Verstappen is Red Bull’s veteran, Hamilton hits 300, and there’s a smattering of outings for some rookies. Autoweek recaps some other stories from the French Grand Prix.
Verstappen Becomes Red Bull’s Veteran
It seems scarcely believable for those who recall his ascent aged 18 as being yesterday but Max Verstappen is now Red Bull’s most experienced driver.
In starting his 130th race in Red Bull colors, Verstappen surpassed the previous record held by Mark Webber, who competed for the team between 2007 and 2013. And in all likelihood Verstappen will lift that record significantly higher, with the reigning champion contracted to Red Bull through the 2028 season.
The current record for a single driver/team partnership is the Lewis Hamilton-Mercedes collaboration, which is now at 190 and counting …
The Lewis Hamilton-Mercedes racing marriage is still going strong.
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Hamilton Hits 300
…and, when added to his 110 starts for McLaren, means Hamilton joined the exclusive 300 club in France. He is only the sixth driver in history to reach the milestone, joining Jenson Button (306), Michael Schumacher (307), Rubens Barrichello (323), Fernando Alonso (345 and counting) and Kimi Raikkonen (350). It left Hamilton in a reflective mood post-race.
“It was mentioned at the beginning of the weekend and I didn’t really think much of it,” Hamilton said on the figure. “And (on race day) morning, I woke up just feeling incredibly grateful, just thinking about all the people that have been with me along the way, you know. For Ron (Dennis) and Mercedes giving me the chance when I was young. Martin Whitmarsh. Mansour Oyyeh. Toto (Wolff), Niki (Lauda), Dieter (Zetsche). Just all these incredible people that have supported me since I was 13.
“To then have this just incredible journey with them, every race powered by Mercedes. And so very, very proud to be up here representing them, alongside George and yeah, we’ve just got to keep pushing.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff playfully floated the idea of Hamilton reaching 400 Grands Prix and the seven-time world champion hinted that he isn’t close to walking away just yet.
“I still feel fresh and still feel like I’ve got plenty of fuel left in the tank,” Hamilton said. “I’m really, really proud and enjoying every day arriving and working with this incredible group of people. I’m also enjoying working with the sport more than ever. We’ve got some great people leading the sport and having great conversations about the direction we’re going as a sport, so I’m enjoying it more than ever.
“I would say in that space, of course, I want to get back to winning ways and that’s going to take time, but I’m sure we’ll sit down at some stage and talk about the future. But again, just with “Our team, I always want to continue to be building. It’s one thing having races, but it’s also continuing the work that we do outside and doing more, which I think Mercedes and us can always do more, and we will.”
Nyck De Vries tested for Mercedes in France.
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De Vries Gets a Mercedes Run
Reigning Formula E champion Nyck de Vries has been a long-time Mercedes co-reserve driver and has previously tested the squad’s Formula 1 machinery.
In France he had his first outing at a grand prix with the team, replacing Lewis Hamilton for FP1, per the new-for-2022 regulations on handing rookies practice time. De Vries stayed out of trouble as he completed the run plan and handed over the car in one piece for Hamilton. The Dutchman is expected to fill the quote for George Russell later on in the season.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity, it was a great experience,” said de Vries. “The team was very supportive, and we got the information that we needed. Lewis was amazing and also very supportive.”
De Vries, who won the 2019 Formula 2 title, is not in contention for a 2023 seat anywhere.
Nikita Mazepin is giving up on a return to F1.
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Mazepin’s Winning Return
Ex-Haas F1 racer Nikita Mazepin returned to motorsport competition in the Silk Way Rally in his native Russia. Mazepin entered into the T3 category across the 10-day endurance event and emerged victorious.
“It was a great experience that I want to repeat,” said Mazepin. “Ten days off-road left an unforgettable impression. We have gone through a lot with the team during the rally. It was so intense, it felt like a month on the road. It is important to note that this is not only my achievement but also the victory of the whole team, which carried out tremendous work on the car every night. I have better understood what a rally marathon is, but I’m not giving up my career in top level motorsport.”
That is highly unlikely, given his reputation, nationality and overall ability, but to win an endurance event on debut is a decent achievement.
F2 racer Jehan Daruvala is in the Red Bull pipeline.
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Youngsters Get More tests
A couple of young drivers received track time in Formula 1 machinery between Grands Prix in Austria and France.
Red Bull-backed Jehan Daruvala had his second run out in McLaren’s 2021-spec car in Portugal. The Indian Formula 2 racer is not in contention for a Formula 1 seat in 2023 but has been given permission by Red Bull to gain experience, with financial factors assisting his McLaren test chances.
Elsewhere, Ferrari test driver Robert Shwartzman, last year’s Formula 2 runner-up, completed 130 laps of Mugello—which hosted the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix—in the 2021-spec machine. Shwartzman is due to tick Ferrari’s box in terms of the two FP1 runs by a young driver. The Russian is now competing under an Israeli license, which he obtained through being born in Tel Aviv. Shwartzman’s name has not been linked to any 2023 race seat.
Michael Masi was ousted as F1 race director following the 2021 season.
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Masi’s Quiet Exit
Michael Masi’s three-year tenure as the FIA Formula 1 race director will always be remembered for the controversial manner in which last season’s Abu Dhabi title decider was handled.
After an investigation into new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem opted to remove Masi as race director in February and outlined that he would be offered a position within the FIA. Seven months to the day after the Abu Dhabi finale Masi’s exit from the organization itself was quietly confirmed.
Masi has now returned to his native Australia to explore fresh opportunities.
Romain Grosjean says he’s got at least one more F1 drive in him.
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Grosjean Planning for F1 Test
Romain Grosjean has made IndyCar his home but says his final Formula 1 test is still going to happen—somewhen. Grosjean has not driven a Formula 1 car since he clambered out of the burning wreckage of his Haas VF-20 in Bahrain in November 2020, in his last start for Haas.
Already axed for 2021, Grosjean said he would like one final outing in a Formula 1 car – and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reached out. Grosjean had a seat fitting with Mercedes but a plan to demonstrate the 2019 car at last year’s French GP, ahead of a full test day that week, had to be scrapped when the date was changed, creating a clash with his IndyCar commitments. A similar scenario unfolded in 2022 with Paul Ricard clashing with Iowa’s double-header.
“It’s 100% my fault, I haven’t been able to give Mercedes dates when I’m back in Europe,” said Grosjean, now based in Miami. “It’s been really busy. I’ve been in contact with Mercedes, I saw Toto at the Miami GP, I don’t doubt it’ll happen. I’m excited for it, it should be the 2020 or 2019 Mercedes car, which were the two fastest they ever built.”
Sebastian Vettel helped Aston Martin celebrate its 100th anniversary of racing.
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Vettel’s 100th Anniversary Run
Aston Martin marked the 100th anniversary of its existence in Grand Prix racing at the French Grand Prix.
The TT1, affectionately known as “the green pea,” made its first outing at the French Grand Prix in 1922 at Strasbourg. Aston Martin has not exactly had a prolific existence in Formula 1, competing unsuccessfully in 1959/60, before returning in 2021 as a commercial rebranding of the team formerly known as Racing Point.
Nevertheless, the green pea was present at Paul Ricard on Thursday and Sebastian Vettel took it for a spin for a lap of the circuit. Vettel wore period clothing for the demo, complete with racing goggles and a flat cap. And, in true 2022-spec Vettel fashion, the car ran on synthetic fuels.
“Green Pea holds a very special place in Aston Martin’s heritage, and you can almost feel that century of history beneath your fingertips when at the wheel,” said Vettel. “The racing spirit and will to win is something that defines Aston Martin, and it’s fantastic to celebrate it this weekend as we bring Green Pea and our heritage in motorsport together with the cutting-edge technology and performance of today’s AMR22 car.”
The AMR22s both ran with Aston Martin’s original logo through the course of the French Grand Prix weekend.
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