After it made its race debut at the San Marino GP with wildcard Dani Pedrosa, KTM has brought its new carbon fibre chassis to Japan for factory riders Binder and Jack Miller. With the new chassis offering better rear grip on the RC16, Binder used this to maximum effect on the soft rear tyre at the end the second practice to go fastest of all with a 1m43.489s, beating the eight-year-old lap record set by Jorge Lorenzo. Binder headed championship leader Francesco Bagnaia by 0.029 seconds, while Aleix Espargaro completed the top three for Aprilia, the top three all surpassing Lorenzo's 2015 benchmark. The Q1 session in qualifying will feature all three previous champions prior to Bagnaia in 2022, as crashes for Yamaha’s Quartararo and Honda’s Marquez left both outside of the top 10. Joan Mir will also join that trio having been unable to replicate his top five form from FP1 in the afternoon. The early pace was set by the sister factory Aprilia of Maverick Vinales, who got … [Read more...] about MotoGP Japanese GP: Binder tops FP2, Marquez and Quartararo crash
Speedway gp british 2018
Audi Hints R8 Electric Successor Is Already Planned On New Platform
With fewer than 100 examples sold, the R8 E-Tron launched back in 2015 was far from a commercial success. However, Audi never really gave up on the idea of an electric supercar. In 2018, it presented its vision of a high-performance EV with the PB18 E-Tron pictured here. A production version sadly didn't follow, but the Four Rings are once again willing to talk about a zero-emission R8 with a potential launch date later this decade. In an interview with Autocar , the man in charge of the Technical Development division strongly suggested there will be a third-generation R8 someday. Oliver Hoffmann told the British magazine that the Volkswagen Group's upcoming Scalable Systems Platform can be adapted and reconfigured for "iconic cars – sports cars and so on." Audi PB 18 e-tron 22 Photos He went on to mention Audi will use certain systems or modules engineered … [Read more...] about Audi Hints R8 Electric Successor Is Already Planned On New Platform
Honda’s problems “still the same” with new aero – Marquez
Honda introduced a new aero fairing onto Takaaki Nakagami 's LCR-run bike at the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, with the package resembling KTM and Ducati's design philosophy. For this weekend's Austrian GP, both Marquez and team-mate Joan Mir have the new kit, with the former spending Friday's practice sessions running the old package back-to-back with the updated one. Though feeling like he was getting "better and better" throughout the day on the new aero, Marquez said it has forced him to ride the RC213V in a different way – but one in which its key issues, mainly the bike's poor acceleration, remains. "Today was a very demanding day mentally, because with this new aero, the way to ride the bike is completely different," Marquez, who ended Friday in 13th after getting blocked by Pol Espargaro on a late flying lap in FP2, said. "I've gotten used to the Honda for many years, and especially last year and the first half of this season, and now this aero was … [Read more...] about Honda’s problems “still the same” with new aero – Marquez
Norris warns McLaren’s Silverstone pace ‘won’t happen that often at all’
McLaren are unlikely to replicate their strong performance from the previous race says Lando Norris , who scored their best result of the season so far two weeks ago at Silverstone. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Norris, who qualified and finished second at the British Grand Prix, said “we know it’s not going to happen that often at all” over the rest of the season. A combination of the circuit’s characteristics suiting their car, plus the upgrade the team began to introduce two races ago, contributed to their result. His team mate Oscar Piastri finished fourth, and lost one position due to the timing of a Safety Car period. “We enjoyed the moment, for sure, but we know we’re not competing for wins or even podiums, we weren’t close to that very often,” said Norris. “A lot of things went right for this to happen, even though we should have had a P2 and a P3. “I think the confidence came from knowing that we took a good step in the right direction. I … [Read more...] about Norris warns McLaren’s Silverstone pace ‘won’t happen that often at all’
De Vries deserved to stay ‘at least until the summer break’ – Tsunoda
AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda says his former team mate Nyck de Vries deserved more races before losing his race seat just ten rounds into his rookie season. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free De Vries was replaced after the British Grand Prix by Daniel Ricciardo , Red Bull’s third driver, after failing to score a single point over the first ten rounds of the championship. Speaking ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Tsunoda told media including RaceFans that he believes his former team mate deserved more time in the car before losing his seat. “I think so,” Tsunoda said. “I think just 10 races, especially at a couple of tracks that he didn’t know, I think so. “At the same time, I know what Red Bull’s side is, what they’re saying. But I think he deserved at least until probably the summer break. I was thinking like that.” Tsunoda said he had a good relationship with De Vries and that the pair had exchanged messages after news broke that he had lost … [Read more...] about De Vries deserved to stay ‘at least until the summer break’ – Tsunoda
Binder buoyed after setting Motegi lap record on new KTM chassis
KTM turned heads at the San Marino GP earlier this month when test rider Dani Pedrosa completed the weekend as a wildcard on the new carbon fibre frame. The 31-time MotoGP race winner finished fourth in both the sprint and the grand prix at Misano using the new frame, which was then tested on the Monday at the Italian venue by the race riders. Both Binder and Jack Miller rode the chassis on Friday at the Japanese GP, which the former used to top second practice by beating the eight-year-old lap record with a 1m43.489s. The South African says the new chassis has given him the rear grip he has been long requesting from KTM, but is “cautious” about the gains it has brought. “Well, I think for sure the new chassis has given me a little bit more rear grip, which is something I’ve been asking for,” he said. “So, it’s great to have that available and it helps you for sure. Grip is lap time. “I think we were all a bit surprised about how fast Dani was in Misano – the guy … [Read more...] about Binder buoyed after setting Motegi lap record on new KTM chassis
Marquez feels “unlucky” to miss Motegi MotoGP Q2 after yellow flag confusion
Honda rider Marquez had set a lap good enough to make the top 10 in Friday afternoon’s second practice session and thus secure a guaranteed spot in the second part of qualifying, but this was scrubbed for a yellow flag violation. The lap would have been good enough to get him into Q2, but the six-time MotoGP champion pushed for a further improvement and instead ended up in the gravel at Turn 1. With his best lap taken away, Marquez was left 14th-fastest, two spots behind team-mate Joan Mir , and facing the prospect of fighting his way out of the first part of qualifying on Saturday. But the six-time champion admits that he didn't realise that in reality he didn't need to push any harder to get through to Q2. “It was a good day, but unlucky,” summarised Marquez. “Some days I go into Q2 without [having] the speed, but today I had the speed and I was not able to be in Q2. “With the first tyre, I did a mistake on the first corner and I missed the lap. I touched the green … [Read more...] about Marquez feels “unlucky” to miss Motegi MotoGP Q2 after yellow flag confusion
Aston Martin posts £53m loss for 2022 F1 season
The team made a bigger loss despite upping its turnover from sponsorship and prize money by over £ 32m, with the numbers reflecting an overall increase in costs in the first year of the new regulations. Following a reorganisation, the team now operates under the banner of AMR GP Limited, which is a subsidiary of AMR GP Holdings Limited, although the headline numbers across the two entities are in effect the same. Figures released to the public domain this week show that AMR GP generated turnover in 2022 of £ 188,728,000, up from £ 150,438,000 in 2021. The overall cost of sales, a measure of what the team actually spent to go racing, rose to £ 152,046,00 from £ 107,735,000. With administrative expenses and other income such as government grants taken into account, that resulted in a loss for 2022 of £ 52,915,000, compared with £ 43,332,000 in 2021. Overall staff costs for the group were listed as £ 54,983,000, an increase of around 10% on the previous year. … [Read more...] about Aston Martin posts £53m loss for 2022 F1 season
Indian Prodigy’s Leap to Formula E: Jehan Daruvala Bets Big with Maserati
Home Off beat -Rohit Nambiar By Rohit Nambiar Updated: Friday, September 29, 2023, 14:08 [IST] Jehan Daruvala, an Indian motor racing driver, has recently made a giant leap in his career with his move to Formula E, making him only the third Indian to drive in an official FIA world championship. Having spent four years in Formula 2, Daruvala's transition to Formula E comes as a significant advancement in his motorsport career. The young racing prodigy will be driving for Maserati MSG Racing alongside Max Guenther. He steps into the position after replacing Edoardo Mortara. Previously with Mahindra Racing in a reserve role, many suspected Daruvala's next move would be to secure a 2024 seat with the Indian motorsport team. However, according to the 24-year-old, aligning with Maserati was his top choice. This decision seemed well-founded, as Mahindra Racing struggled with their new Gen3 car and had a lackluster performance this year, … [Read more...] about Indian Prodigy’s Leap to Formula E: Jehan Daruvala Bets Big with Maserati