The eleventh round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, the Austrian Grand Prix, took place at the Red Bull Ring, as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) won a classic duel with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), a battle which will surely be remembered as one of the greats.
Despite consensus that Yamaha would have a tough time in the race, it was Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who took the early lead. Dovizioso had made the holeshot, but Marquez block-passed him in turn three on the opening lap, and this allowed Quartararo into the lead.
The Frenchman led for the first laps, but eventually Dovizioso and then Marquez found their way through, the speed of the satellite YZR-M1 offering little resistance against the factory Desmosedici of Dovizioso or the factory RC213V of Marquez.
When Dovizioso went to the front, the front group was of five riders, but with a crash out from fourth place for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), who had been dropping off slightly and into the clutches of Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), in turn nine on lap eight created a gap behind Quartararo who had slipped to third, whilst Marquez had taken the lead from Dovizioso.
With Marquez in front, he and Dovizioso started to move clear of Quartararo and Rossi behind. In this phase of the race, Quartararo was clever, clinging on to the two riders in front, taking their slipstream and their target, and using those to help pull himself clear of Rossi behind. Ultimately, Quartararo did not have the pace to go with Marquez or Dovizioso – which was expected, such is the speed deficit of the Yamaha – but the laps immediately after he lost the lead were important for his final result.
Marc Marquez leading the 2019 Red Bull Ring MotoGP race. Image courtesy of Jaime Olivares/Box Respol
Ominously, for the next ten laps, Marquez led. He had a similar margin to that which he had in Brno one week before. On that occasion, he was able to break away in the latter stages of the race with superior pace, but this time it was not to be. Dovizioso came back through on lap nineteen, and began his own stint in front which, amusingly, started with him dropping the pace by one second from 1’24.5 to 1’25.5.
It seemed, though, that the assumption of the lead by Dovizioso was partly the doing of Marquez, who appeared to roll the throttle on the front straight, which allowed Dovizioso to go into turn one first on lap nineteen. Marquez couldn’t break Dovizioso, so now he needed to study his rival.
Studying was over with three laps to go, as the Spaniard made his move and went back to the front. Marquez was keen to avoid the situation of 2017 and 2018 in Austria, when he lost out on both occasions to Ducati riders on the final lap. Going early was a chance for the Spaniard to avoid a last-lap fight.
But Dovizioso hung on. The Italian tried to respond in turn nine, two corners after Marquez hit the front, but ran wide. Once more, he tried in turn one, but ran wide. Dovizioso knew he couldn’t let Marquez make a rhythm in the final laps, and he was trying everything to disturb that.
Andrea Dovizioso ahead of Marc Marquez at the 2019 Red Bull Ring MotoGP Race
The #04 was able to stick with the #93 on the penultimate lap, and a strong run out of the final corner for the penultimate time allowed the Italian another opportunity in the first corner. Once again, though, he ran wide and Marquez carved his way back underneath on the exit.
After turn four, overtaking in the Red Bull Ring is difficult, as there are no herd braking points between the fourth turn and the tenth, so Dovizioso knew he needed to make a pass stick in either turn three or turn four. Marquez was strong on the brakes in turn three, and fast in the middle too, meaning Dovizioso was unable to make a move these places. It seemed that the Italian was out of chances, but he had been strong in the final sector throughout the race.
As he had been able to do for the whole race, Dovizioso got a better drive than Marquez through turn eight – just as Jorge Lorenzo had done the year before in his fight against Marquez – and was deep on the brakes in turn nine; he carried good speed through the penultimate corner, before making a lunge on Marquez in the final turn, a role reversal of the 2017 edition. Unlike Marquez two years before, Dovizioso was able to turn the bike at the apex, block his rival’s line on the exit, and power to the line. Ducati’s 100% record in Austria remained in tact, courtesy of some fine riding by Dovizioso, arguably the best race of his career.
Andrea Dovizioso winner of the 2019 Red Bull Ring MotoGP race. Image courtesy of Ducati
Marquez, then, remains winless in Austria, the only race on the calendar to elude him. The mistake which cost him was made before the race, as the Spaniard chose the medium rear instead of the soft, as chosen by Dovizioso. The medium simply didn’t give Marquez the grip he needed, especially on the more critical right-hand side (Austria has seven rights compared to only three lefts). This is why Dovizioso was able to drive so much better through turn eight, brake so much deeper in turn nine, and accelerate so much better from turn ten. Missing out on an Austrian GP win will have frustrated Marquez, but only until he checked the standings and reminded himself that his championship advantage remains at fifty-eight points.
The laps Fabio Quartararo did immediately after he lost the lead were critical to his third place, pulling him away from Rossi behind who proved later in the race to be extremely tough to pass, at least for a rider without a straight-line speed advantage. Losing out to Rossi in the middle of the race would have given Quartararo the battle he has been waiting before between himself and The Doctor, but it may well have cost him the trophy he picked up as a result of his superior pace.
Rossi pointed to his rear tyre choice being the reason he missed out to Quartararo. The Italian had not been comfortable with the soft tyre throughout the weekend, neither over longer runs nor in a time attack, so his choice was a straightforward one to make. However, as Marquez, the Italian suffered with grip, and this was especially evident in his loss of time to teammate Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) behind in the final ten laps. Rossi was able to hold off his Spanish rivals, though, and in the end it was a positive race for the Italian and Yamaha, who notably improved in Spielberg compared to twelve months ago.
Valentino Rossi at the 2019 MotoGP race at the Rd Bull Ring. Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing
Whilst Vinales was unable to pass Rossi in the final part of the race, Alex Rins was equally unable to pass Vinales. Once again, though, it had been the first part of the race that had cost Vinales a shot at the podium; losing out to Rossi on lap two meant he had to come up against that particular road block later in the race, and it proved one he could not overcome, finishing fifth in front of Rins – the #42 unable to do anything about either of the factory M1s despite Suzuki’s power gains over the winter.
Nearly eight seconds back of Rins was Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), who took his best result in MotoGP with seventh place courtesy of, partly, the Ducati’s strength in Austria and, partly, of improvements made by the #63 and his team at the Brno test.
Just behind Bagnaia was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), the pair coming across the line in a similar fashion to last year’s Moto2 race, where they duelled for the win. The Portuguese saved the face of KTM, after Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) retired on lap two with a mechanical problem. Espargaro was looking good for a top ten, and Oliveira took over when his machinery let him down – important in KTM’s home race and especially with the announcement of Johann Zarco’s departure from Red Bull KTM Factory Racing at the end of this season.
Danilo Petrucci ahead of Franco Morbidelli in the 2019 Red Bull Ring MotoGP Race. Image courtesy of Ducati
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) finished a disappointing ninth. Since the summer break the Italian’s form has been disappointing, and Austria was no different; beaten in Ducati’s strongest circuit by three rookies on satellite bikes, one being a KTM and another a Yamaha, as well as the sole factory Suzuki and the factory Yamaha pairing. Fortunately for Petrucci, his contract is already signed for 2020.
Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed a difficult weekend aboard his satellite Yamaha with a top ten, rounding it out ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda IDEMITSU) who probably did not help his chances of a 2020 RC213V for next year with an eleventh. Johann Zarco was twelfth, although that was not enough for him to decide to continue with KTM next year, whilst Stefan Bradl scored points once more for Repsol Honda Team in place of Jorge Lorenzo, who should be back in Silverstone. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was fourteenth ahead of Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) who completed the points.
Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was the final classified rider, one lap down in sixteenth after a mistake on lap twenty-five when he was nine seconds off his own pace of mid-1’25s, before two laps over twenty-five seconds off the pace when he went a lap down.
When Pol Espargaro’s bike expired on the second lap in the middle of the slowest corner on the track, turn three, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL) was the unfortunate victim. The Brit had nowhere to go but into the back of the Spaniard who was unable to get off the line in time, and the #35’s race was over pretty much before it began.
Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) went down the lap after, and had to be hospitalized. There was concussion for the Malaysian, but he is expected to be okay for Silverstone.
Jack Miller Crashed out of fourth on lap seven. His fastest lap remained as the third-fastest of the race until the flag, a sign of the Australian’s potential. With the rumours circling around Miller’s future over the weekend, it was perhaps not ideal timing for the #43 to drop out of a race, but he was okay and his Pramac contract for 2020 is now signed.
The final retirement was Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing), who dropped out with eight to go.
Featured Image courtesy of Gareth Harford/Yamah Racing
Rewind, back to summer 2018. Buckling under the glare of the Netflix cameras, the heat from Cyril Abiteboul’s yellow submarines, and the demise of what was once his prized asset, Gunther Steiner had a tough decision to make. He was hanging over the eject button, beads of sweat heavy enough to fall and depress the thing theirselves, all the while Romain Grosjean waited for the decision.
He was ultimately spared by his boss, thanks to an 11th hour renaissance giving Haas the support they needed in the points tally, but one year on it’s a case of deja vu. Only this time, the situation’s different. Being bested by his teammate Kevin Magnussen again in the standings is one thing, but the two have been drawn like magnets to each other’s carbon fibre, and team morale is at an all-time low. The American dream could well be over for Romain.
If that button’s finally pressed, it’d be easy to think the jig is up for him in F1 entirely. What team’s even in a position to take on a 33 year old with a history of erratic form, radio outbursts and, if his current partnership is anything to go by, struggles with maintaining morale with his other side of the garage? Well, there is still one chapter potentially left in his book of tales: Alfa Romeo.
Before I delve any deeper, there’s a majestically-haired elephant in the room in Antonio Giovinazzi. Youthful rookie and Ferrari academy product, the natural assumption is that he’s safe for 2020. Even I think that, though there’s every chance Alfa could start to take a dimmer view of his potential if his results fail to pick up by the season’s end. So far 32 of the team’s 33 points have been scored by their talisman Kimi Raikkonen, with Antonio contributing a sole point, while the qualifying battle is 7-4 in the Finn’s favour.
This doesn’t tell the whole story. After his two-race cameo at the beginning of 2017, Antonio went 23 months without competitive racing – which has brought on an understandable rustiness to his craft – and has shown flashes of what made him such a formidable force in GP2 three years ago. Also, while he may be in the twilight of his career, Kimi’s shown no signs of hitting the brakes, driving like a man reborn throughout the season. Antonio’s results aren’t as black and white as they appear.
Serious questions will arise if he doesn’t improve in time for post-season though, and in an ever-sharpening midgrid slog Alfa need a much more even split of the points if they want to trouble the upper places in the Constructors’ table. Ferrari’s commitment to treating him as a genuine contender for a future race seat of theirs’ could evaporate too, what with Mick Schumacher waiting in the wings and the Scud suffering with the absence of a man who performed admirably in their simulator department.
If those results don’t come, and both Ferrari and their understudies decide Antonio is best placed back on the sidelines, there stands two options. Do they wait for Mick, and hope he can jump the final barrier to the big time? Or do they reach out for an experienced hand, and give the next scarlet prodigy time to find his feet? Mick himself has never been one to rush his progress, and his carefulness has worked so far. The latter stands as the best option.
Romain could become the most desirable free agent on their radar, if Steiner finally calls time, and despite the many flaws in his arsenal there’s benefits to a team like Alfa having him onboard. Firstly, those teammate issues I talked about? They won’t have them. Not only is Kimi arguably the most docile and unproblematic driver they could hope for, he’s also well aware of Romain after their two seasons together at Lotus in 2012 and 2013, when they worked fairly harmoniously as a duo. No red flags to be found there.
Alfa Romeo’s a harmonious team to be at in general, too. Romain’s a confidence player, and when he’s made to feel comfortable he’s undoubtedly capable of contributing star races for his team – he’s shown that at Haas in the past and especially with his against-the-odds podium in Belgium 2015 – so the lack of pressure in Switzerland would suit him down to the ground.
It’s also too frequently forgotten just how blazingly quick Romain is. The second half to his 2013 season was a comeback for the ages, with him acting as the only real threat to Red Bull and taking four podiums in his final six races. His aforementioned podium with Lotus in 2015, against the backdrop of financial woes and even bailiffs hounding the team, was a much-needed bright light in their season. His first season with Haas resulted in a beatdown of Esteban Gutierrez, with the team’s 29 point haul entirely down to him. He’s more than capable of hitting those heights again, given a fresh start.
The final reason the move makes sense is that Kimi won’t keep going forever. Alfa have gained immeasurably from having a sage head within their driver line-up, but once his contract’s up at the end of 2020 that’s likely to be his final contribution to the sport. Bedding in a like-for-like replacement in Romain, while Mick plies his trade once more in F2, would mean that when he’s finally prepared for the step up they have a known quantity alongside him – a strategy which has worked so effectively this season.
If there’s any team that can get a tune out of Romain, it’s Alfa Romeo. And if there’s anyone who can fill the brief Alfa will need when Kimi hangs up his overalls, it’s Romain. Antonio still has the greatest claim to their second seat, but if he were to be deemed surplus to requirements, there’s a golden chance to plan for the future by recreating a flagging driver’s past.
While Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon have grabbed the headlines this summer, there’s more to the Red Bull driver programme than just their Formula 1 stable. We take a look at each of their upcoming young talents, from karting all the way to the F1 feeder series’.
Juri Vips
Juri Vips celebrating victory at the Red Bull Ring (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
Juri Vips is perhaps the closest Red Bull junior to Formula One right now. The 19-year-old Estonian joined the programme ahead of last year’s Macau Grand Prix, after becoming an F4 champion in 2017 and finishing fourth in the 2018 European F3 series. He is currently driving for Hitech in FIA F3, and is running second with two victories to his name.
Patricio O’Ward
Patricio OWard racing Super Formula at Motegi (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
Red Bull’s newest signing is Patricio O’Ward, winner of the 2017 WeatherTech Sportscar and 2018 Indy Lights championships. O’Ward has had a mixed 2019 so far, racing a part-time IndyCar entry with Carlin after losing his initial Harding Steinbrenner Racing drive due to sponsorship issues. With Red Bull backing he has since made appearances in F2 for MP Motorsport and Super Formula with Team Mugen.
Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda driving for Jenzer at the Hungaroring (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
2018 Japanese F4 champion Yuki Tsunoda joined the Red Bull programme through his links with the Honda Formula Dream Project. Red Bull currently has the 19-year-old racing on the F1 support bill in FIA F3 with Jenzer Motorsport. Tsunoda is also driving for Team Motopark in the Euroformula Open series, where he is running fourth in the standings with one win.
Lucas Auer
Lucas Auer on his way to third at SUGO (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
24-year-old Austrian Lucas Auer is another one of Red Bull’s new 2019 signings. Auer has flirted with the pinnacle of motorsport already, having challenged for titles in Formula 3 and DTM and tested Force India’s F1 car in 2017. He has joined O’Ward in Super Formula for this year, and took his first podium of the series at Sportsland SUGO.
Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson in the FIA F3 paddock (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
New Zealander Liam Lawson joined Red Bull this year just a few days after his 17th birthday—and after securing the Toyota Racing Series title over Ferrari junior Marcus Armstrong. Lawson has continued to race Armstrong in FIA F3 this year, driving for MP Motorsport. He is also placed third in Euroformula Open with two victories to his name.
Jack Doohan
Jack Doohan at the Red Bull Ring (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
Son of MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, Jack Doohan has joined fellow Red Bull juniors Lawson and Tsunoda in this year’s Euroformula Open Championship. He is currently seventh in the standings with two second places and six other points finishes. Doohan has also taken multiple victories driving for Hitech in Asian F3 this year.
Dennis Hauger
Dennis Hauger celebrating victory in ADAC F4 (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
After a successful Formula 4 debut last year, Red Bull has rewarded 16-year-old Dennis Hauger with a dual programme in Italian F4 and ADAC F4 for 2019. Driving for Van Amersfoort Racing in both series’, the Norwegian driver has taken six wins and seven pole positions altogether this year and is currently second in the Italian standings.
Jonny Edgar
Jonny Edgar driving in the Italian F4 Championship (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
15-year-old British driver Jonny Edgar has stepped up to his first season of racing cars this year, driving for Jenzer Motorsport in the Italian F4 Championship. He is currently 13th in the standings after six points finishes, the best of which so far is a fifth place at the Hungaroring. Like Hauger, he is also entered in the ADAC F4 series.
Harry Thompson
Harry Thompson in the 2018 WSK Final Cup (Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool)
Having only turned 15 earlier this month, Harry Thompson is the youngest current member of the Red Bull Junior Team. After being named FIA Karting Rookie of the Year in 2018, Thompson is continuing his karting career this year in both European and British championships.
After a number of gravel events, we return to tarmac, with the completely unique Rally Germany. Each day has a completely different type of tarmac as well, making it exceptionally challenging, and that is before the rain arrives, and the mud and stones gets pulled on the road. Then it really is unpredictable.
Two years ago, Ott Tanak took his first ever WRC victory in this event. Now he and Martin head to this event as championship leaders, twenty-two points ahead of reigning champions Seb and Julien. The Estonians have to be considered as favourites for the win, but the champions in the Citroen will want to hit back and take a win.
FIA World Rally Championship 2018 / Round 09 / Rallye Deutschland 2018 / August 16-19, 2018 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC
Thierry and Nicolas in their Hyundai, who are third in the championship will also want to take a win to close up at the front, and their car does go well on tarmac. They picked up a win earlier this year on the island of Corsica, after Elfyn’s puncture on the final stage.
Of course, Elfyn and Scott sadly will be missing a second rally as the Welshman continues to recover from his back injury. Gus and Elliot will be making their debut on tarmac this weekend, and this will very much be a learning process for them. Teemu and Jarmo will be leading the team, and their car will be capable of getting them onto the podium.
These are the 19 stages and a total of 344km of competitive mileage facing the crews. Saturday is the longest day, with eight of the stages run just on that day. This event is often regarded as actually being three rallies in one. One part of the route features very narrow, technical stages lined with pavements that wind through steep hills of the Mosel vineyards. Another part takes the crews through the countryside of the former French department of the Sarre, with a series of tight hairpins, whilst Saturday’s leg is famous for the stages held in the Baumholder military base, where the bumpy, concrete roads are hard on both the tyres and the cars’ damper systems.
THURSDAY 22 AUGUST
10.00am: Shakedown St. Wendeler Land (5,20 km)
6.45pm: Start (Bostalsee)
7.08pm: SS 1 – St. Wendeler Land (5,20 km)
7.38pm: Parc ferme
FRIDAY 23 AUGUST
9.00am: Start & service A (Bostalsee – 15 mins)
10.14am: SS 2 – Stein und Wein 1 (19,44 km)
11.08am: SS 3 – Mittelmosel 1 (22,00 km)
12.43pm: SS 4 – Wadern-Weiskirchen 1 (9,27 km)
2.03pm: Service B (Bostalsee – 40 mins)
3.42pm: SS 5 – Stein und Wein 2 (19,44 km)
4.36pm: SS 6 – Mittelmosel 2 (22,00 km)
6.11pm: SS 7 – Wadern-Weiskirchen 2 (9,27 km)
7.11pm: Flexi service C (Bostalsee – 48 mins)
SATURDAY 24 AUGUST
7.15am: Start & service D (Bostalsee – 15 mins)
8.09am: SS 8 – Freisen 1 (14,78 km)
9.12am: SS 9 – Römerstrasse 1 (12,28 km)
11.09am: SS 10 – Freisen 2 (14,78 km)
12.12pm: SS 11 – Römerstrasse 2 (12,28 km)
1.31pm: Service E (Bostalsee – 40 mins)
3.08pm: SS 12 – Arena Panzerplatte 1 (10,73 km)
3.46pm: SS 13 – Panzerplatte 1 (41,17 km)
5.41pm: Service F (Bostalsee – 15 mins)
6.53pm: SS 14 – Arena Panzerplatte 2 (10,73 km)
7.31pm: SS 15 – Panzerplatte 2 (41,17 km)
9.06pm: Flexi service G (Bostalsee – 48 mins)
SUNDAY 25 AUGUST
6.20am: Start & service H (Bostalsee – 15 mins)
7.46am: SS 16 – Grafschaft 1 (28,06 km)
9.41am: SS 17 – Dhrontal 1 (11,69 km)
10.10am: SS 18 – Grafschaft 2 (28,06 km)
12.18pm: SS 19 – Dhrontal 2 (11,69 km)
1.23pm: Service I (Bostalsee – 10 mins)
2.00pm: Podium
Let’s hear from the drivers!
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Ott Tänak
“Germany is obviously a rally that I like a lot. Martin and I have won there two years in a row and our target this year is definitely to make it three. It’s certainly not an easy rally: I think last year was one of the most difficult wins in my career, as the competition was very strong and I had to push really hard from the beginning. It’s a big challenge for a driver to have so many different types of road in one rally, and to try to be fast on all of them and not make any mistakes. We know that the weather is often a big factor as well, and it can be very hard to predict.”
Jari-Matti Latvala
“It was really good to get the podium finish in Finland, and it means that I have a more relaxed feeling going to Germany. Last year we were up to second place when we had a problem on the final day and had to retire, so we know that we can be strong there. I’m really excited to see how we will do and I hope we can be fighting for the podium places again. The last asphalt rally in Corsica was difficult for me but we really worked on this in our test in Germany before Rally Finland: We were working on the braking and the turning, and I had a good feeling in the car.”
Kris Meeke
“After a run of gravel events, I’m really looking forward to competing on asphalt again. I’ve had a great feeling with the Yaris WRC so far on asphalt and I hope that we can find that again in Germany. It’s always a really demanding event because of the three different types of terrain and, on top of that, the weather is often changing from one stage to the next. But it’s a rally where I’ve been competitive in the past and I really hope that we can secure a good result for the team.”
Citroën Total WRT
Sébastien Ogier
“My aim coming into this round in Germany, a rally where I have always performed very well, is to secure a good result and shift the momentum a little bit in the championship. We had several types of weather conditions during testing and that’s always positive. The fact that we will be tackling the military base stage in the opposite direction to normal might make it a decisive test again, even though in the last few years the need to manage the tyres has meant we’ve been unable to push really hard. It is still a tricky section, like a lot of the rally itself. The risk of picking up a puncture is higher than usual, with the many curbs on the roads in the vineyards and the small, sharp stones that end up on the road surface in Baumholder.”
Can Seb and Julien stop Ott and Martin from winning this rally for the third year in a row? Photo credit, Citroen
Esapekka Lappi
“My test in June was very successful. In addition to half a day in the military base, I had a full day on a good test base, with a little bit of everything we can expect road surface-wise during the race, and I felt comfortable in the C3 WRC. But it’s always difficult to know where you are compared to your rivals. In the meantime, I also spent the day at Satory, and that allowed me to get my bearings back on tarmac. So, I feel ready and I think that on this kind of tricky rally, as well as having good speed, you need to be consistent given the number of incidents that invariably occur. The podium I secured last year showed just that.”
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Germany is a very challenging event due to the fact that you have three different days with very different characteristics. You have the vineyards, the Saarland stages and the famous Baumholder stages. In addition to that, the weather plays a key role in the result of the rally and the past editions have always been surprisingly wet. That makes it hard to choose the right tyres. We will be pushing to fight at the front and challenge for victory.”
2017 FIA World Rally Championship, Round 10, Rallye Deutschland 17 – 20 August 2017, Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, Photographer: RaceEMotion, Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Andreas Mikkelsen
“Rallye Deutschland is a beautiful rally, and it will represent our first time on tarmac for quite a while. The rally contains three contrasting days. The Mosel valley and the vineyards are very tricky stages, and then we have the military area, which needs a completely different type of driving before the countryside stages. All are very different, but enjoyable. It’s important to find consistency and score as many points as possible to help the team maintain the lead of the championship.”
Dani Sordo
“Germany is always a nice rally and really special because of the different road profiles. The Baumholder stages in particular are famous for their concrete roads that can wear the tyres, as well as the Hinkelsteins and hairpin turns. I have won here in the past and been on the podium many times. Normally I am on the pace every year, so I hope this year will be the same.”
M-Sport WRT
Teemu Suninen
“Rallye Deutschland is a really demanding rally, but I feel ready for the challenge. We had a good run last time out on Tarmac, and I hope we can build on that next week.
“We’ve had a day and a half testing to find the best set-ups on the car, and the feeling is really good. Of course, it’s impossible to be on the limit all the time at an event like this, but if we stay focused, I think we can have a good rally.
“The route note crews will also be really important next week – and I think this is the most important event for them after Rallye Monte-Carlo. There is always a lot of cutting here which brings a lot of dirt onto the road. The conditions can change so much from one corner to the next, and that means a lot of changes in the notes.”
Teemu and former co-driver Marko scored a good fifth place last year. Photo credit, M-Sport
Gus Greensmith
“I’m really excited for this one – Tarmac is the surface I grew up on, so this is my kind of territory. I thought the Ford Fiesta WRC was quick on gravel – but it’s another level on Tarmac!
“I’ve had a day and a half testing in Germany to prepare, and everything has been really promising so far. I felt immediately more comfortable with the Fiesta WRC on Tarmac, and the feeling behind the wheel was truly special.
“Being a Tarmac event, the margins are smaller and everything feels that little more on the edge. But our focus is on gaining the full experience of the rally, and if I’m relaxed, I’m confident the times will come too.”
Summary
I held a poll on my twitter account, asking who was likely to win. Here’s the result.
Time for a poll! Who do you think will win? Please Vote and RT
— Warren Pit Crew WRC Editor (@Warren_S_Nel) August 9, 2019
Well, if Ott and Martin win this rally for the third year in a row, they will be in a commanding position in the fight for this year’s world championship. Now, who else could stand on the podium? Seb Ogier, Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo all have the pace. Kris Meeke and Teemu Suninen and Jari-Matti Latvala could all also make it, depending on their consistency through the stages. Which drivers could make it into the points? Well, Gus Greensmith makes his third start of the year, and will hope to make it to the finish this time. It’s certainly going to be a spectacular event! Enjoy!
Ayrton Simmons beat a frustrated Kiern Jewiss to Race Three victory to complete a fine Sunday performance.
The Chris Dittmann Racing man was fourth in Race Two after charging through the field in wet conditions, and passed Jewiss off the line in Race Three where he was never more than mildly uncomfortable in the face of a fierce Jewiss challenge.
Neil Verhagen recovered from a tough run of form to take third place and underline his top-five championship credentials, while in a potentially key move regarding the destiny of the British F3 championship, series’ leader Clement Novalak took fourth ahead of second-placed Johnathan Hoggard.
Hoggard had started third on the grid but lost out in a battle with Ulysse De Pauw to lose ground early on lap one, and the man from Lincolnshire failed to recover from there.
Hampus Ericsson climbed to sixth to put a difficult weekend behind him ahead of Belgium’s De Pauw, with Lucas Petersson’s eighth place cemented this weekend as the Swede’s strongest of 2019 for Carlin Motorsport.
Another man who will be pleased with his pace this weekend is Josh Mason.
The Lanan Racing driver took ninth place in Race Three at the circuit where he won last year after showing solid midfield pace all weekend, while Kaylen Frederick will best remember this weekend for an overtake around the outside of Race Two winner Manuel Maldonado to finish tenth.
Nazim Azman was twelfth behind Maldonado, with Nico Varrone 13th and Pavan Ravishankar a disappointing 14th place. Kris Wright and Ben Pedersen were 15th and 16th after receiving penalties, and Sassakorn Chaimongkol was 17th after a collision with Pedersen on the opening lap.
Fortec Motorsport’s Manuel Maldonado took a lights to flag victory from pole position on Sunday’s Race Two reverse grid race.
The Venezuelan recovered from a difficult Saturday where he took damage and finished 16th in Race One to take an easy victory in changeable Silverstone conditions.
Maldonado led home Nico Varrone, second on his return to the to series, with Clement Novalak climbing up to third after starting ninth as championship rival Johnathan Hoggard toiled to finish in 14th.
Kris Wright put in his best performance of the year so far to finish fifth behind a hard-charging Ayrton Simmons, who was at times 2s per lap faster than anyone else.
Ulysse De Pauw was a strong sixth for Douglas Motorsport ahead of a somewhat resurgent Pavan Ravishankar in seventh.
Kiern Jewiss was eighth after starting fifteenth following a second-placed finish on Saturday afternoon ahead of Race One winner Sasakorn Chaimongkol.
Benjamin Pedersen completed the top ten ahead of Lucas Petersson and Nazim Azman, with Kaylen Frederick dropping to thirteenth from eighth after a starting infringement dropped him back 10s.
After tremendous rainfall on Friday, the conditions were almost perfect for the British Superbike riders in Cadwell Park, for qualifying for the eighth round of the 2019 championship.
It was Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) took pole position, with a stunning lap of a 1’26.2 for his third pole of the season. Brookes has been well known for his Mountain performances over his BSB career, but his technique has faced criticism. A pole lap of that quality will silence those criticisms, at least until tomorrow. But Brookes’ pace has been strong all weekend, since the test on Thursday, so the Australian will certainly be a favourite going into race day.
Brookes’ pole lap was the target Bradley Ray (Buidlbase Suzuki) needed to take him to his first front row of the season. 2019 has been a difficult year for Ray so far but perhaps this is the beginning of a return to form for the #28.
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing) completes the front row for sunday’s first race, as he seeks a return to the podium having missed it on both occasions in Thruxton.
— Bennetts British Superbike Championship (@OfficialBSB) August 17, 2019
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) has had a strong Cadwell Park debut. A front row looked likely until Bradley Ray’s stealthy lap for second, but a fourth-place start is by no means a disaster for the championship leader. Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) has had a strong weekend, and qualified fifth, whilst Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) completes the second row.
Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) suffered a mechanical problem towards the end of Q3 which compromised his session, and qualified seventh. The Tyco BMW Motorrad pairing of Christian Iddon and Glenn Irwin complete the third row.
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) was the fastest rider to not make it out of Q2 thanks to Iddon’s late lap. That means the #18 Honda will line up at the head of row four, ahead of an incensed Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) whose final lap was ruined when he caught Gino Rea (Bike Devil Sweda MV Agusta). Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) completes row four.
Luke Stapleford riding the Buildbase Suzuki BSB bike at Cadwell Park 2019. Image courtesy of Suzuki
Xavi Fores (Honda Racing) starts from thirteenth in Sunday’s first race, ahead of an impressive Matt Truelove (Raceways Yamaha) who is having his best weekend on a Superbike so far. Row five is completed by Rea; whilst row six sees Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) ahead of the injured Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) and Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) who crashed in the Hairpin in Q1, meaning his Q2 was compromised – on his first flying lap the #7 crashed again at the Hairpin, meaning he didn’t set a time in Q2.
Ben Currie (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) was the fastest rider to not make Q2 on his first SBK visit to Cadwell. The Australian will be joined on row seven by Billy McConnell – in place of the injured Luke Mossey at OMG Racing Suzuki – and Hector Barbera (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) who is now in full time as Currie’s teammate.
Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing) qualified twenty-second, ahead of Joe Francis (Lloyd & Jones Bowker Motorrad) and Claudio Corti (Team WD-40); whilst David Allingham (EHA Yamaha) qualified only twenty-fifth after a crash, ahead of Sam Coventry (Team 64 Motorsports) and Shaun Winfield (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha). Dean Hipwell (CDH Racing) and Fraser Rogers (Gearlink Kawasaki) complete the grid.
This weekend the British Superbike Championship heads to Cadwell Park for round eight of the 2019 Championship.
Despite his penalty in the second race the and victory of his teammate Josh Brookes, Be Wiser Ducati’s Scott Redding leads both the general standings and the podium points ahead of this weekend’s two races. This could be quite important for Redding, who at the top of Ducati’s list to replace Alvaro Bautista in the factory squad for the 2020 WorldSBK season, as the particular peculiarity of Cadwell makes it a place where experience can count for a lot. As a rookie not only to BSB but also to Cadwell Park, Redding’s challenge this weekend will be a tough one.
Scott Redding at Oulton Park. BSB 2019. Image courtesy of Ducati
Of course, Cadwell Park is well known for The Mountain, a feature for which it is quite unique – it is rare to leave the ground with both wheels on an asphalt circuit – but perhaps its greater challenge is how narrow the track is, barely wide enough for two of BSB’s safety cars to fit side-by-side. Of course, with a motorcycle there is more space, but with 220 or 230 horsepower, that extra space can seem non-existent. Additionally, in Cadwell Park, the bike is almost never upright, even the front straight is kinked, and the longest straight on the track has a reasonably significant curve in the centre. Being precise is the key to Cadwell Park, especially in qualifying – the narrowness means overtaking is extremely difficult, so a strong starting position is important for a good result in the race.
Last year, it was Leon Haslam who took both victories in Cadwell, and he was halfway to achieving the same feat twelve months previously before he dropped out of race two. However, in his absence this year, Kawasaki has picked up only one race win, courtesy of Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) in Knockhill. Buchan has been spectacular over the mountain in the past, but a crash at its foot last year saw him drop out of race one, able only to achieve an eighth place in race two. The #83 has shown he is fast enough to make the Showdown this year, but with it approaching could do with a healthy haul this weekend to find some more security before the Oulton Park triple-header in the beginning of September.
Despite Haslam’s successes, it is difficult to think of Cadwell Park without making the link to Josh Brookes. The Australian has been well-known for his enthusiasm at its most famous part throughout his time racing in Britain. Despite this, Brookes hasn’t found the top step there since 2015, when his race two triumph was the last in a sequence of victories spanning three rounds. The Ducati has been dominant this season, and Brookes will have gained confidence after his Thruxton victory, but finding the right setting and the necessary confidence with such an extreme motorcycle on such an extreme circuit could prove tricky in the partnership’s first year.
Andrew Irwin. Winner at the 2019 BSB Thruxton Race. Image courtesy of Honda BSB racing
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) will have also gained confidence from his Thruxton victory, the first of his career in BSB. Not only did Irwin take his first BSB win two weeks ago but he also leapfrogged his teammate, Xavi Fores (Honda Racing) for the final provisional spot in the Showdown. Irwin arrives in Cadwell Park seven points clear of Fores, who tested at Cadwell at the beginning of the year; Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) – who won at Cadwell back in 2014 on a Honda and arrives in the BSB paddock this weekend having dominated the Ulster Grand Prix, with seven wins at the Irish road race – is sixteen back of Irwin. Having missed both races in Thruxton thanks to injuries from his qualifying crash, Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) has also been dragged into the Showdown scrap, the #95 sitting just twelve points clear of Fores. With only five races before the Showdown six are decided, this battle is only going to continue to intensify.
James Ellison, who won in Cadwell Park just two years ago, will not be racing this weekend, having split with the Smiths Racing squad. The team have not announced a replacement for the #77.
Sassakorn Chaimongkol took a memorable first ever BRDC British F3 victory in the first of three races this weekend at Silverstone.
The Fortec driver squeezed past polesitter Kiern Jewiss at the start of the race and despite intense pressure for twenty minutes, never looked likely to crack under intense pressure from Jewiss and Johnathan Hoggard.
Ayrton Simmons recovered to fourth after a poor start dropped him from third to sixth, despite finishing behind Neil Verhagen on track. Verhagen dropped to tenth after being penalised for a jump start.
Ulysse De Pauw came home fifth to continue his recent strong form ahead of Kaylen Frederick in sixth.
Championship leader Clement Novalak could only manage seventh on a disappointing Saturday for the Carlin driver, who risks seeing his lead at the top erode this weekend with Hoggard towards the front of the grid.
Lucas Petersson put in one of his strongest showings of the season to take eighth ahead of fellow Swede Hampus Ericsson, who recovered well after a slow start dropped him to twelfth.
Last year’s Silverstone Race Two winner Josh Mason was eleventh on Saturday afternoon after to gain two places over the course of the race, with Pavan Ravishankar a solid twelfth.
Nico Varrone bested Kris Wright for thirteenth with Nazim Azman last of the main pack on his eighteenth birthday, with Benjamin Pedersen retiring and Manuel Maldonado lapped after losing his front wing.
