Motorsport News 01/07/21

Elfyn Evans was one of the big losers from a chaotic Safari Rally last weekend. The Welshman left Kenya 34 points down on Toyota team-mate Sebastien Ogier after he hit a rock and retired on the third stage while running fourth. World champion Ogier fought back from a troubled opening morning, when a technical issue dropped him to seventh, to become a four-time winner in 2021. That was after long-term leader Thierry Neuville retired his Hyundai with broken suspension on the final morning’s first stage following another disastrous showing from the South Korean make.Although it proved a tough trip to EastAfrica for Evans, Briton Daniel Barritt co-drove Takamoto Katsuta to second overall for Toyota’s fourth 1-2 of 2021 and Katsuta’s first podium..…

Although there were many who were saying that the reborn Safari Rally would be nothing like the classic, epic events that had gone before, there was no doubting that the return of Africa to the World Rally Championship gave a test unlike any other that the competitors will face in this year’s competition. Dani Sordo, Kalle Rovanpera and, unfortunately, Elfyn Evans, were only able to make it to the end of the 18 stages with the help of the Super Rally rules, which enabled them to restart after earlier disasters. They were the lucky ones: Thierry Neville and Oliver Solberg were caught out so badly that they were unable to complete the Safari’s challenge. So it did provide something extraordinary for those who took part and it has added a fresh twist…

There is a new force at the top of Formula 1. For the first time in eight years, four races have now passed without a Mercedes victory. When Max Verstappen dominated the Styrian Grand Prix on Sunday it marked a significant turning point in this era of grand prix motorsport. Never before in the turbo-hybrid formula (which began in 2014) has Red Bull scored four consecutive wins. And with a second race at its home track this coming weekend, it’s difficult to see beyond another triumph for the Milton Keynes team. Verstappen led from pole position and was never challenged by the second-placed Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton over 71 laps. It was a commanding drive on the team’s home turf in Spielberg, with the Styrian mountains proving a picturesque backdrop. Indeed, Hamilton…

A dejected George Russell missed out on scoring his first points for Williams when a reliability issue forced him to retire from the Styrian Grand P.rix The British driver was battling Fernando Alonso for seventh place when the problems began. “We were having a great race and after 14 laps the team said we needed to do a two-stop as we had a rare pneumatic issue with the car,” said Russell. “The team apologised, but there was no need, we’re in this together.” It had been a strong weekend for Russell who just missed out on making Q3 in qualifying for the first time in a Williams by just 0.008 seconds. He started 10th and had the pace for a points finish until the mechanical issues struck. Williams last scored a point when…

Lewis Hamilton is “very hungry” to continue racing in Formula 1 according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. The seven-time world champion has begun contract negotiations to extend his career in the sport beyond this year. “We are hoping to get it done much faster than we did last time,” said Hamilton. “We don’t want to fall into the same trap. “It’s quite chilled as well – we always talked about not wanting to do it mid-season because it would be a distraction – but we’ve done it in a way that is light-hearted.” Hamilton is currently on a one-year deal, which was only finalised in February, but Wolff said that the championship fight has ignited a hunger in the 36-year-old to continue. “It’s a new situation for him, that it is so tight in the…

STYRIAN GRAND PRI Laps: 71 Track: Red Bull Ring 11 Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) -1 lap; 12 Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin-Mercedes) - 1 lap; 13 Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren-Mercedes) -1lap; 14 Esteban Ocon (Alpine-Renault) -1 lap; 15 Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) -1 lap; 16 Mick Schumacher (Haas-Ferrari) -2 laps; 17 Nicholas Latifi (Williams-Mercedes) -3 laps; 18 Nikita Mazepin (Haas-Ferrari) -3 laps; 19 George Russell (Williams-Mercedes) 36 laps/pneumatics; 20 Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1 lap/ accident. Drivers’ championship: 1 Verstappen 156 points; 2 Hamilton 138; 3 Perez 96; 4 Norris 86; 5 Bottas 74; 6 Leclerc 58. Constructors: 1 Red Bull 252 points; 2 Mercedes 212; 3 McLaren 120; 4 Ferrari 108; 5 AlphaTauri 46; 6 Aston Martin 44. Next race: Austrian Grand Prix, July 3-4.…