Motorsport News 25/11/21

Sebastien Ogier brought the house down at Rally Monza, ending his illustrious World Rally Championship career with an eighth drivers’ championship title after taking victory on the event. As the last-ever WRC round to be headlined by World Rally Cars before the introduction of the hybrid-powered Rally1 in 2022, Ogier gave his all to fend off British team-mate Elfyn Evans and claim his 54th win in the top flight. Evans could potentially have denied Ogier the title if he had both won and netted maximum Powerstage bonus points. As it was, the Welsh ace was on the back foot after none of the other cars could match the pace that was set by the two Toyotas and he ended up in second place on the rally and in the title standings. Ogier’s co-driver…

And so it is a partial farewell to Sebastien Ogier, as he strides out of the World Rally Championship service park with an eighth championship trophy tucked firmly under his arm. It won’t, of course, be too long before the Toyota man walks back into the heart of the action, but his part-time campaign in 2022 will not bring him the decorations he has been used to over the last nine seasons. The Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris pilot said that claiming another title – which took him to within one of his record-breaking countryman Sebastien Loeb – was far from easy but it was the perfect way to sign off his tenure as a full-time competitor in the top-flight. Five wins – including last weekend’s Monza Rally – from the 12 rounds…

It might be a year until Qatar hosts the football World Cup, but the talk of penalties has already dominated the sporting action in this desert landscape.After qualifying on the front row behind polesitter Lewis Hamilton, on Sunday morning Max Verstappen was awarded a five-place grid penalty for not slowing under yellow flags on his final qualifying lap. As a result he was demoted to seventh on the starting grid. But in much the same way Hamilton had responded to the punishment he received at the previous race in Brazil, the penalty handed to Verstappen only served to fire him up.Asuperb start and brilliant opening laps by the Dutch driver quickly put the Red Bull back into second place – and that’s where he finished, behind race winner Hamilton – after…

11 Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri-Honda) -1 lap; 12 Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren-Mercedes) -1 lap; 13 Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) -1 lap; 14 Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) -1 lap; 15 Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) -1 lap; 16 Mick Schumacher (Haas-Ferrari) -1 lap; 17 George Russell (Williams-Mercedes) -2 laps; 18 Nikita Mazepin (Haas-Ferrari) -2 laps; 19 Nicholas Latifi (Williams-Mercedes) 50 laps/puncture; 20 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 48laps/puncture. Drivers’ championship: 1 Verstappen 351.5 pts; 2 Hamilton 343.5; 3 Bottas 203; 4 Perez 190; 5 Norris 153; 6 Leclerc 152. Constructors’ championship: 1 Mercedes 546.5 pts; 2 Red Bull 541.5; 3 Ferrari 297.5; 4 McLaren 258; 5 Alpine 137; 6 AlphaTauri 112.…

Fernando Alonso says he would relish a title fight next year, after scoring his first Formula 1 podium for seven years. The Spaniard, 40, held on to third behind Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the Qatar Grand Prix and hopes he has the equipment to fight for outright honours in 2022. “It’s difficult to predict what will happen, but I’d love to be in the title fight with them,” said the two-time World champion. “There is a reset for everyone next year and it is up to us to produce a fast car. It’s not like this year where the cars are a carry-over, so if we are in that position, I feel strong and I feel ready to take on the battle.” Alonso has set a new record the longest gap between…

McLaren faces an uphill battle to overcome Ferrari for third in the constructors’ battle after slipping to nearly 40 points behind its old rivals. Lando Norris was running in fourth in the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix when a puncture dropped him to ninth at the flag - behind both Ferraris. It was an unsatisfying end for the Woking team that was celebrating its 900th F1 start last weekend. “The puncture ruined everything,” said the British driver. “We tried so hard and put so much effort in and it’s disappointing to finish like this for something that wasn’t our fault.” McLaren team-mate Daniel Ricciardo finished outside the top ten after his race was compromised by a fuel issue. Both Williams drivers also suffered punctures in Qatar which Pirelli say are connected to…