Fast Five: Schumacher joins Alpine for 2024 WEC season, Bottas to headline Adelaide Motorsport Festival, and other big updates

Schumacher joins Alpine for 2024 WEC season 

Mick Schumacher is set to return to full-time racing with the Alpine World Endurance Championship hypercar program in 2024, marking his first complete season since losing his Formula 1 seat. Following Haas' decision not to retain him for the 2023 season, Schumacher joined Mercedes as a test and reserve driver. Unable to secure a Formula 1 seat for 2024, he has now joined Alpine's two-car hypercar program in WEC, alongside drivers such as Nicolas Lapierre, Ferdinand Habsburg, and others. Despite his WEC commitment, Schumacher will continue his reserve duties with Mercedes between WEC rounds.

Click here to read the full article by Jake Nichol (racingnews365.com)

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Bottas to headline Adelaide Motorsport Festival

Formula 1 star Valtteri Bottas will headline the Adelaide Motorsport Festival for the second consecutive year, participating in on-track demonstrations with various cars, including rally cars and Aussie muscle cars. The 2024 AMF event will showcase diverse categories such as Formula 1, V8 Supercars, touring cars, sports cars, IndyCars, and more, featuring iconic vehicles like the Benetton B190 Ford and Bathurst-winning Nissan Skyline GT-Rs. The festival is scheduled for March 16-17, promising an array of thrilling automotive spectacles.

Click here to read the full article by Andrew van Leeuwen (speedcafe.com)

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Ten rookies set for Abu Dhabi GP

For the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP1, ten rookie drivers will participate, as mandated by F1 teams, for at least two occasions in 2023. Notably, Red Bull features Jake Dennis and Isack Hadjar, Ferrari has Robert Shwartzman, Mercedes includes Frederik Vesti, McLaren has IndyCar star Pato O’Ward, Alpine features Jack Doohan, Alfa Romeo has Theo Pourchaire, Aston Martin features Felipe Drugovich, Haas includes Oliver Bearman, and Williams has Zak O’Sullivan. This marks the final opportunity for teams to run rookies in the 2023 season.

Click here to read the full article by Connor McDonagh (crash.net)

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Alex and Logan trade racetrack for skyline

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Having spent most of their time in cars, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant decided to switch things up and see Vegas from a whole new angle—by taking to the skies. The helicopter flew them over the track and downtown Las Vegas. At one point, Albon even opened the doors to see the city from the sky, admitting it was a unique experience that drivers don't usually get.

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Red Bull invites 'Make Your Mark' winner to factory tour

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Red Bull invited its third 'Make Your Mark winner,' Lindsay, to its paint shop at its Milton Keynes factory to see how her design had come to life, as well as learning all about the painting process from the team. Lindsay's design was Red Bull's biggest and boldest fan-designed livery of the year, covering the whole car with Vegas-themed design elements and flashes of purple and yellow.