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  • Impeccable Bagnaia Storms to Misano Moto2 Victory

    After scoring yet another pole position on Saturday in Misano for the 2018 Moto2 San Marino Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia was in a fantastic position to go for his sixth race win of the season.

    It was, however, not a completely straightforward beginning to the race for Bagnaia, as he had some small contact with Marcel Schrotter off the line. This came after some minor drama in the morning warm up, when Bagnaia was off the pace due to his leathers (new for this weekend for Sky VR46’s Sky Ocean Rescue one-off livery) being too tight. However, from turn one, Bagnaia was almost untouchable. He stretched the gap tenth-by-tenth for all of the twenty-five laps, also leading every single tour of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

    Bar one mistake, Bagnaia’s ride was flawless, giving his competitors no opportunity to challenge him. Whilst the race was not as exciting as, say, Austria, Bagnaia admitted that this win was one of his favourites, primarily because he has never won at home before. Importantly, though, Bagnaia was once again able to extend his gap at the top of the World Championship to eight points over Miguel Oliveira, and with just six rounds to go, every point is going to count.

    From lights to flag, Bagnaia (above) was faultless.

    It was a good damage limitation from Oliveira, though, who once more regressed to his poor qualifying performances, managing only ninth on the grid, whilst teammate Brad Binder qualified in the middle of the second row. The Portuguese recovered well, though, climbing to fourth place by the end of lap two and third one lap later. Once Mattia Pasini’s pace started to drop, the #44 together with Marcel Schrotter closed up to the back of the home rider and quickly disposed of him.

    Oliveira was not left alone by Schrotter, though, the German fighting all the way to the final lap. Marcel’s move in turn fourteen didn’t work, both of them went wide, but Oliveira was able to tighten the line sooner and seal his second place.

    It was a valiant effort, though, from Schrotter, and whilst he missed out on second place, he did finally pick up his first ever Grand Prix podium after 105 attempts.

    Mattia Pasini finally crossed the line in fourth place, two seconds off the podium. It was the Italian’s second consecutive fourth-place finish, which is important for the #54 as he looks to rediscover some consistency this season.

    Fifth place went to Joan Mir, who looked capable of more in the early phases of the race. For a fifth place to be disappointing in a rookie Moto2 season, you have to be quite a talent. Furthermore, thanks to Alex Marquez’s DNF at the hands of Augusto Fernandez (for which the latter apologised and the former accepted), Mir is now ahead of his more experienced teammate in the championship by one point, and only five points of Brad Binder who currently sits third in the standings.

    Lorenzo Baldassarri recovered from a poor qualifying to finish in sixth place, although he had quite a quiet race in the end, coming home 2.5 seconds ahead of Fabio Quartararo in seventh. Brad Binder finished eighth ahead of Jorge Navarro who suffered a position drop penalty for track limits and Xavi Vierge who had not completed more than four laps consecutively before the race due to his injury from Austria but impressively managed to take the final top ten spot.

    Eleventh place went to Simone Corsi, ahead of Remy Gardner, Dominique Aegerter, Andrea Locatelli and Jesko Raffin who took the final point on his Grand Prix return (replacing Alejandro Medina, who was replacing Isaac Vinales in the Stop And Go team).

    Joe Roberts took sixteenth place for NTS after it was announced earlier in the weekend that he would be joining the Swiss Innovative Investors KTM squad to replace Sam Lowes next year. Seven tenths further back was the second NTS chassis of Steven Odendaal, who was one tenth ahead of Alex Marquez (he got back on after the crash with Fernandez), who in turn was 0.9 ahead of Iker Lecuona. Bo Bendsneyder completed the top twenty.

    Twenty-first across the line was Niki Tuuli, from Khairul Idham Pawi, Jules Danilo, Federico Fuligni and Xavi Cardelus.

    Danny Kent was the first retirement on lap two, before Luca Marini stopped for a bike problem eight laps later. Sam Lowes crashed trying to pass Remy Gardner 14 laps from the flag, and Sheridan Morais went down two laps later. Two laps still further Tetsuta Nagashima bowed out, before the drama really started.

    With eight laps to go, Stefano Manzi tried to pass Romano Fenati who ran wide on the entry to turn fourteen. The pair came together, and Fenati gestured his anger towards Manzi. Manzi then passed Fenati again in turn four on the next lap in a strange exchange, where Fenati appeared to let Manzi through, but the Forward Racing rider ran clean off the track and took the Marinelli Snipers Team rider with him. Fenati then got the red mist, and on the straight between turns six and eight, grabbed Manzi’s front brake with twenty bar of pressure (Misano’s average pressure is nine bar). Manzi then crashed at turn eight, Fenati turning to him to once more express his displeasure. That was Manzi out of his home Grand Prix, and Fenati soon followed as the FIM Race Stewards Panel decided to disqualify him.

    Augusto Fernandez was the final retirement, four laps from the flag, as he pulled into pit lane following his crash with Marquez much earlier on.

  • Dominant Dovizioso Claims Misano MotoGP Victory

    Andrea Dovizioso wins the San Marino Grand Prix. Image courtesy of Ducati

    The MotoGP San Marino Rimini Riviera Grand Prix was set to get underway in blazing sunshine after a changeable weekend in regards to the weather, and after the washout that was the British Grand Prix race day two weeks previous, the glorious Italian sun was more than welcome (for most).

    Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) was starting from pole position for the second time this season, and looked strong heading into the 27-lap race (shortened by one lap compared to 2017). Meanwhile, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and the two factory Movistar Yamaha riders – Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales – looked as though they could contend for the podium.

    Sure enough, Lorenzo made the holeshot. Misano is in many ways the birthplace of Jorge Lorenzo’s lights-to-flag victories, after he made one of his best ever back in 2013, igniting that stunning championship fightback which led to the title being contested all the way down to the final race in Valencia.

    Marquez also made a good start, moving up from fifth on the grid to be third after the opening corners with Jack Miller (Alma-Pramac Ducati) ahead of Dovizioso. Dovi dealt with Marquez almost immediately, on the first approach to turn eight, and then made quick work of Miller to take second place. Marquez also quickly dealt with the Australian, knowing he couldn’t afford to let his rivals escape if he wanted to have a chance at victory.

    Dovizioso then studied Lorenzo, with a safe distance to Marquez behind, for the next four laps, finally making his move for the lead in turn eight on lap six, and this move would go without reply. A look at the lap time analysis from the race and you can see the control that Dovizioso had over the race. He passed Lorenzo on lap six, setting the race lap record (1’33.224) in the process.  It was a masterfully controlled race from Dovizioso, managing the time gap to his pursuers. Although Lorenzo began to close the gap down late in the race, the Italian was not flustered and upped his pace to negate any serious inroads. Crucially, this result has elevated him back into contention for the championship.

    Andrea Dovizioso celebrates winning the San Marino Grand Prix. Image courtesy of Ducati

    In total contrast to Dovizioso, championship leader Marquez was over the limit keeping up with even Lorenzo, let alone the eventual race winner. As has been commonplace throughout the season, the Spaniard elected to run the hard front tyre because the medium was too soft for the Honda riders. However, the left side of the hard front was not giving enough grip, making a race distance difficult to manage. However, if anyone is capable of riding over the limit for forty minutes, it is Marquez. Even though he could not pass Lorenzo outright, he was able to pressure his future teammate into a couple of mistakes.

    The first error of Lorenzo came in turn fourteen on lap fourteen, and allowed Marquez through for second place. A decent fight between the pair then erupted, with Lorenzo making several attempts to pass Marquez, especially in turn eight. Finally, the Ducati rider made it stick, but whilst the pair were trying to close back down on Dovizioso, he pushed too hard in turn eight and folded the front. He wasn’t off line, he was simply in too hot, and trailing too much front brake. Lorenzo blamed the medium front tyre for his crash – the same compound which Dovizioso chose – and described it as “rock-like” after the race. Lorenzo would have preferred to use the soft front tyre, just like Marquez would have like to have used the medium, but quite simply the track temperature was too high, they made the only choice they could; for Marquez it cost him the win, for Lorenzo could well have cost him his hopes of being the 2018 world champion.

    Lorenzo’s crash let Marquez ease off, knowing he had a safe second place. It also allowed Cal Crutchlow onto the podium for the second time this season, as he gave LCR Honda a trophy in their home race. It was another solid ride from the Briton. Knowing he did not have the pace to challenge for the lead, he consolidated fourth position and ensured he profited from Lorenzo’s misfortune. Crutchlow’s first podium at Misano, continuing his highly impressive season.

    Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was first home of the chasing pack in P4. Early on in the race, the Spaniard was told to go to “Mapping 2”, and the lap after he lost his position to Crutchlow. Exactly what this setting is (a traction control setting, engine mapping, engine brake etc.) remains unclear, but Crutchlow commented on his surprise at the ease with which he was able to pass. It is possible that Rins let Crutchlow go, knowing he couldn’t match the Honda rider’s pace, and chose to ride the fastest race he could, with minimal interference. Whatever the tactics were, they worked extremely well, as he took his fourth top five finish of the season and heavily out-performed his out-going teammate, Andrea Iannone, finishing seven seconds ahead of the Italian.

    Alex Rins behind Cal Crutchlow. Image courtesy of Hondanews.eu

    1.4 seconds back of Rins was the first Yamaha, the factory bike of Maverick Vinales, who was 16.016 seconds from the leader after the 27 laps. After Saturday, things looked good for Yamaha, and especially Vinales. They had a strong test in Misano three weeks before the GP, and after a strong Silverstone weekend were hopeful of a good result in San Marino. However, from Saturday to Sunday, something changed for the M1, as both of the Movistar bikes went from being podium contenders to being slumped in the pack. Both Vinales and Rossi – who finished seventh, a further three seconds behind Vinales – were at a loss to explain the loss of pace. The fact that Yamaha do not know what the problem is, why they always seem to struggle more on a Sunday – even with minimal changes in track temperature – is alarming. They are now twenty-two races without a win, and as Rossi pointed out after the race, the Yamaha is likely to struggle more at Aragon next time out.

    Sandwiched between the two Yamaha riders was Dani Pedrosa. The retiring Spaniard had seemed to find something over the course of this weekend, posting some decent results, especially in morning warm up. But his usual problems of corner speed and acceleration remained in the race. Spending the race around a pair of M1s is perhaps not the best way to allay fears of corner speed issues, but to feel like you’re missing out on acceleration when you are racing against a motorcycle which – according to its riders – has acceleration as its weakest point is rather alarming. There was positive news for Pedrosa this weekend, though, as he was confirmed to be riding the KTM from next year as a test rider.

    Nearly three seconds back of Rossi was Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who appeared in Q1 for the first time in 2018 on Saturday, and also missed Q2. His race didn’t go much better, as he was unable to get the speed nor the life out of the soft rear tyre that Rins did on the sister Suzuki. A home weekend to forget for The Maniac.

    Alvaro Bautista took yet another top ten in ninth place, further affirming the notion that what is MotoGP’s loss at the end of 2018 is most certainly WorldSBK’s gain.

    The top ten was rounded out by Johann Zarco, who suffered similarly to the factory Yamaha riders on Sunday, being unable to get out of corners, nor hold onto the tyre.

    Danilo Petrucci’s race was done before it started. His pace was nothing special throughout the weekend, but his race day got worse when mechanical problems on the grid forced him to fall behind he safety car on the warm up lap, and thus he had to start from last. He made a decent race, though, and climbed to eleventh where he finished. But his day became even worse when he got back to the garage and discovered his pushbike had been stolen. He and the team will be praying that the next round at Aragon is less stressful.

    Bradley Smith took sixteenth place, but even still it was a positive weekend for the Brit, who announced he will be Aprilia’s test rider next year, in a deal that includes the potential for five wildcard rides throughout the season.  On the subject of Aprilia. It was another difficult weekend for Scott Redding, on his RS-GP18. He said after the race that he was missing the line by “5 or 8 metres” due to the front tyre collapsing whilst under braking.

  • F1 – Ferrari swap Raikkonen and Leclerc at the right time

    F1 – Ferrari swap Raikkonen and Leclerc at the right time

    Kimi Raikkonen will finally leave Ferrari at the end of the season having spent the previous three years fielding questions about his future at Maranello.

    And, while he now has a five-and-a-half year wait for a victory after spending a lot of that time as the rear gunner for Sebastian Vettel, Raikkonen has given us a lot of fun in his second stint with the Prancing Horse.

    The 2007 World Champion’s career has gone full circle as he announced a return to Sauber, where he first burst on to the scene in 2001 while Ferrari’s protégé Charles Leclerc leaves Sauber for Ferrari.

    Don’t think that this is just a farewell tour so that he can safely break the record for GP starts held by Rubens Barrichello at 323.

    The Finn certainly has the speed and arguably now a point to prove. He is still level on victories with Mika Hakkinen with 20 apiece and he’s stood on the podium in seven of the last eight races and has 100 in total.

    While many will be saddened that due to Vettel’s fight with Lewis Hamilton in the World championship Raikkonen won’t get the chance to break the Finnish F1 record, there are still more moments of magic, and indeed the odd blunt radio message left for us over the next two years.

    Realistically, this is the right move for Ferrari. Had Leclerc had to spend more time at either of their affiliate teams (Sauber or Haas) then they ran the risk of the 20-year-old Monegasque being poached by another manufacturer.

    Given the promise Leclerc has shown this year, where he has well beaten the experienced Marcus Ericsson, they couldn’t afford for that to happen.

    Leclerc will do great things at Ferrari alongside Vettel, who will be motivated to avoid a repeat of the 2014 season at Red Bull where Daniel Ricciardo thrashed him after stepping up from Toro Rosso.

    But for the rest of the season, Raikkonen deserves a proper farewell from Ferrari.

  • BSB Silverstone: Race 3 – Haslam Seals Hat-Trick After Classic Duel

    Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) completed a hat-trick of victories this weekend, after a real thriller of a duel with Tarran MacKenzie (McAms-Yamaha).

    Race Three was red flagged after Luke Mossey (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) crashed heavily at turn one and required medical attention. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.

    After a short delay, the race was restarted and run over 26 laps.

    For those of you of a certain age the memory of Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts duking it out for glory around Silverstone, in 1979, is probably the best racing memory of Silverstone. There is no risk of exaggeration when I say that this afternoon’s battle between Haslam and MacKenzie is equally deserving of the status of a ‘classic’.

    The two had been almost inseparable on the track, all weekend. Once more this weekend spectators and television viewers were treated to a truly thrilling on-track battle. This time, the echoes between the Sheene-Roberts duel are too loud to ignore. Having both fought their way to the front of the field, the pair (despite constantly challenging each other for the lead) pulled clear of the chasing pack. Knowing then that the victory would go to either the Kawasaki or the Yamaha rider, the gloves were cast off and the duo engaged in a no-holds barred battle royale. Every corner presenting an overtaking opportunity. Daredevil lines chosen by both men as the lead of the race changed hands countless times. It was true wheel-to-wheel, nose-to-tail racing, with neither rider giving an inch to the other – but not once did the riders make contact. Two racers at the top of their game absolutely going for it,

    It was fierce, but also as clean as you like. On the penultimate lap, MacKenzie dived up the inside of his rival at Copse, running them both out to the edge of the track on the corner exit. With the youngster in front, he maneuvered to the inside of the track at Maggots and Becketts. If Haslam wanted a third win so badly, he’d have to brave it around the outside. Utilising every last millimetre of rubber still attached to his tyres, Haslam let his Kawasaki drift out almost to the edge of the track, before squaring off the corner and twisting hard on the throttle. Apex speed compromised, but the payoff was a straighter corner exit, giving him a crucial speed advantage down the Wellington straight. With the Yamaha no more than a front-wheel in the lead, Haslam braved it out under braking through Brooklands and squeezing out MacKenzie into Luffield. With no chance of making the apex first, the youngster was forced to yield on this occasion. A final drag race to the line was the perfect climax to the race – in the end, Haslam holding off his young challenger by just 0.075 seconds.    

    Whilst we were witnessing that incredible duel the small matter of the ‘Showdown Decider’ – which organisers had no doubt spent copious amounts of money hyping this up before the weekend – was being decided. Going into the final race the likes of Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing BSB) were all competing for the final place.

    For O’Halloran and Iddon it was a heartbreaking case of ‘so near, yet so far’. The Honda rider has endured an injury troubled season, so the fact that he arrived at Silverstone with a chance of making the showdown was more than a small miracle. It was a tall order for the 31-year old Australian this weekend, arriving at the circuit needing to close a 53-point gap to his closest Showdown contender. By the time the chequered flag fell this afternoon, it was a mere 6 points.

    Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) racing through the pain barrier this weekend.

    If there was a ‘Man of Steel’ award for this championship, then the recipient would undoubtedly be Christian Iddon. the Tyco-BMW rider would win it hands down. Following a big moment if qualifying yesterday – the bars of his machine wrenched themselves from his grip whilst under braking – he competed the three races with a broken collarbone. In the end, it was just 3 points which denied him a place in the showdown. However with BMW updating their S1000RR model later this year, there is reason to already be excited about the rider’s chances in 2019.

    In the end, it was Peter Hickman who secured the sixth and final showdown place, and the sheer relief from both rider and team cannot be understated. Technical problems with the bike – including a broken gear lever – saw the Lincolnshireman plummet down the field late in the race. This followed a disastrous moment during the original warm up laps, when he crawled off track and into the pits. It transpired that there was no fuel in the bike. In the end, Hickman made it to the finish in P14. 2 points scored, and that was enough to qualify for the showdown.  

    2018 BSB Showdown Contenders

    Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki)

    Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki)

    Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati)

    Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha)

    Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki)

    Peter Hickman (Smiths-Racing BMW)

  • BSB Silverstone: Race 2 – Double Up For Haslam After Rivals Crash Out

    Disaster for Dixon and MacKenzie as they crashed out on the final lap. Photo credit: Jamie Morris Photography

    Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) made it two wins in a row this weekend, as Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) secured his place in this year’s championship Showdown.

    Following a small delay after a red flag in the Superstock1000 class, the middle instalment of the Silverstone triple-header began at 1.40pm.

    It was the young Suzuki rider who seized the initiative. Hooking up the engine revs and killing the wheelspin as the clutch was released, he made the holeshot at Copse and for a time threatened to pull clear of the field. After crashing out of yesterday’s race, Ray promised to make amends today. Indeed, for 20 of the 30 laps, the 21-year old made good on that vow holding a solid position inside the top three.

    Behind him, battle raged in almost identical fashion to yesterday. Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki), Haslam and Tarran MacKenzie (McAms-Yamaha) formed the main chasing pack to Ray. The quartet steadily distancing themselves from the rest of the competition. Having scored his first podium finish during Saturday’s race, the young MacKenzie was intent on tasting the winner’s champagne this afternoon. Once he’d established his rhythm on the bike, the Yamaha rider forced his way past the Suzuki on the tight switchback which links Becketts and the Wellington Straight. Despite regular attempts from his rivals at taking the lead from him, MacKenzie stood firm. At times, it is hard to believe this is his rookie year in the British Superbike championship. Composed under pressure, and able to lead from the front and absorb pressure – it is easy to see why he completely dominated the Supersport class back in 2016.

    However it was not to last. On lap 13 Ray and Haslam finally found a way by at Copse. Just a few moments later Haslam attempted to force Ray out wide at Luffield, but mistimed his braking and the pair made heavy contact at the apex. Amazingly, neither rider hit the tarmac, though Ray was forced onto the grass. By the time he rejoined, he was swamped amongst the midfield runners.

    Haslam, for his error, was ordered by race control to yield his track position to the rider behind. There then followed a brief period of chaos in the pitlane, as both race control and the JG-Speedfit Kawasaki team frantically tried to inform him of this – yet neither was able to get their message across. Unlike MotoGP, the superbikes do not have a dashboard message system. The confusion was understandable as there was no way Haslam (or any rider for that matter) could have seen the penalty board at its position on the pit wall, from where he was as he thundered through Woodcote. A solution was eventually found by hanging another penalty board at Brooklands corner.

    Once the positions had been ceded, Haslam immediately fought back for the lead. Dixon and MacKenzie had been joined at the front by Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha). Such was the commitment of the pocket-rocket, none of the named three could offer any resistance when Haslam roared back through. Unfortunately, neither Dixon or MacKenzie made it to the chequered flag as on the final lap, both riders lost the front end of their machines becoming the latest riders to fall on the drop into Brooklands. Both riders will be extremely keen to make amends in the final race of the weekend, later this afternoon.

    Brookes and Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) rounded out the podium places. It was a solid (if quiet) race for the Ulsterman, but its precious podium credits secured for the Showdown opener next week at Oulton Park. Behind them in P4 and P5 came Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing BSB) and Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) respectively. The latter keeping his hopes of a place in the championship showdown alive, whilst competing with a broken collarbone. If there was a ‘Man of Steel’ award for this series, Iddon would be the hands-down winner.

    Despite Ray only just finishing in the points (P14), it was enough to secure his place in the showdown. This means there is just one place left on the table, and any of Iddon, O’Halloran, Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) can still qualify. Two races down, one to go – the would be showdown contenders will race off in ‘The Decider’.

  • Rally Turkey Preview 2018

    Rally Turkey Preview 2018

    Well, let’s get this out of the way at the start. What delights has Turkey got for us……? Sorry. Anyway, it’s the first WRC event in Turkey since 2010 and let’s take a look at the results from that event.

     

    1. Sébastien Loeb – Elena Daniel – Citroen Racing
    2. Petter Solberg – Phil Mills   – Solberg WRT
    3. Mikko Hirvonen – Jarmo Lehtinen – Ford WRT
    4. Sébastien Ogier – Julien Ingrassia – Citroen Junior
    5. Kimi Räikkönen – Kaj Lindström – Citroen Junior
    6. Fedrerico Villagra – José Luis Diaz – Ford WRT
    7. Matthew Wilson – Scott Martin – M-Sport WRT
    8. Jari-Matti Latvala – Miikka Antilla – Ford WRT
    9. Ken Block – Alessandro Gelsomino – Monster WRT
    10. Henning Solberg – Ilka Minor-Petrasko – Ford WRT

     

    The top ten was dominated by Citroen and Ford, but you’ll recognise a few names. Kimi’s co-driver is part of the Toyota team now, whilst Craig Breen’s co-driver was guiding Matt Wilson back then.

     

    Now, here’s the full stage info.

     

    RALLY TURKEY SCHEDULE (GMT+3)

    THURSDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

    9.30am: Shakedown (4,70 km)

    6.30pm: Ceremonial start (Marmaris)

    8.08pm: SS 1 – Super Special Turkey Full Speed (2,00 km)

    8.33pm: Parc fermé (Asparan)

     

    FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

    7.00am: Service A (Asparan – 15 min)

    7.58am: SS 2 – Çetibeli 1 (38,10 km)

    9.21am: SS 3 – Ula 1 (21,75 km)

    10.24am: SS 4 – Çiçekli 1 (12,57 km)

    12.24pm: Service B (Asparan – 30 min)

    1.37pm: SS 5 – Çetibeli 2 (38,10 km)

    3.00pm: SS 6 – Ula 2 (21,75 km)

    4.03pm: SS 7 – Çiçekli 2 (12,57 km)

    5.48pm: Flexi service C (Asparan – 45 min)

     

    SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

    7.42am: Service D (Asparan – 15 min)

    8.35am: SS 8 – Yesilbelde 1 (34,24 km)

    10.08am: SS 9 – Datça 1 (10,70 km)

    11.11am: SS 10 – Içmeler 1 (20,37 km)

    12.16pm: Service E (Asparan – 30 min)

    1.24pm: SS 11 – Yesilbelde 2 (34,24 km)

    3.08pm: SS 12 – Datça 2 (10,70 km)

    4.11pm: SS 13 – Içmeler 2 (20,37 km)

    5.01pm: Flexi service F (Asparan – 45 min)

     

    SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

    9.25am: Service G (Asparan – 15 min)

    10.08am: SS 14 – Marmaris 1 (7,14 km)

    10.46am: SS 15 – Ovacik (8,05 km)

    11.24am: SS 16 – Gökçe (12,65 km)

    1.18pm: SS 17 – Marmaris 2 Power Stage (7,14 km)

    2.15pm: Podium

     

    This year’s event promises to be one of the open yet, with all new stages. Stage notes creation, therefore will be key and we may even see the crews making changes between the morning and afternoon running of each stage. There are 312.44km of competitive stages over the event, with the longest stages on Friday and Saturday, Çetibeli which is first thing on Friday and Yesilbelde on Saturday morning, 38.10km and 34.24km respectively.

     

    Let’s hear then from the drivers –

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Thierry Neuville

    “Rally Turkey will be a step into the unknown for everyone. We don’t know much about the stages, but we have had the chance to see some video footage. It seems like the roads will be very rough. From our position as first on the road, I am expecting a tricky weekend. I like new rallies and new challenges; it keeps the championship fresh and offers teams and crews something entirely new to tackle. My main target is to enjoy the rally and, of course, to do all we can to preserve our position at the head of the championship.”

    2018 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 07, Rally Italia Sardegna
    7-10 June 2018
    Thierry Neuville, Nicolas Gilsoul, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Austral
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Andreas Mikkelsen

    “I took part in Rally Turkey back in 2008, which was held in a completely different part of the country to where we will be rallying next week. It’s going to be a totally new experience for all competitors and one that will undoubtedly spring some surprises. From what we have seen, it appears we will be competing on rough roads and in very hot conditions, which will be tough on the crews, cars, tyres and brakes. All in all, it will be a nice new challenge and one I am looking forward to.”

    Hayden Paddon

    “I can’t wait to get back into WRC action; it feels like a long time since Finland! Turkey promises to be an unpredictable rally for everyone. I competed there back in 2010 but in a different part of the country so that experience is not comparable to what we’ll encounter next week. It looks like the stages will be twisty, rough and very hot, resembling an old Cyprus rally. As with any new event there are lots of unknowns, but we’re as prepared as we can be. We’ll definitely give it a good crack.”

     

    M-Sport Ford WRT

    Sébastien Ogier

    “Rally Turkey will be an interesting event for sure as no one really knows what to expect. This is the first completely new event for a long time and, even though I contested the rally in 2010, next week’s event will be completely different.

    “There will be a lot of work to do on the recce, and Julien [Ingrassia, co-driver] will have to write brand-new notes for every single kilometre! It’ll be a lot of work, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and to discovering what these new stages will be like.

    “Our goal is to deliver the best possible result, but the loose gravel will make it a challenge. We’ll be the second car on the road and there will be a lot of fast drivers benefiting from a cleaner and faster road behind. We’ll need to try and stay as close as we can on Friday morning and then see where we are after that.

    “The most important thing is to score a strong haul of points for our championship defence, and that is what we will focus on.”

    Seb and Julien – Photo credit M-Sport

    Elfyn Evans

    “We’ll be taking a step into the unknown with a brand-new rally next week. I’m sure it will be an interesting weekend and I’m looking forward to discovering what the Turkish stages have to offer.

    “For sure it will be hot, and we’ll need to be prepared for that. It also looks as though it could be quite loose which would give us a good road position for the first day; but it also has the potential to be fairly rough and everyone will need to have their wits about them.

    “We completed our pre-event test on some pretty rough roads in Greece and the Fiesta proved as strong as ever. We’ve had to do a lot of preparation to get ready for this one, and the hard work will only continue next week.

    “We’re as prepared as we can be and I think we’re all looking forward to experiencing something completely new – where the aim is to be in the fight for the top positions.”

    Teemu Suninen

    “Whereas most of the rallies this year have been new only for me, this one will be new for everyone. That will make things really interesting and could bring me an opportunity as we will all be equal on experience before the first stage.

    “No one is allowed is test in Turkey so we’ll all experience the roads for the first time during the recce and then the shakedown. Set-up wise, I’ll discuss with my team mates first to see what they have experienced and discovered. Otherwise, I will need to make my own conclusions and choices.

    “As for what to expect, I have never been to Turkey before and will travel out a little earlier than usual to get a feel for everything. I’m expecting it to be a very hot rally and very demanding, but I hope to deliver a good result.”

     

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Jari-Matti Latvala

    “This is the first time for many years that I am preparing for a completely new WRC event. There are many unknowns: you have to do new pace-notes, you don’t know the characteristics of the roads and you don’t know how they will change for the second pass. I remember from when we went to Turkey in 2008, near Antalya, that it was very hot. The long stages were very demanding and very hard on the tyres. From what I have seen so far, I think there will be some similarities to that rally and also to the Acropolis Rally. The pre-event test was really good for me. I was very happy with the car and we made some good steps with the suspension.”

    Ott Tanak

    “Obviously we have had some very good results recently, but I am still taking it rally-by-rally. It is difficult to have any expectations for Turkey as we don’t have a lot of know-how about the rally. Everybody is talking about it being a rough event: we will have to wait and see how it is on the recce. We certainly know that it will be hot. I think that our pre-event test in the south of Portugal was good preparation for that and we are doing everything we can to be ready and be competitive. Now there is not too much more we can do until we get there and see the stages for ourselves.”

    2018 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07, Rally d’Italia, Sardegna / June 7-10, 2018 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Esapekka Lappi

    “We should expect the unexpected in Turkey. The information we have is that it will be rough with a lot of loose gravel, and that tyre management will be key. For that reason, the long afternoon loops will be crucial, I think. We saw on our test that the tyre wear is quite high when you have rough roads and it’s 35 degrees outside. In general, the test went very well and I think we managed to find some nice settings with the car. I am looking forward to the challenge: it’s a chance to learn something new. So far, being early on the road on loose gravel has not been a strong point for me, so I will try to improve that.”

     

    Citroen Abu Dhabi Racing WRT

    Craig Breen

    “The aim is really to get through the opening leg without any hiccups. If we manage to do that, we should be right up there, in the mix and well placed for the rest of the rally. It’s difficult to take any real information from the on-board footage recorded by the organiser in a production car. One thing is sure, however: the course looks very interesting, with a good variety of roads, some narrow, technical and rough, others much quicker.”

    Mads Østberg

    “We’re expecting it to be hot this weekend. It’s going to be a technically-difficult, demanding rally for the cars and that’s what we prepared for during our pre-event test in the Aude. I’m feeling pretty confident because I always produce decent performances on this kind of surface. And the C3 WRC is even more efficient and easier to drive than it was in Sardinia, which is the last event contested on similar types of road. We’re also going to be able to use some of the things we learned in Finland on this surface.”

    Mads and Torstein, Photo credit Citroen Racing

    Khalid Al Qassimi

    “I’m delighted to be back behind the wheel of my C3 WRC, especially at a new event. It’s always exciting to contest brand new stages for the first time, especially as we’re expecting fairly difficult conditions. I’ve always felt comfortable at events like this. I have some good memories of the Acropolis Rally, for example. It’s always a question of finding the right balance between pushing and looking after the car.”

     

    I think we can expect the key players to be at the front once Friday is done, but those extra drivers to watch will be Hayden and Elfyn I believe. Can Ott Tanak continue his fine form and close the gap further to Thierry and Seb in the fight for the championship?

     

    Enjoy the rally!

  • BSB Silverstone: Race 1 – Haslam Seals Extraordinary Victory

    Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) took another step towards securing his maiden British Superbike crown, but was pushed to the limit under gloomy skies at Silverstone.

    From lights out to chequered flag the battle on track raged. It was always expected to be a fast and furious round on the short 1.6 mile ‘national circuit’ configuration, with no less than seven riders still trying to secure a place in this year’s championship showdown. In the practice and qualifying sessions leading up to this afternoon’s race four different manufacturers – Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati – had topped the timesheets.

    There was drama even before the race began. Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) was declared fit to race only moments before the riders made their sighting lap to the grid. This was despite injuring his collarbone in qualifying this morning. Such is the desire to compete when a place in the title showdown is up for grabs. There was also a new engine for Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha) after his previous R1 motor expired during the dying moments of qualifying earlier in the day.

    At 4.15pm, with engines at full revs, the lights went out on the gantry and the race began.

    It was a terrific start for polesitter Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki), who perfectly launched off the line, and having gained a lead of several bike lengths to his pursuers by the time he reached the famous Maggots and Becketts complex. Behind him it was Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) who led the chase.

    However despite his brilliant start, disaster struck for Ray on lap 5 of 30 when under braking into Brooklands, lost the front end of the bike. Despite the bike clearly showing no damage, the BSB racing rules state that should a rider “become detached from his motorcycle” he cannot rejoin the race. A cruel blow to the showdown hopeful, but given he is still inside the top six places in the standings, it is by no means the fatal blow to his championship aspirations. He will race again tomorrow, and will look to make amends.     

    Although his place in the showdown has long since been assured, Haslam was not content to sit mid-pack and settle for points. The runaway series leader kept out of trouble in the opening laps, before settling into his rhythm – picking off riders quickly and relentlessly – as he stalked the early race leaders. Keeping within close range of the McAms-Yamaha duo of Josh Brookes and Tarran MacKenzie through the latter half of the race, the ‘pocket rocket’ chose his moment to attack with precision. His pass on MacKenzie will live long in the memory of everyone who witnessed it:

    Holding his nerve and never fully closing off the throttle, Haslam hugged his Kawasaki machine around the outside of his rival at Brooklands corner. It was certainly in the ‘high risk – high reward’ department. One false move on the dirty off-line track and his bike would go crashing onto the tarmac, potentially collecting MacKenzie’s Yamaha in the process. This may well have been the case for a less experienced racer. As it was Haslam found the grip’s edge and, counter steering his way (almost speedway-style) through the corner he held the bike upright. The reward was the inside line at Luffield – the tightest right hander on the circuit. Straighten the bike up, jam down through the gearbox and stop the bike on the apex. An incredibly difficult maneuver to pull off for even the most experienced racers. Haslam, frankly, made it look like child’s’ play.

    With MacKenzie cleared, there was only Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) left in Haslam’s way. but a poor start from the Ulsterman saw him initially swamped by his rivals and forced back down the field. His response was immediate and, utilising the full straightline power of the v-twin Panigale R, had quickly caught back up to Ray and was in prime position to inherit the lead when the unfortunate Suzuki rider ran off the circuit. However, even with this advantage on the straights, he was ultimately no match for Haslam’s pace through the corners. Whether it be in World or British Superbikes, the Kawasaki ZX-RR is the most stable in the bends. Amongst many things this makes the bike very kind on its tyres – something which is crucial in the latter stages of a 30-lap race. As such, on the penultimate lap, Haslam pulled alongside Irwin as the two title contenders thundered into Copse corner and the superior grip from the Kawasaki did the rest.  

    MacKenzie secured his maiden podium finish this afternoon. The 22-year old has learned quickly this season, despite some bad luck in the first half of the season with technical problems hindering his competitiveness. Today, spectators and TV viewers were given a timely reminder of his full ability. Not daunted by being partnered at McAms-Yamaha this year by former BSB champion Josh Brookes, ‘Taz’ more than held his own in the scraps with Irwin, Haslam and latterly with his teammate. His overtake of Brookes on the final lap, forcing past the veteran Australian at Luffield cleanly was no easy feat. He may well party tonight celebrating his first rostrum. The first of undoubtedly many more to come.

    It was a brilliant ride from Haslam, who claimed his tenth victory of the season and extends his lead in the championship to an incredible 114 points over Dixon. Even when the showdown points and podium credits have been taken into account, the ‘pocket rocket’ will have a commanding advantage over the rest of his rivals. 

     

     

  • 2018 Italian GP Review: Raging Tifosi

    2018 Italian GP Review: Raging Tifosi

     

    Round fourteen of the 2018 Formula One season saw teams arrive at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. Deemed the Temple of Speed for a reason, it would be a two-way fight for the victory between Ferrari and the Mercedes. Ferrari hoped to please the Tifosi at their home GP whilst Mercedes wanted to steal the show and dominate proceedings, over their Italian rivals.

    In a dry qualifying it was Ferrari that took a front row lockdown, but not in the usual order. It was Kimi Räikkönen who profited from the slipstream he got from his teammate Sebastian Vettel, giving him the fastest ever F1 lap with an average speed of 263kmh. Vettel wasn’t happy with his P2, as he told his team they’d “talk about it” afterwards. He was most likely disappointed that the Finn got the slipstream instead of him as he’s a Drivers’ Championship contender. The second row belonged to Mercedes.

    The Tifosi were in for a party as the front row coloured red, just as all the grandstands were. Räikkönen had a great start as he led into turns three and four. It was at that same corner that Lewis Hamilton went round the outside of Vettel which then led to contact. The Ferrari driver spun and headed to the pits to repair his front wing. The stewards would look into the incident between the two championship contesters. Before the drivers had cleared the first corner, the Safety Car (SC) was brought out for an incident involving  Brendon Hartley, after he got sandwiched on the straight between a McLaren and a Sauber. This meant his suspension broke and he had to pull the car onto the grass.

    At the restart in lap four it was Hamilton who got past Räikkönen into turn one without DRS. However, a better exit gave Räikkönen the opportunity to get first place back, leading to big cheers from the Italian crowds. Vettel opted during his pit stop for the soft tyres, probably trying to avoid another pit stop.

    At the back there was slight contact between Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen at the first Lesmo corner. Some debris flew onto the track and onto Magnussen’s car, but not enough to bring out another SC. Meanwhile the stewards decided to take no further action in the incident between Hamilton and Vettel.

    During lap eight it was chaos in the fight for the last available point. Charles Leclerc got P12 from Pierre Gasly, and Daniel Ricciardo tried to profit from his poor exit but that almost cost him his front wing into turn four. One lap later Vettel overtook Leclerc for P13, who had already lost his P12 to Gasly. Drama for Fernando Alonso and McLaren again, as he had to retire the car only ten laps into the race due to an engine problem.  His “what a shame” comment sounded a bit sarcastic over the radio.

    A huge fight between Ricciardo and the new 2019 Red Bull driver Gasly took place. It was the Australian who braked too deep into the corner, hitting the Toro Rosso on the side but without major damage.

    Then Esteban Ocon taking sixth place from Carlos Sainz using DRS on the main straight. At front it was still Räikkönen leading Hamilton by 1.4 seconds. Meanwhile Vettel reported to his team that he still had some damage affecting the balance of the car. Max Verstappen, who was in third, was under increasing pressure from Valtteri Bottas, closing in on the Red Bull driver to try and get within DRS reach. Vettel was in ninth place by lap 16 and closing in on the Force India of Perez. Trying to overtake him the German braked too late, missed the apex and Perez got his eighth place back. Finally in lap 18, Vettel got past the Mexican for eight place, now heading towards the Renault of Sainz.

    The battle between Verstappen and Bottas continued to heat up, causing both to lock up their tyres into turn one. Verstappen seemed to think Bottas was close enough to overtake him, but his team reported to him that “he was nowhere near.” Vettel meanwhile passed Sainz for seventh place, still around thirty seconds behind his teammate and race leader, Räikkönen. The Finnish Ferrari driver came into the pits during lap 21 whilst the Mercedes crew were ‘faking’ a pit stop. But only one lap later they were saying the famous words, “It’s hammer time!” He then didn’t come to the pits again, after his team ordered him to stay out as he still had the pace but his teammate Bottas was still struggling to get past Verstappen.

    On lap 24 some drivers reported that it was raining at the back of the circuit around turns three and four, but one person who wasn’t worried about the rain was Vettel. He was still surging ahead and got into P5 after overtaking Ocon.  Then there was a big smoke plume behind Ricciardo – his new C spec Renault engine died, meaning he had to retire from the race. For the fourth time in six races the Australian didn’t make it to the end. His teammate Verstappen then asked his team if everything was alright with his engine, the team assured him that there was no problem. The Dutchman would soon come into the pits, opting for the soft tyres, but he dropped back to sixth place behind Vettel.

    Bottas was told by his team to keep Räikkönen behind him to help Hamilton make a safe pit stop. He would opt for the soft tyres, but he couldn’t even get close to Räikkönen coming out of the pits. During lap 30, Vettel made his second pit stop of the race, now opting for the supersofts. Falling back to tenth place for doing so, he once again had to fight his way back to the front. Bottas was in “holding mode” – keeping Räikkönen behind him so that Hamilton could close the gap between himself and the Finn. Mercedes reported to Bottas that Räikkönen had blistered his left rear tyre.

    AUTODROMO NAZIONALE MONZA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 02: Back right tyre of Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF71H in parc ferme during the Italian GP at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 02, 2018 in Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. (Photo by Manuel Goria / Sutton Images)

    Hamilton was within a second of Räikkönen by lap thirty-five, splitting the top three by just less than two seconds. Finally, Bottas came into the pits from the leading position, going from the supersofts to the softs, but he would fall back behind Verstappen by three seconds. This pit stop gave Räikkönen the chance to create a gap between himself and Hamilton, but at this stage he was really struggling with his blistered tyre. Hamilton’s tyres were eight laps newer with fifteen laps left.

    Vettel meanwhile overtook Perez for sixth place with only a small gap to catch Ocon, who headed to the pits, so Vettel surged to fifth. Whilst Räikkönen was struggling with blisters on the rear left, it was Hamilton who was struggling with blisters on the front left. The battle behind them was between Verstappen and Bottas who got very close to the Red Bull and tried to get past him in lap 42, but Verstappen defended well. One lap later he tried again but this time it cost him way more as he completely missed turn one after he and Verstappen made contact when the Dutchman went to the left where Bottas was trying to overtake him. Once again the stewards had a tough job to decide what to do. Bottas lost four seconds because of the incident. The stewards handed Verstappen a five-second time penalty for causing a collision. He didn’t sound too happy on the radio: “For what? I gave him space. They are doing a great job of killing racing, honestly.”

    Then Monza had a new race leader as Hamilton finally got past Räikkönen using DRS into turn one, despite Räikkönen’s defense attempts. Seven laps to go and Räikkönen began losing time to Hamilton. Verstappen had a gap of just over one second on Bottas and with the time penalty he had it would mean he’d be in fourth place. The Dutchman also lost time to Vettel because he was fighting Bottas, but told his team, “I don’t care about it.”

    Meanwhile it was worryingly to see that Sergey Sirotkin had unlapped himself by passing Räikkönen, when Ferrari had told the Finn that his tyre situation was critical.

    After 53 laps, taking around 77 minutes, it was Hamilton who took his 86th career victory at Ferrari’s home GP. This made it extra painful for the Tifosi who really made this clear by booing the race winner and his ‘wingman’. Mercedes then angered the Tifosi even more as Bottas was told over the radio to stay next to Hamilton in “formation all the way out, just to show our Italian colleagues.” Hamilton even thanked his teammate for helping him out. One positive for the Tifosi was that Driver of the Day Räikkönen brought home his Ferrari in second place and Vettel fought back to finish in fifth position. Bottas completed the podium as Verstappen got demoted to fifth. Romain Grosjean, Ocon, Perez, Sainz and Lance Stroll completed the top ten.

    Hamilton entered the weekend as Championship leader and left Monza still as the leader in the title fight, but now with an even bigger margin. He now has 256 points over Vettel’s 226 points, as the German threw away some very important points at his team’s home GP. Räikkönen extended the gap between himself and Bottas  to five points, and Verstappen once again shortened the gap to his teammate due to another retirement. While Mercedes are leading the Constructors’ Championship with 415 points with Ferrari trailing behind with 390 points.

    F1 will return in two weeks for round 15 in Singapore. Vettel really has to get some points to keep Hamilton from running away with the Championship, and Singapore seems to be one of his biggest opportunities to do that. Will Vettel be able to bounce back, or will Hamilton take another big step towards his fifth World Championship?

  • Force India continue their charge for Racing Points

    Sergio Perez in the pits for new tyres. Image courtesy of Racing Point Force India

    Following on from an impressive debut (if you can call it that) for Racing Point Force India at Spa, I held high hopes that the team would continue their climb up the points ladder this week in Monza. While the Pink Panthers had no problem at all in cruising past Williams in the (largely non-existent) points battle in Belgium, would passing Sauber for 8th in the standings prove more challenging?

    The weekend got off to a great start, with the pink team again showing their wet weather prowess in FP1, with Perez and Ocon taking full advantage of the conditions to finish P1 and P3 respectively. Who knew panthers (albeit pink ones) were so fond of the rain? Things settled down a little once the rain clouds dissipated, but Perez and Ocon were still impressive in the dry FP2 and FP3 sessions, placing “best of the rest” or close to it.

    Their competition in the standings for this weekend, Sauber, faced a more difficult time, most spectacularly for Marcus Ericsson in FP2, who became the unfortunate passenger of a car that jerked violently to the left before rolling repeatedly as a result of his DRS failing to close. Luckily he escaped unscathed, but it didn’t look pretty, and forced the team to break curfew to fix the car during the night.

    Although the pace was still looking good for Force India in qualifying, they looked to have made a costly mistake in Q1, deciding not to send Perez out for another run at the end of the session. Unbelievably, he found himself a single thousandth of a second on the wrong side of Romain Grosjean’s time, pushing him down to 16th and out. Ocon made it comfortably through, meanwhile, eventually ending up a respectable eighth on the grid. It looked likely, at this point, that while Ocon might have a shot at the coveted best of the rest spot, Perez might struggle to even reach the points.

    On Sunday though, Perez charged through the field like a man possessed, wrestling his way to where he probably should have been if not for Saturday’s strategy oversight. By lap 10 he was in the points, and his charge continued impressively from there on. Ocon arguably had an easier ride, having started further forward, but both impressed in the race, finishing 7th and 8th on the road (more on that later).

    Sauber meanwhile, continued to struggle without the straight-line speed required to excel at Monza, with Leclerc putting in a valiant effort but ultimately coming up short, and Ericsson having a tough time towards the back of the field. So while Perez and Ocon finished comfortably in the points, Sauber failed to score.

    It doesn’t take a genius to do the maths: going into the weekend with a mere one point advantage over Force India, Sauber were now very solidly on the back foot, with Force India sailing on through to rise up to P8 in the standings.

    However, the story doesn’t end there. After the race, the floor on the Romain Grosjean’s Haas was found to be illegal, and he was promptly disqualified, pushing Ocon and Perez up to P6 and P7 in the race results. Although Haas may yet appeal, if the decision stands, Force India stand to gain – not just points, either, but yet another position in the standings! Yes, after just two races as a “new“ team, Force India really do sit seventh in the Constructors’ table.

    So, what’s next on the horizon? Sixth no longer seems impossible. Fifth might involve just a bit too much wishful thinking. But if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that I wouldn’t want to bet against them.

  • IndyCar reveals 2019 season calendar

    After months of speculation, IndyCar have finally confirmed their 2019 calendar. This new calendar sees one new entry, one returning event and two races that are sadly leaving, as well as a few switch arounds.

    St Petersburg starts the season as it has done for many years, but you don’t have to go very far into the season to find the first change. Phoenix is no more and has instead been replaced by the Circuit of the Americas, an addition that has been expected for some time. The omission of Phoenix means that the first oval race of the season will be the Indy 500 which is certainly a change from years past.

    Long Beach and Barber have been switched around for the third and fourth races compared to last year. After that, the run from the Indianapolis GP right through to Road America remains unchanged order-wise. The ever-anticipated Indy 500 is in its customary slot of the last weekend of May with the Detroit double-header and Texas Motor Speedway falling on the next two weekends to form the seasons first triple header of race weekends.

    Road America follows Texas as it did in 2018 and then the next change in the calendar is after that. This change is, however, a fairly minor one with Toronto and Iowa switching places – meaning the ovals are more spread out.

    Mid-Ohio, Pocono, Gateway and Portland all remain in the same order for the most oval-heavy stretch of the season. There’s a bigger gap between the penultimate round at Portland and the final round for 2019, standing at three weeks as opposed to two in 2018.

    That final round is also the final change of the season. For only the second time since IndyCar became the series it is today, there will be no Sonoma race. The Californian track joined the IndyCar calendar a year into its being in 2008, holding the season finales from 2015 to 2018. It’s a sad loss for IndyCar, but two California races probably going to work.

    Replacing Sonoma is perhaps the most exciting change to the calendar; after fourteen years away, Laguna Seca is finally back, and it’ll be the season finale. It won’t be long until the IndyCar’s will be descending the famous corkscrew once more, and the drivers can hardly wait for it!

    IndyCar announces returns to Laguna Seca after fourteen-year absence

    One thing that you do notice about the new calendar is the slow but constant demise of the oval races. There’s only one less on the 2019 calendar than there was on the 2018 but it seems more noticeable now – of the 17 rounds, only 5 are at ovals. This is comes as part of the slow move away from ovals and their dangers, many of which were highlighted by Robert Wickens’ horrendous crash at Pocono. It’s a change that the entire IndyCar community are just going to have to get used to.

    These are exciting times for IndyCar with everything pointing to a certain Fernando Alonso joining the series for the 2019 season and with more drivers than ever able to fight for a more unpredictable title… bring on 2019!

    2019 Season Calendar

    10th March – St. Petersburg (S)
    24th March – Circuit of the Americas (R)
    7th April – Barber Motorsports Park (R)
    14th April – Long Beach (S)
    11th May – Indianapolis GP (R)
    26th May – 103rd Indy 500 (O)
    1st June – Detroit Race 1 (S)
    2nd June – Detroit Race 2 (S)
    8th June – Texas Motor Speedway (O)
    23rd June – Road America (R)
    14th July – Toronto (S)
    20th July – Iowa Speedway (O)
    28th July – Mid-Ohio (R)
    18th August – Pocono Raceway (O)
    24th August – Gateway Motorsports Park (O)
    1st September – Portland (R)
    22nd September – Laguna Seca (R)

    (R) – Road Course
    (S) – Street Course
    (O) – Oval

    Schedule subject to change