Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi has set sights on a “bounce back” at the Hungarian Grand Prix after two consecutive races outside of the points. 

The double-header saw Alfa Romeo drop two spots to ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with nearby competitors Williams Racing and Haas F1 Team securing the points necessary to overtake in the standings. 

The team will be looking to implement methods to maximise the return of the new aerodynamic upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with hopes of catching up with rapidly-improving teams such as McLaren F1 Team and Williams in the development race. 

“We head to Hungary with the objective to bounce back after two rather challenging back-to-back races in Spielberg and Silverstone. We expected more from these two races, especially with the upgrades we brought to Great Britain, but we took a good look at our most recent performances and understood further ways to optimise our new aero package.” 

Bravi emphasised the importance of having a clean race weekend with “perfect” execution, as achieved by competing teams– This will be a priority for Alfa Romeo as they look to return to the top ten on race day. 

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s Valtteri Bottas is ready to take on the next round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship after a week off to reset. He said that the team’s results in the previous double-header of Austria and Great Britain was unexpected, with no points earned between the two weekends. 

With the Hungarian Grand Prix marking the half-way point of the season, Bottas said that the team is focused on extracting all the performance they can from their recent upgrade, with the aim of getting back into the points. 

 “It was good to have some time to get back to work following the previous double header, especially as we didn’t get the results we had expected; it was a chance to put my focus back on the remaining races before the summer break, as well as training in the sim to find that extra bit of performance that could help us during the weekend. 

“The upgrades we brought in Silverstone allowed us to make a slight improvement in terms of pace, even though we didn’t get all out of them, and I know we have all been working hard to fully unlock their potential. 

“I have always enjoyed racing at the Hungaroring in the past, and I am keen to be back this weekend. It’s as close to a home race as it gets, for a Finnish driver, and I love the old-school atmosphere of the track. Our task there will be only one: finding our momentum again and adding new points to our tally.” 

Justin Haley has been one of the most crucial pieces to Kaulig Racing‘s growth into what they are today, joining them in 2019 and helping to develop the NASCAR Xfinity Series programme before becoming their first Cup Series driver. However, he will depart the team in 2024 as he signs a multi-year contract with Rick Ware Racing.

“This is a unique opportunity that I look forward to,” said Haley. “There are many key pieces of this programme I believe can help me in taking the next steps in my NASCAR career. I look forward to working with our key partners, and many additional RWR partners to be announced soon. The alliance with RFK Racing is going to be pivotal for the future of our on-track success.”

Haley spent three years in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig, winning four times and making the 2020 Championship Round. He formally graduated to the Cup Series in 2022, three years after scoring a surprise, weather-shortened win for Spire Motorsports at Daytona, and finished twenty-second in points as a rookie. Nineteen races into 2023, he sits twenty-first in the standings and finished second at Chicago after a dramatic battle with Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen.

In becoming a Ford driver, Haley will race another manufacturer besides Chevrolet in NASCAR’s top three divisions for the second time. Even the first instance was a mere one-off in the Truck Series when Braun Motorsports, headed by his uncle Todd Braun, fielded a Toyota at the 2016 Martinsville spring race before switching back to Chevrolet.

“This is a great day for our team on many levels,” Rick Ware commented. “Having someone with Justin’s talent and background become part of our future is a testament to our commitment to growth over the past few years. I have known Justin for a long time, respect all he has achieved in many forms of motorsports and look forward to great success together. His versatility as a driver in multiple series, the continuity we can build around Justin and the respect amongst his peers will pay great dividends for our team. He will be a great teammate for the RWR/RFK Racing alliance.”

Fernando Alonso feels the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team maximised their weekend at Silverstone two weeks ago, but he is hopeful of a more competitive weekend this time around in Hungary.

The veteran Spaniard equalled his worst result of the season in the British Grand Prix when he took seventh place, and he lost some ground to Sergio Pérez as the two battle for second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Alonso has fond memories of the Hungaroring as he took his maiden race victory at the track back in 2003 with the Renault F1 Team, and twenty years later he is aiming for a return to the podium, something he has achieved six times this season already.

“I think we extracted the maximum from a challenging weekend at Silverstone,” said Alonso.  “It was great to be racing in front of the British fans and also to spend some time at the new Technology Campus.

“We now switch our focus to Budapest. I have many good memories of racing at the Hungaroring. I won my first ever race in Formula One in 2003, exactly 20 years ago, and it’s often the venue where I have celebrated my birthday.

After a lot of midseason shuffling, the 2023 FIM Bajas World Cup is now set (probably).

On Wednesday, the FIM confirmed it will align with the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and move the Dubai International Baja back a day, making it run from 10–12 November instead of the original 9–11 November. The Dubai Baja has had its date changed multiple times, first set at 1–3 December as the season finale before the FIM swapped that slot in March with the Jordan Baja, a move that the FIA emulated.

Since 2022, both Bajas World Cups have followed a pattern of two races in the Middle East, a slate in Europe, and ending with two more in the former region. This was intended to follow the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s own schedule model that begins with the Dakar Rally, heads to non-desert events, then returns to sand and dunes at the Rallye du Maroc in October. Dubai is often used as one last dry run for Dakar.

The FIA and FIM World Cups have four races together: the Saudi Baja, the Qatar International Baja, the Baja España Aragón, and the Jordan Baja. The Baja Aragón also received a scheduling tweak that condensed a three-day weekend into two due to Spanish elections on Sunday.

With the calendar set at eight races, riders can drop their two worst performances from their final championship total. If the season had six or fewer rounds, every finish would have counted.

Revised 2023 FIM World Cup dates

Max Verstappen is looking for a seventh consecutive win – and the ninth of the season – this weekend at the Hungaroring as he edges towards a third consecutive World Drivers’ Championship title.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver holds a ninety-nine point advantage at the top of the standings heading to the Hungarian Grand Prix, and Verstappen will have the use of some updates to his RB19 for this weekend’s race.

Verstappen says the Hungaroring is an ‘amazing track to drive’ but its high downforce nature makes it interesting to see where Red Bull are compared to their rivals.

“The Hungarian GP is always an interesting one, last year it was tricky to make the right calls with the incoming rain and colder temperatures, but as a Team we remained calm and made all the right decisions,” said Verstappen.

“We have a couple of upgrades this weekend, hopefully they will do what we expect them to do so we can find extra performance for the upcoming races.

The Ferrari V12 engine is an iconic powerplant that holds a special place in the hearts of automotive enthusiasts. It is one of the most famous and storied engine configurations in the history of Ferrari and has been an integral part of the brand's racing and road car heritage. Here are some key highlights of the Ferrari V12 engine:

1. Heritage and Legacy: Ferrari's V12 engines have a long and illustrious history, dating back to the early years of the company. Enzo Ferrari himself was known for his love of V12 engines and their exceptional performance characteristics.

2. High-Performance: Ferrari's V12 engines are renowned for their high-revving nature, smooth power delivery, and impressive performance. They are designed to deliver substantial power outputs and exhilarating driving experiences.

3. Motorsport Success: Ferrari's V12 engines have had significant success in motorsport, particularly in Formula 1. Ferrari won numerous championships with cars powered by V12 engines during the 1950s and 1960s.

4. Road Cars: Ferrari's V12 engines have also been utilized in some of the most iconic road cars in automotive history, such as the Ferrari 250 GTO, Ferrari 275 GTB, Ferrari Daytona, and many others.

American powerboat racing pioneer Greg Foster passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 63 years old.

Foster began his career in off-road racing before entering powerboat competition in the 1970s, winning the 1974 National High Points 72cc Inboard Hydro championship. He was part of the “California Gang” that reigned over the powerboat scene through the 1980s and 1990s. On 5 March 1980, Foster set the world water speed record in his “Second Generation” runabout boat at 119.58 mph (192.44 kph).

By the 2000s, he decided to focus on running his crane rental service and went out with back-to-back North American titles in 2001 and 2002, though returned for another championship in 2017.

Between those titles, he also returned to his off-road roots by competing in the Mint 400 and Best In The Desert races like its premier event Vegas to Reno, racing a Class 1 car. In 2013, Foster entered the inaugural Stadium Super Trucks race weekend at the Sand Sports Super Show, finishing eighth in the first two races and sixth in the last. He also took part in the Catalina Ski Race.

Foster continued to race in the UIM F1 H2O World Championship with his last win in 2019. While he stepped back again to focus on his cancer fight, his former F1H2O team-mate Brent Dillard paid tribute at the Grand Prix of France in June by putting his logo on his helmet.

This weekend, the IndyCar Series heads to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa for the sole doubleheader of the season. Over 100 championship points are up for grabs in Saturday’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 and Sunday’s Hy-Vee One Step 250.

Christian Lundgaard grabbed his first career IndyCar win from the pole last weekend in Toronto, making it the first race since the Indianapolis 500 to not be won by Alex Palou. However, the Spaniard finished runner-up behind Lundgaard, extending his ever-growing championship lead from 110 to 117 over Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon.

Team Penske has dominated the 7/8-mile oval in recent years, taking five of the past seven races at the track dating back to 2017. Josef Newgarden captured the first race in 2022 and was 65 laps from becoming the first driver to sweep the doubleheader before a mechanical issue sent him crashing into the outside wall, ending his race and giving the win to Pato O’Ward. Newgarden has reigned supreme on the ovals as of late, capturing the last three oval races, dating back to Gateway last August and stretching to Indianapolis in May.

With just seven races to go in the 2023 IndyCar season, things are heating up on the track. Read on for everything you need to know for this weekend’s action in the Hawkeye State.

A Lap Around Iowa Speedway

Young’s Motorsports‘ #20 carousel has added Chad Chastain to the mix. On Wednesday, the team announced Chastain will race on Saturday at Pocono Raceway with sponsorship from Trophy Tractor.

The younger brother of Cup Series regular Ross Chastain, all five of his Truck starts to date have come with Niece Motorsports, whom his brother is closely affiliated with. Having raced in the Trucks since 2021, his best finish is thirtieth on three occasions, interestingly in every start in 2022 at IRP, Richmond, and Homestead. His first Truck race of 2023 came at Texas where he was classified thirty-fourth after an early accident.

Chastain has also started competing in the Xfinity Series with DGM Racing, another team that Ross races for, with three starts to his name currently. He finished twenty-fourth at Atlanta followed by thirty-second at Dover and twenty-ninth at Nashville.

His Truck début came at Watkins Glen in 2021 under rather unique circumstances as Ross was ineligible to take part being a Cup driver. He finished that race thirty-fourth.

Prior to NASCAR, he cut his teeth in short track racing throughout the southeastern United States such as the Florida Pro Truck Series and World Series of Asphalt.

Kaulig Racing‘s #10 all-star car will be piloted by Daniel Suárez at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, the team announced Wednesday.

Suárez ran the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma in June for SS-Green Light Racing, finishing twenty-seventh in his first start in the series since 2018. While the 2016 Xfinity champion has rarely returned to the division since graduating to the Cup Series in 2017, he did a one-off at the Truck Series’ Bristol Dirt event in 2021 to prepare for the Cup race there the next day.

He finished ninth at Pocono during his Xfinity title run, followed by fifth in 2017. At the Cup level, he has four top tens and a pole in 2018 where he finished second. Suárez placed third in the 2022 edition.

The Kaulig #10 is higher than its colleagues #16 and #11 with full-time drivers in the owner points, sitting fifth with eight other drivers having made starts: A.J. Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Justin Haley, Derek Kraus, Kyle Larson, Justin Marks, and Jordan Taylor. Allmendinger won twice at COTA and Nashville while Larson delivered the win at Darlington. Marks is the owner of Suárez’s Trackhouse Racing Team.

In his main trade, Suárez sits seventeenth in the standings and just one point below the playoff cut line. He has six top tens including a second at Atlanta.

Austin Hill will make his return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on 22 July at Pocono Raceway, driving the #7 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports. It will be his third start for the team and first of 2023.

“Last year with practice and qualifying getting rained out, we had to start in back, but the Spire Motorsports team brought a fast truck, and we were able to get a top-five finish,” said Hill. “I’ve had success and a chance to win in the Craftsman Truck Series at Pocono in the past, so I feel confident that we will have a shot to contend for the win.”

Hill débuted Spire’s Truck programme at Daytona in 2022 where he finished fifteenth, and returned to the team for that year’s Pocono race and placed sixth. The starts came after graduating to the Xfinity Series, where he has established himself as one of the top drivers on superspeedways and currently sits second in points with three wins.

He raced full-time in the Trucks between 2018 and 2021, winning eight times. In seven career Truck races at Pocono, he has two top fives including a runner-up in 2020, a year after claiming the pole.

“Spire Motorsports is thrilled to have a driver of Austin’s calibre behind the wheel this weekend at Pocono Raceway,” commented team manager Mike Greci. He and Hill previously worked together during the latter’s Truck tenure at Hattori Racing Enterprises. “It’s no secret that Austin and I have some history together, so I know, first hand, what kind of talent he is. His Xfinity Series results this season speak for themselves. I’’m confident anytime Austin is in our truck, we’re fully capable of running up front and winning races.”

Sage Karam has joined up with Sam Hunt Racing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Road America, driving the #24 Toyota GR Supra. It will be his tenth time running a NASCAR road course event.

While SHR will be his first time racing a Toyota, he previously contested the 2017 IMSA season in a Lexus GTD, where he scored a pole at Mosport. Incidentally, one of his team-mates that year was former Xfinity champion Austin Cindric.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity Sam and Toyota have presented me to drive the #Sam Hunt Racing GR Supra at Road America,” said Karam. “Sam has developed a really great programme in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and it’s really an honour to drive for him. I’m excited to be back with the Toyota family as I drove the Lexus RCF GT3 with them in IMSA and we made many great memories together and I look forward to making many more.”

While mainly known for his IndyCar exploits, Karam has been an Xfinity part-timer since 2021. He is doing a limited slate for Alpha Prime Racing, with his best finish to date being a twenty-second at Chicago. His highest career outing is a fifth at Daytona with APR the previous year.

So far, 2023 is the first year since before his 2014 series début that Karam has not done any IndyCar racing whatsoever as he focuses on NASCAR.

Rafael Lesmes will trade in his Can-Am Maverick for a Mercedes-Benz 1844 4×4 truck in 2024 when he enters the Dakar Classic. Like 2023, the effort is a joint venture between Lesmes’ CUP 59 team and the Dakar Por La Vida (“Dakar for Life”) foundation.

Lesmes ran the main Dakar Rally in January, racing in the T3 category but retired after five stages due to mechanical issues. It was his first Dakar since 2007, where he finished eighty-ninth, with his debut coming in 2004 where he bowed out with an engine failure.

Dakar Por La Vida is a breast cancer awareness effort that has the backing of Think Pink Europe. The foundation is also partnered with the Invi Association for male breast cancer awareness and runs the Pink Mind Project to provide mental health services for those affected by breast cancer. Aligning with the project’s platform, Lesmes’ T3 and truck are both coloured bright pink.

Despite retiring from the 2023 Dakar Rally, Lesmes regarded the race as a prime opportunity to spread the foundation’s message.

To prepare for 2024, Lesmes will be the navigator for Alberto Herrero at the Baja España Aragón on 21/22 July. Herrero’s truck is fielded by TH-Trucks Rally Team, who did the same for Lesmes’ T3. Afterwards, the team will race the inaugural RallyClassics Africa in Morocco on 16–23 September.

Shane van Gisbergen will look to go two-for-two in NASCAR. On Wednesday, Trackhouse Racing Team announced he will return to the Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 13 August, once again driving the #91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Van Gisbergen stunned the NASCAR world when he won in his stock car début on the streets of Chicago in early July, solidifying him as one of the best drivers in motorsport today. He is one of seven drivers to win in their maiden Cup start and the first in NASCAR’s modern era, and the sixth foreign-born racer to win in the highest tier of stock car racing.

Just a week later, he returned to Australia to continue his pursuit of a fourth Supercars Championship. The twice-reigning champion is currently fourth in points with three wins.

Indianapolis will be a star-studded affair as van Gisbergen is joined by fellow Supercars star Brodie Kostecki. Formula One Champion Jenson Button and Le Mans ace Kamui Kobayashi are also taking part.

The #91, part of Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 programme to bring international racing stars to NASCAR, was not supposed to run more races in 2023 before adding Indy.