Motorsport Week explored what it was like for Era Motorsport when they were the only team who took on these key back-to-back endurance races.

Determination. Teamwork. Coordination. These fundamental traits run at the heart of every team competing in the illustrious yet gruelling discipline of endurance racing.

IMSA LMP2 and historic racing outfit Era Motorsport are no exception to this as the only team to run this year’s 24 Hours of Dubai, 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and the 24 Hours of Daytona – all of which took place on consecutive weekends in January.

Take a deep dive into the stresses, heartbreaks and challenges endured during these major sportscar events by Era Motorsport.

Relive the insightful accounts from two of Era Motorsport’s most prominent racing drivers, team owner Kyle Tilley and team regular Ryan Dalziel.

Era Motorsport had three separate cars to race with two sets of crews, including two new engineers, for the Middle Eastern races and the United States-based affair.

They had two distinct racing entries for these events – the #81 Ferrari 296 GT3 and the #18 Oreca 07 LMP2 – with Kyle primarily managing the new Ferrari programme whilst his wife and team co-ordinator Sarah Tilley principally oversees their LMP2 programme.

The first two of seven 24H Series 2025 races run with the Creventic rules and regulations whilst Daytona is part of IMSA and their SportsCar Championship mixing prototype and Grand Touring machinery.

24H Dubai: A rough end to a smooth start for Era’s Ferrari programme

The 20th running of the Dubai 24 Hours was a major anniversary for the race and marked the beginning of Era Motorsport’s racing chapter with their Ferrari 296 GT3 programme, one of the newest GT3 cars customer teams can purchase.

Most notably, it marked the GT racing debut of reigning British Touring Car champion Jake Hill, whose partnership with Era Motorsport pre-existed in racing some of their historic cars in the past year as Tilley made his GT3 comeback.

Another team regular Dwight Merriman and Oliver Bryant joined and Tilley Dalziel as a five-driver line-up in the #81 Ferrari 296 Pro-Am GT3 class entrant for the race on 11-12 January.

“We were bringing in containers from different countries,” said Dalziel on the two separate Ferraris they had.

“We had the two cars were in different places for the Ferraris at one point, with [mechanical] parts in different parts of the world.

“It was definitely madness [in] the first couple of days.

“And you try your best to lend a hand but at the same time, [it’s] probably better the drivers don’t get involved in that stuff.

“At least my part of it, I try to make coffees for everybody and make sure everybody’s happy and I’m usually the class clown that motivates but from my side, it wasn’t overly difficult.

“I actually went to Dubai early, said the Scotsman who lives in Orlando, USA, “I wanted to make sure I got in the time zone.”

Dalziel on how he ‘led’ the drivers

Era Motorsport qualified 24th in a GT3 category mixed with Pro, Pro-Am, and Am entries, of which the #81 Ferrari belonged to the middle classification.

As with the majority of 24-hour races, qualifying played all but a small part in achieving a successful outcome for Era Motorsport.

“There’s a lot of new things, new elements to it, but not new to me.

“So I had done a season of the [Ferrari] 296, I’d also done a little bit of Creventic in the past and I’ve done a lot of GT3 racing.

“Nobody else in the car with me had done any of it.

“Dwight, it was new to him – he’d only done LMP2 racing.

“Jake Hill had never sat in a GT3 car, let alone do an endurance race, so on that programme I felt like I had to lead the drivers a little bit.”

Hill drew the eyes of many following the BTCC as Tilley gave praise to the 31-year-old.

“Jake’s massively talented. In my opinion, he’s slightly wasted just doing British Touring Cars.

“… So to be able to give him the step up into the GT3 car was something that’s been on my mind for a bit and he’s doing a great job.

“He had to learn his biggest hurdle that he’s never had to share a car before… that’s been a bit of a learning curve for him.”

An tough truth to process for Era Motorsport

At the Dubai 24 Hours, GT3 was the fastest class out of five for the ‘multi-class’ sportscar race.

Immediately after the race start, Era Motorsport suffered a leaky tyre which prompted an early pit stop.

Era Motorsport climbed back up and contended for a podium finish up until Merriman incurred a low speed impact with three-and-a-half hours remaining.

They were forced to retire despite the team’s best efforts and work to optimise strategy throughout the race.

No team out of the 65 entries which took on Dubai wants to be amongst the retirements and Era Motorsport unfortunately – though painfully close to the end.

“We like to say it’s the racing gods that decide the outcome of some of these things,” said Dalziel.

“And for me, I never bring my [emotional] baggage home.”

Tilley added his reflection: “The fact that we were there and in podium contention on the first time out shows what a good job both Ferrari and Oreca have done with the car, but also how well our engineering department got their heads around the car as soon as possible.”

The next stop for the Era Motorsport team was on the next weekend’s Abu Dhabi race on Sunday 19 January.

6H Abu Dhabi: Repeating GT3 podium contention

The second half of Creventic’s Middle East Trophy was at the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Dalziel mentioned a late, preferential decision by the team to bring him back to the USA for the Roar Before the 24 pre-event test weekend rather than competing in the Abu Dhabi race on Sunday 19 January.

“Honestly, had it been the European Le Mans Series, I wouldn’t have got back in the car because that’s far more intense than I really want to do right now,” Tilley quipped having driven with Merriman and Hill.

“But certainly with Creventic, it’s a lot of fun.

“It’s a chance to share a car with two good friends and the car’s a joy to drive.

“So it’s been really enjoyable getting back in a modern car again.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve had to, to readapt to is learning a modern tyre versus like an older cross-ply tyre, which a lot of the historic cars run.”

The GT3 field contained some of the most renowned teams in sportscar racing such as IMSA GTD champions Winward Racing, WRT and Garage 59 to name a few.

With Dalziel back on the US soil, Hill, Merriman and Tilley took on the race as a trio.

They repeated podium contention but were unable to translate their potential into a top result, having finished P25 in the GT3 field and P11 in the Pro-Am sub-category.

24H Daytona: A flawless run towards podium denial

The 63rd running of the Daytona 24 Hours marked Dalziel’s 20th consecutive start at the race hosted at the iconic Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

Era Motorsport were reigning LMP2 class winners having attained their second ‘Rolex 24’ victory in 2024.

A mostly different line-up for this year underlined many unknowns for their pursuit for victory again, but the team were as determined as ever to not go down without trying.

Alpine Hypercar driver Paul-Loup Chatin joined Dalziel and two prominent technology businessmen, David Heinemeier Hansson and Tobias Lutke.

Lutke is CEO of the Shopify e-commerce outlet which was incidentally built on Hansson’s Ruby on Rails platform.

Hansson has far more experience and success in sportscar racing as Bronze-graded driver Lutke faced the thrills of IMSA multi-class racing at Daytona.

A baptism of fire for Lutke

“I think that we threw him into shark-infested waters and then we dumped a bucket of blood on his head repeatedly,” Dalziel understated.

“He was unable to do the official test in November due to Shopify conflicts.

“So then we tried to get him in some other stuff. We got him in the Historic Sportscar Racing [series].

“It’s just not the same, you don’t have the same pressure, but the first time that he was around 60 other IMSA cars, different speeds, faster [or] slower, was the Roar.

“Up until the Roar, he had actually never done any kind of simulated pit stops or driver changes in anger.

“He had a little bit of LMP3 experience, but in VP Challenge where the rules are not the same as WeatherTech.

“So he had never really understood how to enter and exit a pit box.

“It’s not until you realise how inexperienced he is that you’d appreciate how good of a job he did.

“… I’ve worked with a lot of the tech guys and the tech guys are very data-driven, analytic.

“So he’s one of those guys and he’s constantly looking for more information.

“… he never put a foot wrong and I said to him at the start of the race, we’re going to be just fine if we don’t make mistakes,” which Era Motorsport followed through with their lack of penalties incurred at Daytona.

A different approach between the two 24-hour races

At the 24 Hours of Daytona, hosted by IMSA, a primary focus for all LMP2 teams is to ensure they meet the minimum driver time for their Bronze-graded drivers, which was 4-hours and 30-minutes.

IMSA’s caution periods enabled the top LMP2 runners – including Era Motorsport – to stay on their class-lead lap, as Dalziel described.

“The strategy in Dubai is not driver rotation or drive-time.

“It’s purely the strategic way you can use the fuel pumps… you have to use regular petrol pumps.

“The top teams have people stationed there the whole time and you have a fairly large window of how long you’re allowed to go per the rules and how short you can go without hurting yourself strategically.

“So we were pretty different in how we approached Dubai because in Dubai, there was no benefit to running the bronze heavy in the first half of the race.

“You didn’t gain anything by [that], there’s no way to catch up.

“Whereas in IMSA, you see that everybody tries to go heavy on their bronze drivers and their silver drivers, and then they try and keep their professionals for the end.”

Fighting for the win to the end

Chatin spent the most amount time on the track in comparison to his co-drivers.

During a triple stint to the end, Chatin kept on the lead lap as AO Racing by TF Sport’s #14 Oreca encountered issues at the front.

In the final hour, where the fatigue and tension infused the atmosphere of all the teams, Chatin was hit by Mathias Beche’s #52 PR1 Mathiasen Oreca at Turn 1.

Chatin continued albeit without the victory contention, let alone podium contention, Era Motorsport earned over the 764 laps they completed at the checkered flag.

“From a team stand point, Daytona was a faultless race for us – no penalties, no issues in the pit stops… And, you know, we were there for the win at the end until we got taken off which was hugely disappointing, hugely frustrating.

“But it happens. That would have been a fairy tale debut for Tobi, obviously.

“… We’ve been very fortunate now that we’ve won Daytona twice, but an opportunity to win Daytona doesn’t come up every year.

“So to be in the position to have done an absolutely faultless race from everybody – and then have it taken away with 20 minutes to go – was a very bitter pill to swallow.”

After Tower Motorsports’ post-race penalty, Era Motorsport ended fourth after a tough race concluding the team’s back-to-back triple of endurance racing weekends.

READ MORE: ‘Kaku’ Ohta joins Era Motorsport at 12H Sebring and Road America

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After a dramatic start to the 2025 Formula 1 season, the circus rolls-up in Shanghai for Round 2, and Motorsport Week discusses all the big talking points ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

After Round 1’s hugely eventful series of events, F1’s pre-season promise of 2025 being a year of constant excitement and drama seems to be coming true, and with China now days away, there seems to be little chance of this changing.

‘Mini-DRS’ loophole suspicions sees further FIA clampdowns

The ‘mini-DRS’ saga has continued to rumble on, despite the FIA imposing stricter measures on flexi-wings in the off-season.

Following further alarms being raised that some teams are continuing to benefit from the slots within the wings, the sport’s governing body has concluded that all 10 teams must prepare their rear wings to flex at a limit of 0.5mm, with a tolerance of 0.25mm added due to the short notice given.

McLaren has been the team that has previously benefitted the most from exploiting the apparent loophole since last year, which begs the question: will the Woking squad see its advantage reduced from this weekend onwards?

Lando Norris seems to disagree, who said, when asked about how the team is responding to the directives: “We don’t have to change anything. 

“Ours is fine. In fact, ours was probably too good.”

Can Piastri bounce back against Norris?

Oscar Piastri looked on course for at least a podium finish at his home Grand Prix, but on Lap 44, he squandered the opportunity with a spin that sent him to the back, recovering to finish in ninth.

Piastri’s strong 2024 showing has seen him afforded the same respect his more-established team-mate has been given in regards to his chances in 2025, but with Norris now carrying a 23-point advantage already, Piastri will need to bounce back immediately.

The Aussie has yet to appear in any way a shrinking violet, nor someone lacking any confidence in his own ability, so it is doubtful that he will be greatly affected by his Melbourne misdemeanour, which, in fairness, did claim many other drivers.

If McLaren are able to enjoy a pace advantage over its rivals, Piastri will be in a prime position to get his campaign back on track.

Was Ferrari’s Australia struggle an anomaly?

After appearing to be the second-fastest package upon arrival in Australia, and even during the free practice sessions, Ferrari’s promise seemed to fall off a cliff from qualifying onwards at Albert Park.

The race did not fare much better, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton labouring to eighth and 10th place respectively.

A Groundhog Day-style strategic shambles once again put paid to any chances of the team making any sort of recovery.

Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished in the points last year in Shanghai, and will hope to at least be able to overhaul Red Bull and get itself closer to McLaren.

Leclerc is doubtlessly more settled, and as long as he has the car with the pace to compete, he will do so, particularly over one lap, but Hamilton’s sluggish start may provide some cause for concern.

Despite downplaying his underwhelming weekend in Melbourne, Hamilton still needs to imbed himself into the team, given the disconnect between himself and new engineer Riccardo Adami that appeared to play out over team radio during the race.

Both drivers are of such a high standard that ought to be relied-upon to deliver if the car is fast, but the team as a whole will need to be on top of its game to kickstart its championship.

Were Ferrari’s and Haas’ problems intertwined?

Haas’ 2025 begun with optimism, given it had reached the cost cap for the first time and boasting a younger and exciting line-up of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.

But once cars were out on track, the weekend was hugely depressing, and perhaps its worst since the tenure of Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal.

One of the significant issues the team suffered in Melbourne was with the balance of the car, particularly in the rear, the bulk of which is predominantly Ferrari-built.

Given that Ferrari had its own pace issues from qualifying, were both teams’ shared gearbox and diffuser package the cause of their respective issues?

Can the midfield create further shocks?

One of the stories of last weekend was the surprises caused by two of the midfield teams, particularly in qualifying.

Williams and Racing Bulls caused a sensation, with Yuki Tsunoda the highest-placed driver in fifth.

Alex Albon was sixth, with Carlos Sainz tenth, with the second Racing Bulls of Isack Hadjar narrowly missing-out on Q3 in his first qualifying outing as an F1 driver.

And in the race, both teams mixed it with the ‘big boys’, with Albon finishing fifth, with Tsunoda driving exceptionally all race but a poor strategy cost him, leaving him out of the points.

Williams were already confident of being able to mix it in the middle of the pack, and certainly seemed to justify that confidence, and Racing Bulls’ pace was more of a surprise, given the inconclusive nature of its pace in pre-season testing.

If both teams can produce a similar result in China, it may be just a little more than a one-off.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc: Ferrari’s unlocked 2025 potential not enough to rival McLaren yet

The post Five key talking points ahead of the 2025 F1 Chinese GP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Eddie Jordan, who has died aged 76, was one of the most charismatic, cheerful yet toughest Formula 1 team principals of his time. Motorsport Week takes a look back at his life and career.

It was Monza, 1991. Jordan’s eponymous F1 team was in its first season of competing in the world’s biggest motorsport. He arrived in Italy under a cloud of confusion and disappointment, as he fought to cling on to his new driver, one Michael Schumacher. The German had made his debut at the previous round in Belgium, and stunned everyone with a seventh-place qualifying result, and even reached fifth before retiring at the top of the hill after Eau Rouge on the first lap, but his rising star status was already rubber-stamped.

So much so, that Benetton boss Flavio Briatore made an audacious attempt to lure Schumacher to his team, and successfully did so. Legal wrangling ensued, and a furious Jordan was resigned to losing his new young talent via a legally complex yet sinister coup.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis smiled at Jordan, and proclaimed: “Welcome to the piranha club.”

The club in question was the name given to the pack of team bosses and F1’s supremo promoter, Bernie Ecclestone. It may have been rough, tough and dog-eat-dog, but Jordan, with his Irish background and strong personality, would have always been prepared for a fight.

From Dublin to Le Mans – Eddie Jordan’s beginnings in racing

Born in Dublin on March 30 1948, Jordan resisted his family’s suggestion of becoming a dentist, and after also briefly entertaining the idea of entering the priesthood and being a bank clerk, he chose an entirely different career path.

Irish Kart Champion at the first attempt in 1971, Jordan was in Formula Ford just three years later, and then Formula 3 a year after that, but a horrific leg-breaking accident at Mallory Park enforced a year’s sabbatical.

After stints in the Irish Formula Atlantic series and British Formula 3, Jordan even went as high as Formula 2 and tested a McLaren F1 car.

Alongside British driver David Hobbs and David O’Rourke – manager of rock band Pink Floyd – Jordan entered the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, driving a BMW M1, which agonisingly retired two hours from the end. By this time, Jordan was already a team owner and gave up racing himself to shift his full attention onto helping a new breed of drivers, many of whom would wind up in F1.

Tackling Senna en route to F1

Eddie Jordan Racing’s first chunk of notoriety perhaps came in 1983, when, whilst also running a European F3 team, his British F3 team was fighting at the front, with its driver Martin Brundle going toe-to-toe with a Brazilian upstart called Ayrton Senna.

In the 20-race championship, only one was won by a driver that was neither Senna nor Brundle, who duly went into the final round at Thruxton seeking the title. Senna dominated and won by 10 points, but the battle lived so long in the memory, that it surely helped secure Jordan’s team with a reputation as one of the ones to be part of.

Four years later, Jordan’s team did win the title via British sensation Johnny Herbert. Reputed to be one of the greatest talents of his era, Herbert and Jordan made their way up to Formula 3000 [now F2] – the premier feeder series to F1. With both men perhaps sensing the pinnacle of motor racing was around the corner, Herbert’s title dream came to a shuddering halt at Brands Hatch with a crash that left him with shattered feet, almost requiring amputation.

Whilst Herbert managed to work his way into F1 for the next year, Jordan remained in F3000. The team dominated the campaign and won the title thanks to its exciting French-Sicilian prospect, Jean Alesi. He too, like Herbert and his team-mate Martin Donnelly, was in F1 straightaway, but Jordan’s time of having his own team in the big-time was nearing ever closer.

Pre-qualifying, gassing cabbies and losing Schumacher – Jordan’s eventful first year

Jordan Grand Prix was launched in 1991, and, like all new and/or struggling teams at that time, arrived in Phoenix for Round 1 needing to ‘pre-qualify’, setting a time deemed fast enough to make it into regular qualifying for the race.

The car – the 191 – immediately made an impression with its green-and-blue livery, backed by a lead sponsor in soft drinks brand 7 Up, and is still today ranked in polls as one of the best-looking F1 cars of all time.

Belgian Bertrand Gachot and gaffe-prone Italian veteran Andrea de Cesaris were chosen for the task, and Gachot made it into the race on the tight, dusty street circuit, eventually finishing 10th. Whilst the team initially struggled for pace, Jordan did not need to wait long for points to come, and they did so in a pair, with de Cesaris and Gachot coming home fourth and fifth in the fifth round in Canada.

Perhaps its biggest challenge came before Gachot’s home race, when he was jailed for spraying CS gas in the face of a London taxi driver, earning him a short stint in prison. This was how Jordan unearthed the rising sportscar driver Schumacher and quickly lost him to Briatore. Ever the tough and uncompromising dealer looking to get a bargain, Jordan signed up Roberto Moreno, who was ousted by Schumacher in the Benetton team, effectively sealing a straight swap.

The team ended 1991 an astonishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with a haul of 12 points, placing it above longstanding teams such as Tyrrell, Lotus and Brabham.

The ’90s – Jordan become the rock n roll F1 team

1992 and ’93 were tough years for Eddie Jordan, regressing in terms of performance, and managing a meagre four points across both seasons.

1994, however, saw a second breakthrough, with the help of two drivers Jordan helped to bring through the ranks.

Rubens Barrichello, who made his debut the year before, and Eddie Irvine, who was promoted after a late cameo alongside him, were tasked with helping the team regain its momentum, with the help of Brian Hart’s V10 engines. At the second round – the Pacific Grand Prix – Barrichello took his, and the team’s, first podium, with third.

The next round saw Barrichello suffer a horrific accident at Imola, the first in the chain that claimed the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and his old adversary Senna. The team performed well over the year, with Barrichello nabbing a rain-assisted pole position at Spa.

1995 saw a similar vein of form, this time through Peugeot engines, with Barrichello and Irvine securing a double-podium in Canada, alongside winner Alesi, which made Jordan feel it was, in a sentimental way, a Jordan 1-2-3.

1996 saw Irvine jump ship to Ferrari, and Barrichello partnered with Brundle, reuniting with Jordan after 13 years. Another fifth place in the Constructors’ followed, with 1997 taking on a new look which became synonymous with the team.

Title sponsor Benson & Hedges enabled Jordan to unveil a yellow livery, also boasting a new line-up in rising stars Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher, and despite the pair clashing at Round 3 in Argentina, Schumacher took third, with Fisichella taking third and second in Canada and Belgium.

1998 brought a new set of twists and turns, replacing Benetton-bound Fisichella with 1996 World Champion Damon Hill. The team suffered a horrific start to the year, scoring no points until Round 9 at Silverstone via Schumacher, but then, a total 180 saw Jordan enjoy perhaps his greatest day.

Hill got off the board in Germany, and then Hungary, before the team arrived in Belgium for Round 13.

Qualifying third, Hill upset Jordan by refusing to partake in sponsorship commitments, telling him he needed to work into the night with the team to help secure a good result on race day, a decision that was, via some fortune, vindicated. In torrential Ardennes rain, a multi-car pileup at the start was avoided by both drivers, and Hill claimed the lead at Turn 1 on the restart but was quickly dispatched by Schumacher Sr’s charging Ferrari.

But, after ploughing into the back of David Coulthard’s McLaren, Schumacher was out and Hill was in the lead. Hill, aware that Ralf was catching him, told the team over the radio that a team order would guarantee a 1-2 finish.

Jordan quickly made the order, and together, the two cars skated across the line to take that one-two, with a jubilant Jordan almost skipping down the pit lane and onto the podium as a winning constructor for the first time.

Title challengers to selling out

Jordan signed Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 1999 and together, the German came as close as the team ever did to the championship. Had he not retired at the Nurburgring, Frentzen would have likely won the race, putting him a point within the top with just two rounds to go.

It never got as good for the team again after that, with Jordan firing Frentzen in mid-2001, and replacing him with Alesi, in another reunion between boss and driver.

Jordan’s final moment in the sun again came, ironically, in the rain, with Fisichella – now back at the team – taking a contentious victory in Brazil, which was eventually claimed through the FIA courts in Paris after a timekeeping error initially denied the Italian the win.

The team suffering financial strife, Jordan reluctantly sold the team to the Midland Group for $60 million, eventually becoming Midland F1 Racing. Midland made way for Spyker, Force India then Racing Point, and now, Aston Martin, still operating at Silverstone like Jordan did.

Jordan the man – drummer, media pundit, podcaster and the fountain of knowledge

Jordan became a TV pundit with the BBC in 2009, and quickly developed a reputation for being the man with the inside knowledge on all things F1.

He was the first to break the news that Schumacher would return to F1 with Mercedes for 2010, and told the world that Lewis Hamilton would replace him for 2013.

Always known as a man to have fun and with strings to his bow, Jordan had many extracurricular hobbies, such as playing the drums in various bands, and often playing with other driver musicians at a post-British Grand Prix concert at Silverstone.

In recent years, Jordan began his own podcast entitled Formula For Success, alongside fellow pundit Coulthard. Interviewing a plethora of drivers from their respective time in the sport, the show was often humourous and light-hearted in nature and grew a considerable following.

Known to be a man who knew how to secure a good deal, Jordan’s final crowning glory was his role in helping one of F1’s greatest technical gurus make a big money move. Jordan managed Adrian Newey in his negotiations to leave Red Bull and join Aston Martin, helping him secure a move to the team that operates on the same site on which Jordan Grand Prix opened its doors 34 years ago.

Jordan is survived by Marie, and their four children, Zoe, Miki, Zak and Kyle.

READ MORE: Tributes pour in following tragic passing of F1 legend Eddie Jordan

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Motorsport Week picked out five key storylines from a thrilling 73rd edition of the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s 12 Hours of Sebring.

The second round of the 2025 IMSA schedule delivered with action, drama and heartbreak across the 12 hours.

As one of motorsport’s most gruelling endurance races, the 12 Hours of Sebring delivered once again for a great racing spectacle.

Out of the 56 entries which started the race at 09:00 local time, just 10 retired throughout with half of the DNFs attributed to the GTD category.

From the hectic opening phase of the race, to the brilliant racing offered in the middle of four hours of green flag running, finalised by an intense sprint to the finish – there were numerous winning and losing names from the 12 Hours of Sebring.

This piece selected and explored some of the key storylines from the race held on 15 March in hot and humid ambient conditions.

Read our end-of-race reports:

• Porsche claim 1-2 as #7 car takes victory at Sebring
• ‘Rexy’ charges to GTD Pro 12H Sebring victory after closing sprint

One penalty is all it takes in LMP2

It was no surprise to see the LMP2 win decided within the final hour, yet it was not entirely due to the sprint to the end.

At the beginning of the race, there was early contact between the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca 07 and the #88 AF Corse Oreca 07 marking an otherwise untidy start in the LMP2 category.

TDS Racing’s #11 Oreca were a clear benchmark throughout the race as Steven Thomas, Hunter McElrea and Mikkel Jensen unlocked stronger pace than any of the other Oreca 07s.

The Peugeot Hypercar driver set the #11’s fastest lap time, a 1:50.860, whereas the other LMP2s could manage the 1:51 bracket at best.

Crowdstrike Racing and their #04 Oreca, along with the #43 Inter Europol Competition team, were TDS Racing’s key rivals in the pursuit of victory.

In the final hour, Malthe Jakobsen – also a WEC Peugeot Hypercar driver – led the final sprint to the end. The #04 Oreca team had undeniably strong, consistent form against TDS Racing’s pace thus allowing them to lead the category for the majority of the race.

Margins are fine in motorsport and IMSA’s LMP2 category was no exception. Jakobsen retained the lead during the final caution period, an exceptional circumstance along with the pit entry being closed to Jakobsen but not to his rivals directly behind him.

The #43 driver Tom Dillmann hung on his tail during the final sprint and the pair minded their way through GT traffic with great difficulty.

Unfortunately, Jakobsen lightly rear-ended Matt Bell’s #13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R thus earning the team’s only penalty – a drive-through – with 10 minutes remaining.

Reigning GTD Pro and GTD champions reaffirm status

Both the GTD Pro and GTD categories saw the series’ outgoing champions take victory having reaffirmed their undeniable form and reigning status.

In GTD Pro, the #77 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3.R have their full-season duo of Laurin Heinrich (2024 GTD Pro drivers’ champion) and Klaus Bachler with Alessio Picariello assisting in the Endurance Cup races.

AO Racing were unable to take pole position for Sebring, but were only 0.172 seconds away thanks to Heinrich’s 1:59.397 taken on his penultimate flying lap.

More significantly, AO Racing reminded others that they are the benchmark in the category with an iron fist.

Mistake-free driving in the early phases of the Sebring 12 Hours rewards the teams by keeping them on the lead lap for the night-time later on.

Initially, the GTD Pro lead fights were between the #65 Ford Multimatic Mustang GT3 and the #48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

AO Racing silently but surely kept themselves in the background of the fight before turning up the heat in the final hours, setting class-leading pace towards a well-earned maiden Endurance Cup race victory.

GTD’s Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 showcased similar form. Russell Ward and Indy Dontje carried consistent race pace during the majority of the race.

Dontje acclimatised the most driving time out of the trio at over 4 hours in total, but Philip Ellis also delivered during the most crucial half of the Sebring 12 Hours.

It came down to Ellis wrestling his way past Jack Hawksworth’s #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 after trying twice without success.

The pair made nose-to-tail contact just after they overtook the lapped #3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Alexander Sims.

Porsche Penske perfection, WTR not quite so

Porsche now have as many wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring as they do at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – 19.

The Weissach manufacturer had both cars together on strong long-run pace from free practice and so their #7 Porsche Penske 963 GTP led for 166 laps, almost half of the 353 total lap count at the checkered flag.

Nick Tandy showed his eager racing enthusiasm when he notably fought back and forth with Frederick Vesti’s #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R.

The British driver set fast pace but it was the GTD traffic management which enabled him to secure the place without Vesti returning the favour.

Wayne Taylor Racing encountered one of their most difficult races as the #31 Whelen Cadillac rose as the sole Cadillac which best contended for the 12 Hours of Sebring win.

The first controversial incident seemingly had #40 Cadillac driver Ricky Taylor ‘instigate’ contact with Charles Scardina’s #021 Ferrari 296 GT3 – ‘sending’ him head-on into the barrier at T13.

Speculation raised whether there was actual contact between Taylor and Scardina’s Triarsi Competitzione Ferrari after Wayne Taylor himself on the broadcast claimed race control admitted an error of judgement for penalising the #10 for incident responsibility.

Meanwhile Brendon Hartley found himself in the wall at T17, the final corner, though not causing fatal damage to his #40 Cadillac.

From poor clarification over the Taylor-Scardina scenario, to mistiming the pit entry closed lights to the Porsche Penskes and Meyer Shank Acuras during a caution period and not to those behind them – and allowing Romain Grosjean’s #63 Lamborghini SC63 GTP to be an active hazard on a restart – race control were under pressure for these avoidable errors.

AF Corse suffers double trouble

AF Corse were the one team which arguably suffered the most after having to retire their #88 Oreca 07 LMP2 and the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 (GTD).

The LMP2 car was involved in the first race incident with the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca but it was a later moment which ended the run for the #88 Oreca.

Matias Perez Companc seemingly ran out of room as he went through Sunset Bend, the circuit’s bumpiest corner.

He crashed into a tyre wall on the exit of T17 with under three hours remaining thus marked a difficult end for the #88 AF Corse team – yet the GTD car endured a more heartbreaking retirement.

The #21 Ferrari started on pole position by Alessandrio Pier Guidi and quickly built up a lead from lights out.

Pier Guidi extended his lead to nine seconds before a brake failure caused the Italian to massively overshoot and spin on the grass at Turn 10, crucially avoiding external bodywork damage to his Ferrari.

The team changed the front-left brake unit and through good pace, no mistakes and utilising the total four caution periods by that point, they not only returned to the GTD class lead lap but to the GTD lead.

A miraculous redemption drive by AF Corse kept them in the fight as their lead reached as high as 16 seconds over second-placed Seth Lucas’ #32 Korthoff Mercedes-AMG GT3 before they undramatically yet abruptly stopped at Turn 5 – whilst leading at the time – after the engine cut out indefinitely.

Four hours later in the #21 Ferrari, Lilou Wadoux had an issue on her out-lap having just taken over from Pier Guidi, sadly resulting in smoke pouring from the rear.

Top-10 finish for the Valkyrie’s IMSA debut

Alex Riberas, Ross Gunn and Romain de Angelis co-drove the #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie during its IMSA debut at Sebring.

The smooth and flat Lusail International Circuit in Qatar could not have been a greater contrast to demanding bumps and the decades-old concrete of the Sebring International Raceway.

Despite this difference, they were both lengthy endurance races at 10 and 12 hours in duration.

With such a new car, the focus was on learning more about the Valkyrie and gaining further data in what was its second race outing.

Despite the fact the Valkyrie is not competitive (yet), the #23 Aston Martin gained 1,312.128 miles of race running towards a highly impressive ninth place in the GTP category.

The FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar category is more competitive with two more manufacturers in their top category compared to IMSA’s six in GTP, who opt for more frequent ‘caution’ periods in comparison.

We must not, however, shed doubt on the Valkryie’s progression after just two weeks from its WEC debut albeit with a different set of staff – mechanics, engineers etc. – running the US-based operation.

Many of their most representative lap-times resided in the 1:52-1:53 bracket whereas the more competitive GTP cars were in the 1:51-1:52 range.

Heart of Racing outperformed Lamborghini who retired again albeit lasted longer than their 90-minutes at Daytona.

Step-by-step, the progression in the Valkyrie is positive and their hopes to fight in the field will become more apparent as we work towards the Valkyrie’s important Le Mans debut on 14-15 June.

READ MORE: Nick Tandy on securing ‘Endurance Triple Crown’ after ‘Grand Slam’

The post Five key storylines from the IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Formula 1 2025 arrived with the Australian Grand Prix hosting the season-opening race, bringing with it an indelible myriad of thrilling moments and incident – and all it needed for those to happen was a bit of rainfall.

After all the build-up, anticipation and speculation, the season, perhaps one of the most hotly-anticipated in years, got going at the Albert Park Circuit under a blanket of rain, heightening the tension, becoming a meteorological starting pistol for a race of high drama that comprised many winners and losers.

Lando Norris: 9

Qualified: P1, Race Result: P1

Norris picked up where he left off in 2024, with a win, and with pole position to boot.

There might be added pressure on the Briton this year, given that he is seemingly in the fastest car -this time from the start of the season – and in his seventh season in the sport, and many have questioned whether he will be able to cope with the pressure.

But in tricky conditions and circumstances, Norris managed it. Well, just.

Having had the measure of the field the whole race – the benchmark being team-mate Oscar Piastri – he and the fellow McLaren slid off the greasy surface on Lap 44 as rain became to descend once more.

But staying calm and composed, Norris rejoined, pitted for intermediates, retaking the lead when everyone else had come to the same conclusion that a change of rubber would be safer.

The late portion of the race would now see him being challenged by a familiar view in the mirrors – Max Verstappen – but in the end, Norris stayed the coolest man in Melbourne to kickstart the year in the more desired way, and hopefully for him, setting the tone to what might be a career-defining campaign.

The victory was latterly made more impressive by the revelation that he suffered floor damage in the midst of his excursion.

Oscar Piastri: 6

Qualified: P2, Race Result: P9

Piastri stayed in-touch with Norris for pretty much the whole race as he did he in qualifying, rectifying an early mistake on his first run to secure second, a fraction off Norris’ time.

At the start, Piastri lost out to Verstappen at Turn 2, but after regaining the position later and bearing down on Norris, he was ordered to hold station.

On Lap 44, following Norris off the road in sympathy, he wasn’t so lucky when it came to recovering, beaching himself in the wet grass.

Eventually working-out that reversing would be beneficial, Piastri extricated himself from the grass and back onto the track, his race now no more than a damage limitation job.

However, that particular task went well, picking-off a great deal of cars in-front of him, including a pass on Pierre Gasly and a daring move on Lewis Hamilton on the last lap.

On a different day, Piastri might have got himself onto the top step of the podium, but in a race where even some of the best drivers of many years made mistakes, he was caught-out by the elements, denying him not only a shot at a home win, but a more meaningful result.

Max Verstappen: 8.5

Qualified: P3, Race Result: P2

The reigning World Champion’s expectations have been lowered like a limbo pole this year, but writing off Max Verstappen is never a wise thing to do.

Qualifying third, albeit a three tenths off the McLarens’ pace, Verstappen, as per usual in this sort of weather, kept a calm head but on Lap 17, he made an uncharacteristic error into Turn 11.

He lost 14 seconds on the McLarens in the next 10 laps, but his bacon was saved by the arrival of the Safety Car, which gave him the opportunity to eradicate the gap.

After losing the obstacle Piastri was, he set about closing down on Norris, but in the end, he had to settle for second place, but after the glass-half-empty feeling the team had when coming into the race, it was a happy weekend for Verstappen to end-up on the podium.

Liam Lawson: 3

Qualified: P18 (Started from the pit lane), Race Result: DNF

In his first race for Red Bull, the Kiwi bemoaned his own lack of pace, and after missing FP3, it always felt he would be on the back foot in qualifying, particularly as he had never previously driven the Albert Park Circuit before the weekend.

After two mistakes on his push laps in Q1, he was eliminated, and after being opted to start in the pitlane, his race never really got going.

Given the unenviable position he was in during the race, his team chose to gamble and let him stay out on slicks when the rain returned on the infamous 44th lap, but it was quickly realised that this throw of the dice saw him land on a snake, rather than a ladder.

Into the wall at Turn 2, his race was done, but instead of the usual harsh critique from his Red Bull paymasters, Christian Horner defended Lawson’s race, saying his dry weather pace “was not too bad” and backed the “resilient” new team-mate to Verstappen to bounce back.

George Russell: 8.5

Qualified: P4, Race Result: P3

Whilst an uneventful, perhaps boring race might not always seem like a glowing review, Russell’s decision to take this tact was an intelligent one and saw him reap rewards with his best first-race result of his F1 career.

A good qualifying saw him as a potential cat amongst pigeons, Russell quickly determined that he would be faster over the course of the race than the Ferraris, and therefore opted to play it conservatively.

This approach served him well, as he found himself a benefactor in Piastri’s mistake and being able to largely make the finish un-pressured.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli: 8

Qualified: P16, Race Result: P4

Being a teenager and replacing one of the oldest drivers on the grid – who also happens to be one of the most successful ever – is a daunting task, particularly when you suffered in qualifying, and missing out on reaching the later stages, but it did not deter Antonelli.

The Italian was condemned to a lowly grid spot after floor damage caused by running over the kerbs, but come race day, he seemed to come of age.

Despite a spin in the race, he hauled his Mercedes up the order, an impressive feat in the dry, let alone the changeable weather that reality handed him during the race.

A late overtake on Alex Albon saw him finish fourth, though briefly relegated to fifth after a five-second time penalty which was later overturned.

Such an impressive debut will now give Antonelli a platform on which to build, proving he is worthy of the expectation placed about his shoulders.

Charles Leclerc: 6

Qualified: P7, Race Result: P8

The Monegasque sought to challenge McLaren having gone fastest in FP2, but come qualifying, optimism dissipated.

Qualifying a disappointing seventh, Leclerc managed to quickly get past Yuki Tsunoda and Albon, but any sense of brightness in Leclerc’s day went with the weather, as he was another spinning victim of the Lap 44 drizzle.

Not aided by another bungled Ferrari strategy decision, Leclerc pitted late which left him to leave Australia with eighth, having got past Gasly and new team-mate Lewis Hamilton late-on to claim two points.

Lewis Hamilton: 6

Qualified: P8, Qualified: P10

The most anticipated F1 driver move in years finally began, but not so much with a bang, but more the crackle of a cheap firework.

Unable to extract anymore pace out of the SF-25, Hamilton was forced to settle for eighth on the grid, and after being stuck behind Albon in the early stages, Hamilton would find himself, at one stage, running in the top three, but the strategic gamble, including a double-stacking with Leclerc, saw Hamilton come home in an underwhelming 10th for one point.

His downcast demeanour, so frequent in his final years at Mercedes, did not return however, and despite radio communications broadcast conveyed a sense of disconnect with his new engineer, Hamilton downplayed his weekend but recognised its still early-days in the union with his new team.

Alex Albon: 9

Qualified: P6, Race Result: P5

Albon had a weekend which helped early-season optimism that Williams are finally turning the corner from backmarkers to midfield contenders.

Qualifying fifth ahead of new team-mate Carlos Sainz, the Thai driver said the result was a vindication of such a prediction, and hopefully for the Grove squad, a sign of things to come.

Albon was able to hold-off Hamilton’s challenge for a big chunk of the race, and he, along with his team, profited from Ferrari’s strategy blunders, enabling him to score his best-ever result as a Williams driver.

Carlos Sainz: 4.5

Qualified: P10, Race Result: DNF

There would always be an inevitable sense of expectation on Sainz, having become Williams’ first race-winning driver on its roster for some time.

Running well in practice, Sainz was unable to match his team-mate in qualifying, but there was always room to improve for the race.

However, it all went horribly wrong very quickly.

Due to what the team put down to a spike in torque, Sainz dropped it at the exit of the final corner under the Safety Car before the end of Lap 1 to end his interest early.

Or so he thought, as his experience and insight became useful to the team later on.

Instead of ruminating on a less-than-desirable start to his Williams career, Sainz utilised his knowledge to help the team tweak its strategy which significantly boosted Albon’s race, providing a glimmer of something impressive to show for what was, on track, a disappointing first race.

Lance Stroll: 7.5

Qualified: P13, Race Result: P6

Lance Stroll has a really unenviable position in F1: a driver with a seat virtually guaranteed by the family connection to his team, and often making mistakes that often give the Canadian the aura of being a rookie, when in reality, it’s his ninth season in F1.

But Stroll can deliver in the wet, and amid all the chaos around him, he kept his head well.

Qualifying behind his team-mate Fernando Alonso, Stroll was able to be, for a change, the Aston Martin driver who showed experience under difficult circumstances, profiting from the mistakes of his partner and others to surely give the Silverstone-based squad a result it was not expecting at all.

Fernando Alonso: 4

Qualified: P12, Race Result: DNF

Alonso’s disposition across the whole weekend made the Sunday weather seem more sunny by comparison.

Aware time is not on his side with age, combined with what appears to be a car that is regressing from last year’s, and the year before.

Narrowly missing-out on Q3, Alonso could usually be counted-on to perform under adversity, but an unusual error at Turn 6 ended his afternoon, a particular shame for him as he had been running well with good pace on the intermediate tyres.

Nico Hulkenberg: 7

Qualified: P17, Race Result: P7

In one fell swoop, Hulkenberg managed to help Sauber surpass its 2024 points total in one race, the German returning to the Swiss outfit before it begins its transition into the works Audi team.

The veteran’s weekend did not get off to a good start, however, as he was out-qualified by rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, but a sensible race by him and his team saw him climb up the order, and finish ahead of the Ferraris and home favourite Piastri to begin his second stint with Sauber on perhaps the most positive note it could have hoped for.

Gabriel Bortoleto: 6

Qualified: P15, Race Result DNF

The reigning F2 champion began life as an F1 driver facing the wrath of Red Bull’s outspoken advisor Helmut Marko, who labelled the Brazilian as a “B driver”.

Undeterred, Bortoleto was able to out-qualify Hulkenberg, and ran well during the race, particularly given the tricky conditions in what was a hectic day’s running for a rookie, but was unable to make the finish after crashing at the exit of Turn 11.

A rear suspension problem caused the crash, taking the heat of Bortoleto’s more harsher critics.

Yuki Tsunoda: 9

Qualified: P5, Race Result: P12

Tsunoda must have flown out of Australia rueing what might have been due to a strategic error, but can be hugely proud of himself for a sterling performance all weekend.

Qualifying in fifth, 13 places ahead of Lawson – the man he surely considered his competition for that coveted Red Bull drive – the Japanese ran superbly all race.

He overtook Leclerc after switching for slicks, but like Leclerc, he suffered a similar fate of being left out for too long towards the end of the race when the rain returned, leaving him out of the points, no reward for his fine performance.

Racing Bulls accepted responsibility for the mistake, and will be hoping of giving him the same sort of car performance in China to ensure he will be battling in the points-scoring positions again.

Isack Hadjar: 3

Qualified: P11, Race Result: DNF

After the events of Sunday, it was hard to determined which was redder: a Ferrari, or Hadjar’s face, as an embarrassing moment on the formation lap ended his afternoon before it even began.

The weekend had started so well for the French rookie too, narrowly missing-out on Q3, but 11th was enough to get many people talking positively about the 2024 Formula 2 runner-up’s chances.

Come race day, the rain, coupled with the act of attempting to warm his tyres, Hadjar slid into the barrier on the exit of Turn 2, which left him with nothing to do but endure a walk of shame through the paddock, soothed by the comforting words of Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony, who consoled him.

Hadjar’s mental strength will now be tested between now and China, as scrutiny will surely continue for what was, quite literally, a rookie error.

Pierre Gasly: 6

Qualified: P9, Race Result: P11

Gasly is, perhaps for the first time in his career, a true team leader, with Alpine largely squared around him with Esteban Ocon now at Haas.

The French team was perhaps not quite as competitive as it hoped. With Williams naming it its midfield benchmark for 2025, Alpine were outdone in both qualifying and the race.

Qualifying ninth ahead of Sainz but behind Albon by two-tenths, Gasly did not have quite enough power under his right foot to keep himself in the top 10 during the race, labouring to an 11th-place finish behind Hamilton.

Jack Doohan: 3.5

Qualified: P14, Race Result: DNF

Whilst all F1 drivers, particularly rookies, enter a season with the spotlight under them, it’s fair to say Doohan is perhaps the one with the most eyes watching him.

As what must feel like a million different magnifying glasses inspecting his every turn of the wheel, Doohan must have also felt the presence of Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto, widely-speculated to be waiting in the wings to replace the Australian, hanging over him like a cloud as dark as the ones in the Melbourne sky.

The weekend got off to a positive start, qualifying in 14th and showing a decent amount of pace, and could count himself unlucky not to make it into Q3, after losing the use of DRS on his final run after Hamilton spun ahead of him.

Before that, his day’s running had seen him largely on-par with Gasly in terms of his times.

But under all those watching eyes, the dream of racing in-front of his home fans quickly turned into a nightmare, as he would, like Sainz, not complete a lap, clouting the barrier at Turn 6.

Whilst Hadjar’s critics might forgive him for his mistake, Doohan must now endure a more torrid week of forensic analysis, Colapinto continues to lurk in the shadows, waiting to pounce.

Oliver Bearman: 3

Qualified: P20 (Started from the pit lane), Race Result: P14

An early crash in FP1 set the tone for a depressing weekend for Bearman and Haas, the young Brit completing less than 14 laps by the time of qualifying.

A gearbox issue further compounded his misery, and in the race, he would spin at Turn 12, but was able to make it to the end, along with his team-mate, banking necessary and useful mileage for the American squad.

Esteban Ocon: 5

Qualified: P14, Race Result: P13

In what was, essentially, an extended test session for Haas, Ocon was the slowest driver to set a lap time in qualifying, no doubt a painful experience as he would see former employers Alpine jostling for top 10 finishes.

In the race, he was able to assert some inter-team dominance, being able to finish around seven seconds up the road from Bearman, the pair keeping everything crossed for an improvement with the aid of its technical partners Ferrari and Toyota soon.

READ MORE – Lando Norris survives late drama to win F1 Australian GP

The post Motorsport Week’s F1 2025 Australian GP Driver Ratings appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The 2025 season-opening Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix has been and gone, but what were the main talking points from a chaotic and gripping encounter Down Under? 

Norris and McLaren rise to the occasion

The overwhelming consensus that McLaren possesses the benchmark package in the MCL39 was not misguided as the team dominated proceedings at the Albert Park Circuit when it mattered come rain or shine.

Lando Norris’ winning margin over Max Verstappen might have been as small as eight-tenths come the chequered flag, but that didn’t mirror the true picture as various interventions – including a late rain shower and Safety Car periods – concealed the true extent of the advantage McLaren harbours.

Having survived Verstappen’s initial onslaught, the McLaren duo opened up a 14-second gap on the Dutchman within 10 laps as the track dried and the MCL39’s gentleness on the rubber came to the fore.

That succeeded Verstappen lagging over three-tenths behind on single-lap pace, which prompted Mercedes’ George Russell to claim that McLaren could pivot attention to the impending regulation change coming in 2025 and still take both titles this season.

Norris has dispelled such assertions as he urged McLaren not to become complacent, though he has acknowledged that the Woking-based squad can’t escape the recognition that it is now the team to beat.

Nevertheless, the composure shown in the cockpit and on the pit wall in a race situation that might have tripped Norris and McLaren up in 2024 shows the combination is prepared to rise to the occasion this time.

Ferrari’s title hopes in tatters?

Ferrari appeared primed to place McLaren under some pressure when Charles Leclerc headed the second practice session. But that table-topping pace subsided as the weekend progressed, culminating in a disastrous race that saw Lewis Hamilton trail home in a dismal 10th place on his debut outing in red, two spots behind new team-mate Leclerc.

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur expressed that the changeable conditions prevalent in the race distorted the team’s gap to McLaren, which Leclerc even voiced concern could have been as extreme as two seconds per lap. 

Both drivers have insisted that the SF-25 comprises potential that is still to be unlocked, but question marks remain over whether there is enough pace to challenge McLaren and whether it can be extracted in time to rescue the side’s championship bid.

However, a Sprint race being included on this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix schedule will give the teams a single practice hour to set up their cars, handing Ferrari minimal time outside competitive sessions to gather crucial data on how its new car is behaving.

Mercedes’ post-Hamilton era is bright

The scepticism that had been attached to Mercedes’ decision to replace seven-time F1 champion Hamilton with a rookie in Andrea Kimi Antonelli heightened when the teenager, having incurred damage riding over a kerb, experienced a premature elimination in Q1.

However, Antonelli silenced the doubters with an exceptional drive in the race, gaining 12 spots to claim fourth place. The Italian showcased commendable commitment in the wet to execute some audacious overtaking manoeuvres, including one on Alex Albon’s Williams on the penultimate lap.

With Russell, now settling into his role as the recognised team leader at Mercedes in Hamilton’s absence, capitalising on Oscar Piastri’s spin to seize a podium, the German marque is tied level with McLaren on 27 points in the Constructors’ Championship.

Mercedes still can’t provide a match to its engine customer when it comes to outright competitiveness, but with no glaring weaknesses to resolve, the squad seems to have a more stable base to build on with the W16 than with its recalcitrant predecessors.

READ MORE – Mercedes F1 rookie Kimi Antonelli proves he’s worth the hype in Australia

Williams winter promise delivers big return 

The pre-season suspicion that Williams has assembled a car that could be a regular points scorer in 2025 was realised in Australia as Albon bagged a top-five finish.

The Grove-based squad had encountered a nightmare weekend at the same venue almost 12 months earlier, with an overweight car that was limited on spare parts causing the team to run without one car in the race.

However, there have been no such troubles that have blighted Williams with the FW47, the machine which Albon and new team-mate Carlos Sainz advanced into Q3 with.

Sainz’s maiden race with the team lasted one lap as he ended up in the wall, but the Spaniard engaged his brain to provide an extra mind on the strategic front. That helped Williams and Albon make the right call on the transitions to slicks and then back to Intermediates later in the race, allowing the Anglo-Thai driver to record his best race finish with the team since his arrival in 2022.

But based on what the weekend’s running showed – which included Sainz topping FP1 – Williams will have more opportunities this season to secure a double-digit points haul.

Haas in trouble? 

Williams would have been expecting to have Haas as close competition among a tight midfield contingent based on the team’s climb up the ranks to sixth last time around.

However, the Kannapolis-based squad languished at the bottom throughout the weekend, with even both cars reaching the end in an attritional race not enough to generate a morale-boosting points return.

Haas had been bullish about its seasonal prospects as it revealed that sizeable gains had been discovered in the wind tunnel, but that, to date, hasn’t translated to the track.

Oliver Bearman didn’t help matters as he crashed in the opening practice session, leaving him consigned to the garage throughout FP2. The Briton then got beached in the gravel in FP3, while a gearbox issue reared its head on his VF-25 come qualifying.

However, the Ferrari protege did at least make it to the end, albeit behind his more experienced team-mate Esteban Ocon, who will be hoping that Haas’ surprise struggles won’t be a pattern on conventional circuits amid the woe he endured at Alpine in 2024. 

READ MORE – Lando Norris survives late drama to win F1 Australian GP

The post Five key talking points from the 2025 F1 Australian GP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Episodes 7 and 8 of the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive show the format documenting Formula 1 at its highest level.

For those tired of Netflix running the same-old formula series-by-series, Episode 7 of the latest iteration of Drive to Survive is a welcome breath of fresh air.

‘In the Heat of the Night’ hands mobile cameras to Alex Albon, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly as they head to Marina Bay, Singapore. The quintet are then given the duty of directing filming and documenting their weekends in one of the most gruelling of all races.

Not only is this a refreshing change of pace for Netflix, but it’s the show at its most genuine as the drivers take control of their own narratives. Moreover, it offers a unique cross-examination of the friendships this generation of drivers share, as all five rose through the racing ranks together. 

This is a format that must return for Season 8 of Drive to Survive and it’s amazing it’s taken seven seasons for Netflix to strike gold in such a fashion after years of repetition. The only potential downside to this instalment is the documentation of George Russell’s post-race scare in Singapore. Suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration, Russell is worse for wear than usual and the Netflix mics pick up the young Briton hyperventilating as he fights to regain composure. It’s fascinating insight into the perils of F1, but perhaps this is peeking too far behind the curtain into a very private matter.

But learning that Russell brings his own pillow and duvet to hotels is precisely the sort of bizarre information we want more of.

Who will Netflix hand filming duties to in 2025?

Red Bull’s driver saga

‘Elbows Out’ dives into the Red Bull driver saga and Christian Horner debating on who to drop and who to sign as Sergio Perez’s catastrophic form takes hold.

Unsurprisingly, Yuki Tsunoda features little in this episode given he was an option Red Bull never truly considered to take on the seat next to Max Verstappen. Instead, the focus of this episode is predominantly on Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson whose fortunes crossover in opposite directions.

There are moments captured where Ricciardo thinks his Red Bull redemption is on, but as it becomes increasingly clear that he is not the driver he once was, Helmut Marko tells Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer that “The Netflix story is not working.”

An underwhelming performance in mixed conditions at Silverstone prompts some candid reflection from Ricciardo in the Netflix chair.

“I don’t know if I want to say it because it’s too vulnerable,” the Australian says as he contemplates whether he’s capable of taking similar risks as his younger self. The episode serves as another goodbye for Ricciardo as his F1 chapter has come to a close and introduces Lawson as a feisty, determined character.

As ever, Christian Horner deals with Netflix with aplomb throughout the saga and while this episode isn’t as fresh as Episode 7, it still delivers enough to make this pair one of the most compelling of Season 7.

READ MORE – F1 Drive to Survive Season 7 Review: Emotions rise in Episodes 5 & 6

The post F1 Drive to Survive Season 7 Review: Episodes 7 & 8 hit new heights for Netflix appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Episodes 5 and 6 of Netflix’s Drive to Survive Season 7 successfully elevate emotional impact when retelling the story of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Amid a jam-packed 2024 F1 campaign, these two installments of the latest season of Drive to Survive pick up on two of the key moments from last year: Charles Leclerc’s emotional triumph at Monaco and the intra-team tensions at McLaren between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Motorsport Week, surely like many others selected Leclerc’s win at his home race after several years of bad luck as one of the greatest moments of the 2024 season, and it’s no surprise to see Netflix dedicate an entire episode to this story. Leclerc’s struggles at Monaco have been a consistent part of the Netflix narrative and ‘Le Curse of Leclerc’ brings a resounding end to this particular story.

The emotional pathos of this story is poignant given the passing of Leclerc’s father, Herve, in 2017, and that is a key facet to this episode. Leclerc didn’t have to, but he chose to tell the Netflix cameras about the time he lied to his father before his passing, saying he’d made it into F1, recounting the joy his father felt but the guilt wrapped up in the lie, which only came true after his father’s sad demise.

‘Le Curse of Leclerc’ also bears witness to how much attention Monaco puts upon its hero during the GP weekend at the Principality as the Ferrari driver is mobbed from pillar to post with cheers and adoration.

After his historic race victory and the Monaco curse being lifted, Leclerc delivers another emotional hammer blow in saying “I definitely did not only realise my dream, but my father’s dream. He’s probably celebrating it from above.” 

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur even admits “I don’t often get emotional but I was a little. Honestly, I think it’s something exceptional. If there’s anyone who can be proud of him, it’s him and his dad and his family.” 

You’ll need the tissues for this one.

Norris vs Piastri

‘Wheels Of Fortune,’ Episode 6 of the new Drive to Survive series pokes and probes into the inner workings of McLaren as Piastri emerges as a challenger to Norris amid the team’s fight to be Constructors’ champion and its senior driver fighting for the Drivers’ title.

There were two incredible flashpoints in the McLaren intra-team battle and those are both covered in this episode, Hungary and Monza. The Woking-based squad’s unique pit-stop strategy that surrendered Piastri’s Budapest lead to Norris, only for the team to plan for a swap on track was a source of drama as the Briton rebelled against team orders for several laps.

At the time, it prompted fire fighting by the McLaren comms team to ensure harmony was at play, but a conversation between Norris and his friend and Quadrant business partner Max Fewtrell two days later gives an interesting insight into the racing driver psyche. 

“It made Oscar feel like, underwhelmed and it made me feel shit,” Norris said. “At first I wasn’t going to let him through. I don’t know. It’s tough.”

Fewtrell believes the team should have been clearer to which Norris replies “my actions were very clear” before both begrudgingly admit he did the right thing.

McLaren’s leaders heading into the Italian GP speak of their desire to have two number one drivers, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff tells Netflix that he’d back Norris before Piastri jumps into the chair to calmly state he doesn’t want to be playing second fiddle.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is then asked “if you could have one of the McLaren drivers who would it be?”

His reply: “Oscar.”

Cue the Lap 1 moment in Italy where Piastri passes Norris for the lead with a risky manoeuvre that eventually drops his McLaren team-mate to third.

“The problem is not only did he put Lando at risk, he compromised our strategy,” Zak Brown tells Andrea Stella on the pitwall. True enough, Charles Leclerc was the benefactor as he took a second career victory at the Italian GP. The disappointment from the McLaren pit-wall is evident and Netflix is perfectly poised to drop in a shot of Norris staring menacingly at Piastri in parc ferme to heighten the tension. 

“If I had expected him to do that, he would never have had the chance to do it,” Norris says in the Netflix chair. 

McLaren comes out of Monza and goes into Baku telling Piastri he’s now playing a supporting role to Norris in the championship, which he takes admirably but not jubilantly, of course, given he’s a competitor in his own right. It’s poetic then that Piastri ends up winning in Azerbaijan and the end of this episode celebrates McLaren going into the lead of the Constructors’ championship.

However, the behind-the-scenes drama exhibited in this episode goes to show how McLaren possibly failed to capitalise in the Drivers’ Championship when Red Bull was at its most vulnerable.

In summary, Episodes 5 and 6 seldom feature low points for Netflix, instead delivering on emotion, drama and intrigue.

READ MORE – F1 Drive to Survive Season 7 Review: Episodes 3 & 4 offer differing results

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Yuki Tsunoda has revealed how the heightened emphasis on improving his emotional management last season helped him to process the news that he wouldn’t be racing with Red Bull in Formula 1 in 2025.

When Red Bull announced that Sergio Perez would not be continuing with the team in 2025, Tsunoda and then team-mate Liam Lawson were soon established as the sole contenders in the running to secure the coveted position alongside Max Verstappen.

Tsunoda’s claim to a Red Bull promotion appeared greater than ever as he produced his most productive season to date with Red Bull’s satellite squad in 2024, culminating in Daniel Ricciardo, who had been the group’s initial insurance option in case it dropped Perez, being axed with six races remaining.

But despite retaining that slight advantage once Lawson replaced the Australian, the reservations that Red Bull have harboured over whether Tsunoda boasts the mental resolve to cope with being Verstappen’s team-mate resigned him to being omitted.

The Japanese driver had been outspoken on the Red Bull situation as Perez’s place became more untenable as the campaign progressed, even declaring that Lawson being nominated over him would be “weird”.

Tsunoda was composed when pressed on the topic in his inaugural public appearance since it was revealed he would be remaining at Racing Bulls, though, as he expressed that he could understand Red Bull’s decision.

Asked whether the increased attention on improving his emotional control had helped him in that scenario, Tsunoda told Motorsport Week in an exclusive interview: “Definitely part of it. I think I worked really hard on emotional, especially since last year’s first race.

“Bahrain, thing’s happened. I really worked hard on it. It kind of clicks [with] me, something deeply in my heart that I really have to change myself. 

“I think I made a really good step throughout the season. I’m sure there were not many races that I even shouted. For the shouting, I just probably had it barely once or twice. 

“So, I think those parts I definitely felt improvements. And part of it, like you said, the reason why I was pretty calm after hearing that kind of news, it was definitely that reason.”

Tsunoda was prepared for Red Bull omission

There had been speculation mounting in the build-up to Red Bull’s announcement that it was leaning towards promoting Lawson, even with Tsunoda having made his debut with the senior side in the post-season test.

Tsunoda has revealed how such rumblings, combined with Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s demeanour in the preceding weeks, allowed him to prepare for the eventual outcome not being the one that he desired.

“But also, throughout the season, rumours were everywhere,” he highlighted.

“Even since Daniel drove from the first race. Almost every race, people were saying, ‘oh Daniel might join Red Bull because Perez is not really performing well’. 

“They’re talking about every race. For me, I just want to hear a clear decision. But obviously, a bit of rumours a couple of races before the last race already started.

“Those rumours and how Christian and the Red Bull guys were behaving was not really towards my favour.

“So, I kind of also was prepared. I tried to prepare myself in my heart and mentally, so that even if I get news that I don’t want to hear, I’m able to kind of switch myself to the level that I have to be in. So, yeah, those are the reasons.”

Tsunoda relishing new Racing Bulls role in 2025

However, Tsunoda has denied that Red Bull overlooking him has provided him with added motivation going into the season, citing that he is concentrated on stepping up to his newfound role as the senior driver at Racing Bulls alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

“Motivation is kind of the same as last year,” he addressed. “I just completely put those things away from my brain. So, I don’t really look for Red Bull now. 

“My target is clear: to make this team in the best shape as possible until the first race. To race as strong as last year, what we had in the first half of the season in order to achieve P6 in the Teams’ Championship. 

“Also, as a driver, I want to also step up as a special leader. To the point of the things I have to improve myself. Also to the team [to prove] that I can be a proper leader to help them in general feedback and directions.”

Tsunoda eager to prove he’s a leader

Horner has disclosed that Red Bull might have to consider releasing Tsunoda with Arvid Lindblad waiting in the wings, despite the driver having voiced his willingness to remain with the organisation’s sister team going into the rules revamp coming in 2026.

With his prospects beyond this season in the balance, Tsunoda has acknowledged that extending his current spell with the Faenza-based squad will depend on demonstrating that he has the capabilities to lead the team.

Asked how important Racing Bulls making progress is to his own career endeavours, Tsunoda said: “Obviously, I would like to go to the teams that are performing really well from previous seasons and top teams. 

“If this team performs really well that would be amazing. That would be for sure the happiest thing I can achieve this season. Anything can happen. 

“But for sure, to make them happy and to make them motivated to want me to stay for next year, I need to prove those leadership [qualities] as well, not just performance. I think that would be [the] key things also for myself to show them as a driver this year.”

READ MORE – Racing Bulls expecting ‘another step’ from Yuki Tsunoda in F1 2025

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On International Women’s Day, Motorsport Week asks if Formula E is now a forerunner for promoting the cause of further inclusion of women in motorsport.

The all-electric championship announced on Friday that a second all-female test will take place on October 30, and will comprise of a full day’s running across two sessions.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work Formula E has already put in on the issue of female representation.

FE’s first women’s test, which took place at the conclusion of its pre-season programme at Circuito Jarama last November, was a huge success, with 18 drivers taking part across the 11 teams that make-up the grid.

It was also a first of its kind event, the first time a mixed-gender FIA-affiliated series held an event for just women competitors.

Alongside the regular press pack that comprises the FE media centre, a plethora of other outlets flocked to Madrid to witness the historic event, the success of which was cemented with winning the Most Inspiring Campaign gong at The Race Media Awards in January.

From Day 1 to today – women have been no strangers to the Formula E paddock

When it comes to female inclusion, the test was most certainly not the championship’s first rodeo, with two women – Katherine Legge and Michela Cerruti – lining-up on the grid at the very-first Formula E race in Beijing in 2014.

Simona de Silvestro was the next to follow, ending the inaugural season with a seat at Andretti, which was retained for the duration of Season 2, and in Long Beach and Berlin, completed two top-10 finishes to become first, and so far only woman to score points in the championship.

Women have also been afforded opportunities in a number of its rookie tests, usually held over a race weekend during the season.

Alice Powell has been a prominent figure in the series, having been a part of the Envision Racing team since Season 7, conducting simulator work and driving in the designated rookie test sessions.

Jamie Chadwick has been a frequent visitor to the FE paddock for sometime, and amongst her dominance in the now-defunct W Series, her previous role as a member of Williams’ Academy and her drives in both Extreme E and Indy NXT, she has made time for jumping into an FE car, setting the second-fastest time at Jarama.

Last year’s F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling was given a shot with Nissan in the same test, and stormed to first in the timesheets, with a lap three tenths ahead of Chadwick and within 3.5s of the fastest time of the week, set by Mitch Evans.

Speaking to Motorsport Week at the Jeddah E-Prix, Pulling said: “I think Formula E is paving the way and they’re not trying to replicate something else. 

“They’re their own identity and their own brand and series that have their own kind of perspective on things and they’re really trying to make a better future, for obviously the sustainability side but also for the drivers and to give us the opportunities.

“If it wasn’t for that test [Jarama], I probably wouldn’t have been having conversations that I’ve been having and in contact with some really powerful figures within the paddock. 

“So for that, I’m really thankful that Jeff [Dodds, Formula E’s CEO] and the whole team have managed to put it together. The whole Formula E team.”

It’s prudent to also note that Chadwick has taken part in two tests staged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, most recently for Jaguar TCS Racing at the Jeddah E-Prix last month.

The first was an in-season test over the weekend of the Diriyah E-Prix, in which Chadwick was one of nine female drivers that took part.

At the same weekend, a Nissan GEN2 car was piloted in a demo run by Reem Al Aboud, the groundbreaking female Saudi Arabian racing driver.

This two-pronged promotion of female inclusion was in December 2018, just six months after women were legally enabled to drive in the country for the first time, further enhancing the series’ want to always be at the forefront of social issues through the medium of motorsport.

Amid the publicity and excitement the Jarama test would bring, it might be forgivable to forget that, earlier in 2024, Al Aboud returned to create a new piece of history – setting a new benchmark for an FIA single-seater racing car by achieving 0-60mph in 2.49 seconds in the GENBETA car, just over 0.1 of a second faster than a Formula 1 car.

From on-track to off it – the unsung heroes of Formula E

Whilst Formula E has been able to give so many female drivers opportunities to show their speed and worth on the track, the whole series is comprised of a great number of hugely talented female employees off it.

A myriad of women work tirelessly behind the scenes within various roles, a notable example being in the media centre, where you will find a high percentage of women making-up its communications department.

This representation carries over into the teams as well, with a vast number of women who are tasked with heading-up the hard job of looking after the drivers’ schedules with the media, all of which handle their roles with guile and a quiet calm and authority.

Formula E has also been a prominent supporter of the FIA’s Girls On Track initiative, which has given countless girls aged between 12 and 18 the chance to be present at FE races and events to learn more about motorsport with behind the scenes access, workshops and activities to engage and and encourage them to forge a future pathway into a career in the industry.

And of course, media representation is evident to television viewers, with long-time member of the broadcasting team, Nicki Shields, now the lead presenter of its English-speaking TV coverage.

Shields is supported by pit lane reporter Alexa Rendall, and amid its roster of pundits, Chadwick and Extreme E star Catie Munnings.

Whilst the world of motorsport is making more conscientious efforts in heightening the inclusion of women in motorsport, there are many reasons to consider Formula E, like its GEN3 Evo machine, has accelerated through the glass ceiling faster than any other series.

READ MORE – Exclusive: Abbi Pulling says self-focus the priority ahead of GB3 bow

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