Nicky Hayden is set to return to the premier class for the second time this season. However, unlike last time, he will be riding for the Repsol Honda team, replacing the injured Dani Pedrosa. Hayden started his MotoGP career on a Repsol Honda, taking the world championship in 2006 before leaving at the end of the 2008 campaign.
âFirst of all my best wishes to Dani, Iâm sure he will come back stronger than ever like he always does. For me itâs crazy hard work but itâs a chance, ten year after winning my World Title, to get back to my old âdream teamâ! Doing a week-end in Phillip Island on a factory Honda, itâs pretty emotional for me to even think about it, and Iâm very grateful for this opportunity and the trust that Honda gives me. I want also to thank my current team for allowing me to go and do this, and the sponsors. Everybody worked a lot on every detail to make it possible for me so now Iâm excited to get on a plane, to get down to Phillip Island and hopefully I can do a good job for the team. Regarding Phillip Island there are two things to always consider, the weather and the tyres but itâs a track I love and I canât wait to ride the bike there. Letâs get started on Friday morning and go forwardâ.
Hayden is familiar with the Australian circuit, having raced there in the first part of his MotoGP career and also earlier this year, making his debut in World Superbike Championship for Honda.
The Moto2 class is now very different from how it was when Yonny was here. He will have the most competitive prototype up to now, the Kalex. The 6th place is his first objective, as it was his best result, achieved in 2011 (5th on the grid). Apart from a fastest lap in race.
âIâm very grateful and looking forward to be part of this team and this new project. I hope I will be able to fight to be on top. This is a new challenge for me, I hope things go well and we are able to do a good job togetherâ.
Iker Burutxaga, Team Manager: We will confirm the next steps soon
âWeâre very happy with this acquisition for next year. Weâre sure that we have chances to be on top with Yonny. Weâll work hard to help him adapt as soon as possible. We are very happy with this first step of the AGR project for 2017, of which weâll confirm the next steps in the next few weeksâ.
Texas 2015 saw Sauber F1 team celebrate their 400th GP with a 9th place points haul for Felipe Nasr. Given that they are the only team yet to score this season, the team would be very happy to have the same result, if not better this year as the paddock heads to the back to back American leg of the F1 calendar.
The track will see the supersofts tyre being introduced for the first time which should throw the proverbial cats among the pigeons on a circuit that is already a difficult one with a tough combination of both fast and slow corners.
MARCUS ERICSSON
Tyre choices: 1 Medium â 5 Soft â 7 Super soft
The Swedish driver has been enjoying the sights and sounds of the Austin playground as seen by his social media posting in recent days. A mechanical issue caused him to retire from the race last year and he is looking forward to redeeming himself this weekend:
âI believe we all remember the rather unusual United States Grand Prix due to the heavy rain in 2015. I am looking forward to going back this year, as I like this track a lot. It is a nice event at the circuit, and, as well as that, Austin is a great place to beâ.
FELIPE NASR
Tyre choices: 1 Medium â 5 Soft â 7 Supersoft
Nasr, claimed a memorable 9th place in 2015 and has fond memories of the COTA track.
âLast yearâs United States Grand Prix was quite eventful, as the weather conditions led to an exciting race. Finishing in P9 was a nice achievement, bearing in mind that it was the 400th GP for Sauber. Thinking about this year, I am very much looking forward to racing on this great track again. I will do the best I can for us to achieve a similar result to last year, as scoring points is obviously our objectiveâ.
Sauber have just 4 races left in which to score the first points of the season. The COTA track had been kind to them last year, albeit which they did not experience the same setbacks as 2016, and they are hoping that a sneaky point might be on the offer.
Ferrari go in the US Grand Prix in Austin in the last chance saloon as far as their hopes for second place in the F1 Constructorsâ Championship are concerned.
Max Verstappenâs second place was a hammer blow for Ferrari, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finishing fourth and fifth respectively â both having qualified faster than the Red Bulls but having to start sixth and eighth respectively due to penalties.
Vettel did manage to set his first fastest lap of 2016 in Japan but his winless run is now at 23 races â the longest of his career including his spell at Toro Rosso from 2007-08.
Raikkonenâs race will be remembered for a three-wide pass on Jolyon Palmer and Sergio Perez, and despite early traffic he was only five seconds behind Vettel at the circuit where he took a memorable win back in 2005.
And so itâs on to a track that Ferrari have never won at, although this is only the fifth time F1 has visited the Circuit of the Americas, although Vettel took victory there during his unbeaten streak at the end of 2013.
Ferrari have at least stood on the podium in Texas, with Fernando Alonso taking third in 2012.
The most famous of the Prancing Horseâs American adventures came back in 2005 in F1âs very own American Horror Story, as only six runners took to the start because of safety concerns about Michelin tyres.
The race, as with most this season, is likely to consist of Mercedes dominance followed by a scrap to be the best of the rest between Red Bull and Ferrari, with Austin likely to favour the Red Bull despite the long straights.
It has been a little frosty in the press in Italy, who have criticised Vettel since his first lap collision in Malaysia, while the Ferrari top brass have said publicly that he needs to âearnâ another contract and his current deal runs out 2018 while there is speculation that he may seek pastures new.
For Ferrari, that chat can wait should it happen as they bid to try salvage second place out of a season in which they were meant to offer a challenge to Mercedes for top honours.
Theyâre 250 points behind with four races left.
(Image Courtesy of Pirelli F1 Media)
Jack Prentice
At the United States Grand Prix three years ago, the Red Bull Racing pit crew had conceivably its finest hour, completing a pit stop on Mark Webberâs car in a World Record time of 1.923s. It beat their own record of 2.05s, set earlier in the season and was, of course, the first ever pitstop to break the two seconds barrier.
Red Bull have exceeded expectations this year and with Max Verstappen under their wing they have surely have a future Formula One World Champion. Daniel Ricciardo also has shown he has the mettle to compete with Mercedes.
Last year at the American Grand Prix, the ever smiling Australian qualified in third before dropping down to tenth:
âIt has a lot of unique features like the wide apex at turn one; you could fit about four cars side by side through there. There are loads of opportunities to overtake and have fun throughout the whole track. It has fast flowing sections and hairpins, pretty much everything I like in a track.â
Ricciardo led last year’s race at the same venue until Rosberg and Hamilton overtook the Red Bull driver due to the greater straight line speed.
Daniil Kyvat who was with Red Bull until he was demoted to Toro Rosso started the race in fourth position.
Max Verstappen should be looking forward to Austin as he produced a brilliant drive to finish fourth in 2015 behind Sebastian Vettel for Toro Rosso:
âThe COTA track is very special, itâs a new track but with a lot of old school corners in it (but with more run off) which makes it really cool to drive.â
The Milton Keynes team should be in for a good weekend and extend their lead over Ferrari in the Constructorsâ Championship.
Formula 1 may have only recently found its spiritual American home in Texas but donât be fooled into thinking that this is the only time that grand prix racing has taken on the land of the brave and free. Letâs take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from F1âs past in America.
Our first trip down memory lane sees us in 1983 at Long Beach. This one is a true underdog story and shows that there is nothing greater than pure grit and determination when it comes to racing. The two McLaren cars of Nikki Lauda and John Watson had a day to forget in the qualifying session. They couldnât quite get the tyres to work thus lining up at the back of the grid. Patrick Tambay managed to steal pole and looked like a favourite for the race win, considering the difficulty of overtaking on a street circuit. The start however didnât go to plan with Keke Rosberg from the second row spotting a gap between the two front row starting Ferraris. Contact with Arnoux left the Frenchman spinning across the track. Tambay would lead but a costly mistake on lap 26 would see him running wide. This was Rosbergâs chance. The two cars went side by side with Tambay holding his line, then contact! Tambay up onto two wheels and stalling the car in the middle of the track. Laffite took the lead whilst Rosberg collided with the Ligier of Jean-Pierre Jarrier, taking them both out of the running. After going unwatched for most of the race the McLaren pair found themselves in third and fourth (Watson ahead of Lauda). Patrese ended up down the escape road leaving Watson to chase down Laffite for the lead. Lap 45 Watson would pass Laffite for the lead without even realising he had done so. A short while later and Lauda joined him to take McLarenâs first 1-2 finish in fifteen years. A truly outstanding effort.
Now itâs time to talk about âthat grand prix.â Yes you guessed it. Indianapolis 2005. A favourite circuit amongst pretty much every racing driver out there. High speeds, with a challenging infield section. What could possibly go wrong? The weekend is the one for me that ended the tyre war between Bridgestone and Michelin. A strange construction problem with the Michelin tyres meant that they would become unstable after about 10 laps as Ralf Schumacher found out during practice, resulting in a terrible accident. This wasnât helped by the rules at the time which stated cars were only allowed to use one set of tyres during the race. The idea of a chicane before the final banking was thought up to reduce speeds, thus increasing the stability of the tyres. The FIA however believed that this would cause more problems than it would fix. So the track was left unchanged. Jarno Trulli claimed Toyotaâs first pole position, but along with the other 13 Michelin shod cars he wouldnât even take to the start. The Michelin cars all pulled into the pits at the end of the formation lap. Effectively retiring from the race rather than pulling out of the event which would lead to penalties and punishment. That left just the six cars of Ferrari, Jordan and Minardi. An easy victory resulted for Michael Schumacher who strengthened his position in the championship due to none of the drivers who were above him before the race, actually taking part. Michelin and the tyre war stayed only for another year before Bridgestone took on a sole supplier role within F1.
As I mentioned earlier Formula 1 has now found its spiritual home in America. Since 2012 COTA (Circuit of the Americas) has played to host to the circus of speed. Its unique blend of long straights, tight technical sections and incredible elevation changes have helped to
create some of the best racing in the modern era. Borrowing ideas and principles from other classic circuits, COTA has found its place in the heart of fans and drivers alike. Moments like Hamilton chasing Vettel most of the way round in the inaugural race or the extremely wet weather of last year, which caused chaos and excitement. It also meant that Lewis Hamilton would claim his third drivers title after passing team mate and championship rival Nico Rosberg in the closing stages. I am certainly looking forward to whatever this weekendâs race has to throw up at us. Expect thrills and spills on the roller-coaster that is COTA.
Coming into this rally, Seb and Julien had a hand on their fourth world title. All they had to do is finish ahead of Andreas. Well, theyâve been doing that all year, so youâd think that wouldnât be too hard. However, this was the rally that saw Seb crash out in the last stage last year and hand the win to the young Norwegian.
This year, the challenge came from Dani Sordo and the Hyundai team. Hereâs the story of how the Spaniard challenged the reigning champs.
The event started on Thursday evening with the short 2.3km blast that is Stage one. It was very wet as it rained very heavily just an hour before the stage start. It started to rain again as the stage started. Also, donât forget that this stage was fully tarmac, but because all of the Friday stages are gravel, the cars were set up for gravel, making them very interesting to drive on this stage.
The rain continued to fall and the puddles got bigger, so the drivers that came later, were really at a disadvantage. Jari-Matti didnât go well at all, losing 12 seconds. He was far too aggressive sliding the car around and was very surprised to be so far off.
01 TĂ€nak 3m 47.6s
02 Bertelli +2.7s
03 Ogier (VW) +3.5s
04 Meeke +5.2s
05 Breen +5.2s
06 Neuville +5.7s
07 Mikkelsen (VW) +5.8s
08 Ăstberg +6.1s
09 Paddon 6.4s
10 Sordo +7.1s
11 Latvala (VW) +12.0s
Ott made a great start on his D-Mack tyred Fiesta to take a lead, the first time heâd lead a rally since he came so close to winning in Poland during the summer.
Seb was right there though in third place. Heâd driven really well to be third fastest despite the worse conditions. The rally had started well for the champion-elect.
Friday morning then and it was the 12.5km stage first up. Seb was first into the stage. The rain looked like it followed them, and so the stage was wet. It was a troublesome one for Hayden in here, as he suffered a failure on his anti-lag system, so was down on power. Also with no lunch time service, he was going to have to take a look under the bonnet to try and figure out what it was.
Kris was next up and it was going well, but then he came around a fourth gear left hander and the rear slid round. Next thing he knew, the car was rolling. He had to turn the car around and this lost him over 30 seconds.
01 Neuville 7m 39.9s
02 Paddon +1.6s
03 Ogier (VW) +2.5s
04 Sordo +4.2s
05 Latvala (VW) +4.6s
06 Mikkelsen (VW) +5.6s
07 Ăstberg +16.2s
08 Breen +30.7s
09 Meeke +40.9s
10 Abbring +41.5s
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Miikka Anttila (FIN) Volkswagen Polo R WRC (2016) WRC Rally Catalunya 2016 Photo: Daniel Roeseler
Stage 3 then and it was Jari-Matti who won it from Seb who duly moved into top spot. With the weather having turned so bad, instead of it being a disadvantage to be first into the stage, it became an advantage. He took the lead from Thierry.
01 Latvala (VW) 4m 12.0s
02 Ogier (VW) +1.0s
03 Neuville +1.4s
04 Paddon +2.4s
05 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.6s
06 Sordo +3.7s
07 Ăstberg +6.1s
08 Meeke +6.2s
09 Breen +6.5s
10 TĂ€nak +9.2s
Stage four next, the longest of the entire rally. Terra Alta at 38km and this stage has both tarmac and gravel parts to it. Dani pushed very hard in this one, looking to move up the leaderboard. Jari-Matti was fastest though, thus winning two in a row. Hayden was really suffering with his engine not performing correctly and it must have been so frustrating for him. He would spend the midday break poking around under the bonnet trying to see what was wrong.
01 Latvala (VW) 25m 48.7s
02 Ogier (VW) +3.9s
03 Sordo +6.1s
04 Neuville +8.2s
05 Mikkelsen (VW) +10.4s
06 Paddon +17.6s
07 Ăstberg +22.9s
08 Breen +25.4s
09 Meeke +29.2s
10 TĂ€nak +52.0s
Stage five was a re-run of number two. It was starting to dry up out there with the rain having stopped and the sun coming out. Thierry managed to remove his bumper and grille from the car as he tapped a couple of small trees and spun. He would lose 18 secondsâŠ. It went even more wrong for Jari-Matti though. Coming through a right hander, which had a section of Armco running alongside and he tapped the end of it with the right front of the Polo. This not only broke his drive shaft but also the steering rack as well. A big shame. He was out for the rest of the day.
It was totally different for Dani through here though! He won the stage and took the lead in one go. A brilliant performance! Fourth into first place in one go. He was overjoyed!
2016 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 12 / RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de Espagna 2016 / October 13 – 16, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: Hyundai Motorsport
01 Sordo 7m 57.3s
02 Abbring +4.1s
03 Ăstberg +4.5s
04 Bertelli +4.6s
05 Meeke +5.2s
06 Paddon +5.2s
07 Mikkelsen (VW) +8.5s
08 Camilli +9.5s
09 Prokop +12.3s
10 TĂ€nak +13.7s
11 Ogier (VW) +16.3s
He found himself 6.1 seconds ahead of Seb after that one. Hayden had also found some time in there to close the gap to the front.
Stage six then, and rerun of Terra Alta. Dani won this, thus opening up a 11.8 second lead over Seb. Just completely in the groove!
01 Sordo 4m 06.0s
02 TĂ€nak +1.2s
03 Meeke +2.4s
04 Breen +3.5s
05 Ogier (VW) 5.7s
06 Mikkelsen (VW) +5.8s
07 Ăstberg +6.1s
08 Paddon +6.9s
09 Abrring +7.8s
10 Neuville +7.8s
Last stage of the day and It was a Kris win in here with Dani second and Seb third, but 6.9 seconds slower.
01 Meeke 24:50.1
02 Sordo +1.7
03 Ogier +6.9
04 Ostberg +15.2
05 Mikkelsen +19.2
06 Breen +27.4
07 Neuville +27.9
08 Tanak +29.4
09 Paddon +30.2
10 Camilli + 41.6
Kris really got into the groove through there, but it was Dani whoâd really driven brilliantly through the day and taken the lead. What a lead as well.
D. Sordo / M. MartĂ (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) 1:18:44.4
S. Ogier / J. Ingrassia (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +17.0
A. Mikkelsen / A. Jaeger (Volkswagen Polo R WRC) +35.1
T. Neuville / N. Gilsoul (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +46.3
H. Paddon / J. Kennard (Hyundai New Generation i20 WRC) +47.5
M. Ăstberg / O. Floene (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +54.3
K. Meeke / P. Nagle (Citroën DS3 WRC) +1:06.3
C. Breen / S. Martin (Citroën DS3 WRC) +1:44.6
O. Tanak / R. Molder (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +2:04.4
E. Camilli / B. Veillas (Ford Fiesta RS WRC) +3:44.3
K. Abbring / S. Marshall (Hyundai i20 WRC) +4:02.8
The thoughts of the top three then.
Dani Sordo said: âIt has been an unbelievable day. I am really pleased to be leading the rally, particularly in front of all these amazing Spanish fans. The New Generation i20 WRC has been fantastic to drive today, and it is thanks to the whole team that we have been able to start the rally in such a positive manner. The wet conditions have made these stages very slippery, so it has been an achievement to make it through without any problems. We havenât really been taking any risks so far, but as we move onto asphalt for the remaining days, we need to make sure that we keep up the fight.â
âThe conditions were really extremely difficult for all the drivers today. It was super slippery in places â with a lot of water and mud on the roads. I pushed as hard as I could again on the afternoonâs final stage. At the moment, things are looking very good for Julien and me in the battle for victory in Spain and the world championship. Tomorrow is the start of a completely new rally. I am looking forward to the fast asphalt stages on Saturday and Sunday. It always feels a bit like being on a racetrack here in Catalonia. The asphalt is absolutely perfect the roads are generally very wide.â
Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
âWow, what a tough day. The rain gave us some extremely slippery stages on the gravel today. You can never be quite sure what the conditions were like on the muddy surface. There was plenty of grip one minute, then all of a sudden hardly any at all. We tried to put ourselves in a good position for the next two days on asphalt, whilst taking as few risks as possible. Opening the road was not the ideal starting position today, but I think we made the best of the situation.â
The rest of the drivers
Volkswagen Motorsport
Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
âWe found our rhythm very quickly today and underlined this with two wins on stages three and four. Unfortunately, our fightback then came to an abrupt end. We got a bit off the line in a left-right combination and damaged the suspension. We tried to repair it, but it was impossible to continue. That was it for today. It is bitterly disappointing, but thereâs nothing we can do about it now. We will come back tomorrow and try to score as many points as possible towards the Manufacturersâ Championship.â
Hyundai Motorsport
Thierry Neuville said: âItâs been a day of two halves. The opening stages this morning went well, despite the conditions, and we were able to take a stage win and briefly lead the rally. We were keeping the pressure on and headed into the afternoon in positive mood. Unfortunately, we got unlucky in the repeat of Caseres as we approached a slow right-hand corner, I got stuck on the inside and the car spun, hitting a tree. The engine stalled and we lost some time restarting. We were able to fix some of the damage and could continue the loop. Thankfully we minimised the time loss and will look to push more tomorrow.â
Hayden Paddon said: âWe have been battling a technical issue all day which has prevented us from doing too much more. In fact, Iâm surprised weâve been able to set some of the times we have. This morning already felt like we were missing some power and we had no throttle response. I adapted my driving style, which felt a bit unnatural, but with no lunchtime service there wasnât much else we could do. I think we could have been quite competitive, so itâs a bit of a missed opportunity. Still, we have made it through and weâre still in the hunt for a good result. Tomorrowâs another day, as they say.â
Kevin Abbring said: âItâs a disappointing end to the day with the problem but all in all itâs been a positive experience out there. The conditions have not been easy, so itâs heightened the challenge for us. Weâve never rallied on stages like these before, and certainly not on wet gravel, so itâs been a learning curve. I felt we were doing ok, particularly in the afternoon loop. Second in SS5 was a real boost to the confidence. But in the final stage we experienced a loss of power, which in turn lost us a lot of time. Itâs a shame but we will come back stronger tomorrow – and I hope we will be able to enjoy a drier day.â
M-Sport WRT
Mads Ăstberg (6th) said:
âThe stages here in Spain are fantastic and I have really enjoyed the day. Our driving and our performance have been really strong but, unfortunately, luck hasnât been on our side.
âIn the morning that was largely due to the weather but, if Iâm honest, we made that back in the afternoon. We also had a small problem with the differentials â a new one â and we have no idea what it is. Iâm trying to explain it to the engineers and they can see it on the data, but at this moment we canât pin-point exactly whatâs causing it. Obviously we had a full day without service so we just had to adapt and try to be faster and faster with every stage â which I think we achieved.
âWe also had some really strong splits on the Tarmac section of Terra Alta which was great to see. Of course itâs with completely different tyres and set-up, but itâs still Tarmac and itâs still a section in the stage where Iâve always lost out. In the past Iâve lost more than a second per kilometre in there, but this year we were one of the fastest both times though â that makes me especially happy.â
Ăric Camilli (10th) said:
âIt was very difficult for us in the morning. We were competitive here last year, but in these conditions it was hard to judge the limits. You never know where you can push, where it will be slippery, where there will be grip, where there will be water⊠and in this car, which has so much more power, it can be very tricky. But we took the time to learn and we were able to show a big improvement this afternoon.
âWeâre looking forward to tomorrow, but weâll keep the same mind-set until the end of the season. Right now, the most important thing for me is to take the experience. Weâve already proved our pace this season, so now itâs time to manage everything else and continue learning so that we can make more progress next year.â
Abu Dhabi Citroen WRT
Kris Meeke: âObviously, it was a bit of a frustrating start to the day for us. We knew it was going to rain, but it was torrential in the mountains! And when the dust that normally covers these roads gets wet, the surface becomes incredibly slippery⊠A few kilometres after the start of SS2, I was caught out by some standing water in the ruts. It put the car sideways on the road and we touched the bank and rolled. The damage was superficial and we only lost fifteen or twenty seconds with the roll! But with the conditions, I donât think I would have been able to fight for the lead in any case. I quickly refocused on my main objective for the weekend: find a good rhythm and feel comfortable on this surface. The results in the afternoon were encouraging, even though my road position helped. Overall, itâs still a disappointing day, but weâre not out of it yet. Letâs see what we can do, maybe we can sneak a podium.â
Craig Breen: âThis has been one of the most difficult days of my career. We had to deal with the worst conditions, with so much rain and mud. The first stage was particularly tough, the rainfall was at its heaviest just as we set off and there was a lot of standing water on the ground. We did our best, but I still made a minor mistake on SS5 and spun the car. Although we werenât going very fast, we hit a tree and that damaged the radiator. We were even more cautious after that, so we made it to the end of the day without incident. Iâm glad we switch to tarmac and a more traditional rally tomorrow!â
Khalid Al Qassimi: âIâve never seen conditions like these in Catalonia. It wasnât enjoyable to drive in such thick mud and I was even more cautious when I saw other cars stopped by the side of the road. I really backed off and didnât take any risks at all this morning, even if the reduced power meant the car wasnât really working properly. On the second runs, there was more grip and I was able to push a little bit more. I felt more confident as the afternoon drew on and I quite enjoyed the Terra Alta stage. Tomorrow we reset everything, itâs a completely different rally when we switch to tarmac. I hope that the weather will be kinder, both for us and for the fans!â
Day two then and with a complete switch to tarmac, the teams had made the suspension, brakes and tyre changes necessary at the end of the first day, preparing the cars for the smooth roads.
Eight stages made up Saturdayâs line up and the sun was still rising when the first cars fired into Stage eight. Having restarted with a rebuilt car, Jari-Matti powered through to beat Kris in this stage by just two tenths of a second. Daniâs lead was trimmed a little by Seb, but the gap between them was still almost 17 seconds.
01 Latvala (VW) 4m 03.4s
02 Meeke +0.2s
03 Mikkelsen (VW) +0.5s
04 Ogier (VW) +1.7s
05 Sordo +1.8s
06 Neuville +2.6s
07 Paddon +4.3s
08 TĂ€nak +5.1s
09 Ăstberg +5.2s
10 Abbring 6.3s
Stage nine then and could Seb close the gap some more? Well, actually it widened a little, whilst Jari-Matti took a second stage win. Kris suffered a puncture in the stage, so dropped some time, although still maintaining seventh overall.
01 Latvala (VW) 11m 05.9s
02 Sordo +0.7s
03 Ogier (VW) +1.3s
04 Mikkelsen (VW) +2.2s
05 Neuville +2.6s
06 Paddon +6.4s
07 Camilli +8.7s
08 Ăstberg +16.3s
09 TĂ€nak +18.1s
10 Abbring +24.2s
Stage ten next and Seb won the stage from Dani to reduce the gap by three seconds to 14.5 with Jari-Matti just three tenths off in third.
01 Ogier (VW) 11m 12.9s
02 Sordo + 3.0s
03 Latvala +3.3s
04 Meeke +3.5s
05 Neuville +5.4s
06 Mikkelsen (VW) +7.4s
07 Paddon +8.6s
08 Camilli +14.7s
09 TĂ€nak +23.2s
10 Ăstberg +24.3s
One more stage then before midday service, stage eleven and Seb flew through this one at an amazing 116kph average speed, including one section where he topped 191kph! Just incredible and with that closed the gap to Dani to just 7.7 seconds. Lots for Dani to think about.
01 Ogier (VW) 12m 27.3s
02 Sordo +6.8s
03 Latvala (VW) +9.9s
04 Neuville +10.9s
05 Meeke +12.0s
06 Mikkelsen (VW) +12.2s
07 Paddon +13.9s
08 Ăstberg +23.9s
09 Camilli +26.5s
10 Abbring +30.8s
After service Andreas, with the Hyundai drivers getting closer was pushing hard to keep them behind. It all went wrong in stage 12. Coming round a right hander, his Polo went wide and there was some Armco which was on the outside of the corner. The car slid onto it and it flipped the car over onto its roof and then back over. Andreas and Anders were fine, but the car wasnât going anywhere after that.
Seb won the stage from Dani again, just 2.5 seconds quicker and reducing the lead to 5.2 seconds. Could Dani stop Seb from passing him?
01 Ogier (VW) 11m 02.0s
02 Sordo +2.5s
03 Paddon +5.9s
04 Neuville +8.4s
05 Breen +10.5s
06 Ăstberg +12.6s
07 Meeke +19.6s
08 Abbring +19.8s
09 Prokop +21.2s
10 TĂ€nak +24.2s
11 Latvala +40.4s
Stage thirteen then and Seb kept coming with another stage victory over Jari-Matti and Dani third through here. It was looking very likely that Seb would be back in the lead very soon.
01 Ogier (VW) 11m 14.3s
02 Latvala (VW) +2.0s
03 Sordo +2.7s
04 Neuville +3.9s
05 Meeke +4.5s
06 Paddon +8.1s
07 Breen +11.7s
08 Ăstberg +18.4s
09 Abbring +23.9s
10 TĂ€nak +25.5s
Stage fourteen then and could Dani hold Seb off? Sadly, not Iâm afraid. He was 4.2 seconds slower through there and thus came out 1.7 seconds behind Seb.
01 Ogier (VW) 12m 29.3s
02 Latvala (VW) +2.2s
03 Neuville +3.9s
04 Sordo +4.2s
05 Meeke +4.9s
06 Paddon +5.5s
07 Breen +12.4s
08 Ăstberg +20.1s
09 Abbring +22.8s
10 TĂ€nak +27.8s
Last stage of the day then and it was a win for Kris round the super special. Seb was fourth, but it was a shame to see Dani lose more time, ending the stage four seconds slower than Seb, meaning that he would be 5.8 seconds behind going into the last day.
01 Meeke 2m 33.0s
02 Paddon +0.1s
03 Neuville +0.2s
04 Ogier (VW) +0.3s
05 Latvala (VW) +0.7s
06 Ăstberg +0.9s
07 Prokop +2.5s
08 Bertelli +3.3s
09 TĂ€nak +3.9s
10 Sordo +4.4s
So, hereâs the thoughts of the top three at the end of day two.
âA perfect day! I am very happy with our performance. I knew we could only make up the 17-second deficit to Dani Sordo with an absolutely flawless display. He is very quick on asphalt, and this is his home rally. We consciously took a slightly more cautious approach on this morningâs first stage, because it was still damp and slippery in places. From then on, however, Julien and I went on the attack. We obviously now have a huge chance of securing our fourth title here in Spain. That is at the back of our minds, but the points for the team in the Manufacturerâs Championship are also important. No doubt about it, we want to win tomorrow. However, I still remember well the outcome of last yearâs Power Stage. We donât plan to let that happen again this time.â
Dani Sordo said: âI was disappointed to lose the lead of the rally this afternoon, if I am honest. We knew it would be a tough challenge but when you are in the top spot, itâs natural instinct to want to protect it. The morning loop was not too bad, and we defended well but Ogier was pushing hard. We had a bit of understeer but I felt happy with my driving overall. We made a few adjustments at lunchtime service, but there wasnât any more we could do. Itâs very easy to make mistakes when pushing too hard, so we have to find a compromise. Weâre not too far off in terms of the overall time, and there are still plenty of opportunities tomorrow. Iâm not one to give up so weâll see what we can do. Itâs our home rally, so we want to win for all the Spanish fans.â
Thierry Neuville said: âItâs been a solid day for us and obviously itâs nice to be in the podium positions heading into the final day. The battle with Andreas this morning was poignant, not only because we are friends but also because we are involved in a close fight for second in the driversâ classification. We were already putting some pressure on before he went off in the afternoon loop. I have been pretty pleased with my driving today. We had a bit understeer and there has been some room for improvement, but all in all we can be happy. As a team, weâre looking strong, so we need a clean Sunday to pick up these important manufacturer points.â
The rest of the drivers
Hyundai Motorsport
Hayden Paddon said: âConsistency has been the word of the day for us. The team did a great job in service last night to get all the cars switched for todayâs asphalt tests. We have been in or around the top-six in most stages today and weâve been able to move up to fourth place, following Andreasâs retirement. Things feel better than they were in Corsica, although weâve still had to work hard to adapt to the conditions and to the car. Weâve been digging deep and trying to move forward – and weâll continue to do that through Sundayâs four stages.â
Kevin Abbring said: âItâs been a really enjoyable day. I have felt my confidence grow inside the car with each stage. The rhythm has been getting better and better. We had a good morning loop, improving the car bit by bit. Itâs been a year since we were on tarmac in Corsica in a WRC car so weâve had to reacclimatise. We wanted to gain some positions today – and circumstances have allowed us to do that. We made some good progress this afternoon, and have a few ideas for tomorrow. To be inside the top-eight is great and something we want to defend in the final stages on Sunday.â
Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT
Kris Meeke: âThis morning, I had a good rhythm but I picked up a puncture after cutting a corner. After that, I had to deal with an uneven tyre set-up. Some portions were also very dirty. This afternoon, I had a bit of a moment with a sixth-gear spin. I havenât really managed many of the stages without any issues, but itâs up to me to eliminate these silly mistakes. Overall, itâs been a frustrating leg, but the positive is knowing that I can challenge with the best when everything is going well! That wasnât the case a year ago, so weâll have to take that into 2017.â
Craig Breen: âThe day couldnât have got off to a worse start, because we broke a driveshaft after two or three kilometres. After the stage, we removed both of the front driveshafts. It was a long and difficult job, so we picked up a penalty for arriving late at the time control for the next stage. After the mid-leg service, we just tried to learn the stages. It was difficult for us to commit as we were on our first high-speed pass when everyone else was on their second. It wasnât a good day, but sometimes you need this kind of experience to appreciate the good times! On tomorrowâs final leg, weâll be just trying to finish the rally well.â
Khalid Al Qassimi: âItâs been a pretty good day for me. I didnât feel especially confident on the first loop, my pace notes werenât perfect and there was a lot of dirt and stones on the road. I nonetheless managed to up the pace on the second pass, altering my driving style to use the carâs torque more rather than shifting through the gears. Iâm pleased to have improved my times quite significantly. Itâs not easy to come back to tarmac after a year away. The other WRC drivers compete at a very high level and they do a lot more kilometres than me on this surface. But I still love this rally!â
2016 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 12 / RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de Espagna 2016 / October 13 – 16, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: M-Sport/McKlein
M-Sport WRT
Mads Ăstberg (6th) said:
âIâm quite happy to see that our new driving style is starting to pay off. Weâve seen an increase in speed and set some decent stage times too. Of course you always try to improve in the same direction and sometimes it kicks back which makes it quite difficult to tune in, but we are trying and I think we are getting there.
âSometimes you need to learn something new to move forward, and that is what weâre doing on Tarmac. You need to allow some time to see the results, but you also need to see the gains and Iâm quite happy to see that we are moving in the right direction and that we are getting faster.â
2016 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 12 / RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de Espagna 2016 / October 13 – 16, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: M-Sport/McKlein
Ăric Camilli (21st) said:
âOf course itâs disappointing to finish the day like this, but it hasnât been a bad day by all means. Weâve shown better speed but more importantly weâve also proved our adaptability. One of the stages was completely new to me this morning and normally I would lose some time there, but this time we were actually quite close to the fastest which was really good.
âHaving checked the pacenotes over the first pass, we wanted to improve further on the second and close the gap even more. Unfortunately, that wasnât possible as we had an issue with the gearbox. These things happen and I think every driver has to accept that sometimes.
âWeâll have to use the gravel gearbox tomorrow but that is just the way it is and weâll focus on checking the notes and making sure that weâre as prepared as we possibly can be for next year.â
Top ten at the end of day two
01 Ogier (VW) 2h 35m 12.8s
02 Sordo +5.8s
03 Neuville +1m 03.9s
04 Paddon +1m 20.0s
05 Meeke +1m 57.9s
06 Ăstberg +2m 35.7s
07 TĂ€nak 4m 24.7s
08 Abrring 6m 22.7s
09 Prokop 7m 13.3s
10 Bertelli 9m 17.1s
Four stages then and could Dani overhaul Seb to score a first victory for a Spaniard at home since El Matador, Carlos Saniz in 1995?
The first cars headed into the stage, number 16 and the sun had not yet come up. Lights ablaze, they turned and twisted their way through.
01 Ogier (VW) 10m 58.3s
02 Paddon +2.0s
03 Sordo +2.6s
04 Neuville +4.7s
05 Latvala (VW) +6.3s
06 Breen +8.5s
07 TĂ€nak +18.9s
08 Ăstberg +22.7s
09 Camilli +23.6s
10 Abbring +24.6s
Seb had a bit more light in the stage and therefore increased his lead from 5.8 seconds to 8.4 seconds.
Sadly, Kris would retire from the event at the end of the stage, having suffered from an engine failure. A big shame after a rally that promised so much.
Stage seventeen next and it was a Jari-Matti stage win again! Just showing that if he can get just some consistency, he can definitely challenge for victories.
01 Latvala (VW) 10m 53.1s
02 Ogier (VW) +1.2s
03 Paddon +1.5s
04 Neuville +2.1s
05 Sordo +2.7s
06 Breen +3.6s
07 Camilli +9.0s
08 Ăstberg +9.8s
09 TĂ€nak +16.1s
10 Abbring +16.8s
It looked like it was all over for Dani though, losing more time and with the gap to Seb increasing all the time. Heâd have to find some amazing pace to move back ahead of Seb, the gap now 14.2 seconds.
Just the power stage nowâŠ. Last year Seb crashed on this, handing victory to Andreas. Would he make the same mistake?
Not a chanceâŠ. He finished the stage second fastest and won the rally from Dani.
Stage 19
01 Latvala (VW) 7m 55.8s
02 Ogier (VW) +1.6s
03 Sordo +3.2s
04 Neuville +3.6s
05 Paddon +3.6s
06 Breen +5.2s
07 Ăstberg +6.4s
08 Camilli +10.3s
09 Abbring +15.3s
10 Bertelli +15.4s
Overall result
01 Ogier (VW) 2h 46m 11.1s
02 Sordo +8.4s
03 Neuville +1m 08.6s
04 Paddon +1m 22.0s
05 Ăstberg +2m 58.4s
06 TĂ€nak +4m 43.6s
07 Abbring +6m 47.3s
08 Prokop 7m 56.8s
09 Kopecky +8m 13.6s
10 Tidemand +8m 24.5s
Heâd joined the greatâs, Juha Kankunnen and Tommi MĂ€kinen as a four times World Rally Champion.
âI feel fantastic! The fourth world championship title for Julien and me, it is impossible to describe how this feels. It is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as such big names as Kankkunen and MĂ€kinen. I would like to say a huge thank you to our team at Volkswagen. Without them, Julien and I would not be here today. They do a fantastic job all year and we have had a perfect car all season. I had great fun at the wheel of the Polo R WRC once again this weekend. The tension ahead of the closing Power Stage was obviously greater than usual, given the fact that we were within touching distance of the title, and bearing in mind the mistake we made last year. But weâve done it. Despite the more difficult regulations, and despite the strong opposition. I am extremely proud of this title. It is now time to celebrate in style with a team and my wife â and when I get home I can show my young son Tim the trophy that daddy won. I dedicate this world championship title to him.â
Neuville said: âItâs been a good weekend. I donât think we could have got anything more out of the car in this rally. I took things carefully this morning. We did a good job to get into the podium positions so we didnât want to waste that effort. We were focused on the 15 championship points, so accepted that weâd have to compromise our stage times to do that. We had to take it cautiously in some sections, but I was mostly able to drive my usual rhythm. As a team, weâve had a competitive weekend with three cars in the top-four, so we can use this momentum for the final events of the season in GB and Australia. There are a few more competitive performances to come from us this year, Iâm sure!â
The rest of the drivers
Hyundai Motorsport
Hayden Paddon said: âItâs been a good final day for us and a positive event for the entire team. We have continued with our learning curve and kept the pressure on. Even if we werenât able to finish on the podium, Iâm happy with what weâve achieved over the three days. Ever since we changed some things on the car yesterday lunchtime, itâs been an improvement. Iâve enjoyed the stages today. I liked the first stage (Pratdip) but I was surprised by our pace in the second one (DuesaigĂŒes) because Iâve always struggled on that one. Thereâs nothing more frustrating for me than standing still so Iâm pleased weâve started to move in the right direction. Now letâs bring on the gravel!â
2016 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 12 / RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de Espagna 2016 / October 13 – 16, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: Hyundai Motorsport
Kevin Abbring said: âItâs brilliant to register our best ever WRC result here in Spain. Itâs been a very valuable learning weekend for us, and Iâd say it is âmission accomplishedâ as far as the result is concerned. We probably hoped to benefit more from our road position on Friday, but with the wet conditions it didnât play into our hands. We didnât expect to be winning stages but weâve made important steps on this mixed surface rally, and Iâm delighted with seventh place. Iâd like to say thanks to the team for the opportunity and for their support to us in this event.â
âItâs really satisfying to see that this new strategy is starting to pay off. There has been a lot of work over the last two rallies â and that will continue â but itâs always nice to see everything come together in a single stage.
âWe experienced that on the last stage today [SS19] and I was quite happy that we managed to do it. It still wasnât a 100 percent perfect stage, but itâs certainly getting there. Iâll have to see the report from my coach before I can say that it was very good, but it felt good and itâs almost a shame that weâre heading back to gravel now!
âBut, Wales Rally GB is an event that I am definitely looking forward to. Itâs a little bit earlier this year and we might see a dry event which would be fantastic! Iâve done it in the dry once before and that was really amazing. I hope it will be dry, but if itâs wet I donât mind either! Iâm looking forward to it a lot.â
Ăric Camilli (19th) said:
âIt was a shame about the technical issues we had but these things happen and it wasnât a bad weekend by all means. Weâve been able to gain a lot of new experiences and really improve our driving on Tarmac.
âWe took a lot of pleasure from these stages â the most that we have taken on Tarmac all year â and we will remember it with smiles on our faces. Itâs so important to have this feeling ahead of next year. Of course the cars will be different, and maybe the pacenotes too, but we have the experience and we can build on that.â
Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT
Craig Breen: âIt has been a positive final day. This morning, it was still pitch black when we set off on SS16. But we set a good time compared with the guys who had the same visibility conditions as we did. We kept up the good form on the next few stages and we learned a lot, especially by trying out a few different set-ups. Iâm really pleased to finish in the top 10 and score one point. Iâm now really looking forward to competing at Wales Rally GB!â
Khalid Al Qassimi: âIâm happy to have made it to the end of this rally without having any problems. The conditions on the first day didnât help me but we managed to keep out of trouble. Overall, the team result is a bit disappointing, but everything that happened to Kris and Craig will help us to learn and be better in the future. My WRC season is over now and Iâm proud of what we have accomplished with Abu Dhabi Total WRT.â
Kris Meeke: âThereâs not much to say about today, really. It just rounds off a frustrating weekend. Itâs very rare for us to have to retire with an electrical issue but thatâs just part and parcel of racing. But we have look at the positives and move forward. A little bit like in Corsica, I have finished this rally feeling better than I did at the end of 2015. And thatâs the most important thing, because weâre already focused on 2017!â
D-Mack WRT
Ott TĂ€nak said: âIt was a very tricky event, especially with the rain on Friday, and it was good to lead it briefly at the start. I enjoyed the Tarmac roads, the stages are really nice and flowing here and itâs a good feeling when things are going well. Sixth place means solid points again and weâve picked up more important experience for next season.â
Just two rounds to go then and who will win the remaining rallies? With Wales Rally GB and Rally Australia left this year. Kris would love to win at home and Iâm thinking Hayden will be treating Australia as almost a home event.
Pop back, and checkout my Previews and Reviews later this month.
The Renault team head to the American leg of the F1 calendar on a high after announcing the signing of Nico Hulkenberg for the 2017 season. The move further underlines the teamâs focus on the 2017 season to produce better results. There are still 4 races left however in 2016, and the team and its current line- up look to the US Grand Prix and points.
The tarmac at the Circuit of the Americas or COTA will experience the supersofts tyre for the first time, which will make the practice sessions very important to all teams, a fact that has not been lost on Renault.
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN
The popular Danish driver is no stranger to contract waiting periods and with the 2017 news this season, he hopes to hear from the team by the time this weekendâs race rolls on. If he is nervous, he certainly isnât showing it, as he previews the American spectacular:
âThe start-finish with the big climb at the end is pretty notable then thereâs a fast and flowing section that follows – and thatâs pretty fun. Itâs a good layout that has quite a few different challenges and we have seen some decent racing there. Overtaking is possible and there can be a variety of tyre strategies too, so I think we could have a fun raceâ
JOLYON PALMER
The British driver has seen resurgence in form in recent times, but will be equally nervous about the 2017 decision which could see him out of his racing seat at the French team.
Not having driven there in a full F1 race, Palmer has had to rely on simulator data. Much like Magnussen, Palmer exudes a calmness and humour as he previews the Austin flyaway:
âMy problem with the US is the food; there are too many temptations! This is tough as I have to watch my weight so closely. Iâd love to be tucking into ribs and burgers all the time! Aside from trying to keep away from the food, it really is a nice place to go racing. Itâs something different, especially to be in Texas, thereâs a great atmosphere there. Last year we had huge downpours, which was a shame so Iâm hoping for some good weather this year and a big crowdâ
Renault are bringing a new floor for Magnussenâs car to COTA, which they hope will provide more stability to the overall performance of the car. The track is considered a successful modern layout which will be a challenge to the comparatively slower Renault. Rumours (which we will not repeat until made official) suggest big changes to the driver lineup might still be in the works, at least insofar as Hulkenbergâs teammate is concerned.
2016 Formula One United States Grand Prix, Preview
Vijay on America
Team Principal, Vijay Mallya, reflects on a successful couple of weeks in Asia as the World Championships heads to North America.
VJM: âMalaysia and Japan were positive races for us. We were close to maximising our potential at each of those events and thatâs all we can do at this stage of the season. Sepang and Suzuka provide a tough test of a Formula One car and our strong form is a good sign for the races to come.
âWeâre in the middle of a very busy spell for the sport with four races within a month. The motivation and belief in the team are high and the visit to North America is always a highlight of the year. At such a busy time, itâs important to keep focus: the margins between success and failure are very small and we need to perform at the top of our game in every area. Iâm proud of the job we are doing and excited about the challenge ahead of us.â
Nico HĂŒlkenberg on America
Nico: âThe weekend in Austin is one of the coolest of the whole year. Itâs an event that ticks all the boxes: the track is fun, the city is interesting and the people are great. Thereâs a brilliant atmosphere, which you can feel as soon as you land in the city, and I really enjoy going there.
âI think COTA is one of the best tracks among the recent introductions to the calendar â they did a superb job with the layout. Sector one is very quick, with a great flow and high speeds. The whole lap has a good rhythm and overtaking is possible so you usually see some great racing.
âLast year was a very weird race, with some crazy rain on Saturday. When you get really wet weather, it adds to the challenge, because you have to keep focus while waiting around for the sessions to restart. You need to switch off and then be able to switch on again, but thatâs part of being a racing driver.â
Sergio Perez on America
Sergio: âBefore Mexico joined the calendar, Austin felt like a home race for me so I am always happy to go there, to be close to home and to be able to spend a bit of time with my family and friends at the circuit. I always have guests with me and there are so many fans who make the trip from Mexico to see the race in Austin.
âThe city is really nice and youâre never short of things to do. The whole place comes alive at night and there are so many bars and restaurants to enjoy. Of course, being there to race means we do not really get the chance to go out much, but even going for a walk gives you an opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere and see all the fans. Itâs a young city, with many students, and that gives it a nice vibe.
âThe circuit is incredible. The facilities are impressive and once the racing starts the atmosphere is really cool. Itâs quite different from your average Formula One environment and makes for a very welcome change.
âTurn one is very tricky: you get to the top of the hill and the apex is blind, so you canât really see where youâre going or the best line into the corner. You take a leap of faith and just go for it, and if you hesitate itâs very easy to turn in too late and lose precious time. You just need to get your calculations right.
âThere are many corners inspired by other tracks â you get hints of Monza in the big braking zones, a reminder of Silverstone in the fast corners and it makes for a very interesting lap. Last yearâs weekend was very difficult, with the weather stopping us from doing much practice, but we came away with a good result in the end and hopefully we can score strongly again this year.â
Image courtesy of Sahara Force India Formula team.
Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom has been crowned the new FIA World Rallycross Champion after scoring enough points at the German RX round to secure him the title with one round of the World Championship still remaining. Olsbergs MSE driver Kevin Eriksson took the Germany RX win, claiming his first every victory in the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. Petter Solberg finished second, while fellow Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud claimed the third podium spot.
Driving for his own EKS rallycross team, Ekstrom finished fifth this weekend and is now 30 points ahead of last yearâs World RX Champion Solberg in the driversâ standings. Even if Ekstrom does not complete the final round of the Championship in Argentina, a maximum score for Solberg would only draw the Norwegian level and Ekstrom would still win on countback of victories.
âThis is probably the best day in my whole motorsport career – it feels like I have electricity running through my whole body,â grinned the new rallycross champion, Ekstrom.
He continued: âI have a lot of amazing memories: from winning the Swedish Touring Car Championship back in 1999, my first DTM title in 2004, my Race of Champions win against Loeb in Paris, and also against Michael Schumacher in 2007, then my second DTM title. Now Iâm the new World RX Champion and this feeling beats it all because when I started EKS from scratch less than three years ago, this was my dream. I have always wanted to go to an FIA prize-giving ceremony and now I finally can. This is a huge effort for my family, the team and all the guys who have worked to make this happen. To become an FIA World Champion is what I have always wanted and it is the best feeling in the world. Obviously, I owe a lot of gratitude to my employer, Audi Sport. My bosses gave me permission to compete at the Estering in order to maximise my chances of winning the title. That couldnât be taken for granted, and Iâm very thankful for this. I hope that by clinching the big trophy, I was able to put a smile on their faces.â
The event was won by Swedenâs Kevin Eriksson who started on the second row of the grid of the final. Solberg was fastest to the first corner which awarded him the Monster Energy Super Charge Award, but Eriksson stunned his competitors as he pulled off a sideways move from the outside and managed to take the lead, which he retained for the rest of the race. It can quite possibly be described as the over-take of the year.
âI am speechless,â explained Eriksson, who has become the seventh different winner in World RX this year. âI saw Petter lead off the start and planned to stay behind him but then I saw an opportunity to go on the outside and hoped for the best. Somehow it worked! I felt I had really good speed throughout the weekend and to beat these guys you need to be driving at your very best. This weekend, everything came together and we got the consistency I needed to take the win.â
Second-placed Solberg was first to congratulate Eriksson on his debut World RX victory. âI am very impressed by Kevin. He won the Swedish Championship last weekend and now he has gone one better and take his first World RX victory, which was very well deserved â especially when I had a clear line into turn one and my car is very good on the gravel.â
Solberg continued: âTo be honest, I am sad that the Championship is over for me. I have been fighting all year for my third World RX title and I hoped it would go down to the final round and the team were really motivated. It is so important for me to thank my amazing team – I may be the guy driving the car, but the car was so fast this weekend, I think one of the fastest on the track. I can only say thank you for all the hours they have spent in the last two weeks, making small changes which could make a difference for us. They have worked so systematically; second here is a great win for the whole PSRX team. Finally, Mattias is a very worthy winner, he has won a lot of races this year and been very consistent â big congratulations to him and to EKS.â
Hoonigan Racing Divisionâs Andreas Bakkerud was relieved to make it home in third place, after suffering from smoke inhalation for the duration of todayâs final. He took up the story: âI had exhaust fumes and smoke in the cockpit for all six laps of the final â I have never wanted to see the chequered flag so much in my life! Then in the middle of the race, I also lost my gear lever which made life even more difficult.â
Reigning FIA European Rallycross Champion Kevin Hansen continued his fantastic form this season in the Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar to finish fourth overall in Germany. The 18-year-old commented: âIt was nice to be back in the World Championship this weekend. The first day was a little difficult but I knew that our work had taken us in the right direction during Sunday morningâs warm-up. I donât really know what happened in the final. The first turn was just crazy. Someone hit me and I ended up fourth, for the second time this year. With two fourth places and the European title in the bag, I am pleased with my season.â
Meanwhile, Volkswagen RX Swedenâs Johan Kristoffersson entered the event with a mathematical chance of taking the championship to the final round, which continued into the final, but a puncture on lap three while running fourth put him out of contention and he eventually finished the event fifth overall. Solbergâs second-place finish has seen the Norwegian move back to second in the overall leaderboard – four points ahead of Kristoffersson.
Sixth place was taken by Ekstromâs team-mate Topi Heikkinen. The healthy points score taken by Heikkinen and Ekstrom this weekend has seen EKS extend its lead over Team Peugeot-Hansen in the Teamsâ Championship by 17 points going into the final round of the season.
Elsewhere, Americaâs Tanner Foust started his second World RX event of the season with Volkswagen RX Sweden but was hampered by some minor problems on day one, which meant he did not qualify for todayâs semi-finals.
Germany also marked the final round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for both Super1600 and TouringCars, where both championships went down to the wire. In the Super1600 Championship, Hungaryâs Kirsztian Szabo won in his Skoda Fabia and took the 2016 title by one point over Denmarkâs Ulrik Linnemann who finished third in Germany. Egor Sanin finished runner-up in todayâs event. In the overall standings, Kasparas Navickas ends the year third overall.
The TouringCar Championship proved just as close as Ben-Philip Gundersen triumphed over Swedenâs Magda Andersson by just one point. It was David Nordgard who won todayâs event, followed home by Andersson and Anders Braten in third. Third overall in the points at the end of 2016 is Fredrik Magnussen.
2016 FIA World RX Rallycross Championship / Round 11 / Buxtehude, Germany / October 14-16, 2016 // Worldwide Copyright: Colin McMaster/Monster/McKlein
World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded: âCongratulations to Mattias Ekstrom who has become our new FIA World Rallycross Champion after forfeiting his first DTM race in over 15 years. Both Mattias and EKS have worked relentlessly since entering full-time in 2015 and for Mattias to have won in both DTM and now in rallycross proves what a natural talent he is behind the wheel. To become World RX Champion is no easy feat – we have some of the best drivers in the world competing in our Championship. Well done to Kevin Eriksson and Olsbergs MSE who took the first win of the year, Kevinâs pace during today final was excpetional. Congratulations also to Krisztian and Ben-Philip who are our new Super1600 and TouringCar Champions â it was very exciting to see both Championships being won by just a point and just goes to show how competitive both these categories have become. On top of the exhilarating on-track action, weâve also had a sell-out crowd in Germany this weekend and itâs always encouraging to see how popular our sport has become.â
The season-closer to this yearâs World RX Championship will take place in Rosario, Argentina, at the end of November as rallycross returns to South America for the third year in a row.
At the United States Grand Prix three years ago, the Red Bull Racing pit crew had conceivably its finest hour, completing a pit stop on Mark Webberâs car in a World Record time of 1.923s. It beat their own record of 2.05s, set earlier in the season and was, of course, the first ever pitstop to break the two seconds barrier.
