In the round-up: Giancarlo Fisichella is supporting a bid by the nation of Tanzania to build a Formula 1-standard race track.
In brief
Fisichella backing Tanzania grand prix track bid
Former Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella is consulting on an effort to build a Formula 1-spec race track in Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania.
In a post on social media, the Italian Consulate of Tanzania said that the former Ferrari, Force India and Renault driver was consulting on a bid to create a €500m race circuit in the area.
Construction on the proposed project is due to begin later next year with initial work completed “by the end of 2027.”
Buhler gets ART FREC seat
Lena Buhler, who finished runner-up in the inaugural F1 Academy season last year, will compete in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 with ARTThe 26-year-old will race in the FREC for the third time in four years. She ran most of a season in 2021 and just two rounds in 2022, both with the R-Ace GP team.
The Sauber junior driver will race with the ART team in the championship, which begins in May at Hockenheim.
Wisnicki named final Rodin F3 driver
Piotr Wisnicki will be the third and final driver for the Rodin team (formerly Carlin) in this year’s Formula 3 championship.
The 20-year-old was named by the team yesterday, completing their line up for 2024 alongside Callum Vosin and Joseph Loake. Wisnicki competed in the opening eight races of last season, taking a best finish of 18th in the Monaco sprint race.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
The thorny geographical issue hanging over new Haas boss (Speedcafe)
'How to get the best out of a team operating out of three different countries has long been an issue for Haas, one which has become a geographical thorn in its side the longer time has gone on. Its primary base is in Kannapolis, North Carolina, where administrative matters are overseen, and whilst not directly involved in the function of the race team, still plays a vital role in the day-to-day running of the entire operation. The race team is then split between two factories in the United Kingdom and Italy.'
Biggest UK Taxpayers 2024 (The Times - paywall)
'Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone appears in second place on the list, after paying £650m in tax and penalties to Britain's Revenue and Customs service to avoid jail after it was discovered he failed to acknowledge keeping more than £400m in a trust in Singapore when asked by the authorities.'
Haas F1 Team knitted driver's suit sweepstakes (Starlight US via Rally Up)
'One super fan and lucky winner will receive a one-of-a-kind MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver's suit. And not just any driver's suit: a KNITTED driver's suit worn by Kevin Magnussen himself in MoneyGram’s holiday campaign. Proceeds benefit Starlight Children's Foundation, a non-profit on a mission to deliver happiness to seriously ill kids and their families, ensuring that hospitals are easier places for kids to be'
Former racing driver David Coulthard looking for first female F1 world champion (ITV)
''There’s thousands of boys go into karting every year with the hope of being Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, but there's only a handful of girls go into karting because they don’t get encouraged to do it in the same way or they don't believe there's a route towards having a career at the other side of it. So what we want to do is encourage more young girls into karting.''
CEVA Logistics extends worldwide relationship with Ferrari (CEVA)
'As a Team Partner of Scuderia Ferrari, the CEVA Logistics logo will remain on Scuderia Ferrari's new 2024 single-seater, on the team's vehicles, and on the equipment and clothing of the drivers and racing team. Scuderia Ferrari's new 2024 single-seater will be unveiled on Feb. 13. In addition to its brand exposure in the Formula 1 World Championship, CEVA Logistics will be visible in other series, such as the GT Ferrari Challenge.'
'The group comprises of live sports and non-scripted production company Whisper, Chapter 3 Graphics and East Media and secured the investment of Sony Pictures Television in February 2020. Whisper, which recently announced that it will continue to produce Channel 4’s F1 coverage until 2026, has operations in London, Cardiff, Maidenhead and Salford. For the year to March 31, 2023, Whisper Films posted a pre-tax loss of £334,682 compared to a profit of £624,646 in the prior 12 months. However, its turnover jumped from £46.3m to £57.4m over the same period.'
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
Lando on why he renewed his contract. 🧡
And some words on our Team Principal, Andrea Stella. 👊
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) January 26, 2024
Great to have Lando sign a multi-year contract with the team beyond 2025!
Looking forward to making many more memories with the most exciting driver line-up on the grid!! pic.twitter.com/UhrYhhBv9i
— Zak Brown (@ZBrownCEO) January 26, 2024
So, after all that, the 10 Formula 1 teams of 2024 are:
Red Bull
Mercedes
Ferrari
McLaren
Aston Martin
Alpine
Williams
RB
Sauber
HaasAnd Andretti are still waiting to find out whether they'll get to join in…#F1
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) January 26, 2024
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Comment of the day
Is it surprising that Lando Norris isn’t seeking a move to a power unit manufacturer for 2026 and sticking with McLaren instead? No, says Tristan…
He’s the established number one at a team he likes and can perform well with. It would be different if he was constantly stuck around the bottom of the top ten, but his stock as a driver is doing nothing but rise with McLaren thanks to the performance he can put in with them.
A move would be a massive career risk and he’s seen first hand how dangerous that can be thanks to Daniel Ricciardo.
If or when he does make a move, it makes sense for it to be a “sure thing” established championship contender that will pay a premium to improve their driver stock, not taking a one-in-six gamble on who might get the new regulations right.
Tristan
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Shelley Lee, Tnfox and David Clifford!
SteveR (@stever)
27th January 2024, 5:02
Ha! For some reason I read the title as Tasmania, probably because of the old Tasman series.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
27th January 2024, 10:39
A Grand Prix at Symmons Plains would be worth watching, if only for the novelty. Sub-40 second lap times, anyone?
Nick T.
27th January 2024, 5:55
Fisi couldn’t find his grid slot half the time. Doubt he fan Tanzania.
Mr A
27th January 2024, 10:51
+1 :’)
Nick T.
29th January 2024, 18:52
doubt he can find Tanzania*
Tristan
27th January 2024, 14:39
€500m race track in… *checks google maps to be sure* Tanzania?!?! What?
Surely this will turn out to be some pie in the sky corruptly funded project that ends up half complete and abandoned, right?
That’s a heck of a lot of money considering it’s roughly the same budget as CotA but the country has only .2% of the US GDP.
If they manage to pull it off and get a GP, that will be incredibly impressive.
Ankita
28th January 2024, 5:20
Do you think that’s the only way to have a project in Africa ?
José Lopes da Silva
28th January 2024, 10:33
You’re approach is quite problematic. What do you mean by “Africa”? Tristan was talking about Tanzania. Said the “the country has only .2% of the US GDP.” Not sure if it’s correct, but it’s clear we’re not talking about Africa.
Do you know that there are 54 countries in Africa? Each one with their challenges, circumstances and approaches? To mix the huge diversity of the continent into a single “Africa” label doesn’t seem right to me.
Ankita
30th January 2024, 13:15
You missed the point …
some racing fan
31st January 2024, 6:15
An F1 GP in Zanzibar? Wow talk about a spectacular pipe dream