Round 9 of the 2023 Japanese Super Formula Championship was held on Sunday, October 29th at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, and Katsunoshin Ohta took his first win in the final round of his rookie year. Also, Rio Miyata won the Drivers’ Championship in his fourth year racing with Super Formula.

The Suzuka Final was held over two days, Saturday and Sunday, with two races. Due to the crash in the Round 8, held on the previous day, Ukyo Sasahara (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) and Hiroki Otsu (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING) were unable to participate in the race, leaving 20 entries at the 22nd JAF Suzuka Grand Prix. The knockout style qualifying for Round 9 kicked off at 8:50am.

In Qualifying A, Tomoki Nojiri (TEAM MUGEN), who is aiming for his 3rd consecutive Drivers’ title, went through Q1 with the top time. In Qualifying B, top ranked Ritomo Miyata (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) was 2nd, and 3rd in the Championshipʼs ranking Liam Lawson (TEAM MUGEN) passed Q1 with the top time in B group.

In Q2, where the top 6 drivers in each group, 12 drivers in total, were to compete, Lawson showed a determined time attack and took pole position, Ohta came in 2nd and Nojiri in 3rd, and Miyata, the seasonʼs top ranked driver, finishing 4th in the Qualifying session. The starting grid for the seasonʼs final race, which will decide the Championship, was lined up with the top three ranked drivers from the bottom to the top, promising a very exciting and a fierce final race.

At 2:30 p.m., under the temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and track surface temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, after one lap of formation lap, the 31 lap Round 9 race kicked off at the 5.8 km Suzuka Circuit. Nojiri, who started 3rd, was passed by Miyata and dropped to 4th as he was blocked by Lawson, who got off to a slow start. In the early laps of the race, the top four cars were evenly spaced, but after 10 laps were completed when tires could be changed, Miyata went for the mandatory pit stop at the end of lap 12. The team made quick work to get him back on the course.

At the end of lap 13, Lawson came into the pits. He, too, made no mistake and returned to the course, but was locked in a fierce battle for position with Miyata, who was right behind him. However, Lawson was able to hold off Miyata on the inside at each corner to prevent Miyata from making a comeback. Meanwhile, the leader, Ohta, pits and successfully returns to the course still in the lead.

Nojiri stayed on the course without changing tires until the end, but his pace did not improve and he finally made the pit stop on the 23rd lap. On the out lap after the tire change, he allowed Nobuharu Matsushita (B-MAX RACING TEAM) to pass him, but on the 26th lap, Nojiri was able to regain the lead at the chicane, and moved back up to 4th position. However, he could not reach Miyata, who was running in front, and finished the race in 4th position.

The gap between Ohta and Lawson, who was defending the lead, remained close, but Ohta held on until the end to take his first win in the final round of his rookie year. As a result, Ohta won the 9th round, Lawson came in 2nd, and Miyata came in 3rd. With the result of Round 9, Miyata, in his fourth year in the series, was crowned the long-sought Driver’s
Champion.

“I think it’s been a really great, amazing year. It’s been a very tough season too,” said Lawson after finishing second in the drivers’ standings. “Nick Cassidy, who raced in Super Formula in the past I’m good friends with him, and I’ve heard the same thing from him, and he always told me. It takes time to see results.

“But, do your best! I thought it was a big challenge for me (participating in Super Formula), so I wanted to get as much help as possible from everyone and make it all my own.Season Looking back, I think it was a really good season. It’s a shame that we didn’t win the championship, but I think Miyata ran a great and stable race throughout the year.

“He was always on the podium. I am truly honored to have been able to compete with TEAM MUGEN for one year. I learned a lot in preparation for F1, and it had a big influence on me. The growth I was able to do with TEAM MUGEN in Super Formula also helped me in F1 as well. I think we connected. I’m very grateful,” summed up Lawson.

Here’s full standings and results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Super_Formula_Championship

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Lawson says Super Formula a big influence despite losing title ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Following his unfortunate shunt in FP2 of F1 Dutch GP, Ricciardo was taken to the medical center due to pain in his left hand. He was spotted leaving for hospital with a sling as AlphaTauri noted about him having troubles with his wrist.

After the hospital visit and x-rays done, AlphaTauri has confirmed a broken metacarpal on his left hand which has forced him out of this weekend’s Dutch GP. As a result, he will take no further part at Zandvoort with Red Bull reserve Lawson stepping in for him.

The Kiwi is present at Zandvoort fresh from his Super Formula weekend at Motegi. Lawson is currently second in the drivers’ championship, eight points behind Ritomo Miyata with the double-header finale to go at Suzuka in October.

He is in the running for the AlphaTauri F1 seat in 2024 and this will be his chance to prove his mettle. Lawson will be the second Kiwi racer in recent times to race in F1 after Brendon Hartley, who raced for Toro Rosso briefly in 2017 before a full season in 2018.

“After today’s incident during Free Practice 2 in Zandvoort, in which Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier at Turn 3, he was brought to the local hospital and further examinations were carried out,” a statement from AlphaTauri said.

‘An X-ray confirmed he sustained a break to a metacarpal on his left hand, and this injury will not allow him to continue his duties, so he will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of this weekend. The team wishes him all the best for the quickest possible recovery. Further updates will be released in due course.”

UPDATE: The FIA confirmed Lawson as Ricciardo’s replacement for the rest of the Dutch GP with the Kiwi using #40 as his race number which is the first time that is being used in F1. AlphaTauri, meanwhile, shared the video of Ricciardo making it back in the paddock with a bandaged hand.

Here’s the video: https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1695153588476027108?s=20

Here’s how Dutch GP FP1 panned out

Here’s how Dutch GP FP2 panned out

L'entrada Lawson to replace injured Ricciardo at F1 Dutch GP ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Shizuoka Prefecture Fuji Speedway on April 8th (Sat) blessed with fine weather from the morning. Following qualifying in the morning, the opening round of the All Japan Super Formula Championship finally took place in the afternoon. Accidents occurred frequently from the beginning, and this race turned out to be rough. A crash also occurred at the end, and the race ended with the safety car. Liam Lawson (TEAM MUGEN), who made his debut race, won the eventful race. Teammate Tomoki Nojiri (TEAM MUGEN), who started from PP, finished 2nd. Ryo Hirakawa (ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL), who has moved up from 7th place in qualifying, finished 3rd.

After an interval of more than four hours from 10:05 am when qualifying ended, the final formation lap started at 2:15 pm. Prior to this, during the start progress, an 8-minute warm-up run was conducted, and each driver confirmed the setup for the race. Since it was the first race in SF23, the machines on the dummy grid had different aerodynamic setups depending on the teams and drivers. In addition, there are some cars that have changed the setup of the suspension and adjusted the vehicle height until the last minute. And finally, it’s time to start.

After qualifying in the morning, sunny skies spread, and at the start of the formation lap, the air temperature rose to 18°C ​​and the track surface temperature to 29°C. A tailwind blows on the main straight, and 22 machines enter the platoon for one lap. And when all the cars arrived at the regular grid, the signal all red to black out. The start was made all at once toward the checkered flag 41 laps ahead. PP’s Nojiri took the holeshot here. Following this was Toshiki Oyu (TGM Grand Prix) who showed outstanding acceleration from 4th on the grid. Furthermore, it continues with Lawson. Front row start Ritomo Miyata (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) slowed down and dropped to 4th.

On the other hand, at this start, four machines stalled their engines. Sena Sakaguchi (P.MU/CERUMO･INGING) in 8th place in the qualifying lead, Yuji Kunimoto (Kids com Team KCMG), Kakunoshin Ota (DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING) and Raul Heyman who will make their debut race. (B-Max Racing Team) stopped on the grid, but was restarted by the officials. Also, an accident occurred even in the group that started safely. Yuhi Sekiguchi (ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL) locked up and lost control while braking for the first corner, and the machine drifted from the inside to the outside.

And Sekiguchi contacted Kenta Yamashita (KONDO RACING). With that momentum, Yamashita made contact with Kamui Kobayashi (Kids com Team KCMG), and Yamashita and Kamui ended the race here. Sekiguchi, who caused this accident, was given a drive-through penalty after 20 laps. At the first corner of the second lap, an even bigger accident occurred. While activating the overtaking system, Tadasuke Makino (DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING) was closing in on Sho Tsuboi (P.MU/CERUMO･INGING), unable to stop and crashed into Tsuboi from behind.

A safety car was immediately deployed here as debris from the machine was scattered across the course. Makino and Tsuboi went straight to the pit. Tsuboi retired here, but Makino returned to the course after replacing the front nose. However, after 17 laps, Makino was given a 5-second stop penalty. The orders at this point were Nojiri, Oyu, Lawson, Miyata, Naoki Yamamoto (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING), and Ren Sato (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING). Hirakawa, Sekiguchi, Giuliano Alesi (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S), and Kazuya Oshima (docomo business ROOKIE) followed.

After the debris was collected, the race was restarted after 7 laps. Immediately after this, the battle for position intensified in various places. At the first corner, the battle for 2nd place was heated. Lawson jumped into Oyu’s inn and seemed to be in front for a while, but Lawson overran slightly and Oyu regained his position. At the start of the 2nd corner, Oyu took a line a little outside from the middle and tried to defend against Lawson who was on the outside, but Oyu overran at the Coca-Cola corner.

As a result, Lawson slowed down, and Miyata took the lead. This is followed by Lawson, Yamamoto, and Oyu. However, Lawson lined up with Miyata from the outside at the hairpin ahead, and succeeded in getting ahead again by diving into the Dunlop corner. He regained the 2nd position, and this time he held onto it. On the next lap, on the main straight, Sato closed in on Oyu and succeeded in getting ahead. Furthermore, at the ninth lap corner, when Yamamoto lined up on the inside of Miyata, he succeeded in getting in front of Miyata by Coca-Cola.

The battle for the top ranks continued after this, and at the 1st corner of the 10th lap, Oyu regained the position from Sato. In addition, Hirakawa and Sekiguchi also had a fierce battle for 7th place among their teammates, and Sekiguchi was in front for a while.
Then, when the tire change window opened, the pits began to move. First, Oyu and Sato, who were battling for 5th place, made their pit stops at the end of the 10th lap. Oshima also entered the pit. In addition, Nirei Fukuzumi (ThreeBond Racing) and Kazuto Kodaka (KONDO RACING) also entered the pits at the end of the 12th lap.

At about the same time, there was some movement on the track, and at the 1st corner of the 14th lap, Hirakawa overtook Sekiguchi again and moved up to apparent 5th place. Although there was no change in the order after the tire change, Oyu and Sato once again battled, and on the 16th lap straight, Sato used an overtaking system and succeeded in getting ahead of Oyu. Around this time, the battle for the top spot was deadlocked. Nojiri and Lawson kept the gap between 1.4 and 1.7 seconds as they went on laps.

Of these two cars, after 21 laps, Lawson, aiming for an undercut, slipped into the pit first and changed tires. The crew sent Lawson out on the course in a quick 6 seconds. At this point, Sato was in the lead after changing tires, but Lawson was easily back on track in front of Sato. On the next lap, Nojiri made a quick pit stop. At the same time, Yamamoto, who was running 3rd, also slipped into the pit road. After changing tires, Nojiri returned to the track in front of Lawson and Yamamoto behind Lawson.

However, Lawson, whose tires had already warmed up, “gave up the courage” to capture Nojiri from the outside with a 100R. He has managed to come forward. With this, Lawson, who was virtually on top, maintained a high pace and gradually pulled away from Nojiri. Also, like Lawson, Sato captured Yamamoto on the out lap and succeeded in improving his position. However, Yamamoto caught Sato on the 27th lap and succeeded in reversing the lead.

Miyata is the top order in terms of appearance. Hirakawa, Alesi, Kunimoto, and Jem Brückbaschet (TGM Grand Prix) followed, followed by Lawson and Nojiri, who had finished changing tires, and Sekiguchi, who had completed his penalty. In this situation, Kunimoto was given a drive-through penalty after 23 laps due to a violation of the safety car at the restart. On the same lap, Brückbaschet also made a pit stop for a tire change. After 24 laps, Alesi also made a pit stop for a tire change. Miyata and Hirakawa were the only two cars in the top ranks that had not yet entered the pits.

It was on the 28th lap that the top two cars moved. Hirakawa gradually increased his pace and passed Miyata at the first corner. Hirakawa, who was open in front, showed a fierce push. Hirakawa made a pit stop after 31 laps. After changing tires, he returned to the course in front of Yamamoto. However, the brakes were lightly locked on the approach to the 1st corner. Here Yamamoto is allowed to take the lead. At the end of the next 32 laps, Miyata finally made his pit stop. Miyata also returned to the track in front of Yamamoto, but again the brakes locked on the approach to the first corner. Not only did he allow Yamamoto to take the lead, but Hirakawa also overtook him on the approach to the Dunlop corner.

After that, it was Hirakawa who took advantage of the grip of the new tires to move up the position. Hirakawa gradually cornered Yamamoto in front of him, and at the 1st corner of the 36th lap, he tried to overtake from the outside and moved up to 3rd place. At this point, Hirakawa wanted to aim even further ahead, as he was only 6 seconds ahead of Nojiri. However, right after Hirakawa succeeded in capturing Yamamoto, another big crash occurred at the same first corner. Alesi tried to overtake Nirei Fukuzumi (ThreeBond Racing) from the inside, but as soon as they lined up side by side, the two cars collided. Both cars spun, and Fukuzumi hit the guardrail on the outside, causing parts to scatter. Alesi also stopped on the inside lawn. The two cars finished the race here, and the safety car was introduced again on the course.

Officials quickly recovered the machine, but there was a large amount of gravel on the course, making it difficult to clear the track. In the end, the race remained under the safety car run, and the checkered flag was waved after 41 laps. In terms of time, it was just 75 minutes. As a result, Lawson, who took the lead after changing tires and showed a safe run, suddenly won his first victory in his debut race. In the second half, Nojiri, who had to save his tires, finished in 2nd place. Hirakawa, who showed his strength in the race from the qualifying position, won the 3rd place podium. Yamamoto, Miyata, Sato, Oyu, Brückbacher, Oshima, and Kodaka finished in the top 10 and earned points.

“I am very happy to win like this and I would like to thank TEAM MUGEN,” said Lawson. “Even though it wasn’t enough, the team was able to take a one-two, and I think this result is thanks to a great team. At the time of qualifying, I was focused on getting used to the Fuji track first, and the final.

“The race pace was very good during the race. Since the pace was good, I thought I should make a pit stop when I saw the timing.I entered at that timing, and as a result, I was able to undercut Nojiri. Last night, I was so tense that I could hardly sleep. All I could think about was ‘tomorrow will be an unknown world”, and I had a lot of anxiety.

“That said, I have no choice but to do my best. In such a way, this result can only be said to be thanks to the team. It’s a long season and I’m not optimistic that tomorrow will be a better day. Even so, I still want to do my best and do my best,” summed up Lawson.

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Lawson admits of jitters ahead of first Super Formula race after win ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

After Ferrari revealed their junior line-up on Tuesday, Red Bull confirmed theirs on Wednesday morning with 12 names in its F1 Junior Team for the 2023 season. Among them, five are new entrants where one of them has been promoted to full-time level.

From the ones continuing are Liam Lawson, Dennis Hauger, Jak Crawford, Ayumu Iwasa, Isack Hadjar, Souta Arao and Arvid Lindbald, while the new entrants are Enzo Fittipaldi, Sebastian Montoya, Zane Maloney, Enzo Deligny and Enzo Tarnvanichkul.

Among these, Montoya was part of the Red Bull athletes programme in 2022 and has been promoted to full-time Junior Team for 2023. With these confirmed names, the ones who have left are Jehan Daruvala, Juri Vips, Jonny Edgar, Noel Leon and Yuto Nomura.

11 of the 12 drivers will compete in Europe with Lawson racing in Super Formula Japan. Among the 11, six of them will race in F2 where Red Bull confirmed Fittipaldi and Maloney to be racing for Carlin and Crawford and Hadjar for HitechGP.

Montoya will be the sole F3 representative with Hitech GP, with Lindbald in Italian F4 with Prema while Deligny will be in Spanish F4 with Campos Racing. Arao is to race in GB3 with Hitech GP, while Tarnvanichkul will continue in karting.

Here’s the full list:

Liam Lawson (Team Mugen Honda) – Super Formula

Dennis Hauger (MP Motorsport), Ayumu Iwasa (DAMS), Enzo Fittipaldi & Zane Maloney (Carlin), Jak Crawford & Isack Hadjar (Hitech GP) – Formula 2

Sebastian Montoya (Hitech GP) – Formula 3

Arvid Lindbald (Prema) – Italian F4

Enzo Deligny (Campos Racing) – Spanish F4

Souta Aroa (Hitech GP) – GB3

Enzo Tarnvanichkul (Prema) – European/World Champion (Karting)

2023 F2 line-up so far:

MP Motorsport – Dennis Hauger

Prema – Oliver Bearman, Frederik Vesti

Campos Racing – Ralph Boschung, Kush Maini

DAMS – Arthur Leclerc, Ayumu Iwasa

Trident – Clement Novalak, Roman Stanek

PHM Racing by Charouz – Roy Nissany, Brad Benavides

Virtuosi Racing – Jack Doohan, Amaury Cordeel

Van Amersfoort Racing – Richard Verschoor, Juan Manuel Correa

Carlin – Enzo Fittipaldi, Zane Maloney

Hitch GP – Jak Crawford, Isack Hadjar

2023 F3 line-up so far:

Trident: Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Goethe, Leonardo Fornaroli

Prema: Paul Aron, Dino Beganovic, Zak O’Sullivan

ART Grand Prix: Gregoire Saucy, Kaylen Frederick, Nikola Tsolov

Hitech GP: Gabriele Mini, Sebastian Montoya

MP Motorsport: Jonny Edgar, Mari Boya, Franco Colapinto

Van Amersfoort Racing: Rafael Villagomez, Tommy Smith, Caio Collet

Carlin: Hunter Yeany, Oliver Gray

Campos Racing: Christian Mansell

Here’s Christian Horner on communication being key

Here’s Paul Monaghan on Max Verstappen being technically gifted

Here’s Paul Monaghan on 2022 being satisfying

Here’s Christian Horner on Red Bull becoming unpopular

Here’s Adrian Newey on impact of less windtunnel time

Here’s Christian Horner picking Max Verstappen’s best of 2022

L'entrada Red Bull completes its 2023 F1 junior line-up with 12 drivers ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

After the ‘Thanks Day’ of the last few seasons were stalled due to COVID-19, the mega event by Honda ran in its full glory culminating the 2022 season at Motegi on Sunday. It united all the different motor racing communities that the Japanese manufacturer are in.

The local events like Super Formula and Super GT were certainly on display, with the international stars coming in from F1, MotoGP, IndyCar and Motocross/Dakar. Despite the end in 2021, Honda still has solid links with Red Bull and AlphaTauri in F1.

All four drivers were present with world champion Max Verstappen along with Sergio Perez, Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda. The Frenchman had its last appearance with Honda as he moves away to Alpine, where he will drive the Renault-powered F1 cars.

All four F1 drivers were involved in a kart race and also showrun. The MotoGP side saw Marc Marquez representing the factory team, while Takaaki Nakagami was there for LCR. Both Pol Espargaro and Alex Marquez chose to skip the event.

Here’s the full stream:

https://twitter.com/HondaJP_Live/status/1596734467569131520?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/redbullracing/status/1596496285133152260?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/redbullracing/status/1596488417696940033?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1596121706548330496?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

off for some karting fun with the squad ✌️ @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/elpsh0qpWf

— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) November 27, 2022

https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1596501357552279553?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1596793667271786497?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/AlphaTauriF1/status/1596775839156215808?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

Couldn’t leave @Max33Verstappen out, could we? pic.twitter.com/WcdhtdSGSv

— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) November 27, 2022

Only Honda. pic.twitter.com/1I1nBKaND1

— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) November 27, 2022

In case you're in a part of the world where #HondaRacingThanksDay took place overnight, don't worry. You haven't missed out!

You can check out what went on here:https://t.co/nGwW5La7uD#Honda pic.twitter.com/pGImwZAvDP

— Honda Racing Global (@HondaRacingGLB) November 27, 2022

https://twitter.com/HondaRacingGLB/status/1596745768026615809?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/HondaRacingGLB/status/1596757627392135168?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/HondaRacingGLB/status/1596763507424628736?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/HRC_MotoGP/status/1596748339978334208?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

https://twitter.com/HRC_MotoGP/status/1596692306081431552?s=20&t=Q82WHi8clDCKCryWSF3xpQ

Here’s Christian Horner on handling Brazil badly

Here’s Christian Horner crediting Red Bull people for 2022 success

Here’s potential earning of Red Bull drivers

Here’s Daniel Ricciardo rejoining Red Bull

L'entrada Video: Honda hosts ‘Thanks Day’ at Motegi as all F1 drivers attend ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

With his decision to retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 season, Aston Martin’s Vettel indicated for the first time about his desire to undertake at least a one-off outing in future if given the chance when asked about racing in Suzuka, maybe in Super GT/Super Formula.

And he was affirmative about racing at Suzuka, more in a one-off chance whether it is Super GT, Super Formula and or even F1. But that is for that time to see as nothing is planned for the moment. He is open to the idea in all seriousness.

“I guess they’re racing in Suzuka as well, so I don’t know,” said Vettel. “Never say never. I mean, it is a great track for many, many reasons. And yeah, who knows what the future brings? I don’t know. Obviously I love driving and I think around this track I always felt very alive and the passion feels very alive.

“So yeah, we will see what type of car maybe in the future will come up. Maybe one of the guys, in the future, who races here will feel a bit sick, I don’t know. I don’t wish them to feel so, but I wouldn’t mind jumping back in for a race in Suzuka at any time. But yeah, obviously. We’ll see what the future brings. At the moment, I have no plans.

“But I think there are some exciting races happening in Japan and I don’t know, we’ll see. If anybody’s happy to sign up a driver for a single race. I’m sure those guys wouldn’t be happy to step aside but it would be something I would seriously consider,” summed up Vettel.

Here’s Sebastian Vettel on Singapore GP

L'entrada Vettel open to one-off grand prix return at Suzuka or in Japan ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will enter the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a strengthened management team and revised driver line-up. Team development at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is a continual process and the priority is on putting drivers first and creating a family environment. Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima will come together to accelerate this process and enhance the WEC project’s contribution to making ever-better cars.

Kamui will begin a new assignment as Team Principal of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in WEC, in parallel to his racing commitments. The two-time World Champion and 2021 Le Mans winner will bring a driver’s perspective to team leadership with a specific focus on enhancing team for the Hypercar era.

Kazuki will move to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe (TGR-E) in Cologne, Germany in the new position of Vice Chairman. He will enhance the organisation and optimise its driver-focused approach to WEC, alongside team and driver management responsibilities.

Kamui and Kazuki, who have been part of the Toyota motorsport family since competing with each other in Formula Toyota in 2003, will work together to ensure TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is prepared for a new WEC challenge, when multiple manufacturers enter the Hypercar class in 2023.

Behind the wheel, Kamui will join Mike Conway and José María López in the #7 GR010 HYBRID in 2022 for the defence of their World Championship and Le Mans crowns. Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley will again compete in the #8 GR010 HYBRID, with a new team-mate for 2022. Ryo Hirakawa, a rising star of Japanese racing who won the 2017 Super GT championship and has already tested the GR010 HYBRID, replaces Kazuki.

Completing the management team in WEC, which all take effect from 1 January, is Yuichiro Haruna, who takes the role of Project Director, operating in parallel to his similar role within TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team.

Kamui Kobayashi: “Thank you to President Akio Toyoda, GR President Sato and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for putting their trust in me. I will give everything to succeed in my new role, which is a big challenge and a great opportunity. I look forward to fighting for the World Championship as a driver and team principal. I will bring all my experience as a race driver to my new job, and I know I have a fantastic team who will support me in my mission. We are preparing for a new era of Hypercar competition in WEC, when many new manufacturers will join the fight, and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is evolving to prepare ourselves for this new challenge.

“This new team structure is an important step for us to stay sharp and be ready for the next battle. I am pleased that Kazuki can stay within our team and I am sure his driver’s perspective will strengthen the management team at TGR-E. I look forward to working alongside him to make ever-better cars. With Ryo, we welcome the next generation of endurance driver and, with the support of the team and his fellow drivers, I know he will be a big success in WEC.”

Kazuki Nakajima: “I am delighted continue my journey with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing alongside my colleagues in the WEC team, which feels like a family to me. It is a big responsibility and I am very grateful to President Akio Toyoda, GR President Sato and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for creating this position. I need to adapt to my new role within TGR-E but I already have a great relationship with many colleagues in Cologne, and I am looking forward to getting started.

“WEC is one of many exciting projects in which TGR-E is involved, all with the target of making ever-better cars. I will give all my strength to contribute to these projects, and strengthen TGR-E and the WEC project. After being a racing driver for nearly 20 years, I have experienced a lot in motorsport and it is exciting to bring this knowledge to my new task.”

Ryo Hirakawa: “I am thrilled to join the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing family in WEC, particularly to work alongside Sébastien and Brendon in the #8 car. I have already tested the GR010 HYBRID three times and I am becoming more and more familiar with the car. There is still plenty to learn and I am looking forward to the start of pre-season testing, so I can continue my development.

“The Le Mans 24 Hours has been a big goal for me in my career and I have already participated twice in LMP2. Now I can’t wait to race a Hypercar there and fight for victory. Thank you to everyone at Toyota and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for their trust and support. I am honoured to be given this opportunity to replace Kazuki san, who is a true legend in endurance racing.”

Toyota Super Formula line-up:

Toyota Super GT line-up:

Here’s Toyota line-up for WRC

[Note: The above is as per the press release from Toyota Motorsport]

L'entrada Kobayashi made Toyota WEC team principal; Hirakawa confirmed too ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Super Formula and WEC racer, Calderon, had her first taste of a IndyCar machine on Tuesday, when she tested the AJ Foyt Dallara-Chevrolet machine at Mid-Ohio. She had series veteran Sebastien Bourdais guiding through her runs too.

While her focus remains on Super Formula and WEC, the IndyCar test gave her a chance to drive a different machine and open up an avenue for future. She completed 87 laps in the #14 ROKiT-liveried car, as she returned to State side after her junior time in Road to Indy.

Having already driven the F1 car with Alfa Romeo, the test added IndyCar to her growing CV, as she impressed with her run. “Tatiana did an awesome job,” said JR Hildebrand. “Her approach was that of a pro, making gains every lap and never being overwhelmed. Enjoyed helping you find your way around.”

Here’s host of photos and videos of the run:

https://twitter.com/AJFoytRacing/status/1412530070443409410?s=20

Peekaboo! We can still see you @TataCalde @IndyCar @AJFoytRacing @ROKiTRIDE pic.twitter.com/KyzMXC3PZT

— ROKiT (@rokit) July 6, 2021

A little installation lap complete… @TataCalde @AJFoytRacing @IndyCar @F1 #womeninsport @WSeriesRacing pic.twitter.com/NGtvA6q9ql

— ROKiT (@rokit) July 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/diegofmejia/status/1412588174501629952?s=20

So proud of @TataCalde today doing her @IndyCar test. #WeAreROKiT #family pic.twitter.com/X9xVp4pPTz

— ROKiT (@rokit) July 6, 2021

L'entrada Photo/Video: Calderon completes IndyCar test with AJ Foyt at Mid-Ohio ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

As was looking more likely to happen, WEC has confirmed the cancellation of 1000 Miles of Sebring and replaced it with 8 Hours of Portimao, to open the 2021 season. The COVID-19 restrictions continues to play a spoilsport, with the series not wanting to take any chances.

The Sebring event was to take place on March 19 but the first race will now be held in Algarve on April 2-4, with a Prologue at the same venue on March 30-31. The rest of the WEC calendar remains the same for now with Spa next on May 1.

The intention is to keep the rest of the calendar as announced earlier on. The entry list for 2021 WEC season was revealed on Thursday with 33 teams in four classes, where the new Hypercar category gathering only five entries and three different teams.

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO, said: “Unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause issues worldwide and the decision to cancel Sebring and replace it with a race in Portimao was made following consultation with the FIA, IMSA and management at Sebring.

“We are saddened not to see our American friends and can’t wait for the day when we can return to the USA to race alongside IMSA for Super Sebring. We remain focused on continuing to build our long-term relationship with both IMSA and the Sebring International Raceway and the intention will be to return to Sebring in the future.”

At the same time, Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, stated: “While calendar changes are certainly not ideal, going into 2021 we all understood that they can occur at some point over the course of the season. For many reasons 2021 is an important year for endurance racing and the priority is to safeguard not only this season but also the longer-term future of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the best interest of all parties involved in mind. I’m looking forward to April’s curtain-raiser and beyond, and I hope 2021 will be a good year for the sport.”

And finally, Frederic Lequien, CEO of WEC, added: “Over the past few months we have seen that the pandemic is extremely unpredictable and after several discussions with key parties, the decision was made for the beginning of the season to remain in Europe where most of our teams are based.

“The consequences of a last-minute cancellation would have economic implications for the entire WEC family, so we took a responsible decision. Portimao has provided some extremely close racing in ELMS and has excellent facilities, we are very much looking forward to getting our new season underway with an 8 hour race there in April.”

Here’s the full WEC entry list

Here’s the provisional 2021 WEC calendar

Toyota’s Super Formula line-up:

In other news, Toyota revealed their 2021 Super Formula line-up with few changes. After Nick Cassidy decided to compete in Formula E for Envision Virgin, the Japanese manufacturer has replaced the Kiwi with Ritomo Miyata at Team Tom’s’.

Miyata filled in for Kazuki Nakajima in 2020 but will drive full-time in 2021 alongside his fellow Japanese driver. The manufacturer’s lone international driver will be Sacha Fenestraz, who keeps his Kondo Racing drive, alongside Kenta Yamashita.

The rest of the line-up is same as 2020 with KCMG fielding Kamui Kobayashi & Yuju Kunimoto, Impul having Yuhi Sekiguchi & Ryo Hirakawa, Inging featuring Sho Tsuboi & Hiroaki Ishiura and Rookie Racing having Kazuya Oshima.

Here’s Honda’s Super Formula line-up

HWA Racelab’s F2 line-up:

HWA Racelab became the third F2 team to confirm its full line-up for 2021 season with the signing of Matteo Nannini and Alessio Deledda, where the former is to dovetail his rookie year with F3, with the same outfit – he becomes the first to do so.

The step from few drivers was expected with different calendar for F2 and F3, which Nannini is fully utilising. “I am really looking forward to such a busy season,” he said. “45 races in 2021 are going to be demanding, but I feel ready and determined to grow as a driver, having the opportunity to race in both FIA F2 and F3.

“It will be my first year in Formula 2. I know it will not be easy, but I am willing to learn as much as possible. I am confident heading into my second season in Formula 3 and I am sure that HWA will provide me with a competitive package to do well.

“I truly believe in HWA’s F1 Talent Factory programme and I am excited, as my double commitment in 2021 will be key to bring me one step closer to Formula 1.” At the same time, teammate Deledda – who steps up to F2 after spending two years in F3 with Campos – adds: “FIA Formula 2 is a new experience that I have been waiting for years.

“I am excited to be participating in such a competitive championship and testing my skills. I am sure that, together with a team rich in experience like HWA, we will be able to grow together on this journey that awaits us.”

The duo replace Artem Markelov and Giuliano Alesi/Jake Hughes/Theo Pourchaire in the F2 line-up of HWA Racelab, whose team principal Thomas Strick, noted: “We have found a good mix for our team, with a young and very talented driver, together with a slightly older but equally ambitious driver.

“We have taken a conscious decision to field Matteo in both series. The advantage for the young driver is that he can be introduced more quickly to the high performance of a Formula 1 car, as the Formula 2 car comes far closer to matching this performance.”

2021 F2 line-up so far:

Prema: Robert Shwartzman, Oscar Piastri

Hitech GP: Juri Vips, Liam Lawson

HWA Racelab: Matteo Nannini, Alessio Deledda

UNI-Virtuosi Racing: Felipe Drugovich

Carlin: Jehan Daruvala

MP Motorsport: Lirim Zendeli

Campos Racing: Ralph Boschung

L'entrada WEC shifts opener to Algarve; Toyota’s SF line-up; HWA confirm F2 drivers ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

As expected, Renault junior Zhou has been announced to compete in 2021 F3 Asia championship with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema for full season, alongside shared drives for David Vidales & Dino Begnovic and Khaled & Amna Al Quabiasi.

Zhou returns to Prema in a bid to secure superlicense points, having raced with the Italian outfit in F4 and also European F3. Interestingly, the Chinese racer is the sole to have a full season drive, while the remaining will be sharing one car each.

With Zhou in, he joins fellow F2 racer Jehan Daruvala, who was confirmed to drive for Mumbai Falcons – where the Indian outfit will also be helped by Prema’s mechanics. Here’s the 2021 grid plus calendar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_F3_Asian_Championship.

In other junior news, HPD joined Honda Motor Ltd to tie-up with Formula Regional Americas, where the winner of the 2021 season will get a drive in Japan’s Super Formula series, while they will also be connected with a team in IndyCar championship.

The scholarship programme is a step from Honda to identify talents, who can not only be helped to race in Super Formula but also in IndyCar. Even though Alex Palou had no official ties but his performances in Japan, led the manufacturer to move him to America.

“What an amazing scholarship,” said Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Palou. “I’m sure it’s going to be the strongest and most successful scholarship, and it’s much needed for so many drivers nowadays. The racing level in the Super Formula series is really high and demanding for a driver. You can then use all that experience in INDYCAR.

“I’ve been lucky enough to get to experience the highest level of racing in Japan and now in the US, and I can’t thank enough Honda, Dale Coyne and Team Goh for the amazing opportunity of becoming an INDYCAR driver, now with Chip Ganassi at the highest level. I’m now facing the best moment of my career driving for the most successful team in the championship. I can’t wait to share track with the next Honda Scholarship Champion!”

HPD Commercial Motorsports Manager John Whiteman, added: “I am very pleased with this new program as it is a collaboration between HPD and Honda Motor for a true global driver development program. “This past year, Alex Palou demonstrated that Super Formula can fully prepare a driver for INDYCAR racing success.

“Progressing from Formula Regional Americas to Super Formula can be a clear, fully Honda-powered path to INDYCAR. The Formula Regionals America champion earns 18 FIA Super License points, and the Super Formula champion earns 25. Winning both titles will prepare a driver to compete in INDYCAR and earn enough Super License points to exceed the 40 required for Formula One.”

Here’s a Q&A from HPD to explain the deal:

Who is eligible for the champion scholarship prize?

Any driver who signs up for the championship and earns the most points during the 2021 FR Americas Champions series Powered by Honda so long as the FIA minimum number of races and competitors are achieved.

What is the value of the scholarship?

The scholarship is valued at up to $600,000.  Because the champion prize is supported by HPD (in USD) and Honda Motor (in JPY) the value may vary based on exchange rates but will not exceed $600,000. 

Does the prize cover all costs associated with racing the Super Formula Series?

The prize covers a substantial portion of the cost to run a full Super Formula season.  Budgets vary among Super Formula teams and the champion award winner will be responsible to cover any gap between the prize and the total cost to run a season.

Does the prize include an engine supply for Super Formula?

Yes, the champion prize winner will race with a Honda powered team and the engine supply will be provided by Honda Motor in Japan.

Does the prize include travel, room, and board in Japan?

The champion will receive guidance from Honda Motor and will be given the opportunity to participate in Honda sponsored events such as tours of the Honda Museum at Motegi, Aoyama HQ and Honda Thanks Day!  The champion prize winner will be responsible for travel, living and immigration logistics.

Will the champion prize winner be responsible for selecting a Super Formula team?

Honda Motor will select a Honda powered team for the champion prize winner to compete for in 2022.

Will HPD or Honda connect the champion prize winner to INDYCAR teams?

Yes, HPD will connect the champion prize winner to the Honda powered INDYCAR teams through a first right of refusal contract with the champion prize winner.  If schedule allows, HPD will host the champion prize winner at an important INDYCAR race in 2022.  Based on readiness, logistics and preparedness, HPD will make efforts to facilitate an INDYCAR test in 2022 for the champion prize winner.

Where can I find out more about Super Formula?

The Super Formula website provides current series information. Super Formula origins stretch back to 1973.  Drivers who have competed in Super Formula include Takuma Sato, Pierre Gasly, Pietro Fittipaldi, Patricio O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Stoffel Vandoorne, Tatiana Calderon and Alex Palou. 

How competitive are Honda powered cars in Super Formula?

The series is very competitive however Honda has powered two of the past three champions in Super Formula (2018, 2020).  

Do I need to learn how to speak Japanese?

Knowledge of the Japanese language is not required. It is recommended to do some self-guided research on Japanese culture and effective communication strategies to make a smooth transition.

Moving on to F1 ESports news, Ferrari announced a surprise move of Brendon Leigh joining the Italian manufacturer alongside David Tonizza, as the Englishman moves on from Mercedes after spending couple of seasons post his title success.

Ferrari wishes to use his experience in the F1 ESports arena to boost its chances. “My excitement in joining the FDA Esports F1 team is off the scale,” said Leigh. “I’ve only just signed, but it’s already clear to me that their passion and commitment to winning mirrors my own. I get a sense of the unity within the team which makes it one big race-winning family. I can’t wait to get to work with the team and sport the red Ferrari colours.”

Here’s news on F1 to be staging Virtual GP in January

Here’s news on Jehan Daruvala doing F3 Asia

L'entrada Zhou to race in F3 Asia; Honda joins FR Americas with SF, IndyCar prize ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Toyota has become the first manufacturer to reveal the all-new GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar, which will kick-start the new journey of the LMP1 category in WEC from 2021 season. It features powertrain technology developed in the TS050 HYBRID.

The GR010 HYBRID Toyota Le Mans Hypercar is a prototype race car developed over the last 18 months in partnership by engineers at the team’s headquarters in Cologne and the electric hybrid powertrain experts at Higashi-Fuji in Japan.

The technical details of it as per the release goes: “The GR010 HYBRID incorporates a powerful four-wheel drive racing hybrid powertrain, with a 3.5litre V6 twin turbo engine, providing 680PS to the rear wheels and combining with a 272PS motor generator unit, developed by AISIN AW and DENSO, on the front axle.

“Total output is capped at 500kW (680PS), meaning the GR010 HYBRID’s sophisticated electronics reduce engine power according to the amount of hybrid boost deployed. As part of a cost-cutting initiative incorporated in the regulations, the new GR010 HYBRID is 162kg heavier and with 32% less power than its TS050 HYBRID predecessor, with Le Mans lap times expected to be around 10secs slower.

“It also has bigger dimensions; it is 250mm longer, 100mm wider and 100mm higher. For the first time since the beginning of its WEC project, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will participate without a rear motor generator unit (MGU), with the single permitted MGU located on the front axle. This means a starter motor must be fitted on the GR010 HYBRID while fully hydraulic rear brakes are also required.

“The GR010 HYBRID features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, optimised for efficiency, and developed using powerful Computational Fluid Dynamics software and wind tunnel testing. The new technical regulations permit only a single homologated bodywork package, with only one adjustable aerodynamic device. The GR010 HYBRID will therefore compete in the same specification at both low and high downforce circuits, with an adjustable rear wing modifying the aerodynamic characteristics.”

Toyota has completed two three-day test as it adapts to the new WEC LMP1 regulations but both Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi haven’t got the chance to drive it, while teammates Brendon Hartley, Jose Mario Lopez, Sebastien Buemi and Mike Conway have done so. They were to test at Aragon this week but snow has forced it to be cancelled.

“The new regulations are designed to showcase road-relevant technology in WEC whilst also delivering a top-level, attractive spectacle,” said Technical Director, Pascal Vasselon. “We are looking forward to welcoming new competitors and being part of an exciting future for endurance racing with our GR010 HYBRID. The new Le Mans Hypercar regulations mean the GR010 HYBRID is a completely new car, designed to a different philosophy.

“A major difference is the architecture of the hybrid system; we will have one kinetic energy recovery system and brake-by-wire, on the front axle. This means we had to install a starter motor and fully hydraulic rear brakes for the first time in our WEC project. Following the regulations, our car will have one bodywork specification to handle all circuits, so we needed to provide a wider working window for this car.

“These are just examples; there have been many such differences and challenges to address during development, so it has been an interesting engineering challenge. Now we are all looking forward to continuing our testing programme and finally seeing our new car compete; I think it will be worth the wait.”

https://twitter.com/TGR_WEC/status/1350022093912629249?s=20

https://twitter.com/FIAWEC/status/1349855237373358080?s=20

Along with its hypercar, Toyota also unveiled its 2021 Yaris WRC in a slightly tweaked colours, similar to its WEC counterpart. There is not a huge change from 2020 as they await the technical change in 2022 but tyre wise, Pirelli takes over as the single supplier from Michelin. The crew of Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans and Kalle Rovanpera are all set to kick-start the new season with Rallye Monte Carlo.

https://twitter.com/TGR_WRC/status/1349854135743557633?s=20

Staying on WRC news, Toyota’s rivals Hyundai revealed their 2021 i20 Coupe too, as they stick with their traditional corporate colours. Like the Yaris, it doesn’t see much changes apart from the Pirelli tyres, with Ott Tanak, Thierry Neuville and Craig Breen to pilot the car. There is a change in co-driver for the Belgian driver, though, after he announced a shock parting with Nicolas Gilsoul in favour of Martin Wydaeghe.

https://twitter.com/HMSGOfficial/status/1350080904962650112?s=20

Gilsoul was taken by surprise indeed:

That’s his choice. We lived together wonderful adventures. We will live some more again, unfortunately everyone from our side. https://t.co/x0Y5Yxv4gl

— Nicolas Gilsoul (@nicolasgilsoul) January 15, 2021

Honda’s Super Formula, Super GT line-up for 2021:

Amid the WRC and WEC news, Honda revealed its line-up for 2021, especially on the side of Super Formula and Super GT. The former had some changes from 2020, with drivers shuffled from one team to another to throw a new challenge.

Starting with Naoki Yamamoto, he has switched from Dandelion Racing to Nakajima Racing in a direct replacement with Tadasuke Makino. The former will now partner Toshiki Oyu, while the latter will team-up with Nirei Fukuzumi.

Among others, only Team Mugen and Threebond Drago Corse have their drivers announced, with the former keeping Tomoki Nojiri and the latter retaining Tatiana Calderon. Teammate for Nojiri will is a TBA as of now along with the two cars of B-Max Racing.

Here’s the 2021 Super Formula line-up:

Here’s the 2021 Super GT line-up – GT500 class:

GT300 class:

Here’s last news from WEC and WRC

L'entrada WEC/WRC: Toyota shows hypercar, Yaris; Hyundai its i20 Coupe ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Markelov is unsure if he will race full-time in 2021 after two troubled years in 2019 and 2020 in two different championships. Having switched from F2 to Super Formula in 2019 with Team Le Mans, the Russian returned full-time to the former last year with HWA.

After his supreme success in 2018 in F2 where he finished fifth in the standings, it looked good for Markelov in 2019 when he decided to switch to Super Formula. But it took him a while to get going and after five race weekends, he decided to pull out from the series.

He made a return to F2 with BWT Arden to drive the late Anthoine Hubert’s car. He then stuck with the team in 2020, which was taken over by BWT HWA Racelab. Having looked promising in pre-season testing, it all went downhill when the year started.

Both Markelov and Giuliano Alesi struggled for results, where the Frenchman left the team and was replaced by Jake Hughes and Theo Pourchaire. For the Russian, though, he ended up 18th in the F2 drivers’ standings with just the five points.

With two troubled years, it looks unlikely for Markelov to compete in not just F2 but anywhere at this juncture in 2021. “I plan to finish motorsport and finish my racing career,” he said when asked about his plans for 2021 by F1news.ru.

“So far, the plans are such, but in a year we’ll see. I have a one-year break. Maybe you will see if I am offered to replace someone, but I am not ready to spend a full season. After two years of failure, I am not ready to spend another season.

“If there was a place in a good team, I would love to, but the offers were not very impressive or very expensive, for which we, in principle, were not ready,” noted Markelov, who had one pleasant moment in 2020 as he became a father, to son, Max.

While Alesi left the team towards the end, Markelov said he thought about it too, but decided against leaving HWA, who supported him well despite the challenges. “There were several moments when I said that I could no longer,” he said.

“Before the start of the season, there was a hope that this year we will be able to “shoot”, but everything did not go according to plan. It would be unprofessional for me not to finish what I started. Leaving the team in trouble was wrong.

“Although I ruined my image this season. I think everyone already remembers and knows what I am capable of. And I felt that we were working harmoniously, trying to give our best. But we were constantly missing something.

“I still can’t figure out what exactly we were missing. In the middle of the season, there was a serious scandal as the team was unhappy with their results. However, we tried to support each other and focus on the result,” summed up Markelov.

Elaborating more about the issues, Markelov, felt HWA lost out in the direction they took when they brought in people from DTM and Formula E side, as the lack of experience was starting to show up. “I believe that we were moving in a direction that was wrong.

“At the same time, I do not want to say anything bad about the team. All very friendly and smart guys who are very tired. In addition, what happened to the team in 2019, also made itself felt this season. At the beginning of the year, we conducted pre-season tests, showed time in the top five – everything went well, and we were ready to fight.

“Then the first race was terrible, the second race even worse. We started thinking about what to do, and the team decided to add new people – it was a mistake. Instead of adding new people, it was necessary to concentrate on the work we were doing.

“There was no point in inviting employees who had not worked in F2 before, and we got new employees from the DTM and Formula E. They were all competent specialists, but when you have to work with a completely new machine from a different series, you cannot be completely sure in which direction you need to move. They lacked experience in F2,” summed up Markelov.

With the Russian more or less confirming that he won’t compete in F2 in 2021, he joins the likes of Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin, Callum Ilott and Yuki Tsunoda, who won’t be on the grid either. Among others who are likely to not be there are the likes of Jack Aitken, Sean Gelael, Louis Deletraz, Pedro Piquet and Luca Ghiotto.

Here’s the original story: https://www.f1news.ru/interview/markelov/149698.shtml

Here’s F2 review video showing Sean Gelael’s accident

Here’s details of F2 and F3 pre-season testing

L'entrada Markelov has no racing plans for 2021 as yet, talks 2020 F2 troubles ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

It was indeed a mixed run for the six Renault Sport Academy drivers in 2020, where only one saw major success in the form of a title win in FIA Formula 3 Championship. It was rookie Oscar Piastri – also mentored by Mark Webber – who won it in the last round.

The second best driver of the academy was Caio Collet, who finished second in the Formula Renault Eurocup – ironically losing out to former academy driver, Victor Martins. It was the Brazilian’s second year in the championship as his aim was to win the title.

The two FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers were next with Guanyu Zhou ending up sixth (in his second season) and Christian Lundgaard seventh (in his rookie year). Behind them was Hadrien David finishing 10th in Formula Renault Eurocup in his rookie season.

In last was Max Fewtrell, who pulled out of from racing in F3 with three rounds remaining, after a troubled year. Reflecting on the overall performances, Renault Sport Academy’s Mia Sharizman, wasn’t too pleased as he felt collectively, it could have been better.

In fact, Renault came under pressure after the signing of Fernando Alonso as a replacement of Daniel Ricciardo, where many thought the academy is not doing justice for the young drivers, especially for the likes of Zhou and Lundgaard in F2.

“Oscar winning FIA F3 was an unbelievable achievement and we are very proud of that,” started Sharizman. “We hoped for more from Zhou and Christian in F2 and we are somewhat disappointed with the outcome of finishing sixth and seventh in the championship despite some strong performances resulting in wins and podiums.

“Unfortunately, Zhou’s year was blighted with technical issues and bad luck, which robbed him of more wins and podiums. It is something that we will assess and evaluate in the winter to come back stronger than ever. Christian, who finished seventh in his rookie season, was exceptional in some of the races this year where he totally dominated.

“He had one pole position, two wins and four podiums, which speaks well of his raw talent and ability. Nevertheless, as with every young driver in a rookie season, consistency has been Christian’s main issue, which is something we will together address for the future. We see so much potential in Zhou and Christian that we firmly believe that they can excel in this championship in the future.

“As for Caio and Hadrien, they fell short of their target of winning their respective titles, but as the season evolved, we can see Caio’s potential and development, which is in line with our projection. He was up against much more experienced drivers in the championship and to take the fight into the last race weekend, shows that he has developed well within our structure and is ready to move up to the next level.

“We know all the drivers can do better and they are aware that they will have to be better next year to progress further within the Academy. I know they will. Outside their driving, I was happy to see that we were able to execute the F1 Test Programme for our Academy Drivers perfectly, considering there were so many limitations and restrictions in staging them due to the pandemic.

“Zhou and Christian have benefitted this year immensely in their on-going F1 preparation. This year they have been joined by Oscar who had his first experience with F1 machinery. It was a reward for winning the FIA F3 Championship and it was richly deserved. He performed well and I am confident there will be more opportunities for Oscar in the future,” summed up an honest Sharizman.

Here’s how the final day of F2 testing went with Renault juniors involved

Noaki Yamamoto crowned 2020 Super Formula champion:

The COVID-19-affected Super Formula championship ended with Yamamoto regaining the title from Nick Cassidy in the final round at Fuji Speedway. It is the Japanese driver’s third title win after taking it in 2013 and 2018, but first with Dandelion Racing.

After winning it with Team Mugen in the previous two occasions, Yamamoto switched to Dandelion in 2019, where he finished second to Cassidy. He stuck with the team in 2020, as Team Impul’s Ryo Hirakawa became his closest championship rival.

Taking into the new format of five best results from 2020 due to COVID-19, Yamamoto needed to finish fifth in the final race at Fuji, which he did so by managing to keep Hirakawa at bay, as the experienced campaigner took the title by two points.

Both had a similar run of events in all of 2020 where they suffered a retirement each, whereas Yamamoto had one 13th place finish and Hirakawa had one P12. Additionally, both had one win and one second place but the former had an additional third place finish.

It was another double for Honda’s Yamamoto after he already secured the 2020 Super GT title alongside Tadasuke Makino with Team Kunimitsu. It was a repeat of 2018 when he won both the titles as well – although he shared the GT title with Jenson Button that year.

L'entrada Renault academy not happy with 2020 results; Yamamoto wins SF title ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having made his Formula E debut in 2019/20 season with Dragon replacing Brendon Hartley, Camara was poised for a full-time seat in 2020/21 already, which has been formally confirmed by the American outfit, run by Penske Autosport.

Since his Formula E run, Camara was named as a F1 reserve to Red Bull and AlphaTauri, while he also made his Super Formula debut amid COVID-19 delays. The Brazilian has been testing with Dragon Penske in the lead-up to the announcement.

While his teammate is yet to be confirmed by Nico Mueller is likely to continue on with the team after making his Formula E debut last year. “I learned a lot about optimising the Formula E car and working within the race format, as it is very different from the other machinery in which I have raced,” said Camara.

“I spent a lot of time working with the engineering team learning how to deploy our energy in the most efficient way to achieve the best result weekend. There was a steep curve for me, and I am excited to apply my learnings, and the work we have done in the off-season to my first full season with the team.

“My target is to bring the best result possible after each race, to have a steep learning curve in the series, and to enjoy my time with the DRAGON / PENSKE AUTOSPORT crew! It is my goal to grow with the team and continue with the positive momentum we started together in Berlin, to consistently compete for points this season,” summed up Camara.

Team principal, Jay Penske, said: “Sergio Sette Camara gave everyone a preview of what is to come in his first six races with the Team in Berlin. I have been pleased with Sergio’s pace and the rate at which he adapted to the rigors of electric racing.

“With the PENSKE EV-5 package and advancements we are making across the board, I expect him to convert the potential he showed in Berlin into consistent points finishes in his first full season with DRAGON / PENSKE AUTOSPORT.”

The announcement also comes a week from the official Formula E testing at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The three-day test will be held on November 28-29 and December 1, with the exception of November 30 from the schedule.

The first two days’ running will be broken into a morning session between 09:00 and 12:00, with an afternoon session taking place between 14:00 and 17:00. Session 5 on December 1 will run between 09:00 and 15:00 – all local times.

2020/21 Formula E line-up so far:

Jagaur – Sam Bird, Mitch Evans

Audi – Lucas di Grassi, Rene Rast

Venturi – Edoardo Mortara, Norman Nato

Nissan e.dams – Sebastien Buemi, Oliver Rowland

Porsche – Andre Lotterer, Pascal Wehrlein

Virgin Racing – Robin Frijns, Nick Cassidy

Mercedes – Stoffel Vandoorne, Nyck de Vries

DS Techeetah – Jean-Eric Vergne

Mahindra Racing – Alexander Sims

BMW i Andretti – Maximilian Gunther, Jake Dennis

NIO 333 – Oliver Turvey

Dragon Penske Autosport – Sergio Sette Camara

Here’s last news on Formula E line-up

L'entrada Red Bull/AlphaTauri reserve gets full-time Formula E seat with Dragon ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Alpine joining LMP1:

After Renault confirmed a change to Alpine from 2021 F1 season onward, the French manufacturer is now stepping up in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) – and the Le Mans 2 Hours – as well, to compete in the LMP1 category.

They are not new to endurance racing as with Signatech and Oreca, Alpine has raced in European Le Mans, WEC and even Le Mans 24 Hours already, with good success. The new manufacturer outfit will be known as ‘Alpine Endurance Team’.

The new Alpine LMP1 prototype based on an Oreca chassis and Gibson engine, with technical expertise from Signatech. The whole squad, team colour and testing programme will be detailed later on as they will also look to find synergies between WEC and F1 tech.

Patrick Marinoff, Alpine Managing Director, said: “Motorsport is inseparable from the Alpine brand, whose passion for competition and sportsmanship is its DNA. The return to endurance in 2013 marked the beginning of a long-term adventure.

“After eight successful years against some of the best teams in the world, it is time to take a new step by challenging the constructors in the premier category as we will also do in F1. The latest changes to the 2021 regulations allow Alpine to demonstrate its technical know-how and racing experience in a competitive and fair field thanks to a fairly moderated investment ensured with various cost controls measures.

“Together, we intend to take the fight to well-established competition and to write new pages in the history of this great brand born out of competition that is Alpine and to put the French colours at the highest levels of motorsport.”

At the same time, Philippe Sinault, Signatech Director, added: “Alpine ’s history is full of challenges. Few believed in us back in 2013, but we proved ourselves step by step, demonstrating that we were capable of excelling at the highest level. Today, this new challenge is in the same vein thanks to the opening of a unique window of opportunity.

“We will be the newcomers in the premier category and we intend to make life difficult for our rivals. Alpine ‘s confidence in this project is an immense source of pride for our teams and partners who joined this adventure in its early days.

“We approach this programme with the desire to perform well while having the means to work in an extremely qualitative manner in the context of the 2021 season. It’s an exciting and incredibly motivating sporting challenge and we want to be up to it so that Alpine can have an even larger presence in the history of French and world motorsport.”

Here’s new Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso getting the A110S:

Guess who has already taken delivery of his Alpine A110S?@alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/wv7a1uJ0et

— Alpine Cars (@AlpineCarsUK) September 11, 2020

Mahindra hires Mercedes F1 personnel:

After the announcement of hiring Alexander Sims as their first Formula E driver for 2020-21 season, Mahindra Racing revealed Josef Holden as its Performance Director, who will lead the team that maintains the race cars and delivers trackside performance.

Holden comes from Mercedes, where he worked at the AMG High Performance side as Strategy and Power Unit Tools Group leader. He also worked with Marussia F1 team. Toni Cuquerella will move from his role as Chief Engineer to Senior Consultant.

Mahindra team principal Dilbagh Gill said: “We are delighted to have Josef joining the team as Performance Director. His experience will prove invaluable as we look forward to building on the many positives of last season and taking the team back to where it belongs; to the front of the grid.

“We are also excited about Toni’s new role. His contribution and leadership to date at Mahindra Racing has been immense and we’re eagerly awaiting the moment when we can talk about some of the programmes he’ll be working on.”

At the same time, Holden added: “Throughout my career I have striven to pursue innovative ways to exploit data and engineering principles to push power unit performance boundaries with the ultimate goal: to win. The next chapter for me is to continue this pursuit with Mahindra Racing.

“Technology is forever marching forward and I strongly believe that Formula E leads the charge for the future of pioneering, high-performance motorsport. I look forward to working with the team and building upon the legacy that Mahindra Racing has already forged within Formula E.”

Mahindra has already started testing with its M7Electro with Sims and more running in Italy and United Kingdom is in the pipeline. By having a Performance and Technical Director, the Indian outfit is now housing everything under the one team, instead of outsourcing.

Juri Vips to continue with DAMS:

Having joined DAMS for Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and Mugello, Red Bull junior Vips will continue racing with the French F2 outfit at Sochi as well in place of injured Sean Gelael. The Estonian impressed with a maiden podium in only his sixth event.

With Vips racing in F2 again, it means, he will miss the Super Formula’s Round 2 at Okayama, which falls on the same weekend. As of now, he is safe still for the championship as the the rule change helps drivers to miss two events from seven as points from only five will be counted towards the drivers’ standings.

It remains to be seen if Vips also does the two Bahrain rounds of F2, where the final weekend clashes with Super Formula’s double-header penultimate round. The chances is that the Estonian will race in Japan as that is his priority.

“I’m really happy with the points that the team scored this weekend,” said Vips. “It wasn’t quite perfect, I didn’t fully maximise the car’s potential as there was the possibility of a podium in the Feature Race and I think we could have won today had I made a better start.

“But I’m very thankful to DAMS for this opportunity and glad to repay them with this result. We sorted some of the elementary issues that were present in Spa and Monza while I was still acclimatising, and I was immediately fast in free practice and qualifying, just 0.350 seconds from pole position.

“The pace was there and the car was good, and I’m now really focused on just putting a full weekend together. It’s a great pleasure to be continuing in the car for Sochi and I’m hopeful that we can fight for the win.”

Here’s news on Alpine in F1

L'entrada Alpine joins LMP1; Mahindra hires ex-Mercedes F1; Vips stays with DAMS ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

With Gelael out of out action for about six weeks after breaking his D4 vertebra during the Spanish feature F2 race when landing hard after a moment over the kerbs, the Indonesian will be replaced by Red Bull junior Vips for three rounds.

The Estonian will have his F2 debut at Spa-Franchorchamps and then race in Monza and Mugello as well alongside former Red Bull junior Daniel Ticktum. “I’m very thankful and happy for the opportunity that DAMS has given me,” said Vips.

“I know it’s going to be really difficult to just jump in with more than half the F2 season already completed, but I will do everything I can to give the team as strong as a result as they deserve. I’m also looking forward to working alongside Dan, who I’m sure will help me get up to speed, and we will aim to get good points for the team.”

Gregory and Olivier Driot, Team Owners, added: “It’s always difficult for a team to have to change a driver during the season, especially in the way it’s happened. Sean is very well integrated and close to every member of DAMS, so this hits us hard.

“Nevertheless, we have to push on and ensure Dan has a good team-mate for the upcoming races. We have the pleasure to bring on board Juri Vips, who’s a very talented driver and has showed his pace in junior categories.

“It will be difficult to get started because he’s never driven in F2, so Spa is going to be more of a test than a proper race weekend. He will have good support from the team, the engineers and Dan as well, so we hope for a strong start to the second half of the season.”

And finally, Gelael added: “Obviously, I’m pretty gutted that I am sidelined for the coming races. I hope that Juri looks after my baby and I wish him and the team all the best as they head into the second half of the season.”

Having finished fourth in F3 last year with Hitech GP, Vips was pushed to race in Super Formula with Team Mugen as Red Bull had Yuki Tsunoda and Jehan Daruvala competing in F2 with Carlin. However, COVID-19 halted the plans of the Estonian.

He then opted to race in Formula Regional European with KIC Motorsport for superlicense points. He tried to travel for Round 1 of Super Formula season but eventually decided not to, which now seems logical, as the event co-incides with his F2 debut.

The good news for Vips, though, is the rule change from Super Formula, where the best five scores of the drivers will be counted towards the championship, which means for the Estonian, that, if he re-joins from Round 2, his scores will be valid still.

Here’s news on Sean Gealel

L'entrada Red Bull junior Vips replaces injured Gelael for three F2 rounds ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

F3:

On the F3 side, Schumacher announced his departure from Charouz Racing System ahead of the Spa-Francorchamps weekend with the German adding that he already has some plans in store. Both Ralf and David posted the same on their social media account.

“A little update for all of you, we stopped for the rest of the season with Charouz Racing and will give you some big news soon. Thanks for the work and good partnership with the Team Charouz,” noted Schumacher Jr.

At the same time, Schumacher Sr added: “Big thanks to Charouz Racing Team for supporting my son. We have decided to stop our partnership and looking forward to announce some news soon.”

It has been a difficult year for Schumacher and Charouz team as a whole in F3 with just the lone points finish courtesy Igor Fraga as they sit last in the teams’ standings. Already, the Czech outfit had to replace Niko Kari with Roman Stanek at 2020 start.

It will be interesting to see where Schumacher ends up as F3 rival Floersch is likely to miss the Spa-Francorchamps weekend as she has been named in the entry list of the 2020 European Le Mans Series’ 4 Hours of Le Castellet event at Paul Ricard.

It is scheduled for the same weekend as F3 on August 29. As it is the last ELMS event before the Le Mans 24 Hours, Richard Mille Racing Team wants Floersch to get some track time after she missed both the opening rounds of the 2020 season.

She is the lone driver on the list so far for the team in the LMP2 category as Tatiana Calderon is to miss the weekend due to her commitments in Super Formula, while it is unclear when Katherine Legge can return from her injury.

Super Formula:

Continuing on about Super Formula, as mentioned Calderon will be racing Drago Corse with ThreeBond in the 2020 opener at Twin Ring Motegi but there will be several to be missing which includes Red Bull junior Team Mugen Honda’s Juri Vips.

The Estonian was trying hard to make it into Japan amid the COVID-19 restrictions but has given up with Ukyo Sashara to fill in for him. There are questions marks over Sergio Sette Camara’s participation as well with B-Max Racing with Motopark.

Some of the Super Formula drivers can afford to miss two rounds at max in 2020, with the series introducing a rule where each driver’s best five scores out of seven will be counted towards the championship. A final entry list is awaited.

Here’s news on Juri Vips racing in Formula Regional

L'entrada Schumacher leaves Charouz, Floersch may skip Spa; more from SFormula ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Having finished fourth in 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers’ standings, Vips moved to Super Formula for few rounds, where he was also confirmed to compete in 2020 with Team Mugen. Red Bull opted for the Japanese route with their Honda ties.

They will have new recruit Jehan Daruvala and Honda-backed Yuki Tsunoda competing in F2, while the other contingent will be in F3. Vips was the only to race in Super Formula but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has become tricky for the Estonian.

Therefore, he has signed up with KIC Motorsport to race in the Formula Regional European Championship alongside Finn duo Konsta Lappalainen and Patrik Pasma. It is step back for Vips but he will be in good position to earn chunk of superlicense points for F1 move.

Going by experience and level, Vips is in prime position to move to F1 in 2021 if Red Bull things so with Daruvala and Tsunoda only others. The Estonian joins the likes of Jamie Chadwick and Arthur Leclerc to compete in FREC for the title and points.

“BOOM! Estonian Juri Vips strengthens KIC Motorsport,” read a team statement on its social media account. “Together with our two flying Finns Konsta Lappalainen and Patrik Pasma we have a very strong team for 2020 season.”

The FREC season starts on July 31 – August 2 weekend at Misano and will end on December 4-6 at Vallelunga with eight rounds in all. It is unclear if Vips will race in Super Formula which is to start on August 30 at Motegi and end on December 20 at Fuji.

As per F1 Feeder Series channel, Super Formula will be given priority over FREC and whenever he can travel to Japan, he will do so. There are two clashes as per the current calendars announced by both the championships.

In terms of F1 superlicense points, FREC offers the same number as Super Formula, with 25 awarded to the champion. As of now, Vips has 25 points of the 40 required – and so finishing third in the Europe-based series would bring him up to the tally he needs.

Here’s information on Juri Vips’ manager testing positive

L'entrada Red Bull junior Vips to race in Formula Regional amid travel restrictions ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Alfa Romeo Racing development F1 driver Calderon was the latest guest for on Pirelli’s live chat where she spoke with Mario Isola on multiple topics. They started with her career from Colombia to America to Europe, starting from karting to single-seaters now.

Calderon noted that her father pushed her to race while her mother needed to be convinced but when that happened, she decided eventually to move to Europe with the goal to make it into F1, instead of staying in America with IndyCar.

They joked about cooking, which they continued on for the whole of the chat. They moved to discussing about the cars she has driven, where she rated F2 as the toughest so far. Although she is to compete in Super Formula, but she is yet to race in it.

She admitted to the lack of testing in F2 or in motorsport in general, especially in official capacity. She feels, there needs to be a balance because drivers with good budget still manage to drive older cars on track, even if there is limited testing.

They moved to discuss about her F1 test with Alfa Romeo at Mexico in 2018, where she drove the then current car as an exhibition. She also drove the 2012 Sauber at Fiorano, her only runs in the top-end car, something which made her believe that she can do this.

Moving on to the endurance side, she shared her experience from the Daytona 24 Hours along with her future in European Le Mans Series. Calderon is to compete not only in Super Formula but also ELMS along with her Alfa Romeo’s F1 role.

They discussed about the Dare to Different and FIA’s role in helping female racers as she added that she is open to drive any type of race car, although, she is not a fan of ovals and so NASCAR is unlikely. Isola asked her to try rally cars in future, though.

Here’s Guenther Steiner on last chat with Mario Isola

L'entrada Calderon speaks on limited testing, F1/F2/Endurance racing & more ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Following the Super Formula two-day test at Fuji Speedway, the fears of many have become true, as a member of the paddock has tested positive for COVID-19 – the disease which has cancelled countless events, and almost all motorsports.

Testing went ahead in Japan despite the fear of the virus and despite all the precautions, the person has tested positive for COVID-19. Mugen noted that one of the driver’s manager got the coronavirus and has been put under isolation.

The Super Formula team apologised for the situation but withheld the name of the person. Mugen Honda has Red Bull junior Juri Vips and Tomoki Nojiri – and if we go by the wordings of the release, it looks that the Estonian’s manager is the one to have gotten it.

“TEAM MUGEN (M-TEC Co., Ltd.) has confirmed that the manager of our team contract driver is infected with the new coronavirus,” stated the release from Mugen Super Formula team. “After the completion of the super formula joint test conducted at Fuji Speedway, it was found to be positive at a quarantine inspection laboratory overseas.

“Based on the notification from our race team, the team members who participated in the test have stopped working. Currently, we will check the health status of our race team members who have participated in the test, confirm the number of close contacts, and take necessary measures for safety under the guidance of the health center in charge.

“We sincerely apologize to the concerned parties for their great concern. We will report the facts and respond promptly as new information becomes available.” The Suzuka test for April 2-3 was already cancelled, while Round 3 at Autopolis was postponed.

The latest the 2020 Super Formula season would start is in June 21 at Sugo. Vips, meanwhile, noted that he was to stay back in Japan as per Red Bull release but it is unclear if the Estonian has traveled back or indeed stayed back.

Not just Super Formula but Super GT has had schedule changes as a result of this catastrophic global pandemic, and will likely see more as the situation evolves rapidly around the world. The cases in Japan has seen a rise in the last few days.

Here’s the last news on Sergio Sette Camara joining

The story was co-written by Darshan Chokhani

L'entrada Super Formula team Mugen says driver manager tested COVID-19 positive ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.