In the round-up: Lando Norris says that McLaren’s pre-season testing programme has been a “huge amount” better than 2022 despite their relatively low mileage
In brief
McLaren’s pre-season a “huge amount better” than 2022 – Norris
McLaren covered the least distance of any team in the pre-season test in Bahrain last week, but Norris believes the team is in better shape than they were before the start of the 2022 season, when they suffered major brake problems.
“It’s a huge amount better than this time last year,” Norris said. “Of course a bit more focus on making sure we came here on top of everything, which I think we pretty much are. There’s been a couple of little setbacks here and there, but for the most part, the team has done a better job. We’re definitely in a better place.
“There’s still many things, to be honest, which we’ve been struggling with over the last few days. I guess we’ve been exploring – we’ve been trying a lot of different things with set ups. The car looks fairly similar, but still, there’s quite a few different things on the car. Fundamentally the car handles in a reasonably similar way to last year, which is I guess good in many ways, but also it still is evident where we have to focus on.”
Pirelli could mix compounds at Silverstone – Isola
Pirelli motorsport director Mario Isola says the F1 tyre supplier could switch up its tyre compounds for the British Grand Prix later this season.Pirelli have six compounds available for the 2023 season and have traditionally selected three compounds that are consecutive in their range. However, Isola says Pirelli may opt to mix up their compounds at high speed circuits like Silverstone.
“The older C1 – that is now called the C0 – was working well in Silverstone, Zandvoort, but not [in Bahrain] and not in Barcelona, for example,” Isola explained. “So the target was to develop a new C1 with more grip.
“So we have now the flexibility of having six compounds homologated also to pick different compounds and jumping a level. Silverstone could be C0, C2, C3 instead of C1, C2 and C3.”
Preparing for second year “much smoother” than rookie season – Zhou
Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu says preparing for his second season in Formula 1 feels considerably different to approaching his rookie season last year.
Zhou was the only rookie on the grid in 2022, making his debut with Alfa Romeo in Bahrain, where he finished in the points. He says returning as an experienced driver feels very different.
“I felt a huge difference, because you really feel what experience in Formula 1 can give you,” Zhou said.
“Firstly, when you start to be back on the track, you don’t take much time to be getting to know the car, feeling the confidence to push over one lap. You can be straight on it. So that’s kind of a good thing, that you can step already a step further and then perform that.
“We have the same crew, same engineers that know your driving style and know your preference of the car set up, working with you already for one year. So everything seems to be much smoother and easier.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Drugovich: 'AMR23 feels like a big step forward' (Aston Martin)
"It's quite difficult to maintain the focus throughout the year. I need to be ready all the time and have the mentality that, at any point, I could be racing – even though I might never race. It is difficult, but the most important thing is to stay calm and be prepared. One day the opportunity might come, so I need to be ready to do the best job that I can."
Drive to Survive Season 5 lowest so far for female representation (Females in Motorsport)
"In four episodes no women are identified at all. Formula 1 journalist Jennie Gow provides insight in four episodes but, in the other six, this is done by Will Buxton. Buxton’s colleague at F1, journalist Laura Winter, is shown interviewing the drivers in various episodes but is never named on screen."
Las Vegas, Miami and Austin will be the three most expensive grand prix races of 2023 (Daily Mail)
"It has been claimed that just the tickets and hotel prices for a weekend in Sin City for the November race will set an F1 fan back an eye-watering $7,051.55 on average."
Ricciardo missed but Gasly ‘no Brad Pitt’ (SpeedCafe)
"At the same time, what I say every time I go to do some filming – I’m no Brad Pitt. I’m Pierre Gasly. So I just try to be myself, and then after they have got the content they use what they want to use."
WEC: centenary Le Mans entry revealed! (FIA)
"Seven renowned manufacturers will have their eye on the prize in the premier class that will see a battle featuring the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Vanwall, Glickenhaus and Toyota. The Japanese marque will be aiming for its sixth consecutive win. Porsche will be target its 20th overall victory, while Ferrari returns to the top tier at Le Mans after a 50-year-long hiatus."
Seven things we learned in the first Cape Town E-Prix (Formula E)
"Heading into the Cape Town E-Prix weekend, it was no secret that this 2.921km street circuit would be quick. However, Nissan's Sacha Fenestraz took things to another level when he broke a Formula E record and set the fastest lap the championship has ever seen."
Campos Racing signs Lola Lovinfosse for 2023 F1 Academy season (F1)
"The French driver started in karts in 2018 in the IAME Winter Cup X30 Juniors. She competed in the Trofeo delle Industrie in 2019, achieving a top-10 finish. She also finished inside the top 15 in the 2020 WSK Champions Cup – OK. The 17-year-old then stepped up to single seaters in 2021. She debuted in the Spanish F4 Championship, accumulating vital experience in the junior category."
ALL ACCESS: Behind The Scenes With Valtteri Bottas On His Media Day! (F1 via YouTube)
"All Access goes behind the scenes with Valtteri Bottas as we capture all the content needed for the 2023 season."
Formula 2 Season Preview (The Side Pod via YouTube)
Former F2 racers turned IndyCar drivers Marcus Armstrong and Callum Ilott preview the F2 season in true Screaming Meals fashion.
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:
What a view 😍 Four epic angles from @GeorgeRussell63 driving W14 at Silverstone! pic.twitter.com/uYCxtfsL6D
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 27, 2023
The Honda RBPTH001.
Ready to fire up for the #BahrainGP with @redbullracing and @AlphaTauriF1 🔥 #Honda #F1 #RedBullRacing #AlphaTauri #HRC #HondaRacingCorporation #MaxVerstappen #SergioPerez #YukiTsunoda #NyckdeVries pic.twitter.com/QSE6VoCOiv
— Honda Racing Global (@HondaRacingGLB) February 27, 2023
Auto Club Speedway, meant a lot for me in my carrier. I won the Indy Lights championship there, my @IndyCar championship there and my last win in Indy Car so dar was there.
— Tony Kanaan (@TonyKanaan) February 27, 2023
I'm hoping other series keep the Barcelona chicane because I've commentated on several title deciders where the championship was won by a clash there 😆
— Ida (@wood_ida_) February 27, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
The news that the Circuit de Catalunya will drop the unloved final chicane for this year’s Spanish Grand Prix prompted much jubilation – including from @fer-no65…
At bloody last. Taking away these two corners back in 2007 was arguably the worst decision ever since the modifications at Hockenheim. And it didn’t produce anything.
I went to the track last year to watch some GT cars doing practice runs and we sat looking at the stadium part of the track. That bit before the chicane was so awkward looking, it’s downhill so you’ve got to go slower than you think otherwise you understeer off, and then you switch back to the chicane. It’s such a slow and uninspiring bit of track, I’m so glad it’s finally gone!
Fer no.65
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Bastardo, Kevin, Lame2741, Shminder Chatha and Mitzi!
Dane
28th February 2023, 2:16
“In four episodes no women are identified at all”
Netflix isn’t the Human Resources Department of the F1 paddock. It’s not their job to put women in F1. All the women team principals are gone now and there’s no women drivers so what do people expect? Should we add some in with CGI to make the critics happy?
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
28th February 2023, 7:17
I went to the hospital the other day and as a man I felt very unrepresented there.
Cranberry
28th February 2023, 8:10
“Should we add some in with CGI to make the critics happy?”
HEY! HEY! I think you may be onto something with that. Finally a way for everyone to curate their personal existence in accordance to their own specific brand of insanity. Just slap on some AR glasses, and before you know it, the correct amount of anime waifu representation is all around you.
Unless it was Kalteborn or Williams, why would the viewers give a hoot about some reporter’s opinion, or name for that matter. Chandhok’s stint in F1 was so long ago, his opinion is barely relevant these days.
Jay
28th February 2023, 8:13
If the worst thing about DTS is no women representation then I’m going to have to queue it up. They should have showed some of the grid girls.. oh wait a second.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
28th February 2023, 9:25
Bring back the grid girls !
Simon Lacey (@bootlace)
28th February 2023, 13:53
I’d be happy to drop Will Buxton
Maryton
2nd March 2023, 7:39
+1
Martin (@f1hornet)
28th February 2023, 14:07
I haven’t watched all of the current series, so maybe they do this, but I would be interested to hear more stories from other characters in F1. It’s always the drivers and team principles, but it would be great to see what a week is like in the life of a mechanic or even someone who’s just stuck back at the factory. How has their year been? What’s their experience of an F1 weekend? What’s their story? I know they’re still overwhelmingly male, but there would also be some female stories there.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th February 2023, 5:45
Seemingly, not much better, though.
Like, most recently in last season’s Australian GP with C2-C3-C5.
I’m surprised that some even care how much female representation occurs in DTS.
The argument for hoping other series keep the dreadful chicane is somewhat weird.
Additionally, my sentiment fully matches the COTD.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
28th February 2023, 7:46
I’ve given up on figuring out what Honda – Red Bull – and Red Bull Powertrains relationship is. I’m just going to get my biro out and write ‘it’s complicated’.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
28th February 2023, 8:10
Totally agree with the COTD about Barcelona. That chicane was always seen as a poor knee jerk idea clumsily implemented.
But I’d like to fight the corner or the ‘new’ Hockenheim. I think the track there is great, it offers close racing, a nice stadium view and modern overtaking opportunities.
It’s only real fault is that it’s not the old Hockenheim – but tbh I can’t see the old Hockenheim being on the calendar with its layout. Monza was always going to claim the ‘temple of speed” title and the racing towards the end of the old layout was getting predictable. If I think of surprises it’s really a man walking on track or Berger’s wins, but they were both from pole.
The last 2 races there were all time greats. The start of Vettel’s final act in 2018 at home, the wonderful 2019 race with close punishing barriers but still a proper circuit.
When the changes were first made there was a lot of negatively which was understandable but it’s grown into a gold standard circuit for me. I love the modern+history dynamic.
It was a shame to lose the old Hockenheim but I’d rather have a modified one that none at all.
Cranberry
28th February 2023, 8:14
Why not just go all the way and put a proper long banking corner there, or 2 smaller corners with even stronger banking, it would be quite something as a last sector.
We already have Zandvoort, and Abu Dhabi’s new layout.
mayrton
2nd March 2023, 7:38
Is he referring to the catering?