✨ F1 2023 Wrap-Up

Hey there, champion 👋

Welcome to your essential pit stop for the latest and greatest in Formula 1. We're shifting gears and giving you a front-row seat to the action-packed season finale in Abu Dhabi.

🏆 Abu Dhabi Season Finale Insights: Dive into the latest news and data from the season's grand finale in Abu Dhabi. Relive the gripping moments of strategic moves and discover who emerged as the ultimate champion in this high-octane showdown.

💸 Beyond the Budget: Discover why financial constraints aren't holding back Williams Racing. Uncover the intriguing reasons why money doesn't matter for this resilient team.

🌟 Mercedes' Next Move: Mercedes has already announced their game plan for the next season's car. Scroll down to see what they will change.

🏁 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Highlights

🥇 Max Verstappen's Victory

• Clinched his 19th win of the year

• Completed the most dominant F1 season ever

• Finished 17 seconds ahead of the Charles Leclerc

📊 2023 Top 3 Driver Standings

1️⃣ Verstappen: 575 points

2️⃣ Perez: 285 points

3️⃣ Hamilton: 234 points

🏎️ Constructor Standings:

1️⃣ Red Bull: 860 points

2️⃣ Mercedes: 409 points (edged out Ferrari)

3️⃣ Ferrari: 406 points

🔥 Race Details

📊 Race Pace

• 5 drivers and 4 teams are within a razor-thin 0.32 seconds of each other

• Perez had the 2nd fastest pace out there but ended up in 4th place Starting from the back and that 5-second penalty really set him back

• Russell was absolutely blazing on the track

• Tsunoda was the fastest with just one pit stop

🔄 Turning Points

• Verstappen maintained the lead against Leclerc

• Several position battles throughout the race

• Key strategies with tire changes

• Perez's penalty changed the podium standings

• Mercedes and Ferrari's intense battle for second place in constructors

💥 Drama and Controversies

• Hamilton's damaged front wing

• Alonso accused of "brake testing"

• Perez and Norris' collision

• Security issues during Martin Brundle's "Grid Walk"

• Confusion over "pit stop infringement" penalties

🔝 Records Verstappen Has Broken

Max Verstappen has smashed some amazing records during the 2023 Formula 1 season. RacingNews365 has delved into the record books, and here's a quick look at all the records he broke.

💸 Williams' P7 Success: More Than Money

James Vowles, Williams’ team principal, is really proud of his team for keeping their seventh place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship. It's not just about the extra $9 million they get for it. He thinks it's a big deal because it lays a strong foundation for the team's future.

Between The Lines

• Even though Williams didn't score any points in the final race in Abu Dhabi, they still managed to stay ahead of AlphaTauri, their main competitor.

• Vowles said that this achievement is more than just about money. It's about setting a new standard and having a solid starting point for growth.

• Williams needs a lot more investment to really compete at the front. But, this money does make it easier for Vowles when he's asking for more funding from their owner, Dorilton Capital.

Go Deeper

Vowles was pretty calm during the Abu Dhabi race, even though it was a tense situation with AlphaTauri possibly taking their spot. But he was already proud of what the team had achieved, especially since they stopped developing their car before anyone else and still managed to finish seventh. Beating AlphaTauri, who were really fast and even led the race at one point, was a big moment for him. - Read more

⚫ Mercedes' Bold 2024 F1 Transformation Plan

Mercedes is overhauling almost "every component" of its Formula 1 car for the 2024 season. They're doing this to bounce back and start winning again.

Why It Matters

• This year, they finished second in the constructors' championship but couldn't keep up with the Red Bull.

• They realized their car's aerodynamics weren't up to par

• They made some big changes mid-season, but it wasn't enough to take the lead.

Toto Wolff shared just how big this overhaul is. They're changing the chassis, weight distribution, airflow – almost everything, really. Wolff admits this is a gamble.

Go Deeper

Wolff doesn't really feel optimistic about the new design, saying he's never been an optimistic person. It's more about managing his expectations and always striving for better. Even finishing second feels bittersweet to him.

Ending the year in second place has mixed feelings for the team. Wolff sees it as a reason to stay humble and a reminder of the huge challenge they face to catch up with Red Bull. He expects other teams like McLaren and Aston Martin to be strong competitors next year. - Read more

⭐ Highlights from Abu Dhabi F1 Post-Season Testing

🌟 Esteban Ocon Shines in Abu Dhabi

Fastest Lap: Esteban Ocon tops the charts with a 1m24.393s in his Alpine F1 car.

Rookie Spotlight: Pato O’Ward grabs second place for McLaren, showcasing impressive skill

🏎️ Top Contenders and Rookies

Mercedes and Red Bull: Frederik Vesti secures third place for Mercedes; Sergio Perez snags fourth place for Red Bull

Ferrari's Performance: Carlos Sainz, initially leading, finishes fifth; Charles Leclerc enters the top 10

Rising Stars: Alpine's Jack Doohan, Ferrari's Robert Shwartzman, and Williams' Logan Sargeant (future uncertain) make their mark

🚀 Young Guns and Seasoned Racers

F2 Champion: Theo Pourchaire, fresh from his F2 victory, takes 11th.

Notable Names: Felipe Drugovich and Yuki Tsunoda show promise in 12th and 13th spots, Jake Dennis drives Red Bull’s RB19 to 14th place.

🚧 Unforeseen Hurdles

Unexpected Drama: Ayumu Iwasa’s car breakdown causes a late red flag

George Russell's Mishap: An early crash leads Mercedes to investigate a potential car failure

⏰ Delayed Start and Other Issues

Delayed Kickoff: Missing medical helicopter leads to a late start

Additional Delay: A water leak under a bridge causes further interruption

Read more

🗣️ Alonso’s Crafty DRS Maneuver Explained

Fernando Alonso’s recent ‘brake test’ accusation by Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been clarified as a strategic DRS tactic. The Aston Martin driver celebrated a strong season finish, placing fourth overall, a result even he didn’t foresee.

Between the lines:

• Alonso secured fourth in the drivers’ championship, equalling points with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc but ahead on countback.

• The ‘brake test’ incident with Hamilton was a strategic move to gain DRS advantage, not an act of unsportsmanlike conduct.

• Alonso reflects on the season, considering it one of his best, even surpassing his championship years.

• Despite a successful season, Alonso acknowledges the AMR23’s weaknesses and the need for improvement.

• Looking ahead, Alonso remains committed to Aston Martin for 2024, with ambitions for continued success.

Read more

In 1978, the Brabham 'fan car' made a dramatic entrance into Formula 1. Debuting at the Swedish Grand Prix, it won its first race and sparked endless discussions and debates. Its design and impact are still talked about today.

Design of the BT46B

Brabham's team, aiming to outdo their competitors, introduced the BT46. Initially, they experimented with a unique heat exchanger system instead of traditional radiators to save weight. However, they had to redesign it due to insufficient cooling.

The team eventually developed the BT46B, which included a fan to create extra downforce. This design, possibly inspired by the Chaparral 2J sports car, used the car's engine to power the fan, which doubled as a cooling mechanism. This clever design trick kept the car within the legal limits.

Brabham's design team faced several hurdles, including sealing the car's floor to maximize the fan's effect. They equipped the car with special instruments to help the driver adjust to its unique handling characteristics.

Controversy and Competition around Brabham BT46B

When the Brabham BT46B debuted at the Swedish Grand Prix in 1978, it caused an immediate stir. Niki Lauda, driving the fan car, easily won the race. However, the victory was mired in controversy. Other teams protested, arguing that the fan gave Brabham an unfair advantage and was against the spirit of the sport.

The controversy surrounding the fan car was intense. Just days after its victory, the FIA, Formula 1's governing body, banned the use of movable aerodynamic devices, effectively outlawing the BT46B's fan. This decision was a significant blow to Brabham and Gordon Murray, but it also marked the car's place in F1 history.

Though it raced only once, the Brabham BT46B fan car left an indelible mark on Formula 1. It remains a symbol of ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of innovation in motorsports.

5 Facts About Brabham's Iconic F1 Fan Car

1️⃣ Alfa Romeo's role in the fan car's creation 🛠️

The chunky Flat 12 Alfa Romeo engine in the Brabham car made creating conventional ground effect designs tough. This challenge led to the birth of the fan car concept.

2️⃣ Dustbin lids as disguise 🗑️

Brabham's team used simple dustbin lids to cover the fans during testing to keep the fan car a secret.

3️⃣ 30 horsepower for the fan 🌬️

The fan, which helped the car stick to the track, used about 30 horsepower from the engine. But the trade-off for the extra speed in corners was worth it!

4️⃣ A Cooling fan... Sort of ❄️

Officially, the fan was for cooling the engine to fit the rules. But let's be real, its main job was to suck the car onto the track for better grip.

5️⃣ Tank parts in an F1 car? 🚜

The fan had blades originally made from tank parts, which were later upgraded to magnesium for strength.

6️⃣ Lauda and Watson's sneaky qualifying strategy 🕵️

Niki Lauda and John Watson qualified with full fuel tanks on purpose! They didn't want to give away how fast the fan car really was.

😬 Sergio Perez got a formal warning from the FIA for his radio insult. - Read more

💪 Lewis Hamilton thinks that after a tough Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull is going to have another strong season next year. - Read more

🔄 Big news in the Alex Palou-McLaren saga: the legal battle is still going strong. - Read more

👏 Toto Wolff has nothing but high praise for Leclerc's impressive late-race tactics. - Read more

🏎️ FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is considering bringing Michael Masi back, even after the 2021 F1 title controversy. - Read more

😢 Max Verstappen really got sentimental when he spoke about Red Bull's 2023 car, 'Rocky'’ after its final race. - Read more

🆕 Stefano Domenicali has given an update on the Andretti Cadillac bid. - Read more

🤔 Sergio Perez's season could have been much different without certain F1 restrictions. - Read more

👍👎 The best and worst value-for-money drivers on the F1 2023 grid. - Read more