INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • F1 teams question FIA’s governance, integrity and transparency

    F1 teams question FIA’s governance, integrity and transparency

    Silverstone, 4 March 2020: In a major development, Formula 1 team, McLaren Racing Limited, Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, Racing Point UK Limited, Red Bull Racing Limited, Renault Sport Racing Limited, Scuderia Alpha Tauri S.p.A. and Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited expressed their shock and dismay at the International body, FIA, in the way they settled the investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Power Unit issue.

    Ferrari power units under investigation. A 2018 FIA image for representational purpose

    In a statement released by Racing Point F1 team on behalf of all the teams on Wednesday, they expressed surprise and shock saying: “”We, the undersigned teams, were surprised and shocked by the FIA’s statement of Friday 28 February regarding the conclusion of its investigation into the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 Power Unit.’”
     
    The statement further added, “An International sporting regulator has the responsibility to act with the highest standards of governance, integrity and transparency.”
     
    “After months of investigations that were undertaken by the FIA only following queries raised by other teams, we strongly object to the FIA reaching a confidential settlement agreement with Ferrari to conclude this matter,” the Statement continued..
     
    The teams objected and felt deceived by the secret closure of the issue and said: “Therefore, we hereby state publicly our shared commitment to pursue full and proper disclosure in this matter, to ensure that our sport treats all competitors fairly and equally. We do so on behalf of the fans, the participants and the stakeholders of Formula One.”
     
    They also said: “In addition, we reserve our rights to seek legal redress, within the FIA’s due process and before the competent courts.” 

    Later all these teams have issued the same press releases separately.

  • Jehan Daruvala focuses on long runs, clocks 76 laps

    Jehan Daruvala focuses on long runs, clocks 76 laps

    “`Yas Marina (Bahrain), 3 March 2020: Yesterday, was my first day but I am getting more and more comfortable in the care. I am very pleased to be linked up with the team. I am very happy. It is one of the best moments of my career to have this opportunity to be associated with such a good Formula 1 team,” said Jehan Daruvala on Monday, the second day of testing.

    On the final day on Tuesday, rookies may have ruled days one and two of pre-season testing, but it was experience which took the plaudits on the final day, as Luca Ghiotto claimed the fastest time overall. The Hitech Grand Prix racer beat out Felipe Drugovich and Jack Aitken for top spot, ahead of the new season.  

    Jehan logs 71 laps on final day of testing. Photo by FIAF2

    Jehan Daruvala picked up from where he left off on the final day, beginning the session at the top of the timesheets, touring around the increasingly warm track at 1:43.428. Giuliano Alesi and Yuki Tsunoda were the men closest to the Indian.

    The morning was heavily focused on long-runs and race simulations ahead of the season opener here later this month, with the majority of drivers all posting upwards of 30 laps.

    The leaderboard wouldn’t change as the penultimate session came to a close. Daruvala finished on top with the time he set early on in the morning. Alesi and Tsunoda followed behind him in the order, with Artem Markelov and Louis Deletraz completing the top five.

    With the sun beginning to set on the Sakhir desert, the drivers fed back onto the circuit for the final session and Robert Shwartzman immediately posted the fastest time of the day, to take an early lead with 1:43.028.

    The Russian was pipped by his teammate just moments later, as Mick Schumacher took us below 1m 42s for the first time on Day 3. This sparked a two-way battled between the duo to go fastest, with Shwartzman briefly usurping the German, before Schumacher once again went top.  

    2019 race winners Ghiotto and Aitken had shown sparks of quality throughout testing but were yet to truly dominate. At the halfway mark, the duo punched in quick times to take P1 and P2 in the standings, with the Italian setting the fastest time overall in testing.

    Rookie Drugovich nipped in-between the two of them to take second fastest, with Schumacher and Nobuharu Matsushita taking fourth and fifth. Nikita Mazepin, Shwartzman, Deletraz, Sean Gelael and Callum Ilott completed the top ten.

    The next time we hit the track will be for the opening race of the 2020 campaign here in Bahrain. With two new faces and one returning favourite topping the times across the three days, the season is set to be as competitive and as compelling as ever.

    2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Pre-season tests, Day 3, morning session

     DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
    1Nikita MazepinHitech Grand Prix1:43.82519
    2Luca GhiottoHitech Grand Prix1:43.83029
    3Artem MarkelovBWT HWA RACELAB1:43.88223
    4Guanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi1:43.97831
    5Jack AitkenCampos Racing1:43.98636
    6Giuliano AlesiBWT HWA RACELAB1:44.98732
    7Marino SatoTrident1:45.25137
    8Callum IlottUNI-Virtuosi1:45.57829
    9Felipe DrugovichMP Motorsport1:45.63629
    10Guilherme SamaiaCampos Racing1:45.86728
    11Louis DeletrazCharouz Racing System1:46.99739
    12Mick SchumacherPREMA Racing1:47.23138
    13Pedro PiquetCharouz Racing System1:47.24241
    14Nobuharu MatsushitaMP Motorsport1:47.57337
    15Sean GelaelDAMS1:47.59043
    16Sergey SirotkinART Grand Prix1:47.60133
    17Robert ShwartzmanPREMA Racing1:48.00338
    18Dan TicktumDAMS1:48.03637
    19Marcus ArmstrongART Grand Prix1:48.85242
    20Yuki TsunodaCarlin1:48.85745
    21Jehan DaruvalaCarlin1:48.93845
    22Roy NissanyTrident1:49.20735

    2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship – Pre-season tests, Day 3, afternoon session

     DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
    1Luca GhiottoHitech Grand Prix1:41.25231
    2Felipe DrugovichMP Motorsport1:41.32427
    3Jack AitkenCampos Racing1:41.56830
    4Mick SchumacherPREMA Racing1:41.61131
    5Nobuharu MatsushitaMP Motorsport1:41.61226
    6Nikita MazepinHitech Grand Prix1:41.63429
    7Robert ShwartzmanPREMA Racing1:41.65533
    8Louis DeletrazCharouz Racing System1:41.86418
    9Sean GelaelDAMS1:41.91127
    10Callum IlottUNI-Virtuosi1:41.94329
    11Pedro PiquetCharouz Racing System1:42.09720
    12Dan TicktumDAMS1:42.14027
    13Guilherme SamaiaCampos Racing1:42.39936
    14Guanyu ZhouUNI-Virtuosi1:42.44836
    15Roy NissanyTrident1:42.87820
    16Marino SatoTrident1:43.92215
    17Yuki TsunodaCarlin1:44.49632
    18Jehan DaruvalaCarlin1:44.65331
    19Sergey SirotkinART Grand Prix1:44.67923
    20Artem MarkelovBWT HWA RACELAB1:45.55240
    21Giuliano AlesiBWT HWA RACELAB1:45.67546
    22Marcus ArmstrongART Grand Prix1:48.5773
  • Moto2 and Moto3 ready to dice in the desert

    Moto2 and Moto3 ready to dice in the desert

    There have been a host of strong performances in testing, but now it’s more than a dress rehearsal – and time to show your hand

    Losail (Qatar), 3 March 2020:

    After a few days on track at Jerez and then again Qatar, it’s safe to say we have a number of names who look like they’ll be challenging at the front in Moto2™ this year. But testing never tells the whole story as some focus one way and others the other, and the first race of the season has plenty in store.

    Jorge Navarro of Beta Tools Speed Up team tops combined Test times . A Speed Up image
    Jorge Navarro of Beta Tools Speed Up team tops combined Test times . A Speed Up image

    The man who was fastest by the end of testing at Losail International Circuit was Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up), and the Spaniard is certainly on that list of those we expect to be fast. With a good number of intermediate class podiums to his name in 2019, Navarro already had some momentum too – and although he’s still looking for that first Moto2™ win, his consistency has been impressive. His teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was also a pretty consistent performer last year as he found his feet as a rookie as well, and testing showed another step for him so they’ll be coming out swinging.
    Speed Up in general were impressively quick in preseason, which now includes the Aspar Team as they make to switch to the chassis, so it could be an interesting battle of the manufacturers. The headlines in the team were stolen by Aron Canet as the rookie Spaniard proved a revelation and was often up inside the top five or six, but Hafizh Syahrin had also started to re-adjust to Moto2™ by the end of testing as the Malaysian moves back into the class. Two more contenders? It seems so.

    Jorge Martin (Red Bull TM Ajo), meanwhile, was the fastest Kalex runner overall – and another to switch chassis. The Spaniard was second to Navarro and showed off that momentum he’d been gaining throughout the latter half of 2019 despite the change in machinery; something that bodes well for him. Fellow sophomores Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) were also inside the top ten after they impressed, and the interesting mix of veterans and newer faces continued in ninth as American Joe Roberts put in a stunner at Losail. Like Martin, he’s switched chassis – can that form continue into the race weekend?

    Experience was scattered throughout the timesheets, however, with some fast after time attacks and others we expect to burst out the gates higher up once the flag drops and the talking stops. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) led the charge in third, Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was fifth, Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) tenth, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) 11th… and the two men who duelled for the win in the desert last year, Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP), were 12th and 13th. With that amount of experience and success all a little further down the timesheets, it seems likely we’ve not seen everyone’s full hand – but now we will.

    Moto2™ go racing at Losail International Circuit on Sunday 8th March at 18:00 LT, tune in to see some more pieces of the puzzle revealed in what will doubtless prove another classic encounter.

    Qatar Test combined results:

    1 – Jorge Navarro – (Beta Tools Speed Up) – Speed Up – 1:58.520 2- Jorge Martin – (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +0.1353 – Remy. Gardner – (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) – Kalex – +0.144

    4. Fabio Di Giannantonio – (Beta Tools Speed Up) – Speed Up – +0.311
    5 – Marcel Schrötter – (Liqui Moly Intact GP) – Kalex – +0.408

  • Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala fastest on Day 2: F2 Testing

    Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala fastest on Day 2: F2 Testing

    Sakhir (Bahrain) 2 March 2020: A rookie driver went fastest for the second day running of pre-season testing at Sakhir, Bahrain, as Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala beat out the experience of 2019’s best debutant, Guanyu Zhou, and fellow F3 graduate, Pedro Piquet, for top spot in the standings.

    File photo of Jehan Daruvala
    File photo of Jehan Daruvala with Prema Racing in 2019. Photo Prema Racing

    The field were fast out of the shutters in the first session of the day, with all bar Jack Aitken getting out there in the opening 15 minutes. Of those, it was Zhou who went fastest, testing the water on a sandy track with a tour of 1:46.041.

    There was red flag period as Nikita Mazepin stopped on track, before order resumed and Callum Ilott replaced his teammate at the top of the chart. The Briton was swiftly pipped by Artem Markelov, as the Russian took the times below 1m 44s for the first time. Shortly after, he was joined in the top two by his new teammate Giuliano Alesi, as newcomers HWA RACELAB started to find their feet.

    Impetus switched to longer runs and garage work for the next hour, as Markelov remained untouched at the top of the order. Aitken and Luca Ghiotto both enjoyed spells propping up the Russian, with similar times, while undertaking more than 100 laps between the three of them.

    There was a late flurry of laptimes as the session drew to a close, with Mazepin roaring round in 1:43.825 to take the morning’s fastest lap with less than 10 minutes to go. Ghiotto got within 0.005s of his tour, ahead of Markelov, who only missed out himself by 0.057s. Mazepin picked up from where he left off as the cars returned to the windy circuit for the afternoon session, with the sun setting on the Sakhir desert. The Russian took less than half an hour to beat the fastest time from the morning, as they dropped below 1m 42s for the first time on Day 2. He was backed up by the continually impressive Daruvala, thriving with Carlin on just his second day in F2 machinery.

    Robert Shwartzman had been quiet in the opening day and a half of testing, but made his maiden appearance in the top three of times early during the afternoon, as he began to get to grips with his PREMA.

    The rookies were running the show at this point, as teammates Daruvala and Yuki Tsunoda jumped to first and second on their 10th tour of the track this afternoon. Experience made a comeback though, as Aitken, Ghiotto and Sean Gelael stole the top three places in one fell swoop, by slashing the times to below 1m 42s for the first time in testing.

    Shwartzman managed to squeeze his way back into that three as he continued to show what he is capable of in an F2 car. Sergey Sirotkin (ART) then came to the fore, as the session entered its final half hour; the Russian nudged ahead of Zhou in the standings, going just 0.075s quicker.

    The script was yet again re-written in the very final moments, when Daruvala thundered around the track to set the fastest time and further solidify his growing confidence. The Indian racer set 1:41.260 on his final tour, before diving into the garage to cap off a successful day’s work.

    Zhou, Piquet and Mick Schumacher also all set fast laps on their final tour of the Bahrain International circuit, to complete the top four places, pushing Sirotkin down to fifth. Aitken, Ilott, Nobuharu Matsushita, Felipe Drugovich and Shwartzman completed the top ten.

    FIA Formula 2 Championship 2020 – Pre-season testing, Day 2, morning session

    DRIVER TEAM LAPTIME LAPS
    1 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.825 19
    2 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.830 29
    3 Artem Markelov BWT HWA RACELAB 1:43.882 23
    4 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi 1:43.978 31
    5 Jack Aitken Campos Racing 1:43.986 36
    6 Giuliano Alesi BWT HWA RACELAB 1:44.987 32
    7 Marino Sato Trident 1:45.251 37
    8 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi 1:45.578 29
    9 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:45.636 29
    10 Guilherme Samaia Campos Racing 1:45.867 28
    11 Louis Deletraz Charouz Racing System 1:46.997 39
    12 Mick Schumacher PREMA Racing 1:47.231 38
    13 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System 1:47.242 41
    14 Nobuharu Matsushita MP Motorsport 1:47.573 37
    15 Sean Gelael DAMS 1:47.590 43
    16 Sergey Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 1:47.601 33
    17 Robert Shwartzman PREMA Racing 1:48.003 38
    18 Dan Ticktum DAMS 1:48.036 37
    19 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix 1:48.852 42
    20 Yuki Tsunoda Carlin 1:48.857 45
    21 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 1:48.938 45
    22 Roy Nissany Trident 1:49.207 35

    FIA Formula 2 Championship 2020 – Pre-season testing, Day 2, afternoon session

      Driver Team Lap time LAPS
    1 Jehan Daruvala Carlin 1:41.260 23
    2 Guanyu Zhou UNI-Virtuosi 1:41.377 29
    3 Pedro Piquet Charouz Racing System 1:41.491 24
    4 Mick Schumacher PREMA Racing 1:41.531 33
    5 Sergey Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 1:41.602 31
    6 Jack Aitken Campos Racing 1:41.706 21
    7 Callum Ilott UNI-Virtuosi 1:41.758 25
    8 Nobuharu Matsushita MP Motorsport 1:41.784 15
    9 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:41.807 20
    10 Robert Shwartzman PREMA Racing 1:41.972 29
    11 Dan Ticktum DAMS 1:41.976 24
    12 Sean Gelael DAMS 1:42.069 20
    13 Marcus Armstrong ART Grand Prix 1:42.098 25
    14 Luca Ghiotto Hitech Grand Prix 1:42.156 27
    15 Roy Nissany Trident 1:42.355 20
    16 Yuki Tsunoda Carlin 1:42.393 23
    17 Nikita Mazepin Hitech Grand Prix 1:42.557 23
  • History made as Lowes claims titanic Phillip Island victory

    History made as Lowes claims titanic Phillip Island victory

    Three different riders win three races as thrilling action comes to an end Down Under

    Phillip Island (Australia) 1 March 2020: The final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Yamaha Finance Australian Round ended with a drag race between Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK teammates Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea. Rea had been leading the race until the latter stages before Lowes overtook him at Turn 1 with two laps to go.

    It means Lowes claimed his first win for Kawasaki and his first WorldSBK win since Race 2 at Brno in 2018. The pair ran to the line nose-to-tail with the Englishman hanging on to take the win by just 0.037s from his teammate. Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed his third podium of the weekend in his WorldSBK debut.

    Rea had started the race from pole position but lost out to Lowes at Turn 1, with new Kawasaki rider sweeping around the outside, attempting to make gains at the start. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) also tried around the outside of Turn 2 to gain positions before Rea re-passed van der Mark soon after.

    Five-time Champion Rea was controlling the pace at the front of the race in order to preserve tyre life around the demanding Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. There was a lead battle of more than ten riders in the first half of the race, and it looked as if Rea’s strategy was going to pay off but he was unable to stop Lowes overtaking him with two laps to go.

    Lowes got into Rea’s slipstream down the start and finish straight before making a move on the inside of Turn 1. The pair were fighting hard for the next two laps with Rea looking to pass his teammate at the final corner – a move he successfully pulled off to win the Tissot Superpole Race. Lowes, however, was able to defend hard enough through the final corner. It looked like Rea was attempting to go around the outside of Lowes but was unable to make the move stick.

    Redding was less than a second behind the top three as he claimed his third podium of the weekend. It means Redding matches Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) in securing three podiums in his debut weekend for the Ducati outfit, a feat Bautista achieved at Phillip Island in 2019. Chaz Davies ( Aruba.IT Racing – Ducati) finished in fifth place from 15th on the grid after a miraculous comeback. Bautista ended the race in sixth having stormed through from 14th on the grid, proving the potential of the brand new Honda.

    Chilean rider Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) continued his impressive debut weekend with a seventh place finish. He earlier became the first Chilean rider to finish in the top ten of a WorldSBK race and looked impressive during Race 2 as he kept pace with the leading group. He finished less than five seconds off race winner Lowes, proving himself to be a revelation in Australia.

    French rider Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had an eventful race; eighth place not telling the full story. He showed quick pace at the start of the race and was fighting in the leading group, even taking the lead at Turn 4 on Lap 9 as he overtook Rea. His top-speed disadvantage showed on the start and finish straight although he was re-passed by Rea shortly after.

    A late-race incident with Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) meant Baz fell down the order and finished just ahead of Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) in ninth place. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished tenth after an incident on Lap 4 of the race as he went off the track and fell down the order. He was ahead of Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who also had an incident at the same time as Sykes, and Leon Haslam (Team HRC). Haslam was involved in an incident with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) on Lap 2, with Rinaldi not being classified in the rac while Haslam finished 12th.

    Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team), Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Razgatlioglu all retired from the race while Rinaldi was not classified. There was a curtailed starting grid as Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Leon Camier (Barni Racing Team) were all ruled out of the race.

    P1 – Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “I feel fantastic. Been a great first weekend with the team. The race was tricky because the temperatures were so high, it made the grip quite low. But I really enjoyed it! I needed to be patient all throughout the race because people were banging into me, hitting me wide. Baz hit me a few times, then Toprak, then Michael. Fun racing but it was hard to find a rhythm, I was back in 8th then Baz came past me, Alvaro came past me. All the time I felt quite strong on the bike. I was focussed on being smooth, looking after the tyre and coming forward at the end. The plan paid off, it doesn’t always happen like that. Really happy to get my first win with Kawasaki Racing Team, I’m going to enjoy it tonight before recharging my batteries for Qatar.”

    P2 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

    “Race 2 was strange because I didn’t do 22 laps yesterday so I didn’t know what to expect from the tyre in the race. We had done 22 laps on a tyre during the tests but never in one stint and with this high a track temperature. I was riding so slow at the front and doing all the work but it seemed like no-one wanted to come through and do the work. he guys behind me could all manage their tyres better than me and they had the slipstream. Last year we were 15s from the race win so I feel more competitive now. We could have given up a lot of points this weekend after a 220kmph crash in Race 1 but I was able to walk away relatively unhurt. I’m looking forward to Qatar because today we did the best that we could.”

    P3 – Scott Redding ( Aruba.IT Ducati Racing)

    “I’ve been on the podium three times, on two occasions I finished within a tenth of a second off the winner: not bad for my first Superbike weekend. I gave it everything that I had but my biggest problem was trying to manage the front tyre in the races. We were strong and the bike worked well. We need to improve in some small areas but we’re in the battle for the win. We’re only a tenth off the win here and that’s not bad going but I was struggling in Race 2 with the tyre temperature. I learned so much this weekend and that’s the biggest thing. I’m satisfied and confident after this weekend because I held my own this weekend and that’s what was important.”

  • Navarro strikes back, Ogura and Salač end Sunday in a dead heat

    Navarro strikes back, Ogura and Salač end Sunday in a dead heat

    The final day of Moto2™ and Moto3™ testing teases plenty ahead of the season opener

    Losail (Qatar), 1 March 2020: The final day of the Moto2™ and Moto3™ Test at Losail International Circuit is complete, with Jorge Navarro (Beta Tools Speed Up) going fastest in the intermediate class and the lightweight class ending in a dead heat as both Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) set the exact same laptime.

    In Moto2™, Navarro pulled a tenth and a half clear of Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) as both continued to flex their 2020 pace. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) moved up into third as Speed Up chassis impressed once again on Sunday.

    Most of the fast laps came late in the day, with the top 16 setting their quickest laps in Session 9. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was next up behind the top three as he made the most of his time attack, with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) completing the top five to do the same.

    Sixth was another impressive performance from rookie superstar Aron Canet (Aspar Team) as the Aspar Team got their hands on the new Speed Up fairing, although teammate Hafizh Syahrin sent it down the road. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) was seventh, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completing the top ten.

    In Moto3™, Ai Ogura, who was fastest in Jerez, ends the test with an identical laptime to Salač, who was fastest on Saturday, as the timesheets tightened up. Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was third quickest, only 0.024 back, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing a top four split by only 0.036.

    It was almost a mock qualifying session to end the test, with many of the riders’ fastest laptimes set late on – but wind catching a few out, including Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46). But there was no big drama, and the stage is now set for the season opener.

    Behind the incredibly tight top four, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took P5 as the veteran Scot once again showed good pace, with Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) next up – and Arenas once again fastest KTM, with the same man on his tail. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) was eighth quickest, ahead of compatriot Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46). 

    Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) once again completed the top ten and was the fastest rookie.

  • Rookie Jehan Daruvala, returning after an injury, makes impressive F2 debut in third

    Rookie Jehan Daruvala, returning after an injury, makes impressive F2 debut in third

    Bahrain, 1 March 2020: Experience wasn’t a barrier on the first day of pre-season testing, with rookie Pedro Piquet the fastest man in Sakhir, Bahrain. The Charouz driver was the only man to break 1m 42s, finishing ahead of Nobuharu Matsushita and fellow rookie Jehan Daruvala.
    It didn’t take Piquet long to get to grips with the new Pirelli 18-inch tyres either, as the Brazilian set an instant impression amongst the new-look F2 field with the morning’s first fast time, taking the lead with 1:44.331.
    A large chunk of the field opted to remain in the garage for much of the early stages, with a flow of short runs providing the teams with valuable data to work on. Matsushita was the man to take control of those runs, thumping around in less than 1m 43s to claim an early advantage, with Felipe Drugovich lining up behind him in the second MP Motorsport machine.
    Louis Delétraz is known for his invaluable ability in testing and had dominated the post-season sessions in Abu Dhabi with Charouz. He continued in the same vein in Bahrain, overtaking his former teammate for top spot with a tour of 1:43.583.
    According to personal injury law firm located in Sugar Land, TX, returning for the first time from a leg injury sustained in training at the end of last year, Jehan Daruvala impressed in his debut F2 stint, propping up the leading duo in third, half a second behind. Nimmons Malchow Johnson – Personal Injury Lawyers give the best guidance and assistance regarding how to deal with injuries legally. The Mike Massey Law – Personal Injury Law Firm in Houston can be of legal assistance. For any kind of pains, like pains from injuries, QC Kinetix (Asheville) doctors can help with their relief.
    At the start of second session, it was once again the dominant force of Delétraz who set the early standards, before being usurped by Callum Ilott in the UNI-Virtuosi machine. Their running was briefly halted as Nikita Mazepin spun on track and caused a red flag, after battling for track position with Dan Ticktum.
    When they resumed, Marcus Armstrong broke the quickest time from the morning to take control of the standings, but Delétraz simply upped his game and retaliated by taking the times below 1m 43s for the first time.
    For much of the grid, focus shifted onto long runs and Delétraz was left on his own out in front. Squeezing in between him and ART Grand Prix substitute Sergey Sirotkin in the top three was Carlin rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who impressed in his first pre-season tests.

    File photo of Jehan Daruvala in action during Race 1 at Monza F3 in 2019. Photo by James Gasperotti

    With 45 minutes to go, faster laps began to pile in and Delétraz was usurped by Matsushita in his new MP Motorsport machinery. The Japanese racer nearly broke the 1m 42s barrier, running just seven-tenths over. Armstrong didn’t quite reach the duo in first and second with his next fast run and sat third behind them, as Tsunoda fell to fourth.
    Their fast laps were followed by the continually impressive Daruvala, whose time was good enough for second, ahead of Sean Gelael. These were broken up by a red flag as Luca Ghiotto stopped on track.
    When the running recommenced, Piquet ended the day as he started it, at the top of the times. The Brazilian was the only racer to break the 1m 42s mark and finished ahead of Matsushita, Daruvala, Roy Nissany and Armstrong. Just behind them was Tom Dillmann, who replaced Marino Sato for the afternoon session. Delétraz, Artem Markelov and Tsunoda completed the top ten.
    After an intriguing first day of testing and exciting first run on the 18-inch rims, teams will return for Day 2 even stronger, packed with more knowledge and expertise, when the morning session begins at 11.45am.

  • Razgatlioglu takes thrilling victory Down Under as Rea crashes out; #AUSWorldSBK – Day 2

    Razgatlioglu takes thrilling victory Down Under as Rea crashes out; #AUSWorldSBK – Day 2

    Phillip Island (Australia), 29 Feb 2020: The 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship roared into action at Phillip Island with an action-packed opening encounter. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) claimed the victory by one of the smallest margins in WorldSBK history. Just 0.137s separated the top four riders at the end of a thrilling opening race to the season.

    At the start of the race polesitter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) lost the lead to reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), with the pair coming together on track. Sykes was able to continue without leaving the track but Rea’s race was disrupted after a trip through the gravel. He was able to continue but re-joined the circuit in 18th and last place. Rea’s race came to an end after five laps when he crashed at Turn 8.

    On lap two of 22, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) passed Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) at Turn 1 for second place as Sykes maintained his lead throughout the first half of the race.  Sykes would continue to maintain the lead before rookie Redding made a move on him at Turn 1, slicing ahead in style.

    Van der Mark followed Redding through for second place shortly afterwards before race winner Razgatlioglu passed Sykes Turn 4, meaning the polesitter had fallen from first to fourth in the space of just four corners. On Lap 12, Sykes found himself moving further down the order to sixth as both Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Leon Haslam (Team HRC) passed him.

    Redding’s lead at the front of the race lasted just three laps as he got passed by both Razgatlioglu and van der Mark on Lap 14. With eight laps to go Razgatlioglu was leading the race with teammate van der Mark. Razgatlioglu’s lead lasted four laps as he traded positions with teammate van der Mark, who looked to be building a gap at the front.

    However, the gap stretched to a few tenths at most as Ragatlioglu, Redding and Lowes kept up with van der Mark’s pace throughout the latter stages of the race. All four riders were able to pull away from Sykes and Haslam towards the end, meaning a group of four were chasing victory in the first race of the season.

    Razgatlioglu was able to hold on to victory from Lowes and Redding with the trio separated by just 0.041s at the end of the race and van der Mark just a tenth back in fourth place; it was the second-closest podium in WorldSBK history. Lowes was third going into the final corner but took advantage of van der Mark getting slightly off line as he looked to pass Razgatlioglu.  With Toprak getting a slight twitch leaving the final corner, he and Lowes had a drag race to the line with Redding and van der Mark trailing just behind.

    Haslam was able to hold on to fifth from Honda teammate Alvaro Bautista, who started in 15th, as the Spanish rider charged his way through the field. After a crash in the Tissot Superpole left him without a chance to set a time on the qualifying tyre, Bautista recovered to finish only half a second behind his teammate.

    Loris Baz (Ken Tate Racing Yamaha) finished as the top Independent rider by finishing where he started the race in seventh. Redding’s Ducati teammate, Chaz Davies, finished the race in eighth after making his way through the field in a similar fashion to Bautista with polesitter Sykes eventually taking the flag in ninth.

    Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) finished just 0.012s behind Sykes, who lost a lot of ground at the end of the race. His BMW teammate, Eugene Laverty, finished in 11th place just 0.027s behind his teammate. Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) held off Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) to finish in 12th while his teammate, Garrett Gerloff, finished in 14th place, both on their debut.

    Gerloff had been running as high as seventh place during the race but fell back down the order as the race approached its conclusion, perhaps highlighting inexperience around a circuit that places high demands on tyres. He finished ahead of Chilean Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura), who also started the race strongly and ran as high as ninth place.

    Scheib was the last classified runner with Takumi Takahashi, Xavi Fores and Rea all not finishing the race. Fores crashed out on Lap 10 while Takahashi had a mechanical issue in the latter stages.

  • Navarro top in Moto2; Rodrigo takes the reins in Moto3: Test Day1

    Navarro top in Moto2; Rodrigo takes the reins in Moto3: Test Day1

    Losail (Qatar), 28 Feb 2020: Jorge Navarro (Speed Up Racing) topped Day 1 of Moto2™ testing in the desert at Losail International Circuit, with the Spaniard putting in a 1:59.168 to pull two tenths clear of Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing). Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) locked out the top three just 0.021 further back, with American Joe Roberts a similar gap behind in fourth after an impressive showing for the American Racing Team rider. Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s) reigned in Moto3™, the veteran pulling clear of the field.

    For the lightweight and intermediate classes, the test is in pure daylight as they race earlier than MotoGP™, with track time alternating between Moto3™ and Moto2™ sessions. And Navarro flew the flag for experience in Moto2™, as did Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in Jerez as the veterans start to show their colours. Vierge is another expected to be strong, with Bastianini the sophomore on point as the second test begins.

    Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top five, with another impressive 2019 rookie for close company: teammate Jorge Martin. Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team), another expected to challenge in 2020, was seventh.

    Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top ten, pushing out Jerez’s impressive rookie Aron Canet (Aspar Team) just behind in an interesting mix of pacesetters.

    In Moto3™, Gabriel Rodrigo was fastest, with the Argentinean in the driving seat and enjoying a gap of over three tenths at the top. Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) was next up and once again the fastest KTM, with Jerez’s fastest man, Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia), rounding out the top three as he showed some impressive pace once again.

    Rodrigo, who left Jerez early on Day 3 already satisfied with his programme, set a 2:05.593 in session three to top the timesheets in Qatar, a whopping 0.350 clear of Arenas. Ogura, whilst also fast, was the first man outside the half second bracket.

    Fourth place on Day 1 went the way of John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who was also near the top in Jerez, as experienced runners crowd out Ogura in the top five. That top five was completed by Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse).

    Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) was sixth as he moved back up the timesheets into the top ten after some lower key showings last time out, with impressive rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) slotting into seventh. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team), Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) locked out the fastest ten on Day 1.

  • Bottas sets quickest lap time on final day of testing

    Bottas sets quickest lap time on final day of testing

    Barcelona, 28 Feb 2020: Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas set the quickest lap of the final day of pre-season testing ahead of the 2020, with the Finn posting a lap of 1:16.196 to beat Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by just seven hundredths of a second.

    Daniel Ricciardo set the pace in the morning session, with the Renault driver setting a time of 1:16.269 to head the timesheet at the lunch break. 

    At that point Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was in third place, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with a time of 1:16.410. 

    However, midway through the afternoon Bottas steered Mercedes W11 out on a set of C5 compound tyres and went 0.080s quicker than Ricciardo to claim P1. 

    With half an hour remaining in the session Ricciardo was edged out further when Verstappen bolted on a set of brand C4 tyres to beat his former team-mate by seven thousandths of a second. 

    Leclerc took fourth sport on the timesheet with his morning time of 1:16.360 but while he missed out on being quickest on the day the Ferrari driver did top the mileage chart, posting a huge total of 181 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. 

    Hamilton was fifth behind Leclerc, while Esteban Ocon finished the day in sixth place thanks to a lap just two hundredths of a second slower than the six-time champion. 

    Sergio Pérez ended an impressive test phase for Racing Point with seventh place, with Carlos Sainz eighth for McLaren, whose form has also looked positive over the six days in Barcelona. 

    Williams, too, can return home happy with how their pre-season has gone, especially when compared to their woes of last season, and on the final day of testing George Russell ended the day in ninth place, a little over four hundredths of a second behind Sainz and more than a tenth ahead of AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat.   

    Romain Grosjean was 11thfor  Haas with the Frenchman posting 86 laps in the morning, but it was a tougher afternoon for team-mate Kevin Magnussen, with the Dane restricted to the garage for a long spell by clutch issues. He finished in P13, behind Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Räikkönen and ahead of last-placed Alex Albon of Red Bull Racing.

    2020 Formula 1 Pre-Season Test 2, Day 3
    1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:16.196s 79
    2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:16.269s +0.073 45
    3 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:16.276s +0.080 65
    4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.360s +0.164 181
    5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.410s +0.214 90
    6 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:16.433s +0.237 75
    7 Sergio Perez Racing Point 1:16.634s +0.438 154
    8 Carlos Sainz McLaren 1:16.820s +0.624 163
    9 George Russell Williams 1:16.871s +0.675 146
    10 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri 1:16.914s +0.718 160
    11 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:17.037s +0.841 86
    12 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1:17.415s +1.219 115
    13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:17.495s +1.299 29
    14 Alex Albon Red Bull 1:17.803s +1.607 59