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  • Marta Garcia takes maiden W Series win from pole

    Marta Garcia takes maiden W Series win from pole

    Marta Garcia stormed to her first W Series victory from pole position at the Norisring as championship leader Jamie Chadwick had to settle for third place.

    The battles began even before qualifying had started, as W Series staged an FP2 shootout between Canadian Megan Gilkes, and the reserve drivers Vivien Keszthelyi and Sarah Bovy, to determine who would enter the race. By setting the fastest time of the three, in seventh place, Keszthelyi was given permission to race.

    Garcia took pole with a time of 50.712s, with Chadwick just 0.081s behind. Fabienne Wohlwend and Gosia Rdest set the third and fourth quickest times to line up on the second row of the grid. American Sabre Cook displayed her best pace of the season, qualifying in tenth place. Emma Kimilainen, returning after injuries caused by a first-lap crash with Gilkes at Hockenheim, qualified in eighth, but felt that even more could have been possible after being caught out by a red flag.

    As the lights went out, Garcia made a confident getaway and led throughout, never looking in danger of losing her lead. Beitske Visser made a decisive start to jump from fifth to second, where she remained throughout, with Chadwick and Wohlwend falling back to third and fourth respectively.

    Chadwick seemed to struggle for pace in the race, coming under pressure from Wohlwend behind. However, in the closing stages, Chadwick seemed to find some hidden pace, hunting down Visser ahead but unable to find a way past.

    The race was far from incident-free, with Rdest damaging her front wing on the opening lap, and Sarah Moore and Shea Holbrook both suffering damage after coming together.

    Kimilainen made a solid return to the series, finishing in fifth place after coming out on top of an exciting battle with Jessica Hawkins, and challenging Wohlwend for fourth, as well as setting the fastest lap of the race, at 50.975s.

    Alice Powell had a commendable drive, having fought her way back into the top eight after starting from the back due to a gearbox failure in qualifying. However, her luck continued to run dry as she suffered a fuel pump failure in the closing stages of the race and was forced to retire. Sarah Moore and Jessica Hawkins also retired from the race.

    Following her maiden win, Garcia is one of four drivers still in championship contention in third place with 60 points, with Chadwick continuing to lead the standings with 83 points. Visser follows with 73 points, and Wohlwend is in fourth with 41 points.

    Featured Image: W Series

  • Honda, From Nadir to Zenith

    Honda, From Nadir to Zenith

    SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JUNE 30: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 celebrates during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 30, 2019 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)

    ‘Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% of failure’ Soichiro Honda.

    In 2015, Honda returned to Formula 1 and powered McLaren’s cars. That season, the Japanese manufacturer supplied Alonso’s and Button’s car with the Honda RA615H 1.6L engine. It was a tough season for McLaren and a difficult return in F1 for Honda, the engine was unreliable both drivers retired 12 times combined in the 2015 season. Kevin Magnussen, who replaced Alonso in the Australian Grand Prix, didn’t even start the race because his engine failed while he was driving to the grid.

    In general, it was a disastrous season that everyone in McLaren and especially Honda would like to forget.

    The following year, McLaren-Honda finished 6th in the constructors’ standings. Progress was made, considering the 9th position in 2015.

    “Half happy and of course we are not satisfied at our current position,” said Hasegawa.

    In 2017, Honda redesigned their engine and named it RA617H. Changes applied in 2017 rules, FIA dropped the regulation for limited engine development during one season, that gave the chance to the Japanese team to design a reliable motor. Honda’s official, Yusuke Hasegawa described the new design as “very high risk”.

    “The concept is completely different. It’s very high risk, we don’t know a lot of things about that new concept. We know it will give us a performance advantage but the biggest risk is whether we can realise that potential this year.” Said Yusuke

    Long story short, it was another disastrous season for McLaren-Honda. The engine was unreliable, Fernando Alonso finished 15th and Stoffel Vandoorne 16th. Jenson Button, who replaced Alonso in Monaco, retired due to suspension damage.

    During the season, McLaren announced the end of the partnership with Honda, after three years.

    Honda is a great company which, like McLaren, is in Formula 1 to win,” said Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, McLaren Group Executive Chairman and Executive Committee principal.

    “It is unfortunate that we must part ways with McLaren before fulfilling our ambitions, however, we made the decision with a belief that this is the best course of action for each other’s future,” commented Takahiro Hachigo, President and Director of Honda Motor.

    SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA – JUNE 30: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 30, 2019 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

    Last season, Honda partnered with Toro Rosso and scored 33 points, more than the years with McLaren combined.

    Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley retired three times due to engine issues, whilst in 2017 McLaren’s drivers forced to retire nine times for Honda related problems.

    The positive results and the signs of improvement convinced Red Bull to offer a two-year contract to Honda for 2019 and 2020.

    In Melbourne, Max Verstappen secured the first podium for Red Bull Racing-Honda. That was the first podium for the Japanese manufacturer after their return to Formula 1 in 2015.

    That was the beginning of a new era for Honda, eight races later, Verstappen wins the Austrian Grand Prix, the first win for Honda in the hybrid PU Era and the first since 2006.

    Honda boss, Toyoharu Tanabe, had no idea what to do for Austrian GP podium.

    “I was surprised when I was told to go [to the podium], I had no idea what I should do and that’s why I got to the podium later than other people. Normally you need to stay before the National Anthem – I thought I should be there for that but I was a bit late. But I joined after that. This was my first time – I was worried about what to do and no one told me!”

    Max Verstappen had a bad start, dropped from second to seventh, but managed to recover and after some tremendous laps, passed both Bottas and Leclerc and reached his first victory in 2019.

    The Japanese never give up, even when they face difficulties, they find the courage to fight back and overcome all the obstacles to reach their goal.

    “We were strong, but for the next race, I cannot guarantee we’ll be a strong as in Austria” said Toyoharu Tanabe

    As Formula 1 fan, I truly hope that Honda will remain competitive and will deliver reliable engines to Red Bull racing and Toro Rosso. The sport, needs strong teams to keep the competition high and increase the action during the races.

  • WorldSBK: Rea Dominates Donington Race 1 and Takes Points Lead, Bautista Crashes

    Despite a good forecast for the weekend, the first race of the eighth round of the 2019 Superbike World Championship was met with rain.

    The battle for the win was a simple one, and one which lasted the length of the run to turn one, as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made the holeshot and was from then on uncatchable. It was a dominant performance from the reigning World Champion who took his seventy-sixth WSBK win and – thanks also to a crash from Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) – the championship lead for the first time in 2019 as he leads Bautista by nine points going into Sunday’s two races.

    Alvaro Bautista at 2019 WSBK Donington Park race one. Image courtesy of Ducati

    Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) had been suffering with the flu through the weekend, but slotted into second place at turn one when Rea took the lead. Behind Sykes was Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who initially looked to try to pass the BMW rider, but eventually fell back into his own ‘cold war’ with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha). None of these three riders changed position between turn one and the flag, with Sykes taking his second podium with BMW, and Haslam his fifth of the season. Baz, on the other hand, took the top ‘independent’ position with fourth place, as well as the honour of top Yamaha rider.

    The next YZF-R1 pilot was seven seconds behind Baz, as Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) completed a lonely second part of the race after he inherited fifth from Bautista when the Spaniard – with whom Lowes had been battling and trading times since almost the start of the race – crashed out.

    Sixth place went to Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) who took his best finish of the season and was the top ‘independent’ Kawasaki. The Argentinian had a battle in the mid-race with Peter Hickman who is in this weekend for the ill Markus Reiterberger at BMW Motorrad WorldSBK, but when Mercado was able to string some laps together he was able to break Hickman by thirteen seconds at the flag. Hickman in seventh place was the last rider within sixty seconds of Rea (with some favourable rounding), representing how spread out the race was and the dominance of Rea in the wet conditions.

    Michael van der Mark at the 2019 WSBK Race one at Donington Park. Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing

    Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) took eighth place only ten days after the surgery on his broken wrist, whilst Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team) – who went off at Craner Curves twice in two laps – took ninth and Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) was the top Ducati in tenth.

    Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) was eleventh after he picked up speed from mid-race onwards to come from the back. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) struggled, like Davies, with the V4R in wet conditions and spent most of the race fighting with Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) for last, although was able to break away and also pass Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) for twelfth. Razgatlioglu had a tough race and took thirteenth, whilst Melandri was lapped by Rea on the Northern Irishman’s final tour and finished fourteenth and last of the finishers.

    Normally, with only fourteen finishers the number of retirements is big. However, the field was only seventeen-strong to begin with, so only three retired: Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing) and the aforementioned Bautista who relinquished his points lead for the first time this year.

  • WorldSBK: Title Battle Moves to Britain

    WorldSBK: Title Battle Moves to Britain

    This weekend the Superbike World Championship heads to Donington for round eight of the 2019 season.

    Despite his speed advantage in many races throughout 2019 so far, Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing -Ducati) has only a sixteen-point lead coming into Donington. In part, this is thanks to his crashes in Jerez and Misano, both in the Sunday full-length races. Additionally, it is down to Jonathan Rea’s victories for Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK in the previous rounds, the Northern Irishman taking a 50% win-rate from the past eight races.

    Donington provides an opportunity for the Spaniard to fight back against the four-times World Champion, though. The British track is one Bautista knows from his Grand Prix days. The #19 accrued four podiums at Donington between 2004 and 2009 when Donington staged its most recent Grand Prix, including a win in 2006 on his way to the 250cc World Championship. Rea, on the other hand, has taken two wins at Donington in WorldSBK, the most recent coming in 2017 race two.

    Álvaro Bautista at Donington WSBK 2019. Image courtesy of Ducati

    However, Donington has undergone changes since Bautista last races there, and will be somewhat unfamiliar to the Spaniard. The British round of the 2018 championship was not a straightforward one for Ducati, who didn’t achieve a single podium in either race, with Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) scoring the Panigale’s best result of the weekend on Sunday with fifth place, nearly five seconds of the win.

    The Ducati, though, has changed for this year, of course. The V4R has, in the hands of Bautista, enjoyed a significant pace advantage over the field at almost every track so far on the calendar and – whilst BSB have only visited the ‘National’ layout at Donington which misses the Melbourne Loop – the WorldSBK Ducati riders will be encouraged by the triple win of Scott Redding on the Be Wiser Ducati when the national championship was in Donington earlier this year.

    Bautista’s biggest strength with the Ducati – as a rider – this year has been his ability to carry corner speed. This should be highlighted in the first part of the track – from Redgate to the Foggy Esses – which consists mostly of long, medium-to-high-speed, corners. In comparison, Jonathan Rea has, as in the past with Kawasaki, proven especially strong in braking, which should be highlighted by the final sector, the aforementioned Melbourne Loop, which is comprised of heavy braking and hard acceleration. The crucial part this weekend in the context of the championship is which of Bautista and Rea can get closest to their rival in their prospective ‘weak point’. Rea’s previous prowess in the mid-corner, for which he was famed at Honda, would suggest before the weekend that the reigning champion has the advantage, but Bautista has proven wrong several predictions already this season.

    It is likely that the battle for between the championship leaders will not be a private affair at the front of any of the three races this weekend. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) is coming into Donington off the back of his best race in WorldSBK at Misano where he led Rea for much of the encounter, and missed out only on the final lap. Additionally, it must not be forgotten that Donington was the scene of Razgatlioglu’s first WSBK podium in 2018 when he beat Rea to second place.

    Michael van der Mark from WSBK Misano 2019. Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing

    Of course, Donington last year was also the scene of Michael van der Mark’s double win for the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team. Van der Mark missed all three races in Misano thanks to a practice crash on Friday which also put him in doubt for this weekend. However, the Dutchman has been passed fit, although BSB’s Tarran Mackenzie is on standby if the Dutchman has to pull out.

    Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has a fantastic chance to add to his solitary WorldSBK win this weekend, with the Yamaha’s strong recent record at the British track and his own tendency to perform in front of his home crowd.

    2018 was a disappointing year for Tom Sykes in general in his final year at Kawasaki. His first year at BMW Motorrad WorldSBK has been positive, though, and with the Briton taking his and the 2019 S1000RR’s first podium together in Misano, he arrives in Donington in good form. Between 2013 race one and 2017 race one, Sykes was unbeaten in Donington, and the combination of his hard braking style in the final sector and the BMW’s strong performance in the mid-corner in the first part of the lap should prove a strong one this weekend and perhaps one that can challenge for the win.

    Eugene Laverty is back in action this weekend for Team Goeleven after being out since a practice crash in Imola, although the #50 is by no means at 100%. Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team), on the other hand, is still missing this weekend, and will not be back in Laguna Seca, either – nor will he be replaced in Britain or California. Markus Reiterberger, contrarily, will be replaced this weekend by five-times Isle of Man TT race winner Peter Hickman, as the German rider is out with the flu.

    Featured image courtesy of Ducati

  • Moto3: Canet Leads as Championship Midpoint Approaches

    Moto3: Canet Leads as Championship Midpoint Approaches

    There is no rest for the Moto3 World Championship riders, as one week on from the Dutch TT the 2019 championship heads to the Sachsenring for the German Grand Prix, round nine of the year.

    In Assen, Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) became the first person to repeat wins in thirteen races, as the Italian took his second victory in three GPs. At a circuit which should suit the Honda, although perhaps not with the firm way Arbolino has it set, the Italian has a chance to make it three wins in 2019, which could single him out as a clear championship favourite heading into the second half of the season.

    Despite having more wins than any other rider, Arbolino is thirty-one points behind the championship leader, who remains Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) notwithstanding the Spaniard finishing only twelfth in the Netherlands. Canet finished fifth in Sachsenring last year, and crashed the year before after starting from pole position. The #44 has a mixed record in Germany, but could do with it swinging his way this weekend with his points lead down to just seven points.

    Tony Arbolino winner of Moto3 2019: Round Eight – Assen, Netherlands. Image courtesy of HondaNews.eu

    The rider sitting those seven points behind is the rider beaten in last lap fights by Arbolino in both of the #14’s wins: Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing). The #48 is without a win yet this season, although has been consistent in being there at the front. Only interference from other riders in the closing stages of races (Argentina, for example) or mechanical problems have prevented Dalla Porta from remaining in the top ten all season, but this is racing and anything can happen. Dalla Porta and his Leopard Racing team seem to be able to get his Honda working particularly well in a straight line. Whilst this might not be especially important in Sachsenring, the low power of Moto3 means that any minor gain can be an advantage come race time.

    John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) is the only ride racing in the Moto3 class who was on the Moto3 podium in Sachsenring last year. Whilst Marcos Ramirez was able to make it a KTM 2-3-4 last year and on more favourable Leopard Racing Honda machinery this year, he could be a threat for the podium at the circuit where he took his first top three back in 2017. Similarly, Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) was sixth last year and was unfortunate in Assen to retire with bike issues after running a strong race fighting for the podium. Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) is another rider who will be aiming to put a KTM on the podium, which would be the third time he were to do so in 2019 – a result which would be useful to the Italian rookie having dropped behind compatriot Arbolino in the points after Assen where he didn’t finish.

    Featured Image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM

  • Moto2: Luthi Leads the Pack to Germany

    Moto2: Luthi Leads the Pack to Germany

    One week on from the Dutch TT, the Moto2 World Championship is in Sachsenring for the German Grand Prix, round nine of the 2019 season.

    Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP 40) arrives in Germany straight off the back of his first win in Grand Prix racing. The Spaniard finished fifteenth at Sachsenring last season, his first visit to the German track, which is a unique one on the calendar and therefore difficult to learn. With three podiums to his name so far in 2019, including that debut win last time out, Fernandez will be keen to fight in the top five once again this weekend.

    Tom Luthi on the Assen 2019 Moto2 grid. Image courtesy of KF GLAENZEL/Dynavolt Intact GP

    Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) has done what Tom Luthi does this year, and that is to be consistent. The Swiss has not finished outside the top six this season, with his worst result coming in Argentina when he clipped the back wheel of Brad Binder’s Red Bull KTM Ajo machine and crashed out of the race. However, if Luthi is to truly fight for the championship he needs to increase the frequency of his wins, as with one to his name so far this year he has two less than his closest rival Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS).

    Marquez was on for another podium, and possibly win, in Assen last time out before he was the unfortunate victim of Lorenzo Baldassarri’s crash when the Flexbox HP 40 rider tried to pass him. There was no malice in the move from Baldassarri, who went to apologise to his rival after the race, but it dented both of their respective title challenges with Luthi claiming the lead thanks to his fourth place. Despite his brother’s unparalleled success in Germany – Marc having won nine times in the last nine years at Sachsenring – Alex Marquez has never stepped upon the podium at Sachsenring – the closest he has come so far to doing so was in 2014 when he finished fourth on his way to the Moto3 world title. Marquez’ best finish in Moto2 in Germany is a thirteenth place last year, when he was passed for twelfth by a recovering Francesco Bagnaia in the final corner, whilst he crashed out in 2016 and 2017 (with some physical consequence in the latter) and finished outside the points in 2015.

    Alex Marquez, Dutch Moto2 race 2019. Image courtesy of Gareth Harford/Marc VDS

    Lorenzo Baldassarri’s non-finish in Assen was not what the Italian needed as he aimed to get back on track after slipping to fourth in the championship in Barcelona following his unbroken topping of the points between Qatar and Italy. Baldassarri crashed out of last year’s German Grand Prix, and like Marquez he has never finished in the top three in Germany, with his best result coming in 2016 when he finished fifth. A strong finish this weekend will be crucial for the Italian to go into the summer break with a good mindset, which will be important for the second half of the season if he wants to re-engage in the championship fight.

    Brad Binder took KTM’s first Moto2 podium of 2019 last time out in Assen, their first since Miguel Oliveira won in Valencia last year. Binder also won in Sachsenring last year, and after a positive weekend in Holland it will be important for the Austrian marque, and Binder, to confirm what seemed to be a significant step forward at round eight.

    Featured Image courtesy of KF GLAENZEL/Intact GP

  • MotoGP: Marquez After Tenth German GP Win

    MotoGP: Marquez After Tenth German GP Win

    This weekend the MotoGP World Championship heads to Germany and the Sachsenring for round nine of the 2019 season and the last race before the ‘summer break’.

    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) is unbeaten in Sachsenring since 2009 when he was sixteenth in the 125cc race. Since 2010, he has taken pole position and won every race at the Sachsenring, and since 2013 each of those has come in the MotoGP class. It is a run of remarkable dominance for a rider and a bike which, theoretically, shouldn’t work at the German track.

    Sachsenring is unique in that it contains a period of thirty consecutive seconds per lap with the rider on the left side of the tyre: no turning right, no period with the bike straight up-and-down, no period with the gas wide open for thirty seconds. Additionally, there are no long straights in Sachsenring, although a bike which is strong on corner exit is useful out of the final corner and up the steep hill out onto the start/finish straight. Furthermore, there is only one big stop, and hard braking, particularly hard trail braking, is Marquez’ biggest strength.

    On paper, Yamaha and Suzuki should have the edge in Germany but, even before Marquez, Honda have won every race in Sachsenring since 2011, with Dani Pedrosa winning that year and 2012, with Marquez taking over from the following year. Yamaha’s last win in Germany came with Jorge Lorenzo in 2010, a year on from defeat to Valentino Rossi. Suzuki, on the other hand, haven’t won in Sachsenring since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 1999, before four-stroke Grand Prix bikes and probably before Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) knew what a Suzuki was.

    Marc Marquez winner of the 2018 Sachsenring MotoGP race. Image courtesy of Box Repsol

    Honda is fast in Sachsenring because their bike likes to slide, historically, and so have their riders – especially Marquez. Whilst Yamaha and, since 2015, Suzuki make their time in long corners by leaning on the edge of the tyre, the Honda makes its time in the same corners by rotating the bike with the throttle. This works in Sachsening because so much time is spent, all at once, on one side of the tyre, so to spend all of those thirty seconds ride on the very edge of the tyre can lead to it overheating more than by coming slightly off that edge, and using the power to turn. This is especially handy for Marquez, who spends his time away from the MotoGP paddock turning left and going sideways on a flat track.

    Despite this, especially Yamaha will fancy their chances of taking it to Marquez this weekend. The #93 has won 50% of the races so far in 2019 (Argentina, Spain, France, Catalunya), three more than anyone else, making it hard to envisage the ‘King of the Ring’ being defeated this weekend, but Yamaha go to Germany in a good moment.

    Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) won just one week ago in Assen with a dominating margin of almost five seconds over Marquez at a track where the seven times World Champion has won five times. Vinales has not won in Sachsenring before, but seems to be back to the kind of form and confidence that saw him win three of the opening five races in 2017, and if that translates here he could end Yamaha’s nine-year wait for a German win, whilst extending the run of Spanish winners in Germany to ten successive years.

    Similarly, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) is in a strong moment of his career, with two podiums in the last two races. In fact, Quartararo has as many podiums this season as either of the factory M1 riders. Saturdays seem to be where Quartararo is particularly shining at the moment, though, as the Frenchman has taken two poles in succession and three this year. Perhaps Marquez is out of reach over thirty laps on Sunday, but Quartararo could end the Spaniard’s German pole record the day before.

    It will be interesting to see what Suzuki do this weekend after Alex Rins’ crash out of the lead last week. The Spaniard had a good shot at winning before his hard front tyre let go at turn nine of the Dutch track. Now, in Germany and with Yamaha in a good moment, it will be important for Rins and for Suzuki to beat the M1s this weekend in the battle of the inline-fours.

    Danilo Petrucci & Andrea Dovizioso at Assen 2019. Image courtesy of Ducati

    Ducati face a difficult challenge this weekend, like in Assen where they missed the podium. Ducati have never won a dry Germany Grand Prix, with their only win coming in 2008 when Casey Stoner won after Dani Pedrosa crashed out of a mammoth lead at turn one on the Honda. Additionally, Ducati’s only podium in Germany in the 1000cc era (since 2012) came in 2016 in the flag-to-flag race when Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) finished third. Dovizioso’s last dry weather podium in Sachsenring came in 2012 when he was on the Tech 3 Yamaha, and Ducati’s last dry weather podium in Germany came in 2010 when Stoner beat Rossi to third place on the Italian’s return from a broken leg.

    Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) led the Ducatis last year in fourth place on the satellite Pramac-run machine. This year, on the factory bike, it will be interesting to see whether the #9 can take it to the machines better suited to Sachsenring over race distance.

    Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) is missing this weekend after his practice crash in Assen last week. The Spaniard is being replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl who gets his first outing in Repsol colours.

    Featured image of Box Repsol

  • The Red Bull-Honda collaboration could become the new F1 powerhouse

    The Red Bull-Honda collaboration could become the new F1 powerhouse

    Max Verstappen showcased that a Honda-powered Red Bull is capable of winning, even in the 9th race of their collaboration.

    Honda is a colossal company, an immensely powerful player in the automotive industry, immune to the ‘group trend’ that other manufacturers have gone into. Since its return in F1, though, back in 2015, it has been hit year with multiple reliability problems, publicly blamed for the misfortunes of the McLaren collaboration, to the point that nobody thought it could be able to stand back on its feet and rise to the challenge in this hybrid era.

    The move to Toro Rosso in 2018 was a crucial one for Honda and its F1 plans, because it gave them the opportunity to make a fresh start, with a team that has minimal aspirations, fighting for the best possible result in the midfield battles. McLaren is a team that is used to be a front-runner, Fernando Alonso is a driver who wants to be the protagonist, not a bystander, and that played a huge role in the McLaren-Honda relationship through that 3-year spell. Toro Rosso, on the other hand, have been just the sister team of Red Bull, the first step for young Red Bull Academy drivers to make their way into F1.

    Now, Honda had its chance to make everything the way it wanted it to be. No pressure, no strings attached.

    Effort and grind run in the Japanese people’s blood. Japan is known for its commitment to work hard, trying and succeeding. And Honda does represent that mindset in the best of ways.

    When the Red Bull-Honda collaboration was announced during last year’s French Grand Prix, it became apparent almost immediately that this is not a project that could give a championship in its first year – not even in its second.

    Even though RB had all the essential data regarding the Japanese power unit from Toro Rosso, it was crystal clear that this is a long-term relationship, planned out thoroughly, with patience and determination to succeed.

    “When they came back into the sport they had a very tough time in the years that they were with McLaren,” said Christian Horner.

    “They then moved to Toro Rosso last year and they had some time to get their house in order and start to progress.

    “All we have seen is a real dedication and determination, and that is why having won that race, Tanabe-san went to collect the trophy for the constructor.

    “After all the effort that they have put in, it is great to see Japan represented up there and Honda picking up the constructors’ trophy.”

    This has always been the right path for Honda in this era of F1, with the complexity of the engines playing a big part in a team’s success. McLaren didn’t realise that when it mattered, and the rest is history. Red Bull did understand that time would be needed for Honda to make the difference and bring back the championship to Milton Keynes.

    The Austrians have built a well-run organisation, where people understand their role in the company, and fully commit to the goal, whichever that is. It is no coincidence that, even during the adversity with Renault over the last 5 years, they were able to win races and fight for podiums consistently.

    This is the case in 2019, too. Honda has started a new cooperation with a team that can really help them propel their growth and get the coveted land as soon as possible.

    Winning in Austria, in their home race, with hundreds of thousands of Verstappen fans cheering for him, is really the stuff of dreams. It is certain that Red Bull targeted that race, and took all the necessary measures to be able to fight for the victory in Red Bull Ring – the first with Honda.

    Verstappen himself stressed the importance of the timing of this win:

    “I’m just very happy that it happened today and it just gives us a lot of confidence as well to the boys and maybe a few doubts are going away because of it.”

    The Dutch driver is the noncontroversial leader of this outfit, and that’s very positive for them. Last time there was an alpha-dog in that team was the Sebastian Vettel era and they won 4 consecutive world titles.

    They have a clear path if Max decides to continue believing in this team and this project, because he is a driver that can be the star of this sport for the next 15 years. He is a talented young driver, a proven winner, and having him as their leader, it just makes everything easier for them and their road to a title.

    It is really fortunate for Red Bull (and Honda, subsequently) that Verstappen does support this collaboration, despite his comments about the power of the engine, or his surprise that he was able to win in Austria. He just puts pressure on them, but not in a negative way.

    Having said that, it’s necessary to remember that this project is not short-term. It’s a five year planned out cooperation, and no one stops either side to extend that contract and 2021 is going to be their breakthrough year.

    Even if the new regulations don’t provide many changes to the technical side of the sport, Red Bull and Honda understand that this is the best timing for their push to a championship-winning campaign. They will try their hardest to keep Verstappen, and if they do, they will have all the ingredients to get to that trophy.

    Red Bull has that reputation of a team that can exploit every change in the regulations every time they change drastically (namely, 2009), and Honda will by then have an even better PU to provide to them, better suited to their needs.

    F1 is all about long term commitments, plans that run through the next 4 or 5 seasons – it’s the only way a team can reach the top.

    Honda understands that, Red Bull does, too. No one can guarantee that they will get their chip fast or easy, but they will be contending.

  • MotoGP: Vinales Wins Dutch TT as Marquez Extends Points Lead – part one

    MotoGP: Vinales Wins Dutch TT as Marquez Extends Points Lead – part one

    The eighth round of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship took place at the TT Assen, an ideal circuit for a motorcycle which turns well in the middle of the corner, which was demonstrated on Saturday by Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) taking pole position from fellow Yamaha M1 rider Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the similarly characterised Suzuki GSX-RR.

    It was Rins who made the holeshot. The Spaniard is used to necessitating strong launches thanks to his usual qualifying positions, which often have him off the front two rows. Such a launch this time saw him come out of the first corner in first place.

    Maverick Vinales slotted into second, although it was Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who arrived at turn one first. The 2013 Moto3 World Champion got the better of the 2017 Moto3 World Champion on the exit and followed Rins for the first lap.

    Joan Mir at the 2019 Assen TT Motogp Race. Image courtesy of Suzuki racing

    However, Mir was able to reclaim second from Vinales soon after, and when Rins dropped the Suzuki at De Bult on lap three the rookie took the lead.

    Mir’s problem about twenty seconds later was a simple one: he realised he was leading. The rookie ran wide at the Ramshoek and Fabio Quartararo came through to assume the lead.

    It was no surprise to see Quartararo leading, such has been his pace this year, with a podium and three pole positions to his name already on the satellite YZR-M1, and it was even less of a surprise to see Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) follow the Frenchman through.

    Vinales was not far behind his compatriot Marquez in taking up position behind Quartararo, and Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) looked as though he would be able to catch the Japanese bikes in front of him as well in the early phases.

    Soon, though, it became clear that the win would be contested between Quartararo, Vinales and Marquez. Quartararo, like Mir, had a problem when he got to the front. However, it was a more pressing one than that of his fellow rookie with whom he was teammates in 2016. Quartararo had a stability problem, and in the Veenslang his bike developed a speed wobble lap on lap. The Frenchman had to roll the throttle completely to get his bike back under control, and that put Marquez behind in a difficult situation.

    Eventually, the Spaniard got past Quartararo due to the wobble, but one minute later he had dropped behind both Quartararo and Vinales thanks to a mistake at turn one. With Quartararo out front from Vinales, the #12 had a chance to get to the front and try to pull away before Marquez had the opportunity to pass the Frenchman himself.

    Once more, it was a speed wobble in the back straight which cost Quartararo to Vinales, who did as Marquez before him and swept around the outside of his Yamaha stablemate. Marquez wasn’t far behind his compatriot, as he scythed inside the satellite M1 of Quartararo at the Ramshoek, a place where the #93 has been exceptionally fast historically. On a Honda which had looked unsettled all weekend it was a particularly outstanding pass – more so than usual, perhaps.

    Vinales and Marquez at the 2019 Assen TT MotoGP race. Image courtesy of Box Repsol

    With ten laps to go the battle was on between Vinales and Marquez. It had taken two years of waiting but it had finally arrived, and it was Vinales who made the first mistake – and it was almost immediate as he ran wide and off the track in turn one, handing the lead back to Marquez.

    Vinales, though, had been particularly fast through turn twelve, able to turn tighter than Marquez or Quartararo. It was an area where he was strong in the multi-bike scrap in 2018, as well, although this time he had the confidence to move Marquez out of the way, force him to close the throttle and move through at the fast kink of turn thirteen – the Hoge Heide.

    Marquez would not get another chance to lead to reply to Vinales, who edged away and finally took a commanding win with a gap of almost five seconds over Marquez. The win had looked possible all weekend, and should have been the expectation of Yamaha coming into the weekend considering the characteristics of the track and how they match with the characteristics of their bike. Vinales, too, had been riding well all weekend and – despite a couple of mistakes – looked comfortable on the bike in the race. It was his first win since Australia 2018, and Yamaha’s too, at a track similarly suited to a bike which is strong on the edge of the tyre. The win was also an important one for Vinales, as it solidified his bettering of his teammate since the championship returned to Europe.

    Second place for Marquez was an important one, similarly to the second place he secured in Assen back in 2016. Dovizioso was off the podium, down in fourth place, and having beaten the Italian in every race since Qatar – with the exception of Texas when he crashed – is surely now well on his way to world title number eight, especially with Sachsenring coming up next just one week after Assen.

    Fabio Quartararo, Dutch MotoGP 2019. Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing

    The speed wobbles suffered by Quartararo he put down to himself and a mistake in line choice down the back straight, something he corrected when Marquez and Vinales passed him and he could see his error. No doubt, though, that the lack of straight-line stability affected the pole sitter’s confidence and pace, even after his correction. He might have won, but either way two consecutive podiums for a rookie, and now just five points off the top Yamaha, is an impressive start to his life in the premier class.

    Despite suffering in the middle of the race, Dovizioso was able to recover to fourth, re-passing Joan Mir and his teammate Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) to do so. Nonetheless, it was easy to understand Dovizioso’s resignation after the race as, in all likelihood, the championship has all but slipped away once again, and it is unlikely to get any better, mathematically next weekend.

    Featured Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing

  • Moto3: Arbolino Becomes First Repeat Winner of 2019

    Moto3: Arbolino Becomes First Repeat Winner of 2019

    Still in the grips of the European heatwave, Assen was already roasting by the time the Moto3 riders rolled out for the start of the eighth race of their 2019 World Championship.

    Niccolo Antonelli and his Sic58 Squadra Corse teammate, Tatsuki Suzuki, led the way in the very early stages, whilst Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) and the two VNE Snipers bikes of Tony Arbolino and Romano Fenati also looked strong.

    The group was, as was to be expected, encompassing of almost the entire field. Even after five laps, twenty-six riders could have been classed in the ‘front group’, and from there it was only retirements which split the group.

    Eventually, Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP) was gifted an advantage at the front thanks to action in the final chicane. Unfortunately for the Czech rider, his victory hopes were dashed by a long-lap penalty, a sanction which he was not the first to receive in the race after several riders found themselves taking the long route at Osserbroeken.

    Kornfeil’s penalty left Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) out front from Tony Arbolino, whilst Kornfeil dropped back into third place and within reach of the group behind.

    Dalla Porta had a reasonable gap to Arbolino, but with the tow and target of his compatriot, Arbolino was able to set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix on the penultimate tour, which set up an all-Italian last lap scrap for the win.
    Arbolino tried to pass in turn seven, but that was a strong point for Dalla Porta.

    Tony Arbolino winner of the Moto3 2019: Round Eight – Assen, Netherlands. Image courtesy of HondaNews.eu

    The #14’s attempt forced him wide and cost him time, but by Mandeveen the leading two were together once more, and Arbolino was in the prime position to try to pass in the Ramshoek, which he did with complete finesse, running wide on the exit to protect the inside line at the chicane, forcing Dalla Porta to the outside. Dalla Porta had a better run through the chicane, but it was not enough to deny Arbolino, who became the first rider to win two races in 2019, and the first rider to repeat victory in thirteen Moto3 Grands Prix.

    In taking his second win of the year, and beating Dalla Porta for the second time in a last lap fight, Arbolino confirmed his status as a championship challenger and, although he does not hold the points lead – partly thanks to his breakdown in Barcelona – perhaps he does have the biggest target on his back ahead of Sachsenring.

    Dalla Porta will be disappointed to miss the victory when it was so close, but after a difficult weekend for the Italian he will be content to take points out of the championship lead of Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) who finished down in twelfth, meaning the gap is trimmed by sixteen points with one race before the summer break.

    Jakub Kornfeil, Moto3 race, Dutch MotoGP 2019. Image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM

    Kornfeil was able to break away from the group after his long lap penalty and secure his first podium of the season, which he deserved after a strong weekend at a track which is perhaps not best suited to the KTM which tends to struggle in the long corners.

    Gabriel Rodrigo (Kommerling Gresini Moto3) finished fourth, despite dropping as low as twentieth at times, whilst John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rounded out the top five. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) was sixth over the line, ahead of Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) and Niccolo Antonelli (Sic58 Squadra Corse) who appeared to take the long lap penalty for no reason which dropped him back to the lower reaches of the top twenty before fighting back to eighth. Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) completed the top ten.

    Romano Fenati looked very strong in the first half of the race but dropped back to eleventh in the end, ahead of the aforementioned Aron Canet who will need to bounce back in Sachsenring. Kazuki Masaki (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) was in twenty-fifth when the front group contained twenty-six riders, but he stayed on the bike and came through to finish thirteenth for three points, ahead of Filip Salac (Redox PruestelGP) and Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0).

    Can Oncu (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was another rider to receive a long lap penalty and finished sixteenth, ahead of Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) who had the mother of all rear-end saves early in the race. Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) finished 12.984 seconds off the win in eighteenth.

    Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) remounted after a crash for nineteenth, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Reale Avintia Arizona 77) and Riccardo Rossi (Kommerling Gresini Moto3) who was yet another rider to take the long lap loop. Wildcard Ryan van der Lagemaat (Qnuim Racing) was twenty-second ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (CIP Green Power) who was the final classified rider in twenty-third.

    Surprisingly, it took until seven laps from the flag before there was a retirement, as Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) dropped out with mechanical problems and Albert Arenas (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) crashed out.

    Tatsuki Suzuki (Sic58 Squadra Corse) dropped out on the next lap and was involved in an incident where Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) clipped the back wheel of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) in De Strubben. Vietti and Toba went down and Suzuki had nowhere to go, and neither did Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) who was also caught up in the incident. Fernandez, Toba and Vietti all got back to the pits but were unable to continue.

    Darryn Binder (CIP Green Power) made his presence known, as usual, in the group, sending riders wide at almost every opportunity. He eventually crashed at De Strubben with four laps to go.

    Featured image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM