2015 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas Review

Review of Round five of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship at 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas in Austin, United States.

The Porsche Team won the race overall and the LMP1 class too of Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley in their Porsche 919 Hybrid. While, second was the Audi Sport Team Joest team of André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler in their Audi R18 e-tron quattro, they were fifty-six seconds behind the leaders at the end of the race. Meanwhile, third place was the Audi Sport Team Joest team of Oliver Jarvis, Lucas di Grassi and Loïc Duval in their Audi R18 e-tron quattro, they were a lap behind the leaders at the end of the race.

In LMP2 class, the G-Drive Racing of Roman Rusinov, Julien Canal and Sam Bird in their Ligier JS P2 with a Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 engine won in LMP2 class. They finish in fifth place overall and they were fifteen laps behind the leaders at the end of the race.

While in GTE Pro class, was won by Porsche Team Manthey team of Richard Lietz and Michael Christensen won in their Porsche 911 RSR. They finish in fourteenth place overall and they were twenty-three laps behind the leaders at the end of the race.

While in GTE Am class, was won by SMP Racing team of Viktor Shaitar, Aleksey Basov and Andrea Bertolini in their Ferrari 458 Italia GT2. They finish in twenty-first place overall and they were twenty-six laps behind the leaders at the end of the race.

Highlights of the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas below, enjoy.



Next Stop 6 Hours of Fuji in three weeks time for round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye.

2015 TCR Round 9 Recap

Review of Round Nine of the 2015 TCR International Series season was at Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore.

In the first race, WestCoast Racing driver Kevin Gleason took the race win in his Honda Civic TCR. Second was Target Competition driver Stefano Comini in his SEAT León Cup Racer, he was eight tenths of a second Gleason in the end. While, third place was WestCoast Racing driver Gianni Morbidelli in his Honda Civic TCR, he was five seconds behind Gleason in the end.



While in the second race, Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver Jordi Gené took the race win in his SEAT León Cup Racer. Second was Target Competition driver Stefano Comini in his SEAT León Cup Racer, he was four seconds behind Gené in the end. While, third place was Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil driver Pepe Oriola in his SEAT León Cup Racer to complete a SEAT podium whitewash, he was five seconds behind Gené in the end.



Next stop Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailand for Round Ten of the 2015 TCR International Series season in five weeks time.

End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.

Confirmed: Lotus retains Pastor Maldonado for next season

It was confirmed yesterday (1/9/15) that the Lotus F1 Team will retain Pastor Maldonado for next season, marking his third successive season with the Enstone based team.



Maldonado joined the squad at the start of 2014, having spent three years with Williams, during which he claimed victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix

Maldonado has 12 points so far in 2015, with two seventh place finishes in Montreal and the Red Bull Ring, currently sits fourteenth place in the standings.

Probably a bizarre decision from Lotus to retain Pastor Maldonado in my opinion. With the news that could be confirm soon as this week that Renault will be buying 65% of the Lotus Team from Genii will be renamed as Renault. And if so Renault will bring in Total as their fuel sponsor, Maldonado does bring in Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, which is £30 million a year to the team but that doesn't make scene with two oil companies at one team. Unless Renault needs to reduce the debt from Genii made at Lotus. Later this week Lotus F1 Team is going to be taken to the High Court by HMRC over unpaid taxes. Also, debts at the team are over £100 million mark, maybe its the only solution for Renault for the short term to reduce the debt and keep Maldonado for another season and hope he can step up his performance.

And finally the second thing is results, from the last two seasons, Maldonado collected 14 points compare to Grosjean's 46 points. Overall, Maldonado collected 61 points from his five seasons in Formula 1 which is poor to compare other drivers in that period. Yes his won a Grand Prix, but that's been three years ago now and his been not performing well since(sometimes having bad luck in races). If he wasn't a highly paid driver he wouldn't be in Formula 1 right now, the money from Venezuela saved his career a few times too many in my opinion.

As for Maldonado's team-mate at Lotus next season, no word yet. It is strongly rumoured that Romain Grosjean will leave the Lotus team at the end of the season and join the new Haas F1 Team.



End of post for now, new post soon, bye.

2015 Singapore Grand Prix Review, thoughts, and Japanese Grand Prix Predictions

Review of the thirteenth round of the 2015 F1 season at Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore for Formula 1's only night-time street race of the season, for the Singapore Grand Prix. Thoughts of the race and and predictions for this weekends Japanese Grand Prix.

Overall, and for a change a dominating race weekend for Sebastian Vettel, dominating in qualifying on pole for the first time since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix and Ferrari's first since the 2012 German Grand Prix. And for Vettel dominated the race which included leading all the laps to conclude with a race win in this seasons Singapore Grand Prix for his third race win of the season.



While, Daniel Ricciardo finished in second place in the Red Bull, Ricciardo was one and half a second behind Vettel at the end.

Meanwhile, Kimi Räikkönen finished in third place in the Ferrari to complete the podium, Räikkönen was seventeen seconds behind Vettel at the end of the sixty-one lap race.

While both Mercedes' drivers bad a weekend to forget. Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg only managed to qualify fifth and sixth, meaning twenty-three poles in a row for Mercedes has stopped and would have equalled Williams twenty-four poles in a row record from 1992/93 season if they were on pole at Singapore. Then for the race Nico Rosberg only managed to finished in fourth place, while current Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton retired on thirty-second lap with throttle issues giving Hamilton his first DNF of the season.

With Lewis Hamilton having his first DNF of the season, Hamilton still leads the F1 driver championship and now his gap between himself and team-mate Nico Rosberg is gone from 53 points to 41 points with six races to go. While, Sebastian Vettel is still third in the standings, from 74 points from Monza to 49 points behind Hamilton after his race win in Singapore.


Rate the Teams and Drivers

Mercedes - 7
Lewis Hamilton - 6 (DNF, Throttle)
Nico Rosberg - 7 (finished fourth)

Red Bull Racing - 8
Daniel Ricciardo - 9 (finished second, fastest lap)
Daniil Kvyat - 7 (finished sixth)

Williams - 6
Valtteri Bottas - 7 (finished fifth)
Felipe Massa - 6 (DNF, Gearbox)

Ferrari - 9
Sebastian Vettel - 10 (pole, race win)
Kimi Räikkönen - 8 (finished third)

McLaren - 6
Jenson Button - 6 (DNF, Gearbox)
Fernando Alonso - 7 (DNF, Gearbox)

Force India - 6
Nico Hülkenberg - 6 (DNF, Collision with Felipe Massa)
Sergio Pérez - 7 (finished seventh)

Toro Rosso - 7
Carlos Sainz Jr. - 6 (finished ninth)
Max Verstappen - 8 (finished eighth)

Lotus - 5
Romain Grosjean - 6 (finished thirteen/DNF, two laps down/Gearbox)
Pastor Maldonado - 5 (finished twelfth)

Manor - 6
Will Stevens - 6 (finished fifteenth, two laps down)
Alexander Rossi - 7 (finished fourteenth, two laps down)

Sauber - 7
Marcus Ericsson - 6 (finished eleventh)
Felipe Nasr - 7 (finished tenth)


So for this weekends Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Suzuka City for Honda's home race. Predictions for the race, Lewis Hamilton for the win in the Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel second in the Ferrari and third place for Nico Rosberg in the other Mercedes. Don't forget the Williams drivers, the Red Bull drivers, Kimi Räikkönen as well for a podium place too.

End of blog for now, new post soon, Bye.

2016 BMW M6 GT3

BMW has unveiled their new GT3 contender that will go on sale to customers in time for the start of next season. The BMW M6 GT3, which was launched at Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday (15/9/15), will succeeds its predecessor the BMW Z4 GT3 for next season.





The BMW M6 GT3 will have the same 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 engine from the road-going car, producing up to 585hp. M6 GT3 will weigh in at less than 1,300Kgs.



End of blog for now, new post soon. Bye.

Alexandra Rossi replaces Roberto Merhi at Manor F1 Team

Alexander Rossi will make his Formula 1 debut at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix after Manor F1 Team confirmed this afternoon (16/9/15) that he will partner Will Stevens in place of Roberto Merhi at the team. Rossi will be the first American to start a Grand Prix since Scott Speed raced Toro Rosso during the 2007 season.



Rossi currently sits second position in the GP2 championship but will make the step up and make his debut Formula 1 with Manor, replacing Merhi, who has occupied the seat since the start of 2015 F1 season.



Rossi spent time as Caterham's reserve driver since 2012 but switched to Marussia mid-2014, coming close to a race seat with the team in Belgium, Russia, and Abu Dhabi last year.

Rossi will not race in Russia and Abu Dhabi due to clashing GP2 commitments, meaning that Merhi, who remains with the team as a reserve driver alongside Fabio Leimer. Mehri will contest those two Formula 1 races.

Should have driven with the team last season, but due to different circumstance that was out of his control. Surprising with the news this afternoon he will drive for the team for the rest of the season, my guess that Mehri and Stevens will retain with the team for the rest of the season. My solid guess his been place at Manor for the rest of the season, is a try out for one of the drive at Manor for 2016. Anyway, good luck for Alexander Rossi for this weekend at Manor.

End of blog for now, new post soon. Bye.

2015 WTCC Round 9 Recap - Race of Japan

Review of Round Nine of the 2015 World Touring Car Championship season was the was the Race of Japan, on the Honda owned Twin Ring Motegi circuit, Motegi, Japan.

In the first race, Citroën Total WTCC driver and current WTCC Champion José María López took the race win in his C-Elysée WTCC. Second was Zengő Motorsport driver Norbert Michelisz in his Honda Civic WTCC and also took Independents class win, he was three seconds behind López in the end. While third place was Honda Racing Team JAS driver Gabriele Tarquini in his Honda Civic WTCC, he was four seconds behind López in the end.



While in the second race, Honda Racing Team JAS driver Tiago Monteiro took the race win in his Honda Civic WTCC. Second was Campos Racing driver Hugo Valente in his Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 and also took Independents class win, he was nine seconds behind Monteiro in the end. While third was Lada Sport Rosneft driver Rob Huff in his Lada Vesta WTCC, he was eleven seconds behind Monteiro in the end.



Next stop Race of China at Shanghai International Circuit for Round Ten of the 2015 World Touring Car Championship season in two weeks time.

End of post/blog for now, new post soon. Bye.