And on it goes!
Stroll also decided on a new helmet design this weekend. We are now with a total of eight drivers, which is almost half of the field. We have to get used to some new colors in Austin!
Seidl: No change at Norris failed
Seidl was also asked about the Mercedes engine situation in his media panel. He explains that it is still “open” whether Norris will make it through the season without another engine change. At least no swap is currently planned. In any case, it is atypical for Mercedes that six of the eight drivers already needed a new drive this year.
Seidl: A year break makes no difference
The first online media round of the day is currently underway. McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl is asked whether the fact that the race last year was canceled and that they last drove in Austin in 2019 had an influence on the preparation. But that was not the case, the preparation was as always.
In terms of sport, he expects a “close fight” with Ferrari and explains that Scuderia has recently made a leap forward. As always, the goal is to take away good points. In Turkey they knew beforehand that the route would not suit the car well, so the result was “not a surprise”.
In Austin, people are probably more calculating again.
Williams grabs Logan Sargeant
Logan Sargeant started in Formula 3 last season and at least celebrated a race win there. In 2020 he even finished the championship in third place overall. Now the 20-year-old American is joining the Williams junior program. We are talking about a “long-term” deal. We are curious to see whether his journey will one day lead him to Formula 1!
Number 6 and 7
We don’t want to waste any time and now we will quickly summarize, otherwise we’re only talking about helmets today 🙂 Masepin and Tsunoda are also out with a special design this weekend. You can see them here:
Sainz: Starts and first laps the biggest problem
The new Ferrari driver is basically satisfied with his first season in red. “I couldn’t have expected much more,” he says, referring to his three podium places and currently P6 in the World Cup. “My biggest problem this season is the first laps when you’re driving with a lot of weight and in traffic,” he explains.
At the beginning of a race with a lot of gasoline, the Ferrari feels “completely different” than its previous Formula 1 cars. “It made me weaker in an area where I used to be very strong – at starts, on the first laps and when overtaking,” he explains. Recently, however, he has made progress.
Above all, his race to catch up in Istanbul was a good sign.
Special helmet
The next in the league: After Alonso, Norris and Russell, Bottas has now also presented a special helmet design for the US weekend. It was designed once again by his friend Tiffany Cromwell.
15 years ago today …
… Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion for the second time. At the season finale in Brazil, a second place behind local hero Felipe Massa was enough for the Spaniard to secure his second title in a row. At the same time, it was Michael Schumacher’s last race for Ferrari. The German missed his eighth world title, but showed a great race to catch up and ended up fourth.
Back then it was thought that it should be Schumacher’s last Formula 1 race at all. In 2010, as is well known, he returned with Mercedes for another three years.
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Fittipaldi: Calendar with 23 races is “crazy”
When Emerson Fittipaldi first became world champion in 1972, the Formula 1 season consisted of just twelve races. In 2022 there will be almost twice as many. “It’s way too much. 23 [Rennen] next year is crazy, “says the Brazilian and reminds that this topic affects not only the drivers but also mechanics and” the whole team “.
The argument that there are fewer test drives for this now than in the past is only partially accepted. Because today you would just sit in the simulator between races and train in other ways instead.
Will Formula 1 be faster than expected in 2022?
Originally it was said that the new Formula 1 cars should be several seconds slower than the current cars in 2022. Now the colleagues report from ‘auto motor und sport’that one now only assumes a difference of half a second. That means: Formula 1 could be as fast as it is now by the end of the coming season.
“We can imagine that the new cars at the start of the season are on average only half a second per lap slower than the current ones. And there could be a tie by the end of the season. I say ‘could’ because we don’t yet know what the pace of development is allowed by these regulations “, Formula 1 chief technology officer Pat Symonds is quoted as saying.
As a reminder: The cars for 2022 do not yet exist in real terms. The estimates relate to simulations only.
He did it again!
Do you remember Daniel Ricciardo’s Texan accent in the PK yesterday? He unpacked it again later – longer than ever before! If you have fun with it, there is the corresponding video here. Everyone else can look forward to more serious news right away 😉
Media day in the analysis: This is behind Vettel’s grid penalty!
Did you miss the media Thursday? No problem! Just bring yourself with our ticker from yesterday or ours Analysis video Our editor-in-chief Christian Nimmervoll and Kevin Scheuren talked about the following topics yesterday:
– Colorful from the FIA ​​press conference
– Bad news for Vettel
– Ricciardo turns down Mick Schumacher’s invitation
– Steiner confirms talks with Andretti
– Yellow flags: New rule applies from Austin
– Verstappen does not cooperate with Netflix
– The World Cup oracle: Kimi the hangover
It will be today too on the Formula1.de YouTube channel again give an analysis video for the training day in Austin. Because of the time difference, our transmission will of course only start in the late evening. As usual, we will announce the exact start time here in the ticker during the day.
Penalty for Vettel: handicap before the US Grand Prix!
Sebastian Vettel receives a grid penalty for changing the engine. What we know Plus: How Kimi the hangover types the World Cup duel Hamilton-Verstappen! More Formula 1 videos