Racetrackmasters

Algarve MotoGP: Bagnaia takes pole, Quartararo will start from seventh

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago07 mins

Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia scored a remarkable fifth consecutive pole in MotoGP at Portimao, while champion Fabio Quartararo – who had managed the same feat earlier this season – was only seventh. Quartararo and Bagnaia had run the show through practice, but it was Jack Miller who uncorked a Portimao record lap early on in the pole shoot-out instead, with neither of the two favourites even in the top three at the halfway mark of the session. Yet Bagnaia jumped narrowly ahead of team-mate Miller with his very first attempt on his second run, and found another tenth of a second with a follow-up effort moments before the chequered flag. Miller improved too, but only by seven thousandths, leaving him to prop up a Ducati 1-2 that would have been a 1-2-3-4 if not for the efforts of Suzuki rider Joan Mir. Mir beat the closely-matched Pramac Ducati duo of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco to record his best-ever MotoGP qualifying, although he was seen angrily giving a piece of his mind to Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) – who had passed him into Turn 1 on their last laps – after the chequered flag. Despite being world champion in 2020, Mir had never previously qualified above fourth in MotoGP – though he was elevated to third by a Zarco penalty at last year’s Styrian GP. Pol Espargaro was the lead Honda rider in sixth, a place that would’ve gone to Quartararo had he not had his fastest lap in the session deleted for a yellow flag infringement – the yellow flags having been caused by a Luca Marini Turn 14 crash. Quartararo only lost one place as a consequence, and will be joined by Marquez and team-mate Franco Morbidelli on the third row. Iker Lecuona, who was comfortably the fastest KTM of the quartet in Q1 and advanced to Q2 with Zarco, will lead row four, joined by Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Marini (VR46 Ducati). Avintia rider (and Marini’s semi-team-mate) Enea Bastianini briefly looked like joining his many Ducati peers in Q2, but was shuffled down to 13th by a late Q1 improvement from Zarco. Aleix Espargaro was a further tenth down in fourth in Q1, as the lead Aprilia rider (four places up on team-mate Maverick Vinales), while Danilo Petrucci was the closest KTM rider to his team-mate Lecuona in Q1, and will complete the fifth row. It was therefore a bruising session for KTM’s factory riders. Home hero Miguel Oliveira was just a couple of hundredths off Petrucci and 16th-placed Valentino Rossi, but was almost half a second down on Lecuona – at a track where Oliveira had won last year. It was worse still for team-mate Brad Binder, who will line up at the head of row seven and was nearly seven tenths off Lecuona, not helped by an early-Q1 crash at the sharp Turn 3. The only other rider to fall in Q1 was Takaaki Nakagami, with the Japanese LCR Honda rider’s late off at the hairpin-like Turn 5 consigning him to last place on the grid. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 1’38.725s 7/8 335k 2 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.104s 7/8 342k 3 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.168s 3/7 332k 4 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.191s 7/8 342k 5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.193s 6/8 342k 6 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.333s 6/7 341k 7 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.406s 7/7 331k 8 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.466s 6/7 338k 9 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.596s 3/7 329k 10 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.662s 7/8 333k 11 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.924s 3/7 332k 12 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.103s 5/6 331k Qualifying 1: 13 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’39.283s 7/8 338k 14 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’39.389s 7/8 335k 15 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’39.595s 7/8 328k 16 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.604s 7/8 333k 17 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) 1’39.624s 3/8 330k 18 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 1’39.738s 3/7 331k 19 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) 1’39.859s 6/7 336k 20 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1’39.907s 7/8 335k 21 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.918s 7/8 331k 22 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’40.009s 5/5 334k

Bagnaia leads Quartararo with 0.001s in Algarve MotoGP FP3

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago06 mins

Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia led MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo by just 0.001 seconds in an extremely tight Algarve Grand Prix FP3. Despite clear skies bathed in bright sunshine, conditions were cold for the third 45-minute session of the Algarve weekend. This meant lap time improvements on the combined order were few and far between for most of FP3. Suzuki’s Joan Mir was the first major improver on the combined order, the 2020 world champion moving up to third with a 1m39.586s – which also put him top of the individual FP3 timesheet. But this would be the most significant lap for some time, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami the only other rider able to improve into the top 10 with 25 minutes of the session gone. Despite the lack of combined order improvements, the field still went for fresh slicks in the closing stages for a final time attack to try and secure a direct place in Q2 for this afternoon’s qualifying. With seven minutes to go Quartararo finally bettered his Friday time with a 1m39.206s to slightly extend his advantage at the top of the combined timesheets. But it wouldn’t keep him top for long, as Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia found 0.004s to edge ahead with a 1m39.202s moments later. A flurry of late lap times would shake up the top 10 order as the session wound down, but Bagnaia would remain fastest of all. However, Yamaha’s Quartararo found a 1m39.203s on his final lap to shadow Bagnaia by 0.001s – setting up a titanic battle for pole position later today. Mir completed the top three, missing top spot by just 0.025s on his Suzuki, with Ducati’s Jack Miller jumping up to fourth late on ahead of top Honda runner Alex Marquez on the LCR-run RC213V. Franco Morbidelli had a wild ride to sixth on the second of the factory Yamahas ahead of Suzuki’s Alex Rins, while Pol Espargaro bagged a place in Q2 on the factory Honda ahead of Avintia rookie Luca Marini and Pramac’s Jorge Martin. Just 0.461s covered the top 10, with Nakagami denied a place in Q2 by 0.005s from Tech3’s Iker Lecuona, who was comfortably top KTM on a continuing difficult weekend for the Austrian brand. Home hero Miguel Oliveira – who said on Friday he’s “hit a wall” in terms of going faster – did manage to find nine tenths compared to his Friday best, but that was still only good enough for 15th and was still 0.859s off the pace. He’ll face Q1 later along with the likes of Petronas SRT duo Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso, and both Aprilias of Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FREE PRACTICE (3) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 ^1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 1’39.202s 15/18 339k 2 ˅1 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.001s 20/20 330k 3 ^1 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.025s 13/16 332k 4 ˅1 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.160s 18/19 344k 5 ^2 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.173s 19/20 336k 6 ^6 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.274s 19/19 328k 7 ^3 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.348s 19/20 336k 8 ˅3 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.350s 17/18 339k 9 ^6 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.378s 17/18 336k 10 ^1 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.461s 17/19 341k 11 ˅2 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.466s 18/19 338k 12 ^8 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.681s 18/19 335k 13 ^3 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.734s 16/18 334k 14 ˅8 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.793s 18/19 340k 15 ^4 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.859s 18/19 332k 16 ˅3 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.005s 17/17 332k 17 ^4 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.011s 18/19 335k 18 ˅1 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.011s 17/17 334k 19 ˅1 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.080s 20/20 338k 20 ^2 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.162s 19/19 334k 21 ˅7 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +1.414s 13/15 332k 22 ˅14 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +1.624s 4/18 341k

Ben Rhodes wins maiden NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship

Kevin Peterson3 years ago11 months ago06 mins

Ben Rhodes sealed the deal Friday night at Phoenix Raceway, winning the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in his first-ever appearance in the Championship 4. After six full-time seasons in the Truck Series, the 24-year-old ThorSport Racing driver has a truck title to celebrate. The Championship 4 battle came down to the final laps. Zane Smith appeared to be in championship-winning position, but with eight laps remaining, Rhodes found enough speed in his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford to pass Smith, nudging the back bumper of the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet in Turn 2 to get by him. Rhodes finished the race in third. Smith finished fifth and second in the championship standings. “I thought it was gone,” Rhodes said during the trophy presentation. “When the 21 (Smith) drove past me, I thought it was all over. He just kept driving away further and further and further. The end of the race, when everybody started wearing their stuff out, I didn‘t think I had anything left. I was sideways every corner. But we had just enough, just enough. “This sounds weird, but this felt special from the time I got here, but I didn‘t want to ruin it,” he added. “I didn‘t want to say anything, I didn‘t want to do anything out of context, I just wanted to stay 100% focused.” Another Championship 4 driver, John Hunter Nemechek, had his title chances quickly evaporate at the start of the race. A left-front tire went down on his No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota after the start of the race as a result of some contact with another truck. Nemechek lost two laps after pitting to change tires. He earned both laps back and recovered for a seventh-place finish to finish third in the championship standings. The final Championship 4 driver, Matt Crafton, fought an ill-handling No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford throughout the night. Crafton finished 12th and took the fourth spot in the final playoff rankings. Rhodes opened the season with a statement, winning back-to-back races at Daytona International Speedway and the track‘s road course layout. Those proved to be his only two wins throughout the remainder of the regular season, but his consistency radiated throughout the year with seven top-five finishes, 15 top 10s and a trio of runner-up finishes this season heading into Phoenix. The Phoenix finale caps off a career year for Rhodes in the Truck Series, including his first multi-win season, but he‘s no stranger to success behind the wheel. Before landing at the top of the Truck Series standings, Rhodes burst onto the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards East) scene with a stellar 2014 campaign. At 17 years old, Rhodes scored five wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s and six pole awards in 16 races. He had just five finishes outside the top four all season, resulting in a series championship. That same year, Rhodes ran four races in the Truck Series and brought home three top-10 results. That early success landed Rhodes a part-time ride in the Xfinity Series, driving 10 races for JR Motorsports in 2015. One year later, he earned into a full-time role in the Truck Series behind the wheel for ThorSport and hasn‘t looked back since. Rhodes joins veteran Matt Crafton (2013, 2014, 2019) on the list of championship drivers for ThorSport. “I wouldn‘t even be here today if it wasn‘t for Duke and Rhonda (Thorson, ThorSport team owners),” Rhodes said. “They gave me my opportunity in this sport. They were my very first full-time national team that I raced for and I‘ve been with them ever since. They‘re so amazing and I can‘t even begin to thank them enough. This has just been a ride of a lifetime. I hope it‘s not over. I want to keep going now. This is amazing.”

Formula 1 extends Chinese GP up to 2025 in a new deal

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Formula 1 has extended its contract with the Chinese Grand Prix until 2025, the organisation said Saturday, despite the race being dropped from its calendar for next year. COVID-19 and China’s strict travel restrictions prompted the cancellation of the Shanghai event in 2020 and this year. F1 has also not included the race on its 2022 schedule due to “ongoing pandemic conditions”. But that has not stopped it from extending its deal with the world’s second-largest economy, which is a major growth market for F1. “We are very pleased that this new agreement will ensure our fans in China have Formula 1 racing to look forward to in the coming years,” F1 said in a statement. “While we are all disappointed we could not include China on the 2022 calendar … China will be restored to the calendar as soon as conditions allow and we look forward to being back with the fans as soon as we can,” President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said. F1 last month released a record 23-race schedule for 2022 that included several events — such as Australia, Canada, Singapore and Japan — that were axed this year and in 2020 due to the pandemic and subsequent health restrictions. The Chinese GP, which has been running since 2004, will be replaced by the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on 24 April. The 2022 season will start in Bahrain on 20 March and end back in the Gulf at Abu Dhabi on 20 November. F1 is growing in popularity in China but the world’s most populous nation still lacks a home star. But there are high hopes that hotly tipped youngster Zhou Guanyu will make the leap up from Formula 2.

Russell handed a five-place grid penalty after gearbox change

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

George Russell is set for a five-place grid penalty for the Mexican GP after taking a new gearbox following problems in the second practice session. Russell was the last of the 20 drivers to take to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in FP2, and was quick to report a gearbox problem. Initially, it appeared as if a rear body cover screw that had fallen out as Russell pulled out of the Williams garage may have been at fault. But Williams soon dismissed the theory, insisting it was an internal gearbox issue that led to an investigation, confining Russell to the garage for the rest of the session. The FIA has since confirmed Russell is to take a new gearbox for the remainder of the weekend, which will result in an automatic five-place grid drop. Russell said: “I had a gearbox failure. Not ideal. It’s only Friday. Points are awarded on Sunday.” Putting the gearbox issues aside, Russell added: “FP1 was a surprisingly good session for us. I had a good rhythm, showed some good race pace, and I think that’s what it’s all going to be about. “This high altitude makes it difficult for the cooling, the brakes, the engine, so if we can be on top of that, we can be on the front foot for the race.” Despite his strong Saturday form this season, Russell will drop towards the rear of the grid where he will join Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda who have taken power unit penalties.

Hamilton admits Red Bull are ‘too quick’ after Friday practice

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Mercedes team secured a one-two in the first practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix on Friday, but that glory was short-lived as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen outperformed both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas in FP2. The defending world champion got candid about the situation and admitted that his championship rival may simply be too quick this weekend. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has always seen strong performances from the Red Bull, and this weekend may not be any different. Hamilton knows that he needs to step up his game, with even his teammate Bottas trumping him in both the practice sessions so far. More significantly, Verstappen was half a second quicker in FP2. “They’re definitely too quick for us at the moment,” Lewis Hamilton said after the session, before adding that he still feels like they have a strong chance to keep pace with the Red Bulls. “The car has been feeling OK. I’ve not really had any major issues,” he said. Lewis Hamilton is always one to stay positive, but his honest assessment reveals that the Red Bulls currently have an advantage. “We’re giving it absolutely everything we’ve got, and I think they are just quicker than us at the moment,” he said, before pointing to their lack of downforce as a possible culprit. He then assured that the Mercedes team will be busy finding a solution to the pace disadvantage. Bottas also spoke up and complained about low grip on his car. He said that it was a dusty track and that made things more difficult for him and his teammate. Nevertheless, practice pace is often not necessarily reflective of race pace. The Mercedes drivers have always been strong for the long haul on Sunday, and the tight results of the practice sessions make it impossible to predict which team will be dominant on Saturday qualifying and on the main race on Sunday.

Mexican GP FP2: Verstappen tops as Russell and Ricciardo experience gearbox issues

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Mercedes dictated the early pace in Mexico, but championship leader Max Verstappen bounced back in the afternoon session to end the opening day on top. The Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton finished second and third, followed by home hero Sergio Perez. The start of the session saw the majority of drivers opt for the yellow-banded medium compounds, albeit the Mercedes cars kicked off their afternoon work on the hard compound after only using Pirelli’s soft tyres in Free Practice 1. The Brackley-Brixworth-based outfit was quick in the first practice, but found it difficult to replicate that speed in the early part of the second session. Hamilton had a lap time deleted for double-yellow flags, and then locked up on hard tyres while Bottas was unable to set an eye-catching lap time on the white-banded tyres. When the time arrived for the usual qualifying simulations, Verstappen managed to set the fastest time of the day with a 1m17.301 to go four tenths of a second quicker than Bottas. The Finn’s time was, however, a remarkable result given the fact that he set that after racking up multiple laps on his soft compound. The Nastola-born driver’s team mate was not satisfied with the balance of his W12, and finished half a second off his championship rival’s benchmark. Home hero Sergio Perez finished fourth, just a whisker behind Hamilton. While Ferrari drivers made mistakes in the opening session, they had a smoother run in the afternoon. Carlos Sainz finished fifth fastest, but he was over a second adrift of Verstappen. Following his strong showing in Texas, Charles Leclerc completed a total of 28 laps, setting the seventh fastest time. The Monegasque seemingly had issues with the balance of his SF21 over a single lap, but his long run pace was impressive compared to Ferrari’s main rival, McLaren. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly is eager to deliver a good result after his technical woes at the United States Grand Prix. The Frenchman finished P6 in between the two Ferraris with his team mate Yuki Tsunoda ending up eighth fastest. The Japanese driver will face a back-of-grid start on Sunday after taking new PU components just as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. The Canadian took 17th, but his result is less important as his focus centred around the race setup of his car. It was not an easy session for Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell with both drivers having endured technical woes which were related to the Mercedes gearboxes in their cars. The Australian, who scored his latest F1 win at Monza in early September finished P15 after only completing seven laps on Pirelli’s hard compound. The Williams racer notched up a total of two laps, finishing 20th without a time on the board. 2021 F1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (2) Pos. No. Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:17.301 28 2 77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:17.725 +0.424s 31 3 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:17.810 +0.509s 26 4 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull 1:17.871 +0.570s 26 5 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:18.318 +1.017s 29 6 10 Pierre Gasly Alphatauri 1:18.429 +1.128s 29 7 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:18.605 +1.304s 28 8 22 Yuki Tsunoda Alphatauri 1:18.644 +1.343s 31 9 5 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1:18.681 +1.380s 32 10 14 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:18.732 +1.431s 27 11 7 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo 1:18.841 +1.540s 25 12 4 Lando Norris Mclaren Mercedes 1:18.979 +1.678s 27 13 99 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1:19.227 +1.926s 31 14 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:19.431 +2.130s 37 15 3 Daniel Ricciardo Mclaren Mercedes 1:19.521 +2.220s 7 16 47 Mick Schumacher Haas 1:19.620 +2.319s 30 17 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:19.730 +2.429s 36 18 6 Nicholas Latifi Williams 1:20.820 +3.519s 17 19 9 Nikita Mazepin Haas 1:21.581 +4.280s 28 20 63 George Russell Williams 2

Mexican GP FP1: Bottas tops Mercedes 1-2 as Hamilton is under investigation for track limits breach

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Valtteri Bottas kicked off the Mexican Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in opening practice, ahead of Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Lewis Hamilton. Dusty conditions and a green track made for challenging, low grip conditions for the drivers, but Bottas appeared unfazed as he lit up the timesheets with a 1m18.341s to finish 0.076s clear of Hamilton. Hamilton, who heads into the weekend trialing Max Verstappen in the world championship by 12 points, has been summoned to see the stewards in Mexico City between practice sessions for a track limits incident. The seven-time world champion ran wide at Turn 1 before rejoining at Turn 3 in a moment early on during the first practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Hamilton reported over team radio that he “couldn’t slow down there” but he will be investigated after FP1 for failing to follow race director Michael Masi’s notes which state that drivers must return to the track by going around the left hand side of the Turn 3 bollard, which Hamilton did not do. However, it is unlikely Hamilton will be given anything more than a reprimand for the transgression. Hamilton’s title rival Verstappen was just 0.123s off the pace as he took third, ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who finished 0.269s down. Home hero Perez recovered from an early setback to his weekend when he missed track running after hitting the Turn 16 barriers following a spin early in the session. He was able to return to the action for the final 20 minutes. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was fifth-fastest and the final driver to get within a second of Bottas’ benchmark time. Behind Gasly was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, who like Perez suffered rear wing damage with an off at Turn 16. Esteban Ocon ensured both Alpine cars finished inside the top 10, which was completed by Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin. During the session it was confirmed that both Yuki Tsunoda (11th) and Lance Stroll (13th) will start this weekend’s race from the back of the grid after taking new power unit elements. 2021 F1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m18.341s 2 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m18.417s 3 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m18.464s 4 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m18.610s 5 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m18.985s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m19.463s 7 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m19.656s 8 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m19.667s 9 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m19.795s 10 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m19.858s 11 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m20.011s 12 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m20.026s 13 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m20.030s 14 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m20.273s 15 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m20.301s 16 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m20.344s 17 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m20.517s 18 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m21.580s 19 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m22.144s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m22.819s

Police in search for a suspect accused of $35M heist from Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter mansion

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Police are hunting a man accused of a $35 million heist on a mansion belonging to the daughter of ex-F1 Bernie Ecclestone, Tamara Ecclestone and further raids on two Premier League managers, with reports claiming he is hiding in Belgrade.Alfredo Lindley, who goes by the names of Daniel Vukovic, Ljubomir Radosavljevic and Ljubomir Romanov among 19 known aliases, is accused of masterminding a series of robberies in the swanky London area of Kensington and Chelsea in December 2019. The vast haul of around 400 pieces of jewelry, gems and cash stolen from Ecclestone, the 37-year-old socialite daughter of former Formula 1 boss Bernie, constitutes the largest domestic burglary ever witnessed in the UK. Ecclestone was on holiday in Lapland when her Kensington mansion was raided despite armed security guards patroling the palatial home on Kensington Palace Gardens in London, which is known as the most expensive street in the world. The embassies of Russia, France and Israel are based there, as well as homes belonging to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the Sultan of Brunei. Lindley is said to have briefly stayed in a Chelsea apartment, then left the UK on an AirSerbia flight to Belgrade on December 18 – the last time police believe he was in the country. Around $67,000 in watches and jewelry were also swiped from a home shared by former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard with TV presenter wife Christine. A property owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Premier League club Leicester before his death in a helicopter crash in 2018, was also ransacked for more than $1.3 million in watches, money and a collection of Thai Buddha pendants. The three burglaries took place over 13 days by an international criminal gang flying between the UK, Italy, Sweden and Japan, with precious little of the spoils recovered so far. Lindley is thought to be in Belgrade and is also accused of an attack on the home of current Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira and then-teammate Sulley Muntari in 2009. The midfielders were playing for Inter in the Milan derby when possessions from their home worth more than $1.1 million were stolen. “Detectives from Specialist Crime are seeking a man known as Ljubomir Romanov,” a statement from UK specialist police force Scotland Yard said. “He is wanted for questioning in respect of a series of high value burglaries committed in December 2019 in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The enquiry continues.” According to the BBC, the Peruvian national has a criminal record in Italy for fraud and robberies under multiple identities over more than 25 years. He appeared in a Belgrade court in August to face extradition under the name Ljubomir Romanov, but authorities reportedly refused the case. The outlet said that Lindley is listed as the co-owner of a construction business in Belgrade and has a Serbian Government-issued ID showing his home address in the city’s municipality of Obrenovac. Three Italian nationals, Jugoslav Jovanovic, 24, Alessandro Donati, 44, and Alessandro Maltese, 45, will be sentenced later this month after being extradited from Italy to the UK and admitting their role in the robberies.

Algarve MotoGP: Quartararo maintains good form as he dominates FP2 (results)

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

2021 MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo topped the second practice for the Algarve Grand Prix aboard his Yamaha, the Frenchman once again leading Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia. Suzuki’s Joan Mir set the early pace in FP2 with a 1m41.495s, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami edging ahead of him with a 1m40.985s just over six minutes into the session. Moments later Nakagami’s teammate Alex Marquez moved to the top of the order with a 1m40.862s, which put him ninth on the combined times which were still headed by FP1 pacesetter Quartararo. Just as they did in FP1, both Quartararo and Bagnaia traded session-best laps, with Bagnaia moving to the top of the order with a 1m40.413s with just under 10 minutes of the session gone. Six minutes later Quartararo deposed his Ducati rival with a 1m40.355s, which the Yamaha rider improved to a 1m40.304s 15 minutes later. About a minute later, Bagnaia finally toppled Quartararo’s FP1 time to take over top spot overall with a 1m40.007s. In the closing moments, a late flurry of fast laps set the timing screens ablaze, with Mir returning to the top of the pile with a 1m39.680s. This was soon bested by Ducati’s Jack Miller, who fired in a 1m39.611s – only to be denied ending Friday fastest when Quartararo took the chequered flag with a 1m39.390s. Quartararo’s day almost ended in disaster, though, when he had a moment at Turn 13, but managed to just about stay on top of his Yamaha. A final effort of 1m39.552s moved Bagnaia up to second to once again shadow Quartararo, while again Miller rounded out the top three. Mir was fourth fastest in the end ahead of Honda’s Pol Espargaro and the Pramac Ducati of Johann Zarco. Alex Marquez carried forward his early pace in FP2 to finish Friday strongly in seventh from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, Nakagami on the sister LCR-run Honda and the second of the Suzukis of Alex Rins. Jorge Martin stood on the precipices of the top 10 in 11th, 0.003s behind Rins, with Franco Morbidelli behind in 12th on his Yamaha. Petronas SRT duo Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso occupied the final two spots on the order, while home hero Miguel Oliveira on the KTM was a mystifying 1.5s off the pace down in 19th behind Marc Marquez’s stand-in Stefan Bradl on the Honda. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FREE PRACTICE (2) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 = Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.390s 20/21 331k 2 = Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.132s 18/18 339k 3 = Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.221s 19/20 341k 4 ^1 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.290s 18/20 335k 5 ^2 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.402s 20/20 336k 6 ^7 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.499s 17/17 343k 7 ^4 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.652s 18/18 336k 8 ^2 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.679s 18/18 341k 9 ^3 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.732s 19/19 339k 10 ˅6 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.786s 19/19 339k 11 ^6 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.789s 18/18 340k 12 ˅3 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.835s 16/18 328k 13 ^3 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.841s 19/20 335k 14 ˅6 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.894s 18/19 336k 15 ˅9 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.933s 18/18 332k 16 ^4 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.077s 18/18 336k 17 ˅2 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.108s 17/18 336k 18 ^3 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.310s 18/19 338k 19 ˅1 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.545s 17/18 330k 20 ˅6 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.707s 7/18 334k 21 ^1 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.784s 17/17 330k 22 ˅3 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.824s 18/20 328k

FIA will be strict on track limits for Mexican Grand Prix

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

Track limits rules for the Mexican Grand Prix have been confirmed by the FIA ahead of Friday’s Free Practice sessions. There are several areas of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit where the drivers will have to be aware of staying within the limits, as detailed in the event notes. At Turns 1, 2 and 3, any driver who leaves the track on the left-hand side between Turns 1 and 2, or passes to the left of the bollard on the apex of Turn 2, has to rejoin by driving to the left-hand side of the bollard at Turn 3. If drivers overshoot the corner at Turn 4, they must ensure that they use the Escape Road which leads back onto the track at Turn 6. At Turn 8, if a car passes completely behind the red and white kerb on the apex, it has to rejoin the track by keeping to the right of the bollards on the exit of Turn 8. Perhaps the strictest rules apply at Turn 11. Any driver who fails to stay on the circuit here will have their lap time deleted during any practice session or the race. As is usually the case, the drivers will be given three exceptions (combined, rather than three at each corner) before being shown a black and white flag. This will not apply to situations where a driver is deemed to have been forced off the track.

Brendon Hartley tops 8 Hours of Bahrain final practice with #8 Toyota

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago04 mins

Brendon Hartley got the better of Kamui Kobayashi as Toyota undertook qualification simulations in final practice for this weekend’s FIA Bahrain World Endurance Championship finale. Hartley outpaced Kobayashi by four tenths when the Toyota GR010 Hybrids went out on new Michelin tyres right at the start of the one-hour Free Practice 3 session. The New Zealander knocked six tenths off his first time on his second flying lap in the #7 Toyota to end up on a 1m48.346s. Kobayashi set an unrepresentative time on his first flier, before posting a 1m48.777s aboard the #8 car. The Alpine A480-Gibson, the only other car in the Hypercar class, trailed the Toyotas and the fastest two LMP2 cars in fifth overall. Andre Negrao set a 1m51.794s shortly before the session was red-flagged while a corner bollard was replaced at Turn 9. Antonio Felix da Costa and Filipe Albuquerque both went faster than the Alpine grandfathered LMP1 car in their Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 cars. Da Costa’s 1m51.188s in the best of the JOTA team’s two entries gave him a three tenth margin over the 1m51.524s from Albuquerque in the United Autosports car. A 1m52.059s lap gave Tom Blomqvist third in class in the second JOTA entry, while Sophia Floersch was fourth in the Signatech-run Richard Mille Racing Oreca with a time of 1m52.681s. Fastest in the Pro/Am P2 subclass was Realteam Racing’s Norman Nato with a 1m52.758s. Kevin Estre was fastest in GTE Pro for Porsche with a 1m56.590s, which gave him a one tenth margin over Gianmaria Bruni in the other Porsche 911 RSR-19. The Ferraris, which has received a new Balance of Performance for this weekend’s eight-hour race, took third and fourth positions. James Calado took third in the first of the AF Corse-run 488 GTE Evos with a 1m58.411s, while Daniel Serra was a tenth further back in fourth on 1m58.519s. Matteo Cairoli was quickest in GTE Am for the Project 1 Porsche squad after leapfrogging AF Corse Ferrari driver Nicklas Nielsen. The session was extended as a result of the red flag, which lasted approximately nine minutes.

Valentino Rossi to enter endurance racing after MotoGP exit

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago08 mins

As Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP career nears its conclusion, the Italian begins preparations for a four-wheel future. With the end of his MotoGP career now just ten days away, Valentino Rossi began preparations for his future as a racing car driver with a sportscar test at Misano yesterday. “Now it’s two races in a row, so it’s ten days. Imagine ten days compared to 26 years! It’s nothing,” Rossi said of his remaining time in MotoGP, consisting of back-to-back events at Portimao and Valencia. “It’s a very emotional moment, sincerely, and I want to try to stay concentrated to give the maximum to the end of the season. “This for me is very important because in Misano my race was not too bad and I want to try to give the maximum and remain concentrated, not think a lot about what happens on the Monday after Valencia.” “I’m still a rider and I want to give the maximum and try to enjoy these last two races. “Here in April, the weekend was difficult but in the race I was quite fast, I was in the top ten but unfortunately I crashed. So we need to make the maximum and try to be competitive to fight for the top ten.” Just before flying to this weekend’s penultimate round, the Italian was on track in a Kessel Ferrari alongside brother Luca Marini and VR46’s Uccio Salucci to prepare for their annual winter appearance in the Gulf 12 hours. But this time the preparations are more serious, marking the start of Rossi’s four-wheel ‘career’, with the nine-time world champion confirming he will then enter at least one of the major sportscar championships in 2022. “I tried the Ferrari yesterday in Misano because we will race in Abu Dhabi in January with Luca and Uccio,” Rossi confirmed. “This is the race that we always do in the last three years and in general it’s just for fun. “But we did a test – unfortunately the weather was not fantastic – but we enjoy a lot. I was not so bad. I feel good. And next year I become a car driver! So from now the approach [to car racing] and the effort is different. “But this [Gulf 12 Hours] race is still for fun and after we need to understand which championship and which program for next year.” “Sincerely Vale was really fast, really strong,” Marini said of the test. “In other tests I was closer to him. Yesterday he was pushing a lot in conditions with some wet spots. He was able to give one second to me. He was really fast, pushed the car at the limit. I was a bit more worried about this. I didn’t want to do any damage. “Also Uccio in wet he was strong. In dry he had less time to improve his lap time. But he had a good test also. We were close. I was one second from Vale and Uccio 1.5-2s from me. “But with the car it’s more difficult to talk about time. The balance of performance can change a lot as the tyres become worn.” Rossi added that the decision on which GT championship he enters after the Gulf 12 Hours is yet to be made, but he also seems to have one eye on the prestigious new Hypercar class for 2023. “It’s a very important moment for the GT races and Endurance races because they will do this new class that is called Hypercar and for 2023 all the big names in cars, the factories, also Ferrari, Porsche, Audi will race with these cars,” Rossi explained. “Next years I will race with GT cars. I still don’t know which championship because it can be the WEC but can be also European Le Mans series or International GT challenge. “We need to decide, also with which car, and I need to understand also my level and my speed because for sure I would like to race with LMP2 or with Hypercar [prototypes] but there the level of the drivers is very high. So I don’t know if I am fast enough. We will try to understand next year.” Petronas Yamaha rider Rossi and rookie Marini are currently locked in a battle to avoid being last of the full time riders in the MotoGP world championship standings, the pair currently separated by just two points, with Marini in front. Marini will continue to race for Rossi’s VR46 team as it graduates to a full MotoGP entry next season.

Quartararo will not be changing plate to #1 in 2022

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

New MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo has stated that he will not race with the #1 plate next year. Quartararo moved to an unassailable, 65-point championship lead with two rounds to go when he finished fourth and Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. However, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider will stick with his trademark #20 in 2022, rather than taking #1. “No, we will not see this number because I started with the #20 and I feel like I’m not number one,” he said. “So, I will keep going with the #20 until the end of my career because it’s the number that really made me want to start when I was four, and it’s a really special number.” The #1 plate is a relative rarity on the premier class grid. In the last decade, including 2021, four different riders have won the championship yet none of those opted to change from their regular number the next year. In addition to Quartararo, Marc Marquez six times chose to stick with #93, Joan Mir kept #36 this year, and Jorge Lorenzo only made the change after achieving his 2010 MotoGP title. Casey Stoner is the last person to have ridden with #1, in 2012, and Mick Doohan the last to win the championship with it, in 1998. In addition to the riders’ championship, Yamaha leads the teams’ standings and remains in contention for the manufacturers’ title, trailing Ducati by 12 points. Quartararo says there will be no problem being focused for this weekend’s Algarve Grand Prix despite it being a dead rubber for him personally. “To be honest it was just difficult the first day, on the Tuesday to go back training after Misano,” recalled the Frenchman. “But to refocus again, I think, is quite easy because it’s what I love, to be riding, to race, to fight with these guys. “So I would say it was not so difficult because it’s what I want. More than difficult, I would say I was looking forward to being back.”

Quartararo tops Algarve MotoGP FP1 ahead of Bagnaia

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

Fabio Quartararo topped the opening practice session for the Algarve Grand Prix after sneaking ahead of Francesco Bagnaia at the death. The newly-crowned MotoGP world champion tussled with erstwhile title rival Bagnaia for the top spot throughout the 45-minute test, the latter eventually getting the upper hand with a 1:40.927s tour just clear of the Yamaha racer and Honda’s Pol Espargaro. Quartararo would later hit back to move back into the lead by just 0.028s as the session entered its closing stages, though Bagnaia would once again dump the Frenchman back to the runners-up place with a storming 1:40.237s, a time that looked to ensure him the plaudits in FP1. Quartararo still had a little left in the tank though as he headed out for a final three-lap push as the clock ticked down, his third lap being the charm as he took the chequered flag to snatch back the top spot by just 0.045s ahead of the Ducati pilot. Jack Miller ended up third on the second factory Ducati machine ahead of Suzuki duo Alex Rins and Joan Mir, while Luca Marini was an impressive sixth on his Avintia-run Desmosedici despite losing an even better tour after running wide on his final attempt. Espargaro ended up seventh ahead of Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, while Franco Morbidelli found himself shuffled back to ninth having run within the top three towards the end of the test on the other factory Yamaha M1, the Italian just clear of Aleix Espargaro who completed the top ten. LCR Honda duo just missed out on the top ten with Alex Marquez leading Takaaki Nakagami in 11th and 12th respectively, while KTM once again found the goings tough. Iker Lecuona ended up as the Austrian marque’s highest-placed rider in 14th on his Tech 3-prepared RC16 just ahead of factory man Brad Binder, while 2020 Portimao victor and home hero Miguel Oliveira could manage only 17th on the timesheets. Andrea Dovizioso was the quickest of the Petronas SRT Yamaha’s-albeit down in 19th-with team-mate Valentino Rossi propping up the table in 22nd and last, just behind the injured Marc Marquez’s temporary replacement Stefan Bradl in the factory Honda stable. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FREE PRACTICE (1) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’40.192s 21/21 334k 2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.045s 16/22 339k 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.131s 19/19 343k 4 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.359s 18/20 342k 5 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.497s 17/19 334k 6 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.593s 16/18 339k 7 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.603s 16/19 345k 8 Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.661s 20/20 340k 9 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.695s 11/17 332k 10 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.697s 20/20 342k 11 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.756s 20/22 340k 12 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.803s 19/19 338k 13 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.892s 19/20 343k 14 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.007s 22/22 338k 15 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.023s 19/19 339k 16 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.104s 18/18 334k 17 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +1.156s 19/19 342k 18 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.183s 18/19 336k 19 Andrea Divizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.200s 20/20 334k 20 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.364s 17/19 340k 21 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.462s 20/20 338k 22 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.888s 7/19 338k

Andretti-Alfa Romeo talks were terminated at the last minute due to ‘control issues’

Kevin Peterson3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

Michael Andretti says he was hours away from agreeing a deal to take over the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team before talks fell apart. The IndyCar champion and team boss insisted the deal with Sauber, which runs the Alfa Romeo-branded team, had not collapsed due to financial reasons. Andretti said questions over the extent of control he would enjoy over the team were not satisfactorily addressed.“Don’t believe the rumours you were hearing about why it didn’t happen,” he said. “It had nothing to do with financial or anything like that. “It was more having to do with control issues. Unfortunately at the 11th hour control issues changed and it was a deal we had to step away from because we couldn’t accept it. “I always said that we’re only going to do it if it’s right for us and in the end it wasn’t right for us.” Although Andretti believes F1 owners Liberty Media would welcome a second American team in the sport, he said they hadn’t acted to facilitate a deal. “I think they would like it, obviously, because they’re really pushing the American market,” he said. “But they weren’t doing anything to help us.” “It would have been a huge story,” added Andretti, who previously tried to buy the Force India F1 team in 2018 and had talks with Haas. “It’s a shame it didn’t work out but I don’t give up.” Had Andretti’s takeover of Alfa Romeo gone ahead he intended to place IndyCar driver Colton Herta in F1, despite his lack of a superlicence for the 2022 season. “Obviously if we ever do get a team he would lead the way for us in terms of wanting to bring an American driver,” said Andretti. “He would be the perfect guy to do it. “We definitely were going to get him into the seat because I believe he could definitely be a competitive driver in Europe, I really do, there’s no reason why.”