Brazilian Grand Prix organisers are likely to face further questions regarding security during the Formula 1 race weekend after another attack on Sunday night. Less than 48 hours after Mercedes F1 personnel escaped uninjured following a gunpoint robery outside the Interlagos track, and despite promises of a heightened police presence around the venue, a car
Matt Kenseth took his first NASCAR Cup victory of the year at Phoenix, as Brad Keselowski claimed the last spot in the 2017 playoff final four. It was in the pits that Kenseth threw himself into contention for the win, having emerged from the pitlane first following a caution for Trevor Bayne’s accident in the
Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton feels he was quickest “by a long way” in the Brazilian Grand Prix, as he fought his way through to fourth place from a pitlane start. Having crashed in the first segment of qualifying on Saturday, Hamilton started from the pits and scythed his way through the pack in the
Marc Marquez says the incident that nearly jeopardised his 2017 MotoGP title hopes in the season finale at Valencia was brought on by fears of a collision with Johann Zarco. Honda rider Marquez only needed to finish in the top 11 to make sure of his fourth premier-class title in five seasons. He appeared content
Defeated MotoGP title contender Andrea Dovizioso says he didn’t feel he was held up by Ducati team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in the Valencia season finale. In a race he had to win to stand any chance of beating Marc Marquez to the title, Dovizioso crashed out on lap 25 of 30, just a handful of corners
Marc Marquez sealed his fourth MotoGP title with after finishing third in the season finale at Valencia won by Dani Pedrosa, as Andrea Dovizioso’s championship hopes ended with a late crash. Dovizioso needed to win the race and hope polesitter Marquez couldn’t finish inside the top 11, and the Italian made quick progress from ninth
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says Valterri Bottas’s Brazilian GP pole reflects the fact that the Finn is now getting more out of the W08 after his recent struggles. Bottas was carrying the hopes of the team after Lewis Hamilton crashed at the start of Q1, relegating the world champion to last on the
Nick Cassidy and Ryo Hirakawa clinched the 2017 Super GT championship after finishing second in the final round of the season at Motegi. The #37 TOM’S Lexus duo needed to finish in the top-two to claim the title, irrespective of how their rivals performed. They qualified third and dispatched the sister #6 Lexus of Team
Brazilian Grand Prix organisers have arranged for “heavy police reinforcements” around the Interlagos track following the armed robbery against Mercedes Formula 1 team members on Friday night. A minibus carrying Mercedes personnel was held up at gunpoint after leaving the track, as robbers stole valuables. Fortunately no-one was hurt. With members of Williams, and officials
Felipe Massa claims Carlos Sainz Jr admitted that he disrupted his first Q3 lap in Brazilian Grand Prix Formula 1 qualifying deliberately – but Sainz has denied that suggestion. Williams driver Massa – who will start his final home grand prix on Sunday – starred in Q1 and Q2 with fourth and seventh-fastest times respectively,
Silverstone will retain its place on the MotoGP calendar after signing a fresh three-year deal to be the home of the British motorcycle grand prix. The Northamptonshire track’s place on next year’s schedule had been thrown into doubt when a draft calendar had been released with a ‘TBA’ next to the British round in September.
Jorge Lorenzo has ruled out backing up other riders in a bid to help Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso beat Marc Marquez to the MotoGP title in Sunday’s Valencia showdown. Dovizioso has to win the race and hope Marquez finishes outside the top 11 to win the title, but the Italian’s hopes took a dent during
Marc Marquez will start the title-deciding MotoGP season finale at Valencia from pole position despite a late crash in qualifying, while championship rival Andrea Dovizioso was only ninth. Honda man Marquez, who only needs a top-11 finish on Sunday to guarantee his fourth premier class title, set the early pace with a 1m30.424s, before improving
NASCAR Cup playoff leader Martin Truex Jr’s recent defeats show his title favourite status is slipping, reckons Kyle Busch. Furniture Row Toyota driver Truex has won seven races in 2017, two more than second-best Busch, and quickly assumed a commanding position in this season’s new playoff points system. Truex was able to secure his place
Formula 1 teams are facing a fresh headache with their 2018 car designs after McLaren failed to back a proposal to retain the fin on the engine cover. One of the items discussed in this week’s F1 Strategy Group was a change to the regulations to retain a big engine fin, which could be used
McLaren thinks a significant programme alongside Formula 1 would be a “huge distraction” for Fernando Alonso amid speculation of a Toyota World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours deal. Alonso is tipped to join Toyota for next week’s WEC rookie test at Bahrain, as discussions continue over a potential assault with the Japanese manufacturer
Lewis Hamilton pipped Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate Valtteri Bottas to the fastest time in second practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix. The four-time world champion clocked a 1m09.515s on the super-soft Pirelli tyres to finish 0.048 seconds clear of Bottas at Interlagos. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo offered the greatest threat to Mercedes, finishing 0.228s adrift
Championship favourite Marc Marquez says he was baffled by his crash at the end of second practice for MotoGP’s season-closing Valencia Grand Prix. The Honda rider fell at Turn 2 at the end of the afternoon session – his 26th crash of the season – and ended up fifth-fastest, two places behind title rival Andrea
KTM rider Pol Espargaro will start this weekend’s MotoGP season finale at Valencia from the pitlane as punishment for exceeding his engine allocation. MotoGP rules dictate each rider can only use a maximum of seven engines per season, although KTM and Aprilia are permitted to use nine as part of a package of technical concessions.
Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo was fastest in the second practice session for MotoGP’s Valencia season finale, which ended with title favourite Marc Marquez crashing. Honda rider Marquez, who was vying with Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa to top the opening day of practice, fell at Turn 2 just as the chequered flag fell. Marquez was OK, having
Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton admits he lost focus last time he clinched a title early, so he is determined to win the 2017 season’s remaining grands prix. In 2015 Hamilton secured the championship at the United States GP in October, and was then defeated by Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the season’s last
Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey insists Liberty Media has no wish to turn grand prix racing ‘into NASCAR’, as he responded to Ferrari’s criticism of the 2021 engine proposals. Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne last week complained about the increased focus on standardisation in the planned rules, claiming his team could pull out of F1 and
Marc Marquez says “nobody will remember” if he claims the 2017 MotoGP world championship with fewer race wins than title rival Andrea Dovizioso. Honda rider Marquez comes to the final race of the season at Valencia this weekend with a comfortable 21-point advantage, meaning a finish anywhere inside the top 11 would be good enough
Toro Rosso Formula 1 drivers Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly will likely take grid penalties for the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Gasly calling his recent sequence “difficult to accept”. Although a final decision will be taken by the team on Friday morning, both drivers are bracing themselves for the worst – and could find themselves
Andrea Dovizioso says Marc Marquez’s “struggles to restrain himself” in races gives him hope he can still secure the 2017 MotoGP crown in Valencia this weekend. Ducati rider Dovizioso is 21 points adrift of Marquez in the standings, which means he must win and hope that Marquez does not finish inside the top 11. While
Reigning NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has been left bemused by his “weird” form in the final part of 2017, which leaves him on the brink of playoff elimination. Seven-time Cup champion Johnson took three victories this year on the way to the final eight of the playoffs. But the Hendrick Chevrolet driver has struggled
The health problem that sidelined MotoGP rookie Jonas Folger from the final races of 2017 and led to his body ‘shutting down’ has now been diagnosed. Folger has been out of action since what was initially presumed to be a case of mononucleosis ruled him out of the MotoGP race weekend at Motegi. The 24-year-old
Bentley has unveiled a new Continental GT3 that will begin racing next season. The car has been developed by M-Sport, which was responsible for the original Continental GT3 first raced at the end of 2013, in conjunction with Bentley Motorsport at company headquarters in Crewe. It is based on the all-new Continental road car, which
Citroen team principal Yves Matton has told Craig Breen and Stephane Lefebvre he wants faster times and more risks from them on the 2017 World Rally Championship finale in Australia. Breen has led Citroen’s charge for much of the season, and is just six points behind team leader Kris Meeke in ninth in the WRC
Ed Jones says his surprise Chip Ganassi Racing switch was due to delays in re-signing with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2018 IndyCar season without his Indy Lights scholarship funds. Jones had been expected to undertake a second season with Coyne after a successful first year in which he became the unexpected team leader, following