Formula 1: Sprint Race Format, Verstappen to Leave?

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has threatened to leave Formula 1. Verstappen has recently shared his distaste for propositions put forth by the FIA regarding sprint races and changes to the race weekend format. He stated “I’m not a fan of how many races we do nowadays and I’m not a fan of changing the whole format [without practice sessions] either. They have to be careful not to change the whole DNA of Formula One. I do think it’s important that they don’t play with that too much, because then of course at one point it stops. The way I used to watch Formula 1 when I was younger, I really liked it, looking forward to the race on Sunday. When you do so many races as we do nowadays maybe you can cut out one practice session, but other than that, I don’t think you need to change many things. The only thing you have to look at is making the field closer, so the gaps between all teams, which leads to more exciting racing in general.”

Chatter in the paddock

The FIA introduce an idea to add sprint races to select race weekends. One one side proponents argue that this levels the playing field a bit and gives drivers more opportunities to score championship points. Opponents argue that the format increases risk for drivers at the will of fan demand.

Others such as Sky Fox Sports analyst and former driver Martin Brundle have other thoughts. Brundle recently stated in a Sky Sports commentary, “I don’t know if it’ll be changing. I like the format we’ve got now. Of course, we ended up with the qualifying system we’ve got and everything about Formula 1 because we’ve changed it in the past and finessed it and evolved. That’s the key word, it needs evolving.”

Brundle continued to speak on Sprint Races

“I don’t know why we’re messing around with the sprint concept already if I’m honest and again, I don’t see why it needs to be standalone, that’s the whole purpose. Teams and the drivers love data driven certainty and the sport and the fans want to sit down and watch some uncertainty which they certainly had in Melbourne.” He continued, “The whole purpose of the sprint race, and it’s worked on a number of occasions already, was to maybe just spice up the actual race day grid a little bit and brilliantly it gives us qualifying on Friday, sprint race Saturday and the main grand prix on Sunday.”

F1 Teams vote on sprint race format

Prior to the Australian Grand Prix start the team principals from every team met to vote on a format that would be agreeable by all parties. Their previously started concerns where that F1 didn’t need 3 practice sessions prior to qualifying. Other concerns were that the teams need clarify on how qualifying would be impact by the additional of sprint races. Would there be separate qualifying session for the sprint and grand prix? In terms of wear and tear what are teams being asked to account for?

Power unit and car component allocations are of the utmost concern here. More races and more time on track leads to more concerns for component longevity and reliability. Additionally, tire allocations and use are also a point of discussion. It would not be feasible to introduce sprint races and maintain the current tire allocation schedules for race weekends.

An agreement made?

Early reports suggest an agreement has be made. However, whether the agreement will be implemented will depend on additional approvals by a number of F1 governing bodies. It is yet known if these changes will be implemented before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 3 weeks time.

Redbull Team principal Christian Horner also spoke out telling the media, “The reality is it’s absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year in a street race like Azerbaijan, but I think from a spectacle point of view, from a fan point of view, it’s probably going to be one of the most exciting Sprint races of the year. From a cost gap perspective, all you can do is trash your car and it costs a lot of money around there. So one race is enough in Baku. The fact that we’ve got two… yeah, there could well be some action there. But that’s part of the challenge and it’s part of the task that we’ve got.”

The proposed weekend format that appears to have the most traction is as follows:

Will Verstappen Quit?

In the past Verstappen has commented on his limited future in Formula 1. Its clear that he is not a huge fan of the format changes. He has previously expressed interest in endurance racing in the future but no real commitments have been made. However, Martin Brundle put it perfectly [referring to Max quitting F1], “I would be surprised, but if he doesn’t want to drive it, there are a million other people who would want to drive that Red Bull. I think what he is trying to say is ‘don’t mess around too much’. I get his point on that, but I don’t really see why that would make him stop.” We don’t see Verstappen making any drastic moves any time soon. He’s in the fastest car on the grid and will want to add to his legacy as a 2 time world champion.

If you didn catch the Australian Grand Prix you can check Australia Grand Prix Recap

Press Release from Formulad.com. This article was not authored by Speed Trap Magazine Staff.

Big things are happening at ENEOS in 2023. As Japan’s largest oil company, supplier of motor oil and transmission fluids to the majority of Asian vehicle manufacturers, and producer of specialized fluids for Electric Vehicles, the company is embarking on a full drift program that not only encompasses both the Formula DRIFT PRO and PROSPEC championships, but will also incorporate events such as Gridlife and a return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for good measure!

Taking a major step forward in its motorsports program, ENEOS has created a talented team for 2023 that includes six experienced drivers competing at every level, from grassroots to series Champions. 

2023 TEAM ENEOS:

• Fredric Aasbo
• Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis
• Ben Hobson
• Faruk Kugay
• Rich Whiteman
• Dai Yoshihara

DAI YOSHIHARA

Among the team members is fan favorite Daijiro Yoshihara who not only worked at a Japanese ENEOS gas station in his youth but was a founding member of Team ENEOS back in 2017. Although the 2011 Formula DRIFT Champion retired from the series at the end of the 2021 season, he has continued to be a valued ENEOS ambassador. Among his 2022 highlights, Dai recorded the fastest EV run at Pikes Peak in the Turn 14 Distribution / Yokohama Tire / ENEOS / Evasive Motorsports Tesla Model 3, which placed him ninth overall. And in 2023, Dai will return to the hill climb with a new car and attempt to repeat his Unlimited Class win he claimed in 2020 in the Evasive Motorsports / Turn 14 Distribution / ENEOS 2JZ-powered Toyota 86.

Additionally, ENEOS will be supporting the 2023 “Ride with Dai” program, where drift fans are able to purchase or win a seat alongside the former Champion in his modified FD PRO competition Subaru BRZ. The Japanese driver will also be embarking on a season in the TC America racing series, with the first race already under his belt.

FREDRIC AASBO

With Dai’s departure from Formula DRIFT, ENEOS entered into negotiations with Papadakis Racing to support three-time and reigning Formula DRIFT Champion, Fredric Aasbo. As a result, the Norwegian driver joined Team ENEOS in 2022 and won his most recent title in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra, lubricated by ENEOS engine and gear oils.

Accumulating FD PRO Championships in 2015, 2021 and 2022, Fredric joined an elite club of drivers with three titles. The two other drivers include Chris Forsberg and James Deane, with only the Irishman winning three in a row. However, if Aasbo claims the 2023 title, he would match Deane’s feat while simultaneously becoming the first four-time Champion in the history of the sport, which would be especially coveted as the series celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year.

With relatively few major changes planned for the car, Fredric hopes to continue his scintillating 2022 form at the opening round in Long Beach on April 7-8. However, he’ll face a new challenger with the return of Deane after a three-year hiatus, in addition to the existing drivers who made Fredric fight for every point last year.

ODI BAKCHIS

One of Aasbo’s main rivals throughout his FD career has been Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis. The Lithuanian driver has been an incredibly strong, consistent contender since he joined the series in 2011. Throughout that time, Odi has been a regular in the top ten standings, finishing third in the Championship in both 2019 and 2021. In the process, Odi has accumulated numerous podium finishes and is always an imminent threat to win his first Championship title.

For 2023, Odi will be running ENEOS motor and gear oils in his Feal Suspension Nissan S15, which has been fully rebuilt during the off-season to prepare for a major title assault. New for the season will be a switch to GT Radial tires, which his 1000hp Vortech-supercharged 7.0-liter Texas Speed LSR engine with Holley management will certainly put to the test. Odi channels the power through a G-Force GSR transmission with ACT twin-plate clutch and Winter’s quick-change diff. Using Wisefab arms and uprights, Odi fitted his own Feal Suspension 443 drift-spec coilover kit and adjustable bump stops. Dressed in new, lightweight glass fiber and carbon fiber bodywork from Seibon and 2F Performance, the car will sport a brand new Feal Suspension / ENEOS livery for maximum impact throughout the season.

BEN HOBSON

Joining Odi at both Team Feal and Team ENEOS is Ben Hobson, who will be mounting a renewed effort in the Formula DRIFT PROSPEC Championship in 2023. After an explosive rookie year in 2021, Ben placed tenth overall and repeated the feat in 2022. However, he’s stepping things up this year with the Pedal Commander / Feal Suspension Nissan S14 built by Team Feal.

In a match made in heaven, both Ben and Odi started their racing careers on two wheels and will be attacking the PRO and PROSPEC titles in almost identical cars shod with GT Radial tires. Ben’s car is a Nissan S14 fitted with the same 7.0L Texas Speed LSR racing engine, although PROSPEC regulations require it to use a Link ECU. However, the car also has the same G-Force transmission, diff, bodywork, Feal 443 drift suspension and more. It will also use the same ENEOS engine and gear oil to significantly reduce wear and offer a small but valuable power advantage.

FARUK KUGAY

The fifth member of Team ENEOS, Faruk has been a crucial component for several years, using ENEOS motor and gear oil both in drift competition and a string of SEMA projects cars he’s built for the Japanese company.

Born in Poland, Faruk started drifting in 2002, organized his own drift events in Europe from 2007 where he also announced, judged and even taught drifting to other enthusiasts. Returning to the California Bay Area in 2012, Faruk dedicated himself to professional competition, earning his Formula DRIFT PRO2 (PROSPEC) license in 2015 and unlocking his PRO license the next year. After completing the 2020 PRO season, Faruk took a sabbatical but is returning to the PROSPEC Championship for 2023 with ENEOS Motor Oil to reignite his ambitions in his “de-tuned” PRO Championship ENEOS / Pedal Commander Nissan S15 with its 900hp 2JZ engine swap.

Outside of FD, Faruk has hosted Sonoma Drift events on Wednesday nights at Sonoma Raceway since 2014 and also organizes the annual Winter Jam drift event. And when he’s not traveling for competitions, you’ll find Faruk at his shop DEVSPEED, located at Sonoma Raceway. This is where he has created a series of SEMA show cars for ENEOS, including an E30 BMW with Honda F20C S2000 engine swap in 2021 and  a Porsche 911 GT3 with Subaru STI engine swap in 2022. Plans are already underway for SEMA 2023, so be sure to check out the ENEOS website and social media channels to discover his next incredible creation.

RICH WHITEMAN 

The sixth member of Team ENEOS has decided to take a step back from his FD PROSPEC program in 2023. He joined the series in 2021 with an impressive history of claiming podiums in under-powered cars. He continued to find success, placing 11th and 12th overall in the 2021 and 2022 season, respectively. However, Rich has chosen to take a break from FD this year to focus on refining both his 1000hp Toyota JZX100 and his skills.

He plans to return to the series once he’s fine-tuned everything by attending grassroots events such as Gridlife, HyperFest, Final Bout, Super D, LZ Invitationals, and several other pro-am competition series throughout the year. In this role, Rich will continue to be another crucial member of Team ENEOS as he demonstrates the superior engine and transmission protection provided by ENEOS engine and gear oils in a number of vehicles, including his SR20DET-powered Nissan PS13 and his JZX100.

OPENING ROUNDS

The opening round of the 2023 Formula DRIFT PRO Championship takes place at Streets of Long Beach on April 7-8. This is where Fredric and Odi will have their first opportunity to represent Team ENEOS and begin the title chase; with Fredric aiming to claim his fourth Championship or Odi to achieve his first.

On May 11-13, Formula DRIFT moves to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the first round of the PROSPEC Championship, giving Ben and Faruk a chance to wave the flag for ENEOS and size up their competition. The event will also host Round 2 for the FD PRO teams and bring four members of our team together. Please visit formulad.com for the competition schedule and the free-to-view event livestream.

Prior to the Formula DRIFT kick off, Dai completed his first TC America race weekend, which took place on March 30 – April 2 at Sonoma Raceway. After qualifying on pole for his first race and leading from the start, Dai was sidelined with transmission problems. And with the team unable to make repairs, he didn’t compete in race two. Dai will now focus on rounds three and four at NOLA Motorsports Park on 28-30 April. 

For Rich, the first event with his FD PROSPEC JZX100 will be Hyperfest on May 19-21 at Virginia International Raceway.

Please visit eneos.us for more information about Team ENEOS, as well as the latest engine and gear oils as well as where to purchase.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fans can follow Team ENEOS at the following links:

• instagram.com/ENEOSUSA
• instagram.com/daiyoshihara
• instagram.com/fredricaasbo
• instagram.com/odidrift
• instagram.com/benhobson213
• instagram.com/faruk.kugay
• instagram.com/rich_whiteman_

ABOUT ENEOS

Established in 1888 and headquartered in Tokyo, ENEOS is Japan’s largest oil company, with manufacturing and sales facilities throughout the world. With a unique position in its home market, ENEOS has worked with Asia’s automakers and leading race teams for decades, creating advanced lubricants with their vehicle engineers to provide optimum fuel economy with maximum power and long-term protection. ENEOS also recently announced a new line of products for future electric vehicle applications, helping to ensure the newest EV technology is operating as efficiently as possible. For more information, please visit eneos.us

FOLLOW ENEOS USA

facebook.com/ENEOSUSA

instagram.com/ENEOSUSA

twitter.com/ENEOSUSA

youtube.com/ENEOSUSA

eneos.us

After 2022 Toprak Razgatlioglu seemingly had dismissed the idea of joining MotoGP in 2023. It appears that Razgatlioglu has renewed his interest in making the jump. In an interview with Speedweek.com Razgatlioglu discussed his willingness to leave WSBK for MotoGP if the situation works itself out. “My contract with Yamaha ends after this season,” said Toprak Razgatlioglu in theexclusive interview. “Maybe I’ll sign with them [Yamaha] again, maybe I’ll go to another brand. It’s still too early to say anything, a decision will probably not be made until the middle of the year. I hope to be able to ride MotoGP next year. My plan and my dream is to fight for the MotoGP title – or for podiums. At Yamaha, as a Yamaha rider, I have the best chance. As of today, they have room for me in the factory team for next year. If that doesn’t work, we might look at other teams.”

He continued, “I would be the first Turkish rider in the MotoGP World Championship, but that’s not important to me. It’s important that I can finish in the top three. I know everyone in MotoGP is very strong and very close. Maybe my first year wouldn’t be easy and I’d be stronger in my second year. I don’t know it. The GP bike is very different from the Superbike, the tires are different too and I would have to adapt.”

Why not try?

Razgatlioglu is hopeful that Yamaha can produce a bike that taps into their recent success. Fabio Quartararo secured the 2021 World Title with Yamaha. The Razgatlioglu camp will want the opportunity to race a bike that can dominate the field. Razgatlioglu stated, “In 2021 I was Superbike World Champion, now I’m looking at MotoGP. Why shouldn’t I try it there?” Currently sitting in second place in the WSBK championship, Razgatlioglu will look to maximize his case for making the jump. There is one man who stands between him and the top spot. That man is Alvaro Bautista who will be looking to continue his dominance after a successful Barcelona Testing Weekend.

The Long Beach Grand Prix is the third installment of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. The event will serve as the first sprint race on the 2023 calendar. The Long Beach Grand Prix is a 1.968 mile long street course that features 11 turns formed on a temporary street course. The race length is 100 minutes and will only feature the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD) classes unlike the two previous 2023 events the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring which featured LMP2 and LMP3 cars. Last week IMSA released a technical bulletin that will affect some of the cars on grid. You can read more about that here: IMSA Technical Bulletin: Long Beach.

Today IMSA released the 28 car entry list representing 26 teams for the Long Beach Grand Prix. The entrants are as follows:

GTP

Porsche Penske Motorsport/Porsche 963 (2 cars will be entered)
Meyer Shank Racing/Acura ARX-06
Whelen Engineering Cadillac Racing/Cadillac VSeries.R
BMW M Team RLL/BMW M Hybrid V8 (2 cars will be entered)
Konica Minolta Acura (Wayne Taylor Racing)/Acura ARX-06
Cadillac Racing/Cadillac VSeries.R

GTD Pro

The GTD Pro field is a bit thinned out for this race. Only 50% of the teams for 2023 season are included on the official pre-event entry roster

Corvette Racing/Corvette C8.R GTD
Pfaff Motorsports/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Vasser Sullivan/Lexus RC F GT3
Heart of Racing Team/Aston Martin Vantage GT3
WeatherTech Racing No. 79 Mercedes AMG GT3

GTD

Paul Miller Racing/BMW M4 GT3 Michelin BMW
Vasser Sullivan/Lexus RC F GT3
Heart of Racing Team/Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Team Korthoff Motorsports/Mercedes AMG GT3
Winward Racing/Mercedes AMG GT3
Gradient Racing/HPD Acura NSX GT3
Inception Racing/McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
Wright Motorsports/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Forte Racing/Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
AO Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Kellymoss with Riley/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Kellymoss with Riley (Thu Brule’ Skincare)/Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Racers Edge Motorsports/Acura NSX GT3
Turner Motorsport Liqui Moly/BMW M4 GT3
Turner Motorsport McIntosh/BMW M4 GT3

You can catch the race by tuning in:

Race Day/Time:  Saturday, April 15 – 5:05 p.m. ET
NBC Sports Coverage: USA Network and Peacock from 5-7 p.m.
IMSA.com/TVLive Live Qualifying Stream:  Friday, April 14 – 8:10 p.m. ET
IMSA Radio:  All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. (Sirius 217, XM 207, Web/App 992)

Event Hashtags:  #IMSA, #AcuraGPLB, #AcuraGP, #LBGP, #GPLB

Late last week IMSA release a technical bulletin outlining balances of performance changes ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix which kicks off next week. In the bulletin GTP, GTD and GTD Pro cars are affected. The changes are as follows:

GTP

All 4 manufacturers in the GTP class were given minimum weight reductions. The smallest reduction was applied to the BMW M V8 Hybrids where they will be able to reduce weight by 4kg. Cadillac V-Series.R cars may reduce weight by 7kg and the Acura ARX-006s will received a 9kg reduction. The biggest reduction is applied to the Porsche 963s on grid. Porsche are allotted an overall reduction of 12kg which could have a major impact on pace at the Long Beach Street circuit based on its topography.

Maximum power output has also been changed for the BMW M V8 Hybrids and the Porsche 963s on grid. The BMWs received a 2 kilowatt (+2.7 horsepower or hp) increase in maximum output and a 2 MJ (+0.75hp) increase in stint energy. The Porsches were penalized with a 2 kilowatt (-2.7hp) reduction in max power and a 7MJ (-2.6hp) reduction in maximum stint energy. All car but the BMWs will see a slightly lower stint energy recapture rate compared to Sebring. It is yet to be determined if these changes will have a lasting effect on performance. Our first indication will be first free practice 1 for the WeatherTech Championship set to start for 9:00am PST on April 14th 2023.

GTD and GTD Pro

In the GTD and GTD Pro class the biggest changes come for the Lamborghini Huracan GT3s. They stand to receive a 21hp gain in average power output. The McLaren 720s GTE EVOs will see an increase of just under a 16.5hp gain. The Acura NSX GT3s will receive an 8.3hp increase. Amongst those with average power restrictions are the Corvette C8.R GTDs and the Mercedes AMG GT3s. Both will lose around 13hp in average power.

The Long Beach Grand Prix is a 1.968 mile long street course that features 11 turns. The Long Beach grand prix serves as the only street circuit on the IMSA calendar in 2023.

South African rider Brad Binder secured his first sprint race win of the 2023 season in dramatic fashion after starting P15. Binder moved up 12 positions on the first lap in a stunning effort to pass the majority of the pack. By lap three Binder had taken the lead and started to put space between him and the pack. After a late charge Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini completed the podium, finishing +0.072s and +0.877s behind Binder respectively. Bezzecchi had a minor incident early on in the race at turn 5 where he was forced wide and rejoined the track in 8th place.

Championship leader, Francesco Bagnaia, whom started in 3rd could only secure a 6th place finish after struggling to find pace in the late sprint race stages. Luckily for Bagnaia, his championship lead was not relinquished and he will go into the grand prix race with the championship lead. His finish saw him extend his championship lead by 1 point over Maverick Viñales.

Disaster struck for Aleix Espargaro after early success in free practice and qualifying. Espargaro ended up suffering from a low side crash which eliminated him from the race. Joan Mir did not complete the first lap leaving him out of sports scoring contention. Espargaro was not injured in the crash, and should be good to go for the grand prix race. Pole sitter Alex Marquez was not able to capitalize on his P1 start. After an early mistake Marquez salvaged a P5 finish.

The controversy in the MotoGP paddock continues. The Honda Racing Corporation has issued an official press release regarding their intent to challenge the FIM stewards decision to issue Marc Marquez a double long lap penalty for the next race he participates in. Marc Marquez was issued a penalty for a late move during the Portugal Grand Prix that resulted in Jorge Martin suffering an ankle injury and a broken toe. Miguel Oliveira was the second rider involved and later reported tendon damage that will cause him to miss the Argentina Grand Prix. It’s clear HRC has some concerns with how the penalty will be applied. The team is well within their rights to challenge the decision because they believe the FIM did not follow their own processes when issuing this penalty.

Their statement was as follows.

“In relation to the sanction imposed by the FIM on Marc Marquez for the race incident that occurred at the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Repsol Honda Team considers that the modification of the penalty consisted of a change of criteria on when the penalty should be applied, and that this modification was issued by the FIM two days after the initial sanction was final and definitive, is not in line with the current regulations of the FIM for the MotoGP World Championship. For this reason, the Repsol Honda Team intends to use all the means of recourse offered by the regulations in force to defend its rights and legitimate interests, which it considers violated as a result of the latest resolution adopted, and in particular has duly submitted an Appeal before the FIM Appeal Stewards.”

We will keep you updated on any official decisions by the FIM stewards. Marquez has already apologized to the involved riders.

Check out our original coverage on the Portugal Grand Prix here.

Super Sebring weekend at Sebring International Raceway is an iconic event that motorsports fans from around the world flock to see. Sebring International Raceway has hosted the legendary IMSA 12 hours of Sebring for 70 years. Some of the most iconic cars and drivers have forged their legacy here. This past weekend the 71^st Annual Mobil 1 12 hours of Sebring coincided with the FIA WEC 1000 miles of Sebring event for Super Sebring Weekend. Here is the Speed Trap Recap for Super Sebring Weekend 2023 – WEC). Check out Part 2 here for our review of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

WEC

Hypercar

WEC kicked off its season with the 1000 miles of Sebring. Three classes fielded the grid LM GTE AM, LMP2 and the heavily anticipated Hypercar class. The week started off great for the Ferrari AF Corse 499P debut. Antonio Fuoco secured pole clocking a 1m.45.067s to claim pole position from rivals Toyota Gazoo Racing by 0.214s. Ferrari celebrated their first point and maiden pole position for the 2023 season after returning to global endurance racing for the first time in 50 years.

However, these celebrations didn’t last long. After 8 hours and 1000 miles of racing Toyota Gazoo Racing were able to overtake Ferrari for a stunning 1-2 finish in Sebring. Kamui Kobayashi drove the No.7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar that he shared with Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez to the checkered flag 2.168s ahead of the sister No. 8 car which was driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. The No. 7’s victory in Sebring marks Toyota Gazoo’s 40th win in the WEC; continuing their dominance after winning the championship in 2022.

Akio Toyoda (Team Founder, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing):

“A new season has started with new rivals. I would like to say “congratulations” and “thank you” to all the drivers and team members who finished this important first round with a one-two finish. I am particularly happy that car #7 won the race and got off to a good start after they had so many frustrations last season. But that is not the only reason.”

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):
“It is a fantastic feeling to win this race and I would like to thank everyone for their big support, particularly everyone back in Japan, including Toyoda-San and President Sato-San. The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing family has worked really hard to be ready for this season. We had a tough time yesterday, but we came back strongly and in the race we showed our philosophy to be one team, with everyone working very hard together. A one-two was the best result we could hope for, but this is just the start of a big fight this season. We deserved to win but we do not under-estimate the other manufacturers; today our experience helped us but we will face a big challenge this season, so we have to get stronger and fight even harder. This championship is getting really exciting, and I am happy to be part of it.”

LMP2

After finishing fifth in qualifying the No. 48 Hertz Team Jota Oreco-Gibson found the pace over 8 hours to secure their first win of the season with drivers William Stevens, Yifei Ye and David Beckmann. LMP2 finished with 7 cars on the lead lap which is impressive feature in endurance racing. Stevens who finished the race extended the No.48 car’s lead to a 2.8s margin as he crossed the finish line. The victory marks Stevens second win at the 1000 miles of Sebring.

LM GTE AM

Cheers to the home team! The No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R claimed first place in the LM GTE AM class with drivers Nicolas Varrone, Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg. The No. 33 lead for most of the final half of the race never really seeing a threat to that lead. The team finished 2 laps ahead of second place finisher No.77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR 19 driven by Julien Andlauer, Christian Ried and Mikkel Pedersen. The battle for second place was closer with second and third place being decided by just under a 14.6s gap to third place finishers Kessel Racing No. 57 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.

It was a heart breaker for the Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR 19 when driver Rahel Frey ran wide coming out of turn 2 and lost the rear bumper of the car and resulted in the car dropping to 8th place after leading the race for some time. The Iron Dames qualified P1 with driver Sarah Bovy in the LM GTE AM class and were well on the fastest pace throughout the race prior to the Turn 2 incident.

The STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place on the streets of Jeddah this past weekend and in typical Formula 1 fashion; no race can end without a little bit of controversy. Oracle Redbull Racing drivers Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez and Max Verstappen finished with the second Redbull 1-2 finish on the year and Aston Martin driver, and Formula 1 legend, Fernando Alonso showed he still has plenty in the tank racing at the top level at the age of 41 finishing in third. However, there was some controversy regarding Alonso’s third place finish. Alonso was handed a 5 second penalty at the start of the race for being slightly out of grid position lining up just to the left of the box. An early yellow flag followed by a safety car allowed Alonso to serve his time penalty while losing minimal time on track. The issue here is that Alonso was penalized after the race because the pit crew had the rear car jack lined up and touching the No. 14 Aston Martin while serving the penalty. The FIA guidelines state that a car cannot be worked on while serving time penalties. There is no doubt that the team car jack was touching the car during the 5 seconds served. At this point it was unclear whether this constituted “working” on the car or if it is a mere gray area in the pit stop penalty rules. F1.com released the following statement

After the race, and 35 laps after the incident, the FIA stewards issued a 10 second time penalty for the pit crew working on the car while serving a penalty. Just a few hours later the stewards came back with a reversal stating the following, “There was no clear agreement, as was suggested to the Stewards previously, that could be relied upon to determine that parties had agreed that a jack touching a car would amount to working on the car… In the circumstances, we considered that our original decision to impose a penalty on Car 14 needed to be reversed and we did so accordingly.”

After the race Alonso responded to the news regarding the penalty in an interview with Sky Sports F1 stating, “It doesn’t hurt much, to be honest. I was on the podium, I did the pictures, I took the trophy, I celebrated with the champagne. Now I have apparently three points less; I don’t have 15, I have 12.” Aston Martin racing wasted no time to release this tweet regarding the official P3 finish.

The race in Jeddah was otherwise uneventful compared to the drama and controversy of previous years since the circuit has been added to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021. However, speculation is flying all over the web regarding tension in the Oracle Redbull Racing camp. Sergio Perez led the majority of the race. After starting from pole and have a quick change of positions with Fernando Alonso prior to the opening of the pit window. Checo checked out at the front after an early safety car caused by Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll suffering a mechanical failure.

Towards the end of the race Checo’s racing engineer stated that he needs to run “1m:32.6s+ 4” on the team radio. It seemed that Checo assumed this meant to slow down pace and run 1:33.00 lap times until the end of the race. Teammate Max Verstappen had clawed his way from P15 at the start to P2 and was setting 1m:32.6s lap times in the closing lap; reducing the delta to Checo and ignoring team orders regarding reducing pace to ensure both cares finished in a 1-2. Checo was confused on why his team engineer was telling him to set lap times slower than Verstappen despite dominating the race and holding the fastest lap on lap 49/50 which would have secured Checo one additional championship point for the win.

However, on the final lap Verstappen found pace and was able to snatch the fastest lap away from Perez. Whether this was a direct dismissal of team order is unclear. However, what is clear is that in the post race cool down room, Perez did not appear to be thrilled that he lost the fastest lap point. Whether this adds fuel to the rivalry between the Redbull drivers is yet to be known. What is know is that Perez has been the ultimate team player in Verstappen’s key wins to secure 2 world championships. Perez also needed Max’s help toward the end of the 2022 season. Verstappen had already secured the world title and refused to give back a place that would have helped Checo in the drivers points standings. Maybe Perez is starting to think now is the time for him to be the front runner. We will follow this story as it develops in the coming races.

Round 3 of the World Rally Championship (WRC) Guanajuato Rally Mexico kicks off this weekend March 16th-19th 2023 after a 2 year sabbatical from the series. This will be the first gravel based round of the season. With high desert temperatures on the horizon, this round will be the ultimate test of man and car. The stages will take place in the mountains of the state of Guanajuato. The driver will have to navigated dusty, wind and sand dunes at 2700+meters above sea level which will have drastic impacts on power output for the cars.

There will be 23 stages that cover a route totaling to 971.32km traveled from start to finish. The hot and dusty terrain will be a huge switch in the conditions WRC drivers have experienced thus far. Coming from WRC Rally Sweden which is dominantly a snow driven event and WRC Rallye Monte Carlo which is geared more toward asphalt and unpredictable mountain weather; WRC Mexico will be the first testament to how the newest generation of cars handle in the gravel in 2023.

You can check out the World Rally Championship (WRC) Guanajuato Rally Mexico trailer here:

You can find more details regarding the event schedule here. For live video and timing as well as exclusive access to driver onboards and live map tracking be sure to check out WRC+, the official live stream and video channel of the FIA World Rally Championship.