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  • BTCC Brands Hatch – Sutton has one hand on title with win

    BTCC Brands Hatch – Sutton has one hand on title with win

    Ash Sutton took another huge step towards winning the title with a win in race two at Brands Hatch. Tom Ingram finished second with title rivals Colin Turkington third and Dan Cammish fourth on the road. Turkington received a penalty post-race for overtaking under yellow flags.

    Some drivers elected to start on wet tyres, with the track drying in sunny conditions. Sutton took the lead off the start with a selection of drivers sliding off at Paddock. Jake Hill, Ollie Jackson, and Ingram all slid off. Tom Chilton had an incredible start on the wets and moved into the lead on lap two. Andy Neate, another of the wet shod drivers, was third.

    A few drivers had spins, including Jack Goff at Graham Hill bend on lap five. Ingram was fighting back from his Paddock Hill moment and was seventh, behind Turkington.

    On lap nine the wet tyres were wearing quickly, and so Chilton lost the lead and fell down the order, finishing 18th and a lap down. Neate finished 21st eventually.

    On lap 12 Hill suffered damage at Druids, and Tom Oliphant was next to spin at Graham Hill bend.

    A lap later Turkington developed an issue on his car, with his front right tyre rubbing on the bodywork, but it didn’t seem to hinder him as he kept putting up fast times.

    Sutton was far ahead and cruised to the win with all the action happening behind him as he drove to victory.

    Turkington was fighting with Cammish, with both wanting to keep their title hopes alive. Ingram was in second and the title chasing pair were third and fouth.

    A moment of drama on lap 23 as Paul Rivett spun on the exit of Paddock Hill, his Audi stationary in the middle of the road. All avoided him but Turkington had to swerve to avoid him and only just missed him.

    A hairy moment but he recovered for third on the road, with Ingram’s title hopes now over despite a second place finish. Ash Sutton took the win and has a stronger lead over Turkington with only three drivers now in contention for the title going into the final race of the weekend.

    Pos Driver Car Interval
    1 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50
    2 Tom Ingram Toyota Corolla +4.762
    3 Dan Cammish Honda Civic Type R FK8 +9.370
    4 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport +9.688
    5 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST +10.832
    6 Adam Morgan Mercedes Benz A Class +13.422
    7 Jake Hill Honda Civic Type R FK2 +14.088
    8 Senna Proctor Hyundai i30N +14.418
    9 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R FK8 +14.919
    10 Rory Butcher Ford Focus ST +17.900
    11 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N +22.605
    12 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 +28.823
    13 Michael Crees Honda Civic Type R FK8 +33.011
    14 Sam Osborne Honda Civic Type R FK2 +37.119
    15 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport +37.712
    16 Matt Neal Honda Civic Type R FK8 +42.984
    17 Stephen Jelley BMW 125i M Sport +43.415
    18 Tom Chilton Honda Civic Type R FK8 +1 Lap
    19 Jack Butel Mercedes Benz A Class +1 Lap
    20 Jack Goff VW CC +1 Lap
    21 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST +1 Lap
    22 Brad Philpot Vauxhall Astra +1 Lap
    23 Paul Rivett Audi S3 Saloon +1 Lap
    24 Ethan Hammerton Audi S3 Saloon +1 Lap
    25 Nicolas Hamilton VW CC +3 Laps
    Retirements
    RET Glyn Geddie VW CC Mechanical
    RET Carl Boardley BMW 125i M Sport Mechanical

    Image Credit: BTCC Media

  • BTCC Brands Hatch – Sutton strikes first on finals day

    BTCC Brands Hatch – Sutton strikes first on finals day

    Dan Cammish took the win in the first race of finals day at Brands Hatch. Ash Sutton took the championship lead with second and Tom Ingram rounded off the podium to keep his title hopes alive.

    There were two green flag laps to warm the tyres with rain falling throughout the first race at Brands Hatch.

    At the start Sutton moved up into second with Cammish up to third. The pair were fighting over second with Ingram in the lead. On lap four Cammish moved ahead of Sutton with the top three close together. Cammish did almost pass Ingram into Clearways but after a slight tap from the Honda driver, he backed off.

    Sutton and Cammish were side by side on the pit straight before the Safety Car was brought out by a crash between Glyn Geddie and Sam Osborne at Druids.

    After four laps we were back underway, with Cammish hot on the heels of Ingram. The Yorkshireman passing Ingram into Druids on lap 13 to take a lead he never relinquished.

    Cammish was able to pull away as Sutton and Ingram fought for second. Sutton was next to pass the Toyota of Ingram on lap 22 as he hunted down Cammish for more points in the title battle.

    In the last couple of laps Sutton was taking chunks of time out of Cammish’s lead, but he ran out of laps and Cammish took the win.

    Sutton takes over the lead of the championship by two points from Colin Turkington, who could only finish ninth. Cammish is now 13 points behind with two races remaining with Ingram fourth and Rory Butcher’s slim title hopes now over despite a fine fourth place finish.

    Pos Driver Car Interval
    1 Dan Cammish Honda Civic Type R FK8
    2 Ash Sutton Infiniti Q50 +0.813
    3 Tom Ingram Toyota Corolla +3.160
    4 Rory Butcher Ford Focus ST +6.538
    5 Ollie Jackson Ford Focus ST +7.952
    6 Jake Hill Honda Civic Type R FK2 +9.273
    7 Matt Neal Honda Civic Type R FK8 +10.164
    8 Josh Cook Honda Civic Type R FK8 +13.519
    9 Colin Turkington BMW 330i M Sport +18.283
    10 Tom Oliphant BMW 330i M Sport +19.339
    11 Adam Morgan Mercedes Benz A Class +21.167
    12 Tom Chilton Honda Civic Type R FK8 +21.621
    13 Chris Smiley Hyundai i30N +23.221
    14 Aiden Moffat Infiniti Q50 +23.649
    15 Paul Rivett Audi S3 Saloon +31.348
    16 Stephen Jelley BMW 125i M Sport +31.760
    17 Jack Goff VW CC +32.939
    18 Andy Neate Ford Focus ST +36.294
    19 Senna Proctor Hyundai i30N +38.121
    20 Michael Crees Honda Civic Type R FK8 +39.758
    21 Brad Philpot Vauxhall Astra +42.563
    22 Ethan Hammerton Audi S3 Saloon +45.018
    23 Jack Butel Mercedes Benz A Class +45.798
    24 Carl Boardley BMW 125i M Sport +59.266
    Retirements
    RET Nicolas Hamilton VW CC Mechanical
    RET Sam Osborne Honda Civic Type R FK2 Crash
    RET Glyn Geddie VW CC Crash

    Image Credit: BTCC Media

  • Turkish GP: Lance Stroll takes surprise pole in a rain hit qualifying

    image courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports

    Lance Stroll came out on top on Saturday afternoon at Istanbul Park where order was totally disrupted in one of the most chaotic qualifying sessions of the season. He became the first driver who isn’t from the traditional top 3 teams to be on pole since Felipe Massa at Williams, a feat achieved all the way back in the first year of the turbo hybrid era in 2014.

    Racing Point pulled off an unlikely masterstroke by sending out both of their cars on intermediates as opposed to the rest of the field who were on wets,  setting them up for a brilliant race tomorrow. Both Perez and Stroll duly delivered lap after lap and it all paid off in the end with Stroll taking pole position and image courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports

    Sergio Perez taking P3 on the grid.

    In a qualifying session where it looked like Max Verstappen was certain of pole, Redbull’s decision to mirror Racing Point and sticking intermediates on the Dutchman’s car did not quite work out for them. To make matters worse, Verstappen was on his way to a provisional pole lap while the call was made, causing the driver to abandon his lap. In the end, the Redbull driver had to make do with P2, but will be more than fancying his chances for a victory tomorrow. His teammate Albon also had a really good qualifying session putting him at P4.

    The track was heavily criticized as the practice sessions unfolded, especially by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who was quite unhappy with the things out there. Taking 17 out of 17 poles so far this season, it comes as a very big surprise that the German team could only manage P6 and P9 for Hamilton and Bottas respectively. Both their cars struggled to find grip throughout the weekend and a wet track only made matters worse. The championship equation for Hamilton becomes much simpler for Hamilton tomorrow, as he can be crowned champion if it stands this way.

    Q1 started off as scheduled but had to be red flagged with 7 minutes to go thanks to heavy rain and it was a good 45 minute delay until the pitlane opened again. Lap times kept improving once the session restarted but the session had to be red flagged once again as Romain Grosjean in the Haas beached his car in the gravel and could not get it running again.

    A little bit of controversy unfurled towards the end of Q1 when Nicolas Latifi also beached his car in the gravel and there were doubled waved yellows in the middle part of the track. Kevin Magnussen was seen complaining on the radio, alleging that a lot of drivers who made it past Q1 had not lifted their foot of the throttle as required in those conditions. The incident is set to be investigated and could change the line-up on the grid. This resulted in both Haas drivers Magnussen and Grosjean, Williams drivers George Russell and Latifi, Kvyat in the Alfa Tauri all getting knocked out in Q1.

    Q2 was fairly straightforward on an otherwise chaotic session which saw both the Ferraris of Vettel and Leclerc get knocked out after yet another sub-par display, which continued their woes for the season. Both the McLarens were also out of Q2 which is a bit of a blow for the English team considering their competitors Renault and Racing Point had very good qualifying sessions. The team will line up with Land Norris at P11 and Carlos Sainz at P13 and will be playing catch up right from the start.

    Pierre Gasly was another surprise name to not make it to Q3 considering his form throughout the season but the biggest result of Q2 ultimately belongs to Alfa Romeo, which saw both Kimi Raikkonen and Antionio Giovinazzi make it to Q3 while also beating both the works Ferraris in the process. The team will have a very good chance at grabbing some precious points towards the end of the season with Raikkonen starting P8 and Giovinazzi starting P10.

    Renault produced an excellent qualifying result with Ricciardo at P5 and Ocon at P7, giving them a platform to get some crucial points in their bid to take the 3rd place in the constructors championship. Track limits were once again the topic of the session as several drivers kept having their times deleted throughout the session but ultimately, it did not prove costly for anyone which might not be the case for tomorrow.

    A promising race seems to be on the cards with the track offering very less grip to the drivers and to make matters complicated, the weather might also have a say tomorrow. The magic number for Lewis Hamilton’s 7th world championship is set to be ‘8’ as he has to make sure that his teammate and only remaining championship rival Bottas does not outscore him by more than 8 points. If that does happen, the title would be decided in Bahrain, in a couple of weeks time.

  • The Problems With The Provisional F1 2021 Calendar

    The Problems With The Provisional F1 2021 Calendar

    Earlier this week Liberty Media released the provisional calendar for the 2021 Formula One season. While there were minimal surprises, it raised some eyebrows about the integrity of the sport.

    Many believe that the idea of racing in countries with less than ideal human rights records contradicts the mantra “We Race As One” that Formula One has been pushing so often this year. With races in Bahrain and China, as well as the new Saudi Arabia race, many believe that F1 should not be holding races, and thereby drawing in fans, in countries where seemingly dodgy political regimes can reap the economic rewards.

    To counter that, some have argued that it isn’t fair to punish the inhabitants (for whom many will not have had a say in who runs their country) by not allowing any international sport to be held for them to see. Ultimately though, money talks and therefore Formula One is unlikely to avoid controversial venues if they have suitable funds.

    Another issue some have raised is Liberty Media’s insistence on quantity over quality. Initial plans are for a 23-race season sometimes covering tracks that have famously struggled to produce exciting racing. F1 is entertainment as much as sport, and as a result fan enjoyment should be a top priority. If you were to ask F1 fans to create their dream race calendar, very few would have as many as 23 venues, and even fewer would include the likes of France and Spain.

    By focusing on the number of races over the quality of the racing the track produces, some believe you run the risk of wearing the fans out. Yes, we love racing, but if you’re tuning in every weekend to watch very little of it, you’re going to get worn out and lose some love for the sport. This is all without mentioning the impact on the teams being away from their families for so long.

    At the end of the day, Formula One is seen by the owners as a business over a form of entertainment and therefore Liberty Media are certain to want a race calendar that can maximise their profit. Fan opinion is just an aside.

    Feature image courtesy of Racing Point F1 Media

  • F1 Throwback: Massa’s maiden triumph in Turkey

    F1 Throwback: Massa’s maiden triumph in Turkey

    In its short tenure on the Formula 1 calendar, Turkey’s Istanbul Park circuit has helped create plenty of iconic moments. From Red Bull’s infamous clash in 2010 to the many incidents around the mighty Turn 8, it’s not hard to see why the Turkish Grand Prix is a fan-favourite return this year.

    But for Felipe Massa, there’s one Istanbul Park moment that would surely spring to mind before any other—the end of the 2006 race, when he crossed the finish line to become a Formula 1 Grand Prix winner for the very first time.

    Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

    2006 was already set to be a big year for Massa. Having cut his teeth with Sauber, this was the year he was called up by Ferrari to replace countryman Rubens Barrichello as Michael Schumacher’s teammate.

    Prior to Turkey, which was the 14th round of the 18-race season, Massa’s start to life at Ferrari had been mixed. His pace was clear by his four podiums, two fastest laps and qualifying results, but his scorecard was marred by spins and a first-lap collision with Christian Klien and Nico Rosberg in Melbourne.

    With rumours swirling of Ferrari considering a Schumacher/ Kimi Raikkonen partnership for 2007, what Massa needed was a definitive result to close out the season. And that was exactly what he set up on Saturday in Istanbul, when Massa took advantage of several errors by Schumacher to take his first pole position by three tenths over his teammate.

    Given Schumacher’s tight championship battle with Fernando Alonso and Massa’s team role as the German’s rear gunner, Schumacher was still considered the favourite on race day. But come lights out, Massa soaked up the pressure as Schumacher and Alonso bore down on him into Turn 1, and was able to bolt clear by almost a second by the end of the first lap.

    Behind the leading trio, Giancarlo Fisichella spun his Renault at the first corner as he backed out of a move on Alonso, causing a chain reaction incident in the midfield. Raikkonen, Scott Speed, Nick Heidfield and Ralf Schumacher were all caught up and joined Fisichella in pitting for repairs, while Midland’s Tiago Monteiro retired on the spot.

    Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

    On lap 13 the safety car was deployed when Vitantonio Liuzzi spun and stalled his Toro Rosso at the exit of Turn 1, and Massa pitted together with Schumacher, Alonso and Jenson Button. But while Massa kept his position at the front, Alonso managed to jump Schumacher for second as Ferrari’s attempt to double-stack their stops held Schumacher up in the pits.

    When the race resumed, Massa took advantage of his teammate’s battle with Alonso to restore his lead. As Alonso drove defensively to hold off his title rival, Massa continued to get further and further away from the pair and closer to his first victory.

    But on the final lap there seemed to be a cruel final twist waiting for Massa before the finish line. As Schumacher closed to within a few tenths of Alonso and began all but pushing the Renault along, Massa drastically backed off the pace to the tune of several seconds compared to his teammate.

    The understanding was that if Schumacher managed to retake second from Alonso, Massa was obliged to let Schumacher by for maximum championship points—at this late stage in the season, Alonso had a ten-point lead in the standings so a win would have put Schumacher level with four rounds remaining.

    However, despite Schumacher’s best efforts he simply ran out of opportunities to pass Alonso, meaning Massa was free to push on to the line and take the victory with five and a half seconds still in hand.

    Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

    Two weeks later at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Ferrari announced that Schumacher would be leaving the team at the end of the year, and that Massa would stay on to partner Raikkonen. Massa closed out the 2006 season with two more pole positions, a second place at Japan, and a home win at Interlagos.

    He would win twice again at Istanbul Park, in 2007 and 2008, and currently holds the record for the most wins at the circuit.

    There are many moments that define Felipe Massa’s F1 career: the pain of losing the 2008 World Championship, the darkness of his 2009 crash in Budapest, and of course his emotional guard of honour after retiring from the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix.

    His maiden win is every bit as defining as what came after. A thoroughly deserving victory against two of the sport’s greatest drivers, Istanbul Park was a glimpse of the formidable talent Massa had to offer.

  • Hammer year for Mercedes, Τoto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton

    Hammer year for Mercedes, Τoto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton

    A very uncertain year, turned out ideally for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. The six-time world champion, proved once again that he is currently one of the best, if not the best, driver on the grid, even with the season premiere postponed for a couple of months, Hamilton remained in top form.

    In Austria, Hamilton received a time-penalty and finished fourth, whilst his main rival for the title, Valtteri Bottas claimed the victory. Since then, Lewis has finished only once outside the top three and that was in Monza and he has won nine of the thirteen races this season.

    IMOLA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, Winning Constructor Representative, Race Winner Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 and Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 celebrate on the podium during the Emilia-Romagna GP at Imola on Sunday November 01, 2020, Italy. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

    It was only a matter of time until Hamilton matched and then broke Michael Schumacher’s 91 victories record. At the Eifel Grand Prix, the British Champion started second behind his team-mate, it took him 13 laps and a lock up from Bottas to take the lead on Sunday. From there, Lewis Hamilton had a comfortable victory and equalized Michael Schumacher’s wins record.

    Very emotional moments followed, after the chequered flag, Lewis Hamilton said:

    “Honestly as I came into the pit lane that was only when I realised I equalled it, I hadn’t even computed it before that across the line. I couldn’t have done it without this incredible team, everyone continuing to push behind me and giving it their everything. So a big, big thank you and huge respect to Michael.”

    Race winner Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 celebrates on the podium

    At the age of 35, Lewis Hamilton looks on top form and he found the inspiration that he needed to keep him going on full speed. In the past six years only one driver managed to stop him and that was his ex-team-mate Nico Rosberg. In 2016 the German driver won the championship with 385 points, five more than his title rival.

    These records cannot be achieved without having a team, which supports you on every step, during good and bad moments. The key to Hamilton’s success is Mercedes, the team that he is driving for.

    Mercedes, achieved something that no other team has managed in the F1 history, they have won seven consecutive world titles, it is the most successful team in the hybrid era.

    The maestro of this success is of course Toto Wolff. The Austrian has led Mercedes all these years, he is the α and the ω of this team. Alongside him, he has a team of skilful engineers who are working hard to stay at the top each season.

    ALGARVE INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, PORTUGAL – OCTOBER 25: Race Winner Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 celebrates on the podium with the trophy after taking his 92nd Grand Prix win, the most for any driver in F1 history during the Portuguese GP at Algarve International Circuit on Sunday October 25, 2020, Portugal. (Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images)

    Toto had a short racing career in motorsport, he raced in Austrian Ford Racing and won the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 1994. After three years, the Austrian, decided to quit racing, he completed his studies at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and founded his own investment company in 1998.

    In 2009, Toto invested in Williams F1 Racing and after only three years in 2012, he became the Executive Director of the team and Williams celebrated their first victory in eight years at the Spanish Grand Prix.

    By the end of 2013, Toto Wolff purchased 30% of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. He was appointed Head of the Mercedes group and had the responsibility of the whole Mercedes-Benz group. A few months later, Mercedes celebrated their first constructors’ title in their F1 history and since then they haven’t tasted second place in the championship.

    The good news is that Toto Wolff announced that he will remain at Mercedes in 2021.

    ‘I love this team and I think this is my place’ Wolff said.

    Even a non-Hamilton and Mercedes fan has to admit that this driver and that team managed to achieve something unique in the sport, they have proved that money is not the only key to success, a team spirit and the correct decisions are needed as well.

     

  • 2020 Turkish Grand Prix Preview

    2020 Turkish Grand Prix Preview

    After a nine-year absence, Formula One will finally make its long-awaited return to Intercity Istanbul Park this weekend, as F1 gears up for the final four rounds of the championship.

    With Mercedes having sealed a remarkable seventh-straight Constructors’ Championship in Imola last race, Lewis Hamilton has his sights set on a seventh drivers’ title, and could achieve such if he finishes within seven points of Bottas – so a P2 would seal the deal so long as the Finn does not take the fastest lap.

    The Silver Arrows pair are now the only two drivers left who have a mathematical chance of winning the title, and Bottas’ efforts both for the team and his own championship gains have been praised by Hamilton. The championship leader has paid tribute to Bottas in the last week, saying that he “does not get the credit he deserves,” describing him as an “amazing team mate” both on and off the track.

    Valtteri Bottas stands on the podium after winning the Russian Grand prix – Courtesy of Mercedes Media

    Overall, the pair have blown away the competition from the excellent Max Verstappen and Red Bull, at the track where, last time a Formula One race was held, Sebastian Vettel won for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

    This was, of course, a time of the last great period of dominance in the sport, but Mercedes have since far surpassed that, and Vettel’s new employers Ferrari, who last won this race in 2008 with Felipe Massa, have flattered to deceive in a hugely underwhelming 2020.

    Felipe Massa was the last Ferrari driver to win in Turkey 12 years ago – Courtesy of Ferrari media

    Living fairly vicariously on their past successes, the Italian team’s performance improvement, particularly with Charles Leclerc, has not gone unnoticed, but they are now a world away even from the 2018 car that almost carried Vettel to title victory.

    However, perhaps even more enticing is the incredibly engaging battle for fourth in the drivers’ championship and third in the constructors’. Two-time podium finisher this year Daniel Ricciardo leads Leclerc by 10 points, with a further 22 points covering the six positions between fifth and tenth.

    Daniel Ricciardo’s two impressive podiums have put him in fourth in the championship – Courtesy of Renault Media

    Holding that tenth spot is Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly, who sits just one point behind Alex Albon in the senior Red Bull team. The Thai-Brit will be more than aware that he has less than a handful of races left to impress Christian Horner and Helmut Marko enough to convince them to give him a drive in 2021. His unfortunate error of judgement the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix left him 118 points off Lewis Hamilton and 98 points behind team mate Verstappen.

    This weekend very much has an end-of-season feel about it, as Mercedes look to build on their success, teams and drivers vie for best of the rest, and drivers set out to Istanbul with a point to prove for next year.

    The 5.3 Kilometre Istanbul circuit has been one of the magnificent bi-products of the Coronavirus-hit season, and it is unlikely that we will see it on a Formula One calendar again after this year, so enjoy it!

  • Alesi dropped from Ferrari academy amid budget problems

    Alesi dropped from Ferrari academy amid budget problems

    Giuliano Alesi has been dropped from the Ferrari Driver Academy and run out of funding for 2021, according to his father Jean.

    Alesi’s journey through the F1 feeder series’ has largely been financed by private backing raised by his father, who recently spoke out about the rising costs of Formula 2 after admitting he sold his Ferrari F40 to add to Alesi Jr.’s budget.

    Speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick, Alesi Sr. said: “We have no sponsors for 2021, Ferrari fired him from the Academy and I can no longer raise private funds.”

    Ahead of the most recent F2 round in Sochi, Alesi left HWA to join MP Motorsport for the remainder of the campaign. However, Alesi Sr. said that the €80,000 fee needed to leave his HWA contract early has contributed to his son’s funding issues.

    Alesi is 17th in the F2 standings having yet to finish in the points since the opening race of the season in Austria.

    Giuliano Alesi, HWA (Scuderia Ferrari Press Office)
  • Joan Mir takes his first MotoGP Win at the European GP

    Joan Mir takes his first MotoGP Win at the European GP

    Round 13 of the 2020 MotoGP Championship took place on the 7-8 November at the Ricardo Circuit, Spain.

    Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took his 2nd pole position of 2020 in what can only be described as wet conditions just 0.041 seconds ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) followed by Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in a truly thrilling qualifying shoot out.

    The starting grid for the race looked like this:

    Row 1 : P.Espargaro : Rins : Nakagami Row 2 : Zarco : Mir : A.Espargaro

    Row 3 : Miller : Oliveira : Morbidelli Row 4 : Binder : Quartararo : Dovizioso

    Row 5 : Bradl : A.Marquez : Crutchlow Row 6 : Bagnaia : Rossi : Petrucci

    Row 7 : Savadori : Rabat :

    Maverick Vinales started from the pit lane as a result of penalties issued to Yamaha for engine valve issues.

    With 27 laps of racing, the red lights go out and the racing begins with the pole sitter, P.Espargaro getting off to a great start going first into Turn 1 followed by Rins and Nakagami. By Turn 3 Mir has taken Nakagami into 3rd place and at Turn 8 A.Espargaro and Quartararo both have a synchronised crash into the gravel. Quartararo manages to re-join the race but A.Espargaro was not so lucky.

    Alex Rins, Pol Espargaró and Joan Mir, in the European GP 2020 MotoGP race. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing

    Oliveira passes Nakagami on lap 2 pushing him up to 4th place and Rins took P.Espargaro on the inside in a smooth pass taking the lead. Mir is having a sneaky peak too but was not able to make a pass. Savadori crashes on Turn 14 on the following lap but manages to re-join the track.

    Lap 4 and we see Mir pass P.Espargaro on the inside into 2nd place with Suzuki now in first and second place. The following lap Rossi comes to a stop on the track with what looks like engine issues and an early end to his return after being absent for the last two races (due to testing positive for Covid-19).

    By lap 6 Vinales is up into 16th place from his pit lane start, Bagnaia goes down at Turn 2 and then Crutchlow at Turn 8, not a good season for either of them so far. A.Marquez takes Dovizioso into 9th place on lap 7 and Mir is right on the heels of Rins – can the Championship leader win his first race of the season today?

    By lap 11 the gap between P.Espargaro and Mir is just 0.4 seconds, the KTM rider is not letting Mir out of his clutches. Morbidelli passes Dovizioso on the following lap into 9th place and now has his sights set on 8th place A.Marquez.

    On lap 14 Vinales is now up into 14th place and Rabat heads into the pits and retires from the race. Nakagami has passed Olivieria into 4th place and is starting to close the gap on P.Espargaro.

    Lap 17 sees Rins goes wide and Mir take full advantage of this and passes him on the inside taking the lead and by the following lap the gap between the two is 0.3 seconds.

    Miller passes Zarco on lap 20 into 6th position. Mir is now pulling out a lead ahead of Rins of 0.6 seconds by the following lap and Nakagami has closed the gap on P.Espargaro to 1.8 seconds.

    Andrea Dovizioso and Franco Morbidelli at the 2020 European GP, MotoGP race.. Image courtesy of Ducati

    By lap 23 P.Espargaro is closing the gap on Rins and Dovizioso is all over A.Marquez looking to pass and on the start/finish straight on lap 24, Dovizioso makes the pass going into Turn 1 but leaves nowhere for A.Marquez to go except into a wet patch on the track and he goes down slides off into the gravel.

    Mir now has a 1.3 second lead over Rins and Nakagami is closing the gap on P.Espargaro but with only two laps to go can he close the gap enough to make a pass? Dovizioso has moved up into 7th place having taken Zarco and Vinales has moved up to 13th place.

    By the last lap Mir has a comfortable lead over Rins and takes his first MotoGP win ahead of Rins in 2nd place, P.Espargaro in 3rd and Nakagami in 4th place.

    Mir now has a 37 point lead in the Championship ahead of Dovizioso followed by Rins in 3rd place and Vinales in 4th. There are 50 points up for grabs at the next two races – can Mir secure the Championship next weekend at Valencia or will it go down to the wire in Portimao the following weekend?????

    Featured Image Courtesy of Suzuki Racing

  • F2 and F3 confirm 2021 calendar split

    F2 and F3 confirm 2021 calendar split

    Formula 2 and Formula 3 have announced that they will run separate calendars in 2021, rather than both running on the same Grand Prix weekend, to cut costs in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Under the new calendar plans, F2 and F3 will run three races across their respective weekends instead of both running two races as they currently do. This change means that F2 can match its 2020 total of 24 races by running at eight F1 events, while F3 will increase to 21 races across seven events.

    The changes are being made to cut the logistical costs incurred by teams by reducing the number of different venues travelled to throughout the season.

    F2 and F3 CEO Bruno Michel said of the calendar changes: “One of our core values since the launch of the GP2 Series back in 2005 has been cost control. Today, more than ever, it has to be at the heart of our strategy.

    “We strongly feel that [the calendar split] has to be done and put in place as quickly as possible to ensure the stability of both championships in the years to come.”

    (Clive Mason / Formula 1 via Getty Images)

    As well as the new schedule, F2 and F3 also announced changes to its technical and sporting regulations also aimed at lowering the costs of the championships.

    F2 will not introduce a new chassis for its next three-year regulation cycle beginning in 2021, instead keeping the Dallara F2 2018 until 2023. F3 is also likely to do the same with its current chassis, which was introduced in 2019, when its next three-year cycle begins in 2022.

    Furthermore, the costs of engine leases and certain spare parts, as well as logistical and freight costs, will be cut for both championships.