Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Carlos Sainz Jr. hopes Scuderia Ferrari will be able to get back out on track and compete at the front of the field this weekend at the Circuit Zandvoort, with the Spaniard not anticipating any kind of repeat dominance from Oracle Red Bull Racing at the Dutch track.

Max Verstappen was in dominant form last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, overcoming a grid penalty for engine component changes to charge from fourteenth on the grid to claim victory by more than twenty seconds, while Sainz was only third behind the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.

Sainz does not believe Ferrari will be as far off the pace as they were in Belgium this weekend at Zandvoort, and he believes they should be back in the fight for the win come Sunday afternoon.

“After the race at Spa-Francorchamps it’s great to have the chance to get straight back onto the track here in the Netherlands,” said Sainz. “This is a circuit with totally different characteristics and I expect that we will be back to being much closer to our main rivals from this year.

“We shouldn’t forget that for 13 races out of 14 we have been competitive and I can’t imagine that we will see at Zandvoort a similar performance gap to the one from Belgium.”

Pierre Gasly was pleased to score points in the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, particularly when a problem just before the start meant he was forced to start from the pit lane.

The Scuderia AlphaTauri driver was starting his one hundredth Grand Prix last Sunday and he was set to start the race from ninth on the grid, but a problem with his AT-03 saw him wheeled to the garage, and the car was restarted just in time for him to compete.

Gasly says scoring points at Spa-Francorchamps was good for the morale of the AlphaTauri team, with top ten finishes hard to come by in a season where they were hoping to progress.

“Scoring points is good for team morale, but I had to work hard for them after a last-minute problem meant I started my 100th Grand Prix from the pitlane, so getting back into the points from there was amazing,” said Gasly.  

Last year saw Gasly enjoy a strong Dutch Grand Prix, starting and finishing inside the top four, and although the cars are very different to how they were twelve months ago, he hopes what AlphaTauri learned in 2021 can help them be competitive again at the Circuit Zandvoort in 2022.

Leading the way for PREMA in the FIA Formula 3 championship is rookie Oliver Bearman. The British driver impressed in Spa-Francorchamps, taking the sprint race win on Saturday and then following it up with a podium finish on Sunday, picking up twenty-five points in the process. This leaves the seventeen-year-old second in the standings, only one point behind fellow rookie Isack Hadjar. Bearman will be hoping to repeat his success from his  F4 days in Zandvoort, and put himself one step closer to lifting the championship trophy.

Another man that will be looking to replicate past glory in Zandvoort, is Bearman’s PREMA teammate Arthur Leclerc. The Monegasque stood on the top step of the podium in Race one at Zandvoort in 2021, and as he currently sits fourth in the championship, five points off top spot, a repeat of that feat could see him climb the standings. 

The final member of the PREMA team is Red Bull junior Jak Crawford. Crawford currently lies sixth in the championship after picking up no points in Spa, due to a mistake in qualifying that saw him start both races, last on the grid. The American has winning potential as he showed in Spielberg, taking the victory in Saturday’s sprint race, however as he currently trails the championship leader by twenty six points, he will have to put in a monumental performance in Zandvoort and the final round in Imola the following weekend.

PREMA currently lead the constructors championship by eighty six points, meaning a large haul of points in Saturday’s sprint race could bag the team an early constructors crown.

Rene Rosin, PREMA Team Principal expressed his delight at the teams results and emphasised the importance of qualifying in Zandvoort, “We are enjoying a positive moment in FIA Formula 3, and Ollie has been particularly impressive with five podiums and a win in the last seven races. 

The Dutch Grand Prix returns this weekend for the second consecutive season on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar. BWT Alpine’s F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso will be looking for another strong points finish to end his Alpine career on a high.

Alonso spoke of his excitement for the incredible Zandvoort atmosphere along with getting back in the car and fighting for points.

“Zandvoort is a fun place to visit. We have only been there once before, but it’s now obviously much bigger thanks in part to the rise of Max [Verstappen]. The whole atmosphere and buzz from the Dutch fans reminds me a little of the early 2000s when the Spanish fans really fell in love with the sport.

“The atmosphere is really great and I’m sure we will experience the same thing again this weekend. It’s a double header but we are excited to get back in the car especially after the team’s performance in Spa also with the fastest pit stop.”

Esteban Ocon – “A huge amount of focus and commitment”

Teammate Esteban Ocon also spoke on his love for atmosphere at Zandvoort and the difficulties of the fast and thrilling circuit.

BWT Alpine team principle Otmar Szafnauer is looking forward to the upcoming Dutch GP and he is hoping that his team can stay consistent and extend their lead in the fight with McLaren F1 Team for the fourth spot in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Szafnauer is relishing the electric atmosphere created by the Dutch fans at Zandvoort.

“Last year, the Dutch Grand Prix was a highlight of the season, as it brought something a little bit different to the calendar. Above all, it’s a great race for the fans, who create a fantastic atmosphere and that only makes racing even more enjoyable.“

Szafnauer also spoke on his expectations and targets for his team this weekend as they look to battle with McLaren for fourth place in the Championship.

“It will be interesting to see how the event has improved since last year. The on-track racing was great last season with overtaking possible around the lap. Our target is to be in the mix for points again and aim to have a similar, if not better, result than we did last weekend in Belgium and extend our lead in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. There’s a long way to go in the season but being consistently strong is at the top of our priority list.”

Nephew of seven time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, David Schumacher will return to FIA F3 this weekend, after missing six rounds due to commitments in DTM. 

Schumacher completed one race weekend for Charouz Racing System earlier this year, replacing Ayrton Simmons for round two in Imola. However, due to his commitments to the 2022 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Mercedes-AMG Team Winward, the German was replaced by Lirim Zendali, starting at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The twenty-year-old began his Formula 3 career in 2019, but after failing to finish inside the top ten of the championship standings in his three year stint, Schumacher turned his attention to touring cars for the 2022 season.

However, due to Christian Mansell vacating the third seat at Charouz, Schumacher jumped at the opportunity to get back in an F3 car and he will likely complete the final two rounds of the season at Zandvoort and Monza, with the Czech outfit.

When questioned about how he would approach the weekend, Schumacher responded,“I know the track from last year and that could be a little advantage, also given that the weather situation could be variable and open different scenarios. 

Sebastian Montoya will make his FIA Formula 3 debut this weekend, taking the place of Hunter Yeany, who misses a third race weekend in a row due to a race injury he picked up at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Danish driver Oliver Goethe impressed in the Campos Racing car over the course of his two round appearance in Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps. Montoya will be hoping to follow Goethe’s fourth place qualifying and feature race positions, and take home some key points for the Campos team.

Montoya’s primary focus this year has been Formula Regional, finishing seventh overall with two wins in the Asian championship, in a part-time campaign with Mumbai Falcons and currently sitting tenth in the European championship for Prema with three remaining in the season.

Montoya conveyed his feelings towards his first F3 appearance and his approach to the weekend,“I am very pleased to be joining Campos Racing for the FIA F3 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

“Despite the fact that it will be my debut and that everything was very last minute, my preparation for the weekend with the team has been excellent. I have to focus on learning as much as possible, but also try my best to be fast.”

The second and third rounds of the FIA World Rallycross Championship will take place this weekend (03/04 September 2022), as Latvia plays host to the first double-header round of the championship at the historic Biķernieki circuit in the country’s capital, Riga. With each day over the weekend containing a full round of the championship, it promises to be a jam-packed weekend of action for both the teams and the fans.

Situated on the outskirts of Riga in the Biķernieki forest, the circuit has been a popular feature on the WorldRX calendar since 2016. With 12 corners and a length coming in at 1.3km, the track is one of the longest on the calendar, and the narrowness of the track, combined with the ever-present danger posed by the immovable barriers, demands total focus from the drivers with little to no margin for error.

One man well versed in faultless driving is championship leader Johan Kristoffersson. Despite a poor start in his semi-final last time out in Hell, he managed to claim his twenty-eighth career WorldRX win and is surely the man to beat this weekend. With 40 points up for grabs this weekend, he has the potential to massively extend his lead.

Kristoffersson’s problem, however, is that he will be facing a growing threat from all quarters, not least from his own team. His Norwegian teammate, Ole Christian Veiby, finished third in the opening round after a seven-year hiatus from the sport. While he may not yet know the track, it surely won’t take him long to find his way back to the top. Niclas Grönholm definitely won’t have that hurdle to overcome. He secured a spectacular first and second in last year’s Latvian double-header, and the Construction Equipment Dealer Team proved their potential in Norway. This pairing of car and driver may prove to be a thorn in Kristoffersson’s side. Grönholm’s teammate, Klara Andersson, garnered a lot of praise for her debut in Hell and has her eyes firmly set on progressing and maybe even taking her first podium.

And of course, Kristoffersson will have to face his biggest rival of them all, compatriot and fellow world champion Timmy Hansen. Hansen finished second and third here last year, and won in his championship-winning season back in 2019, and is feeling confident that he can replicate that success.

The fourth round of the 2022 FIA European Rallycross Championship takes place at the Biķernieki Circuit in Riga, Latvia, this weekend (03/04 September), with the home hero and fan favorite Janis Baumanis in top form. The #YellowSquad driver won at this historic venue last year and will be keen to repeat his success as we head into the second half of the season.

Biķernieki has been a popular feature on the EuroRX calendar since 2016. A popular but challenging circuit for the drivers, the weekend is also typically a big hit with fans, in part due to the events that take place around the main action. This year features a drivers parade in downtown Riga on the evening of Thursday 1 September, where the loudest cheers will surely be reserved for the man who currently lies second in the championship; Janis Baumanis.

Indeed, Baumanis certainly seems to be relishing his homecoming. “This is obviously the most wonderful time of the year for me, with all of the things I am involved with before and after the weekend” he said. “For sure there is more responsibilities for me than any other race, but also more support too.”

This is the perfect time for Baumanis to make full use of his home event if he wants to stand any chance of catching championship leader and double event winner Anton Marklund. The Swedish superstar was unlucky at the last event in Norway, with first corner contact in the final dropping him out of contention for the win. He ended up only losing one point to Baumanis, and his lead currently stands at 17 points. Even if he manages to win the full 20 points available, Baumanis will surely be praying for his rival to have a torrid weekend.

However, there are many other drivers who have the potential to spoil the party for the championship frontrunners. Sondre Evjen came second in a Norwegian 1-2 last time out, showing his own potential as well as demonstrating the power of his JC Raceteknik Audi S1. Also driving an Audi is Belgium’s Enzo Ide. Ide is currently 5th in the championship but has shown incredible pace throughout this season, his efforts spoiled in Norway by an unfortunate puncture in his semi-final.

Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff is looking for his team to bounce back and dig deeper as Formula 1 travels to Netherlands for the challenging and exciting Zandvoort GP.

Wolff spoke on the struggles of the Belgium GP and the differences in pace between qualifying and the race.

“Belgium was a challenging weekend for us as a Team, but those weekends are the ones that really fire you up and make you dig deeper. There were such big extremes across the weekend; from the pace differences on Saturday and Sunday, to the difficult first lap for Lewis and George’s late charge for a podium.”

Mercedes haven’t reached their own extremely high standards this season but they are still capable of improving and potentially winning races.

“We’ve been working hard to understand our Spa struggles and thankfully we don’t have long to wait until we can bring utilise and maximise those learnings. What will make the difference for the rest of this season is how quickly and effectively we can continue learning, to deliver our best performance this year and next.”

Denny Hamlin took a massive hit during last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona, one that he reported led to a very sore body. While he will be good to go for the Darlington Raceway playoff opener on Sunday, he found himself to be too shaken up to run the previous day’s Xfinity Series event.

Hamlin’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 came to an abrupt end on lap 139 when he was among thirteen cars—including many of the leaders—collected in a massive crash due to rain that had fallen onto the track. When the race resumed following a three-hour rain delay, Hamlin was among the retirements and classified twenty-fifth.

In an interview after being released from the infield care centre, Hamlin said his “whole body” was in pain from the impact: “My jaw hurts. I feel like my jaw is one of those boxers that gets their whole face demolished. It was certainly the first real Big One I’ve had in this car and everything they’ve been telling us, all the other drivers, it’s legit.”

The crash raised concerns about the Next Gen car’s safety, especially as many drivers say they feel the hits much harder than with the Gen-6 and its predecessors. The Next Gen car is much sturdier, which decreases the risk of freak accidents like blowovers, but more “standard” incidents such as spinning into the wall have been reported as being more painful. Kurt Busch, who drives for Hamlin’s team 23XI Racing, has not returned to the driver’s seat since his qualifying crash at Pocono in July due to a concussion incited by what appeared to be a regular spin.

On Wednesday, Hamlin confirmed his bowing out from the Xfinity race by explaining he “had some soreness in my neck, back, and hips from the wreck on Sunday. I feel like the right thing for me to do is to sit out the Xfinity Series race and put 100 percent of my focus on getting ready for this weekend’s Cup Series playoff race.”

NASCAR‘s Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) has been in place since 2017 to ensure teams did not try to send a severely wounded car onto the track and endanger other competitors. However, with the policy resulting in teams retiring from races with lesser damaged cars, the sanctioning body has tweaked the DVP clock so that crews will have ten minutes to make repairs.

The change comes as the Cup Series enters the playoffs and leaves behind a chaotic Daytona race where multiple drivers were taken out in large crashes. The duration was also selected to provide teams with more time as they continue through the motions of the Next Gen car’s maiden season.

The clock begins once a car involved in a crash enters pit road. Even if repairs are made, the car must meet minimum speed in order to erase the clock, while trips to the garage eliminate them from the race (cars may return to the race if they go to the garage for mechanical issues).

It is the second time that the DVP clock changed duration since its introduction. The clock’s début season saw it last five minutes before increasing to six in 2018.

Bubba Wallace might have missed the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but he will still help his 23XI Racing team compete for the owner’s championship. On Wednesday, 23XI announced Wallace will move to the #45 Toyota Camry TRD for the rest of the season as that car is locked into the owner playoffs with the injured Kurt Busch. Ty Gibbs, who served as Busch’s injury replacement, in turn shifts to Wallace’s #23.

“After consulting with NASCAR, the competition and ownership teams at 23XI made this decision in the best interest of the entire organisation and for all our employees who helped earn a spot in the playoffs for the Owner’s Championship through their hard work,” said team president Steve Lauletta. “While Ty has done a great job for us in the #45 car, we feel that Bubba’s experience in this car, at the upcoming playoff tracks and his recent momentum will give 23XI the best chance at maximizing our points each weekend. We recognise that this is a unique opportunity in the Cup Series, and we’re grateful to our employees and partners for standing with the team and supporting this decision.”

Busch clinched a playoff spot by winning at Kansas in May, but has not raced since a qualifying crash at Pocono two months later and subsequently withdrew his waiver to compete in the playoffs. Although he will not be able to vie for the driver’s championship, the Kansas victory qualified the #45 car for the owner playoffs.

Gibbs filled in for Busch for the rest of the regular season, but Wallace’s Cup experience justified 23XI’s decision to switch to the #45. Wallace’s crew chief Bootie Barker and crew will also join him at the other 23XI car and vice versa.

“We are two cars but act as one team,” Busch tweeted. “This is another example of teamwork! I support @BubbaWallace and love the leadership I have seen out of him recently. Let’s make a run at the Championship!”

PREMA Racing head in to round twelve of the 2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship at Zandvoort Park circuit this weekend in fifth place, hoping a final push in the closing part of the season can help them leapfrog Hitech Grand Prix and close the gap on the top three teams.

Last time out at Spa-Francorchamps the team left the weekend pointless, despite the best efforts of Dennis Hauger, who could only manage tenth in the sprint race and twelfth in the feature race, and team-mate Jehan Daruvala, who didn’t start the sprint race and then struggled to make an impact in the feature race, finishing down in twentieth place.

Heading into the Dutch Grand Prix weekend the team are positive of a good result; Hauger has already raced at Zandvoort Park circuit and won there when he was racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.

This weekend there will be a big focus on qualifying as the tight parts of the circuit teamed with the new banked corners make it hard to pass.

“We are working as hard as we can to end the season on a high note and make our way back to the front at Zandvoort.” said Rene Rosin, PREMA Team Principal.

Scuderia Ferrari’s head of vehicle performance, Marco Adurno spoke about the challenging and demanding Zandvoort circuit as Ferrari look to fight back against Red Bull Racing in the fight for the constructors’ championship.

Adurno spoke on his passion for motorsport and his journey to becoming the Ferrari head of vehicle performance.

“My passion dates back to when I was a child, when I watched Formula 1 in my father’s arms and dreamed of one day being part of this world. It remained a dream until 2007, when I got the opportunity to join an English team, which set me on the path to fulfilling my desire to join Scuderia Ferrari, which I did in 2019”.

Moving on to this weekend, Adurno is looking forward to the challenges of the demanding Zandvoort circuit for the team, especially Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

“This track now has a completely different layout to that used in the Eighties, when the Grand Prix was a fixture on the calendar (up until 1985). Now it features a long sequence of medium and high speed corners that are very demanding for both car and driver. Steep banking of some corners is a unique feature with T3 and T14 banked to no less than 16 degrees”.