In the round-up: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc says that Mercedes will “definitely” be in the championship battle next season after a down year in 2022
In brief
Mercedes will “definitely” be in 2023 title fight, says Leclerc
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc says that Mercedes will “definitely” be in the championship battle next season after a down year in 2022.Mercedes sank to third in the constructors’ championship this season after struggling with porpoising with their W13 at the start of the season. The team recovered over the season to join Red Bull and Ferrari at the front of the field, with George Russell taking one race win in Brazil.
“I do believe that Mercedes will be in the fight,” Leclerc said. “We’ve seen how much they’ve improved from the first race to the last race. I think they understood what they did wrong. This is normally the sign that it will go better. So hopefully it will be a three team fight next year.”
Asked if he would prefer to have a three way battle at the front of the field rather than a duel, Leclerc said “of course.”
“But not only me, I think everybody,” he continued. “I think the more cars are involved, the closer the cars are, the happier the drivers are, because that’s when it gets interesting.”
Haas first team to confirm 2023 chassis homologation
Haas have become the first team to confirm their 2023 chassis has been officially homologated and has passed its mandatory FIA crash safety test.
All teams must have their cars fully homologated by the FIA before they are permitted to be run in testing or competition. In a post on social media, the team said that the “chassis and nose for the VF-23 have passed their FIA tests and are officially homologated – a significant landmark in the development of our 2023 car.”
The sole pre-season test for next year’s Formula 1 season will take place in Bahrain between February 23rd to the 25th.
Lawson to race Super Formula with Honda
Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson will race in next year’s Super Formula series in 2023 after signing with Honda-powered team Mugen.
Lawson, who competed in the last two seasons of Formula 2, had three Friday practice runs in Formula 1 this season with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. He also tested a Super Formula car at the recent pre-season test at Suzuka.
Lawson becomes the latest Red Bull junior to move into the Japanese single-seater series after racing in Formula 2, following the likes of Pierre Gasly.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
"Red Bull Racing are set to bring the noise of Formula One to the streets of Dublin next month as the team celebrate their successful 2022 season. Thirteen-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard will drive Sebastian Vettel’s RB7 car from the German’s championship-winning 2011 season along North Wall Quay on Sunday, January 15th."
Ayumu Iwasa to continue with DAMS for 2023 F2 title tilt (Formula Scout)
"My target is to challenge for the F2 title in 2023. We know we have the potential to achieve it, but we’re not looking too far ahead yet, instead concentrating on being ready for the start of the season. Thanks to DAMS for their faith and support and I can’t wait to get started in 2023."
The Best Gifts for Formula 1 Fans, According to Formula 1 Fans (New York Magazine)
"The gift recommendations below were vetted by Formula 1 experts and megafans, including podcast hosts, journalists, and meme accounts. You’ll find specific merch suggestions for popular teams and drivers alongside general gift ideas that would suit anyone who loves Formula 1 — from those who got addicted to the Drive to Survive drama during the pandemic to lifelong auto-racing obsessives."
New-Look line-ups ready to take to the track for Formula E pre-season test (FIA)
"With the arrival of the eagerly-anticipated Gen3 car, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is embarking upon an exciting new era in 2023 – and the forthcoming pre-season test in Valencia (13-16 December) will allow competitors to put the cutting-edge single-seater comprehensively through its paces and work through the evaluation of the new Gen3 systems."
WEC: Qatar set to join the schedule in 2024 (FIA)
"Revealed at an announcement ceremony in Doha this evening, the new six-hour endurance is expected to form the 2024 FIA WEC season-opener and will be staged at the Lusail International Circuit, located on the outskirts of the country’s capital Doha. The circuit is currently undergoing extensive renovation and remodeling of the paddock area and facilities. The WEC’s official pre-season test, more commonly known as The Prologue, is to take place in Qatar preceding the race."
From watching the Donegal Rally to pursuing dream career in motorsport (Donegal News)
"A young Donegal man who grew up watching his heroes compete in the Donegal International Rally has gone on to pursue a dream career in motorsport. Simon Breslin (24) from Ardara is a race mechanic with Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR), one of Europe’s most renowned auto racing development teams."
F1 Origins | Bruce McLaren's Incredible Rise And The Story Of McLaren (F1 via YouTube)
"Discover the story behind McLaren's rise! From the humble beginnings of Kiwi founder Bruce McLaren and his maiden F1 win on 12 December in 1959, to the incredible years of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, onwards to present day with Lando Norris and new signing Oscar Piastri."
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.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
We only had one year working together but in that time you were not just a Team Principal but also a great friend. Thank you Jost for your faith in me this year and all the support that that came with. Wishing you the very best in the future. pic.twitter.com/mhM4nTrDew
— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) December 12, 2022
Jost, thank you for having the trust and belief in me throughout my time in the academy and helping me on my path to F1. He gave me an opportunity to show my potential and race in Formula 2. He has been a great team leader, and I wish him the best in whatever the future may hold! pic.twitter.com/b3zdKnualg
— Logan Sargeant (@LoganSargeant) December 12, 2022
Welcome Maximilian . 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪 https://t.co/c5I46sk4ZE
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) December 12, 2022
We've been making the world dream since 1947. Tomorrow, some of those dreams will come true.#Ferrari pic.twitter.com/znUvJUJiXx
— Ferrari (@Ferrari) December 12, 2022
NEWS: In the new year, per the team, "Arrow McLaren SP" will be further known as "Arrow McLaren", including a new logo to go along with the dropped "SP" that represented Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson.
— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) December 12, 2022
New team, new Colors 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/ak9E9PAsOw
— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne) December 12, 2022
New car 🤩
New team 🖤💛@OliverTurvey has joined @DS_Performance alongside new driver line-up @SVandoorne and @JeanEricVergne as a reserve driver and Sporting Advisor for Season 9 ⚡— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) December 12, 2022
The votes are in… ✍️
After a mega year with #WSeries, the 2022 @Hankook_Sport Driver of the Year goes to @JujuNoda_Racing. 🤩
Congratulations, Juju. 🙌 🛞 pic.twitter.com/IZsz0haN18
— W Series (@WSeriesRacing) December 12, 2022
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
With champions Red Bull having to shell out £5m in entry fees for 2023, reader AlanD wonder if the sport would be better off with a more collective approach to its finances…
I’ve long felt that teams don’t go racing for the money. If they did, they do a remarkably bad job at it. I feel teams at the blunt end of the grid, like Williams, are hampered badly by lack of funds, because sponsors want to be associated with the sharp end, and that lack of funds means they don’t score points, and don’t get the prize money. But when it comes to race day, those small supporting teams are vitally important. We’d have a very poor championship if it was just six cars from RB, Merc, and Ferrari, because no-one else considered it worth competing, and it really does the sport no good at all when minor teams collapse and have a closing-down yard sale.
Would the sport as a whole be better, I wonder, if they did away with all these fees and payments and instead took the pot of revenue available from TV etc, took the FIA running costs out of that, and with the remainder, split it equally amongst all the teams, subject to them turning up at and starting races, to ensure they are building a car of race quality.
AlanD
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to David N and Siddharth!
S
13th December 2022, 6:36
Cotd – It’s not 1950 anymore, nor is it the local go-kart club beginners day.
F1 is marketing right from start to finish.
If it was about racing first and foremost, why did the teams all want the anti-dilution fund included in the Concorde Agreement, I wonder….?
BasCB (@bascb)
13th December 2022, 12:47
Yeah, I agree that the CotD seems to be a harking back to how it might have started 4 or 5 decades ago when Bernie got them together to do collective bargaining for TV money.
Also, since the cost cap, I actually think that most teams already in F1 can make a decent business case that can either be focussed on building value (factory, brand, know how but also their share of the F1 money and sponsorship associated with being in F1) or even turning a profit.
Jay
13th December 2022, 9:20
Audi coming in, Honda PU’s coming back in `26, Andretti wanting in, Porsche maybe wanting in. F1’s commercial position being the best its ever been! The fear of only 6 cars running in the championship is ludicrous! And with the cost cap, small teams have never had a better chance in F1.
I think the backmarkers have only themselves to blame, in the coming years.
Jere (@jerejj)
13th December 2022, 11:17
I truly hope so.
Lawson’s SF switch had been effectively certain for a little while already. He’ll be one of two non-Japanese drivers in next year’s campaign after both Fenestraz’s & G. Alesi’s departures, & Raoul Hyman’s (British-South African I’ve never heard about) arrival.
RBR has used RB7 for numerous demo runs since 2013, so nothing special about the championship reference.
Interesting COTD.