F1
Netflix has confirmed that Drive to Survive will return for another 2 seasons. If they can get it right, and fix the problems with the last season then that is all good, and I have a feeling that they will do just that. At the end of the day, they don’t want to do a bad job, and I am sure that F1 pushed them to make changes following the backlash.
On the eve of the Miami Grand Prix, it is notable that the FIA President attended Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to meet with Roger Penske, who owns the facility, as well as IndyCar. It would be great to see a return to the Speedway, especially if they can get a track layout which will work for F1. However, it would only be a good idea if there aren’t already 3 other American races a year, which is already too many. The IndyCar market around Indy would surely be receptive of an F1 return, despite past events.
IndyCar
The 33rd entry for the Indy 500 has been confirmed, with Stefan Wilson piloting a collaboration between DragonSpeed, Cusick Motorsport and AJ Foyt Racing, who will supply the equipment for the team, as well as probably technical help during the event. It will be interesting to see how this partnership stacks up, and if it has legs to grow in the future.
The possibility of a 34th entry for Top Gun Racing has seemingly fallen through, despite them having a chassis. The issue seemed to come from an engine supplier standpoint, with Honda only willing to give another engine for a ‘special entry’. I am sure they will be back soon; this year seems to have been a tough one for various reasons.
Formula E
Having left the sport at the end of last season, along with Audi, Abt, who ran the Audi operation, will return to the sport as an independent team. They will purchase the Mercedes team when they leave the sport after this year, and will name their engine supplier in due course. Given Mercedes continued strength this season, it is not a bad team to buy for next season, although I am sure a fair amount of the intellectual property will disappear during the handover.
Sao Paulo is the next city to form an agreement with Formula E to host a race in the future. The deal spans 5 years, and could first host a race next year. The race will reportedly not be at the well known circuit at Interlagos, instead being around the Anhembi Sambadrome, where 3 IndyCar races were hosted, which did produce some great racing.
MotoGP
In shocking news, Suzuki has announced it will leave MotoGP at the end of the season after being in the sport since 2015. This is a surprise, as whilst they aren’t winning right now, their performances have been solid, and not the worst on the grid. This suggests that other factors are the cause of the decision, including possibly carbon neutrality. The decision was communicated late to the team itself, with them only knowing on Monday at the test, with the news braking quite soon after. Reportedly Mir could move to Honda alongside Marquez, replacing Pol, which could make an even more fiery combination than they have now. Rins’ future is unclear. Dorna later came out saying that Suzuki could not leave without an agreement, as they have a deal to stay in the sport until 2026. It is possible that Suzuki will buy out the contract, or settle it another way.
Following this news, various teams in the junior series have expressed their interest in replacing them in MotoGP. There is a cap on bikes in MotoGP which is already at the limit of 24, which shows how much interest there is right now in the sport, especially for customer teams. Aprilia has stated they are willing to field a satellite team, which could be where the bikes come from for the new team.
Other News
In unexpected news, Walkinshaw Andretti United in V8 Supercars, has announced it will change to Ford for the next generation cars. Given the team is born out of the Holden Racing Team, this decision is rather bold, and has angered many loyal fans. The decision may have been helped by becoming a factory team for Ford next year, which could help development work. It is unclear the future of Percat, a long time Holden driver, with family connections there. Mostert will likely stay with the team, given he is engrained there, and had 6 years with Ford.
-M
Meaning of Motorsport 