Racetrackmasters

Hamilton describes Verstappen ‘over the limit’ after Saudi Arabian GP chaos

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton lashed out at title rival Max Verstappen after Sunday’s gripping Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, describing the Dutchman as “over the limit”. Hamilton won a chaotic race under lights on the Jeddah street circuit but only after several close run-ins with Red Bull’s Verstappen. “I really had to try and keep my cool out there which was really difficult to do,” said Hamilton. “I have raced a lot of drivers in my 28 years of racing, I have come across a lot of characters. There’s a few that are over the limit, the rules don’t apply.” “He’s over the limit for sure. I have avoided collision on so many occasions with the guy,” the seven-time world champion continued. “I don’t mind being the one who does that because you get to live another day. It doesn’t matter for him if we don’t finish. It does for me.” The tense battle culminated in a late collision when Hamilton, apparently unaware that Verstappen had been ordered to give up the lead after an illegal manoeuvre shortly before, hit the Red Bull as it braked in front of him. Red Bull maintained that Verstappen was simply following instructions while Mercedes insisted that the Dutchman was ‘brake-testing’. “I don’t understand why he hit the brakes quite so heavily so I ran into the back of him,” said Hamilton. “I didn’t get the information. It was very confusing.” A visibly annoyed Verstappen, however, denied any wrongdoing in the incident. “I slowed down, I wanted to let him by, I was on the right but he didn’t want to overtake and we touched,” said Verstappen. “I don’t really understand what happened there.” Stewards, who gave Verstappen a five-second penalty for an earlier incident, were investigating the decision. “It was quite eventful! A lot of things happened, which I don’t fully agree with, but it is what it is,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman. He later stormed off the podium, refusing to take part in the traditional end of race champagne spraying with Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas who took third. The two drivers are now level on points as they head to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend, although Verstappen has the advantage of having won more races. “It’s a straight fight as it has been all year,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “The form is with Mercedes but Max has fought like a lion this weekend, he has given it everything.” Hamilton has now won three races on the bounce and is primed to become the first man to win eight world titles, one more than the record he currently shares with Michael Schumacher. “I am personally chilled,” he said. “I feel like I am in the boxing ring and I am ready to go.”

Verstappen gets a penalty for causing collision with Hamilton in the Saudi Arabian GP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Max Verstappen has been given a 10sec penalty for his latest clash with Lewis Hamilton, after stewards found that he slammed on his brakes ahead of the Mercedes in a 195mph section of the Jeddah circuit. The Dutchman was said to be “predominantly at fault” for the crash but has not lost any championship points as a result, thanks to a 21sec gap between him, when he crossed the line to finish second at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and third-placed Valtteri Bottas. He remains level at the top of the championship table with Hamilton, who accused his rival of “brake testing” him. Stewards called the pair to a hearing after the incident, which began when the Red Bull driver was told to hand back the lead to Hamilton as a result of passing him off track. Verstappen was told to make the switch “strategically” when he was at Turn 21. Five corners later he slowed, ahead of the DRS line which would give the following car a drag advantage on the main straight. But Hamilton had not been told of the plan. “I didn’t really understand what was going on,” he said after the race. “I was like, ‘is he trying to play some kind of crazy tactic? I don’t know’”. The Mercedes remained behind the Red Bull, drawing closer and closer until Hamilton suddenly swerved from behind his rival — too late to avoid clipping his front wing on the rear of the car. “Car 33 [Verstappen] slowed significantly at Turn 26,” the stewards found in their report. “However, it was obvious that neither driver wanted to take the lead prior to DRS detection line 3. “The driver of Car 33 stated that he was wondering why Car 44 [Hamilton] had not overtaken and the driver of Car 44 stated that, not having been aware at that stage that Car 33 was giving the position back, was unaware of the reason Car 33 was slowing. “In deciding to penalise the driver of Car 33, the key point for the Stewards was that the driver of Car 33 then braked suddenly (69 bar) and significantly, resulting in 2.4g deceleration.” Hamilton dropped back after the collision but was eventually let through by Verstappen at the same Turn 26. The Red Bull driver was behind the Mercedes at the DRS line, but then dived up the inside of the final corner, and had use of DRS to escape up the main straight. Concluding their report into the earlier incident which resulted in contact, the stewards added: “Whilst accepting that the driver of Car 44 could have overtaken Car 33 when that car first slowed, we understand why he (and the driver of Car 33) did not wish to be the first to cross the DRS. “However, the sudden braking by the driver of Car 33 was determined by the stewards to be erratic and hence the predominant cause of the collision and hence the standard penalty of 10 seconds for this type of incident, is imposed.” It was Verstappen’s second time penalty of the race, after he was docked 5sec for gaining an advantage over Hamilton by running off track.

Hamilton wins after collision with Verstappen in chaotic Saudi Arabian GP – Full Race Results

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and drawn level with championship rival Max Verstappen with just one race left in the 2021 world championship following a bad-tempered scrap between the pair. The greatest flashpoint of the season happened on lap 38, shortly after a Virtual Safety Car restart. Verstappen overtook Hamilton around the outside at turn one at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, but could not stay on track. In trying to redress, Hamilton tucked in behind Verstappen approaching turn 27, Verstappen appeared to slow suddenly, and the two made contact.Hamilton suffered minor front wing damage, and Verstappen was given a five second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. Hamilton took the lead back from Verstappen on lap 43, and drove away to his third win in succession. Verstappen maintained second place after the time penalty, falling away from Hamilton in the final laps. By setting the fastest lap of the race, Hamilton gained eight points on Verstappen – bringing both drivers to 269.5 points going into next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The inaugural race in Jeddah will be remembered as a rather calamitous race on the whole, after two red flags for major incidents, and multiple virtual safety car interventions for incidents and debris on the racing line. The first red flag was for TecPro barrier repairs at turn 22, when Mick Schumacher spun off and crashed. Initially the safety car was deployed, and Verstappen stayed out on track while Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas pitted from first and second for hard compound tyres. The red flag was thrown on lap 14, allowing Verstappen to change to medium tyres. On the ensuing standing restart, Verstappen started from first, but Hamilton got a better launch off the line. Hamilton ran wide through turn one, forcing Verstappen off track, and Verstappen took the lead ahead of the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, who had launched from fourth to second. Behind them, contact between Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez triggered a multi-car accident that took Pérez out of the race, along with George Russell and Nikita Mazepin. This brought out the second red flag. After heated debate, and even bargaining between FIA race control, Mercedes, and Red Bull, Ocon was placed at the front for the next standing restart, with Hamilton in second, and Verstappen moved back to third for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. On the medium tyres, Verstappen launched into the lead with a forceful block pass into turn one. Hamilton would make light contact with Ocon, but eventually settled into second, pursuing Verstappen for the lead. On lap 23, Sebastian Vettel was hit by Yuki Tsunoda, the incident and debris on track brought out a virtual safety car. Vettel would come to blows with Kimi Raikkonen on lap 28, and their collision necessitated another, longer VSC intervention. Over the line, Bottas used DRS to snatch third place from Ocon by just 0.102 seconds. Daniel Ricciardo finished in fifth, ahead of Pierre Gasly in sixth, then the Ferraris of Leclerc in seventh and Carlos Sainz Jnr in eighth. Antonio Giovinazzi scored points for Alfa Romeo in ninth, and Lando Norris took the final championship point in tenth. 2021 F1 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX – RESULTS POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 50 Laps 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing + 11.825s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team + 27.531s 4 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team + 27.633s 5 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team + 40.121s 6 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 41.613s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 44.475s 8 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 46.606s 9 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 58.505s 10 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 61.358s 11 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team + 77.212s 12 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing + 83.249s 13 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team + 1 Lap 14 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 1 Lap 15 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 1 Lap Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team DNF George Russell GBR Williams Racing DNF Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing DNF Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team DNF Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team DNF

Saudi Arabian GP: Lewis Hamilton tops opening practice ahead of Verstappen

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Lewis Hamilton set the pace ahead of Formula 1 title rival Max Verstappen in opening practice ahead of the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who goes into the final two races of the season eight points behind Verstappen, headed the field with a 1m29.786s around the ultra-fast brand new Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Hamilton finished FP1 just 0.056s clear of Verstappen after the Red Bull driver improved on the soft tyre in the closing moments of the session, having led the way early on with a succession of fastest laps on the hards. Valtteri Bottaswas two-tenths adrift of the championship contenders to make it a Mercedes 1-3. Pierre Gasly demonstrated AlphaTauri’s impressive one-lap pace to get within half a second of Hamilton’s benchmark in fourth, while outgoing Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi popped in a lap good enough for fifth. Less than a tenth split the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in sixth and seventh, while Daniel Ricciardo was the only McLaren driver to feature inside the top-10. Fresh from his first podium of the year in Qatar, Fernando Alonso took ninth for Alpine, with Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel completing the top-10 order in FP1. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez struggled for pace throughout the session and could not break into the top-10, finishing 11th and over a second down as the drivers got up to speed and began to explore the limits of the new track. Despite the fast-flowing nature of the circuit, the drivers managed to avoid the close walls, with only a few yellow flags briefly flashing up during FP1. Traffic did prove to be a problem, however, with both Bottas and Lance Stroll nearly being caught out by slow-moving Haas cars. 2021 F1 SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m29.786s 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m29.842s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m30.009s 4 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m30.263s 5 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m30.318s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m30.564s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m30.600s 8 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m30.608s 9 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m30.842s 10 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m30.886s 11 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m30.960s 12 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m31.023s 13 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m31.029s 14 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m31.044s 15 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m31.099s 16 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m31.296s 17 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m31.343s 18 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m31.525s 19 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m31.821s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m33.464s Formula

Jeddah Circuit approved by FIA just a day before the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

FIA has awarded the necessary Grade 1 safety licence to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, clearing it to host the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Construction of the circuit truly had been a race against time as the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP loomed, though the main facilities were indeed in place once F1 personnel arrived in the paddock on Thursday. That gave FIA race director Michael Masi the opportunity to officially inspect the track on Thursday, and thankfully, the all-clear was given. “It has been an impressive journey for all involved to make the first FIA F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a reality, and the progress that I have seen on each of my visits over recent months has been remarkable,” said Masi. “The circuit itself has now been completed to a high level and complies with FIA Grade 1 standards that we require for hosting a grand prix. “The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will provide an interesting new challenge for the drivers and teams, and I’m looking forward to another exciting weekend as this fantastic 2021 F1 season draws closer to its conclusion.” Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation chairman Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal added: “We are thrilled to have joined Michael Masi today as he completed his final inspection of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. “We are even more delighted that he has given it his expert seal of approval, meaning that we can let the world know that we are ready to race this weekend on the world’s newest and fastest street circuit. “The fact we have reached this point after only 8 months is an achievement that cannot be overstated. The hard work and dedication of all our staff has helped to make this happen and we can now look forward to an unforgettable race weekend.” Now that the circuit has been cleared, it was also confirmed that there will be three DRS zones around this 3.8-mile, 27-turn track.

Hamilton receives criticism from Grenfell Tower survivors after sporsorship deal with Kingspan

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is facing protests from survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy over a decision to be sponsored by the company that made combustible insulation used on the tower. Kingspan, which campaigners say played a central role in the fire that killed 72 people, has agreed a deal with Mercedes that will see its logo emblazoned on Hamilton’s and other drivers’ Formula One cars. The survivors’ group Grenfell United called for the seven-time world champion to cancel the relationship. The insulation company changed the composition of its plastic foam boards before the fire in June 2017, which tests at the Grenfell Inquiry found “burned like a raging inferno”. It continued to sell the boards around the UK despite concerns, including a small amount on the Grenfell tower block in west Loandon. Mercedes said after the partnership was announced that it was “n exciting partnership”. The firm said in a statement that sponsorship deals were not decided by individual drivers. “Our partner Kingspan has supported, and continues to support, the vitally important work of the inquiry to determine what went wrong and why in the Grenfell Tower tragedy,” Mercedes said in a statement. “Our new partnership announced this week is centred on sustainability, and will support us in achieving our targets in this area.” Hamilton has previously spoken out in solidarity with victims of the blaze. On the third anniversary of the fire he posted on Instagram: “Remembering the 72 souls we lost and their loved ones, and everyone affected by this tragedy.”

Vettel holds a karting event exclusive to females in Saudi Arabia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Aston Martin F1 driver Sebastian Vettel held a karting event exclusive to females in Saudi Arabia to address the nation’s social issues with positivity. Much has been made of the troubles surrounding human rights and attitudes to the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia, as was the case in Qatar previously, but Vettel wanted to take a different approach, that being to focus on the positives. The four-time world champion decided to set up a karting event for women which was inspired by the 2018 ruling which gave women the right to drive alone in Saudi Arabia. “If you look from a Western or European lens, that there’s still lots of things that should be improved and have to be addressed – but it’s also true that some things are changing. And for those people, they make a huge difference,” Vettel said. “There’s been a lot of talk and thought heading into the race here, the first time we race in Saudi Arabia, there are a lot of questions that have been asked and I’ve asked myself. “I was thinking of what I can do. In general, we have so much attention or so much focus on negative examples when it comes to shortcomings of certain countries, in regards to maybe human rights and other things, but I really try to think of the positives. “And so I set up my own karting event today under the hashtag Race For Women. And we had a group of seven or eight girls and women on the track. “I was trying to pass on some of my experiences in life and obviously on track, to do something together to grow their confidence. Some of them had a licence, others they did not, some of them were huge F1 enthusiasts, others had nothing to do with Formula 1 or racing before today. “It was a good mix of women from different backgrounds and a great event, everybody was extremely happy. “And I was, I have to say, very inspired by their stories and their background, their positivity about the change in the country. “This way it was important to get to know some of these women. And I think it was a very, very memorable and inspiring day and a great way to kick-off the weekend by focusing on the positive.” Vettel also believes that negatives are present throughout the world, and so it is not fair for him to necessarily be the judge of what is right or wrong when visiting nations like Saudi Arabia. And so, while the changes that needs to happen will take time, he feels the best course of action is to celebrate the good which already has happened. “It’s clear that some things aren’t going the way they should, but that’s our point of view. And it’s also probably true that things are always taking time,” he explained. “I would love to change the world in some things overnight. But who am I to judge about right and wrong? I think that’s a slippery slope. “It’s true that in some countries, some shortcomings are bigger than others. I think there’s trouble in Germany, there’s trouble in the UK when it comes to individual freedom, probably to a different scale and level. “But I feel that we don’t really get anywhere by just highlighting the negatives and being so negative, because in the end, it makes you sad. “Much more inspiring I find is to highlight the positives, and listen to those who have been touched and whose life has been improved. “And to see today these women, the confidence they had, and maybe in an area that is male dominated when it comes to driving or racing, to give them the chance and the focus, I think it’s been great. “And it’s given me a lot of pleasure as well, even though it wasn’t a race or something that maybe people imagined, but just the fact that I’m spending time and giving something back and some of my experience, they really enjoyed that.

Cyril Abiteboul honors Ricciardo’s tatoo bet

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago01 mins

Daniel Ricciardo has FINALLY managed to ink former Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul after winning a bet last season. Several races prior to Ricciardo’s first podium for Renault at the Eifel Grand Prix, details of a wager between the Australian and his then-boss Abiteboul leaked. Put simply, stand on the podium and Abiteboul would get a tattoo. The size and placing Ricciardo later confirmed would be down to the Frenchman but the design would be of the driver’s choosing. Pressure mounted on Abiteboul to finally get inked after McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown faced his own fears as part of the annual ‘Industry Leaders’ Challenge’ begun by the Grand Prix Trust. Ricciardo always maintained Abiteboul was keen to hold up his end of the bet, and now the moment has arrived.

Mazepin: Uralkali still planning to buy a Formula 1 team

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Nikita Mazepin’s father, Dmitry Mazepin says his company is “ready” to ramp up its backing of Haas and he’s also not ruling out buying a Formula 1 team outright. The tycoon who is listed in the top 100 wealthiest businessmen in Russia, is backing the small American outfit via his potash fertiliser company Uralkali. “The agreement is long-term,” the 53-year-old told Russian broadcaster Match TV. “There is a fixed term and an extension option. I understand that many fans are interested in the cost, but it is a commercial secret so I cannot reveal the numbers.” That mystery number could now be set to rise, even though Haas’ 2021 season has been particularly disappointing. “This season has turned out to be difficult,” Mazepin snr confirmed. “The car was slow. “The team announced early this season that it would not be developed, but there were these two young drivers. And although they have almost no chance to fight for points, they both worked tirelessly,” he said, referring also to Mick Schumacher. “I’m happy with their attitude, but I think for next season it is encouraging. First of all, there will be a new car,” said Mazepin. Indeed, the car is even being developed at a new facility on the very grounds of Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello – and now it appears as though there will be extra funding. “We are ready to voluntarily offer additional conditions, with which we would like to motivate Haas employees to stay in the team and be more involved in the process,” said Mazepin. “I understand that it is difficult to travel to 23 countries of the world in a season – the human factor plays a big role here. Therefore, we are doing our best to increase motivation internally and, as a sponsor, to be a part of the team.” Dmitry Mazepin also reiterated that he still aims to one day soon call himself a Formula 1 team owner. “We have great ambitions in motorsport,” he said, before alluding to his failed bid to take over the Force India team. “Yes, there was an unsuccessful attempt to buy a team, but we will not leave this topic behind. And it isn’t about Nikita’s career,” added Mazepin. “These are our long-term plans – we want to expand our presence in Formula 1. We are represented in Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2, and ideally the crown should be a Formula 1 team and we want to be its owner. “At the moment we are not negotiating with anyone, because everyone is waiting for the cards to be revealed in 2022,” he said. “If some small teams suddenly become successful, then the cost and the attractiveness will be different.”

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to host Spanish Grand Prix up to 2026

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Formula 1 has renewed its deal with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to keep the Spanish Grand Prix on the calendar until at least 2026. Spain’s long-term future had been in doubt over recent seasons having only signed a one-year extension after the 2020 race. Barcelona has been a regular fixture on the F1 schedule since 1991, making it one of the longest-serving grand prix circuits of the current venues. As part of the new agreement, the track and facilities will undergo improvements ahead of the 2022 race having largely remained unchanged since it was built in the run-up to the 1992 Olympic Games. “We are delighted to announce this deal with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “I want to thank the promoter and the authorities for their enthusiasm and commitment to keeping Formula 1 in Barcelona, with improvements that will be made to the track and facilities, and continuing our long history together. “The teams and drivers always look forward to racing at the circuit and visiting Barcelona, and the Spanish fans will continue to see their national heroes, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, up close.” Roger Torrent, the Catalan minister of business and labour and president of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, stressed the strive for sustainability was a key factor in agreeing a new deal. “We welcome the renewal of this contract, which includes a mutual commitment clause to help us turn Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya into a model and world benchmark of sustainability applied to this type of facility,” said Torrent. “We want the circuit to become an exponent of the green transformation and the adaptation of infrastructures to the demands of the climate emergency.”

Alfa Romeo boss admits Zhou’s financial background was key to his signing

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur admits the financial backing Guanyu Zhou will bring to the team was “a pillar” of his decision to give him a drive next year, but insists “not the only one”. Zhou has been recruited to run alongside Valtteri Bottas at Alfa next season and will bring a significant level of funding to the team – coupled with the potential marketing opportunities for the sport which will present themselves through having its first ever full-time Chinese driver. But despite those factors, the team principal insists Zhou’s driving was still a big factor in his appointment to the seat. “The first criteria is the performance of the team,” Vasseur told reporters in Qatar. “It means that to be performant you need to have good drivers, good technicians, good engineers, a good feeling from the drivers and a good budget. “It was a pillar of the decision, for sure. I was always clear like this because we want to get the cost cap. It’s the best way for us to be performant. “But it’s not the only one. I think Zhou is doing a very good job in F2 and I think everyone underestimates the level of performance and the job done by Zhou this season.” Vasseur also reiterated Zhou has been released by the Alpine junior ranks to be able to drive for Alfa, with having a “free hand” being a significant part of his decision to opt for Zhou over Oscar Piastri. The two drivers are locked in a battle at the top of the Formula 2 standings heading into their final rounds of the season and Vasseur feels Zhou’s drive and “determination” have proven he was “the right choice” to drive for the team next year. “The performance is speaking for itself,” he said. “He’s a front-runner, he won this season at Bahrain and Silverstone. In F2 they are probably the two most demanding tracks – Bahrain for tyre management and Silverstone [for] its high-speed corners. “But he did some pole positions, he’s always there, consistent and I’m sure he will do well next year. “And also I would say the determination, because he moved from China to Europe and we know perfectly that when you move from Europe even to Japan, it’s not an easy move for a driver and Zhou did the opposite. “When you are 13 and you move to Europe just because you want to become a racing driver, for me it’s a mega, huge commitment. “I’m convinced he will put all of his energy into the project and I’m convinced he will do well.”

Mike Harmon Xfinity team gets penalty for testing violation at Rockingham

Kevin Peterson3 years ago11 months ago07 mins

Mike Harmon, driver and owner of the No. 74 Chevrolet in the Xfinity series, was fined 75 owner points and 75 driver championship points, according to NASCAR.com. Crew Chief Ryan Bell was also fined $50,000 and suspended from the next six points events. The penalties for both Harmon and Bell will be applied next season. The NASCAR rulebook prohibits using a “NASCAR National Series vehicle or its equivalent, as determined by NASCAR … for testing, practicing, qualifying, or racing other than in a NASCAR Series Event.” Harmon had two cars at Motorsport 4the Masses’ Motorfest at Thunder Alley on Nov. 13. Officials with M4TM released a statement Monday evening saying that it held exhibitions — not testing or racing — that day, adding that Harmon was a late addition. “The purpose was to let people see stock cars gracing a historic speedway again,” officials said in a statement. The exhibition included several vintage stock cars, including Buck Baker’s Oldsmobile 88. (See the RO’s Facebook page for photos from the event.) Two days later, Harmon’s team posted two photos to social media of the cars making laps around Rockingham. The M4TM statement continues: “He did not ask or discuss his reasons for being at our event beforehand, he was treated as all other participants. We did not know what car he was bringing beforehand, and quite honestly, until someone told me it was an Xfinity car he still drove, I had assumed he was retired based simply on how long ago he had started racing. He did make a comment to me when (as I say to all drivers at our events), ‘I hope you had a good day and enjoyed yourself.’ His comment was ‘Y’all run a good event. It is nice to just drive with friends with no pressure and enjoy it every now and then.’ As for whether he was testing or not, only he knows that answer but he, like all participants honored my instructions in the drivers meeting to “drive slow enough it would take a blown tire or oil on the track to lose control, please stay off the ragged edge.” We did not know he was in violation of any NASCAR rules nor did we see him as anything but another participant. We only wish the best for him and NASCAR going forward.” According to NASCAR, Harmon competed in one Xfinity race this season, placing 39th at Martinsville Speedway in October. RacingReference.com shows that Harmon first drove in the Xfinity series in 1996, but didn’t return until 2001 and has been listed as a driver in the series every year except 2006. Although listed as a driver in 2010, the stats website shows Harmon didn’t enter any races that year. The RO reached out to Harmon for a statement Monday evening, but had received no response in time for this story. However, Harmon told kickinthetires.net that he plans to appeal. “It just dumbfounded me,” Harmon told Kickin’ the Tires about the penalty. “I thought he (NASCAR official) was joking. I seriously thought he was just picking on me when he called…We went to help out a charity with cars and they had cars as old as 1949 to now. I had no idea we were doing wrong. No earthly idea. That’s obvious because we even put it on our Facebook.” He also saidthat the idea of his team testing “is a joke.” “We can’t afford to race, much less test. We were there with a generator to prime the oil and a jack to change tires if we had a flat. We didn’t have nothing there to test with. And we couldn’t test because you could only run 75 to 80 percent.” Justin Jones, vice president of operations at Rockingham Speedway and Entertainment Complex, seems to be in agreement with Harmon. “In my opinion, there was not testing planned and there was no testing done,” Jones told the RO Monday evening. “He did charity laps and we’re grateful for his participation.”

Bottas had a different car from Hamilton in Qatar GP

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Valtteri Bottas has revealed he had a different spec W12 compared to Lewis Hamilton in Qatar, but couldn’t go in further details. The departing Mercedes driver topped two of three practice sessions at the Losail International Circuit and qualified third for Sunday’s race, but the weekend started to unravel quickly after that for the Finn. Slapped with a three-place grid drop for failing to respect yellow flags in qualifying, Bottas lost more valuable places at the start and, just eight laps in, was soon given the hurry-up by a less-than-impressed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Bottas made slow but gradual progress back up the order, but a puncture just past the pit-lane entry and an eventual retirement from the race due to too much damage to his car compounded his misery. The Mercedes driver said he had no prior warning that he was risking a puncture, but did suggest elsewhere in his media rounds after the race that he had a different set-up compared to Hamilton. “I have found out the reason, but I cannot give details,” Bottas said. “But my car was no longer quite the same as it was, nor was it the same as Lewis’. “There were little differences in the cars.” Meanwhile, Wolff gave Bottas his vote of confidence after being quizzed about the Finn’s latest below-par performance. “We know that he can drive away when he’s at the front,” Wolff said. “So the speed is there. “I have absolute confidence in him for the next races and I hope that we will have a good car. Then Valtteri will be at the front again because we need him there. As for Bottas puncture, Wolff added to Sky Italia: “He’s very unlucky, because his start was very bad, then he recovered, he was P3 on track, and then there was this puncture. “If he had finished the race, we would have had a bit of a safety margin for the Constructors’ Championship, now it will be all decided at the end.”

Ricciardo blames Qatar GP woes on Fuel saving ‘system error’

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he was forced to fuel save for half of Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix after a “system error”. After a disappointing qualifying which left him 14th on the grid in Qatar, Ricciardo hoped to bounce back on race day. Ricciardo failed to make any progress on the opening lap after going three-wide into the first corner with Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll. The Australian’s race was thwarted by the amount of fuel-saving he had to do, costing him around two seconds per lap. Explaining the issue, Ricciardo said: “After the start we had fuel saving from super early in the race. I started doing what I thought was already a lot, and it was not enough. “So Tom [Stallard, his engineer] said you need to do more. It is not enough. To a point where at times we were losing two seconds a lap by fuel saving. And without the brakes get cold, the tires get cold, and you lose grip. It is a downward spiral. “So we were fuel saving for a good half of the race, and that took us way out. And then Tom said no more fuel saving. Maximum push. I’m only saying Tom because he is the one that feeds me the information, but it is clearly a system error today. It is a shame because when I could push the referenced time I was able to get… But we were at the mercy of error today with the reading.” Ricciardo believes it cost him a chance of scoring points in Qatar. “It is the most I’ve had to save and the earliest in the race that I ever had to save,” he added. “I think you guys could’ve driven a similar pace when I was fuel saving. I was coasting into every corner. “And it was never enough. I don’t know what happened to the system or if they got another reading, and then Tom said no more just push. “I’m going to look at the bright side and say I’m glad it did not happen in a podium position because that would have been the most painful thing ever. But it definitely took us out of a chance at the points.” McLaren boss Andreas Seidl didn’t have an explanation as to what caused the fuel issue as the team continues to investigate the issue. “On Daniel’s side, a good start to the race, unfortunately, he had a lot of fuel-saving, unexpectedly which compromised his race quite a lot and any chance to get back into the points,” Seidl explained. “It’s something that we need to analyse why this happened.”

Mercedes to use Brazil GP power unit on Lewis Hamilton’s car in Saudi Arabia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Mercedes has revealed Lewis Hamilton will use his fresher Formula 1 engine from Brazil for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix to aid his 2021 title bid. Hamilton closed to within eight points of championship leader Max Verstappen with a dominant victory in Qatar, despite reverting back to his older-spec power unit. The seven-time world champion took a five-place grid penalty at Interlagos after fitting a fifth ICE of the season, and will use the engine again for Saudi’s high-speed layout. As Hamilton’s title aspirations gain momentum following back-to-back wins, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the team would get its “spicy equipment out” for the next encounter. “In Saudi it should be a good track for us but we know this year, when we think it is a good one, it can turn the other way around,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “But it is long straights and we will get our spicy equipment out, the engine, for Saudi Arabia. “Hopefully Valtteri [Bottas] can be right up there because we need him, but in any case if everybody finishes the race it is going to Abu Dhabi.” Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin is also buoyant about the team’s chances for Saudi Arabia, particularly knowing Hamilton would run his fresher power unit. “We’ve seen pretty big swings of performance over the recent races, [but] if we look at the track in Saudi, I think it should suit us,” Shovlin said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “For Lewis, we have got the more powerful engine to go in the car, so that’s going to give him a useful engine.” Shovlin explained the decision to not fit the more powerful engine in Qatar was down to the Losail track having fewer straights than Saudi’s street circuit. “There are two [power units] that we are racing,” he said. “Here we had the less powerful of the two in the car, due to the nature of the circuit. So that side of it is in a good place at the moment.” But while Mercedes goes to Saudi Arabia full of confidence, Shovlin stresses it cannot expect to come away with a result after its defeat to Red Bull at last month’s US Grand Prix. “The track should suit the car, but then we would have probably said in Austin that we would have felt that we should be able to put together a decent set-up and take the fight to Red Bull, and they had a bit of an edge there,” Shovlin said. “So we’re always cautious to go to a race thinking that it’s all going to go our way. “What we do know though are the things we’ve got to get right on the set-up, what we need to get right on the tyres and how they’re working, and that’s what we’re going to be busy doing over the next few days, making sure we’re taking every possible opportunity to arrive there in good shape. “With a new circuit, arriving in good shape is such a big thing from the learning curve, if you’ve got a good car to start with, you can just improve it from there.”

‘No time for celebrations’ for Lewis Hamilton after Qatar Grand Prix win

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Lewis Hamilton vows to uphold in the final two rounds of the season the momentum that saw him win in Qatar Grand Prix his second race in succession and reduce the gap to Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ championship to just 8 points. The seven-time world champion is on a roll, as his comfortable 202nd career win in F1 on Sunday at the Losail International Circuit clearly proved. On the track, Mercedes has regained the upper hand over Red Bull while off the track, the two teams continue to spar while their representatives take turns visiting the stewards’ office. After his triumph on Sunday, Hamilton said that he had enjoyed a “straightforward” and relatively “lonely” evening under the floodlights in Qatar, adding that he’s never felt as good as he currently feels, both physically and onboard his car given Mercedes’ strength of late. However, despite his spell of success, the Briton is keeping his head down, knowing that the battle for the title with Verstappen will likely go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. “The last two weeks have been fantastic, just amazing,” said Hamilton. “But there’s no time for celebrations. “I’ll be back in with the team already again next week and just back in training tomorrow. Just stay on it, head down.” Overall, Hamilton has outscored Verstappen by 11 points in the last two races, but with 52 points on offer – including fastest lap bonus points – there’s still all to play for in the final 108 laps of the 2021 season. “I don’t really have too much emotion except for [being] driven right now,” he added. “But it’s amazing… To close that gap by so many points in these last few races has been important. “They’re obviously still very fast as you could see today with their fastest lap and both their cars getting past pretty much everyone quite easily. “So we’ve still got our work cut out and a big shame for Valtteri today. “[But] I feel positive going into these next couple of races. I think they should be quite good for our car, so I’m looking forward to that battle.”