All the latest from the racing world!
F1
Further to the rumours about two teams having found a major breakthrough with the new regulations, which I reported last week. It is apparently Ferrari, who are claiming that Alpine and Mercedes are the teams that have done it. How Ferrari know that a competitor has an edge at this point I do not know, it could just be them trying to stir the pot a bit. That being said, Alpine and Mercedes could feasibly be the sort of teams to make a big gain for next season, with the strength both teams have, being manufacturers. I do not know anything beyond this so far, and look forward to passing on more information in the future.
Both Ferrari drivers will have equal status for 2022 according to the team. If this is true, it is a logical one, as Sainz has showed himself to be a match for Leclerc in a lot of cases. Charles does sometimes have a bit more raw pace than Carlos, however, some of that could be down to the car being built around Charles. In other Ferrari news, Mick Schumacher is now the reserve driver for Ferrari, with Giovinazzi leaving F1.
Formula E
Even before Gen3 has begun, talk is already beginning for the Gen4 rules, with suggestions of the series moving to hydrogen fuel cells, to try and bring back some manufacturers. This does seem to be the next step in the evolution of electric vehicles, because of the by-products and resources available. For that reason, it could be a lifeline for the series, which is starting to lose momentum, especially commercially.
Talking of losing momentum, Porsche has opened up about their interest in battery development for Formula E. Currently each team gets a standard battery supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering, which again limits the development potential of the car. If Formula E did open it up, yes it might make the racing less competitive as teams find gains over each other, yet it would bring in more companies to the series, and help the future of electric vehicles, as competition brings out the best in R&D.
MotoGP
In a rather surprising comment, Miller has said that the speed of the rookies in MotoGP makes him nervous. This does hint that he feels he cannot fight with them at the front of the sport, and a lack of confidence will never bring results. He particularly referenced his Ducati teammates, such as Bagnaia, Martin and Bastiannini.
Other News
Johnson and the No. 48 Cadillac will return for the full IMSA season, once again with Ally sponsorship. The livery is stunning, and it will be exciting to see if Johnson can make further progress in his second year. Kobayashi will return to the team, giving himself even more work to do in 2022, along with Rockenfeller. Fellow Toyota driver Lopez will come over to America for Daytona, and likely give the team even more experience for the big race of their season.
-M
Meaning of Motorsport 