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McLaren has unveiled a special livery for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. The new look is brought by partner BAT's brand Vuse and their Driven By Change campaign, which also had a similar one-off livery at the same race last year. Designed by Lebanese artist Anna Tangles, the livery will be carried on the MCL36 race cars driven by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. Louise McEwen, Executive Director, Brand and Marketing, McLaren Racing, said: “We are delighted to represent an emerging artist’s design on our race cars once again, championing creativity together with Vuse. "Anna Tangles produces stunning artwork and has a powerful story which perfectly embodies the spirit and values of the Driven by Change campaign. The initiative is building a legacy which we are excited to continue driving, using our global platform to amplify the talent of emerging creatives.” Check out the pictures below ...

Pato O'Ward has revealed what was going through his head when it looked like a terminal issue might bring his debut FP1 appearance to an early end. The Mexican managed to get out of Turn 5 in the McLaren before slowing on the main back straight, with the team instructing him not to change out of second gear. O'Ward has recalled the moment it happened on his F1 weekend debut . "I was definitely like, 'Oh, I really hope it doesn't get cut short', you know?" he told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "Because it was [a] very exciting time for me to get my first FP1 under my belt." Once he made it back to the pits it took the team a couple of minutes to sort the problem, before he emerged back out on track to complete a total of 22 laps. O'Ward said: "At that point that was just trying to make sure my communications to the team were clear, because I was getting bounced around quite aggressively in the car. "I don...

Daniel Ricciardo admits that reaching Q3 in his final qualifying with McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was "a bit of a relief". The Australian is coming to the end of his two-year tenure at the Woking-based squad following the mutual decision to terminate his multi-year contact early, meaning that he has been left without a race seat for 2023. With the F1 weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit set to be his last for the time being, Ricciardo was happy to qualify in P10, though he will drop three places due to a penalty for a collision with Kevin Magnussen last time out in Brazil. Ricciardo happy for himself and Vettel Given his struggles during 2022, Ricciardo was satisfied with his stronger performance in qualify ing at Abu Dhabi. "I won't miss my lack of competitiveness this year," he told Viaplay . "Qualifying certainly hasn't been my strong suit obvi...

Daniel Ricciardo is feeling "at peace " should the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix turn out to have been his last ever race in F1 . The event marked Ricciardo's final Grand Prix with the McLaren team, following the mutual decision to terminate his multi-year contract early. With the Australian being left without a race seat in 2023, he looks set to spend the year on the sidelines as a reserve driver, most likely for the Red Bull team. Whilst his aim is to return to the grid in 2024, Ricciardo acknowledged that this is not a certainty following the race in Abu Dhabi, in which he scored points with a P9 finish. Ricciardo 'relieved' after 2022 season finale Following a difficult final season with McLaren , Ricciardo was left feeling more content with his performance at the Yas Marina Circuit, so much so that he would be accepting of it should it be his last Formula 1 race. ...

Charles Leclerc and Robert Shwartzman topped the timesheets in the first half of running at the Abu Dhabi post-season test, whilst there were technical issues on Oscar Piastri's first outing in the McLaren MCL36. With all drivers running 2023 Pirelli tyres, the Monegasque driver set benchmark of 1:25.383, almost seven tenths of a second faster than his junior teammate, who was driving the second Ferrari earmarked for a 'rookie' driver. Fernando Alonso's first Aston Martin outing began positively, with the Spanish driver setting the third fastest time, ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who was the busiest driver of the session, clocking over 80 laps. Both drivers finished just under one second off the pace. Pierre Gasly is currently fifth-fastest in his first session for Alpine, ahead of regular race drivers Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) and Lando Norris (McLaren). Aston Martin junior Felipe Drugovich, Williams' Alex Albon and Red Bull rookie driver Li...

Zak Brown has labelled Otmar Szafnauer's comments about Oscar Piastri in the wake of a dispute over his services as "inaccurate and unfair". The row erupted when Alpine named Piastri – who had been serving as their reserve driver – as part of their 2023 line-up following Fernando Alonso's exit for Aston Martin, only for Piastri to later deny that he had signed for Alpine. Piastri had agreed a deal to race at McLaren as Daniel Ricciardo's replacement and the case was taken to the Contract Recognition Board, with the verdict going in McLaren's favour. It was then confirmed in September that Piastri would join Lando Norris at the Woking-based squad next season. Following the controversy, Alpine boss Szafnauer said that he had "expected more loyalty" from Piastri, and suggested that there had been a lack of "integrity", something that Brown takes issue with. ...

Abu Dhabi, being the last round of the World Championship, obviously cannot be considered technically interesting based on the number of developments introduced on the cars, which are completely absent. In reality, the Yas Marina track, in addition to hosting the last tests before the winter break, becomes a rather reliable test bench on the weekend of the Grand Prix, for deliberating the details of the aerodynamic concepts of next season's cars. Almost all the teams took the opportunity to collect aerodynamic data, but undoubtedly those who even went as far as testing new components were two, namely Ferrari and McLaren . Going into more detail, Ferrari's car was equipped with more tools than Red Bull to carry out aerodynamic tests, aimed at verifying the quality of the air flow directed towards the rear wing. © XPBimages ...

McLaren boss Zak Brown believes that should Daniel Ricciardo be given another F1 race seat opportunity , he will be able to " rebuild " his career. Ricciardo was let go by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season following poor performances alongside Lando Norris throughout his two-year stint with the Woking squad. Unable to find a solution to alleviate Ricciardo's worries, Brown elected to sign Oscar Piastri from Alpine to hand the younger Australian a race seat once a settlement was reached with eight-time Grand Prix winner Ricciardo. The Australian was unable to secure a race seat elsewhere on the 2023 grid, and so has returned to Red Bull in a third driver role shadowing Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. However, Brown still believes that Ricciardo has something to offer in F1 - and believes he will return, citing the example of Nico Hulkenberg, who last raced in 2019. Br...

Mika Hakkinen expects to see Daniel Ricciardo back on a Formula 1 grid in the future - and believes his year off in 2023 is different to his own sabbatical, which later turned into retirement. Ricciardo lost his McLaren seat at the end of the 2022 campaign after poor performances alongside Lando Norris and was not able to rectify the problems. With no other race seats available - or appealing - for 2023, Ricciardo is set for at least one year on the sidelines as third driver at Red Bull - the team he left in 2018. Double World Champion Hakkinen believes that it is just a case of Ricciardo rediscovering his mojo - and that there is one major difference between Ricciardo's situation and when the Finn stepped back in 2001. Hakkinen on Ricciardo "Daniel is a good driver, but after some years in F1 a break can be important," Hakkinen wrote in his usual Unibet column. ...

McLaren CEO Zak Brown says he was convinced of Lando Norris' potential as a Formula 1 driver from an early age. Norris was signed as a McLaren junior driver in 2017, and graduated to F1 with the Woking-based team two years later at the age of 19. The Briton has impressed at McLaren, comprehensively overshadowing teammate Daniel Ricciardo over the past two years, and coming very close to winning the 2021 Russian Grand Prix before falling foul of a late rain shower. With Norris' stock on the rise, McLaren moved swiftly earlier this year to tie the Briton down until 2025. Norris is set to take on the role of team leader at Woking in 2023, with rookie Oscar Piastri replacing Ricciardo, and Brown says the Briton's rise through the racing ranks came as little surprise. "The goal was always to get him into Formula 1 . I'm not surprise d [that's he’s made it]," Brown said in response to a question from TheFOXposts.Com . "I guess you are surp...

McLaren boss Zak Brown believes the FIA should review the super licence points system after Colton Herta failed to secure enough points to make a switch to F1 . The American was in talks with Red Bull to join the sister AlphaTauri team in 2023, but a major stumbling block proved to be getting enough superlicence points as he only has 32 points, with 40 the required standard. Herta has competed full-time in IndyCar since 2019 and contested in the Indy 500 the same number of times. By comparison, 2023 Williams driver Logan Sargeant has earned over 40 points through competing in the F3 and F2 feeder series. Brown says that the rules surrounding the superlicence should be looked at for the future, as he believes Herta is "definitely capable of being in F1." "I think the superlicense really just around IndyCar needs to be reviewed, I think it should just be the same as Formula 2," Brown said to media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "It's a shame C...

Oscar Piastri admits that he felt a " noticeable difference " after getting behind the wheel of a 2022 F1 car for the first time at the Abu Dhabi post-season test. The Australian – who will make his debut on the grid in 2023 with McLaren – joined his new team for testing at the Yas Marina Circuit, marking his debut drive in the current year's machinery. Piastri had previously tested for Alpine in their 2021-spec car during the season, and was also given one day's running in one of McLaren's year-old cars. After a year on the racing sidelines following his 2021 Formula 2 championship victory, Piastri shared his thoughts about the experience following his first outing in a 2022 car. Piastri on his testing experience When asked about the difference s between the 2021 and 2022 cars, Piastri told media, including TheFOXposts.Com : "I think there's defini...

Lando Norris admits that he'll miss Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren , with the Briton acknowledging that the pair had become "good friends". Ricciardo's time with the Woking-based squad came to an end at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix following a mutual decision with the team to terminate his multi-year contract early. He will be replaced by rookie Oscar Piastri, who will become Norris' third teammate in Formula 1 . Having previously developed a good relationship with Carlos Sainz when the pair both raced at McLaren in 2019 and 2020, Norris feels that this is something he has managed to do with all of his teammates, including Ricciardo. Norris explains 'respect' for teammates "I think it's something that, with all of my teammates, I've always grown to have good relationships with them," Norris told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "...

Daniel Ricciardo hopes that watching Formula 1 races from the sidelines in 2023 makes him " agitated " as he looks to get back into a com Pet itive seat in the future. The Australian will not be a full-time driver next year after being ousted from McLaren in favour of compatriot Oscar Piastri. Ricciardo will reunite with Max Verstappen at Red Bull after being confirmed as their third driver for 2023, a role which focuses on test outings, simulator work and commercial activities with the team. Speaking about how he might feel when he watches F1 as a spectator again, Ricciardo said that he wants it to make him feel "hungry" to get back in the car. "That's honestly a feeling which I hope makes me a little bit agitated, hungry and edgy," he told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "Then I'll truly know that if my place is back on the grid. "If I'm watching as a fan and not really caring too much, then I also have my a...