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Could F2 champion Drugovich join Aston Martin as their reserve driver?
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f2-champion-drugovich-in-frame-for-aston-martin-f1-reserve-role/10368228/

It makes some sense, no?

[1. Max Verstappen]

Confirming Piastri, adding some Doohan and Gasly to Alpine, some Herta to Alpha Tauri, some randoms to Haas, we get this grid:


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:
31. Esteban Ocon (link) - until end of 2024
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link)
10. Pierre Gasly (link)
?. Jack Doohan (link)

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

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

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

Scuderia AlphaTauri:
10. Pierre Gasly (link)
22. Yuki Tsunoda (link)
?. Ayumu Iwasa (link)
?. Colton Herta (link)
?. Dennis Hauger (link)
?. Jehan Daruvala (link)
?. Jüri Vips (link)
?. Liam Lawson (link)

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

Williams Racing:
23. Alexander Albon (link) - until end of 2023
6. Nicolas Latifi (link)
47. Mick Schumacher (link)
?. Logan Sargeant (link)
?. Nyck de Vries (link)


Confirmed Retirement:
5. Sebastian Vettel (link)

Nobody knows why, but it seems the final Haas seat is a battle between has-been Hulkenberg and has-been Giovinazzi, whereas the incumbent driver (currently beating his team mate, as he did last year) is apparently not really in the running.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/nico-hulkenberg-2023-haas-seat-mick-schumacher/10368245/

Can't believe they had SIX laps to restart, but used 3 of them just finding Verstappen on track. The safety car was almost 75% of a lap ahead of the leader which obviously prevented marshals from removing Ricciardo's car. We could easily have had at least 2 full laps of racing at the end even following correct restart procedure. Absurd.

De Vries will drive for Williams this weekend in place of Albon who has been hospitalized due to pain. Albon is getting his appendix removed apparently.

Well it was an experience! Dutch fans were truly very friendly, nothing like the Austrian GP whatsoever. From what I've heard, most outsiders (read: Mercedes or Ferrari fans) felt the same too.

I was happily surprised to hear that, second to Verstappen, the most cheered for drivers were Mick Schumacher and Lando Norris. A fair amount of cheers for Alonso too.

After the race, interviewing Russell in a Mercedes and Leclerc in a Ferrari the crowd around me cheered for both. No booing. It was just a welcoming atmosphere.

Finally, my first Grand Prix!! The racing could have been more exciting, at one point it looked like Hamilton could genuinely challenge for the win.

Well, I'm attending it. As is my wife. Hello Louise!

We're starting the journey today, because we're driving from Stockholm to Amsterdam. To make sure it's not too much of a chore, we're stopping a lot. We just arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, for 2 nights here. On Wednesday we'll stop in Hamburg before arriving in Amsterdam on Thursday.

I've never been to a race, so this is all very exciting for me. I just better make sure to keep my wife away from the looney Verstappen fans, she'll be wearing Mercedes gear...

Sorry, I don't know if this warrants a topic but I felt like it so here you are

[over]

The Ferrari powered found a loophole. If you get a grid penalty of over 15 places, you're automatically on the back of the grid. So Ferrari simply got one 10-place demotion, followed by a separate 15-place demotion. This was done by replacing half the engine prior to P1, and the other half prior to P2. Essentially, they are moved down 25 places but not "back of the grid". Leclerc, Bottas, and Schumacher will all start ahead of Verstappen, Norris, Ocon (and now Zhou).

Funny, yes, but not funny "haha", funny "thats wrong".

Norris accidentally confirmed Piastri too, so yeah they are very confident.

Dutch TV asked him: "Are you excited to be partnered with Piastri for 2023?"
Norris: "Is it confirmed now?"
Dutch: "No not yet"
Norris: "...yeah because it's not true"

Something like that.

[confirmed]

No Ricciardo for McLaren in 2023 confirmed. Maybe a Piastri though?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-mclaren-part-ways-2023/10357165/

Audi-Sauber could be announced as soon as this weekend's Belgian GP, for a 2026 debut.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/audis-f1-plans-take-shape-as-announcement-looms/10356808/

Be an interesting working environment with Pastry given his rather public rejection of the team. Gasly sounds like he's planning on seeing out his contract to the end of '23 but you never know in F1, although does Alpine want to be all-French from a marketing perspective? Perhaps it isn't a factor or perhaps Zhou or Tsunoda (out of contract end of this year) would be a more useful fit.

I can see Red Bull letting Gasly go, but not Tsunoda. He'll drive the Red Bull in 2024 when Perez is dropped. Only question is, does Red Bull have anyone to put into AlphaTauri right now? Lawson and Vips are not up for it.

Alpine claim they have 14 drivers in consideration for the second seat. Let's see if we can get some of them right?

1. Daniel Ricciardo
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Zhou Guanyu
4. Pierre Gasly
5. Nyck de Vries
6. Nico Hulkenberg
7. Stoffel Vandoorne
8. Daniil Kvyat
9. Colton Herta
10. Marcus Ericsson
11. Romain Grosjean
12. Theo Pourchaire
13. Felipe Drugovich
14. Jack Doohan

I mean, at least 5-6 of these are on their "shortlist" right? Maybe not the 3 Indycar boys.

[not]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-end-ricciardo-deal-piastri-2023/10349014/

Ricciardo out, Piastri in. This is not yet official confirmation, but it sure sounds like it's about to be.

Apparently, Alpine believes it triggered a valid option but in time, but there are question marks about whether the 2023 deal is even lodged with the Contract Recognition Board. If it isn't, Alpine basically used a non-existent clause to trigger a non-existent option for 2023, and McLaren picked Piastri up as a fair and free agent.

Ricciardo has a 2023 contract in place, and the discussion now is about buying him out.

Albon having a cheeky dig at Piastri too:

"I understand that, with my agreement, Williams Racing have put out a press release this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is right and I have signed a contract with Williams for 2023. I will be driving for Williams next year."