Автор: ASPPA IMAGES ANO

«Все совместные сезоны – это провал?». Вольф встал на защиту Хэмилтона

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Руководитель Mercedes Тото Вольф подчеркнул, что долгая карьера Льюиса Хэмилтона в его команде не должна быть омрачена последними несколькими трудными сезонами.

Отвечая на соответствующий вопрос на пресс-конференции в Лас-Вегасе, австриец сказал: «Майкл Джордан отыграл 12 сезонов или около того, и он выиграл шесть чемпионатов NBA… Были ли остальные шесть неудачными?

Мы с Льюисом выступаем вместе уже 12 сезонов, и мы выиграли восемь из них. Были ли остальные неудачными? Мы финишировали третьими два года назад, вторыми в прошлом году, при этом не выиграв ни одной гонки. В этом году мы выиграли три. Так что это не неудачи.

Это был хороший период и для Mercedes, и для Льюиса. И мы постараемся сделать следующую главу ещё лучше, потому что пытаемся сделать лучше каждый следующий день, каждый уикенд. И то же самое будет в следующем сезоне, а затем и в важном сезоне 2026 года».



Source link

Зак Браун подтвердил, что Ник де Врис может вернуться в Ф1 с McLaren

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


На прошлой неделе чемпион мира Формулы Е 2021 года и экс-пилот младшей команды Red Bull Ник де Врис провел тесты за рулём машины McLaren 2022 года на трассе Поль Рикар.

Также на тестах присутствовал пилот-разработчик Рё Хиракава. Японский гонщик является одним из резервистов команды и, как и де Врис, пилотом Toyota Gazoo Racing в чемпионате мира по гонкам на выносливость.

В беседе с Viaplay генеральный директор McLaren Зак Браун заявил, что де Врис впечатлил команду во время испытаний: «Всё прошло очень хорошо. Очевидно, что у него долгая история в начале карьеры с McLaren, которая проходит через нашу программу тестов машин прошлых лет. Мы оцениваем нескольких пилотов, и Ник – один из них. Очевидно, что Ник – большой талант. Поэтому мы хотели как бы заново познакомиться с ним, и он хорошо справился. Так что посмотрим, что будет дальше».

Браун не исключил, что де Врис присоединится к его команде в будущем, несмотря на сложный сезон 2023 года с AlphaTauri. На вопрос о том, когда будет принято это решение, глава McLaren ответил так: «Вероятно, в конце года».



Source link

Джеймс Ваулз назвал шокирующую сумму ущерба Williams

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Руководитель Williams Джеймс Ваулз рассказал, что недавние аварии Алекса Албона и Франко Колапинто обошлись его команде в ошеломляющую семизначную сумму.

За последние два уик-энда пилоты команды из Гроува попали в пять серьёзных аварий. Албон не смог принять участие в гонке в Бразилии после аварии в квалификации, а Колапинто не смог закончить заезд из-за ещё одного инцидента.

В четверг в Лас-Вегасе Ваулз ответил на вопрос ESPN о сумме ущерба: «Счёт идёт на миллионы – меньше десяти, но больше трёх. Это огромные цифры, если подсчитать.

Ущерб, который мы получили в Мексике и Бразилии… Я не сталкивался ни с чем подобным за 25 лет работы в Формуле 1 – пять крупных аварий за два этапа. Трудно определить, кто виноват, а кто нет, это просто автоспорт, но пять… Это вывело из строя пять передних крыльев, днищ, задних крыльев, три коробки передач, два двигателя, два шасси. Количество, в которое вы просто не можете поверить».



Source link

KTM denies Red Bull rescue rumours, reiterates commitment to MotoGP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


KTM has denied speculation that Red Bull could step in and pull it out of its current financial troubles, while at the same time reiterating that it remains committed to competing in MotoGP.

The Austrian manufacturer is in the midst of a major crisis and is seeking at least 100 million euros to stay afloat in 2025.

Job cuts have been rampant, with another 280-300 employees set to lose their jobs at its site in Upper Austria by the end of the year. The company will switch from two shifts to just one next year, while also pausing production in January and February.

The management is working hard on a solution and talks with banks are ongoing.

Amid the search for additional funding, Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten had reported that Red Bull co-owner Mark Mateschitz could help KTM financially in its fight for survival. It further said that talks had already taken place between the management of the two companies.

Mateschitz, heir of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich, and KTM boss Stefan Pierer know each other very well. A company jointly owned by Mateschitz, Pierer and Raiffeisen Oberosterreich recently acquired a 50.1 per cent stake in Austrian fire service supplier Rosenbauer.

However, KTM’s parent company Pierer Mobility AG has now released a statement to deny claims that Red Bull will rescue the struggling bike maker.

«In response to the newspaper reports, Pierer Mobility makes it clear that there are no discussions about Mark Mateschitz joining Pierer Mobility and KTM,» it said.

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Amid its financial troubles, Pierer Mobility Group’s wide-reaching motorsport programmes have already seen some impact. Notably, Husqvarna’s withdrawal has left the Intact GP without any financial support from the brand in Moto2 and Moto3, while KTM’s presence in the 2025 Dakar Rally has been reduced to just three riders.

These changes are part of a new strategy at Pierer Mobility, which is now focusing on promoting its primary brand KTM in motorsport. It’s for the same reason why GasGas will disappear from MotoGP in 2025, with the KTM branding returning on Tech3’s RC16 bikes.

However, even as the company chases additional funding, there is no threat to KTM’s involvement in MotoGP, according to its motorsport chief Pit Beirer.

«We will stay in all the series we are in,» Beirer told the Salzburger Nachrichten . «Whatever we do, we do with 100 per cent.»

«But the focus is now entirely on Orange [KTM]. In some series, we are currently represented with three times the effort.

«Our junior program, which begins with the Rookies Cup, is also not at risk. Our partners and sponsors are supporting us in this difficult phase.»

Having joined MotoGP in 2017, KTM’s goal is to step up its game and fight for victories and world championships on a regular basis.

Read Also:

It’s why the MotoGP project remains untouched, according to Beirer.

«Motorsport and the company’s success over the last 20 years are directly linked,» said Beirer. «We are the company’s best marketing tool. The company has had linear growth for over 20 years.

«We won races and then sold motorcycles. That’s the secret of success.»

«We are ‘Ready to Race’ and we do not engage in motorsport as an end in itself. We are now in a very difficult phase and we, as the motorsport department, will do our part to stabilize the company.

«We are part of the family and we have to stick together now. We also learned to fight in sport. We give the company everything we have and will get through this together.»

KTM has scored seven grands prix since its entry into the series, with its last success coming at the 2022 Thailand Grand Prix.



Source link

Шарль Леклер: Мы не так сильны в Лас-Вегасе, как ожидали

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


После первых тренировок Гран При Лас-Вегаса пилот Ferrari Шарль Леклер признался, что ожидал от машины большего. Монегаск показал четвёртое и пятое время.

За три этапа до конца сезона Ferrari всё ещё может сократить отставание от McLaren и вырваться вперёд в Кубке конструкторов. Однако уик-энд в Лас-Вегасе может стать тяжёлым для Ferrari, несмотря на то, что характеристики трассы должны подходить SF-24.

«Для нас это был не лучший день, – сказал Леклер пресс-службе Ferrari. – Но, похоже, он был сложным и для других команд. Мы не так сильны, как ожидали. В очень холодных погодных условиях нам всё ещё сложно довести шины до идеальной температуры, что, как мы знали, станет проблемой этого уик-энда. Так что мы поработаем над этим вечером и посмотрим, что сможем сделать завтра».



Source link

Hyundai apologises to Neuville after WRC title blow in Rally Japan

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Hyundai has apologised to Thierry Neuville and is planning to change “everything” on his car after a suspected turbo related issue dented his World Rally Championship title hopes in Japan.

Championship leader Neuville can clinch the crown by scoring six points at the season finale, but that prospect has been made much tougher after his i20 N suffered a mysterious loss of power in stage four on Friday.

Faced with only a tyre fitting zone in between the stage loops, Hyundai was unable to fix the problem dropping Neuville from second to 15th, some 7m41.3s adrift of title rival, team-mate and rally leader Ott Tanak.

Hyundai was surprised by the issue given its strong reliability this year with Neuville’s only other technical fault coming in Kenya.  

The Korean marque’s WRC programme manager Christian Loriaux believes the problem is related to the car’s turbo after confirming Neuville lost boost pressure in stage four. He is also confident the engine hasn’t incurred any damage. 

“Thierry actually had a brand new turbo for this event and the rest of the things are pretty much proven parts,” Loriaulx told Motorsport.com.

“We know he lost the boost pressure and we know the wastegate regulation is not working. Is it the electric coil or box or the wiring in between? We don’t know. We are going to try and figure that out tonight and change everything to make sure we fix the problem.”

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Loraiux was quick to apologise to Neuville before praising how the Belgian handled the problem that arrived at the worst moment in the title fight. 

“We are all pushing for everything so sometimes a driver makes a mistake, sometimes the team make mistake but it is very frustrating. We have had good reliability this year,» he added.

“This is really a blow and very frustrating as it puts us under pressure and in a difficult situation and for that we want to really apologise to Thierry.

«He was doing an incredible job for the team and we didn’t expect him to be where he was today at the start and we were expecting him to be steady.

«Despite the problem he still reacted in a very professional way and kept his calm and he brought the car back without losing his temper which is admirable. 

“[If] I couldn’t do it I would kick the steering wheel and shout at everyone, but again we apologise. It is not over and we have to stay positive and keep pushing.”

Neuville refused to blame the team for the issue but admitted it was the “worst thing that could have happened” this weekend. 

“Of course they [the team] can apologise but it will not change the situation,» said Neuville, who is still confident he can recover to the points-paying positions on Saturday.

«It will not make me any more happy for sure. Nevertheless we first need to have a look at what the problem is.

“I’m not sure we can say the team is responsible for the issue. We know in motorsport things happen but of course they have to make sure they get the car fixed for tomorrow. 

“Obviously it is the worst thing that could happen to us this weekend. I would have preferred to have a puncture than losing seven minutes with a technical issue, but that shows that [points] advantage we built up over the year, those 25 points are really crucial. Hopefully this hard work will pay off and we will be rewarded.”

Tanak not thinking about drivers’ title push

While Neuville’s drama has ignited Tanak’s slim title hopes, the 2019 world champion is not letting himself think about the prospect of securing a second crown.

The Estonian produced a near-perfect drive to open up a 20.9s rally lead, but remains focussed on holding off Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sebastien Ogier to help Hyundai secure a first manufacturers’ title since 2020.

“There is nothing to think about,» said Tanak. «I can’t do anything different than what I’m doing.

“It has been very frustrating for the team as first of all this morning started very positive with Toyota having two cars with punctures on the first stage and everything was looking under control and then sometimes you are amazed at how quickly things can change around and you are on the back foot. 

“I had to fight the Toyotas to stay ahead of them to protect the team and let’s see what tomorrow brings. It is still very difficult.”

Read Also:



Source link

What has happened with Red Bull’s rear wing in Las Vegas?

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Red Bull has found itself on the back foot at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the rear wing it is running proving to be much draggier than what its rivals have on board.

In a bid to help Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez attack the long straights, Red Bull arrived in Las Vegas with a trimmed rear and beam wing arrangement rather than designing a bespoke solution specifically for this track.

This lowest drag arrangement is similar to what it took to Monza, but it has been a bit more aggressive this time around in trimming away more of the flap (yellow dotted line, for comparison). It wasn’t enough though, as the team found itself up to 7km/h down on its rivals in some of the speed traps during FP1.

In response to this deficit, it cut away more of the upper flap’s trailing edge in a bid to get rid of as much drag as possible.

This can be seen in the image below, as one of the mechanics cuts away the carbon fibre along a guide line that’s been drawn on the element, whilst another vacuums up the debris.

This not only removes material from the existing crescent shaped cutout, but it also extends into and removes the central V groove that was present before, leaving very little material around the DRS anchor point.

Mechanics of Red Bull Racing work on the car of Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Red Bull Racing RB20 rear wing detail

Beyond the main rear wing, there is just a single element beam wing installed on the RB20, which has also been trimmed significantly along the trailing edge. This leaves just a jagged full chord section in the central section to frame the exhaust’s tailpipe.

Red Bull also has a revised front wing layout in Las Vegas, with flaps that feature less camber and chord length, to help balance the downforce level, front-to-rear.

However, what does seem odd in its aerodynamic set-up is that it has opted for what has been attributed as its higher downforce engine cover variant.

Red Bull Racing RB20 side detail
Red Bull Racing RB20 cooling exit detail

Introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix (above, left) the solution is much more tapered at the rear of the car when compared with the unique cooling inlet and high-haunched arrangement that the RB20 used throughout the opening phase of 2024 (above, right).
 
Red Bull fitted the RB20 with its older specification layout at both the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix, making it what many assumed as a shoo-in for a return in Las Vegas. However, it hasn’t appeared as of yet. 

Red Bull Racing RB20 sidepods detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 sidepods detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull has also introduced a non-circuit specific fence update in Las Vegas, with the team continuing to search for additional performance from the RB20, even in this latter stage of the season.

It is a design feature we have seen some of its rivals use in the past, with the second inboard floor fence now raised above the floor’s tideline and angled to ensure it sheds a vortex from its surface that will help flow across the upper surface of the floor.

The overall shape of the fence below the tideline has been altered too, with a much squarer leading edge than was previously employed in the outgoing design. 

Read Also:



Source link

MotoGP champion Jorge Martin threatened not to make TV appearance

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Newly-crowned MotoGP champion Jorge Martin was the victim of a fierce battle for an audience between two TV shows that compete for the prime-time television slot in Spain.

Four days after celebrating his first title in the premier class at Barcelona, Martin had agreed to appear on La Revuelta, a television show presented by David Broncano and broadcast by Television Espanola every day during the week.

La Revuelta was established a few months ago as a direct rival to El Hormiguero, which has been on the air since 2006 and occupies the same time slot.

When the time came for Martin to appear on TV with La Revuelta, Broncano publicly spoke against the pressure the Spaniard had received to turn down his appearance in the hours leading up to the show. Martin, at that time, was still in the dressing rooms of the theatre where the La Revuelta is filmed.

«Today Jorge Martin, MotoGP world champion, was going to come, who, in fact, is down here, in the dressing room. But half an hour before starting he told us that El Hormiguero found out that he was coming,» lamented the presenter of the Spanish state television show.

«And since they don’t want any guest to appear here, rather than there, they have pulled their strings, with the ways of pressuring that they have, and Jorge has told us that he can’t do the interview. He has told us that he cannot appear on the show because, otherwise, some things would happen.»

El Hormiguero is part of the media conglomerate Atresmedia, of which La Sexta is also a part and which this year reached an agreement with MotoGP promoter Dorna to provide free-to-air coverage of up to four grands prix this year (five after the inclusion of a second race in Barcelona to replace the cancelled Valencia round).

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

As a result of the great stir caused by the accusation made by the most visible face of La Revuelta, El Hormiguero posted a message on his X (formerly Twitter), in which it pointed out that both Dorna and the agency that represents the Spanish rider were responsible for what happened.

«It has been a misunderstanding of no major importance. Two weeks before the [championship] final, we had agreed to have Jorge Martin exclusively on our program,» it said.

«Today, one of their representatives made a mistake by changing the visit they had scheduled with another rider. After what happened, Dorna, the organising company of the Motorcycle World Championship, contacted the representatives to resolve the situation.»

The whole storm was unleashed as a result of a social media post by Martin himself in which he said he would visit La Revuelta on Thursday. The show is known for not revealing its guests before it’s recorded. 

It was a post that the 2024 Pramac rider deleted quickly, but not before it was seen by El Hormiguero, which likely used its agreement with Dorna as a measure to achieve its desired purpose.

Motorsport.com understands that it was El Hormiguero which directly advised the world champion not to appear on the set. In any case, the show with La Revuelta was recorded and will be broadcast – as long as there is no change of script – after Martin appears in El Hormiguero next week.

Read Also:



Source link

«Я в этом не очень хорош». Норрис недоволен тренировками в Вегасе

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Пилот McLaren Ландо Норрис недоволен гоночным темпом своей машины, несмотря на конкурентоспособные быстрые круги и второе время во второй тренировке Гран При Лас-Вегаса.

«День был так себе. С низким уровнем топлива всё в порядке, а вот с высоким… Честно говоря, я был в шоке. Так что есть много вещей, на которые нужно обратить внимание. Такая комбинация факторов, наши проблемы с зернистостью передних шин и прочее… Я не очень хорош в этом. Для меня это всегда немного сложно. Но у нас достаточно времени, чтобы поработать над этим.

Я всё изучу и посмотрю, над чем могу поработать. По крайней мере, сейчас я могу больше сосредоточиться на темпе с высоким уровнем топлива, но хорошая квалификация и лидирование после первого круга всегда не помешают», – сказал Норрис Sky после тренировок.



Source link