In the round-up: Mario Andretti, 1978 Formula 1 world champion, got behind the wheel of a 2013 McLaren MP4-28 at the Laguna Seca circuit at the age of 82
In brief
Andretti drives 2013 McLaren MP4-28a at age 82
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown offered Andretti the opportunity to drive the MP4-28 earlier in the season. Andretti was joined on the track by fellow world champion Mika Hakkinen, who drove a 1985 MP4-2B around the Californian circuit, and IndyCar driver Patricio O’Ward who lapped in a 1990 MP4-5B.Andretti told Racer that the experience was “what I expected” and that it was a “sweet feeling” to drive the 2013 model. “The car just does what it should do in a big way, versus what I’ve experienced in my career,” he said.
Alonso protege Bortoleto wins second FREC race at Catalunya
Gabriel Borteloto won the second Formula Regional European Championship race of the weekend at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, ahead of R-ace team mate Hadrien David as the race finished behind the Safety Car.
Borteloto, who is managed by Fernando Alonso’s A14 Management venture, won from pole position, holding off Alpine junior driver David until a late Safety Car when Victor Barnier ended up in the gravel at turn five. Championship leader Dino Beganovic finished tenth, meaning the championship will be decided in the final round in Mugello.
Ferrari academy driver Beganovic has a 39 point advantage over Gabriele Mini, with Mercedes junior Paul Aron and David all fewer than ten points behind Mini.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Man arrested for selling fake Formula 1 tickets worth €70,000 (NL Times)
"Police arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of selling 70,000 euros in fraudulent tickets to Formula 1 races. In some cases he delivered fake tickets, while in other cases he delivered nothing at all. Thirty people reported to the police as victims thus far. The suspect conducted the transactions on social media, claiming to have tickets for the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix."
TOP 10: We rank the best drives of double world champion Verstappen’s F1 career so far (F1)
"Max Verstappen became a two-time F1 world champion with victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, after he delivered one of the most assured drives of his career. To mark the occasion, we've had a go at picking out the top 10 best drives from his eight seasons of racing in motor sport's top tier so far..."
David Coulthard makes FIA demand on behalf of F1 fans after 'silly' decision (Express)
"We are in the entertainment business. Last week, we knowingly sat waiting for the tide to go out before the boat was launched - we knew the rain was coming - that was a little bit silly. And, yes, what happened after the race keeps people engaged and gives us all something to talk about. But, in pure sporting terms, it’s bad."
"In the name of entertainment and contriving storylines, F1 cannot lose the essence of the sport, and I fear that it is treading down that path. Back in the mid-1990s, there were only four or five channels on cable television. Today, one is overwhelmed by content, excellent content at that. But the best content is the most genuine content, and that is something that the F1 media rights owners and administrators should remember."
Lebbon wins at Browning wraps up title at Donington Park (GB3 Championship)
"Elite’s Tom Lebbon claimed victory in the second GB3 race of the weekend, while Luke Browning provisionally claimed the title with second place thanks to Joel Granfors finishing outside the top-10."
"The legendary Mario Andretti returned to a modern F1 car by jumping into the McLaren MP4/28 at the Velocity Invitational at Laguna Seca. These are his first few laps as he got used to the car, later on he got faster and faster."
Formula Regional Europe round 18: Catalunya (Formula Regional Europe via YouTube)
GB3 round 24: Donington (GB3 via YouTube)
German F4 round 18: Nurburgring (German F4 via YouTube)
French F4 round 21: Paul Ricard (French F4 via YouTube)
Euroformula Open round 26: Catalunya (Euroformula Open via YouTube)
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:
McLaren has great company at this year's Velocity Invitational. @F1MikaHakkinen driving the MP4/2, @TannerFoust the F1GT12R, @PatricioOWard the MP4/5, and @MarioAndretti the MP4/28. pic.twitter.com/L7bvySWpmy
— Zak Brown (@ZBrownCEO) October 16, 2022
Espero y Ayrton este sonriendo alla arriba. No puedo dejar de ver los videos. Se me pone la piel chinita. 🥹
I hope Ayrton is smiling up there. I can’t stop watching the videos, I get goosebumps every time. This machine is as pure as it gets. #LongLiveTheLegend #SennaForever pic.twitter.com/Xv4hRZdhuy
— Pato O'Ward (@PatricioOWard) October 16, 2022
As @NASCAR prepares to race @LVMotorSpeedway today, I reflect on the day we lost Dan Wheldon 11 years ago. For those at the track, we placed this plaque outside the Turn 2 wall back in 2016. Never forget. pic.twitter.com/yoZDolgOo0
— Jamie Little (@JamieLittleTV) October 16, 2022
I’ll miss things here but for reference, in the past four years F1 esports has seen:
iRacing world champions
PESC Champion
Formula E accelerate champion
Virtual Le Mans Drivers
eRoc Winners
SRO Series Winners
Real world GT Drivers
A Formula 2 graduateBut what’s your iRating?
— Nathan Tague (@G2Rosso) October 15, 2022
A host of nations are joining the @FIA Motorsport Games for the first time. Welcome #TeamAndora, @TeamArgentina, #TeamBahamas, #TeamBangladesh, #TeamBarbados, #TeamChile & #TeamCanada whose lineup includes TCR ace @TravisHillRacng.
▶️ https://t.co/mt6cr6zamI
–#FIAMotorsportGames pic.twitter.com/wttNJEGZGY— FIA Motorsport Games (@fiamgames) October 16, 2022
Update is coming next week.
来週、アップデート来ます。 #GT7 #GranTurismo7 pic.twitter.com/v95tjhoYlx— 山内 一典 / Kaz Yamauchi (@Kaz_Yamauchi) October 16, 2022
@lastlaplucy So much to keep track of! 🤯 Massive respect to commentators across motorsport, you’re all awesome! Watch out though Crofty I’m coming for your job now 😂😂 #silverstone #f1 #formula1 #motorsport #racing #commentator #behindthescenes #lastlaplucy @Silverstone
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
This weekend’s Caption Competition winner is @ninjabadger:
In a bid to prove Newey isn’t employed by RBR, the team have had to get creative with ways to sneak him into the garage.
NinjaBadger
Thanks to everyone who came up with caption idea this week and a special mention to Biskit Boy, frogster, EffWunFan and Luke S who all came up with particularly good captions.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Harris and Evan!
Proesterchen_nli
17th October 2022, 0:41
Doesn’t matter how much time you give them, there’s no next Max in there.
S
17th October 2022, 5:03
Daruvala’s had so much time they’ve forgotten he’s still there.
M
17th October 2022, 5:15
The Newey picture show how creative RB may have been with ‘catering costs’.
S
17th October 2022, 5:18
I like Mario Andretti’s quote. He sounds like a guy who’d race anything – for free – just for the love of it.
Pity that there isn’t anyone in F1 like that now. Except Latifi, perhaps.
And just look and listen to that MP4/5….. It’s a car show all by itself.
I honestly can’t see myself ever looking back on the current hybrid era of F1 with even remotely similar good memories.
Sure, the actual racing was pretty garbage back then most of the time – but the engineering and technical diversity made up for it.
skydiverian (@skydiverian)
17th October 2022, 19:48
The one above? Or “I’m trying to get some points for my Super License” at the end of the racer.com interview he did after the run….
Which I think can be interpreted as a slight against the FIA points system that prevented Colton Herta from signing for Alpha Tauri. At least it is here in the US.
S
18th October 2022, 2:23
Herta knows very well how to get more super licence points.
If he wants to race in F1, he’d have to move to Europe anyway, wouldn’t he….
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
17th October 2022, 9:00
Well done Mario – I don’t know what 82 years old feels like but there must be a few aches and pains. (He must be the oldest to drive an F1 car, surely?).
It was probably a snug fit in the cockpit but I’m really happy for him, sounds like he enjoyed himself! Bravo!
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
17th October 2022, 20:36
Probably the oldest yes. I thought Stirling Moss may have drove some classic F1 cars in his 80s but I might be wrong on that and can’t find anything to back that up.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
17th October 2022, 22:48
Anyone who thinks Alonso’s pushing his luck racing F1 at 41 – well, that’s twice his age… could be stuck with him for some time yet!
Chris Horton
17th October 2022, 9:21
Great story, well done Mario.
But, I hate with a passion when they plaster a current livery on an old car. Awful.
And a utterly crap livery at that.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
17th October 2022, 22:38
At least they didn’t try it with the 1990 car!
(although the plain white doesn’t ring true either – it probably had a McLaren logo on it at Silverstone etc – what’s wrong with that?)
barkun (@barkun)
17th October 2022, 9:49
Mario; what a LEGEND !
amian
17th October 2022, 10:27
FANTASTIC on-board footage from O’Ward driving the McLaren mp4/5b:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWqNDx9glUY
Current IndyCar drivers are the best equipped drivers to driver those old F1 beasts today ;)
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
17th October 2022, 10:41
Thank you for sharing, what a ride! 👍
S
17th October 2022, 11:02
Oh how I wish F1 cars still drove like that
Mark (@muzza)
17th October 2022, 13:24
And sounded like that!
Don
17th October 2022, 16:04
Pretty much looks like O’Ward driving his IndyCar. Much more entertaining than current super high downforce planted F1 cars.
BasCB (@bascb)
17th October 2022, 12:19
Thanks, that is great footage.
petebaldwin (@)
17th October 2022, 13:43
Awesome video. Great to see someone pushing the car like that. Usually when we see it on track, whoever is driving is cruising around at walking pace.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
17th October 2022, 14:23
Great video footage of this. Thanks for sharing it. Car looks a bit of a handful but he handles it well.
The circuit looks good as well. More exciting than say Las Vegas or Miami. I was not really familiar with it until seeing this.
Radoye
17th October 2022, 15:35
Laguna Seca is a classic, The Corkscrew complex is as famous as Spa’s Eau Rouge / Radillion. It just never got on F1’s radar – which is probably for the best, because they’d ruin it completely.
There are some truly spectacular circuits in North America – Road America, Watkins Glen, VIR, Barber… I suggest you check out IndyCar and / or IMSA when they race there.
Don
17th October 2022, 16:06
IndyCar races there every year.
Dan G (@dang)
18th October 2022, 10:48
I get that it’s noisy but damn, those old cars slow.
Jere (@jerejj)
17th October 2022, 11:01
What MP4-28a? Only MP4-28 has ever existed without the ‘a’ at the end.
David (@nvherman)
17th October 2022, 12:23
@jerejj ‘a’ for Andretti :D
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
18th October 2022, 3:01
Is it Bortoleto or Borteloto?
Dan G (@dang)
18th October 2022, 10:49
I thought Andretti wanted to drive a hybrid?