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F1 to trial DRS usage changes in 2023 sprint races

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Formula 1 is open to the possibility of revamping how DRS works during Grands Prix - with trial s set to take place in the 2023 sprint races . The proposal from the meeting of the F1 Commission in Abu Dhabi has proposed activation of DRS to be brought forward one lap upon the start and restart of races from the current period of two laps. It is hoped by the Commission - attended by the likes of FIA President Mohammed ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali - that this change will "keep the field closer and encourage closer racing." Trial during sprint races Should the plan be adopted, it will not feature in Grand Prix racing before the 2024 season. At the six sprint races planned for the 2023 season, activation of the DRS will be trailed one lap earlier with the results evaluated before a final decision for '24 is made. President ben Sulayem described Formula 1 as b...

Szafnauer calls for rules change amid Gasly threat

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Otmar Szafnauer has called on Formula 1 bosses to make adjustments to the penalty points system as his new driver Pierre Gasly is threatened by a ban. Gasly – who switches from AlphaTauri to Alpine for 2023 – racked up 10 penalty points on his superlicence in 2022, with 12 the threshold to trigger a one-race ban. No driver has yet to reach 12 points, but Gasly's next set of points are due to be wiped on 22 May 2023 after the Spanish Grand Prix, in nine races' time. Faced with the prospect of a ban, the Frenchman has called the situation "embarrassing", and his new team boss feels that a change is required on the account of more races being on the calendar. Viewed by others: Christian Horner Horner pinpoints key Verstappen differen...

Leclerc explains why he won't change approach to Ferrari's mistakes

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Charles Leclerc admits that he has no intention of changing his openly critical approach to both his and Ferrari 's mistake s. After a strong start to the 2022 season, the team suffered a number of issues during the campaign, including strategic problems and driver errors. They ultimately finished P2 in the Constructors' Championship, 205 points away from Red Bull at the top. Leclerc is known for being open about his own mistakes, and he continues to believe that this is the correct attitude to take. "That's how I work. I admit when I've made mistakes," Leclerc told German publication Auto Motor Und Sport . "I don't mind because everybody makes them. What's wrong is when you want to hide your mistakes. Because then you don't grow from them. "As soon as I make a mistake , I am confident that I will come out stronger." Leclerc outline...

Wolff reveals Mercedes changed car concept mid-season

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Toto Wolff has explained how Mercedes changed Formula 1 car concept during the 2022 season but that it was hidden. Mercedes entered 2022 having won the last eight consecutive Constructors' Championships, and were the only team in F1 History to maintain their winning run across regulations change s, doing so in 2017. However, the change to the ground-effect machinery for 2022 tripped the team up with a fundamental floor issue going undetected until well into the season. Outwardly, the team stuck with its 'zero sidepod' philosophy while the likes of Williams abandoned this for a design philosophy similar to Red Bull's. Despite this, Wolff has revealed that the Mercedes team 'changed car concept' during the current campaign. Wolff on car concept change Wolff has previously stated that the W14 of 2023 will have different "DNA" to its predecessor as Merc...

Perez not worried by Ricciardo's return: It doesn't change anything for me

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Sergio Perez has denied feeling any extra pressure from Daniel Ricciardo's return to Red Bull as a reserve driver. Following his exit from McLaren, Ricciardo was left without a race seat for the 2023 F1 season and opted to rejoin his former team, though has voiced hopes of a return to the grid in 2024. Perez is contracted to the squad until the end of 2024, while teammate Max Verstappen holds a long-term deal taking him through until the end of 2028, so an opportunity for Ricciardo at Red Bull does not appear to be on the cards. Despite this, Perez acknowledges that there is always pressure in Formula 1, but insists that he is not worried by Ricciardo's arrival at the team. Perez welcomes Ricciardo's Red Bull return "I'm very relaxed," Perez told Sky Sports F1 at a Red Bull demo run in Milton Keynes when asked about Ricciardo's return to Red Bull. "We...

The factors that sparked 'noticeable' change in Stroll

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Damon Hill believes there has been a " noticeable " change in Lance Stroll over the winter, with various factor s possibly contributing. The Canadian was forced to miss pre-season testing after injuring his wrists and toe in a cycling accident, but returned with a points-scoring P6 finish at the opening race in Bahrain. Stroll has also shared the story of his recovery with fans, and journalist Tom Clarkson – who hosts the F1 driver press conferences over race weekends – feels that Stroll has changed his approach to the media, possibly due to spending time with the Netflix crew filming Drive to Survive . A 'marked change' in Stroll "I think he is a much more engaging interview now than he has been in the past," Clarkson said on the F1 Nation podcast. "I've always felt in the past that he resents doing the media work whereas, this year, I've seen a marked change . "I do wonder whether it's got anything to do wi...

Wolff 'conservative' on Sprint changes: Don't use a baseball bat for changes

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Toto Wolff has supported the decision to discuss change s to the sprint race weekend schedules, but believes dramatic change s may not be best for the sport. Formula 1 , the FIA and F1 team bosses are in talks to change the schedule for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. RacingNews365 understands that an agreement has been reached between the ten Formula 1 teams to alter the format to include two qualifying sessions; one for the main grand prix, and one for the sprint. Whilst F1 team principals have been largely unanimous in their support for a schedule change, the finer details, such as the exact format of the additional qualifying session and tyre usage, will have been key topics for the team's figureheads. Viewed by others: Charles Leclerc Leclerc makes urgent appeal to fans over privacy ...

Brown concedes Ricciardo drama overshadowed major McLaren staff changes

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has suggested Daniel Ricciardo's struggles with the team pushed extensive staff restructuring "underneath the surface" last year. Red Bull reserve driver Ricciardo was dropped at the end of last season by McLaren with a year remaining on his contract in favour of rookie Oscar Piastri after lacklustre performances alongside teammate Lando Norris - despite securing victory in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. But the Woking-based outfit has endured a difficult start to the new term, with Norris and Piastri forced to wait until Australia to secure the first points of the season after numerous issues across the opening two rounds. McLaren announced organisational changes ahead of the Albert Park weekend, with Technical Director James Key departing and the role remoulded to accommodate a new structure. Viewed by others: Analysis ...

Why Leclerc won't change driving style after Miami mistake

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Charles Leclerc does not plan to change his driving style after spinning out of qualifying over the Miami Grand Prix weekend. The Monegasque brought out the red flags following his crash in Q3 and admitted later that he was "angry" with himself for making the "same mistake" that he had made during Free Practice on Friday. Leclerc's incident drew criticism from some, with Martin Brundle calling for the Ferrari driver to "stop making so many mistakes", adding: "I think he drives absolutely to the ragged edge of the limit and it keeps catching him out." However, when asked on Saturday in Miami if he needed to alter his driving style , Leclerc told media, including TheFOXposts.Com : "No, I don't think so." Miami error caused by a 'step too far' While Leclerc admits that he may need to manage his style in a different way during Q3 sessions, he believes that his mistake at the Miami International Autodr...

Pirelli confirm vital tyre changes starting from British GP

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Pirelli have confirmed plans to introduce new Formula 1 tyres from the British Grand Prix onwards, as was exclusively revealed by RacingNews365 yesterday. F1 's sole tyre supplier has elected to introduce new specification tyres as performance loads seen thus far in 2023 have exceeded the projections teams sent to Pirelli . Circuits such as Silverstone, Spa, Zandvoort and Suzuka feature some of the highest tyre loads throughout the season, and with all set to host Grands Prix in the second half of the season, the change will come into force from the July 7th-9th weekend. As reported by RacingNews365 , the new spec of tyre will introduce the planned 2024 materials, with performance loads expected to continue to exceed expectations throughout the 2023 campaign. The new tyres will be tested by all teams during Friday practice at the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix. Pirelli sought approval from the FIA to make the change s, with the request under Article 10.8.3 of the techn...

Albon praises Williams' progress amid 'uncertainty' of staff changes

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Alex Albon has praised Williams for their recent progress amid the potential " uncertainty " of key figures within the team leaving over the winter. Along with several other personnel moves that took place across the paddock, the squad saw changes at the top after Team Principal Jost Capito and Technical Director FX Demaison both left. James Vowles became Williams' new Team Principal ahead of the 2023 season, while the position of Technical Director remains vacant. Despite this, the team look to have made steps forward on the track, with Albon claiming a point at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Albon on Williams' progress When asked if this progress has come of something of a surprise given the staff changes, Albon told media, including TheFOXposts.Com : "It's hard to know, if I'm honest. "I think we have made good steps over the winter, so there's no hiding that. We've really been able to address some of the...

Mercedes make big changes with tech team switch

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Mercedes has reshuffled its technical department after its 2022 struggles filtered through to the new campaign, TheFOXposts.Com can confirm. The Silver Arrows failed to sustain its dominance into the new regulatory era in F1 , slumping at the beginning of last year before fighting back, albeit only securing a single race victory at the penultimate round of the season. After a disappointing start to the new year, with Lewis Hamilton claiming only one podium for the team in Australia and a gulf in performance to Red Bull still apparent, Mike Elliott has switched roles with James Allison. The move sees Allison return as Technical Director just 20 months on from handing over to Elliott before becoming Chief Technical Officer. That role took in opportunities surpassing the F1 project, but Elliott has now deemed his skills to not be suitable to perform his role to the best of his ability. It was therefore agreed that the pair would swap positions, with Allison now taking a more...

Hamilton, Russell lead calls for F1 weekend format changes

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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are leading calls for a Formula 1 weekend format change , following the comments made by CEO Stefano Domenicali on the future of practice sessions. Discussions are currently taking place about how practice sessions can be made to be more engaging, with the potential for rewards or points being on the table. Hamilton believes F1 should be more 'dynamic' with race weekends and look at specific solutions for certain races such as Monaco, which can often not live up to their hype when it comes to race day. "I think we can be more dynamic and I think we can look at places like Monaco, perhaps there is a different kind of solution for that weekend to make it more engaging for fans," he told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "We use the sprint races in some places and maybe there's something else we do. "I like the format on the sprint weekend where you have that one practice session, and there's a lot ...

Tsunoda highlights vital mindset change in sophomore F1 season

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AlphaTauri 's Yuki Tsunoda has highlighted how his change in Formula 1 " mindset " has evolved during his second season in Grand Prix racing. After a strong start to his career in 2021, Tsunoda faded throughout the mid-part of his rookie campaign, but rounded it off with a strong fourth in Abu Dhabi. He partnered Pierre Gasly once again at the Faenza-based squad for '22, a season where he would have been hoping for further progress. It proved to be a difficult campaign for the team as the AT03 was overweight and lacked downforce, slipping to ninth in the Constructors' as Tsunoda only scored points in four races - and only once after the Spanish Grand Prix, the sixth round of the season. However, the Japanese racer - who will be joined by Nyck de Vries in 2023 - has explained how he himself has evolved and improved throughout his second season. Viewed by ot...

Red Bull wants to see these changes to the F1 budget cap

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The introduction of F1's new era in 2022 was met with an early verdict - these new cars are brilliant. After com Pet itive races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, it looked as if there would be another close title featuring Max Verstappen and with new protagonist Charles Leclerc. As the races went by it was clear that Red Bull had the advantage, but it didn't stop Ferrari from still challenging for podiums and race wins. Speaking exclusively to TheFOXposts.Com , Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, sheds some light on the current state of F1 following the first season with the new cars and effect of the cost cap - which took years to introduce. Horner was diplomatic when asked about whether the FIA, motorsport's governing body, could take F1 to the next level in years to come under the Presidency of Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "The FIA has obviously been going through significant change , either its new stewardship or its leadership, and all aspects of the Bus...