ThePitcrewOnline

14th February 20173rd July 2017

TeamByTeam WSBK Preview: Pata Yamaha

After a four-year hiatus from the World Superbike paddock, Yamaha returned last season with the all new Yamaha YZF-R1. However, it wasn’t quite the spectacle we all expected it to be, with a lot of midfield results, injuries and crashes for both riders. Now, having had a year under their belt, the Crescent Yamaha squad will look to fight for the top positions in the championship and take their first win on their return to the series.

The bike came into the 2016 season with much promise and potential. Carmelo Morales made it look like a real weapon in the Spanish CEV Superbike Championship and Josh Brookes stormed off with the British Superbike championship in 2015. The MotoAmerica pairing of Beaubier and Hayes showcased the Yamaha’s talents but sadly that couldn’t be transformed on to the world stage. A third place in the penultimate race of the year in Qatar for the BSB bound Sylvain Guintoli was all that could be considered good for the team in 2016. Eight DNFs in 2016 mean that Alex Lowes’ 4th year with the Crescent team is a vital one in which he must take wins and podiums and challenge for a top four placing.

Michael Van Der Mark made the dramatic switch from rivals Honda and joined Yamaha as he spearheads the 2017 team. Three podiums from the first four races and strong races at Assen led to Van Der Mark becoming hot property in 2016. Yet to take that elusive first victory, he is hoping that he can bring the glory days back to Yamaha. Magic Michael took a pole position last season as well as six podiums throughout his 2016 campaign and could be a title threat if he gels initially with the bike. The star of World Superbikes is definitely one to watch as he and the Yamaha get quicker lap by lap.

Alex Lowes joins the Dutchman in a champion line up at Yamaha. Despite a poor season in 2016, where he languished in 12th in the standings, Lowes retained his position at Paul Denning’s squad. The 2013 BSB champion had a year of acclimatisation with the Yamaha last season, and stronger results towards the end of the season suggest that the Lincolnshireman could start off the upcoming season as he means to go on. A title threat may be a little too far, but nothing is in the way of podiums and wins for Lowes, who will set out to silence his critics and prove his worth.

Circuits for the Yamaha are all fairly good, although Losail seems to be a happy hunting ground for the team. Yamaha haven’t won at the first meeting of the season since Ben Spies won race two in 2009 and that is a record that quite simply needs to be put right. A track where luck will hopefully be on the team’s side is Imola, after Sylvain Guintoli’s complex foot injury of last season. Sepang was a good meeting for the team over the course of one lap, but with the learning year done, all could be set to change in 2017.

You can keep up to date with the goings on of World Superbike here at The Pit Crew Online. Give us a follow on Twitter @PitCrew_Online, and keep up with the live text commentary of all the big meetings!

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

13th February 20173rd July 2017

TeamByTeam WSBK Preview: Milwaukee Aprilia

After a difficult debut year for the team in 2016, the SMR Milwaukee set up switches from BMW to full factory Aprilia, taking on two new riders in the process. The former British Superbike champions come into 2017 with the determination to put last year complexities and troubles behind them, and take victories and podiums on a bike that is a proven winner.

After leaving the sport in 2014, Aprilia have returned to the championship two years later, with a modified version of the bike they’ve left us. Split throttle control means the likes of BMW and Kawasaki will have to work hard but the Italian manufacturers of Aprilia and Ducati can carry on as normal. Shaun Muir believes that this is one of the main reasons that can see the team challenge from the first race of the season in Australia.

The first new rider is returning World Superbike heavyweight Eugene Laverty. Like Stefan Bradl and Marco Melandri, Laverty is another MotoGP refugee, and although 2016 proved to have many top 10 finishes in the Grand Prix world, the Irishman was not accepting any poor deals, and will come back to a paddock he knows well. With 13 wins to his name thus far, it would be fair to say that Norge will be on it from the word GO! Can the former World Supersport champion prove that he can win races even after two seasons away?

Lorenzo Savadori did such a fine job on a satellite Aprilia last season, that he’s been given an upgrade to the real McCoy. Joining the official factory Aprilia team this year, the Italian is definitely one for the future. Having crashed out of podium places on a few occasions last season, he will be determined to prove that he isn’t just a rider who can challenge for top five placings, but challenge for the podium and wins. The winner of the FIM Superstock 1000 series in 2015, the Italian 125cc champ in 2007 and still only 23 years old, Lorenzo will be riding on a crest of a wave this coming season, as he enjoys a 2nd season aboard the same bike. Just the consistency he needs to become a winner.

The Aprilia team have always enjoyed success at Phillip Island and took podiums at Buriram with Leon Haslam in 2015. The last time that the machine won at Aragon however was back in 2012 with Max Biaggi, and you have to go all the way back to Regis Laconi in 2001 since the team’s last victory at Imola. Laverty and Savadori will be looking to set a few records straight when they mount the Milwaukee Aprilia in 2017.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

13th February 20173rd July 2017

2017 Buenos Aires ePrix Preview

2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship.
Marrakesh ePrix, Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, Marrakesh, Morocco.
Saturday 12 November 2016.
Jose Maria Lopez (ARG), DS Virgin Racing, Spark-Citroen, Virgin DSV-02.
Photo: Alastair Staley/LAT/Formula E
ref: Digital Image _W2Q7555

At long last Formula E’s winter break is over, and this weekend the 2016–17 season will resume on the streets of Buenos Aires.

This will be the series’ third visit to the Argentine capital and the first race of the season to take place on a returning circuit. After the opening two rounds in Hong Kong and Marrakesh saw the likes of Felix Rosenqvist make a meteoric rise to the fore, the familiarity of the Puerto Madero Street Circuit may hand the advantage back to Formula E’s established stars for now.

That ought to make this weekend’s ePrix a very welcome event for the likes of Lucas di Grassi and Sam Bird, whose respective championship challenges have so far got off to a mixed start—a strong showing here at a track with which they are well accustomed could bring them right back into the mix.

Bird in particular seems to have a certain flair for the Puerto Madero track. The Briton has already notched up one victory, pole position and fastest lap from Formula E’s last two trips to Argentina, and in his lighter, single-motor DSV02 his chances of adding to that tally in 2017 are theoretically as high as ever.

Di Grassi, on the other hand, may not be able to directly challenge for the win on pace alone—his new ABT Schaeffler powertrain once again seems to favour consistency over raw speed, which could leave the Brazilian wanting on Formula E’s fastest circuit. But all the same di Grassi can never be truly discounted as a contender, thanks to his canny ability to put himself in a position to profit should his rivals come to any grief.

Nevertheless, even after just two of twelve rounds, it’s beginning to look like Bird and di Grassi will have to dig deeper than ever if they are to mount any assault on Sébastien Buemi.

The reigning champion has been bulletproof so far this season, able to marry his natural ability with a newfound serenity behind the wheel, and boosted by a Renault that appears to be both quicker than di Grassi’s ABT and more robust than Bird’s Virgin. Provided he can still tap into the momentum of his Hong Kong and Marrakesh wins after so long a break, it’s hard to see how anyone but the racing gods can stop Buemi on Saturday.

Behind those three you can expect to see Mahindra’s Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld once again contesting for another plucky podium position, and most likely battling with Nico Prost, who is making quiet fourth place finishes his habit this season. But also watch for José María López—the Argentinian may have had a scrappy start to his rookie season, but that rapid DSV02 and a probable FanBoost from his home crowd could really set his fortunes alight at last.

Lower down the order, this looks to be another trying weekend for NextEV. As was the case in Hong Kong and Marrakesh, the multiple long straights of the Puerto Madero circuit will be punishing for the team’s long-running energy efficiency problems, and even with a good qualifying position points may not be a possibility once the likes of Andretti, Dragon and Venturi come into play in the race.

Nor is there much likelihood of seeing Jaguar’s two rookies scoring their first points of the season, as both they and the team enter this weekend considerably on the back foot compared to their more experienced opponents.

That said, what checks out on paper is rarely what plays out on track, and the Puerto Madero race has not been without its upsets in the past—in 2015, for example, when António Félix da Costa sailed through the attrition of the pack to take his and Team Aguri’s maiden series victory. With such a strong field ready to pounce on the slightest opportunity, it would not take much of an incident on Saturday for the Buenos Aires ePrix to produce another result out of left field.

James Matthews, Formula E editor

13th February 20173rd July 2017

Rossi and Vinales head to Thailand and Vietnam on Corporate Visit

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team didn‘t rest on their laurels in between the first and second 2017 official IRTA MotoGP pre-season test. After a first successful stint of Yamaha‘s ‘pre-season media tour’, Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi went on to meet their fans and the media in Thailand and Vietnam to complete their Asian promotions and get in the right mindset to start the 2017 MotoGP season.

Energised from the first half of the ’Asian media tour’ that had brought him to Indonesia and the Philippines, Viñales travelled to Thailand on Febuary 11th to start the second half of the promotions the day after.

Following a morning photo shoot, the young Spaniard attended the Yamaha Custom-Made Battle and was happily surprised by the large crowd that had assembled at the EM Quartier in Bangkok to see him take part in the presentation on stage.

After posing with the creators of the Yamaha Custom-Made Battle bikes and the fans, Viñales headed straight to the Yamaha Rev Community where again a large sea of spectators had assembled to catch a glimpse of the new Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider. Warmly greeted as he entered the stage, Viñales stayed for a while to help present the Yamaha YZF-R15 before he quickly had to make his way to the airport.

After his lightning stop in Bangkok, the young Spaniard jetted off to visit Vietnam. There he was joined by Valentino Rossi the next day when they attended a press meeting. During the presentation the riders got to add the flag of Vietnam on the YZR-M1 as a token of appreciation for Yamaha Motor Vietnam‘s support to the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team.

After the press meeting in Hồ Chí Minh, Rossi and Viñales were in the mood for some action and headed to the YRider Event, where Rossi was surprised with an early birthday cake (he will turn 38 on February 16th). Taking time to talk on the podium and wave, the riders also made sure to entertain the fans off stage and grabbed their helmets to head out on a small circuit aboard 2017 Yamaha Exciter and NVX 155 scooters.

These final days constituted a successful ending to the Yamaha‘s ‘2017 Asian promotional tour’, which has brought the entire Yamaha-family – including the Yamaha dealers, distributors and fans – closer.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team now make their way to Australia for the Phillip Island MotoGP Official Test from Febuary 15 – 17th (circuit time).

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

12th February 20173rd July 2017

Formula One 2017 Guide Part 2, Meet the Grid

Every team has announced and confirmed their 2017 driver line-up. A list of each teams’ drives will follow below. The second part of the 2017 Formula One guide will meet you to the drivers of the upcoming season.

Enjoy!

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton

British Driver and three time world champion. Lewis won his first world title with McLaren in 2008 and the back to back titles with Mercedes in 2014 and 2015. Last season finished second in the championship and collected 380 points.

Valtteri Bottas

Bottas is the new member of Mercedes as he joined the silver arrows this season and will race alongside Lewis Hamilton. The Finn has nine finish podiums and in 2016 he finished 8th in the championship and scored 85 points.

Red Bull Racing

Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo raced for the first time in his career as Red Bull’s driver in 2014 as Webber’s replacement. In 2009 the Australian won the British Formula 3 Championship. Daniel has four wins in his Formula One career, 18 podiums and 616 career points. Last season, he finished 3rd behind Lewis Hamilton.

Max Verstappen

Max made his debut as a Formula 1 driver at the Australian Grand Prix in 2015 for Toro Rosso and became the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1. In 2016 he promoted by Red Bull and replaced Daniil Kvyat who demoted to Toro Rosso. The Dutch has one win and seven podiums as a Formula One driver.

Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel

Four times World champion with Red Bull, racing for Ferrari since 2015. Last season, the German finished fourth and scored 212 points. Sebastian celebrated his last victory with Ferrari in 2015 in Singapore.

Kimi Raikkonen

The Finn is among the most favourite drivers on the grid. In 2007, Kimi won his only championship with Ferrari. He finished 84 times on the podium in total and won 20 races. From 2009 to 2011 he joined the WRC series, but in 2012 he returned to Lotus and then joined Scuderia Ferrari.

Force India Mercedes

Esteban Ocon

Esteban made his debut in Formula 1 as a Manor’s driver in the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. The French replaced Rio Haryanto. This season will race for Sahara Force India as Nico Hulkenberg moved to Renault.

Sergio Perez

Checo joined Formula 1 in 2011 with Sauber and three seasons later he signed a contract with Force India which he is still racing for. In 2016, the Mexican scored 101 points and finished 7th. He finished seven times on the podium, but he has not won a race yet.

Williams Mercedes

Felipe Massa

The Brazilian returned to F1 after a short break and decided to pause his retirement for one more season. Felipe, is racing for Williams since 2014, and the team asked him to return to F1 in order to allow Bottas to sign a contract with Mercedes. Massa has scored 1124 points in his career and won 11 grand prix.

Lance Stroll

Lance will become the second youngest driver ever to start a Formula One race. In 2016 the Canadian won the European Formula 3 championship and Williams trusted his abilities and hired him as Massa’s team-mate.

McLaren Honda

Fernando Alonso

Two time world champion with Renault, Fernando enjoys his moments in Formula 1 and he believes in McLaren-Honda partnership. The last race which, the Spaniard won was in 2013 in Spain, last season he scored 54 points and finished 10th in the championship.

Stoffel Vandoorne

The Belgian will race for McLaren once again and he will replace Jenson Button. Stoffel has already scored a point in Formula 1 in 2016 in Bahrain. He finished 10th, behind Valtteri Bottas. Last season he was raced in Super Formula and in 2015 he won the GP2 series.

Toro Rosso

Carlos Sainz Jr

Carlos joined Toro Rosso in 2015, he was Verstappen’s team-mate at that season. The Spanish finished 12th in 2016 and collected 46 points, in his career as an F1 driver, Sainz has scored 64 points in total.

Daniil Kvyat

Kvyat was signed by Toro Rosso as Ricciardo’s replacement, but in 2015 he was promoted to Red Bull as Vettel moved to Ferrari. The Russian finished for the first time in his career on the podium in Hungary in 2015. On 5 May 2016 was demoted back to Toro Rosso as Max Verstappen promoted and became Ricciardo’s new team-mate.

Haas Ferrari

Romain Grosjean

Grosjean made his Formula 1 debut at the 2009 European Grand Prix with Renault, but at the end of the season he was replaced by Vitaly Petrov. Lotus offered him a seat and the French returned in Formula One in 2012 and remained in Lotus for three consecutive seasons. Last season he was driving for the American Haas. He finished sixth at the season premiere in Australia, these were Haas first points as a F1 team.

Kevin Magnussen

Magnussen raced for McLaren in 2014, he replaced Sergio Perez, but in 2015 he was released from McLaren. In 2016, he returned to Formula One for Renault and this season he will replace Esteban Gutierrez in Haas. The Danish finished 16th last season and scored 7 points.

Renault

Nico Hulkenberg

The German will be racing for Reunalt this season, as he decided to leave from Sahara Force India after a positive season. The 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, finished 9th in 2016 and contributed to Force India’s fourth place in the Constructors’ championship.

Jolyon Palmer

Jolyon Palmer was promoted as a full race driver on 23 October 2015 for the Renault team. In 2016 the British scored one point and finished 18th in the drivers’ championship.

Sauber Ferrari

Marcus Ericsson

In 2014, Ericsson joined the Formula 1 as Caterham’s driver and he was Kobayashi’s team-mate. The following season, Marcus signed a contract with Sauber which he is still driving for.

Pascal Wehrlein

In February 2016, Wehrlein made his debut as a Formula 1 driver with Manor racing. Pascal, scored his first point in Formula One at the Austrian Grand Prix, it was Manor’s first point in the championship as well. Despite the rumours that he might join Mercedes and replace Rosberg, the German signed a deal with Sauber and he will be racing for the Swiss team this season.

Don’t miss the third and last part of the guide which will be published next week. The third part will introduce you the 2017 calendar and we will make a quick lap on each circuit.

Victor Archakis

Twitter: @FP_Passion

(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)

9th February 20171st August 2017

McLaren – Will They Bounce Back?

The last time a McLaren driver won a race was at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, that driver was Jenson Button. It was a weekend where McLaren also had their last pole with Lewis Hamilton. The last time we saw McLaren on the podium was at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix when Kevin Magnussen finished 2nd and Jenson Button 3rd.

Those are statistical facts.

What is more surprising, when you think about it, is the last time a McLaren driver won a Drivers Championship. That was Lewis in 2008 and way before that in 1998 was the last time McLaren won the Constructors Championship.

1998 – Think about that for a moment. Nineteen years ago was the last time the third most successful Formula One constructor won a title. That is a staggering fact.

Honda have in certain media circles been criticised over the last two seasons since their return but as Eric Boullier pointed out, Mercedes had developed their hybrid engine some years before, away from the race track. McLaren and Honda have had to do their preparation and testing in the full glare of the fans and media and on the race track. It takes time and loyal McLaren supporters understand this.

The new regulations kick in this season and in some quarters there is talk of a McLaren revival, but then on the other hand there is news of certain individuals leaving the team and fans begin to wonder if this really is the season of the comeback.

Will the team bounce back?

It is what all McLaren fans are hopeful of and it is not only those loyal supporters who are clinging on to a veil of hope, Fernando Alonso believes that the team can truly challenge this year.

In 2016 they finished 6th in the Constructors Championship, 62 points behind Williams and just 7 points ahead of Toro Rosso. Alonso managed, remarkably, to grab 10th in the Drivers Championship with Jenson Button finishing 15th. Those aren’t figures supporters of old will be used to, ever since that first title win for a McLaren driver, Emerson Fittipaldi back in 1974, through to Hunt, Lauda, Prost (3 times), Senna (3 times), Hakkinen (twice) and Lewis in 2008.

The team itself has won eight Constructors Championships and would dearly love to make it nine, with Honda having last won a title with McLaren back in 1991, the year Ayrton Senna stood tall.

As a forty-one year McLaren fan myself, it would be amazing to think that the team, Honda and its partners having put in so much preparation and testing over the last two years will be a successful team, challenging at the top.

A team of old but with a rejuvenated character, a hurt animal with pride to claw back. To have this team, with all its history and honours, fighting back at the front again with Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari would not only make McLaren fans happy, I think it would genuinely boost the flagging interest in Formula One.

That last comment is by no means meant derogatory towards F1, it is purely the fact that over the last few years it has not been the most entertaining motor racing series around. A revitalised team, such as McLaren, forging their way to the front to battle with those teams who have had the advantage over recent years would be a massive boost to the sport.

McLaren now have Zak Brown in and with him being a McLaren fan, a racing driver himself who is passionate about the sport and a very successful businessman, it is hoped that finally the right man has come along at the right time to steady the ship and see the crew through stormy waters to the light on the horizon.

There have been reports of employees moving on, but I don’t think this should cloud the work that is going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, as fans, we don’t need to know what goes on in meetings, or what is discussed as best for the business. As fans we want to see those two drivers in a McLaren car out there on track battling with the best around for a chance to be crowned a World Champion. As fans, that’s all we truly desire.

We haven’t seen that since 2008.

Will we see it in 2017?

With the change in regulations there is a lot of talk of what will happen this season. I have seen some mention of how Red Bull are ahead of Mercedes in development and how Ferrari are developing a car destined to win this year. But what if something out of the ordinary was to happen in this unknown, untested and different era?

What if those teams mentioned above are not as far ahead as they would like us to think?

What if a team, say McLaren, was able to find that old swagger, boosting confidence and developing a car that could win races, possibly a championship?

For McLaren fans, wouldn’t that be a wonderful thought?

Personally, I think 2017 is a little too soon to talk of McLaren or a McLaren driver lifting the big prizes at the end of the year, but I am hopeful that better race results are there for the taking, maybe even challenging for podium positions. That is the hope.

For now, before the car reveals and official tests, we wait patiently with baited breath.

Can McLaren bounce back?

I think they will, just not as big as some supporters would like at the moment.

Neil Simmons
Twitter: @world_racing

8th February 20171st August 2017

Stuff Of Legends

DATE: 4th August 1957

LOCATION: Nurburgring

LAPS: 22

DISTANCE PER LAP: 14.173 miles

CORNERS: 172

WEATHER: Sunny, hot, dry

STARTERS: 24 (inc. F2 cars)

FINISHERS: 15

POLE POSITION: Juan Manuel Fangio (Maserati 250F) – 9m 25.6sec

Juan Manuel Fangio was 46 years old and he arrived at the Nordschleife with three previous race wins during the 1957 season at Argentina, Monaco and France. In the previous race, the British Grand Prix at Aintree, Tony Brooks and Stirling Moss had been victorious, Fangio had retired on lap 49 with an engine problem.

The Nurburgring. Nordschleife. The Green Hell.

A test of a racing car and the nerve of any driver who dared take on the winding circuit. What happened here on this day would take its place in the history of Formula 1 folklore and legend, but the difference between folklore and this race is that these facts actually happened.

This is the stuff of legends.

During practice it became evident that the Vanwall’s were off the pace and did not look like posing any threat to the Maserati’s or Lancia Ferrari’s. Stirling Moss was quoted as saying “The Vanwall’s suspension was totally unsuitable for the Nurburgring.”

Maserati, in practice, found the Pirelli tyres were too high on wear and would not last the required 22 laps of the famous circuit. Team manager, Nello Ugolini and chief mechanic, Guerino Bertocchi met with Fangio and they came up with a cunning plan. Fangio knew the Ferrari’s of Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn were going to use hard tyres and run full fuel, attempting no pit stops. His idea was to fuel light and race on soft tyres, making one pit stop. He believed this would work in his favour and cut down the advantage on the Ferrari’s

His idea was to go off quick and build a big enough lead over the Ferrari’s so that he could pit and get back out, either still in the lead or within striking distance.

On a hot day in Germany, the race began with Fangio starting cautiously. He spent the first two laps of the race behind Collins and Hawthorn who were fighting over the lead. It was not until Lap 3 that Fangio took the lead and built a gap. it was on Lap 13 that he decided to make his pit stop.

Disaster struck. Whilst he was in the pits, his mechanic was removing the rear left tyre when a wheel nut came off and rolled under the car. At first the mechanic did not notice the wheel nut. On noticing the mistake he began to frantically look around when it was pointed out, some say by a calm Fangio standing talking with the team manager, that the nut was under the car. It took nearly thirty seconds for them to retrieve it and secure the wheel.

By the time Fangio came out of the pits, he had seen a thirty second lead descend into a fifty second deficit. He again began cautiously, the Ferrari management believed they were in control and put out pit boards informing their drivers to “Go Steady”, whereas Maserati were urging their driver on with a pit board telling him to go “Flat-Out”. Colllins and Hawthorn were off into the distance leaving the four time world champion with an impossible mountain to climb. Fangio set about reeling in the Ferrari’s, in what some say was the most illustrious drive of his entire career. Due to the length of the circuit, by the time the cars came round, the gap had shrunk enormously and by now it was too late for the Ferrari team to get a message to their drivers.

On lap Lap 18, Fangio clocked the first ever 90mph of the Nurburgring, on Lap 19 he stole eleven seconds off the lead cars, leaving the previous lap record in shreds. On Lap 20, as they went by the start/finish line, Hawthorn was two seconds in front of his team mate Collins who in turn was one second ahead of Fangio. On Lap 21 he had made up enough time that he overtook Collins at the North Curve and then came bearing down on Hawthorn to take the lead at Breidscheid.

Fangio broke the lap record nine times in total, seven of those on consecutive laps. Whilst driving at this blistering pace, unknown to the team and the fans watching, Fangio’s seat had broken. He explained afterwards that he had to hold on tightly to the steering wheel to stop himself from sliding around inside the car.

Fangio won the German Grand Prix by 3.6secs, sealing his fifth drivers crown and what would be his last Formula 1 victory. He would retire after the following season and would become known as one of the greatest drivers to ever grace Formula 1.

In just this race he proved that without a doubt he deserved that accolade in what could be regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 races of all time.

See You At The Chequered Flag

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

8th February 20173rd July 2017

Yamaha WSBK Squad Launch 2017 Campaign

As the new racing season draws closer, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V. has taken a moment between preseason testing activities to gather all of the Official Race Teams together to kick-off the 2017 Road and Off-Road line up. The international racing media were invited to join the Official Race Teams Press Conference on 7th February at the headquarters of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team in Gerno di Lesmo, Italy.

The Pata Yamaha Official Team WorldSBK were next to showcase their 2017 racing livery, with British rider Alex Lowes returning for his second year with Yamaha alongside new for this season teammate, Dutchman rider Michael van der Mark. The pairing have already enjoyed positive preseason testing alongside the WorldSSP600 team and are keen to arrive in Australia for round one of the 2017 season at Phillip Island to kick off their campaign. WorldSBK siblings the Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team return for 2017 ready to do battle with the YZF-R1M in the newly defined European Superstock 1000 Championship. French rider Florian Marino returns for the second year having showed impressive pace from the start of 2016- including pole position in the opening race – before an accident in the second round cut his season short. Intensive training and rehabilitation now complete, Marino is eager to get back to work with his Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team and confirm his skill, speed and talent. He is joined by new teammate, Italian rider Roberto Tamburini, the 2015 Superstock 1000 Cup runner up.

There was one more surprise for the gathered media to set the tone for the day, as Yamaha Motor Racing Director Lin Jarvis took to the stage to thank media and partners for their attendance and share insight into the 2017 MotoGP strategy for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team, the pinnacle of the wider Yamaha commitment to Motorsport.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

8th February 20171st August 2017

Eriksson Signs With MJP Racing

MJP Racing Team Austria announced yesterday that Kevin Eriksson, the current Swedish Supercar Champion and 2016 World RX Event winner will be alongside Timo Scheider to compete in 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship for MJP Racing Team Austria.

Kevin Eriksson, who won the German round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship commented:

“I am very excited to join MJP Racing Team Austria and to be able to compete the full 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship. Driving for MJP Racing Team Austria alongside Timo Scheider makes me feel fantastic. I saw what they have done with their new 2017 Ford Fiesta RXS and it will be amazing to drive this machine. Thanks to the Team and their sponsors for giving me this opportunity.

Team owner Max J. Pucher had this to say:

“Kevin Eriksson is the perfect match for Timo Scheider in our Team. The combination of DTM experience and World RX dynamic makes for one of the strongest driver pairings in the 2017 Championship. As much as I would have liked to have Alex Wurz as an Austrian counterpart to Timo he unfortunately was unable to commit to a full season. We have reached our ultimate goal of stepping up our game both in drivers and cars. BarcelonaRX, here we come!”

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

6th February 201726th June 2017

Rally Sweden Preview 2017. Snow, snow and more snow!

After last year, when there were problems with the lack of snow on the run in to the event, this year Rally Sweden will be run further north in Torsby. The result of this is that 58% of the stages are completely new.

The total number of stages is 18, over a distance of 331.74km’s. This event brings special challenges, with setting up the car, including the new active diff that the 2017 WRC cars feature. All the cars run special, only for this event studded tyres, helping the cars gain traction over the snow-covered stages. This means that the cars are travelling much faster than you could ever imagine!

RALLY SWEDEN SCHEDULE

THURSDAY 9 FEBRUARY

8.00am: shakedown (Skalla)

8.04pm: Start of day 1 (Karlstad)

8.08pm: SS1 – Karlstad 1 (1.90km)

9.54pm: End of day 1 (Torsby)

FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY

6.50am: Start of day 2 and service A (Torsby – 15 mins)

7.59am: SS2 – Röjden 1 (18.47km)

9.06am: SS3 – Hof-Finnskog 1 (21.26km)

10.20am: SS4 – Svullrya 1 (24.88km)

11.56am: Service B (Torsby – 30 mins)

1.20pm: SS5 – Röjden 2 (18.47km)

2.27pm: SS6 – Hof-Finnskog 2 (21.26km)

3.51pm: SS7 – Svullrya 2 (24.88km)

5.15pm: SS8 – Torsby 1 (16.43km)

5.55pm: Flexi Service C (Torsby – 45 min)

SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY

6.54am: Start of day 3 and service D (Torsby – 15 mins)

8.08am: SS9 – Knon 1 (31.60km)

9.17am: SS10 – Hagfors 1 (15.87km)

10.08am: SS11 – Vargåsen 1 (14.27km)

11.29am: Service E (Torsby – 30 mins)

12.58pm: SS12 – Knon 2 (31.60km)

2.17pm: SS13 – Hagfors 2 (15.87km)

3.08pm: SS14 – Vargåsen 2 (14.27km)

5.45pm: SS15 – Karlstad 2 (1.90km)

7.41pm: Flexi Service F (Torsby – 45 min)

SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY

6.35am: Start of day 4 and service G (Torsby – 15 mins)

7.55am: SS16 – Likenäs 1 (21.19km)

9.58am: SS17 – Likenäs 2 (21.19km)

12.18pm: SS18 – Torsby 2 (16.43km)

1.00pm: Podium (Torsby)

Last year’s result looked like this.

1. S. Ogier/J. Ingrassia (F/F), 1h 59m 47.4s

2. H.Paddon/J.Kennard (NZ/NZ), + 29.8s

3. M.Østberg/O.Fløene (N/N), + 55.6s

4. A.Mikkelsen/A.Jæger (N/N), + 1m 10.8s

5. O.Tänak/R.Mõlder (EST/EST), + 1m 50.7s

6. D.Sordo/M.Martí (E/E), + 2m 24.0s

7. H.Solberg/I.Minor (N/A), + 2m 40.0s

8. C.Breen/S.Martin (IRL/GB), + 2m 44.6s

9. E.Evans/C.Parry (GB/GB), + 5m 17.0s

10. P.Tidemand/J.Andersson (S/S), + 5m 31.7s

Now, in Rallye Monte Carlo, Thierry was driving brilliantly and just a little mistake meant he didn’t take the win. He’ll be looking to put that right in Sweden though. Also, Kris in his C3 WRC will want to get his challenge for the championship underway, after a nightmare Rallye Monte Carlo which ended with getting hit by a spectators car.

Here are the thoughts of the drivers ahead of this amazing rally.

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville said: “Rally Sweden is a unique event on the calendar, as it is the only event where the cars are fitted with proper studded tyres on the snow for the duration of the rally. Also it is one of the fastest rallies of the season, with the average speeds through some of the stages higher than anywhere else that we’ll see this season. Obviously with the snow, the tyres and the high speeds, a lot of experience is necessary to mount a challenge, but I’m confident having competed here on many occasions. We have had some good results in previous years. We are looking forward to trying to build upon those with even more success – particularly after the promise and ultimate disappointment of Monte-Carlo.”

Dani Sordo said: “I think that everyone involved with the team would agree that Rally Sweden is a very special event. If we can get good conditions on the road with the snow and the snowbanks, it becomes a really enjoyable event, because the speed gets quicker and quicker. We had a good finish in Monte-Carlo, so we are looking to push on from there and try our best to get a strong result in Sweden.”

Hayden Paddon said: “Rally Sweden is a bit of a winter wonderland. Along with Finland, it’s one of my favourites. It is very fast and filled with lots of jumps. The sensation of driving on snow and with the snow banks is like no other. We came second in Sweden last year and we’re hopeful that we can go one better this time out, especially given the speed of the new cars this season, and the potential shown by our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Jari-Matti Latvala

“I have some very nice memories of Sweden as this was my first rally win, back in 2008, but the circumstances are very different now! I did some snow testing before Christmas with the Yaris WRC and last week as well: even in that short time there have been some big improvements in the car and the whole team, which is the main aim as our target more than anything else this year is just to keep getting better. The result in Monte was a very nice surprise but I don’t think it’s realistic to expect the same in Sweden: we need to remember that this is still a completely new team and brand new project. So far the temperature in Sweden seems to be quite warm, so we could find conditions similar to previous years, which are never easy. I hope we get some nice minus degrees soon, as that will provide the best show for everyone.”

Juho Hänninen

“I have done three days of testing on snow, with the aim of finding a good set-up. In Monte, I had a really good set-up before the start of the rally, which actually I did not change much: this was a key to finding good confidence with the car. I learned a lot from Monte, but as Sweden is so different, it’s really like starting over again. Of course, it will depend a lot on the conditions: during the test we also tried to find roads that were a bit damaged so we could simulate what we might find on the rally and see how the car moves when the studs come out of the tyres. I’m looking forward to the weekend, as Sweden is one of the rallies I have done most and of course the tyre choice is a lot simpler than it is on Monte. But we will still approach it in the same way, step by step, as our preparation time has not been big.”

M-Sport WRT

Sébastien Ogier said:

“We had a dream start to the season at Rallye Monte-Carlo, but we can’t let that distract us. There is still a lot of work to do and Rally Sweden is a truly unique event.

“It’s an event that I really enjoy and we reach incredible speeds on the snow and ice – something that will only increase with the new cars this year. That means that there are no margins for error and you have to be very precise. There are often just a handful of seconds separating each competitor, so every second really does count.

“If we can secure another podium result next week, it would be a fantastic start and surpass all of our expectations this early in the year. I see no reason why we can’t be quietly confident of that, but at the same time it will require a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

“We’ve not yet seen everyone’s true potential, and I’m expected a very exciting and very close-fought Rally Sweden.”

Ott Tänak said:

“I’m really looking forward to Rally Sweden. It’s one of my favourite events on the calendar and the high-speed stages give you such an adrenaline rush. This year, with the more powerful cars, it will be something very special.

“The stages are so much fun to drive – really fast and flowing, and very smooth. We need to be relaxed and focused and get into a good rhythm. I hope for nice ice conditions and to be in a position to fight at the top.

“The most important thing will be to have a good feeling from the start and then have a clean run. Hopefully the weather conditions will be in our favour and we can have some nice snowbanks to give us some extra support if needed.

“The lines are also very narrow and that’s maybe the most difficult part of the rally. In case of fresh snow you need to make sure you stay in the line – otherwise you go from good grip to no grip at all!

“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel, and I think we have the potential to secure another good result.”

D-Mack WRT

Elfyn Evans, DMACK WRC driver, said: “We had a successful event last year winning WRC 2 and made a confident start to this season with a strong performance on Monte. Sweden is never an easy rally but I enjoy the high-speed stages and the challenge this unique event delivers. We will be giving it our all once again.”

Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

Kris Meeke

“After a disappointing Monte-Carlo, both for me and the team as a whole, it’s difficult to feel fully confident coming into Rally Sweden. We have learned the lessons from the opening round and we’ll come back stronger at the upcoming events. It’s a long season. I’m happy to be back at one of my favourite rallies. In theory, I come here aiming to win, but we know that everyone’s performance level will depend in large part on the weather conditions. If it snows before the rally, my starting position for the first leg will be ideal. On the other hand, if we have a mild spell that melts the ice, then my chances would be reduced. We’ll do our very best.”

Craig Breen

“I’m very excited about making my competitive debut with the Citroën C3 WRC! I can’t wait to get started. This is something that I’ve been waiting for all my life. I have good memories from this rally, not least the 2016 event, which was my first WRC outing with Citroën. I’d also say that this surface is little bit more forgiving of minor mistakes, or at least that is the case when there are really compact snow banks! I feel confident in these surroundings, in the car and with the team. And although we don’t really know what to expect, I’m ready to rise to the challenge.”

Stephane Lefebvre

“Rally Sweden is certainly the one where I have the most to learn, since I have only competed here once before, two years ago, in the DS 3 R5. So, from that point of view, I won’t be frustrated to be driving a previous-generation car. With the pressure off, I’ll be able to progress at my own pace. My aim will be to bounce back after a difficult Monte-Carlo. It’s difficult to make predictions or to set myself a specific target, but we’ll be looking to seize the slightest opportunity to score points.”

Mads Østberg will run his own independent team in the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship. The team is a joint operation with Martin Prokop’s Jipocar World Rally Team, and Østberg will start the season at Rally Sweden with a Ford Fiesta WRC entered by M-Sport.

“Now I am feeling optimistic,” said Østberg. “Things have happened in a very short time, M-Sport managed to deliver a car last week and I got two very good days of testing in Sweden, Saturday and Sunday. Nobody should doubt that I’m still hungry as a rally competitor, and I will drive for top positions this season.”

“How much faster we will drive on the stages is difficult to calculate,” said the Norwegian, “but I can tell you that these new cars are seriously fast machines! We had 250 kms of testing in Sweden last weekend and I really enjoyed driving the Fiesta. I think I have found a good base set-up, but the car is so much faster than the old Fiesta that the biggest challenge is to adapt to the extra speed and braking into corners.”

Østberg’s best result in Sweden came in 2011 when he shocked the establishment by taking the lead in the rally and also keeping it until the last day. In the end he was beaten by only 6.5 seconds to Mikko Hirvonen.

“Rally Sweden is definitely one of my favourite rallies,” said the Norwegian. “With the feeling I have for the new car after the test I am really looking forward to show that I’m still able to stay with the fastest guys.”

Now, this event has some great stages, including Vargåsen stage which is run twice on Saturday and features Colin’s Crest. The drivers look to get some serious air from this one and last year Eyvind Brynildsen set a massive 45 metre record. With the more powerful cars and better aerodynamics, what chance a new record this year?

Of course, the teams find this event massively challenging, with sub-zero temperatures making service very, very hard for the mechanics. Laurent Fregosi, Citroen’s technical director, explains the challenges with the setup of the cars:

“Over the years, we have learned to cope with the specific challenges posed by this rally. The settings are different to those used on gravel and we have noted in testing that the C3 WRC responds well with our usual solutions. If the conditions deteriorate, with less snow and ice, we will need to be able to adjust the set-up, adapting the suspension to the ruts that form on the racing line. In those sorts of conditions, the tyre’s studs tend to break, so we would need to limit this phenomenon by making changes to certain settings. As the cars cover more ground, snow tends to build up on the car and the increased weight can reduce performance. We took this into account when we designed the bodywork, but this phenomenon remains inevitable.”

Also, M-Sport’s Miguel Cunha, Chief Technician to Seb and Julien explains how hard it can be to work on the cars.

The cold; we service outside and trust me when I say that it is cold. Rally Sweden might not be known as a car breaker, but it definitely delivers the most challenging services for the technicians.

The simplest of jobs are made that much harder in those temperatures. You lose all feeling in your hands and that is a technician’s worst nightmare!

I believe that we are set up for a fantastic event and year, but I will say that it’s really important to for the spectators to stand in the right places. Spectate safely, all those that will be stage side. The latest news from the organisers is that it snowed last week, the roads are icy and that the forecast looks good. It’s currently minus 3 degrees centigrade!

Warren Nel

6th February 2016