Racetrackmasters

Bottas a key factor in Hamilton’s Mercedes retirement decision

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Lewis Hamilton has been backed to extend his stay with Mercedes because Valtteri Bottas is the only F1 driver who can get anywhere near him. The Brit is on the cusp of winning a seventh F1 Drivers Championship. He’s way ahead of his Finnish team-mate and former Formula One star Max Chilton can’t see him leaving. Hamilton has been coy about what the future holds, with the Brit refusing to commit to Mercedes for the time being. He’s been with them ever since 2013, where he left McLaren, while Bottas has been with them since quitting Williams back in 2017. Hamilton has been dominant of F1 in recent years and Chilton thinks that, with Bottas the only driver who can near him at present, there’s no chance of him jumping ship and he also believes the 35-year-old will retire once he’s won the crown for an eighth time. “In short, I can’t see Lewis leaving Mercedes,” Chilton wrote in his column for GQ Magazine, “Lewis clearly wants a record 8th world title, and the best place for that to happen is with Mercedes.” “They have the best car, so why would he want to bring this record-breaking partnership to an end? “We have seen this season that the only driver who has put him under pressure is his teammate Valtteri Bottas, so why give up that advantage? “What I can see happening is Lewis doing one more year with Mercedes, winning that record-breaking 8th title, and then retiring.” “I can’t see him following Fernando Alonso in trying to win the triple crown and competing in Le Mans, Dakar and the Indy 500. I also can’t see him going to Ferrari like so many champions before him.” “What drives Lewis on, race after race, season after season, is an unmatched competitive spirit – and if the car is not performing to his expectations, it could quickly turn into a nightmare.”

Vietnam GP will not be in the 2021 Formula 1 calendar

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Vietnam’s first Formula One Grand Prix in Hanoi, cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been dropped from next year’s calendar, following the arrest of a key officials responsible for organising the race. The BBC said the move followed the arrest in August of Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung. A source with knowledge of next year’s calendar confirmed to Reuters that the race was not listed. Chung was arrested in August for alleged appropriation of documents containing state secrets. The case is not related to his involvement in the grand prix. However, Chung was the key figure in the race being introduced and championed it with the national government. Formula One said the draft schedule would be issued on Tuesday. The calendar will still have to be approved by the governing FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, usually a formality, and will include at least one new race with a stop off in Jeddah for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in November. It is expected to be the penultimate race of the year, with the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix bringing the curtain down on 2021. The calendar could extend to 23 Grands Prix – a new record – if F1 bosses can find a replacement for Vietnam. The return of some of the circuits used this year to patch gaps left by cancellations due to the pandemic. Portugal’s Algarve circuit, Imola in Italy and Turkey’s Istanbul track would be the leading contenders to take Vietnam’s April 25 slot. Brazil is also set to remain on the calendar, despite earlier doubts, with South America’s only race returning to Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit in November rather than one yet to be built in Rio de Janeiro.

Codemasters in $973m buyout offer

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Codemasters, the official Formula 1 video game developer, is the subject of a $973 million buyout offer from American videogame publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.British-based Codemasters uses Motorsport Games for its esports activities around the DiRT Rally franchise, currently hosting the 2.0 World Series and following on from the World RX Esports Series, which attracted 1.24 million live views. Motorsport Games also organized the Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual, the biggest motorsports esports event in history with a cumulative audience of over 14.2 million viewers, along with publishing the NASCAR HEAT video game franchise. Take Two which owns the brands 2K and Rockstar Games – would thus add F1 to its roster of other mainstream sports, including NBA basketball and PGA golf. Founded in 1986, Codemasters is one of the UK’s oldest video game studios and motorsport has played a key role in its evolution into one of the best-regarded names in the business. It received the offer for 485 pence per share on Friday, and it is understood that Codemasters’ board will recommend to shareholders that the offer should be accepted. Following the advent of the PlayStation games console, Codemasters released the highly-acclaimed TOCA touring cars – originally based on the British Touring Car Championship – and Colin McRae Rally series, which has since morphed into DiRT, before going on to produce the official F1 game from 2009. Codemasters halted the touring car-based series following the 2006 release of TOCA Race Driver 3, although Motorsport Games won the long-term license to create an official British Touring Car Championship game starting 2022. Codemasters has developed and published 13 F1 video games, with its latest iteration – F1 2020 – available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Google Stadia. In a statement from the New York-based company, it said: “Take-Two believes that the combination of Take-Two and Codemasters would bring together two world-class interactive entertainment portfolios, with a highly complementary fit between Take-Two’s 2K publishing label and Codemasters in the racing genre. “In addition, Take-Two believes that it can bring benefits to Codemasters’ performance by leveraging Take-Two’s global distribution network and 2K’s core operating expertise in publishing, including live operations, analytics, product development, and brand and performance marketing.” As details of the $973 million proposed deal emerged, Codemasters’ shares rose 8.6% to 470 pence on Friday afternoon. Take-Two’s own shares were up almost 3% at the same period. A decision on the acquisition would be required by December 4 for it to progress, as per the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers. Codemasters also recently concluded a deal to produce the official World Rally Championship video game from 2023.

Grosjean says Russel was the only driver who messaged him after Haas exit news

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Romain Grosjean says George Russell was the only driver on the grid to send him a message of support after Haas announced the Frenchman’s exit from its team for 2021. Grosjean and teammate Kevin Magnussen have both been dismissed by Haas, a decision that could signal the end of the pair’s career in Formula 1. There’s obviously little compassion among F1 drivers when a rival is forced to head to the unemployment line, but Russell felt compelled to offer a few words of support to Grosjean. “I’ve had a good relationship with George,” said the 34-year-old Frenchman. “When the announcement was made that I wasn’t going to be with the team next season, he was the first and only one to send me a WhatsApp message. That really shows that he’s a great guy.” Grosjean returned the support recently when Russell crashed behind the Safety Car at the Emilia Romagna GP, a blunder that reminded him of an embarrassing and costly mistake of his own at the Azerbaijan GP in 2018. “I know how painful it is to crash under a Safety Car period, especially when it’s going to be your first point of the season,” he said. “I believe it was the same for me at Baku in 2018.” “In the lower part of the field, you really need to work the tyres a lot. I’ve said it many times, if I was doing Baku again, I’d probably do the same thing as I did three seasons ago.” “George didn’t do anything crazy, but he just lost the car. It was a tough day for him, but he’ll have plenty more [good days] to come.”

Alex Albon: Accept an AlphaTauri demotion? No, not at all

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Redbull driver Alexander Albon has made it clear that he wouldn’t be happy returning to AlphaTauri should he lose his Red Bull race seat. Albon is in a race against time to save his current job as number two driver to Max Verstappen. Although Red Bull initially set a two-race target for Albon to save his seat, Portugal and Imola, that has been extended to the final lap of the very last race of the season. However, calls to put Nico Hulkenberg or Sergio Perez in the car continue to grow with even Max Verstappen reportedly wanting Hulkenberg as his 2021 team-mate. Albon is doing his best not to listen to the rumours. “There’s talk, there’ll always be talk,” said the Thai driver, “but at the end of the day, I know listening to whatever has to be said doesn’t change anything on-track.” “My focus is more on driving and the results more than anything else.” “I know that if I focus on that, all the other stuff will quiet down a bit. These things happen, but I focus on the job and that’s all that matters.” Should he fail to keep his Red Bull seat there are three options: he would return to AlphaTauri to partner Pierre Gasly, he could take up a test driver role or he could be out of Formula 1 entirely. Asked if he’d accept a demotion to AlphaTauri, he replied: “No, not at all.” “I think it’s every driver’s dream to race for a top team like Red Bull, and my intention is to stay here.” Red Bull meanwhile have made it clear that they want Albon to succeed and continue at the team next season. “It’s Alex’s seat,” said team boss Christian Horner. “He’s got his bum in the car and everyone wants to see him retain that seat.” “I think he has to block out the outside noise, get his head down, just have a good weekend.” While AlphaTauri waits on Red Bull to decide its 2021 line up, the junior team is preparing Yuki Tsunoda should a seat be available.

Ricciardo hoping to swap helmets with Vettel

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Daniel Ricciardo says his personal helmet collection is “coming on”, boosted by the trades he does with other drivers every year. But the Aussie is eager to add one special lid to his lot in the future. F1 drivers who are avid collectors often exchange helmets at the end of a campaign, with Fernando Alonso a leading proponent of the practice. Every season, the Spaniard adds a few more prestigious pieces of memorabilia to the vast exhibit housed at his museum at Llanera in the Asturias and Ricciardo is now slowly building up a collection of his own. “The helmet collection is coming on. Each year, I will try to do a couple of swaps and it is cool,” he said,” quoted by Motorsport.com. “I like to keep a collection for myself with my designs, but I also like to trade with another driver. “For a driver it is the biggest sign of respect, so that is always fun. So we will see who we will do swaps with this year.“But helmets take up a lot of space, so I need to start organising a proper room to keep them all in. But it is a nice problem to have.” And whose precious lid is the future McLaren driver hoping to get his hands on next? “To be honest, Sebastian,” replied Ricciardo. “I haven’t done a swap with Sebastian and, because he was a teammate, it would be nice to do that. “Maybe I have a bit more time as he is staying in the sport a little longer, but if he retired this year I had better get in quick. I’ll have to ask Sebastian as I am yet to do that yet.” Last month, after Lewis Hamilton’s milestone win at the Eifel GP that allowed him to match the 91-win record in F1 of Michael Schumacher, the Briton was presented by the great German’s son Mick with a helmet that the seven-time world champion had used during the 2012 season. Ricciardo thought the gift was “one of the coolest” he’s ever seen in the sport, although the seven-time Grand Prix winner admitted to being rewarded with a few great bonuses of his own in the past. “I’ve got some nice gifts for sure,” he said. “Leaving Toro Rosso, now AlphaTauri, they gave me a steering wheel which I thought was really awesome. “And then Red Bull gave me a dirt bike, so that was pretty awesome as well. I feel quite spoilt with these gifts.”

Sheldon Creed wins NASCAR Truck race at Phoenix as he takes the 2020 championship

Kevin Peterson4 years ago8 months ago07 mins

Sheldon Creed captured his first NASCAR Truck championship with a wild two-lap dash to win Friday night’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Creed and fellow title contender Zane Smith pit for tires before the final restart in overtime while Brett Moffitt then the race leader and Grant Enfinger stayed out on older tires. As the overtime began, trucks fanned out five-wide with Moffitt getting swallowed up by the field and Chandler Smith briefly grabbed the lead before Creed passed him with one lap remaining. Creed held off Zane Smith on the final lap to claim the win – his fifth of the season and his career. Creed’s championship is his first in just his second fulltime season. It’s the second Trucks title for GMS Racing. “Good truck, I was just way too loose as the race went on. When the caution came out, we decided to put tires on it and I pride myself on my restarts week-in and week-out,” Creed said. “I just nailed it right there.” “They were racing really hard. I wanted this so bad. I almost spun out on the entry to Turn 1. I don’t know how I did it – I just drove as hard as I could. I knew if I did, I’d have a shot.” “My whole family we got like 20 camping spots out here. I’m going to drink some cold beer tonight.” Chandler Smith ended up third, Christian Eckes fourth and Raphael Lessard rounded out the top five. Rounding out the top-10 were Stewart Friesen, Ben Rhodes, Tyler Ankrum, Todd Gilliland and Moffitt ended up 10th. Zane Smith dominated the first stage, leading every lap on his way to the win and holding off Creed in the process. Moffitt was third, Enfinger fourth and Matt Crafton rounded out the top-five. Enfinger started on the pole but after a four-wide move, Zane Smith powered to the front to lead the first lap. After 15 laps, Zane Smith had built up a 2-second lead over Creed, with Moffitt close behind and challenging for the position. With 15 laps remaining in the first stage, Zane Smith maintained a 1.5-second lead over Creed. Moffitt was third and Enfinger was fourth. In the second stage, Moffitt held off a determined Zane Smith over the final 10 laps to claim the Stage 2 victory. Creed finished third, Rhodes fourth and Enfinger rounded out the top-five. Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, all the lead-lap trucks pit and Creed was the first off pit road. On the restart on Lap 54, Creed was followed by Moffitt and Zane Smith. With 30 laps remaining in the stage, Moffitt was running just off the rear bumper of Creed, desperately trying a pass for the lead. Zane Smith remained in third. Moffitt, with the help of lapped traffic, got around Creed exiting Turn 2 on Lap 75 to take the lead for the first time in the race. In the final stage, on Lap 99, Moffitt was followed by Zane Smith, Creed and Enfinger. Creed got a jump on Smith on the restart to move into the second spot behind Moffitt. On Lap 105, Carson Hocevar wrecked in Turns 1 and 2 to bring out the first caution of the race for an on-track incident. A handful of trucks elected to pit and Enfinger was the only title contender to do so. On the restart on Lap 113, Moffitt was followed by Creed and Zane Smith. By Lap 119, Enfinger had raced his way back up to sixth on his new tires. He moved into fifth on Lap 120. With 25 laps to go in the race, Moffitt had moved out to a 1.6-second lead over Creed with Rhodes third, Zane Smith fourth and Enfinger fifth. Enfinger passed Zane Smith to move into fourth with 20 laps remaining. Moffitt maintained a more than 2-second lead over Creed. Enfinger got to second but with 10 laps remaining, he was more than 4 seconds behind the leader. With five laps to go, Enfinger had cut the deficit to under 3 seconds but Moffitt remained on track for the win. On Lap 148, Dawson Cram wrecked in Turn 3 to bring out the caution, sending the race into a two-lap overtime. Several trucks pit including Enfinger and Zane Smith to take new tires. To start the overtime, Moffitt led the way followed by Enfinger, Rhodes and Mayer. Creed restarted eighth and Smith, ninth.

Austin Cindric wins Phoenix race as he takes the Xfinity Championship

Kevin Peterson4 years ago1 year ago010 mins

Austin Cindric, who won his first oval race in NASCAR this season, capped a magical season with a wild win in overtime at Phoenix Raceway that also handed him the Xfinity Series championship. The 22-year-old, was leading late in the race when a caution sent the 200-lap event into a two-lap overtime. Cindric elected to pit for new tires and lined up third on the restart. Justin Allgaier, who was out of new tires, inherited the lead on the restart. Cindric quickly got around Allgaier with one lap remaining and passed Noah Gragson in Turn 3 of the final lap and held on for the victory. The win is Cindric’s sixth of the 2020 season and eighth of his career. Cindric is the son of Team Penske President Tim Cindric. “Amazing effort by this No. 22 team. Everybody back at the shop, there was a lot of work put into this car,” Cindric said. “Roger Penske, John Menard, the Menard family to be a champion in NASCAR I’m speechless, I can’t believe it. “This thing came to life on Lap 1. Talk about a driver and crew chief relationship. We were terrible in the spring race, I told (Brian Wilson) exactly what I needed and he gave it to me.” Brandon Jones ended up third in the race, Michael Annett fourth and Allgaier rounded out the top-five (and second in the championship standings). Said Allgaier: “I knew they were going to be good on tires, I was just hoping there would be some more cars between us in my rearview mirror. “We just didn’t have the speed at the end, we were just a little bit off all night. The balance was good, just a little disappointing.” Completing the top-10 were Harrison Burton, Ross Chastain, Justin Haley, Briscoe, Jeremy Clements and Riley Herbst. Briscoe, who won a series-high nine races this season, finished fourth in the series standings. He is moving to the Cup Series in 2021, driving the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. “This is by far not my best race track. I was just too loose at the beginning and got looser and looser,” Briscoe said. “I’ve got to do a better job coming to this place. “Definitely frustrating to finish fourth after the year we had, but to win nine races, overall very happy.” in the first stage, Briscoe held off a last-lap challenge from Cindric to take the Stage 1 victory, his 13th stage win of the 2020 season. Allgaier was third, Gragson fourth and Chastain rounded out the top-five. Allgaier started on the pole and remained out front when a caution was displayed on Lap 3 for Jeffrey Earnhardt who hit the wall on the backstretch. On the restart on Lap 7, Allgaier was followed by Briscoe and Cindric. After cars fanned out four-wide on the restart, Briscoe powered into the lead as Cindric moved into second. NASCAR displayed a competition caution on Lap 22 to allow teams to check tire wear. Most of the lead-lap cars remained on the track. The race returned to green on Lap 27 with Briscoe still out front. On Lap 28, a four-car wreck erupted in Turn 2 which placed the race back under caution. Again, the majority of lead-lap cars remained on the track. The race returned to green on Lap 35 and Briscoe still the leader. In the second stage, On the restart on Lap 54, Tommy Joe Martins led the way as the only driver to remain on the track. Briscoe quickly moved into the lead on the restart only to see Allgaier get around him and reclaim the top spot one lap later. With 25 laps to go in the stage, Allgaier had built a nearly 1-second lead over Cindric as Gragson ran third, Briscoe fourth and Annett fifth. On Lap 75, Martins appeared to lose the engine in his No. 44 car and dropped fluid on the track which brought out a caution. Most of the lead-lap cars remained on the track and Allgaier led the way on the restart on Lap 81. Cindric went to the inside of Allgaier in Turn 3 and came away with the lead on Lap 84. With five laps remaining, Cindric maintained a small lead over Allgaier with Briscoe in third. Jones was fourth and Gragson fifth. in the final stage, On the restart on Lap 99, Jones was followed by Briscoe, Cindric and Allgaier. The final Championship 4 driver, Haley, restarted sixth.Allgaier quickly powered to the lead on the restart entering Turn 1. With 75 laps left in the race, Allgaier held on to a small lead over Cindric as Jones ran third, and Briscoe fourth. Cindric got to the inside of Allgaier off Turn 2 and moved ahead and into the lead entering Turn 3 on Lap 130. With 60 laps to go, Jones moved into the second spot as Allgaier dropped to third. With 45 laps remaining, Briscoe moved into third and Allgaier dropped to fourth. On Lap 161, Allgaier became the first of the Championship 4 contenders to make their final green-flag pit stop of the race. Haley was next on Lap 163. Both Cindric and Briscoe pit on Lap 164. Joe Graf Jr. wrecked in Turn 3 on Lap 170 to bring out a caution before green-flag stop were completed. Cindric stayed on the track and inherited the lead while Allgaier elected to pit for fresh tires. When the race restarted on Lap 178, Cindric led the way with Allgaier fifth, Briscoe sixth and Haley eighth. Chastain briefly grabbed the lead on the restart before Cindric got back around him to move into the top spot. With 10 laps remaining, Cindric had moved out to a more than 1-second lead over Allgaier as Chastain rain third, Annett fourth and Briscoe fifth. On Lap 198, Briscoe spun and wrecked in Turn 3 to bring out a caution and send the race into overtime. Cindric, who had a set of new tires left,…

Joan Mir scores his maiden win in the European MotoGP in a Suzuki 1-2 win

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago06 mins

Suzuki’s Joan Mir took his maiden MotoGP victory in a dramatic European Grand Prix to put one hand on the title, after a crash for Petronas SRT’s Fabio Quartararo. Of the top six in the standings ahead of the first Valencia race, Mir was the only won yet to win a grand prix in 2020, but his first – making him the ninth winner of the year – has given him a 37-point lead to put the title within sight. Poleman Pol Espargaro got the holeshot into Turn 1 ahead of Alex Rins on the sister Suzuki, with Takaaki Nakagami holding third off the line on the LCR Honda. Quartararo leaped up to ninth from 11th on the opening lap and was looking to get ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro at the Turn 8 left-hander when both slid off their motorcycles. The Frenchman was able to remount at the back of the field, some 15 seconds adrift of the pack, and salvaged two points through misfortune for others but his title hopes are all but over now, with his deficit to Mir to 37 points. Rins scythed past Espargaro at the Turn 11 right-hander on the second lap, with Mir copying the move two tours later. Rins absorbed the pressure from his teammate behind for a number of laps, with Espargaro just about staying in touch. A mistake for Rins on the run into Turn 11 on lap 17 opened the door for Mir to come through into the lead, with the number 36 immediately opening up a gap of half a second. From this point, Mir took total control of the race and continued to extend his advantage over Rins, coming under no threat through to the chequered flag. Rins held onto second to give Suzuki its first 1-2 in grand prix racing since 1982, but is now 37 points behind Mir in the championship, equal on points with Quartararo – though the latter holds second owing to his greater number of wins. Espargaro completed the podium on the KTM, with Nakagami overhauling Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira in the latter stages to claim fourth, while Jack Miller was sixth on the Pramac Ducati. Brad Binder recovered from the long lap penalty he was forced to take as punishment for wiping out Miller at Aragon last month to finish seventh and edge a lead in the rookie of the year battle. Andrea Dovizioso was eighth on the factory Ducati, though was lucky not to be wiped out by a crashing Honda of Alex Marquez at Turn 1 on lap 24 having just overtaken the Spaniard. The top 10 was completed by Avintia’s Johann Zarco and the sister works Ducati of Danilo Petrucci, with Franco Morbidelli the first Yamaha in a lowly 11th as his gamble to run the hard front and rear tyre seemingly backfired. Stefan Bradl on the Honda followed him home, while Maverick Vinales recovered from his pitlane start to 13th on the works Yamaha ahead of a distraught Quartararo. Valentino Rossi’s first race since returning from COVID-19 ended on lap five with a technical issue with his Yamaha, while there were crashes for Pramac’s Francesco Bagnaia, LCR’s Cal Crutchlow.Aleix Espargaro never remounted from his lap one crash, while Avintia’s Tito Rabat was forced to retire with an issue.

Chase Elliot takes the 2020 NASCup Championship

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago010 mins

Chase Elliot ran an undisputed race leading 153 out of the 312 laps at phoenix raceway as he held off Brad Keselowski who was also contending for the Championship title. Elliot led Keselowski by 2.7 seconds at the finish line. Chase Elliot is the son of former NASCAR champion, Bill Elliot. “I’m at a loss of words, this is unbelievable. We did it. I mean, we did it. That’s all I’ve got to tell you. Unreal,” Elliott said, “I just can’t say enough about our group. I feel like we took some really big strides this year, last week was a huge one. To come out of there with a win and have a shot to race for a championship is unbelievable. I don’t even know unreal.” Elliot also expressed his thoughts about the final stage which drew caution-free, he said, “Just waiting on the caution, as always. I saw Joey (Logano) was pretty loose there and felt like I needed to get to him while I could. I had been kind of tight on the long run, was afraid he’d get a little better. I just never thought this year would go like it has.” The 24-year-old has had three or more wins in three consecutive seasons and has advanced to the seasons’ playoffs every year he has been a fulltime driver in NASCAR Cup series. The Sunday’s win was his fifth in the 2020 NASCAR Cup season, the most and the 11th in his career. Elliot had a chance to compete in the Sunday’s race by winning last weekend’s race at Martinsville speedway in which he showed a great deal of talent. After Elliot crossed the finish line, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who will be retiring from Fulltime NASCAR racing after this year, rode side-by-side with Elliot around the track. Johnson finished fifth which was his best finish since he completed third at Dover back in August. “I’ve learned so many lessons inside and out of the car. I’m full,” Johnsons said. “I’m ready to spend my time a little differently 38 weeks a year on the road racing Cup Series, I’m just ready for something else.” Brad Keselowski finished second in the race and also in the championship standings as Joey Logano finished third in the race and also in the championship, Denny Hamlin took the fourth spot in the race as well as in the championship as Johnson finished fifth. The other drivers who completed in the top 10 category were; Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. In the first stage, Logano held off Hamlin to take a win for the stage as Elliot was third, Keselowski fourth and Blaney rounded out the top five. Logano started on the pole as Elliot was forced to start the race at the rear of the field after his No.9 Chevrolet failed the pre-race inspection twice. By lap 9, Elliot had gotten up to the top 20 and at lap 26 he moved up further to top 10. On lap 31 a caution was displayed by NASCAR to check tyre wear. By lap 42, Elliot was up in the fourth place as Logano maintained a nearly a second lead over Hamlin. Elliot later got to third as Keselowski took the fourth position. In stage two, Keselowski passed Elliot on the final turn of the lap and took victory for the stage, Logano was third, Hamlin fourth and Blaney rounded out the top five. On the restart on Lap 84, Logano was followed by Hamlin, Elliott and Keselowski. On Lap 106, Logano reported a vibration in his brake pedal while he was still leading the race. Elliott got around Hamlin on Lap 114 to move into the runner-up position as Logano remained out front. On Lap 120, Elliott moved past Logano off Turn 2 to take the lead for the first time in the race. Keselowski was the first of the Championship 4 to make his green-flag pit stop on Lap 128. Logano pit on Lap 137. Elliott and Hamlin followed on Lap 140. Once the cycle of stops was completed on Lap 151, Elliott moved into the lead followed by Hamlin, Aric Almirola and Keselowski. James Davison wrecked off Turn 2 on Lap 161 to bring out a caution. The lead-lap cars pit with Kurt Busch the first off pit road thanks to a two-tire pit stop. On the restart on Lap 168, Kurt Busch was followed by Elliott, Hamlin and Logano. After racing side-by-side with Kurt Busch, Elliott cleared for the lead entering Turn 3 after the restart. Keselowski got around Elliott on Lap 173 to move into the lead. With eight laps remaining in the stage, Elliott was able to get back by Keselowski to reclaim the lead. In the final stage, With only 90 laps to go in the race, Elliott maintained about a half-second lead over Logano, followed by Hamlin, Keselowski and Blaney. By Lap 225, Keselowski got around Hamlin and took over third. With 60 laps remaining, Elliott maintained almost a 1-second lead over Logano. Some teams had made their final green-flag pit stop but the title contenders stayed on the track. Logano was the first to pit among the title contenders on Lap 260. Hamlin was next. Elliott and Keselowski pit on Lap 261. Once the cycle of stops was completed on Lap 262, Logano came out the leader followed by Elliott, Hamlin and Keselowski. Elliott went to the inside of Logano off Turn 3, gave him a nudge and reclaimed the lead on Lap 270 as Hamlin remained in third, more than 3 seconds behind the leader. With 20 laps remaining, Elliott had moved out to a 2.7-second lead over Logano and appeared to be in excellent position to win his second consecutive race and first series title. Keselowski got around Logano to take the runner-up spot with 10 laps to go but he was still more than 3 seconds behind the leader.

Steiner admits talks with Hulkenberg

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Gunther Steiner has revealed that he was recently in contact with Nico Hulkenberg. Steiner, the team boss, is yet to fill Haas’ two newly-vacated seats for 2021, although he admits that young drivers are at the top of the shortlist. “Yes, we focus on young drivers for next year,” he told Sport1. “We want to go with the same drivers in 2022 as well, so it’s important that we lay the foundation with our new drivers next year.” In the paddock, it is an open secret that Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin are the hot favourites to be signed by the small American team. “Formula 2 is very strong this year and logically our collaboration with Ferrari could lead to a collaboration with one of these juniors,” said Steiner. “Mick Schumacher will probably finish first or second in the championship and Robert Shwartzman is currently fourth or fifth, so these gentlemen are doing very well and both are certainly an option for next year.” 33-year-old Hulkenberg, though, is another option, with Steiner revealing: “I certainly spoke with Nico.” But he also says there is no need for further talks. “We know exactly what Nico can do, but I no longer need to talk to Nico about what he wants. We know that exactly,” Steiner added.

D’Ambrosio takes the role of deputy principal for Venturi as he retires from racing

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

Ex-Formula 1 driver Jerome d’Ambrosio has joined the Venturi Racing Formula E team as its deputy team principal in addition to announcing his formal retirement from professional driving. The 34-year-old Belgian contested the 2019-20 FE season for Mahindra Racing and finished 16th in the standings, having failed to start the second Saudi Arabia E-Prix – the only race he has missed in the championship’s six-year history. But for the 2020/21 campaign, Mahindra has signed Alexander Sims from BMW Andretti. Although Mahindra has not confirmed it second driver, it is expected to retain Alex Lynn – who replaced Porsche-bound Pascal Wehrlein for the six-race Berlin season finale – with the Briton still active in the team’s simulator alongside outgoing Haas F1 racer Romain Grosjean. D’Ambrosio, a three-time FE race winner, has now confirmed his professional driving retirement and has signed as deputy team principal for the Monaco-based Venturi concern. The former Marussia and Lotus F1 driver said: “My experience as a driver over the past 26 years has undeniably shaped me as a person and, when I decided after Berlin to hang up my helmet, I knew I wanted to stay involved in motorsport in some capacity. “I’m still a very competitive person. That hunger to win doesn’t leave you when you decide to step out of the car, and I want to put that passion to good use.” D’Ambrosio will report to team principal Susie Wolff, with the Mercedes powertrain customer team having promoted its reserve driver Norman Nato to partner Edoardo Mortara next season. Rebellion LMP1 racer Nato in turn replaces 11-time grand prix winner Felipe Massa – with the Brazilian’s exit revealed only moments after the chequered flag of the final Berlin race. D’Ambrosio continued: “When Susie and I started talking about potentially taking my first step into a management role, I knew in my gut that the opportunity was perfect for me. “It’s time for a new challenge and I have a lot to learn, but I know that I’ll be learning from one of the best and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. Wolff added: “When I took on the role of team principal in July 2018, one of my main areas of focus was to ensure that we have the right people in the right roles. Understandably, as we evolve as a team, our needs change and grow. “Jerome taking on the role of deputy team principal will serve to strengthen the team – he will play a pivotal role with our drivers and engineering team and act as my right hand in Monaco. “I know what it’s like to hang up your helmet and I also know how important the next move is at any pivotal stage of a person’s career. “Like Jerome, I’m someone who follows their gut instincts and I think that we’ll make a fantastic team moving forward.”

Rast joins Audi FE team for 2021 season

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Double DTM champion Rene Rast has been signed full time by the Audi Formula E team to contest the 2020/21 season alongside Lucas di Grassi. Rast, part of the Audi driver programme since 2009, was called up to replace Daniel Abt at the team after the two-time E-Prix victor was sacked for having a sim racer take his place in an Esports competition. As a result of the disruption to the FE calendar caused by the global health crisis, Rast was able to take the seat when the stand-in six-race season finale in Berlin did not clash with his German touring car commitments. In the last of three double-header events at the Tempelhof Airport venue, Rast scored a maiden podium and then followed it up with a fourth-place finish in the final race of the season. Rast, 34, said: “The races in Berlin have definitely whetted my appetite for more, so I’m now looking forward to my first full season in Formula E. “Starting in this world championship for Audi is the next exciting chapter in my career and I am really looking forward to it.” The announcement gives Rast a core motorsport programme for the 2021 season, with the Team Rosberg driver set to exit the DTM at the end of the current campaign on the back of Audi quitting the championship. However, following four straight wins in the most recent two rounds at the Zolder circuit in Belgium, Rast is on course for a hat-trick of DTM titles having surpassed Nico Muller at the top of the standings by 19 points with only a brace of races at Hockenheim remaining. Audi head of motorsport Dieter Gass said: “With his impressive performances in Berlin, Rene proved that he feels comfortable in Formula E and at the same time is also fast and successful. “He has absolutely earned his place in our Formula E team.” Ten-time FE race winner di Grassi, also the 2016-17 champion, will remain at the team for a seventh straight season and will maintain his record of starting every race in the championship’s history. “For me, it was extremely important to have two drivers who push each other to peak performance,” added Gass. “With Lucas and Rene, we have succeeded in doing this brilliantly. “Lucas is the most successful driver in the field and extremely hungry to win his second title. Rene has already left an impressive mark in Berlin. “We are enjoying his determination year after year in the DTM. “I am already looking forward to experiencing it in Formula E.”

Serra to race for factory Ferrari in the Bahrain WEC finale

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Ferrari has called up Daniel Serra to race for its factory GTE Pro squad in next weekend’s Bahrain FIA World Endurance Championship season finale. Brazilian racer Serra will replace WEC regular Alessandro Pier Guidi alongside James Calado at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari 488 GTE in the eight-hour race on November 14. Pier Guidi will instead represent Ferrari in the clashing GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup round at Paul Ricard, reprising his usual role in the manufacturer’s lead entry in that series entered under the AF Corse banner. He’ll be joined by Sam Bird and Come Ledogar for the French race, having had Calado and Nicklas Nielsen as his teammates for the first three rounds of the series. Danish racer Nielsen will be in Bahrain to take up his usual spot in the #83 AF Corse entry in the GTE Am class alongside Francois Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard. Miguel Molina and Davide Rigon will race with Ferrari in Bahrain in the #71 GTE Pro car as normal, leaving two spots alongside former Williams Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin in the AF-run SMP Racing car at Paul Ricard. These will be filled by long-time factory driver Toni Vilander and ex-Formula 2 racer Antonio Fuoco. Calado remains just about in contention for the GTE Pro drivers’ title in the WEC, as he and Pier Guidi are 26 points down on the leading #95 Aston Martin crew of Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen with 38 available in the bonus-points Bahrain event. Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin in the #97 Aston are their teammates’ nearest challengers, 15 points adrift following their class win in the Le Mans 24 Hours in September. Aston drivers also lead the way in GTE Am, with TF Sport trio Salih Yoluc, Charlie Eastwood and Jonathan Adam defending an eight-point lead over Perrodo, Collard and Nielsen. In GTWCE, Calado, Pier Guidi and Nielsen are fifth in the standings and 18 points adrift of the head of the table with a maximum of 34 up for grabs at Paul Ricard. The SMP car is not in contention, having failed to score points this season so far.

Yamaha to undergo investigation over illegal engines

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Yamaha is under investigation for allegedly running illegal MotoGP engines during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at Jerez. Yamaha’s early season was overshadowed by reliability issues with its engines, after Valentino Rossi and Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli were forced out of the Spanish and Andalusian GPs due to broken motors. The analysis carried out at the time attributed the problems to a faulty batch of valves from a secondary supplier. Due to the engine freezing rules, Yamaha could not unseal its engines to fully rectify this although did request on safety grounds to do this to the Manufacturers’ Association, but withdrew the request soon after. Since Jerez, it is understood Yamaha riders have been running with their engines slightly turned down to avoid any repeat issues. Not all engines in each of Rossi, Morbidelli, Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo’s allocation featured the offending valves. Now Yamaha is being investigated for running an engine with valves not in the sample engine submitted to MotoGP technical direction for homologation pre-season. Yamaha removed its request to the MSMA after the other marque’s asked for documentation from the valve supplier confirming a manufacturing error. A sanction could have massive repercussions on Yamaha’s championship hopes, with Quartararo, Vinales and Morbidelli all currently within 25 points of standings leader Joan Mir on the Suzuki with three rounds to go. Quartararo won the opening two Jerez rounds, with Vinales trailing him in both, with Quartararo, Vinales and Morbidelli winning four more races between them – making Yamaha the most successful manufacturer this season. All Yamaha riders have unsealed their five allocated engines this season, though Vinales appears to be struggling the most having put the most mileage on his fourth and fifth engines. Should he be forced to unseal a sixth engine in the final three races, Vinales will be forced to start from pitlane.Yamaha is yet to comment on the investigation. News of this investigation compounds what has been a tough period for Yamaha, with Rossi currently sidelined due to COVID-19 and unlikely to race in this weekend’s European Grand Prix. He is set to be replaced by Yamaha World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff.

Lecuona out of European MotoGP as he breaches quarantine rules

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Tech 3 MotoGP rider Iker Lecuona will miss this weekend’s European Grand Prix due to forced quarantine in Andorra after his brother and assistant tested positive for COVID-19. Lecuona tested negative for the virus on Tuesday, but his brother whom Lecuona lives with in Andorra tested positive. Due to legislation in Andorra, Lecuona has been forced into quarantine for the next 10 days despite testing negative for the virus himself. He will undergo a test next Wednesday, the results of which will determine if he is able to start next weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix. Tech 3 won’t replace him for this weekend’s first Valencia race. “We are very sad to announce that Iker Lecuona won’t be participating in the Gran Premio de Europa this weekend,” Tech 3 team boss Herve Poncharal said. “So far, he’s been tested negative, but his brother, who is also his assistant is positive and therefore the Andorran authorities have called him ‘contact case’. He will have another test today, but even if it’s negative again, he’s got to stay in quarantine without moving from his home in Andorra for 10 days.” “The plan is to have another test next Wednesday and if this one is negative as well, he will be able to travel to Valencia and participate in Valencia II.” “This is very unfortunate, everybody was very careful. We are deeply sorry for that. We just hope that Iker will keep negative on the next tests and that we can see him next week here.” “Don’t forget, this is his home grand prix and him and the team were expecting so much from these two races, that it’s a real pity. But with how the world is at the moment, unfortunate things like this are happening.” “Again, we hope everything will be back to normal next week, of course, he won’t be replaced for this event, therefore the whole Red Bull KTM Tech 3 team will concentrate on our sole rider, Miguel Oliveira.” Lecuona made his MotoGP debut at Valencia last year in place of the injured Miguel Oliveira. The Spaniard may be the second rider forced to miss this weekend’s race due to COVID-19, after Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi returned a positive PCR test on Tuesday. Yamaha is yet to reveal if the test he took on Wednesday returned negative, but have lined up American World Superbike rider Garrett Gerloff to take his place should Rossi be ruled out again having missed the Aragon double-header.