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  • ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Victoria Guppy for International Women’s Day 2019

    ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Victoria Guppy for International Women’s Day 2019

    Victoria Guppy is an ambassador for Dare to Be Different and works as a senior engineer at a major engine company, specialising in new technology.  Previously, she worked in Formula One as a trackside engineer. To mark International Women’s Day 2019, we spoke to Victoria to discover more about the path she took to succeed in engineering, and to find out about the rewards and challenges that working in motorsport presents.

    Alison Finlay: Can you start by telling us about your job and what it involves – what does a typical day look like for you, or is every day different?
    Victoria Guppy: My job at the moment involves working on hybrid technology so I am doing a lot of research and going to conferences and trying to get up to speed on the latest electrification technology before the first Hybrid project starts. I’ve also been working with another team to resolve some issues they have with a new project.

    I particularly enjoy problem solving. It is something that has been part of my job for my whole career and I find it fun trying to get to the root cause of an issue and find a solution. I have a bit more time to do this now. In Motorsport, this needed to happen in a matter of minutes to get the car back out but I have a few weeks now to come up with a solution. A lot of my work has been running engines on test beds to try and replicate the issues seen and then looking at the data. It really can be very different day to day which I love. You don’t have time to get bored!

    AF: You previously worked trackside with the Manor F1 team. What are the demands of working at the track and how does it differ from other working environments? 
    VG: The biggest thing I struggled with being trackside in F1 is the tiredness and the jet lag and then trying to function at a high level. The days are very long and if you aren’t the sort of person that can sleep on planes or deal with jet lag well then it can be really demanding. My job was relatively stressful, but I really enjoyed that side of it. Especially being out on track with the car before the race starts, however I always used to be so nervous. If anything goes wrong with the car you do not have long to try to fix it before the race, and you don’t want to be the team seen by millions pushing your car off the grid if it has an issue you can’t fix. That was the most stressful time!

    It’s a fantastic life for people who are very career driven and place F1 at the top of their priority list in life. I really struggled with being away from my family so much. For each race weekend, you are away the whole week before it, so that adds up, especially when you have back to back races, it can be weeks before you go home. I’m very glad I did it, however personally I was also glad to come out of it. I got to see some great places and you do get a couple of evenings to explore where you are, although this is if everything has gone smoothly with the car build. Although mainly it is the airport, the hotel and the racetrack that you see, but that is the nature of the job. Any sightseeing you get time for is a bonus!

    AF: What path do people need to follow to work in engineering roles like yours? What should they study or seek work experience in?
    VG: My biggest piece of advice would be to get experience. I started working for a team whilst I was at college, which taught me so much alongside my studies and I carried on working for teams through University. It teaches you to balance work and also reinforces what you are learning at uni, as well as making your CV look far more attractive to potential employers. Just write to people, teams and companies and then follow up by giving them a ring. By the time I finished my studies, I already had six years of experience in the industry. Also, get hands on, buy a car to do up or turn into a kit car even a banger racer. It teaches you practical skills and gives you a lot more appreciation and understanding.
    To get to university, I did a Diploma in Motorsport at Bridgwater College, which was fantastic. The course, alongside A Level Maths and Physics, is great to set you up for University and working as an engineer in Motorsport. I then did a Bachelor’s degree in Motorsport Engineering.

    AF: You are a Dare To Be Different ambassador – why do you feel this initiative is so important?
    VG: For me as a STEM ambassador also, it’s about getting more young people into engineering. As an industry, there is going to be a massive skills shortage if we don’t get more children interested in and excited about engineering.
    I think it’s also about overcoming the stereotypes that it’s a man’s world and, yes, it has been, but the industry is on a massive learning curve. Having a diverse workforce means that you have varied ideas. People with different backgrounds and experiences with different inputs. Different characteristics bring with that different skills.

    I would love to get to a day where a little girl saying she wants to be a race car driver, or an engineer, isn’t different, but the sad fact of it, is at the moment, it is. So, the initiative is about embracing that, creating a community, supporting each other and saying to younger girls that it’s okay to enjoy this. There are plenty of other women out there that do and have successful careers and it’s about giving them the support, the empowerment and the opportunities to achieve their dreams.

    AF: What inspired you to work in engineering?
    VG: Quite honestly – watching Formula 1 on TV with my family on a Sunday afternoon.
    I once heard a lecturer tell a young guy that wanted to join the motorsport degree that because his only interest had been watching it on TV then he shouldn’t bother signing up. Well, that’s how I started, that’s what piqued my interest and I had no previous experience of engineering or motorsport or had any family members that were ‘in the trade’. I took great pleasure in telling the guy, in front of that lecturer, that as long as you work hard, you can get to where you want to be, even if your previous interest in motorsport is ‘just’ watching on TV. It doesn’t matter what it is that got you interested, the point is that you are.

    AF: At the moment there is still an imbalance in the number of men and women working in engineering and in motorsport. Do you think this will change in the future, and what can be done to catalyse these changes?
    VG: I hope it can; I think young women are becoming far more empowered to choose the career they want rather than what they think they should have. It’s about getting into schools and teaching kids from a young age that there are female engineers and mechanics and it is possible to do that and for schools to be providing a good STEM education.
    However, I am really against just trying to ‘get up the numbers’. Whoever gets the job needs to be the best candidate and having token females just to even out the numbers will do nothing to dispel the myth that we aren’t as good as our male counterparts. So that is all dependent on how many females firstly want a career in engineering, and then go on to do well and succeed in it. Not everyone does and that goes for both genders.
    We do still have the generation around that tend to not be as accepting and I have certainly come across a few of them, but if you’re good at your job and do what you need to do then they have nothing to say and it hopefully teaches them that a female is just as capable, no matter their opinion. That’s the only way we are really going to change it for future generations. Carry on doing our thing, doing it well and calling out any behaviour that isn’t acceptable.

    AF: Which woman has been the biggest inspiration in your career?
    VG: Unfortunately growing up there were not a lot of high-profile female engineers in motorsport. There are certainly a lot more now, but during college Leena Gade was a big inspiration to me. She has won multiple titles and worked her way up through the ranks to get to where she is. She lets her hard work and results do the talking. From some of her interviews, I really like her outlook on being a female in Motorsport. Essentially, if you’re good enough at your job it doesn’t matter if you’re a female, you can achieve what you want to achieve.

    AF: Finally, what has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
    VG: I definitely had a bit of a self-reflection moment, my first time on the grid when I started working in F1. I just looked down the grid and thought, this is it, I’m here, I made it. All my dreams at that point had come true.

  • ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Carolynn Sells for International Women’s Day 2019

    ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Carolynn Sells for International Women’s Day 2019

    The first woman to race the famous Isle of Man TT course as a solo rider was Beryl Swain, in 1962. However, in those days a woman racing caused a huge upset in what was, and some may say still is, a male dominated world of motorcycle racing. So incensed were they by a woman taking part, a weight limit was introduced that Beryl could not meet, thus causing her license to be revoked, ending her racing career just as it was beginning. It was 1978 before the next woman (Hilary Musson) was allowed to compete in the TT, but women would not be allowed to race at the Manx Grand Prix until 1989. It would be almost 50 years between the first woman racing on the Mountain Course and the first female to win a race there.

    That woman was Carolyn Sells, and in 2009 she won the Ultra Lightweight Race on the FZR400 Yamaha by Paul Morrissey racing. An ambitious no pit-stop strategy meant she came home with a 62 second lead, and a best lap of 107.780mph. Carolynn retired from racing in 2009, but is still heavily involved with racing in the Isle of Man, supporting Newcomers to the Manx Grand Prix. I’m really delighted she was able to take time out from her busy family & life to answer my questions.

    Laura Sawyer: How old were you when you knew you wanted to race bikes? 
    Carolynn Sells: About 16, although I didn’t actually get around to it for another 10yrs or so!

    LS: What path did you follow from starting out to racing at the Manx?
    CS: My dad began racing at the Manx Grand Prix in 1985 and it was there that I decided that, one day, I was going to race there. At the time, women weren’t actually allowed to race in the Manx, but that didn’t even occur to me then.
    Life got in the way though and after putting myself through Uni, progressing my career in TV & Film Design and then buying my first house, I finally got around to doing my first race on my dad’s TZ250 a month before I turned 27 in April 2000. I only did 3 meetings that year and then spent the next 2 years aiming to get my National Licence, in order to be able to compete in the Manx Grand Prix in 2003 – the year that I turned 30.

    Copyright: Dave Kneen

    LS: How supportive were your family and were they behind you from the start?
    CS: They were very supportive – dad lent me his bike and then bought my first race bike for me – but I can’t say that he entirely wanted me or my brother to race the roads really (my brother was a newcomer to the MGP at the same time as me). Dad had raced since I was 5 though, so he knew he didn’t get much say in the matter!

    LS: You’re now a director of the Manx Motorcycle Club – how do you use that role to support newcomers to the Mountain Course? 
    CS: I’m not anymore, but I was for a few years. I am still a Rider Liaison Officer for the Manx and an Official ACU Mountain Course Coach, which means that I teach newcomers about the circuit and what to expect as a newcomer. It is something that I have been passionate about even when I was racing and my goal is to make sure that every newcomer thoroughly enjoys their first Manx and comes home safe and happy. If they’re fast too, well, that’s a bonus!

    LS: Aside from the win, what is your next best achievement in racing? 
    CS: I think I achieved a fair bit in my short time racing (9 years) and I’m not sure I can pick just one…
    I won a solo Motorcycle championship in the Isle of Man (2002) and I won a race at the International Southern 100 (2005) and am the only woman to have done either of those things. I am also still the fastest woman at 4 of the Southern Irish road circuits, despite not having raced there since 2008 and the likes of Maria Costello, and several others have been racing those circuits regularly since then.
    Nothing beats my win on the TT Course though, not even close. That was the culmination of 6 years of steadily and quietly working my way up and focussing on the goal.
    I also got a Guinness World Record for the win and won Isle of Man Sportswoman of the year too, so they’re pretty special to me.

    LS: If you could race again, which meeting(s) would you do, and why? 
    CS: The TT and the Ulster Grand Prix… two things I really wish I’d done, but the timing was never right.

    LS:  What was the best bike you rode competitively, and which bike do you wish you’d been able to race (past or present) and why? 
    CS: Although I had most success on the 400’s, I really did love racing the CBR600RR, it was the best fun and plenty fast enough for me. I always wish I’d had the chance to have a go on an RC30 though…

    LS: You’ve always said you don’t consider yourself to be a woman in a man’s sport, and your achievements are certainly something any racer would be proud of. What advice would you give to women who may still feel nervous about progressing with their aspirations because they worry they may be disadvantaged by gender? 
    CS: I don’t believe that we are ever disadvantaged by our gender. If you want to do something, get up and do it. It really is as simple as that.

  • MotoGP: 2019 Season Gets Underway in Losail

    MotoGP: 2019 Season Gets Underway in Losail

    This weekend the 2019 MotoGP World Championship begins in Qatar, under the lights of the Losail International Circuit.

    Losail is an interesting circuit. The long front straight – one of the fastest of the season – means that power is necessary, but the intensity of the corners after that mean that a sweet handling chassis can also be of use, especially in the three fast right-handers towards the end of the lap.

    Partly because of this good combination and partly because Losail is home to the final preseason test – allowing riders and teams to already arrive at a good setting before the Grand Prix weekend even begins – the Grand Prix of Qatar regularly throws up a good race. This year, there are predictions of a ten-rider battle for the podium.

    Marc Marquez at the Qatar test 2019. Image courtesy of Box Repsol

    Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), is sure to be one of those riders fighting for the podium. It is slightly hard to believe that the reigning World Champion is about to embark on his seventh season in the premier class, and harder still, to believe that he could win his sixth title come the end of November. Regardless, the all-action Spaniard is not considered – by himself or anyone else – as a Qatar specialist. Marquez has never gone well in Doha – at least, not compared to other places. That said, he does have two wins to his name under the lights in 2012 – when he came back from his eye injury in Sepang 2011 to win – and 2014 when he won whilst with a fairly recently broken leg in a strong battle with Valentino Rossi. Marquez was also very close to the win last season, finishing just 0.027 seconds behind Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso. With the additional power of the Honda this year, perhaps the Spaniard can reverse that deficit in 2019.

    Marquez also suffered in preseason this year, and is still recovering from surgery on his damaged shoulder in December of last year. In a similar way, Marquez’s teammate, Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) had his preseason blighted by injury: a broken scaphoid, which he doesn’t expect to be fully recovered from until the championship heads back to Europe in May. That said, Lorenzo showed some impressive speed in the Qatar test, and should be able to make at least the majority of the race in the battle at the front.

    Lorenzo’s record is good in Qatar, too. In fact, it is the best, with six wins across all classes in Qatar, starting back in 2004 when he beat Dovizioso to the 125cc win in what was then the heat of the midday desert sun. Lorenzo also holds the race lap record in Qatar, from 2016 when he rode the M1 to his most recent win at Losail. A repeat of that 2016 result would be a tough ask this time round, but it would be a surprise to not see Lorenzo figuring in the front group come Sunday night.

    Jorge Lorenzo at the MotoGP Qatar test 2019. Image courtesy of Box Repsol

    Losail was always the circuit which suited the Ducati best, back when it couldn’t turn in, or through a corner, and when it had concessions and softer tyres. In 2018, Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) finally delivered on the victory both he and the Desmosedici had been promising since 2015. Dovizioso was also arguably the most settled rider throughout preseason testing, and is probably the favourite for this race, despite two riders in particular having potentially better pace, because of the speed of the Desmosedici on the straight.

    Whilst Honda have made gains in the motor department compared to Ducati, Yamaha and Suzuki have not. Suzuki have more power for this year, but they are still at a disadvantage to the Desmosedici in a straight line, and Yamaha’s engine development over the winter was primarily focused on using the tyre more efficiently compared to the last three seasons.

    This means that whilst Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha) – who topped the test in Qatar quite convincingly – and Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki Team) have arguably better pace than their rivals, their lack of straight line speed could make them easy prey for the likes of Dovizioso and Marquez in the straight.

    Despite this, the pace the two Spaniards showed throughout testing – not just in Qatar, but in Sepang as well – means that they must be among the favourites for this weekends premier class Grand Prix.

    Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha) and Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) should also be in the mix this weekend.

    Valentino Rossi at the MotoGP 2019 Qatar test. Image courtesy of Yamaha Corporation

    Rossi’s mood over preseason has been largely positive yet reserved, saying that Yamaha are on the right path but that they have more work to do. Vinales agrees with this, mostly, despite his superior pace. Even still, Rossi’s record (four premier class wins) in Losail means he will be expected to be fighting at the front this weekend. Additionally, Rossi has been on the podium in Losail each year since he returned to Yamaha in 2013, with the exception of 2016 when he finished fourth.

    For Petrucci, there is a lot of pressure this weekend. It is his debut for the factory Ducati team, and he needs immediate performance. Fortunately for the Italian, his pace over the winter would suggest he is up to the task. He has showed on several occasions that he has the speed as well as the consistency to mean that the #9 Desmosedici GP19 will have a lot of expectation on it this season. The Italian does not have long to convince Ducati that they should keep him for 2020 – such is the nature of the MotoGP rider market – so a good result this weekend could be crucial.

    Danilo Petrucci on his 2019 Ducati Desmosedici GP MotoGP bike at the Qatar test. Image courtesy of Ducati

    As well as the factory riders, there are satellite rides who should have an eye kept on them this weekend.

    Firstly, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas SRT Yamaha) has been impressive over the winter and could figure this weekend, although he appears to still be suffering with tyre life and acceleration issues.

    Secondly, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) must always be considered as a potential front runner. However, the Briton is still suffering with his shattered right ankle – although it affects him less whilst riding – and a poor feeling with the front of the 2019 RC213V, a complaint echoed by Marquez. This will be a difficult weekend for Crutchlow, but it would be unfair to discount him at this stage.

    The battle for rookie of the year also gets underway this weekend, of course. Francesco Bagnaia (Alma Pramac Racing) was second fastest in the Sepang test, half a tenth away from Danilo Petrucci’s new unofficial lap record, and had some promising race pace in Qatar.

    Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas SRT Yamaha) came alive in Qatar, figuring often in the top five, and setting some impressive long runs, too.

    Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki Team) has missed the headline times, but in many ways that is typical of Mir, who only has one pole position in his Grand Prix career, back in Austria 2016. Mir has, though, looked good on race pace.

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) has not had the outstanding pace or speed of his three fellow rookies, owing largely no doubt to his machinery disadvantage – the KTM still very much in the early stage of its development – but compared to his KTM stablemates Oliveira has been impressive, setting comparative times to Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and being relatively close to Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) times, too.

    The battle for rookie of the year could be one of the most intriguing and exciting parts of the 2019 MotoGP season.

  • ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Louise McGrath for International Women’s Day 2019

    International Womens Day gives us the opportunity to pause for a moment and appreciate just how far we have come and the wonderful progress that’s been made in the last few years towards encouraging more women to join the world of motorsport.

    It’s a chance to recognise those who have been leading the way before us and defying all the odds in what has long been a male dominated industry. As women we too have just as much to offer the industry we love so much. We thank the women who came before us, who knew the challenges they were facing but did it anyway. There are now remarkable women throughout all corners of the industry from engineering to hospitality, from the pitlane to the factory, breaking down stereotypes and encouraging others to do the same.

    As a 44yr old wife and mother of three children, I never dreamed I’d start working on a project within the realms of Formula 1, let alone doing it alongside my 18 year old daughter Rachel. She is obsessed with F1 and like me, has followed the sport for as long as she can remember. I think it may have begun when she realised she shared her birthday with Lewis Hamilton! She is gifted in maths and is the only person I know who gets genuinely excited at complex equations! From around 11 years of age, she started to become aware that she could take her love of maths and apply it to the sport. She began to research people like Adrian Newey, to understand the study path he had taken, to try and figure out how to become an aerodynamicist.

    We spent hours, days and months on a quest for knowledge but the information was so hard to find. All the careers advisors we spoke to either didn’t take Rachel seriously about wanting to be a motorsport engineer due to her young age and gender, or just didn’t have a clue what an aerodynamicist was! It was a stressful time not only because information and understanding was so lacking, but she was trying to make the right study decisions that she knew would impact her future.

    We eventually stumbled upon something called Dare to be Different (D2BD), which is an initiative founded by Susie Wolff and the Motorsport Association to encourage more girls to consider a career in motorsport. D2BD has a group of ambassadors from all across the world of motorsport – from journalists like Rosanna Tennant and Senior Strategy Engineers like Ruth Buscombe, to inspirational drivers like Nathalie McGloin and Maria Costello MBE. These women who have come before us are really leading the way in helping girls to realise that they can make their own unique mark in this exciting and rewarding industry.

    D2BD gives us access to a supportive Facebook group of likeminded girls, and the ability to attend networking events where we can meet the D2BD Ambassadors. These meet-ups are always inspirational and you go home feeling like anything is possible! It’s thanks to initiatives like D2BD that girls are beginning to see a career in motorsport as an equal opportunity from a young age and are more willing and able to follow this passion growing up, just like Rachel has.

    Being a part of the Dare to be Different community really inspired us and gave us the confidence to see our own project to fruition. We really wanted to help those students still in school and college who were struggling like Rachel, to make it easier for them to find the information about study paths into the world of Formula 1. On our journey we’d learned not just about study options, but about things like the importance of hobbies and work experience, networking and cv building, and all the events and opportunities up and down the UK that not many people know about! And so the idea of Formula Careers was born, a website to house all the information that a student would need to give them the best chance of working in F1.

    No-one can predict the path that will lead to that dream job, sometimes it twists and turns in unexpected ways you could never imagine, and so it’s always best to stay flexible. But at least if we can give students a good foundation to work with, they will be more confident in the decisions they make for the future. We want students to realise they are not alone, that we know it’s a difficult and stressful time, that there’s help and support there if they need it from people who understand. To realise that they can take the gifts they have and match them up to the industry that they love!

    Being able to speak with the D2BD Ambassadors was really important to us, and so we tried to figure out a way to do that for others and bring students closer to those already working in the roles they dream of. Myself and Rachel set about contacting and persuading as many people as we could from the world of F1 to share their own stories about how they got into the industry. We know these little case studies will really inspire the next generation and show them that with dedication, self belief and passion, it really is possible to have a career in Formula 1.

    Formula Careers gives us the opportunity to make our own contribution to the world of F1, so if we can do it then anybody can! It has been an absolute delight to be able to work with my daughter on something we are mutually passionate about. It’s not only brought us closer together, but given us the opportunity to create relationships with key people in the industry. I think people are surprised that we are a mother and daughter team, but I think that makes our project stand out in a good way!

    We still get the occasional strange glance when we tell people what we are doing because many still see it as a male dominated industry! But each conversation is a chance to educate others on the exciting changes happening for women in motorsport. It’s thanks to initiatives like Dare to be Different and the amazing, brave women who have come before us that we can move forward with confidence and achieve our own career goals.

    On International Women’s Day, we are reminded that all things are possible, and that no matter our circumstances we have the ability to go out and make our dream careers happen.

    www.formulacareers.com
    www.linkedin.com/in/louise-m-279239138
    www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mcgrath-12a7b1139
    www.twitter.com/formulacareers
    www.facebook.com/formulacareers

  • Moto2: Triumph Powers Moto2 into 2019

    Moto2: Triumph Powers Moto2 into 2019

    The Losail International Circuit plays host to the first round of the 2019 Moto2 World Championship this weekend.

    After three days of testing for the Moto2 field last weekend, Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) has emerged as the favourite for the win – dominating the three days and ending 0.2 seconds clear of the field.  With two difficult years it seems Lowes is ready to return to the front with the team in which he made his most successful season in Grand Prix racing back in 2016. The Brit has always been competitive in Qatar, even in his Grand Prix debut in 2014. Where he finished inside the top ten with the Speed Up team, and it seems as though this year could be his best opportunity to finally take the win in Qatar – a win which would somewhat fittingly see, a British rider win the first race of the Triumph-powered era of Moto2.

    From the test it seems that Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) could be Lowes’ closest challenger for the season opener, the Australian finishing third in the combined times of the test, and showing a good rhythm. Back on a Kalex for 2019, Gardner looks set for what could possibly be his best season in the Moto2 World Championship – a podium to open the year would be a good way to start that for the #87.

    Between Lowes and Gardner in the Qatar test on the combined times was Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) who returns to the intermediate class after a year with the Marc VDS team in MotoGP. Interestingly, this will be Luthi’s first season in Moto2 outside of the Interwetten team with whom he enjoyed so much success previously. He has, though, joined a very strong team in the Dynavolt outfit, who has won races in the past with Jonas Folger, and scored many podiums last season with Xavi Vierge and Marcel Schrotter.
    Vierge, who has now joined the EG 0,0 Marc VDS squad is certainly a dark horse for the championship after some strong performances last season for Dynavolt. He looked strong in testing too, and goes to Qatar with hopes of a podium, no doubt.

    The same could be said for his EG 0,0 Marc VDS teammate, Alex Marquez, who ended the three days in Qatar just under a tenth behind Vierge and has looked strong throughout preseason. The critical thing for Marquez this season is to stop crashing. Hitting the deck last year cost him the championship – it cost him points and cost him his confidence. The regulation change for Moto2 this season could provide the mental refreshment necessary for the Spaniard to make an assault for the championship.

    Brad Binder, Qatar Moto2 test 2019. Image courtesy of Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

    But, aside from Lowes, the championship favourites are almost universally agreed to be Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Both were over half a second off Lowes’ time in the Qatar test, but have also looked strong since preseason testing resumed after the winter ban.

    Interestingly, neither one of the three main championship contenders have achieved a victory in Qatar and, as such, there is a good possibility for the likes of Vierge, Luthi and Marquez to take an early advantage. As well as those three,  Lorenzo Baldassarri and his Flexbox HP40 Pons teammate Augusto Fernandez could be in the battle this weekend, although Baldassarri was not particularly spectacular in testing at the weekend. Fernandez, on the other hand, was fourth fastest at the end of the three days, only three tenths off Lowes.

    Perhaps the most interesting part of this weekend, though, as far as the intermediate class is concerned is the beginning of a new era. The powerless, screaming Honda CBR600RR engines will have officially been replaced on Friday by the torquey Triumph 765 three-cylinder motor. As well as change in sound, these engines have also produced changes in riding style. The torque of the new engine means that corner speed is not as vital as before to lap time; now it is possible to square corners off and still make lap times. This should result in better racing, as riders can send more risky passes knowing they aren’t going to be so slow on the straight as a result. On Sunday we will find out if this is the reality.

    Featured Image courtesy of Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

  • Will it be the end for Williams Racing?

    Will it be the end for Williams Racing?

    When it seemed like nothing else could go wrong for Williams after missing the first two days of pre-season testing, the team has just been beaten twice a week before the season kicks off in Australia. Despite the big effort they are putting in to find solutions, the end of what has been one of the most successful teams in Formula One history appears to be nearer than the turnaround they need to be fighting at the top again. After a terrible 2018 in which they was completely off the pace, the team claimed that they had identified the problem and it would be solved in the upcoming year. The truth is that we are already in 2019 and they have the slowest car on the grid and showing no signs of recovery in the near future.

    The first troubles showed up quite early this year as the filming day planned at Silverstone got cancelled in order to ‘make the most of the time left before heading to Barcelona’, an inconvenience given that teams are only allowed 100km of running with special tyres, so the main purpose is to check every system to be ready to hit the track once the light goes green at Montmeló.

    It was at this point that we realised they had suffered major setbacks. The car wasn’t ready, it wasn’t even in the circuit and their first laps wouldn’t take place until Wednesday afternoon. This was a complete disaster considering that private testing is forbidden nowadays. In addition to this, the legality of the mirrors and the front suspension has been questioned in the last few days. Some experts explain that the front suspension isn’t easy to redesign, so it may cause a new headache before Australia. Furthermore, Williams’ technical chief Paddy Lowe is taking a leave of absence which could lead into his departure after being pointed out as responsible for the team issues.

    CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 26: George Russell, Williams FW42 during the Barcelona February testing II at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 26, 2019 in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain. (Photo by Zak Mauger / LAT Images)

    For some, the two main reasons that have placed Williams on the edge are money and the team’s attitude, both discussed in the following lines. Despite the team denying that the delay was related to issues with external suppliers or a lack of financial resources, it is hard to believe what they stated because of their well-known struggles to keep going through the last few years. Even if they got ROKiT (a telecommunications company) as new title sponsor and Orlen (an oil refiner company and Kubica’s personal sponsor), these brands aren’t expected to match the vast amount of money brought by Lawrence Stroll (Lance’s father) and Martini which left the team at the end of last season.

    Having said that, the horizon doesn’t look really promising due to the fact that when you have the slowest car, you want is to develop it as quickly as possible and you need a lot of money to do so. We may have a look back at the beginning of the hybrid era, when the Mercedes engine brought some success to Grove. At that moment, they even managed to afford a big upgrade of their wind tunnel aiming to fight on top again, but their work didn’t pay off and not much more has been said about what was described as a massive step forward in terms of development capability. Since then, they are in freefall praying for the budget cap to come in on time to save the team. Examples like this one make us realise how difficult it is to reach the top and how easy it is to go back to the midfield when you don’t spend the budget correctly or simply don’t have it.

    Secondly, the team is missing a captain who steers the project in order to get out of the hole in which they are in. With Sir Frank Williams out of the picture, it is his daughter Claire who actually leads the squad. She seems tired or at least that is the impression given every time she faces the media. Claire has mentioned many times that she doesn’t want to be the person who ends’ Williams long history, but when there is no passion there is nothing to do.

    Moreover, Robert Kubica’s attitude towards the team isn’t helping, for sure. The Polish driver, who is coming back to the sport after a long period recovering from the injuries suffered in a rally crash in 2011, has criticised his team harshly over the last days as a consequence of the poor pre-season done. ‘The car was too tired to continue’ and ‘I only know 20% of the things I should know before Australia’ were some of the comments made by Kubica. Most likely, he expected too much from a team which is suffering the worst streak in their history. On the contrary, George Russell is doing exactly what Williams needs: he is always encouraging his guys on social media and making positive statements when he talks to the media. It might sound useless, but the atmosphere you create around you is very important get good results.

    Taking all this into account, I have to confess that I fear Williams could not make it to the end of the season as I feel they are digging their own grave. The large number of issues they are facing, added to the lack of leadership and the fact that they remain adamant in their idea of building the whole car on their own and refusing to buy some parts to manufacturers, could mean the end for a team that has been competing in the championship since 1977.

    Featured image courtesy of  Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images

  • ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Carole Brackley for International Women’s Day 2019

    ThePitCrewOnline Exclusive: Carole Brackley for International Women’s Day 2019

    Marshals may well be the unsung heroes of motorsport, often taken for granted but who make the racing we all love to watch possible. Carole Brackley is one of an increasing number of women who are taking to volunteering as marshals at events across the country, and she was kind enough to speak to us about her role as Specialist Marshal as part of our series of interviews for International Women’s Day.

    Jenny Rowan: How did your interest in motorsport first come about?
    Carole Brackley: My father was a great lover of motorsport and cars. As soon as I could sit, I was in the front seat next to him, and I was a pretty good co-driver with his teaching. I could name every make and model on the road, and shared his interest. It was great that we lived near Silverstone, and one of his uncles had scaffolding, so we always had a good view of the events. Since my early days, I have watched and attended as many events as I could, although F1 was – and is still – my number one passion.

    JR: How did you come to be involved in marshalling?
    CB: In my early twenties, I had a friend who competed in rallies in his Mini CooperS and was a marshal at Silverstone. For many years I believed that only men could marshal… I got the taste for voluntary work after a stint as an Olympic Ambassador in 2012 and so I went onto the Silverstone website and sent in my details. I found that it was very easy to train as a marshal – much to my delight!

    JR: What is the relationship like between marshals when working at a race?
    CB: The teams are very supportive and inclusive. There are several different areas of marshalling and, after starting out track-side, I became a Specialist Marshal, working exclusively in the pits and paddock and on the startline. The work can be quite intense, as I will explain later, but everyone helps each other and keeps it enjoyable.

    JR: Do you have a favourite event to work at?
    CB: This is a difficult question: I love being in the pits for F1, but the security is such that we are not allowed to go near the team garages or personnel, and officiate from the pit wall. In WEC and other series (also with fantastic cars) you stand in the garage or just outside to officiate, which is a tremendous privilege, and you get a better feeling from the experience.

    JR: What sort of duties do you have in an ‘average’ race weekend, if there is such a thing?
    CB: As a Specialist Marshal, there are many different tasks, and we have pages and pages of official regulations to learn before the event. The most important is probably monitoring teams, to make sure they don’t break any of these regulations. Should this happen – as it usually does at least once – we write a report, which goes up to the stewards straight away to decide whether they will impose penalties. We also make sure that everyone is safe on the pit wall and in the pit lane, and remain ready to fight fires or push cars as the need arises.

    ‘Gridding up’ is fun – armed with the grid sheet and a yellow flag, you stand out on track to guide the drivers to their dedicated spot on the start line – sometimes they come at you in the correct order, and sometimes it is absolute mayhem! After the practice lap, usually the marshals responsible for pole position and second will go back out to the start-line, stand just in front of the markings and make sure these cars stop in the correct place. I love that feeling as they drive towards you – you leave, they go.
    We also manage assembly, parc ferme, flags, message boards, lights and members of the public and guests.

    JR: What has been the highlight of your motorsport marshalling career so far?
    CB: This is difficult, so I’ll let you decide…
    – Obviously the first British Grand Prix in the pits – you’re just so close to the cars.
    – Being asked to represent marshals at a reception at Number Ten Downing Street, mingling with the great and famous from all aspects of the sport – pinch me!
    – My first MotoGP race.
    – Being chosen the wave the start flag for each car at F1 Live in London – can you imagine?!

    JR: You joined Susie Wolff’s Dare to be Different as an ambassador – what does being part of an organisation like that mean to you?
    CB: I received an email from MSA (now Motorsport UK) as they had been contacted by Susie, and she wanted to know if I would be interested in becoming the Marshal Ambassador for her new initiative. Having already been under the impression that motorsport was a largely male-dominated sport, I grabbed the opportunity to help get the message out that all areas were open to females. It has achieved so much in the four years since it launched, and it continues to offer advice, help and mentoring to all.

    JR: What would you say to other people who are thinking of maybe taking up marshalling themselves?
    CB: If you enjoy motorsport, there are fewer ways of getting closer to the action that don’t cost you shed-loads of money. It isn’t particularly glamorous: you’re up very early, out in all weathers and the days are long, but, from that first time a car roars past you (or bike or truck!) at close quarters, you’ll want more! It also makes you feel very much part of everything that’s going on.

    More information about how to get involved in UK marshalling can be found here ? https://www.motorsportuk.org/volunteers

  • Moto3: Fenati the Favourite for Qatar Season Opener

    Moto3: Fenati the Favourite for Qatar Season Opener

    The 2019 Moto3 World Championship gets underway this weekend at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

    Since the inauguration of Moto3 in 2012, the Qatar round of the World Championship has been won five times by Honda riders, including the last four years. In fact, the only rider to have won in Qatar on this year’s Moto3 grid is Niccolo Antonelli (Sic58 Squadra Corse), who both won Qatar on a Honda back in 2016 and is riding a Honda this year.

    Honda have had a lot of work to do over the winter to make up the ground they lost last year to KTM in the horsepower department. The KTMs last year had a particular habit of steaming past Hondas on the straights, especially after the French Grand Prix at round five and particularly in the hands of championship contender Marco Bezzecchi for PruestelGP. Reports from the riders would suggest that this work has been successful, John McPhee (Petronas SRT) commenting in Jerez that it is possible to use the low-down power of the Honda now to power out of a corner if you didn’t carry the corner speed.

    Despite their 2018 speed deficit, Jorge Martin (with Gresini) ensured, that the Moto3 World Championship will be Honda’s to defend in 2019. As well as having made some progress with the bike over the winter, Honda have also got a very strong rider roster.

    Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) perhaps comes into this season as the championship favourite, after a strong and consistent 2018 which also featured his debut win at home – sort of – in Misano. Dalla Porta remains with the Leopard team for this year, and also stays aboard a Honda, and a strong preseason could mark him out as a favourite among favourites.

    It will not be easy for Dalla Porta in 2019, he will have a lot of competition, and possibly primarily in the shape of Romano Fenati (Snipers Team). After a disgraced 2018, Fenati managed to get himself a ride back at the squad that fired him after Misano last year. Keen for redemption after last year, Fenati has wintered very quickly, ending the Qatar test last week two tenths clear of the field, lapping largely on his own. It seems Fenati has no intention to make his current stay in Moto3 as long as his last, and is by far the favourite for this weekend’s victory.

    But Moto3 is never that simple and, even Dalla Porta aside, there will plenty of opposition from Fenati to overcome, starting with his own teammate, Tony Arbolino (Snipers Team), who was second fastest at the Qatar test last weekend and is coming off the back of an inconsistent 2018. Perhaps remaining in the same team for consecutive seasons will be a help for Arbolino, and after throwing away a chance at a first ever GP win last year in Valencia, the Italian will be keen to put that right at the first opportunity.

    Aron Canet the KTM RC250 Qatar Moto3 test 2019. Image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM

    The main KTM challenge this year looks as though it will be coming from Sterilgarda Max Racing Team’s Aron Canet, who moves away from Honda and Emilio Alzamora after a number of years in that camp. Canet has been impressive throughout the winter – not spectacularly fast, but enough for consideration. Canet finished second in Qatar last season, but is without a win since 2017. Now into his fourth season in the Moto3 World Championship, it is time for Canet to make his mark.

    Of course, the speed of Canet – riding for Max Biaggi’s team – will have come much to the annoyance of the Sky Racing Team VR46. Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi, of course, shared a famous rivalry in the early-to-mid-2000s, and that rivalry will in some ways be reignited this year with both of them in the Moto3 World Championship as team owners. Rossi’s Sky VR46 squad has been winless since it picked up KTM’s only win of 2017 with Andrea Migno in Mugello, and coming into this season would have been hoping for Dennis Foggia to be fighting for wins regularly and to make a charge for the title. In testing, however, Foggia has not shown that pace, and it looks like it is going to take a fairly large turnaround in fortunes for Rossi’s squad to end that winless run this season, and especially this weekend.

    Featured Image courtesy of Gold and Goose/KTM

  • F1 Testing 2019 Review: Ferrari Favourites?

    The 2019 Formula One season is just one week away. Eleven days, and we’ll see who wins the opening race. The excitement of a new season already begins at the winter tests at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona. How did the teams perform at testing? Who impressed, who need to improve? Take a look at the interactive testing review beneath to find out.

    (If the embed code isn’t here when submitting for review, here it is: <iframe src=”https://player.slices.co/stories/-L_JUwAbj0-6MvRdxd3E” frameborder=”0″ width=”100%” height=”600″ allowfullscreen></iframe>   If it’s there, just delete this message of course)

     

     

     

     

  • Three times a charm for Ferrari? 2019 Australian Grand Prix preview

    Three times a charm for Ferrari? 2019 Australian Grand Prix preview

    Well finally, here we are. Nearly four months after the culmination of a 2018 F1 season that saw an utter humiliation administered to Ferrari by Mercedes, the 2019 season is now upon us – and it begins in the beautiful city of Melbourne, around the 5.3 kilometre Albert Park circuit.

    This has become a happy hunting ground for Ferrari in recent years. Sebastian Vettel has won it on each of the last two occasions, and could have been on for victory in 2016, if not for a costly strategic error by the Ferrari team after a red flag. World champion Lewis Hamilton was leading last year, only to be pipped by Sebastian Vettel following a Virtual Safety car which allowed Vettel a free pit stop to re-join in front of his title rival.

    Further back, the battle for the best of the rest will be an interesting one; Red Bull will be using Honda engines for the first time this year, resulting in a time of relative uncertainty as to their pace and whether they can hold off possible challenges from Renault and Racing Point, who continue using Mercedes engines for this season.

    Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Renault Sport F1 Team RS19. Image courtesy of Renault F1 Team

    And speaking of Renault, this will be the home race of new boy Daniel Ricciardo. He will be looking to add to Renault’s 35 race victories and 2 championship titles; but they may have to wait until a little beyond 2019. If he were to somehow pull off a victory in the ever-improving French factory car, it would be the first time the Australian Grand Prix would have been won by an Australian in a world championship format. The race has however been won by Australian drivers 19 times in Australian Formula One. We’ll let you make your minds up as to whether that counts (it doesn’t).

    Elsewhere in terms of new drivers, Charles Leclerc will make his Ferrari debut, Kimi Raikkonen is back where it all began at Sauber and we will see the F1 debuts of Lando Norris and George Russell for McLaren and Williams respectively – there is a lot to watch out for.

    Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc with the 2019 Ferrari SF90 title Challenger. Image courtesy of Ferrari

    In pre-season testing, Ferrari have generally looked to have the quicker car, but Mercedes haven’t seemed to show their hand in terms of pace and both teams have had teething issues with their respective new cars. We cannot really be certain who has more power, but it will be needed around a circuit round which the throttle is used for around 70% of the lap –  this figure has gone up by around 10% since the car regulation changes in 2017, highlighting the proficiency of power that teams now need; and that very few have.

    As a result, a lot will be revealed in Australia, which is the reason that the event is so hotly anticipated every year, along with the various sporting venues around the city including MCG and the Rod Laver arena. There is a real sporting buzz around the city of Melbourne, making it the perfect place to start what will hopefully be a close, exciting and enticing season of Formula One racing.

    As a new season dawns upon us, the Prancing horse seeks revenge against the ever potent silver arrow, as the quest to reach the top gets started Down Under.

    Featured Image courtesy of Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool