Motorsport News October 13, 2022

While Max Verstappen’s march to a second Formula 1 World championship was not unexpected, he had to literally ride the storm at Suzuka last weekend. Amid the gloom and the downpours, he managed his race perfectly to do enough to lock away the silverware for another season. This one was far more clear-cut than last year’s bun-fight in Abu Dhabi, though the move that actually handed him the spoils was a last-corner error by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, rather than anything that Red Bull’s double champion could control. And that, in a microcosm, is the story of the year. The Prancing Horse, after such a promising start to the campaign – remember that Leclerc was 46 points ahead of Verstappen after the third round of the year – went lame. Mistakes crept…

If we ever needed a reminder about the over-complexity of the Formula 1 rulebook, then it was in the few minutes prior to the podium at Suzuka last weekend. Not many people – not even Max Verstappen or the Red Bull pitwall – were aware that he had been crowned World champion for the second time. Second-placed Charles Leclerc had cut across the final corner chicane on the last lap and blocked Sergio Perez as the pair raced across the line. He was subsequently given a five-second time penalty and demoted to third place. Despite only 28 laps of the scheduled 53 counting for the Japanese Grand Prix, the revised points scoring for truncated races did not come into play. Full points were awarded and Max’s title was confirmed to him, awkwardly, by…

Rising star Nyck de Vries will join AlphaTauri for his first full season in Formula 1 next term as a replacement for the outgoing Pierre Gasly. Dutchman de Vries made his grand prix debut in the recent Italian Grand Prix, where he stood in for the ill Alex Albon and took a ninth-place finish. He has previously driven for Mercedes in Formula E and will now form a relationship with Red Bull, the parent firm of the AlphaTauri operation. The 27-year-old said: “I want to thank Red Bull and the team for giving me the opportunity to drive in F1. F1 has always been my dream and I’m grateful to be able to fulfil it. I’ve had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that…

AlphaTauri racer Pierre Gasly has been supported after hitting out at the Japanese Grand Prix organisation as he came across a tractor on the circuit during an early stoppage. The red flag flew after two laps of the race after Carlos Sainz had crashed his Ferrari and Gasly, who had started from the pitlane and then pitted early, was the last driver on track. The Frenchman narrowly missed the stationary rescue truck on the left-hand side of the road. “What is this tractor on track?” Gasly shouted on team radio. “I passed next to it. This is unacceptable. Remember what has happened. Can’t believe this.” The last fatality in F1 was when Marussia driver Jules Bianchi crashed into a rescue vehicle in rain at Suzuka. He later died from head injuries. The FIA issued…

Australian Daniel Ricciardo has said that he will take a sabbatical from Formula 1 in 2023 and is working on a return to the grand prix grid the year after that. The Australian, who will be replaced at McLaren by Oscar Piastri next term, has run out of options with the news that Pierre Gasly has tied up a deal with Alpine and Nyck de Vries will head to AlphaTauri. While there are still seats open at Haas and Williams, Ricciardo is set to take a year out. “I think it’s now just [about] trying to set up for 2024,” said the 33-year-old. “I think that there could be some better opportunities then. So that’s really what all [these driver signings] confirm. “Certainly, the plan is still to be involved in F1. I’d…

Channel 4 and Sky Sports will both continue to broadcast Formula 1 in the United Kingdom after an extended deal was agreed last week. Sky announced before the recent Singapore Grand Prix that it had inked a new agreement which meant it would continue to show F1 until 2029. Channel 4 struck a deal with Sky to continue its free-to-air highlights package of each race into 2023 and it will also show the British Grand Prix live, as has been part of its recent agreement. Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon said: “It’s fantastic news that motorsport fans will be able to follow all the action during the 2023 Formula 1 season on free-to-air television thanks to this latest deal with Sky. Our strong, longstanding relationship with our excellent partner Sky has delivered…