Formula 1

F1Lead Formula 1 news Recap

Published

2 months ago

13/01/2023

Ferrari to hold three-day Fiorano test with 2021 car

Ferrari will begin their track preparations for the 2023 F1 season with three days of running for their drivers at Fiorano, Italian media report.

Race drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr will have a full day each in a 2021-specification SF-21. Test drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman will share a third day in the car.

Gasly first to congratulate De Vries after 2023 announcement

AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries says the driver whose seat he filled, Pierre Gasly, was the first person to congratulate him after he signed the contract confirming him as a race driver for 2023.

Formula 2 and Formula E world champion De Vries will make his full-season debut in 2023 with AlphaTauri after Gasly left the time to fill Fernando Alonso’s vacant seat at Alpine.

“Actually once the contract was signed, Pierre was the first person I spoke to,” De Vries said. “He FaceTimed me whilst I was in the gym to congratulate me, which was really nice. Of course, my family were there through the whole process and when things got more serious it was my father I spoke to about it all.”

Former Renault boss takes on new role with Hyundai

Former Caterham and Renault F1 team principal Cyril Abiteboul has been announced as the new team principal of the Hyundai World Rally Championship team.

Abiteboul was relieved of his duties as team principal of Renault when the team transitioned into Alpine in early 2021. He takes over control of the Hyundai factory team, who have won the WRC’s constructors’ championship twice in 2019 and 2020 but have so far been unable to secure the drivers’ title.

“I am excited at the prospect of being part of it, managing the WRC and Customer Racing programs, where the team has already proven to be strong competitors,” said Abiteboul. “I am looking forward to immersing myself into the rallying community and discovering more about this spectacular sport.”

Two F1 teams, Williams and the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo squad, are yet to confirm who their team principal will be this year.

Red Bull will not dominate like Mercedes – Marko

Given the ease with which Red Bull won both championships last year, it has been suggested the team could go on to dominate F1 as Mercedes achieved after the introduction of the new turbo-hybrid power units in 2014.

Mercedes won eight consecutive team titles and six successive drivers’ crowns before Verstappen and Red Bull finally ended both streaks.

Marko, however, feels there is a fundamental difference between then and now.

“Our situation is certainly not like that of Mercedes at the beginning of the hybrid era,” said Marko, as quoted by motorsport.

“We don’t have an immense lead with the engine right now. So that is very different. Mercedes had at least a 50bhp margin over all the others back then.

“And we shouldn’t forget, 2022 was the first year under this new set of regulations.

“Other teams have obviously seen what we have done with this year’s car, so I think it will definitely be much closer this season.”

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