The second day of Formula E testing kicked off once more under the sunshine of the Ricardo Tormo circuit. It was another opportunity for drivers and teams to gain valuable information from their cars.
Despite the controversy and problems that the drivers encountered yesterday with the built in chicane on the main straight, an additional chicane has been added just before the start-finish line, which distorted the times to an extent. Techeetah’s Jean-Éric Vergne locked up twice on the exit of the new chicane and many of the drivers seemed uncomfortable with the new addition to the track.
Two new drivers made their debut this morning as Andretti elected to run Alexander Sims, who participated yesterday, and DTM driver Tom Blomqvist in place of António Félix da Costa. Blomqvist had a troubled run, running into problems with his car, but Sims had another consistent session. Venturi’s new development driver Michaël Benyahia was out on track this morning as he fought to impress the Monégasque team.
2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship. Official Test – Valencia, Spain Tuesday 3 October 2017. Alexander Sims (GBR), Andretti Formula E, Andretti ATEC-03 Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _J6I9478
Renault made their mark early in the day on a cool track as Prost immediately began to turn the timing screens purple. However, Audi Abt Schaeffler found some momentum with Daniel Abt taking the top spot at the end of the first hour.
Audi continued to look strong and consistent on the circuit but Renault e.Dams began to fight back, improving on a warmer track. Buemi and Prost occupied the top two positions as the session ticked over the two hour mark.
Oliver Turvey had another solid run, showcasing the NIO car has been through significant development over the winter period. He took the top spot from Buemi, only for the e.Dams driver to snatch it back moments later with a blistering time of a 1.21.890. It was a position that he would retain for the rest of the session, giving indications of what Renault e.Dams could be capable of in season 4. Felix Rosenqvist had a productive session, finishing in P2 and Sam Bird rounded out the top three.
2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship. Official Test – Valencia, Spain Tuesday 3 October 2017. Sebastien Buemi (SUI), Renault e.Dams, Renault Z.E 17 Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _W6I0626
Renault continued their dominant form into the afternoon as Prost immediately turned the sectors purple with a 1.23.544. They pushed hard, consistently taking the top spots in a duel with Mahindra’s Rosenqvist and Techeetah’s Vergne.
Rosenqvist had a strong run this afternoon, putting himself into P2 in the early stages of the session before pulling together a monster lap of a 1.22.747.
Venturi’s James Rossiter brought out a red flag an hour from the end of the session after hitting the new temporary chicane installed at the beginning of the straight. The barriers were once more retooled, but many drivers were still unhappy with the set up. Buemi again went down to the site of the crash, documenting the damage.
Audi struggled in the opening stages of the afternoon session but Di Grassi soon found some pace, snatching P1 away when the session restarted following Rossiter’s incident. However, it was Buemi who whitewashed the session, taking the top position back moments later. The race ended with Buemi in P1 with Di Grassi in second and a solid effort from Nelson Piquet Jr placed him in P3.
We are getting closer to the end of the season, and M-Sport driver Seb is 17 points ahead of Thierry and there are just three rounds left. Rally Spain takes place from the 5th to the 8th of October.
It’s the only round to feature gravel and tarmac stages as well, with Friday being all gravel, with the teams getting extra service time to convert the cars into tarmac spec for the smooth fast stages that follow on Saturday and Sunday. A total of 19 stages, covering 312km makes Rally Catalunya a very tricky event.
Here’s the stage information for you.
RALLY DE ESPAÑA SCHEDULE (GMT+2)
THURSDAY 5 OCTOBER
8.00am: Shakedown – Salou (2.97km)
8.00pm: Ceremonial start (Salou)
FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER
8.15am: Start
9.53am: SS1 – Caseres 1 (12.50km)
10.21am: SS2 – Bot 1 (6.50km)
10.56am: SS3 – Terra Alta 1 (38.95km)
1.11pm: Service A (PortAventura – 30 mins)
3.19pm: SS4 – Caseres 2 (12.50km)
3.47pm: SS5 – Bot 2 (6.50km)
4.22pm: SS6 – Terra Alta 2 (38.95km)
6.32pm: Flexi Service B (PortAventura – 75 mins)
SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER
6.45am: Service C (PortAventura – 15 mins)
8.00am: SS7 – El Montmell 1 (24..40km)
9.07am: SS8 – El Pont d’Armentera 1 (21.29km)
9.54am: SS9 – Savalla 1 (14.12km)
11.35am: Service D (PortAventura – 30 mins)
1.08pm: SS10 – El Montmell 2 (24.40km)
2.15pm: SS11 – El Pont d’Armentera 2 (21.29km)
3.02pm: SS12 – Savalla 2 (14.12km)
5.00pm: SS13 – Salou (2.24km)
5.30pm: Flexi Service E (PortAventura – 45 mins)
SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER
6.00am: Service F (PortAventura – 15 mins)
7.00am: SS14 – L’Albiol 1 (6.28km)
7.38am: SS15 – Riudecanyes 1 (16.35km)
8.38am: SS16 – Santa Marina 1 (14.50km)
10.14am: SS17 – L’Albiol 2 (6.28km)
10.53am: SS18 – Riudecanyes 2 (16.35km)
12.18pm: SS19 – Santa Marina 2 – Power Stage (14.50km)
1.41pm: Service G (PortAventura – 10 mins)
3.00pm: Podium (Salou)
Let’s hear from the top two in the championship.
Sébastien Ogier said:
“We’re feeling fully refreshed after the break and ready to get back to business. Spain is always an enjoyable event. Its mixed surface makes it truly unique and the fans are so enthusiastic. I have a lot of special memories here, and it would be nice to add to them next week.
“Opening the road is a good thing in one sense as it means that we are back in the lead of the championship. But if it’s dry the championship lead also comes with its challenges and we’ll need to work hard to minimise the time loss through the opening gravel stages.
“Then, it’s onto the fast, smooth asphalt that this event is famed for. We had a one-day test to get used to this circuit-like asphalt and the car felt pretty good. We completed a lot of kilometres for a one-day test, and that sees us well prepared to deliver our best.
“With the championships so close, that’s exactly what we will have to deliver. We have a 17 point lead, but with 90 points still available there remains all to play for and we all need to work together to maximise our potential – starting with Rally Spain.”
Thierry Neuville said:
“Entering this crucial part of the season for the championship, we must stay focused and look to target the podium, if not victory, in all rounds. Things are delicately positioned in the Drivers’ Championship between Ogier, myself and Tanak, so anything can still happen.”
“Spain is going to be a huge challenge, as it always is with the change of surface. It is a rally that all crews enjoy, with a good atmosphere and, usually, great weather. We are rested after the long break and determined to put in our strongest fight for the title.”
Hyundai, Tarmac test 2017
Here’s the thoughts of the rest of the drivers.
Andreas Mikkelsen signed to Hyundai Motorsport for the next two years during this past week. He took his first WRC victory in this event two years ago when Seb crashed out in the final stage.
Here’s his thought’s….
“I am really pleased to be making my debut as a Hyundai Motorsport driver. Since the announcement, Anders and I have had the opportunity to test the car on both tarmac and gravel; I have been very impressed with what we’ve experienced.”
“The car has already shown itself to be versatile, and there’s nowhere better than Spain to showcase those characteristics. It’s a special rally for me, as I took my first win in Spain in 2015, so it has fantastic memories. The changes in surface can be demanding, particularly with the quick switch from gravel to tarmac. It is a challenging, but highly enjoyable event, and I hope to be able to fight at the front in my first WRC event with the team.”
Dani Sordo said:
“It is always a pleasure to return to Spain for my home rally, and to have the chance to compete in front of so many enthusiastic supporters. We definitely want to give them something to cheer. I think our road position will be beneficial on the opening gravel stages on Friday. We then move onto tarmac for the final two days, where we push to secure our third podium of the season – and our third in a row in Catalunya for Hyundai Motorsport. That’s the aim.”
M-Sport WRT
Ott Tänak said:
“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel. It was really nice to have some time at home with the family, but I have to admit that I was also starting to miss the thrill of competition!
“We’ve proved that we can be competitive on both gravel and asphalt, so I’m not daunted by the mixed surface of Spain. Going from one surface to the next in the same weekend can be a little strange at first, but we all get up to speed pretty quickly.
“The gravel roads are really nice with a mix of fast and technical sections and we had a Tarmac test in Spain last week which reminded me just how amazing those roads are. They’re so smooth and it really is like driving on a circuit in some places.
“With both championships so close at the moment, I think we’re in for an interesting weekend and we’ll certainly be aiming to deliver our best for both the manufacturers’ and the drivers’.”
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Tour de Corse (FRA) – WRC 06/04/2017 to 09/04/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Elfyn Evans said:
“As the only mixed-surface event on the calendar, Rally Spain is really unique. I’ve not had the best of luck there in the past, but we’ll be hoping to put that right this year.
“The gravel stages can be quite technical and on the Terra Alta stage we have long sections of asphalt in amongst the gravel. That can make the car move around quite a lot and you have to drive with the whole stage in mind.
“It’s quite a strategic rally in that sense and you have to think about the long game with a day and a half of pure Tarmac to follow the gravel. The weather could also prove a deciding factor so it’ll be interesting to see what the Spanish forecasts have to offer us this year.
“With the championship so close, this event could be really crucial and we’re all determined to deliver our best.”
Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT
Kris Meeke said:
“We had a good test session and it was interesting to work with Seb [Loeb]. There is always room for improvement, but I think we are moving in the right direction. I’m looking forward to being back in a competitive environment again after a frustrating Rallye Deutschland and this long break. I have to say, though, that I can’t quite believe that this is going to be my tenth appearance in Catalonia! Potentially, we have a good starting position, but that’ll depend on the level of dust or whether it rains. For the last two legs, we know all about performance level of the C3 on tarmac. The main thing is that I want to enjoy myself in the car. If I do that, then we can aim for a good result and that’d be good news for the entire team.”
Citroen C3 WRC 2017
Stephane Lefebvre said:
“I’m very pleased to be back behind the wheel of the Citroën C3 WRC. It has been three months since we finished fifth overall in Poland and I’m going to have to find the right pace on stages that I am relatively unfamiliar with. We have to bear in mind that I am undoubtedly the least experienced driver in the field at this event. I’m pleased with how testing went last week. I had the opportunity to try the new front-to-rear wheel torque distribution for the first time. This upgrade matches my driving style really well and it was therefore a very positive experience. If the conditions are favourable, we’ll try to make the most of our position in the running order on day one.”
Kalid Al Qassimi said:
“This will be my tenth appearance in Spain! This round is one of my favourites on the WRC calendar. I love the challenge provided by the mixed surface route, and especially the fact that switching from gravel to tarmac during a stage encourages you to drive more quickly. I really like the atmosphere here; the supporters are incredible and the organisation is absolutely fantastic. That’s why I like to keep coming back to compete in Catalonia every year. We’ll try to find a good pace depending on the stages, pushing whenever I feel comfortable. I wish Kris and Stéphane all the best.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Jari-Matti Latvala said:
“I like the combination in Spain of having the first day on gravel and then two days on asphalt. They are the best asphalt roads in the championship – as close to a race circuit as is possible – and the gravel stages are also quite good. I did two days of testing for Spain this week: on the asphalt, we were focused on the suspension, and on gravel we concentrated on the differential. The change of surface creates extra work for the mechanics and the engineers, and as drivers we need to adapt our driving style overnight. Our car showed winning speed on gravel in Finland and the performance was also there on asphalt in Germany, so I believe we should be very competitive.”
Toyota Yaris WRC
Juho Hänninen said:
“The car has felt good in testing, just like it did in Germany. We plan to continue in the same way in Spain. Friday will be challenging for me because the stages are exactly the same as recent years and I haven’t done this rally for a while, so I will need to push a lot on Friday in order to be in the fight. But unless it rains like last year, I don’t think the time differences will be too big. Then there will be some new stages on Saturday and Sunday, which should help.”
Esapekka Lappi said:
“Spain is a really challenging rally with the mix of gravel and asphalt. It’s a completely different type of rally to what we are used to. The gravel part is similar to Portugal in my opinion, and then the asphalt stages are quite unique: I think they’re the best stages on asphalt in the world. They are pretty clean and smooth, and are not as twisty as Corsica and not as narrow as Germany, so really enjoyable to drive. I’m really looking forward to it. There were some ups and downs in Germany but in the end, we could match the speed of the others and our performance should be good on both surfaces.”
Onebet Adapta WRT
Mads Østberg is back after missing Rally Germany. His co-driver will be Torstein Eriksen. He’s been keeping busy though. Its two months since the last WRC event for Mads, but he has had competitive outings in the meantime. Three weeks ago, he did a couple of races as a guest driver in the Swedish Porsche Carrera Championship, and with good results. Last weekend he drove the last round of the Norwegian Championship with his Fiesta WRC and Emil Axelsson as codriver. As expected he won the rally with a clear margin.
Mads explains, “The Porsche drive in Sweden obviously couldn`t compare with rallying, but it was valuable driving experience on tarmac. And I wasn`t too bad as a tarmac racer, really! The rally in Norway was used as a gravel test, and we had very good progression trying different set-ups during the day. The rally also gave me the chance to have Emil Axelsson in the car with me, as we are still evaluating different co-driver choices for next year”
Mads, Spanish tarmac test.
Final words to the Team Principal’s.
M-Sport WRT Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:
“We’ve had a fantastic season to date, and we’re now entering the decisive final phase. The competition could not be closer and the next three rallies will be crucial – Rally Spain in particular.
“With its mix of gravel and asphalt, this event is truly unique and the teams will have to master both surfaces in their pursuit of victory. Having secured a podium on every event this season, the Fiesta has proven competitive on every surface and we hope to see that continue next week.
“Sébastien certainly knows what it takes to win here, and Ott and Elfyn will both be determined to settle a few scores. A strong result will be imperative to the outcome of the championship, and that is exactly what we aim to deliver.
“It won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination, and the competition will be extremely tough, but I have confidence in the team who are working their hardest to deliver our best.”
Hyundai Team Principal Michel Nandan said:
“We have had a long summer break but we have used the time wisely to try and turn around our recent misfortunes. Finland and Germany were both frustrating, and saw us lose ground in the championship. From Spain, and in the final rounds of the season, we are determined to do all we can to catch up. We welcome Andreas and Anders into the team from Spain, an event they won memorably in 2015, alongside Thierry and Dani, who have both had podiums at this rally. For Dani, it will be extra special, as his home event, so we are in optimistic and hopeful mood. With an upgraded Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, our primary target is to get back onto the podium.”
Enjoy the event, and let’s see who comes out our winner!
There was a lot to draw out of the BSB round at Assen over the weekend. Although I could’ve spent all week analysing each result, that would be tedious and probably boring for you to read. Here are some of my top observations across the weekend. This is What We Learnt.
The Suzuki is coming good at a good point
Sylvain Guintoli took Suzuki’s first British Superbike race win in three years. The last time a Suzuki won was in the hands of Josh Waters in tricky conditions, at Brands Hatch. A new swing-arm for this weekend has proved to be beneficial and that, coinciding with Guintoli’s stunning history at Assen, has taken the new GSX-R Suzuki to its first win on Pirelli tyres. It is amazing how one part can make so much difference. Whether or not Guintoli can be as competitive at Brands Hatch is yet to be discovered but we finally know that the Suzuki can win races. Watch this space for 2018 – even if Guintoli may not be there.
Leon Haslam’s consistency is beginning to get worrying
A win and a third for Leon Haslam meant that he extended his lead in the championship, up to 32 points. Despite not finishing any races at Silverstone, the ‘Pocket Rocket’ has looked the most threatening rider in the field. In the last six races he has finished, Haslam has been on the podium in all of them. Had he finished races at Silverstone, then we could’ve been talking about Leon Haslam looking absolutely on the money for his first ever BSB title. Then again, he isn’t far off now. He could mathematically win the championship in race one at Brands Hatch – then again, he could also be closed right in. It is anyone’s title.
Bradley Ray really is the business
Lydd’s Bradley Ray took yet another double top-ten this weekend. In a sensational rookie year, Ray has already taken a podium and started from the front row, however, his results have been brilliant all season too. A 6th in race one whilst running with the leaders and a 10th in race two after suffering a duff tyre, are more-than good results. He extends his run of point-scoring rides to nine now, of which the last seven have been in the top ten. The sun is shining on young Ray.
Status Quo sees no Movin’ On
Many riders have already confirmed their intentions for the 2018 British Superbike season. The Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati team have confirmed Shane Byrne and Glenn Irwin for next season and just before Assen, Pete Extance’s JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki team announced they would retain the services of Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey. Jake Dixon was also confirmed to remain at RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki, run by Lee Hardy. During the Assen weekend, Christian Iddon was confirmed at Tyco BMW for another year. All this movement almost ends speculation about a complete change at Honda Racing UK, although Anvil Yamaha and McAMS Yamaha are still keeping quiet.
My own opinion suggests that the reason some riders are announcing their plans is because they are staying where they are. This means a simple re-signing causes less potential upset than signing a new rider for next season, especially with the season still live. The ones that we await news on suggests to me that at least one change will come in the remaining teams. Whether or not Andy Reid will stay at Tyco is unclear, due to his injury. Rumour has it that he has signed but the recovery period for his broken leg is vague.
A step up may not be so easy after all
We saw three National Superstock 1000 riders step up to BSB this weekend. Danny Buchan and Josh Elliott were replacement riders at FS-3 Kawasaki and Tyco BMW respectively, whereas Richard Cooper was a wildcard in the Hawk Racing Bennett’s Suzuki outfit.
Buchan crashed in race one and didn’t make it out for race two – the Basildon Bullet endured a tricky weekend with mechanical gremlins prior to race-day. This means that the FS-3 Kawasaki team haven’t scored a point since Snetterton, way back at the start of July.
Josh Elliott suffered on race day, after a stellar qualifying placed him 7th. He finished 19 in race one, after being sat up early on. In race two, he finished last, just shy of 45 seconds off the pace. Elliott looks almost certain to re-join Steve Buckenham’s Morello Kawasaki team next season, in a bid to take his 2nd National Superstock 1000 title.
Richard Cooper was more successful, finishing 13th in race one and 11th in race two. Cooper, racing in a splendid retro Suzuki livery, showed signs that he may have a lot of confidence – especially after his successful 2nd half of the year, in which he has kept Danny Buchan honest. Maybe his results over the weekend have given him confidence and therefore, some psychological advantage going into the last round at Brands. It should be a great season finale in the National Superstock 1000 class.
Shaun Winfield is one tough b*****d
Finally, Shaun Winfield gets my effort of the day. A massive accident on Friday left Swadlincote’s finest in a lot of pain for the rest of the weekend. Despite being lapped in race one, Winfield set a fastest lap of 1.42.642, not shabby at all considering he was being taken for a precautionary x-ray to his chest and left middle finger on Friday. Without doubt a stellar job, even if he didn’t finish race two. Well done.
Lewis Hamilton’s second place at the Malaysian Grand Prix coupled with Sebastian Vettel’s fourth meant that the Brit extended his lead in the World Drivers’ Championship to 34 points.
But that doesn’t begin to tell the story of this and indeed the previous race in Singapore.
Vettel missed the last ever qualifying at the Sepang International Circuit, despite an attempt at an installation lap, due to a Power Unit issue.
Consequently, he started last while Hamilton started pole. Hamilton himself was meant to be flanked by Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
That never happened as the Finn’s turbo failed and he never even made it to the grid.
Game over?
Well, no.
Red Bull have put themselves back into the reckoning over the previous two races, with Daniel Riccardo close in Singapore and Max Verstappen also back on the pace.
Verstappen was quick all weekend in Malaysia and, once past Hamilton in the early stages of the race, simply disappeared into the distance.
While all this was going on, Vettel was making his way up the order and the off-colour Valtteri Bottas was easily dealt with. A late attack on Ricciardo for third was eventually blunted, but the race was a show of force from Ferrari that still has Hamilton worrying.
Singapore and Malaysia are two completely different circuits, and despite the results, Ferrari have shown themselves to be considerably quicker at both of them.
For Vettel, that form will have to carry on over the last five races, not least because of a possible grid penalty for a potential gearbox change after a bizarre post-race collision with Lance Stroll’s Williams.
As for the title race, don’t count your chickens just yet.
The Ricardo Tormo circuit, situated on the outskirts of Valencia, is hosting the Formula E collective test this week in preparation for Season 4. It provides the first opportunity for drivers to get to grips with their performance in terms of their competitors.
In the first morning session of the three day test, Mahindra set the initial pace but Jaguar also showed promise from the start. By the end of the first hour, Mitch Evans topped the leaderboard with a 1.19.776, followed by Audi Abt Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi who was a mere one tenth behind.
Jaguar showcased that their development throughout the winter has paid off as Evans continued to dominate throughout the session. Nelson Piquet Jr also seemed to settle into his new team, taking P6 by the end of the session. DS Virgin’s Alex Lynn in a new dark testing livery, and Evans fought for the top spoils, however, Sam Bird improved on a warmer track, taking first position with a time of 1.18.669. The Audi’s of Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt followed.
2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship. Official Test – Valencia, Spain Monday 2 October 2017. Jaguar Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _W6I9911
DS Virgin and Audi Abt Schaeffler looked strong on this track – however, it is not indicative of the true potential of the cars when they perform on street circuits.
Regardless of this, the test has shown that all the teams have made significant development over the winter. Renault didn’t show their potential in this session as they only occupied P8 and P9 and Sébastien Buemi seemed generally unhappy with the set-up of his car.
Mahindra faded after a strong start, with Felix Rosenqvist only completing 17 laps. Techeetah also seemed to struggle getting to grips with the track, with Jean-Éric Vergne managing P11 and new driver André Lotterer P16.
Formula E has eight new drivers undertaking test duties this week. Alexander Sims made his mark in his attempt to take the second Andretti seat as the IMSA driver outperformed teammate Antonio Felix Da Costa in the morning session and made a solid start.
James Rossiter, previous test driver for Honda and Force India was the best placed of the rookies, having a excellent session which placed him in P12. The other rookies, including newly unveiled Indycar and GP2 NIO driver, Luca Filippi, had solid runs, clocking up over 20 laps a piece, good preparation for the days to come as they become familiar with the car.
2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship. Official Test – Valencia, Spain Monday 2 October 2017. Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _W6I9571
In the afternoon session, Buemi and Renault showed their hand, leaping to the top of the timing screens. Jaguar once again made a solid start with Piquet and Evans climbing the rankings.
Techeetah had a much better afternoon, with Vergne shaking off the troubles of this morning and slotting himself into P3 at the beginning of the session. However, Bird soon brought out a red flag as he crashed out on the tyre chicane just before turn one, forcing his car to be towed away as he beat a hasty retreat to the pits. Racing resumed soon after with Rosenqvist snatching the top spot with a blistering time of 1.18.779.
However, red flags continued to plague the drivers as they struggled in the rising temperatures. Lotterer stopped at turn 7 with a mechanical issue and had to be towed off the track, only to appear a short while later and climb the order. However, turn 7 seemed to pose a problem for Techeetah as Vergne also fell victim to the corner, hitting the gravel and red flagging the session once more.
As racing resumed, Audi began to gain momentum, as Di Grassi and Abt fought for the top position in the latter stages. Buemi also contested the top spot, snatching the position away from Di Grassi by a margin of only two thousandths of a second. However, it was the NIO car of Oliver Turvey who finished on top. With two minutes to go, he put in a time of 1.18.565, the fastest of the day.
2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship. Official Test – Valencia, Spain Monday 2 October 2017. Sam Bird (GBR), DS Virgin Racing, DS Virgin DSV-03 Photo: Sam Bloxham/LAT/Formula E ref: Digital Image _J6I9240
We grabbed a few words with DS Virgin Racing’s Alex Lynn and Sam Bird on how the day went and on the upcoming season:
Q: Congratulations on securing the drive, Alex. Just wanted to know what your thoughts on the session so far today? Alex Lynn: Yeah, it’s very positive. We had a good day. Many laps, car went round and round so very positive. I think the lads have been working really hard in the workshop to get everything done. Q: What are your aims for this season? Where do you want to be in terms of Formula E? AL: I think the plan is to definitely win races and be on the podium, that’s the immediate goal and what we’d like to achieve. As a team, I think we want to learn as much as we can over the next few days and arrive in Hong Kong in a strong position.
Q: How challenging is this circuit in comparison to the street circuits you usually operate on? Sam Bird: The circuit doesn’t represent what we will be running on but it’s unrepresentative for everybody so everybody’s in the same boat. We were very quick this morning, I think the track got a little bit quicker this evening but we were doing race running so no worries. Compared to Hong Kong, the average speeds are enormous so what we run here is not what everyone will run in Hong Kong. Q: Do you feel the season 4 car a significant step forward? SB: I think there are some teams that have made the jump forwards and hopefully, we can see where we come out of it. There’s certainly a lot of teams who have put a lot of effort and resources and obviously their new systems and we will have to see where we are after that. Q: What are your opinions on the way the series is going? SB: It’s very exciting. This series is in a very stable situation right now, loads of new manufacturers coming on board and some big names.Amazing driver line up again this season and a great calendar, just need London back on the calendar. I fully expect it to flourish.
Chaz Davies took his 7th victory of the season in race two at Magny Cours on Sunday afternoon, beating Yamaha pairing Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark – as well as the weather – to take victory.
“Yesterday was bitter but today was sweet. This is the best way to put behind us a couple of tough races. I woke up feeling really motivated and I think it showed in the opening laps, as I was making passes and got to the front pretty quickly from 11th position”, said race winner Davies, making it his third win at Magny Cours.
Despite leading by a long way, Davies knew that it could all go wrong. Just two laps from home in race two at Portimao, he crashed out of a very safe 2nd place. During race two at Magny Cours, he had rain to contend with and with him being first to arrive, he was guinea-pig in the race.
“It wasn’t an easy race though. The rain was on and off throughout and it was hard to tell where the wet patches could be. It was a matter of pushing hard but not too much, just enough to keep the gap in check and that’s what we did. Now we’re looking forward to the last two races, the hunt for second position in the championship is still open and we can be fast, both at Jerez and Losail.”
Davies sits just nine points behind 2013 champion, Tom Sykes. Davies out-scored Sykes in the remaining races last year and if he does the same again, he will finish the 2017 season as runner-up for a 2nd time.
One Lowes twin was certainly ‘On It’ on the podium. van der Mark thinks he’ll try a bit of it too.
The Pata Yamaha World Superbike team of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark gave Yamaha their first double podium in WSBK since Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty finished 1-2 in the 2nd race at Portimao, way back in 2011. It also marks the 2nd podium of the season for Michael van der Mark and 3rd of the season for Lowes, as the Pata Yamaha riders continue to develop the new R1. It was the closest a Yamaha has been to winning a race since race two at Phillip Island earlier this season.
In a race that was plagued by inclement weather conditions, Lowes lined up 2nd on the grid. He was initially the race leader, with teammate van der Mark coming into 2nd. Aruba.IT Ducati’s Chaz Davies forced his way through the field with careless abandon, eventually taking the lead and clearing off into the distance.
Leon Camier was next up on the MV Agusta and he took over as 2nd place man ahead of Lowes, although it would turn out not to matter too much – Leon Camier’s MV Agusta expired yet again. Lincolnshire Bullet Lowes was now ahead of Magic Michael.
The rain began to fall much heavier, with all four sectors giving warnings of drops of rain. van der Mark did not adhere to the warnings though, running out onto the white lines and using all of the kerb to try and close on his teammate. Thankfully, he remained upright, as the sun came from behind the clouds again, with the rain easing off.
Both riders put in a string of low 1.39s, closing the gap down to Davies in the latter stages of the race. Although both Yamahas gave pursuit to give the manufacturer their first win in six seasons, it wasn’t to be and it was Davies who beat Lowes and van der Mark.
“Honestly, this weekend has been slightly strange with the different weather conditions yesterday and then today, with just that little bit of rain and difficult grip levels”, began Alex Lowes, taking his best ever result at Magny Cours.
“I think it is a perfect example of how well the Pata Yamaha Team are working because, although we are still looking to close the gap to Kawasaki and Ducati in terms of out-and-out performance, whenever there is a chance to take advantage of a ‘different’ situation, we have been there”, said the former BSB champion, hailing the progress that the Pata Yamaha team have made in just two seasons.
“It is a fantastic day for the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team! I am really happy to share the podium with Michael because, like I said, the team have been performing so well and I am looking forward to the rest of the season now! I try to do the best I can in every race and my goal is to try and challenge these guys every week; that is the target and that is what Yamaha employ me to do”.
Lowes had previously only ever scored one point-scoring ride at Magny Cours, on a Suzuki in 2015, finishing 8th. A 2nd place on Sunday combined with a 5th on Saturday gave Lowes his best points haulage of the season to date.
“I think if I take a step back, I can be quite happy overall with the season up to now but as a rider, you always want more and there are some events where more could have been achieved. I still feel that there is still plenty more to come from myself and the R1 and we will keep working hard to improve”, said Lowes, consolidating his 5th place in the championship.
Teammate Michael van der Mark was just as positive, despite not being top Yamaha this time out. The Dutchman took his 2nd podium in three races and also clinched his best ever finishes at Magny Cours.
“It is my second podium of the season and I am so happy! Yesterday in the first race I was a bit unlucky but I scored some points. Today it was good to start from sixth on the grid for race two. I had a really good start and fought my way to the front but it was really difficult as there were some big drops of rain falling, so it was tricky to know what to expect”, van der Mark said, as conditions proved difficult for many riders.
“It was good for me to follow the other guys because I could see what they were doing. I was pushing quite hard but I also didn’t want to crash; it was so difficult but I tried my best and managed to stay on the bike. I just focused on finding my pace and it was similar to the guys in front”, he continued.
Michael had scored a magnificent 2nd place at the circuit last season, so this year’s result only emphasises his love for the technical Magny Cours track. Prior to this weekend, he had never been lower than 5th at Magny Cours since joining the Superbike class. Unfortunately, his 9th place yesterday – after falling off and remounting – ended that amazing run of form in France.
“Towards the end of the race I closed the gap to Alex but then I made some small mistakes and I just didn’t have the tyres anymore to attack again. It was a little bit of a weird race but Alex and I were really strong today and it was great to share the podium with my teammate. It was not the easiest race to control but in the end, we were both on the podium and that is what we aim for”, said a magnanimous Michael van der Mark, who jumps to 6th in the points standings.
“We have made a good step forward and this result, along with Portimao two weeks ago, shows we can fight for the podium at every round. I am really happy and I look forward to Jerez already. Jerez is a special track for me, and one I really like. We cannot wait to go there”.
The Yamaha pairing will now go to Jerez and look to build their advantage over Xavi Fores in 7th and also hope to be able to run with the leading Kawasaki and Ducati riders. Yamaha’s best result at Jerez last season was a 6th and a 5th, both results coming from Sylvain Guintoli.
Sylvain Guintoli said that his first BSB win of the season “means a lot”, having narrowly missed out on tasting the champagne in race one. He took his first win and the Bennett’s Suzuki Team’s first win of the season – Suzuki’s first in British Superbikes since Josh Waters in 2014.
“It means a lot, this first victory. I felt good right away this weekend. We’ve improved the bike a lot in recent rounds and also in the wet too, which is somewhere we’ve struggled before”, began former World Superbike champ Guintoli, joining a list of a select few that have won both BSB and WSBK races.
‘Guinters’ at one stage in the 2nd race was lapping over a second quicker than leading duo Shane Byrne and James Ellison, who escaped early on. It is the new Suzuki’s first win in a Superbike class on Pirelli tyres too.
“In the dry, we’ve really improved. We worked step-by-step. We’re also running a different swingarm now and we were able to have two good races. I enjoyed them both a lot. There was lots of fighting and people diving underneath each other; I’d never seen some of the types of passing we saw today”, stated a remarkable Sylvain, who demonstrated throughout the weekend that he and his Suzuki are coming on leaps and bounds.
A frantic battle that at one point saw four of the five leading riders go side-by-side, working in the Frenchman’s favour. He was able to lead and break away from his pursuers, building up a gap of over a second entering the last lap.
Assen is a place that already held special memories for Sylvain. He took his first – and so far only – Grand Prix podium there in 2003 in a wet 250cc race, which was won by Anthony West. He also took his first ever World Superbike victory at the track too, in 2012, riding a privateer Ducati.
“It was all safe and a lot of fun. We were unlucky to miss the podium in race one but in race two I felt really strong. I took it easy at the start, just to try and save a bit of tyre but then we were able to attack and get the win. We knew we had to develop the bike this year but sometimes people want things right away. It wasn’t going to happen in a championship this competitive but we’re making steps and this shows that the bike is improving”, concluded Guintoli, who has silenced his critics with a masterclass of tactical racing in the 2nd outing today.
Guintoli is now 13th in the championship, equal on points with John Hopkins on 122 points and just four points back from top Suzuki rider, Bradley Ray. Sylvain is 25 points behind a top 10 place, currently occupied by Dan Linfoot, on a 147 points.
Jonathan Rea made World Superbike history on Saturday 30th September 2017, by becoming the first rider to win three back-to-back championships.
Qualifying: Pole – Jonathan Rea. P2 – Leandro Mercado. P3 – Tom Sykes
Track Conditions: Wet
Such is the technical nature of the Magny-Cours circuit that the best will shine whilst the others flounder. That could not have been more apt for Jonathan Rea, on board his factory Kawasaki, on Saturday. Starting from pole position, on a sodden track, Rea commanded control of the race in every aspect, from lights to flag. His launch was superb, by the time the field had made there way to the Adelaide hairpin at turn 5, Rea had already opened up a gap approaching 3 seconds. Whilst others battled with their machines for traction, every turn was a dream for the 30-year old, with rider and back at one mastering the conditions with a freakish ease. His speed in comparison to the field was astonishing, on average over a second per lap quicker than his main rivals. The personnel manning his pit board regularly displayed the message “Relax. Slow Down”, fearing his pace was unsustainable throughout the race and a crash was imminent. This was not Rea’s way. Not today. For the Northern Irishman there was only one way to win the title this season – with a win to blow all opposition out of the water, and boy did he do just that. A true champion’s ride from arguably the most dominant champion the World Superbike paddock has ever seen.
Whilst Rea was enjoying the perfect race, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) was falling foul of the perfect storm. Despite briefly climbing up into a podium position on the early laps, this was as good as it would get. His bike began to struggle with the conditions, especially through any sections which required hard braking and subsequent hard acceleration. The problem only worsened as the circuit began to dry out in the latter half of the race. It was a disastrous turn of events for the rider as he slipped back to tenth place, unable to resist any of his rivals. It later transpired after the race that the Welshman’s had been suffering an electronics malfunction.
It was, however, a much better story from the other side of the garage as teammate Marco Melandri produced a solid ride to finish the race in second place. The veteran Italian rider needed to call upon all his experience and tenacity to fend off stoic competition from Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) in third place. It was an inspiring effort from the KRT man who, just four weeks ago, was rushed to hospital following a crash during testing, with a badly broken leg. The pair regularly swapped positions on track, but the result was decided after a daring move by Melandri through the long sweeping right-hander of turn 3. Having found space on the inside, he forced Sykes to sit up mid corner, resulting in his rival losing momentum and conceding the place – swapping a fair amount of paint in the process. All is fair in love and war.
Leon Camier continued his stellar late season resurgence with MV Agusta, by finishing in fourth place, and the first of the single rider teams. Having started in eighth place on the grid, the British rider avoided the early race shenanigans and found himself in fourth. Such was the rhythm and pace of Camier, he was able to pull clear of the Pata-Yamaha machine of Alex Lowes (P5). A fact which should not be understated, as the Yamaha is fully backed by the Japanese racing factory. Lowes produced a solid display in the treacherous conditions, and would have been relieved to have ended a rather barren run at the circuit in previous years.
It was certainly a more eventful race for Lowes’ teammate, Michael Van der Mark. The Dutchman crashed in the middle of the track at the exit of the Nurburgring corner, on lap 4. Whilst he was able to rejoin the race, damage sustained to the rear of the bike limited his performance. Nevertheless he battled through the pack and was in the end content to finish in P9. The same cannot be said for Xavi Fores (Barni-Racing Ducati) who was brought down by the fallen Yamaha. It was a cruel way for the Spaniard to bow out of the race, as the collision was unavoidable. The bike sadly was too badly damaged to continue the race. A severe penalty for no crime.
A word finally on Davide Giugliano’s peformance. It is only his second race weekend aboard the much maligned Red-Bull Honda machine. However, progress is clearly being made and now showing. Not only was the Italian able to qualify on the second row of the grid (P6), he also managed to secure a rare top ten finish for the team during the race. Eighth place under normal circumstances, is nothing to be excited about – but after everything Honda have been through this year, the result is a definite triumph for the team.
Sylvain Guintoli became the 10th winner of the 2017 British Superbike championship, seeing off challenges from Brookes, Haslam, Ellison and Byrne to take the new Suzuki to it’s first race win in the United Kingdom in Superbike spec.
Despite a good start, Byrne was 2nd going into turn one, with James Ellison taking the lead momentarily. Byrne fought back into turn two and held the lead for several laps. In 3rd, Leon Haslam was ahead of Guintoli and Brookes, whilst Jake Dixon was up to 6th with Peter Hickman in behind.
Byrne and Ellison soon pulled away and at one stage, it looked like it was going to be a head-to-head dual between the two veterans of BSB. Both riders were in the 1 minute 36 second bracket, whilst the chasing trio of Haslam, Brookes and Guintoli were in 1 minute 37 second times.
Guintoli broke free from Haslam and Brookes and rapidly set off after the leading duo out front. In the process, he set a lap time that was fractionally outside of Byrne’s best lap, even though it was a over a second quicker than the leaders on that particular circulation. Guintoli looked like his old self as he ghosted up to the rear wheel of ‘Shakey’ and Ellison. The three passed each other several times, slowing the pace.
However, whilst the leading three battled, it allowed Haslam and Brookes to also close back in and soon, we had a 10-wheeler. Out of the leading five, it looked like Australian Brookes was struggling more than others, just a few bike lengths more off the back of the group. However, it was all set to change.
A bad chicane exit from the-now leader Guintoli gave Haslam, Byrne and Ellison a chance down into the first turn. Four abreast, Haslam and Byrne messed turn one up completely and ran well off track, gifting the lead back to Ellison and Guintoli – who both did well to avoid a sideways ‘Pocket Rocket’. Josh Brookes was now third.
Just two laps from the end, James Ellison had a moment whilst in 2nd place. His McAMS Yamaha sat up at the Struben hairpin, hindering those behind him and allowing Sylvain Guintoli to race away. Ellison held off a challenge from Haslam, making it more and more difficult to imagine anyone else but Guintoli taking a 25-point haulage for the first time this season.
Guintoli had broken clear and had over a second advantage onto the last lap. Into Ruskenhoek, Brookes put a show-stopping move on Haslam – a vital pass in the championship which meant Josh closes in on the ex WSBK race winner. Ellison and Byrne were out of the competition, just too far away from realistically launching any pass on those ahead.
Sylvain Guintoli kept a cool head and rode a faultless final lap, taking the new Suzuki to it’s first ever race win in the UK in a Superbike race. Brookes held off Haslam, both finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. James Ellison finished 4th, whilst a disconsolate Shane Byrne could only manage 5th, despite starting from pole and setting the fastest lap of the race. Hickman, Dixon, Iddon, Linfoot and Ray completed the top 10.
Haslam maintains his lead in the title, with a 32-point advantage over Josh Brookes, with Shane Byrne a further point back of his rivals. Overall, Leon Haslam made up 10 points on both Josh Brookes and Shane Byrne, meaning he can now finish 3rd in every race at Brands Hatch to become champion. Jake Dixon is next up, 54 points behind Haslam – meaning he must beat Haslam by 4 points in race one at Brands Hatch to stand any mathematical chance of title success. Peter Hickman is 5th and 63 points back, meaning he needs 13 points more than Haslam to keep his title hopes alive. 6th is Jason O’Halloran, who can’t now mathematically win the championship, being 86 points adrift.
The race did not consist of Danny Buchan, who wasn’t entered into the race after a race one tumble.
