In the round-up: Formula 2 team bosses say that sport’s destinations should not be politically influenced but that they would respect drivers’ wishes to sit out a race.
Following the cancellation of the Russian Grand Prix, where Formula 2 was also due to race, team bosses said they would have respected a driver’s decision not to participate.
“I think we only have to respect the choice of the driver if he doesn’t want to to drive,” said François Sicard, of DAMS. “For me, we should separate this from the politics orientation, even when there are serious matters. But we should separate and we should keep the sport going on.”
Rob Niessink from Formula 2 newcomers Van Amersfoort Racing acknowledged that “we all understand that we’re living in a horrible era now” and said that the team wished “all the best” to those suffering. However, since the FIA motion to cancel the Russian Grand Prix by force majeure he said “It seems for us at this moment, it’s not relevant.”
“If we concentrate and focus on the sport, that’s already difficult enough,” he continued. “Politics is something we, as sport, should keep a sort of neutral position [on] as much as possible and focus on helping young kids that need our support. And we do what we need to do and wish the rest of the world all the best.”
Trevor Carlin said “it is very tricky for us, as it’s very tricky for everybody involved from our side” but confirmed “if a race meeting is going on and we are entered to it, we will go.”
“If our drivers choose not to go, we would totally respect that and we wouldn’t run their car,” he explained. Carlin said he hoped for a quick resolution to the crisis in Ukraine and that “the world could start to get back to normal and these sort of conversations – hopefully we won’t be having them for a long time.”
Jehan Daruvala has put in the fastest lap time on day one of Formula 2’s pre-season test in Bahrain. Formula 2 and 3 are holding separate sessions over the course of the three-day test, each running for half of the afternoon and half of the evening session in Sakhir.
Daruvala’s 1’42.074 was set in the evening session, beating second-fastest Calan Williams’s 1’42.590 by more than half a second.
After running half-sessions, alternated with Formula 2, for the first day of Bahrain testing it was rookie Zane Maloney on top of the times for Carlin. Maloney’s best lap was a 1’47.614, set during the later session when track temperatures are cooler as the circuit heads into dusk.
Fellow rookie William Alatalo was second fastest on 1’47.783 for Jenzer and returning driver Jak Crawford third-fastest for Prema, setting a 1’47.799, both also during the afternoon session.
Of the 10 teams in the series, Jamie Chadwick, Abbi Pulling, Marta Garcia, Nerea Marti, Jessica Hawkins, Bruna Tomaselli, Lena Buhler, Emely de Haus, Megan Gilkes and Tereza Babickova ran the first test day and will continue tomorrow morning, before switching to the other half of the 20 confirmed test drivers from the afternoon session onwards. The majority of the 20 drivers at the Barcelona test are not confirmed for a 2022 race seat yet.
2021 and 2019 runner-up Alice Powell, who returns to W Series this year but did not run during the first day of testing said she had fond memories of the track. “I’ve raced here before, in 2012 – I had a really good result here, from 26th to 11th in GP3 so I like the circuit, good track. I’m looking forward to getting out on track tomorrow afternoon.”
Powell, the first and one of only two women to score points in GP3, has moved to newly-formed W Series team BSM. “I’ve known them for a little while, my first big sponsor when I moved into cars in 2008 in Ginetta Juniors so really nice to be back partnered with them and looking forward to hopefully having a good year with them.”
Motor racing links of interest:
F1 2022 to feature supercars and cross-play, but no story mode (Xfire)
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Air pollution and carbon neutrality aren't the same thing (Lucas di Grassi)
We don’t have a silver bullet – a unique all wonder solution – for our carbon neutrality and air pollution problem. A combination of technologies and uses must be developed side by side so we can decrease our impact on the planet and human health while providing faster, better, and improved quality of life for all world’s population.
Esterson 'getting to grips' with GB3 challenge (BRDC GB3)
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