November 2021

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Tom Sykes to make a WSBK return with BMW in Indonesia finale

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Tom Sykes will make his WorldSBK return at this weekend’s season finale in Indonesia after missing the last nine races due to concussion. Tom Sykes has confirmed his return from concussion for this weekend’s final WorldSBK round of 2021 ahead of a likely switch to BSB in 2022. Sykes sustained concussion during a Superpole race accident involving team-mate Michael Van Der Mark which cost him to miss rounds in Jerez, Portimao and San Juan. The 2013 world champion was then replaced by fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty who will ride full-time for Bonovo BMW next year. With his future very much up in the air and every WorldSBK factory seat filled for next year, Sykes is hoping for a good showing in what’s likely to be his swansong outing in the world championship. Sykes said: “I’m very much looking forward to getting back on my BMW M 1000 RR. It has been a long time since I last raced and obviously we have a little bit of work to do to catch up. “But having said that, I have to say that the excitement of going to a totally new venue is quite something, not only because Indonesia is a great part of the world. “Everybody looks to be doing an incredible job on the new circuit of Mandalika. What a unique venue – to say the least. “On top of that, it is located on a beautiful island so I am really looking forward to it. It is new for everybody and I have to say that it is going to be a little bit of a way to finish the season, but that’s another story. “In general, it’s a great place to finish the season, and hopefully we can finish it with some strong results to end 2021.” For team-mate Van Der Mark, the Dutchman is in a rich vein of form after taking a wet Superpole race win in Portimao, before claiming three top six finishes last time out in San Juan. Van Der Mark, who will be joined by Scott Redding at BMW after this weekend, is expecting a ‘great weekend’ aboard the M 1000 RR machine. “It’s fantastic to go to Indonesia. It’s nice to have a new circuit on the calendar, especially in Asia. I love to go there. It’s also incredible that it’s the last round of the season already,” added the former Yamaha rider. “I cannot wait to try the Mandalika circuit because it looks really nice from what I have seen. “Getting to know a new track is not too difficult; it comes with doing the laps. I think that it will be a great season finale.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Press conference line-up for Qatar Grand Prix

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Formula 1 heads off to Qatar this weekend, with the country’s inaugural Grand Prix taking place at a staple of the MotoGP calendar, the Losail International Circuit. F1 has released the press conference schedule for the Qatar Grand Prix which will happen on Thursday and as usual there are interesting driver pair-ups which will be interesting to watch. Lewis Hamilton will be pairing with George Russell and we will be expecting a lot of questions for the duo as Russell will be joining Hamilton at Mercedes for 2022 F1 season. Also, expect Hamilton to talk on his tight battle for 2021 drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen. Another interesting duo to watch will be Antonio Giovinazzi and Max Verstappen. Earlier in the week Alfa Romeo announced they will be letting Giovinazzi go, replacing him with chinese driver Guanyu Zhou. For Verstappen, expect to get a lot of insight on the 2021 drivers’ championship battle with Lewis Hamilton as the fight is down to only 3 races. SCHEDULE OF VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCES QATAR GRAND PRIX 2021 THURSDAY, 18 NOVEMBER, 1430 HOURS LOCAL TIME Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) Fernando Alonso (Alpine)Nicholas Latifi (Williams) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)Mick Schumacher (Haas) Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)Lando Norris (McLaren) Nikita Mazepin (Haas)Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)Max Verstappen (Red Bull) Kimi Räikkönen (Alfa Romeo)Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)George Russell (Williams) FRIDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 1500 HOURS LOCAL TIME Toto Wolff (Mercedes)Christian Horner (Red Bull) Frederic Vasseur (Alfa Romeo)Franz Tost (AlphaTauri) SATURDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, POST-QUALIFYING First three finishing drivers

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

MotoGP releases 2022 provisional riders entry list

Kevin Peterson03 mins

MotoGP has published its complete 24-strong entry list for the 2022 world championship season. While there is mass stability in many of the leading two-wheel teams, five rookies will join the field next year. Moto2 champion Remy Gardner and runner-up Raul Fernandez will keep their respective race numbers, #87 and #25, for their promotion to Tech3 KTM Factory Racing. Elsewhere, Darryn Binder will step up straight from Moto3 to effectively replace Valentino Rossi at the revamped RNF MotoGP Team (previously the Sepang Racing Team); Fabio Di Giannantonio is in at Gresini Racing; and Marco Bezzecchi at VR46. The latter is Rossi’s own team, which notably was listed without a title partner as the saga around the status of Aramco’s potential sponsorship continues. Gresini Racing meanwhile has become an Independent Team powered by Ducati, with Aprilia Racing moving to a full factory operation. Most details about the 2022 grid had been known for some time now, with confirmation released on the eve of the post-season test at Jerez on November 18-19 (local time). Missing from action when the 2022 MotoGP season kicks off at Qatar in early March will be the retired Rossi, and former Tech3 riders Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona. PROVISIONAL 2022 MOTOGP ENTRY LIST   RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE #4 Andrea Dovizioso ITA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #5 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #10 Luca Marini ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #12 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #20 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #21 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha) #23 Enea Bastianini ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #25 Raul Fernandez SPA Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #30 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda Idemitsu (Honda) #33 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #36 Joan Mir SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #40 Darryn Binder RSA WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team (Yamaha) #41 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Racing (Aprilia) #42 Alex Rins SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (Suzuki) #43 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #44 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda) #49 Fabio Digiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati) #63 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati) #72 Marco Bezzecchi ITA VR46 Racing Team (Ducati) #73 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda Castrol (Honda) #87 Remy Gardner AUS Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #88 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) #89 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Racing (Ducati) #93 Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda Team (Honda)

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Red Bull ready to forget drivers’ title if Hamilton keeps new form

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Helmut Marko isn’t giving Max Verstappen much of a chance of holding on to his lead in the drivers’ championship if Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton uphold in the final three races of the season the supremacy they displayed in Brazil. Despite starting a lowly tenth in Sao Paulo, Hamilton was on it from the get-go, carving his way through the field and catching Verstappen, whom he overhauled with twelve laps to go. The straight-line speed of the Briton’s Mercedes – especially relative to Red Bull’s RB16B – was a hot topic all weekend in Brazil, and Marko fears that if Hamilton’s dominant form persists in the final three races of the season, the title will elude Verstappen and Red Bull. Ahead of this week’s Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen sill holds a 14-point advantage over his rival, but Mercedes’ edge in the Constructors’ standings is now 11 points. “If Hamilton is also so superior this weekend in Qatar, and then in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, we can write off the title,” admitted Red Bull’s motorsport boss. “I have never seen such a rocket engine from Mercedes. We couldn’t hold Hamilton on the straights, even though he was driving with a rear wing set at a similar steep angle to Monaco. “But only Hamilton has that speed, the other Mercedes drivers are no cause for concern for us.” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has suggested on multiple occasions that it is closely monitoring Mercedes’ impressive velocity, while questioning how it is being generated, with the team’s focus centered on the Brackley squad’s engine and on a potential ride-height ploy that reduces the W12’s drag on the straights. “We are mainly concerned with two things, which we may also take up with the FIA for clarification,” said Marko. “But there will only be a protest if we have evidence that something is not compliant with the rules on Hamilton’s car.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Red Bull monitoring Hamilton’s engine and ride height system – Marko

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the team are monitoring “two things” that they suspect may be behind Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ outright speed. Hamilton twice charged through the field at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, bouncing back from his qualifying exclusion to go from 20th to fifth in the Sprint race, and then a five-place grid engine change penalty to rise from 10th to victory in the main event. Hamilton’s impressive straight-line speed raised questions from the Red Bull camp after the race, with team boss Christian Horner explaining that “it’s important to understand where the speed has come from”. Marko admits that Red Bull are keeping a close eye on Hamilton and Mercedes ahead of the final three races of the season. “We are mainly concerned with two things, which we may also take up with the FIA for clarification,” Marko said. “But there will only be a protest if we have evidence that something is not compliant with the rules on Hamilton’s car.”The two main concerns that Marko and Red Bull have are based around Hamilton’s engine and an apparent ride height system that lowers the W12 on the straights, reducing drag and increasing top speed. Separately, onboard footage from the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend appeared to show Hamilton pulling backwards on his steering wheel as he approached braking areas around Interlagos, leading to a host of different theories emerging. However, these have been shut down by Mercedes, given that the steering systems have been homologated all year and cannot be modified, with the team stressing that the only plane in which the wheel moves is left to right.In any case, Marko has admitted to concerns over Red Bull’s bid for both championships, with Max Verstappen’s lead over Hamilton cut to 14 points, and Mercedes rebuilding an 11-point advantage in the Constructors’ standings. “If Hamilton is also so superior this weekend in Qatar, and then in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, we can write off the title,” Marko added. “I have never seen such a rocket engine from Mercedes. We couldn’t hold Hamilton on the straights, even though he was driving with a rear wing set at a similar steep angle to Monaco. “But only Hamilton has that speed, the other Mercedes drivers are no cause for concern for us.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Jack Miller to race in the final Australian Superbike round at The Bend

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Jack Miller will compete in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) season finale at The Bend Motorsport Park next month. Miller, who finished third in last weekend’s MotoGP finale in Valencia, will line up alongside fellow Australian Ducati Riders Oli Bayliss, Mike Jones and Wayne Maxwell on the 2021 Ducati Paniagle V4 R. The event, held in South Australia, takes place on December 3-5. “I am really excited to be able to have this opportunity and race the final round of Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK),” Miller said. “I would love to say a massive thank you to the guys at Ducati for allowing me this opportunity amidst our busy testing schedule. “To go and race in front of the Australian fans is a massive privilege and honour. Thank you to the team at ASBK and Motorcycling Australia for their support at such short notice. I am also thankful to Ben Henry from DesmoSport Ducati for his help in the organisation. As you can imagine it has not been easy to try and organise everything from the other side of the world at such short notice, having Ben and Matty Macalpine there to help me organise most things, has been very easy.” Miller, who finished fourth overall in MotoGP this season, will return home after this week’s two-day official MotoGP test at Jerez. It’ll be the first time he’s raced at home since 2019, with the last two Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island being cancelled due to Covid-19. “Having Australian MotoGP sensation Jack Miller compete in the ASBK is further testament to the tough and highly competitive nature of our ASBK Championship which is one of the best national superbike championships in the world,”Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, added. “Australian race fans have been starved of on track MotoGP action here for two years due to COVID, but to now have their Aussie hero in Jack Miller come home and race ASBK, we are sure fans will flock to the ASBK Grand Finale at The Bend in South Australia.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Giovinazzi to race for Dragon Penske Formula E team in 2022 after F1 exit

Kevin Peterson01 mins

Antonio Giovinazzi has confirmed that he’s already secured a race seat for 2022, having lost his Alfa Romeo drive for next season. Giovinazzi has been replaced by Guanyu Zhou at Alfa Romeo for next year and, with all the seats on the grid now filled, was left on the F1 sidelines. But Giovinazzi has confirmed that he will still be racing in 2022, as he’s secured a seat with the Dragon Penske Autosport Formula E team. “It’s going to be thrilling. It’s going to be challenging It’s going to be …….electrifying!!!!!!” read a short tweet from Giovinazzi’s Twitter account, showing the current Alfa Romeo driver bedecked in the overalls of his new team. He’ll team up with Sergio Sette Camara at the outfit, with the 2021/22 Formula E season set to get underway in Saudi Arabia on 28 January.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Giovinazzi claims F1 is ‘ruthless’ when ‘money rules’ following Alfa Romeo exit

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Antonio Giovinazzi has claimed F1 can be “ruthless” when “money rules” after being dropped by Alfa Romeo for 2022. The Italian will be replaced by F2 contender Guanyu Zhou, who will become the first Chinese driver in the sport’s history and is believed to be heavily backed financially. The move brings an end to Giovinazzi’s association with Alfa Romeo and Sauber which began in 2017 when he stood in for Pascal Wehrlein at the start of the season before becoming a full-time driver in 2019. In a social media post after his departure was announced, Giovinazzi said: “F1 is emotion, talent, cars, risk, speed. But when money rules it can be ruthless. “I believe in the surprise of an unexpected result, of big or small victories achieved thanks to one’s commitment.” In a separate post, Giovinazzi added: “Unfortunately, we often struggle to find the right words to show our gratitude towards someone. “But I think there’s nothing more beautiful than being able to say thank you. “Thank you for everything and those team members who have supported me through all these wonderful years. “The biggest thank you is to my fans, who have always been close to me and made me feel their affection in every occasion.” Zhou’s announcement completes the grid for F1 2022, with Giovinazzi moving to Dragon Racing in Formula E. The Chinese driver will partner Valtteri Bottas next season, who makes the move from Mercedes.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Mercedes requests right to review Hamilton-Verstappen incident in Sao Paulo GP

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Mercedes confirmed they have requested the right to review the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton had one of his great drives to climb from P10 – after suffering a five-place grid penalty due to a new engine – and take the chequered flag at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The result means the Brit has closed the gap on championship leader Verstappen ahead of the final three races. On lap 48 at Interlagos on Sunday, the two rivals were battling for the lead with Hamilton’s Mercedes appearing to narrowly edge ahead of the Red Bull, which was on the inside. Verstappen ran wide and the move forced both drivers off the track, with the Dutchman holding the lead for a few more laps before the seven-time world champion finally took the lead. While Hamilton took the lead and win anyway, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes Verstappen should have received a penalty. An investigation was deemed unnecessary after the FIA consulted footage provided by broadcast cameras – but Verstappen’s on-board footage could be reviewed by the FIA after Mercedes confirmed they have requested the right to review the footage themselves.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

F1 releases ‘missing’ Verstappen’s onboard footage

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Formula 1 has released footage from Max Verstappen’s on-board camera in his first Turn 4 battle with title rival Lewis Hamilton. On lap 48 of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton attempted to overtake Verstappen around the outside of Turn 4, but found himself off the track with Verstappen, on the inside, pushing both cars extremely wide and into the run-off area. At the time, the stewards noted the incident but then quickly came to the decision that no investigation was necessary. Later, Hamilton would eventually make the move stick on Verstappen at the same corner and go on to win the race, narrowing the gap to 14 points behind the Red Bull driver at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. News emerged after the epic battle that the FIA did not have the on-board footage from Max Verstappen’s car to further assess whether an investigation was needed or not. Two days after the race, the missing footage has miraculously been found with Formula 1 posted an ‘all the angles’ video of Lewis v Max on their website. In the UK, Sky Sports also published the on-board footage via their Twitter account. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called the decision not to penalise Max Verstappen as “laughable”, while Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner said the incident should form part of the “let them race” mentality. Asked in the post-race press conference about the incident, Verstappen said his worn tyres were to blame in running wide at the corner. Asked by Motorsport.com for viewpoint, Verstappen said: “We both, of course, tried to be ahead into the corner and so I braked a bit later to try and keep the position. “The tyres were already a bit worn, so I was really on the edge of grip. That’s why I think I was already not fully on the apex, so then it’s a safer way of just running a bit wide there. “In a way I was, of course, happy that the stewards decided that we could just keep on racing because I think the racing in general was really good.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Guanyu Zhou to replace Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo for 2022

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Guanyu Zhou will be the first Chinese driver to race in Formula 1 after signing with the Alfa Romeo Racing team to compete in 2022. The 22-year-old from Shanghai will replace Antonio Giovinazzi at the Sauber-run team and race alongside the experienced Valtteri Bottas, who will join from Mercedes-AMG. Zhou currently lies second in the standings in his third season of Formula 2 and, in a dual-campaign year, has won the Formula 3 Asia championship. He already has experience of Formula 1 from his time as a Renault and Alpine junior, and it’s rumoured that he brings a significant package of Chinese sponsorship. Alfa Romeo team principal Frédéric Vasseur said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing. He’s a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we’re looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in F1. “We’re also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of F1, and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.” This likely shows that Alfa Romeo is looking to grow its road car brand in China, which is the world’s largest market for new cars. Zhou said: “I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I’m passionate about, and now the dream has come true. “It’s a privilege for me to start my F1 racing career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into F1 in the past. “To be the first ever Chinese driver in F1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.” Giovinazzi will depart Alfa Romeo at the end of 2021 after 62 grands prix, leaving F1 without an Italian driver, despite the presence of Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri and Ferrari. Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said: “Alfa Romeo is extremely grateful to Antonio Giovinazzi for his strong contribution to the team over the years, not just from a sporting point of view. Antonio has embodied the Italian spirit of the brand, being an authentic ambassador every day.”

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Jorge Martin vomited all night before Valencia finale

Kevin Peterson04 mins

Pramac MotoGP rider Jorge Martin says he thought he would miss the Valencia Grand Prix as he spent all of Saturday night vomiting and hadn’t eaten since Saturday lunchtime. The rookie qualified on pole for Sunday’s final round of the 2021 MotoGP season and was one of the favourites to challenge for victory. Leading from lap two through to lap 14, Martin was holding eventual winner Francesco Bagnaia at bay before the Italian eventually found a way through on the 15th tour. Martin then had to fend off the sister factory team Ducati of Jack Miller to hold onto second, which sealed him the rookie of the year crown. But Martin revealed afterwards that he didn’t sleep on Saturday night into Sunday owing to an illness and was worried about the fact he hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day. “Yeah, well it was an unbelievable race,” Martin said in parc ferme directly after the race. “From 10pm yesterday till 5am today, I wasn’t sleeping, I was vomiting. “It was really difficult, I thought I couldn’t make the race. But thanks to the doctors, to Angel Charte, to all the Clinica Mobile, because they helped me a lot. “The thing I was scared about is I didn’t have any food since yesterday’s lunch. For sure a MotoGP race is very physical and I tried my best. “I was fully focused, no mistakes. Finally in the last laps Jack was pushing, so last lap I was giving my 100%.” Second capped of an incredible rookie year for Martin, which yielded three podiums and a victory at the Styrian Grand Prix – as well as four pole positions. “Second position is unbelievable, my first second position of the year,” he added. “I’m really happy for the team, to finish the season this way with a pole and a podium is amazing. Now we have the motivation for the future.” Martin missed the post-race press conference due to his illness. Despite missing four races through injury after a serious crash during practice for the Portuguese GP, Martin beat Avintia’s Enea Bastianini by nine points and ends the year ninth in the points.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Grazie Vale: Valentino Rossi enters MotoGP hall of fame after last race in Valencia

Kevin Peterson02 mins

Nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi was inducted into MotoGP’s Hall of Fame at the FIM Awards ceremony after the Italian put an end to his illustrious career of more than two decades with a 10th-place finish at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday. Seven-times MotoGP title winner Rossi, one of the greatest and most charismatic of motorcycling champions, delighted fans with a few quick laps at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit but was unable to add to his 199 premier-class podiums. The 42-year-old, nicknamed “The Doctor”, is considering a move into car racing after competing in Grand Prix motorcycling. “I always think of this day like a nightmare, because it’s the end of a long career and I thought it would be in Valencia but in the end, I enjoyed it a lot so I have to thank everyone,” Rossi said. “Everyone who has worked with me, the whole paddock, the other riders … it was an unforgettable day and I enjoyed it. It was a long career, and always a pleasure.” Rossi, the only rider to win titles in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and MotoGP categories, took a final lap of honour on Sunday to a standing ovation from the crowd as fireworks dotted the sky, before an emotional farewell with his Petronas Yamaha team. A showman on the bike and off it, and famed for his postvictory antics, Rossi last won a MotoGP race in 2017 with Yamaha, in the Dutch TT at Assen.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Hamilton receives a fine for seatbelt infringement after Sao Paulo GP win

Kevin Peterson03 mins

Lewis Hamilton has been fined for undoing his seatbelts on the cooldown lap after his victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton won from 10th place on the grid ahead of championship rival Max Verstappen, but came under investigation for a seatbelt infringement after seeing the chequered flag. The Mercedes driver was seen stopping to take a Brazilian flag from a track marshal, holding it aloft in the cockpit as he celebrated his third win at Interlagos. But the stewards called Hamilton to a post-race hearing for breaching safety regulations in relation to undoing seatbelts after the race has been completed. The FIA announced Hamilton had been hit with a €5000 fine for the incident, with a further €20,000 suspended until the end of 2022. A statement issued by the FIA read, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “The driver of car 44, Lewis Hamilton, undid his seat belts on the in-lap at the end of the race. “While the Stewards are sympathetic to the desire to celebrate, it is fundamentally unsafe to undo the seatbelts while the car is in motion. Slow speeds in these cars are very fast for an unrestrained occupant. “Further, Formula 1 drivers set the example for junior categories. It is critical that junior category drivers learn the importance of using all the safety devices of the car at all times.” It marks the second investigation Hamilton has faced over the Brazil weekend, with the seven-time world champion excluded from qualifying for a technical infringement. The DRS on Hamilton’s car failed the FIA’s post-session check, leaving him at the back of the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, where he recovered to fifth place. Hamilton’s victory over Verstappen has closed the gap between the pair in the drivers’ standings to 14 points ahead of next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Lewis Hamilton wins Sao Paulo GP after overcoming numerous grid penalties

Kevin Peterson09 mins

Lewis Hamilton scripted an epic win after a no-holds barred duel with Max Verstappen at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. Valtteri Bottas joined his team-mate on the podium. This was a must win race for the reigning world champion at the nineteenth race of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. With three races to go, Hamilton could not let Verstappen extend his lead in the drivers’ championship to more than a race win. The Brazilian weekend has been an uphill battle after Hamilton won qualification and was disqualified for a DRS technical infringement. Hamilton started last in the sprint qualification race and fought back to fifth position. The Briton started tenth in the race after a five-place grid penalty was applied for a new power unit component. Hamilton from tenth place on the grid fought hard to take his sixth win of the season and cut the gap to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship to fourteen points. The race at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit in São Paulo took place under hot conditions with air temperatures at 23 degree C and track temperatures at 55 degree C. Kimi Räikkönen made a pit lane start after his rear-wing was changed. Verstappen had a good start from second position and led pole-sitter Bottas into Turn 1. Bottas for good measure went off the track at Turn 4 and Sergio Pérez was in second position. It was a Red Bull Racing 1-2 by end of lap 1. Hamilton had gained three places and slotted into seventh position. Lando Norris had suffered a puncture as he tried to get past the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz into Turn 1 and pitted and rejoined in last position. By the end of lap 4, Hamilton was let past by Bottas and was in third position. Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll came together withTsunoda suffering extensive damage. The Safety Car was deployed as debris had to be removed from the track. On the restart, both the Red Bull Racing drivers made a good getaway from Hamilton. Hamilton had a hard battle with Pérez and finally overtook the Mexican on lap 19. Hamilton was now 3.6 seconds behind Verstappen and it was going to be a straight fight for the win between the championship rivals. On lap 23, Stroll was the first driver to pit for the hard compound tyres and rejoined in nineteenth position. On lap 27, Hamilton pitted for the hard compound tyres and rejoined in sixth position behind Daniel Ricciardo and ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The undercut is powerful at this track and Verstappen pitted on the next lap but his gap to Hamilton was cut to 1.5 seconds. On the next lap, Pérez pitted and rejoined in fifth position. The Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed due to debris on the track from Stroll’s car. This handed Bottas an advantage as he pitted under the VSC and rejoined in front of Pérez in third position. Behind them the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Pierre Gasly and the Alpine F1 team drivers were battling for position. Norris had progressed through the field to get himself into the points. On lap 41, Verstappen pitted for another set of hard compound tyres and rejoined in fifth position behind Leclerc. Bottas and Pérez pitted in quick succession in the next laps. Hamilton stayed out for another three laps in the lead of the race before he pitted and rejoined behind Verstappen. The gap between the two drivers was 2.6 seconds. Hamilton got himself within DRS-range and on lap 47 made an overtake move which Verstappen thwarted aggressively. The stewards noted the incident before deciding no action was necessary. On lap 59, Hamilton finally battled past Verstappen and cruised to a win. With all the setbacks Hamilton suffered this weekend, it was an epic win. Verstappen finished in second position and still leads the championship by 14 points. Bottas finished in third position and helped Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team extend the lead in the constructors’ championship to 11 points. Pérez finished in fourth position as he pitted in the final laps for the soft compound tyres to take the point for fastest lap from Hamilton. Leclerc finished ahead of Sainz as Ferrari had a good haul of points to increase their lead to the McLaren F1 team for third position in the constructor’s championship. Gasly battled his way to seventh position ahead of the Alpine F1 drivers, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Norris took the final solitary point after he battled his way from last position after the first lap incident. The epic duel between Verstappen and Hamilton will resume in Qatar next weekend (Nov 19-21 2021). The track at this new race on the Formula 1 calendar is an unknown quantity and adds more variables to this intense battle for the championships. 2021 F1 SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX – RESULTS POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 71 Laps 2 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing + 10.496s 3 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team + 13.576s 4 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing + 39.940s 5 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 49.517s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow + 51.820s 7 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 1 Lap 8 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team + 1 Lap 9 Fernando Alonso ESP Alpine F1 Team + 1 Lap 10 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team + 1 Lap 11 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team + 1 Lap 12 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 1 Lap 13 George Russell GBR Williams Racing + 1 Lap 14 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen + 1 Lap 15 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda + 1 Lap 16 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing + 1 Lap 17 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team + 2 Laps 18 Mick Schumacher…

tom sykes to make a wsbk return with bmw in indonesia finale

Bagnaia wins in Valencia as Rossi finishes 10th in last MotoGP race(Results)

Kevin Peterson06 mins

Ducati works rider Francesco Bagnaia has taken a fourth MotoGP win of the season after leading a Ducati 1-2-3, while nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi ends his career with tenth place. Jorge Martin made a brilliant start from pole to lead into turn one, while Bagnaia went from second to fourth. On lap two, Martin and Miller briefly exchanged the lead at turns one and two, before a lovely move at turn four from Joan Mir put him second ahead of Miller. Lap three saw Valentino Rossi, who made a good start from tenth to ninth, then lose that spot to Pramac rider Johann Zarco, who himself had a dreadful start. While the Frenchman then got stuck behind Brad Binder in eighth, fellow Ducati rider Bagnaia got ahead of Mir for P2 along the start-finish straight. Mir was then relegated to fourth five corners later as team-mate Rins also came through. The #42, who was incredibly strong on the brakes, then made another stunning move at turn six to claim second off Bagnaia – lap five. Behind the front four, Miller lost yet another place after 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo moved ahead of the Australian at turn four. Rossi was able to stick with Binder and Zarco for the next few laps, however, impressive rookie Enea Bastianini then pushed the nine-time world champion down to P11. Takaaki Nakagami’s dismal 2021 season ended with yet another crash as he became the first rider to lose the front at turn six. While Martin continued to look rock solid out front, Bagnaia moved back into second with a lovely overtake on Rins, before things got considerably worse for the Suzuki rider on lap 11 as he crashed at turn six. After several close looks at turn six, Bagnaia finally managed to overtake Martin for the lead – final corner move. Bagnaia then set the fastest lap of the race to put four tenths into Martin. Meanwhile, Miller began closing in on Mir who was missing several apex’s as he struggled to keep the pace of Bagnaia and Martin. With nine laps to go, Miller made it an all-Ducati podium thanks to a late braking move on Mir at turn two. Rossi’s final race was continuing to be a good one as he remained in tenth with six laps to go, however, the same couldn’t be said for Danilo Petrucci who was last of the current runners. The battle for victory continued to be close as Miller began reeling in the front two. The Jerez and Le Mans race winner looked on the absolute limit in trying to do so, however, that didn’t stop him from getting closer to Martin in particular. But just as he got close on the penultimate lap, Martin then set one of his fastest laps to maintain P2. Mir came under late pressure from Quartararo for fourth, but the Suzuki rider ultimately kept ahead. Zarco, Binder, Bastianini, Aleix Espaargaro and Rossi rounded out the top ten. VALENCIA MOTOGP, CIRCUIT RICARDO TORMO – RACE RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF 1 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) 41m 15.481s 2 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.489s 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.823s 4 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +5.214s 5 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +5.439s 6 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +6.993s 7 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +8.437s 8 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +10.933s 9 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +12.651s 10 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +13.468s 11 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +14.085s 12 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +16.534s 13 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +17.059s 14 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +18.221s 15 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +19.233s 16 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +19.815s 17 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +28.860s 18 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +32.169s   Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) DNF   Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) DNF

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