All the latest news from the racing world!
F1
The chances are looking very high that De Vries will be coming to F1 for next year, however it is unclear whether this will be with Alfa Romeo or Williams, as the former is reportedly moving to Mercedes powertrains very soon.
Masi has admitted that the decision to start Q3 was a mistake, which is good to hear, as in the past he has been unwilling to admit fault. Also, teams and drivers alike have come out to show their displeasure at how the Belgian Grand Prix was dealt with. Many have called for refunds, which F1 has suggested might be the case.
Looking ahead to this coming weekend, DRS will not be used on the banking which leads onto the pit straight. This is a wise move in my view, as there is a risk of instability there, so precautions should be taken.
IndyCar
In shocking news, long time IndyCar reporter, Robin Miller has passed away last week. In truth, Robin was more than just a reporter, he was one of the biggest characters in the paddock, known as well as Penske, Andretti, and Rahal, by those who lived their lives in the series. He was witty, intellectual, and always had his finger on the pulse, getting the biggest news even before it broke. On TV he brought the sport alive, and never shied away from speaking the truth, no matter how risky it was. The sport will simply not be the same without him, and I wish his family and close friends all the best at this time.
Askew will race the final 3 races of the year with RLL, for the 3rd car sponsored by HyVee. This could give us a big indication as to who will be running full time next year with them, as long as he performs well over the coming weeks.
Jimmie Johnson has completed his oval rookie test at Texas Motor Speedway. It was a 7 hour session, with help from Dixon, Franchitti and Kanaan. Apparently, it took him a few stints to get comfortable, but was able to reach a best lap speed of 212 mph, which is pretty good going. There is no hint yet of when he might race on an oval in IndyCar.
Formula E
Formula E may be making changes to the Safety Car procedure after the events we saw at Valencia, where only 9 cars finished the race. This could include no energy reductions in the last 10 minutes of the race, or stopping the clock, rather than deducting energy. Either of these options have the potential to work well in my view.
The Mercedes FE team are looking to find a new, big manufacturer, to take over their program after the end of next season. Mercedes will not dismantle the team structure when they depart, instead they want to pass it on to someone else to look after. I am sure an opportunity to buy the current Champion team will be very appetising for many companies.
MotoGP
Vinales will ride the Aprilia bike at the next race in Aragon. It will be fascinating to see what he is able to do on the new machine, especially compared to Aleix. He has replaced Savadori, who will run as a wild card for the remainder of the year, before becoming test rider for 2022.
-M
Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1
Also, if you want to support me, I have a Patreon Page at: https://www.patreon.com/meaningofmotorsport
Meaning of Motorsport 