In the round-up: Haas technical director Simone Resta described the team’s new VF23 as a “massive rework” over its predecessor
In brief
New Haas a “complete rework” over 2022 – Resta
Haas finished in eighth place in the constructors’ championship in 2022 after forgoing all development on its 2021 car to prioritise the VF22. Resta says that the new car has received a major redesign over last year’s model.
“We’re looking at all main areas of intervention from 2022 to 2023,” Resta said. “We try to save a few of the components on last season’s car but try to improve the aerodynamic performance of the car, improve the weight of the component and improve the quality of the component.
“There has been a massive rework of the car – some of the components don’t look radically different – it’s probably more a development of the 2022 car but there is a complete rework of the car involving many, many components.”
Mercedes junior Antonelli increases FRME lead with win
Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli extended his own championship advantage in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship with victory in the first race of the weekend in Dubai.
Antonelli took his third win of the series and third in the last four races in race one, winning behind the Safety Car ahead of Mumbai Falcons team mate Rafael Camara. He now holds a 54 point lead heading into today’s two races.
Junior electric ACE series led by Gill announced for 2024
A new electric single-seater series aiming to provide a new junior competition to develop driving and engineering talent has been announced for 2024.
The ACE Championship, created by former Mahindra Formula E team principal Dilbagh Gill, will feature an electric single-seater like Formula E, with performance comparable to a Gen2 Formula E car. The region-based series will run with two levels; a lower-level Challenger series and a higher-level Championship series.
“We are providing a pathway for our drivers in the ACE Championship, at a low cost, but with high performance,” said Gill.
“ACE Championship is going to be focused around the three ‘Ds’ – we are going to be daring, we are going to be different and we are going to be digital.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Just Stop Oil activists who staged Silverstone protest convicted (Guardian)
“I scoured the internet for every piece of information I could get about the track, the red flag system and also the drivers. We picked a part of the track which would give the cars plenty of time to pass where we were and where the racing line was on the far side of the track.”
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to grow this year (Tampa Bay Times)
“Race fans who attend the March 3-5 event will notice another change: roomier seats. The event organizers, Green Savoree Racing Promotions, have upgraded the grandstands, so seats will have 5 more inches of legroom. The suites will feature stadium-style seats — an option for the rest of the grandstands in the coming years.”
Chevy set to make first IndyCar ERS run at Sebring (Racer)
“Multiple sources tell RACER that Team Chevy is set to turn its first laps with its championship-winning 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine mated to the energy recovery system conceived by MAHLE during the Monday-Tuesday group test at Sebring. The debut for Chevy’s existing 2.2L IndyCar engine — which will continue to be used for years to come—with the supercapacitor-based ERS unit follows multiple hybrid tests conducted by Honda with its Indy 500-winning 2.2L motor.”
INTERVIEW: IndyCar’s Conor Daly chases Daytona 500 (Chequered Flag)
“The opportunity to do Daytona was kind of thrown in with a few of the other races that we have planned as well, so we weren’t originally going to do it until a few weeks ago. They had the car. It was ready to go. The upside was very good and the downside was really, we already know we’re the underdog so if something happens, we don’t make it, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re still going to try to do other races. That was kind of the decision making and very, very thankful for it. It’s an incredible event to be a part of and as a huge race fan ever since birth, to be able to have said, hopefully, that I’ve done the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 is really, really cool.”
Formula E leaves behind a bad taste for many (Deccan Chronicle)
“Scores of people, including a minister from Andhra Pradesh, had to fight their way on to the foot-overbridges to get to their respective seats, while there were complaints of ACs not working, wash rooms not being available and lack of basic amenities like water even at the VIP stands. A mother of two, who was seated in one of the VIP stands with her children said that the racing event was ‘one of the worst’ she had ever attended.”
Car Launch – 2 Days Out (Aston Martin via YouTube)
“Two days until launch. BTS, bucket hats, and building the AMR23. Felipe Drugovich and Jessica Hawkins check in with exclusive access to their team photoshoot and our Head of Build & Car Assembly, Mark Gray, tells us just how intense building an F1 car really is.”
Searching for… The Best Fans in F1 (McLaren via YouTube)
“In partnership with Google, Oscar Piastri uses Google Chrome to find McLaren fans all around the world.”
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On this day in motorsport
- 40 years ago today the season was originally due to start at Kyalami, but the race was postponed until end of season to give teams more time to prepare following a late rules change
