Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

William Byron just got a new lifeline entering the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series‘ Round of 12 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. On Thursday, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel announced Byron’s penalty for spinning Denny Hamlin at Texas at the round opener has been modified, dropping his twenty-five-point deduction. In place of a points penalty, his $50,000 (€51,076.75) was increased to $100,000 (€102,153.50).

Byron had violated Sections 4.3.A and 4.4.C of the NASCAR code of conduct when he spun Hamlin under caution. While Byron admitted the contact was intentional, he asserted he was not trying to spin him altogether. Nevertheless, he was slapped with the penalty and fine, which dropped him below the playoff cutline.

With the twenty-five points restored, Byron is now seventh in the standings and fourteen points above the cutline. Had the points reduction stayed, he would have been eleventh, three places and eleven points out from advancing to the Round of 8. Conversely, this drops Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric out of the top eight.

The appeal was overheard by Raycom Sports CEO Hunter Nickell, Bowman Gray Stadium owner Dale Pinilis, and Greenville-Pickens Speedway operator Kevin Whitaker. The panel is an independent entity of NASCAR.

Charles Leclerc is targeting another strong Grand Prix at this weekend’s returning Japanese Grand Prix, after finishing second at the Singapore Grand Prix recently.

The Monegasque driver had qualified on pole at the Marina Bay Circuit, but slipped behind Sergio Pérez into Turn One. Leclerc sat behind the Mexican for the majority of the race, but was unable to find a way past.

This weekend presents a new opportunity for the Scuderia Ferrari driver at the Suzuka International Racing Course, a venue he’s previously finished no higher than sixth place at. He’ll be expecting considerably better than that this weekend, with it looking like a venue which should suit the F1-75. Leclerc does need a good result in order to remain second in the Drivers’ Championship, with just two points separating himself and Pérez.

Leclerc knows that for a good weekend to happen the team need to work on “how we operate” on Sundays, something which has regularly let them down. Nevertheless he’s excited to get back on the circuit that everyone loves, and to drive in front of the “passionate” fans.

“That’s the effect being at this track has on you. Driving here is really enjoyable, especially the first sector with the sequence of esses. Actually, in general it’s fantastic, because it is particularly demanding. Putting together a great lap means taking every corner perfectly.

The fifth and final stage of the Rallye du Maroc on Thursday brought the field back from Tan Tan to Agadir, and with it Nasser Al-Attiyah walked away with the World Rally-Raid Championship T1 points lead as one race remains at the Andalucía Rally on 18–23 October.

Al-Attiyah entered Morocco trailing Sébastien Loeb by one point, but the latter’s retirement in Stage #4 gave Al-Attiyah the edge even with Loeb winning the class on Thursday. Al-Attiyah, a two-time stage victor, finished the stage in fifth to conclude with a third-place overall finish (total time of 15:16:53) behind Guerlain Chicherit (14:47:29) and Orlando Terranova (14:58:24). Loeb was classified fifty-first overall despite two stage wins.

“This was an amazing rally on tracks that were completely new for us,” said Al-Attiyah. “We’re happy to finish on the podium, it puts us one step closer to winning this very important title.”

Loeb described “the result at the end is not exactly what I expected for the championship. What we did here in Morocco will help us to understand some things on the car that we can solve before the next Dakar.”

While Chicherit failed to win a stage, his consistency enabled him to take the overall beginning with Stage #3 and lead the rest of the way. The victory marks a strong beginning to his tenure with the Prodrive Hunter, which he will pilot over the next two years including the 2023 Dakar Rally.

After a solid eighth place finish at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel goes straight into another weekend that is incredibly close to him, the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Suzuka International Racing Course is so special to the German in fact, that he admitted to reporters that he’d be open to a one-off Formula 1 appearance in the future at Suzuka. Vettel has won four times at the Japanese venue and has also claimed five pole positions at it. The four-time World Champion also famously claimed his 2011 World Championship at the venue, which at the time made him a double World Champion.

It’s safe to assume that pole position and a victory is off the cards this weekend; however, after Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team jumped to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship last weekend, Vettel is hoping that the team can score more “good points” this weekend.

“Suzuka is a fantastic circuit – my favourite on the whole calendar, in fact. I have so many special memories of this place – the track is just a special place, and the fans are absolutely amazing as well. Overall, the atmosphere just feels magical. This place is a huge challenge, and it is so satisfying when the perfect lap comes together. It is tough to predict exactly how we will perform this weekend, but we delivered some good points at Spa which is also a lower-downforce circuit.”

Suzuka a “challenge I absolutely relish” – Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll also enjoyed an excellent weekend in Singapore, where he claimed a very solid sixth-place finish, at a time when the Silverstone-based team were in desperate need of a solid points finish.

McLaren F1 Team will look to continue their good vein of form this weekend after they finished with both cars inside the top five at the Singapore Grand Prix.

This weekend, Formula 1 turns its attention to the Japanese Grand Prix for the first time since 2019. The race follows Singapore in what is an Asian double-header, as McLaren look to extend their advantage on BWT Alpine F1 Team in the Constructors’ Championship.

It was a season-best result last time out for Daniel Ricciardo with a strong fifth-placed finish. It hasn’t been an easy season for the Australian driver, who has seen himself lose his seat to Oscar Piastri next season due to poor performance. However, it wasn’t a poor performance in Singapore with Ricciardo climbing from sixteenth to fifth to secure some crucial points for the team.

Ricciardo was relieved with his performance last time out and hopes it continues, as he looks to secure a seat on next season’s Formula 1 grid.

“I can’t wait to get back out on track again this weekend in Suzuka, especially after an enjoyable double top-five team result in Singapore. We managed the conditions well and most importantly picked up valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship! It’s great to see the team’s hard work pay off.  

McLaren F1 Team turned around a large deficit at the Singapore Grand Prix, as they overtook rivals BWT Alpine F1 Team in the battle for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.

McLaren had two drivers in the top five in Singapore for the first time this season. Lando Norris had a good qualifying session and jumped Fernando Alonso at the start, after a number of incidents the Brit managed to finish fourth. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo scored his best result of the season finishing fifth as he looks to secure a Formula 1 seat for next season after Oscar Piastri was announced as his replacement earlier this season.

The team return to Japan this weekend for the Japanese Grand Prix, for the first time since 2019. It will be another interesting race as Alpine and McLaren battle to finish as the ‘best of rest’ in the Constructors’ Standings.

McLaren Team Principal, Andreas Seidl is hoping that the team can continue to perform after an impressive result last time out.

“It’s great to be heading back to Japan for another returning race on the calendar! We’re looking forward to going racing again with the short turnaround from Singapore. The Japanese fans are always so passionate so it will be another event full of energy.  

It’s take two for Max Verstappen at this weekend’s returning Japanese Grand Prix, as the championship leader will be hoping for much better luck at trying to become a double World Champion this weekend than he had at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Singapore ended up being an off weekend for the Dutchman, mainy through the fault of his team after he wasn’t fuelled to the right capacity to complete his final lap in Qualifying Three.

Following on from his seventh place finish at the Marina Bay Circuit, the championship moves on to a venue much closer to the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver’s heart, the Suzuka International Racing Course. Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at the circuit back in 2014, where he drove in Free Practice One for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

A lot has changed since then, the biggest one being that he’s on the verge of becoming a two-time World Champion. To do so this weekend, Verstappen needs to outscore Charles Leclerc by six points and his team-mate by eight, otherwise it’ll go to the United States Grand Prix.

Verstappen “can’t wait” to finally get back onto “Suzuka again”, and is aiming to “build throughout” the weekend.

After falling to ninth in the Constructors’ Championship after last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Scuderia AlphaTauri will be looking to take the battle to their rivals in the first FIA Formula 1 World Championship Japanese Grand Prix since the 2019 season.

Yuki Tsunoda had a difficult weekend at the Marina Bay Circuit, despite qualifying in a healthy tenth position; he was unable to convert in the main event on Sunday. The Japanese driver failed to reach the chequered flag after crashing out and pulling out the Safety Car on lap thirty-five, after he hit the barriers at Turn Ten.

Tsunoda will be hoping for a more fortunate Sunday as he takes part in his first home Grand Prix, after its absence from the Formula 1 calendar for two years.

“My first visit to Singapore did not go the way I had hoped. We had not looked great on Friday but recovered enough to get to Q3 which I was pleased about. In the race, the conditions were very tricky, and I think we switched to the slick tyres a bit too early.

“But having said that, it was my mistake; I misjudged my braking point and crashed. Now, I’m going to put that behind me and focus on this coming weekend for my very first home race in Formula 1.“

UK fans of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship will be glad to hear that Sky and Channel 4 have once again struck a deal for highlights of all twenty-four 2023 Grand Prix’s to be aired on free-to-air TV, with the 2023 British Grand Prix to be live on Channel 4 in addition to their full season highlights package.

Fans wanting to view every Free Practice, Qualifying and Race live, will need to pay for the Sky Sports F1 channel has as been the norm over recent seasons; however, Channel 4 will continue to offer highlights of every Qualifying and Race on their free-to-air channel.

Channel 4’s coverage will continue to be produced by the award-winning Whisper, as they look forward to producing another season of the pinnacle of motorsport.

Channel 4’s Chief Executive Alex Mahon hailed the “fantastic news” and is grateful for the channel’s “close working relationship with Sky”.

“It’s fantastic news that motorsport fans will be able to follow all the action during the 2023 Formula 1 season on free to air television thanks to this latest deal with Sky.

The “crappy-ass parts” have bitten Kevin Harvick in the, well, ass.

On Wednesday, NASCAR announced Harvick has received an L2 penalty that includes a 100-point reduction plus a fine of $100,000 and four-race suspension for crew chief Rodney Childers. As there are five races remaining in the season, Childers will return for the finale at Phoenix.

Harvick is the third driver to suffer the penalty after fellow Fords Brad Keselowski and Michael McDowell. The infraction focuses on the modification of a part manufactured by a central company before being provided to teams, of which there are many on the Next Gen car. Such violations fall under Sections 14.1.C, D, and Q of the rulebook concerning disallowed body changes. 14.1.Q particularly centres on elements that could impact the aerodynamics of a car.

While he is not the first person to receive such discipline, Harvick’s punishment comes at a rather interesting time as he and fellow driver Denny Hamlin have been major critics of the Next Gen car’s parts and safety. At Darlington in September, Harvick’s car suddenly caught fire from an exhaust problem and eliminated him from the playoffs; while NASCAR subsequently allowed intumescent coatings to mitigate the problem, the driver had already made his grievances clear with the above quote.

Shorty before NASCAR announced the penalty, Harvick tweeted, “Seems strange…”

After failing to maximise the potential of their W13 during last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team are looking to rebound this weekend in the first Japanese Grand Prix since 2019.

Lewis Hamilton could only finish ninth last weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in a race that included a trip into the barriers, while George Russell lost out heavily by pitting early for dry tyres, with the time lost, as well as contact with Mick Schumacher that saw him suffer a puncture, leaving him at the back of the field.

Toto Wolff, the Team Principal at Mercedes, says there were still some positives to take away from Singapore, but they will be looking into ways to do things differently in the future to avoid a repeat of their problems.

“It was a very difficult Sunday for us in Singapore,” admitted Wolff.  “There were still some positives to take because we saw glimpses of the car’s pace and potential. But we couldn’t convert that into points in the race itself, although the car showed it was competitive in free air.

“We’ve had plenty to debrief and analyse over the past few days and many learnings to take forward. Thankfully we can move quickly onto the next race and a new challenge for us to tackle.”

Kevin Magnussen feels this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix could be a good one for the Haas F1 Team, with the race at the Suzuka International Racing Course making a welcome return to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar after two years away due to COVID-19.

The Dane says coming back to the historic circuit, which has hosted many memorable races across the years, is good, and he is hoping to return to the points this weekend for the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

“I have memories of watching Formula 1 and it was one of those tracks where, as a kid, it made me want to try it that much more,” said Magnussen.  “It has a lot of history – obviously with [Ayrton] Senna and [Alain] Prost, and Honda of course – but for me we’ve scored a few points, and I’m hoping to score more on our return.

“I think it should be alright, it could be good for us. It’s not a low downforce track so we should be able to run the optimal package for the track. With these cars, Japan is going to be easier to overtake on because it always used to be following.”

The weather at Suzuka has been unpredictable across the years, and Magnussen says this could add even more craziness to an already crazy race.

Guenther Steiner admitted it was a frustrating feeling to see the stewards in Singapore force Kevin Magnussen to pit to replace a damaged front wing last Sunday, with the stop all but ending his chances of scoring points.

It is not the first time during the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season that the Haas F1 Team driver has suffered with front wing damage that has resulted in him being shown the black and orange flag, which necessitates a trip to the pit lane for repairs.

Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, believes it was an unjustified call by the stewards, feeling that the wing damage was only superficial and not dangerous in any way.

“When something like this happens in the race, it’s very frustrating and obviously I get very upset about it because first of all, we put ourselves in this position and then we got help from the FIA to be put into an even worse position, having to come in to change a part which is not a safety issue,” said Steiner.

“If I didn’t feel emotional about it, I shouldn’t be sitting here in my opinion. I care, I care about the team and there were two instances which went against us. One inflicted by ourselves and one inflicted by somebody outside which was completely unjust.

Following on from the first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019, another driver favourite makes it’s highly anticipated return this weekend, the Japanese Grand Prix.

Corners like 130R and Spoon have been unbelievably missed by both drivers and fans, with no FIA Formula 1 World Championship action having taken place at the venue since Valtteri Bottas won for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.

A lot has changed since Formula 1 last raced at the venue three years ago, none bigger than the cars themselves. This weekend’s race at the legendary Suzuka International Racing Course will present Pirelli with their biggest challenge yet of the new for this season, 18-inch tyres, given that 130R and Spoon are two of the most “demanding corners” on the calendar.

With that in mind, the Italian tyre manufacturer has opted to bring the hardest range of their tyres to Japan, the C1, C2 and C3. It means the sport has gone from using the softest range in Singapore last weekend, to the hardest range in Japan this weekend.

The schedule for this weekend is set to be slightly different, with Free Practice Two to be extended by thirty minutes, making it a total of ninety minutes. This will also be done at the United States Grand Prix; however, only the Pirelli 2023 prototype slick tyre can be used during the session. This will have no coloured sidewall, making it clear to the viewer.

Despite having supposedly said goodbye to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the end of 2021, it has been announced that Honda will once again take up a big role in supporting both Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri, starting from this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

The Japanese manufacturer, despite having ‘left’ Formula 1 at the end of 2021, have continued to offer both teams technical support and have provided a base for their power units; however, it looks set that the relationship will return to what it was somewhat like from 2019-2021. The “new agreements” are set to last until the end of 2025, prior to the new engine regulations being introduced in 2026.

Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko is reportedly set to hold talks with the company about continuing their partnership into the new engine era, which could see Honda supply powertrains to both teams. The increase in their partnership will see the Honda logo return to both teams, with it set to remain until the end of 2025 at least.

Marko is “proud” to go from “strength to strength” with the manufacturer, with the Austrian hoping for “more success”. 

“Oracle Red Bull Racing and Honda Racing Corporation have achieved great success in Formula One together. With these new agreements, we are proud to continue going from strength to strength with the technical support from HRC until the next generation of engines are introduced in 2026. We are confident this relationship with HRC will set us up for more success over the next three seasons and thank them for their ongoing support.”