In the round-up: Max Verstappen says that he “hopes I can be happy” after agreeing to collaborate with the producers of Drive to Survive ahead of the new season of the Netflix documentary series
In brief
Verstappen “hopes I can be happy” after watching new Drive to Survive season
Max Verstappen says that he “hopes I can be happy” after agreeing to collaborate with the producers of Drive to Survive ahead of the new season of the Netflix documentary series.
After expressing his unhappiness at how he had been portrayed in early episodes of the show, Verstappen refused to participate with the programme, but agreed to work with the show’s producers in filming the latest season.
Asked by RaceFans if he’d been given any assurances by the show’s producers about how he would be portrayed, Verstappen said he “hopes I can be happy” after he watches it back.
“I spoke with them, of course, before I was going to give an interview with them,” he said. “I hope they understood my message and I also know, especially being a world champion, that you have to be part of something like that.
“I think I gave them like 30 minutes, or an hour of an interview. I hope they’re going to use it well – I don’t know when I’m going to watch it. But I hope they’re happy and I hope I can be happy after watching it. And I know that it’s important to Formula 1 as well for growing the sport in general.”
Herta tops day one of IndyCar test
Colton Herta was the fastest driver during the opening day of the pre-season IndyCar test at The Thermal Club in California.
The Andretti driver’s quickest time of a 1’39.372 was just four-thousandths of a second ahead of Christian Lundgaard, with Alex Palou third fastest for Chip Ganassi.
Marcus Armstrong was the best-placed of the four rookies in the filed, setting the tenth-fastest time of the day. The second day of the test remains ongoing at time of writing.
Indy 500 loses double points status
The Indianapolis 500 will no longer count for double points towards the IndyCar championship after the series announced it will now award the same number of points as every other race.
Since 2014, the Indy 500 has awarded 100 points to the winner, rather than the usual 50, with all other positions paying double what they typically would. However, IndyCar announced the race would now pay out the usual amount.
“For 17 consecutive seasons, the IndyCar Series championship has been decided in the final race of the season,” said IndyCar president Jay Frye. “While double points at the Indianapolis 500 has not altered who won the season-long championship, occasionally it has had a negative effect on the final position of the full-time teams.
“As our entry list grows, this move will provide consistency for teams competing for championship positions while not diminishing the importance of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’.”
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
‘New York? Why not!’: Red Bull boss Christian Horner on the rise of F1 in the USA (Daily Mail)
“Racing in big cities in the US is really exciting. A race here in the Big Apple, for example, what a spectacle that would be. You can never say never (to a fourth US race). We’ve got other North American races as well, with Montreal, and there’s certainly demand for it, so why not?”
Make Your Mark: Miami 2023 Edition (Red Bull)
“With one of the most recognisable cars on track, it’s not often we run a special livery. However, this year we wanted to celebrate you, our loyal fans, by giving you the chance to design not one, but three special liveries for the 2023 US races. You’ll get the opportunity to design a livery for the side chassis and end plates. That’s not all, the winner and their plus one will be provided flights, accommodation and an garage tour during the race weekend.”
Formula One, county agree to make race a long-term Las Vegas event (Las Vegas Review Journal)
“Making Las Vegas a permanent Grand Prix stop on the F1 calendar is our goal, and a 10-year approval provides us with the certainty that race weekend would be available on the calendar for the long term.”
Marcus Amand completes 2023 FRECA line-up (ART)
“ART Grand Prix is pleased to announce a new partnership with Marcus Amand to add to its trio of drivers entered in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.”
“Superstar Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo knows exactly why the sport has become so popular in America: his dashing looks, and the hit Netflix series, ‘Drive to Survive’.”
F1 Driver George Russell Talks Therapy, Masculinity and Mental Maintenance (Men’s Health UK)
“George Russell wants to encourage more men to take care of their mental health. Depending on the severity of your issue that could mean reaching out to a professional, like he did. It could also mean speaking with friends and family or taking better care of your physical health.”
Our Time | #FordReturns (Ford Performance via YouTube)
“We are bringing our 173,000 employees around the world along with us on this journey of a lifetime. Buckle up for the ride!”
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Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Mantas Degutis!
