Round 2 at Jeddah this weekend and after the reliability issues last time out all eyes are on Red Bull to come back stronger.
Red Bull Reliability
If you haven’t seen the drama of the double Red Bull retirement, Red Bull have said initial investigations seem to suggest a fuel pump/system issue which means that the final few litres of fuel for the end of the race didn’t make it into the engine despite having enough fuel in the tank.
Interestingly this year the fuel systems are comprised of parts made by the teams, the power unit manufacturer and a third party who won FIA tenders to supply standard parts. However, it is not known which part was at fault and therefore who supplied it.
In any case Red Bull get a chance to redeem themselves this weekend at the very high speed circuit in Saudi Arabia.
A tough result to take. We need to do a full investigation, but it looks like both Bulls suffered from a suspected fuel pump issue.#BahrainGPpic.twitter.com/TJiixJJbsO
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 20, 2022
Last time in Jeddah
When we last raced here the championship was really hotting up and the rivalry between the leaders was getting ugly. The on track battle was epic and summed up the season long battle between Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen.
However, this wasn’t the only talking point from that race. This is where the steward’s room and race director came under scrutiny as they were becoming more dominant in each race. They had begun to tell the narrative here at the newest and fastest street track.
Qualifying was thrilling but the race was incident back and the longevity of the circuit came under fire. Changes would need to be made to make this a viable race in the future.
Chaos in the background as Verstappen leads the race. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Room
Both in 2021 and 2022 the human rights conversation surrounding this race is important and getting louder. It is important to keep talking about it especially now with current events in the area. Formula 1 say they are monitoring the situation, but this will continue to be a big part of the race weekend.
The Fast Ferrari’s
In Bahrain Ferrari delivered on the pre-season rumours being the fastest on race day. All Ferrari engine powered cars had great performances with only Mick Schumacher finishing outside the points in P11.
This could mean Ferrari have the advantage at the high speed track in Jeddah. However, as seen last weekend, consistency is very important and Charles Leclerc dos not have the best relationship with street circuits.
In Monaco last year he pulled out a great lap to take pole in the first runs of Q3 but crashed on the final runs meaning he couldn’t start the race with gear box issues. In Baku 2019 he crashed heavily and producing the now infamous line “I am Stupid”.
Despite this, last year he finished P6, ahead of Sainz so will be looking to capitalise on his momentum from last weekend and improve on this result.
Ferrari’s 1-2 last time out in Bahrain. Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press Room
Qualifying is 5pm GMT and the race starts at 6pm GMT.
Charles Leclerc wins from pole in an action filled final few laps of Bahrain. Red Bull had engine problems with Verstappen having to retire and Perez retiring in the last 2 laps of the race.
First race of the season and we had Leclerc on pole to defend against the reining world champion in P2. Most predicted a messy start with neither driver known for yielding. As they lined up on the grid we waited to see if Formula 1 could deliver on their promises of exciting racing.
Lights out and it’s a clean getaway for all the drivers. Verstappen tucked in behind Leclerc as they got very similar starts. Hamilton had a quick launch in the first phase, but Sainz was later on the brakes and kept P3. After a short battle with Perez, Hamilton moved up to P4.
Kevin Magnussen had a very quick start and made it up to P5, he was fighting Hamilton into turn 1 at the start of lap 2. However, just a few laps later he went deep into turn 1 with a lock up which opened up the door for Perez who was able to close the gap. A well fought battle to turn 4, where Perez made it through. Just 1 lap later he went deep again and left the door open for George Russell, meaning he was back down to P7.
The race start. Image courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool
Lap 10 and so far the new regulations were delivering with action up and down the grid. Perez had closed the gap to Hamilton, getting DRS down the back straight. Perez was just carrying more speed and swooped around the outside getting back into P4.
3 laps later Hamilton is the first to pit for new hard tyres. It was a very quick stop, but the tyres only had the blanket temperatures meaning they were too cold going into turn 1. Hamilton had no grip and went deep into turn 1 letting Zhou through. Once the tyres had warmed up though he was back past the following lap.
The undercut looks to be powerful here when Leclerc pitted just 1 lap after Verstappen with a 3 second advantage but came out only 0.3s ahead. Verstappen did stay behind but he was biding he time for the next lap.
Verstappen kept the gap within 1 second and got DRS down the main straight. Into turn 1 and Verstappen takes the inside line coming out in front of Leclerc. But Leclerc had good traction out of the corner keeping tight to Verstappen and crucially getting DRS on the way to turn 4. The Ferrari swoops around the outside to re-take the lead.
The battle didn’t end there when Verstappen tried again the following lap, but the story repeated itself. This time Leclerc took the inside line into turn 4 to take the lead. So, attempt number 3, Verstappen had DRS into turn 1 but he locked up causing him to go very deep and leaving the door wide open for Leclerc. The Ferrari then had the advantage, and the duel came to an end on lap 19.
3rd time unlucky for Max Verstappen. Image Courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool
McLaren meanwhile were having a terrible weekend. At the start of the race both dropped down to the back being the only drivers which started on the mediums. At lap 28 they were running P18 and P20. Norris then pitted for hard tyres, looking to go to the end.
Lap 34 and Verstappen has had enough of his soft tyres which had begun to where off after his battle with Leclerc. He pitted for mediums but was told to take it slightly easier on the out lap but still hoped the undercut would work. Ferrari reacted and pitted Leclerc for mediums. This time Verstappen was too far back which resulted in a frustrated message back to the team saying he would never take the outlap easy again.
10 laps later both Red Bulls are in the pits causing confusion amongst fans. However, Sainz came in and Hamilton follows for soft tyres. Verstappen constantly on the radio though with what appears to be an issue with the steering after the pitstop. He did stay out hoping he could cope with it for the rest of the race.
Just 11 laps from the end Gasly’s car overheats bringing out the safety car while they recover the car which was in flames. He got out the car safely, but it looks like it was an electrical issue. With that, in came Leclerc and almost all the rest of the grid for new softs apart from Mick Schumacher. The pack was bunched together, and the all the lapped cars could unlap themselves.
LAP 46/57
Gasly's race ends – flames coming out of the rear, expertly dealt with by a race marshal
The safety car in and Leclerc bolts while Verstappen has to deal with his steering problems while Sainz pulls alongside into turn 1. Verstappen comes out ahead and the gaps begin to open up by turn 4. Mick Schumacher on the older tyres suffers and drops back from P10 to P13 in just 3 laps.
Lap 54, Verstappen has battery issues and Sainz passes him at turn 4. Only 1 corner later and Verstappen has to retire with terminal problems. Hamilton at this point was all over the back of Perez who was also reporting problems.
The final lap, Hamilton kept his car within DRS down the main straight. Perez was comfortably ahead turning into turn 1 but the engine had other ideas and cut out mid corner, causing him to spin and was out of the race.
After all that last lap drama Charles Leclerc came out on top, with Sainz P2 and Hamilton P3. Russell finished just behind his teammate which is more than they could have hoped for today. A special shoutout to Kevin Magnussen who finished P5 in the Haas.
The jury is still out on the new regulations, but reliability is key. Both Red Bulls and Gasly’s Alpha Tauri looked to have engine issues which they will need to get sorted to compete for the championship this year.
Charles Leclerc takes pole with Verstappen in P2 and Sainz in P3. Verstappen looked quick all weekend, but Ferrari appear to have so far lived up to the pre-season hype.
The first qualifying session of the year and anticipation was high to see how the cars would perform at full power. Who has excelled with the new regulations and who is struggling?
In Q1 it looked like Aston Martin had lost out the most. Both drivers not able to get out of the session, finishing P19 and P17. But Hulkenberg did out qualify Stroll having only known about being in the car since Thursday night.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR22, Qualifying
It seemed a familiar story for Latifi at Williams, qualifying P20 whilst his teammate Albon made it into Q2. McLaren were the other team to struggle the most, specifically Daniel Ricciardo was suffering from not having completed testing and could only manage P18. Tsunoda was the other driver out in Q1, meaning Haas had both cars into Q2 for the first time since Brazil 2019. A massive step for them.
Q2 began and time to remember that the rules had changed, meaning drivers no longer had to use the tyres they qualified fastest in Q2 on to start the race tomorrow. With all cars using the soft tyres and McLaren still had issues. Lando Norris pushed the car but couldn’t get any faster than P13.
The remaining Williams of Albon came out in the gap between runs in Q2 but couldn’t get out of the bottom 5 despite improving.
The Alpines were having a relatively quiet qualifying. Alonso qualified for Q3 with Ocon only just missing out when Gasly pushed his car into the top 10. Zhou then looked to improve but his final lap time deleted for track limits so qualified P15.
Haas shocked the grid for a second time when Magnussen put in a time good enough for P4 halfway through the session. Mick Schumacher was also having a solid session, hanging around P11 for a long time before finishing P12. K Mag did begin to have hydraulic issues meaning he couldn’t come back out for the second runs of qualifying. Luckily he had done enough to make it into Q3.
First runs down in Q3 and Verstappen manged P3 just half a second slower than Carlos on provisional pole with Leclerc in P2. It was Ferrari from Red Bull from Mercedes going into the final runs.
K Mag made it out for the final runs with Haas seemingly fixing his problem, as well with Bottas, Gasly and Alonso along for the ride.
Mercedes was first to cross the line, but neither could improve and as the rest of the cars came round one by one they split the teammates. Bottas only 4 tenths off of Hamilton, and then K Mag who had to stop almost immediately after crossing the line and Alonso in P8. Russel finished P9 and will be starting alongside Gasly who qualified P10.
The Ferraris lived up to the hype, but roles were reversed as Leclerc improved to take pole from Sainz who couldn’t improve. Only Verstappen was left to take away pole but as he rounded the final corner he was just 1 tenth off and qualified P2.
Second place qualifier Max Verstappen. Image courtesy of Red Bull content Pool
Leclerc starts on pole but Red Bull looked to have the faster car in the long runs during FP2 yesterday so it could be an all-race battle. However, we will get to find out if these new regulations can deliver on their aims.
The 2022 season is finally here with a race at Bahrain to kick us off for the third year in a row. The anticipation is high with the new regulations, new tyres and optimism that the cars will be able to race much closer than last year.
Having been pushed back a year because of covid we finally get to see Formula 1’s big changes to produce more exciting racing. However, testing is over and the teams and drivers, hopefully, understand their cars a little better after all the changes and upgrades between Barcelona and Bahrain.
Mercedes will be looking to defend their constructors title with their new, slimmed down car very different to anything else on the grid. In Barcelona they didn’t blow everyone away despite putting in the fastest laps, but they seem to have improved in Bahrain. During testing Lewis Hamilton did say they might not be competing for wins, but we have heard that before?
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 13, 2022
Ferrari look to be very reliable and so far meeting the expectations of those that thought they were going to have a quick car this year. They looked to be one of the fastest teams in both testing sessions and have been very consistent and reliable throughout both tests.
Red Bull are there or thereabouts. They have had issues, but reigning world Champion Verstappen finished with the fastest lap of testing. Looking towards the year he will be looking to drag everything out of that car to defend his title.
McLaren look to be the other team which may be in the title fight after testing. They had a solid car in Barcelona, but reliability issues and a sick driver means they haven’t had the running they would like to go into the first race. Daniel Ricciardo should be back for FP1, provided he has a negative covid test.
Image courtesy of Pirelli F1 Press
Looking further back Aston Martin and Alpine are still very much looking towards the midfield with a hope for some podiums. Alfa Romeo and Williams look to be close to each other as will. They have been very close on times throughout testing so will be in a battle with each other all season.
Haas have been the surprise of testing. They were granted an extra hour at the end of day 2 and 3 in Bahrain to make up for their lack of running in the morning of day 1 because of flight delays. However, with the return of Kevin Magnussen, he went fastest at the end of day 2. Not to be left out Mick Schumacher was P2 by the end of day 3.
Testing times can never been taken as the definitive order, however it has been great to see how these cars might work in race conditions. We won’t completely know until Sunday afternoon if the new philosophy has worked but we are all excited to get racing again 92 days later.
The action on track was red hot last season, and most of the drama played out on some of the best tracks in the world. I’ve made a short list of my favourite tracks WorldSBK will be visiting this year, and a couple of reasons why I think so, and also who I will be tipping to take the win this year. What are your favourite tracks? We would love to hear via our social media channels.
2021 WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. Picture courtesy of Yamaha Racing.
Donington Park – Great Britain ( Round 5 ) 15,16,17 July
Last years winner race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu
This years winner race 1: Jonathan Rea ???
Circuit favours which bike? – Yamaha / Ducati
A staple on the WorldSBK calendar for many years, Donington Park is one of the classic British race tracks, also one of the oldest, being in operation since the 1930’s. It always produces close racing, with its mix of long sweeping corners, changes in elevation and also a handful of sharp, hard braking corners. It was also home to the British round of MotoGP, until being moved to Silverstone where it is currently held.
Jonathan Rea had a nightmare of a round last season, going off-road down the Craner Curves and crashing out later on. Toprak Razgatlioglu took full advantage of Rea’s misfortune, and scooped the race 1 win. I have a feeling Rea will be looking for retribution this year, and hopefully Kawasaki will have addressed the problems which plagued Rea last season, especially the nervous front end of the ZX10-RR. Rea however, will have his hands full keeping both the Yamaha’s and Ducati’s at bay.
Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team
Assen – Netherlands ( Round 2 ) 22,23,24 April
Last years winner race 1: Jonathan Rea
This years winner race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu ???
Circuit favours which bike? Yamaha
Another classic track, and one which many of the riders like. A fast, flowing track, with plenty of high speed sweeping corners, and also providing one of the best atmospheres, with the Dutch fans providing loads of noisy support. Toprak was unfortunately rammed into by Garrett Gerloff last year, sending the Turkish rider down, who was understandably furious after the race. And as Toprak had done in Donington, it was the turn of Rea to gladly snap up the win in race 1, going on to claim a clean sweep of wins in Assen.
It is a track which definitely suits the agile, smooth turning attributes of the Yamaha, and Toprak will no doubt be keen to right the wrong afflicted to him last season.
Race 2 Jerez Scott Redding and Toprak Razgatlioglu Picture courtesy of Aruba.it Ducati
Portimao – Algarve, Portugal ( Round 9 ) 7,8,9 October
Last years winner race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu
This years winner race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu ???
Circuit favours which bike? Yamaha
If a track regularly gets described as a “rollercoaster” even someone who has no interest in racing will have some idea of what is meant. The architect who came up with the plans for Portimao, one Ricardo Pina, is an absolute genius. One of the most exciting, and dramatic race tracks ever constructed, Portimao has it all. Changes in elevation and camber, fast sweeping corners, entries into blind corners, and bikes flying over the tops of hills. Something the Australian Jack Miller demonstrated for us all, as he “bunny hoped” his MotoGP Ducati over the crest of one of the most scary corners on the track last season in MotoGP.
Jonathan Rea had a terrifying crash into one of the fastest corners last season, and amazingly was able to walk away unhurt. It provided a great race however, and was voted by Eurosport as the race of the season. Toprak was the man for the occasion and scooped the win for race 1. Scott Redding kept the Yamaha rider honest for much of the race, and the Ducati definitely had the pace to match the Yamaha over the sweeping corners.
I can see Toprak taking the win again this coming season, with perhaps pressure from Alvaro Bautista on the Ducati, or maybe from one of the young guns on the Honda, Iker Lecuona maybe?
Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding at Aragon Round 4 WSBK 2020. Image courtesy of Honda Racing
Phillip Island, Australia ( Round 12 TBA )
Last years winner: N/A
This years winner: Alvaro Bautista ???
Circuit favours which bike? Ducati / Yamaha
With no racing in Australia for the past two years due to the Covid pandemic, everyone including fans will be desperate to see a return of racing to this iconic race track. No exact dates have yet been decided, but we hope we’ll see racing there some time in late November.
Another track with high speed, sweeping corners and dramatic vistas, Phillip Island has been the scene of some of the best motorcycle races of all time. Alvaro Bautista had an amazing start to his WorldSBK career back in 2019, and really lay down the challenge to the reigning champion, Jonathan Rea. Alvaro on the Ducati was really quick that season, and secured a couple of impressive wins early on in the season, including here at Phillip Island.
I think being reunited with the Ducati this season will be really good for Alvaro, and I can see him claiming a win here at Phillip Island, using all the power, and top end speed of the Ducati.
All in all, this is hopefully going to be another exciting and dramatic season of racing, and we cannot wait for the season opener in Aragon in April.
Get in touch with us, and let us know what you think will be the most exciting races in 2022.
Yes fans, the new superbike season is nearly here, and if it’s anything like last season, we’re in for a real treat.
WSBK Navarra 22.08.2021 Picture courtesy of Ducati Racing
Thirteen rounds of action packed racing await, and hopefully we’ll have a Phillip Island round, which has been pencilled in at the back end of the year, which as of yet we still await the dates to be announced. Round 13 is also unknown as of yet. It seems that we won’t be returning to Navarra in Spain this time round.
So the season kicks off for round 1 in Aragon, Spain on the 8th of April. We will have another Spanish round in Catalunya on the 23rd of September, and as mentioned above it seems no Navarra round.
After that we’ve got Assen, then the first of two trips to Portugal, for Estoril and Portimao later in the year. The UK round at Donington Park is smack bang right in the middle of summer on the 15th July. Will we have bright sunshine, or a complete washout? Either is possible lets be honest. Returns to Misano, Most in Czech Rep, Magny- Cours, France, Argentina, and Mandalika in Indonesia are all on. With question marks above round 12 Phillip Island and 13 still to be announced.
There has been a couple of changes to rider line-ups so far, a few of the most notable are Scott Redding switching the red of Ducati for a blue, red and white livery of BMW Motorrad. Alvaro Bautista will take the seat vacated by Redding, and will join the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team. Honda HRC will have two new Spanish riders join them, Iker Lecuona from MotoGP and Xavi Vierge from Moto2. Eugene Laverty is back on a BMW for the Bonovo action team and he will be joined by Loris Baz who makes a return to WorldSBK.
It will take some doing to replicate last season, but I am really excited to see how the new riders for Honda HRC will handle the jump to WorldSBK. They’re both young but definitely talented. Honda didn’t produce one of their finest seasons last year, with both Bautista and Haslam struggling for form most of the year, although Bautista did improve in the last few rounds. If Honda can get their bike working, I think both riders can challenge for good results this season.
Bautista had blistering speed when he made his WorldSBK debut on a Ducati in 2019, and was challenging Jonathan Rea for the win every race in the early part of the season. Although he couldn’t maintain the form right through the season, he did pick up a good few wins early on. Rinaldi had a couple of good races last season, and if Bautista can pick up where he left off last season, I think both riders will provide a stiff test for Toprak and Johnny.
2021 WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu. Picture courtesy of Yamaha Racing.
Scott Redding was a thorn in both Toprak and Rea’s side last season, providing us fans with one of the most exciting seasons ever. There was no doubt that the Ducati was an absolute missile last season and Scott knew exactly how to inflict the most amount of damage with it. Finishing 3rd behind two of the most talented riders ever to grace WorldSBK is definitely no mean feat. I really hope BMW can provide Scott with a fast bike, because we all want to see him charging hard every race.
Johnny will still be seeking world championship number 7 next season and he knows full well Kawasaki will have to improve their bike if they are going to wrestle that title away from Toprak.
Is it too early to make a prediction? Of course it is, but why not, so here is mine.
Championship result top 3:
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Jonathan Rea
Alvaro Bautista
Race Dates:
Aragon Round – MotorLand Aragon – 8,9,10 April
Dutch Round – TT Circuit Assen – 22,23,24 April
Estoril Round – Circuito Estoril – 20,21,22 May
Emilia – Romagna Round – Misano World Circuit – 10,11,12 June
UK Round – Donington Park – 15,16,17 July
Czech Round – Autodrom Most – 29,30,31 July
French Round – Magny – Cours – 9,10,11 September
Catalunya Round – Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya – 23,24,25 September
Portuguese Round – Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – 7,8,9 October
Argentinean Round – Circuito San Juan Villicum – 21,22,23 October
Indonesian Round – Mandalika International Street Circuit – 11,12,13 Nov
Australian Round – Phillip Island – TBA*
TBA*
Rider and Team line-up so far:
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK: Toprak Razgatlioglu / Andrea Locatelli
Aruba.it Racing Ducati: Alvaro Bautista / Michael Ruben Rinadi
Kawasaki Racing Team: Jonathan Rea / Alex Lowes
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Scott Redding / Michael van der Mark
Team HRC Honda: Iker Lecuona / Xavi Vierge
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team: Garrett Gerloff / Kohta Nozane
Motocorsa Racing: Axel Bassani
TeamGoEleven: Philipp Oettl
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing: Lucas Mahias
Barni Racing Team: Luca Bernardi
Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: Eugene Laverty / Loris Baz
OUTDO TPR Team Perdercini Racing: Loris Cresson
MIE Racing Honda Team: Leandro Mercado / Hafizh Syahrin
The thrill and excitement. The smell of the fuel. The sound of the engines. The anticipation for the race to start. The energy building. The lights going out. The speed of the racers. The elation when the racer you support wins or the deflation when they don’t. We as fans feel it all.
But, how did Silverstone get to where it is today?
Built in 1942 and used up until 1947 as RAF Silverstone, its sole purpose was for Wellington Bombers in WWII to take-off at the airfield that used to occupy the space. At the end of the war it was left abandoned.
RAF Silverstone. Prior to racetrack. Courtesy of: Sportskeeda
In 1948 the Royal Automobile Club were thinking of bringing back motor racing to England and chose the abandoned airfield located in Northamptonshire as the start of their journey. 30th June 1948 a one-year lease had been secured and later that year in October the first international Grand Prix was held. Behind the scenes a lot of effort took place, 620 marshals were hired, 170 tonnes of straw bales were used and 10 miles of signal writing put into place. The event drew in an audience of 100,000 spectators. The RAC Grand Prix victory went to Luigi Villoresi.
We couldn’t speak about Silverstone’s rich history without Formula One. During an F1 race there is an average of 52 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 306.198km/ 190.263miles.
1950 – King George VI and our now Queen (Elizabeth II) visited and watched the racing. This was the one and only time that a reigning Monarch had done so. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina.
1960 – Graham Hill was cruising to victory ahead of Jack Brabham but with only 5 laps till the chequered flag, Hill spun off, leaving Brabham to take the win.
1971 – Jackie Stewart won that years race and along with it a new lap record.
1983 – Alain Prost hailed victorious, claiming his first win at Silverstone.
1998 – Michael Schumacher oddly won that years race whilst being stationary in the pits.
2008 – Local-boy Sir Lewis Hamilton took victory (and would go on to win 8 times).
Hamilton wins at Silverstone. Courtesy of: BT
2022 – F1 will return to Silverstone 1st – 3rd July.
1964 –Trying to improve safety for the competitors and their mechanics, a new pit lane separate to the main track was put in place.
1975 – Brand new pit garages were erected and a chicane was added at Woodcote.
1987 – The s-bend was removed and replaced with a sharp left – right bend on approach and larger pit garages were also added.
1990’s – A massive renovation took place to the circuit, which remains today – extra seating was erected and changes were made to the layout of the track eg. run-off at Copse was increased and Stowe became tighter. Further alterations have since followed.
2000’s – A new pit and paddock complex was built between Copse and Abbey and a new “arena” complex was ready for the 2010 season.
2018/19 – In 2018 the track was resurfaced but drainage issues forced the Moto GP race to be cancelled. Ahead of the 2019 race, the track was resurfaced yet again.
It has become the home of iconic British Racing, with it’s incredible history stretching back all the way to those days in 1948. It is instantly recognisable and is one of the fastest tracks on the racing calendar.
But, it wasn’t all about cars. Britain had a taste for Motorbike racing also. During a motorbike race there is an average of 20 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 5.89km. With 8 left-hand corners, 10 right-hands and a 770m long straight.
Moto GP circuit is slightly different from F1 course. Courtesy of: Silverstone website
On the weekend of 13th August 1977 the British Motorcycle Grand Prix debuted. It was to be legend Giacomo Agostini’s final race, he finished a respectful 9th and American Pat Hennon on the Texaco Heron Team Suzuki took victory.
Notable Moto GP moments:
1978 – Another American won, this time it was Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) who took the win, in-front of two Brits – Steve Manship and Barry Sheene.
1979 – 1981 – Americans dominated the podium: Kenny Roberts took a second victory (1979) and a third (1980). Kenny Roberts and Randy Mamola took 2nd and 3rd behind Jack Middleburg (Suzuki) (1981).
1986 – Australian Wayne Gardner (Honda) took the top-spot. Some may recognise the name – 2021 Moto 2 Champion Remy Gardner’s Father.
Wayne and Remi Gardner. Courtesy of Herald Sun
1987 – Eddie Lawson won from Wayne Gardner and Randy Mamola. The racing then left Silverstone in favour of another British track: Donington. But returned in 2010 with modern-day Moto GP.
2010 – Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) took the flag from Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Ben Spies (Yamaha).
2011 – Another Australian lifted the trophy this time it was Casey Stoner’s (Honda) turn. With Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Colin Edwards (Yamaha) third.
2013 – All Spanish podium consisted of: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Marc Marquez (Honda) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda).
2015 – All Italian podium: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati).
2016 – Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) took the win ahead of British-man Cal Crutchlow (Honda). The first time a Brit in Moto GP had stepped onto the podium since 1984. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was third.
2018 – The race was cancelled due to torrential rain and the circuit having drainage issues.
2020 – Cancelled again this time due to Global Pandemic – Covid-19.
2021 – Current Moto GP Champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) took victory from Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).
2022 – Moto GP will return to Silverstone 5th – 7th August.
Silverstone also hosted for a brief while the World Superbikes Championship, from 2002 – 2007 and then again 2010 – 2013.
Notable World Superbike moments:
2002 – First time at Silverstone and American Colin Edwards (Honda) won race one with Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati) winning race two.
2003 – Neil Hodgson was victorious for both race one and two.
2006 – Troy Bayliss won both race one and two.
2007 – Once again Troy Bayliss won race one but race two was cancelled. WSBK didn’t return again until 2010.
2010 – Celebrations were in order as Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) triumphantly won both races.
Winning looks good. Courtesy of CircuitProDigital
2011 – Carlos Checa (Ducati) decided to check-out and won both races that weekend.
2013 – Jonathan Rea (Honda) took first in race one and Loris Baz (Kawasaki) claimed the win for race two.
Donington became the new home for WSBK afterwards.
Silverstone Race Circuit also has hosted the British Superbike Championship from 1998 – present.
Notable British Superbike moments:
1998 – James Haydon (Suzuki) wins the first BSB race at Silverstone with familiar name Troy Bayliss (GSE Racing bike) winning the second race.
1999 – Troy Bayliss (Ducati) won both races for the weekend.
2000 – Two Brits dominated this time round – Neil Hodgson (Ducati) won the first race and Chris Walker (Samsung Crescent bike) won the second race.
2006 – 2007 – Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) spectacularly won all four races.
2012 – Alex Lowes (Honda) claimed both race victories.
2019 – Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha) took to the podium and took his maiden victory in the second race. Whilst Josh Elliott (OMG Racing UK.com) took the first race win.
Winning maiden victory for Tarran. Courtesy of: Eurosport 2
2022 – BSB will return to Silverstone 15th – 17th April.
As we immerse ourselves in the racing, witnessing wheel-to-wheel fighting and cheering on the competitors, we say the names given to parts of the circuit but never think twice about where these names originated from.
The story behind the name:
Abbey and Luffield – Luffield Abbey remains were discovered 200 metres from Stowe corner.
Becketts and Chapel Curve – Ruins of the chapel of Thomas Beckett are close to the circuit.
Stowe Corner – Named after the school which resides not too far away.
Maggotts – Maggotts Moor Field is also close to the track.
Copse – A small wood used to be adjacent to the corner.
Club Corner – In honour of the RAC Club.
Woodcote – Named for the Country Club, located in Woodcote Park in Surrey.
Hangar Straight – Two aircraft hangers originally lined the circuit where the straight sits.
Hamilton Straight – Named in 2010 in honour of the achievements of British racing driver Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Village – Commemorating Silverstone Village.
Ireland – Named for Innes Ireland (GP driver and President of the British Racing Drivers Club).
Wellington Straight – Vickes Wellington Bombers were based at RAF Silverstone.
Brooklands – Named for the world’s first purpose-built circuit at Weybridge, Surrey.
The Loop – Simply the shape of the corner.
The names may change over time and the circuit may yet again see change and growth. But one thing is for sure, racing unites fans and brings them together to enjoy the absolute ecstasy of the event. We all have our personal memories of a certain race at this legendary track, whether we were there in person soaking in the atmosphere or watching on TV – sitting on the edge of our seats. The magic of Silverstone will always live on.
Featured image: 2019 race win. Courtesy of: Ultimate Motorcycling Magazine
So for the first time in over 5 years, the number 65, not number 1, will adorn the front end of Jonathan Rea’s Kawasaki ZX-10R. In the immediate aftermath of the Indonesian race, Rea looked shell shocked, yet as always was gracious in his praise for the new champion.
Jonathan Rea Misano WSBK. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
No one can argue that the Northern Irishman is a proper gentleman both on and off the track. Look beneath the grin and cordial demeanour however, and you’ll discover a burning desire to win. It can hardly come as a surprise that winning means so much to the 6 time world champion, yet more than anything, it is his relentless hunger to keep proving himself, which is really awe-inspiring.
In Toprak Razgatlioglu, Rea has met an opponent just as hungry as he himself is. An opponent who leaves nothing behind on the track and pushes Rea to another level. Yes the Kawasaki struggled in a lot of areas, out performed in terms of top end speed, by not only the Ducati’s, but also by the Yamaha’s. What was of more concern, certainly of trying to find a solution, was the stability issues, especially into hard braking corners which plagued the Kawasaki all season. Rea was using “Marc Marques” skills saving what could have been several nasty crashes. The save at Donington Park springs to mind, as Rea somehow managed to “motocross” his way off-road down the Craner Curves, still managing to rejoin the race. He was not as lucky in Portimao and was involved in a really scary high speed crash, walking away from a mangled ZX-10R.
Michael van der Mark, Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes at Magny-Cours WSBK 2019. Image courtesy of Yamaha Racing
A certain Valentino Rossi finally hung up his leathers this year at the age of 42, putting a bookend to 3 decades of racing. Rossi never lost his hunger for competing at the top level, and when new, younger opponents came onto the scene, he was able to reinvent himself, applying what the younger riders were doing and honing his craft.
I could see Rea doing something similar, extending his career for several more years. Certainly the talented crop of young riders in WorldSBK at the moment, will push Rea further. Not only Toprak and Scott Redding, but also the likes of Axel Bassani, Andrea Locatelli, Garrett Gerloff and the talented Iker Lecuona who comes from MotoGP.
Jonathan Rea at the 2020 Philip Island Test. Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
The future is a hard thing to predict, but what does look certain is WorldSBK continuing to provide action packed racing, whether or not Jonathan Rea is still there. Although as fans of the sport, we all still hope he is there for many years to come.
X44 topped qualifying for the fifth race weekend in a row. Lewis Hamilton’s team have completed a cleansweep of qualifying in Extreme E’s inaugural season.
Q1:
Qualifying this weekend would look a little different to previous rounds as the short circuit saw the first drivers in the cars complete two laps, rather than just the one. Race Control also ruled that every team had to field their male driver first in this session. This of course meant all of the female drivers went out first in Q2.
ABT Cupra’s Matthias Ekstrom got qualifying underway as he put in two quick laps to set the early pace. After teammate Jutta Kleinschmidt finished off the run, the ABT Cupra had set an early benchmark time of 9:24.113.
Debutant Lance Woolridge was next to take to the track, with the South African hoping to make a good impression on his Veloce team. They set a good time, just 6 seconds off ABT Cupra.
Oliver Bennett for Xite Energy followed. After a steady first lap, he knocked over a waypoint marker on his second lap and the team subsequently received a 10 second time penalty.
The Hansen brothers, Kevin with JBXE and Timmy for Andretti United, were next, where they and their respective teammates (Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Katie Munnings) set decent laps to put their teams in the mix.
Championship leaders RXR looked to strengthen their claim on the title as they took to the track. Johan Kristofferson set a solid base for teammate Molly Taylor, who flew round the track to put the team provisionally quickest.
The challengers, X44, were supposed to follow, however repairs to their car meant Acciona Sainz were next to take to the track. Both drivers pushed very hard and the Acciona Sainz team were less than a second slower than RXR.
After fixing their car, and once Chip Ganassi had had their run, X44 finally went out to complete their laps. Sebastian Loeb got the protagonists off to a flying start and as teammate Christina Gutierrez ended the run they went quickest in the session, taking maximum classification points ahead of Q2.
Qualifying 1 Classification:
X44 9:19.985 9 Points
RXR +1.901 8 Points
Acciona Sainz +2.757 7 Points
ABT Cupra +4.128 6 Points
Veloce +10.395 5 Points
Andretti United +12.118 4 Points
Chip Ganassi +15.181 3 Points
JBXE +20.682 2 Points
Xite Energy +43.015 1 Point
Q2:
As with Qualifying 1, ABT Cupra got the final qualifying session of the season under way as Jutta Kleinschmidt took the wheel. After getting off to a good start, she took a wrong turn and the German team subsequently received a time penalty for missing a waypoint. Despite this, the team were able to set a relatively competitive benchmark time of 9:29.366.
Veloce and Xite Energy followed as they both looked to improve on their Q1 result. Veloce seemed to manage just that, going provisionally fastest, whereas Xite Energy were only able to slip into 3rd.
Next was the turn of JBXE’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, who put in two strong laps which saw her and teammate Kevin Hansen replace Veloce at the top the times.
Katie Munnings for Andretti United followed JBXE. The Brit put in two strong laps and handed over to Timmy Hansen with the team still in the mix. However, disaster struck as Hansen crashed the car into a tree. Both car and driver were okay to continue as Andretti United completed their run 19 seconds behind JBXE’s benchmark time.
The two teams left in the championship battle went next as both tried to get the edge over the other. Molly Taylor had a steady run for RXR before Johan Kristofferson put his foot to the floor to take the fastest time in the Continental Traction Challenge. Gutierrez and Loeb for X44 were quicker over the course of the run, however, and they went provisionally fastest.
Acciona Sainz and Chip Ganassi rounded out the final qualifying session of the season. Acciona Sainz had a good run, which saw them finish third in Q2. More bad luck came Chip Ganassi’s way as there was an issue with the steering during Leduc’s lap. They propped up the Q2 classification.
Qualifying 2 Classification:
X44 9:14.793 9 Points
JBXE +4.112 8 Points
Acciona Sainz +7.828 7 Points
RXR +8.545 6 Points
Veloce +11.951 5 Points
ABT Cupra +19.573 4 Points
Xite Energy +21.464 3 Points
Andretti United +23.163 2 Points
Chip Ganassi +36.638 1 Point
As all the classification points were added up, X44 came out on top, comfortably ahead of RXR in second. A number of teams had the same number of classification points and they were separated based on their fastest Continental Traction Challenge time.
Overall Qualifying Classification:
X44 18 Points
RXR 14 Points
Acciona Sainz 14 Points
ABT Cupra 10 Points
JBXE 10 Points
Veloce 10 Points
Andretti United 6 Points
Xite Energy 4 Points
Chip Ganassi 4 Points
With the teams receiving championship points based on their overall qualifying classification, X44 closed the gap to RXR by a point. JBXE also leap-frogged Andretti United into 3rd place.
Championship Standings:
RXR 140 Points
X44 125 Points
JBXE 100 Points
Andretti United 99 Points
ABT Cupra 92 Points
Acciona Sainz 88 Points
Veloce 67 Points
Chip Ganassi 67 Points
Xite Energy 60 Points
Going into the semi finals tomorrow, X44 will face off against JBXE and Veloce, whilst RXR will race Acciona Sainz and ABT Cupra for a place in the final. Andretti United, Xite Energy, and Chip Ganassi will compete for the last spot in the final in the crazy race. Tomorrow is very finely poised.
RXR lead the Extreme E championship by just thirteen points over X44 as the all-electric off road series heads to Dorset for the Jurassic X Prix.
Extreme E goes to Dorset this weekend for the final round of the season. With the championship finely balanced, who will come out on top?
Taking place at the Ministry of Defence Base at Bovington in Dorset, U.K., the course is expected to be one of the most challenging for the drivers to date. A surface combination of clay, sand, gravel, and mud, with a high probability of rain, means grip will be in short supply this weekend.
Starting off with a wide and fast downhill section, multiple teams will be going side by side as they head towards the tricky, technical sections amongst the trees. All this leads up to the highlight of the course: the “Knife Edge” slope. At 5.4 meters high and sloped at 23 degrees, the “Knife Edge” slope is not to be messed with.
Courtesy of Extreme E
Following the Island X Prix in Sardinia, RXR extended their lead in the championship to thirteen points over their nearest rivals, X44. Not for the first time, Hamilton and Rosberg are embroiled in a championship decider. Here’s how the standings look ahead of the Jurassic X Prix:
RXR: 129 points
X44: 113 points
Andretti United: 93 points
JBXE: 92 points
ABT Cupra: 83 points
Acciona Sainz: 78 points
Chip Ganassi: 63 points
Veloce: 60 points
Xite Energy: 55 points
The sporting format remains unchanged from the two previous rounds. Each team has two qualifying runs, receiving qualifying points nine to one in each session depending on their times. The team with the most qualifying points after two qualifying sessions receives twelve points in the championship. Championship points are distributed evenly down to four points for qualifying in ninth.
Qualifiers one, five, and six then race in Semi-Final One, with qualifiers two, three, and four facing off in Semi-Final Two. The fastest two teams in each semi-final will progress to the final.
The bottom three qualifiers will race against each other in the Crazy Race, where only the fastest finisher will progress.
Points are awarded twenty five to four after the final depending on the overall finishing positions of the teams. Five points are also awarded to the team with the fastest time in the “Continental Traction Challenge” over the weekend.
Jamie Chadwick returns to Veloce this weekend following her absence from the last two rounds due to her W Series commitments. She will be joined by Lance Woolridge, a new face for Extreme E.
One of the main aims of Extreme E is to leave a positive impact on the communities they visit. This weekend that means they are partnering up with the National Trust to support their campaign to reintroduce beavers to Dorset. Next year, the National Trust will reintroduce beavers to a county that hasn’t seen them for four hundred years.
With the reintroduction of beavers to Dorset, the National Trust hopes that they will restore peat, and pool habitats for the local wildlife. It is also hoped that they will improve water quality, carbon storage, and reduce the risk of floods.
With all of this, Extreme E hopes to highlight the issue of biodiversity loss. The CEO and Founder of Extreme E, Alejandro Agag said: “Our presence in Dorset demonstrates that environmental issues are close to home.”
