ThePitcrewOnline

20th January 2025

Rallye Monte Carlo 2025 Preview

The world rally championship returns for the first of fourteen rounds this year. Thierry and Martijn will begin their defence of their crown on the classic roads of this iconic rally.

There are some sporting changes which have been well reported already for this year, but here are the key changes. Hybrid has been removed from the cars and therefore there will be a key change in the power delivery. The cars will also be lighter as well. There have also been another change to the points scoring with the removal of the ridiculous situation that the winner could score less points than some who finished in what would have been lower positions. Now the points will revert back to previous years with additional points just for Sunday’s top five fastest drivers. The other change to report is that Pirelli’s time has come to an end and Hankook tyres will now be supplying the teams with the tyres. It will be interesting to see how the teams and crews take to the new rubber.

There have also been some movements of crews around during the off-season as well. Adrien and Alex have switched to Hyundai and will be in a third car for the whole year. This is a key change in the teams structure when they normally run a third car which is shared by two or even three crews.

2025 FIA World Rally Championship
8-11 January 2025
Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Photographer: Dufour Fabien
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

At Toyota they will be running four cars all year with the same crews. Elfyn and Scott begin their fifth season at the team, whilst Kalle and Jonne return to the championship on a full-time basis instead of the part-season from last year. Sami and his new co-driver Marko Salminen will begin their first full season in the Yaris Rally1. You may recognise the name there – Marko was Teemu’s co-driver at the start of the 2020 season when they were at M-Sport Ford. Also competing will be Takamoto and Aaron, whilst Seb and Vincent will compete in a fifth Yaris on some events which includes Rallye Monte Carlo.

Finally at M-Sport Gregoire and Louis return for a second full season at the top level whilst Josh McErlean and new co-driver Eoin Treacey will make their top-level debut. They have excellent support from Motorsport Ireland and have a big challenge ahead but one that they are relishing. Last year the team from Cumbria had one of their best seasons and we know that their car is capable of podiums and wins. Finally, Martins and Renaur will also take to the cockpit of a Puma Rally1 on six rounds this year starting in Rally Sweden next month.

Let’s look ahead to the stages that will form this years Rallye Monte Carlo and hear from the drivers.

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“It’s never three without two, and of course I would like to win Rallye Monte-Carlo for a third time, but it’s also one of the most difficult events to win. Alongside the usual difficulties at Monte-Carlo, we also have the challenge of the new tyres so there will be plenty of surprises in the conditions we haven’t tested in yet – we need to take it step-by-step to approach the limit. At the moment we are expecting more wintery conditions than we have had in the past few years, which will make the event even more challenging, although we know in Monte-Carlo the conditions are never guaranteed. The first target is always to finish, so if we are in the fight towards the end of the weekend, we will definitely give it an extra push.”

Ott Tänak

“There are many sections that are new this year, so again it’s difficult to know what to expect. Monte is always very unknown, so it makes the long-term preparation quite difficult. The weather is the main character, and we need to be ready for every outcome over the weekend. The main thing to consider about that is the tyres, which is quite a big component in our rally. Everyone has quite a big unknown, and I think this will make Monte very interesting. It’s always a tricky event, we have been on the podium but never been strong enough to win it. It really is a unique event with a big history, and a win here is something I would appreciate a lot. It’s always the target, and let’s say this trophy would be in a special place.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“My first round in the World Rally Championship was at Rallye Monte-Carlo, and I was able to score my first ever championship points there, so it holds good memories for me. Saying this, it’s the most difficult rally of the year because of the conditions. It’s hard to describe the feeling here, it’s really something special. We work closely with the team on what tyres we need to take, sometimes considering what will be the fastest for the loop and rather than for the stage. For me, my aim in Monte-Carlo is to help the team as much as possible with the manufacturers’, but I also know I need a tidy start to make sure I score some points for the start of my championship. It’s like a home event for me, with a lot of stages in France, so to do well here would mean a lot to me.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“Starting a new season, the goal is as always to give our best to win. We have a strong team for 2025 and the target from my perspective remains to fight for rally wins and for the championship titles. With the introduction of a new tyre supplier and some changes to the technical regulations, there will be some adaptation and learning to do on all surfaces, but it’s the same for everyone and we just need to do the best job we can to be as ready as we can. Rallye Monte-Carlo is the event with the biggest choice of tyres available and with the limited testing allowed, it’s not possible to try the tyres in all the different conditions. It’s always an extremely challenging rally and adapting to the conditions and making the right calls at the right time will be as key as ever.”

Kalle Rovanperä

“It’s cool to be back with the team for a full season of WRC. It’s a different feeling getting prepared and excited for the full year and to fight for the title, which has to be our goal. Last year we were fast but this year we need to be more consistent through the whole year. Rallye Monte-Carlo is always a super difficult start to the season. It has never been my strongest rally but still we’ve managed to do a few good results there. I’ll be happy if we can have a clean rally and good points to start the season. Having a new tyre supplier will be quite a big thing, because everybody has to learn about the tyres in all types of conditions, and on the Monte you want to be able to feel confident in the car as soon as possible.”

Sébastien Ogier

“It’s always exciting for me to be preparing for Rallye Monte-Carlo, and to continue my relationship with TGR-WRT into another year. I’m still enjoying driving for this fantastic team, which I’ve now been with for longer than any other in my career, and I hope to have more fun in the car this year. With less power, less weight and new tyres there are a lot of question marks at the beginning of the season, and it’s a new challenge for the teams and the drivers to see who can adapt best. Even after many starts, this rally never gets any easier and I always go into it with respect for the challenge and in some way a little bit of fear, because you know you will face unpredictable conditions. It’s about trying to manage the risk, even more than on other rallies.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It’s the start of a new season with new expectations. I will try to keep the same speed as before and be more consistent: this is the main goal for me this year. Last season was difficult, but I felt big support from the team, and I learned a lot about how to manage those situations. I definitely feel that it made me stronger, and this is a year to show what I learned. Monte-Carlo is one of the most difficult rallies in terms of the conditions, and it’s hard to prepare for everything in only one day of testing. We have to find the best setup to suit the different balance following the change in regulations, but my feeling is generally good with the car and with the tyres.”

Sami Pajari

“I have a really good feeling ahead of my first full season with a Rally1 car. We had a first taste of it last year and I’m really looking forward to getting started. With some new regulations and a new tyre supplier, there are some new things for everyone to get used to, which is interesting and quite exciting. So far, the feeling has been really nice in testing. For this first rally of the year in Monte-Carlo, the goal is maybe just to reach the finish with a good feeling. If the conditions are good then maybe we can increase the pace like we could do already sometimes last year, but I think we still need to gain a bit more experience before we can really be fighting for the top positions.”

M-Sport Ford WRT

Grégoire Munster

“We had a good pre-event test; the first day on the dry we tried some new things which I think will be a key factor for this year, and we had a good feeling on snow as well with this. There are some adjustments to make, now we don’t have the hybrid, but the feeling so far is good.

“Monte-Carlo is always a tricky event with all the varied conditions, especially with all the ice that can gather throughout the night. You need to have a car that you feel comfortable in, and that works on every surface, and we are confident we have this for the event. I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere on Thursday night during the night stages, it’s such a special feeling for the first stages of the new season. I think all the drivers know the feeling!”

Josh McErlean

“It was a fantastic couple of days of testing, we have learnt a lot from Greg and the team, they have been super supportive and welcoming, making the process easier jumping into the Rally1 car. The test itself was fantastic: these cars are amazing, the downforce and the grip they create is phenomenal! We got running both on snow and full dry conditions, making it very productive being our first time in the car.

“Lining up in Casino Square will be a special moment for me come next Thursday. It is a moment I have dreamt of since childhood, so I just want to appreciate and enjoy that. We are in a very privileged position, and I just want to do the best job possible for everyone involved, be consistent and make progress throughout the event.”

WRC2

Oliver Solberg

““I think the journey has already started,” smiled the Swede. “We have been doing some testing before Christmas and in the last week – so, already, we are having a good idea of how the Toyota is feeling. And it feels really good, it’s nimble, nice to drive and, obviously, a three-cylinder engine, so that was a little bit different.

“After the testing we have done and the time with everybody from Printsport, I feel ready for Monte-Carlo, and I feel ready for the year ahead. It was nice to take some time over the holidays to recharge the batteries, but I think everybody knows this sport is never far from my mind! I can’t wait to be back.

“And, for the first time, I am competing in the whole championship – all 14 rounds. This is a fantastic experience for me and something I’ve always dreamt about. It’s so exciting to see what lies ahead.”

“Starting with Monte-Carlo is always tricky; the conditions are always bringing something unexpected. As well as the new car, we have the new Hankook tyres to use for the first time. Testing went well with the new tyre, but it’s normal that everybody will take some time to understand them completely.

“For me, as the test was going on, the feeling with all parts of the package was getting better and better. Like I said, I can’t wait to get started now. We don’t take the [WRC2] points [at Rallye Monte-Carlo], the rules are the same from last year: we can only score on seven rounds, so we prefer to fight for points on the rallies where we have more experience.”

The stages facing the crews are as follows:

Thursday 23 January 2025

Three stages make up the first evening of competitive action and total 54km’s.

Friday 24 January 2025

Six stages make up the action on the first full day of action and total 107km’s with a service break at lunchtime.

Saturday 25 January 2025

Six stages again but with a total of 131km’s with a midday service again. Saturday also includes the longest stage of the rally at 27km’s.

Sunday 26 January 2025

The final day will see the crews tackle three stages totalling 50km’s and in an interesting move the powerstage will only be run once.

Summary

Well, we are set for an exciting 2025 season then. We shall have four world champions as well lining up as well for this first round of the year.

Let’s see who takes victory!

13th January 202513th January 2025

Formula E Season 11 Round 2: Rowland Takes Victory in Mexico City After Sensational Safety Car Restart

The Nissan driver of Oliver Rowland managed an unlikely victory at Mexico City for Round 2 in Formula E Season 11. How did it happen? Lets look into it!

The Race:

We went racing in Mexico City with Pascal Wehrlein holding the start from his teammate Antonio Felix Da Costa. Vergne managed to hold P3 ahead of Oliver Rowland. Ticktum had an unfortunate spin after being tagged by the Maserati of Jake Hughes, falling down the grid and his race ultimately coming to an end.

Rowland was able to make his way up to P3 and then set his sights on P2. Bird, Mortara and De Vries had a little fight going into turns 4 and 5 with Bird ultimately getting a 5 second time penalty for this as Mortara had to pit. Mueller meanwhile was taking advantage of his attack mode usage, making moves and managing to catch up to his teammate and join in on the battle with Vergne. The 2 Andretti’s of Mueller and Dennis played the team game with Mueller holding the pack back so Dennis could take his attack mode.

An insane fight broke out between the Porsches, Andrettis and Rowland. After the scrap, Wehrlein led from Rowland, Dennis and Vergne with Dennis then attempting to make a move on Werhlein after passing Rowland. Da Costa then set his sight on the lead of the race with him managing to get the place before a yellow flag was brought out.

The yellow flags were for the Cupra Kiro of David Beckmann who got hit by Zane Maloney as both of them attempted to make the corner leading into the stadium. Due to this, a safety car was brought out with many drivers having active attack mode, including Rowland.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JANUARY 11: Oliver Rowland of Great Britain driving the Nissan Formula E Team Nissan e-4ORCE 05 leads Nico Muller of Switzerland driving the Andretti Formula E Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 during the Mexico City E-Prix, Round 2 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on January 11, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

We went green after the safety car on lap 31 with Rowland having active attack boost and putting his foot down to overtake Dennis into turn 1, Wehrlein into turn 5 and Da Costa at turn 12! However, another safety car was brought out for Mitch Evans who ended up colliding with the Andretti of Nico Mueller.

Once the safety car came in again, there were no added laps and Rowland managed to hold off the 2 Porsche cars to win the Mexico City E-Prix! Da Costa took home the silver trophy and the lead in the drivers championship while Wehrlein took home the bronze. Jake Dennis took home P4 and the fastest lap, DS Penske finished P5 and P6 with Vergne leading Guenther, Vandoorne finished P7, De Vries P8, Mueller P9 and Jake Hughes P10. Taylor Barnard crossed the line in P10 but was given a 5 second time penalty due to leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Prediction Review:

Pole Position: Oliver Rowland

This prediction was close-ish as Rowland got through to the semi finals but ultimately got beaten by the 2 Porsche cars and Vergne.

Winner: Antonio Felix Da Costa

This prediction was….quite close until Rowland decided to make monumental moves after the first safety car restart.

Biggest Shock: McLaren

The papaya based team certainly did not have a good time this race compared to Sao Paulo.

Kieran’s Socials:

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieran.f321/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kieran.f321

6th January 20257th January 2025

Formula E Season 11 Round 2: Mexico City E-Prix Preview and Predictions

A new year, a new round of Formula E in Mexico City! The previous 2 rounds held at the Autodromo Hermandas has crowned the next Formula E champion of that season. Will that happen again? Who knows but what we do know from Sao Paulo is that every single round in Season 11 will be a must watch!

Schedule:

FP1: 5:00pm-5:40pm Mexico City Time

FP2: 7:30am-8:10am Mexico City Time

Qualifying: 9:30am-11:10am Mexico City Time

Countdown to Formula E Season 11 Round 2 Race

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SECONDS

Circuit Information:

Formula E Season 11 Mexico City Track Map. Image Source: Formula E Media

This 2.628km circuit has an altered layout in comparison to Formula 1. The run down to turn 1 sees a sharp turn towards turn 2 and turn 3 which is a sharp left. Leading to a narrow section of turn 4,5,6,7 and 8 before leading to a chicane of turn 9, 10 and 11. Turn 12 then shows the stadium section which allows drivers into turn 13,14,15,16,17, and 18. Attack Zone is at turn 15 which will be very important this year due to the all wheel drive which will allow drivers a MASSIVE advantage out of the stadium, into turn 19 and out to the start/finish straight.

Predictions:

Pole position:

Oliver Rowland

The Nissan British driver got very unlucky in Sao Paulo with a software issue causing a drive through penalty for an over use of power. Last race in Sao Paulo, Rowland was beat by Wehrlein by just over 1 tenth! So it seems to be clear that the Nissan and Porsche power trains are strong at the hand of Wehrlein and Rowland.

Race Winner:

Antonio Felix Da Costa

As I mentioned already, the Porsche powertrain seems to be very strong in the hands of Wehrlein. However, that doesn’t mean Da Costa and Nato should be ruled out. With Wehrlein having suffered a big crash in Sao Paulo which resulted the number 1 car being turned upside down, I don’t expect him to be at his peak of this year primarily due to that.

Podium finishers:

1 Jaguar and 1 Kiro

I know what you might be thinking: Kieran, are you okay? Well, yes….I think. Anywho, I am expecting a Jaguar driver and a Cupra Kiro driver to complete the podium at the Mexican capital. I am not saying which driver as it could be any 4!

Other predictions:

Shock: Neom McLaren. With them finishing a massive 3^rd and 4^th finish in Sao Paulo, I am not expecting the British team to follow this up with a similar performance primarily due to the track and the amount of time between Round 1 and Round 2.

What predictions do you have for round 2 of Formula E Season 11? Let us know on our social channels or on my social channels linked below!

Kieran’s Socials:

X: https://www.x.com/megavsprimus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kieran.f321/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kieran.f321

5th January 20256th January 2025

test23

testing 212

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12th December 202412th December 2024

Formula E Season 11 Round 1-Mitch Evans On Top After a Drive From The Back To The Front

Formula E returned this past weekend and we were treated TO A RACE AND A HALF! SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED! Lets dive into what happened:

The race started where last season ended: Reigning world champion Pascal Wehrlein on pole ahead of Oliver Rowland which is how they ended in London last year, only reversed. Before the race got underway, the Envision Racing of Robin Frijns had an issue which caused the start to be delayed. Frijns was taken off the grid and the lights eventually went out! They took off from the grid with all wheel drive towards turn 1 which was neatly done. Rowland managed to get the jump on Wehrlein at the start with the DS Penske of Vergne attempting to pass Dennis. Mueller and Hughes both collided then which brought their debut race with their new teams to an end and the safety car being deployed. While this was all happening, the jaguar of Mitch Evans made his way from P22 to P12!

After the safety car came in, Di Grassi stopped on track due to an issue but then he managed to get going again. Cassidy took the lead due to attack mode which has had a MASSIVE advantage over his competitors. Moves happened up and down the field with Bird, Barnard and Nato ALL receiving drive through penalties due to overuse of power. That did not give good hope to Rowland, the remaining Nissan powered car who did not overuse on power. Once many attack modes were taken, it was Porsche vs Porsche for the lead with Da Costa winning over Wehrlein. However, Dennis then suffered a red car which caused the race to be red flagged. Mueller and Hughes were no longer under investigation for racing incident collision and the lapped cars were able to go around again due to their excess of energy.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – DECEMBER 07: Nick Cassidy of New Zealand driving the Jaguar TCS Racing Jaguar I-TYPE 7 at Sao Paulo Street Circuit on December 07, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

Cars went back onto the grid to lineup for a standing start! Rowland managed to take the lead with Guenther shooting up the grid to take P2. Maloney received a drive through penalty as Rowland was then placed under investigation for overuse of power, similar to his Nissan counterparts. Cassidy managed to make moves with attack mode with his teammate Evans managing to get up to P6. We then had 4 added laps due to the safety cars with Rowland receiving a drive through penalty!

Towards the latter stage of the race, Evans lead from Cassidy, a Jaguar 1-2 with Da Costa P3! Disaster struck for multiple drivers, however as Guenther went into the wall, he collided with Cassidy, who couldn’t steer the car and he and Wehrlein collided which caused the Porsche driver to go UPSIDE DOWN and bring out the red flag. Thankfully, Pascal Wehrlein was alright.

This red flags brought everyone close again with Cassidy,seemingly, having to retire from the race too due to damage. However, he then got into his car which confused a few people.

We went green once again with Evans leading and managing to hold onto the lead to win after starting from P22! It was an extraordinary result from the Kiwi after a disasterous qualifying. Antonio Felix Da Costa finished in P2 with Taylor Barnard scoring his first Formula E podium at his 4th attempt! Sam Bird was P5, Edoardo Mortara was P5, Norman Nato was P6, Nyck De Vries was P6, Sebastian Buemi was P7, Dan Ticktum was P9 and Jean-Eric Vergne was P10! However, after the race, Norman Nato got a penalty which dropped him outside of the points. promoted everyone below him down to P13 up a place with Stoffel Vandoorne getting the final points paying position.

What did you think of the race? Did you think if was a good race and a good debut for Formula E Gen3 EVO? Let us know on our socials!

6th December 20246th December 2024

Formula E Season 11 Season and Round One Predictions

The world of electric motorsport rejoice: Formula E is BACK this weekend and this time, for season 11! This season is set up to be an epic weekend with thrillers, new circuits and more! So why not do some season and round 1 predictions!

Season 11

World Champion-Oliver Rowland

Yes, you read that correctly. I think that Oliver Rowland will be the ABB FIA Formula E World Champion of Season 11. Ollie was on a very high season in Season 10, picking up victories across the season including winning the final round last year in London, his home E-Prix!

Ollie could very well have entered the season 10 finale close to the championship contenders of Pascal Wehrlein, Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans had it not been for the one lap misconfiguration in Misano and missing the double header in Portland due to an illness.

While this will be a big challenge for Nissan and Ollie, considering they have shown that they have been able to push through and with Norman Nato returning to Nissan, Ollie will need a rear gunner if he is going to fight for the championship.

Teams Champion-Porsche

Not too much of a surprise given how well Porsche did in Season 10 and how well their driver lineup is. I think having the reigning world champion Pascal Wehrlein will certainly help their case too. Porsche were possibly the strongest team overall last season. Despite some challenges both from drivers and team strategy, considering they managed to get Wehrlein onto the champion row and with them being the only team with 2 different champions, this will give them the push they need.

MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 07: Pascal Wehrlein of Germany driving the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 during day three of Formula E Pre-Season Testing at Circuito del Jarama on November 07, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

Female representation at an E-Prix:

Over the past few months and even years, Formula E has been putting more of an emphasis on the female representation within motorsport, hosting an all-women’s test in Jarama during pre season testing and supporting FIA causes for such reason.
While I wish no driver to get ill or injured, sometimes accidents happen in our sport which are outside of our control. With a long calendar like this and new circuits and double headers such as the new Jeddah circuit for Formula E and the double header in Monaco, I think that if a driver falls ill or gets injured, a team will pop a female driver into the car to see what they are made of.

I also predict similar tests to be conducted across the season such as what happened in Jarama as many high profile figured in Formula E want to see more female encouragement. Speaking to selected media, including The Pit Crew Online, at the Red Bull F1 show run last month in Galway, David Coulthard stated that “I think it’s great that they had a test day for the women that are competing in various forms of motorsport. The real gauge of that isn’t a random test here and there. It’s when someone is given a full-time drive. And the goal of F1 Academy is to support women in motorsport.”

Different routes have been constructed by many series’ in order to try and guide women into motorsport with some succeeding and some failing. David Coulthard spoke about how F1 Academy will succeed where W-Series failed:
“Well, W Series failed because Formula One didn’t own it. I was involved in W Series, and it cost me several million pounds that I invested from my companies to help women in motorsport. And I sleep okay with that, because it has moved women in motorsport forward. Jamie Chadwick, racing in America. Alice Powell is part of heading up the Alpine Academy, helping Abby Pulling. Naomi Schiff is now a full-time professional broadcaster, out of the back of being in W Series. So, we’ve achieved the goal. And I did that because my younger sister raced. She never got the same chance that I did. Because I always regretted that she didn’t get the same support. And I wanted to be involved in something that makes sure that female talent is recognized and supported. F1 Academy is owned by Formula One. And the thing that we tried to do with W was get the teams to take teams. And it wasn’t allowed. F1 Academy is allowed to have teams. And that will, for the greater good, move that forward. And it’s obviously, it’s a great thing for women in motorsport.”

2 drivers mentioned there by David being Jamie Chadwick and Abbi Pulling have actually tested with Formula E teams being Jaguar TCS Racing and Nissan Formula E Team respectfully. Having this representation is incredible important.

Round 1: Sao Paulo

Winner: Mitch Evans

After what happened in Season 10’s Sao Paulo E-Prix, the kiwi will be on a mission of revenge and vengeance. Losing the race to his former teammate, Mitch Evans will be putting 110% into this performance in order to right the wrongs from last year and to get that win around Brazil.

Biggest Team Improvement: Kiro Race Co.

Kiro (formally ERT) went through some huge changes over the breaks between seasons, with new investors arriving at the team. Considering where Cupra Kiro were last year, I think they will make huge strides in the opening round in Sao Paulo with a double points finish with Dan Ticktum and rookie teammate David Beckmann.

MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 08: Dan Ticktum of Great Britain and Kiro Race Co has a conversation with his teammates during day four of Formula E Pre-Season Testing at Circuito del Jarama on November 08, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

What do you expect to happen in Formula E Season 11? Will we see Dan Ticktum get a podium? Can we see a rookie win a race? Let us know on our social media!

3rd December 2024

Did Francesco Bagnaia Really Lose The Title Because Of His Mistakes?

The 2024 MotoGP season was nothing short of a rollercoaster, with Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia battling fiercely all the way to the end. When the dust settled, Martin walked away as the champion. But as fans and analysts picked apart the season, one question kept coming up: did Bagnaia lose the title because of his own mistakes?

It’s easy to see why people point to moments like Bagnaia’s crash in the Sepang sprint race as the turning point. But was that really the defining moment? Or is it just a convenient headline for what was actually a messy, unpredictable, and mistake-filled season for both riders?

Many argue that if Bagnaia hadn’t suffered so many DNFs, he likely would have won the championship, but if we remove Bagnaia’s errors, it is only fair that we also exclude the errors of Martin, otherwise this hypothetical scenario is trivial.

Looking Closely At The Mistakes

This wasn’t just a season where Bagnaia made mistakes. Martin had his fair share of blunders too. In fact, both riders admitted the 2024 championship was defined as much by their errors as their successes. Bagnaia may have crashed more often, but Martin’s mistakes were arguably more costly.

Bagnaia had seven crashes this season—three in main races and four in sprints. When added up, those mistakes cost him 73 points to Martin, factoring in both the points he missed out on and the small gains Martin made when Bagnaia dropped out. For example, in the Catalunya sprint, Bagnaia’s crash boosted Martin from 5th to 4th, earning him an extra point.

But here’s the twist: while Bagnaia made more mistakes, Martin’s crashes cost him more points. He fell only four times—twice in main races and twice in sprints—but three of those crashes came while he was leading. That handed Bagnaia maximum points in those races as Bagnaia was always second to him. In total, Martin’s errors cost him 82 points, nine more than Bagnaia, which does not even take into account the Spaniard’s Misano blunder, as he did not crash.

The tables below give a deeper dive into how the points losses were calculated.

For Bagnaia

For Martin

Not All Mistakes Have The Same Impact

So although it may seem that Martin has in fact lost out more this year from his errors, it is not immediately obvious that this is the case, as the natural assumption is that if a rider has more DNFs, he will have lost out on more points, but it is so important to consider what position each rider was in when they crashed and what position the contenders were relative to eachother when the crash happened. For example, if a rider crashed from 15^th position, it is nowhere near as costly as if they crash from first place, so it’s not as simple as a “crash is a crash”.

Take Jerez and Sachsenring. Martin was leading both main races when he crashed, handing Bagnaia the extra points for winning while also missing out on the 25 points he would have scored. This amounts to a total points swing of 30, which is a monumental amount in the context of this fight. By comparison, Bagnaia’s crashes often came when he wasn’t in contention for a win, so the points he missed out on were usually smaller.

When you dig into the numbers, it’s clear that the story of the season isn’t as simple as “Bagnaia made more mistakes, so he lost.” Yes, he had more DNFs. But Martin’s errors, fewer as they were, had a massive impact on the championship too.

Why Martin Won

So, did Martin win because of Bagnaia’s mistakes? Not really. Sure, Bagnaia’s crashes played a role, but that’s not the whole picture. It is rather ironic that if we create an errorless championship from the two riders, then Martin actually has a bigger lead!

Martin didn’t just win because Bagnaia slipped up—he won because he nailed the other crucial aspects of being a champion. His consistency this season was off the charts, managing to finish second 16 times across all races. He stayed calm under pressure and learned from past struggles with mental focus. That’s what made the difference, not just Bagnaia’s crashes.

It’s also worth highlighting how incredible it is that Martin won the title despite Bagnaia taking 11 wins this season. On paper, that might make Martin’s championship seem less impressive, but it actually highlights his strength. This wasn’t about piling up race wins—it was about delivering consistently strong performances across 40 gruelling races.

So, no—Bagnaia didn’t hand the title to Martin. Martin earned it. He proved that being a champion isn’t just about raw speed or winning the most races. It’s about resilience, strategy and mental fortitude.

This season will be remembered as one of the most intense and dramatic in recent MotoGP history. And Jorge Martin, the man who battled through it all to come out on top, deserves every bit of credit for his victory. Mistakes may have played a part, but in the end, it was Martin’s incredible consistency and growth as a rider that made him a champion.

26th November 202427th November 2024

Cadillac/GM Driver Thoughts

General Motors-backed Cadillac is set to join the Formula 1 circus after an initially rejected bid using the Andretti name. They will enter in 2026 as an engine customer team before using their own engine by 2028 if, hopefully, they remain in the sport by that season. This announcement came very much as a surprise due to the withdrawal of Michael Andretti, although his father Mario will remain as a director. The talk of who will be behind the wheel of the two cars will begin in late 2024 and 2025. Who are the most likely based on what we know currently? The chance ratings are my personal thoughts.

Colton Herta

Colton is American and currently drives for Team Andretti in Indycar, the F1 team may not have the Andretti badge but is this a chance for a return for the name? Colton finished P2 in the 2024 Indycar championship, winning the season finale, and is in great form. The investor of the new F1 team, Dan Towriss, is a big fan of him, which may put him in pole position as long as he gets enough super license points from the FIA, as the Indycar Series is absurdly underrated. If he has a strong 2025, there would be no issue.

Chance: 9/10

Alex Palou

Álex Palou celebrating in victory lane with his team (Photo by Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment)

Alex is the 2024 Indycar Champion and has been reportedly in talks with 3 teams in the past couple of seasons, Mclaren, Sauber & Red Bull, but none of them have ever materialised. He made one free practice appearance with McLaren in 2022 at the United States GP and was the reserve driver in 2023 doing the mid-season tyre test. He also competes for the Cadillac team in the IMSA series. A strong chance for Alex to be one of the few champions in America to move to F1.

Chance: 8/10

Jak Crawford

As Formula E reserve driver for Andretti for the 2024-25 season, he already has some links to the team. He also has a solid link with F1 as an Aston Martin development and current Formula 2 driver. He is due to partake in the end of season test with Aston Martin.

It could be a chance for Cadillac to take a driver from a rival who will continue to grow in confidence; he is only 19 presently, so skills will ever improve.

Chance: 7/10

Checo Perez

Pole position qualifier Sergio Perez Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

If the team goes for one experienced driver and one rookie, then look no further. If Red Bull decided to drop Checo for 2025 or 2026 due to his current form, then this could be his way to stay in the sport. As a probable midfield team, he could thrive, similar to his years racing for Sauber, Force India & Racing Point. As a new team, they may seek experience, and as a driver currently in his 14th season, from the Americas, could this be a fit? Perez for the last couple of months hasn’t been at his best, but sometimes a driver in the twilight years of his career needs a new challenge.

Chance: 7/10

Franco Colapinto

The shock of the year, when Logan Sargeant was given his marching orders, the Argentine was calm and collected, as he has performed well against new teammate Albon. The current situation is that there is no room for him in the upcoming 2025 F1 season. After initial success, he has made a few errors, costing Williams dearly. Cadillac could consider Colopinto with his few races of experience that excited the paddock, who is no longer a rookie after a great start to his career.

Chance: 6/10

Valtteri Bottas

An experienced driver in his 13th season, Bottas has lost his seat at Stake F1, aka Audi, for the 2025 season. So what’s next for him? While he waits for official confirmation, he has started a charity for families who suddenly lose their jobs called… ‘What’s Next?’. In F1, however, he has experience in the dominant Mercedes and midfield Willams teams, which gives him insight a new team like Cadillac will need.

Chance: 5/10

Jack Aitken

Aitken has competed with Cadillac in the IMSA Sportscar Championship and in the 24 hours of Le Mans for last 2 years, and he is due to compete for them in 2025. He has been a member of 2 junior programs in Renault (2016-20) & Williams (2020-22). In 2020, he did Free Practice 1 in Austria and drove for Williams during the Sakhir Grand Prix. He held the reserve role for Wiiliams until 2022 before moving to Sportscar Racing. He may have a relationship with Cadillac, but his chance in F1 could have gone.

Chance: 2/10

There are a few drivers in the mix, and there could be further added to this list. This team have been given the opportunity to extend the grid to 22 cars for the first time since 2016, when Manor Racing were on the grid. The good thing is that two teams are joining in Audi & Cadillac/GM and a fresh canvas of rules, so hopefully not a team sitting at the back.

24th November 202424th November 2024

Rally Japan 2024, Sunday’s Report

The final day then of the rally and of the season. What would the day hold? Andreas would again open the road throughout the day.

First up was SS17 Nukata 1 – 20.23 km and Andreas made the best of the cleaner road conditions winning the stage from Elfyn and Thierry. However, there was huge drama as Ott and Martin came into the final kilometre of the stage and went wide on a right-hander. The result of this was that they crashed out from the lead of the rally. There were celebrations with the two Hyundai crews that had finished the stage. Of course, there didn’t seem to be much disappointment with the situation after the crash their teammates suffered as we saw in the

Next up was SS18 Lake Mikawako 1 – 13.98 km the first run of the later to run power stage. Thierry took the stage win from Andreas and Adrien. The Belgian came to the stop line and was of course delighted to have it confirmed that he’d taken the title. However, it was sad to not hear any acknowledgment of the situation with his teammate crashing out.

Onto SS19 Nukata 2 – 20.23 km and Thierry again was fastest from Seb and Andreas. The Belgian and Frenchman set an identical time on this one. Amazing! The top three remained Elfyn, Seb and Adrien.

The following stage was the third time during the weekend which the 2.15km stadium stage was run and as mentioned previously in my view is not rallying.

We came therefore to the final stage, SS21 Lake Mikawako 2[Power Stage] – 13.98 km. Andreas was the guy setting the rally1 pace and slid wide on a corner leading to some damage to the right-hand front bumper and the headlamp was gone as well. The stage result was making things interesting as the manufacturers championship was up for either Hyundai or Toyota to win. Ultimately Seb would be fastest from Thierry, Elfyn, Takamoto and Andreas. The points scored in the powerstage meant that Toyota would take the title. It was also great to see Elfyn and Scott take victory in this final round.

Let’s take a look at the final finishing positions and hear from the drivers.

Final Overall Classification – Rally Japan

1	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	3:23:41.0
2	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	+1:27.3
3	A. Fourmaux	A. Coria	Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid	+1:55.5
4	T. Katsuta	A. Johnston	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	+2:02.6
5	G. Munster	L. Louka	Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid	+3:11.5
6	T. Neuville	M. Wydaeghe	Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid	+6:54.1
7	N. Gryazin	K. Aleksandrov	Citroën C3	+10:04.3
8	S. Pajari	E. Mälkönen	Toyota GR Yaris	+11:50.8
9	H. Arai	S. Matsuo	Škoda Fabia	+13:24.3
10	G. Greensmith	J. Andersson	Škoda Fabia RS	+14:15.8

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“It’s been a very exciting last day of Rally Japan and we’re delighted with the final result. It’s a very special event as a home rally for the team and I’m naturally very happy to win it again. With it I’m also really happy to contribute towards the manufacturers’ title: it means a lot for every member of the team and I’m proud to be a part of it. We maybe didn’t always have the performance we wanted during the whole weekend, but we kept trying until the end. I felt for Ott this morning as he had to push, and that opened up the opportunity for us, but it still wasn’t easy to bring it home and get the points we needed.”

Sébastien Ogier

“I think you could not have written a better finish to the season for us, with everything to play for on the final stage here in Japan. There was a lot of pressure, it was all or nothing in the Power Stage, and of course we are very delighted that we managed to produce this performance in this moment and clinch the title together with the team. Seeing the happy faces of everyone in the team, and of our chairman Morizo-san, is the best feeling and also good reward for all the effort that every team member has made during the season. It’s proof again of why we should never give up.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It’s been a very tough season but at the end we were able to take back the manufacturers’ championship, and it’s such a great feeling. I had to be patient this weekend which has not been easy, but I managed to stay on the road and push in the Power Stage. The whole team did a fantastic job, and without their support I would not have been able to do it, so a huge thanks to them and to my team-mates. There were a lot of fans cheering for me this weekend. I’m sorry for them that it was not possible to take a podium myself this time, but thanks to them for their support as well.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“What a fantastic day. Words cannot describe how we are feeling. I think we deserved the title after such a challenging year. We had a lot more pressure than we would have liked coming to this final event, but we managed our weekend as best as we could with the problems we had. After the first stage and the titles were confirmed, we were able to relax a bit and push as hard as we could for the manufacturers’ fight. We went flat out with nothing to lose – we really wanted to bring home that crown for the team, as they really deserved it. Sadly, it wasn’t enough this time but everyone in the team should be incredibly proud of the work they have done this year.”

Andreas Mikkelsen

“After we decided to stop yesterday, we wanted to really prepare for today as best as possible. I think we did that well; we were very fast and fighting at the front, showing good speed and having a nice feeling in the car all day. I’m disappointed for the team as they really deserved the manufacturers’ title this year. Everyone has done such an amazing job, the car has been working well and very reliable all season, so it is tough to feel this title slip away from us. However, I am so happy for Thierry. I grew up with him and have raced him since we both started out in national rallying. Being good mates as well, I am really emotional seeing him clinch the title. I’m very proud of him.”

Ott Tänak

“It is difficult to describe what happened other than complete disaster. We weren’t expecting slippery conditions in the corner and as soon as we arrived, the front washed out. It was too far off the road to recover the car. While we are disappointed to end the season this way, we have to recognise what a great season this has been for Thierry. He has been very consistent, managing the pressure well, and he is a worthy champion.”

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux

“As we expected, it’s been a really challenging rally with really tricky conditions from the beginning. The conditions have been drying up all weekend, so where we have improved the pace we’ve been fighting for the podium.

“From Saturday morning it’s been a really nice fight with Takamoto Katsuta and Seb Ogier. It’s been really nice to end the season with another podium, my first one on Tarmac with the Ford Puma Rally1. It’s been a really great season for us, we always want more that’s for sure, but still we have some really nice positive results, so it’s been good for my comeback to Rally1.

“Thanks to everyone at M-Sport for the season, there’s been really great commitment from everybody, and we’ve had a great feeling from the start. Alex and I really appreciate the hard work from everyone.”

Grégoire Munster

“I’m just happy to get back-to-back top five results and finish the season on a positive note. I think our pace on Saturday was really positive with a second-fastest time and two third-fastest times. At some points we struggled with the set-up of the car, but we always reacted quite well and managed to find solutions, so there was a lot of good learning for me as a driver working with engineers.

“It was a good way to finish the year and I just want to thank all the team for their hard work all throughout the season and for their guidance, it has helped me perform and learn a lot as a driver.”

Summary

Well, what an incredible weekend in Japan for the finale of the championship. It had everything, drama for the championship leader, position changes for the top three and a final day drama which led to Toyota taking the manufacturers title.

It was great to see Elfyn and Scott take their ninth victory, just a bit of a sad way for this to happen with Ott and Martin crashing out. However, this is motorsport, and it is often the way things happen.

For Seb and Vincent after their puncture on Friday, they showed amazing pace to take many stage wins and a deserved second overall.

For Adrien and Alex, a fantastic third place was deservedly theirs, their fifth of this season as well. They have a bright future whether they remain at M-Sport or move elsewhere. My personal view is that they should stay at Malcolm’s team, and they could take a first victory there.

Finally, a few words for Thierry and Martijn. They have had a great season and undoubtedly deserve the championship. However, the manner of their celebrations following their teammates crashing out and the lack of words from Thierry at the end of the following stage to acknowledge this as well show a driver that is selfish and appears to only care for himself.

24th November 2024

Rally Japan 2024, Saturday’s Report

The second full day of the rally would see the crews tackle 103km’s over seven stages. Andreas and Torstein would restart and open the road, but then the Hyundai team would swap him around with Thierry so the championship leader could open the road.

First up then was SS10 Mt. Kasagi 1 – 16.47 km and Elfyn was fastest from Ott and Gregoire. Thierry was on the move, gaining two positions. His i20 was back working properly and he set the fifth best time.

Next up was SS11 Nenoue Kougen 1 – 11.60 km and Thierry set the best time from Seb and Takamoto. The Japanese star gained a position moving ahead of Adrien and into third overall. Thierry was also gaining positions, now into twelfth place and just around 22 seconds from the points paying positions. The recovery drive was going well this morning.

The final stage before the tyre fitting zone, SS12 Ena 1 – 22.79 km saw the stage interrupted meaning that the top two, Ott and Elfyn did not start the stage along with the WRC2 runners. They were given a notional time, the same as Seb who’d set the fastest time. There was drama for Takamoto who had a spin in the stage, and he dropped down to fifth. He was one of the driver to complete the stage earlier before the interruption.

After the short break came SS13 Mt. Kasagi 2 – 16.47 km and Ott was fastest from Seb and Takamoto. Adrien fell behind his fellow countryman Seb who passed him for third overall. Thierry was now in ninth overall and just three tenths of a second behind eighth placed Sami. Sadly, Elfyns’ pace had deserted him and after winning this stage earlier he could only manage the sixth best time. The Welshman reported understeer sapping his confidence in the corners.

Two proper stages remained the first being SS14 Nenoue Kougen 2 – 11.60 km and Thierry and Seb set an identical time on this one, with Takamoto third. Rally leader Ott was fourth in this one, but with his closest rival Elfyn sixth was still increasing his lead. Thierry was up another position and into eighth place.

The final proper stage then of Saturday’s action, SS15 Ena 2 – 22.79 km and Seb was fastest from Thierry and Adrien. The Frenchman’s pace allowed him to pull away from Takamoto. Meanwhile erstwhile championship leader Thierry had gained another position and was now seventh.

The final stage didn’t see any changes in position and at only 2.15km’s in a stadium is not really rallying anyway.

Let’s take a look at the standings and hear from the drivers.

Classification after Day Two

1	O. Tänak	M. Järveoja	Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid	2:39:48.0
2	E. Evans	S. Martin	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	+38.0
3	S. Ogier	V. Landais	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	+2:10.9
4	A. Fourmaux	A. Coria	Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid	+2:19.1
5	T. Katsuta	A. Johnston	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid	+2:25.2
6	G. Munster	L. Louka	Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid	+3:07.1
7	T. Neuville	M. Wydaeghe	Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid	+7:43.7
8	N. Gryazin	K. Aleksandrov	Citroën C3	+7:55.9
9	S. Pajari	E. Mälkönen	Toyota GR Yaris	+9:21.2
10	H. Arai	S. Matsuo	Škoda Fabia	+10:12.6

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“All the stages have been extremely demanding today, very slow in places and seemingly never-ending. At the same time, we’ve had changeable grip and a lot of surprises and some moments. While it’s been another tough day, we had something special in the second loop. Elfyn was definitely winding up this morning, but we were stronger this afternoon to end the day with things still in our favour. We’ve been on it all weekend so far and we will be again tomorrow: our main target is the manufacturers’ championship, and we want to achieve it. The Toyotas are very quick so we all need to give our best so we can hopefully bring it home.”

2024 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 13, Rally Japan
21 – 24 November 2024
Ott Tanak
Photographer: Austral
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Thierry Neuville

“We’re satisfied that we’ve been able to catch seventh, which didn’t seem very realistic this morning. Of course, it could have been a much better weekend result, but I have faced many setbacks in my career, and I have learnt to stay calm and deal with the situation. I think we managed that very well today, considering we had everything to lose while others had a lot to gain. It could be a big day tomorrow, so we will cross our fingers and try to have a good night sleep, but there is still a fight, and we have to win some more points. Let’s see after a few stages tomorrow where we are and what we have to do.”

Andreas Mikkelsen

“After yesterday’s accident, we wanted to make sure that the car was working optimally after the repairs in service. We ran the morning loop to shakedown the car and ensure everything was working well. As we were happy with the performance and the speed this morning, we decided together with the team to withdraw from the afternoon loop in preparation for a big push tomorrow. There was nothing to be gained today but we have a big opportunity on Sunday to support the team in the manufacturers’ championship fight.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“We made a pretty strong start this morning when the conditions were not easy, and we were hoping to keep the pressure on in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. The feeling was not so bad in the car but we were struggling just a little bit in the slower speed sections and that was resulting in quite a big time loss. Things were OK in the faster places but there weren’t so many of them. So, we’re looking with the team tonight to understand it and try to put it right for tomorrow, when we need to give a final push and do what we can.”

Sébastien Ogier

“It’s been a positive day for us. We were the fastest over the day with three stage wins, and we got back to the podium places to bank good points for the team, so I think there was not much more we could do. Of course, I would have loved even more but our chances in the manufacturers’ championship are still alive up until the last day of the season, and we need to give it everything. We just have to push for the maximum points from Sunday and hope for some luck on our side, and in rallying you never know what can happen.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“It’s good to reach the end of today: this was one of the main targets for me. There were some difficulties during the day – I had a spin in the last stage of the morning and lost a few seconds there – but I felt some good feelings from the car as well, so I was able to set some good times. Overall, everything was OK. Tomorrow is going to be a very important day for the team as well, so I just need to try and find even better feeling and focus on that.”

Sunday

The final day will see the crews tackle 70km’s over five stages, including the overused 2.15km stadium stage.