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Author: David Bodapati
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Kush Maini fifth fastest on Friday Test session
Snetterton, 2 October 2020: Double R Racing’s Benjamin Pedersen set the fastest time of the week in the final Friday session at Snetterton. The American driver set a lap of 1m44.121s with five minutes remaining to eclipse anything seen across the two days of testing, and was over a quarter of a second clear of countryman Kaylen Frederick.
Earlier, in the opening Friday Session, Kush Maini set the fastest time which was twice affected by red flags. The Indian driver was 0.855 seconds clear of Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton, while 2019 runner-up Johnathan Hoggard made a testing return with Fortec, setting the third fastest time.
Only eight laps were completed by most of the field thanks to two red flags, with Hitech’s Reece Ushijima bringing the first out with an off at Riches just before the midway point, with the session resuming when his car was retrieved from the run off area and returned to the pits. The session ended early when JHR’s Max Marzorati went off at the same corner with around five minutes remaining.
With the lack of running, Maini’s session best was around two seconds away from yesterday’s pace.
In the final test session, Pedersen topped the times on several occasions in the session and set three laps in the final 10 minutes to keep himself at the top. Carlin’s Frederick trimmed the margin at the end and was half a tenth clear of Chris Dittmann Racing’s Josh Skelton, with Fortec’s Johnathan Hoggard 0.070s further back in fourth.
Championship leader Kush Maini was fifth and over a tenth clear of Douglas Motorsport’s Ulysse De Pauw, who set exactly the same time as Carlin’s Nazim Azman in seventh.
Louis Foster (Double R), Roberto Faria (Fortec) and Reece Ushijima (Hitech) completed the top-10, with Lanan’s Piers Prior and Douglas Motorsport’s Manaf Hijjawi also within a second of the outright pace.
Lanan’s Bart Horsten was 13th in the session and nearly half a second ahead of Hillspeed’s Sasakorn Chaimongkol, with Chris Dittmann Racing’s Alex Fores just 0.004 seconds further back.
Max Marzorati set the 16th fastest time for JHR Developments, 0.066s clear of Hillspeed’s local man Oliver Clarke, with Marzorati’s teammate Carter Williams and Lanan’s Josh Mason completing the 19 runners, with Kiern Jewiss failing to set a lap today.
On the combined times for the day, the top-five drivers all set their best time in the final session, with Azman sixth overall courtesy of his session three effort. The full combined times are shown below.
The field are back in action at Snetterton with qualifying at 3.15 India time on Saturday, with live timing available by clicking here.
BRDC British F3 Championship, Snetterton Friday test session four result:
1. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, 1m44.121s
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.253s
3. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.307s
4. Johnathan Hoggard, Fortec Motorsports, +0.377s
5. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.422s
6. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.557s
7. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.557s
8. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +0.779s
9. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.924s
10. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.958s
11. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +0.981s
12. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.983s
13. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.027s
14. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.486s
15. Alex Fores, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.490s
16. Max Marzorati, JHR Developments, +1.785s
17. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +1.851s
18. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +2.135s
19. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +2.266sBRDC British F3 Championship, Snetterton Friday combined test result:
1. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, 1m44.121s (session four)
2. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +0.253s (session four)
3. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +0.307s (session four)
4. Johnathan Hoggard, Fortec Motorsports, +0.377s (session four)
5. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, +0.422s (session four)
6. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +0.527s (session three)
7. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.557s (session four)
8. Roberto Faria, Fortec Motorsports, +0.727s (session three)
9. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +0.779s (session four)
10. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +0.958s (session four)
11. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +0.981s (session four)
12. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, +0.983s (session four)
13. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +1.027s (session four)
14. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +1.486s (session four)
15. Alex Fores, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.490s (session four)
16. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +1.495s (session two)
17. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +1.665s (session three)
18. Max Marzorati, JHR Developments, +1.785s (session four)
19. Carter Williams, JHR Developments, +2.133s (session three) -
Honda to stop engines for Formula 1
Tokyo, 2 October 2020: Honda Motor Company Limited today announced that it has decided to conclude its participation in the FIA Formula One (F1) World Championship as a power unit supplier at the end of the 2021 season.
In 2015, Honda resumed competition in F1, the most prestigious automobile racing series in the world, with the goal to win using its own energy management technologies. Initially, Honda experienced a number of difficulties; however, by demonstrating the collective strength of `All Honda,’ including the utilization of its aircraft engine technologies, Honda has realized a high level of competitiveness.
Moreover, as a result of the growth Honda achieved together with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri under a strong partnership with both teams, Honda was able to attain its goal of earning victories with three wins last season and two wins* so far in the 2020 season.
In the meantime, as the automobile industry undergoes a once-in-one-hundred-years period of great transformation, Honda has decided to strive for the `realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.’ This goal will be pursued as part of Honda’s environmental initiatives which is one of the top priorities of Honda as a mobility manufacturer.
Toward this end, Honda needs to funnel its corporate resources in research and development into the areas of the future power unit and energy technologies, including fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and battery EV (BEV) technologies, which will be the core of carbon-free technologies. As a part of this move, in April of this year, Honda created a new centre called Innovative Research Excellence, Power Unit & Energy. Honda will allocate its energy management and fuel technologies as well as knowledge amassed through F1 activities to this area of the power unit and energy technologies and take initiatives while focusing on the future realization of carbon neutrality. Toward this end, Honda made the decision to conclude its participation in F1.
Motorsports activities are in Honda’s DNA, and therefore Honda will continue to be passionate about taking on challenges and striving to become No. 1 in all categories of racing in which Honda participates.
In F1, in order to fulfill the expectations of its fans, Honda will work together with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri to continue competing with its utmost effort and strive for more victories all the way to the end of the 2021 season.
With its `challenging spirit’ cultivated through motorsports activities, Honda will take on the new challenge of the future realization of carbon neutrality.
Honda will appreciate the continuous understanding and support for its motorsports activities and for the new challenge of Honda.
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A Formula 1 kind of Wednesday for Robert, Callum and Mick
Maranello, 30 Sept 2020: This was a day to remember for Robert Shwartzman, Callum Ilott and Mick Schumacher at the Fiorano track. The Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) students each had a run behind the wheel of a 2018 Ferrari SF71H to experience driving a Formula 1 car as part of the #RoadToF1 programme. Mick and Callum are scheduled to take part in the first free practice session for the Eifel Grand Prix on 9 October, with Alfa Romeo Racing and Haas F1 Team respectively, and Robert will make his Friday debut on 11 December at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
Robert. First up was Robert, who has three Formula 2 wins to his name so far this year. For the 21 year old Russian this was his very first time at the wheel of a Formula 1 car. He went out for an installation lap at 9.03 and twenty minutes later he began his first real run. The youngster, who has been part of the FDA since 2017, got off to a cautious start, but soon got the hang of the car and the track.
Callum. Callum Ilott’s turn came at noon. The Englishman has been with the FDA since 2018 and is currently second in the Formula 2 series with three wins to his name. This was his first time at the wheel of a Ferrari, although the 21 year old from Cambridge had experienced a Ferrari-powered Formula 1 Alfa Romeo Racing C38 at last year’s post-Spanish GP test at the Barcelona Catalunya circuit. Ilott completed a good number of laps of the 2.976 km track, running at a constant pace; perfect preparation for his debut at the Nürburgring.
Mick. At 3pm, it was the turn of Mick Schumacher, the current Formula 2 championship leader, with two wins. The 21 year old German has been with the FDA since 2019 and this was not his first time at the wheel of a Ferrari. In 2019, he drove that year’s SF90 in Bahrain, also having a drive in the Alfa Romeo C38 at the same test. Mick also completed his programme, aimed at familiarising himself with a Formula 1 car, after so many races in the junior category over the past few months.Next appointment. There is now a long break in the Formula 2 calendar until the two rounds planned in Bahrain on 28 and 29 November and 5 and 6 December.
Robert Shwartzman said: “I have dreamed of the day when I would drive a Formula 1 car for the first time ever since I was a little kid and finally today was the day. Driving this car was fantastic and great fun.
The power is what strikes you most: when you accelerate the horsepower never seems to stop. The brakes are equally impressive: the car stops when it feels as though it’s too late to make the corner. Apart from the actual driving, it was also special to work with the team. There are a lot of them and they pay attention to every little detail. They really work at a very high level. Thanks to everyone who made this memorable day possible.”Callum Ilot said: This was an unforgettable day. I’d already been able to drive a Formula 1 car last year, but today I was able to get to grips with the car with just ten days to go to my debut on a Grand Prix weekend. It was very useful and I thank Ferrari for giving me this opportunity.
What struck me about the SF71H was its aero efficiency, which means you have grip levels you just don’t find in other categories. Then there’s the extreme power from the engine and instant braking.Mick Schumacher said: “I would like to thank Ferrari and the FDA for giving me the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a hybrid-powered Formula 1 car, a few days before my debut at a Grand Prix weekend at the Nürburgring. It was very useful to get used to all the procedures again, which are pretty complex and also with how a team works in this top level of the sport.
A few weeks ago in Mugello, I was able to drive an F2004, an amazing car, but quite old fashioned now. Getting behind the wheel of a 2018 hybrid car allowed me to understand how important the electronics are for the Power Unit and how much progress Formula 1 has made in terms of aerodynamics.
I can’t wait to jump into the cockpit in Germany and it will be nice to take part in a practice session for the first time in front of my home crowd. In the team, there are some mechanics who worked with my father and that will make the day even more special.”Marco Matassa Head of FDA Technical Department “I am very pleased with how today went. I’d like to thank the Scuderia Ferrari race team for its support, because in the middle of such a busy season, it’s no small matter to change the car configuration to suit the individual needs of all three drivers, while helping them get to grips with something as complex as a hybrid-powered Formula 1 car.
On the technical front I’m happy with the way Mick, Callum and Robert quickly got used to the SF71H. For two of them this wasn’t their first time in a Formula 1 car, but even so it’s not easy to switch from the driving style demanded from a Formula 2 car to one best suited to Formula 1. The car has much more power, a significantly more sophisticated braking system and power steering that requires sensitivity and precision to use properly. However, they were all quick and immediately began running at a good pace. I believe the laps they did today will be very useful when Mick and Callum run on Friday at the Nürburgring.
On a purely emotional level, it was wonderful to see the lads in their red race suit in front of their Ferrari, posing for the group photo, especially with Robert who was having his very first drive in a Formula 1 car, which is an unforgettable moment for any driver.” -
Yash Aradhya to race in French F4
Bengaluru, 30 Sept 2020: Multiple National racing champion Yash Aradhya is all set to race in the French Formula 4 this week-end at Paul Ricardo circuit in Le Castellet, France.
He will be the only Indian in the FIA FFSA French Formula 4 for this season. Yash is also the first Indian motorsport talent to receive the prestigious `Pradhan Mantri Bal Shakthi Puraskar’ in January 2020.
The FIA Formula 4 French is organized by the French Federation of Motor Sport Auto Sport Academy known as `FFSA Academy’ under the aegis of the International Federation, the FIA, world Motorsports governing body.
The 18-year old Aradhya will be participating in the Open Category of the FIA Formula 4 French. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the championship calendar was rescheduled multiple times and finally kick started in August 2020. While Yash hasn’t been able to compete in the first three rounds of the Championship due to Visa related delays, he is all set to participate in the remaining four rounds, thereby, gaining a strong footing for the next year in Europe.
Looking forward to the weekend, Yash said, “Finally the wait is over, I am thankful to my sponsors who stood by me even at this time of adversity and made this a possibility. I am all excited to race in these tracks for the first time, I will focus and learn the tracks, adapt to the car as quickly as possible, I am confident that I will make them and my country proud.”
Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “Though the entire world is crippled with the pandemic, it is important to see opportunity even in this adversity, that’s how champions are made. However, as the world is slowly regaining feet and so are the sporting events, I’m happy that our boys from India are geared up to make an impression in the global arena. Yash has time and again proved his mettle both in domestic and international racing and we wish him luck for this outing.”
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10 facts for you ahead of the WorldSBK Pirelli Round
Magny Cours, 29 Sept 2020: The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the penultimate round of the 2020 season. A regular track on the WorldSBK calendar since 2003 after debuting in 1991, Magny-Cours promises to host thrilling races across the event. Get ready for the Pirelli French Round with ten headlining stats ahead of the weekend’s commencement.
1. Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) milestones for race starts go in pairs: in the Tissot Superpole Race, he is set for his 300th WorldSBK start, his 160th for Kawasaki. Rea is the fourth man to reach the milestone of 300 WorldSBK starts after Troy Corser (377), Tom Sykes (currently 314) and Noriyuki Haga (313). There is a recurring “160” for Rea in Magny-Cours: last year he recorded here his 160th career podium
2. It’s countdown time for Rea, as he recorded his 97th win in Catalunya, Race 1. At 99 he would be 40 ahead of second-placed in the all-time standings, Carl Fogarty.
3. This year, there’ve been ten podium finishers so far, the highest number since 2015. An eleventh different rider on the podium would take us back to 2013 (12).
4. Sometimes numbers don’t happen by chance: Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), racing with #31, is the 31st podium finisher for Yamaha in WorldSBK history. This all in the same race as Chaz Davies’ 31st win.
5. Fittingly, as he races with #7, Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) became the seventh different winner in 2020, the highest number of different winners since 2013. There haven’t been eight different victors since 2012.
6. At Catalunya, Garrett Gerloff scored his maiden podium: he is the 14th American on the podium in WorldSBK, the first since the late Nicky Hayden, third at the Lausitzring in 2016’s Race 1. Gerloff is the 124th podium finisher in history.
7. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is the only rider who raced 23 times in WorldSBK at Magny-Cours. He made the most out of his starts, as he climbed on the podium in nearly half of them, eleven times.
8. Great Britain is the most successful country at Magny-Cours with 16 wins. That is three times more than their best competitor, Japan, at five wins, all by Noriyuki Haga.
9. The most successful rider here is Jonathan Rea, with six wins: he surpassed Noriyuki Haga (5) last year.
10. The only French winner at Magny-Cours is Sylvain Guintoli (2012 Race 1; 2014 Race 1). -
FIA makes breakthrough in Rally Safety with crash-simulation technology
Paris, 29 Sept 2020: The FIA has made a breakthrough in safety through the use of computer simulation to study accident cases known to cause spinal injuries that are commonly reported in Cross Country competition.
Following a number of cases of spinal injury reported by Cross Country competitors during a heavy impact or landing, the FIA Safety Department conducted extensive research to identify the most significant factors that contribute to the risk of this type of injury. The research project was supported by funding from the FIA Foundation.
Using a virtual model of the cockpit environment and the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) to represent the driver and co-driver, FIA research engineers could simulate hundreds of crash cases to examine how the position and restraint of the competitors translated into loading of the spine. The THUMS model, which was developed by Toyota Motor Company, who work in partnership with the FIA, offers a virtual representation of the human body. This is made up of almost two million elements, which accurately reproduce the human form, from rigid bone structures to soft tissues and organs.
To validate the results of the simulation, the research relied on correlation with real-world cases where the injuries were documented, including an accident during a Cross Country rally in Qatar in 2018 in which the co-driver suffered vertebra fractures from T3 through to T8. Significantly, the driver of that car suffered no injuries, which demonstrated to researchers that if the key differences between the driver and co-driver can be quantified, this knowledge could be applied by all competitors to prevent injuries in similar cases.
The results provided by the THUMS model highlighted that rotating the competitor’s seat to a more upright position equated to a 22 per cent reduction in the forces that translate into a fracture of the spine during a heavy landing.
The FIA’s research concluded that the installation of the safety harness is a key factor in mitigating spinal injury during a heavy landing or impact. Changing the angle of the lap strap on the safety harness between the anchorage point behind the seat and the buckle resulted in an eight per cent reduction in the potential for a spinal fracture in the event of a heavy landing.
The study also found that a heavy landing with a tight safety harness reduced the load on the spine by around six per cent, meaning that it is important competitors always make sure their safety harness is properly tightened during the entire event.
The research also considered the weight of the competitor, concluding that a 10kg lower mass of the driver or co-driver led to an eight percent reduction in the load on the spine.
Adam Baker, FIA Safety Director, said: “Simulation using the THUMS model has enabled us to study a wide range of Cross Country accident cases in fine detail, improving our understanding of the key factors that contribute to spinal fractures in Cross Country competition. We would like all competitors and teams to benefit from the results of this research, as even minor changes in the cockpit can prevent injury.”Click here to download the study “Cross Country Competitor Installation Best Practices”
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Will more history be written as WorldSBK heads to Magny-Cours?
Magny Cours, 28 Sept 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is all packed and ready to go to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the penultimate round of the 2020 season for the Pirelli French Round. Reigning five-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has his first chance to claim his sixth World Championship.
Should Rea leave Magny-Cours with a points lead of 63 points or greater, Rea will be crowned Champion for a sixth consecutive time, although he could win it after the Tissot Superpole Race with an 87-point lead. Magny-Cours is a circuit Rea has finished on the podium in five consecutive races, as well as clinching titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019, so he has good form and good reason to believe that a heroic sixth title could be clinched here. Teammate Alex Lowes will be looking to get back onto the podium, something he has not done since his Phillip Island victory. He secured three top-ten finishes at Catalunya and will be hoping to build on that at a track where he has two podiums – including in Race 2 last year.
Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) is still in title contention and currently sits 51 points behind Rea. After securing a podium in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Redding fell back in the next two races and will be hoping he can carry more of his speed from Race 1 across to the Magny-Cours weekend. Coincidentally, Redding leads teammate Chaz Davies by 51 points in the standings with Davies scoring four podiums, including a win last time out, in his last seven races as he hauled himself up the standings. Davies has won three times at Magny-Cours and will be hoping to add to that tally, although he’s not been on the top step of the rostrum there since Race 2 in 2017.
Just behind Davies is Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team), who occupies fourth in the Championship after his win in Barcelona and will be hoping he can claim more podiums at a circuit he has five already. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu has won twice in only five races at the French track, both from 16th in 2019, his first ever wins, but was declared unfit after a high-speed Warm Up crash at Catalunya; the Turkish rider will need to be declared fit after he was diagnosed with a chest injury but hopes he can return to action at a track he won his first ever race in the WorldSBK paddock at, back in 2014 in STK600.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) is the highest placed Independent in the Riders’ Championship standings despite being outscored by Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) at the Acerbis Catalunya Round; Rinaldi suffering a technical issue towards the end of Race 2 when fighting at the front while French star Baz was able to secure his second podium of 2020 with third place in the Tissot Superpole Race. Baz was a podium contender at Magny-Cours last year on his way to fourth in Race 1 and hopes for a first home rostrum in front of his fans this weekend coming.
Another rider who had an up and down weekend was Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), who finished fifth in Race 1 and was leading the Tissot Superpole Race until a spectacular highside just a few corners later ended his race. Unable to start Race 2 due to a technical issue, Bautista will be hoping to better last year’s showing at Magny-Cours, when he secured two top-five finishes. Teammate Leon Haslam has lots of experience at Magny-Cours, having raced at the circuit back in 2003 for the first time, with three podiums to his name – his last coming on a Honda in 2014.
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team duo Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty come into the Pirelli French Round full of confidence having both secured their best finishes of the year in Race 2 in Barcelona. Sykes has 11 podiums at Magny-Cours and shares the record of pole positions with Rea, with four each, meaning Sykes will be hoping he can score more top five finishes. Sykes’ most recent podium of his career came at Magny-Cours, also the most recent for BMW. Laverty also has three podium finishes at Magny-Cours and after his strong showing last time out, will be hoping for another good weekend.
After securing his maiden WorldSBK podium, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) comes into the French Round full of confidence; the rookie became the first American to stand on a WorldSBK podium since the late, great Nicky Hayden in 2016. His teammate, Federico Caricasulo, has raced at the circuit four times in WorldSSP and secured one podium, in 2017, and aims to use this experience to help him secure a top ten finish.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) comes to the Pirelli French Round with four consecutive point scores and hopes to be competitive given his past podium pace from 2018. Valentin Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) will continue to substitute for the injured Sandro Cortese having scored a best finish of 14th at Catalunya. Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) will be looking to make a step forward on a circuit he secured his joint-best WorldSBK result on, with tenth. Barrier and Debise being on the grid mean there are three French riders lining up for their home race.
Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) finished just outside the points in Race 1 in Barcelona but retired from the Superpole Race and Race 2 with the Italian youngster looking to bounce back at Magny-Cours. Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) underwent successful surgery on a right wrist injury and is aiming to return for Magny-Cours, while Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) will be not be racing after he underwent surgery on a separation of the right acromioclavicular joint injury and aims to be back for Estoril. He will be replaced by Xavier Pinsach this weekend.
Championship Standings after Race 2, Round 6
1. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (290 points)
2. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (239 points)
3. Chaz Davies (GBR) Ducati (188 points) -
Marini fends off Lowes to extend his Moto2 title lead
The Italian comes out on top in a two-man Moto2™ tug-of-war at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Di Giannantonio completing the podium
Barcelona, 27 Sept 2020: Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini produced some Montmelo magic to see off the hard-charging Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) in the closing stages of the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, taking what could turn out to be a vital victory in his quest to be crowned Moto2™ World Champion in 2020. Lowes was forced to settle for second, with the podium completed by Fabio Di Giannantonio (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) as the Italian was back on the rostrum for the first time this year,
Marini would take the holeshot from pole position, with Di Giannantonio diving past his teammate Jorge Navarro (HDR Heidrun Speed Up) to take second into the opening corner. Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team), meanwhile, was already inside the top five and trying to help his own Championship cause after starting from tenth on the grid, left with some Sunday work to do.
At the end of Lap 1, Lowes attacked Bastianini to take fifth, with the Italian slipping further back four corners later when Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) found a way through as well. At the front, meanwhile, the leading trio were already showing that they had the pace to break away with a gap starting to form from Navarro back to Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) in fourth.
A lap later Lowes was aggressive again as he lunged past Bezzecchi, but he couldn’t get the bike stopped and allowed the Italian back through. The Brit got the job done moments later though, putting in the fastest lap of the race as he started to close in on the three men ahead. It didn’t take long for the six-wheeler at the front to become an eight-wheeler, and once on the scene Lowes caught and then passed Navarro in one fell swoop to take third.
The front trio were locked together, but Marini seemed a threat to breakaway and Lowes was next looking for a way through on ‘Diggia’. The Brit then got totally out of shape into Turn 10 trying to get past, keeping it together but sending the pair of them wide. Was this the chance for Marini to bolt at the front? The Italian had just over a second in hand as they came across the line to complete Lap 8, but Lowes was unperturbed and he then dispatched the Speed Up ahead before setting another fastest lap. That put him within a second, but Marini remained in his rhythm…
Lowes was too though. Churning through the deficit to tag back onto the Sky Racing Team VR46 machine in the lead, the Brit looking threatening as he hovered in Marini’s shadow. By seven to go, Lowes decided the time was now as an inch-perfect attack into the opening corner saw him take the lead. Marini wouldn’t allow him to escape, however, and as the laps ticked by, the Italian continued to apply the pressure.
Marini waited for the penultimate lap to pounce, and pounce he did. A carbon copy of the move that saw him lose the lead then saw the Italian regain it at Turn 1 as he sliced back through, hammer down immediately as the last few kilometers ticked on. Lowes tried to stay with him, but the Brit was then too hot into Turn 6 and lost ground, left watching Marini escape just enough to secure the win.
That third win of the year for Marini could prove to be his most pivotal yet, as his World Championship lead stretches out to twenty points. Lowes’ four-year wait for an intermediate class win continues, but another podium finish made for some solid points to gain ground on Bezzecchi in the title fight. Di Giannantonio, meanwhile, managed to keep himself in some clear air to take his first podium of the season after what’s been a difficult start to the year.
The good news continued for HDR Heidrun Speed Up in fourth. After a near race-long battle with Joe Roberts, Navarro finally got the better of the American on the final lap to take fourth place. Roberts completed the top five, with Bastianini forced to settle for sixth as his Championship hopes got a slight dent, and the same could be said for Bezzecchi as he came across the line in seventh, ending a run of three podium finishes.
Inde Aspar Team Moto2’s Aron Canet was up there challenging for one before a late mistake saw him drop back to eighth, with Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) rounding out the top ten.
Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out of contention for a solid finish, as did Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was also forced out of the top six fight with a mechanical problem, the Brit on song but short on luck in Barcelona, as was the returning Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he retired from the race.
Now it’s on to Le Mans and another reset. Can Marini do it again, or will the ‘Beast’ Bastianini strike back? We’ll find out in a couple of weeks!
1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 38:11.103
2 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex +0.981
3 Fabio Di Giannantonio – HDR Heidrun Speed Up – Speed Up +4.399Luca Marini: “It was a very good weekend because starting from Friday the feeling was great with the bike, it wasn’t easy and I didn’t expect it because compared to Misano it’s a totally different track but we made the right changes on the bike for here. The race was nice, with the low temperatures it was easy to push every lap, I also tried to manage the rear tyre a bit because I knew that was important, we worked a lot on the engine braking all weekend to try and save the tyre. Sam was so fast, I was worried when he overtook me because I was struggling a bit with the rear tyre, but when he overtook me I tried to push a litlte bit more, fortunately I had something more at the end and I could overtake him again. It was important for me to win this race because the feeling on the bike was very good and when I didn’t win in Misano I was a bit angry because there the feeling was great too, and I said… here I need to win!”
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Quartararo comes out on top; Rossi flatters before the crash
The Frenchman holds off Mir to win, with Rins giving Suzuki a milestone in third as Dovizioso and Viñales lose big ground in the standings
Barcelona, 27 Sept 2020: Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) bounced back in serious style in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the Frenchman picking his way to the front to pull away initially before just holding off a charge from Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir. Mir took yet another podium though, and his Team Suzuki Ecstar teammate Alex Rins sliced through from P13 to third to make it two Suzukis on the podium for the first time since 2007. That was as drama ripped through the title fight just behind, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) down and out early on after he got collected by Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) in a domino effect Turn 1 shuffle, and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) dropping down to P15 before recovering to ninth.
Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was lightning off the line and grabbed the holeshot, with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) propelling himself from fourth to second as Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Quartararo dropped a couple of places. The huge drama then hit early doors at Turn 2: Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) almost went down – and pulled off an amazing save – but it was just in front of Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing). Petrux clipped Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). and, reacting, Zarco tucked the front. On the outside of the dominoes lay Dovizioso, and the (former) Championship leader and Zarco were down and out.
Back up at the front it was a little less dramatic as Rossi got the better of first Quartararo and then Miller, before the Australian was then wide to allow Quartararo through too, making it a Yamaha 1-2-3 at the end of the opening lap. Mir was holding off teammate Rins for P5 as both Suzukis had made good starts, Rins especially so, whereas Viñales got an awful start and shuffle at Turn 1, down in P15.
It didn’t take long for the top five to start pulling clear of the chasing pack, with Pol Espargaro getting the better of Rins for P6 and Mir then last man half in touch with the front in the early stages. The gap to the number 36 was a second on Lap 3 and up to two a couple of laps later though, with the top five all equally split on the road. Quartararo had Rossi firmly in his sights, however, and the 21-year-old homed in on the ‘Doctor’, making a pass stick at Turn 1 to make it a Petronas 1-2. Miller was sticking with the three Yamahas in fourth as Mir dropped back slightly, but it was early, early doors… and much was yet to come.
By Lap 8, Quartararo was hounding teammate and race leader Morbidelli, with Rossi and Miller waiting in the wings. ‘El Diablo’ then snatched the lead into Turn 1 at the beginning of Lap 9, and a fastest lap of the race came in for the number 20. Morbidelli and Rossi were keeping him honest though and then set slightly quicker lap times on Lap 10, with nothing to choose between the YZR-M1 trio. Miller was 0.7 seconds off the podium at that point, with Mir 1.2 behind Miller.
With 14 to go, there was just 0.8 covering the leading three, but Morbidelli was then nearly down at Turn 1 a lap later. The Italian was out of shape into the braking zone and ran wide, then nearly tucking the front, just saving it. Rossi was through on his protégé with the number 21 slotting back into third, and Miller now also seeming to struggle in the fight to keep Mir at bay. Quartararo was just 0.7 ahead of the number 46 up front too, although that then went up to 0.9s on the 15th lap of 24, with the tension palpable in Barcelona.
On Lap 16, that tension broke with more drama at Turn 2. On for his second podium of the season and 200th premier class rostrum on his 350th premier class start, Rossi slid out of contention as he tipped into the left-hander. Rider ok, but a big chance gone. That left Quartararo with a three-second lead over his teammate, which seemed like some solid breathing pace. But after a Turn 10 mistake from Miller, Mir was up to third and smelt blood as that now foreboding late-race pace for the Suzuki man was coming to the fore again. With seven to go, Mir was just half a second off Morbidelli.
Suzuki late race pace was coming on strong for Rins, too. With five to go, the number 42 was all over the back of Miller in the fight for fourth, with Mir unable to get within striking distance of Morbidelli for the time being. Quartararo seemed safe in P1, his lead up to 3.3, but Rins then pounced on Miller at Turn 10; the two Suzukis on a charge.
Quartararo’s lead was 2.8 with four to go and at the end of Lap 21, the gap was down to just 2.5 – Mir seven tenths quicker than the race leader, and the lead Suzuki man now right on Morbidelli. Onto the penultimate lap, Mir struck for second, and that wasn’t the last of Morbidelli’s worries as Rins homed in as well. The Suzukis were swarming and Mir was immediately off into the distance from the number 21 Petronas Yamaha, with Rins then up the inside of Morbidelli at Turn 10 as well, making it two Suzukis in the top three for the first time since Misano 2007.
Was that all she wrote? Quartararo’s lead was 1.8, but Mir was flying. Halfway round the last lap the Mayorcan was just 1.4 off, and the tenths kept evaporating from Quartararo’s advantage. In the final sector, it was almost equidistant from the Frenchman to Mir to Rins, and the number 20 seemed to almost be looking over his shoulder. Having pushed so hard so early, there wasn’t enough grip left for pushing late to make up much ground…
Round the final corner though, the Frenchman stood firm. An emotional victory ultimately just a second ahead of Mir sees him take back the Championship lead, and get back on the top step for the first time since Jerez. Mir taking yet another rostrum, however, moves him up to second overall – just eight points back and the man on consistent form, Jaws music and all. What would one more lap have meant between the two now at the top? Rins, meanwhile, gained an impressive ten places to take third and his first podium since his stunning win at Silverstone last year, making it a real milestone day for Suzuki with both Hamamatsu machines on the podium for the first time in 13 years.
Morbidelli slipped to P4 after the Suzuki late charge, but he’s now just seven behind Dovizioso on the standings. Miller managed to hold off teammate Bagnaia on the last lap to claim a top five, making it strong rides for both Pramac Racing riders in Barcelona after Ducati looked to be on the back foot on Friday. Nakagami was just a tenth behind the two as the Japanese rider keeps up his run of finishing in the top 10 in every race this season – the only rider to do so – with Petrucci eighth for his second best result of 2020.
Viñales’ difficult day at the office after the ground lost at Turn 1 saw the number 12 only able to push back through to ninth, although that is some points at least. The Yamaha rider is now 18 adrift of Quartararo heading to the French GP though, and he’ll want to hit back quickly at a venue he’s reigned before. Battered and bruised Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) gritted his teeth for a great top 10 ride, the Brit less than a second away from Viñales.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the top Austrian machine in P11 for some more solid points towards Rookie of the Year. Teammate Pol Espargaro crashed out, as did Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Miguel Oliveira. Oliveira’s teammate Iker Lecuona was P14, behind Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and an unexpectedly tough race for Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the rookie took P13. Tito Rabat (Esponsorama Racing) completed the points.
That’s it for a dramatic, pivotal and, at times, chaotic Catalan GP. It’s advantage Quartararo as we head for his home turf at Le Mans, and the Sarthe venue has hosted plenty of Yamaha glory before. Will we see more in two weeks? Mir will be keen to make sure we don’t, still hunting for that first win, as Viñales and Dovizioso now face an uphill battle to get back up there. Come back for more spectacular MotoGP™ in two weeks!
1 Fabio Quartararo* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha 40:33.176
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.928
3 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +1.898
*Independent Team riderFabio Quartararo: “Honestly it was a difficult race, I made a great start then I was fourth, Jack made a mistake and I knew that was the perfect time to overtake! When I took the lead, and Franco stayed some laps behind, our pace was really fast and I think at that moment it was way too fast to keep the tyre fresh to the end. At the end I was three seconds slower but it’s not because I was in control! I was pushing at my maximum, and unfortunately it’s difficult to understand because the two guys here were much faster than me at the end but I think it was so important to make the first half of the race in the best conditions. We can be happy with our job today after five races of tough times. We learned many things but today it’s good to be back on the podium!”
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Valtteri Bottas takes 9th career win ahead of Verstappen
Sochi, 27 Sept 2020: Valtteri Bottas had a brilliant start from P3 and challenged poleman Lewis Hamilton but settled into P2 at the second corner but the six-time champion was penalised with two 5-second penalties and thus Bottas clinched his second win of the season and ninth of his career in the Russian Grand Prix, the 10th round of the Formula 1 World Championship here on Sunday.
The Finn took 26 points, with an additional point coming for the fastest lap and Hamilton who finished third behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull, had to be content in garnering 15 valuable points. Max Verstappen split the Mercedes taking second place for Red Bull F1 team.
Hamilton, recovered from receiving two five-second time penalties for a practice start violation, which he served at his pit stop, to complete the podium in what was his 150 start for Mercedes AMG Petronas team. Now Hamilton (205 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship by 44 points from Bottas (161 points).
As it happened
Valtteri Bottas claimed his first win since the opening race of the season with a controlled drive to the chequered flag at the FIA Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix after championship leader and early race leader Lewis Hamilton dropped down the order following two penalties for pre-race practice start infringements.
On two occasions in the build up to the race Hamilton performed practice starts outside of the designated area. The incidents were place under investigation ahead prior to the start and a brace of five-second penalties were served during the opening phase of the race.
Hamilton served the penalties during his sole pit stop and dropped from the top of the order to 11th place. He eventually rose to third place behind fellow front-row starter Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing.
When the lights went out Verstappen made a solid start but behind him Valtteri Bottas made a better getaway and he passed the Dutchman as they powered towards Turn 2. Verstappen tried to attack Bottas around the outside but had to back out and went across the run-off area. That lost him another place to Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in Turn 4 but the Red Bull driver immediately fought back reclaimed third place in the following corner.
Further back Carlos Sainz was also forced to use the run-off at Turn 2 but the McLaren driver lost control as he did so and he hit the barrier, breaking his front left suspension and scattering debris as he slid back onto the track.
Moments later, in Turn 4, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made contact with Racing Point’s Lance Stroll with the result that the Canadian was bounced out of the race.
Racing resumed at the start of lap six and Hamilton held his advantage over Bottas and Verstappen, with the Renaults of Ocon and Ricciardo in fourth and fifth place respectively. Hamilton was then handed his sanctions and Mercedes elected to pit the race leader on lap 17 where he served the penalties before taking on hard tyres. When he rejoined it was in 11th place, behind the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel.
Meanwhile, at the back of the field Alex Albon was involved in a thrilling battle with old Formula 2 rivals Lando Norris and George Russell. Albon first used the slipstream and DRS to pass Norris and then on lap 13 he forced Russell into an error and after the Williams driver locked up Albon powered through to P16. Albon then profited from pit stops from cars ahead to rise to 11th place behind Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Räikkönen who had started on hard tyres. However, the Thai driver’s march towards the points would be shortlived and he later slipped back again after pitting again at half distance for a set of medium tyres.
Verstappen made his sole pit stop on lap 26, taking on hard tyres in an excellent 1.9s stop. Bottas followed suit at the end of the next lap and resumed in the lead with Leclerc in second ahead of Verstappen. The Ferrari driver was next to pit and after hard tyre starter Daniil Kvyat finally pitted on lap 31, Hamilton rose to third place, eight seconds behind Verstappen and 20 behind Bottas.
As the race entered its final third, Albon again began to move up the order and he returned to the points when a Virtual Safety Car for damaged bollards in Turn 2 prompted AlphaTauri to pit Pierre Gasly for a second time.
The caution was short, however, and when it ended Albon was able power past Gasly as the Frenchman trundled towards the pit exit. However, with fresh medium tyres on board Gasly was soon fighting his way back and when Albon tussled with Lando Norris, the AlphaTauri driver closed in and passed Albon under DRS to take P10.
Norris hard tyres were shot, however, and within a handful of laps Albon forced an error from the McLaren driver. Norris locked up heavily on lap 48 and Albon power past to finally edge into the points positions.
With just five laps remaining the order settled and Bottas duly took his ninth career victory ahead of Verstappen who claimed his 38th podium finish and team’s 178th.
Behind third-placed Hamilton, Perez took a well-deserved fourth place ahead of Ricciardo while Leclerc also put in a strong performance to take sixth place for Ferrari. Ocon took seventh place and there was a double points finish for AlphaTauri with Kvyat taking eighth ahead of team-mate Gasly.
2020 FIA Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix – Race
1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 53 1:34’00.364
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 53 1:34’08.093 7.729
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 53 1:34’23.093 22.729
4 Sergio Pérez Racing Point/Mercedes 53 1:34’30.922 30.558
5 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 53 1:34’52.429 52.065
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 53 1:35’02.550 1’02.186
7 Esteban Ocon Renault 53 1:35’08.370 1’08.006
8 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri/Honda 53 1:35’09.104 1’08.740
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 53 1:35’30.130 1’29.766
10 Alexander Albon Red Bull/Honda 53 1:35’38.224 1’37.860
11 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 52 1:34’12.509 1 Lap
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 52 1:34’14.419 1 Lap
13 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 52 1:34’15.467 1 Lap
14 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 52 1:34’16.339 1 Lap
15 Lando Norris McLaren/Renault 52 1:34’26.176 1 Lap
16 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 52 1:34’53.867 1 Lap
17 Romain Grosjean Haas/Ferrari 52 1:34’54.908 1 Lap
18 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 52 1:35’22.195 1 Lap
Carlos Sainz McLaren/Renault 0 Collision
Lance Stroll Racing Point/Mercedes 0 Collision
Valtteri Bottas
What a feeling! It’s been a little while since my last win, but I knew there would be opportunities heading into the race and luckily things went my way this time. It was a bit tricky at the start because an insect hit my visor just as I was entering the braking zone, which meant I couldn’t really see where to brake and so I went deep. But I knew it was going to be a long race and with the Medium tyre, there would be chances later on. Lewis then had his penalty, and once I was in clean air, the pace was really strong, and I was able to control everything without any real concerns. Now I need to keep this momentum up. There are quite a few races to go and you just never know, so I’ll keep pushing, I won’t give up and we’ll see how it turns out in the end.
Lewis Hamilton
Firstly, I want to say a big thank you to all the fans who came out this weekend, I hope you enjoyed the race. It wasn’t a great day for me, but it is what it is. We need to go through everything and understand exactly what went on to get those two penalties. That obviously dropped me back and the first stint on the Soft was also challenging, as I was trying to go as far as I could on that tyre. I think I did pretty well on the Soft and from then, it was about trying to recover as much as possible. It was just one of those days, but I’m grateful that I still managed to get a podium, bag some points and didn’t lose as much as I could have done. Congratulations to Valtteri on the win, and I’ll take the points and move forward.
