Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Max Verstappen is hoping to replicate his win at last season’s Canadian Grand Prix this weekend at the Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve, whilst a fourth consecutive win of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship is also on the cards for the Dutchman.

The reigning World Champion heads into the Canadian GP in mesmerising form, with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver having breezed to victory last time out at the Spanish Grand Prix. A victory on Sunday would mark two consecutive wins in Montreal, four wins in a row this season and six for the campaign overall. Another win would see him further extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship as well, which already sits at a comfortable fifty-three points.

Verstappen is certainly the unsurprising favourite for the win once again, with him still having last year’s narrow win over Carlos Sainz Jr. “in my mind”.

“It’s always nice to go back to Montreal, it’s a great city and the fans are great there. The track is very unique because you actually get to ride some old school kerbs and the scenery is pretty cool too.

“The car setup has to be a careful balance between straight line speed and being able to run on the kerbs well, we have to find a good trade off. Of course, last year’s win is still in my mind so hopefully we can do something similar this weekend.”

Despite the fact that five races still remain in the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the excitement is already starting to build ahead of next season, with two new races reportedly set to make their debut.

Whilst a provisional calendar will be announced at this month’s FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Spain, it has been reported by The Race that it’s set to feature a record-breaking eighteen races and two new cities.

According to The Race, Tokyo and Malaga are both set to feature on the provisional calendar, as are this season’s four new host cities. Reportedly, Formula E and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government are close to striking a deal, with it set to be known imminently whether Japan will feature on the FE calendar for the first-time. Over in Spain, a plan to hold a race in the coastal Spanish city of Malaga are supposedly advanced, with the preferred race date being the end of May.

Elsewhere, the season is expected to start once again in Mexico City on January 13, followed by a trip to Saudi Arabia. Hyderabad, Cape Town and São Paulo will follow; however, they’re expected to be pencilled in as TBC for the time being. If given the green light, an E-Prix in Tokyo will take place at the end of March, followed by Rome and a double-header in Berlin.

After Berlin is where Malaga will likely take place if a deal is sorted, with Jakarta to follow the trip to Spain. If Malaga doesn’t get over the line, then a return to Seoul could be on the cards. Seoul hosted the Season Eight finale, with local promoters being keen for FE to return. Portland and London will round-off the tenth season of FE. To avoid clashing with the 2024 Paris Olympics, the London E-Prix will not take place in its usual spot. Instead, it’ll be run on July 20-21.

Will Aspin is gearing up to tackle rounds seven and eight of the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup GB season, which will take place at Cheshire’s Oulton Park this weekend (June 16-18).

As the championship intensifies with the Pro-Am category witnessing an exceptionally competitive field, every on-track move carries significant consequences. Aspin understands the importance of maintaining consistency in order to achieve success week in and week out.

At the previous round in Thruxton, the teenager showcased impressive pace during practice but was unfortunate to lose his fastest qualifying lap time. This setback resulted in a lower grid position than expected and subsequently affected his race positions. However, armed with the knowledge that he possesses both the skill and a formidable car to challenge for the front of the Pro-Am field and secure a place within the overall top ten, the Florence-based driver is determined to deliver an error-free weekend that will propel his championship aspirations back on track.

Aspin, brimming with determination, expressed his thoughts on the upcoming race weekend: “I think it’s going to be a good weekend. We’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up in the championship, and this year Pro-Am is extremely hard. At Thruxton, we showed we have the pace to be at the front of Pro-Am and be in the top 10 overall, and I believe we can do it again. I think we can continue the performances. Unfortunately, at Thruxton, we had the penalties which prevented us from achieving the results we could have obtained. So, this weekend, I’m looking to replicate the same performance but without any mistakes.”

Anticipating the qualifying session, Aspin exudes confidence: “I’m really looking forward to qualifying. We’ve demonstrated what we can accomplish as a team, and I am well aware of my capabilities, so there aren’t any excuses. I particularly enjoy Oulton Park as a track—it’s thrilling, fast, and demands bravery to drive it at speed. I relish these types of circuits, especially in the 992 GT3 Cup car.”

LEGO‘s 1 August releases will include the Audi RS Q e-tron that raced the World Rally-Raid Championship and Dakar Rally in 2022. The car will be part of the LEGO Technic line for advanced models with electronic and functioning components, and is capable of driving via remote control from the CONTROL+ app.

The LEGO car measures at 37 cm long by 19 cm wide and 15 cm tall. Like the real-life car, it features independent suspension on each wheel.

“Kids who love rally cars can put their skills to the test as they build this LEGO Technic Audi RS Q e-tron 42160 model,” reads the product description on the LEGO website. “As they build, they’ll gain an insight into the real-world electric car that Audi built to navigate the harsh desert conditions of the Dakar Rally. This model incorporates many realistic details, like the individual suspension on each of the car’s 4 wheels. It also features a new Technic wheel element created especially for this model to reflect the full-sized Audi’s wheel design.”

The RS Q e-tron was Audi’s first rally raid car, débuting at the 2022 Dakar Rally with Mattias Ekström, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Carlos Sainz. The trio struggled with reliability and consistency, which caused Peterhansel to be relegated to the Dakar Experience for those who failed to complete the full distance, but otherwise showed pace as they each won a stage and Sainz claimed a second. Ekström finished ninth in the T1 results with Sainz three places back.

A breakthrough took place at the next W2RC leg as Peterhansel won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, marking the first time an electric vehicle won a rally raid overall. The car’s final race was the 2022 Rallye du Maroc, where it participated as part of an Open category for those that did not meet regulations; although not eligible for T1 like at Dakar or Abu Dhabi, Sainz set a faster total time than T1 winner Guerlain Chicherit.

The 100th anniversary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans witnessed the impressive debut of Walkenhorst Motorsport at the iconic endurance race. The team, consisting of Chandler Hall, Andrew Haryanto, and Jeffrey Segal, started the race from eleventh place but quickly made their mark.

Despite challenging weather conditions and numerous safety car phases, the Walkenhorst Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE EVO remained unscathed, displaying strong lap times in the LMGTE AM field. The team showcased their ability to compete with top-class international drivers.

“The teamwork was outstanding. It felt like we started working together years ago,” said Jeffrey Segal, expressing his gratitude to the team. “A big thank you to the whole team!”

Facing retirements and difficult track conditions, the number #100 car showed resilience, even recovering from two slips in the gravel trap. Their determination paid off as they fought their way back into the top ten, securing a remarkable eighth place in the LMGTE AM category.

“I knew the team could handle it. This result exceeded our expectations, and we can look back with pride on what we have achieved,” remarked Chandler Hall, expressing his pride in the team’s accomplishments.

The GR Racing team fulfilled their ultimate ambition as they celebrated a podium finish at the world-renowned Le Mans 24 Hours over the weekend. Ben Barker, the British driver with eight consecutive appearances at the prestigious endurance race, expressed his delight at achieving this milestone, especially during the centenary celebration of the event.

Barker, who had previously tasted success on the FIA World Endurance Championship podium, acknowledged the significance of achieving this feat at Le Mans. Reflecting on the team’s fourth-place finish in 2022, Barker expressed his excitement, stating, “This is a mega result — and one that is long overdue! Any podium at Le Mans is special, but to get one at the 100th-anniversary running of the event adds a little extra sparkle. Finishing in the top three is everything at this race because Le Mans is such a unique event, with unique pressures on the teams, drivers, and cars. It’s an amazing feeling to finally get that monkey off our backs!”

The team’s #86 Porsche 911 RSR, adorned with a special livery commemorating the 100th anniversary, started the race in the tenth position within the fiercely competitive GTE-Am field. Barker’s exceptional driving skills enabled the team to claim the lead in their class during his stint, setting a strong foundation for their campaign.

“The race was frantic right from the start,” Barker recalled. “Even though we had 24 hours ahead of us, there was an element of having to survive the early stages. Fortunately, the #86 remained unscathed, and had decent pace, allowing me to take the lead around the two-hour mark and maintain it until the first driver change.”

However, the unpredictable weather conditions that plagued the event led to a setback for the GR Racing team. Barker’s teammate Ricardo Pera encountered slick track conditions during a downpour, resulting in the #86 Porsche sliding into the barriers. Despite the setback, the team displayed exceptional teamwork as the mechanics swiftly repaired the damaged car, minimising their time loss.

The 100th anniversary of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans witnessed numerous captivating storylines, but it was the Project 1 – AO No. 56 Porsche 911 RSR, affectionately known as Rexy, that truly stole the spotlight and captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

Sporting a remarkable Tyrannosaurus Rex RSRawr livery, complete with endearing little arms, big feet, and a wide grin, Rexy made its international debut at the revered Circuit de la Sarthe. The car showcased its exceptional performance by leading several hours of the world’s most prestigious sports car race, ultimately finishing in a respectable seventh place despite encountering a mechanical issue in the final hour.

While seventh place may not have been the fairy tale ending desired, the experience at Le Mans was truly unforgettable for the AO Racing team. PJ Hyett, team owner and driver, expressed his gratitude, saying, “Seventh place wasn’t the fairytale ending for Rexy at Le Mans, but what an incredible experience our time here has been. It was an absolute privilege to race the final year of the Porsche RSR at the 100-year anniversary of the race. My biggest thanks to our team and the fans around the world rooting for Rexy!”

Rexy made an astounding start to the race, with driver Matteo Cairoli executing a monumental jump, propelling the car from fifteenth to first place in the LM GTE AM class by lap 12. The driving duties were expertly shared between Cairoli, PJ Hyett, and Gunnar Jeannette, with the trio leading more laps than any other car in their class, setting the pace for 49.8% of the race.

Throughout the grueling endurance event, the car remained in the top five, showcasing its remarkable performance. However, in the final 50 minutes, a suspension issue in the right rear corner interrupted a strong triple stint and dashed their hopes for a podium finish. Despite the setback, the team showcased their resilience as the car underwent repairs and rejoined the race, crossing the finish line without a mark on its body, a testament to their skill and determination.

United Autosports who has been a front-running team and champions in the FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class will switch to IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship from 2024 onwards after the ACO and FIA agreed to drop the class from the 2024 WEC season. The two-time LMP2 champions announced the move quite shortly after it was known the class will be removed.

United Autosports are co-owned by the McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown and former Le Mans GT2 class winner Richard Dean, and since the team got founded in 2009 they have been quite successfully in the LMP2 category in different events. Last year they became the first team to have taken the 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 category win and won two titles the same year in WEC and European Le Mans Series.

For this season the team is running a two-car effort in the WEC, ELMS, and Asian Le Mans Series but also fielding four cars in the LMP3 category in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. The team has confirmed they will be running a full season with two Oreca-Gibson 07 LMP2 machines in IMSA while also continuing to compete in ELMS and ALMS next year but will also make a bid to join the 15-car LMP2 grid in Le Mans as the class will continue to race there despite not being officially racing under the WEC.

The team first raced in IMSA in 2018 at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona with a Ligier-Gibson JS P217 piloted by Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, and Philip Hanson. The most recent visit to IMSA was last season at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring with the #22 car. The driver line-up for the 2024 IMSA season is not yet known but looking at the current WEC line-up we can expect Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis, Tom Blomqvist, and Hanson will continue to race in the IMSA program.

Ford has officially launched the new Ford Mustang GT3 at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans ahead of its debut next year. The new GT3 car is based on the road-going seventh-generation Ford Mustang muscle car. which has entered production this year.

The look of the car has been known for some months already, back in March Ford Performance showed off the first photos of the full-carbon prototype Ford Mustang GT3 during testing at Sebring and a short while later the car continued with more tests at the Multimatic factory in Mooresville, North Carolina. Multimatic has been a long-time partner with Ford and they did help to develop Ford´s last endurance machine, the Ford GT LM GTE. Multimatic is also supplying LMDh chassis for different manufacturers in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, one of them being the Porsche 963.

Multimatic is helping with the development of the new Mustang on the technical side while the British rally specialists M-Sport are helping with tuning the 5.4 liters Coyote V8 which will be the heart of the new beast.

Shortly after the revealing, Ford also announced they have secured the first customer team for the new car. The German powerhouse Proton Competition will be switching from running Porsche 911 RSR in the LM GTE-AM to running a pair of Mustangs in the new GT3 category in WEC next season after the ACO announced they will be dropping the current class after this season. In the new LMGT3 that will be introduced from 2024 onwards, ACO and FIA will only allow two cars per manufacturer to be entered so this indicates that Proton will be running the factory team for Ford next season.

Besides Proton running in the WEC, Ford will also have a two-car factory team in the IMSA GTD Pro category next year with the official race debut set to be at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in February. where Multimatic will be taking charge of running the program. It is still unknown if the car will appear in any other series next year.

The 2023 Championship Off-Road season opener at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway did not start as the Greaves family hoped when patriarch Johnny Greaves broke six ribs and his shoulder in a practice crash on Friday. Fortunately, his son C.J. Greaves and nephew Kyle Greaves were more than motivated to turn up the heat in his place.

Kyle replaced Johnny in the #22 Pro 4, making his début in the top level as the reigning Pro Lite champion. While his title defence also started on a strong note as he won the Saturday race, he quickly made a splash in Pro 4 too by finishing third in both races. He also placed third in the second Pro Lite event as Brody Eggleston claimed his first win.

Ahead of Kyle, C.J. was the brightest star in Antigo with a near-perfect weekend. The 2022 Pro 4 titlist swept the weekend in the class, did the same in Pro Turbo SxS, and almost achieved a triple in Pro Stock SxS when he won on Saturday. However, a suddenly mechanical issue ten laps into the Sunday race prevented that from happening, and Owen VanEperen capitalised to take the win.

The first Pro 4 race saw Greaves slip by a sideways Cole Mamer, who took the lead into the first corner before spinning and triggering a crash that also collected Kyle Chaney and Jimmy Henderson; Greaves then held off Adrian Cenni for the win. Cenni spun early into Race #2 and Greaves battled a resurgent Mamer until the latter broke his left front suspension. This left Chaney to chase down Greaves, which he briefly succeeded on the ensuing restart only for Greaves to get past him.

“It was fun getting out there to run with my cousin and my good friend Kyle Chaney, and just have fun,” said C.J. Greaves after Race #2. “Not very often do you get to come out and just battle with each other and just go to work on the track.”

Lewis Hamilton has set his targets on catching Oracle Red Bull Racing after Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team scored a double podium at the Spanish Grand Prix over a week ago.

Hamilton was extremely pleased with the progress that Mercedes made in Spain, with the upgraded and completely new-look W14 on track for just the second time. Ongoing challenges with the ‘zeropod’ concept throughout last season and the start of this season resulted in a series of upgrades being implemented for the Silver Arrows at the Monaco Grand Prix. However, the true impact of these upgrades could only be judged while racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Monaco being an outlier on the calendar.

The weekend brought success for Mercedes, as Hamilton secured second place behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull, with teammate Russell following closely behind. As a result, the Brackley-based team surpassed Aston Martin Armaco F1 Team to claim second position in the Constructors’ standings, and Hamilton has set his sights on catching Red Bull and continuing the team’s upward trajectory.

“Definitely – as long as I have been racing, if you are quick [in Spain], you should be quick elsewhere. Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 when asked if Mercedes now had a good platform to make progress.

“But the way these cars work, they have a bit of a narrow working window, so there will be tracks where it’s not so great, maybe, but I am hoping that’s not the case.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is a Formula One race held annually at the Hungaroring circuit near Budapest, Hungary. Here are some key details about the Hungarian GP:

1. Venue: The Hungaroring circuit is located in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary. It has been the host venue for the Hungarian Grand Prix since its debut in 1986.

2. Circuit Characteristics: The Hungaroring is a relatively tight and twisty circuit, known for its challenging layout with many corners and limited overtaking opportunities. It is considered a technical circuit that requires good car setup and driver skill.

3. Race History: The Hungarian Grand Prix has been a regular fixture on the Formula One calendar since its inaugural race in 1986. It has become known for producing exciting and unpredictable races due to its challenging nature.

4. Timing: The Hungarian Grand Prix is typically held in the summer, often in late July or early August. The race date can vary slightly from year to year depending on the Formula One calendar.

The McLaren F1 Team head to the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend having endured a disappointing result last time out at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri could score a point.

Piastri finished thirteenth whilst Norris crossed the line at the Spanish Grand Prix in seventeenth, following an opening lap collision. Norris started the race in third but was forced to pit for a new front wing immediately, following an opening lap collision with Lewis Hamilton. Despite having shown great one lap pace in Spain, the Briton struggled for strong race pace, resulting in a point-less Spanish GP.

Team Principal Andrea Stella admits the result was far from “satisfactory”, with race pace certainly being a big issue for the Woking-based team.

“We come away from Spain with a less than satisfactory result. We were of course very happy to start the race with both cars in the top 10 after a positive qualifying session. The race proved to be more difficult in terms of pace and due to Lando’s incident at Turn 1. We take the learning onboard and we go again.”

After having a week to reflect on the MCL60’s issues, McLaren head to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve this weekend targeting a good result. With the car being how it currently is, a big points haul is very unlikely, something Stella is aware of. However, the team boss recognises that the outfit are “on the right trajectory” to meet their “long-term” goals, which will start to be achieved, presumably, once they introduce their huge upgrade packages (expected around the next couple of races).

Lando Norris is hoping for a considerably better race this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix than he had recently at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where an opening lap collision ended his hopes for a points finish.

Norris heads to Canada having finished seventeenth at the Spanish Grand Prix, despite having qualified third. The McLaren F1 Team driver dropped to the back of the grid in Spain after clipping Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap, breaking his front wing in the process. Despite having shown strong pace during qualifying in Spain, Norris was unable to really make any progress during the race, as a result of the MCL60’s disappointing race pace.

Whilst it might lack in race pace, the speed is certainly there, giving Norris hope that points are on the cards this weekend. The Briton is very much aware that the Canadian GP can be a “lot of fun”, filling him with hope for a strong result.

“I’m looking forward to getting back racing in Canada. Spain was a tough race but there was a lot to take away for both me and the team including the positive of Saturday’s P3 in Quali.

“With a week off from racing following a double-header, I’ve been back at the MTC with my engineers in preparation for this weekend. Circuit Gilles-Villenueve can be challenging with its heavy-braking chicanes, but it can also be a lot of fun to race. I’m excited for it, and hopefully we can score some points.”

Toby Price is the undisputed king of Finke Desert Race, and he did little to disprove that in the 2023 edition as he notched his record ninth victory and third in a row in the Cars category.

Price’s TSCO Mitsubishi Triton Trophy Truck has long been a juggernaut in Australia’s premier off-road event, and it still lived up to that descriptor as he and Jason Duncan led the Prologue by over two seconds, doubled the advantage on Saturday, then completed the clean sweep on Sunday. Beau Robinson tailed Price in the Prologue but lost ground in Day 1 after having to stop to change a drive belt. His brother Travis Robinson finished second that day, but neither were able to make up the ground to Price. Greg Gartner finished runner-up in Day 2 to place second overall, trailing by six minutes.

“To get my first win was a dream come true, and then to say I have 9 is wild,” wrote Price.

Six of Price’s Finke wins came in Bikes before switching to a truck in 2021, where he has dominated since. The win also provides a strong rebound for Price’s desert racing on the opposite side of the Pacific, having been forced to retire from the first two SCORE International legs in Baja California with mechanical failure. His SCORE programme is run alongside Paul Weel, who bowed out with a vibration on Saturday before bouncing back with a sixth outright on Sunday, though the former eliminated him from the general classification.

Like Price, David Walsh extended his control over the Bikes with a fourth consecutive win. After finishing fourth in the Prologue behind Jacob Smith, Callum Norton, and Korey McMahon, Walsh claimed the first day as he beat Norton by two minutes. Norton returned the favour on Sunday as Walsh settled for third, but the former could not close the gap as his time of 3:37:42 was slightly under two minutes shy of Walsh.