Indholdsfortegnelse for 10/27/2022 i Autosport

The result was familiar but last weekend’s United States Grand Prix was one of the more interesting of 2022. A combination of a charging Lewis Hamilton in an improved Mercedes and rare Red Bull pitstop delay created plenty of action and tension at the front, even if it ended with Max Verstappen’s record-equalling 13th win of the season. Alex Kalinauckas outlines the key moments that defined the Austin race on page 16 and argues that Hamilton might be too pessimistic about it being the seven-time champion’s last chance to take a victory during this campaign (p13). Ferrari’s form was again concerning. Yes, Carlos Sainz took pole, but Charles Leclerc came out on fresh medium tyres just ahead of Verstappen with 21 laps to go and finished 7.5 seconds behind. The…

FORMULA 1 The FIA has revealed the findings of its investigation into the crane incident at the Japanese Grand Prix that left Formula 1 drivers angered over the safety risks. A vehicle was used to recover Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari in wet conditions at Suzuka while cars were still circulating, including Pierre Gasly, who passed the crane at speed. The FIA promised a full investigation into what happened, the findings of which were revealed in Austin last week and included a raft of changes for the rest of the season. These included putting an end to the rotation of the F1 race directors for the rest of the season. Following the axing of Michael Masi back in February, Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas – who presided over the race at Suzuka…

FORMULA 1 Talks between the FIA and Red Bull over a cost-cap-breach agreement have been put on hold following the death of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. Following the FIA’s ruling that Red Bull exceeded last year’s cost cap of $145million, talks have been held over possible sanctions through an Accepted Breach Agreement. This could mean that Red Bull gets a financial or sporting penalty, such as a reduction in testing time or future budget caps. Red Bull has fiercely denied that it was in breach, with team principal Christian Horner (right) claiming last weekend that its submission was “significantly below” the cap. He also said the alleged breach offered “zero benefit” to its performance. Horner met with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to discuss the matter at the US…

FORMULA 2 Ferrari Academy driver Ollie Bearman is set to move up to FIA Formula 2 in 2023 with Prema Racing, according to Autosport sources. The Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year finalist, who finished third in his rookie FIA Formula 3 season this year, would stay with the Italian squad for his move up the ladder. Although the 17-year-old’s seat is yet to be officially confirmed, a deal for his graduation is said to be close. As the reigning Italian and German Formula 4 champion, Bearman scored one win and seven additional podium finishes during his impressive rookie F3 season. Alongside sixth-placed Arthur Leclerc and seventh-placed Jak Crawford – both second-year F3 drivers – he helped secure Prema its third F3 teams’ championship in four years.…

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP Ott Tanak will leave Hyundai Motorsport at the end of the 2022 World Rally Championship season after electing to conclude his deal prematurely. The 2019 world champion was contracted with the South Korean marque for next season, although the Estonian’s future at the team had been uncertain for months. Tanak has been linked with a move away from Hyundai, with M-Sport and Toyota touted as possible destinations, and has hinted that he could sit out the 2023 WRC season. “This is a personal decision and one that I have taken with careful consideration and respect for the team,” said 17-time WRC rally winner Tanak, who joined Hyundai at the start of 2020 following spells at Toyota and M-Sport and has scored five wins for Hyundai. “However, I…

Remembering motorsport’s great Austrians The untimely passing of Dietrich Mateschitz is an opportune time to reflect on how many Austrians have been in the top echelon of the motorsport fraternity in recent years. Mateschitz, in partnership with fellow Austrian Helmut Marko – a Le Mans winner and grand prix driver until a freak accident resulted in the loss of an eye – acquired the Minardi and Jaguar F1 teams and oversaw their transformation into GP-winning Scuderia Toro Rosso, and multiple world champions Red Bull Racing. Three-time world champion Niki Lauda, teamed with fellow Austrian Toto Wolff, was instrumental in building the successes of the Mercedes F1 team, and overseeing the career of seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton. Another Austrian who has been a powerful influence in the development and…

Lando Norris helped McLaren slash the gap to Alpine to six points in the hotly contested battle for fourth place in the constructors’ championship as the Briton brought his battled-scarred MCL36 home in sixth place. The Briton had to back out of it on the exit of Turn 1 to avoid a spinning Carlos Sainz and slipped behind Sebastian Vettel. His front-left assembly was then shredded in the shower of carbonfibre created by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll scarily coming together. But Norris eventually fought past the recovering Spaniard to pip the Alpine on the road before Alonso was handed his 30s penalty. Having converted sixth on the grid, Norris said: “Races like these are more enjoyable compared to just being on your own, even though it’s a lot tougher.…

The 2022 World Rally Championship has largely been the ‘Kalle Rovanpera show’, but in Spain last weekend Sebastien Ogier reminded everyone that the eight-time world champion has still got it. For a period, the thousands of fans that flocked to what is now likely to be the last Rally Spain for some time were treated to a fascinating contest. New world champion Rovanpera versus the outgoing world champion Ogier. After Rovanpera comprehensively beat Ogier on New Zealand’s wet gravel to become the youngest WRC champion, the changing of the baton was complete. But the smooth sinuous Spanish asphalt roads offered Ogier, back on his favoured surface that has yielded plenty of success over his glittering career, a chance to roll back the years in style. Ogier’s decision to go part-time…

Bigger, bolder and, with one or two caveats, better. The FIA Motorsport Games is back after a two-year COVID-enforced hiatus for a second edition with all guns blazing. This weekend at Paul Ricard and its environs a total of 72 nations represented by around 450 boys and girls, men and women will battle it out for gold, silver and bronze across 16 disciplines. You won’t hear anyone, at least not from the FIA, use the ‘O’-word, but that’s what they are, motorsport’s very own Olympics, complete with a glitzy opening ceremony in nearby Marseille and the all-important medals table. The Marseille Games, as they are officially called in a nod to the Olympics, will provide proof that the concept works, according to the FIA and event promoter Stephane Ratel, who…

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP Mini Challenge frontrunner Jason Lockwood is set to switch to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB next year, remaining with Excelr8 Motorsport as the team expands into the series for the first time. It was announced earlier this season that Excelr8, which powered Tom Ingram to British Touring Car title glory this year, was eyeing a Porsche move and had signed 2021 Mini runner-up Max Bird as its first driver. Lockwood, who finished fifth in this year’s Mini standings and claimed his maiden win at Oulton Park, is the second driver on board. “After three years in the Mini Challenge, I feel the time is right for a new challenge and the Carrera Cup GB is the ideal next step,” said Lockwood. “I’m really looking forward to moving…

FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL Marc Goossens says his return to the Formula Ford Festival last weekend was “a blast” after taking a class victory in the Historic final. The 52-year-old Belgian returned to the Brands Hatch event for the first time since he won the 1991 Festival, this time at the wheel of a Van Diemen RF80. He was knocked out in the semi-finals of the main event, but finished ninth overall and top of Class C in the Historic section of the meeting. “It’s been a blast – for me the main thing was coming back to the Festival after all these years,” he said. “Driving through the [paddock] tunnel the first time put a big smile on my face. It is what it is, you can’t explain it to…

CLASSIC THUNDER GT and historics racer Howard Spooner plans regular outings aboard his Group 5 BMW 635 Alpina after making his debut in the car at Donington Park last weekend. Based on the E24 6-Series, the car features a 3.5-litre turbocharged Alpina B7/2 engine with which charismatic 1970s Formula 1 driver Arturo Merzario planned a Group 5 programme with the 635. But Merzario’s project was mothballed, and it passed to Luigi Moreschi, who completed the build. Moreschi campaigned the car mainly in Italian hillclimbs but it had not run for a decade before Spooner acquired it. BMW specialist Geoff Steel Racing has recommissioned the car, which delivers well over 400bhp through a KKK turbocharger, delivered through a sequential gearbox. “It’s quite a complicated beast,” said Spooner, “so it’ll take a…

HISTORIC RALLYING Henri Grehan and Dan Petrie have won this year’s British Historic Rally Championship after taking victory on the final round, last Saturday’s Carlisle Stages in Kielder forest. The win secured a convincing title for the Ford Escort Mk2 crew as the challenge from three-time British Rally champion Matt Edwards evaporated when his Fiat 131 stopped with an electrical issue. But this was not a straightforward event for Grehan – problems with his own car developed in the run-up to the rally, and he had to borrow the similar Escort of club mate Alan Walker. Edwards needed to win the rally to have a chance of the title, but also needed Grehan to finish no better than fourth. As it turned out, Grehan scored maximum points for the second…

BRANDS HATCH BRSCC FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL 22-23 OCTOBER Max Esterson banished the disappointment of just missing out on Formula Ford Festival glory 12 months ago with victory in the 2022 edition – albeit the shortest ever final in the event’s 51-year history. But, while the main race proved an anti-climax, with a result declared after only two racing laps as heavy rain and darkness descended, the American had earned the right to victory with his performances earlier in the event in leading every lap of his heat and semi-final. With dark clouds looming overhead and lightning striking in the distance, Esterson’s Ray GR18 held the advantage from pole for the scheduled 20-lap final, while Joey Foster’s Firman RFR20 moved into second after getting the better of front-row starter Michael Eastwell…

FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL Heat 1 Max Esterson (Ray GR18) Heat 2 Joey Foster (Firman RFR20) Heat 3 Shawn Rashid (Ray GR18, above) Heat 4 David McCullough (Van Diemen RF00, below) Progression race 1 Jamie Sharp (Medina Sport JL17) Progression race 2 William Ferguson (Ray GR17) Semi-final 1 Max Esterson (Ray GR18) Semi-final 2 Michael Eastwell (Spectrum 011C) Last Chance race Tom McArthur (Van Diemen RF86) Historic final Cameron Jackson (Van Diemen RF90) Final (2 laps) 1 Max Esterson (Ray GR18); 2 Joey Foster (Firman RFR20) +0.318s; 3 Jordan Dempsey (Spectrum 011C); 4 Thomas Schrage (Ray GR18); 5 Brandon McCaughan (Van Diemen JL13); 6 Chris Middlehurst (Van Diemen LA10). Fastest lap Dempsey 51.513s (84.41mph). Pole Esterson. Starters 30. FIESTA CHAMPIONSHIP Races 1, 2 & 3 Zachary Lucas (ST240 Turbo) FIESTA JUNIORS…

BRITISH ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Wayne Marrs/Tom Jackson (Mercedes-AMG GT3) PRE-’66 TOURING CARS Race 1 Barry Sime (Morris Mini Cooper S) Race 2 James Ibbotson (Hillman Imp Super) SUPER TOURERS/PRE-’93 & PRE-’03 TOURING CARS Race 1 Jason Hughes (Vauxhall Vectra) Race 2 Stewart Whyte (Honda Accord) MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY Races 1 & 3 Matt Hammond Race 2 Joe Wiggin PRE-’83 TOURING CARS/JAGUAR CHALLENGE Race 1 Colin Philpott (Jaguar XJS) Race 2 Tom Robinson (Jaguar XJR6) CLASSIC THUNDER/BOSS Race 1 Andy Wilson (Holden Monaro) Race 2 Kirk Armitage (BMW M3) PRAGA CUP Races 1 & 2 Gordie Mutch/Jimmy Broadbent (below) BRITCAR TROPHY Races 1 & 2 Will Stacey (Lotus Elise S2) For full results visit: tsl-timing.com…

BOOK REVIEW 50 YEARS OF THE FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL Alan Bowles & Darren Banks RRP £35 “It is what it is – you can’t explain it to people, and you have to experience it.” Marc Goossens has enjoyed a relatively successful career in motorsport, which has included no fewer than 13 appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours. But the event he’s referring to is the Formula Ford Festival, a race to which he returned last weekend for the first time since he took victory in 1991. The Belgian’s fondness for the event and indeed the category of racing itself has never diminished, just as it hasn’t for many competitors young and old. While the Festival may no longer be the training ground for future Formula 1 stars that it…

OBITUARY Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who has died at the age of 78, made an extraordinary impact across the world of motorsport, and not just in Formula 1. Mateschitz was born in Styria in May 1944. After obtaining a marketing degree aged 28 – he had somehow managed to stretch his stint as a Vienna University student to a decade – he joined Unilever, initially promoting detergents. He then moved to the Blendax cosmetics company, where his products included toothpaste. It was while travelling on business in Asia that he discovered the tonic drink that he would eventually launch in Europe as Red Bull, after founding the company with that name in 1984 in partnership with Thai businessman and Blendax associate Chaleo Yoovidhya. His initial investment was $500,000. From…

FORMULA 1 Logan Sargeant will race for Williams in Formula 1 next year, provided he gets the required points for his FIA superlicence. Sargeant, 21, made his F1 practice debut for Williams last Friday at the US GP, which was soon followed by confirmation that he is set to get the seat alongside Alex Albon in 2023. “We feel he’s ready to race,” said Williams F1 boss Jost Capito. “On the condition that he has enough superlicence points, he will be our second driver next year.” Sargeant currently has 28 of the required 40 points for a superlicence to race in F1 next year. He will get an extra two for clean FP1 outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi, which would make a top-six finish in F2 enough to clinch…

WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Pascal Wehrlein appears to be in the frame for a drive in one of Porsche’s 963 LMDh prototypes next season. He could double up on his Formula E campaign with the German manufacturer and also contest the World Endurance Championship. The former Sauber and Manor Formula 1 racer took part in a multi-day endurance test with the Porsche Penske Motorsport team at Sebring last week, it has emerged. The tryout backs up suggestions that the team doesn’t yet have a full complement of 10 drivers for its assaults on the WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023. A WEC programme would be possible for Wehrlein. The only clash with FE at present is between the Le Mans test day the week ahead of the 24 Hours…

UK START TIMES Friday 28 October FP1 1900 FP2 2200 Saturday 29 October FP3 1800 QUALIFYING 2100 Sunday 30 October RACE 2000 CATCH THE RACE LIVE SKY SPORTS F1 BBC RADIO 5 LIVE HIGHLIGHTS CHANNEL 4 0105 (Monday) TYRE ALLOCATION CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS Drivers Constructors RACE STATS Previous winners Mexico City points tallies Hamilton 100 Verstappen 97 Vettel 64 Bottas 62 Perez 32 Ricciardo 29 Leclerc 29 Gasly 15 Ocon 10 Albon 10…

“Extremely happy to win on this difficult weekend for us. I think this was actually a race he would have loved to see.” A day on from the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz leaving Max Verstappen visibly shocked and upset following qualifying, the Dutchman was able to dedicate victory in the 2022 United States Grand Prix to his long-time benefactor. And he did it in style, recovering from a botched Red Bull pitstop to underline his 2022 pedigree, although with a touch of 2021 essence sprinkled in since it was Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes that he defeated. Heading into the race, Ferrari and Carlos Sainz had represented the opposition after the Spaniard’s clean, calm final Q3 flier had netted him pole position when Verstappen and Charles Leclerc made…

Fernando Alonso was not his usual outspoken self when reflecting on his scary collision while fighting for seventh with Lance Stroll on lap 22. Perhaps in deference of a move to Aston Martin for 2023 when Stroll’s father will be paying his wages, Alonso reckoned the shunt was a “racing incident” only. The stewards disagreed. For moving into the path of the chasing Alpine, which sent Alonso into a wheelie before he slammed into the barriers, Stroll now carries a three-place grid penalty over to this week’s Mexican Grand Prix. As per the FIA decision, the Canadian was adjudged to have made a “late move in reacting to the overtaking attempt by [Alonso]”. Incredibly, Alonso was able to nurse the car back to the pits, stop for a front-wing change…

Kevin Magnussen was back in the points for the first time since July’s Austrian Grand Prix when the Dane was classified in eighth place. He did gain a spot thanks to the 30s penalty handed to Fernando Alonso for racing on with a flapping mirror – a reprimand initiated by Magnussen’s own Haas team. After Magnussen was given the black-and-orange flag to pit for a bent front-wing endplate in Singapore, to go with his similar cautions in Canada and Hungary, Haas protested the results of Alonso and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for their continuing with loose bodywork. While the Perez protest was thrown out because the stewards were sent photos of the RB18 and deemed it safe, Alonso felt the full force of the law. But Alpine has appealed the…

Sebastien Ogier didn’t feel he had a point to prove by beating new world champion Kalle Rovanpera to secure a first win since Rally Monza last year. Asked if he felt he had made a point by beating the dominant world champion Rovanpera in a fair fight, he said: “No, there is nothing to prove. Kalle is a deserving champion this year and there is nothing to say about that. “Of course it is still nice to come here and show the speed we can still have, so I am proud of that. I enjoy this kind of competition against Kalle, Thierry [Neuville] or Ott [Tanak]. It was intense and we had to push to get the win so it tastes better when you get it that way.” Ogier’s 55th…

GT SPRINT Just 13 nations – six with only silver-rated drivers – contest this new high-profile addition to the Games. But the one-hour, one-driver sprint for GT3 machinery has six factory stars from four manufacturers. GT GT3s driven by one silver and one bronze-rated driver compete over three one-hour races. The first two determine the grid for the final on a points system. Seven manufacturers are represented across the slender 13-car field. TOURING CAR The global TCR category is again on the bill, with 18 countries represented in the two-race event. The medals are this time awarded on the basis of the result of the second 30-minute-plus-one-lap final. Gilles Magnus, second last time and fourth in this year’s World Touring Car Cup points and new TCR UK champion Chris Smiley…

FORMULA FORD FESTIVAL Matt Rivett has decided to step back from racing “for now” following a horrific accident in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch last weekend. Rivett’s Van Diemen RF91 made contact with the rear of Tom McArthur’s car into Paddock Hill Bend during the third heat. He was sent into a series of high-speed rolls, with the car disintegrating before bouncing back off the barriers and coming to rest face-up in the gravel. Rivett was knocked unconscious briefly in the shunt, but was able to extract himself from the wreckage before being transported to hospital. He was released later that evening after checks revealed only a concussion. “I’m a bit concussed and dizzy [still] but it’s getting better,” said the 2006 Castle Combe FF1600 champion. “The only…

BRSCC While GCI Racing clinched the title, the winner of the Fun Cup season finale at Oulton Park last weekend was determined by a 13-minute sprint to the flag, following four hours of racing, after a safety car intervention. Gary Bate of Team Greenheath had the lead, from Colin Kingsnorth (Stobart Sport) and Team Viking’s Mark Holme, but they were under threat from Fabio Randaccio (UVio Hofmann’s) and Neil Plimmer (PLR). Randaccio quickly picked off two of his rivals, before snatching the lead from Bate into Knickerbrook three laps from home. Doug Crosbie’s Van Diemen RF89 secured a double win in the Northern and Super Classic Formula Fords. Crosbie held off John Murphy (RF90) from the start of race one but, after a safety-car intervention, Murphy was ahead on lap…

BRC REVAMPS CALENDAR The British Rally Championship has revealed a revamped 2023 calendar, which includes the return of the Belgian Ypres Rally for the first time since 2019. Also back after a year away is the Ulster Rally, while the season will begin with a new event to the BRC: the Malcolm Wilson Rally in Cumbrian forests in March. The Jim Clark Rally, Rali Ceredigion, the Trackrod and Cambrian retain slots. WILLAN RETAINS HRCR TITLE Volvo PV544 driver Dan Willan has retained the Historic Rally Car Register Clubmans Rally title after a tremendous season of historic road rallies. Willan needed only to finish the penultimate event, last weekend’s Dansport Historic Rally in the Derbyshire Peak District, to be sure of the crown. With co-driver Niall Frost, he went on to…

It was almost the perfect story of redemption for Tom McArthur. After being involved in a terrifying accident with Matt Rivett earlier in the weekend, he had to give best to Cameron Jackson in an entertaining Historic Formula Ford final. The fact that McArthur’s Van Diemen RF86 lined up fourth on the grid was an achievement in itself, since it had been heavily damaged in the collision at Paddock Hill Bend with Rivett’s Van Diemen RF91 on Saturday. Somewhat ironically, it was Rivett who won the Historic final in 2021 and with it the inaugural Brian Jones Memorial Trophy in memory of the circuit commentator who passed away last year. “We repaired three corners in the end,” said McArthur. “We were up until 12am stripping the car, the guys at…

Senior and junior Ford Fiesta championships crowned their 2022 title winners after three races apiece that headed the undercard on Formula Ford Festival weekend. Last year’s junior champion, Jenson Brickley, triumphed again in the senior ranks, while Sid Smith replaced Brickley at the top of the junior standings. Brickley and Alastair Kellett came to Brands level on overall points, but dropped scores gave Brickley an advantage. But neither driver had an answer to Zachary Lucas, who won both of Saturday’s races and the finale on Sunday. Kellett almost caught him with a late charge in race two and netted fastest lap, cutting Brickley’s championship lead to eight points. Lucas’s third win came after a challenge from Marlo Cordell, who backed out after making contact at Druids on the last lap.…

SILVERSTONE MSVR/MRL 22-23 OCTOBER Mark Cole shot Dafyd Richards’s Lotus 11, liveried per the period Corgi model, ahead in Sunday’s Royal Automobile Club Woodcote/Stirling Moss Trophy Pre-’61 sportscar race, among the highlights of Motor Racing Legends’ seasonal finale on Silverstone’s Historic Grand Prix circuit. If the first-year rookie owner/driver was nervous, it didn’t show, as he coolly completed a consummate 58-second victory – “an emotional journey” – over Ben Adams’s Lola Mk1. “Dafyd was my Porsche race engineer in 2002, so being here for him was special,” said Cole. Adams’s tussle with Andy Newall, wrestling Malte Muller-Wrede’s 5.4-litre Allard J2R Le Mans, which took some stopping, entertained onlookers. Newall netted pre-’56 Woodcote gold from Ben Eastick/Karl Jones (Jaguar D-type) and Rick Bourne/Malcolm Paul (Lotus-Bristol Mk10). Third overall was a bonus…

Toyota’s GT-One was described by Autosport in 2015 as “the ultimate fast failure” and was raced by Vincenzo Sospiri only once. But such was its impact on the Italian that he picks it as his favourite car, above the Benetton-Renault B196 that the team’s 1996 tester regards as “the maximum expression of a racing car”. “It responded very well to everything you asked for,” says Sospiri of the GT-One he campaigned alongside Martin Brundle and Emmanuel Collard at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999. After coming 80 minutes shy of victory on the GT-One’s 1998 debut, Toyota returned with revised aerodynamics and a hydraulic gearshift. Brundle lapped six seconds quicker than he had in 1998 on his way to pole position, underlining the fruits of exhaustive preparation. “We simulated…

FIA Formula 3 podium finisher Zak O’Sullivan got his F1 prize test for winning the 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit this week. The 17-year-old drove one of last year’s AMR21s, first on wet-weather tyres before switching to slick rubber. “It’s pretty cool – I’m trying to get to a point and get past the fear factor,” he said. “I’m really enjoying it. There’s still a lot of margin with the braking but when I hit the pedal really hard the neck doesn’t like it!”…

INDYCAR Formula 1 driver Nicholas Latifi insists he’s undecided on which series to join, even as speculation mounts that he could switch to IndyCar. Latifi was told by Williams in September that this, his fourth season with the team, and third as a race driver, would also be his last. Since then, speculation has linked the 27-year-old Canadian to various IndyCar rides, including at Chip Ganassi Racing, which has yet to confirm a replacement for Jimmie Johnson. But ahead of last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Latifi denied that he had decided where to race next. “I’ve spoken to a few different teams in different categories and I’ve still not said to myself, ‘OK, it’s this or nothing’-type thing,” he said. “I’m looking at not just formula cars but also…

MAGNUSSENS TO THE GULF Father-and-son pair Jan and Kevin Magnussen will team up behind the wheel of a sportscar for a second time in December’s Gulf 12 Hours round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in Abu Dhabi. The Magnussens’ outing aboard an MDK Motorsports Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo shared with team owner Mark Kvamme at the Yas Marina event follows their appearance at the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours driving a High Class Racing ORECA in LMP2. MERC JUNIOR’S F4 DOUBLE Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the Italian Formula 4 championship at Mugello last weekend. The Prema Racing-run Italian won all three races to add the title to his crown in German F4. Irishman Alex Dunne, meanwhile, scored a brace of second places in his US Racing machine to…

Well, that was all very 2021. Two brilliant drivers leading the way for two sharply run teams that nailed their strategy calls. There was tyre management magic, an aggressive Max Verstappen move for the lead, and Lewis Hamilton turning out of contact. And, for the second year in a row, the United States Grand Prix ended with a Red Bull victory. But unlike 12 months ago, when Verstappen delivered a much-needed win in a close contest to maintain his points advantage after a run of Mercedes success, this was his seventh in eight and 13th of the 2022 campaign. It clinched Red Bull’s constructors’ crown regardless of what happened with Haas’s pious protest of Sergio Perez’s damaged RB18, which was in any case thrown out. The win ties Verstappen with…

Something had been bothering Carlos Sainz. Of his two previous poles, Spa had come via default (Max Verstappen untouchable but facing an engine-penalty grid drop) and Silverstone, while still a mighty first career achievement, had been in the wet with Charles Leclerc and Verstappen making errors. And four times before last weekend, Sainz had got within 0.1 seconds of a genuine dry-weather pole. He banished that in Austin qualifying, defeating those stunning qualifiers Leclerc and Verstappen with a “clean lap” of fine judgement in tricky, windy conditions. After Sainz had topped Q1 and Leclerc had led the way in Q2, the Monegasque set the pace on the first Q3 runs. His 1m34.624s put him top by 0.159s over Sainz, with Verstappen down in fourth behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who would…

George Russell swiftly made his way over to the Ferrari hospitality suite to apologise to Carlos Sainz after he turned around the polesitter at the first corner and eliminated him from the United States Grand Prix. The Spaniard had lost out to Max Verstappen off the line and, as Russell defended against Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton into the uphill left-hander, he clattered into the back of the Ferrari. The F1-75 was retired later that lap with a subsequent water leak. The stewards handed Russell a five-second penalty for his efforts before he was further stymied with lasting front-wing damage that left him uncomfortable all afternoon. “Firstly, apologies to Carlos,” said Russell. “When I was attacking into Turn 1, and I saw he was on the outside of Max, I was…

FORMULA REGIONAL EUROPEAN MUGELLO (ITA) 22-23 OCTOBER ROUND 10/10 Dino Beganovic claimed the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with a measured performance, but it was Paul Aron and Gabriele Mini who starred at the series’ Tuscan season climax. Ferrari junior Beganovic qualified third, with Prema Racing team-mate Aron on pole. While the Estonian Mercedes F1 protege drove into the distance, the Swede was content to sit in the wheeltracks of second-placed Victor Bernier (FA Racing). A late safety car destroyed Aron’s hard work, and he left the restart until the last moment, causing confusion behind. Beganovic ceded third to Van Amersfoort Racing’s Josh Dufek, but that was enough to put the title out of reach of pre-race contenders Aron, Hadrien David and Gabriele Mini. David finished eighth, while a…

MOTOGP SEPANG (MYS) 23 OCTOBER ROUND 19/20 It is fitting that the two standout riders of the 2022 MotoGP season put in championship-worthy performances in a Malaysian Grand Prix that had so much hinging on it for both Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo. For Bagnaia, it was his first chance to secure the title and end a 15-year drought for Ducati. For Quartararo, it was his last chance to salvage his fading championship defence. Throughout the Sepang weekend, it was never apparent which way the scales would tip. Bagnaia was outside of the top 10 after Friday’s only dry running, and a crash in FP3 chasing Quartararo left him in Q1. A second crash in Q2 left Bagnaia ninth on the grid, but Quartararo couldn’t capitalise as he struggled to…

TCR UK Former British Touring Car racer Chris Smiley clinched the TCR UK title at a sodden Snetterton last weekend, taking a win and a third across the season finale to defeat Isaac Smith. Smiley, who is set to represent the UK in the touring car class of the FIA’s Motorsport Games this week, had spent the previous two seasons with Excelr8 Motorsport in the BTCC. But, with no seat available to him this year, he instead opted to join the Restart Racing team newly set up by Bert Taylor, his boss at BTC Racing in 2017-19, at the wheel of an FK7 Honda Civic. The Northern Irishman arrived in Norfolk tied on points with Smith, after dropped scores were applied, but grabbed the advantage with a win from pole…

GB4 American Colin Queen has won the first GB4 Championship shootout, and with it a prize of £20,000 to be used towards a spot in the championship next year. The National Formula Ford GB4 Shoot-Out was open to the top three teenagers in this year’s National FF1600 season, and Queen finished second in the standings with Ammonite Motorsport after securing four wins. Queen, Lucas Romanek and Brandon McCaughan took part in an assessment day at Snetterton last week, which included runs in Fortec Motorsports-run Tatuus F4-T014 GB4 cars, after conducting simulation tests at the team’s factory. “This is a truly memorable experience, and the £20,000 prize will help us in so many ways towards next season,” said Queen. “I was so excited for everything, how the shoot-out was put…

TRIBUTE TO ROBINSON The Classic Touring Car Racing Club’s Jaguar Challenge field paid tribute to outgoing championship coordinator Chris Robinson at Donington Park last weekend. All cars carried windscreen sun-strips reading ‘Thas alreyt Chris’ in homage to the Yorkshireman. Robinson, who assisted with the transition from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club where he was competitions secretary, is stepping down from his role and will now focus on his similar position with the Mike Hawthorn Challenge for pre-1966 Jaguar saloons. BRIT’S BRITCAR CHAMPIONS Team BRIT drivers Chris Overend and James Whitley clinched the Britcar Trophy Championship at Donington Park. The pair headed the standings going into the event, and took their BMW M240i to a Class 2-winning 15th overall in the first race. Fifth in class in the second race was enough…

EQUIPE CLASSIC RACING Equipe Classic Racing has revealed its calendar for next season, which features an increased number of two-day double-header meetings and an overseas trip to Zandvoort. This year was the first time the popular historic racing organiser has held its own meetings, rather than buying track time from other clubs, and it will continue to offer its own events in 2023. Nine fixtures have been announced for next year and five of these are held over two days, starting with the Brands Hatch season opener in April. Other two-day meetings include a visit to the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in June and to Snetterton in September. Donington Park and Oulton Park also feature on the calendar, while Cadwell Park is a new venue for 2023. “It enables people…

I think some people are too scared to go back.” There’s no denying that Max Esterson’s return to the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch last weekend was something of a risk, with no guarantees that the young American would even feature at the front after 12 months without racing a Kent-powered machine. On that occasion, it was en route to victory in the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone via wins in his heat and semi-final as well as the final. Incredibly, the GB3 race winner repeated the feat at Brands last weekend, banishing the disappointment of finishing runner-up in 2021 and proving himself a worthy winner. Sadly, and unfairly, Esterson’s achievement will be overshadowed by the fiasco that took place and the final that – officially – only ran over…

Twelve months is a long time in motorsport, as Jamie Sharp found out last weekend. The 2021 Festival winner was consigned to the opening progression race after a clash with Niall Murray in his heat. The B-M Racing driver wasted no time in ensuring he would make it onto the back of the semi-final grid, moving his Medina Sport JL17 through from 14th into fourth by the time the field had exited Druids on the opening lap. He was up to second before the lap was over when he demoted Gilles Cloet’s Ray GR15K after polesitter Bob Hawkins spun his Ray GR08 at Clearways. Cameron Jackson had already moved 3.6s clear in the lead, the wet conditions helping to negate any deficit in performance from his 30-year-old Van Diemen. But…

DONINGTON PARK BARC 22-23 OCTOBER Wayne Marrs and Tom Jackson took their fourth win of the British Endurance Championship season at Donington Park and, with a little help from a charging Marcus Clutton, snatched the title in their Rob Boston Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Marrs started from pole position, thanks to Jackson’s qualifying lap in greasy conditions, but was passed by Iain Campbell’s non-scoring Greystone McLaren 720S and Sacha Kakad (HCR Motorsport Mercedes). A third early safety car coincided with the pit window opening, so Campbell, Marrs and Lee Frost (Race Lab Lamborghini Huracan) took their first of two mandatory stops. But Kakad, concerned about fuel mileage, stayed out. Eventually, pitting twice under green-flag conditions would hit HCR’s chances despite Pro driver Hugo Cook’s blistering pace. An extra stop to reset…

Polesitter Jack Brabham’s #1 Cooper-Climax T58 leads Graham Hill’s #4 BRM-Climax P48/57 – while Jim Clark (#14 Lotus-Climax 21) takes to the dirt, skirting photographers and local law enforcement – at the start of the 1961 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. In the melee, Clark’s team-mate Innes Ireland vaulted from eighth to third, but within a couple of laps fell to 11th after spinning on oil. An inspired fightback followed and, when Stirling Moss (#7 Lotus-Climax 18/21) retired from a comfortable lead, Ireland found himself in front, defying all challengers to take his maiden, and only, grand prix victory. For classic motorsport DVDs and downloads head to dukevideo.com For more great photographs, visit motorsportimages.com…