Volkswagen looks set to announce F1 entry
The Motorsport Network says that it has learned that Volkswagen is to announce brands Audi and Porsche could announce their plans to enter F1 as soon as this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
After months of discussions to sort out a partner team, it is understood that an agreement is now in place between Audi and the Sauber team, which currently competes under the Alfa Romeo brand. Audi had been trying to negation with McLaren but talks with the teams owners Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, and Audi ultimately came to nothing. In the end, Sauber emerged as the preferred candidate following an evaluation of Aston Martin and Williams.
It is understood that talks between Volkswagen and Sauber are at an advanced stage, last year Sauber rejected an offer from Michael Andretti to sell the team for €350 million at the end of 2021. The deal was rejected after Sauber wanted to preserve jobs, and also demanded a further €250 million as a contribution to the team in order to be sure the team was in safe hands.
As part of the deal, Audi will take a smaller stake in the Sauber Group and pay more than the offer made by Andretti. There is also the promise to further develop Sauber as a factory team, very similar to how the Sauber-BMW partnership worked between 2006 and 2009.
It’s interesting to note that current Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who has pushed the brand’s F1 entry, was head of development at the BMW-Sauber team between 2007 and 2009 and still knows the Hinwil operation from back then.
While the two brands are looking to run separate engine projects, with Porsche partnering Red Bull and Alpha Tauri. The Audi project will be based I Neuburg in Germany and see a separate company created.
There There are suggestions that Adam Baker, whom Audi hired at the end of 2021 for “special tasks,” is set for a managing director role. Baker previously worked at BMW, where he first met Duesmann, and at the FIA. Another obvious candidate for the post would have been the current head of sport Julius Seebach, who as CEO of Audi Sport is more experienced in higher management than Baker.
However, it is understood that Seebach is about to be replaced and has been linked with a newly created position in Audi’s development department.
While Audi’s plans are making good progress, a public announcement about Red Bull and Porsche’s tie-up has not happened as quickly as some had anticipated. The whole sport has been waiting for weeks for the finalisation of the 2026 engine regulations, which as been cited as the reason that neither car company wanted to commit until they were sure about the regulations.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Motorsport.com in Budapest, “VW’s board decision is that if the technical regulations meet the criteria, then they have the mandate to go into Formula One. Purely formally, however, these new regulations do not yet exist. The FIA president is supposedly going to put it to the vote in an email ballot soon. Only then will it officially start.”
The engine rules were subsequently signed off on 16 August, but there is still no indication of when an official communication from Red Bull and Porsche will be made
a recent document published by anti-cartel authorities in Morocco relating to the Porsche/Red Bull tie-up indicated that it will wait until 30 August for any feedback from interested parties before giving its green light to the plan. It is possible that only then will Porsche feel everything is in place for it to go public with its ambitions.
Ferrari says its head start not behind return to front
Ferrari says it’s completely “wrong” to suggest that the manufacturer’s return to the front was down to it getting a head start with the new regulations. After two years of difficulties, the Italian manufacturer has emerged as the closest challenger to Red Bull, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz grabbing wins in the first half of the season.
Since the team’s difficult 2020 season, the team has focused on this season’s regulation changes to ensure they were competitive as possible. There have also been suggestions that the fact they were not fighting for championships with Red Bull and Ferrari, however, it doesn’t believe that was a factor.
Instead, team principal Mattia Binotto says that Ferrari’s progress is down to it doing a better job, as it had no more of a head start than anyone else, and was equally locked in an intense fight with McLaren last year that meant it could not abandon 2021 development early.
Asked if he felt it unfair some had claimed Ferrari’s early strong form was down to a head start, Binotto told Motorsport.com: “I don’t think it’s unfair, I think it’s wrong. The reason why is, first, we all started exactly the same time to develop the 2022 car. That was January 2021, when finally it was possible to start simulating and going into wind tunnels with new cars. Before that, we could not do it.
“So it’s not that we anticipated the start to the development compared to others. We all started exactly at the same time. Then, it’s a matter of how much resources and priority you could put on the project. Maybe the two cars which were fighting for the 2021 championship had to put some more developments into 2021.”
Binotto says that finishing fourth in the fight with McLaren last year was not the teams objective. But the gulf in performance between itself and McLaren this year, having fought on equal terms last season, is a better indicator of the good job his team did. He suggested that McLaren may have prioritised the fight last year rather than this year, whereas Ferrari was not performing at their true capacity.
Ferrari started the season in control of the championship, but rival Red Bull has subsequently seized the initiative. While the Maranello outfit has not given up hopes of the title just yet, Binotto is adamant that the target heading into 2022 was never simply winning the championship.
Asked about if the pressure of a title challenge was too much at times, Binotto said: “I think the pressure with Ferrari will always be there. I think it’s something we cannot change because that is part of what the brand represents in terms of what has been achieved so far, and what the people are expecting from it.
Red Bull offers a glimpse of Spa’s revamp
Red Bull has offered a first glimpse of the revamped Spa-Francorchamps circuit in a Formula One car as part of a promotion for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. An €80m upgrade has been undertaken in the last year aimed at improving safety for cars and bikes, with the revised circuit set to deliver a different feel for drivers and teams.
While some of the changes, such as the reprofiling of crash barriers at Raidillon, will make little difference to on-track performance, there will need to be some readjustment for areas that have been resurfaced and revisions to gravel traps.
As Pirelli head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola said: “This year, Spa has undergone some of the biggest changes we have seen since we started going there in the modern era of Formula 1. In addition to some new asphalt on five corners, there are some new gravel traps on four corners, which are much closer to the side of the track.
“Drivers will need to pay more attention to track limits, and there’s also an increased chance of sharp gravel being dragged onto the surface. The epic nature of Spa remains unchanged though, with all the traditional challenges that make the circuit so exciting still in place.”
While most teams will find out the impact of the changes this weekend, Red Bull has used one of its filming days to have its first taster of the circuit. In a preview video posted on its social media channels titled ‘From Sim to Reality’ Red Bull showcased some pre-Belgian Grand Prix preparation for Max Verstappen.
The video showed a mixture of simulator and real footage of Verstappen driving the circuit in the RB7. This video likely filmed earlier in the year as building work still appears to be going on in the background, even though the main track elements were completed. It is quite rare for teams to run F1 cars, even historic ones, at current venues, but doing so is allowed in the rules.
F1’s sporting regulations state that for historic cars, like the RB7 from 2011, teams are free to test them whenever they choose, although they must run on show tyres prepared by Pirelli and the FIA must be notified of its intent.
Gasly says too early to think about future after 2023
Pierre Gasly says it is still too early to think about his future as he’s set to take control of his own destiny after 2023. After his demotion from Red Bull to Toro Rosso, now Alpha Tauri, halfway through 2019, Gasly regained his confidence and started growing into the role of team leader in Faenza.
Before Red Bull resigned Sergio Perez on a two-year deal in May, the Frenchman spoke about possibly returning to Red Bull, while the Frenchman relished the opportunity to have his future in his own hands, without obligations to Red Bull beyond 2023, he said it is too early to start mulling over his next move.
He told Motorsport.com, “I think you’ve got to be open. There’s got to be a conversation, obviously with Red Bull, and they’ll be the first ones to know what’s the situation But of course, it’s also the first time in my career that.”
“I actually get the options of deciding what’s going to happen. It’s still early, we’re still mid-2022. At the right moment, we’ll assess what are the best options for the future.”
Gasly over the last three years has become a consistent midfield driver alongside inexperienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Gasly’s points haul of 110 out of 142 was instrumental in the team securing sixth in the 2021 constructors’ standings after a season-long fight for fifth with Alpine.
The team and sister team Red Bull have spoken about building the team around the Frenchman and it no longer being the ‘Red Bull B Team’, and he believes his second stint at the team has also made him a better all-round driver, which would enable him to try and secure a move up the grid when his AlphaTauri deal ends in 2023.
He added “Yeah, yeah. I’m way more complete. I think it’s a sport where, personally, I feel way more complete than I was when I arrived in the sport, because it’s a complex sport. It’s not only about driving.”
“It’s about driving the team in the direction you want, it’s about getting the people working together towards the same goal, motivating everyone because it’s tough. You see people mentally are drained after a couple of races from all the travelling, all the work they are doing.”
Gasly says being a leader is about more than being fast on track, saying its about bringing the energy, the mentality and work ethic that you set to yourself to the rest of your crew to extract the best of the package that you’ve got.
“Sad” if Spa lost its place in F1 – Norris
Lando Norris would feel “sad” if Spa dropped off the calendar for 2023, saying that “things are just about money nowadays.” This weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix could be the last for the time being as F1 plots its calendar for next year that will reach the limit of twenty-four races.
However, Spa is one of the most popular tracks on the F1 calendar thanks to its fast layout and iconic corners such as Eau Rouge, making it one of the most challenging for drivers to master. Asked about the possibility of Spa falling off the calendar, Norris said: “I’ll be sad. I guess a lot of things are just about money nowadays, which is the issue. It’s a business.”
Spa, Monaco and Le Castellet are under threat from returning races in Kyalami, Shanghai and Las Vegas, while one race will fill the slot of Ingora Drive after its contract was terminated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s understood the race in Belgium depends on whether or not F1 is successful in getting South Africa a slot for next year.
Norris, who holds Belgian citizenship and races under a British licence, said of the possible loss of Spa, “It’s a shame, one of the coolest circuits of the whole season. It’s a historic race for Formula 1. It’s the same as Monaco, from what I know they don’t even pay and it’s on the calendar.”
“Same with like Monza and stuff. I feel it should always be on for as long as Formula 1 is around.”
Max Verstappen, another driver who holds Belgian citizenship and races under a Dutch licence, said last month it would be a “big shame” if it dropped off the schedule, as well as warning against the series’ calendar becoming diluted by street circuits.
Spa has made it intent clear to stay on the calendar, it has embraced the model seen at several other F1 races, placing a heavy emphasis on entertainment off-track to help tap into the new audience of fans. As well as the modifications to the circuit, work has also gone on to build new grandstands and improve the traffic issues that have blighted Spa in recent years.
The track itself has also undergone some adjustments, including fresh barrier placements and the extension of run-off areas, to ease safety concerns and make it suitable to host motorbike racing.
Alpine reveals its “smart” solution to tackle inflation
Alpine has revealed that a “smart” inflation-beating move earlier this year helped give it the financial headway needed to be aggressive with its developments and hire more staff. The French manufacturer has been an outlier this season as it has been relentless in bringing upgrades to its car, which has helped Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon score the points to put it in fourth place in the constructors’ championship right now.
While rival teams have had their developments constrained by F1’s cost cap, Alpine has not had to hold back, and furthermore is planning a recruitment drive to boost its staffing levels to help it push further up the grid. The rising cost of inflation following the pandemic as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as seen unexpected price rises for everyone.
As it predicted rising electricity and gas costs were going to shoot through the roof in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it pre-bought as much energy as it could, sheltering itself from the increased costs that came through the system later on. As a business Alpine aren’t subject to an energy price cap which all households in the UK are.
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer reckons the move saved the squad a sizeable amount of money, which it was then able to devote to ramping up performance of its car and team. speaking to Motorsport.com about the progress of Alpine over the first half of the season, explained Szafnauer, “We bought energy early and that saved us millions. It was future energy and some material, so a smart move.”
When the rebranding of the team took place in January 2021, the team set itself the challenge of fighting at the front by the end of its first hundred races. That challenge has been made tougher by the imposition of a cost cap in F1, Szafnauer says that the situation the team is in is actually a good one because of the way it was operating below the budget limit.
The repurchasing energy has been described as a “good decision” by Szafnauer, who says the team are comfortably under the cost cap, praising the teams finance department for buying “some things early at a cheaper price that you know you’re going to use in the future.” But accepts that was only a one off thing.
He said that decision allowed the team to hire seventy five new staff, without worrying about going over the cost cap, which is great.
Szafnauer also reckons that the emergency increase in the cost cap that was agreed among teams before the summer break, following alarm from Alpine’s rivals about energy prices forcing them to bust the limits, has helped give his team more freedoms too. He says that there is now a bit of understanding there to do as to how much inflation will actually eat into the cost cap, but it won’t be a hundred percent
