Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

After losing in the Final at Diriyah, Mitch Evans bounced back to claim pole position for the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix, with the New Zealander having put on a sensational qualifying performance at the fourth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The session, though, was incredibly controversial, with several drivers having had lap-times deleted after certain segments of qualifying for exceeding track limits.

Group A

The opening qualifying group was packed-full of incredibly fast drivers, with Championship leader Pascal Wehrlein having been joined by Free Practice One pacesetter Sébastian Buemi, rookie phenomenon Jake Hughes, Lucas di Grassi, Mitch Evans, António Félix da Costa, Sacha Fenestraz, reigning World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne, Maximilian Günther, Oliver Rowland and Sérgio Sette Câmara.

The drivers in the first group all quickly got on to the circuit to set their initial laps, which are typically considerably slower than their final time in the session. It was rookie Fenestraz who sat at the top following each drivers first lap, with the Frenchman having been joined in the all-important top four by Evans, Rowland and Sette Câmara. Evans, though, managed to go fastest with five minutes remaining, before the majority of the drivers dived into the pits to prepare for a final big push to make the duels.

As the opening group moved into the final minute, all the drivers prepared for a final push, with Günther having been the first to make a move into the top four. However, he was immedietly dumped out of the duels, as was Rowland, as Hughes jumped to the top whilst Buemi snatched fourth, to just about make it into the duels. It meant championship leader Wehrlein was out in the group stage, with the German also set to be investigated for blocking Sette Câmara.

There was a huge late change, though, after the session had been completed, as Hughes’ two best times were deleted due to having breached the minimum pit-stop time by five seconds, meaning Günther was promoted into the duels.

After finding his mojo in Diriyah, Sam Bird made the perfect start to race day at the fourth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, after topping a beautifully sunny Free Practice Two at the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix. All eyes, though, were once again on the four Porsche-powered cars, who all returned to the circuit after missing the vast majority of Free Practice One, after Pascal Wehrlein suffered a “VCU disfunction”, as reported by The Race, in a huge crash.

As the sun rose in the morning Hyderabad sky, it was André Lotterer who was the first on-track as the first session of the day got underway, with all four Porsche-powered drivers having a lot of work to do to catch-up on the data gathering they missed in Free Practice One. To no surprise, the times quickly tumbled at the start of the session, as all the drivers attempted to clean the track surface in order to push for a better time; however, this caused traffic issues across the circuit.

Multiple drivers complained of traffic as the session moved through its opening phases, whilst Free Practice One pacesetter Sébastian Buemi remained calmly in the pits, with the Swiss driver having opted to remain in the garage until the circuit improved. On the timesheets and it was rookie Sacha Fenestraz who set the pace early on; however, he was almost immediately pushed down to third, as Lucas di Grassi and Bird moved above him.

As the session moved into its final twenty minutes, it was Mitch Evans who jumped to the top after setting the fastest time of the weekend so far, after becoming the first driver to move into the high 1:14s. With a 1:14 having been set so early in the session, it was a clear indicator that much faster times were possible, as the circuit continued to evolve. A faster time is exactly what Di Grassi posted as the session approached its halfway point, after moving to the top on a 1:14.8.

However, as the session did tick into its second-half, René Rast set a remarkable time of a 1:14.524, three-tenths faster than the time set by Di Grassi moments before. Di Grassi, though, is clearly a man on a mission this weekend, as the season opener pole-sitter returned to the top with twelve minutes remaining, by almost breaking into the 1:13s, after setting a 1:14.118, three-tenths faster than anyone else.

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team’s Fernando Alonso shared his belief that his new teammate Lance Stroll has the talent to become world champion in the future. Coming into the Britain-based team with over twenty years of experience in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and two titles to his name, Alonso looks forward to assisting the team in achieving their goal of becoming title contenders. 

According to PlanetF1.com, Alonso said that he has known Stroll for over a decade, having met him during his stint at Ferrari over a decade ago. He has also been friendly with the Canadian’s Father and owner of the Aston Martin team, Lawrence Stroll, for “many years.”

“I’ve known Lance for 11 years. We met in 2012 when I was at Ferrari – he was in the Ferrari Academy. And I’ve known his father, Lawrence, for many years. He’s a great friend of mine. I’ve been to his house in Canada a few times, doing different sports and enjoying time together.”

Alonso said that Stroll’s evolution as a driver has been “special” to see, having become an asset to Aston Martin as a skillful young driver. He noted that Stroll is particularly strong in wet conditions, which have resulted in some of his most impressive performances, such as his pole position at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix. 

“In Lance, the team has a driver who is super young, super talented and has the possibility to be World Champion. To see him achieve that and have played a part in that, whether that’s behind the wheel or not, will be special for me.”

Sébastian Buemi continued his fine start to the Gen3 era by topping Free Practice One at the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix; however, the entire session was overshadowed by a huge crash for championship leader Pascal Wehrlein, who appeared to suffer a throttle-based reliability issue.

The 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is certainly flying by, with this weekend already marking the twenty-five percent mark of the first season of the Gen3 era. Most importantly, though, this weekend is the first Formula E event in India, and the first major motorsport event in the nation since the 2013 Indian Grand Prix. Facing the drivers this weekend is the Hyderabad Street Circuit, which looks set to see some of the highest speeds of the season, with it being a very fast circuit.

As well as being one of the fastest circuits of the season, it is also going to be one of the most physically demanding for the drivers, given that the air temperature was thirty-four degrees Celsius ahead of the opening session of the weekend. Another issue for the drivers to deal with is an incredibly dusty track surface, which caused several issues during the Official Shakedown.

It was Maximilian Günther, though, who got Free Practice One underway following a lengthy forty-five minute delay due to a force majeure. The track surface was significantly better than it was during the earlier shakedown, with the marshals having been clearing the dust in between the sessions. Just two minutes into the session and it was suddenly red-flagged, as Drivers’ Championship leader Wehrlein heavily hit the barrier at Turn Eighteen, with the front of his car having significant damage.

Wehrlein’s collision at the final corner was huge, with it having looked like a clear throttle-based issue, given how fast his car went into the barrier. Whilst he did walk away, Wehrlein was taken to the medical centre as a precaution. The circuit was cleared within seven minutes miraculously, with the local marshals having done an excellent job. Twenty minutes remained on the clock when the session resumed, with all of the remaining drivers having quickly gotten back onto the circuit, except Wehrlein’s team-mate António Félix da Costa.

Despite breaking two of his vertebrae at the Dakar Rally in January, Carlos Sainz does not need to head to an operating room to get it treated. Instead, he revealed Thursday, he has been undergoing INDIBA radiofrequency therapy to help recover.

“A small message, thank you very much, thank you very much INDIBA, who has been there, who has been my companion these last weeks,” said Sainz. “Thanks to its work, well, I won’t have to go through the operating room. I am very happy because it will speed up, probably for the recovery, what positive news.”

Sainz’s 2023 Dakar Rally ended when he rolled early into Stage #9, resulting in fractures of the T5 and T6 vertebrae. He had hoped to rejoin the race and was permitted to fly back from the hospital to make repairs, but the damage to his Audi RS Q e-tron E2 was terminal and ended his race. Having reported torso pain following the crash, he noticed it did not subside during his trip back to Madrid, prompting him to undergo medical evaluations that revealed the extent of his injuries. On a plus side, Sainz noted the vertebrae were stable.

INDIBA is a regenerative physiotherapy that is used for various types of treatments including rehabilitating neck and spinal pain as well as fractures and muscle tears. A special device is used to expedite the body’s natural healing process by stimulating bone growth and tissue repair, which activates cells in the affected areas to begin recovering organically.

As Sainz continues to heal, he has not confirmed if he will be back in time for the next World Rally-Raid Championship leg, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge that begins on 25 February. Otherwise, his main priority will likely be the Extreme E season opener in Saudi Arabia on 11/12 March, giving him a month to complete his recovery.

After running the first two Extreme E seasons as Andretti United XE, the team has been renamed Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E for the 2023 championship to reflect an expanded partnership with ALTAWKILAT.

Owned by Universal Motors Agencies, ALTAWKILAT is a Saudi automotive dealership company that has operated for over seventy-five years. It is closely affiliated with General Motors and therefore includes GM’s brands like Chevrolet and GMC (a partner of fellow XE team Chip Ganassi Racing), while non-GM makes under ALTAWKILAT’s coverage include Dongfeng, Infiniti, and Maserati. The company has worked with Andretti since 2021.

The deal makes ALTAWKILAT the second entity in Saudi Arabia to hold naming rights to an Extreme E team after NEOM joined McLaren XE in 2022. It also comes a month before the season-opening Desert X Prix in NEOM.

“We are delighted and honoured to partner with Andretti, a legend in motorsports,” said ALTAWKILAT CEO Mohammed Abduljawad. “We admire the great work done by the Andretti team through its Extreme E programme to bring awareness of the effects of global warming and to demonstrate the use of alternate mobility solutions such as electric vehicles.

“We are privileged to be associated with the team from Season 3 and hope to play an active role in bringing awareness for the use of alternate energy sources to reduce air pollution and the need to protect the planet from the effects of global warming.

As efforts to recover from the devastating earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkey continue, the off-road racing world is chipping in as well. Among the participants are the Istanbul Off-road Club, whose base was not impacted by the quakes but will still strive to aid their people, and RBI Sport, located in neighbouring Bulgaria.

The Istanbul Off-road Club (ISOFF) is the organiser of the Baja Troia Türkiye, which is set to be the fifth and final round of the 2023 FIA European Cup for Cross-Country Bajas on 20–22 October. Hoping to contribute to the rescue efforts, the ISOFF partnered with GEA, a Turkish volunteer rescue team that is a member of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG). GEA has 239 personnel which a press release on 9 February stated was able to rescue twenty-eight survivors.

ISOFF and GEA have some overlap in membership, which prompted the former to send off-road trucks to assist.

“Two major earthquakes hit Eastern Turkiye back to back, leaving devastating effects with thousands of lost lives, injured ones,” stated ISOFF head Kubilay Tufekci. “While our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy, we as ISOFF Istanbul Off-road Club teamed up with GEA Search & Rescue Team where we also have common members with. We immediately send trucks with urgent necessities and our experienced members headed to the region for help. We are still coordinating with our international friends for receiving their trucks of relief supplies. Our dear friends Alex Kovatchev from Bulgaria and Maurizio from Romania send us their official rescue teams with 75 brave men and women, we are so grateful to all these support… We express our condolences for the losses and wish quick recovery for the ones wounded physically and mentally.”

An ISOFF post on Friday read, “We are all devastated by the back-to-back earthquakes that disrupted our country. We wish mercy from Allah to those who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to the wounded.

Christian Horner says Oracle Red Bull Racing will need to be wary about potential improvements from Scuderia Ferrari during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season if they have solved the reliability issues that blighted them during 2022.

Power units within Formula 1 are currently homologated, with changes only being allowed to solve any mechanical issues, and Ferrari will go into the new season with some updates that should stop them failing as much as they did last season.

Horner, the Team Principal of Red Bull, says Ferrari solving their reliability concerns means they will be able to unleash the full potential of their power unit, something they were unable to do at times due to the fragility of the engine.

“The engines are homologated so theoretically there shouldn’t be big horsepower gains,” said Horner to German publication Auto Motor und Sport.  “And also the fuel is homologated. So any reports of new fuels shouldn’t be permitted.

“But of course Ferrari had some reliability issues last year, so if they’ve managed to address that, and through that been able to turn up their power, inevitably they will see some form of progress now.”

Frédéric Vasseur has revealed that those within Audi Sport were insistent that he should not turn down the opportunity to join Scuderia Ferrari as Team Principal ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Vasseur left his role as Team Principal of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN outfit after Ferrari put in a request for him to replace Mattia Binotto in charge of their Formula 1 team, and he moved there with the blessings of Audi, who will join the team in 2026.

He had been a part in the negotiations between the Sauber Group and Audi about the latter investing in their Formula 1 team, but they were not going to let Vasseur miss out on an opportunity to join Ferrari.

“Sauber is a team that is staying close to my thoughts and I had a very good relationship with everyone in the team, so I wish them all the best for the future and Andreas also,” Vasseur is quoted as saying by Racer.com. “It’s a challenge — but it is always a challenge and I don’t imagine you can have an easy life in F1.

“When I had a call with Ferrari I didn’t share the call with everybody in the world! It was my own reflection and discussion with (Ferrari chairman) John Elkann, and I didn’t share it at all with Audi before the announcement.

Jake Dennis is hoping for yet more points this weekend at the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix, with the British driver having started the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in sublime fashion.

The Avalanche Andretti Formula E driver has been one of the stars of the Gen3 era so far, with Dennis having won the season opener, before coming second at both races in Diriyah just under a fortnight ago. The strong start to the season has put the Brit second in the Drivers’ Championship, with himself and Pascal Wehrlein having cemented themselves as the early title favourites.

This weekend, though, presents a very different challenge, with it being Formula E’s first visit to India, meaning it’s a new circuit for everybody. This could result in a slightly different order given that everyone is entering the weekend with zero-experience of the Hyderabad Street Circuit, which Dennis has labelled as being “quite fast and flowing’ based on the simulator.

Dennis is hopeful that he can continue his “momentum” and claim another strong result this weekend, and hopefully reclaim the championship lead.

“I’m excited to be heading to India for the fourth race of the year. I think it’s going to be really interesting as the track looks quite fast and flowing which should hopefully play into our hands. It will be my first time in India too, so I’m looking forward to experiencing the culture and the country itself.

Kyle Busch is back for another five-race slate in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2023, except this will be his first time doing so in a Chevrolet Silverado since 2007. On Wednesday, his Kyle Busch Motorsports team announced he will run the #51 Silverado RST with sponsorship from drayage company Zariz Transport, who will also support the truck in the other eighteen races on the 2023 schedule.

His season begins at his home track Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 3 March. He will later race at Circuit of the Americas (25 March), Martinsville Speedway (14 April), Kansas Speedway (6 May), and Pocono Raceway (22 July).

“(Wife) Samantha and I were introduced to Zariz through our foundation and immediately developed a great connection with them and we are honoured that not only have they committed to the Truck Series sponsorship for multiple years, but they’ll also continue being the presenting sponsor of our Bundle of Joy Fund gala,” said Busch. “We feel that introducing them to NASCAR consumers and people within the industry on the national stage through the Craftsman Truck Series makes perfect sense given the nature of their business and I can’t wait to make them a part of KBM’s winning tradition.”

Busch is the winningest driver in series history with sixty-two victories, over four times more than the next active driver (Matt Crafton with fifteen), highlighted by a perfect sweep in 2019 when he won all five of his entered races. While he only won once in 2022 at the Truck Series’ first race at Sonoma since 1998, he notched top tens in every race including a runner-up at Las Vegas and third at COTA.

COTA is the lone track of the five where Busch has not won in the Trucks, though he claimed the Xfinity race there in 2021. He has three victories at Las Vegas and Kansas apiece, as well as two at Kansas and Martinsville.

Myatt Snider worked for Joe Gibbs Racing as a teenager, but will now get to race for them in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. On Wednesday, JGR announced he will race the #19 Toyota GR Supra in six races during the 2023 season beginning with the opener at Daytona International Speedway on 18 February.

Further starts are planned for Portland International Raceway on 3 June, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on 7 October, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 14 October, Martinsville Speedway on 28 October, and Phoenix Raceway on 4 November.

Snider was previously employed by JGR from 2011 to 2015 in various positions. In 2013 and 2014, he worked under crew chief Jason Ratcliff at the #20 entry driven by Matt Kenseth, who finished second in the 2013 points battle; Ratcliff is now the #19 Xfinity crew chief. While Snider never drove for JGR prior to 2023, he ran eight Truck Series races in 2017 for then-affiliate Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“Having worked with JGR as a high schooler and a young racer, it’s an awesome full circle moment to return as a driver to the team that taught me so much about racing itself,” said Snider. “It’s good to be reunited with Jason Ratcliff as we have an awesome history working together. With many memories and wins from 2013 and 2014 when I worked on the #20 Toyota Camry under Jason’s leadership, the team has always been more of a family relationship to me. I’m glad to be returning to the JGR family and looking forward to continuing to learn and grow as a driver.”

Snider was an Xfinity full-timer for Chevrolet since his début in 2020, peaking in 2021 with Richard Childress Racing with a win and a ninth-place points finish. He spent 2022 with Jordan Anderson Racing and placed eighteenth with a best run of second at Portland. However, JAR elected to bring in Jeb Burton and Parker Retzlaff for their 2023 roster, leaving Snider without a ride.

The Nissan Formula E Team enter the fourth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in need of points, with the side having claimed just four so far from the start of the Gen3 era. Team Principal Tommaso Volpe knows the Japanese manufacturer must go to the “next level” to get themselves up the order, starting this weekend at the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix.

Nissan enter the first-ever Formula E race in India eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, thanks to rookie Sacha Fenestraz having scored the team’s only points of the season in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. It’s been a mixed start to the season for Nissan, with Fenestraz in particular having shown real promise, whilst Norman Nato is still adjusting to life back in Formula E.

The team’s powertrain is certainly quick when it comes to one-lap pace, with their customer team – the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team – having had Jake Hughes qualify in the top three at each race so far this season. An issue that seems to be frustrating both Nissan and McLaren, though, is energy management, with both sides often finding themselves fighting for dear-life to hold onto their position.

Once Nissan understand how to improve their energy management, then they will arguably have a complete all-around package, something which will likely see the factory outfit amongst the points more often.

Looking ahead to India this weekend, Volpe is aware that there are “many unknowns”; however, he’s confident that a good result is possible, with the team knowing “what we’re capable of”.

Kris Wright is back at Young’s Motorsports for the full 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, the team announced Wednesday. He will drive the #02 Chevrolet Silverado RST.

“Everyone at Young’s Motorsports is thrilled to welcome Kris back to the team for the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season,” said team principal Tyler Young. “His contagious energy and positive attitude have certainly been missed.

“Without a doubt, the additional experience he has gained on the track over the past two seasons will certainly be an asset to our programme as we look toward a competitive season. With hard work and perseverance, I know this can be a stellar season for Kris representing our flagship number and team in the Truck Series.”

Wright ran sixteen of twenty-two races for Young’s in the #02 in 2021, recording a best finish of twelfth in the opener at Daytona. He moved to Niece Motorsports for the full 2022 season but departed the team midseason to focus on the Xfinity Series with Brandonbilt Motorsports. With Niece, his best run was fifteenth at COTA, a rather appropriate location as he previously competed in sports cars and open-wheel racing.

He made his Truck début in 2020 for GMS Racing at the Daytona Road Course. Owing to his background, he also ran every Xfinity road race with Sam Hunt Racing the following year.

Rookie Sacha Fenestraz is hopeful that this weekend’s Hyderabad E-Prix will “level the playing field”, given that it’s the first time that the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has visited India.

The Nissan Formula E Team rookie has had a solid start to life in the all-electric series, and actually claimed his and the team’s first points of the season in the second race in Diriyah just under two weeks ago. This weekend’s new venue could offer the Frenchman a chance to challenge for higher than the eighth place he managed in Saudi Arabia, with him having been strong during qualifying in particular.

Like the vast majority of the drivers, Fenestraz is “really excited” to be visiting India this weekend and is hopeful that he can continue “progressing” after being strong in Diriyah.

“I’m really excited about heading to Hyderabad. None of the drivers have raced here before, so it levels the playing field a bit for me as a rookie. I’m improving and learning at every race, getting accustomed to energy and tire management. I was pleased with the points in Diriyah, the signs have been good since the beginning of the season so we’re hoping to keep progressing and find the consistency needed to succeed in this championship.

“We’ve been putting in the hours to be ready for the race, getting used to the track in the simulator, so hopefully we can hit the ground running.”