Weekend tip: F1 start into the unknown and festival of sports cars đ„
A LOT OF CAR SPORTS ON TV AND ON THE INTERNET With the Bahrain GP and the SuperSebring Festival for sports cars in the USA, the first major automobile sports weekend in 2022 is coming up. Everything can be seen live on TV or on the Internet.
Motorsport fans are looking forward to Formula 1 in particular, whose ten teams will be competing with completely new cars (ranking and explanations in the video). Due to the Corona crisis, the introduction of the new technical regulations was postponed until 2022. This gave the teams a year longer to implement the regulations.
Completely new appearance
The most important points are now significantly simplified front and rear wings with a prescribed design that generates less air turbulence. Slipstreaming and overtaking are thus to be promoted.
Added to this is the return of the ground effect. The new underbody creates suction, which provides more downforce without complex wing systems. In addition, the size of the Pirelli tires has increased from 13 inches to 18 inches.
On the powertrain side, there will be no major changes apart from improvements by the individual manufacturers within the limits of what is permitted. New engine regulations will not apply until 2026.
How fast is the beautiful Alfa Romeo Sauber C42?
Despite the supposedly rigid aerodynamics regulations, the designers found quite different approaches. Ferrari, for example, with its pointed nose, and Mercedes with its narrow sidepods. In general, the new GP cars appear more elegant and attractive than before.
One of the most beautiful is the C42 from Alfa Romeo Racing (gallery left), built by Sauber Motorsport in Hinwil. The weekend will show whether it is also fast. It shouldn't be up to newcomer Valtteri Bottas (gallery on the right), after all a ten-time GP race winner and World Championship runner-up in 2019 and 2020. With the second Alfa Sauber driver, Zhou Guanyu (center gallery), China is represented in the driver field for the first time.
Mercedes bluff or disillusionment?
Although defending champion Max Verstappen in the new Red Bull Honda was the fastest in the pre-tests in Bahrain, his strength or that of his opponents is highly uncertain. The teams operated with different intentions in their set-up work and only reveal the cards in qualifying.
Then it will also become clear whether Mercedes-GP really still has problems with the dethroned record winner Lewis Hamilton, as the lap times so far suggest. The true balance of power will only become clear after a few races.
Live on Swiss or Austria TV
Swiss television will also broadcast all races live in 2022. From Bahrain, Michael Weinmann and expert Marc Surer will report from qualifying on Saturday from 3:50 to 5:10 p.m. and from the race on Sunday from 3:20 to 6 p.m.
Alternatively, Swiss TV viewers can follow the action on ORF1, starting at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday and with the news at 2:40 p.m. on Sunday.
First World Endurance Championship round on Friday evening
The racing weekend kicks off on Friday evening European time with the FIA World Endurance Championship at the SuperSebring 2022 event in Florida. Although the first round of the World Endurance Championship is called 1000 Miles of Sebring, this will not be reached within the race duration, which is limited to eight hours.
We have been looking at the field of competitors with a number of Swiss drivers (including SĂ©bastien Buemi in a Toyota Hypercar as well as Nico MĂŒller, Louis DelĂ©traz, Fabio Scherer and Mathias Beche in identical Oreca LMP2s) in the Preview already pointed out. The race will start on Friday, March 18, at 12 noon local time (5 p.m. CET).
Free sports channel Eurosport1 will tune in live for 55 minutes at 6:15 p.m. and then stay tuned from 9:15 p.m. until the finish at 1 a.m. All results and a live timing are available at this Link.
Neel Jani wants to follow Marcel FĂ€ssler
The actual centerpiece of the oldest sports car event in the USA will be the 12-hour race on Saturday, March 19, which will be held for the 70th time since 1952. From a Swiss perspective, it is particularly interesting this year.
As reported, Neel Jani is stepping in at short notice for Kevin Magnussen, who has moved to HaasF1, at Chip Ganassi Racing. The 38-year-old from Biel has a winning car in the form of the Cadillac DPi fielded by the US top team and, in Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, two driver colleagues who can realize its potential. The trio will start from position 4 on the second row.
The last Swiss overall winner was Marcel FÀssler in 2013 with Audi Sport. The "double starters" Delétraz and Scherer in LMP2 and Philip Ellis in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GTD class will be competing for the class win.
Complete race live on the Internet
After the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, the Twelve Hours of Sebring counts as the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Endurance Cup. The race will start on Saturday, March 19, at 10:40 a.m. local time (3:40 p.m. CET).
Outside the USA and Canada, series organizer IMSA will broadcast the race live over the entire distance. You will find the direct link here. Complete results are available at this Link, the livetiming under this Link.
