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When a Brit called Matt Bell turned up in the LMP3 class of the European Le Mans Series in 2023 there was inevitably some confusion. A presumption was made that it was the same Matt Bell who was racing a P3 in the ELMS-supporting Le Mans Cup having been a fixture in international sportscars for a dozen or more years.But if there were any aficionados of junior single-seaters in the paddock, they …Keep reading

Esteban Ocon has urged his Alpine team to find answers about his lack of pace compared to team-mate Pierre Gasly since the United States Grand Prix.Ocon had outqualified Gasly 14 times to seven in the first 21 qualifying and sprint qualifying sessions of the season, but the trend changed in Austin weekend.Since then, Ocon has only managed to outqualify his team-mate once, finishing an average of …Keep reading

A quirk in Formula 1’s regulations meant Carlos Sainz was not penalised for crossing the pit entry line during the Las Vegas Grand Prix.Ferrari driver Sainz was leading Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into the pits for his second pitstop when a late call to suggest his crew wasn’t ready resulted in the Spaniard diverting to the outside of the pitwall and continuing for another tour of the Nevada …Keep reading

Ferrari says the timing of the FIA’s recent intervention in issuing a technical directive surrounding skid blocks meant it took a hit to its Formula 1 budget.Shortly ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the FIA wrote to teams for a clampdown on the use of satellite skid blocks that were being used to help protect the underfloor plank.This prompted several squads to make urgent revisions to their …Keep reading

Newly crowned world champion Thierry Neuville will headline a host of World Rally Championship stars set to compete at the Monza Rally Show next month.The event has returned this year to celebrate Pirelli’s four-year stint as the WRC’s sole tyre supplier with the championship set to welcome South Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook to provide its control tyre from next season.Event organisers …Keep reading

Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas may not have a Formula 1 drive for 2025, but he’s not counting on under-pressure Sergio Perez’s hardship to provide him with an unexpected opportunity.Red Bull’s 53-point deficit to McLaren with two grands prix left in 2024 means Perez’s underperformance will likely cost his team the constructors’ title, as the veteran scored just 49 points in the latest 16 …Keep reading

Robert Wickens has explained the “chicken-or-the-egg” hurdles he has faced before securing a drive in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2025 that marks the next phase of his racing return.The 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 champion suffered a serious spinal cord injury in an IndyCar crash at Pocono in 2018, which has left him paralysed below the waist, but has continued to race using hand controls and …Keep reading

Now that Formula 1’s 2024 world drivers’ championship has been secured by Max Verstappen after Las Vegas, it could be assumed that the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are little more than dead rubbers. In reality, the 2024 season is far from over as there’s still plenty to play for across the final two races.Some of the honours left to lay claim are more valuable than others – both prestige and prize …Keep reading

The 2024 Formula 2 season has been one of many twists and turns, with championship challengers coming and going. With a double-header in the Middle East to decide the matter, who will come out on top?While six drivers remain mathematically in the fight, there is a clear two-horse battle between points leader Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar, while Paul Aron is lurking ready to pick up the pieces …Keep reading

Aleix Espargaro has revealed he always felt he had less talent than some of the other riders in MotoGP, but overcame this inherent disadvantage by working harder.The 35-year-old pulled the curtain down on his glittering career as a motorcycle racer at the Barcelona Grand Prix earlier this month, having competed in MotoGP since 2012.Espargaro is widely hailed for turning Aprilia into the …Keep reading