Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Kevin Magnussen survived an off-track moment that saw him cause a red flag to take an excellent fourth place on the grid for the Sprint race at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on Friday afternoon.

Magnussen spun at turn twelve early in Q3, giving his Haas F1 Team mechanics a moment of fear, but he was able to get back on track and return to the pits, the session having been red flagged as a result of the spin.

When the session resumed, Magnussen was able to put his VF-22 onto the second row of the grid, the best Qualifying performance ever for Haas, and he feels it puts him in a good position for the rest of the weekend as he looks to score points for a third time in four events.

“First of all, what a result,” said Magnussen.  “It’s great, it feels amazing, I can’t really believe it – it’s that close to top-three.

“P4 is the best qualifying for Haas ever, so I’m really proud of that and the team. I went off, lost the car and went all the way through the gravel. I managed to just keep it going and do a bit of a four-point turn and get back on track.

After ending third fastest in the morning session at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Friday, Michael Belov hit top spot in the second session to conclude the running on the opening day of the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season.

Belov, running a full campaign in 2022 with MP Motorsport after running only a partial campaign last year with G4 Racing, took top spot with a time of 1:46.509, which was two-tenths of a second faster than the quickest time in the earlier session.

After being well down the order in the first session, ART Grand Prix’s Mari Boya ended the day second fastest, 0.265 seconds back on Belov, while morning pace setter Paul Aron completed the top three for Prema Racing.

Proving that his pre-season pace was genuine, ART Grand Prix’s Gabriele Mini placed fourth after being only fifteenth in the morning, while Hadrien David, another driver hotly tipped to be a title contender this season, was fifth for R-ace GP.

Kas Haverkort was the best of the Van Amersfoort Racing drivers in sixth, just ahead of Arden Motorsport’s Joshua Dürksen, the Paraguayan the leading rookie in the session ahead of MP Motorsport’s Sami Meguetounif, who was eighth.

British racing driver Abbie Eaton will return to W Series, completing the 18-driver grid for the upcoming 2022 race season. She will be joining the top eight qualifiers from the 2021 drivers standings as well as nine drivers who completed pre-season tests in Barcelona and Arizona, five of whom will make their W Series debut next month.

Eaton made her debut with W Series in 2021, racing with Écurie W and achieving four top-10 finishes within six races. Unfortunately Eaton’s racing season came to an end after she endured a back injury at race one of the seasons double header finale at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin last October.

The 30-year-old has been working during the off-season to recover from her accident. She is an on screen test driver for ‘The Grand Tour’ on Amazon Prime and an ambassador for Racing Pride, a movement breaking down stereotypes and promoting LGBTQ+ inclusivity within motorsport.

She is now set to join fellow British racer Sarah Moore in making up the full Scuderia W team and will appear at the highly anticipated season opener in Miami on 6-8 May 2022. W Series will continue its partnership with Formula One, supporting eight Grand Prix weekends with 10 races visiting Spain, France, Mexico and Japan for the first time. The season will open with a double header in Miami at the Miami International Autodrome and will finish with two races at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.

Abbie Eaton commented, “To have another opportunity with W Series is what I’ve wanted ever since I broke my back six months ago, so I’m relieved that all my hard work has paid off. I’m super excited to be back and hoping to get stronger as time goes on, but the tests and races I’ve done over the last few weeks have been promising and I’m looking forward to the first race in Miami.“

Paul Aron led the way in the opening collective test session of the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Friday.

Thirty-six cars hit the Italian circuit on Friday morning as preparation for the opening round of the season began in earnest, and it was Prema Racing and Mercedes-Benz protégé Aron who headed the field with a best time of 1:46.726.

In a session that was delayed initially by the weather, times tumbled throughout, and Aron and team-mate Dino Beganovic ended at the top, ahead of another returning driver in MP Motorsport’s Michael Belov.

Pietro Delli Guanti, racing for the new Race Performance Motorsports (R-P-M) team in 2022, was an encouraging fourth fastest ahead of the leading rookie in the field, Prema’s Sebastián Montoya.

Another rookie, Van Amersfoort Racing’s Joshua Dufek, placed sixth ahead of a pair of Arden Motorsport drivers, Edoardo Barrichello and Noel León, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s Kas Haverkort and Arden’s Joshua Dürksen completed the top ten.

Max Verstappen will start from pole position for Saturday’s Sprint race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with Qualifying being halted several times after five red flags. Charles Leclerc will start from second at Scuderia Ferrari’s home race, whilst Carlos Sainz Jr was left frustrated after crashing in Qualifying 2.

Verstappen mastered the wet conditions to claim pole at Ferrari’s home, the Dutchman will start in the optimum position for the first Sprint race of the season. The shock of the session came as both Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team drivers failed to make it out of Qualifying 2, after rain and red flags played havoc throughout the session.

Qualifying 1:

After no dry running in Free Practice 1 and a forty percent chance of further rain during Qualifying, all twenty cars exited the pits as soon as possible, whilst a surprising dry line remained around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit. Not all cars began on the soft tyres though, with some deciding to set their opening laps on the Intermediates after so much rain fell overnight and during Friday morning.

Lewis Hamilton was one of the few to venture out on the Intermediates, however instantly reported to his team that there was a dry line. Both Mercedes drivers suffered from horrendous porpoising.

It didn’t take long for the session to be red-flagged, as Alex Albon’s rear-right tyre exploded in dramatic fashion after what appeared to be a combustion of heat due to too much friction. Fiery parts of his FW44, including his brake-line, were scattered across the circuit. Unsurprisingly this represented the end of Albon’s qualifying.

Rain greeted the drivers and teams as they headed out on track for the first European race of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and it was Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who would end the session fastest, despite his struggles with the wet track.

This weekend features a sprint race on the Saturday, so despite the wet weather, all teams were keen to get out on to the circuit and make the most of the track time ahead of qualifying later in the day.

The green light flickered on, signalling the start of the session and drivers headed out on to the track on the full wet-weather Pirelli tyres, despite the additional grip from the tyres the conditions were tricky, with championship leader Charles Leclerc claiming the first spin of the day as he pirouetted at turn 14.

The track conditions would claim the Williams Racing duo next, first Nicholas Latifi, who headed through the gravel trap before telling the team over the radio “the car keeps going into anti-stall, very strange.” Alex Albon also had a brief moment as he skimmed over the grass before getting back on track in a separate incident.

Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez will be entering the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix off of a great performance that earned him second place in Australia. He is pleased with the podium result and hopes to be taking the top positions more regularly moving forward.

“I am looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend. It was a mixed few days in Australia for the Team but for me I managed another consistent weekend, after my pole and fourth place in Jeddah.”

“I am pleased with how I have been performing so far and getting on the podium for the first time this season in Melbourne was a step in the right direction but I won’t stop there, I need and want to be there weekly for the Team and for myself.

Perez’s goal for the Imola weekend is to claim a large sum of points for the team, particularly focused on moving as close to the sharp end of the grid as possible with Friday qualifying. He mentioned the chance of rain as an added factor for the weekend. In the case of rain, Perez plans to look to his previous effort at a rainy Imola last year in order to prepare and make improvements.

“We go back to the sprint format this weekend and I will be aiming to pick up the most points possible. That all comes from a good qualifying performance on Friday, and I hope to hook it up again in Italy. It looks like it could rain this weekend so that will play a part and I want to learn from the performance I had in Imola in the wet last season and continue to improve in all areas.”

Porsche Cars North America have announced that the Porsche Rennsport Reunion will be returning in 2023 for the seventh time, celebrating some of the most exciting Porsche cars of all time, also acknowledging those who designed the cars and the drivers that pushed them to the limit.

While the exact theme, date and location of Rennsport VII is yet to be announced, Porsche fans from around the world will be looking forward to celebrating the Porsche legacy.

Brian Redman and Porsche Cars North America’s press spokesperson Bob Carlson first conceived the idea in 2001, with the first event taking place at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut; The most recent was in 2018 which saw 80,000 attend the event.

“We’re all excited to be able to announce the return of the Rennsport Reunion, which is always a highlight of Porsche motorsports enthusiasm and heritage” said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America Inc.

“Rennsport Reunion has grown quickly over the years into a truly one-of-a-kind experience of sight, sound and emotions. For a few days, it feels like everyone thrilled by the brand is united in one place, on and off the track, as one Porsche family. We’ll announce the date and location soon, but this much I can share already: Our ambition is to make Rennsport Reunion VII the best one yet.”

Rennsport Reunion VI Gallery

19-year-old Kiern Jewiss exploded back in to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB last season as he made the move from the F4 British championship back in to sports cars.

Having already amassed an impressive 195 trophies in karting, winning the Rookie championship in the Ginetta Junior Championship, claiming the F4 British Championship with a record-breaking year, becoming a BRDC SuperStar and making it as a finalist in the BRDC McLaren (now Aston Martin) Autosport BRDC Award, Jewiss moved in to the Carrera Cup GB series with Team Parker Racing.

Despite it being his first season he hit the front of the pack early, claiming four overall victories throughout the year, finishing third in the championship and taking the Rookie title in the process.

While the deal has only just been announced, Jewiss has been busy testing this year already, “Testing has been positive, and it will be good to get the season underway at Donington Park, close to where the team is based,” he said.

“Hopefully, we’ll hit the ground running this year after a good debut season where we won the Rookie title and, if we can begin with some good results, then we can build momentum throughout the season.

The first European round of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship see’s Scuderia Ferrari returning home, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the world famous Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

The start of the season has been near-perfection for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc leading the championship after winning two of the three opening rounds of the season. Carlos Sainz Jr has also started the season excellently, and is now celebrating his two-year contract extension with the team which was announced in the build-up to this weekend.

A win for Ferrari in their back garden will go down as one of the most emotional victories in the team’s history, after all the ups and downs they’ve experienced over recent years. Ferrari’s Head of Corporate and Sports Events, Alessandra Naldi, explained the emotional connection between Imola and Ferrari.

“Because the red thread that links Imola and Maranello runs the length of Emilia-Romagna, a region in which cars are a religion. Ferrari was born here in a part of the world where the most beautiful cars are made. So the link between Imola and the Maranello marque is an emotional one. The depth of support it gets here is the essence of the feelings of those who grew up in the area and those who come here from all over the world to share the energy, the cheering and the passion.

“Although it’s a real race track, with changes of gradient and corners that provide the fans with thrills and excitement, it actually winds its way in between greenery and houses on the edge of town, which means their balconies become high-end viewing areas from which to watch the show and they are packed out during all the sessions.

Ahead of Scuderia Ferrari’s home Grand Prix this weekend at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the team have announced that Carlos Sainz Jr will be remaining with the team until at least the end of the 2024 season.

After an impressive start his second year as part of the Scuderia, Sainz has signed a two-year contract extension which will see him with the team until at least 2024. The Spaniard is very pleased that his journey with the team will continue for at least another two seasons.

“I am delighted to have renewed my contract with Scuderia Ferrari. I have always said that there is no better Formula 1 team to race for and after over a year with them, I can confirm that all my expectations have been exceeded. Putting on this race suit and representing this team is a great honour for me and I really look forward to keep enjoying our journey together. My first season at Maranello was solid and constructive, with the whole group progressing together and the result of all that work has been clear to see so far season.

“I feel confident and hugely motivated after this renewal as it shows the trust in me and now I can’t wait to get in the car, to do my best for Ferrari and to give its fans plenty to cheer about. When I joined the team in 2021 the goal was to help Ferrari get back to the winning ways and to fight for both Championships. Now, the F1-75 is proving to be a front-runner, which truly allows me to chase those goals.“

Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto, is equally pleased. Binotto believes that the partnership of Sainz and Charles Leclerc is the strongest in the paddock.

Luke Browning won on his GB3 Championship debut weekend in a wildcard appearance at Oulton Park last September, and he made it three wins from two visits by winning Race 1 and Race 2 of the 2022 season.

The Hitech GP driver ran away with both races to win from pole position, having taken a double pole on Saturday morning.

Roberto Faria and Matthew Rees joined the local favourite on the podium in Race 1, while Faria and Joel Granfors completed Race 2’s top three positions.

Browning retired from the reverse-grid Race 3 after contact with Tom Lebbon, though his wins, and 19-point hauls for both Cian Shields and Bryce Aron across the weekend saw Hitech top the Teams’ Championship for the first time, just four points ahead of two-time podium finishers and Race 3 winners Fortec Motorsport.

One of the success stories of the weekend was Elite Motorsport‘s single-seater debutant, John Bennett.

Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team ,Toto Wolff, praised the team for the work they have done to the Mercedes W13 car over the Easter weekend, ahead of the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy.

This weekend will also feature the first Sprint race of the 2022 season. Wolff discussed what he deemed as an “incredible” Australian Grand Prix, and how the team are looking ahead of this weekend .

“Melbourne was a great weekend for Formula One, the atmosphere was incredible, and it was wonderful to be back in Australia in front of so many fans. For us, the race went better than we expected, especially after a difficult Friday.

“George and Lewis were both on strong form all weekend and delivered a useful haul of points for the Team. We learned a lot and really maximised the opportunities available, and that’s what we need to keep doing. We know we haven’t got the pace of the Ferrari and Red Bull right now. But we’re working hard to reduce their advantage, and it’s been brilliant to see everyone across the factories pulling together to achieve this.

“There’s been a lot of hard work over the Easter weekend in the factory to bring improvements to the car and get it ready to head to the next race, and that shows the team’s dedication to turning the situation around. Of course, we must be realistic, it will take time to make the gains we want, but we’re learning as much as we can from each race and finding avenues to push us forward.

The FIA Formula 2 grid heads to the north of Italy for the first time since F2’s rebrand in 2017, as they take to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the third round of the 2022 championship.

The inclusion of the San Marino circuit to F2 comes after the 2020 revival of the San Marino Grand Prix which was renamed to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

The 2020 contest marked the first Grand Prix at the circuit since 2006 where Michael Schumacher took victory in his final year at Scuderia Ferrari.

The Story So Far

MP Motorsport’s Felipe Drugovich comes into the third round of the season as championship leader following his defiant display on the streets of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit two weeks ago.

The Brazilian’s Feature Race win from Pole Position was an impressive feat and he leads Carlin’s Liam Lawson who took victory in Jeddah’s Sprint Race. Trident’s Richard Verschoor rounds out the top three in the standings after his second place finish behind Drugovich in Jeddah’s FR.

The FIA Formula 3 Championship visits the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola for the first time this weekend, over a month after the opening round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Isack Hadjar and Victor Martins won the first two races of the season on F3’s first visit to the Middle East, before the teams headed to Spain for two rounds of testing at Circuito de Jerez and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Prema Racing dominated both Day 1 and Day 2 at Jerez, while Gregoire Saucy and Caio Collet topped the times in Barcelona.

Martins’ team-mate Saucy took his first F3 podium in Bahrain, helping ART Grand Prix to the top of the Teams’ Championship in the early stages.

Martins and Leclerc are separated by just one point going into the third and fourth races of the season, with Leclerc’s Prema team-mate Oliver Bearman seven points behind Leclerc.