The great retro 2023 AUTOhebdo: the highlights of the season (2/3)

May 28: Josef Newgarden wins the 107th edition of the Indianapolis 500

The Nashville pilot heads out into the crowd to celebrate his success.

Josef Newgarden after his victory at the 107th edition of the Indianapolis 500. / © IndyCar Media

To see the unexpected on this last Sunday of May, it was better to watch the Indianapolis 500 than the Monaco Grand Prix. Between three red flags (something unheard of for 30 years), an overtake on the last lap for victory (only for the 3rd time in 113 years of racing) and a winner cutting through the crowd to celebrate his triumph, we were served!

History will therefore remember that Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) won the Indy 500 at the cost of a breathtaking restart. However, the American did not lead far in qualifying (17th)! Before this 200th and final lap, we were able to admire a cascade of accidents, such as the very spectacular one of Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti) who sent a wheel over the stands, in a parking lot adjacent to the oval! Finally, this event was an opportunity for Tony Kanaan (Arrow McLaren, winner in 2013) to bow out, thanks to an exceptional overtaking at more than 330 km/h… on the grass.

May 28: Max Verstappen wins at the 2023 Monaco GP

The pilot Red Bull ahead of brilliants Fernando Alonso et Esteban Ocon.

It’s a Max Verstappen princely who dominates the Monegasque weekend from the first round of EL1 to the last of the Grand Prix, culminating in this qualifying lap that Ayrton Senna himself would certainly have claimed. A ride from another world where the slides disappear to give way to the sublime. A lap that only one other driver could approach: Fernando Alonso! Parvenu came out of his Aston Martin more than she could give, the Spaniard matched the Dutchman in terms of precision and bravery. In the race, he was once again the only one able to stay within reach of the Red Bull driver, adapting like him to the conditions. The way they lead, the way they push tirelessly, that day there was a throne for two in the Principality. On the podium, they were joined by a very solid Esteban Ocon throughout the weekend and happy to put a smile on the faces of the blues.

Fernando Alonso almost stole the show from Max Verstappen in the streets of the Principality. / © DPPI

June 1-4: 1st victory of the season for Neuville and Hyundai in Sardinia

Cyril Abiteboul finally opens his counter WRC.

By taking his place at the head of Hyundai Motorsport, in January 2023, Cyril Abiteboul launched into a whole new universe: the WRC. The one who built the majority of his career in F1 was going to discover a new world, certainly familiar but still unknown. Within a Korean team that is left behind on all levels compared to Toyota, the French leader had to wait almost six months before experiencing his first success in the WRC. Deliverance came from Thierry Neuville in Rally from Sardinia. Much helped by the abandonment of Sébastien Ogier, then leader of the event with five special stages remaining, the Belgian secured the first rally victory for Hyundai and its Team Principal. Better yet: with Esapekka Lappi's second place, Cyril Abiteboul and his team won a double in Italy! The first stone of a return to the top of the WRC?

Thierry Neuville will have had to wait a long time before opening his victory counter in 2023. / © DPPI

June 10/11: Ferrari wins the Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The Prancing Horse makes a winning return to Sarthe, 50 years after its last participation in Sport-Proto.

Ferrari did not miss its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the premier category. After half a century of absence in sport-proto, the firm of Maranello wins the Centenary of the Sarthe round with his trio Antonio Giovinazzi, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. A success obtained after a great fight against Toyota, in particular the No. 8 of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, pushing back the other pursuers by at least one lap. The Japanese driver was the unfortunate hero at the end of the race, taking out the GR010 an hour and a half from the checkered flag while chasing the leading Ferrari. An error synonymous with a return to the pits for repairs and which sealed the fate of the Japanese manufacturer during this Centenary, putting an end to a series of five consecutive victories.

Historic victory for Ferrari during its return to Sport-Proto at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. / © DPPI

July 1: Simon Pagenaud is the victim of a major accident in Mid-Ohio

The Frenchman has unfortunately been forced to rest since then.

simon pagenaud is a clean driver, who rarely leaves the asphalt strip. It is therefore really unfair to see Poitevin pay such a heavy price since the start of the summer, especially since the winner of the Indianapolis 500 is quite simply innocent in this story. His Dallara's brakes failed during free practice at Mid-Ohio at the end of the main straight, causing a series of rolls at high speed:

Ride on board with @simonpagenaud during his scary flip at Mid-Ohio. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/jmO0mxalXz

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) July 1, 2023

At first, we thought the Habs were unscathed. Indeed, no bones were broken in the caper. But the problem is in the head: following a concussion, the double winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona was unable to get behind the wheel for the rest of the year. Let's hope that this sidelining does not last into 2024.

All AUTO editorial staffhebdo wish Simon the best in his recovery. / © IndyCar Media

July 1: Dilano van’t Hoff dies in a terrible FRECA accident at Spa

Almost four years after the death of Anthoine Hubert, the Belgian circuit is once again the scene of a fatal accident in promotional formulas.

The shock is immense. Deep sadness. On Saturday July 1, 2023, the young Dutch driver Dilano van’t Hoff lost his life on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, while he was competing in the 2nd race of the Spa-Francorchamps meeting in FRECA. The appalling accident took place in the last seconds of the thirty minutes of the race, contested in very low visibility conditions due to the rain which fell on the Belgian Ardennes. During a restart following the release of the safety car, a first driver lost control of his vehicle. car in the upper part of the steep slope, creating the beginnings of chaos. It was a little further up, at the start of the Combes straight (after Raidillon) that the accident occurred. The Dutchman's MP Motorsport single-seater hit the rail at around 200 km/h, before stopping in the middle of the track. She was then hit on the side by another competitor, who was arriving at full speed. The 4 F2021 Spain champion tragically lost his life there. AUTOhebdo once again conveys his thoughts to his family and loved ones.

The Spa weekend in FRECA was mourned by the death of Dilano van’t Hoff. / © FRECA

July 11: Nyck de Vries is fired by AlphaTauri after barely 10 GPs.

Daniel Ricciardo is called back to replace it.

End of course for Nyck de Vries, removed from Alpha Tauri after months of speculation. No points scored, too many mistakes during the first ten races of the season, the Dutchman pays a high price for the expectations – undoubtedly excessive – that had arisen from his debut in Italy in 2022 where he replaced Alex Albon in Williams and took 9th place. A 12th place in Monaco for best result, only three forays into Q2 during qualifying, even if the figures do not speak in his favor, he would undoubtedly have deserved a little more time. Helmut Marko did not grant it, preferring to turn to the 3rd Red Bull driver to replace him without delay. Thus, the Faenza stable became Alpha Tauri does she reconnect with Daniel Ricciardo. It’s a homecoming for the Australian driver, and a new career start after his acrimonious separation from McLaren at the end of 2022.

11 small GPs and then off to Nyck de Vries, who bounced back in Formula E et WEC Since. / © DPPI

July 21: The Special One Racing Team is the victim of a spectacular fire at Lydden Hill.

The WRX continues to suffer the consequences of the disaster many months later.

Things are heating up in the World Championship rallycross (World RX)! But, not on the track. Rather in the Lydden Hill paddock (Great Britain), where the two Lancia Delta Evo-E RXs of Guerlain Chicherit and Sébastien Loeb go up in smoke before the first tests. The meeting is canceled, and the electric Supercars returned to the garage until the end of the season.

The promoter of World RX and the battery supplier Kreisel Electric were indeed unable to detect the origin of the fire which ravaged the entire structure of the French team. So, the small electric RX2e were preferred by the (rare) remaining teams in the second half of the season. As for Special One Racing, it declined the offer to ride free of charge in Hong Kong in order to show its disagreement with the disrespectful attitude of the championship leaders.

The beautiful Lancias of Special One Racing did not survive the terrible fire which struck the team structure at Lydden Hill. / © Red Bull Content Pool.

July 29-30: Jake Dennis is crowned Formula E champion

The Briton takes the crown on his land.

It may not have been the fastest, nor the most impressive, but certainly the most consistent! Jake Dennis won the title of Formula E world champion at the end of a mastered season, with a nice score of eleven podiums (and two victories) in sixteen E-Prixes! The first king of the Gen3 era was able to resist faster but less consistent drivers, like the New Zealand duo Nick Cassidy – Mitch Evans. At 28 years old, the Andretti driver won what is undoubtedly the best title of his career... won in front of his home crowd, in London, please! His magnificent season will even be rewarded by a contract extension with Andretti but also by an official test session in Formula 1 with Red Bull, during FP1 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. What could be better ?

Double blow for Jake Dennis and his Andretti team in Formula E this season. / © DPPI

August 25: Daniel Ricciardo fractures his wrist in Free Practice at Zandvoort.

Liam Lawson replaces him at short notice.

2023 was definitely a strange season for Daniel Ricciardo. Without a steering wheel at the start of the year, the Aussie came back from nowhere by taking the seat from Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri from the Hungarian Grand Prix, when we no longer imagined seeing DR3 in F1. Only problem, on his third Grand Prix, at Zandvoort, an unfortunate accident in the banking in EL2 caused him a broken wrist and unavailability for several weeks. Present on site, reservist Liam Lawson, who had been shining in Japan in Super Formula since the start of the year, did not miss his chance. The Kiwi got into the car for the first time in official competition, beat Yuki tsunoda on Sunday, and took part in five Grands Prix in total (up to Qatar). Brilliant, he even scored his first two points in the premier category thanks to his 9th place in Singapore. One of the great stories of this 2023 campaign.

Wrist fracture for Daniel Ricciardo, who will miss five Grands Prix, from Zandvoort to Losail. / © DPPI

August 27: Pierre Gasly's podium in the rain in Zandvoort.

The pilot Alpine take advantage of an inspired strategy to land a nice 3rd place.

Pierre Gasly shines in the rain and heads towards a nice podium in the Netherlands. / © DPPI

No more Grand Prix now without Max Verstappen equalizing or setting a new standard. In front of an audience of more than 100.000 souls committed to his cause, he managed to overcome all the curses of a Grand Prix made chaotic by difficult weather to sign a clear victory. The ninth in a row, as Sebastian Vettel in 2013. On the podium, he is joined by Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly who signs a first podium for Alpine, the 4th of his career. A dry start, two huge downpours, a red flag, a few penalties and a restart with 7 laps to go: the Frenchman knew how to take advantage of the circumstances by stopping at the right times to erase his poor qualification. This podium, which would remain as the high point of his season, allowing him to return to the level of his teammate and great rival Esteban Ocon, author of a podium in the Principality.

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