Messages

I hadn't seen this earlier, but Piastri will race with 81 on his car next season.

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/27/piastri-explains-why-he-chose-number-81-for-f1-debut-in-2023/

I see De Vries used 34 sometimes in karting, and that is available. He won in F2 with car number 4, occupied by Norris. He won in Formula E with car number 17, and that is retired for Bianchi. So De Vries might go for 34, which is also double his Formula E winning number!

Sargeant has said he wants number 3, but that's reserved for Ricciardo for the coming 2 seasons. He's used 6 in Formula 2, reserved to Latifi for the coming 2 seasons. He could go for 33, double that 3, but that belongs to Verstappen even though he's using 1 at the moment. So the American might have to just grab whatever is available, for example 8 which expires at the end of the year (Grosjean last used it in 2020). He could go for 45, in honour of his favourite US politican.

Of course varying the 3 could give Sargeant 13, 30, or perhaps 53 like Rossi used when he was in F1. Herbie is a classic, no?

[Sakhir Outer Circuit]

So I mean, I think we've somewhat done this in the past. But I'll go ahead and do it anyway because I can't sleep.

Rules (I make em, because I posted this):
* Create your own F1 calendar including 24 circuits
* No country can have more than 3 races (as USA will have this number next season)
* You can only use street circuits, circuits that could reasonable secure Grade 1 certification from the FIA, or circuits that have been used by F1 fairly recently
* You must include at least 1 race in every part of the world F1 does visit (Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Far East)
* You can re-use a circuit, but must use another reasonable layout

1. Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne Park 🇦🇺
2. Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir Outer Circuit 🇧🇭 (Variety with some shorter circuits, the one race we had on this layout in 2020 was good)
3. Tuscan Grand Prix - Mugello 🇮🇹
4. Portuguese Grand Prix - Portimão Circuit 🇵🇹
5. Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco 🇲🇨
6. Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit Ricardo Tormo 🇪🇸
7. German Grand Prix - Nürburgring 🇩🇪
8. Austrian Grand Prix - Red Bull Ring 🇦🇹
9. Indianapolis Grand Prix - Indianapolis 🇺🇸 (I think the current cars could use that infield well)
10. Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 🇨🇦
11. United States Grand Prix - Circuit of the Americas 🇺🇸
12. British Grand Prix - Silverstone Circuit 🇬🇧
13. Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring 🇭🇺
14. Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps 🇧🇪
15. Dutch Grand Prix - TT Circuit Assen 🇳🇱 (controversial to visit the Motorcycle cathedral, but it'll do better than Zandvoort)
16. Finnish Grand Prix - Helsinki Street Circuit 🇫🇮 (We really need to honour the Finnish)
17. Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang International Circuit 🇲🇾
18. Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka Circuit 🇯🇵
20. Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit 🇸🇬
21. South African Grand Prix - Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 🇿🇦
22. Las Vegas Grand Prix - Las Vegas Street Circuit 🇺🇸 (I'm genuinely excited to see this one next year. F1 is gimmicky, it's a circus, it's glamour and glitz. Las Vegas in a Monza style circuit makes perfect sense)
23. Mexican Grand Prix - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez 🇲🇽
24. Brazilian Grand Prix - Interlagos Circuit 🇧🇷

So, what have I done?
* Well, I feel like Bahrain is the best circuit in the Middle East, and if F1 needs oil money let's let them have it. I got rid of the others, though.
* This schedule does jump back and forth across the Atlantic a bit, but not nearly as badly as real F1.
* I'm only inventing one new circuit, the Finnish Grand Prix on a Helsinki street circuit. We've built some circuits over the years, I could revisit them.
* I'm replacing some circuits, like Barcelona and Zandvoort, for other alternatives in their countries.
* Miami is off the calendar, we're back to the very unpopular Indy infield circuit. It'll be fine, as long as nobody uses Michelin.
* An F1 calendar starts in Australia, and ends in Brazil. It is what it is.

[1. Max Verstappen]

And with that, we have a complete grid for 2023. Unless Sargeant messes up badly this weekend, and fails to secure his licence.

Oracle Red Bull Racing:
1. Max Verstappen (link) - until end of 2028
11. Sergio Perez (link) - until end of 2024

Scuderia Ferrari:
16. Charles Leclerc (link) - until end of 2024
55. Carlos Sainz (link) - until end of 2024

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team:
44. Lewis Hamilton (link) - until end of 2023
63. George Russell (link) - until end of 2023

BWT Alpine F1 Team:
10. Pierre Gasly (link) - until end of 2024
31. Esteban Ocon (link) - until end of 2024

McLaren F1 Team:
4. Lando Norris (link) - until end of 2025
?. Oscar Piastri (link) - until end of 2024

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen:
24. Guanyu Zhou (link) - until end of 2023
77. Valtteri Bottas (link) - until end of 2024

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team:
14. Fernando Alonso (link) - until end of 2024
18. Lance Stroll (link) - until end of 2023

Haas F1 Team:
20. Kevin Magnussen (link) - until end of 2023
27. Nico Hülkenberg (link) - until end of 2023

Scuderia AlphaTauri:
22. Yuki Tsunoda (link) - until end of 2023
?. Nyck de Vries (link) - until end of 2024

Williams Racing:
23. Alexander Albon (link) - until end of 2023
?. Logan Sargeant (link) - pending valid FIA superlicence

Confirmed Retirement:
5. Sebastian Vettel (link)

Confirmed leaving:
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link) - linked to Red Bull as 3rd driver/Ambassador
6. Nicolas Latifi (link) - linked to IndyCar
47. Mick Schumacher (link) - linked to Mercedes as 3rd driver/Ambassador

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-set-to-join-red-bull-as-third-driver-in-2023-claims-marko/10401632/
Ricciardo to be some sort of "ambassador" for Red Bull, because Lawson has been announced as their 2023 reserve driver.



https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/nico-hulkenberg-comeback-haas-2023/10400888/
A middle-aged German, with 0 F1 podiums to his name, has been announced as the replacement for up-and-coming F2 champion Schumacher at Haas.

https://www.motorsport.com/fia-f3/news/freca-champion-beganovic-joins-prema-in-f3-for-2023/10390579/

And with that, he is now confirmed at PREMA for an F3 campaign in 2023. The reigning Teams Champion, that sounds like a great place to be.

[Swedish]

We have a Swedish champion in a junior racing category for the first time since Felix Rosenqvist won the F3 championship seven years ago (against names like Charles Leclerc, Antonio Giovinazzi, Lance Stroll, George Russell, Alex Albon, Callum Illott, Tatiana Calderón, and Santino Ferrucci. WOW that was a packed series in 2015). Dino Beganovic, member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, has won the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA), an F3 level series derived from Formula Renault.

The logical next step is moving into FIA Formula 3, likely with Prema which is a brilliant team to be in F3 with. Success there, and he could be in F2 for 2024 and, well, that's a difficult championship. If I get my way, we'll have him in F1 by 2026.

https://www.automobilsport.com/race-categories--24/race-categories--24,244257,Paul-Aron-wins-Race-1-and-Dino-Beganovic-is-crowned-champion-of-the-Formula-Regional-European-Championship-by-Alpine,news.htm

At least picking Ricciardo makes sense compared to Hulkenberg.

I made Singapore. I wanted to make the circuit faster but still keep the "unique" experience of racing in Singapore. Circuit is 4.07 km (compared to 5.06 km today) and with clearly higher speeds. More opportunities to overtake, plus a long run past the seafront.

[1. Max Verstappen]

Almost completed now.

Oracle Red Bull Racing:
1. Max Verstappen (link) - until end of 2028
11. Sergio Perez (link) - until end of 2024

Scuderia Ferrari:
16. Charles Leclerc (link) - until end of 2024
55. Carlos Sainz (link) - until end of 2024

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team:
44. Lewis Hamilton (link) - until end of 2023
63. George Russell (link) - until end of 2023

BWT Alpine F1 Team:
10. Pierre Gasly (link) - until end of 2024
31. Esteban Ocon (link) - until end of 2024

McLaren F1 Team:
4. Lando Norris (link) - until end of 2025
?. Oscar Piastri (link) - until end of 2024

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen:
24. Guanyu Zhou (link) - until end of 2023
77. Valtteri Bottas (link) - until end of 2024

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team:
14. Fernando Alonso (link) - until end of 2024
18. Lance Stroll (link) - until end of 2023

Haas F1 Team:
20. Kevin Magnussen (link) - until end of 2023
27. Nico Hülkenberg (link)
47. Mick Schumacher (link)
99. Antonio Giovinazzi (link)

Scuderia AlphaTauri:
22. Yuki Tsunoda (link) - until end of 2023
?. Nyck de Vries (link) - until end of 2024

Williams Racing:
23. Alexander Albon (link) - until end of 2023
47. Mick Schumacher (link)
?. Logan Sargeant (link)

Confirmed Retirement:
5. Sebastian Vettel (link)

Confirmed leaving, with no ties to another team
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link)
6. Nicolas Latifi (link)

Only two seats still open, and the likelihood of Sargeant joining Williams is high (but depending on how he finishes in F2, to secure enough super license points). That really leaves Haas, with Hülkenberg inexplicably the supposed front runner. We're likely to lose FOUR drivers then, going into 2023, with 3 rookies and one veteran joining in their place.

McLaren jumped past Alpine by finishing 4th and 5th in Singapore (Ricciardo must be slowest P5 finisher ever, finishing half a minute down on Norris despite a Safety Car with 20 laps to go) as Alpine retired both cars.

Aston Martin jumped past Haas too, by finishing 6th and 8th. Schumacher was on course for points but Russell said no. Magnussen was on course for points but Verstappen said no.

Alfa Romeo Sauber was never on course for points, but Latifi said no anyway.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/zhou-guanyu-to-stay-with-alfa-romeo-f1-team-in-2023/10375017/

Zhou stays. Expected. He's been solid and reliable. Just needs to add some spark.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/latifi-to-leave-williams-at-end-of-2022-f1-season/10373209/

Williams now confirm Latifi will leave at the end of the season.

With De Vries tied to AlphaTauri, who could drive this car?

Logan Sargeant is definitely an option, getting an American into F1 for the first time since Rossi had a few runs.
Mick Schumacher another option.
Ricciardo might be an option as well.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alphatauri-retains-tsunoda-for-2023-formula-1-season/10372652/

Tsutsu staying at Alphalfa Tauri for 2023. We think Pedro Gaseoso will be moving to Alpine with De Vries in line to join Tsunoda.

I really don't see why Haas would drop Schumacher. Yes he had a poor start to this season. Even in junior racing he always adapted over the season. He's doing so this year too, to the new regulations. He has now got the hang of them, and is beating Magnussen.

Word on the street (I think I read it in a news article about Ralf Schumacher) is that in 2024, Audi will step in as Sauber sponsor before the 2026 engine regs. They want a German, and they want Mick. So Schumacher is likely joining Sauber in 2024 anyway, which might give him a year in DTM or just a year as a reserve for Haas/Ferrari/etc.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/giovinazzi-set-to-join-alpine-f1-test-at-hungaroring/10369484/

Alpine testing a lot of drivers in Hungary:

* Nyck de Vries
* Jack Doohan
* Colton Herta
* Antonio Giovinazzi

Sebastian Vettel (!), Mick Schumacher and Nico Hülkenberg were also rumoured to appear, but it seems Vettel won't and I can't find any word on Hulkenberg. Schumacher has been confirmed not to attend.