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Enlarge / A Formula 2 car on track in Bahrain. The cars are less powerful than an F1 machine, but still tricky to drive. (credit: Joe Portlock - Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)
The 2023 Formula 1 season springs into life this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first race of the year. Three days of preseason testing held last week suggest that Red Bull Racing still has the car to beat, although there is the tantalizing prospect of Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin having possibly found a lot of speed in the offseason.
But today's interesting news comes from the lower formulae, F2 and F3, where young drivers cut their teeth. Today, those series announced they are moving to sustainable fuels starting this season.
As we've previously detailed, F1 is moving to carbon-neutral gasoline in 2026, but as single-make formulae with a single fuel supplier (in this case, Aramco), it's possible for F2 and F3 to try something even bolder.
The reality competition show formula continues to march towards its singularity, now with a fine art re-skin. The Smithsonian (shame on you) has partnered with MTV (natch) to auto-generate The Exhibit, the latest such horse race for creatives. Seven artists compete for a show at the Hirshhorn and $100,000 cash money. โ Read the rest
A new racing series could one day make it easier for young drivers to take part in Formula E competition. At this weekendโs Hyderabad E-Prix, former Mahindra Racing team lead Dilbagh Gill announced the launch of the Ace Championship. Gill is positioning the series as โa feeder platform for drivers and engineering talent to move into other racing series.โ
When the series begins next year, the Ace Championship will consist of two levels of competition. Teams will use a single pair of cars for both Challenger and Championship tiers. At the higher level, the vehicles will output more power. As a result, participating teams wonโt need to field four cars to compete.
According to The Race, the Ace Championship plans to use Formula Eโs outgoing Gen2 chassis to build new designs, a move that would likely further reduce entry costs for potential participants. The series recently tested a modified Gen2 car in Barcelona. It showed off the same vehicle at the Hyderabad race track with former Mahindra driver Nick Heidfeld behind the wheel. Ace Championship organizers told The Raceย thereโs already been โsignificant interestโ from existing racing teams to join the circuit โ though no organization has announced its participation just yet.
Ace Championship Gen 2
A modified Formula E Gen2 car shot at dusk.
Enlarge / 11th Hour Racing Team is one of five teams competing in the IMOCA class of this year's Ocean Race, a six-month dash across the world. The IMOCA-class yachts use foils and can reach more than 35 knots. (credit: Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing)
Just over a week ago, one of the world's most grueling races got underway from Spain. Eleven teams, including five International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA)-class racing yachts, departed Alicante in Spain for the first leg of a 32,000-nautical-mile (60,000-km) route that includes a 12,750-nautical-mile stretch between South Africa and Brazil through the Southern Ocean. The crews have little in the way of creature comforts beyond freeze-dried meals and a bucket for a bathroom. Along the way, the boats will collect scientific data on the state of our oceans, from dissolved gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide to microplastics.
IMOCA-class boats are 60 feet (18.3 m) long and feature a single hull made from carbon fiber. In addition to sails, the yachts have retractable foils that lift the hull out of the water above 18 knots (33 km/h) and allow a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h) or more. Designers have some freedom with the hull and sail shape, but everyone has to use the same design of masts, booms, and static rigging.
Mฤlama is one such boat, and it's crewed by the 11th Hour Racing team. In addition to collecting data on climate change, the team worked to minimize the carbon impact of building the yacht itself, experimenting where allowed with lightweight, sustainable materials like balsa or composites made from flax. "I like to think of where can we use renewables that actually adds performance to the program," said Simon Fisher, navigator for the 11th Hour team.
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