All the latest news from the racing world!
F1
Well, it finally happened! The news we had all been waiting for, and the news that I was worrying wouldn’t happen, as I thought Mercedes may continue to play it safe for the future. Starting with Bottas going to Alfa Romeo, it is a great move for everyone in my view, as being Lewis’ teammate can never be good for morale, and so Bottas going to somewhere where he could lead the team, may end up being a great thing for his career going forwards. Plus, Alfa Romeo gain a very talented driver, with experience of a top level team, and a similar character to Kimi!
Then for the big one, Russell going to Mercedes! I still can’t believe it is actually happening; however, it is going to be an incredible story to watch over the coming years. Mainly because I don’t believe either driver will have it easy in the team, and it could very easily turn sour if they aren’t careful. In a lot of ways, I don’t think it was the decision the team necessarily wanted to make for that very reason, but it was the one they had to make, for the future of the team.
It has just been announced that Albon will join Latifi at Williams next year. This is a great move by Alex, as Williams is now becoming a mid field team, and the new rules could be a chance for them to really jump up the field. For Williams too it makes sense, as Albon showed real potential in his previous stint in F1. Latifi staying at Williams is slightly surprising given all the talent vying for the seat, however he has gone better in the last few races, which might be why he stayed!
Todt has blamed himself for the lack of protocols if a race cannot be run at its intended time. There should really be a plan for the race to be run the day after, even if it is without fans, or a reduced number.
IndyCar
Askew will race the final 3 rounds of the series in the 3rd RLL car, sponsored by HyVee. Despite Lundgaard doing so well in his one off appearance at the Indy Road Course, it was expected that HyVee would want an American driver in their car. Oliver was the sensible choice for the seat, as he is very quick, and does deserve to be in the series.
Ilott will make his IndyCar debut at Portland, driving for Juncos Hollinger in their return to IndyCar, for the first time in a few years. This has come about through new backing from Hollinger, as they aim for a full season run next year. Callum, given his pedigree in Europe, could do as well as Lundgaard did a few weeks ago.
Kimball will return for the final race of the year at Long Beach, running a 3rd Foyt car. He just missed the show at this years Indy 500, and will be sponsored by long-time partner Novo Nordisk.
Formula E
After much speculation, Rowland has confirmed he is moving to Mahindra for next year. Whilst initially this looked like a sidestep, considering the trajectory of Nissan at the moment, it may not have been a bad move at all. It is surprising that Lynn is the one who was replaced at the team, as he has outperformed Sims for the most part.
Replacing Rowland at Nissan will be Guenther, who will be hoping that the team can turn a corner going into next year, or possibly more likely when the Gen3 rules come into place. Guenther is a promising driver; he just needs to convert the pace into results.
MotoGP
Dixon will continue to ride for SRT in MotoGP at Aragon, whilst McPhee will move up to take the Moto2 seat which Dixon had vacated. This is a great chance for both riders to show themselves in the shop window for the future.
Other News
The Bathurst 1000, the biggest race in Australia, may well be pushed back even further, to early December, due to further outbreaks of the virus in the country. The Australian Supercars series is currently on hiatus as they try and get through the worst of the situation.
-M
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