Zinedine Zidane is targeting a return to football coaching before the start of next season, the former Real Madrid boss has confirmed.

In the meantime he has accepted a role as an ambassador for the Formula One team Alpine, but Zidane stressed the flirtation with four wheels will not prevent him returning to his first love.

The 50-year-old ended his second stint in charge of Madrid after the 2020-21 season and has not coached since.

It appeared he had his heart set on taking over from Didier Deschamps as France boss, but that option was ruled out when Deschamps signed up to stay until the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane won the Champions League three times and triumphed twice in LaLiga during his time as boss of Madrid, making him an attractive potential recruit for any team with lofty ambitions.

The former Madrid and Juventus midfielder, a Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner in his playing days, has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain. However, he has previously cast doubt on whether, as a man with Marseille roots, he would be prepared to take that job.

He says any return to football could happen "very quickly" and has seemingly not excluded the possibility of finding a new team before this campaign ends.

Speaking to newspaper Le Figaro, Zidane made it clear teaming up with Alpine did not shackle him to motorsport, as the F1 team would gladly let him resume his football career.

"It's part of our deal. If I have to commit tomorrow, that won't prevent me from continuing to work with the team," Zidane said.

"Resuming remains my desire. Today, I have time and I don't know how long it will last. I have time now, maybe until June, but it can also go very quickly."

Zinedine Zidane has partnered with Formula One team Alpine as a brand ambassador for their equal opportunities programmes.

The announcement was made at the French team's 2023 car launch in London on Thursday, where their new A523 car was unveiled.

Former Juventus, Real Madrid and France midfielder Zidane, who also managed Madrid for two spells, was pictured visiting the Alpine garage at last season's Monaco Grand Prix.

"I am very happy to be here today and happy to be part of the Alpine team," Zidane said. "I had the opportunity to meet Laurent [Rossi, Alpine's CEO] with the whole team for a Grand Prix.

"We had a good exchange, and they had a project to give the opportunities to young people, to have their opportunities for all the young talent. I was interested in this project."

Two-time Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams was also confirmed to have teamed up with Alpine.

The team's programmes include Rac(H)er, aimed at promoting equal opportunities for men and women in racing, and Alpine CEO Rossi said: "Rac(H)er is key in our continuous quest for performance, to build the future of our industry by driving real change and creating equal and fair opportunities across a range of human talents."

Alpine finished fourth in the constructors' standings in 2022, 342 points behind Mercedes in third.

Lewis Hamilton could be Formula One's equivalent of Tom Brady by racing into his 40s, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, endured a disappointing 2022 campaign in which he failed to win a race during a season for the first time in his career.

At 38-years-old, Hamilton's contract is due to expire at the end of the 2023 season, but Wolff feels Hamilton could view the longevity of NFL star Brady as inspiration to continue racing beyond that deal.

Brady retired at the age of 45 this month, bringing an end to a stunning career that saw him win seven Super Bowl championships, with three of those coming after he turned 39.

Wolff believes Hamilton can follow Brady's example, telling reporters: "His age, 38, plays no role for this next contract.

"If you look at how well top athletes have pushed the boundaries - I'm thinking about Tom Brady, still throwing the ball at age 44, 45 - the age plays no role."

Wolff is confident Hamilton will pen a new deal soon, explaining: "In terms of the contractual situation, we have always found good solutions and for the other side, Mercedes are the place he wants to be.

"These things have never been contentious. Nothing is dragging on. The alignment is there. This will be a journey that will continue."

Hamilton echoed his principal's confidence on a fresh deal, and added his decision would not hinge on whether Mercedes can provide a car capable of competing against the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari in the new season.

"I am planning to stay a little bit longer," Hamilton said. "I don't feel like I need [the team] to prove [anything] to me. We have proved time and time again over the years that we have strength in depth. You don't lose that ability.

"We are continuing to try and improve our processes, there is the best harmony in the team I have seen these years.

"We have a real fresh group of engineers in the team. It is an exciting time and I don't plan on being anywhere else."

Hamilton also vowed to continue to be vocal on key issues in the face of the FIA's update to its International Sporting Code, in which Formula One drivers will be required to obtain prior written permission to make "political statements".

Hamilton has previously competed in a rainbow pride helmet in races in the Middle East, while he also wore a T-shirt at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix protesting against the death of American Breonna Taylor.

He says he will continue to make a stand on political issues despite the FIA's rule change, stating: "Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things I am passionate about.

"The sport has a responsibility to speak out and create awareness on important topics, particularly as we are travelling to different places. So nothing changes.

"It would be silly to say I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things but I am still going to be speaking my mind."

Mercedes have revealed the new W14 car tasked with getting them back to the top of Formula One in the 2023 season, with Lewis Hamilton insisting it shows they "mean business".

The design is a return to a predominantly black car, with Mercedes using minimal paint in an effort to reduce weight.

Mercedes surprisingly finished third in the constructors' championship last season, 244 points behind winners Red Bull.

"We've redesigned, optimised, and innovated so many parts of the car and that is impressive," Hamilton said. "And I love the new livery. It says: 'we mean business'."

Hamilton finished the season sixth in the drivers' championship, behind team-mate George Russell (fourth), but the seven-time world champion sounded confident about the new car giving him a chance of challenging again this year.

"I love being part of a team that is working towards a common goal," he said. "I always believe I can get better. I always love that challenge, the physical and mental element, having to deep dive and extract more performance from yourself and the people around you.

"The car is always changing, there's always new tools, and I love that. I'm planning to stay here a little bit longer."

Team boss Toto Wolff is also confident Mercedes can challenge Red Bull and Ferrari again, though admitted they are "playing catch-up."

"Our hopes and expectations are always to be capable of fighting for a world championship," Wolff said. "However, our competitors were very strong last year, and we are playing catch-up.

"Racing at the front requires resilience, teamwork, and determination. We face up to every challenge, we put the team first, and we will leave no stone unturned in the chase for every millisecond.

"This year, we are going all in to get back in front."

Wolff also admitted faults with last season's car, which led to focus on how the weight could be reduced to maximise performance.

"We were overweight last year," Wolff added. "This year we have tried to figure out where we can squeeze out every single gram. So now, history repeats itself."

The new season begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5.

Charles Leclerc has high expectations for Ferrari in 2023 despite the difficulties of last year.

Leclerc won two of the first three Formula One races in 2022, but only managed one victory through the remainder of the campaign.

A number of dubious race management calls proved costly for Ferrari, who finished a distant second behind Red Bull in the constructor standings.

Ferrari replaced team principal Mattia Binotto with Frederic Vasseur, who last month outlined the team's title intent.

It is a sentiment echoed by Leclerc, who said: "The goal is to win, clearly. I am really looking forward to getting back in the car and trying to win that championship.

"Last year was a good step forward. We need to do just the same this year and hopefully get that championship.

"That is the target for the team and for me, too – get more wins, hopefully be more consistent from the first race to the last race.

"So far it is intense. You can feel the responsibility. But the most important is to be successful – we have to deliver. The most important is to win and the challenge is in front of us.

"When you are at Ferrari coming from 2022, you can't have another objective than to win.

"I don't want to stay it will be easy because Red Bull and Mercedes will have the same target and only one team and driver will win. But we need to have this kind of target.

"We need to bring the mindset to do a better job tomorrow than today and to be always trying to improve the system."

Leclerc was speaking as Ferrari unveiled their new car for the 2023 season, which starts in Bahrain next month.

Lando Norris hopes there will be a U-turn on plans for Formula One drivers to be prohibited from making personal, religious and political statements without consent from the FIA.

The FIA has been widely criticised following the governing body's decision to introduce new legislation underpinning the ban, which it says will be clarified through the issuing of new guidelines.

F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali had an adverse reaction to the proposals, saying the sport will not "gag" drivers who wish to speak out on issues they believe in.

McLaren's Norris has become the latest in a string of drivers to hit out at the FIA's ban, saying: "We should be able to say what we want and what we believe in.

"I feel there has been quite a bit of pressure and enough said to make a little bit of a U-turn.

"The penalty [for speaking out] is not clear, but we are not in a school. We should not have to ask about everything and say, 'Can we do this, can we do that?'

"We are grown up enough to try and make smart decisions. Maybe sometimes people make silly decisions, but that happens in life. I hope and believe that enough drivers have said things now to push back a little bit."

Norris said he supports F1's existing approach, adding: "F1 has made things clear, what they think is acceptable and what we should be able to do as drivers, and that is what I stand by. 

"We need it. We are only trying to help people in the world and give advice and there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to do that."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently announced he would take a step back from the day-to-day running of F1 after being involved in several controversies and conflicts.

McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown welcomed that decision, saying: "It has been a bit exciting over the winter, but things seem to have course-corrected."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is targeting a top-four finish in the 2023 Formula One season with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri taking up their two seats.

Piastri has replaced fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, who launched their new MCL60 car at the team's factory in Woking on Monday.

McLaren finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship last year, with Norris gaining 122 of their 159 points. Rivals Alpine ranked fourth with 173 points.

The MCL60, named to mark 60 years since Bruce McLaren founded the team, is an evolution on last year's MCL36.

"I think it's fair to say that over the course of the season we would like to establish ourselves as part of the top four," said Stella, who has replaced Andreas Seidl.

"We know realistically with the top-three teams, this may mean potentially being the fourth best car over the course of the season.

"We are realistic in the very short term, there's good developments already in the pipeline that should land trackside very soon in the season and should allow us to take a decent step forward.

"We are not naive, we know that pretty much every team will be saying the same, 'we have good developments' and so on. Like I said, we also have more high level developments going on in the team."

Stella added that some of the car's potential may not be unlocked until the later in the season due to some areas of development not being realized until late in the process.

Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali says Andretti's approach to gaining access to the grid is "not smart", adding other teams hold an interest in joining.

Andretti, partnering with General Motors brand Cadillac, expressed their desire to become F1's 11th team last month, though their potential addition would not occur until 2026 at the earliest.

The response of other F1 teams to Andretti's announcement was lukewarm, with the team's desire to base themselves within the United States – rather than in Europe alongside the rest of the sport – sparking concerns. 

Team owner Michael Andretti has been vocal in his bid to join the sport, accusing existing teams of "greed" over an apparent unwillingness to further split existing prize funds.

F1 boss Domenicali is not convinced those tactics will reap rewards, telling Sky Sports: "First of all, we are very welcoming of everyone that is bringing value to the racing.

"I think we need to respect everyone. There are people like Michael Andretti being very vocal about their will to enter Formula One.

"But in my view [it is] not smart to say that teams are greedy.

"There are others that are much less vocal that would like to come into Formula One, so there is a process to respect and we will make sure together with the FIA that the process will be respected."

Andretti's bid for entry immediately attracted support from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, though he has since stepped away from the day-to-day supervision of F1 after a series of conflicts with teams. 

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stepped back from overseeing the day-to-day running of Formula One.

Ben Sulayem's stint as FIA president, a role to which he was elected in December 2021, has seen him come into conflict with F1 and its teams on several occasions. 

The 61-year-old was criticised after the FIA delayed an agreement to increase the number of sprint races from three to six for the 2023 season, as well as for the governing body's push to ban drivers from wearing jewellery during races.

In January, Ben Sulayem became embroiled in a row with F1 owners Liberty Media over the competition's commercial rights, while historic sexist comments made by the FIA president were also reported last month.

In a widely reported letter to the 10 F1 teams, Ben Sulayem said he will now focus purely on "strategic matters", with director of single-seater racing Nikolas Tombazis placed in charge of "day-to-day" operations.

An FIA statement said the move from Ben Sulayem – who made regular podium appearances last season – was a planned one.

"The president's manifesto clearly set out this plan before he was elected – it pledged 'the appointment of an FIA CEO to provide an integrated and aligned operation', as well as to 'introduce a revised governance framework' under 'a leadership team focused on transparency, democracy, and growth'," the statement read.

"The FIA president has a wide remit that covers the breadth of global motorsport and mobility, and now that the structural reorganisation in Formula One is complete, this is a natural next step."

Valtteri Bottas believes Alfa Romeo must "aim for better" this year in Formula One, as the team look to put a disappointing 2022 season behind them.

The former Mercedes driver made the move to the Italian constructor last year after several successful years in the sport, but struggled to deliver on the track.

Though he picked up a number of sturdy finishes, the Finn failed to notch a podium and finished 10th overall, while team-mate Zhou Guanyu came home in 18th.

Speaking at the launch of their new C43 car, though, Bottas is looking to build on a sixth-place constructors' championship finish last term in his sophomore season with the team.

"We need to achieve more, it's simple as that," he said. 

"We always need to aim for better, aim for higher, the whole team, and myself included.

"We always need to keep improving, that's what drives us, so, [we are] expecting better consistency, more points, better results. How to get there, that’s the tricky bit."

After several years near the top of the sport with Mercedes, Bottas acknowledged Alfa Romeo presented a different set of challenges 

"It's definitely been interesting," he added. "In this team, I feel like my role has been very different to what I've ever had, really, in Formula One.

"It's a really open situation in the team and I love to know always as much as I can. 

"The development of the car balance throughout the whole of last year has gone into the right direction.

"That work continues, and we'll see with this new car. I think hopefully everything is in an even better place in those situations, and we [will] keep working hard."

Rookie driver Logan Sargeant is "super motivated" to grasp his first Formula One opportunity in Williams' new FW45 challenger car.

Sargeant is gearing up for his maiden F1 season after replacing the axed Nicholas Latifi.

The 22-year-old American was fast-tracked to become Alex Albon's team-mate.

Williams finished bottom of the constructor standings with only eight points in 2022, but will start a new era with a rookie driver and team principal in the form of Sargeant and James Vowles.

The team on Monday unveiled the matte livery that will adorn their FW45 challenger, with Mercedes providing the power for a 10th consecutive season, and Sargeant is raring to go.

He said: "I'm really excited for the season to get started after what, for me, feels like a long winter!

"I'm super motivated and we've put a lot of hard work in. The car is looking amazing and it shows the huge effort the team has put in the off-season, so I'm looking forward to getting started at Silverstone before heading out to Bahrain."

Albon said: "The team has worked really hard last year and over the winter to address some key areas in our car, putting in the work to try and maximise what we get out of the car for 2023, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the FW45 can do."

Vowles will begin his new role on February 20, three days before the drivers begin 2023 pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen expects Lewis Hamilton to challenge him for the title next year "if he has the car to do it".

Hamilton, a seven-time drivers' championship winner, was blighted by car issues with Mercedes last season as he failed to win a race for the first time in his career.

Red Bull star Verstappen tallied a record-breaking 15 wins to finish 146 points ahead of closest rival Charles Leclerc in a dominant title-winning 2022 campaign.

But the Dutchman does not envisage a third straight F1 crown coming with such relative ease in 2023.

"He's been one of the greatest drivers ever in the sport, so for sure if he has the car to do it, he can fight for the title again," Verstappen told Sky Sports of Hamilton.

He added: "But that's the same for George [Russell], it's the same for Charles, it's the same for Lando [Norris] – if you give them the car that's capable of winning the championship, they can.

"But it's also about when you have the car then the pressure comes you cannot afford big mistakes.

"That's a bit of a different pressure you have but I'm confident once these guys get onto a roll like that it is all possible, they all have talent to do so."

Red Bull cruised to the constructors' championship last year, winning the title for the first time since 2013.

However, the team have been hit with wind tunnel testing restrictions and CFD limitations after they were judged to have breached financial regulations.

The full impact of those punishments is unclear but a reduction in time allowed in the wind tunnel could lead Red Bull to fall behind their rivals in aerodynamic developments.

"You always try to go for it, but I don't know if we're going to be good enough," Verstappen added.

"Of course as a team we believe we are, we are very motivated, we come off the back of a very strong year and we are working flat out to try and achieve that."

Ford will return to F1 this year for the first time since 2004 and partner with Red Bull from 2026.

Verstappen cannot wait for the partnership after seeing success in a collaboration with Honda, having also witnessed first-hand the struggles with the Renault combination.

"I signed twice without actually fully knowing what was coming in terms of engines, and people said maybe that's a crazy thing to do," he continued.

"I believed in the project and I believed that everyone involved would make the right decisions for the team.

"The first one they made going with Honda, I think that worked out really well and now for the future this is the next step – Ford in 2026 – and I believe in it.

"If we all believe in it, I'm sure we can create something really cool."

Ford will return to Formula One for the first time since 2004 and partner with Red Bull from 2026.

Red Bull revealed their RB19 car for the 2023 season at a launch event in New York City on Friday, with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen, team-mate Sergio Perez and team principal Christian Horner in attendance.

Ford, meanwhile, will return to F1 after a 22-year absence, working with Red Bull to build a power unit for F1's next engine regulations.

"We are mavericks, we are pushing the boundaries. We are looking forward to this busy season in 2023," said Horner, whose team took the constructors' title off Mercedes last year, as well as seeing Verstappen win for a second straight year.

"It is going to be an incredible season; our rivals for sure haven't stood still. Ferrari are going to be competitive, Mercedes are going to be there; there are some other teams that could make some big progress as well.

"In Bahrain, in a couple of weeks' time, we will get to see everyone's car and see if we have missed something, have we not.

"There is going to be highs and lows along the way, but I think we are in a good place. We are going to have to be at the top of our game this season."

Of Red Bull's partnership with Ford, Horner added: "To welcome the Ford brand back into Formula One, to have the Red Bull Ford powertrain is going to be very exciting.

"There was a natural synergy between the two companies, it was an easy deal – 2026 seems like a long way away, but in the engine world, it is tomorrow.

"We have recruited some incredible talent and have some great people in the team.  We are really excited about what we can achieve."

Ford's involvement in F1 began in the 1960s with a long-standing partnership with British firm Cosworth.

They are the third-most successful engine manufacturer in the history of F1, having played a part in winning 10 constructors' championships and 13 drivers' championships.

Ford chief executive Jim Farley said: "We don't want to make generic cars, faceless vehicles; we want vehicles with an attitude – this team represents that."

Horner said: "It's a huge era for the team. As Formula One moves to pretty much a 50-50 split between hybridisation and combustion power, we wanted to have a like-minded partner.

"It's great to see the Ford brand coming back into Formula One."

Mick Schumacher has been named as McLaren's reserve driver for 2023 after a deal was struck with Mercedes.

The 23-year-old, son of Formula One great Michael Schumacher, lost his seat at Haas following the 2022 season and was subsequently released from Ferrari's young driver programme.

Schumacher signed as Mercedes' third driver, behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, but will now deputise for Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri at McLaren in the event of either being unable to race.

Those opportunities would still be presented should either Hamilton or Russell have issues this season, though there is now a greater chance of Schumacher making an appearance on the grid.

In two seasons at Haas, Schumacher scored points on two occasions from 43 races and was replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 campaign.

As pointed out by McLaren, representing the team brings the Schumacher name full circle as team principal Andrea Stella worked alongside Mick's father as performance engineer.

Lando Norris is a "franchise driver" and is as good as Formula One icon Fernando Alonso, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes.

The 23-year-old is set for his fifth year with McLaren and has a new teammate for 2023 in Oscar Piastri, resulting in an exciting youthful pairing in F1.

McLaren have high hopes for their future in F1, with Brown recently outlining his objective of competing for the title by 2025, and Norris is an integral part of those plans.

The team have managed to keep Norris out of the clutches of Red Bull, whom he has spoken to in the past, with the young driver tied down until 2025 and seen as a figure McLaren can build around.

Though there is still plenty for Norris to achieve in F1, Brown suggests he is comparable to two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

"Lando's a franchise driver. Lando's one of those guys if we put everyone in a dirt buggy and we put all the F1 drivers in a race, he'd be at the front because he's got that kind of natural talent," Brown told ESPN.

"I think he is as good as anyone on the grid, and I've felt that from day one when I put him against Fernando in the 24 Hours of Daytona, foreign car, foreign track.

"I think Fernando is as good as any F1 driver there's ever been, and Lando matches him, and depending on what time of day it was, maybe he even got him a little bit, and vice versa.

"You see that natural talent. You do get some drivers who are a one-make discipline and you throw them in a unique situation and they don't get up to speed as quickly."

Norris is still waiting for a maiden victory in F1 but he did see Mercedes' George Russell – someone he raced alongside during their junior careers – secure a win last season.

Brown feels that will provide encouragement for the forthcoming campaign.

"He wants to be winning races, I'm sure he knows he can beat George and he has beaten George before... and he goes out and wins," Brown added.

"He's going to be anxious people he's raced with don't get too many more wins before he starts getting his."