Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Christian Horner’s humorous bid at the Autosport Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening was good enough to win him a tour around the Mercedes Formula 1 factory and contributed to raising nearly £50k for the Grand Prix Trust.

The Autosport Awards ceremony was held at Grosvenor House, London on Sunday. During the event, a silent auction took place with the proceeds going to the Grand Prix Trust, a charity that helps support the F1 community including former drivers and employees.

One of the prizes up for auction was a four person tour of the Mercedes F1 factory in Brackley. The winning bid came in at £4000 and during the evening, it was revealed that the winning bidder was none other than Red Bull’s team principle Christian Horner.

The news of this began to circulate around social media with fans finding the humorous side of story and speculating that Horner and his team were trying to get a snoop around the factory of their championship rivals ahead of the new 2022 season.

The start of this year’s Formula E season couldn’t have gone much better for ROKiT Venturi Racing. The Monegasque team picked up some big points on the streets of Diriyah (including a win in the second race from Edoardo Mortara and a third place finish in the same race from Lucas Di Grassi!) and is currently in first place in the constructors’ championship. As a result, morale is running high. It’s no surprise, then, that the team are entering the Mexico City ePrix on a high!

“Our weekend in Diriyah was a great way to start the season and scoring back-to-back double points finishes – including a double podium and win for the second race – was a fantastic result for the team,” said Team Principal Jérôme D’Ambrosio, who was promoted from Deputy Team Principal this year following Susie Wolff‘s promotion to CEO.

“This reflected the level of performance that we know that we are capable of and heading to Mexico City, we need to ensure that we maintain this consistency. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a circuit that has suited our team and drivers in the past – between them Edo and Lucas hold three podiums and two wins at the track. Our motivation is very high and if we continue to take the same methodical approach and qualify well, I’m confident that we can again compete at the front and fight for good points.“

Last year’s vice-champion Edoardo Mortara is definitely excited to return to Mexico City, where he finished third at Formula E’s last outing there in 2019. “I really enjoy racing in Mexico and I’m looking forward to returning to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez,” he said.

“The Mexican fans have an incredible passion for motorsport and every time we race through Foro Sol there is an amazing energy that makes every single lap a unique experience. Mexico is a country I have performed well at in past seasons and coming from a competitive weekend in Diriyah, I feel that momentum could be on our side.

After a hiatus from the circuit for a couple of years, Formula E will be returning to the unique and notoriously tricky Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The Mexico City ePrix has plenty of challenges thanks to the high speeds and low downforce caused by the circuit’s high altitude location (2,240 metres above sea level – the highest circuit on the entire calendar!), making it very difficult for both the drivers and the engineers to get the car perfectly set up for the track. The result of this though is that we usually get fantastic racing! One team that has a particularly good track record at this circuit is Jaguar TCS Racing and it’s not surprising that everyone in the team seems to be feeling confident going into the upcoming race weekend.

“After two years away from the iconic Mexico City circuit, everyone at Jaguar TCS Racing are certainly looking forward to being back in Mexico City in front of the passionate fans,” said Jaguar TCS Racing‘s Team Principal James Barclay about the upcoming ePrix. “The Hermanos Rodríguez circuit has some unique demands but it is one that we have performed well at during previous seasons. Saying that we are not complacent and do not underestimate the challenge ahead. We have already seen in Rounds 1 and 2 how competitive the field is this year. Even though the results didn’t fully reflect it, we took positives from the speed of the Jaguar I-TYPE 5 in Diriyah so we are focussed on optimising all elements of the race day and fighting for points and podiums in Mexico.“

One member of the Jaguar TCS Racing team who certainly enjoyed the last time Formula E went to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues was Mitch Evans. “Last time in Mexico City was a great moment for me and the team; to be able to take the win and lift that trophy is a feeling I’d love to replicate this weekend,” he said. “After Diriyah, the whole team is really focused on delivering a clean race and strong results again.“

Sam Bird, one of Formula E’s longest-serving and most successful drivers, is also excited to return to the circuit this year. “I’m looking forward to returning to Mexico City, I’ve had some really strong performances here in the past and I’m confident I can build on those again this weekend,” he said. “The I-TYPE 5 has excellent pace and the team have worked hard to pull together such a strong package for both Mitch and I. For my part, I’m going to take each session as it comes and stay focussed on racing for points and podiums as always.“

On the more technical side of things, Jaguar TCS Racing‘s Technical Manager Phil Charles had quite a lot to say about how the race could turn out. “The Mexico City circuit has provided some enthralling Formula E racing in the past: a tricky track to drive and certainly not an easy place for the engineers to setup a car,” he explained. “This is allied with several good overtaking opportunities and there is reduced drag with the less dense air, due to the high-altitude location. This means straight speeds are high as the cars move to overtake each other, all of which gives some great racing.“

Lando Norris has signed a new contract to extend his time with the McLaren F1 Team until at least the end of the 2025 season, following on from the announcement the team made at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix that it would be extending his contract.

The relationship with McLaren started for Norris at the age of 17, when he impressed the team as he tested the MCL32 in Hungary as part of his reward for winning the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award.

For 2017 and 2018 Norris became the test and reserve driver for the team before signing full-time for the team in 2019. Norris finished eleventh in his debut season, ninth in 2020 with his first podium, and sixth last season with four podiums and his first pole position.

“The opportunity to extend our relationship with Lando [Norris] reflects not only our commitment but our belief and confidence in his talent.” commented Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1.

“It is also a strong sign of trust and commitment from Lando in us as a team and our journey to world championship contention. Lando has shown impressive growth as a Formula 1 driver over the past four years and has been an instrumental part of the team’s momentum and performance trajectory.

Former Mini Challenge driver Will Newnham will make the switch to sports cars this season as he joins Porsche Sprint Challenge GB for the 2022 season with Team Parker Racing.

Newnham started in karting since the age of eight, with success in the Super One British Championship, before competing in the European Karting Championship and Benelux Championship.

In 2019 made his car racing debut as he stepped up to the JCW class of the Mini Challenge for four rounds. Despite his lack of experience, he became a regular in the top-15 in the highly competitive series. For 2020 he returned to the series, taking two Graduate Cup podiums and an overall eighth place at Silverstone.

Credit: Dan Bathie

Following a year away from racing, the 20-year-old has been concentrating on his academic career and is in his final year at the University of Hertfordshire, studying Automotive and Motorsport Engineering.

“Having previously driven in Mini Challenge JCW, that only really leads to the British Touring Car Championship and my ultimate ambition is to race at Le Mans,” said Newnham.

At the end of the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup GB season, four drivers went head-to-head at Silverstone to battle it out for the position of 2022/23 Porsche GB Junior Driver; Adam Smalley came out on top, and today has signed with multiple championship winning team Redline Racing for the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup GB season.

The 20-year-old has followed a traditional route in to sports cars, starting out in karting before taking the Ginetta’a 2017 Junior Winter Series title. The following season saw him secure the 2018 Ginetta Junior Championship. 2019 he finished as runner up in the Ginetta GT5 championship before going on to the 2021 Ginetta GT4 Supercup title.

After receiving multiple offers from teams throughout the Carrera Cup GB field, Smalley settled with Redline Racing, the team that carried 2021 champion Dan Cammish to his title as he claimed a record-breaking third championship.

Credit: Redline Racing

Smalley’s 2022 programme gets underway this week at Snetterton, the first test in a number of planned sessions ahead of the season opener at Donington Park on 23/24 April.

“I can’t wait to get the season underway. I never expected to win the shootout as it was the first time I’d ever driven the car. It was a fantastic experience and it has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to race in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for two years.” said Smalley.

Deborah Mayer has been announced to take over the role of President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission from the exiting Michèle Mouton.

Mayer was one of the founding figures of Iron Lynx Motorsport Lab and the Iron Dames project and will step in to the new role with the aim to improve inclusivity for women in motorsport and also encourage more female talent into the sport.

Commenting on the announcement, Deborah Mayer said: “I am honoured and very proud to start this new chapter as president of the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission. My passion for racing and the inclusivity of women in motorsport is something that’s very near and dear to me, and my desire to continue the great progress that’s been made within the FIA over the past few years is extremely high.

“Michèle Mouton has been the backbone of this commission for the past 12 years and her rich history in racing makes her such a great figure to look up to especially for me being French, but also for any woman looking to make her mark in motorsport. I have great shoes to fill, but it’s something I am ready for.

“Talent has absolutely nothing to do with gender, and I will give it my all to actively support all women in motorsport not just at the racing level, but also in every sector of racing from management to engineering.

European GT4 Champion Charlie Fagg will be stepping up to the top category of international GT racing as he joins the D’station Racing team for the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship.

22-year-old Fagg will join regular duo, Satoshi Hoshino and Tomonobu Fujii in the #777 TF Sport-run Aston Martin Vantage GTE, competing in the GTE Am class.

Last season D’station Racing made their FIA WEC debut which saw the team finish on the podium at the 6 Hours of Monza and secure a top-six finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“I’m delighted to announce that I will be racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with D’station Racing,” said Fagg of the new deal. “To be able to compete at this level is something I have always dreamt of doing and to do it with such a fantastic team is more than I could have hoped for!

“Whilst it’s a big step up, I am honoured to be able to learn from my fantastic teammates, Hoshino-san and Fujii-san and being able to make my 24 Hours of Le Mans debut with them, is the icing on the cake. I cannot thank everyone at D’station Racing, TF Sport and EDGE Management enough, for this unbelievable opportunity. I am so excited to get started next month at Sebring!”

Faenza-based Scuderia AlphaTauri have unveiled a multi-year deal with Ravenol as the official lubricant partner of the team.

Ravenol’s portfolio includes lubricants, hydraulic oils, greases and other industrial supplies that will help support the team on and off of the track. The Ravenol logo will be displayed on the nose of the new AT03, as well as on the driver’s overalls and team kit.

“It is a pleasure to welcome RAVENOL to our team”, Franz Tost commented. “It is often overlooked that we, as a Formula 1 team, are not only racing our cars on track but also producing the individual components of these high-tech machines.

“We operate our own machine shop here in Italy and use a variety of industrial products, this means we rely on the know-how of a strong partner and RAVENOL is able to supply us with a wide range of products to help us extract the maximum performance.”

Martin Huning, Motorsport Director of Ravensberger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH, added, “We are looking forward to working together with Scuderia AlphaTauri and supplying them with products for the upcoming season.

McLaren Racing and LEGO Group have released a brand new LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car which will be available from 1 March 2022 (And surely number 1 on the Christmas list for F1 fans who can’t get it before then!)

Based on the livery of the MCL35M, McLaren’s 2021 challenger, and also providing and interpretation of the 2022 F1 cars then new LEGO kit is made up of 1,432 pieces. The final assembled kit measures 13 centimetres in height, 65 centimetres long, and 27 centimetres in width.

Designed in partnership with McLaren, the kit includes a modelled V6 cylinder engine with moving pistons, steering activated from the cockpit, suspension, and a differential lock.

Credit: McLaren

James Key, Technical Director, McLaren Racing, said of the new release, “We are excited to unveil the unique LEGO Technic model of our McLaren F1 car, a fun and engaging product that celebrates our 2021 season livery while giving fans a hands-on interpretation of the new 2022 F1 car design.

“This has been made possible by an agile collaboration with the LEGO Group team, who have truly embraced the spirit of our brave and bold approach to design. The final product looks fantastic, and we cannot wait to make this available to our fans.”

Hilton branding will continue to be carried across the McLaren F1 cars as the two companies renew their long-standing partnership that has been in place since 2005. While Hilton see their brand shown to millions across the globe, McLaren employees get use of the global hotel chain.

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Hilton, a long-standing and supportive partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team,” commented Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing. “Hilton is a global brand which excels in providing the best experiences across travel and adventure for its customers.

“As part of the partnership, we will continue to produce collaborative campaigns that bring together our aligned approach to travel and experience for customers and fans around the world.”

In addition to the obvious benefits, the two companies continue to develop unique social media content, By once again committing to a multi-year extension, McLaren Racing and Hilton are also able to continue developing and innovating their joint activation programme of unique content.

Most recently this included the popular “Ride to School with Lando” feature, which became one of McLaren’s top five most viewed Instagram grid videos with two million views. The film featured a boy being chauffeured into school by McLaren F1 driver, Lando Norris after his dad won the trip via his Hilton Honors membership.

Top UK race circuits will soon be fitted with FIA High-Tech Light Panels, as seen in international competition across the world. Motorsport UK, the British Motor Sports Training Trust (BMSTT) and the UK’s largest race circuit owners have been working on bringing the safety feature to the UK, and aim to start installing them in the coming months.

Hugh Chambers, CEO, Motorsport UK, commented, “Providing a safe environment for our sport to thrive is at the heart of Motorsport UK. It is essential we provide safety for competitors and volunteers alike who deliver the sport every weekend throughout the UK.

“The rollout of FIA High-Tech Light Panels represents a significant step forward in modernising UK race circuits by adopting the latest and most advanced technology.

“Motorsport UK is committed to improving safety and we thank BARC, MSV, Knockhill Racing Circuit, the British Motor Sports Training Trust and EM Motorsport for their engagement and commitment.”

The scheme is partially funded by BMSTT and will be installed a UK race circuits that have FIA International Grade 3 (and above) status. Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park already have the panels fitted but the rollout will see Croft, Knockhill, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Thruxton benefit from the safety feature.

The Sauber Group may be best known for its endeavours in Formula 1 (currently under the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN banner) and in sports car racing in the 80s and 90s. Indeed, racing has been the bread and butter of the Swiss company for decades. Now, though, it’s diversifying and bringing an F1-style approach to the wider world of technology.

Sauber Technologies, a new part of the Sauber Group, has now been formed for that purpose. Whilst it isn’t unusual for F1 teams to get involved in the wider tech industry (McLaren and Williams are just two that have in the past), this is the first time that Sauber has decided to do so.

Sauber Technologies will be based alongside the rest of the Sauber Group‘s efforts in Hinwil, Switzerland and is “devoted to bringing Sauber’s drive for cutting-edge innovation and Formula One mindset to business all over the world.”

The new business is going to be “fully focused on third-party business, providing a holistic service for complex engineering problems, from the idea stage to the finished products.” All of this will be achieved via the access it’ll have to the tech the company has already developed for and used in Formula 1.

The new company also boasts that its staff come from “a wide range of backgrounds“, something which will “bring an eclectic set of skills that, matched with the first-grade equipment available within the company, delivers world-class expertise in fields as varied as aerodynamics, lightweight design and CFK design and calculation.”

Richardson Racing will return to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for their third year, with a two-car entry with the new Porsche 911GT3 Cup ‘Type 992’ car.

Following their debut in 2020 with a single car for Will Martin, the team expanded to a three-car team for 2021, running Martin once again, and adding Ginetta GT5 Champion Josh Malin and Will Bratt to their line-up.

The newly-crowned BRDC Rising Star, Will Martin heads back to the championship with the team he joined back in 2018, working his way up through the Ginetta Junior Championship with nine wins and a top-three championship finish in 2019.

It wasn’t long before Martin made his mark on the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, taking a win at his home circuit of Thruxton, and taking a further five podium finishes. 2021 saw more of the same for Martin, taking two victories in the highly competitive championship, taking a second fifth-place finish in the standings.

“I am extremely delighted to have extended my deal with Richardson Racing for another season, and am honoured to be racing with them for a third year in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB,” said Martin.

The Motorsport UK 5 Nations British Rallycross Championship embarked on a brand new charity partnership back in November 2021 with Prostate Cancer UK, hoping to raise awareness of the disease which affects approximately one in eight men in the UK. They also hope to support the charity in it’s mission to fund lifesaving research to improve testing, treatments, and care for those affected by the disease.

Rallycross competitor Ian Luffman-Smith, who plans to compete in 5 Nations BRX next season once he’s secured the necessary competition licence is one of those affected by the disease and partly the reason behind the choice of charity partner. Here is Ian’s story:

“Having been adopted I had no idea about my birth parents’ family medical history, they say prostate cancer can run in the family. My first concern was that something wasn’t quite right in April 2021. My bladder flow was suddenly restricted, and I started to feel more fatigued and was getting up several times a night to use the loo.
I saw my GP, who was hesitant to offer me a PSA blood test

“However, I had a gut feeling something wasn’t right, so I saw my GP again. I asked a second time for an NHS PSA test which he agreed to. After a couple of weeks my doctor contacted me to say the test showed I had an extremely high prostate level of 92. A normal level is between 4 and 6.

“The next step was to see a professor in oncology at the hospital. He did a rectal examination and said my prostate was definitely abnormal and given the high PSA reading there was a probability it was prostate cancer. The next step was to have both a soft tissue CAT scan, and a bone scan to see if it had spread. The good news was that it hadn’t and was confined to the prostate. The next step was a biopsy, a very uncomfortable procedure. That confirmed the devastating news that I had stage 4 advanced and aggressive cancer.

“They said I would need radiation treatment, but before that I had to start hormone treatment. This was to stop the body producing testosterone, something which prostate cancer feeds on, and it also shrinks the prostate making it easier to treat with the radiation beam. I started hormone treatment in September via a slow-release capsule injected in the stomach. This has side effects, fatigue being the main one. You know how it feels when you haven’t slept for over 24 hours, imagine feeling like that constantly, even after a good night’s sleep. Other side effects include shrinking of the genitals and a complete loss of sexual appetite. 

“I started radiation treatment mid-January for an 8-week course which means going into hospital daily. Each morning you must have a mini enema to clear the bowels and drink a specified amount of water to ensure the bladder is the same size prior to each treatment. So, fingers crossed they can kill off the cancer.

“As for life expectancy, I probably only have a few years left because it wasn’t caught early. Unfortunately, with prostate cancer, once you start feeling the symptoms it is already quite advanced. So, it is vital for men over 50, black men and men with a family history of the disease. You also have to get over the embarrassment of having all the doctors and nurses looking at your private bits. But I will battle on to the end and will not let it get me down.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with more than 11,500 dying from the disease each year – that’s one man every 45 minutes. And 47,500 men are diagnosed with it every year, 129 men every single day.

Prostate Cancer UK’s ambition is to stop prostate cancer damaging the lives of men and their families by spreading the word about who is at risk via a simple 30-second online risk checker.

You can help 5 Nations BRX fight the fight, by buying one of their charity calendars: https://www.askonline.shop/collections/5-nations-brx or by donating on their official Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/5nationsbrx

Prostate Cancer UK

About Prostate Cancer UK

Prostate Cancer UK has a simple ambition – to stop prostate cancer damaging the lives of men and their families.Investing into finding better treatments and tests that could save thousands of lives.Working with the NHS to make sure men get access to breakthrough tests and treatments.Spreading the word about who is at risk of prostate cancer, especially to those at higher risk.Supporting people dealing with prostate cancer and providing health information.Visit prostatecanceruk.org now to help beat this disease.@ProstateUK  #MenWeAreWithYou

About prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.More than 11,500 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year – that’s one man every 45 minutes.More than 47,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year – that’s 129 men every day.1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. This raises to 1 in 4 for black men.Around 400,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer.A 30-second online risk checker is available at prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50 and the risk increases with age. But the risk is higher for black men or men with a family history of prostate cancer, so they may wish to speak to their GP from age 45.Prostate cancer often has no symptoms so men shouldn’t wait to see changes before they act.Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK’s Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org. The Specialist Nurse phone service is free to landlines and open from 9am to 8pm on Monday, 9am to 6pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 10am to 8pm on Wednesdays.