All the latest news from the racing world!
F1
There is uncertainty about the Sprint Race format for this year’s season, apparently there have been disagreements over the money that the teams will receive for doing them. As I said before, I have no strong opinion either way about them, they do bring more action, but also take something away from the main race, so let’s see what happens.
McLaren have confirmed that talks have taken place with the VW Group, over a potential link up in 2026, when Audi and Porsche may join the sport. VW are looking at the new engine regulations as an opportunity to come into F1, and will either use their Audi brand to give McLaren engines, or Porsche to give Red Bull engines. Either option would be great news for the sport, as having 4 engines manufacturers is the ideal position for F1, and bringing in one of those iconic brands to F1, would boost the sport in many ways.
For those who haven’t seen the released launch dates for the F1 teams, Aston Martin will be first on the 10th of February, followed by McLaren on the 11th, then Ferrari will be on the 17th with Mercedes the day after, a few days before pre-season testing begins.
IndyCar
Daly is back at Ed Carpenter Racing once again with year; however, he is doing the full season with them. Ed will still do the ovals, but in a third car now. This multiyear deal gives great security to Conor, who can hopefully thrive now in the sport. His sponsor is a cryptocurrency company, Bitnile.
Tatiana Calderon will race the road and street courses for AJ Foyt Racing, which will be 12 rounds this year. The car will be sponsored by ROKiT, and it is brilliant to see a woman back in IndyCar, which has often been the most diverse sport between men and women, although there is still a long way to go. I am sure she will do well too, given her exploits in Europe.
Various drivers have said that they want the next generation of IndyCar to be lighter than the current one, Dixon especially was quite damning, saying it feels like a junior formula car. They all seem to want a more agile and quick car, which took a back seat for the new regulations in 2018, with dirty air and looks being more important. I do think the drivers are right, however, the sport needs to get the balance right, as it could easily swing to far one way.
Formula E
The official Safety Car for the all-electric series will now be a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which takes over from the Mini which only lasted one season.
India has been announced as a potential venue for the 2022/23 season, with Hyderabad being the suggested location. Given the population of India, it would be a smart move to try and enter that market, and see if it will stick.
Other News
The Peugeot LMh car has been teased whilst testing at the Aragon circuit, the most striking part is the lack of a rear wing on the car, which is unlike the other LMh cars we have seen. It will be interesting to see how close Peugeot are to Toyota straight out of the blocks, especially with performance balancing.
Porsche too have been testing their new LMDh car, at their own testing track in Germany. The car was decked out in camo paint, to try and hide the exact shape of the bodywork. The test was apparently positive, and given they have a year to prepare for racing, they do seem very well prepared.
-M
Meaning of Motorsport 