World champion Max Verstappen has copped the highest-ever bill for a Formula 1 super license in the sport's history.

The credential, of course, is mandatory - and the cost for the driver is calculated on the basis of a base amount plus extra for every single point.

In the end, it left Dutchman Verstappen with a EUR 963,800 bill - compared to 657,200 for Charles Leclerc, 650,900 for Charles Leclerc and just over 500,000 for Lewis Hamilton, according to Servus TV.

Dr Helmut Marko, however, said the team is actually picking up the bill on top of Red Bull's more than $6 million team entry fee for next year which was described by boss Christian Horner as "incredible".

"I didn't realise how much we had to pay the FIA for the points," he said.

As for Verstappen, though, it appears as though his dominance this year will at least not cost him a dime.

"As far as I know," Marko said, "his contract states that we have to pay it."

Retired quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel was also asked about the FIA's bills.

"Absurd," said the German. "I don't know how common that is in other sports.

"And there are always more and more races but nobody talks about that."

Tickets to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the new addition to the 2023 F1 calendar, aren’t cheap to begin with. And for those prepared to pay top-dollar, the casino-hotels backing the race are touting lavish packages with eye-watering price tags.

Wynn LV overlooks turn 11 on the track which will hold the penultimate round of the 2023 F1 season. It is one of the founding partners of the event which F1 had to work with to make the grand prix possible.

Last month it announced an F1-endorsed ‘Million Dollar All-Access Experience’ at a cost of – surprisingly enough – $1,000,000 (£830,000). The “personally curated” package for six people ($166,666.67 per person) begins with the event’s opening ceremony on Wednesday and ends when the race does late on Saturday night.

For the seven-figure the six race attendees receive access to Wynn’s private hospitality within F1’s VIP Paddock Club, luxury transport to and from the paddock and the city airport to their hotel throughout their four-night stay and access to all of Wynn’s facilities as well as a three-litre jeroboam bottle of champagne.

But that $1 million package has already been relegated, seemingly, to second-best. The Caesars Palace resort on the pit straight down the road has announced a $5 million (£4.1m) “Emperor Package” for the grand prix weekend.

Another of the race’s founding partners, Caesars’ package includes five nights in a three-bedroom villa and another checklist of lavish luxuries. They include 24-hour butler service and a terrace to which 75 people can be invited to watch the track action. There are also 12 Paddock Club tickets, dinner for a dozen from a celebrity chef and an invitation to a performance by singer Adele.

Will any buyers be found for either of these giga-expensive F1 viewing opportunities? Or for any more elaborate and expensive packages other hotels may cook up?

There’s a distinct possibility that none of these will be snapped up. But that doesn’t matter – it’s all part of the promotional game. The perception that casinos who collaborated on bringing F1 to Las Vegas are trying to outdo each other with their treatment of ‘VIPs’ only serves to keep the spotlight on a race in which all parties have a shared interest.

A variety of publications and social media influencers have drawn attention to the price tag and details of the deals. This builds two important perceptions: that the Las Vegas Grand Prix is a must-attend event, and that is already a success. Neither of those statements could be true, but that’s the point of good marketing. The shock value of the highest prices may prompt would-be attendees into searching for cheaper ways of gaining ‘exclusive access’ to the grand prix.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has tasked the governing body with looking into the potential to expand the Formula 1 grid with new teams.

F1 has been a 10-team championship since 2016, when Manor folded to leave the current constructors in place for the past six seasons. Amid a boom in popularity for the sport and the introduction of financial regulations that give the teams more viable business models, multiple interested parties have emerged wanting to enter F1, including Andretti Global, which came close to taking over Sauber in 2021.

However, up to now there has been no active process from the FIA to invite formal applications – something Ben Sulayem says he’s keen to change.

“I have asked my FIA team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA F1World Championship,” he tweeted on Monday.

Any new team would have to be approved by the FIA and also reach an agreement with F1 itself regarding commercial rights – something that could still prove to be a stumbling block as Liberty Media has been comfortable splitting revenues 10 ways and teams don’t want to give up a percentage of its share to a new entrant without guarantees it will have a positive impact on the sport’s income.

RACER understands Andretti – currently building a new headquarters in Fishers, Indiana with scope for a Formula 1 set-up – is one of many potential teams to inform F1 of their desire to be considered for a future entry, but none have yet been able to make official applications to the FIA.

Haas have revealed an updated team logo and new official team name ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season, fresh from signing payment company MoneyGram as their new title sponsor.

Haas announced their partnership with MoneyGram at last year’s United States Grand Prix, the team’s home race, in a deal that is also set to include a livery change.

And on Wednesday, Haas showcased a tweaked logo on their website and social media channels, incorporating MoneyGram’s insignia, along with a new official team name: MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.

Commenting on the start of the new arrangement between the two US-led operations, Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said: “We’re delighted we’ve hit January and will now officially be known as MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.

“When we announced MoneyGram’s title partnership with us back in October at the United States Grand Prix, this was the date we looked forward to as it’s a new year and a new name for us, complete with a new logo to launch.”

Haas, who finished eighth in last year’s constructors’ standings, head into the 2023 season with a new driver line-up, as Nico Hulkenberg replaces Mick Schumacher – now a Mercedes reserve driver – alongside incumbent Kevin Magnussen.

"We have an exciting few weeks ahead with the livery reveal and then the launch of this year’s car, the VF-23, coming soon. After that we’re into pre-season testing then the season begins in earnest in Bahrain,” added Steiner.

“Everyone at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team is raring to go alongside our new driver line-up of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg. We can’t wait to get started. MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – it has a good ring to it!”

The iconic Gulf Oil brand have hinted at a return to F1, with RacingNews365.com understanding that a deal with Williams will be announced shortly.

The company previously acted as a sponsor for McLaren and a special livery was featured on the team's cars reflecting the colours of the brand at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix.

However, the partnership came to an end in 2022 and Gulf are now set for a return with Williams.

The brand gave a hint of an impending comeback via their social media channels, having shared a message about "big F1 news coming soon".

​​​​​​​The latest to come out of Grove is that Williams is up for sale and TJ13 understands Porsche are looking to buy the historic Formula 1 team with an imminent announcement from the German car maker who had previously been linked to partnering Red Bull.

With the Grove-based team reportedly up for sale, the exit of senior team staff; namely Jost Capito and Technical Director Francois Xavier Demaison. Then the appointment of James Vowles of Mercedes as team principal, many big changes are afoot at Williams, with the latest bombshell from Porsche the icing on the cake.

The news of the sale of Williams to Porsche came yesterday from sources within Stuggart. Bookmark this page for futher updates later today….

Sources within Williams have been in contact with this website suggesting an imminent purchase or collaboration with Porsche. Stuggart has yet to confirm or deny any rumours apart from fueling the fires with strange social media postings, namely their Instagram account. Porsche deleted all their Formula E posts on Instagram, leaving just a single new post remaining.

As this website had reported some time ago, it appears that the Williams Formula One team has been looking for a buyer for some time now.

Dorilton bought the struggling team in August 2020 for €152m marking the end of an era for the struggling family owned team.

With Porsche looking for a way into Formula One it appears now that Dorilton are negotiating their exit and leaving management appointments in the hands of the new owners upon the removal of senior staff.

It’s been one whole month since the departure of William’s top management with not a whisper over who is set to replace them. Now Swedish based F1 journalist reveals the problems behind the scene in Grove which may have meant Capito and Demaison were pushed rather than jumped.

Given the current rumblings from the F1 teams who want to increase the entry fee from $200m to $600m, Dorilton Capital may own a valuable asset even though its performance potential at present is not good, ripe territory for Porsche to take over.

Porsche failed with Red Bull, now look at Williams

A failed deal to buy into Red Bull has made Porsche look elsewhere.

The warning signs of the deal collapsing were there for all to see as Christian Horner gave a series of interviews prior to the summer break this year repeatedly stressing the need for a partner “that works within our DNA”.

Whilst part of the VW group, Porsche has its own board of directors based in Stuttgart and has continued to operate the iconic brand in a fairly conservative fashion over the years.

Certainly the unconfirmed worst kept secret within the paddock was that Porsche wanted to own a significant piece of the Red Bull operation, and the Milton Keynes team was not keen at all. The official line came down to Porsche’s methods of operating were not compatible.

When asked in Japan about what gives the current Red Bull Racing model such a competitive advantage, Christian Horner was blunt with his reply.

“Recently we had exactly that dilemma where we had the opportunity to work with an OEM [Porsche] taking a significant shareholding in the team.

“But it was recognised that our DNA would be affected if we could not continue to operate exactly in the manner that has made us successful with that ability to make quick-fire decisions without having to go through layers and layers of process and bureaucracy."

​​​​​​​While TJ13 sources in Grove indicate the deal with Porsche is coming, it is unclear exactly what that will entail. An educated guess based on the issues with the Porsche / Red Bull deal would point to a total purchase of the team, or at least a controlling stake. Time will tell as to which direction it will go if our sources are correct.

After years of playing his part in helping Mercedes dominate Formula 1, incoming Williams boss James Vowles faces a completely different challenge at his new team.

It is not lost on him that for four of the last five years, Williams has found itself pegged to the bottom of the constructors’ championship.

Plus, more recently, it has faced fresh uncertainty following the departure of team principal Jost Capito and its technical director FX Demaison.

Turning the squad’s fortunes around quickly is not going to be an easy task for Vowles, as he is comes in at a time when much of the work on the 2023 car has already been completed.

His job list is going to be large too; for he will need to get a restructured technical team in place to help drive its F1 challenger forward as fast as he can.

But, while decisions over the technical department and overall reporting structure will be important for Vowles, there is one thing that he thinks take priority above everything else: a new team culture.

For the team that he famously remembers watching through the catch fencing at Silverstone in the early 1990’s during its most dominant era, is in a very different place right now.

As Vowles said: “If you asked me what are the front facing and most iconic brands of the sport, Williams is what comes to mind.

“It's filled with incredibly talented people who were just hurting a little bit from the last few years. But it has great potential.”

What Vowles thinks is critical therefore for helping shape a better future for Williams is in lifting spirits at the team; getting the squad believing in its future direction.

A new mentality and a shifted culture are the foundations that Vowles thinks need laying down before any other changes can hope to make the improvements necessary to move up the grid.

Speaking about where he felt Williams was lacking at the moment, Vowles said: “What will definitely be wrong is when you're hurting, and when you've been punished and you've been pushed down as an organisation because you're suffering, it doesn't get any better year on year unless you get a change to what's going on - a change to the culture, a change to the methods and systems.

“I suspect a lot of it was that if we go back a few years, we didn't have the strength that is Dorilton [team owners].

“Dorilton really want to and will invest the correct amount to make this a performant team. And I don't think it was fair to say that that was the case just a few years ago. That impact will take a while to probably kick in.

“But I'm one of a change, and clearly one individual won't make it. What's required is restrengthening the technical team, but also allowing those internally that are incredibly good to shine and prosper.

“And I suspect the environment they've had around them isn't one that would have been conducive to that for a period of time.”

While Vowles is arriving from a Mercedes team that is known for dominating F1’s turbo hybrid era, that’s not to say he only knows what it is like to win.

There were definitely some tough times at Mercedes last year when the squad was battling its early season porpoising dramas.

Plus, Vowles was on board at Brackley during its difficult early days as British American Racing – which included long streaks without scoring any points in the early 2000s.

“I'm fortunate enough to have known failure on levels that many of you unfortunately have publicly seen,” he said during a media briefing last week.

“Even prior to Mercedes, there were times where we were languishing in a very poor position: we didn't score a point for 12 races.

“The real gain that you get out of this is that you have to instil a culture into this that allows everyone to realise that you have to be empowered. You have to grow, you have to move forward as a unit together, and it has to be one collaborative motion.

“I strongly suspect that we're just in a situation where that collaboration isn't quite at the level it could be or should be, just simply because it's been a few years of pain that cemented it.”

Having lived through the journey at Mercedes from a team that struggled to score points to one that has, at times, been expecting to win each race it goes to, Vowles has a huge wealth of experience about the way things need to operate inside a successful organisation.

“When we’ve asked our senior leadership team, what's the most important element of the team, it will always come back to two things at Mercedes: people and culture,” he said.

“It’s not the machine shop floor, not the wind tunnel tools, not the driver in the loop simulator. It comes back to people and culture. And I believe exactly the same is true within Williams.

“Before setting foot in there, I'm unsure where we are at the moment, but it is the highest thing on my priority list: making sure that everyone understands that it's about working together.

“It's about empowerment. It is about treating your colleagues with the respect that you want back from them, and the growth you want back from them, so that we can work together towards an end goal.”

Perhaps the biggest endorsement of Vowles’ belief about culture being so important comes from his former boss Toto Wolff – who has long held the view about it being a key factor in the success of the German car manufacturer.

Speaking about his perception of Mercedes, Wolff said: “Where we started the journey, the kind of prevailing philosophy was, this is a race car. and the race car needs good aerodynamics, and a strong engine, and so on and so forth.

“But it was almost always neglected that the racing team is a group of people that have joined on a journey. And these people have hopes, dreams, objectives, and anxieties, all of that.

“I think what we have been able in Mercedes is to embed a structure where it's all around the person. We care. And we believe when we care.

“When you set up an organisation that demonstrates that every day, then you can achieve extraordinary performances. Now, that's no guarantee forever, as we've seen in 2022, but the culture and the values are the immune system of any organisation.

“James has been a part of this journey of developing our culture, about setting objectives. And so he will be able to translate that into the Williams organisation.

“I have no doubt that James within the organisation will discover talent, will discover committed and ambitious people. And if he embeds all of that in a positive mindset, a safe environment, as a caring team principal, I think Williams can very much turn around and move forwards.

“It always starts at the top and then it needs to cascade into the organisation. I've been at Williams. I loved being there. And I have no doubt that James will too.”

The original schedule had been set for 24 events, with the race in Shanghai provisionally put down for April 16However, ongoing restrictions in China relating to COVID-19 meant it was not possible for F1 to go ahead with the race there.

The cancellation of the Chinese GP leaves a big gap in the calendar between the Australian GP on April 2 and the Azerbaijan GP on April 30.

F1 did consider options to shift this around, either by moving the Azerbaijan race forward to separate it from being a back-to-back with Miami, or by finding a replacement race.

However, Azerbaijan GP chiefs were reluctant to move their event any earlier in the year because of concerns about poor weather in Baku at that time of year, which is normally chilly and windy in April.

And while other options were considered, with Portugal's Portimao even linked with an F1 return at one point, that idea did not progress far.

Despite hopes by Chinese authorities to get its race back on the calendar at some point this year, either on its original date or potentially by swapping its April slot with another venue, that has now also been ruled out.

F1 has therefore announced that the season will stick with 23 races.

A short statement said: "Formula 1 can confirm the 2023 season will consist of 23 races. All existing race dates on the calendar remain unchanged."

It means that there will be a three-week gap between the races in Melbourne and Baku.

The reduction to a 23-race schedule has some implications in terms of restricted components that teams can use.

In terms of gearboxes, a 23-race schedule means teams are limited to four gearboxes for the campaign – whereas there would have been an extra one available if the calendar had run to 24 events.

The number of power units available is unchanged, however, by the number of races that take place. Each driver is allowed three of the main components (ICE, MGU-K, MGU-H, turbos) for the entire year.

While F1’s rules are remaining largely the same in 2023 following last year’s major reset, there are still technical and sporting changes of note for the campaign ahead, as we explain in our pre-season rundown…

1. Ride height and diffusers adjusted

With some teams encountering porpoising upon the arrival of F1’s new-spec cars last year, which feature ground-effect aerodynamics, a set of floor-based flexibility and monitoring measures arrived for the second half of the 2022 season, and more have been outlined for 2023.

In short, four additional changes will come into play this year: floor edges have been raised by 15mm; the diffuser throat height has been raised; the diffuser edge stiffness has been increased; and an additional sensor has been mandated to more effectively monitor the porpoising phenomenon.

These adjustments should, in theory, make significant porpoising a thing of the past and, as such, keep the focus on the thrilling action that F1’s rules reset has delivered.

2. Stronger roll hoops after Zhou’s crash

Alongside the changes aimed at porpoising, there are tweaks to the safety standards for F1 car roll hoops after the frightening crash experienced by Zhou Guanyu at the start of the 2022 British Grand Prix, which involved his Alfa Romeo sliding along the track upside down.

The 2023 Technical Regulations now state that a rounded top is required on the roll hoop, which will reduce the chance of it digging into the ground during an accident, while they also ensure a minimum height for the point of application of the homologation test.

Additionally, there will be a new physical homologation test where the load pushes the roll hoop in a forward direction.

3. A reduction in the minimum car weight

F1 car weight was a major talking point ahead of the 2022 season, with teams up and down the grid battling to get as close as possible to the 798kg limit (without fuel) amid one of the biggest regulatory changes in the sport’s history.

As F1’s new era develops, a reduction of 2kg – to 796kg – is being implemented for 2023, meaning the designers will be trying to shave off even more weight from their latest challengers.

4. Revised mirrors to improve driver visibility

In an attempt to increase driver visibility, there will be a change to rear-view mirrors on F1’s 2023-spec cars, with the width of the reflective surface increasing by 50mm from 150mm to 200mm.

Following tests by Red Bull and Mercedes in Hungary and Belgium respectively last season, the entire grid got involved at the Dutch Grand Prix, and the changes have now been written into the regulations.

5. Double the number of Sprint events

An exciting development for 2023 sees the number of Sprint events doubled from three to six. Azerbaijan (Baku), Austria (Red Bull Ring), Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), Qatar (Lusail), the United States (Circuit of The Americas) and Sao Paulo (Interlagos) are the venues chosen, following on from extensive research into their suitability.

Meanwhile, Sprint accident damage allowance will now be a fixed amount per team, for each race weekend that includes a Sprint session. The forfeit allowance amount for each Sprint will double to $300k from 2023 onwards, while all other Sprint damage allowances will be removed.

Alongside this, parc ferme rules on Sprint weekends are under review for 2023, with the aim of simplifying the set-up-locking process, after the FIA cited a “significant increase in parc ferme requests" between Friday’s qualifying session and Saturday’s Sprint.

6. Paddock working hours cut

The number of hours worked by F1 team members across race weekends will be reduced in upcoming seasons, with the third of three restricted periods (effective on Fridays) beginning an hour earlier this year, and another hour set to be knocked off in 2024.

To complement the move, the number of curfews permitted for the first (Wednesday) and second (Thursday) restricted periods will also be cut in half, from eight to four and six to three respectively, again with another cut planned for next year.

7. Qualifying format and DRS trials

A ‘Revised Qualifying Format’ (RQF) will take place at up to two events in 2023 “for the purpose of evaluating whether the revisions are suitable for subsequent championships” – as per the updated regulations.

This will see tyre compounds mandated for each stage of F1’s usual three-part qualifying session: hard tyres only in Q1; mediums tyres only in Q2; and, finally, soft tyres only in Q3. Intermediates and wets will be allowed if the RQF sessions are declared wet.

At RQF events, each driver may use no more than 11 sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres and three sets of wet-weather tyres. This compares to the normal weekend allowance of 13 sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres and three sets of wet-weather tyres.

As for DRS, its activation after the start, race restart or Safety Car restart will also be evaluated, with the F1 Commission exploring the possibility of bringing this forward by one lap at the start of a race or Sprint or Safety Car restart.

“This will be trialled during each Sprint session in 2023 with a view to introducing it for all races in 2024,” the FIA have stated.

8. Tweaks around gearbox changes

While changes to teams’ homologated gearboxes were only previously permitted “to resolve reliability problems” or “for cost saving, at the start of each season”, modifications are now permitted “in the case of materials, processes or proprietary parts becoming unavailable”.

Nonetheless, clear documentation justifying the change must be provided in all cases, prior approval must be obtained from the FIA, and the modification must not give any performance advantage. A summary of the modification will then be circulated to all teams by the FIA.

9. A move to clear up penalty confusion

Grid penalties came under the spotlight at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, where a host of drivers took power unit and gearbox related drops and turned the order on its head. Following some confusion over how these were applied, the wording of the regulations has been updated.

The relevant section now reads: “Classified drivers who have accrued more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties, or who have been penalised to start at the back of the grid, will start behind any other classified driver. Their relative position will be determined in accordance with their qualifying classification.”

10. More flexibility to cool fuel

A small change on paper could have an impact on reliability in 2023, particularly at hotter races, with some extra freedom being given to teams regarding the cooling of fuel.

For 2023, fuel in a car must not be colder than the lowest of either 10 degrees centigrade below ambient temperature, or 10 degrees centigrade (this being cut from 20 degrees), at any time when the car is running after leaving the competitor’s designated garage area.

What else could follow in 2024?

Beyond these 10 changes made ahead of the 2023 season, there are also plenty of initiatives in the works – or at least being considered – for 2024 onwards…

A “significant overhaul” of roll hoop safety tests is planned from next year, again following on from Zhou’s heavy crash, with the goal of future F1 cars being able to resist more significant loads.

Discussions around grid penalties will also continue, while the F1 Commission has delayed final talks – until July 2023 – on the potential removal of tyre blankets for 2024.

Regulatory changes are subject to approval by the World Motor Sport Council.