Rally Japan 2024, Day One Report.

The first full day of action saw the crews tackle eight stages, including two super special stages at the end of the day. The total amount of competitive kilometres was 128km’s.

Of course, leading the championship meant that Thierry and Martijn would open the road and have the best of the road conditions. We’d already had one short stage with Adrien and Alex holding the lead from Ott and Martin and local hero Takamoto and Aaron holding third.

Into SS2 Isegami’s Tunnel 1 – 23.67 km and Thierry was fastest from Ott, with Elfyn third. All three crews gained positions and were the new top three overall. The two Toyota’s of Takamoto and Seb both suffered punctures and fell down the leaderboard sadly.

Next up was SS3 Inabu / Shitara 1 – 19.38 km and Seb was fastest from Elfyn and Ott. The Frenchman gained eight positions and moved into tenth overall. Takamoto was also climbing the leaderboard moving into fifth overall.

The final morning stage SS3 Inabu / Shitara 1 – 19.38 km and Elfyn was fastest from Seb and Ott. There was drama for Thierry though as he started to lose time only setting the tenth best time in the stage. He was suffering with a lack of power and lost a huge amount of time but was still third overall.

After the tyre fitting zone it was back to SS5 Isegami’s Tunnel 2 – 23.67 km and Ott was fastest from Seb and Elfyn. The Estonian moved ahead of his former M-Sport teammate and into the lead. Meanwhile Thierry continued to lose time and fell down to eighth and was now over three minutes from the lead. Takamoto was now into third overall as well. There was huge drama for Andreas though as he crashed his i20 and blocked the stage. All the crews behind were given a notional time.

Onto SS6 Inabu / Shitara 2 – 19.38 km and Ott again was fastest from Seb and Elfyn. Seb was climbing the leaderboard with his quick times, now into fifth overall. Thierry continued to fall down the leaderboard, losing a further six positions and was now over five minutes behind the leader. At this stage he was around half a minute from tenth place.

Another stage win for Elfyn followed in SS7 Shinshiro 2 – 17.41 km and Ott and Seb were again second and third fastest. Thierry lost nearly two minutes on this one and was now over seven minutes behind the leader and now over a minute from the top ten. Further to the front of the field, Adrien moved past Takamoto and into third overall. The Frenchman decided to run the extra pod lights, and this meant that he could see the road much better.

The last two stages were just the short 2.54km Okazaki SSS and these stages are not really rallying to be honest.

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

Classification after Day One

1 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid 1:26:17.6
2 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +20.9
3 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +1:53.9
4 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +1:54.0
5 S. Ogier V. Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid +2:15.6
6 G. Munster L. Louka Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid +2:37.4
7 N. Gryazin K. Aleksandrov Citroën C3 +3:43.6
8 S. Pajari E. Mälkönen Toyota GR Yaris +4:57.1
9 J. McErlean J. Fulton Škoda Fabia RS +5:55.7
10 H. Arai S. Matsuo Škoda Fabia +5:57.4

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak

“It’s been a long day, but a solid effort. The car was not too difficult to drive this morning, but we had some understeer and couldn’t perform at the level we would have liked. However, after the tricky first stage of the afternoon, we managed to improve the balance on the higher grip tarmac, and I felt a lot better on those two stages. Let’s see what tomorrow brings and the conditions we will face – there has been rain here and there, and we have some new stages too.”

2024 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 12, Rally Japan
21-24 November 2024
Ott Tanak, Martin Jarveoja, Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Photographer: Dufour Fabien
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Thierry Neuville

“At the moment, we don’t know exactly what happened to cause our technical issue. Of course, we are disappointed, but it is what it is. There are two more days to come, and they have to be excellent now. It is a shame as we were lying in second position, comfortable in the car, and managing the risk with our speed – third would have been enough today, and that was our target, but in the end the problem occurred and there was nothing we could have done.”

Andreas Mikkelsen

“We were running with a hard tyre on the front right of the car when we came into a slippery section. There was a river of water running down on the right, which we caught and lost all grip, so we crashed. It’s very disappointing as we were trying to increase our speed in the afternoon, and our split times were looking promising, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t reach the finish. It’s not what we wanted from today, but hopefully the car will be fixed for tomorrow, with everything to drive for on Sunday.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“It was a demanding start this morning with a lot of grip changes. Some of them were difficult to read so we had a few slides here and there like probably everybody had. I think the tyre choice for the morning was pretty good – we took the benefit of our extra hard tyres later on – but it wasn’t such a straightforward choice for the afternoon. This time the grip was probably better than we expected and so our tyre choice maybe wasn’t perfect, but things did get better through the loop, and we finished it positively. It’s all still open for tomorrow. As a team we’re all still in the game and we’ll keep doing our best right until the end.”

Sébastien Ogier

“This first stage of the day here in Japan is always a very challenging one and not my luckiest one. For the second time in three years, we picked up a puncture in a similar section of the stage. I couldn’t really feel where it happened, so it was very disappointing and hard to take, but that’s the way it goes. We tried from the next stage to keep the focus, which is not easy in this situation, and at least we could recover some positions already. At the moment it’s not enough and we still need to get some more places for the team, but there are many stages still to go, anything can happen, and we keep fighting.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“This morning we did not have the start that we planned in the first stage, where we unfortunately had a tyre off the rim. That was very unfortunate and disappointing but luckily we didn’t lose too much time and could still come back to fourth overall at the end of the day, which is not so bad considering how it started this morning. I had to change my approach and drive a bit more on the safe side to gain positions when others had problems, but it worked out OK. There’s still a long way to go and many things have already happened, so we don’t give up. I just need to keep focused on doing my own job for the team and on my own driving.”

Summary

Well, what a first full day of action. Championship leaders Thierry and Martijn had a nightmare day, losing power and time hand over fist. Meanwhile their teammates Ott and Martin were holding the lead.

Let’s see what Saturday holds in store!

Rally Japan 2024 Preview – The title decider!

Well, here we go again and for the final time this year as well. Thierry and Martijn hold the lead over their teammates and 2019 world champions Ott and Martin. The Belgians hold a significant twenty-five-point advantage over their teammates though and it would take a big mistake from them to not take their first championship.

Meanwhile in the manufacturer standings the gap is much smaller with just fifteen points separating Hyundai and Toyota. We won’t know until the end of the powerstage on Sunday afternoon who has taken the manufacturers title.

Now then, who could win the rally this weekend? One crew that has to be considered, won the 2023 event – Welshman Elfyn and his English co-driver Scott. They have always had pace on dry and wet tarmac and have to be considered as, dare I say it, the favourites.

However, there are plenty of crews that will fight for victory and really it could be any of the regular crews.

Let’s take a look at the stages awaiting the crews.

Competitive action begins under the floodlights of SS1 Toyota Stadium (2.15km) on Thursday night.

Friday opens with the longest stage of the weekend, the notoriously narrow SS2/5 Isegami’s Tunnel (23.67km).

The brand-new SS10/13 Mt. Kasagi stage debuts on Saturday morning, opening the third day of competition.

Five stages close the 2024 FIA WRC season, with SS21 Lake Mikawako 2 acting as the weekend’s Power Stage.

Let’s hear from the drivers.

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville

“The target at Rally Japan is to bring home that drivers’ title and to support the team in the fight for the manufacturers’ championship as well. We have done a good job on that already throughout the season, but of course if there is any opportunity where we can support those efforts, then we will. In Japan, the weather and the roads make the biggest difference. They are super dirty when it’s cold, and the leaves on the road make grip very challenging. There are also some new stages, so altogether it’s going to be a very challenging event. We have no testing for Japan, so all of our information has been carried over from Central European Rally. We have plenty of the feedback from previous years here, so we can predict the starting set-up now before doing the fine tuning when we arrive in Japan.”

2023 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 13, Rally Japan
16-19 November 2023
Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
Photographer: Dufour Fabien
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Ott Tänak

“Rally Japan is another pretty challenging event, probably one of the most difficult we have done on tarmac. It’s definitely the slowest tarmac rally we have done this year; it’s very twisty, narrow, more or less slow everywhere. Normally the stages are never-ending, so together with surface changes and general challenges it’s a tricky event. Japan is crucial for all the championships, so we are definitely planning to do everything we can to give our best performance. With the situation we are in in the championships, we cannot afford to hold back. We know Toyota will go all in and the points difference is pretty small, so we definitely need to fight to keep our lead. All of us need to do their best job: will go into this in fighting mode with the plan to give it our best.”

Andreas Mikkelsen

“Rally Japan is an event that I did for the first-time last year. It was very enjoyable even though the conditions were very, very difficult, but it was a great challenge. The roads are very twisty and very technical, and at this time of the year the conditions are even more unpredictable. It’s quite different to all the other tarmac rallies that we compete at, the only rally that could be a bit similar is Corsica in terms of being very technical – but it contrasts greatly to Central European Rally. My goal for the weekend is to help us seal the manufacturers’ title. The most important aspect of this event will obviously be the fight with Toyota, so I am sure it will be tough fight them on their home ground – they have nothing to lose. It will be a very big battle, but I think we are all ready for it.”

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“We always receive a very warm welcome driving for Toyota in Japan. Of course, with that comes a lot of expectation to do well but it’s also something we can thrive off. We still have something to fight for in the manufacturers’ championship, and even if it is a difficult task ahead of us, we want to give it our all and give ourselves the best chance. To repeat our result from last year will definitely be the aim: it was a pretty difficult event with a lot of rain and a lot of leaves on the road, and conditions could be similar again. Even if it’s dry, the roads are more technical and twisty than Corsica, which was famous for the number of corners, so it’s a very demanding and busy event both with the pacenotes and with the steering wheel.”

Sébastien Ogier

“It’s always exciting to go to Rally Japan, and especially this year given we are still in a fight to try and secure the manufacturers’ title. We know that we are not in the ideal position, and we need a close-to-perfect weekend for the team, but it’s definitely not out of reach. Our performance recently has been good and on my side, we want to turn around our fortunes and transform that speed into a good result. The stages in the forests in Japan can be very difficult and conditions are always a big question mark, especially as the event takes place one week later this year. Of course, as Toyota drivers we always feel such strong support which is very nice, and we will try to bring home the result that all the fans are hoping for.”

Takamoto Katsuta

“I am really looking forward to Rally Japan. Of course, I always feel a different kind of pressure at my home rally, but it’s a nice kind of pressure: I am really excited to drive in front of my family, my friends and all the fans. Last year, I felt really good in the car and the weekend went well except for one mistake. This year, I want to try and make a good result happen. I think the most important thing will be to assess the situation and the conditions and try to use my performance when I feel confident, a bit like I did on the Central European Rally. It will be challenging but I don’t really mind whether it’s wet or it’s dry: I will do my best and hope I can perform well.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux

“Japan is the last rally of the season, we want to finish the great season we’ve had with a nice result, especially on Tarmac. There are some really tricky, technical roads here and it is quite narrow in places, and the forests can be quite dark this time of year.

“Because it’s a long-haul event, no one has done any testing in preparation, so it’s going to be interesting to see where we can be compared to the others. I’m also looking forward to experiencing the culture again, we didn’t get the result we wanted last time so hopefully this year we can combine success with a great experience of the country.”

Grégoire Munster

“Japan is a rally I like a lot; I have been quite competitive here in the Rally2 category in the last couple of years. Plus, it is really nice to come to Japan and enjoy another culture. I always notice the love of motorsport and rally here is as big, or even bigger, than in Europe so it’s nice to experience the atmosphere. There are a lot of nice ceremonies, especially the prize giving in the stadium, where a lot of fans gather which is really cool.

“Regarding the stages, there are some new stages on the itinerary this year which will be exciting, and the weather conditions are always challenging in Japan during this season. So, anything can happen!”

 

Summary

We will have a new world champion on Sunday and the first to not be driving a Toyota since Seb Ogier won his sixth title when at M-Sport Ford in 2018. Whether it is Ott and Martin celebrating or Thierry and Martijn it will be an exciting end to the season.

Enjoy!!

MotoGP: Jorge Martin is the 2024 World Champion

It may have been the most boring race of the season, but #TheRematch has delivered an emotional, stressful and ultimately hugely enjoyable final weekend of the 2024 MotoGP season.

For the first time in MotoGP’s history, a satellite rider has won the championship. Jorge Martin only needed a 9th place finish today to seal the title but he took a comfortable podium to round out his season in style.

He started 4th on the grid, kept his nose clean at the start and spent the rest of the race in 3rd. Whilst there were battles further behind him, Martin had a lonely race and only needed to keep the bike upright to take the championship. He crossed the line in tears and quickly retreated to the celebration area where he appeared in his new Martinator leathers.

It was a difficult day for peerless Pecco Bagnaia. There was nothing more the Italian could have done this weekend – he took pole and a sprint win on Saturday before leading every single lap of the feature race today. Ultimately, it was mistakes earlier in the season that left him stuck with 2nd in the championship.

Despite the close title race, it was Marc Marquez who was Bagnaia’s closest rival today. He has had a very difficult weekend and has himself said that he was struggling with the track surface and challenges that the Barcelona circuit throws up. But he was able to stay close on the tail of his future team mate, and was typically within 1 second of Bagnaia for the entire race today.

Image Credit: MotoGP on X

Behind the podium finishers, there was a hot battle for “best of the race” in today’s race. Firstly, we had Alex Marquez and Aleix Espargaro battling hard for 4th place. It was Marquez who came out on top, rounding out a fantastic weekend of blistering form for him.

Just behind them was another battle between Brad Binder, Franco Morbidelli and Pedro Acosta. As Acosta dropped back towards the end of the race, Marco Bezzecchi was also drawn into the battle. After plenty of dicing and lots of on-track fun, this group finished the day with Binder in 6th, Enea Bastianini in 7th and Morbidelli in 8th. Bezzecchi and Acosta then rounded out the top 10, in 9th and 10th respectively.

It was a tricky day for Bastianini – he started the day in battle with Aleix Espargaro for 4th, but drifted back as the race progressed.
Espargaro is an incredibly close friend of Jorge Martin and he spent his last MotoGP race clearly acting as his ally out on track today. Firstly, he was fending off Bastianini and then Alex Marquez.

Our only non-finishing rider today was Joan Mir who ended the day in the same way he has most races this weekend – in the gravel. He will be eager to put 2024 behind him and start fresh when testing kicks off later this week.

TOP TEN
Image Credit: MotoGP on X
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Image Credit: MotoGP on X
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025

Believe it or not, the paddock is already making plans for the 2025 season – we will give Jorge Martin some time to celebrate his title but testing begins bright and early on Tuesday morning.

This will be our first time to see riders on their new machines. Martin will take his #1 plate to Aprilia, Marc Marquez will be on the factory Ducati and our new rookies, Ai Ogura, Fermin Aldeguer and Somkiat Chantra, will also be on their new premier class machines.

Crew On Two will have all the updates for you so stay tuned.

See you in 2025!

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP on X

MotoGP: Bagnaia Wins Barcelona Sprint – #TheRematch Goes To Sunday! 

Pecco Bagnaia has mastered the tricky conditions in Barcelona today, taking a brilliant sprint race win to keep his championship hopes alive. He was joined on the podium by his teammate, Enea Bastianini, and championship leader, Jorge Martin. 

MotoGP has called this weekend the “rematch” weekend and it’s certainly shaping up to a dramatic end to a dramatic season. Coming into this weekend, Jorge Martin was leading the championship by 24 points – comfortable, but by no means done and dusted for the Spaniard. That meant that Martin just needed to win today’s sprint race in order to seal the title. 

However, it was his closest rival who took the victory today. Pecco Bagnaia took a dominant and convincing win, with no one able to come close to him at all in the race. He was totally at one with his machine all day today, taking pole position and then leading for most of the race. 

Image Credit: MotoGP on X

His Ducati teammate, Enea Bastianini, came home in 2nd. He had an amazing start, leaping from 8th to 1st in just one corner. He then had an 8-lap long battle with Martin for 2nd place, before drifting back in the pack during the middle of the race. In typical Bastianini fashion, he came back strong in the latter stages of the race and enjoyed another nail-biting battle with Martin before finally taking 2nd. The Ducati team were elated with a 1-2 finish today. 

Martin has been struggling all weekend, complaining about rear grip and a lack of confidence in the front of the bike. He was therefore thrilled to take 3rd place, despite not being able to win the title today.

Aleix Espargaro, on his final weekend as a MotoGP rider, finished in 4th. He enjoyed a brilliant qualifying session earlier today, stating that this track is his “favourite”, which saw him start on the front row of the grid. 

Alex Marquez finished in 5th – a brilliant result for him after a weekend of equally brilliant form. The top ten was then rounded out by Franco Morbidelli, Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Brad Binder and Fabio Quartararo in 6th to 10th respectively. 

There was just one retirement in the race today – our only rookie, Pedro Acosta, made contact with Marc Marquez on lap 1 which saw the front fairing of his GASGAS Tech3 bike ripped off. He sadly wasn’t able to continue on his “naked” bike and soon retired to the pits. 

Top 10
Image Credit: MotoGP on X
Championship Standings
Image Credit: MotoGP on X

 

Feature Image Credit: Pecco Bagnaia on X

David Alonso Claims Stunning 6th Consecutive Victory at Sepang

It seems now that writing ‘David Alonso wins…’ is getting slightly repetitive, but that is the reality of what this phenomenal young talent is accomplishing. Alonso claimed his 13th win of the season and 6th consecutive victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, mirroring some of the great feats achieved by Marc Marquez. Though this triumph would call for huge celebrations, the podium was a solemn one, dedicated to Valencia following the recent floods.

The CFMoto Gaviota Aspar team, based in Valencia, celebrated their new world champion as he triumphed at Sepang, donating his win bonus to the team’s GoFundMe to aid the region impacted by the disaster.

On race day, Alonso started third on the grid at the Sepang circuit. He dropped back to eleventh on lap three after avoiding Daniel Holgado, who fell off his bike, but quickly set to work moving up the field, where he soon found himself back in the leading group.

While in third, Alonso closed the gap to front-runners Joel Kelso and Taiyo Furusato, claiming second with seven laps remaining. Once in the lead, Alonso proved unstoppable, even recovering from a wide run that saw him clip the kerb.

In a standout performance, Honda Team Asia’s Taiyo Furusato, who started 17th, surged through the field, reaching the top ten within a lap. From there, the Japanese rider pressed on, eventually leading the race but narrowly missed the win by just 0.088 seconds.

Ortola, who had a strong start, ultimately finished fourth for MT Helmets.

Jose Antonio Rueda, who started tenth on the grid, also delivered a strong performance. He charged up to third on the penultimate lap, overtaking Ivan Ortola at the start of the final lap to claim the final podium spot for Red Bull KTM Ajo.

 

Featured image courtesy of Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

ABB FIA Formula E Season 11: Everything You Need to Know Before Season 11 Pre Season Testing Begins

Formula E returns next week for Pre Season Testing in Valencia so here is everything you need to know before the first session of Season 11 begins! 

Gen 3 Evo Specifications

The ABB FIA Formula E Gen3-Evo car is an evolution from the Gen-3 car, first being raced in Season 9. Many major evolution changes have taken place, presumably to be taken up for Gen-4 as well.

    • All Wheel Drive (AWD): One major change is the use of all wheel drive for these electric cars. This will be useable in qualifying, the duels and the race for active attack mode. This will supply more active overtakes and some tactical strategy. 
    • Faster acceleration: The Gen-3 Evo is estimated to be the fastest FIA single seater car in terms of acceleration, going from 0-60 in 1.82 seconds, 30% faster than the current Formula 1 car.
    • More Grip: The new specified Hancook tyres will supply the drivers will more grip and made from more recycled parts. This will increase to 10% compared to the 9% from Gen-3.
    • New body: The Gen-3 Evo will have a sleeker body in comparison to the Gen-3 car.

 

Visual Car Changes

As shown on the images above, the Gen3 Evo (left) has seen the majority of its bodywork similar to Gen3 (right). The most obvious changes are:

  • More bodywork on the front wing to stop the endplates detaching. 
  • Gen3 Evo has more of a sleek and smooth design in comparison to Gen3 to improve aerodynamics.
  • The mirrors are bigger to allow more of a viewpoint for the drivers.

Season 11 Calendar

The calendar for ABB FIA Formula E Season 11 has some quite big changes, some classics remain, others are gone, venues have been changed and others have been added. Lets have a look!

 

Round Number E-Prix Date Previous Race Winner
Round 0 Pre Season testing at Valencia 4th-7th November N/A
Round 1 Sao Paulo E-Prix 6th December 2024 Sam Bird
Round 2 Mexico City E-Prix 11th January 2025 Pascal Wehrlein
Round 3 Jeddah E-Prix 14th February 2025 N/A
Round 4 Jeddah E-Prix 15th February 2025 N/A
Round 5 Miami E-Prix 12th April 2025 N/A
Round 6 Monaco E-Prix 3rd May 2025 Mitch Evans
Round 7 Monaco E-Prix 4th May 2025 Mitch Evans
Round 8 Tokyo E-Prix 17th May 2025 Maximilian Guenther
Round 9 Tokyo E-Prix 18th May 2025 Maximilian Guenther
Round 10 Shanghai E-Prix 31st May 2025 Mitch Evans
Round 11 Shanghai E-Prix 1st June 2025 Mitch Evans
Round 12 Jakarta E-Prix 21st June 2025 Maximilian Guenther
Round 13 Berlin E-Prix 12th July 2025 Antonio Felix Da Costa
Round 14 Berlin E-Prix 13th July 2025 Antonio Felix Da Costa
Round 15 London E-Prix 26th July 2025 Oliver Rowland
Round 16 London E-Prix 27th July 2025 Oliver Rowland

Overall, the calendar is generally similar to Season 10, however there are some pretty major changes:

  • The first round will happen last THIS year, in comparison to starting in Mexico City in January in previous years. 
  • There are a few more double headers, including the iconic Monaco E-Prix. 
  • Diriyah has been removed with the Jeddah Cornic circuit replacing the street track. It is understood that it will be a shorter version for Formula E in comparison to the layout Formula 1 and Formula 2 races at.
  • There is a “TBC” slot for round 5, rumoured to be related to an E-Prix in Thailand.
  • We are NOT returning to Portland, a first for this era for gen-3 and instead we head to Miami. 
  • The Berlin E-Prix double header has been moved to July but there will still be a clash with the World Endurance Championship. 

Driver Lineup for Season 11

Formula E is no stranger to crazy driver silly seasons, as Season 10 saw champions returning, drivers retained and other drivers let go. However, with Season 11, there are some changes which I did not expect to see. Lets see who is remaining, shall we?

Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team: Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa.

This one is a half-surprise, half-not a surprise. Throughout the start of Season 10, Season 7 champion Da Costa really struggled to be up to pace with teammate eventual champion Wehrlein. However, he pulled off what can only be described as a comeback of the greats as he managed 4 wins over 3 races in the latter half of the season. This managed to save his seat at the German team despite rumours of a certain Abt Cupra driver being poised to hop in. That plan has, for now, been placed on the backburner. 

Season 10 champion Pascal Wehrlein staying at Porsche is no surprise, however, due to his sheer determination to snatch the title from the 2 Kiwi’s of Cassidy and Evans going into the double header in London. The pairing is a strong one in which Porsche will hope to repeat their success from last year.

Jaguar TCS Racing: Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans

This is not a big shock as both Cassidy and Evans were on par for the vast majority of the season. Luck had its advantages and disadvantages for both drivers throughout the entire season as well as some driver errors, most noteably the error Cassidy made on the penultimate lap in Portland which cost him the championship and Evans wasn’t able to capitalise as much as he potentially should have when Cassidy failed to reach the top step or even the podium. Still, Jaguar are using a tried and tested method of stability within their team which will hopefully pay dividends.

Envision Racing: Sebastian Buemi and Robin Frijns.

This driver lineup is…a bit of a shock. Buemi and Frijns both had decent seasons with podiums for both drivers but due to the clashes with the World Endurance Championship (WEC), changes were expected from the Jaguar customer team. Nevertheless, a strong lineup with a lot of experience but with many younger drivers joining this grid and others in seperate series’ like Paul Aron who raced for Envision last year in Berlin in Formula 2 and even Victor Martins, this duo could be under pressure to deliver.

Mahindra Racing: Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara.

This duo was not too much of a surprise either. De Vries struggled after his stint in Formula One with Alpha Tauri which wasn’t exactly what everyone wanted to see. Nyck did the one thing he could do: get back up! He got a deal to return to Formula E with Mahindra and he found his grove at the end of the season, with a sensational P4 finish in Shanghai! Him and Mortara could be the future of Mahindra. both have the experience to do well.

DS Penske: Jean-Eric Vergne and Maximilian Guenther: 

While one stays at DS-Penske, one shall leave. The one replacing the Season 8 champion is the driver who did an insane job in the CUSTOMER team of Maserati MSG Racing: Maximilian Guenther! Yes, Guenther gets the promotion to the Stallantes main team for the GEN3-Evo debut! Vergne will remain at the gold and black coloured schemed American manufacturer team but he will be hoping new boy Guenther doesn’t overthrow him.

Neom McLaren Formula E Team: Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard. 

McLaren will enter Season 11 as a race winner and from the minute the lights go out in Sao Paulo, the pressure will be on for Sam Bird to replicate his win in the Brazilian capital. Beside him will be a Briton, but it won’t be Jake Hughes. Instead will be Sam Bird’s replacement when he had to miss Monaco and Berlin last year: Taylor Barnard. After a debut season in Formula 2 with a debut win at Monaco in the sprint race, McLaren saw enough in the 19 year old to send him up and allow Jake Hughes to set sail. 

Maserati MSG Racing: Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne:

 The Monaco based team will have an entirely new lineup in Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne. It looked like both drivers wanted a fresh chapter and a new challenge with them leaving their former teams, both are proven winners and it will be interesting to see if they can finally gift Maserati some success.

Andretti Formula E: Jake Dennis and Nico Mueller:

When 1 stays, 1 goes. After 1 season at Andretti, Norman Nato departs for another team (more on that soon) but in his place is the underdog of Season 10; Nico Mueller. Nico comprehensively beat his experienced teammate of Lucas Di Grassi at Abt Cupra and earned a promotion up to the customer team of Porsche. As the former world champion of Jake Dennis remains at Andretti, Season 11 could be a big test for both drivers.

Nissan Formula E Team: Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland: 

As previously revealed, Norman Nato moved to another team, well that team is the same team that let him go after Season 9. Nato returns and replaces Sacha Fenestraz after the Argentinian driver underdelivered in his 2nd season in Formula E in comparison to his teammate who won many races and podiums. Oliver and Norman will both be wanting to make a mark on each other in Gen3 EVO. 

Lola Yamaha Abt: Lucas Di Grassi and Zane Maloney:

While not unexpected, Di Grassi remains at Abt to help them transition into Lola Yamaha Abt. Besides Di Grassi is a driver who set the 2024 season of Formula 2 alight at the beginning of the new regulations: Zane Maloney. The Boy from Barbados joins the team as a rookie after doing sessions with Andretti. This will be an important season for both Lola and Maloney as they both embark on a new motorsport journey.

Kiro Race Co: TBC and TBC

Don’t worry, TBC aren’t the 2 new driver names but ERT has transitioned into Kiro Race Co. after new investors were brought in. In another massive bombshell, the team is no longer and manufacturer as they now run older Porsche powertrains which have been modified for Gen 3 Evo. Both drivers have not been confirmed yet but rumours suggest Dan Ticktum will remain at the team while the pre season testing at Valencia will be seen as an audition for David Beckmann.  

Season 11 Liveries

As with a new season, cars have been launched! While not every team has announced their Season 11 liveries, here are some which have been announced! Jaguar’s Livery is for pre season testing only.

 
 
 

Women’s Pre Season Test Details

Announced a few weeks ago, Formula E will be running a fully woman’s test in Valencia. This is a big step forward for equality in the sport as well as gathering more feedback. The test will take place on November 7th in Valencia.

Driver lineups: 

Andretti Formula E: Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti

Both of these drivers are currently in F1 Academy, with Marti in her second and final year and Chambers confirmed to be continuing in 2025 as well as joining the Red Bull family after being supported by Haas in her rookie season. Both have scored one win with Marti in Le Castelle in 2023 and Chambers in Barcelona. 

Neom McLaren Formula E Team: Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd 

Bustamante is supported by McLaren in her second and final year of the F1 Academy series with multiple podiums and race wins behind her name. Ella Lloyd, however, was a wild card at a previous event and managed to impress a lot of people. She impressed McLaren with her talent so much that she joined their academy and will take over the keys when Bustamante leaves F1 Academy after this year to continue on the papaya colours. 

Envision Racing: Alisha Palmowski and Alice Powell

Palmowski has won many events in the past including being vice champion in GB4 in 2024 with 3 wins and 11 podiums. She has also made it through to the final 10 of the Autosport Young Driver Award. Powell has participated in W-Series prior to its administration in 2022. She won races in the series against a few drivers on this list and is now coaching F1 Academy standings leader Abbi Pulling. 

Maserati MSG Racing: Tatiana Calderon and Carrier Schreiner: 

The 2 ladies participating under the Monegasque team have a lot of experience. Calderon has participated in Formula 2, Super Formula, World Endurance Championship in LMP2 class and Indycar. Schreiner is currently racing in F1 Academy with Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber supporting her. 

Tag Heur Porsche Formula E Team: Marta Garcia and Gabriela Jilkova. 

Garcia is the reigning F1 Academy champion after competing in the series’ debut season with Prema Racing. She has raced in FRECA this season. Jilkova is a simulator and development driver for the German team with 43 laps being completed last year. 

Nissan Formula E Team: Abbi Pulling and Sophia Floesch: 

Pulling currently leads the F1 Academy standings as they enter the final 2 rounds at Qatar and Abu Dhabi in November and December. She is racing under the Alpine colours. Floesch is also in the Alpine family with her finishing another Formula 3 season. 

DS Penske: Jess Edgar and Beitski Visser

Edgar made her single seater debut in 2022 with GB4, picking up 1 podium in round 2. She made the jump to F1 Academy last year with her picking up 1 victory last year at Circuit Of The Americas. She is currently racing in F1 Academy again for her final year. Visser has competed in Formula 4, Formula 3.5 and W Series with many points being picked up. 

Lola Yamaha Abt: Miki Koyama

Koyama became the first female to win in a FIA Championship in Formula Regional Japanese Championship in 2022. She is also currently a Toyota Gazoo Racing development driver with competing in W-Series from 2019 to 2021. Lola Yamaha Abt have not yet announced a second female driver for this session.

Jaguar, Mahindra and Kiro Race Co have not announced either drivers yet. 

 

Costcap Breaches

Recently, it was announced that 2 teams broke the cost cap for the first year of Gen3: Jaguar and Nissan. Both teams were fined €100,000 and €300,000 respectfully. As a result of this, both teams will miss the first half day of testing. 

These have been described as a “Minor Breach” according to Formula E and the FIA with the breaches being in the region of “procedural and minor overspending”. 

Both teams have issued statements. 

Nissan describing the outcome and the result  as “…exclusively related to the process of interpretation and adaptation of the new financial regulations at a time when the team was also facing specific challenges…”

Jaguar said that “we believe that had we filed correctly we would have been fully compliant with the teams’ cost cap and the minor overspend breach would not have occurred”. 

Both statements are from the Formula E article announcing these breaches. 

Make sure to follow us on X here in order to stay up to date with all Formula E news! Let’s make this new season a good one! 

Moto2: Your Moto2 World Champion! Ai Ogura!

Image Credit: @MthelmetsMSi on X

After not finishing lower than 4th place in the last 5 races, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) was not letting anyone else take the title away from him this season!

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) did all he could and took a great win today but was unable to stop Ogura from taking the Moto2 crown! In a frantic battle stopped by the rain, Canet finished on the top step to Ogura in 2nd and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) in 3rd.

AS IT HAPPENED

It was a great start from pole position for Ogura who lead the field through turn 1. The lead though was cut short as Canet late on the brakes, went up the inside of Ogura into turn 2. Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) dove far too deep up the inside of Canet at turn 4, and opened the door for Ogura to retake the lead of the race.

Turn 5 and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) from nowhere wiped out Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), both riders ok as the crazy first lap continued. Into the last corner and Ogura went from 2nd to 7th as Ramirez went by into turn 12 as Moreira and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) both barged their way by Ogura.

Moto2 looked like a Moto3 race as everyone across the field diced and fought for positions. Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) went from 16th to 6th place after the 1st lap. Binder would later crash out of the race on lap 8 after such an heroic start.

Third race distance completed and Ogura barged Binder wide with 16 laps to go. Canet still lead at the front from Ramirez in 2nd with a 1 second gap to Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) in 3rd. Moreira and Dixon swapped places as Ogura patiently waited to pounce and pounced he did to get by Dixon up into 4th place.

Approaching half race distance, Ogura finally moved back into the podium places going by the Brazilian Moreira up into 3rd. At this point from the back of the grid to 11th, Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) was having a great race. Also, Dixon’s teammate and once Moto3 champion Izan Guevara was up into 5th.

With 10 laps to go, Ogura was world champion if it stayed as it was riding in 3rd place. Setting the fastest lap of the race, it was only a matter of time before Ogura went by and passed Ramirez into 2nd.

 

Into the final 3rd of the race and Canet was holding station at the front as Ogura continued to push to try and take victory in Buriram. Rain drops began to fall as local hero in the tiger livery Somkiat Chantra, was all over the back of Guevara fighting for 5th.

5 laps to go and Canet set his fastest lap of the race with Ramirez closing in on Ogura. Chantra overtook Guevara into the final corner as the crowd roared on the home hero. Chantra now up to 5th place and hunted down Moreira in 4th.

The rain flags waved to the inevitable red flag that followed. The race was stopped to the delight of the MT Helmets – MSI team. Canet was superb throughout the race but unable to stop Ogura’s surge to the title this season.

Ai Ogura, the first ever Asia Talent Cup rider world champion and a huge inspiration to all those young riders coming through in the Asia Talent Cup.

On a personal note, I was at Valencia in ’22 when it went down to the wire between Ogura and Augusto Fernandez a couple of seasons ago. Ogura crashed out in front of me on that Sunday and I watched his dreams shatter on that day.

To see Ogura come back in the fashion he has after the injuries he’s suffered is superb! I was buzzing to see him win this season in Barcelona and also in Misano. I wish Ai Ogura every success next season as he moves up to MotoGP.

Race Classification

Image Credit: MotoGP
Image Credit: MotoGP

Championship Standings

Image Credit: MotoGP
Image Credit: MotoGP

Moto3 Thai GP: David Alonso Makes History with 12th Win, Surpassing Valentino Rossi’s Record

David Alonso delivered yet another calculated and precise performance to take the top spot for the twelfth time this season, officially breaking Valentino Rossi’s 1997 record of 11 wins in a single season in the same class. Alonso’s remarkable achievement solidifies his dominance in Moto3 with the Aspar team, where the high standards he’s set mean that any race without a victory feels almost disappointing.

Following earlier rain, race officials declared the race as wet and shortened the distance from 19 laps to 12.

The race began in damp conditions, with the Top 5 holding their positions off the start. Early on, light rain brought the threat of a full wet race, but the rain quickly subsided, allowing the riders to push forward under the same damp but stable conditions.

Alonso initially took control on Lap 3 after having started fifth, however he soon had to contend with the Honda Team Asia rider Taiyo Furusato, who took the lead for a few laps before Alonso once again reclaimed his position at the front.

Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI), who started from ninth on the grid carved through the field to reach second place with just two laps remaining, where he appeared ready to challenge Alonso’s lead in the final moments.

In classic Moto 3 fashion, chaos ensued in the final corner of the final lap. Ortola, in a bid to close the gap, nearly collided with Alonso, creating a huge moment which cost Ortola second place and allowed Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Furusato and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna), to come through.

Ortola ultimately finished 4th.

Sadly for Furusato, in the exit of that final corner, running in third, he collided with Collin Veijer on the exit, who had dived inside to capitalize on a move made by Luca Lunetta (who started tenth and fought his way to the front) on Furusato to take second place. Furusato was thrown off, sliding down the straight beside his bike. Luckily after the race his position was reinstated to 5th place, as both he and his bike crossed the finish line.

Disaster for Leopard Racing as teammates Angel Piqueras and Adrian Fernandez collided on Lap 11, with Piqueras attempting an aggressive pass that ended in both riders being taken out of the race.

In yet another thrilling Moto3 race, David Alonso’s performance shone as he cemented his place in the record books with his twelfth win of the season, surpassing a 26 year-old milestone and setting a new standard for Moto3 excellence.

Featured image courtesy of Intact GP

Mexico Grand Prix Qualifying – Brilliant Sainz takes a dominant pole position for Ferrari

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start from pole for tomorrow’s Mexican Grand Prix.

The Spaniard took his first pole position since Singapore last year with an excellent pair of laps in the third qualifying session.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start second ahead of championship rival Lando Norris, with Charles Leclerc a slightly disappointing fourth after a mistake cost him and Ferrari a chance of a front row lockout.

In the last week Ferrari have proven themselves to be spoilers for the two main championship protagonists, with a 1-2 last week headed by Leclerc in Austin  ahead of Verstappen and Norris.

Norris is 57 points behind but couldn’t have picked a better placed to start third from, with a 730 metre run to the first corner sure to offer the chance of a tow away from the grid.

The first qualifying session brought about two huge shocks in a frenetic and fast paced opening 18 minutes.

Home hero Sergio Perez was knocked out and will start 18th in the Red Bull, while Oscar Piastri ended his run of Q3 appearances that stretched back the entirety of 2024 to line up 17th.

That result is likely to damage Perez more than Piastri, whose error strewn session was much more of an anomaly for the man who was quickest in final practice versus the Mexican, who has been struggling all weekend.

They were joined by the less surprising trio of Franco Colapinto in 16th, Esteban Ocon in 19th and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu in 20th.

The second qualifying session was ended ten seconds early as the RB of Yuki Tsunoda, who was on a lap destined to reach the top ten, crashed out at Turn 12 to leave himself stranded in 11th ahead of teammate Liam Lawson.

The two Aston Martins will share Row 7 with Fernando Alonso, on his 400th Grand Prix weekend, starting 13th and Lance Stroll edging Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas out for 14th.

Ferrari had looked like they were going to battle for the second row heading into Q3 with Norris and Verstappen having been the class of the field, but finally got their act together as Sainz set an early benchmark of 1:16.055.

That lap would have been enough for pole on its own, but he went again to dip below the 1:16s to clock 1:15.946 – a quarter of a second clear of the field.

Leclerc’s wobble in the second sector was compounded by another error at the final corner when the Monegasque was looking at second on the grid, but Ferrari will be satisfied nonetheless.

The Scuderia have designs on the Constructors’ Championship even still, being eight points behind Red Bull and 48 behind leaders McLaren with five races to go.

Elsewhere in the third session, George Russell beat Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to fifth in the final session, while Haas’ impressive form continued with seventh for Kevin Magnussen and an unfortunate tenth for Nico Hulkenberg.

They sandwiched Pierre Gasly’s resurgent Alpine and Alex Albon’s Williams in eighth and ninth,

Ferrari dominate the USGP while the championship hots up.

Ferrari dominated the race after an excellent start from Leclerc, which put him in the prime spot to pick up the pieces of the turn 1 battle for the lead. 

After an interesting sprint race, qualifying had a dramatic end. Russell collided with the barrier, preventing Verstappen and most of the runners from completing their final laps. This meant Norris started on pole with a great lap, but Russell started from the pitlane after a full repair, with his teammate only in P17.

The race start. Courtesy of RedBull content pool

Norris is becoming infamous for his starts. Despite making progress in the sprint, he went backwards at turn 1. Verstappen lunged down the inside, but while pushing both of them wide, Leclerc slipped straight through into the lead, with his teammate having to settle for P3. 

There was drama in the middle of the pack with Ocon spinning round, ending up last of the runners, while Lawson was following Hamilton, who made up 5 places in the first few corners. 

The battle at the front carried on as Sainz had speed in the car closing on Verstappen at the end of the main straight, leading to a very entertaining six-corner battle with the RedBull coming out on top. However, just as Sainz was looking for his next move, the safety car came out for a stranded Hamilton at turn 19.

With 4 laps of the safety car complete, at the restart, Leclerc had Verstappen with him all the way and struggled to create a gap. There were no major moves, but Lawson continued to make progress, gaining a place into P12.

The back of the pack provided plenty of overtakes for the first half of the race. They were fighting it out after the safety car, with Stroll taking a short trip into the gravel, Russell gaining places, and Albon very tight on Ocon, but Stroll came back looking to go around the outside of both of them. 

Russell hunting down Bottas. Image courtesy of Stake F1 Team

Lap 13 and Russell makes a move on Bottas into P14 in what appeared to be a good move, but the Mercedes received a 5-second penalty for the move. While Lawson continues to give RedBull something to think about as he was only one place behind Perez who has been in P9 since the restart. 

Having been behind Tsunoda for 10 laps, Perez finally makes it past the RB which now had dead tyres. Hulkenberg also tried to get past the RB with a battle from turn 12 to 16 consisting of very close but great racing. Just as Hulkenberg had to back out and get ready for the next attack, Tsunoda pitted.

As the pitstop window opened on lap 20, Ferrari looked to try an undercut on Verstappen with Sainz in P3. He pitted on lap 22 in an attempt to undercut Verstappen. RedBull decided to leave Verstappen out for 4 laps while Sainz and the McLarens caught the front runners. The undercut was successful for the Ferrari with a 4-second gap while Leclerc reacted to Verstappen’s stop from the lead. He came out behind the two McLarens but crucially in front of his teammate and Verstappen.

Meanwhile, Albon continued to have a great race as he battled Alonso with Gasly was in the best seat in the house to watch just behind them. Alonso held off an initial onslaught from the Williams, who took too much out of his tyres. Gasly was able to make a move but had to take to the outside of turn 12 to complete the pass. This means he received a 5-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

At 31 laps, the US GP became a battle of strategies, with the McLarens yet to pit, Leclerc and Verstappen having pitted only 4 laps before and on a one-stop while Sainz appeared to be on a two-stop. 

After the McLaren stops, Norris was able to work well on the hard tyres. Gaining fastest lap after fastest lap and taking a second out on Verstappen on a few of those. Verstappen was also not happy on the hard tyres and struggled for grip. This hunt was on. 

Colapinto taking on the track. Image courtesy of Pirelli

Magnussen received a very urgent pitstop request from his team, but after a change of tyres came back out. Colopinto, who was having a great race, pitted one lap later and came out just ahead of the Haas. This led to a very exciting battle between two drives who both have nothing to lose. 

While they were getting close, Tsunoda took a quick spin at turn 1. Colopinto locked up but missed the RB and stayed ahead of Magnussen. Tsunoda was able to get going again.

At the front, Norris had closed the gap on Verstappen and was within the DRS zone of the RedBull on lap 44. All eyes were pinned to to these drivers as a podium place and vital championship points were at stake. Norris calculated the move and waited until the right moment on lap 47 after Verstappen locked up.

What ensued was a battle from turn 12 to turn 16 where there was close racing but both were sensible. Verstappen forced Norris around the outside of turn 12 which meant the RedBull could stay ahead through the next set of corners. Undeterred, Norris regrouped and tried again at turn 1 a couple of laps later, but Verstappen was placing his car in all the right places. 

Lap 52 and Norris was much closer on the exit of turn 11 and Verstappen had worse traction. Verstappen forced Norris around the outside and ended up off the track. The stewards immediately began to look at it and the radio messages began between the drivers and the pitwall. On the final lap, Norris received a 5-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. 

Drama between Norris and Verstappen. Image courtesy of RedBull content pool

While that drama unfolded, Leclerc and Ferrari were dominating out front, coming home with a 1-2 and now only 4 points behind RedBull in the constructors for P2. They drove a great race and Leclerc put in a lovely drive to stay ahead. 

Verstappen did finish in P3 with Norris having to settle for P4. With one extra lap, he may have been able to get ahead of the penalty, as he finished 0.9s ahead of the RedBull. However, a shoutout to Colopinto who did get a fastest lap during the race and a point for the team. Lawson also came back in P9 on his first outing back in the RB.

The championship is getting spicy, with RedBull now having to watch for Ferrari in the constructors championship, or they may end up third. Only 6 days until Mexico, can Perez make an impact at his home race?

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