Three drivers to watch when Formula 1 returns
One has a career to save, one will show what bad news does to the mind, and the other is hoping his car is more competitive.
The Formula 1 circus is heading to Spa, in Belgium, this week as the sport returns from its summer break. Here are three drivers you should keep your eye on during the weekend.
Mick Schumacher
With no contract in place for 2023, Haas driver Mick Schumacher will continue to fight for his career in Belgium.
Speculation is rife about his future on the grid. He officially has no contract in place with his current team, Haas.
Before the break, Schumacher finally got in the saddle with an impressive drive to 8th in the British Grand Prix, scoring his maiden points. He then bested that a week later in Austria, where he finished in 6th.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t helped himself since. In France and Hungary, the two races directly before the break, Schumacher couldn’t continue the form, finishing in 15th and 14th.
Meanwhile, he also remains behind teammate Kevin Magnussen when it comes to points - 12 to 22.
If the German wants to earn a contract for 2023, he will have to prove he deserves it, starting in Spa.
Daniel Ricciardo
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was one of the most talked about drivers during the summer break.
McLaren has reportedly told Ricciardo he will be replaced by young gun Oscar Piastri for 2023.
Spa will be the first chance for Ricciardo to show whether that news has emboldened him or delivered a fatal blow to his confidence.
Ricciardo is being led down an uncertain career path. If he agrees to leave McLaren, his only options in Formula 1 appear to be Alpine, Haas, Alfa Romeo or Williams.
Ricciardo is yet to comment since news of his apparent McLaren departure broke.
Interestingly, Mat Coch of Speedcafe.com published exclusive comments from Ricciardo last week, but they were made in Hungary - before the contract saga began.
“I still believe I belong [in Formula 1] and can do it,” Ricciardo said then. Will he still believe it when he arrives in Spa?
Pierre Gasly
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has had a bit of a ‘meh’ first half of 2022.
After 13 races, he has only finished in the points three times. Compare that to 2021, when in the first 11 races, he had only finished outside the points three times.
He even got a podium early on in 2021! What a difference a year makes.
Gasly had said he was hoping to start fighting for points again back in France, when AlphaTauri were set to introduce a significant upgrade package. “[It] should deliver a real step up in performance,” he told F1.com ahead of the weekend.
But it didn’t work. Gasly had a miserable race in France, finishing 12th. In Hungary a week later he finished 12th again.
After that, Gasly was pretty clear on how he wanted his engineers to spend the summer break.
“The most important thing is that we use the upcoming three weeks to extract more from our package and finish inside the points consistently,” he said.
Gasly’s performance in Belgium should indicate whether AlphaTauri has finally extracted what they hoped.
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