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  • Mick Schumacher takes maiden F2 win; Jehan Daruvala in points

    Mick Schumacher takes maiden F2 win; Jehan Daruvala in points

    Monza, 5 Sept 2020: It was a case of seven times lucky for Mick Schumacher, who has blown the drivers’ title fight wide open with his first victory of 2020, and his first-ever in a Feature Race. The Ferrari junior took his fourth consecutive podium finish, and his seventh overall this season, to move within three points of first place in the standings.

    Indain racer Jehan Daruvala finished P10 taking the last point.

    Italian Luca Ghiotto overcame a difficult start to take his third F2 podium on home soil in Monza, ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Christian Lundgaard.

    Schumacher owes much of his victory to a sublime start off the line, as he fired up from seventh to second before the opening corner.

    The German was then aided by a disastrous pitstop for pole-sitter Callum Ilott, who had looked so assured out in front, but stalled in the pits and plummeted down the field from P1. Ilott managed a sterling recovery drive, but was forced to settle for sixth place.

    His P6 finish ties him in first place for the Championship lead with Robert Shwartzman, who finished P9 having started from 16th.

    AS IT HAPPENED

    Ilott kept his cool at the start, gliding off the line and neatly into the first corner, but all eyes were on Schumacher when the lights went out as the German got a dream getaway. He flung his PREMA around Nikita Mazepin and Roy Nissany off the line from seventh, and then weaved to the left and around the outside of three more to rob second place.

    Yuki Tsunoda and Ghiotto endured dire getaways from second and third in comparison, and were swallowed up by those around them to drop them down to fifth and sixth, respectively.

    Ilott had been unable to pull away from the pack in the opening laps and had Schumacher right behind him. The Ferrari juniors went side-by-side into Turn 1, but the UNI-Virtuosi driver clung on before Schumacher was told on the team radio to ease off his tyres.

    Ilott pulled away ahead of his pitstop and dived in for a change on Lap 12, with the lead then almost 2s. But his race began to unravel as his stop was a disaster. The change was clean, but he stalled on the release and the team were forced to jumpstart his car. This handed Schumacher the lead, and dropped the Briton all the way down to the back of the pack.

    Ilott’s stop wasn’t the only drama going on, as Nissany and Mazepin went wheel-to-wheel into the first chicane, resulting in the Hitech racer taking a trip into the gravel and falling to P9. From here, things got worse for the Russian driver as his car appeared to enter safety mode and he dropped down to 17th.

    Those on the alternate strategy began to pit on Lap 19, and Dan Ticktum swung in from first place and returned in P10, just ahead of Ilott who was working his way back through the field. Schumacher retook the race lead and began to work on building a gap between himself and second-placed Lundgaard.

    Ilott had firmly regrouped and regathered following the slow pitstop, refusing to let it define his race. He looked like a man possessed, setting purple sector after purple sector in his attempts to recover, first dispatching of Ticktum, and then Marcus Armstrong, within a matter of laps.

    This put him in the wheel tracks of his title rival, Shwartzman, who could do nothing to defend from the unrelenting Briton. Ilott angled his Virtuosi towards the Championship leader heading into Turn 1, and then fired past for P6 – despite them both having the aid of DRS.

    Ilott was far from finished. The Charouz machine of Louis Delétraz was next, as the Briton edged into fifth and lined up behind Tsunoda. Ilott’s teammate Guanyu Zhou was making moves as well, relegating Shwartzman to eighth, before shooting ahead of Delétraz too.

    Ghiotto was enjoying a recovery of sorts himself, getting over his slow start to return to his starting position of third with three laps to go. The Italian reeled in Lundgaard and dived ahead of the Dane for second.

    Schumacher retained first at the chequered flag with a gap of just over 3s to Ghiotto, with Lundgaard taking the final podium place. Tsunoda hung on to fourth, after Ilott’s tyres waned and he dropped behind Zhou. Ticktum was to seventh, followed by Delétraz, Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala.

    Shwartzman and Ilott are now tied in first place in the Championship on 134 points, just three ahead of Schumacher in third. Tsunoda drops to fourth on 123 points, ahead of Lundgaard who leaps to fifth with 104 points. In the Teams’ Championship, PREMA Racing now lead by nearly 30 points, with 265 to UNI-

    KEY QUOTE – MICK SCHUMACHER (PREMA RACING)

    “I am very happy with the result today. I think that the team did a mega job to get the car out again after yesterday’s incident in Qualifying. When you are pushing, you are obviously trying to improve yourself and I went a bit over the limit and therefore ended up in the wall.

    “It was a long night for the boys, so I really wanted to get good points for them. I didn’t think that I was going to win, but I wanted good points and a good race for the guys. They stayed up until 2am yesterday and worked on the car to get it ready. They did that and they did it in style, so I am very, very proud of them.

    “This race is for them. We as a team really deserve this one. It was a really good race, everything just worked, and I am really, really happy.”

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    Delétraz will start from reverse grid pole in the Sprint Race tomorrow at 11.10am (local time), but all eyes will be on the trio of title contenders, with just three points separating them.

  • Michael Rinaldi claims maiden WorldSBK win

    Michael Rinaldi claims maiden WorldSBK win

    Aragon, 5 Sept 2020: A new face stepped on top of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) claimed a sensational maiden victory in Race 1 for the Pirelli Teruel Round at MotorLand Aragon. Rinaldi had started from second on the grid and had topped all three Free Practice sessions as he continued his impressive pace.

    Despite appearing to get a bad start, Rinaldi held second place on the opening lap but used the straight-line speed advantage of his Ducati machine to pass Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the run to Turn 16 on the opening lap and from there, he did not look back; lapping consistently faster than the reigning Champion.

    Rea finished the race in second place, almost six seconds behind Rinaldi but the 20 points gained on Championship rival Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), with Redding crashing out on Lap 7 while under pressure from Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), means the five-time Champion is now 30 points clear of Redding.

    Redding’s ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati teammate, Chaz Davies, claimed a podium as two Ducati machines finished in the top three. Davies was in a battle for third with Bautista before the Spanish rider crashed at Lap 14 on Turn 14 and retired from the race. Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) finished in fourth place for the 18-lap race as the lead Yamaha rider, one place ahead of teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu.

    Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled both the field and illness to take a sixth place finished after a titanic battle with numerous riders. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his best result of the season with eighth place with Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) claimed a top ten finished ahead of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

    Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished in 11th place ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in 12th. Just four seconds separated Lowes in sixth and Baz in 12th to show how competitive the WorldSBK field is in 2020. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) secured a 13th place finish while Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) secured a points finish on his WorldSBK debut, finishing ahead of Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) to complete the points.

    Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) was the last classified rider in 16th place after an incident in the early stages of the race, with Bautista and Redding not completing the race alongside Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR), Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) also not retiring from the race.
    P1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN)
    “It’s unbelievable! I’m very happy but I don’t know how to explain this emotion right now. It was a difficult year last year but this year I’ve found a family. Always I’ve had some people behind me who support me in difficult times. Now we are here! I couldn’t hope for a better race and I will enjoy this.”

    P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “I did my best. Yesterday, I tried a long run with the soft tyre and we made it work to the end but something in my head was telling me it was too much of a gamble. When I saw Michael and his pace, with the SCX tyre, the rhythm he could do was incredible. Maybe tomorrow we could do a more aggressive strategy but super happy to pick up 20 points. I feel like we got the best out of the bike today.”

    P3 Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
    “I was so undecided; I don’t think I’ve ever been so undecided on the grid over a tyre choice. It was just at that cut off  temperature where the SCX tyre starts to work. In any case, it was a risk. I knew Alvaro was going to run it and I knew Michael was going to run it. With their size and weight being a lot less, I think it’s an easy decision for them whereas for me it was a bit of a roll of the dice. In some ways it worked, in other ways it didn’t. We have to evaluate how to improve our package to make better use of that tyre tomorrow if we’re going to run it. Overall, I’m satisfied. It was a tough race, conditions were really different compared to last week. Really hot, really greasy. Happy to be on the podium! Congratulations to Michael Ruben Rinaldi, he rode awesomely and absolutely disappeared. No one had an answer for him. He’s been somewhat of a little brother in the Aruba Ducati fold in the last few years, so the annoying little brother has come into his own!”
  • Lewis Hamilton takes pole ahead of Bottas and Sainz

    Lewis Hamilton takes pole ahead of Bottas and Sainz

    Monza, 5 Sept 2020: Lewis Hamilton claimed his 94th career pole position with a blistering final flying lap that set a new lap record lap at Monza to edge second-placed team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 0.069s and third-placed Carlos Sainz of McLaren by eight-tenths of a second. 

    Fourth place in the session went to Racing Point’s Sergio Pérez as Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen slipped to P5 ahead of the second McLaren of Lando Norris. 

    It was another difficult day for Ferrari, however, as on home soil neither ofg its cars made Q3, with Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel ending up P13 and P17.

    In Q1 the Mercedes drivers led the way, with Hamilton taking top spot with a lap of 1:19.514. Bottas slotted into second place, two tenths behind the champion. 

    Verstappen, meanwhile comfortably made his way though to Q2 with a time of 1:20.193. That was only good enough for fifth place, however, as third place was taken by Racing Point’s Sergio Pérez and fourth by McLaren’s Carlos Sainz. 

    However, it was a much more nervous end to the session for Alex Albon in the other Red Bull. The Thai driver had his second flyer of the session deleted from exceeding track limits and he dropped to 15th on the timesheet ahead of the final runs. Albon was forced to go again and he would need to make it count. 

    That was easier said than done, however, as on the out lap a numbere of cars became embroiled in a tussle for position. In the end it meant that most were forced to abandon their lap and Albon fortunately scraped through in P15 ahead of eliminated drivers Romain Grosjean, Sebastian Vettel, Antonio Giovinazzi, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi. 

    Hamilton again led the way after the first runs of Q2. The champion set a run-one benchmark of 1:19.092 to sit almost four tenths of a second clear of Bottas. Pérez was again third ahead of Sainz and Verstappen found himself in P5, 0.057s behind the McLaren. Albon, meanwhile, was in P10 with a time of 1:20.064. 

    Once again the final runs saw drivers battling for space and a clear tow at the end of the session. This time, though, the only complication was caused by Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo going wide at the second chicane and that also ruined team-mate Ocon’s lap as the Frenchman was seeking a tow from his team-mate. There were few improvements elsewhere, however, and as drivers fell back on their opening times Albon went through to Q3 in tenth place as Verstappen progressed comfortably in P5 behind Perez and Sainz who snuck into P3 thanks to his final flyer. 

    Eliminated at this stage were AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat in P11, Ocon, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Räikkönen and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. 

    Track limits were again Albon’s nemesis in the opening run of Q3. The Thai driver was seventh at the end of his lap, with the McLarens of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris separating him from Verstappen, who was fourth behind Pérez. 

    Albon’s lap was swiftly deleted, however, as he once again put all four wheels past the white lines at Parabolica. He dropped to 10th.

    Verstappen, meanwhile, was again engaged in a battle with Perez and Sainz for hundredths of a second. And as Hamilton stormed to pole position ahead of Bottas with a time of 1:18.887, Sainz took P3 with lap of 1:19.695, good enough to put him three hundredths of a second ahead of Pérez and a tenth ahead of Verstappen who had to settle for fifth place. 

    The Dutchman will therefore start at the front of row three ahead of the seconds McLaren of Lando Norris, Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll. Albon will start ninth, on row five alongside tenth-placed Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri. 

    2020 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – Qualifying 
    1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:18.887 6 264.362
    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:18.956 0.069 6 264.131
    3 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren/Renault 1:19.695 0.808 6 261.682
    4 Sergio Pérez Racing Point/Mercedes 1:19.720 0.833 6 261.600
    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:19.795 0.908 6 261.354
    6 Lando Norris McLaren/Renault 1:19.820 0.933 6 261.272
    7 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1:19.864 0.977 6 261.128
    8 Lance Stroll Racing Point/Mercedes 1:20.049 1.162 6 260.525
    9 Alexander Albon Red Bull/Honda 1:20.090 1.203 6 260.392
    10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:20.177 1.290 6 260.109
    11 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri/Honda 1:20.169 1.217 6 260.135
    12 Esteban Ocon Renault 1:20.234 1.282 6 259.924
    13 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:20.273 1.321 6 259.798
    14 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:20.926 1.974 6 257.702
    15 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1:21.573 2.621 5 255.658
    16 Romain Grosjean Haas/Ferrari 1:21.139 1.625 8 257.025
    17 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:21.151 1.637 5 256.987
    18 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:21.206 1.692 9 256.813
    19 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:21.587 2.073 7 255.614
    20 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:21.717 2.203 8 255.207

  • Ott Tanak takes lead on home soil: Rally Estonia

    Ott Tanak takes lead on home soil: Rally Estonia

    Estonia, 5 Sept 2020: Ott Tänak leads on home soil a Hyundai 1-2-3 as the FIA World Rally Championship roared back into action on Rally Estonia with five stages on Saturday morning.

    Tänak came into the event as the favourite for victory but it was Toyota’s 19-year Kalle Rovanperä who was quickest in SS2 to take the lead of a WRC round for the first time. But the Finn then lost around half a minute to Tänak in SS3 when he finished the stage with a damaged tyre, which also caused him to lose some of the aerodynamic bodywork on his car.

    Tänak was quickest in stages three and four to open up a lead over his team-mate Craig Breen, while Thierry Neuville also moved up into the top three. Neuville won SS6 and finished the morning 4.3 seconds behind Breen and 11.1 seconds away from Tänak.

    Jointly leading the rally after SS1 on Friday following a colourful opening ceremony at Raadi airfield in Tartu, Sébastien Ogier dropped to fifth opening the road on the morning’s first stage, but improved his pace as the loop wore on and claimed a fastest time on SS6 to jump ahead of Toyota team-mate Elfyn Evans for fourth overall. The recovering Rovanperä was second fastest in the final two stages of the loop and sits sixth just ahead of fellow Toyota youngster Takamoto Katsuta.

    M-Sport Ford drivers Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen sit eighth and ninth, with Lappi losing time when he overshot a junction in SS6. Pierre-Louis Loubet made a similar error in the very same place but sits 10th on his top-class debut in a Hyundai, ahead of M-Sport’s Gus Greensmith.

    Mads Østberg leads FIA WRC2 in his Citroën following an eventful morning in the category, which included a puncture for the Norwegian driver. He is 16.5 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Nikolay Gryazin, who escaped a high-speed spin in SS2 in his Hyundai. Ahead of Østberg overall are the top three drivers in FIA WRC3, where Oliver Solberg is on top in front of local ace Egon Kaur and Poland’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

    It is an Estonian one-two in FIA Junior WRC, with category debutant Robert Virves leading Ken Torn by 1.3s. Championship leader Tom Kristensson was on top after SS2, only to retire following a heavy landing on the following stage.

  • Frederik Vesti wins from ninth; Prema clinches team title: F3

    Frederik Vesti wins from ninth; Prema clinches team title: F3

    Monza, 5 Sept 2020: Frederik Vesti drove a phenomenal race from ninth on the grid to seal his second FIA Formula 3 win of the season and emphatically clinch the Teams’ Championship for PREMA Racing on home soil with a round to spare.

    The Dane left it late at Monza, having carefully picked off those starting in-front of him, to dispatch of Théo Pourchaire with two laps to go and cap off arguably his best performance in F3.

    Pourchaire settled for second at the chequered flag, but drove a sublime race of his own, putting a difficult Friday behind him to rise from sixth.

    Vesti’s PREMA teammate Oscar Piastri made up the most places of the top three, stealing a podium place late on having started all the way back in P15. In doing so, the Australian regained the Championship lead from teammate Logan Sargeant. The American suffered a disastrous race, finishing 26th after contact from Clément Novalak spun him off track.

    Despite an initially strong getaway, pole-sitter Liam Lawson fell down the order, before contact with fellow front row starter Matteo Nannini rid him of any momentum he had left, eventually finishing in P6.

    AS IT HAPPENED

    A manic Qualifying session, which saw no fewer than nine drivers handed post-session penalties, was followed up by a manic start to the race. Lawson surged off the line in controlled fashion, but there was all sorts of action behind him.

    Jake Hughes flung off the line and was initially looking down the left of the Hitech Grand Prix driver, but locked up and fell back to fourth. From second, Nannini looked right, and then left, but couldn’t see any way past Lawson. The Italian tried his luck again around the second turn, but again just couldn’t find the room.

    Pourchaire – who had initially taken pole on Friday before being handed a five-place grid drop – enjoyed a sterling start, firing his ART machine off the line and into third at the end of the first chicane.

    It didn’t take the Frenchman long to nip ahead of Nannini either, who had lost momentum in his attempts to overtake Lawson. In amongst all of this, Sebastián Fernández spun at the first turn and fell to the back of the grid.

    Three laps in and Pourchaire was challenging Lawson for the lead. The Frenchman was on the warpath and had already set the fastest lap in his bid to bridge the gap. He lined up behind the Hitech on the main straight, using DRS to pass the Kiwi for the lead at Turn 1.

    Just behind them, Hughes had managed to tussle ahead of Nannini into third, and then dispatched of Lawson a lap later for P2.

    Sargeant misjudged the first corner and was forced to funnel through the run-off area, coming out directly in-front of PREMA teammate, and main title rival, Piastri, in 12th. The two managed to fight intothe top ten, and thrice swapped places – with Piastri coming out on top.

    Nannini’s chances of a podium disappeared as a battle for third place with Lawson ended in collision. The Italian attempted to take the inside line going into Turn 1, but the space wasn’t there and the two touched front-wings. Nannini suffered damage and was forced to pull over and retire.

    The Kiwi had lost precious time and now had Vesti following in his wheel tracks. The PREMA made a move around the second chicane and both men were briefly forced off track – Vesti at the turn and the Kiwi down the straight – with Lawson just about clinging on to the final podium spot.

    The action was brought to a halt by a Safety Car as Fernández dumped his ART in the gravel trap. Pourchaire kept an eye on Hughes at the restart, but the Briton was too busy defending an attack from Vesti to bother the race leader. The Dane had already fired ahead of Lawson and successfully slipped ahead of Hughes as well.

    The Championship battle was blown wide open as Sargeant was tagged by Novalak and spun off track. The American managed to get going again, but had plummeted to last, with his main rival Piastri up to sixth.

    PREMA enjoyed a sterling Lap 20, as Vesti finally made a move on Pourchaire for the lead. The Dane held his nerve at the first chicane and braked later than the Frenchman, gathering it together at the exit to steal first place.

    Behind them, Piastri had already nicked fifth from Beckmann and then fourth from Lawson, and now had Hughes in his sights as well. It took the Australian another lap, but he managed to edge ahead of the Briton.

    Vesti coolly held on at the chequered flag ahead of Pourchaire and Piastri. Beckmann fought up to fourth at the end to push Hughes down to P5, while Lawson fell to sixth. Lirim Zendeli, Bent Viscaal, Enzo Fittipaldi and Michael Belov completed the top ten.

    Piastri now leads the fight for the Drivers title by eight points, on 160, ahead of Sargeant who has 152. Pourchaire is up to third on 124 points, ahead of Beckmann and Lawson. PREMA have clinched the Teams’ Championship with a mega tally of 429.5 points, ahead of Trident on 217.5 and ART Grand Prix. Hitech are fourth, ahead of MP Motorsport.

    KEY QUOTE – FREDERIK VESTI (PREMA RACING)

    “We won from P9 today and it feels mega. I am very happy to be back on the top step of the podium. Last week in Spa, we finished second in Race 2 and now I am happy to be back on the top step.

    “I would like to thank PREMA for a great car and for the great progress we have made.”

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    On just his fourth F3 start, Belov will line up at the front of the grid for Charouz Racing System on reverse grid pole in Race 2 tomorrow, at 9.45am (local time).

  • Claire Williams steps down, thanks dad, says will miss the team

    Claire Williams steps down, thanks dad, says will miss the team

    Monza, 3 Sept 2020: Williams Racing’s Deputy Team Principal, Claire Williams is to step down from her role with the team following the conclusion of the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.

    This weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza will mark the final race for the Williams family in Formula One. After 43 years and 739 Grands Prix, the family is set to leave the sport following the recent change in ownership to Dorilton Capital.

    Sir Frank and Claire have ensured the family have remained at the helm of the team since the first race on 8th May 1977 at the Circuito de Jarama in Spain. The team has been through many periods of triumph and adversity but has always navigated them as a family. Williams has won 114 Grands Prix, taken 128 pole positions and secured 133 fastest laps, culminating in nine Constructors’ and seven Drivers’ World Championships. It is the third longest standing team in the history of the sport and one of the most successful.

    The recent conclusion of the Strategic Review process and consequent sale of Williams Grand Prix Engineering to US-based investment firm, Dorilton Capital ensures the long-term future of the Williams Formula One team and provides a timely point at which the Williams family have chosen to exit the sport.

    Claire Williams OBE, Deputy Team Principal: “With the future of the team now secured, this feels like the appropriate time for us to step away from the sport. As a family, we have always prioritised Williams. We have demonstrated that by our recent actions with the Strategic Review process and we believe now is the right time to hand over the reins and give the new owners the opportunity to take the team into the future.

    “We have been in this sport for more than four decades. We are incredibly proud of our track record and the legacy we leave behind. We have always been in it for the love of it, for the pure pleasure of going motor racing, so this is not a decision that we have taken lightly but after much reflection and as a family.

    “We are greatly appreciative of Dorilton’s encouragement to continue, but in them we know the team will be in good hands and the Williams name will live on. This may be the end of an era for Williams as a family-run team, but it is the beginning of a new era for Williams Racing and we wish them much success in the future.

    “On behalf of Frank and the Williams family, I would like to say how incredibly grateful and humbled we are for the support we have enjoyed over the years, from our friends in the paddock to the many fans around the world. But mostly, we would like to thank our team. People who have worked at Williams in the past and present. They are the true warriors of this team and have made it what it is and we wish them well. Formula One has been our life for so long and now it’s time for a new chapter in our lives to begin.”

    Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital and Williams Grand Prix Engineering, said: “We fully respect the very tough decision of Claire and the Williams family to step away from the team and the business after securing new resources for its future. Claire’s achievement in sustaining Williams Racing’s heritage, relevance and commitment to innovation in a difficult environment since taking charge in 2013 has been nothing short of monumental. She has also been hugely instrumental in shaping a more level technical and financial playing field for F1, which will help to ensure the team’s return to the front of the grid in seasons to come. We are proud to carry the Williams name into the next exciting phase for the sport and we thank Sir Frank, Claire and the Williams family for the opportunity to be part of this great British brand.”

    Claire Williams

    Claire joined Williams in an official capacity in 2002 working in the Communications Office. In 2012, Claire was appointed to the Board in her position as Commercial and Marketing Director before taking over the day-to-day running of the team in 2013 as Deputy Team Principal. Claire has led the team to two third and two fifth-place finishes in the Constructors’ Championship over the last seven years.

    In addition to her efforts on the racing side of the business, Claire has worked to drive greater gender diversity across the sport while also promoting engineering to the next generation. While at the helm of the team, Claire was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours List in recognition of her services to Formula One.

    Claire’s final act as Deputy Team Principal, and probably one of the most crucial, was the part she played in the successful campaigning for a more sustainable Formula One. The new Concorde Agreement, now signed by all teams, maps out a more level playing field for the sport with more equitable financial and technical regulations moving forwards that the team will be able to capitalise upon from 2021 and beyond.

    Claire Williams OBE, Deputy Team Principal: “It is with a heavy heart that I am stepping away from my role with the team. I had hoped to continue my tenure long into the future and to preserve the Williams family’s legacy into the next generation. However, our need to find inward investment earlier this year due to a number of factors, many of which were outside of our control, resulting in the sale of the team to Dorilton Capital. My family has always put our racing team and our people first and this was absolutely the right decision. I know in them we have found the right people to take Williams back to the front of the grid while also preserving the Williams legacy.

    “I have taken the decision to step away from the team in order to allow Dorilton a fresh start as the new owners. It has not been an easy decision but it’s one I believe to be right for all involved. I have been enormously privileged to have grown up in this team and in the wonderful world that is Formula One. I have loved every minute and will be forever grateful for the opportunities it has given me. But it’s also an incredibly challenging sport and I now want to see what else the world holds for me. Most importantly, I want to spend time with my family. 

    “I would like to thank Dorilton for their support and for understanding my decision. I would also like to thank our fans who have stuck by us through thick and thin. Our people at Williams have always been family, they have kept me motivated during the difficult times and it is them who I will miss the most. It is my genuine hope that the process we’ve gone through brings them the success they deserve. And finally, I would like to thank my Dad for everything he has given to the team, the sport and our family.”

  • Organisers must waive-off entry fee for women, to host INRC round: Vamsi Merla

    Organisers must waive-off entry fee for women, to host INRC round: Vamsi Merla

    Bengaluru, 2 Sept 2020: Due to the global race against Corona Virus, which affected both national and international motorsports for over five months, the Indian National Rally Championship, too, was postponed after the lockdown was announced in India.

    With the country taking measures to bring back normalcy in the sporting arena along with activities in other walks of life, the Indian government announced Unlock 4.0 and the motorsports fraternity is eagerly waiting for the action to begin. International motorsports, including Formula 1 and MotoGP, have started with tight measures to beat Corona and India too, is expected to resume the events amidst the necessary precautions due to the pandemic.

    Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Group, the INRC Promoters

    And the first to respond is the Champions Yacht Club, the promoters of Indian National Rally Championship, the flagship event of Indian Motorsports. The calendar for 2020, was expected to begin with the South India Rally in Chennai but it was the first event to get boxed by the lockdown. The Promoters are eager to announce a seven-round calendar once the go-ahead is given by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). As announced earlier, the Champions Yacht Club is keen to promote ‘Women in Motorsports  (WIM)’ and is offering to waive-off the entry fee for all women participants for the Rally rounds apart from providing a slew of incentives for the drivers and teams to promote rallying. “We have written to the Federation to waive the entry fee for female drivers but it looks like the decision has to be taken by the organising club. So Champions Yacht Club has decided to give hosting rights of a rally round only to those clubs who are willing to waive-off the fee,” said Vamsi Merla, the promoter. “So even a male driver with a female navigator will also get a waiver of the entry fee as the team has a female participant,” he clarified.

    He also promised that the accommodation for all the participants would be provided free by the Promoters and arrangements will be made taking strict precautions to beat the Virus. “We have put in place measures to tackle the current situation. Social distancing norms and masks are made compulsory along with checking of temperature with thermal scanners, and sanitisers would be provided at all necessary entry points and other places. All large gatherings will be prohibited,” added Merla.

    “Rally championship holds a special place in Indian motorsports and over the years, in its 31-year history, INRC has thrown up many champions and the Promoters are keen to encourage newcomers and young talent by providing the necessary facilities to continue the tradition of making champioins,” he added.

    When queried how seven rounds could be possible with only four months available, he said that back-to-back rounds were being planned and permission is being sought to extend the calendar for two months into Feb 2021. “Also five clubs have already agreed to waive the fee and promote women participation. So the confirmed rounds are South India Rally in Chennai, K1000 in Bengaluru, Hampi, also in Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Coimbatore,” Vamsi Merla revealed. The calendar will be announced soon.

  • FIA Junior WRC Returns to Action on Rally Estonia

    FIA Junior WRC Returns to Action on Rally Estonia

    Estonia, 1 Sept 2020: The 2020 FIA Junior WRC Championship will resume service along with the FIA World Rally Championship on Rally Estonia for the first time in the history of both FIA Junior WRC and WRC.

    The championship that nurtures the future stars of WRC will use the M-Sport Poland built Fiesta Rally4 which was released earlier in the year. The EcoBoost-powered Fiesta Rally4 is an evolution of the Fiesta R2T19 and represents M-Sport’s commitment to its ladder of opportunity, providing opportunities to young talent on every step of the rallying ladder. The Rally4 also aligns with the FIA’s new rally pyramid structure, underlining M-Sport Poland’s dedication to ensuring the world’s top-flight junior rally championship uses the best two-wheel-drive machinery on offer.

    This year marks ten years since the first Rally Estonia was held and in the decade following the event has built up an impeccable reputation with drivers, teams and fans alike. It is evidenced by its meteoric rise in popularity in recent years, culminating in the Baltic event being added to the WRC calendar. The rally recently served as an unofficial preparation event for Rally Finland thanks to its smooth but treacherously fast gravel roads, some of which were built specifically for the rally. 
     
    Compared to a typical WRC event, Rally Estonia will be a shorter affair, with 233.40 competitive kilometres spread over three days. FIA Junior WRC sees its first competitive action in almost six months with a 1.28km super special stage on Friday evening allowing 12 hungry junior crews to push from the get-go in order to grab every stage win point possible – a unique characteristic of the championship. Saturday will see this year’s juniors take on two loops across five speed tests with an additional six stages across two three-stage loops on Sunday finishing with a total of 17 stages, with each one offering a valuable stage win point. In total, a maximum of 42 points could be taken home by one driver should they win all 17 stages and the event. All 12 Fiesta Rally4 cars will be equipped with Pirelli Scorpion K6 tyres and have a total of 14 tyres available for use across the rally including shakedown. 
     
    Using his own M-Sport-built Fiesta Rally2 and recently signed to Red Bull, the 2019 FIA Junior WRC Champion, Jan Solans, will start Rally Estonia with the 2019 FIA Junior WRC co-drivers champion, Mauro Barreiro. Solans has recently completed a series of intense tests to get us up to speed as possible with Rally2 machinery after a small taste of the action on Rally Spain last year where he made his WRC3 debut.
     
    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Team Director, said:
    “We are finally going back rallying! We have 12 incredibly talented and exciting Junior WRC crews heading to Estonia with WRC for the first time. I expect there to be very close competition at the sharp end of the field on this rally as our Baltic and Scandinavian crews know these kinds of roads very well. Even looking at the onboards, I can tell this is a driver’s rally and guarantee there will be a smile underneath every single helmet come Friday. I am really pleased that the hard-working team at M-Sport Poland’s Kraków facility has been able to deliver 12 Fiesta Rally4s for this event, it’s a huge undertaking to do so. This is a Junior championship, but it is on the world stage so there is no question, these guys need the most competitive Rally4 machinery on offer, and that’s what they’ve got. That’s all I can guarantee though, I have no idea who will win this one! We are all back with renewed enthusiasm and energy, some will be a bit rustier behind the wheel than others but, I’m sure everyone will be back in their rhythm once the first loop is done with.”   

    Jan Solans, 2019 Junior WRC Champion: “We’re really happy to be back, it has been 10 months without competing since Rally Spain last year. I am so happy to carry out this new programme which is by no means easy. I really would like to thank Ford Spain, Red Bull, the Spanish federation, Pirelli and M-Sport Poland. It’s a difficult rally for us with all the jumps you have in Estonia. We need to show that we want to learn and get on the pace as soon as possible. We did two days of testing on two different stages in Poland, we tried a lot of things on the car and I am now happy with the setup of the car, there are still things we need to improve but we are in a good position. The difference is huge in the Rally2 in terms of establishing a good car set up, in Junior WRC you could not change much on the car. With the Fiesta Rally2, I have so many different setup combinations when you consider I can adjust springs, roll bars, diffs, gearbox and car balance, so there is much more to work on. In a Rally4 car it is possible to still get a good result even if you don’t have the best setup, in a Rally2 car, there are so many factors that need to work together and establishing a good setup is really key to getting a good result.”

    52 Tom Kristensson / Joakim Sjoberg
    Kristensson claimed victory on Rally Finland in 2019 with supreme performance, targeting stages he was confident on to exploit a margin over his competitors while playing it safe on the stages that posed greater rally ending risks. It turned out to be a masterstroke, with every single one of his competitors having some kind of incident or ‘moment’ while the Swede emerged scot-free with the championship lead. He currently sits atop the 2020 FIA Junior WRC championship after claiming victory on the opening round of the season on Rally Sweden but has only competed on one rally since the snow and ice rally:
     
    “I am so happy to be back behind the wheel of the M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally4. I enjoy the rallies with this kind of character, speed and flow. It will be demanding and tough with this fast and shortened rally and no chance for mistakes. We will give it a slow start to come into the car again and then go for it! We’re looking forward!”
     
    53 Martins Sesks / Renars Francis
    Sesks enjoyed his best Junior WRC result to date with second on Rally Sweden in February, opting for strong points finish rather than targeting stage win points – something he would often chase in 2019 and falter in the process of. When rallying action resumed this year he was hot out of the blocks taking a pair of victories in his Fiesta Rally4 before heading to Rally Liepaja where he duelled for the lead with Junior WRC rival Ken Torn but ultimately ended up retiring due to damaging his radiator after spectacularly over-jumping on the last day of action. His recent experience puts him in good stead to perform well on Rally Estonia:
     
    “I’m really excited to be in Estonia, especially Tartu and Rally Estonia! I have very nice memories here from my 2017 Estonian Junior Championship title fight with Ken Torn, we won this rally that year, but this year I’m not taking any pressure, I want to do my own rally and enjoy the amazing Estonian roads!”
     
    54 Ken Torn / Kauri Pannas
    Hailing from Saaremaa, the same Estonian island as Ott Tänak, Junior WRC veteran Torn claimed a well-respected third on Rally Sweden with a similar focus to Sesks: gain a decent haul of points with no mistakes. In his third season of FIA Junior WRC, he is the only driver on the entry list aside from Kristensson that has stood on the top step of the Junior category podium on none other than Rally Finland. Torn is no stranger to the Estonian roads and knows them well. His recent form on Rally Liepaja, where he won in his Fiesta Rally4 means the Estonian will be one to watch out for from the offset on Friday evening:

    “I really enjoy South-Estonia roads – they are always tricky and challenging but very enjoyable at the same time. Hopefully, the rally will be nice and competitive throughout the whole weekend. I also hope to have lots of fun not only for me and Kauri but also for our main competitors. It is still our home rally!”

    55 Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen
    Nineteen-year-old Sami Pajari, the AKK Flying Finn Future Star award winner, has been busy preparing for his return to Junior WRC action recently, with some impressive performances in a Fiesta R2T19, trading blows with Martins Sesks on Rally Rokiskis and proving he has the pace to challenge the Latvian on fast gravel roads. The Finn made his FIA Junior WRC debut on Rally Finland in 2019 where he impressed a lot of people, taking two stage wins before going off the road and retiring. He claimed fourth on Rally Sweden, picking up a stage win point to underlining he is no one-hit-wonder when it comes to surface-type:

    “I’m really looking forward to going against the best in the world after such a long break. It will be also interesting to see, who are really fighting up front for the win because I think there will be quite a few contenders. I will try my best also, but first of all let’s hope we can have a safe rally for everyone.”

    56 Raul Badiu / Gabriel Lazar
    The rapid Romanian will be seeking redemption on fast and smooth gravel roads after a colossal accident on Rally Finland in 2019 where he and co-driver Lazar were sent somersaulting in the air after a high-speed corner. Badiu was on stage-winning pace on that rally, missing out at each stop line by mere tenths and challenging for a podium position. He returned to rallying action on Sweden, netting a pair of stage wins on his way to fifth. Since the opening round of the Junior season he has competed on three different Romanian rallies in front-wheel-drive machinery with some strong results:

    “I’ve missed so much rallying so I think there is no better place to restart the championship than Rally Estonia, a Finland with jumps on steroids. It will definitely be very tricky with such high speeds being no margin for error, but for sure there will be a great pleasure behind the steering wheel driving very fast smooth roads and jumping in all the possible positions”

    57 Fabrizio Zaldivar / Fernando Mussano
    Making the trip to Estonia from South America via Spain, Zaldivar has squeezed in an intense period of testing on a variety of surfaces while entering an asphalt rally in Spain finishing fourth in his class. He finished sixth on Rally Sweden this year, three spots higher than where he finished on Rally Sweden in 2019 but one position shy of equalling his best result which came on Wales Rally GB in 2019 where he braved the mud and the rain to take fifth and secure eight in the FIA Junior WRC Championship:

    “We were inactive for five months, however, the last three weeks have been very intense. Based in Catalunya, we did several days of tests on gravel and asphalt. Thinking about that surface in which we have less experience, we went to compete at the Ferrol International Rally in ‘La Crouña’ – with good feelings and satisfactory results. Now in Estonia, we did 70kms in the south of Tartu looking for the best set-up for the weekend. After five months it’s hard to try to ‘catch up’ in three weeks, but I think it will be the same challenge for everyone.”

    58 Ruairi Bell / Matt Edwards
    Unlike most British youngsters, the 2019 British Rally Championship M-Sport prize winner has experienced Estonian roads and thanks to his exploits in Latvia is also well accustomed to the flat out flowing gravel on offer on Rally Estonia. Bell has previously called upon former Junior WRC driver Roland Poom to call the pace notes for him on a handful of Latvian rounds. He collected seventh on Rally Sweden, on a surface which he will gladly admit is not his favourite. Bell heads to Estonia following a scary incident in Portugal last weekend, he has had to make a last-minute co-driver change due to his longtime co-driver, Darren Garrod, injuring his arm. Garrod’s replacement is two-time British Rally champion, Matt Edwards, who Garrod guided to his first national title in 2018:

    “Rally Estonia promises to be an extremely challenging event. With months out of the car, the high-speed roads and deep ruts will provide a real test of pace notes and confidence right from the get-go. Originally it was Darren and I look forward to the weekend, but we had quite a big accident in Portugal on the weekend and Darren injured his arm. Matt Edwards, who Darren also reads the notes for, will fill-in for Darren and will be the least disruptive choice for us as Matt has been a bit of a mentor for me and coached me at various points though my career.”

    59 Pontus Lönnström / Stefan Gustavsson
    The young Swedish driver made an impressive debut on Rally Sweden despite suffering a puncture on the opening stage of the rally. He continuously posted top-five times through the rally and managed to bag two stage-win points too underlining his talent and promise to be a future star of the Swedish rally scene. Lonnstrom has been able to keep himself match fit on Swedish gravel, recently taking a Swedish Junior victory on Snapphanerallyt:

    “I and Stefan are really looking forward to Rally Estonia, it will be really nice to come back to FIA Junior WRC after such a long break! The roads look very fast which is something I really enjoy, I hope it will be a good event for us and that we will be able to pick up many points before going home to Sweden.”

    60 Marco Pollara / Maurizio Messina
    Italian Junior Champion Pollara collected a single championship point on Rally Sweden thanks to his tenth place finish on a surface he had little experience on. Heading to Rally Estonia, it will be Pollara and Messina’s first gravel outing of the season after taking to the stages of Rally di Roma Capitale in July where the crew battled among the podium positions but ultimately finished fourth in the ERC3 Junior category:

    “Maurizio and I are really happy to participate in this rally and restart with the Junior WRC after so many bad months.  From the videos of the special stages we have seen that they are very fast stages, a little atypical for us Italians but at the same time fantastic and exciting. We hope to score as many points as possible for the Junior WRC classification and try to learn a lot without making mistakes.”

    61 Fabio Andolfi / Stefano Savoia
    Fabio Andolfi was one of the hotly anticipated drivers to enter Junior WRC on Rally Sweden. The Italian sensation was running in the top-five early on until a dramatic roll put an end to his outing on the opening day of the rally. He restarted the rally and returned to the stages but then damaged his radiator, ruling himself out of the rest of the rally. Since Rally Sweden, the Italian WRC3 winner has had an outing on asphalt in R5 machinery in Italy where he claimed third:

    “It’s nice to be back in Estonia after a few years since my last participation here in 2014. After the test day near Varano in Italy with Motorsport Italia, we are ready to restart our challenge in Junior WRC at Rally Estonia. Thanks to ACI Sport, ACI Team Italia, M-Sport and Pirelli.”

    62 Enrico Oldrati / Elia de Guio
    Enrico Oldrati will have a point to prove on the fast gravel roads after his performance on Rally Finland in 2019 where he rolled. During the lockdown, the Italian focussed his efforts on the family business to help produce a ventilator attachment to snorkelling masks to aid the COVID-19 effort in Italy. Since then the Italian has been preparing for Rally Estonia including testing the new Fiesta Rally4:

    “It’s our first race after the lockdown so it’s going to be important to find a proper rhythm through the very fast roads of Estonia. We had one test some months ago to get used to the new Ford Rally4: it seems very good! We can’t wait to join the battle again.”

    63 Robert Virves / Sander Pruul 
    Robert Virves is the latest up and coming junior driver to come from Estonia having already claimed two wins in the Estonian Junior Championship this year adding his pair of victories from 2019. The Estonian is looking to join a long line of Estonians such as Egon Kaur, Ken Torn and Roland Poom to battle for podium positions in FIA Junior WRC:

    “We are really excited to make our debut in JWRC. It’s cool that we can do it here in Estonia and I’m sure it will be an interesting competition in our class since there are many very fast guys at the start line. We are ready and looking for a nice weekend in the forest!”

  • Kush Maini takes maiden win in British F3, extends lead

    Kush Maini takes maiden win in British F3, extends lead

    Brands Hatch, 31 August 2020: Hitech GP’s Kush Maini secured his first win of the 2020 season after having picked up 5 other Podiums over the last 10 Races with a controlled drive in the final race of the weekend, and extended his championship lead at the Famous Brands Hatch Circuit in the UK on Sunday. Kush started from his second pole position of the championship which was achieved by the average of the two fastest laps in the preceding 3 races of the weekend. Kush was second in Race 1 and third in Race 3. 

    The Indian claimed victory by 0.782 seconds over Douglas Motorsport’s Ulysse De Pauw, and earned Hitech GP’s first win in BRDC British F3 in the process.He also set the fastest lap of the race . Double R Racing’s Louis Foster claimed the final spot on the podium, four seconds further back from the lead duo.  

    Maini made a great start from pole position to hold the lead down to Paddock Hill Bend, but there was drama for Chris Dittmann Racing’s double race winner Ayrton Simmons, who got a good initial getaway from second place only to cruise to the first corner, with the rest of the field having to take avoiding action. That drama allowed De Pauw to climb into second and Foster to third, while Jewiss gained two places to rise to fourth. 

    Simmons wasn’t the only driver in trouble, as the Douglas Motorsport car of Manaf Hijjawi also didn’t complete the first lap, with the safety car called to enable the stricken car to be collected. 

    The race resumed at the end of lap five, with Maini making a strong restart to lead the field away. The Hitech driver pulled out an immediate lead of over a second to De Pauw, setting a string of fastest laps to extend the gap to almost two seconds by the end of lap 10. De Pauw closed the gap down towards the end but Maini was never under real pressure, and clinched his opening win of the year. 

    Maini Said “We’ve been waiting for that first win after five podiums, but I didn’t want to rush it. I just wanted to gather points and I knew the win would come sooner or later, and finally it came so I’m really happy.  

    “For me I don’t look at the championship until the last two rounds to be honest, because in this championship anything can happen like you saw.  

    “They’re so brilliant, Hitech gave me a faultless car. They’ve taken 9 podiums in 11 races the win now, and the championship lead, in their debut year. It’s amazing and I really want to thank them for this amazing oppurtunity.”

    Maini’s win means he now holds a championship lead of 29 points, having entered the weekend 29 points behind then leader Kaylen Frederick. Jewiss’s run to fourth place in the race means he sits second in the standings, 18 points clear of Skelton, who has climbed into third. Foster is another to rise up the order, sitting in fourth place and a single point ahead of Frederick, who ended a difficult weekend with 11th place in race four. 

    The BRDC British F3 Championship returns to action on 19-20 September at Donington Park. 

    BRDC British F3 Championship, Brands Hatch GP, race four  result: 

    1. Kush Maini, Hitech GP, 12 laps
    2. Ulysse De Pauw, Douglas Motorsport, +0.782s
    3. Louis Foster, Double R Racing, +4.994s
    4. Kiern Jewiss, Douglas Motorsport, +5.645s
    5. Sasakorn Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +7.849s
    6. Josh Skelton, Chris Dittmann Racing, +9.448s
    7. Bart Horsten, Lanan Racing, +10.362s
    8. Nazim Azman, Carlin, +10.540s
    9. Reece Ushijima, Hitech GP, +10.644s
    10. Benjamin Pedersen, Double R Racing, +11.610s
    11. Kaylen Frederick, Carlin, +11.845s
    12. Oliver Clarke, Hillspeed, +12.075s
    13. Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +13.031s
    14. Piers Prior, Lanan Racing, +14.205s
    DNF. Ayrton Simmons, Chris Dittmann Racing, 0 laps
    DNF. Manaf Hijjawi, Douglas Motorsport, 0 laps 

  • Mercedes dominates; bad week-end for Ferrari

    Mercedes dominates; bad week-end for Ferrari

    Lewis Hamilton took his 5th win of the season at the iconic Spa- Francorchamps circuit as his teammate Valtteri Bottas finished second to earn Mercedes their 50th 1-2 finish since returning as a constructor in 2010. Max Verstappen completed the podium by finishing third.

    By Malhaar Khaladkar

    New Delhi, 31 August 2020: Lewis Hamilton secured pole by half a second over his 2nd placed teammate Valtteri Bottas on Saturday. Max Verstappen came ever so close to the front row as he was slower by 0.015s to Bottas. Daniel Ricciardo achieved his best result at the track, qualifying P4. It was a chequerboard pattern as Red Bull’s Alex Albon qualified in P5 and Renault’s Esteban Ocon in P6. Carlos Sainz outqualified his McLaren teammate Lando Norris as they lined up P7 & P10 respectively. Sandwiched between them were the Racing Point cars of Sergio Perez in P8 and Lance Stroll in P9. Daniil Kvyat outqualified Pierre Gasly for the first time in ten races as they started in P11 & P12. Ferrari had a disastrous qualifying as their cars started in P13 & P14, Charles Leclerc ahead of Sebastian Vettel. George Russell once again made it to Q2, starting in P15, his teammate Nicholas Latifi in P18. Both Alfa Romeos sandwiched the Haas of Romain Grosjean as Kevin Magnussen qualified last.

    Predicted strategy was a one stop, starting on softs and then onto a set of medium tyres to finish the race. The top 3 cars were starting on the medium tyres. Alternate predicted strategy was to start on the mediums and end the race on soft tyres.

    The predicted rain never arrived for Sunday as the grid formed under a cool sunny day in Belgium. Sainz could not start the race due to a broken exhaust discovered while taking his car on the grid.

    The start was uneventful as the top 4 maintained their positions going into turn 5.Slipstream is a big factor at this circuit, especially at the start as the grid is bunched up. Due to a tail wind into turn 5 (rather than a head wind), Hamilton was able to keep the lead and not get overtaken by Bottas.Behind, Ocon had jumped Albon at the start. Leclerc made his way into the top 10 while Magnussen was up to P15 after starting last.

    Gasly was the only person starting on the durable hard tyre. The hard tyre was working well with heavy fuel loads at the start of the race as Gasly was hunting down Stroll in P7 by lap 4. Meanwhile, Leclerc started falling back as he started to struggle on his soft tyres and inferior straight-line speed. By lap 7 he was out of the points paying position.

    Pit Stops graphic by Pirelli

    The safety car was called into action on lap 11 as Giovinazzi spun into the barrier and Russell was unable to avoid a collision. The whole grid pitted on lap 10-11 bar Gasly and Perez. Albon was the only car to pit for medium tyres, everyone else chose the hard tyre for the end of the race. Albon also managed to overtake Ocon in the pits as Renault lost time due to a double stack.

    Racing got underway on lap 14 as Hamilton comfortably pulled away from Bottas, who did the same from Verstappen. By lap 18 Perez pitted for hard tyres dropping to last place. Gasly did the same on lap 26, bolting on the medium tyres as he had started on the hard tyres. There was tension in the Ferrari camp as both cars could be seen going wheel to wheel and touching for P12. Leclerc had to pit for a second time on lap 24 due to loss of hydraulic pressure which dropped him last. Only Perez and Gasly were moving up the field as everyone else maintained their positions. Raikkonen overtook Vettel to run as the lead Ferrari powered car.

    The end of the race was tense. Both Mercedes cars and Red Bull’s Verstappen were worried about tyre failures as they started to experience vibrations in them. All three reduced their pace significantly towards the end. Ultimately the worries were unfounded as Hamilton cruised to 5th win of the season- 4th win at Spa- Francorchamps. Hamilton dedicated his win to late actor and friend Chadwick Boseman who passed away on 28th August. Behind him were Bottas and Verstappen to complete the podium.Ricciardo set the fastest lap on the last lap, as he finished P4. His Renault teammate passed Albon on the last lap to finish P5 as the sole McLaren of Norris finished P7.Gasly made the most of his medium tyres to finish in P8, ahead of both of the Racing Point cars who completed the top 10. Gasly’s teammate Kvyat missed out on points as he finished in P11. Raikkonen finished as the leading Ferrari powered car, ahead of the works Ferrari team. Vettel finished in P13 & Leclerc in P14. Behind them were the two Haas cars and sandwiched between them was Latifi in P16.

    Mercedes had brought an extensive low drag aerodynamic package. It included revised horns on the top of the nose of the car, new bargeboards and side pod endplates to increase their straight-line speed. They also brought a new floor which had six vertical fins added to manage the airflow around the rear tyre. This package worked well as they maintained their qualifying and race pace advantage. Though, they were slower on the straights compared to Red Bull, which indicates Mercedes were running more downforce. Red Bull had an encouraging showing, especially with Verstappen as he almost qualified on the front row. In the race they were more subdued.

    The Renault car works very well in low drag, high-speed circuits as evident from Silverstone and now Spa- Francorchamps. Their race pace was on par with Red Bull and had there been 2-3 more laps, Ricciardo could have overtaken Verstappen for the podium. Alas, at least they got their first fastest lap of the race in a decade. McLaren also looked promising, though not as fast as they Anglo-French rivals. Norris could have finished higher, but compromised his race due to losing positions on the opening lap. McLaren too, like Mercedes brought a low drag sidepod endplate to increase their straight-line speed. Interesting to NOTE: McLaren tested a 2021 specification floor on Friday to collect some real-world data. The AlphaTauri showed pace in the hands of Gasly as he was able to finish in the points. His teammate was unable to capitalise on the advantage of his car as he finished outside the points.

    Pirelli graphic

    Ferrari had the worst race of the season. After taking a pole here a year ago, they plummeted to outside of the points. They were the only team on the grid not to improve on their previous year lap time. They could not find the right set-up, and as they were already behind in the power unit department, they compromised their downforce levels. A weekend to forget then. They may have the same struggles in the next race in Monza, their home Grand Prix. Alfa Romeo and Raikkonen were faster than the Ferraris. They can be somewhat content as their car works better on low drag circuits. Haas and Williams continued in a positive direction, as both teams improved their lap time compared to the previous year, though it is not enough to achieve points.