After Formula Virtual had to take a little break, we are now back with Round 3 of the 2023 World Championship in Japan. After the first 3 races, there are already duels at team level and driver level, but there are also surprises that perhaps not all of us had in mind at the beginning of the season. Here are 5 things to watch after the Japanese Grand Prix: 1. AMR now a top team?
It may have been looming ahead of the season that AMR could play a big role in 2023 with Downton engines and Nathaniel Powers behind the wheel. However, we must clearly emphasize the development and the massive leap from a midfield team to downton pursuers. Even though the gap to Downton has increased at the moment, as Klaas van Snelheid has had an almost perfect season so far, we are confident that we can continue to look forward to AMR's further successes. 2. Old but gold! Few, including Ocelot himself, considered Felipe Cesar to be a capable FV driver. However, after three races the Brazilian has convinced everyone and it's fair to say that even a 33-year-old rookie has the skill and pace to drive in FV. So far he has dominated his team-mate in the drivers' championship with 24:4 points. We are excited to see Cesar's first podium this year. 3. Westwood on the rise! At Westwood, too, we see a development similar to that at AMR. After a disappointing last season, they are fifth in the Constructors' Championship after three races and have already scored more points than the last two years combined. The biggest highlight is certainly Thierry Xylander's win in Malaysia, the teams first win since 2015 in Japan. The winner at the time was Xylander's teammate Tumo Kinnumen. If Peugeot Westwood can maintain this high, the next few years will be fantastic for Team Principal Harry Westwood. We'll keep an eye on it! 4. Struggling veterans! With Will Hoskins and Jean Mattson, two very experienced drivers went to the new teams Maserati and SRT. A lot was hoped for, but we couldn't see them on the grid yet. Is it the pace? At the high level of competition? Or maybe in the car? Unfortunately we don't know. For Mattson in particular, it could be a disappointing season with his new team. Both will probably have to hope for an increase in performance. 5. Downton Dominance? In these first races, a clear dominance of Downton and especially of van Snelheid can already be seen. So far, the British team has always been on the podium with both drivers. They dominate both world championships and lead by a wide margin. Could this be the beginning of a dominance? Will Klaas finally get his first world title? We will probably have to wait a little longer before we find an answer to all the questions. The editors are already looking forward to the rest of the season!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|