In the round-up: Esteban Ocon talks up Alpine’s Belgian Grand Prix weekend after their biggest points haul of 2022
In brief
Ocon hails Alpine’s best weekend of the season
Esteban Ocon has picked out last weekend’s Belgian GP as Alpine’s best of the season and his best since joining the team in 2020.The 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner was fifth-fastest in qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps but grid penalties meant he started 16th. He made his way back up to seventh by the end of the race – with a three-wide pass down the Kemmel Straight on the way – while team mate Fernando Alonso finished fifth from third on the grid.
“I think it’s been our best weekend of the year so far and probably since I joined the team,” Ocon said. “I think the update that we brought here, how the car was performing, definitely there is no comparison to how we were, even in Budapest.
“I’m very, very impressed, there’s still more tools for us to come, so that’s definitely giving us a boost of confidence for the rest of the year.”
Ocon added he was “really disappointed” that he had to start the grand prix from 16th, as “I knew we were going to be fast”.
Tsunoda coy on his Honda future but confident of 2023 seat
Yuki Tsunoda is yet to be confirmed as racing for AlphaTauri in Formula 1 next year, but the Red Bull and Honda junior driver does not have doubt that he will not retain his seat for a third season.
“I cannot say anything about that [Honda’s involvement in my future], but I know what things that kind of trigger or will trigger that upon next year’s contract.
“For the moment I cannot say [details], just have to drive. For myself, the things I can do now is just to focus on myself and just make the results.”
The Japanese driver is currently 16th in the standings, and has not scored since May’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Andretti and Dennis continue Formula E partnership
Jake Dennis will continue to race for Andretti Autosport in Formula E next season, the first of the series’ Gen3 era.
For the 2022-23 campaign, Andretti will switch from BMW to Porsche for powertrains and Dennis is the first driver to be confirmed as racing for the team next year. He has won three races and claimed three pole positions in his first two FE seasons with the team, and had been courted by rivals before electing to remain with the Anglo-American outfit on a new multi-year deal.
“I started my FE journey with Andretti and I’m excited to continue to work with the team that has continued to support my career in this series,” said Dennis. “Season nine with the Gen3 era is an exciting time for all teams, and for us in particular with the new relationship with Porsche supplying the powertrain.”
Schumacher returns to F2
David Schumacher, son of grand prix winner Ralf and cousin of current F1 racer Mick, will return to the FIA Formula 3 grid at Zandvoort this weekend with Charouz Racing.
The DTM driver has already been called up by the team once this year to race, at Imola, and will be a stand-in again as Charouz’s recent signing Christian Mansell has to return to his Euroformula campaign which has a clashing round.
”Imola [was] a difficult weekend but we definitely had the pace, so I’m really positive that we’re gonna have a great potential at Zandvoort too,” Schumacher said. “I know the track from last year and that could be a little advantage, also given that the weather situation could be variable and open different scenarios.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Palou explains decision behind his effort to leave Ganassi for McLaren (source)
'What started in June as private conversations between Ganassi officials about his desire to break away from CGR at season’s end grew weeks later into a public, contentious back-and-forth – and finally a civil lawsuit that’s now entered federal court.'
F1 Manager 2022 – Patch Notes (F1 Manager)
'UPDATE 1.6 Released on August 31, 2022 for Steam and Epic Games Store. Console versions are currently in review with platform holders, with an expected release during the week commencing September 5.
AI: further adjustments to AI teams’ behaviour when signing reserve drivers
Cars: Fixed issue with livery appearance on Scuderia AlphaTauri and Oracle Red Bull Racing cars
Car Parts and Development : Fixed issue causing any newly-fitted gearboxes to incorrectly inherit the wear/damage levels of the previous gearbox.'
Maiden F1 free practice outing caps Lawson’s impressive Spa weekend (Formula Scout)
'Shortly after driving the AlphaTauri AT03 in Belgian Grand Prix FP1, Lawson gave Formula Scout his first impressions of the experience in the paddock.
'It was really, really cool,' he buzzed. 'Of any of the tracks you can drive on, Spa has got to be one of the most iconic, especially with an F1 car. I enjoyed it a lot.''
2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship calendar revealed (F1)
'The 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship, presented by Aramco, is almost here – and 10 teams and 30 drivers will once again battle for the titles over the coming months, beginning in just a few weeks and concluding in December.'
IndyCar’s Ed Carpenter Wasn’t Going To Let Rinus VeeKay Get Away (Forbes)
'There was another young talent who quietly negotiated a deal with his agent, Adrian Sussman, and will return to the team that gave him his IndyCar start in 2020.'
Gillian Henrion to replace injured Axel Gnos at Red Bull Ring (Formula Regional Europe)
'The Swiss is not yet fully fit to race and will step back to be ready for Barcelona. The seat will be taken by Gillian Henrion, who raced the Tatuus T-318 race car in the 2020 FRegional European Championship. Back then, Henrion captured 17 points finishes out of 23 races on his way to P10 in the driver standings.'
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.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
3⃣ Seasons
4⃣2⃣ Races
7⃣ Wins
2⃣2⃣ Podiums
2⃣ World Drivers' Championships
2⃣ World Teams' Championships
6⃣4⃣7⃣ PointsThe @MercedesEQFE journey ends here. And what a journey it's been. 💙⚡️ pic.twitter.com/bNIInQ30Bl
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) August 31, 2022
Introducing our line-up for the 2022 #F1Esports Pro Championship:
🇮🇹 @MB_Whitelilac
🇬🇧 @JohnEvansF1
🇩🇪 @CRGSimonWith an exciting combination of experience and fresh talent, we can’t wait for the season to begin. 💪
Tap below for more. ⬇️
— AMF1 Esports (@amf1esports) August 31, 2022
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨 | 🇬🇧 @JamieChadwick will test an @IndyLights car with @FollowAndretti next month as she explores opportunities for 2023!
The @WSeriesRacing star will try out a Dallara IL-15 at Sebring after the season finale.
Full story: https://t.co/JwFdIOSoQ1
— F1 Feeder Series (@F1FeederSeries1) August 31, 2022
🚨@redbullracing sim test & dev driver 🚀 After doing some days in the past years it’s time to scale it up!
A new and exciting route for me 2023 and onwards. More sim work at one of the coolest workplaces I can possibly think of! Don’t worry, I’ll still be racing myself 😎💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/jc2oOsyOai
— Rudy van Buren (@RvBuren) August 31, 2022
🚨Driver Announcement @sebasmontoya58 will be part of our F3 line up for the #DutchGP
Sadly @hunteryeany is still not 100% recovered and will not join the team this weekend
We hope Sebastian will be able to adapt well to the car over the weekend and enjoy his @FIAFormula3👏 debut pic.twitter.com/WxbW4mhIpI— Campos Racing (@CamposRacing) August 31, 2022
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5atKYM4g5/
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Mercedes revealed Lewis Hamilton‘s Belgian GP crash came in at 45G, and although it did result in him heading to the Spa medical centre is it was a visit he initially refused. While the impact force may not have been a surprise due to the rate of deceleration, that Hamilton did not immediately head to be checked up did raise eyebrows.
The incident was hard enough to set off the FIA-mandated G-force alarm, which means a mandatory medical check-up for the driver. The stewards issued a warning to Hamilton and by their own admission he wasn’t the only driver to have done so this season. Is it that hard to tell drivers that if they fail [to attend] a mandatory medical check they will get their licence suspendedTifoso1989
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Chris Sz, Meander, Glaszwiebel and Erzen!
On this day in motorsport
- 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher dominated the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, leading Rubens Barrichello in a one-two for Ferrari
S
1st September 2022, 3:39
CotD is spot on.
Such ‘flexibility’ in applying the rules (any and all of them) in and around F1 is the primary reason the rules keep being broken. Nobody does, or needs to, have any respect for them.
If the rule says “If the sensor is triggered, go directly to the medical centre” then then should be an immediate licence suspension – or at the very least a huge, meaningful penalty – for not doing so.
Who knows what effects he may have suffered afterwards with delayed onset when the adrenaline wore off. And he’d probably take legal action against them for it.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
1st September 2022, 7:04
Don’t worry, he is going to be suspended for wearing jewelry!
Or maybe they have their priorities wrongly sorted. I also wonder as someone pointed out if it would be the same if somehow he, or rather the car, was able to continue driving the rest of the race.
S
1st September 2022, 7:30
That would be totally satisfying – if only to see the rules being applied properly.
Health and safety – particularly in such a high profile setting, and involving such litigious people – is never the wrong priority.
I would hope that the G-sensors would stream through telemetry back to the FIA and the teams. As soon as that is received, there would be a black flag waiting for them.
And if that isn’t the case, why isn’t it…?
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
1st September 2022, 7:05
Alpine looks like a title contender after they lost Fernando.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st September 2022, 7:35
Tsunoda’s words are from last Thursday, so including them on that day’s (or the following’s) Round-up would’ve been more up-to-date relevant than seven days, belatedly.
The fourth ‘In brief’ paragraph headline misled me.
Suspending a license over a non-sporting infraction would be a bit harsh, but otherwise, I get the point of wanting drivers to go through medical checking just in case.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
1st September 2022, 8:55
Happy for Jamie. Indy Lights might be a good place for her to go. I don’t think anyone is excited by the idea of another W Series season.
I do hope she doesn’t feel like she’s carrying an entire gender on her shoulders, I could understand if she did feel that way. In some regards you could argue she carries far more pressure on her than what Red Bull are trying to insulate Max from.
If anything you could say Max has the easiest job in the world right now. He could probably stop for a selfie with fans and still grab the win.
Dan G (@dang)
1st September 2022, 11:59
Give the current trajectories of Alpine and McLaren, I still can’t for the life of me understand why Piastri turned down a drive at Alpine. Unless it’s just about pay — McLaren have deep pockets, and he is the hottest driver talent in the market. Still, saying “non” to a seat so definitively will have greatly weakened his bargaining power.