2014 WRC Round 9 recap, The Streak is over! as Hyundai Wins!

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

Last weekends was the ninth round of the World Rally Championship at the Rallye Deutschland (22nd-24th August) was first rally since last year that a Volkswagen haven't won a rally this season as both Jari-Matti Latvala and current WRC Champion Sébastien Ogier crashed out while leading. As-well Kris Meeke on the last day as well to give Thierry Neuville the works Hyundai i20 WRC, to win the rally overall and he's first WRC win in his career and Hyundai's first WRC win as-well in their return season to the WRC.



While, team-mate Dani Sordo finished second in the other works Hyundai i20 WRC to give Hyundai a first one-two finish, Sordo was 40 seconds behind Neuville at the end. While, Andreas Mikkelsen finished in third place in the works Volkswagen Polo R WRC. Mikkelsen was 50 seconds behind Neuville at the end of the rally.

Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by current J-WRC Champion Pontus Tidemand in his own backed Ford Fiesta R5. Pontus Tidemand finished in ninth place overall, he was over 11 minutes behind Neuville at the end of the rally.

While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Stéphane Lefebvre in his own backed Citroën DS3 R3T. Stéphane Lefebvre finished in nineteenth place overall, he was over 20 minutes behind Neuville at the end of the rally.

Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.



End of blog for now. New post soon. Bye

2014 BTCC Round 7 Recap

Review of Round Seven of the 2014 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, Yuasa Racing driver Matt Neal took the race win in his Honda Civic Tourer. Second was Exocet Racing driver Rob Austin in his Audi A4 and also took Independents class too, he was two tenths of a second behind Neal in the end. While third place was Honda Yuasa Racing driver Gordon Shedden in his Honda Civic Tourer, he was two seconds behind Neal in the end.

Meanwhile in the second race, Airwaves Racing driver Mat Jackson took the race win in his Ford Focus ST Mk.III and also took Independents class too. Second was MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save driver Jason Plato in his MG6 GT, he was one and a half second behind Jackson in the end. While third place was Exocet Racing driver Rob Austin in his Audi A4, he was over two seconds behind Jackson in the end.

While in the third race, eBay Motors driver Rob Collard took the race win in his BMW 125i M Sport and also took Independents class too. Second was AmD Tuning.com driver Dave Newsham in his Ford Focus ST Mk.III, he was six seconds behind Collard in the end. While third place was eBay Motors driver Colin Turkington in his BMW 125i M Sport, he was over six seconds behind Collard in the end.

Next stop Rockingham Motor Speedway for Round Eight of the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season in two weeks time.

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

2014 Belgian Grand Prix Review, the civil war at Mercedes continues

Round twelve of the F1 season, a quick review of the Belgian Grand Prix, which includes thoughts on Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Good points

• Daniel Ricciardo (race win)
• Nico Rosberg (finished 2nd)
• Valtteri Bottas (finished 3rd)
• Kimi Räikkönen (finished 4th)
• Jenson Button (finished 6th)
• Force India (Sergio Pérez, finished 8th; Nico Hülkenberg, finished 10th)
• Daniil Kvyat (finished 9th)
• Max Chilton (finished 16th, just ahead of Marcus Ericsson)

Bad points

• Fernando Alonso (finished 7th, five second penalty for the start of the formation lap with mechanics on the grid)
• Lewis Hamilton (DNF, Retired on lap 38, after the conclusion of the Puncture on the second lap)
• Filipe Massa (finished 13th)
• Kevin Magnussen (finished 6th on the road, but had 20 second added to race time for forcing Fernando Alonso off track, so therefore finished in 12th place)
• Lotus (Romain Grosjean, DNF, Retired on lap 33, after a collision on the first lap with Jules Bianchi; Pastor Maldonado, DNF, Mechanical)
• Jules Bianchi (DNF, collision on the first lap with Romain Grosjean, but DNF came from a Gearbox problem)
• André Lotterer (DNF, Power unit failure)

The race itself was a very good race to watch, despite the lap two collision between both Mercedes drivers. With all the drama with the Mercedes drivers that cost both of them a win to conclude a second win of the season for Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull to reduce the gap for the championship lead. While, Nico Rosberg finished in second place in the Mercedes. And with Lewis Hamilton didn't finished the race and with seven races to go, Nico Rosberg leads from team-mate Lewis Hamilton from 11 points to 29 points behind Rosberg. While, Belgian Grand Prix race winner Daniel Ricciardo is third in the standings from 71 points to now 64 points behind Rosberg.

While, Williams driver Valtteri Bottas finished in third place to complete the podium positions for this years' Belgian Grand Prix.

And so the civil war at Mercedes continues Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton continues from Monaco, with team-orders at Hungary where Hamilton disobeying orders of not letting Rosberg through, despite Rosberg wasn't close to Hamilton. And now with this Grand Prix, Hamilton who took the lead at the start with Rosberg attacking in to Les Combes on lap two. With the move not on around the outside, Rosberg tried to duck in behind his team-mate but clipped Hamilton's left rear tyre, giving Hamilton a puncture and damaging Rosberg's front wing.



With Hamilton drops to the back of the pack and retiring on lap 38 to save the engine and damaging the floor underneath his Mercedes after the accident has lost him pace throughout the race, and Rosberg is needing a new front wing in his first pit stop, has cost Mercedes a one two finish in the race

And so the second lap accident in my opinion it was a racing incident, possibly a clumsy attempt to overtake from Rosberg a complete poor error of judgement from the championship leader. The booing on the podium from the fans was a bit harsh, and comments from Rosberg afterwards on the British fans has not helped him and possibly his own Mercedes are not happy with him with his actions in the race.

Like I said from Monaco, I think Mercedes needs to calm both drivers down as soon as possible. If this rivalry does carry on, it might even cost Mercedes a drivers' title or even a constructors championship.

That message has not happened today or if not strongly, it cost them with Ricciardo winning today, now 64 points behind Rosberg with seven rounds to go, its still possible for Daniel Ricciardo to win the drivers' title this season. Basically, Mercedes needs to do, tell both drivers once and for all to calm down, as it will costs both drivers the drivers' title this season.

Can Mercedes control both drivers for the rest of the season or will it cost them more wins and championships? time will tell as this week off the track actions will be important for the team to win both championships. If not it could be one of these moments when we get to Abu Dhabi in late November. Although we did had this at yesterdays race.



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

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

Round Eleven Recap of the 2014 United SportsCar Championship

Review of Round Eleven of the 2014 United SportsCar Championship at Virginia International Raceway on the outskirts of Danville, Virginia. With this round is split into two different races, one race with both the GT Le Mans and GT Daytona class only. And the other race with only the Prototype Challenge class (all teams using Oreca FLM09 race car). So, therefore Prototype class will not participate for these races.

In the first race for Prototype Challenge class, That was won by 8Star Motorsports team won the race overall and Prototype Challenge class too (all teams using Oreca FLM09 race car) of Luis Díaz and Sean Rayhall. Second was CORE Autosport team of Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, they were one second behind the leaders at the end of the race. Meanwhile, third was Starworks Motorsport team of Starworks Motorsport and Renger van der Zande, they were three seconds behind the leaders at the end of the race.

Meanwhile in the second race, Risi Competizione team won the race overall and GT Le Mans Class too of Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer in their in their Ferrari 458 Italia GT2. While, Team Falken Tire team finished second place in their Porsche 911 RSR, the team of Wolf Henzler, and Bryan Sellers; they were half a second behind the leaders at the end of the race. Meanwhile, BMW Team RLL team finished in third place in their BMW Z4 GTE, the team of John Edwards and Dirk Müller; they were over seven tenths of a second behind the leaders at the end of the race.

In GT Daytona class, Turner Motorsport won GT Daytona class and finished in eighth place overall in their BMW Z4 GT3; with the drivers of Dane Cameron and Markus Palttala; they were seventeen seconds behind the leaders at the end of the race.

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

The weird and funny old world of Formula 1, Max Chilton going to drive at Spa after all

Marussia has reinstated Max Chilton for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend (22/8/14), just a day after announcing that Alexander Rossi would be replacing Chilton as it attempted to resolve "contractual issues".



It was announced on Thursday that Chilton would not be contesting the Spa-Francorchamps event, with Rossi, who became the team's reserve last month, stepping up to make his debut.

Chilton released a statement through his management claiming that he had given up the seat to allow the team to raise funds by selling it on, and that it expected him to return for the following Italian Grand Prix.

However, Marussia applied to switch back to Chilton on Friday morning, a move accepted by the stewards.

Rossi did contest the opening practice session before handing the car to Chilton for the rest of the weekend.

The weird and funny old world of Formula 1. This won't be the last in Formula 1.

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

Alexandre Rossi replaces Max Chilton at Marussia for Belgian Grand Prix

Alexander Rossi will make his Formula 1 debut at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend for Marussia replacing Max Chilton it was announced this afternoon (21/8/14).



The team said Rossi, who joined Marussia last month as a reserve driver, would substitute for Chilton "while contractual issues are resolved."

Rossi joined Marussia from Caterham, where he was a reserve driver and sometime Friday tester before new owners took over the team before the British Grand Prix. The 22-year-old will be the first American to race in F1 since Scott Speed's final appearance for Toro Rosso in the 2007 European Grand Prix.

While Max Chilton's released a statement through his management saying that says he relinquished his Marussia Formula 1 race seat to Alexander Rossi for the Belgian Grand Prix voluntarily due to financial issues on the team's side.

Big question marks for both parties what I hearing on TV and Internet on what side you believe the driver or the team. Gutted for Max Chilton for not driving at Spa this weekend, lost his drive just before the weekend started isn't great. And just like André Lotterer from yesterday, good luck for Alexander Rossi for this weekend at Marussia.

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

André Lotterer to make F1 debut with Caterham

André Lotterer will make his Formula 1 debut at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend for Caterham, it has been announced yesterday (20/8/14).



The Audi Le Mans driver will replace Kamui Kobayashi, who the squad said "remains part of the team".



It is currently unknown whether its André Lotterer only race appearance in F1 or if he will do further races following Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Lotterer does have previous experience in F1, he was a test driver for Jaguar Racing (Red Bull Racing nowadays) in 2002 and was in contention for a 2003 drive at Jaguar. But his achieved success is in sports cars, having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011, 2012 and this year with Audi once again. And even winning the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 with Audi. and racing in Formula Nippon, claiming the title in 2011.

Gutted for Kamui Kobayashi for not driving at Spa this weekend as he would suit the circuit from his past experience to get him a good result this weekend if its rains on Sunday. Anyway, good luck for André Lotterer for this weekend at Caterham.

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