In the round-up: Ralph Boschung will reach 100 starts in Formula 2 next year after signing for another season
In brief
Boschung signs for a fourth season with Campos
Campos Racing will field Ralph Boschung once again in Formula 2 next year, meaning the Swiss driver will surpass 100 race starts in the series.Boschung debuted in F2 with Campos in 2017, but budget problems meant he did not complete a season in the championship until last year where he made the podium twice and finished 10th in the points table.
He has also claimed two podiums this season, which concludes this weekend, but has had to miss 12 races due to a neck injury.
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue with Campos in F2 next year,” said Boschung. “With 2021 being my only full F2 season, this year started so well but with the neck injury, my whole season was compromised. I have unfinished business and will want to prove that together with Campos we can achieve consistently very good results.”
Finnish F4 star Taponen joins Ferrari Driver Academy
The 16-year-old is a World Karting champion and has been a race-winner in his home country Finland’s national Formula 4 series through part-time campaigns there over the past two years. He is set to race F4 further south in Europe next year.
“We watched him carefully last year and we sensed he had the potential that he then went on to confirm this season,” FDA head Marco Matassa said. “One year on, he is more mature, so that apart from his pure speed, he has other key qualities, such as the ability to interact with the engineers, giving precise feedback and also being able to take on board the instructions he is given.”
Ed Carpenter Racing becomes latest IndyCar team to sign junior driver
Junior teams are common in Formula 1 but remain a rarity in IndyCar. Only Chip Ganassi Racing has consistently had a young driver development programme over the last decade. Andretti Autosport support the late Dan Wheldon’s sons in karting and Meyer Shank Racing support USF Pro 2000 racer Braden Eves.
Now Ed Carpenter Racing has announced it plans to promote Indy Nxt-bound Josh Pierson to its IndyCar line-up by 2025.
The 16-year-old became the youngest ever driver to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this year. He also competed with success in LMP2 prototype sportscars across the world this year and will make a return to single-seaters to compete in IndyCar’s main feeder series as part of a two-year programme with.
F1 to launch first official exhibition in Madrid
F1’s first official exhibition will be launched next March, and will be homed in IFEMA’s exhibition complex in Madrid.
Available to view from 24 March to 16 July, the exhibition will feature “a range of never-before-seen artifacts and contributions from the sport’s most legendary teams, experts and personalities”. Those will be spread across six rooms, each curated “in collaboration with award-winning artists, filmmakers and craftspeople”.
In addition to solely audio or visual exhibits, there will also be “engineering and educational displays”. Attendees are expected to take 90 minutes to view the whole exhibition.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
MP Motorsport recruit Spanish rookie Boya for 2023 (FIA Formula 3)
'MP Motorsport have announced Mari Boya will make his F3 debut with the team next year. Boya will make the step up from the Formula Regional European Championship after two seasons there. The 18-year-old scored his maiden podium in Valencia last year, before going on to finish 10th in the standings in 2022.'
Argenti retain Isaac Barashi for 2023 British F4 season (British F4)
'The 17-year-old entered the final two events of the 2022 campaign at Silverstone and Brands Hatch with the team. In only his second ever single-seater race, Barashi showcased his potential, overtaking 12 cars at Silverstone en-route to his first points-scoring finish, plus a Rookie Cup podium finish. He scored further points in the reverse grid race at Brands to round out a promising induction to British F4.'
Record-breaking F4 champion Dunne graduates to GB3 (GB3)
'Hitech GP has confirmed that its new British F4 champion Alex Dunne will race with the team in GB3 in 2023. The Irishman spent this year contesting dual campaigns in the British and Italian F4 championships. He claimed the British title in a record-breaking season with eleven wins and six further podiums, and he was the championship runner-up in Italy.'
How junior single-seaters 'helped shape' Tandy’s sportscar successes (Formula Scout)
'With outright or class wins in the major enduros both sides of the Atlantic, Nick Tandy is arguably Britain’s best, and certainly most versatile, modern endurance racer. But single-seaters are key to his story of success as he and Porsche return to top-flight prototypes.'
Motorsport Games' entire board of directors resign over funding dispute (Insider Gaming)
'The entire board of directors at Motorsport Games have resigned over funding disputes, a new SEC filing, and an internal email to employees read. According to the document, the entire board of directors resigned following a dispute over how funding will be raised for the company.'
Pruett: A salute to Dalton Kellett (Racer)
'After deciding last month to exit AJ Foyt Racing following t hree years and 33 IndyCar races, Dalton Kellett had the sound of someone who was at peace with closing a major chapter in his life. His story is one we’ve seen in racing before, but rarely have we had its arc play out in such an interesting manner.'
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
nice job on the win in brazil georgie boy! it really wasn’t my weekend, but i’m feeling loads better and i want to finish this year on a high. bring it onnnnnnn pic.twitter.com/WyYqxaN6AW
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) November 15, 2022
Update here for transparency, the authorities have realised their wrong here and have removed the 5% non-refundable tax on equipment. They have kept the 5% deposit on arrival to be refunded on departure.
— Andy Hone (@andyhone) November 14, 2022
LEVEL ON POINTS 🤯@OfficialMPteam and @ARTGP both go into the final round on 281 points 👀#AbuDhabiGP #F2 pic.twitter.com/JX7zEby37B
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) November 15, 2022
You probably recognize the #INDYCAR Technical Director Kevin Blanch – also known as Rocket.
But how did he get his start in racing? And how did he get that popular nickname? Hear it all in this edition of NTT Meet the Paddock. pic.twitter.com/XAJSLgq1LH
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) November 14, 2022
This weekend on Top Gear…
Paddock Motorsport teamed up with @BBC_TopGear & @PaddyMcGuinness to get a group of young people into motorsport as drivers and mechanics.
8pm Sunday on BBC One, you can finally see it all – we’re so excited to show you what we’ve been up to! #TopGear pic.twitter.com/sPuTCrl01i
— Paddock Motorsport (@paddockmsport) November 14, 2022
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Max Verstappen has benefited from team orders and willing unplanned assistance from Sergio Perez since he became his team mate last year, but when Red Bull asked Verstappen to help Perez’s pursuit of second in the championship by conceding position at last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix he threw the request back in his team’s face.
It prompted an emergency post-race talk before the drivers were sent to meet the press, and further exposed the ruthlessness that reigning champion Verstappen has become known for on his way to the top in F1. It also caused a lot of debate among fans over the value of team orders in a often dominant team.
If he’s going to refuse team orders this way, he should refuse to accept them too, in my honest opinion. If he’s not happy to help his teammate out, but he’s happy for his teammate to sacrifice his own race to help him, that makes him a hypocrite at best.
I’d respect him for this if he didn’t ask for assistance, and if he criticised the occasions where he benefited from them. I have no respect for a driver who will take all the help handed to him, even ask the team or his teammate to help him out, but won’t even return the favour when it doesn’t cost him anything.
DrMouse
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Craig, Cduk_Mugello, Ashwin and Tomez!
S
16th November 2022, 0:54
CotD seems to totally ignore the fact that the vast majority of sportspeople are in it for themselves first and foremost.
It doesn’t make Verstappen a hypocrite at all – it merely makes him self-centred.
I know of many other F1 competitors who are and have been very similar – though the benefit for them is that their radio communication and team discussion was never broadcast, or at the very least, they chose their words more carefully in the moment knowing that the world is listening now to use it against them.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
16th November 2022, 5:24
why is there a paragraph before the cotd, like we need context, we’re like probably past 1000 comments on this subject by now.
Cotd hypocrite? I don’t think he is an hypocrite, in the end does any driver comply with team orders willingly? Perez has a job because he has been a team player, surely not down to his speed, sergio could be like other team mates (cough sainz) and do whatever he can not to trouble their team mates opposition, though he wouldn’t last long. Is Perez the hypocrite? Who knows if he genuinely likes to help?
Max was petty because his principles shouldn’t go against the interests of the team, he is not a tennis player, he is not on the court alone, even if he is only thinking of himself. Probably every employee on that team has bonuses tied to results, especially everyone working on Perez car. Max might be costing his co-workers lots of money.
S
16th November 2022, 8:13
It’s not just context, it’s an editorial opinion piece.
Red Bull+Vettel wasn’t really much different. It’s just a team culture thing.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
16th November 2022, 8:14
No. Sergio Perez has his job because people with a lot of money elected to pay the WCC-winning Formula 1 team to put a pay driver in their second car.
Gavin Campbell
16th November 2022, 17:22
Wait you think Perez is at RB cause he’s got a little backing? Give me a break.
No team on the grid has more license to burn money than RB – you know the team with an owner that decided to buy a second team (!) just to have more drivers and play things. Unless you’re going to waste Elon Musk levels of cash you would never get a pay driver in a top team.
In 2020 (at the end of which they signed Perez) RB were 2nd not WCC and Perez managed to win a race and scored 2 further podiums (In a car that finished 4th in the WCC) whereas Albon managed a single podium in a car that was on the podium 12 times in his team mate’s hands. It was a no-brainer and they got him cheap on that original deal as he had no drive. But Checo had to bring 0 sponsorship – he probably had to go the other way and negotiate to be allowed to bring some personal sponsors and ensure it didn’t clash with RB and their current crop.
Unless you think Alonso was a pay driver at Ferrari cause Santander followed him there.
Jere (@jerejj)
16th November 2022, 11:22
@S I share your sentiment on the COTD.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
16th November 2022, 4:07
Ralph Boschung’s career history doesn’t really seem to justify his retention in F2. Whilst I can see he isn’t the worst in the field, he doesn’t seem to have had many highlights in his long tenure. Josh Pierson on the other hand, looks quite promising.
Surely Lando means, “Bring it ooooooooonn!!”
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
16th November 2022, 7:17
@cairnsfella Josh Pierson is definitely not ready for F2. Also Campos quite clearly prefer to have an experienced and steady hand in Boschung in one of their seats.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
16th November 2022, 7:23
@wsrgo
I wasn’t trying to suggest this. I was merely commenting that ‘at this stage in his career’ he already shows more ‘promise’ than Boschung ever seems to have done.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
16th November 2022, 7:37
@cairnsfella But it’s irrelevant to this discussion isn’t it? You’re saying Boschung doesn’t deserve to be retained in F2 by Campos because he’s not as talented as Josh Pierson. Clearly Campos want stability in one of their seats and who better to take than the guy who has helped them continue to fight for consistent points over the last two years. Why even bring up Pierson if the F2 seat is in question?
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
17th November 2022, 1:57
@wsrgo
Not sure how it is irrelevant to the conversation seeing as how I started this particular conversation.
No. I am not saying that at all. I am saying (and have said) that Boshcung’s career to date does not particularly impress. I am not knowledgeable enough to know whether there are any worthy replacements, but still, as an independent observation, it seems likely that he will not particularly shine again. If he does, then I was clearly wrong.
As a separate observation (though joined by way of making career based observations) I am suggesting that Pierson appears to be making impressive progress.
There were articles on both drivers, so I am unsure why I may not comment on both articles (I actually commented on Lando Norris as well, however I wasn’t suggesting he should be in the GP2 seat).
I have no issue whether you agree or disagree, as mine is just an opinion. However I’d be grateful if you didn’t read between the lines.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
17th November 2022, 3:41
@cairnsfella
…to justify his retention in F2, as you said. But his F2 performances have allowed Campos to get a steady stream of points, so his retention in a mid-pack team like Campos is absolutely justified on the back of those performances
GeeMac (@geemac)
16th November 2022, 5:30
Loving the outrage tweet against the country I reside in followed by the swift “oh that’s not actually what’s happening sorry my bad” tweet. The inherent rage people feel against the Middle East is incredibly funny to watch for those of us who reside here.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
16th November 2022, 7:24
@geemac I am not entirely sure you had read these tweets properly.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
16th November 2022, 7:19
Both Alex Dunne and Kimi Antonelli deserve to be in FIA F3 next year, not GB3 and Formula Regional. FIA F3 might end up having a pretty weak field in 2023. Most of their top drivers from this year (Martins, Maloney, Bearman, Hadjar, Stanek, Leclerc and Crawford) will probably be graduating.
Jere (@jerejj)
16th November 2022, 11:23
Boschung seemingly never moves on from F2.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
16th November 2022, 12:39
@jerejj Boschung’s job is to help Campos get consistent pointscoring results, which he has mostly done. It’s not like they are attracting better and younger drivers anyway, and it’s not like Boschung is being like Gelael, taking away plum seats from F1-bound drivers.
Qeki (@qeki)
16th November 2022, 12:10
Johnny Cecotto jr. 118
Luca Filippi 110
Julian Leal 102
I only could find GP2 statics but I think there aren’t many drivers in modern F2 who would have raced as many races
JA
17th November 2022, 6:15
91 for Roy Nissany and 90 for Ralph Boschung. Those two should have the most in modern F2, as most other drivers have stayed for three seasons.
JA
17th November 2022, 6:07
A 6th season for Boschung to try and understand how the tires work. Would be a marvel if he succeeds in achieving just that.