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  • Milwaukee and Shaun Muir confirm Aprilia Switch, Savadori partners Laverty

    Two Aprilia RSV4 bikes will be on the track in the 2017 & 2018 World Superbike Championships in the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team colours.

    The agreement specifies that technical material and related direct assistance and support will be provided by Aprilia Racing, including bike development, which classifies Milwaukee as a Supported Factory Team.

    This means that Aprilia Racing – the Piaggio Group racing department and technological point of excellence in the Italian motorcycle industry – is confirming its high level presence in the premier competition for factory derivative bikes, alongside its important efforts in MotoGP.

    The goal is to compete at top levels in World Superbikes in order to emphasize the competitiveness of the Aprilia RSV4, capable of taking no less than seven World Titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) between 2010 and 2014, proving to be the most victorious bike in recent World Superbike history.

    The result of a project intended to create a true racing bike that any enthusiast could have, the RSV4 astonished from its rookie season, winning a race in its maiden year and then racking up repeated championship wins in both the Manufacturer and Rider competitions (twice with Max Biaggi and once with Sylvain Guintoli). All this while the street version – obviously also characterized by an exclusive narrow 1.0 litre V4 – continued to win comparative reviews year after year with the best competitors in the world, both European and Japanese.

    The team run by SMR, which boasts two British titles, will be able to count on a top shelf rider lineup: in addition to the 2015 Superstock Champion Lorenzo Savadori, who quickly drew attention this year in his rookie World Superbike season, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty will be back in WorldSBK, 2013 runner up astride none other than an Aprilia RSV4.

    Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Manager:

    “In Shaun Muir’s team we found a partner who shares our goals and who, after making a good name for themselves in the British championship, wants to get to the top of a world category.

    Our agreement includes, in addition to providing bikes and materials, support from Aprilia Racing personnel to manage and develop the RSV4, a jewel of technology that will once again be able to show its worth, within a Factory Support type relationship.

    The birth of the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team also marks Eugene Laverty’s return to WorldSBK, a rider who we know well and whose professional and personal qualities have our utmost respect. He will have Lorenzo Savadori working alongside him, a young rider in whom Aprilia has invested who has been part of our sports project for two seasons in which he won the Superstock 1000 title first and then drew attention in WorldSBK with an extremely positive rookie year.”

    Shaun Muir – SMR Team Principal:
    “For SMR, collaboration with Aprilia Racing for 2017 and 2018 means a real chance to fight for the win. Aprilia has a strong and victorious history in World Superbike and we are determined to continue on the same path. Having Eugene and Lorenzo on board makes this a dream team.

    Without a doubt, Eugene is coming back to WorldSBK for one reason only – to win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, is the fastest rookie and a sure protagonist. I wish to thank Milwaukee, Gulf and all of the partners who are supporting our project.”

    Eugene Laverty: We can be competitve straight away
    “I’m excited to return to Superbike with Aprilia and the RSV4, a bike with which I took ten wins and second place overall in the championship. I hope to be able to pick up where I left off with those results, thanks to the support of Aprilia and a fantastic team like SMR. Everything is in place for us to be competitive straight away.”

    Lorenzo Savadori: I am highly motivated
    “I am very happy to continue my adventure in World Superbikes with Aprilia. This is another chance to achieve great results, with one more year of experience on the RSV4 for me. In a demanding rookie season I was already able to express a good performance level, learning a lot, both about race management and working in the garage, but I do not want to stop here. We will definitely be highly motivated at the start, with an ambitious project and a great desire to do well.”

    Jason Chiswell – Vice President of Marketing Milwaukee Tools: This could be a new winning chapter
    “At Milwaukee Power tools our vision is always to win and that same mentality is shared with the SMR team. We see the next year with Aprilia as being an exciting and a new winning chapter in our World Superbike program.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

    Credit to Gold & Goose for the images via Milwaukee BMW

  • Aprilia Arrive at Aragon for Spanish round

     

    Before departing for the long tour in Japan, Australia and Malaysia, the MotoGP championship will take on the penultimate European race on the 2016 calendar. The race will be hosted by Motorland Aragón, a 5,078 metre circuit located in Alcañiz in the autonomous community of Aragona. It is a very complex track, fast thanks to the long straight, but demanding for riders and vehicles alike.

    The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini is taking on the Spanish round after good performance in Misano, with Bautista riding his RS-GP straight through to Q2 and then to a top 10 race finish. The Spanish rider and his teammate, Stefan Bradl, tackled two days of tests on the Valencia circuit, both to continue developing the new chassis configurations introduced in recent races and to assess electronic updates aimed mostly at perfecting the V4 engine’s power delivery.

    Bautista: Aragon has different characteristics

    “I am coming to one of my home rounds highly motivated, especially after the good performance at Misano, going through to Q2 and having a race pace that took us into the top 10. We will pick up from here with the goal of being competitive and improving even more. It will not be easy, but we will try our hardest. Aragón has very different characteristics. It is a complete layout where it will be essential to work well straight away on how to use the tyre, which is usually very stressed here”.‬

    Bradl: The Valencia test gave us confidence

    “It is difficult to predict how the RS-GP will perform here at Aragón. We will be able to tell only after the first practice session. I like the track; both the layout and the structures of the circuit are really interesting. There are many corners with different inclinations and direction changes. Overall, it is a fast track since there is also a long straight. I think that the confidence gained in Misano and the two days of testing at Valencia will help us take on this Spanish race with a good package”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Movistar Yamaha arrive at Aragon off the back of first double podium since Le Mans

    After securing a double podium at Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s second home Grand Prix at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli nearly two weeks ago, the team shapes up for the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón. The fourteenth Grand Prix of the season at the MotorLand Aragón circuit holds a special significance as it’s not just a home race for Lorenzo but the team’s title sponsor, Movistar, has also taken title sponsorship of the Aragón round for a third year in succession.

    After a strong race at his home Grand Prix where he secured second place, Rossi aims for another top result in Aragón, where he secured a podium finish in 2013 and 2015 with two third places. Over the last four races, he has been gradually reducing the margin to the championship leader to 43 points in the overall standings. This weekend the nine-time World Champion aims to hit the ground running on Friday, as he looks forward to another exciting battle with the frontrunners.

    Teammate Lorenzo also arrives in Aragón with high hopes to continue the momentum of the last round at his penultimate home race of the season. His third place finish at the last round in Misano keeps the Mallorcan in third place in the championship, 18 points behind his teammate. He is eager to add another podium result to his tally at the MotorLand Aragón circuit, scoring two consecutive wins over the last two years, two second places in 2012 and 2013, and a third place podium finish in 2011.

    The MotorLand Aragón circuit was added to the MotoGP calendar in 2010 and was given the IRTA Best Grand Prix of the Year award that same year. Situated near the town of Alcañiz in Northern Spain, the track is only a few hours drive from Barcelona and draws thousands of fans. The fast and challenging 5.1 km long circuit, with ten left and seven right corners and a 968 m longest straight, has one of the most spectacular elevation changes of the season and multiple flowing corners, making finding the right set-up vital.

    Rossi: I really like the track but it’s not one of my favourites

    “Even though I wanted to win in Misano, I can say that it was a good race anyway. In all the next races we will do our best to get always the best result, just like we did in Misano. The only thing that interests me now is to do good races. In Aragón we will have to work well from day one, as we have been doing this entire season. This circuit has fast corners and hard braking, so it will be important to have a good bike, with a perfect set-up. I really like the track and, even if it is not one of my favourites, we will try to do our best.”

    Lorenzo: I’m eager to fight

    “Despite the high expectations in Misano, we finally could come back to the podium after some bad races. In Misano we worked really well throughout the weekend but ultimately Dani and Vale were faster than us. At least we got another podium and we found the line regarding the setting with the bike. Now it’s time to go to Aragón. This track never suits our bike perfectly but over the last years we were able to win several times so you never know, especially this season with the new tyres everything is challenging and tricky. I’m eager to fight on home soil and I will try to taste victory again.”

    Kiko Giles

  • Honda hit happy hunting ground of Aragon

    Fresh from Dani Pedrosa’s convincing victory at Misano and a productive day of testing at the same track two days later, the Repsol Honda Team arrives in Aragón for round 14 of the Championship, the last on European soil before the traditional trio of flyaway races – Japan, Australia and Malaysia – and the subsequent return to Spain for the season-ending Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

    The ultra-modern 5.077 km track, which comprises 17 turns (10 lefts and seven rights) and a long straight of 968 m, hosted its first Grand Prix in 2010. Since then, current Championship leader Marc Marquez, who lives less than 200 kilometres from the track, has won on two occasions – in 2011 in Moto2 and in 2013 in MotoGP – and taken second in 2012 (Moto2). Dani has only raced in MotoGP at Aragón, winning once, in 2012, and finishing second three times: in 2010, 2011 and last year, when he came out on top of a great battle with Valentino Rossi.

    One of the most unpredictable and hard-fought Championships ever currently sees Honda leading the Rider, Constructor and Team standings, having won four of the last six races, with four different Honda riders.

    Marquez: Aragon is a circuit I Like

    Aragón is a circuit that I like more than Misano, and I think it suits my riding style better. That said, it’s also true that a particularity of this year is that things may change a lot from race to race, so we’ll see if we’re able to manage things well and if we can have a good weekend. We’ll approach the race ready to adapt to the situation we encounter, but of course we’ll try to fight for the podium again in front of my home crowd and my fan club.”

    Pedrosa: We must remain totally focused

    “Of course we’ll arrive at Aragón in a good mood, as things that had already started getting better a couple of races earlier went perfectly at Misano, and we were able to achieve a great result. Anyway, it’s important that we keep our feet on the ground, as the races are very close and hard-fought this year. We must remain totally focused on our job and on our goals, which are to continue building on the base setup we’ve been working on lately and to find the pace to stay at the front. My fan club will be here and I’ll try my best to put on a good show for the fans.”

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Lowes “Determined to get a good result” in Aragon


    The 2016 Moto2 World Championship resumes this weekend at Motorland Aragon, in Spain, with Sam Lowes and the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 called to get a good result after the two setbacks suffered at Silverstone and Misano.

    Despite the lack of results, in England and on the Adriatic Coast Lowes showed the potential to fight for a podium finish, therefore at Aragon the target is to fight once again for the top position, in order to collect important points for the standings, which now sees the 26-year-old British rider in fourth place with 137 points.

    Lowes: The test at Valencia was productive

    “We head to Aragon determined to get a good result: I like the track a lot and I can’t wait to be back on track and start working together with the team. After the race at Misano we moved to Valencia for two days of testing that proved very productive: we worked hard, trying many solutions together with Kalex and Ohlins, getting a good feedback and maintaining a good pace. Therefore we look with confidence to this weekend’s Grand Prix!”.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Valencia to remain as final race of the season until 2021

    The Generalitat of the Comunitat Valenciana and Dorna Sports are pleased to announce the season finale of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship is set to remain at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia for another five years. The agreement to renew the circuit’s place on the MotoGP™ calendar was recently reached between the President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, the Councillor for Education, Research, Culture and Sport, Vicent Marzà, and CEO of Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta and has been announced this morning in Valencia with all the parts involved.

    The unique and arena-like Circuit Ricardo Tormo has become a favourite on the calendar with its record of season-ending showdowns, with the visibility and atmosphere provided by the venue proving something unique since it first hosted the final event in 2002. The history made so far at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo will now continue for another five exciting seasons of MotoGP™ action; confirmed until the end of 2021, with the new contract finalized two months ahead of the end of the current agreement.

    President of the Generalitat Ximo Puig praised the stability of the new agreement for the Gran Premio de la Comunidad Valenciana, and the triple impact of the event in terms of sport, economy and tourism: “We are going to do everything possible to make the most of the Valencia GP and to assure the efficiency of how any public resources are used.”

    “We are thrilled that MotoGP will be returning to Valencia for another five years,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports. “The new agreement to return to the track is fantastic for the Championship, for the Comunitat Valenciana and for fans both in the region and worldwide, with the Circuit Ricardo Tormo always providing a unique and memorable event to end the season.”

    The track has been host to many thrilling races across all classes, including both the 2006 and 2015 MotoGP seasons, the 2009 250cc title decider and also the last French premier class win with Regis Laconi, back in 1999.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

  • Gresini Moto3 Ready for Aragon GP Battle

    MotorLand Aragon hosts this weekend round 14 of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship: after having narrowly missed out on victory with Enea Bastianini and collecting another positive Top Ten finish with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano, the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 arrives in Spain confident to get another good result.

    Bastianini, in particular, is going through a period of great form and he’s keen to attack Championship leader Brad Binder and try to get a win, which he missed out at Misano for just a few tenths under the checkered flag. The 18-year-old rider from Rimini, now second in the overall standings, enjoyed a great race at Aragon in 2015, setting the pole position with the new track record and fighting in the leading group until the final corners, when a contact with Binder led him to crash.

    Aragon promises to be a favorable track also for Fabio Di Giannantonio: the 17-year-old rookie from Rome got the last of his three victories last year in the MotoGP Rookies Cup on the Spanish track. Always in the Top Ten in the last eight races, “Diggia” will try to bring home other important points in the fight for the “Rookie of the Year” trophy, in which he is opposed to Nicolò Bulega and Joan Mir.

    Bastianini: I’ve always liked Aragon

    “Aragon is a track I’ve always liked a lot and last year we have been very competitive: after starting from pole position, I was fighting for the win on the final lap, when unfortunately I made a mistake touching Binder and crashing. This year we will try to be fast right from the start of the weekend, as it’s happening lately, in order to work well and get prepared for the race. Binder has a great advantage in the standings, but we still try to attack and we won’t give up until the math keeps us in the game!”.

    Di Giannantonio: I expected better in Misano

    “Honestly I was expecting to get a better result at Misano, although all in all we again hit the target to enter the top ten. Aragon is a track that I quite like and I know very well, having raced there for two seasons in the MotoGP Rookies Cup. Therefore we head to Spain ready to have fun and to do our best to get a good result!”.

    Kiko Giles

  • John Hopkins: BSB is by Far the Best Domestic Superbike Series in the World

    Seeing as I was stationed in the ePayMe Yamaha Racing camp over the Friday and Saturday, I decided I was going to do a Q&A with the former MotoGP podium finisher, so that’s exactly what I did. John Hopkins speaks to me about the BSB world in comparison to MotoGP, his 2017 plans and also how his former rivalry with Tommy Hill still drives him on today.

    How does the Yamaha compare to a GP bike and other Superbikes?

    Well to be honest, it’s hard to compare any Superbike with a MotoGP bike because the contrasts are so big, even though they were even bigger before! They are getting closer nowadays and I have to say, this Yamaha is definitely the closest Superbike I have ridden in comparison to a GP bike. GP bikes are extremely rigid and tend to have really stiff chassis, meaning you feel everything from the circuit. The Yamaha has a very rigid chassis but yeah, it’s definitely not a million miles off the characteristics of a GP bike.

    On a whole, what’s the difference between MotoGP and BSB?

    British Superbikes is definitely more family friendly and less commercial. It is way more corporate in MotoGP. The fan base over here in BSB is absolutely amazing and I would say it is by far the best and most competitive domestic Superbike championship anywhere in the world. The BSB crowd attendances embarrass the WSBK series; the World championship has a lot of catching up to do because a lot of the tracks they go to, they really struggle with pulling people into the stands. Rain or shine, BSB is thriving and we always seem to get a really good turn out and as a rider, I’m really grateful for that.

    How do you keep fit, seeing as the bikes get more powerful and harder to handle?

    I like to stay fit by riding and keeping active on two wheels. Motocross has always been my passion and it was my first love before I even got into racing so yeah, I am always motocrossing at every chance I get as well as mountain biking. When I was in MotoGP, the teams and factories always wanted me to be cautious in case I did myself an injury but I would never sign a contract if it meant I had to stay away from a motocross bike.

    Do you see yourself returning to the world stage?

    Right now, I still feel like a have a point to prove in British Superbikes and you know, where ever it goes from there we will see. I do kind of miss the world stage in terms of seeing the countries and going on the big, Grand Prix circuits but now I have a wife and two kids, it is nice being at my home away from home and being able to have a base in the UK. I mean, most of the WSBK circuits are in Europe anyway so yeah, we will see how it goes but right now, I’m still enjoying BSB and like I’ve said, I have a point to prove.

    Where do you think you could have been without the injuries?

    Well, I’d like to say we would be well within the top six and in the showdown at this stage of this season if I hadn’t injured myself at Knockhill. I think the following circuits after my injuries are by far my favourite circuits in BSB. Thruxton, Snetterton are all my favourite circuits and I am gutted not to have more of a say in the title. My plan now is to be in an imaginary showdown and try and sign off this year on a high!

    What are your 2017 plans?

    I would like to stay in BSB on a competitive package, I haven’t signed anything yet but we have had a couple of offers but my main focus at the moment is to finish off this season and try and do the best I can. I have the pace and I know I can be competitive on a good bike.

    How does your previous rivalry with Tommy impact on your working relationship?

    It’s just banter really. At the time it was obviously serious, and he could have been my worst enemy. We both had our race faces on and it wasn’t anything personal, it was just the fact that we both wanted the same thing. There are absolutely no regrets, it happened the way it was supposed to, as it was all clean and to just be a part in that championship season was absolutely amazing! That is one of the races that is still driving me today to try and succeed and win the BSB championship. If it came down to a last lap scrap this year and the rider I was battling with needed a win then I wouldn’t do something stupid but I am also riding for myself. I haven’t signed a deal just yet. I have respect for other riders but I am here for myself right now.

    Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

    Photo Credit to Gareth Davies, for yet another fabulous image.

  • PACE BRINGS A PODIUM FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING

    Stephane Sarrazin (FRA) Mike Conway (GBR) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)
    Toyota Racing TS050
    World Endurance Championship. 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas
    Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA.
    14th-17th September 2016

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing earned another podium finish after a strong performance in a closely-fought 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas, the sixth round of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

    The #6 TS050 HYBRID of Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi finished third for their fourth podium of 2016, finishing just 26.096secs behind the winner after an exciting victory battle between all three LMP1 hybrid manufacturers.

    Toyota Racing TS050
    World Endurance Championship. 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas
    Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA.
    14th-17th September 2016

    Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in the #5 suffered another unfortunate race, with several minor issues combining to keep it out of the podium fight, finishing in fifth.

    The race had started promisingly for the #5, when Sébastien moved from sixth on the grid to fourth place during a charging first stint under blazing sunshine and with air temperatures over 35°C.

    Mike took the start in the #6 and ran sixth during the opening stint before handing over to Kamui at the first pit stops. At the same time, great pit work on the #5 allowed Anthony to emerge in third, an issue on the wastegate of the turbo began to compromise performance and the #5 slipped to sixth by the 90-minute mark.

    Toyota Racing TS050
    World Endurance Championship. 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas
    Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA.
    14th-17th September 2016

    As darkness fell and the race reached half distance, the #5 lost more time when a damaged front end was changed after Kazuki’s stint, then suffered again soon after when a rear left puncture forced an unplanned pit stop for Sébastien.

    But the #6 was lapping very quickly and continuing to push the Porsches. Mike took fourth place before dramas for the #8 Audi helped Kamui, now at the wheel, to run third as the race entered its final two hours.

    That became second, with the #5 also moving up a place when the #7 crashed as the close fight at the front began to take its toll. A three-way fight between three different manufacturers for victory developed in the final hour.

    Stéphane took over from Kamui for the final stint in third place, with the Audi #8 not changing tyres during its last stop. Stéphane had fresh tyres and pushed to close the gap, with the race leader also not far away.

    A fighting performance in the final laps saw the gap close, but second place was just out of reach, with Stéphane taking the chequered flag only 2.455secs behind the second-placed Audi #8 and 26.096secs behind the winning Porsche #1. Sébastien brought the #5 home two laps down in fifth.

    Stephane Sarrazin (FRA) Mike Conway (GBR) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)
    Toyota Racing TS050
    World Endurance Championship. 6 Hours of Circuit of The Americas
    Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA.
    14th-17th September 2016

    TOYOTA will now travel with optimism to its home race, the 6 Hours of Fuji on 16 October, which takes place just a few kilometres from the Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre where the 1,000hp TOYOTA HYBRID System – Racing is developed and built.

    Toshio Sato, Team President: “I am pleased with our performance here in Austin. We have focused all week on race pace and it paid off today because we showed strong performance. It was a great fight with Porsche and Audi all the way to the end of an exciting race. I am particularly proud of the job done by everyone in the team, especially considering how difficult it has been in this heat. Our quick pit stops and effective strategy helped to achieve a strong result. This has been a good step towards our home race at Fuji Speedway, where we want to give our Japanese fans and colleagues a result to enjoy.”

    TS050 HYBRID #5 (Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima)

    Race: 5th, 184 laps, 8 pit stops. Grid: 4th. Fastest lap: 1min 48.482secs

    Anthony Davidson: “That was another disappointing day for car #5. It feels like we just keep getting bad luck. We had a technical issue which hindered our performance and seemed to get worse as the race progressed. We just had to keep fighting and do the best we could, which was fifth.”

    Sébastien Buemi: “Congratulations to car #6; they had a strong race and another podium which is good. For us it was another tough race. We were up to third after the first stop and it looked good, but then we had some technical issues and we had no chance after that. Nothing is going our way at the moment but we will try to change this in the next race.”

    Kazuki Nakajima: “It was a difficult race for us. We had many small issues and it just wasn’t possible to overcome that. So it was more bad luck for us in a tough season but that’s life; we just need to get on and keep pushing. It’s our home race next so we will pick ourselves up and fight for a good result.”

    TS050 HYBRID #6 (Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi)

    Race: 3rd, 186 laps, 7 pit stops. Grid: 4th. Fastest lap: 1min 48.544secs

    Stéphane Sarrazin: “It was an incredible race. Kamui, Mike and me did a strong job and the team gave us a good car. Our pace just got better through the race and the last hour was incredible. We were really competitive today. Audi have been so fast this weekend so to be so close is a positive sign. Now we keep pushing for our home race.”

    Mike Conway: “I’m very happy to be on the podium again, for the fourth time this season. Our car came alive halfway through the race when we had strong pace. It was nice to see the pace we could get out of the car today. Stéphane and Kamui did a great job and the mechanics as well were really good in such tough conditions.”

    Kamui Kobayashi: “I am pleased with our performance. We closed the gap to Audi and Porsche at the end and were part of an exciting race. I appreciate the job from the mechanics who did great pit stops and thanks to the whole team for helping us to be on the podium for the second race in a row; we had absolutely no mistakes.”

    6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas results:

    1st #1 Porsche (Bernhard/Webber/Hartley) 186 laps

    2nd #8 Audi (di Grassi/Duval/Jarvis) +23.641secs

    3rd #6 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +26.096secs

    4th #2 Porsche (Dumas/Jani/Lieb) +1 lap

    5th #5 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +2 laps
    6th #7 Audi (Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer +6 laps

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 2016 Results:

    Silverstone: #5: Qualifying 6th; Race 16th / #6 Qualifying 5th; Race 2nd.

    Spa: #5: Qualifying 5th; Race 26th / #6 Qualifying 3rd; Race DNF.

    Le Mans: #5: Qualifying 4th; Race NC / #6 Qualifying 3rd; Race 2nd.

    Nürburgring: #5: Qualifying 6th; Race 5th/ #6 Qualifying 5th; Race 6th.

    Mexico: #5: Qualifying 5th; Race DNF/ #6 Qualifying 6th; Race 3rd.

    COTA: #5: Qualifying 6th; Race 5th/ #6 Qualifying 4th; Race 3rd.

    See you at the chequered flag

    Neil Simmons

    Twitter: @world_racing

    Photo Credits: Toyota Motorsport

  • Red Bull: Singapore Grand Prix review

    GP BELGIO F1/2016 – SPA FRANCORCHAMPS (BELGIO) – 28/8/2016
    © FOTO STUDIO COLOMBO PER PIRELLI MEDIA (© COPYRIGHT FREE)

    Red Bull have performed well in Singapore in previous visits to the Marina Bay circuit and this weekend was no different.

    Daniel Ricciardo began the race on the front row in second behind Niko Rosberg and despite starting the race on softer tyres the Australian was incapable of passing the German in the Mercedes who subsequently went on to win the race and leapfrog Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

    “I pushed so much at the end on the supersoft and really tried to do something but it wasn’t close enough. I don’t really leave here with any regrets. Obviously we came here to win and we didn’t but I felt we left it all on the track, “said the 26-year-old Red Bull driver.

    Despite completing the race in second, Ricciardo’s podium finish means it was the third year in a row that the Australian has exceeded expectations in Singapore:

    “We did everything we could and I thought it was pretty much a perfect race. The only thing that would have been better was to get Nico at the start.”

    Verstappen had yet another meagre start and the Dutchman had an intriguing battle with Daniil Kyvat but he ended the race in sixth to extend Red Bull’s lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship:

    “I had a bad start, it wasn’t as bad as Monza but it wasn’t good, which is disappointing. I had a lot of wheel spin and then with Hulkenberg spinning in front of me,

    “I had to brake even more which compromised my whole start. I got stuck behind slower cars in front of me and after three or four laps you lose the advantage and it completely destroys the tyres,“ said the 18-year-old.

    Team Principal Christian Horner was happy with his team’s performance over the exciting circuit in Singapore:

    “A really exciting finish to a long and hard grand prix but tyres and strategy were always going to be key.

    “Overall a positive weekend, we’ve extended our lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, we’ve scored another second place finish and produced an enthralling end to the grand prix.”

    Dominic Rust