The FIA has issued a strong rebuttal to recent claims made by GPDA chairman and former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz regarding alleged aerodynamic modifications in karting.

The Austrian alleged that all “20 F1 drivers” had united to call for immediate action, as he branded the supposed developments in karting “absolutely insane” and “dangerous”.

His comments derived from an exclusive interview with GPBlog, during the Belgium Grand Prix weekend at Spa back in July, where he launched an attack on the way karting events are governed by the FIA and how the governing body has supposedly “allowed aerodynamic parts on the karts”.

In response, after the story’s publication, the FIA issued a statement firmly rejecting Wurz’s assertions and the claims reported in the article.

“The FIA strongly refutes a number of assertions made in comments carried in a recent article published by GPBlog.com,” the official statement read.

“These statements are incorrect and misrepresent the CIK-FIA Karting Technical and Homologation Regulations which govern FIA-sanctioned Karting events and explicitly prohibit modifications to the aerodynamics, wings, or floors of karts.

“To clarify: Article 4.6 of the Karting Technical Regulations, updated by the World Motor Sport Council in February 2025, specifically prohibits alterations to the floor trays of karts. The technical regulations also stipulate that only components expressly approved by the FIA may be used, thereby preventing the use of untested or non-homologated parts.

“All homologated bodywork must undergo FIA-standard crash testing, ensuring safety and integrity. There are currently five manufacturers who have homologated bodywork parts with a numbering system in place to ensure and track regulatory compliance.

“Under Article 22 of the Homologation Regulations, bodywork must be air-blow moulded, which inherently prevents adjustable aerodynamic features.

“Additionally, Article 3.2 of the Technical Regulations prohibits any modifications to homologated bodywork as inferred was possible or taking place in the article.”

FIA reaffirms karting regulations and safety standards

Continuing in its response, the FIA underlined that karting regulations leave no room for ambiguity, stressing that all components (aerodynamic or otherwise) are tightly controlled and their compliance rigorously enforced.

“The FIA welcomes the opportunity to clarify these points and reiterate the strict regulatory framework in place which ensures consistency, safety, cost containment and fairness in karting,” the statement added.

“The claims made in the article regarding alterations are not permitted in FIA-sanctioned Karting events and it is important to note that all components, including bodywork, are tightly controlled through homologation and scrutineering procedures that prevent any unapproved modifications.”

The FIA also responded directly to Wurz’s comment that, “We are looking out for the kids in karting, and we are concerned. We think it’s in the wrong direction and it should be stopped”.

The governing body slammed Wurz for his choice of words surrounding the basic safety of the junior competitors, saying: “Safety will always be the key priority of the FIA. Suggestions that safety has been compromised to accommodate kart upgrades are entirely baseless and untrue.

“In fact, the technical regulations have been strengthened this year to further enhance safety standards. The FIA has in recent years developed several new safety standards for karting, such as the karting body protection, karting light panels and karting helmet standards. 

“The FIA continues to strengthen safety standards in karting and will shortly release a completely new safety device initiative for karting.

“The FIA remains deeply committed to making karting more accessible and inclusive. Through our Global Karting Plan, we are introducing new categories and competitions such as the FIA Karting Arrive and Drive World Cup in November where standardised karts will ensure technical and financial parity in a competition that identifies and rewards racing talent.”

Why the wait and why now?

This matter is not over in the eyes of the FIA and in the coming days they will actively seek a retraction of the spurious claims allegedly made by Wurz if not the whole article. 

Just how (and when) the GPDA and all of their “20 F1 drivers” have allegedly and suddenly become involved in campaigning for this, as heretofore unknown, alleged breach of safety for junior competitors is not known. 

But recently, the current political climate that has been invading the sport when anything related to the FIA is mentioned is concerning. Just why the GPDA Chairman would choose a little-known Dutch website to expose these alleged safety concerns of all “20 F1 drivers” is also concerning.

And, as to why that website would wait nearly a month before publishing their ‘scoop’ is debatable but clearly there is an agenda in play and one that is currently not obvious. 

Given the period of time that passed between the alleged exclusive interview and publication, could they not have engaged the FIA directly for a statement, especially as the author of the article was seen speaking to FIA officials in Budapest the following week and did not even bring up the matter.

For that matter why the GPDA did not immediately engage directly with the FIA when this matter became an issue for all “20 F1 drivers” (if indeed it is), is also a question that needs to be answered by Alex Wurz.

Looking in from the outside, there are more questions than answers at this stage with it being as clear as mud as to who or what is driving this agenda… 

READ MORE – Why the FIA isn’t worried about lap times with the 2026 F1 regulation overhaul

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When asked what the biggest motorsport in America is, American Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford said he would rank Formula 1 at the top.

While he admitted that he may have been biased with his answer, his answer has some truth to it. Formula 1 has found its way back to America after years of failed attempts.

For many years, Formula 1 has struggled to appeal to the American audience. There were either small crowds or the races were confusing. Even in California, home to the iconic Long Beach Grand Prix, interest had dwindled down a lot.

Attempts to bring F1 to America just seemed to fall flat over the years, but now, things have changed. There is more fan engagement, high-profile races in the States, and even a Netflix series on it. 

Now that more people are embracing the game, it is becoming one of the popular sports to bet on. This is one way fans typically express their passion for a sport. In California, racing fans are looking for platforms that have great F1 odds and special promos.

Newcomers or those unsure about where to start can see the full list of sportsbooks before placing bets on the next race. 

Before now, the U.S was an embarrassment for F1. One of its worst moments was the 2005 Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where only six cars started the race. Many fans walked out, and that moment felt like the end of F1 in America.

Now, with three major races in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, Formula 1 seems to have found its place in America. The sport isn’t just about speed, but the experience of being at the grid, which includes entertainment with celebrities and music.

Previous managements have failed at bringing the sport back to America, but current owners, Liberty Media Corporation, have done what many would’ve deemed impossible. They changed the way the sport was presented and made it more fan friendly.

By teaming up with Netflix to create the “Drive to Survive” series, they gave fans a feel of what happened behind the scenes with the drivers and teams. The corporation recently acquired MotoGP and WorldSBK as well. 

The series made the sport more exciting and easier to follow, especially for people who weren’t familiar with the sport. F1 capitalized on this opening by releasing the F1 movie with Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt as one of the stars.

What makes this growth more impressive is the fact that it is becoming popular in a country where NASCAR and IndyCar are part of the sports culture.

Jak Crawford, who might be America’s best hope of being on the 2026 grid, has said that he thinks Formula 1 is the biggest motorsport. He mentioned that although he doesn’t know the stats about Formula 1 in the States.

He believes the sport is growing bigger than it used to be, and that he would rank it above IndyCar. His view is not far off. Formula 1 now averages 1.3 million U.S viewers per race this season, compared to a few years ago when it was only about 550,000.

Crawford has just won his second feature race of the season at Silverstone, where he beat Luke Browning and Alex Dunne to a top podium finish. Backed by Aston Martin, Crawford sits second in the title race and is just eight points off Richard Verschoor, who leads the log.

While Crawford doesn’t know where he’ll be next year, it is believed that if he wins the Formula 2 championship and keeps Aston Martin’s support, he may be on the Formula 1 grid very soon.

The post Formula 1 finally breaks America after years of failed attempts appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Despite being one of the fastest and most talented drivers on the grid, the immediate future for Carlos Sainz looks murky. With his world rocked over Ferrari’s decision to bring in seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton to the team, and their doubling down of sticking with Charles Leclerc, Sainz finds himself in need of a drive for next season.

Sainz’s removal from one of the best Formula 1 teams seems a little harsh and the Spaniard has been open with the press to say that the search for a new team is leaving him stressed. 

With Sainz having previously failed to attract new sponsors, some of his fans are of the opinion that it’s time for him to go out and land a major gaming sponsor.

Gambling companies such as 188BET are already one of the global partners of Formula1, and there is an appetite for several more gambling brands to come on board. Sites such as Slotsjudge could be tempted to enter the arena of partnerships in order to tell more people all about minimum deposit casino and the different bonuses and promotions that can be found at the most reliable online casinos.

Who will Carlos Sainz drive for after Ferrari?

With the 2025 driver market in full swing, in this article we take a look at where Sainz could end up and which teams will be battling it out for his signature. With it already being confirmed that 2024 will be Sainz’s last season with the Scuderia, the race to sign Sainz is well and truly on and there will be several team principles hopeful of bringing Sainz to their team.

The team that Sainz will be the most hopeful of joining is Mercedes.

In what could act as a straight swap between Lewis Hamilton and himself, team principal Toto Wolff will be looking for an experienced hand to sit alongside George Russell. Despite starting the season slowly, the silver arrows have enjoyed a massive upturn in form and look to have a race-winning car on their hands again.

It would be the one move that the Spaniard’s team would be desperate for him to make.

The line-ups for next season…

The 2025 Formula 1 grid is almost finalised and the options open to drivers like Sainz who are currently without a seat are limited. Let’s take a look at who is currently in line to start the first Grand Prix of the season.

Red Bull

Likely 2024 world champion Max Verstappen still has one more year left on his Red Bull contract, but team principal Christian Horner will be hopeful of signing their star man to a contract extension and there will be general uneasiness that the team is yet to secure his future.

Many believe that Verstappen and Red Bull will remain the team to beat in 2025 and their odds of further Championship success are shortening all the time. 

With many non-red bull drivers, mechanics and associates expecting the seat alongside Verstappen to be made available, the paddock was stunned when Sergio Perez signed a multi-year deal to stay with the team. Despite his struggles over the past two seasons, Perez is seen as the ideal team-mate to Verstappen and has been able to grab one of the most valuable seats on the 2025 grid.

McLaren

The one team that Sainz would love to drive for is McLaren. Likely to be Red Bull’s main rivals next season, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both have confirmed seats beyond 2026 and look set to remain with the team for years to come.

Ferrari

Although it has been years since Ferrari last dominated Formula 1, being a Ferrari driver is still one of the most prestigious jobs in F1.Charles Leclerc is still regarded as the future of the team but the recent Monte-Carlo winner will need to step up if he is to become the F1 driver that many believe he can be.

Lewis Hamilton is the most eye-catching move ahead of the 2025 season starting. Hamilton has long had an affinity with Ferrari and admits his move to the team completes a childhood dream. “I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream, driving in Ferrari red…”

Having not been in the championship race in both 2023 and 2024, the seven time world champion will be hoping that the Ferrari next season can improve and take him to yet further glory.

Mercedes

The prime option for Sainz is to try and steal the last seat at Mercedes, one of the best teams on the grid. George Russell has a confirmed seat, but whether Mercedes opt for youth in the shape of Kimi Antonelli remains to be seen.

Aston Martin

Another team closed to Sainz is Aston Martin. Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has recently signed a multi-year extension with the team and he will continue to be supported by Lance Stroll.

Alpine

Despite heavy rumours of a return back to Red Bull, Pierre Gasly will be staying at Alpine for next season. Esteban Ocon is out so there is a seat available here, but with the team yet to show they can consistently compete at the top end of the grid, the move may not overly appeal to Sainz.

Williams

One team that is heavily interested in bringing Sainz to their team is Williams.

Currently Alex Albon is the only driver set to return. Williams are now one of the best funded teams on the grid, having long struggled for both budget and pace. Whilst nobody can deny that the team has made strides this season, the opportunity to fight for wins looks scarce and that might be off putting for Sainz with the Spaniard saying, “Wherever I go next, I will look for stability and an interesting project, to become a champion in the future.” It seems unlikely that Williams will offer him that opportunity to win and could find themselves out of the reckoning.

Cash App RB

Yuki Tsunoda is back for RB, but he is currently without a teammate. Often viewed as a breeding ground for Red Bull, a seat may be available but it is highly doubtful that they will be able to afford a man of Sainz’s considerable talents.

Haas

Highly promising racer Oliver Bearman has bagged one spot for Haas next season, but who will drive alongside him is very much up for debate. Both Valtteri Bottas and Ocon have been linked with a move and there is no doubt that Sainz’s name would have been discussed in great length. Whether Haas have the speed to take Sainz back to the front of the grid remains to be seen.

Kick Sauber

One of Formula 1’s oldest but newest teams Kick Sauber, soon to be Audi. Nico Hülkenberg has already been confirmed but there are huge rumours that the team also really want to sign Sainz. The team will formally become Audi in 2026 and they have the financial strength and technical expertise to be a player in the future.

What’s next for Carlos Sainz in 2025?

With the futures of experienced drivers such as Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen both up in the air, trying to secure a seat in time for the start of next season certainly doesn’t look like being an easy feat. Of all the drivers who qualify, it is certainly Sainz that makes the most appeal but he needs to think his next move through carefully.

If he wants a seat at the front of the grid then a seat with Mercedes or the new Audi team look like the only viable options. However, if he is happy to join a project and try to take one of the grid’s lesser lights to glory, then a move to Williams could make sense.

Sainz has long believed that he is one of the best drivers in the sport, and you don’t drive for Ferrari otherwise. However, with his future in doubt, next year Sainz will need to show off all of his skills and show Ferrari what they are missing out on.

The post ‘I’m stressed’: The future of where Carlos Sainz will drive in 2025 remains elusive… appeared first on Motorsport Week.

For a number of years now, former F1 driver and now Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok has been developing a solid reputation as a respected commentator of how the racing has unfolded at each grand prix.

Along with his colleagues at the sports broadcaster, he has been seen at most of the races this past year, so his opinion is as well informed as anyone else in the paddock. On top of that he is a really great person to talk to and in fact wrote articles for this site’s sister publication Motorsport Monday in the early years of its existence.

So what does the likable former F1 driver think about how the season went? Let’s give you some snippets from his recent extensive interview with betwayinsider, with the full transcript of the interview being found here.

How do you feel the season has gone with the new regulations?

“On the whole it’s been a season that’s somewhat flattered to deceive,” commented Chandhok. “We started off with very high expectations of a Ferrari versus Red Bull battle going all the way to Abu Dhabi. I remember standing in the pit lane after Melbourne and Ferrari had absolutely blitzed that weekend, and we all thought it was going to be quite hard for Red Bull to recover. They were over 40 points behind at that point.

“But Ferrari have just underperformed. They’ve not maximised the potential of their car, which is a frustrating thing, because they’ve actually got a very fast car. I have a spreadsheet that I update as the season goes, tracking car performance based on all the dry qualifying sessions, so it’s pure pace. And even as of now, the Ferrari is the faster car, yet they are nearly 200 points behind in the championship. So much of that is down to reliability, operations, engine penalties and driver errors, just a flood of things.

“So, a season that flattered to deceive in some ways, with the big story being Mercedes, of course.”

Which driver has surprised you most this season?

“One who has surprised me in a positive way is George Russell,” added the former F1 driver. “I think we all knew how good he was and that he was absolutely the right replacement for Valtteri [Bottas], but to see him come away from the season in front of Lewis in the World Championship, that’s sensational.

“Getting his first win was the cherry on top. He was under great pressure from Lewis, it has to be said, in that final stint. To come in as a young hotshot and take on the challenge at Mercedes straight away, I think that’s been a seriously impressive season.”

All this and more can be found in the full transcript of this highly entertaining interview.

The post Chandhok’s appraisal of the 2022 F1 season appeared first on Motorsport Week.

In this week’s edition, Josh Disborough takes you through the dusty the WRC’s Safari Rally Kenya, where Kalle Rovanpera reigned supreme over his rivals, further extending his lead atop the standings.

Elsewhere, the MotoGP season travelled to Assen for the final round before the summer break, the Dutch TT – Fabio Quartararo was out to retain his strong form, however his rivals had different ideas. Kyle Francis has your report.

The IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion ventured to the historic Watkins Glen track for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. Mikey McGuire has all the details from a very exciting race and a nail-biting finish.

On the features side of operations this week, Fergal Walsh looks at the ongoing bouncing debate that is currently rocking the world of Formula 1, following the introduction of new cars this year.

F1’s favourite Agony aunt Claire Millins is back with advice for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, while IndyCar editor Kevin Dejewski gives his mid-season report card for all 10 teams competing in the North-American open-wheel championship. And, as always, we have all the usual news, views and stories in this week’s edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world!

The post Motorsport Monday – Issue 473 now available – FREE to read! appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Celebrating your 21^st birthday by threading a state-of-the art World Rally Car through the world’s fastest rally special stages chasing a win in front of your passionate home-town fans sounds rather like a comic-book story, or does it…

That’s the reality for Finland’s Kalle Rovanperä, currently the hottest property in the FIA World Rally Championship right now. And tomorrow Rovanperä will put the birthday presents to one side to chase a third straight gravel win, after becoming the WRC’s youngest-ever event winner in Estonia in July. The young Finn followed up that with a victory in Greece earlier this month.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing driver is the latest motorsport hero from Jyväskylä, the traditional home of the fastest round in the WRC calendar. Drivers born there have celebrated a remarkable 45 rally wins in the series’ 49-year history, including four-time world champion Tommi Mäkinen, Mikko Hirvonen, Henri Toivonen and Rovanperä’s father, Harri.

 “Driving Rally Finland in a World Rally Car is going to be one of the coolest things for me in my career so far,” he admitted. “A home rally is always different and Rally Finland is something special. You can really feel the atmosphere there.”

Cars frequently top 125mph on roads amid the forests and lakes of central Finland that can resemble a rollercoaster. The speed, big jumps and blind crests masking corners mean pace notes must be perfect and delivered with pinpoint accuracy by hard-working co-drivers.

This year’s event runs two months later than normal with autumn well and truly set in, resulting in cooler temperatures, wetter roads and less grip on slippery gravel are hazards that drivers must counter this time.

“Now that it’s later in the year, the conditions could be really difficult if it’s wet and muddy,” Rovanperä added. “That could change things a bit, but I’m really looking forward to it, and it’s going to be really nice to see the fans cheering for us on the stages.”

Toyota Yaris colleague Sébastien Ogier holds a 44-point lead over team-mate Elfyn Evans. If results go his way, the Frenchman could clinch his eighth WRC title here with two rounds still remaining.

For the Toyota team, based just outside Jyväskylä, their Yaris WRC is undefeated in Finland since the Japanese manufacturer returned to the sport in 2017. But Ogier is taking nothing for granted.

“The Yaris WRC was born on Finnish roads so it should perform well there but I’m expecting tough competition as well, including from my team-mates,” he explained. “Nothing is decided in the championship yet so let’s see what approach we will take on this rally.”

Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta and 2017 winner Esapekka Lappi also drive Yaris WRCs. Katsuta has stand-in co-driver Aaron Johnston alongside, while Lappi is back at the top level for the first time in 10 months.

Hyundai Motorsport currently trails Toyota by 57 points in defence of its manufacturers’ title and needs strong performances from i20 WRC trio of regulars Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak with Irishman Craig Breen, taking on the role of the third driver for this event.

Young up and coming rally stars Gus Greensmith and Adrien Fourmaux complete the top-tier lie-up in M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRCs with Frenchman Fourmaux partnered by new co-driver Alexandre Coria for the first time.

The rally starts in Jyväskylä tomorrow afternoon (Friday) and returns for the finish on Sunday afternoon after 19 special stages covering 178.4 miles.

The post Rovanperä chases WRC gravel hattrick in Finland appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Local driver and former WRC champion Ott Tänak has to deliver this weekend like he did last year on Rally Estonia when it gets under way on Thursday evening, if he has any hope in fighting for the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship title.

Currently Tänak is 64 points shy of point leader Sébastien Ogier and sits in fourth place as the 2021 WRC season enters its second half on Estonia’s blisteringly fast gravel roads around the country’s second biggest second city, Tartu.

Last year, he led the inaugural WRC Rally Estonia round almost from start to finish, to take his first ever win for, then, new employers Hyundai and it’s this pace he needs to find if he has any chance of moving up the points standings this coming weekend.

So far this year, he only has a win on the snow and ice of Arctic Rally Finland a nd since then he has retired with faulty rear suspension while leading both Rally Portugal and Tally Italia Sardegna. All he could salvage on the relaunched WRC Safari Rally, in a heavily depleted field, was third although he did have issues with a misting windscreen throughout the event.

Tänak isn’t even the leading Hyundai and sits eight points behind his Hyundai i20 team-mate Thierry Neuville, despite the Belgian not scoring on the Safari. One thing he can be sure of, however, is that he will be supported by hundreds of thousands of passionate flag-waving Estonian fans.

“It is nice to drive at home, and we had a memorable result last year with our first-ever win for Hyundai Motorsport,” said Tänak ahead of the event. “We remain hopeful that we can fight for a similar result this year, as we know the car can be fast in these conditions.”

Estonia’s gravel roads are pacy and smooth and the Baltic fixture will be one of the fastest of the season. An unusually long, hot and dry summer means the surface will be covered by slippery stones which will reduce grip for the early starters.

Craig Breen returns to the Alzenau team’s line-up after following home Tänak in second place last year, but both Hyundai drivers need to watch out for Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Kalle Rovanperä, who was quicker than Tänak initially during the 2020 event.

The 20-year-old flying Finn lives in Estonia and still craves his first WRC victory. After starting out rallying in Estonia due to the ability for his to compete at the age of 16, he both knows and loves the Baltic stages that the event is run on. Unfortunately, like Tänak, he has had an abysmal recently with just one sixth place finish to show for his last four events! 

“I’m really looking forward to turning things in a better direction for us in the second half of the season, and I think Estonia can be a good event for that,” he said. “I hope we will have a good feeling and a clean rally, and then hopefully we can start to have good results again.”

Ogier and Elfyn Evans join Rovanperä in Toyota Yaris cars. The Frenchman is 34 points clear of Evans in the standings after four wins from six rounds, including back-to-back successes in Italy and Kenya last month.

Teemu Suninen returns to M-Sport Ford’s World Rally Car line-up alongside Gus Greensmith. The Finn is another Estonia resident and replaces Adrien Fourmaux who will switch back to a WRC2 car for this event. The team as a whole though had its best results of the year in Kenya with fourth and fifth places.

Takamoto Katsuta drives a fourth Yaris WRC after a career-best second place in Africa while Pierre-Louis Loubet completes the top-tier starters in another Hyundai i20 WRC.

The rally starts in Tartu on Thursday evening and competitors tackle 24 Special Stages covering 314.16km before Sunday afternoon’s finish.

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There’s no doubt that 2021 is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing and exciting seasons of Formula 1 in a long time. It’s already seen some notable driver changes and the arrival of a new constructor in Aston Martin after the takeover of the British supercar manufacturer by Racing Point boss Lawrence Stroll.

Importantly the teams are running with basically last year’s car after the proposed regulation changes were postponed to the 2022 season. But one team that will be revolutionised, despite no changes for the 2021 season, is the Woking squad McLaren as it returns to Mercedes power for 2021. The team hopes that this could bring them back into the big time… 

The headline change for McLaren for the 2021 season is their return to Mercedes engines following some disappointing years using both Honda and Renault power.

The move to Honda instantly drew comparisons to the days when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost piloted the all-conquering MP4/4 during the 1988 season, and it was expected, especially given that the team had Fernando Alonso as a driver during the new Honda days that McLaren could try and recapture some form.

Of course, this was not to be the case, and this particular partnership would be marked by Alonso’s infamous expounding that Honda’s engine was a “GP2 engine”. Moving back to Mercedes power should constitute a return to form following years of the team languishing in the midfield.

There’s a certain parallel that can be drawn to the past with the rekindling of this particular partnership; back in 2007, McLaren-Mercedes had signed up a young British driver by the name of Lewis Hamilton, and now, in 2021, McLaren-Mercedes have a young British driver named Lando Norris.

It is entirely plausible that with this combo of a faster car and skilful drivers that McLaren may just end up challenging for the driver’s or constructor’s title. However, it’s important to note that this depends on a few things – most notably, for McLaren to have any chance, Mercedes themselves would need to have their dominance ended, and with new regulations now being pushed back until 2022, there might just be another year of the same old Silver Arrows domination.

It’s not just in engine providers that McLaren have changed as their driver lineup has also seen a bit of a shakeup for this upcoming season. Carlos Sainz has departed for Ferrari and the Australian Daniel Ricciardo has been poached from Renault.

The former Red Bull man brings a wealth of experience to the team in a bid to support Lando Norris who himself has been marked out as a rather good driver despite only being in the sport for a couple of years now. This, as with the engine situation, draws a parallel to the past – McLaren paired Hamilton with the experienced and former world champion Fernando Alonso in a bid to support him in his early years of development in the sport.

McLaren are currently seen as unlikely to challenge for either title by the bookmakers, with their odds for a Constructor’s Championship at 100/1 in the sports betting at William Hill, while Ricciardo and Norris are both 66/1 to win the title. 

It could be argued that the move back to Mercedes may have increased the likelihood of both events happening, just as long as McLaren can continue to make strides in their incredible chassis development.

McLaren, if everything goes right for them, could end up being back on top of the Formula 1 grid. Before Mercedes entered the fray as a fully-fledged F1 team, McLaren did have a decent period of success, of course under Mercedes power. There’s every chance that this new era for the team could bring around a whole load of successes, both for them and up and coming drivers such as Norris and Ricciardo.

The post Will Mercedes power propel McLaren back to the top? appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Racing a motorcycle is by far the easiest way to enter motorsport today. They are easy to maintain, easy to learn, and fun to ride.  They are also substantially cheaper to buy than a car! But they are far less safe when competing than cars, and beginners should first make sure that they can ride safely on roads and highways first before hitting the track. The amount of information you have to keep in mind while riding can be overwhelming and knowing how to ride safely is your first goal before taking on the circuits. To make it easier and safer to start climbing the ladder towards eventually racing motorbikes on the track, we have assembled below four useful tips to start you on your journey…

Get an easy-to-handle bike

The most common mistake new bikers make is buying a bike that is too big for them. It doesn’t matter whether you can afford the best motorcycle on the market; your first bike should be between 100cc and 200cc. A low-capacity machine not only provides you with better handling but also limits you from doing potentially dangerous stunts while you are still a learner. And you should be able to ride it until you have mastered the basics and then decide if you are ready to step up your game with a more powerful bike.

Upgrade your bike’s headlight

Lighting upgrades are sometimes seen as an aesthetic enhancement, but in reality they are a lot more than that. Changing your headlight up to a more modern brighter LED specification in the aftermarket makes it a lot easier for other motorists to see you, especially at night. Since LED lights are also more efficient on energy, you can leave them lit both at night and during the day for enhanced safety. Lighting specialists such as XK Glow can easily help you choose a replacement unit, if you don’t know where to start. They can also assist with the installation part, which most of the time has to be done with aesthetics in mind. While you’re at it, consider upgrading your turn signal lights as well!

To begin, limit the distance you ride each day

Distance is one of the most important bike-riding aspects for new riders who want to prioritise their safety. The amount of distance you cover per day should be dictated by your riding experience, your fitness level, terrains, weather, and road conditions. During the early stages of your riding journey, the objective should be to keep the distance you cover to a minimum even if you feel you have the energy for more. Riding for too long, when inexperienced, can affect your focus and efficiency, and also increase your risk of an accident.

Always ride defensively!

Most people struggle to resist the temptation of riding aggressively, especially if they want to eventually race bikes competitively. But this style and attitude should never be a choice in any beginner’s list of options. You may quickly start feeling comfortable as soon as you master the riding basics, but it’s wise not to let it go to your head. Motorcycles are smaller and have far less protection than cars, and small factors can lead to severe consequences. For this reason, always ride defensively and avoid putting yourself in dangerous situations such as riding in truck blind spots or drafting behind cars.

Where to next?

These tips can help make you a better and more responsible rider who is now more confident on his or her bike. Next stop should be a beginner’s track day where you can see how the skills that you have acquired on the road, can now help you in mastering going faster on a race track. But always remember to follow road rules and not to go on your first highway ride until you have first mastered all the specifics and feel confident and ready…

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Following a formal announcement of a Strategic Review and Formal Sale Process on the 29^th  May 2020, the listed Williams F1 entity, Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc (Frankfurt Stock Exchange –  news ticker code WGF1), announced on Friday morning that the company had essentially sold all of its assets for a combination of cash and debt assumption. 

The assets sold by Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc include Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited which is the main operating subsidiary and now consists of the Formula 1 team and a minority stake in Williams Advanced Engineering Ltd, after a majority stake was sold to ENK Capital Group LLC in December 2019.

The assets were purchased by the privately held Dorilton Capital Management LLC based in Manhattan, New York via their subsidiary BCE Limited. While Dorilton’s investments and management team are well known to the venture capital markets, the money behind BCE Ltd is believed to come from one ultra-high net worth family…

When the sales process announcement was made in May, one of the advisors listed as acting for Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc was Allen & Company LLC, a well-established and old New York finance house, much more used to advising deals in the tens of billions of Dollars rather than sub $200 million size of the Williams sale. And given that the sale was concluded within 10 weeks of the initial announcement, it is clear that Williams F1 had been on Dorilton’s radar prior to May 29^th.

And while Dorilton is well known for their gregarious range of investments in many fields from companies that make solid blocks of honey to those that clean the inside of nuclear reactors, this is their first foray into a sports related business and also their first investment outside North America.

Interestingly, Dorilton was set up by two ex-Rothschild bankers, Mathew Savage (currently the Chairman) and Darren Fultz (currently the CEO) in 2009 and have since made a number of diverse and unrelated investments, eight in the United States and one in Canada. The company employs over 90 staff.

As well as buying the assets of Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc, Dorilton have also bought the limited company that has the entry in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship to ensure continuity of the entry and prize money.

In doing this, Dorilton has taken on all other trading assets and liabilities too, including all third party indebtedness of the Group which includes a recent loan from driver Nicholas Latifi’s father Michael. The $35m loan was secured by assets, including the Williams Heritage Collection. It is believed that this loan was repaid as part of the purchase arrangement

Under the terms of the deal, the assets were valued at €152 million (£135 million) and the net cash proceeds that have been received by Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc as payment for all the assets. After repayment of the third party indebtedness and various transaction expenses (such as Allen & Co’s fees), there will be an amount of €112 million (£99 million) in cash which will be distrusted to shareholders in due course.

Interestingly, the listed company now left without any assets – other than a large wedge of cash – may be in line to receive an additional top-up payment from Dorilton at a later stage subject to certain conditions being satisfied. 

This additional amount could be in reference to payments due from F1’s commercial rights owner, Liberty Media, who have yet to pay out all of the 2019 season’s prize money. This could possibly amount to as much as €60 million (£53 million), depending on how much has been paid so far to the previously struggling Grove outfit!

To ensure the deal went through smoothly, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange received a document confirming that it had the irrevocable support of Sir Frank Williams who holds 52% of the issued share capital. This coupled with other large blocks of stock totalling nearly 30% (controlled variously by Williams Co-Founder Sir Patrick Head, pharmaceutical tycoon Brad Hollinger, Toto Wolff and the employees’ pension fund) ensured there were no final hurdles in the sale process.

With the “Formal Sale Process” which Claire Williams announced on the 29^th May 2020 now concluded, Williams Grand Prix Holdings Plc will no longer be required to make any official announcements or disclosures in terms of the current stock exchange rules relating to the “Takeover Code”.

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