In the round-up: Formula 1 world champions Max Verstappen and Red Bull marked their historic 2022 season with a demonstration run in Milton Keynes, where their factory is based.
In brief
Red Bull celebrate titles with Milton Keynes demo run for 30,000
Formula 1 world champions Max Verstappen and Red Bull marked their historic 2022 season with a demonstration run in Milton Keynes, where their factory is based.
“To be able to bring both the drivers’ and the constructors’ trophies home to our city of Milton Keynes, after such an incredible season, is a very proud moment,” said team principal Christian Horner.
“What better way to celebrate these achievements than with the city that’s been our home since the very beginning. We would like to thank all of the council and authorities in Milton Keynes for everything they have done to make today possible but most importantly, we would like to thank the fans.”
Australian GP boss keen on fourth DRS zone
The head of the Australian Grand Prix corporation Andrew Westacott says the event promoters are keen for a fourth DRS zone abandoned for the 2022 race will be active for next season.
A fourth DRS zone was originally added for 2022 between the exit of turn eight on the revised back straight and into the fast chicane of turns nine and ten. However, the zone was deactivated ahead of qualifying following safety concerns raised by drivers.
Speaking to Speedcafe, Westacott says it is intended for the fourth DRS zone to be active in 2023.
“With the circuit modifications at Albert Park, there were meant to be four DRS zones,” Westacott said. “There was meant to be a DRS zone around Lakeside, the fourth one that Fernando Alonso made some safety comments to the FIA Race Director [about].
“We’re optimistic, highly optimistic, that we will get that fourth DRS zone back for 2023, which is a wonderful addition to the competitiveness of the racing, and the overtaking in the racing.”
Michel welcomes return of F2 veterans Nissany and Boschung
Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel welcomes the return of series veterans Roy Nissany and Ralph Boschung to the championship for 2023.
Nissany will compete in his fifth season in Formula 2 in 2023 at age 28 with the PHM Racing by Charouz team. Boschung, 25, will also compete in the championship for the fourth time having first competed in Formula 2 back in 2017. Michel says the return of both drivers is not a problem for the series.
“We’re always happy to welcome drivers like Roy or Ralph,” Michel said. “They left, they came back, they left. They love the series. They are quite experienced. It’s good for the young drivers arriving in the category to compare themselves with those guys as well.
“I’m not going to say ‘no, leave space to the young people’. I think it’s good to have a little bit of everything in the category, and they’re part of it as well.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Whole Red Bull F1 car to be built in Milton Keynes by 2026 (BBC)
"We're bringing the whole car here on site at Milton Keynes. We'll have engine designers and chassis designers sitting side-by-side, so absolute vertical integration of those disciplines.I think for Milton Keynes, for the UK, to have that based here, is testimony to the skill set that is in the area and the talent we're able to attract."
"Craig Slater catches up with Red Bull's Christian Horner and Sergio Perez as they celebrate their F1 titles in Milton Keynes."
Shining the spotlight on the Anthoine Hubert Award (Formula 2)
"Presented for the first time at the 2019 Prize Giving Ceremony, the award is bestowed on the highest-placing rookie in their respective F2 season. Created in Anthoine’s honour and in celebration of his achievements, the award’s beautifully simple but eye-catching design showcases the star that was a central part of his helmet design in three colours of the French flag, alongside his signature."
The Formula One of electric commuter scooters (Drive)
"Reigning Formula One champions Red Bull and the technology arm of McLaren are poised to enter the growing electric scooter market."
Formula E Gen3 Could Be Make Or Break For Electric Race Series (Forbes)
"The reports of difficulties with Gen3 are worrying, but there are no signs that Season 9 won’t happen. Even if there are teething problems at the beginning, the Gen3 era has huge potential to give Formula E the leap forward in excitement it needs. Just as the tire change strategy in Formula 1 adds a strategic element that provides additional drama, the recharging breaks of Formula E could mix up its races to provide more variety."
Keep Calm and Flourish: Perseverance Pays for Rosenqvist (IndyCar)
"I think when you're in the middle of it, you just look forward and you know what's in the toolbox of things you can change, the things you can do. I had a pretty good conversation with the team during it all. Even if it kind of looked crazy from the outside, there wasn't really a sense of panic, from my side at least. Maybe that's where the Scandinavian side comes into play when you're cool, calm and collected in those scenarios."
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
This Lewis speech to our Team. 💜 pic.twitter.com/hbB14vr8kV
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 10, 2022
Christmas is coming 🍷 pic.twitter.com/XC7zM8Rwn9
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) December 10, 2022
Great to finally catch up with the people here at @alfa_romeo China! 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/fQHIDPX3xr
— 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 (@ZhouGuanyu24) December 10, 2022
EL PLAN . @memgrizz 🫶 https://t.co/jP135YcdYV
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) December 10, 2022
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
With FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem claiming that Formula 1 would be ‘like WWF’ if it was not for the regulation of the governing body, MichaelN believes the FIA could do a better job of applying its own rules more evenly…
Not sure what the argument is here. The FIA should uphold and enforce its rules… yeah. That’d be great if they did so. But the only ones stopping them from doing so are the FIA themselves. Let’s not forget the FIA picks the stewards, and everyone who cares to notice knows that they don’t pick people who are sticklers for the rules. That’s not a coincidence.
As Haas so theatrically and amusingly demonstrated in Texas, rules in F1 are very flexible and that’s because the FIA wants to facilitate the big teams and the show. F1 is their moneymaker, and the more big manufacturers join the more money goes around. Everyone wins. F1 merely tolerates the likes of Haas, Sauber and Williams so none of the big players has to finish last and look silly. Just compare how long uncompetitive manufacturer teams like Renault, McLaren and Aston Martin stick around in F1 with how quickly other manufacturers get out of sportscars when they actually end up last and mocked. Since all the amateur teams there race in lower categories, there isn’t any room to pretend they’re in ‘the midfield’.
As for WWE, they’re putting on a great show. Adults watching WWE know it’s not a real sport, just like people who watch Amazon Prime know there aren’t really magic rings coming out of volcanoes. WWE knows what it is, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
MichaelN
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Debaser91, Ryan and Miguel Bento!
Jere (@jerejj)
11th December 2022, 6:07
But T9 can be unnecessarily risky when approaching DRS activated, so removing the activation zone from the preceding full-throttle stretch during the event was right & therefore, reinstating for next season would be foolish.
Both Nissany & Boschung competed in F2 this year, so they’ve merely continued (again) rather than returned for next year’s campaign, which in the former’s case, as I’ve made my view clear, is pointless because drivers aren’t supposed to stay in F2 forever.
I initially struggled to interpret the BBC headline as RBR has always been in Milton Keynes until I got to the PU reference part.
COTD makes some valid points, especially about the black-&-orange flag matter.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
11th December 2022, 9:14
@jerejj
RBR also don’t have an onsite wind tunnel. They are using the old Arrows wind tunnel which itself was a former aircraft design facility that was established by RAE Bedford. RBR decided to invest into a new in-house state of the art wind tunnel that will take 2 years to complete and therefore they will be able to produce the entire car in 2026 in their Milton Keynes factory.
Jere (@jerejj)
12th December 2022, 12:48
@tifoso1989 Interesting, I never realized.
Shimks (@shimks)
11th December 2022, 8:20
What a load of bull from Bruno Michel. It makes absolutely no sense – other than financial – to have drivers like Nissany and Boschung returning to the series year after year. F2 should be only about aspiring drivers who have the youthfulness and skills to give them a chance to make it further up the ladder. Nothing else. F2 needs to get their costs under control and stop this nonsense of flying to all four corners of the world in pursuit of the F1 calendar. Almost the same exposure can be achieved by sticking to European races.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
11th December 2022, 8:47
@shimks on the whole I agree with you.
But F2 is naturally just as susceptible to financial advantage as every other sport. I like the idea that there are experienced drivers to be able to guide youngsters, for example Ghiotto winning races on experience and tyre gambles must inspire the young drivers. Also, if we are to get new teams they’ll likely need the money so I’d rather have an experienced pay driver than a young one and F2 remains as good as it gets for providing F1 talent these days.
In an ideal world I would put a limit of 5 seasons on F2 but if you start at 17 you’re out fairly young – indeed I’d have preferred Stroll completed his training at F2 level.
SteveP
11th December 2022, 9:52
See – I told you a Milton Keynes street circuit was more interesting than Paul Ricard.
AlanD
11th December 2022, 17:45
Having driven around Milton Keynes, I agree. It is definitely challenging. The problem I find is that because everything is so rectagular and identical, it is incredibly easy to lose your bearings, and find yourself back where you started from,… which would be ideal for a race circuit, but not much good when you want to get home and have your tea.
Corran Horn
11th December 2022, 10:54
For me, Nissany returning is a problem less due to it being his 5th season and moreso because he’s a complete liability and danger to both himself and the rest of his drivers. He’s incredibly lucky he didn’t kill himself in Britain when he knocked aside Hauger in a disgustingly deliberate move and just drove like a manic throughout the entire season. It’s only a matter of time before his antics get someone injured.