Month: December 2023

23 Dec 2023

Sauber recruitment drive will continue ahead of Audi F1 entry

After a financial squeeze led to downsizing, the team employed just 220 people prior to the takeover by Finn Rausing in 2017. With new investment in place, the team grew in subsequent years under the Alfa Romeo name, and by this season the headcount had more than doubled on Rausing’s watch. The expansion process received […]

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23 Dec 2023

Ranking the top 10 riders of the 2023 MotoGP season

The 2023 MotoGP season proved to be one of the most competitive campaigns for the series, as the championship battle between Ducati duo Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin raged until the final race of an historic campaign that also saw sprints introduced for the first time. Bagnaia ultimately won out by 39 points to score […]

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23 Dec 2023

Autosport Top 50 of 2023: #26 Oscar Piastri

Second in qualifying at Suzuka of all places – the first time Oscar Piastri had visited the fearsome track – summed up why McLaren was so impressed with the rookie, who scored two podiums (and should have had another at Silverstone but for a safety car) and that excellent win in the entertaining Qatar sprint.   […]

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23 Dec 2023

Verstappen needed “fire” of Lambiase’s messages to reach best F1 levels

The pair’s exchanges became the subject of regular focus in a season starved of alternative narratives overall thanks to Red Bull’s crushingly dominant position at the head of the pecking order.  When Autosport asked the world champion about their relationship in an exclusive interview, Verstappen said he appreciated Lambiase’s often cutting tone.  “It’s how the […]

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23 Dec 2023

Autosport Top 50 of 2023: #29 Liam Lawson

After two solid but inconclusive seasons in Formula 2, a move to Super Formula was exactly what Lawson needed to fully convince Red Bull of his qualities as a genuine F1 prospect, and he stunned the Japanese establishment with a historic debut win at Fuji. That was the first of three victories, but a penalty, […]

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22 Dec 2023

Aston Martin faces “tricky period” as it makes next step in F1

The Silverstone outfit made huge progress in 2023, with Alonso logging eight podiums, including three second places. However, with his team-mate Lance Stroll falling well short of that strike rate, Aston only moved from seventh to fifth in the constructors’ championship. Alonso concedes that the team performed better than he’d expected in his first year, […]

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22 Dec 2023

What is next season’s rider line-up in MotoGP?

All rides are now confirmed for the 2024 MotoGP season, with seven teams changing its line-up.  Yamaha, LCR Honda, Gresini Racing, the factory Honda team, VR46, Tech3 and reigning champions Pramac Racing have all signed new riders for the 2024 season.  They will also be joined by a new team as Trackhouse Racing has replaced RNF after the Malaysian… […]

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22 Dec 2023

Williams and Sauber reveal 2024 F1 launch plans

Within minutes of each other, Williams and Sauber revealed that the covers will come off their 2024 machinery at ceremonies to be held on Monday 5 February. Both teams shared ‘save the date’ cards on social media in a flurry of activity on Friday evening, giving fans an early Christmas present ahead of the festive […]

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22 Dec 2023

How Bagnaia made MotoGP history in Ducati’s Red Bull-esque 2023

The numbers posted by Ducati in the 2023 MotoGP season knocked down every historical wall its rivals had put up in the past. From 20 rounds, Ducati riders scored 17 wins – the most of any marque in a single campaign. It scored 17 pole positions, 43 podiums in total, managed eight rostrum lockouts and won all […]

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