Last week we saw three teams launching their 2022 cars : Williams, AlphaTauri and Ferrari

More blue for Williams

At their official launch, Williams only revealed their new livery on a show car – much like Red Bull. However, later on Tuesday, Nicholas Latifi drove a much different-looking machine at a sodden Silverstone.

Williams, one of F1’s most famous and historic manufacturers, are looking to maximise the much-changed rules to leap up the order this year after an improved eighth-placed finish in 2021, and start the new season with a new driver in Alex Albon after George Russell’s move to Mercedes.

Albon and team-mate Latifi were both present as Williams became the sixth team to launch their season. Willaims launched with an updated blue colour scheme kicking off a new F1 era with a nod to their past.

After three seasons at the bottom of F1 standings in 10th, Williams rebounded back to eighth last year.

With Russell replacing Valtteri Bottas after three years at Williams to join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, Albon steps into his shoes and will be expected to lead the team into a new era.

AlphaTauri 2022 : More same than different

Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri launched its 2022 car, with a revised livery.

AlphaTauri has been a podium finisher in each of the past three seasons as it has climbed the midfield ranks.

The 2022 regulations are a big test of what AlphaTauri can achieve in F1’s budget cap era. This will be done using its mix of in-house design and development and purchasing certain parts from Red Bull Racing.

That means the AT03 has Red Bull’s gearbox, rear suspension and hydraulics. And it has the Red Bull Powertrains-badged, Honda-developed engines.

Lead driver Pierre Gasly was among the six fastest qualifiers 16 times in 22 races last year. In fact, occasionally, he was ahead of the Ferraris and McLarens.

Team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has a more pressing challenge this year, as it was his tough rookie season in 2021 that meant AlphaTauri failed to make the most of its competitive car and slipped into – then lost – a battle for fifth in the championship with Alpine.

Ferrari 2022: Radical design, high expectations

Ferrari has launched the car it hopes can return to the front of the Formula One grid as a championship contender in 2022.

Ferrari’s new car, the F1-75, retains the team’s iconic red colours. However it has gone back to a more 1990s look with black front and rear wings.

On the design side, the team appears to have adopted similar sidepod louvres to the ones that caused a stir at Aston Martin’s launch and prompted comparisons on social media to cheese graters and shark gills.

Ferrari boasts one of F1’s strongest driver lineups in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who stay as teammates for the second season. Leclerc joined in 2019, the season he claimed his three F1 wins, while Sainz replaced Sebastian Vettel last season.

F1 hopes its new rule change will effectively reset the competitive order and create closer racing, although it is likely Mercedes and Red Bull will remain the teams to beat early on. The big question will be whether the likes of Ferrari and McLaren can close the gap from the midfield and move closer over the course of the season.

After failed championship challenges in 2018 and 2019, Ferrari struggled in 2020 and 2021. One potentially positive outcome of that was that the team was able to turn its attention fully to 2022 much earlier than the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull, who were locked in a championship fight until the final lap of last season’s championship.

The post F1 2022 Car launch: Williams, AlphaTauri, Ferrari appeared first on Formula1 buzz....

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for Belgian GP on Saturday. It was just ahead of shock front-runner George Russell.

Pole for Max in Belgian GP Quali

Russell had been on provisional pole after the opening runs of Q3. In the end was beaten by a last-gasp effort by Verstappen. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was only third, 0.334s down on his main rival.

Verstappen left it late to claim his first pole at Spa-Francorchamps and the ninth of his career. However it was Russell who stole the show with an incredible display in treacherous conditions. He secured his best qualifying result for Williams and the team’s first front row start since Monza 2017.

Massive shunt for Lando

McLaren’s Lando Norris had a huge crash at Raidillon in Q3. The session was red-flagged for half an hour.

Norris, who had been quickest in Q1 and Q2, lost control of his McLaren at Eau Rouge and slammed into the barriers at high-speed, before spinning violently several times before his car finally came to a rest at the top of the hill.

The Briton walked away from the accident. Although he is currently undergoing an x-ray on his elbow. He was seen clutching his elbow as he climbed out of his wrecked car.

When the session eventually got back underway, it was Hamilton who initially set the pace on intermediates before both Russell and then Verstappen usurped him.

Behind the battle for pole, Daniel Ricciardo claimed his best qualifying result for McLaren in fourth. He outpaced Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin by a tenth.

Pierre Gasly took sixth in his AlphaTauri, ahead of Sergio Perez. The second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas would only set a time good enough for eighth and will drop five places on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was the slowest of the drivers to set a time, ahead of Norris in 10th.

Ferrari boys didn’t get in Q3

Charles Leclerc failed to advance to Q3 as he could only manage a time good enough for P11 in his Ferrari, ahead of Williams driver Nicholas Latifi and Scuderia teammate Carlos Sainz, who was also knocked out in 13th.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was unable to join his Alpine teammate in progressing into the top 10 shootout as he finished 14th.

It was a frustrating session for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, who was only 15th after he missed the chance to do a second run due to crossing the line too late.

Antonio Giovinazzi failed to advance to Q2 for the first time in five races but was the highest-placed Alfa Romeo driver in 16th, ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who suffered a surprise elimination in Q1.

30 years on from his father’s stunning F1 debut at Spa, Mick Schumacher produced a lap good enough to out-qualify Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen and his Haas teammate Nikita Mazepin, who was slowest of all.

Belgian GP Quali Classification : Max and George on front row

The post Belgian GP Quali: Max and George in front row appeared first on Formula1 buzz....

Frank and Claire will leave the team founded by Sir Frank Williams more than 40 years ago after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Sir Frank founded Williams in 1977 and turned it into one of the sport’s most successful teams. But after a series of difficult years, the team was sold to US investment group Dorilton Capital last month. Williams and his daughter Claire, the deputy team principal, are stepping down.

The team have won nine constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles, and dominated large portions of the 1980s and 1990s.

But their last win at a Grand Prix was in 2012. For the past two seasons they have finished last in the championship. Financial losses last year led to the Williams family seeking new investment. That in turn has led to them leaving the team to make way for new management.

END OF AN ERA

Claire said: “With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport.

“As a family, we have always prioritized the team and have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the strategic review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.

“Our family have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind.

“We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing. So this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.

“This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team. However it is the beginning of a new era for the team. We wish them much success in the future.”

Matthew Savage, chairman of Dorilton Capital and the team, said: “We fully respect the very tough decision of Claire and the Williams family to step away from the team and the business after securing new resources for its future.

“Claire’s achievement in sustaining Williams Racing’s heritage, relevance and commitment to innovation in a difficult environment since taking charge in 2013 has been nothing short of monumental.

“She has also been hugely instrumental in shaping a more level technical and financial playing field for F1, which will help to ensure the team’s return to the front of the grid in seasons to come.

Williams name will remain

“We are proud to carry the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport.”

Savage, Dorilton Capital chief executive Darren Fultz and James Matthews now make up the team’s board of directors.

British driver George Russell, who is driving for the Williams team this season, said: “It’s sad to see the family step aside, but the history of Williams will still remain.

“We’ll still remain under Williams Racing, and still continue to fight and represent the family name.”

The post Sir Frank and Claire Williams step down appeared first on Formula1 buzz....

Where do the teams stand in terms of their performance, based on testing and the first two races of 2020.

It has only been two races in an already shortened 2020 season. But we can see a pattern emerge. Testing happened a long time ago and we couldn’t infer much from it given that so many idle months had passed by in between. The Austrian and the Styrian race gave us a glimpse of the 2020 season and potentially even 2021 given that most of the car development will be locked for next year.

Lets start from the back and move to the front.

Williams

Williams have a new driver in the Canadian Nicholas Latifi along with the much admired George Russell for the 2020 season. The car does show some improvement from last year. It is not enough though to move up the order. George has shown good qualifying pace but their race pace seem lacking again. Most likely they will be languishing at the back of the grid, again. William has confirmed the same driver pair for 2021. Let’s hope things change for good for them.

Alfa Romeo and HAAS

Both the teams having the Ferrari engine seem to be struggling.

While there were some green shoots for HAAS in the testing, they all went down the drain right from the first practice session at the Austrian GP. They had brake issues and the car spun a few times. The car in general lacked pace. This year too the team is clueless about the car aero and performance. HAAS has a long road ahead.

Alfa Romeo did surprisingly well last year with Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi. While Antonio was average, Kimi was regularly into points, at least in the first half of the season. This year doesn’t seem to be so bright for them. The Ferrari engine lacks pace ( something which we will hear a lot this year). Kimi seems to be less interested in racing and the team in general lacks the drive to move up the order.

Alpha Tauri

The team formerly known as Torro Rosso sits somewhere between the backmarkers and the mid-field. The two drivers Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kyvat ( The Red Bull rejects) do a decent job. Their performance ranges from being good enough to be in Q3 to really bad and getting out in Q1. As RedBull’s B team they are doing an OK job.

Racing Point, McLaren and Renault

Without a doubt the most interesting competition is in the midfield in 2020. It is more fascinating than even the front runners. All the three teams are very impressive, punching above their weight and providing some solid entertainment to the fans.

Racing Point car in 2020 are dubbed as the Pink Mercedes has been the talking point of the paddock with their car almost being a carbon copy of last year’s Mercedes. As of this writing, Renault has launched an official complain against them alleging that they got some of their part designs from Mercedes which they are not supposed to. Anyway the team performed supremely well in the testing and this continued in the race as well. Sergio is very quick and consistent. Racing Point with their Mercedes engine has the pace to beat Ferrari and even Red Bull at times. Some thing that would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. If they can be consistent and regularly haul points then they can easily beat their rivals in the mid-field and give Ferrari and Red Bull a run for the money.

Things have been looking rather good for McLaren. They got the fastest lap in both the Austrian GPs. Last Lap ‘Lando’ was superb. His first podium of the career came at the first Austrian GP. While Carlos is leaving for Ferrari next year, both the drivers have great chemistry and understanding. Seidl has been a great team Principal, encouraging the team and taking them forward. Their aero package is working well and the Renault engine is not disappointing either. McLaren must surely be looking forward to having the Mercedes engine next year. For this year, if they can be consistent and keep grabbing points then they will surely be leading the mid-field race, even challenging Ferrari and Red Bull.

Renault has had a mixed season so far. They were caught off guard with the news the news of Daniel Ricciardo leaving for McLaren next year but bounced back by snatching the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso for 2021. Testing showed improvement from last year, although they are far from what they want to achieve this year i.e. getting regular podiums. The car seemed to have pace but there were DNFs in both the race, one each for Daniel and Ocon. They need to get their act together and be consistent if they want to compete with Racing Point and McLaren in the mid-field.

Ferrari

No one could have predicted that Ferrari would be in some much trouble in 2020. Where to we even begin. The news of Ferrari not even making an offer to the four time world champion Sebastian Vettel was shocking to everyone. He has kept a brave face but clearly seems disgruntled. First two races have not been great for him either. Reasonable driver vacancies are shrinking and Vettel looks troubled although there is an outside chance of Vettel driving for Racing Point which will be renamed as Aston Martin next year.

Ferrari has signed a multi-year with Charles Leclerc, which is great for both the parties. Clearly Ferrari has put all their eggs in his basket. Charles did a commendable job of working with the unwieldy Ferrari and coming P2 in the first Austrian GP. However he messed up royally in the second race, crashing into his team mate on turn 3 of the first lap, taking out both of them. He remains a solid driver though.

The biggest problem with Ferrari is that the car simply lacks the pace. They are literally one second slower per lap as compared to last year, which is astonishing. Even since the FIA directive about the doubtful fuel meter in the Ferarri engine, they just don’t have a competing engine. Charles and Vettel are struggling to make it to Q3. Other teams using the Ferrari engine, HAAS and Alpha Romeo are struggling as well. Ferrari needs to find a solution soon. Else with the new rules they will have to drag this engine to 2021.

Forget Mercedes, Ferrari cannot even keep up with Red Bull in the current form. It would be more than satisfactory if they can stay ahead of the mid-field teams like Racing Point and McLaren.

Red Bull

Thanks to the under-performing Ferrari, Red Bull is the only team left which can even think of mounting a title challenge to Mercedes. Red Bull has signed a multi-year deal with Max Verstappen and he is their star performer. Alexander Albon has been ok at best, playing a good wingman to Max. He came a reasonable 4th in the second Austrian GP but severely lacked the pace that his team-mate Max had. Austria has been a good hunting ground for Red Bull but the first race ended without points for both their cars. Second race was better but couldn’t match the mighty Mercedes.

It looks like Red Bull will be a distant second to Mercedes. Ahead of the mid-field but doesn’t have everything together – Engine, Aero, Drivers – to realistically challenge Mercedes.

Mercedes

Just as everything is going wrong for Ferrari, Mercedes continues with its winning streak. They are a well oiled machine and it shows. Fantastic engine, great aero, superb drivers. Still they are pushing harder and innovating with things like DAS ( Dual-Axis Steering). Mercedes clearly has the pace much superior to any other team. They got a great aero package. Lewis is as much the supreme driver as he has always been. His quali lap in the rains in the second GP was a sight to behold. He was 1.2 seconds ahead of Max which is unbelievable. Valtteri looks a much better and complete driver, winning the first GP and coming second in the other one. He will be the only competition, if any, to Lewis.

Mercedes with be the team to beat, just like it has been since the dawn of the hybrid era.

All in all, despite being truncated, we have a great 2020 season lined up ahead!

The post Team standings after two GPs appeared first on Formula1 buzz....

Williams has unveiled its new livery ahead of the first race of the Formula 1 season in Austria next week.

Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams signalled the British outfit’s intention to tweak their look following the early end to their relationship with title sponsor Rokit, which was revealed last month, and today the team unveiled the new livery.

The revamped white-and-blue livery features an increased branding presence from Canadian food company Sofina, and global technology company Acronis.

The front of the rear wing features the Williams name. Though this could obviously be replaced if the team finds another major sponsor.

The new Williams colours come ahead of a campaign where the team hopes to turn around its fortunes after two troubled campaigns where it has finished last in the constructors’ championship.

It will race with George Russell and Nicholas Latifi this year.

George was impressive in the lockdown Virtual GPs, winning the title and highlighting his potential. Although we do not expect him to be a regular at the podium in a Williams car.

Formula 1 in 2020

The season begins next month in Austria, but much of the schedule is still uncertain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be two races in Austria, one in Hungary and then two in the UK to kick the season off.

Races in Spain, Belgium and Italy will follow but as it stands there are only eight races on the calendar.

The post Williams has a new livery appeared first on Formula1 buzz....

Williams Formula 1 driver George Russell dominated the final Virtual Grand Prix at Montreal to take his fourth successive victory in the series.

In keeping with recent races, Russell was unstoppable up front at the virtual version of Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and this time beat Red Bull rival and long-time friend Alex Albon by six seconds on the road – which became 15 seconds in the final classification once three time penalties were factored in.

The Williams driver had taken wins in the Monaco, Spanish and Azerbaijan races aver the past few weeks and he followed that hat-trick up with a fourth win on the trot in the Virtual Canadian Grand Prix – the last race in the series before the real F1 season begins in Austria next week.

With Charles Leclerc not taking part in the finale, Russell was already guaranteed to take the honours in the ‘points’ standings for the overall series and so – unofficially at least – he took the crown as champion.

Russell took pole position with Red Bull’s Alex Albon in second place. However when the lights went out the Williams man shot off the line and out into a lead he would never lose as he wrapped up the unofficial F1 Esports championship.

Highlights of the virtual race :-

Here are the top 10 :-

George seems really happy with the four victories :-

F1‘s return to racing at the Austrian GP at the start of July is unlikely to prove quite so eye-catching for Russell, with Williams still playing catch up after two seasons at the back of the grid.

However, after a more promising pre-season back in February, the Grove squad are optimistic of a more competitive 2020 – even if a repeat of Russell’s Esports wins are somewhat unlikely.

The post George Russell wins four in a row! appeared first on Formula1 buzz....