Motorsport News February 24, 2022

It was very convenient for the tabloid press to scream from the sports pages last week that Michael Masi had been “sacked” from his role as Formula 1’s race director. He will be found another role within the FIA infrastructure, so he hasn’t been shown the door. That detail seems to have been missed by many. But the changes to the way Formula 1 races are managed from race control has been welcomed by most, and particularly by Lewis Hamilton. The results of the full investigation into what happened in Abu Dhabi have been delayed (hence no blame has been laid squarely at Masi’s door just yet), but the shake-up in the structure of race control has been rubberstamped. At the launch of the new Mercedes W13 Hamilton said that…

Lewis Hamilton says he is determined the controversy that surrounded the end of last season’s Formula 1 title battle will not be one of the defining moments of his grand prix career. The seven-time World title winner missed out on the 2021 crown when a call from race control late on in theAbu Dhabi race gave rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, an opportunity to overtake on the very last lap. Hamilton maintained a low public profile since the defeat, fuelling speculation that he could walk away from the sport, but the Briton insisted he was ready for the 2022 battle. At the launch of the W13, he said: “Of course at the end of seasons you think and the question is whether you’re willing to commit the time and the effort that it…

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that his team is not guaranteed success despite having claimed the last eight straight F1 constructors’ titles. It launched the W13 last week before heading to Silverstone for its initial running in the hands of 2022 drivers Lewis Hamilton and new team-mate George Russell. The car will revert to its traditional silver livery after having run in black for the last two seasons. “The mindset of the team has always been the same over the last few years, that the point count goes back to zero,” said team principal Wolff. “There is nothing from the previous years that will make you win the current championship. No credits to be taken, but also no sense of entitlement. “Like every year, we are sceptical, whether we have done a good enough…

Michael Masi will no longer be the F1 race director in a shake-up of how grands prix are operated by the FIA. Masi (right) came under the spotlight after the controversial decisions at the end of last December’sAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.Alate-race safety car followed the incorrect procedure and, subsequently, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton and claimed the World title. The new race directors will be sportscar man Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, who has DTM experience. The pair will alternate the position. Herbie Blash will return to race control in the role of permanent senior advisor on a full-time basis. To further strengthen the system, FIApresident Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also announced that there will be a remote race control away from the track itself, which it likened to the VideoAssistant Referee in…

The wraps came off the new livery for the 2022 AlphaTauri, the AT03, as MN closed for press on Monday last week. While the initial images were based on a show car, the machine will hit the track in Barcelona this week. Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly will handle the car. Gasly said: “This year sees a huge change to the car as, due to the new regulations, the look and design is completely different. We won’t know the true performance of the AT03 until we get it out on track at pre-season testing in Barcelona but so far, I think it looks great.”…

Ferrari bosses say it could take a few races for it to exploit the strengths of its new F1-75, which was launched last week. The new machine, which features a novel solution to the nose section, will be driven by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in 2022. The pair got their first taste of the new machine, which has red and black bodywork, during a short demonstration run at Fiorano last week Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto said that progress on the F1-75 would be incremental as the squad got to grips with the new machines, which feature ground effect to generate much of its downforce, as well as new 18-inch wheels. Binotto said: “At the very start, there will be a lot of lap time to be found in the way that…