In the round-up: Daniel Ricciardo admits that he found his return to Formula 1 somewhat draining.
In brief
Ricciardo was “kind of knackered” after Hungary return
Ricciardo returned to F1 last weekend in Hungary, qualifying and finishing 13th despite being caught up in a first corner clash. He admits the busy weekend took its toll.
“I think the weekend as a whole went well,” he told media including RaceFans. “Certainly on Monday I pretty much was kind of knackered as well, so I was very low-key and just reflected on it.”
However he said he was satisfied with his first race weekend as an AlphaTauri driver. “I think the main thing was, yes I was happy with my performance, but I was happy about the way I was kind of going racing again. And the weekend, as probably chaotic as it felt, I really enjoyed it. I felt like everything was under control and it was busy, but it wasn’t too much.”
McLaren jump “motivation” – Steiner
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says that the leap forwards that McLaren have made this season shows teams like his that making quick progress up the field can be possible under the current rules.
“I think it’s motivation for people to show them that somebody did that, which means you can do it as well,” Steiner told media including RaceFans. “Because before, seasons ago, how many times have you seen such a big step? Very few in the last 20 years with an upgrade making such a big leap.”
Mason steps in for Benavides at Spa
PHM Racing by Charouz have announced 21-year-old driver Joshua Mason will replace Brad Benavides for this weekend’s Formula 2 races at Spa-Francorchamps.
Mason, who has F3 experience in British F3 and EuroFormula Open, has one win in both this year’s EuroFormula Open season and the Formula Regional Oceania series at the start of the year. He replaces Benavides, who has not scored a point this season.
“It’s a mix of emotions – excited, nervous and all the emotions are flowing through,” said Mason. “To jump into Formula 2 around Spa in the wet means there’s quite a lot being thrown at me, but I’m looking forward to get started.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Barcelona negocia con la F1 para seguir hasta 2036 con el GP de España (Marca - Spanish)
Spanish Grand Prix promoters are seeking a long term contract extension similar to Bahrain, Melbourne and Hungary following reports that Madrid is pursuing a street race.
F1 Academy wants to be 'rocket fuel' for female progression in motor racing (ESPN)
Susie Wolff: ''It's about having the right progression. It's about knowing what's right to our winner to progress. And it's not just the winner, if we've got P2, P3, whoever it is, looking to progress, I'll do all I can to see them progress up the ladder. We are not a destination for young female drivers to stay and to race in. We are there to provide a platform and nurture them and give them the rocket fuel for further progression in the sport.''
Barclay: 'Throughout the course of the race, we're in a high speed game of chess. We have to make the right decisions to come out on top of 20 other drivers and 11 other teams, so it's constantly that pinpoint of pressure, but our job is to try and make a very high pressure situation, actually a very calm environment.'
Peasenhall driver Max Taylor wins British and Irish titles (East Anglian Daily Times)
'Formula One has Max Verstappen but one Suffolk 10-year-old is proving he's a dab hand behind the wheel after winning two championships in one weekend. Max Taylor, from Peasenhall, near Saxmundham, not only qualified for the Ninja Karts championships but took home the British and Irish Open titles.'
Assetto Corsa Competizione - 2023 GT World Challenge Pack Launch Trailer (PlayStation via YouTube)
'The GT World Challenge 2023 DLC is out now on PS5! Download the update and burn some rubber around the incredible Circuit Ricardo Tormo in three new GT3 cars!'
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:
Miss you Tonio.💜
Thanks to everyone who joined today, had a thought or prayers for Tonio & Dilano. Proud of our sport in moments like today. RIP young champs. pic.twitter.com/g9FXsjmpQ9— PIERRE GASLY 🇫🇷 (@PierreGASLY) July 27, 2023
Weather update, courtesy of @OscarPiastri. 🌧️#BelgianGP 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/QQeKK08oDl
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 27, 2023
An important step for our sport.
Team Principal, Mike Krack, on the @f1academy announcement and how AMF1 Team will be involved in 2024. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/R8aWp3R6iM
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) July 27, 2023
|@PierreGASLY arranged a 'run for Anthoine' to remember Anthoine Hubert, who died in a crash at the track four years ago, and Dilano van 't Hoff, who lost his life at the same circuit earlier this month. #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/fphTkGw7nc
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) July 27, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
How far can McLaren climb in the championship over the rest of the season? Quite high, thinks @Todfod…
Aston Martin have scored only nine points in the last three race weekends… while McLaren has scored 58. I reckon, McLaren will be on par, if not ahead of Aston, within six race weekends. Let’s not forget Aston also has Stroll… who won’t be scoring more than a couple of points for the remainder of the season.
It will be interesting to see the battle between McLaren and Ferrari though. Ferrari will be far more consistent as the third to fourth fastest team each weekend, so consistently taking eight points from them over the remaining ten races might be difficult, but not too far fetched. After all, it just takes one or two weekends of Ferrari being Ferrari for them to really drop the ball.
I don’t see McLaren catching Mercedes though. Their drivers are too consistent to let such a huge lead disappear.
Todfod
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Big Galah, Solo, Holly and Bill Niehoff!
Gusm.ai
28th July 2023, 2:00
Is there some political reason for Barcelona to get this contract?
In almost 30 years races there were mostly uneventful.
It is not like there were no other tracks in Spain.
MotoGP uses some spanish tracks that would deserve a chance to hold a F1 GP.
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
28th July 2023, 9:00
I regularly go to watch F1 at Catalunya but I still agree with you!
Aragón and Jerez would be far better.
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
28th July 2023, 11:13
I think there is just a desperation to renew because there is a chance that they will lose it to another location in Spain – Madrid has been touted I believe?
Mayrton
28th July 2023, 11:47
I agree the circuit won’t be missed if replaced.
Scotty (@rockonscotty)
28th July 2023, 2:49
Is anyone else having broken links on the pictures? I haven’t seen it on this site before.
frood19 (@frood19)
28th July 2023, 6:22
Yes, the last couple of days have been the same for me. Most of the pictures are not working.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
28th July 2023, 8:18
I am @rockonscotty
This article has broken links. The three articles before this are all ok but the four articles before those are all broken :/
I thought I would wait a week to see if it cleared up ;)
Scotty (@rockonscotty)
28th July 2023, 11:09
Looks like it’s fixed not. Thanks RF crew!
Scotty (@rockonscotty)
28th July 2023, 11:09
Now.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
28th July 2023, 4:27
If your watching F1TV using a VPN then know that you may start to have trouble getting it to work and your account also stands a high chance of been banned as they have begun implementing some new systems to detect & block VPN usage.
It’s something been pushed harder now due to pressure primarily from Sky.
Yellow Baron
28th July 2023, 9:59
Ah yes sky, holding F1 free to air ransom in the UK. Screw them.
Diez Cilindros (@diezcilindros)
28th July 2023, 6:46
COTD is somewhat funny. In Spanish we call it “las cuentas de la lechera” (a bad translation could be “dairy girl reckoning”). McLaren catching Ferrari and maybe Mercedes? What makes you think McLaren will be on the podium for the remainder of the season? Didn’t precisely McLaren and Aston Martin show that the statu quo can change quickly? Ferrari and Mercedes are more than capable of improving their car and demote McLaren to P6-P9 positions for every race. Or maybe McLaren blows it up with the next upgrade.
Or maybe not. But the “taking eight points from Ferrari per race” stuff is a nonsense. Nobody knows if McLaren will outscore Ferrari in 5 races, in 10 or never.
Obviously we expect them to be damn quick in Spa… but what about Zandvoort, Monza and Singapore, different tracks with different tarmacs and with time to bring upgrades for everyone?
Far too soon, and far too unknowns, to make these reckonings.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
28th July 2023, 6:48
As for slow tracks like zandvoort and singapore, I think they proved to be pretty damn quick in another slow track like hungary.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th July 2023, 7:21
@diezcilindros @esploratore1
Monza is the outright fastest circuit, so that’ll definitely be good for them, alongside Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka, Losail, & LV, which are all among the ten fastest current circuits in F1.
Zandvoort isn’t truly a slow circuit like Marina Bay Street Circuit or Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez among the remaining ones.
However, as they performed well at Hungaroring, they should also perform well on those two circuits.
Yas Marina Circuit, COTA, Interlagos, & previously mentioned Zandvoort go in between, so all around, all remaining eleven circuits should be good or at least okay for them.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th July 2023, 7:15
Unfortunately, for Circuit de Catalunya, Madrid’s likely addition later this decade will probably mean the road’s end for that circuit in F1 unless both would host annually because bi-annual hosting is economically unviable for temporary circuits.
Running the entire 7.004 km track length is a nice tribute gesture.
I was initially skeptical whether Mclaren could gain any further positions in the constructor standings, I ultimately ended up agreeing with the COTD-nominated response in that overhauling at least AM is relatively likely as they’ve mostly been reliant on a single driver scoring good points.
Ferrari can easily throw away good opportunities, so indeed also a possibility in eleven GPs.
SadF1fan
28th July 2023, 8:13
Ironic that Günther “Upgrades are overrated” Steiner is inspired and motivated by the upgrades of Mclaren.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
28th July 2023, 10:59
It will be very interesting to see if McLaren can maintain their recent level of performance. However, they seem to have been successful on two very different circuits. I think COTD is a reasonable analysis.
Who knows how consistent Ferrari will be either. Their performances vary a lot and they make bad decisions.