Racetrackmasters

Brad Binder wins wet Austrian MotoGP on slicks

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago010 mins

KTM’s Brad Binder has pulled off victory in the Austrian MotoGP by staying on slicks when rain fell in the final laps at the Red Bull Ring. Binder inherited the lead when he gambled on staying out as the five ahead of him pitted for their wet weather bikes with just three laps remaining. Francesco Bagnaia, who led for the majority of the race, charged back from 10th with a lap remaining to second at the chequered flag on his factory Ducati. Fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martin similarly rode back up to the podium on his Pramac Racing entry, one week after the rookie had opened his account in the premier class by winning at the same circuit. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) was also among the lead bunch to pit at the end of Lap 25 and he took fourth, ahead of Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Esponsorama Ducati), Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM), and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha). The latter has extended his championship lead to 47 points, with Bagnaia and Mir equal on points in second and third respectively, after Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) crashed out before the rain set in. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) finished 11th, having dropped back to eighth before the rain shook things up. Ominous skies hung over the Red Bull Ring as the 28-lap race got underway, but it took until Lap 8 before the rain flags started flying. They were soon withdrawn but returned with seven laps to go, and it was then that Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who was leading at the time, made an error at Turn 3. He was bailed out by the power of his Desmosedici as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) attempted to capitalise, but lost first position to #93 when he ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 25. Quartararo braked extremely deep at the top of the hill to nab second at Turn 3, and Martin emerged third by the time they exited Turn 4, with Bagnaia back to fourth. By then, Miller and Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) had already rolled the dice on a change to their wet bikes from eighth and ninth respectively on Lap 23. The rain only got heavier after their stops, causing the top five to tighten up before Marquez led Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo, and Mir into the pits on Lap 25. Binder opted against that, as did Aleix Espargaro (Gresini Aprilia) and several others, while Marquez emerged 10th, ahead of Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo, Mir, and earlier stoppers Miller and Rins. At that point, there appeared three possibilities for Binder: he would go on to win, he would crash his Red Bull KTM, or he would be run down by one of those who had switched to their wet bike. Rain continued to pelt down and while the race-leading South African had several nervous moments, including a near-spill at Turn 3 on the final lap, he was continuing to build the gap over Aleix Espargaro. Binder kept #33 upright to take a second career MotoGP win, at KTM’s home track, even if he would be issued a three-second penalty for exceeding track limits on the last tour of the Red Bull Ring. Bagnaia looked to have made too many mistakes just before and just after his stop, but cut a swathe on the last lap to finish second, ahead of Martin, Mir, and Marini. The latter was among those who stayed out and looked like he might take a podium, as did Lecuona, who ended up sixth. Quartararo finished seventh and Valentino Rossi (Petronas SRT Yamaha) got home in eighth having also run in the top three after the stops. Alex Marquez (Castrol LCR Honda) took ninth and Aleix Espargaro dropped from second to 10th on the last lap, ahead of Miller, Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM), and Rins. Marquez was 10th, first of those to have pitted, when he dropped his Honda at the start of the penultimate lap, but remounted and earned one championship point by finishing 15th. His team-mate Pol Espargaro was 16th and Cal Crutchlow (Petronas SRT Yamaha) last finisher in 17th. Earlier, the race had developed into a three-way battle between Bagnaia, Marquez and Quartararo. Bagnaia had taken the lead when pole-sitter Martin ran wide on the opening lap at Turn 4, and held it when Martin made an unsuccessful raid on Lap 6 at Turn 7. The Pramac rider instead dropped to fourth by the time he exited Turn 9, and soon lost touch with #63, #93, and #20. Quartararo had a brief spell at the head of the field and, while he lacked the power at Bagnaia’s disposal, the Frenchman tried to make up for it under brakes particularly at Turn 3. Despite the Red Bull Ring suiting the Bologna bullets, Bagnaia could not shake Marquez or Quartararo, and it was the Honda pilot who finally made a pass on him stick on Lap 25. Marquez’s spell in the lead was briefer than he would have liked, however, due to the rain which set up a fascinating conclusion to the grand prix. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) did not get that far, crashing out of eighth on Lap 23 at Turn 1. Zarco was running fifth when he lost the front of the #5 Ducati through Turn 9 on Lap 18, while Enea Bastianini pitted after his Avintia Esponsorama Ducati shed its left-hand side bodywork. MotoGP now has a weekend off before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 27-29. Race results: Austrian MotoGP Pos Num Rider Nat Team Bike Time/Gap 1 33 Brad BINDER RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 40:46.928 2 63 Francesco BAGNAIA ITA Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati +9.991 3 89 Jorge MARTIN ESP Pramac Racing Ducati +11.570 4 36 Joan MIR ESP Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki +12.623 5 10 Luca MARINI ITA SKY VR46 Avintia Ducati +14.831 6 27 Iker LECUONA ESP Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing KTM +14.952 7 20 Fabio QUARTARARO FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP…

Mercedes will be quitting Formula E after 2022

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Mercedes is preparing to leave Formula E at the end of the 2022 season after the conclusion of the latest internal talks by Daimler board members over whether to commit to a Gen3 programme. The Race understands that the final decision, which is likely to be made public next month, is set to confirm that Mercedes will join fellow German brands Audi and BMW in leaving the new world championship as an official manufacturer next summer. The move would bring to an end Mercedes’ formal Formula E involvement after just three seasons, and leave Porsche as the sole German factory team involved in the Gen3 era. Speaking to selected media at the Berlin E-Prix on Sunday, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff confirmed that a decision had recently been made but would not explicitly disclose exactly what it was. “The decision has been taken, but we’re not going to communicate anything let’s say today,” said Wolff. He called the reasoning over Mercedes’ Formula E future “an internal thing that we need to understand for us”. Wolff added: “Does this work or not? And if you say, ‘yeah, it does work,’ then you can still go and speak with the series and say, ‘we believe that this needs to change’ and ‘we believe that qualifying groups shouldn’t cause so much variability and unpredictability.’ “Whatever our input is, and they can listen, take it on board or not. “But it’s mainly for us making up our mind what we want to do in terms of motor racing going forward.” If ultimately confirmed, the decision is set to be a major blow for Formula E as it will mean that one of the championship’s highest profile and biggest spending manufacturers will forsake its position in the series and potentially reduce the 2022/23 season’s grid to just 20 cars. That is because the licence previously owned by Audi is presently idle, although The Race understands that new interested parties are holding talks with Formula E in the coming weeks for a potential 2023 entry. Mercedes’ exit will be seen as a shock in many quarters as the current drivers’ championship leader was initially tipped to commit to the new Gen3 rules set that will begin at the end of 2022.

Jorge Martin takes Austrian MotoGP pole

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago06 mins

Jorge Martin has backed up his maiden MotoGP pole with another at the Red Bull Ring just a week later, in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Martin had put his Pramac Ducati in first position on the grid for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, which he went on to win, and will start from the same spot in Round 11 of the season at the Spielberg circuit. The Spanish rookie had a tumble at the end of Free Practice 4, was already going into Qualifying 1, and then also had to break the all time lap record if he was to deny championship leader Fabio Quartararo pole position. Martin did just that, meaning Quartararo is set to start from second spot on his Monster Energy Yamaha, with the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia also making the front row. Practice pace-setter Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati) set the fastest first flyer in clocking a 1:23.984s, but it was Quartararo soon on top with a 1:22.677s. That was a new all time lap record at the time and the Frenchman even set a subsequent 1:22.794s before pitting, while next-best at the end of the first runs was Martin on a 1:23.037s, with Zarco third on a 1:23.399s. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) then went to third when he clocked a 1:23.378s, before Bagnaia, who lost multiple laps for track limits breaches on his first run, finally set a lap time when he broke the beam at a 1:23.218s. The Italian consolidated third spot in setting a 1:23.063s just before the chequered flag, at which point Quartararo remained fastest. However, both of Pramac Racing’s riders were on good pace and while Zarco missed the front row in setting a 1:23.120s, Martin came through to lay down a 1:22.643s and thus move from the middle of the front row to pole. Zarco ended up fourth, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) took fifth with a 1:23.227s, and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo) earned sixth with a 1:23.320s. Row 3 will be Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) alongside Aleix Espargaro (Gresini Aprilia) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM), with Row 4 comprised of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda), and Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu LCR Honda). Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) will start from 13th having come up just over a tenth shy of progression from Qualifying 1. Rins had just consolidated second spot with a 1:23.470s when Oliveira knocked him out with a 1:23.365s just before the chequered flag, and #42 will be joined on Row 5 will by Alex Marquez (Castrol LCR Honda) and Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Ducati). Row 6 will be Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM), Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Esponsorama Ducati), and Valentino Rossi (Petronas SRT Yamaha), with the 20-rider field rounded out by Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM) and Cal Crutchlow (Petronas SRT Yamaha). AUSTRIAN MOTOGP, RED BULL RING – FULL QUALIFYING RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* 1’22.643s 7/7 315k 2 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.034s 3/8 309k 3 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.420s 8/9 315k 4 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.477s 7/7 313k 5 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.584s 7/7 313k 6 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.677s 8/8 314k 7 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.735s 6/10 309k 8 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.780s 7/7 312k 9 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.856s 8/8 310k 10 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +0.925s 7/8 314k 11 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.095s 7/7 317k 12 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +1.347s 3/7 309k Qualifying 1: 13 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1’23.47s 8/9 309k 14 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) 1’23.535s 8/9 311k 15 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’23.79s 4/9 313k 16 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’23.825s 6/8 306k 17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* 1’23.834s 6/7 310k 18 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’23.939s 3/7 306k 19 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) 1’24.405s 4/8 308k 20 Cal Crutchlow GBR Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’24.509s 7/8 304k

Mick Schumacher might remain in Haas for 2022

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Ferrari F1 officials are apparently no hurry to speed up Mick Schumacher’s learning curve by moving him to a different team. Italian media is reporting that the Formula 1 constructor is in talks with the Haas F1 Team about keeping Mick Schumacher at the American team for 2022. There have been rumors suggesting the 22-year-old rookie, and son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, could be heading to another Ferrari-powered team for 2022 at Alfa Romeo. However, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has sounded confident about keeping the young German on board, and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is now delivering a similar message. “This year has been more difficult for the Ferrari driver academy, but we have to give the kids time to grow,” Binotto told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Mick Schumacher’s first season is about learning without pressure, and we are currently discussing with Haas to confirm him there.” Schumacher’s Alfa Romeo move could have been at the expense of another Ferrari junior, Antonio Giovinazzi. But Binotto indicates that Ferrari is also still happy with the 27-year-old Giovinazzi. “Giovinazzi remains our reserve driver, the first alternative to our (Ferrari) drivers,” Binotto said. “He is showing growth every year and I hope that he can stay at Alfa because he deserves it.” Giovinazzi entered the summer break 18th in the F1 standings with 1 point that he earned with a 10th-place finish at Monaco. Schumacher is scoreless and in 19th place. His best finish was a modest 12th at Hungary.

Lucas di Grassi wins Berlin Formula E, Nyck de Vries keeps title lead

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago06 mins

Lucas di Grassi has taken the win in the first of Formula E’s Berlin finale races, putting himself firmly back in contention for the championship. Jean-Éric Vergne had taken pole, beating DS Techeetah team mate Antonio Felix da Costa in a Super Pole session where the reigning team and driver champions looked almost as unbeatable as during the relentless 2020 finale around Tempelhof. Lucas di Grassilined up third, with Edoardo Mortara alongside him.Attack Mode had been confirmed as one activation of 8 minutes – a variant from the more typical multiple periods of the higher power mode. The grid managed to get away fairly cleanly, only Tom Blomqvist’s NIO 333 car getting clipped by André Lotterer and having to return to the pits with a puncture – a real issue, in Formula E, as a new tyre will have had to come out of Sunday’s allocation. Cassidy seemed to get into difficulties with 37 minutes to go, getting passted by Günther, Bird, Rast and Lotterer in quick succession and slipping down to fifteenth after having initially improved up to 11th from his 13th-place start. The slipstream of a car ahead is very important around the Tempelhof track – Techeetah’s almost impossible dominance during the six races there last year was due to mastering having their cars work together to take advantage of the energy-saving Pascal Wehrlein sustained a puncture after making a late defensive move against Rowland that saw the Nissan’s front wing swipe Wehrlein’s left rear tyre. With 33 minutes to go, as Wehrlein headed into the pits, Sam Bird’s car slowed on track and finally stopped on the start-finish straight, bringing out yellow flags and finally a safety car. The safety car came in with 28 minutes remaining, leading to a 4kWh reduction in available energy. Da Costa and Vergne swapped places, Da Costa taking the lead, with 22 minutes left in the race – leaving Vergne to defend from Di Grassi, while at the same time René Rast was leading a huge charge up the pack; having started 12th he had moved up to fourth by the halfway point. Di Grassi passed Vergne, Rast following him through and forcing the Techeetah down to fourth. The two were able, just minutes later, to also pass Da Costa as it seemed like the Techeetah cars were fading. Rast was unable to defend, with an energy deficit, against Mortara. Championship leader De Vries headed into the pits following a collision with Alex Lynn, his slim hopes of scoring points narrowing further after starting 19th. Di Grassi had yet to take Attack Mode and when he did, with 18 minutes remaining, he lost the lead to Mortara, whose Venturi team mate Norman Nato was able to follow him for the third team 1-2 of the race, after Techeetah and Audi had taken the front two spots. Rast seemed to fade, drivers struggling throughout the race with thermal management in vey high temperatures around Tempelhof’s unforgiving concreate. However, Di Grassi passed Nato for second with 13 minutes remaining, still in his Attack Mode while Mortara had already spent his. The Audi driver was able to make the move and take the lead at just under 11 minutes remaining and still with Attack Mode left to build a gap from the Venturi. Evans passed Nato for third, feeding him back into pressure from Jake Dennis in the final minutes and despite a fierce battle around the final laps and a close to side-by-side finish, Di Grassi led Mortara across the line. De Vries narrowly maintains the title lead, heading into tomorrow’s final round, despite finishing dead last.

Dutch GP confirmed to go ahead as planned with two thirds spectator capacity

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix have confirmed Formula 1’s race at Zandvoort will go ahead as planned, albeit with a slightly reduced crowd. F1 was meant to return to the Netherlands for the first time since 1985 in 2020, but it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news for Max Verstappen fans is the race will go ahead as scheduled in September, forming the final leg of a triple-header after the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. With Verstappen just eight points behind Lewis Hamilton in the race for this year’s title, it’s likely to be a carnival atmosphere. Sporting Director of the event Jan Lammers said: “For me the glass is two thirds full. We’re just going to do it. The three companies behind the Dutch Grand Prix, Circuit Zandvoort, SportVibes and TIG Sports, have decided to invest in the future of F1 in the Netherlands. “The belief in the ambition to organise the biggest Ultimate Race Festival in the world remains the primary goal for the coming years. This year, admittedly in a smaller form, the battle for the world championship will be fought in a beautiful orange ambiance in the stands.” Around 70,000 fans will be allowed into Zandvoort on each day across the weekend. Organisers confirmed that ticket holders will be contacted via email by August 18 as to whether they will be able to attend the race this year. For the fans that miss out this year, they will be able to use their tickets for next year’s Dutch GP in 2022 or they can request a refund.

Bottas not worried by de Vries links to Mercedes as reserve driver

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Valtteri Bottas has maintained Toto Wolff’s suggestions that both of Mercedes’ Formula E drivers deserve F1 seats are “not really my concern”. The Finn is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the current season with Williams driver George Russell heavily linked with a move to the Silver Arrows as his replacement. Mercedes currently races in all-electric championship Formula E with former F2 champion Nyck de Vries and former McLaren F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne its drivers. Team principal Wolff was recently quoted as saying: “Both drivers have the talent and the work ethic and the intelligence to be in Formula 1. “They both deserve to be Formula 1 and I would very much hope they can find their way back.” Should Russell complete a move to Mercedes, de Vries has been linked with the Williams seat the Briton would leave vacant which would rule out a straight swap with Bottas. When asked for his thoughts on Wolff’s comments Bottas said: “I am not aware of those sayings. “I don’t really read F1 related media reports so it is the first time I hear anything like that. “Of course, you will always try to praise your drivers, whether it is in different categories and they are very good drivers. “There are not many seats in F1 but it is not really my concern at the moment and is nothing that is on my mind.”

Speculation Vinales and Yamaha may be parting ways even before end of the season

Kevin Peterson4 years ago08 mins

Halfway through the 2021 MotoGP season, it’s an open secret that things are bad inside the works Yamaha camp – or at least on one side of the team’s pit box. Maverick Vinales, already set to leave at the end of the year after breaking his contract, seems desperately unhappy, and it’s being reflected in his results. But are things bad enough to lead to the Spaniard not even seeing out the rest of the season? The relationship between Vinales and the team hasn’t exactly been plain sailing for quite some time – but it has undoubtedly taken a turn for the worse in the past few weeks. All coming to a head in the embarrassment of finishing the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in last place, things have got worse rather than better since then despite a brief upturn in form for him. In fact, the mood within the team was actually highlighted not by failure but by success, with an atmosphere in the winners’ enclosure so tense you could have cut it with a butter knife after Vinales finished second to team-mate Fabio Quartararo at the Dutch TT only a week after his humiliating Germany result. He’s since apologised for the disrespect he showed to his fans with his attitude after the second placed finish, but it was nonetheless too late to change much – with news coming less than 24 hours later confirming that Vinales would part ways with the team for next season. He’s taking the very rare step of breaking his two-year contract at the halfway point and looking set to lose a colossal amount of money as he makes the (still to be officially announced) switch to Aprilia. There was hope that taking some time away from the paddock for MotoGP’s extended five-week summer break would give Vinales the chance to calm down and reset his brain, but it seems like that has failed to happen. He turned up for the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring knowing that it was going to be a difficult weekend for Yamaha thanks to the track layout, and it turned into a complete disaster as Vinales blamed a litany of issues for his poor race – problems that eventually led him to pull into the pits with only a lap to go to seemingly avoid the ignominy of finishing in last place for the second time in three races. Making matters even worse, team-mate Quartararo had none of the same issues, fighting forward to an excellent and somewhat unexpected podium finish behind Jorge Martin and Joan Mir. It’s clear from body language alone that things on the other side of the garage are far from fixed – and with incredibly manic interviews to the media over the course of the weekend, Vinales is very clearly deeply unhappy with his position within the team. Which begs the question: is there a chance that we’ll see the nine-time MotoGP race winner fail to even finish the season with Yamaha? After all, there is precedent for the switch, with KTM pulling off exactly the same move in 2019 when it parted ways with Johann Zarco. Like Vinales at Yamaha, Zarco was deeply unhappy at being unable to find performance from the RC16, he too was accused of making the garage a deeply unhappy workplace, and after he and KTM initially announced plans to end their two-year deal a year early things continued to get even worse and Zarco was paid to stay at home for the final six races of the year. Arguably Yamaha has an even better replacement option than KTM had at the time, too, in the shape of test rider Cal Crutchlow. While Zarco was replaced by Finnish racer Mika Kallio, Yamaha has a proven three-time MotoGP race winner who it could drop into Vinales’ place. But as much as Vinales might actually be hoping for some sort of release from his Yamaha deal given the impact continuing with the team seems to be having on him, the reality is that the situation between him and Zarco is inherently different thanks to one key detail: culture. Much is made of the difference in MotoGP between the corporate culture of the traditional Japanese factories and the very different approach taken by the relative newcomer European teams. KTM in particular has an air of ruthlessness about it – just look at the way the sacking of Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona was handled last weekend while the pair were on track for free practice four. That’s not the way that Yamaha does things. It’s a much less impulsive company, sometimes to its detriment – and this is very likely to mean that Vinales has a long second half of the season ahead as he grits his teeth and bears it.

Vinales suspended by Yamaha for ‘irregular’ operation of motorbike

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

After finishing last in two of the last three races, Vińales has now been benched by his team for “irregular operation of the motorcycle” Maverick Viñales has been suspended by the Yamaha MotoGP team for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring after he “possibly posed a danger to other riders” in the manner in which he rode his bike. The team announced that he been left out due to “unexplained irregular operation” of his Yamaha M1 MotoGP bike during the race. Viñales suffered a torrid time during last week’s race in question, the Styrian GP, also at the Red Bull Ring. Although he made a promising start to the race up to a red flag, Viñales found himself unable to get away from the grid after stalling on the restart. His race was then compounded by a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits – the Spaniard ultimately finished last for the second time in three races. Viñales’s relationship with his Yamaha team has seriously soured over the course of the season, their rider saying he “couldn’t understand” why he had been re-signed for this year, before both parties announced they would be splitting at the end of the year. “Yamaha regrets to announce that Maverick Viñales’ entry to this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP event has been withdrawn by the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team,” a statement from the works squad read. “The absence follows the suspension of the rider by Yamaha due to the unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle by the rider during last weekend’s Styria MotoGP race. “Yamaha’s decision follows an in-depth analysis of telemetry and data over the last days. “Yamaha’s conclusion is that the rider’s actions could have potentially caused significant damage to the engine of his YZR-M1 bike which could have caused serious risks to the rider himself and possibly posed a danger to all other riders in the MotoGP race.” The team have said that there will be no replacement for the Spaniard this weekend, and that the decision on him participating in future races will be taken after further analysis.

Vasseur says Alfa Romeo has ‘failed’ in terms of points

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

With just three points on the board, Fred Vasseur feels while Alfa Romeo have taken a step forward in “pure performance”, they’ve “failed” when it comes to points. Alfa Romeo headed in the summer break on the back of a points-scoring race at the Hungarian Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen bringing his C41 home in tenth place. That, however, wasn’t enough to hold onto eighth place with the team overhauled by Williams, who managed a double points-haul. Scoring just three points in the first half of this campaign, Alfa Romeo trail the Grove team by seven points and, it has to be said, with little sign that they can make up the deficit. It has been a disappointing haul for team principal Fred Vasseur, who believes the C41 is a marked improvement on last year’s car, they are just not getting the points. “It’s really a mixed feeling,” he said, “but I think we have made a good step forward in terms of pure performance, probably the best on the grid. “If you take the gap to pole position I think we have the best improvement between the 10 teams, and this is for different reasons, with Ferrari doing a good job on the PU side. On the chassis, we also did a good development, and it’s paying off. “Now I have a mixed feeling because the target is not to do a good percentage, it’s to score points, and we have failed. I would like to have many more points in the championship.” Raikkonen and his team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi have missed out on four occasions, P11 in Bahrain, Monaco, Baku and France. “I think that if you have a look we could have done [scored more], but for different reasons we haven’t, and one of the reasons is that we have so many cars now finishing races, so many cars at the end,” Vasseur added. “When you are P12 or P13 in qualy, then you will finish P12 or 13 and you won’t score points “If I want to be positive, as I’ve said before, what is most important for the future of the company is that we’ve made a good step for the first time in a while. The last two seasons were tough seasons, last year, due to external circumstances, I would say. “But we stayed focused on the targets and we continued to improve and to do the job and in the end, it’s a good step forward for the team.”

Latifi under pressure to protect Williams seat from Nyck de Vries

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Nicholas Latifi has pulled off a resounding surprise in Hungary. The Williams Canadian scored his first points and they were also immediately the first points for Williams in two years. The seats for 2022 are still undecided at the back of the grid for now and Latifi therefore expects the points finish to help in the decision. “The start itself wasn’t even very good, but I just managed to stay out of the scramble. That’s the only advantage of starting from the back because you can always see what’s happening in front of you and I could take advantage of that now,” Latifi explained in conversation with Motorsport-Total. Latifi then formed a long train behind him, as overtaking is difficult in Hungary and the speed in the Williams was somewhat lacking anyway. “It felt like a lonely race. The cars in front of me were obviously driving away from me and I was taking good care of the gap with Yuki. I knew there was probably a big train behind me, but all I could see was Yuki and a Ferrari.” In the coming months, Williams will have to make a decision on their 2022 lineup and the team has already indicated that they no longer need ‘pay-drivers’ to remain financially sound. Bad news for Latifi, who brings a lot of money with him to drive in Formula One. At the same time, several talented young drivers seem to be knocking on Williams’ door, such as Nyck de Vries who could win the Formula E title this weekend. “My goal is to stay with this team. I am not sure of anything at the moment and a result like this can only help”, Latifi concluded.

Ricciardo admits 2021 season has been toughest and ‘consistently difficult’

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Daniel Ricciardo has branded his 2021 Formula 1 season his toughest to date, admitting it has been “consistently difficult”. The Australian joined McLaren this year to partner Lando Norris, but whilst the young Briton has impressed, the same can’t be said for Ricciardo who has struggled to get up to speed in his new car. Ricciardo has just 50 points compared to Norris’ 113, which sees the 21-year-old sit third in the standings behind the two title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Ricciardo is only ninth. “Definitely. Definitely harder,” he told Speedcafe when asked if this season has been his toughest in F1. “I think it’s the first time I’ve consistently found it difficult. “For sure over the years you have bad weekends, and you might even have two bad ones on the trot, but then you kind of get it right where I feel like it’s been definitely more bad, or more or less impressive than good.” Ricciardo enjoyed his best result of the year at the British Grand Prix where he finished fifth and looked set for a strong showing in Hungary, but was caught up in the Turn 1 carnage, which heavily damaged his MCL35M. However he knows he needs to lift his game in a sport where small mistakes can be very costly and small improvements can make or break a season. “I think sometimes as well, you’ve got to realise and remember that I’m in the elite level of the sport. It shouldn’t be easy,” he added. “So yeah, I’m struggling more than I have before but it’s probably for a reason as well. I am against the best guys, so I’ve just got to lift my game and figure it out.”

Former Alpine engine director Taffin linked to Red Bull move

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

It was revealed yesterday that Alpine is parting ways with Rémi Taffin, shortly after Esteban Ocon’s victory. This is part of director Laurent Rossi’s plan to improve the team. Taffin worked for the Renault team for 20 years, helping Fernando Alonso to his consecutive world titles in 2005 and 2006. In 2016, he was promoted to Engine Technical Director, taking responsibility for the power unit developed at Viry-Châtillon. The rumour circuit is now linking him to a move to Red Bull and the new Red Bull Powertrain company. Taffin would not be the first rival team member to be snapped up by Red Bull. Earlier, Mercedes’ Ben Hodgkinson joined the team, who will become the technical director of Red Bull Powertrains. In addition to Hodgkinson, five other announcements were made, including Steve Blewett and Omid Mostaghimi. The new Red Bull Powertrains team will be set up to take over engine development when Honda withdraws from Formula 1 at the end of 2021. So Red Bull is busy setting up an entirely new team, so who knows, maybe Taffin will join it as well.

Alpine engine director parts ways with the team

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Alpine has confirmed Renault F1 engine technical director Remi Taffin has parted ways with the company. Taffin began working with Renault in 1999 and worked as the engine engineer for drivers including Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso. In 2009 Taffin took control of the manufacturer’s F1 activities before overseeing the difficult transition into the turbo-hybrid era in 2014, at which point he became director of operations. Appointed engine technical director in 2016, Taffin oversaw Renault’s return to F1 as a constructor. The steady progress, which included three podiums last year, culminated in a race win for Esteban Ocon last time out in Hungary. With Red Bull, prior to its split with the French manufacturer, Renault had secured four championship doubles as an engine supplier as well as numerous wins at the start of the turbo-hybrid era. A spokesperson for Alpine has confirmed Taffin departed the team at the beginning of July by ‘mutual agreement’. It is understood Renault will not look for a direct replacement for its long-serving employee with Taffin’s duties to be shared among existing staff members.

Grosjean could be moving to Andretti Autosport for 2022

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

With his current contract coming to an end, Romain Grosjean is being linked with a move to IndyCar giants Andretti Autosport. The Frenchman moved to the American series after being dropped by Haas at the end of the 2020 campaign, signing for Dale Coyne Racing, and he has been hugely impressive in his rookie season. At Indianapolis, he took pole position and finished the race in P2, claiming his first podium, before also finishing in P5 at Road America. It looks like parties are taking note of his strong performances too, with increasing rumours that he will replace Ryan Hunter-Reay at Michael Andretti’s team next season. Dale Coyne understands why his driver would want to make that move, but is still hopeful that he’ll stay where he is. “I think he’s happy with us, although I realise lots of people are looking at him right now,” Coyne told Autosport. “We’ve done a good job for him, I think he understands that. We took a chance on him, he took a chance on us, and I think it’s worked out good for both of us and I hope that pays off for both of us in the end and we’re able to keep him next year. “Andretti’s team is good, and I understand a driver wanting to go there but I think we’re doing a good job for him, too. He’s been quick everywhere we’ve run him, in qualifying and the race, which shows he’s pretty complete. But you need to have the car to get the job done, and I think he’s helped show that we’re pretty complete. “He and Olivier [Boisson, race engineer] have good chemistry, and that’s throughout the team, everybody here. This team feels like a family, we’ve heard that from a lot of drivers, and they like that. And this family likes Romain and his family very much. “So we’re still talking and I hope we stay together.” Another option for Grosjean going forward could be McLaren. The British team have announced they will be taking on an increased 75% stake in IndyCar team Arrow McLaren SP at the end of 2021, and Zak Brown has confirmed they will be adding a third driver to their lineup. The American stated a very small shortlist has been drawn up, and both Grosjean and former Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen have been rumoured to be on it. “This is very much a driver championship as much as it is a team [championship] – that’s what makes it so exciting,” he said. “So we have to make sure that we get the right pilot in the race car, and there’s not a lot of them on the market. We’ve got a very short list, and if we can land someone that we think is capable of winning we’ll go for it in ’22.”

Alpine junior driver Lundgaard to make Indycar debut at Indianapolis

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Alpine junior Christian Lundgaard will get his first taste of IndyCar racing action this coming weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Lundgaard, whose main focus this season is the Formula 2 World Championship, will be driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix, the team has confirmed. RLL said that it was an eye-catching test with the team that has led to this incredible opportunity for the 20-year-old as he looks to develop his racing skills and career. “We were very pleased with the job that Christian did at our recent test at Barber Motorsports Park and are looking forward to seeing him perform at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with David Letterman and Mike Lanigan. “It’s going to be a new experience and a big challenge due to the lack of practice time compared to other races. “The road course is very much like European circuits given that it was designed for Formula 1 and Grand Prix races, so I think it will be less of an issue than going to one of our more traditional IndyCar race tracks. “Given the lack of test time and practice time, we don’t have any grand expectations of him other than to go out and do a steady job and go from there.” Lundgaard, meanwhile, is unsurprisingly delighted that this opportunity has come his way and cannot wait for the challenge. “I’m super excited to try IndyCar ,” Lundgaard said. “I’ve been very fortunate so far in my career to drive some incredible race cars and I’m looking forward to officially adding IndyCar to that list. “In preparation for this race, I tested the car and it felt pretty awesome and I’m sure it will feel even better at a race weekend in race conditions alongside all the hugely talented drivers in the field. “There’s been a lot of work to make this happen and prepare as best as possible and I’m feeling ready for the challenge. “I’ve actually watched all IndyCar races this year, so to be given the chance to line up on the grid is amazing. “There will be a lot to learn in a short space of time but trying something new excites me. “I can’t thank enough Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Alpine, my sponsors and investors for supporting me with this opportunity. It’s a unique chance and I can’t wait to give it my all.”