In the round-up: Pierre Gasly believes AlphaTauri are among the bottom half of the field based on their performances over the first half of the season.
In brief
AlphaTauri have ‘seventh or eighth-fastest car’
Pierre Gasly says AlphaTauri currently have the “seventh, eighth-fastest car” heading into the fifth round of 2022.The team currently sit seventh in the constructors’ championship, with Yuki Tsunoda 12th in the drivers’ championship, one place and four points ahead of team mate Gasly.
Gasly says AlphaTauri are currently towards the back end of the midfield in terms of performance.
“We’re not where we’d like to be, that’s what we know,” he said. “But it’s also the challenge with these new regulations that it’s tough.
“There’s still a lot of things to discover about the cars. We’re still learning every single weekend. I’m confident we’re not where we are, but we have processes to improve the car and try to get back to where we should be.
“I think at the moment we’re on the seventh or eighth fastest car. Hopefully depending on tracks this can vary and hopefully we can make it back to fourth or fifth fastest car pretty soon.”
Stefan Wilson becomes 33rd Indy 500 entrant
DragonSpeed and Cusick Motorsports will combine forces to enter a 33rd car in this month’s Indy 500, driven by Stefan Wilson.
It is the second year in a row that Cusick will run Wilson – younger brother of the late Justin Wilson – in the marquee IndyCar event. Wilson has raced in the Indy 500 on three previous occasions, with a single finish in 2018, where he placed 15th.
“The journey to the 2022 Indianapolis 500 has been a rollercoaster ride for Cusick Motorsports, our partners and myself,” said Wilson. “A few short weeks ago it didn’t look like this was going to happen for us, but I’m so relieved all of the pieces came together to get another shot at this race.”
New footage marks 40th anniversary of Villenuve’s death
The interview forms part of an upcoming documentary ‘Villeneuve Pironi’, exploring the breakdown in the relationship between Ferrari drivers Villeneueve and Didier Pironi in 1982. Former F1 driver Mark Webber is a producer on the film.
“He was just this really down to Earth guy coming from this little town in Canada,” says Joann Villeneuve.
“His way of driving, his personality, the way he had learned to speak Italian – all that made him likeable. He was just a true racer at heart.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
"We had a lot of hope for this year and we worked to get back to the top and to finally see that all the work that we've done in the past few years in this difficult situation that we were in is finally paying off, feels even more amazing."
Perez Says Formula 1’s Growth In America Will Only Continue Thanks To Miami Grand Prix (Forbes)
"The level of popularity the sport is enjoying is amazing. Drive to Survive has done good things for the sport. We have a very good product, a fantastic product, that we sell to the world. It works at such a high level that people realise how good a sport it is."
Miami track walk with Jess Hawkins (Aston Martin)
"Surrounded by palm trees and soaking in the Floridian sunshine, Jess walks us through the long straights and fast and flowing corners of the anti-clockwise Miami International Autodrome. "
New USA Broadcast Partnership with ESPN (W Series)
"W Series will include ten races at eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in 2022, and ESPN will broadcast live coverage of all qualifying and race sessions across their portfolio of channels, including ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNEWS."
Kevin Magnussen and Asetek SimSports to Bring the True F1 Feeling to Sim Racing (Asetek)
"There is a lot of sim equipment that claims to emulate an F1 car, but it misses the mark because it was designed by people who do not have F1 racing experience. André and I share a passion for racing and by teaming up with Asetek, I can help bring the thrill and authentic feel of F1 to sim racers everywhere."
How I would have (re)designed Gen3 (Lucas Di Grassi via LinkedIn)
"Just by modifying those three parts: front wing, wheel covers and narrow bodywork/nose I really think the car looks way more aggressive and racy. I wanted to make design changes that would be possible to implement in a near future in case the manufacturers pushed for it."
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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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
We just had a walk around the track and to the new grandstand. Doesnt do justice to it, but… 20 sec preview of what you are now able to expérience there ! #fiawec #6hspa pic.twitter.com/Bz1PzNQo9f
— Spa-Francorchamps (@circuitspa) May 5, 2022
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out following reports the Supreme Court of the USA plans to abolish women's right to abortions:
"I love being in the States, but I can't ignore what's going on right now and what some in the government are trying to do to the women who live here."#F1 pic.twitter.com/RIO32g2xnK
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) May 5, 2022
https://twitter.com/HSouthwellFE/status/1522136857760485381
Sebastian Vettel will be on the panel in the next edition of the BBC's Question Time. It will be filmed in Hackney, London on May 12th.
You can apply to be part of the audience here – note you have to offer two questions for consideration:https://t.co/RFRn7WeS0d#F1 #BBCQT
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) May 5, 2022
1/2 We are aiming to increase female interest in STEM-related careers. Partnering with @warwickuni and @CranfieldUni, we have invited four promising female #STEM students to join us at the McLaren Technology Centre on Friday 24 June to celebrate @INWED1919 #INWED22 pic.twitter.com/CCulZxNKjG
— McLaren Applied (@McLarenApplied) May 5, 2022
1. Design a drivers helmet ❌
2. Design a motorsport livery ❌
3. Be contacted by @Lucasdigrassi for a cool project and help him redesign the entire front end of the @FormulaE #Gen3 car over the past few days doing visualisation work 🟢@FIAFormulaE #Gen3 #EVO anyone? pic.twitter.com/8cP7BolnHO
— Chris Paul Ely (Chris Paul Design) (@ChrisPaulDesig1) May 5, 2022
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Following Aston Martin driver ambassador and W Series racer Jessica Hawkins talking RaceFans through her role within the Silverstone-based team, @g-funk would like to see her step out of the simulator and into a real F1 car…
It’d be great to see her have an outing in a real F1 car once she is comfortable in the sim. Even though it would be great and I would love to see it, I don’t suspect she’ll have a chance to drive the latest car due to testing restrictions and the budget.
But if Red Bull could put Tom Cruise in an F1 car I see no reason at all why Jessica couldn’t have a go in one of Aston’s older cars.
@g-funk
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Brakius and Elly Parker!
On this day in motorsport
- 55 years ago today Denny Hulme put his Brabham on pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix
someone or something
6th May 2022, 0:48
One of Aston’s older cars? That can only mean the DBR4, I wonder if there are even any left in racing condition …
BasCB (@bascb)
6th May 2022, 7:19
it WOULD be amazing to see though
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
6th May 2022, 1:01
AT was slow from the get go. Car has no front end. Some of my predictions were off, Ferrari and Alpine, merc is coming I still believe in that. AT has a big PU though, it can make the difference.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
6th May 2022, 1:08
Vettel’s shirt is alright, it is green so that should be okay. I guess Miami beats zandvoort as that race is by the beach at an impressive 3m above sea level.
BasCB (@bascb)
6th May 2022, 7:20
As far as I am aware, Zandvoort is not actually sinking, unlike Miami, though @peartree.
MacLeod (@macleod)
6th May 2022, 7:58
correct sandbodies (dunes) stays at the same height. But the track isn’t so close like Zandvoort is.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
9th May 2022, 1:53
@bascb indeed, I’ve watched some docs on the subject.
Jere (@jerejj)
6th May 2022, 10:56
@peartree @bascb @macleod
Not only Miami & Zandvoort, but other present circuit locations also vulnerable to sea-level rise are Monaco, Melbourne, Singapore, Shanghai, Suzuka, Middle East tracks, possibly also Montreal, & Baku.
Water from seas & oceans can reach close-to-shore locations more easily than ones further or far inland.
Leroy (@g-funk)
6th May 2022, 6:30
Vettel’s shirt is excellent. Maybe that’s why they built the fake marina! They are planning for the sea level rise and providing the boats to get the big wigs out of the track when it floods!
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
6th May 2022, 8:48
Pretty smart idea really, the problem is that you’ll need to already be on the boat when the water comes and in the meantime you’re sat on a boat on dry land, looking a bit daft.
How are the boats upright anyway? I know nothing about boats, but I think they wobble over on dry land, is there a groove in the ‘water’ they slot into? I’d have just left them on their sides, then painted a stormy marina and make it look more dramatic.
Leroy (@g-funk)
6th May 2022, 14:24
From what I have seen from the pictures from the construction, they are using boat stands under the boats and then building an elevated platform around the boats and above the stands to support the fake lake effect.
Jere (@jerejj)
6th May 2022, 10:52
Pretty much, yes, & improving from being 7th or 8th-fastest is challenging in that tight midfield.
Miami might help the growth, although Vegas might have an even bigger impact in this regard.
Using last season-spec car would very much be possible for her.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
6th May 2022, 14:08
I am really looking forward to the ‘Villeneuve Pironi’ documentary.
Frasier (@frasier)
6th May 2022, 17:49
Important to review what’s actually happening with sea level, rather than relying on those whose careers depend upon alarming the public. Or indeed the opinion of racing drivers. Here’s the data close to the Miami circuit, but crucially in an area not burdened with high rise development, or indeed much development at all.
https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends_station.shtml?id=8723214
A steady sea level rise of 3mm per year, the result of our planet gradually warming after the Little Ice Age.
Miami is built on reclaimed swamp and is sinking at rates that must be linked in some fashion to the weight of development. Buildings have over the years collapsed because of subsidence. Land is sinking at the rate of 1-3mm per year, see
https://meaww.com/surfside-condo-sank-for-decades-other-miami-structures-fiu-professor-shimon-wdowinski-2020-study
So, are Seb and Mick advocating demolition of high rise buildings, or perhaps adding a couple of courses to the sea wall and some valves/pumps to cope with back fill from drains?
BasCB (@bascb)
9th May 2022, 9:52
Miami sinking is indeed most likely due to a combination of the weight of the buildings, compression/settling of the dehydrated swamp lands, well and that rise of the sea levels is making the sinking worse @frasier.
But the sea level rising is not due to that little ice age ending but because of human activity churning out boatloads of CO2 into the atmosphere incredibly quickly to levels that were there last time millions of years ago when the temperatures (and sea levels) were far higher.
That first part might be good to look at how they built – other places do a better job of preventing the land from sinking in as much – but that second part can only be addressed by brining our Netto CO2 output to 0 more or less immediately.