In the round-up: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella denied they are seeking an engine supply from Red Bull-Ford from 2026.
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In brief
McLaren seeking new Mercedes engine deal
Following the announcement Aston Martin will use Honda engines from 2026, McLaren scotched speculation they are seeking a supply of Red Bull’s new engines, produced in conjunction with Ford, from 2026. “I can confirm there is no link,” Stella said.
The team is looking into extending its existing deal with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, whose engines they have used since 2021.
“We had conversations with Red Bull a few months ago as part of the due diligence in exploring what’s available on the market in terms of power unit for 2026, but at the moment we are quite advanced in our negotiations with HPP, so there’s no conversation ongoing with Red Bull,” said Stella.
Canada less suited to Mercedes – Wolff
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is cautious over the team’s chances of replicating its strong showing at the Circuit de Catalunya when F1 moves on to this weekend’s race in Canada.
“It was a circuit that suited our car, and we should expect our direct competitors to be stronger in the next races,” said Wolff. “The gap to Red Bull is large and it will take lots of hard work to close that down. Nevertheless, we’re up for the challenge.”
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve looks less well-suited to the W14, said Wolff. “With its long straights and low-speed corners, it’s not a track that we expect to suit our car as well as Barcelona did.
“No matter where the true pace of the car is this weekend, we will aim to maximise our result. The characteristics of the circuit will also provide further opportunity to learn about the W14 and feed into our development path.”
Ferrari chairman hails Le Mans win
Ferrari chairman John Elkann attended the Le Mans 24 Hours to see his team win the race on its return to the top flight. He called it “an unforgettable day that I’d like to dedicate to everyone at Ferrari.”
“After 50 years we have returned to compete in the highest category of endurance racing that has a place at the very heart of our story and that of all motorsport,” Elkann continued. “We’re proud indeed to have taken Italy once again to the top step of the podium at Le Mans, celebrating in the best possible style the centenary of the most important race of its kind in the world.
“This victory that Antonello Coletta, Amato Ferrari and the entire team, from our mechanics to our drivers, have achieved today in such challenging conditions – because of the 24-hour duration, the unpredictable weather and the impressive strength of our competitors – serves as an example for us all.”
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F1 Arcade plan 30 new sites in expansion drive
Formula 1’s official simulator racing experience F1 Arcade is planning to expand internationally, with a focus on the USA, after attracting £30 million in investment. It opened its first site last year in London.
“Given the success of the first location and its appeal to such a diverse audience, we believe F1 Arcade has the potential to become one of the most sought-after experiential hospitality brands globally,” said CEO and founder Adam Breeden. “For now, we are eagerly anticipating the opening of Birmingham UK in late 2023 and our first US site in Boston in early 2024 as well as announcing further locations imminently.”
Alpine enjoy a round on Clarkson
Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson made good on a promise he made on social media to buy beer for the Alpine team if they scored a podium finish in the Monaco Grand Prix. Clarkson, Esteban Ocon and team principal Otmar Szafnauer handed out the refreshments at the team’s chassis development base in Enstone, UK to celebrate the driver’s third place finish in the race last month.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Leader Palou riding speedy heat wave into summer strech (IndyCar)
‘We got the win at the (Indianapolis road course), got the pole at Indy, got the pole and the win (in Detroit). Obviously, we’re (on) a roll.’
Your guide to the Canadian GP (McLaren)
Stella: ‘We’re on the right trajectory as a team for the long-term foundation and we know results will start to come to us once we improve the car. In the meantime, we’ll try and extract the most from the next GP in Canada.’
Isack Hadjar: My greatest influences (F2)
‘When I got into single-seaters, I actually started to understand how good (Lewis Hamilton) was because you’re in go-karts and you watch F1, you don’t really know what it is like to drive a racing car. When I started looking at him properly and seriously, I was like this guy is way too good.’
Le Mans takes its toll (Porsche)
‘Throughout the further course of the race, number five suffered a sensor malfunction and was forced to continue in stop-and-go as Dane Cameron had to restart his vehicle multiple times. In addition to that, the cooling system was leaking.’
Conor Daly joins Dreyer & Reinbold for Nitrocross Round 1 at Mid America Outdoors (NBC)
‘Daly finished eighth in the Indianapolis 500, his only top-10 so far in the 2023 IndyCar season.’
Ferrari wins 24 Hours of Le Mans (Ferrari via YouTube)
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Thanks to @Charles_Leclerc and your competitive bidding spirit, we are thrilled to announce a total of €429,000 was raised by the ‘Charles Leclerc for Emilia-Romagna!’ charity auction. All proceeds are being donated to those impacted by recent flooding in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. pic.twitter.com/oitwBbpNEt
— RM Sotheby’s (@rmsothebys) June 10, 2023
Tuesday’s the day for our in-depth review of F1 23.
Look out for our full verdict on the latest edition of the official F1 game including Braking Point 2, F1 World plus the physics, handling and gameplay changes including the return of red flags.#F1 #F123 #RaceFans pic.twitter.com/NDJuXKLVLL
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) June 12, 2023
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Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Trayambak Chakravarty, Scunnyman, Artanonim and Jackson!