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  • Rally Estonia 2022 Day One Report – Elfyn and Kalle fight for the lead

    Rally Estonia 2022 Day One Report – Elfyn and Kalle fight for the lead

    After Thursday’s evening stage, we had Craig in the lead from Kalle and Elfyn. Moving into Friday, the first full day of stages, the startlist looked like this – Rovanperä, Neuville, Tänak, Breen, Katsuta, Evans, Greensmith, Loubet, Lappi, Solberg, Fourmaux. The crews faced just under 140km’s over the eight stages, with a service break between the two loops.

    First up came SS2 Peipisääre 1 – 24.35 km and after Ott set the early pace, Elfyn came through with the fastest time moving into the overall lead, with Kalle holding second and Ott third. The early leader, Craig was fourth fastest, but as he got a penalty as well, fell down to fifth overall. The penalty was for not using electric mode in the HEV zone. Ott also got the same penalty.

    Next up was SS3 Mustvee 1 – 17.09 km and we had the same top three, with Elfyn taking a second stage win from Ott and Kalle. The Welshman’s lead over his teammate was now 12.6 seconds. Further down the leaderboard, there was a swap in positions with Adrien moving ahead of Oliver, the Frenchman now into seventh overall. Meanwhile, Thierry was really struggling in the stages, only setting the fifth best time and now over 22 seconds from the leader.

    Onto SS4 Raanitsa 1 – 21.45 km and Elfyn made it three in this one winning the stage from Kalle and Ott again. There was drama for Craig though who went off the road when setting a very good pace and unfortunately, he broke the steering and he was out for the day. A big shame for the leading M-Sport Ford driver, who was showing good pace before this. Everyone behind moved up a place, but the biggest gainer was Takamoto who jumped up four positions and into seventh overall.

    The last stage then before the service break, SS5 Vastsemõisa 1 – 6.70 km and once again it was Elfyn fastest from Kalle and Ott and they remained the top three overall as well. In the WRC2 class, Emil held the lead from Andreas and Teemu. Hayden and John were making good progress, finishing the stages and gaining good knowledge about their i20rally2 out there.

    After the break, Elfyn won SS6 Peipisääre 2 – 24.35 km from Kalle and Ott again, these three were really dominating the top places. Thierry dropped another place falling behind Esapekka and into fifth overall, and further down the positions Pierre-Louis moved up moved ahead of Takamoto and into seventh place.

    The rain arrived in SS7 Mustvee 2 – 17.09 km and the top three were the same, but with Kalle now winning the stage from Ott and Elfyn. Running first on the road was an advantage, and the Finns made the most of it, reducing the gap to their teammate to just 14 seconds.

    2022 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / Rally Estonia 2022 / 13-17th July, 2022 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Just two more stages then and SS8 Raanitsa 2 – 21.45 km was taken by Kalle, now taking his stage wins to two, whilst Elfyn was second and Esapekka third. The gap between the Toyota teammates was just 10.9 seconds. The rain was really changing things out on the stages with the lead change happening in WRC2 as well. Andreas took the lead from Emil who fell from the lead to fourth in class.

    The final stage of the day then, SS9 Vastsemõisa 2 – 6.70 km and Kalle had the best of the conditions, running first and setting the pace good enough to win the stage from Thierry and Adrien! It was a big mix up for sure! Meanwhile, the other two Puma crews had huge moments, sliding wide. Gus kept going, but Pierre-Louis ended up on his side and lost about two minutes and fell to ninth overall. Adrien, Takamoto and Gus all moved up one place each, now holding the three positions ahead of the Frenchman.

    Here is the top ten and the views of the drivers.

    Classification after Day One

     

    1 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 1:16:19.7
    2 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +11.7
    3 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +44.3
    4 E. Lappi J. Ferm Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:05.9
    5 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1:12.9
    6 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 +2:08.1
    7 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2:10.9
    8 G. Greensmith J. Andersson Ford Puma Rally1 +2:29.4
    9 P. Loubet V. Landais Ford Puma Rally1 +3:59.0

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Kalle Rovanperä (1st)

    “This morning the conditions were quite dry so there was a lot of cleaning for us, but I think we managed quite well and we didn’t lose too much time. Then in the afternoon the rain came and it was quite tricky, but we had some good times. In the last one it was heavy rain and I knew it was not going to get any better for the guys behind, so I pushed a lot and we could get the lead. Elfyn has been really fast the whole day, and now that we will be close together in the road order, we will try to do our best to fight, but we also need to think about the points for the championship.”

    Elfyn Evans (2nd)

    “It’s not been a bad day. This morning was very good, I was happy with the feeling inside the car and everything was working really well. This afternoon it was a bit more difficult with the conditions changing all the time, so it was hard to be perfect and easy to be a little bit too careful at times. We had very bad conditions in the last one, which was obviously less than ideal for us. But there’s a long way to go and it’s all to play for still, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

    2022 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 07 / Rally Estonia 2022 / 13-17th July, 2022 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Esapekka Lappi (4th)

    “We lost a bit of time this morning because of a small issue with the brakes, which were not giving me the confidence that you need on this rally. But I think we managed that quite well and were still in a good position, and once the team could fix it in the midday service the times were better in the afternoon. We were maybe a bit unlucky sometimes with the rain showers but rallying is an outdoor sport so we can’t complain! I think we’re about where we expected to be, in a position to be there if something happens in front.”

     

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Ott Tänak (3rd)

    “Conditions were constant in the morning, but that was the opposite of what we faced this afternoon with demanding, inconsistent roads. There was water here and there, some dry places and it was just a lot more difficult. The issue in the final stage wasn’t as dramatic as it looked; a pipe came off from the windscreen heater and we had no visibility. The weather was tough anyway, so it was probably better not to see what was happening outside. Hopefully, we’ve been able to learn something in these circumstances and can take that forward. It’s important for us to get as much information from the car as we can. We are still in the competition and remain fully committed. Normally, I’d like to be competitive in Estonia; sadly, it’s not really happening so far this year but as we’ve seen today anything can change, so it’s not over yet.”

    2022 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 07, Rally Estonia
    14-17 July 2022
    Ott Tanak
    Photographer: Austral
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Thierry Neuville (5th)

    “At the end of today, things are pretty much as we expected. We knew it was going to be a tough one for us. Generally, my target throughout the day was to improve the handling of the car. I wasn’t 100% confident but I was able to drive with good speed, set some good split times in some stages and have some fun in the tricky conditions. We had mixed feelings about the morning loop, the first two stages went well, but after that we went wrong with the set-up to try and find something to suit these very narrow sections. We arrived at midday service in fourth and wanted to keep that position. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to, but we are just seven seconds away. This is a special event; I don’t want to put my rear wheels in the ditches when I don’t know what’s there; instead, we try to stay out of trouble and hope for another clean day tomorrow. The weather forecast certainly looks interesting.”

    Oliver Solberg (27th)

    “We’ve made it to the end of the day at Rally Estonia, but it’s fair to say things have not gone to plan so far. After a tough morning where we really struggled to find any grip, we had a puncture on the first stage this afternoon, then touched a big rock in a corner on the stage after and the power steering broke. We tried to fix it but couldn’t and lost a lot of minutes with time penalties and fighting the issue through the next stages. I can tell you it’s not easy driving these cars without power steering! But we’re still here, so let’s try and stay positive, go again tomorrow, and hope for better.”

     

    Tomorrow (Saturday)

    The second day will see the crews tackle 95km’s over nine stages. Can Kalle keep the lead, or will we see Elfyn or Ott move into the lead? One thing is for sure; The drama is not over.

  • Donington Park World Superbikes Couldn’t Have Planned It Better!

    This weekend we are lucky enough to host the British round of the World Superbike series at Donington Park in Derbyshire and as far as I am concerned, it couldn’t have worked out better for them and us. At the time of writing this, the old laptop is pointing towards a temperature on Saturday of 28°c, Sunday showing 31°c and it doesn’t look like the wind is going to climb over 6 mph all weekend. SAFE TO SAY YOU’RE GONNA’ NEED YOUR SUNCREAM AND A HAT!

    WSBK Estoril Race 1 Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team

    Long hailed one of the jewels in the crown of British Racing, the 2.5 mile circuit winds its way across the rolling British countryside. Anyone who has visited Donington and walked down the Craner Curves to the Old Hairpin for example, will know it’s quite the hike. You are however rewarded by the stunning views and the spectating really does take some beating. Donington does cater well for slips, trips and falls with its gravel traps however it retains that “close to the track” feel that most British circuits, barring Silverstone offer. Hence Donington being a true fan favourite in person and on the TV.

    The start of the season in World SBK has been anything (and everything) but boring. Unfortunately “boring” has been a moniker that the series has struggled to shake off it’s back in previous years. However, with some tweeking of the technical regulation by the series owner, to ensure the various manufacturers perform as closely as possible, and the recruitment of some seriously talented riders over the last 2-3 seasons, we have been served up nothing short of bar to bar, wheel to wheel, fairing to fairing, nonstop racing action AND IT’S ABSOLUTEY BRILLIANT!

    Alvaro Bautista at Aragon 2022 WSBK. Image courtesy of Ducati

    Jonathan Rea having taken a step this year aboard his Kawasaki ZX10R to ultimately close the gap (and overtake) last year’s World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu on his Yamaha R1, plus the resurgence of the Ducati Panigale in the hands of returning factory rider Alvaro Bautista. Bautista has replaced regular race winner Scott Redding after he stepped away from the Italian Factory to race on BMW machinery for the 2022/2023 season. Bautista has taken the fight to both Rea and Razgatlioglu and put the dampers on any of Kawasaki and Yamaha’s hard work in the off season. After a string of hard-fought victories, the Spaniard holds a steady 36 points in the lead going into Donington on Rea with Razgatlioglu following another 43 points further back. Based on this alone, we are in for one hell of a treat this weekend.

    The sweetener this weekend being the wildcards. The reigning British Superbike Champion, Tarran Mackenzie will make his World Superbike debut aboard a SBK Spec version of his McAms Yamaha R1. Taz was scheduled to debut at the Assen round of the world championship, however a pre-season training accident ruled him out of both Assen and even the opening rounds of the British Superbikes.

    Speaking recently to worldsbk.com Tarran said “I am very excited to finally make my debut in the Superbike World Championship at Donington. It feels like it’s been a long time coming and I was obviously disappointed when we couldn’t do Assen. Donington is a special track for me as it’s only 10 minutes down the road from home, I’ve had some great success there in BSB so I am looking forward to getting out on a World Superbike-spec R1 and seeing what both myself and the McAMS Yamaha team can achieve. Obviously, there is a lot to learn with the engine and electronics, but I know the chassis well as my BSB bike is very similar. The level in World Championship is really high and I’m looking forward to getting out on track and giving it our all. I have to say a huge thanks to Steve and the McAMS Yamaha team, as well as Andrea and everyone at Yamaha Racing for making this possible.”

    Joining the McAms team at Donington is the FHO Racing team. Peter Hickman will make his 3rd Wildcard appearance in the World Superbike series riding his very own motorcycle from the British Superbike series. As with the McAms bike, it will be running an upgraded electronics package to match the other race entrants with the hope of being in for the win.

    In a statement released by the FHO Racing team, Peter Hickman says “I’m mega excited to get a chance to have a go at the World superbikes. I’ve done it twice – once in 2012 with Worx Suzuki and again in 2019 with the BMW World Superbike team but both times were last minute arrangements, jumping on bikes I had never seen before. This time I’ll be riding my FHO Racing BMW which I race in the British Superbike Championship so that will be good. We are having to work on raising the electronics package to World Superbike spec which will change things quite a lot which could be interesting, but we’ll see. I think it’s fantastic that we’re getting the chance to do this as a team and it’s all down to Faye. She’s owned the team for a year and a half and we’ve already done BSB, North West 200, Isle of Man TT and now we’re getting to do a World Superbike wildcard which is pretty cool. It’ll be good for everyone in the team to get to do a World Superbike round together. We’ve all done bits here and there not as a team, so I think it’s going to be a really great thing for us all.”

    Also returning to the series is previous Kawasaki KRT rider and current Vison Track Kawasaki rider Leon Haslam, returning again for Team Pedercini Racing on their Kawasaki ZX10R. Not a last-minute decision. This has been in the making since the start of the season when Pedercini scaled back their two-bike team to a single bike entry and agreeing with Leon to join forces for four races this year. So far Leon has rode for the team at the Assen round where he scored 13th, 17th and 16th place finishes. Let’s hope Donington Park offers some home round advantage for Leon and he can pick up some much needed racing confidence after a somewhat disappointing start to the 2022 BSB season. Leon is also scheduled to ride for the Pedercini team at the Most and Portimao rounds later in the season.

    WSBK Assen 23.04.2022 Razgatlioglu and Locatelli Picture courtesy of Pata Yamaha

    As for the other Brits, it goes without saying we hope that Scott Redding, Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea have a great race. It’s been a while since we had a full compliment flying the flag for us on the world stage. It’s very nice to see some fresh faces being given a chance to shine. Well done to Yamaha, McAms, Kawasaki, Lucio Pedercini, BMW and Faye Ho for making the brave choices to invest further money into a sport famous for its expense. With the cost of living rising across the globe and the financial constraints placed on business in general, it’s a wonder we go racing at all.

    Have a goodun’.

    Racing Armchair

    @racingarmchair

  • Rally Estonia 2022 Preview – Can anyone stop Kalle and Jonne?

    Rally Estonia 2022 Preview – Can anyone stop Kalle and Jonne?

    The championship heads back from the Kenya plains to the fast roads of Estonia, with Kalle and Jonne holding a huge lead over their closest rivals from Hyundai. The young Finnish pairing took their first victory on these roads last year, but it will be interesting if they can repeat this feat this year. Last year he came to this event holding sixth in the championship standings and had a good road position therefore. The challenge this year will be quite different as they open the road. Still, who knows what they will be able to do given their results from the last few rounds.

    His closest challengers are the two regular Hyundai crews, Thierry and Martijn and Ott and Martin. The Estonian crew will eye up a strong run on their home roads, and hope to take victory and boost their championship chances.

    Amongst the usual WRC2 runners will be a returning Hayden Paddon and John Kennard, driving a i20 Rally2. The Rally Argentina 2016 winners are making a return to the world championship stages, and its fantastic to see them back.

    Let’s take a look at the stages then – This year there are 313km’s over twenty-four stages.

    A Super Special Stage – Tartu (1.66km) – on Thursday evening kicks off the action at Rally Estonia

    Friday is the longest day of the event, with two passes each of Peipsiääre (24.35km), Mustvee (17.09km), Raanitsa (21.45km) and Vastsemõisa (6.70km) totalling 139.18km

    Saturday’s running consists of two loops of four new stages, followed by another pass of the Tartu super special stage

    The event concludes on Sunday with a final six stages, as the crews twice take on Tartu Vald (6.56km), Kanepi (16.48km) and Kambja (15.95km).

    Let’s hear from the drivers.

    Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

    Kalle Rovanperä

    “Of course, it’s going to be nice for me to go back to Rally Estonia. Winning there last year was a great moment and it was a really strong weekend for us. This year we are in a different situation leading the championship and so we will be opening the road, but hopefully we can do another good result there. I always enjoy rallies like this one with fast and flowing roads, they suit me pretty well. It’s really important to feel confident in the car when driving at those speeds, so we have done a lot of work in testing to try and get the setup how we want it.”

    Elfyn Evans

    “I’m looking forward to these next two rallies on fast gravel roads, which will be quite different to what we’ve experienced during the last few events. Estonia will be the first really fast gravel rally that we’ve done with these cars, so the testing has been really important to try and prepare for that. I enjoy the high-speed stages we have in Estonia but it always helps a lot if you feel good in the car, so the target is to have a car that works well in all conditions and then hopefully secure a strong result at the end of the weekend.”

    Esapekka Lappi

    “I’m really looking forward to being in the car for these next two events, and especially my home rally in Finland of course. Estonia will not be so easy as I didn’t do the rally last year, so there are some stages that will be new for me. I believe I can do well there, but I’m not going into it with any big expectations. So far this year we have had good pace on every surface but I haven’t always been able to put it together. Therefore, the main goal for Estonia is just to have a good, clean rally.”

    Hyundai Motorsport

    Thierry Neuville

    “Rally Estonia is one of the fastest events on the calendar, and also the home event of Ott, so it is a rally where we always want to be strong and get good results. Personally, it is a rally I enjoy. The first season there was a bit difficult, but once you get to know the roads you start to like it more. This is because the speeds are very high, so it helps to know the conditions and the terrain. It’s very similar in terms of setup to Rally Finland, as both have fast roads that are generally flat. In Estonia the surface is a bit softer than Finland so it gets more rutted on the second pass, and the jumps are actually bigger and faster too. I was able to finish on the podium there in 2021 so hopefully I can do the same again this year.”

    Ott Tänak 

    “Rally Estonia is always a great event. For the first time this year we will be going to smoother, faster roads, so I am expecting it to be fun, but we also need to make sure we extract all the performance and speed we can from the car. It will be a big challenge and we will have to be fast out of the box right from the beginning. The best part for me is that I have no travel days! It’s also great to have a rally at home because we get to have the amazing fans and those close to us around us. But there is no extra pressure, we just want to score as many points as possible. We will try our best and do everything we can to finish in the top positions.”

    2022 FIA World Rally Championship
    Round 05, Rally Italia Sardegna
    2-5 June 2022
    Ott Tanak
    Photographer: Austral
    Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

    Oliver Solberg

    “Rally Estonia is the event I have been looking forward to most all year. It is one I have done many times before and I have been able to win there twice. Hopefully I will be able to fight for the podium, that is my personal goal for next weekend. It is a very tricky event with a lot of jumps. It’s also very fast and it is the first time I’ve competed there in these WRC cars, so it will be a different challenge. I’ve have driven in Estonia so much it feels almost like my second country, so I feel very comfortable on the roads. In the second loop the roads can get very rutted, so you need a car that is easy to drive and has good traction. But the main thing you need is to just keep your right foot flat down!”

    Teemu Suninen WRC2

    “Rally Estonia has been always a great challenge with a mixture of technical, narrow roads and super-fast wide roads. However, I have always liked the rally as it is similar to my home rally in Finland. Normally conditions change quite a lot from first loop to second loop when big ruts start appearing, so you have to adapt your driving to that. We had a good pre-event test and I am starting to feel happier with car; I have a better understanding of how to get a more balanced setup for fast gravel rallies. I am looking forward to bring good points home for me and team.”

    Fabrizio Zaldivar WRC2

    “Rally Estonia is a very interesting event. The roads are incredibly fast and very technical at the same time, so much so that sometimes you think you are going fast and then that is not reflected in the final time. A few weeks ago, we did an excellent test here, together with Teemu and Ott. The truth is that I learned a lot from their experience, especially when they were driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 on these kind of roads. I am confident that we will put everything into practice which will allow us to continue learning and scoring points for the team.”

    Also competing for Hyundai and sponsored by Hyundai New Zealand is Hayden Paddon and co-driven by longstanding mate, John Kennard. This is what he had to say.

    Hayden Paddon WRC2

    “We don’t have the stage experience and still trying to get their head around the car, so just a smooth consistent event is what we are looking for.”

    M-Sport Ford WRT

    Craig Breen

    “Obviously really looking forward to Estonia, it’s a rally that has served us well in the past, we’ve been on the podium now a good couple of times, and the last two years as part of the world championship we managed to bring home two podiums there as well. Honestly, I can’t wait for it, it’s a run of three rallies now that I’m very familiar and comfortable with. They are the complete opposite of the last couple of rallies of the season so far! I don’t feel alien heading to Estonia, I know what it’s all about.

    “We had a really good test last week, the car felt great and I was really comfortable from the beginning, so I’m looking forward to it. The stages look great, obviously with high speeds, big jumps and big crests.”

    Gus Greensmith

    “Really looking forward to Rally Estonia, last year we already had a good package, and things were going very well before some problems, so we showed that we can certainly set up the car in a way that works.

    “From the test, I probably haven’t been this comfortable in the car since Monaco, so really looking forward to this one for sure. Super-fast rallies mean very close times and putting everything together is a big job here, so we’ll do our best.”

    Pierre-Louis Loubet

    “I’m very happy to be going to Estonia, it’s always amazing to drive this type of car on such a fast rally. From our side it will be very important to continue our progression after Portugal and Sardinia, to stay calm and not try to do too much because on a rally like this it is very easy to make a mistake, like always, but you can’t make any mistakes at these high speeds.

    “For us it will be important to keep continuing our progress and be very focused on our side and to build maximum confidence in the car. After Estonia we also have Finland, so these are two very important rallies in the season for me.”

    Adrien Fourmaux

    “Estonia will be completely different to the previous rallies; it will be a really fast rally. It will be my first time with top category car on this event, but it’ll be my fourth participation in total, so I have a good knowledge of most of the stages.

    “It will be nice to drive on these fast roads with all the big jumps, it’s always a good experience and a good feeling, so we can look forward to that. We had a good day of testing before the rally, and we’ll use that to do our best to achieve a good result for the team.”

    Jari Huttunen WRC2

    “Sardinia was a good event for us, and I am feeling very happy in the car. Estonia is a big challenge with the high-speeds, but we are looking forward to it. We started well last year, and I’ve learnt a lot from the events this season so far, so I think it’ll be good. The focus will be on not making any mistakes and keeping in tune with the car and hopefully we will get a good result for the team.”

    Summary

    Well, what a very interesting rally we are set for then. Can the championship leaders take another amazing win, or will it be one of his teammates? Elfyn and Scott will want to win and make some steps up the championship standings, and given that he showed such amazing pace in last season’s Rally Finland, the scene of their last win, they have a very good chance of it. There will be competition from Ott and Martin though, who will also want victory on home soil. Meanwhile, Craig and Paul in their Puma come to a rally that has seen some good success for them, and given that their car has shown good pace in their hands, they could be the dark horses for a win, which would be very welcome in the service park. Also, just want to welcome back Kiwi duo Hayden and John. It’s great to have them back.

  • Leclerc Wins whilst there’s Heartbreak for his Teammate

    Leclerc Wins whilst there’s Heartbreak for his Teammate

    Charles Leclerc nurses the car to victory in a dramatic Austrian Grand Prix which saw his main championship rival have grip issues and his teammate retire when his car caught fire.

    The race start. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

    Lights out and Max Verstappen gets a great start to start ahead of Leclerc. Behind them, George Russell was alongside Sainz heading into turn one after getting a good start himself. Through the orange smoke, the two were alongside each other all the way down to turn three, Sainz narrowly getting ahead while Perez had joined in, battling Russell.

    On the run down to turn four, the Mercedes was slightly ahead but the pace of the RedBull meant Perez would have to try around the outside of turn four. This didn’t work in RedBull’s favour as they touch, spinning Perez into the gravel trap. Like a copy of the Hamilton/Albon incident a few years ago, Russell tapped the inside back wheel of Perez. He was given a five-second time penalty which he served at his first stop.

    Unlike the Sprint, the Ferrari’s didn’t battle each other, meaning Leclerc could catch up to Verstappen after he had pulled a gap early on. By lap 12 Leclerc was within DRS range of the RedBull and into turn four the Monegasque made a late move down the inside, clipping the curb on the way out. An excellent move by him and great driving from both drivers. Just a couple of laps later and RedBull decided to pit Verstappen. It appeared tyre degradation would be a problem for RedBull throughout the race.

    While that was happening Lewis Hamilton was battling the Haas of Mick Schumacher who had overtaken the Merc at the start. Hamilton made a brilliant move down the inside of turn eight, carrying more speed in the car. One lap later the other Haas came into view but this time it would prove to be an easier overtake down the inside of turn four with DRS help.

    Further down the field on lap 24 an epic battle commenced. Having slightly more pace than Zhou, Alonso looked down the inside of turn nine but thought better of it and backed out. This left him vulnerable to Magnussen behind him who was on good pace. The Haas and the Alpine were both catching the Alfa and ended up going three-wide into turn one. Everyone made it through with Magnussen coming out on top and Zhou coming down the inside of Alonso.

    The epic five car battle into turn three. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

    This battle meant that the two cars behind of Norris and Schumacher had caught up and a three-car battle became a five-car battle into turn three. Alonso slots in behind Magnussen but Norris comes from behind to go around the outside and takes the place off of Alonso. Schumacher also managed to get around Zhou as they headed down to turn four. Norris, with more speed, goes around the outside again of Magnussen but goes too wide so has to yield to the Haas.

    On lap 27 Ferrari finally decided to pit both their cars, coming out behind Verstappen but importantly having fresher tyres. At this point, it looked like Verstappen would have to make a second stop to keep up with Ferrari.

    Hamilton meanwhile was making great use of the newly found pace in his car from Silverstone. On lap 30 he made a great move on Ocon before turn three, showing that even though the Merc isn’t as powerful as RedBull and Ferrari, it is definitely quicker than the rest of the midfield.

    Three laps later and the inevitable happened. On tyres that were 12 laps fresher, Leclerc overtook Verstappen into the braking zone of turn three. Verstappen didn’t really fight it, knowing that he didn’t have the pace or the grip at that point. As a result, RedBull brought him in on lap 37 for more fresh hard tyres.

    Lap 40, and just as things had started to settle again Vettel and Gasly had contact at turn four, almost a carbon copy of the Russell/Perez incident earlier with Vettel in the gravel. Gasly ended up getting the time penalty to add to the one he got for track limits. Luckily he had already served that penalty, so only five seconds would be added to his time at the end.

    Lots of drivers got black and white flag warnings during the Grand Prix, as was the theme throughout the whole weekend. Many drivers, like Lewis Hamilton, came onto the radio to complain but only Gasly and Norris got time penalties.

    On lap 50 Ferrari brought in both their drivers again to put on more hard tyres. It looked like the two stops would be the quickest with RedBull not having an answer to the Ferrari pace throughout the race. It only took three laps for Leclerc to catch up and re-take the lead from Verstappen.

    However, unfortunately for Ferrari, their reliability issues came back. For Sainz, who had an amazing weekend in Silverstone, his engine actually appeared to explode before catching fire on lap 57. In replays, the bodywork actually shook as the car came to a stop on the hill of turn three. In some scary scenes, the car was in flames quite quickly, and with no handbrake, it was proving difficult for Sainz to get out of the car.

    A brave marshal came in with a block and Sainz was able to get out safely. The car was engulfed in flames, but the marshals were able to put it out. This brought out the virtual safety car, meaning both Leclerc and Verstappen pitted for new mediums to take them to the end of the race.

    Russell putting the moves on Ocon. Image courtesy of Mercedes Media

    As we went green again Russell was making great moves to bring himself up towards his teammate, now in a podium position. He made a great switch-back move on Ocon heading out of turn three to put himself in fourth place.

    It was a tense last few laps for Ferrari fans though as Leclerc came on the radio to say his throttle was sticking. Verstappen was catching him but the degradation was too high so he couldn’t make it work and Leclerc was able to nurse the came home to take the victory.

    Leclerc needed that victory after the last few races of unsuccessful running and to keep himself in the championship fight. This has now put him back to second in the championship but still 38 points off of Verstappen. Ferrari will be going back to Maranello to investigate their problems and try to resolve them quickly if they want to fight for this championship.

  • Another Victory for RXR

    image courtesy of Extreme E

    After being denied a perfect weekend in the last round by a post-race penalty, RXR took maximum points in Round 3 of Extreme E.

    Semi Final 1:

    Competing for the first two spots in the final were top qualifiers RXR, Chip Ganassi, and Acciona Sainz.

    Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky for RXR got the best start with Laia Sanz in second place for Acciona Sainz. Sara Price was not far behind in the Chip Ganassi car.

    It wasn’t long before Price was attempting an overtake on Sanz, but the two made contact and damage caused by the collision saw Price go off into the bushes. Chip Ganassi tried to continue but their rear right suspension was too damaged to finish.

    The rest of the race was uneventful as the two teams remaining ensured they saw the chequered flag. RXR crossed the line first with Acciona Sainz joining them in the final.

    Semi Final 1 Classification:

    1. RXR
    2. Acciona Sainz
    3. Chip Ganassi

    Semi Final 2:

    Two more places in the final were up for grabs in Semi Final 2, which was contested between X44, McLaren, and ABT Cupra.

    Last years championship challengers X44 got the best start and took the lead going into the first waypoint markers. ABT Cupra and McLaren were not far behind.

    Emma Gilmour in the McLaren car harried ABT Cupra’s Jutta Kleinschmidt for the entirety of the opening lap, but ultimately she would not get through.

    X44 entered the switch zone in the lead, swiftly followed by ABT Cupra and McLaren.

    There would be no position changes on the final lap of the race, despite some Nasser Al-Attiyah in the ABT Cupra’s best efforts to close the gap on X44. X44 sealed the win and their spot in the final, alongside ABT Cupra.

    Semi Final 2 Classification:

    1. X44
    2. ABT Cupra
    3. McLaren

    Crazy Race:

    Racing for the fifth and final place in the Final were Veloce, Andretti United, Xite Energy, and JBXE in the Crazy Race.

    Andretti United’s Catie Munnings took the lead as the lights went out, with Veloce getting ever closer. Indeed, too close at one point, with Veloce making contact with the Andretti United car and almost spinning off the track.

    More contact between the two teams later in the lap, however, resulted in the Veloce car spinning and knocking down a waypoint flag. Despite the spin, Veloce remained in second place ahead of JBXE.

    Andretti United would be uncontested for the remainder of the race, as they secured the last place in the Final. Further behind JBXE passed Veloce for second, with Xite Energy bringing up the rear.

    Crazy race Classification:

    1. Andretti United
    2. JBXE
    3. Veloce
    4. Xite Energy

    Final:

    The final race of the round was the five-car Final, fought between Acciona Sainz, RXR, X44, ABT Cupra, and Andretti United.

    ABT Cupra got the best start as the lights went out, taking the lead. RXR were not far behind, with X44, Andretti United, and Acciona Sainz also close by.

    An issue for the Acciona Sainz car saw them soon fall off the back of the pack, and eventually they parked-up, unable to finish the race.

    The teams came in to the switch zone line astern, with very little to separate them. But disaster struck ABT Cupra when Jutta Kleinschmidt failed to do up all of her safety belts correctly.

    ABT Cupra continued on in first position but with a penalty looming large, their chances of winning seemed to dwindle.

    RXR soon took advantage of ABT Cupra’s misfortune, with Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky overtaking Kleinschmidt on the inside. From there RXR would not relinquish the lead as they sealed maximum points for the weekend. They also picked up the extra five points for the fastest Continental Traction Challenge time.

    ABT Cupra were later disqualified, promoting X44 into second place and Andretti United into third.

    Final Classification:

    1. RXR
    2. X44
    3. Andretti United
    4. Acciona Sainz
    5. ABT Cupra

    Overall Weekend Classification:

    With their final win, RXR took the maximum 30 points for the weekend. X44 finished second overall, with Andretti United finishing in third. Xite Energy propped up the standings.

    1. RXR  –  30 Points
    2. X44  –  18 Points
    3. Andretti United  –  15 Points
    4. Acciona Sainz  –  12 Points
    5. ABT Cupra  –  10 Points
    6. McLaren  –  8 Points
    7. Chip Ganassi  –  6 Points
    8. JBXE  –  4 Points
    9. Veloce  –  2 Points
    10. Xite Energy  –  1 Points

    Championship Standings:

    RXR extended their lead at the top of the championship to 37 points over Chip Ganassi. X44 jumped into third position, just 2 points behind Chip Ganassi. Veloce continue their poor run at the bottom of the standings.

    1. RXR  –  80 Points
    2. Chip Ganassi  –  43 Points
    3. X44  –  41 Points
    4. Acciona Sainz  –  40 Points
    5. Xite Energy  –  27 Points
    6. Andretti United  –  27 Points
    7. JBXE  –  18 Points
    8. McLaren  –  19 Points
    9. ABT Cupra  –  16 Points
    10. Veloce  –  7 Points

     

  • RXR Top Qualifiers Once Again


    image courtesy of Extreme E

    RXR topped qualifying for the second time in as many rounds in Sardinia today, taking maximum points from the two sessions.

    Qualifying 1:

    By Extreme E’s standards, Qualifying 1 was a very sedate affair, with all teams able to post a time.

    RXR were the first team to do their run, and they set a benchmark time of 9:00.503, some 10 seconds quicker than they set around the same track just a few days earlier.

    RXR’s benchmark would not be beaten, with some drivers blaming evolving track conditions for their inability to beat it. Chip Ganassi went closest, with X44 not far behind.

    Maximum classification points for Qualifying 1 were awarded to RXR, with Veloce’s continuing run of poor form see them prop up the classification.

    Qualifying 1 Classification:

    1. RXR  9:00.503  –  10 Points
    2. Chip Ganassi  +10.741  –  9 Points
    3. X44  +11.374  –  8 Points
    4. McLaren +15.126  –  7 Points
    5. Andretti United  +15.203  –  6 Points
    6. ABT Cupra  +16.919  –  5 Points
    7. JBXE  +21.634  –  4 Points
    8. Acciona Sainz  +21.701  –  3 Points
    9. Xite Energy  +22.917  –  2 points
    10. Veloce  +34.065  –  1 Point

    Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

    The first heat of Qualifying 1 was contested between Xite Energy, Andretti United, X44, RXR, and JBXE.

    RXR got the best start and took the lead of the race. Despite some intense pressure from X44 on the first lap, they would not relinquish the lead of the race.

    Further behind, Xite Energy made contact with Andretti United, causing the right rear suspension to break on the Andretti car. Timmy Hansen, who was driving in the Andretti at the time, lost the back end, and spun. They dropped to the back of the field and would not complete their second lap.

    After the switching of drivers, Xite Energy’s Tamara Molinaro overtook the less experienced JBXE driver, Hedda Hosas for third place.

    X44 received a post heat penalty for leaving the switch zone early, but it was not enough to see them drop any positions.

    Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

    1. RXR  –  10 Points
    2. X44  –  8 Points
    3. Xite  –  6 Points
    4. JBXE  –  4 Points
    5. Andretti  –  0 Points

    Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

    McLaren, Chip Ganassi, ABT Cupra, Acciona Sainz, and Veloce all competed against one another in the second and final heat in Qualifying 2.

    Acciona Sainz got the best start, swiftly taking the lead before the first waypoint. Kyle Leduc in the Chip Ganassi harried the Acciona Sainz car for much of the lap, but was unable to make the move.

    Towards the end of the first lap, Leduc made a mistake, seeing him lose control of the car and go the wrong way. The Chip Ganassi team dropped back into fourth place following Leduc’s off-course excursion.

    Not much would happen for the remainder of the heat, as Acciona Sainz took a comfortable win ahead of McLaren and ABT Cupra.

    Chip Ganassi received a 10 second penalty for dropping a waypoint marker, seeing them fall into last place in the second heat.

    Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

    1. Acciona Sainz  –  10 Points
    2. McLaren  –  8 Points
    3. ABT Cupra  –  6 Points
    4. Veloce  –  4 Points
    5. Chip Ganassi  –  2 Points

    Overall Qualifying Classification:

    1. RXR  20 Points
    2. X44   16 Points
    3. McLaren  15 Points
    4. Acciona Sainz  13 Points
    5. Chip Ganassi  11 Points
    6. ABT Cupra  11 Points
    7. JBXE  8 Points
    8. Xite Energy   8 Points
    9. Andretti United   6 Points
    10. Veloce  5 Points

    RXR completed another qualifying clean sweep, putting them into Semi Final 1 against Acciona Sainz and Chip Ganassi.

    Semi Final 2 will feature X44, McLaren, and ABT Cupra. JBXE, Xite Energy, Andretti United, and Veloce will all face off in the Crazy Race for the fifth and final place in the Final.

  • 2022 Austrian GP Sprint Race

    2022 Austrian GP Sprint Race

    Round 11 of the 2022 F1 World Championship sees the return to Austria and the Red Bull Ring circuit, it’s also the 2nd Sprint Race weekend of the season. Less than a week since the British GP and one of the best F1 races in years the short Red Bull Ring has a lot to live up to.

    After practice and Qualifying the local Orange Army were happy cheering on their beloved World Champion Max Verstappen, who put his RedBull onto pole position for today’s sprint race which would decide the grid for the all-important GP on Sunday. This season the top eight finishers in the sprint race receive points so the sprint race itself has become even more critical in terms of the championship fight.

    Alongside Verstappen on the front row is Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari, after a disappointing string of results he could get his championship challenge back on track in front of the excited Orange Army. The Mercedes again looked to have returned to competitiveness but both drivers had offs in qualifying so would be starting 4th and 9th. With the short nature of the track the sprint race should be a close battle through the field.

    Before lights out Alonso’s car still has the tyre warming blankets on as the rest of the field drive away, The Spaniard will now have to start from the pitlane. At the end of the formation lap Zhou in the Alfa Romeo stopped before the grid, the cars were sent on another formation lap and Zhou would also be made to start from the pitlane once he got the car started again.

    The Sprint start. Image courtesy of RedBull Content Pool

    Lights out and Verstappen leads the two Ferraris away, Sainz and Leclerc battling away for most of the first lap after the Spaniard led his teammate into turn two. Gasly went out at turn one after contact with Hamilton after trying to squeeze the Mercedes driver into the first corner.

    After 3 laps Verstappen already had a 2 second lead over Leclerc, who led his teammate by half a second, they were followed by Russell, Ocon, Magnussen, Schumacher, Perez, Bottas, and Hamilton rounding out the top ten.

    Leclerc set the fastest lap at the end of lap 4 trying to get within DRS of the leading RedBull. The two Ferraris were running so close together that they were letting the leading RedBull getaway. A great battle between them lap after lap but they had now fallen 3 seconds behind Verstappen, once again Ferrari seemed to be handing a win to the RedBull driver.

    As lap 8 began Hamilton moved ahead of Bottas into P9, can the 7-time World Champion make up more places to get a better grid slot for tomorrow’s race?

    Perez in the second RedBull was now making a move up the field, easily taking P7 from Schumacher as the young German concentrated on trying to overtake his teammate. On the following lap, he makes it passed Magnussen and up to P6.

    Lap 11 and Vettel in the Aston Martin was sent into the gravel by Alex Albon in the Williams, the German manages to escape the gravel trap and return to the race.

    At half distance Verstappen leads by 3 seconds from Leclerc, his RedBull teammate makes another paced and is up to P5 after taking Ocon Alpine. Hamilton has now made it onto the back of the two Haas cars, unfortunately for him, Schumacher had DRS so he couldn’t catch him enough on the straights.

    As ever with a sprint race the field settles and laps pass with nothing much happening, if they are to keep this format they have to change something as it just doesn’t seem to work.

    Hamilton was finally free of the Haas. Image courtesy of Mercedes Media

    With 5 laps to go Hamilton is still stuck behind the Haas of Schumacher, back up front Verstappen leads by just over two and half seconds cruising to an easy win. The Ferraris have settled a few seconds apart with seemingly no pace to make any impression on the leader.

    Lap 21 and finally Hamilton makes it passed the German, can he catch the next Haas in the remaining 2 laps.

    At the chequered flag Verstappen wins again from Leclerc and Sainz, they are followed by Russell, Perez, Ocon, Magnussen, Hamilton, Schumacher, and Bottas.

    Following them is Norris and Ricciardo in the disappointing Mclarens, Stroll, Zhou, Gasly, Albon, Tsunoda, and Latifi. Vettel and Alonso, who never made the start of the race.

    Will Ferrari regret letting their drivers battle so much and let the RedBull driver getaway, once he had the lead he never looked troubled?

    Tomorrow’s race should be a bit more exciting as strategy comes into play.

  • RXR Perfect Season Continues With Final Win

    Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Team X44 Laia Sanz (ESP) / Carlos Sainz (ESP), Acciona | Sainz XE Team
    Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Team X44 Laia Sanz (ESP) / Carlos Sainz (ESP), Acciona | Sainz XE Team

    RXR completed the perfect weekend after winning an entertaining final and taking maximum points for the round.

    Semi Final 1

    An enthralling morning’s action started in Semi Final 1 as top qualifiers RXR raced Andretti United and Xite Energy for the first two spots in the final.

    The lights went out and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky for RXR got off the line well to take the lead, with Xite Energy’s Tamara Molinaro not far behind.

    It wasn’t long before Timmy Hansen for Andretti United had got past Molinaro and was hot on the tail of Ahlin-Kottulinsky. Hansen followed closely behind, with an overtake looking likely. Just as they approached the end of the lap, Hansen took a wider line into a corner and his superior exit speed allowed him to take the lead going into the switch zone just marginally in front.

    After the changing of drivers RXR and Andretti continued to do battle. Catie Munnings in the Andretti United car worked hard to keep Johan Kristofferson for RXR behind her. It wasn’t to be for Andretti United, however, as a technical issue slowed the car down significantly.

    Kristofferson, having surpassed Munnings with his now superior acceleration, cruised home to take first place. Xite Energy took the other final spot that was up for grabs.

    Semi Final 1 Classification

    1. RXR
    2. Xite Energy
    3. Andretti United

    Semi Final 2

    Two more places in the final were available in the second of the two semi finals. JBXE, Acciona Sainz, and X44 would compete for them.

    JBXE had made the final after a post-heat penalty in qualifying for Veloce saw JBXE jump ahead of ABT Cupra in the classification.

    Off the start Acciona Sainz and X44 both got away well and were side by side until some slight contact between the two saw Acciona Sainz get their noses in front. After having taken an alternative line, JBXE slotted into second position.

    It wasn’t long, though, until JBXE had got ahead of Acciona Sainz. After keeping his foot to the floor, Kevin Hansen for JBXE overtook Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz car. Hansen continued to extend his lead for the rest of the lap. X44 managed to get into second position before the switch zone.

    However, X44 had an issue during the changeover when the safety net would not reattach properly. The team fell back behind Acciona Sainz, and they would not regain the position. The day ended there for last year’s championship challengers.

    The rest of the race was about whether Carlos Sainz in the Acciona Sainz could catch Hedda Hosas, who was competing in the JBXE car for the first time. Ultimately, Sainz could not close the gap enough and JBXE secured their position in the final. Acciona Sainz would also be there.

    Semi Final 2 Classification:

    1. JBXE
    2. Acciona Sainz
    3. X44

    Crazy Race

    The fifth and final spot in the final was contested between Chip Ganassi, McLaren, ABT Cupra, and Veloce.

    ABT Cupra’s Nasser Al-Attiyah got a great start and swiftly took the lead. Behind him, though, Emma Gilmour in the McLaren made contact with Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price. Gilmour lost control of the car and rolled over. Fortunately, she was unscathed, but the same could not be said of the car, as McLaren could not continue.

    With the dust becoming an increasing problem, a couple of drivers managed to lose their way in the Crazy Race. First, Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price lost control of the car and ended up veering off course. In an attempt to rejoin the track she almost reversed into Veloce’s Lance Woolridge. Woolridge himself also went the wring way but was just able to stay ahead of the Chip Ganassi car.

    Some drama in the switch zone saw ABT Cupra under investigation for two separate offences: speeding in the switch zone, and leaving too early.

    ABT Cupra would cross the line first, ahead of Chip Ganassi and Veloce, but post race penalties saw ABT Cupra demoted into second place, and Chip Ganassi claimed the final spot in the final.

    Crazy Race Classification

    1. Chip Ganassi
    2. ABT Cupra
    3. Veloce
    4. McLaren

    Final

    After a day of entertaining races the final didn’t disappoint either. Xite Energy, RXR, JBXE, Acciona Sainz, and Chip Ganassi all faced off to take top spot for the second round of the season.

    As the lights went out Acciona Sainz got the best start, swiftly taking the lead. RXR and Xite Energy took an alternative line for the first major corner.

    The action came as the two lines met, with RXR hitting the Acciona Sainz car, causing Acciona Sainz to roll. RXR picked up heavy damage in the collision but still took the lead. Acciona Sainz were out of the race.

    The teams came in to the switch zone as the red flag was called with RXR leading Chip Ganassi, Xite Energy, and JBXE. Once the race restarted these positions would not change, and RXR claimed another victory, whilst Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy both scored their first podiums in the series.

    In the final, RXR also extended their lead in the Continental Traction Challenge, scoring an additional five points in the championship.

    Final Classification

    1. RXR
    2. Chip Ganassi
    3. Xite Energy
    4. JBXE
    5. Acciona Sainz

    Overall Weekend Classification

    RXR took top spot for the weekend, following their victory in the final. Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy rounded out the podium.

    Further down the grid X44 beat out other semi final losers Andretti United to sixth place after having a faster time in the Continental Traction Challenge, McLaren brought up the rear after their crash in the Crazy race

    1. RXR  +30 Points
    2. Chip Ganassi  +18 Points
    3. Xite Energy  +15 Points
    4. JBXE  +12 Points
    5. Acciona Sainz  +10 Points
    6. X44 +8 Points
    7. Andretti United X +6 Points
    8. Veloce  +4 Points
    9. ABT Cupra  +2 Points
    10. McLaren  +1 Point

    Championship Standings

    RXR extend their lead in the championship, taking maximum points once again. Chip Ganassi leap frog Acciona Sainz to go into second. Thirty points separate the top two teams.

    After another poor weekend, Veloce continue to prop up the standings. They will be hoping for a better time in the next round, starting in just a couple of days time.

    1. RXR  60 Points
    2. Chip Ganassi  30 Points
    3. Acciona Sainz  28 Points
    4. X44  23 Points
    5. Xite Energy  23 Points
    6. JBXE  14 Points
    7. Andretti united  12 Points
    8. McLaren  11 Points
    9. ABT Cupra  6 Points
    10. Veloce  5 Points 

  • RXR Top Extreme E Qualifying For The First Time


    Image courtesy of Extreme E

    Rosberg X Racing (RXR) topped Extreme E qualifying for the first time in their history in Sardinia. The German team beat X44, who had qualified fastest in every round prior to this week.

    Qualifying 1

    RXR were first to set a time in Qualifying 1. Drivers Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristofferson both put in quick laps with little drama. They set a benchmark time of 9:13.966

    That time would not be beaten the entire session, however, as several other teams had issues.

    Veloce and McLaren both suffered front right suspension failures and neither team were able to complete their runs. This meant they picked up 0 intermediate classification points for Qualifying 1.

    Chip Ganassi’s bad luck continued as technical issues in the switch zone prevented Kyle Leduc from completing their run. Technical issues for Chip Ganassi were a common theme across Season 1 of Extreme E.

    X44’s run was eventful too. Loeb was very quick on his lap, and the team looked close to challenging RXR’s time. Loeb might have been pushing too hard, however, as his rear right tyre got a puncture. He limped home and changed it in the switch zone as Gutierrez got into the car. Gutierrez completed the run, securing 4 crucial classification points.

    Qualifying 1 Classification

    1. RXR 9:13.966  10 Points
    2. Acciona Sainz +11.893  9 Points
    3. Andretti United +13.011  8 Points
    4. ABT Cupra +15.744  7 Points
    5. Xite Energy +18.516  6 Points
    6. JBXE +30.460  5 Points
    7. X44 +2:07.008  4 Points
    8. McLaren +1 Lap  0 Points
    9. Chip Ganassi +1 Lap  0 Points
    10. Veloce +2 Laps  0 Points

    Qualifying 2 Heat 1

    The first heat in Qualifying 2 was made up of RXR, Andretti United, Xite Energy, X44, and Chip Ganassi.

    When the lights went out Kristofferson for RXR and Munnings for Andretti got off the line well, and RXR led Andretti into the first checkpoint.

    Further back, Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy were having a good battle, with X44 just behind. Then, Chip Ganassi’s day turned from bad to worse, as another technical issue saw them grind to a halt.

    After all the remaining teams had been into the switch zone there was drama at the part of the track Chip Ganassi were stopped in. To allow the racing to continue, race control had put in a slow zone in that area, meaning teams had to enable their pit limiters and could not overtake.

    It appeared, however, that X44 had closed in on Andretti United, and overtook them in the slow zone. At the time of writing, X44 are under investigation for the overtake, whilst Andretti United are being investigate for speeding in the slow zone.

    The heat ended with RXR crossing the line first, securing them top spot in qualifying. X44 had also overtaken Xite Energy after the slow zone, with Andretti being the last of the finishers.

    Qualifying 2 Heat 1 (provisional) Classification 

    1. RXR  10 Points
    2. X44  8 Points
    3. Xite Energy  6 Points
    4. Andretti United  4 Points
    5. Chip Ganassi  2 Points

    Qualifying 2 Heat 2

    The remaining five teams (Acciona Sainz, Veloce, McLaren, JBXE, and ABT Cupra) competed in Qualifying 2.

    On the whole it was a much calmer affair than the first heat, although not without some potential penalty drama of its own.

    Acciona Sainz led from start to finish, securing them an extra 10 classification points, and second placed qualifiers.

    It was in the switch zone that most of the action happened. Coming in, McLaren held second place, with Veloce 12 seconds behind. As the teams left the switch zone, however, Veloce had caught up and overtaken McLaren, prompting an investigation into a potential Veloce early release and speeding. At the time of writing the investigation has not been concluded.

    Qualifying 2 Heat 2 (provisional) Classification

    1. Acciona Sainz  10 Points
    2. Veloce  8 Points
    3. McLaren  6 Points
    4. JBXE  4 Points
    5. ABT Cupra  2 Points

    Overall Qualifying Classification:

    1. RXR  20 Points
    2. Acciona Sainz  19 Points
    3. X44  12 Points
    4. Andretti United  12 Points
    5. Xite Energy  12 Points
    6. ABT Cupra  9 Points
    7. JBXE  9 Points
    8. Veloce  8 Points
    9. McLaren  6 Points
    10. Chip Ganassi  0 Points

    RXR topped qualifying, closely followed by Acciona Sainz. Qualifying masters X44 scraped third after a difficult qualifying 1. Chip Ganassi’s woes continued for another weekend.

    Into the races tomorrow RXR will compete in the first semi final against Andretti United and Xite Energy, whilst Acciona Sainz will compete against X44 and ABT Cupra for a place in the final.

    JBXE, Veloce, McLaren, and Chip Ganassi will race against each other in the Crazy Race for the fifth and final place in the final.

  • F1 Weekend Preview: The Hills are alive with F1 cars

    F1 Weekend Preview: The Hills are alive with F1 cars

    Britain brought drama and a three-team battle for the podium places. We now move to Austria where Mercedes have traditionally gone well but this year they have been having unpredictable weekends. It’s a home race for RedBull but Ferrari will want to spoil the party if they can get on form.

    Ferrari is at it again

    Carlos Sainz finally got his first win in Formula 1 after taking his first F1 pole position on Saturday. He fought hard through the drama and mostly kept his cool under the building pressure from the previous 9 races. For him, the strategy worked in his favour and the battle behind him on the safety car restart meant he could get a gap and stay out of trouble.

    Ferrari team orders before strategy nightmare for Leclerc. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media

    His teammate was not so lucky though. Leclerc picked up damage in the restart of the race but, unlike RedBull with Perez, he didn’t repair his damage or change tyres early in the race. Initially, he was faster than his teammate, taking the lead, and didn’t look to affect him during the race. However, during the safety car Hamilton, Perez and Sainz were all pitted for softs, but Leclerc was left out on old hard tyres.

    This would turn out to be a poor decision for Leclerc’s race. He lost out to his teammate on the restart and then entered into a great battle but came out the loser between himself, Perez and Hamilton. For the championship battle, this means Leclerc is 43 points behind Verstappen. Ferrari needs to close this gap and bring a strong strategy to Austria.

    Have Mercedes found form?

    All weekend at Silverstone Mercedes looked quick and like they could actually trouble RedBull and Ferrari. Whilst they qualified in P5 and P8, their race pace was much better than their one-lap speed. Lewis Hamilton in particular really triumphed in the wet session before RedBull and Ferrari took over in Q3.

    Lewis Hamilton after the restart. Image courtesy of Mercedes Media

    During the race Lewis Hamilton was undeniably quick, putting in fastest laps throughout the race and closing the gap to the Ferrari’s in front. It looked like a very real possibility that he could have won the race.

    However, without George Russell competing in the race it was hard to tell the overall pace of the team. Moving forward to Austria, Mercedes will want to bring the improvements they made at Silverstone to the RedBull Ring and put in another solid performance.