In the round-up: Newly-announced AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo says that he wants to “hit the ground running” on his return to racing in F1
In brief
Ricciardo does not expect “slow start”
After missing the first ten rounds of the 2023 season after losing his place on the F1 grid, Daniel Ricciardo says that he does not expect to be slow on his return to racing with AlphaTauri.
Ricciardo was dropped by McLaren after two years of his three-year contract with the team due to repeated poor performance relative to team mate Lando Norris. He says Red Bull will have expectations of him when he steps into their car next weekend in Hungary.
“They expect results – performances,” he said. “It’s hard to define.
“I think until I get in the car, it’s hard to define what that is. Is it a P8? Is it a P14?. I don’t think there’s pressure. Obviously, there’s two races and then the summer break. I don’t think there’s ‘you have to do this before August’, but I also don’t expect to get off to a slow start. I want to hit the ground running and also use what I’ve learnt in this time off to put it to use.”
McLaren has joined teams in hunt for wins – Vasseur
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur says that McLaren have joined the group of teams behind Red Bull who are all seeking to beat the championship leaders to win a grand prix.
Red Bull have won all ten rounds of the season so far, with McLaren securing their best finish of the season last time out at Silverstone with second and fourth for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Asked if Ferrari could win a race in 2023, Vasseur told media including RaceFans that Ferrari had heavy competition in their pursuit of Red Bull.
“When you finish P2 in Austria, you can have expectations to win a race,” he said. “I think in our group we are all fighting for a win. When I say ‘our group’, it’s McLaren, Aston [Martin], Mercedes, us – we all have the target to win a race. But first the target is to be the first of the group.”
Envision’s Filippi praises Formula E safety after crash
Envision Formula E team principal Sylvain Filippi praised the safety of the sport’s Gen3 cars after a horrific accident during the first Rome Eprix yesterday.
A violent multi-car pileup happened when Jaguar driver Sam Bird spun at a blind corner and was hit by Envision driver Sebastien Buemi and Maserati’s Edoardo Mortara. All drivers climbed out of their cars unaided and uninjured.
“We never like to see that,” Filippi said after the accident. “It’s really high speed.
“We have to remember – I’ve been in Formula E for nine years – the speed has evolved considerably. These 20 cars are some of the fastest race cars on the planet, now, and the acceleration is so strong, even out of slow corners. They pick up speed and get to 200kph very rapidly – so any of these shunts are actually really high speed.
“So credit to the FIA and the safety of the survival cells. It’s really great that the drivers are safe, but when I hear that my car is on fire, it’s not a very good feeling. So glad everyone is okay.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Behind the scenes with Logan Sargeant: Williams’ rookie on racing at Silverstone (F1)
”Alex and I get along extremely well. We are definitely good friends. We have a good laugh outside of the car, and it’s really enjoyable to be able to sit alongside him in the weekends.From a driving perspective, he’s performing at the level I need to get to. He’s driving incredibly. It’s great for me as it’s pushing me out of my comfort zone. He’s pushing me to be a better driver, he’s showing me the way to be a better driver as well. The amount I can learn from him is huge.”
Reece And Rebecca Witchell’s Story (Alpine Cars)
‘Known to most people in the team by his nickname “Rico”, Reece has spent most of that time specialising in composites, based in the factory supporting the team from its Enstone base. He is currently a team leader for composite trim and assembly. What makes his commitment to the team even more special is the fact that his daughter Rebecca also now works at BWT Alpine F1 Team, ensuring that the Witchell family link will continue.’
Dutch F1 director praises sailing’s need for speed (Sail World)
Jan Lammers: ”It’s all about who is the fastest and it requires participants to make quite an investment. For both sports, it takes a lot of effort to get people into the sport.”
WATCH: The Pirelli Challenge (Williams)
‘Alex and Logan recently headed to the Pirelli stand to become tyre fitters for the day. Who will get their tyre sorted quicker? Stay tuned to find out…’
Formula 1 Are Changing Their Onboard Cameras (Matt Amys via YouTube)
YouTuber Matt Amys discusses a new onboard camera angle F1 was testing during last weekend’s British Grand Prix.
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