November 2021

Mexican GP FP1: Bottas tops Mercedes 1-2 as Hamilton is under investigation for track limits breach

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

Valtteri Bottas kicked off the Mexican Grand Prix weekend by setting the fastest time in opening practice, ahead of Mercedes Formula 1 teammate Lewis Hamilton. Dusty conditions and a green track made for challenging, low grip conditions for the drivers, but Bottas appeared unfazed as he lit up the timesheets with a 1m18.341s to finish 0.076s clear of Hamilton. Hamilton, who heads into the weekend trialing Max Verstappen in the world championship by 12 points, has been summoned to see the stewards in Mexico City between practice sessions for a track limits incident. The seven-time world champion ran wide at Turn 1 before rejoining at Turn 3 in a moment early on during the first practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Hamilton reported over team radio that he “couldn’t slow down there” but he will be investigated after FP1 for failing to follow race director Michael Masi’s notes which state that drivers must return to the track by going around the left hand side of the Turn 3 bollard, which Hamilton did not do. However, it is unlikely Hamilton will be given anything more than a reprimand for the transgression. Hamilton’s title rival Verstappen was just 0.123s off the pace as he took third, ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who finished 0.269s down. Home hero Perez recovered from an early setback to his weekend when he missed track running after hitting the Turn 16 barriers following a spin early in the session. He was able to return to the action for the final 20 minutes. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was fifth-fastest and the final driver to get within a second of Bottas’ benchmark time. Behind Gasly was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, who like Perez suffered rear wing damage with an off at Turn 16. Esteban Ocon ensured both Alpine cars finished inside the top 10, which was completed by Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin. During the session it was confirmed that both Yuki Tsunoda (11th) and Lance Stroll (13th) will start this weekend’s race from the back of the grid after taking new power unit elements. 2021 F1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX – FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1) POS DRIVER NAT. TEAM TIME 1 Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m18.341s 2 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m18.417s 3 Max Verstappen NED Red Bull Racing 1m18.464s 4 Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull Racing 1m18.610s 5 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m18.985s 6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m19.463s 7 Fernando Alonso CHI Alpine F1 Team 1m19.656s 8 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow 1m19.667s 9 Esteban Ocon FRA Alpine F1 Team 1m19.795s 10 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m19.858s 11 Yuki Tsunoda JPN Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda 1m20.011s 12 Kimi Raikkonen FIN Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m20.026s 13 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team 1m20.030s 14 Daniel Ricciardo AUS McLaren F1 Team 1m20.273s 15 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m20.301s 16 Antonio Giovinazzi GBR Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen 1m20.344s 17 George Russell ISR Williams Racing 1m20.517s 18 Nicholas Latifi CAN Williams Racing 1m21.580s 19 Mick Schumacher GER Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m22.144s 20 Nikita Mazepin RUS Uralkali Haas F1 Team 1m22.819s

Police in search for a suspect accused of $35M heist from Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter mansion

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

Police are hunting a man accused of a $35 million heist on a mansion belonging to the daughter of ex-F1 Bernie Ecclestone, Tamara Ecclestone and further raids on two Premier League managers, with reports claiming he is hiding in Belgrade.Alfredo Lindley, who goes by the names of Daniel Vukovic, Ljubomir Radosavljevic and Ljubomir Romanov among 19 known aliases, is accused of masterminding a series of robberies in the swanky London area of Kensington and Chelsea in December 2019. The vast haul of around 400 pieces of jewelry, gems and cash stolen from Ecclestone, the 37-year-old socialite daughter of former Formula 1 boss Bernie, constitutes the largest domestic burglary ever witnessed in the UK. Ecclestone was on holiday in Lapland when her Kensington mansion was raided despite armed security guards patroling the palatial home on Kensington Palace Gardens in London, which is known as the most expensive street in the world. The embassies of Russia, France and Israel are based there, as well as homes belonging to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the Sultan of Brunei. Lindley is said to have briefly stayed in a Chelsea apartment, then left the UK on an AirSerbia flight to Belgrade on December 18 – the last time police believe he was in the country. Around $67,000 in watches and jewelry were also swiped from a home shared by former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard with TV presenter wife Christine. A property owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Premier League club Leicester before his death in a helicopter crash in 2018, was also ransacked for more than $1.3 million in watches, money and a collection of Thai Buddha pendants. The three burglaries took place over 13 days by an international criminal gang flying between the UK, Italy, Sweden and Japan, with precious little of the spoils recovered so far. Lindley is thought to be in Belgrade and is also accused of an attack on the home of current Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira and then-teammate Sulley Muntari in 2009. The midfielders were playing for Inter in the Milan derby when possessions from their home worth more than $1.1 million were stolen. “Detectives from Specialist Crime are seeking a man known as Ljubomir Romanov,” a statement from UK specialist police force Scotland Yard said. “He is wanted for questioning in respect of a series of high value burglaries committed in December 2019 in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The enquiry continues.” According to the BBC, the Peruvian national has a criminal record in Italy for fraud and robberies under multiple identities over more than 25 years. He appeared in a Belgrade court in August to face extradition under the name Ljubomir Romanov, but authorities reportedly refused the case. The outlet said that Lindley is listed as the co-owner of a construction business in Belgrade and has a Serbian Government-issued ID showing his home address in the city’s municipality of Obrenovac. Three Italian nationals, Jugoslav Jovanovic, 24, Alessandro Donati, 44, and Alessandro Maltese, 45, will be sentenced later this month after being extradited from Italy to the UK and admitting their role in the robberies.

Algarve MotoGP: Quartararo maintains good form as he dominates FP2 (results)

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

2021 MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo topped the second practice for the Algarve Grand Prix aboard his Yamaha, the Frenchman once again leading Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia. Suzuki’s Joan Mir set the early pace in FP2 with a 1m41.495s, with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami edging ahead of him with a 1m40.985s just over six minutes into the session. Moments later Nakagami’s teammate Alex Marquez moved to the top of the order with a 1m40.862s, which put him ninth on the combined times which were still headed by FP1 pacesetter Quartararo. Just as they did in FP1, both Quartararo and Bagnaia traded session-best laps, with Bagnaia moving to the top of the order with a 1m40.413s with just under 10 minutes of the session gone. Six minutes later Quartararo deposed his Ducati rival with a 1m40.355s, which the Yamaha rider improved to a 1m40.304s 15 minutes later. About a minute later, Bagnaia finally toppled Quartararo’s FP1 time to take over top spot overall with a 1m40.007s. In the closing moments, a late flurry of fast laps set the timing screens ablaze, with Mir returning to the top of the pile with a 1m39.680s. This was soon bested by Ducati’s Jack Miller, who fired in a 1m39.611s – only to be denied ending Friday fastest when Quartararo took the chequered flag with a 1m39.390s. Quartararo’s day almost ended in disaster, though, when he had a moment at Turn 13, but managed to just about stay on top of his Yamaha. A final effort of 1m39.552s moved Bagnaia up to second to once again shadow Quartararo, while again Miller rounded out the top three. Mir was fourth fastest in the end ahead of Honda’s Pol Espargaro and the Pramac Ducati of Johann Zarco. Alex Marquez carried forward his early pace in FP2 to finish Friday strongly in seventh from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, Nakagami on the sister LCR-run Honda and the second of the Suzukis of Alex Rins. Jorge Martin stood on the precipices of the top 10 in 11th, 0.003s behind Rins, with Franco Morbidelli behind in 12th on his Yamaha. Petronas SRT duo Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso occupied the final two spots on the order, while home hero Miguel Oliveira on the KTM was a mystifying 1.5s off the pace down in 19th behind Marc Marquez’s stand-in Stefan Bradl on the Honda. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FREE PRACTICE (2) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 = Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’39.390s 20/21 331k 2 = Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.132s 18/18 339k 3 = Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.221s 19/20 341k 4 ^1 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.290s 18/20 335k 5 ^2 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.402s 20/20 336k 6 ^7 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.499s 17/17 343k 7 ^4 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.652s 18/18 336k 8 ^2 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.679s 18/18 341k 9 ^3 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.732s 19/19 339k 10 ˅6 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.786s 19/19 339k 11 ^6 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +0.789s 18/18 340k 12 ˅3 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.835s 16/18 328k 13 ^3 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +0.841s 19/20 335k 14 ˅6 Maverick Vinales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.894s 18/19 336k 15 ˅9 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.933s 18/18 332k 16 ^4 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.077s 18/18 336k 17 ˅2 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.108s 17/18 336k 18 ^3 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.310s 18/19 338k 19 ˅1 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.545s 17/18 330k 20 ˅6 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.707s 7/18 334k 21 ^1 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.784s 17/17 330k 22 ˅3 Andrea Dovizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.824s 18/20 328k

FIA will be strict on track limits for Mexican Grand Prix

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Track limits rules for the Mexican Grand Prix have been confirmed by the FIA ahead of Friday’s Free Practice sessions. There are several areas of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit where the drivers will have to be aware of staying within the limits, as detailed in the event notes. At Turns 1, 2 and 3, any driver who leaves the track on the left-hand side between Turns 1 and 2, or passes to the left of the bollard on the apex of Turn 2, has to rejoin by driving to the left-hand side of the bollard at Turn 3. If drivers overshoot the corner at Turn 4, they must ensure that they use the Escape Road which leads back onto the track at Turn 6. At Turn 8, if a car passes completely behind the red and white kerb on the apex, it has to rejoin the track by keeping to the right of the bollards on the exit of Turn 8. Perhaps the strictest rules apply at Turn 11. Any driver who fails to stay on the circuit here will have their lap time deleted during any practice session or the race. As is usually the case, the drivers will be given three exceptions (combined, rather than three at each corner) before being shown a black and white flag. This will not apply to situations where a driver is deemed to have been forced off the track.

Brendon Hartley tops 8 Hours of Bahrain final practice with #8 Toyota

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Brendon Hartley got the better of Kamui Kobayashi as Toyota undertook qualification simulations in final practice for this weekend’s FIA Bahrain World Endurance Championship finale. Hartley outpaced Kobayashi by four tenths when the Toyota GR010 Hybrids went out on new Michelin tyres right at the start of the one-hour Free Practice 3 session. The New Zealander knocked six tenths off his first time on his second flying lap in the #7 Toyota to end up on a 1m48.346s. Kobayashi set an unrepresentative time on his first flier, before posting a 1m48.777s aboard the #8 car. The Alpine A480-Gibson, the only other car in the Hypercar class, trailed the Toyotas and the fastest two LMP2 cars in fifth overall. Andre Negrao set a 1m51.794s shortly before the session was red-flagged while a corner bollard was replaced at Turn 9. Antonio Felix da Costa and Filipe Albuquerque both went faster than the Alpine grandfathered LMP1 car in their Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 cars. Da Costa’s 1m51.188s in the best of the JOTA team’s two entries gave him a three tenth margin over the 1m51.524s from Albuquerque in the United Autosports car. A 1m52.059s lap gave Tom Blomqvist third in class in the second JOTA entry, while Sophia Floersch was fourth in the Signatech-run Richard Mille Racing Oreca with a time of 1m52.681s. Fastest in the Pro/Am P2 subclass was Realteam Racing’s Norman Nato with a 1m52.758s. Kevin Estre was fastest in GTE Pro for Porsche with a 1m56.590s, which gave him a one tenth margin over Gianmaria Bruni in the other Porsche 911 RSR-19. The Ferraris, which has received a new Balance of Performance for this weekend’s eight-hour race, took third and fourth positions. James Calado took third in the first of the AF Corse-run 488 GTE Evos with a 1m58.411s, while Daniel Serra was a tenth further back in fourth on 1m58.519s. Matteo Cairoli was quickest in GTE Am for the Project 1 Porsche squad after leapfrogging AF Corse Ferrari driver Nicklas Nielsen. The session was extended as a result of the red flag, which lasted approximately nine minutes.

Valentino Rossi to enter endurance racing after MotoGP exit

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago08 mins

As Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP career nears its conclusion, the Italian begins preparations for a four-wheel future. With the end of his MotoGP career now just ten days away, Valentino Rossi began preparations for his future as a racing car driver with a sportscar test at Misano yesterday. “Now it’s two races in a row, so it’s ten days. Imagine ten days compared to 26 years! It’s nothing,” Rossi said of his remaining time in MotoGP, consisting of back-to-back events at Portimao and Valencia. “It’s a very emotional moment, sincerely, and I want to try to stay concentrated to give the maximum to the end of the season. “This for me is very important because in Misano my race was not too bad and I want to try to give the maximum and remain concentrated, not think a lot about what happens on the Monday after Valencia.” “I’m still a rider and I want to give the maximum and try to enjoy these last two races. “Here in April, the weekend was difficult but in the race I was quite fast, I was in the top ten but unfortunately I crashed. So we need to make the maximum and try to be competitive to fight for the top ten.” Just before flying to this weekend’s penultimate round, the Italian was on track in a Kessel Ferrari alongside brother Luca Marini and VR46’s Uccio Salucci to prepare for their annual winter appearance in the Gulf 12 hours. But this time the preparations are more serious, marking the start of Rossi’s four-wheel ‘career’, with the nine-time world champion confirming he will then enter at least one of the major sportscar championships in 2022. “I tried the Ferrari yesterday in Misano because we will race in Abu Dhabi in January with Luca and Uccio,” Rossi confirmed. “This is the race that we always do in the last three years and in general it’s just for fun. “But we did a test – unfortunately the weather was not fantastic – but we enjoy a lot. I was not so bad. I feel good. And next year I become a car driver! So from now the approach [to car racing] and the effort is different. “But this [Gulf 12 Hours] race is still for fun and after we need to understand which championship and which program for next year.” “Sincerely Vale was really fast, really strong,” Marini said of the test. “In other tests I was closer to him. Yesterday he was pushing a lot in conditions with some wet spots. He was able to give one second to me. He was really fast, pushed the car at the limit. I was a bit more worried about this. I didn’t want to do any damage. “Also Uccio in wet he was strong. In dry he had less time to improve his lap time. But he had a good test also. We were close. I was one second from Vale and Uccio 1.5-2s from me. “But with the car it’s more difficult to talk about time. The balance of performance can change a lot as the tyres become worn.” Rossi added that the decision on which GT championship he enters after the Gulf 12 Hours is yet to be made, but he also seems to have one eye on the prestigious new Hypercar class for 2023. “It’s a very important moment for the GT races and Endurance races because they will do this new class that is called Hypercar and for 2023 all the big names in cars, the factories, also Ferrari, Porsche, Audi will race with these cars,” Rossi explained. “Next years I will race with GT cars. I still don’t know which championship because it can be the WEC but can be also European Le Mans series or International GT challenge. “We need to decide, also with which car, and I need to understand also my level and my speed because for sure I would like to race with LMP2 or with Hypercar [prototypes] but there the level of the drivers is very high. So I don’t know if I am fast enough. We will try to understand next year.” Petronas Yamaha rider Rossi and rookie Marini are currently locked in a battle to avoid being last of the full time riders in the MotoGP world championship standings, the pair currently separated by just two points, with Marini in front. Marini will continue to race for Rossi’s VR46 team as it graduates to a full MotoGP entry next season.

Quartararo will not be changing plate to #1 in 2022

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

New MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo has stated that he will not race with the #1 plate next year. Quartararo moved to an unassailable, 65-point championship lead with two rounds to go when he finished fourth and Francesco Bagnaia crashed out of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. However, the Monster Energy Yamaha rider will stick with his trademark #20 in 2022, rather than taking #1. “No, we will not see this number because I started with the #20 and I feel like I’m not number one,” he said. “So, I will keep going with the #20 until the end of my career because it’s the number that really made me want to start when I was four, and it’s a really special number.” The #1 plate is a relative rarity on the premier class grid. In the last decade, including 2021, four different riders have won the championship yet none of those opted to change from their regular number the next year. In addition to Quartararo, Marc Marquez six times chose to stick with #93, Joan Mir kept #36 this year, and Jorge Lorenzo only made the change after achieving his 2010 MotoGP title. Casey Stoner is the last person to have ridden with #1, in 2012, and Mick Doohan the last to win the championship with it, in 1998. In addition to the riders’ championship, Yamaha leads the teams’ standings and remains in contention for the manufacturers’ title, trailing Ducati by 12 points. Quartararo says there will be no problem being focused for this weekend’s Algarve Grand Prix despite it being a dead rubber for him personally. “To be honest it was just difficult the first day, on the Tuesday to go back training after Misano,” recalled the Frenchman. “But to refocus again, I think, is quite easy because it’s what I love, to be riding, to race, to fight with these guys. “So I would say it was not so difficult because it’s what I want. More than difficult, I would say I was looking forward to being back.”

Quartararo tops Algarve MotoGP FP1 ahead of Bagnaia

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago05 mins

Fabio Quartararo topped the opening practice session for the Algarve Grand Prix after sneaking ahead of Francesco Bagnaia at the death. The newly-crowned MotoGP world champion tussled with erstwhile title rival Bagnaia for the top spot throughout the 45-minute test, the latter eventually getting the upper hand with a 1:40.927s tour just clear of the Yamaha racer and Honda’s Pol Espargaro. Quartararo would later hit back to move back into the lead by just 0.028s as the session entered its closing stages, though Bagnaia would once again dump the Frenchman back to the runners-up place with a storming 1:40.237s, a time that looked to ensure him the plaudits in FP1. Quartararo still had a little left in the tank though as he headed out for a final three-lap push as the clock ticked down, his third lap being the charm as he took the chequered flag to snatch back the top spot by just 0.045s ahead of the Ducati pilot. Jack Miller ended up third on the second factory Ducati machine ahead of Suzuki duo Alex Rins and Joan Mir, while Luca Marini was an impressive sixth on his Avintia-run Desmosedici despite losing an even better tour after running wide on his final attempt. Espargaro ended up seventh ahead of Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, while Franco Morbidelli found himself shuffled back to ninth having run within the top three towards the end of the test on the other factory Yamaha M1, the Italian just clear of Aleix Espargaro who completed the top ten. LCR Honda duo just missed out on the top ten with Alex Marquez leading Takaaki Nakagami in 11th and 12th respectively, while KTM once again found the goings tough. Iker Lecuona ended up as the Austrian marque’s highest-placed rider in 14th on his Tech 3-prepared RC16 just ahead of factory man Brad Binder, while 2020 Portimao victor and home hero Miguel Oliveira could manage only 17th on the timesheets. Andrea Dovizioso was the quickest of the Petronas SRT Yamaha’s-albeit down in 19th-with team-mate Valentino Rossi propping up the table in 22nd and last, just behind the injured Marc Marquez’s temporary replacement Stefan Bradl in the factory Honda stable. ALGARVE MOTOGP, PORTIMAO – FREE PRACTICE (1) RESULTS POS RIDER NAT TEAM TIME/DIFF LAP MAX 1 Fabio Quartararo FRA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1’40.192s 21/21 334k 2 Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Team (GP21) +0.045s 16/22 339k 3 Jack Miller AUS Ducati Team (GP21) +0.131s 19/19 343k 4 Alex Rins SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.359s 18/20 342k 5 Joan Mir SPA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) +0.497s 17/19 334k 6 Luca Marini ITA Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +0.593s 16/18 339k 7 Pol Espargaro SPA Repsol Honda (RC213V) +0.603s 16/19 345k 8 Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.661s 20/20 340k 9 Franco Morbidelli ITA Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) +0.695s 11/17 332k 10 Aleix Espargaro SPA Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) +0.697s 20/20 342k 11 Alex Marquez SPA LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.756s 20/22 340k 12 Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V) +0.803s 19/19 338k 13 Johann Zarco FRA Pramac Ducati (GP21) +0.892s 19/20 343k 14 Iker Lecuona SPA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.007s 22/22 338k 15 Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.023s 19/19 339k 16 Danilo Petrucci ITA KTM Tech3 (RC16) +1.104s 18/18 334k 17 Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati (GP21)* +1.156s 19/19 342k 18 Miguel Oliveira POR Red Bull KTM (RC16) +1.183s 18/19 336k 19 Andrea Divizioso ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.200s 20/20 334k 20 Enea Bastianini ITA Avintia Ducati (GP19)* +1.364s 17/19 340k 21 Stefan Bradl GER Repsol Honda (RC213V) +1.462s 20/20 338k 22 Valentino Rossi ITA Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) +1.888s 7/19 338k

Andretti-Alfa Romeo talks were terminated at the last minute due to ‘control issues’

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Michael Andretti says he was hours away from agreeing a deal to take over the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team before talks fell apart. The IndyCar champion and team boss insisted the deal with Sauber, which runs the Alfa Romeo-branded team, had not collapsed due to financial reasons. Andretti said questions over the extent of control he would enjoy over the team were not satisfactorily addressed.“Don’t believe the rumours you were hearing about why it didn’t happen,” he said. “It had nothing to do with financial or anything like that. “It was more having to do with control issues. Unfortunately at the 11th hour control issues changed and it was a deal we had to step away from because we couldn’t accept it. “I always said that we’re only going to do it if it’s right for us and in the end it wasn’t right for us.” Although Andretti believes F1 owners Liberty Media would welcome a second American team in the sport, he said they hadn’t acted to facilitate a deal. “I think they would like it, obviously, because they’re really pushing the American market,” he said. “But they weren’t doing anything to help us.” “It would have been a huge story,” added Andretti, who previously tried to buy the Force India F1 team in 2018 and had talks with Haas. “It’s a shame it didn’t work out but I don’t give up.” Had Andretti’s takeover of Alfa Romeo gone ahead he intended to place IndyCar driver Colton Herta in F1, despite his lack of a superlicence for the 2022 season. “Obviously if we ever do get a team he would lead the way for us in terms of wanting to bring an American driver,” said Andretti. “He would be the perfect guy to do it. “We definitely were going to get him into the seat because I believe he could definitely be a competitive driver in Europe, I really do, there’s no reason why.”

Construction works ongoing at Jeddah circuit ahead of Saudi Arabia GP

Kevin Peterson4 years ago11 months ago01 mins

Formula 1 has released new shots and footage of the Jeddah street circuit that is set to host the inaugural Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on December 5th, just over a month from now. The circuit is being billed as the fastest and longest street circuit on the F1 calendar and there appears to be plenty of rapid straights and sweeping bends that should provide good overtaking action at the penultimate race of the year. Construction remains well underway, however, with it looking as though the next month is going to see a lot of development in a short amount of time to bring the venue up to scratch and up to the level that Formula 1 would expect from a circuit.

Nico Hulkenberg will not be making Indycar move despite successful McLaren test

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Former Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg has killed off his own prospects of racing in the NTT IndyCar Series in the future, for “personal reasons”. The 34-year-old German driver, who remains Aston Martin F1’s reserve driver but who no longer entertains any hopes of returning full-time to the grid, was offered a test outing by Arrow McLaren SP two weeks ago at Barber Motorsports Park. Hulkenberg qualified the run in Alabama as “good and successful” while McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown readily put the former Grand Prix driver among the front-runners to fill a third seat in the future at AMSP. However, despite the positive feedback that followed his Barber test, Hulkenberg ruled out a move to IndyCar in a message on Twitter on Thursday. “Quick update regarding IndyCar: It was exciting to test an Indycar two weeks ago and I am grateful to Arrow McLaren SP for this opportunity,” Hulkenberg wrote. “However for personal reasons I decided not to go ahead with it. Keep you posted on my future plans.” The former Renault driver didn’t elaborate on the “personal reasons” behind his decision. But as the proud parents of a recently born young son, Hulkenberg and his wife, fashion designer Egle Ruskyte, may feel that committing to IndyCar or relocating to America are not in the family’s best interests. Hulkenberg’s former F1 colleagues, Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean have both successfully undergone the endeavour. Ericsson switched to IndyCar in 2019 and has enjoyed two wins in the series, while Grosjean is in the process of moving his family to the US where he will undertake in 2022 his first full IndyCar season, running with top outfit Andretti Autosport.

130,000 fans show up in central Mexico to see Perez

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez demonstrated Red Bull’s title-winning RB7 along the Paseo de la Reforma and around the iconic El Ángel de la Independencia. Perez ended Mexico’s 50-year wait for a Formula 1 victory last season when he triumphed for Racing Point at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Perez switched to Red Bull Racing for 2021 and added a second career win in Azerbaijan. He was joined at the event by Mexican riders Didier Goirand and Ivan Ramirez, along with rally driver Benito Guerra. “It feels amazing to back here in Mexico City, I never really imagined a moment like this, I think as an athlete and a driver you always think about being on track making memories, but today was crazy, we took over Mexico City,” said Perez. “It was such a special way to start my home Grand Prix weekend. Everyone was full of energy and the people have been amazing, even camping here since last night. “I am really looking forward to seeing all the fans back at track this weekend too. “My ambitions for this weekend are to be in the mix to win the race on Sunday and it would mean everything to me to come out on top in Mexico.”

Stefan Bradl to replace Marquez for Algarve GP

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Honda MotoGP test rider Stefan Bradl will once again return to MotoGP action this weekend at the Algarve Grand Prix, stepping into the Repsol Honda team to repeat his now regular role as the replacement for the injured Marc Marquez. It was announced yesterday that the Spaniard will sit out this weekend’s race at Portimao after sustaining a concussion last Saturday while training on an off-road machine, but no substitute was confirmed when the team first released a brief statement on the eight-time world champion’s injuries. However, it’s now been made official that Bradl, who has tested extensively of late for the Japanese manufacturer, will park his microphone from his normal weekend role as a TV pundit for German broadcaster Servus and will instead replace Marquez. “First of all I hope Marc is recovering well and he can be back on track soon,” the 31-year-old said in a team press release. “I am looking forward to riding again as Portimao is an enjoyable circuit where we had a good result towards the end of 2020. It’s never easy to jump on the bike, but we have had a lot of good bike time this year between the races and testing.” Bradl’s return to the team is a familiar one considering it marks his fifth appearance of the season for Honda after first deputising for Marquez at the opening two races of the year in Qatar before going on to make two wildcard appearances in his role as test rider.

Marc Marquez ruled out of Algarve GP after training accident

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago03 mins

Marc Marquez’s hot run of form will be interrupted after being ruled out of the Algarve Grand Prix this weekend following a training accident. The Portuguese circuit will host the penultimate round of the MotoGP season, where Marquez would have been vying for three wins on the trot having taken victory in both the Grand Prix of the Americas and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last month. However, Honda has confirmed the 28-year-old will be sidelined as recovers from a crash last weekend. “This past Saturday Marc Marquez, while preparing for the Algarve Grand Prix with one of his standard off-road training sessions, suffered a fall that caused a slight head concussion,” read a statement from the Honda Racing Corporation. “After a few days of rest at home and seeing that he was still unwell, today Marquez has been assessed by doctors in a medical check-up to evaluate his current status. “As a precautionary measure, this coming weekend Marquez will not contest the Algarve Grand Prix.” It’s unclear whether Marquez will be replaced for this weekend. The concussion represents the latest hurdle for the six-time premier class world champion, who endured a long road back from the broken humerus he suffered in his right arm in July, 2020. Marquez has often spoken of the pain he still has to manage, although his results had improved considerably of late. Having often been relatively on the pace since returning for Round 3 of the season – ironically also at Portugal – Marquez’s first half of the campaign was littered with in-race crashes. He broke through for a grand prix victory at his German stronghold, the anti-clockwise Sachsenring – but that remained his only top five result in his first 10 races back. The last four events have been far more fruitful, with second at Aragon and fourth at San Marino preceding his back-to-back wins in October. Marquez currently holds sixth in the standings, seven points behind Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and six ahead of Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

Mexican GP press conference line-up

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago02 mins

Thursday’s press conference schedule for the Mexican GP is out, and as usual there are a few interesting pairings to look forward to. The first pair-up that catches our attention is Lewis Hamilton and Nikita Mazepin. The veteran and the rookie have been exchanging words through the media ever since Hamilton slammed F1 for prioritizing billionaire’s kids over talented drivers. Hence, there is a bit of uneasiness going on between the duo and the reporters are definitely going to bring up questions related to the seven-time world champion’s pay driver comments. So, only time will tell if the press conference brings the two closer or drags them farther from each other. The other pair-up combination is Daniel Ricciardo and home hero, Sergio Perez. Both carry a special place in their hearts for the American continent. Also, there’s Ricciardo‘s charisma and Perez’s excitement for his home race, setting a very positive mood in the room. Hence, amazing content to look forward to from the duo. Drivers’ press conference schedule for Mexican GP Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) – Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) – Esteban Ocon (Alpine) Fernando Alonso (Alpine) – Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – Mick Schumacher (Haas) Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo) – Lando Norris (McLaren) Nikita Mazepin (Haas) – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG) Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Ferrari) – Nicholas Latifi (Williams) Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) – Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes AMG) Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) – George Russell (Williams)

Mercedes rear suspension is not ‘illegal’- Mattia Binotto

Kevin Peterson4 years ago4 years ago04 mins

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says there is nothing “wrong or illegal” with the rear suspension of Mercedes’ W12. Mercedes’ suspension made headlines last month when Red Bull were said to have questioned it. According to Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull “made the FIA take a closer look at the rear suspension of the Silver Arrows” in regard to its legality. The FIA investigation was “inconclusive” with seven other teams having the same suspension, some “apparently even more radically than Mercedes”. One of those teams being Ferrari. As such it is no wonder that Binotto says there is nothing wrong with the Mercedes design. “Honestly I’m not too interested in this discussion,” the Italian said when asked about Red Bull’s queries. “I’m not really following them, I heard about it. “I do not see anything wrong or illegal in that. I mean I’m even not somehow surprised the way the car behaves.” McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl also isn’t concerned that Mercedes are running an illegal design. “To be honest, I only saw, I think the Sky video when the analysis was done,” he said as per Autosport, “but we didn’t spend any energy yet on on this topic. “We have enough to do just focusing on ourselves and executing a good race weekend. “So let’s chat a bit about it again in a week’s time, once we have looked into this as a team. And if there’s actually something behind it or it is just a ghost which is going through the paddock at the moment.” Speaking after the Turkish Grand Prix, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner voiced his suspicious about the Mercedes suspension. But, he added, while he fears it will give Mercedes an advantage, he does not believe it is illegal. “It will have more effect on one straight than the other,” he told Sky Sports. “On a circuit like Jeddah, I think it will bring them a lot. “Based on what we’ve seen now, I don’t believe it’s illegal and I see no reason to make a protest.” As for Mercedes, Toto Wolff called Red Bull’s complaints “noise”. “I think we recognise absolutely this is a sport where competitors will always try to find out if there is some kind of silver bullet,” said Wolff. “My experience is there is no such thing, it’s all the small gains, marginal gains that have been added and bring performance. “We are trying to really comprehend our car better and add performance in lap time without listening too much to the noise.”

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130,000 fans show up in central Mexico to see Perez

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Mexican GP press conference line-up

Mercedes rear suspension is not ‘illegal’- Mattia Binotto

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