© GP3 Media Services.
With the opening test of the season fast approaching, the GP3 Series added several more names to its 2013 field in recent days.
Facu Regalia returns to the category – this time as a full-time competitor – while both Luis Sá Silva and Samin Gómez Briceno are set to make their category débuts.
Following a busy 2012 that saw Regalia compete in Auto GP and the European F3 Open – alongside four appearances in GP3 – the Argentine racer has committed to ART Grand Prix {note 1} for the coming season. Despite only registering a best finish of 12th during his brief GP3 stint, Regalia is confident the he will make a difference as the series embarks upon what is effectively a new formula.
Having already tested GP2 machinery with iSport and Racing Engineering last year, the 21-year-old commented, “I’m really happy. The last three months were pretty busy to close this deal. It’s a pleasure to become an official ART Grand Prix driver, because I know that I’ll have a very good package for fighting for the results what we have in sight.”
He added, “we’ve an excellent working team and everything is set to aim for the best possible results. Another great novelty is the new car with new aerodynamic kit, more power, new brakes, so this challenge is even greater.”
Carlin also added a second driver to their line-up when they announced Sá Silva. A successful spell in the Formula Pilota China Series in 2011, the Angolan endured a “difficult” term in the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2012, often lingering near the rear of a tight competitive field {note 2}.
Of his move, the excitable Sá Silva remarked, “I am so excited to race against some of the best drivers in Europe […] and represent Angola to the best of my abilities and I know that with Carlin I have a great package with which to do that.”
Team boss Trevor Carlin added, “Luis is a very welcome addition to our team and we’re delighted with how he’s interacted with the team already. It’s very exciting to be involved with a project such as the Angolan Driver Development Programme, in that we’re working with a country that hasn’t traditionally had a strong motorsport history before” {note 3}.
It is believed Carlin may announce a third driver at some stage this week, who may happen to be British and from a higher tier Formula Renault Series.
Although Gómez Briceno (who races simply as Samin Gómez) gave away her 2013 intentions in an interview last August, it was finally confirmed on Friday that she will be running with Jenzer Motorsport this season.
Gómez, who turned 21 two weeks ago, has previously competed with Jenzer, albeit in the Formula Abarth European Series, where she claimed two podiums places on her way to 7th in the standings.
Samin took part in the post-season test at the end of last year during which she ran in the now defunct GP3/10 machine.
Meanwhile, according to Autosport {note 4}, ex-Formula Two racer and European F3 Open champion Alex Fontana will also slot in at Jenzer this season.
Having competed with the Swiss squad at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring last year, Fontana told TheMotorsportArchive.com at the time that he was looking forward to make the switch to GP3 with Jenzer should the funding be secured {note 5}.
The addition of Fontana and Gomez to Jenzer means they are the third GP3 team behind MW Arden and Koiranen GP to secure a full line-up.
As an aside former Formula Renault BARC competitor Josh Webster is to drive at the official GP3 Series test at Estoril this week. It has not yet been revealed which team he will be testing with, although the Englishman tweeted over the weekend that his 2013 “team announcement will follow in [a] week” {note 6}.
Keen eyes will be on this test to see how the 19-year-old copes with the jump from an entry level BARC Renault car to a GP3 Series machine. This week’s GP3 Series testing gets under way on Wednesday and concludes on Friday.
{note 1}
Somewhere along the lines, it appears as if Lotus have become ART Grand Prix again. Or may be they are now Lotus-ART GP again? Or possibly ART-Lotus GP..? Or… or… or..? This will eventually be filed under “I swear it was not like that last week.”
{note 2}
Sá Silva ended the Formula Pilota China Series a distant runner-up to Mathéo Tuscher, just staying ahead of Dustin Sofyan at the final round in Sepang (Malaysia). The F3 Euro Series proved a far more difficult prospect, with the Angolan managing a top ten finish just twice in twenty-one starts, leaving him 14th and last of the regular runners in the standings.
{note 3}
While Carlin is correct in that Angola is not especially known for its motorsport heritage, Sá Silva does come from the town of Benguela which is one of very few in the country with a racing track – well, it did… kind of.
The circuit, known as the Autódromo de Benguela, was a touring car circuit opening in the early 1970s, before being abandoned a short time later. Motor cycling returned to the mostly dust covered track in 2001, but by the middle of the last decade, the circuit was officially no longer operation; although a number of unconfirmed illegal race events are thought to still take place there.
For more information, do have a look at this piece from TheMotorsportArchive.com, written in 2010.
{note 4}
“Alex Fontana to contest 2013 GP3 Series with Jenzer” (Autosport; Jamie O’Leary)
{note 5}
Fontana was also named as part of the Lotus F1 Junior Team, alongside Marco Sorensen (Denmark) and Marlon Stockinger (Philippines), both Formula Renault 3.5; Oscar Tunjo (Colombia), Esteban Ocon (France) and Alexander Albon (Thailand), all Eurocup Formula Renault; and Dorian Boccolacci (France) who is to compete in the KF category in Go Kart International.
{note 6}
It was at no time specified by Webster – or anybody else for that matter – what team he would end up with at the test or for this season. Gut feeling? Maybe Atech CRS. Maybe, although I have been known to be wrong before.
2013 GP3 Series grid (as of February 17th) ART GP: Jack Harvey, Facu Regalia, tba MW Arden: Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr, Robert Visoiu Carlin: Eric Lichtenstein, Luis sa Silva, tba Jenzer: Patric Niederhauser, Alex Fontana, Samin Gomez Marussia Manor: tba, tba, tba Status GP: Jimmy Eriksson, tba, tba Atech CRS: tba, tba, tba Trident: Emanuele Zonzini, David Fumanelli, tba Koiranen GP: Kevin Korjus, Aaro Vainio, Patrick Kujala
Last year’s Auto GP runner-up Kimiya Sato has moved to the GP2 Series, signing with the returning Campos Racing.
Sato, who also tested for Sauber Formula One team in 2013, will line up alongside French youngster Arthur Pic, completing the driver pairing for the Spanish squad.
While Sato has achieved some notable results in lower championships, the 24-year-old Japanese racer has yet to compete in any of the top-level junior categories.
Until now, Sato’s finest seasons have come in the All-Japan Formula 3 National Class (2nd), German Formula 3 (3rd) and Auto GP (2nd). Worthy performances indeed in their own right, but at the same time, they fall short of the quality embraced by other national and international competitions.
On the other hand, Sato displayed a lot of skill while handling the powerful Auto GP machines, during which he took a highly regarded victory in almost flood-like conditions at Monza last March.
Team boss Adrián Campos believes Sato has what it takes to make another step forward. “I do believe he will make a leap forward in the quality. We shall give the maximum support to Kimiya, to get the targets which we all set out.”
Sato comes to Campos from Auto GP’s Euronova squad – a team headed by former racers Vincenzo Sospiri and Taki Inoue – the latter whom joined the Euronova squad in order to help promote and develop Japanese drivers in Europe. “I would like to thank Taki Inoue and Vincenzo Sospiri for the faith placed in us. I know them for years, and they are experienced people. Campos Racing will honor the confidence vested in us.”
For Sato, the Japanese pilot believes the time is right for his move to the top feeder category. “GP2 was always the logical next step for me […] and I am very pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with a top team like Campos. I’m really looking forward to working with Adrian and his team – already we have a very good feeling and I think it really helps to have a team boss who has been a successful driver himself and can better understand things from the drivers’ point of view.”
© FIA.
Pascal Wehrlein and Mans Grenhagen took the number of drivers committed to the 2013 FIA European F3 Championship to fifteen yesterday.
After taking one victory in 2012, Wehrlein is staying with the tried and trusted Mücke Motorsport for a further year in the belief they will guide him to the title.
This is to be the 18-year-old’s second campaign in Europe’s leading Formula 3 series {note 1} and is confident Mücke can help achieve the title.
“I am really looking forward to take the next step with Mücke Motorsport. Especially at the second half of last year’s season we have been the strongest team,” said Wehrlein. He added “it sure will be an advantage to enter the new season with a well-rehearsed team.“
Wehrlein continues to be supported by the influential ADAC Stiftung Sport and Deutsche Post Speed Academy – a connection that has endured since the 18-year-old contested since his time in Formula Masters {note 2}.
This campaign also marks a solid step for Mücke, as they expand their full-season programme to three cars for the first since 2009; however it is believed an option for a fourth entry is still available. So far Mitchell Gilbert and Roy Nissany have been confirmed alongside Wehrlein.
Grenhagen, meanwhile, will be making his debut with Van Amersfoort Racing following a positive European F3 Open season in 2012.
Driving for EmiliodeVillota Motorsport, the Swede finished 3rd in the mostly Spanish-based series, taking three wins and five podiums along the way, although he remained some distance behind runner-up Gianmarco Raimondo and champion Niccolò Schirò.
It was an impressive season-long run by Grenhagen in what was only his third season of racing. After a difficult year racing Formula Abarth in 2011, the 19-year-old found his feet in the Dallara F312 chassis last year and he is keen to maintain the pace of progress.
“Last season I found the pleasure in racing again and I am hungry to compete in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. I choose for Van Amersfoort Racing because of their experience and successes in Formula 3. My goal is to continue the strong form of 2012. I want to be in top 5 at the end of the season.”
There is little doubt, however, that the European Championship is a huge step up from the F3 Open Series and any success Grenhagen achieves may come down to his level preparation.
Grenhagen will be partnered at Van Amersfoort by recent signing Dennis van de Laar, although, like Mucke, the Dutch squad are negotiating with other drivers to possibly run an extra machine full-time.
{note 1}
Wehrlein was also a classified competitor in the F3 Euro Series, which ran in conjunction with eight of the European Championship’s ten events. In a tight campaign, Wehrlein claimed the runner-up spot to the double champion Daniel Juncadella, ending the season only fourteen points adrift of his Spanish rival.
{note 2}
After finishing 6th overall in 2010 with Berlin-Brandenburg (an additional wing of Mücke Motorsport), Wehrlein won the ADAC Formula Masters a year later, holding Emil Bernstorff at bay through the final round in the Hockenheimring.
2013 FIA European Formula 3 grid (as of February 14th)
Carlin: TBA TBA
(possible 3rd driver)
EuroInternational: Tom Blomqvist TBA
Fortec: Pipo Derani Felix Serralles
TBA TBA
Jo Zeller Racing: TBA TBA
ma-con Motorsport: Andre Rudersdorf
Mucke Motorsport: Mitchell Gilbert Roy Nissany
Pascal Wehrlein (possible 4th driver)
Prema Powerteam: Lucas Auer Eddie Cheever III
Alex Lynn Raffaele Marciello
ThreeBond with T-Sport: Will Buller Spike Goddard
URD Rennsport: TBA
Van Amersfoort: Dennis van de Laar Mans Grenhagen,
(possible 3rd driver)
World Rally Championship
Sebastien Ogier took Volkswagen’s second ever WRC victory {note 1} only two rallies into their return to the sport. Ogier controlled the event from the early stages, leading initial contenders Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) and Jari-Matti Latvala (Volkswagen). Loeb would see off Latvala, but had already dropped over 30 seconds to the imperious Ogier by the end of day two.
Latvala continued to struggle through Saturday, allowing M-Sport’s Mads Ostberg to jump into a podium position. WRC debutante Pontus Tidemand impressed by running top five in the first two days, before and engine problem finished his rally, promoting M-Sport pairing Evgeny Novikov and Thierry Neuville to 5th and 6th respectively.
Citroen drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Dani Sordo took themselves out of contention with rolls in the Swedish snow, while M-Sport returnee Matthew Wilson ended his rally in a similar fashion.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Raji won the WRC2 class after he overcame Anders Grøndal in only his second snow rally. Sebb Wiegand retained the WRC2 points lead, finishing 3rd in class.
Full results and points standings.
Toyota Racing Series
Nick Cassidy became the third driver to claim a second Toyota Racing Series crown {note 2}, following a campaign marked by consistent running near the front.
Alex Lynn secured both poles at Manfeild, but a poor start in race one dropped the Englishman behind eventual race winner Steijn Schothorst, while Cassidy slipped through into 2nd. Schothorst pulled away from Cassidy, only for his margin to be deleted when a spinning Jann Mardenborough brought out a safety car, signalling a premature end to the race. Lynn held Lucas Auer at bay for 3rd in the early stages, although the Austrian soon fell away.
Auer lost any hope of the TRS trophy after Sunday’s reverse grid race. The Austrian won, but was later penalised 50 seconds for forcing Schothorst off the track, handing victory to Bruno Bonifacio, while also promoting Cassidy to 2nd spot, ahead of Ignazio D’Agosta.
Cassidy’s weekend only got better when he grabbed his second New Zealand Grand Prix victory. Throughout a safety car punctured race, Lynn held Cassidy close, but could not pressure the Kiwi into an error. Schothorst took another podium, holding Pipo Derani, Bonifacio and Auer (after starting 13th!) at bay; however the chasing trio made the Dutch racer fight for it. Mardenborough’s 7th place finish solidified his place as the TRS’s leading rookie.
Full results and points standings.
{note 1}
Although often forgotten, Volkswagen Motorsport won the 1987 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire, with Kenneth Eriksson at the wheel (co-driven by Peter Diekmann); however that event – while part of the Drivers’ Championship – was not counted as being part of the Manufacturers’ Championship.
{note 2}
Previous double winners of the Toyota Racing Series include David Gaunt (2006 and ’07) and Mitch Evans (2010 and ’11).
© GP3 Media Services.
Fledgling GP3 Series squad Koiranen GP yesterday announced their complete line-up for the 2013 season.
With impressive Finn Aaro Vainio already on board, the Barcelona-based squad made their intentions clear, by bringing ex-Formula Renault 3.5 racer Kevin Korjus to the team.
Spanish teenager Patrick Kujala stays with Koiranen GP after having raced with them in Formula Renault Alps and French Formula 4.
This is certain to be a key season for Vainio, who has already spent two years in the GP3 Series category.
Vainio only won once in 2012 {note 1} with the Lotus GP team, Vainio proved a consistent runner, finishing in the points in twelve of the first thirteen races, making him a key title protagonist.
However a difficult final two rounds at Spa and Monza conspired to drop the 19-year-old to 4th in the points standings, behind Antonio Felix da Costa, Daniel Abt and eventual champion Mitch Evans.
Following the GP3 season break-up, Vainio competed in three Formula Renault 3.5 Series rounds with Team RFR later on in 2012, grabbing three points finishes, including a podium at Barcelona.
For Korjus, 2013 will signal a return to Koiranen GP. The Estonian won the Formula Renault Eurocup with the team in 2010, but following a relatively impressive opening season in Renault 3.5 in 2011 {note 2}, the 20-year-old struggled to find a rhythm through 2012.
It must be admitted that Kujala is something of a mystery to me. Spells in Renault Alps and French Formula 4 means that I have seen him race at Spa-Francorchamps {note 3} and Pau, but the results of those races draw an absolute blank.
According to Koiranen GP team boss Afa Heikkinen, “entering GP3 series is a major challenge for us, but we are confident we can do the job. We have the right people and good drivers, I believe we can challenge front runners in the course of the season. However, we have no illusions, we know it won’t be easy.”
Outside of Koiranen GP, Swiss racer Patric Niederhauser has re-signed with Jenzer Motorsport for another go at the GP3 Series. Niederhauser took two wins and two podiums of his way to 7th in the points last year, but this year is aiming solidly for the title.
Watch out for Niederhauser – he is a former Formula Abarth Italia champion and can be bloody quick. During the middle of last year, I had a brief chat with the 21-year-old – read it here.
{note 1}
Vainio won the GP3 Series Feature Race at Monaco in 2012 – a feat he will, sadly, not be able to repeat this year.
{note 2}
In 2011 Korjus claimed three wins and another podium in the opening half of the season with Tech 1 Racing, but a raft of retirements and a drop of form demoted the Estonian to 6th in the standings at season’s end.
Again with Tech 1 last year, a single podium would suffice before moving to Lotus Charouz for the final three rounds, where an extension of disappointing results dropped Korjus to 10th overall.
{note 3}
I am ashamed to say that Kujala won when I saw French F4 race at Spa-Francorchamps in 2011, but I have absolutely no memory of what appears to have been his only car racing victory so far in his career.
All that comes to mind about the Renault Alps race at Pau is a a whole bunch of brilliantly controlled chaos, eventually won by Norman Nato and Paul-Loup Chatin. It was fantastic.
2013 GP3 Series Grid (as of February 12th) Lotus GP – Jack Harvey; two seats remaining. MW Arden – Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniil Kvyat, Robert Visoiu. Carlin – Eric Lichtenstein; two seats remaining. Jenzer – Samin Gomez Briceno, Patric Niederhauser; one seat remaining. Marussia Manor – no confirmed drivers. Status GP – Jimmy Eriksson; two seats remaining. Atech CRS – no confirmed drivers. Trident – David Fumanelli, Emanuele Zonzini; one seat remaining. Koiranen – Patrick Kujala, Aaro Vainio, Kevin Korjus.
Toyota Racing Series
Nick Cassidy took his first TRS win of the season at Hampton Downs to extend his points lead over Lucas Auer, but it was guest driver Mitch Evans who stole the weekend headlines. Evans, a GP2 regular for 2013, made his mark immediately by heading qualifying in both sessions and taking a pair of feature race wins.
Evans held off Alex Lynn for the duration of race one, winning by a mere six-tenths. Pipo Derani (3rd) spent the event being shadowed Cassidy (4th) and Auer (5th), with only seven-tenths covering the trio. Front row man Jann Mardenborough took 6th thanks to some frantic work from his mechanics – the Welshman was hit hard by Bruno Bonifacio on lap one, bringing out a red flag and necessitating some on the grid repairs. An off by Akash Nandy on lap five brought out another safety car period.
Cassidy’s led from pole in race two, drawing away from Derani with ease. The runner-up had to fight for it though, as a charging pack containing Auer (3rd), Evans (4th), Lynn (5th) and Mardenborough (6th) all sat within two seconds of Derani by the end.
Evans won a final race, peppered with safety car periods. Lynn – 2nd again – was unable to destabilise Evans’ march to victory, but still finished close (again), despite the lack of racing rhythm, while the distant Cassidy rounded out the podium. After pitting with a damaged car on lap one, Auer charged from last to take a brilliant 4th ahead of Tanart Sathienthirakul, who passed Andrew Tang take for 5th late on.
Nandy brought out the first safety car when his ETEC machine caught fire, while a heavy clash between Mardenborough and Ignazio d’Agosta declared another neutralised period. With one round remaining, Cassidy leads Auer by 26 points with 225 still available.
Caterham uncovered the CT03 prior to the opening Formula One pre-season test at Jerez yesterday.
The Leafield squad also officially presented its two new drivers Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde alongside the Renault-powered machine.
The CT03 is the first of the teams’ cars to be produced at Leafield and it is hoped that it will lift the squad higher up the order.
Mark Smith, Technical Director, commented the “…season ahead presented us with an interesting challenge early in the design process as it is the last year of the current regulations before the introduction of the new engine rules in 2014.
“With that in mind we decided that CT03 would be an evolution of CT01 rather than a complete re-design, allowing us to focus our resources on developing areas of last year’s package where opportunities would give us the greatest return, whilst also beginning work on the 2014 package.”
As with other 2013 machinery, the changes that have been introduced are not so instantly obvious. “Among the most obvious are around the lower chassis where the sidepods have been significantly undercut to improve airflow to the rear of the car. The diffuser, engine cover and cooling exits have also seen major changes and there are more subtle improvements to other areas of the car, such as the sidepod turning vanes and the lower tea-tray area.
“This is the package we will take to race one in Australia and as part of the 2013 upgrade program we will then bring new front and rear wings and a new diffuser soon after the start of the season.”
For new Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul, yesterday marked a proud morning, with the CT03 being the first Caterham F1 machine produced under his leadership. “This is the first car we have produced since I joined the team so this is a proud day for me. From the outside, the most obvious change to CT03 car is the livery. Whilst retaining the green and yellow paint scheme that has become synonymous with our team since 2010, we have refreshed both colours to enhance their visibility on track and give them what will be, we believe, one of the best looking liveries in the pitlane.”
Like Marussia, Caterham are also running with two drivers low on F1 experience, but with plenty of motor racing years behind them; something Abiteboul is keen to note will not present issues for the squad. “[Charles and Giedo] give us a good mix of youth and experience inside and outside Formula One. Charles and Giedo are both young and dynamic and we expect that their enthusiasm for the sport and the team will be fuelling our growth.
“Additionally, they provide clear proof of our dedication to developing young driver talent and now, any aspiring driver who dreams of F1 can see that there is a clear route to the F1 grid under the guidance of the Caterham Driver Development Program, the 2013 format of which will soon be presented.”
If results of the past three seasons is anything to go by Caterham have a lot of work to do to catch the back of the midfield, but they are closing – slowly.
Key Personnel:
Co-Chairmen: Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun
CEO: Riad Asmat
Team Principal: Cyril Abiteboul
Technical Director: Mark Smith
Performance Director: John Iley
Team Manager: Graham Watson
General Manager: Mia Sharizman
Caterham F1 Team
Caterham F1 Team
Caterham F1 Team
Caterham F1 Team
Marussia chose a low-key effort to reveal their 2013 Formula One entry yesterday.
The Banbury-based Russian squad enter their fourth year in Formula One with aims to lift themselves away from the rear of the field.
A much cleaner design than previous efforts, the MR02 will also see Marussia utilise KERS for the first time – an addition that may give them precious tenths over a lap.
Piloted by GP2 Series graduates Luiz Razia and Max Chilton, the MR02 is also the first Marussia F1 car to be developed utilising conventional windtunnel methods, aided by CFD {note 1}.
Despite persistent rumours of financial difficulties with the team, Marussia F1 President and Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon told Autosport the squad is “…more comfortable now than we have ever been, both on the technical side and the commercial side” {note 2}.
While Lowdon might be outwardly positive, there is widely held belief that the teams recent split with Timo Glock came down to a lack of funding for a paid driver.
In terms of sponsorship the car does appear somewhat bare, although recent days have seen the team extend commercial deals with Sage, while the likes of QNet and LDC (amongst others) remain on board.
Both Razia and Chilton are also believed to bring some not insignificant funding and while both are rookies to F1, they have spent several years rummaging around the lower categories. Indeed between them, Razia and Chilton have entered 165 GP2 Series events, with Razia proving rather more successful in that period.
Admittedly not the most spectacular of drivers, Razia is proven talent with solid race pace who should do well to bring the MR02 home.
“This coming season will be all about rewarding the faith the Team have shown in me. I am looking forward to beginning that process in Jerez where we are testing the MR02 for the first time. I am also looking forward to the first race in Melbourne and I’m excited to be racing alongside Max, who I competed ‘against’ last season.
“This is an important year for the Marussia F1 Team in terms of maintaining the momentum from a very positive 2012 season. I look forward to making a valuable contribution to that.”
Chilton meanwhile has occasionally struggled to put consistently strong races together {note 3}, but the Englishman undoubtedly has stellar qualifying pace. Speaking in December, Chilton commented “…I am very fortunate to have spent the last six races with the Marussia F1 Team as Reserve Driver, which means that instead of a standing start, I am already up to speed and at ease with the people, the culture, the systems and of course, the 2012 package.
“During the period since the Japanese Grand Prix, I have watched at very close quarters the incredible commitment and determination to succeed that saw everyone in the team pushing until the very last race. I feel very lucky to be able to embark on my F1 racing career with this group of people.”
Key personnel:
Team Principal: John Booth
CEO: Andy Webb
President and Sporting Director: Graeme Lowdon
Technical Director: Pat Symonds
Engineering Director: Nikolai Fomenko
{note 1}
Although the team had split with Wirth Research prior to the beginning of the 2012 season, the MR01 was already in its early stages of CFD development when the design team and approach ere dramatically restructured.
{note 2}
Autosport.com, February 5th 2013; http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105411
{note 3}
In six seasons of competing in British Formula 3 and later in GP2, Chilton won only three times from 124 starts.
© Marussia F1 Team.
© Marussia F1 Team.
© Marussia F1 Team.
© Marussia F1 Team.
Scuderia Toro Rosso took the covers off of their STR8 machine at Jerez on Monday.
Piloted by Red Bull junior drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, the Italian closed the 2012 season a disappointed 9th in the Constructors’ Championship – a long way ahead of Caterham, Marussia and HRT, but far behind Williams.
Left behind by the rest of the midfield, Toro Rosso struggled to make an impression throughout last year, only troubling the points a handful of occasions. Both Ricciardo and Vergne made the best of what they had; however that was, all too often, not a whole lot.
Questions as to the status of the team remain hanging in the air, with persistent rumours that Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz is ready to offload the team should the right offer emerge.
For now, the team are concentrating on the job at hand and that must be to pull back into the midfield battle. According to team boss Franz Tost, “Formula 1 is approaching a new era, specifically in 2014, and, at Toro Rosso, we have already made significant changes to our structure both in terms of manpower and facilities, to be ready for that.
“We believe the changes made will also help in the short term for this coming season and, combined with the fact that Daniel and Jean-Eric are more experienced, now that they have a season with us under their belts, we start winter testing in a mood of justified optimism.”
Ricciardo and Vergne also seem rather positive, but then again an improvement is a significant must for their careers, with Vergne noting, “…going into this season is a completely different experience to this time last year, when I had to deal with a lot of unknowns. This year, I will still be learning (…) but the basics are there and I will be able to focus on more important aspects of the job.
“In general, I sense a new philosophy within Toro Rosso: I wouldn’t say people are working harder, but maybe they are going in a better direction and everyone has been working hard since the end of last season, to achieve our goals.”
Ricciardo added: “the target for us this year is very simple: to improve on last year. We want to make a big step forward and we have to get back among the teams we should be fighting with. I have a new race engineer for this year, but it’s not a step into the unknown as he used to be my data engineer and he ran me in Austin and Sao Paolo last year so it’s not like we haven’t worked together yet.
“The six days I will spend in the cockpit for pre-season testing should be enough time to get a good relationship going and I’m looking forward to it as an exciting new challenge.”
Key personnel:
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: James Key
Chief Designer: Luca Furbatto
Team Manager: Gianfranco Fantuzzi
Chief Engineer: Laurent Mekies
© Scuderia Toro Rosso
© Scuderia Toro Rosso
© Scuderia Toro Rosso
Following a disastrous attempted digital launch over the weekend, Mercedes finally revealed their 2013 machine at Jerez yesterday.
The original unveiling, via the Mercedes website, saw the website crash repeatedly; ensuring only a half-baked and incomplete image of the W04 was visible.
Well, it can now be safely said that – like almost every other launch so far this year – the W04 looks an awful lot like last year’s car, thanks to the largely unchanged technical regulations.
On the other hand, Mercedes will at least be looking to improve their overall form throughout the season. Despite a race victory with Nico Rosberg in China and a provisional pole position in Monaco {note 1} for the now retired Michael Schumacher, 2012 was a year where Mercedes tended to rather anonymous.
However recent months have brought a massive restructuring of the team. Following the sale of 40% of the teams shares by Aabar, (via Daimler) Toto Wolff has joined the Mercedes squad from Williams (accepting 30%), while three-time world champion remains as non-executive chairman with 10% of shares being bought by Niki Lauda.
Indeed it was Lauda that managed to persuade Lewis Hamilton to join the German marque, as he steps away from McLaren for the first time in his career. This period has not been without its controversy. The arrival of Wolff has laid question marks over the doors of Team Principal Ross Brawn and CEO Nick Fry, although both are adamant that they will remain with the Brackley-based squad.
Naturally, upon its (eventual) release Brawn was keen to reflect upon the W04. “The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor.
“Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in performance compared to last season.
“We are also hugely proud to welcome Lewis to the team as a works Mercedes-Benz driver. With Lewis and Nico, we have what I believe to be the strongest driver line-up in Formula One and I know that a healthy level of competition between them both will help drive the team forward.”
Hamilton’s arrival marks an important fork in the road for Mercedes, whose progress up until recently had been partially held at bay by a driver line-up that all too often delivered uninspiring performances. For his part, Hamilton is not expecting instant success, knowing that 2013 may be the first year in a long relationship.
“It’s a very special day for me to officially present our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow to the world. I’ve been at the factory for a few days now, getting to know the guys, meeting my mechanics and engineers, learning myself into the team and I have never seen a group of people that is hungrier for success than this one.
“They have been flat out this winter trying to pack more performance into the new car and I can’t wait to drive it and see where I can make a difference to help push the team forward with Nico. We are playing a long game here but I know we will have success together and I’m excited to be a big part of making it happen.”
Fresh from the simulator, Rosberg is also anticipating a slow, but positive upturn in performance. “The car seems to be performing well in the virtual world but we have a very busy and intense programme ahead of us during testing to make sure we can deliver that performance on track. The atmosphere in the team is very positive and the people are highly motivated to succeed.
“And, of course, I have a new team-mate with Lewis. It’s his first time in the Silver Arrow and I look forward to working together and pushing each other hard, to make this the best team in Formula One.”
New arrival Wolff added: “Formula One is very straightforward and the only thing that counts is lap time.” That’s nonsense Toto. The only thing that matters are the results. In the past, too many cars have dominated Grand Prix with their quick machines only to not finish.
Key personnel:
Team Principal: Ross Brawn
CEO: Nick Fry
Technical Director: Bob Bell
Engineering Director: Also Costa
Technology Director: Geoff Willis
Chief Strategist: James Vowles
Executive Director: Toto Wolff
Non-executive Chairman: Niki Lauda
{note 1}
Schumacher secured the fastest time in Monaco, but a penalty lingering over from the previous race ensured he would start 6th.
© Mercedes AMG Grand Prix
© Mercedes AMG Grand Prix
© Mercedes AMG Grand Prix
© Mercedes AMG Grand Prix
Reigning world champions Red Bull Racing released their ninth challenger on Sunday.
The Austrian team unveiled the RB9 at their Milton Keynes headquarters to Formula One media, with the goal of taking their fourth consecutive title.
Despite Red Bull’s incredible success since it became a race winning force in 2009, Team Principal Christian Horner attempted to downplay expectations, while also welcoming Infiniti as the new title sponsor of the team.
According to Horner, “[the RB9] marks a new beginning for us: it’s our ninth car but we’re introducing Infiniti as our title partner, so the livery is strikingly different.
“To have won three-in-a-row in both Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships is quite remarkable. The 2012 season was tough and long, but our success was testimony to all the hard work and dedication in the factory. We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to maintain continuity within our group.
The former racer, turned team boss added: “this is the fifth year that this driver pairing has been together. We’ve got continuity throughout the technical teams and in all the key areas. I think that’s proof that there’s a fierce determination to keep both of those trophies in the cabinet for another year.”
With the regulations remaining relatively similar, Red Bull could by all rights feel positive about 2013; however chief technical officer Adrian Newey was keen to play down any apparent advantage his package may provide, citing the Pirelli tyres as a key to the title.
“The most significant change is not the regulations, it’s the new Pirelli tyres. We had a quick test in P1 in Brazil but it was very hot and on a green track and in truth we didn’t learn a lot. We need to continue to understand the tyres.
”Every time we thought we understood them last year, some fresh surprise would come in and we’d realise it wasn’t complete. And they’ve changed the tyre anyway this year. Past experience is that it’s only when we get out testing that we really find out about the tyres.”
The talented designer reiterated that the lack of change in the technical regulations ensured that the RB9 was an evolutionary concept of last year’s RB8 machine, rather than a new project. “It’s an evolutionary car. It’s really been a case of refining the RB8. All the principles the same as last year. The devil has very much been in the detail with this car. We’ve tidied up some bits that we felt could be improved on. Development is now the key through the year.
“We obviously had a very tight championship battle last year and it was difficult trying to develop last year’s car and do the research into this year’s car. It gave us a very tight timeframe to manufacture this car.”
It is not inconceivable that such emphasis on the Pirelli’s could just as easily hand the title to a single rather than mix the results up again.
Should Red Bull judge the tyres correctly and continue the form they showed in the final third of last year, then Sebastien Vettel could have his fourth title sown up with races to spare, although the champion is not too keen on getting complacent.
“Although we have had great success, a new season is a clean sheet, with new car. It all starts again from zero; we all have the same chance. It will be another long year, with a lot of races, and a very tough challenge awaits us all. I’m looking forward to that.
“We’ve achieved a lot but I’m not really thinking about that, as it doesn’t give us a head start or anything. If anything it just adds to people’s expectations. But that’s the same for all of us – we expect a lot of ourselves too. So, I’m excited about it – the challenge, the racing, all of it.
“There’s no guarantee. You really have to focus on every single race, every single lap and try to get everything together. As soon as you have the helmet on, you want to perform and you want to do your best.”
Key personnel:
Team Principal: Christian Horner
Chief Technical Officer: Adrian Newey
Head of Aerodynamics: Peter Prodromou
Chief Designer: Rob Marshall
© Infiniti Red Bull Racing
© Infiniti Red Bull Racing
© Infiniti Red Bull Racing
Sauber became the fifth team to unveil their 2013 Formula One charger on Saturday, revealing a car they hope will take them into the top five.
Unlike other releases, the C32 does display some visible bodywork alterations. Spurned on by Sergio Perez’s Monaco crash from 2011, designer Matt Morris has incorporated narrower sidepods into the design.
Morris has also updated the braking system, while his team eye up the potential of the passive DRS. Beyond that, the Ferrari-powered team have once again delivered what looks to be a tidy machine, but they may need something more than tidy to break the manufacturer hold at the top.
In 2013, Sauber have two new drivers in Nico Hulkenberg – fresh from a year with Force India – and Mexican new boy Esteban Gutierrez.
Hulkenberg – a former A1GP and GP2 Series champion – has been very impressive in his two seasons in Formula One {note 1}, with the German pilot registering a best finish of 4th in Belgium. Poor judgement in damp conditions cost Hulkenberg the chance of victory at Interlagos at the tail end of last season; however he does appear to be showing signs of a driver improving with each event.
After two seasons in the GP2 Series, Gutierrez has made the jump to the top category; however his rise did not come easily.
Numerous mistakes peppered his two years in GP2 and while Gutierrez would eventually pick up four victories with the Lotus-Art squad, he was regularly shown up by teammates Jules Bianchi and James Calado.
But… Gutierrez is bloody good and with the right people, he could prove to be the season’s star package.
Sauber took four podiums last year, including a near victory in Malaysia. With some stability in the regulations, it is not inconceivable that they may repeat that success, if not improve on it.
As for the Ferrari link, according to Kaltenborn that is still on the cards beyond 2012: “For us, we have had a partnership with Ferrari for more than 10 years, so that’s the natural link for us to go, but they also have difficulties, because nothing has been clarified down to the last detail.
”It’s extremely challenging, and a fear we have as a private team is to make sure we don’t have any disadvantage compared to the manufacturer teams. It comes down to finding the engine, knowing the technical details of it and knowing what impact it has on our design.”
Key personnel:
Team Principal: Monisha Kaltenborn
Chief Designer: Matt Morris
Operations Director: Axel Kruse
Head of Aerodynamics: Willem Toet
Team Manager: Beat Zehnder
Marketing Director: Alex Sauber
{note 1}
Hulkenberg debuted with Williams in 2010, before losing his seat to the rather monied Pastor Maldonado.
© Sauber Motorsport
© Sauber Motorsport
© Sauber Motorsport
Paul di Resta. © Sahara Force India
A lone Paul di Resta lifted the covers off of the Force India VJM06 at Silverstone yesterday.
The Scottish racer heads into his third year with the Northamptonshire-based Indian squad; however the 26-year-old has yet to have a teammate cast.
The mid-table team have been plagued with financial difficulties for some time, with rumours of buy outs refusing to go away.
While team bosses Dr Vijay Mallya and Subrata Roy Sahara have battled hard to keep afloat, barely a day would pass without noises being made of Force India’s impending demise. Yet, this is not the tale of a back of the grid wonder like Marussia or the recently departed HRT – well, not any more at least.
Having finished 7th in the Constructors Championship last year (almost achieving an unlikely podium in Brazil {note 1}), only 17 points shy of Sauber and a clear 33 ahead of Williams, Force India should be a relatively steady ship, but the midlands-based team have been dogged by persistent problems and rumours.
A lack of significant monies arriving from external sources, insider sponsorship programmes {note 2}, an expensive engine agreement with Mercedes and a lack of businesses connected to the team (amongst other things) have given the impression that Mallya and Sahara over-extended themselves.
Formula One is a very expensive game to play and the Mallya / Sahara pairing are finding out the hard way how much it truly can cost; however their Formula One losses are almost small compared to the industrial disasters their respective non-motorsport entities are facing.
Only this week Force India announced two new sponsorship deals (with Chatham and TW Steel), but whether this is the start of their stabilisation or merely a positive blip remains to be seen.
On track, Force India endured a rather indifferent year in 2012 – so much so, it was easy to occasionally forget they were even competing. Too often mired on the periphery of the top ten ensured they rarely troubled the front-runners, but were also not slow enough to ever live in fear of being lapped.
Di Resta started the season very well, initially enjoying a racing edge over Nico Hulkenberg, who was returning after a tear out; however once the German racer found his stride he began to overshadow the Scot.
Where Hulkenberg is still showing signs of improvement, one can’t help but think that di Resta has plateaued somewhat and despite all the support he receives from UK audiences, di Resta has spent much of the last couple of years being not overly spectacular.
Having being burned once at the end of the 2010 season, Hulkenberg took no chances of being cut loose by a cash-strapped team and secured a drive with Sauber, while di Resta remained unconfirmed with Force India until just before the launch.
From the outside, it doesn’t appear to have dimmed the young man’s disposition. “Seeing the car built and complete for the first time is a special feeling. I’ve followed its progress in the tunnel and it looks very impressive aggressive and fast. Now I’m just eager to get out there and see where we stand compared to our competitors. After the winter I feel refreshed and keen to get back to business.”
Despite all of their problems, Technical Director Andrew Green has delivered a car that is completely new; a bold move for the team, but one that may help them breakout of their midfield lockdown – should the money be there for development.
“[The VJM06 is] a brand new car from the ground-up – everything is new. We discussed carrying over big chunks of last year’s car, including the chassis, but decided not to.
“There were still some gains to be had with the chassis, so we elected to take the performance benefits. However, the car is evolution rather than revolution compared with last year, simply because of the nature of the regulations.
“There are quite a few large changes under the skin. Because we focussed a lot on the tyres last year, we’ve given ourselves a few more options on set-up to help manage them from qualifying to the race. So that’s something we will focus on going into winter testing – we’ll be looking at those options and trying to understand them. It’s going to be a challenge assessing these during the cold winter tests, but those options will give the engineers more weapons in their armoury.
“The suspension has been tuned for what we learned on the tyres, so the configuration is different to last year with changes aimed at better complementing the tyres. The rear suspension is quite different – for aerodynamic reasons the whole thing has been lifted up to allow the airflow under the lower rear wishbones.
Force India will run at the opening test at Jerez next week with di Resta and sportscar racer James Rossiter.
Key personnel:
Managing Director: Dr Vijay Mallya
Chairman: Subrata Roy Sahara
Deputy Team Principal: Bob Fernley
Technical Director: Andrew Green
Chief Operating Officer: Otmar Szafnauer
{note 1}
Hulkenberg led the damp Brazilian Grand Prix for 30 laps before being taken by Hamilton in the mid-stages of the race. Attempting a repass in the first turn, the German clashed with Hamilton when the McLaren man was balked by a sluggish Caterham.
{note 2}
A solid number of the sponsors on the Force India machine – including Kingfisher and the United Breweries group – are primarily Mallya’s own companies.
© Sahara Force India.
© Sahara Force India.
© Sahara Force India.
© Sahara Force India.
© Sahara Force India.
Ferrari became the third team to unveil their 2013 Formula One charger this morning.
The famed Italian squad pulled the covers off of the F138 machine – an effort they hope will take them back to the top of the category.
Despite being ever present at or near the top of the standings, Ferrari have not enjoyed the easiest of paths in recent seasons.
Leading Spanish racer Fernando Alonso has twice come tantalisingly close to the Drivers’ crown with the Scuderia – in 2010 and 2012 – only to be denied on both occasions by Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.
Yet Ferrari have not helped their cause by revealing cars that have too often been a long way behind the curve at season start. Alonso commented prior to Christmas that it may prove difficult to repeat his 2012 performance; such was the intensity of the campaign – an understandable statement after he somehow dragged three wins and ten podiums from the F2012.
Alonso’s superb talent, tenacity behind the wheel and driving force within the team has given the Tifosi some occasional cheer, but the need to play catch up with the leading pack is becoming a familiar tale.
The Spaniard has opted out of the opening test at Jerez, with teammate Felipe Massa and recently appointed reserve Pedro de la Rosa taking up testing and simulation duties; however Alonso seems far from worried.
“I will follow the tests with great interest and all the information that comes back from Jerez I will be looking at. In the next few weeks I will certainly be concentrating on preparing for the championship. I was busy in December and January, and up until a week ago we were involved in activities, so, it is right to step back and prepare a bit so I am 100 per cent from Australia to Brazil.” He continued “we are lucky in this team to have a real good level of trust between us. We trust each other explicitly. We have an extended team; we are not just one person.”
On the other side of the garage, Massa displayed a convincing turn in the second half of the season, following a dire opening segment. The Brazilian has currently notched up ten consecutive points finishes and at times toward the end of the year, was pushing Alonso hard.
Irrespective of his run, this will most likely prove to be Massa’s final year with the Scuderia as the Italian team look to the future. Should the equipment be there, it would not be inconceivable for Massa to finally claim that first win since his life-threatening accident in 2009.
However, one cannot help but feel that Ferrari – in one sense – lucked into their runner-up spot in the Constructors’ Championship last year.
During a campaign that saw the faster McLaren-Mercedes package repeatedly fail to finish and / or endure operation errors, Ferrari ploughed through races on the back of a stellar reliability record; all the while pulling together a reasonable development programme.
Indeed, Ferrari did not suffer a single mechanical ailment in a Grand Prix throughout the season and the recent appointment of Pedro de la Rosa as reserve and development driver may help steer the team in the right direction.
But last year, Ferrari were not good enough and the harsh glare that shun upon Team Principal Stefano Domenicali and Technical Director Pat Fry may only intensify if they struggle to deliver again.
According to Domenicali, “…the key objective that we must have is of immediately delivering a competitive car to our drivers. Unfortunately in recent years we have at the beginning of the winter unfortunately not been able to be right on top of what we are doing. We have tried to look at our organisation to be much more effective in the preparations over the coming week.”
For analysis from people who actually know what they are talking about, check out Autosport, Racecar Engineering, Joe Saward and Kate Walker.
Key Personnel:
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali
Techical Director: Pat Fry
Chief Designer: Nicholas Tombazis
Operations Director: Mario Almondo
Head of Aerodynamics: Loïc Bigois
Head of Production: Corrado Lanzone
Head of Tyre Development: Hirohide Hamashima
Engine & Electronics Director: Luca Marmorini
© Scuderia Ferrari
© Scuderia Ferrari
© Scuderia Ferrari
© Scuderia Ferrari
© McLaren Group
McLaren became the second Formula One team to launch their 2013 car this morning, quickly following in the footsteps of Lotus.
Broadcast live on the team’s website from the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, the launch looked to be a typically dignified affair by the Anglo-Kiwi squad.
Of course the team will be hoping the MP4-28 – which looks remarkably similar to last year’s MP4-27 if I’m honest {note 1} – will mark a step up from their 2012 effort, which was all too often hit with reliability woes.
Indeed, issues with the MP4-27 cost McLaren several victories and potentially lost Lewis Hamilton a shot at a second world title.
Operational errors in the pitlane – still a persistent McLaren after all these years – cost both Hamilton and teammate Jenson Button valuable points, dropping the silver and red team behind Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
For a team that took five victories when things were working well, some many mechanical and personnel failures must have stung them; to fall behind an unloved Ferrari peddled to death by Fernando Alonso, even moreso.
While the steady Button remains, Hamilton made a widely publicised exit at the end of last year – a point that will be drilled into us all through this season – and has been replaced by the quick, but erratic Sergio Perez.
Many years of experience has made Button something of a known quantity – this being his fourteenth year in Formula One – so much so, it is difficult to write anything new or of consequence about the 2009 World Champion without meeting with him and his engineers.
“Obviously, the biggest change for 2013 is my new team-mate, Checo. It’s always interesting and inspiring to begin working with a new face, and it already feels like a very positive working relationship. I know from personal experience that it can feel initially daunting when you walk into the McLaren Technology Centre for the very first time, but I also remember how quickly I was made to feel at home and how welcoming I found the whole McLaren family. I’m sure Checo already feels very much at ease here.
“We were extremely strong throughout the whole of the 2012 season, but, for one reason or another, we couldn’t quite pull it all together to challenge for the championships. That’s something we want to address for 2013. I’ve seen just how closely everybody has been working together on this car, and I think we’ve got the basis for a very strong season.
“We’ll be working extremely hard during the pre-season to ensure we go to the first race with bulletproof reliability. Operationally, too, I think we’ve learned and developed from last year, and that will help us run a much smoother and stronger campaign.”
However, on the opposite side of the garage, the likeable Perez still has room to improve and is certainly making fewer mistakes than now than in previous year’s.
It is quite clear the canny Mexican possesses the speed to reach the top step, but whether he has built the mental agility to retain concentration under times of pressure has often been called into question – his error while chasing Alonso in Malaysia last year was almost typical of “younger” Perez.
There are signs of learning and development for Perez – getting revenge on Alonso at Monza last year being a case in point – but this needs to be showcased every week, not just when the conditions suit.
“For me, this is a great day. In fact, every day this year has been great: I’ve been working hard with my new team to get everything ready for the start of the 2013 season – and it’s been an incredible journey to get to know this incredible organisation.
“Of course, I am fully aware of the steep slope ahead of me: it has already been an intense couple of weeks, getting to grips with a new team, meeting my engineers and mechanics, learning new ways of working and, of course, learning all about a brand new car – something I’ll need to do with just six days of on-track testing. It’s a big challenge.
“But it’s definitely going to be an exciting few weeks: although I’ve been racing in Formula 1 for the past two seasons, every racing car is different and it always takes a little time to adjust. Firstly, I’ll need to understand the different characteristics of the car; secondly, I’ll learn how to best work with my engineers to make the car suit my personal driving style. It’s going to be an interesting and exciting journey.
“But I’m more prepared than I’ve ever been for the start of a new season. I feel extremely fit, focused and refreshed – there’s still a lot to do, but my aims are to feel confident, comfortable and ready to race by the time I land in Australia in just a few weeks’ time.”
Following the launch, Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh released subtly confident comments to the press, all the emphasising the difficulty of the job at hand.
“The launch of a new Formula 1 car is always an exciting and slightly nerve-wracking occasion. For 2013, of course, we go racing to win. With Jenson and Checo, and this fantastic-looking new car, I believe we’re extremely well prepared for another competitive season.
“Jenson is driving better than ever – he’s the most experienced driver in Formula 1, but he makes every ounce of that experience count: he’s peerless in his ability to read a race and one of the very fastest drivers out there. He’s a consummate professional, too, and will revel in working hard to drive this team through the year.
“Checo joins us after a sensational 2012 season and he’s immediately proved that he’s intelligent, modest, hard-working and, make no mistake; very, very quick. Of course, there’ll be a learning curve to overcome as he gets used to our organisation, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the early-season race weekends, but he understands that we are placing no pressure on him.
“This is an exciting time for the whole team. In our 50th anniversary season, I want Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to underline why we are the finest grand prix team in the world.”
For analysis from people who actually know what they are talking about, check out Autosport, Racecar Engineering, Joe Saward and Kate Walker.
Key personnel:
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh
Director of Engineering: Tim Goss
Technical Director: Paddy Lowe (for now)
Director of Design and Development: Neil Oatley
Managing Director: Jonathan Neale
Sporting Director: Sam Michael
Operations Director: Simon Roberts
Commercial and Financial Director: John Cooper
Team Manager: Dave Redding
{note 1}
Difficult to tell to be honest. As with the Lotus reveal, the new McLaren is merely an evolution of last year’s runner as opposed to being anything truly new or different, thanks to the static nature of the rules. I feel that this point may get rather laboured in the next week or two.
© McLaren Group
© McLaren Group
© McLaren Group
Toyota Racing Series
Nick Cassidy rose to the top of the TRS championship after the weekend’s third round at Taupo, despite having not yet won this season. The Kiwi has benefited from some supreme consistency; delivering two more podiums to add to the three he had collected in the first two rounds.
It was Britain’s Alex Lynn who claimed both of the weekend’s pole position’s and feature races wins, while Bruno Bonifacio took the Sunday morning sprint event.
The opener seemed easy for Lynn, who led the distance from Cassidy, who fought hard against the Englishman early on; however Cassidy soon fell back toward Steijn Schothorst, although the 18-year-old could not break into 2nd place. Bonifacio lingered a distant 4th, several seconds ahead of Lucas Auer who assumed 5th, while Jann Mardenborough closed out the top six. Title contender Felix Serralles finished 16th after he received a flat tyre mid race.
Bonifacio won his first race of the season on Sunday morning thanks to a clear run in the sprint. The Brazilian fought to keep Schothorst at bay for the duration; however the leading pair ended their battle a long way ahead of Auer (3rd) and Cassidy (4th). Tatiana Calderon assumed her first top five finish of the championship, while Dennis Olsen who originally claimed 6th was later demoted following a false start. A spin at turn one dropped Lynn to 12th, but he quickly climbed to the order to salvage 8th place.
Lynn made up for the error to beat Cassidy to victory by three seconds in the final race. The pair cleared away from the pack – helped by a clash between Schothorst and Auer at race start – before Lynn drew a small, but decisive lead. Bonifacio benefitted most from the collision, pipping Schothorst to the podium, while Pipo Derani finished a close 5th, only to be docked 50 seconds post-race for passing under yellows, promoting Damon Leitch to the top five and Serralles to 6th.
© SRO.
When news regarding the truncation of the British F3 Series was made known yesterday evening, there was a feeling of disappointment, if not shock.
At the AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL Show earlier this month, mentions of British F3 were all too often met with a sense foreboding and even a call to the Carlin team last week was left a deathly feel of uncertainty.
However one must be honest about the realities of motorsport in these difficult times. As the United Kingdom and a number of the wider European territories crest upon the cusp of a triple dip recession, budgets have continued to rise to absurd levels.
It’s easy to recite the joke “how much is a budget; how fast do you want to go?”, but when the numbers being touted for a seat In Formula 3 creep around £700,000 (plus), it becomes easier to baulk at the ridiculousness of it all.
By all accounts a season with a decent team in Formula Renault 3.5 lingers around the £1.2 million mark, while the GP2 and GP3 Series’ could set a driver back around £1.8 million and £1 million respectively.
Money has always been a tricky issue in motorsport, especially in times of economic pressure – the key is not to get so blasé about economic difficulties that the sport ends shooting itself in both feet.
Yet budget is not the only reason we will see very little of British F3 this year. SRO have had a few hazardous moments over the years and while the intentions and desire to make single-seater racing successful have been there, luck and the best decisions have not always been on their side.
Outside of SRO, Formula 3 has borne witness to a rising level of politicking from a few within the FIA and the manufacturers. With less than seven weeks to the start of the European F3 Championship, the balance of performance for this season’s engines have yet to be declared.
On the driver’s side, more and more wish to race on international Grand Prix certified tracks. While the likes of Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Donington, Thruxton and Snetterton (amongst others) are all highly regarded, they have become quietly irrelevant to many of those looking to Formula One.
They simply are no longer sexy.
Further afield, Europe is awash with a plethora of single-seater championships in and around the level of Formula 3 that all offer different challenges and rewards, yet few stand out as definitive weed killers.
Aside from the three international Formula 3 championships in Europe, there are a number of national F3 categories, as well as Formula Abarth (Italia and Europe), the seemingly endless number Formula Renault series’ and GP3 (there are probably others). These markets have merely served to spread fields thinly across and in terms of equipment, it appears economies of scales have not come into effect.
But do not get me wrong. No championship anywhere – whether it Formula One, World Endurance Championship, NASCAR or even something as unloved as Formula Two – has a right to survive.
Maintaining health comes not by revelling in an extensive history, but by nurturing its present day health while securing the future. That also means preserving its assets and consumers, whether they be drivers, suppliers, manufacturers, sponsors and – ultimately – fans.
Cluttered markets with plenty of unnecessary categories, vested interests, expensive fees, politicking from all sides and a confused approach to technical regulations…
This isn’t just a Formula 3 problem, this is a motorsport problem and it needs to be fixed.
Maybe it’s time the powers in these various factions stopped talking about the crisis in lower level motorsport and instilled a plan to preserve them.
© SRO.
Following a winter of uncertainty, SRO Motorsport have scaled back the British Formula 3 calendar to just four events in 2013.
With only three drivers announced and uncertainty surrounding the participation of Fortec and Carlin, the likelihood of a respectable grid being assembled for the opener at Oulton Park was brought into question.
While the number of regular season entrants hung around the “twenty” mark for several seasons in the last decade, recent years have seen the series struggle to hit that mark.
Last season saw only fourteen full-time British F3 runners for much of the campaign {note 1}.
The reduced calendar will take in visits to Silverstone (May 25-26), Spa-Francorchamps (July 25-27), Brands Hatch (August 10-11) and Nurburgring (September 21-22), with National Class openings for competitors from the German F3 Cup and the European F3 Open. None of the rounds clashing with the rejigged FIA European F3 Championship.
The move to shrink the calendar means a number of British GT and Blancpain Endurance Series events have been left without a high profile support category and the Grand Prix de Pau is now without a headline race.
In a press release from SRO, “the extended FIA European F3 Championship has absorbed the commercial resources for teams heading in to 2013.” In addition, SRO commented that “…the amended calendar for 2013 has been designed with the full approval of the teams that are already committed to the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series.
“They, along with SRO and all partners involved stress that this move is a necessary step to safeguard the health and future prospects of the series and to protect its rich 62 year heritage and image as an essential step to Formula One.”
The rounds at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nurburgring have been guaranteed live television broadcasts, while Brands Hatch event will enjoy a highlights package.
{note 1}
Several events through the season were twinned with the FIA European Championship, inflating grids to 25-30 entries; however at these race weekends, the number of British F3 entries remained around the 14-15 mark.
Lotus became the first Formula One team to unveil their 2013 charger this evening.
The E21 was launched “live” via YouTube in a manner similar to the launch of its predecessor one year ago.
Designed by Martin Tolliday, the Renault-powered machine has maintained much of what made the E20 a gem in 2012, although much of that has to be with the relatively unchanged rules package.
Team Principal Éric Boullier and Technical Director James Allison remain to oversee this year’s Lotus effort, as the Enstone squad attempt to better their 4th place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Boullier for one is positive for the season ahead: “I think it is fair to say that great things are possible from the team and the E21. The leap we made from 2011 to 2012 showed what we are capable of. Add to this the continuity and potential of our driver line-up and we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead. Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula One is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.”
Allison added: “The E20 proved itself to be an effective racing car – particularly towards the end of last season – so there is an element of expectation from the E21 and plenty to build upon. We have continued with our design themes and tried to create a more efficient and faster racing car based on all the lessons we learnt last year. How successful we have been in this task will only be discovered when we take to the track at the winter tests and – more significantly – at Grands Prix.”
Notably, the E21 will continue to work with the passive double-DRS and has also quite a revised suspension mechanism. The car will continue with the infamous step-nose, with the team choosing not to place the vanity panel on the nose due to the extra weight incurred.
Meanwhile, with one win to his name in 2012, Kimi Raikkonen will also be aiming for better things – while the stoic Finn displayed plenty of speed in his comeback year, the 2007 World Champion was also prone to moments of hesitation in wheel-to-wheel battles.
“It’s clear from working with them that they are racers, and you can see in their history that they’ve won championships. Nothing I saw last year made me think that another championship was impossible in the future. Of course, there is some pretty tough competition out there and everyone wants to win. The team have beaten everyone before and there’s nothing to say they can’t do it again.”
Romain Grosjean will also be determined to move up the order following a return season peppered with incidents and accidents (not all his fault), as well as a race ban.
“I think everyone is waiting to see if I’m able to be consistent, which is where I was lacking a little bit last year. I know it and I’ll do everything I can to prove to people that I’m able to achieve this goal. I really want to jump out of the car as many times as possible thinking that I did a good job. Knowing that everything I could do, I did, and feeling proud of my race or session. I hope to feel that way as many times as possible this year.”
Reigning GP2 Series champion Davide Valsecchi has been taken on as the team’s third driver, although no one really knows what that actually means.
“I’m really happy that the team want me to be with them and I’m excited about the future. I hope that this is a really good start to a career in F1. My last year in GP2 in 2012 was something I really focused on and in the end I succeeded. Now, in Formula 1, my target will be a little different but my focus to do the very best job is still the same.
“I very much hope, step by step, to get into Formula 1 as a race driver and being here as third driver is as near as you can get. It’s a great opportunity here; if I do the best job I can this year then it will open up my chances for the future and we’ll see if I’m good enough.”
Jerome d’Ambrosio continues as the team’s reserve driver, while Nicolas Prost remains as Lotus’ development driver.
For analysis from people who actually know what they are talking about, check out Autosport, Racecar Engineering, Joe Saward and Kate Walker.
Key personnel:
Chairman: Gerard Lopez
Chief Executive Officer: Patrick Louis
Team Principal: Eric Boullier
Chief Operating Officer: Thomas Mayer
Technical Director: James Allison
Trackside Operations Director: Alan Permane
Chief Designer: Martin Tolliday
Head of Aerodynamics: Dirk De Beer
Team Manager: Paul Seaby
Chief Commercial Officer: Stephen Curnow
Head of Team Marketing and Communications: Stephane Samson
Head of Event Marketing: Frederic Garcia
Business Development Director: Federico Gastaldi
© Lotus F1.
© Lotus F1.
© Lotus F1.
© Lotus F1.
© Lotus F1.
© Lotus F1.
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