Thai rider Somkiat Chantra dominated the two-day private testing session in Jerez, closely followed by his team mate, Ai Ogura. Marcel Schrötter posted the third fastest overall time.
Ahead of the first and only official testing session next week, 20 Moto2 and Moto3 teams took part in a private test in Jerez. The session aimed to provide 49 rookies with much-needed time on track with their 2022 machines. In attendance were the likes of Alessandro Zaccone, Filip Salac and Jeremy Alcoba.
However, it was Somkiat Chantra who dominated the two day-long sessions. The Thai rider sat at the top of the timings sheet on day one, with a time of 1:42.213. He then found further improvements on day two, when he posted a 1:41.466.
Chantra will be eager to build on his much-improved 2021 season – his fourth and most successful season in Moto2, where his best result was a fifth at the Austrian GP.
Image Credit: Honda Racing
His Japanese teammate, Ai Ogura, was just 0.035s behind him, rounding our a truly successful testing programme for Honda Team Asia. This will be Ogura’s second year in Moto2, and his second year with the Honda team. He enjoyed an impressive rookie season, finishing the year 8th in the championship and taking his maiden Moto2 podium with a second place finish at the Austrian GP.
Marcel Schrötter and his Liqui Moly Intact machine posted the third fastest time of the session. Having not stepped onto the podium since early 2020, Schrötter will be looking to carry this promising testing performance through to his 10th full season in Moto2.
The official test for Moto2 will commence on the 19th of February 2022 and last for three days. The first race of the season will then take place less than two weeks later in Qatar, on the 6th of March.
Every January Formula one fans have one thing on their minds, no not I’ve got to stick to my resolutions but the thought that the new car launches are but a few weeks away, as F1 starts to awaken from it’s winter slumber.
This year more so than most, with a vast change in the regulations in an attempt to try and bring the cars closer together with aero changes that in theory should allow for close racing and hopefully overtaking.
After the launches of Aston Martin, Haas, and Red Bull, all had been prettyunderwhelmingwith just what seemed to be new liveries on modified show cars we really didn’t expect much more from McLaren.
But this event would be slightly different with the launches of not just the MCL36 but the Arrow McLaren SP, ExtremeE MX and E sports with McLaren Shadow.
TheExtreme E team and IndyCar Arrows McLaren SP are pretty much as we expected, just a livery launch, there’s a lot of Papaya with hints of the Gulf inspiredcolourscheme.
Now we get down to what we’ve been waiting for, both Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo are presented to the crowd to much plum and applause from the papaya fans, they both look well rested tanned and raring to go.
And now for MCL36 it’s definitely an improvement on last years colourscheme still lots of papaya it’s very bright, you won’t miss them on the track, they have a fantastic re imagining of the Gulf livery we last saw at Monaco last year.
The 2022 rear spoiler is very different from the 2021 cars, the wheel hubs are back and there’s now a cowling over the front wheels.
Obviously we can’t see the ground affect but we can assume it’s going to be where a lot of time will be gained or lost.
To the naked eye and for someone with very littletechnicalor engineering knowledge the main differencebetween the cars so far seems to be the colour schemes.
Will McLaren make another big step forward, will they win races, or even potentially fight for the championships?
It won’t be to long before we find out with the first of two tests commencing in Barcelonaon the 23rd of February.
As they say “if it goes as fast as it looks it’s gonna be a winner”
The 2020 Formula one season is a game changer with 18″ wheels and a whole raft of new aero regulations. At 7pm uk time McLaren F1 will launch its 2022 challenger.
Red Bull revealed their title contender for 2022 sport the same livery as previous years but hoping it will help reigning world champion Max Verstappen to a second world drivers’ championship. Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing team principle and CEO, reflects “2021 will go down in history as one of the all time great years. Our challenge is now to build on that.”
The Red Bull Racing RB18 (Photo by Dan Istitene/Red Bull Content Pool)
This year Red Bull decided on a virtual reveal allowing 5000 fans to stream the reveal across their own social media. The aim is to get the fans to be more involved with the team through out the year. This theme continued throughout the reveal with the announcement of new title sponsor Oracle.
Christian Horner explained he was excited about the partnership, “Oracle Cloud enabled us to make race-day decisions that helped Max Verstappen win the 2021 Drivers’ Championship. With the new Oracle cloud infrastructure, we can expand the volume and variety of the data we analyse. Data is our life blood so it is really important we can access as much as possible to run faster simulations which improve tactics.”
He continued: “It will also bring us closer to the fans with more digital content and interaction through development with Oracle”
Oracle partnership announced at the Red Bull Racing RB18 launch (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Red Bull Content Pool)
Executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Oracle, Ariel Kelman said “We have learned how Red Bull work over the last year and how they use technology to gain an edge. Our commitment to this partnership reflects our belief that OCI is a strategic weapon on race day, helps create the most exciting fan experience in sports, and can define the future of F1. Oracle Red Bull Racing is, and will continue to be, the most forward-thinking and innovative F1 team in the world.”
Formula 1 is seeing a change in the regulations this year, Christian Horner describing it as “ the biggest regulation change for 30 to 40 years in F1. It’s a whole new philosophy so everything has changed on the car.”
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will again be stepping up to drive the RB18 for 2022. Coming into the season as reigning world champion, Max Verstappen seemed quite relaxed “it feels no different, I’m just looking forward to getting back in the car.”
He continued: “A lot is unknown about the car, but personally I feel good. I am very curious to see how the car is behaving on track.” Sergio Perez is excited for 2022 “We are already working a lot with the engineers, and we can not wait to be on track. We are all starting from zero.”
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Red Bull Content Pool)
Despite the regulation changes Max explained his approach to the season, “there is no reason to suddenly be different. With the new regulations as a driver, you have to get used to the car, its not like you can just jump in and it’s like an upgrade from last year so that’s the biggest adaptation but it’s pretty straight forward.”
Sergio is looking forward to interacting with the fans but most to good racing “the new regulations are said to improve the racing and I hope as drivers we are able to compete more and follow each other more closely.”
It was time for the car to be revealed with the same livery as in previous years but with the new number 1 on the front. When asked why the change in number Max simply said “it looks better than 33”
The Red Bull Racing RB18 (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Red Bull Content Pool)The Red Bull Racing RB18 (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Red Bull Content Pool)
Oracle Red Bull Racing are ready for 2022 with the RB18 to defend the drivers world championship.
In the latest press release from the Ducati Lenovo Team, they have concluded MotoGP pre-season testing at Sepang with Bagnaia sixth and Miller fourteenth. Enea Bastianini is the fastest (new unofficial Sepang record) with the Desmosedici GP bike of the Gresini Racing team.
Pecco Bagnaia Testing Sepang Feb 2022 Picture courtesy of The Ducati Lenovo Team
Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller concluded the first MotoGP pre-season test of 2022 at Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia). Over the two days, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders could lap again at the Malaysian track (which had been absent from the MotoGP calendar for the past two years) with their Desmosedici GP bikes in 2022 configuration.
Despite the scorching temperatures, the Borgo Panigale team’s riders found good conditions to ride, except for the last few hours of the second day, which were disturbed by rain. During the Sepang test, both Bagnaia and Miller continued the testing program they began last November in Spain, at Jerez de la Frontera, testing the new solutions developed by the Ducati Corse engineers over the winter.
With 110 laps under his belt and a best time of 1:58.265, Pecco closed the test in sixth position, while Jack, who completed 92 laps, finished fourteenth with a best time of 1:58.645, 380 thousandths behind his teammate. Enea Bastianini topped the Sepang test with the Ducati Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team, thanks to a lap in 1:58.131, 172 thousandths faster than the current circuit record.
After these first two days on track for 2022, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders will have another three days of testing next weekend. From 11th-13th February, MotoGP will make its debut at the brand new Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia, for the final official test before the season opener scheduled on 6th March in Qatar.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:58.265 (6th): “I am happy with how this second day of testing went. We are definitely not at the level I aim for yet, but I know we will get there soon. In just two days of working with the new bike, we have taken a big step forward, and with each session, we continued to improve. Now we have to keep working in this direction to be ready for the start of the Championship. These days, I did not concentrate on finding the best time. My priority now is to work on developing the bike, which has shown to have really great potential. I am satisfied and can’t wait to get on track for another three days of testing next week in Indonesia.”
Jack Miller Testing Sepang Feb 2022 Picture courtesy of The Ducati Lenovo Team
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:58.645 (14th): “Thanks to the data we gathered on the first day, we were able to take a big step forward today, and I also felt more comfortable on the bike. Unfortunately, we missed the afternoon because of the rain, but we could still carry out most of our program. I have been busy testing some new components, and maybe if we had pushed harder, we could have been even faster, but we are still not far off the front. In general, I’m satisfied with these first two days of work, and I can’t wait to get back on track in a few days at Mandalika.”
KRT’s WorldSBK pairing of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes are eager to get back into testing action at the undulating Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for a two-day track session on 8 and 9 February. Here’s what KRT have to say:
Alex Lowes Picture courtesy of KRT Provec Racing
After two winter tests at the Spanish circuit of Jerez, utilising new parts and settings for the 2022 Ninja ZX-10RR, the forthcoming on-track action in Portugal will be useful to make comparisons with all the data gathered so far at a very different circuit design.
After posting some astounding lap times, despite only riding for half a day in the previous Jerez test in January, six times world champion Rea has already demonstrated his sheer pace on the 2022 Ninja ZX-10RR. He also had the opportunity to complete a long run on which delivered pleasing results and valuable information to his team; information which has already been fed back to the KMC engineers in Japan.
Lowes has been working hard on his physical conditioning after a 2021 season affected by injury throughout. Like Rea, he has also found the two post-2021 season winter tests held so far confidence-building and useful in terms of settling on a final direction for race set-up in 2022.
The 4.592km long Algarve circuit – commonly know as Portimao – is a very popular testing and racing venue and features some of the most dramatic changes of incline and highest numbers of blind corner entries of any circuit on the WorldSBK calendar. It is scheduled as the ninth round of the forthcoming season, between 7-9 October.
After this Portimao test the team should have all the data in requires to make any adjustments and improvements before the next KRT test at Montmelo in Catalunya on March 25 and 26.
Jonathan Rea Picture courtesy of KRT Provec Racing
STATEMENTS:
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “It is nice to get back on the bike, especially at Portimao, which a track I enjoy. After our shakedown test recently in Jerez our biggest target is to reconfirm the positive items we have tested during December and January. That will give us good info, because if we can confirm these items at a couple of circuits, it means we are on the right way. The idea is just to keep building the package. I feel we have definitely improved the bike since last year. I was able to make a long run in Jerez and we found some positives with the bike and my riding style, so it is important to try and maybe focus on getting some information on how the tyres behave and the new items after many laps. Hopefully the weather is consistent and we can continue to build the package to start the season. There will also be more bikes on track at Portimao and a lot of the key manufacturers will be there testing. This is the first real test where everyone is together – which is always nice to draw some comparisons.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “The recent Jerez test for me was very much a technical test, ticking off new parts. My crew chief Marcel is very technical so I had new stuff to try – just trying to analyse what is definitely better. Portimao is a track that I have always had a good feeling with on the Kawasaki and we have a good base set-up with our 2021 bike. So, to compare new parts will be quite good, because we already have a good feeling. If we can improve that with the new stuff then it should set us up well for the year. Trying stuff at two different tracks means that if it is positive at both tracks then you are a lot more confident committing to that base set-up going into a new season. It is going to be a busy test! I would like to ride as much as possible just to get back into it. I have been working really hard on my physical condition since the end of the season. That has been the biggest focus of mine because I know if I am going to be healthy it is going to make the biggest difference, no matter what changes we make on the bike. We will make a plan with Marcel in terms of how many days we are going to ride. After this test we have a big break so we are really going to have to be clear with the feedback to all the guys in Japan, and to all the engineers within the teams, so we can work hard in the break before the Montmelo test at the end of March. Portimao will be an important test and I am looking forward to getting out and seeing where we are compared to a few of our rivals.”
Guim Roda (KRT Team Manager): “Initially we didn’t have a plan to test in Portimao, because we were considering to make a test in the middle of the year. But, because we had a few points to check on the bike, we would like to compare them on different tracks. Portimao and Jerez are quite different. Also, we have a gap of one month to keep working before the next Montmelo test, ten days before the first race of the year. So, we considered this opportunity at Portimao was a good point to test again. So we joined with Ducati, who had rented the track, to make this test. For us, this is a kind of continuation of the items we tested at Jerez, to double check and confirm the direction of the bike set-up and the performance of the items we have received so far. We will do this so that we can have the best possible bike set-up, in combination with the riders.”
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s pre-season preparations get underway this week at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, serving as the first of four tests for reigning WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and last year’s rookie sensation Andrea Locatelli to gear up for the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship. Here’s what Yamaha have to say:
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s pre-season testing Picture courtesy of Yamaha Racing
Returning to the track for the first time since claiming the WorldSBK “Triple Crown” in Indonesia, the team is unloading its Yamaha R1 WorldSBK bikes in Portugal today to set up for two days of running on 8-9 February. Acting as a first shakedown for the upcoming season, the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK squad and Yamaha staff will evaluate 2022 technical updates, both mechanical and electronic, with their focus on development confirmations rather than outright performance.
Razgatlıoğlu and Locatelli will then be back in action at a private MotorLand Aragon test on 3-4 March, alongside the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team who will complete their first outing of 2022 with riders Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane.
The target for Aragon will be to re-confirm the development plan completed over the winter and find a strong base set-up at a track that hasn’t often played to the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK’s strengths. It will also be a key opportunity for “rookie-no-more” Locatelli to ride at Aragon again, this time with a lot more experience, four podiums and a plethora of top-five results since his debut at the circuit in 2021.
March weather can be unpredictable in the Teruel region, so Misano (16-17 March), where GRT Yamaha is set to continue its pre-season preparations, has also been penciled in as a back-up option for the championship-winning Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK crew.
Then it’s back to Spain to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where both Yamaha teams will officially unveil their colours for the 2022 season. Fans will also be excited to see Razgatlıoğlu take to the track with the coveted #1 on his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK for the first time from 25-26 March! But most importantly, both teams will look to finalise their full race packages with just a week to spare prior to the WorldSBK Official Test at Aragon on 4-5 April. These two tests will also give Yamaha a chance to square up the competition before the first races of the season.
Finally, Yamaha and the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team will begin its much-awaited title defense campaign at the opening round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at MotorLand Aragon from 8-10 April.
Pre-Season Test Dates:
Portimão – 8-9 February (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK only)
Aragon – 3-4 March
Misano – 16-17 March (GRT Yamaha only – back-up option for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Elf Marc VDS top the timesheets during a private two-day testing session in Jerez. Sam Lowes secured the fastest lap overall.
Sam Lowes has laid down an early marker ahead of the 2022 season, topping the timesheets during a private testing session in Jerez. Just behind was his new team mate, Tony Arbolino, in second. This was Arbolino’s first experience of the new bike and he spent the sessions working closely with the team to find a set-up that gave him maximum confidence in the machine.
Third place was taken by Celestino Vietti on the Mooney VR46 Racing machine. The top 3 were covered by a mere 0.140 seconds.
These close timings could suggest that Lowes’ main competitor in 2022 will be his own team mate. Both riders were looking very strong and Arbolino seems to be very comfortable on the Elf Marc VDS bike already. However, this test may not tell the full story as there were only 6 Moto2 riders involved, with a further 15 Moto3 riders joining them.
Image Credit: Marc VDS Racing Team
Lowes, who enjoyed 3 wins and a further 2 podiums in 2021, commented that he was “really happy with the work done in these two days”. He then went on to state that “I was trying lots of components, especially today. Yesterday was more about getting back up to speed. But today we tried many things. As always in testing, some were good, some weren’t. But we found a nice direction. It’s been a good two days to get back into the riding side of things.”
He summed up the two-day test by saying he “felt confident” and is “looking forward to Jerez and making steps so we are ready for Qatar.”
Image Credit: Marc VDS Racing Team
Arbolino, who is the new boy at Elf Marc VDS this year, stated “It was a great test! We worked really well during the two days and we tested many things. The team worked really hard to give me a better bike which allowed me to feel more comfortable on it. I’m really proud of them for that. From here we’ll keep going and keep working hard to reach our objective.”
Both Arbolino and Lowes will be back in action for one more private test on the 8th and 9th of February. They will then join the rest of the field for the only official test, commencing on the 22nd of February.
With a new livery and two new riders, Gresini Racing have unveiled their 2022 contender.
Alessandro Zaccone and Filip Salac will take the reigns of the new Gresini Racing machine for the first time in 2022. But the riders are not the only new element for Gresini this year – they are also sporting a new paint job.
The red and white colours have been replaced by a blue theme, which will appear on their machines in all classes, including this Moto2 bike.
Zaccone joins the team after a strong MotoE season, in which he sat at the top of the championship standings until the final race. Salac is also enjoying a promotion as he steps up from Moto3. Despite a difficult year, Salac did enjoy a podium at the French GP.
Reflecting on this, Salac commented that “Everything will be new for me after a difficult year in Moto3. I was too tall for that bike. This winter I trained with a bike more similar to Moto2 and I can say that I feel much more comfortable. It will be a new adventure for me and I will have to gain a lot of experience, I will do everything possible to learn quickly and I will always give my best.”
Image Credit: MotoGP
His new team mate, Zaccone, added that “It will be my first year in the Moto2 World Championship so the most important thing will be to try to learn the new tracks as quickly as possible: the first four ones are going to be a little bit tough for me, but I can’t wait to try!”
He continued to say “It’s like a dream that is about to come true, we just have to wait for the tests. In the meantime, I’m training at the gym as well as doing some motocross and Supermoto riding, trying to get back to full fitness after last year’s injury. We are almost there, so I am confident!”
Both riders will have a chance to put this confidence to the test as the first official Moto2 test session commences on the 22nd of February.
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for the constructor’s champions Mercedes as Formula E kicked off in Riyadh for the start of the eighth season. In race one, the German outfit looked to have lost none of the momentum of last season with Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries dominating proceedings in the series new-look qualifying format. However, it was Vandoorne who took first blood in the fight snatching pole by three tenths from the current reigning champion and from Andretti’s Jake Dennis, who continued his excellent form from last season.
However, in the race, De Vries showed why he is the man to beat, sweeping past Dennis in the opening lap. After that, all he had to do was lie in wait for Vandoorne. He seized the opportunity when Vandoorne missed the second sensor when taking his attack mode, forcing his way past his teammate, holding the lead into the end of the race. Despite Vandoorne’s error, the Belgian finished a comfortable second to gift Mercedes a 1-2 finish. Dennis took third for Andretti and on the other side of the garage, his teammate Oliver Askew scored his first point, an excellent outing for the American rookie.
Porsche’s Andre Lotterer also had a strong start to his campaign, lining up in P4 for the first race. He battled with Dennis in the opening stages, but as the race wore on and energy management became critical, he began to fade. Lucas di Grassi, fresh from his move from Audi, wasted no time in getting to grips with his Venturi. The Brazilian looked like the champion of old, working his way up the order and in the latter stages fought with Sam Bird for P4 but ultimately, he had to yield. However, it’s clear that Venturi aren’t afraid to make their presence heard and will certainly be a fierce competitor to their suppliers Mercedes.
Image Credit: Formula E
In race two, it seemed that the dominance of Mercedes was going to become a constant this season. De Vries snatched pole position from Edo Mortara, completely dominating the duels. As the race got underway, it seemed that this dominance would continue as De Vries held the lead at the start. The Dutchman looked certain to take back-to-back victories before the strategies of those around him brought those dreams crashing down. He elected not to take his attack mode which left him vulnerable to di Grassi’s attack. The two made contact, leaving the reigning champion to slip down the order as Mortara and Robin Frijns pounced.
Mortara soon passed his teammate in the latter stages to claim the lead, a position he never really vanquished, despite having to hold off a late charge from Frijns and a late safety car after Alexander Sims ended up in the wall. The safety car stayed out as the time ticked out and ultimately ended any last-minute action on track as Mortara claimed his third win in Formula E.
Image Credit: Formula E
Frijns looked strong this race, slipping past di Grassi to take P2, and could have certainly challenged for the win had the safety car not ended proceedings early. Di Grassi took his first podium of the season, whilst Lotterer again put in a decent shift to finish P4. It was ultimately a race to forget for Jaguar with Mitch Evans and Sam failing to get near the points, after having problems all weekend. However, ultimately, it was Mercedes who ruled the roost in Diriyah all weekend sending a warning call to all their competitors – but Andretti and Envision have shown huge potential. Only time will tell if Diriyah was just a lucky streak for the current champions.
Formula E will return on 12th February in Mexico City.
