INDIA in F1

Author: INDIAinF1 Desk

  • Leclerc takes emotional home win in Monaco; Perez in a big crash: Monaco F1

    Leclerc takes emotional home win in Monaco; Perez in a big crash: Monaco F1

    Monte Carlo, 26 May 2024: Charles Leclerc took an emotional Monaco Grand Prix win to become the first Monegasque driver to win his home race in the history of the Formula 1 championship. The Ferrari driver put in a controlled performance on the streets of his home town to finish ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz at the end of a race largely defined by an explosive crash on the opening lap that removed Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez and the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg from the race. Elsewhere, championship leader Max Verstappen finished in sixth place. 

    “No words can explain that,” Leclerc said after the race. “It’s such a difficult race, I think the fact that twice I’ve been starting on pole and I couldn’t make it makes it a lot better.

    “It was a difficult race emotionally, because already 15 laps from the end you’re hoping nothing happens. I was thinking a lot more to my dad than a lot more when I was driving. At first, we had quite a lot of margin but there was 78 laps to do. There was a big portion of the race where I had to manage the gap with George, but then I could push a lot more.”

    When the lights went out at the start, pole-sitter Leclerc got away well to lead the field into Sainte-Devote. Behind him, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was put under pressure by Carlos Sainz and as the pair went into Turn 1, Piastri clipped Sainz’s left-front tyre. Nursing a puncture, Sainz was forced to take the escape road as they went into Casino Square. 

    Further back, chaos was unfolding. Starting from 16th on the grid, Pérez started slowly and was swamped by both Haas drivers, who had made good starts after being relegated to the back row following disqualification from qualifying due to rear wing infringements.

    On the run up the hill, Pérez moved to the middle of the track to defend his position. Behind him, to his left, Nico Hülkenberg back away from any challenge but on the right, Kevin Magnussen tried to push past. He clipped Pérez’s right rear wheel and the Mexican was pitched into a violent collision with the barriers and then both Haas cars. 

    Thanks to the strength of the survival cell and the wheel tethers, the Red Bull driver was able to quickly climb out of the wrecked tub but with debris scattered over a long stretch of the track, and with another incident occurring at Portier as the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon clashed, the race was immediately red flagged. Ocon was later handed a 10-second time penalty for colliding with his team-mate, a sanction that will be converted to a five-place grid drop next time out in Montreal. 

    After an almost 45-minute delay the race resumed with a standing start and in the original order, with Sainz lucky to have another opportunity to race. The red flags also provided an opportunity to switch tyres, and targeting a long run to the finish, the front four moved to Hard tyres. Behind them, Hard tyre-starters George Russell and Max Verstappen were forced to switch to Mediums for the new start. 

    When the lights went out, the pack all got away cleanly and Leclerc took the lead ahead of the front runners who lined up in starting order. 

    The Monegasque driver quickly settled into a rhythm ahead of Piastri, Sainz and Norris. Further back, though, Russell was heavily managing his Medium tyres and he drifted to six seconds behind fourth-placed Norris. 

    The Mercedes driver’s slow pace meant that for McLaren the tantalising prospect of a gap large enough to pit and drop into began to come into view. It meat that Leclerc began to managed his pace, backing the field up to keep them in touch with Russell. 

    The race then became a cat-and-mouse contest as The Ferraris backed the McLarens toward Russell, while the Mercedes driver tried to preserve his tyres and keep Verstappen at bay. 

    At the end of lap 51, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who had a healthy gap back to RB’s Yuki Tsunoda, pitted from seventh and rejoined in the same position. That freed Red Bull to pit Verstappen and after a 2.1s stop for Hard tyres he again took up sixth place ahead Hamilton. With fresh tyres onboard Verstappen began to rattle off fastest laps and he closed on Russell quickly enough to deny the Mercedes driver a pit stop in response. Russell was forced to respond to the Dutchman’s pace and that in turn closed the window for McLaren to take on new tyres and potentially pressure the Ferraris at the finish. 

    Leclerc settled into management mode and after 78 laps the Ferrari driver took the chequered flag to become the first Monegasque driver in the championship era to win his home grand prix seven seconds clear of Piastri with Sainz taking the final podium position just behind the Australian. 

    Norris took fourth ahead of Russell, Verstappen and Hamilton, while Tsunoda took a solid eighth place. Behind them, Alex Albon took Williams’ first points of the season with ninth place and Gasly recovered after his early collision to finish tenth and take the final point on offer. 
     

    2024 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race 
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 78 2:23’15.554 
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 78 2:23’22.706 7.152
    3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 78 2:23’23.139 7.585
    4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 78 2:23’24.204 8.650
    5 George Russell Mercedes 78 2:23’28.863 13.309
    6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 78 2:23’29.407 13.853
    7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 78 2:23’30.462 14.908
    8 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 77 2:23’55.041 1 lap /39.487
    9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 77 2:24’09.606 1 lap /54.052
    10 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 77 2:24’15.795 1 lap /1’00.241
    11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 76 2:23’19.408 2 laps /3.854
    12 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 76 2:23’19.818 2 laps /4.264
    13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 76 2:23’20.042 2 laps /4.488
    14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 76 2:23’21.521 2 laps /5.967
    15 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 76 2:23’24.580 2 laps /9.026
    16 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 76 2:24’10.814 2 laps /55.260
         Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 0 – Collision amage
         Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 0 – Collision 
         Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 0 – Collision
         Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 0 – Collision

  • Bagnaia banishes Barcelona demons to deny Martin with statement win: MotoGP

    Bagnaia banishes Barcelona demons to deny Martin with statement win: MotoGP

    After a Saturday to forget it was a Sunday to remember for the reigning Champion as he hits back to outpace Martin – with #MM93 charging up the order to make it a familiar top three.

    Barcelona, 26 May 2024: After missing an open goal win on Saturday, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) came out swinging on Sunday at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. The reigning Champion needed to make a statement and take some serious points, and that he did on both counts. Quick out the blocks from the start before ceding the lead early doors to Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Bagnaia put in a relentless push to catch the #89, pounce once on the scene, and then edge away to pocket those 25 points on Sunday. 

    Behind Martin, the fight to complete the podium boiled down to the duel between Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), and it was almost a photo finish but the #93 took the spoils – making it three Grand Prix podiums in a row for Marquez for the first time since 2019. It was also another stunning comeback ride, this time from P14 on the grid.

    As the lights went out, it was a showdown on the brakes into T1 but Bagnaia just held on for the holeshot ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also moving up but the #33 into third. Martin got a good start this time round, taking over in fourth, with polesitter Espargaro the main party losing out.

    Into Turn 10 on Lap 1, we had the first big move as Martin made an absolute lunge on Binder, but he got the job done and cleanly enough. It also left a small gap up the road to the leading duo of Bagnaia and Acosta, but it didn’t take long for that gap to close because it didn’t take long for the leading duo to start making moves amongst themselves.

    Acosta’s first attack came at Turn 10 after a couple of laps staring at the rear of the Ducati, but Bagnaia kept it tight to immediately take it back. Acosta’s foot was even off the peg. That closed everything up again, with Martin then right on their heels and Binder not too far behind either. Turn 10 staged another one next time round, this time for Championship leader Martin on the rookie – and Acosta was forced to cede it. And again next time around, this time as Martin left it oh-so-late to attack for the lead, taking over before they crossed the line for 19 to go.

    The party at Turn 10 didn’t stop there. Next time round there was another decisive move as Acosta attacked Bagnaia and took back over in second, and in a matter of apexes the rookie was back on the exhaust of race leader Martin, looking impatient.

    Meanwhile, the squabble behind was heating up. Bagnaia had some breathing space in third but Binder, Espargaro and Raul Fernandez were locked together. After stalking his prey for a while, Espargaro then was able to just nudge ahead into Turn 1, before Raul Fernandez attacked the KTM into Turn 3. Brutal but clean, Binder was pushed back to sixth.

    However, that soon become fifth as big drama hit for Acosta. After lighting it up there earlier, it all then came apart for the rookie at Turn 10 as he slid off, leaving Martin just over a second clear in the lead and Bagnaia now the rider on the chase. From there, the chess match began.

    Lap after lap, the gap was coming down as the #1 chipped away. A few hundredths here and there, each sector just enough to gain a few extra metres, a mere tenth per lap. But an absolutely relentless tenth per lap. And once he was there, Bagnaia wasted absolutely no time in making his attack. 

    With six laps to go, the reigning Champion made his move – and at exactly the place he let big spoils go begging in the Tissot Sprint: Turn 5. No drama, no contact, and nothing Martin could do, the roles were now reversed.

    The relentless pace from the #1 continued, however, and the battle of the laptimes was slipping from Martin’s grasp. The gap eked out, came back down slightly and then suddenly went up again. The jig was up as Martin started to fade, leaving Bagnaia with the same task as Saturday: keep it on the same rails to the flag. This time, it was a faultless performance as the Ducati Lenovo rider cuts the gap back to 39 points and Martin, this time round, has to settle for second.

    Meanwhile, Marc Marquez was now on the tailpipes of Espargaro. The #93 pulled a carbon copy of the move the Aprilia rider put on Binder a few laps before and was into third – now he just had to hold onto it. After announcing his retirement at the end of 2024 just ahead of the event and taking pole and the Sprint win, the incentive was even bigger than normal for the #41 to make an attack, and he clawed his way onto the back of the Gresini by the final lap. But there was no way through that would have allowed both to finish, so it came down to the final drag to the line – with Marquez just staying ahead for that podium from P14 on the grid.

    Espargaro takes fourth to complete an incredible weekend on home turf, with a late charge from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) seeing the Italian just pip Raul Fernandez to fifth. Still, after a maiden front row and having led the Sprint, P6 concludes a great weekend for the #25 and Trackhouse Racing – it’s the team’s best result yet.

    Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) charged through to seventh as Binder lost out later in the race to finish P8. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) kept ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) as they completed the top ten. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Acosta after remounting, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) completed the points.

    There’s one name missing from that last who did cross the line ahead of a few of them, but the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards v Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) intervened. The ‘Beast’ had a dramatic race after he went wide following an attack from Alex Marquez, was deemed to have not lost enough time cutting Turn 2, and then given a Long Lap. He didn’t agree with that, countering he’d lost time from the #AM73 move, so he rode on. He then got a double Long Lap and served one, unsure if it might have been for another incident, and didn’t serve the second – so it became a ride through. The protest vote rolled on from the #23 and he didn’t take that in time either, so it ended up as a 32s time penalty, the equivalent of a trip through pitlane. Acrimony low but commitment to opinion high, he’ll be looking to prove a point at Mugello.

    That’s just next week, as luck would have it, with the spectacular Tuscan venue ready to welcome the world’s most exciting sport for the Gran Premio d’Italia Brembo. Join us then for more as the statement wins just keep on coming – and the history just keeps getting made.

  • Espargaro wins; Marquez takes on Acosta in dramatic Sprint in Barcelona

    Espargaro wins; Marquez takes on Acosta in dramatic Sprint in Barcelona

    Big opportunities go begging on Saturday as the Tissot Sprint serves up the drama, with three riders crashing from the front.

    Barcelona, 25 May 2024: Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) took victory in a dramatic Tissot Sprint at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, keeping it faultless to the flag as not one, not two, but three different leaders slid out.

    First was a heartbreaker for Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) as the maiden front row starter was building a gap and then overcooked Turn 10 in the early stages. Second was a tumble at Turn 5 for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) just after he’d fought off the affections of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), and then finally and arguably crucially, reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) saw his hopes of a first Sprint win of the season turn to dust on the final lap as he slid out at Turn 5. 

    Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) vs Acosta then became the battle to complete the podium behind Espargaro, with the #93 turning the tables on the rookie at Turn 1 as they went toe-to-toe on the brakes.

    As the lights went out, Bagnaia took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Acosta slicing up to lead the chase. Binder also got a fast start to move up but then lost out again to Raul Fernandez as the Aprilia slotted into third.

    It didn’t take long for Acosta to attack for the lead, but it likewise didn’t take long for Bagnaia to hit back. Raul Fernandez was harrying them though, and as Acosta attacked into Turn 1 on Lap 3 and took it back, the Trackhouse machine lined up the reigning Champion at Turn 3.

    Then it was all change in glorious but relatively clean havoc at the front, with Raul Fernandez emerging as the race leader after barging past Acosta. The Trackhouse machine was absolutely flying as Binder and the rookie duelled just behind him, both the position and some extra RC16 glory on the line. Once Acosta made it stick at Turn 1, Fernandez was already eight tenths clear. But suddenly, it then all came apart for the Trackhouse rider as he slid out at Turn 10, rider ok but head in hands.

    From there, Binder vs Acosta looked like it would light up the battle for the lead, but the 33 got the upper hand and started to build a gap – leaving Bagnaia to wrestle with Acosta instead. Soon enough though the second race leader to slide out became Binder, the front end of the KTM saying goodbye at Turn 5.

    That left the lead as a duel between Bagnaia and Acosta, or vice versa. Turn 1 was the battle ground and the rookie pulled what was fast-becoming his Barcelona signature move, but the #1 was quick to find an answer up the kerb on the inside of Turn 3. Brutal? Yes. Job done? Yes. From there Bagnaia started to build a gap, and Espargaro was on the march next to test out Acosta’s defenses, finding a way through to take up the chase on the reigning Champion.

    That left the master and the apprentice locked in battle over third: Acosta led Marc Marquez. And this time, in a beautiful reverse of that statement Turn 1 move the #31 has been revelling in, it was Acosta under attack as the #93 sailed into the corner side by side with the rookie, taking over in third.

    The final drama was dealt on the very final lap. Seeming like he had it in his pocket, Bagnaia was then suddenly sliding out at Turn 5, seeing what could have been a key haul of points disappear in the gravel trap as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) suffered a tougher Sprint outside podium contention. Espargaro swept through for the spoils, in just enough clear air to ensure he held on for that fairytale win.

    Marquez held off Acosta round the final sector too, and what could have been a key title swing proved much less as Martin’s drama-free Sprint saw him take P4 despite not having initially had the pace for it. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a solid comeback from outside the top ten on the grid to complete the top five, and with that moves back into the top three in the standings too as Bagnaia drops to fourth.

    Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was sixth – finishing in the same position he started and taking some solid Saturday points. Jack Miller brought the remaining Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine to seventh after battling with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who rounded out the top eight after charging from 12th. The final point in the Sprint went the way of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi, having sliced up from P16 on the grid, with everything still up for grabs on Sunday.

    As the dust settles, there are even more questions for Sunday than before. Can Bagnaia hit back? Has Martin got more? And will we have another stunning battle in Barcelona? After some big opportunities went begging in the Sprint, find out who’s taking the spoils on Sunday at 14:00 (UTC +2)!

  • Charles Leclerc takes pole for Monaco Grand Prix

    Charles Leclerc takes pole for Monaco Grand Prix

    Monte Carlo, 25 May 2024: Charles Leclerc took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix for the third time in his career, beating Oscar Piastri by 1500ths of a second as championship leader Max Verstappen’s hopes of back-to-back poles in the principality were ended by a brush with the wall at the end of Q3. 

    Local hero Leclerc went into qualifying having been fastest in FP2 and FP3 and though Ferrari driver said that he had not felt as confident in the opening session of qualifying the Monegasque delivered in Q3, taking provisional pole with his first run and then improving to 1:10.270 to take pole 0.154s ahead of Piastri. 

    “The feeling after a qualifying lap is always very special here and I’m really happy about the lap,” said Leclrc afterwards. “I know more often than not in the past, qualifying is not everything. As much as it helps a lot for Sunday’s race, we need to put everything together coming Sunday. And in the past years, we didn’t manage to do so. But we are a stronger team. We are in a stronger position. And I’m sure we can achieve great things tomorrow. And obviously, the win is the target.”

    Piastri impressed with his second front row qualifying spot in succession, while Sainz improved throughout to take a third place the Spaniard felt was out of reach earlier in the weekend.

    “It was an improvement for me. I’ve been struggling all weekend with confidence and feeling with the car. So overall, to step it up and be P3 was a step forward. Obviously not entirely happy because I wish I could have been fighting for pole position. But the truth is that Charles has been doing an outstanding job. The car has been amazing all this weekend and he managed to extract the most out of it.”

    After the first runs of Q3 Verstappen held third place, just over a tenths of a second off Leclerc’s provisional pole time but on his final lap of the session he clattered the barrier on exit at Sainte Devote and immediately aborted his lap. He qualified sixth. 

    Lando Norris took fourth place for McLaren ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, while Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished seventh ahead of RB’s impressive Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Alex Albon. The top 10 shootout order was completed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

    Gasly’s final flying lap of Q2 bounced Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon out of the final session, with the Ocon exiting the middle session ahead of Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, and the second Haas’ of Kevin Magnussen.

    Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez were the biggest casualties of the opening segment. Alonso dropped out in P16 ahead of Williams’ Logan Sargeant. Pérez looked ill at ease throughout and after failing to put together a strong lap at any stage in the session he exited in P18 ahead of Sauber pair Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

    2024 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:10.270 
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.424 0.154
    3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:10.518 0.248
    4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.542 0.272
    5 George Russell Mercedes 1:10.543 0.273
    6 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:10.567 0.297
    7 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:10.621 0.351
    8 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:10.858 0.588
    9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:10.948 0.678
    10 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:11.311 1.041
    11 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:11.285 1.015
    12 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:11.440 1.170
    13 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:11.482 1.212
    14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.563 1.293
    15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:11.725 1.455
    16 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.019 1.749
    17 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 1:12.020 1.750
    18 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:12.060 1.790
    19 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:12.512 2.242
    20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:13.028 2.758

  • Espargaro takes fairytale pole to head Bagnaia and Raul Fernandez: MotoGP

    Espargaro takes fairytale pole to head Bagnaia and Raul Fernandez: MotoGP

    Barcelona, 25 May 2024: A second pole of the season for Aprilia, a maiden front row for Trackhouse, no ticket to Q2 for #MM93 and a tumble for Martin: the storylines overflow in qualifying.

    The fairytale continues for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing)! After announcing he’ll bow out at the end of the season, he went fastest on Friday and followed it up with pole position at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is second on the grid by just 0.031s, with a P3 for Raul Fernandez confirmed just after the session after his best lap was reinstated to give both the #25 and Trackhouse Racing their maiden front row.

    Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had celebrated that third in parc ferme before a review showed Raul Fernandez had gone through green panels, not yellow flags, on his best lap, but the KTM rider nevertheless starts fourth and a full 18 places ahead of Le Mans as he bounced back from that in style.

    Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, will face a similar mountain to climb as he did in France, starting P14 after failing to make it through Q1.

    Q1: LAST MINUTE LAP RECORD
    It was another packed Q1 and another appearance for eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and it wasn’t smooth sailing this time round either. In France it was Miguel Oliveira who knocked him out of contention and this time round, Oliveira’s Trackhouse Racing teammate Raul Fernandez was one of those who did the same.

    The #25 was fastest in the session as both Marc Marquez and teammate Alex Marquez looked for a way through, but a last dash for glory from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) saw the Italian not only depose Raul Fernandez from the top of Q1 but break the lap record, to much delight in the team’s box.

    Diggia and Raul Fernandez moved through, leaving Alex Marquez P13 on the grid and Marc Marquez P14 – just ahead of a tougher session for Oliveira in P15 and Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in 16th.

    Q2: DRAMA, LAP RECORD, DRAMA
    Once a packed Q2 got underway it was Bagnaia who flew to the top of the timesheets after the first run, setting a 1:38.221 – a strong target for the rest.

    In the closing minutes of the session, riders pushed to the limit as ever, and a key mover was Binder as the South African found time to jump to second. But it all went wrong for Prima Pramac Racing late on, with both Martin and teammate Franco Morbidelli crashing at Turn 2 seconds apart. What looked at first like it could be friendly fire was instead two separate incidents at least, and riders both ok.

    What was drama for them also proved some drama on the timing screens as the incident brought out the yellow flags, cancelling lap times. One of those was initially Raul Fernandez’ best effort, but after investigation the #25 passes what is a green panel just before it switches to yellow. So that lap was reinstated, putting him P3.

    Amongst all that early and late drama, Espargaro was faultless to thread the needle, able to storm up to pole position on his final flying lap.

    THE GRID
    Behind Espargaro, Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez and Binder comes rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) in fifth, with Diggia in P6. The Italian’s best in Q2 didn’t quite reach the heights of his Q1 effort, which would have put him second on the grid.

    P7 goes to Championship leader Martin after that bout of drama, and he has Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) alongside him as the #42 put in an impressive Q2. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is next up, ahead of Morbidelli and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) lines up P12 looking for a lot more this weekend to match the #41, with Top Gun not yet finding that form from Texas on home turf.

    After another incredible qualifying, some shake ups on the grids set us up for fireworks as key contenders line up up and down the order. Make sure to tune in for Tissot Sprint at 15:00 today, before the Grand Prix at 14:00 tomorrow. See you there!

  • Leclerc tops practice: Monaco

    Leclerc tops practice: Monaco

    Home favourite Charles Leclerc took top spot in the second practice session for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver beating Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by almost two tenths of a second as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished almost three tenths of a second further back in third. 

    Leclerc was to the fore from the first part of the second hour of practice. The Monegasque driver posted a lap of 1:12.372 on Medium tyres to bypass an early Hard tyre time of 1:13.265 set by Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. 

    Leclerc then began to chip away at his own benchmark, first lowering the bar to 1m12.260s and then posting a time of 1:12.125 on the same set of medium tyres. He eventually worked his C4 best down to 1:11.573, but as the half way mark in the session neared the field began to move to C5 Soft tyres for qualifying simulations. 

    Verstappen got close to the Ferrari driver’s P1 time but Leclerc, with the red-banded tyres on board, further stretched his advantage, pumping a lap of 1:11.278 to consolidate his hold on top spot. 

    Pushing again to edge closer to the Ferrari man, Verstappen clipped the wall in Portier with the rear of his Red Bull and was forced to abort his lap. 

    The missed attempt left Verstappen’s P2 time vulnerable and first Alonso moved past it, with the Spanish veteran posting a time of 1:11.753 to beat the Red Bull driver by six hundredths of a second. Hamilton, who had gone quickest in the first session, then shuffled Alonso back as he claimed the runner-up spoty with a time of 1:11.466. 

    It meant that Verstappen was left with P4 and the Dutch driver was again unhappy with the behaviour of his RB20, at one point saying that he was “jumping around like a kangaroo” and that the balance was giving him a headache.

    McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fifth, ahead of Carlos Sainz, who finished almost seven tenths adrift of Ferrari team-mate Leclerc. Lance Stroll was seventh in the second Aston Martin, a little under four hundredths of a second ahead of Sergio Pérez in the other Red Bull. Alex Albon was ninth for Williams wh9ile George Russell rounded out the top ten.

    2024 FIA Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.278 37 168.540
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.466 0.188 32 168.096
    3 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.753 0.475 37 167.424
    4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:11.813 0.535 37 167.284
    5 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.953 0.675 35 166.958
    6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.962 0.684 36 166.938
    7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.062 0.784 22 166.706
    8 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:12.099 0.821 31 166.620
    9 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:12.257 0.979 38 166.256
    10 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.260 0.982 30 166.249
    11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:12.349 1.071 36 166.045
    12 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.366 1.088 35 166.006
    13 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:12.473 1.195 31 165.761
    14 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:12.554 1.276 34 165.575
    15 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:12.569 1.291 34 165.541
    16 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:12.577 1.299 37 165.523
    17 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:12.750 1.472 35 165.129
    18 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 1:12.790 1.512 36 165.039
    19 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:13.057 1.779 31 164.435
    20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:13.773 2.495 32 162.840

  • Espargaro smashes lap record ahead of Binder and Acosta as Marc Marquez faces Q1

    Espargaro smashes lap record ahead of Binder and Acosta as Marc Marquez faces Q1

    It’s an Aprilia-KTM-GASGAS party on Friday at the top, setting the scene for an interesting Saturday in Barcelona

    Barcelona, 24 May 2024: Practice at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya definitely didn’t disappoint, setting us up for an interesting super Saturday. First, 2023 Barcelona winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was back on top and with a new lap record. Second, it’s two RC16s on the chase as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the session second and third, respectively. Third, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) will once again have to head through Q1… although it didn’t stop him in France.

    It was a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 for the majority of the session, but it wouldn’t stay like that by the end of play. Espargaro’s new lap record but paid to that, although Binder got close with one last bid for it. On his last flying lap, the South African got within 0.072 of the top to complete a recovery in style, having crashed once early on at Turn 2 and then again at the very same Turn 2 later in the session. 

    Down in fourth it’s reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he looks for his first GP podium in Barcelona, and on Friday he was the fastest of the Championship top three. The Italian set 23 laps across the session but had some drama after the flag came out, forced to push his bike back to the pitlane. Still, the #1 was able to end the day ahead of the second Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine of Jack Miller, who nevertheless completes the top five.

    Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and managed to get the better of teammate Franco Morbidelli, who had a solid day and made it both Prima Pramac Racing machines inside the top 10, split by just 0.038. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) ends Friday in eighth after spending most of the session outside the top 15 positions but finding time in the closing minutes.

    Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) heads through to Q2 from P9 on Friday, his second visit this season so far and on the way to his 200th Grand Prix start. Teammate Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, crashed at Turn 5 early on – rider ok but ending the session in 14th. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top 10.

    There was plenty of drama, with a number of crashes at the end of the session playing some havoc with yellow flags too. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) crashed earlier at Turn 5, but things soon got worse for the Italian then crashed for a second time at Turn 9 in the last 10 minutes of the session. Di Giannantonio ended the hour-long session in 17th ahead of Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez who also had a crash late in the session at turn four.

    Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) also couldn’t improve after suffering a crash in the final five minutes, and with all that drama there was no space for many others to move forward either amongst the yellow flags. That included for his teammate Marc Marquez. The number #93 faces Q1 for the second time in two weeks, although in France it didn’t make too much difference… and he didn’t even make it through! Will he this time? Tune in on super Saturday to find out!

  • Verstappen bounces back to take pole ahead of McLarens

    Verstappen bounces back to take pole ahead of McLarens

    Imola, 18 May 2024: Max Verstappen bounced back from a difficult build-up to take pole-position for the 2024 FIA Formula Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in a tight qualifying session at Imola in which he beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by less than a tenth of a second. There was disappointment for Piastri after the session, however as the Australian was handed a three-place grid penalty by the race stewards for imnpeding Haas’ Kevin Magnussen earlier in the session. 

    In Friday’s practice sessions Verstappen had branded his RB20 car “difficult” and the Red Bull driver went into Saturday looking for dramatic improvements in balance and performance. Those seemed to be materialising in the morning’s practice session, but crashes for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez derailed that process and Verstappen went into qualifying largely blind. However, throughout qualifying Verstappen found more and more pace until the final run of Q3 when he improved marginally on his provisional pole time to seal his eighth consecutive pole and his seventh of 2024 seven hundredths of a second ahead of Piastri. 

    “I felt more comfortable,” Verstappen said afterwards. “I could attack corners finally a bit more and it all started to come together and it really came together in Q3. It was just following the track, to be honest. A really difficult weekend so far, even this morning, so I’m incredibly happy to be on pole here.” 

    At the beginning of the one-hour session it was Esteban Ocon who set the pace in Q1, with the Alpine driver posting a lap of 1:16.645 on Soft tyres to top the timesheet ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc then beat Ocon by just 0.002, though the fact that the Monegasque driver did so on Medium tyres boded well for Ferrari’s hopes in the session. Norris then took over at the top thanks to a lap of 1:16.194 on Soft tyres. Verstappen then vaulted to the top of the order with a lap of 1:16.013. His stay in P1 was brief, though, as first Piastri and then Norris moved ahead with the latter taking top spot with a time of 1:15.915. 

    In the final moments of the session, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg sprung a surprise by posting a lap of 1:16.841 to take P1. Verstappen was on another run, however, and the Dutchman claimed the best time of the session with a lap of 1:15.762. Behind him, Leclerc put in another lap on Mediums and he took second place, just five hundredths off Max. 

    There was no place in Q2 for Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu or for Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso or Williams’ Logan Sargeant. 

    The Bulls were out early in Q2, with Verstappen posting a lap of 1:15.386 to take P1 ahead of Pérez whose lap of 1:15.853 put him second. However, the Red Bulls were then split by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz who stopped the clock at 1:15.702 and Leclerc then claimed the quickest time of the session with a lap of 1:15.328. There as also a second surprise of the session when RB’s Yuki Tusnoda jumped ahead of Verstappen to take P3 three hundredths of a second ahead of the Dutchman. 

    In the final runs, Verstappen took top spot with a lap of 1:15.176, ahead of Leclerc and Tsunoda. Behind them, improvements were being made and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo scraped into the top 10 with a lap of 1:15.691. That left Pérez in P11 and though the Mexican was just starting his final flyer he couldn’t find the necessary pace and he slipped to his first Q2 exit of the year, 0.015s off Ricciardo and ahead of Ocon, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly. 

    At the start of the top 10 shootout took provisional pole with a lap of 1:14.896, 0.073s ahead of Norris, with Leclerc in third, a further seven hundredths back. And in a tense sequence of final runs, the Dutchman grabbed his eight​h consecutive pole, recording a best time of 1:14.746, just 0.074 ahead of Piastri, with Norris also within a tenth of the champion in third place. 

    Verstappen’s achievement equals the consecutive poles record held by Ayrton Senna who death 20 years at Imola is being marked this weekend. 

    “It’s very special,” said Max of equalling Senna’s record. “It’s 30 years since he passed away at this track, so of course I’m very pleased to get pole here. In a way, it’s a nice memory to him. He was an incredible Formula 1 driver, especially in qualifying laps as well. So, yeah, a great day for me, a great day for the team!”

    Following the session, the stewards summoned Piastri over his incident with Magnussen at the end of Q1 and after hearing from both drivers and their teams, Piastri was given a three-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race. It means that Norris advances to the front row alongside Verstappen, with Leclerc in P3 ahead of Sainz and then Piastri. George Russell will start sixth for Mercedes ahead of RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and the second Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, while Daniel Ricciardo will start at the front of row five ahead of P10 qualifier Nico Hülkenberg.

    2024 FIA Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:14.746 – –
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:14.820 0.074 
    3 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:14.837 0.091 
    4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:14.970 0.224 
    5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:15.233 0.487 
    6 George Russell Mercedes 1:15.234 0.488 
    7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:15.465 0.719 
    8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:15.504 0.758 
    9 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:15.674 0.928 
    10 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:15.980 1.234 
    11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:15.706 0.960 
    12 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:15.906 1.160 
    13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:15.992 1.246 
    14 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:16.200 1.454 
    15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:16.381 1.635 
    16 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:16.626 1.880 
    17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:16.834 2.088 
    18 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:16.854 2.108 
    19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:16.917 2.171 
    20 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes – – –

  • Leclerc tops Free Practice; Verstappen struggles in P7

    Leclerc tops Free Practice; Verstappen struggles in P7

    Imola, 17 May 2024: Charles added the fastest lap of second practice to his P1 time from the opening session, with the Ferrari driver outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by almost two tenths of a second as championship leader Max Verstappen continued to struggle with the balance of his Red Bull RB20 and finished seventh. 

    After a troubled opening session in which he went off track twice, Verstappen looked more comfortable at the start of FP2 and he moved into an early lead with a time of 1:16.930 ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and the Ferrari cars of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. 

    After 13 minutes Leclerc moved to the top of the order with a lap of 1:16.677 set on Medium tyres and soon after the field began to move to C5 Soft compound tyres for qualifying simulations. Mercedes 

    George Russell put in a lap of 1:16.820 on the red-banded Pirelli tyres to go fourth, 0.143s off Leclerc’s leading effort set on medium, before the Ferrari drive extended his advantage on Softs with a lap 1:15.969 moving half a second clear of nearest challenger Sainz.

    At the half way mark Piastri then split the Ferraris just 0.129s off Leclerc. However, further back Verstappen could only manage fourth and nearly half a second back and he was soon bounced out as Russell improved to 1:16.311 to go third. 

    With 27 minutes left on the clock RB’s Yuki Tsunoda jumped to third place just three-tenths off Leclerc. However, the Monegasque driver then found more time and tightened his grip on P1 with a time of 1:15.906s. Hamilton also found time and moved up to fourth for Mercedes. 

    Further back though, Verstappen was again struggling with the Dutchman complaining on the radio that “it’s so difficult, everything man, this time suddenly the front grips up a lot and I almost spin”.

    In the end the championship leader’s best time of 1:16.447 was only good enough for seventh place behind, a tenth ahead of team-mate Sergio Pérez. Verstappen’s unhappy Friday was capped by an off-track moment five minutes from the end of the session. This time the Dutch driver lost control in the between the two Rivazza corners and he was forced through run-off. 

    At the top, Leclerc doubled up on his FP1 first place, 0.192 ahead of Piastri and with Tsunoda third ahead of Hamilton, Russell and Sainz. With Verstappen and Perez seventh and eighth respectively, ninth place went to Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, and the top 10 was rounded out by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. 

    2024 FIA Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:15.906 29 232.819
    2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:16.098 0.192 30 232.232
    3 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:16.286 0.380 32 231.659
    4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:16.297 0.391 29 231.626
    5 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.311 0.405 32 231.583
    6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:16.423 0.517 30 231.244
    7 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:16.447 0.541 23 231.171
    8 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:16.552 0.646 25 230.854
    9 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:16.826 0.920 28 230.031
    10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:16.838 0.932 29 229.995
    11 Daniel Ricciardo RB/Honda RBPT 1:16.967 1.061 32 229.610
    12 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:16.980 1.074 30 229.571
    13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:16.991 1.085 26 229.538
    14 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:17.008 1.102 31 229.487
    15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:17.064 1.158 32 229.321
    16 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber/Ferrari 1:17.088 1.182 28 229.249
    17 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:17.129 1.223 32 229.127
    18 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:17.135 1.229 23 229.110
    19 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber/Ferrari 1:17.606 1.700 28 227.719
    20 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 1:17.848 1.942 22 227.011

  • Martin vs Marquez vs Bagnaia; Martin wins last-lap decider at Le Mans: MotoGP

    Martin vs Marquez vs Bagnaia; Martin wins last-lap decider at Le Mans: MotoGP

    Three of the biggest names in the sport throw down in France – and this time it’s Martin who writes a victory to remember.

    Le Mans (France), 11 May 2024: Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) soaked up the pressure and threw down the gauntlet at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France, coming out on top in a three-way fight for glory against Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) that rolled all the way to the final lap. Nearly 300,000 fans streamed into the event over the weekend and they were treated to a proper show as the #89 shadowed Bagnaia, passed him, and then shut every door in Le Mans to pull off a seriously impressive 25-point haul. And just behind him, Marc Marquez did find an open door – or manage to create one. The #93 pulled a last lap divebomb on Bagnaia that got the job done for second, perfectly crafted to demote the reigning Champion to third.

    Off the line, Martin made a good start from pole but Bagnaia bettered it, the #1 taking the holeshot from second on the grid. Behind, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was threatening but ran in hot at the chicane, leaving teammate Aleix Espargaro to challenge Martin for second on the exit as the #12 Aprilia slotted in just behind Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fourth. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was up to eighth almost immediately, slicing up from his P13 grid slot.

    At the front, Bagnaia had the hammer down but Martin was absolutely glued to him at the front. The two pulled a small gap on the chasing pack led by Espargaro, with Diggia in fourth and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) looking to attack Viñales. He did so not long after, setting the fastest lap on Lap 2, before another shuffle as DiGiannantonio briefly diced with Espargaro just ahead.

    However, the rookie then proved the protagonist of the first drama. Looking for a way through on that duel ahead, he overcooked it into Turn 8 going for a move on the VR46 machine ahead, and then only just avoided tagging both as he slid out. More drama then hit nearly immediately after as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slid out as he pushed to try and duel with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).

    At the front, Bagnaia pounded on. Martin shadowed, equally pitch perfect until one small mistake from both with 19 to go, heading ever so slightly wide. But they gathered it back up as the podium fight behind started to light up, the race split between a duel and a melee.

    Diggia was homing in on Espargaro, but Viñales, Marquez and Bastianini lurked. The next move came there as Marquez attacked Viñales but was repelled, and Diggia then had a shot at the #41 Aprilia, also forced to hold station. But a lap later the #49 was through into third, and Viñales then began to line up his teammate. He needed no second invite after the door was just left open, with Marquez then striking straight away too.

    Next was Bastianini. The Beast came from a long way back and also went in hot, gathering it back up but Espargaro then taking to the run off before rejoining. Bastianini didn’t make the apex either, but his was a shortcut and he was then given a Long Lap for the time not lost.

    Meanwhile, Marquez had picked Viñales’ pocket after the #12 was slightly wide, and the eight-time World Champion was homing in on Diggia. By Lap 16, the #93 made his first attack through Turn 3. The Italian responded and in the shuffle, Viñales almost nearly made his way through too. But it was as you were until a lap later as Marquez went for it again, and this time Diggia ran wide trying to take it back. The #93 and Viñales were both past, and the #49 then got a Long Lap for the time he didn’t lose as he tried to rejoin.

    By just under ten laps to go, Bagnaia led Martin, the two still absolutely glued together, but now it was Marquez on the chase. Soon, the chess match had its first big move.

    At Turn 3, Martin attacked. And he got through, but on the cutback Bagnaia judged it to the absolutely millimetre to nudge back ahead. As you were, until a lap later. Same move, different result as this time the #89 was able to hold it. There was a new race leader, but there was also a new fastest lap… from Marquez.

    The Gresini was on the factory machine of Bagnaia in what seemed like a flash as it became a leading trio. It seemd Martin was starting to pull out the centimetres as he dug in, but then the #89 was deep into the chicane with three to go, and it was absolutely locked together once again. Bagnaia was close as anything and showed a wheel but couldn’t barge the door open, leaving a six-wheeled fight for the win to roll on.

    Over the line for the last lap, Martin and Bagnaia were almost one machine round Turn 1 and 2, but a hail Mary on the brakes from Marquez saw that #93 re-appear in the shot by the time the trio dropped anchor at the chicane. Bagnaia was harrying, impatient and looking for any inch of space to make a move on Martin, but there was none – so Marquez made some instead. 

    The Gresini divebombed it but divebombed it to perfection, getting it stopped to take over in second as the remaining apexes ticked down. Would Bagnaia be able to respond at the final corner? As Martin gained some breathing space thanks to the duel behind him, the focus shifted to that one final opportunity. But if Marquez had opened the door for himself corners prior, this time he kept it firmly closed. 

    Up ahead, Martin crossed the line to take one of his most impressive wins to date, soaking up the pressure and making it a serious statement Sunday. His lead goes out to an incredible 38 points – enough to guarantee he leaves the next GP as Championship leader too – and it’s Bagnaia and Marquez on his tail in that order. Marquez’ back-to-back podiums are his first since 2021 and he’s 40 points off the top, but Bagnaia remains second despite that 0 from the Sprint in France.

    Behind the podium battle, Bastianini charged back from his Long Lap to get past Viñales late on, with the #12 forced to settle for fifth. Di Giannantonio took P6 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who pipped Espargaro late on and the Aprilia dropped back to P9. 

    Between the two was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), whose tough French GP had a much sweeter conclusion on Sunday. From the back of the grid, the #33 charged through to P8. An honourable mention also goes to a savage ride from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) in an awesome home GP livery, with the Frenchman making it as far up as sixth before a crash out of contention. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completed the top ten.

    That’s a wrap on the best-attended Grand Prix in history, and Martin leaves it with a serious and stylish statement win. Next up it’s Barcelona and another chance for the world’s most exciting sport to prove its moniker, so join us for more in two weeks as we go back-to-back with two more classic events from Catalonia to Mugello!