As he prepares for his first F1 season in charge at Ferrari, Fred Vasseur reckons his “close” relationship with Charles Leclerc will be an “advantage”. For the third time in his motorsport career, Leclerc has Vasseur as his team boss. The two first teamed up back in 2016 when the Monégasque driver raced for ART Grand Prix in the GP3 series. Leclerc won the title before moving onto Prema in F2. But after just one year apart, the driver and Vasseur were collaborating once again as he stepped up onto the Formula 1 grid with Alfa Romeo where the Frenchman had been appointed team boss. This year they’re again working together, this time at Ferrari. Vasseur believes their “close” relationship with benefit both of them. “I’ve been following Charles since his karting days,” he told Canal+. “After a period at ART in F3 [GP3 as it was then known], he made his F1 debut with Sauber, so we’ve always been close. “It’s an advantage for me, because I know him well, and it’s an advantage … [Read more...] about Fred Vasseur sees ‘close’ relationship with Charles Leclerc as an advantage for Ferrari
Prema f2 team
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, 1942-2023 · RaceFans
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, whose victory for Renault in the 1979 French Grand Prix heralded a new era of turbo-powered Formula 1 cars, has died at the age of 80. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free It was a deserved breakthrough victory, the culmination of years of development work and repeated failures of turbo engines. While it came in Jabouille’s third season with the team, it was only their second points-scoring finish. Alpine, the F1 team run by Renault, issued a statement expressing that it was “incredibly saddened” by Jabouille’s death. “A humble racing driver, brilliant engineer, and a pioneer of our sport. Jean-Pierre was a true racer,” Alpine said in the statement. “He spearheaded Renault’s journey into F1 in 1977 with his resilient and dare to do attitude. He was Renault’s first Grand Prix winner in 1979, a landmark moment in Renault’s journey in Formula 1. His determination and dedication to succeed inspired many, and these values remain central to … [Read more...] about Jean-Pierre Jabouille, 1942-2023 · RaceFans
First driver confirmed for new female junior racing series F1 Academy · RaceFans
The first of 15 drivers who will contest Formula 1’s new all-female junior series has been announced. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free ART Grand Prix, one of the five teams which will contest the inaugural championship, has signed 25-year-old Swiss racer Lena Bühler as the first member of its three-strong squad. Bühler began karting seven years ago having previously raced BMX bikes. She moved into racing cars in 2020, finishing 15th in the Spanish Formula 4 championship. The following year she moved into the Formula Regional European series with R-ace GP, managing a best finish of 20th. Her return the following year was cut short, but she returned to racing in the Formula 4 UAE series this year. Her overalls bore Sauber Academy logos at this week’s round in Kuwait, but no formal tie-up has yet been announced. Bühler said she was pleased to be joining “a team with a fantastic record”. ART has won multiple championships in other series and taken four … [Read more...] about First driver confirmed for new female junior racing series F1 Academy · RaceFans
Grosjean hopes to race Le Mans in 2024 if IndyCar schedule allows
Listen to this article Last December, the Andretti Autosport-Honda IndyCar driver was confirmed as part of Lamborghini’s roster of drivers destined to help develop the marque’s LMDh prototype and then race it in 2024. As part of that deal, Grosjean is racing a Lamborghini Huracan GTD Pro car run by the works Iron Lynx team at IMSA endurance events this year. In his debut for the team at last week’s Rolex 24 Hours, he joined Mirko Bortolotti , Andrea Caldarelli and Jordan Pepper and the quartet came home a solid fourth in class – a particularly impressive effort given that IMSA’s Balance of Performance at Daytona seemed to favor the Mercedes AMG GT3s and Aston Martin Vantages. “The Lamborghini is a lot of fun,” smiled Grosjean. “I've enjoyed my time with my teammates in Daytona. The BoP wasn't in our favor, so we knew it was going to be tough. But I think we did a very good job at what we did, finishing fourth and on the lead lap, being so far off the pace. So that was … [Read more...] about Grosjean hopes to race Le Mans in 2024 if IndyCar schedule allows
Multiple F1 race winner Jean-Pierre Jabouille passes away aged 80
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, former Renault driver and the first Formula 1 driver to win with turbocharged power, died aged 80 on Thursday, according to multiple reports in French media. The Frenchman won two races in his time as a Formula 1 driver, winning his home race in Dijon in 1979 for Renault to become the first driver to win with a turbo engine in the sport’s history. Jabouille developed a reputation for being one of Formula 1’s unluckiest drivers during his time in the sport, only being a classified finisher in 10 of his 49 race starts – winning two races and taking six pole positions, becoming Renault’s first ever race winner in Formula 1 in the process. The Parisian racer spent several years in Formula 2 in the 1970s, combining that with sportscar racing as he looked for a way into Formula 1, winning the F2 title in 1976 before being given a factory drive with Renault in the second half of the following year. PlanetF1.com recommends Pat Symonds spotted an early sign … [Read more...] about Multiple F1 race winner Jean-Pierre Jabouille passes away aged 80