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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Sanjay Takale dishes out another stellar show with three days remaining: Dakar Classic
From Rajan Syal at Dakar
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 14 January 2025: Indian rally driver Sanjay Takale, alongside his French co-driver Maxime Raud from the Compagnie Saharienne team, celebrated the festival of Sankranti with a stellar performance at the Dakar 2025. Competing in the Classic Cars section—a regularity event held alongside the main Dakar races—Takale delivered consistent results with a strong display of his skill and commitment.
On Monday, the seasoned rally driver secured 11th place in the stage rankings. Earlier, in Stage 3’s after the gruelling 48-hour Chrono segment, Takale impressed with a remarkable 7th-place finish. On Tuesday, he finished 12th but was later ranked 17th following a penalty of 40 points, in the stage and currently sits 21st overall in the general classification.
Haradh is located in the middle of the eastern province, the largest in Saudi Arabia, through which the vehicles of the Dakar caravan sped today, their riders and drivers intently focused to avoid being caught out by the tangle of tracks. Over a distance against the clock of 357 kilometres and at a high pace requiring speedy roadbook reading, the main pitfalls to be avoided for the pretenders to the rally’s various crowns concerned navigation. However, with the need to maintain a steady speed unlike in the other categories, Sanjay Takale, completed one more day successfully.
A Trailblazer for India in Motorsports
Takale, a 56-year-old veteran from Manguri near Pune, Maharashtra, is a pioneer in Indian motorsports. Starting his career in motocross during the 1980s, he transitioned to rallying in cars and became an Asia-Pacific Production Cup champion. Takale has also represented India in World Rally Championship (WRC) events.
His participation in Dakar marks a significant milestone as he becomes the first Indian to compete in the event’s car category. Paired with navigator and coach Maxime Raud, Takale entered the Dakar Classic with the primary goal of gaining valuable experience in the world’s most challenging rally.
Tuesday’s Challenges and Highlights
Tuesday’s stage featured four Regularity Tests (RT) and a concluding Dune Test. Takale initially finished 12th in class and was running 15th overall in the Classic Cars category. However, a late penalty of 40 points pushed him to 21st in the overall rankings and 17th in the stage standings.
Despite the setback, Takale’s experience and precise driving have kept his car unscathed. His ability to navigate sandy terrain, rocky paths, and dunes with consistent speed and regularity helped him handle Dakar’s demanding conditions with focus and dedication.
The Road Ahead
This is Takale’s 75th international rally, and he chose to do the ‘Mother of all rallies’ to celebrate the milestone. The next stages will test his mettle further. The remaining three specials—spanning 123 km, 284 km, and 63 km—include the formidable dunes of the Empty Quarter, a highlight of the rally. With reduced distances on the final day, January 17, Takale is poised to tackle the challenges ahead and look confident and his main target is to finish the daunting Dakar.
The “Mother of All Rallies” has witnessed a historic debut, and with three days remaining, all eyes are on Takale as he continues his journey through the world’s toughest motorsport event even as the three Bikers from India made their exit by now.
Harith Noah, last year’s Rally2 winner suffered a wrist fracture in the prologue and had to unfortunately withdraw early on medical advice. The other two bikers, privateers, Ashish Raorane, in his third Dakar, suffered a setback once again and was forced to withdraw after Stage 6 while debutant Jatin Jain from Nagpur too withdraw after Stage 5 on January 9.
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The Good Samaritan in Sanjay Takale pops out; the Pune stalwart dishes out another top-10 show
By Rajan Syal
Al Duwadimi (Saudi Arabia), 12 January 2025: The legendary Dakar Spirit, celebrated since the rally’s inception in 1979, continues to define the essence of endurance racing. This spirit of camaraderie was on full display during Stage 7 at Dakar 2025, when Pune’s Sanjay Takale, the first Indian in cars at the iconic Dakar, exemplified true sportsmanship, spending over 10 minutes helping his teammate’s car #768, out of a tricky situation, in the dunes. Dakar’s Race Control acknowledged his selfless act by waiving any penalties for the delayed arrival at the Dune Test finish time control (TC), to the tune of time he lost helping the other driver.
The challenging 14-km Dune Test saw many competitors struggle, with several missing key waypoints and incurring penalties. Remarkably, Sanjay and his co-driver Maxime navigated flawlessly, hitting every waypoint while demonstrating exceptional consistency. Their results in the Regularity Tests were impressive, securing 5th, 13th, and 15th positions in the respective sections.
The final Regularity Test of the stage was a grueling 146km stretch, featuring over 175 speed changes and 36 secret time controls. Despite the mammoth task, the duo managed to finish with only 48 penalties, a feat that underscores their precision and endurance.
As the day’s results and overall standings are awaited, hopes are high for another top-10 overall finish in Stage 07. Fingers crossed as Sanjay and Maxime continue to prove that perseverance, teamwork, and the true Dakar Spirit are the keys to success.
Editor’s note: Sanjay did get a top-10 finish, with a 10th in his class. This copy is written, before the final results of the day arrived.
About author: Rajan Syal is a motorsports fanatic, who saw the game from all sides being a competitor, rallyist and finally, directing the Indian motorsports as the CEO of fmsci, now he is a freelancer enjoying the dunes of Dakar 2025 and entertaining with his timely Dakar updates.
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Norris takes pole in Abu Dhabi as McLaren lock out front row ahead of Sainz
McLaren edged a step close to the F1 Constructors’ title as Lando Norris took pole position ahead of Oscar Piastro to complete a front-row lock out for the team. Carlos Sainz took third place for Ferrari but the Scuderia’s hopes of challenging for a first title in 16 years were dealt a blow when Charles Leclerc qualified 14th.
In the final top-10 shootout, 2024 Drivers’ champion Max Verstappen claimed provisional pole with a strong first run that was hampered by a slide in the final corner, but while the Red Bull driver had run with new Soft tyres, Norris, just 0.004s off, and Piastri, had run with used tyres on their opening runs.
And with new rubber on board for the final runs, the McLaren pair showed a clean pair of heels to their rivals with Norris taking his eighth pole of the year thanks to a time of 1:22.595, two tenths ahead of Piastri and Sainz.
Nico Hülkenberg grabbed a shock fourth place on the grid for Haas with a superb lap of 1:22.886, while Verstappen failed to improve on his first time of Q3 and was forced to settle for fifth place and the front of row three.
Behind the top five Pierre Gasly kept Alpine’s hopes of staying ahead of Haas in the battle for P6 in the Constructors’ Championship alive as he took sixth place, while George Russell was seventh for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, surprised ninth-place qualifier Valterri Bottas of Kick Sauber, and the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
The major absence from Q3 was Leclerc. The Monegasque driver looked to have comfortably secured his spot in Q2 by posting a time that took him to the top of the timesheet in the closing stages of Q2. But within moments of crossing the line the Ferrari man’s time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 1 at the start of his final flyer. And as the order shook out following the chequered flag, Leclerc dropped to 14th. The Ferrari driver is already facing a 10-place grid drop for taking a third Energy Store of the season, so is set to start from the rear of the field.
Also eliminated at the end of Q2 were RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson in 11th and 12th respectively, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in P13 and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in 15h place.
The major faller as the first hurdle was Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion, taking part in his last qualifying session with Mercedes, looked to be improving on his final flying lap. However, he managed to run over a bollard dislodged by Magnussen and with the debris trapped under this car, Hamilton’s pace dropped and he was eliminated in P18 behind Williams’ Alex Albon and Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu and ahead of the second Williams of Franco Colapinto and Alpine’s Jack Doohan.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.595
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1’22.804 0.209
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1’22.824 0.229
4 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1’22.886 0.291
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’22.945 0.350
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1’22.984 0.389
7 George Russell Mercedes 1’23.132 0.537
8 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.196 0.601
9 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.204 0.609
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1’23.264 0.669
11 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.419 0.824
12 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1’23.472 0.877
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1’23.784 1.189
14 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1’23.833 1.238
15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1’23.877 1.282
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1’23.821 1.226
17 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1’23.880 1.285 1.556
18 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1’23.887 1.292
19 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1’23.912 1.317
20 Jack Doohan Alpine/Renault 1’24.105 1.510 -
Max seals 4th F1 title; Russell wins at Las Vegas, Hami makes it 1-2 for Mercedes
Las Vegas (US) 24 Nov. 2024: Max Verstappen coolly sealed his fourth consecutive FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title with a measured drive to fifth at the end of a Las Vegas Grand Prix won in commanding style by George Russell. Lewis Hamilton made it a 1-2 for Mercedes, while the final podium place went to Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull driver Verstappen only needed to finish ahead of sole remaining title rival Lando Norris to take the crown and after fending off a challenge from the McLaren driver at the start of the race, the Dutchman stretched away to rise as high as second in the race. And with Norris lodged in sixth for the bulk of the race Verstappen was comfortable enough to drop behind Hamilton, Sainz and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
“What a season. Four times. Thank you, guys,” Verstappen said on the radio after crossing the line. “Thank you to everyone. I mean, it was a little bit more difficult than last year, but we pulled through and we gave it all.”
At the start, polesitter Russell got away well to take the lead but it was Leclerc who best reacted to the lights and as the field went through Turn 1 the Ferrari driver slipped past third-place starter Pierre Gasly and Sainz to take P2.
Behind the top four, Verstappen and Norris got away well from fifth and sixth, but going into Turn 1, Norris drew alongside on the inside. Verstappen held a wide line, however, and emerged from Turn 2 ahead.
On lap four Verstappen closed right up to Gasly and on the way into Turn 14 the Dutchman muscled his way past the Frenchman to take fourth place. Further ahead, Leclerc, who had been pushing hard to get past Russell, began to struggle for grip and after being passed by team-mate Sainz, the Monegasque fell back towards Verstappen who wasted no time in dispatching the Ferrari driver on lap 8 to claim a podium position. Behind him Norris made his way past Gasly to take fifth place but the gap to Verstappen was growing.
On lap 10 both Leclerc and Norris were called to the pits for fresh tyres and both took on Hard tyres. On the following lap Sainz was also called in but Verstappen was already past and into second place.
The Red Bull driver then made his own pit stop on lap 12 and after bolting on a set of Hard tyres I just two seconds he rejoined in sixth place, in backmarking traffic, but crucially ahead of both Ferraris and ahead of Norris.
As the Medium-tyre starters began to flood into pit lane, Verstappen again rose to third place, behind Hard-tyre starting team-mate Sergio Pérez. At the front, Russell was now stretching away and in such control that he was comfortably able to put and emerge in the lead.
Verstappen was soon past Pérez who then began to drop back before his own stop. Verstappen then made his second stop on lap 28, taking on another set of Hard tyres. Behind him, Sainz went to pit ahead of Hamilton, but at the last second Ferrari told him to stay out. The Spaniard was already across the white line of the pit entry and he had to swerve right to stay on track.
The second round of stops then began to play out and when the order shook out once again Russell still led, 11 seconds clear of hard-charging team-mate Lewis Hamilton with Max in third ahead of Sainz, Leclerc and Norris.
At the front, Hamilton, showing dazzling pace, began to reel in Verstappen and after easily passing the Dutchman, who offered little resistance, the seven-time champion set off in pursuit of Russell.
The younger Mercedes driver was now in management mode, however, and though Hamilton closed the gap to five seconds at one point, Russell was always in control and after 50 laps crossed the line with seven seconds in hand over Hamilton to seal his third career win.
Behind the Mercedes pair, Verstappen was also playing a sensible game. With a dozen seconds in hand over sixth-placed Norris, the Dutchman didn’t resist when Sainz and Leclerc closed in. On lap 42 he allowed Sainz to ease through and five laps later, Leclerc made his way past to drop the champion elect to fifth place.
He crossed the line more than 24 seconds clear of Norris, who had made a late stop for fresh tyres and to seal the point for fastest lap, and claimed his fourth title.
“It’s been a long season,” Max reflected afterwards. “Of course, we started off amazing. It was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together. We kept working on improvements. And yeah, we pulled over the line. I’m incredibly proud of everyone, what they have done for me. And to stand here as a four-time world champion is of course something that I never thought was possible. So yeah, at the moment, just feeling relieved in a way, but also very proud”.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix – Race
1 George Russell Mercedes 50 1:22’05.969
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 1:22’13.282 7.313
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 50 1:22’17.875 11.906
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 1:22’20.252 14.283
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:22’22.551 16.582
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’49.354 43.385
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 50 1:22’57.334 51.365
8 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’05.777 59.808
9 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’08.777 1’02.808
10 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’09.083 1’03.114
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’15.164 1’09.195
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 50 1:23’15.772 1’09.803
13 Zhou Guan Yu Sauber/Ferrari 50 1:23’20.054 1’14.085
14 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 50 1:23’21.141 1’15.172
15 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 50 1:23’30.071 1’24.102
16 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 50 1:23’36.974 1’31.00
17 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 49 1:22’08.029 1 lap /2.060
18 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 49 1:22’17.254 1 lap /11.285
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 25 42’12.021 Power Unit
Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 15 25’36.973 Power Unit -
Stage set: Bagnaia grabs pole, Martin starts #TheRematch decider from Row 2
Barcelone, 16 Nov. 2024:
The #1 holds on by 0.055 ahead of Espargaro and Marquez, with Martin forced to settle for fourth as the grids set the stage for a stunning finale Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will start the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona from pole as the #1 stayed cool under pressure to hold on at the top. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) made a late lunge for glory but came up short by just 0.055 in his final Q2, with Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completing a fascinating front row – and one that doesn’t feature Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). He will instead start P4… directly behind his title rival Bagnaia.
Q1
FP2 delivered a final opportunity for the MotoGP™ stars to perfect their setups, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) taking top honours as Bagnaia finished ahead of Martin in a busy start to Saturday. Once Q1 itself was underway, Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) set a blistering pace in his opening laps – briefly topping the timesheets. With the clock ticking down, Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) then suffered a late crash at Turn 5. Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were the riders who moved through, earning their spot in Q2 ahead of the final battle for pole.
Q2
The stage was set for Q2, with tactics at play during the first flying laps as Bagnaia went fastest, with Martin sitting in third. It seemed like Espargaro may have been on his own mission for Martin too, but it didn’t ultimately pay off.
Everything came down to the final five minutes, with Bagnaia finding further time and Morbidelli then pushing Martin off the provisional front row. The Championship leader was under pressure and did deliver a faster lap on his final push, but it wasn’t quite enough for that front row. He leapfrogged his teammate but remained behind Marc Marquez. Meanwhile, Espargaro’s last dash saw him challenge for pole, missing out by almost nothing.
THE GRID
Bagnaia, Espargaro and Marquez stare down Turn 1 from the front row, and Martin stares down Bagnaia from directly behind him, at the head of Row 2. Martin will have to work hard to wrap up the title in the Tissot Sprint after qualifying just ahead of teammate Morbidelli. The Italian rounded out the top five spots in Q2 as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ended the session as the top KTM/GASGAS rider in sixth.
Viñales spearheads the third row of the grid, ending Q2 a mere 0.351s adrift from Bagnaia’s benchmark. Alongside the #12 will be Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), with ‘The Beast’ now left with some work to do as he is joined by compatriot Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) on the third after the Italian took ninth ahead of Quartararo.
Further back, Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) narrowly missed a spot in Q2 by 0.028s and will line up from 13th. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder also missed a chance to fight in Q2, with the South African starting from P18 on the grid and surely a candidate to move forward…
The stage is set, with the grids poised to deliver some incredible action in Catalunya. Will the title be decided or is there one more twist in the tale? Join us later to find out.
SATURDAY
TISSOT SPRINT: 15:00 (UTC +1)
SUNDAY
GRAND PRIX: 14:00 (UTC +1) 6.30pm IST -
Bagnaia lands first blow as Martin heads into match point Saturday in P5
Barcelone, 15 November 2024:
#TheRematch decider has been turned up a notch with the reigning Champion finding Friday form and the title leader enduring some Practice troubles
Day 1 of #TheRematch decider at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona belonged to the hunter – Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The reigning #1 set the pace on Friday to land an important early jab on World Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), as the latter managed to hold onto a fifth place finish after encountering some Turn 5 troubles deep into Practice. It’s job done in terms of getting into Q2 without too many issues for the #89, but there’s plenty of room for improvement for the rider who sits 24 points clear of the current #1 with the biggest Saturday of the season firmly on the horizon.
Operating inside the top three on Day 1 was second fastest – and one of Bagnaia’s chief allies – Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian was on song in Practice as he aims to bid farewell to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team with a podium finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. And if Day 1 is anything to go by, then the Italian is looking good to challenge for just that. P3 went the way of Catalan GP Tissot Sprint winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) after the retiring home hero set a strong lap in the closing stages to sit 0.107s off Bagnaia’s lap.
Following a relatively quiet opening three-quarters of the session as the riders flicked through their respective programmes, the session really kicked into sixth gear with just under 15 minutes remaining. Traditions. And speaking of traditions, Martin climbed to a familiar P1 with a 1:39.652 and on his next flyer, a 1:39.214 was landed to see the World Championship leader sit 0.330s clear of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). At this stage (10 minutes to go) Bagnaia was fifth, just under half a second down on his title rival’s effort.
That three-tenth advantage was slashed to just 0.010s as Viñales improved. Then, one of the standout riders of the season demoted Martin to P2. Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) set a 1:39.197 to grab top spot, with the top five now split by less than a tenth. Those were Zarco, Martin, Viñales, Bagnaia and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™).
Heading into the final four minutes, Martin couldn’t get a lap going and at Turn 5, the Spaniard produced a more than decent front-end save. The #89 cut a frustrated figure as Bezzecchi propelled his GP23 to P1 before Bagnaia went 0.080s quicker than his compatriot to pinch P1 off his VR46 Academy stablemate.
With a minute to go, Martin was P5 and not going any quicker, but he looked out of danger in terms of not getting into Q2. No one else was improving enough to trouble the sharp end of the timesheets, so it was job done for #TheRematch contenders. Bagnaia was top of the class on Friday, and Martin was fifth without too many dramas. Roll on qualifying.
Zarco’s incredibly impressive Friday afternoon stint saw the Frenchman keep hold of P4 ahead of Martin, with Viñales, Alex Marquez, his teammate Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) acting as the other riders who clinched automatic Q2 spots, as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) missed out in P11 by just 0.020s.
So that’s the final Friday of the year done. Bagnaia heads into a title-defining Saturday at the summit, exactly where he wanted to be. Martin faces match point Saturday in P5, but that could all change when qualifying comes around. And what a session it promises to be. What a day it’s set to be. Will Martin end the Tissot Sprint as the new World Champion, or will Bagnaia do what he needs to do to take the title fight to Sunday? In less than 24 hours, we’ll know the answer. Bring it on.
SHOWTIME
FP2: 10:00 (UTC+1) 2.30pm IST
Q1: 10:50
Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00 (7.25 pm IST) -
Starting from P17, Verstappen takes stunning win; enhances title chances
Sao Paulo, 3 Nov 2024: Max Verstappen took a stunning win at the São Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th place on the grid to take his eighth victory of the season almost 20 seconds clear of the chasing pack. Behind the three-time champion, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took a surprise double podium for Alpine.
On the formation lap ahead of the start, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed and Race Control indicated an aborted start. That should have signalled the drivers to remains on the grid after the formation lap to await further instructions. Norris, however, pulled away and a number of other drivers followed the pole sitter. Another formation lap was the result and Norris and several others were informed that the incident would be investigated agfter the race.
When the light eventually went out, front row starter Russell reacted best and he stole the lead on the run to Turn 1 ahead of Norris. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda held his starting third place ahead of Ocon, while Ferrrari’s Charles Lecler moved ahead of RB’s Liam Lawson to take fifth.
Further back, Verstappen made a brilliant start from P17, and as the field exited the Senna S, the Dutchman charged around the outside to climb to P11 behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. And at the start of lap 2 the Dutchman dived down the inside of the Mercedes to climb into a points-paying position.
Verstappen wasn’t done, though, and after picking off Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the start of lap 3, he muscled his way past Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso on the following lap. He then chased down Oscar Piastri and Lawson and by the end of lap 11 he was a remarkable sixth.
At the front, on lap 20, Russell still led, just under a second ahead of Norris. Eight seconds behind the top two, Tsunoda headed a DRS train consisting of Ocon, Leclerc and Verstappen.
On lap the shape of the race changed. In worsening rain, Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg went wide in Turn 1 and stopped at the edge of the track. The VSC was deployed, sparking a flurry of pit stops.
With the aid of marshals, Hülkenberg was able to rejopin – a move that ultimately led to him being black-flagged – and just as the VSC ended, the top three of Russell, Norris and Tsunoda dived into the pits for more Inters. That promoted Ocon into the lead, with Verstappen in P2 ahead of Gasly.
With the VSC spell complete, Norris eased past Russell to claim fourth place but with the conditions worsening badly, the Safety Car was eventually deployed. And when Williams’ Franco Colapinto lost control in Turn 12 and hit the barriers, the red flags came out and the race was halted.
At the restart, Ocon held his lead over Verstappen and Gasly, but behind them Norris went wide and Russell was able to sneak through to P4. On lap 40, though, Sainz, who had been trying to catch Pérez, crashed at Turn 8 and the Safety Car took to the track for the second time.
The restart took place at the end of lap 42 and this time Verstappen judged it perfectly. He stuck with Ocon and when the Frenchman tried to pull away, Verstappen stayed close enough to dive down the inside into Turn 1 and steal the lead.
Behind them Gasly managed to hold onto third but Russell, Leclerc and Norris were all jockeying for position. Desperate to avoid a collision, Norris locked up behind Russell and dropped back to P7 behind team-mate Piastri. The Australian, facing a time penalty for a collision, would later wave the Briton through to P6.
At the front, Verstappen began to stretch away from the pack and with 20 laps remaining the Dutchman had pulled out a five-second gap to Ocon, with Gasly three seconds further back in third.
In the closing stages, Verstappen took complete control and after posting a staggering 17 fastest laps that earned him a bonus point the Dutchman crossed the line to take his eighth win of the season and his first the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Behind the champion Ocon and Gasly completed a shock double podium for Alpine, while Russell took fourth ahead of Leclerc. Norris, facing an investigation for breaching starting regulations when the original start was aborted, finished sixth ahead of Tsunoda and Piastri while Liam Lawson made it a double points finish ahead of Hamilton.
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Race
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:06’54.430
2 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’13.907 19.477
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 69 2:07’16.962 22.532
4 George Russell Mercedes 69 2:07’17.695 23.265
5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 69 2:07’24.607 30.177
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’25.802 31.372
7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’36.486 42.056
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 69 2:07’39.373 44.943
9 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’44.882 50.452
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 69 2:07’45.183 50.753
11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 69 2:07’45.961 51.531
12 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 69 2:07’51.515 57.085
13 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:07’58.018 1’03.588
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 69 2:08’12.479 1’18.049
15 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 69 2:08’14.079 1’19.649
Carlos Sainz Ferrari 38 – 31 laps
Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 30 – Retirement
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 0 – Not started
Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 30 – DSQ -
Title fight rolls on as Bagnaia beats Martin in an all-time thriller at Sepang
A brawl at the start becomes a statement for the ages as one of the sport’s best ever battles sees #TheRematch roll on.
Sepang, 3 Nov. 2024: On Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) headed out to keep his World Championship hopes alive with a win at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, and he did just that. It was a sensational ride from the #1, who put the hammer down after a breathtaking battle with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the opening laps that will go down in history as one of the best duels the sport has ever seen. From there it was a cat and mouse to the finish, with Bagnaia finding enough to keep Martin at bay and reduce the gap to 24 points by the flag. And remember, the maximum score per weekend is now 37…
Behind them, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was able to grab the final spot on the podium in a crucial day for ‘The Beast’, who moved a step closer as he continues his fight for third position in the Championship against the very same Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) who crashed out from third after getting a box office seat for the duel at the front.
Pecco Bagnaia after his 10th win this year. A MotoGP image Once the lights went out, it was a good launch from Bagnaia but he was near side-by-side with Martin on the charge into Turn 1. However, a crash at Turn 2 involving Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) would bring out the red flag and reset the tense showdown once again before a lap was complete. Miller was taken for checks and deemed fit, Quartararo and Binder walked away, but the South African pulled in before the restart.
After that pique of adrenaline, the lights went out again, with Bagnaia making an incredible launch on take two, catapulting into the lead on the run to Turn 1. Martin was forced to slot into second, with Marc Marquez battling into the podium places on Lap 1. As soon as was possible at the head of the field though, it was GLOVES OFF. Martin made his first move on the opening lap, with Bagnaia instantly responding as the title fight kicked into another gear. Game on.
Bagnaia and Martin continued to lock horns, trading places and trading blows in the opening stages of a spectacular Malaysian GP. The tension was high as the lead continued to swap hands at every opportunity, with just inches separating them on the circuit. Paint was exchanged between the title rivals in the opening stages including one near bash on the straight, and with Marc Marquez watching on from behind in third place.
It was a true spectacle, with the two title contenders absolutely going at it… and still able to somehow pull a gap on those behind. By Lap 5 though, Bagnaia had made it stick and a small mistake from Martin saw a sliver of breathing space become the fastest lap from the #1 as he got the hammer down. Now it became a battle of a different kind.
Some more drama then hit near the front, and “What will Marc Marquez do?” got an earlier answer than the eight-time World Champion intended as he slid out, rejoining down the order. That left Bastianini in third as he’d pulled away from the group on the chase but not homed in on the front battle. Behind, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was fending off Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) for P4, and Quartararo wasn’t far off them either.
And then. Ater it could have seemed a foregone conclusion at the front, the gap suddenly started to come down. From over two seconds it disappeared in a tenth here and a tenth there, with Bagnaia either struggling or teasing. Just as it got below 1.5s, however, the #89 made a crucial mistake at Turn 9 – dropping a further eight-tenths behind. The possibility had proven strong but Martin didn’t falter with the temptation as much as Bagnaia may have been hoping, forced to settle for second but seemingly content to do so as his points advantage remains sizeable.
At the front, Bagnaia didn’t falter either, crossing the line to win by 3.141s on a critical day in the 2024 MotoGP World Championship. The Italian’s victory sees #TheRematch to roll on after defeating Martin in Malaysia, and after the duo served up a true, true all-time great duel.
Bastianini made one error to halt what seemed like it could be a possible charge, wide at the final corner, but kept it on the road thereafter to take that third place. Behind, Alex Marquez claimed fourth, with the #73 continuing to defend from Acosta in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. 1.469s separated the duo at the line as Quartararo heroically finished inside the top six after a stunning ride from the Frenchman on the restart, taking his and Yamaha’s best GP result of the season so far. The #20 placed ahead of Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammate Alex Rins as the #42 grabbed eighth.
The final spots on the top 10 spots were taken by Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LRC) bagged 11th. Marc Marquez charged to P12 after rejoining, ending a strong recovery ride with points as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Morbidelli, and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) scored the final point on Sunday.
After Bagnaia was able to keep his title hopes in reach this weekend, it leaves everything to be decided at the finale! Make sure you keep up to date on motogp.com to find out the latest news regarding the final round of the season. We can guarantee two things: it will be a show like nothing else on earth… and it will be a show with purpose as we continue #RacingForValencia.
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Lando Norris claims pole in dramatic wet qualifying at Sao Paulo GP: F1
Inter Lagos, 2 Nov 2024: Lando Norris claimed a potentially crucial pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix at the end of a chaotic, rain-hit qualifying at Interlagos that was red-flagged five times and which left the McLaren driver’s title rival Max Verstappen in P12 and facing a P17 start after he takes a grid penalty for PU changes.
In soaking wet conditions a long queue formed at the end of the pit lane ahead of the session and when the green lights came on it was Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who set the early pace with a lap of 1:29.916. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez slotted into P2 a tenth further back but RB’s Yuki Tsunoda then bypassed both with a lap of 1:29.172.
The first red flag of the session then came out. Franco Colapinto lost control of his Williams in the middle of Turn 3 and spun off into the barriers. The Argentinian was unhurt but the session was suspended.
After an eight-minute delay, the action got underway again, and with a couple of minutes left, Verstappen moved out of potential danger by claiming P5. His lap was deleted, however, as double waved yellow flags were being shown for an off for Nico Hülkenberg and the champion plummeted down to P12. However, in the final seconds he posted a lap 1:28.522 to jump to the top of the order ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Further back there was no place in Q2 for Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver dropped out in P16 ahead the Haas of Ollie Bearman, the unfortunate Colapinto, the second Haas of Hülkenberg and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu.
Verstappen was to the fore again at the start of Q2. After Pérez got the ball rolling with a lap of 1:28.158, Verstappen powered past that, clearing his team-mate by 0.387s to set a time of 1:27.771.
However, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri had made the switch to Intermediate tyres and the Australian jumped to P1 six tenths of a second ahead of Verstappen, before improving again by almost a second to set the pace at 1:25.179.
That sparked a mass move to Intermediates but while Russell and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll were able to exploit the green-banded tyres to climb to second and third respectively, there was no chance for anyone else to improve before the session was red-flagged for a second time. Carlos Sainz spun in Turn 2 and the Ferrari driver went backwards into the barriers, causing heavy damage to the back of the car.
After another eight-minute halt, the session was restarted and once again, on a drying track, the lottery kicked into gear.
Norris was first out on track and the Briton jumped to top spot with a lap of 1:24.844. However, further back on track, Stroll crashed in Turn 3. The red flags came out again and the stoppage denied both Red Bull drivers the chance to improve. With just 45 seconds left on the clock, there would be no resumption and Verstappen exited in P12, immediately ahead of team-mate Pérez. Also eliminated at the end of the middle segment were Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in P11, Sainz in 14th place and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in P15.
At the start of Q3, it was Norris who made the most of the conditions and the McLaren driver took top spot with a lap of 1:24.158, half a second clear of Albon, with Piastri in third place.
However, almost immediately after Norris crossed the line the red flags were flown for a fourth time. Fernando Alonso lost control in Turn 11 and he went off into the barriers at high speed.
After a 12-minute delay to repair the barriers, and with seven minutes left, the session resumed. But once again the action was brief. With three minutes remaining Albon’s Williams stepped out under braking into Turn 1 and he slammed hard into the barriers, doing severe damage to the rear and front left of his car. The red flags appeared for the fifth time.
And when the session resumed for the final time there was no stopping Norris. The Briton improved again to take pole with a time of 1:23.406 ahead of Russell with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda in third place. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was fourth ahead of the second RB of Liam Lawson. Leclerc qualified sixth ahead of Alnon and Piastri with the Astons of Alonso and Stroll in ninth and tenth.
Lando Norris Quote:
“A positive job as a team today. The car has great pace this weekend and I felt good out there. I think we were strong but it’s difficult to judge in a Sprint when everyone is looking at how much to manage and how much to push. Oscar deserved it today, but we’ve done what we had to do with our pursuit of the two Championships. We executed it very well and I’m thankful for his support. It’s a disappointing afternoon for the fans with Qualifying not going ahead but I’m looking forward to a strong performance tomorrow.”
2024 FIA Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.405 – –
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.578 0.173
3 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.111 0.706
4 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:24.475 1.070
5 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1:24.484 1.079
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:24.525 1.120
7 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:24.657 1.252
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:24.686 1.281
9 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:28.998 5.593
10 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes – – –
11 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1:26.472 3.067
12 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:27.771 4.366
13 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1:28.158 4.753
14 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.406 6.001
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1:29.614 6.209
16 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.150 7.745
17 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:31.229 7.824
18 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1:31.270 7.865
19 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1:31.623 8.218
20 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1:32.263 8.858 -
Bagnaia takes the fight to Martin with stunning wet weather win in Thailand
The #1 stays calm under pressure to escape his title rival and take his first wet weather win in MotoGP as Marquez and Bastianini crash at Buriram
Buriram, 27 October 2024: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) reigned supreme with a stunning wet weather win under pressure at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The #1 battled Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) for the lead before the #93 crashed out of contention, leaving Bagnaia to steel his nerves and get the hammer down at the front to escape Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) by nearly three seconds. With that statement made, the gap at the top is back down to just 17 points with two race weekends remaining, and it’s now officially two contenders for the crown. #TheRematch is on!
Behind that battle there was another, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) claiming the final spot on the podium after a stunning showdown against Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jack Miller.
There was drama before the Grand Prix began, with the wet conditions catching out Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) on the sighting lap. He made the start though, and as the skies above Buriram continued to brood, the lights went out to decide the winner of the 2024 Thai Grand Prix.
Martin made a rocket start, snatching the advantage on the run to Turn 1 as a shuffle through there saw Bagnaia emerge in second, Marquez move up to third and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) lose out as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) went on the attack.
The Championship rivals began to duel – locking horns on the opening laps as Martin went wide, Bagnaia took over but the #89 responded swiftly as he sliced past the Italian at Turn 4. Martin began to extend his lead to almost half a second, shadowed by Bagnaia, with Marquez on their tail as Acosta duelled Quartararo in their wake. The rookie then sailed well wide, giving himself work to do as Quartararo suffered a worse fate following contact from Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing). The Italian was given a Long Lap, and the Frenchman was forced to rejoin at the back.
Back at the front, the first frisson of drama came on Lap 5 as Martin made a crucial error, running wide at Turn 3 and dropping down to third position – behind Marc Marquez. That gave Bagnaia the lead and made it a different tone of Jaws music for the reigning Champion as the #93 continued to shadow him.
More drama hit in the meantime, as Morbidelli’s day soon went from bad to worse, crashing out at Turn 8, moments before Bastianini’s Grand Prix also came to a halt at Turn 8, with the #23 losing the front and ending any hopes of scoring strong points on Lap 9 – after Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had also slid out.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez began his charge for victory, sending a move down the inside at the final corner. It was repelled. The #93 began to pile on the pressure though, with Martin lurking and waiting for an opportunity to pounce in P3. Marc Marquez sent his next attack on Lap 13, unable to make the move stick, with Bagnaia fighting back.
Marc Marquez continued to push to the limit, but then he pushed over it. The #93 made a crucial mistake at Turn 8 – skitting across the track on his knee and almost, almost saving it, but it wasn’t to be. The eight-time World Champion was on the floor on Lap 14, promoting Martin into P2. #TheRematch was all but guaranteed, and the top two were now leading the race – in reverse order.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin not able to home in but this now a battle of nerves. It was a nail-biting finale to the Grand Prix at the front as the laps ticked down for what must have seemed like hours for Bagnaia, but behind we were treated to an incredible show of a different kind.
After his earlier dramas, Acosta was back on terms with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and managed to slice past the South African, then next up was Miller. The Australian put up a stunning fight as the two went toe-to-toe, sideways and all which ways in a high-speed game of chicken, but in the end the rookie was able to make it stick.
At the head of the field, Bagnaia sealed the deal. Nearly three seconds clear and taking his first wet weather MotoGP™ win when he needed one most, the reigning Champion cuts it back down to 17 points ahead of the final two races. With plenty on the line too, Martin’s composure in second ensures it’s still some gap at least – to falter would have been to cede the title lead. And he didn’t.
Acosta completed the podium after his late charge, in the end finishing ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian put in his own final bout of glory. Miller was forced to settle for fifth, ahead of teammate Binder, with Aprilia Racing rider Maverick Viñales next up. The #12 was a further 2.60s behind, crossing the line in front of CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco in P8 who takes Honda’s best GP result of the season so far.
Meanwhile, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Alex Marquez rounded out the top 10 after a dramatic Thai GP. Marc Marquez recovered to 11th, walking away with key points after beating Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR), Bastianini and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), with the #36 securing the final point. Marquez also had to drop a position and did so somewhat contentiously, having earlier made contact with Mir.
So that’s it. A day that could have seen everything turn on its head instead turns the screw at the top of the standings, and the rematch now begins. Martin, Bagnaia, 17 points and one crown. There are only two weekends to go, so don’t miss the next one as we head for the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia with everything on the line.
