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  • The Moto2 Championship Battle Resumes in San Marino

    The 2017 Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini was a complete washout, all three classes racing in torrential conditions, which the racetrack itself did a decent enough job of coping with. The Moto2 race was especially sketchy, though, with only eleven riders finishing on the lead lap, and only sixteen riders seeing the chequered flag at all.

    It seemed last year that the Moto2 class had the perfect concoction of perhaps the worst track conditions of the day, tyres which were wide enough to have some aquaplaning where the water was deep enough, and also have less grip than a Michelin wet, for example, which the premier class enjoyed.

    Perhaps, then, it was no surprise that there were so few finishers, especially as the Misano circuit is somewhat famed for its poor wet weather grip – remember back to 2014 when there were over sixty crashes on Friday alone across all three classes. It was perhaps also not a surprise to see that Tom Luthi and Dominique Aegerter, two wet weather specialists (though not at all limited to that), were the two fighting for the win. It was Aegerter who won out on track, but a retrospective disqualification for a breach of technical regulations handed the win to Luthi. Hafiz Syahrin joined the two Swiss riders on the podium, although it was Francesco Bagnaia who inherited third place after the results were finalised with Aegerter’s DSQ.

    A result along the same lines would not go amiss this weekend for Bagnaia, who comes into his second home race of the season as the Moto2 World Championship leader, and in search of a first triumph at a home Grand Prix. After the demise of the British GP two weeks ago, Bagnaia remains the most recent winner in the class, that victory coming in Austria one month ago in an epic battle with championship rival Miguel Oliveira.

    Despite that, Oliveira is perhaps the favourite for this weekend, the slippery San Marinese asphalt in theory offering a good opportunity for the Portuguese and his KTM chassis. There have still only been two wins for the #44 so far this season, coming in Mugello and Brno. As the championship heads towards the business end of the season, Oliveira needs to find some pace and some consistency with it. He is there points-wise, but right now it seems that Bagnaia and Kalex have the advantage in outright performance – especially in qualifying, 23rd in Silverstone for Oliveira being the latest in a stream of poor qualifying results. Still, that said, the opportunity is there for Miguel this weekend, it’s just down to him to take it.

    With Silverstone being cancelled, it is still three podiums in the last three races for Luca Marini, who suffered a bit more in Britain, but will nonetheless arrive in Misano full of confidence, particularly as this is a circuit he knows so well with it being a regular destination of the VR46 Riders Academy. Unfortunately for Marini, his San Marino Grand Prix lasted only fifteen corners last season, as he crashed out two corners from the end of the first lap. He will be hoping for something different this weekend and, wet or dry, the expectation is to see the number 10 fighting for the victory.

    Mattia Pasini was another crasher last year, as he fell down at Rio – turn four – along with Lorenzo Baldassarri on lap three. It was especially a shame for Pasini, who had been in good form to that point of the season, and was looking for a second home GP win of the season whilst sporting a Marco Simoncelli replica helmet design. After the heartbreak of the Italian Grand Prix earlier in the season, where he fell on lap six, a crash which spawned a long baron patch for the number 54, he will be aiming to return to the podium this weekend, which would be just his second of the season after his Argentinian triumph.

    As for Baldassarri, a drop in form since Mugello has been significant in his season. Since the Italian Grand Prix at the beginning of June, Baldassarri has gone: 7-DNF-DNF-4-DNF. It is this inconsistency that has cost him a shot at the title, because he has the speed. Typically, when Baldassarri makes it to the flag he finds that he can fight for the podium, or even the win, regardless of his qualifying. However, as in previous seasons, he has been held back by his affinity for gravel rash, which he must shake if he is to end the season strongly and enter 2019 in a good way. With that said, though, Baldassarri did take his first GP win in Misano, back in 2016 when he fought with Alex Rins until the final lap and finally came out on top. This and his pure speed make it impossible to discount Baldassarri for this weekend, but he needs to keep the tyres in contact with the racetrack, and that might be his biggest challenge.

    News since Silverstone has confirmed that Sam Lowes will be rekindling his relationship with Gresini Racing in 2019, a team in which he enjoyed a love that was very much requited. Of course he missed out on what seemed like a golden opportunity to take a first Silverstone win and more importantly a debut home Grand Prix win two weeks ago, but with the weight of his future lifted from his shoulders, Lowes could be a force to be reckoned with in Misano. However, it has never been a kind circuit for Lowes in Grand Prix racing, with crashes in the last three seasons and a mechanically-induced 18th place back in 2014.

    The track also harbours difficult memories for Fabio Quartararo, who broke his ankle at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli back in 2015. In many ways it was that injury that derailed his career for the next two seasons. However, a couple of good races this season have indeed been enough for him to get the second ride in the SIC Petronas Yamaha team for next year. Like Lowes, he will be hoping that his future’s security will allow him to ride more freely and compete for the podium once again.

    Like both Lowes and Quartararo, Romano Fenati has had his 2019 berth confirmed. It happened during the delays in Silverstone, which was quite smart by the management of the Forward Racing Team, which Fenati is joining for next season to pilot one of their MV Agusta chassis’. For the remainder of the season, though, and especially this weekend, Fenati will be hoping to finally turn his usually impressive free practice form into a strong race performance for the Marinelli Snipers team, and as the Moto3 winner from last year, there is potential for a great weekend for the #13.

  • Bezzecchi vs. Martin: The Fight Continues in Misano Moto3

    It seems a long time since the Moto3 World Championship last raced. The cancellation of the British Grand Prix a fortnight ago means the last racing laps the World Championship riders experienced were one month ago in Austria, where Marco Bezzecchi won his second race of the season and extended his championship lead to twelve points.

    Bezzecchi now comes into his home Grand Prix after dodging something of a bullet in Silverstone, where he only managed to qualify eleventh due to a crash in his final flying lap, whereas his championship rival Jorge Martin took pole position. This put Bezzecchi in a difficult position for the race, so to come away from the British Grand Prix without losing ground to Martin in the championship was a big result for the Italian. It will be interesting to see how Bezzecchi reacts to arriving in his home GP as a championship leader and as an affirmative championship contender. The Italian Grand Prix, back at round six, went well for Bezzecchi, where he finished second behind Martin. The Pruestel GP rider will be intent on reversing those positions this weekend, and for him the bike should work well, with the KTM’s stiff chassis and strong engine potentially proving invaluable on Misano’s stop-start layout.

    On the other side of the coin, you have Jorge Martin, who missed a golden opportunity to win in Silverstone with Bezzecchi potentially facing a tough race. Martin has now been without a win since Sachsenring. Of course, there is a reasonable explanation thanks to his broken radius from Brno, but three race weekends without a 1st place trophy to take home will have Martin frothing at the mouth to come out on top this weekend, especially in Bezzecchi’s back yard.

    It has been a difficult couple of races for Fabio Di Giannantonio since he won in Brno. Twelfth in Austria and a weekend almost void of front running pace in Silverstone has put the Roman on the back foot ahead of his second home race of the season. However, he has run good races in his two previous San Marino Grands Prix, finishing tenth in his debut appearance in the Moto3 class in Misano two years ago, and in 2017 he came home third in the pouring rain. It is the ideal time for Di Giannantonio to rediscover his form, especially as he seems to have lost an opportunity to ride the Gresini Moto2 bike next year, with Sam Lowes being signed to pilot their Kalex. Diggia needs a seat, and with the infamously short memories of paddock personnel, he needs to show he deserves one.

    Nicolo Bulega has also been strong in Misano in the past, taking fourth place in 2016, and 5th last year – albeit over one minute over runaway winner Romano Fenati. After signs of a renaissance just before the summer break, things have gone away from Bulega again. He has been suggesting that he is slow in the straights, something which has been a trait of his whole GP career. It makes sense, because of his size, and should be manageable, because he has reasonable pace most weekends, but his inability to make a start costs him a lot especially when he doesn’t qualify on the front two rows – which happens quite often. It is expected that Bulega will go to the Sky VR46 Moto2 team next year, which on the surface would be a surprise, but the reality is that Bulega cannot stay in Moto3 another season – like Di Giannantonio he is too tall – and Sky might be his only option.

    Misano has also been a good track for Enea Bastianini, winning in 2015 and taking second behind Brad Binder in 2016. Last year, however, Bastianini suffered two crashes and finished a lap down in the monsoon conditions. At a forty-one-point deficit to Bezzecchi in the championship and with only one win to his name in 2018, Bastianini needs to return to the top step this weekend to bring himself back into the title frame.

    Like Bastianini, Aron Canet is in need of a return to the top step, a location the Spaniard has not visited this season. That said, he is still only 40 points off the championship lead, so a couple of good results and suddenly the #44 is right back in the fight. Another incentive for Canet to return to winning ways is his search for a Moto2 berth for next season. With Xavi Vierge confirmed at the Marc VDS team for next season, Canet must look outside of his current Estrella Galicia/Monlau Competition ‘family’ for a Moto2 ride, and the performances of Sergio Garcia in the Moto3 Junior World Championship could mean that continuing in Moto3 could also necessitate a change of scenery for Canet. It’s getting to crunch time for Canet, and he needs to show up if he wants to make the cut.

    There are also a couple of wildcards this weekend in the lightweight class, with Yari Montella and Kevin Zannoni making appearances. Montella races for the Sic58 Squadra Corse in the Junior World Championship, whilst Zannoni rides a TM in the same championship and wildcarded in Misano last season to some success in the free practice sessions, although he was one of a number of fallers in the race.

  • San Marino GP Preview: Anything Goes At Misano

    It is now or never for Marc Maquez’ championship rivals, as MotoGP resumes this weekend at the spectacular Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

    Misano seldom produces a dull race. Indeed, since the circuit returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2007, it has played host to numerous classic moments  such as: The arrival of Marco Simoncelli as a serious premier class contender in 2010. Pedrosa practically shoving Marquez out of his way en route to victory in 2016. Heartbreak for Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) as he came so near to a famous victory last season in horrendous conditions.

    This year will be no exception, as the first serious hammer blows in this year’s championship will be played out on Sunday to the best part of 100,000 spectators. There may well also be an element of desperation from the title protagonists, following the washout at Silverstone a fortnight ago.

    The abandonment of the British Grand Prix has made life this season considerably easier for Marquez and the Repsol Honda team. No race being run means that a potential 25 points for his closest rivals were removed from the table. Where there had been a maximum of 200 points, now there is only 175 remaining this season. Having already established a lead of 59 points at the top of the standings, the road to becoming a 5 time premier class champion (and match the achievements of the great Mick Doohan) is now even more clear.

    Firm favourite Marquez is, but to say he has got the championship effectively won already would be grossly inaccurate. Grand Prix racing, more than any other sport, has a habit of biting back. With this in mind, the factory Ducati team will be pushing hard to claw back the deficit. With Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso now a seemingly constant presence both on the front row and on the podium each week, one slip up from Marquez and the championship is blown wide open for the flyaway races.

    Hunting in pairs: Can Lorenzo and Dovizioso close down Marquez’ lead?
    / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN

    However, it is not only Ducati who are still in the championship fight this season. Despite not having taken a race victory since the Dutch TT in 2017, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) is the closest challenger in the standings to Marquez with 142 points. Incredible testament to the sheer consistency of the 38-year old Italian. The 9 times world champion has defied the bike, despite criticism of the machine from his teammate Maverick Vinales, the crew chiefs, journalists and just about everyone close to the team. Whilst Vinales has looked despondent with the bike at times this season – in fairness, most riders would be the same – Rossi has worked tirelessly. Sacrificing single lap performance for the sake of getting the setup right for the races. He has always done this, but in 2018 has had to take it to the extreme – being a regular in Q1.

    Movistar Yamaha appear to have made a step forward with the M1, following two private tests last month at Misano and Aragon. Understanding the Magnetti Marelli ECU has been a constant thorn in the side for the Japanese manufacturer. Despite having a bike which is regarded as the most mechanically sound machine to race, they have struggled to synchronise the new electronics, which has compromised the performance of the bikes at every turn – both literally and metaphorically.  At Rossi’s true home round, the team will be desperate more than ever for a return to winning ways.

    Pol Espargaro is set to return for the Red Bull KTM team this weekend. The Spanish rider was forced to sit out the Austrian and British rounds after sustaining multiple injuries – including a fracture of his collarbone – at the Czech Grand Prix, back in August. 

    Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Ducati) will miss this weekend as he continues his recovery following a horror crash at Silverstone, which left him with multiple fractures to his right leg. Replacing him this weekend, and making his MotoGP debut, is Christophe Ponsson. The French rider has been a regular front runner this season in the CEV Superbike Championship (which supports the Moto3 and Moto2 junior series).

    The San Marino grand prix is also the final chance this year for the Gresini Aprilia to put on a good show in front of their home crowd. To say this season has been a struggle, would be a serious understatement. Aleix Espargaro has at least provided brief moments of cheer for the team, with some serious single lap pace regularly demonstrated during qualifying. With upgrades promised to both Espargaro and teammate Scott Redding for this weekend, both bikes finishing the race in the points would be a welcome sight indeed.

  • BSB Preview: All Eyes to Silverstone For the ‘Showdown Decider’

    BSB Preview: All Eyes to Silverstone For the ‘Showdown Decider’

    After five months, and eight pulsating rounds, the British Superbike Championship is all set for a thrilling triple-header this weekend at Silverstone. Billed as the ‘Showdown Decider’ by race organisers, it is the final chance for the ‘would-be-champions’ to secure their place in the top six, and earn the right to challenge for the premier crown of domestic motorsport.

    However for this year, the Silverstone round will have an almost alien feel to the competitors. Following a deluge on a biblical scale at the circuit two weeks ago, the British Grand Prix was abandoned without any races run due to concerns over track safety – particularly the surface of the newly laid asphalt around the Stowe, Club and Village sections. For those of you wanting a complete run down on the exact details regarding the track surface and safety issues, I thoroughly recommend you take a look at Mat Oxley’s ‘mutterings’ column from Motorsport Magazine: 

    https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/motogp-mutterings-2018-british-grand-prix     

    It must be acknowledged that Silverstone have publicly rejected the speculation about the state of sections of the asphalt on the Grand Prix Circuit being too dangerous; however they do accept the riders’ feedback and are “conducting an investigation and have already engaged an independent track consultant for that purpose”. Furthermore, the circuit has said that they will be reimbursing all ticket holders for the abandoned race day.

    With these concerns very much at the forefront of everyone’s minds, BSB organisers (MotorSport Vision Racing) and Silverstone Circuit needed to quickly agree to a solution that would enable the triple-header weekend to proceed – rain or shine. That solution being to hold the races on the short 1.64 mile ‘National’ layout used for numerous club meetings and for higher profile events such as the British Touring Car Championship. Predicted dry weather lap times are expected to be somewhere between 50-55 seconds.

    The 1.6 mile National Circuit promises extremely close wheel-to-wheel racing this weekend.

    The majority of the British contenders will have some level of familiarity with the layout from their junior racing days. As such, it is not inconceivable to predict that this weekend may well be dominated by the younger riders – most notably Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) and Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) who both have produced strong results this season at the other short circuits on the calendar. Dixon claimed victory in race one at Knockhill in June (and a podium in race two), whilst Ray claimed a strong second place finish on the Brands Hatch indy circuit back in April.

    Having said that, it would currently take a very brave punter to back anyone other than runaway series leader, Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki). The ‘pocket rocket’ has looked imperious throughout most of the season, with his double victory at the legendary Cadwell Park circuit last time out to cement his authority at the top of the championship standings. Haslam arrives at Silverstone with a 100-point lead – his place in the showdown was confirmed back at Thruxton. Even should he fail to register any points this weekend, he will still lead the championship when the showdown begins at Oulton Park.

    Following podium finishes in both races last time out at Cadwell Park, Dixon has also secured his place in the showdown. Although unable to improve on his current 2nd place in the championship, the 22-year old has been an almost constant presence on the rostrums this season. It is this consistency that will be reflected when all points and podium credits are adjusted for the showdown. A victory or two this weekend for the RAF Kawasaki man will ensure that the gap between himself and Haslam will be significantly smaller, heading into the showdown.

    Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) has dominated the season so far.

    The remaining four places for the showdown are likely to not be decided until Sunday evening. Seven riders are still able to make it: Glenn Irwin (Be-Wiser Ducati), Josh Brookes (McAms-Yamaha), Bradley Ray (Buildbase-Suzuki), Peter Hickman (Smiths-BMW Racing), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki), Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) also has a mathematical chance of making the cut.

    The battle for the final showdown place looks set to be an intense three-way affair between Hickman, Buchan and Iddon. Hickman currently holds the advantage in the standings, and after a difficult August (beset by illness), the Lincolnshireman is adamant that the pressure is firmly on his rivals to overhaul him.

    The proverbial gauntlet thrown down, Buchan has already picked it up. The Kawasaki man has been in this position before, fighting for the Superstock 1000 title last year. The 25-year old believes that experience will give him the edge this weekend, signing off his team’s press statement earlier this week with a line more expected of a prizefighting boxer: “I perform in these circumstances. You either sink or swim, and I’m a swimmer!” – Challenge firmly accepted.    

    Below is the breakdown of the showdown places. Only the top six riders in the championship standings can compete for the title.

    The Showdown

    Already In

    Leon Haslam – 330 points

    Jake Dixon – 230

    Currently In

    Glenn Irwin – 187

    Josh Brookes – 174

    Bradley Ray – 159

    Peter Hickman – 126

    On The Edge

    Danny Buchan – 119

    Christian Iddon – 111

    Jason O’Halloran – 94

    With a maximum of 75 points for the taking this weekend, and with each rider well within that of their closest rivals, it would be wrong to expect anything other than three frantic races across the weekend.

  • What went wrong for Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren?

    What went wrong for Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren?

    Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne is to leave McLaren at the end of the 2018 season, with Lando Norris set to replace him. Two miserable years with the Woking-based team have led to Vandoorne being shown the door and, with Fernando Alonso having made the decision to retire at the end of the year, McLaren will walk into 2019 with the all-new driver line-up of Norris and Carlos Sainz.

    Where, however, did things go so wrong for Vandoorne?

    There was a promising future for Stoffel Vandoorne prior to joining McLaren at the start of the 2017 season. The Belgian won championships in Formula 4, Formula Renault 2.0, and GP2, and was hotly tipped to be a success as part of McLaren’s young driver programme.

    It was even a promising start to life in F1 – he deputised for the injured Fernando Alonso at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, after the Spaniard’s huge shunt at the previous race in Melbourne. Vandoorne out-qualified Jenson Button in the other McLaren, and took the team’s first point of the season with a P10.

    Monza, Italy.
    Saturday 1 September 2018.
    Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, prepares to get into his car.
    Photo: Steven Tee/McLaren
    ref: Digital Image _2ST7751

    Vandoorne was rewarded with a drive for the 2017 season after Jenson Button retired at the end of 2016, but after all the hype and promise surrounding the future of his F1 career, things have not gone well at all for Vandoorne.

    Vandoorne was partnered with Alonso for 2017, and since has been out-qualified by him 30 times over the period of the whole of last season and the first fourteen races of 2018. Vandoorne, by stark contrast, has out-qualified Alonso just three times since the start of their partnership, and Vandoorne has been an average of 0.3 seconds slower than Alonso. It’s a big margin.

    Vandoorne’s average finishing position in 2018 has been 12th, with Alonso’s being 9th, and he is currently 36 points behind the double world champion in the championship.

    Vandoorne has visibly struggled for pace in his McLaren, regardless of the comparison with Alonso, who is after all a double world champion and arguably one of the best ever drivers in the sport. The Belgian hasn’t looked comfortable, and has struggled to be on the pace in many of the Grand Prix since the start of 2017.

    This is strange. After all, he did a superb job in 2016 in Bahrain, and it was then when many keen eyes in F1 turned to him as a future world champion. The performance issues could potentially have been down to the radical changes to the cars made between 2016 to 2017, or due to the pressure that he may have felt having to try and compete with Alonso.

    Earlier this year, Alonso leapt to Vandoorne’s defence and said that past team-mates have been “a lot further away” than him. He was stated that there was a major issue with downforce on Vandoorne’s car, and even urged the team to analyse data to try and resolve the issue.

    A lot of scepticism greeted these comments, and many have suggested that Alonso was merely trying to convince us all that Vandoorne’s lack of performance has been the fault of outside factors.

    The claims aren’t without substance though. Honda – who were ridiculed for three hapless years supplying McLaren, with reliability failures littered throughout the tenure – have worked very well for Toro Rosso this year, and McLaren have shown little improvement with the Renault engines they expected would take them much further up the field, suggesting a serious problem with the McLaren chassis.

    Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
    Sunday 26 August 2018.
    Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, arrives on the grid.
    Photo: Steven Tee/McLaren
    ref: Digital Image _2ST5204

    This will be of little consolation to Vandoorne, because the circumstances of being in a poor car up against Alonso have still meant that his F1 future dangles on a string.

    The car has, however, been very unreliable and slow. The Renault engines have not treated customer teams McLaren or Red Bull well at all this season, and Alonso said after the Italian Grand Prix that McLaren have “taken a step backwards” in terms of reliability this year. That being said, Vandoorne and Alonso have each had two reliability failures this year, and Alonso has still managed to easily out-perform him this year.

    Where next for Vandoorne? There is still hope for him. Williams, Haas and Toro Rosso are all still yet to announce their driver line-ups for next year. There is no secure future for Brendon Hartley or Romain Grosjean after disappointing seasons thus far for them, having been out-performed by Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen at Toro Rosso and Haas respectively.

    Gasly is moving up to Red Bull to replace Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo for next year, meaning that there are potentially two seats available at Toro Rosso, with Daniil Kvyat linked with a potential return to F1 with them.

    Lance Stroll is set to move to Racing Point Force India following the buyout of the team by his father, and Sergey Sirotkin may yet be dropped by the British team. Sauber are set to keep Marcus Ericsson because of his funding, but Charles Leclerc may well be off to Ferrari if Kimi Raikkonen retires at the end of the year. Rumours are now floating around that Ferrari have agreed a deal with the Monegasque for next year.

    Let’s not forget also that, as it is, Esteban Ocon – despite having done such a good job for Racing Point Force India – may well be forced out of the team if and when Stroll is signed to partner Sergio Perez because of the ownership by his father. That then means that he will also be looking for a team for next year.

    There is yet hope for Vandoorne, but after such a torrid time with McLaren, his hopes of staying in the pinnacle of motorsport are hanging in the balance.

  • From a marshal’s point of view: Karen Richards

    From a marshal’s point of view: Karen Richards

    At every motorsport event, there is an army of marshals, prepared to deal with whatever the racing throws at them – from cleaning the track after an incident to waving warning flags, the marshals are vital to any and every race weekend, be it club racing or F1. We caught up with Karen Richards, a marshal with four years’ experience, to find out about what the job entails.

    Emily Inganni: What inspired you to start marshalling and how long have you been doing it for?

    Karen Richards: We, my husband and I, have been keen motorsport spectators for many years. I think my earliest memories are of Hunt vs. Lauda, especially the epic 1976 season and of course later on Senna vs. Prost. A few years ago, we were at Goodwood Festival of Speed & dropped into the Goodwood Marshals Club tent for a chat & the rest as they say is history! We have been marshalling for 4 years now and love every minute. It gives you the opportunity to be more involved with racing at all levels and of course, the views are great when you’re on post!

    EI: What is the training process for new marshals? How long does it take?

    KR: There are training programme for new marshals run by various Marshal clubs, we belong to the British Motorsport Marshals Club (BMMC). Potential new marshals can attend a ‘taster day’ at their local circuit where they shadow marshals on post to get an idea of what the role is all about. Then it is advisable to join a club and attend a training programme before becoming a trainee marshal. Training sessions include both theory and practical sessions, also covering firefighting and rescue unit work. Training will cover all aspects and disciplines of the sport and whilst being a trainee there will always be experienced marshals to guide and advise you at race meetings.

    Full details of the training process and membership advice is available on the BMMC website at: www.marshals.co.uk

    Image courtesy of Karen Richards

    EI: Which events have you marshalled at so far? Do you have any favourites?

    KR: We have covered a multitude of different events from club racing, Formula E and endurance racing. I think my favourite is the Le Mans 24-hour event closely followed by the London EPrix in 2016, there was something special seeing cars racing around the streets of London.

    EI: What does a race weekend entail for you day-by-day as a marshal?

    KR: Race weekends always start with a daily sign on and allocation of post and duties/role for that day. This could be anything from flagging, track or incident depending on experience, other roles can include paddock marshal, start line marshal, pit marshal and scrutineer amongst others

    Once on post there are checks and distribution of fire extinguishers, ensuring the circuit equipment is available e.g. flags, brooms etc, then the post chief will brief everyone before the meeting starts

    EI: What safety protocol is in place for incidents near your marshal post? What kind of ones have you had to deal with?

    KR: There is a general safety protocol for all incidents which is covered in training. There will also be an allocated incident officer, an experienced marshal, who will direct proceedings in the event of an incident. Generally speaking you will deal with cars stuck in gravel traps, car fires, collecting debris from the track etc.

    EI: Do the procedures differ from event to event or is there a universal way of doing things?

    KR: There is a universal approach to dealing with events with safety for marshals, drivers & spectators being paramount.

    EI: How much contact do you have with race control during a race?

    KR: The post chief is in contact with Race control throughout the meeting & will pass on relevant information as appropriate.

    EI: Are there any specific events that you’d like to marshal at in the future?

    KR: Not specifically but I am always looking forward to the next Le Mans 24 Hours!

    EI: Finally, what would you say to people thinking of marshalling? Do you have any advice?

    KR: If you love motorsport then try marshalling as it gives you a different perspective on the art of motor racing… I don’t think you will be disappointed!

    For further information visit the BMMC website here: www.marshals.co.uk

    Thanks to Karen for taking the time answering my questions, if you want to find out any more information about marshalling or are thinking of giving it a go, hit the link above!

    (Featured image courtesy of Karen Richards)

  • IndyCar Portland Report: Sato wins as Dixon dodges a disaster

    Takuma Sato took only his third IndyCar career win at Portland in a race that was turned on its head time and time again by the four cautions. Ryan Hunter-Reay came home second, but it was not enough to salvage his title challenge while Sebastien Bourdais returned to the Portland podium, ten years after winning the last race at the track.

    Takuma Sato wins The Grand Prix of Portland. Image courtesy of hondanews.eu

     

    Sato was never the one anyone had pegged on for the win. First it was Alexander Rossi and then, when his challenge faded, it was Hunter-Reay and maybe even Bourdais but never Sato, yet here we are! Perhaps the pivotal moment of the race for Sato came shortly before the second caution – the #30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver was the last to pit for the first stops, meaning when the end of the race came around, he had four laps more fuel that Hunter-Reay. This proved crucial, but it was the last two cautions that pushed him to the front of the field, at least once Max Chilton was forced to pit after coming up short. That means Sato takes his first ever permanent road course win – with his two other wins being Long Beach (street course) and the Indy 500.

    In the first half of the race, Rossi looked nailed on for not only the win but a huge points swing in the championship with title rival Scott Dixon well down the order. At one point, Rossi had a seven second lead over teammate Hunter-Reay, but his race was brought crashing down by the second and third cautions. Will Power caused the second caution of the day by nosing into the barriers at Turn 12, eliminating Rossi’s lead, while Zach Veach caused the third by spinning – catching Rossi out in the pits and leaving him down in 17th. From there, Rossi fought back as hard as he could but eighth proved to be the best he could do, unable to pass Charlie Kimball in the latter stages of the race. Rossi’s deficit in the championship has increased to 29 points, but it didn’t always look that way…

    The Start of the Grand Prix of Portland. Image courtesy of Scott R. LePage/LAT for Chevy Racing

    Dixon said after the race that he wanted to cry after the Lap 1 crash that very nearly ended his race, but, in true Dixon style, he drove the recovery drive of all recovery drives to finish the race in fifth, extending his championship advantage. It all started when James Hinchcliffe got squeezed at Turn 2 by Veach, causing the #5 to spin. Hinchcliffe in turn collected Ed Jones, Graham Rahal, Dixon and Marco Andretti, the latter of whom ended up flying backwards over both Jones and Hinchcliffe, eventually coming to a rest upside down. It’s a wonder they all walked away from that with Jones having scuff marks on his helmet from Andretti’s car, Hinchcliffe being very nearly hit and Andretti ending with his helmet touching the ground.

    Amongst all that, it was easy to forget about Dixon but the #9 Chip Ganassi driver managed to keep his engine running and, once his path was cleared, was able to re-join the race with only a scuffed front wing to show for his ordeal. That was, however, not the last of Dixon’s dramas. After the first stops, Dixon received a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pit lane and, later on in the race, he was very nearly taken out at Turn 1 by first Josef Newgarden and then Spencer Pigot. Despite all this, Dixon came home in fifth in what was a true testament of why he’s regarded as the best driver in IndyCar. Something that Rossi said a few rounds back really rings true here, “Dixon never has a bad race”.

    Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon at The Grand Prix of Portland. Image courtesy of Scott R. LePage/LAT for Chevy Racing

    Portland wasn’t really a good race for any of the title contenders other than Dixon. We’ve already covered Rossi’s troubles and Newgarden had pretty much the same fate, finishing down in tenth. Hunter-Reay has been ruled out of title contention as he heads into Sonoma 136 points back with only a maximum of 105 points on offer while Power’s day couldn’t have been much worse if he’d tried. It was all going so well until the first restart when he lost all speed and with it a heap of places. This was later attributed to a gearbox issue that plagued the rest of his race and made pit stops a very difficult affair. Eventually, Power hit the barriers at Turn 12, bringing out the second caution, and effectively ending his race – he did re-join but he was seven laps adrift of the lead.

    One to have a good race was defending Portland winner Bourdais who scored his first podium of the season since his win first time out at St Petersburg. Towards the end of the race, it looked like the Frenchman could challenge for the win, but it was not to be, and he dropped back from Hunter-Reay, finishing in a solid third place. Bourdais’ newest teammate, Santino Ferrucci, also had a good race, even if the results don’t show it. The American was running fairly high up in the order when his Dale Coyne conked out with a ‘fuel system issue’. Of course, Ferrucci comes with a fair amount of baggage after his time in F2 but IndyCar has given him a second chance, and he’s already proving his worth.

    The other Dale Coyne car of Pietro Fittipaldi also had a decent race with the rookie scoring his first ever IndyCar Top 10, finishing ninth, just ahead of defending champion Newgarden.

    The last mention of the day goes to Carlos Munoz who took part in his first non-oval IndyCar race for a long time, replacing the injured Robert Wickens. Munoz finished the race in a respectable twelfth place and is set to drive at Sonoma as well as Wickens continues his recovery. The latest Wickens news is that he’s been transferred to the IU hospital in Indianapolis and is due for more surgery of his ‘lower extremities’.

    Next up for IndyCar is the very last round of the season at Sonoma which offers double points, meaning Dixon’s lead is far from safe…

    Full Race Results:

    1. Takuma Sato
    2. Ryan Hunter-Reay
    3. Sebastien Bourdais
    4. Spencer Pigot
    5. Scott Dixon
    6. Simon Pagenaud
    7. Charlie Kimball
    8. Alexander Rossi
    9. Pietro Fittipaldi (R)
    10. Josef Newgarden
    11. Tony Kanaan
    12. Carlos Munoz
    13. Gabby Chaves
    14. Matheus Leist (R)
    15. Jordan King (R)
    16. Jack Harvey
    17. Alfonso Celis Jr (R)
    18. Max Chilton
    19. Zach Veach (R)
    20. Santino Ferrucci (R)
    21. Will Power
    22. James Hinchcliffe

    DNF – Graham Rahal, Ed Jones, Marco Andretti

  • Lando Norris to replace Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren for 2019

    Lando Norris to replace Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren for 2019

    McLaren have signed up-and-coming British star Lando Norris as their second driver for 2019, alongside in-bound Carlos Sainz.

    The 18-year old from Somerset will be replacing Stoffel Vandoorne, who was announced this morning to be leaving the team at the end of the season after two difficult years with them.

    Norris won the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2016, and the year after that claimed the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and joined the McLaren Young Driver Programme, before graduating to F2 for 2018, where he is currently embroiled in a battle for the title with fellow Brit George Russell.

    Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
    Thursday 23 August 2018.
    Lando Norris, McLaren, lowers himself into his seat.
    Photo: Sam Bloxham/McLaren
    ref: Digital Image _J6I9762

    His first taste of F1 came when he participated in the end of season test in Abu Dhabi in 2017. Since then, he has taken part in 2018 pre-season testing, the mid-season test in Hungary, and also in FP1 at both Spa and Monza.

    “To be announced as a race driver for McLaren is a dream come true,” said Norris. “Although I’ve been part of the team for a while now, this is a special moment, one I could only hope would become reality.

    “I’d like to thank the whole team for this amazing opportunity and for believing in me. I’m also extremely grateful for the commitment McLaren has already shown in my development, allowing me to build my experience in a Formula 1 car in both testing and on Fridays during the past two race weekends.”

    McLaren CEO Zak Brown added, “We believe Lando is an exciting talent, full of potential, who we’ve very deliberately kept within the McLaren fold for exactly that reason.

    “We already know he’s fast, he learns quickly, and has a mature head on his young shoulders. We see much potential for our future together. The investment we have made in his budding career with simulator development and seat-time in the car has been well-deserved, as he has continued to prove his abilities both behind the wheel and in his work with the engineering team.”

    Monza, Italy.
    Friday 31 August 2018.
    Lando Norris, McLaren, with Tom Stallard, Engineer, McLaren, and Zak Brown, Executive Director, McLaren Technology Group.
    Photo: Steven Tee/McLaren
    ref: Digital Image _2ST6519

  • IndyCar Portland Preview

    IndyCar returns to Portland’s road course, after a 10-year absence, for the penultimate round of the 2018 season. Scott Dixon holds a 26-point lead over Alexander Rossi with the title race now down to four drivers who each have three wins a piece – Dixon, Rossi, Will Power and Josef Newgarden.

    Scott Dixion. Image courtesy of Hondanews.eu

    Power was the victor last time out at Gateway, significantly boosting his own championship challenge while pushing teammate and reigning champion Newgarden down into fourth in the standings. The victory itself was a very strategic one with Power jumping long-time leader Dixon in the pit stops to take the win, despite an off-piste strategy call from Rossi to, in true Rossi style, stretch his fuel out longer than it should reasonably go in the final stint.

    Simon Pagenaud picked up one of his best results of the season in fourth, but it was far too little too late to do anything to help his title challenge – the 2016 champion will not be adding another to his tally this season, though insists his Penske future is not in doubt despite various rumours.

    Zach Veach took the top rookie slot and is really starting to shine, having been overlooked for most of the season due to his Andretti teammates and fellow rookie Robert Wickens. Wickens is out of action but teammate and close friend James Hinchcliffe had some promising news for the media at Portland, he said that Wickens was improving daily and that the first thing he said to Hinchcliffe was a comment about the compression gloves that he’s been wearing since the Pocono crash – it’s good to see that he definitely hasn’t lost his sense of humour!

    Will Power, Alexander Rossi and Scott Dixon at the Gateway 500. Image courtesy of Team Penske

    Looking ahead to Portland and you have to go back to 2007 for the last IndyCar race there… and that’s when it was under the name of Champ Car. Then reigning champion Sebastien Bourdais took the win in the race that famously held the first standing start in Champ Car history – something that has certainly not become common-place in IndyCar.

    Only a handful of the current grid have actually raced at Portland, obviously Bourdais has along with Power, Pagenaud and Ryan Hunter-Reay. For the rest, it’s a step into the unknown but those four don’t have much of an advantage given they haven’t been there since 2007 at the latest and for some it’s been even longer.

    This absence means there no form book to go on and no previous set ups the teams can turn to. That should favour the bigger teams like Andretti and Penske over the smaller teams because they can gather more data as they have more cars, but only time will tell.

    There are a lot of driver changes for this weekend… Carlos Munoz will take the wheel of the #6 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports car, replacing the injured Wickens for the last two rounds of the season. Jordan King is back in the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing, taking over from the boss for Portland and Sonoma while Gabby Chaves stays in his seat at Harding after being replaced for three rounds.

    Jack Harvey is here for the last two rounds of the season with the #60 joint entry between Meyer Shank Racing and Schmidt Peterson. Force India linked driver Alfonso Celis Jr is in the #32 solo Juncos entry with news coming this week that they’ll be running two cars next year and lastly, banned-F2 racer Santino Ferrucci returns to IndyCar in a third entry for Dale Coyne for the final two races.

    Santino Ferrucci returns to IndyCar for final rounds with Dale Coyne

    This round is so crucial for so many drivers, for the title contenders it’s the last stretch of the season and they can’t afford a mistake while for most of the other drivers, they need to prove their worth for a seat next season with Silly Season in full swing and a certain Fernando Alonso kicking around.

    The timings this weekend are much more UK friendly than they were at Gateway and, in addition to IndyCar, we’ve got the whole Mazda Road to Indy programme in attendance with all three’s seasons coming to a close and two championships still to sort out. All the MRTI sessions are available to stream, along with all IndyCar practice and qualifying as well. The all-important race is on BT Sport 2 on Sunday evening with the full schedule as follows:

    Friday

    Practice 1 – 6:45pm
    Practice 2 – 10:35pm

    Saturday

    Practice 3 – 7:10pm
    Qualifying – 11:20pm

    Sunday

    Race – 8:00pm

    (All times BST)

  • Otmar Szafnauer: “We need to keep up the momentum from Spa”

    Otmar Szafnauer: “We need to keep up the momentum from Spa”

    Racing Point Force India’s recently-promoted team principal Otmar Szafnauer has said he is keen for the team to keep things moving forward after their tumultuous summer break and the impressive performance from their two drivers at the Belgian Grand Prix.

    “The last few weeks have been a period of transition for the team, but with the support of the Commercial Rights Holder, the FIA, and our fellow competitors we returned to competition in Spa,” Szafnauer said. “Getting some points on the board was the priority and to come away with fifth and six places was a wonderful reward for the entire team.”

    Esteban Ocon (FRA) Racing Point Force India F1 VJM11 celebrates with the team at the end of the race.
    Belgian Grand Prix, Sunday 26th August 2018. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

    The Silverstone-based team was put into administration over the summer break but, after a period of uncertainty, was saved by a consortium led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, father of Williams’ Lance Stroll. The buy-out saw Force India forfeit all of the constructors’ championship points they had accumulated over the first half of the season and effectively enter the Belgian Grand Prix as a new team, rebranded as Racing Point Force India.

    Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez started the race at Spa P3 and P4 after a rain-affected qualifying, and on the first lap there was a moment going into Les Combes where it looked like Ocon might have challenged Hamilton and Vettel for the lead. The Frenchman eventually finished the race in sixth, with Perez one position ahead of him in fifth, vaulting Force India ahead of Williams in the constructors’ championship and leaving them just one point behind Sauber already.

    “The new ownership gives us a welcome injection of stability and investment,” Szafnauer added. “We retain a wonderful group of people working back at base and trackside, and with the off-track distractions now behind us we can concentrate on doing what we do best – building cars and going racing. Our performance level in Spa was a real credit to the entire team. The sight of Esteban and Sergio challenging for the lead on lap one is an image that we will cherish.

    “We head to Monza determined to deliver more points. We need to keep up the momentum from Spa. Monza is all about top speed and stability on the brakes, and I think it will play to our strengths. Looking further ahead, we have more performance to introduce to the car over the next few events, hopefully starting from Singapore.”

    Esteban Ocon (FRA) Racing Point Force India F1 VJM11.
    Belgian Grand Prix, Sunday 26th August 2018. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

     

    Featured image – Esteban Ocon (FRA) Racing Point Force India F1 VJM11.
    Belgian Grand Prix, Saturday 25th August 2018. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.