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  • Roborace – Meet the future of motorsport, exclusive Q&A with Bryn Balcombe, Roborace’s Chief Strategy Officer

    Roborace – Meet the future of motorsport, exclusive Q&A with Bryn Balcombe, Roborace’s Chief Strategy Officer

    This year I had the chance to attend the Autosport show in Birmingham, I feel very lucky for that and I would like to thank the organizers for their amazing hospitality. It was a unique experience, I was able to see closely several racing cars and also, I watched a great show hosted by David Croft.

    The first day that I went to the show, I was astonished from the variety of cars that were at the show. While I was passing and was taking photos of almost all the cars, I noticed something different, something unique, I saw the Robocar. It was placed on the side of the Autosport’s interview stage, a strange car with no cockpit and a weird design.

    Before you read Bryan’s Balcombe exclusive interview, it will be useful to know some of the car’s characteristics.

    Robocar. Image by Chief Design Officer Daniel Simon / Roborace Ltd.

    The Robocar, designed by the German Daniel Simon, who has previously created vehicles for Tron Legacy and Oblivion, is a fully electric and autonomous car, weights around 1000 kg and has four 300kW motors, one per wheel.

    The top speed of the Robocar is about 320kph or 200mph and it also has a 62kWh battery with 550kW power.

    Around the car, there are several types of sensors, to allow the car to move safely and fast on the tight Formula E circuits. It has 5 lidars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, 2 optical speed sensors, 6 AI cameras, two radars and GNSS positioning.

    Robocar, is currently powered by NVIDIA Drie PX2 which can run up to 24 trillion A.I. operations per second, but it will be upgraded to Pegasus platform and will run 320 trillion operations per second. The current Drive PX2, is connected to Robocar’s sensors and gives the opportunity for 360-degree situational awareness around the car, to give the exact position of the car on the track.

    Bryn Balcombe, Roborace’s Chief Strategy Officer, answered my questions regarding the Robocar and the Roborace series. Enjoy!

    When and who came with the idea of a fully autonomous and electric car?

    “Denis Sverdlov, Roborace’s founder and Alejandro Agag, came up with the idea whilst discussing the future of the automotive industry becoming electric but also connected and autonomous on the way back from the Beijing race in Season 1 of Formula E. Motorsport has always been used to advance road relevant technology. Roborace applies this philosophy to Vehicle Intelligence Technologies, many of which are banned in traditional championships as driver aids.”

    What are your expectations from the Robocar, what do you want to achieve with Roborace series?

    “Roborace will increase the pace of innovation and development of road relevant hardware and software for Intelligent Vehicles. Ultimately technology will save lives on the road and move society close to Vision Zero. As in all motorsport, Robocar will continue to evolve as technology improves. Within two years of development there have been three significant steps in NVIDIA compute power on the car. So the pace of innovation is much faster than traditional powertrain. We will start to see Software and Cognitive Power becoming as important to performance and safety as Mechanical and Horsepower.”

    How many teams will take part in the Roborace championship, how many cars will each team have?

    “We are looking at completely new formats of motorsport that are much more relevant to testing driver skills in perception, reasoning and decision making. Basically the smartest driver should win which is why we refer to it as a Championship of Intelligence. This year we are opening up the hardware platform for 3rd parties to start to develop AI Driver Software. Before they can race Robocar they’ll need to test their software in a simulator and in DevBot, our development vehicle. The development process and AI Driver is much the same as a human. We often refer to Max Verstappen taking 17 yrs before making it to F1 (13 of which he spent driving). The process for AI Drivers should be faster but there are similar logical steps that progress from small scale to full scale cars and from virtual to real cars. For any competition you need at least two competitors. So we’ll have competition formats that include anything from 2 cars upwards.”

    How easy will it be presenting to the public a driverless series? Considering that all these years we are used to seeing drivers to battle wheel to wheel and fans are connected emotionally to the drivers and their achievements.

    “There is always a driver. In fact, Roborace is focused on being a pure driver’s competition because it intends to use standardised vehicle hardware. The only performance differentiator is the driver skill. In some formats this will be AI Driver software only. In other formats we can allow a human to collaborate with the AI Systems and take executive control over decision making. In these formats you’ll see human collaboration with AI versus pure AI Drivers. We may see the same natural progression we’ve witnessed in chess, where Human/AI Centaurs can outperform AI only systems and AI systems can outperform humans only.”

    What are the biggest challenges that Roborace team is facing, and how are they planning to overcome them?

    “The pace at which the industry is moving is incredible so we will have constantly evolving competition formats that ensure the AI Drivers remain constantly challenged. In Roborace all evolutions are focused on driver performance whether that’s better eyes, ears, brain size or intelligence. The competition complexity will increase in line with those technical developments.”

    What excites you about the Robocar? Is it the future of the commercial cars?

    “In the future all vehicles with become intelligent. They will all become aware of their environment. They will all become aware of the surrounding situations. However, there is a fork in the road at that point in how you chose to use that intelligence. Toyota describes the options as Chauffeur and Guardian Angel. The first is an autonomous future where humans no longer need to drive. The second is an assisted/augmented future where humans still drive but their skills and capabilities are enhanced by the AI systems within the car. We know of several high performance OEMs that are considering AI technology as a future Race Trainer. So an AI Lewis Hamilton might be able to act as your real-time driver coach when you take your Project One on a track day. He could even drive you around first as you are learning the track and to set a reference lap time for you to target.”

    Nicki Shields had the chance to drive the DevBot at Hong Kong ePrix, from the video it is seen that the Robocar cannot match the human’s times, will it ever be able to do it? What are the difficulties that do not allow it to move faster?

    “In Hong Kong we ran using our development vehicle called DevBot rather than Robocar. DevBot is a modified LMP3 race car that allows a human to drive but can also be switched into an autonomous mode. That allows us to run human versus machine competitions. The AI Driver in DevBot was around 10% slower than Nicki. We actually ran a brand new version of our internal development AI Driver which was designed to run using LiDAR sensors only. For safety we imposed VMAX limit and a minimum distance to the barriers lining the street circuit of around 1.5m. Sensor fusion of LiDAR with cameras and Radar will improve perception which ultimately improves confidence so speeds increase and safety margins can be reduced.”

    Consider a hypothetical scenario, during a race, two Roboracs are close to each other, how will each react? Will the leading car be able to defend its position, whilst the one from behind will be moving faster for a potential overtake?

    “Wheel to wheel racing is a key target for Roborace. Nose to tail processions broken by straight line overtakes are not exciting for the public. AI Drivers will have adhere to similar sporting regulations as human drivers; such as leaving one car width of space for a competitor or staying within track limits. They will also have similar goals as human drivers and will develop similar offensive and defensive tactics to maintain an advantage.”

    “The interesting thing is that if there is an incident all the data and decision making processes will be available for immediate review to determine fault. No more waiting for the end of the race for stewards in interview drivers before confirming the result. Sporting penalties can be applied immediately and proportionately.”

    Describe Roborace series in a few words or more than a few!

    “Roborace is an extreme motorsport and entertainment platform for the future of road relevant technology.”

    How many people are working together every day to keep improving the Robocar? Would you like to say a few words about them?

    “We’ve built an incredible team full of international talent to bring the project to life. Building a fully autonomous car is probably the most complex interdisciplinary task you could imagine. Collaboration is key.”

    When will the Robarace championship be ready to launch?

    “As soon as enough, drivers qualify to use Robocar. “

    Facebook: Roborace

    Twitter: @roborace

    Find me on Twitter: @FP_Passion

    Pictures courtesy of ROBORACE

  • Rallye Monte Carlo, Day Two- Seb Ogier continues to lead.

    Rallye Monte Carlo, Day Two- Seb Ogier continues to lead.

    Well, what a day! Where to start my round up of today’s six stages? Seb in his Fiesta was our leader all day, but there were different stage winners and the person leading to fight to the Frenchman changed as well.

     

    Andreas Mikkelsen was the man who was closest at the start of the day, but after dropping behind Dani in stage three, he then retired in stage four with alternator failure. There was more pain for Thierry as well, who suffered another puncture in stage three.

    2018 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 01, Rallye Monte-Carlo
    25-28 Janvier 2018
    Dani Sordo, Carlos Del Barrio, Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Austral
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    The lead grew in stage four, but Ott Tanak was feeling at home in his new car, moving up the leaderboard and closing the gap to second placed Dani. Meantime, Craig was having a nightmare in his Citroen, with a stone breaking part of the caliper and meaning he’d suffer from brake failure and he was not enjoying that one bit. The good news though was that after stage five, the cars headed for service and the problem was fixed.

     

    The afternoon loop began with the 26km and Ott took the fight to Seb, winning the stage and taking six and a half seconds out of erstwhile leader Seb’s lead. Craig was feeling a lot more comfortable now he had working brakes!

    2018 FIA World Rally Championship, Round 01, Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018, January 25-28, 2018.
    Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC

    Elfyn Evans took the long stage seven when the heavens opened, but Seb lost 14 seconds to Ott and the lead was down to 19 seconds after a spin put the Fiesta into a ditch! Craig was increasingly comfortable, setting the fourth fastest time in the stage, whilst Dani, Esapekka and Jari-Matti continued their battle for third overall.

    Elfyn Evans, Dan Barritt, Day two. Photo credit, M-Sport

    The final stage of the day fell to Thierry who after his puncture had been fighting back and closed the gap to Elfyn to just a little over three seconds.

     

    Tomorrow sees the crews tackle five stages and a total of 117 km. One thing that could have a big impact to the standings is the snow that has been predicted all week. It will make tyre choices very hard!

    Craig Breen, Scott Martin. Photo credit, Citroen Racing

    Here’s the standings at the end of day two.

     

    1              S. Ogier                 J. Ingrassia          Ford Fiesta WRC                           2:07:15.4

    2              O. Tänak              M. Järveoja          Toyota Yaris WRC                                 +14.9

    3              D. Sordo               C. del Barrio        Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC                +59.7

    4              E. Lappi                 J. Ferm                  Toyota Yaris WRC                           +1:09.9

    5              J. M. Latvala        M. Anttila            Toyota Yaris WRC                             +1:10.1

    6              K. Meeke              P. Nagle                 Citroën C3 WRC                             +2:45.5

    7              B. Bouffier          X. Panseri               Ford Fiesta WRC                           +3:34.6

    8              E. Evans                D. Barritt                 Ford Fiesta WRC                           +4:01.7

    9              T. Neuville           N. Gilsoul                 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC          +4:04.1

  • Rallye Monte Carlo, Seb Ogier leads after day one.

    Rallye Monte Carlo, Seb Ogier leads after day one.

    First stage of the event and there was lots of drama in the Thoard – Sisteron 36km opener! There was no snow and ice in the first 12km and then broken ice for a couple of km’s.

    Seb Ogier, early leader of Rallye Monte Carlo, Photo credit, M-Sport

    Seb Ogier was first in, and spun in the stage! Ott stopped 11km into stage, but got going again and Thierry was another to stop, but got going again as well. Both had slid wide into snow banks. Another to spin was Jari-Matti and he managed to spin twice! Elfyn picked up a puncture at about 12km into the stage, so they had to change the tyre. The Citroen duo of Kris and Craig both spun as well, Kris losing a minute or so.

     

    Esapekka completed the stage third fastest, with a good run though, whilst Andreas was the closest challenger to Ogier, just 7.7 seconds off the Fiesta WRC pilot!

     

    1st    Ogier      23’16”6

    2nd   Mikkelsen  + 7”7

    3rd   Lappi         + 19”4

    4th   Sordo        + 19”7

    5th   Breen        + 24”6

    6th   Tänak        + 37”9

    7th   Latvala      + 48”9

    8th   Bouffier + 1’15”6

    9th   Camilli    + 1’43”3

    10th Meeke   + 1’44”7

     

    Stage two, Bayons – Breziers 25,49km stage which includes a rise of 1184 metres above sea-level to the summit of Col de Sagnes! Ogier won the stage with a very good clean run through with Thierry going second fastest and Ott third. There were a few changes in the leaderboard with Dani moving ahead of Esapekka and into third. Kris and Thierry are a long way off the lead sadly, over two minutes away for the Citroen pilot and over four for the Belgian. That’s a big ask for them.

    Classification after Day One

    1              S. Ogier J. Ingrassia                          Ford Fiesta WRC                           38:09.8

    2              A. Mikkelsen      A. Jæger               Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC                +17.3

    3              D. Sordo               C. del Barrio        Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC                +25.6

    4              E. Lappi                 J. Ferm                  Toyota Yaris WRC                               +37.4

    5              O. Tänak               M. Järveoja          Toyota Yaris WRC                               +42.4

    6              J. M. Latvala        M. Anttila             Toyota Yaris WRC                              +55.4

    7              C. Breen               S. Martin                Citroën C3 WRC                             +1:02.3

    8              B. Bouffier          X. Panseri             Ford Fiesta WRC                             +1:51.0

    9              K. Meeke            P. Nagle                  Citroën C3 WRC                              +2:12.7

    10           E. Camilli              B. Veillas               Ford Fiesta R5                                  +2:42.2

    17           T. Neuville           N. Gilsoul               Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC           +4:18.2

     

    What will happen tomorrow?  There are six stages and 144.88 km’s of action!

     

  • Leon Camier: “I’ll be able to get more out of our package”

    This time last year, following the opening pre-season test, Red Bull-Honda knew they were in a world of trouble. The new Fireblade CBR1000RR had caught everyone, including its makers, by surprise and alarm. The bike was slow and unresponsive. Tune the engine, change the suspension dampers, short swing-arm, long swing-arm, alter the rake – they tried every trick in the book, but the bike would not yield. Perplexing both engineers, mechanics and riders, the season was a long and painful affair. The end of season could not arrive quick enough.

    Fast forward to the Circuito de Jerez this week. The demons appear to have been banished.

    Spearheading this resurgence is one of the most experienced men in the competition, Leon Camier. The 31 year-old British rider has moved across from MV Agusta, and has immediately made his presence felt. He was obviously in good spirits following a very promising 3rd place finish in the opening pre-season test this week.

    LC: I’m really happy with how this test went, we’ve made some good progress and I’m learning the bike more and more. There’s still a lot I’d like to work on at the next test in Portimao and I think as I ride this bike on different tracks I’ll be able to get even more out of our package.

    A veiled warning to the likes of Pata-Yamaha and Aruba.it Ducati? Yes. It is true that a rider takes time to adapt when joining a new team, riding styles must alter to get the most out of a different bike. This is no different to someone of Camier’s experience with 185 race starts to his name. Nevertheless the early indications are that he has already got himself ‘dialled in’ as they say. Having spent the previous two seasons wringing the neck of an out of date MV, Camier has the hunger to prove himself in a larger, factory supported team. Additionally, his riding style has already been honed to handle a more volatile machine – which this Honda still is.

    The majority of the team’s efforts in Jerez were focused on reliability and race-pace. With multiple long stints with a high level of fuel on board, a spectacular showing was not expected. True to the illogical nature of racing, a spectacular showing was what we got. Rarely outside of the top ten throughout the entirety of the test and reaching lap time parity with the likes of the Yamaha and Ducati outfits, it was a much needed return to form for the whole team.

    There can be no doubt that the seemingly wholesale turnaround in the team’s fortunes is a truly collective effort from everybody involved. From the riders and the mechanics, to all those personnel who work back at HRC, it is clear that everyone involved has risen to the challenge. This was a fact not lost by team manager, Kevin Bos.

    KB: The Jerez test was a success from a team point of view as we managed to test a lot of new components and made some solid improvement with the CBR1000RR SP2. Leon made some big steps with the bike compared to the test here in November and we were able to find a really good balance with the Fireblade which not only helped improve performance but also gave some benefit in terms of tyre durability. We’re looking forward to keeping the momentum going at Portimao in a few days time

    Of course, we will not know fully how close the team are to competing at the front of the field until the opening race of the season at Phillip Island, next month. However one thing is certain, the Red Bull-Honda outfit are already in a much better place than at any point last season.

  • WSBK Jerez Test Report: Advantage Kawasaki

    The long winter break at last ended this week at the Circuito de Jerez, as the World Superbike competitors took part in the first pre-season test. Despite the weather conditions being closer to British standards than Iberian, with a steady band of fog hovering over the circuit on both mornings, the teams and riders were eager to make the most of the time available to them.

    Kawasaki Racing Team appear to have picked up in 2018, where they left 2017: out in front of the pack. This should not be surprising, the Japanese factory team dominated the championship last year with both riders, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, taking the Lion’s share of the spoils. The latter took the honour of being the fastest of all across the test setting a time of 1:38.889, half a second quicker than Rea and then the rest of the field. KRT have spent the majority of the meeting focusing on race pace, with both riders completing multiple long runs across the two days. Ominously for their opposition, neither of the two ever found themselves lower than fifth place at any time. Sykes’ final lap time underlining the sheer gulf in performance (0.719 seconds) of the factory Kawasaki bikes to the rest of the competition.

    At face value, the Abruba.it Ducati team would appear to also have continued in the same vein as last year: second best, but with the potential to fight for race wins at tracks which suit the strength of their bikes. Once again, the Bologna based factory team have Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri piloting the Panigale R machines. Not wanting to reveal too much to their chief rivals, the team focused purely on setup work and long data gathering runs. This was reflected in Davies’ finishing place of P11, 1.83 seconds adrift of Sykes’ fastest time. Although Melandri (1:39.754) did take a headline grabbing P3 at the end of the final day, he was still almost a full second away from the top spot. It is worth remembering that Davies is still recovering from injuries sustained at this circuit at the end of last season. The team are confident he’ll be fully fit come the opening round in Australia next month.

    It would however be wrong to assume at this early stage that the championship is a foregone conclusion. The chief opposition to the men in green looks like it might come in the shape of a resurgent Red-Bull Honda team. Whilst we must always take results from testing with a pinch of salt, it does look like Honda will be firmly putting a dreadful 2017 campaign into the box labelled “Dark and Distant Memory”. It is all change with the riders for the new year. Jake Gagne, the 25 year-old Californian, has made the full time switch from the MotoAmerica championship, following an impressive debut at Laguna Seca last season. The team have been quick to emphasise that he will take time to adjust to the bike and as such should not be judged quickly. As such, the American’s side of the garage purely focused on his general bike setup this week. To compliment the signing of the rookie, Honda have acquired the services of one of the most experienced riders in the sport, Leon Camier. The British rider, moving from MV Agusta, took next to no time to adapt to the Fireblade CBR1000RR SP2 and was a constant presence at the sharp end of the time sheets, securing an impressive P3 in the dying minutes of the final day with a time of 1:39.608. Of course the season is still yet to begin but compared to where the team was this time last year, it was about as perfect a start as the team could have wished for.

    Pata-Yamaha will also be quietly satisfied with the work completed over the past two days. The early signs are that the factory supported outfit appear to have caught up with rivals Ducati. Alex Lowes (1:40.398) was a permanent fixture inside the top five for the majority of the test, leading the team’s charge ahead of teammate Michael van der Mark (1:40.532). Despite their final standings being dropped down to P7 and P8 respectively, this was simply due to the team not electing to do a low-fuel ‘qualifying style’ run at the end of Wednesday’s session. Additionally, the team had test rider, Niccolo Canepa, on hand to help with the setup work. Together, the three riders completed an impressive 411 laps across the two days. Canepa did however set a hot lap of 1:39.524 at the end of the test to confirm the apparently strong position the team find themselves in.

    Elsewhere there was close competition for the privateer teams who make up the rest of the competition. Fresh from the MotoGP paddock Loris Baz (Althea-BMW) marked his arrival to Superbikes with a very promising P10 finish, and within 2 seconds of the full factory supported teams. He headed a group of more experienced competitors in the category including Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee-Aprilia) and Ondrej Jezek (Guandalini Racing Yamaha). The former struggled at Jerez, reportedly unhappy with the balance of his machine, and could only finish 15th with a best time of 1:41.411. The team did at least have a more encouraging test with their second rider, Eugene Laverty (1.39.876), who secured a top 5 placing and ensured the team move forward in the pre-season with a degree of optimism and confidence.

    Top 10 Result:

    1: Tom Sykes (KRT) – 1:38.889

    2: Jonathan Rea (KRT) + 0.581

    3: Leon Camier (Red Bull-Honda) +0.719

    4: Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati) +0.865

    5: Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee-Aprilia) +0.987

    6: Jordi Torres (MV Agusta) +1.266

    7: Alex Lowes (Pata-Yamaha) +1.509

    8: Michael van der Mark (Pata-Yamaha) +1.643

    9: Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing Kawasaki) +1.750

    10: Loris Baz (Althea-BMW) +1.818

    The 2018 FIM World Superbike Championship begins at the Phillip Island Circuit, Australia. Friday 23rd-Sunday 25th February.

     

  • Opinion Piece: How has Liberty Media’s first year gone?

    Opinion Piece: How has Liberty Media’s first year gone?

    F1 has completed its first full season under Liberty Media’s ownership, all 20 races have been and gone, the champion has been crowned and everyone’s preparing for the year ahead. Liberty are the new kids on the block, their arrival has been met with a mixed response and they’ve got a lot to learn if they’re to manage the sport successfully.

    While critics will argue that Liberty haven’t achieved an awful lot so far, it’s important to remember the unstable mess that they picked from Bernie Ecclestone on the 23rd January 2017. Bernie’s strategy was to keep F1 on an unstable platform so that no one got too comfortable however, this is the opposite of what is needed for growth and expansion.

    The bias within the F1 remains for now, Ferrari still get a disproportionate amount of prize money but that’s unlikely to change as it is part of the Concorde Agreement which was signed in 2013 and runs to 2020. In spite of this, Liberty have made it clear that they intend on scrapping the controversial agreement as soon as possible.

    “We have the infamous document called the Concorde Agreement, which is this agreement that comes up every six to eight years – it comes up in 2020 – which defines the financial arrangements with teams,”

    “Our goal is to create much more of a long-term partnership, not a partnership that sort of has a point in time that you go out and renegotiate the next eight-year partnership, that there’s a continuum.” – Chase Carey, F1 Chairman

    Even with the majority of the inner workings of F1 being locked in contracts, Liberty have started to make changes to the social element of the sport. Almost immediately the strict regulations surrounding social media usage in the paddock were relaxed, allowing teams and drivers to better connect with and involve fans.

    The London Live event was an entirely new concept for F1 which brought all the drivers, bar Hamilton, to the centre of London with live music, interviews and an impressive demo run in the old cars. This type of event is going to become more common in the coming years and, with the relaxation of more regulations, can now include the current cars doing demo runs.

    Another of Liberty’s changes was to the logo, this was met with swathes of criticism however, the FIA stood by Liberty’s decision so the new logo will be sticking around for 2018 and beyond.

    “What we wanted to do was provide a fresh energy to the sport and I think we have a lot of plans for the future, a lot of things we want to do and we thought the logo was a good way to emphasise the excitement, fresh energy and a new day to take the sport to a new place,” – Carey

    F1 unveiled their new logo at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

    2017 was just the start of Liberty’s new venture, they intend to set up an in-house live streaming service for 2018 however, it will only be available in countries where there isn’t a pre-exiting TV deal that guarantees exclusivity, for example the UK and Sky.

    They will also have to tackle the looming engine regulation change, set to come in for 2020. The current hybrid engines have proven to be unpopular with fans, monumentally expensive to teams and have detracted any new manufactures from joining – just look what happened to Honda. The change will be a delicate balancing act to please the current manufactures while attracting new ones and improve the show for the fans.

    It’s clear that some fundamental changes need to be made to F1 if it’s to succeed in this modern world. Liberty need to take back control from the manufactures for a start; if Ferrari want to quit, let them – decisions need to be made for the benefit the sport, not one or two manufactures.

    Likewise, changes need to be made to the ludicrous engine penalties; capping them at 15 places for 2018 is a start but more needs to be done to stop them ruining races, confusing fans and even deciding the championship.

    Even with all that, F1 as a whole needs to be modernised, it needs to attract new fans and it needs to have a bigger, more global reach. F1 was the fastest growing sport on social media in 2017 but it still has a long way to go to have anything like the presence of the NBA, the Premier League, La Liga and such like.

     

    Overall, Liberty Media’s first year in charge has gone as well as it could’ve, the confident manner in which they are talking is promising but there’s still a long way to go and a lot more hurdles to clear before F1 is anywhere near where it should be.

     

  • Rallye Monte-Carlo Preview 2018

    Rallye Monte-Carlo Preview 2018

    Its time for a new season! Will this year be as amazing as last? Who knows what will happen in 2018?! First up, we’ve got the iconic Rallye Monte Carlo, an event being run for the 86th time, that really challenges the drivers, with ice and snow-covered stages!

    FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 -WRC Monte Carlo (FRA) – WRC 18/01/2017 to 22/01/2017 – PHOTO : @World

    Reigning champion Seb Ogier has won this event four times and will be targeting a fifth! If you’re looking for challengers, then last year’s early leader Thierry, plus Andreas and Kris are the drivers likely to be there. Jari-Matti and Ott in the Yaris will also be challenging near the top. Any number of these drivers could stand on the podium.

     

    Here’s the full details of the stages.

     

    WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY

    4.00pm: shakedown (Gap)

     

    THURSDAY 25 JANUARY

    5.50pm: Start day 1 (Monaco – Place du Casino)

    9.43pm: SS 1 – Thoard – Sisteron (36,69 km)

    10.51pm: SS 2 – Bayons – Bréziers 1 (25,49 km)

    11.56pm: Flexi Service A (Gap – 48′)

     

    FRIDAY 26 JANUARY

    8.00am: Start day 2 and Service B (Gap – 18′)

    8.51am: SS 3 – Vitrolles – Oze 1 (26,72 km)

    10.04am: SS 4 – Roussieux – Eygalayes 1 (30,54 km)

    11.37am: SS 5 – Vaumeilh – Claret 1 (15,18 km)

    12.52pm: Service C (Gap – 33′)

    1.58pm: SS 6 – Vitrolles – Oze 2 (26,72 km)

    3.11pm: SS 7 – Roussieux – Eygalayes 2 (30,54 km)

    4.44pm: SS 8 – Vaumeilh – Claret 2 (15,18 km)

    5.49pm: Flexi Service D (Gap – 48′)

     

    SATURDAY 27 JANUARY

    6.57am: Start day 3 and Service E (Gap – 18′)

    8.08am: SS 9 – Agnières en Devoluy – Corps 1 (29,16 km)

    9.16am: SS 10 – St Léger les Mélèzes – La Batie Neuve 1 (16,87 km)

    10.31am: Service F (Gap – 33′)

    11.57am: SS 11 – Agnières en Devoluy – Corps 2 (29,16 km)

    1.08pm: SS 12 – St Léger les Mélèzes – La Batie Neuve 2 (16,87 km)

    2.23pm: Service G (Gap – 33′)

    4.09pm: SS 13 – Bayons – Bréziers 2 (25,49 km)

    5.29pm: Service H (Gap – 48′)

    10.17pm: Parc ferme (Monaco)

     

    SUNDAY 28 JANUARY

    6.49am: Start day 4

     

    8.32am: SS 14 – La Bollène Vésubie – Peira Cava 1 (18,41 km)

    9.08am: SS 15 – La Cabanette – Col de Braus 1 (13,58 km)

    10.55am: SS 16 – La Bollène Vésubie – Peira Cava 2 (18,41 km)

    12.18pm: SS 17 – La Cabanette – Col de Braus 2 (13,58 km)

     

    1.58pm: Parc ferme (Monaco)

    3.00pm: Prize giving (Place du Palais Princier – Monaco)

    That’s a total of 17 stages, covering 388.59km in total.

     

    Flashback to 2017 

    Thierry Neuville had built a commanding lead over the first two days, but after running wide during the final stage on Saturday and breaking his suspension, Sébastien Ogier came through to take his fourth victory!

     

    This is last year’s result.

     

    1. Sébastien Ogier / Julien Ingrassia (Ford Fiesta WRC) 4:00:03.6
    2. Jari-Matti Latvala / Miikka Anttila (Toyota Yaris WRC) +2:15.0
    3. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (Ford Fiesta WRC) +2:57.8

     

    Okay, let’s hear from the teams then.

     

    M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

    Malcolm Wilson OBE

    “Last year saw us enjoy our most successful season in motorsport and that’s something that we want to see continue in 2018. The hard work has not stopped and everyone has been working around the clock to ensure that we start our title defence on a high.

    “We have completed two comprehensive test sessions and the feeling amongst the team is more determined than ever. It might not be possible to make huge gains within the regulations, but we have been working with our partners to enhance what was already an extremely strong package.

    “Every team is capable of securing the ultimate prize this year and I am expecting the competition to be closer than ever. It’s so difficult to predict who will even come out on top this week, and that in itself is fantastic for the sport.

    “In Sébastien, Elfyn and Bryan we have three very competent and intelligent drivers who are all more than capable of securing a Monte-Carlo victory. That has to be our aim so let’s see what happens. Like every rally fan, I am very much looking forward to the start of this exciting new season.”

     

    Sébastien Ogier

    “We start the new season with an event that is always a real highlight for me – Rallye Monte-Carlo. As my home event, I always want to give my best and challenge for the top results.

    “We started something great here last year and want to try and build on that in 2018. We will need to work hard as the competition will be very tough. Every team has a winning car and a winning driver so everyone is a threat and we need to be ready right from the start.

    “It’s such a challenging start to the season – the ultimate test with extreme conditions that can see us go from dry Tarmac to pure ice and snow in the space of a single stage. It’s certainly not easy, but that’s what makes a good result here so rewarding.

    “We’ll start this year with what could be the biggest challenge of the entire rally – Sisteron, in reverse, in the dark. It doesn’t get much tougher than that, but that’s Monte. It’s always a challenge and that will be the case from the very first stage this year.”

    Sebastien Ogier, Rallye Monte Carlo 2017, Photo credit, Alastair Cummins

    Elfyn Evans

    “Rallye Monte-Carlo is one of those events that every driver looks forward to. I’ve always said that it offers some of the best Tarmac roads in the world, but at this time of year the conditions make it a true challenge and the ultimate test of strategy. To do well, you really do need to get absolutely everything right.

    “We’ve just completed two days of testing in mixed conditions. The road was constantly evolving which is great when it comes to getting a flavour for everything we’ve come to expect on a rally like this, but it can also be a bit of a double-edged sword at times – making it difficult to judge which direction to go in terms of set-up.

    “Overall, I would say that we had two pretty good tests and that we are feeling fairly well prepared. Monte can always be a bit of a lottery and it can go either way, but we’re definitely ready to get the season started. We want to start the year on a high, so we’ll give it our best and see what happens.”

     

    Bryan Bouffier

    “Since learning that I would be driving the Ford Fiesta WRC, Rallye Monte-Carlo could not come soon enough! It’s one of my favourite events and having the opportunity to do it in one of these new generation world rally cars – the championship-winning car – is a dream come true.

    “I have a lot of experience at Rallye Monte-Carlo which helps when it comes to reading the road and adapting the pace to suit the conditions, but this event is never easy. It’s one of the toughest events on the calendar and to do well you need to drive a clever rally by making the right calls on the tyres and finding the right balance between pushing hard and being more cautious.

    “As one of the ‘French’ events, I feel at home at Rallye Monte-Carlo and am really looking forward to it. First and foremost, we want to have fun. We’ll start in a relaxed frame of mind and if we could help the team by scoring some good points for the manufacturers’ championship it would be amazing.”

     

    Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

    Pierre Budar

    “The new season is upon us, which obviously means both excitement and uncertainty. After claiming second place in Germany and winning in Spain in the second part of 2017, which confirmed the growing strength of the team, I am determined to continue the work begun by Yves Matton, so that the team picks up in 2018 where it left off at the end of last year. This is especially the case since the C3 WRC has been further improved during the off-season, with intensive work put into widening its operating spectrum. Kris Meeke has the required experience to fight at the front at this unique event, as he showed in 2016, whilst Craig gained a lot of confidence from last year’s appearance and is determined to use it to push for a good position. They both also know that you can’t approach this rally just like any other: you must remain composed and treat the stages with the respect they deserve to avoid getting caught out by one of the many tricky sections.”

    Citroen C3 WRC, Rallye Monte Carlo, Photo credit, Citroen Racing.

    Kris Meeke

    “Monte is probably one of the season’s hardest rallies, because of the constant changes in grip, but I’ve always really enjoyed it. I’ve also been quick here. I won the event in the Junior WRC class in 2005, I picked up a podium (3rd) on my full-time return to the WRC with Citroën in 2014 and I fought for the win in 2016… So, I think that we can do a good job here, especially since our off-season tests were held on roads that are fairly representative of what we’ll be facing during the rally, with a good variety of weather conditions. The test sessions also enabled us to keep improving the ability of our C3 WRC to adapt to changes in road surface, particularly by heading back to the Col de Faye, which is where we were least comfortable last year.”

     

    Craig Breen

    “Monte-Carlo is a rally that I love. It’s a unique challenge, something you don’t get on any of the other events. Until 2017, however, I never felt sufficiently confident in the kind of changeable, slippery conditions you get here. But last year, with the old car, we surprised ourselves. With a bit more horsepower, we could have aimed for the podium, so that gives me confidence. I’d like to think we can do it this time around, even though I’m not the most experienced driver in the line-up. Especially in that based on what we learned in 2017, we come into this event better prepared and with a C3 WRC that is even more versatile.”

     

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Tommi Mäkinen

    “This time last year, we didn’t really know where we were as we prepared for the debut of the Toyota Yaris WRC. In the coming season, I believe that we can be a lot more consistent, which is really what we need in order to fight for the championship titles. That is our aim after our learning season last year. The break since Rally Australia finished has not been very long but we have been very busy trying to make our car even better. Rallye Monte-Carlo is always a tough event to start the season with. Although I won it four times during my career as a driver, I didn’t prepare for it very well back then: I would not even think about rallying, and just go skiing instead! Our three drivers have been doing much better preparation, with a lot of testing, and we hope for a good result.”

     

    Jari-Matti Latvala

    “We learned a lot last year during our first season together. We discovered where we needed to improve, and we are now ready for the second year and I think we should be very competitive. We have a very good driver line-up: all of us managed to win in 2017 and when everybody is aiming for victories it is usually good for the team. We already achieved a good result on Rallye Monte-Carlo on the debut for the Yaris WRC last year, finishing in second place, which equalled my best result there. Then, it was important to have a clean rally and the same will be true this year, but we also want to have good speed.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Rallye Monte Carlo 2017, Photo Credit Alastair Cummins

    Ott Tänak

    “There is a lot of excitement ahead of my first rally for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. The team did a really good job last year: even though it was their first season they were already very competitive. I could see how much potential there is and I wanted to make sure I was part of this team in the coming years. Our target is the same: to win the championship. I am just getting used to the team but already I feel very welcome and the preparation has been going really well. In Monte Carlo we will see how we are compared to the competition. For sure, it is one of the most challenging events on the calendar. You don’t know what to expect: whether it will be snow or ice, wet or dry.”

     

    Esapekka Lappi

    “This will be my first full season in a World Rally Car and the approach needs to be a bit different to before: I need to be a bit more consistent. I still need to gain some more experience: during the first part of the season there are rallies I do not know so well, and Rallye Monte-Carlo is one of those. It is an event where experience can really help, so my aim has to be to do all the stages. Later in the season there are the rallies where I have confidence and where I should be most competitive. The preparation is good: we have just been trying to improve the car and ourselves.”

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Michel Nandan

    “We are as well prepared for this new season as we can be with renewed ambitions for the championship. The performance of our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in the final rounds of last season, especially winning in Australia, gave us a good springboard for winter development. We have taken the car and crews to France and Spain for seven days of testing in the past month, in an effort to replicate conditions that we expect in Monte. The beauty of this opening event is its unpredictability, so we have to be prepared for anything. Autosport International brought together all the manufacturer teams for a unique event, one that perfectly showcases the WRC’s community spirit. We know our rivals will be formidable and relentless, so we have to be on top of our game at all times. Bring on round one – let’s hope it’s another classic Monte.”

     

    Andreas Mikkelsen

    “It’s an amazing feeling to be starting a complete WRC season with Hyundai Motorsport. Last year was a bit frustrating, so I am looking forward to a consistent year with lots of rallying and aiming to be in the championship fight. Monte, of course, is an incredibly difficult challenge to start a new year with all kinds of conditions, including night driving where black ice can catch anyone out. Alongside Anders, I can’t wait to get our 2018 campaign underway.”

     

    Thierry Neuville

    “Excitement for this new WRC season is at fever pitch. The launch event in Birmingham put us all in a very positive frame of mind, and ready to attack the year ahead. Monte-Carlo is a very special event, one at which even the slightest error can be rally-ending. We saw last year, having led the event comfortably right until the penultimate day, that a small mistake put us out in a very frustrating manner. That’s what Monte is all about; it’s a tough challenge to start the year. We will aim to put all the lessons learned from our participation in the recent editions of this event to good use.”

    Thierry Neuville, Rallye Monte Carlo, Photo credit, Alastair Cummins

    Dani Sordo

    “I am pleased to be starting my fifth season with Hyundai Motorsport at one of the most demanding events on the calendar – Monte-Carlo. We have developed a strong working relationship and although my schedule for this season is just seven events, I will aim to get as much out of them as I possibly can. I have a new co-driver for this season, Carlos, so there will be some areas we need to refresh, but we are optimistic we can deliver a positive result in this debut rally of the new year. We have to expect the unexpected at Monte-Carlo, and it will definitely be a tough fight against our rivals.”

    In recent weeks it has been snowing, and this means that the teams and drivers will have a big challenge in getting the right strategy in terms of tyres. With the first stage on Thursday evening, the shakedown held in Gap at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon will be crucial in allowing the teams to really judge how their cars are behaving on these unique roads.

     

    We’re all set for an amazing year then! Who will take victory?

  • 2018 WRC season preview!

    2018 WRC season preview!

    We are just a little over a week away from the start of the new WRC season! This year’s calendar features a couple of changes. Rally Turkey has returned and has a slot in the middle of September and Wales Rally GB is now on the first weekend of October. Rally Poland does not return this year, which means that there are still 13 rounds like last year.

     

    Here’s the full calendar!

    Monte-Carlo   25 – 28 January

    Sweden              15 – 18 February

    Mexico                   8 – 11 March

    France                    5 – 8 April

    Argentina        26 – 29 April

    Portugal            17 – 20 May

    Italy                        7 – 10 June

    Finland              26 – 29 July

    Germany            16 -19 August

    Turkey                 13 – 16 September

    Great Britain        4 – 7 October

    Spain                  25 – 28 October

    Australia           15 – 18 November

    Reigning champion Seb Ogier will lead the M-Sport challenge with Elfyn Evans alongside him in the number two car. Teemu Suninen will drive a third Fiesta WRC in eight rounds.

     

    Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport WRT

    “Every year we look forward to revealing our liveries, and this year we were able to do it in style with a joint launch at what is widely considered to be the traditional start of the motorsport season – Autosport International.

    “We pride ourselves on producing striking liveries year after year, and this year is no different. Increased technical support from Ford Performance is represented, as is the increased involvement from Red Bull which sees their support extend to the younger drivers coming through our ranks.

    “Another thrilling year of close-fought competition awaits, and we can’t wait to get going.”

    M-Sport’s Fiesta WRC, Photo credit, Warren Nel

    Ott Tanak has switched to the Toyota Gazoo WRT alongside Jari-Matti and Esapekka. Jari-Matti and Miikka have their eyes set on regular points and podiums with their re-worked Yaris, and Ott has definitely made the switch, looking to win championships.

    Tommi Mäkinen, Toyota Team Principal

    “It’s great to launch the 2018 season at the Autosport International show in front of so many motorsport fans. After a very pleasing first season in 2017 we are excited to build on that in the year ahead. We saw last year that the Toyota Yaris WRC was already capable of winning rallies, which was a great achievement by the team, but the competition also allowed us to discover areas that we can improve. With more time and more learning, we have been able to update the front end of the car to give us better aerodynamic performance, and we also have improvements to the cooling. I’m very excited that we’re going to keep on learning this year, as part of our mission to make ever-better cars.”

     

    Hyundai sees Thierry and Andreas do the full season, with Hayden and Dani sharing a third car. Hayden will be driving in Sweden.

    Team Principal Michel Nandan said:

    “All of us at Hyundai Motorsport have been honoured to play a small part in today’s WRC launch at Autosport International. To have the chance to unveil our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in such a unique way has been incredible, and we are excited by the plans announced by WRC to show every stage live this season. We are always looking to reach new audiences, and show our sport in the most authentic way possible. WRC All Live is the ideal way to do that, and we are sure fans will be closer to the action than ever before.  It’s really been the best way to kick-start 2018.”

     

    Citroen will feature Kris Meeke doing the full season and Craig Breen doing ten rounds. Legend Seb Loeb will drive in three rounds, Mexico, Corsica and Spain. Also announced at the Autosport Show, WRC launch day, Mads Ostberg will drive a third C3 WRC in Rally Sweden as a one-off drive, although he’s set his sights on securing more competition time in that car. Khalid Al Qassimi will also drive a few events as well.

    Citroen legend Sebastian Loeb, Photo credit, Citroen Racing.

    Yves Matton, Former Citroën Racing Team Principal

    “For 2018, we have decided to capitalise on what we’ve been building for a number of seasons now with Kris and Craig. Kris’ speed is unquestionable, and with the more relaxed mindset he had at the end of the year, he proved he had it in him to be a leader. The aim will be to target podiums, secure some wins, but Kris can also go for position in the championship. Meanwhile, Craig proved that he was the perfect foil, with some very consistent performances. There is still room for him to improve and aim even higher. I’m also delighted to see that there will be another chapter in the great history between Sébastien Loeb and Citroën: he couldn’t have returned to the WRC with anyone other than us! Seb confirmed that he has lost none of his speed and skill during the test sessions completed, although he is bound to be short of knowledge of the stages and time in the car, compared with the increasingly tough competition. We still believe in Stéphane: we are convinced that he will be a good ambassador for the Citroën C3 R5, for which the brand has great hopes. And this programme will allow him to continue to add to his experience and therefore keep improving.”

     

    The big questions remain. Who will emerge triumphant this year? Can Thierry go one better than last year? When I spoke to him and his co-driver Nicolas last week, they were thinking more of the championship, than wins, realising that consistency is crucial when the cars and drivers are so evenly matched.

    2018 FIA World Rally Championship
    2018 Birmingham Team Launch
    10-11 January 2018
    Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
    Photographer: Helena El Mokni
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Citroen are the sleeping giant, of all the teams, I’d say. They had a better second half in 2017 after changes to the car. With Kris, they have a very good talent, and he can certainly challenge for the championship. Craig will continue his development at the highest level.

    You can read what a few of them had to say, when I interviewed them at last week’s Autosport Show. Check out my separate article

     

    Come back soon to read my preview for Rallye Monte Carlo!

  • Dan Gurney – 1931 – 2018

    Dan Gurney – 1931 – 2018

    Grand Prix 1970 van Nederland voor Formule I wagens , Zandvoort; Dan Gurney , kop
    *21 juni 1970

    We at The Pit Crew Online join the global motorsport community in marking, and mourning, the passing of the legendary Dan Gurney.

    Gurney came of age in the wild mid-century era of motorsport, racing for several teams across several series from 1959 to 1970 before focusing on managing his team, All American Racers. The list of his accomplishments could fill several lifetimes: racing for Scuderia Ferrari, winning at Le Mans, the most successful American driver in Formula One, winning in NASCAR, winning in Indy Car (the first driver to win in all four series), winning in Can-Am, the first to spray champagne from the podium at Le Mans, the first driver to wear a full-face helmet in a Formula One Grand Prix, inventor of the eponymous Gurney Flap and inspiration for the Gurney Bubble, manufacturer, team owner…

    The list of names associated with Gurney throughout his storied career is no less luminous on both the driver’s and manufacturer’s side: Jack Brabham, Carroll Shelby, AJ Foyt, Bob Bondurant, Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Bruce McLaren, Roger Penske…

    The 1967 season in particular stands out in Gurney’s rich career, thanks to the Golden Week of 11 – 18 June. It was on June 11th, 1967 that Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt won at Le Mans, and Gurney established the tradition of spraying champagne from the podium. A scant week later, Gurney won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in his Eagle Mk 1, the only US-built car to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Beyond this, the car was built by Gurney’s own team, then known as Anglo American Racers. This was the second time of only three in Formula One history that a driver has won a Grand Prix in a car of his own manufacture.

    There is so much more one could say about Dan Gurney, and doubtless drivers and motorsport fans alike are recounting their favorite memories around the world in his honor.

    Dan Gurney died from complications of pneumonia on 14 January, 2018, in Newport Beach, California. He is survived by his wife, their children, and grandchildren.

    The final checkered flag has waved for one of the greats of global motorsport. Godspeed, Dan.

  • Citroen Press Release- Pierre Budar, appointed Director of Citroën Racing

    Citroen Press Release- Pierre Budar, appointed Director of Citroën Racing

    Pierre Budar succeeds Yves Matton, who joins the FIA as FIA Rally Director, after having initiated the return of the brand to the WRC.

    The Citroën Racing Team, under the leadership of Pierre Budar, to recpnnect with the brand’s prestigious victories in motorsport, with 8 World rally championship titles, 3 WTCC World championship titles and 4 victories at Paris-Dakar Rally.

    A graduate of the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Pierre Budar joined Groupe PSA in 1989 as an engineer before being an official 309 Group N driver for the Peugeot Talbot Sport Team in 1991 and pursuing a brilliant career in engineering in France and in Asia.

    After having created in 2010 the department of sports road versions (DS3 Racing, 208 GTi 30th, 308 GTi, DS3 Performance), he expanded his scope in 2016 to activities related to the Customer Competition. With his teams, he notably developed the 308 TCR and the C3R5.

    His passion and his skills are undoubtedly an asset to reinvigorate Citroën Racing who is preparing to start the 2018 season of WRC at Monte Carlo rally with his C3WRC entrusting young talents Kris Meeke / Paul Nagle and Craig Breen / Scott Martin

     

    On the occasion of his appointment Pierre Budar says: “Groupe PSA has given me a unique opportunity to reconcile my passion for motorsport with an engineering career. I never imagined one day running one of the most prestigious competition teams in the world. I measure the challenge that is proposed to me at the head of an extraordinary team and I will strive to obtain the best of its talents”

    Jean Marc Finot, Senior Vice President of PSA Motorsport, adds: “I am proud that the FIA ​​nominates Yves Matton to this prestigious position and would like to thank him for his contribution. I am pleased to give Pierre Budar the opportunity to express all his energy and enthusiasm in the service of ourcit passion: motorsport”