In the round-up: Oscar Piastri says he would have preferred being able to race during 2022 instead of spending a year as a reserve driver.
In brief
Piastri ‘would have preferred racing’ in 2022
After winning junior championships in three consecutive seasons, culminating in the 2021 Formula 2 title, Piastri spent 2022 as Alpine’s reserve driver, before grabbing the chance to race for McLaren in 2023. He said he would have been better off racing in 2022, rather than testing.
“Racing would have been better,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “There is no environment in which you can prepare better.
“In my test year, I mainly learned a lot about the world of Formula 1 outside the cockpit, more than I expected. I understood that you can quickly get caught up in the wheels. But also useful things about how to mentally prepare for the races. I was at all the meetings at Alpine.
“I saw that in terms of mental attitude, it cannot be compared to the junior classes. It is a different playing field when the development of the car is added to that. In Formula 3 or 2, you have to work with the car that is given to you. Absorbing that without the pressure of having to race at the same time was certainly valuable.
“But if I had the choice again today, I would have preferred to continue straight after Formula 2.”
Russell completes Pirelli’s wet weather tyre test
Pirelli’s second day of wet weather tyre testing at Magny-Cours in France was more productive than the first, when an excess of rain impeded their work. George Russell completed 85 laps in Mercedes’ W15, almost three times what Mick Schumacher managed the day before.
F1’s official tyre supplier will continue its development work at Mugello in Italy on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Red Bull and Ferrari will continue the 2025 tyre programme while McLaren evaluates the new, narrower tyres due for introduction the year after.
Chambers moving to Red Bull Academy
Haas-backed F1 Academy racer Chloe Chambers will be backed by Red Bull next year. Ford, which will contribute to Red Bull’s engine programme in 2026, will continue to brand their F1 Academy operation.
F1 seals major LVMH deal
Formula 1 has announced a 10-year sponsorship deal with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, whose brands include the fashion label and champagne it is named after, as well as watchmaker TAG Heuer.
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Links
Chadwick planning next steps after ‘very cool’ first IndyCar run (Racer)
‘I was happy with how manageable the step from Indy Nxt to IndyCar is, but at the same time, that comes with increased torque in steering in the high speed corners. I was chasing myself a little bit with that. But I’m really glad I did the test here, because it gave me the full picture of what IndyCar is all about, and what I really need to work on, which is strength.’
Motorsport passion, work ethic and Cars: Getting to know Antonelli (Formula 2)
‘The first time in a single seater – coming from karts it was a big step and the car was a lot different, the sensation of speed is high. So, I really loved it. It was a track in Cremona with an F4 car for my birthday. It was a really cool moment.’
Formula E showcases female talent with dedicated pre-season test (FIA)
‘We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport. If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series, however, conditions for all need to be the same to aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid. Unlike other series where women drivers have to use old or restricted machinery, they’ll be using the state-of-the-art GEN3 Evo car that accelerates 30% faster than an F1 car, just as our championship drivers do.’
Button hails ‘faultless’ Fuji performance by title-winning Jota (WEC)
‘We weren’t unlucky like we have been in many races this year, but the thing that hurts the most is that the out-and-out pace just isn’t there for us. We were a little bit disappointed by that, but there is loads of information to look at to try to improve for the final race in Bahrain.’
NASCAR faces antitrust lawsuit from 2 teams as Michael Jordan digs in over revenue sharing model (AP)
‘According to the suit, NASCAR presented a take-it-or-leave-it offer on Friday, September 6th, 48 hours before the play-offs began. It says NASCAR threatened teams to sign the more than 100-page agreement or risk losing not only their charters but the charter system itself unless ‘a substantial number of teams’ agreed.’
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