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  • Fenati Reflects on Motegi Win

    Romano Fenati took his third victory of the season to slash Joan Mir’s points advantage from 80 to 55 at the Japanese GP. Fenati was the first of a trio of Italians to mount the podium in Moto3, whilst Mir finished outside of the points.

    “The Championship is never lost until the arithmetic confirms it. Today I didn’t think about that. In these days we worked well and in the morning we did a modification which helped us to improve”, began the Italian, who heads to Australia needing to take more than five points off Mir to remain in the title race.

    “I felt comfortable on the bike and everything went well. It was not easy, it was very cold and I was totally wet but staying ahead is easier! Why I am so strong on the wet? Probably I trust my team and my bike. I enjoy this victory now but I am also thinking about Australia and Phillip Island is a track I love”.

    Fenati’s record in Australia is not amazing, as he has never scored higher than 6th place. On the other hand, Joan Mir has likewise had a poor set of results at Phillip Island, never finishing a race. Honda have never won a Moto3 race and their last win in the lightweight class was in 2005, with Tom Luthi.

    Image by: HondaProRacing

  • Laverty Returns to Tyco BMW for 2018

    Image by Peter Backhurst

    Michael Laverty has made a shock switch back to Tyco BMW for 2018, completing the team’s line-up, alongside Christian Iddon. Laverty will leave McAMS Yamaha, after a difficult season saw him take just one podium, at Silverstone.

    “I’m delighted to be returning to the Tyco BMW squad for the 2018 season,” Laverty said. “We enjoyed success together taking race wins in 2015 and 2016. A dip in form lead to a year’s sabbatical, which didn’t prove fruitful, although the experience gained this season will make me a stronger rider”, began Laverty. The Ulsterman has failed to win a race in 2017 for the first time since returning to BSB from GP.

    “I’m thankful that Philip and the guys within the team have belief in my ability and looked beyond my results this year. To get back on-board the Tyco BMW S1000RR and work with the TAS engineers once again, is the perfect scenario for me”, he continued.

    The decision ends speculation about Dan Linfoot going to the Ulster team, after some reports suggested he would leave Honda. It also closes down speculation about Peter Hickman joining the team, although he is now expected to remain at Smith’s BMW. The signing also means there will be no room for Andy Reid, although some suggest he will be riding the teams Superstock 1000 bike.

    Image by Peter Backhurst

  • Heartbroken Haslam vows to ‘Come Back Stronger’ in 2018

    Not one person in the British Superbike paddock, nor in the crowd, wanted to see a championship decided by an error. Leon Haslam’s spectacular crash on Sunday afternoon has touched hearts of everyone across the motorcycle world but his sportsmanship when being carried to congratulate Shane Byrne has won the hearts of the people in the sporting world. It was a scene that demonstrated the utmost respect that both Haslam and Byrne have for one and other, having been locked in combat from the very start.

    “I’m not where I wanted to be on Sunday night after the race with a broken ankle and a broken wrist. It wasn’t my day. I had a few issues in race two which dropped me back and I had to jump off at the end of the straight in race three”, said a heartbroken Haslam, who led the championship by 32 points ahead of Brands Hatch.

    “I’m absolutely gutted for the team and the effort that everyone’s put in. However, it’s been a good year and I’d like to thank everyone for all their hard work. The season has not ended how I wanted it to but I don’t think we could have done much more and it’s only made me more determined to come back stronger”, continued the ‘Pocket Rocket’, who slipped to third overall after Josh Brookes won race three.

    “I’ve got an operation to get the ankle sorted and thankfully the wrist is a clean break so that shouldn’t take long to heal. We’ve got a plan for winter testing and few areas we want to work on to make sure we’re raring to go next year”, he concluded.

    Haslam finished just six points from Byrne, taking third in the championship.

    Image by: Peter Backhurst

  • ‘Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen On F1 Race Preparation’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    ‘Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen On F1 Race Preparation’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Red Bull’s drivers are talking about the preparation before the race.

    Make sure that you follow Mobil 1 The Grid:
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  • Byrne Fights Back to Defend BSB Crown, Brookes and Haslam 2nd and 3rd

    Image: Peter Backhurst

    After 26 races, over 1000 kilometres of racing, 10 winners, 16 podium finishers and over 300,000 trackside spectators, the BSB championship came to an end on Sunday afternoon, with Shane Byrne producing a magical comeback to take his 6th BSB title – the first time he has successfully defended his crown.

    The 40-year-old Londoner took wins in both race one and race two, placing him just two points down on the-then leader Leon Haslam going into the final race of the championship. A poor start for Byrne and a great start for Haslam meant that he was behind the Kawasaki man. However, Haslam’s crash meant that Byrne had to finish in the top 11 to win the championship. The PBM Ducati rider finished 8th, enough for an unprecedented sixth title to cement his position as the most successful rider in BSB history.

    Josh Brookes, who didn’t finish outside the top four all weekend, jumped up to 2nd in the series in the final race, finishing runner-up in his return to British Superbikes. The popular Australian was third in race one and fourth in race two, meaning he needed to win and hope that Byrne and Haslam were not in the top 11 and 12 respectively to take the title. Although half of the equation was complete with Haslam out, Byrne rode a tactical race to remain in the required positions. He took a third win of the season for the Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha team, finishing a mere 3 points shy of Byrne. Brookes was the only rider to finish the final three races of the season in the top four.

    Leon Haslam never looked like he was in the zone at Brands. The Kawasaki rider had a massive 32 point lead over Brookes coming into the final round but saw it all whittled down by the end of the weekend. A 4th place in race one followed by a disastrous 10th in race two meant Haslam went into the last round needing to beat Byrne, or hope that if Byrne was in the top 4, that it’d be behind him and not in front. A brake failure into Hawthorn’s saw Haslam jump off his bike at over 170mph, smashing into the air-fencing. This gave Byrne and Brookes the chance they needed and Haslam finished the championship 3rd – having led into the meeting.

    Dixon and Hickman lost their chancre to fight for the championship in the opening race on Saturday. Dixon crashed on oil at Clearways whilst Hickman didn’t take enough points off Leon Haslam. Hicky took 4th in the championship and Jason O’Halloran rounded out the top five, after his great weekend which saw him on the podium in the final race. Dixon scored four points all weekend, meaning he finished 6th.

    As mentioned, this is the first time that Byrne has ever retained his championship and it is the first time that a rider has successfully defended their crown since Ryuichi Kiyonari, in 2006 and 2007. It was the first time since 2002 and 2003 that Ducati had won back-to-back riders championships, with Hislop and Byrne being the riders in those years respectively.

    Image by: Peter Backhurst

  • Lando Norris becomes FIA Formula 3 Champion at last

    On Saturday McLaren junior driver and much acclaimed star of the future Lando Norris finally secured the FIA European Formula 3 title at Hockenheim with two races still left to run. Those who follow the series closely will have been surprised not to see him clinch the championship sooner, and he would have. Had it not been for a last lap tangling with Ralf Aron during the last race of the penultimate round at Spielberg. Even more impressively, Norris becomes the first non-Prema Powerteam driver to win the F3 title in the past six years, highlighting the amazing work both the driver himself, and his team, Carlin, have done over the course of 2017.

    Champion 31 Lando Norris (GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 – Volkswagen), FIA Formula 3 European Championship, round 10, race 3, Hockenheimring (DEU), 13. – 15. October 2017

    While Norris’ season got off to a shaky start, in the latter half of the year the consistent results started to roll in and in a tightly packed field, Norris began to emerge as a favourite for the title. No doubt he benefitted from a downturn in form from one of his nearest rivals, Swedish driver Joel Erikkson, and the disappearance of Prema’s usual dominance. But Norris took the chances when they came his way and in the end there was little doubt that he would walk away with the title. His ability to keep improving over the course of the season it was makes him such a strong competitor, and is probably part of the reason why the young British driver has won the title in almost every series he has competed in to date.

    This ability to keep building on his natural talent and skill start, is probably most evident in his race starts. In the first few rounds of 2017 while Norris would ordinarily pull out stellar qualifying performances, he would struggle to get off the line smoothly, sometimes stalling completely. It didn’t always mean he was destined to finish down the order, but it certainly did not help his case. However, by the last few rounds, Norris seemed to have conquered these demons and removed the weakness from his arsenal.

    It is also probably no coincidence that Norris really hit his stride just after his participation in the in-season test for McLaren at the Hungaroring back in August. Whether it the positive press he received after an impressive first showing F1 machinery provided a confidence boost for the seventeen-year-old, or he unlocked a new level to his performance working with them, the effect was positive. Expectations were high after his showing during the two-day test, and it would have been very easy for the young driver to buckle beneath it all, but if anything it seemed to spur him on to prove that he could live up to the hype.

    31 Lando Norris (GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 – Volkswagen), FIA Formula 3 European Championship, round 10, race 3, Hockenheimring (DEU), 13. – 15. October 2017

    2017 marks another year in what is shaping up to be quite an impressive junior career for the most recent recipient of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. Since his 2015 MSA Formula title, Norris has added the top prize of every full series he’s competed in to his resume. And the Formula 3 title makes it his fifth championship in around two years, which can go someway in explaining why he is rated so highly.

    So what’s next for the young British driver? Reports indicate that he will most likely become McLaren’s official reserve driver in 2018, taking that role from F1 World Champion Jenson Button. Most likely he will attempt to follow up his Formula 3 success with a stint in either Super Formula or Formula 2 – with many linking him to a F2 seat at Prema Racing who just took Charles Leclerc to the title in his rookie year.

    Though he is certainly setting himself up for success in Formula 1, where he will hopefully find himself in the future, next season would perhaps be a season or so too soon. The raw ability is undoubtedly there, but as his early season difficulties and rashness in Austria show, there are still a few choice areas where some ironing out is required. It is easy to forget just how young Lando Norris is, and sometimes it does peek through in his racing. However, he is not yet eighteen, so time is on his side.

  • Moto3 Japan Grand Prix: Fabulous Fenati Takes Motegi By Storm

    Romano Fenati became the first rider in the Moto3 class to notch up ten victories today, after a sensational performance which left fans, pundits and fellow competitors in awe.

    Terrible weather had befallen the riders all weekend, and there was no exception for the race. After a lengthy delay following the morning warm up session, in which Andrea Migno’s KTM machine deposited oil across the track, the riders were finally put under starter’s orders. The race distance was reduced from 20 to 13 laps.

    As the lights went out, Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) found himself in the midst of a ferocious opening lap scramble with compatriot, and former old sparring partner at the Sky VR|46 team, Nicolo Bulega. It was he who initially had the upper hand during the opening exchange, but on lap 3 was ruthlessly swept aside, as Fenati began to assert his authority on proceedings. Having dispatched one Italian, he was quickly closing down another – Ajo Racing’s Niccolo Antonelli. It did not take long for Fenati to close down the race leader, and very quickly he was passed. Whilst others floundered in the spray, and got caught in the usual midfield shenanigans of the junior class, the Moto3 veteran pulled out an unassailable advantage over the competition. Only in the closing laps, as the weather somehow managed to worsen, did Fenati let up in pace as he safely brought his machine home.

    The victory was exactly what Fenati required to keep his dream of winning the 2017 World Championship alive, against his rival and runaway series leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing). The Spaniard, in complete contrast, endured a truly wretched weekend. Any thoughts of him sealing the championship here took a battering with limited running during Friday practice, compiled with technical problems on Saturday which left him provisionally on the grid in 14th. To make matters worse, he was found to have breached the track limits on his fastest lap, and took a 6-place penalty. Starting from 20th it was always going to be a tough ask to get anything from the race. It turned out, he couldn’t get anything. Treacherous conditions with a bike not set up to his liking, Mir finished outside of the points in P17. He’ll be hoping for much better fortune next time out in Australia.

    There was a thrilling duel for the final place on the podium between Japanese rider Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Corse), and Marco Bezzechi (CIP-Mahrinda). The two constantly swapped positions on the track throughout the duration of the race, occasionally trading parts of their machines’ liveries for good measure. This is Moto3, where almost anything goes. Eventually it was Bezzechi who managed to take the spoils, and make it three different manufacturers on the podium too (Honda, KTM and Mahindra respectively).

    The likes of John McPhee (British Talent Team), Jakub Kornfeil (Peugeot Saxoprint) and Bo Bendsnyder provided very timely reminders of their abilities, by securing top ten finishes. For McPhee in particular, this was of the utmost importance. With a contract still to be signed for 2018 – either with his current Dorna-backed team or with another outfit – the 23-year old from Oban was desperate to produce a strong performance this weekend, and he delivered, finishing in 10th place among the hard chargers of the class.

    However the standout performer of the race was Philip Oettel. From starting down on the grid in 21st place, little could have been realistically expected of him. Throwing caution to the wind, Oettel (Schedl GP Racing) carved and dived his way through the pack – often blasting through a wall of spray, kicked up from the bikes around him – into a brilliant P6. It was a truly thrilling display from the young German, completely showcasing his racing craft to the full. One can only wonder what might have been if he had qualified just a row or two further up the gird.

    Race Result Top 5:

    1: Romano Fenati (MRS Honda) 29:22.278

    2: Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +4.146

    3: Marco Bezzechi (CIP-Mahindra) +5.0.13

    4: Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Corse) +8.767

    5: Aron Canet (Estrella Galica 0,0) +12.827

  • Moto2 Japan Grand Prix: A Masterclass From Marquez

    Alex Marquez reminded everyone of his full potential today, with a faultless performance in appalling conditions.

    Adverse track and weather conditions ensured that the Moto2 Grand Prix was reduced in distance to 15 laps, from the originally scheduled 23. The continuous heavy rain meant that the traditional first lap scramble simply became a trial just to survive.  Pole sitter Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) led an understandably cautious field during the early stages of the race, as the riders found their bearings on a track which resembled more a river than a circuit. Gradually a quintet pulled clear of the main pack, which would fight for the honours.

    Marquez (EG 0,0 MarcVDS) has, on a few occasions, perhaps been guilty of letting his heart rule his head when the pressure increases in races. Today was no such day. Having started in second place on the grid, he initially dropped back during the opening laps, the Spaniard never lost focus, giving himself time to find what little grip was to be had. Once confident, he set about chasing down his rivals with ruthless, yet clean, efficiency. With 7 laps of the race remaining, he passed Nakagami for the lead and didn’t look back. He produced a string of fastest laps and pulled clear of the rest.

    It’s the third time in his Moto2 career that Marquez has taken victory and it has easily been his most complete, utilising both the bike’s speed and his own nous. He may be signed on for another year in the intermediate class but make no mistake, the premier class have noticed him.

    It was a triumphant day for Spanish Rider Xavi Vierge and his team (Tech3), has they finished the race in second place. Both rider and team have been somewhat of a revelation this season, consistently challenging for the larger point hauls at each race. Never troubled by the conditions, it was a commanding ride from the 20-year old, who executed a perfect block pass on Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing) and managed to keep his bike shiny side up – not many can say that.

    The final place on the podium went to Hafiz Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia). Regarded in the paddock as a wet weather warrior the 23-year old from Ampang, Malaysia, duly stood up. Having started the race from sixth position, there was a feeling that he could be the man to snatch victory today, before Marquez broke clear from Nakagami. Quite a turnaround when you consider that he finished down in sixteenth place – and out of the points -last time out at Aragon. It was a timely return to form, and it was his second podium finish of the season.

    Just missing out on a podium spot was Sky VR|46 rider, Francesco Bagnaia. Although initially bogged down in the mid-field early on, the former Moto3 race winner carved his way through the field, culminating in a daring overtake on Pasini on the final lap, at the treacherous turn 11. “Oh for one more corner” would have been the cry from rider and team-boss alike, as he crossed the line glued to the back of Syahrin’s machine.

    In terms of the championship, it was a case of severe damage limitation for series leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 MarcVDS). The Italian endured a difficult weekend, and will be glad to be leaving the circuit behind tonight. Nevertheless, despite finishing in a relatively lowly P8, he still managed to increase his lead over Swiss rival Thomas Luthi, who could only manage P11. It means that Morbidelli heads into next week’s Australian Grand Prix with a 24-point lead in the championship.

    Finally a word for Tarran MacKenzie. The diminutive British rider has been competing for the Kiefer-Racing outfit since the French Grand Prix at Le Mans this year. Today, he finally secured his first World Championship point with a brilliant – if unheralded – ride to fifteenth place today (he started on the grid in P31). To say it has been a baptism of fire would be the understatement of the century. No pre-season testing, and very limited in-season testing allowed, it has been a tough ask for him just to be competitive – not to mention that aside from Assen and Silverstone, all the circuits are new to him. Today has made his season, as well as for those mechanics working with him. Chapeau!

    Race Result Top 5:

    1: Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 MarcVDS) – 32:08.901

    2: Xavi Vierge (Tech3) + 1.465

    3: Hafiz Syahrin (Petronas Raceline) + 3.134

    4: Frencesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46) +3.415

    5: Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing) +5.618

     

  • Determined Dovizioso Wins Battle Royale At Motegi

     

    The fight for the 2017 MotoGP World Championship was taken to yet another level as Marc Marquez (Repsol-Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) duelled and diced in appalling weather conditions.

    They say that on a good day, we won’t know who will win until the final lap. On a very good day, we won’t know until the final corner.

    Today was  a very good day.

    Both riders initially had to work their way to the front after Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Pramac-Ducati) made the best starts to lead the race in the early stages. The latter leading for the first half of the grand prix, as was the case a month ago at Misano. As then, Petrucci was left ruing that his career should coincide with those of Marquez and Dovi. The two chose their moments and, once cleared, pulled clear with ease and consigned Petrucci to yet another third place – his third of the season.

    With the satellite rider dealt with, we were treated to a thrilling contest between the two riders who have been head and shoulders above the rest this season. Despite having clear air and (more importantly,) clear vision, Marquez could not pull clear of his championship rival. The Spaniard tried every trick he could to break clear, but was matched blow-for-blow, by Dovizioso, never allowing the gap between them to grow to more than a second. With seven laps left, the Italian made his first move to take the lead. Initially taking his rival by surprise and, within the space of half a lap, found himself with a lead of several bike lengths.

    The three-time premier class champion, however, was in no mood to settle for second. The gap between the pair was eradicated, and the Honda spent a few laps practically glued to the Ducati’s tail. With three laps to go, Marquez forced his way past Dovi with a textbook block pass at turn 3. Roles were reversed and the defending champion began to slowly edge away.

    However it still wasn’t over. On the final lap, he was forced to roll off the throttle at turn 8, as his Honda machine lost traction and almost launched itself into the gravel. Momentum lost, Dovizioso was back on his tail. Out-dragging his rival down the back straight, the Ducati retook the lead under the bridge. A brave manoeuvre through the penultimate corner briefly saw Marquez go back in front, but overshot the entry to the final corner. He stayed on track, but it cost him dear.

    Hooking up the apex, killing the wheelspin, the man affectionately known to his legion of supporters as ‘DesmoDovi’ blasted across the line to claim his fifth win of the year, and now just 11 points off the championship lead, with 3 races to go.

    Behind them it was a day to remember for Suzuki. Not content with having achieved their best qualifying performance of the season on Saturday (both riders qualified inside the top 10), they took the race by storm with Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins finishing fourth and fifth respectively. The team’s performance has been greatly aided this weekend by the addition of their new front fairing, comically dubbed ‘The Moustache’. This seems to have solved much of their well documented front end issues, which has plagued the team all season.

    Yamaha had an absolute nightmare of a weekend, particularly Maverick Vinales. After a poor qualifying performance left him starting the race down in P14, the young Spaniard laboriously toiled on an uncharacteristically difficult machine. Never feeling comfortable on the bike at any point this weekend, the best he could do was finish in P9. It all but takes him out of the championship running. His teammate, Valentino Rossi, fared worse. Having to start from twelfth, it was always going to be difficult for the still injured 38 year-old. He crashed out on lap 5, but fortunately did not look hurt. The team have got a lot to do to put things right for the next race, in Australia, next weekend.

    It was another solid weekend for Aprilia with Aleix Espargaro picking up another handful of points with 7th place. The tiny Italian manufacturer continues to punch well above its weight in the premier class, with a constant stream of updates arriving for their top rider at almost every round. There were celebrations from both sides of the garage as Sam Lowes claimed 3 points with his P13 finish and the honour of being the first British rider to finish the race. It has been a difficult year for the Lincolnshire man, but this result should hopefully see him produce a strong finish to the season.

    Elsewhere it was a case of missed opportunities for KTM. Having qualified on the third row of the grid (P7 and 8), the team will be disappointed that they could only bring home 5 points from the race, courtesy of Pol Espargaro’s eleventh place finish. As has been the case for most of the season, he was the only rider in the team to register points, after Bradley Smith finished way back in P17.

    Race Result Top 5:

    1: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) – 47:14.236

    2: Marc Marquez (Honda) – + 0.249

    3: Danilo Petrucci (Pramac) – +10.557

    4: Andrea Iannone (Suzuki) – +18.845

    5: Alex Rins (Suzuki) – +22.982

  • Who is Brendon Hartley?

    Who is Brendon Hartley?

    Here is the lowdown on the newest motorsport driver to attempt the thrills and spills of Formula 1.

    Dean Tremi/Red Bull Content Pool

    Brendon Hartley

    Age: 27
    Nationality: New Zealand
    Current Drive: Porsche WEC Driver

    Notable Achievements:

    2007: EuroCup Formula Renault 2.0 Champion
    2015: FIA World Endurance Champion
    2017: Le Mans 24 Hours Winner

    History:

    Brendon Hartley is an out-and-out racer, whether we say open wheeled racers or prototypes. Hartley’s F1 debut by all means has come to a shock to the New Zealander, after he was dropped by the Red Bull Junior driver program in 2010. The reason he was dropped was after poor results compared to his team mate in Formula Renault 3.5. His team mate at the time was Daniel Ricciardo.

    Andrew Ferraro/GP2 Media Service

    Hartley fluttered in and out with GP2 between 2010 and ’12, but without anything set in stone it was difficult for him to gain a rhythm in the series. Without a full-time drive in 2012 he moved towards LMP2 in his Le Mans 24 Hours debut. In 2012 and ’13 he continued to have his foot still in the door at Formula 1, performing some shakedown tests for the pre-dominant Mercedes team.

    From 2014 onwards, he then dedicated his full time to the World Endurance Champion when he signed with the up-and-coming Porsche LMP1 team. He won the 2015 Drivers’ Championship, coming on leaps and bounds in that category of motorsport.

    The Kiwi is in good form: he won the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours and, including that event, has won the last four races, ironically his most recent win being at the Circuit of the Americas. In endurance racing he hasn’t finished off the podium since Le Mans last year.

    Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool

    Chance at 2018?

    Daniil Kvyat has now been demoted twice but has been given a reprieve with Carlos Sainz moving to Renault in-season and Pierre Gasly attempting to win the Super Formula Championship in Japan.

    If Brendon Hartley impresses could he replace Kvyat when Gasly returns? The World Endurance Championship and Formula 1 do not clash for the remainder of the year. Brendon Hartley on the 2018 Formula 1 grid—something I wouldn’t have thought would even be in discussion few months ago.