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Ralf Schumacher has suggested that Sebastian Vettel could be tempted back into Formula 1 in the future, despite his recent retirement. The Aston Martin driver took part in his final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after calling time on his F1 career. In his column for Sky Sports Germany , ex-F1 driver Schumacher paid tribute to Vettel's achievements, and suggested that his heavy involvement in the bigger issues surrounding the sport could have taken a toll on the four-time World Champion. "Sebastian Vettel is a four-time world champion who has achieved great things. Formula 1 will miss Sebastian Vettel as a person," wrote Schumacher. "Unfortunately, things didn't go quite so well for him with Aston Martin. I would have wished differently for him. "What else do I associate with Sebastian Vettel? In addition to sport, Sebastian had environmental protection high on his agenda. "He took a very critical approach to this. Environmental pro...

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defend ed Shaila-Ann Rao – the former Mercedes Formula 1 lawyer – after she left her position at the governing body. Rao left her post as Interim Secretary General earlier this week after the end of the season, having been appointed earlier in 2022. Her appointment was controversial following time spent as assistant to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, with Red Bull's Christian Horner questioning how Mercedes became aware of technical changes and the cost cap breach before they were publicly released. However, Ben Sulayem has strongly defend ed Rao after her departure. Viewed by others: Interview Max Verstappen Verstappen exclusive: It's like a marriage with race engineer Lambiase ...

World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have backed plans for the Formula 1 Academy, an initiative designed to increase female participation in single-seater racing. Announced just before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the F1 Academy will be a partially-subsided series with cars run by Formula 2 and Formula 3 teams, with Bruno Michel acting as the general manager. There are set to be seven rounds, with three races each for a total of 21 events with a further block of testing. The Academy will not feature on the F1 support package, except for what is believed to be a single Grand Prix in 2023. Additionally, it is not a direct replacement for W Series, which was forced to end its 2022 season early amid budget concerns. Hamilton – who has been vocal in his push for increased diversity and mobility within motorsport – is receptive of the concept, but still feels more needs to be done. ...

New Alpine signing Pierre Gasly believes his new team have the potential to achieve " fantastic results " in 2023 and beyond. The Frenchman is moving to Alpine after five and a half seasons in F1 that have been spent driving solely for Red Bull-affiliated teams. Gasly's first run in an Alpine came at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, and the Frenchman has since talked up his prospects with the Enstone-based outfit, who moved up one place in the Constructors' Championship in 2022 to finish fourth. "I'm very confident from what I've seen that there's potential to achieve fantastic results," Gasly told media, including TheFOXposts.Com . "I really believe this team is a fresh start for me, and also an opportunity to make something amazing together. "They have had the best season so far since they came back. I think they are on a trajectory, improving season after season. "From what I've seen today, from what they...

Alex Albon feels that he missed out on his main opportunity to score points in the 2022 F1 season after being forced to sit out the Italian Grand Prix due to health issues. The British-Thai driver was treated for appendicitis at a local hospital on the Friday of the Monza event, with Nyck de Vries stepping in to the Williams on his behalf for the rest of the weekend. It was later revealed that, after undergoing surgery on the Saturday morning, Albon had been placed in intensive care overnight following complications which led to respiratory failure. He recovered in the days that followed and was able to return to the UK during the week, as well as being back in action at the next Grand Prix on the calendar in Singapore. While Albon is satisfied with much of his debut campaign with Williams , he still feels some regret over not being able to participate at Monza. Albon reflects on missed o...

Charles Leclerc says tyre management, strategy and reliability are the three key elements to Ferrari's failure to challenge for the 2022 F1 Drivers' and Constructors' titles. After Leclerc won two of the season's first three races and established a 34- point lead at the top of the Drivers' standings, hopes were high that Ferrari could win an F1 championship title for the first time since 2008. However, a combination of factors helped Red Bull and Max Verstappen ease ahead of Leclerc and Ferrari over the course of the season, and the Monegasque noted that the Scuderia would have to improve on three key areas in 2023. Viewed by others: Mattia Binotto How Ferrari's 'top priority' for 2023 can hide strategic mistakes ...

Amid continued speculation over the future of Mattia Binotto at Ferrari, a highly placed source has now confirmed to TheFOXposts.Com that he will leave his role as team boss. The topic has been much discussed in the Italian media , with many publications examining what the team may look like without Binotto. According to them, it could be good news for Charles Leclerc , but perhaps less so for Carlos Sainz. The La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Leclerc will become the team's undisputed number one, something the Monegasque is said to have always longed for. According to the publication, he is also being given that opportunity due to Fred Vasseur being put forward as the prime candidate to replace Binotto. Vasseur has previously stated his belief in having one driver as the team leader, and knows Leclerc well after working with him during the driver's time at Alfa Romeo in 2018. ...

Max Verstappen has been presented with a valuable gift from Honda in honour of his championship success. The Dutchman joined teammate Sergio Perez and a host of other motorsport names – including MotoGP's Marc Marquez – at the Honda Racing Thanks Day, held at Japan's Motegi circuit. As part of the celebrations, Honda chairman Seiji Kuraishi expressed his thanks to Verstappen following his back-to-back championship victories in 2021 and 2022. This then led to a grey Honda NSX Type S being presented to Verstappen, with Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe handing over the keys to the 25-year-old. "It's an amazing car, so [I'm] very proud to receive it. Thank you very much," Verstappen said in response, before being invited to try out his new car. Watch the footage below, starting from 4:59.00. ...

Mohammed Ben Sulayem had backed Shaila-Ann Rao - the former Mercedes-linked Formula 1 lawyer who was FIA interim secretary-general - prior to her departure from the governing body that was announced five days ago. Rao had joined the FIA from Mercedes - where she has worked closely with team boss Toto Wolff in both head of legal and in advisory capacities. Initially joining as director in the office of the president, Rao later became replacement for Pet er Bayer - the previous secretary-general for sport. Crucially, her latter appointment was in an interim role. Her tenure was seen as controversial by some over perceived close links to Mercedes - with Red Bull's Christian Horner pointing out in Canada how 'one team' had arrived in Montreal with new parts in response to the FIA's attempts to combat porpoising before the relevant technical directive was published. However, speaking at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - while Rao was still in post as I-SG - President ...

Robert Kubica says it would "not be a surprise" if he were not to be part of a Formula 1 team in 2023. Pole Kubica has been the Alfa Romeo reserve driver since leaving Williams at the end of 2019 - and as part of a sponsor deal with the team, has taken part in free practice sessions as well as subbing for a COVID-positive Kimi Raikkonen in Holland and Italy '21. However, the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix said in Abu Dhabi that he felt his time in F1 was coming to an end - and has put a statement out on social media. "I finish the 2022 season with a good feeling, but it would not be a surprise if I no longer get a seat as an official driver in Formula 1 anymore," Kubica wrote on Twitter. He had fought back from horrendous injuries in a 2011 rally accident to undergo test in '17 with Renault and moved to Williams in '18 as a reserve driver before being promoted to partner rookie George Russell in '19 as Williams endured a troubled campaign ...

Lewis Hamilton 's X44 Extreme E team suffered a dramatic crash during qualifying for this weekend's Energy X-Prix in Uruguay. Driver Cristina Gutierrez lost control of her Spark Odyssey 21 during the event at Punta del Este, and launched into a series of barrel rolls. The Spanish driver was unhurt in the accident, and X44 continued to participate in qualifying using the series' development car as a replacement. Check out the dramatic incident below. Source: https://thefoxposts.com/video-big-crash-for-hamilton-s-extreme-e-team-TheFOXposts-2093.html?utm_source=blogger_source&utm_medium=blogger_medium&utm_campaign=blogger_cam Category: F1 News Post by: TheFOXposts.Com

Max Verstappen believes that drivers who aren't prepared for the intensity of modern Formula 1 should stop racing. The F1 calendar has steadily grown over the past 20 years, from 16 Grands Prix in 2003 to a record 24 scheduled for next year. Though doubts over the viability of the Chinese Grand Prix may mean the 2023 calendar runs instead to 23 races, this would still be the longest F1 season ever, and Verstappen said those unprepared for the intensity should leave the sport. "If you're not prepared, then it's better to stop already, right?" Verstappen told The Guardian . "I think we're all racers and we love racing ." After emerging triumphant in 2021 following a season-long championship battle with Lewis Hamilton that went down to the last lap of the final race, Verstappen successfully defended his title this year, winning the 2022 crown with four races to spare. Discussing the tension of the 2021 title race, Verstappen said he wouldn...

Damon Hill believes that the F1 budget cap could lead to teams further down the grid applying more pressure in the future . The sport introduced a raft of new technical regulations for the 2022 season as well as financial ones, with teams given a cap on spending of $140 million for the campaign. There has been some controversy over the cost cap after Red Bull were found to have breached the 2021 limit. The team were issued with a fine as a result, along with a 10 per cent reduction in aerodynamic testing. However, Hill thinks that the new rules have overall proved successful for the sport. "This season, the new cost cap regulations, it's hard to remember back to the beginning, when this was a completely new set of regulations," Hill told the F1 Nation podcast. "This was all completely new. We didn't know which way it was going to go, and I think it's been a huge success." ...

Valtteri Bottas has set out his expectations for what Alfa Romeo can " realistic ally" achieve in 2023. The Finn completed his debut campaign with the team in 2022 following his switch from Mercedes and was left pleased with their P6 in the Constructors' Championship, a result they sealed at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thanks to their strategy. Whilst Alfa ended the year equal on 55 points with Aston Martin, the position of sixth went to Alfa due to Bottas' fifth place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix having beaten any result for Aston in 2022. Bottas claimed 10th in the Drivers' Championship, and overall feels satisfied with what he and the team achieved during the season. Viewed by others: Valtteri Bottas Bottas...

Max Verstappen's "maturity" in the 2022 Formula 1 season has been highlighted by Red Bull boss Christian Horner as a standout trait in his second title-winning campaign. Verstappen entered 2022 as the reigning World Champion and put in one of the most dominant seasons in F1 History , having set new records for most wins in single a season (15) and most points collected (454). This was in contrast to the 2021 championship where he was locked in a white-hot fight with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, although Verstappen did still win 11 races and haul 395.5 points as he defeated the seven-time champion. Hamilton was not in title contention in 2022 thanks to Mercedes' troubles – and did not win a race for the first time in his F1 career – as Charles Leclerc stepped up to be the main title challenger in his Ferrari. After a troubled start to the campaign with reliability concerns, Verstappen hit his stride at Imola and would win 14 of the 18 races after the E...

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 . "...

Toto Wolff has pledged to agree a deal with Mick Schumacher to become the Mercedes Formula 1 third driver, if the German wants it. Schumacher's two-year stay at Haas ended after the 2022 season finale in Abu Dhabi, with the team drafting in Nico Hulkenberg to partner Kevin Magnussen for the next campaign. The second seat at Haas was the final vacancy on the 2023 grid, meaning Schumacher would be forced into a third or reserve driver deal at another team, with Pietro Fittipaldi firmly encosed in that position at the American squad. Mercedes are on the hunt for a new driver to shadow Lewis Hamilton and George Russell after Nyck de Vries departed for a race berth at AlphaTauri, while Stoffel Vandoorne took up a reserve role at Aston Martin. Both Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo have been linked with the vacancy at Brackley, but Ricciardo opted to return to Red Bull after leaving McLaren. Wolff feels that a deal for Schumacher to join is certainly possible. ...