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  • Razgatlioglu extends WorldSBK lead with 2nd win

    Razgatlioglu extends WorldSBK lead with 2nd win

    Magny-Cours (France), 5 Sept 2021: Race 2 for the Motul French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours gave Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) his second win of the weekend to extend his Championship lead over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). A race that saw their rivalry ignite was relentless from the start, with the two putting on a spectacular show clear of the opposition.
      
    Razgatlioglu got the better start from pole position and initially held the lead of the race but used a wider line through the long right-hander of Estoril, allowing Rea to sneak up the inside to take the lead. On the run down to Turn 5, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) wanted to get involved in the lead battle but Razgatlioglu and Rea were able to keep him at arm’s length.
     
    Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was running in third from the early stages of the race after jumping up from the second row of the grid as he claimed his first podium of the weekend after a challenging weekend for the British rider. Third place for Redding meant he lost ground in the Championship to leader Razgatlioglu, while Rea also gained on Redding in the standings.
     
    The race-winning move came on Lap 11 after an incredible two laps of battling between Razgatlioglu and Rea with the Turkish star overtaking Rea into the Turn 5 hairpin of Adelaide on Lap 10 before the six-time Champion responded into the Imola chicane. Rea retained the lead of the race for just another lap before Razgatlioglu was able to pass Rea again into Adelaide. The pair battled it out throughout the race before Rea settled for second after making a save in the closing stages of the race.

    P1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    “I’m really happy. This weekend, my team did an incredible job. Every race we were able to improve the bike. I’m really happy. I am focused on every race and I am always focused on for the win.”
     
    P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “Toprak’s pace in the last three or four laps was incredible. It was time for me, like yesterday, to consolidate. I felt like we had a bit better fight today, I could at least put my ZX-10RR where I wanted. It was like going to school. He’s so good in some areas, I was stronger in others, but it’s good information to take away to Barcelona. I really enjoyed that, enjoyed the battle. It got really close in some areas but I had to think about the long game.”
     
    P3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “I was wrestling that bike for 21 laps. It’s not an easy track for the Ducati as we saw this weekend. I didn’t give up the fight. We had a tough Superpole, tough Race 1 but I really tried hard. I said to the guys today that if we could get the front two rows in the Superpole Race and then a podium, I’ll be happy. I knew I had to work hard for it and I did, I’m completely destroyed. It doesn’t matter. We got the podium and I’m really happy.”
     WorldSBK Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Race 2

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.908s
    3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.406s
    4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +10.329s
    5. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) +10.734s
    6. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +11.467s
  • Metronomic Razgatlioglu romps to victory: WorldSBK Race 1

    Metronomic Razgatlioglu romps to victory: WorldSBK Race 1

    Dramatic racing, incredible battles and more featured throughout Race 1 at the French Round

    Magny-Cours (France), 4 Sept 2021: The first race of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours delivered action throughout the 21-lap encounter with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) taking victory with an incredible performance of pace and consistency to win by more than four seconds as he gained a five-point swing over nearest rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the Motul French Round, while title rival Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) endured a difficult Saturday in France as he finished 12th in Race 1.

    Razgatlioglu got a good start and took the lead through Turn 1 but soon found himself shuffled back thanks to the run down to the Turn 5 hairpin of Adelaide. He responded when Rea took the lead and made a move on Lap 4 at Adelaide to reclaim the lead of the race before he was able to pull out enough of a gap to keep Rea at arm’s length.

    Rea was able to respond as the laps progressed, closing the gap to just a couple of tenths but could not make a move stick before Razgatlioglu extended his lead out in front to more than a second ahead of Rea, holding on to secure his second victory in a row following on from his win in Race 2 at Navarra. Rea’s second place extends his winless drought to seven races since he won at Assen in Race 2. Razgatlioglu showed remarkable consistent pace throughout the 21-lap encounter, always lapping in the 1’37s bracket and he also becomes the first Yamaha rider to take 18 podiums in a single season.

    Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed his third podium in WorldSBK with third place after he got a good start to the race to move up the field from fifth place, before battling the even faster-starting Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for fourth place; eventually passing the Italian at Turn 5 on Lap 12. He then gained a position on Lap 17 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 17, forcing the British rider out of the race. It meant Locatelli was able to claim third place with Rinaldi being promoted to fourth. 

    WorldSBK Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Race 1

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.467s
    3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +10.285s
    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi +13.283s
    5. Michael van der Mark +15.535s
    6. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) +17.824
  • Max Verstappen beats Hamilton to put his Red Bull on pole

    Max Verstappen beats Hamilton to put his Red Bull on pole

    Zandvoort (The Netherlands), 4 Sept 2021: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen beat Formula 1 championship rival Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes by just three hundredths of a second to claim pole position for his home race the 2021 FIA Formula 1  Dutch Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas finished third for Mercedes, while AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly put in an impressive performance to claim fourth place on the grid.

     At the start of the Q1 Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez set the early benchmark with a lap of 1:10.700. Verstappen was close behind on track, however, and he powered past his team-mate’s time to reset the bar at 1:10.036.

    Mercedes, meanwhile, sent both its drivers out on medium tyres and Pérez dropped to fourth place as as Hamilton took second place ahead of Bottas. Pérez extended his run, but despite getting down to 1:10.530 he dropped to P7 as better times came in. And the Mexican’s failure to set a secure time early in the session ended up being his undoing.

    Knowing that the track was ramping up massively, Red Bull readied the Mexican for a final run. However, seeking a workable gap on the short track, drivers began to form a solid queue at the end of pit lane and Pérez’s exit was slowed. Thus he failed to make it across the line before the chequered flag and as rivals posted improvements the Mexican fell down the order and he was eliminated in P16 ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, Alfa Romeo’s Robert Kubica and the Haas cars of Mick Schumacher and Nikia Mazepin. 

    Verstappen was straight into action at the start of Q2 and he posted a tough target at the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:09.071. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc got closest to that time ahead of the final runs, with the Monegasque setting a time of 1:09.437 to take P2 ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, Hamilton and Bottas. 

    Williams’ George Russell was one of the first out on track for the final runs of the second segment but at the end of his flying lap he carried too much speed into the penultimate corners and slid off into the barriers. The red flags were quickly displayed and the clock was stopped with just under four minutes remaining. 

    However, when the session eventually resumed it lasted less than two minutes as on his flying lap Nichola Latifi lost control in Turn 8 and the second Williams went into the barriers hard. The red flags were again shown and Race Control quickly indicated that the session would not be resumed. It meant that eliminated after the middle segment were Russell in 11th place followed Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Norris, Latifi and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. 

    In Q3 Verstappen again went out early to stake his claim to pole and he claimed provisional pole with an impressive lap of 1:08.923. Neither Mercedes driver had an initial response and Bottas took P2 0.099s behind the Red Bull, with Hamilton just under five hundredths of a second further back in third place. 

    In the final runs Verstappen proved unbeatable. Hamilton found more time but in the end it was only enough to match the Red Bull driver’s earlier lap and Verstappen secured pole for his home grand prix with a stunning lap of 1:08.885.

    Bottas was left with third place, while Gasly shone in claiming fourth spot on the grid ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Giovinazzi was seventh, while Esteban Ocon took eighth place ahead of Alpine team-mate Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo. 

    Rakkonen test COVID positive

    The FIA, Formula 1 and Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN can on Saturday confirm that during onsite PCR testing for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, Kimi Räikkönen has tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with COVID-19 protocols he will take no further part in this Event. All contacts have been declared.
    The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on the Dutch Grand Prix.


    2021 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix – Qualifying
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:08.885  7 222.579
    2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:08.923 0.038 0.055 7 222.456
    3 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:09.222 0.337 0.489 7 221.496
    4 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:09.478 0.593 0.861 6 220.679
    5 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:09.527 0.642 0.932 6 220.524
    6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:09.537 0.652 0.947 6 220.492
    7 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:09.590 0.705 1.023 6 220.324
    8 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:09.933 1.048 1.521 6 219.244
    9 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:09.956 1.071 1.555 6 219.172
    10 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.166 1.281 1.860 6 218.516
    11 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:10.332 1.261 1.826 5 218.000
    12 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:10.367 1.296 1.876 5 217.891
    13 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:10.406 1.335 1.933 5 217.771
    14 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:11.161 2.090 3.026 7 215.460
    15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1:11.314 2.243 3.247 4 214.998
    16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:10.530 0.701 1.004 9 217.388
    17 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:10.731 0.902 1.292 7 216.770
    18 Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:11.301 1.472 2.108 9 215.037
    19 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:11.387 1.558 2.231 11 214.778
    20 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:11.875 2.046 2.930 10 213.32

  • Both Ferraris fastest in FP2; Hami brings in Red Flag

    Both Ferraris fastest in FP2; Hami brings in Red Flag

    Zandvoort (The Netherlands), 3 Sept 2021: Charles Leclerc beat Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz by just over 1500ths of a second to hand Ferrari a 1-2 result in the second practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix. Esteban Ocon finished third, but there was trouble for Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who stopped on track at Zandvoort with oil pressure problems, bringing out the red flags.

    After a short delay to running the session got underway five minutes late with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas setting the early pace with a lap of 1:11.664. Hamilton’s first run yielded 1m11.911s and he climbed to second, but there his progress stopped, as on his second attempt he reported a sudden loss of power and pulled over at the edge of the track at Turn 8. The red flags were swiftly shown and the session was halted with just six minutes on the clock.

    Mercedes later reported the issue to be an oil feed issue and Hamilton was restricted to the garage for the remainder of the session. He would finish in seventh place on the timesheet.

    When running resumed, Sebastian Vettel turned his first laps of the session after lengthy repairs to cure an ERS issue that sidelined him for much of the first session. AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda was also back in action after exiting the morning session after just three laps due to a hydraulic leak that also caused a small fire.

    With 30 minutes left Ocon bolted on soft tyres and jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:11.074.

    Haas’ Nikita Mazepin then brought out the red flags for a second time when he lost the rear of his Haas on the entry to Turn 11 and beached the car in the gravel.

    After a brief delay while his car was recovered, Ferrari moved to the top of the order and Leclerc’s time of 1:10.902 was good enough to seal P1 ahead of Sainz, with Ocon third ahead of Bottas. The morning’s quickest driver, Max Verstappen, finished fifth with a lap 1:11.264 that left him almost four tenths of a second behind Sainz. The Dutch driver spent most of the session focusing on race runs, however.

    Alpine’s Fernando Alonso ended the session in sixth place ahead of AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished eighth ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel.

    2021 FIA Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
    1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:10.902 29 216.247
    2 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.056 0.154 28 215.779
    3 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:11.074 0.172 33 215.724
    4 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:11.132 0.230 33 215.548
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:11.264 0.362 28 215.149
    6 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:11.280 0.378 30 215.101
    7 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:11.462 0.560 29 214.553
    8 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:11.488 0.586 27 214.475
    9 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:11.678 0.776 30 213.906
    10 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:11.713 0.811 24 213.802
    11 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.911 1.009 3 213.213
    12 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:11.946 1.044 27 213.109
    13 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1:12.096 1.194 31 212.666
    14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.136 1.234 29 212.548
    15 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.157 1.255 25 212.486
    16 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:12.206 1.304 31 212.342
    17 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:12.607 1.705 31 211.169
    18 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:12.610 1.708 27 211.160
    19 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:12.835 1.933 12 210.508
    20 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:12.855 1.953 30 210.450

  • Razgatlioglu storms clear of contenders: WorldSBK FP2

    Razgatlioglu storms clear of contenders: WorldSBK FP2

    The gloves look like they’re about to come off in France, with the top 12 riders on Day 1 covered by less than three quarters of a second

    Magny-Cours (France), 3 Sept. 2021: The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s opening day of action from the Motul French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was electric as the top three in the Championship went head-to-head. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was on fire as he stormed to the top of the standings, with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in third. The afternoon’s session was dry, having been damp in FP1 in the morning.

    At Yamaha, it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who was flying the flag. Razgatlioglu put in a long stint on the same tyres and set 11 mid-1’37s out of a 13-lap run, showing his sensational consistency as he led the way for the main portion of the session and continued to improve his pace. Come the end of the day, it was Razgatlioglu who was fastest overall, whilst Locatelli ended up in 11th, as he continues to get used to the R1 around the French circuit.

    Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was up inside the top six as he continued to get to grips with the Magny-Cours circuit in the dry conditions for the first time in his career. Having been inside the top two positions for the last seven races, Redding is coming into the Motul French Round in fine form and was good in the mixed conditions in the morning. Redding finished the afternoon in second with teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi down in ninth, with work to do for the Italian.

    The Kawasaki pairing of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes were in good form as they took to the dry Magny-Cours circuit. Rea set a consistent pace and for the majority of the session, was sitting well inside the top five, whilst Lowes was also right with his teammate. The British duo worked away hard until the end of the session, before finishing third and eighth respectively, having been first and third in the morning’s damp-but-drying session. Rea’s in-touch with his Championship rival Razgatlioglu, but the Turk’s pace might well be giving him the edge over the race distance if conditions are to remain the same across Saturday and Sunday.

  • Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP1 as F1 back at Zandvoort

    Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP1 as F1 back at Zandvoort

    Zandvoort (The Netherlands), 3 Sept 2021: FIA Formula One World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton went quickest in an opening practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix that was heavily disrupted by suspected engine failure for Sebastian Vettel. Local hero Max Verstappen took second place on the timesheet ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc established an early lead with a hard-tyre time of 1:17.919 but he was swiftly usurped as drivers began to get to grips with the unfamiliar circuit, which is returning to the schedule for the first time since 1985.

    AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly lowered the benchmark to 1:15.301 before McLaren’s Lando Norris stole P1 with a lap of 1:13.751. Verstappen then delighted the packed grandstands by taking top spot with a hard-tyre lap of 1:13.045. He was briefly dislodged by Mercedes’ Valterri Bottas but returned to P1 with the a lap of 1:12.850. Norris then restaked his claim to supremacy thanks to a lap of 1:12.679 just before Vettel brought running to a halt when his Aston Martin expired at the pit exit with a suspected power unit failure.

    The German driver has reported a problem on his installation laps and had returned to the pits for checks. But when he emerged again he again hit trouble on his first timed lap and pulled over at the pit exit.

    Vettel quickly climbed out of his car and fetched a fire extinguisher but after struggling to activate it he sought help from a track marshal who also appeared to have difficulty with the equipment. Eventually the extinguishers were engaged but Vettel’s car seeming to be in an electrically unsafe state there was a long delay as it was made safe.

    The delay meant that when the green flags were shown there were just six minutes left in the session.

    Leclerc posted a lap of 1:12.288 to take top spot but he was quickly ousted by Sainz and Bottas. Hamilton then powered past all of his rivals with a lap of 1:11.500. Verstappen got closest to the Briton with a lap of 1:11.597, 0.097s off Hamilton’s best time. slower than his title rival – the Dutch driver having to dodge traffic at several points after setting what was at that stage the fastest time in the first sector.

    Sainz took third 0.101s behind Hamilton with Leclerc fourth ahead of Bottas and the Alpine cars of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Antonio Giovinazzi was eighth ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and the final top-10 place went to Gasly.

    There was trouble for the Frenchman’s AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. however.

    The Japanese driver completed just three laps in the opening phase of the championship after he spun getting at Turn 10. He returned to the pit lane but took no further part int hr session.

    2021 Dutch Grand Prix – Free Practice 1
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:11.500 17 214.439
    2 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:11.597 0.097 18 214.148
    3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:11.601 0.101 19 214.136
    4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.623 0.123 18 214.070
    5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:11.738 0.238 18 213.727
    6 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:12.158 0.658 18 212.483
    7 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:12.231 0.731 17 212.268
    8 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:12.359 0.859 18 211.893
    9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:12.431 0.931 18 211.682
    10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:12.515 1.015 19 211.437
    11 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:12.679 1.179 18 210.960
    12 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:12.907 1.407 16 210.300
    13 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:13.053 1.553 20 209.880
    14 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:13.081 1.581 18 209.800
    15 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:13.181 1.681 15 209.513
    16 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:13.328 1.828 18 209.093
    17 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:13.516 2.016 14 208.558
    18 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:13.847 2.347 17 207.623
    19 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:15.984 4.484 6 201.784
         Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda  3

    Graphic courtesy Twitter @CFmagIndia

  • Arjun Maini raring to go at the Red Bull ring in Styria

    Arjun Maini raring to go at the Red Bull ring in Styria

    Spielberg (Austria) 3 Sept. 2021: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini will enter the fifth round with confidence after his good performance at the Nürburgring, where he got into the points for the first time scoring two valuable points in the 2021 DTM Championship after suffering initial hiccups which are not under his control. 

    After enduring a difficult start to his campaign, due in part to a series of o-track incidents, the Omega Seiki and JKTyre-backed Bengaluru driver finally broke his points-scoring duck with a stellar performance at the legendary Nürburgring race circuit. 

    Racing for the all-new GetSpeed DTM team, Arjun, the elder of the two Maini brothers, managed to bring his Mercedes GT3 racecar home in 10th at the conclusion of Race 1, in turn becoming the first Indian to score points in Germany’s apex racing championship. 

    “The last two races were fantastic and were an accurate reflection of my pace,” Maini said.

    “I haven’t had the cleanest of weekends up until that point so it was good to finally have an incident-free weekend where I was able to bring home a solid amount of points. This marked GetSpeed’s first points in the series as well so it definitely was a memorable affair.

    “Looking ahead I have fond memories of the Red Bull Ring and I hope I can build on my previous weekend and experience by bringing home some more points. The circuit’s undulations will be tricky to master but I’m confident about the preparation both the team and I have made in the lead up to this weekend,” he said about the circuit at Styria.

    After a few years’ absence, the DTM is making its comeback in Styria in 2021. The Red Bull Ring is located in Spielberg in the beautiful Murtal valley. The track is following the topography of the landscape, so that there is a lot of undulation. From the hotel located on the hill above the track, there is an unparalleled view, not only of the race track, but over the wide valley! The entire circuit facility is state-of-the-art and very nice, significantly contributing to the positive overall experience for visitors. Fascinating race cars are on display in the large welcome building, exclusive merchandise items can be purchased in the shop. Of course, in typical Styrian hospitality tradition, a wide variety of food is available, too, from tasty Leberkäse rolls via Wiener Schnitzel up a to delicious Kaiserschmarrn.

    The weekend will get underway this Friday, August 3rd with the two practice sessions, with Qualifying 1 and Race 1 taking place on Saturday, August 4th, and Qualifying 2 and Race 2 concluding the weekend on Sunday, August 5th.

    The full schedule can be viewed below and the qualifying sessions and races can be viewed live on Autocar India’s YouTube channel here. 

    Saturday Sept 4”
    Qualy 1: 1.50 pm IST
    Race `1: 5.00 pm IST
    Sunday Sept 5th
    Qualy 2: 1.50 pm IST
    Race 2: 5.00 pm IST

  • Washed out Belgian GP shows the importance of qualies

    Washed out Belgian GP shows the importance of qualies

    By Malhaar Khaladkar

    Max Verstappen was classified first in a washed out Belgian Grand Prix, which was the shortest race in the history of Formula 1. George Russell achieved his maiden podium finish in P2 while Lewis Hamilton retrieved 7.5 points coming third. Three laps took place behind the safety car as torrential rain made the track undrivable and only half points were awarded as the race distance was less than 75%.

    London, 30 August 2021: Rain was forecasted for the Grand Prix, but no one expected it to be a washout. Drama ensued before the race as Sergio Perez went into the barrier on his way to the grid ruling him out of the race. Instead of the lights going out, two formation laps took place behind the safety car. Drivers complained on the radio about aquaplaning and zero visibility, hence, the race was red flagged by the FIA.

    After a wait of more than three hours FIA notified that the race would resume at 18:17 local time (race start was at 15:00 local time). With the grid bunched up behind the safety car, the drivers ventured out for another couple of laps before returning to the pits. FIA declared that the race won’t resume, and half points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers.

    This race showed the importance of qualifying. Due to a red flag the finishing order was exactly similar as to qualifying, barring Perez who crashed out and had to start from the pitlane, if the race had started. Verstappen closed the gap on championship rival to Hamilton while a stunning Saturday qualifying lap by Russell meant he kept his 2nd place.

    The 2021 season got back underway in a less than ideal way as if the summer break was extended for another week. Weather is one of the few elements that is out of control of the organizers and the FIA, and safety being paramount it was deemed unsafe to race in such dire conditions. Onto Zandvoort, hoping for some racing action there!

    Saturday Qualifying results were:

    P1: Max Verstappen- 33 (Red Bull)P2: George Russell- 63 (Williams)
    P3: Lewis Hamilton- 44 (Mercedes)P4: Daniel Ricciardo- 3 (McLaren)
    P5: Sebastian Vettel- 5 (Aston Martin)P6: Pierre Gasly- 10 (AlphaTauri)
    P7: Sergio Perez- 11 (Red Bull)P8: Valtteri Bottas- 77 (Mercedes)
    P9: Esteban Ocon- 31 (Alpine)P10: Lando Norris- 4 (McLaren)
    P11: Charles Leclerc- 16 (Ferrari)P12: Nicholas Latifi- 6 (Williams)
    P13: Carlos Sainz- 55 (Ferrari)P14: Fernando Alonso- 14 (Alpine)
    P15: Lance Stroll- 18 (Aston Martin)P16: Antonio Giovinazzi- 99 (Alfa Romeo)
    P17: Yuki Tsunoda- 22 (AlphaTauri)P18: Mick Schumacher- 47 (Haas)
    P19: Kimi Raikkonen- 7 (Alfa Romeo)P20: Nikita Mazepin- 9 (Haas)

    Note: Bottas and Stroll penalised five grid places for causing a collision at the previous round. Norris penalised five grid places for an unscheduled gearbox change. Raikkonen required to start from the pit lane, as car modified whilst under Parc Ferme conditions.

  • Verstappen takes 12.5 points to Hami’s 7.5 in Spa washout: F1

    Verstappen takes 12.5 points to Hami’s 7.5 in Spa washout: F1

    Spa-Francorchamps, 29 August 2021: Max Verstappen scored his first Belgian Grand Prix victory after the race at the Spa-Francorchamps was red flagged after just three laps behind the safety car due to heavy rain that had delayed the race start for more than three hours. Williams’ George Russell took the first podium finish of his career with second place, while3 Lewis Hamilton finished third for Mercedes.

    With downpours regularly falling across the Ardennes circuit throughout the morning, conditions in the build-up to the were extremely difficult. The treacherous nature of the track were fully revealed when Sergio Pérez lost control of his RB16B at Les Combes on his reconnaissance lap to the grid. The Mexican’s car slid into the barriers on the right side of the track breaking the suspension on the front right of the car. His Red Bull was recovered to the pits and it appeared as if he would take no further part in proceedings.

    With rain continuing to fall ahead of the scheduled start at 3pm local time, the formation lap was delayed for 25 minutes. When it eventually got underway the red flags were swiftly shown as drivers throughout the order declared the conditions to be undriveable. 

    There followed an almost three-hour delay as FIA race officials monitored conditions for any sign of improvement. During the race suspension Red Bull Racing consulted officials who confirmed that if the team could repair the Mexican’s car he would be allowed to start the race from the pit lane. After furious work in the Red Bull garage Pérez’s car was in the end readied well ahead of the race start at 6.18pm.

    Cars flowed out of the pit lane to follow the safety car around but with the rain beginning to fall more heavily it quickly became apparent that red flags were once again necessary and the cars steered back to the pit lane where 19 minutes later Race Control issued the message that the race would not be resumed. 

    The abandonment of the race means it goes down as the shortest in Formula 1 history. The record was previously held by the 1991 Australian Grand Prix at 14 laps. 

    The last time F1 had a half points race was in 2009 at the end of a Malaysian Grand Prix also halted by rain. Verstappen was declared the winner, scoring 12.5 points, with George Russell being awarded nine points and his first F1 podium finish. Lewis Hamilton was classified third, scoring 7.5 points. Max therefore closes the gap to Hamilton to just three, with the Red Bull driver now on 199.5 points. The Team now sits on 303.5 points, seven behind Mercedes. 

    Meanwhile, the FIA released the following statement:

    Following the significant weather disruption to the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA and Formula 1 are disappointed for all the fans at the track and at home that today’s race could not go to full distance, but the safety of the drivers, marshals and spectators must always be the priority. The Decision of the Stewards to extend the window in which the race could take place gave every possible opportunity to maximise the day’s running, but the weather conditions unfortunately did not improve sufficiently to complete more laps.

    2021 FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix – Race
    1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1 3’27.071
    2 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1 3’29.066 1.995
    3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1 3’29.672 2.601
    4 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1 3’31.567 4.496
    5 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1 3’34.550 7.479
    6 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1 3’37.248 10.177
    7 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1 3’38.650 11.579
    8 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1 3’39.679 12.60
    9 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1 3’42.555 15.484
    10 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1 3’43.237 16.166
    11 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1 3’47.661 20.590
    12 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1 3’49.485 22.414
    13 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1 3’51.234 24.163
    14 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1 3’54.180 27.109
    15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1 3’55.400 28.329
    16 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1 3’56.578 29.507
    17 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1 3’59.064 31.993
    18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1 4’01.179 34.108
    19 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1 4’03.125 36.054
    20 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1 4’05.276 38.205

  • Facile win for Quartararo at British GP: MotoGP

    Facile win for Quartararo at British GP: MotoGP

    Silverstone (Britain), 29th August, 2021: For the fifth time in 2021, Sunday belonged to Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the Frenchman claimed a comfortable victory at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, a 25-point haul that sees his lead in the title race extend to 65 points. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) produced a cracking ride to earn his first podium of the year with a second place, as Aleix Espargaro hands Aprilia Racing Team Gresini a dream first MotoGP rostrum in third.

    Quartararo brilliant in a historic British GP

    Polesitter Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) got the launch he would have been looking for as the number 44 dived into Turn 1 as the race leader, with Quartararo grabbing P2 ahead of Franceso Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). Pol Espargaro nailed the first sector but plenty of movement and drama would unfold behind, as Bagnaia – who had slipped to P4 – got two for the price of one at Stowe corner. There was contact at the same corner between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), as Aleix Espargaro grabbed P2 off Pecco.

    Then, drama. Marc Marquez and Martin crashed after more contact at Turn 9, and both riders were out of the race on Lap 1 – riders ok. Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro were busy scrapping for second on the opening lap, before the Aprilia ride made it stick at Brooklands. On Lap 2, Quartararo picked off Pecco for P3 at Turn 13, and on the next lap, Quartararo was past Aleix Esapargaro at Turn 14. Now, Pol Espargaro – the race leader – was being hunted and at the ferociously quick Turn 12, on Lap 5, Quartararo carved his way into the lead.

    Immediately, the factory Yamaha star got the hammer down. Half a lap went by and the lead way stretched to 0.6s, as Quartararo set a 2:00.098 to pull out a 1.3s advantage at the beginning of Lap 7. Aleix Espargaro was back up to P2 and briefly dropping to P4, with Pecco making a mistake at Stowe to lose out to a pair of Team Suzuki Ecstar riders. Rins was charging and picked off Pol Espargaro to take P3, with reigning World Champion Joan Mir sitting P5.

    At the halfway point, Quartararo was three seconds clear of Aleix Espargaro. The latter had Rins and Pol Espargaro for close company, with Mir a second off the fourth place Repsol Honda in P5. With nine laps to go, there was a change for P2. Aleix Espargaro ran wide at Stowe to allow Rins an easy pass into second place, but further down the road, second in the Championship Bagnaia was struggling. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) got the better of the Italian with eight to go, with Pecco now 8th.

    The man to watch in the final seven laps was Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Australian was a good half a second faster than Rins and the Espargaros ahead of him, and Miller took advantage of a Pol Espargaro mistake at Stowe to grab P4 with six laps remaining.

    Three to go then, and it was as you were: Quartararo charging towards the 25 points, with Rins leading Aleix Espargaro and Miller. Pol Espargaro was now 1.9s away from the podium fight, with older brother Aleix still holding onto that dream first podium with Aprilia.

    Last lap time. Quartararo was 3.4s up the road with Rins, Aleix Espargaro and Miller split by less than a second. Through the opening two sectors, it was as you were. Miller then dived up the inside at Turn 13, but he was slightly wide. Miller had the inside line though for Turn 14 but the tight entry allowed Aleix Espargaro to get the cutback heading onto the Wellington Straight. Going defensive, Aleix Espargaro was able to fend off Miller’s late attack and after Quartararo and Rins had taken the chequered flag, Aleix Espargaro claimed P3 for Aprilia’s first podium.

    Quartararo was dominant for his fifth victory of 2021, a huge day for the Frenchman and his title aspirations. Rins produced a wonderful race to earn P2 from P10 on the grid – his first rostrum of the year, with Miller just missing out on a return to the podium by 0.149s. The Australian was by far the quickest Ducati on Sunday afternoon at Silverstone.

    A troublesome day for Quartararo’s main title rivals

    Pol Espargaro didn’t quite have the pace to stick with the podium fight in the latter stages of the race but nevertheless, it’s the Spaniard’s best result with Honda. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made great progress in the second half of the British GP to take P6, making it a magnificent six manufacturers in the top six – the first time ever that’s happened in MotoGP™. After picking up a MotoGP™-best result in Austria last time out, Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) claimed a fantastic P7 to continue his recent good run of form. The Spaniard was able to get the better of compatriot Alex Marquez, the double World Champion finished P8 ahead of Mir in ninth.

    It was a difficult day for the number 36, both he and Pecco selected the soft front tyre and it seems like it could have been the wrong decision. Mir is now second in the title race, but the gap to Quartararo is 65 points. Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) bagged a morale boosting top 10, the Italian beat Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) by 0.052s, the Frenchman taking a quiet and disappointing P11 away from Silverstone.

    Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) grabbed P12 with under the weather Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) taking P13, 2.6s ahead of Bagnaia. The soft front tyre option selected looks to have ruined Pecco’s Sunday at the British GP, 14th certainly no where near what he and Ducati would have been aiming for. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) picked up the final point in P15.

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – still struggling with his injury from Styria – took P16, a second clear of 17th place and home hero Cal Crutchlow (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Valentino Rossi’s final British GP ended with a P18 finish, The Doctor slipping back down the order after a good start, with Britain’s Jake Dixon (Petronas Yamaha SRT) finishing his first MotoGP™ race in P19.

    It’s a significant blow to Quartararo’s title challengers at Silverstone. El Diablo takes a 65-point lead into MotorLand Aragon and is riding the crest of a wave in 2021. Can he be stopped?

    Top 10:

    1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)

    2. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 2.663

    3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) + 4.105

    4. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 4.254

    5. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 8.462

    6. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 12.189

    7. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) + 13.560

    8. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 14.044

    9. Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) + 16.226

    10. Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) + 16.287