Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve continues to act as a bogey track for the McLaren F1 Team as their hunt of their first points at the track since 2014 continued on Sunday.

Despite finishing eighth on the road, Lando Norris was classified thirteenth after being handed a five-second time penalty for unsportsmanlike behaviour during the Canadian Grand Prix, while Oscar Piastri ended the day just outside the points in eleventh.

Not since Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen scored points at the track in 2014 have McLaren finished inside the top ten in Canada, and it was also the fifth time in eight races during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season that neither of their current drivers have scored.

Andrea Stella, the Team Principal of McLaren, admitted it was a shame to leave Montréal without any points, particularly as he felt the team were showing themselves to be competitive.  And he says they can leave the track with some confidence as they were able to show much better race pace than they had in several previous events, including the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks previous.

“It’s a shame to leave Canada with no points at the end of a race where we were keenly competitive in the midfield,” said Stella.  “Lando crossed the line P9 but was penalised five seconds and demoted to P13, which is unfortunate.

Lando Norris lost a certain top ten finish in Sundays Canadian Grand Prix due to a penalty, with the Briton dropping from eighth place to thirteenth after being found guilty of unsportsmanlike behaviour.

The McLaren F1 Team driver was deemed to have slowed unnecessarily when the safety car was deployed to avoid too much delay when pitting, with the team set to double stack him behind team-mate Oscar Piastri.

The stewards handed him a five-second time penalty, which relegated him five spots due to how close it was between seventh and thirteenth, and he says everyone will now review what happened at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve so they can understand why the penalty was given.

“An intense race. We were a little bit unlucky that I lost the position at the beginning but happy apart from that,” said Norris.  “I think the pace was OK, it was good to compete on-track for some points.

“A difficult race though in terms of tyre degradation and overtaking, but I think we made the most of it today, so I’m happy. Of course, unfortunate we got the penalty but we’ll review that as a team.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi says Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake should still be happy to score a point in Sundays Canadian Grand Prix despite seeing another point disappear on the run from the final corner to the chequered flag.

Valtteri Bottas was involved in a great battle for the minor points paying positions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and was on course for ninth place, only for Lance Stroll to overtake him just metres from the finish.

Alunni Bravi, the Team Representative at Alfa Romeo, says the team should still be content to score points for a second consecutive race weekend – and the fourth in total during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season – and the point could make a ‘fundamental difference’ at the end of the year.

“We must be happy with the one point we scored today with Valtteri, even though it’s always a bit bitter to lose one position [to Lance Stroll] with just metres to go,” said Alunni Bravi.  “Still, one point can make a fundamental difference at the end of the season, and we have now scored in two races in a row.

“I want to thank all the team for their hard work towards this result, which was not a foregone conclusion after yesterday’s qualifying session.”

Valtteri Bottas returned to the points for the first time since the opening race of the season last weekend, with the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake driver earning tenth place in the Canadian Grand Prix.

It could have been even better for the Finn as he was passed on the run to the chequered flag by Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team’s Lance Stroll, with Bottas struggling with tyre wear at the end of the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

However, it was pleasing for Bottas to return to the top ten for the first time since the Bahrain Grand Prix after a ‘solid’ afternoon in Canada, and he hopes it is the start of a revival after a very underwhelming start to the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

“I am pleased with our race today: I made up four positions during the race, and it’s always a good day when that happens, especially when you get a top ten finish, which had been our main goal all weekend long,” said Bottas.

“It could have been P9, but my tyres began to wear out towards the end of the race, and Lance [Stroll] got me on the finish line.

Save for a withdrawal before the 2023 edition, Mohammed Al-Twaijri has been involved with the Dakar Rally each year since its move to his home country of Saudi Arabia in 2020. This will continue for 2024, as he confirmed on social media on Tuesday.

Driving a Toyota Land Cruiser in the T1 category, Al-Twaijri finished fiftieth overall in his first Dakar in 2020 with a best stage performance of forty-sixth on the final day. He was one of four Saudi drivers who represented the host nation that year.

In 2022, Al-Twaijri was one of three entries competing in an Open category for vehicles that did not meet traditional T1 regulation. Although stage retirements kept him third throughout the rally, he topped the class twice in stages #8 and #10 and reached the finish.

Al-Twaijri was to return in 2023 in the #249 Nissan Navara T1, but withdrew before the event. Still, he was present at the rally to support the field.

He mainly races in the Saudi Toyota Championship, placing third in the 2022 T1P standings for T1 petrol vehicles. Al-Twaijri has also competed in rounds of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas such as the Baja Jordan and Ha’il International Rally, as well as traditional rally like the Dubai and Kuwait International Rallies. The Riyadh native had been a regular at the Ha’il Rally from 2006 until 2020, having raced his personal car with safety improvements in the first edition before upgrading to race-specific models in 2012. His race cars since then have exclusively been built in Saudi Arabia, including his Dakar challengers hence his Nissan at the 2022 Rally being in the Open class.

Layne Riggs exclusively raced a Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since his début in 2022, but that will change Friday as he will drive the #20 Chevrolet Silverado RST of Young’s Motorsports at Nashville Superspeedway.

Riggs ran three Truck races in 2022, driving Halmar Friesen Racing‘s #62 Toyota and scoring a top ten in his début at IRP. TRICON Garage picked him up for the 2023 Atlanta event, where he finished twenty-eighth.

HFR intends to bring Riggs back for additional races dependent on sponsorship. The team had expressed some hope of a full campaign if he could acquire funding, which ultimately did not materialise.

He is the reigning NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion. While he was mainly a Toyota Truck Series driver, his late model has Ford branding.

Young’s #02 is thirtieth in owner points. Kris Wright ran the first eleven races before departing the team and was replaced by Chris Hacker at Gateway. Wright holds its best finish of twelfth at Texcas.

ABT CUPRA Formula E Team are hoping to extend their run of “recent good performances” this weekend at the inaugural Portland E-Prix, as the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to the United States.

It’s been a great few rounds for the Kempten-based team, who after being the clear backmarkers for the bulk of the season are starting to make strides towards the midfield. Having not scored a single point in the opening seven rounds of the season, ABT CUPRA have since scored points in two of the last four. Even when they haven’t claimed points recently, they’ve only just missed out, something which happened in Jakarta.

Whilst Robin Frijns did finish ninth in the first of two races in the Indonesian capital, the Dutchman finished thirteenth in the second. For Nico Müller, he finished eleventh and twelfth respectively. Progress is being made, something which is incredibly encouraging for the entire team. Despite their positive performances, Team Principal Thomas Biermaier is making sure the Germans don’t “get rattled” and lose concentration, something which would be costly.

The side have a long history of scoring podiums in the United States in FE, with the nation holding “many special moments” for the Germans. Whilst fighting for podiums is a step too far currently, Biermaier is hoping a points finish will be achieved again “under our own steam”.

“We have already experienced some memorable Formula E weekends in the USA and also many special moments in our team – these are great memories that show us again and again how much passion and emotion there is in Formula E.

Robin Frijns heads to the inaugural Portland E-Prix this weekend expecting one of ABT CUPRA Formula E Team‘s “greatest strengths” to come in handy, “perfect teamwork”.

The 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns to the United States this weekend for its first trip to Portland, where the race won’t take place on the streets of the city. Instead, FE will be racing on an actual circuit, the Portland International Raceway. With it being a fourth new venue of the season, everybody is once again entering the weekend “with a blank sheet of paper”, highlighting how significant being on track as long as possible will be.

Frijns goes into the twelfth round of the season having finished in the top ten for the first time this season in Jakarta, after finishing ninth in the first of two races. He had to settle for thirteenth in the second race, with it still marking a solid performance by the Dutchman.

Things are certainly looking up for ABT CUPRA after what’s been a challenging return to the series; however, Frijns believes their “perfect teamwork” to make their comeback happen in the recent rounds will be pivotal in Portland.

“It’s always exciting when everyone arrives with a blank sheet of paper and only knows the track from the simulator. It’s all about being on the track as much as possible in practice and at the same time preparing as best as possible for qualifying and the race in the short time available. That’s where perfect teamwork comes in – and that’s one of our greatest strengths in our difficult comeback season.”

BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon was pleased to take another points finish at the Canadian Grand Prix with an eighth place result, but felt that the team weren’t able to “maximise” their position in the race. 

Ocon, who started in sixth, lost out on places from the strategy front, with one-stop runners including both Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sergio Pérez and Alex Albon making major strides in the field. Ocon said that their pace that he had was solid, but not quite enough to counter-attack in the end. 

“I think we can be satisfied with finishing another race in the points but we know that perhaps we did not maximise our opportunities today in Montréal. Our car and our pace was strong but, in the end, it was not enough to pass Alex [Albon] in the Williams, who was quicker on the straights.”

Ocon said that the team will debrief their time in Montréal and look into how to better capitalise on their qualifying performances on race day, and that he is excited to bring all he’s learned in Canada to the Austrian Grand Prix next time out. 

“We’ll review everything as a team as to how we can improve and also how we can better seize opportunities on Sundays. Our pace in Qualifying has been good and we must continue that. 

NEOM McLaren Formula E Team head to the inaugural Portland E-Prix this weekend looking for a good response to their disappointing two races in Jakarta, where they scored just the one point.

Jake Hughes‘ tenth place finish in the opening race of the Jakarta double-header was McLaren’s only point scored in the Indonesian capital, hurting their positioning in the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren slipped to seventh behind Maserati MSG Racing, who have significant momentum behind them.

This weekend represents a fresh opportunity for McLaren though, at a venue which is unique for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Saturday’s race won’t be taking place on a street track; instead, it’ll be held at the Portland International Raceway. McLaren Team Principal Ian James “can’t wait to get racing” on the West Coast this weekend with him recognising that despite their poor results in Jakarta, there is “still a lot to fight for”.

“We’re just under a week away from our first ever outing in Portland as a series – and it will be the first time for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team to race on US soil. It’s great to head to the US and further solidify NEOM McLaren’s and Formula E’s presence there.

“We are nearing the back-end of the season, with 11 out of 16 rounds completed so far – but there is still a lot to fight for. So far this season, we’ve seen some positive results, with the team able to extract the maximum from the package. We are focussed on ensuring the required level of operational excellence for the remainder of the season, while continuing to learn each and every race.

It was a bittersweet result for Williams Racing at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Alex Albon achieving a season best result of seventh and Logan Sargeant retiring from the race on lap six due to a concerning oil leak.

Williams Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson was disappointed to see Sargeant’s race come to such an early end, considering the “opportunity” he had to battle for positions at a circuit that FW45 had proven to be strong at. 

“There were mixed fortunes for the two sides of our garage today. We were forced to retire Logan’s car after we spotted an oil leak, which was starting to affect his power unit. We need to inspect the car tonight and find out exactly where the leak is coming from. It was a shame for Logan as he had a good opportunity for some close racing and a good result.”

Albon’s one stop strategy played to his advantage on Sunday, with him taking his one pit stop under safety car conditions– this strategy allowed him to gain track positions on several two-stop runners. Along with this aspect, Robson said that his ability to defend against drivers behind also played a major role in his securing the result. 

“With Alex, we benefited from a well-timed safety car but were also able to put together a very strong 1-stop race. We have seen in the past that Alex is exceptionally good at managing a race and defending against a group of cars. 

Jake Hughes heads to the inaugural Portland E-Prix this weekend aiming to put some “key steps” into practice, following a disappointing double-header in Jakarta.

Despite having looked so fast in Monaco, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team struggled for outright pace in Jakarta, resulting in Hughes scoring the Woking-based team’s only point of the double-header. Hughes finished tenth in the first of two races in the Indonesian capital, whilst he retired in the second.

The rookie has impressed for the vast majority of this season and is hoping to “bounce back” from his Jakarta struggles this weekend, on the West Coast. Formula E’s trip to Portland is expected to be a rapid one, with Hughes targeting to “iron out any inconsistencies” in the United States on Saturday.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Portland. We’re looking to bounce back from a challenging weekend in Jakarta, where we had flashes of good performance, but couldn’t put it all together, meaning we returned home with only one point. We have already taken key steps to understand why, and hopefully going into the rest of the season we can iron out any inconsistencies and bring some pace, starting this weekend.”

“The track looks very unusual” – René Rast

Jakarta was also a miserable experience for René Rast, who failed to show any real pace throughout the double-header. The German finished fifteenth in both races, with a top ten finish having never looked like a possibility.

Following the release of the provisional calendar for next season’s ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, it has been confirmed that the all-electric series will be heading to Japan, for the first ever Tokyo E-Prix.

Whilst it had been speculated that Formula E would head to Japan next year, it has now officially been confirmed following the publication of the provisional Season Ten calendar by FE and the FIA. The provisional calendar was granted approval by the World Motor Sport Council, with it consisting of seventeen races across thirteen different locations.

Mexico City will kick-off Season Ten on January 13, with London bringing the campaign to a close with a double-header once again on July 20-21. Ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Portland E-Prix, it has also been confirmed that the sport will return to Portland next season in June 2024. Also confirmed for next season are races in Diriyah, São Paulo, Rome, Monaco, Berlin and Jakarta.

Three spots on the calendar are still to be determined, with two of the spots likely to be filled by Hyderabad and Cape Town. The third TBD spot could be taken by an inaugural event in Malaga, where talks are still being held. A return to Seoul is reportedly another option.

The announcement of Tokyo though is a huge moment for the sport, given that Formula E will become the first FIA-sanctioned race to be held in the Japanese capital. A circuit is expected to be designed around the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre on the Tokyo Bay waterfront, making for a spectacular backdrop.

Joe Gibbs was one of the most decorated coaches in National Football League history, winning three Super Bowls for what is now the Washington Commanders and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On Tuesday, incoming Commanders owner Josh Harris returned the favour as his Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) firm as well as Arctos Partners have provided a “significant investment” into Joe Gibbs Racing.

“In recent years, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know Coach Gibbs and am proud to count him as a trusted friend and advisor,” Harris stated. “Joe is a winner. First in football and then with Joe Gibbs Racing, he has led organisations that build winning cultures based on strong values and a deep commitment to family and faith. This investment and partnership aims to support his vision and allow Joe Gibbs Racing to continue its track record of excellence long into the future.”

Harris and HBSE co-founder David Blitzer own multiple sports teams including the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils. The duo also hold stakes in Premier League club Crystal Palace, though there have been musings about them going for a share in Manchester United, while Blitzer owns multiple football clubs including Real Salt Lake and FC Augsburg.

HBSE previously partnered with Formula One great Lewis Hamilton in a failed multi-star effort to buy Chelsea, though Harris’ impending purchase of the Commanders means he and Hamilton will still be NFL owner colleagues as Hamilton is part of the Denver Broncos’ ownership group.

As part of the new partnership, Gibbs will also join HBSE and therefore become a stakeholder in the 76ers and Devils pending approval from their respective leagues.

Justin Marks will run his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race in five years on 1 July when he enters the Chicago Street Race for Kaulig Racing, driving the #1 Chevrolet Camaro.

Marks has not raced in the series since 2018, when he was a road course ringer for Chip Ganassi Racing with his last start being a runner-up at the Charlotte Roval. He ended his driving career to focus on business afterwards, which culminated in starting up Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021; incidentally, he expanded the team to its current two-car slate after purchasing CGR’s assets.

While mainly focusing on ownership since, he has continued racing in the Trans-Am Series; in May, he won the TA class at Lime Rock Park. In 2022, Marks entered the Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio but crashed out. He also did an oval start in the Superstar Racing Experience that year, finishing ninth as a replacement driver for Hélio Castroneves.

His road racing prowess also led to his lone national series victory when he claimed the 2016 Mid-Ohio Xfinity round in the rain.

“It’s very difficult to retire as a race car driver,” said Marks. “I’ve got a lot of experience on street courses, so when NASCAR announced it was going to Chicago, I just felt like I really had to be a part of that experience. We have a great relationship with Kaulig Racing through our pit crew department and being a fellow Chevrolet team, so making my return to racing with the team just felt right.”