Gravel traps return in Austria

This weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix will feature new gravel traps in key locations.

Last year’s race was dominated by track limits violations with more than 1000 instances referred to officials resulting in 83 breaches.

Most of those occurred in the final complex; two fast right-handers that feed drivers onto the pit straight.

For this year, two stretches of gravel have been installed in an attempt to create a natural deterrent.

It mirrors a similar approach taken in Imola, where gravel was added back in some locations, and to an extent in Canada too as the tide begins to turn against swathes of tarmac runoffs.

Another F1 test for Doohan

Jack Doohan will climb behind the wheel of an Alpine Formula 1 car next week.

The Australian will pilot one of the team’s 2022 machines at Paul Ricard, following on from a two-day outing at Zandvoort in May.

A notable addition to the test will be Mick Schumacher; the ex-Haas racer, now Mercedes reserve driver, he is also a race driver for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship.

The German is thought to be in the frame for a race drive with Enstone next year, with some suggestions he could oust Logan Sargeant at Williams this year, though recent changes to the Super Licence requirements have muted those claims.

McLaren confirms Goodwood appearances

McLaren has confirmed it will field two cars at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Three decades after the death of Ayrton Senna, the squad will run the Brazilian’s final world championship winning car, the 1991 MP4/6 at the event.

Senna’s nephew, Bruno, will steer the car which won eight out of 16 races.

Also taking to the hill will be Emerson Fittipaldi aboard the M23 he drive to the championship in 1974.

His success that year marked McLaren’s first title win, and came the same year Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500 for the British operation.

Rutherford’s car will be on display as part of McLaren’s display at the event.

Haas at odds with former sponsor

Haas and Uralkali have made contrasting claims following the outcome of a tribunal hearing into their split ahead of the 2022 season.

Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Haas announced it would not continue with the Russian company and also parted ways with Niokita Mazepin.

Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Uralkali issued a statement announcing that a tribunal had “found that Haas was in violation of the contract and obliged the team to pay compensation to Uralkali.”

That was countered by Haas which denied the claim, stating the tribunal found the American-registered operation has “just cause” to end the relationship.