Motorsport News December 22, 2022

This season will be remembered as a year of some significant benchmarks. Firstly, Kalle Rovanpera ripped up the form book in the World Rally Championship by belying conventional wisdom by winning the title while barely out of his teens, while Max Verstappen put together a season reminiscent of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in their pomp. In this issue, we reflect on both the World Rally Championship and the grand prix season and our experts answer the big questions of the campaigns just gone. While those are now committed to the record books, fans are left looking ahead to try and answer the posers that 2023 will inevitably throw up. Will Rovenpera be able to maintain his hot streak? Will Ott Tanak’s return to M-Sport be the boost that the British team needs? Can…

Rumours have linked Ford to a surprise comeback to grand prix racing and a possible partnership with Red Bull Racing. The Blue Oval was last involved with F1 through the ownership of the Jaguar team from 2000 until 2004, but after some poor results, the operation was sold to Red Bull. An increasing interest in grand prix racing in the United States is thought to be behind Ford’s renewed enthusiasm for the top-flight, although bosses of the car firm are not keen to take outright ownership of a team. Ford would rather link up with an existing operation, and the title-winning Red Bull Racing team fits the bill perfectly. Red Bull has created its own powertrain division and is currently working alongside Honda, but that relationship is due to end at the end…

Ferrari bosses believe new team principal Frederic Vasseur will be able to bring out the most from the team and its drivers after the Frenchman was named a Mattia Binotto’s replacement last week. Binotto tendered his resignation after a troubled 2022 when the Italian team failed to unlock the full potential from its car. Vasseur, the former boss of the ART Grand Prix team, switches over from Alfa Romeo’s grand prix attack. He has previously worked as team principal at Renault. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “Throughout his career he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams. This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.” The appointment of…

Outsed Formula 1 race driver Mick Schumacher has inked a deal to become the Mercedes reserve driver in 2023. The German, who lost his seat with Haas at the end of 2022, will conduct simulator work and will be on stand-by if he is needed to replace either of the regular drivers, George Russell or Lewis Hamilton. The 23-year-old, a Formula 2 and Formula 3 Euro champion, said: “I am committed to give it my all to contribute to their performance in this very competitive and professional environment. “I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto and everybody involved for putting their trust in me. F1 is such a fascinating world, and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and…

Williams has confirmed that the team’s chief executive officer Jost Capito has left his role with the squad, and technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison has also parted ways with the operation. Capito, who previously headed up Volkswagen’s successful attack on the World Rally Championship, joined Williams shortly after it was bought by Dorilton Capital group two years ago. No reasons have been given for either man’s departure. In a statement, Dorilton Capital chairman Matthew Savage said: “We would like to thank Jost for his hard work and dedication as we embarked on a major transformation process to begin the journey of reviving Williams Racing. “We’re grateful that Jost postponed his planned retirement to take on this challenge and now he will pass the reins on for the next part of this staged process.” Capito also…

Teenager Dexter Patterson will race for Team Hard in the British Touring Car Championship in 2023 in a Cupra Leon. The Scottish racer, 19, made his tin-top debut with the Laser Tools Racing team in an Infiniti Q50 in 2022 and finished 23rd in the standings with three points-paying outings. He will join Jack Sears Trophy winner Bobby Thompson in the Kent-based team after testing the hatchback in November. The former Formula 4 racer said: “Switching to the Cupra Leon was a no-brainer for me after the test I completed in November; the car felt really positive and provided me with a baseline that I can work with over the winter to move up the field and challenge for the Jack Sears Trophy. “Joining Bobby, who has previous experience in the car, is…