The third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games will take place from 23-27 October 2024 in Spain, with the Generalitat Valenciana and Circuit Ricardo Tormo set to host the popular multidisciplinary event that unites athletes from all four corners of the globe in a unique spirit of sporting competition.

The third running of the Games – jointly launched by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and SRO Motorsports Group – promises to be the biggest yet. Not only are all 16 categories that made up the 2022 event confirmed to return, but they will be joined by ten new ones, increasing opportunities for drivers from National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) worldwide to vie for medals under the flag of their home country.

This growth underscores the momentum that has been building since the highly successful inaugural event in 2019, which took place in the Italian capital of Rome and at the nearby Vallelunga circuit before moving to Marseille in France last year and expanding from six categories to 16.

The 2022 Games set a new record for the number of nations ever to contest a single motorsport event. Over four days of action spread across the Circuit Paul Ricard, Autocross Veynois, and the surrounding region, 463 athletes representing 72 ASNs did battle for glory in front of 45,000 enthusiastic spectators, with Team Italy ultimately prevailing courtesy of a haul of three gold medals and one silver.

The torch now passes to Spain as the category count increases again to 26, spanning the full spectrum of the sport from Circuit Racing to Electric Street – that includes Auto Slalom and Karting Slalom – Karting, Esports, Off-road, and Rally. The original founding categories of the FIA Motorsport Games – GT, GT Sprint, Touring Car, Formula 4, Drift, and Esports – continue to feature prominently, alongside a new medal opportunity in Esports Rally.

In Karting, the Junior and Senior Sprint categories will return, while Karting Endurance will welcome female/male pairings aged 14 and over. The new addition in this discipline is Karting Mini, which will be introduced for drivers aged between eight and 11.

The Rally disciplines account for the greatest number of new categories. Rally2, Rally4, and Historic Rally have each been separated into three contests – one for Gravel specialists, one for Tarmac specialists, and one comprising both surfaces for all-rounders, offering no fewer than nine possibilities to win medals. The new Rally All-Stars category, meanwhile, is open to drivers listed on the FIA priority list who are not currently eligible to enter Rally2 or Rally4.

Cross Car Junior and Senior return alongside the new Cross Car Eco category, which complements the existing electric competitions in Auto Slalom and Karting Slalom. Further new categories remain under consideration.

In addition to the coveted trophy for the winning nation outright, there will be regional trophies for Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Middle East/North Africa (MENA). There will also be a NewStar trophy for the nation whose upcoming talents shine brightest in the grassroots categories and an AllStar trophy for the top-performing nation in categories reserved for more established drivers.

Further information and details will follow, before official entries for the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games open early next year.

Notes to Editors

FIA Motorsport Games 2024 – Provisional list of categories 

Circuit Racing
1: GT
2: GT Sprint
3: Formula 4
4: Touring Car
5: Drift

Esports

6: Esports GT

7: Esports Rally NEW

Rally

8: Rally2

9:  Rally2 Gravel NEW
10: Rally2 Tarmac NEW
11: Rally4
12: Rally4 Gravel NEW
13: Rally4 Tarmac NEW
14: Rally All-Stars NEW

15: Historic Rally

16: Historic Rally Gravel NEW
17: Historic Rally Tarmac NEW

Off Road

18: Cross Car Junior
19: Cross Car Senior
20: Cross Car Eco NEW
Karting

21: Karting Sprint Jr
22: Karting Sprint Sr

23: Karting Endurance
24: Karting Mini NEW

Electric Street 

25: Auto Slalom
26: Karting Slalom

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada FIA announces third edition of Motorsport Games in Spain ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

iRacing, the world’s premier motorsport simulation and leader in eSports, is extremely pleased to announce an official partnership with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to bring a licensed FIA Formula 4 experience to iRacing. As part of the agreement, the car currently known as the iRacing Formula iR-04 will be relaunched as the FIA F4 with iRacing’s 2023 Season 3 release in June.

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Single Seater Director said: “This partnership with iRacing is an important step for grassroots motor sport development. The virtual racing space is a key area for the FIA in its goal to double global participation in motorsport, both as a discipline in its own right and as a route into real-world competition. The next generation of racing drivers is already highly engaged in this arena, which removes many of the historical barriers to entry by being low-cost and easily accessible, opening up possibilities to increase diversity and engagement in new and emerging markets. Formula 4 Championships, Certified by FIA, represent the first step for drivers to move from karting to car racing, and to have a highly-respected industry-leading partner in iRacing bringing this global framework online is fantastic news.”

“We are thrilled to have formalized a partnership agreement with the FIA,” said iRacing president Tony Gardner. “The F4 platform has proven to be incredibly popular and exciting in both the real world and the virtual one, and we know that our members will benefit from the synergy between our two organizations. With many FIA national ASNs already running events through iRacing, this alliance will only further expand opportunities for the future stars of motorsport to get their start through sim racing. In addition to iRacing’s new FIA F4 Challenge, iRacing and the FIA are discussing additional eSport plans for the future.”

The FIA Formula 4 platform was announced in 2013 in advance of a 2014 debut, and has grown in popularity around the world as the ideal first step on the global open-wheel racing ladder. Featuring a diverse range of chassis and engine manufacturers, each F4 car is capped at 160 horsepower to ensure equal performance around the world. Formula 4 Championships, Certified by FIA, now take place across four continents and have been established by FIA member organizations.

iRacing’s version of the FIA Formula 4 car benefits from the same level of analysis, detail, data, and testing as members have come to expect, while the genericized model allows for use by FIA member clubs worldwide without manufacturer conflicts. iRacing offers multiple public series featuring the FIA Formula 4 to its more than 200,000 active users, with options for both custom setups and fixed performance. Dozens of real-world FIA Formula 4 host circuits are already available on iRacing, with more to be added in future releases.

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada iRacing teams up with FIA to give F4 experience on its platform ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Following on from the reveal of EA SPORTS F1 23 last week, dive into the details you might have missed and more about what to expect ahead of launch on June 16, 2023 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

Handling and Physics Changes

F1 23’s handling and physics have had a significant upgrade on previous years, resulting in better handling, low-speed traction, and overall vehicle driveability. Veteran players will immediately notice a difference, as vehicle behaviour in particular is more authentic thanks to three key areas of reworking: acceleration, braking, and cornering.

Updates to physics calculations for the slip of the tyres and how this interacts with the inertia of the car have been made. Plus, the way each car’s engine delivers torque has been refined, with more progressive steps relative to gear and throttle input. On-track surfaces such as kerbs and rumble strips will be noticeably more pronounced, thanks to improvements made to the underfloor of each car, delivering a more true-to-life experience.

Adopting feedback from real F1 teams and drivers such as Anthony Davidson, players will notice a closer balance between mechanical grip from tyres and aerodynamic grip from the cars. All these changes result in F1 23 offering the most authentic F1 driving experience around.

Introducing Precision Drive

Whilst the reworked handling and physics changes will be instantly noticeable when using a force-feedback steering wheel, players on pad will also recognise some radical improvements too. F1 23 will debut Precision Drive controller technology, offering those who play on pad an entirely overhauled experience.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice a more direct feel for greater accuracy with each steering input, evident in all situations from full-lock on hairpins to smaller correctional changes through sweeping corners.  Whether your driving style is smooth and flowing or more suited to sustained aggression, you’ll start to feel a lot more confident across each circuit and during those crucial wheel-to-wheel battles.

A New Race Distance

Whilst some players want to tackle full race lengths that mirror those in the sport, others may prefer shorter options for less time-intensive play sessions.  For those players, a new 35% race distance – previously only seen in F1 Esports – strikes the perfect balance between the short and long race options, whilst still adhering to the same rules that apply to full races, such as the mandatory pitstop rule.  This new race distance offers even greater variety when it comes to replicating your favourite race weekends in F1 23.

Return of Red Flags

Red flags have become increasingly more popular in real-world F1 races, forcing teams to tear up their existing strategies in preparation for race restarts. Making their return to the series after nine years in F1 23, red flags will add even more drama to proceedings, as you’ll need to rethink your plans on-the-fly as you head back to the pits.

A red flag can either be triggered by racing incidents caused by other drivers in multiplayer, by the AI in offline modes, or during periods of extreme wet weather conditions. As with the real sport, you’ll be able to adjust your race strategy, fit new tyres, and repair some damage to your car before the race restarts. Additionally, the sensitivity of red flags can be adjusted in the menu to suit your preference.

Here’s the reveal of F1 23 game

Here’s F1 Arcade getting a venue in USA

Here’s F1 2023 Q1 figures

Here’s Emilia Romagna flood, protesters at F1 summit

Here’s news on LKY SUNZ F1 team bid

Here’s Sony releasing Gran Turismo movie trailer

Here’s Las Vegas showing new photos and videos

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada EA Sports dives more on F1 23; Las Vegas, Losail circuits revealed ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Headlining with the return of the epic story mode, Braking Point, F1 23 is home to every team, driver, and circuit for the 2023 season, including the highly anticipated Las Vegas and Qatar circuits.

Braking Point Returns

The enthralling narrative-driven story mode, Braking Point, makes its return with even more drama and action waiting to unfold. Following the careers of young upstart, Aiden Jackson, and infamous protagonist Devon Butler, the pair find themselves as together at Konnersport Racing Team, the most recent team to join the F1 grid.

Rising star in Formula 2 and sister to Devon, Callie Mayer, has become the first woman to ever win the F2 championship. Hungry for more success, she is keen to get her shot in Formula 1. Will Devon or Aiden have to make way for Callie, or will team and family dynamics cause problems? There’s a lot to look forward to in a story that twists and turns based on the choices made along the way.

Two New Circuits

Two incredible racing locations will be making their debut in F1 23 at launch – the Las Vegas Street Circuit in Nevada, USA and the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.  The Losail International Circuit was first raced in 2021 but the Las Vegas Street Circuit is an entirely new layout, never-before raced in Formula 1®. That means that in F1 23, players can take to the Vegas strip ahead of the drivers themselves.

As for circuits that don’t feature on the 2023 calendar, Circuit Paul Ricard (France), Shanghai International Circuit (China), and the Algarve International Circuit (Portugal) – better known as Portimão – will all be included at launch as legacy tracks for use in various different game modes.

Handling Upgrades

Incorporating actual F1 team feedback, F1 23’s vehicle handling has some significant improvements over the last game for both wheel and pad players. New vehicle physics give cars better traction when braking, accelerating, and cornering – allowing for more predictable behaviour. Plus, greater balance between aerodynamics and tyre grip results in a more realistic feel. Additionally, Precision Drive controller technology will give players who play on pad even more control and confidence in those crucial race moments.

Community-Requested Features

Following community feedback, several highly-requested features will be included in F1 23. Red flags – making their return to the series after nine years – will add even more drama, with drivers and teams needing to rethink race strategies on-the-fly as the grid returns to the pits.

A new 35% race distance – previously only seen in F1 Esports – strikes the perfect balance between short and long race options, whilst still adhering to the mandatory pit stop rule. Also, a new colour encoding system, similar to that used in film and TV, has been implemented across the game, resulting in a more true-to-life visual experience.

Introducing: F1 World

Serving as your go-to place for all things F1 and with content inspired by the F1 calendar, F1 World makes its debut in F1 23. F1 World helps introduce players to the complex world of Formula 1® by tying together multiple game modes such as Time Trial, Grand Prix, and Multiplayer, offering an exciting new way to enjoy the game.

Featuring an ever-changing roster of seasonal content with daily and weekly challenges to get stuck into, drivers can unlock new liveries, race suits, and helmets as part of a new progression system. By advancing through F1 World, players will improve their Tech Level and unlock Parts and Team Member upgrades to equip to the F1 World car, improving various performance areas.

As Tech Level increases, more challenges and events become available. Linking online and offline play in F1 World, a new safety rating system encourages drivers to race cleanly and pairs like-minded drivers more efficiently for improved online racing.

F1 23 – Champions Edition

Available to pre-order now, the digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition – featuring two-time reigning World Champion Max Verstappen on the cover – comes with the following content:

• Time-limited Las Vegas Content Pack
• Max Verstappen Race Wear Pack
• Braking Point 2 Icons and Vanity Item Pack
• Dual Entitlement
• Four New My Team Icons
• XP Boost
• F1 World Bumper Pack
• 18,000 PitCoin
• 3-Day Early Access starting June 13, 2023

For those that pre-order, the physical and digital Standard Edition of F1 23 featuring EA SPORTS ambassador Charles Leclerc alongside Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, will include:

• F1 World Starter Pack
• 5,000 PitCoin

F1 23 will release across PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC via EA App, Epic Games Store, and Steam on June 16, 2023.

Brandon Snow, Managing Director of Commercial at Formula 1 said: “We are delighted to continue working with EA SPORTS on creating the latest F1 game for the 2023 season. F1 23 is another way in which we are able to give gamers and fans an additional way to enjoy and engage with the sport and a first-hand experience of being behind the wheel. The exciting addition of the Las Vegas circuit on this year’s game will provide fans with their first taste of what’s to come ahead of the inaugural Grand Prix later this year.”

Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters said: “The return of Braking Point allows players to immerse themselves in a racing story, with a host of new and returning characters and surprising twists. We’re adding more race authenticity by introducing red flags and the 35% race distance, giving players more strategy and unpredictability. Our refined handling delivers more predictable behaviour and better traction to help players attack the circuit and get on the podium.”

Here’s news on LKY SUNZ F1 team bid

Here’s F1 on the summit they are hosting

Here’s Sony releasing Gran Turismo movie trailer

Here’s German magazine apologising to Michael Schumacher family

Here’s F1 Authentics with host of items for auction

Here’s Las Vegas showing new photos and videos

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada EA Sports details on F1 23 game as release date is revealed ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

Screenplay by: Jason Hall and Zach Baylin

Produced by: Doug Belgrad, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan and Dana Brunetti

Executive Producers: Kazunori Yamauchi, Hermen Hulst, Jason Hall and Matthew Hirsch

Cast: David Harbour (Jann’s trainer), Orlando Bloom (based on Darren Cox’s role from Nissan GT team), Archie Madekwe (Jann Mardenborough), Darren Barnet (top GT driver threatened by Jann), Geri Halliwell Horner (Jann’s mother) and Djimon Hounsou (Jann’s father).

Release Date: August 11, 2023

Here’s the trailer –

[Note: The story is as per press release]

L'entrada Sony releases Gran Turismo trailer based on Mardenborough ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The RB18 saw 17 race wins last year from the 22 events run, allowing Red Bull to not just take the constructors’ title but also handed Max Verstappen his second drivers’ championship. They had a slow start but picked up well after weight loss.

With about four months since the end of the season, F1 Authentics is ready with a simulator model of Red Bull RB18. The Champions Edition is priced at RRP £99,999, while the Race Edition is available at RRP £74,999.

The Champions Edition will come with front wing assembly, as fans can opt for teither Verstappen or Sergio Perez’s themed liveries. The simulators are being prepped at Memento Exclusives’ HQ in Northamptonshire in the UK.

It is being manufactured using the same process as the real F1 cars are done.  “We are delighted to have co-created a unique sim racing experience that puts drivers in the cockpit of the championship-winning RB18,” said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

“Driving a Formula 1 car is something most of us can only dream of, but this simulator is as close as it gets to the real thing. Memento Exclusives have recreated the car to bring the track into your home.”

At the same time, Barry Gough, Founder and CEO of Memento Exclusives, added: “We are delighted to finally share news of this exciting partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing. It’s an honour to be producing these exceptional RB18 show car simulators that celebrate and represent their 2022 F1 championship-winning season.

“To be trusted to build and sell Oracle Red Bull Racing-branded simulators underlines our team’s credentials and the trust that the team has in us. This marks our first partnership with the team and what a brilliant way to do so.”

Here’s where one can order from: https://www.f1authentics.com/collections/f1-simulators

Here’s the sponsor list for F1 2023: https://formularapida.net/f1-2023-list-of-partners-sponsors-for-each-of-the-10-teams/

Here’s Red Bull camp poking fun at Aston Martin

Here’s Sergio Perez learning about Ferrari

Here’s Max Verstappen on car feeling like testing again

L'entrada Red Bull RB18 simulator to go on sale via F1 Authentics ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

On Friday evening in the final race of the season McLaren Shadow’s Lucas Blakeley won the 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship in dramatic fashion, securing his maiden title. McLaren Shadow have also been crowned the Constructors Champions for 2022 for the first time, clinching the title with two races to go after a brilliant season for Blakeley and his ever-present teammate Bari Boroumand.

The Grand Final began with five drivers battling for the championship, with only 22 points seperating Blakeley at the top and last years’ champion, Jarno Opmeer in fifth. Blakeley’s teammate Boroumand, Haas rookie Thomas Ronhaar and Red Bull’s Frede Rasmussen were the other three drivers in contention for the title. The Constructors’ Championship was also still to be decided going into the Grand Final, but McLaren Shadow had a dominant lead on Red Bull and Mercedes.

On Wednesday, the Pro Championship visited Suzuka in what was a entertaining encounter, full of exciting, wheel-to-wheel racing. It was Ronhaar who started the race on pole but Alfa Romeo’s Nicolas Longuet came out victorious, getting his first race win of the season as the Haas driver and Rasmussen made up the rest of the podium.  Opmeer was unable to continue his impressive form from the previous event and his title hopes came to an end after not being able to finish the race. McLaren Shadow clinched the Constructors’ Championship at Suzuka with Blakeley and Boroumand finishing 4^th and 5^th respectively.

Blakeley went on to secure his fourth win of the season in the penulatimate race at Interlagos, which began in wet conditions. The Scotsman, who started on pole in a McLaren 1-2, was able to hold his position at the front, avoiding the battling going on behind him between two of his title rivals, with Rasmussen and Boroumand eventually securing P2 and P3, with the latter’s title hopes ending due to results around him. Meanwhile, the other tittle contender, Ronhaar, had a dissapointing race for his standards, finishing sixth after starting the race in fifth – however, this result still kept the Dutchman’s title hopes alive.

This meant in the final race of the season, it was all to play for at the Yas Marina Circuit, with Blakeley (169 points) needing just five points to secure the title, ahead of Rasmussen (148) and Ronhaar (147). It started with a surprise as AlphaTauri’s Josh Idowu got his first pole position of the season, crowning what has been an impressive season for the former McLaren driver. However, the title-chasing trio took up the three spots behind him so it was set-up for a tense race to the finish line, especially with a mix of tyre strategies at play.

Ronhaar, who started in P2, took the lead before the pit stops, with Red Bull’s Marcel Kiefer also playing a role in keeping the Haas man behind him in an attempt to boost his teammate’s title chances. Rasmussen soon took the lead and held on to it until the end, with Ronhaar and Idowu making up the top three, but it wasn’t enough as Blakeley took P4 and secured his first ever F1 Esports Series Pro Championship title, culminating in several years of determination and improvement from the Scotsman.

This season drivers continued to race remotely from their homes or team facilities, as they have done since 2020, but the hugely popular competition continues to broadcast from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London. Teams battled it out on the official F1 2022 video game, developed by Codemasters and EA Sports, with the live shows being streamed online via official channels of Formula 1 on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television via select international broadcast partners.

For the third consecutive year, Aramco was the presenting partner of the Pro Championship alongside long-term partners DHL and Fanatec, who have continued to play a fundamental role in the F1 Esports Series, with the latter supplying hardware to all drivers for this year’s campaign, as it has done since 2018.

F1 Esports events have achieved over 45m views across TV and digital, in the last 18 months, and this popularity led to a record number of people attempting to be a part of this year’s Pro Exhibition, with over 500k taking part in qualification.

Brandon Snow, Managing Director of Commercial at Formula 1, said: “It has been another fantastic season which once again, came down to the wire in the final event of the season. I want to thank all the teams, individuals and, partners that have been able to make this season’s championship one of the most entertaining yet. It has been an incredible battle between all the drivers from start to finish with some brilliant wheel-to-wheel racing, and I wanted to congratulate the winners, Lucas Blakeley and McLaren Shadow. We look forward to another exciting year for F1 Esports in 2023!”

John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity, said: “F1 Esports Pro Series is the gift that keeps on giving. The 2022 season has shone a spotlight on new racing talent and intense team rivalries. The broadcast product has been strengthened by taking us behind the scenes to the Team HQ’s and showcasing how F1 Esports and their F1 counterparts are sharing their skills, knowledge and resources to bring these two worlds closer together. The result is another year of competitive wheel to wheel racing and a surge in fans watching the shows and supporting the talented drivers. Bring on 2023!”

Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters, said: “The F1 Esports Series Pro Championship kept fans gripped from lights out to the final chequered flag and continues to showcase the world’s best virtual drivers. Huge congratulations to our new World Champion, Lucas Blakeley, for holding his nerve in the final week and to Lucas, Bari Boroumand and Wilson Hughes for securing the Constructors Championship for McLaren Shadow.”

[Note: The story is as per press release]

Here’s F1 channel for recap: https://www.youtube.com/@Formula1/videos

Here’s the 2022 results: https://www.f1esports.com/pro/results/2022

L'entrada McLaren wins both the F1 ESports titles for 2022 season ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The trailer for the latest in a line of officially licensed Codemasters Formula 1 games has been officially revealed today, along with the long-awaited release date and confirmation of the new name ‘F1 22’.

The name is a move away from the traditional naming strategy which followed the pattern of ‘F1 2021’, as an example, to forge a ‘new era’ for the game. F1 22 will be released on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on July 1st 2022.

It will also be available on PC via the EA App, Origin, Steam, and Epic Store on the same date. However as is customary with the official F1 game, you can start racing three days earlier, from June 28th, if you pre-order the ‘Champions Edition’.

The game also includes VR compatibility on PC “via Oculus Rift and HTC Vive” for a more immersive experience. A statement published alongside the trailer promises “a new handling model that recreates the intense wheel-to-wheel racing” for the championship’s “stunning new cars”.

It also mentions the “vibrant” new Miami circuit, and confirms the inclusion of the Sprint Qualifying format alongside “immersive” and “broadcast style” formation laps, safety cars and pit stops. A previously rumoured feature called “F1 Life” has also had its introduction confirmed, as “a new space for you to unlock and show off supercars, clothing, accessories, and more for the world to see”.

The aforementioned Champions Edition, which gives the player three days earlier access to the game, also includes “New Era content, a Life Starter Pack, new My Team Icons, and 18,000 PitCoin”. F1 22 can be pre-ordered now with a Miami-themed content pack if ordered before May 16th.

Here’s what F1 bosses said on FIA Race Director

Here’s what F1 drivers said about the topic

Here’s F1 drivers on Las Vegas GP

L'entrada F1 22 game features revealed alongside first trailer and images ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

In a special all-in-one launch, McLaren showcased its F1, IndyCar, Extreme E and ESports teams on Friday evening. The big shot launch happened at their Technology Center in Woking as they always do for the Formula 1 unveilings.

After whole day of media work, the launch took place online on their own channel and also Sky Sports F1. The team showcased its 2022 challenger – the MCL36 – albeit not the final version with the usual changes to come for Barcelona and Bahrain.

The base papaya remains as it is but after the success of the Gulf livery, McLaren has used the bold Fluro Papaya along with new blue. The team cannot use the same livery due to obligations, but has tried to infuse and bring it as close to the Monaco flavour.

In terms of the car, the sidepod is not square but shows more ‘Joker smile face’ while it does not carry the cooling vents as seen on the Aston Martin car. The front and rear seems fairly consistent with other models and as usual, we wait for the final version.

While Aston Martin had its shakedown, McLaren hasn’t yet decided on a date with Daniel Ricciardo noting of meetings next week along with simulator run which is when they can decide upon a date if they will do before the Barcelona test.

“After a couple of months away from racing, all of us at McLaren are excited to get back to the track and discover this new era of Formula 1 regulations head-on,” said Andreas Seidl. “Over the last year the team have been hard at work developing the MCL36, seeking to take advantage of any opportunities we might find in the design and production of these new cars.

“Formula 1 and the FIA have done an important job developing these new technical and sporting regulations, which, in combination with the cost cap, aim to create closer racing and a level-playing field for competition. Lando’s performance in 2021 was one of the standouts of the season, with four podium finishes and a pole-position.

“He came agonisingly close to his first race victory, and although we didn’t quite achieve that, he’s proven to the world that he can become a grand prix winner. After finding it harder to adapt to the MCL35M than he might have expected, Daniel rallied to a strong finish in the second half of the season and captured McLaren’s first win since 2012.

“Throughout the season we saw Daniel’s skill, resolve and trademark positive attitude despite difficult moments, and we head into the 2022 better prepared to tackle this new challenge. Together, Lando and Daniel comprise one of the most competitive driver line-ups in the sport. We can’t wait to see what they can do with the MCL36, into which every member of the team in Woking has poured enormous amounts of effort, passion and determination.

“We hope that our incredible fans will join us in cheering on Lando, Daniel and the MCL36 throughout the season and the support we feel around the world is truly inspiring for us. Our objective for this season is clear and consistent with that of previous years: we want to further close the gap to the front of the pack. At the same time, we know and respect the tough competition we’ll face and have a realistic view of where we are on our journey.

“We’re working through a package of key infrastructure investments, which will provide us with the tools required to compete at the top of our sport when they come online. Thank you to every single member of the team for their hard work and commitment to bring our new MCL36 to the track soon. Let’s go racing!”

Technical chief James Key added: “A new era of regulations is always an exciting moment in our sport. With it comes the potential to totally re-evaluate the philosophy of our package, and these rule changes are no different. With a blank sheet of paper, the team here at McLaren have been working hard to establish a competitive platform for this and future seasons.

“However, we know we’ve only just begun to unlock performance from this regulation set, and that one of the key features of the 2022 season will be the intense development war as teams assess each other’s designs and innovate new ways of generating downforce through ground effect. It’s been some time since ground-effect had such a predominant role in Formula 1, but it provides a great potential to create closer and more exciting racing with these new regulations.

“The team at Woking have been working round the clock to design, produce and assemble this car, under tricky conditions over the last year, as the world still battles the risks posed by covid-19. I’m immensely proud of how the team have risen to this challenge in a safe yet effective manner. Now we put the fruits of their labours onto the track and take the development battle to the rest of the grid.”

Among the drivers, Norris started: “It feels like a long time since we were last on-track in Abu Dhabi, and I can’t wait to get back in a car and put the MCL36 through its paces. Last year was my best in Formula 1 so far, and I’m really proud of what I achieved as a driver, and what we achieved as a team.

“But I know that the best is yet to come, and my aim is to carry the positive momentum we built up over the last year and take that with me into this exciting new era of Formula 1. I’m in a good position heading into this year to build on the successes of 2021. I’ve grown up alongside McLaren and I’m really delighted to have recently confirmed my long-term future with the team. Together, I’m looking forward to finding out what we can achieve, and I’ll be working hard to maximise any opportunities that come our way.”

And Ricciardo added: “There’s always a nervous excitement around the start of the new season, but that’s turned up to 11 when you enter a new era of regulations. Having been through several regulation changes now, I feel like I’m able to use that energy to help me adapt to new cars, new ways of driving and ultimately new ways of racing.

“These new cars will feel very different to the previous eras I’ve driven, but I’m hopeful that will come with closer racing and more opportunities to get to the front of the pack. Heading into my second year with McLaren feels great and I feel like we learned a lot as a team in 2021, which will help us as we take on this new challenge.

“Securing the win in Monza was a real highlight of my career, but that’s all in the past now, and I’ll be giving it everything to secure more moments like that for the team throughout the 2022 season.”

F1 2022 launches so far:

Haas

Red Bull

Aston Martin

More to come

L'entrada Photo/Video: McLaren unveils tweaked livery abode 2022 F1 car ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Individual:

France’s world rally legend Sébastien Loeb put in a stunning performance to eclipse 17 fellow superstars of motorsport and win the 2022 Race Of Champions – on a day of non-stop action on the frozen Baltic Sea at Sweden’s Pite Havsbad, just 60 miles from the Arctic Circle. Following Team Norway’s triumph in yesterday’s ROC Nations Cup, all cooperation went out of the window today.

The individual Race Of Champions pitted some of the world’s greatest drivers head-to-head on ROC’s iconic parallel track, purpose built on ice for the first time. After an unprecedented tidal surge saw yesterday’s racing take place on just the inner half of the track, today the drivers could let rip on the full circuit featuring ROC’s famous crossover bridge.

On an afternoon of heavy snow at Pite Havsbad, the Race Of Champions saw greats of global motorsport battling it out for glory in a mix of identical machinery – including the FIA RX2e electric rallycross car, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, off-road Polaris RZR PRO XP and the 100% fossil-free biofuel powered SuperCar Lites. In front of packed crowds of Swedish fans braving the cold, the best-of-five Grand Final boiled down to a duel between a pair of true legends: nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

After a thrilling finale as both drivers pushed to the limit in the blizzard, Loeb saw off his German rival by three heats to one to be crowned ROC Champion of Champions for the fourth time. He thus equals the all-time record set by Didier Auriol, his partner for Team France in yesterday’s ROC Nations Cup.

Loeb said: “It’s been a long time since I was last at the Race Of Champions, so I’m happy to find out that at 47 years of age I still have the pace! This adds to my good start to the season: second in the Dakar Rally, first in Monte Carlo and now a victory here at ROC. It wasn’t easy for us to go up against all the Swedish and Norwegian guys because they are more used to these conditions.

“I also knew it would be tough adapting between the Porsche, buggy and rallycross cars. But after I made it through against Petter Solberg I got more confidence with each run. It was a nice fight with Seb in the final and I had a good feeling – except for when I completely lost control of the car in the third heat! Now here we are, and it’s great to equal Didier’s record of four ROC Champion of Champions titles.

“We also need to congratulate the Fredrik Johnsson and the ROC organisers who have done a great job all week in difficult circumstances. They had to deal with a practice track that sailed off towards Finland, a snowstorm during practice and a rising sea. But everyone kept up a great mood and a positive attitude, with no stress, always finding solutions. And they found it.”

Vettel added: “Sébastien was just too fast today. The conditions were tricky out there and it was getting more and more slippery, which I guess is normal for snow and ice! I don’t have that much experience so it was a struggle to adapt; in my day job getting sideways is what we try to avoid. But I felt I was improving every time I drove.

“That’s a good sign, but also a sign that I still have a lot to learn. Yesterday was a short day because I let Team Germany down and we went out very quickly, but today I could get more into the groove. I knew the final was a big stretch and I maybe pushed too hard, but I knew I had to go for it to be close to Seb. l made mistakes here and there, so in these conditions I have a bit of catching up to do…

“We’ve missed two years of the Race Of Champions so it’s great to be back and to have a sense of normality. I’ve really enjoyed coming here on a different surface too, and it’s special to be on Fredrik’s home soil. It’s great to have the fans back too and I’m impressed to see so many people in the crowds. I don’t know how they can stand the cold and the wind in their face, but they seemed happy and up for it! Now I hope we can come back to Sweden again.”

To reach the Grand Final Loeb and Vettel had to see off a field featuring 18 of the world’s greatest drivers. Because the track conditions on snow and ice can change quickly depending on the weather, ROC’s traditional group stage did not take place. Instead this year’s Race Of Champions used a straight knockout system with the field split into two halves: one featured the international racing drivers while the other had the rally experts and those with more experience of off-road driving.

At the best-of-three semi-final stage Vettel beat nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen 2-0 to take bragging rights in the racing drivers’ half of the draw, though the Dane was hampered by a mechanical problem in the first heat. On the rally side, Loeb finished on top of the pile having brought an end to a spirited run by double DTM Champion and FIA World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström, who was the last Swedish driver standing in front of his home fans. The match went to a deciding third heat, won by the Frenchman.

The quarter-finals, which were decided over two heats, saw many big names bite the dust – not least seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, who lost to Kristensen. IndyCar’s youngest ever race winner Colton Herta was the other racing driver who went out, beaten by Vettel on countback of fastest times after a 1-1 tie. On the rally side Loeb saw off rising WRC star Oliver Solberg after a match in which one of their races finished in a dead heat, to the nearest thousandth of a second.

The other driver exiting at this stage was four-time FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson, who lost to Ekström despite winning their first race heat by just one hundredth of a second. The Round of 16 was another graveyard for motorsport’s superstars. In the racing half of the draw, double F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen went out at the hands of Johnson while his long-time McLaren F1 team-mate David Coulthard was defeated by Kristensen.

Double W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick and this year’s W Series runner-up Emma Kimilainen also left the competition at this stage, beaten by Herta and Vettel respectively. The rally side of the draw was just as brutal. FIA World Rally and World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg couldn’t find a way past Loeb so there was to be no repeat of yesterday’s ROC Nations Cup glory. His fellow World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen had to accept defeat by Kristoffersson after crashing out, while four-time ROC Champion of Champions Didier Auriol fell to Ekström. Mexico’s reigning ROC Champion of Champions Benito Guerra was another of the early casualties after being beaten by Oliver Solberg.

Kicking off the afternoon’s action, four of the racing drivers were matched up in pairs for two Round 1 play-offs. Germany’s FIA F2 and F3 Champion Mick Schumacher was defeated by Chadwick while four-time Indy 500 Winner Helio Castroneves also had to bid an early goodbye after falling to Herta. The Brazilian ace was later seen relaxing in style in the ROC Drivers’ Lounge after declaring he and snow ‘don’t mix’.

Ahead of the main action, the home fans were given a treat as four sporting legends took place in a celebrity race in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The field featured tennis great Jonas Björkman plus Olympic skiing gold medallists Ingemar Stenmark, Anja Pärson and Aksel Lund Svindal, who was the only Norwegian taking on three Swedes on their home turf.

In the end it was Lund Svindal who came out on top, beating Stenmark in the final by just 0.8 seconds. The skiing great thus added to his home country’s amazing run of success here this weekend following Petter and Oliver Solberg’s triumph for Team Norway in the ROC Nations Cup yesterday. This year’s Race Of Champions has raised over 1 million SEK (€100,000) towards a selection of worthwhile charities. The key recipients have included German children’s charity Kinderlachen, the Zelmerlöw and Björkman Foundation’s school in Kenya, the ICM (institute for advanced research on brain and spinal cord injuries in Paris) plus a range of the drivers’ other favourite charities.

Nations Cup:

Team Norway’s father-and-son duo of world rally aces Petter and Oliver Solberg are celebrating after they took a stunning family victory in the ROC Nations Cup on the ice of Sweden’s Pite Havsbad. On a sunny afternoon on the frozen Baltic Sea just 60 miles from the Arctic Circle, legends from the world’s biggest motor sport series teamed up in pairs to battle for national and regional pride.

They raced a mix of cars including the FIA RX2e electric rallycross car, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport,100% fossil-free biofuel powered SuperCar Lites and the off-road Polaris RZR PRO XP. Overnight flooding at Pite Havsbad following an unprecedented tidal surge meant today’s action took place on just the inner half of ROC’s iconic parallel track, which has been purpose built on ice for the first time. The racing adopted a pursuit format similar to one first used at ROC 2015 at London’s Olympic Stadium.

And what a festival of icy action it was – as FIA World Rally and World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg and his rising WRC star son Oliver Solberg prevailed in the final against the might of Team USA. In the first heat Petter beat off the challenge of seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, who suffered a mechanical problem. Oliver then defeated IndyCar’s youngest race winner Colton Herta before he jumped straight into the Porsche for the next heat – with four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel in the passenger seat.

That’s when Johnson hit back with a win of his own, forcing the match into a fourth heat. But Petter struck the decisive blow with victory over Herta, sealing the ROC Nations Cup final for Team Norway. Afterwards a delighted Petter Solberg said: “It’s unbelievable. I got my motivation when I saw Sébastien Loeb winning the Monte Carlo Rally last month and I thought: ‘it can’t be so difficult.’ So I was so ready for this race – and to do it together with Oliver is a big dream.

“The Race Of Champions has been so special for many years. It’s so much fun to be with all these guys: everyone has had so much success in their careers yet they are so friendly. Oliver has been flying around like a yoyo all week because he’s been so excited. When you are 20, that’s how it is. So I must say thank you to Fredrik, Jessie and everyone working behind the scenes. It’s a fantastic atmosphere and I’m very thankful to have a chance to come here.

“The conditions out there were hard for everybody today, but the race organisers did a brilliant job to find a solution. On the snow you get a slushy feeling, like floating. So it’s about not making mistakes. I was nervous about racing with Oliver but when you can do something like this with your son and see the happiness when he does well, it’s great. He did a very good job, and actually raced better than me. But by the final I was really pumped up. Jimmie’s run in the Porsche was very impressive and I knew I had to be at my best to beat these guys, but we did it.”

Oliver Solberg added: “This is crazy! I’m shocked because doing this together as father and son is very emotional. We had fantastic teamwork and it shows we work well together. It’s been a dream come true to come to the Race Of Champions with all the legends who I look up to, like Jimmie. There are so many stars here and so much experience to take in. They’re all so humble and nice to me so it’s been a fun time, then when we come to the track it’s serious.

“Today I was only really happy with one run, my race against Johan Kristoffersson. I knew he was fast in the Porsche so that was my most nervous moment, but I had a perfect run and I beat him. Then I tried to drive the same against Jimmie but he was much faster than me. I had Sebastian Vettel in the car with me so I thought: ‘If I don’t win I’ll look stupid.’ Then I lost. So I need to find some more speed for tomorrow, but it’s been an awesome day and it’s fantastic to be standing here at the end.”

Beaten finalists Team USA also had a fine afternoon’s work, but they narrowly missed out on bringing home the trophy. Because the track conditions on snow and ice can change quickly depending on the weather, ROC’s traditional group stage did not take place. Instead this year’s ROC Nations Cup used a straight knockout system. To make it as fair as possible, races were decided over four heats, with each driver racing against both drivers from the other team. For matches tied 2-2, the team with the best total time made it through.

Team Finland’s Mika Hakkinen and Emma Kimilainen did well to make it all the way to the semi-finals, before they were finally defeated 3-1 by Team USA. Double F1 world champion Hakkinen did take a solitary win but it was not enough to progress. Team Nordic (‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen and World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson) also reached the semi-finals. They both won a heat in an exciting 2-2 draw with Team Norway before they were beaten on a countback of fastest times.

There were some huge stars of global motorsport who went out in the quarter-finals, including the might of Team Germany (Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher) who were defeated by Team USA on a countback of fastest lap times after a 2-2 draw. Another casualty at this stage was Team GB’s David Coulthard and Jamie Chadwick, who fell to Team Finland.

All four drivers won a race apiece for another 2-2 draw but Hakkinen had the last say by beating his old McLaren F1 team-mate Coulthard in the final heat, with enough of a margin to go through. Team France’s pair of World Rally Championship legends Sébastien Loeb and Didier Auriol fell to a 3-1 defeat by Team Nordic, despite a win for Loeb over Kristensen.

To the dismay of the home fans packing the venue, Team Sweden’s Mattias Ekström and Timmy Hansen also went out in the quarter-finals. They were beaten 3-1 in an all Scandinavian battle with Team Norway, even though Ekström did take a consolation win against Oliver Solberg. The afternoon’s action began with two Round 1 play-offs.

Team Latin America (Helio Castroneves and Benito Guerra) were the first team to go out after a tight battle with Team USA. Reigning ROC Champion of Champions Guerra won both his races as it finished 2-2, but they went out on a countback of fastest laps. Team eROC All Stars (Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley) were the other pairing to bid an early farewell after a 3-1 defeat by Team Germany.

But that was not before Blakeley gave himself a story that should earn himself free drinks for life in the pubs of Scotland by defeating Vettel in his first ever race. Before the racing action began the drivers unfurled a banner in conjunction with the institute for advanced research into brain and spinal cord injuries ICM in honour of ROC’s absent friend (and six-time ROC Nations Cup winner) Michael Schumacher as he continues his recovery.

[Note: The above is as per press release with no edits made]

L'entrada Loeb beats Vettel to win individual ROC; Team Norway takes Nations Cup ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

After running uninterrupted, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual has been won in dominant fashion by Felipe Drugovich, Oliver Rowland, Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl for Realteam Hydrogen Redline. In GTE, the BMW Team Redline entry driven by Kevin Siggy, Rudy van Buren, Lorenzo Colombo and Enzo Bonito took the laurels.

The final round of Le Mans Virtual Series, with a $250,000 prize pool on the line, both class winners took their respective overall championship victories too. Formula 2 driver Drugovich in the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline led the 50-car and 200-driver field away at 2 pm CET on Saturday 15^th January 2022.

During a fraught qualifying session the day before, his team-mate Rietveld snatched pole position, just two thousand of a second ahead of the #123 Team Redline entry driven by Max Verstappen. In GTE, it was Red Bull Racing Esports in the Corvette on pole position after a scintillating lap by Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 esports incumbent Sebastian Job.

Ahead of the race starting, there were six-minute pitlane penalties handed out to the GTE pole-sitting #111, the #56 Team Project 1 x BPM Porsche and the #5 Williams Esports LMP for not fielding the requisite number of ‘pro’ classified drivers. Sadly for the #31 W Series BMW GTE entry, it suffered from a hardware issue during the electric-hydrogen LMPH2G-led formation lap and retired before the start.

DRAMA THROUGHOUT PROTOTYPE FIELD

While Drugovich completed the first two corners of the race in the lead, heading the field was short-lived as Verstappen swept ahead heading into Tertre Rouge on the opening lap. From there he sought to build a lead, but from fourth on the grid, the #28 Veloce Esports entry driven by British GT race winner James Baldwin had risen to second in the open stages. He was hunting down the Formula 1 world champion.

That set the tone for the opening six hours, with Verstappen vs Baldwin, Redline vs Veloce. Further back in the pack, a big incident threatened to end the race prematurely for the championship-leading #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst car as Franco Colapinto in the #31 Team WRT SIMTAG Esports speared across the grass and into the Tom Dillmann driven entry – but thankfully both were able to continue.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas was hoping for a successful return to Circuit de la Sarthe, but sadly for them Dani Juncadella mistimed a downshift, over-revved the engine and the team was out at the three-hour mark. Despair also befell Erhan Jajovski in the #8 R8G Esports Oreca – a star performer so far this season for Romain Grosjean’s eponymous team. After making contact with Marcell Csincsik in the #22 Williams Esports car down the Mulsanne Straight, Jajovksi ended up backwards in the wall, losing the rear wing and receiving a drivethrough penalty.

As the race entered the evening, the #123 Redline entry was now comfortably ahead following a metronomic stint by VCO ProSIM SERIES champion Maximilian Benecke. With over seven hours completed and Verstappen back behind the wheel again, he took an aggressive line over the kerbs at the Ford chicane. The result was a spin and heavy contact with the barriers, ripping off two wheels. Retirement beckoned for the erstwhile race leaders.

This promoted the #70 into a lead it never relinquished. Through the darkness, Formula E driver Rowland took to the helm from Rietveld, with Smidl controlling the race as dawn broke. There were times when Veloce Esports ran them close, former BTCC-driver Mike Epps putting on a rousing display against Smidl as the race approached the halfway distance, but ultimately the #28 car gradually slipped back, ceding second to the reigning champions – the #1 Rebellion GPX Esports car.

A drivethrough penalty for contact with another car in the pitlane on Sunday morning further dashed Veloce’s hopes, before running out of fuel with just under three hours on the clock to prematurely end the team’s race. The LMP class was filled with incidents, notably Juan Pablo Montoya removing his rear wing against a wall, before son Sebastian clipped the nose of the #77 GTE Porsche during the night, spinning into the tyre barrier and retirement.

Also withdrawing during the night was the #444 Alpha Ind. ByKolles-Burst – snap oversteer through Karting resulting in a heavy impact with the wall. Meanwhile, the #44 ARC Bratislava and #39 GRAFF by ProSimu entries fell by the wayside with mechanical maladies. The demise of WTCR race winner Attila Tassi in the #5 Williams Esports LMP happened at the Porsche curves during the evening, after spinning into the gravel and making contact with the #61 SEM9.Axle Porsche GTE of Alister Yoong, who was already off the road thanks to a separate incident just ahead.

A GAME OF CHESS IN GTE

The GTE category was no less intense. In the opening phase, 2021 British GT Champion Dennis Lind in the pole-sitting #111 Corvette gradually slipped behind the leading bunch. It was a Porsche Esports Team benefit for the opening hour, the #91 leading the sister entry #92. The #71 BMW Team Redline M8 was in third, ahead of the Ferrari Driver Academy 488 in fourth. It was this top four who would ultimately play a strategic game of cat and mouse for 24 hours.

The #71 BMW was seemingly able to extend its early stints by one lap over the Porsches, something it has been trying to do in each Series race so far. It took until seven hours complete before the relentless BMW, then in the hands of Siggy, took the lead from the IndyCar and NASCAR Xfinity driver Sage Karam.

The Porsches stayed close, however, and looked to have the quickest pace, if not the ideal strategy. Ferrari was not out of contention either, and through the night would trade podium places with the two Porsches depending on stint length. All four were closely matched, but BMW Team Redline was slowly, but surely, edging away.

Then disaster struck the #92 Porsche in the dead of night with just over 14 hours of the race left. With Tommy Østgaard behind the wheel, Nico Varrone in the #65 Panis Racing LMP swept around the nose of the Porsche at Karting and punted the GTE competitor into the barrier.

With heavy damage sustained, only one manufacturer-backed Porsche now remained in the race. They weren’t the only competitors in this class to encounter some hiccups, although it must be said that the GTE class showcased superlative driving standards in general.

Early on, the #56 Porsche driven by Britcar race winner Jimmy Broadbent was squeezed by FIA WEC driver Ben Barker in the #86 GR Wolves Racing 911 entering the second Mulsanne chicane. The two cars then collided twice again off the track. For their efforts, Barker received a drivethrough penalty for making contact at the corner entry, while Broadbent received one for contact off the track.

The #86 would retire with engine failure four hours later, the GR Wolves team racing live from the football team’s Molineux Stadium. Sadly for R8G Esports, its #15 LMP and #888 GTE entries collided at the Porsche Curves, putting the latter driven by French F4 driver Elliott Vayron heavily into the barriers, but thankfully not into retirement.

As the race headed towards the end, and with just over two hours left, the #77 Proton Competition Porsche started trading places with the Ferrari for third. Having plugged away all race, Kevin van Dooren diced on track with Ferrari GT factory racing driver Nicklas Nielsen. The pair went side-by-side through the second Mulsanne chicane, then through Indianapolis and again through Arnage. A lap later, while running alongside each other through Indianapolis once more, Nielsen slid into the barrier and was forced to pit for damage repairs. Proton was now clear in third.

A SHOWCASE FOR RACING ESPORTS

In the end, it was the Realteam Hydrogen Redline with drivers Drugovich, Rowland, Rietveld and Smidl who crossed the line first after 24 gruelling hours, taking a second victory of the series and overall championship laurels to boot. The #1 finished in second, one and a half minutes behind a second victory, while the #4 ended up third and a lap behind, just missing out of LMVS glory.

“This feels like redemption for last year, an amazing performance by the team in such an incredible event,” said Atze Kerkhof, director of Team Redline. “Now 2022 is starting really well like this. [In GTE] we pulled it off. We had a great strategy, perfect engineers and teamwork. Today, we were not the better car, but we pulled it off.”

In GTE, BMW Team Redline made it look easy from halfway onwards, with Siggy, Rudy van Buren, Lorenzo Colombo and Enzo Bonito sharing the spoils. In fact, the team recovered from a mid-race scare when van Buren’s sim equipment failed, resulting in a real-world three-hour drive to Siggy’s location in order to jump on his sim rig and complete the requisite race mileage.

“We are very happy [with the event]. When you put 116 simulators, representing the 50 cars, dispatching across 28 countries for 24 hours and connected to the same server without any technical failure during the long race, it’s very satisfying,” said Gérard Neveu, 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual Executive Producer.

#LemansVirtual THAT'S IT !! After 24 hours of simracing, here are the provisional results. My @MsportXtra partner @BentViscaal comes home in 3rd after a scary moment at the start of the race. @EsportBurst @ByKOLLES #MsportXtra @LeMansVirtual @24hoursoflemans @TeamRedlineSim pic.twitter.com/tJSeynJX8p

— #MsportXtra (@MsportXtra) January 16, 2022

[Note: The above story is as per the press release with no edits made]

L'entrada #70 Redline wins 2022 Le Mans Virtual; Verstappen’s #123 crashed out ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

After testing with Van Amersfoort Racing in the post-season Abu Dhabi F2 test, Bolukbasi has confirmed a full season in the championship in 2022 with Czech outfit Charouz. He will make his debut in the series, graduating from a stint in Euroformula Open.

He didn’t do a full season there with first three rounds missed but having joined the series late, Bolukbasi started off with a bang winning the first race in entered with Van Amersfoort. He eventually scored two wins and registered eight podiums.

He finished fifth despite missing the first three rounds and now embarks on a big journey in F2 to make it into F1 in future. “I’m really, really happy to join Charouz Racing System for the FIA Formula 2 2022 season,” said Bolukbasi.

“I worked so hard to get an opportunity like this and first of all, I want to thank Charouz for putting their trust in me, I’ll do my very best to honour it. I obviously can’t wait to get in the car for the testing sessions, after my first taste of an old GP2 car later last year.

“It’s as close as you can get to a Formula 1 car and I’m fully determined to give my 110% to learn how to master it and prove my potential as a driver. I also can’t wait to start working with the team, the season ahead is gonna be very long and demanding and establishing the best possible relationship with all the guys is going to be crucial for the final outcome.”

Meanwhile, Charouz Team Owner Antonin Charouz added: “We’re more than delighted to welcome a brilliant driver like Cem in our Formula 2 team. It will be a challenging and exciting new experience for him, but he has already shown that he has the numbers to learn quickly and get some good results in some of the most competitive and difficult Formula 1-feeder categories.

“It’s going to be a long and tough season with 14 rounds, and that could be something he can take advantage of. On our side, we’ll obviously do everything we can to provide him with the best car and guide him in his learning path.”

2022 F2 line-up so far:

UNI-Virtuosi Racing: Jack Doohan, Marino Sato

MP Motorsport: Clement Novalak, Felipe Drugovich

Campos Racing: Ralph Boschung

Carlin: Logan Sargeant

DAMS: Roy Nissany

ART GP: Theo Pourchaire

Charouz Racing System: Cem Bolukbasi

L'entrada Bolukbasi joins Charouz for debut F2 season in 2022 ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual will return on January 15-16 with another edition. The race will feature 2021 F1 champion Verstappen who will team-up with IndyCar racer Felix Rosenqvist alongside Maximilian Benecke and Atze Kerkhof for #123 Team Redline.

The latter two are the two ESports racers which each team consist of. Verstappen will be racing in the lead LMP2 class which will also feature Fernando Alonso from the current F1 grid, but the Spaniard will only captain the pair of Alpine cars entered for the race.

Alpine academy’s Victor Martins will drive one of the cars. Among other racing drivers, both Montoya Sr and Jr (Sebastian) are also part of the event with the duo driving for #24 LMVS Guest Car as the reigning IndyCar champion Palou is to drive for #966 Team Fordzilla.

Other notable race car drivers include Oliver Rowland, Sergio Sette Camara, Sage Karam, Bent Viscaal, Felipe Drugovich, Fabienne Wohlwend, Ayla Agren, Beitske Visser, Louis Deletraz, Dani Juncadella, Gabriel Aubry, Job van Uitert, Yifei Ye, Bruno Spengler,  Tom Dillmann, Franco Colapinto, Gabriele Mini, Alex Smolyar and more.

Here’s the entry list: https://lemansvirtual.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/24HLMV_provisional-entry-list_060122.pdf

You can watch the race live on Traxion.GG’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels from 5 am PT / 8 am ET / 1 pm GMT / 2 pm CET on Saturday, 15th January 2022 with qualifying the day before.

L'entrada Verstappen, Montoya, Palou enter to compete in Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The 2021 F1 ESports Series Pro championship continued this week with three more races in Round 4, where Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull took one win each to close the year, as the German outfit took double glory in the season-finale.

With $750,000 prize money at stake, the Round 4 was broadcasted live from, the Gfinity arena in London as the racers used the 2021 F1 game by Codemasters. The season continued with the races in Imola, Mexico City and Interlagos.

Starting the final weekend in Imola, Ferrari were on pace with David Tonizza who scored his first win of the year in style ahead of Mercedes’ Jarno Opmeer who added more points to his kitty to strengthen his drivers’ championship bid.

But Tonizza did not have it easy initially as he trailed McLaren’s Josh Idowu for much of the race until the final few laps when the latter spun to end up only 11th. Meanwhile, it was a fightback from Red Bull’s Frederik Rasmussen who climbed up from 15th to third.

AlphaTauri’s Joni Tormala was fourth from the other Ferrari of Brendon Leigh in the Top 5, as Aston Martin’s Lucas Blakely’s damage dropped him to 10th as his title chances slipped further. His title rival Opmeer then had a fantastic run in Mexico City.

Starting third behind Rasmussen and McLaren’s Bari Boroumand, but took the lead after a three-way fight. The trio remain together for much of the race where Opmeer played a tactical game where he let go of his rival at one point before snatching the lead back.

Opmeer went on to win the race as Rasmussen was second but dropped to third after a 5s penalty, promoting Boroumand to second. Mercedes’ Daniel Moreno’s fourth place secured the teams’ title, as Leigh rounded out the Top 5 in the order.

Heading into the final race, Opmeer had a healthy advantage and so he could see-through the race without taking much risks. Rasmussen, though, tried hard to win and hope for a problem to Opmeer. The Swede started 10th and went long in his first stint.

He then fought back on fresher tyres to win from Blakeley, but a fourth place for Opmeer secured the drivers’ title by eight points to Rasmussen. AlphaTauri’s Sebastien Job secured his first podium in third as Idowu rounded out the Top 5.

“In what has been a record-breaking year for the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco, I wanted to thank all the teams and individuals that made this season’s championship possible,” said Stefano Domenicali. “It has been an incredible fight from start to finish with some brilliant racing, and I wanted to congratulate the winners, Mercedes and Jarno Opmeer. Wishing everyone a great festive season, and we look forward to an even more exciting year for F1 Esports in 2022!”

Here’s Race 1 and Race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIDF2afJn0Y

Here’s Race 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AsEkzl1nSs

Here’s how F1 ESports Round 3 panned out

L'entrada F1 ESports: Opmeer and Mercedes secure 2021 drivers’ and teams’ titles ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions in place, the 2021 FIA Gala was held with most present in the ceremony after it was held virtually in 2020. There were many who couldn’t come and send a recording of theirs for winning their respective prize.

Apart from the champions and runners-up getting their trophies, the FIA also had some other special awards, whose recipients were only revealed during the ceremony hosted by Nicki Shields and Julien Fabreau from the headquarters at Geneva.

First up was the award for the FIA Rookie of the Year, which went to Alpine’s Oscar Piastri – as chosen by the Divers’ Commission – for his supreme title-winning season in F2 with Prema. He didn’t get a F1 drive for 2022 but is in a reserve role with the French outfit.

Piastri became the third F2 driver to get the award after Yuki Tsunoda and Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque won it twice, one as a F1 driver too. Other winners include Daniil Kvyat (F1), Max Verstappen (F1), Alex Albon (F1) and Kevin Hansen (European Rallycross).

Moving on to the FIA Action of the Year, it went to Alpine’s Alonso for his superb defence against Hamilton from Hungarian GP, where he battled with his former teammate for multiple laps and kept him behind for as long as possible.

He was voted as best by the fans. Previous winners included Kimi Raikkonen, Verstappen (four times, three in F1 and one in F3), Esapekka Lappi (WRC) and Teemu Suninen (WRC). The FIA Personality of the Year award then went to Hamilton.

It was voted by the permanent accredited media and it was his fourth time winning the award – second year in succession – as other holders included Verstappen (three times in F1), Robert Kubica (WRC) and Niki Lauda (F1).

Apart from these three, outgoing FIA President Jean Todt was presented with multiple gifts for his last day at helm, as the ceremony eventually closed with Verstappen getting his winning trophy. Prior to that Valtteri Bottas collected this third place trophy as James Allison took the constructors’ title with Hamilton and Toto Wolff skipping the event.

Here’s the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjTWjOcWYFA

Here’s what FIA WMSC said regarding Abu Dhabi and 2026 PU

Here’s what Toto Wolff said

L'entrada Alonso, Hamilton, Piastri & others win awards in 2021 FIA Prize Gala ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The 2021 F1 ESports Series Pro championship continued this week with three more races in Round 3, where Mercedes as a team scored two, while Aston Martin took one to bring itself into the championship fight with the final round in December.

With $750,000 prize money at stake, the Round 3 was broadcasted live from, the Gfinity arena in London as the racers used the 2021 F1 game by Codemasters. The season continued with the races in Portimao, Zandvoort and the Circuit of the Americas.

Starting Race 1 in Portimao, Aston Martin’s Lucas Blakeley led from start to finish to secure a dominant win over Red Bull’s Frederik Rasmussen – both doing well to eat into the championship leader’s points. Alpine’s Fabrizio Donoso rounded out the podium.

Mercedes’ leading driver was Daniel Moreno in fourth as points leader Jarno Opmeer could only manage seventh behind AlphaTauri’s Joni Tormala and Ferrari’s David Tonizza. The second race at Zandvoort saw Moreno battle on with Rasmussen for the win.

The latter took the lead early on but the former fought back to register his first F1 ESports win of the season. Blakeley was third which allowed him to take over the championship after Opmeer ended up only sixth behind McLaren’s Bari Boroumand and Tonizza.

But the final race at COTA changed the lead after Opmeer took the win and F1 ESports points lead after passing Alpine’s Nicolas Longuet late in the race with Rasmussen making it three second place finishes in row to keep his title chances alive.

Boroumand was fourth again ahead of Tonizza with Blakeley in sixth helped him to retain second place in the standings ahead of the final three races. In the team battle, Mercedes took 23 points lead over Red Bull with them having 55 points over Aston Martin.

Here’s Race 1 and Race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zyba4z-lps

Here’s Race 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IvlsvDUG0E&t=4395s

Here’s how F1 ESports Round 2 panned out

L'entrada F1 ESports: Mercedes has two wins and Aston Martin one in Rd 3 of 2021 ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The final round of E1 Championship season two was a cliff hanger. Nine drivers went into the season finale with a possibility of clinching the championship due to the double points on offer. In qualifying it was Championship leader, Muhammad Ibrahim from India who again put it on pole position. However his teammate from Team Flash, Muhammad Aleef, who was sitting third in the championship, was disconnected from qualifying and could not take part. Aleef felt he could have had pole position and the disappointed Singaporean started last for Race 1.

Championship rival, Australia’s Josh Purwien from BlackArts Racing qualified second and had a good start off the line to pressure Ibrahim over the first few laps. However as the race settled down and tyre wear started to play it’s part, Ibrahim stretched his lead and eventually crossed the line to take the win by 7 seconds from Purwien, with Aleef in third. Aleef had a superb race from the back of the grid to third and kept his championship hopes alive heading into Race 2.

In Race 2’s reverse grid race, the pressure was on Ibrahim and the Indian looked very tense during the race. It did not help that contact with Purwien on the opening laps had dropped him down the field. Up front we saw an epic battle that went on between Kalen Chin, Luke Bannister and Inigo Anton from the Philippines. They changed positions several times and it continued up to and through the pit stops, although a mistake in the pits dropped Anton down the field.

After the pit stops, Aleef caught up to the lead battle and eventually overtook Chin for the lead, after Chin had contact with Bannister that also dropped the Australian down the field. However on the last lap of the race, Chin would overtake Aleef for the lead with a good move down the inside of turn 4. Josh Purwien tried to follow his fellow Australian through and he had contact with Aleef that took the Singaporean out of the battle for the lead.

Kalen Chin would hold off Purwien for his and Black Wolf Racing’s first win of the season. Purwien would eventually get a penalty for the collision with Ibrahim, which promoted the Indian to second and Dominic Ang up to third. In the championship, Ibrahim would win his very first E1 Championship title, with Purwien second and Aleef in third.

#E1Championship #SimRacing A recap of Round 8, the final round of Season 2. Qually and 2 races at @SilverstoneUK with the championship for @teamflash_gg driver Muhammad Ibrahim #33 . #MsportXtra @e1race @everygoodgame @eracinggpsea pic.twitter.com/0xm6OLZv9U

— #MsportXtra (@MsportXtra) November 4, 2021

Here’s where you can watch it: https://www.facebook.com/e1championship

Here’s how Round 7 in E1 Championship panned out

[Note: The above is as per press release with no edits made]

L'entrada E1 Championship: Summary of Season 2’s finale at Silverstone ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The 2021 F1 ESports Series Pro championship continued this week with three more races in Round 2, where Red Bull’s Frederick Rasmussen scored two, while his teammate Marcel Kiefer took one win against their names in a dominant show.

With $750,000 prize money at stake, the Round 2 was broadcasted live from, the Gfinity arena in London as the racers used the 2021 F1 game by Codemasters. The season continued with the races in Silverstone, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps.

Starting on pole in Race 1 at Silverstone, Rasmussen held onto to his lead pretty much until Mercedes’ Dani Moreno took it away from him. But it wasn’t for long as the Red Bull driver fought back to retake it and win the opener by 0.528s.

Aston Martin’s Lucas Blakeley continued his fine form in third, as Alpine’s Nicolas Longuet and McLaren’s Bari Boroumand rounded out the Top 5, where the likes of Ferrari and AlphaTauri also scored points by finishing in the Top 10.

The Monza event saw both Kiefer and Rasmussen in fine form by running 1-2 for most part until Mercedes’ Jarno Opmeer took second from the latter. It was further misery for him when Ferrari’s David Tonizza spun him around to drop him out of the podium contention.

While Moreno and Tonizza finished third and fourth, but separate penalties saw them drop down, which helped Blakeley to take another podium finish behind Opmeer. Alpine’s Fabrizio Donoso was fourth from AlphaTauri’s Sbeastien Job in the Top 5.

The likes of McLaren and Williams scored points in the Top 10, as the final event in Spa saw another masterclass from Rasmussen in wet conditions to dominate the proceedings. Opmeer was second after he cleared Kiefer on the final lap.

There was more misery for the Red Bull racer as he even lost to Tonizza who made it in the Top 3, leaving Kiefer only fourth from Longuet in the Top 5. The likes of Aston Martin, ALphaTauri and Alfa Romeo managed to score points in the Top 10.

Here’s all the F1 results plus standings:

Here’s Race 1 and Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4SuoRWJJ9Y

Here’s Race 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILpBEhJ2RHk

Here’s how F1 ESports Round 1 panned out

L'entrada F1 ESports: Red Bull clean sweeps Rd 2 with three wins; tie in teams tally ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

Round 7 was a historic race as the teams ran the Lotus 49 on fixed setup around Monza combined with the banking. Luke Banister took his first pole of the season and led off the line in race 1. Due to the long straights coupled with the flat out banking, the races turned into a slipstream fest with cars continuously jockeying for position.

Eventually Malaysia’s Naquib Azlan moved to the front of the train and he along with Banister and Mikko Nassi from Safehouse soon pulled a gap after an incident between Inigo Anton and Kalen Chin caused the leading group to break up.

The leading trio were three wide going through the last lap and eventually Mikko Nassi out braked himself at the very last lap of the race causing himself and Banister to run wide. A relieved Naquib crossed the line to record his second win of the year with Banister third and the recovering Inigo Anton from the Philippines in third.

In Race 2 the reverse grid race saw a massive incident as Championship leader Josh Purwien was taken out at the first corner by Garrido. Joshua Thomas from Australia led the first half of the race before being caught by previous championship leader, Muhammad Ibrahim from Team Flash and Naquib Azlan.

Ibrahim was able to reel off consecutive fast laps just after the pitstop to take a 2 second lead, which he would hold on to the flag to register his fifth win of the season. Naquib was second with Thomas third. Ibrahim now leads the championship by 12 points from Josh Purwien in second and Muhammad Aleef in third.

#E1Championship #SimRacing Season 2, Round 7 was at the combined @Autodromo_Monza . Here's a recap of the results. #MsportXtra @e1race @everygoodgame @iRacing pic.twitter.com/Vh9HqrOnWF

— #MsportXtra (@MsportXtra) October 23, 2021

Here’s where you can watch it: https://www.facebook.com/e1championship

Here’s how Round 6 in E1 Championship panned out

[Note: The above is as per press release with no edits made]

L'entrada E1 Championship: Summary of Season 2’s Round 7 at Monza ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.

The 19-year-old Vesti has been surrounded by motorsport his entire life. He won the Rotax Nordic Championship in 2012, the Danish Championship (KFJ) in 2015, and most recently the Formula Regional European Championship in 2019.

Vesti has also competed in the F4 United States Championship, Italian Formula 4, Macau Grand Prix, and recently finished his second FIA F3 season. It was quite the 2021 season for him where he finished fourth – a bit lower than what he expected.

But it was a big year when he signed on as a Mercedes junior driver and switched from PREMA Racing to ART Grand Prix. FormulaRapida.net had the chance to catch up with the Dane and talk about they year, future, Twitch and his father’s contribution:

Q) You’ve had five podiums this season, very consistent and ended up P4, no P3 unfortunately. Was everything somewhat how you expected it to go?

Frederik Vesti: “Well, it was certainly not how I expected it to go. I’ve had really highs this year, taking pole position and winning races, but at the same time I’ve also had a lot of lows, making mistakes in qualifying costing me a lot of points in Zandvoort, for example.  I had car failures while being in a very good position for points. In fact, I’ve had five car failures this year which is just not good when you’re fighting for a championship, so that has probably been the most difficult part. Very frustrating.

Q) You moved from Prema to ART GP this year, so how did that go this year at the beginning and now looking back?

Vesti: “Yeah, I must say, it’s been a very interesting year for me and I’ve developed a lot personally. Of course, I’ve developed as I should as a driver, but especially as a person you know the mental part has been really challenging and sometimes changing team when you come from a team where everything is family. Everything in Prema, I’ve been there for two years and then suddenly in a new French team, new language, new people, new team chiefs, new car, new engineer, there’s lots of things to learn there and for sure that took a bit of time to get used to, but as soon as I got used to it, there was a lot of work to be done and I’ve really learned a lot. Also, it is good to change team already in Formula 3 because some people go in the same team from F4 to F3 to F2 and then eventually makes it into F1 and then in F1 you have to change team and new people and then that’s the first time you try it, but with this experience I definitely have learned many new things that I’ll bring with me in the future so that’s a really helpful thing.

Q) Talking about your future. What do you have in store for next year because obviously nothing is announced yet, so another F3 season, maybe possible a new F2 season?

Vesti: “We currently haven’t got anything to say really, it’s difficult to comment on anything. We’re working every single day, talking to potential partners. So we are pushing extremely hard to make this happen, if it’s in F2 which is what I’m pushing foror other categories, I don’t know yet, but I definitely want the best for my career and that’s what I’m working for together with my manager Dorte and Mercedes of course.”

Q) About Mercedes, tell us bit about that, you said that talks started in 2018. What have you learnt so far with Mercedes?

Vesti: “Yeah, well, it’s been the first year as a Mercedes junior driver and it’s true I’ve been talking to them for three years before I finally got the contract with them. Of course it hasn’t been the year I expected in F3, but they’ve still been there for me, helping me out in the difficult moments which has been important, you know, to have such a good team and engineers and people around it’s just another boost to my career. It’s a help, it’s an extra help to what I already have from my own team, so that’s very good. And of course I’ve been learning a lot from the people at Mercedes.”

Q) Continuing on with the Mercedes conversation, considering it was your first year with them, what was the programme like for you and how was it with the simulator. how was it with representing them is there any pressure, what comes with it?

Vesti: “This year we decided to focus 100% on F3 because I was on a new team and also because of COVID travel restrictions and so on, it was quite difficult. So purely for all those reasons, we decided to really focus on F3. Of course being in contact with Mercedes, talking to them on development and all these kinds of things, but going to the factory hasn’t happened this year simply due to COVID, but I’m definitely pushing to be able to go in the near future and definitely throughout next year.”

Q) George Russell had kind of a very similar path to you being a Mercedes junior driver then going to ART GP, so do you think you can look up to someone in that whose been in positions you’ve been in and you see them doing really well, successfully considering he’s moving next year. You feel like you’re gonna follow into that. Does that give you something to look up to, to look forward to maybe?

Vesti: “Well I think it’s really motivating that Mercedes are finally giving George the chance in F1, I really believe he deserves that. I believe. he’s good enough for that, so that’s really cool as a young driver. It’s really good to see that if you’re good enough you’re actually going to get the opportunity so it’s a big motivation for me to keep sending it.

Q) Moving on to Twitch now, diverging a bit, you had the Le Petit Le Mans so tell us about that, how was that?

Vesti: “It was actually quite funny because after I think, it was Tuesday morning after Sochi, I arrived home late on Monday and I went on my computer and I just saw that Felipe Drugovich was online. I called him up just to ask him about the weekend in Sochi and talk about my weekend talk about his, you know we’re good friends. We were driving a bit in our simulators together and then I realised that the last weekend now, was the 10 hour race in iRacing, so I asked him if we should just do it and we started practising, so we drove races all week to practise and then we did the race and won it. So you know it was just a fun thing but it turned out really well so that was really good.

Q) And finally, your father is heavily involved in motorsport, how did that affect you as a person, did it help you become who you are today in a way?

Vesti: “Yeah my dad is the reason why I’m here today, why I’m in F3 this year, he’s been working so hard and sometimes he had three jobs to make me race, both running his car company, running the team I was driving and you know flying around to find potential partners for me as well. He’s definitely the reason why I’m here and he’s improved me a lot throughout the years, since I was born, was first time on a motorbike with support wheels. From a bike when I was two and a half years old, so yeah, I started early with engines and fuel and everything around that. So it came natural to me to start racing and I’ve never ever thought about why I started just when I started I got the opportunity and since that first day I just loved it.”

The story was written by Selena Aburas

Here’s the 2022 F3 calendar

Here’s Pirelli on changes to F3 tyres

Here’s interview with Clement Novalak

L'entrada Vesti Q&A: F3 2021, team switch, Mercedes, Twitch, father’s role & more ha aparegut primer a FormulaRapida.net.