GP Racing UK December 2022

It was always likely to happen, of course: a driver of Max Verstappen’s calibre would come along and not only perform a world championship masterclass, but also crash through an F1 record defined by excellence: that of the sheer number of wins in a season. There are those who point out, churlishly, that this was a growing possibility given the expansion of the season in recent years. Yes, there were only 18 races when Michael Schumacher racked up 13 wins in 2004; and, similarly yes, 19 when Sebastian Vettel equalled the record in 2019. Max nailed his 13th win this year in race 19 but, aside from the bare statistics, 2022 has felt less grindingly inevitable in terms of outcomes than either 2004 or 2013, in which both record-setting drivers enjoyed…

JUSTIN HYNES Justin explains why Max Verstappen’s path to a second world title wasn't as simple and straightforward as it appeared (p34) ANTHONY ROWLINSON A previously unpublished interview with Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, courtesy of our former editor, makes an interesting read (p44) LUKE SMITH A two-year stint as Fernando Alonso’s team-mate was one of the subjects Luke brought up in his chat with Esteban Ocon (p56) JAKE BOXALL-LEGGE Autosport’s technical editor details exactly what the snappily titled Aerodynamic Oscillation Metric is, and why it’s important (p52)…

Dedication’s what you need Max Verstappen became a record breaker again in Mexico, surpassing the benchmark of 13 grand prix wins in a season held jointly by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. At this track it’s always a bit of a lottery for photographers at the end of the race. You have to guess where the FIA will put out the number boards for the top three finishers inside the stadium section. I picked my spot about half way through the race, knowing it would be packed come the end and I’d have to fight to keep it. Luckily enough, Max parked opposite and looked right over me to the fans seated behind, which is what makes this frame. Where Mexico City, Mexico When 3.44pm, Sunday 30 October 2022 Details Canon EOS R3 70-200mm lens, 1/2500…

RED BULL HITS BACK AT SPORTINGCOST-CAP PENALTY 01 BREACH PENALTY POLARISES Is Red Bull’s fine too much or not enough? 01 A total of $7,450,000 in fines will be collected by the FIA from Red Bull and Aston Martin once proceedings are completed over the teams’ infringements of financial regulations in 2021. $450,000 of these will be paid into the coffers of the federation by Lawrence Stroll’s team. The rest will come from Red Bull. Yet when Christian Horner called the penalty “draconian”, he did not refer to the fine – but the sporting penalty his team has been issued as the only one that failed to meet the allocated 2021 budget limit. That Red Bull had committed an overspend last year was initially discussed during the Singapore Grand Prix – albeit at the…

Q1 Which was the last team, before Mercedes, to get two drivers onto the Abu Dhabi podium? Q2 George Russell has led three races in 2022 (pre-Brazilian GP). Which three are they? Q3 Which is the only race so far in 2022 where all 20 cars are classified finishers in the official results? Q4 Graham Hill won five Monaco GPs from 1963 to 1969. Which two drivers won the race in 1966 and 1967, the two years Hill didn’t win it? Q5 How many times has Daniel Ricciardo finished third in the drivers’ championship? Q6 Who am I? I started 163 GPs from 1983 to 1993 for Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan, winning three times and claiming a single pole. Q7 True or false: Brawn won more races in its one season in Formula 1…

@benedwardstv CAN FERRARI SOLVE ITS ABU DHABI HEX? Spectacular and distinctive aerial images are always a key part of Formula 1 TV coverage; one such eye-catching view in Abu Dhabi features the huge red roof of Ferrari World, a theme park adjacent to the Yas Marina Circuit. Inspired by the double curve of Ferrari’s GT cars, one section of the roof carries the famous Prancing Horse logo which overlooks the hairpin of the circuit at Turn 5; the handsome animal had a good view of Max Verstappen overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap in 2021 to wrap up the Max’s first title. That roof didn’t exist when the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place in 2009 but there wasn’t much for Ferrari fans to get excited about: both cars failed to…