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  • The Lydden Frontier – Part One

    World Rallycross

    Neil Simmons and Viv Gillings

    Although Lydden Hill Circuit is not too far from our home, it was an early start as we prepared the provisions for our day at World Rallycross, the last one to be held at Lydden Hill.

    We arrived in good time and were directed to the media car park behind the grandstands. The swirling clouds had gathered and it looked like our decision to wear summer tops and shorts was a bad one. We had nothing to fear, the sun would shine and shine very bright on this fantastic event and superb circuit.

    As soon as we got out the car you could hear the WRX cars in free practice and noise of the engines, not far from us. “Oh my!” Viv said with a smile on her face. She’s a petrol head and I just knew from that opening statement she was going to enjoy today.

    The first visit was to the paddock to cast our eyes around the garages and marquees. I saw Janis Baumanis wandering down the pit lane and decided to ask him how he thought things were going. He was in good spirits and appeared happy with how his preparations were going. Baumanis was sitting 9th after the free practice which had been dominated by Solberg and Kristoffersson, Ekstrom a further six tenths behind the PSRX drivers. Bumped into Reinis Nitiss, he smiled and looked upbeat. I also wandered over and spoke with Mattias Ekstrom at the area where they scrutineer the cars. He was his usual smiling self and stopped to have his photograph taken with fans. I thanked him for doing my Quick 10 interview recently and he said it was a pleasure. I wished him luck as I could see he was in a rush to get to his car and I didn’t want to hold him up.

    This was Viv’s first time in the WRX paddock so I decided to give her the tour of the circuit. We walked round each paddock in a zig-zag formation, through to the area where they scrutineer the cars and then up to the Monster Energy stage. A quick “pit stop” there to grab some energy drinks and then off round the side of the Canterbury Straight, but through the camp site set behind the trees and at the rear of race control.

    We had a great view of the circuit, wandered up on top of the Monster Energy tower and I managed to get my photo taken with a Monster Energy girl, as you do.

    The path winds through a beautiful wooded area and if it wasn’t for the sound of the popping, whizzing and cracking of the rallycross cars just metres away it painted a picture of tranquility. We continued to walk up a steep rise to stand behind the joker between Pilgrims and Chessons Drift. The WRX cars were out and we stood just metres away as they came round to practice their joker laps, dust flying up into the air and into the crowd. Mattias Ekstrom nearly lost his back end coming into the joker. That could have been costly!

    After grabbing a few snaps we walked into the massive grass car parking area down the side of Dover Slope. The rallycross cars were still flying round but our attention was also drawn to some fantastic spectator cars parked up, Viv, being a massive Ford fan, had her attention drawn to the selection of Ford Focus RS’s and Ford Fiesta’s on display and an Aston Martin. In fact throughout the day I think we visited the garage of Hoonigan Racing Division more times than any other team, not that I minded.

    We finished up standing at the North Bend looking down Hairy Hill and it was the RX2 cars who were now skirting round the circuit. The sun was now blazing down. It was time to grab some refreshments.

    Once refreshed, I decided to visit the garage of MJP Racing, having interviewed team boss Max Pucher and Kevin Eriksson this week in my build up. Max had told me in a conversation we had to stop by the garage. I spoke to one of the team members who informed me that Max was racing in Italy this weekend. I managed to see Kevin before the qualifying heats, he was standing in front of the television in the team hospitality area studying the times. As he turned I called him and Kevin walked over smiling.

    I thanked him for doing the Quick 10 interview questions with me and he said it was a pleasure and he enjoyed the questions. He leant on the barrier and we just spoke informally, it didn’t feel like I was interviewing him, it just seemed like a normal converstaion. He told me he was feeling good this weekend and was hoping for a final slot. Kevin added that with everybody so close together in terms of timing, it was difficult to predict anything right now. I asked him what it was like having Andrew Jordan stepping in as team mate instead of Timo Scheider this weekend. Kevin smiled and said that Andrew was great to be around but it was strange having him as a team mate as he had now got used to Timo being part of the team. Kevin looked extremely relaxed and happy. Not wanting to take up too much of his valuable time, I wished him well, thanked him for his time and we shook hands. A genuinely nice person.

    I love wandering around any racing paddock but there is something truly remarkable about the World Rallycross paddock. The teams are friendly, the personnel very accommodating and it is just a really relaxed atmosphere. Knowing that this is going to be the last WRX weekend before the championship switches RX Great Britain to Silverstone did fill me with a little bit of sadness and I truly hope the paddock stays as it is when it moves.

    Heading into Q1 the following grid was decided (Pole is situated to the right of the circuit):

    RACE 1

    Mattias Ekstrom (Pole)

    Andreas Bakkerud

    Ken Block

    Niclas Gronholm

    RACE 2

    Petter Solberg (Pole)

    Johan Kristoffersson

    CSUCSU

    Rene Muennich

    Timur Timerzyanov

    RACE 3

    Andrew Jordan (Pole)

    Reinis Nitiss

    Oliver O’Donovan

    Timmy Hansen

    M.D.K.

    RACE 4

    Janis Baumanis (Pole)

    Kevin Eriksson

    Jean-Baptiste Dubourg

    Toomas Heikkinen

    Guy Wilks

    RACE 5

    Gregoire Demoustier (Pole)

    Oliver Bennett

    Kevin Hansen

    Sebastien Loeb

    Martin Kaczmarski

    The story of Q1 was that Petter Solberg would finish just under a second ahead of his team mate Johan Kristoffersson who was also two seconds ahead of championship leader Mattias Ekstrom. Andreas Bakkerud, Timmy Hansen, Ken Block, Sebastien Loeb, Toomas Heikkinen, Kevin Eriksson, Andrew Jordan, Janis Baumanis and Timur Timerzyanov would make up the top twelve, the drivers who after all four qualifying heats would make it through to the semi-finals.

    Reinis Nitiss received a thirty second time penalty for not taking his joker lap and Niclas Gronholm had a terrible accident after his car rolled several times exiting onto the Dover Slope. The driver emerged from the car unscathed and scrambled over the barriers to safety.

    The grids for the second round of qualifying read like this:

    RACE 1

    M.D.K. (Pole)

    Oliver Bennett

    Reinis Nitiss

    Niclas Gronholm

    RACE 2

    Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (Pole)

    CSUCSU

    Martin Kaczmarski

    Gregoire Demoustier

    Oliver O’Donovan

    RACE 3

    Janis Baumanis (Pole)

    Timur Timerzyanov

    Kevin Hansen

    Guy Wilks

    Rene Muennich

    RACE 4

    Ken Block (Pole)

    Sebastien Loeb

    Toomas Heikkinen

    Kevin Eriksson

    Andrew Jordan

    RACE 5

    Petter Solberg (Pole)

    Johan Kristoffersson

    Mattias Ekstrom

    Andreas Bakkerud

    Timmy Hansen

    In Q2 it was business as usual for the three fastest drivers from Q1 who held those positions again with Solberg, Kristoffersson and Ekstrom leading the way. Ekstrom was still two seconds off the Polo pace and he must be wondering how to claw that gap back. Solberg, as always, enjoys Lydden Hill.

    “It’s not easy,” said Solberg afterwards. “it’s quite a special track, but it’s a fantastic feeling. Some improvements we have done from the last race have made me more comfortable and faster. It’s great, to be fastest on this track is always a dream and I’m happy I must say.” Petter then eluded to his team mate. “Johan has also done a fantastic job, so a good team effort again.”

    The GRX mechanics worked quickly and superbly on Gronholm’s wrecked car from Q1 and the Finn managed to put his car into 10th. Reinis Nitiss retired after contact with a barrier at the first corner.

    We had been sitting at the joker when Nitiss collided with the barrier and came to a grinding halt. There were a large group of Latvian supporters next to us and they groaned. Nitiss climbed out the car, hopped over the barrier and sat down on the grass watching the remaining cars complete the race. He had his head in his hands and looked very upset. The only time he looked up was when the Latvian supporters proudly chanted his name and he slowly raised his hand to acknowledge their support.

    Heading to the last two qualifying heats tomorrow the heat will definitely be on for Toomas Heikkinen as he sits just outside the important twelve places. A great set of qualifying sessions for Andrew Jordan who sits in 8th place and must be confident of a semi-final place barring any unfortunate accidents.

    The two other British entrants also taking part this weekend, Guy Wilks and Oliver Bennett find themselves 12th and 23rd respectively with Ireland’s Oliver O’Donovan in 17th. The Ford pairing of Andreas Bakkerud and Ken Block from Hoonigan Racing Division look fast this weekend and are looking at making some improvements overnight to put them even more in contention for honours.

    As with my last visit, it was an incredible day. We managed to be present at the Rig Riot, the music blaring, Monster Energy girls dancing on stage and throwing out t-shirts to the crowd with Andreas Bakkerud, Ken Block, Petter Solberg and Johan Kristoffersson. It’s amazing how many people will jump, push and bump their way into position for one of those t-shirts. In the VIP/Media car park you get to meet all sorts of people and I struck up a conversation with a man who was visiting from France and informed me that he was staying in Sandwich, a small Cinque Port town not far from the circuit. He asked me what my role was here today and I showed him my media pass and explained I was the WRX Editor at The Pit Crew Online. That is when he told me he was the main sponsor for not only Team Peugeot but for IMG, the event organisers. In the next breath he invited myself and Viv to the team hospitality suite to talk with Timmy Hansen, Kevin Hansen and Sebastien Loeb. Add that to the invitation we had to the RX2 after race party and, well, you can imagine we were extremely pleased with our day of “meets-and-greets”.

    We wandered around the historic car marquee and then sat in the shade by the trees as they put on their show on track. Yes, the same as last year the sun beamed down and I have sunburn. We both left having thoroughly enjoyed the racing, the spectacle and the show which is World Rallycross, it never fails to deliver.

    That was our Saturday adventure and tomorrow we get to do it all again.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    Photographs: (c) Viv Gillings

    Twitter: @viv_simmons

  • 1950 Monaco Grand Prix

    For those of you not aware, I am currently researching and writing a book under the banner of The Pit Crew Online titled, “The Pioneers”, a story of the first ever Formula One World Championship. Before this drivers had raced, engineers had developed and fans were wide-eyed and excited with what was to come. We know what came, but it would be wrong of me not to share a little snippet of the story on this weekend of the Monaco Grand Prix.

    This was the second round of the 1950 Formula 1 World Championship. The race would be contested over 100 laps.

    Juan Manuel Fangio dominated the practice sessions, no other car could get near him. Ferrari turned up for their first Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix hoping to challenge the superior Alfa Romeo team. In qualifying, Fangio was 2.6 seconds faster than Farina, who had won the previous race at Silverstone. Fangio’s Argentine counterpart, Jose Froilan Gonzalez driving for the Scuderia Achille Varzi team, took third on the grid in his Maserati with Frenchman Philippe Etancelin slotting in fourth in his Talbot-Lago. Luigi Fagioli, following a second place at Silverstone, could only manage fifth on the grid.

    The race was similar to qualifying, dominated by Fangio. On the opening lap, a wave from the harbour flooded the track at Tabac. Farina, who was second, spun on the slippery surface. Ten cars who followed through were eliminated in the chaos, leaving just nine cars in the race.

    Fangio completed the 100 laps, averaging approximately 61mph around the Monaco circuit. Behind Fangio there was an epic battle between Ascari and Villoresi, both in Ferrari’s, but Villoresi retired with a transmission failure on lap 63. Ascari finished a whole lap behind the impressive Fangio with Louis Chiron, a Monegasque, completing the podium places. Fangio posted the fastest lap of the race, 1:51.0 and out of the nineteen starters, only seven finished the race.

    Fangio was now level on points in the championship with Farina, both on nine points. Fagioli and Ascari sat close behind them on six points each with Reg Parnell, who did not race at Monaco, on four points.

    The next race on 30th May would be the Indianapolis 500, a race that rarely attracted the interest of the Formula 1 teams and drivers. Only Farina and Franco Rol were scheduled to race, with Rol doubtful after breaking his arm in the Tabac crash.

    This was the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix

    See You At The Chequered Flag.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    (c) Images courtesy of Pathe News and the owners/licences of such images (used with kind permission for the research of my book)

  • Monaco In Verse

    It’s the Monco Grand Prix, the grandest of the races on the calendar. Let us take a lyrical lap.

    The Lights Go Out, The Tyres Burn

    Sainte-Devote The Very First Turn
    Is There A Crash, How Many Cars?
    Your Safely Through To Beau Rivage

    Inches From The Barrier At Massenet

    The Cars They Jostle, Positions Are Set

    Into Casino A Sweeping Curve

    Mirabeau Next Will They Hold Their Nerve

    Slow Right Down Approach The Hairpin

    Grand Hotel Spectators Shout And Sing

    Its Portier Next As They Enter The Tunnel

    Heading For Novelle, Into The Chicane They Will Funnel

    Sweep Round The Harbour Through Tabac

    Then Louis Chiron, There’s No Turning Back

    The Swimming Pool Section, No Time For A Dip

    They’d Better Slow Down, Thats My Only Tip

    Because It’s Rascasse Next, The Cars They Slow

    Then Its Off Through Noghes And Off They Go

    Through The Grid For Another Lap

    As The Crowds They Scream, They Cheer, They Clap

    This Is Monaco Full Of Glamour And Speed

    These F1 Legends Are Brave Indeed

    The Barriers So Daunting And The Crowd So Near

    Negotiating The Streets, Drivers With No Fear

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

  • A WRX Farewell To Lydden

    (c) Image courtesy of Lydden Hill Circuit

     

    World Rallycross bids a tearful farewell to Lydden Hill Circuit this weekend in what will be an emotional send off.

    Situated in East Kent between Canterbury and Dover, Lydden Hill Circuit is a historic track with a fantastic, sweeping layout. A friend of mine once called it “The Monza Of Kent”. Yes a little enthusiastic, but I can see where he’s coming from.

    It is the shortest racing circuit in the UK and from the late fifties it attracted stock-car racing and with motorcycles, grass-track racing. In the mid-sixties tarmac was laid and it attracted Formula Three attracting such drivers as Roger Williamson and Tom Walkinshaw. it was around the same time which Lydden Hill gave birth to Rallycross and the first race was won by a Porsche 911 driven by Vic Elford. James Hunt recorded his first race win at Lydden Hill, driving a Russell-Alexis Mk14 Formula Ford and returned just under one year later to record a second win.

    Since that time, British Rallycross, European Rallycross and FIA Rallycross events have flocked to Lydden Hill and it is tagged with “The Home Of Rallycross”. It truly is.

    Since 1993 the circuit was leased to the British Motorcycle Club and it allowed both cars and bikes to use the track.

    World Rallycross came to Lydden Hill on 24th May 2014. In that first year names who will grace the circuit this season raced and won. Andreas Bakkerud won the final and it was one year later when Petter Solberg took the spoils. Last season Mattias Ekstrom reigned supreme in what was a fantastic weekend of racing.

    Andrew Jordan, who returns this year for MJP Racing in place of Timo Scheider, won Heat 3 at Lydden Hill in 2015 and he would love to repeat such a performance in 2017.

    Yes, World Rallycross is moving to Silverstone, the championship is growing not only in stature but in numbers and popularity. Many Rallycross fans are sad to see WRX leave Lydden Hill, I am one of them, but emotions aside it has to be said that if World Rallycross as an FIA event wishes to grow and move forward in the world of motorsport it needs a bigger venue. Is Silverstone the correct venue? That is soon to be found out.

    This weekend I will be attending Lydden Hill with my good lady (as photographer) for what appears to be the last time for a WRX event. It is going to be the usual fun, chaotic weekend full of mayhem and excitement but behind the smiles there will be a tinge of sadness. I won’t stop going to Lydden Hill as it will still host some fantastic events and the owners of the circuit will already be working on how to promote the track further.

    It is going to be a hell of a weekend. Join us tomorrow at @PitCrew_Online as myself – @world_racing and my photographer @viv_simmons enter the heat of the bowl.

    The time has come. It’s Rallycross and anything can happen.

    See you at the chequered flag.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    Viv Gillings

    Twitter: @viv_simmons

  • Why Alonso racing in Indy is great for everyone

    courtesy of McLaren Honda F1

    Why Alonso racing in Indy is great for everyone

    If you are anything like me, or us, then you can’t help but be thrilled to watch a solitary car, running lap after lap, on the least interesting track circuit you could ever design. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a step up from a straight drag strip, but not a scratch on the Senna S or the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel series.
    This weekend Fernando Alonso will be swapping the streets of Monaco for the oval of the Indy 500. It’s a move which has got people talking and tuning in. The move is a smart on from McLaren, Alonso and Zac Brown. Yes, Alonso is missing the biggest publicity and marketing race of the year, but there are so many positives to come out of it.

    1) Over two million fans tuned into watch Alonso going around the Indy circuit. He was by himself. Lap after lap, all on his lonesome. Just one car on the whole circuit. Yet two million people chose to give up their time. To find the website or channel which was showing the practice session. Then to watch with intermittent commentary and long delays between action. The fans brought into the whole idea from the moment it was announced.

    2) The difference in Alonso is obvious for absolutely everyone to see. He must have been getting bored of answering the same old engine questions after every trip to the track. How many different ways can you try and put a positive spin on having the worst engine on the grid by a large chunk. Then how do you put a positive spin on not even making it to the lights to start a race. But every word out of Alonso’s mouth is now positive and you can see the rejuvenation of the man right in front of our eyes. He should return to the F1 grid with a new spring in his step.

    3) There has been a swell of positive press towards McLaren because of the Indy angle. If you have a look through all of the racing sites and magazines, there isn’t enough space to put the negative stories about McLaren or Honda. Every inch is filled with the orange decals of Alonso’s Indy car. The retro scheme has been warmly welcomed by everyone from the professional drivers, the press and the fans. People are talking about McLaren in a positive light again.

    4) McLaren’s recent upturn in positive publicity might be the key to them finally getting a few more high profile sponsors. Dare we even dream of them finding a new title sponsor, just like Ron promised all those years ago. Honda, Jonny Walker, Chandon, Hilton Hotels and SAP have all been given this little extra push and are going to be reaping the rewards of the extra publicity and screen time. There is even a great article in Forbes exactly on this theme. A title sponsor or even just a major new sponsor could be the key push that McLaren and Honda need to break into the points sooner.

    5) We get to see Jenson Button racing again. It’s no surprise that I’m a huge Jenson Button fan, the man is one of the best respected people in the paddock and has always been jovial on camera and at public events. It just seems like he is a genuinely nice man. A British World Champion, driving for a British F1 team is always going to get the British fans behind him, then team that up with his public persona and there was only one man to support for those years. His last race at the end of the 2016 season was met with the feeling that we didn’t know if we would see him race again or not.

    6) Motorsport has been making front page news, it’s made Radio 1 news beat and non-racing people are talking about it. The publicity generated from one man, doing one race, all the way over there in America, has been huge. The more column inches and time spent during the news talking about motorsport is only going to be good for the sport. We’ve just had the tragic news of Nicky Hayden, and it’s a shock to the system, but the best way to bounce back and to recover is to look at the positives. Alonso in Indy is a huge positive for every aspect of motorsport.

    7) Alonso has a chance to show how great a driver he is again. How and why is a two-time world champion, struggling to drive the paint of a car which is barely worthy of even being on the grid. McLaren have actually produced a very competitive car, their pit-crew can now change an engine wearing blindfolds and oven gloves, but nothing makes up for a power unit which is seriously lacking power. Now for one weekend only he has been given a competitive car and surprise, surprise he is the top rookie. He’s qualified in fifth in his first every oval race and has barely put a foot wrong. He’s grazed the walls in turn two a few times, but he’d be doing the same in Monaco this weekend. It’s called pushing the boundaries. We’ve yet to see what will happen over the weekend, but getting the car home will be a success in our book.

    8) It has completely taken the pressure off of Honda for a few weeks. No-one has even mentioned Honda’s lack of engine power as the attention has been taken off of their F1 woes and transferred over to the Indy success. Hopefully, they have been able to use this time to produce a highly competitive engine which can return McLaren to the points at the very least. Honda have spent the last few years getting a shoe-in from the press due to their lacklustre engine, but these weeks have been a turn-up in fortune and press for them.

    9) Ron Dennis was a great figure head for McLaren, from the moment he came in from Project 4 and took them to multiple world champions, he was amazing. He was the right leader at the right time and he steered the ship in an amazingly successful way. But the time came for him to move on and the new bosses are remarkedly different to the old guard. Would Ron have let Alonso miss Monaco? Would Ron have allowed him to run in a car which wasn’t simply called a McLaren. Zac Brown has ushered in many changes at McLaren and a lot of little differences have been noticed from the outside. From as simple as employees posting photos of their offices and the MTC on social media, right up to Fernando’s American trip.

    10) The best thing to come out of Fernando racing in the Indy 500 is the extra time we get to sit watching racing this weekend. We can pretty much go from Saturday morning at 8:45 until well into Sunday night. The more racing we can watch on a weekend, the better.

    Whilst Alonso racing in the Indy 500 might just seem like a driver trying his hand at another race, but the positive merits are being felt far further afield than just inside Alonso’s cockpit. However it ends on Sunday night, it’s been a success if he can return to McLaren and race for some points in Canada.

    Andy Robinson

     

  • Adventures At Lydden – May 2016

    In 2016 I visited Lydden Hill as a paying spectator to watch World Rallycross live. This year I will be attending as a media representative, along with my good lady as photographer, with the official passes, giving my reports of the entire weekend. I am very much looking forward to it.

    It is also the last year WRX will visit Lydden Hill before it moves on to pastures new.

    To celebrate my return to Lydden I thought I would republish the shenanigans from last season. Interviewing a champion, bumping into a BTCC champion, walking the paddock and accidentally getting involved with scrutineering.

    This is World Rallycross and this is what happened last year.

    Cue a thumping theme tune…….

    The Saturday.

    There are three things that I will take away from the FIA World Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill. The series itself is insanely entertaining, Lydden Hill is a fantastic circuit and I have sunburn.

    The sun literally blazed down at the weekend and what a glorious two days it was too. In my life as a racing fan and writer, I have been to some terrific circuits and events but I have to say that after my first visit to Lydden Hill and a WRX event it has definitely hit the button of ‘favourite’.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    This visit had been planned for some while with a good friend of mine and we had both been counting the days. I had not planned to write an article for The Pit Crew, but as the date drew closer it morphed into a good idea. I had moved to Kent just over a year ago and quickly found out that Lydden Hill was on my doorstep. That was when the decision was made to attend the FIA World Rallycross Championship. A decision that proved to be outstanding.

    I have been a big fan of World Rallycross since its inception, but this visit has made me fall in love with the event.

    We arrived on the Saturday, a day that would include practice, two qualifying rounds of WRX and three qualifying rounds of the Super 1600’s and RX Lites. In between there would be stunt shows, drifting, Group B demonstrations and the chance to walk around a very accessible paddock area. Now, this is where WRX differs from a lot of other championships I have attended. It is quite normal to be standing in the paddock of a support series, but being inches away from the cars and drivers such as Sebastien Loeb, Ken Block, Petter Solberg, Mattias Ekstrom and Liam Doran! That was just quite unbelievable.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    So, there I am getting out the car with the track in the dip below me and I was instantly impressed. My mate and I were treating Saturday as a bit of a recce but soon found out that the action on track was just non-stop. The turnaround in races at a World Rallycross event are extraordinary. No sooner are the cars on their warm down lap than the next set of cars are lined up on the grid. The 1600’s were out practicing and so we wandered up to North Bend and down the side of Hairy Hill.

    The first set of awnings I came across had the Group B demonstration cars inside. They all looked retro and proud with big bodywork and even bigger spoilers. We sauntered down and came to the paddock area. First sightings were of the Super 1600 cars and we just casually walked by the garages as the drivers wandered around and the mechanics worked on the cars to get them ready for the upcoming qualifying heats. We took a zig-zag route and passed by the large awning of Terry Grant with his stunt cars. More about them later.

    My first visit would be to Hoonigan Racing Division. There was Ken Block’s #43 car in it’s multi liveried glory sitting in the garage as a couple of mechanics made some adjustments. As I cast my eye up, there was the great man himself standing about two feet away from me. I crossed over the paddock to where Johan Kristoffersson’s car was up on a jack with the right wheelbase being looked at, an engineer busily replacing something which looked rather important.

    Over at Team Peugeot-Hansen, both Sebastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen were having hasty work done to their cars in readiness for the upcoming qualifiers. The mechanics looked a bit busy, too busy. Walk round the corner with World RX Team Austria awnings to the right. They had two helicopters in the field behind! Two!

    We had been walking around looking at the paddock when I walked by a man wearing a baseball cap, Red Bull sponsored Audi shirt and sunglasses. I did a double take and continued to walk on as my brain tried to tell my mouth who I thought I had seen.

    “That’s Andrew Jordan!” I said to my mate.
    “Where?” He asked.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    I pointed behind and with him being a big BTCC fan, he wandered back and with the subtle nature of a brick, leaned on the guard rail, turned and stared at Andrew Jordan. He looked across at me and nodded. I walked back and he got his camera out.

    “Go get a pic,” he said.

    I didn’t want to seem like a pillock so waited for a moment as he was in the middle of a conversation. Then, when I thought the time was right, I walked over.

    “Andrew Jordan?” I asked.
    “Yes, mate.” He replied.
    “Do you mind if I have photo? Big fan of yours.”
    “Sure.”

    We stood next to each other and I had my photo taken with a BTCC champion. I thanked him for the photo and wished him the best of luck for the rest of the season. Bizarre! – Great spot though.

    I walked down a bit further and there was the massive set-up of double world champion, Petter Solberg. Now, in my build-up to Lydden Hill I had emailed the PR Manager of Petter Solberg cheekily asking for a quick interview with the champ himself, not expecting any kind of reply. Imagine my surprise when I got an email saying, “Yes, sure come after Q2 on Saturday.” – I looked inside the garage and there was Petter talking to his team. Now was not the time so I left the other fans taking photographs and wandered down the slope towards the dummy grid where they line up. Liam Doran’s car was already there, mechanics standing by the car with arms folded.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    Opposite Paddock Bend and above the dummy grid area I saw the Monster Energy stage and decided to go up. They had the stunt cars lined up and I saw a two sets of steps leading up to the hospitality area with security guards. I just wandered up, a security guard jigging to the booming music being played. He smiled and ushered me inside and that’s when I saw the PS4 WRX game set up which my mate made a bee-line for. I wandered cautiously over to the Monster bar, not knowing if we were supposed to be here or not and ordered a Monster Lemon Rossi with the VR46 logo all over it in a yellow can. I stood looking out as the cars went hurtling round the track. The qualifying had started. This was a great vantage point so we decided to stay where we were. The stage was set high above the paddock and I had a great view of what was going on. During the interval, Terry Grand came out in his Monster sponsored cars, drove around the entire circuit on two wheels, performed drifts and set a Ford Sedan Legend up to go round in a circle on its own whilst he did the same in the opposite direction in his TVR. Very entertaining I must say. The drift cars came out and did their thing. I’m not a massive drift fan but it was very impressive and put on a great show.

    This is when the start of what was a very entertaining day became surreal. I had already drunk two cans of Monster, I’m hyper enough anyway so imagine that included into the equation. This had the desired effect that I needed the gents. I explained to my mate that I was popping off to find one.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    On the way I saw Kevin Hansen standing at his awning talking to someone. Feeling slightly brave I slowed my walk and casually, without looking too weird (I hope) looked at the car being worked on. The man he was talking to walked off and Kevin just shot me a glance. I took my opportunity.

    “Kevin, I write for The Pit Crew Online, wondered if I could just ask you a couple of questions?” I asked, expecting a shake of the hand or just a polite no.
    “Sure.”
    In my head the reply was “What! Sorry? Did you just say sure?” – Think quick Simmo.
    “Tough day today, how are you finding it out there?”
    “It was hot and very tough. Hoping to deliver better.”
    “What do you think of Lydden?”
    “Great circuit, very quick.”

    I nodded to the car and Kevin smiled as the mechanic worked on it, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say “No idea” and politely waved as he walked off.

    I saw World RX Team Austria driver. Janis Baumanis, he had a huge fan base at Lydden, he smiled and I said:

    “How’s the car?”
    “Good.” He replied and smiled.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    With those spontaneous Q&A’s done, I wandered off to the gents in the corner. On the way back I could see a large crowd gathering as cars were going out. I worked my through and as I reached the turning that would take me back to the Monster Energy stage I noticed it was cordoned off and fans were being stopped from moving across. I gazed around and noticed that I had a line of cars coming up behind me. RX Lites. All the people surrounding me wore FIA World Rallycross identification and I suddenly felt slightly out of place. I asked the marshal if I could duck through but she said I’d have to wait where I was for a moment. The people around me were FIA scrutineers and they were checking the cars. A young lad who was part of their team stood next to me. I looked at him and smiled uncomfortably, he smiled back and walked away from the man he was with to the front of the car. The grey haired man with the clipboard turned and said to me.

    “Can you see that damage at the back?”
    “Yes,” I replied nervously.
    “Was that from Q1?”
    “I have no idea.” I replied still feeling rather nervous.
    “It’s not too much. I think it’s fine to race, what do you think?” He asked.
    “I think if you reckon it’s fine then that’s good enough for me.” I replied not knowing what to do. The marshal was wetting herself. This was slightly awkward.

    He waved the car on and his young assistant joined him. He gazed at the young man, realising he had not been speaking to his assistant and then looked back at me. I just smiled and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The grey haired man laughed, tapped me on the shoulder and walked away. Phew! The cars filed through and eventually the marshal let me escape, still laughing.

    I ran back to the Monster stage and told my mate who just laughed and shook his head. The surreal moments did not stop there.

    This is where I bumped into an official Monster and WRX photographer, I didn’t get his name. We were on top of the Monster Energy tower watching the racing with an RX Lite driver who had been punted off the track wandering back onto the track after the race in front of the car who had smacked him to remonstrate with the driver. That was quite entertaining. The photographer explained that he had just come back from Rally Portugal. As we stood there just chatting about racing, it was getting chilly. He took off his very expensive camera equipment and placed them on the floor.

    “Do you mind watching that whilst I grab a jersey?”
    “Sorry.” I said, looking down at the thousands of pounds worth of equipment on the floor.
    “If you could keep an eye on it for me, be back in a minute.”
    “Er, yeah. Sure.”

    Off he wandered leaving me, somebody he had never met, guarding his extremely expensive camera equipment.

    “There’s probably a deposit worth of a house there you’re looking after.” My mate said, which made me feel a bit nervous.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    Fortunately the cameraman wasn’t too long, I was so relieved. Wandering back through the paddock after Q2, as instructed by Petter Solberg’s PR, I noticed that he was in deep conversation. The option had been given for me to chat to him after the race on Sunday and I was beginning to think this was a good idea as the crowds gathered round his awning and I didn’t know what his PR man, named Per, looked like. Suddenly my mate nodded in the opposite direction and there was Marcus Gronholm standing with his World Rallycross driver son Niclas. I wandered over and as I got closer, Marcus got taller. He is huge! I noticed he was being very fan friendly and so I asked him if I could have my photo taken with him and his son Niclas.

    “Sure.” We stood waiting for my mate to take the photo and he said “One hundred Euro’s a snap.” He laughed and that was the picture opportunity done. So not too bad, a BTCC driver, double World Rally champion and a WRX driver on my tick list.

    Walked by the Hoonigan Garage and shook hands with Andreas Bakkerud. Name dropping all over the place. He had a huge fan club, all dressed up in their blue hoodies. They looked like they were having fun.

    During the day we had walked the entire circuit, had a spot of lunch, saw a lot a grid girls, walked the paddocks and witnessed some epic racing we decided to go back to the Monster Energy tower.

    I had decided to give up on the Petter Solberg for today and go and find him tomorrow after the final. We stood on top of the tower and my mate nudged me and pointed at the Quest TV crew who were setting up for an interview. I didn’t pay much attention and then one of the crew wandered over to us.

    “Hi, guys. Sorry to be pain. Do you mind if we use your spot for a bit? We’re interviewing Petter Solberg.”

    A rounding “No, we don’t mind at all,” was the response he received.

    He chatted to us and I mentioned that I was supposed to be interviewing Petter today but he seemed a little busy.

    “Well, why don’t you have him after we’re done.” Said the Quest crew member.

    A few minutes later, Petter Solberg in full race uniform walked up with a couple of people and had his TV interview with Quest. My friend pointed at two men standing in front of me, an old guy with a notebook writing furiously and a young guy about my height with short blonde hair.

    “One of those could be your man.” Said my friend who knew about the exchange of emails I had with Per, the PR man for Petter Solberg.

    Neil Simmons 2016 (c)

    I checked both men. The older man seemed like a journalist and so I discounted him. I looked at the blonde haired man and took a deep breath.

    “Excuse me. Are you Per?” I asked.
    “Yes.” He replied.
    “Neil, from the Pit Crew Online. We emailed each other.”
    “Ah! Yes. Neil Simmons.” Per said smiling.
    “I could see Petter was really busy earlier as he is now, so I may leave the interview until tomorrow.” I said politely.
    “We can do it straight after this TV interview. No problem.” Per replied.

    I felt my heart rate get a bit quicker. Petter was nearing the end of his interview and I was about to be faced by a double World Rallycross champion.

    “Only if you’re sure?” I asked.
    “Sure. No problem.”

    We stood to one side and I had noticed earlier my phone had died so I persuaded my friend to use his voice recorder on the phone to record the interview. Per nodded to me and I wandered over with the Quest TV crew watching on with a gathering of journalists who had been waved away. I felt out of my depth and slightly nervous, but I took a deep breath. I knew I only had three questions, due to time constraints.

    “Hello. Petter. The Pit Crew Online, I write for them. We follow your career and I’m doing a special feature.” Petter relaxed from the initial approach and nodded at me.

    “How did you feel how today went?” I asked, knowing that he had blitzed everybody in qualifying.

    “I feel good. We did a lot of hard work since the last race in Belgium, because the Audi’s have been a little bit faster. But now I think we are catching them back again.” He replied.

    “But you like Lydden don’t you?” I asked and Petter smiled.

    “Ah. Lydden is a fantastic track. I am looking forward to tomorrow. We are going to try to do some small adjustments to get the team in first place.” Petter replied.

    “And who do you think will be your biggest challenger tomorrow. Ekstrom?” I asked.

    “Yeah. Ekstrom.Yeah. Definitely.”

    Petter Solberg smiled and I put my hand forward and we shook.

    “Fantastic. Thank you, Petter.”

    He was welcoming, cheery and had a very relaxed nature about him. I had been very nervous but straight from the off he relaxed me. If I had more time then I could have gone into a few more questions but I knew he was against the clock.

    That was Day One at Lydden. Bizarre, surreal and I interviewed Petter Solberg. World Rallycross offers some fantastic racing, insane action and boy…do they know how to put on a show! Lydden as a circuit is just so nice. I loved it.

    I came to Lydden Hill as a motor racing writer and a World Rallycross fan, I left falling even more in love with this series. If you have never been to WRX event I urge you to go. Honestly, you won’t regret it.

    Neil Simmons

    WRX Editor

    Twitter: @world_racing

     

  • Monaco Track Preview

    Image courtesy of Red Bull Racing

    The winding streets of Monaco are preparing to host their 75th Grand Prix this weekend, and what a track it is.

    The picturesque circuit, stretching over 3.337 kilometres and consisting of 19 mostly low-speed corners and a flat-out tunnel, is Formula 1’s contribution to the infamous Triple Crown of Motorsport, and has featured some of the sport’s most notorious victors.

    None more so than the man who holds the most wins around the circuit, the great Ayrton Senna.

    The Brazilian claimed six victories in Monaco during his decade-long career, and potentially could have secured a seventh if it were not for Le Mans royalty Jacky Ickx, who red-flagged the rain-sodden 1984 race without consulting fellow track stewards, allowing Senna’s arch-rival Alain Prost to pick up a half-points win on lap 27.

    Senna’s half-dozen Monte Carlo victories went some way to secure McLaren’s dominance over the iconic track.

    The Honda-powered team currently leads the way in terms of constructors wins with fifteen, six ahead of nearest chasers Ferrari, however it is highly unlikely McLaren will extend that number this weekend even though the circuit will not punish their lack of power as much as others on this year’s race calendar.

    It will in fact most likely be the Driver’s Championship contenders Sebastian Vettel and two-time winner Lewis Hamilton, who currently holds the record for the fastest ever lap set around the track—a 1:17.939s achieved last year—that will be contesting for number one spot come the end of the 78-lap race.

    Red Bull can possibly expect to mount a challenge if their set-up, which has hindered them on several occasions so far this year, is correct—with maximum emphasis on downforce this weekend due to low tyre wear.

    As potentially should have been witnessed during the Spanish Grand Prix a fortnight ago, Monaco will see the return of the red and purple-striped Pirelli P Zero—an appearance that will please drivers following their frustration with the manufacturer after the conservative decision in Barcelona to run soft and medium compounds.

    No matter what it will surely be another thrilling instalment of the Monaco Grand Prix, which will celebrate hosting the race for three quarters of a century on Sunday.

    With just four points between both Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the driver’s standings, it is sure to provide another twist in the tale for the 2017 World Championship.

    By Joe Owens, F1 Correspondent

     

  • F2: Monaco Preview

    2016 GP2 Series Round 2
    Monte Carlo, Monaco.
    Saturday 28 May 2016.
    Nobuharu Matsushita (JPN, ART Grand Prix), takes the chequered flag
    Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service.
    ref: Digital Image _R6T6685

    The Monaco Grand Prix represents the jewel in the crown of any racing series that visits the iconic track, and nowhere is this truer than for the third round of the 2017 Formula 2 championship.

    With only a limited number of series using the track, it will be a lot of drivers’ first time racing at the principality. As a street circuit, it presents a vastly different challenge to the previous two rounds, and it will prove to be a true test of the drivers’ car control and skill. Flat out racing will inevitably lead to mistakes on the tight, twisting Monegasque streets, and more measured driving will be yield the best results.

    As it is with any category, Monaco has a habit of shaking up the established order, as proven by Markelov’s shock win here in the GP2 feature race last year, so there is no guarantee that the teams who were stronger in the previous rounds will continue to dominate here. For example, Prema who were so strong last season, and whose 2016 lineup of Pierre Gasly and Antonio Giovinazzi came to fight it out for the GP2 title failed to score any points in either races last year.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 2.
    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
    Friday 12 May 2017.
    Artem Markelov (RUS, RUSSIAN TIME) in the pits during the practice session
    Photo: Jed Leicester/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image JL2_9446

    Artem Markelov will no doubt draw confidence from his performance in Monte Carlo last year, and it may help him pick his championship challenge back up from his average weekend in Barcelona. His teammate Luca Ghiotto currently sits a comfortable third place in the championship, one place above his Russian teammate, after another podium in Spain.

    But Russian Time will need a strong showing from both its drivers to have the edge on the other teams in the incredibly close battle at the top of the standings. While Russian Time are in third with seventy-two points, Prema and DAMS both have seventy-five, the Italian outfit taking first place on the virtue of having more race wins.

    Prema’s man of the moment Charles Leclerc will be searching for a little bit of hometown glory this weekend when he gets to compete at his home grand prix for the first time. The Monaco native has been anything but shy about how much he is looking forward to racing on the streets he grew up on, and considering that he is currently leading the drivers’ standings, he is well placed to give his fellow countrymen something to cheer about.

    With Monaco being a difficult track to overtake on, Leclerc’s teammate Antonio Fuoco will be hoping that if he can produce a qualifying performance like the one he had in Bahrain, then his results will start reflecting the potential of both himself and the car. After this weekend, over a quarter of the F2 season will have been completed, and if Fuoco cannot begin to match the pace of his teammate, he risks falling to the wayside almost entirely.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 2.
    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
    Friday 12 May 2017.
    Antonio Fuoco (ITA, PREMA Racing) next to Charles Leclerc (MCO, PREMA Racing)
    Photo: Jed Leicester/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image JL1_9133

    Monaco also presents a chance for redemption for Frenchman Norman Nato who has been plagued with inconsistency and bad luck since his podium in the first race in Bahrain. His Arden teammate Sean Gelael will also need a better run of things this weekend. With the track levelling the playing field somewhat, though the Arden machinery has not looked up to scratch thus far, as long as they avoid any serious incidents, racing at Monaco presents an opportunity to rise above their current standing.

    DAMS succeeded in scoring three podiums when F2 visited Spain, but Nicholas Latifi, after throwing away an almost certain win in the Barcelona sprint race, will be a man in search of redemption. Considering the fact that he failed to finish either race last year when GP2 came to Monaco, his track record suggests that he will have to dig deep in order to perform.

    His teammate Rowland is better placed to do well, having secured one of his three podiums from 2016 in the principality. His aim will surely be the close the gap to Leclerc, who currently sits twenty-six points in front of him.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 2.
    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
    Friday 12 May 2017.
    Oliver Rowland (GBR, DAMS)
    Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image _56I7139

    Experience will most likely play a large role in determining the running order this weekend, as the rookie entrants into Formula 2 gain confidence around the notoriously difficult track. No team, except Prema, has a line-up consisting entirely of rookies, so it will be expected that the those who have already driven a season of GP2 will outperform their teammates.

    Still, there is a chance that rookies such as ART’s Alexander Albon and Rapax’s Nyck de Vries, who have been quick so far, could pull something special out of the bag. De Vries’ chances still very much depend on his ability to manage his tyres, which prevented him from securing results which match his qualifying pace. If experience is key here, then no one should have better chances that Johnny Cecotto of Rapax who has competed in no less than eight seasons of GP2, but that would take a very different kind of performance from the Venezuelan, who has failed to score any points this season.

    Albon’s teammate, Nobuharu Matsushita, who achieved sprint race victory in Barcelona also managed to win in Monaco in GP2 last year—his only win of the 2016 season. If he can carry the momentum with him from Spain, then there is every chance that he can repeat past successes.

    2017 FIA Formula 2 Round 2.
    Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
    Sunday 14 May 2017.
    Nobuharu Matsushita (JPN, ART Grand Prix)
    Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2.
    ref: Digital Image _56I0189

    It is also worth keeping an eye on MP Motorsport’s Jordan King and Racing Engineering’s Gustav Malja, both of whom have had promising starts to the season, but probably need a podium or a win to give them the traction to mount a championship challenge. The experience of both drivers will bode well here however. Their rookie teammates, Sergio Sette Camara (MP Motorsport) and Louis Deletraz (Racing Engineering), have failed to score points so far this season, and they would be forgiven for failing to do so at Monaco. Yet the unpredictable nature of the track could give them that small bit of luck needed to make their mark on the series.

    Trident’s drivers Nabil Jeffri and Sergio Canamassas have also failed to take home any points from their team in 2017. Jeffri’s record at this circuit will not inspire any hope in his team, but Canamassas has scored a second and a third place in Monaco during his GP2 career. Though given his reputation and how easy it is to cause a pileup on this narrow track, people will probably be expecting the Spaniard to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

    Campos Racing, the other team who have failed to secure any points to their name, bring the unknown variable of a new line up to Monte Carlo. While they retain Ralph Boschung, Robert Visoiu joins the team, making it their third different line up in three rounds. Visoiu returns to this level of racing after a year out from motorsport and looks set to stay for the rest of the season.

    If there is anything to remember about Monaco it is that for a series such as Formula 2, where the field is so closely matched, that it is near impossible to accurately predict who will triumph on this illustrious circuit. The drivers who have been performing well so far in 2017, such as Leclerc, Rowland, Markelov and Ghiotto are of course worth keeping an eye on. But there is no guarantee that Monaco will follow the script that has been laid out thus far.

    Georgia Beith, F2 Correspondent

  • Ferrari have a chance to write the Monte Carlo script

    Image Credit: Zak Meuger/LAT/Pirelli Media

    How fitting that Formula One heads to Monaco around the time of Cannes Film Festival just mere miles from the principality.

    As with Cannes and the film industry, the Monaco Grand Prix is arguably the most glamorous setting for F1’s main characters to produce another masterpiece such as those celebrated in Cannes..

    And boy, have Ferrari given us something to get us out of our seats this season.

    Where in the previous years of the turbo era Mercedes could walk off into the distance, the Prancing Horse have had something of a revival.

    Each of the five races in 2017 have been filled with enough intrigue to get even the judges at Cannes out of their seats, and like all good films, the ending has often been difficult to predict.

    Indeed, despite Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton winning the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, Ferrari can arrive in Monte Carlo in confident mood once more.

    Pitting under a Virtual Safety Car brought out by Stoffel Vandoorne aided Hamilton no end, as his Mercedes on faster tyres and having taken six seconds out of Vettel meant a lot of the hunting was done for the Brit.

    The Silver Arrows were said to have brought a raft of upgrades compared to the developments made by Ferrari, yet Hamilton qualified just half a tenth quicker after a promising start to the weekend.

    With Vettel taking the lead at the start, Hamilton and Bottas weren’t exactly all over the German four-time champion like a cheap suit.

    Once he did get ahead, Hamilton did not simply gallop away into the distance and Ferrari still harboured hopes of a win until the final eight laps.

    Both Ferrari drivers have stood atop of the podium in Monte Carlo before, with Vettel taking the honours in a crazy 2011 race and Kimi Raikkonen in scintillating form for McLaren back in 2005.

    However, you have to go back to 2001 for the last time the Scuderia won in Monaco, courtesy of Michael Schumacher.

    This season represents one of their best chances to end that drought, and around the casinos of Monte Carlo, their ability to nurse tyres may prove to be their trump card.

    With it confirmed that Ferrari are in the title fight for the long haul, they have another chance to provide their own plot twist this weekend.

    Jack Prentice @JPrentice8

     

  • Quick 10 With…..Max Pucher

    Born in Vienna, he is an Austrian businessman and rallycross driver, he is also co-founder of a Swiss-Austrian software company.

    He competed a full 2015 season in the World Rallycross Championship and selected events in last year’s European Rallycross Championship.

    He is responsible for pairing up Kevin Eriksson and Timo Scheider this season and has signed Andrew Jordan to compete at Lydden. He is the team boss of MJP Racing, these are his Quick 10 questions and he is…..Max Pucher

    1. What is your favourite circuit and why?
    My favorite track for fun driving is Hell, Norway.

    2. Who is/was your racing idol?
    I really do not have idols. I admire quite a few drivers for skill and personality and Timo Scheider and Patrick Sandell belong there.

    3. Who would you regard as your toughest opponent?
    In RX there are always 4 opponents in each heat and they are always the toughest right now.

    4. Considering racers of all time, you are a team principal and money is no object. Which two racers would you have in your team?
    In RX I would choose Kristofferson and Loeb for speed and marketing value. But Timo Scheider comes right afterwards.

    5. If you could invite four famous people to dinner (past and present), who would you invite?
    As I would cook myself I would invite Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, Wolfgang Puck and Giada De Laurentiis.

    6. Personal racing number? What is it and the reason behind it?
    My number is 31 and it is my birthday.

    7. What is the best race you have been involved in?
    My best race will always be the next one.

    8. Is there a race or series you have not competed in, that you would like to or had wanted to?
    I am really just interested in Rallycross.

    9. How did you get into motor racing? What ignited that spark?
    I did motorcycle racing when I was 20 and came back to car racing with 59 when I started RX. I raced the World Championship in 2015 at 60.

    10. What is the best advice in racing you have been given?
    Patrick Sandell: ‚All four wheels must point where you want to go when you hit the throttle!’

    I would like to thank Max for taking the time out to answer these questions and I will accepting his generous invitation to visit the team garage at Lydden Hill this weekend.

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    Images courtesy of MJP Racing