Mattiacci excited about American involvement in Formula 1

1 Comment

Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci has stressed the importance of American involvement in Formula 1 as the Italian marque continues to negotiate supplying engines to Gene Haas’s new team.

Haas won the race to join the sport earlier this year, and plans for Haas Formula to enter F1 in 2016. At the Canadian Grand Prix, he spent a lot of time in the Ferrari garage talking to Mattiacci, and the Italian team boss revealed that a decision should be made soon regarding a possible engine supply.

“We are doing some progress, and naturally entering Formula 1 is a challenge,” he explained when asked about talks with Haas by this writer. “I think there is, again, work in progress, and probably a decision will be made in the coming weeks.”

However, Mattiacci is delighted that an American outfit is entering the sport, and says that he will welcome Haas Formula to the sport regardless of its engine supply, be it Ferrari or otherwise.

“The positive things I believe that to have Americans that start to look and invest in Formula 1,” Mattiacci said. “It’s really a very important topic to stress because this is, at the moment, the largest and most important economy in the world.

“It’s a good sign that Americans start to look and invest in Formula 1.

“Haas can go to us, or someone else, but we will welcome the United States to look in Formula 1.”

The sport has enjoyed a revival in the United States of late, with the grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, being a huge success. A second race is also being negotiated, and American driver Alexander Rossi is edging towards a full-time seat in the sport.

There is still a very long road for Haas and his team to negotiate, but the paddock certainly appears to be enthusiastic about adding an American team to the grid in the next two years.

IndyCar Power Rankings: Pato O’Ward moves to the top entering Texas Motor Speedway

0 Comments

The NBC Sports IndyCar power rankings naturally were as jumbled as the action on the streets of St. Petersburg after a chaotic opener to the 2023 season.

Pato O’Ward, who finished second because of an engine blip that cost him the lead with a few laps remaining, moves into the top spot ahead of St. Pete winner Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi, who finished fourth in his Arrow McLaren debut. Scott Dixon and St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who led 31 laps) rounded out the top five.

St. Pete pole-sitter Romain Grosjean (who started first at St. Pete after capturing his second career pole position) Callum Ilott (a career-best fifth) and Graham Rahal entered the power rankings entering the season’s second race.

Three drivers fell out of the preseason top 10 after the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – including previously top-ranked Josef Newgarden, who finished 17th after qualifying 14th.

Heading into Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, here’s NBC Sports’ assessment of the current top 10 drivers through the first of 17 races this year (with previous preseason rankings in parenthesis):


NBC Sports’ IndyCar Power Rankings

1. Pato O’Ward (5) – If not for the dreaded “plenum event” in the No. 5 Chevrolet, the Arrow McLaren driver is opening the season with a victory capping a strong race weekend.

2. Marcus Ericsson (7) – He might be the most opportunistic driver in IndyCar, but that’s because the 2022 Indy 500 winner has become one of the series’ fastest and most consistent stars.

3. Alexander Rossi (10) – He overcame a frustrating Friday and mediocre qualifying to open his Arrow McLaren career with the sort of hard-earned top five missing in his last years at Andretti.

4. Scott Dixon (3) – Put aside his opening-lap skirmish with former teammate Felix Rosenqvist, and it was a typically stealthily good result for the six-time champion.

5. Romain Grosjean (NR) – The St. Petersburg pole-sitter consistently was fastest on the streets of St. Petersburg over the course of the race weekend, which he couldn’t say once last year.

6. Scott McLaughlin (6) – Easily the best of the Team Penske drivers before his crash with Grosjean, McLaughlin drove like a legitimate 2023 championship contender.

7. Callum Ilott (NR) – A quietly impressive top five for the confident Brit in Juncos Hollinger Racing’s first race as a two-car team. Texas will be a big oval litmus test.

8. Graham Rahal (NR) – Sixth at St. Pete, Rahal still has the goods on street courses, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan remains headed in the right direction.

9. Alex Palou (4) – He seemed a step behind Ericsson and Dixon in the race after just missing the Fast Six in qualifying, but this was a solid start for Palou.

10. Will Power (2) – An uncharacteristic mistake that crashed Colton Herta put a blemish on the type of steady weekend that helped him win the 2022 title.

Falling out (last week): Josef Newgarden (1), Colton Herta (8), Christian Lundgaard (9)