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Exclusive: Keith Farmer Q&A: Leading the Championship is a bit Special!

Keith Farmer spoke to me about all kinds of bike related things at Snetterton a few weeks back. In this exclusive interview, Farmer evaluates his sensational Supersport season, his rivals chances, the difference between a Supersport bike and Superstock 1000 bike and also, why he believes the Spirit Moto2 bikes shouldn’t be in the Supersport class.

You started the season with no ride and now you’re leading the championship. Long way round for you?

Yes, It’s strange really. Luke Jones, the team’s main rider, got injured and they needed a replacement because they didn’t know how long he would be out for. They supported me and took me on board which was really nice for me and I really appreciate the team putting faith in me. To have nothing and now to be leading the championship is something a bit special.

What is the main difference between a Supersport bike and Superstock 1000 bike?

I’ve had to adapt my style quite a bit really. Had I been on a BMW or a Kawasaki then it might have been a little bit more difficult but because the Honda Superstock bike from last year required lots of corner speed, the change hasn’t been so bad. It’s been a bit of a shock to the system, with the Supersport. It turns so tight and the corner speed on a 600cc bike is out of this world compared to the bigger bikes. It took a while to adapt but now that we are in for the rest of the season and have adapted, we are looking good, especially now we have won a few races!

Does the Supersport bike suit your style more?

Yes, a little bit I think. Over the years, I have just matured and learnt how to ride a circuit bike in general. That has helped massively but on a whole, the Supersport bike suits my style and that is really working well for this year.

Do you feel that you haven’t had a proper crack at the whip on a Superbike?

Yes, a little bit. When I went to the Superbike class, it was only my 3rd year riding on the short circuits. To jump on a Superbike is pressurising enough but to jump in the Paul Bird Motorsport Team too with Shane Byrne – who was winning races week in, week out – was mad. I put more pressure on myself than anything else. It was probably as much my fault than anyone else’s for not having worked out the Superbike class. It would’ve been nice to have what Glenn Irwin had really. No expectations in the first year, just learn the bike and the team before having a proper bash in the 2nd year.

Do you think this Supersport championship needs more manufacturers, with one bike being mainly Yamaha?

Yes in a way. You have the Gearlink boys in there and the MV Agusta of Jack Kennedy but it would be nice to see Honda in there but I think in all honesty, I don’t know what is best for this class. They’re phasing Moto2s in and maybe there will be some development there. If they brought more manufacturers and allowed more work to be done with them, so then they could level with all the Yamahas and Kawasakis, it would be good.

Will Supersport become more Moto2?

I’m not sure really, I suppose it all comes down to cost. To go to Moto2, a prototype, it’s a lot of work. Everyone says the Supersport class is dying out but I’m not sure it is because the first race at Snetterton was quicker than last year’s. If we can have some tough battles and keep getting faster, then hopefully we can show that the Supersport is not a dying class.

I’d support the introduction of the class but at the same time, because the Moto2s are in with Supersport currently, for Seeley to interfere with other riders and maybe destroy someone else’s race, it’s a bit unfair. I’m a friend of Alastair’s too and it is a very tough decision for Stuart Higgs to make. It is understandable why it is the way it is but my thoughts are that the Moto2 bike should be at the back of the Superbike grid. They shouldn’t ride if they can’t score points.

Do you think BSB needs to go to more of the older circuits? A return to Mallory Park maybe? 

I understand why they go to Oulton Park and Brands Hatch, because they are MSV owned circuits. However, it would be nice to get to Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland or Croft too. It would be nice to see more variation. What I don’t agree with is going to circuits that are 46 second laps or around that time. Not so much Knockhill because it is there for the Scottish fans, but Brands Indy is way too short. It is a great track for spectators but from a rider’s point of view, it doesn’t get many positive comments. I’d support going to Snetterton twice instead of Brands Indy. The facilities at all MSV tracks are second to none and everyone else would agree.

Your plans for 2018?

There’s been a few conversations here and there but nothing as yet. I would love to get back on a Superbike. Ideally, Supersport wasn’t my plan but whatever I’ve thrown my leg over lately, I’ve been competitive with. The Superbike would be nice but if not, then the Superstock 1000. I’m not sure what bike would be my preference, it is hard to say. I don’t see many getting on with the BMW – maybe it is a bit past itself chassis wise. When they have this new Suzuki sorted out, it will be bike to be on.

Can you win the championship this year?

Yes, without a doubt. I think we have a strong package and good chance. The team has been working so hard behind closed doors and as long as we all put 100% effort in then we can have some great success. I think David Allingham will be there, as well as Jack Kennedy, Andy Irwin and Joe Francis. They will all be there at different rounds, so our job is to put it on the box at every round. I think Tarran Mackenzie would struggle to beat us now. It would be great to see him back though! It is incredible to see what he is doing over there in Moto2.

 

Photo courtesy of Gareth Davies, of Full Factory Photography.

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Ungarn -GP: Was ist drin für McLaren-Honda?

Für McLaren-Honda könnte der Ungarn GP sportlich eine der größten Chancen der gesamten Saison werden. Doch neben der Performance auf der Strecke steht weiterhin die Frage im Fokus, ob die leidgeprüfte Britisch-Japanische Allianz auch 2018 zusammen an den Start gehen wird.

Steven Tee/McLaren

Das anstehende Wochenende in Ungarn wird auch in diesem Jahr wieder eine der größten Hoffnungen auf Punkte für McLaren werden.  Nicht umsonst rechnen sich die Verantwortlichen nur in Monaco und Singapur ähnliche Chancen aus. Bereits in den letzten beiden Jahren konnte man auf dem Hungaroring, einer Strecke auf der ein gutes Chassis deutlich besser zur Geltung kommt, als bei den meisten anderen Rennen im Kalender, die besten Saisonergebnisse erzielen.

Die Statistik gibt ihnen Recht:

Während Fernando Alonso und Jenson Button im Katastrophenjahr 2015 hier  mit den Plätzen 5 und 9 glänzten,  schafften es beim letztjährigen GP beide McLaren-Fahrer erstmals seit 2014 in den dritten Qualifikationsabschnitt.

Auch dass der MCL32 der wohl vom Chassis her beste McLaren in den letzten Jahren ist und man in Silverstone deutliche Fortschritte von der Pace sehen konnte, spricht für eine gute Chance an diesem Wochenende.

Alonso muss an diesem Wochenende ausnahmsweise auch nach jetzigen Stand noch nicht über eine Startplatzstrafe bangen: Dieser Umstand ist der Tatsache geschuldet, dass man bereits in Silverstone sämtliche Teile an der Powerunit des Wagens mit der Startnummer 14 wechselte, um sich in Ungarn nicht um eine gute Chance zu bringen.

Steven Tee/McLaren

Zu der Hoffnung des guten Chassis und der wohl gewohnt einwandfreien Leistung von Alonso, gesellt sich jedoch auch Mut auf der anderen Seite der Garage. Stoffel Vandoorne konnte bei den letzten Rennen ein klaren Aufwärtstrend verzeichnen, zuletzt sogar seinen Teamkollegen zum ersten Mal in dieser Saison ausqualifizieren.

“Auch wenn wir etwas Pech hatten, fühle ich, dass meine Performance sich von Rennen zu Rennen steigert. Ich arbeite hart mit den Ingenieuren und fühle mich nun wohl im Auto. Meine Rennwochenenden laufen nun deutlich besser als im ersten Teil der Saison und wir machen als Team jedes Wochenende Fortschritte. Wir haben die Geduld, arbeiten hart und hoffen dass sich unser Einsatz lohnen wird.”

Das Team weiß: Es gibt in dieser Saison nicht mehr solche großen Chancen wie in Ungarn, Punkte zu holen. Und die hat man auch bitter nötig, denn selbst 2015 hatte man zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt mehr Punkte als jetzt. Mit zwei Punkten hängt das einstige Siegerteam weiterhin auf dem letzten Platz der Konstrukteursweltmeisterschaft.

Sutton/McLaren

Doch ebenso gibt es berechtigte Sorge, dass aus einem guten Punkteresultat erneut nichts werden könnte: Und da wären wir bereits beim Thema Honda angelangt. Während die Japaner die Antriebseinheit nach der letzten Ausbaustufe zumindest leistungsmäßig etwas nach vorne bringen konnten, wird man weiterhin von Zuverlässigkeitsproblemen heimgesucht. Zuletzt traf es Alonso beim Rennen in Silverstone, als der Spanier sein McLaren wiedermal mit den Worten “No power” in die Box schleppen musste. Grund genug für den Starpiloten sich Gedanken zu machen:

“Das Wichtigste ist für uns wie immer die Zuverlässigkeit. Selbst wenn unser Auto in Ungarn konkurrenzfähiger sein wird, brauchen wir ein Problemfreies Wochenende um jede Chance auf Punkte nutzen zu können. ” – Fernando Alonso

Hierbei sei eine aktuelle Statistik von den Kollegen bei Speedweek.com erwähnenswert: Diese zogen die Ausfallquote von Alonso aus den Jahren 2005 bis 2014 zum Vergleich mit der von 2015 bis Mitte 2017 heran. Das Ergebnis: Während Alonso in den ersten genannten Jahren eine Ausfallquote von weniger als 10% vorzuweisen hatte, schied der Spanier in den letzten drei Jahren in 40% (!) aller Rennen aus.

Andrew Hone/McLaren

In Bezug auf die Konkurrenzfähigkeit des Motors drängte sich in den letzten Wochen immer mehr die Frage auf, wie es mit der einst so glohrreichen Partnerschaft McLaren-Honda weitergehen könnte. Wenn es nach einigen Medienberichten ginge, würde McLaren 2018 wohl mit vier verschiedenen Motoren an den Start gehen. Vom sicher erzählten Mercedes-Comeback, über ein Alfa Romeo-Ferrari Motor und zuletzt die Möglichkeit Renault. Fakt ist: McLaren und Honda haben ein bestehenden Vertrag und Honda-Motorsport-Chef Masashi Yamamoto stellt klar:

“Wir haben einen Vertrag mit McLaren. Und der sieht nicht vor, dass McLaren mit einem anderen Partner arbeiten kann, auch nicht übergangsmässig. Für uns käme das ohnehin nicht in Betracht. Einen Rückzug aus der Formel 1 wird es nicht geben. Ich rede ständig mit Firmenpräsident Takahiro Hachigo. Es gibt keine Absicht, die Formel 1 zu verlassen.”

Auch die Worte von McLaren-Boss Zak Brown klingen mittlerweile deutlich zahmer als noch vor einigen Wochen. Mercedes und Ferrari scheinen nicht zu wollen und ob man das Risiko “Renault” eingeht, ist ebenfalls fraglich. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit McLaren und Honda 2018 gemeinsam am Start zu sehen, wird immer höher.

Was auch immer am Ende bei diesem Motorentheater rauskommen wird, eine Entscheidung ist wohl in den nächsten Wochen nicht in Sicht. So bleibt den Verantwortlichen aus Woking und auch den McLaren-Fans nichts anderes übrig, als das Beste aus der Situation zu machen und an diesem Wochenende erneut auf eine ähnliche Sensation wie in Silverstone zu hoffen, als mit dem kurzfristigen Schachzug auf abtrocknender Strecke auf Slicks zu wechseln, am Ende von Q1 mit tosenden Applaus das Erste Mal seit Indien 2013 ein McLaren auf Platz 1 in einer offiziellen Session stand.

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Micro Machines Review

Codemasters had one aim with this video game, and that was ‘Nostalgia’. Micro Machines was a major hit in the 90’s which focused on miniature cars battling across unique tracks, based around the likes of your breakfast and workbench.

THE GOOD

The game concentrates heavily on the multiplayer aspect of the game, and playing with 12 people at anytime it is a case of forgetting to blink. If a person cannot be found, they are automatically replaced with an AI, so its never an easier event due to a reduced amount of players.

The game has three game modes, Race, Elimination and Battle.

– Race is the traditional mode like in any racing game. You have the 12 racers and have to do so many laps and first to cross the line wins.

4 player mode

– Elimination is the mode where a reduced amount of cars race. You have to get away from the field, and if you win you get closer to winning the game, but if you get eliminated you move further away from the goal.

– Battle is much like a capture the flag game, split up in two teams you battle with the goal of using the bomb that spawns in the middle of the map to blow up the other teams base. A first to 3 event.

The use of Brian Blessed as the voice of the game, quite ironic that they use one of the biggest and loudest people in the planet. The adventurer, come comedian, come actor has a unique voice that will repetitively make you laugh so much so you might make a mistake! The car engines and background music are what you expect from a casual racing game.

Handling is what you expect from this kind of game, inconsistent! It certain areas of tracks it can be horribly understeery and in others you couldn’t have any more grip. The uncertainty which this creates is brilliant, which allows leaders to make mistakes and others to catch up. Never feel safe in front, with the weapons it is better to be the hunter than the hunted.

THE BAD

The game has per mentioned heavily focuses on multiplayer, but the disappointing factor is that there is no single player game modes. Generically all racing games have some kind of single player. It is used to get to grips with the game before going into the multiplayer and unlocking items to help competing online. It does have the tutorial, but that hardly is sufficient. The likes of championship & time trial mode are absent on the game currently. Some people are competitive in different ways, some like beating others in a race, whilst some like to be on top of the leader board.

Unfortunately another lacklustre topic of the game is the variety tracks and games. The game has 12 cars and 10 tracks to choose from. The cars have various skins you can unlock through levelling up to make your garage different but it does seem a bit stingy as tracks can be repetitive after a while. The 12 cars vary from a police car to a hovercraft, and you can use all the cars on all tracks. You’d think having a water level in the sink that only the hovercraft could do would make sense, just a thought.

OVERALL

The game is great, it is a good game to play with friends online and puts a smile on your face. It is just a shame that you can’t play on your own offline and win things that you can use online. Hope to see future content released in terms of game modes, cars and tracks. A respectable score of 7.5/10 is what Micro Machines World Series has been awarded at this current stage. If it were to beef up its variety would easily increase.

Chris Lord

 

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MotorSport Vision to save the British GP?

Silverstone has spoken out in terms of the situation that they have a contract to hold the Grand Prix in Northamptonshire until 2027, but as early as 2019 they might decide to break the contract due to increased costs.

With a good year they still fall short of funds needed to cover site fees and general hosting fees charged by Formula One. They are within their rights as per one of the clauses in the 2010 contract following Donington Park’s withdrawal. They must inform by the 2017 Grand Prix whether they intend to activate that break clause. This allows an opportunity to discuss and see if different tracks are suitable for the 2020 Grand Prix. Liberty Media insist that a British Grand Prix is vital on the Formula One calendar. If Silverstone ends the contact early, where does Formula One go in Britain?

Motorsport Vision is a company set up in 2004 by Jonathan Palmer and two partners, and began running events to help gain young drivers skills and experience in 4-wheel racing, such as Formula Palmer Audi. The Octagon Group at the time owned four major British tracks but due to increased costs for the British GP sold them to keep the Grand Prix. MSV then jumped in and brought them. Oulton Park, Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Cadwell Park all changed hands.

Could F1 go full circle and return to Donington Park, who agreed in 2008 that they would run the 2010 British GP onwards after securing a 17 year contract. That contract never came to fruition owners at the time had agreed in the deal that a multi-million development to lengthen track layout and redevelop the pit complex upon principle of the funds being raised and invested by third party sources. In late 2009 due to lack of funds it was obvious that they could not fulfil that requirement of the contract. Bernie Ecclestone took a financial hit to keep F1 racing in Britain at Silverstone. F1 has been in Britain since its inception in 1950 using tracks of Aintree, Brands Hatch and Silverstone, which hosted F1’s very first race.

January this year Motorsport Vision (MSV) brought Donington Park. MSV currently also per mentioned own other successful British tracks. Snetterton being a track with most improvement multi-million redevelopment in 2011 greatly changing the layout from an almost original circuit of two straights connected by 90 degree corners. Snetterton’s full redevelopment resulted in three different layouts known as Snetterton 100, 200 & 300. It had a completely fresh infield section and upon review widened certain areas on the existing track which were seen as best overtaking opportunities.

Oulton Park was falling behind the times, and with MSV buying the track they gave the track a new lease of life, as a result it has become a crowd favourite with British Superbike and British Touring Car fans. The Snetterton and Oulton Park redevelopments are smaller than those required by Donington to gain the FIA Grade 1 license to host a Grand Prix. Liberty Media, the current F1 owners could possibly use that as a guideline to show that MSV have the capability to improve Donington to that said standard. An extension on the track as per Snetterton to increase lap time and further entice overtaking is something vital on the agenda. MSV are looking at the possibilities of extending and creating different layouts regardless if F1 comes to Donington.

The good news for Donington that would only help it as a viable option is that travelling to the track is rather easy like Silverstone. It is near the M1 motorway, which is a road from central London to Leeds. The M1 has had development on it recently to handle more traffic. In terms if public transport the East Midlands Airport is very close to the land Donington is on and Derby Midland Station is very near. MSV advise to travel via public transport if possible. Unlike Silverstone when it comes to the majority of car parking it is on hard standing surface, generically in Britain it rains, and sometimes Silverstone has struggled with its grass fields. Getting to the track is something that is discussed and looked at when it comes to the grading of each track.

MSV do have plans on the table to modernise Donington Park, this was with the smallest possibility of Formula 1 returning. The situation Silverstone has been in was raised in early 2017 just as they brought it. It would be great to return to the track for the first time since Ayrton Senna’s iconic start and victory in the 1993 European Grand Prix. They have some funds to use towards their project as per mentioned but would need sufficiently more if they were develop it to become the new home of the British GP.

Britain has very limited options, the only other contender is Brands Hatch. The Kent circuit has held Formula 1 races in the past on its Grand Prix circuit layout in the past, but this was many a year ago. 1986 was when the last British GP was held at Brands Hatch was deemed too dangerous due to increased speeds, and the circuit length. Nigel Mansell won but it was overshadowed by a crash on the first lap forcing Frenchman Jacques Latiffe into early retirement after breaking both legs in the Ligier. As with Donington, it would in all likelihood need changes to the layout, with the current circuit boasting mostly high-speed corners and few overtaking opportunities. Druid’s (Turn 2) and Pilgrim’s Drop through Hawthorn Hill, between turns 4 and 5 could really be the only passing opportunities on the current layout.

 

The problem for Brands isn’t just the on the track, with accessing the circuit on the A20 difficult. Silverstone and Donington are near major roads and therefore can handle massive amounts of traffic. The situation is the majority of roads towards Brands Hatch is single file which could cause massive congestion and problems if a car were to break down.

Whether F1 goes to either Brands or Donington if Silverstone do continue with ending their partnership with Formula 1 MSV will be the catalyst in continuing the British Grand Prix beyond 2019. Jonathan Palmer has funds set aside, and can use those to begin the work needed, seeing that being used successfully third parties am sure will follow in with further funds to see Formula 1 return to Donington albeit 10 years late from the original contract agreement in 2008.

Chris Lord

03/07/17

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Haas Australian Grand Prix Review

March 30, 2017

Haas F1 Team had a less than ideal day at Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix as both cars suffered retirements due to reliability issues but perhaps a weekend with a silver lining and lessons to be learned.

Romain Grosjean had qualified a team best 6th position for the race. After starting well holding off the Toro Rosso of Carlos Sainz, Grosjean was running in 7th behind the Williams of Felipe Massa before a water leak finished his race on lap 13.

““I suddenly lost a lot of power. I told the guys, then the next thing I knew I had to slow down the car. It’s a pretty disappointing result, but again, right now I’m hot and we’re all disappointed to lose a seventh-place position, but the car was there in qualifying in P6. The start wasn’t ideal, so we need to improve that. I felt I was faster than the Williams, so there’s huge potential in the car.”

Kevin Magnussen had a worse weekend, qualifying 17th after running wide at turn 12 of his flying lap. Contact with the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson on the first lap gave him front wing damage putting him well behind the field after pitting and eventually retiring 11 laps short of the finish with suspension failure. Despite this, Magnussen seemed to take more positives from the Grand Prix.

“We changed the front wing and then I went for a long test session to feel the car and learn a bit more about it, which was good. It feels good and the car is fast. That’s the really positive thing from this weekend. The car is there. We just have to make it finish and score points.”

Something to watch out for; the issue with Brembo brakes, the teams Achilles heel from last season. It was not an issue for the Australian Grand Prix but may pop up on circuits that are more brake critical. In pre-season testing Gunther Steiner said the team had already been evaluating alternatives and would be capable of switching suppliers during the season.

Coming away from the Australian Grand Prix, I’m cautiously excited. The VF17 is clearly very fast, enough to compete with the Williams and Force India perhaps but reliability problems need to be fixed immediatey to capitalize on early points before said teams and the McLarens and Renaults of the world with bigger budgets spend rapidly on R&D with no token program for 2017 to catch up.

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TeamByTeam MotoGP Preview: Factory Ducati

2016 finally saw the Ducati team flourish, not just once, but twice. Andrea Iannone – after causing much controversy in the first half of the year – redeemed himself when he won the Austrian Grand Prix, ending Ducati’s six year win drought. Teammate Andrea Dovizioso repeated the feat in Malaysia, making it the first time both factory Ducati riders had won a race each since 2007 with Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi. But in 2017, Jorge Lorenzo joins the team and they’ll definitely want more than just the odd win.

Jorge Lorenzo makes the dramatic switch from Yamaha to Ducati for 2017, leaving the team which he has been part of for nine seasons, which also brought him three world championships. This new adventure with Ducati is one that has been met with conflicting ideas amongst fans. Some say Lorenzo could be a huge shock in 2017 and that some people are simply underestimating his ability on two-wheels. Whereas others are more sceptical of whether or not he can win on the Ducati in the first season of being there. At first, I thought the Spaniard’s riding style would be far too smooth for the Italian outfit, and that maybe more aggressive riders would succeed. But, Lorenzo has been in truly great form in testing, so come Qatar – a track he has three premier class victories at – he could be a bit of a dark horse. Whether he can sustain the pace throughout the year is another question.

Andrea Dovizioso remains at Ducati for the fifth consecutive season. One of nine different winners last season, Dovi will be searching for more than just the flash in the pan performance he had in Malaysia. Always starting the season off strongly, Dovizioso has has a tendency to fade off in the mid-season, often costing him a run at the championship. One thing you’ll be guaranteed of with Andrea however, is consistency. Despite being wiped out of the front positions in Argentina and the USA, Dovi had a relatively faultless season last year, in terms of finishing. Two weird crashes at Le Mans and Assen were the only blots on his copy book. Now in his 10th year in MotoGP, Dovi knows that this year, he must take it to Marquez, Rossi and Vinales if he is to prove to us all that he can string a title challenging season together.

The Ducati itself will be missing one of its main features for the 2017 championship. The ban of winglets has by far effected Ducati the most, after hours of development and testing were spent on enhancing the wings on the front of the bike. However, Ducati have a ‘resolution’ to this – but it isn’t pretty. Two enormous ‘wings within fairing’ style holes are situated either side of the intake, making the bike look very much like a box from front view. But, what does that matter if it goes quickly? It is without doubt the fastest bike in the championship and I genuinely expect speeds to surpass 220mph at Mugello.

In terms of form, Ducati have always got their season off to solid starts. For the past two seasons, one of their bikes has got onto the podium in Qatar – both did in 2015. Austin has also proved to be a decent circuit, with a podium there every season since 2014. Mugello is one of their favourites, especially in qualifying so expect an upset there, especially seeing as Jorge Lorenzo has won the past two races there and also the fact that Michele Pirro will more than likely show up. Their favourite circuit after last year must surely be the Red Bull Ring though. A 1-2 finish in 2016 will give them not only the confidence to do well there again but the base setting too. One of their least favourite circuits based on results is Misano (the manufacturer’s home track), where there last podium was with Valentino Rossi in 2012 and their last win was 2007 with Casey Stoner.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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TCR Series – Bahrain Qualifying

Rounds 5 & 6 – Bahrain International Circuit – 10 / 11 March 2017

QUALIFYING REPORT

Josh Files takes hard-fought pole position

Josh Files conquered the pole at Bahrain International Circuit after an intense and hard-fought battle for pole. The British driver of the Lap 57 Honda Civic beat Davit Kajaia, with the Mulsanne Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta, by only 68 thousandths of a second, with third-fastest Luca Engstler (Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen Golf) conceding only 101 thousandths to the poleman, in a result that saw three different car brands represented in the top three and promises a fierce battle in tomorrow’s races.

In a warm afternoon, the session saw an early domination by Engstler (1.09.660) before Files took P1 with a lap time of 1.09.689. Shortly after mid-session; then the qualifying turned into a very tactical session, as all drivers stopped to preserve their tyres.

In the closing minutes, a raging battle delivered the final result, with Files holding narrowly the pole ahead of Kajaia and Engstler. They were followed by the other Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen Golf cars of Brandon Gdovic and Giacomo Altoè. The US driver was happier with the behavior of his car but regretted not having been able to get his best sector times in a sequence, while the young Italian deliberately kept a set of front tyres for the races tomorrow.

In the title fight, gaps have been closed, with Gdovic leading by 5 and 9 points ahead of Engstler and Files respectively.

Race 1 will kick-off at 12:02 local time (10:02 in Central Europe), while Race 2 is scheduled at 15:45 (13:45 CET). They will be streamed live on the internet atwww.middleeast.tcr-series.com and www.tcr-series.tv .

Driver quotes after Bahrain Qualifying

Josh Files (pole position): “It has been a very close and exciting session, and it’s nice to win a pole like this! The car felt much better, we changed a lot of things in the set-up and it worked well. Even in excess, as from a lot of understeer we went to some oversteer. The only thing we haven’t been able to solve is this tedious misfiring on the main straight, which costs me a hundredth of a second every time it occurs.”

Davit Kajaia (2nd fastest): “It was a good qualifying, but I am obviously a little bit disappointed about missing the pole for so little. Still, we were able to improve much the set-up of the car an tomorrow, I’ll push hard and I’ll go for the win.”

Luca Engstler (3rd fastest): “It was a nice battle and Josh won it on his own merits. I did some little mistakes on my fast laps and in the best of those my driveshaft suddenly broke, with a big bang. Despite all that, the result is very close and I think it will be a nice battle tomorrow.”

For more news on the Middle East TCR Series visit the website here:

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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LAFFEY CONFIRMS FULL BRC SEASON WITH M-SPORT’S FORD FIESTA R5

M-Sport LTD Press Release
Alex Laffey and Dai Roberts will contest this year’s MSA British Rally Championship with M-Sport’s Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta R5. Contesting all seven events throughout the 2017 season, the pairing will look to continue their development in one of rallying’s best proving grounds for up-and-coming talent.

Since starting his career with the Ford Fiesta ST in 2009, Laffey has been a regular on the British rally scene and has since progressed through the ranks with M-Sport’s range of Ford Fiesta rally cars.

Securing his first outright victory at the 2014 edition of the Rally of the Midlands, Laffey is hungry for more and keen to make his mark on the national rally series.

Contesting the championship behind the wheel of the Fiesta R5 last year, Laffey went up against some of the biggest names in rallying – in direct competition with the likes of Elfyn Evans who won three stages at the opening round of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship.

Having regularly challenged for the top-ten positions, the Scotsman will be looking to be a regular points-scoring contender throughout this year’s championship and is determined to further develop his skills with the aid of M-Sport’s guidance and expertise.
Enjoying support from providers of high quality student accommodation, U-Student, as well as tyre giants Pirelli, the pairing will also proudly display their association with the Gareth Roberts Memorial Fund – a charity in memory of co-driver Robert’s late brother which is dedicated to supporting the rally community throughout the British Isles.

Both partners as well as the charity are proudly displayed on Laffey’s eye-catching new livery which draws inspiration from his Scottish roots with a purple and lime-green tartan-enthused design.
To prepare for the season ahead, Laffey and Roberts will contest next month’s Malcolm Wilson Rally which runs from M-Sport’s hometown of Cockermouth. With 40 miles of stages through some of the most iconic forests in the English Lake District National Park, the event will provide the perfect test for the season ahead.

Alex Laffey said:
“Once again I am really excited to be working with M-Sport. I really enjoyed last year’s championship and it is great to be coming back for another year. I really want to bring my pace on again this season, and working with M-Sport will provide the prefect platform for that. I am also really happy to have Dai [Roberts] on board calling the notes this season. He has a lot of experience and will make a great addition to the team.”

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Repsol Honda flying Down Under

Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa worked tirelessly during the final day of testing at Phillip Island, but both riders achieved top three positions. Marc 2nd, with Dani in 3rd.

Honda found a new setting that allowed for a more settled and flexible electronics package, whilst Marquez could build on his race pace and consistency in the latter half of the day. Pedrosa’s side of the garage was in praise of the steps made by Michelin, who have been developing the front tyres throughout the test.

“I’m very happy with how it went today because we improved a lot, especially in the afternoon, even if I did my best lap time in the morning. In the end I felt much more comfortable and it seems that yesterday’s long runs were useful for improving the electronics and getting closer to the level we wanted to reach, said the reigning champion.

“Overall, I think it has been three very positive days, and we did a good job. Of course we shouldn’t forget that this circuit is quite particular, and in Qatar we’ll see where we really are.

It is the Spaniard’s birthday today, and he wasn’t shy in sharing the positive vibes that the team were emitting. “Today I had a funny present from my team, a magnifying glass; I know I’m quite persistent in asking to check the data to find the issues we had, and they told me to find it myself! I’m very thankful that HRC is putting in a lot of effort, and step-by-step we’re getting better. I’d like to wish all the best to my Crew Chief Santi, who wasn’t able to be here at Philip Island because of some medical checks. We all missed him and we’re looking forward to seeing him with us again at the next test!”

Dani Pedrosa was much happier, now that he had overcome a sudden illness which kept him down the timesheets on day 2. “Overall I think it’s been a very positive test, especially considering that this isn’t one of my favourite tracks. I was riding quite well and I think we improved day by day.

Pedrosa reiterated his illness yesterday, but was glad he got in one productive day in testing today. “Yesterday I wasn’t feeling well but today I felt a bit better and we could do a good job on the track. The team has worked very well. We focused again on electronics and on the setup of the bike, and the only thing we missed was a long run, as we ran out of time. Michelin have also made some good steps forward with the tyres. All in all, we can say we’re heading in the right direction, even if we still have some work to do.”

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Aprilia on the Up as Phillip Island Test Concludes

Aleix Espargaro concluded the Phillip Island Test with a lot of positives, as he placed the Gresini Factory Aprilia in 10th place, whilst teammate Sam Lowes was 21st on the final day.

The team worked solidly, trying to find a sweet-spot for race distance runs, maintaining the pace through a race being the end goal. Espargaro praised the forward direction, saying that they’d found solutions in fast corners as well as saying that the bike suits his riding style.

“We are leaving these tests at a good overall level. We really worked hard. Today we focused on consistent performance. The RS-GP did very well in race simulations but we know that there is still room for improvement on that front, said Aleix, who joined the team from Suzuki last season.

“Here at Phillip Island I found a bike that once again suits my riding style in braking, whereas we were able to improve in terms of grip compared with the Sepang tests. After talking with the others, I think that we should be able to gain something in the turns, especially the fast corners, speaking of which, we tried a few changes to the chassis architecture to see if we could find more speed in the centre of the turns.

The 27-year-old said that they will continue with this attitude in Qatar. “In Qatar we will continue in this direction, trying both the new fairing and the evolved engine again to establish the base for the first race weekend.”

Sam Lowes was also riding well; the Brit was one of only two riders not to break the pole time set in 2016 but the distance from him to the top has shrunk dramatically over the three days, and now stands at just 1.6 seconds.

“There are many more positive aspects of our tests than it may seem. I started off with a few difficulties, but growth was constant. I managed to stay up with the group of riders ahead of me, despite a few uncertainties in my fast lap that cost me a couple of tenths, said the Moto2 winner from the previous two seasons.

“We obviously need to be faster, but I think that all the riders on the grid would say the same. The gaps are incredibly close. Except for the top two, practically all the other riders are within just over a second.

The former World Supersport champion said that he could battle for points in the race, but their potential is far superior to that.

“To be honest, if we were to race tomorrow I think I could battle for the points zone, but I know that our potential is much higher, so the tests in Qatar will be our chance to look for another step forward. What Aleix demonstrated with the 2017 bike is an important sign. I know that I have a good technical package to start the season in the best possible way.”

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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