Autosport 5/5/2022

Formula 1 has had a tumultuous time in the United States. Although Watkins Glen and Long Beach were successful venues, it was difficult for F1 to make a deep, lasting impression in a country with so much high-level domestic competition. And there have been silly misfires, such as the 2005 farce when only six cars started at Indianapolis. But now F1 really does seem to have cracked America. As Matt Kew shows in our special on page 16, various factors have contrived to make that happen, with two new races and the attempts by the Andretti team to join the championship showing how far F1 has come. It’s difficult to know exactly what to expect for the new Miami Grand Prix this weekend, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Interest is…

FORMULA E Formula E has unwrapped its striking new Gen3 machine, which will be raced from the 2022-23 season, in an event at last weekend’s Monaco E-Prix round. A stylistic departure from the venerable Gen2 car, the dart-shaped Gen3 features a number of new mod cons within its ‘fighter-jet inspired’ design, and its accompanying technical facts and figures are impressive. The car is powered by a 350kW motor, and Formula E estimates that it can yield speeds of up to 200mph – although it’s unlikely we’ll see that velocity on track. The seven manufacturers on board for next year will be obliged to produce that motor. At the front, Formula E has introduced a standard 250kW motor that only features for regenerative purposes – that’s 600kW of regenerative potential that drivers will have…

FORMULA 1 Volkswagen says that the planned Formula 1 entries for its Porsche and Audi marques in 2026 will be the “last chance” for a decade as it edges closer to announcing its entry. The VW Group confirmed last month that it would only give the final green light to entering F1 with Porsche and Audi once the new engine regulations, set to come into force in 2026, are finalised by the FIA. Porsche is widely expected to link up with Red Bull in 2026 when the next generation of power units comes into force. Red Bull previously worked with Honda as its works supplier, but has since formed its own powertrains division following the Japanese manufacturer’s exit from F1. Audi has been linked with a number of teams including McLaren, Williams and…

FORMULA 1 Formula 1’s plans to increase the number of sprint races from three to six in 2023 have hit a roadblock after the FIA prevented the vote going through, sources have revealed. At a meeting of the F1 Commission in London last week, plans by F1 owner Liberty Media to increase the number of sprint events met little resistance from teams. When the matter came down to getting the majority support it needed, the unanimous backing from the competitors and FOM was not enough to push it through because the FIA did not support the plan in its current guise. For the sprint expansion to take place, it needed what is known as a ‘simple majority’ of 25 votes from the 30 on offer between the teams (10), the FIA (10) and…

WEC Alpine’s grandfathered LMP1 car has been pegged back for this weekend’s World Endurance Championship round at Spa after its victory in March at the Sebring 1000 Miles. The Gibson-engined A480 will run with a reduction of 20kW (26bhp) from the series opener. The revised Balance of Performance for the ORECA design, which started life as the Rebellion R-13, comes after it largely dominated round one of the championship with Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negrao. The car was approximately a second clear of the Toyota and Glickenhaus Le Mans Hypercars during the race at the Sebring International Raceway. Toyota drew back from criticism of the BoP for Sebring, but suggested that the system used by the rulemakers – the FIA and the Automotible Club de l’Ouest – may not have correctly…

Lamborghini has taken the wraps off the second evolution of its Huracan GT3 to be released to customers in time for the 2023 season. The EVO2 follows the first update of the car introduced for 2019, and arrives one year after sister marque Audi’s R8 LMS GT3 Evo II. The revisions include a new aero concept based on the styling of the new Huracan STO, and the car is distinguished from its predecessor by a roof-mounted engine air-intake snorkel. Existing Huracan GT3 Evos can be upgraded to the latest specification. Deliveries will start in the second half of this year.…