Racetrackmasters

Qatar Grand Prix: Verstappen sets the pace in FP1 as Hamilton experiences power issues(Results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has topped the times in a sedate first practice session at the Losail International Circuit with the Qatari venue playing host to its first Grand Prix this weekend. With an air temperature around 28 degrees celsius and a track temperature of 38 degrees, the drivers spent the first half of the session learning the track and playing with lines as they put in the laps on the Medium and Hard compound tyres and clear away the dust from the track surface. It was with around twenty minutes to go that the pace of the session started to ramp up as the drivers swapped to the Soft tyre compound. Valtteri Bottas went quickest with a 1:24.194 to go quickest, with Verstappen then beating that time with ease as he set a 1:23.723 to go almost half a second clear. With the Red Bull driver quickest in the first and third sectors, Bottas set the faster time in the middle sector. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly slotted in behind Verstappen with three minutes left in the session, setting a time almost half a second slower than Verstappen and 0.034 quicker than what Bottas had managed. Lewis Hamilton finished in fourth place, almost 0.8 seconds away from the pace set by Verstappen. However, the Mercedes driver had been on a much quicker lap with about 15 minutes remaining in the session, including the fastest middle sector, but aborted the lap in the final sector after getting a snap of oversteer. Hamilton could be heard on the team radio querying his straight-line speed as he felt his engine was down on power, and also withdrew to the pits in the closing minutes as his team told him he had a car issue. While Mercedes tried to hide the car back in the garage by having personnel stand in front of it, TV footage suggested that Hamilton had an issue with his front wing. With the issue repaired, he returned to the track with two minutes remaining. 2021 F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Max verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m23.723s 2 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m24.160s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m24.194s 4 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m24.509s. 5 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m24.648s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m24.713s 7 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m24.790s 8 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m24.915s 9 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m24.972s 10 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m25.215s 11 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m25.291s 12 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m25.328s 13 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m25.688s 14 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m25.757s 15 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m25.828s 16 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m25.871s 17 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m25.905s 18 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m26.699s 19 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m26.712s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m27.500s

FIA delays announcing their decision on Hamilton-Verstappen matter to Friday

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

The FIA has delayed a decision on Mercedes request for a right to review the decision not to penalise Max Verstappen in Brazil until Friday. Summoned by the FIA to present new evidence relevant to the case, Mercedes was armed with the onboard footage not available to the Interlagos stewards at the time they decided not in investigate the lap 48 incident. “Following today’s hearing with representatives from Mercedes and Red Bull, the stewards are now considering the matter and will publish their decision tomorrow.” It was only after the race that race director Michael Masi revealed that the decision to flag the incident as a “racing incident” was because the relevant onboard footage wasn’t available.If the FIA grant the right of review a further hearing will be undertaken at which the specifics of the incident, including the new footage, will be carefully scrutinised. While a time penalty could see Max Verstappen demoted to third in the Brazil results if found guilty of forcing Lewis Hamilton off track, alternatively the Dutchman could be hit was a grid penalty this weekend.

Qatar Grand Prix: F1 to monitor track limits on 5 turns

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Drivers have been warned that track limits will be enforced at 5 of the Losail International Circuit’s 16 corners during this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. Before a wheel has even turned, drivers have been warned that a lap time achieved during any practice session or the race by leaving the track on the exit of Turns 4, 12, 13, 14 and 16 will result in that lap time being invalidated by the stewards. Each time any car fails to negotiate any of the exits by using the track, their team will be informed via the official messaging system. On the third occasion of a driver failing to negotiate any of the turns by using the track during the race, he will be shown a black and white flag, and any further cutting will then be reported to the stewards. For the avoidance of doubt this means a total of three occasions combined not three at each corner. Given the track will only have one DRS zone – on the main straight – overtaking is likely to be very difficult. Consequently the likeliest opportunity will be into Turn 1, particularly with DRS assistance. However, according to Mercedes, turns 6, 10 and 16 might offer chances to sneak down the inside if a mistake is made.

Alfa Romeo boss disappointed with Giovinazzi’s comments after F1 exit announcement

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur says he wasn’t pleased with Antonio Giovinazzi’s behaviour. This comes after Alfa Romeo made an announcement earlier this week to replace Giovinazzi with Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou for 2022. The Italian driver expressed his disappointment with the Swiss-based team for not retaining him for the 2022 season. Instead, they opted for Zhou, a driver who is reportedly getting a huge cash injection into the team. Antonio took to Twitter to reveal his emotions, and how brutal the world of Formula One can be. “F1 is emotion, talent, cars, risk, speed. But when money rules it can be ruthless. I believe in the surprise of an unexpected result, of big or small victories achieved thanks to one’s commitment. If this was my first picture on a F1, the last still has to be taken,” read his statement on Twitter. The statement and remarks about Guanyu Zhou’s recruitment didn’t go well with Frederic Vasseur. There was a lot of speculation about who will get the second seat at the Swiss-based team. Now it is confirmed that Zhou will be behind the wheel next year. While Antonio will part ways with the team. Additionally, the comments made by the Italian driver didn’t suit Vasseur and stated he was disappointed with Antonio’s behavior. “Well, honestly, I think it’s important for him to close the chapter, at least on this season, doing well on track,” said Vasseur in an interview with Will Buxton. “I saw the comments. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of this kind of attitude: also because the team gave him the chance to do three seasons in F1, and Alfa Romeo gave him the chance to do three seasons in F1. Tons of drivers would have dreamed to do it.” “Now he will have other challenges. He will have to do well in that other challenge, and perhaps he will come back in F1 in the future. But it’s a small world and we have to stay professional,” he concluded.

BMW gives a teaser of LMDh Prototype set to feature in 2023 IMSA Championship

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

BMW has teased the LMDh prototype it is readying for the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. A few months ago, the German automaker announced plans to join the Le Mans Daytona Hybrid class from 2023 onwards. Work on the racer is underway and in a new video released by BMW Motorsport, we’re offered a glimpse of the car. The front end of the LMDh prototype is dominated by a pair of massive kidney grilles pictured with purple accents. BMW’s designers have also given the prototype a massive front splitter and a pair of huge canards that will help to stick it to the racetrack. This image also shows the prototype with sharp LED headlights. The teaser also shows that the prototype will have pronounced front and rear wheel humps and a narrow cockpit. Other elements visible in this teaser include a roof scoop, aerodynamic wing mirrors, and a large rear wing. BMW will run two prototypes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that will use a chassis produced by Dallara. The first test car will be built at Dallara’s factory in Italy by BMW M Motorsport engineers and Dallara engineers before making its on-track debut at the Varano circuit in 2022. Dallara is one of four companies approved to make chassis for the series, along with ORECA, Multimatic, and Ligier. BMW hasn’t yet revealed specifics about the powertrain that its race car will use.

Razgatlioglu and Rea ready for the final title fight in Indonesia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

12 Rounds and 35 races later, 30 points separate the top two in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) heads Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) heading into the season-ending Pirelli Indonesian Round. The title will be decided at the all-new Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, providing another challenge on top of the title battle. Both Razgatlioglu and Rea have claimed 28 podiums in the 2021 campaign with the Turkish rider on 13 wins compared to Rea’s 11. Both have also had three retirements from races in a remarkably even season, with the title on the line at the season-ending Indonesian Round; Razgatlioglu hoping to end Rea’s run of consecutive titles while the Northern Irishman will hope to turn around a 30-point deficit to make it seven in a row. Razgatlioglu leads the Championship heading into the final round of the campaign, but throughout 2021 has been adamant that his approach is looking for race wins and not looking at the Championship standings. Discussing his approach to racing in Indonesia, Razgatlioglu continued this theme. He said: “Everybody asks the same question. My plan was just to focus on the race because I try to fight for the win again. This is more important for me. I’m very close to being Champion but I will try my best; maybe I’m in second position, maybe third, maybe I win. We will see. I just try again for the win. This is my style, but everybody says, ‘you don’t need first position’, but this is important because I like this style. Because this is the last round, everybody will try their best.” The 30-point margin is one that has been almost closed up throughout one weekend numerous times in 2021 with technical issues or crashes restricting the points-scoring haul at times. Explaining how he relishes the underdog tag and his approach to the weekend, Rea said: “We’ve, both of us, have thrown away more than that kind of points in one weekend so I can focus on myself. It’s not the best position, a real underdog position, but one that I relish.” “Just focus on myself. No matter what happens from a Championship point of view, I’m trying to put that to the back of my head and go out and finish the year strongly with race results. I want to go home on the plane on Sunday night and feel like I’ve done a great job here. Then, of course, the year will look after itself.” In the last six years, Rea has come into the final round either with the Championship wrapped up or leading the standings. Talking about the difference in 2021, Rea said: “The last years have been incredible to really enjoy the last round. This one’s a little bit different but similar as well because I don’t feel the same pressure I would have normally to get a job done.” “I feel we’ve perhaps lost the Championship in some ways this year so to be in the fight is a great position. I’ve got a lot of motivation, try to keep the dream alive until the last race and what better place to come!” Razgatlioglu also gave his thoughts on what it would mean if he was crowned World Champion and the Indonesian Round as a whole. He said: “It’s very important for me and the team. I like this track and it’s my first time in Indonesia….I’m not feeling stressed, I like it here.” “Today I walked the track, and everything is good. We are ready and this race is very important for me. I hope we are Champion this weekend; this is very important for me. I am waiting to say, ‘this is for my dad’, and this is very important for me. This is my dream. I know my father has always worked for me, he believed in me always. He said ‘Toprak will be World Champion’, but it wasn’t possible for him to see this. This is very important for me.”

Local drivers test the new Eau Rouge section at Spa-Francorchamps

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

A local racing driver and consultant has tested the proposed new trajectory through Spa-Francorchamps’ legendary Eau Rouge-Raidillon section. Following a spate of dangerous recent incidents at the fabled section, including the death of Anthoine Hubert in 2019, circuit organisers demolished the famous villa at the top of the hill to re-imagine the layout. The FIA’s goal, according to France’s Auto Hebdo, is to reduce the overall speed of the famous up-down-left-right sweepers by 10 percent. A proposed new trajectory through the section, marked out with white lines, has been tested at full speed by local driving techniques consultant Pierre-Yves Rosoux in a BMW M2 CS Racing GT4 car. “The new, more angular version requires me to brake 20 metres earlier,” Rosoux revealed afterwards. “When the braking phase is over, I am at 160kph in the new Raidillon compared to 180 before. At the top of the hill, I am at 170 instead of 182 with the turn that we have known for so long,” he added. Rosoux admitted that he is not sure if the proposed layout “will have a future”. “The more we approach Raidillon with high-performance cars, the smaller the gap will be (compared to the existing layout),” he insisted. “This version also risks generating other problems at the top. It is likely that more tests will take place in the coming weeks.”

Verstappen may face two penalties if Mercedes win appeal

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could face a range of penalties after Mercedes submitted a review of the decision not to penalise the world championship leader for forcing Lewis Hamilton wide at the Brazilian Grand Prix. After being awarded a five-place grid penalty, Hamilton had one of his great drives to climb from P10 and take the chequered flag at Interlagos. The result saw the Brit close the gap to championship leader Verstappen to 14 points ahead of the final three races of the season. On lap 48 on Sunday, the two rivals were battling for the lead with Hamilton’s Mercedes appearing to narrowly edge ahead of the Red Bull, which was on the inside. Verstappen ran wide and the move forced both drivers off the track, with the Dutchman holding the lead for a few more laps before the seven-time world champion finally took the lead. While Hamilton took the lead and won anyway, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Verstappen should have received a penalty. An investigation was deemed unnecessary after the FIA consulted footage provided by broadcast cameras – but Verstappen’s on-board footage shows the Dutchman clearly didn’t turn as aggressively as he could have, forcing Hamilton from the road. Mercedes have submitted a ‘right of review’ after seeing the footage, which officials did not have during the race but emerged on Tuesday. If accepted and the FIA opt to penalise Verstappen, the 24-year-old could be given a retrospective five-second time penalty – which would boost Valtteri Bottas to second-place with the Dutchman dropping three points. It is more likely that Verstappen would be awarded a grid penalty ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend. The most extreme punishment of all, used for seriously endangering the life of another driver, is to be excluded from the drivers’ world championship that year – but, needless to say, that punishment will not be handed down to Verstappen. Red Bull are reportedly surprised their rivals have protested as they believe the on-board camera from Verstappen’s car supported the view of race director Michael Masi that it was simply hard racing. The sporting code of governing body the FIA says: “Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are strictly prohibited. “Any driver who appears guilty of any of the above offences will be reported to the stewards.” Mercedes F1 team principal Wolff said after the race that it was ‘laughable’ that Verstappen had not been penalised for the incident. It was not the only controversial incident in Brazil, as Red Bull made several visits to the FIA claiming that Hamilton’s rear wing was illegal, granting the Mercedes a performance advantage on the straights. This led to the investigation that ended with Hamilton being disqualified from qualifying when his wing was found not to be in compliance with the regulations – although in a different way than the one Red Bull had believed. Verstappen admitted he thought the Mercedes wing was flexing backwards on the straights. Red Bull are monitoring the situation but reportedly have no plans to lodge an appeal.

Tom Sykes to make a WSBK return with BMW in Indonesia finale

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Tom Sykes will make his WorldSBK return at this weekend’s season finale in Indonesia after missing the last nine races due to concussion. Tom Sykes has confirmed his return from concussion for this weekend’s final WorldSBK round of 2021 ahead of a likely switch to BSB in 2022. Sykes sustained concussion during a Superpole race accident involving team-mate Michael Van Der Mark which cost him to miss rounds in Jerez, Portimao and San Juan. The 2013 world champion was then replaced by fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty who will ride full-time for Bonovo BMW next year. With his future very much up in the air and every WorldSBK factory seat filled for next year, Sykes is hoping for a good showing in what’s likely to be his swansong outing in the world championship. Sykes said: “I’m very much looking forward to getting back on my BMW M 1000 RR. It has been a long time since I last raced and obviously we have a little bit of work to do to catch up. “But having said that, I have to say that the excitement of going to a totally new venue is quite something, not only because Indonesia is a great part of the world. “Everybody looks to be doing an incredible job on the new circuit of Mandalika. What a unique venue – to say the least. “On top of that, it is located on a beautiful island so I am really looking forward to it. It is new for everybody and I have to say that it is going to be a little bit of a way to finish the season, but that’s another story. “In general, it’s a great place to finish the season, and hopefully we can finish it with some strong results to end 2021.” For team-mate Van Der Mark, the Dutchman is in a rich vein of form after taking a wet Superpole race win in Portimao, before claiming three top six finishes last time out in San Juan. Van Der Mark, who will be joined by Scott Redding at BMW after this weekend, is expecting a ‘great weekend’ aboard the M 1000 RR machine. “It’s fantastic to go to Indonesia. It’s nice to have a new circuit on the calendar, especially in Asia. I love to go there. It’s also incredible that it’s the last round of the season already,” added the former Yamaha rider. “I cannot wait to try the Mandalika circuit because it looks really nice from what I have seen. “Getting to know a new track is not too difficult; it comes with doing the laps. I think that it will be a great season finale.”

Press conference line-up for Qatar Grand Prix

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Formula 1 heads off to Qatar this weekend, with the country’s inaugural Grand Prix taking place at a staple of the MotoGP calendar, the Losail International Circuit. F1 has released the press conference schedule for the Qatar Grand Prix which will happen on Thursday and as usual there are interesting driver pair-ups which will be interesting to watch. Lewis Hamilton will be pairing with George Russell and we will be expecting a lot of questions for the duo as Russell will be joining Hamilton at Mercedes for 2022 F1 season. Also, expect Hamilton to talk on his tight battle for 2021 drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen. Another interesting duo to watch will be Antonio Giovinazzi and Max Verstappen. Earlier in the week Alfa Romeo announced they will be letting Giovinazzi go, replacing him with chinese driver Guanyu Zhou. For Verstappen, expect to get a lot of insight on the 2021 drivers’ championship battle with Lewis Hamilton as the fight is down to only 3 races. SCHEDULE OF VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCES QATAR GRAND PRIX 2021 THURSDAY, 18 NOVEMBER, 1430 HOURS LOCAL TIME Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Fernando Alonso (Alpine)Nicholas Latifi (Williams) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)Mick Schumacher (Haas) Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)Lando Norris (McLaren) Nikita Mazepin (Haas)Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo)Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)George Russell (Williams) FRIDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 1500 HOURS LOCAL TIME Toto Wolff (Mercedes)Christian Horner (Red Bull) Frederic Vasseur (Alfa Romeo)Franz Tost (AlphaTauri) SATURDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, POST-QUALIFYING First three finishing drivers

MotoGP releases 2022 provisional riders entry list

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

MotoGP has published its complete 24-strong entry list for the 2022 world championship season. While there is mass stability in many of the leading two-wheel teams, five rookies will join the field next year. Moto2 champion Remy Gardner and runner-up Raul Fernandez will keep their respective race numbers, #87 and #25, for their promotion to Tech3 KTM Factory Racing. Elsewhere, Darryn Binder will step up straight from Moto3 to effectively replace Valentino Rossi at the revamped RNF MotoGP Team (previously the Sepang Racing Team); Fabio Di Giannantonio is in at Gresini Racing; and Marco Bezzecchi at VR46. The latter is Rossi’s own team, which notably was listed without a title partner as the saga around the status of Aramco’s potential sponsorship continues. Gresini Racing meanwhile has become an Independent Team powered by Ducati, with Aprilia Racing moving to a full factory operation. Most details about the 2022 grid had been known for some time now, with confirmation released on the eve of the post-season test at Jerez on November 18-19 (local time). Missing from action when the 2022 MotoGP season kicks off at Qatar in early March will be the retired Rossi, and former Tech3 riders Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona. PROVISIONAL 2022 MOTOGP ENTRY LIST RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE #4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #10 Luca Marini ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #12 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #20 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #21 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #23 Enea Bastianini ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #25 Raul Fernandez SPA Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #30 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda Idemitsu (Honda) #33 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #36 Joan Mir SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #40 Darryn Binder RSA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #41 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #42 Alex Rins SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #43 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #44 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda) #49 Fabio Digiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #63 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #72 Marco Bezzecchi ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #73 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda Castrol (Honda) #87 Remy Gardner AUS Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #88 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #89 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #93 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

Red Bull ready to forget drivers’ title if Hamilton keeps new form

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Helmut Marko isn’t giving Max Verstappen much of a chance of holding on to his lead in the drivers’ championship if Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton uphold in the final three races of the season the supremacy they displayed in Brazil. Despite starting a lowly tenth in Sao Paulo, Hamilton was on it from the get-go, carving his way through the field and catching Verstappen, whom he overhauled with twelve laps to go. The straight-line speed of the Briton’s Mercedes – especially relative to Red Bull’s RB16B – was a hot topic all weekend in Brazil, and Marko fears that if Hamilton’s dominant form persists in the final three races of the season, the title will elude Verstappen and Red Bull. Ahead of this week’s Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen sill holds a 14-point advantage over his rival, but Mercedes’ edge in the Constructors’ standings is now 11 points. “If Hamilton is also so superior this weekend in Qatar, and then in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, we can write off the title,” admitted Red Bull’s motorsport boss. “I have never seen such a rocket engine from Mercedes. We couldn’t hold Hamilton on the straights, even though he was driving with a rear wing set at a similar steep angle to Monaco. “But only Hamilton has that speed, the other Mercedes drivers are no cause for concern for us.” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has suggested on multiple occasions that it is closely monitoring Mercedes’ impressive velocity, while questioning how it is being generated, with the team’s focus centered on the Brackley squad’s engine and on a potential ride-height ploy that reduces the W12’s drag on the straights. “We are mainly concerned with two things, which we may also take up with the FIA for clarification,” said Marko. “But there will only be a protest if we have evidence that something is not compliant with the rules on Hamilton’s car.”

Red Bull monitoring Hamilton’s engine and ride height system – Marko

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the team are monitoring “two things” that they suspect may be behind Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ outright speed. Hamilton twice charged through the field at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, bouncing back from his qualifying exclusion to go from 20th to fifth in the Sprint race, and then a five-place grid engine change penalty to rise from 10th to victory in the main event. Hamilton’s impressive straight-line speed raised questions from the Red Bull camp after the race, with team boss Christian Horner explaining that “it’s important to understand where the speed has come from”. Marko admits that Red Bull are keeping a close eye on Hamilton and Mercedes ahead of the final three races of the season. “We are mainly concerned with two things, which we may also take up with the FIA for clarification,” Marko said. “But there will only be a protest if we have evidence that something is not compliant with the rules on Hamilton’s car.”The two main concerns that Marko and Red Bull have are based around Hamilton’s engine and an apparent ride height system that lowers the W12 on the straights, reducing drag and increasing top speed. Separately, onboard footage from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend appeared to show Hamilton pulling backwards on his steering wheel as he approached braking areas around Interlagos, leading to a host of different theories emerging. However, these have been shut down by Mercedes, given that the steering systems have been homologated all year and cannot be modified, with the team stressing that the only plane in which the wheel moves is left to right.In any case, Marko has admitted to concerns over Red Bull’s bid for both championships, with Max Verstappen’s lead over Hamilton cut to 14 points, and Mercedes rebuilding an 11-point advantage in the Constructors’ standings. “If Hamilton is also so superior this weekend in Qatar, and then in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, we can write off the title,” Marko added. “I have never seen such a rocket engine from Mercedes. We couldn’t hold Hamilton on the straights, even though he was driving with a rear wing set at a similar steep angle to Monaco. “But only Hamilton has that speed, the other Mercedes drivers are no cause for concern for us.”

Jack Miller to race in the final Australian Superbike round at The Bend

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Jack Miller will compete in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) season finale at The Bend Motorsport Park next month. Miller, who finished third in last weekend’s MotoGP finale in Valencia, will line up alongside fellow Australian Ducati Riders Oli Bayliss, Mike Jones and Wayne Maxwell on the 2021 Ducati Paniagle V4 R. The event, held in South Australia, takes place on December 3-5. “I am really excited to be able to have this opportunity and race the final round of Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK),” Miller said. “I would love to say a massive thank you to the guys at Ducati for allowing me this opportunity amidst our busy testing schedule. “To go and race in front of the Australian fans is a massive privilege and honour. Thank you to the team at ASBK and Motorcycling Australia for their support at such short notice. I am also thankful to Ben Henry from DesmoSport Ducati for his help in the organisation. As you can imagine it has not been easy to try and organise everything from the other side of the world at such short notice, having Ben and Matty Macalpine there to help me organise most things, has been very easy.” Miller, who finished fourth overall in MotoGP this season, will return home after this week’s two-day official MotoGP test at Jerez. It’ll be the first time he’s raced at home since 2019, with the last two Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island being cancelled due to Covid-19. “Having Australian MotoGP sensation Jack Miller compete in the ASBK is further testament to the tough and highly competitive nature of our ASBK Championship which is one of the best national superbike championships in the world,”Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, added. “Australian race fans have been starved of on track MotoGP action here for two years due to COVID, but to now have their Aussie hero in Jack Miller come home and race ASBK, we are sure fans will flock to the ASBK Grand Finale at The Bend in South Australia.”

Giovinazzi to race for Dragon Penske Formula E team in 2022 after F1 exit

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago01 mins

Antonio Giovinazzi has confirmed that he’s already secured a race seat for 2022, having lost his Alfa Romeo drive for next season. Giovinazzi has been replaced by Guanyu Zhou at Alfa Romeo for next year and, with all the seats on the grid now filled, was left on the F1 sidelines. But Giovinazzi has confirmed that he will still be racing in 2022, as he’s secured a seat with the Dragon Penske Autosport Formula E team. “It’s going to be thrilling. It’s going to be challenging It’s going to be …….electrifying!!!!!!” read a short tweet from Giovinazzi’s Twitter account, showing the current Alfa Romeo driver bedecked in the overalls of his new team. He’ll team up with Sergio Sette Camara at the outfit, with the 2021/22 Formula E season set to get underway in Saudi Arabia on 28 January.

Giovinazzi claims F1 is ‘ruthless’ when ‘money rules’ following Alfa Romeo exit

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Antonio Giovinazzi has claimed F1 can be “ruthless” when “money rules” after being dropped by Alfa Romeo for 2022. The Italian will be replaced by F2 contender Guanyu Zhou, who will become the first Chinese driver in the sport’s history and is believed to be heavily backed financially. The move brings an end to Giovinazzi’s association with Alfa Romeo and Sauber which began in 2017 when he stood in for Pascal Wehrlein at the start of the season before becoming a full-time driver in 2019. In a social media post after his departure was announced, Giovinazzi said: “F1 is emotion, talent, cars, risk, speed. But when money rules it can be ruthless. “I believe in the surprise of an unexpected result, of big or small victories achieved thanks to one’s commitment.” In a separate post, Giovinazzi added: “Unfortunately, we often struggle to find the right words to show our gratitude towards someone. “But I think there’s nothing more beautiful than being able to say thank you. “Thank you for everything and those team members who have supported me through all these wonderful years. “The biggest thank you is to my fans, who have always been close to me and made me feel their affection in every occasion.” Zhou’s announcement completes the grid for F1 2022, with Giovinazzi moving to Dragon Racing in Formula E. The Chinese driver will partner Valtteri Bottas next season, who makes the move from Mercedes.