Autosport 3/31/2022

Just two races in and it seems as though Formula 1 has its headline battle for 2022: Charles Leclerc versus Max Verstappen, Ferrari versus Red Bull. Both were impressive last weekend and the score is now 1-1. The events of last weekend raised several questions about whether F1 should be going to Saudi Arabia (see pages 4 and 13), but Sunday’s GP indicated that the new breed of F1 cars is capable of providing fine racing. And that Leclerc has the racecraft to take on Verstappen (p16). Maybe it’s too much to ask, but it would be good if Mercedes could make it a three-way fight sooner rather than later. We’ll take a look at what needs to happen for that to be possible next week. ● From this week’s issue, Autosport magazine’s…

FORMULA 1 Formula 1 drivers have called for talks over the future of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a missile attack near the track at last weekend’s event led to discussions of a potential boycott of the race. A missile launched by the Houthis, with whom Saudi Arabia has been in conflict for seven years, struck an Aramco oil facility less than 10 miles from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit midway through opening practice last Friday. Talks took place with the drivers shortly before FP2, which was delayed by 15 minutes, before longer discussions were held that evening. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem emerged from the first meeting saying that the weekend would continue as planned and be run safely, leaving the drivers to complete their routine drivers’…

FORMULA 1 AlphaTauri Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly was left screaming in pain and “dying inside the car” due to experiencing intestinal pain during last Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Gasly, who said that he struggled with the problem over the last 15 laps of the Jeddah race, managed to keep going and finish in eighth place. “It’s been the most painful last 15 laps of my entire career,” Gasly said immediately after the race. “I don’t know what’s happened with my intestine, but I was dying inside the car, I was screaming because of pain, and I’m just happy the race is done and we managed to secure the P8. “On braking and every left corner I had the feeling like there was someone stabbing inside the intestine, so it was not nice. “It…

FORMULA 1 Formula 1 supersub Nico Hulkenberg continued to deputise for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin for last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after the four-time world champion failed to return a negative COVID-19 test result. Vettel tested positive just before the Bahrain season-opener, prompting Aston to draft in reserve driver Hulkenberg for his first F1 start since October 2020. Vettel continued to test positive in the build-up to the Jeddah weekend, meaning Hulkenberg continued. Hulkenberg qualified 18th before finishing 12th, ahead of full-time Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, but lamented the timing of the safety car. “It’s unfortunate, but you can’t control these things,” he said. “I’m very pleased. I drove a clean race, faultless, which is all I could ask for given I’m the old rusty guy! “The last 10 days were…

BTCC The British Touring Car Championship’s new hybrid era got under way at Donington Park on Tuesday of this week with the first of three official pre-season tests, and the talk was of a driver who made his series debut when fuel cost just 58p per litre taking to the cockpit of one of the most competitive cars. Two-time BTCC champion Jason Plato, who holds the all-time series wins record on 97, appears to be in line to join BTC Racing to pilot a Honda Civic Type R, and had his first taste of the car once the fog, which caused a delayed start to the day, had lifted. BTC had stayed resolutely silent throughout the silly season while other deals were done and speculated. What was known was that Josh Cook, third…

The new Vanwall-badged Le Mans Hypercar built by World Endurance Championship stalwart ByKolles is ready to run. The Gibson-engined non-hybrid prototype christened the Vanwall Vandervell LMH had its entry for this year’s WEC rejected, but is set for a shakedown early in April at the Most circuit in the Czech Republic. Team boss Colin Kolles insisted that the car will be ready to race in the series next year if his squad “receives a welcome”. The new in-house design will also form the basis of a 1000bhp/1000kg hybrid road car and a trackday variant.…