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Rally Italia Sardegna 2025 Preview
Time then for the sixth round of this year’s championship and the second in a row on gravel. This round is famous for the dust that is thrown into the air by each passing car, as well as some really rough roads, with large rocks being pulled out and giving the second run of the stages additional risk for the tyres and suspension components.

Interestingly, this season’s round has the same number of stages as last year with sixteen stage, but a longer distance with 320km’s up from 266km’s. The day which has changed a lot is in fact Friday which has changed from four stages and 77km’s to six stages and 120km’s.

Elfyn and Scott will again open the road throughout Friday’s stages and will hope for a better result than last time out in Portugal, but this will depend on the position in which they hold at the end of the first day.

Those with a good stating position will be eyeing up a good result and perhaps victory. In that group will be Ott and Martin who took victory last year and after the pace they had in Portugal the Estonian crew will likely want to repeat this victory this year.

Let’s take a look at the stages and hear from the drivers.

Weekend at a Glance
- Cars take to the stages for the first time with the Olbia Cabu Abbas Shakedown (2.19km) on Thursday afternoon.
- Friday’s itinerary features six stages: Arzachena (SS1/4, 13.97km), Telti-Calangianus-Berchidda (SS2/5, 18.43km) and Sa Conchedda (SS3/6, 27.95km)
- Saturday’s six stages are set to cover 121.60km: Coiluna-Loelle (SS7/10, 21.18km), Lerno-Su Filigosu (SS8/11, 24.34km) and Tula-Erula (SS9/12, 15.28km)
- Competition concludes on Sunday with four stages: San Giacomo-Plebi (SS13/15, 25.19km) and Porto San Paolo (SS14/16, 13.70km).
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“After a bit of a frustrating rally in Portugal we certainly want to be stronger in Sardinia. It’s a similar rally in some ways and maybe a bit more demanding in others. We will also have the challenge again of running first on the road on Friday, although the more typical schedule should hopefully help in that respect. We’re still looking for some more performance on this type of rally, and with the limited testing available it’s not easy to find an immediate solution, but we’re going to give it our best like always and try to come away with as many points as we can.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“Sardinia has always been quite a tricky rally and we know every time we go there that we face a big challenge. The result in Portugal was not so bad considering our start position, but we know that we need to keep working to get the feeling and the pace where we want it to be if we are going to have a good rally in Sardinia. Like always, everybody starts each rally from zero and we will try to do our best to come away with good points again.”

Sébastien Ogier

“Our victory in Portugal is good motivation to keep working hard with the team in this busy period of rallies because we know that we can still improve. Sardinia has always been a difficult challenge, one that it took me some years to master. This year it can be even tougher for our team because we have the top three drivers in the championship, and we will have the biggest job to sweep the road for our rivals on Friday. But I have good memories from our win in 2021 from first on the road and we know well that it’s a rally where anything can happen.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“Sardinia is going to be another difficult and demanding rally. We learnt a lot of things about the tyres in Portugal and we need to take that knowledge and adapt it for Sardinia, where the gravel surface is a bit different. In general, it’s going to very important to prepare well and decide upon the right setup, but I know that the team is working very hard on that, and we will do our best to have a good rally.”

Sami Pajari

“For the first time with the Rally1 car I’m going to a rally that has similarities in style to the previous one, so there is more that we can learn and carry from one event to the next. In Portugal we had a nice clean weekend with some consistent speed, and so I’m feeling much more prepared for Sardinia. This was a good rally for me last year, when I won in WRC2, and we should have a nice starting position for Friday so let’s see what we can do.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“Rally Italia Sardegna is an event we’ve always been competitive at. The roads play to our strengths, particularly on the second pass, so we’re really looking forward to it. We learned some things about how the car behaves on this surface in Portugal, so we’ll be taking that knowledge with us to testing. We need to be consistently fast, and there’s no room for mistakes, so we will be pushing across every stage. I want to be fighting for the win, so I need to finish ahead of my main championship rivals.”

Ott Tänak

“Sardegna is another super punishing event. At first, it can look smooth and sandy, but roads normally develop quickly. We can suddenly find solid rocks sticking out from the ground, which will make life hard for both the car and tyres. This year we will have many new stages, but we know these are often quite low grip, which makes driving very challenging on these narrow roads. We know our car is not easy to find good setup for different surfaces, but in the past we have done well in Sardegna. Hopefully, we have done our homework, and we are going to be on the pace from the start!”

2025 FIA World Rally Championship Round 6, Rally Italia Sardegna, 6-8 June 2025
Photographer: Vincent Thuillier
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Adrien Fourmaux

“We had really good pace on Friday morning in Portugal, but we all know that Rally Italia Sardegna can be a bit different. We got an understanding of how well the tyres are working in the dry conditions; we can push hard, and tyre wear is not so bad. The surface in Sardinia is a bit sandier, and there are some super narrow passes. It’s challenging because you want to commit fully, but there’s not much margin for error. We need to have a clean rally and score some good points for the team – this is crucial for our fight at the moment.”

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“Sardinia is another long-standing event on the WRC calendar, and it’s also where we scored our first top-five result last year, so we’re hoping for a good feeling again! It’s a well-known event, but really quite different to Portugal. The stages can be a lot rougher, and their characteristics vary a lot – sandy, rocky, narrow, and technical.

“There are also a couple of new stages, which will make it interesting for everyone, especially the M-Sport crews as we’re a bit less experienced. We’ve done some good testing and gained some real positives, so hopefully we can see that benefit on the event. And hopefully it stays sunny and dry!”

Josh McErlean

“Rally Sardinia is one of the toughest events on the European calendar – rough, technical, and relentless. But you have to learn to love this rally. It’s a real test for both car and crew, and that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding. We had a positive run in Portugal, and the goal is to carry that rhythm into this weekend.”

Mārtiņš Sesks

“After quite an eventful rally in Portugal, I think we’re looking for a trouble-free week to regain some consistency. That’s the goal for Sardinia, because – just like Portugal – it will be our first time there in four-wheel-drive machinery. There will be lots of learning again, and nothing will be easy, but let’s see what it brings!”

Jourdan Serderidis

“Happy to be back in the WRC after our top result in Kenya! We come to Olbia with reasonable optimism; we have good memories from Sardinia 2022 in WRC2, and we had an excellent test last week where we discovered an enhanced package for the Puma. On the technical stages of the island, we believe a top-20 finish is possible for us.”

Romet Jürgenson

“I think going into Sardinia I already feel more confident compared to Portugal. In the past we’ve done some testing there with the Rally3 car and the FIA Rally Star team, and we competed in the rally last year, unfortunately not the full event, but we still gained experience, which definitely helps.

“With the car, on Sunday in Portugal we felt like we were in a good place, so I definitely expect a better performance from myself in Sardinia.”

Pierre-Louis Loubet

“I’m very pleased to be in Sardinia again, a place where I have so many nice memories – especially from 2022 when we were fighting for the podium in the Rally1 car! I hope I’ll be able to progress with the car during the event and try to get closer to the top. I’m really happy with the work of my engineer and the team to optimise everything with the car, so let’s see what we can do!”

Oliver Solberg

“The start to the season has been pretty good,” Oliver said. “We’ve taken two [WRC2] wins from three starts with the Toyota and the car feels like it’s getting better and better.

“It was quite a change from what I was driving last year and with the three-cylinder engine and a few other things, it maybe took a little bit of time to find my feet with this one. I’ve driven a lot of cars, a lot of R5 and Rally2 cars, so I have a good idea of what I want and how to make a car fast.

“Working with Toyota and the Printsport team has been really good, we’ve worked well together, and the pace is getting better and better. This week is about learning more and more from the car and how it works with the tyres. The new Hankook’s are also quite different from what we had last year, so that takes some time to understand the best set-up and how to get the best from the whole package. I really feel we’re getting there, and Sardinia is another step for that.

“And, yes, it’s fair to say I don’t know this rally so well as some of the others. I started here only two times – I have started Monte Carlo six times now! There’s definitely a rhythm to find on these roads, you can’t push too hard and go too crazy, there will be a rock waiting for you. It’s nice to come here without so much pressure for the [WRC2] points and we can drive our own race and keep trying different solutions for the car.

“At the same time, it’s always nice to come to Italy for a rally. There’s so much history for the sport in this country – and Sardinia is a beautiful place with beautiful weather. It’s going to be a good week.”

Summary

Well, who do you think will win this rally and stand on the podium? In my view it is possible to see Ott and Martin take victory this weekend. Also, possible to take a victory are Thierry and Martijn who won this rally a few years ago. Could their teammates Adrien and Alex take their first win? They have shown good very good pace this year.

At Toyota Kalle and Jonne could have a great rally. Although they are starting second on the road, it will be interesting to see if they could win this weekend as well or stand on the podium as they did last time out. Elsewhere Seb and Vincent also return to on a fourth round this year and third in a row for their part time season. For Elfyn and Scott as championship leaders will have to make the best of the road position and hope to take a good level of points away to keep them at the top of the standings.

Finally at M-Sport the young team will continue to develop their pace, whilst learning the stages on this new event. Of course, Greg and Louis have some experience from last year and will hope that they can build on this. For their rookie teammates Josh and Eoin and Martins and Renaur they will just look to build experience with the creation of new notes on stages which they have not driven before.

Enjoy the rally!
4th June 2025
Formula E Shanghai E-prix: DS Penske Obtain their Maiden 1-2 as Cassidy ends the draught with a wet race at Shanghai

Formula E returned to the Shanghai International Circuit this past weekend for its sophomore year, and these past 2 rounds did not disappoint in terms of action.

Round 10:
DS Penske driver Maximilian Guenther led the field away from pole position ahead of Taylor Barnard, who started in P2. Pascal Wehrlein managed to jump him at the start with the peloton style of racing returning to Formula E. There was disaster for the Jaguar TCS Racing driver Nick Cassidy as he was spun at the chicane after getting tapped by the Mahindra Racing driver Edoardo Mortara. Contact occurred later on between Rowland and Vandoorne while the peloton style occurred, and by lap 11, De Vries was leading ahead of the Andretti driver Nico Mueller and Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns.

Pit boost was active in this race, and many drivers immediately took the opportunity to pit, starting at the end of lap 12 and the start of lap 13. Drivers such as Guenther, Buemi, Bird and Maloney all took attack mode immediately after their pit boost.

The race started to heat up from here, as it was a flat-out race with Barnard having a 2.5-second lead before that shrank with Guenther and Rowland then battling for the win towards the end of the race. Barnard and Nato were battling before a massive battle on the last lap for 2nd, with Barnard and Ticktum looking likely to take the positions before Jean-Eric Vergne made a move into the final chicane to take P2 and secure DS Penske’s first 1-2, with Guenther managing to hold onto the win with Barnard in P3. Dan Ticktum finished P4 from P21; championship leader Oliver Rowland finished P5, Norman Nato P6, Sam Bird P7, and Nyck De Vries P8, with the Envision duo of Sebastian Buemi and Robin Frijns rounding out the points-paying positions.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – MAY 31: Stoffel Vandoorne of Belgium driving the (2) Maserati MSG Racing Maserati Tipo Folgore leads Oliver Rowland of Great Britain driving the (23) Nissan Formula E Team Nissan e-4ORCE 05 on track during the Shanghai E-Prix, Round 10 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Shanghai International Circuit on May 31, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)
Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank

Round 11:
After a delayed start due to the rain, we had a rolling start on lap 8, which saw Nick Cassidy lead the field away from the Porsche duo, and all 3 of them instantly took attack mode, including the top 11 apart from Di Grassi. Wehrlein went for a longer attack mode, so he and Da Costa swapped positions. Many drivers struggled throughout the race, including Nyck De Vries, who went through the gravel, and Wehrlein went sideways.

Towards the middle section of the race, both Lola Yamaha Abt cars were battling with Maserati and Mahindra of Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck De Vries. The most recent race winner, Maximilian Guenther, got a red car, but this did NOT cause a red flag. He had to pull off to the side of the track to retire. There were 3 added laps due to the safety car, with Cassidy having a MAJOR lead over Pascal Wehrlein. Cassidy held onto the lead to win his first E-Prix of 2025! Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa closed out the top 3. Jake Hughes finished P4, Jean-Eric Vergne P5, Nico Mueller P6, Stoffel Vandoorne P7, Robin Frijns P8, Lucas Di Grassi P9, and Taylor Barnard P10!

2nd June 2025
Spanish Grand Prix – Oscar Piastri Dominates Controversial Spanish Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri dominated to win a controversial Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren ahead of teammate Lando Norris.

Charles Leclerc took an opportunistic third ahead of George Russell, who was seemingly deliberately hit by an angry Max Verstappen three laps from the end.

Verstappen received a 10s penalty for that and is the subject of another investigation, which saw him drop from fifth to tenth.

Nico Hulkenberg took a masterful fifth after overtaking an off-colour Lewis Hamilton in the dying stages, with Isack Hadjar seventh.

Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso completed the top tenth ahead of Verstappen.

Controversy came after the a Safety Car ten laps from the end was brought out after Kimi Antonelli suffered an engine failure in his Mercedes.

Almost all of the drivers still left pitted for used or fresh softs, with the exception of Verstappen who stopped for new hards from third.

The Dutchman made his frustrations with his Red Bull team clear, and on the restart nearly spun into the inside wall leading on to the main straight.

That allowed Leclerc’s Ferrari alongside and ahead into third, via a touch on the straight, before the seeds of this race’s defining incident were sewn, as Russell made contact with a now mad Max at the first corner to force him off the track.

An angry Verstappen was then told to let Russell through having retained fourth, and on lap 64 he appeared to comply with that instruction into Turn 5, before ramming the Brit’s Mercedes in what appeared to be retaliation similar to his incident with Hamilton at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was given a ten second penalty for his act of retribution meaning he scored one point for tenth.

Piastri made an excellent start to lead away from the grid, while teammate Norris dropped behind Verstappen after they went three wide with Russell, who was subsequently baulked and passed by the two Ferraris.

Norris would eventually pass Verstappen after 12 laps and Red Bull switched to a three stop race.

That looked like it may pay dividends as McLaren woke up to the possibility that they may be caught napping, and before the Safety Car Verstappen was only two seconds behind Norris having covered off a previously two-stopping Leclerc.

More to follow…

1st June 2025
Spanish Grand Prix – Oscar Piastri snatches pole position from McLaren teammate Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri will start tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix from pole position ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

Norris had set the early Q3 pace before Piastri powered to pole over two tenths of a second ahead of the British driver for McLaren’s first Spanish Grand Prix front row lockout since 1998.

Max Verstappen will start third for Red Bull after setting the exact same lap time as George Russell’s Mercedes, the Dutchman starting ahead as he set his time first.

They’re ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari and the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with Charles Leclerc a distant seventh.

Pierre Gasly was top of F1’s “Class B” with eighth in his Alpine ahead of RB’s Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in tenth

The first qualifying session saw a two shocks, with eight tenths separating the grid from top to bottom.

Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda continued his tough start to life at Red Bull with yet another Q1 exit. This time, the Japanese driver will start last on the grid.

Carlos Sainz was equally displeased with his efforts as after outqualifying teammate Alex Albon for five straight race, he will line up tomorrow in 18th ahead of Franco Colapinto, who will rue a technical issue that left him stuck in the pit lane at the end of the session.

Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon will start 16th and 17th for Sauber and Haas respectively.

The second qualifying session provided fewer shocks as Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson all fell by the wayside when it looked as if they might dislodge Gasly’s Alpine from tenth.

For Lance Stroll and Ollie Bearman, things were a little more distant as they completed Q2s driver exits.

31st May 2025
Rueda storms from the back to win at Silverstone

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) delivered a masterclass in comeback racing at the Tissot Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, charging from the back of the grid to claim his third consecutive victory — and one of the most impressive of his career. The Spaniard, who had taken pole before being penalized for riding significantly more slowly on the racing line, joined an elite club of riders to win from last, standing alongside the likes of Marc Marquez (Valencia 2012, Moto2™), Brad Binder (Jerez 2016, Moto3™), and David Alonso (Silverstone 2023, Moto3™).

Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

What followed was a clinical ride through the chaos of a classic Moto3™ lead group. Rueda got a solid launch and was already picking off riders into Turn 1, while teammate Alvaro Carpe grabbed the holeshot. By Lap 3, the #99 was leading the second group, and by Lap 4 he’d bridged the gap and joined the freight train at the front. With five laps to go, Rueda had cracked the top five—and not long after, he was at the head of the pack.

Still, he had to fight for the win. Rookie Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) impressed when he refused to back down, making it a thrilling final-lap showdown. The two went side-by-side through the final sector, with Quiles slightly wide at the final chicane. Rueda didn’t hesitate—diving up the inside and powering out of the last corner to snatch victory in a photo finish.

“I took making the comeback calmly because I knew the front group wasn’t going to break away, and we also had good pace, so we were able to be patient and attack at the right time” – Jose Antonio Rueda

Quiles, despite losing out by the narrowest of margins, still secured a stunning maiden podium in just his rookie season.

Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the podium in third, bouncing back impressively from a Long Lap penalty for contact with David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) earlier in the race.

Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

Just off the podium, Alvaro Carpe finished fourth ahead of fellow rookie Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with David Almansa (Leopard Racing), Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) fifth and sixth respectfully. Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), Vicente Perez (LEVELUP-MTA), and Nicola Carraro (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounding out the top ten.

A late incident involving Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) saw Piqueras crash out and Furusato hit with a Long Lap-equivalent 3 second time penalty. That moved home hero Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) up to P11, followed by Furusato in P12. Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), and Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) all picked up points in the race.

Title photo credit: Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

27th May 2025
ABB FIA Formula E Season 11 Rounds 10 and 11: Shanghai E-Prix Preview and Predictions

As the iconic month of May draws to a close, so does this section of Formula E, as we have rounds 11 and 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 11. We enter the scene of the Chinese Grand Prix at a modified version of the Shanghai International Circuit.

Track Preview:
After debuting last year as a doubleheader, the Shanghai E-Prix was a goldmine for Jaguar drivers, with Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix Da Costa picking up a win each around this circuit in Season 10.

Formula E Season 10 Shanghai Circuit. Image Credit: Formula E Media Centre

The 3.051-mile circuit allows 12 corners to challenge drivers, with round 1 being a pit boost round. The main overtaking opportunities are into turn 1, turn 6, and through to turn 9, with turns 10 and 12 also being the best opportunities to overtake rivals.

Round 10 Predictions:
Pole Position: Pascal Wehrlein
As Rowland starts to put one hand on the championship trophy, the reigning world champion will want to put as much performance in as possible in order to maintain his reigning world champion status. Getting pole at Shanghai would be the best way to start.

Winner: António Félix Da Costa
The Season 6 champion is currently P2 in the standings with over 50 points separating him and the Briton Rowland. Da Costa will want to minimise the gap as much as possible, and the pit boost opportunities will allow him to get a jump on Rowland.

Podium: Cassidy and Evans
The Jaguar duo was strong here last year, with a victory and podiums from both. I think they will obtain more podiums; Evans’ first points since his win in Sao Paulo back in 2024.

Antonio Felix da Costa, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 1st position, stands on his car in Parc Ferme
Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank

Round 11 Predictions:
Pole Position: Oliver Rowland
Rowland will NEED to maximise as many points as possible this weekend, and not finishing on the podium on Saturday will hurt him.

Winner: Oliver Rowland
In order to maximise, Rowland will go from pole to win on the latter part of the weekend as he manages to claw back the deficit from Saturday.

Podium: Andretti
Yes, that is correct. I am predicting a double Andretti podium on Sunday to end the most recent run of Formula E races before entering the final 3 weekends of Season 11.

26th May 2025

BTCC Snetterton – Doble takes memorable first BTCC win

Mikey Doble took his first BTCC race win in round nine at Snetterton, holding off a faster Ash Sutton for six laps to bring home the win.

The Power Maxed Racing team almost never made the grid this season, so for Doble to take a win, is testament to the work done by the team. He becomes the eighth race winner this season from nine rounds.

It was a lights to flag win for Doble, who started from pole on the soft tyres, while the others around him were on the slower hard tyre.

There was pre-race drama as Chris Smiley was due to line up second on the grid, but a crank shaft change meant he was unable to take his place on the grid. He finally made his way onto the circuit, albeit three laps down.

Doble led off the line, the gap vacated by Smiley meant the Vauxhall man had the advantage. Ash Sutton made an incredible start, jumping from tenth to fourth. The Safety Car was called when Stephen Jelley was pushed off into the wall. His Honda Civic going no further. Daryl DeLeon nudged Jelley into a spin and into the path of Ingram, who was an innocent party as he hit Jelley off.

On the restart, Dan Lloyd, on the hards, was doing his best to hold off Josh Cook and Ash Sutton, but the pair made it past. Sutton made his way past Cook and went on the hunt for Doble, 2.2 seconds up the road.

Within four laps the gap was eliminated, with Sutton on the back of Doble. The Vauxhall man lost a win last season when he defended against Jake Hill at Oulton Park. Hill made his way past on the final lap, so Doble was keen for history not to repeat itself.

He held off the Ford, and was given a reprieve from defending when Sutton locked up. He went wide and lost half a second. This gave Doble the space he needed to bring the car home and take his first win of his BTCC career. Sutton settled for second, extending his championship lead over Tom Ingram to 15 in the process. Cook finished third.

Ingram battled from the back of the grid to finish fourth, making up 19 places in an incredible drive. NAPA duo Sam Osborne and Dan Cammish took fifth and sixth. WSR pair Charles Rainford and Jake Hill were next up, with Ronan Pearson and Aiden Moffat rounding off the top ten.

Aron Taylor-Smith, Gordon Shedden, Dexter Patterson, Max Hall and Adam Morgan rounded off the points. Dan Lloyd finished 16th in the end, his rearguard defending only lasting so long before dropping down the order.

Sutton takes a 15 point lead into the next set of rounds at Thruxton, with Ingram close on his tail and Hill in third.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1 (1)	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
2 (10)	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
3 (7)	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
4 (24)	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
5 (8)	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
6 (19)	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
7 (9)	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
8 (11)	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
9 (13)	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
10 (16)	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
11 (12)	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
12 (25)	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
13 (20)	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
14 (21)	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
15 (5)	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
16 (3)	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
17 (6)	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
18 (4)	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
19 (15)	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
20 (18)	Ryan BENSLEY	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
21 (23)	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
22 (22)	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon
23 (14)	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
24 (2)	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
DNF (17)	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R

25th May 2025

BTCC Snetterton – Rowbottom wins race two, Ingram retirement hinders title charge

Dan Rowbottom held off a Hyundai horde to secure victory in round eight of the BTCC at Snetterton.

He passed team mate Ash Sutton on lap three, and held off the Hyundai’s of Tom Ingram, Dan Lloyd and Adam Morgan to take the win. Race one winner Dan Cammish led off the line but fell back on the hard tyre.

Sutton led by passing Ingram and Cammish by turn three. The championship leader took the lead and Ingram followed him through. Rowbottom passed Cammish by the end of the first lap, and was hunting down Ingram for second.

On lap three Ingram slid wide on the exit of turn one and hit the barrier; causing damage to the rear of his Hyundai. He pitted and promptly retired from the race. With Ingram out and Jake Hill down the order, Sutton decided not to fight when Rowbottom tried a pass. He banked points, eventually finishing tenth and extending his championship lead.

Dan Lloyd, Adam Morgan and Tom Chilton all passed Sutton on lap four. Lloyd was fighting hard with Rowbottom for the lead in his Restart Racing Hyundai. On lap eight he dived down the inside of Rowbottom into Agostini corner, before Rowbottom regained his lead further into the lap.

Morgan got the better of Lloyd on lap ten to steal second, he closed the gap to Rowbottom but it wasn’t enough. The Ford man held off the Hyundai onslaught to take the win. The seventh different winner from eight races this season so far.

Behind Rowbottom and Morgan, Tom Chilton took third in the Vertu Hyundai. Restart pair Lloyd and Chris Smiley, participating in his 200th BTCC race, took fourth and fifth. Mikey Doble came sixth despite a trip on the grass earlier on in the race. Josh Cook and Sam Osborne took seventh and eighth, with Charles Rainford taking ninth and Sutton tenth.

Reigning champion Jake Hill recovered from 22nd on the grid to finish 11th, with Aron Taylor-Smith taking 12th. Toyota duo Ronan Pearson and James Dorlin took 13th and 14th with Daryl DeLeon taking the last point for 15th.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1 (4)	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
2 (6)	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
3 (7)	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
4 (5)	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
5 (8)	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
6 (9)	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
7 (11)	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
8 (14)	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
9 (12)	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
10 (3)	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
11 (22)	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
12 (15)	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
13 (18)	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
14 (16)	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
15 (10)	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
16 (13)	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
17 (23)	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
18 (25)	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
19 (17)	Ryan BENSLEY	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
20 (1)	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
21 (20)	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
22 (24)	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
23 (19)	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon
24 (21)	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
DNF (2)	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N

25th May 2025

BTCC Snetterton – Cammish secures lights to flag win

Dan Cammish became the sixth winner from seven races this season with a lights to flag victory in round seven at Snetterton.

The NAPA Racing driver had the perfect race, leading every lap, setting the fastest lap, and cruising to the win. However there’s suspicion he jumped the start, and so his victory has the heir of anticipation over it as the stewards investigate.

Behind him Tom Ingram and Ash Sutton, both duelling for the championship, were battling it out on track. Both were keen to capitalise on Jake Hill starting way down the grid. The reigning champion was tagged on lap one by a Toyota and spun round. Hill pitted at the end of the lap to check for damage, and ended the race five laps down.

Lap three saw Max Hall lose control going into the final corner, he went wide and ended up T-boning Gordon Shedden. The Toyota man’s race ended as he crawled back to the pits. Hall also out.

The top three were pulling away half way into the 12 lap race, with Ingram and Sutton proving why they’re first and second in the championship. Cammish had a 1.4 second advantage while the pair squabbled over second place.

The soft tyre was the compound to be on, with the hard tyre being slower, and drivers such as Jake Hill will be glad to be rid of it. The hard tyre only has to be used in one of the three races, with the soft-shod drivers still having the hard tyre disadvantage to come.

The final lap saw Cammish cruise to victory, albeit provisionally while we await the outcome of the stewards’ investigation into his start. Sutton dived on Ingram taking the inside line, but he couldn’t make it stick. Ingram came home second with Sutton third.

Dan Rowbottom made it three NAPA Ford’s in the top four, with Dan Lloyd and Adam Morgan taking fifth and sixth. Tom Chilton followed Vertu teammate Morgan home in seventh, with Chris Smiley, Mikey Doble and Daryl DeLeon rounding off the top ten.

The final five points finishers were Josh Cook, Charles Rainford, Aiden Moffat, Sam Osborne and Aron Taylor-Smith.

Honourable mention also for series debutant Ryan Bensley, standing in for Michael Crees, the Vertu driver made his way from 25th and last on the grid up to 17th, battling it out with the Toyota duo of Taylor-Smith and James Dorlin.

Cammish joins Sutton, Chilton, Hill, DeLeon and Rainford in winning a race this season, but will be wary of a potential penalty coming his way.

Pos	Name	Team	Car
1 (1)	Dan CAMMISH	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
2 (2)	Tom INGRAM	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
3 (6)	Ash SUTTON	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
4 (3)	Dan ROWBOTTOM	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
5 (7)	Dan LLOYD	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
6 (5)	Adam MORGAN	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
7 (9)	Tom CHILTON	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
8 (12)	Chris SMILEY	Restart Racing	Hyundai i30N
9 (4)	Mikey DOBLE	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
10 (13)	Daryl DELEON	Team WSR	BMW 330e
11 (8)	Josh COOK	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R
12 (11)	Charles RAINFORD	LKQ Euro Car Parts Racing with WSR	BMW 330e
13 (14)	Aiden MOFFAT	Team WSR	BMW 330e
14 (16)	Sam OSBORNE	NAPA Racing	Ford Focus
15 (17)	Aron TAYLOR-SMITH	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
16 (10)	James DORLIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
17 (25)	Ryan BENSLEY	Team Vertu	Hyundai i30N
18 (22)	Ronan PEARSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
19 (24)	Nicholas HAMILTON	Powder Monkey	Cupra Leon
20 (18)	Dexter PATTERSON	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
21 (23)	Nick HALSTEAD	Power Maxed Racing	Vauxhall Astra
22 (20)	Jake HILL	Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport	BMW 330e
DNF (15)	Gordon SHEDDEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing	Toyota Corolla
DNF (19)	Max HALL	RoKIT Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport	Cupra Leon
DNF (21)	Stephen JELLEY	ONE Motorsport	Honda Civic Type-R

25th May 2025

BTCC Snetterton preview – WSR in form heading to power hungry circuit

The British Touring Car Championship heads to Norfolk this weekend and Snetterton for the latest instalment of bumper to bumper action.

After a frenetic Brands Hatch round last time out, the biggest names in UK tin-top racing are ready to continue their fight for the title.

WSR are back – and then some!

It’s fair to say West Surrey Racing didn’t have the best of season openers at Donington. Under par by their lofty standards, they went to Brands with lowered expectations, and blew them out the water.

They completed a clean sweep of race wins, with reigning champion Jake Hill getting his title defence off the ground, as well as first BTCC wins for Daryl DeLeon and rookie Charles Rainford.

While Brands favoured the rear wheel drive BMW, WSR secured a triple in one weekend for the first time since 2015 at Croft. They’re back, and the grid better watch out. Snetterton is a circuit which can favour rear wheel drive machinery, and its long straights will result in BMW excelling for sure.

Crees out, Bensley in

There will be a new face on the grid this weekend, as Ryan Bensley will make his BTCC debut at his home circuit. He will replace Michael Crees in the Excelr8 Hyundai i30N.

Crees himself is only in the seat for half a season, and scored two points finishes last time out at Brands. However he has stepped aside to allow Bensley, a long-time commercial partner of his, to realise a lifelong dream – competing in the BTCC.

Bensley has raced in the Milltek Sport Civic Cup as well as making an appearance in the TCR UK championship, racing at the season finale at Silverstone. He achieved a fifth place finish in race one, showing he has pace, and the ability to challenge for points.

Who to look out for

As stated earlier, the WSR trio of Jake Hill, Charles Rainford and Daryl DeLeon are all on good form. Snetterton will display the power of the BMW, so all three will be up there. Also discount fourth WSR man Aiden Moffat at your peril. He’s fast, sharp, and will be wanting to prove he can make headlines too.

Title protagonists Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram are always at the sharp end of the action, and expect this weekend to be no different. One driver who has been impressing so far this season is Tom Chilton. The series veteran has shown real pace in his Hyundai and could be in the hunt for race wins.

Qualifying is always important, but here at Snetterton, history shows that those who qualify on pole, usually tend to win the first race – and sometimes the second too.

One of the most successful drivers around Snetterton is Colin Turkington. He’s amassed ten wins at the Norfolk circuit, with Jason Plato the record holder with 11. With Turkington leaving the grid last year, the driver on the current grid with the most wins is Ash Sutton (7) closely followed by Gordon Shedden (6).

The racing is bound to be exciting, with another three rounds of breathless action guaranteed.

24th May 2025

Blog

WSR are back – and then some!

Crees out, Bensley in

Who to look out for