Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Max Verstappen’s defence of his 2021 World Championship begins this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix, as the new era of Formula 1 begins under the lights at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Verstappen enters this season of course as World Champion, the Dutchman ended pre-season at Bahrain as the fastest driver, giving him plenty of confidence going into the season opener. Verstappen was involved in the big talking point of the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, after overtaking fierce rival Lewis Hamilton by going off the circuit. The Dutchman finished second in the end behind Hamilton at Bahrain last year, he will be looking to rectify this at the weekend.

Verstappen is very excited for the season to begin, especially with it being the first Grand Prix of the new era of Formula 1.

“We learnt a lot at testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, I’m very excited to turn our attention to racing now, it’s a whole new era for the sport and anything can happen. The focus is to bring the grid together and make it easier to follow, I hope we see that in the first race. Everything is so new so there are a lot of unknowns heading into the first race of the season.

“I’m looking forward to seeing where we are compared to the rest of the grid come qualifying on Saturday. The car looks good and as a Team we are in a good place. The most important thing for us in Bahrain is to have a stable weekend without too many issues and we hope to score a good amount of points.”

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN have announced an extension of their partnership with automotive supplier Marelli, a partnership which began in 2019.

Marelli, like Alfa Romeo, have motorsport in their DNA, both thrive under the challenge of racing. Alfa Romeo will not only continue to use Marelli products, but the brand’s logo will feature on the C42 of both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, is glad that the partnership has been extended, especially with Marelli’s history and commitment to Formula 1.

“Marelli has been a loyal technology partner for a number of years and it’s a pleasure to extend our relationship with them – they are part of the family. We have been using their products for a long time and they are perfectly integrated within our cars and they truly are the gold standard in the sector. Marelli’s history and commitment to our sport are unquestionable and we are looking forward to working with them this season.”

Riccardo De Filippi, Head of Marelli Motorsport, is very pleased that Marelli will continue with Alfa Romeo for another year, De Filippi believes that both companies hold similar values and principles.

Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN have announced an extension to their long-term partnership with brewery Singha Corporation into 2022.

Singha Corporation are a subsidiary of Boon Rawd Brewery, the Thai beer was produced in 1933. The Thai brand first became a partner of Alfa Romeo back in 2019, Singha Corporation produces other major beer brands and a growing range of sodas and mineral waters, catering for a wide range of tastes and consumers.

The Singha logo will be highly visible on the C42 of both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, as well as on team clothing and kit.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, is very happy that the partnership has been extended for a fourth year.

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Singha Corporation for a fourth year, a sign of how well our two brands have been working together. We look forward to repaying their faith in the team with on-track results, and we are excited about the activation programme they will deploy to reach a growing number of fans this season.”

The 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship finally begins this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Pirelli Motorsport will get to see the brand-new 18-inch tyres used across an actual Grand Prix weekend.

For the first Grand Prix of the season, Pirelli have opted for the hardest tyre compounds from their range, to be used at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the C1, C2 and C3 compounds. This is a step harder than used by the manufacturer last season, however last year the 18-inch tyres weren’t used. Pirelli have made this choice due to the Bahrain International Circuit being one of the most abrasive on the calendar.

The circuit is also very stop and go, with the first corner especially being a heavy braking corner due to the tightness of it. The circuit also possesses some very fast and sweeping sections, where grip is essential for a fast lap-time.

Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, explained the reasoning as to why the hardest tyres have been chosen.

“We’ve opted for the hardest tyres in the range for this first grand prix given the track layout,  asphalt characteristics and temperatures: also because the compounds are different compared to previous years. The teams had the chance get familiar with the 2022 18-inch tyre range, having spent a total of six days of testing with all the compounds, although not always in representative conditions.

Williams Racing’s 2022 campaign kicks-off this weekend, as the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship takes centre stage for round one at the Bahrain International Circuit, for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The season opener already looks set to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory, with the new generation of Formula 1 cars set to be pushed to their initial limits under the floodlit circuit. For Williams a good start to the season is vital, reliability will most likely be a key factor at the first few races this year, capitalising on others misfortune could turn out to be more important than ever before!

The British team start the season with a brand-new line-up, with Red Bull’s Alex Albon joining the team to race alongside Canadian Nicholas Latifi, who is entering his third season with the team. Both drivers will be hopeful of a strong start to the season but also to possibly take their place as lead driver at the team.

Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, is excited for the new season to begin, he also believes that despite winter testing, the true order of the field won’t be known until Sunday night.

“The opening race of any season is an exciting prospect and an opportunity to understand what our rivals were doing during pre-season testing. This season, with substantial changes to the cars, the tension and excitement is even greater, and we won’t know the true order until Sunday night when we see which drivers are able to deliver reliable performance.

“Winter testing has been tough, with only six days to investigate an almost entirely new package. Despite one day of low mileage last week, we still completed a lot of valuable running and have discovered quite a lot about the FW44. There is no doubt that there is a lot more to learn and we will see all the 2022 cars evolving quickly over the coming weeks. However, our job this weekend is to get everything possible out of the race on Sunday, to continue our setup work and to complete the integration of Alex into the Team by completing our first race weekend together.”

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.