Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha rider Josh Brookes was involved in a Twitter spat with Gresini Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro. The two clashed when a difference of opinion was voiced over track safety at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Josh used a ‘dress emoji’ in response to Aleix Espargaro’s announcement that he wouldn’t race if the track was wet.
“I think it’s pretty clear that for the people that haven’t got soft minds that it wasn’t a dig at Aleix. Simon Patterson of MCN had quoted Aleix saying that he, ‘wouldn’t ride if it was wet’, to which I pointed out a few things. These are supposedly the top riders in the world, on the best equipment in motorcycle racing, in the best teams, on the best tracks and the best salaries that motorcycle riders can achieve – yet they still complain about the conditions”, said the Australian, who is chasing a 2nd BSB crowning on his return to the series.
“Take a look at tracks that we ride here and you won’t find us guys complaining. The conditions are the same for everyone. If it is too slippery to go in at 180kph, then go in at 160kph. That’s how racing works. If you made it so safe to the point where you couldn’t crash, then there’d be no point in racing. It wouldn’t separate any of them from their skill on the bike, their team’s knowledge, their mechanics skills, or the riders’ intelligence on the bike etc. That is the whole point; it basically defeats the whole point of racing by pulling out”, he continued.
Josh did however reason with the Spaniard, saying “I’m not against him standing up for what he believes in, but there is a time. He should’ve made his feelings known on Thursday evening or in a safety commission. He should’ve said something after the Austrian GP in 2016 and then he could’ve given himself a whole 12 months to make his mind up. He shouldn’t wait until Saturday night after practice and qualifying before going, ’oh, by the way, if it rains tomorrow I’m not riding’. It isn’t professional and it’s not what he is there to do. He is there to represent himself and his brand, which is Aprilia”.
“Unfortunately, through the world of social media, people lost sight of what the original point was and they picked their own argument to fit to their own agenda, to go against me. Aleix took it very personal and I felt his his reply attacks were a bit uncalled for”.
Brookes continues by saying, “perhaps he hasn’t had the results this year and that he feels in a vulnerable position, although I don’t know his circumstances. I’m not a hater of the guy either because I don’t know him. I still don’t have a problem with him because it doesn’t matter if he said it or if Valentino Rossi had said it or anyone else, my reply still would’ve been the same. I’d still stop and chat with him if he had five minutes”.
The 2015 BSB champion took a lot of flack from fans, who took his use of emoji as a sexist symbol. 13-time Women World Trials Champion Laia Sanz also got involved, questioning if he had a problem with females or blue dresses.
“The most disappointing thing was that people took a completely irrelevant stand and started branding me a chauvinist and women hater when it had absolutely nothing to do with it. If my phone had another emoji then I would’ve used another emoji but I genuinely didn’t think that putting a dress up would’ve been enough to insult women or female riders. My sister raced for years. How would I have a problem with female riders if my own sister from my own family raced? People will cherry-pick a point that is 100m away from the story but if it suits their argument, that’s what they’ll use to run with. I think more than anything this all shows an example of human intelligence – or lack of in some areas”.
Image courtesy of Gareth Davies of Full Factory Photography.
Carlos Sainz has said he is hoping for some good fortune at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, having retired from the event in both his previous entries.
Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In his maiden season in 2015, Sainz’ race was cut short by a power unit failure on lap 32. Last year was even more frustrating: having climbed from fifteenth to seventh off the line, the Toro Rosso driver ran over debris on the Kemmel Straight and was forced to retire by the resulting puncture damage.
But the Spaniard has said that despite his disappointing F1 record there, Spa remains one of his favourite circuits:
“I really like racing in Spa because it’s a track that has a bit of everything. It has very long straights where good overtaking can take place, but also very nice corners—Sector 2 in particular is very nice and flowing.
“It’s tough to find a compromise regarding the balance of the car and the set-up for the long straights and Sector 2, but I enjoy the challenge.
“Spa is one of my favourite tracks but, strangely enough, I’ve never finished an F1 race there. Third time lucky, they say…”
Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Sainz’ teammate Daniil Kvyat has also said he is looking forward to the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, describing Spa as a “legendary track” that’s “impossible not to [love]”.
The Russian has gone well at Spa in the past. He finished in the points in his first Belgian Grand Prix in 2014, and during his troubled stint at Red Bull in 2015 he finished fourth from twelfth on the grid; prior to that, Kvyat also won the feature race at Spa during his title-winning 2013 GP3 campaign.
Returning then to a circuit he enjoys and at which he has run well in the past, Kvyat will surely be hoping that Belgium provides a much-needed turning point for his 2017 season. So far this year, Kvyat has not only finished behind Sainz in every race the two of them have completed, he has also finished in the points a mere twice—a pair of ninth places in Australia and Spain—and sits clear of only Stoffel Vandoorne, Jolyon Palmer and Marcus Ericsson in the full-time standings.
Add to that the Russian’s continued attraction to controversial collisions (in particular, his clash with Sainz at Silverstone) and his equally punchy comments off track, and it’s clear that finding some solid form this weekend is an absolute must for Kvyat.
The Renault Sport F1 team has been buoyed by the progress made so far this season and is aiming to make further gains this weekend in Spa, according to lead driver Nico Hülkenberg.
Renault Sport F1 Team
“[2017 has] been very encouraging, especially in the last few races,” the German driver said ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. “We’ve found a good balance with qualifying performance and race pace—Silverstone highlighted that—it’s at a better level now.
“We are heading in the right direction and are looking competitive, but we want to keep pushing ourselves.”
Hülkenberg also said that Renault’s momentum this season has mirrored his own: “I’m pleased with how the car is feeling and the progress we are making. This year’s cars and fun and faster, allowing me to push harder which suits my driving style a lot more than in recent years.
“It was a shame to finish how we did in Hungary (retiring on lap 67 with a brake issue), but in general there are positive feelings.”
Renault Sport F1 Team
Part of Renault’s push this weekend will come in the form of software and hardware power unit upgrades scheduled for Belgium and the following race at Monza.
Although the updates are not part of a major development package, Renault engine chief Remi Taffin said the team is focusing on improving its reliability issues at two of the most power-hungry tracks on the calendar:
“Qualifying pace has looked good with Great Britain and Hungary exemplifying our ability to be the fourth-best team. It’s just a case of building on that and bettering the race pace.
“That comes from levelling up everything, we need to show off reliability and mileage and that is something we are giving close attention.”
Renault Sport F1 Team
Any improvements to Renault’s engine reliability will come as a sure boost to Jolyon Palmer, who has so far taken the brunt of the French marque’s misfortune this season.
However, Palmer has conceded that reliability issues have not been his only obstacle in the first eleven races of 2017, with the Briton struggling to get to grips with the RS17 in the same way as his teammate.
“It’s been challenging,” he said, referring to the first half of his season. “The 2017 regulations mean a car that’s very different from before, so you have to relearn how to extract the maximum performance from it. Getting the right set-up is difficult and this is only compounded when you miss out on track time.”
But Palmer has also said that a refreshing summer break—in which he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro—and the prospect of returning to the “awesome” Spa circuit has given him fresh inspiration for the first of the remaining nine races:
“To drive it is simply immense. Nothing prepares you for heading flat out down the hill and then coming up the other side and down that straight. Pouhon will be an exciting corner this year, it brings a real challenge as it’s a very quick double apex left.
“I’ve had some good memories [at Spa] but I’m driven to make some more.”
After a short break for the drivers and long for the fans, Formula One is back at our lives. The action returns to one of the most thrilling circuits on the calendar, at Spa in Belgium. Everyone is looking forward to watch a battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton for the drivers’ championship.
Ferrari is willing to keep their driver line-up same for the next year, they started with Raikkonen’s contract. The Finn, extended his contract for one more season and he will remain with Scuderia Ferrari until 2018. Next on the schedule is Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes will try to respond to Ferrari’s 1-2 in Hungary. The Silver Arrows, are aiming to gain points in order to extend their lead in the constructors’ championship which is currently at 40 points. Lewis Hamilton, has to win at least one of the two upcoming races (Spa, Monza) in order to stay close or even pass Sebastian Vettel. Valtteri Bottas looks confident and able to challenge the two contenders and win his first title in his Formula One career.
Toto Wolff – “The summer shutdown came at the perfect time for us to make a step back and take stock of our season so far. It has been a good one – and has shown a lot of the qualities of our team. On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important. But assumptions are dangerous – we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions; we have to tick off the items on our work list and make sure we do the best job to maximise our potential points score. The motivation and determination in the factory are greater than ever. Hungary showed the strength of our team – and we intend to use the second half of this season to prove that strength.”
CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Length: 308.052 km
Lap Record: 1:47.263 (Sebastian Vettel – 2009)
Tyre sets available: Soft (Yellow), Supersoft (Red), Ultrasoft (Purple)
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most historic circuits on the Formula One calendar, hosted a non-championship race in 1924. Spa it is also one of the longest circuits (7.004 km), it combines a mix of long straight and fast corners which makes it an attractive and challenging track for the drivers. The most famous corner is known as “Eau Rouge” and it is one of the most technically demanding corners, because of the evaluation change and the high speed.
Fernando Alonso – “I love the first race after the summer break! It’s a great feeling to come back feeling rested, relaxed and recharged, and ready to go again for the second half of the season. I’ve enjoyed time away with family and friends, worked hard on my training and now I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car. Spa is incredible – for many of us it’s one of our favourite tracks. It’s got a legendary reputation and it’s totally deserved. The feeling when you drive Eau Rouge is completely different to any other corner on the calendar. You’re so low in the car and the gradient is so steep that as you go up it you can only see the sky – it’s completely surreal. As the season goes on we’re getting stronger and stronger, and I hope the second half of the year will bring us some more points-earning finishes. This race is a difficult challenge for the whole team – the engineers and the mechanics – as you’re on the throttle for almost three-quarters of the lap, which makes it’s a tough circuit for both the car and the driver. We know we’ll have to work hard to get any kind of result there, but it’s a long lap and there are plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we’ll keep pushing to get everything we can from the weekend.”
McLaren will try to repeat their success and score more points in Belgium, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne finished sixth and tenth respectively in Hungary.
I am expecting a close battle between Ferrari and Mercedes, but the Silver Arrows might have a small advantage at the Spa.
The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, which hosts the Japanese MotoGP and previously the Pacific Motorcycle Grand Prix, will remain on the calendar until at least 2023 following a new deal between the circuit and Dorna.
The contract will be enabled from 2019 onwards, to celebrate what will be the 20th anniversary of the circuit being on the MotoGP calendar. It is one of the most popular circuits for fans, as viewing areas often allow you to see over a great amount of the track.
It has seen many great races and iconic moment, such as Marquez’ crowning in 2014 and 2016, as well as Valentino Rossi’s in 2008. It was also the venue where Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo had their last real head-to-head battle, back in 2010. The circuit was also host to the last Japanese premier class winner, with Makoto Tamada on a Camel Honda for Sito Pons’ team back in 2004.
Carmelo Ezpeleta said, “We are delighted to announce this contract renewal with a place that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Twin Ring Motegi is the home track of Honda and the Japanese GP is the home Grand Prix for major manufacturers such as Yamaha and Suzuki, who are main players in the MotoGP class; some of the most important at the pinnacle of the championship. We will continue the event and make further efforts, together with Mobilityland, to enhance the value of the MotoGP™ series.”
The 2017 Japanese Grand Prix takes place on the 13th-15th of October.
Mit F1 2017 wird Codemasters kommende Woche das 8. produzierte offizielle F1 Spiel veröffentlichen. Wir werden euch zeigen warum das Spiel für jeden F1 Fan oder Rennspielliebhaber ein Muss ist. Außerdem bekommt ihr exklusive Inhalteinblicke in die in der vergangenen Woche abgelaufenen geschlossenen Beta und meine eigene Meinung als langjähriger F1-Spieler.
Am 25. August kehrt nicht nur die reale Formel 1 mit dem 1. Freien Training und der Weiterführung der Schlacht zwischen Sebastian Vettel und Lewis Hamilton zum Belgien GP aus der Sommerpause zurück – Es erscheint außerdem das alljährliche offizielle Videospiel von Codemasters. Meine Damen und Herren, starten Sie ihre Motoren!
The 25th of August in this year is not only the day when the F1 World Championship’s summer break ends with free practice at the Belgian GP, and Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton continue their fight for the title—it’s the day when Codemasters publish their new F1 game. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!
Der Karrieremodus in den F1 Spielen erreichte im vergangenen Jahr ein neues Level, als Codemasters nach langem Drängen der Fans endlich wieder die Athmosphäre des Fahrerlagers zurückholte, eine eigene Startnummer sowie Helm, zusätzlich einen 10 Saison langen Karrieremodus bei dem man das Auto mit Updates in verschiedenen Bereichen verbessern konnte um die Rivalen schneller einzuholen.
Doch in diesjährigen Spiel erreicht das Ganze eine neue Dimension. Wie im Trailer oben zu sehen ist, verbessert Codemasters in F1 2017 nicht nur das R&D System, sondern bringt auch erstmal die realistischen Regeln des Technischen Regelwerks in das Spiel.
Genauso wie in der Realität ist es jetzt nötig die gesamte Powerunit zu verwalten. Nicht nur der Verbrennungsmotor, sondern auch die ganzen anderen Teile welche zu den seit der Saison 2014 verwendeten V6-Hybrid Motoren gehören. Dazu gesellt sich auch die Getriebeverwaltung, welche mehrere Rennen halten muss, bevor man eine neue einsetzen darf.
Das bedeutet auch dass der Spieler nicht mehr das Auto dauerhaft jedes Wochenende ans Limit bringen kann – Erst Recht wenn ihr beispielsweise in einem McLaren-Honda oder Red Bull sitzt, solltet ihr öfter mal auf die Telemetrie der Motorenteile schauen, andernfalls hagelt es bereits früh Strafen, welche auch zurückwerfen.
Komplexes R&D -System
Wie am Anfang des Artikels erwähnt und auch im Video Trailer oben zu sehen ist, ist das R&D System nun weitaus komplexter als im vergangenen Spiel. Der Spieler hat nun die Möglichkeit wirklich einzelne Teile des Autos zu verbessern, viele Youtuber nannten das ganze Konzept “Tree”, also “Baum”, da der gesamte Entwicklungsbildschirm aussieht wie ein riesiger Baum.
Die einzelnen Bereiche können wie im vergangenen Jahr mit Entwicklungspukten erkauft werden, die der Spieler bei Trainingssessions erhält, die nun ebenfalls mit deutlich mehr Programmen erweitert worden sind.
Wie auch in F1 2016 und natürlich der Realität, hat jedes Team seine eigenen Vor- und Nachteile. Zu den letztjährigen Bereichen des Motors, Chassis usw. kommt nun auch der Punkt “Zuverlässigkeit” hinzu. Ja, in F1 2017 gibt es endlich richtige technische Defekte an den Autos wie z.B. ein Motorschaden oder auch Fehlschlagen von angedachten Updates. Ein großes Plus für jeden Fan, der Detailtreue mag!
Classic-Cars:
Wenn ihr nicht unter einem Stein lebt, werdet ihr vermutlich wissen dass Codemasters in diesem Jahr die Classic-Cars zurück bringt. Das erste und auch bisher letzte Mal sahen wir das in F1 2013. Im diesjährigen Spiel gibt es aber nicht nur einfach so den Classic Mode – Die ikonischen Wagen sind nun auch mit im Karrieremodus implementiert. Aber lasst uns zuerst schauen, welche Autos alle im Spiel enthalten sind – Und das sind weitaus mehr als in F1 2013:
Ferrari:
1995 Ferrari 412 T2
2002 Ferrari F2002
2004 Ferrari F2004
2007 Ferrari F2007
Soweit so gut, doch wie funktioniert das mit den Classic-Cars im Karrieremodus?
Ganz einfach. Laut Creative Direcor Lee Mather und auch den ersten gezeigten Gameplay Videos gibt es im Spiel ein reichen Mann namens Jonathan, dem einige alte Rennwagen gehören. Er bittet euch, diese auf verschiedene Events zu fahren. So muss man beispielsweise mit Fernando Alonsos Weltmeisterauto aus dem Jahre 2006, dem Renault R26 auf einer kurzen Version des Suzuka Circuits langsamere Autos einholen, die das Rennen allerdings vor einem beginnen. Das ist aber nur eines von sehr vielen Events.
Aber es gibt natürlich auch neben dem Karrieremodus wieder die Möglichkeit, die Classic Autos im Zeitfahren, GP Modus oder auch Multiplayer zu benutzen.
Eine kleine Anmerkung am Rande, wie im Bezug auf das unten zu sehende Video: Mit Ayrton Sennas legendären 1988 McLaren MP4/4, der zum Release nur in der Limited Edition des Spiels enthalten sein wird, ist es möglich für alle Lenrkadbenutzer mit einer H-Schaltung, diese für dieses Auto auch zu benutzen. Ein tolles Feature!
Beta Bericht – Meine Sicht zum Spiel
Dankenswerterweise war es mir als langjähriger F1 Spieler und Leiter der größten Deutschen F1 Liga möglich, nach letztem Jahr erneut an der geschlossenen Beta zum neuen Spiel teilzunehmen.
Die Beta fand erneut in verschiedenen Phasen statt, jede Phase mit einem anderen Spielmodus oder auch verbesserten Dingen zur vorherigen Phase.
Die Fahrphysik:
Dieses Jahr gab es eine große Änderung der Aerodynamischen Regeln in der F1. Die Autos und Reifen sind breiter und die Zeiten schneller als jemals zuvor. Die meisten der Fahrer attestierten den 2017er Autos deutlich mehr Spaß zum Fahren aber auch bedeutend schwieriger.
Und genau das spürt man im neuen Spiel, egal ob mit dem Controller oder dem Lenkrad. Die Autos sind deutlich schneller in den Kurven und der Spieler wird das Auto durch jede Kurve prügeln können, besonders mit einem Lenkrad. Wie auch in der Realität ist der Reifenverschleiss nun deutlich geringer, was dem Spieler auch ermöglicht aggressiver zu fahren. ABER:
Managen des Autos
Wie weiter oben mit der Zuverlässigkeit des Autos erwähnt, müsst ihr nun das Auto und den Sprit managen wie die Fahrer in der Realität. Sprit sparen ist deutlich wichtiger als die letzten Jahre und das Rennen wird niemand beenden, der nicht mal einige Runden auf den niedrigsten Motorenmodus unterwegs ist bzw. Lift & Cost betreibt. Viele Rennen werden nun von diesem Faktor abhängen!
Die Grafik:
Auch wenn ich das Spiel nur auf der Xbox spiele, muss ich zugeben dass sich die Grafik vor allem im Bereich der Autos verbessert hat. Diese sehen nun deutlich realer aus, vor allem die Farben sind toll. Aber das gibt es ja bereits in den ersten Gameplays wie oben zu sehen.
Classic Cars:
In der Beta war es auch anfangs möglich einige alten Autos zu testen. Um ehrlich zu sein spielte ich die aufgrund meines damaligen Urlaubs nicht allzulang um etwas zur Fahrphysik sagen zu können, jedoch ist der tolle V10 Sound des Ferrari F2002 unglaublich gewesen. Im Vergleich zur Realität hörte sich dieser fast identisch an. Ein wirklich tolles Extra im Game, dass den ein oder anderen sicher länger an der Konsole oder dem PC fesseln wird als normalerweise.
Die KI:
Die KI ist kurz und knapp gesagt einfach toll! Sicher gab es in der Beta einige komische Situationen, dafür gibt es aber natürlich auch eine Beta. Das Racing gegen die KI war in der Beta besser als in jedem anderen F1 Spiel zuvor. Ich hatte viele tolle Rad-an-Rad Kämpfe, die ich eigentlich so nur bisher von meiner Liga gewohnt war. Die KI wehrt sich, geht mit dem Spieler in die Kurven, setzt sich daneben. Und mit dem neuen KI-Slider ist es endlich möglich selber genau zu entscheiden, wie stark oder schwach die KI letzendlich auch sein kann. Das funktionierte in meinen Augen perfekt!
Mit dem manuellen Pitlimiter und dem Hebeln der Kupplung beim Rausfahren nach einem Stopp, gesellen sich auch zwei neue Fahrhilfen, die das Spiel bereichern.
Multiplayer:
Für mich als Ligafahrer ist der Online Modus der F1 Spiele vermutlich der wichtigste Teil. Jeder langjährige Spieler wird wissen dass Codemasters die letzten Jahre große Probleme in diesem Bereich hatte. Mit F1 2016 kam dann ein riesiger Schritt in die positive Richtung.
Mit F1 2017 gibt es aber noch mehr glückliche Gesichter in den Ligen – Vor allem weil Codemasters den Beta-Testern die Möglichkeit gab, die allererste Multiplayer Beta über einige Wochen zu testen. Darum ist es mir auch möglich, etwas darüber zu erzählen:
Zunächst sind Rad an Rad Duelle, oder auch wenn sich zwei Autos berühren komplett bereinigt. Während es in den letzten Jahren die komischten Situationen gab, die den anderen Spieler beim Wheel “banging” mehrere Hundert Meter in die Mauern krachen lies, haben die Autos nun eine realistische Eigenschaft. Man kann nun wirklich gegen Freunde oder Rivalen in der Liga Fahren, ohne Angst zu haben dass soetwas wie oben beschrieben passiert. Außerdem bügelte Codemasters viele Fehler aus dem letztjährigen Game aus, dass das Online Spielen deutlich erträglicher machen wird.
Für alle Xbox Spieler: Das Spiel hat außerdem nun endlich die alt bekannten Sessionlisten, während das lästige Hopper-System verbannt wurde.
F1 2017 – Ein Muss?
Für mich als F1 Fan und als Ligafahrer der in seine siebte Saison geht ist es keine Frage alljährlich direkt am Release des neuen F1 Spiels zuzugreifen. Aber was ist mit Gelegenheitsspielern oder mit normalen Rennsportbegeisterten?
Ich würde auch JA sagen! Vor allem weil das diesjährige Spiel nicht nur eine Verbesserung des wirklich tollen F1 2016 ist, sondern so viele neue Details und Features vorzuweisen hat, die das Spielen realistischer und toller gestalten. Wie beispielsweise die offiziellen Intros vor jedem Rennen, mit den aus dem Fernseher 1:1 übernommenen Streckengrafiken. Es sind vielleicht abgesehen vom Classic-Modus nicht die größten Neuerungen, jedoch braucht es das auch gar nicht, da F1 2016 bereits einen wirklich starken Grundstein für künftige F1 Spiele gelegt hat, auf dem F1 2017 mit den oben genannten Neuerungen aufbaut.
Aus meiner Sicht wird F1 2017 das beste Formel 1 Spiel bis dato werden und jeder der bereits den Vorgänger mochte, wird das neue Spiel lieben!
F1 2017 wird am 25. August für PC, PS4 und die Xbox One in Deutschland erscheinen.
For Mercedes, the hybrid era beginning in 2014 had meant unbridled success and Formula One domination which for three years had seen just eight non-Mercedes victories to the end of 2016.
For 2017, the aerodynamic regulations changed plenty about F1. The cars were lower, faster, wider. And Mercedes were no longer having it all their own way.
They’ve more than played their part in a season-long two-team battle with Ferrari that arguably rivals the McLaren-Ferrari duels of 1998-2000 and 2007-08.
Großer Preis von Australien 2017, Sonntag – Wolfgang Wilhelm – Mercedes AMG F1 Mercedes were given a warning by Ferrari in Australia
They were served notice at the Australian Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton was edged out by Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari despite the Silver Arrows claiming a familiar pole position. New recruit Valtteri Bottas was a close third.
Hamilton’s victory in China confirmed what the watching motorsport world hoped they knew: That 2017 was going to be a grand battle between two of Formula One’s living greats. Vettel was second while Bottas managed sixth after a chaotic race.
It was a second 2-3 in three races as Hamilton headed Bottas in Bahrain, while in Sochi Bottas took his first Grand Prix win as Hamilton toiled with handling issues all weekend.
Hamilton restored order at Mercedes to win well in Spain ahead of Vettel after earlier falling behind the German as Bottas first collided with Raikkonen and Verstappen before retiring with an engine failure.
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain. Sunday 14 May 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONZ6499 Vettel got his elbows out in Spain but Hamilton eventually took an important victory for Mercedes
Vettel’s consistency was a thorn in the Mercedes side, and at the Monaco Grand Prix he stretched his lead over Hamilton to 25 points. Bad luck in qualifying left Hamilton starting 13th and he did well to recover to seventh, while Bottas could manage only fourth behind the Ferraris and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.
The Canadian Grand Prix was a throwback to the good old days of 2014-16. Lewis Hamilton swept all before him to handsomely head teammate Valtteri Bottas, who in turn was well clear of Ricciardo’s Red Bull.
Bottas drover arguably his greatest race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but his drive to second having been a lap down was overshadowed by a controversial incident involving Hamilton and Vettel. Infuriated at what he perceived to be brake-testing, Vettel rammed Hamilton under the Safety Car.
Vettel would finish fourth after a stop-go penalty, which would have seemed severe had Hamilton not had to pit to replace a loose headrest. He would finish fifth.
Bottas took his second career win at the Austrian Grand Prix, holding off Vettel by the slimmest of margins in an impressive rearguard action while Hamilton recovered from eighth on the grid following a gearbox penalty to finish fourth.
Mercedes AMG F1 – Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes-Benz F1 W08 Hybrid celebrates at Formula One World Championship, Rd10, British Grand Prix, Qualifying, Silverstone, England, Saturday 15 July 2017.
At the British Grand Prix, everything went right for Hamilton as it so often does. He took his fourth straight win at Silverstone to head the charging Bottas, who went from ninth to second. HE was helped by both Ferraris suffering tyre failures, with Raikkonen third and Vettel only seventh.
Ferrari were back on song at the Hungarian Grand Prix just before the summer break and secured a 1-2 finish, while Bottas and Hamilton were third and fourth. Bottas had allowed Hamilton through to attack the Ferraris on the condition that should he not pass them, the Finn regained third. Hamilton honoured this agreement at the very end.
Three-time World Champion Hamilton has not bowled the calm Bottas as many had predicted at the start of the season. Bottas has outraced Hamilton five times from eleven starts and sits just 19 points behind the Brit and 33 behind Championship leader Vettel.
Unlike Ferrari, Mercedes have both drivers in title contention at the halfway stage of the season. They might have a difficult decision in the coming weeks.
Tom Ingram (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis
Bank holiday crowds set for enthralling Rockingham encounter
It’s all-change at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heading into Rockingham (26-27 August) for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of the 2017 campaign, with Team BMW’s double champion Colin Turkington holding prime position atop the Drivers’ standings with three events to go.
The trip to Northamptonshire is often a pivotal one as drivers fight to stamp their authority on the title or make their move to put themselves in the shakeup for the biggest prize in British motor sport, but is a shift in power already underway?
The pendulum swings
A week ago at Knockhill, reigning champion Gordon Shedden had to settle for damage limitation, as he and Honda contended with the rear-wheel drive might of the BMWs and Subarus – well suited to the stop-start ups-and-downs of the Scottish circuit. Home hero and triple champion Shedden had to make use of his local knowledge to notch a podium, as he battled through to hold onto a net third in the championship tally, 12 points down on new leader Turkington.
Rory Butcher (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo Ford Focus
The Ulsterman has launched himself to the fore with consistency over recent rounds – that trait a must for any prospective champion. Five podium finishes from the latest five races sent a shot across the bow of his immediate rivals. Team BMW team-mate Rob Collard is also racking up points round-by-round, leaving him well-placed in fourth. In fact, Knockhill was the first event this season where the Hampshireman had failed to make the podium, though he’s the only man to have scored points in every encounter this year.
Senna Proctor (GBR) Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra
Form man Ashley Sutton, of Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, notched a race two win to cement his status as the man in form with a high of five victories to his name this season. That latest followed a first of the season for rejuvenated BTCC legend Jason Plato, who believes his squad have finally found the ‘gremlin’ that has hampered his progress since an accident on the opening Brands Hatch weekend.
Sutton harbours second in the overall running just four points shy of Turkington, and while Plato will be going all-out to reach an unprecedented 100 wins in the series, he will be doing what he can to help Subaru and Sutton as the title fight heads towards its conclusion.
“I’ve had a right good kicking this year, and it’s just nice to take another step forward towards being competitive again,” said Plato. “It’s not just the winning it’s about being competitive and it’s nice to be there. I’m pretty awful to be around when things aren’t going well – this is my life.
Ashley Sutton (GBR) Team BMR Subaru Levorg
“We had a complete change of the differential and the car’s a different machine now. We think we’ve found the gremlin and I’m just so happy to be competitive again.
“I’m going to start enjoying myself. I think the 100 wins might be doable (he currently stands on 96). I’m playing myself back into the game and I could have been a bit more robust with Ash but what would have been the point?
“He’s got stuff to crack on with. I’m not going to give up wins, because I’m not going to take a financial penalty. But anything other than a win – he can have it! That is the way it goes and I’d expect that in return.
Gordon Shedden (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type R
“I will play it honestly and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see Ash crack it and if I can help, I will. I have Ash at the forefront of my mind, most definitely.”
Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram made a long-awaited return to the top step of the podium after his start to the season had earmarked him as the early benchmark. Bad luck has conspired against the Toyota man in recent rounds, though at 61 points shy of the summit with more than 200 points still to play for, he’s not done yet.
Colin Turkington (GBR) Team BMW BMW 125i M Sport
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 27 August – and the day’s other races – will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.
Advance tickets can be booked online at www.rockingham.co.uk or via the hotline on 01536 500500 (option 1), until midday on Friday 25 August. Weekend passes cost £38, Sunday race day tickets are £30 and Saturday entry price is just £12.50.
Cammish And Eastwood Clash As Tensions Grow In The Scottish Hills
The anticipation of two exciting races was fuelled in no small part by the unfolding championship battle between Charlie Eastwood (Redline Racing), Dan Cammish (Redline Racing) and Dino Zamparelli (JTR). While Eastwood and Cammish held the advantage with dropped scores factored in, all three needed to win at all costs to keep their title hopes alive. Behind and closer than ever, the remainder of the Pro category could see their opportunity for a first win getting nearer.
Against this backdrop, Knockhill produced two races that did not disappoint and provided arguably more excitement – and certainly more debate – than even rounds eight and nine. Cammish converted his pole position in round ten into a win in his traditional style, despite periods of firm pressure from Zamparelli behind. However, in round eleven, a clash between pole sitter Eastwood and the defending champion resulted in Cammish failing to finish, Eastwood losing three points and facing a ten-place grid penalty for round twelve.
In Pro-Am1, championship leader Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) once again shared a win and second with Alex Martin (Team Parker Racing), leaving the gap between the pair unmoved at a slender three points. John McCullagh (Redline Racing) claimed his second podium of the season in round ten, but a start line incident saw the 2015 Pro-Am2 champion sidelined for round eleven.
Peter Kyle-Henney (IN2 Racing) took a pair of Pro-Am2 wins, his seventh and eighth of the season, to boost his championship hopes and move him to five points adrift of Shamus Jennings (G-Cat Racing), who came away with third and second places. Iain Dockerill (Asset Advantage Racing) took a pair of category pole positions in his strongest showing to date, second and third keeping him within nine points of Jennings at the top of the table with four rounds to go.
Round ten
Anticipation was high for an entertaining race as Dan Cammish (Redline Racing) led the field around for the rolling start. From the very first corner the race was not to disappoint. Cammish made a good start, but team mate Charlie Eastwood’s was even better. As Eastwood positioned himself for a challenge, a hit from behind pushed him wide and left enough space for Dino Zamparelli (JTR) to move into second, the Bristol driver making his intentions clear from the off.
Also making the best of the start were local brothers Dan and Euan McKay (Redline Racing), Dan making the most progress into fourth from sixth, Euan up one place to fifth and pushing Dan hard. Losing out was Tom Oliphant (Redline Racing), shuffled down to seventh behind Lewis Plato (JTR). Their battle would build throughout the race, but at the front Zamparelli was inching up on Cammish with Eastwood close behind.
As Plato passed Euan McKay on the second lap, Cammish and Zamparelli were trading almost identical sector times while Eastwood settled into an almost lonely third place. The order was almost disturbed when Zamparelli lost time on his eighth lap to fall back into the clutches of Eastwood, allowing Cammish to slip away by just over one second. The following lap it was Eastwood’s turn to loose time at Chicane, giving Zamparelli some breathing space.
By lap 17, traffic was playing a critical part in the battle for the lead which Cammish had extended to around three seconds. First to arrive and faced with making his way through some good battles in the other categories, Cammish had to watch the gap to Zamparelli reduce to just seven tenths of a second. However, back onto a clear section of track, the reigning champion pulled back half a second in just one lap and took the flag with over two seconds in hand from Zamparelli.
Eastwood held on to third, but behind two JTR drivers had been on the move. Plato passed Dan McKay for fourth on lap 11 at Taylors after having posted fastest lap of the race. Tio Ellinas also had strong pace and set about passing Euan McKay on lap 15 into Duffus Dip and Dan McKay into Taylors on lap 26. Separating the JTR team mates was Oliphant in fifth, unable to continue his fight back past a defensive Plato.
Local driver Ross Wylie (Slidesports) had a good race with Jamie Orton (IN2 Racing), coming through as second-placed Rookie in ninth. Tom Wrigley (IN2 Racing) was not able to celebrate his birthday in race one at least, contact with Matt Telling (Welch Motorsport) on lap 31 putting both drivers out at Clarks.
In Pro-Am1, all three drivers ran close together for the every one of the 32 laps, the win going to Alex Martin (Team Parker Racing) who relentlessly edged away from Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) in second. Shadowing Sherwood in third was the returning John McCullagh (Redline Racing), happy to take his second podium in three races on a circuit that has not been the kindest to him in the past.
Pro-Am2 once again provided some of the closest racing, Iain Dockerill (Asset Advantage Racing) holding the lead from Peter Kyle-Henney (IN2 Racing) away from the start with David Fairbrother (Slidesports) passing Shamus Jennings (G-Cat Racing) for third. Jennings came back into a podium position after Fairbrother, on his first visit to Knockhill, ran through the gravel at McIntyre and dropped back.
While Kyle-Henney took Dockerill for a lead he would maintain to the flag, Jennings was in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Telling for the final podium position. On lap 16 Telling passed to take the position, only for Jennings to reclaim it the very next lap. A spin into Chicane on lap 20 for Telling put paid to the battle and allowed Rupert Martin (Team Parker Racing) to claim fourth.
Round eleven
Eastwood made a good start from pole position, Cammish tucking in behind off the line to follow his team mate into Duffus. Sprinting away from the second row was Zamparelli, the JTR driver passing Oliphant who was slow to pick up momentum. Behind, Wylie was squeezed onto the grass as he left the line and spun, collecting an unfortunate McCullagh and putting both drivers out of the race.
At the end of lap six the safety car pulled in, Eastwood looking to make a break but with Cammish pushing him all the way. Within three laps Eastwood had posted fastest lap to edge away from Cammish as Zamparelli inched ever closer to Cammish. The contest looked to have stabilised until on lap 20 Eastwood began to lap traffic.
As the leader negotiated the cars ahead, Cammish began to apply the pressure and Eastwood’s defence backed the pair into Zamparelli. With each fighting for their own championship, Zamparelli made a move on Cammish at Taylors, a move which almost saw Zamparelli take to the grass on his run to the line and lose momentum. This freed Cammish to resume his assault on Eastwood, and left Zamparelli to defend from a fast approaching Oliphant.
By lap 30, Cammish was making his most concerted effort yet to dislodge Eastwood from the lead, once again allowing Zamparelli and now Oliphant to close back in. Cammish gained a run on Eastwood into Clarks on the penultimate lap, drawing alongside the leader on the exit. Eastwood exited wide, causing Cammish to run onto the grass and make contact with the barriers, ending his race. After an inquiry that went to the stewards, it was decided Eastwood should be handed a 10-place grid penalty for round twelve and be docked three championship points.
Eastwood recovered to defend from Zamparelli who had inherited the momentum, Zamparelli in turn running wide at Taylors on the run to the flag and causing Oliphant, who had committed to a move around the outside, onto the grass. Oliphant recovered, albeit with an advertising hoarding wrapped around the front of his car, to take his second podium of the season.
Behind the leaders, the battle was no less fraught. By lap 15 Plato had caught Euan McKay, bringing Dan McKay and Ellinas with him. As the quartet scrapped, Dan McKay ran around the outside of Plato at Taylors for sixth, losing the back end of the car on the exit and only just saving the slide before reaching the grass on the inside. Ellinas inherited sixth position and Wrigley seventh after a move into Duffus Dip as Plato dropped to eighth in avoidance. Dan McKay recovered to ninth, before running through the gravel at McIntyre on the same lap.
Plato retook seventh from Wrigley, and began to close on Ellinas who was fighting hard with Euan McKay. As Plato put Ellinas under pressure, contact between the Cypriot and Euan McKay ahead put McKay into the gravel and earned Ellinas a 15 second penalty and the loss of three championship points.
After the early exit of McCullagh, Pro-Am1 became a straight fight between Martin and Sherwood. Sherwood had made the best of the start to take the lead from Martin, although by lap 12 the gap was down to just two seconds. As Martin closed, he ran wide at Clarks, just managing to recover but handing Sherwood the win.
Kyle-Henney took the lead in Pro-Am2 at the start after pole-sitter Dockerill was forced to avoid the start line incident. Jennings came through for second with Dockerill third and Fairbrother fourth. The four drivers were covered by less than three seconds, but that order remained to the flag with Martin fifth and Telling sixth. Dockerill’s weekend was enough to earn him the ‘Driver of the Weekend’ award, and Asset Advantage Racing ‘Team of the Weekend’.
As the championship crescendo continues to build, follow the battles at @CarreraCupGB on Twitter and /CarreraCupGB on Facebook.
Championship positions
Overall:
Charlie Eastwood Redline Racing 180
Dino Zamparelli JTR 172
Dan Cammish Redline Racing 152
Pro-Am1:
Justin Sherwood Team Parker Racing 89
Alex Martin Team Parker Racing 86
Graeme Mundy Team Parker Racing 48
Pro-Am2:
Shamus Jennings G-Cat Racing 85
Peter Kyle-Henney IN2 Racing 80
Iain Dockerill Asset Advantage Racing 76
Whilst researching a topic for another post I am going to pen, I came across an article about a former series of motor racing that I had forgotten about, the Superleague Formula.
ZOLDER, BEL – 17-19 JULY 2009: Second round of the Superleague Formula series 2009 at Circuit of Zolder
The concept behind this series was that football clubs sponsored cars that were then run by racing teams. The organisers of the series created a cringeworthy slogan, ‘The Beautiful Race: Football at 300km/h’.
This idea was co-founded by businessmen Alex Andreu and Robin Webb. The season would run from April to November with races taking place at Donington, Nurburgring, Zolder, Estoril, Vallelunga and Jerez. All teams used the same Panoz DP09 chassis and a Menard 4.2 V12 Rear engine. Tyres were supplied by Michelin.
Superleague Formula made its debut in 2008. The format was that teams would have a 45 minute free practice session, qualifying and a rookie session on the Saturday. On Sunday there were two 45 minute races, one of which would be a reverse grid.
Qualifying was a barmy affair as organisers used a unique football tournament style group stage. Teams were split into two groups, A and B, the draw being held on the Friday. Teams qualifying from the groups entered the knockout stage until two cars were left to battle it out for pole position. The teams who didn’t make it through the groups were given alternate starting positions lower down the grid.
The racing teams involved in 2008 running the football team cars were:
GTA Motor Competicion (Sevilla & Tottenham Hotspur)
Hitech Junior Team (FC Porto & Liverpool)*
FMS International (Liverpool & AS Roma)
*FC Porto drivers entered rounds 1-4 for Alan Docking Racing and rounds 5-6 for Hitech Junior Team.
Italian driver, Davide Rignon won the championship for Beijing Guoan in the first season. Spaniard Adrian Valles was the victor for Liverpool in 2009 with Rignon retaining the title for Anderlecht in 2010.
It was 2011 where the series hit a lot of problems. After the first two rounds at Assen and Zolder the calendar was cancelled. The reason given centred around circuits not being ready in time and disagreements with race organisers. By now cars were represented by countries and not clubs and football teams started to pull their sponsorship.
The Superleague Formula would disappear into the unknown, never to be seen again.
Besides the bizarre football link and curious format, the series did see a number of well known names grace its ranks, Maria de Villota, Earl Bamber, Neel Jani, Sebastien Bourdais, Narain Karthikeyan and Antonio Pizzonia to name a few.
Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha rider Josh Brookes was involved in a Twitter spat with Gresini Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro. The two clashed when a difference of opinion was voiced over track safety at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Josh used a ‘dress emoji’ in response to Aleix Espargaro’s announcement that he wouldn’t race if the track was wet.
The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, which hosts the Japanese MotoGP and previously the Pacific Motorcycle Grand Prix, will remain on the calendar until at least 2023 following a new deal between the circuit and Dorna.
