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Rally Spain – Day One Report – Friday. Toyota’s World Champions keep Hyundai at bay.

The first day is over and whilst there wasn’t huge drama, we did have a few lead changes. The startlist looked like this with our new world champion opening the road – Rovanperä, Tänak, Neuville, Evans, Katsuta, Breen, Ogier, Sordo, Greensmith, Loubet, Fourmaux, Serderidis.

Kalle won SS1 Els Omells – Maldà 1 – 11.05 km from Thierry and Ott. There was less than three seconds between the top five. The top placed Puma crew was Craig and Paul who held seventh overall.

The first run of SS2 Serra de la Llena 1 – 11.79 km saw Kalle set the fastest time from Thierry and Elfyn, but sadly Ott dropped back a bit after suffering issues with his hybrid unit. The Estonian was only fifth fastest and dropped two places to fifth overall. Seb and Elfyn benefitted from this, moving up into third and fourth respectively. Kalle now had a 3.3 second lead over Thierry.

It all changed at the end of SS3 Les Garrigues Altes 1 – 22.64 km. Seb was showing his pace out there, setting the fastest time from Thierry and Ott. The Estonian was still having some issues with the hybrid, but it was working more often meaning that he had a better pace out there, and his pace took him ahead of Elfyn and into fourth. Meanwhile, Seb’s pace took him into the lead, whilst Thierry remained in second place and Kalle fell to third place. Once again there was only 3.5 seconds between the top three.

The final stage then of the morning loop SS4 Riba-roja 1 – 13.98 km and Thierry was fastest this time from Ott and Seb. This propelled the Belgian into the lead and Seb dropped to second place. Kalle remained in third overall.

After lunchtime service Seb won SS5 Els Omells – Maldà 2 – 11.05 km and he moved back into the lead, the gap over Thierry now 3.2 seconds. Elfyn and Dani had a better start to the afternoon stages and set the identical time for third fastest.

Kalle was fastest in SS6 Serra de la Llena 2 – 11.79 km from Seb and Dani, the Spaniard showing great pace out there. He was a lot happier. Kalle’s pace lifted him up into second overall, the gap between the two teammates was 4.3 seconds. Sadly, things were not so good for Elfyn, who was only ninth fastest.

Kalle also won SS7 Les Garrigues Altes 2 – 22.64 km from Seb and Thierry. This is the stage that had some drama for the crews with Dani and Elfyn both getting punctures. The Welshman dropped one place to sixth overall to Dani who despite his puncture gained one place. Takamoto also got a puncture in this one. This problem meant that the very consistent pace from Craig brought him ahead of the Toyota driver and into seventh overall.

The final stage then of the day, SS8 Riba-roja 2 – 13.98 km and Seb was fastest from Kalle and Pierre-Louis. Elfyn was back up to some pace going sixth fastest but expected the conditions to be quite different and not as dry as it was.

Let’s take a look at the top ten and hear from some of the drivers.

Classification after Day One

1 S. Ogier B. Veillas Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 1:06:07.9
2 K. Rovanperä J. Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +4.8
3 T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +12.5
4 O. Tänak M. Järveoja Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +20.0
5 D. Sordo C. Carrera Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +50.9
6 E. Evans S. Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:01.2
7 C. Breen P. Nagle Ford Puma Rally1 +1:03.7
8 T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1:28.6
9 A. Fourmaux A. Coria Ford Puma Rally1 +1:31.3
10 G. Greensmith J. Andersson Ford Puma Rally1 +1:38.8
11 P. L. Loubet V. Landais Ford Puma Rally1 +1:48.7

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Sébastien Ogier (1st)

“It’s been a good day. We had fun in the car, I really enjoyed driving the GR YARIS today. I was not really sure this would be possible today starting seventh on the road with the amount of cutting in the stages. But the feeling was good and we were able to push most of the time even though the conditions were a bit challenging and changing all the time. It’s nice to be in the lead tonight and have two Toyotas at the front – it’s been a great day for the team today – but the gap behind us is not so big so we will have to keep pushing tomorrow.”

Kalle Rovanperä (2nd)

“I can be quite happy with what we did today. The morning was quite nice with two new and fast stages where we could do good times. Then the longest stage was tricky with a lot of grip changes and we a lost a bit too much time there. The afternoon was a bit more consistent and I had a better feeling with the hard tyres on the car. It’s nice to be in this battle but the cars behind are still close, so tomorrow we will need to continue going as fast as possible and see what we can do.”

Elfyn Evans (6th)

“For us it’s not been the best day overall. It started OK this morning in difficult mixed conditions, with differing levels of grip through the stage, but I wasn’t fully at one with everything and was a bit hesitant in places. In the afternoon we seemed to be struggling a bit more. At some points the feeling was OK in the car but then we had the puncture in SS7 and lost quite a lot more time. It does give us an opportunity to look at changing a few things tonight and try to find a better feeling for tomorrow.”

Hyundai Motorsport

Thierry Neuville (3rd)

“It was an OK day. This morning, we had a good rhythm, and the speed was there. Unfortunately, this afternoon it seems our competitors were able to go a bit faster, so we were constantly losing time. We are twelve seconds off with two days to go, and everything is still open. I think personally that I could have gone a bit harder and pushed more, but also, I have lacked the feeling in some corners and didn’t know exactly where the limit is. We have to work on that. On Saturday, we have a different profile of stages, which we know well, so there will be room for more improvement.”

2022 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 12, Rally de Espana, 20-23 October 2022
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Photographer: Vincent Thuillier
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Ott Tänak (4th)

“On the first two stages this morning we had some hybrid issues. Somehow, we managed to get it working for the next two, but then we had to change a broken alternator belt in the road section. We had a similar hybrid issue in the afternoon, so the team needs to find out what’s causing it. Generally, we struggled to get the feeling we would expect from tarmac. We knew before the rally it would be difficult. For Thierry and Dani, it seems to suit but for me it’s demanding. The plan is to try and get the car to work like it should be and hopefully keep in touch with Thierry tomorrow. That’s our objective at least.”

Dani Sordo (5th)

“I have been frustrated with today because we came here hoping to push for victory. Unfortunately, the conditions and circumstances have meant we’ve not been able to. I knew when we picked up the puncture in SS7 because I heard something; I think it was a stone in the mud during a small corner. There was nothing in our pace notes, but I know that others had the same issue. We took it steady after that to avoid losing the tyre off the rim, which would have lost more time. I expected better today, but there are still two days to go, and we need to push more. I hope the weather will be OK.”

Tomorrow (Saturday 22nd October)

The crews will have six normal stages to face, and then a superspecial in the evening. There is a total of 118km’s over the seven stages. Pop back tomorrow evening for my report on the day’s action.

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Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

Izan Guevara Australian GP Moto3

Moto3 has a new world champion, but there’s still plenty of excitement building as the series returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2019.

The Sepang International Circuit hosts round 19 of the 2022 Moto3 World Championship this weekend (21/22/23 October).

The popular 5.543 km circuit has just about everything. Fast sweeping bends, tight technical sections and two mammoth straights held together by the famous hairpin combine to form an excellent racetrack.

As with most of the recent Moto3 venues, it’s been a while since the last Grand Prix at Sepang, and only a handful of the current riders have competed at the circuit.

After confidently securing the Moto3 title in Australia, Izan Guevara is clearly a favourite for the win this weekend. The GASGAS Team Aspar rider has simply been a class above this season, particularly since the summer break. With two victories in the last three races, both at tracks he hadn’t visited before, it’s hard to bet against the Spaniard being on the podium on Sunday.

Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki has been one of the few challengers anywhere near Guevara’s pace in recent times. The Japanese rider has established himself as one of the top competitors in Moto3 this season. It was confirmed recently that he will retain his seat for next season as part of his team’s merger with Moto2’s Intact GP.

Italian rider Dennis Foggia has blown both hot and cold this season. One week he’s on the podium, the next he couldn’t be much further from it. The Leopard Honda rider is moving up to the intermediate class next year and will be determined to add to his Moto3 win tally before he does so.

Britain’s John McPhee is also leaving the class at the end of the season. At the grand old age of 28, he is no-longer eligible for a permanent ride in Moto3. With his future still unconfirmed, at least to the public, it is expected that his Grand Prix career is coming to an end, at least for now. If that is the case, he will want to go out on a high.

The weather forecast for the weekend looks bleak with thunderstorms expected throughout the event. That said, the eagle-eyed readers will be aware that I’ve touted rain for the last few races and it hasn’t materialised, so take my weather warning with a pinch of salt.

Viewers in the UK will have to set their alarm clocks once again. The race is scheduled to start at 12:00pm local time (05:00am GMT).

Feature Image: MotoGP

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F1 Race Weekend Preview: America 2.0

Rain-soaked confusion in Suzuka eventually led to Max Verstappen achieving his second World Drivers Championship. We move on to the states where we are back at COTA which will hopefully provide us with another crowd-pleaser.

Championship battles are not over yet

2022 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen. Image courtesy of RedBull Content Pool

The race to first in the driver’s championship may be over, but second is still very much up for grabs. A P2 in Japan for Perez meant he moved back ahead of Leclerc by only one point heading into this weekend. With four rounds left, the fight for vice-champion could go down to the wire with both drivers wanting to finish best of the rest, and maybe save some dignity for Leclerc, who had been Verstappen’s main rival.

For the teams, however, their main focus is always the constructors as this is where the prize money is handed out. It looks inevitable that Mercedes will have their dominant run in the V6-turbo era ended as they are the only team to win the constructors championship in this period.

RedBull could complete the double at the end of the US Grand Prix if they win the race or are 147 points clear of Ferrari by the end of the weekend. This would be the first time RedBull would have won both championships in the same year since 2013 when Vettel became a four-time world champion.

The Cost Cap issue rolls on

After a delay in the announcement, RedBull’s celebrations were cut short as the FIA finally confirmed they and Aston Martin had breached the 2021 cost cap. RedBull had a “minor” infringement which is a less than 5% breach, whilst Aston Martin is reported to have an even smaller breach.

There have been official penalties from the FIA, but it is expected that this will be the main talking point on everyone’s lips, especially if RedBull do manage to wrap up the constructor’s title at the end of the weekend.

RedBull celebrating in Japan before the announcement. Image courtesy of RedBull Content Pool

American Drivers back in F1

Logan Sargeant, Charouz (Rudy Carezzevoli, Getty Images / FIA F3)

Even if it is only for FP1, the young driver of Logan Sargeant will get his chance to take to the track in the Williams while Alex Palou is getting his shot in the McLaren which will give plenty of American fans something to cheer about.

Sargeant has been linked with the Williams seat available with Latifi departing and De Vries signing with Alpha Tauri. He is currently third in the standings in F2 and had an impressive season in 2021 which has led to this opportunity. He will want to impress the bosses at Williams to prove he is ready for the next step in his career.

 

It’s a late one for those in the UK. Qualifying starts on Saturday at 11pm BST and the race at 8pm BST on Sunday.

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Guevara crowned Moto3 champion with victory in Australia

Izan Guevara has been crowned Moto3 World Champion after taking victory on the Australian Grand Prix!

After a tough outing in Thailand two weeks ago, Guevara came to Phillip Island hoping to get back on the podium, with the chance to wrap up the title early well within his grasp.

Qualifying for the Spaniard ended with a seventh-place result, meaning there was work to do on Sunday to get to the front.

The race began with damp areas present around the track, but not enough to force the riders on to the wet tyre, with slicks being the choice for all.

Guevara quickly made his intent clear from the start: to get to the front. As the lights went out it was Garcia who took the lead early on ahead of Diogo Moreira and pole-sitter Ayumu Sasaki.

Sasaki made a move for the lead on the third lap as Garcia dropped to third behind Ivan Ortola who had made a good start to find himself in second during the early stages.

Meanwhile the champion in waiting was still on the move, quickly getting up to second on lap four with an impressive move past both Moreira and Garcia, with his eyes firmly set on the lead.

By the eighth lap an exciting battle for first emerged between Garcia, who had taken first a few laps prior, and Guevara.

This battle went on for the rest of the race, with Sasaki and Deniz Öncü joining the fight.

The race went right down until the final lap, with the four riders separated by almost nothing!

Guevara had the pace to find a couple of tenths over his rivals, and crossed the line as winner ahead of Öncü, Garcia and Sasaki, crowning him champion!

With that, Guevara can now breathe a sigh of relief as he heads to the final two rounds of the year with the title already wrapped up.

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Brookes sad to end his time with PBM and the Ducati brand. Sykes exit confirmed.

A sad day in the Brookes Camp.

Josh Brookes has spoken of his fondness for the Italian marque and the Carlisle based Paul Bird Motorsport team (PBM), as the 2022 season draws to a close.

Runner up in 2019 to Scott Redding and then Champion himself in 2020, Josh had been a regular front runner on the Ducati Panigale V4r over his time but recent struggles with grip have seen Brookes and the PBM team decide to part ways and seek alternative arrangements for 2023.

Brookes has signed with FHO Racing BMW, where team principal Faye Ho has welcomed him with open arms. Hoping to bring the former British Champion into the team to push on and challenge for the British Superbike Championship with both Brookes and re-signed Peter Hickman.

Brookes PBM season concluded with two top 10 finishes at Brands Hatch.

MCE Ducati Josh Brookes – Image Courtesy MCE Ducati

Josh Brookes: “It’s a sad day for me as I’ve grown to love the MCE Ducati and I’m going to miss riding the bike as I think anyone who rides a Ducati will say its infectious, like motorbikes are in general. I’ve enjoyed my time with the brand and the team as we’ve had a good time together but who knows what the future will bring. As for today, I’d say it’s been my best day on the bike this year so it’s nice to end on a positive note. Seventh is not the result I want but in terms of lap times and consistency, and staying strong right up until the end, I felt better than I have done all year. I kept pushing and was running close to the British Champion so that’s a good achievement in our final race together.”

Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s nice to see Josh end the year, and his time with us, strongly in the final race of the year and no one can fault his commitment, dedication, or professionalism for the entire four years he’s been with us. The MCE Ducati PBM team have made some good friends in Josh and his wife Aimee, and we all wish him well for the future. Tom obviously hasn’t been with us as long but it’s been a pleasure to have an ex-World Champion riding for the team and he’ll be moving to pastures new in 2023 so, again, we wish him well. We’d also like to congratulate Bradley Ray and the Rich Energy OMG Racing Team on their title success and also thank all of our sponsors for their commitment and loyalty.”

It has also been announced by the team that Tom Sykes will also move on from the team now the 2022 season has concluded. It is rumored that Sykes will pursue a ride in World Superbikes with either a Puccetti Kawasaki or possibly even a Barni Ducati but official announcements are yet to be received.

Tom Sykes: “I can’t deny it’s been a disappointing season as I came to BSB and the PBM team to get involved and fight for the title. Unfortunately, we had some restrictions and whilst we showed what we could do at a big circuit like Donington we ultimately couldn’t do that often enough. I’m upset for myself and the team as the level of talent at PBM, in all areas of the garage, deserves a lot more. Sometimes you have difficult seasons and, unfortunately, 2022 has been one of those years. I’m obviously very grateful for the opportunity at PBM and they’ve been a pleasure to work with all year so would like to wish them all the best.”

MCE Ducati Tom Sykes & Josh Brookes – Image Courtesy MCE Ducati Press Release (Double Red Photography)

 

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Irwin and Hickman share the spoils as Ray takes the Championship.

Bradley Ray – Bennetts British Superbike Champion for 2022 – Image Courtesy of Official BSB

Bradley Ray continued his run of consistency on Saturday at Brands Hatch, needing only 9 points to crown him the 2022 British Superbike Champion. Title rivals Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell knew nothing but race wins would be enough to see their championship fight continue into Sunday’s Race 2 and 3.

Glenn Irwin was up for the job on the day, with a dominant victory in Race 1. Followed closely throughout the race by FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman and Synetiq BMW’s Andrew Irwin, neither BMW were able to put any manners on the Honda Racing U.K. Fireblade as Irwin managed the gap and pace, living up to his ambition of having one last race victory, in 2022 with the Honda.

Tommy Bridewell followed along in a hard-fought 4th place but, unfortunately Irwin and Bridewell were also relying on some bad luck on the part of Brad Ray to aid in their title challenge.

The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider came home in a steady 5th position meaning Ray had done everything he needed to do to be crowned the new champion. Saturday’s task for Brad Ray had been achieved. The emotion could be seen flowing through pit lane as Ray’s family, friends and team filed out to heap praise on the young rider.

Unfortunately for Ray, it seemed the curse of the number 1 plate kicked in after a lap 2 crash in Sunday’s Race 2 saw his Yamaha arriving through the gravel on Paddock Hill bend due to a cold tyre crash. Thankfully with Saturday being the important day, all pressure was off. Ray went on to take a 6th place finish for Race 3. In a statement to the media after racing, Ray said: “Pre-season was good and I knew that this would be my best chance to fight for the championship with Yamaha, with Rich Energy OMG. We just got our head down the whole season, took everything in our stride, maximised everything race by race and that allowed us to come to Brands Hatch and have a difficult round like we have.”

“Obviously it would have been nicer to be fighting for victory and fighting for podiums [this weekend] but we’ve done enough work throughout the season to prove that we’re worthy champions. Just a big shout out to the team, family, friends and everyone who came out to Brands to support me this weekend.”

A good result coming at the perfect time also for Danny Kent, Charlie Nesbitt, Josh Owens and Jack Kennedy for their own reasons. Danny Kent, as its contract time and he would like to maximise his potential ride for the 2023 season, likewise for Josh Owens. Jack Kennedy has shown good form to get his first points on the board before competing full time next year aboard the Mar-Train Yamaha R1 after he and his team decided to step up a class for next year. Charlie Nesbitt for again showing he could be about to hit the ground running after rumors circulated the Buildbase team have already signed him for the 2023 season.

Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki Josh Owens – Image Courtesy Rapid Training

Race 1 Results

1 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
2 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
3 Andrew Irwin – Synetic BMW Motorrad
4 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
5 Bradley Ray – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
6 Jason O’Halloran – McAMS Yamaha
7 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
8 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
9 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
10 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
11 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
12 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
13 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK
14 Jack Kennedy – Mar-Train Racing Yamaha
15 Davey Todd – Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda

Race 2

Again a fight between BMW and Honda. The M1000RR v the CBR1000RR in the form of Peter Hickman and Danny Buchan vs Glenn Irwin. In another classic Brands Hatch style race, Buchan and Irwin followed Hickman around the circuit but just didn’t have the edge to make a move and snatch victory away from him. Peter Hickman became the 10th different winner this season.

FHO Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman becoming the 19th winner of the 2022 season. Image courtesy of Official BSB

Brad Ray wasn’t the only Yamaha to suffer in race 2 as an incident between Andy Irwin and Jason O’Halloran saw once again the Yamaha rider being taken out of the race in the closing stages. Andy Irwin went for an overtake under braking into the Surtees corner, making contact with O’Halloran’s handlebar sending the McAMS rider spilling onto the sidelines. O’Halloran struggled to be positive in his interview with Eurosport after the race noting 3 incidents in 3 races had basically ruined his season and all the hard work of the McAMS team. Seems the popular Australian cannot catch a break at the moment and no doubt feels like he has been robbed of a chance to compete for the British title this year. It’s no great shakes to say that had Tarran Mackenzie stayed on his bike and injury free and had Jason O’Halloran not been taken out on the same corner, in two races by two different riders, I don’t think this Showdown would have gone Ray’s way as easy. (There’s no doubt in my mind that the McAMS Yamaha team would have pushed the Ray to the last round. This is racing. If this, If that… If my aunty had balls, she’d have been my uncle etc. Such is life. We all move on.)

Andy Irwin was disqualified from Race 2’s results and given a 3-place penalty for Race 3 but this didn’t stop the determined Northern Irishman’s fight for a final podium in 2022.

McAMS Yamaha Jason O’Halloran – Image Courtesy McAMS Yamaha

Race 2 Results

1 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
2 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
3 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
4 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
5 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
6 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
7 Christian Iddon – Buildbase Suzuki
8 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
9 Josh Brookes – MCE Ducati
10 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
11 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
12 Dean Harrison – DAO Racing Kawasaki
13 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK
14 Storm Stacey – Team LKW Euro Car Parts Kawasaki
15 Davey Todd – Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda

Race 3

This was a race long battle again between Glenn Irwin, Andy Irwin and Danny Buchan for the podium, followed by Tommy Bridewell, Peter Hickman and Brad Ray. It looked like Buchan was on for another race win for the season until a couple of laps to go, when a moment into Surtees allowed both the Irwin brothers to pass, leaving Buchan clinging on to the rear of the group. Glenn then put the hammer down and lead the final laps to take the final race win of the season.

The rumors surrounding both the Irwin brothers during the Brands weekend would have them both riding for different manufacturers in 2023. A lot of people have Glenn on an MCE Ducati next year with Andy taking over his brothers mount in the Honda Racing fold. No doubt all the silly season details will all come out over the next few weeks as we find out what is happening with newly crowned Champion, Bradley Ray and recently de-throned 2021 Champion, Tarran Mackenzie.

Race 3 Result.

1 Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK
2 Andy Irwin – Synetic BMW Motorrad
3 Danny Buchan – Synetic BMW Motorrad
4 Tommy Bridewell – Oxford Products Ducati
5 Peter Hickman – FHO Racing BMW
6 Bradley Ray – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
7 Josh Brookes – MCE Ducati
8 Danny Kent – Buildbase Suzuki
9 Christian Iddon – Buildbase Suzuki
10 Kyle Ryde – Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
11 Tom Sykes – MCE Ducati
12 Charlie Nesbitt – Buildbase Suzuki
13 Ryan Vickers – FHO Racing BMW
14 Josh Owens – Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki
15 Takumi Takahashi – Honda Racing UK

 

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Rally Spain 2022 Preview

We are down to the last two rounds of this season’s championship and with Kalle and Jonne having taken their first world title in the last round, will we see a completely a new level of pace from the youngest ever world champions? They will open the road throughout Friday and as we know the road will get slower as the dirt and gravel that gets pulled on with the level of cutting in the corners.

Any number of crews from the top teams could win this rally, and it’s worth looking at the list of the last winners of this rally. Thierry won the last two times in 2021 and 2019 for Hyundai Motorsport, whilst Citroen took the two wins before with Kris Meeke winning in 2017 and Seb Loeb in 2018.

This rally will see the final drive of Paul Nagle in the world of rallying. He has sat alongside Craig since the start of 2019, taking a number of podiums for Hyundai and then M-Sport. He took a win with Kris Meeke here in 2017, and will be much missed. Could we see a final flourish for the Irish duo this weekend? Here’s hoping!!

Let’s take a look at the stages then for this year and hear from the drivers.

After a Thursday morning Shakedown, Rally de España will officially open with a ceremonial start in the seaside town of Salou – home of the WRC service park.

Friday will see the first running of the event, with two brand-new stages for crews to contend with. Eight stages will total a competitive distance of 118.92km.

Crews will tackle a similar distance in Saturday’s seven stages, including the rally’s longest stage (El Montmell, 24.18km), finishing with a short sprint in Salou.

Four stages on Sunday will round out the event, with Riudecanyes – which features a 360° donut in front of the fans – bestowed with the honour of the rally’s Power Stage.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Kalle Rovanperä

“It has been nice to have a few days to appreciate what we achieved in New Zealand but we still have two rallies to go where we want to perform as strongly as possible, so the work doesn’t stop. Already last week when we got back to Europe, we were almost straight back in the car for our pre-event test in Spain. The big goal now is to win the manufacturers’ championship and it would be great if we could secure it already in Spain. It’s a really nice rally with fast and flowing roads, and the stages are the closest thing we have to a racing circuit. That means we need to be quite precise with the driving, but it’s really enjoyable when you get it right.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship / Round 11 / Rally Catalunya/Spain / 14-17 October 2021 // Worldwide Copyright: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Elfyn Evans

“Spain is a really enjoyable rally now that it’s fully on asphalt again since last year. The stages will be by-far the raciest asphalt roads we’ve encountered with this car. We were strong on the last asphalt event in Belgium but Spain could hardly be more different in character. Arguably Monte Carlo is actually the most similar, but the temperatures and conditions will obviously be completely different in Spain. It’s a rally where the margins tend to be quite tight so we can expect it to be a hard-fought weekend. The manufacturers’ championship is an important target for the team and the easiest way to achieve it will be with good results. Hopefully we will manage to score a top one for the team.”

Sébastien Ogier

“New Zealand was a very nice comeback for me after a few months away, and it was a really special weekend to be a part of. Our one-two finish also took us a good step closer to the manufacturers’ championship and this is now the next target for Spain. For me it will be good to have two events on asphalt to finish the season, and it gives me the opportunity to get back in the rhythm on this surface and be as ready as possible for Japan, which will obviously be a special event for the whole team. But before that we also have a job to do in Spain to try and get the best result possible there. The roads are always great to drive and I’m sure it will be a strong fight for the victory.”

 

Hyundai Motorsport

Ott Tänak 

“I would say Spain is the first true tarmac rally of the season, as it is quite smooth and at the same time quite fast. It is always difficult to find the correct balance there, so our confidence in the car will need to be high. The stages have lots of long, fast corners that make you fight with understeer, which is something we will have to get right with the setup of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1. I’m expecting it to be a fun and enjoyable rally, but it also quite important for us to be competitive and fight for as many points as possible. We showed how good our tarmac package is in Croatia and Belgium, and our aim is to continue that streak in Spain.”

Thierry Neuville 

“I think Rally de España is quite straightforward now that it is back to being a full tarmac event. The roads are flat, wide and smooth; the grip level is more or less the same across all of the stages. Being quick there is about getting a good setup and finding a nice flow with the car – then pushing as hard as you can. The gaps are always very small, so it almost feels like you are driving on a race track, fighting for every tenth of a second. It would be nice to take a third win in a row in Spain; we’ll certainly be aiming to fight at the front and finish the event on the podium again. We will try our best to perform to our maximum and secure a good result for the team.”

2021 FIA World Rally Championship
Round 11, Rally de Espana
14-17 October 2021
X
Photographer: Vincent Thuillier
Worldwide copyright: Hyundai Motorsport GmbH

Dani Sordo 

“Going to Rally de España is always special for me, as it is my home event and I am lucky to have a lot of support from the fans there. I also really like the roads; they are very nice to drive and suit my style. I am excited to drive the stages with the new hybrid-powered Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car for the first time. It should be an amazing experience. Cándido and I are enjoying a good run of results, which we will do everything in our power to continue in front of our compatriots. There will be lots of people coming out to see the rally, so like every year I will do my best to deliver a win.”

Hyundai WRC2

Teemu Suninen

“I have liked Rally de España from the very beginning of my career; it is the most similar to circuit racing with nice, smooth tarmac. Wide long corners make you feel like you are driving on a track, and you have to choose the best driving line to carry your speed. It is quite an unique rally in terms of how you set up the car, so we have to do a lot of work on the pre-event test and get into a good rhythm quickly. The last time I drove a tarmac event was last year in Rally Monza, so almost a year ago, but we had a good outing last year in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 and finished second in class. I hope we can replicate those results this time out.”

Fabrizio Zaldivar

“Spain will be our first commitment on tarmac and naturally, we really want to see how much we can achieve with the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. We are learning a little more every day. To prepare for this event, we have organized a very thorough preparation, with three days of testing on different roads in the Catalan region. Our focus in the tests will be to find the most comfortable car to face this challenge. Having engineering support every day will allow us to work very efficiently, and to adjust everything that is necessary. I want to thank my team-mate Teemu as well, who is also helping me with his experience, and he will surely contribute a lot that will benefit me at the next event.”

 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Craig Breen

“Spain should be nice, it’s an event that I haven’t done for a couple of years, 2018 was my last time. It’s an event that I like and the closest we ever really get to circuit racing on a rally stage with nice smooth tarmac. Hopefully the weather will be nice and dry so that we can enjoy the high grip and speeds there. We had our test before New Zealand and it went really well, the feeling was good so hopefully we can find a good feeling in the shakedown and try to get the best result possible. There are two events left on Tarmac to finish off the season so we want to try and finish on a high and see if we can turn this bad luck around.”

Gus Greensmith

“Spain is like the race track rally of the year, it has very, very smooth roads that are beautiful to drive on which is something that I think suits the Puma very well. The test went really well, we made very few changes and the car felt fantastic from the first runs so I am looking forward to it.”

Adrien Fourmaux

“I am really pleased to be back in the car and it’s a beautiful rally, we have some really nice flowing stages and I will be really happy to be back in the World Rally Championship. We had a really good test and I am really happy to drive the car in Spain and enjoy the moment, I hope for a good result for the team and all our crews.”

Pierre-Louis Loubet

“I am looking forward to Spain, I hope that we will be confident with the car like we have been all season. After our test I am really confident in the car and sure it will perform very well on the Spanish Tarmac. This will be mine and Vincent’s last time in the car this year, so we are hoping for a strong end to the year.”

Round up

We are set for a spectacular event then and anyone could take victory. The stages may suit the Hyundai with it’s longer wheelbase, but the Toyota team will want to take victory for the first time in this event for the first time since they returned to the championship in 2017. However, M-Sport Ford will want to have their say as well, and given that the Puma has shown great pace on all surfaces’ throughout this year. Enjoy!

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Worth the wait!

Qualifying:

Marc Marquez was back with his incredible skills at saving his Honda from crashing, once again during the qualifying.

It was Jorge Martin (Ducati) who pipped him to the post to take his 3rd pole this season and an all-time lap record (1:27.767), with Marquez following closely behind him. Finishing the front row was Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and the other championship contenders Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro behind him, in 5th and 6th.

Claiming pole. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

If qualifying was anything to go by, we were going to be in for a treat on Sunday.

Race:

Rain had poured during the night, but it was glorious sunshine that greeted everyone at Phillip Island in the morning. This race had been 3 years of anticipation and audiences were excited to see what was in store:

Lining up on the grid Bagnaia appeared to have trouble with his start device, he just about managed to sort the issue before lights went out. When the lights went green, it was Martin who led Marquez and Espargaro into turn 1. Bagnaia went backwards to 4th place but by turn 2 he was up to 3rd, passing one of his championship contenders.

Home-Hero, Jack Miller (Ducati) started to carve his way through the pack and on lap 2 of 27 he had made his way up to 6th, passing Alex Marquez (Honda) and Luca Marini (Ducati) in the process. His championship hopes weren’t quite done with yet.

Marini fought back on ‘Miller Corner’ (having been named after Jack during the weekend). Miller soon took the place back though, knowing he couldn’t let the championship leaders get away. By lap 3 he had managed to also pass Espargaro to sit behind his teammate. Would team orders come into play?

The answer is no – Miller passed Pecco to take 3rd a lap later. But Pecco was having none of it and fought back.

Meanwhile, behind them Quartararo lost another place to Marini but seconds later Fabio made a mistake and was forced to go onto the grass verge, entering back into the race in 22nd place, behind his teammate Franco Morbidelli.

While this was all happening Alex Rins (Suzuki) had taken fastest lap and was up into 7th place behind Marini. He soon passed him to take 6th. Rins was seemingly on a charge. Not content with his new spot, he soon took another one, this time from Espargaro in 5th. Could he make it to the podium?

With 22 laps still to go Martin led Marquez and Bagnaia.

Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

All eyes were on Suzuki-man Rins as he caught Miller by surprise, claiming his spot too (for 4th) and on lap 8 he also passed Bagnaia for 3rd. Could he manage to conserve his tyres to make it to the end of the race after pushing so hard? Only time would tell.

Miller seemed to be in the wars as Espargaro passed him for 5th (and took fastest lap), on lap 9. Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati) also managed to push Miller back to 7th. Alex Marquez tried his luck too but instead he hit Miller from behind, narrowly avoiding hitting Marini as well, sending them both into the gravel, on ‘Miller Corner’ ending both their races early. (It was later confirmed that A. Marquez would get a long-lap penalty next round for ‘riding in an overly aggressive manner’).

Checking Miller is okay. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Back at the front of the race Rins and Bagnaia had a tussle for 3rd with Bagnaia being the victor this time round.

By lap 10 Fabio had made it up into the points positions (15th) but on the next lap on turn 2 he made a mistake and crashed out of the race, taking zero points at Phillip Island. Has the dream for a second championship gone?

On the same lap Rins managed to pass Bagnaia and Marquez. Martin then led Rins, Marquez and Bagnaia into lap 12.

Rins was clearly up for fighting for the win and on lap 14 he saw his opportunity to get into the prime position, taking 1st from ‘The Martinator’ smoothly. While positions were being swapped behind him – Bagnaia passed Marquez and Martin and then Marquez also passed Martin – he had gone from 1st to 4th in only 2 turns.

Marquez was the only rider though to have taken a gamble with a soft rear tyre. Would the gamble pay off?

Martin soon lost yet another place, this time to Bezzecchi and in-front of him Bagnaia had had enough of watching Rins and had taken the lead. On the next corner Marquez also followed suit and passed Rins.

With 13 laps to go Bagnaia led Marquez, Rins and Bezzecchi. How much more drama could there possibly be? If crowds weren’t on the edge of their seats already, they soon would be:

Such close racing – Bagnaia, Rins and Marquez. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Just 11 laps until the end and Rins seizes his opportunity to pass Marquez for 2nd and Martin passes Bezzecchi back. Blink and you would miss the action!

Martin had found his second wind and managed to also pass Marquez for 3rd but lap 19 Marquez got his spot back and brought Bezzecchi with him, who managed to also claim a position from Martin, pushing him back to 5th. On the next lap a battle commenced between Bezzecchi, Marquez and Martin. Bezzecchi managed to claim Marquez’s spot and Martin also passed him, but Marquez fought Martin off to keep 4th. While back at the front Rins had managed to claim first position.

With only 8 laps to go Rins now led Bagnaia, Bezzecchi and Marquez.

So much action on track, no-one knew where to look!

Yet there was still more to come:

Bagnaia powered past Rins on the start-finish straight to re-take the lead and to start lap 21. Rins then got swallowed up by both Bezzecchi and Marquez to go back to 4th. The same thing that had happened to Martin moments ago.

With 6 laps to go Rins and Marquez fought for 3rd but it ended with Marquez going wide and Martin passing through, sending Marquez back to 5th. Could he still put up a fight with his soft rear tyre? If there was an issue with the soft tyre Marquez was ignoring it as he soon passed Martin back for 4th.

Bezzecchi seemed to be in trouble with Rins, with 3 laps until the end on turn 2 Rins managed to make his pass stick and was soon hunting down Bagnaia again. Meanwhile Marquez had also passed Marco to take 3rd. Marquez wasn’t letting Rins get away – they tussled for 2nd place, but Rins won.

Last lap:

Bagnaia led Rins, Marquez and Bezzecchi over the line but Rins passed Bagnaia shortly after and Marquez followed him. Could Marquez make the pass to snatch victory?

No, he couldn’t – Alex Rins took the chequered flag for a fairytale win for Suzuki. Followed closely by Marquez and Bagnaia.

Top Ten Finishers:

1st

A. Rins

2nd

M. Marquez

3rd

F. Bagnaia

4th

M. Bezzecchi

5th

E. Bastianini

6th

L. Marini

7th

J. Martin

8th

J. Zarco

9th

A. Espargaro

10th

B. Binder

It was such a close race between the top ten racers. But it was all about celebration: Rins became the 7th different winner this year, Marquez took his 100th premier class victory and Bezzecchi became Rookie of the Year!

Rookie of the Year. Courtesy of: Moto GP website.

Top Four in Championship:

1st

F. Bagnaia

233 points

2nd

F. Quartararo

219 points

3rd

A. Espargaro

206 points

4th

E. Bastianini

191 points

We have certainly missed Phillip Island these past 3 years – but wasn’t it worth the wait?!

 

 

(Featured image: courtesy of: Moto GP website). 

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Bridewell hoping to enjoy the end of a good, successful season.

Oxford Products Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell was upbeat about his season in a behind the scenes interview with Eurosport’s Steve Day, who caught up with Tommy after the free practice sessions.

Oxford Products Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell – Image Courtesy of Official BSB

The man sitting in third place in the Showdown standings is fully aware of the job on hand this weekend but more than anything, Bridewell is hoping for an enjoyable finish to what has been a good, successful season for himself and Steve Moore’s team.

“A good day today. It’s fairly easy really. We know what we have to do. We just have to go out and win the races, but I think ultimately, I just want to enjoy the last round of the season to be honest. There’s been so much going on outside of racing, with losing riders and that just puts it all into perspective really. In truth we are all good mates off track, but all enemies on track. I just want to have fun and enjoy racing the bike. It’s been a pleasure working with the team and having another good, successful year together. What will be will be and I’m not going to overcomplicate it. It’s fairly obvious Brad certainly has a hand (or even a hand and half) on the trophy, but when there’s that glimmer of hope, as a racer, it’s what motivates you, it’s what drives us. If I wasn’t mathematically able to win the championship, I’d still try as hard but there’s that extra little bit of fire in your belly to really say “It isn’t over till it’s over” so we are out tomorrow to have a good, safe race and see where we end up at the end of it.”

When asked about his highlights and lowlights of 2022, amongst others being the only rider to make it into Qualifying 2 every round of the season…

“Yes, I have 100% success rate for going straight into Q2. Before they brought in the new format where the top 12 are straight through to Q2, I was terrible on a Friday. It didn’t mean that much barring a bit of testing and analyzing the bike. As soon as they brought that in, it was like you HAD to be top 12, so ever since they brought that in, I’ve been inside the top 12 so it’s great to keep that one going.”

“This season all in all has been tough. We’ve had hard times on trying to understand the dynamics of the bike. The weight distribution has been a bit tricky but this last part of the year, we have really chipped away at it and got a lot better at it. I know it’s a bit late in the game, but Donington was a really good turning point for us where I got a really good inroad with it and it felt a lot better and we can translate it here to Brands Hatch.”

Bridewell sits 67 points behind Ray in the championship. He effectively needs to win all three races this weekend and Ray to DNF the entire round to take the championship. A very unlikely situation but as Oulton Park proved, antying can happen in bike racing.

 

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Glenn Irwin aiming for race wins and second place in the championship, to top off his year of achievements.

The popular British Superbike and Road Racing Superstar was interviewed by Eurosport’s Steve Day, on Friday after the free practice sessions. Asked if Glenn was satisfied with how things have come on this year, the Honda Racing UK rider responded in the typical, eloquent Glenn Irwin fashion to which he has become known for.

Honda Racing Uk – Glenn Irwin – Image Courtesy of Official BSB

“Yeah, in particular the last few rounds have been really enjoyable. It’s always enjoyable when you take a step with the bike. Probably from here back to Thruxton about 5 rounds ago, I made a step in myself with some old injuries I’ve never been able to get fixed. I’ve managed to get on top of them and since then, it’s been really enjoyable.”

“A massive task to overhaul Brad this weekend and a real strange one too. There’s been a lot going on with Chrissy Rouse and Victor Steeman, so as much as we need Brad to have a ton of bad luck you also don’t want to wish that he slips off and puts himself out of the weekend. We have seen it happen with Kiyo and I’m aware it can happen, but if something like that did happen, you have to grab the bull by the horns. I think the realistic thing is to fight with Tommy [Bridewell], Lee [Jackson] and Jason [O’Halloran] for second place.”

“It’s been a year of overachievement is how I would assess it so far to put the Honda right in amongst everyone. Two wins at the NorthWest 200, fastest newcomer at the Isle of Man TT and if we can wrap up second in the British Championship, then it’s been a real step forward.”

When asked about his current fitness and how he’s feeling after a year-long struggle with injuries resulting from a mega crash in pre-season testing…

“I feel better than ever but I also feel I can be a lot more. It was a very tough start to the year but my attitude is, [after a pause] well I just have determination. That’s my quality over everyone else. I think I am an ok bike rider that puts my heart and soul into everything to do with it and now I’m in a good place physically, I’m enjoying the Honda so let’s at least try and leave with a race win this weekend, that’s the target. Let’s go for that and see what happens.”

Glenn is currently 66 points behind Brad Ray going into the weekend and, in the same case of Tommy Bridewell, can only consider race wins to keep his title hopes alive.

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