It was confirmed Yesterday (3/8/22), that Williams F1 team will retain Alexander Albon for 2023 season on a multi-year deal (likely on a two-year deal till 2024, with an option for 2025).
Albon currently sits nineteenth place in the Drivers' standings, best finish of a ninth place finishes so far this season at Miami.
No word who will be Albon's team-mate for next season. Current team-mate Nicholas Latifi has been widely expected to leave after the current season. Rumours that Williams Academy Driver and Formula 2 driver Logan Sargeant could replace him for next season.
Overall, a very good decision from Williams to keep Alexander Albon for another few seasons.
It's been confirmed yesterday (2/8/22), current Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri will race with the Alpine F1 Team, for the 2023 Formula 1 season. However, an hour later, Piastri, via a thread on Twitter, denounced Alpine's announcement, stating that he had not signed a contract with the team and that he would not be driving for them in 2023.
I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.
Alpine reportedly remained adamant however that Piastri would be legally and contractually obliged to drive for them in the 2023 season. Following these developments media began suggesting that Piastri was a potential candidate in line to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren for 2023, if allowed to leave Alpine.
The story evoked comparisons to the contract dispute involving Jenson Button back when he tried to leave British American Racing and join Williams for 2005 which ultimately saw the sports' Contract Recognition Board rule in favour of the former mentioned team meaning Button was unable to leave for Williams for that season, with suggestions Piastri's dispute could be resolved in similar method.
In my opinion, it was surprising that the news and the tweet happen. My guess Alpine thought they had Alonso deal done and forgot the deadline for Piastri, he was set to be loan out to Williams for next season. Although, that is off the table now. It's gonna be intresting few months ahead for all parties.
Formula 1 can be a soap opera sometimes according to my boss.
Last weekend was the annual 24 hours of Spa race (30th-31st July). The AMG Team AKKodis ASP in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo; with Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello came out on top to win this years 24 hours of Spa race in 536 laps in total.
While the AMG Team GetSpeed came in second place in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo; with team of Maximilian Götz, Steijn Schothorst and Luca Stolz as drivers. They were thirty-one seconds behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hour race.
While the Iron Lynx team came in third place in their Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020; with Antonio Fuoco, Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra as drivers, they were forty-seven seconds behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hours race.
Review of Round Six of the 2022 British Touring Car Championship season was at Knockhill Racing Circuit, in the Fife countryside north of Dunfermline for Scotland's only BTCC round.
In the first race, ROKiT MB Motorsport driver Jake Hill took the race win in his BMW 330e M Sport. Second was NAPA Racing UK driver and current BTCC Champion Ash Sutton in his Ford Focus ST, he was three seconds behind Hill in the end. While third place was Team BMW driver Colin Turkington in his BMW 330e M Sport, he was four seconds behind Hill in the end.
While, Jack Sears Trophy (for drivers yet to record an overall podium finish or won outright the Jack Sears Trophy championship) was won by Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport driver George Gamble in his BMW 330e M Sport and also took Independents class win, he finished in fifth place and was six seconds behind Hill in the end.
Meanwhile in the second race, NAPA Racing UK driver and current BTCC Champion Ash Sutton took the race win in his Ford Focus ST. Second was ROKiT MB Motorsport driver Jake Hill in his BMW 330e M Sport, he was a tenth of a second behind Sutton in the end. While third place was Team BMW driver Colin Turkington in his BMW 330e M Sport, he was eight tenths of a second behind Sutton in the end.
While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport driver George Gamble in his BMW 330e M Sport and also took Independents class win, he finished in seventh place and was eleven and half seconds behind Sutton in the end.
Finally in the third race, Ciceley Motorsport driver George Gamble in his BMW 330e M Sport and also took Independents class win and Jack Sears Trophy too. Second was ROKiT MB Motorsport driver Jake Hill in his BMW 330e M Sport, he was four seconds behind Gamble in the end. While third place was Toyota Gazoo Racing UK driver Rory Butcher in his Toyota Corolla GR Sport, he was seven seconds behind Gamble in the end.
Next stop Snetterton for Round Seven of the 2022 British Touring Car Championship season in two weeks time.
It was confirmed yesterday (1/8/22), that Alpine driver Fernando Alonso has signed on a multi-year deal (rumoured till the end of 2025) to replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin F1 Team from the 2023 season, alongside Lance Stroll, completing the team's driver line-up for 2023.
Vettel announced on Thursday that he will leave Formula 1 and the team at the end of the season.
This season Alonso currently sits tenth in the Drivers' Standings with forty-one points, with his best race finish of fifth place at Silverstone.
In my opinion, this is a big surprise this news happen. It has been strongly that Alonso would stay with Alpine for another season. My view a gamble for Alonso to go Aston Martin than to stay at Alpine.
So, who would replace Alonso at Alpine next season? Its more than likely that Current F2 Champion and current Alpine test driver Oscar Piastri will replace Alonso at Alpine unless something strangly happens.
Review of Round Nine of the 2021-22 Formula E season held around the ExCeL London in East London, U.K. for two races that weekend.
On Saturday's race, that was won by Avalanche Andretti Formula E driver Jake Dennis in his Spark-BMW. Second was Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team driver Stoffel Vandoorne in his Spark-Mercedes, he was two seconds behind Dennis in the end. Meanwhile, third was Envision Racing driver Nick Cassidy in his Spark-Audi, he was twelve seconds behind Dennis in the end.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
On Sunday's race, that was won by ROKiT Venturi Racing driver Lucas di Grassi in his Spark-Mercedes. Second was Avalanche Andretti Formula E driver Jake Dennis in his Spark-BMW, he was three seconds behind Lynn in the end. Meanwhile, third was Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team driver and Current Formula E Champion Nyck de Vries in his Spark-Mercedes, he was four and half seconds behind Lynn in the end.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Ten of the 2021-22 Formula E season at the Seoul Street Circuit for the Seoul ePrix in a two weeks time.
Review of the thirteenth round of the 2022 F1 season at the Hungaroring outside of Budapest, for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The race itself was a good race to watch and an exciting one too. Surprising pole postion for George Russell for Sunday's race. At a dry Hungarian Grand Prix, George Russell kept first place into turn one, from Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc. By lap 31, Leclerc took the lead. While Current Formula 1 Champion Max Verstappen who started tenth after having Power-unit problems in qualifying moved upto fourth place and pitted for new medium tyres on lap 39. And to respond to Verstappen pit-stop, Leclerc pitted on the next lap for hard tyres which was the wrong call from Ferrari. Verstappen overtook Leclerc at the start of lap 43, despite spun off 360 degrees on lap 41, leading on lap 51 from Sir Lewis Hamilton to the end to conclude with a race win this seasons Hungarian Grand Prix for Max Verstappen's eighth race win of the season.
Meanwhile, Sir Lewis Hamilton finished in second place in the Mercedes, Hamilton was eight seconds behind Verstappen at the end.
Meanwhile, George Russell finished in third place in the other Mercedes to complete the podium, Russell was twelve seconds behind Verstappen at the end of the seventy lap race.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Rate the Teams and Drivers
Mercedes - 9
Lewis Hamilton - 9 (finished second, fastest lap)
George Russell - 9 (pole, finished third)
Red Bull Racing - 8
Max Verstappen - 10 (race win)
Sergio Pérez - 7 (finished fifth)
Ferrari - 7
Charles Leclerc - 8 (finished sixth)
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 7 (finished fifth)
McLaren - 6
Daniel Ricciardo - 5 (finished fifteenth, lap down)
Lando Norris - 8 (finished seventh)
Alpine - 6
Fernando Alonso - 6 (finished eighth, lap down)
Esteban Ocon - 6 (finished ninth, lap down)
AlphaTauri - 5
Pierre Gasly - 6 (finished twelfth, lap down)
Yuki Tsunoda - 4 (finished nineteenth, two laps down)
Aston Martin - 7
Sebastian Vettel - 8 (finished tenth, lap down)
Lance Stroll - 6 (finished eleventh, lap down)
Williams - 5
Alexander Albon - 5 (finished seventeenth, lap down)
Nicholas Latifi - 5 (finished eighteenth, lap down)
Alfa Romeo - 5
Valtteri Bottas - 5 (DNF, Power unit)
Guanyu Zhou - 5 (finished thirteenth, lap down)
Haas - 5
Kevin Magnussen - 5 (finished sixteenth, lap down)
Mick Schumacher - 5 (finished fourteenth, lap down)
Next stop Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix in four weeks time.
