Automotors

Larson had already had a full day, qualifying fifth for next weekend’s Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day, and arrived at North Wilkesboro about 30 minutes before driver introductions for the main event.Because he did not drive his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in practice or qualifying this weekend – Kevin Harvick filled in – Larson had to start the 200-lap main event from the rear …Keep reading

Aston’s major Imola update, which included a floor redesign, a front wing and diffuser, was shaken down by Fernando Alonso in FP1 before Lance Stroll also received the parts from FP2 onwards.However, on a weekend where rival teams also wheeled out new parts or further dialled in those from Miami, Aston’s upgrades may have delivered absolute performance but not relative competitiveness.Alonso’s …Keep reading

This month marked the 30-year anniversary of Senna’s fatal accident at Imola on 1 May 1994, which came the day after Austrian Ratzenberger lost his life in a crash.The death of Ratzenberger, which itself followed a serious practice accident for Senna’s compatriot Rubens Barrichello, shook the Williams driver to the core at the time.In the wreckage of Senna’s crashed car, marshals found an unfurled …Keep reading

Series promoter the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has stressed the importance of capping the expansion of the series, at least temporarily, following its return to its traditional eight events in 2024 after a contraction resulting from COVID.“It is not in the plan today to add a race, because of the cost,” ACO president Pierre Fillon told Motorsport.com. “The most important thing is to be …Keep reading

McLaughlin set a memorable record-setting four-lap average of 234.220mph having set off as the last of the Fast Six, scoring Penske’s 19th Indy 500 pole.Team-mates Will Power and defending race winner Josef Newgarden will start alongside McLaughlin – the trio giving legendary team owner Roger Penske his first front-row lockout for the race since 1988, when Rick Mears sat on pole, alongside Danny …Keep reading

The Italian has endured a torrid switch from the VR46-run Ducati he raced last year to the factory Honda in 2024.Marini hasn’t qualified inside the top 20 across the first five rounds, while he is the only Honda rider not to score points in 2024, with his best grand prix result so far a 16th.At the French Grand Prix, Marini finished last of the classified runners and was 40 seconds off the lead at …Keep reading

The Mexican had failed to make the top 10 in qualifying, knocked out in Q2 with a lap time 0.015s slower than Daniel Ricciardo’s on his RB.Perez started the race on hard tyres in a bid to make the most of any timely safety car intervention, virtual or otherwise, which failed to materialise as the whole race was run uninterrupted.Perez did manage to outperform both RB cars and Nico Hulkenberg’s …Keep reading

Formula 1 headed back to Imola after the 2023 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to flooding in the Italian region. This time, the sporting contest went ahead in sunshine throughout.The race was awfully dull until Max Verstappen’s struggles aboard his Red Bull and Lando Norris’s hard tyre brilliance in his McLaren combined to produce a thrilling late coda. That again enlivened a lead …Keep reading

As part of an official visit to Italy, Thavisin was present at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for discussions with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, as well as meeting other stakeholders.The Thai Grand Prix project is being pushed for by the government, but it is understood that Thavisin has sounded out Red Bull about its potential interest in joining the push.Thavisin is targeting a deal to put on a …Keep reading

Charles Leclerc took a popular podium at Imola, with Carlos Sainz in fifth, as Ferrari was beaten by McLaren as F1’s closest challenger to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.With overtaking nearly impossible on similar tyre strategies, Ferrari feels it effectively lost the battle for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in qualifying, with Vasseur saying: “I think that if we do 1-2 in qualifying, we do 1-2 in the …Keep reading