WRC: M-Sport invites Leb to more races in 2022 - Sportish
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WRC: M-Sport invites Leb to more races in 2022

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WRC: M-Sport invites Leb to more races in 2022

Following Sebastian Leb’s victory at the Monte Carlo Rally, which lifted the curtain on this year’s WRC, M-Sport director Malcolm Wilson left open the possibility of the Frenchman competing again this year with the Ford Puma Rally1.

M-Sport had signed the most successful rally in rally history alone after Monte Carlo, and Sebastian Leb himself expressed a belief that races in the French Alps would likely be the only ones he would have in the Puma Rally1 basket this year alongside his new co-driver Isabel Galmis would drive, taking Daniel Elena’s place.

However, after his legendary victory at Monte on the 80th day of his career, it’s not out of the question that Leb will return to a few more races of this year’s World Rally Championship.

M-Sport are undoubtedly keen but a lot will depend on the 47-year-old’s busy schedule at the other races he will compete in in 2022. Leb has a deal with Prodrive for rally raids like the Dakar and Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team for their corresponding Extreme E institution with electric prototypes.

Sébastien Loeb (FRA) and Isabelle Galmiche (FRA) from the M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM team celebrate their victory at the World Rally Championship in Monte Carlo, Monaco on January 23, 2022.  // SI202201230102 // Use for editorial purposes only //


“I would like to play more games”, said Malcolm Wilson, owner of M-Sport. “I think he has to go down in history as a top athlete, it was incredible what he achieved at the age when he managed to win at the highest level against the driver who had previously won eight championships. It is just amazing.

There is a possibility, there are many issues that need to be resolved, but we’d love to see him back in the car, especially after this race, so we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks., concluded the Brit.

According to race director Richard Miller “A lot depends on Seb himself and other parameters and I think we could see realistically [τη συμμετοχή του σε] four, five rallies because his schedule is full.”

Leb himself joked after his win in Monte when asked about it and said so “Now I’m in charge of the league! But we don’t have a plan for the future yet.”

Sébastien Loeb (FRA) of Team M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM seen during the World Rally Championship Monte Carlo, Monaco on January 22, 2022 // SI202201220174 // Usage for Editorial Purposes Only //


Discussing his victory which made him the oldest driver to have won in the WRC, he added: “I didn’t think there was a chance of winning. I had a bit more trust in the ground than the tarmac due to my recent experiences (ss.: 2019-’20 with Hyundai). It’s good that I didn’t lose any of my speed on the tarmac at all.

When I finally have a car that suits my driving style, everything goes very well. That makes me very happy. I didn’t know if I could win, no. “I hadn’t even thought of that,” concluded the nine-time WRC World Champion.

Source: sport24

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Red Bull finally decides on Verstappen’s team

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Red Bull finally decides on Verstappen’s team

After several significant personnel changes in the team, Max Verstappen has finally learned who he will be working with in the Red Bull pits for the new season.

At the end of last year, it became known that three key members of the four-time world champion’s headquarters had left. According to De Telegraaf, Jeff Ayton replaced Verstappen’s vehicle control engineer Michael Manning, who left the team after the 2025 season. He has previously worked with other Red Bull drivers and worked temporarily with Verstappen in Manning’s absence last year.

Verstappen’s former engine mechanic David Mart has moved to Audi and his replacement at Red Bull has not yet been determined. Performance engineer Tom Hart is also leaving the team; He will join Williams but will continue to work with the Milton Keynes-based team for a while.

Changes also occurred among mechanics. After Matt Culler moved to the position of Audi’s chief mechanic, Verstappen was replaced as his first mechanic by his twin brother John Culler. He is well known to Max, who has previously held a similar position on the other side of the Red Bull pits, working alongside Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

Despite rumors about the winter break, Gianpiero Lambiase will remain Verstappen’s race engineer for another season.

Source: Sport UA

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Ferrari will have a red-white livery. Images of the Scuderia jersey have been revealed

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Ferrari will have a red-white livery. Images of the Scuderia jersey have been revealed

Photos of the allegedly leaked Ferrari F1 team jerseys for the 2026 season have appeared on the internet.

The published photos show a red T-shirt with white inserts.

Ferrari will officially announce its color on January 23. At the same time, some sources reported that the design of the 2026 car should be “pleasantly surprising”.

Given that Ferrari and other teams have used darker shades of their primary colors (red in the Scuderia’s case) in recent years, the introduction of red and white team uniforms could signal a move towards a lighter color scheme.

The same idea is put forward in a video published on the Scuderia’s official account.

Source: Sport UA

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F1 champion: “We may see a complete surprise in the championship fight this year”

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F1 champion: “We may see a complete surprise in the championship fight this year”

Former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has warned fans that the winner of the 2026 season could be a real surprise.

The current large-scale changes to the regulations are among the biggest in the history of the sport. They are expected to change the balance of power in the starting grid for a long time.

Hill is confident that the pundits have no idea who will start the new season with the best cars because the cars will be completely different, even in terms of handling.

Particular attention of the expert is drawn to Aston Martin, which was able to make a leap from the middle of the table after signing Adrian Newey from Red Bull.

Hill noted the following about Lando Norris’ chances of defending his title:

“All bets are off for this year. We don’t know who will be in uniform. You can’t automatically assume that pilots who performed well under previous regulations can now do it again.”

The cars are completely different. “50% of engine power is now provided by the electric battery, and this affects the way cars are controlled, their aerodynamics and their design.”

Hill added that the season could be a complete surprise:

“Yes, you can [ожидать смену эпохи в Ф1 в этом году]. We may see a complete surprise. It’s like Jenson Button beating Brown; Everyone was surprised because they understood the rules better.

“And the master of understanding the rules is Adrian Newey, who went to Aston Martin. He left Red Bull and Max Verstappen, Christian Horner also left that team. But he went to Aston Martin.”

“So we’re waiting for him to wave his magic wand over Aston Martin. And it could happen.”

Source: Sport UA

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