Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Qualifying for the British Grand Prix brought a mix of emotions for Oracle Red Bull Racing. Despite challenging conditions, Max Verstappen once again took pole position, but his first in a traditional qualifying session at the British Grand Prix.

In a remarkable feat, he successfully defended against the McLaren F1 Team duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, claiming his fifth consecutive pole and seventh of the season. Verstappen had an incident in the pit lane, which saw him struggle to turn, which meant he hit the wall and damaged his front wing, but apart from that the Dutchman had a consistent qualifying, which was important considering the conditions on track.

“It was quite a crazy qualifying, very hectic and slippery in some places. I had a little ‘inchident’ in the pit lane, I understeered as I turned and the car just went straight – I think there was quite a bit of damage.”

Verstappen said he was happy for McLaren on their front-row start, as well as predicting that Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

That aside, very happy. Equally, I’m very happy for McLaren, you could see how excited everyone was in that garage, they’ve worked so hard, it’s also great for the British fans too. I’m expecting the Ferraris and Mercedes to be more competitive during the race. As for us, we know that we have a good race car and I’m already looking forward to it. I don’t mind if it’s wet tomorrow, in FP3 we were very fast in the wet so I don’t think we need to worry.”

Chip Ganassi Racing looked to have their first Extreme E win of 2023 in the bag at the first Island X Prix race day on Saturday. Rosberg X Racing walked away with their first of the year instead.

Although RJ Anderson and Amanda Sorensen were the first to cross the finish in the Grand Final, they were dealt a 15.7-second time penalty for making too quick of a driver switch. To ensure safe swaps, teams are required spend at least 45 seconds completing the procedure, but CGR did so in 44.3 seconds. The 0.7-second difference added to the default fifteen seconds for the penalty.

This consequently dropped them to third behind RXR and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team. Despite dominating in 2022 and winning the title the year before, RXR had stumbled to start the 2023 season, finishing third in both Desert X Prix races with penalties taking away the Race #1 win, followed by being at the bottom of the two Grand Finals in Scotland. Although they won a heat on Saturday, the difficulties seemed to continue when Johan Kristoffersson had a poor start to the Grand Final and crashed into bushes. Fortunately for him, he was able to rebound.

The win is RXR’s third in Sardinia after winning the 2021 edition and the second in 2022. RXR would have swept the 2022 doubleheader had it not been for penalties that dropped them to fifth.

“I came to a complete stop because I didn’t know if there were any stones in the bush, but I made it out,” said Kristoffersson. “My tactic after that was to drive as fast as I could, and I managed to pick up the pace.”

Max Verstappen took another pole positon for Oracle Red Bull Racing at the British Grand Prix, but it was Lando Norris who took the headlines at Silverstone with the home favourite getting a front row start much to the delight of his home crowd, just ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Q1 – Pérez Out Again!

The start of Q1 saw a mixture of tyres, with some drivers opting for the soft compound tyres and others, including Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, going for the wet weather intermediate tyres but the ones on the intermediates soon pitted for a switch to the soft.

The first two drivers on track were George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, with the latter having a spin on his first lap attempt, but fortunately for the home fans, the eight-time Silverstone winner managed to keep the car out of the wall and get it back onto the track.

A red flag came out with three minutes to go, due to Kevin Magnussen stopping on track, which made for an incredible last few minutes of qualifying with the track ramping up. Sergio Pérez was first out of the garage, and it cost him. As he crossed the line, the Mexican went fastest but by the time the session ended, he found himself in the bottom five.

Magnussen will start back of the grid following his issues in Q1 and will be joined on the back row by Nyck de Vries, who struggled once again. Zhou Guanyu and Yuki Tsunoda were also knocked out.

After encountering difficulties in the second practice session, Charles Leclerc made a strong comeback during Saturday’s third session at the Silverstone Circuit, setting the fastest time, leading Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso with rain disrupting the session.

The drivers were met with wet conditions as they returned to the track for the Free Practice Three session, with temperatures dropping overnight and dark clouds looming overhead after a warm and dry opening day at the historic venue.

Although the preceding F3 race took place in wet conditions, a break in the weather allowed the track to dry up sufficiently for slick tyres when the F1 cars hit the track, but rain loomed over with a reported 90% of precipitation in the session.

Around twenty minutes into the session, the rain returned, halting the teams’ qualifying runs and effectively freezing the timesheets. Oracle Red Bull Racing were one of the only teams that had not switched to the soft compound tyres.

As a result, Max Verstappen, the reigning double world champion who had topped both sessions on Friday, finished in eighth position, with his teammate Sergio Pérez was all the way down in fourteenth. Nonetheless, they still gathered valuable data in the slippery intermediate conditions that followed, with Verstappen setting the pace on the intermediate tyres, although it didn’t show on the timesheets.

Sébastien Loeb is a nine-time World Rally Champion and the reigning Extreme E champion, but as he prepares to make his return to the latter at this weekend’s Island X Prix, he does not have anything lined up in the former. In a roundtable with select media including The Checkered Flag on Friday, Loeb revealed he has “no plan at the moment” to race in WRC again.

Loeb stepped away from full-time WRC competition in 2013 after winning his ninth consecutive title, but has occasionally raced again in the decade since. Even as a guest driver, he has won four times including two Monte Carlo Rallies, the latest in 2022. Another run in 2023 was impossible due to schedule conflicts with the Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship.

While he didn’t give a reason for not eyeing a WRC return, Loeb was relatively lukewarm on the sport’s growing electrification though is more favourable of the current hybrid model. Although he races in the electric-based Extreme E and FIA World Rallycross Championship, he finds fully electric rallying presents more issues than benefits at the moment.

“I think everything is possible but the format today, I’m not sure it shoots completely to the electric directed modes,” he explained. “I think the hybrid is much closer from what it has to be because also in rallying, you will face some other problems if you have some cars which are making no noise for the spectators, for things like this, for the show. We are making the show with the fight between the cars like in rallycross, also in WRC, if you have a silent car coming along, I’m not sure it will be amazing. Maybe it’s good to think to some other solutions.”

With the electric factor seemingly more practical in wheel-to-wheel motorsport, Loeb returns to the series he won in 2022. Despite being the defending XE champion, he departed X44 when Prodrive—for whom he races in the W2RC—was replaced by Carlin as the team’s technical ally. He found himself at ABT CUPRA XE for the Island X Prix as a substitute for Nasser Al-Attiyah, his W2RC rival who is competing at the Italian Baja.

The World Rally-Raid Championship‘s five FIA categories will see sweeping changes to the regulations for its third season in 2024. The changes would need to be finalised upon approval from the W2RC Committee and World Motor Sport Council.

“We have many things which are being considered because we are only in July and the regulations are for next year,” FIA cross-country rally category manager Jerome Roussel told Cross-Country Rally News at the Italian Baja on Friday.

Race day

While the race schedule will remain the same of a Prologue stage followed by five stages (twice as many for marathons like the Dakar Rally), the former will no longer be counted in the overall results. The Prologue is far shorter than the main legs, generally lasting no longer than ten minutes per driver, and is mainly used to set the starting order for Stage #1 and as a final warm-up.

If a competitor retires from a stage but is able to continue the rally or has a poor showing, the FIA intends to be more forgiving when setting the start order for the next day. Generally, the best finishers in a given leg will start at the front for the next, with at least three minutes between each starter, though Section 32 of the Cross-Country Rally Regulations allows the Clerk of the Course to reposition drivers or change the time interval for safety reasons.

“If you had a bad day on the next day, you can be repositioned, but we changed the rules to make them more universal on based on the mathematical calculation,” commented Roussel. “It’s a bit complicated to explain, so the best would be to look at the regulations, but for example, if you had a very bad day, you would be able to be repositioned but not before the driver who had a good day. It will not be based on the position but on the gap with the winner.”

Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing had a positive day at the Silverstone Circuit on Friday, with the Dutchman topping both Free Practice Sessions.

Despite his dominance so far at the British Grand Prix, Verstappen remained grounded and is hoping that Red Bull can continue to improve going into Saturday, which will be important as Scuderia Ferrari are showing some signs of good pace, especially in Free Practice Two, where Carlos Sainz Jr. was just under half a tenth slower than Verstappen.

“I think it was quite a good day for us. It was a little slippery in the beginning but that’s due to the high pressures that we are running on the tyres. Of course, that is the same for everyone, but it makes it a bit more difficult in the low speed.

“I think in general the car has been performing really well so we can be happy with that. The performance has also been strong in both sessions and we could complete our programme. The long runs felt good as well so it’s pretty positive. From our side we want to improve the car ahead of qualifying tomorrow but overall, it’s been a strong day.”

Sergio Pérez: “It has been a positive Friday overall”

Sergio Pérez is looking to have a smooth weekend after a tough couple of race weekends, having not competed in Q3 four qualifying sessions in a row.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is a prestigious endurance race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. Here are some key details about the event:

• Duration: The Rolex 24 at Daytona is a 24-hour race, meaning it lasts for a continuous 24-hour period. It tests the endurance of drivers, teams, and their cars, requiring them to navigate the challenging circuit both during the day and through the night.

• Track: The race takes place on the Daytona International Speedway's road course, which combines parts of the high-speed oval track with a section that incorporates infield road course sections. The circuit features banked turns, long straights, and a variety of challenging corners.

• Cars and Classes: The Rolex 24 at Daytona is part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, attracting a diverse range of sports cars and drivers. It features multiple classes, including the top-level Prototype (P) class, which consists of purpose-built, high-performance prototypes, as well as GT classes, such as GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD), which include production-based sports cars.

• Teams and Drivers: The race attracts top teams and drivers from around the world, including professional racing drivers, endurance specialists, and even some well-known names from other motorsport disciplines. It is common to see a mix of seasoned veterans and up-and-coming talents behind the wheel.

Ahead of next weekend’s Rome E-Prix double-header, several rookie drivers have been confirmed for the special Free Practice 0, which will take place ahead of the traditional Free Practice 1. The unique session is for rookie drivers only, with some teams having announced who they’ll be fielding.

To be eligible for the session, all drivers must have never competed in a race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship or have featured on the Season Nine entry list. They are allowed to have driven Formula E machinery before though, in a previous rookie test. With the Rome double-header being just a week away, the majority of the teams have confirmed who’ll be completing the session for them.

Envision Racing will be fielding Jack Aitken, who drove for the customer Jaguar team in the recent Berlin rookie test. In fact, all of the confirmed drivers so far participated in the rookie test at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit, after the Berlin E-Prix. Constructors’ Championship leaders TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will be represented in the session by Chinese driver Yifei Ye, who is competing in the World Endurance Championship this season.

Ye is driving a customer team’s Porsche 963 hybrid prototype in the WEC, as Porsche’s Motorsport Asia Pacific selected driver. Maserati MSG Racing have opted to use reigning Formula 2 World Champion and official Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team driver Felipe Drugovich, who can’t wait to represent the Italian manufacturer in the Italian capital.

“My first experience of Formula E in Berlin was very positive, and I found the Maserati Tipo Folgore very fun and rewarding to drive,” Drugovich said.

Max Verstappen dominated Friday’s practice sessions for the British Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in Free Practice Two. He led the pack for Oracle Red Bull Racing, with Carlos Sainz Jr. and Alex Albon close behind.

Initially, Sainz set the pace on medium tyres, but Verstappen quickly took over the top position when the drivers switched to soft tyres midway through the session.

Verstappen recorded an impressive lap time of 1:28.078s, surpassing his previous benchmark from Free Practice Two by over half a second. Sainz trailed closely behind, only 0.022s adrift, while Albon and the Williams Racing continued to perform well, securing third place on the timesheets.

Sergio Pérez finished fourth, a quarter of a second behind his teammate Verstappen, while rookie driver Logan Sargeant showcased Williams’ strong start by rounding up the top five positions.

Silverstone-based Aston Martin Armaco Cognizant F1 Team secured sixth and tenth places, with Lance Stroll leading the team ahead of Fernando Alonso. Stroll faced minor issues, losing a mirror and injuring his finger with a stone, while Alonso experienced a problem with his car’s front-left side.

Ahead of next weekend’s double-header in Rome, Mahindra Racing have confirmed that ex-Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi will see out the rest of the season for the Banbury-based team, having competed for the side in Jakarta and Portland.

Following Oliver Rowland‘s departure from Mahindra ahead of the Jakarta double-header, the Indian manufacturer opted to use Merhi in the Indonesian capital alongside Lucas di Grassi. On his debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Spaniard finished eighteenth in race one and seventeenth in race two. It was a very challenging venue for Merhi to make his debut given the heat and humidity; however, he settled into the team very well.

Merhi went on to be used by Mahindra again at the inaugural race in Portland, where he sadly retired from the race early on after grinding to a halt. Having learnt so much in Jakarta, Merhi was gutted to have retired so early on the West Coast, as he felt like a good result was possible. However, he’ll get a chance now to make up for his retirement in Portland, as Mahindra have confirmed that Merhi will race for the team at the Rome double-header and the season finale double-header in London.

It essentially means the Spanish driver has four races to stake his claim for a seat on the FE grid next season, where the all-electric series will be celebrating its tenth season. Merhi is very grateful for Mahindra’s “trust” in him, with the driver now “really looking forward” to driving the Mahindra M9Electro once again.

“I’m really looking forward to jumping back into the car for the final two races of the season. I would like to thank Mahindra Racing for the opportunity and the trust they have shown in me. I know Rome and London are new tracks for me, which will make it a bit more challenging, but I will make sure I adapt quickly.”

Max Verstappen led the way in the first practice session for the British Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap time ahead of his Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez and Williams Racing’s Alex Albon.

Verstappen, the reigning double world champion, emerged as the fastest driver, clocking a time of 1:28.600s on the soft compound tyres. Pérez, who ended his three-race podium drought in the previous race at the Red Bull Ring, is looking to get back into form after not making it into Q3 for the last four race weekends. He started the weekend well and finished second behind Verstappen, but he was almost five-tenths back from his teammate

The session marked a welcome return to ideal conditions at the iconic Silverstone Circuit, with clear skies and enthusiastic fans filling the grandstands and grass banks, after an action-packed wet weekend in Austria last week.

The drivers and teams had a busy hour on the track, as they familiarized themselves with the fast and flowing layout after a year away and tested Pirelli’s new tyre construction aimed at enhancing durability across all dry compounds.

Red Bull remains the target this weekend with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, McLaren F1 Team and Aston Martin Armaco F1 Team all bringing upgrades to help bring them closer to the front. Williams also brought their own set of new parts and made an impressive start to the weekend, with Albon securing third place, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s second NASCAR Xfinity Series race of 2023 will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway on 21 October, driving the #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops. The team announced the start on Thursday.

Since retiring from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of 2017, Earnhardt has made one-off starts in the Xfinity Series annually. In 2022, he finished eleventh in his only entry at Martinsville. For 2023, he bumped his slate up to two races for the first time since 2017.

In January, he announced his first race of the year will be at Bristol Motor Speedway on 15 September. The start will be sponsored by Unilever.

Homestead was the site of his last Cup start, a twenty-fifth in the 2017 season finale. In six starts there at the Xfinity level, he has four top tens including a runner-up en route to the 1999 championship. His last run in 2020 saw him finish fifth.

Besides Earnhardt’s two races, JRM’s #88 is also being used as a road course car by Miguel Paludo in three races. He finished thirteenth in his first two starts at COTA and Chicago, and he is scheduled to drive it again at Indianapolis in August.

In April, the Sonora Rally welcomed the World Rally-Raid Championship to the Americas for the first time. It will also be the last time the rally hosted the series.

On Thursday, founder and director Darren Skilton announced the rally will return to being an independent event, once again focusing on domestic competitors. Although grateful for the international teams who took part, he wished to allow the North American racers to compete without being overshadowed by the W2RC. At the 2023 rally, such entries were classified in the National Auto and Moto categories while W2RC teams raced in FIA or FIM.

Despite the news, he did not rule out partnering with the championship again in the future.

“We created the Sonora Rally nine years ago to grow and foster the North American rally raid community,” Skilton said. “Since, we have watched them expand and some even attain the highest successes in the sport internationally. All-stars like Ricky (Brabec), Skyler (Howes), Casey (Currie), and Mason (Klein), all who have used this event as a serious training ground for the Dakar Rally and beyond. Creating this significant style of practice for North America has always been the goal of the Sonora Rally organisation, which is why we have decided to return the format to its original form and not participate in W2RC in 2024.

“We are beyond proud to have been the first ever North American W2RC event and forever grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Amaury Sport Organisation and the W2RC. We look forward to a future where we collaborate again, but for now, we will return to our roots of giving enthusiasts a thorough and substantial training ground to those with bigger dreams, along with an excellent adventure for all.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda said that he is looking forward to testing out the new aerodynamic changes coming in for the British Grand Prix, and feels that a “step forward” is around the corner for the team after a couple of difficult weekends.

“I think nearly all the drivers like Silverstone, I certainly do. Most corners are high-speed and, as we’re expecting some more significant aero upgrades for this round, I’m quite optimistic that, going into this race week, we can make a step forward.”

Moving back to the standard three practices for Silverstone Circuit, Tsunoda said that it will be beneficial to use the time to work through the new upgrades, which will be a major indicator of what’s to come in the second half of the 2023 season.

“We go back to the usual weekend format after the Sprint in Austria, and that means we will have more time to thoroughly test the updates, which is a good thing as this race will be an important one in terms of what we can expect for the next part of the season.”

The “classic” Silverstone venue holds some great memories for the Japanese driver, who had a very successful weekend there while he was competing in Formula 2. As well, he said that the track layout and energetic atmosphere make it a favorite stop on the calendar for him.