A magical Joan Mir wrapped up the title Down Under with victory on ‘The Island’ after rain stopped play in the Moto3 race, with his focus now on beating Valentino Rossi’s total number of victories during a single season in the lightweight class.
Joan Mir crashed out of last season’s Malaysian Grand Prix, at turn 7 with four other riders. At the time of the crash he was leading, although it was on a KTM. Mir will be looking to convert his first pole-position of the season on Sunday and hopefully, take his 10th win of the season. Honda haven’t won a lightweight class race at Sepang since 2014, with Efren Vazquez – also the last time a Spaniard won the Moto3 event.
It was only a matter of time before the Spaniard took his first ever championship win and where for fitting to do it than at the track he made his GP debut in 2015. His teammate then? That years world champion Danny Kent of course, on board the same bike.
The Leopard team couldn’t have wished for a better weekend, as Livio Loi came home second to get the team’s first 1-2 finish in the Moto3 class. After his monumental crash at Misano, which left him with a broken collarbone, it was a massive result for the Belgian rider who has had a difficult start to his GP racing career.
So, the pressure is off for Mir as we head to Sepang. Good news for Fenati and co for the rest of the season? I don’t think so. The new world champion will be riding like he has nothing to lose (because he doesn’t), which will only make life harder for the rest of the field.
Moto3 and Sepang then, arguably one of the best tracks on the calendar mixed with a series that never disappoints come race day makes for a very tasty encounter.
The Malaysian MotoGP gets underway this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2017 season, at Sepang, approximately 35 miles away from the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Since the switch back to 1000cc motorcycles, Dani Pedrosa has won three times from five races, although last season, it was Italian and current championship challenger, Andrea Dovizioso who took honours. The Malaysian GP has been hosted at three venues in total: the current Sepang circuit since 1999, Johor in 1998 and Shah Alam from 1991-1997. Marc Marquez comes into the weekend with a 33 point lead, after a disastrous Australian GP for rival Dovizioso. This means that a finish in the top two will be enough for Marc Marquez to win the championship, regardless of what ‘Dovi’ does.
With Marquez leading the championship by 33 points, he has to be favourite to take the championship, whether it be in Malaysia or at Valencia in Spain. The Spaniard hasn’t been lower than 2nd since Misano and if you take out Silverstone, the last time he was off the podium would be at Mugello, in June. Marquez won the Malaysian GP in 2014 and also won the 125cc race at Sepang in 2010. However, Marquez crashed in 2015 after him and arch-rival Rossi came to blows and last season, he crashed but remounted to finish 11th. One mistake for Marquez could swing the championship wide open.
Andrea Dovizioso has a simple task: he must beat Marc Marquez by 9 points to keep the championship alive until the Valencian Grand Prix. A race winner at Sepang last season, Dovi has just two other podiums in the premier class at Sepang: in 2008, which was his first ever premier class podium and in 2010, when he was 2nd to Valentino Rossi. Dovizioso hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the top 10 since 2002, at the Sachsenring and Brno. That is a record he will not want to update. Between 2010 and 2016, Dovizioso’s best finish at Sepang was 8th, so it is a track that he hasn’t particularly shone at in the past. Will that change this weekend?
Maverick Vinales returned to the podium at Phillip Island, having been missing from the top three positions since Silverstone in August. The Spaniard was 8th and 6th in 2015 and 2016 respectively at Sepang but will want to consolidate his podium pace this weekend. The last time he had back-to-back podiums was at Le Mans and Mugello, in the first third of the season. Vinales is a winner at Sepang too, taking victory back in 2011 – his first season of racing and his first visit to the track. He also won the Malaysian Moto2 race in 2014 so that proves that he could be a race winner this weekend as well. If he was to win, he’d be the first ever premier class winner at Sepang who has also won a Moto2 race. Vinales can’t mathematically win the championship but he could be just as big an upset.
Valentino Rossi’s heroic ride to 2nd in Australia was his first podium since Silverstone. ‘The Doctor’ hasn’t had back-to-back podiums since the opening three races of the season, an incredible statistic given Valentino still holds 4th in the championship. He has won at Sepang a total of six times in the premier class and won at Shah Alam in 1997. Rossi made his GP debut in 1996 and that was also at Shah Alam, where he finished 6th. Yamaha haven’t had a race win at Sepang since Rossi won their in 2010 but they have also never had a 1-2 at the venue. Rossi is 31 points behind Vinales, meaning he needs to score 7 or more points than him to keep the race for 3rd in the title alive. He is 48 points behind Dovi, meaning nothing less than two wins in the final two races will give Rossi 2nd overall – an unlikely outcome.
Dani Pedrosa was demoted from 4th to 5th in the standings after a dire Australian GP, in which he was 12th. It was the 3rd time in 2017 that Pedrosa had finished a race outside of the top 10, eliminating him from the championship race. Pedrosa has won three times in the past five races at Sepang, making him a hot favourite this weekend. A win for Pedrosa would match Valentino Rossi’s current record of six wins at Sepang. The last time Honda had a double podium was in 2013, a performance they will seek to repeat. Dani Pedrosa hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the top 10 since Donington Park and the Sachsenring in 2001 and he will not want to update that fact. Pedrosa is 14 points behind Rossi.
Johann Zarco has won at Sepang twice, in 2015 and 2016 in Moto2. He was the first rider since Hiroshi Aoyama to achieve this feat. If Zarco was to get on the podium on Sunday, he would be the first Frenchman to stand on a premier class podium at the Malaysian GP since the event started back in 1991. The reigning double Moto2 champion is yet to DNF since the Qatari Grand Prix at the start of the season and has finished every Malaysian GP since 2013 in the points. Tech 3 haven’t had a podium at Sepang in MotoGP, with their best result being 4th, with Ben Spies, back in 2010.
Jorge Lorenzo somehow retains 7th in the championship, despite the Spaniard finishing 15th at the Australian GP. Lorenzo has never won a premier class race at Sepang and will be hoping to become the 4th Ducati rider to win in Malaysia, joining Capirossi, Stoner and Dovizioso. Lorenzo did however win the 2006 250cc race, although that is his only win at the circuit.
Danilo Petrucci missed a huge opportunity to close in on Lorenzo at Phillip Island, with his dire 21st place finish. Petrucci hasn’t had back-to-back finishes outside of the points since Catalunya and Silverstone in 2012, his first season of GP racing. Petrucci was 10th at Sepang last year and 6th in 2015. Teammate Scott Redding has finished every Malaysian GP in the points since 2011 and will yearn for that run to continue.
Cal Crutchlow is 9th in the championship and his 5th place in Australia helped him close in on the battle for 7th overall. Crutchlow has never scored a podium at Sepang and his last back-to-back top 5 finishes came at Aragon and Motegi last season. His best result at the Malaysian GP remains a 5th, from 2015.
10th place in the championship belongs to Jonas Folger but once more, he isn’t racing due to his virus. Michael van der Mark gets his long-awaited opportunity to ride a premier class MotoGP prototype machine and is the German’s replacement this weekend. The Dutchman has been to Sepang before, on a World Superbike Honda Fireblade, where he achieved a 7th and 6th last season and a 5th in 2015.
The factory Aprilia team will be hoping for a change of luck this weekend, as their lead rider, Aleix Espargaro, recovers with a fractured hand and does not take part. That means all eyes will be on Sam Lowes, who has a best result of 13th at Sepang, back in 2015. Last year, Aprilia had a 7th place finish from a row three start, with Alvaro Bautista.
Andrea Iannone’s return to form over the last two GPs have been a welcome return to form for Suzuki too. Iannone hasn’t finished three consecutive races in the top 10 since Brno, the Red Bull Ring and the Sachsenring last year. Suzuki in turn haven’t had three double-top-10s on the bounce since Mugello, Le Mans and Jerez last season.
KTM come off the back of an incredible Australian Grand Prix, where they had their first ever double-top 10. The Austrian manufacturer will be looking to achieve their first back-to-back double-top 10s and possibly even break into the top 8 for the first time ever. Pol Espargaro will be looking to continue his run of top 11 placings and Bradley Smith will hope to achieve his first back-to-back top 10 since Losail and Termas de Rio Hondo in 2016.
Aspar Ducati will be looking to have a change of fortunes after a difficult Australian GP, endured by all Ducati teams. It was the first time Alvaro Bautista had finished a race outside of the points since Brno last year. If he finishes outside of the points again at Sepang, it will be the first time since Austria and the Czech Republic last season that he has done it on consecutive occasions. Karel Abraham was 14th at Phillip Island and has a best finish of 10th at Sepang, back in 2012.
Marc VDS made a welcome return to form at Phillip Island – or one of their riders did. Jack Miller lead the opening laps at home in Australia to the delight of the 36,000 people trackside. His 7th place meant he kept hold of 12th in the championship. Tito Rabat will be hoping to get his first top 10 of the season at Sepang. He won in Moto2 in 2014 and was 3rd in 2015.
Last but by no means least, Avintia Ducati come to Sepang in search of returning to point scoring ways. Both riders were in the top 5 last season, with Barbera beating Baz. The last time the team failed to finish a race in the points on two consecutive occasions was in 2014, at Aragon and Misano.
The championship could be won this weekend with Marc Marquez looking odds on to wrap it up, now he has a 33 point lead. However, as we have seen in British Superbikes this season, a 33 point lead could be slashed if bad luck falls in order. Vinales, Rossi and Pedrosa could all be massive championship upsets on Sunday and after a hardcore ride at Phillip Island, Johann Zarco will be more determined than ever before to mount the podium, after coming so close Down Under. What the weather will do on race day is another question? Could the heavens open and give us a championship fight or will we see Andrea Dovizioso’s championship dreams become drowned out? Time will tell.
He started his career in karting from 2006 to 2009, becoming the Midlands Minimax champion and Bayford Meadows Winter Champion in 2008. In 2010 he finished 4th in the Ginetta Junior Championship with 2 wins, 4 podiums, 2 fastest laps and a pole.
The following season he finished third in the Ginetta G50 Championship and then moved onto become the GT4 champion in the British GT Championship for 2012. He was selected as BRDC Rising Start in 2013 and raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series and various European GT events.
In 2014 he had a wind and a second place in the International GT Open at Silverstone with Darren Turner in an Aston Martin which was followed up in 2015 by being selected for the Aston Martin Racing Evolution Academy. He took two podiums that season in the British GT Championship
For 2016 he competed in the GT Open at Barcelona where he obtained a podium place and again competed in the British GT Championship.
This season he competed in and won The European Le Mans GTE class with Rob Smith for JMW Motorsport in a Ferrari 488 GTE. He took a win and four podiums.
His helmet design is based on the South African flag, where his father originates from and the Union Jack, for his mother. He also has his name on the side of his helmet, exactly the same as Jody Scheckter, the 1979 Formula One World Champion who he was named after.
These are his Quick 10 questions, the newly crowned 2017 ELMS GTE Champion and he is….. Jody Fannin.
What is your favourite racing circuit?
Spa-Francorchamps because of its massive elevation change and speed. If you are walking along the Kemmel Straight, there is a bit where you can look across at the Bus Stop Chicane. You realise then just how much elevation change there is on the track; it looks so far down! Also, through the middle sector of the lap especially, each corner leads into the next, so if you make a mistake through one, it will affect your run through the next, amplifying the error. It’s a real challenge… and obviously Eau Rouge is a proper corner in a GT car!
Who was your racing idol?
Allan McNish because of his undoubted speed and killer instinct through traffic.
Who would you regard as your toughest opponent?
Difficult to single anyone out, but competing in the European Le Mans Series against multiple factory drivers is as tough as it gets in GT racing!
Considering racers of all time, you are a team principal and money is no object. Which two racers would you have in your team?
Mario Andretti because of his versatility, being successful in so many different sorts of cars, and Ayrton Senna because of his prodigious speed.
If you could invite four famous people to dinner (past and present), who would you invite?
It would be fascinating to have people, each from a different era of motor racing, so I could learn about eras that I haven’t lived through and get first hand accounts of what life was like back then. Stirling Moss, Derek Warwick, James Hunt would have some very interesting stories I’m sure..!! Then probably Murray Walker because of his inside knowledge of all aspects of motor racing over many decades.
Your personal racing number? What is it and the reason behind it?
27 because it was Gilles Villeneuve’s number and I admire the way he drove and raced!
What is the best race you have been involved in?
At Monza this year, it was the swansong race for the Ferrari 458 Italia GTE after 7 years of service. No one expected us to have a chance against the newer cars, but we had a fairytale race and managed to win. I had to hold off the Aston Martin of TF Sport for the final stint and gave it absolutely everything. It was an amazing feeling to get the job done! And that chassis actually won its very first and last race, so it was a perfect end to the chapter for the car.
Is there a race or series you have not competed in that you would like to or had wanted to?
Le Mans is the ultimate race for me; I have been to watch the race 15 times, and everything about it is just magic. Racing through the night is an amazing experience, and to race there would be a privilege. To compete in the World Endurance Championship as a factory driver would be very cool. The Bathurst 12 Hour is a race that I would really like to do as well. The track looks awesome and the race is growing in stature year on year.
How did you get interested in motor racing? What ignited that spark?
My Grandad and Dad were both into motorpsport (didn’t have any direct involvement though), so I grew up watching F1, Sportscars, MotoGP, just about anything, so I was surrounded by it from a very young age. I didn’t start karting until I was 11, but I haven’t looked back since! I have always wanted to be a racing driver for as long as I can remember, and being named after Jody Scheckter, guess I was always destined to have something to do with Motor Racing!
What is the best advice in racing you have been given?
Always be ready for the next step up in category/car (both mentally and physically), because if you suddenly get asked to test/race, you need to be immediately ready to go and do the job.
I want to thank Jody for taking the time out of his busy schedule to take part in the Quick 10 feature. Always ready for a quick chat and a very friendly person Also want to congratulate him, Rob Smith and JMW Motorsport on their ELMS GTE title win. The Pit Crew Online wish Jody even more success for 2018.
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States of America. Sunday 22 October 2017. World Copyright: Andy Hone/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _ONY2503
The weather just south of Austin, Texas was fine for the start of the United States Grand Prix, with the early morning rains moving on with plenty of time. That heavy rain, though, cleaned the track up considerably with all the rubber deposited over practice and qualifying washed away. This newly-green surface added an element of uncertainty to the pre-race proceedings. The very-American opening ceremony proved to be polarizing. For every fan that enjoyed Michael Buffer’s boxing-style driver introductions (beneficial to an American audience, many of whom aren’t as familiar with Formula One), there was one who found it ‘cringey AF.’ Whatever your reaction, you can’t deny that Liberty Media delivered on the promise of spectacle for this race’s opening ceremonies.
The word of the day for the United States Grand Prix was ‘poised’. After a record-setting weekend, Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Valtteri Bottas faced the day poised to secure the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship for Mercedes AMG Petronas. Sebastian Vettel was poised to breathe a bit of life into the Drivers Championship if he drove well, and if he didn’t (or if he suffered some other issue) Hamilton was poised to seal his fourth Drivers Championship. Carlos Sainz was poised to make a good impression in his debut with Renault. Brendon Hartley was poised to make a good showing in his first single-seater race in years. The paddock was full of expectations. Who would see their goals realized? Who would leave disappointed?
When the lights went out, Lewis Hamilton made a solid start but Sebastian Vettel did him one better, leaping off the line to take the lead at the outset. The remainder of the field enjoyed a fairly clean start.
The opening lap saw a great deal of shakeups in the field. Force India’s Esteban Ocon briefly got the jump on Kimi Raikkonen for 5th, but it was not to last. Fernando Alsonso’s McLaren overtook Carlos Sainz’s Renault for 7th, in what I’m sure McLaren hopes to be a harbinger of next season. Williams’ Felipe Massa overtook the other Force India of Sergio Perez for 9th. At the bottom of the field, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg took 17th from Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne of McLaren took 19th from Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley. There was a contact between Weherlein and Magnussen, which was later determined to not merit any further action by the stewards.
And Max Verstappen began his inexorable climb in his Red Bull. In the first lap alone, he overtook both Saubers and Williams’ Lance Stroll, bringing him up from 16th to 13th. In the second lap, he claimed Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Toro Rosso’s Dany Kvyat. Lap 3 saw him pass Perez, and Massa in lap 4, rising to 9th by lap 5.
Toward the front of the field, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo brought the fight to Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas several times in the early laps, but wasn’t able to make any of the attempts stick. Raikkonen lurked quietly behind Ricciardo, searching for an opening. Hamilton and Vettel traded fastest laps early on, with Hamilton declaring that the, “[p]ace feels pretty good,” as he settled into the groove. Hulkenberg’s race came to an untimely end in lap 4 thanks to an engine failure, to the disappointment of both his fans and his team.
Lap 6 saw Hamilton finally able to make a move on Vettel to retake the lead. Despite a valiant defense, Vettel was unable to deny Hamilton, and the #44 Silver Arrow found its legs. Weherlein’s race came to an end at this point with a retirement due to damage.
Lap 10 brought Max Verstappen into 6th place, overtaking Ocon in at turn 12. The teams began eyeing pit stops, with Stroll going in for softs on lap 11 and Ricciardo requesting that he be brought in as soon as there’d be good track position. Vettel reported blistering on the left front during lap 12, and Raikkonen made an attempt on Ricciardo.
Pit stops began in earnest in lap 13, with Ricciardo and Perez both taking new tyres. Perez, pitting from 11th and rejoining in 15th, opted for a set of softs, while Ricciardo pitted from 4th left the pits on a set of supersofts to rejoin in 9th. Ricciardo’s stop allowed Raikkonen to rise to 4th and Verstappen to 5th. With his fresh tyres, Ricciardo handily overtook Sainz to advance to 8th. Ocon and Alonso both stopped for fresh rubber in lap 15, with Ocon rejoining in 12th and Alonso in 14th on soft tyres.
After setting the fastest lap thus far, misfortune struck Ricciardo. His Tag Heuer-branded Renault power unit gave up the ghost, leading him to coast to a halt on the grass past turn 15 and bringing out a double yellow for sector 3 as his car was recovered. Both Renault and Red Bull were doubtless feeling a bit of nervousness for their remaining drivers, though (spoiler alert!) there were no further Renault-powered retirements.
By this time, a significant gap had emerged between the Mercedes, Ferraris, and lone Red Bull at the front of the pack.
Lap 17 saw Vettel dive for the pits from second, emerging on his new set of soft tyres in 5th behind the hard-charging Verstappen. When faced with Vettel’s pit stop, Hamilton confidently declared, “Tyres are good, I can extend.” His confidence in his well-worn ultrasofts seemed to be well-placed, as the onboard camera shots showed no indication of striping or blistering. Nonetheless, worn ultrasofts, no matter how well-managed, would be tricky to match against Vettel’s fresh set of softs. Vettel confirmed his tyres’ puissance by setting the fastest second and third sectors, and then going on to set the fastest lap shortly thereafter.
Mercedes brought Bottas in for soft tyres in lap 18, causing him to take his turn in 5th when he rejoined the track and allowing Raikkonen, Verstappen, and Vettel to each climb one place. The battle in the midfield continued apace, with Sainz and Massa jockeying for position with McLaren and Force India. Sainz’ stop in lap 19 for – you guessed it, softs – left Massa in 6th, trailed by Ocon, Alonso, Perez, and Vandoorne. Alonso issued a call to his team for strategy information, sarcastically telling them, “It’d be nice to know what I’m doing.” Rejoining in 11th, Sainz would face an uphill battle for position for the remainder of the race.
Hamilton finally entered the pits in lap 20, also taking a set of soft tyres. His crew turned in an excellent stop, though this led to a fraught moment for Mercedes, as Vettel was closing fast while Hamilton climbed out of the pits and up to turn 1. While his tyres were a few laps newer than Vettel’s, they were cold while the Ferrari’s rubber was already up to temperature. Hamilton did manage to rejoin in 3rd, just in front of Vettel, and was able to defend his position. Vettel wobbled and ran a bit wide in turn 1, and Hamilton set about rebuilding his lead and catching Max Verstappen.
With Raikkonen entering the pits for softs in lap 21 (and duly taking his turn in 5th upon exit), Verstappen’s strategy became a hot topic. Verstappen began the race on a used set of supersofts, and despite his masterful performance thus far they clearly wouldn’t last forever. This was brought into focus in lap 23 when Hamilton was able to successfully attack Verstappen and reclaim the lead. The question of a Verstappen-Vettel battle began to loom when Red Bull finally called their wunderkind into the pits in lap 25 for a set of… softs. Verstappen dutifully rejoined in 5th.
In the midfield, Marcus Ericsson went into the pits in lap 21, emerging with softs of his own but falling from 13th to 18th in the process. In lap 25 tragedy – by now firmly farce – then struck struck Fernando Alonso. Again. With a call from the pit advising him to back off, he returned to the garage and ended his race with yet another Honda-powered retirement. Our hats are off to Alonso for being able to maintain any sense of equanimity after the absolute disaster that is the modern McLaren-Honda partnership, though doubtless seeing the Renault-shaped light at the end of the tunnel helps. We also wish Toro Rosso the best of luck for 2019. Unless Honda is able to resolve these serious issues, they’ll need it.
The following lap, Alonso’s more fortunate teammate pitted for a set of ultrasofts, rejoining in 15th. Sainz began to methodically reel Force India in up in the middle of the pack, while Perez and Ocon continued to vie for position themselves. Happily, both Force India drivers kept it clean, avoiding the on-track contact that cost the team so dearly earlier in the season.
At the front of the pack, Verstappen went on to set the fastest lap of the race. Vandoorne meanwhile passed Hartley on lap 28 and Stroll in lap 29 to rise back to 13th. Massa made his first stop of the race in lap 30, trading his supersofts for a set of new ultrasofts. This late stop did cost him, as he rejoined in 12th. Meanwhile, Hartley continued his quiet-but-proficient drive, breathing down Stroll’s neck.
Continuing the long, slow burning battle between the Force India drivers and Sainz, Perez’s calls to the pit wall requesting that Ocon let him by were denied. Ocon’s fine, he was told, YOU need to manage better, and management’s what we need right now. Sainz’ patience finally paid off, and he overtook Perez at turn 19 to advance to 7th. This in turn left Perez in Kvyat’s sights. In the midst of all this, Massa began to regain positions, overtaking Magnussen in lap 32 and later claiming the other Haas in lap 39.
Lap 38 saw a surprise pit stop from Max Verstappen for a set of supersofts. While exiting the pit, his crew radioed, “You know what we’re up to. We need a big lap.” Vettel followed Max in on lap 39 for a set of supersofts of his own. Pitting from second, he rejoined in 4th. This was a risky move. Would Verstappen’s new supersofts outperform Vettel’s used set? Would Vettel be able to close the gap to Raikkonen and Bottas? Ferrari would doubtless issue team orders, instructing Raikkonen to let Vettel pass, but Bottas certainly wouldn’t be so obliging. Verstappen then set the fastest lap thus far.
By lap 42, Raikkonen was able to mount a successful challenge on Bottas for second. By lap 44, commentators were discussing the scenario of Vettel passing Bottas, and Raikkonen being issued the expected orders to let Vettel pass.
In an example of the interesting things that can happen when the front runners lap the backmarkers, on lap 46 Marcus Ericsson attempted to follow Vettel past Kevin Magnussen at turn 12 under the blue flags. Magnussen wasn’t having it and tried to close the door. The drivers bumped, with Magnussen coming out worse for the wear after a spin, plummeting to 16th. Though Ericsson did briefly claim 13th, the stewards handed him a 5-second time penalty for his trouble and Stroll quickly overtook him for the position.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz continued his long search for advantage over Esteban Ocon, but Ocon’s defense continued to be impregnable. This so impressed the world feed directors that they continued to broadcast the feed from Sainz’s car as Vettel set the fastest lap of the race and approached DRS range on Bottas.
By turn 1 of lap 51, Vettel was in position to attack Bottas. Bottas, apparently relying on traffic to provide cover, miscalculated the his position relative to Vettel and the lapped Vandoorne and failed to mount an effective defense against Vettel’s attack on the outside. This cost Bottas 3rd, and opened him up to attack from Verstappen. Bottas was able to more effectively use traffic, in the form of Romain Grosjean’s Haas, to hold Verstappen off for a bit.
In lap 52, the expected radio call from Ferrari’s pit wall to Kimi Raikkonen arrived. “Seb is now the car behind, Seb is now the car behind. OK, if Seb comes alongside, let him by.” The Finn dutifully ceded 2nd place to his teammate. A short distance behind, Bottas had run out of time against Vertstappen. Verstappen attacked on the inside, forcing Bottas wide. Bottas wasn’t able to make his counterattack stick, and with nothing to lose he made a gamble of his own by pitting for a set of ultrasoft tyres. Sadly, it amounted to nothing and Mercedes’ in-house Finn was left to finish in 5th.
Overshadowed by the action at the front, Massa quietly overtook Kvyat for 9th place, and a couple of points for Williams.
Having dispensed with Bottas, Verstappen then set his sights on Raikkonen. With only 2 laps left and a little more than a second between them, Verstappen would have only one chance to attack Raikkonen. Pushing hard, it appeared that Verstappen would fall just short of Raikkonen.
As Lewis Hamilton crossed the line to secure the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship title for Mercedes AMG Petronas, Verstappen mounted an audacious attack on Raikkonen at turn 17 as the chequered flag fell, and claimed third place for his efforts.
In what will doubtless be a long-discussed penalty, the stewards determined that Verstappen had exceeded the track limits to gain advantage, and gave him a five second time penalty. This led to an awkward moment after the race, as Verstappen was already in the cool-down room.
The final finishing order, after time penalties, was:
HAM
VET
RAI
VER
BOT
OCO
SAI
PER
MAS
KVY
STR
VAN
HAR
GRO
ERI
MAG
DNFs:
ALO
RIC
WEH
HUL
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for a well-fought victory in Austin! Congratulations to Mercedes AMG Petronas for the fourth consecutive Constructors Championship! Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for setting the fastest lap of the race, with 1:37.766 and keeping the Drivers Championship alive, at least mathematically! Congratulations Max Verstappen for getting us up out of our seats and shouting in the dwindling seconds of the race!
We can’t wait to see what Mexico brings us on Sunday.
Back at Brands Hatch, I caught up with ex-Morello Kawasaki rider, Fraser Rogers, to chat to him about this season and his split from the Norfolk-based team. As well as this, he talks of possibly returning to the World Championships and also opens up about whether he has under achieved in 2017.
How has 2017 been – aside from your split with Morello Kawasaki?
It’s been tough; in fact, very tough. I’ve shown that I have the pace to be at the front. I want to stay in the National Superstock 1000 championship in the UK or move up to the European Superstock 1000 class next season. I have some really good offers and I know that I can run at the front. I just need the right people and the right package to make it all come together and make everything work well. I have shown my speed this year but unfortunately, I’ve suffered a lot of bad luck.
Do you think you could go stronger in 2017, given 2016’s stellar season?
I know what Morello will say but if you actually look through the results properly, then you will see that I went faster at near enough every circuit this season than I did last year. If you take out Thruxton and Cadwell Park, then I think you’ll find that I went faster everywhere else. With the likes of Danny Buchan and Richard Cooper dropping down and some of the fast boys coming up, then you will also notice that the overall pace is faster and the depth of talent in the field is a lot stronger.
Did you feel any pressure from Danny Buchan when you was riding at Morello Kawasaki?
I’ve ridden in GPs and world championships and the National Superstock 1000 class and it doesn’t really bother me. Everyone forgets that I’ve known Danny since I was 12-years-old. I’ve raced with him before. He is just a step ahead of me at the moment but that doesn’t mean to say that it won’t change in the future. It has been good being teammates with him this year; there’s been no animosity with him, it’s just been a healthy rivalry. He’s not got to me all season. I’ve had other established teammates in the past.
Do you agree with Steve Buckenham (Morello Kawasaki Team Owner) that you have under achieved in 2017?
I wouldn’t have said that I have massively under achieved. I finished 3rd in the first part of the Donington Park race and I beat Danny Buchan – my teammate – at Silverstone. I also had the fastest lap at Oulton Park earlier in the year. Like I said earlier, I have improved my lap times in 2017 but I’ve had a lot of bad luck this year too.
We didn’t do a lot of testing pre-season, we had four days in Spain but that was it. The four day test was cut short to 1 and a half anyway. I had a some problem and the chain split the engine casings. The team lent my engine to another rider but that also meant that I couldn’t continue, so we just packed up our stuff. We have done the official test this season but not massive amounts of testing elsewhere.
I don’t agree with what Steve has said. I have had a lot of problems this year. I crashed out at Snetterton all on my own but I could’ve been on the podium because my pace was strong. At another round this year, we had a fuel leak. That meant that with three laps to go, I ran out of fuel and then dropped a load of positions. I had a clutch let go on me at Donington Park Part 2 of the 100 mile race whilst running third & at another round, rain cost me a race win whilst I was out on dry tyres. At another round, results were poor due to some other things going on behind closed doors in the team.
I wouldn’t say I’ve under achieved because other wise, I wouldn’t be in the position with the offers that I have on the table now. I have good British offers and offers also in the world championships and also in Moto2. I went to IDM and on a Superstock bike with treaded tyres, I was able to be competitive against Markus Reiterberger who is an ex WSBK rider. My results could’ve been a lot better but I know, in myself, I am good enough to be in a top team. Things just haven’t fallen into place.
After three DNFs before Brands Hatch, or four because I wasn’t riding there, I am 7th in the championship. I went into Brands Hatch knowing that I couldn’t be beaten for 7th in the championship so how does that add up to me under achieving? Especially, in one of the most competitive stock championships in Europe. Steve is a great guy and Morello Racing are a great team but sometimes I just think ‘they aren’t for me’.
What are the reasons behind the split between yourself and Morello Racing?
I don’t really know. The moment I knew about it most was after the Cadwell Park or Silverstone race. Obviously, some things were said by Steve and I kind of knew then that things had run their course.
Morello Kawasaki have been brilliant with me this last 18 months and I would like to thank them for that chance. Chris Sayle gets on with me really well and that is a shame when myself and Steve just didn’t see eye-to-eye most of the time. It wasn’t very harmonious at all and the short and the long of it was I just wasn’t enjoying riding the bike or being in and around the team anymore, at which point its best to go our separate ways.
What does the future hold for Fraser Rogers now?
I’ve had a really good offer in National Superstock 1000 and likewise in the European Superstock 1000 championship. With Moto2 being confirmed for 2018, that is also an option, especially after I rode for the Fab Racing guys at Brands Hatch. If I can prove myself on a GP-spec bike then that is also an option. I want to end up back in the world championships so it is a logical step.
I would also like to thank all my sponsors for making this season happen, as without them I wouldn’t be racing so I cant thank these guys enough. Simon Whatley from SRS Rail Systems UK,
Matt and James Cox from Swindon Karting Arena, Fibros Promotional Print, Gary from Planet 4, my family and everyone else thats helped me along the way. 2018 awaits us!
Adria International Raceway, Italy – 28 / 29 October 2017
TCR drivers from all over Europe are bound for Adria
The 2017 TCR Europe Trophy will be awarded this weekend in a one-off event at the Adria International Raceway.
Drivers who have raced in the various TCR series and championships all over Europe are eligible to take part in the Italian race meeting and those who have entered have been allocated Pre-Qualifying points based on the number of TCR appearances they have made during the season.
The Adria International Raceway is located in the North-East of Italy, in the delta of the river Po, some 60 kilometres South of Venice. It was inaugurated in 2002 and has hosted a range of international races such as the FIA GT and ETCC and the DTM.
It was there that TCR Italy ran the opening event of the current season, when Eric Scalvini won both races at the wheel of a MM Motorsport Honda Civic.
The format of the TCR Europe Trophy will follow the same pattern as the TCR International Series, with two 30-minute Free Practice sessions on Saturday morning and the 30-minute Qualifying on Saturday afternoon that will be split into Q1 (20 minutes for all the competitors) and Q2 (10 minutes for the 12 fastest drivers in Q1). The two 60-kilometre races will be run on Sunday.
Drivers will also have the opportunity to take part in three test sessions on Friday.
TCR in Adria – The event at a glance
Lap distance: 2.70 km
Race distance: 23 laps
Start: Standing
Grids: Determined by the Qualifying results (Q1+Q2) with top 10 reversed for Race 2
Timetable
Saturday, 10:00/10:30 – Free Practice 1
Saturday, 12:00/12:30 – Free Practice 2
Saturday, 15:00/15:35 – Qualifying (Q1 + Q2)
Sunday, 12:35 – Race 1
Sunday, 14:35 – Race 2
all times: GMT +2 until Saturday; GMT +1 from Sunday
How Drivers’ and Team’s Trophies will be awarded
Two TCR Europe Trophies will be awarded at Adria; one for Drivers and one for Teams.
Drivers’ scoring system
– Pre-Qualifying: 1 point per event will be allocated to each Driver who took part in any TCR event during the 2017 season, up to a maximum of 5 points
– Qualifying: points will be awarded to the first five drivers classified in the Qualifying session according to the following scale:
Eight brands to be represented at the TCR Europe Trophy
The Adria International Raceway will welcome drivers and teams coming from no less than nine different series.
Eight brands of car manufacturers will be represented: Alfa Romeo, Audi, Honda, Hyundai, Peugeot, SEAT, Subaru and Volkswagen.
Files and Altoè pair up at Target Competition
Target Competition fields the strong duo of Josh Files and Giacomo Altoè at the wheel of two Honda Civic cars.
Files is aiming for a third TCR title in the current season after winning both the Middle East and Germany crowns (the latter for the second consecutive year), while his 17-year old teammate Altoè has established himself as one of the most competitive young drivers with brilliant results in the International, Benelux and Italian series.
One Peugeot 308 for Aurélien Comte
Two weeks ago at Le Castellet, Peugeot Sport showed for the first time the new 308 TCR that will be racing from next year. However, even without the full TCR kit, the Peugeot 308 Racing Cup car has already won TCR races in the Benelux and 24H series.
The twisty circuit of Adria will suit the French cars that will be in the experienced hands of Aurélien Comte, who classified fifth in the TCR Benelux with three race victories.
Buri and Kangas come from the North
Fellow Finns Antti Buri (Audi RS3 LMS) and Olli Kangas (SEAT León) will race under the banner of LMS Racing.
Buri comes fresh from a successful campaign in TCR Germany that saw him claiming one race victory at the Nürburgring and finishing a brilliant eighth in the Drivers’ championship.
Far less experienced than his teammate, Kangas has competed in the maiden season of TCR Scandinavia.
Together, they have won the 12 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, final round of the 24H Touring Car Endurance series a few weeks ago.
A Russian duo for Innocenti-AMG Motorsport
TCR Russia competitors Lev Tolkachev and Denis Grigoriev will race in two SEAT León DSG cars run by the Innocenti-AMG Motorsport team.
Grigoriev was classified tenth in the Russian series, claiming his maiden TCR victory in Race 1 at the Smolensk Ring; his teammate Tolkachev ranked 13th in the final standings.
Engstler Motorsport enters the youngest team
The age of the two drivers entered by the Liqui Moly Team Engstler adds up to just 38 years. Luca Engstler (17) and Florian Thoma (21) form the youngest team that will compete for the TCR Europe Trophy.
And yet, they have already shown their potential. After winning his maiden touring car race at Dubai in the TCR Middle East series, Engstler was crowned Junior champion of TCR Germany. Also a rookie in touring cars, his Swiss teammate Thoma made a sensational debut in TCR Germany, winning the second race in the season’s opener at Oschersleben. Engstler and Thoma will race two Volkswagen Golf GTI cars.
An Alfa Romeo Giulietta for Luigi Ferrara
Italy’s V-Action Racing Team will run a Romeo Ferraris-built Alfa Romeo Giulietta for Luigi Ferrara.
The 35-year old from Bari is an experienced driver who has already had different occasions of sitting at the wheel of TCR cars. Ferrara has driven the V-Action Giulietta twice this year, in the German and the Italian series (at Hockenheim and Monza respectively), showing the potential of the Italian car.
TCR Ibérico champion joins with a Volkswagen
During the last weekend, Francisco Abreu was crowned the first champion in the TCR Ibérico series.
Winning two of the four races of the final event at Portimão in the Team Novadriver Volkswagen Golf GTI cars, Abreu was able to close the gap from the previous leader Francisco Mora to clinch the title. He also finished second in TCR Portugal behind Mora.
Team WRT with Maxime Potty’s VW Golf
While Team WRT is in the best position to win a second consecutive TCR International Series title in conjunction with Leopard Racing, the Belgian outfit is also one of the top seeds in the TCR Europe Trophy.
The young Belgian Maxime Potty will be at the wheel of the team’s single Volkswagen Golf GTI at Adria. Last weekend at Assen, Potty won the final race of TCR Benelux, securing third place in the championship standings.
Endurance specialists come from Spain
It has been a very successful season for Monlau Competición as the Spanish team has clinched the TCR class title in the 24H Touring Car Endurance Series with a SEAT León DSG car.
At Adria, Monlau Competición wants to prove they are also capable of shining in sprint races and have entered the León for their best driver, José Manuel Pérez-Aicart. Experienced and quick, the 35-year old from Castellón boasts an impressive record, including titles in the Spanish GT Championship and the SEAT Supercópa.
Bulgaria’s Plamen Kralev to race his Audi
Bulgarian Touring Car specialist Plamen Kralev will compete in the TCR Europe Trophy with his Kraf Racing Audi RS3 LMS car.
Kralev, who switched to touring car racing three years ago after several season in GT and Formula 2, has successfully taken part in both TCR Italy and the FIA European Touring Car Cup with his Audi, ranking fifth and ninth in the two series respectively.
Hyundai and Subaru cars will be ‘transparent’
Two cars have been accepted to take part in the TCR Europe Trophy under temporary homologation forms: the Hyundai i30 N and the Subaru WRX STI.
Therefore they will be ‘transparent’ as far as the race results are concerned.
BRC Racing Team will run the Hyundai that will be driven by Touring Car legend Gabriele Tarquini; only a few weeks ago the Italian racer gave the Korean car its first victory on its maiden appearance, in the TCR International Series at Zehjiang.
The Subaru entered by Top Run Motorsport is the latest development of the WRX STI TCR that was successfully raced by Stefano Comini in the TCR Italy events at Imola and Monza. As Comini is not eligible to race at Adria (being amongst the top ten in the International Series) the team has still to name his replacement.
Full live coverage from Adria International Raceway
Fans will be able to follow live on the Internet the whole action of the TCR Europe Trophy at Adria on www.europe.tcr-series.com and www.tcr-series.tv according to the following timetable.
Saturday, 09:55 – Free Practice 1, timing and streaming
Saturday, 11:55 – Free Practice 2, timing and streaming
Saturday, 14:55 – Qualifying, timing and streaming
Miguel Oliveira took the Australian GP by storm, taking his first Moto2 victory by three seconds to take KTM’s first win in Moto2. The record breaking continued behind, as teammate Brad Binder took his first ever podium in the intermediate class as his rookie year continues to get better, following a tough, injury-hit start to the season. This was South Africa’s first podium in the intermediate class since Mario Rademayer in 1985, in South Africa. Franco Morbidelli was third and maintained his title aspirations, extending his lead in the title race on main rival Tom Lüthi, who had a tough day to come home tenth, following two big crashes through the weekend.
Oliveira who took the hole-shot down to turn one, with pole-sitter Mattia Pasini losing out and Binder moving up into second. Pasini was as low as 7th after a tentative start. Morbidelli slotted into third, with Dominique Aegerter moving into fourth. Lüthi got a good start and shot up into sixth, moving around the outside as he attempted to get in the fight at the front of the field from way down on the grid.
The pack then started to swap places but a massive crash for Marcel Schrötter collected Pasini and sent Aegerter out on the grass – as Oliveira started pulling away at the front. The crash continued Pasini’s run of never scoring a point at Phillip Island in the intermediate class. Morbidelli’s teammate, Alex Marquez, had a huge moment as Lüthi began to struggle. The top three of Oliveira, Binder and Morbidelli found themselves in clear air. Morbidelli and Binder started swapping places, handing Oliveira an advantage of six seconds with seven laps to go.
Takaaki Nakagami was the man on the charge in the middle of the race, closing in on the leading three before passing both Binder and Morbidelli. The South African and the Italian exchanged some tough passes and spectacular moves yet again, in what looked set to be a hard-fought battle over the last place on the podium. However, it began to rain, meaning the rain flag came out near the end of the race. Oblivious to the situation, Nakagami slid out at Lukey Heights as he chased down Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese rider crossed the line almost three seconds clear, with Binder setting the fastest lap on the penultimate lap to take second and Morbidelli a safe third.
Jesko Raffin was an extraordinary surprise in fourth, ahead of yet another fine performance from Motegi podium finisher, Xavi Vierge. Alex Marquez recovered from his moment early in the race to take sixth, ahead of veteran Italian, Simone Corsi. Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter rode a solid race after drama early on, finishing ahead of Sandro Cortese and a struggling Lüthi.
Axel Pons, Francesco Bagnaia and fellow VR46 rider Stefano Manzi were 11th, 12th and 13th respectively. 2016 San Marino GP winner, Lorenzo Baldassarri was 14th, despite dislocating his shoulder (again) on Saturday. Remy Gardner completed the points, giving the home fans something to cheer.
Lancia In His Fiat For The 1906 Cuban Road Race – Photo (c) Veloce
In a series of weekly articles covering Grand Prix and Endurance racing I will be looking at all the races in order from 1906.
1906 was the first Grand Prix racing season where specific races and designated Grandes Epreuves were held.
In this first instalment I will look at the first race of that season, the Cuban Road Race which took place on 11th February, 1906.
This was a “road race” to every letter of the word. Tens of thousands of spectators gathered along the roads and highways to watch four drivers race for the crown. Mahogany trees lined the roads from Havana through Artemisa and onto San Cristobal, a 54 mile route which the drivers would need to negotiate over four laps.
It had cost $30,000 to make and upgrade the circuit with four sharp turns and an array of curves peering down steep cliffs. There was no room for error on this treacherous course. Havana had stumped up $7,000 with The Automobile Association of America putting up $14,000 in prize money.
Four cars would start the race, only one would finish one mile from the Camp Columbia where huge stands had been erected.
The drivers were sent off in three minute intervals. Bernin was first to go in his 90hp Renault, followed by the defending champion and favourite to winner Lancia in his 110hp Fiat. Third to be started was Cedrino driving a Gustav Roek 110hp Fiat and finally it was Demogeot in his 80hp Darracq.
Demogeot lost five minutes straight from the start due to a clutch problem with his competitors speeding off into the distance.
Cedrino was out of the race at the double curve near Artemisa, 40 miles from the start line. He struck a tree and both he and his machinist were taken to the Guanajay Hospital with serious injuries.
Lancia passed the town of Artemisa, he was absolutely flying and living up to the tag as favourite when disaster struck at the railroad crossing. His machinist, Battesta, was thrown from the car, suffering a fractured arm and that effectively put him out of the race.
Only two remained, Bernin in the Renault who was leading and Demogeot who was trying so hard to make up the lost time from his clutch problem.
Bernin reached San Cristobal first in just over 51 minutes, Demogeot reached the same stage in 54 minutes.
On the return journey Bernin suffered a puncture and it was so bad that the car could not be fixed. This left Demogeot as the only entrant still running but the course had taken victims and he could not count his blessings too soon.
Demogeot and his machinist, American Charlie Harragh, finished the race in 3 hours 38 minutes and 26 seconds.
Demogeot’s great speed was fairly maintained throughout, confirming the reputation of the Cuban road as being among the worlds fastest. Despite the drawbacks of three controls, sharp corners in the town of Marianao and with crowds spilling onto the road at the curving points, he made in the first half of the race an average of 61 miles an hour.
The next race in the series would be the Targa Florio at Madonie, one in which Vincenzo Lancia would feature again.
Marc Marquez took his sixth win of the year and his second ever in Australia after a frantic Phillip Island race on Sunday. The Spaniard broke clear of an eight-man scrap for the win in the final laps to take to the top step of the rostrum. It was a disastrous race for title rival Andrea Dovizioso, as the Italian suffered an early run off and was only able to fight back to 13th. It leaves Marquez now 33 points ahead in the points table. Valentino Rossi took second – his first podium since Silverstone – as he came out on top of the fight for the podium, with teammate Maverick Viñales taking third. Viñales is now out of the Championship fight, 50 points back with two rounds to go. Two wins for Vinales and two DNFs for Marquez would not be enough for the Yamaha man to take the crown, as he would only draw level on points. Marquez would win on count back of victories.
It was Marquez who got the initial lead into turn one, however he couldn’t retain it into The Southern Loop as a sensational start from Jack Miller from the middle of row two saw the home-hero carve his way through into the lead before pulling the pin and bolting off at the front. Viñales was the man in third on the charge, as he tried to keep his title hopes alive. As an incredible first lap concluded, the next big drama was into Doohan’s at the start of lap two, when Dovizioso and whole host of other riders went wide, leaving the Italian down in 20th.
A huge chain of eight riders closed in on Miller in the lead. Rossi and Viñales were the first to get through, straddling the Marc VDS Honda on both sides down the Gardner Straight. A lead group of Marquez, Viñales, Rossi, Andrea Iannone and Johann Zarco began to fight it out. The group was cut down to seven riders in the chasing pack, as Aleix Espargaro crashed out at turn 1, putting him out of the race and also, out of the forthcoming Malaysian GP.
Here were just some of the battles: Marquez vs Rossi, Zarco vs Rossi, Viñales vs Marquez, Iannone vs Zarco…in one of the most aggressive and hard-fought battles of the century, the passes came thick and fast, each, just as aggressive as the previous.
Zarco was one of the most flamboyant and outstanding. After tagging the rear of Marquez at Honda hairpin, he forced Valentino Rossi out wide at the exact same corner. A few laps later, the Tech 3 Yamaha man powered around the outside of Maverick Vinales at Doohan’d, a 140mph sweeping first corner. Zarco continued to show his front wheel, going side-by-side with Valentino Rossi and leaving rubber marks on the Italian as they went through the Hayshed corner, on the charge up Lukey Heights. Valentino was also run wide by arch-rival Marc Marquez, as the two contacted on the exit of The Southern Loop, costing Rossi another place as Iannone passed him too.
Once Marquez was in the lead, however, the reigning champion was able to start pulling a gap with five laps to go. As the battle for 2nd raged on behind, the Repsol Honda rider began to sprint off, leaving the fight to get on the podium to three riders on the final laps: Rossi vs Viñales vs Zarco.
With some of the craziest and most desperate lines ever ridden around ‘The Island’, ‘The Doctor’ was able to win the scrap for 2nd. However, all three were neck and neck over the line. Over the line behind the nine-time world champion, it was Viñales just edging ahead of the Tech 3 of Zarco, taking third for a return to the podium but a concrete end to his chance of the title. Zarco’s fourth, however, confirmed him as Rookie of the Year, despite it not justifying the hardcore racing he displayed.
After Iannone got pushed back in the closing stages, Cal Crutchlow took fifth ahead of ‘The Maniac’, with early race leader Miller, rookie Alex Rins and both of the Red Bull KTMs completing the top ten; Pol Espargaro just pipping Bradley Smith. Dovizioso suffered late on after losing out in a drag to the line with both Scott Redding and Dani Pedrosa. Redding in turn was the top Ducati. Behind Dovi was Karel Abraham and fellow Ducati rider, Jorge Lorenzo, completing the top fifteen, compounding a terrible weekend for the Italian marque.
Sepang and Malaysia now beckon for the GP circus. Will we see another thriller to top off what have been some of the best ever fly-away Grand Prix in recent memory?
Last back to back race of the season, directly tickets from Texas to Mexico City were booked by the Formula 1 staff, some had to climb Trump’s wall in order to arrive in Mexico, but everything is almost ready for the 18th race of the season.
Max Verstappen as another Speedy Gonzalez, will have to control his nerves and the “stab in the back” pain from FIA, must race as a normal racing driver under the official rules. Kimi Raikkonen from the other hand, the cool type that we all love, will go to Mexico with one purpose, to support Sebastian Vettel from Friday till the chequered flag. The Finn, was second in Austin and was looking very comfortable, but suddenly Ferrari discovered that he was going to run out of fuels, the order was clear “Save fuels, Kimi” and to our big surprise, Kimi stepped aside and let Vettel pass second, he almost lost the third place from Max, but as many said on the social media, one Finn supports the other, and Mika Salo advised the stewards to give 5 second time penalty to Max Verstappen after the chequered flag.
Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States of America. Sunday 22 October 2017. World Copyright: Steven Tee/LAT Images ref: Digital Image _R3I1833
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the 3.7-4 world time champion Lewis Hamilton. The Brit had an easy weekend in Austin, no pressure for him, he read the script and followed exactly Mercedes’ plan. The track suited perfectly to Lewis and his sixth victory in COTA proves that, now the Champ has to finish fifth or above in Mexico in order to celebrate his fourth world title.
AUTÓDROMO HERMANOS RODRÍGUEZ
Laps: 71
Circuit Length: 4.304 km
Race Distance: 305.354 km
Lap Record: 1:20.521 (Nico Rosberg – 2015)
Mexico Grand Prix re-appeared in the Formula One calendar in 2015, after a long absence. Nico Rosberg was the driver who took the chequered flag in that year. Last year Lewis Hamilton won the Mexican Grand Prix, and he will try to repeat his success this season as well.
It is a home race for Sergio Perez, the fans will cheer for him and hopefully he will not complain about Oconstistency’s pace.
Sergio Perez – “Racing at home means a lot for me. It’s always a busy week, both for me and the team, but being at home makes all the hard work we put in for our fans and our partners worthwhile. It’s definitely the most enjoyable weekend of the year for me. It’s a great race for everyone involved in Formula One. There’s so much passion and the whole week is a big celebration. Everyone in Mexico City is looking forward to the race.The track is quite fun to drive and being on those long straights is special. Because of the altitude, even though you’re running high wings, you still achieve very high speeds and it’s really hard to stop the car under braking – in that sense it feels like a bit like Monza.I am lucky I get to race in my country in front of my fans. Their support means so much to me and it’s inspiring to see fans waving the Mexican flag in every grandstand. I really want to give them a special result to celebrate.”
Felipe Massa – “First of all, it’s a shame to see what’s happened, it’s so sad to see the people losing their lives and also their homes from the earthquake so that’s really, really sad. I think we need to help them and get as much support for them. We need to pass the message to people around the world. That is the most important thing. Secondly, they are really in love with Formula One and they go crazy for the race. When you see the people in the grandstand and around the roads, they are proper Formula One fans and I think it’s fantastic to race there. I always enjoy it, I go with some friends, my father and we always enjoy the atmosphere there. It looks very similar to São Paolo so you also feel at home. I really hope we can have an important race for them in this difficult moment.”
In the American Grand Prix, Mercedes AMG celebrated their fourth consecutive constructors’ title, despite their bad start this season, the team managed to overcome their problems and the hard work paid off for them as they won the world title, massive congratulations to every member who contributed to the success.
Max Attack – Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen On How To Overtake & Win Races In F1 | M1TG
