Home//Motorsport News/09/09/21/In This Issue
Motorsport News|09/09/21A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR F1Hats of to Max Verstappen. On Sunday, he delivered his fifth win in seven races to ease his way to the top of the race for this year’s Formula 1 silverware, and he did it under the most intense scrutiny last weekend.It wasn’t only Lewis Hamilton piling on the pressure, either. While the Mercedes man kept the Red Bull honest throughout the 72 laps in the sand dunes, it was the sea of orange flags that meant the spotlight was turned up to its brightest. Verstappen had the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders, and performed manfully.One of the most impressive aspects of last weekend was not the performance of the pretender to the throne. No, it was the sweeps of Zandvoort, which hadn’t hosted a World championship…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Kimi’s decision to retire sparks a new round of musical chairsKimi Raikkonen is hoping to be fit in time for his last-ever Italian Grand Prix, after he had to withdraw from Zandvoort after testing positive for Covid-19. The Finn took part in Friday practice, but could not drive for the rest of the weekend.He was replaced by Alfa Romeo’s test driver Robert Kubica, who made his first race start since Abu Dhabi in 2019.Last week Raikkonen revealed this would be his last season, as the 2007 World champion will quit F1 in December. His seat at Alfa Romeo is expected to be filled by compatriot Valtteri Bottas, with George Russell moving to Mercedes from Williams for 2022. Red Bull’s Alex Albon has emerged as a surprise candidate to return to F1 with Williams and talks about him driving a customer…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21BRITONS DEAD LEVEL AT THE PINNACLE OF W SERIES STANDINGSAlice Powell has moved into the joint lead of the W Series standings after taking her third win of the season at Zandvoort last weekend.Powell had started second on the grid and moved ahead of Emma Kimilainen on lap six of the 20-lap race in Holland and went on to win by nearly three seconds. Inaugural champion Jamie Chadwick followed Powell past the Finnish racer and took second place. Chadwick and Powell now both have 109 points with two races of this season’s competition left to run.Britons Jessica Hawkins and Abbie Eaton were fifth and sixth at Zandvoort, while Sarah Moore was ninth.The category comes to a close in Mexico in early November.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21HAUGER NEARS FIA F3 TITLE SPOILS WITH DUTCH WINVictory in the third race of the weekend at Zandvoort has put Norwegian racer Dennis Hauger within touching distance of the FIA Formula 3 title with one meeting left on the schedule.Hauger took seventh place in the opening race of the weekend but disaster struck in the second. He was on course for a strong points finish but contact under a late-race safety car caused a puncture and he was unable to finish the race. He dominated the finale to lead from start to finish and now has a 43-point gap at the top of the standings over Australian Jack Doohan, who was also ruled out of the second Dutch race.The younger brother of Charles Leclerc, Arthur, took his second win of the 2021 campaign in the weekend’s opener in…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21WILKINSON RETURN POSTPONED AFTER BARRIER VAULTBritish racer Ollie Wilkinson was forced to postpone his GT World Challenge comeback last weekend just a week on from vaulting Brands Hatch’s barriers in the Sprint Cup event.Wilkinson while leading Brands’race one in the closing minutes was speared over the Dingle Dell guardrail in his JOTAMcLaren 720S GT3 after being tagged by the pursuing Raffaele Marciello’s Akka ASP Mercedes. It denied Wilkinson, his driving partner Ben Barnicoat and JOTAfirst wins in the series.An outstanding JOTAeffort rebuilt the McLaren in the following week so it was ready for last weekend’s GTWCE Endurance Cup Nurburgring round. Wilkinson there took part in testing and practice but was troubled by knee pain from his Brands smash and the series doctor deemed him unfit to race.This meant his JOTAMcLaren also withdrew as two-driver efforts…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21F4 TITLE CONTENDER HEDLEY MAKES SURPRISE CARLIN SWITCHBritish Formula 4 title-contender James Hedley made a surprise switch to the Carlin team from Fortec before the Thruxton round 10 days ago and confirmed he will complete the season.Hedley after inking his 11th-hour Fortec drive for 2021 admitted he didn’t then have a full-season budget. He led the table for much of the year, though a frustrating Knockhill round left him five points behind JHR’s Matthew Rees.Hedley then took a best finish of third on his Carlin debut at his home Thruxton track. He wrote on Instagram: “Good first weekend with the boys in blue. Struggled to adapt to the car in such little time. It was frustrating not to live up to my 100% win record every time I visit Thruxton.”Carlin drivers have taken the British F4 title…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21EDGAR OUT FOR SEASON AFTER BAN UPHELDGinetta Junior race-winner Tom Edgar has been ruled out of racing for the rest of this season after his appeal to overturn his three-month ban was unsuccessful.The 16-year-old from Belfast won two Ginetta Junior races with R Racing earlier this year, in his second year in the category, before hitting his 12th licence point within a 12-month period at Oulton Park at the start ofAugust, automatically triggering the ban.The appeal was heard by Motorsport UK’s National Court, and chairman Mark Heywood said in his report: “The Court is sympathetic to Mr Edgar’s aspirations. We accept that the present suspension will cause hardship, however the Court is not persuaded that the hardship in his case can be characterised as ‘exceptional’. Consequently, the appeal is dismissed.”…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21RACE OF REMEMBRANCE GETS NEW SUPPORT RACESTwo new support events have been added to this year’s Race of Remembrance with a special 45-minute ClubSport Trophy race plus a one-off Mazda Allcomers Cup pair of 20-minute races.The races will be held on Saturday November 13 before the main event starts. The 12-hour Anglesey endurance race returns as an on-track event this year after being called off in 2020 due to Covid, though online-based activities still took place.The event is run by the Mission Motorsport charity that supports service veterans’ rehabilitation via motorsport. All proceeds from the added races will go directly to the charity.The RoR ClubSport Trophy race is open to one or two-driver entries and has a single mandatory pitstop. The RoR Mazda Allcomers Cup has classes for Mk1, Mk3 and Mk4 MX-5s, Ma7da championship cars,…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21BRITON CHRIS INGRAM BOXING CLEVER TO GET FIT FOR HIS ACROPOLIS RALLY DEBUTManchester-based Chris Ingram returns to WRC3 duty for the first time since June’s Rally Italy and spent time in the gym with former WBA world super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg.Ingram wrote on Facebook: “Nothing better than training with someone with the same mindset and someone who gave everything for his dreams to become world champ.”The Lamia-based round marks Ingram’s return to Toksport WRT following his split from Belgian squad SXM Competition. Ingram and co-driver Ross Whittock won the 2019 European championship driving for the Turkish-owned team, which also runs WRC2 pacesetter Andreas Mikkelsen.After three appearances, Ingram is 10th in the standings with 28 points. He took a podium in Portugal driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo and is also planning to contest next month’s Rally Spain ahead of a full WRC2…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21FANS ASKED TO MAKE SPACE ON ACROPOLIS EVENTFans will be allowed to follow theAcropolis Rally but are being urged to “avoid overcrowding” to combat the spread of Covid-19.They are also being asked to wear face coverings and apply hand sanitiser while keeping one-and-a-half metres apart.Viewing areas at the service park in Lamia have been created but access is only for those fans that are fully vaccinated or in position of a negative PCR or antigen test result.The wearing of face coverings will also be mandatory in the service park.However, the opening superspecial inAthens will be closed to spectators.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21MIKKELSEN TO SKIP FINLANDAndreas Mikkelsen is to miss the WRC’s Rally Finland as a measure of how seriously he is taking his bid to win the European championship by choosing to contest the clashing Rally Serras de Fafe instead.WRC2 title-contender Mikkelsen had been linked to an M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC drive in Finland. But Motorsport News reported onAugust 26 that those plans had been canned after Rally Ypres.Mikkelsen had hoped to use WRC2 as a springboard back into a works WRC car for 2022. He also tops the ERC by 19 points and will contest theAzores Rallye one week after this weekend’s Acropolis Rally outing in WRC2.Rally Hungary and Rally Islas Canarias follow Fafe on the ERC schedule and do not clash with the WRC.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21GALLOWAY HILLS RALLY SET TO PROVE CRUCIAL IN SCOTTISH TITLE SHOWDOWNThe fight to become 2021 Scottish Rally champion intensifies on this weekend’s Galloway Hills Rally with Jock Armstrong, Freddie Milne and Garry Pearson all in the running.Nine-time Galloway Hills winner Armstrong heads the SRC standings with three second places on the three previous rounds with his Ford Fiesta Rally2, but with dropped scores (the best scores from five count) he is actually second, one point behind both Argyll winner Milne and Grampian victor Pearson.All three will start this weekend knowing victory could transform their campaign, but they will all have to contend with David Bogie who returns to SRC action in a Mini JCW WRC as a newly married man. Bogie won the Scottish in July and the Galloway Hills the last time it ran in 2019 and is keen…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ULSTER GOES LARGE FOR BRITISH RALLYING’S FINALEUlster Rally bosses say their aim is to make this year’s event one of the best in its 45-year history.This season, the Tarmac classic is taking place three months later than its customary end-of-August slot.With the British Rally Championship poised to go down to the wire in Ulster on November 20, the event director has told MN he is pulling out all the stops with help from his colleagues.Richard Swanston said: “Planning is stepping up now as we enter the final three months leading up to the event, We’re excited to be back after last year’s layoff and the goal of everyone involved is to put on the very best Ulster Rally that we can for them.“Certainly, we want the title fight to be decided at the Ulster because the…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21TOM HARRISs preparation for the BriSCA A F1 World Final, which takes place in Bradford this weekend, it was good to win the heat and final at the same venue 10 days’ ago.A lot of time and money has been spent on the racing surface at Bradford since the opening meeting in May, because on Saturday it wasn’t like an ice rink at the start of races that it had been and it didn’t get as dusty as hell by the end. It was consistent all the way through and it was extremely fast.We worked out that the engine in my shale car would need a rebuild right around the time of the World Final, but we didn’t want to use an engine that would need a freshen up just before…4 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Bank holiday special for The Classic in 2022The Classic at Silverstone will have a new date for 2022 when it moves to the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August.Traditionally, the huge celebration of historic racing has run at the end of July, usually two weeks after the British Grand Prix.However, the 2022 event will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 26-28.The moves will pitch the Classic into a very busy section of the historic racing calendar and shortly before major events at Goodwood and Spa.The new date will also clash with the regular Bank Holiday date for the Oulton Park Gold Cup. There is no news yet on how the Silverstone date change might impact the Gold Cup.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21PEARSON KEEPS IT SIMPLE TO WINFollowing a measured drive, Garry Pearson/Niall Burns moved into the lead of the BTRDAGold Star Series after winning the Woodpecker Rally in their Skoda Fabia R5.George Lepley/Tom Woodburn in their usual Mitsubishi Lancer E10 were almost a minute behind at the finish after a problem-free run, while some mid event suspension changes enabled Ian Bainbridge/Will Atkins to finish third in their Skoda Fabia R5.With restrictions making some of its usual stages unavailable, the event moved from its traditional base of recent years in Ludlow to Kinnerton, near Presteigne. With central start and servicing facilities, competitors faced two loops of two stages, followed by a longer stage, all within the Radnor forest complex. With plenty of time for servicing, and short road sections, the format proved to be popular with those…4 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21PERPETUATING WORLD RALLYING’S GREEK MYTHThe World Rally Championship hasn’t been the same since June 2, 2013, when the Acropolis Rally last counted as a round of the WRC.Plenty of new or returning events have helped to fill the calendar since then – the likes of Chile, Estonia, Corsica, Croatia, Turkey, Ypres, even Monza – but none have matched theAcropolis for its challenge and sense of adventure.Throughout its WRC tenure, punishingly rough roads, brutal temperatures and plumes of dust were a constant and the unpredictability due to the relatively high speeds meant there was never a dull moment.Routes were tweaked year after year while host venues often changed – from the Olympic Stadium or a former military air base inAthens to a casino in Loutraki via a trotting track in Markopoulo.Legends such as Marcus Gronholm,…8 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21DAVID BRABHAM I ACHIEVED SUCCESS ON MY OWN TERMSWith a junior racing CV that includes the British Formula 3 crown and a win at the prestigious Macau F3 Grand Prix, it is understandable that the doors will open for a young driver on his way to grand prix racing.While that happened for David Brabham, it was almost a case of too much, too soon, as he tells us here. But the son of World champion Jack was determined to forge his own career, had a second crack at Formula 1 and then set off on a sensationally successful sportscar career.Winning Le Mans outright in 2009 with Peugeot alongside Alex Wurz and Marc Gene was the crowning achievement, but Brabham’s trophy cabinet was full to overflowing already at that point.There were two other class wins at Le Mans in…22 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21THE IRISH YOUNGSTERS ON COURSE FOR WORLD RALLYING STARDOMIrish rallying has never been short of homegrown superheroes, but fans have sometimes been left wanting when it comes to drivers to worship on the biggest stage. Happily, things are very different in 2021.Craig Breen is in the form of his life at the forefront of the World Rally Championship, stringing together two second-place finishes in Estonia and Belgium that have left him in an incredibly strong position to secure a full-time drive in the WRC’s new Rally1 era next year. But peer further down the ranks and you’ll find several more Irish flags proudly plastered on the side windows of cars competing in the World championship.Josh McErlean and William Creighton are familiar names in the UK and Ireland, having both spent several seasons in the Junior British Rally Championship.…8 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21MATT JAMES“I was lucky to report on Raikkonen’s first racing steps”Only looking back now do I realise what a golden period British motorsport had in the late 1990s. There was so much talent and so much potential and it was yet to be explored by those drivers.I was a young man too, making my way in motorsport reporting, and the journey these young drivers went on was as personal to me as much as it was career-defining for them.There are too many talents to mention here but Kimi Raikkonen stood out, right from day one.I was tasked with reporting on Formula Renault for Motorsport News in 1999, and I was very proud of the fact. I was also, let’s be honest, slightly in love with eventual champion Antonio Pizzonia. Due to…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21CLARK HELPS PORSCHE TO CELEBRATEThe Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche, a showcase for the German company’s products both on and off the track, returned after a 2020 postponement and was rewarded with ideal conditions for both competitors and spectators who came to admire impressive ranks of the sportscars.Helping Porsche Club GB to celebrate its 60th anniversary, former Le Mans and grand prix winner Jochen Mass was there to sign autographs, meet drivers racing in the Porsche Club championship and to drive a few demonstration laps in an iconic 956 car from 1983.Meanwhile, on the track the championship produced two crowded and lively races, both of them won by Simon Clark (Cayman) in his defence of a title won last year in a heavily abbreviated season.Chris Dyer set fastest qualifying time for the first race…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21WATTS TAKES THE GOLD CUPJordan Harrison and Warren Briggs were among the double winners on Bank Holiday Monday during the second day of the Oulton Park Gold Cup. However, the big winner was Historic F2 racer Matthew Watts who claimed the Gold Cup when victory in the second F2 race gave him an aggregate win.Watts was running a close third mid-race when leader Miles Griffiths had his Ralt RT1 cut out suddenly at the Knickerbrook chicane and Andrew Smith, winner on Sunday, was so close behind that he could not avoid contact. Griffiths was out on the spot with the electrical drama, while Smith carried on with a damaged nose cone until being forced to retire with engine woes. Watts readily took over the lead with Mark Dwyer chasing hard and it was only…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21GODFREY MAKES IT A MAGIC 10 WITH VICTORY IN SOUTH WALESFord Fiesta campaigner Julian Godfrey lifted himself into the British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy reckoning with a storming drive in the third round of the series at Pembrey in South Wales.The six-time title-winner took a maximum points haul from the event, topping the Intermediate Classification before winning both his semi-final and the all-important final. However, just as in round one of the series at Pembrey, rising star Roberts Vitols also shone in his maiden Supercar campaign. Had he not made a slow start in the final and had to fight his way back through the traffic with the LD Motorsports-run Citroen C4, he might have caught Godfrey before the end of the race.Godfrey’s win, his 23rd career victory and 10th at Pembrey, places him second in the drivers’ standings.…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21MAX VERSTAPPEN BRINGS IT HOME FOR HIS COUNTRYMENThe return of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort after 36 years was a resounding success and fittingly was won by the nation’s home hero, Max Verstappen.Rarely has there been such partisan support for a single driver. Of the 65,000 crammed into the tiny, seaside circuit, only a handful were not dressed in national orange colours.And while Zandvoort is used to mist rolling in from the North Sea, last Sunday the fog was bright orange thanks to the flares lit throughout the tribunes. If you wanted a party on a national level, the Netherlands was the place to be.The narrow, high-speed nature of this old-school circuit put an added emphasis on qualifying and Verstappen took pole by the narrowest of margins.When he rolled his Red Bull into pole position on…4 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21RUSSELL ZEROES IN ON DREAM MERCEDES DRIVESources suggest that Briton George Russell will be confirmed as a Mercedes Formula 1 driver this week.The 23-year-old is under contract to the three-pointed star and deputised for Merc in place of the Covid-stricken Lewis Hamilton in the Sakhir Grand Prix last season.He has driven for Williams since entering F1 in 2019 and the 2018 FIA Formula 2 champion took his first podium in the truncated Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August.While the driver himself remained tight-lipped, he said in the Netherlands last weekend that he had a clearer direction over his future.“The truth is: there’s nothing to announce, but, as I said, I’m aware of the situation of where I’ll be racing next year and I was informed prior to Spa, just prior to Spa,” said Russell.While…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21KUBICA WILL BE READY IF CALLED UP AGAINRobert Kubica says he will be ready and willing to step into theAlfa Romeo Formula 1 team again after deputising for the Covid-positive Kimi Raikkonen in the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend.The Pole was called up when Raikkonen returned a positive result on the Thursday before the race at Zandvoort. Kubica had not raced in F1 since leaving Williams at the end of 2019.He started the race in 16th position in and finished in 15th place in the 72-lap race, two laps down on winner Max Verstappen.Kubica said: “I am quite happy with my race, even if it was not easy to step in on one of the toughest, most physical tracks.“It was a good race and I even had some fun battles. Everyone probably expected a chaotic race, with…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21SAM DE HAAN SET FOR TF DEBUT IN GT OPENTwice British GT championship runner-up Sam De Haan will compete with multiple champion TF Sport for the first time in the International GT Open’s Red Bull Ring double-header this weekend.De Haan finished a close second in British GT’s overall table in both of the last two seasons, first in a Barwell Lamborghini then in a RAM Mercedes. This year he prioritises continental competition, up until now still with RAM. Now though in Austria he is set for his TFAston Martin Vantage GT3 debut alongside factory Pro driver Charlie Eastwood in the Pro class.De Haan said: “I scored a podium last season on my first race in the championship, so I am going to be pushing to improve on that. They [TF] have achieved a huge amount withAston Martin over the…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21PULLING MAKES SECOND W SERIES APPEARANCEBritish Formula 4 racer Abbi Pulling last weekend impressed during her second W Series race appearance in the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix support event at Zandvoort.Having made her W Series debut at Silverstone in July – qualifying and finishing eighth – 18-year-old Pulling was back in a PUMA car and this time qualified fifth and finished seventh after a last-lap pass.Pulling said: “My British F4 season has been a bit frustrating and I’ve had some bad luck. I raced on the old Zandvoort circuit in 2019 in the Ginetta cars and loved it. It’s one of my favourites as it suits my driving style. Silverstone was an incredible experience, but there was more in it for me.”Pulling with JHR sits eighth in the British F4 standings, in a somewhat…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21BARC EXPLORING NEW SERIES AFTER LOSING C1 CONTESTBritish Automobile Racing Club is exploring replacement options including possibly its own new series after the C1 Racing Club switched to the British Racing and Sports Car Club for 2022.The Citroen C1 endurance series was created in 2017 as a BARC category and its subsequent success in attracting large grids included having 99 cars in a 2019 Silverstone 24-hour race.Robin Welsh, who had worked alongside BRSCC chief operating officer Paul McErlean in other categories, took over the C1 series this year following the death of its boss and BARC director Meyrick Cox.BARC chief executive Ben Taylor told Motorsport News: “We’re obviously disappointed that they’re going somewhere else but we also knew that the new owner Robin Welsh is good mates with Paul McErlean, so we knew it was a possibility.“He’s…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21MISSION MOTORSPORT GETS NEW LIVERY BOSSMission Motorsport has appointed Lee Winstone as its new livery and vehicle wrapping manager, who brings to the charity experience and expertise accumulated from over 30 years in the industry.Mission Motorsport’s livery suite, installed in 2014, provides wounded, injured and sick service personnel with training and job opportunities.Beneficiaries therein wrap and maintain the appearance of the charity’s fleet of vehicles – as well as work on a diverse range of other projects – and produced the award-winning ‘Poppy Car’that performs safety car duties at the charity’s popular annual Race of Remembrance plus is used for other Mission Motorsport activities such as trackdays.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21GREENSMITH AIMING HIGH WITH FRESH MILEAGE IN GREECEGus Greensmith has his best chance yet to score big in the FIAWorld Rally Championship when the Acropolis Rally takes place in Greece from today (Thursday).The 24-year-old M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver gets a double boost by starting seventh on the road on Friday’s opening leg.As well as the benefit of his lower running order, the Briton is hoping to capitalise on the six out of 14 single-use gravel stages that appear on the itinerary.While most WRC events are made up primarily of double-use stages,Acropolis organisers have bucked that trend for the rally’s return to the World championship for the first time since 2013.For Greensmith, the potential benefits are a cleaner surface more often, while the risk of encountering rough and damaged roads is reduced.“It won’t be as rough…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21SORDO CAUTIOUS ON CHANCES OF ANOTHER HYUNDAI VICTORYDani Sordo is adamant his lowly starting order won’t guarantee victory on theAcropolis Rally.Sordo is set to start the event’s opening leg tomorrow (Friday) eighth on the road and has won rallies from a similar position in the past. But he’s keeping expectations in check.“Our road position is advantageous and we will try to make the most of our running order on the first day,” said the factory Hyundai driver. “It’s normally better when you are starting further back on gravel because the road is cleaner and you can make up time. But you can have some surprises with stones being dragged onto the road.”Sordo will start his first WRC event with new co-driver Candido Carrera although the Spanish pairing won a Spanish Tarmac Cup round in their homeland last…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21MN BACKS RALLYDAY RETURNMotorsport News will be backing this year’s Rallyday extravaganza at Castle Combe circuit, one of the foremost rally shows in Britain, as it makes its return to the Wiltshire venue on Saturday, September 25.As ever, there will be plenty of live action running within the spectator-friendly circuit venue, with a huge assortment of modern and historic rally cars on display.Big names from rallying are expected to attend, with five-time British rally champion Jimmy McRae, 1996 BRC winner Gwyndaf Evans and 1993 WRCwinning co-driver Nicky Grist having already confirmed their presence.MN will be publishing a full preview and event guide on how to get the most from Rallyday in next week’s issue.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ASPHALT ACE COLE TOYING WITH ANOTHER CAR SWAPDamian Cole may revert to his Ford Focus WRC05 for the remainder of his Asphalt Championship campaign after declaring that his Skoda Fabia R5 felt skittish over the fast bumps of the Mewla Rally.The six-time series champion was disappointed to finish in third place almost two minutes down on winner Melvyn Evans’s similar car.“The car is just hard work to drive and it’s not giving me any confidence,” Cole said. “It feels very nervous on the fast stuff. I’ve had more moments [in the Skoda] than I’ve had in the last 10 years of rallying on Epynt. It’s getting to the point where we might need to fix the Focus and bring that out again!”Evans remains far happier with the Czech machine’s capabilities following his win.“We shouldn’t really be able…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21YARIS RALLY 1 CHALLENGE IS ‘MASSIVE’ SAYS BOSSToyota technical boss Tom Fowler has said that the Japanese make is facing a “massive challenge” to ready its Yaris Rally1 hybrid challenger for 2022.Brit Fowler was speaking after Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanpera got behind the wheel of a development Yaris on Tarmac roads in France last month.“We’re starting to jump forwards now,” Fowler said. “Don’t get me wrong, we still have a massive challenge ahead, but it’s not quite so daunting as it was.“Alot of the big things in the car are quite settled now... all the things that take many months to manufacturer, we have a good picture on those.”…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21GRONHOLM TARGETING VICTORY IN LATVIANiclas Gronholm has set his sights on overall victory after scoring a battling podium in the latest round of the World RX Championship in France last weekend.The son of double-World Rally champion Marcus, was left disappointed despite finishing third behind the Hansen brothers Timmy and Kevin at Loheac last weekend.The GRX-SET driver had struggled through the opening round of the series in Spain with a technical issue, before he was pushed off into a wall in the semifinal stages and didn’t make the final. In Sweden for round two, Gronholm was pushed off track in the semi-finals and was handed a penalty for hitting a track marker and didn’t make the final.Looking to get his season back on track on France, he set the best time in Q1, but a…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21UNIQUE GINETTA F3 CAR TO RETURN TO THE UK’S CIRCUITS Special 1964 single-seater will make return after a one-off in 2020The one-off Ginetta G8 Formula 3 car, unusually built around a fibreglass monocoque in 1963 and raced sporadically in 1964, is back on track after a gap of more than 50 years and a painstaking rebuild by Bill Cowing.The one-litre car managed one race at the end of last season, which was its first time on track for 56 years, and following more work reappeared at the recent Oulton Park Gold Cup in the Historic Formula 3 races. Cowing was pleased to record a finish in the second race of the weekend.The G8 was run by the Ginetta factory in 1964 and showed encouraging early pace but didn’t get fully developed and was put away before the end of the season. It retains the original fibreglass monocoque and it’s taken…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Motul Formula 2 machine makes Oulton Park returnThe Motul M1 Formula 2 car raced in 1973 by Tim Schenken returned to the track at the Oulton Park Gold Cup in the hands of Steve Worrad, in what was believed to be its the first racing appearance since 1978.Worrad ran the car in Formula Atlantic specification with a BDA engine. “It was a barn find in America,” said Worrad who was taken around 1000 staff-hours on the rebuild. It is finished in the colours of Tom Pryce, who raced both F2 andAtlantic versions of the Ray Jessop design.“It’s one of eight cars built originally,” said Worrad, who is also rebuilding an ex-Henri Pescarolo F2 Motul. “The only difference between the F2 andAtlantic versions is the type of engine fitted.”Worrad only managed a handful of laps at Oulton before…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Naylor makes the work pay off in class battlesAfter burning the midnight oil to get his Ford Fiesta ready for its debut event, Tom Naylor was delighted with his new car as he and Jamie Vaughan made it a good day for the Naylor family by winning the RF2.0 class.Aaron Rix/Abi Hayco*ck won the 1400S class despite rolling their Ford Escort, and Sean Bannister/Gavin Hayco*ck overcame a misfire to win class B10 in their Citroen C2.First of the R2 contenders for the second time this year were Ioan Lloyd/Sion Williams who dominated the category in their Peugeot 208, setting fastest category time on every stage. James Giddings/Paul Williams finished second despite an altercation with a chicane, with Jonathan Jones/Alan Walker finishing third. Gearbox issues affected Sam Bilham, which put him out of contention, while similar problems accounted for…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ACROPOLIS: 10 FAST FACTSColin McRae is the Acropolis Rally’s most prolific winner with five victories, including an unbroken sequence between 2000-2002 in an M-Sport Ford Focus. The legendary Scot’s hat-trick of Ford-powered triumphs were among 13 claimed by the Blue Oval in Greece. Northern Irish co-driver Fred Gallagher came to John Buffum’s rescue on the 1984 Acropolis. The American didn’t enough money to do the full recce but Gallagher was able to borrow Terry Harryman’s notes for the stages they were short of. They finished fifth in a David Sutton-run Audi quattro. The Acropolis was a round of the ERC when Roger Clark took the 1968 victory. The event was back in championship in 2014 when Craig Breen became the only Irishman to win. Richard Burns and Paddy Hopkirk complete the list of…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21“These two young drivers are at the tip of the iceberg”I can distinctly remember being sat in my university library, hunting some news for Motorsport News while trying to avoid my dissertation, and texting McErlean to ask him if he would be selling his recently acquired Peugeot 208 R2 as the BRC had just announced a trophy for Ford Fiestas that created a pathway to Junior WRC.In the end I didn’t get a story, but McErlean got a JBRC title – secured with one round to spare in his nimble 208. It was clear to me then that this boy was special, and I’m glad to say I’m yet to be proved wrong.My relationship with Creighton has always been strong as he came to the same city as me (Edinburgh) to study. I only found out as I could have…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ELLIOTT TAKES THE GLORY, ALTHOUGH FACES A WAIT FOR THE TROPHYAlmost two years after the final round of the 2019 season, the British Historic Rally Championship finally restarted on the Three Shires Stages on Sunday.Although definitive results were not published by the time Motorsport News went to press, it seems probable that Nick Elliott and Dave Price took a narrow win over Ben Friend and Cliffy Simmons in a battle of Ford Escort Mk2s.Amodest field of historics lined up at Malvern showground for the second running of the closed-road event in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Short sharp stages on narrow and tricky lanes laid in wait for the contenders with 14 special stages, making up 65 competitive miles.Problems getting entries on the oversubscribed event, and the draw of the gravel Woodpecker Rally the day before, meant that the BHRC entry…3 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21POLLEY AND WRIGHT POUNCE AS CAMP STRUGGLESRyan Polley scored his maiden win in Hot Hatch and Philip Wright the other as points leaderAlistair Camp slipped up at the penultimate meeting of the season.Polley aced the first start in his Civic to lead from row two, but was forced to do it again after an early red flag.A touch between Polley and Camp at Old Hall on lap two allowed Wright through to second at the expense of Camp, although the positions were reversed there at the start of the final lap. Polley headed the all-Civic Type R podium.The best start to race two was made by Polley, with Camp relatively slow away before an incident at Druids dropped him outside the top 20. Polley was passed by Wright there on lap three, going on to lose…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Red Bull ready to feel the pain at Mercedes-favoured tracksRed Bull goes into this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in “damage limitation” mode according to team boss Christian Horner.Despite Max Verstappen taking the lead in the drivers’ championship after a home win at Zandvoort last Sunday, the high-speed power circuit at Monza is expected to favour the Mercedes.“Their car and engine package has historically always been very strong at that venue and has been weaker for us,” said Horner. “I expect them [Mercedes] to have the advantage at the next two [races] and after that it should be nip and tuck. The next two are about limiting the damage as much as we can.”Two weeks after Monza is the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, a circuit that only Mercedes has triumphed at in the seven races hosted there.“It’s massively tight,”…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21F1 refugee Albon and World champion De Vries enter F1’s silly seasonBriton Alex Albon and Formula E World champion Nyck de Vries are both battling for spots on next season’s grand prix grid with Williams and Alfa Romeo on the lookout for new talents.With Kimi Raikkonen departing Alfa Romeo after his recent decision to retire, and no confirmation on teammate Antonio Giovinazzi’s future, there are potential seats available. George Russell’s expected promotion to the Mercedes squad will also leave a berth at the British team.Albon emerged as a surprise candidate for a Mercedes-powered Williams last week, but his links to Red Bull could prove to be a spanner in the works. De Vries, who took the Formula E title for Mercedes and is on its young driver programme, is also highly regarded. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that Albon’s links to…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ILOTT EXCITED FOR INDYCAR DEBUT THIS WEEKENDLast season’s FIAFormula 2 runner up Callum Ilott will make his IndyCar debut at the Portland round of the championship on Sunday.The 22-year-old Briton, who is a Ferrari DevelopmentAcademy driver, has been without a full-time single-seater ride this season. He has taken part in endurance races for Ferrari in GT cars, including the recent Le Mans 24 Hours. He is also the second reserve driver for Alfa Romeo in Formula 1.He will drive for the Juncos Hollinger Racing team in the Oregon race for the squad that has been a bit-part player on the IndyCar grid in since 2017 and has a strong background in running junior single-seaters in the United States.Ilott said: “This will be my first time in the IndyCar Series and running in the United States, which…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21WINNER BILINSKI COMMITS TO GB3Roman Bilinski has ended his British Formula 4 campaign early to concentrate on his successful GB3 championship season.Bilinski started this year in British F4 with Carlin. However he made his GB3 debut withArden in July’s Donington Park meeting, initially as a one-off, then committed to the GB3’s season remainder where rounds didn’t clash with F4.But having missed F4’s Knockhill meeting to compete in Silverstone’s clashing GB3 race – after already winning two GB3 races but across two F4 seasons never finishing higher than third – Carlin confirmed Bilinski will do no more F4 rounds this year so that he can focus on GB3.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21HARVEY HINTS AT MORE AS COMEBACK ‘REIGNITES FIRE’Tim Harvey has hinted at doing more racing in modern Porsche machinery after stating his recent comeback appearance in Sprint Challenge GB at Thruxton “reignited a fire”.The double Porsche Carrera Cup GB champion and 1992 British Touring Car champion has primarily competed in historic machinery since stepping away from the Carrera Cup a decade ago.On his recent debut in the Sprint Challenge Thruxton BTCC support event as a guest with Team Parker Racing he finished third in race two.Harvey said: “Just to get back behind the wheel of a Porsche GT product in a competitive race environment has reignited a fire that I realise I miss.“I felt very confident for the second race with better tyres, but that was the point at which I started to really feel I was…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21BARC BOSS MARSHALS FOR A DAYBritishAutomobile Racing Club chief executive Ben Taylor got a new role at Thruxton 10 days ago by working as a marshal on the British Touring Car Championship meeting’s Saturday.Taylor undertook a variety of roles, including blue and yellow flags, across several posts. He told Motorsport News: “I figured it was something that I needed to do because I’ve never done it, and after 25 years involved in this sport I suspect I’m overdue.“I really enjoyed it. I got a different perspective on lots of stuff that I’ve seen from another angle for years.“It’s extraordinary how simple they make it look. Everyone is so skilled and so experienced and so well-trained that they know what they’re doing without thinking about it. They stay so calm.”Taylor added the experience will help his…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21IN BRIEFConsiderable MassGrand prix and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jochen Mass took the iconic Porsche 956 chassis #007 out on track at Brands Hatch’s Festival of Porsche last Sunday in a special demonstration. The Group C machine is that in which the late Stefan Bellof set his record-breaking 6m11.130s lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife.Managing BrandsBrands Hatch is looking for a new circuit manager to replace Mike Groves who will leave the position at this season’s end after 15 years with MotorSport Vision. The advertised role’s responsibilities include maintenance of the venue, planning and managing events, as well as operational and event financial performance.Logan’s runDavid Leslie Trophy winner Logan Hannah will make her first racing appearance of 2021 in the National Formula Ford 1600 event supporting British GT’s Oulton Park round…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21EVANS SAYS GREECE CHALLENGE WILL BE ‘BRAND NEW’ FOR HIMElfyn Evans reckons his one Acropolis Rally start from 2012 will count for nothing when he returns this week.Evans took part on the gravel event in 2012 when it counted as a round of the WRC Academy. But his switch from two- to four-wheel drive since then will effectively mean the Welshman is starting from scratch.“It’s going to be a very different experience going there now with a World Rally Car, and there will be a lot of new pacenotes to write,” said Evans. “So it’s more or less like going to a brand-new rally for me, even though Scott [Martin] does have a bit more experience there. The route has a lot of stages that will be used just once, which is unusual, and that means there will be…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21TESTING BOOST HAS HELPED REJUVENATE FOURMAUXTime spent testing M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1 hybrid-based challenger has helpedAdrien Fourmaux get over his Ypres Rally smash last month.Frenchman Fourmaux, 26, wrecked his Ford Fiesta WRC when he went off on the Belgian round, his first major accident in more than one year. But development running in the Puma in his homeland in the build-up to the Acropolis Rally gave Fourmaux opportunity to drive at speed again.“It’s not back-to-back from Ypres to Greece, I’ve had some driving between so this helps and [Ypres] is quite far away in my head now,” Fourmaux said. “I just took the experience and the lessons I need to take from Ypres but after I’ve really focused on Greece and I have no worries, I can be confident.Like M-Sport Ford team-mate Gus Greensmith, Fourmaux…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21LAPPI TO MAKE YARIS WRC RUN IN FINLANDEsapekka Lappi moved a step closer to a return to the World championship’s top tier last week after his Rally Finland entry in a Toyota Yaris WRC was confirmed by organisers.Motorsport News reported on August 5 that Lappi was in the frame for a Toyota job share with Sebastien Ogier, who is expected to go part-time in 2022.Lappi and co-driver Janne Ferm are entered for their home round of the series next month under the RTE-Motorsport banner.Teemu Suninen, who walked out on M-Sport last month, also appears on the 43-car Rally Finland entry list. The Finn will compete in a Printsport-run Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, albeit entered by Italian management firm Movisport. Suninen’s Polo had been earmarked for Lappi.…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21BUMPER ENTRY LIST FOR CORK ‘20’An impressive 30 R5 and Rally2 entries from the UK and Ireland will take part in this month’s Cork ‘20’ International Rally, the organising Munster Car Club has announced.Four World Rally Cars will also start the event, which takes place on September 19, and will mark the first stage rally to take place in Ireland since the Covid-19 pandemic.“The response from competitors since entries opened a fortnight ago has been magnificent, with a maximum high quality full entry achieved,” said clerk of the course, Kevin O’Riordan.“The event is shaping up to be a terrific occasion, not least because stage rallying is returning after such a long layoff totalling almost 18 months,” he added. “We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the residents who live along the stages; they…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21EVANS: FULL SONG FOR TRACKRODMelvyn Evans Motorsport’s Meirion Evans has described the repeated misfire that has afflicted Matt Edwards’ British Rally Championship as “strange” but is confident it won’t resurface on Trackrod Rally Yorkshire later this month.Edwards won the Nicky Grist Stages in July but arrived at midday service with his Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 misfiring. The service crew however fixed the issue, and he was able to win, but the problem returned on last month’s Grampian Forest Rally and that time Edwards wasn’t so fortunate, making it out of service but retiring on the road section.Evans, son of boss Melvyn, told MN: “It was probably the same issue, it’s just a very strange one. We’ll have it sorted for the Trackrod. We have everything here that could possibly have gone wrong, we’ll just…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21O’DONOVAN SET FOR MORE WORLD RXBritish Rallycross Championship points-leader Ollie O’Donovan made his return to the World Rallycross Championship last weekend at Loheac.While his Ford Fiesta didn’t have the pace of the regular contenders, he enjoyed a battle with veteran racer Herve Knapick.O’Donovan had planned to race his new Proton Iriz Supercar in the France, but with the new car’s build process still underway, he will continue to race the Fiesta in coming events. While the next focus for his Team RX Racing outfit will be the 5 Nations BRX event at Knockhill later this month, the London-based Irishman also has eyes on contesting further World RX rounds this year.“I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, Loheac is always a great event,” he said. “We didn’t have the pace of the top guys but we knew we…1 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21SAMUEL HARRISONHe has a big karting background“I’ve raced in Rotax karts. I started in MiniMax and then moved up to JuniorMax and I did the British championships for two years. And during my last year in Juniors, I raced in Senior Max in Europe. I managed to qualify from the British Junior Championships in 2018 to go and race in the World Finals, which I was happy with. I’ll be 18 on Christmas Day and I’ve just started in year 13, doing my A Levels next year.”He switched to cars“My dad Tim has always liked historic cars and I’ve grown up around historic cars. It is cheaper than modern stuff and you’ve got just as big a chance to get on and do more. We can’t afford modern single-seaters, but we…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21IN BRIEFHibberds on trackFather-and-son racers Michael and Andrew Hibberd will share their Lotus 23B sports-racing car at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in October. They have both raced at Goodwood before but never in the same race and never sharing a car. “It’s an opportunity for us to share the Lotus at Goodwood and I can’t wait for that,” said Andrew, a regular race winner in his Formula Junior Lotus.Shaw to field ElanFormer Formula 3000 racer Mark Shaw has added a Lotus Elan to his historic racing stable alongside his Formula Junior Brabham and ex-Jim Clark Lotus 21 Grand Prix car. Shaw acquired the Elan from Dean Lanzante and gave it a debut race in the Guards Trophy at the Oulton Park Gold Cup. “It’s a work in progress,” he said. “But…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21WORLD RALLYCROSS: FRANCEWORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP: LOHEAC, FRANCE BY HAL RIDGE SEPTEMBER 4-5HANSENS CONTINUE THEIR RICH VEIN OF WORLD RX FORMTo win an event at World championship level a driver and car combination needs good performance and a degree of luck, too. Just ask reigning World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson.To win championships, a driver needs both of those elements, while also maximising the potential result on their worst weekends. Kristoffersson knows all about that, too, as does fellow title-winner Timmy Hansen.For the third time in as many weeks, Hansen at Loheac in France stood on the top step of the podium in the World RX series capitalising on problems for the event pacesetters to extend his margin in the points, making the best of the situation that fell his way.But for Kristoffersson, it…6 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21Latvala rolls among the rocks on the AcropolisJari-Matti Latvala was still a factory World Rally Championship driver when he last visited Greece.That was in 2019 when Toyota tested there on route to Rally of Turkey, “when there was a lot of enthusiasm from the people just for the test,” according to Latvala.Six years earlier, Latvala left Greece an Acropolis winner for Volkswagen – his first for the German make and the 11th by a Finn on the tough and taxing gravel round.“When I won in 2013 it was a really great memory because it was the last time it was in the WRC and it was my first Volkswagen victory,” Latvala says. “It’s always been a great rally but it was always one of the toughest.”That was particularly the case in 2006 when a 21-year-old Latvala was…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21KIMI: A MAN WHO WAS JUST BORN TO RACE – AND NOTHING ELSEYou may not be surprised to learn Kimi Raikkonen was mute for the first three years of his life. His parents were understandably concerned and took him to the doctors, as not a single word had been uttered. But they found nothing wrong. Indeed, his other responses and reactions were surprisingly quick.At the age of five, Raikkonen fell off his bike and after an impact with the handlebar, damaged a vocal cord in his throat.Although he was now speaking, he grew up with a peculiar tone which he’s retained to this day.The 41-year-old Finn is renowned for his undemonstrative demeanour and monosyllabic communication in public, but privately the opposite is true.The glimpses we get of this impassioned racer have been – amusingly – from some of his team radio that…7 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21HARRIS RIDES HIS LUCK WITH BRADFORD GLORYWith the World Final two weeks away at the Odsal Stadium, Bradford Tom Harris seized his opportunity to dial in his car at Yorkshire track with a dominant heat and final double on the Bank Holiday weekend in August.Harris is now odds-on favourite for the World title as his Bradford form is second to none. The track reopened earlier this year after a break of over 20 years and Harris has recorded a top-three finish in three of the four meetings held there.Dutch visitor Nigel De Kock, who won heat one earlier in the evening, took the lead early in the final but he was soon passed by Sam Makin. Further back, Harris was slicing through the pack and took the lead shortly after the halfway point.Will Hunter and Ryan…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21THOMPSON FENDS OFF CROFT CATERHAM CHASERSLewis Thompson was a double winner in the Caterham 310Rs at Croft. Having led a top-six break from lap six in the first race, the pack was down to three a couple of laps later with only Peter Walters and David Yates left challenging.Thompson held sway, until lap 17 when Yates shot ahead into Tower. The red flags were out, however, and Thompson declared the victor on countback, with James Wingfield claiming a late third from Walters.Race two developed into a matter for any one from three drivers in the second half, with Thompson, Yates and Wingfield all taking turns to take charge. Thompson and Wingfield seemed to slow each other up exiting the chicane a lap from home, handing the lead to Yates. But, into Tower for the final…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21TRAYNOR TRAINS HIS SIGHTS ON MR2 POINTS SUMMITShaun Traynor enjoyed a profitable day in the Toyota MR2 Championship at Castle Combe, narrowing the gap to title rivalAaron Cooke with a victory and a second place.The Roadsters of four-time title winner Traynor and reigning champion Cooke circulated as one in the opening contest, joined later by Cam Walton’s Mk2, who recovered to third after a poor start.Walton led throughout the second contest from Traynor and Paul Cook, but Cooke lost three places on the opening lap then several more as the race went on to eventually finish 10th.Tony Bennett was the first Castle Combe champion crowned in 2021, with two more class victories aboard his Caterham. Lucky Khera took his Lamborghini to a couple of victories, pushed hard in the second by Oliver Bull’s spaceframe Vauxhall Tigra, which…2 min
Motorsport News|09/09/21ResultsRound 3: Supercar: 1 Julian Godfrey (Ford Fiesta) 5:13.017s; 2 Roberts Vitols (Citroen C4) +14.906s; 3 Ollie O’Donovan (Ford Fiesta); 4 Roger Thomas (Ford Fiesta); 5 Tristan Ovenden (Citroen DS3); 6 Mark Donnelly (Citroen DS3); Supernational: Paige Bellerby (Lotus Exige); Junior: Max Langmaid (Suzuki Swift); Swift Sport: Luke Constantine (Suzuki Swift); Super1600: No classified finishers; BMW Mini: Stephen Brown (BMW Mini); ALL4Mini: David Bell (BMW Mini); Super Retro: Barry Stewart (Porsche 911); Retro: Steve Cozens (Citroen AX); RX150: Patrick O’Donovan (RX150 buggy) Round 4: Supernational: Bellerby; Junior: Langmaid; Swift Sport: Constantine; Super1600: No classified finishers; BMW Mini: Brown; ALL4Mini: Bell; Super Retro: Ray Morgan (Ford Escort); Retro: Tony Lynch (Toyota MR2); RX150: Tommi Caldwell (RX150 buggy)…1 min
