Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

As speculation mounts, Red Bull claims that it is unaware that Adrian Newey is to leave the Austrian outfit for another team.

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Today's meeting of the F1 Commission saw the sport fail to reach agreement on a revision of the points system.

McLaren boss, Andrea Stella claims that the Woking team's remarkable turnaround last season is making it look as though it is losing ground to Red Bull this year.

The Ferrari AF Corse Hypercar drivers have reflected on what could have been after a disappointing result in their home race at the 6 Hours of Imola. The Italian team headed into the second round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with high hopes but ultimately left Imola empty handed.

The three Ferraris lead the charge at the start of the 6 Hours of Imola. Credit: Ferrari Media Centre

The Scuderia started strong. They topped all three practise sessions before putting on a dominant display in qualifying, where all three Ferrari 499Ps locked out the top three positions on the grid. In the race, the pace was strong until the rain came. Ferrari ran a different strategy to Toyota Gazoo Racing, who pitted as soon as the rain came to switch to wet tyres. Ferrari continued on slicks, a seemingly masterful move as the rain wasn’t particularly heavy and confined to one area of the track. However, after a few laps, their courage failed and they switched to wets too late, handing the advantage to Toyota who ultimately went on to win the race.

One of the driver team in the #51 car, Alessandro Pier Guidi was understandably frustrated. “Unfortunately, we’re commenting on a final result that doesn’t reflect the potential of our cars” Pier Guidi said. “Finishing off the podium in front of the many fans who supported us here at Imola is disappointing. We made an excellent start and managed the first half of the race well. We understand the nature of motorsport, where joy can sometimes swiftly turn into disappointment. So, we leave Imola aware of our potential and recognise the need to continue improving. We’re already looking ahead to the next event at Spa in May, aiming to achieve a strong result.“

The #50 Ferrari in the rain that changed everything. Credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI

Nicklas Nielsen, one of the drivers for the pole-sitting #50 car, was equally disappointed, saying “The race showed promise at the start, with a strong pace in the opening hours. However, the weather changed, and we could not finish the 6 Hours of Imola as we’d liked. At the end of the day, we can’t be entirely satisfied. We’ll aim to gather valuable insights from this race to improve our performance and return determined to do our best as of the next race at Spa.”

The #50 car in the hands of Antonio Fuoco delivered a stellar performance after the pit strategy error played out. Fuoco managed to fight his way back up to 4th, delivering the fastest lap of the race on lap 203 out of 205. Unlike Toyota, who managed to secure victory despite not having the fastest car, Ferrari now need to work on maximising the potential and not throwing a result away due to strategic errors.

Admitting that the team was to blame for Lewis Hamilton's failure to make it out of Q1 in China, James Allison says the team needs to cure an instability issue with the 2024 contender.

Ukrainian Trophy-Raid Championship regular Mykhailo Svirgun was kiled in action while serving with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Before the Russian invasion began in 2022, Svirgun competed in the series as a co-driver during the late 2010s. A Kharkiv native, he was part of the local Bilka off-road team and thus worked alongside drivers like fellow residents Serhiy Tarasov.

Tarasov and Svirgun mainly raced a Toyota Land Cruiser or a UAZ-469 in the TR2 class. Prior to the series’ pause by COVID-19 in 2020, the duo enjoyed podiums at rounds like the 2019 Polissya Trophy, the second race of the season held in Kyiv.

With Bilka, he was a popular face in the off-roading and Jeep community.

“Mykhailo Mykhailovych Svirgun, the navigator of the ‘star’ Kharkiv crew ‘Belka’, died defending Ukraine from the Russian-fascist invaders,” reads a statement from the Automobile Federation of Ukraine. “A wife and two children were left without a husband and father…

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, IndyCar announced that Team Penske has been assessed penalties following an issue with the team’s “Push to Pass” system discovered during morning warmup on Sunday in Long Beach. Winner Josef Newgarden and third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin are both disqualified from the season opener at St. Petersburg in March, with teammate Will Power promoted to second place but penalized 10 driver points. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who originally finished in second place, is now the official winner – his first win since Iowa in 2022.

Officials determined that all three cars used the “Push to Pass” system on race starts and restarts, which is not allowed under Rule 14.19.16 of the IndyCar Series rulebook. Investigation showed that Newgarden’s No. 2 and McLaughlin’s No. 3 gained a competitive advantage with the violation, whereas Power did not, resulting in the 2022 champion keeping his position.

Team Penske president Tim Cindric responded, saying it was a mistake related to recent hybrid testing, and that the team will not appeal:

In the top five, O’Ward and Power are joined by Colton Herta, Alex Palou, and Felix Rosenqvist. Newgarden, who previously led the championship standings, is now in 11th with McLaughlin down in 29th. Scott Dixon, who won in Long Beach, now leads the standings, followed by Herta, Palou, O’Ward, and Power.

Ferrari and HP Inc. have forged a momentous, multi-year title partnership, uniting two of the world’s most renowned companies. This collaboration signifies a shared dedication to propel sustainable innovation and expedite purposeful technology across the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team, the Scuderia Ferrari Esports team, and the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. 

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In addition, the HP logo will debut on the Maranello F1 cars ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, scheduled for May 3-5, when the team will start competing as Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Scuderia Ferrari Esports team and the Scuderia Ferrari car driven by Maya Weug in the all-female F1 Academy series, launched in 2023, will also race using the new moniker. 

Uniting heritage and purpose for a more significant impact

Ferrari and HP are committed to accelerating sustainable innovation through technology or sport. The companies will also collaborate to expand educational initiatives within their teams and communities and create a lasting impact for future generations.

Powering the teams through technology

As a vital aspect of this alliance, integrating HP’s cutting-edge products and services, such as adaptive PCs and devices, conferencing technology, and printing capabilities, will empower Scuderia Ferrari HP and the other racing teams of the Prancing Horse. This integration will supercharge training precision and optimize strategic decision-making on and off the track.

H. Moser & Cie. presents the Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine Limited Edition, the first fruit of its collaboration with Alpine Motorsports. For this timepiece symbolising the union between the two brands, H. Moser & Cie. wanted to create a design attuned to the aesthetic tastes of the stable’s F1 drivers and endurance racing team: fine engineering visible from every angle, a bold character, a touch of colour, and a comfortable strap which fits all wrists and is made from rubber for guaranteed durability. The result is a roaring success: an entirely chiselled three-dimensional sculptural watch which looks spectacular and is perfect for everyday wear thanks to its balanced proportions and 12 ATM water resistance.

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H. Moser & Cie. chose its flagship Streamliner collection for the first model in its partnership with Alpine Motorsport. It is a very fitting choice if you think of the high-speed trains that inspired both the name and the curves of this line. And, for the occasion, the Manufacture has removed all superfluous material, creating a fully skeletonised version that enables the movement to be admired from every angle. Embodying precision and exceptional engineering, the Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine Limited Edition is an ode to transparency and three-dimensionality. At the heart of this timepiece is a one-minute flying tourbillon fitted with a cylindrical hairspring at 6 o’clock, showcasing the expertise of H. Moser & Cie.’s sister company, Precision Engineering AG. Invented in the 18th century, the cylindrical hairspring rises perpendicularly around the upper stem of the balance spindle. A frequent feature of marine chronometers at the time, it offered the advantage of being developed concentrically. The cylindrical hairspring – fitted with two Breguet overcoils attached at two points – reduces the friction of the pivots and improves the isochronism properties, all the more so if the hairspring is combined with a tourbillon, as is the case here. Nowadays, the cylindrical hairspring is challenging to produce because it requires expertise that has been lost. Each cylindrical hairspring is shaped by hand, which takes ten times as long as a traditional hairspring. H. Moser & Cie. loves to play with contrasts, and here, the brand has enjoyed combining traditional expertise with an ultra-modern watch.

At noon, the skeletonised main dial is topped with a slightly translucent domed dial, following the curve of the sapphire crystal and sporting the signature blue colour of H. Moser & Cie. and Alpine Motorsports in a bright and distinctive shade thanks to the clarity of the synthetic spinel used. Synthetic spinel is very high quality and difficult to machine, bringing intensity and added value to the watch. The Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine Limited Edition is designed for discerning connoisseurs, thanks to its timeless elegance and understated sophistication. With no logo, it features only a discreet engraving of the brand names on the reverse side, underlining its exclusivity and pure minimalist look. The indices feature Super- Luminova®, while the inserts which top the hour and minute hands are made in Globolight®, guaranteeing perfect legibility even at night. As for the strap, H. Moser & Cie. has opted for a blue moulded rubber strap, which imitates the texture of a textile strap, prioritising comfort without compromising sophistication.

The automatic calibre HMC 811 is fully skeletonised on both the front and reverse sides, where a sizeable openworked gold rotor can be seen oscillating. The beauty of this movement is further enhanced by the lightness of the flying tourbillon, which twirls gracefully under the sapphire crystal.

Team principal and driver of the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing car, Kamui Kobayashi has paid tribute to the superb effort that was put in by the whole team to secure victory in the Hypercar class at the 6 Hours of Imola. After a tough race full of twists and turns, the #7 car triumphed in the second round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), propelling the drivers to 2nd in the championship and Toyota to second in the manufacturers’ championship.

“It was a very tough race and to win here is absolutely phenomenal. Our car was not the fastest this week but the team performed so well” Kobayashi admitted. He paid tribute to his fellow drivers, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries for getting them into contention from qualifying in 6th. “There was big pressure from the start of my stint; I was in the lead on slick tyres in the rain. We made the right call to switch tyres and build a gap, then we kept good pace on the wet tyres.“

The winning #7 Toyota pushed all the way by the 2nd place #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport. Credit: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Not only did the rain cause strategy headaches, so too did the fuel levels come the final stages of the race. “We were not sure about fuel so we started to save energy and I gave everything, it was very tough” explained Kobayashi. He was being hunted down by the very rapid #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport car while trying to save fuel simultaneously. Ever humble, Kobayashi played down his part in the victory, saying “the team did a great effort in terms of strategy and that gave us the chance to fight for the win. Thanks to the everyone for their fantastic work here.”

Kobayashi gets ready for his race winning stint. Credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI

Mike Conway, driver of the #7 car for the opening stint of the race, was quick to praise his teammate. “It was really tense all the way to the end” the British driver said. “Kamui did a great job at the end to stay ahead whilst saving energy. As always the pressure doesn’t affect him; I think my heart rate in the garage was higher than his in the car!“

Reflecting on his own performance, Conway said “at the start I stayed out of trouble and tried to move forwards. I had a lot of fun and I enjoyed my first time racing here.” He also praised the team, saying “the crew did a great job in the pits and the strategy couldn’t have been any better. Congratulations to the whole team and everyone at Toyota.“

Ferrari and HP have confirmed a multi-year title partnership, with the technology giant's logo appearing on the cars from next weekend in Miami.

1979 world champion, and arguably one of the finest drivers to grace motorsport, Mario Andretti is incensed at the sport's attitude towards his son's proposed F1 team.

Ferrari looks set to announce a title sponsor for 2025, the first time the Maranello outfit has sported a title sponsor since 2021.

Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking technical partnership with Roboze, the global leader in 3D printing of high-performance composite materials. This collaboration aims to revolutionize the production of end-use parts for our single-seaters, offering unique benefits such as weight reduction and creating parts with previously impossible geometries with other techniques.

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Visa Cash App RB, a renowned name in the Formula 1 World Championship, is proud to announce a strategic technical partnership with Roboze, the Italian company that is a global leader in high-performance 3D printing of composites. This collaboration signifies a new era in using advanced materials to produce critical components for racing vehicles, leveraging Roboze’s unmatched expertise in the field.

Visa Cash App RB has already been implementing and integrating Roboze technology in developing its single-seaters for several months and will continue to use it throughout the season. The goal is to produce parts that are impossible to make with other production methods due to incredibly complex geometries, made possible by the Italian company’s additive manufacturing technique for composites. This technique also aims to replace metal parts to reduce weight.

The primary objective of this partnership is to develop and implement ultralight yet incredibly durable components. These components, designed to maximize the performance of the single-seaters, will be made possible through the innovative use of advanced composite materials. Among the various products offered by Roboze, Carbon PEEK, a material based on a super polymer loaded with carbon fibres, has been selected for its superior thermal and mechanical resistance characteristics. This choice will enable the Visa Cash App RB F1 team to achieve significant weight reductions, improvements in aerodynamic efficiency, and an increase in the cars’ structural strength, thereby enhancing their performance on the track.

After last racing before COVID-19, Show Aikawa‘s FLEX SHOW AIKAWA Racing will make their return to the Asia Cross Country Rally in August. The team will field a Toyota Land Cruiser 150 Prado for himself and Masato Kawabata with Daychapong Toicharoen as co-driver.

Kawabata and Toicharoen currently compete in D1 Grand Prix, the former a three-time champion with titles in 2007, 2013, and 2015. Toicharoen hails from Thailand, where the AXCR takes place, but is fluent in Japanese. In 2023, Kawabata finished ninth in the top-level D1GP standings while Toicharoen raced a part-time schedule.

In 2019, Kawabata finished second overall in his AXCR début. AIKAWA Racing first appeared at the rally the year prior, finishing sixteenth with Aikawa, Kinya Miyamoto, and Takahiro Yasui.

Although they did not return to the AXCR after the onset of the pandemic, Aikawa kept the programme alive by competing in the XCR Sprint Cup and Rally Hokkaido, both of which Kawabata won in 2023. Aikawa himself also runs rallies in a Toyota Yaris from Toyota Gazoo Racing. Due to timing, the team will not be able to defend their Rally Hokkaido win, though Aikawa plans to field a second car in the future.

“It’s our first Asia Cross Country Rally in five years, so both Kawabata and I are very excited and looking forward to it,” said Aikawa. “We believe that we will make up for the humiliation of 2019 and win our class.”

Santag Racing has joined forces with GRallyTeam for the 2024 FIA European Baja Cup and Portuguese Cross-Country Championship, fielding the OT3 car in the Challenger class for Armindo Araújo and João Dias.

Founded in 2021, Santag Racing previously competed with a Can-Am Maverick in both the Challenger (T3) and SSV (T4) categories. They are the reigning European Baja Cup team champion, ironically beating GRallyTeam by ten points, while Dias won the T3 title over GRallyTeam’s Ghislain de Mévius in a tiebreaker. Santag also claimed the 2023 CPTT T4 championship with Rui Farinha.

As part of their new partnership, Santag will be the exclusive distributor for the OT3 on the Iberian Peninsula. The alliance comes weeks after the team entered the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s BP Ultimate Rally-Raid in Portugal and Spain: Dias and his Maverick led the Challenger overall early on before a burst gas pipe relegated him to eighth; Araújo finished second, losing by less than eight minutes.

With their successes in Europe, Santag plans to enter the Dakar Rally in 2025.

“These cars are highly competitive, bearing the hallmark of GRallyTeam, which continues to invest in the quality, evolution, and development of the OT3,” commented Santag manager David Vieira. “It provides us with promising indicators and expands our offerings to customers, solidifying our position and growth in this sport in both Portugal and Spain.”

The KTM 450 Rally Replica has received a facelift for 2025, which the manufacturer deemed its biggest since 2020 as changes are intended to make it closer resemble the factory counterpart used by those in the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s top-level RallyGP.

The 450cc fuel-injection engine is modelled after the one used in KTM’s motocross and enduro bikes and features a new single overhead camshaft. To improve its cooling, a second radiator has been added. The clutch and gearbox are also stronger to protect them from damage.

The frame, a departure from the steel trellis frame, is supported by a new aluminum swing arm to reduce weight while maintaining stiffness.

In total, the bike can carry 34.5 litres of fuel. A sixteen-litre fuel tank is situated at the back while nine- and 9.5-litre tanks are at the front, each of which have a fuel pump that the rider can operate independently.

The dashboard is lighter with more warning lights and an LED headlight system to help riders in dawn and at night. KTM regards the changes as “a major styling update, with a sharper, more aggressive profile.”

A month after parting with Monster Energy Honda Rally Team, José Ignacio Cornejo has signed with Hero MotoSports for the rest of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship.

“I’m really excited to join Hero MotoSports, a team that’s making the waves for all the right reasons,” commented Cornejo. “I’ve known the team for years, and they’re all good friends from the circuit. I’m sure it will be great fun to embark on a journey with some of the best riders in rally raid, and create greater success stories for the team. In the past few years, Hero has shown exceptional growth, and I know the journey is only upwards from here.”

The Chilean raced for Honda from the 2018 Dakar Rally through the 2024 edition, finishing sixth in his final start with them in January with a career-best three stage wins. He ended his Honda tenure with ten total Dakar stage wins and a best finish of fourth in 2020, along with back-to-back sixths in the W2RC RallyGP points.

Honda skipped the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in February, and Cornejo left the team the following month. Without Cornejo or Dakar winner Ricky Brabec due to sponsorship obligations, Honda entered the recently concluded BP Ultimate Rally-Raid with just four riders but won anyway courtesy of Tosha Schareina ahead of Cornejo’s new team-mate Sebastian Bühler.

Cornejo joins Hero at an opportune time as the team is enjoying their best season to date so far. Although he did not win, Bühler’s runner-up in Portugal is the highest W2RC finish of his career. Ross Branch, Hero’s other full-time rider, currently leads the championship with a pair of seconds at Dakar and Abu Dhabi. Aaron Marè scored the marque’s maiden W2RC victory in Abu Dhabi as a substitute rider for Bühler. After three rounds, Hero leads Honda by three points in the manufacturer’s standings.

As its roller-coaster season continues, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits that his team cannot continue relying on positive signs at certain events.