In the round-up: Juan Manuel Correa took part in an official Formula 2 test for the first time since he sustained serious injuries in the F2 crash in Spa that claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert.
In brief
Correa drives F2 car in test for first time since Spa crash
Juan Manuel Correa took part in the opening day of the Formula 2 post-season test in Abu Dhabi – his first outing in an F2 car since the horrific F2 crash at spa that claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert.Driving for the Charouz team, which he raced for in 2019 under the name of ‘Sauber Junior Team’, Correa posted the 14th best time of the day out of 22 drivers, covering 71 laps over the two sessions.
Correa has not announced his racing plans for the 2022 season. He raced in this year’s FIA Formula 3 championship, finishing in 21st place in the standings on 11 points.
“It felt very special to be back behind the wheel of a Formula 2 car today,” said Correa. “Days like today remind me of how lucky I am to be here and continue to live these experiences. As always, but [e]specially today, thinking of Anthoine and his family.”
Jehan Daruvala topped the combined times from the day’s running for Prema, ahead of Felipe Drugovich and Jack Doohan, who compete in his first full season of F2 next year with Virtuosi.
Leclerc isolating after positive Covid test
Ferrari have confirmed that Charles Leclerc has tested positive for Covid and is self-isolating at his home in Monaco.
On a post to social media, Ferrari announced that Leclerc had tested positive following his return from Abu Dhabi.
“He is currently feeling fine, with mild symptoms and will self-isolate at home,” said Ferrari.
It is the second time this year Leclerc has been forced to go into isolation after testing positive for the virus. The Ferrari driver previously returned a positive test in January.
Opmeer retains F1 Esports championship title
Jarno Opmeer clinched back-to-back F1 Esports Series Pro championships at the final round of the season yesterday. The Mercedes Esports driver secured the title by eight points from Red Bull Esports rival Frederik Rasmussen, after the latter won a dramatic final race after taking the lead from Aston Martin Esports’s Luca Blakeley on the penultimate lap.
Despite the best effort’s of Rasmussen’s team mate Marcel Kiefer to bunch up the field, Opmeer’s fourth place finish – inherited after penalties for drivers ahead – was enough for him to be crowned champion for the second year in a row.
Having moved from Alfa Romeo Esports to Mercedes Esports for the 2021 season, Opmeer also helped to secure the teams’ championship for Mercedes Esports with team mate Daniel Moreno.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
🏆 #FIAPrizeGiving2021 – The #FIAActionoftheYear award, voted by motor sport fans via social media, celebrates the most spectacular actions from across FIA Championships throughout the year. Thank you for that unforgettable moment @alo_official @F1 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/CrZlVq2wEr
— FIA (@fia) December 16, 2021
Outside the FIA Gala in Paris, one hour ago. #FIAPrizeGiving2021 pic.twitter.com/WN1Iqml2Qx
— F1District (@F1District) December 16, 2021
A message to parliament from @zacalsopp on the farcical end of the #AbuDhabiGP and Hamilton missing out on the title 😂 pic.twitter.com/R9ynQYyMTm
— Ida (@wood_ida_) December 16, 2021
A special moment, as @Max33Verstappen gets his hands on the F1 Drivers' World Championship trophy 🏆#F1 #FIAPrizeGiving2021 pic.twitter.com/RlBMrMbZ32
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 16, 2021
New F1 Grand Prix branding for 2022 is being unveiled by the organisers' social media. Now featuring four contrasting stripes reminiscing speedlines instead or the bold stripe present since 2018. Examples below.#F1 #branding pic.twitter.com/NFzlFssBFt
— Decalspotters (@decalspotters) December 16, 2021
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
‘It was for the TV of course’: How Netflix changed Formula One (The Age)
"Good television? Undoubtedly. Between pay provider Sky Sports and free-to-air Channel 4 in the UK, 7.4 million Hamilton-supporting Britons were glued to their screens – 60 per cent of the Sunday afternoon audience. In the Netherlands, nearly five million viewers – of a population of 17 million – watched the race."
"'I told him that my mum loved him and that she was having her third cancer operation the following day. So he signed my paddock pass 'God Bless Jean. I hope your operation goes well.'"
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
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Comment of the day
After Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton did not attend the FIA prize giving gala in Paris as they are obliged to under FIA sporting regulations, @j4k3 notices a familiar quirk in the wording of the rules…
I believe the reg says that “any driver who finishes in the top three must attend the gala”. As we know, any doesn’t mean all.
@j4k3
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Daniel Hayes, Kate and Bradaus!
On this day in motorsport
- 40 years ago today Carlos Reutemann signed a new deal to race for Williams. However he retired shortly after the 1982 season began
Leonard ‘Big Lenny’ Persin (@)
17th December 2021, 0:25
Can’t help but find it quite sad that Toto and Lewis didn’t turn up to the gala. Need to be bigger men and accept the loss. Bad losers.
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th December 2021, 0:45
Turning up to the gala would legitimise the farcical decisions in Abu Dhabi. I, for one, fully support both Toto and Lewis in their decisions to boycott such events, particularly when the FIA seem determined to whitewash the entire fiasco.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
17th December 2021, 6:44
@drmouse The decisions in Abu Dhabi were already legitimised when Mercedes dropped their appeal. They can’t have it both ways.
Jere (@jerejj)
17th December 2021, 7:57
@red-andy They dropped the appeal intent because results would’ve been unalterable without nullifying the entire race anyway.
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th December 2021, 9:56
So…
Let us say that the gross negligence of an individual caused you to be injured, need several months off work (say you are self employed, so that’s without pay) and have nightmares for years. That individual is definitely in the wrong, we all know it, but they don’t have a job or any significant assets.
You could sue them, spending thousands of pounds. But even if you won, any damages would come in instalments which would take decades to even pay back the legal bills. Put simply, it is highly unlikely that there would be any positive result to your life except for a moral victory, and there would be significant downsides. I think we all know that very few would take that course of action, but that doesn’t mean that the individual was right in what he had done. You would not be legitimising the actions of the individual by refusing to sue them.
The same goes here. Even if they won the case (which would have to take place in the FIA’s own case, with them having to judge their own actions), there was little chance of the result being overturned, and even if it had the negative repercussions for everyone in F1 would have been severe.
Long story short, just because they dropped the case doesn’t mean they have legitimised the FIA’s actions.
Kribana (@krichelle)
17th December 2021, 0:50
Gr
Kribana (@krichelle)
17th December 2021, 0:56
Great. They did not follow the rules. But I don’t think the gala would have been nice with both of them. The media would just flood them with questions relating to the appeal, and this will definitely overshadow the celebrations and the nice evening there. But if this is their message that: “if you don’t follow the rules, screw you FIA, we too won’t follow the rules”… I wonder if this is really a boycott by them…
OOliver
17th December 2021, 1:40
Exactly. Why choke when attempting to smile. The best thing to not get in the way of the celebration.
RandomMallard
17th December 2021, 2:39
@krichelle I have little doubt that it is a boycott. In fact, even the BBC were calling it a boycott earlier.
David Sexton
17th December 2021, 0:50
COTD: You’re right if we are being consistent, any does not mean all.
MattDS (@mattds)
17th December 2021, 7:36
Except of course the rules don’t say “any” in this instance. It was a good joke in itself though.
Jake (@j4k3)
17th December 2021, 9:50
@mattds confession… I didn’t actually read the regulation!
BasCB (@bascb)
17th December 2021, 7:56
Yeah, I also like the consistency in the CotD David, good one @j4k3
F1 frog (@f1frog)
17th December 2021, 13:18
‘If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, and the message “LAPPED CARS MAY NOW
OVERTAKE” has been sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system, any cars that
have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety
car.’
Any cars will be required to pass. I read this as any does mean all.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
17th December 2021, 1:06
I think it’s really backfired for the FIA. They will blame Mercedes, but just looking at the reactions around the place, people really don’t have that much of an interest in watching Max lift that trophy…
I think this will go down as the most tainted of all.
Rob (@)
17th December 2021, 2:51
It would have if someone who was only in contention because he and his teammate punted his rival off track had won. At a minimum it does no more than balance out the Bahrain track limits debacle.
jff
17th December 2021, 8:16
Interestingly, most feedback I get, including from England, is that whilst Abu Dhabi is questionable, the championship went to the best driver overall in 2022.
You frustration might last a bit but the ‘tainted’ will ‘faint’ soon.
Jake (@j4k3)
17th December 2021, 10:21
I actually think it might go the other way. At the moment, everyone can look at the season as a whole and say “it was wrong, but he is a worthy champion”. As time passes, I suspect the lingering memory will be the shambles of a finale. Look at ’94. Schumacher was the better driver over the year, but what’s the lingering memory? The “taintedness” gained in the final race
Aussie Rod (@aussierod)
17th December 2021, 1:37
Toto calls for fairness and sporting integrity.
The same Toto who’s team blatantly ran an illegal tire test in 2013 to fast-track a solution to their tire issues.
And won 8 constructors championships in a row on the back of one the most unfair revenue distribution deals in sporting history that effectively locked the majority of the grid off the podium, let along race wins and championship opportunity.
Who’s team wouldn’t let their engine partners run equal power modes until the regulations forced them. And certainly wouldn’t share the dominant engine of the hybrid era with any of their true rivals.
Who’s lead driver broke every record there is driving one of the most dominant cars in history alongside a supportive number two.
And who’s team celebrated victory un-ashamedly in Silverstone despite punting their rival off the track and into the barriers at high speed.
There are many in the sport who could rightly call for more fairness and sporting integrity in F1. Toto isn’t one of them.
OOliver
17th December 2021, 1:42
That was the work and sole responsibility of Ross Brawn and guess who he works for now.
Mr Fabulous (@mrfabulous)
17th December 2021, 7:12
“Whose”
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
17th December 2021, 10:21
@aussierod
Fairness and sporting integrity for Toto means that Hamilton and Mercedes must win at all costs. It’s the same as Tony Blair calling for democracy to be instated in Iraq. You just have to look at how Toto entered the sport by dealing with the likes of Colin Kolles and Bernie Ecclestone to buy a stake at Williams in 2009 to realize just how shady he is. From what I can remember in that time, many questioned that move because Sir Frank Williams (RIP) and Patrick Head were against the idea of giving up shares to more recognized investors at the time let alone to an unknown man.
He’s been also involved in other controversial stories as well for example when Colin Kolles blackmailed him to extort money from him in exchange for not divulging details of a conversation in which he spoke negatively about his bosses Dieter Zetsche, Ross Brawn and his colleague Niki Lauda that he calls him a dear friend. Ross Brawn also spoke about the lack of trust with Toto which was one of the reasons that pushed him to quit his job. Wolff is lecturing people about values though he is just a more diplomatic Flavio Briatore.
Simon (@simon999)
17th December 2021, 12:04
If we look purely at on-track racing fairness, I would say it’s hard to argue that the Toto/Lewis combo doesn’t value fairness more highly than the Christian/Max combo. That might just be a side-effect of the first pairing having already won so much, but it’s quite noticeable.
As for trying to get advantages for their team in other ways, both Toto and Christian have taken it to extremes and have probably both gone too far at times.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
17th December 2021, 13:20
@simon999
I have always been very critical about Horner, Marko and the RBR camp in general. They whine and lobby so hard to get things done their way and they never refrain from denigrating attacking the competition whenever something goes wrong with them.
Though the hypocrisy of someone like Wolff is just on another level. He has demonstrated over and over again that he is the most sore loser the sport has ever seen (that title btw could have gone to Horner if the race ended behind a SC !) and he is lecturing people about values.
Emma
17th December 2021, 12:48
Are you seriously comparing Wolff buying into Williams with Tony Blair and Iraq?
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
17th December 2021, 13:15
Emma,
I’m comparing Toto’s statement about values, principles…to Tony Blair statement about democracy that should (according to him) be instated in Iraq. Both are crappy meaningless statements that both men’s action simply don’t match with them.
RandomMallard
17th December 2021, 2:37
Cotd did make me laugh a little.
Anyway, with things (seemingly) settling down a bit, I think now’s a good time to wish everyone here a very Merry Christmas or happy holidays, wherever you are in the world. I think everyone deserves a bit of a break after the season we’ve had, especially that joke of a finale, so I hope you enjoy the off season a bit.
As for me, the next big series on my calendar starts in only about 6 weeks. And I’ve been told it’s completely clean and free of controversy, with excellent driving and racing etiquette and no unusual stewards decisions. Oh wait my mistake. It’s Formula E. Should still be an exciting watch though.
jff
17th December 2021, 8:30
The sport is still full of interesting stats and figures, technological marvels, stellar drivers and great racing. It doesn’t all need to be rehashed controversy.
Let’s see if there can be some good discussions here over the next 93 days.
Merry Christmas.
Aapje (@aapje)
17th December 2021, 14:53
Merry holidays too!
Red Andy (@red-andy)
17th December 2021, 6:52
How sad do you need to be to spend money on a billboard outside the FIA Gala? There are plenty of actual injustices in the world to work yourself into a righteous fury about.
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th December 2021, 8:29
Ah, the Fallacy of Relative Privation (https://academy4sc.org/video/fallacy-of-relative-privation-all-problems-are-relative/).
How do you know that the person or group who did this doesn’t already spend huge sums more fighting “real injustice”? And even if not, who are you to decide what “real injustice” is? When there are children starving in the world, isn’t the entire presence of a sport spending billions just to send a few cars around a track an injustice in itself?
There are so many problems in the world. That doesn’t mean this isn’t one of them, even if it is minor in the grand scheme of things, and people address free to express that view however they want (unless they have to deal with the FIA, of course, in which case they have to shut up or they’ll get a smacked bottom for being a meanie…)
jff
17th December 2021, 8:51
Ah, a fallacy explained followed by a red herring.
baasbas
17th December 2021, 9:48
C’mon everyone, get yer fallacy-bingo cards out.. let’s jump on that bandwagon
drmouse (@drmouse)
17th December 2021, 10:03
Honest Question: Where is the red herring?
jff
17th December 2021, 11:44
The next sentence: “How do you know that the person or group who did this doesn’t already spend huge sums more fighting “real injustice”?”
@red-andy thought the billboard to be “sad”.
It’s a ‘red herring’ to bring up another argument (potentially spending huge sums on more worthy causes) to counter his feeling/argument.
I had to chuckle when I read your response and then see it immediately followed by another fallacy.
I couldn’t stop myself from posting a sarcastic response; not sure which fallacy that is to get me close to a fallacy-bingo ;)
baasbas
17th December 2021, 21:05
I feel you had a good opportunity for this one:
https://www.logicalfallacies.org/appeal-to-ridicule.html
But as it stands I think you should have piled on a bit more sarcasm to make a rightful claim to that one. But you could always get on the phone to the referee to moan and whine about the decision to try and force a ruling in your favor. But don’t expect an invite to the prize giving gala though.
(was that enough to claim it?)
Jere (@jerejj)
17th December 2021, 8:00
F1District & Ida’s tweet: Nice messages.
Jere (@jerejj)
17th December 2021, 8:03
I forgot (again): 2nd positive test, surprising.
cduk_mugello (@cduk_mugello)
17th December 2021, 9:40
Wow this site has lost it’s mind in the last week – now we’re promoting #WeStandWithLewis and linking to stories about how St Lewis cured people of cancer! It’s all a bit embarrassing…
ian dearing
17th December 2021, 11:23
Chill. Only another 90 days and we can get back to the articles with a 100 plus comments on what Hamilton is wearing this week. Something RaceFans supporters clearly like commenting on.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
18th December 2021, 7:31
Journalism is so childish.
Ham is such a saint and a martyr, he even cures cancer. Poor guy I feel so bad for him.
Media should write about how they are at fault for Lewis getting booed, a lot of it is just media and not Hamilton’s own doing.
Hamilton and Toto electing not to show up to fia’s gala was to be expected. Someone should have predicted the losing side would have had too little time to digest defeat. Unfortunately Toto and Ham are just tarnishing their image.