Motorsport News June 9, 2022

There is no doubt that this is a huge season for Craig Breen. After playing a bit-part role in the World Rally Championship for so many seasons, M-Spot finally put its faith in the Irishman and handed him a full year in its new Puma. Breen certainly deserved the chance and has already proven his versatility on so many different types of event. Rally Italy last weekend was another opportunity for him to shine, and he grabbed it with both hands. A second-placed finish added to his growing collection of silverware. It marked Breen’s second podium of the season and he is fourth in the drivers’ standings as a result. The breakthrough win at the top table surely can’t be far away, and it will be welcomed by all in the service…

Monaco Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez will remain with Red Bull Racing until 2024 after securing a new deal with the Milton Keynes-based squad The 32-year-old signed an extension to his current deal ahead of the race in the south of France and will remain as World champion Max Verstappen’s team-mate. Perez, who joined the team in 2020, is third in title chase this season and has scored four podiums. Red Bull is on top of the World championship standings in the race for the constructors’championship. Perez said: “For me, [it was] an incredible week. Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a dream for any driver and then to follow that with announcing I will continue with the team until 2024 just makes me extremely happy. “I am so proud to be a…

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that it is only poor luck that has prevented seven-time World champion Lewis Hamilton from matching his new teammate George Russell. Mercedes has had a faltering start to the campaign with the W13 chassis, which has experienced handling problems. Hamilton is sixth in the drivers’points table this year, 34 behind Russell, who has yet to finish outside the top five in any race so far in 2022. Team principal Wolff said only circumstances were preventing Hamilton from climbing further up the order. Wolff said: “I think when you look at the bad spells that Lewis had [they are just bad luck]: I mean, look at the [Monaco] race: stuck again. Contact with Esteban [Ocon], stuck behind Fernando [Alonso], the red flag in qualifying, and I think the pendulum…

Toyota claimed the bragging rights ahead of this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours by topping a highly competitive test weekend on Sunday. The GR010 Hypercar of Briton Mike Conway, Jose Maria Lopez and Kamui Kobayashi set a 3m29.896s lap on Sunday afternoon to eclipse the leading Glickenhaus entry of Olivier Pla, Romain Dumas and Felipe Derani by a scant 0.208s around the 8.5-mile French track. The second Toyota of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa was third with a 3m30.490s lap, narrowly clear of the second Glickenhaus 007 LHM driven by Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Franck Mailleux. The fifth best time was set by the leading LMP2 machine, the UnitedAutosports crew of Will Owen, FilipeAlbuquerque and Philip Hanson. They registered a 3m32.099s tour. Top GT honours went to Chevrolet, with the…

Haas Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher says that it was only a 10-centimetre error of judgement that caused his dramatic Monaco Grand Prix crash, which led to the race being red flagged. The German, who has yet to score a point in the F1 World championship standings this year, lost control on lap 24 of the race through the streets and his car split in half after connecting with the barriers at the Swimming Pool section. Schumacher said he was physically fine after the shunt, was annoyed that his race had ended early. The 23-year-old said: “I’m feeling alright – obviously it’s very annoying. I think in terms of pace we were definitely there, it’s just a matter of keeping it on track, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that. “We just…

Mercedes Formula 1 driver George Russell has praised his Williams replacement Alex Albon after the opening seven rounds of the campaign and says his fellow Briton is doing an “exceptional” job on his return to the grand prix cockpit. Russell spent three years with the British team and scored points on three occasions including a podium finish in the truncated Belgian Grand Prix in 2021 in the Mercedes-powered team. Russell was promoted to the main Mercedes team this term and former Red Bull driverAlbon took his place at Williams. Albon has finished in the points twice this season and placed ninth in the Miami Grand Prix in early May. Russell, who has yet to finish outside the top five in any of the seven races so far this year, said: “I think there was…