Recap of the last round of WRC from this weekends round 1 of Rallye Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo of course.
This weekend was round one of the 2019 World Rally Championship at the Rallye Monte Carlo (24th-27th January), that was won by Current WRC champion Sébastien Ogier in his works Citroën C3 WRC.
While, Thierry Neuville finished second in the works Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC. Neuville was two seconds behind Ogier at the end of the rally. Meanwhile, Ott Tänak finished third in his works Toyota Yaris WRC, Tänak was two minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Meanwhile in WRC-2 Pro class (Manufacturer entries competing in cars built to Group R5 specifications), that was won by M-Sport Ford WRT driver Gus Greensmith in his Ford Fiesta R5. Gus Greensmith finished in seventh place overall, he was thirteen minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
While in WRC-2 class (Open to privately-entered cars; Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Yoann Bonato in his own backed Citroën C3 R5. Yoann Bonato finished in eighth place overall, he was fourteen minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Highlights of the rally below, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Two of the 2019 WRC season for Rally Sweden in three weeks time.
As the title says a Rolex 24 at Daytona Review of the race. Review of Round one of the 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Daytona and the first round of the Michelin Endurance Cup.
Konica Minolta Cadillac team won the race overall and Daytona Prototype international class too of Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande in their Cadillac DPi-V.R, Cadillac 5.5 L V8.
While, Whelen Engineering Racing finished in second place in their Cadillac DPi-V.R, Cadillac 5.5 L V8; the team of Eric Curran, Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr; they were thirteen seconds behind the leaders. Meanwhile, Acura Team Penske finished third place in their Acura ARX-05, Acura AR35TT 3.5 L Turbo V6; the team of Hélio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi and Ricky Taylor; they were fourteen seconds behind the leaders.
In LMP2 class (all cars using the Gibson 4.2 L V8 engine), DragonSpeed team of Ryan Cullen, Roberto González, Pastor Maldonado and Sebastián Saavedra in their Oreca 07 won LMP2 class. They finish in sixth place overall and they were eleven laps behind the leaders at the end of the race.
In GT Le Mans Class, BMW Team RLL won GT Le Mans Class and finished in tenth place overall in their BMW M8 GTE; with the drivers of Connor De Phillippi, Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus and Colton Herta; they were twenty-two laps behind the leaders.
In GT Daytona Class, GRT Grasser Racing Team won GT Daytona Class and finished in seventeenth place overall in their Lamborghini Huracán GT3; with the drivers of Mirko Bortolotti, Rik Breukers, Christian Engelhart and Rolf Ineichen; they were thirty-two laps behind the leaders.
Next Stop Twelve Hours of Sebring in seven weeks time for round two of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Review of Round Three of the 2018-19 Formula E season held at the Santiago Street Circuit in Santiago, Chile.
The race was won by Envision Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird in his Spark-Audi. Second was Mahindra Racing driver Pascal Wehrlein in his Spark-Mahindra, he was six seconds behind Bird in the end. Meanwhile, third was Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Daniel Abt in his Spark-Audi, he was fourteen seconds behind Bird in the end.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Four of the 2018-19 Formula E season at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Mexico City ePrix in three weeks time.
The 2019 Race of Champions took place over last weekend (19th-20th January) at the Foro Sol stadium at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico.
The 2019 Champion of Champions was won by WRC driver Benito Guerra, who beat former World Endurance driver Loïc Duval, 2–0 in the final.
While in the Nations' Cup, Nordic team of World Rally Cross Champion Johan Kristoffersson and former Audi Le Mans driver Tom Kristensen took victory ahead of Germany team of Ferrari F1 driver Sebastian Vettel and FIA Formula 3 European Championship Mick Schumacher, in a closely fought 2-1 final.
It was announce on Saturday (19/1/19) Formula 3 Champion Mick Schumacher, son of seven-times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher will be Ferrari's academy driver during the 2019 season.
As part of his deal, Schumacher will drive in two tests with Ferrari this season; along with racing in in Formula 2, the final feeder category before Formula 1, with the leading Prema team.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto also highlighted the teenager's "human and professional qualities".
Schumacher said he would use Ferrari's expertise to "extract whatever helps" him to achieve his "dream, racing in Formula 1".
Mick Schumacher's father Michael Schumacher won five of his record seven world titles with Ferrari.
Last weekend was the fourteenth annual Dubai 24 hour race at the Dubai Autodrome in Dubai (11-12th January). Car Collection Motorsport team was victories at the Dubai 24 in their Audi R8 LMS Evo; with team of Rik Breukers, Christopher Haase, Dimitri Parhofer and Frédéric Vervisch came out on top to win this years Dubai 24 hour race in 607 laps in total.
While the WRT team came in second place in their Audi R8 LMS Evo; with team of Mohammed Saud Fahad Al Saud, Michael Vergers, Christopher Mies and Dries Vanthoor as drivers. They were a lap behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hour race.
While the Bohemia Energy racing with Scuderia Praha team came in third place in their Ferrari 488 GT3; with Jiří Písařík, Josef Kral and Matteo Malucelli as drivers, they were four laps behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hours race.
Review of Round Two of the 2018-19 Formula E season held on the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech, Morocco.
The race was won by Mahindra Racing driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio took the race win in his Spark-Mahindra. Second was Envision Virgin Racing driver Robin Frijns in his Spark-Audi, he was a tenth of a second behind d'Ambrosio in the end. Meanwhile, third was Envision Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird in his Spark-Audi, he was half a second behind d'Ambrosio in the end.
Highlights of the race below, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Three of the 2018-19 Formula E season in Santiago, Chile for the Santiago ePrix in two weeks time.
It was confirmed on Thursday (10/1/19), McLaren have appointed Andreas Seidl as their new boss ahead of the new season.
The ex-boss of Porsche's World Endurance Championship team, will join "during 2019", reporting to chief executive officer Zak Brown.
Brown said Seidl was "a highly capable leader with a track record of success".
Seidl, who worked in F1 for BMW from 2000-09, does not yet have a specific start date because McLaren have yet to agree a leaving date with Porsche. While Gil De Ferran who was hired as their new Sporting Director during last British Grand Prix is retained going into 2019.
While on the technical side, McLaren have re-signed Pat Fry back in September, who left them to join Ferrari in 2010 before being fired at the end of 2014 as engineering director and have appointed James Key as technical director.
Key will start work for McLaren this year, more tan likely in the early summer, once he has finished his 'gardening leave' from former employers Toro Rosso.
All things changing ahead for McLaren, for the better?
It was announce on Tuesday (8/1/18) that former Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein will be Ferrari's development driver during the 2019 season.
Wehrlein will be the teams test driver and will focus on car development in the simulator, and will now move across to Ferrari, in providing support to Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.
The former Mercedes reserve driver made his Grand Prix debut in F1 in 2016 with Manor, and moved to Sauber in 2017.
But having failed to find a drive in 2018, Wehrlein return to Mercedes as their reserve driver once again, and return to the DTM with Mercedes finishing in eighth place.
His Ferrari duties will also include racing in Formula E this season with the Mahindra Racing team as-well.
On Monday morning (7/1/19) it was announce that Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Maurizio Arrivabene has been replaced as Ferrari team principal by former technical boss Mattia Binotto.
After replacing former Team Principal Marco Mattiacci back in 2015. Arrivabene had held the role for four years and a Ferrari statement said the decision was made by "the company's top management after lengthy discussions."
Binotto takes immediate charge and Ferrari said "all technical areas will continue to report directly" to him.
Maybe the best option for Ferrari to replace the underperforming Maurizio Arrivabene just before the start of the season. As for new Team Principal Mattia Binotto has got the toughest job of any Team Principal in Formula 1 and that is managing Ferrari expectations and that is winning.
Happy new year to all, with the first post of 2019. And just like last year, this post is five predictions for 2019, if this happen or not this more of a fun post on what might happen.
Number 1 A privater LMP1 team to win this seasons 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Really? Yes really, here's the thing with Toyota the only manufacture in LMP1 class this season. Meaning there will be more of a change that a privater LMP1 team to win this seasons 24 Hours of Le Mans this season, with so far this season/last year that Rebellion Racing had already won a race at Silverstone in mid-August via both Toyota cars disqualified.
Number 2, Aston Martin to announce an Engine partnership with Red Bull for 2021 F1 season.
I did this prediction last year, which didn't happen. But I am not giving up on this prediction. Despite Red Bull Racing are using Honda Power-Units for the next two seasons and Red Bull signed a big sponsorship deal with British car manufacture Aston Martin as their lead sponsor last year; repacking the team as Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. Don't be surprise sometime in 2019 that Aston Martin to announce an Engine partnership deal with Red Bull for the start of 2021 F1 season when the new engines rules will be in place for 2021 meaning maybe more manufactures coming in or returning to Formula 1 (Cosworth, Ilmor, Alfa Romeo to name a few).
Number 3, HWA (Mercedes) to win a race in Formula E this season in Season 5 (2018/19).
Yet again this might not sound stupid as it seems. With HWA (Mercedes) deputing in Formula E this season using Venturi power-trains this season, while next season being a full manufacturing team morphing into Mercedes. I predict in Season 5 (2018/19) of Formula E that HWA team to win an ePrix with either Stoffel Vandoorne or Gary Paffett behind the wheel to win.
Number 4, Kimi Räikkönen to finish fifth place in a race this season.
With Kimi Räikkönen returning to Sauber team this season for the first time since 2001 replacing Charles Leclerc who is off to Ferrari and his best result from last season was a sixth place finish at Baku. So I am predicting that Kimi Räikkönen to do one better and finish fifth place in a race this season.
Number 5, Kawasaki to announce a return to MotoGP for 2021.
Yet again this might not sound stupid as it seems. With Kawasaki winning multiple World Superbike Championships in the last decade. Despite being in the premier series over 10 years ago, its one of the big manufactures not in the series recently. My prediction is this, Kawasaki to announce a return to MotoGP for 2021 season during this year.
As I said at the start of the post, this is a fun post on what might happen, would any prediction might happen? maybe one or two, I have to wait till December to find out.
Today is Michael Schumacher's 50th birthday. To celebrate this achievement, this post is the Top Ten Formula 1 race cars that Michael Schumacher have driven. Notable mentions 1991 Jordan 191, 1998 Ferrari F300, 2006 Ferrari 248 F1 and 2012 Mercedes F1 W03.
Starting with Number 10:
Number 10: 1992 Benetton B192
Story: Benetton B192 was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. The Benetton B192 was powered by the 3.5 litre Ford V8 engine (produced by Cosworth, but badged as a Ford). The Benetton B192 took Michael Schumacher, to his first Grand Prix win as a Formula 1 driver in his first full season when he won the rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix after a clever pit strategy put him ahead of both Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese in the all conquering Williams FW14B to win that race. The Benetton B192 took to Benetton to third place in the Constructors standings in 1992, and Michael Schumacher to third place in the drivers' championship ahead of Ayrton Senna.
Number 9: 1999 Ferrari F399
Story: Ferrari F399 was designed by Rory Byrne. The Ferrari F399 was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F399 won six grand prix wins, two wins for Michael Schumacher and four wins for Eddie Irvine, Eddie Irvine almost took the 1999 F1 World Drivers' Championship. But lost the championship to Mika Hakkinen by only two points. Michael Schumacher would have won the championship, but a racing accident at Silverstone cost him the chance of winning the Drivers' Championship. But, it took Ferrari to its first F1 Constructors' Championship in 16 years.
Number 8: 1997 Ferrari F310B
Story: Ferrari F310B was designed by John Barnard and Rory Byrne. The Ferrari F310B was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F310B won five grand prix wins, all five wins for Michael Schumacher. Took Ferrari to second in the F1 constructors standings in 1997, as for Schumacher himself it almost took him to the 1997 F1 World Drivers' Title until the final round of the 1997 season in Jerez, Spain; unable to hold off a storming drive by title challenger Jacques Villeneuve; a botched attempt by Schumacher at defending his position ended up with him in the gravel, retired and eventually disqualified from the 1997 season results.
Number 7: 2003 Ferrari F2003-GA
Story: Ferrari F2003-GA was was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. The Ferrari F2003-GA was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F2003-GA won seven races, two wins for Rubens Barrichello and five wins for Michael Schumacher, giving Michael Schumacher his sixth F1 Drivers' title and Ferrari the Constructors' championship in 2003.
Number 6: 2000 Ferrari F1-2000
Story: Ferrari F1-2000 was designed by Rory Byrne. The Ferrari F1-2000 was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F1-2000 won ten grand prix wins, a win for Rubens Barrichello and nine wins for Michael Schumacher, with Michael Schumacher taking the 2000 F1 World Drivers' Championship, Ferrari's first for 21 years. It also won Ferrari the 2000 F1 Constructors' Championship as-well.
Number 5: 1994 Benetton B194
Story: Benetton B194 was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. The Benetton B194 was powered by the 3.5 litre Ford Zetec-RV8 engine (produced by Cosworth, but badged as a Ford). The Benetton B194 won eight grand prix wins, all eight wins for Michael Schumacher and took Michael Schumacher to the 1994 F1 World Drivers' Championship and Michael Schumacher first of seven F1 World Drivers' Championships. Also, it took Benetton to second in the F1 constructors standings in 1994.
Number 4: 1995 Benetton B195
Story: Benetton B195 was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. Underneath the Benetton B195 had a Renault 3 litre V10. The Benetton B195 took Michael Schumacher to the 1995 F1 Drivers title, while it took Benetton to the 1995 F1 Constructors' championship. And the Benetton B195 won eleven races, nine for Michael Schumacher and two for Johnny Herbert as-well.
Number 3: 2001-02 Ferrari F2001
Story: Ferrari F2001 was designed by Rory Byrne. The Ferrari F2001 was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F2001 won ten grand prix wins, all ten wins for Michael Schumacher, with Michael Schumacher taking the 2001 F1 World Drivers' Championship and Ferrari to the 2001 F1 Constructors' Championship as-well.
Number 2: 2002-2003 Ferrari F2002
Story: Ferrari F2002 was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. The Ferrari F2002 was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F2002 won fifteen Grand Prix wins, four wins for Rubens Barrichello and eleven wins for Michael Schumacher, giving Michael Schumacher his fifth F1 Drivers' title and Ferrari the Constructors' championship in 2002.
Number 1: 2004-2005 Ferrari F2004
Story: Ferrari F2004 was designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. The Ferrari F2004 was powered by the 3 litre V10 Ferrari engine. The Ferrari F2004 won fifteen Grand Prix wins, two wins for Rubens Barrichello and thirteen wins for Michael Schumacher, giving Michael Schumacher his seventh and last F1 Drivers' title and Ferrari the Constructors' championship in 2004.
