Pietro Fittipaldi to replace Grosjean at Sakhir GP
Haas reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will replace Romain Grosjean at this weekend’s Sakhir GP, the American racing outfit confirmed on Monday
Romain Grosjean set to be released from hospital on Tuesday
Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean is continuing his recovery from the injuries he sustained in his terrifying Bahrain GP crash and is expected to be released from hospital on Tuesday. Grosjean miraculously walked away from a sickening, 137mph head-on collision with the barriers on the opening lap of Sunday’s race in Bahrain. The Frenchman’s Haas car sliced through the barriers, tore in half and burst into flames. Grosjean was in his burning car for nearly 30 seconds before he managed to extricate himself from the wreckage with the aid of the on-site medical team. Grosjean was taken to hospital in Manama after sustaining burns to his hands and ankles. There were also fears he had suffered broken ribs in the accident, but X-rays showed there were no fractures. In an update issued by Haas on Monday, the team confirmed that treatment on the burns to the back of both Grosjean’s hands is “going well.” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner visited Grosjean in hospital on Monday morning and his injuries and recovery will continue to be assessed over the coming days and it is anticipated he will be discharged from hospital on Tuesday 1 December. In an update from his hospital bed on Sunday night, Grosjean confirmed he was OK and paid tribute to the Halo head protection device which he believes ultimately saved his life. Haas’ intention is to run Grosjean at next weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain providing he is fit and willing to drive. “We’ve always got a plan in place but at the moment my plan is if he’s OK to get back in there to race in Bahrain next week [he can]. But we have to wait,” Steiner told the media on Sunday evening. “I want to speak first to Romain before speculating whoever goes in there if he cannot drive,” he added. “So, it will be only in the next few days when we get from the doctors the verdict of how bad the injuries are then we decide what we’re doing. “At the moment for me Romain is driving.”
Lynn tops the second day pre-season tests
Alex Lynn shot to the top of the times for Mahindra Racing on the second day of Formula E pre-season testing in an afternoon session that featured a simulated race. The Briton posted his fastest lap after the chequered flag had been waved for the three-hour run at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia to set the best time of the day. His 1m11.941sec effort eclipsed the FE circuit record set in the morning session by reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa by just 0.007s. Lynn’s late advances pushed BMW Andretti driver Maximilian Guenther down to second place, with the German sitting 0.208s off the pace but pipping new team-mate Jake Dennis. Behind Dennis, the Jaguar Racing attack was led by Sam Bird in fourth ahead of Edoardo Mortara’s lead Venturi and the Dragon/Penske Autosport machine of Sergio Sette Camara – who deployed the 35kW attack mode a session-highest five times. Oliver Rowland headed the Nissan e.dams line-up for seventh place as the second Dragon of Nico Muller ran to eighth. Muller was the classified winner of a full-length but largely unstructured simulation race. After a morning vote, teams could opt out of completing the entire 45-minute plus one lap distance, with Rowland and team-mate Buemi having led for the early laps before pitting. The Nissans’ initial advantage came courtesy of being the first cars to line up in the pitlane in a session that featured a full-course yellow, penalty pitstop and safety car practices. The run-off area on the outside of the Turn 2 left-hander was used as the attack mode activation zone. Andre Lotterer, who topped the first day of testing and finished the practice race in third behind da Costa, ended the day in ninth ahead of Venturi rookie driver Norman Nato. Stoffel Vandoorne was the best-performing Mercedes in 11th, while the two NIO 333 cars of returning driver Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Turvey ran to 12th and 13th. Six drivers were cautioned for track limits offences under the new restrictions brought in for 2020 at Turns 1, 6 and 10, but it was the first session of four so far not to feature a red flag.
Hamilton wins Bahrain GP as Grosjean and Stroll crashes
Lewis Hamilton beat Max Verstappen in Formula 1’s 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, which featured a shocking, fiery crash for Haas driver Romain Grosjean.The race was also by disrupted by two safety cars in incidents that eliminated both Racing Point drivers, but will be forever remembered for the horrifying incident on the opening lap that involved Grosjean escaping his burning car after piercing one of the track’s barriers after making contact with Daniil Kvyat. At the initial start, Valtteri Bottas made a slow getaway from second when the lights went out, while Hamilton leapt clear in the lead, and the Finn was quickly passed by Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the run to Turn 1. Bottas was then swamped by Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo at the opening right-hander and as he lost momentum entering Turn 2, it appeared to set off a chain of reactions in the pack behind. Lando Norris had to check up, which brought him into a line with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, which pinched at Turn 2 and caused Norris to slow again and left him with front wing damage. The following Ferrari pair and Lance Stroll had to go wide in avoidance as they came up to the rear of Norris’s car, which sent the Racing Point wide, and the pack bunched up again going through the Turn 3 right kink, which slowed the group at the back of the midfield again. The drivers at the rear of the field – including Grosjean – therefore quickly gained on those ahead, and in reaction the Haas driver moved right across the track, striking Kvyat’s AlphaTauri and sending him straight into the barriers. His car was torn in half by the impact, with its fuel igniting and the front half of the car piercing through the barrier. Grosjean was able to extricate himself from the burning wreckage, jumping back to the track-side of the fence and into the arms of FIA medical delegate Dr Ian Roberts, who had arrived on the seen with medical driver Alan van der Merwe a few seconds after the impact. The race was red-flagged after 36 seconds, just as the leaders were exiting Turn 6, and suspended for an hour and 20 minutes while Grosjean was taken first to the circuit’s medical centre by ambulance and then airlifted to the BDF Military Hospital for further evaluation. His Haas team initially explained he had suffered minor burns on his hands and ankles and then gave a further update that he had suffered suspected broken ribs. The pierced barrier was cut away and replaced with a series of concrete blocks, installed under the supervision of FIA race director Michael Masi. The cars restarted on lap three of 57, with Hamilton on pole again ahead of Verstappen and Perez, with Bottas back up to fourth as the order was taken by the positions at the second safety car line during the initial start. Hamilton again made a simple getaway from pole, with Bottas briefly able to challenge Perez and Verstappen ahead of him, but it was the Red Bull that had to defend against the Racing Point at the first corner. Perez was edged out on the outside line, which put him back under pressure from Bottas as the cars raced through the rest of the first sector. But the race was suspended again when Stroll and Kvyat came together at the Turn 8 hairpin, with the AlphaTauri on the inside and flipping Stroll’s car when it hit the Racing Point’s right rear, with Vettel forced to slam on the brakes and Kevin Magnussen breaking his front wing against the suddenly slowing Ferrari. As Stroll was stranded upside down, the safety car was called into action as he climbed out, during which Mercedes had to pit Bottas when he picked up a puncture, which dropped him from fourth to 16th as he rejoined on the hard tyres. The race restarted on lap nine, with Hamilton grabbing a 0.7s lead over the line by nailing the final corner better than Verstappen as they moved back to racing speed. The top two quickly romped clear of Perez, the only two drivers able to lap in the 1m34s, but after just a few laps at that pace Verstappen began to slip back. By lap 14, Hamilton had edged to a 2.0s lead, briefly dipping into the 1m33s as Verstappen circulated in the 1m35s, and he continued to edge away across the rest of the first stint. Hamilton pitted at the end of lap 19 to take new mediums with a lead of 4.6s, with Verstappen and Perez coming in at the end of the following tour – where they opted for hard tyres, of which they had both come into the race with two sets to Hamilton’s one. When the stops shook out Hamilton led by 5.5s at the start of lap 22, but Verstappen told Red Bull he would go “full send” and immediately brought the gap down by a second with a then fastest lap. Then pair then exchanged faster times in the high 1m33s and 1m34s before Hamilton was able to re-establish his five second advantage by the end of the race’s first 30 laps. Red Bull went aggressive to pit Verstappen for a second time at the end of lap 34, switching him back to the mediums, but the stop ran long by three seconds. Nevertheless, after Mercedes had pitted Hamilton for hards at the end of the following lap, Verstappen was just 3.7s behind after a rapid out lap and first flying effort, as Perez pitted from in between the two leaders. In a near copy of the second stint, Verstappen was initially able to exchange quicker laps with Hamilton before starting to slip back – hitting the 1m34s again after initially running in the 1m32s after his second stop on lap 46. Hamilton had edged his lead up to five seconds again by that tour, at the end of which…
Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 as Perez comes third in Bahrain FP1
Newly-crowned seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton continued to lead the way in 2020 by topping the opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Following up on his record-equalling title triumph last time out in Turkey, Hamilton set the fastest time with a 1m29.033 to outpace Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 0.449 seconds in the first 90-minute practice at the Bahrain International Circuit. FP1 in Sakhir is considered to be one of the most unrepresentative Friday practice sessions of the season due to it being held during the day in conditions that differ from both qualifying and the race which take place at night. The drivers did get their first proper taste of Pirelli’s 2021 specification tyres with the latest test being run across both practice sessions in Bahrain following a ‘blind’ 30-minute programme which was conducted in Portugal last month, providing the teams with an important data-gathering exercise ahead of next season. Now that both teams’ and drivers’ titles have already been settled, attention has turned to an intense midfield battle to secure third place in the constructors’ championship with four teams in contention to land the coveted spot inside F1’s top three. Racing Point had the upper hand in the opening session at the first of two races to be staged in Bahrain as Sergio Perez, fresh from his first podium finish of 2020 at the Turkish Grand Prix, ended FP1 third-quickest – nearly a full second behind the dominant Mercedes duo. Carlos Sainz was just 0.018s adrift of Perez’s time in his McLaren, while Pierre Gasly completed the top five for AlphaTauri. The Red Bulls were next up with Max Verstappen marginally faster than Alex Albon in sixth and seventh respectively, with the Dutchman complaining of “understeer city” in his RB16 in the cooler conditions as he ended practice in the garage with floor damage. Renault duo Esteban Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo were split by the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll as they rounded out the top-10 positions, ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel. In his fourth FP1 outing of 2020, Robert Kubica – deputising for Alfa Romeo regular Kimi Raikkonen – finished 13th fastest ahead of Romain Grosjean, who was fortunate to escape a high-speed spin at Turn 7 with only flat-spotted tyres on his Haas. Roy Nissany was also in action marking his third FP1 appearance of the season for Williams, as he ended up slowest of all and three-tenths behind Nicholas Latifi in George Russell’s FW43.
BMW adds two satelitte teams signing Folger and Laverty
BMW has made an announcement that it will be adding two satellite teams to its World Superbike lineup come 2021, they also announced that they have signed ex-Moto GP riders Eugene Laverty and Jonas Folger. BMW has been the only manufacturer without a satellite team in WSBK until 2020 and they had confirmed last month that talks were underway with atleast three teams to fill the gap. The German outfit has now announced that it will have two one-bike satellite teams starting on the grid in 2021. The teams will be RC Squadra Corse and Bonovo Action. RC Squadra Corse has been a part of the World Superbike teams since 2016 and also contested for the 2020 WorldSBK championship. Eugene Laverty had been dropped from the BMW factory team to give way to Yamaha’s Michael Van der Mark and will now be racing for RC Squadra Corse while remaining as BMW’s official test rider. Bonovo Action on the other hand contested for only two rounds in the 2020 WSBK season with Jonas Folger riding Yamaha YZF-R1 but will now switch to BMW M1000 R for the 2021 season. “Cooperation with satellite teams represents another important step for our involvement in the FIM Superbike World Championship”, says Markus Schramm, Director of BMW Motorrad. “It is great to have two more BMW M 1000 RRs in the field alongside the two motorbikes from our works teams, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with riders Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the two satellite teams in our WorldSBK project.” “The Bonovo Action Team with Jonas Folger is the first German team to register to compete in the WorldSBK with a Bavarian rider on a Bavarian motorbike. That is a special combination.” “I am also delighted that Eugene Laverty will remain an integral member of our BMW family, applying his talents and his knowledge of BMW superbikes in our satellite team RC Squadra Corse, newly formed but already well known in the World Superbike paddock.” BMW failed to finish on the podium this season, which concluded last month at Estoril in Portugal, with Tom Sykes’ run to fifth in Barcelona Race 2 its best result of the season. Laverty led a 1-2 for BMW in a wet Superpole at Magny-Cours, but both riders were eliminated at the start of Race 1 in an incident with the GRT Yamaha of Garrett Gerloff.
Grosjean says previous Formula 1 teams managed him better than Haas
Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has allleged that the previous Formula 1 bosses that he has raced for in the previous years were better managing him than Haas. Grosjean will be walking away from Formula 1 after Haas said they won’t be renewing his contract beyond 2020, and this will end his five-year relationship with the American outfit. Haas Formula 1 team principal, Guenther Steiner said Grosjean, who joined the team ahead of its debut in 2016 was ‘tough to manage’. Steiner said this ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix which will be taking place this weekend. Grosjean was asked on his thoughts about Steiner’s remarks and he said, “I don’t want to go into too much detail. I think I’ve brought a fair bit to the team and I’ve had moments, yes, I’ve made mistakes – but who doesn’t?” “Also, when you have a poor car, you need to be able to drive to 105% to get anything good and when you drive to that level there is high chances you’re going to make mistakes.” “When you have a top car, you can drive at 99.8% and that means you’re more consistent. I’ve known both situations and that’s why I can say that.” “Am I difficult to manage? I don’t know. [But] some people did that very well with me in the past, so I guess it’s possible.” Grosjean has just one points finish to his name in 2020 with a ninth place finish at the Nurburgring, ending a run of 20 races without scoring that stretched back to last year’s German Grand Prix. Despite the VF-20 lacking raw speed throughout most of the season, Grosjean is still satisfied with his performances this year. “Apart from Turkey in the wet, where I was absolutely nowhere,” Grosjean said. “Generally I’ve got the maximum of the car, whenever possible – Germany is a good example, and the race in Monza was pretty good, as well as Mugello. “So yeah, I’m happy with the season. It’s difficult to say how good the season is because of the car we have – but I think it’s a really good season.”
Kubica to replace Raikkonen as Nissany drives for Williams in Bahrain FP1
Robert Kubica and Roy Nissany will take part in the opening practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix as they get behind the wheel of the 2020 car of the Alfa Romeo and Williams team respectively. One-time Grand Prix winner Robert Kubica will return to the Formula One paddock this weekend as he prepares himself for an outing in one of the two Alfa Romeo Orlen C39s. The Polish driver will take over the car of Kimi Räikkönen for the first 90-minute session in Manama. “I am very pleased to be back in the driving seat for the first time since August,” said the Pole. „It may sound like a long time, but my season has been really busy with my simulator work at the factory and my DTM programme, so it actually felt like it went quite quickly. Kubica competed in the German Tourenwagen Masters this year, driving a BMW for the ART team. Beside his role in DTM, he also worked for Alfa Romeo as development driver. His outing in Bahrain will mark his fourth appearance at a race weekend this year after driving at Silverstone, in Styria and Hungary. “Now that my DTM season is over, I am keen to get back into my Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN role full time: there is still a lot to fight for and I am confident my work will make a positive contribution to the team’s efforts.” Team Principal Frederic Vasseur added: “We are all pleased to see Robert get back in the car for FP1. His contribution to the team has been important so far this season and to be able to get the most of his experience and skills here in Bahrain is going to help the team continue its current path of progression. Sakhir is a circuit he knows really well and this will really help our work this weekend.” Kubica will not only be the only third driver to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car this weekend as he will be joined by Roy Nissany. The Israeli driver will perform driving duties for Williams in FP1 which will mark his third appearance in 2020 after completing runs in Spain and Italy.“Bahrain is a very special track for me, driving a Formula One car around it for the first time means a lot. It is always a great opportunity to develop on such a technical and demanding track,” said Nissany.
Hendrick Motorsport crew member and wife killed in a car accident
William “Rowdy” Harrell, who most recently served as a tire carrier on driver Alex Bowman’s No. 88 NASCAR Cup Series team, and his wife, Blakley, died at the scene in a head-on car crash in the Florida Keys Tuesday night, according to police reports. The crash happened around 9:40 p.m. at mile marker 76 on U.S. 1 on Lower Matecumbe Key. William, 30, and Blakley, 23, had been married on Saturday and were on their honeymoon. “Our entire team is absolutely devastated at the loss of Rowdy and Blakley,” said Greg Ives, who was Harrell’s crew chief for the past six seasons. “They were such positive, giving and passionate people who could not have been a more perfect match. “Rowdy had an energetic and infectious personality. He was the heart and soul of our team and always kept us motivated, no matter the circumstance. Rowdy shared his love with the people around him and was loved in return. “Although he will be greatly missed, his memory will continue to inspire us always. Our prayers are with Rowdy, Blakley and their wonderful family.” Before his NASCAR career, Harrell won three national championships as a walk-on middle linebacker for the University of Alabama football team. The native of Moundville, Ala., held a degree in human performance and exercise science from the school. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Harrell was driving a 2020 Toyota Corolla north on the two-lane highway when he crossed into the southbound lane in the path of a 2013 Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by a 62-year-old man from Tennessee. The pickup truck driver was transported to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, Fla., with minor injuries. His two passengers, a 58-year-old woman from Tennessee, and a 62-year-old Tennessee woman, were seriously injured. All the passengers and drivers were wearing seatbelts, the FHP report said. The agency said it is investigating whether alcohol was involved in the crash. Memorial arrangements for the Harrells are incomplete at this time.
Magnussen to join Chip Ganassi in IMSA for 2021
Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen is set for a switch to sportscar racing in 2021, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing’s revived IMSA team. The 28-year-old Dane will be one of the full-time drivers in Ganassi’s single Cadillac DPi-V.R entry in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, a program confirmed last week. Magnussen’s future has been the subject of much speculation since he announced his departure from the Haas F1 team last month and his father Jan Magnussen, the former sportscar ace who manages his son’s career, advised him to seek opportunities within IndyCar and WEC. However, with WEC set for a ‘transition year’ as the first Hypercars are introduced, Magnussen was unlikely to find a particularly appealing opportunity on the European sportscar scene. Meanwhile, although it’s understood that he approached all but one of the IndyCar teams that still had a seat available in October, most owners were seeking a driver who could bring money. That left Magnussen without an obvious option since his personal sponsor Jack & Jones – a Danish clothing company – has a negligible footprint in the USA, and its Canadian parent company Bestseller filed for bankruptcy this past summer. But the seven-year F1 veteran’s approach to Chip Ganassi led to talks regarding the team’s IMSA program, which lay dormant this year following the end of the highly successful partnership with Ford in the GT Le Mans class. Jan Magnussen did not respond to Motorsport.com’s attempts to confirm this news. Kevin Magnussen, the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion, made his F1 debut for McLaren in 2014, scoring second place on his debut in the Australian Grand Prix. He would score 11 more top-10 finishes that season and take 11th in the drivers’ championship. However, the team made him reserve driver in 2015 when it signed Fernando Alonso, and at year’s end he was released. Magnussen then spent a season at the struggling Renault team before being hired by the one-year-old Haas squad in 2017, his highlight being ninth in the championship the following year. Since Wayne Taylor Racing elected to clean house regarding driver line-up as it switches from Cadillac to Acura for next year, it means WTR’s 2020 full-timers Ryan Briscoe and Renger van der Zande became available to partner Magnussen. Despite Briscoe’s seven-year association with Ganassi – three in IndyCar, four in sportscar –Motorsport.com is given to understand that van der Zande will be confirmed as the second full-timer in the Ganassi Cadillac. The 34-year-old Dutchman helped drive the WTR Cadillac to two Rolex 24 and two Petit Le Mans triumphs. Ganassi’s six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon is set to join Magnussen and Van der Zande for IMSA’s four endurance rounds – the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Sebring 12 Hours, Watkins Glen 6 Hours and Petit Le Mans.
DS Techeetah to start 2020/21 season with 2019/20 car
Reigning Formula E teams’ champion DS Techeetah will carry over its existing car into the upcoming 2020-21 season before introducing a new powertrain package in April. DS Techeetah, which has won both teams’ and drivers’ titles since the Gen2 FE car was brought in, revealed a revised livery during its online launch on Wednesday. It also confirmed it would continue with the DS E-Tense FE20 machine that won four races last season in line with new championship cost-saving regulations voted in as a result of the global health crisis. Teams now have three options: they can opt to continue with their 2019-20 powertrain, bring an all-new set-up to be retained for two years, or carry over their existing powertrain for the start of campaign before switching to a new package in April. DS Techeetah, which keeps hold of double FE title-winner Jean-Eric Vergne and reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa as drivers, has decided on the latter. It will continue with the DS E-Tense FE20 for the opening rounds in Santiago and the double-header night races in Diriyah before swapping to its successor, which has been developed in tandem, for the Rome E-Prix on April 10. DS performance director Xavier Mestelan Pinon said: “Regarding this opportunity [with homologation cycles] we took the decision to develop two cars. “For the first two events, we will use the season six homologation but with brand new software. The software is very important in Formula E, it’s the key to performance. “After that, for the Rome E-Prix we will introduce the new homologation. It’s a brand-new powertrain with some ambitious technology. It’s very exciting as both drivers have already tested the [new] car and it seems to be very fast.” Mercedes has switched to an all-new powertrain, as has the NIO 333 team and Mahindra – with technical partner ZF developing the package. Da Costa added: “There are obviously ups and downs [to continuing with the current car]. We know exactly what we have going racing so I think we can really hit the ground running. We improved it, we’ve kept on moving forward with it. “The new car is just around the corner. That’s another step forward. I’m sure we’ll still be competitive, although I’m sure everyone else has taken a step forward.”
Mahindra to retain Lynn for 2020/2021 season
Mahindra has completed its driver line-up for the 2020/21 Formula E season after signing Alex Lynn alongside the previously-confirmed Alexander Sims.The announcement was made during an online presentation on Wednesday, in which Mahindra also unveiled its M7 Electro challenger for the seventh season of the all-electric championship. Ex-DS Virgin driver Lynn joined Mahindra for the final six races of the 2019/20 season in Berlin after the Indian team parted ways with Porsche-bound Pascal Wehrlein. The British driver logged three points finishes during that period, including a best result of fifth, to end the campaign just three points behind the outfit’s full season driver Jerome d’Ambrosio in the standings. It has now been confirmed that Lynn will remain with Mahindra for what will be only his second full-season in Formula E after his 2017/18 campaign with Virgin, although he has since competed in more than a dozen races at Jaguar and Mahindra. “I’m incredibly excited to be back for Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and to be a part of Mahindra Racing,” said Lynn. “I’ve had the opportunity of driving the M7Electro on numerous test days and we’re all pretty proud of what we’ve come up with. We won’t know our competitiveness fully until the lights go out in Santiago, but we are here to consistently fight for wins and podiums; that’s what the team go racing for and so do I. “From that side I’m extremely excited and focused to be delivering the results that this hard-working team deserves.” Lynn will be joined in the team by former factory BMW driver Sims, who scored his maiden FE victory in the Saudi Arabia double header at the start of the 2019/20 season. Sims has replaced d’Ambrosio in Mahindra’s line-up, with the Belgian driver retiring from racing and taking up the role of deputy team principal at rival FE squad Venturi. In 2019/20, Mahindra endured its first podium-less campaign since the inaugural season of Formula E after being plagued by reliability issues following a change of gearbox supplier. It finished the season ninth among 12 teams, a drop of three places from its finishing position in 2018/19. “This is an incredibly exciting time for Mahindra Racing,” said team principal Dilbagh Gill. “We are heading into the championship’s (and the team’s!) seventh year in Formula E, and the first year ever as a World Championship series. “Formula E has gone from strength to strength over this time and we are extremely proud to have been part of that journey from the very beginning. “The team has been working incredibly hard to develop the M7Electro challenger and, with a strong driver pairing of Alexander Sims and Alex Lynn, I am confident that we will be back to securing podiums this season.”
Formula E to premier night races in Saudi Arabia
Formula E will hold its first ever night races in Saudi Arabia for the 2021 Season. They will be using lighting systems powered by renewable energy. The third and fourth races of the 14-round 2020/21 calendar will take place on February 26-27 in Diriyah, and both will run in low-light conditions. A low-consumption LED set-up that reportedly requires 50 percent less energy than a conventional system will be used to illuminate the track. The remaining floodlights will then be fuelled by “high-performing low-carbon vegetable oil made from sustainable materials”. For the championship’s third visit to Saudi Arabia, the race start time will be pushed back from 1500 local time (1200 GMT) by five hours to 2000 (1700 GMT). FE co-founder and chief championship officer Alberto Longo said: “We are very proud to partner with Saudi to create Formula E’s first-ever night race. I am confident the race will be spectacular and lead to a style of competitive action we haven’t seen before. “As with everything we do, our first thought was about how to bring our sporting vision to life in a sustainable way. Before we innovate our racing product, we must be confident we can maintain the standards of sustainable practice we hold ourselves accountable to.” The inaugural Saudi E-Prix was the country’s first major international sporting event, with the 2019-20 races the first FE double-header to be held in the Middle East. Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, the Saudi Arabia minister of sport added: “In 2018, the ancient historical city of Diriyah made history in hosting the first fully electric race on the streets of the region. “The debut event sparked so much joy and energy to our sporting journey and was one of a number of major sporting firsts that have since inspired our people and helped to shine a spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s massive transformation under the Kingdom’s vision 2030. “In 2019, Diryah was the first to host back to back races during a race weekend and now once again we will make sporting history. “It is very fitting that a place so ancient will showcase the latest in sustainable technology as Diriyah lights up to shine bright for the world to see. We look forward to the dramatic racing and incredible scenes that are guaranteed to unfold under the lights.” Formula 1 will visit Saudi Arabia for the first time next year for a street race in Jeddah, which will also take place at night.
Ricciardo ready to set the record straight in Bahrain
Daniel Ricciardo insists he’s “fired up” to help Renault put right its double DNF from last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit this weekend. Bahrain marks the start of the final run-in to the end of the 2020 season, with just three of the 17 races remaining. Renault was on course to secure a double points finish at the 2019 event, only for both Ricciardo and team-mate Nico Hulkenberg to retire simultaneously just a few laps from the end of the race. Ricciardo, who acknowledged his recent unblemished record in Bahrain, feels there is “unfinished business” for Renault to address. “The Sakhir circuit in Bahrain is a good one, I’ve always enjoyed racing there and night sessions are always fun to take part in,” Ricciardo said. “In recent years, I haven’t had the best results in Bahrain, but I’m looking to set that right this weekend. “I’m feeling much more on top of the car since we were last in Bahrain, so I think we should be in a good place. We also have a bit of unfinished business there after last season, so I’m pretty hungry and fired up.” Ricciardo’s current Renault team-mate Esteban Ocon is targeting a points finish a difficult run of form, with three retirements out of the last six races. The Frenchman, who will partner double world champion Fernando Alonso when Ricciardo leaves to join McLaren in 2021, believes luck has evaded him of late but is eager to perform this weekend. “I’m definitely feeling motivated after what happened at the last two races” Ocon said. “I’ve said it doesn’t feel like we have too much luck on our side of the garage, but I believe it’s in our own hands to turn that around. “There’s not much time to feel sorry for ourselves, so I’m determined to have a solid weekend and take some big points at a strategic time of the season.” Renault lost ground to its main rivals McLaren and Racing Point in the battle for third in the constructors’ championship after scoring just one point at the Turkish Grand Prix. The Enstone-based outfit has slipped to fifth in the standings, 13 points adrift of fourth-placed McLaren, with Racing Point a further five points clear in P3.
Bautista says Kawasaki treats WSBK like its MotoGP
Alvaro Bautista says Kawasaki has the luxury of being able to treat its World Superbike project with the same level of dedication that rival manufacturers commit to their MotoGP bikes.Honda rider Bautista made the remark during last week’s post-season test at Jerez, where Kawasaki unveiled the 2021 version of its ultra-successful ZX-10RR machine featuring radically revised front bodywork and an updated engine. Jonathan Rea set the fastest time of the test using the new bike at Jerez, and is back in action for another two-day test this week at Aragon. While Kawasaki’s 2021 machine represents its biggest year-on-year change in some seasons, the Japanese manufacturer has not gone down the route of producing a ‘homologation special’ in the mould of Ducati’s V4 Panigale R or BMW’s M1000RR. Asked if he was surprised about Kawasaki’s decision, Bautista replied: “When the bike is working well, why change? They keep winning, so why change the bike? “Maybe you think it’s a normal Superbike, but them for it’s like a MotoGP [bike] because they don’t have any other championships and they put all the effort in this championship. Maybe the bike looks normal, but inside is the secret.” Ex-MotoGP rider Bautista was eighth-fastest of the 11 WSBK riders present at Jerez, three places behind Honda teammate Leon Haslam. The Spanish rider said he found “some good points but also some bad points” experimenting with different set-ups, as the CBR1000RR-R goes into its second season of competition. “[This year] the bike was very new and I hope that for next season we have now a normal base, to start the work, especially in the winter,” said Bautista. “Maybe last season we start to work, not late, but with the [limited] time like this, and the COVID situation, we could not make more tests to make a base set-up.” Asked specifically what he has asked Honda’s engineers in Japan to deliver with the 2021 bike, Bautista said: “I want more turning and more rear grip, especially, and just fix a little bit on the electronic side, with the engine brake and the power delivery. “Today we made some set-up adjustments and we found some positives and some negatives. Now they have the data and I say to them, ‘I want this, this and this’ and they have to work to put all the good things together. We’ll see.”
Ryan Truex back at Niece Motorsports for 2021 Truck Series
Ryan Truex will be returning to Niece Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Truck Season but this time round he will be competing for the 2021 Camping World Truck Series championship. Ryan Truex, is the 28-year-old younger brother to former NASCAR Series champion Martin Truex Jr. Ryan ran nine races with Niece Motorsports in the 2020 season having his best finish at Las Vegas and Kansas after ranking 12th best. The younger Truex also has an extensive NASCAR experience but the 2021 season will be the third opportunity to run a full schedule in the national series, NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck. “Last season was really a learning year for me with this team,” said Truex, who will drive the No. 40 Chevrolet. “I feel like we learned a ton every week. We adjusted to working with no track time prior to racing, and I feel like we made our equipment better throughout the course of the year.” “I am excited about the continuity we will be able to build, competing week-in and week-out. I’m thankful to Marquis Spas for their support this season and as we move into next season.” Ryan Truex run a full NASCAR Truck series back in 2017 has achieved 2 poles, 10 top-five finishes and 19 top-ten finishes not forgetting he has 51 starts in the Truck series, 78 starts in the Xfinity series and 26 in the Cup series. “As a team, we are really excited about how our program is shaping up for next season,” said general manager Cody Efaw. “We are working hard collectively to make our equipment the best it can be. “We are thankful for the support of great partners like Marquis and Chevrolet. We look forward to contending for wins next year with Ryan.” The 22-race 2021 Truck Series schedule kicks off Feb. 12, 2021, at Daytona International Speedway.
