It might have been a proven package, but the Jamie Campbell-Walter-driven Lister was not the favourite to win the 2002 FIA GT season-opener at Magny-Cours. Yet, despite amateur co-driver Nicolaus Springer losing a minute during his middle stint, that’s exactly what it did, thanks to inspired driving and clever strategy Laurence Pearce likes to tell
Stephane Ratel believes the current coronavirus crisis is not only reshaping the 2020 season but also the direction of technology, with a future of electric and customer racing on the horizon. With all motorsport having been hit by postponements during the coronavirus pandemic, while NASCAR became the first series to make a tentative return behind
Alex Marquez has admitted he is a “little bit worried” by the pressure of having limited time to prove himself worthy of a new Honda MotoGP contract this season. Reigning Moto2 champion Marquez was promoted to a works Honda ride for 2020 on a one-year contract, but the coronavirus-induced delay to the season comes at
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro says the ban on MotoGP wildcards this season is unfair and suspects the decision could be related to Honda not wanting Jorge Lorenzo to race for Yamaha. The decision to stop manufacturers entering extra bikes in certain races during the coronavirus-delayed 2020 campaign was announced last week by the Grand
The 104th Indianapolis 500 should be taking place this weekend. The coronavirus pandemic means we’ll instead have to wait until August to enjoy America’s greatest race, but it seemed the opportune time to look back at some of the Brickyard’s finest moments. The famous event was first run in 1911, so picking out the best
Just days after his terrifying Formula 1 crash at Suzuka, a battered Allan McNish went to the United States to take on an equally frightening IndyCar oval test with Penske at Fontana Allan McNish can easily claim rights to being one of racing’s great all-rounders of his generation. After a blazing karting career, he climbed
OPINION: Although NASCAR defied common convention and returned to racing in the middle of a global pandemic, the initial signs are that the race went – largely – without any issues, and the series must retain its scrupulous approach to safety A lot could have gone wrong as NASCAR held the first top-tier motorsports event
NASCAR racing superstar-turned-TV-analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. says Jimmie Johnson can win races and contend in this year’s Cup Series playoffs if he can clean up his “mental mistakes”. Johnson was within half a lap of winning Stage 1 on NASCAR’s racing return at Darlington Speedway, in the Real Heroes 400, when he crashed into the
Contract negotiations between Ducati and Andrea Dovizioso for the 2021 MotoGP season are still on hold, with the rider’s manager confirming no proposal has been made to his rider. Dovizioso’s current deal with Ducati is up at the end of the year, but discussions over a new deal have stalled as both parties disagree on
As just one of four journalists allowed inside Darlington Raceway for NASCAR’s return after the coronavirus postponements, JIM UTTER provides insight into the new normal and, while the comeback has been a success, he predicts greater celebrations will be delivered at a later date I’ve spent more than 20 years covering NASCAR races and witnessed
MotoGP’s 2019 rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo admits his rivals “looked at me differently” after taking his debut pole at Jerez last year. Quartararo guided his customer ‘B-spec’ Petronas SRT Yamaha to six poles and seven podiums in a debut season which has earned him graduation to Yamaha’s works team alongside Maverick Vinales in 2021. It
NASCAR will carry out an official review on Monday but the immediate reaction to Sunday’s first live race with no fans appeared a very positive one. With all the safety protocols in place in order to restart NASCAR’s season during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of anxious anticipation as to how the event
Stewart Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick eased to victory at Darlington as the NASCAR Cup series returned to action for the first time since March. NASCAR had suspended its season following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic following the race at Phoenix in early March, before a calendar re-jig ended with the first spring race at
KTM has revealed it opposed Aprilia’s request to continue developing its MotoGP engine before the 2020 season starts, and has no plans to deviate from its current design. On Friday it was announced that the premier class’s two concession manufacturers would be granted more time to work on their engines, instead of having to stick
NASCAR has a “huge responsibility” on its shoulders as it becomes the first high-profile sporting category to return to competition amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Cup Series will resume the 2020 season at the Darlington Raceway on Sunday, having been paused since the 8 March round at Phoenix. United States president Donald Trump declared a
On this day in 2012, Casey Stoner dropped the bombshell that he’d be retiring at the end of the season. On that Thursday afternoon in France, the double MotoGP world champion shattered Honda’s hopes of assembling the ultimate dream team for 2013 On 17 May 2012, MotoGP’s greatest enigma shocked the world on the eve
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr believes there are people who want NASCAR to “fail” when the Cup Series makes its return to racing following its coronavirus-enforced hiatus at Darlington on Sunday. The driver of the #43 Chevy for Richard Petty Motorsports believes the eyes of the sporting world will be on NASCAR this weekend, as it
NASCAR Cup race winner Alex Bowman will remain at Hendrick Motorsports after signing a contract extension to keep him at the team until the end of 2021. Bowman, who replaced Dale Earnhardt Jr in the #88 car having substituted for him during 2016 as Earnhardt recovered from a concussion, began his full-time foray in the
New Chip Ganassi Racing recruit Matt Kenseth is “excited” to make his NASCAR Cup return at this weekend’s Darlington round, as he replaces Kyle Larson at the team. Kenseth was drafted into the #42 car after Larson was released from his Ganassi contract for using a racial slur during a NASCAR-sanctioned iRacing event. Having last
Ryan Newman can’t remember the final moments when he was last competing in a NASCAR race, but he has no apprehensions about his return to action nearly three months later. Newman, 42, suffered a closed head injury in a violent crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 season opener on the 17th February
The world is seeking its ‘new normal’ during this coronavirus pandemic. In top-level motor racing, that first step comes Sunday when the NASCAR Cup returns after a two-month break – its first track action since Phoenix on 8th March. The first race back will be held on Sunday 17th May at Darlington Raceway starting at
The Safari Rally in Kenya has become the second World Rally Championship event to be cancelled outright in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The East African event was due to return to the WRC calendar for the first time since 2002, scheduled as the eighth round on 16-19 July on the original
Suzuki MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio says he feels Ducati should not drop Andrea Dovizioso amid rumours that the Italian veteran is considering a change of scenery for 2021. Although it had been widely assumed Dovizioso was prepared to commit to Ducati for another two years, recent reports in the Italian media have linked him
Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo won’t get a wildcard return with Yamaha in 2020, as wildcard entries have been outlawed for this year. Lorenzo was due to make his first grand prix appearance since announcing his retirement at the end of last year in the Catalan Grand Prix for Yamaha, originally scheduled for June,
A revised GT World Challenge Europe schedule due to begin in July includes a second six-hour race at the Nurburgring. The German fixture, which maintains its September 6 date, has been extended in duration and joins the already-rescheduled Paul Ricard 1000Km six-hour race in November on what is now an eight-weekend calendar. GTWCE organiser the
Efforts to bring the World Rally Championship to Northern Ireland for the first time in 11 years have been labelled “very, very exciting” by the province’s new Secretary of State. Brandon Lewis told the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee on Thursday afternoon that he is keen to work with those stakeholders behind the bid, saying:
Brad Keselowski will head the NASCAR field on its return to action this weekend at Darlington Raceway following the random draw used in the new event format. With NASCAR suspended since the fourth round at Phoenix in early March, a partial easing of lockdown restrictions in the United States has allowed officials to plot out
NASCAR has released more of its revised schedule for its coronavirus-delayed 2020 season, detailing events set to take place between 30 May and 21 June. NASCAR will return to action this weekend at Darlington Raceway, a month after the fourth round of the campaign at Phoenix. Numerous events have been postponed and three have been
Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has admitted that the team is currently investigating the possibility of entering IndyCar, possibly as soon as 2022. Days after racing icon Mario Andretti called on the Scuderia to consider entry into US open-wheel racing, Binotto admitted that both IndyCar and sportscar racing are under discussion at the
KTM boss Pit Beirer says the Austrian marque’s plan is to retain its current MotoGP line-up of Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder, casting doubt on the rumoured Andrea Dovizioso switch. In the last week, three-time MotoGP World Championship runner-up Dovizioso became linked with a shock move to KTM as contract negotiations with Ducati hit a