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  • Rally Monza 2020 – Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia take Victory!

    Rally Monza 2020 – Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia take Victory!

    After Thursday’s shakedown and the short first stage, SS1 Sottozero The Monza Legacy – 4.33 km we had Seb, Thierry and Ott as our top three. The championship leader was 2.7 seconds from the lead in fourth.

    Friday

    This day saw action across 74km of stages around the Monza race track and included some sections on the banking and the service roads and some of the carparks within the grounds of the track.

    First up was SS2 Scorpion 1 – 13.43 km and the top three was Dani, Esapekka and Kalle. This led to some changes on the leaderboard, with Dani moving into the lead, Esapekka into second. Seb was now in third, with Kalle ahead of Elfyn who was fifth.

    The teams were running 15-minute breaks between the stages with SS3 Scorpion 2 – 13.43 km run again. The top three fastest drivers were Esapekka, Dani and Thierry, and now the Esapekka was leading, with Dani now in second place and Andreas in a Skoda R5 in third overall! Championship rivals and teammate Seb and Elfyn held fourth and sixth respectively.

    SS4 Cinturato 1 – 16.22 km, the first proper stage was won by Elfyn, with Esapekka second fastest and Dani matching the time set by the M-Sport driver. Seb and Elfyn both climbed up the standing into third and fourth positions.

    SS5 Cinturato 2 – 16.22 km was taken by Seb, from Kalle and Elfyn. Esapekka was still leading from Dani, with Seb’s pace bringing him closer to second overall. Sadly, Teemu was out of the rally after suffering an engine problem that could not be fixed.

    The final stage of the day, SS6 PZero Grand Prix 1 – 10.31 km and Dani won the stage, beating Esapekka who was only sixth fastest with the result that the Finn was now in second place, with the Spaniard crew now taking the lead. Ott was third fastest and was catching Elfyn in the battle over fourth overall.

    Day One

    1 D. Sordo C. del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC 53:29.3
    2 E. Lappi J. Ferm Ford Fiesta WRC +1.0
    3 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 12.0
    4 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota Yaris WRC +17.1
    5 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +17.7
    6 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC +24.8

     

    Let’s hear from the drivers at the end of Day One.

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Dani Sordo 1st

    “Today was a really tough day but we end it on the top of the classification, which is positive. We had a good start with a stage win on the opening test, but we lost a bit of time in the muddy sections which didn’t suit us as much. We tried to keep pushing to be at the front. Tomorrow, if it is as snowy as it currently seems, road position will be important to be further back and to see the cleaner lines. We made some important changes to the car to give me more confidence and improved handling, but in these conditions, it is never easy. We have had a good start but let’s see what happens.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 07 Rally Monza 03-07 December 2020
    Action, Day 1, Dani Sordo, Carlos Del Barrio, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Fabien Dufour
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Ott Tänak 5th

    “The conditions we have faced today have been unique and some of the toughest of the year. Driving on tarmac with some gravel section is tricky at the best of times but, in this weather, you can’t imagine how demanding it is – especially with no gravel crew. We have had to read the road by ourselves, focusing on the surface to see where the grip would be. You have to be 100% on it to find the limit because if you push too much, there’s always one place that can catch you out. We have made it through and had a clean run to end the day. There was a lot of rain and aquaplaning, so it was far from easy. During the day I found some improvements; now and then the feeling with the car has been nice. Tomorrow’s stages might be even more difficult but if there’s anything more interesting than what we’ve seen today, I want to see it!”

    Thierry Neuville DNF

    “It was not the end to the opening day that we wanted to have. After a mistake this morning, we were aiming to climb back up the ranking, pushing hard. We went too close to a concrete block in the chicane in SS4 (Cinturato), which damaged the suspension. We were losing time but the car was still driveable, the steering was OK and the rim and tyre too. Unfortunately, in the water splash, too much water got into the car and the engine stalled; we were not able to restart so had to stop the car where it was. I am really disappointed for the team that I wasn’t able to do the job I should have done, but – as always – we keep our heads up and try to improve. The team is going to fix the car so we can continue tomorrow.”

     

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Sébastien Ogier 3rd

    “It has been an eventful day for us. We had good pace but there were also some small mistakes and issues which cost us some time. However, the most important thing is that tonight we are still in the fight for the win and that’s what matters. Tomorrow there is going to be even more room to make differences with our rivals with the very tricky conditions that await us in the mountains. Our road position should be good as well if there is fresh snow. Let’s see what we can do.”

    Elfyn Evans 4th

    “Overall, today’s been reasonably OK. There’s been no mistakes, and no time lost. Perhaps it was not spectacularly fast either, but I feel that in the difficult conditions it was important to strike a balance between going quickly and also not making mistakes. We’ve seen a lot of standing water, especially in the ruts throughout the second pass of the stages, so that’s been tricky. It looks like we’re going to have another very challenging day tomorrow. It’s been winter conditions out on the the stages today but I believe it’s changing hourly, so we have to wake up in the morning and see what awaits us.”

    Kalle Rovanperä 6th

    “I think the plan today was to drive without any big risks, and we didn’t do any mistakes, basically. There was only one bad stage time on the second stage this morning where we lost a bit too much; otherwise, it was quite good. The conditions were extremely tricky with the standing water. In the afternoon it was starting to be really difficult, but we chose the snow tyre like many of the others and it worked really well. Tomorrow is going to be really tricky: I think we have to see the conditions in the morning and then we decide what we do in terms of tyre strategy.”

     

    M-Sport WRT

    Esapekka Lappi 2nd

    “It’s been a very good day for us. It’s been a while since we were in this position and it doesn’t even matter that we’re not leading at the end of the day – just to be here challenging for that lead is a really positive thing for the whole team. We have a good starting position for tomorrow, and we will definitely try and take back the lead. We have nothing to lose and I will try to do my best. We know that it will be a very tricky day, but normally I am quite good on snow so let’s see what we can do.”

    Teemu Suninen DNF

    “I was struggling with the rhythm yesterday, but today started well and we had a really good feeling in the car. The first sector was quick, but after that we had an issue with the engine. I want to say thanks to the team who tried everything to try and fix it, but in the end it proved terminal and we had to retire. It’s a real shame as I had a good rhythm this morning and looking at EP we could have been really strong here. Hopefully EP can continue as he is and bring home a good result for the team – we all deserve that after this tough year.”

    Gus Greensmith – Restart

    “After a bit of a cautious start we made some set-up changes and it felt a lot better. Then nothing silly – I just went through a gate post and my wheel was too open. I tapped the inside post and it pulled the whole suspension. It was a bad outcome for a small mistake, but it is what it is and we’ll aim to get back out there tomorrow.”

     

    Saturday

    Seven stages awaited the crews on Saturday, with three in the morning and four in the afternoon, totalling 126km of action.

    First car into SS7 Selvino 1 – 25.06 km was the restarting Gus Greensmith, but it was Kalle who when pushing on slid wide into a bank, and ended up facing the wrong way. He got his Yaris WRC turned round and completed the stage sixth fastest. The top three was Seb, Dani and Elfyn and this meant that Seb had now moved into the overall lead, pushing Dani and Esapekka down into second and third respectively. Elfyn was now just a couple of seconds behind the Finn.

    SS8 Gerosa 1 – 11.09 km followed and Dani fought back to retake the lead as Seb was only eighth fastest, whilst Elfyn passed Esapekka for third overall. Elfyn was doing what he needed to do for the world championship by keeping Seb in sight.

    Into SS9 Costa Valle Imagna 1 – 22.17 km and it was a stage victory for Elfyn, whilst Seb retook the lead from Dani. Ott was also moving up the leaderboard, as Esapekka dropped down into fifth place. In the battle for the manufacturer’s championship, it was looking good for Toyota to regain the championship that Hyundai had won last year with Seb, Elfyn and Kalle in good positions.

    The only thing to say about SS10 Selvino 2 – 25.06 km was that it was cancelled, but not before three cars had entered the stage. Gus, Ole Christian and Katsuka were all in the stage, but first Gus crashed, hitting the barrier has he came out of a right-hand corner, which sent the car over the road into the side of the hill and up, before it rolled onto its roof and then back across the road to the left and over the barrier. Ole Christian Veiby making his first start in a i20 WRC then came to the same part of the road and slammed into the barrier ripping the front nearside suspension and wheel from the car and sending the car spinning down the road, with it ending the up sideways across the road. It was at this point that Katsuka arrived on the scene and had to wait for the Hyundai to be moved out of the way before he continued to complete the stage. The rest of the crews completed the stage, but not at competition speed.

    The SS11 Gerosa 2 – 11.09 km was where the championship suddenly was up in the air for Elfyn. The Welshman who had up till this moment completed every single stage so far this year had slid off the road. The snow had been coming down, and was settling on the road. As he approached the right hander he was on the left-hand side of the road and then the rear of the car stepped out as he went round the corner. He floored the throttle to get the car straightened up, but the car continued to slide sideways and then slid off the side of the road. There was no way back onto the road, and Elfyn climbed out the car grabbed his coat and headed back down the stage to warn his teammate and title rival.  Seb was next on the road and as he came to the section where Elfyn and Scott had slipped off the road to see the Welshman standing just before the section warning him about the conditions. Seb slowed enough to make it around, but it was close – He nearly didn’t make it around. He completed the stage and now just need to finish the rally in the top three to be able to take his seventh world title. The stage was won by Umberto Scandola in his Hyundai i20 R5, with Seb second fastest and Ott in third.

    The next stage, SS12 Costa Valle Imagna 2 – 22.17 km was cancelled. The snow had been coming down for about an hour and the organisers took the decision as Katsuka and Dan were waiting at the startline.

    Therefore, it was time to head back to the Monza track and prepare for the final stage of the day which was using parts of the Monza Grand Prix track.

    SS13 PZero Grand Prix 2 – 10.31 km was held in very wet conditions, with the rain coming down and Dani won the stage not only beating Katsuka, but also increased his slender margin over Ott to 4.3 seconds in their battle over the runner up spot. Katsuka’s time stood for a long time, as he was first to complete the stage.

    Classification after Day Two

    1 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 1:47:47.2
    2 D. Sordo C. del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +17.8
    3 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +22.1
    4 E. Lappi J. Ferm Ford Fiesta WRC +38.2
    5 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC +1:10.1

     

    Let’s hear from the drivers

    Toyota Gazoo Racing

    Sébastien Ogier 1st

    “This was a very, very tricky day. The first loop was enjoyable actually: These mountain stages are very nice and when the conditions were fairly consistent with just a little bit of snow on top of the mountain, it was good fun. But this afternoon when the weather turned with much more rain and snow it was incredibly challenging and actually not really enjoyable to drive. It was just about surviving and trying to keep the car on the road. Where Elfyn went off, it could have happened to anybody. The grip change on this corner was just impossible to anticipate, honestly. In this moment I felt sorry for him, for sure. I would have enjoyed to fight until the end: It’s always more fun that way, and it was looking good for the team in both championships. Now I have an opportunity to clinch a seventh title tomorrow and that’s my target, and I try to finish the job tomorrow. It’s never over until it’s over.”

    Elfyn Evans DNF, Rally2

    “The snow really came down in the afternoon and the conditions were difficult. The first stage was going quite OK and then the stage was stopped. Then in the second stage of the loop, we were having quite an OK run. But the snow started to fall and I basically just got caught out by a surface change underneath the snow that you couldn’t see. I had it in my notes but ultimately the grip level change was far worse than I expected and there was no chance to stop for the next corner. Obviously, I’m feeling massively disappointed with the position we’re in now. I’m also very sorry for the team, as it’s a big blow to our hopes for the manufacturers’ title. On the drivers’ side it’s not completely over for me: There’s a glimmer of hope and obviously we’ll keep fighting tomorrow. It’s looking very unlikely now but we won’t give up until the end.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / ACI Rally Monza / 3-6 November, 2020 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Kalle Rovanperä 5th

    “It was a tricky day but I think that was the case for everybody. We had a lot of snow and slush and there were a few places that were the trickiest I’ve ever been in with a rally car. In the first stage this morning when we reached the slush section, I made a mistake in one corner and we hit the bank. There was no big damage to the car, but enough for it to be a bit more tricky to drive. The afternoon was really difficult I would say. When the snowfall came the road, conditions changed totally. We were a bit unlucky that the first stage of the loop was cancelled as we were setting a good time there. But it was just good that we got through it and we are here tonight. We are too far away to catch anyone in front tomorrow without something happening, but I will just try to bring home as many points as we can for the team.”

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Dani Sordo 2nd

    “It was another really difficult day. We expected it to be worse because when we saw the conditions yesterday it was already amazing. Honestly, we had one really bad stage today where we lost a bit of time. When the second loop started, I was at the back so perhaps we had worse conditions, but I can’t complain. It was disappointing to see Elfyn and Scott retire in the stage, but I am thankful to them for warning us to slow down. The snow was tricky, and it was the right decision to cancel the afternoon stage (SS12). Tomorrow, we have our focus on trying to secure the manufacturers’ title so we will try to drive safely; in these conditions it’s too easy for something to happen. If we could go flat out but safely that would be nicest!”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 07, Rally Monza
    03-06 December 2020
    Dani Sordo, Carlos Del Barrio, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Helena El Mokni
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Ott Tänak 3rd

    “This morning, I felt that things were easier than expected. The stages were a bit more consistent, but it was a very different story in the afternoon loop. All in all, it was something incredibly demanding. We were often not with the ideal tyres because we were expecting more rainy, wet conditions, but then – in the middle of the stage – suddenly there was white stuff on the ground. We had to discover this for the first time ourselves, which was far from straightforward. We made it through and the aim for tomorrow is to finish this rally cleanly.”

     

    M-Sport WRT

    Esapekka Lappi 4th

    “Things didn’t go our way this afternoon and we were quite unlucky to be honest. For the first stage of the loop, I had the snow tyres on, and then it was cancelled. For the middle stage we had information that the stage was dry, and I took the snow tyres off. And for the last stage of the loop, I had the snow tyres on, and it was cancelled again.

    “Still, I need to be happy with our performance. Our tyre choices have been good, even if the strategy wasn’t perfect, and I’ve really enjoyed driving this car on Tarmac in the forests again.

    “We’re not too far away from the podium, but I realise 15 seconds is still quite a big gap at this level. Of course, the conditions will be tricky, but everyone already knows what to do and what tyres to choose as I’ve already taught them. But let’s see, and I’ll give it my best.”

    Gus Greensmith – DNF

    “Once we got up to speed and into our rhythm things were going pretty well. But that changed this afternoon when we went from having good grip to pure aquaplaning on slush at 155kph. And with that transition of conditions at that speed, we were passengers.

    “Thankfully both myself and Elliott are okay, but I’m just sorry for the team. It was such an immediate change in conditions that there was nothing I could do – but I’m still sorry for the guys and girls at M-Sport who have all been working so hard this year.”

     

    Sunday

    Just three stages then to complete the event totalling 38km’s.

    The first stage, SS14 PZero Grand Prix 3 – 10.31 km would be taken by Seb, with Kalle and Ott second and third fastest, whilst Dani who was fifth fastest in the stage was passed by Ott for second overall. Elfyn finished the stage in tenth, and was in 35th overall. Katsuta was fourth quickest in the stage, setting a very good time.

    The first run of SS15 Serraglio 1 – 14.97 km, which would also be the final stage was won by Dani Sordo going through 2.9 seconds faster than Ott and retook second overall. The Spanish duo were working well together! Elfyn came through with the fifth best time in a dress rehearsal for the final stage and gained three places on the leader board, now in 32nd place.

    Into the final stage then of 2020, SS16 Serraglio 2 [Power Stage] – 14.97 km, and Elfyn set the benchmark 11:07.9. Other drivers came through and did not beat it, and then finally, Katsuta came through to beat Elfyn’s time by 1.4 seconds. Ott emerged second fastest and this confirmed that Hyundai had won the manufacturer’s title for the second year in a row. The final points scorers in the stage were Esapekka and Dani. Last to finish the stage was Seb and Julien who had a minor drama when their wipers stopped working, but they started working again just before the end of the stage and they completed with the seventh fastest time. They are the 2020 World Rally Champions, their seventh World Crown!

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / ACI Rally Monza / 3-6 November, 2020 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Final Overall Classification – Rally Monza

    1 S. Ogier J. Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC 2:15:51.0
    2 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +13.9
    3 D. Sordo C. del Barrio Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +15.3
    4 E. Lappi J. Ferm Ford Fiesta WRC +45.7
    5 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota Yaris WRC +1:11.1
    6 A. Mikkelsen A. Jaeger Škoda Fabia R5 +3:56.2
    7 O. Solberg A. Johnston Škoda Fabia R5 +4:12.1
    8 J. Huttunen M. Lukka Hyundai i20 R5 +5:15.4
    9 M. Østberg T. Eriksen Citroën C3 R5 +5:27.4
    10 P.Tidemand P. Barth Škoda Fabia R5 +5:53.0

     

    Let’s hear from the drivers

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Sébastien Ogier 1st

    “For sure, this is a good day for us. It’s been an incredible weekend and very, very challenging. This last stage was definitely one of the less enjoyable stages of my career. It was so rough, we were just trying to survive and not make mistakes. We knew coming here that the only thing we had to do was to win this rally. The start of the rally was very tight but we kept to our plan, we kept pushing and trying to keep the pressure on. What happened to Elfyn was significant for us and our title hopes. At the same time I felt for him and Scott, they did a great season. I feel the team would also have deserved to win the manufacturers’ title; we fought as three drivers against five and came so close. But this seventh title for me is also a big achievement for the team and I couldn’t have done it without them, so thank you to them and I’m looking forward already to this bonus season for my career in 2021.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / ACI Rally Monza / 3-6 November, 2020 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Elfyn Evans 29th

    “Today it was obviously difficult to get going again after what happened yesterday. We were targeting the Power Stage and I think the pace was quite good but unfortunately, we managed to stall the car twice in quite extreme conditions. We still managed to get some points from there to make sure we were able to secure the position behind Seb in the championship – congratulations to him and to Julien. To finish the season in second place is obviously not what we wanted, but it’s still not bad and a step forward on my previous seasons. I’ve really enjoyed my first year with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and I’m sure with the motivation within the team we can continue to improve and be in better positions next year.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / ACI Rally Monza / 3-6 November, 2020 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Kalle Rovanperä 5th

    “It has been a really tricky weekend and today it was just about getting through. On the Power Stage I was really careful. It was really rough conditions on the gravel sections and it was good to get to the end and finish the rally. It has been quite a nice first season for me with a World Rally Car. I think we did quite well. We had some bad luck in some rallies, which is normal in rallying, and we had some really good weekends too. The main thing is that we had quite a consistent season and proved that we can be fast also. Big thanks to the team and congratulations to Seb and Julien.”

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Ott Tänak 2nd

    “Our first priority today was to ensure we finished the rally with Dani to make sure we cemented the manufacturers’ title for Hyundai Motorsport. It has been a really difficult rally from the start; we have had to endure some complicated conditions, which continued on this morning’s stages with tricky, rough roads. It was demanding but we achieved our target for the team, and it’s an achievement we can now celebrate together.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 07 Rally Monza 03-07 December 2020
    Action, Day 3, Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Fabien Dufour
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Dani Sordo 3rd

    “The target all weekend has been to secure the result we needed for the manufacturers’ championship. It has been an incredibly tricky event, but we have come through with another double podium result. For me, it wasn’t important whether it was second or third; we just needed to get the combined result for the team, which we have done. This has been a hard-fought result, not just here in Monza but at all the events since Monte-Carlo. The team has pushed all the way and we can now share a second championship title together.”

    Thierry Neuville (DNF)

    “A very special season comes to an end; it might not have been the championship that anyone expected at the beginning of the year due to the crisis, but we have achieved our goal to take our second manufacturers’ title. This is a phenomenal result for everyone at Hyundai Motorsport and I am happy to be part of this winning team. The Monza weekend did not go to plan for me and Nicolas after our retirement on Friday, but in the end the title is confirmed. My thanks go to every team member for their hard work and dedication. It’s time to celebrate!”

     

    M-Sport WRT

    Esapekka Lappi 4th

    “This was a good weekend for us and we can be pleased with our performance. It was good to be back on Tarmac, and good to see that we can be competitive in these tricky conditions.

    “Things didn’t always go our way and we were quite unlucky at times, but I was very happy with my driving and we proved that we can be up there fighting at the top.

    “A big thanks to everyone who has supported us throughout the year, and to the FIA, WRC Promotor and event organisers for ensuring we could finish the season and continue rallying in these difficult times.”

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers’ Standings
    After Round Seven

    1 S. Ogier 122
    2 E. Evans 114
    3 O. Tänak 105
    4 T. Neuville 87
    5 K. Rovanperä 80
    6 E. Lappi 52
    7 T. Suninen 44
    8 D. Sordo 42
    9 C. Breen 25
    10 S.Loeb 24

     

    2020 FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers’ Standings
    After Round Seven

    1 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 241
    2 Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team 236
    3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 129
    4 Hyundai 2C Competition 8

    Warren’s Thoughts

    Well, what an event! Where do I start to sum up? Let’s start with Elfyn and Scott. Coming to this event as the championship leaders, they drove really well, and were making their way up the leaderboard when they slid off the road. Now what we saw from the Welshman was amazing sportsmanship when he ran up the road and warned Sébastien Ogier to slow down.

    With Sébastien and Julien taking their seventh world title and with it coming with their third different manufacturer, they are cementing their status as true greats of the championship. Once Elfyn and Scott went off the road on Saturday, they just brought the car home. After all, they had already taken the lead. The other Toyota drivers certainly did well, with Kalle finishing a great season and Katsuta taking a stage victory right on the final stage of the year.

    At Hyundai, Ott and Martin took a well-earned second place and maybe he could have challenged for victory. Dani and Carlos also drove a great event, leading at points and scoring another very good result with third place. In fact, without the penalty that he took for a problem on Friday he may well have taken second overall.

    At M-Sport it was a rally to forget for two of their three drivers. Teemu retired early on with an engine problem, whilst Gus was an early retiree on Friday, but re-joined on Saturday, only to crash out one of the Saturday stages. Meanwhile, Esapekka drove really well, challenging at the top of the leader board. He was given the same penalty as Dani Sordo at the end of Friday, suffered some issues with tyre choices at key moments when the snow came down and he had changed the tyres just before the stage. Looks like he won’t be getting a drive for 2021, which is a shame, as there is no doubt over his speed and consistency.

    Look out soon for a 2020 Pit Crew WRC Pit Cast as we look back on this amazing season!

  • Lights out on an extraordinary year: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview

    Lights out on an extraordinary year: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview

    What a year. 2020 was tipped by many to be one of the most exciting in modern times and, well they were not wrong.

    This has been by far the most astonishing year any of us have ever witnessed, both on and off the track, and even the most ardent of optimists cannot deny that it has been a struggle for everyone.

    However, you also have to appreciate the fruits that have come out of a very tough situation. We have seen amazing race tracks like Mugello, Imola, Istanbul, Portimao and the Nurburgring introduced to a revised calendar, which has been a real delight for us all.

    The Eifel Grand Prix saw a welcome return to the Nurburgring – Courtesy of Mercedes Media

    We went from 22 races to 17, and it all culminates this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In a year that has been dim for many, the floodlights will shine a light of F1’s season finale.

    The 5.5 kilometre track made its debut in F1 in 2009, closing out Jenson Buttonb’s title-winning year, and Brawn GP’s successor Mercedes arrive here having won every race in Abu Dhabi since 2014.

    And this will fill them with hope, because a horrible race in Bahrain last weekend leaves them desiring a strong result to close out what has been an otherwise phenomenal year.

    Following a devastating result in Sakhir, George Russell may get a shot at redemption this weekend – Courtesy of Mercedes Media

    It is yet unclear whether newly-crowned seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who contracted Coronavirus in the build-up to the Sakhir Grand Prix, will recover in time for this weekend. It therefore may be that George Russell returns to the car that he so nearly steered to victory in a stunning debut last race, only to be denied by not one, but two disasters.

    Mercedes fitted team mate Valtteri Bottas’ tyres to race leader Russell’s car, forcing him to stop again and Bottas to stay out on dead tyres after a safety car. Having passed Bottas and made his way back up to second, Russell was baring down on Sergio Perez, only for a slow puncture to send him back to the pits. He would finish ninth, while Bottas ended up just one place better in eighth.

    It was the aforementioned Perez that took his first ever F1 win, and the first ever for Racing point too. Following his devastating retirement last race that cost him a podium, he gave himself a great chance of securing fourth in the drivers’ standings this weekend, while Racing Point have now moved 10 points clear of McLaren in the battle for third in the Constructors’. Renault sit a further 12 points back.

    Sergio Perez’s stunning victory was his first in F1, and Racing Point’s first as a team – Courtesy of Pirelli Media

    It makes for an extremely intense finale in the context of the midfield battle, with all eyes firmly fixed on who will claim valuable positions in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings.

    The gains will be valuable both financially and in terms of personal pride, and McLaren would be fully grateful of third following their cash flow issues at the start of 2020. As the race for third reaches a head, we eagerly anticipate this enormous battle between Racing Point and McLaren under the lights of Abu Dhabi.

    Racing Point are locked in an intense battle with McLaren and Renault as we head to the final race – Courtesy of Racing Point Media

    It has been a tough year for many, but hopefully F1 has helped make it that bit easier for you all, and we look forward to covering one last race for you before we gladly turn our backs on 2020.

  • A little bit of Jonathan Rea history

    Jonathan Rea at the 2020 Philip Island Test. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

    Jonathan Rea, it seems, was born with racing in his blood. His father, Johnny is a former Road Racing Champion and Isle of Man Junior TT winner, his grandfather sponsored Joey Dunlop and his great-grandfather was a regular competitor on the Ulster Grand Prix circuit. It was little wonder then that Jonathan was only 2 ½ years old when he first sat on a bike barely able to reach the handlebars!

    By the time he was six, Jonathan was racing in motocross and was runner up in 1997 in the British 60cc Motocross before moving up the classes, very successfully too.

    So why did Jonathan make the switch to road racing in 1997 then?

    Well during a tea break one day with his mechanic, they spotted an ad in a magazine asking for a young rider for the 125 class with Red Bull. Far from being enthusiastic about the idea himself, it was Jonathan’s mechanic who persuaded him to apply insisting that he would be really good at road racing. Jonathan put a few words and a resume together and sent it off.

    Still not a hundred per cent sure that he wanted to go into road racing, Jonathan went to Ron Haslam’s Race School at Donington Park where he rode a CB500 in effort to start to understand a road bike and ascertain whether or not road racing was for him.

    Jonathan Rea Estoril 2020. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

    Incredibly, out of hundreds of applications, Jonathan was one of only 20 picked and he spent the day at Rockingham. Five were then selected, Jonathan being one of them, for another try out at Cartagena in Spain where Jonathan was successful and joined Red Bull Rookies along with two other riders.

    It wasn’t long before it could be seen that making the switch to road racing was a good move by Jonathan. A British Superbike ride on a factory Honda Fireblade was set up by Red Bull in 2005 in which Jonathan took pole and despite missing two races, finished 16th in the series. The following year Jonathan finished 4th in the BSB Championship in what was only his second year of road racing.

    In 2007 Jonathan rode for the Harris factory team where he had his first podium victory at Mondello Park and finished 2nd in the BSB Championship. Jonathan’s motocross mechanic was definitely right to persuade Jonathan to send off that application, he obviously saw something in him.

    Also during 2007, Jonathan competed in and won with his teammate, Ryuichi Kiyonari, a three hour endurance race and the pair were subsequently entered into the Suzuka 8 hour race on a Honda factory bike.

    Later in 2007 Jonathan signed a three year deal with Ten Kate Honda riding in the Supersport World Championship for the 2008 season and then progressing onto the Superbike World Championship in 2009 and 2010 having turned down a ride with the factory Xerox Ducati WSBK team and the option of riding for HM Plant Honda and Rizla Suzuki in the British Superbike Championship.

    It wasn’t long before Jonathan had his first win in WSSP which came at Brno followed by two further wins at Brands Hatch and Vallelunga. Of the twelve races he competed in during this year, Jonathan had six podium finishes, three wins, one second place and two thirds.

    At the end of the 2008 season Jonathan switched to the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda WSBK team therefore making his WSBK debut at Portimao in the final round of the 2008 Championship.

    In 2009 Jonathan had two third place podiums before his first WSBK win at Misano. A further win in Germany and then one second place and five third place finishes meant that Jonathan finished fifth overall in the Championship, second best rookie of the season behind Ben Spies (who won the WSBK Championship).

    Jonathan Rea at Aragon 2020. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

    The 2010 season ended slightly better with Jonathan finishing fourth overall having had ten podium finishes, four of which were wins, five second place finishes and one third.

    Of 18 races in the 2011 season, Jonathan only managed a podium five times, two of which were wins and three second place finishes and ended the season down in 9th overall but the following season he finished fifth overall with six podiums. The 2013 season was not good again when he finished in 9th overall again with only one win during the season but two second places and one third.

    In what would be his final year with Ten Kate Racing in 2014, Jonathan was on the podium nine times having had four wins, one second place and four third places finishes and finished 3rd overall – his best result in WSBK to date.

    Jonathan made a brief appearance in MotoGP when in 2012 he had his debut for the Repsol Honda Team replacing an injured Casey Stoner in two races at San Marino where he finished 8th and Aragon where he finished 7th.

    Having been riding a Honda for his entire road racing career, in what would turn out to be a career changing move, Jonathan moved to the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2015 with Tom Sykes as his teammate. In his first year with the Kawasaki team, we saw Jonathan dominate the season with an impressive twenty-three podiums, fourteen of which were wins, seven second place and two third place and his first WSBK Championship. WoW!

    Jonathan Rea 2020. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK

    The rest, as they say, is history – Jonathan went on to win the WSBK Championships in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The first person to have won six consecutive WSBK Championships.

    Jonathan has gone on to break records in WSBK with most wins in a season, most points in a season and most podiums in a season.

    A truly awe inspiring achievement from someone who wasn’t sure if he even wanted to go into road racing!!!

    Karen Bristow

  • UNI-Virtuosi sign Drugovich for 2021

    UNI-Virtuosi sign Drugovich for 2021

    UNI-Virtuosi have announced that Felipe Drugovich will join the team for the 2021 Formula 2 season.

    Drugovich made his F2 debut this season with MP Motorsport. He finished the year ninth in the standings with 121 points, having claimed three victories, as well as one pole position, fastest lap and third place.

    UNI-Virtuosi already had one confirmed vacancy for 2021, after Callum Ilott announced he would not be returning to F2 after this season. It’s not yet known if Guanyu Zhou will remain for what would be a third year with the team.

    “[I am] extremely happy that I will be racing next year with UNI-Virtuosi in F2,” Drugovich said. “I would like to thank the team for giving me this opportunity, that will give us big success!”

    Team principal Andy Roche said: “UNI-Virtuosi is delighted to have Felipe Drugovich on board for the 2021 FIA Formula 2 season.

    “Felipe had a fantastic maiden season in Formula 2 this year, with three victories. He has shown amazing pace and ability in only his first year in the championship.”

    Drugovich will join the team for this week’s post-season F2 test in Bahrain. UNI-Virtuosi have also announced that he will be joined on the final day by Formula 3 driver Clement Novalak.

    Felipe Drugovich, MP Motorsport (Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images)
  • Shwartzman stays with Prema for 2021

    Shwartzman stays with Prema for 2021

    Prema have confirmed that Robert Shwartzman will remain with the team for the 2021 Formula 2 season.

    Shwartzman joined Prema for his rookie F2 campaign this year after winning the Formula 3 title with them in 2019. He finished the 2020 season fourth in the standings with four wins—the most of any driver in the field—and helped Prema to secure the teams’ championship alongside teammate and drivers’ champion Mick Schumacher.

    “I am happy to race in Formula 2 with Prema again in 2021,” said Shwartzman. “Our target as a team is obviously to win and make progress in terms of results, working hard and improving the car.”

    Prema team principal René Rosin said: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Robert into the 2021 season. He has a truly rare talent, and we are looking forward to seeing him take another step next year.

    “In 2020 he immediately proved he could run for wins, and we want to build on that immediacy to be consistent contenders in 2021.”

    Shwartzman will be joined at Prema next year by reigning F3 champion Oscar Piastri, and both drivers will represent the team this week during post-season testing in Bahrain.

    Robert Shwartzman, Prema (Scuderia Ferrari Press Office)
  • Sergio Pérez takes maiden victory in astonishing Sakhir GP

    Sergio Pérez takes maiden victory in astonishing Sakhir GP

    What a race! In the jumbled up 2020 calendar that began in July at the Red Bull Ring, the last three races are a triple feast in the Middle East. Beginning with the traditional Bahrain circuit last weekend and ending the season at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi but that middle race would be another one at Bahrain. However it would be on the outer circuit which the F1 cars had been lapping at under a minute all through the weekend.

    The lead up to the weekend was already packed with action, as Romain Grosjean’s horror crash from which he thankfully escaped with just a few burns meant that Haas drafted in reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi. Then the huge bombshell dropped that world champion Lewis Hamilton had tested positive for COVID-19 which meant Mercedes had to go looking for a replacement driver. That turned out to be George Russell who left a vacant seat at Williams, and that ended up being F2 racer Jack Aitken.

    F2 driver Jack Aitken stepped in for Mercedes-bound George Russell this weekend – Courtesy of Williams Media

    In qualifying, it was Bottas who just pipped Russell to pole by a microscopic margin. Max Verstappen qualified third and Charles Leclerc put in a mighty lap to drag that lacklustre Ferrari to fourth on the grid, and following him were Pérez, Kvyat, Ricciardo, Sainz, Gasly, Stroll, Ocon, Albon, Vettel, Giovinazzi, Magnussen, Latifi, Aitken, Räikkönen, and at the back were Norris and Fittipaldi who had taken grid penalties.

    At the start, Russell immediately got away better than Bottas who had to hold off Verstappen’s advances, and struggled to get out the first few corners. His compatriot Räikkönen spun in the back of shot and thankfully no awful imagery to worry about like last week at the same corner. But Bottas’ eyes were on Verstappen, closing the door on him which left an open opportunity for Pérez to go past the Red Bull.

    After an intense qualifying, Russell pipped Bottas into the first corner – Courtesy of Mercedes media

    But it was Leclerc who got caught out trying to brake for the corner, smacked into the Racing Point and spun him round, leaving Verstappen with nowhere to go but into the wall and retirement along with Leclerc. Somehow, Pérez was able to continue and pitted, benefitting from the subsequent safety car and was able to rejoin the back of the pack in 18th.

    At the front, Russell’s massive lead that he got at the start was eliminated, but he wasn’t done. The safety car period ended on lap six and Russell eased off whilst Bottas was under pressure from McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, who rose to third amid the first lap chaos. He went around the outside of Bottas into turn one, but going through the turn two and three complex, Sainz ran wide and that allowed the Merc right back through.

    Whilst Russell was experiencing what it’s like to be in the lead in an F1 car, further down the order were two of his mates, Lando Norris and Alex Albon. Lap 20 and Albon made a move stick on Norris, who was then immediately overtaken by Pérez despite the Mexican being spun on the first lap. The following lap, Albon was then passed by Pérez at the same corner.

    Back at the front with Russell, he already had a gap of over a second before the DRS was enabled. The Mercs began gapping Sainz, and it was a steady lead Russell held over Bottas which fluctuated as they negotiated lapped traffic. He extended that lead after he pitted, undercutting Bottas after he was left out for a further four laps, and the gap went to the highest it had been all race even in spite of a sensor scare.

    Russell’s typical Williams teammate Nicholas Latifi pulled off and caused a Virtual Safety Car, and not much changed other than Bottas swiped into Russell’s lead. But Pérez was continuing his charge through the field, putting a move on teammate Lance Stroll going into turn four and then the following lap, on former Force India teammate Esteban Ocon. The Mexican was absolutely flying out there. He was now on course for a podium finish with his strategy completely played out.

    However, Russell’s replacement at Williams Jack Aitken lost the car coming out of the last corner and clattered the tyre barrier, leaving his front wing on the track and he dove for the pits. A Virtual Safety Car was initially called, but that became a full Safety Car, and Mercedes felt the need to cover off Pérez. But man, did they mess up.

    The two Mercs double stacked, Russell came in and they put on the tyres, all well and good. Then Bottas came in and there seemed to be some hesitation, and they sent him back out on the same tyres he pitted with, which was a bit odd as to why they did that. Then it became very apparent. Russell had been sent out on tyres which were intended for Bottas, so now he was bunched up behind the safety car with Pérez, Ocon and Stroll behind him and he was called back to the pits to change the tyres.

    This was a huge mess-up on Mercedes’ part. Russell came back out in fifth behind Bottas who remained on his old set, but looked to have the best tyres out of everyone in the top five. Racing resumed and Russell was a man on a mission, making quick work of his teammate on the old set of tyres pulling off an immense outside move going through the long turn six, then passing Stroll and Ocon with the help of DRS. He then set to work catching Pérez who was a long way up the road.

    Russell was eating into Pérez’s advantage lap after lap but yet again, disaster. Russell was called back to the pits AGAIN as he had a slow puncture and they put him on softs, whilst the other Mercedes of Bottas just went backwards as he was overtaken by Sainz, Ricciardo and Albon in very quick succession.

    But up at the front, a man who for some reason doesn’t have a drive in 2021 guaranteed. Sergio Pérez took an incredible first win for both himself, and the team that he’s leaving after next week’s season finale. Esteban Ocon took second ahead of Lance Stroll, then it was Sainz, Ricciardo, Kvyat had also passed Bottas in the closing stages, Russell recovered to ninth ahead of Norris who scored the last point.

    Russell finally got his long awaited first points finish as well as another for fastest lap, although it was little consolation for what was throughout the entire race looking set to be an incredible first win for the guy. He did absolutely incredibly all weekend, and it definitely will not be the last we hear from Russell, who may get a second stab at the cherry this weekend in Abu Dhabi providing Hamilton isn’t well enough to participate.

    Esteban Ocon earned a thoroughly-well deserved podium – Courtesy of Renault Media

    But it was Pérez who after 190 starts, finally took victory and became the first Mexican to win an F1 Grand Prix in 50 years. A win that was perhaps long overdue, especially if we harken back to Malaysia 2012 when he came very close in his Sauber to denying Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso a win that day. But better late than never, and hopefully Pérez is not out of F1 for long.

  • F2 Sakhir: Daruvala wins as Schumacher crowned champion in tense finale

    F2 Sakhir: Daruvala wins as Schumacher crowned champion in tense finale

    Jehan Daruvala led a Carlin 1–2 in the Sakhir sprint race for his first win in Formula 2, while Mick Schumacher clinched the 2020 championship in a dramatic final round of the year.

    Daruvala initially lost out at the start, as an unsuccessful move for the lead on polesitter Dan Ticktum into Turn 1 shuffled him back to third, with Schumacher benefiting to take second.

    But at Turn 4 Schumacher had a major lockup as he tried to take the lead from Ticktum, and Daruvala retook second place as Schumacher got his car back under control.

    Mick Schumacher, Prema (Scuderia Ferrari Press Office)

    The lockup left Schumacher with a big flat spot on his right front tyre, which put him under pressure from his championship rival Callum Ilott in fourth. Schumacher briefly relieved that pressure by setting the fastest lap to catch and pass Daruvala again with a daring move around the outside of Turn 6. But that only lasted until lap 8 when Daruvala got back ahead once again.

    As he struggled with the vibrations from his tyre, Schumacher made several lockups trying to keep Ilott behind. His teammate Robert Shwartzman tried to get involved as a rear gunner by harrying Ilott from fifth, but ultimately neither Prema was able to stop Ilott from breezing past Schumacher on lap 19.

    Once Ilott was ahead, Schumacher plummeted through the points positions. He was passed by Shwartzman and Guanyu Zhou a few corners later, and spent the rest of the lap defending from Yuki Tsunoda before choosing to risk a pit stop for fresh softs.

    With Schumacher coming back out in 20th, Ilott’s chances of winning the title rested on catching Ticktum and Daruvala to take the race win. But the laps spent trying to get past Schumacher had damaged Ilott’s tyres as well, and he wasn’t able to make any dent in his gap to the front.

    Callum Ilott, UNI-Virtuosi (Scuderia Ferrari Press Office)

    Meanwhile, Tsunoda started moving through the pack with rapid pace. On lap 24 he took fifth from Shwartzman, then fourth from Zhou a lap later.

    On lap 26, Tsunoda caught Ilott and passed him into Turn 1. Ilott then began to drop back as Schumacher had. His teammate Zhou overtook him for fourth through Turn 4, before he was eventually shuffled back through the order and out of the points by Shwartzman, Giuliano Alesi, Luca Ghiotto and Nikita Mazepin.

    As Tsunoda was carving his way through the field towards the podium, his teammate Daruvala was hassling Ticktum for the race lead as Ticktum struggled with fading rear tyres.

    Daruvala cut the lead down to three tenths as early as lap 13. But despite Daruvala going for an overtake nearly every time the pair went through Turns 1 and 4, Ticktum was able to hold the Carlin behind for another 12 laps.

    His defence came undone however with a lock up out of the final corner on lap 25, which allowed Daruvala through before the DRS straight. Daruvala then pounced clear for the remaining 10 laps, while Ticktum eventually fell back into the clutches of Tsunoda and had to settle for third behind the two Carlins.

    Dan Ticktum, DAMS (Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images)

    Zhou finished fourth ahead of Shwartzman, Alesi, Ghiotto and Felipe Drugovich. Schumacher could only improve to 18th by the chequered flag, but with Ilott unable to get back into the points his championship was assured.

    Tsunoda clinched third place in the standings ahead of Shwartzman and Mazepin, securing enough points for his FIA Super Licence and earning him the Anthoine Hubert Award for the highest-placed rookie driver. Carlin also beat Hitech to third in the teams’ standings.

    Full race result:

    Pos. Driver Team Points
    1 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 15
    2 Yuki Tsunoda (FL) Carlin 14
    3 Dan Ticktum DAMS 10
    4 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi Racing 8
    5 Robert Shwartzman Prema Racing 6
    6 Giuliano Alesi MP Motorsport 4
    7 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix 2
    8 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1
    9 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix
    10 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi Racing
    11 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System
    12 Christian Lundgaard ART Grand Prix
    13 Louis Deletraz Charouz Racing System
    14 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix
    15 Roy Nissany Trident
    16 Marino Sato Trident
    17 Sean Gelael DAMS
    18 Mick Schumacher Prema Racing
    19 Guilherme Samaia Campos Racing
    20 Artem Markelov BWT HWA Racelab
    21 Theo Pourchaire BWT HWA Racelab
    Ret. Ralph Boschung Campos Racing

     

  • The Gladiator mindset of a Racing Driver

    The Gladiator mindset of a Racing Driver

    It is no secret that, a few years ago, a crash like the one Romain Grosjean suffered would have surely resulted in death.

    So many things and so many people came together to help protect Romain and save the Frenchman’s life, and many of those people are now looking down as Guardian Angels.

    Romain Grosjean was extremely fortunate to escape his huge crash in Bahrain last weekend – Courtesy of Haas Media

    Amazing pioneers like Professor Sid Watkins and Charlie Whiting have played such a monumental part in the safety of Formula One drivers today, and those two will have been looking down, smiling as their relentless work in the push for safety paid off for Romain, as it has done for so many.

    But some are still right here with us. Extremely special mentions have to go to medical driver Alan van der Merwe and Doctor Ian Roberts, whose quick thinking aided Grosjean in getting out of his flaming and broken Haas. Furthermore, the marshal who ran all the way across the track to help put out the fire, risking his life in the process, deserves much praise for his brave efforts.

    My colleague Tim Weigel discussed in his piece not long ago the concerning brittleness of the barrier which caved in, causing the shocking sight of the front half of the car wedged in the wall. This is something that the current heroes protecting our drivers will doubtless look into, but overall, every safety device worked to perfection.

    Without the functionality of even one of those components, the situation would have been greatly and we perhaps might have been looking at a fatality.

    One of said components used to be one of the most polarising subjects in F1 upon its introduction in 2018 – the Halo. In the end, the name is the most apt description; not only is it round, but it is the protective layer that so brilliantly looked after Grosjean at the Bahrain Grand Prix. No one now is left in doubt about the positive effect it has had – it even saved Charles Leclerc’s life in Belgium the very year it was introduced.

    After two years of testing, the protective Halo device was introduced in 2018 – Courtesy of Jake Archibald released under Creative commons 2.0

    But what I also wanted to talk about is the unbreakable mentality of a racing driver. All 19 of them, following Grosjean’s horror-crash and subsequent miraculous escape, put their helmets back on and went racing again. Remarkably, Lance Stroll’s collision with Daniil Kvyat, which saw the Canadian upside down, seemed terribly minor compared with the horrific events we had just witnessed an hour prior. But everyone gave it everything they had, fully aware and freshly, painfully reminded of the risks they were taking to give us a show under the lights.

    Grosjean’s Haas team Principal Guenther Steiner said, as Romain was recovering in hospital, that the Frenchman is aiming to return to the team in Abu Dhabi – if he is cleared to race, he will likely be taking part in his last race in F1. He is being released by Haas at the end of this year along with team mate Kevin Magnussen, but he is replaced for the second race in Bahrain this weekend by Pietro Fitipaldi.

    Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi will deputise for Grosjean this weekend – Courtesy of Haas Media

    Grosjean’s reported eagerness to return underlines the courageous and unbelievable mental toughness of a racing driver – not just in Formula One, but in the whole of motorsports. Anyone would be forgiven for neglecting to race after experiencing or seeing a crash the magnitude of Grosjean’s, but Formula one’s Gladiators are not alone in bravely fighting on.

    I caught up with BTCC driver Bobby Thompson as he prepared for a sim race on a Friday night, followed by a weekend of racing at Donington park. He suffered an enormous shunt in Croft in October, and he told me about the fighting spirit that exists within a racing driver.

    Bobby Thompson has recently recovered from a big shunt himself – Courtesy of BTCC Media

    “When you’re putting the helmet on that’s one of the risks to begin with,” he told me candidly. “After the crash you’re ready to just jump back in. If anything, you’ve had a bit of time out, and you’re really eager to get back out there.”

    I found it was also important to mention the progress in risk limitation in F1 and the realm of motorsport. In Formula One, for instance, there were 37 fatalities between 1950 and 1994, yet there has only been one since. That one since Ayrton Senna at Imola was Jules Bianchi, and his tragic accident in 2014 prompted a series of rule changes and safety feature installations, many of which saved Romain Grosjean in Bahrain.

    Asked about the safety advances in motorsports, he heaps praise on the governing bodies who have fought to limit the risks on track. “Even in club racing now, everything’s monitored a lot finer; even the junior single-seater formulae now are starting to get halos, which should have been from the start really. If we just go back five years before the halo, Grosjean still might not have been here [after his Bahrain crash] so even the last five years have been incredible.”

    Thompson has been racing for AMD Technik Essex in BTCC this year – Courtesy of BTCC media

    A huge thanks to Bobby Thompson for his time, and a massive tip of the hat to everyone, past and present, whose heroic and devoted hard work paid off last Sunday, and will continue to do so for many years hence.

  • F2 Sakhir: Tsunoda wins as title goes to the final race

    F2 Sakhir: Tsunoda wins as title goes to the final race

    Yuki Tsunoda won the feature race on the Sakhir outer loop after a frantic battle at the front of the field, while Callum Ilott and Mick Schumacher finished in the lower points to take the title fight to the final race tomorrow.

    Tsunoda started from pole but lost the lead of the race into Turn 1, as he was passed by both Nikita Mazepin and Robert Shwartzman. Jehan Daruvala slipped back off the line, promoting Felipe Drugovich to fourth.

    Meanwhile, Guanyu Zhou and Mick Schumacher, both starting on the hard tyres, gained at the start, with the former reaching eighth and the latter moving from P18 to P16. Both drivers then set about making rapid progress past the cars on soft tyres around them throughout the opening laps.

    As Zhou reeled in Ilott and Daruvala to move up to sixth, Schumacher picked his way through Louis Deletraz, Roy Nissany, Giuliano Alesi and Theo Pourchaire to get within touching distance of the points by the end of lap 7.

    Mick Schumacher, Prema (Scuderia Ferrari Press Office)

    At the front of the field, Tsunoda recovered from his drop at the first corner and retook second place from Shwartzman on lap 13. When Shwartzman and Mazepin then made their stops for hard tyres in the next few laps, Tsunoda stayed out to attempt the overcut and stopped at the end of lap 16.

    The strategy seemed to work as Tsunoda emerged from the pits ahead of Mazepin, but his colder tyres meant he was soon passed by both Mazepin and Shwartzman on his out lap.

    The overcut strategy was more successful for Drugovich, who stayed out until the end of lap 20 and managed to make up enough time to join Mazepin, Shwartzman and Tsunoda in the fight for the net lead.

    With the frontrunners having stopped, the top three positions were assumed by Zhou, Dan Ticktum and Schumacher who were all running the alternative strategy having started on hards. Ticktum was the first of these to pit for softs at the end of lap 26, but Zhou and Schumacher both waited a few laps longer before making their own stops.

    Once they were on softs, their pace advantage over the rest of the field on hards was plain to see. Schumacher rejoined the race in P12 but was very quickly up into the points with passes on Deletraz, Artem Markelov, Ticktum and Pedro Piquet, and set the fastest lap in the process.

    Zhou meanwhile passed Daruvala and Ilott for the second time in the race to take fifth, and was closing rapidly on the leading quartet of Mazepin, Shwartzman, Tsunoda and Drugovich.

    Felipe Drugovich, MP Motorsport (Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images)

    As Zhou got closer behind them, Tsunoda took second from Shwartzman on lap 36 and started chipping away at Mazepin’s 1.3 second lead. Tsunoda got Mazepin within DRS range on lap 43, and at the start of the following lap he swung to the inside down the pit straight to make the move. Mazepin ran Tsunoda close to the pit wall to defend, but Tsunoda was through into the lead by Turn 1.

    Mazepin then ran wide at the final corner of the lap, allowing Drugovich through for second and putting Mazepin under DRS pressure from Zhou, who had got by Shwartzman for fourth. After repeating the same defence he tried on Tsunoda a lap earlier, Mazepin briefly held his position but lost out to Zhou a few corners later.

    Drugovich ran wide on lap 45 and gifted Zhou and Mazepin a position as he dropped to fourth. But the Brazilian regrouped to attack Mazepin for third on the final lap. Mazepin again put up a questionable defence, edging Drugovich towards the pit wall first and then off the road a few corners later, and was able to keep his car ahead.

    With Mazepin defending from Drugovich, Zhou was able to pull clear to secure second place behind Tsunoda. Mazepin held on to third ahead of Drugovich, with Shwartzman coming home in fifth.

    Guanyu Zhou, UNI-Virtuosi (Dan Istitene / Formula 1 via Getty Images)

    Ilott and Schumacher finished sixth and seventh. With Schumacher taking an extra two points for the fastest lap, the gap between them in the standings remains at 14 points with 17 available in the sprint race. Daruvala will start that sprint race from pole after finishing eighth ahead of Ticktum and Piquet.

    Schumacher only has to finish sixth or higher tomorrow to guarantee the title, regardless of Ilott’s position. For Ilott to overhaul his rival he’ll have to either win the race with Schumacher eighth or lower, or take second place and the fastest lap with Schumacher failing to score.

    Nevertheless, Schumacher’s points together with Shwartzman’s fifth place was enough for Prema to secure the teams’ championship ahead of UNI-Virtuosi.

    UPDATE: Mazepin was given two five-second penalties as well as two penalty points on his licence for forcing Tsunoda onto the pit exit on lap 44 and blocking Drugovich on the pit straight on lap 48. Mazepin drops to ninth in the classification, which promotes Drugovich to the podium.

    Full race result:

    Pos. Driver Team Points
    1 Yuki Tsunoda Carlin 25
    2 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi Racing 18
    3 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 15
    4 Robert Shwartzman Prema Racing 12
    5 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi Racing 10
    6 Mick Schumacher Prema Racing 10
    7 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 6
    8 Dan Ticktum DAMS 4
    9 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix 2
    10 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System 1
    11 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix
    12 Louis Deletraz Charouz Racing System
    13 Artem Markalov BWT HWA Racelab
    14 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing
    15 Giuliano Alesi MP Motorsport
    16 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix
    17 Marino Sato Trident
    18 Theo Pourchaire BWT HWA Racelab
    19 Sean Gelael DAMS
    20 Roy Nissany Trident
    21 Christian Lundgaard ART Grand Prix
    22 Guilherme Samaia Campos Racing

     

  • Celebrating disabled drivers

    Celebrating disabled drivers

    In any sport it’s an incredible feat to be able to compete whilst having a physical disability. Motorsport is one of those sports where the differences between a driver without a physical impairment and drivers who do, can be highlighted in some areas but can be completely unnoticeable if you weren’t aware of a driver’s disability beforehand.

    To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we decided to talk about a few drivers who are breaking down barriers in racing for those with disabilities.

    Alex Zanardi

    Having competed in F1 for many years, Alex was competing in the CART World Series at the Lausitzring in 2001. Exiting the pits 12 laps from the end of the race, he lost grip on cold tyres and slid into oncoming traffic, where he was hit by another car at over 200mph. He survived despite losing nearly 75% of his blood volume, but lost both his legs in the crash.

    With the use of hand controls Alex went on to race again in the World Touring Car Championship, Blancpain Sprint Series, Spa 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours, and also made a one-off appearance in DTM in 2018 at Misano. However he made a real name for himself by competing in the Paralympics.

    Alex won a handcycling gold and a relay silver in the London 2012 Paralympics (both events taking place at Brands Hatch) and another gold and silver in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, as well as plenty of other accolades in the Para-cycling World Championships.

    Unfortunately Alex was involved in a para-cycling road race accident in June of this year, when he lost control of his handbike on a hill and hit an oncoming truck. He suffered severe facial and cranial trauma, and was placed into a medically induced coma.

    We all know from the ordeals he’s had to go through that if anyone can overcome this, it’ll be Alex Zanardi. A true hero to disabled people all around the world.

    Billy Monger

    After great success in karting, Billy Monger was competing at Donington in British F4 in 2017. In race three he collided with a slow moving car and his legs were buried in the wreckage. He was extracted and airlifted to hospital, but unfortunately had to have his legs amputated.

    But this didn’t break Billy Whizz’s spirit. With the help of hand controls, Billy returned to single seaters in the 2018 British F3 championship, scoring four podiums and two pole positions to end the season sixth in the standings.

    Billy moved up to EuroFormula the following year, where he achieved the seemingly impossible in a wet Pau Grand Prix. Making a clever call to pit for wets on the formation lap, Billy rose through the field to third then held his nerve in the tricky conditions to win after the two leaders collided.

    You’ll see Billy as part of Channel 4’s F1 coverage, and he’s expressed interest in joining the new Extreme E off-road electric series for next year. I certainly hope this happens as Monger is one of the most inspiring individuals you could ever know and he deserves to race.

    Nathalie McGloin

    McGloin is a British racing driver who is also a tetraplegic. She injured her spine in a road traffic accident as a teenager and has been competing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge against able bodied men. She’s the only disabled woman in the whole of the UK to hold a race and rally licence in the UK, and competes with radial hand controls that she pushes forward to brake and backward to accelerate, meaning she steers with one hand at all times!

    Not only has she managed many podium finishes in the Porsche championship (including an outright victory at Silverstone in 2018), she’s also the President of the FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission. Definitely deserving of a place on this list.

    Robert Kubica

    Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo (Florent Gooden, DPPI / Alfa Romeo Media)

    Perhaps the most well known name on this list. He enjoyed huge success as the first Polish driver in F1, including his famous win with BMW Sauber in 2008. However all that changed in the lead up to the 2011 season.

    After testing his new Renault F1 car, Robert entered an amateur rally event and collided with a guardrail, resulting in elbow, shoulder and leg fractures and partially severing his right forearm. He thankfully survived, but the injuries put him out of F1 for the foreseeable future.

    Robert stuck to the rallying scene on his road to recovery and won the WRC-2 championship in 2013. But in 2017 he returned to F1 machinery with a Renault test, which ultimately led to a fairytale opportunity to return as a full time driver with Williams for 2019.

    He scored their only point of the year at Hockenheim but wasn’t kept on for 2020. Nevertheless seeing Kubica back in F1 did feel right, and he has since took up a position as Alfa Romeo’s development driver while also competing in DTM this year, where he took a podium at Zolder.

    Nic Hamilton

    The first thing you’d think of is that he’s the brother of a certain seven-time F1 world champion. But the younger Hamilton has been making a name for himself for years.

    Nic has had cerebal palsy since birth, resulting in physical impairments his whole life. But having initially gotten a taste for competition on video games (long before Esports was in the mainstream), he started competing in the BTCC-supporting Renault Clio Cup and then in European Touring Cars.

    2019 however was when he finally got to where I feel he belonged, British Touring Cars. Seeing someone with cerebal palsy in the headline races on a terrestrial TV channel is incredibly uplifting to witness.

    Frédéric Sausset

    When on holiday in 2012, businessman and motorsport enthusiast Frédéric contracted a life-threatening infection from a scratch on his finger, which resulted in him becoming a quadruple amputee. However he didn’t let this prevent him from fulfilling his lifelong ambition of racing the 24 hours of Le Mans.

    OAK Racing converted one of their LMP2 cars so Frédéric could drive it in the 2016 race. He used a special steering wheel which connected to a prosthetic on his right arm, and he had two thigh operated paddles built into his seat insert for the accelerator and brake.

    The result was that Sausset and his teammates entered into the grueling round-the-clock race and finished it. A remarkable achievement and one that cannot even be imaginable for someone in his position, but he did it.

    Caleb McDuff

    Caleb McDuff (Photo courtesy of Ian McDuff)

    Last but not least, Caleb McDuff is a 12-year old kart racer who is profoundly deaf. When he competes in karting, he can’t utilise his implants and so he races in total silence. Which, when you consider how reliant a lot of drivers are on the sound of their vehicle to race, is just incredible to think about.

    Not only is Caleb able to compete in karting but he’s actually pretty good. Last year, he won the Super One National Karting Championship’s Honda Cadet category so he’s clearly capable of overcoming his impairments. I would very much hope he’s able to make the step up to cars in the future, whether that be single seaters or tin-tops.

    Every single one of these people are so incredibly inspiring and serve as reminders that the human spirit is impenetrable. Whatever the cards you are dealt with in life, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to and we are bound by absolutely nothing. So happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities to you all!