She reveals just how close she came to driving in F1 – and whether she would get behind the wheel of a car if one of the 10 teams gave her a call today. 
Kimi was one second off per kiliometer of the top runners at the WRC rally in Finland. Pretty incredible considering it is his first rally also in the Fiat Punto which is not nearly as good as Loeb’s Pug/Cit.
I sure wish Kimi was in a Brawn (or Newey) car because Ferrari slipped when Brawn left - same thing after he left Bennton.
Cry me a river Ferrari.
http://news.sky.com/story/ex-mclaren-boss-dennis-waves-chequered-flag-with-275m-stake-sale-10931994
She reveals just how close she came to driving in F1 – and whether she would get behind the wheel of a car if one of the 10 teams gave her a call today.
ooops...
Mercedes F1 Takes Major Hit In Crypto-Crash As $32 Billion Sponsor Faces Bankruptcy
Ultra 4, not F1, but... enjoy
THE KING OF THE HAMMERS ULTRA 4 RACING EXPERIENCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd-ucA2eY2g
Helmut Marko has confirmed to Sky Germany that Daniel Ricciardo will be Red Bull’s third driver next season.
BREAKING NEWS: F1 AXES the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix, with the country gripped by draconian Covid lockdowns and unprecedented civil unrest
Formula One has axed the Chinese Grand Prix from its calendar for 2023
The decision was made as a result of China’s strict Covid lockdowns that have led to unprecedented civil unrest across the country
F1 bosses announced last year that the sport would be returning to the Shanghai International Circuit after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic
The Shanghai Grand Prix was set to be the fourth race on next season’s calendar
Sportsmail understands F1 is looking for an alternative venue for the vacant slot
By Sam Mcevoy For Mailonline
Published: 06:01 EST, 2 December 2022 | Updated: 07:28 EST, 2 December 2022
Formula One has axed the Chinese Grand Prix from its racing calendar for a fourth year in a row as the country faces unprecedented civil protests against it’s draconian Covid laws.
In a short statement, F1 said: ‘Formula 1 can confirm, following dialogue with the promoter and relevant authorities, that the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix will not take place due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the COVID-19 situation.
‘Formula 1 is assessing alternative options to replace the slot on the 2023 calendar and will provide an update on this in due course.’
F1 bosses announced last year that the sport would return to the Shanghai International Circuit on April 16 after a three-year hiatus caused by the pandemic - but it has now been axed again with no indication of whether a 2024 race is being considered.
It was to be the fourth Grand Prix of the season, following Melbourne on April 2 and and followed by Baku on April 30.
Sportsmail understands F1 is still looking for an alternative venue for the vacant slot and has a number of possible options. However, given the scale of the F1 operation, it is unlikely a replacement will be announced before Christmas.
The cancellation of the race in China will mark the fourth season it has been scrubbed from the schedule. The 2023 season will start in Bahrain on March 5 and conclude in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
China has been beset by criticism – both domestically and internationally – over it’s draconian lockdown laws.
The Chinese Grand Prix has been axed from the Formula One calendar for the 2023 season
The Chinese Grand Prix has been axed from the Formula One calendar for the 2023 season
The decision was made as a result of China’s strict Covid lockdowns that have led to unprecedented civil unrest across the country - with protesters clashing with police in this screen grab taken from social media
The decision was made as a result of China’s strict Covid lockdowns that have led to unprecedented civil unrest across the country - with protesters clashing with police in this screen grab taken from social media
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2023 Formula One Calendar
March 5 - Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)
March 19 - Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)
April 2 - Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
April 16 - Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai) - CANCELLED
April 30 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)
May 7 - Miami Grand Prix (Miami)
May 21 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)
May 28 - Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)
June 4 - Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
June 18 - Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
July 2 - Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)
July 9 - British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
July 23 - Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring)
July 30 - Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
August 27 - Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
September 3 - Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
September 17 - Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)
September 24 - Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
October 8 - Qatar Grand Prix (Losail)
October 22 - United States Grand Prix (Austin)
October 29 - Mexico City Grand Prix (Mexico City)
November 5 - Sao Paulo Grand Prix (Interlagos)
November 18 - Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas)
November 26 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina)
Cities across China further unwound Covid restrictions on Friday, loosening testing and quarantine rules in the wake of nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedoms.
Anger and frustration with China’s hardline pandemic response spilled onto the streets last weekend in widespread demonstrations not seen in decades.
China’s vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to smother the protests, deploying a heavy police presence, and boosting online censorship and surveillance of the population.
A number of cities have also begun loosening Covid restrictions, such as moving away from daily mass testing requirements – a tedious mainstay of life under Beijing’s stringent zero-Covid policy.
But sporadic localised clashes have continued to flare up.
Social media footage posted Thursday night and geolocated by AFP showed dozens of people clashing with health workers in white hazmat suits outside a middle school in Yicheng, in central China’s Hubei province.
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Demonstrators protesting over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions throw glass bottles towards riot police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China in this screen grab taken from a social media video released on November 30, 2022
Demonstrators protesting over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions throw glass bottles towards riot police in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China in this screen grab taken from a social media video released on November 30, 2022
Residents confront workers donned in protective suits who are blocking the entrance of a residential compound, amid a coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai, China, in this still image obtained from a social media video released November 30, 2022
Residents confront workers donned in protective suits who are blocking the entrance of a residential compound, amid a coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai, China, in this still image obtained from a social media video released November 30, 2022
The author of the post said people in the video were parents of students who had tested positive for the virus and had been taken to central quarantine.
In one video, parents are seen kneeling in front of the school gate, pleading to take their children home, and another video showed at least a dozen police officers at the scene.
Signs have emerged of a possible shift in the policy of sending positive cases to central quarantine.
An analysis by state-run newspaper People’s Daily on Friday quoted a number of health experts supporting local government moves to allow positive cases to quarantine at home, which would be a marked departure from current rules.
When called on Friday, some officials from local communities in the Chaoyang district of Beijing said that people who tested positive there would no longer have to go to central quarantine.
Authorities in the southern factory hub of Dongguan on Thursday said that those who meet ‘specific conditions’ should be allowed to quarantine at home. They did not specify what those conditions would be.
Mercedes driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (right) sprays champagne with Sebastian Vettel after winning the 2019 Shanghai Grand Prix - the last time the sport was in China
Mercedes driver and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (right) sprays champagne with Sebastian Vettel after winning the 2019 Shanghai Grand Prix - the last time the sport was in China
And the southern tech hub of Shenzhen on Wednesday rolled out a similar policy.
Central government officials have signalled that a broader relaxation of zero-Covid policy could be in the works.
Speaking at the National Health Commission Wednesday, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the Omicron variant was weakening and vaccination rates were improving, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
A central figure behind Beijing’s pandemic response, Sun said this ‘new situation’ required ‘new tasks’.
She made no mention of zero-Covid in those remarks or in another meeting on Thursday, suggesting the approach, which has disrupted the economy and daily life, might soon be relaxed.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/formula-1-considering-using-active-aero-to-slow-race-leaders-down
Formula 1 is always looking for ways to level the playing field, and its eyes today are on the next generation of F1 cars, coming in 2026 or so. One of the ways F1 is considering making its racing fairer is with active aerodynamics, which F1’s managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn says could also be used to prevent snoozes of races by slowing down leading cars.
Speaking to Autosport, Brawn revealed that F1 leadership is brainstorming the value of active aero for next-gen cars. Active aero stands to increase car performance by reducing drag on straights, increasing it under braking, and maximizing downforce during cornering. It already exists in F1 as the Drag Reduction System (commonly known as DRS), which was formally integrated in 2011 to make passing easier. Now, F1 is reportedly considering increasing active aero’s role in car performance, as it could help F1 achieve everything from sustainability goals to improving on-track spectacle.
Lewis Hamilton at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. @MercedesAMGF1 on Twitter
Initially floated as a way to increase fuel efficiency, active aero is now also being considered as a way to enhance F1’s entertainment value. To this end, Brawn said F1 is considering using active aero to hamper car performance for the race leader to prevent them from running away with the win.
“If you have active aerodynamics, then of course you could affect the car in front,” Brawn told Autosport. “You could have a proximity [that] once you get within a certain degree, the car in front loses a little bit of downforce and you gain a little bit of downforce.”
“I’m not saying we would do that, but it becomes an opportunity,” Brawn continued. “So, the 2026 car is lessons learned from what we have now and I think we’ll incorporate some form of active aerodynamics.”
Brawn said that the FIA is ready to fully evaluate the idea, with the help of veteran F1 aerodynamicist Jason Somerville. Brawn believes that it’s better for the FIA to review the idea due to its objectivity, though he adds that the implications of active aero must be fully explored before its role can be expanded—especially when it comes to handicapping leading cars.
Charles Leclerc leads the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. @ScuderiaFerrari on Twitter
One problem this immediately presents is its impact on race strategy. While a second-placed driver could use their pace advantage to challenge for the lead, they could also simply keep pace with the leader while conserving fuel and tires. That’d let them make a low-risk move for the lead late in the race when their rival would have less ability to defend. Regardless of whether F1 uses active aero to selectively meddle with cars’ pace, the technology may also stand to increase the cost of car development, which is already strictly limited under the new budget cap.
These only scratch the surface of potential problems with active aero, which the FIA will have to determine in full on its own. It’s eminently risky for F1 to increase the role of active aero for entertainment’s sake, though efficiency and performance gains make their own argument for its expansion. That said, F1 stands to benefit from juicing its entertainment value, even if it comes at the expense of fair competition. At the end of the day, F1 is a business, and it’ll follow the money wherever it leads.
