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Author: David Bodapati
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We try something new every time we race: riders get set for more in Styria
The pre-event Press Conference welcomes the paddock back to the Red Bull Ring for another stunning showdown
Spielberg, 20 August 2020: Take two! As the paddock remains at the stunning Red Bull Ring, it’s time to reset and reload for the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was joined by Austrian GP winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), rookie Brno winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in the pre-event Press Conference to debrief last weekend and look ahead to the next chance to attack the Austrian track, which will also be the 900th premier class race!
FABIO QUARTARARO: “It was a pretty frustrating race last Sunday but like you say it was a strange Sunday after the big crash. Main thing is everyone was safe. In the first race I went straight into the gravel, i had a front brake like a clutch which wasn’t the best feeling. So we decided to change a lot of things from the front brake to try to improve but on the second lap of the second race I couldn’t be behind someone. Even alone I was struggling to stop the bike. We had problems on the pads into the callipers so that happened. Really frustrated because our pace was quite good, not for the victory but for the top five.
“For me it’s wide open but again to have a second race in Austria, Andrea is super fast here and in all the next tracks, of course I think he’s one of the main contenders but many manufacturers are there. I think the top five were four manufacturers so everybody is there and I think it’s quite fun. We will try to make our best this weekend, we had good pace last weekend so we want to work a little bit better so we are fighting with the podium guys.”
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “It was very strange after the race, but more I think because there were no fans and none of my friends at the race, more so than because of my future, which I’m really relaxed about, and especially about this season. I am focused on that so this is not the point.
“We try something new every time we do a race. You can understand a lot of things, more so than the practice sessions, so it’s normal for everyone. I think that we showed really good speed in the race, but I still don’t feel good mid-corner and on exit. We have to be better, and especially because we can bring that to upcoming tracks. Some competitors will be stronger this week because they couldn’t get the result last time and so they will be hungry and like everyone they will have seen things in the race. For sure, the weather will decide things. I think it will be hot tomorrow and Saturday, maybe Sunday not so much, but I think it will be a different weekend.
BRAD BINDER: “Jeez, the Friday was a complete mess. I spent more time on the access roads I think. But I kind of expected it because very time I’ve come to a new track its been super tough to find all the markers, stop the bike wheelie-ing and where to go and how to do it properly. Also the weather and not riding in some of the sessions didn’t help because it made it difficult to make the steps forward. Saturday wasn’t good qualifying 17th, but Sunday morning I felt much better and made a small step compared to what I did in qualifying and for the race I knew starting so far back would be super tough. After getting an alright start I just tried to start chipping my way through and see what the other guys were doing. I learnt a lot in these two races, to finish fourth was a shock for sure. I think when I was in eighth place I didn’t pass anyone again… so it was a strange race for sure. The good thing is we really know now after this race; we know the points I need to improve on, and I expect I can do a better job from the beginning this time around.
“I think the most important thing is I can really use the laps wisely now. When I’m on track I have a good base to work from and we can try and improve from there. Last Friday it was chaos, if I ended up doing 10 clean laps during the whole day that was is. But it’s always like this after a race for everyone though. I expect everyone has found something, seen where they need to improve and I’m looking forward to a good race in Austria.”
VALENTINO ROSSI: “It was a very difficult moment, yes, because it was very scary. During the crash, fortunately from the bike I saw just the bike of Zarco flying over Maverick, but sincerely I didn’t see that of Franco Morbidelli because it was too close and too fast. We were very lucky because neither bike touched us. It was a difficult situation and a very difficult restart. In the end, maybe you don’t have a lot of chances. So, restarting on the bike wasn’t so bad in the end, but yeah, it was a difficult moment.
“For us, here, this track is difficult; we have to suffer a bit. Our pace is not fantastic enough to fight for a podium or a victory. But, in the second half of the race it wasn’t so bad. I was able to be consistent and keep a decent pace and take some points. It’s always strange to make another race at the same circuit but we have a lot of data so we need to start from a better point and try to improve and try to stay with the top group.
JACK MILLER: “Yeah after the previous two Grands Prix after crashing out of a decent spot in Jerez and never finding our feet in Czechia, we needed that little shot in the arm. All weekend seemed to be pretty good and we were able to capitalise on Sunday. Despite the restart, despite having the changed tyres and all that, I kept level headed and went out and did my work. The bike is working really well here, I can’t fault it. Much of the same this weekend hopefully. All the other boys will be faster again so we’re going to have to find something extra.
“For sure we’re always looking at each others’ data and whatnot. Dovi is definitely the man to beat around here at the minute. But to put it down to one thing I don’t know, we’ll see what we can do this weekend.”
JOAN MIR: “The truth is that last weekend we did a really good job. I think it was my best weekend. Finally we got a good result after searching always for good results but for some reasons and bad luck we couldn’t get a result. Anyway, I’m happy for this and let’s see if i can be here a couple more times.
“We have a good base, a competitive bike, but we lost a bit in sector 1 and sector 2 and then in 3 and 4 we recovered a little bit of time. I was behind the Ducatis a lot of laps and I was able to study the strong and weak points and for sure I have good info for this race!”
Here we go again! It’s time to reset and reload to attack the Red Bull Ring once again, with MotoGP™ heading out for FP1 at 9:55 (GMT +2) on Friday before the race starts on Sunday at 14:00. DON’T MISS IT!
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Can anyone dethrone Ducati in Styria?
It’s now five in a row for the Bologna bullets at the Red Bull Ring, but can that become six this weekend? Their rivals will be gunning to make sure it won’t…
Red Bull Ring (Spielberg), 19 August 2020: From a worst-ever qualifying for Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and tough race day in Brno, it seemed unlikely that Ducati would be able to keep their 100% winning record at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, but keep it Dovizioso did. Giving the Borgo Panigale factory their 50th MotoGP win, the Italian turned the screw lap by lap to cross the line with a little breathing space, writing himself another chapter in Ducati lore and moving back up to second overall in the standings. The devil is in the details and that’s what Dovizioso cited as the secret – the work done over previous visits – to the turnaround from Brno. That won’t be going anywhere, so the number 04 must remain the favourite heading into the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria. Which is automatically another milestone for whoever wins, because it will be the 900th premier class race.
Although Dovizioso won, it was Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) who initially led on Sunday and the Australian could prove both a dark horse and another who threatens to keep that Ducati record intact as we take on the Red Bull Ring again. Ending the race so close to second, he could be ruing his tyre choice on the restart – Dovizioso even said point blank he should have stayed on the medium front, not changed to the soft – and there are a few more things for the Queenslander to mull over too. If he can bring those together, can he threaten? Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) will be hoping to move forward as well; already a race winner on Borgo Panigale machinery but struggling with a tougher 2020 so far.
The real dark horses on Sunday were Suzuki and KTM, however. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took his first premier class podium as the Hamamatsu factory – not traditionally having been a threat at the Red Bull Ring – emerged as serious contenders. After some tougher races for Mir it will have been a welcome return to the front, and nothing could be better than returning to the venue to try and do it again. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) too, despite still recovering from his shoulder injury, showed some serious speed and even took the lead – before sliding out – but the Suzukis will be cause for concern for many hoping to take to the rostrum…
So too will KTM, despite the fact that Sunday didn’t quite turn out to plan. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) seemed the favourite on FP4 pace alone, and he led on the first start before the Red Flag came out. After that it was a tougher prospect, and ultimately it ended in disaster as the Spaniard and fellow KTM rider – Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) – came together and both crashed out, an incident about which there will be hearings with the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards on Thursday. But both were quick, and second time around they will be expecting to be frontrunners again.
That role for the Austrian factory was left, after that incident, to Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). 17th on the grid for the first start, it had been a tougher weekend for the rookie after his stunning ride to victory in Czechia. But he was unflappable, moved up before the Red Flag, made the most of a better starting position second time round and came home in an incredible fourth place – with a whole host more experience of the track on a MotoGP™ machine that he’ll now be looking to put to good use a week later. Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) will want to do the same in terms of what he’s learned from the track too, having taken his best finish yet in the Austrian GP.
For Yamaha, it’s still somewhat difficult to tell what will await them this weekend. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) qualified on the front row and then – even aside from the shock of the huge crash at Turn 3 that dominated the headlines – also suffered a mechanical problem early on the restart and a run off in the initial race, respectively, giving them both more of an uphill struggle once the lights went out for the second time. But both impressed to make the best of it, with Quartararo steadily heading forwards and Viñales initially forced backwards by his problem before slicing back through half the field by the flag.
Impressive is also a word for Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who is a little behind in the title fight after his DNF in the first race at Jerez, but whose consistency since is starting to really rack up. He came fifth and was top Yamaha, so even as we await eagerly what they can do in the race against the rest, it was also be an interesting one to see who comes out on top for the Iwata marque too. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), one of the riders involved in the crash that brought out the Red Flag, was also still very much in that battle near the top at the time – so what can he do second time around at the Red Bull Ring?
Honda will be asking the same question, with the second race at the same venue likely a positive for them. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was the lead Honda, taking sixth for yet another solid performance as he makes his presence felt in 2020, and the experience is even more valuable for rookie Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and test-rider-turned-reigning-Champion-replacement Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team). Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) will want more too as he recovers from a broken scaphoid, and that’s something that will also be affecting Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) now.
The Frenchman was one of the riders, along with Morbidelli, involved in the crash that brought out the Red Flag – and both will be having hearings with the Stewards on Thursday. But for Zarco focus will first be on his broken scaphoid discovered after the crash, for which he’ll have surgery ahead of the event. Crutchlow raced under similar circumstances so it’s possible, but it will likely dent the Esponsorama rider’s chances of being in the same place in the battle at the front second time around. What can he do?
Finally, can Aprilia move forward? Both Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and teammate Bradley Smith scored points in the Austrian GP, which was a key positive, but on paper the track should be a better prospect for them. Will that see them take a step forward in the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria? We’re about to find out.
Ducati remain undefeated, Dovizioso undaunted and the Red Bull Ring the near-perfect layout for the Borgo Panigale factory. But MotoGP™ is as unpredictable as ever in 2020, so can anyone dethrone Ducati this weekend? Find out as FP1 starts on Friday at 9:55 (GMT +2), before the lights go out for the race at 14:00 on Sunday.
MotoGP Championship Standings:
1 Fabio Quartararo – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – 67
2 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati – 56
3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 48
4 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – 41
5 Valentino Rossi – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 38Will Martin turn the screw or can the field fight back?
A big points lead was lost in the blink of a dramatic eye in the Austrian GP, and we had a new intermediate class Grand Prix winner. The moment of the Moto2™ race – for dramatic rather than positive reasons – was most definitely the crash for former points leader Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) that, along with the aftermath, brought out the Red Flag. No one was seriously injured and the race was restarted for a 13-lap sprint, but Bastianini’s position as Championship leader evaporated as he couldn’t restart. His key rivals could, and one especially took the opportunity: Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46).
New points leader Marini was battling a more difficult grid position before the restart, when the work he’d put in before the Red Flag then repaid him with a front row for the second lights out. That put him straight back in contention for the win, and although he couldn’t take the full 25 points, he took a valuable second place to take over at the top overall. Can Bastianini bounce back from that crash and turn the tables? Or will another name again manage the same?
The winner of the Austrian GP is most definitely the favourite heading into the second race at the Red Bull Ring, at least to take the the top step: Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo). He’d looked threatening at times so far in 2020 despite not taking a victory in Moto2™ until Sunday, but when he did, it was in ‘traditional’ Martin style: bolting from the front and able to pull clear with incredible pace and precision. Was that a turning point? His rivals will be looking to make up the gap with time to analyse the data, but Martin’s advantage over the line was such that it will be a hard slog to do so. In only 13 laps he pulled out over two seconds… and that was just to Marini. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was another 2.6 seconds down the road in third.
The three on the podium will certainly be hoping to fight for it again, but can they keep that pace? Will a longer race actually play into the hands of those not able to stay with Martin’s bolt off the line? The likes of Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) will hope so after their mammoth battle for fourth – won by the Briton – and Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), who started from pole initially but then crashed out, will be another looking for more. Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) too – the Japanese rider needs to bounce back from some tougher races…
Martin was a force to be reckoned with in the Austrian GP. Now it’s time to reset and reload for the BMW M Grand Prix of Styria, with the Spaniard looking to do it again and move even further up the standings – but plenty eager to stand in his way.
Moto2 Championship Standings:
Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 78
2 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – 73
3 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 59
4 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – 59 -
FIA, Formula 1, F1 teams conclude Concorde Agreement
Jean Todt: “The conclusion of the new Concorde Agreement between the FIA, Formula 1 and all ten of the current teams assures a stable future for the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
Paris, 19 August 2020: The FIA and Formula 1 can today confirm that all ten teams have agreed to the new Concorde Agreement. This follows extensive discussions over the past twelve months with all teams, Formula 1, and the FIA.
The agreement will secure the long-term sustainable future for Formula 1 and combined with the new regulations, announced in October 2019 that come into force in 2022, will reduce the financial and on track disparities between the teams, helping to level the playing field, creating closer racing on the track that fans want to see more of. Closer racing will attract more fans to the sport, benefitting every team, and continuing to increase the global growth of Formula 1.
The COVID-19 pandemic created huge uncertainty around the world and Formula 1 has not been immune from that. It was therefore right that the focus in recent months was a safe return to racing. It is a testament to our whole sport that in recent months we have returned to racing in the safest possible way and have also agreed as a collective group to a revised cost cap and finalised the Concorde Agreement.
The FIA and Formula 1 want to thank all the teams for their ongoing engagement during recent weeks and while there are always robust discussions the agreement by all teams puts in place an important foundation for the long-term future of the sport.
Jean Todt, President of the FIA said:
“The conclusion of the new Concorde Agreement between the FIA, Formula 1 and all ten of the current teams assures a stable future for the FIA Formula One World Championship. Over its seventy year history, Formula 1 has developed at a remarkable rate, pushing the boundaries of safety, technology and competition to the absolute limits, and today confirms that an exciting new chapter in that history is about to begin. During the unprecedented global challenges currently facing everyone around the world, I am proud of the way that all of Formula 1’s stakeholders have worked together over the past months for the best interests of the sport and the fans to agree the pathway for more sustainable, fair and exciting competition at the pinnacle of motor sport.”Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO, Formula 1 said:
“This year has been unprecedented for the world and we are proud that Formula 1 has come together in recent months to return to racing in a safe way. We said earlier in the year that due to the fluid nature of the pandemic, the Concorde Agreement would take additional time to agree and we are pleased that by August we have been able achieve agreement from all ten teams on the plans for the long term future of our sport. All our fans want to see closer racing, wheel to wheel action and every team having a chance to get on the podium. The new Concorde agreement, in conjunction with the regulations for 2022, will put in place the foundations to make this a reality and create an environment that is both financially fairer and closes the gaps between teams on the race track.” -
McLaren Racing signs new Concorde agreement with F1
Woking, 18 August 2020: McLaren Racing confirmed this morning that it has become a signatory to the new Concorde agreement that will govern Formula 1 through 2025, reaffirming the team’s long-term commitment to the sport.
McLaren has competed uninterrupted in the FIA Formula One World Championship since 1966, when founder Bruce McLaren competed at the Monaco Grand Prix. Since then the team has entered 873 grands prix, won 182 races, eight Constructors’ World Championships and 12 Drivers’ World Championships.
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing commented:
“Formula 1 has taken another important stride on the road to a sustainable, strong future with the new agreement. This is the right deal at the right time for the sport, its owners, its teams and, most of all, the fans.
“A more equitable sport is better for everyone: greater balance in the sharing of revenues among all the teams and clearer, simpler governance that cuts through vested interests and puts the sport first. This agreement will only make the F1 constructors collectively stronger in the long term.
“The new agreement complements and builds on the great work of F1, the FIA and all the teams during the past few months on the future financial, technical and sporting regulations. Everyone has had to give ground for the bigger outcome, which will be a more competitive, exciting and thriving Formula 1 for future generations, which in turn secures a healthy sport for both participants and fans alike.”
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Ibrahim continues domination in IeRC; Agarwal wins Junior Class
Mumbai, 16 August 2020: Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim continued his winning streak in the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport. The accomplished karter had a near-perfect run, to once again demolish the competition and win both races of the Pro Class here.
Ibrahim started the event on the right note, qualifying on pole with a laptime of 1:22.010. Amith Kutti (Chennai) bagged second on the grid, qualifying 0.48 seconds behind. Sai Prithvi, also from Chennai, was third.
Race 1 saw championship leader Kutti, make a rare mistake to crash out of contention while Ibrahim took advantage of a good start to pull away and win the race. Prithvi had an intense battle with Sohil Shah for many laps before managing to overtake, to finish second. Shah, a former National Formula 1300 Champion, finished third, ahead of Niranjan Kumar and Raiden Samervel.
The starting order for Race 2 is based on the top 12 finishers of Race 1 being reversed. Coimbatore’s Kaushick Mohanraja started on pole and drove a sensible race, but could not keep Ibrahim behind him. Ibrahim won, ahead of Mohanraja, while Bhanu Teja from Hyderabad was third.
The Junior Class saw Sayee Saran (Chennai) lead after starting from pole. A back marker swerved into him, and Saran fell down the order. Debjit Adak from second, got involved in multiple crashes but still managed to finish fourth. Gurgaon boys – Garvit Agarwal picked up his maiden victory, while Amitesh Rao took his maiden podium, with second. Mumbai’s Veer Sheth also earned his maiden podium with a fine third place, ahead of Adak and Ritesh Rai.
“It’s good to see the Championship quite close in both classes. We are coming up with numerous opportunities for youngsters in motorsport & the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, is the ideal avenue for youngsters to start with motorsport.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is exciting to witness the competition for every position in the championship – this shows the dedication and effort that these young drivers are putting in to battle each other. With five more races to go, the racing is going to be intense as the drivers fight for the top spot.”
“Next round will see the addition of the Amateur Class followed by the Women’s Class. We are confident that this will expand the entry level opportunities and youngsters can register by visiting any social media platform of IReSportsIN.” said 8 Time National Racing and Karting Champion and founder of IR eSports.
The Championship standings in the Pro Class saw a major reshuffle thanks to poor results from Amith Kutti. Sai Prthivi grabbed the lead while, Ibrahim moves into second. After a significant lead, Kutti falls to third. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar stays in the lead of the Junior Class.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 1 2 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 3 24 Sohail Shah Bangalore 5 4 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 4 5 64 Raiden Samervel Mumbai 6 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 12 2 6 Kaushick Mohanraja Coimbatore 1 3 99 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 5 4 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 11 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 9 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 4 2 17 Amitesh Rao Gurgaon 6 3 44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 8 4 8 Debjit Adak Bangalore 2 5 12 Ritesh Rai Chennai 7 Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 57/12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 215 2 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 212 3 9/12/11/16 Amith Kutti Chennai 204 4 16 / 11 / 19 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 155 5 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 151 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 43647 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 123 2 16/13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 107 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 103 4 11079 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 99 5 68/44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 83 -
Hamilton beats Schumy record for highest number of F1 podiums
Lewis Hamilton romped to a dominant victory in the Spanish GP as he broke Michael Schumacher’s record for the highest number of podium finishes achieved by a driver in Formula 1. With his 88th win, he was on the podium for the 156th time in his career. Max Verstappen split the Mercedes cars and Valtteri Bottas completed the podium in P3.
New Delhi, 17 August 2020: In qualifying, it was the usual suspects who occupied the front row. Hamilton on the pole, while sister Mercedes of Bottas in P2. Verstappen qualified P3 and his teammate showed better form to qualify P6 on the grid. Sandwiched between them were the two Racing Points of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll in P4 & P5 respectively. Carlos Sainz out-qualified his younger teammate Lando Norris, who has reached Q3 at every race this season. Ferrari only started as high as P9 with Leclerc, as Vettel was knocked out in Q2, starting P11. Gasly completed the top 10 and Kvyat was one place behind Vettel. Renault had a dismal qualifying as Ricciardo started P13 and Ocon in P15. Brilliant effort in qualifying by Raikkonen saw him start P14 while his teammate Giovinazzi started last for the first time in his career. Then it was a two by two grid as Haas occupied out P16 & P17, Williams locked out P18 & P19.
All cars in the top-10 were starting with soft tyres. The track temperature was around 50C. But Friday Practice showed that the hard tyre offered a low level of grip, thus, to be avoided for the race. The predicted strategy was a two-stop, starting on the softs and then two sets of mediums.
Hamilton had a clean race start and maintained P1. Contrary to him, Bottas bogged down at the start and fell to P4 behind Verstappen and Stroll. Norris too lost out by two positions and fell to P10. As the DRS was enabled, Bottas got past Stroll on lap 5 to run P3 and started his hunt for Verstappen. Hamilton was maintaining a constant gap of 1.5-2s to Verstappen in P2.
The big question mark was that would Mercedes have tyre blistering issues again, similar to last week, as track temperatures were hovering around 50 C. This was answered on lap 10. Hamilton opened his taps and started extending his lead on Verstappen. Verstappen tried to keep up, but as soon as he pushed, the Red Bull overheated its tyres. He was struggling to match Hamilton’s pace, meanwhile Bottas was catching him from behind. A frustrated Verstappen signalled to his team that his rear tyres were finished.
Pirelli Graphic – Pit Stops Verstappen’s teammate Albon was first to pit on lap 17 and surprisingly put on hard tyres-only driver in the race to do so- which everyone wanted to avoid. Maybe this was a way by Red Bull to check the pace on hard tyre and if Verstappen could be fitted onto them to make a one-stop work. Ultimately this move compromised Albon’s strategy as he was stuck behind slower cars and was overcut by Sainz who finished ahead of him in the race. Both the McLaren’s were on a two stop as they looked to use the fresh rubber to get past their rivals.
Red Bull finally pitted Verstappen at the end of lap 21 on a new set of mediums, Hamilton and Bottas followed suit two laps later for the same tyre. Behind them both Racing Point cars pitted for medium tyres as well and made way to their original positions of P4 & P5 by lap 35. Renault were trying a one-stop strategy with both their cars, as at one stage Ricciardo was running in P4 and Ocon in P9.Leclerc and Vettel pitted on lap 29 for medium and soft tyres respectively.
Meanwhile, dark clouds appeared north of the circuit, with Vettel’s race engineer indicating rain to hit the track around lap 50. Alas, rain failed to materialise just like it had in the middle of the Hungarian GP. Hamilton now was around 8s clear of Verstappen and Bottas just behind the Dutchman. The one-stop strategy looked like a miss hit from Renault as both cars dropped out of points once pitted. Gremlins struck Leclerc on lap37, as his engine was cut off and he spun in turn 15. He managed to start the car but ultimately retired, later diagnosed as an electrical issue.
Verstappen pit for a second time on lap 41, taking another set of medium tyres to get to the end. Hamilton was not in the undercut range and therefore, carried on. Bottas went long till lap 48 and then pitted onto soft tyres, to create a tyre offset to Verstappen. The soft tyre didn’t work well for Bottas as he was unable to close the gap for Verstappen, let alone overtake him. Hamilton pitted on lap 50 for a second set of medium tyres, as he cruised home to a dominant victory, 24.177 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Bottas pitted for a third time to bolt on a set of medium tyres, to score a fastest lap point and in the process broke the lap record of the circuit. He finished P3.
Racing Point cars finished in lofty P4 & P5, Stroll finishing ahead of Perez as the Mexican got a 5-second time penalty for ignoring blue flags. Sainz finished P6, a confidence boost after couple of bad races in Silverstone. Vettel held off Albon to finish P7 thanks to an audacious one stop strategy and good tyre management. Vettel did 36 laps on the soft tyres. The top 10 was completed by Gasly and Norris. Interesting to note, only the podium finishers finished the race on the lead lap, everyone else was lapped in the race. Renault cars finished out of the points, so did the cars of Alfa Romeo, Haas and Williams.
Mercedes were expected to struggle once again in hot conditions, but they did not. They had a big advantage over Red Bull regarding race pace and also looked after their tyres better. Tyre management from Mercedes drivers was on point as they did not face any issues similar to last week. Mercedes had reverted to their Hungary specification high downforce rear wing with double swan neck pillars and a t-wing on the engine cover. Red Bull are inherently slower than Mercedes and they were slightly worse on their tyres as Verstappen complained of the rear tyres being finished. Albon also struggled to preserve his tyres, especially in the first two stints.Red Bull too reverted to Hungary specification rear wing with louvred endplates and a deeper main plane.
Like Mercedes and Red Bull, Racing Point, Renault, Ferrari and AlphaTauri used high downforce rear wings with a deeper main plane. The reason being, rear stability is essential in high speed corners and sector 3 is made up of slow speed corners.
Racing Point showed expected pace, just behind the top 2. McLaren had a resurgence in race pace as Sainz was able to finish in P6 and Norris in P10. Arguably Norris could have finished higher, had he had a better start. Ferrari and AlphaTauri were similar on pace. Ferrari’s move to put both drivers on one stop worked as Vettel finished ahead of the two stopping Gasly and Leclerc would have finished in points had he not retired. Renault slumped after two encouraging races as they could score no points on the basis of pace-which they lacked compared to their rivals- or the strategy.
Alfa Romeo showed improvement in pace as Raikkonen briefly ran in the top-10. Meanwhile, Haas have to find answers as they looked competitive on Friday but were unable to explain their loss of pace on Saturday and Sunday. Williams will be encouraged by the race pace and the ability to fight other cars. Saying that Russell was unable to make it to Q2, for the first time since round 1, prompting Williams to find answers for their lack of one-lap pace.
*Malhaar Khaladkar is an intern with INDIAinF1. You can read his articles here. We invite your comments below.
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Andrea Dovizioso wins Spielberg thriller; Miraculous escape for Rossi, Vinales
A Red Flag for a dramatic incident at Turn 3 saw the MotoGP™ race re-started, with the Italian then able to pull clear for Ducati’s 50th premier class win – ahead of Mir and Miller
Spielberg, 16 August 2020: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) played his cards and his race to perfection in the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, overhauling an early lead for Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) to take over at the front and then pull the pin for Ducati’s 50th premier class win – keeping the marque’s 100% record at the Red Bull Ring intact. Miller looked set to take second until the last two corners, with the Australian then heading ever-so-slightly wide and having his pocket picked by Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Joan Mir. The Spaniard therefore took second and was on the premier class podium for the first time.
The headlines were dominated, however, by an earlier incident that brought out the Red Flag. On the initial start, Miller got a great launch from P2 and it was the Ducati rider who grabbed the holeshot, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) also getting away well to slot into P2 from pole. Dovizioso was a fast starter from P4, with Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) dropping back. Then Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) chipped away and got himself to the front, before Quartararo then ran off track at Turn 4 to drop to the back of the pack on Lap 6. Espargaro, Dovizioso, Mir, Miller and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) were leaving the rest behind, but the incident for which the race will also likely be remembered then unfolded at the Turn 3 braking zone, bringing out the red flags.
Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) were almost side by side on the straight, and as they got on the anchors into Turn 3, the duo came into contact and both went down. What unfolded next was terrible luck followed by incredible luck. Zarco and Morbidelli’s bikes careered towards Turn 4 and both bikes hit the air-fence, thankfully slowing them down, but the speed of the crash was such that the machines headed into the path of the riders that were coming into and out of Turn 3. Viñales and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) were the two in the firing line and somehow, the two errant bikes missed the two factory Yamaha riders. Morbidelli’s bike shot through the gap between Viñales and Rossi, missing the nine-time World Champion by a matter of inches, with Zarco’s bike narrowly avoiding Viñales.
The debris and aftermath brought out the Red Flag, with Zarco on his feet immediately and going to check on the stricken Morbidelli. The Italian was up initially but then taken away on a stretcher to be checked over. Ultimately, both headed for the Medical Centre and incredibly, both were declared fit and were not injured. A crash the scale of which will ensure it’s remembered forever, and thankfully everyone walking away unscathed.
As the dust settled, the track was cleared and race restart prepared. This time it would be Pol Espargaro on pole, leading as he had been just before the Red Flag incident happened. As the lights went out, the KTM rider got a very good getaway but Miller came flying up the inside from P3, the Aussie running wide but was able to use the drive down the long straight to hold his advantage. Pol Espargaro was back through at T3 but Miller was trying to pull the pin from the off, and the Australian took the lead at Turn 6 and immediately got the hammer down.
Meanwhile, the opening lap on the restart was a nightmare for Viñales, who slipped to last place, with pitlane reporter Simon Crafar confirming after the race that the number 12 did have some sort of issue on his YZR-M1. And what about Quartararo? Starting from the back of the grid but at least on the pack after his earlier run off in the abandoned race, the Frenchman had started making up places but for the top two in the Championship, this was now all about damaged limitation – P16 and P20 was the situation for Quartararo and Viñales on Lap 1.
By Lap 3, Miller was nearly a second up the road from Pol Espargaro, Dovizioso, the two Suzukis and Oliveira. Mir and Alex Rins were looking very strong after making great starts on their GSX-RRs, and the duo – along with Dovizioso – were swarming Pol Espargaro. Lap 4 saw then Miller’s lead creep up to over a second but on the next lap, Dovizioso set the fastest lap and it appeared a pin was about to be pulled. Just behind the Italian, Espargaro had his hands full with the two Suzukis too, the trio exchanging positions like there was no tomorrow and losing time on Dovizioso. Rins eventually made a move stick though, and the 42 bolted off to chase the Ducati Team machine.
Further back, Quartararo had made it into P13 and Viñales was still out the points, but back at the front, Miller’s lead was down to just 0.4 as Dovizioso and Rins reeled in the Pramac. That left Pol Espargaro, Mir and Oliveira over a second off the podium scrap, and Espargaro looked like he was getting impatient as a potential race win was slowly slipping from his grasp. Then, on Lap 9, catastrophe struck for KTM at their home race. At Turn 4, Espargaro and Oliveira were both down, Oliveira heading up the inside and Espargaro cutting back across, contact ensuing.
Ahead of that, Miller’s advantage was no more. Dovizioso and Rins were right on the tail of the GP20, with Mir clawing back the gap after the two KTMs crashed as well. At Turn 6, Rins was almost down as the front of his machine tucked, but the Spaniard saved it. Then we had a change for the lead. Dovizioso carved past Miller into Turn 1 and then, at Turn 9, Rins followed the Bologna bullet through. It wouldn’t last long though, as the Suzuki rider’s race then prematurely ended at Turn 6. A repeat slip of the front tyre couldn’t be saved this time as Rins swept up the inside of Dovizioso, but then slid out. A four-way battle for the race win became three: Dovizioso vs Miller vs Mir, with Brno winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) over two seconds back in fourth but the South African producing another fine Sunday ride.
With seven laps to go in Spielberg, there was nothing between the leading three, and Rossi and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) were chasing Binder, as Championship leaders Quartararo and Viñales remained down in 8th and 13th, although Viñales was the fastest man on track. With five to go, Dovi then really started edging clear of Miller, and with four to go, the Italian had pulled almost a second out. The Australian held firm in second, but Mir was climbing all over the back of the Desmosedici…
Coming onto the last lap, barring a mistake, the race was Dovi’s. But who would take second? Miller was defending as hard as he could to make it a Ducati 1-2 and it looked like he was going to be able to do it. Heading into the penultimate Turn 9 though, Miller’s defensive line took him wide on the exit and Mir swept through to steal that second place, denying the Australian as he took his first MotoGP™ podium on the second step. Dovi took the chequered flag just ahead of them to claim his third Red Bull Ring victory, and Ducati’s 50th MotoGP™ win.
Binder, after qualifying 17th, finishes P4 at KTM’s home race on his first visit to the Red Bull Ring on a MotoGP™ machine, the South African putting in a performance of pure class once again. Fifth went the way of Rossi, who came out after the scare of his life like nothing had happened – true testament to just how superhuman the riders are – and ‘The Doctor’ finished as the lead Yamaha rider. Nakagami picked up a solid P6 just behind as the leading Honda.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) crossed the line seventh to finish just 0.036 ahead of Championship leader Quartararo, but it was a great damage limitation job done by the 21-year-old who salvages eighth. 1.5 seconds behind Quartararo was Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech3) who secures his best premier class result in P9; a top job by the rookie who will have a significant boost of confidence heading into the Styrian GP next weekend.
Viñales also did well to recover to P10 after his issues in the restarted race, and it’s not what either Viñales or Quartararo would have been looking for from the front row but considering what unfolded, it was the best they could do. Quartararo’s gap has been closed down to 11 points in the title fight though, with Dovizioso now overtaking Viñales in the Championship. The Frenchman and the Spaniard will both be hoping for better fortunes in seven days’ time.
Completing the points were Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Michele Pirro (Pramac Racing), Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Repsol Honda Team’s Alex Marquez and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol).
After a little history is made, the title fight gets another shake and some serious drama in Spielberg, it’s now time to reset and reload to attack the Red Bull Ring once again next weekend in the Styrian GP. Thankfully and most importantly, with everyone ok after that huge crash, and thoughts all with those who were involved in the scary incident.
MotoGP Podium: 1 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati – 41:38.764
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +1.377
3 Jack Miller – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +1.549.Andrea Dovizioso: “I’m more surprised by the comeback after Brno, the feeling was so bad and in my mind I didn’t have any clear idea of what to change. But from the experience in the last few years, it was the work we did on small details and on my riding style more than changing the bike like everyone normally does.
“And we started again. In the way I was approaching the braking, the rear tyre changed a lot of things and from the first practice I was able to brake a bit further and that gave us the possibility to be near, working in a normal rhythm and then win the race.” -
Easy victory for Hamilton; Verstappen start gets him 2nd
Barcelona, 16 August 2020: Lewis Hamilton took a dominant lights-to-flag victory in sweltering conditions at Spanish Grand Prix, eventually crossing the line 25 seconds clear of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third ahead of the Racing Points of Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez.
In an ambien temperatures of aeround 30˚C and on a track nudging above 50˚C, Verstappen made a good getaway at the start and he was able to outpace the slower-starting Bottas on the long run to Turn 1 and steal P2 behind Hamilton.
Stroll also made a good getaway from fifth place on the grid to pass team-mate Pérez and Bottas. Behind them Alex Albon in the second Red Bull also made a solid start and he might have claimed fourth but in Turn 1 he was boxed in by the battle between Bottas and Stroll and was forced to hold his starting position.
Hamilton began to eke out a small gap to Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver clung to the race leader and after 10 laps he was just 1.6s behind the champion. Behind them, Bottas made his way past Stroll on lap five to close to retake third place.
Verstappen made his first stop of the race on lap 22. The Dutchman switched to medium tyres in just 1.9s, and when Hamilton made a slow change of 4.3s the Red Bull driver found himself back in second place, four seconds behind the Briton. Bottas was still in third, two seconds adrift of Verstappen. Fourth place was occupied by Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, though the Australian had yet to make his first pit stop.
Verstappen made his second stop for a set of mediums, on lap 41 and after a two-second stop he was released back into third place, 18.2s behind Bottas.
Bottas pitted eight laps later but though he was on fresher soft tyres he failed to make serious inroads on the gap to the Red Bull driver.
Hamilton followed his team-mate to the pit lane on lap 51 but after insisting to his team that he did not want softs, he was given a set of mediums before rejoining 9.6s ahead of Verstappen.
From there the result was set. Hamilton again began to build a lead and with little chance of an assault on the lead and with Bottas well behind, Verstappen managed his pace to the flag. The task was made more straightforward when Bottas made a late stop for medium tyres and a final-lap blast to the fastest lap of the race.
Behind the top three Lance Stroll took fourth place ahead of Racing Point team-mate Sergio Pérez, who dropped behind the Canadian due to the five-second penalty for ignoring blue flags.
Sixth place went to Carlos Sainz, while Sebastian Vettel made a one-stop strategy last to take seventh place, just one second ahead of Alex. Ninth place went to AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and the final point on offer was taken by McLaren’s Lando Norris.
2020 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Race
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 66 1:31’45.279
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 66 1:32’09.456 24.177
3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 66 1:32’30.031 44.752
4 Lance Stroll Racing Point/Mercedes 65 1:32’06.724 1 Lap
5 Sergio Pérez Racing Point/Mercedes 65 1:32’09.464 1 Lap
6 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren/Renault 65 1:32’11.045 1 Lap
7 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 65 1:32’23.813 1 Lap
8 Alexander Albon Red Bull/Honda 65 1:32’25.008 1 Lap
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 65 1:32’25.597 1 Lap
10 Lando Norris McLaren/Renault 65 1:32’26.154 1 Lap
11 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 65 1:32’27.145 1 Lap
12 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri/Honda 65 1:32’32.998 1 Lap
13 Esteban Ocon Renault 65 1:32’41.207 1 Lap
14 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 65 1:32’46.682 1 Lap
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 65 1:32’54.370 1 Lap
16 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 65 1:32’55.069 1 Lap
17 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 65 1:33’04.656 1 Lap
18 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 64 1:31’47.297 2 Laps
19 Romain Grosjean Haas/Ferrari 64 1:32’14.948 2 Lap
Charles Leclerc Ferrari 38 55’31.636 Electrical -
Team MRF Tyres finish strongly in ERC Round 2
Liepaja (Latvia), 16 August 2020: Team MRF Tyres have taken provisional fifth and sixth positions in Rally Liepaja, the second round of the FIA European Rally Championship.
In the first ERC event for the Team MRF Tyres, Craig Breen & Paul Nagle in the Hyundai i20 R5 showed great pace to take fifth position.
The duo had battled dust problems on Saturday’s stages and made changes to the car in the overnight service to find additional pace for the six Sunday stages.
The Sunday stages saw six stages in two loops, for a total distance of 87.66 km. The weather was sunny and warm and the dusty gravel roads meant that the road sweeping effect was in full force. Meaning the more cars that ran on the road, the more grip there was.
Breen/Nagle started the day by taking fifth on SS5 – the longest of the day at 18.11 km. This was followed by sixth on SS6. Unfortunately, an issue on SS7 meant the crew lost 56 seconds and fell down the leader board.
They bounced back on the other side of service taking the second-best time on SS8. The time of 7:55.4 was just 1.5seconds off the stage winner, Mads Ostberg & Torstein Eriksen.
After the short stage nine, they had consolidated their fifth place in their first gravel rally in the ERC with MRF Tyres.
For Emil Lindholm & Mikael Korhonen, it was a tough start to the day. The duo started sixth but an awkward landing after a jump saw them take to a field. They were able to get back on stage and continue in sixth but the battle to move up the leader board had ended.
Their rally became one of consolidation and, importantly data gathering.
They came home in sixth just 1.8 seconds behind their Team MRF Tyres stablemates.
Lindholm & Korhonen are also competing in the ERC1 Junior Championship. It is a very positive result for the Finnish duo in that category, taking a second behind Solberg/Johnston.
The final positions of fifth and sixth represent a positive finish for Team MRF Tyres. By pushing the boundaries and gaining important data against some of the best competition, the products will continue to improve.
The next round of the 2020 European Rally Championship takes place on the Portuguese Islands with the Azores Rallye. Craig Breen & Paul Nagle will compete on the gravel stage from 17-19 September.
Craig Breen (Driver, Hyundai i20 R5) 5th
“It was a tough rally but we showed some good pace. It was important that we got to the end of the rally to pick up good points and get more data for the development of the tyres.”
“We are pushing the tyres to the limits and we are aggressive on the development of the tyre. The MRF Tyres are durable and it is important to learn develop the tyres. We are happy with the direction of the development of the tyres.”
“Being able to take a second on one stage was good and shows our pace. What happened to us on SS7 could have happened to anyone. I am looking forward to continuing on gravel at the next round in the Azores Rallye.”
Emil Lindholm (Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) 6th
“We wanted to make sure we got to the end of this rally. After our moment in the morning, our focus certainly turned to consolidating our sixth place and gaining data. Saying that, we did have some good pace through the weekend.”
“Taking a second on a stage is encouraging and like Craig, the development of the MRF Tyres is going in the right direction.”
“It was also important to get the points in ERC1 Junior. We finished second in that class, which is quite a positive result for us and Team MRF Tyres!”
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Oscar Piastri wins Race 2 from fifth, ahead of Per
Barcelona, 16 August 2020: Oscar Piastri got his title bid back on track in Race 2 at Barcelona with his second FIA Formula 3 win, and his first since the opening race of the season. The PREMA driver put in the hard yards at the start, launching all the way from fifth to first inside of the first lap, to finish ahead of Alex Peroni, who scored his third podium of 2020.
The Campos driver briefly took the lead from pole-sitter Matteo Nannini at the first corner, but couldn’t match Piastri’s pace and settled for second place. Nannini held onto third for his maiden podium.
Championship leader Logan Sargeant ensured he scored good points, making up four places to fifth inside of the opening lap.
AS IT HAPPENED
Starting from reverse grid pole for the first time, Nannini didn’t enjoy the getaway he’d have hoped for when the lights went out. The Jenzer Motorsport racer suffered from wheelspin and was pulled into a pack of five drivers all gunning to steal first.
Richard Verschoor nosed in front off the line, but Nannini squeezed him when they went wheel-to-wheel down the straight and he was forced to ease off the throttle.
This allowed Peroni down the outside and edge into first, but Piastri had launched from fifth and clawed his way ahead of them all by the exit of Turn 4 to take the lead for himself.
Nannini managed to fight back ahead of Peroni to reclaim second, as the front five cars settled into a train with Sargeant enjoying a sterling start himself, leaping four places from ninth to fifth.
They were all given a breather when the safety car was brought out for an incident further back. Dennis Hauger came to blows with Leonardo Pulcini and spun the Carlin Buzz Racing driver around on track. Both were able to get going again, but they’d given Max Fewtrell and Olli Caldwell nowhere to go and they were both forced into the gravel trap in an attempt to dodge the collision.
Piastri peeled away when racing resumed, and quickly built up a DRS robbing 1s lead, with the front five unchanged. In second, Nannini had Peroni all over the back of him. The Jenzer man managed to fight on for another five laps, but he eventually surrendered the position as the Campos driver flung down the side of him on the main straight and made it stick into Turn 1.
Piastri had built up a strong 3s gap out in front, but this was cut to zero by a second safety car outing, after Federico Malvestiti ditched his car in the gravel. The PREMA racer kept Peroni at bay when racing restarted and went back to work rebuilding the gap.
The Australian calmly closed out the win, with a 1.1s gap on Peroni, as Nannini held on to third. Verschoor sealed fourth, ahead of Sargeant. Théo Pourchaire, Liam Lawson, Enzo Fittipaldi, David Beckmann, and Jake Hughes took the final points positions.
Sargeant retains the lead of the Drivers’ Championship by a single point. The American has 131, with Piastri in second on 130. Lawson is third on 99, ahead of Beckmann and Pourchaire. PREMA lead the Teams’ Championship with 331.5 points, ahead of Trident on 144.5. ART Grand Prix are third, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix and MP Motorsport.
KEY QUOTE – OSCAR PIASTRI (PREMA RACING)
“I am very happy with that. It had been a pretty average weekend so far, but we made up for it in that one. A massive thank you to the team for a great car, not just today, but all year.
“We are definitely back with some strong points in that one and I am looking forward to the next three – let’s try and win this one.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Sargeant and Piastri will pick up their Championship battle in the final set of triple headers, in Spa-Francorchamps in just under two weeks’ time, With just three rounds to go, and only one point separating the top two, it should prove to be a thrilling climax.
