Baumanis teams up with ESMotorsport in quest for second rallycross crown.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Former Euro RX Super1600 champion Jānis Baumanis to make rallycross return in the Euro RX1 series at Höljes next weekend, after joining forces with ESMotorsport to drive the team's Škoda Fabia.

Baumanis has been a familiar name on the international rallycross scene since 2014, when he contested the FIA European Rallycross Championship’s Super1600 category, claiming three wins in a SET Promotion Renault Twingo on his way to third in the championship.

The following year, he added two more victories and the Super1600 title, while simultaneously making his debut at Supercar level in Norway, in a Peugeot 208 running under the Hansen Talent Development banner – impressively reaching the podium at the first time of asking.

Additional World Championship outings the same season were highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the last round in Argentina, behind the wheel of a World RX Team Austria Ford Fiesta.

The Latvian remained with the squad in 2016, regularly progressing through to the semi-final stage and advancing to his second career final in Barcelona en route to a top ten championship ranking. He continued to score consistently over the subsequent two campaigns with STARD, before breaking through in 2019 as he ascended the podium in both Norway and Canada – going on to clinch the sixth spot in the end-of-season standings.

Following a year’s absence – as a result of budgetary issues. The Latvian finally returns to rallycross after making a one-off appearance in Projekt Eon's home soil last September. 

But you can't keep a quick racer away too long, as Baumanis returns in just a week’s time in place of Ramunas Capkauskas, and he has immediately set his expectations high.

"I’m very happy to be back on the grid," Baumanis said. "It’s been a while since I last competed in a rallycross event and it will be nice to see some old faces again and catch up with good friends. I’ve been in the World RX family since the beginning back in 2014, so last year felt very odd for me."

"It’s brilliant to be starting the season at Höljes because racing there is always special. Normally there are around 50,000 spectators cheering us on and the emotion they generate is amazing, and whilst numbers are limited this year, there will still be great competition in Euro RX1, which looks stronger than ever with a lot of very good names in the field, some of whom have shown their speed in the World Championship too.

The other circuits coming up are also amongst the best rallycross tracks in the world and I’ve scored quite good results at all of them in the past. My goal is to reach at least the final in every event and to fight for the title. That clearly won’t be easy, but I will do everything in my power and I know ESMotorsport will give me the tools to do the job."

Robertas Maneikis, Team Manager of ESMotorsport admits that he is looking forward to working with Baumanis for a long team, as they focus on the switch to electric power in 2022.

“Not only will we do our best to compete at the top level with our fellow competitors in Euro RX1 this season, but Jānis is the driver we expect to be working with longer-term. He has considerable experience of electric technology from driving the Projekt E car, and he brings feedback that will be essential to our development plans for next year’s transition into RX1e," he said

How Mercedes has (technically) overturned the World Championship in two Grand Prix.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport/Steve Etherington

There is a World Championship. Far from being taken for granted in this modern era of Formula 1. Hamilton versus Verstappen (195 to 187 points) and Mercedes against Red Bull (303 to 291 points). To the sound of reversals and changes of hierarchies. Beautiful!

After a start to the season that showed us Red Bull's superiority even though the first race went to Lewis Hamilton, thanks to a better understanding of the W12 and a few too many problems in making the updates brought to the track by Red Bull and the power unit work from Honda, the Mercedes car has returned to the level, if not ahead, of the RB16B between Portugal and especially Barcelona.

At Portimao, Red Bull brought a hefty aerodynamic update to the track that struggled to get to work properly.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

However, in the following month of racing (or a little more), Red Bull managed to overturn the world championship, thanks to some aerodynamic updates brought to the track that also made it possible to fully exploit the potential of the Portimao package; not to be underestimated then, the recovery in terms of power thanks to the second Honda power unit introduced in the French Grand Prix.

More power and more reliability. Thanks also to the change of specification of one of the macro-components of the PU subject to quota, the turbocharger it's believed, approved by the FIA after the competitors, including Mercedes, had also given their approval.

Only with further updates between Monaco and Baku did the situation improve, with the RB16B taking off against the W12.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

Steps forward that have allowed the Japanese engineers to compete on equal terms, and even slightly more, with the Mercedes PU.

Always focusing on Honda, after the Verstappen accident at Silverstone, there was a strong concern for the Power Unit.

After being sent to Japan, replacing some non-quota components, it had been checked at the counter with the "ok" for its use in the Hungarian Friday  Free Practice; in the event of a negative result on some component, plan B were already in place to use the first power unit with the replacement only in case of battery problems, the most 'worrying' element, and the control unit.

On the other hand, the Hungaroring track, although it has become more power-sensitive with the current cars than a few years ago, is not so stressful for the macro components of the power unit and above all the horsepower of difference between PU 1 and PU 2 would have much less impact than in Spa-Francorchamps or Monza, two of the next three circuits (Belgium, Holland, and Italy) on which it will race.

The good results obtained in Friday's Free Practice allowed Verstappen to keep the best performing second unit (that of Silverstone) in his RB16B.

However, after a disappointing qualifying (all Mercedes front row), a further cold shower arrived for the Dutchman: a 'worrying' crack was found on the engine. Keeping that ICE in the car for the race meant taking too much risk.

But so Plan B was blown. Blame parc ferme and the upgrade in terms of turbocharger specification. In fact, to avoid a penalty on the grid, it was necessary to mount elements of the same specifications used in qualifying.

Could Honda have just replaced the ICE, keeping the second turbocharger unit and MGU-H in the car? Surely. However, this choice is never made because the 'reserve' ICE engines arrive on the track already with the turbocharger and MGU-H motor-generator mounted and checked, this to allow a faster replacement and with fewer subsequent checks.

Updates in a key part of the car for Mercedes at Silverstone. The goal is to improve rear flows and consequently aerodynamic efficiency.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

Moving on to Mercedes, after the Austrian double-header the mood was not the best. They knew they still had a few cartridges to fire, but they felt cornered as never happened in recent seasons; even more so than those fought against Ferrari. Red Bull seemed in full control of the world championship, both with Verstappen in the Drivers' and the team in the Constructors'.

But the Silverstone - Hungary brace has (again) changed the cards in this splendid world championship. 

"We have a number of things that will make our car faster in the next races. We hope that they prove to be enough," former Technical Director, James Allison from Austria, said.

They arrived in the next GP, at Silverstone, expanding a setup window that up until that Grand Prix was quite small. But the results had not yet been fully hoped for on the track. The first weekend of the Sprint Race is also in the way, with only one hour of free practice available before entering 'qualifying'.

For this reason, Mercedes considered what the novelty package showed as 'encouraging'. In Hungary, the missing potential was unlocked through better understanding.

Updates studied in the wind tunnel mainly between March and April, given that since May the world championship winning team has spent full time on the 2022 project.

The low-downforce rear wing used by Mercedes at Silverstone. It is the consequence of the positivity of the updates brought to the track, even if they have not shown their full potential.
Illustration By: Rosario Giuliana

But this was not the only novelty, as always anticipated by the English engineer: "We are also planning updates regarding the power unit, in terms of 'delivery'. The engineers are working to allow the power unit to express something more." 

In Hungary,  Mercedes brought an electronic upgrade to the track focusing on its power unit, as well noted by FUnoAnalisiTecnica in the onboard analysis. Nothing new from the hardware point of view but only a more 'unique' mapping that has allowed the world champion team to return to command on the engine side.

According to a competitor, this step forward was also possible due to a track that was not so stressful for the macro components of the drive unit. It will be interesting to see, and Spa-Francorchamps is already a good track for that if Mercedes is so aggressive on the 'unique mapping' even on more critical tracks for the engine; however, considering the allocation advantage Hamilton could have over Verstappen if the # 2 Honda power unit is inoperable.

According to the information, Formu1a.uno has collected, Mercedes could count on an advantage of 10 HP over Honda and 25 HP over Ferrari at the Hungaroring. 

The latter, as anticipated two months ago, will bring an update to its power unit on the track in the second half of the season which, according to what has been collected, should halve the current gap with Mercedes. This is the goal.

In conclusion, if the steps forward made by Mercedes on the engine side, we associate those made at Silverstone on the aerodynamic side plus the introduction of the new rear Pirelli tyres, one more variable and to be taken into account in such a sensitive F1, we can understand how this 2021 world championship is a real roller coaster. Not only of emotions but also of performance.

Written By: Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Illustrations By: Rosario Giuliana

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/ecco-come-mercedes-ha-ribaltato-tecnicamente-i-mondiali-in-due-gran-premi/

Kristoffersson on verge of RallyX Nordic title.

PHOTO CREDIT: QNIGAN/Volkswagen Dealerteam BAUHAUS

Three-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson is on the verge of clinching two titles - in RallyX Nordic and the Swedish Championships in Arvika this weekend. 

"I like the track. It is technically interesting, but it is a good starting field so it will be a struggle," Kristoffersson says.

If last year's final is anything to go by, where Johan Kristofferson claimed victory in a tight duel with Oliver Eriksson, fans are in for a thriller!

"It was one of the best finals last year when Oliver and I had that fight," he said.

The Kristoffersson Motorsport driver will race the Volkswagen Polo GTI RX supercar and is also challenging for a win in the Swedish Championship for RX1, which is decided in this superfinal race only. The triple world champion won his first domestic rallycross championship last year and is now aiming for a second title.

Currently, Johan is 27 points ahead of second-place Niclas Grönholm, who will not race in Arvika. On the other hand, the third-placed Sondre Evjen, who has 108. 

Should Kristoffersson score a few more points he will secure the RallyX Nordic title, but he is aware that he needs the perfect weekend on home soil. 

"It is a narrow track, so it is important to get to the starts and stay away from problems," the Swede said.

10-car field set for World RX of Sweden.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross/Red Bull

The short, sharp, action-packed FIA World Rallycross Championship will return at the iconic Höljes track for round two of the 2021 season later this month (20-22 August).

A trio of homegrown winners will lead the field into battle in Värmland, following the one-two-three finish for Kevin Hansen, Timmy Hansen, and Johan Kristoffersson in Catalunya just under a fortnight ago.

Despite their podium finish last time out, they will be pushed hard, by a number of rivals all eager to climb the top step of the podium – amongst them are Niclas Grönholm and Kevin Abbring, and Timo Scheider neither of whom came away with the kind of result their pace suggested they deserved in Barcelona.  

Whilst Peter Hedström, a three-time Euro RX podium-finisher will join forces with the GRX-SET team to drive the third Hyundai i20 on home soil.

Formu1a.uno - How did Leclerc's Ferrari engine get irreparably damaged?

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari

In addition to the damage, the insult is not only the retirement of Charles Leclerc who labeled the Hungarian Grand Prix as "an important opportunity", but, after in-depth checks in Maranello on Monday, Scuderia Ferrari announced that the second power unit is irreparably damaged.

From the press release: "After the checks carried out yesterday (Monday) in Maranello on the SF21 number 16, it emerged that the engine was irreparably damaged in the impact at the Hungaroring with Lance Stroll's Aston Martin and can no longer be used".

The third power unit of the three available will be mounted in the SF21 of the Monegasque driver at Spa-Francorchamps before incurring a penalty.

Something already planned at this point of the season, given that Spa and Monza (this year will be run after Holland) are very demanding tracks on the power unit. All this, however, having the first and second power unit available for the classic rotations on Friday free practice, considering the two remaining weekends with the Sprint Race (Monza for sure, then Austin?) Where it will be impossible to carry them out.

However, no longer having the second engine available for these rotations, which had only covered just over 1500 km, and with PU 1 over 4300 km, Charles Leclerc could incur a penalty on the grid in the second part of the season when he installs the fourth power unit and, as often happens, the fourth turbocharger group and MGU-H.

But let's understand how the power unit installed on the SF21 of the Monegasque could have been irreparably damaged.

Everything arose from the strong impact between the left front tire of Stroll's Aston Martin and the right sidepod of Leclerc's SF21 in turn 1 which caused the cooling system to break. This led to a major leakage of liquid, as can also be seen from the image above.

The Monegasque driver who was unable to see the damage in his mirrors tried to continue until his SF21 spun and the engine fell silent at the entrance to turn 2. Having continued with the engine not cooled, even in the few hundreds of meters that divide the first two curves of the Hungaroring, has generated devastating consequences on the power unit.

Something similar also happened to Sergio Perez, albeit in a more contained way (at least initially), so much so that the Mexican driver managed to get up to the straight between turns 11 and 12 where he had to give up, parking his "croaking” RB16B after the order given via radio from the pits (they had noticed the important anomaly).

Valtteri Bottas' serious braking error in turn 1 had in fact caused him to break the “right” cooling system of the Honda PU, which could very easily have suffered the same damage as its Italian 'sister'.

"He lost all the water immediately. We will have to investigate in more detail, but the first reports say that the engine will be difficult to use in the future," said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

An innocent Leclerc, who sooner or later will have to serve a penalty of at least 10 positions on the grid, is contrasted by a Stroll who will be behind "only" 5 positions at Spa. The same situation is also between Perez and Bottas. It is strange to write it, but the two innocent drivers will pay a higher price than those who awkwardly generated the accident.

Then there is a question of money for the 'repairs' of the damages. These accidents obviously enter into the calculation of the millions of dollars (145 this year) available to the teams from the budget cap, thus going to 'limit' even those who suffer them without 'blame' as in the case of the duo Red Bull and Leclerc in Hungary.

Recall that Mercedes has chosen to skip a day of testing on Pirelli 2022s to compensate for the extra cost caused by the accident between Bottas and Russell in Imola.

The Milton Keynes and Ferrari team would like F1 managers to discuss how to account for this 'crash' damage.

"Accidents like the ones we have suffered in the last two GPs have not been foreseen and it is something that needs to be examined in more detail by the FIA," Horner said.

The British team would like these 'accident' costs to be excluded from the 145 million cap budget.

Scuderia Ferrari, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the teams of the drivers who caused the accident should pay for the damage. Mercedes in Silverstone, Mercedes and Aston Martin in Hungary. This is also to make the drivers more responsible.

Both solutions are complicated to implement, the Scuderia Ferrari one even more so. Who would determine what is the cost of repairing a particular damaged car? According to Red Bull, the Silverstone accident cost $1.8 million but it is not certain that for another team the estimated figure will be the same.

In addition to this, which components would be considered truly damaged and which not? And what about the engines? On the other hand, above all competing teams (Mercedes and Red Bull in this case they are) would do everything to increase the expense to turn over to the other team, if the Ferrari solution were used.

The inspection should then take place piece by piece, with the FIA ​​as supervisor. However, the latter we have already seen how often it does not have the ability to do it correctly.

In conclusion, it is rather difficult to find a solution that does not leave room for too many interpretations, always deleterious in a very regulated system such as F1 which instead, even more so with the budget cap, should grant more freedom.

Written By: Piergiuseppe Donadoni and Giuliano Duchessa

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/come-ha-fatto-il-motore-ferrari-di-leclerc-a-danneggiarsi-in-maniera-irreparabile/

PHOTO CREDIT: Scuderia Ferrari

City of Cape Town plans to spend R44 million on infrastructure upgrades for Formula E

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

The City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee (Mayco) is calling on the Council to support the upcoming ABB FIA Formula E Championship event set to take place on 26 February 2022 around the Cape Town Stadium and Green Point Park. 

The FIA recently announced Cape Town as a new host city on its provisional FIA Formula E race calendar for the 2021/2022 season.

Cape Town has already demonstrated its capabilities in hosting major international motorsport events with the success of the FIA Rallycross Championship, the Extreme Festival National Championship (at Killarney), as well as the annual Drift City at the iconic Grand Parade.

"Over the last two years, we have been working hard behind the scenes within the administration and with the event organisers putting together all the requirements necessary to put together an event of this magnitude. Approval from council will allow us to begin the civil engineering works on the racetrack and ensure we can finalize all the logistics before the first-ever Formula E race on the African continent," Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, said.

The proposed Formula E race track will be around the Green Point Park and Cape Town Stadium area(s).

"We have already had great engagements with local residents and ratepayers’ association who are fully behind this race event coming to Cape Town. This event will help Cape Town create job opportunities for residents, business opportunities for local entrepreneurs, the hospitality sector and benefit communities who are still feeling the economic effects of the pandemic," Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith, said.

"The City notes the various issues raised by local civic and ratepayers associations around managing the events impact on residents during such a major event and these will be factored into the events approval."

Furthermore, the council has been requested to approve support for the road infrastructure updates required to host the Formula E event in 2021. These upgrades will cost approximately R44 million and will provide a long-term benefit to residents and reduce the need for future budget allocation to perform routine maintenance and upgrades in the future.

Plato's executive mayor delegation has also approved supporting the event with R2 million in cash to the event returning to the City for future races. A further R2 million will be provided in the form of services, on the above premise. 

Mayor Dan Plato admits that "the City’s contribution to this race event is dwarfed in comparison to the return on investment from hosting such an established international sporting event. In the three years that Formula E has been hosted in Hong Kong, it has contributed approximately R1,5 billion to that economy. This benefits a wide range of business in the event chain including manufacturing and service industries."

RallyX Nordic title fight goes down to the wire at Arvika

PHOTO CREDIT: RallyX Nordic

The 2021 RallyX Nordic Championship will reach a dramatic conclusion next week at Arvika, Sweden, as Johan Kristoffersson heads into the final round of the season top of the Supercar standings, and on course to clinch the title in his Kristoffersson Motorsport-run VW Polo. 

27 points clear of his nearest rival - fellow World RX rival Niclas Grönholm, who will not be competing at Arvika - and a further two ahead of EKS JC's Sondre Evjen, with the Norwegian the only driver mathematically capable of denying Kristoffersson the title.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Fraser McConnell will be hoping for a better turn of fortune in Sweden having claimed his first Supercar victory at the season-opener earlier this year. 

The Jamaican is just one of several other potential race-winners on the entry list. 

Hedströms Motorsport is fielding a formidable squad, with Anders Michalak and Peter Hedström joined by World RX regular Anton Marklund and Dan Öberg – who recently stepped up to the top tier after impressing in RallyX Nordic and Euro RX last year.

Elsewhere, Philip Gehrman will be behind the wheel of an Audi S1 for the first time, whilst Kevin Eriksson makes a guest appearance for Olsbergs MSE in a Honda Civic.

One-off outings for Patrick Guillerme, Daniel Thorén, and Stene Johansen further bolster the Supercar category while regulars Enzo Ide and Andreas Carlsson complete a fiercely competitive line-up in the flame-spitting headline class.

Where to Watch The Season Finale?

All five classes will be broadcast live, free and in high-definition at tv.rallyx.se, with the racing set to get underway on Friday, 13 August and concluding on Sunday, 15 August.

Formu1a.uno - Interview with Giovinazzi: "The 2022 Alfa is in the wind tunnel but I have already tried it on the simulator."

Photo Credit: Alfa Romeo/Xavi Bonilla/DPPI

From the Budapest circuit, the Hungaroring, where the Hungarian GP will take place this weekend, Antonio Giovinazzi gave us a few minutes of his time for an interview.

Liberty Media and the FIA presented their 2022 Show Car at Silverstone: where are you at? Have you had the opportunity to try the new car on the simulator or at least see something more defined?

Antonio Giovinazzi: "We have seen that the 2022 cars are very different from the current ones. We expect cars that are able to follow each other better and that allow for more exciting races thanks to a greater number of overtaking. The whole team has been fully projected towards 2022 for a few weeks now."

"The car is in the wind tunnel. In the simulator, I tried it a little, only once, but from September I think I'll go there more often."

Are you satisfied with what has been achieved this season 2021 or did you expect something more?

Giovinazzi: "We are the team that has earned the most compared to last season, despite starting from a regulation that greatly limited the development of the cars. We are in that phase where the top ten does not come so easy but we are close. This year there are few retirements and so it is more difficult to score points for those behind. However, we are satisfied with the work we have done. The goal between now and the end of the season is to get more points than the 2 we have now."

Regarding 2022: will it be more important to have the attitude of the test driver, a role that you know very well among other things, or the instinctive side?

Giovinazzi: "A little bit of both. When the change of rules is so great, instinct is also important; if you feel at ease with the machine right away, then it is much easier to test and improve it. If, on the other hand, you start from a very distant base from the one you need, the season also starts uphill, and recovering is very difficult. I hope that the change of regulations will benefit some drivers or teams because there may be a surprise and that is what we would like to see next year."

What impressions did the Sprint Race have on you? Do you think this is the right way to go for F1?

Giovinazzi: "It was a demanding weekend because at the end of Friday we only had one free practice session to go directly into qualifying. The second free practices were very tiring because we almost did a Sprint Race, so many laps.

It was a very long weekend at a circuit like Silverstone, very tough, especially for the neck. It wasn't easy. On the Sprint Race, someone took a risk starting with the Soft, gaining positions; for the rest, it was a little train especially in the central part of the grid. We'll see. Maybe on a track where you can overtake more, it could be an ideal format. In short, it will depend a little on the slopes. In conclusion, it was neither very positive nor negative, somewhere in between".

In the current season, we have seen a very good C41 (car) right from the tests, a car that is easily understood in its behavior, with a strong point that is aerodynamic efficiency: where do you have to work to be able to constantly fight in the top ten? What do you expect from Hungary?

Giovinazzi: "The Hungaroring is a style of corners and speed is very similar to Monte Carlo. Obviously, Monaco is a street circuit so it is completely different for other technical factors. If we take that GP, at least from my side of the box, we have had the best weekend of this season.

We hope to go better than Silverstone, reminding us that here in Hungary qualifying is very important and also the first lap because it is very difficult to overtake.

As for the car, we are all very close. We still have 2-3 tenths of a second left, then it depends on the circuit. Unfortunately, the development on the C41 is finished so we will have to try to invent something, on the tires that are very sensitive to temperatures, but also try to be perfect with strategy, pit stops, and more because if we are not perfect this year, with the fact that there are few withdrawals, it is difficult to score points. We must be perfect."

What will your future be like?

Giovinazzi: "I can't tell you anything yet. In the end, it will be a decision by Alfa Romeo, but also by Ferrari for sure. Being a Ferrari driver, we'll see. I'll do my best to stay here again next year."

What is the aspect where you think you have improved the most since entering F1?

Giovinazzi: "I have improved a little everywhere. First of all the experience: the first year, when you arrive in F1, it is very difficult, even more so for me who entered after being stopped 2. With a few races, a few laps, when you start racing, competing, you learn from the body, you understand better how to manage the race, the tires, save fueling [how to manage the kg of fuel in the various stages of the race]. It becomes more 'normal' and you can focus only on yourself trying to drive better. I think this is the factor that has helped me the most. For the rest, I think that in qualifying in the first year I was very fast while in the race I improved a lot."

The Ferrari engine has improved: what contribution has it given to your car?

Giovinazzi: "The new Ferrari Power Unit has given us an important help. However, the team's work on aerodynamics and the other macro parts of the car was also useful so it's all one".

How did you feel with the new rear tires introduced at Silverstone?

Giovinazzi: "From the point of view of the balance and the feeling of the driver it was very similar. I didn't notice huge differences."

Monaco and Baku have been your best weekends of this 2021: why does it come from the fact that you particularly like the two tracks or was the car adapting better?

Giovinazzi: "They are two city circuits so instinct and above all confidence are also very important. Especially in Monaco, from the very first free practice sessions I felt very comfortable with the car and I believe that especially when you are on a street circuit, having a car that immediately gives you a good feeling, allows you to push lap after lap and get a better result."

How did you experience the Europeans in a team that has various nationalities inside?

Giovinazzi: "We played the second match against Switzerland, in short, against my team. Then we found Austria, and we were right in Spielberg to compete. It was great, also because I believe that no one expected that Italy could reach the final and above all win it.

They came from a world championship where we did not qualify, from a difficult time for Italy due to Covid. We have shown that we are a people that never give up and that in the face of difficulties fight and get up stronger than before. It was a great demonstration for everyone, not only for football, for sport, but for the people who have suffered a lot in the last 2 years. Seeing the national team win was a great rematch."

Looking at the calendar, what are the Grand Prix that could be favorable to your car?

Giovinazzi: "One of those could have been Singapore, but unfortunately we won't be racing. However, this year is difficult: in circuits that we expected to go fast maybe we went less fast than another circuit where we thought we were in more difficulty and vice versa. It is very difficult because you have to find the right tire window, be at the right time with the wind. What I can tell you is that I can't wait to do the Monza Grand Prix because it's my home Grand Prix and that's what I look forward to most".

Written By: Giuliano Duchessa and Piergiuseppe Donadoni

Original Link: https://www.formu1a.uno/intervista-a-giovinazzi-lalfa-2022-e-in-galleria-del-vento-ma-lho-gia-provata-al-simulatore/

Photo Credit: Alfa Romeo Orlen

Hansen NRX Team makes Nitro Rallycross return to defend its crown.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hansen RX Team/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull Hansen NRX Team, the winners of the last two editions of Nitro Rallycross, are back for the newly revamped series with both Kevin and Timmy Hansen to defend their status as reigning champions.

After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Nitro Rallycross makes a bold return, expanding from a one-off winner-takes-all event to a five-round series.

The Utah Motorsports Campus in Salt Lake City, USA, previously hosted standalone Nitro RX events but will now be joined by four new purpose-built tracks for the expanded 2021 calendar featuring: ERX Motor Park in Minneapolis, MN; Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, AZ; Glen Helen, CA; and The Firm, FL.

Kevin Hansen will defend his status as the reigning champion in NRX with a full campaign to take the top spot.

"Coming back to the US to take on Nitro Rallycross again is going to be mega. Utah Motorsports Campus is a circuit unlike anything I’ve driven elsewhere in the world – and now there’s going to be five of these insane tracks!" Kevin Hansen said. "How could I not come back and try to win it again? Travis Pastrana has done a super job with the original Nitro track, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us at the other locations."

"I want to win NRX again this year, of course, but it’ll be more difficult than ever before. There are some quality teams and drivers in this series so it will be a big ask to finish on top."

Due to other racing commitments, Timmy Hansen has only confirmed his entry for the opening round at Salt Lake City.

"I am so happy to be coming back – I have such great memories of Nitro Rallycross from 2018 and 2019. Going over the jump in Utah was unlike anything I’d experienced before; this track is a rollercoaster with its big air and banked turns. And to be in history as the first-ever winner of an NRX event is a really cool achievement. I can’t wait to go back," Timmy Hansen said.

"I’d love to do the whole championship but it’s a bit tricky to know if that is possible – between NRX, World RX and Extreme E I have a lot of driving and travelling to do!"

"So I’m going to go to Utah aiming to win, and then hoping I can come back and do some more races. It would be awesome to try out the new tracks," he adds.

2019 Nitro World Games Rallycross.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

The Hansen NRX Team will join the likes of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Olsbergs MSE, the Monster Energy RX Cartel, Loenbro Racing, and the Xite Energy Racing on the 2021 grid. 

Kevin reveals that the team's Peugeot 208 WRX's will be slightly different from their FIA World Rallycross Championship specification cars. 

"We are relishing the challenge; we’ve got a slightly different spec of car for NRX compared to the world championship, so all the hard work the team has been putting in to perfect my US 208 will hopefully put me in a great position to compete at the top," he explains.

Kenneth Hansen, team boss admits that since his team raced in Utah two years ago, they've always wanted to return and are thrilled to be back on the grid in 2021. 

"I would say there are only two premier categories in rallycross right now – the world championship, of course, and Nitro Rallycross. Since we packed up our container in Utah two years ago, we’ve wanted to come back and race here again, so we’re very happy to have made it back onto the grid," he said.

"We are pushing as a team to bring the best package possible to the US. With the drivers we have the best line-up possible; they are currently the top two drivers in the world championship and the only past winners of NRX after all! But also on the technical side, we have been hard at work preparing a car that is perfectly suited to the big jumps and slippery gravel the US circuits have."

"We want to give Kevin and Timmy the best tools to go out and win more races here – hopefully, we’ll achieve that with this version of the 208."

Reading the race was key for Barcelona 1-2 finish.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has proven to be a happy hunting ground for the Hansen World RX Team in years past, with Kevin Hansen leading home team-mate Timmy Hansen in a 1-2 finish in the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship season-opener.

Having finished second and third behind Johan Kristoffersson on Friday (day one) in the first and second qualifiers, news soon came that Johan was disqualified from Q1 due to a disconnected FIA data logger, which meant the Hansen brothers were promoted to 1-2 overnight. 

Whilst Kristoffersson launched a fightback on day 2 in the Catalunya heat, Timmy Hansen was right behind the defending World Champion in the third and fourth qualifiers, with the older Hansen brother coming out as the top qualifier with younger brother Kevin in second in the intermediate rankings sealing a front row start in their respective semi-finals. 

Timmy Hansen explaining the movement of his car, whilst Kenneth Hansen listens behind.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

14-time European Rallycross Champion and team principal, Kenneth Hansen admits that his team did not quite have the ultimate place over the weekend, but they focussed on tyre saving hoping to gain maximum performance. 

"We didn't quite have the ultimate pace during the whole weekend – Kristoffersson was extremely quick in the Saturday qualifying sessions," Kenneth Hansen said. "But we had good tyres for the semi-finals and very good tyres for the finals – we had decided to put our eggs in a single basket strategy-wise early on, taking a gamble aimed squarely at winning the later races."

"We had to take additional risks to win those races too, especially with the joker lap. We did a really good job in that area, it couldn't have gone better."

Pulling out all the stops in the final, with a front-row lockout for Hansen brothers. With a clear strategy in mind, they covered off the immediate challenge behind, but the race for victory was not over from there. 

Kristoffersson kept them very honest, as he opted for clean air and took his joker on lap two posting the fastest time of the weekend - 43.536s. The fight was on! Fending off the chasing Kristoffersson, Timmy took the joker a lap later and cleared the three-time World Champion, but unfortunately got held up by Krisztian Szabo handing Kevin Hansen a few tenths to play with, and ultimately coming out alongside his older brother and sweeping into the lead where he would remain to claim his first-ever win on the road.

"The situation we faced in the opening laps of the final was Kevin potentially dropping to third, but we were able to read the race and ensure we took a 1-2 and maximum points for the championship," Hansen explains.

Kenneth Hansen credits his technical team, and engine partner ORECA for the work they have done not only in Barcelona but in preparation for the 2021 campaign.

"Our technical team has done a fantastic job all weekend, and we especially need to thank ORECA for their hard work on engine upgrades," he said. "Our starts were consistently strong this week, which is a great reward for all the work that's been put in since last year's season finale."

KYB EKS JC not entirely satisfied despite podium finish in Catalunya.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Three-time World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson was the man to beat in the Catalan heat having set the pace throughout the weekend and claimed a podium in his first start with the KYB EKS JC team, despite disqualification from the first qualifier.

The 32-year-old set the fastest time in the first free practice session of the season and then won both Q1 and Q2 on Friday evening. However, a problem with a cable connecting the FIA data logger led to disqualification from the Q1 race, leaving him down in 15th overnight.

Could Kristoffersson fight back on Saturday? He sure did. The Swede set another pair of fastest times, climbing to sixth overall to secure a second-row spot on the grid for the semi-finals. 

The second place in the semis was followed by a battle for race victory in the final, where Kristoffersson finished third. 

"I had a big fight back after the penalty, but we were the fastest in all qualifying rounds and set the fastest lap time in the final," Kristoffersson said. "The team has worked really hard and the car has been a dream to drive. Unfortunately, we could not finish on top this time, but we had great pace and I really enjoyed driving the Audi."

After round one, Kristoffersson lies third in the drivers’ standings, nine points off the lead.

"Now we just have to keep pushing. Even if you are fast on the track, there is a lot that can happen in rallycross, as we have seen," he adds. "This was the first round and even though we were very fast here, it’s important to continue working on every detail and always develops."

"Things change quickly and I need more time in the car to work with the team to find exactly the right setup for all conditions. But, I already know that the car's performance is very, very good and we look forward to Höljes."

Johan's teammate Enzo Ide, racing in his first full World RX season had a decent pace, winning a qualifying heat race. However, a crash in Q4 meant that even though he made it onto the semi-final grid, he retired from the race.

"It hasn’t been an easy event for me," Ide admits. "I had some technical problems in Q1 and Q2, which the team fixed for Q3. Then in Q4, I crashed out, hard. I drove a little too aggressively, charged too hard over the jump and something in the car broke. The guys did an incredible job to fix big damage at the front of the car to enable me to start the semi-finals, but after a few laps the car lost power and I had to stop."

"Overall I'm happy with the speed, but I'm still struggling to put all the pieces together."

The 30-year-old Belgian driver admits that having Johan Kristoffersson as a teammate is a dream come true. 

"It’s difficult to compare with Johan, he is, in my opinion, the best rallycross driver we have ever seen and puts all the details together, always," he said. "Having him as a teammate is a dream come true. Even though it was his first race in the car, he is incredibly fast, and he helps me develop and feel more comfortable in the car."

The Swedish squad leaves round one of the FIA World Rallycross Championship third in the teams' standings. 

Joel Christoffersson (team principal) admits that a third-place for Kristoffersson was "not what we wanted considering the speed" but admits after the disqualification from Q1, his team can be "very happy" with the result. 

"Johan was unstoppable on track in qualifying and it feels very sad not to fight for the victory in the way we wanted. Even if what happened wasn’t our fault, we are of course responsible and must take the consequences," Christoffersson said.

As for Enzo Ide, Christoffersson was happy with his performance over the course of the weekend despite a crash in Q4. 

"The semi-final was his goal this weekend, so we have to be happy with that. Both Johan and Enzo have shown that they are fast, and the whole team really can’t wait for the next race in Höljes," he said.

"It feels really good to have shown the speed like this in the season-opener and Johan is feeling more and more at home in the car. Now we have some stuff to perfect and will be ready to fight on in Höljes."

Szabó claims best-ever World RX finish, as Grönholm crashes out.

PHOTO CREDIT: GRX-SET World RX Team

Hungarian Krisztián Szabó claimed a career-best result at round one of the 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona. 

Starting his first full season with the GRX-SET World RX Team, Krisztian improved every time he went on track through the course of the event, and from the second row of the semi-final grid, he then started on the second row of the final on his way to fourth.

"To be fourth in the final is my best result in World RX so that is very good as a start to the new season, and hopefully next time I can take a step higher onto the podium," Szabó said. "I’m finding more confidence in the car all the time, I’m finding more rhythm in myself and we fine-tuned the car through the weekend. The pace in the semi-final was fast, then in the final, I missed a little, but the guys in front of me were the very fast guys in the championship, so I am pleased."

Teammate Grönholm on the other hand had a difficult weekend, despite the Finn battling hard and delivering a strong performance to make the best of a challenging situation. He carried a small technical issue from the opening practice sessions that despite all of the experience of the Gronholm RX and SET Promotion engineers, couldn’t be resolved at the circuit.

Marcus Grönholm hinted that his son suffered from anti-lag and turbo issues, which the team later refuted. 

Despite that, Niclas delivered fast lap times, and managed to qualify fourth overall for the semi-finals, only for the weekend to be compounded by contact that sent him into a concrete wall at the second corner of the semi, putting him out and with damaged the car.

"It was a difficult weekend overall. I struggled since practice with finding pace in the car and driver. I think we found a bit more pace for Saturday, the car was feeling a bit more how I wanted and we were doing a bit better launches, but ultimately, we didn’t really have enough at any point in the weekend to close the gap to the top spots," Grönholm said. "It sadly ended in the semi-final with a crash into the wall. The car is in quite bad condition now, but we will fight back."

Jussi Pinomäki (team principal) has been left impressed by Krisztián Szabó's performance at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona.

"Krisztian did a solid job for himself and the team this weekend. He proved that with a little more experience racing against the competition he can be right up there fighting for podiums on a regular basis, so I am pleased with his performance," he said.

Whilst his team did not achieve their desired results this weekend, the Finn admits that his team will do everything they need to, to be ready for round 2 in Holjes next month. 

"As a team we have high hopes for World RX this year and with Niclas missing a bit of the pace we expected, it didn’t go to plan at all," Pinomäki said. "But, it’s not how or why you go down, it’s how you pick yourself back up again that counts and we have a great group of guys who I know will do everything we need to do in this short gap now before the next race in Sweden to make sure we are as ready as we can be."

"No way we leave" disappointed as Abbring fights with 3 gears.

PHOTO CREDIT: UNKORRUPTED.

The 2021 FIA World Rallycross Championship got underway with a bang at Barcelona in Spain, where UNKORRUPTED's Kevin Abbring claimed a sixth-place finish, leaving the curtain-raiser with 14 Championship points.  

Abbring impressed with promising pace from the offset, demonstrating the work that had gone into improving the Mégane R.S. RX. He won his first qualifier and continued in the same way in the 2nd qualifier, leading the pack until he clipped a track barrier and damaged his front right wing on the last lap, pushing him wide off the track, from where he finished that race in 4th.

Having finished day 1 in seventh overall and with the team having fixed the car overnight following the impact in Q2, the Dutchman kicked off day 2 in style, posting the 3rd fastest time in the morning warm-up.

Back in fighting form on Sunday morning, the Dutchman won his third qualifier despite some contact with Attila Mozer on the straight costing him significant time.

The last qualifier saw Kevin race into the lead for another qualifier win with the 6th fastest time of the qualifier and eighth overall in the intermediate rankings, bagging himself a spot on the 2nd row of the 2nd semi-final.

The semi-finals saw plenty of drama and following a massive fight into the first corner, where he managed to race into second despite losing two gears through the impact. He dropped into third upon re-joining the track following his joker and defended his position until he crossed the finish line for a place in the final.

With no time to get the car fixed in time for the final, Kevin lined up on the third row of the grid and carried his Mégane R.S. RX across the line in 6th place overall.

"It’s been a fantastic race weekend here in Barcelona and so good to see fans in the race stands again. We put down some great fights, showed good pace, and I’m pumped about the work we’ve put in as a team," Abbring said. 

"There’s always room for improvement but to race into the final despite having only 3 gears and having waited to race for so long, there’s no way we leave this place disappointed. We’ve shown we deserve to be amongst the top of the FIA World Rallycross Championship and I’m super excited to head to Sweden next."

History made as De Ridder wins every session in first-ever FIA RX2e event

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA RX2e Championship 

Guillaume De Ridder produced a masterful display to dominate the maiden FIA RX2e event at the Circuit de Catalunya, becoming the first-ever winner in the all-electric championship.

The Belgian was fastest in all four qualifying sessions and battled to victory in his semi-final before taking advantage of an incident involving his main rivals Fraser McConnell and Jesse Kallio in the showpiece race.

That left the way clear for Ole Henry Steinsholt to claim second, with the Norwegian bouncing back after two significant crashes earlier in the day, while fellow teenager Patrick O'Donovan completed the rostrum.

The 17-year-old enjoyed a redemption story of his own after a disappointing DNF in Q2 left him playing catch up on Saturday, and the youngster showed his potential with a mature performance on the debut race weekend for the first-ever FIA electric rallycross championship.

RX2e, a joint project between Spanish electro-mobility specialists QEV Technologies and Swedish rallycross powerhouse OMSE, has the honour of being the leading support series to the FIA World Rallycross Championship this season.

And the brand new category, based on an 'arrive-and-drive concept with the intention of creating an accessible pathway to the top of the sport, certainly delivered plenty of action.

De Ridder was quickest out of the blocks on Friday, setting the pace in practice before going on to post the fastest times in both Q1 and Q2 with a couple of superb drives.

However, the 28-year-old was pushed all the way by McConnell and Kallio as the pair of former RX2 sparring partners picked up a second and third each to leave them level in the overnight standings.

Steinsholt and Frenchman Damien Meunier, who also boasts RX2 experience, were four and fifth midway through qualifying while local driver Pablo Suárez sat sixth after securing a very popular victory in his Q2 race.

As for O'Donovan, the youngest driver in the 10-car field started positively on his 4WD debut with sixth in Q1 but contact at the start of Q2 resulted in retirement and left him with a mountain to climb on Saturday.

The second day in Barcelona started with drama as heavy watering of the track caused treacherous practice conditions and resulted in a number of accidents - most notably a heavy shunt for Steinsholt while Suárez, Meunier and José Luis García also picked up damage.

The RX2e crew of engineers and mechanics went to work on the stricken machine, in full view of the live cameras belonging to the new RX+ broadcast platform, and pulled off a heroic repair job in time for Q3.

That gave Steinsholt a chance to line up in the quicker qualifying race, but the Norwegian soon found himself in trouble again - clipping the tyre barrier on the way into the final complex while chasing De Ridder.

The Norwegian rebounded into the centre of the track and collected Kallio, who in turn was hit by McConnell. The Jamaican was fastest to get going again, finishing a distant second while Kallio came home third and Steinsholt dragged his car around for fourth, with Meunier having come unstuck at the first corner after an ambitious move around the outside.

Suárez won the other race in Q3 comfortably while O'Donovan caught the eye, jumping from fifth to third in turn one before later pulling a tidy move on García to secure second and lift him up the intermediate standings.

De Ridder had his toughest challenge yet in Q4, going doorhandle-to-doorhandle with McConnell into turn one while Kallio and O'Donovan were hung out wide and opted to take early jokers. The Belgian was unruffled by the close attention though, and kept his cool to notch his fourth session win of the weekend.

In the other Q4 race, Steinsholt finally enjoyed a trouble-free run and showed his true pace to take the chequered flag while the unfortunate Meunier suffered mechanical issues, leaving the way open for Garcia to seal second ahead of Oscar Ortfeldt - a late replacement for Spanish ace Pepe Arqué - and British veteran Mark Flaherty.

De Ridder leading the FIA RX2 final.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA RX2 Championship.

The first semi-final was a showdown between De Ridder and Kallio, with the Finn noticeably more aggressive in his driving style as he looked to hustle is rival into a mistake, but De Ridder did not put a wheel wrong and claimed yet another victory while Steinsholt finished third.

McConnell was untroubled out in front of the second semi-final, although the action was fast and furious behind as O'Donovan passed Meunier thanks to an alternative joker strategy before the RX150 star also found a way past Suárez when the Spaniard got out of shape exiting the hairpin.

Those results teed up a mouthwatering final involving De Ridder, McConnell, Kallio, Steinsholt, Suarez and O'Donovan, set to play out under the setting sun as the live crowd took advantage of cooler temperatures thanks to the unusual evening format.

However, the contest was effectively over before it began with McConnell losing out to De Ridder in turn one and suffering contact in the pack which turned the nose of his car into Kallio's.

McConnell hit the barriers and was out on the spot while Kallio limped around for a lap before parking up, opening the way for Steinsholt and O'Donovan to profit.

Oblivious to the carnage behind, De Ridder cruised around to complete a historic clean sweep and lay down a marker for the rest of the season. Steinsholt was a comfortable second while O'Donovan displayed excellent race craft to resist the attentions of Suárez and claim an unexpected podium.

"I'm speechless - I can't describe the weekend. There are so many great drivers in RX2e, so to take the first win and make history is just an amazing feeling," De Ridder said.

"It has been a perfect weekend, winning every session and getting a clean sweep. This is a new series with a lot of fast guys so I didn't exactly know what to expect, but we were obviously aiming to fight for the win. It couldn't have gone better.

"The RX2e car has been even better than I could have expected. It is brand new technology, so you could expect some small failures, but it was absolutely flawless all weekend. The guys at QEV and OMSE have made a great product, it is a great piece of engineering and nice to drive so I have really enjoyed it."

An emotional Kevin Hansen claims closely fought Catalunya win.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World Rallycross Media

Sweden’s Kevin Hansen claimed victory in a closely fought World RX of Catalunya, round one of the FIA World Rallycross Championship.

The Hansen World RX Team driver claimed his first win on track beating his older brother and three-time World RX Championship Johan Kristoffersson. Statistically speaking it's his second ever win in the championship but his first on-track win.

One could argue that the entire weekend revolved around Johan Kristoffersson's disqualification from Q1 on Friday evening after a "data logger" was not connected for the session, which meant Timmy Hansen took the overall lead after day one. 

Whilst Kristoffersson launched a fightback winning both Q3 and Q4, he finished sixth overall in the intermediate rankings meaning he made the semi-finals but would start behind the Hansen brothers on the second row of the grid.

The semi-final(s) was action-packed from start to finish with Timmy leading into turn 2 covering off an attacking Krisztian Szabo and Timo Scheider behind. Unfortunately, Scheider came off worse ending up in the barrier and ripping off a wheel. His dream of making the final was over!

Kevin, hungry for victory in Barcelona lead off the line but behind his Peugeot 208, it was pretty messy as Niclas Gronholm's race ended in the barriers. And, as the semi-final progressed, Kristoffersson was a man on a mission, but the younger Hansen brother hung on and to win semi-final 2 meaning he would line up alongside Timmy for the final. 

All set for the final in the cooling Catalan evening, the Hansen brothers had good launches off the line with Kristoffersson trying with all his might to get through from the second row of the grid. However, with a clever strategy, the Hansen World RX Team duo covered off the drivers behind and hung on to 1-2 on lap one. 

Opting for an alternate strategy Kristoffersson on lap 2, he took the joker lap, and we all know that over the years if you offer the three-time World RX Champion clean air he'd likely close the gap and win. 

But, with a strategic masterstroke played by Hansen brother, Timmy jokered on lap 3 to cover off the KYB EKS JC driver and comfortably come out ahead, but he got stuck behind Krisztian Szabo who jokered a lap later. 

A lap later, Kevin took his joker (on lap four) and came out alongside his elder brother to sweep into the lead from the outside line where he would remain until the checkered flag.

Kevin ended the final 0.141s ahead of his older brother Timmy Hansen and ahead of Johan Kristoffersson to claim an emotional victory in Catalunya. 

"If I look to the left or I look to the right. There are four world championships on either side of me and I beat both of them," Hansen said. "I worked so hard for this when I put a lot of effort during this winter to make changes."

"We had an opportunity when Johan did a mistake with their car (Q1 DSQ) and we took that opportunity. We had to fight for it for sure, but we had the advantage of track position. And it's so important to get the points."

"I'm super happy how I came back and, you know, took revenge on myself and just head down and worked for it. So I mean, to get a win in the championship like this. And I think leading the world championship to you know, it's been three years since I did last time," he concluded.

Kevin Hansen leading the World RX of Catalunya final.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX/Red Bull Content Pool.

The 2019 World Champion admits that he is super proud of his younger brother winning in Barcelona today, despite finishing second and holding off a fast-charging Kristoffersson. 

"I'm super proud of Kevin," Hansen said. "He did a fantastic job, of course. And I think both of us keeping it cool through qualifying and the first quarter through the final."

"We had a plan of how to exit the first few corners in first and second place and we executed that. After that, of course, Johan was incredibly fast. So to kept track of position, we had to copy his strategy."

The 29-year-old Swede admits that he lost time behind Szabo and could have won, but it wasn't to be.

"Because I covered Johan I was held up, although I wouldn't have needed more than a few hundredths coming out of that last corner," he said. "So I mean, could have been mine today, but it wasn't in the end. But still, this feels like a win for four for our team and for our family."

After the disappointment of being disqualified from Q1, Kristoffersson can be proud of his fight back! He admits that he was hoping for more this weekend after the pace he had shown. 

"We're on the podium. So, you said that to me on Friday morning. I will definitely take it. But after the pace we've shown, of course, we would like to have more. But at the same time, you know, like in semi-final and final, I don't want to be to risk it too much and be on the wrong side to pick up the penalties or try to to be aggressive but still driving fair. So there was no real way around," Kristoffersson said. "The pace of the car is fantastic and the team has done a great job. So that's that's bright for the future."

The action returns next month with round two of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Holjes, Sweden (20-22 August).