In the round-up: McLaren SP IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist says he is focused on remaining in IndyCar with the team while his future in the series remains unconfirmed.
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In brief
Rosenqvist ‘focused on staying in IndyCar’ amid McLaren uncertainty
McLaren SP IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist says he is focused on remaining in IndyCar with the team while his future in the series remains unconfirmed.McLaren have announced that Rosenqvist will race for them in 2023, but have not yet specified whether he will compete in a possible third car run by McLaren SP in IndyCar or instead join their Formula E programme. Currently, McLaren SP have confirmed that Patricio O’Ward will remain with them until the end of the 2025 season, while Alex Palou was announced to join from 2023 but is embroiled in a legal dispute with current team Chip Ganassi Racing.
Rosenqvist says Formula E would be “secondary” in his plans compared to racing in IndyCar. “I think I’m mainly focused on staying with my current team, McLaren SP,” said Rosenqvist.
“I feel happy working with my engineer, my mechanics. Obviously it’s another car coming to the team next year. I think it’s all depending on the Palou case what’s going to happen with me.
“For the Formula E stuff, I think that’s kind of secondary at this point. Mainly just focusing on what I’m doing here now, try not to get distracted by what’s going on in the background.”
Stroll has enough experience to lead Aston Martin – Krack
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack says his team are trying to understand why they appear to struggle so much in qualifying relative to their race pace.
The team have taken three points finishes in the five rounds leading to the summer break, but have only escaped Q1 twice out of a possible ten times over that same span.
“We’re trying to understand it, honestly,” Krack said about Aston Martin’s lack of qualifying performance. “Because if we knew why, then we would try to change it? So it’s something that we really need to understand what makes this.
“It is very important to stay really objective and really monitor the lap time difference that you are having and then see where we have to improve. It is clear that on Saturdays we struggle more than Sundays.”
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
On holiday now, so see you guys soooooon 🏖
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) August 6, 2022
Fire it up! 🔥 Time for a ride around the Cathedral of Speed 💯🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/ao6G1V45hD
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) August 6, 2022
Across @F1's social media in July, the retirement announcement of @AstonMartinF1 driver, Sebastian Vettel, surpassed all posts while generating:
49.2M impressions
$382,504 in brand value for @astonmartin
$260,195 in brand value for @Cognizant #ThankYouSeb https://t.co/U8EngAQjL2— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) August 6, 2022
Looks a lot bigger than it felt 😂😬 https://t.co/rwXMHNLxxV
— Kyle M. Kirkwood (@KKirkwoodRacing) August 6, 2022
#IndyCar's alternate tyre compound at this weekend's race in Nashville are green instead of red as supplier Firestone is using a new sustainable natural rubber produced from guayule, a desert shrub, in the construction of its sidewalls. pic.twitter.com/72CXXYEfRk
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) August 6, 2022
Bridge Bros#BusBros | @smclaughlin93 | @MusicCityGP | @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/uhClXnB40C
— Josef Newgarden (@josefnewgarden) August 6, 2022
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
"It always gets a bit strained – it’s easier to be team mates when you’re fighting for points but obviously, championships and wins is a bit more challenging, which is obviously well-advertised in lots of different scenarios throughout the sport. We weren’t alone in that sense."
"I always say you couldn't do this job if you weren't friends because you spend that much time together that you have to get on with the person you're working with. He's a good guy, a really down to earth guy. He likes being at home, spending time with family and friends."
Inside the F1 contract fight shaping the destiny of three Australians (WA Today)
"The Australian has no intention to agree a suggested move to McLaren-owned teams in IndyCar or Formula E, wanting to extend his F1 career into a 12th season."
Reading, racing and gaming: Getting to know the real Cem Bölükbasi (Formula 2)
"I love the official F1 game and it’s ridiculous because I’ve been playing that game for a living for years. Now I’m in it!"
Which F1 drivers are holidaying in Mykonos? (Greek City Times)
"A day later, George Russell also arrived on the Cycladic island. Of course he didn’t miss an opportunity to meet Pierre Gasly and have fun together."
Drawmula 1: F1 Drivers Design T-Shirts! (F1 via YouTube)
"We know their skills behind the wheels, but how did our drivers get on when we asked them to design a T-Shirt?"
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Comment of the day
With Formula 1 setting up a permanent presence on the Las Vegas strip ahead of next year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, reader WimB is humoured by the idea of F1 embracing the gambling culture of the famous city…
Welcome to the F1 Casino!
Here you can play blackjack at the Monaco Table where passing is almost impossible, high-stakes poker at the F1 Commission, or test your pure darn luck turning the handle on Pirelli’s one-armed bandits to keep their temperature in a random operating window …
WimB
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Matthew Mcmahon, Penelope Pitstop, Ell, Foleyger, Mitch and Sunil Kumar!
Adrian
7th August 2022, 0:27
McLaren is destroying Riccardo’s career and almost destroyed Alonso’s. Piece of rubbish team.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
7th August 2022, 0:53
To be fair, Ricciardo has done a fine enough job of that himself. Commiting to leaving Abiteboul after just one year has to be his biggest mistake. He’s reaping what he’s sown and it’s hard to have sympathy.
Ross
7th August 2022, 2:29
Not quite sure how you figure that. Left RBR on the back of a clear push from management to make Max their lead driver having spent 5 years with them without a championship winning car, while they were set to take on PU that had been the absolute laughing stock of the series. Went the Renault, struggled to start, turned the car and team into something that even after having signed for a rival team he took to the podium. Went to McLaren, struggled in a car that was known to be peculiar, tore him self down and built his driving style back up to suit, the second half of 2021 and the win at Monza are a clear portrayal of this. 2022 McLaren build a car that doesn’t even have the right cooling set up for a known track, admittedly he’s been far from his best but McLaren is no winner.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
7th August 2022, 4:29
Retelling his story doesn’t change the fact. You say it yourself; “Went the Renault, struggled to start, turned the car and team into something that even after having signed for a rival team he took to the podium.” Why did he leave that? Alpine reaped the rewards and he ended up worse off.
McLaren sold him stories of them being title contenders, and he gave up a good thing for it. Couldn’t be a clearer mistake. Nobody made him do it…
Ross
7th August 2022, 5:44
Don’t see how getting stabbed in the back by McLaren is ‘reaping his reward’ for improving one team whilst moving on to another that looked on a better trajectory.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
7th August 2022, 7:19
>Don’t see how getting stabbed in the back by McLaren is ‘reaping his reward’
Because that’s exactly what Ricciardo did to Abiteboul. Abiteboul was very clear that he wanted a long term leader, and that’s the role Ricciardo signed up for. He asked for two years to show what Renault could do, but Ricciardo barely gave them one before leaving for supposedly greener pastures.
He’s getting quite a slice of karma…
Dave
7th August 2022, 2:34
If McLaren want to break off the agreement they have with Daniel, that’s acceptable.
Having said that, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. Meeting behind closed doors, ironing out an agreement and THEN feeding it to the media is perfectly acceptable.
Sharing info with the media BEFORE an agreement is made, especially when done in such a demeaning way, is asinine and says something about the organization I am shocked that McLaren is handling this so poorly. Zach will pay a price for this. All the young drivers he has been teasing – I think he’s gone bonkers.
I get it, RIC has grossly underperformed. but it isn’t as if he isn’t giving it his best. He simply can’t get the best out of the car. Which brings another point – the car is mediocre at best. Not competitive. It is no better than last years car. I thought James Keys was the next Newey. Why no talk about his poor performance?
In my opinion, McLaren are being disrespectful playing this out for all to see. I hope Daniel makes them pay every penny that they owe him. He can get on with another team. I think he should turn down any offer McLaren give him pertaining to Indycar. Make them pay!
As far as Piastri goes, it’s pretty much the same. What they are doing is legal, or probably legal, but to poach a youngster who has come up through the ranks and won all his championships with another team is not sporting.
I think Zack has gotten out of his skis. Bringing Piastri in to team up with Norris could very well end up being a nightmare. If Piastri is as good as everyone seems to think he is, he will challenge Norris which may or may not work out so well.
As we saw in 2007, two highly talented young drivers on the same team can have dire consequences. I can’t believe Norris is jumping for joy. If Piastri is another Hamilton or Alonso, good luck.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
7th August 2022, 8:14
I don’t know what you’re on about? McLaren has not shared anything with the media yet. All that is out there now did not come from them. They always planned on making no announcements before sorting it out with Daniel, probably find him another seat first to avoid speculation on his future. The fact that they have signed Piastri, is only out now because Alpine announced him and he immediately denied it. Alonso caused a rollercoaster of events that interfered with what McLaren had planned. McLaren has been quiet all week as they stick to their original plan of sorting everything out with Daniel first.
Dave
7th August 2022, 18:04
“ McLaren has not shared anything with the media yet. All that is out there now did not come from them”
Huh? It ALL came from them through the media.
Ross
7th August 2022, 9:18
A two year contract is hardly a long term leader contract. Five years maybe, and Renault couldn’t even meet their own engine goals. Dan left when his contract expired, he was upfront with the team and still managed to bring them around him even when they knew he was leaving… doesn’t really sound like he stabbing anyone.
@HoHum (@hohum)
7th August 2022, 0:27
What could be more green than harvesting bushes that grow in the desert !?
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
7th August 2022, 10:45
Who likes deserts anyways ! /s
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
7th August 2022, 3:06
We would all love perfect environmental solutions to the worlds problems, however I’ll take ‘greener’ options over no improvement at all any day.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
7th August 2022, 3:07
Intended as a response to @hohum