Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Formula 1 heads to Asia for Round Seventeen of the FIA Formula 1 season, where it plays host to the Singapore Grand Prix.

McLaren F1 Team are looking to score points again after Lando Norris finished seventh at the Italian Grand Prix, but they will look to improve at one of the hardest races on the calendar with the night track needing the full concentration.

McLaren’s Team Principal Andreas Seidl is hoping both drivers can have positive results, as the team looks to overtake BWT Alpine F1 Team in the battle for fourth in the constructors’ standings

“We’re looking forward to getting back on track in the unique environment Singapore brings! I’m sure there will be a vibrant atmosphere created by the fans in Marina Bay as we return for the first time in three years.

“It’s also the third night race on this year’s calendar and has lots of corners for the drivers to navigate. The logistics of working on European time can also provide an interesting challenge but we’re ready to attack the weekend and finish in a strong position.”

Today's press conference with Esteban Ocon, Mick Schumacher, Lando Norris, Alex Albon, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.

With Max Verstappen poised to secure the title either this weekend, or, more likely, next weekend in Japan, Lewis Hamilton has expressed his sympathy for the fans.

With the liter-class superbike category eternally in an arms race for top dog, BMW has today announced a heavily updated S1000RR is making its way here in 2023, bringing with it several changes first seen on the M1000RR, but also a few tweaks of its own. Central to those changes is an updated chassis, suspension, and aerodynamics. Of course, there will also be further revisions to its electronics suite as part of the deal.

What’s not getting much of an update? The engine. Well, sorta. The cylinder head gets new intake port geometry modeled after the M1000RR and a cast surface instead of the milled surface on the M model. From there, the airbox sees shorter intake funnels, just like the one on the M1000RR. This helps with high-rpm power output.

Other than that, BMW has basically left the inline four-cylinder alone. It’s stout enough as it is, with a claimed 205 hp at 13,000 rpm and 83 lb-ft at 11,000 rpm. Better still is the ShiftCam technology allowing for variable valve timing so you get a smooth spread of power from top to bottom. Helping to get a better drive once the throttle is turned, the rear sprocket goes up one tooth, from 45 teeth to 46.

Flex Frame, Suspension, and Steering Geometry

Though not quite closing the door on his chances of securing a seat on the grid for 2023, Daniel Ricciardo admits that a reserve driver role is realistic.

Cleared by the FIA to race this weekend, Alex Albon insists he feels no pain and is ready to get back to work.

For the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on 8 October, Jesse Iwuji Motorsports will place the #34 Chevrolet Camaro in the hands of Kaz Grala.

“I’m pumped to announce I’ll be in the No. 34 Eracing Assocation/Ruedebusch.com Chevrolet Camaro SS for Jesse Iwuji Motorsports at the Charlotte Roval race next weekend! Make sure you give the team and ERA a follow on social media and let them know how much you appreciate their support,” said Grala on social media. “Thank you for the opportunity Jesse Iwuji and Emmitt Smith!”

Since his full-time Xfinity rookie season was abandoned midway in 2016, Grala has competed in the series on a part-time basis. So far in 2022, he ran three races for Alpha Prime Racing—for whom he is also employed as a reserve driver—before joining Big Machine Racing Team for five starts, scoring a best finish of fifth at Watkins Glen. Such a run coupled with other solid performances like two more top fives and four total top tens have made him particularly favourable on road courses.

In two Xfinity starts at the Roval, he finished eighth in 2018 and exited with a suspension failure two years later.

Grala has made three starts in 2022 in the Cup Series for upstart The Money Team Racing led by Floyd Mayweather Jr. He also split the #02 for Young’s Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series and notched a seventh at Mid-Ohio.

The inaugural BBC Green Sport Awards intend to recognise organisations and athletes who use their respective sport to help raise climate awareness. Five categories are included, with the Young Athlete of the Year and Ambition & Impact Awards featuring nominees from the world of motorsport: Ellis Spiezia is in the running for the former, while Extreme E and McLaren Racing are on the latter’s shortlist.

Spiezia is a sixteen-year-old who competes in the ERA Championship, an electric open-wheel junior series. He won the pole for the inaugural race at Circuit Zolder in July and finished fourth in what would be the championship’s lone event of 2022 as multiple dates were called off due to logistical troubles. The American is a major advocate for electric motorsport, partly owing to his longtime interest in sim racing, and many of the real-life disciplines he competes in are electrically powered. In 2021, he finished runner-up for the first Project E20 Euro Trophy, an electric karting series.

“I am excited and honored to be one of five nominees for the BBC Green Sport Awards Young Athlete of the Year,” posted Spiezia on social media. “Being an advocate and ambassador for climate action through electric motorsport is my passion. We’ll see who wins at the Sport Positive Summit next week. (I’m a racing driver— you know I love a competition!)”

Spiezia will be competing with cricketer Joe Cooke, table tennis player Anna Hursey, fellow American and Major League Soccer defender Zoe Morse, and Norwegian midfielder Morten Thorsby.

Extreme E is probably a very unsurprising candidate for an award focused on green sport. Now in its second season, the electric off-road series has been open about promoting environmental awareness with Legacy Programmes at each round and desire to leave as little of a footprint as possible with races in remote locations and few attendees.

This weekend’s returning Singapore Grand Prix is set to be an emotional one for the retiring Sebastian Vettel, with his most recent and likely final Formula 1 victory having come at the Marina Bay Circuit in 2019.

It’s crazy to think that Vettel was the winner the last time the championship visited the Asian country, demonstrating just how fast time flies at the pinnacle of motorsport. Vettel’s famous race-winning strategy at the most recent race in Singapore will forever be a “fantastic” memory for the German, who will thankfully get one final race at a circuit he has “always loved”.

The race hasn’t featured since 2019 following the Coronavirus pandemic; however, whilst a victory is incredibly unlikely, the four-time World Champion does think his AMR22 “should perform better” at the demanding venue.

“I have many fantastic memories of racing at Singapore – I have always loved the challenge that the track provides. It is a proper street circuit – totally relentless, with corner after corner, and some incredibly fast sections. Getting on top of that challenge is incredibly satisfying – especially in qualifying. We should perform better here this weekend due to our car’s strengths in slower-speed corners.”

Singapore challenge something Lance Stroll “enjoys”

Lance Stroll heads into this weekend’s returning Singapore GP having retired at the recent Italian Grand Prix, along with his Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team partner Vettel.

Yuki Tsunoda heads into his first ever Singapore Grand Prix having signed a contract extension with Scuderia AlphaTauri for 2023, meaning the Japanese driver can “focus only on the race weekend”.

It doesn’t come as a shock that the Faenza-based team opted to give Tsunoda a contract for a third season in the series, especially given that it’s currently difficult to pinpoint which Red Bull Junior driver will be the next to earn a promotion to the pinnacle of motorsport.

The young driver is “very happy” for the news of his contract extension to have been announced, even though, he states he was “fairly confident” he wouldn’t be dropped.

“I am very happy that my contract has been extended for another season. It was confirmed to me a short while ago, a few days before the announcement last week. I was fairly confident that I would be staying, but there was a bit of stress until it was confirmed, obviously that doesn’t bother you when you’re in the car, but off-track you do think about it a bit. So, I can head into Singapore and Japan with none of these worries, allowing me to focus only on the race weekend and my preparations – I’m excited!

This weekend’s returning race at the Marina Bay Circuit presents a new challenge for Tsunoda, with the AlphaTauri driver having never driven the circuit in-person before.

We’re now a couple of episodes into Ducati‘s 2023 World Première launch series, but there are still another five parts to go. Ducati has already started teasing this week’s episode, which we expect will be for a GSA-battling Multistrada V4 variant, with a new Panigale V4 R, a Diavel V4, and a next-generation Scrambler expected in the weeks ahead.

None of these models we expect come as much of a surprise. They are all logical progressions of what Ducati has been offering the last few years, with the Diavel being the latest model to go from a V-Twin to a V-Four.

There may be at least one surprise in store, however, as we’ve found evidence suggesting Ducati will introduce an entirely new engine: a liquid-cooled 659cc four-valve Single.

The proof comes to us via a new vehicle identification number (VIN) decoder Ducati recently submitted to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

With the deadline to apply for the 2023 Dakar Rally only a month away, Russian and Belarusian teams are faced with either condemning the former country’s invasion of Ukraine, in compliance with FIA policy, or sitting out the race entirely. In a very unsurprising move, KAMAZ-master announced Wednesday that they have refused to sign the FIA’s documentation, which entailed prohibiting Russo-Belarusian competitors from displaying their nation’s flags and standing in solidarity with Ukraine.

With the nineteen-time Truck category winners out of the picture, the class will be won by a team besides KAMAZ for the first time since IVECO in 2016.

Parent company KAMAZ is partly owned by the Russian government via state-run defence conglomerate Rostec and builds vehicles for the Russian military like personnel transporters, MRAPs, and armoured cargo trucks. Such vehicles have seen heavy action in Ukraine, with many also being captured by Ukrainian forces for their own use. The manufacturer became subject to sanctions just two days after the invasion began while Daimler suspended its partnership with KAMAZ; by June, the company’s exports had tanked from a lack of foreign investment to the point where domestic sales had to be boosted.

The penalties also impacted KAMAZ-master, who had to sell off some of their race-winning trucks and begin developing parts in their hometown of Naberezhnye Chelny. Outside backers like Red Bull withdrew their aid and was replaced by state-owned oil company PJSC Gazprom; while Gazprom has also been sanctioned by the West, Europe’s heavy dependence on its products have triggered a gas crisis throughout the continent.

While KAMAZ has continued racing in the Russian Rally-Raid Championship, drivers Dmitry Sotnikov and Eduard Nikolaev stated in July the team would continue with their programme as if Dakar was still on their schedule. In early September, team owner Vladimir Chagin said he was negotiating with the Amaury Sport Organisation to let them take part, though Wednesday’s announcement gives the obvious indicator that such talks had fallen through.

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN boss Frédéric Vasseur is hoping Valtteri Bottas and the newly re-signed Zhou Guanyu can claim a points finish at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with it being the first time Formula 1 has visited the Asian country since 2019.

The Singapore GP has been cancelled for the last two years in a row, like most of the Asian races on the calendar, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, with the world seemingly moving on from the pandemic, Formula 1 is finally returning to the incredibly demanding Marina Bay Circuit. It’s a very challenging circuit to tame by even the best of drivers, with the hot temperatures and humid weather making the streets very tricky to navigate.

The team do have reason to celebrate, though, with their 2023 line-up having been confirmed earlier in the week, with Zhou having had his deal extended to next season.

Vasseur is hoping his side will be “at the top of our game” with this weekend marking the start of an Asian double-header.

“After a few weeks away from the track, during which we put our focus into analysing our performances over the late summer triple-header and finalising the upgrades we will soon bring to the track, we head back overseas for the final six races of the season.

Zhou Guanyu is probably looking forward to this weekend’s first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019 more than any race this season, with the Chinese rookie treating the returning race at the Marina Bay Circuit as his “home” event.

With the Chinese Grand Prix having been cancelled this season due to the Coronavirus, this weekend’s race is the closest to Zhou’s home, with the Chinese driver excited to welcome all his family into the garage for the event. There is much for the rookie to celebrate going into the weekend, with the Chinese driver having signed a contract extension with the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN side for 2023, and deservedly so.

Zhou has had an excellent rookie season in all respects, and will be hoping to prove to the Hinwil-based outfit that they’ve made the correct choice extending his deal. Zhou has never driven around the circuit before, which is arguably the most demanding on the calendar; however he is “confident and ready”.

“This has been a really good week so far, with the news of my contract extension yesterday, and now I am really looking forward to competing in Singapore: it’s the closest to a home race for me this season, and I will have family and friends supporting me here. On top of that, the track will be brand new to discover for me; it will be tough, as it’s a street race at night and in very peculiar weather conditions, but I feel confident and ready.

“Going back to scoring points in Monza was a great morale booster, and together with the competitive pace we had, it must be the base on which to build our weekend. The midfield will likely be very tight once again but doing our job well and being at the top of our performances will let us get in the mix and try to start a new point-scoring streak.”

Ahead of the returning Singapore Grand Prix, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team proudly announced that they’d extended their partnership with Petronas beyond 2026, with the pair having been together since 2010.

The Malaysian-based company will continue as the Silver Arrows official title and technical partner, a role they’ve honoured since the Germans returned to the championship in 2010. Together, the’ve amounted an umatchable bond, with Petronas having supported Mercedes throughout all eight of their Constructors’ Championships from 2014-2021.

Their partnership is, in fact, the most successful in the history of the sport, with Petronas having partnered Mercedes for one-hundred and fifteen victories. With the continuation of the partnership having been announced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the duo can switch their focus to making a completely sustainable fuel for 2026, where new engine regulations will see all teams have to run one-hundred percent sustainable fuel.

Mercedes Team Principal and CEO, Toto Wolff spoke of his delight at the Petronas Towers that the pair have made an announcement with their “family” four years early.

“Today we are doing something a little bit unusual – announcing a partnership that will begin in four years’ time. This sends an important message: our team and PETRONAS are no longer just partners, we are family, and we will be one team for many more years to come.
 
“From 2026, advanced sustainable fuel will be at the heart of F1 performance – and this gives us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in this domain, through both the power unit and PETRONAS Fluid Technology Solutions. We are excited to be racing into the future alongside PETRONAS, with the ambition to set the standard once again, in our on-track performance and by pioneering the transition of a global sports team to a net-zero future.”

The Baja 1000 is the most intimidating and grueling race on the SCORE International World Desert Championship, so it makes sense that many drivers will want to temporarily join forces for the journey to take some weight off their shoulders.

One such alliance enjoyed tremendous success in 2021 when Rob MacCachren and Luke McMillin won the overall. The two are normally Trophy Truck rivals, but will renew their partnership for 2022 in their quest to go back-to-back. Besides being former 1000 winners, the duo carries plenty of momentum into November as McMillin is coming off a runner-up finish in the Baja 400, while MacCachren won the Baja 500; McMillin also began the 2022 season by winning the San Felipe 250.

As the Baja 400 sets the starting order for the 1000, the MacCachren/McMillin team will race with the latter’s #83. This also returns the favour as they used MacCachren’s #11 for the 2021 1000.

“We’ve been putting a lot of thought into logistics, as well as test time in the truck,” said MacCachren on Tuesday. “Luke is like a younger version of me. He never stops brain storming. He’s actions, not just words. I respect his passion and hustle. I’m honoured to be invited by Luke and the McMillin Racing team to share the driving duties once again.”

Another Trophy Truck partnership comes at Vildosola Racing, where the #10 TT will be split between the team’s regular driver Tavo Vildósola and Alan Ampudia. Ampudia, the 2019 winner, had partnered with Ken Block for the 2021 1000. Vildosola and his father Gustavo won in 2010.

W Series is back from its longest-ever mid-season break, and after nine weeks away it’s hitting the streets of Singapore. The W Series’ debut around Marina Bay will bring new surroundings, but there could be a familiar feel as Jamie Chadwick nears her third consecutive title.

What to look out for this weekend

Chadwick has won all but one of this season’s races and a sixth win this weekend would be enough to make it a hat-trick to retain the title. It was compatriot Alice Powell who claimed victory last time out in Hungary to break Chadwick’s dominant streak, but only Bianca Bustamante has previous experience at Marina Bay during her karting career – albeit on a shortened circuit.

Elsewhere on the grid, Ayla Agren enters the fray to make her season debut in place of Tereza Babickova at Puma W Series Team. A spinal injury for Babickova, sustained in an incident at the Red Bull Ring, Austria, while competing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) on 10 September led doctors to rule her out of all racing activities until further notice.

On the other hand, Agren will be no stranger to the W Series after racing at the Circuit of the Americas at the end of last season. The Norwegian driver began her racing career at the Skip Barber Racing School in the USA, later winning the Formula Ford-spec F1600 in 2014.

Having hosted its first F1 Grand Prix in 2008, Marina Bay is widely regarded as one of the most physically demanding circuits on the calendar. With 23 corners across 3.14 miles, its humidity and bumpy track surface will test all 18 W Series drivers.

Joel Granfors joined up with Carlin for the FIA Formula 3 post-season test in Jerez, as the seventeen-year-old completed two hundred and twenty-three laps over the course of the three-day test.

Granfors currently competes in the GB3 championship, where he sits second, trailing the standings leader Luke Browning by only fifteen and a half points with one race weekend remaining.

This fine form prompted Carlin to give the Swede an opportunity behind the wheel of a Formula 3 car for the first time, alongside the likes of Hunter Yeany and Hadrien David.

On day one of the post-season testing Granfors set the twenty-fourth fastest time in the morning session, before improving his overall finishing position in the afternoon, as he ended the day in eighteenth, finishing above both of his Carlin teammates.

Day two saw a slight improvement in both sessions for the swede as he set a 1:30.795 to finish the morning in nineteenth. The afternoon saw Granfors improve even further as he finished the day in fourteenth, only two positions of teammate Hadrien David in twelfth.

Ahead of next weekend’s first Japanese Grand Prix since 2019, Oracle Red Bull Racing have announced that they’ll be collaborating with the developers of the highly-popular mobile-game Battle Cats.

The game, which is developed by PONOS, sees users battle armies of alien cats, in a quest to explore the galaxy and taste victory on every planet that falls in the users way. As part of the unique collab, fans of the game in attendance at Suzuka Circuit, will be able to buy exclusive Red Bull/Battle Cats merchandise. The available merchandise includes, a specially designed uchiwa (a traditional fan) which will feature on it championship leader Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez and Team Principal Christian Horner. The collab will also see a Battle Cats sticker on both of the RB18s.

Horner can’t wait to return to Japan, a race that is very special to the Austrians given their relationship with Honda. The Briton is equally “thrilled” with the upcoming partnership with PONOS.

“It’s a real pleasure to return to Japan to race at Suzuka, one of F1’s truly legendary tracks. Suzuka is home to some of our most devoted and passionate fans and to give them something special to remember this race by we’re thrilled to partner with PONOS, one of Japan’s major mobile game development houses. We’re looking forward to the race and to the enjoyment this partnership will bring to fans in Japan.”

PONOS chief executive officer Yorikatsu Tsujiko, is “so excited” to see Formula 1 finally return to the beautiful country of Japan, and is hoping the collab will “bring smiles” to the players.