All the latest news from the racing world!
F1
The Sprint races have finally be decided for 2022, with there being 3 of them again this year. Imola, Austria and Brazil have been chosen as the venues for these events, the latter 2 being rather logical, however I fear a Sprint around Imola could be rather dull. F1 has listened though, and increased the number of points for the Sprint, and the number of drivers who will receive points, with the winner getting 8 points, and 8th getting a single point. This should help to promote racing in the midfield, which is a good thing.
Williams and Alpha Tauri revealed their 2022 liveries, with the Alpha Tauri one staying pretty similar, which looks great from the side on, but rather bland from the front. The Williams is an improvement over last year, and if the colours on the engine cover standout it will look good, but if not, it could be a bit bland too, despite the blue and red looking nice. Alfa Romeo have been seen testing too, with a camo livery, as their official launch is not till after the first test.
Last week Aston Martin and McLaren also launched their cars, with the former producing a stunning dark and lime green livery. The McLaren has divided opinion more, my view is that it would have been better with the gulf blue used at Monaco last year, so I think it is fine but not amazing.
As well as the major deal with Oracle, Red Bull have signed a $150 million deal with a cryptocurrency company. This shows how big it is to win the championship, and how much money it can bring to a team. In other news, drivers are highlighting concerns about the bigger tyres, and the lack of visibility they have. They are talking about not being able to see apexes as clearly, both on the simulator and in real life, I hope this is just something they have to adapt to, and not a bigger problem.
IndyCar
There was plenty of testing at Sebring over the past few days, as the teams gear up for the season opener in a few weeks’ time. Herta topped the first day, which had more teams running, which backs up their strength on street course style tracks. Meyer Shank were fastest on Day 2, who also use Andretti suspension components. Teams like AJ Foyt did well notably, so there is hope for them this season.
Marco Andretti has officially announced his entry in the Indy 500 this year, this was no surprise really, as it was his plan when he retired from full time racing, to still do the 500. Knowing how good he is there, especially in qualifying, he could have another chance to break the Andretti curse!
Something that was a surprise, was to see Magnussen driving at the IndyCar test for Chip Ganassi. We shouldn’t read too much into this, as it was likely a way for the team to get around the limited testing rules they have, but it shows that they are at least evaluating him for the future.
Formula E
Porsche have admitted that they did tell Wehrlein to up his pace, in order to make the race go a further lap. This shows the confidence of the team, and the statement they wanted to make to the others.
Other News
Hunter Reay, after leaving Andretti Autosport in IndyCar, will now join the Chip Ganassi team in IMSA, for the Sebring round of the championship. He should be able to adapt rather quickly to those prototypes, as they race rather like an IndyCar.
Peugeot is near to deciding over whether it will enter this years 24 Hours of Le Mans, the uncertainty is if they want to work more on the car before it is homologated. It would be a shame if they don’t make the race.
Loeb has conceded it would be difficult to resist another rally in the Ford Puma, if he got an opportunity to do so. He is a busy man with his other commitments, but surely if their schedules matched up, M-Sport would give him a car.
-M
Meaning of Motorsport 