Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Monaco

  • F2 – RND 5 Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Despite a slower getaway than fellow front row starter Bortoleto, Barnard was able to keep a hold of the lead while Hauger tucked into third.
    However, a safety car was required after Victor Martins’ race ended early in the barriers at Turn 1.

    The ART Grand Prix driver appeared to collide with DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford and Campos Racing’s Josep Maria Marti, taking off his front wing and sending him into the wall.

    At the restart, Barnard kept a hold of the lead, but the Safety Car was deployed again on lap 6 when Marti crashed into the wall at the swimming pool section.
    Racing then resumed on lap 8 and by the end of the next tour of the track, the top four from Barnard to Andrea Kimi Antonelli were separated by a second and a half.

    The Virtual Safety Car was then deployed on lap 11 after Richard Verschoor sustained damage on his front wing after hitting the apex at Mirabeua.
    The Trident driver appeared to receive a tap from Joshua Duerksen causing him to lose control.

    Out in front, Barnard’s lead over Bortoleto was now over two seconds by the start of lap 19, the Brazilian driver now coming under pressure from Hauger.

    Bearman’s day was made worse when he a slow moment out of Portier following an issue which dropped him down a few places.
    This promoted Maloney to 11th, who was looking to dive down the inside of Zak O’Sullivan for P10.

    The Championship leader’s day then came to an end at La Rascasse after he locked up into the corner before being sent into a spin by Juan Manuel Correa. This also left Maini without a place to go causing him to stop next to Maloney, with the track blocked it triggered a red flag.

    Racing got back underway with a rolling start on lap 26 and Barnard was now nearly four seconds clear of Bortoleto as they rounded the track for the 28th time.

    As they started the final lap, the gap out front was five seconds leaving Barnard to cross the line in first, giving him and AIX Racing their maiden Formula 2 victory. Boroleto finished in P2 while Hauger followed him across the line to take P3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Barnard, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Hauger, P4: Antonelli, P5: Colapinto, P6: Stanek, P7: Aron, P8: Hadjar, P9: Fittipaldi and P10: O’Sullivan.

    Day 4-

    Richard Verschoor made a fast start from pole in the Trident, but his fellow front row starter Victor Martins fell down the order. It allowed Hadjar and Aron to move up to second and third.

    Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto was using his supersoft tyres well as he went round the outside of Dennis Hauger at the Turn 6 hairpin putting him up to eighth. He was right behind Oliver Bearman who made his way up from 12th to P7.

    It was not good news however for DAMS Lucas Oil driver Jak Crawford, who stopped on track at Turn 7 after colliding with the Invicta Racing car of Kush Maini.

    On lap 4 of 42, Verschoor was being put under pressure by Hadjar, while Aron was falling back in third. Just behind the top three, Colapinto was feeling the presence of PREMA’s Antonelli for P4.

    The drivers then held station but by lap 10, Bortoleto was given the hurry up from his Invicta Racing team and told to catch berman ahead.

    Trouble came for Trident and Verschoor, with the Dutch driver coming on the radio to report an issue. The Dutchman was able to keep things going but his three second lead to Hadjar was now gone.

    At the halfway stage, Hitech and PREMA rolled the dice by pitting Aron and Antonelli for the supersoft tyres. The latter came out ahead his teammmate Bearman, though the two went wheel to wheel and the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent claimed the position.

    On lap 36, Hadjar came on the radio to say he had hit the wall but was able to continue, although he was still coming under attack from Aron.
    Elsewhere, Maloney and Barnard made contact at the Turn 6 hairpin, with the AIX racer losing a piece of his front wing.

    Lap 40, Joshua Duerksen was next to pit but collided with Maloney at Turn 1. The AIX driver stopped on track while the Rodin Motorsport driver continued on.

    This gave Zak O’Sullivan, the last remaining runner on the alternative strategy yet to pit, the chance to come in from the lead.
    Crucially, he was called in by ART moments before the VSC was deployed, making his stop under VSC legal.

    The Brit re-joined ahead of Hadjar on the penultimate lap before holding him off on a tense final lap to take his maiden victory in Formula 2.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Hadjar, P3: Aron, P4: Bearman, P5: Correa, P6: Hauger, P7: Antonelli, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Martins and P10: Maloney.

  • F3 – RND 4 Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Tsolov got the launch he needed to retain first, but Tramnitz was able to leapfrog the ART of van Hoepen to take second into Turn 1.

    Further back and coming through Casino Square, contact between the third ART of Christian Mansell and PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad put both into the wall.
    Their clash left the AIX Racing car of Joshua Dufek, MP Motorsport driver Alex Dunne and Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Cian SHields unable to avoid a collision behind.

    It brought out the Safety Car before the first lap was completed, but with five cars needing to be cleared a red flag followed.

    Racing got back underway entering lap 4 with a rolling start and Tsolov retained his lead comfortably over Tramnitz.

    The gaps fluctuated between those in the top 10 in the early phases of green flag racing, as Tsolov was able to repel Tramnitz thereby preventing the MP driver from gaining the DRS advantage.

    Lap 13, the race was run for Kacper Sztuka, who stopped on the inside of Turn 1 with a puncture after contact with Var’s Sophia Floersch, bringing out a Safety Car once again.
    It was a short interruption and racing action then resumed going onto Lap 16, and Tsolov re-launched into a decent lead.

    Over the line to start lap 20, the gap was up to 3.5s over Tramnitz, who had van Hoepen and Leon charging and within a second in the fight for the podium positions.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Tsolov, P2: Tramnitz, P3: Van Hoepen, P4: Leon, P5: Loake, P6: Boya, P7: Beganovic, P8: Browning, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Goethe.

    Day 4-

    Mini got a good launch to hold onto the lead over Mansell into Turn 1 as Browning followed the pair in third position.
    Further round the opening lap, Jenzer Motorsport driver Charlie Wurz was left in the barriers at Portier after contact with Rodin Motorsport’s Piotr Wisnicki to bring out a Safety Car.

    Racing got back underway entering lap 3, with Mini retaining the lead over the chasing pack but with Mansell was right in his wheel tracks.

    Joseph Loake proved overtaking was possible around the Principality, diving to the inside of Mari Boya’s Campos Racing car at La Rascasse on lap 6.

    With the opening third of the race run, Mini still had Mansell for company in second, unable to break out of DRS range to the Australian driver, while Browning had dropped several seconds back in third.

    ART’s Laurnes van Hoepen was on the move next, making a brave dive to the inside of Van Amersfoort’s Noel Leon at Mirabeau to move into 10th.

    Lap 20, and there was three-car collision at Turn 5 involving Leon, ART driver Nikola Tsolov and Sami Meguetounif.
    The Trident driver was left out of the running, the other pair rejoined but not before the safety car was deployed.

    Tsolov had attempted a pass on the inside but tagged the VAR driver into a spin, leaving Meguetounif nowhere to go in avoidance.
    The Safety Car was withdrawn entering lap 23, and Mini got a good enough restart to keep Mansell behind him.

    Loake attempted another pass on Boya, but with the door firmly shut on him at the Turn 6 hairpin, MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz profited to seize eighth position.

    Mini repelled the last gasp challenge from Mansell to secure his first victory of the season and his second Feature Race triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Tramnitz, P9: Loake and P10: Goethe.

  • RW 8 – Monaco

    Round 8 out of 24 is complete, and we had a different winner this season!

    Charles Leclerc has finally taken his victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, having enjoyed a mostly serene drive to P1 in front of his home crowd. He led home McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in P2 and his teammate Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.

    The red flags were thrown before the first lap of the iconic event had even been completed after a huge collision which involved 3 cars!

    But before we get into that the full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Albon and P10: Gasly.

    A VERY good result for Ferrari, Charles finally done it! He kept it cool calm and collected to secure this very needed win! A fab result for Ferrari in general as Sainz finished 3rd, a really good points haul for the team, they will be looking to do the same quite a few more times this year.

    The same goes to McLaren a very good result, Oscar getting his first podium this year in P2, and Norris in P4, a good points haul again for the team.

    Max Verstappen finished 6th, not a thrilling race from the world champion, but then again what else did we expect from Monaco… The Dutchman will be looking forward to the next race after this horrible weekend.
    Now onto his teammate, Perez had a shocker in qualifying so would of wanted to at least have a decent race… well he didn’t, he was involved on the lap 1 incident which saw him being tagged by Magnussen up the inside, before he ricochet across the track and then collecting Hulkenberg back past.
    This put all three drivers out of the race immediately, all drivers were okay thankfully. But Perez will also be looking forwards to the next race weekend as well.

    A decent result for Mercedes, both cars in the top 10 and finishing where they started so not a bad result at all for the team.

    First points of the season for Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly! It was touch and go with the Alpine at the beginning of the race due to have a dramatic collision with his teammate, as Ocon tried to overtake him, which caused the driver to bounce into the air following contact, who then later retired.

    Now we have a little wait till the next race, the next grand prix weekend is the 7th – 9th June and it’s the Canadian Grand Prix!

  • F2 – RND 5 Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Victor Martins made a quick start to the Monte Carlo weekend by setting the fastest time in a rain-affected practice session.
    The ART Grand Prix driver’s lap of 1:39.237 lead the field ahead of Richard Verschoor and Dennis Hauger.

    Heavy rain hit the track just before the start of the session, meaning drivers headed out onto a damp circuit.
    This made for tricky running with Enzo Fittipaldi the first to have a close call with the barrier at the hairpin section.

    As conditions improved and the drivers gained more confidence in the wet, the fastest time changed hands multiple times. But after 10 minutes of running, Martins led an ART 1-2, his time of 1:40.531 put him half a second clear of Zak O’Sullivan.

    Martins continued to set the pace and once again lowered the benchmark time to a 1:39.237. Trident’s Verschoor followed him across the line to go to P2, albeit nine-tenths behind.

    But red flags were waved with Franco Colapinto stationary in his MP Motorsport car after contact with the barrier at La Rascasse.

    The action resumed with 20 minutes left, and Dennis Hauger was the next driver to improve, moving up to second.
    The rain began to worsen as the session entered into the final 10 minutes leading the teams to bring their cars back into the pitlane.

    Day 2-

    Group A-

    The 11 even-numbered drivers headed out on to the track with 16 minutes on the clock looking to set their fastest times.

    After crossing the line to complete their first flying laps, it was ART driver Zak O’Sullivan who was the one to beat with a 1:23.118 putting him P1.
    His time was over half a second quicker than his nearest rivan in Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar.

    The Briton continued to set the pace on his next effort, completing a lap of 1:22.202. On this occasion, the gap to second place Verschoor was just 0.113s.

    As the first segment entered into the closing stages, green and purple colours lit up the timing screens as Verschoor went quickest with a 1:21.283 for Trident, a tenth ahead of Hadjar.

    Gabriel Bortoleto was third for Invicta Racing, but he came on the radio to inform his team that he had hit the wall in the swimming pool section.

    The drivers then set off on their final attempts, but despite their best efforts, no one could beat Verschoor’s time.

    Group B-

    The second set of 11 drivers headed out on to the track with Verschoor’s 1:21.283 their target time for pole.

    As the drivers started their flying laps, the red flags were waved early after Rafael Villagomez lost the rear of his Van Amersfoort Racing car on the entry to Turn 1, sending him straight into the barrier.

    With the track clear, drivers left the pitlane with nine minutes left in the segment. They wasted no time going for their push laps and it was Rodin’s Zane Maloney who went to the top of the leaderboard with a 1:21.941.

    But Martins went back to the top of the leaderboard but not for long as Roman Stanek’s 1:21.466 to put him ahead of the Frenchman.

    One final attempt was all there was time for, but Stanek’s hopes were dashed when he collided with the barrier in the second sector. Martins crossed the line to go fastest with a 1:21.310.
    This left Verschoor on pole position ahead of Martins for the feature race.

    The full top overall are- P1: Verschoor, P2: Martins, P3: Hadjar, P4: Aron, P5: Colapinto, P6: Stanek, P7: Antonelli, P8: Hauger, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Barnard.

    However, Bearman, Correa and Maini all have been given a three place grid penalty for impeeding.

  • RW 8 – Monaco Qualifying

    Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc charged his way to a wonderful pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix with a stunning display on home soil.
    He managed to get the better of McLaren rival Oscar Piastri and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in the all important grid deciding session.

    Leclerc avoided any slip-ups to safely make it through Q1 and Q2 before he unleashed his full potential in Q3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Albon and P10: Gasly.

    A great result for Ferrari! A Pole and a third, they will be looking to grab the win tomorrow, especially as it’s Leclerc’s home race, so they are probably hoping to break the Monaco curse.

    The same goes to McLaren a 2nd and 4th! Qualifying around Monaco is always important, as it pretty much gives the finishing position for the race without strategies coming into play. So McLaren will want to be on their pit-stops and strategies tomorrow to see if they can secure their second win this season.

    A decent result for Mercedes too, the team have definitely made an improvement as George starts 5th and Lewis in 7th. Lewis has pretty much been on the pace all weekend aswell, so it’s looking like a hopeful turn round for the Mercedes team.

    A bit of a shocker for Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the Dutchman starts P6, which means his consecutive 8 poles in a row has stopped at that for now. Perez qualified 18th but will be starting 16th due to both Haas’s getting disqualified. Not a good weekend at all for Perez, it’s very unlikely he will be scoring points tomorrow.

    A good result for both Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly both drivers getting into Q3 and hoping to score their first points of the season!

    Both Aston Martins didn’t have the best qualifying, Alonso out in Q1 and Stroll out in Q2, the Silverstone based team have dropped down the order quite a bit compared to last season where Fernando Alonso started 2nd.

  • F3 – RND 4 Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    PREMA’s Gabriele Mini led the opening session of the Monte Carlo weekend on a 1:27.400 in a session heavily disrupted by Red Flags.

    Overcast conditions gave way to rain, ensuring the Italian’s early laptime remained quickest ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli and teammate Dino Beganovic.

    There were rumbles of thunder as the session got underway though the drops of rain didn’t warrant a move away from dry tyres.
    Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake was the first driver of the weekend to use the run-off area at Sainte Devote before rejoining the track.

    But moment’s later, AIX Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphyvasak went off into the barriers at the same place to bring out an early Red Flag.
    With running resumed 32 minutes remaining of the session.

    However, another Red Flag quickly followed as Rodin’s Callum Voisin repeated the same incident as the first red flag at Turn 1 to half the session.

    The field went back out onto track with 24 minutes remaining as Mini still led the way with a 1:27.400 for PREMA.
    Rain began to fall though just as the first flying laps began and it was Sami Meguetounif that this time found the barriers.

    With 13 minutes left of practice, the green light was back on and drivers ventured back out fitted with wet Pirelli tyres as the rain intensified, preventing any further improvements.

    Day 2-

    Group A-

    The even numbered cars hit the track first with Oliver Goethe of Campos Racing leading the first 15 runners out onto the circuit.

    P2 in the championship, Luke Browning set the first benchmark to beat laying down a 1:26.170. That was bettered by championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli right away, as he put in a 1:25.963 in the Trident.

    Browning went quicker as the track continued to improve, recording a 1:24.532 on his next effort to return to P1. Whilst Fornaroli couldn’t get back on terms as he filtered through half a second down on the Brit’s lap.

    With three minutes to go Browning found more pace to bring the time to beat down to a 1:24.230, Having gone purple in sector one, Gabriele Mini moved up into P2.

    Under a minute left of qualifying and Boya was pushing to the absolute limit and tagged the inside wall at Turn 15, undoing his effort having gone fastest in sector one.

    Browning had been up on his time and a fastest middle sector put him on course for an improvement. But exiting Turn 16 he tapped the wall, damaging his suspension and forcing him to abandon his lap.

    Mini obliged and set the provision pole time moments later on a 1:23.942, 0.288s quicker than Brownings earlier time.

    Group B-

    Just at the flying laps were about to get underway, the Jenzer Motorsport car of James Hedley went into the barriers at Turn 1, losing his front win and bringing out the red flags.

    Once the session resumed, it was Dino Beganovic that laid down the initial time to beat a 1:25.569, 0.249s quicker than next-best Mansell in the ART car.

    Further improvements from the PREMA duo of Beganovic and Arvid Lindblad took the pace down to a 1:24.9 in the Briton’s favour, that was until Mansell leapfrogged the pair with a 1:24.921.

    Joseph Loake popped his Rodin Motorsport car up to P2 as the drivers began to push the limits further approaching the closing stages.

    Into the final two minutes of qualifying and Lindblad went quickest of all in the first sector, while teammate Beganovic was purple in the middle sector.
    Just before the Swede could finish his lap, the Red Flags were out as Sebastian Montoya and Charlie Wurz were off at Turn 1.

    The full top 10 overall is – P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Loake, P9: Leon and P10: Tramnitz.

  • RW 8 – Tyre Selection

    The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the classics on the Formula 1 calendar and this year it reaches am impressive milestones as its the 70th edition of the race!

    As usual, Pirelli choice of slick tyre compounds falls to the three softest available this year, which means the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft),
    As is generally the case on street circuits the track has a particularly smooth surface, given it is in daily use for road cars so the tyres must provide as much grip as possible.

    In Monaco, the tyres are subjected to some of the lowest forces of the whole season as the average speed over the 3.337 kilometre-long track is very slow with some corners taken at less than 50 km/h, while the cars are only at full throttle for 30% of the lap.

    On a track where the margin for error is pretty much non-existent, one factor which affects how quickly a driver’s lap times come down is the confidence they gradually gain, regardless of how well they know the track, as they tackle its 19 corners and all the other hazards it harbours.

    The driver must work towards finding the best lines, getting ever close to the barriers, often brushing them with the shoulder of the tyres. The skill is in doing this without breaking anything on the car and it is the key to securing a good grid position. Which is essential in a race where overtaking is pretty much impossible, even when there is a performance gap between cars that can run into seconds.

    On a track like this, an appearance from the Safety Car is almost inevitable with past experience rating it at 77% probable, on average almost twice per races. Although curiously, last year’s race ran smoothly with no neutralisation periods.

  • McLaren unveil Senna inspired livery

    McLaren will run a vibrant one-off Ayrton Senna-inspired yellow, green and blue full wrap livery at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

    The livery takes inspiration from Senna’s iconic helmet and is designed to celebrate the Brazilian’s “incredible racing legacy”.

    Three-time world champion Senna is McLaren’s most successful driver, racing for the British operation between 1988 and 1993 – during which time, he secured 35 of his 41 Grand Prix wins, plus three drivers’ titles and four constructors’ championships.

    McLaren chose Monaco as the Monte Carlo track has become synonymous with Senna, the Brazilian – who passed away 30 years ago – winning six times in the Principality, including five times in a row from 1989.
    The race will come a week after a weekend at Imola that saw Senna, and Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger’s lives celebrated three decades on from their fatal accidents at the track.

    In Monaco, the McLaren team will also wear Senna-inspired team kit for the weekend, with race drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri wearing bespoke overalls.

    The livery is a collaboration with Senna Global and McLaren’s partner OKX.

    The team is proud to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary life and racing legacy of Ayrton Senna through this McLaren livery. Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon, and McLaren’s most decorated driver. His impact on McLaren is enormous, not only through his racing record but also presence within the team, and now his legacy, so it’s an honour to race for him at his most successful circuit in his green, yellow and blue colours. With it being the 30th anniversary of his passing, the team are choosing to recognise and celebrate his life at one of his favourite and most successful places to race, Monaco. We look forward to racing in this vibrant and beautiful livery this weekend.
    Zak Brown, McLaren CEO.

    It’s an honour to recognise Ayrton through these liveries in collaboration with both McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate his life and legacy through his iconic colours on both cars. McLaren meant a lot to him, and together they achieved a lot of success, much of which he is still remembered for today by so many. It will be special to see it race the streets of Monaco, a circuit which gave him so much joy and many triumphs.
    Senna’s niece Bianca Senna of Senna Global.

  • DS PENSKE reveal special livery for Monaco

    DS PENKSE are adding their own glitz to the glamorous streets of Monaco with a special livery for Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne.

    The Monaco race is the jewel on the motorsport crown and to celebrate racing on the glamorous streets of this iconic city.
    DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne will race on Saturday 27th April with the special livery.

    Named the ‘Grand Gala’ the special livery flips the usual two-tone colour palette with gloss black as the main colour complimented with signature chrome gold lining the angular shapes of the DS E-TENSE FE23.

    The design was inspired by the golden era of art deco and motorsport from the 1920s and 30s, and Monaco is a very fitting place for the special colour-way as the roads are steeped in motorsport history having seen racing since 1929.

    Both Vergne and Vandoorne have experienced winning on these hallowed streets in each of their championship winning seasons.

  • Formula E and FIA to unveil GEN3 Evo car

    Formula E and the FIA have announced that they will unveil the highly-anticipated GEN3 Evo race car on Thursday 25th April during an exclusive evening launch in the build-up to the 2024 Monaco E-Prix.

    As an evolution of the current GEN3 race car – the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever made – the all electric championship is set to raise the bar even higher with a race car that will be pushed to the limit across Seasons 11 and 12.

    The GEN3 Evo is set to deliver even more dramatic wheel to wheel racing. With improved performance characteristics that will highlight Formula E and FIA’s role in pioneering technology and sustainable motorsport.

    In addition to a revised body kit, a completely new all-wheel drive system and a softer compound of tyres from Hankook are set to provide a significant performance boost for the Formula E cars.

    As we prepare to unveil the GEN3 Evo, we’re not just launching a car; we’re continuing to shape the future of racing. This next iteration not only exemplifies our dedication to innovation and pushing the limits of technology but also enhances our commitment to delivering exhilarating, competitive racing for our fans. We are setting new standards in performance that will intensify on-track rivalries and fan engagement, keeping us at the forefront of global motorsport.
    Jeff Dodds, Chief Executive Officer at Formula E.

  • F3 – RND 4 – Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Marti maintained the lead off the line to break away from Fornaroli, who found himself forced to go on the defensive from Taylor Barnard.

    The Safety Car was deployed on the first lap following contact into the opening corners at Sainte Devote where Jonny Edgar got sent into the barriers. His MP Motorsport teammate Mari Boya also suffered Turn 1 contact, resulting in retirement also.

    Out front, Marti looked untroubled, steadily building his advantage lap-by-lap. The Spaniard pulled over five seconds clear in six laps through the middle phase of the race. This left Fornaroli driving on his mirrors as Saucy closed up to the back of him, with Colapinto staying close to the Swiss driver also.

    As the chequered flag flew, Marti secured victory by an impressive 8.1s margin to Fornaroli with Saucy third. Colapinto made up one place to take fourth as Barnard added more points to his rookie tally with his best ever finish in fifth.

    Bortoleto hold on to sixth ahead of the HiTech Pulse-Eight duo of Montoya and Browning. Collect earned two points in ninth and Aron rounded out the top 10.

    Day 4-

    After earning his first Formula 3 podium in the Sprint Race, Leonardo Fornaroli didn’t get the chance to bring home more points again after the Trident driver stalled on the grid on the formation lap.

    When the five lights went out, Mini got a decent launch off the line to keep Beganovic behind. Fifth placed Collet immediately tried to put the pressure on Browning, but the Van Amersfoort Racing driver had to ease off as he ran out of tarmac.

    Ido Cohen lost his Rodin Carlin on entry to Turn 12, whilst battling with his teammate Oliver Gray and ended up in the barriers, triggering the Safety Car.

    Sebastian Montoya’s attempts at shaping for a move on Collet for fifth ended in heartbreak for both. With the Brazilian suffering from tyre degradation, the Red Bull Junior had great traction out of Turn 1 but made contact with Collet’s rear left tyre on the run up the hill.

    The final stages saw Beganovic pull back into Mini’s one second DRS window, but there was nothing the Swede could do to stop him holding on to claim a maiden victory.

    Despite Browning closing to within three tenths on the final lap, Aron managed to secure his second F3 podium. Bortoleto strengthened his hold on the Championship lead in fifth ahead of Colapinto and Zak O’Sullivan. Barnard’s penalty demoted him to eighth ahead of Marti and Greogoire Saucy, who rounded out the top 10.

  • RND 7 – Monaco Grand Prix

    Round 7 is now complete and we had some late drama in the race due to a rain shower where chaos ensued.

    Max Verstappen kept Red Bull’s 2023 winning record intact by keeping his cool overcoming the rain and the chaos in the final stages of the race. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso came home in P2 and on the final step of the podium is Esteban Ocon in P3!

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Ocon, P4: Hamilton, P5: Russell, P6: Leclerc, P7: Gasly, P8: Sainz, P9: Norris and P10: Piastri.

    A really good day for Mercedes, and I think the upgrades for the W14’s have improved a little bit, but we won’t know how well until we get to another circuit. With Russell’s five second time penalty for clashing with Sergio Perez when he rejoined the track from an off in the slippery conditions not affecting his finishing position.

    A really good result for Alpine, finally what they need and it’s a podium aswell, which makes it even better for the team. Hopefully this is them on the up as they had pace all weekend and they can keep the good results coming.

    Obviously a bad day for Sergio Perez, started plum last due to his crash in qualifying and we all knew it was going to be a hard race for him. Which means the gap between Max and Sergio in the Drivers standings has gotten bigger.

    A decent day for the McLaren boys, both in the points, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to be close to Alpine.

    Now we don’t have to long to wait, as the next race is this weekend! We are in Spain for Round 8 the home grand prix of Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz!

  • F2 – RND 6 – Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Ayumu Iwasa ended a frantic Free Practice session fastest of all as the DAMS man set a 1:22.081 to lead the grid. The Japanese driver got his best lap in prior to the third Red Flag of the incident session.

    Next to him was Victor Martins for ART Grand Prix, whilst Richard Verschoor ended up third for Van Amersfoort Racing but found himself in the barriers in the closing minutes.

    The first Red Flag came early into the session, as we saw contact between Ralph Boschung and Roman Stanek, with both cars having to be recovered.

    The second Red Flag of the session came out with just over 20 minutes remaining after Bearman lost the rear of his PREMA at Turn 8 and nosed into the barriers.

    Day 2-

    With Monte Carlo Qualifying split into two groups of 11, the random ballot allocated the even numbered cars into Group A and odd numbered cars going second in Group B.

    The first 16 minute segment began with several warm-up laps but it was Victor Martins who set the initial benchmark. But it didn’t stay that way for long as Richard Verschoor was next to hit the top spot just before a red flag was waved due to home-hero Arthur Leclerc who tagged the barriers and saw him out of the session.

    With a 1:21.231 to beat, group B headed out for their turn and Dennis Hauger laid down the first effort. His 1:22.979 was bettered by several, but it was Theo Pourchaire who went quickest overall.

    Plenty of personal bests followed but the ART Grand Prix man remained on top with a 1:21.354 ahead of Zane Maloney and Frederik Vesti by a tenth with less than five minutes to go.

    The Dane put in three purple sectors on his following attempt to go top with a 1:21.053 ensuring Group B was fighting for pole. It was enough for pole as on the final attempts, Clement Novalak hit the barriers at Portier to bring out the Red Flags, ending the session early.

  • RND 7 – Monaco Qualifying

    Monaco qualifying is complete and the grid is set for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix, with a few shocks and surprises along the way.

    Max Verstappen took pole position for the first time in Monaco, he pipped out rival, Fernando Alonso in P2 and hometown hero Charles Leclerc in P3.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Leclerc, P4: Ocon, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Gasly, P8: Russell, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Norris.

    But, things are never easy especially for Charles Leclerc, who has been given a 3 place grid drop for the race meaning he will start P6, which bumps up Ocon to P3, Sainz P4 and Hamilton P5.

    However, one Red Bull driver might have been on pole but the other… was down the other end of the grid. Sergio Perez will be starting in P20 due to crashing out in Q1.

    A really really good result for the Alpine’s P3 and P7, obviously it means they should be scoring some good points if they don’t loose out on strategies etc tomorrow.

    A good result to see Yuki in the top 10 also, some good pace there and for his teammate aswell who starts just outside the top 10 in P12, hoping to get his first points of the season…

    Not such a good result for Zhou Guanyu who is starting P19, the Alfa Romeo driver needing to score points but his teammate isn’t starting from the best place either in 15th, a lot of work to do if they want to get further up the constructors.

    Predictions-

    My top five for the race are: P1: Alonso, P2: Verstappen, P3: Sainz, P4: Hamilton and P5: Ocon.

    Obviously with such a mixed up grid it will definitely be interesting but it will be all about strategy and if it works out with safety cars etc, but i’m hoping it will be an exciting one.

  • F3 – RND 4 – Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Gabriele Mini made the most of a drying Monte Carlo circuit to head the field in Formula 3’s first session around the Principality. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver put his previous experience to good use, clocking in a 1:26.686 in the final jam packed seconds of Free Practice.

    Fellow returnees, Franco Colapinto and Gregoire Saucy benefited from a late switch to the slicks to round out the top three.

    Before the session started, a heavy downpour threw a curveball the drivers’ way, making the challenge of learning the Monaco streets even more difficult. Campos Racing’s Christian Mansell was the first to get a representative time on the board, but they continued to tumble with every lap of the 3.337km circuit.

    Although a dry line had begun to form, there were still plenty of areas to catch the field out. Browning brought the time to beat down to a 1:39.879 before the Red Flag appeared, a spin for Jonny Edgar left the British racer facing the wrong way and in need of recovery.

    Day 2-

    For the Championship’s first appearance in the Principality, the 30 car grid was divided into two groups with 16 minutes each. Group A consists of even-numbered cars and Group B the odd.

    Gabriele Mini put together a masterclass to claim his second pole position of his rookie Formula 3 season. Waiting until the last second of Group B, the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver wrestled pole away from Group A’s Dino Beganovic by over six tenths.

    The full top 10 for Sunday’s Feature race are: P1: Mini, P2: Beganovic, P3: Aron, P4: Browning, P5: Collet, P6: Montoya, P7: Bortoleto, P8: Colapinto, P9: Barnard and P10: Fornaroli.

  • Monaco Grand Prix

    Shall we try this again? It’s Race week and we are in Monaco for Round 7! Obviously last week was meant to be race week but due to the flood in the Emilia-Romagna region it got cancelled, so drivers will be wanting to get the best position possible this weekend.

    We all know qualifying is the most important part of the weekend at the circuit as we know you can’t really overtake on this track…

    It’s Charles Leclerc’s home race this weekend, but will he finally end the Monaco curse he has and take the win?

    Who needs to shine?

    The Alfa Romeo’s need to do a bit of work, they had a better start to last year’s season than this year’s so they will be wanting to get the ball rolling and score some more points as soon as possible.

    McLaren, rough season so far for the team but this weekend they will be hoping to get some points in the bag especially if other teams/drivers have a close moment through the tight corners of Monaco.

    Alpine still have a bit of work to do in the next couple of races, they currently sit 6th in the Constructors’ but tied on points with McLaren who sits in 5th on 14 points. That’s both team’s main competitor at the moment until other teams start scoring a bit more and making a mid field fight.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five for qualifying are- Pole: Perez, P2: Leclerc, P3: Verstappen, P4: Alonso and P5: Hamilton.

    As I said at the beginning of the post qualifying matters, so drivers will be going even more full out and getting the best position available. In the top 10 it will be the top 4 teams, unless we have a few shock appearances…

  • McLaren to run one-off livery

    McLaren will be running a one-off ‘Triple Crown’ papaya, white and black livery in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as part of their 60th anniversary celebrations.

    The special livery, which will also adorn the MCL60 at the following race at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, is a nod to McLaren’s achievement of winning motorsport’s three most known races, known as the Triple Crown, which includes F1’s Monaco race, Indycar’s Indy 500 at Indianapolis and the endurance showpiece – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    The rear of the car which is driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – will be bedecked in papaya, to celebrate the team’s maiden INdy 500 – winning M16C/D that Jonny Rutherford guided to victory in 1974.

    The centre of the car is what the team call “sharp ice white” from Alain Prost’s 1984 Monaco Grand Prix win, running a red and white colour scheme on the MP4/2 that became synonymous with McLaren in F1.

    The front end of the car is black, in tribute to the McLaren F1 GTR that won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours with JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya in McLaren’s first attempt at the endurance race.

    Having achieved the greatest accomplishment in motorsport by completing the Triple Crown, we are proud to celebrate the rich history of McLaren Racing with a special livery at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. In line with our 60th anniversary celebrations and honouring the legacy of Bruce McLaren, the unique livery pays homage to the three victories which form the Triple Crown accolade.

    Zak Brown, McLaren CEO.

    It’s a privilege to be involved in McLaren Racing’s 60th anniversary celebrations and to combine three iconic race-winning McLaren liveries into one for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix is going to be a special moment for the whole team. McLaren have an impressive record in Monte Carlo and on a personal level to have experienced a podium at the 2021 race was a huge honour. We’ll be racing hard in a great looking car to celebrate Bruce McLaren and the team’s amazing legacy.

    Lando Norris added.

    The Triple Crown livery looks incredible, and I can’t imagine a better way to experience my first Monaco Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver with McLaren Racing. Bruce McLaren was a winner in Monte Carlo in 1962 and the McLaren team have such rich history at the Monaco Grand Prix. I will feel incredibly proud lining up on the grid in the MCL60, carrying the same colours as the three Triple Crown-winning race cars.

    Piastri added.
    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Csl24BZIk-4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Monaco Tyre Selection

    The tyres have been chosen for this weekend’s Grand Prix, where we are in Monaco, where qualifying really matters…

    The three softest compounds in the Pirelli F1 range have been chosen, those being: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft).

    The total length of this historic track is just 3.337 kilometres with 68 races having taken place and the most successful driver (in terms of wins) being Ayrton Senna.

    Monaco has the lowest average lap speed of the whole championship, which is around 150kph. With very little grip and limited wear. The softer compound offer a good level of adhesion when it comes to traction but mechanical grip is limited.

    All types of tyre brought to Monaco were used in the variable weather of last year’s grand prix: Blue full wet, Green intermediate, and all three slick compounds. On a dry race track, the race is nearly always a one-stopper for everybody but last year most drivers stopped three times.

    We’re heading to a Monaco Grand Prix that’s somewhat different to what we expected. It should have been the second race of a European triple-header but instead it’s going to be the first due to the cancellation of Imola. Those images of devastation are still fresh in our minds and we want to express our solidarity once more with the families of the victims, as well as all those who have suffered such huge losses. 
    Monaco has written its own chapter in the history of Formula 1. The characteristics of this unique circuit, largely unaltered for more than 60 years, make it a true one-off that has often sprung surprises. No other track can allow a driver to compensate for any technical shortcomings of their car in the same way, and just one incident can shake things up entirely. The difficulty of overtaking can sometimes detract from the spectacle in the race, but that only makes Saturday’s qualifying all the more exciting, as grid position assumes a particular importance to the final result on Sunday. As is often the case on street circuits, Pirelli has nominated the softest tyres in the range. One of the peculiarities of Monaco is the fact that the track is opened to normal traffic every evening, which means that it’s very hard for rubber to build up on the racing line, making the surface even more slippery. With Imola having been scrubbed, Monaco could now become the debut for the new Cinturato Blue full wet without tyre blankets, obviously depending on weather conditions: another potential random factor this weekend.

    Mario Isola, Motorsport Director.

  • Round 9 – Monaco E-Prix

    FP1-

    Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans went fastest in the first session of the day, with a time of 1m13.361s. Stoffel Vandoorne was 0.126s behind him. Maximilian Guenther finished in third.

    The session was quickly under yellow flags as the Avalanche Andretti of Andre Lotterer had an unusual off at Mirabeau. The car and driver were unharmed, all Porsche-powered cars were grounded for the first half of the session, which quickly got resolved.

    Regular running resumed most of the session, with the drivers wanting to get as much track time as possible around the iconic circuit.

    However, Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi brought out yellow flags as he spun at Sainte-Devote. As well as locking up and damaging his front wing, di Grassi struggled to get going but eventually limped back to the garage.

    FP2-

    Maximilian Guenther kept Maserati MSG Racing’s home crowd happy in the final session before qualifying. With a time of 1m.29.269s, which was already six-tenths quicker than Mitch Evans times needed for the Julius Baer Pole Position here last year.

    Behind Guenther was Evans, who topped the timesheets in FP1 the +0.007s difference just shows how tight the competition is. Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis finished in third.

    Unlike Free Practice 1, all cars were quickly out on track for the day’s second session. Berlin race winner, Nick Cassidy had limited running after he complained about massive vibrations under braking on the radio. He eventually got back out on track but finished the session in 21st.

    Qualifying-

    It was a battle of the rookies for the finals, as Fenestraz and Hughes went up against each other for Julius Baer Pole Position. It was Sacha Fenestraz who grabbed pole as the McLaren driver made a mistake coming out of the tunnel, but the Nissan driver had his lap time cancelled for power usage, so Jake Hughes will be starting on pole position.

    The DS Penske duo of Jean Eric Vergne and Vandoorne went quickest at the start of Group A. However, both were placed under investigation for a technical infringement and pitted soon after. In the end, neither of them made it through to the Duels and eventually their lap times were all cancelled as a result of a tyre pressure violation.

    Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, the winner here in Monaco in Season 7 had a disastrous start to his session, after reporting front left damage, which resulted in him making a quick stop in his teams garage.

    The full top 10 are: Pole: Hughes, P2: Fenestraz, P3: Nato, P4: Guenther, P5: Ticktum, P6: Evans, P7: Mortara, P8: Sette Camara, P9: Cassidy and P10: Lotterer.

    Round 9-

    Nick Cassidy, Envision Racing fired to the top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Champiosnhip with a storming drive from ninth on the grid to the race win in an absorbing 2023 Monaco E-Prix.

    Cassidy led home Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) having fended off his countryman until a late race Safety Car made the win certain for the Envision racer. Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) couldn’t quite live with the lead pair, but he drove from 11th on the grid to grab the final podium spot.

    Long time Drivers’ World Championship leader, Pascal Wehrlein could only improve to 11th from 12th at the outset – the Porsche 99X Electric still has the performance within but unlocking it consistently over a lap and in qualifying appears to be an ongoing and potentially costly issue.

    With 21 laps in the books, Guenther’s car came to a halt at Casino Square – Ticktum having moved to defend in front of the Maserati MSG Racing driver and the German driver running squarely into the back of the NIO 333.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Cassidy, P2: Evans, P3: Dennis, P4: Fenestraz, P5: Hughes, P6: Ticktum, P7: Vergne, P8: Buemi, P9: Vandoorne and P10: Bird.

    We now have a little wait until the next race, with just under 4 weeks till the Jakarta E-Prix for Round 11 & 10 on the 3rd and 4th of June.

  • Monaco Preview

    The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship makes its sixth visit to the most iconic street circuit in motorsport, we are in Monaco this weekend for Round 9.

    The streets of the Principality have played host to some of the biggest moments in motor racing history and Formula E itself has arguably showcased the best of motorsport in Monte Carlo since it switched to the Grand Prix circuit a couple of years ago.

    Season 6 champion Antonio Felix da Costa claimed victory in season 7 in an absolute classic – undoubtedly one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula E, capping a first outing on the full Monaco circuit with an audacious overtake at the exit of the tunnel on the final lap of the race for the win. The race saw 28 overtakes between the top six runners alone, with the lead changing six times.

    If this season is anything to go by, with almost 400 overtakes over the Berlin double header weekend, and a record eight different race leaders in Round 7, then we’re in for a classic…

    The Circuit-

    La Rascasse, Casino Square and Grand Hotel Hairpin – there are few corners that evoke motorsport legend than the winding streets that line the Monaco circuit, its steeped in motorsport tradition and all-electric street racing is made for these streets.

    For the last two seasons, the field has put on a stunning display around the Principality. We’ve seen overtakes galore, battles right up the finish line and some spectacular passes in unexpected locations, passing within inches of each other up the hill at Beau Rivage.

    Take in the energy zapping hill by Mirabeau and the famous Casino Square, round the Grand Hotel Hairpin and through the inimitable Monaco tunnel ahead of the harbourfront chicane. The full 3.3km with its steep hill and high speed sections will again put the field’s energy management skills to the test.

    monaco-track-map-details

  • F1 to race in Monaco till 2025

    After months of uncertainty, Formula 1 will continue to race in Monaco until 2025 after a new three-year agreement was finalised with the Automobile Club of Monaco (ACM).

    There was uncertainty about the future of the Monaco Grand Prix, due to differences of opinion over the race hosting fee, TV rights, track-side sponsorship and infrastructure.

    F1’s fustrations with Monaco were not just limited to the fee, there was annoyance about the nature of the TV direction, which had traditionally been done by a local director rather than F1 personnel.

    As well as this, Monaco regularly did its own track-side advertising deals… Last year, Monaco did a deal with watch brand TAG Heuer which is a direct competitor of F1’s official timing partner Rolex and has prominent branding around F1 tracks.

    Monte Carlo’s streets have been an important part of the championship since the first round back in 1950, the venue offering a unique challenging for the drivers and a back drop that is famous around the world.

    Monaco will be the eighth round of the 24-race 2023 season on May 28th, the second part of a back-to-back with Imola.

    I am pleased to confirm that we will be racing in Monaco until 2025 and excited to be back on the streets of this famous Principality for next year’s Championship on May 28. I want to thank everyone involved in this renewal and especially H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco and all his team. We look forward to being back next season to continue our partnership together.

    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO.

    In the interest of the Formula One World Championship, and after several months of negotiations, we are proud to announce that we have signed a three-year agreement with Formula One, and likely to be renewed

    Michel Boeri, President of the Automobile Club of Monaco.
  • Round 7- Monaco GP

    Round 7- Monaco GP

    Did we just have a chaotic and interesting Monaco GP?? I think we did! There was a threat of rain for today’s race, going into the weekend and boy did we get it!

    Sergio Perez wins the Monaco GP, him now being the most successful Mexican F1 Driver as he took his third career win. Carlos Sainz finishes in 2nd, two years in a row! And Max Verstappen rounds out the podium, another great weekend for Red Bull!

    The full top 10 are- P1: Perez, P2: Sainz, P3: Verstappen, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Norris, P7: Alonso, P8: Hamilton, P9: Bottas and P10: Vettel.

    To start, we had a delayed race and wasn’t sure why at first but it turned out to be a power problem. But it had been raining, and whilst we was waiting for the race to start the rain got heavier… We saw the cars go round on formation laps but it was just too wet to start.

    Eventually we got racing, and without a safety car also, but it was all about strategy and who would get it right…

    Lap 27 came around, and it saw Mick Schumacher spun and crash at the swimming pool section which then brought a red flag, 3 laps later- the crash saw the gearbox and rear suspension detach from his Haas. His teammate also retired due to a system water pressure loss.

    A what could’ve been day for Charles, as he finally finishes a home race for the first time. He got told to pit, and then his team came on the radio to tell him not to pit but it was too late… This compromised the Monegasques race, but he bounced back from not scoring any points last week.

    Disappointing race for Haas, both drivers DNF, the first time this year and the team won’t be happy about it. Hopefully we see them bounce back in Baku next time out.

    A good race for one McLaren, Mr Lando Norris – he didn’t want it to rain, but he didn’t seem to mind it in the end after finishing 6th and looked like he was closing in on GR in the final few laps.

    Now onto the Silver Arrows, another good race for Russell, he maintains the top 5 finishes for this season! Now onto Hamilton, he got stuck behind a slow Fernando Alonso who looked like he settled for 7th, which compromised the 7 time world champions race as he had a lot more pace.

    The Championship-

    Max Verstappen is still leading the championship, but Charles Leclerc is sitting in 2nd only 9 points away, Perez is now closing in on the pair as he is 6 points away from the Ferrari driver. Russell remains in fourth, and Sainz is in fifth but there is one point between the two drivers.

    Looking at the teams, Red Bull lead the Constructors on 235 points, Ferrari are in 2nd on 199 points. We then have a big gap to third which is Mercedes on 134 and then another gap to fourth, which is McLaren on 59 points. Alfa Romeo are in fifth but Alpine is just one point behind them.

    We are back in two weeks and we have another double header! We go to Azerbaijan on the 10th to 12th June, and then we return to Canada a week later on the 17th to 19th June!

  • F2 Monaco- Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    PREMA’s, Dennis Hauger secured his first win in Formula 2 around the streets of Monte Carlo. Hauger, capitalised on a stall by reverse pole-man Jake Hughes at lights out to assume the lead of the race and he never looked back.

    Jehan Daruvala, made it a PREMA one-two, with Marcus Armstrong following closely behind and completing the podium. Lap 10 came along, when Clement Novalak hit the wall on the exit of La Rascasse, with the Safety Car being brought out, Ayumu Iwasa received a 10 second time penalty for the incident.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Hauger, P2: Daruvala, P3: Armstrong, P4: Fittipaldi, P5: Vips, P6: Pourchaire, P7: Doohan, P8: Lawson, P9: Nissany and P10: Sargeant.

    Day 4-

    Pole-sitter Felipe Drugovich made it three wins in four races to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. After a disappointing Sprint Race retirement, the MP Motorsport driver turned his fortunes around to hold off Theo Pourchaire in a race of attrition.

    A late gasp of pace from Juri Vips wasn’t enough to bring him into the fight as the Hitech Grand Prix driver settled for third.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Drugovich, P2: Pourchaire, P3: Vips, P4: Doohan, P5: Fittipaldi, P6: Armstrong, P7: Hauger, P8: Daruvala, P9: Sargeant and P10: Sato.

  • Round 7 – Monaco Qualifying

    Round 7 – Monaco Qualifying

    Well, another crazy qualifying in Monaco is complete, which saw a few surprise exits as well as a crash in Q3 which saw people not being able to complete their final laps.

    But it’s home boy hero, Charles Leclerc on pole position, with no-one being able to get close to him! Carlos Sainz makes it an all Ferrari front row. Sergio Perez, rounds out the top 3!

    The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Sainz, P3: Perez, P4: Verstappen, P5: Norris, P6: Russell, P7: Alonso, P8: Hamilton, P9: Vettel and P10: Ocon.

    A crash from Sergio Perez brought the final qualifying session to an end, as he lost the rear and went into the barrier, with Carlos Sainz doing the same- at the exact time aswell which caused there to be a traffic jam as drivers couldn’t get through.

    Gasly got knocked out in Q1 as he wasn’t able to get to the flag in time, he starts the race in P17, a what could’ve been today as it looked like he had really good pace so far but now onto tomorrow, what can he do from P17?

    Danny Ric out in Q2, and is starting P14- sandwiched between both Haas’ not a good day at all, which is a bit confusing as Lando Norris is starting P5!

    Someone I have to mention though, is Sebastian Vettel, starting P9! He done a mega lap in Q2 so he wouldn’t get knocked out, and he managed to get his Aston Martin into P9.

    A mixed day for Ferrari and Red Bull, for Ferrari its more of a good day obviously the pole for Leclerc, but the crash for Sainz once again has got to be hurting the team… Where as Red Bull more of a down day, Perez crashing which ruined his and his teammates lap, but as well as this it looks like Max isn’t comfortable in the car this weekend.

    Predictions-

    Well, these predictions I done before qualifying as I recorded my podcast- so I won’t change them (even though I want too!).

    My top five are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Sainz, P3: Hamilton, P4: Perez and P5: Russell.

    There is an 80% chance of rain during the race tomorrow, so this may add some chaos to the Monaco race. Strategy is key here, the teams will be wanting to get the pit stops right * Flashback to last years Monaco GP, VB *

    Times for tomorrow-

    Feature Race F2- 08:50am (BST)
    F1 Race- 14:00pm.

  • F2 Monaco – Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Championship leader, Felipe Drugovich led the way in the Free Practice session in Monte Carlo, he clocked in a 1:21.589, Drugovich’s effort was just enough to hold off Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung.

    It was HiTech’s Marcus Armstrong, who set the first representative lap of the 45 minute session. However times quickly began to tumble as Boschung topped the sheets with a 1:26.741.

    Traffic once again proved to be a thorn in several drivers’ sides, including Drugovich who was forced to abandon several fast laps after coming across a train of cars at Turn 19.

    Running was constant throughout the session, with only Juri Vips and Marino Sato bringing out yellow flags in Sector 1, with both drivers suffering near-identical front lockups and headed into the run off at Turn 1, before swiftly getting going again.

    Day 2-

    Liam Lawson set the fastest time in qualifying around the streets of Monte Carlo, narrowly beating out Ayumu Iwasa by 0.059s. Championship leader Felipe Drugovich hit the wall on his final effort but remained third quickest in group A. Meanwhile, Theo Pourchaire topped the Group B with a 1:25.535.

    A slow burn in Group B followed, but a red flag in the final minute prevented any last-gasp improvements. A crash for Van Amersfoort Racing’s Jake Hughes, at the swimming pool chicane ended the session prematurely. It meant that Pourchaire’s penultimate attempt was good enough for the top spot in the second group.

    But, things never stay the same in F2! Liam Lawson, Ayumu Iwasa and Olli Caldwell all got post qualifying penalties.

    Lawson, had been fount guilty of failing to reduce his speed under a single-waved yellow flag. As a result, Lawson’s best time got deleted and as well as receiving a five place grid drop, dropping him down to P11 for tomorrows Sprint Race.

    Iwasa, has been awarded a 10 place grid penalty, after failing to abandon his flying lap whilst under a double waved yellow flag at the end of qualifying. His best lap time has been deleted, demoting him from P2 of his group. Iwasa’s second-best time now sees him classified in P7, and with the penalty applied he’ll start the sprint race from P20.

    Last but not least, Olli Caldwell has been fount guilty of impeding Marino Sato at Turns 2, 3 and 4 during Group B’s qualifying session, the Campos driver failing to let Sato through who was on a fast lap. As a result, Caldwell has been handed a three-place grid drop for his next race.

    The full top 10 for tomorrows sprint race is: P1: Hughes, P2: Hauger, P3: Daruvala, P4: Armstrong, P5: Fittipaldi, P6: Vips, P7: Doohan, P8: Pourchaire, P9: Drugovich and P10: Boschung.

  • Monaco Grand Prix

    The most prestigious motor race is here, we are in Monaco for Round 7 of the 2022 F1 Season! It is also the home GP of Charles Leclerc, will he finally have a good race result here and make up for scoring no points last week? Or will Max Verstappen continue with his charge?

    With overtaking not really possible here, qualifying is everything, so will we see some good performances from drivers to get further up the grid?

    Who needs a good weekend?

    Charles, even before what happened last week, he needs a good home GP. Last year, he qualified on pole before crashing, but if he does the same again (without the crashing part), there’s no reason why he shouldn’t win this race.

    Daniel needs a good weekend, he qualified well last week, but he just went backwards in the race and ended up finishing outside the points, which McLaren wouldn’t have wanted.

    Pierre Gasly, he got out performed by his teammate last week, and he managed to get into the points also. Pierre will be hoping to have a good qualifying and then he can go from their and see what he can do.

    I think Aston Martin need a good weekend also, they brought basically a new car last week so it will be interesting to see how the car does around different tracks, but more importantly this week.

    Predictions for qualifying-

    My top five are- Pole: Leclerc, P2: Verstappen, P3: Sainz, P4: Hamilton and P5: Russell.

    As I said earlier, qualifying is everything, so everyone will be pushing to improve their laps, but no mistakes can be made, its Monaco after all and it’s can bite at any point and ruin the drivers’ lap.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 27th

    • F2 Qualifying Group A- 10:40am – 10:56am (BST)
    • F2 Qualifying Group B- 11:04am – 11:20am
    • Free Practice 1 F1- 13:00pm – 14:00pm
    • Free Practice 2 F1- 16:00pm – 17:00pm

    Saturday 28th

    • Free Practice 3 F1- 12:00pm – 13:00pm (BST)
    • Qualifying F1- 15:00pm – 16:00pm
    • Sprint Race F2- 16:40pm – 17:25pm

    Sunday 29th

    • Feature Race F2- 08:50am (BST)
    • F1 Race- 14:00pm.

  • Monaco tyre allocation

    It’s race week once again, and we are in Monaco for Round 7, and the most famous street circuit of all! Let’s take a look at the tyre allocation.

    The softest compounds have been selected for the Monaco GP, C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).

    Like Barcelona, Monaco is extremely well-known to the teams, with it being just one of three circuits still on the calendar that originally appeared in the inaugural 1950 Formula 1 season. Unlike the other two (Spa and Silverstone), the track hasn’t changed shape significantly since then, which means that it has the lowest average speed of any track and very little run-off, making it hard to overtake.

    The slippery street asphalt, and slow speeds mean that the energy going through the tyres is low with minimal wear and degradation, but quite a high degree of track evolution each day.

    This means that a one-stopper is the normality, but there’s quite a wide pit stop window and the timing of the stops can be influenced by safety cars, which are very likely around the tight circuit.

    The cars run a special high-downforce configuration for Monaco in order to maximise grip at low speeds. This weekend is obviously the first time for the new 18 inch tyres have race at Monaco, so the teams will have a lot to learn about how they react in the conditions.

    Monaco is often described as one of the most unpredictable races of the year, but the truth is that qualifying takes on a particular significance as track position is key here. As a result of that, understanding how to maximise the softest C5 compound – which has only raced at one event so far this year, in Australia – will be a vital part of free practice. With the previous rule requiring drivers to start the race on their fastest Q2 tyre now abolished, we might see some different strategies this year, with some drivers picking harder compounds to begin the race to target running a long first stint, given the difficultly of overtaking. Others may choose a more traditional approach by starting on the softest compound, at a race where strategy can make a real difference.

    Mario Isla, Motorsport Director.

    Formula 2

    Formula 2 will also be racing in Monaco this weekend, with the softest available compounds: the Soft tyre and the Supersoft tyre. This is the same nomination from 2021 and prior years, although the supersoft is a revised compound for 2022.

  • Round 6- Monaco E-Prix

    Round 6- Monaco E-Prix

    Round 6 is here and we are in Monaco, lets take a look on how its gone!

    FP1-

    Reigning champion Nyck de Vries set the pace in the first session of the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, setting a 1m 31.154s, with Nick Cassidy doing well just a tenth of a second of the Dutchman’s laptime.

    Edoardo Mortara was next in the order but almost half a second back on home soil for ROKiT Venturi Racing, whilst the winner of the 2021 Monaco E-Prix rounded fourth.

    The full top 10 were: P1: de Vries, P2: Cassidy, P3: Mortara, P4: Da Costa, P5: Buemi, P6: Lotterer, P7: Bird, P8: Vergne, P9: Dennis and P10: Evans.

    FP2-

    Antonio Felix da Costa topped the timesheets in Free Practice 2 with a 1m 30.435s. The season 6 champion headed Jaguar TCS Racing’s double Rome winner, Mitch Evans by 0.2 seconds.

    A number of drivers were testing the limits before qualifying, with Dan Ticktum looks to steal every inch in the braking zones but firing his NIO 333 car long into the run off, outside Sainte Devote and Antonio Giovinazzi clipping the wall on the exit of the Swimming Pool- as did Jean-Eric Vergne who clouted the barrier, trying to improve on his fourth-fastest time.

    The session was red flagged half way through as Alexander Sims car stopped to halt with what looked like a technical issue. Robin Frijns had set the pace prior to the stoppage.

    The top 10 are: P1: Da Costa, P2: Evans, P3: Frijns, P4: Vergne, P5: Gunther, P6: de Vries, P7: Wehrlein , P8: Lotterer, P9: Mortara, P10: Dennis.

    Qualifying-

    Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, extended his hot streak as he got pole position blowing away Porsche Formula E Team’s Pascal Wehrlein by more than two tenths of a second.

    Wehrelin looked like he had it in the bag especially through Sainte Devote and up the hill, but Evans proved quicker than the German and extended his margin to 0.2 seconds by the tunnel. The Porsche driver then fell away and Evans flew to complete a 1m 29.839s the quickest time of the day.

    The full top 10 being- P1: Evans, P2: Wehrelin, P3: Vergne, P4: Vandoorne, P5: Di Grassi, P6: Lotterer, P7: Frijns, P8: De Vries, P9: Rowland and P10: Bird.

    Round 6-

    The Mercedes EQ of Stoffel Vandoorne mastered the streets of Monaco, with a tactical drive to win the 2022 Monaco E-Prix Round 6 and now lead the Drivers World Championship lead. The Belgian beat polesitter, Mitch Evans to the top step with Jean Eric-Vergne in third.

    Vandoorne emerged on the right side of a mid-race full course yellow and safety car which threw race strategies up in the air. Vandoorne had hit the front after then-leader Pascal Wehrlein retired from the lead with technical issues on lap 16.

    Evans couldn’t quite capitalise on the searing pace that saw him fly to Julius Baer Pole Position but 18 points and second spot after a Rome win-doubles sees the Jaguar driver’s hot-streak continues.

    The top 10 are: P1: Vandoorne, P2: Evans, P3: Vergne, P4: Frijns, P5: Da Costa, P6: Di Grassi, P7: Cassidy, P8: Buemi, P9: Dennis and P10: De Vries.

    We are back in two weeks for Round 7 & 8 for the Berlin E-Prix, on the 14th and 15th May.

  • Gen3 Car Revealed

    Gen3 Car Revealed

    The future of all-electric high performance motorsport was revealed today at the Yacht Club de Monaco by Formula E and the Fedration Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), where the third generation Formula E car was revealed to the public.

    The Gen 3 car is the world’s first race car which is designed for street racing, it will be debuting for Season 9 (next year) where some of the world’s greatest manufacturers race wheel to wheel on the streets of iconic global cities.

    It was developed by engineers and sustainability experts at both the FIA and Formula E, the car is designed to show the world that both high performance and sustainability can powerfully co-exist without any compromise.

    Seven of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers have registered with the FIA to race the Gen 3 car in Season 0 with pre-season testing this winter. They are:

    • DS Automobiles, France
    • Jaguar, UK
    • Mahindra Racing, India
    • Maserati, Italy
    • NIO 33, UK & China
    • Nissan, Japan
    • Porsche AG, Germany.

    Design, engineering and the production innovations for the Gen3 car include but not all:

    Performance:

    • Fastest Formula E car yet with a top speed over 322 kph/ 200 mph.
    • Round 95% power efficiency from an electric motor delivering up to 350kW of power.
    • First ever formula car with both front and rear powertrains.

    Sustainability:

    • Gen3 batteries are among the most advanced, sustainable batteries ever made.
    • Linen and recycled carbon fibre will be used in bodywork construction for the first time in a formula car.
    • All Gen3 suppliers will operate in line with top international standards to reduce environmental impacts of manufacturing.

    Both technologically and environmentally, Gen3 sets new standards in the sport. The FIA and Formula E development teams have done a superb job, and I thank them for their hard work on this project. I am delighted to see so many leading manufacturers already signed up to the championship’s next era and await Gen3’s competitive debut in Season 9 with great anticipation.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President.

    Monaco is the spiritual home of motorsport and there is nowhere more fitting to unveil our Gen3 race car. The Gen3 disrupts and challenges the conventions of motorsport, setting the benchmark for performance, efficiency and sustainability without compromise. Together with the FIA, we are proud to reveal the Gen3 to Formula E fans and demonstrate to the wider sports industry how elite sport, high performance and sustainability can successfully co-exist in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. We cannot wait to see how our teams and drivers push the car to its limit in 2023.

    Jamie Reigle, Chief Executive Officer Formula E.

    My Opinion-

    What a car!! Love the way it looks, I can’t wait to see how the team’s livery will look on the Gen3 car and to see it on track! It’s definitely a step forward in being a sustainable sport which is nice to see.

  • A look into Monaco

    We are back this weekend for Round 6 of the 2022 Formula E Championship, and this week we are in Monaco.

    The field of all electric cars will once again race up the hill through Mirabeau and the famous Casino Square, round the Grand Hotel Hairpin ad through the inimitable Monaco tunnel ahead of the Nouvelle Chicane.

    Last time here it was, DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix Da Costa who took the victory in an absolute classic- which is undoubtedly one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula E, capping a first outing on the full Monaco circuit with an audacious overtake at the exit of the tunnel on the final lap of the race for the win.

    The race itself, saw 28 overtakes between the top six alone, with the lead having changed six times. Could we see more of the same this year?

    Looking at the driver’s standings, Jean-Eric Vergne leads the championship with 60 points, with Robin Frijns following close behind in second with 58 points. We then have Mercedes, Stoffell Vandoorne in third with 56 points. The reigning world champion is down in 8th with 38 points, de Vries will be wanting a good weekend.

    Onto the teams, and its Mercedes EQ leading the championship with 94 points, we then have Tag Heuer Porsche in second with 85 points and DS Techeetah in 3rd with 80 points.

    The circuit-

    The 2022 Monaco E Prix, will see the amended Nouvelle chicane make way for the full, traditional circuit layout around the Principality’s harbour front.

    Stoffel Vandoorne currently hold the fastest lap of the circuit, 1:34.428 (2021).

    Past Winners:

    • 2015, Sebastien Buemi.
    • 2017, Sebastien Buemi.
    • 2019, Jean-Eric Vergne.
    • 2021, Antonio Felix da Costa.

    Timings-

    Saturday 30th April

    • Free Practice 1- 06:30am – 07:00am (BST)
    • Free Practice 2- 08:10am – 08:40am (BST)
    • Qualifying- 09:45am – 11:00am (BST)
    • Round 6- 14:00pm – 15:00pm (BST)