In the round-up: The mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey has officially signed off on a development project that includes plans for a 2.4 mile racing circuit
In brief
Atlantic City signs off on ‘F1-spec’ track development in New Jersey
The disused airfield at Bader Park is being transformed with a $3 billion dollar development package including living areas, retail space and a circuit reportedly designed to ‘Formula 1 specifications’.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Snr signed off on the development proposed by Deem Enterprises yesterday. The project is estimated to take six to nine years to complete.
New Jersey was originally announced to host a Formula 1 street race at Port Imperial from 2013 back in 2011. The race was later cancelled.
Tsunoda not expecting too much from AlphaTauri upgrades
Yuki Tsunoda says he does not expect a lot from AlphaTauri’s upgrades coming at the Australian Grand Prix.Tsunoda missed out on his team’s first point in 11th place in Saudi Arabia, overtaken by Kevin Magnussen in the closing laps. With the team one of only two yet to score in 2023 along with McLaren, Tsunoda warns that the batch of upgrades coming for Melbourne will not dramatically change their standing in the field.
“I wouldn’t expect too high [from that update],” he said. “Obviously I’ve just got to do the same job as the last two races, and even hopefully more. And if the car is good, just score points.”
Wheldon brothers gain Gainbridge support at Andretti
Andretti junior drivers Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon, will be sponsored by Gainbridge through their 2023 campaigns, Andretti has announced.
The two brothers, sons of late two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, will have Gainbridge branding for their racing programmes this season.
“We announced in 2021 that we’d be helping Sebastian and Oliver to climb the ranks and develop their careers, and I’m very happy to welcome Gainbridge as a supporter in their growth,” said Michael Andretti.
“Both boys have continued to impress us through their karting competition, and Sebastian recently completed a successful test day in an F4 car. They are on the right track and we have no doubt they will continue to positively build the legacy set by Dan.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Joann Villeneuve interview: ‘You still feel the deception and the betrayal’ (Independent)
"It was overwhelming. You feel you have to look strong for the children and you want to look strong for the whole situation. But it was very difficult, to see everything that was happening. I felt I had to be stronger than if it was a public ceremony."
Re-setting my goals for 2023 (Daniel Ricciardo via LinkedIn)
" Jumping into the simulator, learning their car and helping shape the development are all things I’m focused on doing. In turn that will develop my abilities, my confidence and my enjoyment behind the wheel. It's been a tough couple of years professionally, so there's an element of that competitor in me wanting to remind people that I’m still here, still a professional and still contributing to success."
"Getting into a NASCAR ride required such a specific proprietary approach and personality and style of driving, that you saw the guys who did try it were just never successful. Villeneuve, Montoya, Scott Speed, all of them. The Next Gen car is much more in line with where other motorsports are around the world."
Carmen Jordá, denunciada por atropello intencionado (Cuatro)
Former F1 development driver Carmen Jorda accused of hit-and-run accident.
'I can't wait, it's a dream,' says Di Grassi on first Brazilian E-Prix (Formula E)
"The circuit at the Sambadrome looks like it will be amazing and the thousands of people that like to join carnival and spend some time in Brazil will be able to stay for the race, Zero Summit and the big music festival happening all on the same weekend. I’m sure the passionate Brazilians will fill up the grandstands!"
An extended interview with American F1 fan Dan Bythewood who bought a 2001 BAR Honda BAR003.
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 to us via the contact form.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
No time to rest for @Max33Verstappen 👀
Max was already competing in iRacing less than 24 hours after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He won the next 10 out of 10 races, pulling out a +19.818 gap in a 5616 SOF race. 🏁🔝 pic.twitter.com/3tgGu4uHEt
— Team Redline (@TeamRedlineSim) March 23, 2023
El merchandising de la exposición de la Fórmula 1 en Madrid es HISTÓRICO. pic.twitter.com/zPwhbSAV9u
— Víctor Abad (@victorabadf1) March 23, 2023
A moment with Niki before the race. ❤️ Always with us, every step of the way. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/wwvgaPTEbB
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 23, 2023
Christian Horner isn't concerned about @redbullracing's dominance putting fans off, saying: "I think we saw a great race again at the weekend between our two drivers."
Outside of the Safety Car period they were never within four seconds of each other: https://t.co/SNvwtiH87H #F1
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) March 23, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
With McLaren parting ways with technical director James Key, @shimks believes he still has something to offer F1 teams…
I am shocked. But not. I suppose.
I believe that James Key was a fantastic technical director for Sauber (when I became I fan of his) during the two years he was with them (April 2010 – February 2012) before being poached by Toro Rosso. Sauber finished seventh in the world constructors’ championship in 2011 and sixth in 2012.
I think Key did a good for Toro Rosso too, helping them finish seventh in the WCC in all but the final year where he had a major influence on the car. However, Toro Rosso finished ninth in 2018, the final year Key was with them, a sign that something had gone wrong.
Maybe McLaren will prove to be his bump in the road on an otherwise upwards trajectory. I believe (or perhaps I am just hopeful that) he is a great talent and will shine again at the next team he joins. Hopefully lessons have been learnt that needed to be learnt and he will come out stronger from this.
Shimks
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Gman, Sam and Harvey Pizey!
On this day in motorsport
bull mello (@bullmello)
24th March 2023, 0:20
Great photo “On this day in motorsport”!
–
I guess NJ wants to add to Liberty US-F1…
floodo1 (@floodo1)
24th March 2023, 0:21
Let’s go! I won’t be satisfied until we have half a dozen races in USA … 30 race season let’s gooooo /s
Mayrton
24th March 2023, 8:20
Seems that’s the direction. Let’s just hope it will be done on proper race tracks.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
25th March 2023, 9:24
This is a European sport. I really hate to see the direction this is heading. The rule used to be that any country could have ONLY 1 race. Before we know it there will be only 1 race left in Europe. Spa Francorchamps soon to be gone so we can race in Yankee World. Unbelievable.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage- Special Unhinged Edition (@davedai)
25th March 2023, 14:30
No Europe was asleep at the wheel & lost it. Welcome to the new reality.
Mack41
24th March 2023, 3:08
London is a more likely option than AC. That Port Imperial would have been something else tho. Drove it once, too good to be true.
some racing fan
24th March 2023, 3:39
That was a really good circuit in an absolutely fantastic location. I don’t think people quite understood how good that circuit would have been (and how much of a pipe dream it turned out to be).
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
24th March 2023, 3:09
Trump Grand Prix anyone?
SteveR (@stever)
24th March 2023, 3:39
Not me.
elchinero (@elchinero)
25th March 2023, 14:53
Springsteen GP
some racing fan
24th March 2023, 3:35
OH PLEASE GOD NO. NO! NO!!!!!! (That scene with Steve Carell from the US version of The Office)
Oh my God. Atlantic City is quite possibly the worst place in the developed world. If you think Vegas is bad, you have seen NOTHING yet. Atlantic City is Las Vegas trashiness x 10. It is so awful, it is honestly beyond comprehension.
SteveR (@stever)
24th March 2023, 3:38
Beat me to it!
Red Pill (@redpill)
24th March 2023, 4:56
Is Atlantic City still even a thing?
I thought it died long ago around 1980, around the time the movie “Atlantic City” was released with Burt Lancaster.
MacLeod (@macleod)
24th March 2023, 8:01
Also way too flat we would like to see 50m-150m height difference in new circuits. a other street no thanks!
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
24th March 2023, 11:57
I hear it’s absolutely god awful all the time. But weirdly that makes me want to go and see it. Just out of curiosity, and I like Bruce’s song. Rather than Trump casinos to attract visitors (dunno if he still has them), maybe the tourism board should just focus advertising on ‘come see the worst place in the world’.
some racing fan
24th March 2023, 18:33
Trump’s casinos are long gone. He bankrupted 3 of them there. Trump could not negotiate himself out of a wet paper bag. That being said Atlantic City, which is about 50 miles east of Philadelphia and 100 miles south of New York and the same north of Washington DC is the anal rectum of the American east coast. It is an abomination on almost every conceivable level- it is honestly difficult to comprehend how awful and unpleasant a place it is.
elchinero (@elchinero)
25th March 2023, 14:55
Well-spoken and too-true.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
24th March 2023, 12:14
That’s great, we’ll put it with all the other overwhelmingly positive feedback.
SteveR (@stever)
24th March 2023, 3:37
Why do you put these obviously ridiculous PR blurbs up as news? I’d guess hits. Ain’t never goin’ to happen.
Jere (@jerejj)
24th March 2023, 5:55
Designed to F1-specs doesn’t mean the planned track development would join F1 someday, but if that ever happened, it’d happened no sooner than this decade’s last year at the very earliest.
I like the savage mug in the Madrid exhibition. I wouldn’t mind having one.
Relating to the infamous Multi 21 case from ten years ago, I’d be unsurprised if a similar situation occurred once this season, like Multi 111.
Ankita
24th March 2023, 8:24
It’s strange that a person of Keith’s caliber appears to consider that there was no fight between the Redbulls because there was never a gap closer than 4 seconds. I personally enjoy lap after lap with the RB’s driver n. 1 trying to catch RB’s no. 2 and being unable to do so. For me, every lap was interesting just by looking at the gap between the two. It started with 5.8 seconds. It went down lap after lap till some 4.3 seconds. Then PER asked for authorization to push and the gap increased to over 6 seconds which coincided with VER slowing down. PER’s last lap was slow while VER’s was the fastest one thus bringing the gap down to just over 5 seconds. To me this was a good fight between the two. It also left me with interesting conclusions. Just like in Bahrein, the race pace of VER and PER is very similar and if this continues like this, the next races should normally be decided on the basis of who makes it first at turn 1 of the first lap. It also showed me that in the track in which the slightest mistake means crashing such as Jeddah, PER could cope with VER pressure for over 25 laps.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
25th March 2023, 9:28
Whatever floats your boat.
Qeki (@qeki)
24th March 2023, 9:05
As one aussie teached: “My dad always says you shouldn’t hit boys.”
Txizzle (@txizzle)
24th March 2023, 12:47
Great amusing video on the buying of an F1 car, the guy shows a lot of passion and knowledge.
ykiki (@ykiki)
24th March 2023, 23:34
That was fascinating. I was really intrigued by all of the legal hoops he had to jump through just to get started.
Anonymous
24th March 2023, 14:34
This has “failed Indycar venue” written all over it
some racing fan
24th March 2023, 18:35
Let’s hope
Dane
25th March 2023, 1:13
If IndyCar can race in Baltimore and Detroit, they probably wouldn’t mind Atlantic City either.