Marcus Ericsson has said he is targeting a move to either IndyCar or Super Formula for 2019 following the loss of his Sauber Formula One race seat.
Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
Ericsson will remain with Sauber next year as reserve driver and brand ambassador, but has said he is also looking to continue racing with a full-time drive in another single-seater category.
“I want to race at the highest level possible [next year] because I see myself coming back to Formula One in the future,” Ericsson said.
“To be able to come back to F1, I want to stay in single-seaters and fast cars. IndyCar is the best series to do that in.
“We’re talking to some teams there and I think it is a realistic target.”
Most of IndyCar’s 2019 drives have already been settled, although seats are still available at Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports, Carlin and Juncos Racing.
Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
Ericsson has also admitted Japan’s Super Formula is “also an option”, and that he would be interested in contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But despite insisting on a single-seater programme for 2019 to keep him prepared for an F1 return, Ericsson said that Formula E is not high on his preferences:
“It is interesting in many aspects but to stay in F1-type of driving it’s maybe not the best one.
“FE is more of a career move. There are some other options that you can keep on the F1 radar [to] come back.”
The championship arrives in Wales finely balanced. With Ott Tanak’s third win in a row last time out in the dramatic Rally Turkey, taking the Estonian into second place in the standings, we have essentially a three round title fight between Thierry, Ott and Seb.
This round is being held a lot earlier this year, and this may lead to a very fast event, plus running further down the order will help those drivers should those stages remain dry. Home favourite, and last year’s winner Elfyn Evans comes here, after not having a great season in terms of results, but having certainly shown good pace throughout the year. He’ll be hoping to secure a good drive to at least a podium, and I’m certain he would love to repeat last year’s victory.
Looking at the other drivers that have done well in this event in the past, there’s Jari-Matti who has scored well here too, and he’d love to follow up his podium from last time out with another here. Then there’s Craig Breen, who has suffered badly with problems on the first day of each event this year, leaving him in a bad road position for the rest of the event. Last time out he led for a short while, before his curse returned, so let see how he gets on this time. He’ll have a whole new car of course, after the fire that destroyed his C3 in Turkey. Don’t forget, he went really well in Sweden this year, scoring a podium! Then there’s Hayden Paddon, who scored a his first podium of the season last time out and is fired up to do well this year.
Right, now here are the details of the stages that make up this year’s event. You’ll notice some changes, with the introduction of some new stages, Penmachno (16.95km) and Slate Mountain (1.63km) on Friday, plus some new sections to Brenig and Sweet Lamb and Hafren connected together with a road section.
Saturday sees the longest stages being run and in fact, the longest day of action with nine stages, two held as the sun goes down. Also, worth a mention is ElfynsCorner, in Myherin, where the fans of Elfyn will gather with their huge banner to cheer on the Welsh wizard.
Finally, Sunday will see a stage run around Llandudno and the Great Orme as the final, but interestingly, the Power Stage isn’t around there, it’s a stage with some changes called Gwydir and held as the second stage of Sunday. A very different ending to normal.
WALES RALLY GB SCHEDULE (GMT+1)
THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER
8.00am: Shakedown Clocaenog (3,37 km)
3.15pm: Start (Deeside)
7.00pm: SS 1 – Tir Prince (1,70 km)
8.05pm: Parc fermé (Deeside)
FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER
6.45am: Service A (Deeside – 15 min)
7.56am: SS 2 – Clocaenog 1 (7,67 km)
8.32am: SS 3 – Brenig 1 (29,13 km)
9.47am: SS 4 – Penmachno 1 (16,95 km)
10.40am: SS 5 – Slate Mountain 1 (1,63 km)
10.47am: SS 6 – Slate Mountain 2 (1,63 km)
1.11pm: Service B (Deeside – 30 min)
2.37pm: SS 7 – Clocaenog 2 (7,67 km)
3.13pm: SS 8 – Brenig 2 (29,13 km)
4.28pm: SS 9 – Penmachno 2 (16,95 km)
7.02pm: Flexi service C (Deeside – 45 min)
SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER
5.30am: Service D (Deeside – 15 min)
8.35am: SS 10 – Myherin 1 (20,28 km)
9.15am: SS 11 – Sweet Lamb Hafren 1 (19,95 km)
10.28am: SS 12 – Dyfi 1 (19,48 km)
11.02am: SS 13 – Gartheiniog 1 (11,26 km)
12.08pm: SS 14 – Dyfnant (8,30 km)
1.51pm: Tyre and headlamp pod-fitting zone (Newton – 15 min)
2.52pm: SS 15 – Myherin 2 (20,28 km)
3.32pm: SS 16 – Sweet Lamb Hafren 2 (19,95 km)
4.45pm: SS 17 – Dyfi 2 (19,48 km)
5.19pm: SS 18 – Gartheiniog 2 (11,26 km)
7.37pm: Flexi service E (Deeside – 45 min)
SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER
5.25am: Service F (Deeside – 15 min)
7.22am: SS 19 – Elsi (10,06 km)
8.08am: SS 20 – Gwydir 1 Power Stage (14,76 km)
9.16am: SS 21 – Great Orme Llandudno 1 (8,03 km)
9.57am: Tyre fitting zone (Dolgarrog – 15 min)
10.29am: SS 22 – Gwydir 2 (14,76 km)
12.18pm: SS 23 – Great Orme Llandudno 2 (8,03 km)
12.29pm: Finish (Llandudno)
Now, let’s hear from the drivers!
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville
“Wales Rally GB is really enjoyable and has different characteristics to the other gravel rallies on the calendar. The past few editions of the event have been run in wet, rainy conditions but we are there a bit earlier this year so let’s see if the weather is kinder.”
“Whatever happens, it will be a tricky rally, particularly on the second pass. The schedule is also tough with very early starts and late finishes; it’s an extra physical challenge. I have had two podiums in a row in Wales, so it would be nice to continue that streak. After the disappointment of Turkey, the championship fight is definitely on!”
2017 FIA World Rally Championship, Round 12, Wales Rally GB 26-29 October 2017, Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, Photographer: RaceEmotion, Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Andreas Mikkelsen
“Although Turkey was ultimately a frustrating result, having led the rally by 40 seconds, it is important to take away the positives. Everything was a bit more relaxed and we had a good feeling inside the car. That’s what we take with us onto Wales Rally GB, an event I enjoy greatly.”
“It is where I started my career, so it is always good to go back. It was my second event with Hyundai Motorsport last season and we came away with a solid fourth place, fighting near the front. I hope we can do that again this year and recreate the level of competitiveness we showed for most of Rally Turkey.”
Hayden Paddon
“After our podium in Turkey, we are looking forward to Wales Rally GB, which is Seb’s home event. There is often rain, mud and fog to contend with in this event, which adds character to a very enjoyable, but taxing rally.”
“The characteristics of the roads match our style, and I think they will also be suited to our i20 Coupe WRC. Although I have had a couple of top-five finishes in the past few seasons, we’ve never really achieved our full potential in Wales. I’m going to set out to correct that this time around.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Ott Tanak
“Normally, Rally GB is an event that I like. In an ideal world, I would like to have dry conditions and fast roads, but everybody knows that you cannot expect anything when it comes to the weather in Wales. During our test last week, it was raining quite a lot so we had a nice amount of mud, which was perfect for testing really.”
“We were able to do quite a lot of work to try and further develop the car and get more performance. I believe we did a good job and I’m looking forward to seeing how we compare against our rivals. Everything is possible now in the championship and I have a good feeling about what we can do in Britain.”
Jari-Matti Latvala
“Rally GB is one of those events I have always enjoyed, partly because it was my first ever WRC round back in 2002: This year will be my 17th start in Wales. We had a very good test last week. I was delighted that we had a lot of rain and muddy conditions, because this is normally what you get in Wales, yet in the previous two years it was dry during testing and I ended up with the wrong setup for the rally.”
“In the test the car was working really well in the muddy conditions, and we managed to improve the traction, which was our weakness last year. All in all, I got a good feeling with the driving and with the car, so I’m looking forward to the event.”
Jari-Matti Latvala – Miikka Antila. Photo credit Toyota WRT
Esapekka Lappi
“Our result on this event last year wasn’t great, and the car wasn’t really performing how we expected, but hopefully we have found something on our pre-event test that is going to help us to be much more competitive this year.”
“Unlike for my team-mates, it was actually fully dry for my test day, so I would prefer it if the rally is dry. With the earlier date I hope that could be possible, but the weather is always unpredictable, so let’s see. I really like the rally itself so I’m really looking forward to it: It would be great to have a good result, both for myself and to help the team in the championship.”
M-Sport Ford WRT
Sébastien Ogier
“Wales Rally GB is one of the classics and an event that everyone wants to win. The stages are steeped in motorsport history and the early starts and late finishes make it a true test of focus and endurance. Win in Wales, and you know that you have mastered the challenge.”
“It’s one of the most challenging rallies on the calendar and there is a real art to judging the grip through the forests. The demanding weather conditions can take a bit of getting used to, but we could see a dry rally this year which would be interesting for sure!
“This time 12 months ago, the Welsh forests played host to an incredible story as we claimed all three championships with Malcolm and his team. The title fight could not be closer this year, but the team can rest assured that we will give our very best in pursuit of the strongest possible result to keep our championship hopes alive!”
Elfyn Evans
“Competing at home always brings special motivation. We have some of the best stages in the world in Wales, and when you see all the Welsh flags and fans cheering you on you can’t help but feel a real sense of pride.
“The win last year is something that we will never forget. There’s always something special about that first victory, but doing it on home soil with all of our family and friends there was really special and something we definitely want to replicate again this year.
“The aim is to be in the fight for another win, but we know it won’t be easy. This is an event that everyone wants to win and the three guys up front will all be pushing extremely hard. The stages are fast, and mistakes aren’t easily forgiven, but we will give it our best. Experience counts for a lot, and we’ll be looking to put all of our local knowledge to good use.”
Twelve months ago Elfyn and Dan drove to a first ever victory on home soil. FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Wales Rally GB (GB) – WRC 26/10/2017 to 29/10/2017 – PHOTO : @World
Teemu Suninen
“This will be my first time in Wales with a World Rally Car, but I am looking forward to the challenge and will give it my very best for the team. The car feels good, and hopefully we’ll be able to challenge for a good result.
“We had a one-day test last week where we were able to experience a lot of different conditions. We drove a full day with muddy conditions in the morning before it become dry in the afternoon. Then in the closing hours we also had some heavy rain which meant we were able to experience all kinds of conditions.”
Citroen Abu Dhabi Racing WRT
Craig Breen
“This is as near as it gets to a home rally for me, so it’s obviously a special event, especially as I have some very good memories here. I know the roads well and I had a very good feeling during our pre-event test. So, I’m very keen to get a good result here.”
“The real difficulty here is trying to assess the level of grip as quickly as possible. You have to trust your feeling, look at the colour of the dirt and gravel, and also rely on your experience from previous years. If the stages are dry, then the ground tends to be pretty rough and you need to look after your tyres.”
Mads Østberg
“It’s an event that I really like. I’ve had quite a few good experiences here. The C3 WRC was comfortable on these roads last year and our pre-event test here last week was very productive. So, I’m feeling confident before the start.”
“At a rally like this, where you are pushing really hard, you need to be at one with your car and completely spot on with your pace notes. You then you have to try and not get caught out by one of the very slippery sections where there is a sudden change in grip.”
Now, there’s a lot of teams running R5 cars in this event as well. Citroen, Hyundai and M-Sport all have a number of these cars running in the WRC2 category.
Gus Greensmith (WRC 2)
“It’s always nice competing on home soil, but I have to admit that I’ve never really felt fully comfortable on the Welsh stages. But I will certainly do my best to change that this year.
“The biggest challenge is the fog that can appear at any point. You have to commit to your notes and pray you got them right – it’s a real buzz.
“The plan is just to drive as fast as I can and hope for a good result to finish my season. Then we can look at our options for 2019 and start preparing.”
Gus Greensmith and Alex Gelsomino – Photo credit M-Sport.
Éric Camilli (WRC 2)
“Wales Rally GB is one of my favourite events and I’m always looking forward to competing there. My last gravel rally was a year ago now, but I’m really motivated to come back strongly and I have a lot of good memories from this event – it’s a special place for me.
“It’s a truly unique event with specific conditions for rally magic! Mud, fog, fast roads, early mornings, long days – Wales Rally GB is an adventure through some of the most beautiful landscapes! The colours in the Welsh forests at this time of year really are fantastic and this event has all the elements needed for a challenging, beautiful and passionate rally.
“We’ve come close to victory a few times in Wales. We want to be in the fight at the front again, and if we could reach the top step of the podium it would be amazing.”
Matt Edwards (BRC)
“I am really looking forward to this year’s Wales Rally GB. I’m a lot more prepared than I was last year, and looking forward to competing on home soil again.
“I’m trying not to think too much about the [British Rally] Championship, but it is difficult. We’re just trying to focus on preparing as well as we have all year and not change the approach that has served us so well this season. But if I can achieve this amazing achievement on home soil, it really would be amazing.
“The nature of Friday and Sunday’s stages will be the biggest challenge. They’re a lot narrower than the traditional Wales Rally GB stages, but that provides great variation and another challenge despite what could potentially be better weather and road conditions this year.
“My one and only goal is to secure the British Rally Championship and I will do whatever is required to make that possible. But we also need to enjoy the opportunity as that’s what we have set out to do on each event this year and the times have followed.”
Matt Edwards / Darren Garrod – Ford Fiesta R5
Alex Laffey (BRC)
“I am really excited as this is my first FIA World Rally Championship event. I can’t wait to tackle this challenge and everything it represents – and to be fighting right at the sharp end of the British Rally Championship makes it even more exciting.
“There is no other event likes Wales Rally GB. To drive some of the best stages in the world that have hosted some of the most amazing WRC title battles over the years makes it such a special place.”
“The whole event is a challenge and it’s a very tough event on the cars and crews alike. The conditions are very changeable, and the whole scale of the event will be so different from what we’re used to.”
“I will give it everything. The battle for the final podium places is so close and I really want to end the season in the top-three. I am looking forward to challenging myself and can’t wait to get started.”
Rhys Yates / Alex Lee – Skoda Fabia R5
Stéphane Lefebvre (WRC2)
“Since Germany, I’ve had the opportunity to get my feeling back on gravel in the C3 R5 during a development test session around Mazamet. I’ll also be doing some more specific testing in Wales just before the start, to refamiliarise myself with the countless changes in grip.”
“The difficulty of the roads here is being able to judge the level of grip and distinguish, for example, between mud that’s slippery and mud that offers grip. But I am determined to turn our undeniable potential into a strong result.”
Stéphane Lefebvre and Gabin Moreau – Photo credit Citroen Racing
Jari Huttunen (WRC2)
“I am pleased to be back in WRC 2 action with our i20 R5, following our ERC podium in Poland. We have had some ups and downs this season, some good results and some bad luck. Our goal for Wales Rally GB is to put all our learning into practice, and to register stage times on par with the front-runners. We didn’t have much fortune in Wales last year, retiring after just four stages. We have a lot more experience now, and I am feeling confident.”
2018 FIA World Rally Championship Round 08, Rally Finland 26-29 July 2018 Day 3 Jari Huttunen, Antti Linnaketo, Hyundai i20 R5 Photographer: Jordi Rierola Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH
Well, what a tantalising event we are set for. There are so many factors that could decide who wins this year’s Wales Rally GB, but I believe that whoever wins it, may be the driver who takes the title. A non-finish for any of the title contenders would probably spell the end of their challenge. There are still many twists and turns left this year!
Round 17 of the 2018 Formula One World Championship brings us to the first and only figure-of-8 circuit on the calendar – the infamous Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.
A 17-hour flight from the last race in Russia, this race sees two back-to-back fly-away races – a gruelling prospect for both the drivers and the teams. This, however, is nothing compared to the now almost insurmountable 50-point gap that Sebastian Vettel has to overcome to win the championship after a third placed finish last time in Russia.
Vettel now needs to win each of the final 5 races and hope that Hamilton finishes third in all of them. If this were to happen, they would end the season dead-level on points, and Vettel would take the title on races won.
This wouldn’t be a bad place to start would be one of the greatest comebacks of all time in Formula One. Suzuka is Sebastian Vettel’s favourite track, and the German has 4 wins here. All of them, however, came with Red Bull – his barren run here with Ferrari must end this weekend if he is to have any chance of success in 2018.
Suzuka info graphics – Image courtesy of Pirelli Media
The 5.8 kilometre circuit took back hosting duties from Fuji for 2009, and has been the host ever since. It did host the race before however, including the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix, in which Damon Hill took his sole championship win, a very popular one too, for Williams. And who can forget the championship decider in 1990? In which Ayrton Senna deliberately drove into Alain Prost into Turn One to seal the championship.
The famous 130-R corner runs over a bridge overlooking the two degner corners and the run up to the hairpin of turn 10 – a genius and beautiful feature from the circuit’s designer John Hugenholtz.
The first sector is one of the most challenging and technical sequence of corners in F1 – the fast chicane of turns 3 and four leads to a quick left in turn 5, before a short braking zone into turn 6, and running nearly flat-out through turn 7.
The twisty and fast-flowing nature of the track is something the drivers relish – it was described by Kevin Magnussen last year as a “real driver’s circuit.”
With the balance of horsepower shifting last time in Sochi in Mercedes’ favour, it would seem that Ferrari have all but given up on their 2018 challenge and started focusing on their 2019 car. Despite the fact that this is a very technical track, power is needed, so let’s hope the Scuderia have at least remembered to bring some reliable spark plugs this year. Red Bull have been strong traditionally here over the years, and given how well Max Verstappen performed in Russia – carving his way from 19th to fifth in the first seven laps – don’t count him out of a win.
Whether Ferrari still believe they have hope this year or not, Sebastian Vettel certainly won’t give up on this title challenge, but with a team that has seemingly turned their attention to next year at a track where Mercedes have dominated for the last four years, expect more joy for Mercedes, and another dagger to Ferrari.
In a season of unknowns and new challenges, there was one constant… Scott Dixon. The new universal aero kits turned the pecking order on its head and completely disregarded all the form books, leading to sensational racing and a championship duel that went right down to the last race. The top three drivers in the championship – Dixon, Alexander Rossi and Will Power – all ended equal on three wins, but it was the races in between that counted, and there Dixon shone.
Here we’ll dissect the season, looking the most notable driver’s years as well as a few other honourable mentions.
Scott Dixon.The 2018 IndyCar Champion. Image courtesy of Hondanews.eu
What to say about Dixon… he’s one of those drivers that you run out of superlatives for within the first race of watching him. Something that Rossi said earlier in the season is as close as you get to doing Dixon’s form this year justice – ‘Dixon never has a bad race’. His worst finish came at Iowa with a twelfth but that was on a day where many other title contenders also struggled, meaning he lost very little.
One of the highlights of Dixon’s season has to be his dominant win at Toronto which saw him nearly double his championship lead while all his title rivals faltered in quite a major way. That said, consistency was the real winner for Dixon in 2018; with him finishing all but two races in the top ten, he was always going to be a tough driver to beat. Texas saw Dixon pick up the championship lead and, nine races later, Sonoma sealed title number five, after leading the standings for nine straight races.
Alexander Rossi wins the Indycar 2018: Round Thirteen – Mid-Ohio Image courtesy of hondanews.eu
The third year of Rossi’s IndyCar venture saw his best season yet, getting within a whisker of his first championship. Despite three wins and a further five podiums, Rossi couldn’t topple Dixon – even though his season was hardly inconsistent, completing all but two laps. Rossi only had three finishes outside the top ten and pulled off some of the best overtakes all season, only once really coming to blows as a result. That once was at Sonoma and, with double points on offer, it forced Rossi to kiss goodbye to his title aspirations.
For Rossi, the best moment of his season is much harder to pick out. The back-to-back wins at Mid-Ohio and Pocono come close but the Indy 500 was really where the Andretti driver came into his own. After nothing short of a disaster in qualifying, Rossi started the 500 from thirty-second but made remarkable progress throughout the race, completing multiple risky overtakes to finish fifth, after being in with a shout of the win at some points in the race.
Will Power (Penske) – 3rd – 3 wins – 582 points
Will Power winner of 2018 Indy500. Photo by Michael L. Levitt/LAT for Chevy Racing
It’s been a long time since the top Penske in the championship was only third. After years of dominance, Penske were finally overhauled by both Chip Ganassi and Andretti, curtesy of the regulation changes. Nevertheless, Power didn’t have a half bad season, though his six DNFs didn’t do anything to help his championship challenge. Consistency was the key this season, more so than it has been in the past, and Power was anything but that.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of Power’s season came in the Month of May where the 2014 series champion was utterly dominant, first winning the Indy GP and then the all-important Indy 500 to take the championship lead, albeit only briefly. It was Power’s first Indy 500 win and he was elated after the race, introducing the world to the ‘Will Power crazy eyes’, much to the amusement of the rest of the paddock.
Ryan Hunter-Reay wins the Sonoma GP. Image courtesy of Hondanews.eu
Hunter-Reay will be annoyed at having spent the majority of the season in teammate Rossi’s shadow, yet 2018 was far from all doom and gloom for the #28 driver. Six DNFs hardly helped his cause and he was never really a factor in the championship however, Hunter-Reay did end his 41-race win drought in the second race at Detroit before going onto win the final race of the season at Sonoma.
Hunter-Reay would certainly win ‘Celebration of the Year’ (if it was actually a thing) with his frolics following his victory at Detroit. Sticking to a pre-race bet, the 2012 champion climbed into the fountain by the side of the track, even riding one of the carved lions at one point… it was certainly an unforgettable moment!
Josef Newgarden, (Photo by Scott R. LePage/LAT for Chevy Racing)
Newgarden had one aim and one aim only this season: retain the championship. After a fairly promising start with two wins from the first four races, Newgarden’s season started to unravel from there on, only clocking up one more appearance on the podium with a win at Road America.
There’s no one race where it all went wrong for the defending champion, it was just a culmination of not-so-good races that hampered any chance he had at taking his second championship. Despite leading the most laps and equalling most wins, fifth was the best Newgarden could do, just getting piped by Hunter-Reay for fourth at Sonoma.
Simon Pagenaud, driver of the #22 Menards Team Penske IndyCar Chevrolet V6, (Photo by Phillip Abbott/LAT for Chevy Racing)
Going winless with his worst season since 2015 was certainly not what Pagenaud was planning to do this season. Admittedly, sixth place in the championship isn’t all that bad but the world has come to expect more of Penske drivers. It took until Texas for Pagenaud to take his first podium of the season with a second-place finish behind Dixon, before his second and most recent podium three races later at Toronto, again behind Dixon. It’s not what he was hoping for, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse.
Sebastien Bourdais Indycar 2018 Round 01: St. Petersburg, Florida. Image courtesy of HondaNews.eu
Bourdais was definitely one to peak early in 2018, taking his one and only win at the very first race of the season on the streets of St. Petersburg and then waiting fifteen races for his next podium at Portland. The win at St. Pete was rather gifted to Bourdais by Rossi’s rather overambitious move on race leader Robert Wickens, demoting the pair and leaving Bourdais in the clear to take his first win since the same race last year, and also his first since his huge crash at the Indy 500 that saw him sit out the majority of 2017. The Frenchman is on the up once more and should be a force to contend with in 2019.
James Hinchcliffe. Indycar 2018: Round Eleven – Iowa Speedway, Iowa Image courtesy of HondaNews.eu
Talk about a season of up and downs… Hinchcliffe’s had it all! From the heartbreak of getting bumped at the Indy 500 to the jubilation of taking his first win since his life-threatening 2015 Indy 500 crash and then the very difficult circumstances, for the entire team, that rounded out the season.
Iowa couldn’t have been better for Hinchcliffe, stealing the win off Newgarden in the last stint, but the whole season really ended on a downer for SPM with Wickens’ Pocono crash. Hinchcliffe and Wickens are close friends off-track and the crash clearly impacted Hinchcliffe’s performances in the races following Pocono – SPM were glad to be done with 2018, and you can hardly blame them.
It was the rookie season that, very unfortunately, proved too good to be true for Wickens. He burst onto the IndyCar scene by taking pole in his first race at St. Petersburg and so nearly took his first win in the same race, only being thwarted by an overambitious Rossi – starting a friendly rivalry that would resurface throughout the season. Wickens also took ‘Rookie of the Year’, beating Andretti’s Zach Veach by 77-points but, somehow, the win managed to elude him, despite coming oh-so close on a number of occasions.
That all, however, faded into obscurity with Wickens’ devastating Pocono wreck that’s left him with an uncertain future. The Canadian’s started to give social media updates on his long road to recovery and SPM have said that the #6 will remain reserved for Wickens, as and when he’s ready to come back, however long that may take.
While fellow rookie Wickens took the world by storm, Veach quietly got on with some very impressive performances in his first IndyCar season. Veach was probably in the best team to be in as a rookie with three strong teammates to rely on for data and some amount of coaching, but that’s not to take away from the work that the young American has put into this season. He never really grabbed the headlines but Veach delivered five Top Ten finishes and two Top Fives, ending up 79 points off teammate Marco Andretti.
Tony Kanaan (A.J. Foyt) – 16th – 4 Top Tens – 312 points
Sixteenth in the championship is certainly not where you expect to find arguably one of the best drivers on the grid, but it’s true testament to just how difficult this season has been for Kanaan and A.J. Foyt alike. Kanaan left Chip Ganassi at the end of 2017, after reported fallings-out with the team, and joined A.J. Foyt with the aim of making them championship contenders once again. The less that’s said about Kanaan’s 2018 the better… the fight to get back into title contention is going to be a tough one for A.J. Foyt, to put it lightly.
That rounds out the 2018 IndyCar season, and what a season it was! Old hands facing new challengers was always going to be good and we expect more of the same next year, with even more drivers desperately wanting to get into the mix.
Drivers Champion: Scott Dixon
Manufacturers Champion: Honda
Rookie of the Year: Robert Wickens
Today, September 30, marks a sad day for some Formula 1 fans. Hamilton took another victory, but for him to achieve win it was ‘necessary’ to sacrifice Bottas.
Nearing the halfway mark of the 2018 Russian GP Valtteri, painfully obviously, let Lewis past through after being asked to do so by the team. This led to a lot of controversy, with even some Hamilton fans dismayed.
In no way is this disrespecting Lewis, let’s make that clear. He drove sublime all weekend and throughout the race he showed that he was very fast. Bottas, however, took pole position after a mistake from the Brit in his final qualifying lap. This gave the Finn his best opportunity of the year so far to fight for the win, one he really needed and definitely deserved.
What made this team order so frustrating for many was the fact that Lewis didn’t necessarily need to win. Vettel was behind him, the only thing Lewis needs to become a five-time world champion. Instead, Mercedes decided that Lewis needed that extra position due to a blister on his rear-right tyre, with Bottas then having to defend from Vettel behind them.
Another reason was the fact that Bottas is really quick around this track. He won his first race here in 2017 and he always just seems to dominate here, hence a lot of fans rooting for the Finn. To see him lose the chance for his first victory this year because of team orders made it even more painful.
On the other hand, for the drivers’ championship it can be seen as being the right choice. Mercedes and especially Hamilton really need the points to stay ahead of Vettel in the championship. However, this reason still doesn’t make this decision the right for me.
Bottas asked over the radio if they were going to end the race in these positions. “Affirm,” he was told. It sounded like he was expecting or at least hoping they would switch those places back as Vettel was nowhere near them anymore.
Toto Wolff decided to speak over the public team radio after the race: “Valtteri, this is Toto, difficult day for you and a difficult day for us,” he said. “Let’s discuss it afterwards.”
On Twitter the team reacted to some of the angry comments. “We don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. We stand up to our decisions and are accountable for them. We made the call for Lewis’ drivers championship, to maximise our advantage.”
Bottas definitely looked very gutted after the race. Hamilton knew that as he at the same time seemed to feel sorry for his teammate. Who wouldn’t?
The question now is: should team orders be banned? For the sake of the sport, it would be better. Let the drivers do their thing and if they decide for themselves they want to help their teammate, that’s fine. If he doesn’t, you’ll get an amazing battle.
For the teams however, it stays necessary. Not only because they can keep the drivers from crashing into each other, but also because they always keep the teams’ interest in mind.
Another PR disaster for Mercedes then, not because of an incident, not because of something the drivers said. All because of an unnecessary sacrifice.
The IndyCar action may have concluded on track, but silly season is far from grounding to a halt! Felix Rosenqvist adds his name to the long list of ‘F1-rejects’ who have made the jump over the pond to IndyCar however, to label him as that and that only would be more than just unfair, especially given his illustrious career record.
Given the Swede is only 26, he’s achieved a remarkable amount in his career up until now! There are so many highlights to pick out in amongst a star-studded junior career, from his run of brilliant European F3 championship finishes and title to his two Macau wins, and other top-class performances in Formula E and Super Formula alike. Rosenqvist’s racing record is a thing to behold, and there’s certainly more to come.
Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Mahindra Racing, Mahindra M4Electro. Image courtesy of LAT Photos/ Formula E Media
2018 was probably not the racing year Rosenqvist would’ve been hoping for with a run of difficult races that ruled him out of title contention in Formula E, despite two race wins early-on and a rookie season to be proud of the previous year. It started to seem like Formula E might not have been giving Rosenqvist all he was after, but a switch to IndyCar is going to be a culture shock and a half!
Rosenqvist is, however, no stranger to racing in the States…
It may not have been a full season, but the Swede tried his hand at Indy Lights in 2016, winning three races out of the ten he competed in – turning heads throughout the IndyCar paddock, none more so than Chip Ganassi.
That brings us to now with the two finally united, in a partnership that many have wanted to see for a long time. It’s not exactly been the best kept secret in the world with the paddock full of rumours surrounding this deal. The rumours have finally been confirmed and the deal has come to fruition.
Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Mahindra Racing, Mahindra M4Electro. Image courtesy of LAT Photos/ Formula E Media
This will, by no means, be easy for Rosenqvist though. Plenty of well-respected names have taken that #10 seat and failed to live up to Ganassi’s high expectations, most notably Tony Kanaan. Kanaan raced with the team from 2014 to 2017, gaining a top championship finish of seventh in a period where teammate Scott Dixon took his fourth title and two third places in the championship. With Kanaan out of the picture for 2018 after a supposed falling-out, Ed Jones was drafted in to replace the Brazilian – Ganassi stated in the press release that Jones was “the type of young talent we were looking for”.
That didn’t play out so well for Jones. Despite being Rookie of the Year in 2017, Jones only took two podiums and, when that’s put in comparison to Dixon’s nine, it wasn’t enough for him to keep his seat. Many would see that as a bit of an injustice for Jones and he’s certainly been hard done by however, that’s the kind of team that Chip Ganassi runs… if you don’t perform, you’re out. Both Jones and Kanaan fell foul of that in the #10, here’s hoping that Rosenqvist doesn’t have the same fate.
2019 will be tough for Rosenqvist, there’s no question about that. Rookie seasons are in IndyCar are hard enough as they are, let alone when you’re being put up against arguably the best driver on the grid who also happens to be the reigning champion. Comparisons will undoubtedly be drawn… Rosenqvist is going to have to perform, there’s no two ways about it. Robert Wickens has proven that you can hit the ground running coming from Europe to the US, but he had, in James Hinchcliffe, a teammate who was willing to share all his data and help him out where needed – there’s no telling if Dixon will do that for Rosenqvist, though it’s unlikely. In truth, Rosenqvist is in a more similar position to Alexander Rossi when he made the jump to IndyCar and it’s taken him three seasons to get within championship contention – Ganassi may not be as patient as Andretti have been.
Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Mahindra Racing, Mahindra M4Electro. Image courtesy of LAT Photos/ Formula E Media
However, putting all the potential negatives and drawbacks aside, this is a brilliant move for Rosenqvist, Chip Ganassi and IndyCar alike. It will attract more European attention to the series, which is already in the spotlight thanks to more than one rumour involving the currently unspoken for Fernando Alonso.
Given his record, Rosenqvist has the talent and promise to be an IndyCar title contender, and even champion. Ganassi just need to be patient to see it through.
Featured Image courtesy of LAT Photos/ Formula E Media
Jake Dixon’s move to the Moto2 World Championship might have come as a shock to viewers as the British Superbikes (BSB) rider won’t be starting where the majority of MotoGP riders start their careers, in Moto3. His jump from BSB to Moto2 will leave him with little preparation in comparison to the rest of the grid, who will have experience with tracks, machinery and what the way of life is for a Moto2 rider. Whether he lands this jump will depend on quite a few factors as the odds weigh heavily against him.
On a positive note, he’ll be joining the Angel Nieto Team (formerly Aspar Racing Team) with a new bike powered by Triumph in 2019. However, they haven’t had a Moto2 ride since 2010, in the first ever Moto2 season when it switched from the 250cc two-stroke class. And even then, their only Rider’s Championships came in the 125cc class (four Championships between 2006 and 2011). So, for both rider and team, they’re both heading into new territory.
However, the most successful riders for the Angel Nieto Team are Karel Abraham (MotoGP) in 15thplace overall and Andrea Migno (Moto3) in 10thplace overall, so their track record is nothing to be sniffed at. His teammate for 2019 hasn’t been announced yet, but he will face competition from other Moto2 rookies such as Jorge Martin (Gresini Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (PrustelGP).
But this isn’t the first time a rider has made a significant jump from one ride to another, or skipped classes for that matter. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) rode in the Moto3 class for three seasons before leaping up to MotoGP in 2015, totally missing Moto2. Miller’s teammate Danilo Petrucci never even appeared on the Moto3 or Moto2 grids, going straight from Superstock 1000 to MotoGP in 2012. So, the change of pace is doable for a young rider like Dixon, after all it has been done before, but both of the Pramac Racing riders had teething problems and took time to adjust to new styles and tracks.
If Dixon is given that time to find his rhythm, then success could well be on the cards for the Englishman. He has made two Moto2 starts for Intact GP in 2017. Let’s also not forget that racing is in Dixon’s blood as his father, Darren Dixon, won the British TT F1 Superbike Championship in 1988 and was the World Sidecar Champion in 1995 and 1996.
Jake Dixon racing for the Dynavolt Intact GP Moto2 team at the British GP in 2018. (Image: Gold and Goose / LAT Images)
Dixon is currently 31 points behind the BSB Championship leader, Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), and if he could clinch the title before his move to Moto2 the confidence would certainly help him along. But unfamiliar tracks and a new bike will hold him back in comparison to other riders who have studied these tracks for years and have only ridden Moto3 or Moto2 bikes, but you never know with the intermediary class.
It can be incredibly unpredictable at times. There have been multiple cases where talent has outweighed experience – Joan Mir (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) or Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) for example. It’ll take hard work and dedication, but nothing is impossible.
Assen has proven to be a popular addition to the British Superbike calendar since its first appearance in the championship back in 2012. That year, Shane Byrne and Josh Brookes shared the wins, as the #67 marched towards his third championship title.
For the 2018 edition of the only overseas round of the British Superbike Championship, the paddock arrives off the back of a drama-packed weekend in Oulton Park a fortnight ago, which saw Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) pick up his first double-win of the season, as Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) fought back from qualifying disappointment which saw mechanical issues force him to start last on the grid for the first race.
Despite this, it is Haslam who arrives in Assen with the championship advantage, and ahead of the penultimate race weekend of the season his points lead stands at thirty-one points. It is therefore possible for Haslam to win the championship this weekend. He would need to win both races, and for Dixon to score no points in either race, but it is possible that the 2018 British Superbike Champion could be crowned this weekend.
Dixon, then, must not crash this weekend. Having just been announced as a Moto2 World Championship rider next year for the Angel Nieto Team squad, he will be eager to continue where he left off in Oulton Park, and get out of Assen with at least a mathematical chance of winning the championship at the final round in Brands Hatch. But, to have a realistic shot at the title, Dixon could really do with a non-score for Haslam this weekend.
As for the other Showdown contenders – Josh Brookes (McAms Yamaha), Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati), Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) and Peter Hickman (Smiths-Racing BMW) – their chances are all but gone even ahead of this weekend, such has been the dominance of Haslam this season. Brookes and Irwin are tied for third place on 530 points, seventy-four behind Haslam, whilst Bradley Ray 11-DNF in Oulton leaves him fifth in the championship, six points further back of Brookes and Irwin. Finally, Hickman is four points back of Bradley Ray, and 84 behind Haslam. Like the riders outside of the top six, these four riders have nothing to lose for the remaining two rounds of the season, so only wins will do.
With that said, as a previous winner in Assen, Josh Brookes will certainly consider himself to be one of the riders who should be fighting for the win in both races this weekend.
Likewise, having been announced for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team for next season – where he will replace World Superbike-bound Haslam – Irwin will be keen to end his three-year stint with the Be Wiser Ducati team in a positive way, which means with five victories in the final five races of the season.
Even Bradley Ray and Peter Hickman will fancy their chances this weekend. If the weather doesn’t play ball this weekend, Hickman will definitely be in the mix, and the stability of the BMW should prove valuable in Assen’s high speed sections. Meanwhile, Bradley Ray will be hoping that the speed he has shown this season remains this weekend, but that he can also keep the Buildbase Suzuki rubber side down.
With this in mind, it could be important to consider that Dixon and Haslam will have to contend this weekend with not only each other, but several other riders who are both very fast and without the pressure of their mistakes having consequences.
Of course, there is also the sub-plot, if you like, of the Riders’ Cup. Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) currently leads the way in this points fight, but Tarran Mackenzie (McAms Yamaha), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki), Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) and Tommy Bridewell (MotoRapido Ducati) are all within ten points of the Australian. Mackenzie and Bridewell are on especially good form coming into this weekend, Bridewell coming off the back of a double podium in Oulton, and rookie Mackenzie improving all the time on the superbike.
Overall, it looks like we’re in for an incredible weekend of racing in Holland over the next few days, which will hopefully set us up nicely for a cracking season finale in Brands Hatch in a few weeks’ time.
Twisting and turning through Russia’s “summer capital” is the Sochi Autodrom, the first and only F1 track built in the country.
The 5.8-kilometre circuit takes the drivers past some impressive structures, among them a number previously used for the 2014 Winter Olympics and the stadium used at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, showing how Sochi has turned into both a popular destination for tourists and a great sporting town.
Each of the four races held at the circuit since its debut have been won by Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton winning the first race in 2014 and Valtteri Bottas taking his first win in F1 for the world champions in 2017.
This Mercedes dominance is a trend that may well end this year. Sochi is generally a power track, and we have seen the Ferrari engine overtake the Mercedes engine this year. If Mercedes are to win, then, they will face a stern test from the Prancing Horse.
Großer Preis von Russland 2017, Sonntag – Steve Etherington
Christian Horner has said that Russia will be a race to forget for Red Bull, as they are expecting engine penalties and they are even thought to be returning to the B-Spec Renault engine after several teething issues with the engine used in Singapore. It said a lot when even the works Renault team themselves didn’t use the new spec engine, nor did their other customer McLaren.
This weekend will be the home race of Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin, who scored his first point of the season in Italy after Romain Grosjean’s disqualification, and he will hoping to add more to his tally. He certainly got some positive attention in Singapore with some brilliant defending against Sergio Perez, only for Perez to seemingly swing across the track and hit him. This, however, will be another tricky weekend for a Williams team that has suffered one of their worst ever seasons in F1 this year.
Races around the Sochi Autodrom generally don’t toss up much drama, but the first chicane is something to keep an eye on. It is a place which has seen a crash in each of the four races in the circuit’s short history, the most notorious being Daniil Kvyat twice hitting the back of Sebastian Vettel. It was a home race to forget for Kvyat and he was demoted to Toro Rosso after the race, giving way to the astronomical rise of Max Verstappen.
Großer Preis von Russland 2017, Sonntag – Steve Etherington
Sebastian Vettel arrives into the weekend some 40 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the championship, meaning that he realistically has to win each of the remaining six races of 2018 to be in with a realistic chance of claiming a fifth title.
It will be a tough challenge, but Ferrari’s championship demise has been of their own doing once again this year, and if there is to be a miracle turnaround for Vettel, it is one that must start in Sochi.
The 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship is set to be decided this weekend, whilst history could be made in the junior class, at the beautiful Magny-Cours circuit in France.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) has his first clear cut opportunity to wrap up the Superbike World Championship this weekend. The 31-year old arrives at the French round with an imperious 116-point lead to closest rival Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati). Provided Rea finishes the weekend with a lead of 100 points or more, he will be crowned champion with two rounds of the season to spare.
For Davies, as the only other rider now with any mathematical chance of winning the championship, it simply “win or bust”. The Welshman produced a heroic ride in Race 2 last time out in Portimao – defying the pain caused by a badly broken collarbone, and holding off Rea in a thrilling scrap over the race lead for the first half of the race. Although still not 100% recovered, the fortnight’s break between Portimao and Magny-Cours will have considerably aided Davies’ recovery and fitness.
Chaz Davies (#7) produced one of the rides of the season at Portimao, defying his broken collarbone to hold off Jonathan Rea (#1) for as long as he did.
With the championship now an exclusive affair between Davies and Rea, the remainder of the field are focused solely on the glory of race wins. Alex Lowes and Michael Van der Mark (both Pata-Yamaha) have not shied away from this being their sole objective for the final three rounds of the season. Van der Mark arrives this weekend off the back of another impressive performance, claiming podium finishes in both races in Portugal. Now with 9 podiums to his name this season, the flying Dutchman looks the most likely of the pair to add to his brace of victories this season.
There is also the matter of pride – and indeed team honour – at stake in the battle to secure a top 10 finish in the standings. Five riders – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pucetti Kawasaki), Loris Baz (Gulf-Althea BMW), Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), Jordi Torres (MV Agusta) and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda) – are all in this fight, and are covered by just 18 points.
Savadori will be desperate to return a brace of strong results this weekend, having crashed out of Race 1 at Portimao when sat in a comfortable podium position. With his place in the Milwaukee team for next year reportedly uncertain at best, he perhaps has the most to gain by ensuring he finishes the season inside the top 10.
World Supersport 300
Ana Carrasco (DS Kawasaki Junior Team) Is on the verge of creating history
Ana Carrasco (DS Junior Team Kawasaki) is on the verge of making history this weekend. Should see clinch the Supersport 300 championship on Sunday, the 21-year old Spaniard will become the first woman to ever win a solo world-level series. With two wins this season, and 90 points to her name, Carrasco arrives at Magny-Cours in pole-position at the top of the standings.
However, Carrasco will be pushed all the way to the chequered flag this weekend, as there are three other riders who can also win the ‘300 crown. Scott Deroue (Motoport Kawasaki), Mika Perez (Kawasaki Parkingo Team) and Luca Grunwald (Freudenberg KTM) are all within striking range of the title.
Deroue is closest to catching Carrasco, with the young Dutchman sitting on 80 points. How fitting it should be that these two should be duking it out for the title – in 2014 they were teammates together in the FIM Moto3 world championship. A difficult campaign for them both saw them seek pastures new. Carrasco remained in Moto3 in 2015 the following year – but racing for a different team, whilst Deroue entered and won the British Motostar championship.
Although we cannot completely discount Perez and Grunwald, it is highly likely that – come Sunday night – it will be either Ana Carrasco or Scott Deroue who is crowned world champion.
(?image courtesy of Pirelli Motorsports)
