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  • 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

  • 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