Indholdsfortegnelse for 19/08/21 i Autosport

Thirty years ago next Tuesday, Michael Schumacher stunned the Formula 1 world by qualifying seventh for his grand debut in the Belgian Grand Prix. Three decades later, his son Mick will next week continue his promising rookie F1 campaign at the same circuit: Spa. Time, then, to get to know young Schumacher. Right from his early days in the sport, he has been tremendously popular as a down-to-earth lad with no airs and graces. Alex Kalinauckas’s interview with the Haas racer on page 16 portrays a likeable character, who only wanted to make it to F1 once he felt he had earned the right (and he well and truly did that), and not because of his family name. We also look into his father’s tumultuous first 12 months as an…

FORMULA E Mercedes will quit Formula E at the end of the 2022 season, with the championship’s most-recognised and biggest-spending manufacturer following Audi and BMW out of the door to continue the German exodus. Its position had been increasingly uncertain after withholding a commitment to the Gen3 regulations, which will advent in 2023, while it sought “clarification” that related to “important details regarding the structure of the series”. While talks continued over this commercial standoff, the team did sign a delayed option to begin its development of the new 470bhp powertrain, and was represented in the most recent meeting of the Technical Working Group. But the Daimler boardroom has now pulled the plug on the programme, despite the reported benefits its engineers can provide to the tandem F1 attack. Mercedes…

DTM Porsche will be represented in the DTM for the first time this weekend, with three-time Porsche Supercup champion Michael Ammermuller making a guest start at the Nurburgring in a 911 GT3-R. Munich-based SSR Performance, which won the 2020 ADAC GT Masters title and leads the 2021 standings, both with Ammermuller, has decided to dip a toe in the water of the DTM. Its entry means that seven manufacturers will be on the grid. “A perfect preparation wasn’t possible due to the limited time; regulations are different,” said Ammermuller. “That will definitely make it exciting and interesting.” Further bolstering the field will be Mercedes team Toksport WRT. Luca Stolz, who drives for the squad in ADAC GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe, will make his DTM debut at the…

ELECTRIC GT Bentley has built an electric version of its Continental GT3 racer as part of an evaluation of the FIA’s planned Electric GT Championship for 2023. But the British manufacturer has stressed that no decision has been made to enter the series. Autosport has learned that Ray Mallock Limited has built a Continental development car to the eGT regulations, which were released to interested parties by the FIA as early as last December. This test car exploits a route into eGT that allows a manufacturer to take an existing GT3 car and fit it with electric motors and a battery. Bentley has confirmed the existence of the car, but so far not revealed any technical details and whether or not it has started testing. “It would be stupid if…

MOTOGP Spanish MotoGP star Maverick Vinales began last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix weekend being suspended by Yamaha, and ended it with the announcement that he will join Aprilia for 2022. The nine-time MotoGP race winner was withdrawn from last weekend’s Red Bull Ring event for trying to blow up his Yamaha’s engine during the preceding Styrian GP (below). He later apologised to Yamaha for his actions, blaming them on mounting frustration during the race and with his situation at the team. Across 2021, the relationship between both parties has deteriorated, with Vinales requesting a termination of his current deal one year early at the end of 2021. “It was a very big moment of frustration because the first part of the [Styrian] race had been perfect and I was starting…

It’s been tiresome over the past couple of years to read or hear “experts” talking about IndyCar’s next generation, youth movement or changing of the guard. It’s been reason enough for even objective observers to shed their neutrality and cheer whenever drivers in their forties have prevailed this season. Scott Dixon in Texas race one, Helio Castroneves at the Indianapolis 500 and Will Power in last weekend’s race on the IMS road course were classic examples of sage veterans blending speed and smarts to defeat pursuers half their age. And let’s not forget that last year’s title fight came down to a duel between Dixon and Josef Newgarden who, although only 30 now, was in his ninth season at this level. Even so, those obsessed with twentysomethings have gathered plenty…

Recent World Rally Championship events have resembled the hit movie Groundhog Day for Hyundai; a constantly recurring theme of bright starts only for disaster to unfold. But in Belgium, for once, everything went to script for Thierry Neuville and Hyundai. Local heroes Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe produced an Ypres Rally masterclass to record a memorable WRC win on the event’s championship debut. It was Neuville’s first victory since the 2020 Monte Carlo Rally, and Hyundai ended its drought in style as Craig Breen completed a 1-2. Pressure had been mounting on a Hyundai squad without a win since Ott Tanak’s triumph at February’s Arctic Rally Finland. To make matters worse, reliability woes and misfortune had kiboshed likely victories in the previous four rallies in Portugal, Italy, Kenya and Estonia,…

Even amid the frenzied curtain call in Berlin, when championship contenders were dropping like flies, Lucas di Grassi’s title designs had already largely been dashed before the gantry lights extinguished above the startline. Sixth in the points, he had run just 0.121s shy of a qualifying time good enough for the top-six superpole shootout to land himself way down in 17th on the grid. But the charismatic Brazilian did go some way to rewarding Audi with a poetic Formula E farewell when he snared victory in the opener in another case of fine margins. He fought off Edoardo Mortara’s blistering exit from the final corner to bag the spoils over the Venturi Racing Mercedes by 0.141s. Di Grassi was aided by the crumbling DS Techeetah attack. The outgoing champion team…

INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS (USA) 14 AUGUST ROUND 10/14 During the third of four stints in last Saturday’s second Indianapolis road-course race of the season, Will Power became incensed. His Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolet was leading by nine seconds ahead of Colton Herta when he came up to lap Herta’s Andretti Autosport team-mate, the struggling James Hinchcliffe. At a track where drawing within a second of the car in front will move you around in the dirty air and accelerate tyre wear, Power’s pass needed to be swift. Because the pace car picks up the leader in caution periods, so the cars ahead of the leader get waved around to the back of the field – thereby regaining almost a full lap – backmarkers are desperate to stay on the lead lap, and…

MOTOGP RED BULL RING (AUT) 15 AUGUST ROUND 11/19 Pondering the greatest-ever finish to a motor race is a debate that inevitably sparks passionate arguments. But Brad Binder’s shock victory in last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix after a brave call to stay out on slicks at a wet Red Bull Ring is certainly a worthy addition to the long list. MotoGP hasn’t been short of drama in the 2021 season, but the breathless action in the second race of the Austrian double-header – run in front of the largest crowd since the start of the pandemic – was another reminder of why we should savour this golden era of the series. It was also a reminder of Binder’s class. His maiden top-flight victory three races into his rookie season last…

Equipe Classic Racing has adopted a unique Super Sprint format for its final event of the 2021 season, which will feature 16 short races in a single day. The 2 October Silverstone meeting is the first to be solely organised by Equipe ahead of its full move into promoting its own events next year. The contest is open to all cars eligible for its Equipe GTS, Pre-’63, 50s and Libre categories, and all entered drivers will be randomly drawn into four opening-round races. There will then be two further rounds, where drivers progress based on their result, culminating in four finals that should each comprise drivers and cars of a similar ability and performance. All 16 races will last 10 laps, with each driver competing four times, and organisers believe…

BRITISH GT Tom Onslow-Cole will return to British GT at Oulton Park next month, joining Macanese Kevin Tse in a second RAM Mercedes-AMG GT3. A race winner in the British Touring Car Championship, Onslow-Cole has been a regular in GT machinery in recent seasons, winning two GT Open Pro-Am titles with Mercedes squad SPS and finishing second in the Pro-Am division of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup last year with RAM. His last British GT appearance came at Brands Hatch in 2019, when he and Richard Neary finished sixth in Team Abba’s Merc. Tse, the 2014 Asian Le Mans Series Group CN champion, and Onslow-Cole will drive the RAM entry last campaigned by Sam De Haan and James Cottingham at Silverstone. Tse will also enter the Brands Hatch…

BROWNE’S ‘DREAM START’ Formula Ford Festival winner Jonathan Browne said he enjoyed “a dream start” after scoring a podium finish at Silverstone on his GB3 debut last weekend. Driving for Hillspeed, he took advantage of a wet session to qualify fourth, despite just four days of testing, and went on to take third in his maiden slicks-and-wings race. “I was 10th or 11th, did the last lap, came in and asked, ‘Are you sure?!’” said Browne of being told he qualified fourth. “There’s more time to come, lots learned.” MEAKIN’S MISERABLE EVENT Raceway Motorsport’s Zac Meakin was ruled out of the fourth Ginetta Junior race at Knockhill last Sunday following a second major accident of the weekend. Meakin was caught up in a four-car pile-up at Clark’s in the opening…

PORSCHE CARRERA CUP GB Lorcan Hanafin has moved into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship lead thanks to a lights-to-flag victory in the opening race in Scotland, while reigning champion Harry King scored a long-awaited first GB win of 2021 in the reversed-grid encounter. Hanafin (right) shot into the lead off the startline and didn’t look back. King rose to second but had no answer for the JTR youngster’s pace, with three seconds splitting them at the finish, while Lewis Plato completed the podium. Will Martin had edged out Hanafin for his first Porsche pole in qualifying, but endured a nightmare first race and could only fight back to sixth in race two. His Richardson Racing team-mate Josh Malin had differing fortunes, and he was drawn onto reversed-grid pole. Malin…

BRITISH FORMULA 4 A pair of podiums allowed Matthew Rees to take the British Formula 4 points lead following a miserable weekend for title rival James Hedley. Matias Zagazeta of Argenti Motorsport was the driver to beat in two of the three races, while Rees’s JHR Developments team-mate McKenzy Cresswell picked up his second reversed-grid win of the season in race two. But the biggest talking point of the trip to Scotland was that Hedley managed just one point all weekend after a litany of misfortune. Problems first arose in pre-event testing when a fuel-pump issue meant Hedley’s only proper running ahead of the races came with limited laps on Friday. Failure to bag a representative qualifying lap on Saturday resigned the Fortec Motorsport driver to the back of the…

MONDELLO PARK MPSC 14-15 AUGUST If anyone thought that the pre-55 racers would just parade their cars on their first Mondello Park appearance of the year last weekend, they were badly mistaken. Kevin Sheane’s spiritedly driven Ford sidevalve special led away from pole but was soon deposed by the more powerful Riley duo of Ken McAvoy and Tony Canny. After a good scrap, Canny battled past McAvoy for the win, with Sheane hanging on in third. Sheane again fell behind in race two but, when the rain came, he fought back. Ed Cassidy, driving the MG ‘Iona Special’ superbly, had fought past the Riley pair for the lead, but was powerless to hold off Sheane, who took the win in a hugely entertaining race. Canny also slipped ahead of Cassidy…

OULTON PARK BRSCC 14 AUGUST The UVio Hofmann’s Lotus team made it four Fun Cup Endurance wins from five, but Oulton Park’s race featured the closest finish so far this season. It had been tight at the front from the start but, going into the final hour, Scott Fitzgerald was just holding off PLR’s Ben Pitch, with less than a second between them. UVio made its final stop first, Fabio Randaccio taking over, with Riley Phillips chasing for Team Olympian. When Pitch handed to Neil Plimmer, they rejoined in a solitary third, but at the front it was wheel to wheel between Randaccio and Phillips. Both had a share of the lead until Phillips tried the outside at Shell and ran wide. It gave Randaccio the telling break, with Phillips,…

EXHIBITION POLE POSITION: THE JUAN GONZALEZ FORMULA 1 COLLECTION The world of Formula 1 never stands still, neither on nor off the track. Every year, new technology and innovations are integrated into the cars, not only prior to each season but during the course of a campaign. Compare machines from across the decades and, although there remain some similarities, there are also striking differences. While the cars of the late 1980s and early 1990s became more streamlined and aerodynamically effective, perhaps it was internally where the biggest changes occurred as turbo power was phased out, while there was the rise and fall of driver aids such as traction control and active suspension. In the late 1990s it was the introduction of grooved tyres and a greater focus on cockpit protection…

LE MANS 24 HOURS Glickenhaus is going into this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours believing it can challenge for race victory. That was the message from the US manufacturer after it topped last Sunday’s official test day for the double-points round of the World Endurance Championship with its new Le Mans Hypercar. The importance of Olivier Pla’s lap that knocked Toyota off the top of the charts at the end of nine hours of testing was played down by Luca Ciancetti, technical director of the Podium Advanced Technologies organisation responsible for the Glickenhaus-Pipo 007 LMH. But he said that it should be taken as another signal that the marque should be regarded as a credible challenger. “The time doesn’t mean a lot to be honest because we don’t know what…

FORMULA E As Formula E teams continue their development towards the forthcoming Gen3 regulations, the preference is for driver continuity before testing of the new cars commences late next spring. This has led Porsche to re-sign Pascal Wehrlein and Andre Lotterer for next year. While ex-Formula 1 driver Wehrlein only joined at the start of this season, Lotterer’s future has been less assured after a spate of crashes contributed to him finishing 17th in the standings. This created speculation that Mitch Evans, managed by Porsche ambassador Mark Webber, could have been drafted in before the Kiwi signed an extension at Jaguar. “Despite some notable successes this season, we are yet to achieve all of our goals,” said Lotterer. That makes me all the more pleased that Porsche is giving me…

LE MANS 24 HOURS Harry Tincknell has received a late call-up for the Le Mans 24 Hours with the Proton GTE Am team – and promptly topped the times in class in Sunday’s official pre-race test on his first day in a Porsche. The winner of the GTE Pro class with Aston Martin at Le Mans last year was announced as a driver in the Proton Competition team’s #99 Porsche 911 RSR at the end of last week, although Tincknell revealed that he had got the call two weeks beforehand. The deal is part of a tie-up between Multimatic Motorsport, for which he is driving the Mazda Daytona Prototype international in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and the German team. Tincknell is driving the car as part of an all-new line-up…

I can’t remember any year where there were so many cars as we have in the GTE Am class at Le Mans this year, and I have to say it’s quite a competitive field. Nowadays some bronze-graded drivers are capable of lap times that some of the higher-rated drivers aren’t able to beat, so for the rookies going up against such strong line-ups who have done it several times already is a tough challenge. When I last raced at Le Mans in 2015, my team-mate Patrick Long had already made 11 starts, and this time I’m the one who has the most experience in my #18 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19. It’s a big mission for Alessio Picariello and I as the pros to get our bronze co-driver Andrew Haryanto…

Among the swathe of Belgians urging Thierry Neuville on was arguably the nation’s most famous driver: six-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jacky Ickx. It was perhaps fitting that the eight-time grand prix winner and 1983 Dakar Rally victor was on hand to deliver the trophy to Neuville on arguably his proudest moment to date – in front of a vociferous crowd at Spa-Francorchamps. The 76-year-old had been closely following the rally, and sent the Hyundai driver messages of support throughout the event. “Jacky, I’ve known him for more than 10 years and he is one of the guys who sends me messages every rally,” said Neuville. “I got one last night [Saturday] with a lot of emojis and flames and stuff to say that he was believing, and I…

NASCAR CUP INDIANAPOLIS (USA) 15 AUGUST ROUND 24/36 After nearly three decades of competition on the iconic oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this year the NASCAR Cup series made its debut on the 2.4-mile, 14-turn infield circuit. In this small slice of history, part-time Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger emerged as the shock winner. Much of the race featured a duel between third-starting Chase Elliott and his second-row rival and Hendrick Chevrolet team-mate Kyle Larson but, late in the final stage, the kerbing came apart in Turn 6, which caused two multi-car shunts and two red flags for track repairs. The contest eventually went into a second overtime with Denny Hamlin leading at the start, followed by Chase Briscoe. But the Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Briscoe went off the track…

GB3 The newly rebranded GB3 Championship will introduce a new car next year, which will include a halo head-protection device for the first time, as well as an engine upgrade featuring a side air-intake. The Tatuus MSV-022 will also feature improved side-impact protection and revisions to the rollhoop, headrest and front anti-intrusion panel, while there will be an increase in downforce via aerodynamic changes. The two-litre, four-cylinder normally aspirated Mountune engine will be upgraded by 20bhp, taking the total produced to 250bhp. “The introduction of the new chassis and other elements of the upgrade package to the GB3 Championship will ensure that the series strengthens its position as the UK’s leading single-seater championship for years to come,” said Jonathan Palmer, chief executive of organiser MotorSport Vision. “We’re delighted to continue…

The return of the Edwardian handicap contest will be the centrepiece of an 11-race programme for the Vintage Sports-Car Club meeting at Mallory Park this Sunday. Sixteen machines spanning 1905-18, with engine capacities ranging from 3.1 to 25.4 litres, form the Edwardian grid. Marcus Black’s 5.1-litre Sunbeam 16/20 of 1912 will have the most to do, particularly since three competitors have a lap’s head start. There is expected to be full grids across the card, with the Alvis centenary race attracting a superb field, while such is the depth of the diverse owner-driver-mechanic group that the bumper crop of 48 eager combatants have been seeded into two races. With an eye to the future, the Under 30s handicap boasts younger members of numerous VSCC dynasties, and a Pre-65 Racing Cars…

TROTTER THROWN OUT LDR Performance Tuning’s Neil Trotter was thrown out of the entire Mini Challenge meeting at Knockhill last weekend following a paddock incident. The incident took place straight after the final race, from which Trotter retired after spinning off at the exit of Clark’s. Autosport understands a paddock scuffle then took place involving Trotter, after which the driver left the circuit before being summoned by the stewards. A statement from the series read: “The championship trusts those involved in the judicial process to make the correct decision in any investigations that take place.” NEW ENTRANTS FOR 2CV 24H Next week features the 31st running of the unique Citroen 2CV 24-hour race and the 30-plus starters will, for the first time, include a team of three cars from the…

BRITISH FORMULA 4 British Formula 4 will adopt the same Tatuus chassis and Abarth engine combination of the Italian and German F4 series next year when the second-generation machine is introduced. It was announced earlier this month that governing body Motorsport UK would take over as organiser of the British series for 2022 from long-standing promoter RacingLine – a move that also led to the conclusion of Ford’s 50-plus years supporting UK junior single-seaters. Motorsport UK carried out a tender process for chassis and engine suppliers as part of its wide-ranging assessment of how the championship should move forward and has opted for Tatuus, in place of Mygale, and Abarth. “We are delighted to welcome Tatuus and Abarth to the F4 British Championship and look forward to the support they…

RALLYING Matthew Wilson and Elliott Edmondson recovered from an early half-spin on the opening stage of the Grampian Forest Rally to triumph on round three of the British Rally Championship. Fresh from testing M-Sport Ford’s new Puma Rally1 car in Finland, Wilson became the third different victor in a title race that is proving hard to call. “We are really, really pleased,” said Wilson, whose previous BRC win came on the Trackrod Rally 16 years ago. “In the last two stages, we tried to keep a good rhythm and not make any mistakes.” The Ford Fiesta Rally2 man finished with 20 seconds in hand over Osian Pryce, whose second-place result on the newest event to join the series was enough to vault him up to second in the standings. In…

I’m lucky enough to have had a long career as a fit and healthy racing driver. I cannot imagine how horrendous it would be to have my health, freedom and way of life ripped away from me. To have a relatively fit mind only to be trapped in a failing body, suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. Sadly, that’s what happened to the hugely popular Neil Cunningham, who passed away in 2016. It’s happening now to people close to me, like my friend Gideon Williams and my old Bentley team manager, John Wickham. While you’ve probably heard of Neil and John, you won’t be so familiar with Gideon, but he’s another member of our motorsport community who worked in the industry for many years, including as a mechanic for Richard Lloyd…

SNETTERTON CSCC 14-15 AUGUST There was an unlikely winner in the Group 1 Swinging Sixties race in the shape of Sam Polley’s Mini Marcos, on only his second outing in the car. Polley surprised himself with pole, and overcame a cautious start by pushing aside the challenges of first Ralph and Charlie Budd’s Mini, then the more sustained attack of Ian Staines’s MG Midget. Staines made a mistake near the end and had to settle for fifth, while Tim Cairns timed his pitstop well in his Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite and finished second. The Budds were third, followed by Tom Pead’s BMW 1600 Ti, which had been involved in some pushing and passing near the front. The Group 2 encounter was won by Steve Hodges in another smaller car, a Lotus…

BRANDS HATCH ALFA ROMEO CHAMPIONSHIP Races 1 & 2 Barry McMahon (156) CLASSIC ALFA CHALLENGE James Colburn (Giulia Sprint GT) FERRARI FORMULA CLASSIC Races 1 & 2 Wayne Marrs (F355, below) FERRARI CLUB RACING Race 1 Peter Smith (488 Challenge) Race 2 Wayne Marrs (488 Challenge) OULTON PARK FUN CUP ENDURANCE UVio Hofmann’s Lotus (Scott Fitzgerald/Fabio Randaccio) MODIFIED FORDS Races 1 & 2 Dave Cockell (Escort Cosworth) CITYCAR CUP Races 1 & 2 Duncan Stone (Citroen C1) For full results visit: tsl-timing.com…

Proof that Ron Dennis wasn’t averse to getting his hands dirty as he mans the lollipop at a pitstop for Stefan Johansson at Hockenheim in 1987. Team coordinator Jo Ramirez (right, red pullover) steps away as the Swede prepares to thread his way down the packed, narrow pitlane. The German Grand Prix featured the second of two runner-up finishes for Johansson in his only year driving for McLaren – but he only just made it. A right-front puncture on the last lap as he headed for the first chicane left his TAG-powered MP4/3 running on three wheels at the line as the flailing tyre destroyed his suspension. For classic 1980s Formula 1 DVDs head to dukevideo.com For more great photographs, visit motorsportimages.com…

When he was strapped into a Maserati MC12, Michael Bartels was one of the most prolific drivers in GT1. But his career also straddled another famous sportscar era, when he made his debut in a Group C one-off at Donington in the 1990 World SportsCar Championship. Bartels had just missed out on inclusion in the new Mercedes junior team, made up of the three top drivers from the 1989 German Formula 3 Championship. He won more races than champion Karl Wendlinger and Michael Schumacher, his tally matched only by Heinz-Harald Frentzen, but a poorer finishing record meant he ended up behind them in fourth. Still, Bartels appeared to have the best of both worlds in 1990, his Formula 3000 programme combined with a Porsche junior deal that involved pounding around…

FORMULA 1 Aston Martin has withdrawn its appeal against Sebastian Vettel’s disqualification from Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Vettel was excluded from his second-placed finish at the Hungaroring because the FIA could not extract the minimum one litre of fuel that is required for post-race technical inspections. Aston Martin had initially been confident that more than enough fuel remained in the car beyond the 0.3 litres pumped out by the FIA, and that the remainder could not be accessed due to a fuel-pump-system failure. According to telemetry data logged over the race, Aston Martin estimated that there should have been at least 1.74 litres of fuel in the car. After the race, Vettel’s car was impounded by the FIA and taken to the governing body’s facilities in France in case…

INDYCAR Alpine Academy Formula 1 protege and F2 race winner Christian Lundgaard showed dazzling pace on his IndyCar debut last weekend at the Indianapolis road course with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The Dane, who undertook a day-long test at Barber Motorsports Park three weeks earlier, placed seventh in free practice, before nailing fourth on the grid, within 0.03 seconds of pole position. Come the race, he led a couple of laps during the first pitstop sequence, and finished 12th. “It was all about just not doing a mistake…” said Lundgaard (right). “The mileage was important to get the experience of the full race. I think tyre management is probably where I suffered most, knowing how much I can push. But it’s been a hell of an experience.” Lundgaard drove RLLR’s…

LE MANS 24 HOURS American Josh Pierson is on course to become the youngest driver to start the Le Mans 24 Hours when he joins the United Autosports World Endurance Championship line-up next year. The Road to Indy F2000 frontrunner, who is fourth in the points, will be 16 years and 117 days old when Le Mans begins next year, compared with fellow American Matt McMurry’s existing record of 16 years and 202 days set in 2014. Pierson, from Oregon, first sat in a kart when he was two and began competing regionally aged four, before moving into cars last year, first in F1600 and then USF2000. He also contested selected rounds of the Atlantic Championship Series in his homeland. Pierson tested an LMP2 ORECA-Gibson 07 for United at the…

The departure of Felipe Massa after his two underwhelming seasons at Venturi Racing, combined with the CVs of 2021 rookies Jake Dennis, Nick Cassidy and Norman Nato, has helped quash the allegation that Formula E is a payday for crestfallen ex-Formula 1 drivers. But aside from the exceptional cameo of Pierre Gasly, who was drafted in to replace fixture-tied Sebastien Buemi at Renault e.dams in New York City in 2017, there’s yet to be a flow in the other direction. No bona fide FE driver has stepped up into a plum grand prix race seat. But there have been near-misses. Aside from the host of current drivers who perform simulator roles at various F1 teams, Stoffel Vandoorne almost replaced Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain last season, the opportunity eventually falling to…

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Thirty years ago, the great Michael Schumacher arrived in Formula 1 and created waves on his debut at the Belgian Grand Prix that very few drivers have done before or since. It was an extraordinarily impactful weekend, especially when you consider that he only competed in two corners of the race before parking up on the side of the track, but the headlines had been made over the previous two days. In his first F1 qualifying session, in a midfield car in which he had done half a day of testing, at a track he had never raced at, Schumacher ended up seventh fastest. Just pause to think about that for a second in comparison to the variety of race debuts we’ve seen over the years, full of caveats of…

When the late Will Hoy drove his Ford Mondeo to victory at Silverstone on 26 April 1998, it represented the first British Touring Car Championship race win for West Surrey Racing. As the moustachioed Hoy – a lovely man who is much missed – celebrated his success, a 16-year-old BTCC superfan was just starting out on his maiden season in car racing, a year that would end in his claiming the hotly contested Northern Irish Metro Championship. How could Colin Turkington have ever guessed that, 23 years later, he would claim the team’s 100th BTCC win at Knockhill? To be fair, Hoy’s win was regarded as something of a fluke at the time, without wishing to denigrate driver or team. This was the height of the Super Touring era, WSR…

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES INDIANAPOLIS (USA) 14 AUGUST ROUND 21/33 Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric helped complete a perfect day at Indianapolis for his team boss and track owner Roger Penske. Shortly after Penske’s Will Power earned his first IndyCar Series win of the 2021 season on the road course, Cindric held off a determined AJ Allmendinger to win Saturday’s stock car bout. The win was Ford Mustang driver Cindric’s fifth of the campaign but surprisingly, given that five of Cindric’s 13 career wins have come on road courses, it was the first this year on a non-oval. Although Allmendinger would finish runner-up by 2.1s, he only had to wait 24 hours before taking to the top step of the podium in the main Cup event. Fellow Chevrolet Camaro…

The unique Mini Quattro is set to return to action in Chris Slade’s hands in the Fastest Mini in the World race at this weekend’s Mini Festival at Brands Hatch. The 800bhp car hasn’t raced in this country since Slade won the 2017 edition of the race due to an accident when competing in France the following year. Originally built by TS Racing in Oslo for Brede Alnes around a decade ago, the car was acquired by Slade’s father Andy in 2017. The four-wheel-drive spaceframe chassis is powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged Audi RS3 engine with a Lamborghini head. A rebuild by Plymouth-based Pro4m Motorsport Engineering incorporated new suspension, and the car’s transmission has since been upgraded to a six-speed paddleshift. “We had major gearbox troubles with it,” said Slade…

ASTON MARTIN OWNERS CLUB The Aston Martin Owners Club will conduct a review of its racing programme to ensure a successful future after expressing disappointment at the cancellation of two of its remaining 2021 events. AMOC’s portfolio of categories were due to appear at a British Racing & Sports Car Club-run Mallory Park meeting next weekend but, amid concern over a shortage of registered entries, the event was cancelled. The regular October Silverstone AMOC fixture has also been axed. “There are so many moving parts amidst challenging times for independent clubs,” said AMOC competitions director Peter Snowdon. “It’s in no-one’s interest to cancel events, therefore a review is under way into how we change for the rest of this season and for next year. We want to put events on…

GINETTA JUNIOR The Ginetta Junior Winter Series is set to make a return this November after the end-of-season contest did not take place last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. The later-than-usual conclusion to the main championship in 2020 meant there was no opportunity to run a winter competition last season, but it will be back this year and is due to take place at Brands Hatch over 13-14 November. The traditional format of qualifying and two races each day will be retained. “We anticipate a strong entry, with a combination of existing Junior drivers getting more racing experience under their belt, and rookie drivers enjoying their first taste of Ginetta racing,” said Ginetta motorsport manager Ash Gallagher. “It will be a great way to end the year, with competitive racing…

BRITISH HILLCLIMB Shelsley Walsh played host to one of the most enthralling top 12 run-offs in the history of the British Hillclimb Championship when Sean Gould finally toppled the 13-year-old hill record. In the first of two run-offs on Sunday, Gould set an incredible new mark of 22.37s in his Gould GR59JB, slicing 0.21s from the long-standing record set at 22.58s by Martin Groves back in 2008. A few days after the 116th anniversary of the first event at the venue, Alex Summers (22.52s) and Wallace Menzies (22.55s) both beat the old record, but it was Gould who took the glory and one of the biggest accolades in British hillclimbing. Gould served notice of his intentions on Saturday as the only driver to crack the 23s mark by dipping to…

GINETTA JUNIOR Aston Millar could hardly have hoped for a better weekend on Ginetta Junior’s annual visit to Knockhill. The 16-year-old from R Racing backed up two wins with a brace of second places from the four races to give himself a six-point championship lead over Liam McNeilly. Millar narrowly lost out to polesitter McNeilly by just 0.2 seconds in Saturday’s frenetic opening race, restarted following a four-car pile-up at Clark’s that took out Zac Meakin, Freddie Tomlinson, Maurice Henry and Edward Pearson, before trailing team-mate Callum Voisin by a similar margin in race two. Fox Motorsport driver McNeilly had maintained his championship lead following that race, the rescheduled round from Oulton Park, but his advantage soon became vulnerable after Millar was promoted to the win in the third contest…

GINETTA GT4 SUPERCUP Tom Hibbert was a concerned man after Ginetta GT4 Supercup qualifying. He had only managed sixth in a stop-start session, while title rival Adam Smalley took pole. That concern grew after Smalley bagged a pair of wins, but the “damage-limitation” strategy paid off in the end as Hibbert had just three points shaved off his pre-weekend advantage. Smalley trailed Hibbert by 36 points heading to Scotland, but managed to reduce that deficit to 17 thanks to a pair of perfectly executed race wins, while Hibbert salvaged third each time. Hibbert started the finale third, but a good launch, and a decisive pass on Josh Rattican at the hairpin secured his fourth win of the year and meant he ended the weekend with a 33-point margin over Smalley,…

SILVERSTONE MSVR 14-15 AUGUST Ayrton Simmons returned to the top step of the GB3 Championship podium with a double victory at Silverstone last weekend. The Chris Dittmann Racing driver was the pre-season title favourite, but has endured a difficult season and triumphed for the first time since winning the reversed-grid race at the same venue in June. In-form Ollie Bearman beat Simmons to race-one pole in a rain-affected qualifying, but conceded the lead to his rival at the start, before dramatically retiring on the second lap when his left-rear wheel departed through Copse Corner. Debutant Jonathan Browne, who qualified an impressive fourth for returning team Hillspeed, was promoted to second before the safety car was deployed to retrieve Bearman’s stricken Fortec-run machine. Simmons pulled over a second clear at the…

SWINGING SIXTIES Group 1 Sam Polley (Mini Marcos) Group 2 Steve Hodges (Lotus Seven) SLICKS SERIES Nigel Jenkins (Ferrari 458 Challenge) FUTURE CLASSICS Stuart Daburn (TVR Tuscan) MODERN CLASSICS Stuart Daburn (TVR Tuscan) NEW MILLENNIUM/TURBO TIN TOPS/PUMA CUP Maxwell Petch/Chris Petch (Ginetta G50) OPEN SERIES Race 1 Mathew Evans (BMW 1M Coupe) Race 2 David Harvey (Lotus 340R) CLASSIC K Charlie Allison/Peter Thompson (Shelby Cobra) TIN TOPS Adam Brown (Vauxhall Astra GTE, below) MAGNIFICENT SEVENS Races 1 & 2 Ben Simonds (Caterham CSR) For full results visit: tsl-timing.com…

BRANDS HATCH MSVR FESTIVAL ITALIA 15 AUGUST Alfa Romeos took pride of place at the sixth running of the popular Festival Italia at Brands Hatch, which this year returned with a full roster of off-circuit attractions. On the track, current, classic and historic Alfas appeared on the same programme for the first time, boasting a total of nearly 60 cars. Barry McMahon continued his domination of the championship for current machinery, winning both 20-minute encounters with ease in his 156. Behind him, some epic contests took place. Scott Austin’s 155 headed George Osborne (75) and Graham Seager (147 GTA) in race one, but eventually fell behind both of them, and the Twin Spark class went to Jonathan Billingsley’s 156 by the narrowest margin. The top three were the same in…

The 95th anniversary of the first ‘British Grand Prix’ was celebrated at Brooklands earlier this month. Long before the days of Silverstone, Aintree and Brands Hatch, it was the Surrey banking of Brooklands that first hosted a grand prix in Britain, on 7 August 1926. This event, which only three cars finished, was part of a two-race pre-war stuttering start to the British institution, largely forgotten by many until it comes up as an answer in a pub quiz. Enthusiasts might argue about the definition of a grand prix, but a healthy crowd at Brooklands Museum was not bothered about such matters and turned out to celebrate the birthday. Two of the nine cars that started the 1926 race were present at the Brooklands Relived event. The Halford Special built…