Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Four races remain in the NTT IndyCar Series season, and just before the final three race tour on the west coast of the United States, the series heads to “The Gateway to the West”, St. Louis, and World Wide Technology Raceway.

The last oval of the season, WWTR, better known as Gateway, provides exciting short-track racing in a spectacular race under the floodlights. This season it will be a busy one-day event with practice, qualifying, and the race mere hours apart, leaving little room for error.

Following his late retirement from the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix last weekend, championship leader Alex Palou saw his cushion at the top of the championship evaporate, as Patricio O’Ward now sits only 21 points behind him in second place. An even closer gap of 13 points separates O’Ward from third place Scott Dixon, leaving the championship wide open coming down the stretch. Josef Newgarden sits fourth in the championship, with Marcus Ericsson closing in only seven points behind in fifth.

This race will also feature the debut of Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing rookie Romain Grosjean on an oval circuit. Grosjean originally joined IndyCar on a road and street course program, but announced in June that he planned on adding WWTR to his calendar and tested at the track in late July. This race also sees the returns of proven oval racers like Ed Carpenter and Tony Kanaan.

With the championship fight now closer than ever, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team has confirmed they will leave the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as a manufacturer after the 2021-22 season.

Rumours were rife that the team would follow their German counterparts at Audi Sport and BMW in leaving Formula E, but whereas the other two teams are leaving ahead of season eight, Mercedes will return for one more season in order to defend the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles they won this year.

Mercedes will continue in Formula 1 where the light of success shines brighter, but they are moving resources away from Formula E to continue development of their first all-electric road cars.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we have committed ourselves to fighting climate change at full force in this decade,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG and responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO.

“This demands the accelerated transformation of our company, products and services towards an emission-free and software-driven future, and to achieve this, we must give full focus to our core activities.

Amiel Lindesay, the Head of Operations Formula E at the Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, says the German marque will need to improve its performances in Qualifying in season eight of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship after underperforming during season seven.

Both André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein have often struggled over one lap during the Qualifying sessions during the 2020-21 season, and as a result they both were left with too much to do when it came to racing to be regular contenders for wins and podiums.

Both drivers finished inside the top three once (although Wehrlein lost two podium finishes including a win due to penalties during the Puebla E-Prix weekend where he did show well in Qualifying), and as a result the team could only finish eighth in the final Teams’ Championship.

Lindesay watched on at the Berlin E-Prix on Sunday as Lotterer and Wehrlein rounded out the season with a fourth and sixth place finish respectively, but ultimately, the results and championship positions fell short of what they had been expecting prior to the season.

“We narrowly missed out on the Super Pole by five-thousandths of a second,” said Lindesay. “André put in a strong drive. Still, we simply have to do better in qualifying so that we can convert our good racing performance into top results. We’ll keep working on that.

André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein gave the Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team a positive end to the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season by finishing fourth and sixth in the second race of the Berlin E-Prix on Sunday.

After failing to score a point in Saturday’s race at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, Lotterer was in contention throughout the afternoon on Sunday and was a genuine threat for a podium place right until the chequered flag.

A late and robust move on Mahindra Racing’s Alexander Sims moved him up to fourth, but he was too far behind Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team’s Stoffel Vandoorne to make a decisive move for a place on the podium.  It left Lotterer seventeenth in the Drivers’ Championship.

“It’s always annoying to miss the podium by such a slim margin,” said Lotterer.  “Still, most of the time I was able to drive among the main group and I had to be careful that no one hit my car.

“My overtaking move at the end was pretty tight but it worked – it’s simply a shame that it was too late to go for the podium. The positive experiences of this season make us optimistic about the future.”

For the second year in a row, the Japanese Grand Prix held at the famous Suzuka has been cancelled. The race was meant to be the final part of a triple-header, with the Russian Grand Prix and Turkish Grand Prix taking part before.

The decision to cancel the grand prix for a second successive season, is due to ongoing complexities in Japan based on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Formula 1 released an official statement Wednesday morning.

“Following ongoing discussions with the promoter and authorities in Japan the decision has been taken by the Japanese government to cancel the race this season due to ongoing complexities of the pandemic in the country

“Formula 1 is now working on the details of the revised calendar and will announce the final details in the coming weeks.

“Formula 1 has proven this year, and in 2020, that we can adapt and find solutions to the ongoing uncertainties and is excited by the level of interest in locations to host Formula 1 events this year and beyond.”

Mid-Season rating: four out of ten.

Going into the 2021 Formula 1 season the Uralkali Haas F1 Team knew they would be up against it, after the team decided not to put any development into their 2021 car and instead focus on 2022. Team Principal Guenther Steiner would have been fully aware of the difficulties that lay ahead. The season so far has perhaps been even more difficult than the team could have imagined, with rookie drivers Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin being the only drivers on the grid to have failed to score a point. However in what was predicted to be a challenging season for the Haas team and both drivers, there have been some positives to take from the season so far.

The biggest positive of them all is the stellar job being done by 2020 Formula 2 world champion Mick Schumacher, son of the great Michael Schumacher. The German driver has quickly become recognised as Haas’s number one driver after out-performing his team-mate at every race. The rookie has amazingly finished every race so far this season in what is an incredible feat, considering he is driving the most challenging car on the grid. His performances have even caught the eye of Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto, who is eager for Schumacher to remain at Haas for 2022.

Schumacher’s best finish so far this season was an impressive twelfth at the chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix, where he showed that he isn’t afraid of battling with the best after going up against a wounded Max Verstappen. He has even made an appearance in second qualifying, sort of! The German crashed on his final qualifying one lap at the French Grand Prix, meaning his car was unable to take part in second qualifying. Overall plenty of positives to take from the opening half of the season for Schumacher.

For Nikita Mazepin, his biggest positive from the season so far comes off the track rather than on it. The Russian went into the season on the back of a social media meltdown, all caused by a video posted by himself containing behaviour not acceptable by anyone, especially someone in the privileged position which he is in as a Formula 1 driver. There was demands from the Formula 1 community for Mazepin to be dropped by Haas, with plenty of negativity directed towards the team through social media comments.

Gregory Driot, the Co-Team Principal of Nissan e.dams, was pleased to wrap up a difficult 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season for the team with a podium finish in the Berlin E-Prix.

Oliver Rowland brought home a second-place finish at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit on Sunday in his final race for the team, but for Droit, it showed the team has made massive gains with its powertrain throughout the season that gives them confidence of a stronger 2021-22 season.

Sébastien Buemi failed to score points as he ended a lowly twenty-first in the standings, but Droit says the team will start next season with expectations higher than they were this year.

“A great way to wrap up our season with an impressive podium for Oli,” said Driot. “Ultimately, as a team, we didn’t finish where we wanted, but now we see the updated Nissan Gen2 Formula E powertrain come into its own and we will approach season eight buoyed by our race car’s speed and efficiency.

“Now it’s time to celebrate the podium with our incredibly hard-working and talented Nissan e.dams race team, and on behalf of everyone at the team, I would like to wish Oli all the best for the future.”

Oliver Rowland’s final race with the Nissan e.dams team saw him claim a podium finish in race two of the Berlin E-Prix, and he was pleased to end his three-year tenure with the team on a high note.

The British racer is set to join Mahindra Racing for season eight of Formula E, but he claimed a second-place finish at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit on Sunday for his second top three finish of the year.  He leaves Nissan with one win to his name and four podium finishes in his thirty-nine starts with the team.

Ultimately, Rowland did not have the pace needed to deny ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Norman Nato victory in Berlin, but he felt he maximised the potential of the car on Sunday to finish in second place to move up to fourteenth in the Drivers’ Championship.

“Today was a great day,” said Rowland. “We qualified on the front row and finished P2. Of course, there’s only one spot better and it would have been nice to win today for Nissan, but ultimately, I am happy with the job I did, as I think we maximized what we had.

“I’m really happy for all the guys and it was nice to be able to give them some champagne. I’ve had three fantastic seasons with Nissan, I’ve learned a lot and want to thank everyone in the team.

Ian James, the Team Principal of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, was delighted after seeing the team clinch both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in the season finale of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Sunday.

Stoffel Vandoorne finished third and Nyck de Vries eighth in the final race of the season at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, with the latter becoming the first ever World Champion in Formula E as a result.  Results went the way of Mercedes as they were able to take the Teams’ title as well, four points clear of Jaguar Racing.

James says winning both titles adds to Mercedes-Benz’ heritage in motorsport, and he is already looking forward to seeing the team defending both championships when season eight begins in January in Saudi Arabia.

“We’ve added to over 125 years of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport heritage by winning not only the drivers’ but also the teams’ World Championship in Formula E,” said James.

“First of all, for Nyck this is testimony to his driving throughout the season, his approach, his hard work and also to the out-and-out racer that he truly is. Today, he drove with tenacity and with grit, which has resulted in the situation that we happily find ourselves in today.

Stoffel Vandoorne’s 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season ended with a podium finish in the Berlin E-Prix, with the Belgian’s efforts helping the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team clinch the Teams’ Championship at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.

Vandoorne started the final race of the season from pole position but did not have the pace needed to convert that into a second victory of the year, with the Belgian ultimately finishing behind ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Norman Nato and Nissan e.dams’ Oliver Rowland.

He was embroiled in a close battle on track with Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein, as well as Mahindra Racing’s Alexander Sims for the final spot on the podium, while team-mate Nyck de Vries also interjected himself in the battle before falling away to eighth at the chequered flag.

“That was an eventful race,” said Vandoorne.  “I lacked a bit of pace after the start, and we weren’t as fast as we needed to be before everyone went for attack mode.

“That’s why I found myself in a difficult situation after the safety car deployment. I had a tough fight against some opponents out there, and I’m relieved that I still managed to finish on the podium. All in all, it’s a fantastic day for the team.”

Nyck de Vries says he is ‘lost for words’ after clinching the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Sunday by finishing eighth in race two of the Berlin E-Prix.

The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team driver stayed in contention throughout the race at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit while his main rivals for the title fell by the wayside.  

Mitch Evans and Edoardo Mortara (second and fourth in the standings) were the first casualties, crashing out on the start-line after the Jaguar Racing driver appeared to stall, while Jake Dennis (third) was the next retiree after crashing out at turn one following the restart.

António Félix da Costa (fifth) and Lucas di Grassi (sixth) also took themselves out of contention by colliding, which meant eighth place was more than enough for de Vries to take the first ever World Championship title in Formula E.

De Vries felt luck was on his side on the final day of racing, and he ultimately left Berlin seven points clear of Mortara in the final standings.  His team also clinched the Teams’ Championship thanks to his result and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne finishing third.

Susie Wolff admits that had she been told before the season started that the ROKiT Venturi Racing team would take two victories and finish seventh in the Teams’ Championship in the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, she would have taken it.

Team Principal Wolff watched on as Norman Nato took his maiden victory in Formula E in race two of the Berlin E-Prix at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit on Sunday, although Edoardo Mortara’s chance of taking the title was ended on the opening lap after a crash with Mitch Evans.

Wolff says she is proud of her team for their efforts throughout the 2020-21 season, with Mortara ending second in the standings despite his retirement and Nato eighteenth after his win.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team,” said Wolff.  “Coming into this weekend, we knew that we had to hit the ground running and score big to end the season on a high and that’s exactly what we did.

“It was heartbreaking to see Edo out before he had a chance to fight for the title but he has done an outstanding job all season. The car was incredibly quick today and Norman drove the perfect race and the team executed a perfect strategy.

Norman Nato felt he was driving a ‘rocketship’ during the second race of the Berlin E-Prix weekend, with the Frenchman securing his maiden ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.

The ROKiT Venturi Racing driver was almost untouchable when he took over from Stoffel Vandoorne for the lead, with the Frenchman surviving a safety car period and pressure from Oliver Rowland to take the chequered flag first for his maiden win and the second victory of the season for the team.

Nato admitted to being ‘speechless’ after the race, but he felt it was a tense afternoon behind the wheel, particularly after the safety car restart, and he thanked the team for their support throughout the season.

“Today we executed the perfect race and honestly, I’m shocked and speechless,” said Nato.  “I’ve been hungry for silverware for a very long time after losing my podiums in Rome and Valencia so it was very emotional to finally finish inside the top three.

“Every week, we put in a massive amount of work with the hope of achieving results like this so to execute the perfect race is a very special feeling. The car was flawless and it felt like I was driving a rocketship.

AJ Allmendinger survived two late red flags and multiple attempts at an overtime finish to win the Verizon 200, becoming the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course in a chaotic finish, his first Cup win since Watkins Glen in 2014.

On the final overtime restart, Allmendinger inherited the lead after leader Denny Hamlin was spun by Chase Briscoe heading to turn nine, and Briscoe was handed a stop-and-go penalty for driving through the grass after missing turn one. As Briscoe served his penalty, Allmendinger took the lead and led the final lap to give Kauling Racing their first ever Cup Series victory.

William Byron won the inaugural pole on the road course this morning, and led the field to green alongside the rookie Briscoe, with the field managing to get through the first turn cleanly. Briscoe put the pressure on Byron to take the lead on the second lap in turn seven as the top four of Briscoe, Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson began to pull away from the field.

On lap 13, drivers began to make their first stops before the end of stage one. Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Hamlin were among those who pit, while the top four pit the very next lap. Briscoe’s stop took a little longer than the others, as the team worked to clear grass from the grill of his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

Michael McDowell inherited the lead from the pit cycle, but was passed with two laps to go in the stage by Tyler Reddick in turn 12, taking the stage win from the Daytona 500 winner. Reddick’s teammate Austin Dillon came home in third, with Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse, Justin Haley, Briscoe and Elliott picking up stage points.

Norman Nato took his maiden ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory on Sunday at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, while Nyck de Vries did enough to become the 2020-21 Drivers’ Champion as his rivals all blew their chances of denying the Dutchman the crown.

De Vries took eighth place in the second race of the Berlin E-Prix, but it was enough for him to take the title after his main competitors took themselves out of contention.

Six drivers went into the final race of the season within nine points of the lead, while fourteen drivers mathematically had a chance of the championship.  De Vries was on top by three points from Edoardo Mortara, with Jake Dennis a further point back in third and Mitch Evans one further point behind in fourth. 

Qualifying had seen the main contenders scattered across the field, with Evans the best placed of the drivers in third, while Stoffel Vandoorne and Oliver Rowland – both not in contention for the championship – locked out the front row.  De Vries was down in twelfth, but even before he crossed the start/finish line at the start, two of his rivals had crashed out.

Evans moved only briefly on the grid, only for the car to stop on him. Those behind him all took avoiding action, only for ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Mortara to hit the stricken Jaguar Racing car on the back right corner. Both cars were out on the spot and with debris stricken across the track, the red flag was flown by the officials and the remaining cars returning to the pit lane.