2017 Archives

3rd March 20171st August 2017

WRX 2017 – Are You Ready?

Mattias Ekstrom Takes The 2016 WRX Championship (c) redbull.com

The most dynamic racing series on the planet is back, as the FIA World Rallycross Championship hits Barcelona on 31st March.

This time last year rallycross fans had to wait until April before Round One in Portugal with Barcelona itself not appearing until September. Now Catalunya is the opening round of the season and what a cracking season we have in prospect.

At Barcelona in 2016 it was Timmy Hansen in the Peugeot 208 who was leading the pack after the heats but Mattias Ekstrom and Timur Timerzyanov dominated the semi-finals, where we surprisingly saw Petter Solberg miss out. In the first semi-final Ekstrom, Timmy Hansen and Robin Larsson made their way through to the final. In the second Timerzyanov held off the challenge of Johan Kristoffersson taking the win by six tenths. Janis Baumanis was the third driver through. The final in Barcelona was set and it was champion-elect Mattias Ekstrom who took the win ahead of Timmy Hansen and Timerzyanov.

Barcelona 2017, can we expect the same result?

Ekstrom and Timmy Hansen remain with their teams, EKS and Team Peugeot-Hansen, respectively, with Timerzyanov now behind the wheel at Team STARD.

There have been some changes over the winter. Let us look ahead to 2017.

Mattias Ekstrom flies the jump during Heat 1 of the World Rallycross races at Holjes in Sweden on July 5th (c) redbull.com

Ekstrom and Toomas Heikkenen are joined at EKS RX by former Olsbergs MSE driver Reinis Nitiss in what looks like a very strong team. It’s no change at Hoonigan Racing Division with Andreas Bakkerud, who finished third in the championship last season and Ken Block again leading the charge there for the American team. Same line-up at Team Peugeot-Hansen with Kevin and Timmy Hansen teaming up again with Sebastien Loeb.

There has been a team name change for World RX Team Austria as they now go under the banner of MJP Racing Team Austria. It is a completely new look team and boy, have they made some great signings in the off-season. Former Olsbergs driver Kevin “Round The Outside” Eriksson has joined double DTM champion Timo Scheider at the wheel of the Ford Fiesta ST. MJP have also signed former British Touring Car champion Andrew Jordan to drive at Lydden Hill in round five. It’s been a busy off-season for team boss Max Pucher.

PSRX Volkswagen Sweden are entering two VW Polo GTI’s and the men they are trusting with this are double World Rallycross champioin Petter Solberg and the man who finished second to Ekstrom in the championship last season, Johan Kristofferson. This is a mouth watering team and it is really good to see Solberg with a team entry rather than an individual.

Team STARD with their Ford Fiesta have Timur Timerzyanov and former World RX Team Austria driver Janis Baumanis at the wheel for their assault on the championship.

This brings us nicely to the individual entries who are not eligible for the team championship.

Jean-Baptiste Dubourg will race a Peugeot 208 for DA Racing, former Olsbergs driver and the son of a former WRC champion, Niclas Gronholm will drive a Ford Fiesta for GRX, Lukacs ‘CsuCsu’ Kornel jumps in a Kia Rio for Speedy Motorsport and completing the line-up is Great Britain’s Guy Wilks who will race for LOCO World RX Team in their VW Polo.

There is so much depth and talent in this field for 2017, I genuinely can’t wait for the season to start, but where do I think the championship will go?

It is so difficult to narrow it down to one person with so much competition within the grid. There is no way anybody can dismiss Solberg and Ekstrom, they are definitely going to be challenging for the title again and I was really impressed with Timerzyanov and Bakkerud last season. But my ‘tip for the title’ is going to Johan Kristoffersson.

I think the 28 year old Swede, who made his debut in WRX in 2014, can not only beat his double world champion team mate, Solberg, to the title but also the defending champion. It is not going to be easy. In fact it is going to be extremely difficult, but in the works Polo I just feel Kristoffersson can kick on from his performances last season, especially after his fantastic win in Loheac back in September.

This is the chaos and mayhem of World Rallycross and it is stomping, fizzing, revving and grunting its way towards us.

Are you ready for the most dynamic racing series in the world?

The grid is set. The drivers are getting pumped. The cars are being prepped.

You better be ready. 2017 is going to blow you away.

Let us remind ourselves of the top 20 placings in the championship last season.

1st – Mattias Ekstrom – 272pts

2nd – Johan Kristoffersson – 240pts

3rd – Andreas Bakkerud – 239pts

4th – Petter Solberg – 239pts

5th – Sebastien Loeb – 209pts

6th – Timmy Hansen – 178pts

7th – Toomas Heikkinen – 150pts

8th – Timur Timerzyanov – 117pts

9th – Robin Larsson – 109pts

10th – Janis Baumanis – 109pts

11th – Kevin Eriksson – 92pts

12th – Davy Jeanney – 86pts

13th – Anton Marklund – 76pts

14th – Ken Block – 63pts

15th – Kevin Hansen – 52pts

16th – Reinis Nitiss – 44pts

17th – Niclas Gronholm – 28pts

18th – Timo Scheider – 25pts

19th – Francois Duval – 18pts

20th – Liam Doran – 9pts

See you at the RX-chequered flag.

Neil Simmons

WRX Editor

Twitter: @world_racing

3rd March 20171st August 2017

Has Society Grown Tired Of The F1 Playboy?

I was reading up on the accolades and memories of the brilliant Formula One journalist Alan Henry recently and a story he relayed about James Hunt.

Alan would tell the story of the time he was woken in his room by Hunt, who had with him at the time a female friend.

“Come on Hens, you need to surrender your bed, I have a guest.”

This was James Hunt, the man who allegedly bedded 5,000 women and had “Sex, The Breakfast Of Champions” sewn into his racing overalls. He was a fast driving, big drinking, fast living, cigarette smoking hero to the British racing fans. They loved him. He punched a marshal, well actually he punched two marshals.

There were others, the list is long, but the most notable apart from Hunt were Mike Hailwood, Innes Ireland, Sir Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio and the person who is regarded as the last of the playboy F1 drivers, Eddie Irvine. More recently Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen have been tagged ‘playboys’ in their early careers but never on the same platform as the other drivers mentioned before them.

In one way or another they were icons. They also had their critics, but they undoubtedly had their fans. Bernie Ecclestone is apparently a fan of the playboy lifestyle, a person who can show character to the fans. This is an area where I do agree with Bernie, for a change.

Lewis Hamilton.

I have to hold my hand up and say there were times when I would look at the television or read a news story and think to myself, ‘Lewis, what are you doing?’ – Then I would have to smile and think back to when I was growing up and no matter how much I had respect for people like Prost, Mansell, Schumacher, Lauda etc. they were a bit, well, too serious. The antics of drivers such as Berger, Irvine, Hunt, Fittipaldi, Raikkonen, Alesi etc. on the other hand made me smile.

My initial thoughts about Lewis Hamilton’s ‘reported’ lifestyle was quite probably…no definitely…my near 45 years of age kicking in. It is important to remind myself of that. Then I shake my head and smile.

Lewis Hamilton gets paid a lot of money to drive fast cars. He, like every other racer in the world, puts his life on the line in the name of motor racing. Who is any person or journalist to say he is behaving unprofessionally and inappropriately?

The reason I pose this question is because I do see a lot of hypocrisy in the way journalists report on Hamilton and his partying, lifestyle and what he does away from the racing. These are the same writers who will condemn Lewis in one article and the following week be praising James Hunt.

In the 1970’s Hunt slept with women, got drunk, visited casinos, bars, film premieres and went to parties. He is held up as a British hero. In the 2000’s Lewis Hamilton sleeps with women, gets drunk, visits casinos, bars, film premieres and goes to parties, yet he is held up as unprofessional and not a role model to the young fans who follow him.

Hypocritical. Utterly hypocritical.

The bottom line is, for years Formula One has been crying out for that ‘playboy’ world champion to come along and take the place of the more serious natured ones who followed. Hell…I’ve even grown to like the sarcastic, mischievous side of Sebastian Vettel recently. Lewis Hamilton is being that playboy Formula One driver. The shenanigans of the playboy racing drivers I have mentioned above make Lewis Hamilton look like a choirboy and just because he is involving himself with people who others do not like within the public eye, does that make him less of a world champion…no, sorry….a triple world champion? Of course it doesn’t.

Did the fact that Juan Manuel Fangio bedded women and James Hunt partied all night make them lesser world champions? No, of course not, because time and history has diluted those stories and they never had social media to contend with as drivers do now.

I was very young when Hunt was at the top of his game, but I can imagine my mum not being overly impressed with his antics, she would probably have called him a thug. Today I see on social media and in publications people and journalists calling Hamilton spoilt or irresponsible.

Total rubbish.

There are more men and women out there doing far more irresponsible things in their sport than Lewis Hamilton and simply by picking on the point that he may or may not have said this and may or may not have done that, is just simply a way of selling the news.

Formula One has been criticised in recent years, some of which rightly so. I don’t think it is constructive or warranted to criticise the drivers who take part.

As I said, there are other sports out there which are inhabited by far worse characters.

This comes to the question of my article. Has society grown tired of the F1 playboy?

I really don’t see how the answer can be a rousing yes when we’ve only really seen Hamilton in recent years choose the lifestyle that he has. I think it is more of a case that with social media playing such a big part in every walk of life, the microscopic details of a person’s life is picked up and then blasted around the world. People are influenced more by what they see and what they read instead of taking a step back and making a judgement for themselves. They also need to realise they are not Lewis Hamilton. They are not a racing driver.

Am I fan of everything Lewis Hamilton does? Not really. But I’m not Lewis Hamilton.

Am I fan of the famous people Lewis can be seen hanging with? Not all of them. But that’s up to Lewis Hamilton.

Am I fan of Lewis Hamilton the racing driver? I have other drivers currently on the grid who I favour more and others in history too, but I would still put Hamilton up there as one of the best I have seen in my 40+ years of watching Formula One.

You can’t ask for a playboy Formula One driver and then decide that what that particular person does with their life is not to your liking. You don’t drive a car at break-neck speed, risking your life on every piece of tarmac for the entertainment of others. You certainly aren’t in the position to criticise as to what a person chooses to do with their life outside of ‘their job’.

You are of course allowed to go back and worship James Hunt, Mike Hailwood, Sir Stirling Moss, Eddie Irvine, Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, naturally because they are heroes.

But then that would be boring wouldn’t it?

All era’s have different tags. You could have been a cad or a bounder in the fifties, a rebel in the sixties, a hair-raiser in the seventies all the way up to a raver, a party animal or a gangster. Let’s just concentrate on the racing, shall we?

See You At The Chequered Flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

Tags:

Formula 1

3rd March 20171st August 2017

Parc Fermé – F1 Testing Day One

Formula 1 Testing – Day One

A sunny start to the day in Barcelona as the cars took to the track for the first of the official tests, the sound of F1 engines once more cascading across the landscape. There has been a major change in the regulations for 2017 as can be seen on the cars, with boomerang style side-pods, t-wings, shark fins and fatter rear tyres. It’s all change in the crazy world of F1.

Williams – They appear to have gone quietly about their business, no major aero on the car and Felipe Massa, now un-retired and racing again, completed an impressive 103 laps to put the car in 3rd. The car looked stable and there were no issues. In the morning Williams ran aero checks and in the afternoon they concentrated on tyre work and set-up.

McLaren – All the hype and all the furore surrounding the launch of the new car seems a distant memory now as Alonso finished in 10th and only completed 29 laps. The car had an oil system problem that they had not noticed previously which restricted the double world champion’s running. Eric Boullier was hopeful that Alonso would get further time in the car due to the lack of running. Not a great start for the team here in Barcelona.

Sauber – This was not a good day for Sauber. Marcus Ericsson completed 72 laps in a car that is carrying a 2016 Ferrari engine and it showed. They were five seconds off the pace of every other car and finished last but the team did comment they were working on aero and set-ups for this first test. Pascal Wehrlein did not take to the track, he has a neck and back problem but said that although he felt he could have gone out it could have caused a few problems. He is hopeful to be back for the next round of testing.

Renault – Alain Prost back at Renault, be it as a ‘special advisor’. There are rumblings in the paddock that he may be offered a more senior role within the team. Could the F1 legend be poised to take over the helm this season? Only time will tell. Nico Hulkenberg completed 57 laps and finished in 9th, which is not where Renault hoped they would be even during the first day of testing. They were three seconds off the pace and did have small problems with their chassis which overheated due to the bodywork being too close. Adjustments were made and there were no further issues.

Haas – Like Williams, another team who have gone quietly about their business with no razz-a-matazz or fireworks. They managed 51 laps and ended up 4th in the timings. Magnussen had a scare early on as he broke the front wing, then Haas added a t-wing which seemed to vibrate a lot and it will be interesting to see how they would be able to fix that problem.

Ferrari – The team who many think are going to be Mercedes main challengers this season had a good day with Vettel finishing 2nd on the timing screens after completing 128 laps. They concentrated on making sure their winter wind tunnel tests worked out on the circuit, the numbers added up and the team came away from day one very happy. The car showed great reliability even though the engine itself is 5kg heavier than last season. There have been some minor changes on the engine although Ferrari would not confirm what these were.

Force India – Sergio Perez had exhaust problems early on and completed 39 laps which put the car P7. He did state that the car itself felt better, there was more grip and there was plenty more to come.

Red Bull – There are mixed opinions about the Red Bull. Some are putting them as more of a challenger to Mercedes than Ferrari, others think they are going to be the bridesmaid to the ceremony. They finished 5th on day one, Ricciardo completed only 50 laps due to a battery problem and then they had a sensor issue which needed fixing. That said, Red Bull only finished building the car the Wednesday before the first test.

Toro Rosso – Carlos Sainz was a little confused. He said that he couldn’t compare the Renault engine to the Ferrari engine of last season due to the extra drag on the cars this year. They had some chassis problems, one part fell off in the pit lane and this restricted them to 51 laps and 8th place on the timing screens.

Mercedes – A great day for the defending champions. A massive 152 laps completed with Bottas going out in the morning. He ran the T-wing and said that it felt good and he had far more grip than he was previously used to. Hamilton changed to a shark fin for the afternoon session and he was quick. Quickest team on day one.

A lot is being spoken about regarding the change in regulations.

“It’s a good start when you are able to collect miles and data.” Toto Wolff said.

He mentioned that Mercedes were not seeing themselves as out-and-out favourites because due to the regulation changes every team is back to square one. But after this showing on day one, it’s difficult to take that comment seriously when the Mercedes car showed up so well.

The Mercedes team are fully aware that Bottas needs to hit the ground running and that he will have to perform to their high standards. Toto confirmed that Bottas is not there as a supporting role for Lewis, the two drivers will be asked to push each other to make them go faster. Where have we heard that before?

On the suspension issue which has put a dark cloud over the paddock, Toto Wolff had this to say:

“I think it’s the usual posing before the season starts.”

He went on to say that he felt the Mercedes suspension was clear and legal and the team are happy they have the correct specifications in place. He hinted that other teams might have legality issues on their own cars but did not specify who or what. Shots fired, welcome back Formula One!

Over at Red Bull Adrian Newey appeared calm and confident, as he always does. He did not seem too put out by the new regulations and repeated what Toto eluded to, that the teams are heading into the unknown.

“We don’t know” Newey said. “It’s the usual thing when you have big regulation change. We’ve been working over the winter. We know what we’ve achieved.”

He said that Red Bull had tried not to put too much on the car so that they could understand the flow structure properly and then develop the car from there. This seemed a very simple yet Newey-esque approach. On the nose and air flow he had this to say:

“We had this regulation change in 2014, where we went from high noses to a low nose. Our hole in the middle is a small step back to trying to get a slightly higher nose, whilst aerodynamically having a low nose.”

He mentioned the hole in the Red Bull nose is legal if “you do it in a particular way.” He said that comparisons could be drawn with what Renault did two years ago and the Force India design of 2016.

It is fascinating when you listen to Adrian Newey. He went on to discuss the shark fins and how the primary role of the structure is to stabilise the rear from side winds as the car goes into corners. The T-wings, he explained, was a little wing you could put in if you wish too but, that for a big visual change, it had a small aerodynamic effect.

Day one of testing was over and the big boys flexed their muscles, to a certain extent. First points to Mercedes so far who just looked mightily impressive but it is fair to say that Ferrari were not too far behind in the reliability stakes. Difficult to say what Red Bull have to offer due to their lack of laps but in day two of testing things could change.

After all, this is Formula One. Nothing stays the same forever.

See you at the chequered flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

3rd March 20173rd July 2017

Pérez “optimistic for Melbourne” after first Barcelona test

Sergio Perez (MEX) Sahara Force India F1 VJM10.
Formula One Testing, Day 4, Thursday 2nd March 2017. Barcelona, Spain.

Sergio Pérez has said he already has good expectations for the first race of the season in Australia after a “positive week” of pre-season testing with Force India.

“I think we made a good step forward with understanding the VJM10 and finding the limit of the tyres,” the Mexican said at the end of the week. “I feel more confident in the car; I have learnt a huge amount and I think my preparation is going to plan.

“There is still a lot of work to be done, but I’m optimistic for Melbourne already.”

Pérez described his first day driving the VJM10 as one “of two halves”: after making steady progress through the team’s tyre and setup programme in the morning, he was forced by a broken exhaust to sit the afternoon session out.

Esteban Ocon (FRA) Sahara Force India F1 VJM10.
Formula One Testing, Day 2, Tuesday 28th February 2017. Barcelona, Spain.

But on his return to the track on Thursday, Pérez enjoyed a trouble-free day and was able to log 82 laps of the Barcelona track, as well as set the sixth-fastest time of the day.

On the middle two days of the test, Pérez handed over the VJM10 to his new teammate Esteban Ocon and Force India’s development driver Alfonso Celis Jr.

Ocon, driving on day two, made a good start to his first season with Force India, exceeding the team’s lap target with 86 tours and completing the setup work leftover from day one.

“It’s very early days, of course, but the initial feelings are positive,” Ocon said of his day’s testing. “We found a good direction for setting up the car…and I’m satisfied with the number of laps we covered.”

The Frenchman also said that the new generation of F1 cars are “proper beasts”, remarking on their increased cornering speeds as “a good step forward” for the sport.

Chief race engineer Tom McCullough said that the team’s “incredible efforts” over the week have left Force India confident about the season ahead, especially after Celis Jr. added another 71 laps to the team’s tally on his day behind the wheel:

“I’m pleased we managed to exceed our target lap count and accrued so much data because the learning curve is so steep in these early days. We have been able to build up good mileage and iron out some of the inevitable teething problems that you get with a new car.

“We are confident we have made some important steps forward…and we are looking forward to next week’s test, when we will focus more on performance and race simulations.”

Alfonso Celis Jr (MEX) Sahara Force India F1 VJM10 Development Driver.
Formula One Testing, Day 3, Wednesday 1st March 2017. Barcelona, Spain.

James Matthews, Editor-at-Large

Images courtesy of Sahara Force India Formula One Team

3rd March 20171st August 2017

Crew Towers Tips – 2017

Every racing fan has an opinion and we are no different over here at Crew Towers, as you would expect.

Some of the ‘creative meetings’ where we discuss future articles descend into a banter filled cacophony of voices who confidently state their opinions.

We wanted to get the 2017 championship tips from the experts….but they weren’t available, so we asked the Pit Crew Online team to make their predictions instead.

Some writers contribute across multiple series, therefore you may see them predicting a whole host of categories.

CREW TOWERS TIPS – 2017

Richard Hindson – Facebook Media Editor

Twitter: @hindson369

F1 Prediction: A Red Bull Driver

“My F1 world champion prediction is a Red Bull Racing driver. It’s hard to choose between the two. Both showed real pace last season and proved they could race wheel to wheel with no contact. This season they will be at the front of the grid battling for the sports grandest prize. Who will come out on top may come down to reliability, like we saw in 2016.”

Mitch Oakley – BTCC Editor

Twitter: @Tocco_97

BTCC Prediciton: Gordon Shedden

“Based on the last two years, it’s very hard to look past the Honda of Gordon Shedden. The reigning champ will be looking to add another title to his collection. No doubt his teammate will be pushing close behind. Also never count out Turkington now he is back at WSR and of course Plato is always there-or-there abouts. Either way it should be a cracker!”

Matthew Pigg – Endurance Editor/Photographer

Twitter: @photopigg

LMP1-H Prediction: Porsche

LMP2 Prediction: Alpine

“Looking forwards to great competition in the WEC this year with the battle in LMP1-H between Porsche and Toyota. My hunch would be that Porsche will come out on top after the whole season, but hoping that Toyota get that Le Mans win after last year’s heart break. LMP2 looks like it’s going to be interesting with new cars and teams coming in, but too close to call as to who will win. A good bet would be Alpine to retain the crown. GTE Pro sees the return of Porsche with two cars going up against Ferrari, Ford and Aston Martin. It is going to be another close call and could easily go any of the team’s way and a lot of what happens with GTE will depend on what happens with balance of performance.”

Aaron Irwin – Virtual Editor

Twitter: @AaronIrwin7

Virtual GP Prediction: Michal Smidl

“We cover a series called Virtual GP and the simplest way I can describe it is F1 on a computer. There is one stand out favourite for the series and his name is Michal Smidl, he’s won the series twice and is the hot favourite. However he has challengers to his crown in Martin Stefanko and Jaroslav Honzik. In a series of fast and enjoyable racing, anyone can shine. It’s close and tense and it looks likely that Smidl will hold on to his crown, but he won’t have it all his own way.”

Rhea Morar – Deputy F1 Editor

Twitter: @RheaMorar

F1 Prediction: Red Bull

“Unbelievably I predict that the tough fight for the championship will be between the Sauber boys… who has the more perfect hair…. Ericsson or Wehrlein? Seriously though, look out for the Red Bull boys is all that I can predict right now.”

Victor Archakis – F1 Editor

Twitter: @FP_Passion

F1 Prediction: Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel

“My heart says Ferrari. My logic says Mercedes, but I can’t resist to my heart’s willing, hence I will pick Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel as 2017 champions!”

Tonia Attard – NASCAR Feature Writer

Twitter: @audilvrs7

NASCAR Prediction: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“With the checkered flag dropped on the Daytona 500, the start of the NASCAR season is officially underway. This year’s 500, with its new rules and regulations, proved to be exciting just as NASCAR hoped although maybe in the wrong way as a multitude of wrecks perforated the green flag laps. That being said clear indications of who may, or may not, be in contention for the Championship were given and as NASCAR editor it is my job to give them to you. First and foremost, Dale Earnhardt Jr. While this may not be the choice most people would go with, Junior was fast at Daytona. Fast like we haven’t seen him for a long time. He sat on pole for a while before Chase Elliot bumped him to his second place starting position. From there he had a strong run until an accident took him out of the running. Earnhardt has a strong motivation to drive hard as well. He has said that if he wins the Championship this year he will retire. He wants to go out on top. There is no more motivation like taking that last big leap of faith. Chase Elliot, Earnhardt’s teammate also looks promising for a Championship. Young and hungry but now more experienced. Bill Elliot’s son proudly carries on the family name and hopes to make a name for himself in NASCAR history.”

Kiko Giles – Crew On Two Editor

Twitter: @MotoGPKiko

MotoGP Prediction: Valentino Rossi

Moto2 Prediction: Franco Morbidelli

Moto3 Prediction: Fabio Di Giannantonio

WSBK Prediction: Chaz Davies

BSB Prediction: Luke Mossey

“MotoGP is fierce this year, with young hounds challenging the young – and old – established war horses. My money in 2017 is on Valentino Rossi. And before you all sigh and look away, there are some alternative reasons, apart from his ability to ride. He’s old, he’s getting on and it could be now or never for Rossi. But a new teammate will also spur him on. He enjoys a challenge and has re-invented himself for the last four seasons. The Michelins have a year under their belt so Valentino has a solid base-setting to work on. Cut the crashing, and bring home the bacon, on the podium at every round like he had potential last season and he’s your man in 2017 – not without stiff competition.

Moto2 sees four of the top eight in last season’s campaign move up, leaving the door open for many challenges and a break of what we have known. Franco Morbidelli is a rider who impressed me so much towards the end of last season. Having come so close in Australia in that finish with Tom Luthi, and having been in a titanic scrap in Valencia with MotoGP graduate and double champion Johann Zarco, Morbidelli must be favourite this season. It could be between him, Luthi and San Marino GP winner, Lorenzo Baldassarri.

Moto3 is anyone’s guess, but due to his sheer skill last season, Fabio Di Giannantionio definitely gets my backing. The rookie Italian came so close to winning at Mugello as well as Assen and his only retirement after his first point scoring ride was getting wiped out at Phillip Island. He is retained by the same team for 2017 and the Gresini Racing set up have some titles in their pocket from seasons gone by. Fabio will be up there, but that is only one prediction out of many that could possibly take the title.

In WSBK although Jonathan Rea has started with a double victory, Chaz Davies took his best points haulage from the first round of the season. The Welshman is my tip for a tilt at the title in 2017. His sensational form that ended 2016 (7 wins in 8 of the final races) was something that only Colin Edwards had done before. The Ducati is getting better and at last Davies looks like he may have a teammate that he can rely on for support in Marco Melandri. The 30-year-old will be on fire once we get to Europe, which is where Chaz is at his absolute finest.

British Superbikes sees additions galore in 2017. Davide Giugliano and Sylvain Guintoli amongst the most notable. Shane Byrne took his 5th title last season, as an out and out Shakey fan I want him to do the same – but I am not backing him and I’m not tipping Leon either. I believe the upset could come from his teammate. Luke Mossey is my stab for a title this season. The youngster – now with a full factory set up – put in some astounding results last year, and could be the one to be keep an eye on this season. However, BSB is BSB, and we know Shakey, Haslam, Ellison and the like will all be up there – it really is anyone’s guess.”

Viv Gillings – Photographer

Twitter: @viv_simmons

WEC GT Prediction: Ford

MotoGP Prediction: Ducati

“I am predicting with my heart not my head on the above series. I have always been a ‘Ford Bird’ and they are my prediction in the GT category for WEC and in MotoGP I am going with a Ducati rider, whether that is Jorge or Dovi. My predictions are purely heart fuelled as Ford and Ducati are my favourites. I will also be cheering on Chris Wheeler in the British Rally Championship.”

Tomasz Kubiak – WTCC & DTM Feature Writer

Twitter: @tomekkubiak

WTCC Prediction: Rob Huff

DTM Prediction: Mike Rockenfeller

“WTCC – The favourite to win the 2017 World Touring Car Championship should be Rob Huff. The Briton saw an opportunity in leaving the factory Honda team to join the privateer Münnich Motorsport and it is not as crazy as it sounds. The single-car operation will be focused around him and won’t have to worry about a manufacturers’ championship, dealing with rookie team mates (there’s one in both Honda and Volvo camps) or developing a car, as the Citroën is a fully finished and impressively quick machine. If factories will decide to go after drivers’ title, Tiago Monteiro and Nicky Catsburg would become the biggest treats.

DTM – Stopping BMW will be extremely difficult as the Bavarian brand won three drivers’ titles in five years since they returned to DTM. They are, however, yet to win in an odd year and if someone is in position to capitalise on that, it should be Audi. The Neuburg-based marque was the only one to keep all of their teams and will utilise the resources freed up by the unfortunate ending to their endurance racing programme. Watch out for Mike Rockenfeller but BMW’s Marco Wittmann and Mercedes-AMG’s Edoardo Mortara are good guesses as well.”

Jack Prentice – F1 Technical Editor

Twitter: @JPrentice8

F1 Prediction: Sebastian Vettel

“Predicting the Formula One season ahead of us right now is a bit like predicting when a comet will next hit the earth. The immense changes in technical regulations have the potential to shake the order up somewhat, but after the first round of testing it looks like the same three will be at the sharp end. That said, once again Ferrari look like they’ve taken the game to Mercedes while Red Bull still have some work to do. If Ferrari have upped their game, then it’s hard to look past a Vettel v Hamilton title scrap. How much fun would that be?”

James Matthews – Formula E Editor and Mercedes Feature Writer

Twitter: @James16Matthews

Formula E Prediction: Sebastien Buemi

“If anyone but Buemi and Renault come out on top this season, it could well be the upset of the year. With three wins from the opening three races, Buemi is driving at a level above the rest of the grid—at this rate, even his absence from New York won’t hurt his campaign for a second title.”

Warren Nel – Rally Editor

Twitter: @Warren_S_Nel

WRC Prediction: Sebastien Ogier

“I believe that Seb will become this year’s Champion. His main challengers will be Thierry Neuville, Kris Meeke and Jari-Matti Latvala. Hyundai have built a very good car. It’s certainly faster than the others! Citroën are a sleeping giant and are on the back-foot. The Toyota return has been remarkable with two podiums and a victory. I’m not sure if they can sustain a full fight all year, but they are the dark horses I believe, with a resurgent Jari-Matti Latvala. He’s definitely looking more relaxed behind the wheel. Next round is Rally Mexico! 9th to the 12th of March.”

Elliott York – Crew On Two Feature Writer

Twitter: @journoyork

MotoGP Prediction: Maverick Vinales

WSBK Prediction: Chaz Davies

BSB Prediction: Leon Haslam

“MotoGP – The 26th of March is a date that every MotoGP fan will welcome with open arms as Qatar kick starts what promises to be a stellar year of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

For me, Vinales on the M1 Yamaha is going to take some stopping this year. You only have to look at testing to see how quick he is going to be, which is why he is my tip for the crown.

I’d love to see Rossi claim his 10th title, and I think he will be challenging the likes of Vinales and Marquez all the way, but I just see Maverick being the top gun in 2017.

WSBK – Phillip Island gave us an indicator of just how competitive this year is going to be in World Superbikes. Johnathan Rea laid down the gauntlet, however I think Chaz Davies can really take it to him this year and claim his maiden Superbike title. The Ducati looks like it is the complete package this year, and with the help of team mate Melandri, Davies can upset the Kawasaki party. If the Welshman can remain consistent on tracks that he doesn’t go well at (Phillip Island being a great example) then I think he’ll be in pole position to get his hands on the title.

BSB – It is hard to see past Leon Haslam and Shane Byrne again this year, which is why I’m backing the Kawasaki man to go one better in 2017. Leon now has a year’s experience under his belt after returning to BSB from World Superbikes which will give him a vast amount of confidence. It will be another titanic battle between the two, with other names such as James Ellison having an outside shot, but for me it’s Haslam who will take the title.”

Neil Simmons – Tin Top Editor & McLaren/Feature Writer

Twitter: @world_racing

F1 Prediction: Max Verstappen

WRX Prediction: Johan Kristoffersson

BTCC Prediction: Colin Turkington

IndyCar Prediction: Will Power

Indy500 Prediction: Josef Newgarden

WEC LMP1 Prediction: Porsche #1 (Lotterer, Tandy, Jani)

WEC LMP2 Prediction: Rebellion #31 (Prost, Senna, Canal)

WEC GTE-Pro Prediction: Ford #67 (Priaulx, Tincknell, Derani)

WEC GTE-Am Prediction: Aston Martin #98 (Lauda, Dalla Lana, Lamy)

MotoGP Prediction: Maverick Vinales

WSBK Prediction: Chaz Davies

BSB Prediction: Davide Giugliano

Isle Of Man TT: John McGuinness

“I cover a lot of racing here at The Crew, but I narrowed it down to my favourite series.

In Formula One I am looking back over the last couple of seasons and at the confidence of Red Bull and their young star going into 2017. I think it will be a closely contested season between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, but Max Verstappen gets my tip, just, ahead of Sebastian Vettel. One to watch on my list is Nico Hulkenberg, he could be the breath of fresh air that Renault need to lift their hopes of regular points.

World Rallycross is a difficult one. There is such a depth of talent in the field this year and although I think both Solberg and Ekstrom will be in the mix again, I am going with my ‘joker’ and tip Johan Kristoffersson for the title in the works Polo. Also watch out for Kevin “Round The Outside” Eriksson who I expect to cause a few upsets in the MJP Ford Fiesta.

In the BTCC my prediction changed recently. When thinking of this article I was looking at Mat Jackson in the Focus or Jason Plato in the Subaru. Then a certain Colin Turkington signed for West Surrey Racing and the former 2009 and 2014 champion is my tip in the BMW, though I expect the usual suspects to be sniffing around. Watch out for Ash Sutton in the Subaru, I like this lad.

Over in the good old USA, the IndyCar season is upon us and I really can’t see any other person than a Team Penske driver taking the title. However, I don’t think Simon Pagenaud will retain his title because I believe the 2017 championship will go to Will Power. I also think that Ryan Hunter-Reay will have a good season, but another prediction I will make concerns the Indy 500. My tip for the ‘big one’ goes to Josef Newgarden who steps into Team Penske, moving Montoya down to a more part-time driving role, and I think he could be the surprise name of the season, possibly even challenging Power for the title?

WEC – with four classes it is hard to get them all right, but I will try to have a punt on this. In the LMP1 class I can’t look at anything else other than the #1 Porsche of Lotterer, Tandy and Jani. I just think they have the quality to take this and I think they will win Le Mans. In LMP2 with names such as Prost and Senna in their cars with Canal also, I am going for the #31 Rebellion. In GTE-Pro, my heart says Aston Martin (as a lifelong fan) but I am going to predict a class championship win for the #67 Ford of Priaulx, Tincknell and Derani. In the Am category I am sticking with the #98 Aston Martin of Lauda, Dalla Lana and Lamy.

Bikes – some of you are aware that from time to time I step in to assist our Crew On Two editor Kiko Giles with some bike stuff, being a massive bike racing fan myself. I think that MotoGP will have a rocket put up its exhaust pipe and that Maverick Vinales will be crowned 2017 champion, though I expect Rossi and Marquez to be in the mix as always. My tip in WSBK for 2017 is the same man I tipped in 2016, Chaz Davies. I just think this is his year, be it that Jonathan Rea won the opening races. I think Chaz in the long run will come out on top and the Ducati is just getting better. In British Superbikes, which I have to say is my favourite bike racing series, although I am a massive Shakey Byrne fan and a lifelong Ducati fan, add to that I like Leon Haslam, I am predicting a 2017 title win for Davide Giugliano on the Tyco BMW. My one to watch is John ‘Hopper’ Hopkins back on the Ducati at Moto Rapido. For the Isle Of Man TT, I’m going to go for the old war horse John McGuinness to take the big one. I don’t think he’ll surpass Joey Dunlop’s tally this year, but I am tipping him to take the big race.“

Those are the predictions from Crew Towers for the forthcoming season. Who are your tips?

See you at the chequered flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

2nd March 20173rd July 2017

Haas reflects on strong start to sophomore season

The Haas F1 team has made good progress in the first round of pre-season testing, according to team principal Gunther Steiner.

The team’s second-ever F1 car, the VF-17, made its track debut on Monday at the hands of new recruit Kevin Magnussen, who recorded the fourth fastest time of the day at a little over a second behind Lewis Hamilton’s benchmark 1:21.765s.

His programme was hampered by a return of the brake troubles that plagued Haas in 2016, but Magnussen insisted the interruptions were just “typical baby problems”, and added that his first taste of the team’s 2017 challenger was an experience he “enjoyed a lot”.

Returning to the wheel on the following day, the Dane on supersofts lowered his best lap time to 1:22.204s, once again enough for fourth on the timesheets. This was set en route to amassing a total of 118 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya—the most of any driver.

Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Tuesday 28 February 2017.
World Copyright: Sam Bloxham/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _SLB9550

Romain Grosjean then took charge of the VF-17 for the remaining two days. As with Magnussen, Grosjean’s first session on track was disrupted by a series of electrical and setup issues, and he ended Wednesday with just 56 laps under his belt.

But on the final day of testing, the Frenchman was able to match his teammate’s Tuesday best by finishing fourth fastest on a 1:22.309s and at the top of the lap count.

At the conclusion of the week’s sessions, team principal Gunther Steiner remarked upon the progress Haas has made since last year and distance the VF-17 was able to cover in Barcelona: “Compared with last year, [reliability has] been a lot better. We know a lot more about the car than we did four days ago. Now we can make the next step and hone it out, make it better.”

Steiner also praised the work of partner Ferrari, hailing the “fantastic job” done by the Scuderia on its 2017 power unit.

Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Wednesday 01 March 2017.
World Copyright: Steven Tee/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _R3I6340

Haas returns for the second week of pre-season testing on Tuesday, with Magnussen driving on days one and three, and Grosjean on days two and four.

James Matthews, Editor-at-Large

Images courtesy of Haas F1 Team

2nd March 20171st August 2017

F1 Fantasy League Rules & Scoring

Welcome to The Pit Crew Online 2017 F1 Fantasy League.

In this post I will inform you of the very simple rules and how you score throughout the season.

You will choose a team and make predictions, these will score you accumulative points over the course of the season (any players of fantasy football leagues will understand this).

Firstly, what you will be choosing.

Before the first race of the season you will email your team and predictions using the form attached to the F1 Group to pitcrewfantasyleague@gmail.com and now I will explain how you pick your teams and make your predictions. Alternatively email and I will send you the simple entry form.

SELECTING YOUR TEAM

You are allowed to pick 6 drivers from any team, but you are NOT allowed to pick two drivers from the same team. This is your racing team. If you think by picking the top drivers you are guaranteed top points, think again and see HOW YOU SCORE later in this post.

PREDICTIONS

On the form you will be asked to predict finishing places 1st-10th in order (the official championship points scoring positions).

HOW YOU SCORE (or don’t score in some cases)

– Qualifying: A driver gets points where he finishes in qualifying so for example Pole = 20pts, 2nd = 19pts, 3rd = 18pts…….all the way down to 20th = 1pt. **Please note it is where they start on the grid and not where they qualify that counts – penalties taken into consideration**

– Any driver who finishes in the championship scoring points position will recive those official FIA points (1st = 25pts, 2nd = 18pts, 3rd = 15pts, 4th = 12pts, 5th = 10pts, 6th = 8pts, 7th = 6pts, 8th = 4pts, 9th = 2pts and 10th = 1pt).

– A driver will get 5 points for every place they make up from their starting position to their finishing position. For example, if Pascal Wehrlein started 20th and finished 12th, he has made up 8 places and therefore receive 40 points (8 places x 5 points per place).

– For a driver who starts on pole and wins the race you will receive 20 points.

– If a driver in your team gets pole postion in qualifying you will receive 10 points.

– If a driver in your team sets the fastest lap you will receive 10 points

– If any driver in your team receives a penalty (pre-race or during race), retires or crashes out of the race you will be deducted 20 points per penalty. (if there is a post race penalty to be carried to next race then this will be shown after the next Grand Prix).

– Predictions: You will have predicted positions 1st – 10th and for each position you predict correctly you will receive the official FIA Championship points for that position (as mentioned above).

BONUS CIRCUIT

On the form provided you will choose your bonus circuit. This will DOUBLE your points for that Grand Prix weekend. You may wish to choose your bonus circuit based on your drivers in your team (to suit their driving style) or you may wish to just select your favourite track. The choice is yours.

TEAM CHANGES (or tokens)

As with F1 teams allocated engine tokens for the season, the same can be said for this fantasy league. You are only allowed to make 10 team or prediction changes for the entire season. Once you have used up your allocated 10 tokens, you are unable to make any further changes. When wishing to make a change at all, you will email me with your team name to pitcrewfantasyleague@gmail.com I will check this before every Grand Prix, all changes must be made prior to the green light going on for qualifying of a Grand Prix or they will not count for that race – So choose wisely.

As you can see from the points scoring system above, sometimes it is not choosing the best drivers in the best cars which gets you points. Reliability is the key.

THAT my team principals are the rules and how you score. The results after every Grand Prix will be posted on this page.

Good luck.

What are you waiting for, go do some pre-season testing.

See you at the chequred flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

2nd March 20173rd July 2017

Red Bull Racing – Code Name RB13

Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
Wednesday 01 March 2017.
World Copyright: Glenn Dunbar/LAT Images
ref: Digital Image _31I2364

The Red Bull RB13 was unveiled this week and much attention has been made of what the new cars will look like due to the new regulations.

“The RB13 is the prettiest car we have designed and made because the geometry of the car and the new regulations means the proportions look right. It looks mean and it looks fast. Its that aid old adage it if looks right then it tends to go alright,” said Christian Horner.

“What excites us most about 2017 is the opportunities the new regulations give us. That’s going to push every department, in the whole team to try and outwit, outsmart, outdevelop, outproduce our rivals and that is going to be a stellar challenge in formula one this year.”

Red Bull have plenty of reasons to be confident this season. Their drivers’ Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have showed in 2016 that they have the ability and drive to challenge Mercedes in 2017.

“I think us as a team can build, learn and take a lot from 2016. We really set ourselves up well to continue in the trend we did. We are looking strong and good everyone is in the right mind-set right now and that hunger is back,” Ricciardo said.

On the first day of testing, Red Bull had a testing problem which limited their time on the Circuit-de Barcelona-Catalunya, Head of Race Engineering Guillaume Rocquelin remarked: “Obviously we lost quite a bit of time today, which was frustrating. That was largely a function of the issues we had – a sensor problem this morning and then a problem with the energy store later on.

“We lost quite a bit of time today, which was frustrating. That was largely a function of the issues we had – a sensor problem this morning and then a problem with the energy store later on.”

Dominic Rust

1st March 20171st August 2017

My Racing Heroes – James Hunt

1979 Spanish Grand Prix.
Jarama, Spain.
27-29 April 1979.
James Hunt (Wolf Ford).
Ref-79 ESP 08.
World Copyright – LAT Photographic

In this new series of feature articles of “Racing Heroes”, I look back at the idols I have admired throughout motor racing.

Before I go back in history to those drivers I watched, read about or idolised, I think back to the first ever season that made me fall in love with motor racing and my first ever racing hero.

It was the season that captured my imagination and gave birth to a lifelong love affair with racing. Two men, from two different backgrounds with contrasting personalities and styles.

The year was 1976 and as a fresh faced four year old my world changed as I saw two men battle for a championship. James Hunt and Niki Lauda. I remember, vaguely, asking who the posh man was being interviewed on the television and was told his name was James Hunt. I declared, as confident as any young child can, that I was going to support him and his team.

I’ve been a McLaren fan ever since.

James Hunt, the outspoken playboy champion who wore the distinctive black crash helmet decorated with bands of red, blue and yellow which depicted the colours of his childhood boarding school, Wellington College.

James Simon Wallis Hunt, to give him his full name, was born on 29th August 1947 and made his Formula One debut at the 1973 Monaco Grand Prix, driving for the Hesketh team owned and financed by the eccentric British aristocrat, Lord Hesketh.

This team used a Rolls Royce as team transport and champagne would be available like tap water.

It was in 1975 when Hunt won his and Hesketh’s first race at the Dutch Grand Prix. The following season he would win the world championship in a dramatic and well documented season. THAT battle with Niki Lauda. He retired three years later.

Long before the film ‘Rush’, I had read of the initial hostile relationship between Hunt and Lauda, which over time blossomed into a strong friendship. Lauda would go on record and tell Hunt’s son how much he loved his father.

That was the mark of the man, because men wanted to be James Hunt and women wanted to be with him. I was four years old, I had no understanding of what a ‘playboy’ was. All I knew was that I found watching this well spoken racing driver exciting. He had a determination, a will to win and above all he just wanted to race, as fast as he could. He just bloody well raced, every second of every lap.

James Hunt sadly left this world in 1993, his will allocated funds for his closest friends to enjoy one last party.

There are those in some quarters who do not hold James Hunt in their top five or even top ten of racing drivers. To me, he was my first racing hero, along with Niki Lauda also, but there was something about James that just made me smile. Yes, he was wild and had a tendency to do impulsive things, but on the race track he excited me.

They both hold a special place in my heart for what they introduced me to in 1976, the world of motor racing.

Since then I have gone back in history and found other heroes in racing as well as those who followed that 1976 season, but James Hunt was my first racing idol and for that James Simon Wallis Hunt, 1976 Formula One World Champion, I thank you.

See you at the chequred flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

1st March 20173rd July 2017

CRONIN CONFIRMS FULL BRC SEASON WITH M-SPORT’S FORD FIESTA R5

M-Sport LTD Press Release

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin are confirmed to contest this year’s Prestone MSA British Rally Championship with M-Sport and the Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta R5.

Contesting all seven events, Cronin’s Fiesta will be clad with DMACK tyres which claimed the championship laurels last year and sport an M-Sport livery which draws inspiration from those made popular by Ott Tänak and Sébastien Ogier in the FIA World Rally Championship.

As a three-time British Rally Champion, Cronin knows what it takes to excel in what is fast becoming one of the best proving grounds for rallying’s elite and will be keen to prove his potential as he makes his debut with the M-Sport team.

With more than 10 years of rallying experience under his belt, Cronin has contested a number of events and championships throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom as well as impressing on the world stage.

Debuting in his homeland in 2006, it did not take long for the Irishman to become a regular podium contender and he claimed his first British Rally Championship title in 2009. That success was followed by two further British Championships in 2010 and 2012.

In 2013, he ventured to the world stage and instantly impressed in the WRC 3 category – claiming victory at the event every driver wants to win, Neste Oil Rally Finland.

Returning to more familiar soil last year, Cronin was crowned Ireland’s Tarmac Rally Champion and is now relishing the opportunity to compete for further success.

With no previous experience of M-Sport’s acclaimed range of Ford Fiesta rally cars, Cronin took to the wheel for the Carrick-on-Suir Wm. Loughman Forestry Rally earlier this month and secured a fine third place on his debut with the car.

Gaining more experience of his new charge in the lead-up to the Border Counties Rally in mid-March, Cronin will also contest the Malcolm Wilson Rally so as to familiarise himself further with the Fiesta in anticipation of an exciting new chapter in his career.

With Ford having registered as a manufacturer for the national championship, Cronin will also have an opportunity to add to the Blue Oval’s impressive rallying pedigree.

Keith Cronin said:

“I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and to be working with M-Sport as we chase success on the stages of the British Rally Championship. It’s a fantastic series which has really come into its own recently and I can’t wait to be back competing in the championship.

“I’m really excited about the Fiesta R5. I’ve not had a lot of seat time, but we’ll get a couple of rallies under our belt before the start of the season and hopefully it won’t take us long to find our feet.

“M-Sport are known for developing winning cars and my initial feeling has been good. The Fiesta is a great car to drive. It handles really well and I hope we’ll be able to challenge for some top results this year.

“It’s also great to have DMACK on board. Last year, they proved that their products are capable of winning rallies, and championships. The level of development that they are undertaking is really impressive, and it’s great to be involved.”

Gerard Quinn, Senior Manager at Ford Performance, said:

“Ford is the most successful manufacturer in the British Rally Championship taking the title no less than nineteen times so it is appropriate that one of the championships most successful drivers, Keith Cronin, will return to the series in a Ford Fiesta R5 in 2017.

“He has won the title on three occasions, the last back in 2012, and is the current Irish Tarmac Champion so he has got the tenacity and professionalism required to win a challenging championship such as this.

“I am proud that a fellow Cork resident will be competing in one of the most prestigious championships in rallying today. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Ford in Ireland and Henry’s ancestral home is also in West Cork so it is fitting that a driver from the locality will be defending Ford honours in the British Rally Championship this year.”

Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, said:

“The British Rally Championship has always been a cornerstone of the rallying community both nationally and internationally. Having won the title with Elfyn Evans last year, it was important for us to continue our support of the series and I think we have another exciting season ahead of us.

“Once again, Ford will be competing for the manufacturer title and M-Sport will also register in the teams’ championship. We know that the Fiesta provides a competitive package, and we’ll be looking to prove that once again by competing for some top results throughout the season.”