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Rally de Portugal 2025 Preview

Time then for the next round of this season’s championship as the teams will tackle the gravel stages of Portugal. This classic round of the championship has been around for decades and is one loved by the drivers.

The rally has 344km’s over 24 stages this year with the longest day being Friday with 149km’s over the ten stages. Each day has it’s normal morning and afternoon stages run in the usual repeat format each day.

Let’s hear from the drivers.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“After a good start to the season we’re now entering a sequence of gravel events where, as championship leader, it can be challenging running first on the road on the Friday if it’s dry. My recent testing on gravel has been in the wet, so preparation has not been ideal, but the feeling was good in Kenya and even if the rallies we’re heading into are quite different to that, I’m confident we can start them in a stronger place than where we were last year. Portugal has some great stages that are fun to drive, so we’ll be looking to enjoy them and even if road cleaning is a factor, we also want to aim for a strong run through Sunday to keep scoring as many points as we can.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It felt good to win again in the Canaries after quite a while. Now we go back to gravel, where I’m still working to feel as comfortable as I do on asphalt. On gravel there’s always less grip and you’re sliding a lot more, and with the different weight balance of the car and new tyres this year, I’m still looking for the happy place. Together with the team we were working hard on it during our test last week and hopefully we can find a good, consistent pace to keep scoring the points on these next rallies. The style of the stages in Portugal is really nice, I always enjoy driving them and hopefully we can be fast there again this year.”

Sébastien Ogier

“Rally Islas Canarias was a nice event for the whole team, and I was pretty happy with my own result. Now we go back onto gravel after a long time away for me, since Chile last October. A lot has changed in that time with the car and the tyres, and I had some challenging weather conditions in my test, but I’m lucky to have a great team around me and my team-mates and let’s hope we can carry on the great start to the season. I’ve always loved Portugal; it’s a rally with a unique atmosphere and a lot of fans. It was nice to finally get the sixth win there last year and it would be amazing if we could repeat that result again.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“The last rally was very good for me and for the team, and it’s always nice to come away with a good result and a good feeling. Now we go to Portugal, where there’s a lot of fans and a lot of passion and I can feel that amazing atmosphere every year. I enjoy the stages a lot and they suit me pretty well. We’re still learning about the gravel tyres and so the test was important to find a good setup for the rally, and we’ve tried to prepare well. I’ve been close to a podium in Portugal in the last few years and my main target is going to be to set good, consistent times in every stage and enjoy.”

Sami Pajari

“In the Canaries my rally was going quite well until the slightest mistake took us out. It was a pity but it’s all part of the learning and now we look forward to the next event in Portugal. Some of the stages there can be really enjoyable, and others can be very rough, and with long days and high temperatures it can be demanding for the car and the crew. It’s again quite different to what’s come before, but we will just continue with our approach; I hope we can have a clean event in Portugal and then try to improve from one rally to the next through Sardinia and Greece.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“Rally de Portugal is like any other gravel rally, you need to optimise your road position and try to manage the temperatures, especially on the first days in the Amarante area. The main challenge is the road conditions, they can be abrasive and tyre wear can be an issue if you push too hard. On Sunday, the stages are smoother so you can really push across the final day. We need a strong result as a team, we need to be stronger than the Toyotas and we need to outscore Elfyn – he has a big lead in the championship and we haven’t been able to fight back as much as we would have hoped, so he will be our main target to beat in Portugal along with Kalle.”

Ott Tänak

“Rally de Portugal is a huge event in so many ways. There are roads that I enjoy a lot, and the history of the rally paired with the atmosphere we have there every year is all you can ask for from an event. Every time we go to a rally, we always target to be on top in the fight, but you are only as good as your last result, which in our case wasn’t the strongest. We need to keep our head down and work our way back on top. This is the fifth rally this year where we have new tyres, and we need to get maximum out of it. There’s no doubt the rally will be hard; Portugal always has very long days and rough conditions on the second loop.”

2022 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 04, Rally de Portugal
19-22 May 2022
Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, Hyundai i20 N Rally 1
Photographer: Dufour Fabien
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Adrien Fourmaux

“Rally de Portugal is a big challenge; the heat is demanding so managing tyres is a big task. There are some places where it’s full attack, but at the same time we have to be careful with the tyres – it’s a factor we need to determine during our testing. There are places on the rally where we need to be cautious, but you can still establish big gaps so it can be a sprint at times. We didn’t get the best results at the end of the last round, so as a team we need to stop the domination of Toyota and get a really good result with all three cars. I want to be back on the podium to help with the charge, this is crucial for the rest of the season.”

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“I’ve had a really good feeling during the test. The whole team is clearly motivated to bounce back after Canarias, so I’m looking forward to a strong event around Porto. It’s typical to have two kinds of stages here—some with a softer surface, like in Fafe, and others that are rougher with a hard base. Portugal always feels like two events in one! M-Sport has shown in the past that the car can be really competitive here, so we’re aiming for a good result.”

Josh McErlean

“It feels great to be heading back to Rally Portugal—this event holds some really good memories for us. I can’t wait to get going again, this time in a Rally1 car. It’s the start of the gravel season and there’s no better place to kick it off. The fans, the atmosphere, the roads—everything about Portugal is just mega.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“I’m really looking forward to summer and the start of the gravel season with Portugal. I competed in Portugal once before, in 2021, in Junior WRC. I think some of the stages will be similar, and I hope having some knowledge of them will help. We’ve also done two rallies with Past Racing in the Portuguese championship, which should be helpful as well. We’ve done some good preparation, but this will still be a demanding event, and I know everyone’s very focused on doing well here. Our goal remains to keep developing, stay consistent, and stick to this approach throughout the season. We’re excited to see what we can achieve on gravel this year!”

Romet Jürgenson

“Portugal is one of those legendary events that you always want to do, I’m glad that this year we have the chance to do it! Even though its our first time there, I think we’re going to really enjoy the event. The stages look amazing, and obviously I still feel more natural on gravel so that should also help. We’re looking forward to doing a good, solid, mistake-free event; the goal is to try to improve our pace throughout the weekend.”

Pierre-Louis Loubet

“First of all, I’m very pleased to be back in the team and to be back driving again in a Rally2 car in the WRC2 category. I’m looking forward to hopefully doing well on a rally I know really well, so let’s see what we can do! There will be a lot of discovery for me with this car, but from what I’ve seen it’s a good package and the tyres are new for everyone, so maybe there’s some opportunity for us.”

Oliver Solberg

“Much as I love to compete on this event, it’s been quite tough in the last couple of years. We had a penalty which cost us the win in 2023 and then last time we crashed after we saw Kalle [Rovanperä] off the road directly in front of us. Both times, I was thinking we could have taken the win, it was in our hand. This time I definitely want to get it done and bring it home.

“The first day of this event is always a tricky one. The roads around Arganil are tough and you don’t have the full service – only two remote services for this really long day. So, you have to be thinking a little bit to manage the car and the tyres through Friday.

“But, at the same time, with so many cars registered in WRC2 and with so much competition, you really can’t afford to be taking it easy. You have to keep pushing but try to limit the risk for everything. It’s a tough one.

“The weekend stages are really nice as well, but not usually so abrasive. And, of course, the final day includes Fafe. This stage is just incredible. You fly into this place near the finish with so many fans and so many people having a huge party – it’s definitely one of the most amazing sights of the season!

“For us, the job is simple: we need to take the points. We made a great start to the year with the win at home in Sweden, but getting stuck in the fech fech in Kenya wasn’t good for us. We want to be back on top [of WRC2] and the best way to do that is to finally win in Portugal.”

Summary

Well once again we are set for a spectacular rally. Of course, Elfyn and Scott will open the road throughout the first full day and as it is the longest day as well. They will be sweeping the road of gravel, and this will make it very hard to be in the top positions at the end of the first day. Their best hope is that there will be rain which will make it easier for them to set a higher pace.

Of course, their teammates Kalle and Jonne will have a cleaner road as they will be second on the road and will hope that they can make the most of a cleaner road to make a good start and build an advantage over their rivals.

Thierry and Martijn will hope that their title defence really starts this weekend and that they can take a good podium or even victory. Let’s wait and see what they can do this weekend.

Enjoy!

14th May 2025
Formula E Season 11 Rounds 8 and 9: Tokyo E-Prix Preview and Predictions

It hasn’t been that long since Formula E finished the doubleheader in Monaco, which saw Oliver Rowland and Sebastian Buemi take victory around the principality, and already we are back! This time for a relatively new circuit for Formula E standards: the Tokyo E-Prix! This round is once again a doubleheader, and after the singular race we had last year, this year is bound to be a top-class event again!

Circuit Preview:

Formula E Tokyo E-Prix track map. Image Credit: Formula E Website

This 2.575km long circuit goes around the iconic city of Tokyo to bring with it the 18 turns, long straights and fast corners to make overtaking here up to the drivers. After Oliver Rowland was leading going into the final lap last year, the Maserati driver Maximilian Guenther made a pass for the lead and took the victory ahead of the Briton at his team’s home race.

Round 8 Predictions:
Pole Position: Oliver Rowland
The championship leader goes into this doubleheader with the biggest points gap ever seen in Formula E during the Gen3 era. As this is his team’s home race, he will be wanting to make Nissan proud with a home pole position and extend his lead even more!

Race Winner: Oliver Rowland
Pole-to-race wins seem to be rare in the electric pinnacle of motorsport, especially when it is so tight between all drivers and teams. After losing victory to Sebastian Buemi last time in Monaco and accomplishing P2 in the latter race of the doubleheader, Rowland will be extra motivated to get as many points as possible in order to secure the championship as soon as possible.

Podium: 2 Porsche Power Trains
The Porsche powertrain was very strong last year, with the powertrain quadrat locking out P3 to P6 inclusive. It would not surprise me to see 2 of those powertrains obtain 2 podium positions.

Round 9 Predictions:
Pole Position: Nico Mueller
I am going with my gut on this one. Mueller did very well last year, getting P7 on the road in the Abt Cupra team. I think he will be able to do even better after getting settled in with the track and managing to take pole position for round 9!

Race winner: Mitch Evans
Going with my gut for these predictions, which can either go one way or another, but Jaguar could surprise everyone with their race pace. It will be a big shock if they do manage to achieve it, but something tells me the New Zealander Mitch Evans will take victory around Tokyo.

Podium: Nissan Power Trains
Currently 4 cars have the Nissan powertrain, and I can see at least 2 of them appearing on the podium in this non-pit boost race. The energy conservation of the Nissans will benefit them, and I can see possibly both McLarens or both Nissans on the podium for Sunday’s race!

Biggest Surprise: Neom McLaren
After a disaster in Monaco for the majority of Nissan-powered cars, almost exclusively the Neom McLarens, I think they will bounce back to deliver a positive result as the Papaya-based team bids farewell to Formula E at the end of this season.

Biggest Disappointment: Pascal Wehrlein
My gut feeling says that Wehrlein will not have a great weekend, which would be very unfortunate for the reigning world champion as he struggles to maintain his title defence bid.

Kieran’s Socials:

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12th May 2025
Jose Antonio Rueda backflips to French GP glory

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) channeled his inner Johann Zarco and gave us a backflip backflip in Le Mans after a sensational last-lap victory in the Michelin Grand Prix of France.

The #99 played it smart throughout the race, gradually moving through the lead group to sit third as the final lap began—just in time for chaos to erupt ahead of him.

Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Intact GP) launched a bold late attack on race leader Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA), the two colliding and running wide in the final corner complex. Rueda seized the moment, sweeping past both to snatch a dramatic win.

“I saw them go wide and just went for it,” he said. “You never know what can happen on the last lap in Moto3, so I stayed patient and it paid off. Winning at Le Mans like this feels incredible—this one is special.” – Jose Antonio Rueda

Muñoz was later penalized for the incident and dropped to third, promoting Kelso to second. It was a significant result for Rueda in the title fight too, as key championship rival Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) crashed out mid-race.

At lights out, rookie polesitter Max Quiles (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) got the best launch, battling Kelso for early supremacy. The Australian eventually took control by the end of the opening lap and set the pace from the front, as the typical Moto3™ slipstream shuffle played out behind.

Photo Credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

The lead group eventually narrowed to Kelso, Muñoz, rookie Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), and Rueda after Piqueras’ exit. Pini’s hopes ended in a sudden crash, leaving a three-way fight for the win, with Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in pursuit but just out of reach.

Kelso kept things tidy up front and seemed on course for victory—until Muñoz launched his final-corner lunge. The resulting contact pushed both riders wide, and Rueda needed no second invitation to sweep into the lead and take the flag.

Carpe came home fourth, narrowly missing out on the podium after the late drama, while David Almansa (Leopard Racing) led the second group to round out the top five. He was followed by Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), a fading Quiles, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), and Argentine rookie Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who secured a strong P10 finish for the French squad.

Just outside the top ten were Dennis Foggia (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), with Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), and Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) all picking up points. Pini remounted to finish 17th, missing out on points but leaving France with plenty of attention after a standout qualifying and race showing.

Feature image photo credit: Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

12th May 2025

BTCC – Rainford secures maiden win with WSR clean sweep

Charles Rainford picked up his maiden win while securing a clean sweep for WSR in the process. In just his sixth BTCC race, Rainford moved up from third on the grid to take the lead.

Jake Hill came home second behind his teammate with Tom Ingram having to settle for third. It’s the first time since 2015 that three different WSR drivers picked up wins over a single race weekend.

Dan Rowbottom had pole position thanks to the reverse grid draw, and led off the line; despite a brilliant start by Hill. Rainford managed to get past Hill before making a move on Rowbottom into Paddock Hill on lap two.

The BTCC is renowned for its bumper to bumper action, but Aiden Moffat took that too literally when he was repeatedly tapping the rear end of Ash Sutton’s Ford Focus. The Scot was handed a warning and backed off.

Hill fought and finally passed Rowbottom on lap nine, and went in pursuit of Rainford ahead. Meanwhile behind, Ingram made his way from 11th on the grid up to third in his Hyundai, setting the fastest lap in the process.

A few laps from the end Rainford was under pressure, trying to keep his composure and secure his win. Max Hall going off at Clearways and parking his Cupra could have brought out the safety car, but the stewards let the race come to a natural conclusion.

On the penultimate lap Ingram fought Hill for second, making slight contact into Druids. Despite the scuffle, Hill prevailed, and it allowed Rainford to get away and secure his first win.

Rainford took first, Hill second and Ingram third. Sutton came home fourth with Chris Smiley and Josh Cook following behind. Tom Chilton recovered from a poor race one to finish seventh. Moffat, Rowbottom and Gordon Shedden rounded off the top ten.

James Dorlin, Adam Morgan, race two winner Daryl DeLeon took home points. Dan Cammish recovered from his race two DNF to take 14th with Aron Taylor-Smith grabbing the last point for 15th.

Ash Sutton retakes the lead of the championship by just five points to Ingram, with Hill third heading to the next trio of races at Snetterton.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1 (3)	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
2 (2)	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
3 (11)	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
4 (7)	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
5 (6)	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
6 (4)	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
7 (12)	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
8 (5)	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
9 (1)	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
10 (16)	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
11 (18)	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
12 (8)	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
13 (9)	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
14 (23)	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
15 (15)	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
16 (14)	Michael CREES	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
17 (10)	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
18 (17)	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
19 (13)	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
20 (22)	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
21 (25)	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
22 (21)	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
23 (19)	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon
24 (20)	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
25 (24)	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon

11th May 2025

BTCC – Daryl DeLeon secures maiden win in chaotic race at Brands Hatch

Daryl DeLeon secured his maiden BTCC win as he took the chequered flag for WSR in round five at Brands Hatch. A chaotic race dominated by tyre compounds and interrupted by two safety car periods, DeLeon was on the better soft tyre and powered to victory in his BMW. Adam Morgan finished second with Ash Sutton taking his 100th BTCC podium in third.

Race one winner Jake Hill started on pole with Charles Rainford second to make it an all-BMW front row. They sped off the line, both on the hard tyre, which would mean a deficit in pace to the soft tyre shod cars.

Dan Cammish made his way up to third, battling Rainford for second before passing him on lap four at Clearways.

Lap five saw DeLeon take third from Rainford, his hard tyres making it hard to defend. The first piece of drama came when Dan Lloyd was punted wide on the Cooper straight. He made a pit stop but finished a lap down in 21st.

The first of two safety car periods came on lap seven when Max Hall and Dexter Patterson collided at Paddock Hill and ended up in the gravel trap. After a near ten-lap delay, the safety car was halfway down the pit lane when it was to be re-deployed.

As is standard procedure with safety car restarts, Hill was bunching up the pack. However Dan Cammish encountered an issue with his Ford Focus, causing it to stop. Cars made their way past the stricken Yorkshireman, but Aiden Moffat wasn’t as lucky; running into the back of Cammish. Causing another safety car to clear his car and the debris on the circuit.

This promoted DeLeon up to second, and on the restart he wasted no time. He passed Hill into Paddock Hill bend in what was a gutsy overtake. He pulled it off and led away to the chequered flag. This began Hill’s descent down the grid as the soft tyre cars made their way through.

The best of the overtakes on Hill however, went to Adam Morgan, who rounded the BMW on the outside at Paddock.

DeLeon strolled to the finish, taking his first win in the series. Morgan and Sutton finished on the podium, with Chris Smiley following Sutton through the grid for fourth place.

Moffat finished fifth despite the contact with Cammish, making up 15 places in the process. Josh Cook was sixth with Rainford and Hill following behind. Dan Rowbottom and Ronan Pearson rounded out the top ten.

Championship leader Tom Ingram could only finish 11th on the hard tyre, with Tom Chilton in 12th. The final three points places were taken by Stephen Jelley, Michael Crees, and Aron Taylor-Smith.

Dan Rowbottom will start the final race on pole thanks to the reverse grid draw, with Sutton and Ingram looking to fight through the grid for vital points.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1 (7)	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
2 (4)	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
3 (10)	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
4 (12)	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
5 (20)	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
6 (15)	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
7 (2)	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
8 (1)	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
9 (18)	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
10 (11)	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
11 (3)	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
12 (22)	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
13 (14)	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
14 (13)	Michael CREES	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
15 (16)	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
16 (21)	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
17 (8)	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
18 (17)	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
19 (25)	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon
20 (24)	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
21 (9)	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
22 (6)	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
DNF (5)	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
DNF (19)	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
DNF (23)	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon

11th May 2025

BTCC – Jake Hill ignites title defence with lights to flag win

Jake Hill ignited his championship defence with a lights to flag win in round four of the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.

BMW teammate Charles Rainford followed for a one-two finish for the WSR team; a record breaking 133rd win making them the most successful team in BTCC history. Tom Ingram claimed third place, and while briefly threatening the BMW’s in front, he managed his race well for third.

Hill and Rainford got away well at the start, settling into a formation which wouldn’t be breached for the duration of the 24 lap race. Ash Sutton was the one who started best, making three places off the grid from 13th. Dan Lloyd was given a five second penalty for a false start, taking him from seventh to ninth.

Ingram started to pressure the BMW duo on lap two, the Team Vertu driver had a promising opening weekend at Donington Park last time out, and pulled away from teammate Adam Morgan in pursuit of the leaders.

The BMW hadn’t shown much pace at Donington, but with Brands favouring rear wheel drive, they came to life here. Rainford set a new lap record not once, but twice; showing Donington was just a blip.

By lap nine Hill had settled into a rhythm, while Rainford had Ingram to deal with. The Hyundai driver putting pressure on Rainford, the rookie who was starting his fourth BTCC race.

After a few laps of pressure, Ingram decided to play the long game, and eased off, settling for third. This led to Morgan closing in, and the Excelr8 drivers running in formation.

Hill strolled to his first win of the season, in the process kick-starting his championship defence. Rainford followed home six tenths behind for his first BTCC podium. With a performance like that, it will surely be the first of many.

Ingram and Morgan followed behind with Dan Cammish having a quiet race, coming home fifth. Mikey Doble was sixth for Power Maxed Racing with Lloyd finishing seventh on the road, but dropping to ninth once his penalty was applied.

Daryl Deleon and Sam Osborne were the beneficiaries of Lloyd’s penalty, finishing seventh and eighth. Ash Sutton rounded off the top ten for NAPA Racing. Ronan Pearson, Chris Smiley, Michael Crees took points finishes with the two ONE Motorsport Honda’s of Stephen Jelley and Josh Cook taking the final points places.

Tom Ingram takes the lead of the championship, capitalising on Sutton finishing lower down the order, with Jake Hill now third. The BMW man will be starting on pole for race two, which will give him an advantage and a chance to climb further up the table.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
2	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
3	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
4	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
5	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
6	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
7	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
8	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
9	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
10	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
11	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
12	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
13	Michael CREES	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
14	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
15	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
16	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
17	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
18	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
19	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
20	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
21	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
22	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
23	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
24	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
DNF	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon

11th May 2025

Formula E Season 11 Round 6 and 7: Old faces returned to glory at the first ever Formula E Monaco Double Header

Formula E made history in Monaco as not one but two rounds were held around the iconic streets of Monaco. Rain was forecast for these 2 rounds and while the rain didn’t come in round 6, it came in for round 7 and brought old faces back to the podium. Let’s get into it!

Round 6

The McLaren rookie of Taylor Barnard led us away from pole position after The Nissan of Oliver Rowland hit the wall at the start of the final duel for pole position. Rowland cut across the Cupra Kiro of Dan Ticktum at the start to stop him from getting into P2 but that compromised him and turned P3 into P4. The Andretti of Jake Dennis, Tag Heuer Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein and Envision Racing of Robin Frijns were all close together while Dennis’ teammate Nico Mueller had to pit at the start due to a puncture. Due to Ticktum’s drop in place from the start, he was struggling to pass the Mahindra of Nyck De Vries so his team suggested he overconsume energy. Ticktum was managing to stay in his position until Wehrlein’s teammate of Antonio Felix Da Costa crashed at the final corner while attempting to overtake the Mahindra of Mortara. This brought out a Full Course Yellow.
Once we went back to green flag racing, the season 9 champion of Jake Dennis IMMEDIATELY went up to P3 however he received a 5 second time penalty due to over speeding under that FCY. We didn’t stay green flag racing for too long as Mitch Evans came to a stop on track and this let Buemi pit.

Once green, Rowland lost the lead due to taking attack mode but he managed to easily retake the lead. Towards the end, everyone pitted with Mueller, Cassidy and Rowland being the top 3. However, Mueller and Cassidy encountered some energy issues so the Jaguar driver had 9% LESS energy than everyone and Mueller didn’t actually get the extra 10% from pit boost. This led to them having to conserve a LOT more energy compared to their other racers. Rowland took the lead but De Vries and Rowland were fighting for the win until Barnard went into the barrier at Casino Square and fell out of the points. Dennis made his way up to P2 and De Vries was not happy about this so they were fighting with the Dutchman managing to reovertake P2 from the Brit.

By the end of the race, Oliver Rowland took victory on the streets of Monaco! Nyck De Vries took his first victory since London 2022 and Mahindra’s first since Mexico City 2023. Jake Dennis scored his first podium of Season 11. De Vries’ teammate Mortara finished P4, Mueller managed to finish P5, reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein finished P6, Dan Ticktum P7, Robin Frijns P8, Vandorrne P9 and Max Guenther P10!

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – MAY 03: David Beckmann of Germany driving the (3) CUPRA KIRO Porsche 99X Electric WCG3 during the Monaco E-Prix, Round 6 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Circuit de Monaco on May 03, 2025 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E) Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank

Round 7

Thankfully, Oliver Rowland did not crash at turn 1 at the final for pole. However, there was NO final duel for pole due to both DS Penske cars going over the chicane after the tunnel and having their lap times deleted. This did lead to Nyck De Vries getting promoted up to P2 for the starting grid!

We went racing in Monaco for the second time this weekend with a clean getaway from all drivers. 21 drivers started on the grid with Sam Bird starting from the pitlane after a crash in qualifying. The track was greasy and slippery but it was drying fast. Barnard fell down to join his teammate Bird at the rear of the field with Vergne, Da Costa and Buemi jumping up a place each. Once the attack modes were taken, De Vries has to defend from Vergne, but this in turn helped Rowland as he had not taken either attack mode by this stage. A brief yellow flag saw David Beckmann and Jake Hughes make contact with the Cupra Kiro driver having to do a 3 point turn at turn 1. The Maserati driver obtained a 5 second time penalty due to this.

Di Grassi went into the barrier after contact with Dennis which brought out a full course yellow. Once the yellow was brought in, Ticktum hit the barrier after a battle with Cassidy, went down the escape road just before the casino section, did an amazing spin and managed to get away. At this stage, Vergne had a lead of 3.1 seconds over Rowland with Wehrlein attempting to do a successful move that his teammate failed to do the day prior but it didn’t work out. Mueller then brought out the safety car after hitting the barrier on his own.

Once we went green, Buemi managed to make his way up to P4 with only Rowland, Barnard and Evans having attack mode remaining. Towards the latter stages of the race, De Vries managed to make his way up to the front and battle for the lead while Rowland maintained the lead despite going over the chicane. Buemi saw this opportunity and managed to take the lead before a brief yellow. De Vries, Vergne, Rowland and Cassidy were all very close together for P2 down to P5 with the latter 2 of that array manages to swap with the former 2. Barnard, Maloney and Ticktum all received time penalties for track limits while Sebastian Buemi went on to win the Monaco E-Prix and secure his first win since 2019 and Envision Racing’s first win since 2023. Rowland managed to keep P with Cassidy obtaining his first podium of the season. Da Costa finished P4, De Vries P5, Vergne P6, Wehrlein P7, Guenther P8, Dennis P9 and Vandoorne P10!

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6th May 2025
WorldSBK: Bulega completes hat-trick at home in Cremona

Nicolo Bulega picked up where he left off the previous day to more-or-less ease to victory in the remaining 2 races at the Cremona Circuit in Italy, with an ardent home crowd and MotoGP figures from Ducati in attendance to witness his historic achievement.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE

The 10-lap Tissot Superople around the shortest circuit on the World Superbikes calendar was a rapid affair. The Sunday morning race took just under 15 minutes and was in many ways a repeat of Race 1 from the previous day.

Bulega led from pole position ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista while Sam Lowes once again fell back from the front row of the grid. Razgatlioglu tried his best to stick with Bulega but by as early as lap 3 it was evident that the latter was managing to pull away at the front.

While Bulega stretched out his lead, Razgatlioglu kept him in sight but was unable to close in while Bautista once again settled in 3rd. Andrea Iannone was hit with a double long-lap penalty for narrowly jumping the start and found himself in 9^th after serving his punishment, having been in contention for 4^th before it.

Sam Lowes held onto 4^th ahead of an Xavi Vierge, with the two faster riders of Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci running out of time to make up more positions. Crucially for Petrucci he was able to secure 6^th place in the race and the same spot on the grid for Race 2 to make up for his shambolic qualifying in the Superpole on Saturday.

As for Lecuona, he crashed out on lap 9 to make it 2 retirements in 2 races so far in Cremona despite having some scintillating pace. After the Honda rider crashed out, Andrea Locatelli, Iannone and Michael van der Mark were those who rounded out the top 9 and inherited those same places for Race 2.

Given how short the race was, the independent Ducati riders Scott Redding and Gabriele Ruiu gambled on running the qualifying tyre but were unable to make much progress. Redding fell short of the crucial 9^th place require to get a better grid position for Race 2, coming home in 11^th while Ruiu was 21^st.

TISSOT SUPERPOLE RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

RACE 2

It became known that Lowes was suffering from illness this weekend and this was perhaps why he once again went backwards at the start of the 3rd race of the weekend. Despite Bautista starting on the front row, he was unable to challenge Bulega and Razgatlioglu who once again held 1^st and 2^nd places at the start.

Just as in Race 1, Razgatlioglu scythed up the inside of Bulega with a block pass at the final corner of the 1^st lap. Bulega then stalked his rival for another 3 laps before an unsuccessful move at the end of the back straight on lap 4, which he converted successfully at the same spot a lap later to retake the lead.

Unsurprisingly, that was the last Razgatlioglu or anyone else saw of Bulega. In front of a 45,000 strong home crowd and senior figures from Ducati’s MotoGP management, the 25-year-old delivered while the pressure was on to secure an emotional hat-trick that will live long in the memory for him – and his stunned competitors.

Razgatlioglu nonetheless did well to bank three 2^nd place finishes this weekend as he noted Bulega’s superior speed on corner exits, but even Bautista on the other factory Ducati was unable to get close to his teammate. At least Razgatlioglu was much closer to Bulega in Race 2 than he was in Race 1, with one mistake by Bulega probably enough to put himself under pressure from the BMW rider, however the Italian was peerless around Cremona.

After Bulega retook the lead the main action was taking place further down the order. Petrucci was able to take move from up from 6^th into 4^th after dispatching Lowes and Vierge. Of course it was still a disappointing weekend for the man who won all 3 races at Cremona last year, and the gap to Bautista in 3^rd suggests that 4^th may have been the maximum that the Italian could have hoped for anyway.

The battle for 5^th was a thrilling and borderline disastrous affair between the factory Honda duo and Lowes. Lecuona was again coming through from the midfield and after a tough battle with Locatelli he had around 6 laps to catch and pass his teammate and Lowes up ahead.

By the time Lecuona became a factor in the battle for 5^th, time was running out. Some very aggressive racing between the two teammates saw them almost collide at the final corner, then Vierge made contact with Lowes coming onto the start-finish straight.

A thrilling final lap saw Lowes valiantly retake P5 with just 3 corners to go while Vierge had to settle for 7^th behind his teammate – a damning result giving their grid positions. Locatelli was 8^th on a difficult weekend for Yamaha, with Michael van der Mark and Remy Gardner rounding out the top 10.

A hat-trick of wins for Bulega and 3 straight 2^nd places for Razgatlioglu sees the Italian rider stretch his lead in the World Championship to 34 points heading to Autodrom Most for Round 5 in a fortnight’s time. By then, it would not be a great surprise if Ducati has their fuel-flow slightly restricted to try and peg back Bulega in particular, but the concessions system in WorldSBK might not be enough to stop the 25-year-old from running away with this year’s title if the Acerbis Italian Round was anything to go by.

RACE 2 RESULTS

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

4th May 2025
WorldSBK: Bulega repels early Razgatliogu challenge in Cremona Race 1

Nicolo Bulega enjoyed a thrilling battle with championship rival Toprak Razgatlioglu in Race 1 at Cremona before blasting off into the distance to win in front of his home fans and senior Ducati management.

After denying Sam Lowes back-to-back pole positions, Bulega launched away from pole position in the first WorldSBK race at Cremona but was pursued by Razgatlioglu. Come the final corner of lap 1 Razgatlioglu muscled his way past to herald the start of a titanic fight for the win, however things would peter out around one-third distance…

On Razgatlioglu’s first visit to the Cremona Circuit after injury ruled him out of last year’s event, the Turkish rider had a great opportunity to take advantage of the pressure that might have been affecting Bulega. Not only was the Italian rider racing for an Italian factory on home soil, but Ducati had some of its senior MotoGP personnel in attendance to keep an eye on the man that might bring the WorldSBK crown back to them this year if recent form is to be believed.

Everyone in attendance was treated to a great battle between the two that seemed to be going Razgatlioglu’s way in the first few laps before the two almost collided at the end of lap 3. The BMW rider’s defence proved successful but Bulega was never far behind and always able to quickly recover from his failed attempts to pass the Turk.

By the end of lap 6 of 23, Bulega finally made a move stick on Razgatlioglu. Despite a valiant attempt to retake in an unconventional spot for overtaking through turns 3 and 4, it would mark the end of Razgatlioglu’s time in the lead of the race as Bulega stretched his lead by around 0.3 seconds per lap.

At the start of the last lap, Bulega was so far ahead that by the time he swept through the notoriously fast turn 1 at Cremona, Razgatlioglu was not even in the same camera shot on the start-finish straight. Bulega declared this the most important win of his career thus far in World Superbikes and it is hard to see why with all eyes on him and such a crushing performance to rebound from the heartbreak of Assen.

Someone who was unfortunate not to feature in the fight at the front was Sam Lowes, whose P2 on the grid disappeared almost immediately once the race got underway. Lowes slipped down the top 10 in the early stages but after running wide on lap 6 he was consigned to 12th place at the chequered flag.

Alvaro Bautista was in a race of his own in Cremona as he had neither to pace to challenge the front two but more than enough to keep the chasing pack behind. Andrea Iannone spent the majority of the race in 4th but was passed by Iker Lecuona about halfway through.

By the time the Honda rider had made it into 4th following a frighteningly close battle with his teammate Xavi Vierge, the Spaniard was already 7 seconds by Bautista. Rather foolishly, Lecuona pushed too hard for too little of a chance to take 3rd and threw away valuable points for a guaranteed 4th in a self-induced crash on lap 15.

Iannone was left to fend off Vierge and Remy Gardner while Danilo Petrucci tried his best to make progress but could only manage 7th. The Italian rider was unable to repeat his 2024 feats around the Cremona Circuit and started outside the top 10 having been blocked by his compatriot Andrea Locatelli during qualifying (for which the Yamaha rider received a grid penalty and then had an underwhelming race of his own).

Michael van der Mark came home in 9th while Scott Redding split the Bimota duo, then came Lowes in 12th ahead of Dominque Aegeter, Yari Montella and Garrett Gerloff as the last of the points scorers. The Tissot Superpole and Race 2 at the Acerbis Italian Round get underway tomorrow and Bulega looks odds on to make it a hat-trick at home.

Image Credit: WorldSBK

Feature Image Credit: WorldSBK

3rd May 2025
Formula E Season 11 Rounds 6 and 7 Preview-Pit Boost Returns in Monaco

It is May 1st, which means we have officially entered the month of May for motorsport! Indy500, Formula One in Miami! For Formula E, however, we are starting at a landmark in the motorsport’s history: Monaco! The famous landmark where a single race event has been held…until now.

Formula E is making history this weekend as we have our first ever DOUBLE HEADER in Monaco! As it is a double header, PIT BOOST RETURNS! Since its debut in Jeddah, Saturday’s race around the close streets will have a mandatory pitstop for all 22 drivers to make to gain an extra 10% of energy.

Weekend Schedule

Round 6 Schedule:
All times are in local time.
Free Practice 1: 7:30am
Free Practice 2: 9:10am
Qualifying: 10:40am
Monaco E-Prix: 3:05pm

Round 7 Schedule:
All times are in local time.
Free Practice 3: 8:30am
Qualifying: 10:40am
Monaco E-Prix: 3pm

Weekend Preview

Formula E Monaco’s Track Map for Season 11, Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank

This 3.337km circuit has been iconic throughout motorsport. However, Formula E has only started racing at the same configuration as Formula 1 for a few years. The tight walls, sharp corners, and difficulty overtaking for certain series make this a very difficult challenge for all 22 drivers, and now the teams have an extra strategy with pit boost.

Round 6 Predictions

Pole Position: Pascal Wehrlein
The reigning world champion took victory last time out in Miami after a chaotic final few minutes of that race. I think Wehrlein will take that motivation and confidence that he has in the car and use it to his and his team’s advantage in order to snatch pole position on Saturday!
Race Winner: António Félix da Costa
Is this a bold choice? Possibly. However, Da Costa has been very strong recently and was on for the win in Miami until the late safety car and red flag ruined his chances. He will be carrying a lot of self-motivation in order to show that he still has what it takes to be at the front and to fight for this title, even after all of the rumors last year of his seat being under threat.

Round 7 Predictions

Pole Position: Taylor Barnard
After McLaren announced their departure from the series last week, both McLaren drivers will be ready to make their case for their seat to be theirs; at least Taylor will. Getting a pole at the circuit he made his debut at in Formula E and a debut win in Formula 2 would be a great statement!
Race Winner: Taylor Barnard
What’s better than getting laid? Winning from pole! Which is what I think will happen on Sunday!

Overall Weekend Predictions

Biggest Surprise of the weekend: Jaguar
Jaguar’s season has been horrid. DNFs in multiple races, not many points scored in comparison to their rivals, the reigning team champions have entered a slump. However, with both Cassidy and Evans coming back to a track where they have both won at, I think they’ll take the confidence to score extremely strong points for their team.

Biggest disappointment of the weekend: Nissan.
After an optimistic weekend, despite Rowland and Nato scoring fewer points than they should have in Miami, their season hasn’t been bad, as Rowland currently leads the drivers championship. Something in my gut tells me, however, that this will not last forever and this weekend will result in them scoring very few points

Do you have any bold predictions for this weekend? Let us know!

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1st May 2025