Motorsport News April 21, 2022

It is quite impressive how one little button has given everyone so much to talk about and consider ahead of the new British Touring Car Championship season. The hybrid system is finally here and it promises to add an exciting new element to the campaign when it kicks off at Donington Park this weekend . What is perhaps the most interesting element to the extra power boost granted to all of the cars will be how the drivers decide to deploy the system – which can offer up to 15 seconds per lap of electronic power to supplement that coming from the motor. It can be used to attack or defend and, speaking to the people who will use it, there is yet to be a consensus on which will be…

Formula 1 bosses are eyeing a return to SouthAfrica with a grand prix at the Kyalami venue. The track, near Johannesburg, first hosted a World championship race in 1967 and was a regular on the calendar through to 1985. The track was reworked and hosted two grands prix in 1992 and 1993 before it was dropped again. Liberty Media, the operator of F1, has recently announced a third grand prix in the United States and are looking to push further into new territories. The Kyalami track will need upgrade work to gain a Grade 1 licence and the first grand prix the revamped circuit could not take place before 2024. Seven-time World champion Lewis Hamilton has backed plans to host a grand prix on the African continent. Speaking at the recent announcement of the…

Former grand prix team boss Giancarlo Minardi has been elected to the role of president of the FIA’s single-seater commission, replacing Bob Fernley. Italian Minardi was voted into his new role last week. His new job at the FIA means he will have an oversight on the junior racing pyramid and look at new technologies and safety aspects of the sport. The 74-year-old, who is the president of the Imola circuit, ran his own team in Formula 1 from 1985 through to 2001, when it was bought out by Paul Stoddart. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed Minardi’s arrival. He said: “I warmly welcome the election of Giancarlo Minardi as FIA single-seater commission president. He is a major figure in motorsport [and] I look forward to working with him to further develop the…

Formula 1 chiefs have clarified the role of the safety car in Formula 1 following criticism after theAustralian Grand Prix, where World champion Max Verstappen said that the caution car proceeded too slowly. After the race in Melbourne, Red Bull driver Verstappen was stinging in his attack the pace of theAston Martin. The Dutchman said: “There’s so little grip and also the safety car was driving so slow, it was like a turtle. Unbelievable. To drive 140kph [90mph] on the back straight, there was not a damaged car, so I don’t understand why we have to drive so slowly. We have to investigate.” The FIAhit back on social media last week, and it underlined the fact that the speed of the car was not its primary concern. Its statement read: “The FIAwould like to…

The Haas Formula 1 team has rejected claims from its former backer, Russian oil firm Uralkali, to repay €12 million it was granted at the start of 2022 before the squad cancelled its agreement with the backer. Uralkali’s deal with Haas was cancelled following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February. The backer’s name was removed from the car for the final day of pre-season testing in Spain and driver Nikita Mazepin was released from his seat with the team. Uralkali wrote to the team and asked for the money to be returned but Haas has hit back and told the firm that it was within its rights to terminate the contract due to a clause that Uralkali didn’t ‘injure, bring into dispute, ridicule, or lessen the public reputation, goodwill of favourable…

Thirty-two drivers have been confirmed to the initial testing ahead of this year’s Indy 500, with just a single spot left on the grid for the iconic event which takes place on May 29. MarcoAndretti will return to the wheel of an IndyCar machine in a fifthAndretti Autosport entry, while Chip Ganassi Racing also expands to five cars and Tony Kanaan will be part of the line-up. McLaren SP also bumps up its entry to three as Juan Pablo Montoya joins regular Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. There is speculation surrounding the 33rd entry on the line-up and sources suggest it could come from another entry from the Juncos Hollinger Racing team as a sister car to its single entry for Briton Callum Ilott.…