdo, meanwhile, go further and claim Marko and De Vries’ conflab was actually more than that for they “are said to have agreed on a move of [De Vries] to AlphaTauri next season, where he is expected to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda”.

How would Mercedes view Nyck de Vries joining the Red Bull camp?
It does beg the question of how Mercedes would feel about seeing a driver who has been immersed with them for three years, winning a Formula E World Championship, to up and leave for Red Bull. Toto Wolff has said more than once he is extremely limited in what more he can to do help De Vries fulfil his F1 dream, for which he has been waiting since he won the Formula 2 title in 2019. “I can’t really help him,” said the Mercedes head of motorsport after De Vries drove in FP1 for the Silver Arrows at the French Grand Prix in July. “We can’t really tell any team to look at him and consider him because that would be felt as an interference and goes the contrary way.”

You get the impression Wolff would have been happy to see De Vries at Williams on a full-time basis, given they are an engine customer and ‘technical partner’ of Mercedes. But AlphaTauri? You only have to think back a year to when Williams signed Alex Albon from the Red Bull set-up initially ‘on loan’, with Wolff clearly concerned about what Mercedes-related information might eventually filter back to Milton Keynes. In the end, that was irrelevant as Albon is now with Williams for the long haul. De Vries’ switch would be much more direct, though. What will Wolff think of that?
 

Fernando Alonso bribed McLaren employees to turn on Lewis Hamilton​

It would come as no surprise that the two oldest drivers on the grid, Fernando Alonso and Sir Lewis Hamilton, have a somewhat fiery and argumentative past, with the pair having first met in 2007. After winning his second consecutive title with Renault in 2006, Alonso announced that he’d be moving to McLaren, who had lost Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR, and Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari. The at the time World Champion was arguably the top dog in the Formula 1 paddock, having taken the fight beyond Michael Schumacher’s capability in 2005 and 2006; however, 2007 would prove to be one of Alonso’s dirtiest and despicable seasons in his incredible F1 career. Alonso was joined at the Woking-based team by a certain 2006 GP2 (known now as Formula 2) World Champion, Hamilton.

Team orders clearly weren’t a factor at McLaren, as Alonso quickly discovered that he had alongside him at McLaren a driver who would break all sorts of records. The pair both stood on the podium at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, meaning Hamilton claimed an astonishing podium on his debut in the sport. That season, the now 37-year-old, stood on the podium an unbelievable nine consecutive times, a new record for a rookie driver. Hamilton claimed his first pole position and victory at the Canadian GP, before claiming a further three victories during the season. It saw Hamilton match Alonso’s four victories in 2007, all whilst being a rookie. The duo both found themselves involved in a three-way championship battle with Raikkonen, which became dirty at the penultimate round at China. Alonso remained in the team’s pit-slot long enough to ensure that Hamilton, who was queuing behind, wasn’t able to produce a final lap in qualifying. Somewhat comically, Hamilton’s first lap was still good enough for pole. Through mistakes of their own, Raikkonen beat the McLaren duo to the 2007 World Championship, which resulted in Alonso quickly aborting the British team in order to return to Renault. It’s rare for a rookie to not only move into a championship-winning side, yet alone to be in contention for the title whilst alongside a double World Champion.

Ex-McLaren employee Marc Priestley has revealed in the PitStop podcast that Alonso used some extraordinary tactics during the season to disrupt the British driver’s progress. “One of Fernando’s tactics is to try and bring the whole team over to his side of the garage, and Fernando’s manager, or his trainer, he’s handing out little brown envelopes stuffed with cash to everybody who wasn’t on Lewis’ car,” shockingly revealed Priestley. “We all got these little brown envelopes and I…” Priestley said, before being interrupted by the host. “How much was in there?” asked the host. “Like €1500 or something,” Priestley exclaimed.
 

F1 reveals 24-race calendar for 2023 season​

A 24-race 2023 Formula 1 calendar has been approved by the FIA, with South Africa absent as expected and China provisionally returning. The impending off-season will be longer than normal because the 2022 season ends early owing to Qatar hosting the men’s FIFA World Cup. Bahrain is expected to host a single pre-season test from February 23-25 before the season begins on March 5. Curiously, the first four rounds will be standalone events, even though the second race is in Saudi Arabia.

China’s provisional return is pencilled in for April 16, which F1 had initially earmarked for Kyalami’s comeback but South Africa is not on the 2023 calendar and is instead targeting a slot in 2024. Azerbaijan moves to an April 30 date so it can run back-to-back with Miami (May 7) and maintain an unpopular Baku/North America combination. There is then a European triple-header of Imola, Monaco and Spain, before a week off to avoid a clash with the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Canada is a standalone event on June 18 before the first half of the season concludes with a pair of European double-headers: Austria/Britain and Hungary/Belgium. Hungary has vacated its usual pre-summer break slot to allow Spa to host the Belgian GP on that weekend instead. Belgium has been given a reprieve and was going to have a July 23 date but that is not possible, hence the Hungary swap. The current Belgian GP date is the same as the one earmarked for the 2023 edition of the Spa 24 Hours sportscar race. After the summer break, the European season concludes with back-to-back races at Zandvoort and Monza. As expected the French GP has lost its place entirely.

There is then an Asian double-header of Singapore and Japan before a standalone race in Qatar, which begins a 10-year contract. Another triple-header follows across the United States, Mexico and Brazil. The season concludes with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will take place on a Saturday and is twinned with the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

2023 F1 CALENDAR​

February 23-25: Bahrain pre-season test
March 5: Bahrain
March 19: Saudi Arabia
April 2: Australia
April 16: China
April 30: Azerbaijan
May 7: Miami
May 21: Emilia Romagna (Imola)
May 28: Monaco
June 4: Spain
June 18: Canada
July 2: Austria
July 9: Britain
July 23: Hungary
July 30: Belgium
August 27: Netherlands
September 3: Italy
September 17: Singapore
September 24: Japan
October 8: Qatar
October 22: United States
October 29: Mexico
November 5: Brazil
November 18: Las Vegas
November 26: Abu Dhabi
 

Williams announces Latifi split​

The Williams Formula 1 team has announced it will split with Nicholas Latifi at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Latifi made his F1 debut with the team back in 2020, after finishing runner-up to Nyck de Vries in Formula 2 the year prior. Though he put seven points on the board during his time as team-mate to George Russell, he was on the whole roundly outperformed by the Brit and the trend continued when Russell left for Mercedes and was replaced by Alex Albon for this year. And now, having lost out to stand-in de Vries in a head-to-head at Monza with Albon out due to appendicitis, Latifi has had his exit made official.

“Although we have not achieved the results together we hoped we would, it’s still been a fantastic journey,” Latifi said. “Getting those first points in Hungary last year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I will move onto the next chapter of my career with special memories of my time with this dedicated team. I know none of us will stop putting in every effort until the end of the season.” Williams said it “will announce its full 2023 driver line-up in due course”, having already tied Albon down to a multi-year deal on the other side of the garage.

De Vries looked to have put himself to the forefront of the queue for a Williams seat with his Monza performance, but is now being targeted by AlphaTauri as well. Williams’s other options include its own junior Logan Sargeant and Alpine protege Jack Doohan, who the French marque may be minded to make available having originally planned to do the same for Oscar Piastri, only for the Aussie to favour a McLaren move over a Williams loan. Mick Schumacher, who may be on the way out at Haas after two seasons, is also a possible candidate.
 

F1 teams and bosses 'angry' at FIA over 2023 calendar release ​

The FIA's sudden publication of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar has left teams and Liberty Media "angry", it has been revealed. On Tuesday, motorsport's governing body revealed a record 24-race schedule for next season, starting in Bahrain on March 5 and ending in Abu Dhabi on November 26. Included is the return of the Chinese and Qatar Grand Prix, plus the addition of a Saturday night race in Las Vegas as the penultimate round a week before the finale at Yas Marina. Other key changes see Azerbaijan switch back to an earlier April date in a gruelling doubleheader with Miami, rather than its previous doubleheader with Canada in June. Imola, Monaco (which also signed a new F1 contract until 2025) and Spain also form one of two tripleheaders, the other being part of the latest cause of contention between F1 and the FIA. While Belgium's one-year reprieve also sees a move to an earlier end-of-July date before the summer break.

According to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, the publication of the calendar has made F1 bosses and teams "angry and frustrated" for various reasons. First, teams had not officially approved the tripleheader across the Americas in October/ early November, explaining F1's delay in confirming the schedule. Then there was the FIA's decision not to wait for final approval and co-ordinate a joint media release with Liberty Media, as is tradition. Also, in his comments, President Mohammed Ben Sulayem took credit claiming the “addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport”. However, as the commercial rights holder, it is Liberty Media that is responsible for negotiating race contracts and organising the schedule, with the governing body's role being largely confirmational. It is just the latest example of the strained relationship between F1 and the FIA over the past year with little sign of that tension easing anytime soon.
 

Tsunoda to stay with AlphaTauri in F1 next season​

Yuki Tsunoda will stay with AlphaTauri next season, the Italian Formula One team announced on Thursday, with its boss saying the Japanese driver "deserves a seat" in the sport. Tsunoda, 22, is in his second season with AlphaTauri after making his F1 debut last year and is currently 16th in the drivers' standings. He came fourth at last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for his best finish.

Tsunoda, who moved to AlphaTauri's hometown of Faenza last year and races alongside Pierre Gasly, said he was "glad that I get to carry on racing. Of course our 2022 season isn't over yet and we're still pushing hard in the midfield battle," Tsunoda said in a statement released by the team. "I'm fully focused on finishing it on a high and then we will look forward to next year."


AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost described Tsunoda as "a talented driver" who had "improved a lot this season". "The pace he has shown recently is clear evidence of a steep learning curve, which proves he deserves a seat in F1, and I still expect some strong results from him in the last six races of 2022," said the Austrian. Tsunoda will compete at his home Japanese Grand Prix for the first time next month. The race was cancelled last year and in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tsunoda is the first Japanese driver in Formula One since Kamui Kobayashi in 2014.
 

Pirelli forced to develop new compounds ahead of tyre blanket ban​

Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, has claimed that new tyre compounds will need to be designed and developed ahead of Formula 1’s planned ban for the use of electric tyre blankets in 2024. F1 teams currently use the blankets to bring the tyres up to a working temperature before they are fixed to the car, but the pricey and energy-consuming practice has been deemed as wasteful, hence the upcoming change in regulations.

The ban is being slowly rolled out until 2024 when the use of them will not be allowed in the garages. From a 100°C limit on the front and an 80°C limit on the rears in 2021, F1 lowered the maximum temperatures to 70°C for 2022 whilst cutting the number of blankets each team uses by half. Isola explained to Auto Motor und Sport why the progressive plan to eventually remove the use of blankets is the best idea: “If you want to drive without electric blankets, you have to design a completely new tyre. It’s not enough simply to build new compounds with a larger working range. The Formula 1 cars are so fast and generate such great forces that the pressures increase by ten to twelve PSI while driving. This changes the entire profile and contact area of the tyre.”


With the idea of creating new compounds, it means sufficient testing will be required by the F1 teams so that Pirelli can develop the best compounds possible to use once tyre blankets are made redundant. To cater to the Italian tyre manufacturer’s needs, FP2 sessions in 2023 will be extended by 30 minutes to provide valuable testing time. The format will be trialled in Austin in October at the United States Grand Prix. “We need cars of the current generation. We have to go to different tracks where the tyres are subjected to different loads, and we must drive in different conditions. The idea of using the FP2 for testing is actually very good. The teams don’t have to travel to a track or stay longer after a race weekend,” Isola explained. “But as soon as you have a new good idea, the teams find problems. They complain that they have to use the same cars and the same engines for the rest of the weekend. Mileage quickly becomes an issue.”
 
Here we go again. Singapore. A night race with sensible times for western viewers.

The UK telly times are:

Fri 30 Sept
FP1 - 11:00
FP2 - 14:00

Sat 1 Oct
FP3 - 11:00
Qual - 14:00

Sun 2 Oct
Race - 13:00

Can't help but wonder if the orange fans will be letting off flares in the stands in Singapore...? *** I gather the authorities there are sticklers for the rules.

:)




***(A guy who let off a parachute flare in a Singapore street got a $4,500 fine. Just as well he wasn't chewing gum at the same time. )
 

Ross Brawn announces he is ‘stepping back in Formula 1’​

Having returned to Formula 1 in 2017 as the championship’s managing director, the incredibly popular Ross Brawn has announced that it’s finally time to “step back” from the series. The 67-year-old who is most famous for being Ferrari’s boss during Michael Schumacher’s dominant years, and also for founding Brawn GP, believes now is the time to relinquish his demanding role. Brawn joined Formula 1 in 1978 with Williams, before going off to work for several teams, which included a stint away from the championship with Jaguar. The Brit returned in 1991 as Benetton’s technical director, before moving to Ferrari in the same role from 1997-2006. He was famously dubbed the “mastermind” by Schumacher, with the German putting a lot of his glory down to the leadership of Brawn. When Schumacher retired from the sport, Brawn moved to Honda as their team principal, before buying out the team at the end of 2008 after the Japanese team decided to leave the sport.

The newly founded team was named Brawn GP and famously won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship in their debut season. The team only lasted a season, after being bought by the team now known fairly well as Mercedes, who are, of course, one of the leading sides in the championship. Brawn remained with Mercedes until the end of 2013, following a disagreement with the team’s hierarchy over his role. He subsequently decided to retire; however, this ended up being short-lived. Brawn was brought back into the championship by Liberty Media in 2017 as the sport’s managing director, a role he is set to step back from at the end of the season.

The 67-year-old has decided that with everything going on in the world, now is the time to go home to his family and “take care of my children and grandchildren”. “Life is more about survival right now,” the Briton told Sport1. “Due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it was and is not that easy for everyone. That’s why I’m stepping back in Formula 1. I want to cut back significantly, let’s put it that way,” he admits. “I will continue to be available with my expertise, but I will no longer be responsible for one area every day. That means I will take care of my children and grandchildren more, go fishing more and take care of my garden.”

Brawn has enjoyed his role with Liberty Media, where he admitted that it’s less pressurising than being on the pit wall. The former Ferrari boss has been a keen backer of getting more women watching the championship, something he’s proud to have achieved. “Today, I enjoy helping to generate new fans. For example, we have more female followers than before,” he added. The soon-to-be retired managing director played a leading role in the introduction of the new aerodynamic regulations this season, which has seen cars running much closer together. The new regs have “worked out” according to Brawn, who is adamant that Mercedes will sort out the issues they’ve faced. “The cars can race closer together and overtake more easily,” said Brawn. "So it’s all worked out fine. The fact that some teams adapted to the rules better while others are more upset is Formula 1 folklore. We knew it would be like that,” he added. “It particularly affected Mercedes but they’re not idiots. They’ll figure it out.”
 
Alfa Romeo confirms Zhou's F1 seat for 2023
Chinese racing driver Zhou Guanyu has signed a new deal with Formula One team Alfa Romeo for the 2023 season, confirming his stay on the sport for another year. Zhou, competing in F1 for the first season in 2022, has scored six points so far this season, but his team said he has impressed with his "commitment and attitude". "I am looking forward to continuing working with Zhou," said Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. "From day one with the team, at the Abu Dhabi test last year, he has impressed me with his approach to work and this is always a very positive trait. We knew he was quick, but the way he adapted to Formula 1 in such a short time has been one of the best surprises of our season. He will have this experience to draw on next season, and I am sure he will make another step forward as we continue to grow our team."

On his part, Zhou expressed his delight at being offered a new contract to continue competing in F1 at least for another year. "Making it to Formula 1 was a dream come true and the feeling of competing for the first time in a race will live with me forever; the team has been incredibly supportive, welcoming me from day one and helping me adapt to the most complex series in motorsport," the 23-year-old said. "There is more that I want to achieve in this sport and with the team, and the hard work we have put together since the start of the year is just the first step towards where we want to be next season. There is still a lot to learn, a lot to develop but I am confident in our work: I am looking forward to the next chapter of our story together," he noted.
 
love the still checky dig at the Merc

we set the rules to be against you but you'll figure it out

no hard feelings
 

FIA approves six F1 Sprint races for 2023​

Formula 1 will increase the number of sprint races to six events in 2023, a raise approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday. Last year, F1 trialed the Saturday afternoon sprint event that replaced qualifying and determined the grid for race day. Positive feedback overall encouraged the sport to repeat the experience this season, albeit with a few tweaks like a different points-scoring format that includes the top-eight contenders rather than just the top-three. Earlier this year, Imola and Spielberg hosted the first two 100-km sprints, while the final Saturday mad dash will take place at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in November.

But next season, F1's record 24-race calendar will feature six Sprint events, at venues that will be announced by F1 "in due course". "I am pleased that we can confirm six Sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021," said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. "The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday, adding more drama and excitement to the weekend. The feedback from the fans, teams, promoters, and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: "The confirmation that six race weekends featuring Sprint will take place from the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season onwards is another example of the continued growth and prosperity at the highest level of motorsport. Thanks to close collaboration with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM, we concluded a thorough analysis on the impact of additional Sprint sessions and have adjusted relevant parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the very highest level. Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons – I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead."
 
1%er said:

FIA approves six F1 Sprint races for 2023​

Formula 1 will increase the number of sprint races to six events in 2023, a raise approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday. Last year, F1 trialed the Saturday afternoon sprint event that replaced qualifying and determined the grid for race day. Positive feedback overall encouraged the sport to repeat the experience this season, albeit with a few tweaks like a different points-scoring format that includes the top-eight contenders rather than just the top-three. Earlier this year, Imola and Spielberg hosted the first two 100-km sprints, while the final Saturday mad dash will take place at the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in November.

But next season, F1's record 24-race calendar will feature six Sprint events, at venues that will be announced by F1 "in due course". "I am pleased that we can confirm six Sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021," said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. "The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday, adding more drama and excitement to the weekend. The feedback from the fans, teams, promoters, and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: "The confirmation that six race weekends featuring Sprint will take place from the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season onwards is another example of the continued growth and prosperity at the highest level of motorsport. Thanks to close collaboration with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM, we concluded a thorough analysis on the impact of additional Sprint sessions and have adjusted relevant parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the very highest level. Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons – I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead."
Click to expand...

hopefully the ran a focus group and don't do sprint race at circuits with great qualifying anyways like Monza , Silverstone , interlargos or be daft a select monaco ffs
 

W Series may not complete 2022 season due to 'significant' financial issues​

Jamie Chadwick looks set to wrap up a third straight W Series title in Singapore this weekend but Telegraph Sport understands there are serious doubts over the all-female series’ ability to complete Season 3 due to funding issues which have left it owing “significant sums” to creditors. Whisper is one of W Series' biggest creditors and the company, founded by David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey, usually sends a crew of 15 to 20 people to races. But it will not be sending anyone out to Asia this weekend as W Series tries desperately to raise the funds necessary to stay afloat.

Velocity Experience, which runs hospitality for W Series, is also understood to be owed a significant sum, while Telegraph Sport has spoken to multiple independent contractors who have not been paid invoices worth thousands of pounds, some of which date back months. Set up in late 2018 by Catherine Bond Muir, a former lawyer and corporate finance banker, W Series is now into its third season. And while it has been praised for its efforts to promote female drivers, it has struggled for funding throughout that time. Bond Muir admitted at the end of last year that it had been a battle to reach the end of Season 2.

W Series’ most recent accounts filed with Companies House on Sep 5 showed it had net liabilities of over £7.5million to Dec 31, 2021, which was deemed to be “in line with expectations given the business is in the start-up phase”. Speaking on Wednesday night Bond Muir said the current global financial crisis, and depreciating pound, had only made her job harder. But she expressed confidence the series would survive. “We’re having lots of conversations at the moment and I’m very optimistic. We’ve had to fight from day one. It has always been a struggle but we’re fighters.”

Telegraph Sport understands a multi-million pound deal with an unnamed American investor recently fell through after the contracts were signed. Bond Muir declined to comment on that, and could not offer guarantees that the season would go on to the final double-header in Austin and Mexico if Chadwick wins this weekend, or even that all the drivers would be paid their prize money. One of W Series’ biggest marketing points is the $500,000 first prize it offers its champion each season, out of a total prize pot of $1.5million. Chadwick, who won the first two seasons and is guaranteed to win her third straight title on Sunday if she wins the race, will undoubtedly be factoring that money into any potential drive she has lined up in IndyLights or F3 next season as she tries to plot a route to F1.

“We’re looking at our budgets,” Bond Muir said. “We’re confident that we’ll continue to raise money. You have to understand W Series is a brand new sport. Tennis has equality now because Billie-Jean King fought for those rights 50 years ago. Football is slowly starting to become more equal. Rugby? We saw recently that England’s women flew economy to the World Cup where their male counterparts flew business. It takes time. We’re only in our third season. But we have had a huge impact already and we are a force for good.” As far as this weekend’s television coverage is concerned, a W Series spokesperson said pre-recorded segments with their “in-house production crew” would provide full 10-minute build-ups to qualifying on Saturday and race on Sunday. Naomi Schiff will lead the coverage, with Alex Jacques as lead commentator. “As per last season and this season, our broadcast is transmitted live from the Whisper gallery in Ealing, which will also be the case this weekend in Singapore,” she added.
 

Albon to drive in Singapore GP, De Vries on standby​

Alex Albon will be back in action at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix for Williams after missing the previous race at Monza due to appendicitis. Albon, who pulled out of the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday morning when he became unwell, was transferred to hospital to undergo surgery. While the surgery was successful, Albon suffered complications following the procedure and was taken to intensive care. The Anglo-Thai driver has since recovered from respiratory failure and used the three-week break between Monza and Singapore to prepare for the race at the Marina Bay Circuit.

Singapore is renowned for physically being one of the toughest races due to the hot temperatures, and Albon said he was not “underestimating” the extent of the challenge he faced getting back behind the wheel. “I’d just like to thank everyone for all their messages and support over the Italian Grand Prix weekend,” Albon said. “My preparation for Singapore has been a little different than normal but I’m feeling good and I’ve done everything possible to get ready for one of the most physical races on the calendar. I am not underestimating how big of a challenge this is going to be, but I am looking forward to hitting the track on Friday and getting back driving. It’s a great street circuit and the closest race to home for me in Thailand, so I’m really excited to be here and to see the fans that have turned out.”

Williams will have reserve driver Nyck de Vries on hand in Singapore as a precaution should Albon be unable to continue over the weekend. De Vries stood in for Albon at Monza to make a shock Formula 1 debut, with the Dutch driver impressing during his stand-in appearance as he secured a ninth place finish. Williams’ FW44 proved competitive on both high-speed circuits at Spa and Monza, but the team is expecting a tougher challenge on Singapore’s layout.
 

F1 bracing for budget cap scandal involving Red Bull​

The world of Formula 1 could be bracing for a scandal involving the dominant Red Bull team. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports from Singapore that the governing FIA may be on the verge of kicking off an investigation into whether the energy drink owned team breached the new budget cap provisions last year.

Earlier, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto admitted he was concerned about news that Red Bull was preparing to crash-test a lighter version of its 2022 monocoque. He argued that Ferrari would not be able to afford the same major development program under the budget cap rules. “I cannot know what they are doing, if they have a lighter chassis or not, but generally speaking, the budget cap is always a concern,” said Binotto. “The financial regulations can make differences between teams in the way they are interpreting and somehow executing it. And we know we need to have a very strong FIA to make sure they are properly focusing, otherwise the regulations will not be fair and equitable.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s respected correspondent Luigi Perna said that as a result of the rumoured FIA investigation, a fine or even the retrospective loss of points is possible. He added that the FIA is actually opening up three separate investigations involving more than just the Red Bull team. For now, it is little more than rumours that are swirling in the Singapore paddock – but reigning world champion Max Verstappen was asked if Red Bull still plans to race the lightweight chassis in the remaining races this year.

“No, we don’t have any other chassis,” the 2023 world champion-elect said. “We made a bet – if I won in Monza, I would keep the old chassis. I was thinking of lifting and finishing second, but I won the race anyway,” Verstappen joked. At any rate, Dr Helmut Marko is no longer worried that Red Bull might not wrap up this year’s championships sooner rather than later. “The world title should only be a matter of time, unless the proverbial devil gets involved,” he told Kronen Zeitung newspaper. We still want to win the race here – Max wants to win,” Marko, 79, added. “There’s also this new record for victories which is an additional incentive for Max,” he said, referring to the current record of 13 wins for a season which is jointly held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. “The course in general should suit Ferrari,” Marko added in Singapore. “They are the favourite here.”
 
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Hamilton pips Verstappen by 0.084s in FP1​

The Mercedes driver, who had complained about the difficult driveability of his car early on, bolted on a fresh set of red-walled soft tyres and ran fastest by a slender 0.084 seconds. That relegated Verstappen, the Red Bull driver having dominated much of the hour, to second while Leclerc overcame initial braking difficulties to complete the top three. Verstappen was seemingly operating in a league of his own from his first laps in first practice as the Dutch ended the opening 25-minute stint with a 1.1s cushion over Fernando Alonso.

The Alfa Romeos opened the batting ahead to a tune of cheers from the grandstand, but it took until Carlos Sainz posted a 1m50.961s for anything like a representative time to be set. But keeping to type in 2022, Verstappen blew that away with his first lap as he toured the 3.15 miles in 1m47.329s on the yellow-walled medium Pirellis to lead teammate Perez. Alonso then deposed the Red Bull before spending the rest of the session attempting to split the RB18s at the top before Verstappen kept whittling away at the times to set the pace. After 10 minutes, Verstappen cut his benchmark down to a 1m45.466s to find some 1.825s over Alonso and then lowered it further into the 1m44s, running fastest in all three sectors to set the pace on 1m44.236s to find 1.1s over Alonso as Perez ran third on a 1m45.349s.

Having completed only one install lap before Leclerc was required to pit for 25 minutes to rectify brake issues, Sainz led the Ferrari charge in fourth owing to his 1m45.628s set on the slower hard compound. The Spaniard requested hefty set-up tweaks after his first run. While there were the occasional spikes of oversteer and clattered kerbs, the only incident of note during the first half of the hour came when George Russell tapped the Turn 11 barriers. He locked the inside wheel while slowing for the tight right and continued straight on, but soon reversed the undamaged Mercedes and brought it for a precautionary garage visit.

However, Lance Stroll would induce a full red flag with 20 minutes to run after the Aston Martin driver, fourth at the time, slide wide at Turn 5 and clonked the outside wall. At the right-hander where Sainz had backed out with a huge slide, Stroll buckled his car's rear-left corner and sustained a puncture to pull up and force the session to be stopped. Despite the first and second sectors being under yellow flags, Verstappen just squeaked round in time to post a purple 1m43.117s on soft tyres to depose Perez by seven tenths.

FP1 resumed four minutes later but only five cars headed out, one of which was the F1-75 of Sainz who ran on soft tyres to a 1m44.138s to sit in third but was a full 1s off Verstappen - partly down to a massive rear end slide through the final corner that forced him well wide. Leclerc got much closer to his Red Bull rival on his first flying lap on softs, even if he too was battling a twitchy car. The Monegasque posted a 1m43.435s to run second fastest, dropping three tenths to Verstappen but having poached the fastest time of all in the middle sector. But with five minutes to go, as Verstappen ran on mediums and locked up to take to the Turn 16 escape road, Hamilton surged to the top of the timing screens – helped with a bit of track evolution – by eight hundredths courtesy of his charging 1m43.033s effort in the W13.

Verstappen would therefore take second, the reigning champion carrying a 116-point lead, while Leclerc - who must finish ninth or higher to take the title fight to the next race in Japan - was third. Perez clocked fourth for Red Bull, which along with Aston Martin is suspected to have breached the 2021 budget cap, while Russell was fifth over Sainz. Alpine's effort would be led by Esteban Ocon in seventh as Stroll slid to eighth over Pierre Gasly and Alonso. Sebastian Vettel nicked 11th ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, who has not received the wealth of McLaren upgrades for this weekend. Behind Valtteri Bottas, Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda was Alex Albon in 16th, the Thai-Brit returning for the Marina Bay weekend after missing the Italian GP with appendicitis before then suffering respiratory failure.


Pos​
Driver​
Team/Engine​
Time​
Gap​
Laps​
1​
Lewis Hamilton​
Mercedes​
1'43.033​
​
20​
2​
Max Verstappen​
Red Bull​
1'43.117​
0.084​
20​
3​
Charles Leclerc​
Ferrari​
1'43.435​
0.402​
17​
4​
Sergio Pérez​
Red Bull​
1'43.839​
0.806​
15​
5​
George Russell​
Mercedes​
1'44.066​
1.033​
21​
6​
Carlos Sainz Jr.​
Ferrari​
1'44.138​
1.105​
24​
7​
Esteban Ocon​
Alpine/Renault​
1'44.736​
1.703​
24​
8​
Lance Stroll​
Aston Martin/Mercedes​
1'45.221​
2.188​
12​
9​
Pierre Gasly​
AlphaTauri/Red Bull​
1'45.258​
2.225​
24​
10​
Fernando Alonso​
Alpine/Renault​
1'45.336​
2.303​
11​
11​
Sebastian Vettel​
Aston Martin/Mercedes​
1'45.354​
2.321​
22​
12​
Daniel Ricciardo​
McLaren/Mercedes​
1'45.724​
2.691​
21​
13​
Valtteri Bottas​
Alfa Romeo/Ferrari​
1'45.725​
2.692​
24​
14​
Kevin Magnussen​
Haas/Ferrari​
1'46.028​
2.995​
22​
15​
Yuki Tsunoda​
AlphaTauri/Red Bull​
1'46.081​
3.048​
26​
16​
Alexander Albon​
Williams/Mercedes​
1'46.119​
3.086​
20​
17​
Zhou Guanyu​
Alfa Romeo/Ferrari​
1'46.408​
3.375​
25​
18​
Mick Schumacher​
Haas/Ferrari​
1'46.601​
3.568​
23​
19​
Lando Norris​
McLaren/Mercedes​
1'46.680​
3.647​
22​
20​
Nicholas Latifi​
Williams/Mercedes​
1'47.092​
4.059​
18​
 

Nyck de Vries signs for AlphaTauri, Pierre Gasly free to join Alpine’ ​

Nyck de Vries has reportedly signed a contract with AlphaTauri which will allow Pierre Gasly to move to Alpine. The rumour of De Vries moving to Red Bull’s sister team has been ongoing ever since Colton Herta was denied a superlicence by the FIA. The Dutchman made his long-awaited F1 debut at the Italian Grand Prix when he was asked to fill in for Alex Albon, who was suffering from appendicitis, at Williams. De Vries impressed, earning himself a P9 finish, and putting himself in the shop window in terms of potential seats for 2023.

With Herta unavailable, Red Bull made a move for the 27-year-old and Canal+ have reported that a deal between the two parties is done. While it remains unofficial, there were indications this was on its way as De Vries admitted he had flown to Austria to speak with Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko. This also means that Gasly’s anticipated move to Alpine can be completed. The French side have been looking for a new driver ever since Fernando Alonso announced his impending move to Aston Martin at the start of the summer break.

After they were publicly rebuked in their advances for Oscar Piastri, Gasly, a Frenchman, emerged as the front-runner to partner Esteban Ocon next season. Gasly has a contract with AlphaTauri until the end of 2023 having been part of the Red Bull group since December 2013 but the 26-year-old, who equalled Daniil Kvyat for most starts for Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri at the Italian Grand Prix, had hoped for a move away to a bigger team.

But his future has largely been out of his hands with Red Bull unwilling to let him go until they had a replacement, even in Thursday’s press conference, Gasly was cagey about what is in store. “I would expect, obviously everyone knows the ongoing conversation and discussion, but [from] my side I think hopefully in the next two or three weeks we should have a clear answer on my future” said Gasly. “But so far nothing has changed and when there will be something confirmed on my future, I’m sure you guys (media) will know about it.”

That future does now appear to have been sorted if De Vries does complete his move onto the F1 grid and to AlphaTauri. Gasly will want to impress in what could be his final six races for AlphaTauri starting with the Singapore Grand Prix. He currently resides P11 in the Drivers’ standings, 24 points behind Valtteri Bottas.
 

Free Practice 2 results​

Carlos Sainz fronted a 1-2 for Ferrari during second practice for Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix as title leaders Red Bull struggled. Sainz clocked a time of 1:42.587s during the night session around the streets of Marina Bay to finish 0.208s faster than Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, three-tenths off the pace, with Red Bull only fourth and ninth respectively.

Max Verstappen set his best effort out of sync with the rest of his rivals after spending the bulk of the session in the pit lane. He wound up with only eight laps completed during the course of the 60-minute session. Sergio Perez was down in ninth, also with limited running, almost a second slower than his team-mate. Lewis Hamilton, who topped the opening session, classified in fifth spot, with Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso either side of Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas.

Lance Stroll recovered from his FP1 setback to round out the top 10, two spots in front of team-mate Sebastian Vettel. McLaren had a difficult showing as Lando Norris was only 11th in the heavily upgraded MCL36 while Daniel Ricciardo classified down in 18th spot. That left the outgoing McLaren driver faster than only Haas’ Mick Schumacher and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, both of whom are experiencing Marina Bay for the first time.

Their respective team-mates fared moderately better, with Kevin Magnussen 13th, and Alexander Albon 16th on his first day back in the FW44 after his health scare in Italy. Pierre Gasly suffered a fire on his AlphaTauri AT03 as the team connected the fuel breather, but it was swiftly extinguished and he was able to return to action. He finished the session in 14th position, ahead of Zhou Guanyu, with Yuki Tsunoda 17th overall.

​
PosDriverTeamTimeGapLaps
1Carlos SainzFerrari1:42.587s22
2Charles LeclercFerrari1:42.795s+ 0.208s13
3George RussellMercedes1:42.911s+ 0.324s25
4Max VerstappenRed Bull1:42.926s+ 0.339s7
5Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:43.182s+ 0.595s21
6Esteban OconAlpine1:43.412s+ 0.825s22
7Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo1:43.431s+ 0.844s25
8Fernando AlonsoAlpine1:43.520s+ 0.933s22
9Sergio PérezRed Bull1:43.906s+ 1.319s12
10Lance StrollAston Martin1:43.982s+ 1.395s20
11Lando NorrisMcLaren1:44.013s+ 1.426s15
12Sebastian VettelAston Martin1:44.249s+ 1.662s23
13Kevin MagnussenHaas1:44.422s+ 1.835s21
14Pierre GaslyAlphaTauri1:44.469s+ 1.882s21
15Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo1:44.524s+ 1.937s24
16Alexander AlbonWilliams1:45.144s+ 2.557s24
17Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri1:45.211s+ 2.624s11
18Daniel RicciardoMcLaren1:45.447s+ 2.860s17
19Mick SchumacherHaas1:45.623s+ 3.036s22
20Nicholas LatifiWilliams1:46.553s+ 3.966s24
 
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