As a rare Formula 1 world champion, Max Verstappen has guaranteed himself an entry in the F1 history books.
But the greats are never truly satisfied with just an entry.
Verstappen has been a record-breaker and trend-setter from the moment he got behind the wheel of a Toro Rosso in free practice at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSMichael and Rob are joined by some new voices for a special announcement.
Piastri āopposite of Danielā as debut looms; Stroll fitness in doubt for first race: F1 Pit Talk
Oscar Piastriās long-awaited debut looms large this week, with just days remaining before the heralded Aussie finally turns a wheel in anger in the premier class.
But despite cracking F1 in his own right after a glittering junior career, comparisons with McLaren predecessor Daniel Ricciardo are never far from hand.
While both drivers have moved on from last yearās messy silly season merry-go-round, itās now up to Piastri to carve out a place for himself in the F1 landscape.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSThe time before the first race is generally one for optimism. Hopes and aspirations for the year are still alive in the lead-up to the first qualifying session of the year, when the stopwatch will cruelly show up those who havenāt put in the work during the off-season.
But some will start the year with more than just their own performance on their minds.
With only 20 drivers and 10 teams in the sport, thereās no space for anyone who isnāt performing at their maximum. Several drivers and even some teams will start the year knowing that how strongly they deliver on their potential this season could be career or history defining.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSMichael Lamonato and Julianne Cerasoli give you a taste of Pit Pass F1 as we get ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Back for 2023. In about 24 hours. Yes, we forgot.
Get ready for all the action. Pit Pass F1 is coming soon!
Thereās only one time the vibe is really relevant in Formula 1, and itās the days between preseason testing and the first race.
Despite having three days of numbers to crunch and analyse from thousands of laps, the different climatic conditions, track states, fuel loads, engine modes, run plans and experimental parts mean that making meaningful comparisons and conclusions is always a mugās game.
But the teams have access to far more powerful analytical tools than us mere mortals, which is where the vibe comes in.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSRed Bull Racing is full steam ahead on its title defence in 2023.
Max Verstappen and his RB19 were calm, composed and quick about the season ahead after a day and a half of testing. There are no real reliability problems to speak about and, crucially, no obvious contender to challenge it for the mantle. At least not yet.
Itās been a mixed bag for the other potential top teams. Ferrari is keeping its cards close to its chest, while Mercedes couldnāt make progress on a heartening first day.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSItās better to hit trouble during preseason testing than in the season proper, but given the reliability rate of the modern Formula 1 car, itās better not to strike trouble at all.
With regulations largely stable year on year, most cars enjoyed long stints of uninterrupted, trouble-free running on the first day of testing. None will have had the engine fully turned up and few drivers will have been pushing particularly hard, but itās a good sign for most.
But it puts the spotlight and ratchets up the pressure on those that do suffer problems given they immediately fall behind on crucial track time.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSPreseason testing isnāt the stuff of dreams, but it can be the stuff of nightmares.
Three days of relentless running in the Bahrain sun, drivers tested to their limits after months out of the car, machines pushed the brink and beyond failure, is gruelling work.
If it goes well, youāll make it to Sunday with your car and your neck muscles intact but only a rough idea of where you think you stand in the pecking order. Ambiguity is the reward.
If it goes badly, youāll know for sure that you wonāt win the championship. Only nine months and 23 races to go until the next one.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSThere could have been no Drive to Survive without Daniel Ricciardo, according to executive producer Paul Martin, as the popular docudrama prepares for an era without the charismatic Aussie.
Drive to Surviveās groundbreaking level of access to the ordinarily clandestine F1 paddock has been widely credited for the sportās booming popularity by creating a new generation of fans, particularly among younger age groups and in the United States.
Ricciardo fast emerged as one of the unofficial main characters of the series, with the producers magnetised by his larrikin personality and with the Perth native more than willing to play his part in the showās success.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSAlpine principal Otmar Szafnauer says āsuperfastā Jack Doohan can get himself a Formula 1 drive if he wins this yearās Formula 2 championship.
Doohan was announced as the French teamās reserve driver this week, putting him next in line to one of its full-time race seats currently occupied by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
The 20-year-old Australian will fulfil his F1 obligations alongside his second full-time campaign in F2 after finishing sixth last season. Heād previously finished runner-up in Formula 3 and Formula 3 Asia in 2021 and 2020 respectively.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSThe faff of the launch season is finally over, and soon Formula 1 will get down to the business of getting cars on track for some real action.
But with the countdown still reading 16 days until the first grand prix of the year, thereās still time to analyse in a very serious way who won the battle of the brands when it comes to car launches for 2023.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSAlpine has announced Aussie rising star Jack Doohan will be the teamās official reserve driver for the 2023 Formula 1 campaign at the French marqueās season launch in London.
Doohan, 20 years old, will combine his F1 duties with a second full-time campaign in Formula 2 with Virtuosi Racing, which powered him to three wins and sixth in the drivers championship last season.
The Gold Coast native wasnāt on hand at the launch of the 2023 car due to Formula 2 testing obligations in Bahrain overnight.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSThe Silver Arrows are back in black for 2023.
Mercedes pulled the covers off its 2023 challenger, the W14, in a slick but understated online launch this week to reveal it was returning to the darker hues of its 2020ā21 cars.
But the decision was about more than just style. As is increasingly the trend in Formula 1, much of the car is unpainted carbon fibre in a desperate measure to reach the minimum weight. The opportunity for a livery redux was just a bonus.
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSLewis Hamilton says he will continue to speak his mind during the 2023 Formula 1 season in defiance of an FIA ban on political speech in motorsport.
Late last year the FIA inserted a clause into the International Sporting Code, world motorsportās fundamental governance document, that bans drivers from making āpolitical, religious and personal statementsā without prior written approval.
Punishments for breaking the code range from a simple warning to the suspension of a competition licence and a maximum fine of ā¬250,000 ($387,000).
Continue reading on FOX SPORTSOscar Piastri says heās under more pressure from his glittering junior career than his messy 2022 split with Alpine as he prepares to make his long-awaited Formula 1 debut next month.
Piastriās crumbling relationship with Alpine was one of last yearās major storylines despite the Aussie rising star spending the season on the sidelines as a reserve driver.
The Melburnian and his manager, nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber, had grown frustrated with the French teamās lack of urgency in drawing up a new contract securing him a place on the 2023 grid.
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