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Author: David Bodapati
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Bagnaia makes his mark as Marquez proves his speed on Day 1
The Italian heads the timesheets by three tenths – and Marquez slots into sixth despite nine months on the sidelines
Portimao, 16 April 2021: Day 1 at the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal belongs to Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put together a pretty imperious performance to end the day fastest on the combined timesheets. From wet patches in FP1 to a fully dry FP2, the Italian was a force to be reckoned with most of the time he was on track, with red sectors aplenty. He ends Friday three and a half tenths clear of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) taking third overall. The headlines were stolen a little, however, by the return of eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)… and it was quite a return.
Listening to the number 93 in his pre-event Press Conferences, it seems he had just as many questions as everyone else regarding his return from injury nine months after his crash in Jerez. And Friday gave us a few answers. In FP1 Marquez was third overall and only lost out on the top spot after two very late lunges from Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), and by the end of play the Repsol Honda rider was sixth. Happy, fast, and with a few questions remaining about his stamina as could be expected… but as exciting to watch as ever.
The first lap was a steady one, before the number 93 started to reel in those ahead of him as Bagnaia trolled those taking it steady with some consistent attacks on the top. With the damp patches still very much playing a part it wasn’t ideal for anyone least of all a rider coming back after nine months on the sidelines, but as the final few flashes of pace emerged in the last few minutes, Marquez most definitely had speed. Cranking it up to take over at the top with only moments remaining, it seemed like the fairy tale initial headline could be about to come true. But no, Rins first and next Viñales did enough to deny the eight-time World Champion by a couple of tenths.
FP2 similarly bubbled to a fast lap mad dash, although with the weather expected to remain pretty fair for the rest of the weekend – and conditions not changing as much as Qatar – there was a little less fervour than what we saw a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, there were some solid time attacks and Marquez was back amongst it. He ran off at Turn 1 and had a couple of twitches on his way to sixth, but a threat at the front he seems to remain… Jaws music, anyone?
Between Mir in third and Marquez in sixth, Rins slots into fourth as both Team Suzuki Ecstar machines enjoyed a good start to the weekend, looking to make amends for a difficult GP on the Algarve last year. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), despite arm pump surgery ahead of the weekend, was fifth on Friday as he returns to the venue of his most recent podium, and the Aussie was only 0.008 off Rins ahead of him. Marc Marquez’ sixth, meanwhile, was decided by just 0.003 as Miller pipped him by the smallest of margins.
Viñales, after topping FP1, was seventh and 0.560 off the top, ahead of top Independent Team rider Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) by just 0.064. Championship leader Zarco had an interesting end to the day as he suffered a mechanical problem on a practice start and pulled off the track as his bike began to smoke slightly, luckily finding himself in range of a Miller Taxi service as the Australian picked him up and let the Frenchman ride pillion back to the pits.
Home hero now and last year as he destroyed the field on his way to the win from pole, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) begins the 2021 edition in P9, and within provisional reach of Q2. The last rider currently on to join him is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), the Japanese rider sneaking in late on despite a monumental crash earlier in FP2. Coming off on the way into Turn 1, the number 30 slid across the run off at speed and is feeling a little sore but was back out later in the session.
Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the rider just denied by his teammate’s last push for the top ten as he ends the day in P11, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) shuffled down to P12 by just 0.011 despite having shown a stronger start to the day, only four thousandths off teammate Marquez in FP1. The top rookie was Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) as the Italian moved into a provisional top ten and then got shuffled down a few places to a nevertheless still impressive P13, just 0.013 off Pol Espargaro. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), meanwhile, was 14th and a tenth and a half further back, with Valentino Rossi completing the fastest fifteen on Friday after a tougher day for the Italian and his teammate Franco Morbidelli, who was P19.
Clouds remain overhead but the forecast says they don’t threaten any more rain. So will the first European schedule FP3 be a classic all-out shoot out for Q2? Find out on Saturday morning from 9:55 (GMT +1), before qualifying from 14:10 to decide the grid for the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal. Last year it was Oliveira on pole, but this year the grid are already within a second of that on Friday… will history repeat itself?
Top riders on Friday:
1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:39.866
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.340
3 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.419
4 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki –+0.428
5 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.470
Top Independent Team rider:
8 Johann Zarco – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.624 -
Valtteri Bottas tops FP1
Valtterri Bottas went quickest in the opening practice session for this weekend’s FIA Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with the Mercedes driver edging team-mate Lewis Hamilton by just four hundredths of a second. Third place in the session went to Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen who finished under two hundredths of a second further back.
The one-hour session got off to a busy start with a flurry of cars taking to the track and top spot changed hands frequently during the opening quarter of an hour. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was quickly to the fore with Bottas then leaping ahead with the time of 1:20.345s set on hard tyres. That was swiftly beaten by Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen though Bottas reclaimed P1 with an improved time of 1:19.312s.
Sergio Perez went quicker by a tenth of a second to claim top spot for red Bull Racing but his stay at the top was short as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz dipped below the 1m19s barrier with as P1 lap of 1:18.764s set on hard tyres.
Hamilton soon edged ahead of that but Sainz grabbed back control with a lap of 1:17.682.
The first incident of the morning saw AlphaTauri rookie Yuki Tsunodo go off track at the Tamburello chicane and recover before team-mate Pierre Gasly vaulted to the top of the order with a lap on of 1:17.470. Within minutes Bottas was back out on track to reclaim P1 by a little over seven hundredths of a second. Sainz was enjoying the conditions, however, and he soon pushed past Bottas’ benchmark to set the benchmark at 1:17.296s.
The session was then red-flagged following what appeared to be contact between Pérez and Ocon.
Pérez exited the Villeneuve chicane with a deflated rear left tyre and with the carcass causing damage to the rear of his car. He slid to a halt as Ocon went past, though the French driver swiftly halted his Alpine a little further up the track with apparent front wing damage.
After a 10-minute delay the action resumed and with soft tyres on board. Hamilton jumped past Sainz’s time to claim P1 with a lap of 1:16.892s. Verstappen also took to the track on the red-banded compound as he rose to the top of the order with a lap of 1:16.622.
But both Mercedes driver went out for another attempt and both snuck past the Dutchman with Bottas returning to first place with a lap of 1:16.564. That put him 0.041s ahead of Hamilton and 0.058 in front of Verstappen.
Behind them, Charles Leclerc took fourth place despite missing a chunk of the session with a technical issue on his Ferrari. Gasly finished fifth ahead of Sainz with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso seventh ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. Williams’ Nicholas Latifi was ninth and the top 10 was rounded out by McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.
There was late red flag in the session when Haas’ Nikita Mazepin went wide on the exit of Rivazza and slid into the wall near the pitlane entry.
2021 FIA Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:16.564 23 230.818
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.605 0.041 25 230.695
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:16.622 0.058 21 230.643
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.796 0.232 13 230.121
5 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:16.888 0.324 21 229.846
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:16.888 0.324 26 229.846
7 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:17.457 0.893 23 228.157
8 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:17.489 0.925 19 228.063
9 Nicholas Latifi Williams 1:17.739 1.175 24 227.329
10 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 1:17.769 1.205 23 227.242
11 George Russell Williams 1:17.866 1.302 25 226.959
12 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo 1:17.883 1.319 16 226.909
13 Lando Norris McLaren 1:17.935 1.371 16 226.758
14 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1:17.984 1.420 23 226.615
15 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1:18.058 1.494 24 226.400
16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:18.228 1.664 15 225.908
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:18.360 1.796 20 225.528
18 Nikita Mazepin Haas 1:18.823 2.259 22 224.203
19 Mick Schumacher Haas1:19.480 2.916 18 222.350
20 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:19.781 3.217 11 221.511 -
To SIR with love, South India Rally receives huge response
Bengaluru, 16 April 2021: To SIR, with love, is a popular song of the sixties. But now the SIR is on a song. South India Rally, popularly known as SIR, has received an overwhelming response and a record 65 entries for the 43rd edition that begins on April 23, and is also run concurrently with APRC.
To SIR with love, is actually a British drama, on social issues starred by Sydney Poitier in 1967. Here in India we continue our song in motorsports, to SIR with love. And it will be a big tribute to the grand old Sir, Indu Chandhok, who first won the rally in 1954, when it all began as South India 800 Rally. But after another edition of the TSD event in between in 1955, the South India Rally took its birth in 1957.
Manoj Dalal, the long-time navigator of Vicky Chandhok, is the current CoC (Clerk of Course) for the 43rd SIR, the first round of INRC 2021. And the CoC has confirmed that the final number of entries is 65. Sixty five is the record in the 34-year INRC history. The last highest number was at the 2009 K-1000 which attracted 61 entries.
Chandhok Senior, won the rally in 1954 in a Triumph Mayflower and went on to print his name in the history books winning the first edition in 1957 in a Standard Ten.
Vicky Chandhok. File photo by INDIAinF1 Coming back, the Indian National Rally Championship 2021 (INRC), the first round which is clubbed with Asia Pacific Rally Championship, received a record 65 entries and the organisers Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) was forced to restrict further (late) entries. Another record will be over 10 entries by Lady drivers, making it 23 lady participants in the rally. “This is the first time such huge number of ladies are taking part in an INRC round,” said a regular, who lamented about the ban on spectators.
“When Vamsi (Merla) first said that he would make sure that the South India Rally gets sixty entries, I laughed, and asked him if he was joking. But the response is overwhelming and I have not seen such a rush in the past. I must congratulate the Promoter who worked tirelessly, calling drivers and helping with goodies, providing tyres and supporting the Women in Motorsport initiative enthusiastically by getting them sponsors,” said Vicky Chandhok, the chairman of the meet and the man who brought F1 to India. “Yes, he pulled it off,” he added. “There will not be much imported cars and we will have national cars in the APRC. The number will be known only after a couple of days,” he said talking about the APRC entries.
Due to the Covid second wave, the Organisers and the Promoters, Champions Yacht Club have decided that there would no spectators for the first round of the INRC. “Unfortunately, we had to close the doors on spectators. I am really sorry for all the fans but to compensate, we are making arrangements to live stream and put out live results,” said Vamsi Merla, the Promoter. “We believe upon the best club in the country. MMSC has conducted two Nationals in a strict `Bubble’ and they are known to follow all the procedures and government restrictions thoroughly. They are the active and the best club with great infrastructure. So all the safety precautions, both rally wise and Covid wise are taken care of and we are fully confident,” said Merla, who praised the Marshals of MMSC `who are on the toes always’.
Promoter Vamsi Merla, who encouraged more women to participate by providing sponsors, managed to get over 60 entries. Vicky Chandhok, who won the South India Rally four times, in a Dolphin, Montana and a Fiat, predicts tough competition. Gaurav Gill, three times APRC champion, who was crowned with the Arjuna Award, will be raring to go in Yellow colours. Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, will complete the Mahindra line-up. The rally will also witness talented drivers Karna Kadur, Dean Mascarenhas, Bikku Babu, Chetan Shivram and other youngsters Fabid Ahmer, Aditya Thakur and Arjun Rao.
“I thank MRF for sponsoring many lady drivers. This will be a milestone year in women participation and we wish them all the best,” said Vamci. Apart from regulars Smitha Prasad, Dr Shivani Pruthvi (Deeksha Balakrishna) and Pragathi Gowda (Trisha Jagannathan), 10 other lady teams are expected to take part. Around 10 drivers including Khyati Mody will be supported by MRF. Taking the support of 2019 Overall champion Chetan Shivram, Champions Yacht Club conducted a Talent Hunt over two days in Bengaluru, where about 28 ladies took part. Dhruva Chandrasekhar and Suhem Kabir, also trained the participants. Prominent among them who will be taking part in the INRC Round 1 will be Pathanamthitta lass Athira Murali, a popular Auto Vlogger, and then Renuka G from Andhra Pradesh, who came second in the Talent Hunt, besides Amnadeep Kaur (Amman Jubbal), Madhi Sri Elangovan, Anupma Bindra, Chandrika Thampuratty, and mother-and-daughter duo Shivani and Dr Vani Parmar. However, Ojasvi Mehta, an MBA student from Mumbai, who did well in the Talent Hunt, will not be making it to the first round due to academic clashes.
The first round of the INRC will be held at Irungatuukottai on April 24 and 25. There will be two Special Stages, Avisa (16.8km) and Track (12.10km) besides a Super Special Stage of two laps covering a total distance of 4.8km on the tarmac of MMRT.
There will be four classes, Overall INRC, INRC2, INRC3, INRC4 and INRC NR4 for the National Championship. The SUV class and the Gypsy class will also be run as support classes, and the National Junior Championship will test the best juniors below 25 years who never won any round. The APRC Asia Cup round will have 4 more stages to complete the mandatoroy 150km mark. Yes SIR, we are ready!
Note: Updated on 17 April 2021 at 3.20pm
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Akhil Rabindra begin campaign this week-end: Euro GT4
Bengaluru, 16 April 2021: Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Driver Academy product (2019-20), Akhil Rabindra of India, will commence his racing season at the famous Monza circuit in Italy. This weekend of April 16-18, 2021, will see Akhil racing for AGS Events Racing Team in Round 1 of the 2021 European GT4 Championship. AGS Events Racing Team were also the winners in the teams’ title and Silver Cup Drovers’ title category in the season finale at Circuit Paul Ricard in 2020 and they would look forward to extend their winning run this season as well with Akhil and Hugo carrying the mantle forward.
The 24-year-old racer who also is the only Indian driver in the European GT4 Championship this season will be driving an Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4. Rabindra would be racing in the silver category and will be joined by his French teammate Hugo Conde for the 2021 season in the silver category.
This would be Akhil’s second outing at the Monza circuit, his first being in 2019 for Pro Sport Performance where he finished 7th and 8th respectively in the Silver Category. The opening race of the European GT4 Championship at the Monza Circuit will host one of the largest grids this year with around 48 cars vying for the podium. The grid would include 18 cars in the silver category while 19 cars would represent the pro-am category. Further a total of 11 cars would be racing in the amateur category.
“This will be my second time at the Monza circuit and I am looking forward to the race for my team AGS Events Racing Team. Monza is a really fast track and is equally challenging and I hope to better my performance here this time around,” said a visibly busy Akhil ahead of the race weekend.
The race will be streamed LIVE on European GT4 Championships YouTube Page on 17th& 18th April 2021.
The 2021 season of the European GT4 Championship will comprise of 12 races and six rounds travelling through six countries.The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is a historic race track near the city of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit’s biggest event is the Italian Grand Prix. The site has three tracks – the 5.793-kilometre (3.600 mi) Grand Prix track, the 2.405-kilometre (1.494 mi) Junior track and a 4.250-kilometre (2.641 mi) high speed oval track with steep bankings. The major features of the main Grand Prix track include the Curva Grande, the Curva di Lesmo, the VarianteAscari and the CurvaParabolica.
Get the complete schedule of the 2021 European GT4 Championship: GT4 European Series | GT4 European Series (gt4series.com)
LIVE Streaming Time –
17th April 2021: GT4 European (Qualifying Race) – 15:10 Hrs (IST) Onwards
17th April 2021: GT4 European (Race 1) – 20:55 Hrs (IST) Onwards
18th April 2021: GT4 European (Race 2) – 16:40 Hrs (IST) Onwards
About European GT4 Championship:
The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived from the FIA GT Championship which utilized the GT1 and GT2 classes.
GT4 class cars are mostly what can be referred to as track day cars, which are factory-built race cars available to the public. However, custom-built cars based on production models can also be built by teams. All cars are test driven by the FIA and then modified so that they all have near identical performance levels. Once a car has been approved by the FIA, it cannot be modified by the teams, eliminating continual development costs for constructors. All cars run on regulated Pirelli tires to further equalize performance.
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The most important step is to become a rider again, says Marc Marquez
Portimao, 16 April, 2021: It is 260 days after his 2020 Spanish GP crash, that Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was back in the MotoGP paddock with a smile on his face. The eight-time World Champion’s biggest test comes on Friday morning when he returns to the track on his RC213V for the first time in nine months, but Marquez underwent another challenge he’s missed for a while: facing the media on a Grand Prix Thursday.
More than chuffed to be back, after he’d participated in Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal pre-event Press Conference, Marquez remained in the hot seat to have a dedicated Press Conference in Spanish. Here, the famous number 93 went into great detail about everything that he’s been through in the past nine months, as well as the challenges that lay ahead on track.
“First of all, I am happy to be with you, with the whole MotoGP family in general, happy with butterflies in my stomach. I was aware that it was a normal weekend… when FP1 passes, it will be more normal,” began Marquez. “I am also uncertain about what it will be like after nine months to ride a MotoGP bike. We come here without an objective at the level of results.
“The goal is to ride a motorcycle again and do the most important step in my recovery: to be a rider again, to return to competition. From there, burn through the stages. I’m not 100% physically. Together with the doctors we believed that it was time. The bone is already consolidated, which is the important thing. Now comes the physical and mental part, which is feeling like a MotoGP rider again, going at 300km/h and having the first crash after so long. And it will arrive. If I’m here, it’s because it can happen.
“Logically, you perceive and in the end you feel it that in the media there is great expectation, but you must know how to isolate yourself, focus with your team and not feel more pressure than there should be. There should be none, there will be time, I myself am the one who demands myself to be at the top. Now it is simply going out, feeling it and taking little steps during the weekend. This part of the season is my pre-season and from there we will see.
“It’s been nine months that… Because of the anxiety of going out on the track and about my future, because of my arm, which was what worried me the most. I have learned that there are many races, life, if you know how to take care of it, there is also a lot. But there is one body and you should know how to understand it without rushing. It is what we have done in this recovery. Until in a meeting with all the doctors we made a unanimous decision to return, I did not. That is why I did not return to Qatar.”
The first crash… the sooner it arrives, the better?
“Logically, it will arrive. Hopefully sooner rather than later. It’s one of the things I told the doctor. When I go back to riding my motorcycle, my arm should be ready to crash. I am going to risk and crashes will come and the body must be ready. Then it will be important that I get up, that I get back on the bike and this is part of it. What worries me the most is not the first crash, but riding the way I want again.”
What riders have you seen grow the most?
“If you watch it from the TV and the sofa, they have all grown. Mir has grown a lot. He is the current Champion and has the experience of achieving a title. It remains to be seen this season if Quartararo and Viñales make the final leap. Who is the leader in Ducati because it is not clear, Zarco is surprising at the moment. Until four or five races have passed in Europe, not everything is defined. I wouldn’t bet on anyone because I wouldn’t know who to bet on. Then we will see during the season if we can be in the group in front so that we do not rule out anything without setting a clear objective.”
What was the hardest moment mentally during the injury layoff?
“Perhaps the hardest was October to November, which had been two months since the second operation, almost three but I saw that something was not working. My feelings, whatever I did – some weeks I worked more, others I had rest – I noticed that something was not right. I decided to have surgery because something was not right and so the doctors advised me. With the infection, it was hard because I did not know exactly what was happening. It was hard for me to get a bottle at home, and my family paid for it. They were hard days with the third operation, but in the end everything happened.”
The current difference in the Championship is 40 points, what are your thoughts?
“In regards to the points, I am neither worried nor obsessed. It is clear that you look at it and you see it, because you have to see it, but I am not obsessed at all because from the outset it is not my fight or my main objective. If the first objectives are met, then we will think about the big objective, which is the title.”
What have you missed more: riding a MotoGP™ bike or winning?
“We will try to start step by step, but it is true that I carry competitiveness within and during this time at home, with Alex, I think I have spent more hours on the PlayStation than ever. With my arm in a sling, I couldn’t do much. I also tried to enjoy it at home, to go for a walk, a different lifestyle. During this time, what you miss is riding a MotoGP bike. What I want for tomorrow is to come and hit the track.”
Action MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 18th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.
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Expectation, optimism and butterflies: Portimao Press Conference
Marquez, Oliveira, Zarco, Quartararo, Viñales and Mir get ready for Round 3, with each facing a different challenge
Portimao, 15 April 2021: After two hard-racing weekends in Qatar, the grid are ready to get suited and booted for another one as MotoGP takes on the rollercoaster Autodromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão – and this time they’re joined by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the eight-time World Champion gets back into the fray after nine months on the sidelines. Marquez headlined the pre-event Press Conference, alongside new Championship leader Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), Doha winner Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), his teammate and Qatar GP winner Maverick Viñales, reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and home hero – and last year’s winner – Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Marquez spoke first.
Marc Marquez: “It’s really nice to be back here with all of you, it was a hard nine months, really difficult. Tomorrow it will be time to make the most important step in my rehabilitation, riding a MotoGP bike. And it’s true I’m nervous, I have some butterflies in my stomach that aren’t normal for me. But I know after FP1 they’ll be gone, and it’s now time to enjoy it on the bike again. Today I met all the team, the Japanese staff as I saw the Spanish staff in a test, and they’re so motivated. And immediately I said, don’t forget we don’t have a target this weekend. I will be not the same Marc right from FP1, I need time. Still my rehabilitation is two things; physical and mental. We’re in the process but I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to riding the bike.”
Marc Marquez returns How was it on the sidelines?
“It was really strange, especially in the beginning, then in the mid period it was normal already, I was just a fan watching on TV and enjoying it. It was hard to decide to not race in Qatar 1 and 2, I felt ready but not 100% and the doctors stopped me. I followed that advice. But it was hard, nine hard months, with not only the doubt if I’ll ride again but also whether I’ll have a normal arm. I was optimistic, and the people around me helped a lot to keep the motivation there. And we have the target, to ride a MotoGP bike again.”Conditions on Friday could be mixed:
“I wouldn’t like to ride a MotoGP bike for the first time in a long time in the rain! But if I’m here it’s because I’m ready to ride in all situations and if it rains I’ll ride. I did a private test one month ago, that was the last time I rode a bike. I was on a flat track bike last Monday but the last time I rode a proper bike was here a month ago. The circuit was nice, and good. For these guys their confidence is high, my confidence is not high at the moment! I’m in a different situation I’ll start step by step. It doesn’t matter the circuit or the time, now is my preseason and I’m looking forward to riding my Honda.”The others were also first asked about the eight-time World Champion’s return.
Johann Zarco: “I think it’s so good, and the main thing it’s important for Marc. I can’t imagine, the way he is, a guy with so much energy having to stay at home and doubting whether he would have his arm back to normal. I think the fans are happy but the main one is himself. The butterflies he says he has, I think I can imagine. But I’m happy for him that he can remove his doubts.”
Fabio Quartararo: “It’s great for him, first of all, after such a long time without jumping on a MotoGP bike, and for the Championship. When you’re an eight-time World Champion when you’re not here all of 2020… it felt strange and I think to have him back is great. I feel like for everyone, and the fans, to have the reference from the last years here will be great.”
Maverick Viñales: “I think it’s great for everyone, for anyone… if a rider is one year away, as a rider for me that would be a very difficult time. So I’m really happy he can be here, for sure our way of enjoying life is riding a bike. That’s our way. So the chance to ride the bike and be back here is something unbelievable, and I think we are all happy because riders can be rivals on track but off track we have a good feeling and that’s important. To have all the riders here, and especially to have Marc here, who’s one of the biggest guys in the Championship, I’m really happy for him.”
Joan Mir: “I’m happy for Marc that he’s here, the last years he was the reference. To have him here again will be a great opportunity for me to learn from him. I’m happy he’s back, let’s see how competitive he’ll be but to be here is the first step and I’m happy.”
Miguel Oliveira: “I cannot add anything different to what anyone else said. Obviously happy for him first that he can be a normal individual after he had such a terrible accident and after all getting back to do what he likes to do which is riding bikes, like all of us. I think from the competitive side we are all very excited because despite having good results last year there was still missing the dominator of the class in the last decade so makes it a little bit more motivating for all of us to have.”
Talk then moved on to the weekend ahead as MotoGP™ returns to the rollercoaster.
Johann Zarco: “Coming in as leader is pretty nice, it’s a nice feeling. The best position to start the European tour! I think here in Portimão, the bike is working well. We always think it will be more tricky and can be but the podium and second place for Jack last year is pretty important and it means the bike is competitive. And also the feeling I got last year was interesting and I was still on the way to improving my level. So I hope I’ll have this speed immediately from FP1 and keep it to qualifying and the race. I’m quite optimistic and I hope this position of being the leader will give me extra energy to keep pushing for another podium, and if everything is going well why not a step better with victory? But we need to start on Friday and see but I think the potential of the bike is high and I can wish for a nice result.”
Fabio Quartararo: “Last year I was also in a different situation, we were fighting for the Championship in Valencia and it was difficult even if the bike was not working so well, my spirit wasn’t the same and it was a mistake. It will be good to be here after great races in Qatar, I feel so good with the bike so I think it’s the best moment to see how our potential is on this track. But I’m feeling good, I have a lot of confidence with the bike and I think it can be not as bad as last year… and also a good track for us!”
Maverick Viñales: “I don’t think last year we had big problems here, we started Friday really strong but then we touched the bike too much and lost the way a bit. I don’t think we understood how to get the maximum potential at the track. But it’s the kind of track I like, where I can go fast, and it’s important. This year we arrive in a different way, last year we arrived from difficult times and even with that we had a really good rhythm at the end of the race. So I can imagine the bike has good potential. We’ll try to work and try to figure out how to get it. Qualifying will be key and we’ll see what we can do but I’m confident and I know the potential we have.”
Joan Mir: “I think the performance last year didn’t show much because I think we had a lot of problems, technical problems and it was a shame. This track I really like, I enjoy riding here and now we have a good opportunity to make a good result on Sunday. I’m confident, I think we can do great here. So let’s see!”
Miguel Oliveira: “Qatar was a difficult couple of rounds for us, the second race slightly better but we had a technical issue with the dash… despite that I think we had a stronger weekend. And coming here we’d like to continue on the journey we finished last year. There’s some expectation but we shouldn’t be worried about repeating or improving the result, just enjoying riding a GP that for me is a privilege to race in my home country, And enjoy the normal process of working during the weekend, and enjoy this beautiful track!
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Lock and load: Marquez returns to race the rollercoaster
After nine months on the sidelines, the eight-time World Champion is back. At a track he’s never raced, to face a field of rivals ready to measure their mettle
Portimao, 13 April 2021: Nine months since last starting a race and even longer since last finishing one, the time has come for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to return to MotoGP™. It’s been a long road to recovery following his crash in Jerez, and translating that into racing terms pulls it into focus: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) are now all premier class race winners. Mir is the first MotoGP™ World Champion in ten years not called Marc Marquez or Jorge Lorenzo. Ducati are the reigning Constructors’ Champions and Team Suzuki Ecstar the Teams’. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) leads the 2021 Championship, many on the grid are in different colours and some familiar sparring partners have gone. Some are new faces entirely and there’s even someone different on the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage as Pol Espargaro continues to settle in. This has all happened in what feels for many like a breathless, exciting rush – and will likely have felt to Marquez like the longest months of his life. But the wait is over, and the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal can’t start soon enough.
All eyes will be on Marquez from FP1, and having not raced on the Algarve last year, there will likely be thousands of words given to balancing taking it easy vs track familiarisation vs getting back on a MotoGP™ bike after so long vs expecting the eight-time Champion to put in a lap record in five seconds. Some will expect the answers within five minutes and others within five Grands Prix, but the questions themselves are the bigger draw. How long will it take to see the number 93 on full power? Will it be no time at all? Did everyone raise the bar, or is Marquez returning to do just that?
Speaking of raising the bar, that’s something Oliveira definitely did last year in his first premier class race on home turf. Already a MotoGP™ winner by the time the paddock arrived in Portugal for what was then the season finale, the number 88 shot out the blocks and couldn’t be caught, making it look easier than ever to make history in arguably the closest era ever. As we return only a few months later though, it’s been a difficult couple of races for KTM on the way in so the Austrian factory will get plenty of attention to see if they can get back to the winning ways that made them a star of 2020, as will Oliveira, who will be eager to put himself and Portugal back on the top step at home. Teammate Brad Binder did take a best KTM Losail finish ever in eighth, as the Qatari circuit has always been a tougher one for the marque, so that’s one box ticked and he’ll be keen for more too. Is this where the 2020 titans start to show more cards?
The aforementioned Zarco, meanwhile, arrives as Championship leader and is one person who believes the grid got faster in 2020. The layout of Portimão wasn’t the best fit for Ducati last year with the exception of Jack Miller, now at Ducati Lenovo Team, as the Australian took second, but the reason Ducati are the reigning Constructors’ champions was explained by Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti in Portugal last year: a Ducati was extremely fast at every track, it just wasn’t always the same one. So the task will be for the rest of the Borgo Panigale machines – especially Zarco and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – to unlock Miller’s secret to second place in 2020, and for Miller it’s to grit his teeth slightly after arm pump surgery and try and get back nearer the front. The Moto2™ graduate rookies will be interesting too, coming in with a blank slate and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) with a first premier class pole and podium. How can he, Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) adapt?
Yamaha have a similar balancing act to take from last year’s first visit to the Algarve. Franco Morbidelli put in a stunner for another podium finish as his machine seemed to edge out the factory riders later in the season, but so far in 2021 fortunes have been slightly reversed as Fabio Quartararo and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Maverick Viñales arrive with a win apiece; second and third in the Championship. They say a key test of the 2021 machine is how it handles Portimão, so how will it handle Portimão? And can Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), after a stunning first qualifying in Qatar before a slide down the order, get back to the front?
For Suzuki there are also plenty of questions left unanswered on the Algarve. After winning the title before the Portuguese GP last year, Joan Mir had a self-described disaster of a weekend as he had issues in practice, qualified well down the order and then eventually pulled in during the race with a mechanical problem. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, said he made the wrong tyre choice – leaving Suzuki at full chat a somewhat unknown quantity. Test rider Sylvain Guintoli said after his very first experience of the track on the GSX-RR that it should suit the bike, so the Hamamatsu factory could be a big threat if all goes a little more smoothly than the 2020 edition.
At Aprilia, with a nearly all-new RS-GP, nearly every weekend asks new questions, and in the best way. The Noale factory were closer than they’ve ever been before to the MotoGP™ winner courtesy of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresin) in Qatar, and the new machine is impressing plenty. Arriving into Portimão, it will also have recently enjoyed giving a new VIP a ride round Jerez as MotoGP™ veteran Andrea Dovizioso takes it for a spin. More on that can be expected following their three-day test in Andalucia, but everything seems to be on course for the Noale factory to keep impressing in 2021.
The closest top ten in history, the closest top 15 in history, and now an eight-time World Champion returns to the fold. For Marquez Portimão is unchartered territory, for the rest it’s somewhat more familiar turf, but for everyone on the grid it’s going to be a very different race weekend to the last one: the previous benchmark is back, and the rollercoaster awaits…
Tune in for the Grande Premio 888 de Portugal MotoGP™ race at 13:00 local time (GMT +1) to see the third showdown in what promises to be a classic 2021 season.
MotoGP™ Championship top five: 1 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 40
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 36
3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 36
4 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 26
5 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 23
*Independent Team rider
Action from MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, April 18. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app. -
Marquez gets ready for Portimao comeback
Portimao (Portugal), 13 April, 2021 : It has finally happened: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has been given the green light to get back on his RC213V this weekend at the Autódromo Internacional del Algarve. The Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal, the third round of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, will no doubt go down in history as the moment the eight-time World Champion stepped back into the spotlight after nine months away.
It’s a moment that has been highly anticipated by MotoGP fans around the world but also by lovers of sport. It evokes memories of other great sporting heroes making their return after battling against serious, sometimes career-threatening, injuries. All of whom would return to the absolute pinnacle of their sport, as Marquez will seek to replicate.
Marc’s return can be compared to that of other former premier class riders, such as MotoGP legend Mick Doohan. The Australian nearly lost his right leg in 1992, after a serious crash at Assen that led to a dangerous infection. A spectacular recovery, missing just four races, would see him try to clinch the title in the final two rounds in Brazil and South Africa. It sadly wasn’t enough, with the crown going to Wayne Rainey by just four points. Despite the fact that he could not manage to clinch the title that year, he would go on to conquer premier class racing for the remainder of the decade, taking an incredible five titles from 1994 to 1998.
If we look beyond MotoGP™, the examples are numerous. In motorsport in particular, we have some iconic comebacks. First and foremost, we must remember the late, great Niki Lauda and his ability to recover from the injuries sustained after an accident at the 1976 F1 German Grand Prix. Despite receiving serious burns in the horror crash, he would return to the fray just 6 weeks later; a true hero. He was runner-up that year but would win his second title a year later before then taking his final world crown in 1984. We must also remember Michael Schumacher’s accident at the 1999 British GP, in which he fractured his leg and would miss the next six races. He would return stronger than ever, though, winning the world title from 2000 to 2004 in an iconic partnership with Ferrari.
Alex Zanardi is another inspiring sporting comeback. In 2001, he suffered a terrible accident at EuroSpeedway Lausitz whereby he lost both legs. His grit, determination and reluctance to take the news lying down is inspiring to many. He would compete again just two years later in Touring Cars, adding victories in following years, although his greatest reward would come in the form of medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Another example would be the return of Poland’s Robert Kubica. A serious accident during a rally on Italian soil in 2011 almost cost him the amputation of his right hand. He would recover, however, to return to competing at the pinnacle of rallying, before then making his long-awaited return to F1 in 2019.
In the world of football, we’ve seen some of the sport’s greatest players return from major injuries, such as Ronaldo Nazario and Diego Maradona. The former overcame a number of serious knee injuries, one of which was just before the 2002 World Cup – a competition he helped his country win for a record fifth time. In the case of the late, great Maradona, the famous Argentinian number 10 overcame a serious ankle injury while playing for FC Barcelona. Rather than claiming accident and fall injury compensation, he went onto win the World Cup in Mexico 1986, and eight years later, Maradona would star in the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Two of football’s most treasured athletes.
Next we’ll come to basketball and world-famous superstar Michael Jordan had to return to the court following numerous injury setbacks. More recently, we can’t forget the late, great Kobe Bryant’s Achilles comeback. The ‘Black Mamba’ scored two free throws for the LA Lakers in the 2013 playoffs, before heading off the changing room as nearly a year away from the courts faced him. Bryant didn’t throw in the towel though, at 35 years of age, Bryant showed his prowess and returned as competitive as ever to post unbelievable statistics in his last two seasons with the Lakers.
Tennis has also seen its fair share of major injury comebacks. The three most successful male players of all time – Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic – have all been hit by injury during their illustrious careers. However, the story of Monica Seles is one to tell. In 1993 at just 19-years-old, she amazed the world by winning her eighth Grand Slam title, three years on from becoming the youngest-ever French Open winner at 16. However, in 1993, she was a victim of an on-court attack after a man stabbed her in the back. Understandably, it was something that saw Seles unable to return to the court for two years, but she did come back to win her fourth Australian Open in 1996 – her ninth Grand Slam. In addition, she claimed bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and helped the US Team to win the Federation Cup three times.
Tiger Woods’ victory at The Masters is one of the great sporting comebacks. Suffering from long term back problems, the American became the oldest golfer to win The Masters since 1986. This was his fifth Masters title and 15th major overall. Fellow American Payton Manning, NFL’s legendary Quarterback, saw his time with the Indianapolis Colts end in 2011 after neck problems saw him go under the knife four times. He signed with the Denver Broncos, with whom he would play his last four seasons as a professional, saying goodbye in style with his second Super Bowl title in 2015.
The story of cycling’s Greg LeMond is also famous. A year after winning the Tour de France in 1986, LeMond suffered a hunting accident in California that saw him get shot in the back. Nearly costing him his life, the incident ruined his 1987 campaign and the following year saw a fresh injury arise. However, LeMond returned and won the 1989 and 1990 Tour de France races.
As we can see, we’ve witnessed some incredible sporting comebacks. We now wait and see what Marc Marquez can do after nine months on the sidelines. Three surgeries and a painful time away from the motorcycle, the number 93 is ready to compete again in 2021.
Action from MOTO GP Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal Main Race will be LIVE on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD from 15:30 Hrs (03:30 pm IST) onwards on Sunday, 18th April 2021. The same will be live streamed on discovery + app.
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Stoffel Vandoorne bounces back in style to win in Rome
Rome, 11 April 2021: After his pole position performance yesterday unravelled over the course of a luckless race, Mercedes-EQ star Stoffel Vandoorne earned his redemption in fine style today (11 April), dominating the second leg of the Rome E-Prix to fire himself firmly into title contention in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Vandoorne began the race around the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR in fourth place, but he did not stay there long. Following another safety car start due to the damp conditions, Nick Cassidy led the field for Envision Virgin Racing from fellow series rookie Norman Nato (ROKiT Venturi Racing), but the New Zealander’s baptism of fire in Formula E continued as he locked up into Turn Three and spun away his advantage.
Nato duly inherited the top spot ahead of Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) and Vandoorne, both of whom would soon demote the ROKiT Venturi Racing machine to third position. The Belgian then set about closing down the 1.3-second gap to his German rival in front.
Vandoorne was the first of the pair to activate his opening Attack Mode, conceding ground only to Wehrlein. The latter followed suit shortly after, elevating the Mercedes man to the lead, at which point the race turned on its head. A coming-together between former champions Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) and Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) left the Brazilian in the wall, bringing out a Full Course Yellow.
That neutralised the remaining two minutes of Wehrlein’s Attack Mode, preventing him from launching a counter-offensive – and from that moment on, Vandoorne never looked back.
With 13 laps in the books, the 29-year-old was almost five seconds clear of his nearest pursuer, which was now Mahindra Racing’s Alexander Sims, who spent the early stages battling his way past Maximilian Günther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) and Nato before catching Wehrlein at the Full Course Yellow re-start to pinch second place.
Vandoorne’s comfortable margin was erased with just a handful of minutes left on the clock, when René Rast tapped the wall exiting the final corner and broke his suspension to compound a tough day for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler. With the German’s car stuck in the wall, the safety car was summoned, bunching the pack together.
What followed was a single-lap, flat-out blast to the chequered flag, with the leader deploying his FanBoost to put some breathing space between himself and Sims and hold on to the end. The Briton capped an impressive race by clinching the runner-up spoils, with Nato taking third on-the-road after re-passing Wehrlein with 13 minutes remaining.
The Frenchman, however, would subsequently be disqualified for excessive energy consumption, promoting Wehrlein to the podium. In some consolation for ROKiT Venturi Racing, Edoardo Mortara wound up fourth following a strong drive, producing a spectacular save on the last lap after briefly losing control over a bump. Günther followed him home in fifth to finally kick-start his season, with Saturday podium-finisher Mitch Evans (Jaguar Racing) fighting up the order into sixth.
Defending champion António Félix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) was one of the stars of the show as he scythed his way through the field from a lowly 16th on the grid to seventh at the flag, with Tom Blomqvist (NIO 333), Dragon/Penske Autosport’s Nico Müller and Sebastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) rounding out the top ten.
Pole-sitter Cassidy’s day went from bad to worse as, after battling back from 11th to eighth following his early spin, he was tipped into the wall by Oliver Rowland (Nissan e.dams) – an indiscretion for which the Briton picked up a ten-second penalty.
There were no points, either, for Saturday winner Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH), who could manage no better than 11th after struggling in qualifying. He then lost further time due to Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) failing to keep within ten car-lengths of the car ahead during the safety car start – for which the Dutchman received a five-second penalty.
Indeed, none of the top three in the championship standings entering the race ultimately scored, with two of them – Jaguar Racing’s Sam Bird and Mercedes-EQ’s Nyck de Vries – eliminated in a three-car final lap pile-up initiated when the Dutchman lost control on the run to Turn Seven, with Rowland similarly caught up in the mêlée.
The 2020/21 Formula E season will continue with another double-header in Valencia, Spain on 24/25 April.
Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team)
“Today was all about redemption for yesterday. The pace of the car has been great the whole weekend and today we managed to get a decent qualifying session despite the challenging track conditions. I want to congratulate my team. We had a very good strategy with Attack Mode and managed to build a gap when needed. It feels good to achieve this today with this team.”
Alexander Sims (Mahindra Racing)
“The team seemed pleased with the result today. The gap to overtake Pascal was pretty narrow, but we reacted well and had a successful strategy. I am happy with the race and the way we used Attack Mode. It is my second weekend with Mahindra Racing and we still have lots to learn with pace and qualifying. We’ll keep working and trying.”
Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team)
“It feels good to be on the podium, but I am still disappointed as I was leading the race at one point. We missed some good opportunities but it was a good day for us overall. In the race and qualifying it feels like we are lacking pace. We need to keep working and improve for the next race. I’m pleased with my result on my second weekend with TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. Stoffel was extremely fast today so congratulations to him on his first win of the season!”
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Jean Eric Vergne win the opening leg on Saturday: Formula E
Rome, 10 April 2021: Having endured a scoreless start to the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Saudi Arabia, Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) launched the pursuit of his third title in style in the opening leg of the Rome E-Prix on Saturday, as the Frenchman came, saw and conquered on a dramatic day in the Eternal City.
Stoffel Vandoorne began the race from pole position for Mercedes-EQ ahead of André Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche), Oliver Rowland (Nissan e.dams) and Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler), with Vergne down in fifth – although that was something of a minor miracle in itself after missing the entire second free practice session, due to his DS TECHEETAH car needing to be rebuilt having sustained damage in an FP1 pile-up triggered by NIO 333’s Oliver Turvey.
Following a safety car start due to damp conditions, it did not take long for the race to come alive around the reprofiled Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR, as Vandoorne and Lotterer collided while disputing the lead – a coming-together that earned the German a five-second penalty and relegated the pair to seventh (Lotterer) and 13th (Vandoorne).
That elevated Rowland – who had looked set for pole position in qualifying prior to tapping the wall on the exit of the final corner – to the head of the field, but his luck would likewise soon run out, as a drive-through penalty for using too much power dropped the Briton well out of the reckoning.
Di Grassi thus inherited the top spot from fellow former champion Vergne, and the two Formula E heavyweights would go on to wage a thrilling tussle for supremacy. The Frenchman got the better of the first round of Attack Mode activations to reverse the order, but with just under seven minutes remaining on the clock, his Brazilian rival redressed the balance with a superb opportunistic pass into Turn Four.
The 2016/17 title-winner appeared to be on-course to claim his first win in almost two years, but there was one more sting in the tail still to come, as his car suddenly lost drive with five minutes to go. That reinstated Vergne into the lead and proved to be the catalyst for a race-ending accident for Vandoorne, who had fought his way boldly back up to fifth following his early delay.
As the Belgian steered right to avoid the slowing Di Grassi, he spun into the wall, with Mercedes-EQ stablemate Nyck de Vries – championship leader coming into the weekend and a man who briefly led the Rome E-Prix, too – caught up in the ensuing mêlée and similarly out on the spot.
The damage prompted a Full Course Yellow and the race ended behind the safety car. Vergne duly crossed the finish line to secure his tenth career victory – completing a remarkable turnaround from his morning troubles – with Sam Bird and Mitch Evans following him home in second and third to register Jaguar Racing’s maiden double rostrum in Formula E, having started down in tenth and 12th on the grid.
Bird, indeed, was arguably the biggest winner of the day, as the runner-up spoils vaulted him into a nine-point championship lead. The Briton was a man on a mission throughout, pulling off a series of spectacular passes. Both he and Evans battled impressively by de Vries as they worked their way into podium contention, with the latter picking up an extra point for posting the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.
Robin Frijns wound up fourth for Envision Virgin Racing to continue his strong start to the campaign. The Dutchman momentarily launched a bid for the lead before falling down the order slightly, but the result was nonetheless enough to lift him to second in the title standings.
Two-time champion Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) tallied his first points of the season in fifth, with René Rast offering Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler some consolation for team-mate Di Grassi’s woes as he scythed through the field to finish sixth from a long way down the grid.
Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), Alex Lynn (Mahindra Racing), Maximilian Günther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) – who survived a wild, wall-swiping spin – and Tom Blomqvist (NIO 333) completed the top ten.
Elsewhere, it was very much a day of ill-fortune and attrition in the Italian capital, with Rowland able to recover no further than 12th, Lotterer slipping back to 14th and defending title-holder António Félix da Costa (DS Techeetah) joining fellow big-hitters Di Grassi, de Vries and Vandoorne in retirement.
Round four of the season will get underway at 13h00 CET tomorrow (Sunday, 11 April).
Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH)
“Today was the first race weekend with the new powertrain and it felt really good. The team did a great job to fix the car in time for the race after FP1. My engineer was very good in giving me directions on energy management and Attack Mode. I had a very good management during the race and it was a question of making of the most of the energy reduction. When Lucas tried to overtake me I didn’t stop him because I knew we had more energy and there was a long way to go. I knew that I could’ve taken him.”
Sam Bird (Jaguar Racing)
“We had a really good start as a team with another podium finish. I won here before, but I can’t compare the two tracks. The circuit was very difficult, but I am really pleased with the performance. It felt really comfortable and we didn’t waste too much time in overtaking. JEV defended very well and I’m happy with the result.”
Mitch Evans (Jaguar Racing)
“This is our first double podium as a team – congratulations to everyone involved and Sam. We work really well together and when we are around each other. It wasn’t an easy race to manage at all. The conditions weren’t easy and starting in the middle of the pack, you can easily get caught up in crashes. I’m glad we started under the safety car as T1 could’ve been tricky, but our pace was extremely strong.”
Calendar Update:
The event in the Italian capital has become a double-header event, hosting Round 3 and 4 on April 10 and 11, Formula E and FIA confirmed earlier today.
The Valencia E-Prix will also become a double-header event, hosting Round 5 and 6 of the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on April 24 & 25.
Formula E and the FIA will continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and are in constant communication with their community of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters and host cities.
The remainder of the Season 7 calendar will be confirmed shortly.
All calendar updates depend on travel restrictions, as well as local government protocols and are subject to approval of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
