Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s George Russell equalled his best result of the season so far with a fourth place finish at the Miami Grand Prix, outperforming rival team Scuderia Ferrari in spite of a difficult qualifying. 

“That was a really satisfying race for us today. After the challenges in Qualifying, it felt like a more normal day for us. To finish P4 on merit and finish ahead of the Ferraris was the maximum we could have achieved. The battle with Carlos was really enjoyable. I made a good move that needed a lot of commitment as the track is so dirty off-line.”

Russell thanked team-mate Lewis Hamilton for allowing him to pass during the race, considering their opposite strategies– with Russell starting on mediums from sixth place, and Hamilton opting for hards from down in thirteenth. 

“Thanks to Lewis for letting me by too and enabling me to get on with my race as we were in different battles today. We’ve got a really good relationship and we only want what is best for the Team. That’s what we are working towards.” 

The team is aware of the car’s shortcomings, Russell added, and plan to introduce upgrades at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He hopes to see them build upon the success they found on race day in Miami, but realizes that there is still much to be done in order to catch up with frontrunners Red Bull Racing.

Skyler Howes entered the Sonora Rally as the defending winner, but left in a helicopter with his shoulder in a cast. On the plus side, his recovery has made plenty of progress in the two weeks since the race such that he might not have to go under the knife.

Howes’ rally abruptly ended in Stage #2 when he was riding along a thirty-kilometre straight filled with holes and ruts. His Husqvarna bike hit a deep compression that caused the rear end to kick up, briefly sending him airbourne as he approached a righthand corner. Unable to stop to complete the turn, he went straight into a three-foot drop and the ensuing landing threw him into a cactus. The impact recorded over twenty-seven g’s of force upon hitting the ground.

He suffered multiple fractures to the scapula, one of which was displaced by over a centimetre, while also tearing a rotator cuff and sustaining damage to his shoulder muscle.

“I came to a stop with the air knocked out of me and gurgled up a little blood, and when I finally caught a breath that’s when the pain set in on my shoulder,” wrote Howes. “Just goes to show at this speed even the tiniest little thing can have a massive impact. We take a lot of risk out there and sometimes you get bit.”

Sam Sunderland, Howes’ classmate in the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s RallyGP category and reigning champion, also crashed on the same straightaway and hurt his knee and wrists. The pair were airlifted back to the bivouac for further evaluation.

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team’s Fernando Alonso secured his fourth podium of the season at the Miami Grand Prix after what he described as a “lonely” race, with Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez far ahead and George Russell a comfortable distance behind in fourth.

Alonso started the race on the front row, but was unable to challenge Perez and his mighty RB19 for the lead. He held onto second place until lap fifteen, when Verstappen overtook for the position, having charged through the pack from ninth place. 

Though unable to compete with the pace of the Red Bulls, Alonso was satisfied with another solid third place finish. 

“I had a bit of a lonely afternoon out there, but I enjoyed my race. There was nothing I could really do against Max and Sergio but, happily, there was no pressure today from behind, so we’ll take this result.”

With an impressive streak of results– four third place finishes and one fourth– Alonso feels that the team is on track to claim a victory when the opportunity arises. 

Thomas Biermaier, Team Principal of the ABT CUPRA Formula E Team was left feeling very proud of the Kempten-based team following Saturday’s Monaco E-Prix, with Nico Müller having come agonisingly close to back-to-back points finishes.

The team’s first points finish of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin has seemingly given them a new sense of belief, following their challenging comeback to the all-electric series so far. ABT CUPRA clearly entered the Circuit de Monaco with newfound confidence, which Müller displayed during the race. Whilst Müller and Robin Frijns both qualified badly, the Swiss driver did remarkably well to fight through the field and into the top ten, completely on merit.

He was looking set to finish ninth or tenth as he started the penultimate lap, where he was then hit into the barrier on the outside of Sainte Devote by Sam Bird. The impact resulted in Müller having to retire instantly, to the misery of him and the entire team. Frijns was unfortunately not on hand to capitalise, with the Dutchman having finished thirteenth.

It was a gutting end to the race for ABT CUPRA, who are at least trying to focus on the positives from Saturday. That includes Biermaier, who recognised that Müller’s fight through the field was “an important next step for us in our comeback”.

“We were on a good way today to finish in the points under our own steam and even from a rear grid position – this is an important next step for us in our comeback. My thanks go to the whole team who do a fantastic job again every weekend.

Nico Müller was in an understandably defiant mood following Saturday’s Monaco E-Prix, with the Swiss driver having come incredibly close to claiming points at a second consecutive race.

Since Berlin, Müller has turned a significant corner, with the ABT CUPRA Formula E Team driver having carried his momentum into the Circuit de Monaco. Whilst qualifying wasn’t great, the Swiss driver worked his way through the field from seventeenth, into the points places. He was looking set to finish either ninth or tenth as he started the penultimate lap, where his race took a heartbreaking turn.

Sam Bird dived up the inside of Müller as they entered the first corner, with the ABT CUPRA driver having been forced into the barrier and out of the race as a result. Bird was awarded a five-second time penalty for the incident; however, it didn’t change the fact that Müller was so close to another points finish.

He was understandably devastated to have been taken out given how big a points finish in Monaco would’ve been to the team; however, he remained full of spirit and determined to not let the late retirement “get us down”.

“We definitely deserved points today and were also very close, but unfortunately a competitor obviously had other plans. But we’re not letting that get us down. It was a great race day with lots of fans and it was fun to drive the new GEN3 car here in Monaco.”

It was another weekend to forget for Mahindra Racing at the iconic Monaco E-Prix, as the Indian manufacturer endured another point-less weekend.

Mahindra are certainly enduring a troubling spell of form, with the side having scored just one-point from the last five races. There was some hope of a points finish at the Circuit de Monaco, though, as Oliver Rowland made up seven places in the opening two laps. The Briton flew into sixth early on; however, multiple collisions saw him decide to retire from the race after suffering from pain in his hand. Thankfully, an X-Ray showed that he hadn’t broken any bones.

For Lucas Di Grassi, his miserable run of form continued, with the Brazilian having failed to score a point for the eighth race in a row after finishing twelfth. His sole points finish this season remains as his Mexico City podium, all the way back in January. To add to the team’s disappointment, they slipped to tenth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Rowland and Di Grassi both proved that the team do have a car that can perform in the race; however, they’re currently unable to qualify well enough to take advantage of it. With that in mind, Team Principal Frederic Bertrand has stressed the importance of qualifying “further up the grid”, so that they can be amongst the points much easier.

“Oliver had such a fantastic start, passing multiple cars in the opening laps, so it is frustrating that he ended up having to retire the car, but of course it is much more important that he gets his hand looked at immediately. Lucas also had a good race, he made up places to finish 13th, but the late safety car ruined any chance of us making up any more positions to score those points we are aiming for.

Lucas Di Grassi‘s difficult season continued at the Monaco E-Prix on Saturday, as the Brazilian failed to finish amongst the points places for the eighth consecutive race.

It’s remarkable to think that the former Formula E Champion hasn’t scored any points since the season-opener in Mexico City; however, that’s simply the situation the Mahindra Racing driver currently finds himself in. The ninth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship certainly didn’t start well for Di Grassi, after he crashed in Free Practice 1.

As a result of the time he lost, he struggled in qualifying, where he could only claim twentieth. He would’ve been last had DS Penske not been disqualified from the session, highlighting the Brazilian’s woes. Di Grassi made up great progress during the race, though, and would’ve contested the points places had there not been a late Safety Car, which left him to finish thirteenth. He was later promoted to twelfth following a five-second time penalty for Sam Bird.

Di Grassi was pleased with his performance at the Circuit de Monaco but admitted that the late Safety Car “really hurt our chances” of a points finish, which he’ll now be targeting in Jakarta.

“We had a tough day, starting with FP1 with a crash making us lose critical time in the first few laps of learning the track. Then we were playing catch up. In qualifying we made some improvements, managing the first set of tyres. I lost a set of tyres because of the crash so in qualifying the first part was actually quite good.

Maserati MSG Racing‘s Team Principal James Rossiter has openly admitted that he’s not a fan of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship‘s “new form of racing”, following another incident-packed Monaco E-Prix.

With it having been the team’s home event, Maserati were targeting a big performance at the Circuit de Monaco, especially after they claimed their first podium of the season in Berlin. Their home E-Prix actually started very well, with Maximilian Günther having topped Free Practice 2, before going on to qualify fourth. Edoardo Mortara also enjoyed a solid qualifying, with the Swiss driver having secured seventh on the grid.

The race itself started as expected for the Maserati duo, with both drivers having managed their energy amongst the points places. Saturday’s race was yet another case, though, of nobody wanting to lead in the opening stages, in a bid to preserve as much energy as possible. It’s become a theme this season to see the pace in the opening laps be incredibly slow, before it ramps up towards the end when energy management is no longer a concern.

As a result, field spread is often minimal given the slow pace, something which usually results in collisions. Saturday was no different, with Mortara having broken his front wing after having to suddenly avoid hitting Günther ahead, who was also trying his best to avoid an incident at the Grand Hotel hairpin. Günther’s race ended up coming to a scary end as they climbed Beau Rivage, after the German went into the back of Dan Ticktum.

Ticktum, though, was dragging his front wing underneath his car after he went into the back of Sacha Fenestraz, with some having questioned why he didn’t get out of the way given his damage. With Günther having retired and with Mortara having fallen to eleventh, Maserati ultimately failed to score any points, resulting in them dropping to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Maximilian Günther was left absolutely furious after Saturday’s Monaco E-Prix, with the German’s race having been brought to a late end following contact with Dan Ticktum.

With the ninth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship having been Maserati MSG Racing‘s home event, Günther was hopeful for a strong weekend, especially following his recent podium in Berlin. Saturday started well for the German after he topped Free Practice 2, before making it all the way to the Semi-Final stage of the duels, where he was beaten by Jake Hughes.

Nevertheless, starting fourth at the iconic Circuit de Monaco was a great result for Günther, who looked set to have a strong race. The Maserati driver was having a solid race amongst the top ten, before things did start to get messy in the closing stages. He collided with his team-mate at the Grand Hotel Hairpin whilst trying to avoid a car ahead of him, before he went into the back of Ticktum up Beau Rivage, bringing an immediate end to his race.

The incident with Ticktum was a massively controversial one, with the Briton having been dragging along his front wing underneath his car, following an earlier incident. Günther was furious following the collision with the NIO 333 Racing driver, with him having been left in shock at how he was “taken out by a competitor”.

“Today started really well for us, being fast and competitive in both practice sessions. Qualifying was great for me too, putting the car on the second row of the grid. We achieved our goals in this regard, and then tried to manage a good race.

The FIM will continue to prohibit Russian and Belarusian riders from taking part in races under its oversight for the forseeable future. Such a decision was reached after the FIM Board of Directors met on Friday in Madrid, Spain, ahead of the FIM Motocross World Championship round there.

The policy was implemented on 5 March 2022, nine days after Russia launched its widely condemned invasion of Ukraine. Such a ban is enforced via barring the Motorcycle Federation of Russia (MFR) and the Belarusian Federation of Motorcycle Sport (BFMS) from issuing FIM licences, while those already given out by the two federations are void. Members of either club who serve in FIM positions are also indefinitely suspended, as are FIM races that take place in the countries.

Although the FIA also has its own rules for drivers from Russia and ally Belarus, they are less restrictive than their FIM counterpart. Introduced four days before the FIM’s, the FIA’s “emergency measures” consist of documentation stipulating competitors stand in solidarity with Ukraine and those affected by the war, and that they agree to not display their nations’ emblems on their vehicles or gear. Document signees may also switch to another country’s flag if they have a licence from there or compete with no nationality.

Both motorsport bodies were already limiting Russians from racing under their flag amid the state-sponsored doping scandal in the years before the full-scale invasion.

“The Board of Directors reiterated its sympathy and solidarity with all those suffering, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” reads a statement from the FIM. “After having carefully considered the latest statements of the IOC and the fact that no favourable evolution of the situation had been noted in Ukraine, the Board once again confirmed the decisions taken at its extraordinary meeting on 5 March 2022. The FIM will continue to monitor the evolution of the situation, taking into account the specificity of motorcycle sport.”

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen extended his lead over team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings with an impressive recovery at the Miami Grand Prix, the fifth round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Verstappen was caught out by the red flag brought out in the final minutes of the session, ending Q3 early. Having not put in a competitive lap early on, he would start out of position in ninth place. He ran an alternative strategy, starting on the hard tyre while the drivers ahead selected the medium compound for their first stint. 

It took only until lap fifteen for Verstappen to overtake every driver ahead, apart from Perez, who had started on pole and continued to lead the race. Perez took the more popular strategy of starting on mediums and finishing on hards– he took to the pits on lap twenty-one, with Verstappen just over a second behind. 

All eyes were on the battle between the Red Bull Team-mates, and it became clear in the race’s final stages that Verstappen had the upper-hand. He overtook Perez for the lead with ten laps to go, after pitting for fresh mediums that gave him a significant advantage on low fuel and a rubbered-in track. 

Verstappen was “satisfied” with his win from all the way down in ninth place, and said that he was pleased to have had a clean, competitive battle with his team-mate. 

As Andreas Bakkerud moves from Extreme E‘s Championship Driver to championship-eligible driver, Tommi Hallman will assume his post at the former for this weekend’s Hydro X Prix.

Like Bakkerud and much of the Extreme E grid, Hallman hails from a rallycross background. After competing in Folkrace and Ralli SM, he won the 2019 Finnish Rallycross Esports Championship while also dabbling in RallyX Nordic. Hallman eventually committed to full-time racing in the latter’s Supercar Lites class in 2021. He has returned to sim racing in his off time such as competing in the inaugural iRacing Off-Road Championship Series in 2022.

In 2022, he entered the Nitro Rallycross NEXT category. After winning the NRX NEXT Europe portion of the schedule, he secured the season-long points championship with six total race victories.

Hallman posted on social media, “I’m very excited to be the Extreme E Championship Driver here in Scotland, so greatful for everyone who made it possible!”

As Championship Drivers, Hallman and Tamara Molinaro will be the reserve if anything happens to the main drivers while also testing the course for the series.

There are many great rally races around the world, but here are some of the best ones:

1. Rally Finland: Known for its fast and flowing stages, jumps and blind crests, this rally is considered by many to be the best of the World Rally Championship.

2. Rally Monte Carlo: This rally takes place in the French Alps and is known for its challenging and unpredictable weather conditions, with stages that can range from dry tarmac to icy snow.

3. Safari Rally: One of the toughest and most demanding rallies in the world, the Safari Rally takes place in Kenya and is known for its challenging terrain, including rocky tracks, deep ruts, and river crossings.

4. Rally Sweden: This rally takes place in the depths of winter and is known for its icy roads and snow banks that drivers can use to their advantage.

Florian Modlinger, Team Principal of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is certain that his side are “in the championship fight”, despite having endured a weekend to forget at the iconic Monaco E-Prix.

As iconic as the Circuit de Monaco is, Porsche won’t be remembering it for particuarly fond reasons anytime soon, with the Germans having lost the lead of the Constructors’ Championship. Having led the standings since Hyderabad, Porsche slipped to second behind Envision Racing after scoring just a single-point, courtesy of Pascal Wehrlein.

Wehrlein had crossed the line in eleventh but was promoted to tenth following a late penalty for Sam Bird, meaning Porsche at least left Monaco with something. As well as losing the lead of the Constructors’, Wehrlein lost his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with Nick Cassidy now being in control of the standings. It was an even more frustrating day for António Félix da Costa, who was forced to pit late-on after being hit from behind.

Despite having started nineteenth, Da Costa fought his way into the top ten, before a collision from behind punctured his right rear tyre, forcing him into the pits. The Portuguese driver eventually crossed the line in sixteenth, arguably ending his slim title chances.

It was certainly Porsche’s most difficult race of the season, with qualifying having once again been their downfall after neither driver made the duels. They’ve proven throughout the first half of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship that they do possess an unbelievable package, which is more than “capable of fighting for wins and podium spots”.

Pascal Wehrlein is no longer the leader of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, after enduring a miserable day at the Monaco E-Prix. Wehrlein won’t be remembering last Saturday anytime soon, with the German having salvaged just one-point from the famous Circuit de Monaco.

Having led the standings since the second race in Diriyah, the pressure is very much now on Wehrlein to bounce back in Jakarta, following a few disappointing races. Monaco was nothing short of a disaster, with the German having qualified twelfth for the ninth round of the season. Unlike in most races this season, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team driver struggled to make any progress through the field, with him having sat outside the points right until the end.

Wehrlein actually crossed the line in eleventh but was promoted to tenth after the race, following a five-second time penalty for Sam Bird. As a result of his second worst performance of the season, Wehrlein slipped to second in the standings, where he now sits twenty points behind Nick Cassidy.

The former championship leader admitted after the race that himself and the team had “hoped for better” given the strength of their car; however, he stressed that they now must “focus on our strong points” in order to get back amongst the title fight.

“As expected, it was a tough race. We’d hoped for better in Monaco and we’re disappointed not to have been able to showcase the true potential of our car. We now have to focus on our strong points and regain the performance that we’ve demonstrated so often this year. The second half of the season has only just begun.