Round Ten Recap of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

Review of Round Ten of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Virginia International Raceway on the outskirts of Danville, Virginia.

Corvette Racing team won the race overall and GT Le Mans Class too of Antonio García and Jan Magnussen in their Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. While, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team finished second place in their Ford GT, with the drivers of Joey Hand and Dirk Müller; they were eight tenths of a second behind the leaders. Meanwhile, Porsche North America team finished in third place in their Porsche 911 RSR, with the drivers of Earl Bamber and Frédéric Makowiecki; they were fourteen tenths of a second behind the leaders.

In GT Daytona Class, Paul Miller Racing team won GT Daytona Class and finished in ninth place overall in their Lamborghini Huracan GT3; with the drivers of Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow; they were two laps behind the leaders.

While both Prototype Class and Prototype Challenge Class did not participate for this race.

Next Stop Circuit of the Americas in three weeks time for Round Eleven of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

2016 TCR Round 8 Recap

Review of Round Eight of the 2016 TCR International Series season was at the Chang International Circuit, on the outskirts of Buriram, Thailand.

In the first race, Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver Pepe Oriola took the race win in his SEAT León TCR. Second was Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver James Nash in his SEAT León TCR, he was a second behind Oriola in the end. While, third place was WestCoast Racing driver Gianni Morbidelli in his Honda Civic TCR, he was two seconds behind Oriola in the end.


While in the second race, Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver James Nash took the race win in his SEAT León TCR. Second was WestCoast Racing driver Mikhail Grachev in his Honda Civic TCR, he was seven seconds behind Nash in the end. While, third place was B3 Racing Team Hungary driver Dušan Borković in his SEAT León TCR, he was eleven seconds behind Nash in the end.


Next stop Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore for Round Nine of the 2016 TCR International Series season in three weeks time.

2016 BTCC Round 8 Recap

Review of Round Eight of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season was on the International Super Sports Car Circuit at Rockingham Motor Speedway, in Northamptonshire.

In the first race, Halfords Yuasa Racing driver and current BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden took the race win in his Honda Civic Type R. Second was Motorbase Performance driver Mat Jackson in his Ford Focus ST and also took Independents class win, he was two and half seconds behind Shedden in the end. While third place was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Jason Plato in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was three seconds behind Shedden in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy (for top 'Rookie Driver' in the series) was won by MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver Ashley Sutton in his MG6 GT, he finished in sixth place and was twelve seconds behind Shedden in the end.


Meanwhile in the second race, Team JCT600 with GardX driver Sam Tordoff took the race win in his BMW 125i M Sport. Second was Motorbase Performance driver Andrew Jordan in his Ford Focus ST and also took Independents class win, he was under three seconds behind Tordoff in the end. While third place was Team JCT600 with GardX driver Rob Collard in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was three seconds behind Tordoff in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver Ashley Sutton in his MG6 GT, he finished in fifth place and was fifteen seconds behind Tordoff in the end.


Finally in the third race, Team BKR driver Árón Smith took the race win in his Volkswagen CC and also took Independents class win. Second was Halfords Yuasa Racing driver and current BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden in his Honda Civic Type R, he was four tenths of a second behind Smith in the end. While third place was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Colin Turkington in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was six tenths of a second behind Smith in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver Ashley Sutton in his MG6 GT, he finished in ninteen place and was nineteen seconds behind Smith in the end.


Next stop Silverstone for Round Nine of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season in three weeks time.

F1 2016 Italian Grand Prix Predictions

Predictions for this weekends Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, near Milan. For the home race for both Ferrari and Toro Rosso teams.

So Predictions for the race, for the win, I predict that, Lewis Hamilton for the win in the Mercedes, Nico Rosberg second in the other Mercedes, and Sebastian Vettel third in the Ferrari. Don't forget Kimi Räikkönen, the Red Bull drivers, the Williams drivers and the Force India drivers as well for a podium place.

2016 Belgian Grand Prix Review

Review of the thirteenth round of the 2016 F1 season at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, east of Belgium, for the Belgian Grand Prix.

A weekend where Mercedes didn't had their way with Max Verstappen, and Kimi Räikkönen taking the advantage in practice. Come qualifying however Nico Rosberg took the pole ahead of Max Verstappen and the two Ferrari drivers while Rosberg's team mate and current Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton had to start the back of the grid after he received a 60-place grid penalty after Mercedes opted to replace several elements on his power unit on Thursday.

Come race day and Rosberg took the advantage at the start comfortably leading while others colliding with each other at the start which includes Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen, and Sebastian Vettel.

With Rosberg leading over Daniel Ricciardo came lap 6 of the race, Kevin Magnussen running eighth after a dramatic start, lost control of his Renault as he exited the uphill right-hander of Raidillon, slamming into the outside barriers. Magnussen's car was destroyed in the impact, but he was able to walked away unhurt, a Safety Car was deployed for a short time before the race direction decided to red flag the race.



When the race restarted, Rosberg retain the lead from Ricciardo and to lead all forty-four laps to conclude with a race win in this seasons Belgian Grand Prix for Rosberg's sixth race win of the season.



While, Daniel Ricciardo finished in second place in the Red Bull, Ricciardo was fourteen seconds behind Rosberg at the end.

Meanwhile, current Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton finished in third place in the Mercedes to complete the podium despite starting from the back of the grid, Hamilton was twenty-eight seconds behind Rosberg at the end of the forty-four lap race.

With Nico Rosberg's win in Belgium and Lewis Hamilton only managing a third place finish at Spa, Hamilton still leads the F1 driver championship and now his gap between himself and team-mate Nico Rosberg is gone from nineteen points to nine points with eight races to go.


Rate the Teams and Drivers

Mercedes - 8
Lewis Hamilton - 8 (finished third and fastest lap)
Nico Rosberg - 9 (pole and race win)

Ferrari - 6
Sebastian Vettel - 6 (finished sixth)
Kimi Räikkönen - 6 (finished ninth)

Williams - 6
Valtteri Bottas - 7 (finished eighth)
Felipe Massa - 6 (finished tenth)

Red Bull Racing - 7
Daniel Ricciardo - 9 (finished second)
Max Verstappen - 6 (finished eleventh)

Force India - 8
Nico Hülkenberg - 9 (finished fourth)
Sergio Pérez - 8 (finished fifth)

Renault - 5
Kevin Magnussen - 6 (DNF, Accident)
Jolyon Palmer - 5 (finished fifteenth)

Toro Rosso - 5
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 5 (DNF, Puncture)
Daniil Kvyat - 5 (finished fourteenth)

Sauber - 5
Marcus Ericsson - 5 (DNF, Gearbox)
Felipe Nasr - 5 (finished seventeenth, lap down)

McLaren - 7
Fernando Alonso - 9 (finished seventh)
Jenson Button - 6 (DNF, Collision with Pascal Wehrlein)

Manor - 7
Esteban Ocon - 8 (finished sixteenth, lap down)
Pascal Wehrlein - 6 (DNF, Collision with Jenson Button)

Haas - 6
Romain Grosjean - 6 (finished thirteenth)
Esteban Gutiérrez - 6 (finished twelfth)


Next stop Monza for the Italian Grand Prix in a weeks time.

2016 DTM Round 6 Recap

Review of Round Six of the 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season was held at Moscow Raceway, on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia.

On Saturday's race, Mercedes-Benz DTM Team HWA I driver Robert Wickens took the race win in his Mercedes-AMG C63. Second was Mercedes-Benz DTM Team HWA II driver Paul di Resta in his Mercedes-AMG C63, he was eleven seconds behind Wickens in the end. While, third place was Mercedes-Benz DTM Team ART driver Gary Paffett in his Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM to complete a Mercedes-Benz podium whitewash, he was twelve seconds behind Wickens in the end.



On Sunday's race, BMW Team RMG driver Marco Wittmann took the race win in his BMW M4 DTM. Second was BMW Team RBM driver Tom Blomqvist in his BMW M4 DTM, he was four seconds behind Wittmann in the end. While, third place was BMW Team MTEK driver Bruno Spengler in his BMW M4 DTM to complete a BMW podium whitewash, he was eighteen seconds behind Wittmann in the end.



Next stop Nürburgring, Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany for Round Seven of the 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in three weeks time.

F1 2016 Belgian Grand Prix Predictions

After four weeks off, its the return of Formula one for the Belgian Grand Prix. Which means, predictions for this weekends Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Spa.

So Predictions for the race, for the win, I predict that, Lewis Hamilton for the win in the Mercedes, Nico Rosberg second in the other Mercedes, and Daniel Ricciardo third in the Red Bull. Don't forget Max Verstappen, the Ferrari drivers, the Williams drivers and the Force India drivers as well for a podium place.

2016 WRC Round 9 recap - Rallye Deutschland

Recap of the last round of WRC from last weekends Round nine of Rallye Deutschland.

Last weekends was the ninth round of the World Rally Championship at Rallye Deutschland (19th - 21st August) was won by current WRC Champion Sébastien Ogier in the works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, to win the rally overall. While, Dani Sordo finished second in the works Hyundai i20 WRC, Sordo was twenty seconds behind Ogier at the end. Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville finished in third place in the works Hyundai i20 WRC, Neuville was over twenty seconds behind Ogier at the end.

Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Škoda Motorsport driver Esapekka Lappi in his Škoda Fabia R5. Esapekka Lappi finished in seventh place overall, he was five minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.

While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Simone Tempestini in his own backed Citroën DS3 R3T. Simone Tempestini finished in seventeenth place overall, he was over twenty-one minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.

Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.



Next stop, Round Ten of the 2016 WRC season for Tour de Corse - Rallye de France in six weeks time.

2016 Czech Republic MotoGP Review

Review of round eleven of the 2016 MotoGP season at Masaryk Circuit, on the outskirts of Brno in Czech Republic.

In the MotoGP race (V-twin, V4, or Inline-four 1000cc four stroke class), that was surprising won in a wet race by LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow on his Honda RC213V. Becoming the first British MotoGP rider to win the premier series since Barry Sheene at Anderstorp in 1981.



Second was Repsol Honda Team rider Marc Márquez on his works Honda RC213V, he was seven seconds behind Crutchlow at the end. While, third was Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi on his works Yamaha YZR-M1V, he was ten seconds behind Crutchlow at the end.

In the Moto2 race (Inline-four 600 cc four-stroke class), that race was won by Dynavolt Intact GP rider Jonas Folger on the Kalex. Second was Paginas Amarillas HP 40 rider Álex Rins on the Kalex, he was five seconds behind Folger at the end. While, third was Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 rider Sam Lowes on the Kalex, he was nine seconds behind Folger at the end.

While in the Moto3 race (single-cylinder 250 cc four-stroke class), that race was won by Peugeot MC Saxoprint rider John McPhee on the Peugeot giving Peugeot their first ever Moto3 win. Second was Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3 rider Jorge Martín on the Mahindra, he was nine seconds behind McPhee at the end. While, third was Gresini Racing Moto3 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio on the Honda, he was ten seconds behind McPhee at the end of the race.

And finally, it was confirmed on last Wednesday's (17/8/16) Aspar Team MotoGP has signed Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Álvaro Bautista for the 2017 and 2018 MotoGP seasons.



Bautista currently sits eighteen in the championship, with a best finish of eighth place in Barcalona. No word yet who is his team-mate yet for next season at Aspar.

2016 BTCC Round 7 Recap

Review of Round Seven of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season was at Knockhill Racing Circuit, in the Fife countryside north of Dunfermline for Scotland's only BTCC round.

In the first race, Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Jason Plato took the race win in his Subaru Levorg GT. Second was Team IHG Rewards Club driver Jack Goff in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was half a second behind Plato in the end. While third place was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Colin Turkington in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was a second behind Plato in the end.

Meanwhile, Independents class was won by Speedworks Motorsport driver Tom Ingram in his Toyota Avensis, he finished in fourth place and was two and half seconds behind Plato in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy (for top 'Rookie Driver' in the series) was won by MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver Ashley Sutton in his MG6 GT, he finished in eleventh place and was nine seconds behind Plato in the end.


Meanwhile in the second race, Halfords Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal took the race win in his Honda Civic Type R. Second was Team JCT600 with GardX driver Sam Tordoff in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was a second behind Neal in the end. While third place was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Jason Plato in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was two seconds behind Neal in the end.

Meanwhile, Independents class was won by Motorbase Performance driver Mat Jackson in his Ford Focus ST, he finished in sixth place and was three and half seconds behind Neal in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by Speedworks Motorsport driver Matt Simpson in his Honda Civic Type R, he finished in nineteenth place and was thirty-four seconds behind Neal in the end.


Finally in the third race, Motorbase Performance driver Mat Jackson took the race win in his Ford Focus ST and also took Independents class win. Second was Team JCT600 with GardX driver Sam Tordoff in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was two tenths of a second behind Jackson in the end. While third place was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Jason Plato in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was eight tenths of a second behind Jackson in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by Speedworks Motorsport driver Matt Simpson in his Honda Civic Type R, he finished in seventeenth place and was twenty-one seconds behind Jackson in the end.


Next stop Rockingham Motor Speedway for Round Eight of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season in two weeks time.

2016 Austria MotoGP Review, Rider News

Review of round ten of the 2016 MotoGP season at the Red Bull Ring, on the outskirts of Spielberg, Styria, Austira.

In the MotoGP race (V-twin, V4, or Inline-four 1000cc four stroke class), that was won by Ducati Team rider Andrea Iannone on his works Ducati Desmosedici GP16. Giving Ducati their first premier series win since Casey Stoner at Phillip Island in 2010.



Second place was Ducati Team rider Andrea Dovizioso on his works Ducati Desmosedici GP16, he was a second behind Iannone at the end. While, third was Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider and current MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo on his works Yamaha YZR-M1, he was three seconds behind Iannone at the end.

In the Moto2 race (Inline-four 600 cc four-stroke class), that race was won by Ajo Motorsport rider and current Moto2 champion Johann Zarco on the Kalex. Second was Estrella Galicia Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli on the Kalex, he was three seconds behind Zarco at the end. While, third was Paginas Amarillas HP 40 rider Álex Rins on the Kalex, he was over three seconds behind Zarco at the end.

While in the Moto3 race (single-cylinder 250 cc four-stroke class), that race was won by Leopard Racing rider Joan Mir on the KTM. Second was Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Brad Binder on the KTM, he was three tenths of a second behind Mir at the end. While, third was Gresini Racing Moto3 rider Enea Bastianini on the Honda, he was four tenths of a second behind Mir at the end.

Finally, it was confirmed on Sunday morning (14/8/16), Avintia Racing team have retained the services of Héctor Barberá and Loris Baz for the 2017 MotoGP season.





Barberá currently sits ninth in the standings, with a best finish of fifth place from Austin. While, Baz currently sits twenty-first in the standings, with a best finish of twelfth place from Le Mans.

Half Term Review of F1 Season so far and My top Formula 1 drivers of 2016 so far

The half term review of Formula 1 season so far, with the next race is in two weeks time. Just like last year, I will say one sentence that will be positive with each team. And one sentence that will be negative for each team. Also, I will include with this post my Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of 2016 so far below. Starting with Mercedes:

Mercedes:
+ Best car and drivers on the grid so far with the F1 W06 Hybrid, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
- Can Mercedes control both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton egos in the team, if both drivers blow up, it could allow Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Räikkönen or Sebastian Vettel to take the drivers' title.



Ferrari
+ Some great race performances from both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, which includes second place finishes for Räikkönen in Barcelona and Vettel in Montreal.
- SF16-H has not been fast enough then the Mercedes nor the Red Bull in race pace this season, also poor strategies has cost race wins for Sebastian Vettel in Melbourne and Montreal.



Williams:
+ Some great performances from Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa this season, which includes podium for Bottas in Montreal.
- No points at Silverstone, apart from that the FW38 been too slow and underdeveloped this season, fourth in the constructors' is a must for Williams this season if not they will be overtaken by Force India.



Red Bull:
+ Impressive performance from Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen includes a famous race win for Verstappen in Barcelona, also great improvements from the RB12 and the Renault power unit (under the Tag Heuer name) this season, second in the constructors' is a must for Red Bull this season.
- Despite a more reliable and powerful power unit from Renault, the Renault power units are still around 50-60bhp less than the Mercedes power units; also the poor pit-stop in Monaco for Daniel Ricciardo cost Ricciardo the race win in Monaco.



Force India:
+ Some impressive performances from Sergio Pérez this season which include two third place finishes at Monaco and Baku.
- VJM09 was too slow earlier in the season cost them points early on, Force India still might finish fourth in the constructors' if the car is fast and reliable.



Renault:
+ A seventh place finish for Kevin Magnussen at Sochi, best result so far for Renault this season
- 50 points last season at this stage as Lotus, this season as Renault only 6 points, no points from Jolyon Palmer, a very undeveloped and little to no downforce from the RS16 and with focus going to the 2017 Renault F1 car ninth in the constructors' championship will be the best they can do for 2016.



Scuderia Toro Rosso:
+ Some impressive performances from Carlos Sainz, Jr. this season which include a sixth place finish at Barcelona.
- Despite the podium finish in Shanghai for Daniil Kvyat for Red Bull, detonating back to Toro Rosso in mid-season has destroyed Kvyat's confidence only managing 2 points compare to Sainz's tally of 26 points in that period, could see Kyvat getting the sack before the end of the season is finished; while using year old power units from Ferrari is starting to show with McLaren starting to catching up the constructor's standings, sixth in the constructor's standings is possible but thankfully back to Renault power units for next season may help.



Sauber:
+ A good race performances from Marcus Ericsson at Bahrain and Felipe Nasr at the Red Bull Ring both finishing twelfth place each.
- 25 points last season at this stage, this season no points so far, no development to the C35 all season meaning slowest car at most tracks, and Peter Sauber has sold the team to Swiss-based investment firm Longbow Finance meaning the team is in a healthy state for the short term.



McLaren:
+ Some great race performances from both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, which includes fifth place finishes for Alonso in Monaco and Button in the Red Bull Ring.
- Despite a much more reliable Honda power unit, power unit are still round 90-100bhp behind of the likes of Mercedes power unit; and the thirsty Honda power unit has not helped the team getting points, if Honda reduce the horsepower deficit to Mercedes, McLaren will finish sixth in the constructor's standings.



Manor:
+ A tenth place for Pascal Wehrlein at the Red Bull Ring gives Manor their first points in Formula 1 for over two years with the help of the Mercedes power units and Williams transmission and suspension components for 2016; that means ahead of Sauber in the constructors championship so far in 2016.
- Despite the MRT05 scored a point this season, the car is undeveloped and little to no downforce meaning battling into the midfield is limited to some tracks for the rest of the season, while Rio Haryanto lost his drive for the second half of the season due to sponsors difficulty from Indonesia, meaning Esteban Ocon replacing Haryanto for the rest of the season.



Haas:
+ 28 points so far in the teams debut seasons includes a sixth place finish for the teams debut Grand Prix with Romain Grosjean in Melbourne, then a fifth place finish for Grosjean in Bahrain, at least eighth place in the constructor's standings is more than curtain.
- no points from Esteban Gutiérrez, missing out on points with a few bad first lap starts, apart from that a good debut season from Haas.




And just like last season, my Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of 2016 so far this season, this is the part who was in my top 10 so far this season, not in championship order. So here is my list below.

My Top Formula 1 drivers of 2016 so far this season:

10. Romain Grosjean (Haas) - Sixth place in the teams debut race in Melbourne, then a fifth place finish in Bahrain.

9. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) - Some impressive drives at Sochi, Montreal, and Hunganoring; includes a fifth place finish at Monaco finishing on the lead lap.

8. Carlos Sainz, Jr. (Toro Rosso) - Some impressive performances so far this season, which include a sixth place finish at Barcelona.

7. Sergio Pérez (Force India) - Consistently fast and reliable this season, which include two third place finishes at Monaco and Baku.

6. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) - On his day faster driver than his team-mate Vettel, which includes two second place finishes in Bahrain and Barcalona.

5. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) - Three second place finishes in Shanghai, Montreal and Baku; should have won Montreal.

4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) - Some impressive drives despite an underpowered car includes two second place finishes in Monaco and Hockinheim, despite he should have won at both Barcelona and Monaco.

3. Max Verstappen (Toro Rosso/Red Bull) - Some impressive drives in his second season and despite his still only 18!, which include a Grand Prix win at Barcelona, becoming the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix!

2. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - Five Grand Prix wins so far this season, a great second half of a season that is needed for Rosberg to beat Hamilton to the drivers' championship.

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - Best driver on the grid this season so far, with five Grand Prix wins, a strong possibility of winning the drivers' championship once again, only problem his team-mate Nico Rosberg.



Nine races to go to see who will be the champions for 2016, starting at Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix in two weeks time.

KTM launches their 2017 MotoGP debut season with their new bike RC16

KTM has confirmed its 2017 MotoGP return yesterday (13/8/16) it was confirmed at Red Bull Ring on the eve of the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix race. With Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaró as riders for 2017.





It will also go ahead with a wildcard appearance in the 2016 season finale at Valencia, with test rider Mika Kallio set to give their new 1000cc MotoGP racer called KTM RC16 making its racing debut in mid-November.

KTM had previously dabbled in the premier class when it supplied V4 engines to Team Roberts for a season in 2005, with three times British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne as their rider.



Since then, it has remained in the 125cc, 250cc championships in the past, and the current Moto3 championship, winning the 125cc manufactures title in 2005, Moto3 manufactures title in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and winning riders' championships for both Sandro Cortese in 2012 and for Maverick Viñales in 2013.



But since 2015 it has taken part in official tests developing a new V4 motorcycle with former factory Kawasaki MotoGP riders Randy de Puniet and Alex Hofmann, with former KTM 125cc and 250cc rider Mika Kallio developing the new bike.

Both Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro who will be ridding for KTM next season, will be their first full factory MotoGP rides for the current Monster Yamaha Tech 3 riders.





2017 will be an exciting and challenging year ahead for KTM in MotoGP.

Esteban Ocon replaces Rio Haryanto at Manor Racing for the rest of the season

It was confirmed yesterday (10/8/16), Manor Racing Team has terminated Rio Haryanto's Formula 1 contract after he failed to meet his contractual obligations, replacing him with Mercedes, Renault reserve driver and current GP3 Champion Esteban Ocon.



Haryanto signed at the start of the year but only had enough funding to carry him through to the Hungarian Grand Prix. He secured a deal to race in the following weekends German Grand Prix in the hope he could get his investment sorted for the remaining races of the season after the summer break.It is believed Haryanto's management had trouble convincing the Indonesian government to look beyond his results and explaining the competitive nature of F1.

Meaning, no investment forthcoming, Manor has now taken the decision to replace Haryanto with Esteban Ocon, who is Mercedes and Renault reserve driver. Ocon will make his Formula 1 race debut at the Belgian Grand Prix later this month, partnering with Pascal Wehrlein.



Ocon achievement includes winning the 2014 FIA European F3 Championship in his rookie season ahead of Max Verstappen also in his rookie season. Then in 2015 he also won the 2015 GP3 Series once again in his rookie season.



However, Manor has offered Haryanto the role of reserve driver for the rest of the season but it is unclear whether he will accept (which his has accept after this post has gone online).

Great News to see Esteban Ocon stepping up to a full F1 drive at Manor for the rest of the season, well earned. While, I feel sorry for Rio Haryanto losing his drive with no fault of his own due to sponsorship difficulty despite sometimes outperforming Pascal Wehrlein in qualifying.

2016 World RX Round 7 Recap - World RX of Canada

Review of Round Seven of the 2016 World Rallycross Championship season was the World RX of Canada, at Circuit Trois-Rivières located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.

In the four Heats, those were won by current World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg (winning three times) and Johan Kristoffersson.



In the first semi-final that was won by Petter Solberg World RX Team driver and current World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg in his Citroën DS3. Second was Volkswagen RX Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson in his Volkswagen Polo, he was five seconds behind Solberg in the end. While, third was Volkswagen RX Sweden driver Anton Marklund in his Volkswagen Polo, he was seven seconds behind Solberg in the end.

In the second semi-final that was won by Hoonigan Racing Division driver Andreas Bakkerud in his Ford Focus RS. Second was EKS RX driver Toomas Heikkinen in his Audi S1, he was over a second behind Bakkerud in the end. While, third was Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen in his Peugeot 208, he was three seconds behind Bakkerud in the end.

In the final race, Team Peugeot-Hansen driver Timmy Hansen took the race win in his Peugeot 208. Second was Hoonigan Racing Division driver Andreas Bakkerud in his Ford Focus RS, he was a second behind Hansen in the end. While, third was Volkswagen RX Sweden driver Johan Kristoffersson in his Volkswagen Polo, he was fifteen tenths of a second behind Hansen in the end.



Next stop World RX of France at Circuit de Lohéac for Round Eight of the 2016 World Rallycross Championship season in four weeks time.<

Round Nine Recap of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

Review of Round Nine of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Action Express Racing team won the race overall and Prototype class too of Dane Cameron and Eric Curran in their Coyote Corvette, Chevrolet 5.5L V8. While, the other Action Express Racing team finished second place in their Coyote Corvette, Chevrolet 5.5L V8, the team of João Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi; they were six tenths of a second behind the leaders. Meanwhile, Wayne Taylor Racing team finished third place in their Coyote Corvette, Chevrolet 5.5L V8, the team of Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor; they were fifteen tenths of a second behind the leaders.

In Prototype Challenge Class (all teams using Oreca FLM09 race car), PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team won Prototype Challenge Class and finished in sixth place overall; with the drivers of Robert Alon and Tom Kimber-Smith; they were a lap behind the leaders.

In GT Le Mans Class, Corvette Racing team won GT Le Mans Class and finished in thirteenth place overall in their Chevrolet Corvette C7.R; with the drivers of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner; they were three laps behind the leaders.

In GT Daytona Class, Riley Motorsports team won GT Daytona Class and finished in twenty-first place overall in their Dodge Viper GT3-R; with the drivers of Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ben Keating; they were four laps behind the leaders.

Next Stop Virginia International Raceway in three weeks time for Round Ten of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

2016 WTCC Round 8 Recap - Race of Argentina

Review of Round Eight of the 2016 World Touring Car Championship season was the was the Race of Argentina, Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, north of Argintina.

In the first race, Sébastien Loeb Racing driver Tom Chilton took the race win in his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC and also took Independents class win. Second was Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team driver Rob Huff in his Honda Civic WTCC, he was eight tenths of a second behind Chilton in the end. While third place was Citroën Total WTCC driver Yvan Muller in his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, he was thirteen tenths of a second behind Chilton in the end.



While in the second race, Citroën Total WTCC driver and current WTCC Champion José María López took the race win in his C-Elysée WTCC. Second was ROAL Motorsport driver Tom Coronel in his Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 and also took Independents class win, he was two seconds behind López in the end. While third place was Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team driver Rob Huff in his Honda Civic WTCC, he was over two seconds behind López in the end.



Next stop Race of Japan at Twin Ring Motegi for Round Nine of the 2016 World Touring Car Championship season in four weeks time.

Predicting who goes where in F1 2017

With the Formula 1 summer break still on for the next three weeks. With recent news from the last month that Nico Rosberg staying at Mercedes till 2018, Daniel Ricciardo staying at Red Bull till 2018, and Kimi Räikkönen staying at Ferrari for another season. The main question I am writing on this blog is who's goes where in 2017? with a few predictions of my own.



With Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are retaining their drivers for 2017. While the other eight teams have either one or no drivers signed yet, so far there is still thirteen drives available, so lets start with the first team McLaren.

McLaren will keep Fernando Alonso for another season. The second seat is the question either Jenson Button to retain or promoted Stoffel Vandoorne for the McLaren drive for 2017. It will be properly more than likely that Stoffel Vandoorne will be promoted to main McLaren seat for 2017.



Then is Williams, Williams will more than likely they will retain Valtteri Bottas for another season. While the second seat is up to grabs, with uncertainty if Felipe Massa remains at Williams next season. Other choices are Jenson Button, Pascal Wehrlein, Alex Lynn, or Lance Stroll for the second seat. But, by guess a Williams return for Jenson Button may happen for 2017.



Next is Renault, Renault will more than likely they will retain Kevin Magnussen for another season. With uncertainty if Jolyon Palmer remains at Renault next season, don't be surprise that Sergio Perez joins the team with sponsorship form Mexico



Over at Force India, they will keep Nico Hülkenberg for another season. While there is uncertainty if Sergio Perez remains at Force India next season, more than likely he's of to Renault next season, so who would replace him it will be either Pascal Wehrlein with Mercedes backing or maybe and my guess Sauber driver Felipe Nasr coming in with sponsorship from Brazil will outbid discounts for cheaper Mercedes power units.



At Sauber, will more than likely they will retain Marcus Ericsson for another season. If Felipe Nasr does leave the team, either Jolyon Palmer or Pastor Maldonaldo will get the second drive and my guess Jolyon Palmer will come in with his sponsorship.



While at Toro Rosso they will keep Carlos Sainz Jr. for another season. The second seat is the question either retain Daniil Kvyat or promoted Pierre Gasly for the Toro Rosso drive for 2017. It will be properly more than likely Pierre Gasly will be promoted to main Toro Rosso seat, as I doubt Kvyat will be remain after a horrible return to the team after his demotion from Red Bull, also with the return of Renault power units to the team Gasly as a French driver won't harm their relationship with Renault.



Haas will more than likely retain both Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez for another season.



Finally, Manor it will be difficult to retain Pascal Wehrlein for another season unless Force India and Williams doesn't wants him, but I believe he will remain with Manor for another season. While the second seat will go to either Esteban Ocon or a returning Alexander Rossi with my guess goes to Ocon making the team a Mercedes B-team. Also, I doubt that Rio Haryanto will return due to his sponsorship troubles from Indonesia.



Those are just a few of my predictions who will go were in 2017. Some may not happen and some of that will be confirmed in the months to come.

Jack Sears (1930-2016)

Jack Sears, the first man to win the British Touring Car Championship title, has passed away at the age of 86 it was confirmed on Sunday evening (7/8/15).

‘Gentleman Jack’, as he would become known during his successful career and in the years that followed, Sears won the 1958 BTCC title driving an Austin 105 in Class C (then known as the British Saloon Car Championship) after a shootout with fellow class dominator Tommy Sopwith. Tied on the same number of points at the end of the season, the duo went head-to-head in Riley 1.5s, with Sears emerging on top.



Sears took his second title in 1963, this time battling for overall wins in the seven litre Ford Galaxie.

Sears also gained notoriety for topping 180mph on the M1 in a factory AC Cobra Coupe testing prior to the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. The run has sometimes mistaken, cause of the subsequent 70mph speed limit in the UK.

The Sears name lives on in the BTCC with the Jack Sears Trophy were its rewarded to the for top 'Rookie Driver' in the series in each year since 2015.



R.I.P. Jack Sears

2016 BTCC Round 6 Recap

Review of Round Six of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season was at Snetterton Circuit on the 300 Course, in Norfolk.

In the first race, Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Colin Turkington took the race win in his Subaru Levorg GT. Second was Halfords Yuasa Racing driver and current BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden in his Honda Civic Type R, he was three second behind Turkington in the end. While third place was Motorbase Performance driver Mat Jackson in his Ford Focus ST and also took Independents class win, he was four seconds behind Turkington in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy (for top 'Rookie Driver' in the series) was won by RCIB Insurance Racing driver Michael Epps in his Toyota Avensis, he finished in twentieth place and was forty-three seconds behind Turkington in the end.


Meanwhile in the second race, Motorbase Performance driver Mat Jackson took the race win in his Ford Focus ST and also took Independents class win. Second was Silverline Subaru BMR Racing driver Colin Turkington in his Subaru Levorg GT, he was a second behind Jackson in the end. While third place was Halfords Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal in his Honda Civic Type R, he was two seconds behind Jackson in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by Speedworks Motorsport driver Matt Simpson in his Honda Civic Type R, he finished in seventeenth place and was nineteen seconds behind Jackson in the end.


Finally in the third race, Halfords Yuasa Racing driver and current BTCC Champion Gordon Shedden took the race win in his Honda Civic Type R. Second was Team JCT600 with GardX driver Rob Collard in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was half a second behind Shedden in the end. While third place was Handy Motorsport driver Rob Austin in his Toyota Avensis and also took Independents class win, he was four seconds behind Shedden in the end.

While, Jack Sears Trophy was won by MG Racing RCIB Insurance driver Ashley Sutton in his MG6 GT, he finished in fourteenth place and was seventeen seconds behind Shedden in the end.


Next stop Knockhill Racing Circuit for Round Seven of the 2016 British Touring Car Championship season in two weeks time.

2016 24 hours of Spa race review

Last weekend was the annual 24 hours of Spa race (30-31st July). The Rowe Racing in their BMW M6 GT3; with team of Philipp Eng, Maxime Martin and Alexander Sims came out on top to win this years 24 hours of Spa race in 531 laps in total.



While the AKKA ASP team came in second place in their Mercedes-AMG GT3; with team of Tristan Vautier, Renger van der Zande, and Felix Rosenqvist as drivers. They were two minutes behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hour race.

While the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT came in third place in their Audi R8 LMS; with Laurens Vanthoor, Rene Rast and Nico Müller as drivers, they were over two minutes behind the leaders at the end of the 24 hours race.

2016 WRC Round 8 recap - Rally Finland

Recap of the last round of WRC from last weekends Round Eight of Rally Finland.

Last weekends was the eighth round of the World Rally Championship at the Rally Finland (29th-31st July) was won by Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team driver Kris Meeke in his Citroën DS3 WRC.



While, Jari-Matti Latvala finished second in the works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Latvala was twenty-nine seconds behind Meeke at the end. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team driver Craig Breen finished third in his Citroën DS3 WRC, Breen was one hundred seconds behind Meeke at the end.



Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by Škoda Motorsport driver Esapekka Lappi in his Škoda Fabia R5. Esapekka Lappi finished in eighth place overall, he was five minutes behind Meeke at the end of the rally.

While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Printsport rakky driver Ole Christian Veiby in his Citroën DS3 R3T. Ole Christian Veiby finished in nineteenth place overall, he was seventeen minutes behind Meeke at the end of the rally.

Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.



Next stop, Round Nine of the 2016 WRC season for Rallye Deutschland in three weeks time.

2016 German Grand Prix Review

Review of the twelfth round of the 2016 F1 season held at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, in South-West Germany, for the German Grand Prix.

Overall, a dominating race weekend for Mercedes, dominating in practice, dominating in qualifying, and most importantly dominating in the race for Mercedes driver and current Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Nico Rosberg on pole for Sunday's race, the race was once again decided by the first corner of the first lap of the race with Hamilton overtaking Rosberg in a lightning start to the first corner where Hamilton took the lead and stayed there and dominated the race to conclude with this seasons German Grand Prix for Hamilton's sixth race win of the season.



While, Daniel Ricciardo finished in second place in the Red Bull, Ricciardo was seven seconds behind Hamilton at the end.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen finished in third place in the other Red Bull to complete the podium, Verstappen was thirteen seconds behind Hamilton at the end of the sixty-seven lap race.

with Lewis Hamilton's win in Germany and Nico Rosberg only managing a fourth place finish at Hockenheim, Lewis Hamilton has now improve his lead of the F1 driver championship from six points to nineteen points ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg with nine races to go.

Rate the Teams and Drivers

Mercedes - 8
Lewis Hamilton - 9 (race win)
Nico Rosberg - 7 (pole and finished fourth)

Ferrari - 7
Sebastian Vettel - 7 (finished fifth)
Kimi Räikkönen - 7 (finished sixth)

Williams - 5
Valtteri Bottas - 6 (finished ninth, lap down)
Felipe Massa - 5 (DNF, Suspension)

Red Bull Racing - 8
Daniel Ricciardo - 9 (finished second and fastest lap)
Max Verstappen - 8 (finished third)

Force India - 8
Nico Hülkenberg - 9 (finished seventh)
Sergio Pérez - 7 (finished tenth, lap down)

Renault - 4
Kevin Magnussen - 5 (finished sixteenth, lap down)
Jolyon Palmer - 4 (finished nineteenth, two laps down)

Toro Rosso - 5
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 6 (finished fourteenth, lap down)
Daniil Kvyat - 5 (finished fifteenth, lap down)

Sauber - 4
Marcus Ericsson - 5 (finished seventeenth, two laps down)
Felipe Nasr - 4 (DNF, Power unit)

McLaren - 7
Fernando Alonso - 6 (finished twelfth, lap down)
Jenson Button - 8 (finished eighth, lap down)

Manor - 5
Rio Haryanto - 4 (finished twentieth, two laps down)
Pascal Wehrlein - 6 (finished seventeenth, two laps down)

Haas - 6
Romain Grosjean - 6 (finished thirteenth, lap down)
Esteban Gutiérrez - 7 (finished eleventh, lap down)


Next stop Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix in four weeks time.