Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

With just nine races remaining in his illustrious Formula One career, Sebastian Vettel returns from the summer break hungry for another strong result at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion has historically gone well at the Belgian Grand Prix with one pole position and three victories to his name around the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit.

The Spa-Francorchamps Circuit can always throw up a surprise result and Vettel is hopeful he can benefit from another surprise result at this weekend’s Grand Prix.

“It is great to get back to the track after the summer break, and to get going again at Spa is fantastic. This circuit is incredibly fast and has a great flow; and every race here seems to throw up something exciting or unpredictable, which is also great for the fans.”

While lacking single lap pace, the AMR22 has shown strong race pace across the season and Vettel was keen to point out how the characteristics of the circuit could benefit his Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 team this weekend.

“I think we have a car that performs well in races, and our team works well operationally, so hopefully we can string together another solid weekend.”

Lance Stroll: “Spa is such an awesome circuit”

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, it has finally been announced that Daniel Ricciardo will leave the McLaren F1 Team at the end of the season, as has been predicted for a couple of months.

Apart from his victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Ricciardo’s time at the Woking-based team has been largely disappointing, with the Australian having been kept very much in Lando Norris‘ shadow. Norris has outperformed the Honey Badger on a regular basis, with the team having become frustrated with Ricciardo’s poor results.

Despite being contracted till the end of 2023, Ricciardo demanded £17 million to relinquish his seat, so that BWT Alpine F1 Team reserve driver Oscar Piastri could take his place. It’s rumoured that Piastri has already signed a deal with McLaren; however, nothing has been announced yet.

It remains to be seen where Ricciardo will go next, perhaps to Alpine or to the Haas F1 Team, maybe he’ll even leave Formula 1.

Ricciardo has “no regrets” of his time with McLaren, and will announce his plans in due course.

Ballasts are used to weigh cars down to meet requirements, but install them improperly and it can seriously get someone hurt. To ensure this does not happen, NASCAR maintains strict penalties in the event of a ballast falling off a car while on track, and Cody Ware‘s #51 Rick Ware Racing Ford is the latest entry onto the dubious list of disciplinary action.

During practice for this past weekend’s Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, a piece of lead ballast came off his car near turn two and landed near a group of photographers. One of the photographers Chris Owens posted a photo of the ballast, showing it to be a rectangular box-like chunk.

Although small, such weights are so dense that they can result in severe car damage if run over, if not injury to drivers. In a 2015 Xfinity Series race at Iowa, Jamie Dick‘s windshield was destroyed by a tungsten ballast dropped by Ross Chastain‘s car that also shattered his helmet’s face shield, though he was unharmed. That same year at Dover, Carl Long was not as lucky when he was hit by tungsten from Peyton Sellers and crashed, breaking his shoulder in the process. At the Cup level, Denny Hamlin lost his crew chief for a loose tungsten piece at the 2020 Coca-Cola 600.

Rule 12.5.2.7.d.4 of the rulebook reads, “Loss or separation of added ballast from the vehicle will result in a four Race suspension of the crew chief, car chief, and head engineer. If NASCAR cannot identify which series or vehicle the lost ballast originated from, all vehicles entered for that Event from and associated with the team organization identified on the lost ballast may receive the suspensions.”

As a result, Ware’s crew chief Billy Plourde, car chief Jamie Edwards, and lead engineer Steven Gray have been suspended for the next four races at Daytona, Darlington, Kansas, and Bristol. RWR competition director Ken Evans is listed as interim crew chief for Bristol; he served in the same position for the team’s #15 in March.

Kyle Koehler, Vice President of the Short-course Off-Road Drivers Association, died Monday night in a motorcycle accident. The series confirmed the news the following day.

Koehler spent the weekend attending the Championship Off-Road round at Bark River International Raceway in Michigan, where many of his SODA colleagues and drivers interacted with him. SODA Class 11 and COR 1600 Light Buggy racer Jeff Wolfe commented on Facebook that it was “sad news, glad we were able to hangout at Bark River Rip Kyle”.

He had worked with the SODA team since the inaugural season in 2021. As part of his duties as VP, he helped lead the media division such as providing footage for highlight reels and driver biography videos.

In his condolences, SODA President Willie Freshour quoted the phrase, “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.”

“We will all miss Kyle, his enthusiasm and especially his friendship,” reads a statement from SODA. “He only knew one speed in life and was always on the move. He will be deeply missed by everyone in SODA. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his lovely wife, Tamra, and his children. RIP Kyle.”

Ahead of the new Bundesliga season, RB Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg teamed up with thirteen-time Formula One Grand Prix winner David Coulthard as a two-seater Formula One car made it’s way through the city of Leipzig for the very first time.

The Scot and the Swede took to the streets of Leipzig in an Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 two-seater to help generate further excitement ahead of RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga campaign.

Coulthard was placed in the driver seat at the front, while his co-driver Emil Forsberg was situated at the back of the two-seater.

Oracle Red Bull Racing’s F1 two-seater is a converted Formula One car powered by a V10 engine which can reach a top speed of 320 kph.

The pair took in the sights of the city, starting with the square in front of the Federal Administrative Court, before heading to the Könneritz Bridge and finishing off the tour at Club Elipamanoke.

René Rast, DTM Champion in 2017, 2019 and 2020, will drive for the BMW M Motorsport squad from 2023 after completing his switch from Audi, with details of the specific events and cars he will race in to be released at a later date.

Rast has dominated DTM over recent years, and is still in the title race with current team ABT for the 2022 season, sitting in third place in the drivers’ standings halfway through the year, with a win at Imola and podiums at the Lausitzring and Norisring.

On his move to BMW, the German driver said: “After so many successful years at Audi, I am looking forward to a new challenge, I followed what has been going on at BMW M Motorsport in the past years and a long time ago, I took my first steps in motor racing in #Formula BMW. Returning to BMW now, almost 20 years later, is a great story and a logical step for me.”

Out of the BMW backed teams competing in DTM this year, Schubert Motorsport have faired the best. With South African driver, Sheldon Van der Linde, winning both races at the Lausitzring as well as occupying the championship lead for a large chunk of the season.

Even without mentioning two time DTM champion, Marco Wittmann and 24 hours of Daytona winner, Philipp Eng, both factory BMW drivers currently competing in DTM. It is interesting to think where Rast fits into that equation. Will he even compete in the competition next year? Or will he only compete in a handful of races in DTM? As his schedule has been filled further after signing up to race McLaren’s new Gen3 Formula E car for 2023.

It was a great first half of the season for the Haas F1 Team, as they made their way back into the points places after a disastrous couple of years. The side are not only a somewhat regular points finisher again, but they are also truly in the midfield fight rather than amongst the backmarkers.

Team Principal Guenther Steiner is glad the team are back to “where we wanted to be”, but insists that they are planning to go even higher than before with sixth-place in the Constructors’ on the American team’s radar.

“We haven’t readjusted, we are just back to where we wanted to be at the beginning of the season, now being in seventh. Hopefully we can keep this position in the championship, that’s battle number one. Battle number two is trying to get to sixth, but let’s see. We will always do our best and try to improve or at least not fall back.”

The team introduced their first and only upgrade of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix; however, this weekend in Spa both Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher will have the upgrade available to them, something only Magnussen had in Hungary.

“Yes, both cars will have the upgrade package. We had one kit ready before the shutdown so we said we’ll put it on one car to collect some data so when we’re back, we have that data and now we can already work on the set-up, getting out in Spa straightaway.” 

Van Amersfoort Racing have announced that the German racing driver David Beckmann will replace Jake Hughes for the remainder of the 2022 FIA Formula 2 season.

The Dutch racing outfit released the following statement on the matter to their social media accounts:

“Following evaluations made during the summer break, the decision was made to have David Beckmann take the wheel of our #24 FIA F2 car, starting at the upcoming race weekend at Spa–Francorchamps.

“David replaces Jake Hughes, who has indicated to increase his already strong involvement in FIA Formula E. Up to this point, Jake has played an essential role in our maiden FIA F2 season, for which we are grateful. He will always be considered family of our racing team and we wish him all the best on both a personal and professional level!

“German David Beckmann, who acted as Jake’s replacement during a Corona-related absence, already proved to be a valuable addition to the team and we look forward to continuing the season with him!”

Mick Schumacher is raring to go with the second half of the Formula 1 season, as the Belgian Grand Prix kickstarts a triple-header. It’s a challenging period for Schumacher, as the young German remains without a contract for 2023.

The Haas F1 Team are undecided on whether to retain the German, with other options, including, Antonio Giovinazzi entering the picture. It appears that Schumacher hasn’t thought to much about his contract situation over the summer break, as the German revealed all that he got up to during the much-needed summer break.

“I’m happy to be back. It’s been a good three weeks now out of the car and it felt weird at first and obviously pretty soon into the holidays I was itching to get back, so happy it’s finally here and we’re driving soon. I stayed on an island for the most part with friends and family and got to enjoy some time on a boat, enjoyed some time in the water and had some great dinners combined with some work – I’d say I haven’t gained too much weight which I’m happy about.

“What can we expect for the second part of the season, hopefully more points. We have some tracks ahead which should be good for us, and we have some tracks that will probably be difficult. Nevertheless, it’s Formula 1 and there’s a high chance of a crazy event where hopefully we’re not in the crazy part of it and we have the chance to score some big points, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a full grind back into it and we’ll give it our best at every event and hopefully reap the rewards. I’m fully recharged and ready to rumble!”

This weekend might possibly be the last Belgian Grand Prix for the foreseeable future, with a deal yet to be agreed between Formula 1 and the Spa-Francorchamps bosses. This would be heartbreaking for Schumacher, with the venue being “so historical”. The venue has been a “very special place” for him and his family, but it’s not been without its “ups and downs”.

On 14 August, The Checkered Flag had the opportunity to chat with off-road bike racer Ace Nilson, who was recently accepted to compete in the 2023 Dakar Rally.

Provided below is the full transcript of the interview. Some text has been altered from the actual dialogue to improve readability and remove verbal pauses. A subtitled version of the audio will be released soon.

An article summarising the interview can be read here.

Transcript

TCF: To start things off, can you recall what the feeling was when you found out you were accepted to race at Dakar? How long did it take to sink in that you had been accepted?

AN: Man, Justin, I got to tell you, I really didn’t believe it at first. It’s pretty unusual to get accepted on your first application. I thought I might be put into like a provisional status and need another result, but… Just super pumped when it finally sank in that all the work that I’ve been putting in had paid off and all the people behind me and just, you know, it was a little bit emotional. Super pumped.

Nissan E.DAMS have announced a completely new line-up for Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, in the form of both Jaguar TCS Racing reserve drivers Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz.

Nato sat out Season Eight of the championship to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship; however, he filled in for Sam Bird at the Seoul E-Prix double-header, due to Bird being forced to miss the season finale due to a hand injury from the London E-Prix.

The Frenchman has won in the championship before, after claiming victory at the Berlin E-Prix in Season Six. Nato is a great addition back to the championship, with Season Nine already looking set to be a thriller.

Nato is “very happy” to be returning to the series as a permanent driver, with the Frenchman ready for the “new chapter” of the all-electric series.

“I’m very happy to be making my comeback as a full-time driver in Formula E with Nissan. The Gen3 era will be a new chapter for the championship, and I’m excited to prepare for testing and drive the car. The hard work starts now – I have a lot to learn and areas to develop in with the team to be at my best for the first round of Season 9 in Mexico City.”

Audi legend René Rast has been announced as the new NEOM McLaren Formula E Team‘s first driver, as the German prepares for life back in Formula E.

The sports car icon has parted ways with Audi, in order to take up racing with BMW Motorsport; however, he will also be competing in Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with McLaren, who are joining the championship in 2023.

Rast is no stranger to the series, after racing for half of the 2019/20 season and competing the entirety of the 2020/21 campaign for Audi. He made a one-off appearance in 2015/16 for Team Aguri, at the Berlin E-Prix.

The three-time DTM champion has claimed two podiums previously in the series, with the German highly likely to build on that number in the first season of Gen3.

Rast is “delighted” to join the team, and is “extremely motivated” to get going in Season Nine.

Kimi Räikkönen might have been the high-profile NASCAR Cup Series newcomer in Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen International, but Mike Rockenfeller held his own as well. The endurance racing star and 2013 DTM champion finished thirtieth in the #77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports, running as high as third in a tumultuous maiden NASCAR race.

After qualifying thirty-third, problems arrived almost immediately when his windshield wiper to combat the rain needed to be switched, though the severe weather led to a delay that gave his team time to address the matter. It only took ten laps for Rockenfeller to enter the top twenty, even passing Räikkönen at one point, and he finished Stage #1 in twenty-fifth.

Rockenfeller spent much of the second stage in the top twenty before spinning on lap 33 while racing Tyler Reddick. Forced to recover after ending the segment in thirty-fourth, he eventually climbed as high as third as teams experimented with different pit strategies. A pit stop on lap 68 would drop him back down the order and place him thirtieth but he was able to finish on the lead lap.

“In all my years of racing, my NASCAR Cup Series début was up there when it comes to being a wild experience,” said Rockenfeller. “However, all of the challenges we faced really helped me get up to speed much quicker than expected with the car and the team. When the race started after the delayed start, the track was incredibly slippery, and the racing in NASCAR is so intense and close. I also had a collision with Tyler and was running with the leaders at one stage; it was a race of pretty much everything.”

Rockenfeller was the first German to compete in the Cup Series since fellow sports car veteran Klaus Graf was a road course ringer in 2004. Three other Germans raced in NASCAR’s highest level in the 1970s with Lothar Motschenbacher, Rolf Stommelen, and Fritz Schultz. Of the five foreign-born road course ringers in the race, Rockenfeller was the highest finisher; the Finnish Räikkönen crashed out and finished thirty-seventh, one spot behind Russia’s Daniil Kvyat but ahead of Britain’s Kyle Tilley‘s thirty-ninth, while the Dutchman Loris Hezemans was thirty-third.

After the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Josh Williams ended his six-year tenure at DGM Racing by joining B.J. McLeod Motorsports. When that stint did not work out, Williams found himself back at DGM for the rest of 2022. He will drive the #92 in his first race back at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

Williams drove for DGM from 2017 to 2021, and on a full-time for the final three years with top-twenty points finishes in each and eight top tens. In 2021, he notched a top ten at Mid-Ohio and placed eighteenth in points.

For 2022, he moved to BJMM with the intention of getting Cup Series experience, which was fulfilled as he ran the Bristol Dirt Race and Indianapolis for Cup sister team Live Fast Motorsports. However, he struggled with BJMM with more races in which he failed to qualify than top-twenty finishes. Sitting twenty-eighth in points, he left the team after the Michigan race.

“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to work with everyone at DGM and pick up where we left off last fall,” Williams stated. “I want to extend a huge thank you to all my partners for trusting and believing in me every step of the way. Without the support of these great organisations, that have become like family, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you.

“Over the years we have accomplished so much together, and I can’t wait to get back to the same great finishes we’re known for. “I know this is the right call for myself and my partners. This year has been the most competitive field in my Xfinity career. We’ve had our ups and downs so far, but I’m ready to turn a new leaf and get this season back on track. I can’t thank the Gosselin family enough for the opportunity to come home to DGM Racing.”

When the 2023 Dakar Rally begins on 31 December 2022, Ace Nilson will hope to fulfill a longtime dream. The Bike rider received his acceptance message from race organisers in late July, bringing him one step closer to competing at the legendary event for the first time. Of course, in order to take part in the race, one would actually need to be there, and that has its own challenges.

Last Sunday, approximately two weeks after getting the fateful letter, The Checkered Flag spoke with Nilson about his career prior to Dakar, his fundraising efforts to afford the trip, and parallels between rallying and his primary occupation of working in the medical field during COVID-19.

A transcript and subtitled audio will be released soon.

Dreaming of Dakar

A California native-turned-Oregon resident, Nilson submitted his application for Dakar to potential teams followed by conducting interviews to “see if there’s a good fit. I interviewed with, had discussions with BAS Dakar and then talked with Filip (Dabrowski) at DUUST.CO, and just felt a good vibe there and good fit. Invited me to send additional information and results and things of that nature, received an offer from him to me on the team.“

Headquartered in Poland, DUUST is a satellite of Red Bull KTM Factory Team that previously fielded Dakar bikes for the likes of 2016 winner Toby Price and two-time FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Pablo Quintanilla. DUUST supported five applicants, with Nilson, fellow American Jacob Argubright, and twice-Dakar starter Konrad Dąbrowski ultimately being granted entry: “They send in all of the information together as a team. [Dabrowski] compiled all our résumés, filled out the applications, and really made it easy on the riders.”