In the round-up: Gasly talks about Alpine’s Formula 1 potential as he joins the team for 2023.
In brief
Gasly sees “huge potential” at Alpine
Pierre Gasly says Alpine was the best available move for him and sees “huge potential” in the Renault-owned team. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, the team’s new driver said he wanted assurances of Renault’s backing for the team from its CEO Luca de Meo, plus Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi and team principal Otmar Szafnauer.
“Of course I was informed about the project and the plans for the next few years,” said Gasly. “By Otmar, by Laurent and Luca de Meo. I wanted to know how much Renault is behind this project.”
He is satisfied Renault is “fully behind” the team. “They want Alpine to fight for the top spots. They will do whatever it takes to get to the top.”
Andretti completes Indy Nxt line-up
Andretti Autosport has added James Roe Jnr to their Indy Nxt line-up for 2023, meaning they have a complete roster of four cars.The Irishman raced in the series last year and came 12th in the standings, and before that was a race-winner in Formula Regional Americas and USF Pro 2000. His team mates this year will be USFP2000 champion Louis Foster, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick and Hunter McElrea.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Andretti for the 2023 Indy Nxt season,” said Roe. “To join a global team as successful as Andretti and align myself with their iconic brand is a massive moment for my career, both on and off the racetrack.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Indy Nxt racer more than Abel to succeed in Formula Regional Oceania (TGR NZ)
'Indy Nxt racer Jacob Abel will join the Kiwi Motorsport team for the 2023 FRegional Oceania Championship. He is the fourth US racer confirmed so far for New Zealand’s first international season since 2020 joining Ryan Shehan, David Morales and Chloe Chambers on the entry list.'
Making the step-up to F2 – Oliver Bearman (F2)
'Prema Racing's newest recruit Oliver Bearman is gearing up for his rookie Formula 2 campaign. One of the stars of the show last year in Formula 3, he finished third in what was his rookie campaign and a tightly contested Championship fight.'
Evan Giltaire to combine karting with French F4 in 2023 (Formula Scout)
'French karting star Evan Giltaire will step up to single-seater racing this year in French Formula 4 but will also continue to kart.'
Introducing the bold new MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (Haas)
'With the introduction of a new year, so too comes the official introduction of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.'
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🆕📆 New year, new beginnings! Obviously a new team, and new management in the form of @Infinity_ISM… but the same ambition and targets!
Itching to get back in the car! 🏎️
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Comment of the day
F1 is doubling the amount of sprint races on the calendar for 2023, but the Saturday races remain a controversial inclusion in the world championship and their purpose is still brought into question after two years.
I think the problem with the sprint format is it’s no longer about whether it ‘improves the show’ or not, it’s the fact those who pushed it in the first place have been so disingenuous and are refusing to listen to any form of criticism.
If it’s a money grab then it’s an incredibly short-sighted one as it will never capture the interest of casual fans who only watch the main race where the cars, teams and drivers can fully stretch out their skill, technical and strategic abilities which sprint races don’t allow.
I don’t think the “better then a practice session” argument is particularly good, especially as it shows how poor sprint races are in having to be compared to practice sessions to look ‘good’.
Craig
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Fukobayashi, Yeezy918, F1Alleycat, Fudge Kobayashi and Yezy918!
On this day in motorsport
- 60 years ago today John Surtees won the non-championship New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe after many rivals dropped out with car problems
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
5th January 2023, 1:27
Perhaps Pierre should look at the departing drivers rather than asking the team.
Renault/Alpines progress hasn’t been exactly stellar.
S
5th January 2023, 3:36
I think Gasly knows very well what he’s getting in to (he’s certainly been in F1 long enough to see it) – it’s just that he couldn’t stay where he was, and this was the best available option.
Much the same as when Ricciardo made the move a few years ago…
MichaelN
5th January 2023, 10:03
@dbradock Gasly’s comment is both a positive message to the team and an implicit way to put pressure on Renault. Of the big manufacturer teams (Honda/Mercedes/Renault) the latter’s Alpine team is doing by far the worst. It’s (often) even behind specialized sportscar manufacturers like McLaren and Ferrari.
And even if Alpine keeps fighting for 4th or 5th in the constructor’s championship, its drivers will still be paid millions to race cars they love to drive. Either way, it’s a win for them.
H1Y
5th January 2023, 9:31
As a fan having attended races without sprints, attending Silverstone 2021 weekend with the sprint race made for an enjoyable addition to the weekend. Mostly because qualifying on Friday gave each day a competitive session.
However when I’m at home watching on TV I don’t really care whether there is a sprint or not.
Mayrton
5th January 2023, 11:19
Sorry for Gasly, but that is very unlikely going to happen. With the risk of stereotyping I feel they should really be vigilant towards their internal culture, which may not produce what they expect.
Dex
5th January 2023, 11:43
They signed you, so I think they (Renault) are well aware that this is still a transitional period; which may never end.
sethje (@seth-space)
9th January 2023, 16:52
That Aston M at Alonsos Museum looks like it already was hit on the rear.. looks strange from this viewpoint.