Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Scuderia Ferrari go into this weekend’s first-ever Qatar Grand Prix, on the back of a near perfect triple-header so far with the Scuderia outscoring Constructors’ rivals Mclaren F1 Team.

Charles Leclerc goes into the first Formula One race at the Losail International Circuit having closed the gap right up to Lando Norris in the battle for fifth in the Drivers’ standings. The Monegasque driver sits just three points behind Norris, with three races remaining going into Qatar this weekend. The Losail International Circuit is new to virtually all the drivers, meaning that learning the circuit quickly could play pivotal to a strong weekend.

Leclerc knows the importance that the team keep moving forward, as they look to take complete control of third place in the Constructors standings.

“I was able to do a lap of the track by bike and it seems very interesting. I’ll be able to do a few more laps, but only when we get in the car and start looking at the numbers will we be able to understand what it’s really like. In order to be full tuned in to the track I think will require around 15 laps but we have three free practice sessions ahead of us, so I don’t think it will be a problem for anyone.

“We must continue doing everything perfectly, as that’s the only way to maximise our car’s potential. We managed it in the past two races, but we cannot let our guard down. As a driver, you want to finish as high up as possible and Lando is just three points ahead of me.

The GB3 Championship will continue its relationship with the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) into a tenth successive season in 2022.

The Championship will now be known as the GB3 Championship Partnered by the BRDC

The BRDC will also extend its support to GB3’s new feeder series, the GB4 Championship.

The BRDC and organiser MotorSport Vision (MSV) have worked together since GB3’s first season in 2013, as BRDC F4.

Notable BRDC members to come through the series throughout its various guises include McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris and 2014 Champion, Williams Racing driver George Russell, Aston Martin factory driver Ross Gunn, 2017 Intelligent Money British GT Championship Champion Seb Morris and Charlie Robertson.

Tom Lebbon has become the second driver to be announced for the 2022 GB3 Championship season. 

The 2020 Ginetta Junior champion returns for a tilt at the title with Elite Motorsport, in what will be his fourth season with the team.

Lebbon won the 2020 Ginetta Junior Championship with Elite, and spent his maiden GB3 campaign with the team who also made their first move into single-seaters last year.

Though he only took one podium, in Race 3 at Donington Park in July, the 16-year-old was one of the season’s most consistent performers. From 24 races, Lebbon took 18 top-ten finishes and qualified inside the top ten at every roun, setting the fifth-highest qualifying average on the grid.

Of those top-ten finishes, nine came in the top six, and the #34 Elite Motorsport car only retired from one race, that being Race 1 in the Championship’s first visit to Silverstone.

The legendary SCORE International Baja 1000 is set to kick off its fifty-fourth running on Thursday, 18 November, with 302 entries. Among those in the grid are a quintet who is also familiar with the art of turning left. While NASCAR and off-road typically do not go hand in hand, four drivers have won races in both disciplines while another is a full-time competitor in the former.

The #77 SPEED Energy trophy truck features a pair of NASCAR veterans in Robby Gordon and Casey Mears, both of whom have proceeded on very similar career paths. Gordon is a three-time Cup Series race winner while Mears has one victory, and both raced against each other at the top level on a weekly basis in the 2000s. The two also have experience in open-wheel and sports cars.

Of course, Gordon and Mears’ current activities are more within the off-road realm. Gordon is a three-time winner of the Baja 1000 (1989, 1990, 2006) while Mears’ father Roger was recently enshrined into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame; an encounter between the two at the induction ceremony led to Gordon inviting Mears to his team. Mears has also competed in Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks, making fourteen starts from 2017 to 2019. Perhaps fittingly, Gordon and Mears finished 1–2 in the 2019 SST Mid-Ohio NASCAR Race 1.

“It’s good to have [Casey and Roger Mears] on the team this year,” said Gordon in an interview with SCORE. “Obviously, Casey’s been a fellow competitor at the NASCAR and in Mickey Thompson (Entertainment Group, the spiritual predecessor to SST) and in IndyCar stuff, so he’s another one that has a lot of experience.”

In the 2020 Baja 1000, Gordon finished thirteenth overall and seventh in the Trophy Truck class. Mears’ maiden 1000 start came in 2019 where he finished twenty-eighth overall and twelfth in Trophy Truck. Their truck will begin with Gordon behind the wheel as he starts twelfth.

The Uralkali Haas F1 Team go into the final part of the last triple-header of the season with a real chance of being closer to those in front, with the whole paddock set to experience the first-ever Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit.

Mick Schumacher goes into the weekend on an equal playing field with the rest of the drivers, with an F1 car having never gone around the Losail International Circuit. It gives the rookie hope that with the track being new to Formula One, the grid maybe slightly closer than usual.

The German rookie is hoping that he will be able to fight some of those ahead, in a weekend which is set to be a real test for all the teams.

“I think we all know that MotoGP goes to Qatar a lot and we haven’t been but I’m sure it will be an experience for us all. I don’t know what to expect as I haven’t been there so it’s brand-new for everybody and I hope it will bring us closer to the top teams and at least we’ll be able to fight on track with others.”

I’ve raced there [Qatar] in my first-ever race!” – Nikita Mazepin

Amazingly, Nikita Mazepin has actually raced at the Losail International Circuit before, in his first-ever race back in 2014. It means that Mazepin goes into the weekend with at least some basic knowledge of the circuit, something which the vast majority of the field don’t.

Williams Racing go into the final part of the last triple header of the season this weekend, at the brand new for Formula One, Qatar Grand Prix held at the Losail International Circuit, the team will be hoping to get back into the points this weekend.

George Russell will be hoping to end his final triple-header for Williams in strong fashion, the British driver finished an admirable thirteenth at last weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, a weekend which saw the team struggle overall.

Qatar presents the team with a good opportunity, with no one in the paddock quite sure what to expect from the upcoming weekend. Russell is excited going into Losail and believes that with the right set-up, the rewards could be incredible.

“It is always very exciting to visit new tracks, so I am looking forward to heading to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend. I’ve driven the layout in the simulator at Grove and I think it has a very nice flow to it, with lots of medium and high-speed corners. When these are coupled with the long straight, I think it will offer a lot of variability in terms of set-up options for all teams and therefore means that if you get it right the rewards could be great.”

“The team will have to get up to speed” – Nicholas Latifi

Nicholas Latifi will be hoping to better his finishing position from Brazil this weekend in Qatar. The Canadian crossed the line in sixteenth last weekend after unfortunately being caught out by the VSC.

For the last leg of the final triple-header of the 2021 season, Formula One will this weekend visit the Losail International Circuit for the first ever Qatar Grand Prix, presenting Pirelli with a brand new challenge.

The whole paddock enters somewhat of an unknown atmosphere going into this weekend, with only simulation data available for the circuit. The data shows that the circuit is very demanding with lots of high speed corners and quick direction changes, putting the tyres under enormous stress. For these reasons Pirelli have brought their hardest range of tyres for the fifth and final time this season, the C1, C2 and C3 compounds.

With the main straight being over a kilometre long and with the added factor of sixteen corners in quick succession, tyre wear is expected to be very high this weekend, opening the door to a number of strategies. The race will also be held under the floodlights meaning there is a strong chance of a big drop-off in track temperature, clearly a number of variables for the teams to consider this weekend.

There is no support races this weekend either so the track will be slippery on the opening day, especially as the circuit hasn’t been used recently resulting in a possibly dusty surface.

Nevertheless Pirelli’s Head of F1 and Car Racing Mario Isola, is very excited for the sports first visit to Qatar, where there is much to be discovered.

Sebastian Vettel says free practice this weekend will be extremely important as Formula 1 arrives at a new venue, the Losail International Circuit, for the first Qatar Grand Prix.

The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team racer arrives in Qatar on the back of missing out on points in the São Paulo Grand Prix last weekend despite running as high as seventh in the early laps. 

Vettel has never raced at the Losail circuit before, and he knows there is plenty of learning to do on Friday to get the best out of his AMR21 for the rest of the weekend.

“This weekend will mark the first time that we have raced at the Losail International Circuit, so at this stage, there are a lot of unknowns,” said Vettel.  

“Because we have very little to no data, other than our recent telemetry from Mexico and Brazil, it will be incredibly important to have a productive Friday and Saturday before qualifying and the race.”

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda go into the last part of the final triple header of the season at the new for Formula One, Qatar Grand Prix, on the back of a mixed Sao Paulo Grand Prix with Pierre Gasly performing valiantly and Yuki Tsunoda again underperforming.

It was another brilliant performance from Gasly in Brazil, not quite matching his podium from 2019 but nevertheless a solid seventh place for the Frenchman. Gasly’s points in Brazil keep the team in the fight for fifth in the Constructors’ championship. Fifth in the Constructors’ would be a huge achievement for the Italian team.

Going into this weekend at the new for Formula One, Losail International Circuit, Gasly is very interested to see how the fast and flowing circuit will suit an F1 car, the Frenchman is expecting it to be a physical weekend under the floodlights.

“After Brazil, we are still in the fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship but it was a pretty tough weekend. It was nice to be back in Sao Paulo and all the media were keen to remind me that I finished second at Interlagos the last time we were here.

“No podium this time, but after poor starts in both Sprint Qualifying and the main race, to manage to come back to seventh and enjoy some good overtaking moves was a positive result and a boost as we head to the next round. I’ve driven the Qatar track on the simulator and watched the MotoGP races from there.

Lando Norris says it is exciting to be racing on a brand-new track to Formula 1 this weekend as the final race of the final triple-header of 2021 takes him to the Losail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix.

The McLaren F1 Team driver has scored only two points across the past two weekends, with Scuderia Ferrari moving well clear of the Woking-based squad in the Constructors’ Championship as a result.  Norris, himself, remains fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, but is now only three points ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Norris says it is important McLaren put behind them the disappointing results in both the Mexico City and São Paulo Grands Prix and to come back fighting this weekend in Qatar.

“After a tough race in Brazil last week, I’m hoping we can bounce back as we head to Qatar for the first time in Formula 1 this weekend,” said Norris.  “We’ve got one last race of this demanding triple-header before Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, so we’ll be pushing hard to try and end it on a high. 

“I’ve been able to drive the Losail International Circuit on the simulator to get a feeling of what to expect this weekend. It’s a pretty fast and fun track with a few big braking zones which should make for a physical race.

Before becoming one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, Jimmie Johnson was strutting his stuff in the off-road world. In 2022, he will once again break away from non-paved racing as he throws his name into the lineup for the snowy Race of Champions in Sweden. He will drive alongside Travis Pastrana for Team USA in the Nations Cup.

Johnson made his ROC début at Gran Canaria in 2002. Fresh off a fifth-place points finish in his Cup Series rookie season, he was joined on Team USA by NASCAR team-mate Jeff Gordon and World Superbike star Colin Edwards. He was defeated by France’s Sébastien Loeb in the semi-finals and Italy’s Renato Travaglia in the final, though the Americans went on to win the Cup. Johnson was eliminated by Marcus Grönholm of Finland in the individual ROC’s knockout stage.

“To win the ROC Nations Cup was something really unique: the only event where I represented my country,” Johnson said. “I’ve been able to accomplish a lot in my career, but that’s the only experience I’ve had like that. I’m really looking forward to returning to ROC and competing with Travis. He’s a tremendous talent and we have such fun competing together. Hopefully, we can go have some fun and success on the snow and ice.”

2004 at Stade de France saw his second run in the event after paving runner-up in the Cup standings, with another stock car team-mate in Casey Mears. Once again racing against rally stars, he lost to Armin Schwarz of Germany in the individual tournament and Britain’s Colin McRae in the Nations Cup.

He skipped the 2006 ROC due to a wrist injury he sustained after falling off a golf cart, which aborted a team-up with Pastrana. The two finally got their partnership the following year, shortly after Johnson won his second consecutive Cup title, in Wembley Stadium. Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais bested Johnson in the Drivers Cup’s opening round while Michael Schumacher defeated Johnson and Pastrana in the Nations Cup quarter-final. 2007 was Johnson’s last participation to date in ROC.

Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix was ‘stunning’, with the Briton putting in a sublime performance to climb from the back of the grid in Saturday’s Sprint Qualifying to finish fifth before starting tenth and winning Sunday’s main event.

Hamilton had been disqualified from Qualifying on Friday evening due to a technical infringement surrounding his Drag Reduction System (DRS), but he put in two excellent drives, the first coming from twentieth on the grid to finish fifth on Saturday.

He took another five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race, but again he was a man on a mission, and he fought through all of his rivals, including title challenger Max Verstappen, to take his sixth victory of the season and the one hundred and first of his career.

Wolff, the Team Principal at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, says he could not have been prouder of the team in Brazil after overcoming such adversity.  The team picked up forty points on Sunday thanks to Hamilton’s win and Valtteri Bottas’ third place, while the latter also took three additional points on Saturday by winning Sprint Qualifying.

“Last weekend in São Paulo was a triumph through adversity and I couldn’t be prouder of the fighting spirit from every member of our Team,” said Wolff.  “Through each setback, our determination grew stronger, and this already close team grew tighter with every challenge thrown our way.

Max Verstappen is looking to put the disappointment of finishing behind title rival Lewis Hamilton in last weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix behind him this weekend in the first ever Qatar Grand Prix.

The Red Bull Racing driver led for the first part of the race in Brazil but was overhauled by Hamilton, with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer then going on to dominate until the chequered flag.

The gap at the top of the Drivers’ Championship has reduced to just fourteen points with three races remaining, but Verstappen remains confident that he can fight back against Hamilton and Mercedes across those remaining races.

“Yes, it was a tough weekend, in general we were a little bit off pace to Mercedes but nevertheless we only lost a couple of points so it’s not too bad,” said Verstappen.  “Of course I would always like to win but we had a good battle and to come home in second is okay.

“We’ve got three races to go so it’s all about pushing and doing everything we can as a Team to maximise performance on track.”

In February 2021, Noah Gragson‘s hopes of making his NASCAR Cup Series début in the Daytona 500 fell short after being caught in a crash. A year later, he will get another chance. On Tuesday, Beard Motorsports announced Gragson will return to the team’s #62 Chevrolet Camaro for the 2022 500.

Gragson has just completed his third full season in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, enjoying his best campaign to date as he won three races and reached the Championship Round, where he finished third in points. He has five career wins in NASCAR’s second tier.

His 2021 Daytona 500 entry was plagued by misfortune as early as qualifying when he was unable to set a time due to failing inspection three times. A wreck with four laps remaining in his Duel qualifying race knocked him out of the 500 grid. The 500 effort came shortly after Beard Motorsports owner Mark Beard passed away, but the team has remained alive with hopes of returning for the 2022 edition by acquiring a Next Gen car. As the #62 does not possess a charter (being a part-time operation), Gragson will once again have to race his way into the 500.

Beard Motorsports, which began racing at the Cup level in 2014, added ex-team driver Brendan Gaughan as vice president of racing operations while crew chief Darren Shaw is its only full-time employee. Gaughan scored a pair of top tens in the #62 in 2020 at both Daytona races.

“Beard Motorsports has proven that it can run with the big teams there at Daytona, and I’m just really looking forward to getting another crack at it,” said Gragson. “We know we have to race our way into the Daytona 500, and I’m very appreciative of the faith the Beard family has in me.”

Andreas Seidl admits the first two races of the double-header in Mexico City and São Paulo have not gone the way the McLaren F1 Team would have hoped, with Lando Norris scoring the teams’ only point of a challenging weekend at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

McLaren have slipped thirty-one-and-a-half points behind Scuderia Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship as a result of scoring only two points in two race weekends, although the performance by the team in Brazil was much stronger than the results appear.

Norris was attacking Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. at the start but made contact with his former team-mate and suffered a puncture, meaning he was always playing catch up for the rest of the afternoon.  He was able to capitalise on the safety car to catch the back of the pack, and he used his good pace to climb up the order to take tenth.

Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was on course for a better result, perhaps as high as sixth or seventh, only to suffer a loss of power, which was caused by a cracked chassis. 

And with Charles Leclerc and Sainz finishing fifth and sixth, it puts McLaren on the back foot in the battle for third place in the Championship with just three races remaining, with Seidl hoping for a fightback starting this weekend in Qatar.