Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Alex Brundle will not take part in this weekend’s opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship after he has tested positive for Covid.

The Brit, due to race in the #34 Inter Europol Competition, will be replaced by the team’s European Le Mans Series driver Fabio Scherer who will race alongside Brundle’s team mates Esteban Gutierrez and Jakub Smiechowski. Scherer is on hand for the team as he is in American for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 12 Hours of Sebring, that will take place on Sunday, racing with High Class Racing.

“We are very sorry for Alex,” said team principal Sascha Fassbender. “He felt unwell yesterday and to make sure, he took a test and it was positive. We will miss his input and his speed. Hope he feels better quickly.

“But as luck wants it, Fabio Scherer, who joins us in the ELMS in the LMP2, will now do double duty this weekend as was in Sebring anyway.”

Formula 1 is finally back this weekend, as the 2022 season kicks-off at the Bahrain International Circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Alex Albon will be making his highly anticipated return to the championship.

After a year out of the sport, the Thai driver is back in the paddock but this time behind the wheel of Williams Racing’s FW44, for what will be his third season in Formula 1. Williams represents a fresh challenge for Albon, who will be keen for a good start to the season under the lights, perhaps even hoping to put pressure on Sergio Pérez’s seat at Oracle Red Bull Racing.

Incredibly with his drive for the season coming in the form of Williams, Albon will have started all three of his seasons in the sport, with a different team! Albon, who remains heavily connected to Red Bull, is very excited for the season to start after all the hours of work put in over the winter.

“I’m obviously very excited for the first race of the year and to be back racing. It will be the result of all the hard work over winter and everything we’ve learnt from six days of testing, so I’m looking forward to seeing that come together and pushing as much as we can. The track is tricky because, as we saw in testing, it’s very windy, sandy and hot which are tough conditions to contend with. It’s a good track for racing though, so it should be an exciting weekend for Formula One.”

“It’s been a long pre-season with a lot of effort” – Nicholas Latifi

Like his new team-mate, Nicholas Latifi is entering his third season in Formula 1, all of which have come at Williams. 2022 is a big season for the Canadian to take the lead at Williams, after being somewhat in George Russell’s shadow for the last two years, Albon however has just as much capability of becoming the lead driver at the team.

The first round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship is finally upon us. Last weekend saw the 32-strong grid taking to the track for the Prologue and gave us a first look at the predicted competitive order, so what should you be looking out for this weekend? And what might stump the drivers during the 1,000 Miles of Sebring? The Checkered Flag brings you everything you’ll need to know ahead of the start of the new season.

Alpine Elf Matmut were the favourite Hypercars from the Prologue, but the LMP2 cars certainly brought the challenge, taking three of the four sessions’ fastest lap times. Toyota Gazoo Racing struggled with the new year’s Balance of Performance (BoP) weightings which, importantly, doesn’t allow them to use their hybrid power until they are at faster speeds (last year it was 150kph, this year it’s 190kph). This means the Japanese team can use their hybrid boost for less of the lap, reducing their maximum speed output.

This shift is all done for the balance of fairness; with Alpine still running an LMP1 car rather than an LMH the Toyotas would have an overall advantage on the French team. However, this was an element Toyota weren’t expecting to affect them as much as it has. It will be surprising if Toyota cannot get on top of this new hurdle ahead of this weekend’s race, but even if they do it is likely they won’t disappear into the distance as they frequently did last season.

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus complete the Hypercar class with their sole 007 LMH. The team were told by the FIA they had to enter at least one full season car if they wanted 24 Hours of Le Mans entries as, at the end of 2021, the team weren’t sure if they wanted to take on another full season. To keep both of their cars in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #708 will take part in the full 2022 championship.

The LMP2 cars kept the LMHs on their toes during the Prologue, but two teams really stood out against the rest of the grid. Keep an eye on 2021 champions Team WRT and United Autosports this weekend as they will be favourites to take the first LMP2 victory of the season. After an extremely successful rookie season, Team WRT quickly made themselves one of the favourites and certainly expect to continue their winning streak from last year. United Autosports, on the other hand, will be hoping for an improvement on 2022 and hope that the qualifying and race pace discrepancies that plagued the end of their season don’t interfere with the 2022 LMP2 championship.

What do Chase Briscoe and Kyle Jergensen have in common? They both recorded first victories in a major event in the desert.

A day after Jergensen celebrated his maiden Mint 400 in Nevada, Briscoe was doing the same for NASCAR Cup Series win #1 at Phoenix Raceway. An overtime restart placed him in a three-way battle with Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain, both of whom were also seeking their first wins, with Briscoe ultimately holding them off.

Briscoe started sixth while fellow Ford driver Ryan Blaney won the pole. It was a relatively clean stage with the only yellow flags coming on laps 27 (a mandated competition caution) and 41 (debris). William Byron took the lead for the latter’s ensuing restart and the eventual stage win ahead of Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Reddick, Alex Bowman, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, and Austin Dillon.

Bell’s race took a turn when he spun on lap 120 for Stage #2’s only caution. Blaney dominated the segment as he led all but ten laps including the final one to win. Elliott, who led said ten circuits, was second followed by Harvick, Byron, Larson, Reddick, Chastain, Briscoe, Dillon, and Logano.

Tyre degradation resulted in the first of three incidents in the final stage when Martin Truex Jr.‘s right-front tyre went down and caused him to slam into the turn two wall. He explained shortly after that the car had been “getting really loose all day on the longer runs. I was just out there trying to take care of it, and we gained a few spots on the restart and I was just trying to take care of the rear tires. Coming off of turn two there, I’m kind of neutral free, and then all of a sudden, it shot straight into the fence. I cut a right front down running up there in the glue or something.”

The FIA Formula 2 season opens in Bahrain in just a few days time, which means it’s not long until we see twenty-two of the brightest talents in single seater motorsports compete for glory and achieve their dream of reaching the Formula 1 World Championship.

We talked with the the 2021 Formula 2 champion and Alpine F1’s 2022 Reserve Driver, Oscar Piastri, about his journey to the 2021 F2 crown and his role with the French team for the upcoming season.

Upon reflecting on 2021, Piastri see’s it as “best season of my career so far and we just got better and better the whole year”. This is a big claim, as it’s the third season in a row where the Australian has won the championship starting with the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019 and FIA Formula 3 in 2020.

One of two moments last season that stand out in particular for Piastri include his first win in Bahrain in Sprint Race 2 of the opening weekend. It was a massive confidence boost for the rookie,

“I think that win was quite a surprise and to be completely honest, we were a little bit fortunate with the timing of the safety car and with the switch to soft-compound tyres, though of course I did have to make my way through the field and get to the front afterwards.”

Alex Walker will join Elite Motorsport for the 2022 GB4 season, completing the team’s line-up alongside Jack Sherwood. 

The multiple Formula Ford 1600 race winner has been winning championships and races from the age of eight; competing at British, European and even world championship level in kart racing and winning on numerous occasions. 

The 18-year-old won eight BRSCC National Formula Ford 1600 races last year, claimed 14 podiums, four pole positions and seven fastest laps and just missed out on the title win. 

Walker, alongside new teammate Sherwood, has been testing the new Tatuus F4-T014 GB4 car ready for the opening rounds at Snetterton on 2-3 April. 

“I hope to win the GB4 title, as it’s my aim is to race in GB3 and therefore this is the perfect stepping stone,” said Walker.

Neel Jani, will co-drive the #02 CGR Cadillac DPi-V.R. alongside Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn at Sebring.

Jani is a former Porsche factory driver and 2016 24 Hours of LeMans winner. The Swiss native is no stranger to IMSA or Sebring, having placed second in class with the Porsche GT Team in 2020 alongside Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor. Jani is replacing Kevin Magnussen after Magnussen’s move back into an F1 car with HAAS.

Jani is excited about the late opportunity to race at Sebring, “I am fortunate to have the opportunity to run with a renowned team like Chip Ganassi Racing, while returning to one of my favorite tracks and races in the Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“I’m eager to work with Alex Lynn and team up with a familiar face in Earl Bamber as we go for the checkered in the #02,” he added.

“We’re thrilled that Neel Jani is available to be an integral part of our Cadillac team,” CGR Managing Director Mike Hull said.

To complete the line-up for EXCELR8 Motorsport alongside Dan Lloyd and also Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton, Jack Butel will return for his third year in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

Butel joined forces with the team in 2021 after an unexpected debut the season prior and made huge strides forward under the Hyundai i30 Fastback N equalling his career best finish at Knockhill and following that up with a double points score at Thruxton.

Albeit his season ended early at Donington Park due to an incident which resulted in a concussion for the Jersey based driver but he will return aiming at Jack Sears Trophy honours in 2022.

“It’s very exciting to be returning to the BTCC for a third season, and to be staying with EXCELR8 for another year,” he said. “After joining the team last year, I made huge steps forwards so it’s fantastic to now have the opportunity to build on everything I was able to learn in 2021.

“The fact that I know the car and the team – and they know me – is something that can only be beneficial, and I feel confident going into the new season as I aim to fight for the Jack Sears Trophy title.

Elias Adestam has been confirmed as the first overseas driver for the GB4 Championship with Fortec Motorsport. 

The Swedish driver has been racing since he was five years old, initially behind the wheel of cross-kart that was handmade by his father Rickard, on a custom-made track on his grandfather’s potato field. 

The 15-year-old made his karting debut in 2014 at the age of eight and was a regular front runner back home. Adestam also made his single-seater debut in 2020 with two races in the Formula Nordic category at the Ring Knutstorp. 

Last year, Adestam solely focused on his Formula Nordic campaign, finishing third overall including five podiums and victories at Karlskoga Motorstadion and Ring Knutstorp. 

Elias also runs a charity project named Raising Against Cancer, in which the Swede uses his motorsports platform to raise money for cancer research projects, due to a family history of the illness. He also invites children who suffer from the disease to attend his events when possible. 

Last Friday (11 March), Team HARD. Racing revealed the third of their four drivers who will pilot their CUPRA Leon’s for the second season of its programme with Bobby Thompson set to return to the championship with a familiar team for the 2022 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

Thompson is set for his fourth campaign in the championship, with the popular 25-year-old returning after his memorable crash at Croft as part of the GKR TradePriceCars.com team which resulted in him taking a year off in 2021.

But is raring to go on his return in a team who gave him his first chance back in 2018 under the ageing Volkswagen CC.

“It’s really good to be back in the BTCC with the team I started my journey with,” said Thompson. “I’ve come a long way since I was last with Team HARD, and I can already see the team is clearly putting in a massive effort to get these cars ready to be fighting at the front for the upcoming season.

“I have a great history with the team, having won the 2017 VW Cup Championship which got me on the map. So it’s great to be back, and hopefully we can continue great success and challenge for the Jack Sears Trophy this year.

Arden Motorsport have announced their first driver in a two-car line-up for the 2022 GB3 Championship, as David Morales moves up from the F4 British Championship.

He joined Arden after the first round at Thruxton, finishing 18th in the standings with pole positions at Snetterton, Brands Hatch and on the second visit Thruxton, also taking two podiums at the latter two circuits.

The American finished 27th in the standings at the end of the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship with Evans GP Academy.

Having tested extensively with Arden as he and the team acclimatise to the new Tatuus MSV-022, Morales plans to compete for the full GB3 season.

He finished on the podium in Mexico’s NACAM F4 Championship and took three podiums across Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and New Jersey in the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series before crossing the Atlantic to compete in British F4.

Rick Mayer, race engineer for Risi Competizione, spoke about various aspects of the upcoming race and how the team was preparing for the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The first major talking point was with regard to the massive field of 53 cars for this year’s race. Mayer is anticipating more full-course cautions as well as possible battles between LMP3 AM and GTPD cars. Patience will be key for the GTDP class, having to work around GTD AM and LMP3 AM cars around the 3.74 mile, 17 turn track.

Unlike in Daytona, there is no minimum wing angle at Sebring for GTD cars. Mayer commented, “Sebring is considered a high downforce track, but also a power track while Daytona is definitely a low downforce track. A lot of our straight-line competitiveness will depend on how much wing (added drag) the others run in high downforce trim compared to Daytona.”

This year all cars running the weekend will be required to use Michelin tires, in years past the support races would run Continental tires. The difference in rubber compounds meant rough early runnings for many cars. Mayer is excited to no longer have to deal with waiting for the cars to become better acclimated to the track because of different tires.

Sebring is a tough track to setup up for with some parts favoring a soft setup and others requiring a stiff suspension setup. Both top speed and braking are also important at Sebring and Mayer is hopeful the Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo will excel in both. The changing temperature throughout the day will also have a strong impact on car performance.

G4 Racing has finalised its line-up for the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season with the signing of Axel Gnos, who continues with the team for a fourth consecutive year.

Gnos has been driving for G4 Racing for as long as it has existed, with his father owning the team.  He scored two podiums for the team when they raced in Spanish Formula 4 in 2019, before contesting Italian Formula 4 in 2020.  Last year, he failed to score a point in FRECA, but despite this he remains with the outfit for another season.

The eighteen-year-old Swiss-French driver is eager to put what he learned from his rookie FRECA season to good use in 2022 and score points for the first time.

“I am very pleased to be able to stay with G4 Racing for my second year in FRECA,” said Gnos.  “The people working there are serious and hard workers so I will try to maximize our performances and do the best results possible on track.”

Adrián Muñoz, the Sporting and Technical Manager at G4 Racing, says the 2022 campaign is likely to be a tough one for his team, with Gnos being joined by two rookies, Frenchman Owen Tangavelou and Peruvian Matías Zagazeta.

Vic “Quick Vic” Elford passed away this weekend after a battle against cancer, during his career he drove a number of iconic Porsche’s, including the 917 LH, in which he became the first driver to complete an average lap of Circuit de la Sarthe above 150 mph.

Aside from his results in racing, he was also named Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by French President Georges Pompidou. an honour bestowed on him for his efforts in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans when he stopped on track to assist a fellow driver from a burning car.

A longtime driving coach, Elford also wrote two books: The Porsche High Performance Driving Handbook and Reflections on a Golden Era in Motorsport.

“We have stayed close to Vic and Anita, particularly in recent years, and while we knew Vic was ill, the loss is still felt acutely – we send our sincere condolences to Anita and to the whole family. His achievements on track are simply staggering – I grew up in awe of him, as many of us at Porsche did – yet it will be his warmth, his kindness and decency that will remembered most by the colleagues who knew him well.”  said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America.

Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America added, “I’m desperately sad to hear this news. We have lost one of the all-time greats from our motorsport community. At Porsche we’re often described as a family – but in motorsport especially so.

It was a day of fastest laps for the LMP2 class, with Team WRT setting the fastest time in the morning and Untied Autosports taking the glory in the afternoon. But it was Team WRT who left the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue with the fastest time of the two-days.

The 1:48.089, set by Ferdinand Habsburg in the morning session was four tenths up on the quickest time of the afternoon (1:48.439). Team WRT were the team to beat when the grid came into the afternoon as the duo of cars had dominated the timing screen this morning, taking overall one-two.

It was the LMP1 Alpine Elf Matmut that performed best in the Hypercar class on the timing board, taking third and second respectively in the day’s sessions, finishing 0.4s off of Habsburg’s time and 0.2s off the time set in the afternoon. One of the biggest talking points of the Hypercar class is the new Balance of Performance (BoP) effect, which Toyota Gazoo Racing claim is having a noticeable impact on their cars.

Due to the LMP1 versus Hypercar entries in the Hypercar class, a BoP system came into place last year to assist in evening out the field. These balances have been changed ahead of 2022, one element of which means the Toyota can no longer deploy hybrid power until the car is travelling at 190kph. In comparison to last year, this speed was 150kph and the Japanese team could utilise their hybrid power more during a lap.

“It is true that at 190 the functionality of four-wheel-drive is obviously hurting,” the team’s technical director Pascal Vasselon told Motorsport.com. “It is a big hit in terms of performance, it has a big effect. I cannot say we were expecting it, but we were fearing it could happen.”