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Oct 24

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: MotoGP, Stoner

Casey Stoner Australian Grand Prix crash a result of MotoGP aero

Two-times MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has blamed downforce aerodynamics for a huge crash at last weekend’s Australian MotoGP race. The incident in question occurred in Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint, when Maverick Vinales passed Marco Bezzecchi on the run into turn one. Vinales edged towards the outside of the track after passing Bezzecchi to take a better line through the first corner, but Bezzecchi then ran into the back of the Aprilia rider under braking and both riders fell. “This is the result of aero,” Stoner commented on an Instagram post from the official MotoGP account. “The wake caused by them at that speed is too much.” Stoner made his opinions on downforce aerodynamics clear also earlier this year when he appeared on the Ducati Diaries podcast with Neil Hodgson. The two-times MotoGP World Champion explained that the aerodynamics, in combination with ride height devices and electronics, work to reduce the quality of racing in MotoGP by increasing grip and therefore reducing the chance for riders to make mistakes. Bezzecchi was awarded a long lap penalty for his role in the incident. One lap after serving it in Sunday’s Grand Prix at turn four, Bezzecchi crashed at the same corner before […]

Oct 20

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: KTM, Miller, MotoGP

Wildlife conspires against Jack Miller

Jack Miller’s Saturday at the 2024 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix was severely hindered by several wildlife strikes in qualifying and the sprint. The KTM rider had to go through the Q1 session on Saturday morning, but couldn’t advance on 16th after a rabbit strike left his RC16 fairing with damage. Then in the sprint, Miller hit a seagull on the opening lap at Turn 1 which left a “gaping hole” on the right side of his front fairing. The dead bird got wedged between the fairing and the brake lever, while the damage to his bike led to a severe drop in straightline speed. The Australian was able to make his way up to eighth despite all of this, before a “nothing crash” ended his race on lap eight of 13. “It could have been a better Saturday,” Miller began. “I had a good start in the Sprint from a not-great qualifying position and tipping into Turn 1 off the start a seagull flew into the front of the bike, which wasn’t ideal. “I tried to do what I could on the first lap to get rid of it but I couldn’t so I focused on the job at hand, […]

Oct 16

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Formula1, Haas, Toyota

Haas for Sale

Haas’ new partnership with Toyota that begins in Austin is a “clear sign” that the American team is “for sale”, says Ralf Schumacher. Haas and Toyota announced on Friday that Toyota Gazoo Racing, the Japanese company’s motorsport competition arm, would become Haas’ official technical partner in a multi-year deal. The deal effectively brings Toyota back to the F1 grid from the next race of 2024, the United States Grand Prix, with Toyota Gazoo president Tomoya Takahashi describing it as “competing” alongside Haas. While the F1 team will benefit from Toyota’s resources in the form of design, technical, and manufacturing services, including using their simulator expertise and wind tunnel, Haas will give Toyota Gazoo access to their F1 team with drivers, engineers and mechanics participating in Haas’ TPC [testing of a previous car] outings. But while the new partnership will have no impact on Haas’ current relationship with Ferrari, who supply the American team with engines and other parts for the car, it is expected to grow in the coming years at Toyota Gazoo personnel will be involved in aerodynamics development. Toyota though, were adamant there’s no background talk about becoming an engine supplier or even running a team, which they […]

Oct 15

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Stanaway, Supercars

Stanaway locked in at PremiAir Racing

Grove Racing outcast Richie Stanaway will remain a full-time Supercars Championship driver in 2025, replacing Tim Slade at PremiAir Racing. Stanaway won the race for the hotly contested PremiAir seat following the Sandown 500. The ink has now dried with team owner Peter Xiberras ready to talk about securing the 32-year-old Kiwi. “There is no doubting Richie is exceptionally talented – you don’t have a CV like his or win the Bathurst 1000 by accident after all – and while he was forced to endure an early exit at Sandown this year, it was clear that he has what it takes, especially when the weather gods are against you,” Xiberras said. “We look forward to having Richie join our team alongside Jimmy Golding and seeing what we can achieve together.” Stanaway and Golding were teammates at Garry Rogers Motorsport in 2019. The former endured rough full-time Supercars seasons at Tickford Racing and GRM before spending three years out of the sport. He returned as a wildcard at Bathurst in 2022 before winning the Great Race with Triple Eight last year. Making a full-time comeback with Grove Racing in 2024, the team decided to cut him loose in favour of Super2 […]

Oct 04

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Evans GP, Macau, Webster

Cooper Webster to make Macau GP debut

The first driver for the 2024 Macau Grand Prix has been confirmed, with Cooper Webster announced at Evans GP. The race, which will be run for Formula Regional cars for the first time and award the category’s World Cup, takes place on November 14-17. Australian outfit Evans GP is one of 11 teams entering cars in junior single-seaters’ most prestigious race. The 21-year-old Webster was GB4 runner-up with the team in 2023, taking five wins, then he romped to the Indian Formula 4 title with eight victories. This year he has made a winning cameo in Australian F4, but done no other car racing. However the Australian already has extensive experience of higher level single-seaters, having raced in S5000 from 2021 to ’23 and taking seven wins from his campaigns in the Australian and Tasman series. S5000 is designed to be a modern interpretation of Formula 5000, a popular Formula 2-rivalling category in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, particularly in Australia, New Zealand and North America. The S5000 car is based around a Formula Regional chassis but utilises V8 power. “I’m really excited to be back with Evans GP for the Macau GP,” said Webster. “My experiences with Evans GP […]

Oct 04

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Engel, Mercedes, Nordschleife

Mercedes-AMG sets new Nurburgring record

The German marque’s $2.7 million hypercar just became the first street-legal vehicle to circle the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in under 6:30. In doing so, the Formula 1-inspired vehicle broke a record … that it set two years ago. What’s the best way to protect a record? You put it even further out of reach. That seems to be Mercedes’ thinking at least. The One didn’t just break its old record, it shattered it. During the latest run, the hypercar, which was driven on both runs by Marco Engel, sped around the winding circuit in 6:29.090. That’s more than six seconds faster than the 6:35.183 it posted in November of 2022 (which was itself eight seconds quicker than the previous mark). So how did the AMG One cut six seconds from its Green Hell lap time in less than two years? The car itself remains the same, but the big difference this time was the weather. Mercedes never seemed fully satisfied with the first mark, citing the weather and less-than-ideal track conditions. This time the track’s surface was completely dry, allowing the car to attain what the company called the “perfect grip.” Additionally, Engel and the rest of the AMG team would appear to have a […]

Oct 01

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: KTM, MotoGP

Aki Ajo appointed as factory KTM Team Manager from 2025

KTM has announced that Aki Ajo will lead the project as its new Team Manager for the 2025 MotoGP season, replacing the departing Francesco Guidotti. Ajo’s racing team, Ajo Motorsport, has been affiliated with KTM since 2012, and the partnership has produced three Moto3 championships in 2012, 2016, and 2021. From 2017, Ajo expanded KTM representation to Moto2, with his team claiming three consecutive titles from 2021-2023. Current MotoGP riders Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta ride for the factory and satellite teams. Both riders have won the championship in the junior categories. With Acosta joining Binder at the factory team for 2025, KTM believes that Ajo is the right fit based on previous working relations with both riders. Ajo was chosen to lead the project in 2025 due to familiarity with KTM’s operations and staff and previous success in the junior categories. Both Ajo teams in Moto3 and Moto2 will continue to develop riders as they progress up the two-wheeled ladder to the pinnacle. The Finn stated: “It’s an honor to be offered this great new role and opportunity to work in MotoGP with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. “At the moment MotoGP is at a very high level so […]

Oct 01

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: MotoGP, Oliveira, Trackhouse

Trackhouse update on Miguel Oliveira after surgery to fix fracture

Miguel Oliveira is likely to miss the next MotoGP rounds after successful surgery. The Trackhouse rider crashed during practice for the Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika. Oliveira was taken to hospital by helicopter where they confirmed he suffered multiple fracture of the radius bone. A statement released by Oliveira has now confirmed: “Promptly assisted at the circuit’s medical centre, he was then evacuated to the local hospital to assess the severity of the injury. “After diagnostic tests, the fracture was reduced and immobilised. “The Almada rider was then able to travel to Lisbon and be accompanied by Dr. Gonçalo Morais Sarmento and his team at the Sant’Ana Hospital in Parede, where a plate was implanted to stabilise the bone. “Miguel Oliveira will have a careful recovery ahead of him, focused on the success of the surgery, and the first week will be of absolute rest so that he can then evaluate and define the best and appropriate strategy to get back on the bike as soon as possible. “At the moment, everything indicates that the rider will sit out the next two races, in Japan and Australia.” Trackhouse confirmed: “On Monday, Miguel was admitted to the Sant’Ana Hospital in Parede, Lisbon, […]

Sep 30

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Guidotti, KTM, MotoGP

KTM confirm departure of team boss Francesco Guidotti

Red Bull KTM has confirmed that Team Manager Francesco Guidotti will be leaving the team at the end of the 2024 MotoGP season. Guidotti was appointed team manager in 2022 to replace Mike Leitner, and has overseen two wins for the manufacturer in the hands of Miguel Oliveira, as well as sprint success for Brad Binder at last season’s Argentinian Grand Prix. The Italian was believed to have had a contract scheduled to run until the end of 2025, but after two years without victory, he has been released by the Austrian manufacturer early. “After three years with Francesco and a lot of positive progress and working methods, we are moving the team with a different leadership approach,” said KTM Motorsports Director Pit Beirer. “Making these changes is never an easy process and we can only thank Francesco warmly for what he has done in our MotoGP story. “2025 will bring some big movements to the whole program in this close and exciting sport and we are laying the foundations now to keep making steps ahead.” The news of Guidotti’s departure means a big shift is scheduled for KTM for 2025, as they welcome new management into their stable alongside […]

Sep 29

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Nascar, van Gisbergen, Xfinity

Van Gisbergen rallies to eighth in remarkable Kansas recovery

Shane van Gisbergen has delivered a master performance in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs race at Kansas. Despite starting down in 22nd and racing at Kansas for the first time, van Gisbergen produced a smashing final stage to soar to eighth and fifth amongst the Playoff contenders. It was the Kiwi’s fourth best result on an oval and could not have come at a more critical moment in the Playoffs opener where he is trying to be one of the leading eight to make the cut after the first three-race segment. Up front Aric Almirola made a late-race charge to snatch the win from Playoff drivers Cole Custer and Chandler Smith, who had words post-race. Sheldon Creed in fifth and Austin Hill in seventh were the only other Playoff drivers to finish ahead of the #97. The big Playoff victim was Justin Allgaier, who crashed out after making contact with Sheldon Creed and spinning into the inside wall from 10th on Lap 20. Van Gisbergen started 22nd after qualifying 0.948s off pole sitter Brandon Jones and had a steady opening stage, crossing the line 24th. The Kiwi crept into the top 20 in a second stage that was heavily […]