Germany as a replacement for Russia?
Or is there even a sensation and Germany will get a Formula 1 race this year? The Nürburgring jumped in in the corona pandemic in 2020 and held the Eifel Grand Prix. Thanks to the loss of Russia, one slot would currently be free.
And as ex-driver Christian Danner reveals, the Automobile Club of Germany, which acts as the organizer, has already started negotiations with Formula 1. “The initiative has long been taken to get this Grand Prix done instead of driving Russia in Germany,” says Danner “AvD Motor & Sport Magazine” on ‘Sport1’.
But he also knows: “It’s a financial problem.” You don’t want to pay the high entry fees of Formula 1, which is why there hadn’t been a German Grand Prix in the past few years.
However, other routes have shown what is possible: “In Imola there was a huge discount and a three-year contract. We want that in Germany,” said Danner.
Szafnauer: The weakness of the system
However, Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer also sees some weaknesses in the handicap model. Although he doesn’t believe that the teams cheat on the wind tunnel time and the CFD runs themselves, because the FIA has been closely monitoring this for years, he does think another danger is realistic.
“The concern is that those sharing a wind tunnel can have coffee together,” he says. You could of course chat about all sorts of things: How did the underbody work? And which direction is better not to go? “That could happen if aerodynamicists use the same wind tunnel and the same canteen.”
But what he also emphasizes: There was no such agreement with Aston Martin and Mercedes, for example, although the racing team with its Mercedes copy 2020 was seriously suspected of having received data from the Silver Arrows.
“We didn’t have coffee with the other aerodynamicists,” says Szafnauer, who was team boss at the time. “We had the chance to use the wind tunnel at the weekend and Mercedes used it during the week. The aerodynamicists didn’t see each other at all.”
handicap system
Ferrari and McLaren could have a small advantage over Mercedes and Red Bull in the championship fight. Because of their World Championship position, the two top teams from the previous season have a little less time to develop aerodynamics. In our graph you can see how much time and how many CFD attempts each team has per week.
Incidentally, this applies to the first half of the year. The new cut will take place on June 30th: whoever is ahead in the World Cup then has the least development.
Danner: Vettel just as far away from victory
German Formula 1 fans can give ex-driver Christian Danner little hope of success in 2022: “Sebastian Vettel is just as far from victory as last year,” he says in the “AvD Motor & Sport Magazin” on ‘SPORT1’ . “I don’t think he can regularly attack the top three teams now.”
Nevertheless, he sees an important year ahead for the four-time world champion. Because if he still wants to be with Aston Martin in 2023, Vettel has to deliver. “In the last few years he hasn’t attracted attention because of his driving highlights, but because of his mistakes,” said Danner.
Danner expects more from Mick Schumacher than in the previous year. Because the Haas was at least moved into midfield from the very back. “Especially in the first half of the season, when the teams don’t have any updates yet, he could definitely be up there with the front runners,” he says.
Ex-pilot Vic Elford passed away
Meanwhile, sad news reached us from ex-pilot Vic Elford, who passed away at the age of 86. Although the Brit is better known for his successes in sports cars, where he twice won the 24-hour race at Le Mans, he is also well known to Formula 1 fans.
Between 1968 and 1971 Elford contested a total of 13 Grands Prix for Cooper, McLaren and BRM, scoring eight points. In his first race, the 1968 French GP, he narrowly missed out on a Formula 1 podium by finishing fourth behind Jacky Icky, John Surtees and Jackie Stewart.
© Motorsport Images
Jenson Button under the hood
Former world champion Jenson Button married his girlfriend Brittny Ward, who was eleven years his junior, in Florida. For the former “Playboy” of Formula 1, it is already the second yes word after the short marriage with Jessica Michibata. We congratulate and hope that the marital bliss will last a little longer this time!
Return to Magny Cours?
Will Formula 1 return to Magny-Cours? Our colleague Basile Davoine from Motorsport.com France spoke to Denis Thuriot, the mayor of the city of Nevers and got interesting news from him.
Magny-Cours had already tried to get on the calendar as a replacement for Canada (later Turkey) last year and now sees an opportunity after the Russian Grand Prix was cancelled.
However, the long-term plan is to alternate with the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet after the current five-year contract expires. “I know they lose money at every Grand Prix, so maybe it would suit them to spread it out over two years,” he says.
There have already been initial talks between the two routes. Formula 1 was a guest at Magny-Cours from 1991 to 2008.
Formula 1 still longer in Jeddah?
Actually, the track from Jeddah was only supposed to be a placeholder for another Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia for two years. A new permanent facility is being built in Qiddiya, which is to become the home of the premier class in the long term. Managing Director Martin Whitaker now says that Formula 1 could stay in Jeddah longer – up to five years.
“Qiddiya is practically still in the planning phase at the moment. There is no route, no buildings and nothing else worth mentioning,” he says. If Formula 1 gets there, it should be the showpiece of the country.
Therefore, he believes that one could continue to drive in Jeddah for the time being, until Qiddiya is “mature” enough. He assumes “a total of five years”. “We’re in our second year now, so I guess that’s going to happen,” said Whitaker.
However, in Jeddah we saw how quickly a race track can be created out of nothing.
Because of Mercedes: Formula 1 discusses mirrors
Representatives of the Formula 1 teams will meet again tomorrow, Tuesday, to discuss the rear-view mirrors. Mercedes had raised a few eyebrows in Bahrain with its design because it’s supposed to have an aerodynamic purpose – at least that’s what a few opposing teams say. But that is not the purpose of the regulations.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto had therefore spoken out in favor of a ban, as he otherwise feared solutions that would be tantamount to spaceships. And Formula 1 actually wanted to avoid that.
On Tuesday, the topic should come up again at a meeting of the technical working group.
“You certainly don’t want a mirror war,” says Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “So much time has been spent in the technical sessions over the last ten years talking about the function of the mirrors and whether or not they become wings and that’s probably not the intention.”
At the moment, however, it cannot be assumed that the Mercedes solution will be banned. It is more likely that the rules for 2023 will be changed to prevent development from getting out of hand.
© Motorsport Images
The test conclusion
Editor-in-chief Christian Nimmervoll and Kevin Scheuren have analyzed the last day of testing for you and give their assessment of the balance of power for the new season. You can find that and more on the Formula1.de YouTube channel.
Best time Red Bull: Mercedes only number 3?
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes ‘is not capable of winning’ Is he just talking nonsense? And what are the chances of Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin? More Formula 1 videos
The test kilometers of all teams
In our test center you can play with all sorts of parameters and statistics as you like. As an example, I looked up the number of test kilometers for each team in the past two weeks.
1.Ferrari: 3,941
2.Mercedes: 3,921
3. AlphaTauri: 3,448
4. Red Bull: 3,405
5. Aston Martin: 3,218
6.Williams: 3,019
7. Alpine: 2,852
8. McLaren: 2,798
9. Alfa Romeos: 2,674
10. Haas: 2,096
It is amazing that Ferrari and Mercedes have almost 500 kilometers more than all other teams. Tail light Haas, on the other hand, has done almost 600 kilometers less than the penultimate – and only about half as many kilometers as Ferrari.
Who is favorite?
Everyone should ask themselves this question. We don’t currently have an answer to that. Mercedes names Ferrari and Red Bull as favourites, Ferrari names Red Bull and Mercedes as favourites. Now if Red Bull saw Mercedes and Ferrari as favorites, we would have the perfect triangle.
It seems at least likely that the winner from Bahrain will come from one of the three teams – although of course we don’t want to omit Mick Schumacher after his second place in the week of testing 😉
You can find the result of the test drives in Bahrain in our test center.
Hamilton: Lost title a relief?
Of course, Lewis Hamilton is going into the new season again as one of the favorites. The Mercedes driver controversially missed out on the title in Abu Dhabi, but compatriot Martin Brundle believes that may have been a relief.
“Obviously I don’t know what’s going on in Lewis’ head, but I wonder if the fact that he didn’t get the title somehow relieved him of this pressure,” says the ex-Formula 1 driver opposite ‘Sky’.
Because in recent years, Hamilton has always been number 1, going from success to success and accumulating more and more victories and titles. “There comes a point where people don’t want that pressure anymore. But Lewis is hungry. I really think he really wants that eighth title.”
Verstappen: Uncontrollable moments gone
At the weekend we will also get a first glimpse of whether the new regulations have served their purpose. That was to make it easier to follow. The first impressions from the tests indicate that this was also successful. “I think it’s better,” says world champion Max Verstappen.
“It’s at least better than last year when, when you were behind someone, you suddenly got understeer or severe oversteer. That was uncontrollable,” says the Red Bull driver.
“Now when I’m behind a car I do notice that I’m losing downforce, but it’s happening front and rear. It makes it more predictable and controllable for the drivers.”
Formula 1 is back!
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, so we’re now saying it with fervor: IT’S RACE WEEK! Formula 1 is back and kicks off this weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix. We’ll get you in the mood for the new season here in the ticker and keep you up to date on everything that’s important.
That takes over at this point today Norman Fisher, who greets you warmly on this Monday morning. Do you have any questions or comments? Then use the contact form or the hashtag #FragMST on Twitter.