Single Seaters

Antonio Giovinazzi deserving place in F1

Antonio Giovinazzi. The 22 year old Italian has taken the GP2 series by storm in his rookie season, but he still doesn’t seem to have been placed with the tag of an up and coming talent. Some of the rivals he has previously beaten are being linked with Formula One drives for next year, so why is Giovinazzi not yet being considered for the step up to F1?

The Italian has a stellar junior racing CV, winning at every category he has raced at. From the very beginning Antonio has not followed the traditional path, something that has served him incredibly well to this point. Beginning racing in the Formula Pilota China series in 2012, was a double edged sword for Giovinazzi. He dominated the series with 13 podiums from 18 races, however racing so far away from Europe kept him out of the spotlight.

Giovinazzi moved back to Europe for 2013, but found the running difficult in the ultra competitive FIA European F3 championship. Driving with the Double R team he struggled with no podiums in thirty races, finishing the year 17th overall. In a truncated British F3 campaign he was more successful, with two wins he finished second overall in a small yet high quality field.

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Giovinazzi in action during his dominant title winning Formula Pilota China campaign in 2012. Photo copyright Formula Pilota China.

After a year learning the circuits and adjusting to the step up in standard, he joined front running team Carlin for 2014. Helping him was support from Jagonya Ayam, the Indonesian KFC franchise. With sizeable long term support Giovinazzi was free to focus on racing. His sophomore campaign was far more successful, with two wins and five further podiums from 33 races. 6th overall was his reward and was seen as one of the top contenders for the following campaign, with the drivers ahead of him all moving up the single seater ladder.

Returning to European F3 for a third year was a risky move for the Italian, with anything other than fighting for the title would seriously halter his career momentum. Staying with Carlin for another year proved fruitful, with six wins propelling him into a title fight with the experienced Swede Felix Rosenqvist. Giovinazzi ultimately finished second, but a win in the one-off F3 Masters at Zandvoort and 4th in the Macau GP showed he was a name to watch.

Not content with having a break during the off-season, he teamed up with fellow Jagonya Ayam backed driver Sean Gelael for two rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series. Winning both rounds kept them both sharp as they prepared for the step up to GP2.

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Giovinazzi in the opening round of the 2015 FIA European F3 championship at Silverstone. 2015 would be the year he solidified himself as an up and coming driver. Photo copyright FIA F3/TSphoto.

Giovinazzi joined the Prema team for both parties first season in the premier feeder series to Formula One. Whilst both had showed well in F3, expectations were kept low with both being newcomers to the series.  Even with expectations kept low for his rookie season, he will have been disappointed with his start to the season.

With a best finish of 11th from the opening four races, any slim chance of a title challenge seemed to have vanished.So what happened at the next meeting shocked everyone in the paddock. At the all new Baku city circuit in Azerbaijan he proved the class of the field, winning both races whilst others around him struggled to adapt to the challenging street circuit. The two wins propelled him into title contention, as he sat in third position, only eight points behind title leader Artem Markelov. Winning both races of the same meeting had not previously been done since Davide Valsecchi in 2012.

Over the course of the season consistent points scoring kept him in the title chase, as one of the most evenly contested title fights for years played out. With several drivers all vying for the decisive advantage, wins for Giovinazzi in Belgium and Italy were the perfect shot in the arm for his title bid.

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Antonio celebrating his double victory in Baku. He was the first driver to do the double since 2012, and the two wins thrust him right into title contention after a poor start to the year. Photo copyright GP2series.com .

His strong finish to the season continued at the penultimate round supporting the Malaysian Grand Prix. A win in the longer feature race was backed up with a fourth in the sprint race, these results proving enough to propel him into the title lead for the first time all year.

With a month to wait until the title deciding final round in Abu Dhabi, the pressure is on for everyone involved. In theory Raffaele Marciello is still in mathematical contention, but being 39 points behind with 48 available, it will be extremely tough for him to come out as champion.

Realistically, the title is going to come down to Giovinazzi and Frenchman Pierre Gasly. Giovinazzi is seven points ahead of the latest Red Bull prodigy, and although its a cliche to say its all to play for, it really is.

Despite Giovinazzi bidding to become the series first rookie champion since Nico Hulkenberg in 2009, he has yet to receive much attention from Formula One. In September it was announced he would be joining Ferrari to conduct simulator work, but this is so far his only link to F1.

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Giovinazzi has also dabbled in sports cars over the past year, and could provide another avenue to becoming a professional driver should he be inexplicably overlooked by the F1 paddock. Photo copyright Motorsport.com . 

From the outside it seems a strange move, with such a remarkable debut GP2 campaign and the budget he can bring from his sponsors, the fact he’s not even being linked with any of the remaining available F1 seats seems very strange indeed. Whether the F1 paddock knows something the fans don’t is unknown, but this is a pivotal time in his career.

If the F1 community for some reason discards him, he will still have plenty of options left open to him. He could continue in single seaters and follow the path of 2015 champion Stoffel Vandoorne. He switched the the highly competitive Super Formula series before attempting the move back to F1.

He could similarly change tack and join the burgeoning sports car ranks. The World Endurance Championship and other affiliated series are enjoying a renaissance in the past half decade, with plenty of young drivers moving across from single seaters to the dream of  professional deal with a sports car manufacture.

Whatever happens in Abu Dhabi, Giovinazzi has already proved any remaining doubters wrong this season. His performances have proved he’s a very talented young racing driver who will likely succeed in whatever aspect of racing he competes in over the coming years. Watch out for Antonio Giovinazzi, this is not the last we will hear of him.

What are your thoughts on Antonio Giovinazzi? Please feel free to share your opinion below, I would hugely appreciate it. Thank you for reading. Find me on Twitter @brfcjordan95.

 

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2016 Indianapolis 500 Preview Part 3

Part three is my final roundup previewing the upcoming Indianapolis 500, one of the centre piece events in motorsport. Feel free to visit my other preview pages on my blog, with this entry previewing the final thirteen entries on the grid. The race will undoubtedly provide plenty of action and drama throughout the 500 miles of racing, so let’s take a look at the final batch of contenders.

#25 KVSH Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Stefan Wilson

The #25 entry is a very special one, as it’s being run in honour of the popular Brit Justin Wilson, who was tragically killed last August by debris at Pocono. This is why his brother Stefan is making his Indy 500 debut this year, with the KVSH racing team.

Whilst Stefan is a rookie and his on track performance is of course important, unlike any other car on the grid this one has another purpose. To raise money for charities linked with Justin. Whilst it’s fitting that it’s his brother who keeps the Wilson name on the Indycar grid this year, it will be tough to produce any headlines on track.

He has only competed in one other Indycar race, making this his first Indy 500 and first Indycar event since 2013. He’s qualified 30th and will find it tough to make up places, despite a strong KVSH team behind him. To claim a top twenty spot would be a result for Stefan, although the wider goal of money raised will be irrespective from his on track performance.

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#26 United Fire Data Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda: Carlos Munoz

Carlos Munoz is a young Colombian who is making a name for himself in Indycar as a very solid young driver. He started the season off well with eighth, but since then a string of finishes outside the top ten have hampered his progress.

Andretti Autosport and Honda appear to be hooked up here in Indianapolis, with three of the Andretti entries in the top five of qualifying. Munoz was the third of the entries in fifth, a great starting position for the race. Although he will have to race hard to remain in the top five, Munoz has put himself in a perfect position to claim a great result this Sunday.

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#27 Snapple Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda: Marco Andretti

The most famous name in the race is likely to be considered Marco Andretti. The latest in the Andretti has shared his father and grandfather’s bad luck at the Brickyard. While similarly talented names have multiple wins, Marco has yet to win the 500.

Whilst he seemingly always manages to run well at Indianapolis, he has struggled to convert this into a good result here. So far it’s been a tough start to the season for him, with no top ten finishes and a 14th qualifying spot for the 500. Whilst a big result at the 500 can easily turn a season around, on current form and considering his bad luck here simply a top ten finish would be an improvement for Marco Andretti.

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#28 DHL Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda: Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter Reay has been a mainstay both at Andretti Autosport and at the front of the grid in Indycar for the past five years. He has proven his talent with both the Indycar title in 2012 and Indy 500 victory in 2014.

This year has plateaued slightly in the last few rounds, something Hunter-Reay will want to rectify in the biggest race of the year. He’s qualified on the outside of the front row in third, showing just how well he can run around here.

With his Andretti team seemingly on top of the circuit, Hunter-Reay will surely go into the race as one of the select few of serious contenders. Whilst a good haul of points would be good for Hunter-Reay, based on his practice speed surely anything other than a win will be met with a tinge of disappointment.

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#29 Robert Graham Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda: Townsend Bell

American sportscar and open wheel racer Townsend Bell returns for another crack at the Indy 500, after switching his full season focus to sportscars several years ago. Bell always seems to perform well at Indianapolis, and this year a one-off deal with Andretti Autosport it a great fit for him.

With little running before the event Bell has shown how strong the Andretti team is by placing his car fourth on the grid in qualifying. For a one-off entry, this is a remarkable result and should it be repeated in the race would surely be one of the main talking points. Bell is capable of causing an upset and from fourth on the grid anything is possible for the experienced American.

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#35 Alfe A.J Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12-Honda: Alex Tagliani

Alex Tagliani is a mainstay of Indycar and the Indy 500, returning with another one-off entry with the A.J Foyt Enterprises team. The experienced Canadian is capable of a good result here, despite spending the majority of the season racing GT’s in Europe.

Whilst it’s always difficult to jump into the series for one race, especially the blue riband event, but that’s not been an issue for Tagliani in the past. This year things have been difficult however, with a crash in his qualifying run relegating Tagliani to the back of the grid, having not completed a run.

His hopes for the 500 are unknown, but if he’s at this best then a top ten result is still attainable for Tagliani. With the pressure of running a full season off, he can charge from the back without thinking about the championship.

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#41 ABC Supply Co A.J Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12-Honda: Jack Hawksworth

For Brit Jack Hawksworth this is his second season with the A.J Foyt team, and so far it’s been a tough season for him. He has yet to record a top ten finish in the first five races, and things have not improved so far at Indy.

He qualified on the final row in 31st position, and in the race this is only going to make getting to the front that bit harder for him. He can still salvage a result in such a long race, but he has not made things easy for himself. The Honda engine appears to be running well here, therefore it will be up to Hawksworth and his talent to drag the car into the top ten, of course dependent on if he can keep out of trouble as he rises through the field.

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#42 Tresiba Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Charlie Kimball

Charlie Kimball is one of those drivers who appears to be underrated amongst the Indycar community, and he’s proved himself whilst at Chip Ganassi racing for the past few years. This year has been mixed for Kimball, with a top five in the last round showing what he can do when he get’s the opportunity.

It appears here at Indianapolis that the Chip Ganassi team are struggling slightly for pace, with none of their four cars in the top twelve. For a team that won the title last year this is a tough pill to take, and something they will no doubt be working on flat out until the race start on Sunday afternoon. If they can improve the car during the race Kimball has a chance of a top ten result, if not he may struggle to move through the field from his 16th starting spot.

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#61 Pirtek Team Murray Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Matthew Brabham

The world famous Brabham name returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Matthew the third generation of Brabham to race in the 500. It’s an ambitious effort from the rookie, as he is being run by Team Murray, who are also making their step up to Indycar in the biggest race of the year.

The team is receiving support from KVSH racing, and this will prove invaluable to their preparations for the race. So far Brabham has settled in well, qualifying a respectable 26th on the grid for his debut race. For his first ever Indycar race simply finishing it would be a good result for Brabham, although with so many unknowns surrounding the team anything is possible for them.

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#63 Susan G. Komen Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12-Honda: Pippa Mann

British racer Pippa Mann has once again found a one-off entry for the Indy 500, with support from Susan G. Komen and Dale Coyne Racing. She has shown pace in previous Indy Lights and Indycar races, and this is something she will want to show once again this Sunday.

So far it’s been a under the radar month, as she’s qualified 25th for the race. This is a respectable effort considering she has had little time to get back up to speed in these cars. For one-off entries it’s always difficult to achieve a good result, although for Pippa if things run smoothly she can easily score a top seven result in the 500, and potentially earning the opportunity to run further races later in the year.

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#77 Lucas Oil Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Dallara DW12-Honda: Oriol Servia

Oriol Servia has seemingly emerged as a specialist in the one-off Indianapolis 500 entry. He is a proven talent at this level and his results surely warrant a full season ride in the series, despite his lack of funds.

This year he has teamed up with Schmidt Peterson motorsports, as he looks to have a good result in the 500, which could help him earn more races in the series in the future. After running in the season opener, he has acquitted himself with the very different oval aero kit on these spec Dallara chassis, as he qualified a very good tenth on the grid. This puts him in a great position to maintain his place in the top ten come the finish, which would surely be considered a good result by the team considering his entry is a one-off.

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#88 Jonathan Byrd’s Racing Dallara DW12-Honda: Bryan Clauson

After several attempts at the Indy 500, American sprint and midget car racer Bryan Clauson is back once again this year with the one car Jonathan Byrd racing team. His two previous attempts at the 500 have not ended well, so this year Clauson will be hoping to improve upon his current best result of 30th in 2012.

In qualifying Clauson produced a good result to secure 28th on the grid. In the race he will have plenty of time to improve on 28th, although with a one car team their data is limited, therefore making it difficult to make in race adjustments to the changing track conditions. For Clauson the Indy 500 is part of a plan to take part in 200 races this year, and this is definitely the most high profile. A good result would be a top 15 result, although this may be just out of reach for the team.

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NAPA Auto Parts Andretti Autosport Dallara DW12-Honda: Alex Rossi

American Alex Rossi returns to the American racing scene this year, for the first time since his Formula BMW Americas title victory in 2008. After reaching F1 at the tail end of last season, Rossi has chose to move into the Indycar series this year.

The promise he showed in F1 has translated into Indycar so far, as he currently is the highest placed rookie in the standings after the first five races. After spending the majority of his career racing in Europe, his adjustment to ovals will prove crucial to how he fares in the centre piece Indy 500.

Taking advantage of a strong Andretti Autosport car he’s qualified a very respectable 11th for the 500, and from here he could easily push on and score a top five or top eight finish come the end. Watch out for Rossi as one of the surprises of the race.

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That not only wraps up part three, but is the finale for my preview of this Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. The race will be one not to miss, and anyone can watch it in the UK on BT Sport I believe. I would like to thank Motorsport.com again for their incredible quality photos which you see in this article, I really urge everyone to visit their site for the latest in motorsport news.

I would also like to thank you for reading these previews, and any comments at all would be greatly appreciated. Find me on Twitter @brfcjordan95.

 

 

2016 Indianapolis 500 Preview Part 2

This is part two of my preview for this Sunday’s blue riband Indianapolis 500, one of the three triple crown races which carry the most prestige in motorsport. If you missed the first part of my preview, you can view it here. Part 1 preview . For now let’s move onto the second part of my preview, enjoy.

#12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Will Power

Will Power has proved himself one of the fastest and most consistent drivers in Indycar over the past five years. The Australian’s season has been up and down so far, with podiums teamed with missing the first race because of a practice crash, which caused concussion.

He is now back to his best and starts sixth for the 500. With other rivals further down the field, Power is in a great position to fight for the victory all through the race. He has never won in the Indy 500, but with his skills and great pit work from Team Penske he may well find his 2016 turns around with a momentous victory in the centre piece 500. A win or even a top five finish would also really help kick start his potential title challenge after missing the first round.

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#14 ABC Supply Co A.J Foyt Enterprises Dallara DW12-Honda: Takuma Sato

Takuma Sato has become a staple of the legendary A.J Foyt’s team, and this familiarity may breed a good result for the popular Japanese racer. Despite making a name for himself in F1, Sato has adjusted well to oval racing.

He came very close to winning the 2012 Indy 500, and he may become a surprise contender once again come race day. So far his season has been uneventful, with two top six results his best after five rounds. He qualified twelfth for the 500, well ahead of his team mate. It seems Sato is most likely to lead the A.J Foyt team, and he can easily achieve a top ten or even top five result. Sato can be considered in the second group of contenders, ready to capitalize on any mistakes to ensure a good result.

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#15 Steak & Shake Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Dallara DW12-Honda: Graham Rahal

Graham Rahal surprised everyone in Indycar with his stellar 2015 season. Both Rahal and his team were underrated, and they proved everyone wrong with a title challenge which came very close to succeeding.

This year it seems this combination was initially struggling to find it’s feet, although with two podiums in the past two races Rahal is seemingly hitting the right form going into the 500. It appears the team have been usurped as one of the top running Honda teams, with Rahal really struggling in qualifying. He will start from 26th and this leaves him a lot of work to do in the race. It also means he’s more likely to be caught up in accidents which could prematurely end his day.

If Rahal can keep his nose clean expect him to rise up the field throughout the race, with a top five result surely a huge result for Rahal considering his lack of qualifying pace. Clearly the team have some work to do with the car, with time running out before the race.

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#16 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara DW12-Honda: Spencer Pigot

Rahal Letterman Lanigan have taken on reigning Indy Lights champion Spencer Pigot for a partial campaign this year, as he makes his debut in the Indy 500. So far Pigot has done his best to adjust to Indycar, with only two races experience going into the 500.

With a rookie running a partial schedule it’s very difficult to come in and do well from the start, with so much to learn and not enough track time to do it. So far Pigot has stayed under the radar and got on with his programme, which is the perfect thing for a rookie to do. He starts 29th on the grid for the race, but he’s a talented young racer so will make up places. Finishing the race with a top 10 or 15 finish would be a good result for Pigot, as he continues to gain experience in Indycar.

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#18 Shirts for America Dale Coyne Racing Dallara DW12-Honda: Conor Daly

Conor Daly is another rookie looking to gain experience in Indycar, after a few years trying to climb the European single seater racing ladder. In his first full season Daly is another racer who is flying under the radar, although a sixth in the most recent round suggests Daly is improving with every race. The fact he is currently the second best rookie shows also his impressive switch to Indycar.

He struggled slightly in qualifying, as he starts 24th for the 500. In the race gaining as much track time as possible will be important to Daly, with a top 15 finish surely a good result for Daly in his first Indy 500, against such a high quality field also. Don’t be at all surprised if Daly finishes as the best rookie in the race.

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#19 Boy Scout’s of America Dale Coyne Racing DallaraDW12-Honda: Gabby Chaves

Colombian Gabby Chaves is looking to maintain his Indycar career after an impressive rookie season last year. The 2014 Indy Lights champion showed plenty of pace and won the rookie of the year honour, but despite this he has not found a full season ride this year.

After missing the opening rounds he’s been handed this lifeline by the Dale Coyne racing team, something he will surely want to turn into a good result. Coming into the biggest Indycar race of the year with a small team, having missed races is always a very difficult task.

He starts 21st in the race and will be looking to turn this into a top ten finish. A big result could put him in the shop window for next year, but this will be very tough for Chaves. Should he pull it off he will surely be deserving of a full time Indycar drive next year.

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#20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Ed Carpenter

Ed Carpenter returns once again for another crack at the 500 with his own team, as he aims to finally turn the promise he’s shown into a good result. Carpenter always runs well on ovals, and this year should be no different.

He’s only competed in one race so far this year, and this appeared to show as he qualified 20th for the 500. Carpenter always manages to be a thorn in the side of the much bigger teams, and watch for him to rise up the field into victory contention by the end of the race. A top five finish would be a good result for this small team, and would finally ensure a reward for Carpenter after years of near misses.

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#21 Preferred Freezer Services Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Josef Newgarden

Josef Newgarden has emerged as one of the best young racers in Indycar, having already secured a podium this year for the relatively small Ed Carpenter Racing team. The team have always performed well on ovals, especially Indianapolis. This is usually shown by team owner Ed Carpenter, but this year it appears Newgarden has usurped him for this honour.

After a good start to the season Newgarden has carried this on by qualifying a very close second for this Sunday’s race, missing out on pole by only 0.060mph. Both car and driver are clearly performing well, and barring any dramas watch out for him as one of the outside contenders for victory. A win in the Indy 500 would be a surprise by well deserved honour for this young American.

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#22 Menard’s Team Penske Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Simon Pagenaud

After a difficult first season with Team Penske, Simon Pagenaud is now taking Indycar by storm in his second year with the team. He has emerged as the dominant driver this year with three wins for five races, and will be aiming to make it four from six this Sunday.

He has never been primarily known for his oval prowess, but with a solid eighth qualifying spot showing his car has pace here. Watch out for Pagenaud to rise to the front, with form from this season suggesting he is the man to beat going into the biggest race of the year.

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#24 Gas Monkey Garage Energy Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Sage Karam

Sage Karam is a young driver looking to rebuild his reputation, after a difficult 2015 season. The young American clearly has pace, having won the Indy Lights title as a rookie in 2013. Since then he’s shown flashes of pace in Indycar, but has garnered a reputation as a reckless and sometimes dangerous driver.

Despite having previous Chip Ganassi Racing support, this year he’s entering the 500 in a one off Dreyer & Reinbold entry. For a young driver in a one car, one off entry this is a very hard situation to produce a good result. He qualified 23rd and therefore will have the opportunity to rise through the field if he and the car are running well. He performs well on ovals so may be an outside bet for a top ten maybe top twelve finish, but for this entry gaining attention and support for further outings this year is the primary goal.

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That wraps up the second part of my preview for this weekend’s Indianapolis 500. I would like to say a huge thank you to Motorsport.com for the high quality photos which adorn this article, everyone should check out their website for the latest motorsport news. I would also like to thank you for reading this article, with any comments being greatly appreciated. Find me on Twitter @brfcjordan95.

 

2016 Indianapolis 500 Preview Part 1

The last weekend of May is always a special weekend for motorsport fans. The most prestigious grand prix on the calendar takes place, the Monaco Grand Prix. Famous the world over it always provides excitement and celebrities flock to watch the on track action. Fans from across the world will be tuning in this weekend, eagerly anticipating the next stage of the Nico Rosberg vs Lewis Hamilton battle.

After the champagne has been sprayed on Sunday, many motorsport fans will be switching their attentions stateside, as another of the motorsport triple crown takes place only hours after the action in Monte Carlo. The 100th Indianapolis 500 is something any self respecting motorsport fan will not want to miss, with furious high speed on track action guaranteed.

The Indycar series has no where near the profile of F1, but in America the Indy 500 is still a major sporting event and will garner a further international audience. With speeds topping 225mph the action could not be more different to that in Monte Carlo. Both are equally considered races that form the triple crown of motorsport, the other being the Le Mans 24 Hours in several weeks time. Let’s take a look at the contenders in this years Indy 500.

#2 Verizon Team Penske Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Juan Pablo Montoya

The reigning champion will want to add a third Indy 500 victory resume, and with Penske he has the perfect opportunity to achieve this. The most high profile name in the series has shown himself to be the front runner in the series for the past season and a half, despite narrowly missing out on the title at the final round last year.

At 40 years old Montoya has lost none of his speed or hunger, which explains why he is such a formidable competitor for his rivals. Despite a good start to the season,  Montoya suffered from a plastic bag getting stuck in his radiator on his qualifying run. After this bizarre problem ruined his qualifying he only managed to qualify 17th.

The good thing for Montoya is that the race is 500 miles long, giving him plenty of time to move up the field and back into leading contention. With the knous of Team Penske behind him he will have a great chance to win a second consecutive and third overall Indy 500, ensuring he will be added to the list of Indycar greats. Despite qualifying Montoya is still arguably the favourite.

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#3 Pennzoil Team Penske Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Helio Castroneves

The experienced Brazilian prepares for his 16th Indy 500, and is every bit as much a contender for victory as in his previous fifteen. The 41 year old knows the track arguably better than anyone else on the grid, and is in good form going into this Sunday centre piece race.

With two podiums in the first five races he sits third in the points standings, and a win here from ninth on the grid  would really give his title challenge serious momentum. Castroneves is another member of the four car Team Penske fleet, something that only enhances his bid for victory. He is a three winner of this event, although his last victory in the 500 came in 2009.

With Castroneves in good form and the might of Team Penske behind him a fourth victory is very much possible for him. His competition will likely come from his team mates and rivals at Chip Ganassi and Andretti Autosport, but Castroneves could overcome them all if things fall his way on Sunday. Don’t be surprised if Castroneves is drinking the milk in winners circle come Sunday evening.

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#4 Lazier Burns Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Buddy Lazier

Buddy Lazier returns this year with his annual effort with his family run Lazier Burns racing team. Whilst this is a small one car team with limited resources compared to the bigger teams, this team could spring a surprise come race day.

The team struggled in qualifying with Lazier set to start 32nd, with a speed over 1mph down on anyone else. Whilst it doesn’t seem much, at Indianapolis this is a large difference. It also cannot be discounted the fact Lazier is one of six former winners in this race.

Lazier was one of the original drivers in the Indycar series, winning the 1996 Indy 500 and 2000 Indycar series title. For the past ten years Lazier has focused on one-off entries in the Indy 500, and this will surely hamper him going into the race. Without the experience of the regular series drivers, this will only hamper his preparations for the race. For Lazier a top ten or top fifteen result will be a good effort for this small one car team.

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#5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara DW12-Honda: James Hinchcliffe

Canadian James Hinchcliffe provided a great pre-race story by claiming pole position, only a year after a huge accident here ended his season prematurely.  Hinchcliffe has lost none of his speed and overcame the traditional big teams with his Schmidt Peterson motorsport entry.

Sitting on pole position puts Hinchcliffe in the best possible position to secure a remarkable victory come Sunday. He definitely has the talent to do it and is coming into the race after scoring his first podium of the season in the Indianapolis road course race only a few weeks ago.

To secure a Canadian victory in America’s premier motor race Hinchcliffe will have to put in a great drive, alongside fast pit work by his team. Both team and driver have the potential to win, they just need to execute under pressure, which is a lot easier said then done.

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#6 Preferred Freezer Services Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: JR Hildebrand

JR Hildebrand returns yet again to Indianapolis with a one-off entry with Ed Carpenter racing, after racing with CFH Racing last year. Both Hildebrand and Carpenter perform well on ovals and the team have shown the potential to score a great result in the 500.

Whilst he’s likely known for his last corner crash in his debut Indy 500 five years ago, the fact he was a few hundred meters away from winning his debut 500 shows how well he can run here.

Despite being inexperienced compared to his full season rivals, Hildebrand has two top ten finishes from the past two years. This is a huge achievement for a one-off entry with a smaller team. He lines up fifteenth on the grid, but during the race Hildebrand could very well improve from a top ten to top five finish.

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#7 DOOM Schmidt Peterson Motorsport Dallara DW12-Honda: Mikhail Aleshin

Mikhail Aleshin has returned to Indycar this year, after switching to sportscar racing last year with SMP Racing. The talented Russian’s season has been solid so far, with a top five finish in the opening round showing his potential once again.

Whilst he’s a European convert Indycar racing, qualifying seventh for the 500 shows Aleshin can become a good oval racer. The Schmidt Peterson team have produced good cars for Aleshin and team mate James Hinchcliffe, with both capable of shocking the major teams with a podium or victory this Sunday.

Whilst Aleshin does not have a wealth of experience in Indycar, he has enough to produce a great result in the 500 with his talent. Watch out for Aleshin as an outside bet for a top five, although even a top ten would be a good result for the Russian and his team.

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#8 Gallagher Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Max Chilton

Max Chilton prepares for his debut Indy 500, as he still adjusts to the Indycar series and it’s ovals in his rookie season. Despite some limited experience in the Indy Lights series last year, the former F1 racer is doing well adjusting to the series.

With his F1 experience a lot of people may expect him to immediately come in and be competitive, but that’s not realistic. Whilst his results so far have not been spectacular, he is improving with every race and the Indy 500 will only accelerate this.

He’s qualified a respectable 22nd on the grid, and he will likely improve as the race goes on. With the collective might of Chip Ganassi Racing supporting him, he could not be in a better place to become a very good Indycar driver with the likes of Dario Franchitti helping him. For Chilton a top fifteen finish would be a very good result for him, although simply finishing the race will only further his experience with the car and ovals in general.

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#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Scott Dixon

The mild mannered Kiwi Scott Dixon arguably rivals Juan Pablo Montoya as the current series benchmark, with Dixon being the reigning series champion only enhancing this viewpoint.

He won on the series only oval round so far in Phoenix, and sits pretty in second as he looks to win back to back titles. He’s a four time champion and the winningest driver in the field, although he has only managed one Indy 500 win in 2008.

He starts out of position in thirteenth, but expect him to quickly rise through the field like the driver his livery emulates, legend Alex Zanardi. Discount Dixon at your peril, as he always manages to produce good results from nowhere, and this Sunday may be the latest example of this.

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#10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Tony Kanaan

Another former winner amongst the Ganassi stable of entries is Brazilian Tony Kanaan, who has so far had an average start to his season. He was always the hard luck story before he won the 2013 Indy 500, with his old luck returning since.

With two successive 26th finishes in 2014 and 2015, it will be hard for Kanaan to do any worse this year. The 41 year old qualified eighteenth this year, and will surely move up the grid once the green flag is dropped.

Whilst he’s always suffered from bad luck at this circuit, he always runs well here and teamed with Ganassi he has the perfect package to win or even finish in the top five. Either would be a great result for Kanaan and would really kick start his season.

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#11 Hydroxycut KVSH Racing Dallara DW12-Chevrolet: Sebastien Bourdais

Sebastien Bourdais is well versed in the American Indycar scene, having made a name for himself stateside over the past decade. The Frenchman’s best finish in the Indy 500 is seventh in 2014, although he has plenty of Champ Car titles and wins to cement his reputation as a very quick Indycar driver.

It’s been a tough start to the year for Bourdais and his KVSH team, with a best finish so far of eighth in the opening five rounds. Qualifying for the 500 didn’t change his luck, as he posted the nineteenth fastest average speed.

Despite a bad start to the season Bourdais is the kind of driver you can never discount, as he could spring a surprise and produce a great result from nowhere. He will need his KVSH team to produce slick pitstops if he wants a good result, but certainly don’t discount the experienced Frenchman.

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That wraps up part one of my Indy 500 preview. I would urge everyone to visit  Motorsport.com for the latest news and high quality photos, some of which have been used in this article.  Part 2 will be coming in the next few days and finally, thank you for reading. Find me on Twitter @brfcjordan95.

 

Strange Timing for Verstappen Promotion

This morning Red Bull Racing finally dropped the news many within the F1 paddock had been predicted over the past few weeks. The decision to swap Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat at this moment seems a strange one, especially at this early stage of this season.

Four races into the 2016 season and the career of Kvyat has taken a significant turn, after only just over a season with the main Red Bull Racing team. Many have lamented the fact that Kvyat secured a podium only two races ago in China, yet after a poor Russian Grand Prix last weekend he is being replaced for the rest of the season by Max Verstappen.

Ever since his incredible debut year in cars, where he challenged for the highly competitive FIA European F3 title, Verstappen has carried the tag of a future F1 world champion. He made headlines for being the youngest ever driver to enter F1 at age 17, after a single year racing cars.

He has been in demand since he started his career, with both AMG Mercedes and Red Bull competing to sign him in his debut F3 season in 2014. He has so far impressed in his short F1 career with Scuderia Toro Rosso, and will now have a great opportunity to compete against Australian team mate Daniel Ricciardo, arguably the best of the current crop of younger drivers some may say.

For Daniil Kvyat this must be the hardest point of his career so far, as he finds himself demoted to the junior Toro Rosso team, and it will be very hard for him to reclaim his Red Bull seat now. He knows the Toro Rosso team well from his previous stint there in his rookie F1 season in 2014.

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 1 - Barcelona, Spain

Verstappen in action for Toro Rosso during pre-season. He will return to Barcelona next weekend having swapped his Toro Rosso for a Red Bull. Photo copyright XPB Images.

Much like Verstappen he impressed that year and earned a promotion to the main Red Bull Racing team after quadruple world champion Sebastien Vettel left for Ferrari. At age 22 being so publicly demoted must be very difficult to deal with, and will surely be something that lingers in his mind for a long time.

He will now have to seriously impress starting with next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, if he wants a return to the Red Bull team. At this moment it’s difficult not to think of previous Red Bull young drivers who were discarded such as Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi and Jean Eric Vergne and wonder if this is their plan for Kvyat too.

From the early news surrounding this story it appears this move has been discussed for the past few weeks even longer perhaps, suggesting this is not a decision the Red Bull management have taken lightly. Only two races ago team principal Christian Horner was publicly supportive of Kvyat and his podium place, however it seems a lot can change very quickly in Formula One. Some have suggested that Red Bull motorsport programme chief Helmut Marko has been looking for an opportunity to promote Verstappen this season, and Kvyat gave him the perfect chance after his poor Russian GP.

It may seem harsh to demote a driver after only one poor race, but clearly for Red Bull management they have had concerns on Kvyat in terms of long term potential. This move would appear to be thinking towards the future, as they would appear to feel Verstappen is the better, longer term option for the team.

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Daniil Kvyat celebrating his podium in the Chinese GP. How quickly things can change in F1 as two races later he finds himself demoted to the junior Toro Rosso team. Photo copyright Motorsport.com

For now the future is unclear for Kvyat. He remains in F1 and is a very talented driver, but he will likely not be given too long with the Toro Rosso team. The team is primarily a junior Red Bull team, therefore their drivers are usually not given a lot of time before they are either promoted to dropped from the team. With the likes of Pierre Gasly waiting in the wings, the future of Daniil Kvyat may not feature F1 in three-five years time.

The future is also unclear for Verstappen. Whilst his career trajectory continues to skyrocket, we must remember he is still only 18 years old, and now finds himself in the media spotlight and competing at the front of the Formula One grid. He finds himself in a car that is capable of podiums, although the team finds itself behind both AMG Mercedes and Ferrari in the overall pecking order.

His team mate Ricciardo is in top form and is one of the best drivers in F1 right now, providing a stern test for Verstappen. He will receive plenty of advice and support, and he will need to learn from the mistakes of his father Jos Verstappen. He was promoted to F1 in 1994 at a young age, and found himself unable to meet expectation as he carved out an average F1 career.

Red Bull have now put a lot of expectation and pressure on the shoulders of Max Verstappen, but will be able to cope with it and still upstage his team mate. If he can do this, then he will have lived up to his hype as a future world champion. Only time will tell whether he can produce results whilst under major attention and scrutiny.

 

 

Bruno Carneiro Interview

Bruno Carneiro is a young up and coming American racing driver. The 16 year old racer had a good career in karting, and is now making his move into cars. This season he is competing in the Formula Mazda series in America, and recently took a win and a second in the latest round at Laguna Seca.

I took the opportunity recently to send over some questions to Bruno about his career up to now, and his plans for the future. He was kind enough to respond and here are his answers. I would to say a huge thank you to Bruno for agreeing to take part and I wish him the best of luck for the rest of his 2016 season and beyond.  For more information on Bruno please visit his website Facebook.com/brunocarneiromotorsport.

What inspired you to become a racing driver? When did you start karting?

I started Karting at the age of 4 and fell in love with the sport purely by watching racing videos and F1 races with my dad. The moment I saw the speed, all the components that go into a racing car to make it work and the beauty of it all, I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life even at such a young age.

10959775_361191464067028_3068840101373050654_nCarneiro during his karting career. Here he is competing in Florida in 2012. Photo copyright Bruno Carneiro/Facebook.com/brunocarneiromotorsport.

What prompted the move through the American single seater ladder?

Here in the United States there are many great ladder systems that really do their best effort to get the driver to the top of Motorsports.

I Am a Formula car and Open wheel Fanatic by watching Indycar and Formula 1 racing. I really love the downforce and lightweight advantages you can only get in an open wheel race car. What really has my eye now is the Mazda Road to Indy because it is powered by a great brand and is by far the best ladder system that is very established in open wheel racing!

Would you ever consider a switch to the European racing scene or are you only focusing on the American scene?

If the opportunity arrives to where I would have a better chance or more “open doors” racing in Europe, I would definitely do it! Just now, with the way there are some different series, I see more and better opportunities her in the U.S. Especially with the

12039632_469930189859821_1694831429474059573_nBruno celebrating during his debut year in cars last year. Photo copyright Facebook.com/Brunocarneiromotorsport.

What is your ultimate ambition in racing?

Ever since I was a little boy my dream has been to race F1. But as I grew up, so did the reality and I could see Formula one is a goal very far from reaching! Now I won’t say I won’t keeping thinking about it and trying to pursue but it has become very hard to reach with the amount of money F1 has turned into. I find IndyCar is the Top form of Open Wheel racing here in the U.S. And that has become my goal now.

How is the Formula Mazda season going so far? What hopes do you have for the coming season?

So far very good! After a great weekend At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, we took a 2nd and 1st place finish which ties us up for the lead in the championship! The hope is to win the championship, which I think we can do and by that be invited to the Shootout where I can compete in to win $200K to put towards the first ladder step in the Mazda Road to Indy, in the USF2000 Class.

12279082_485468728305967_5486870263355963397_nBruno impressed when competing in he FIA Chinese F4 Championship last year. Photo copyright Facebook.com/Brunocarneiromotorsport.

As a young driver, how do you manage to secure the funding to go racing, and is this something that may become a problem if you progress to higher categories in the future?

I have many fabulous people and supporters that have helped me along the years as well as Partners (RODIZIO GRILL being a main one), that have made me get to where I am. Along with the fact that, for about 8 years now I have been going door to door selling $25 gift certificates to Rodizio Grill, where I put all the money I make into my racing account! It is tough but lots of benefits can come from fundraising 4-5 nights a week with about 400 houses a week, in any type of weather setting! I do get some breaks, and I enjoy them!

I am still looking for more partners for the 2016 Season and have sent out Proposals outlining what I can do for that Business or company.

Have you ever considered racing in any other categories such as sportscars for example?

I always say, if it has 4 wheels and goes forward I want to be driving it! I have tested a Porsche 997 Cup Car, Nissan Z, Spec Miata, exc. and have gotten quite fast and used to the cars! If the opportunity arrives to where driving a sports car is more realistic, I will gladly take it! My love has been in open wheel, but my passion is in driving race cars!

9212_521559138030259_6881914262631806546_nBruno celebrating victory at Laguna Seca earlier this year. Photo copyright David Vuong.

Did you have a hero growing up and who is the one driver you must admire now?

Ayrton Senna. No question. He was and will forever be my idol for what he did on and off the track. He is a legend and in my mind, nobody can compare to him in what he has done for himself, others and the sport of Motorsports! Right now I’d say I really admire Scott Dixon for the amount of attention and time he pays to the fans and people watching the race! It is hard to find that in someone, but he shines through with it! Also, Desiré Wilson who was one of the few female drivers in Formula 1 and a person I am lucky to call my friend.

And finally, if you could compete in one race with one car what would they be?

You know, at first I would have said to drive a Formula one car through Eau Rouge at Spa, but I think that if I could somehow get the 787B Mazda Prototype car and race it around Le Mans, that would be something out of this world! The history, the power, the Rotary, the MAZDA! It is such a beautiful car to see and mostly to hear!

Ciaran Haggerty Interview

This year see’s a sea change for the young Scotsman Ciaran Haggerty. He makes the switch from BRDC F4 to the vibrant British GT series with the iconic name Ecurie Ecosse. The Scottish team are switching to become a customer McLaren team this year in the premier GT3 class, and will now also compete in the rejuvenated GT4 class.

The new McLaren 570S GT4 car  debuts in Britain this year. Partnering Haggery is fellow Ecurie Ecosse young driver Sandy Mitchell. Both have seemingly turned their back on the single seater ladder for now, preferring to make the switch into competitive GT racing.

Over the past few days I was able to send some questions to Ciaran on his new career move, and here are his responses. Enjoy.

Congratulations on the new McLaren GT4 deal, how did it come about?

I tested the GT3 car end of last year and they said they had a GT4 in the works so just tried to find the budget for this season.

Making the transition from single seaters to GT racing, have you had much time to test the car?

GT’s are very different. A lot more forgiving than a single seater. Only had one day so far in the car at Rockingham. Went well but we still have to develop a few things on the car.

sandyciaran-1024x683Haggerty and Mitchell posing with their new McLaren 570S GT4 racer. Photo copyright Black Bull Ecurie Ecosse racing.

Realistically, what are your hopes for this season in the GT4 class of British GT?

I hope we can fight at the front. We’ll just need to see where we are at the first race.

Are single seater cars still on your career radar, or are you switching to endurance racing full time now?

I think sportscars is a much more sensible option these days. Single seaters is out of control budget wise.

Formula 4 - 79 - Ciaran HaggertyHaggerty in action with Ecurie Ecosse support in BRDC F4 last season. Photo copyright retro-motoring.com . 

What is your ultimate ambition for your career?

I hope to make it to the pinnacle of whatever discipline I’m doing.

And finally, if there was one race you could compete in with any car,what would it be and why?

One race and car? I’d have to say a Mazda 787B at Le Mans just for the sound and atmosphere.

I would like to send a huge thank you to Ciaran for this interview and I would like to wish him and his Ecurie Ecosse team the best of luck with their GT4 campaign in British GT this season. You can keep up to date with Ciaran on Twitter @CiaranHaggerty.

“The Show”Turning Hardcore Fans Off

“The Show”. This term has become as ubiquitous as “falling off the cliff” and “DRS” in the past few years. Formula One has become obsessed with spicing up the entertainment on track, with the introduction of short life tyres, DRS and now a reformed qualifying session. But the real question remains, have all these changes had the desired effect or are they in fact turning fans off the sport?

Well, if you believe the results from a variety of the extensive fan surveys carried out in the past few years, these new rules to spice up “the show” have had the opposite effect. In a survey compiled last Summer with Autosport, Motorsport News and F1 Racing magazines found from their results that 73.9% of fans were against using artificial methods to tighten up the races.

These findings are supported by a separate GPDA survey also revealed last year. From over 200 000 fans took part, with the findings suggesting fans are against the gimmicks in place within the sport. Many of the fans from these survey’s were long time followers of Formula One, but in recent years an increasing number have been switching off.

The majority of fans suggested their favourite decade of the sport was the 1990’s, and as an obsessed F1 fan I can only agree with their assessment. Growing up in this decade my earliest memories of F1 and motorsport in general came from this decade. It was this era of Formula One, with the sculpted beauty of the cars matched with the shrieking V10 engines got me hooked on the sport, something that continues to this day.

It was the ferocious speed and ear splitting sounds that attracted the majority of fans to the sport, captivated with dare devil drivers peddling the fastest racing cars on earth. In the current era this no longer seems to be the case. With the continuing technological advancement in the sport, some of the old magic has been lost.

Whilst the cars are still the fastest racing machines on the planet, it no longer looks or sounds that way to some of the spectators. With the new 1.6 litre turbo engines a big criticism of the technology is the relative lack of sound made from them. Efforts have been made to address this issue, however thankfully the once tested megaphone exhaust idea never caught on.

paphoto4srl_596075Nico Rosberg testing the megaphone exhaust system at Barcelona during the 2014 season. Thankfully the idea never caught on and didn’t have much of an effect. Photo copyright Crash.net . 

The talk in the paddock currently surrounds making these breed of cars significantly faster, with a paddock held target of increasing the lap times of these cars by three seconds for next season. This is an attainable goal and would likely receive a lot of support from both drivers and fans alike.

The ongoing political side of the sport is something that a lot of fans are simply not interested in, as many teams outside the top five struggle to survive in this highly expensive sport. This creates opportunities for relative “pay drivers” to muscle their way into Formula One. This is not something new and has long played a role in the sport, but as a fan it’s frustrating if you do not feel like the grid is filled with absolutely the best drivers in the sport.

For many years the increasing quest for downforce has had a negative effect on the level of entertainment on track. The level of over taking was slowly decreasing through the 2000’s, and for many purist fans the advent of the new “DRS” drag reduction system has gone too much the other way. The sport has seemingly gone from one extreme to the other, as over taking used to be a very difficult task, it has now become ridiculously easy.

Another big talking point for fans is the Pirelli tyres. They are specifically designed to have a short shelf life, forcing a majority of the races to be run at a controlled pace to save the tyres. Whilst this is not Pirelli’s fault, they are only creating the tyres they were asked to, it has left drivers and fans frustrated with the situation in races.

It’s a cliche example but for many fans they will hold up some famous racing from the past to support their argument. Battles such as the one between the Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux at Dijon in 1979. Here is a link to a video of their titanic battle Gilles Villeneuve vs Rene Arnoux battle .

The constant fighting and swapping positions shown in that battle are an increasingly rare sight in modern Formula One, and that is exactly why a lot of fans are struggling to remain devoted to the sport. These fans are not simply giving up on F1, they are simply choosing to explore different forms of motorsport.

Sportscars are becoming increasingly attractive for many fans and drivers, along with GT racing, Indycar and the new Formula E championship. Speaking from a personal perspective again, I find myself increasingly following sportscars rather than F1. After catching up with the Rolex 24 at Daytona last month, the non-stop fighting for victory across the majority of the classes kept me hooked for 24 hours in a manner F1 has failed to do for a number of years.

imsa-daytona-24-2016-4-corvette-racing-chevrolet-corvette-c7-r-oliver-gavin-tommy-milner-mThis is the genuine winning margin for the #4 Chevrolet Corvette in the GTLM class of last month’s Rolex 24. To be seperated by only a matter of feet after 24 hours of racing shows how competitive sportscar racing is currently and why it’s having a resurgence of interest. Photo copyright Motorsport.com .

The level of competition and the quality of the field’s in modern series such as the World Endurance Championship, WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and Blancpain Endurance Series are converting a lot of fans to the long distance element of the sport. Right now it feels like modern sportscar racing is like F1 in it’s glory days. There is a lot of high quality drivers, teams and manufacturer’s involved, with flat out racing and constant battles to be found on track. It’s refreshing as a contrast to modern F1.

By all means I still love and enjoy Formula One and always will do. I don’t intend for this piece to be a solid bashing of F1 because it has a lot of positive elements going for it currently and is deservedly the top series in world motorsport. I only wanted to express an opinion from one F1 fan that for even the die hard supporters of the pinnacle of motorsport, the increasing politics and gimmicks in the interest of “The Show” are leaving the purists feeling cold on F1.

If someone who has religiously followed F1 since a very early age can feel like this, the problems with the sport run deeper than many people will think. Without the long term F1 fans the sport is left only with casual fans who will be a lot less likely to sustain the sport in the long run. For now I will still watch F1 as much as possible, it’s just now that sportscar racing takes precedent. That shows the current relative merits of both series within the motorsport fan base.

What are your thoughts on this article? Please feel free to share your opinion and let me know. Also a huge thank you for reading this article.

Nico Hulkenberg: A future World Champion

November 7th 2010. Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Interlagos,Brazil. Round eighteen of the 2010 Formula One World Championship. Rookie Nico Hulkenberg has just taken pole position by over a second in the unfancied Williams-Cosworth. At this moment it seemed inevitable Hulkenberg would go on to a highly successful career with poles,wins and several world titles.

December 2015. Nico Hulkenberg is still a highly rated F1 driver. That is the only part of his career that many would have correctly predicted in 2010. Instead of moving on up the F1 grid Hulkenberg has remained trapped in the midfield, bouncing between Sahara-Force India and Sauber. Whilst he is rightly seen as one of the top drivers outside the top three teams, he is now 28 and time seems to be running out for him to get the top F1 seat his talent deserves. So why has he not yet progressed to a top team?

That is a question something plenty of F1 pundits are still trying to answer. Hulkenberg continues to produce giant killing results, yet every year he remains stuck in the midfield. The biggest factor against him is simply his height and weight. In a world where shaving every kilogram is crucial, having a driver like Hulkenberg at 1.84m tall behind the wheel is problematic.

Brazilian Grand PrixNico Hulkenberg in his Williams on the Friday before his giant killing Saturday qualifying performance in Brazil. Photo Credit LAT photographic/Andrew Ferraro.

He also cannot bring a huge sponsorship package to teams, something that is becoming increasingly important as teams continue to struggle in the current financial climate. This is why he was forced to drop out of F1 at the end of his impressive rookie campaign in 2010, being replaced by Pastor Maldonado and his Venezuelan petrol dollars. He was forced to spend a year on the sidelines as the Sahara-Force India reserve driver.

After once again showing his talents after being promoted to a race deal with Sahara-Force India for 2012, he returned to his previous heroics and almost took the midfield Sahara-Force India to victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix, only to collide with leader Lewis Hamilton when trying to overtake him. He was heavily linked with the vacant seat at McLaren for the 2013 season, although he was overlooked for fellow up and coming talent Sergio Perez.

Taking the drive Perez vacated at Sauber produced similar giant killing performances, and the historic close links between Sauber and Ferrari should have put him in the perfect position to join Ferrari, ye inexplicably he was overlooked to replace Felipe Massa for the veteran Kimi Raikkonen.

saub-hulk-melb-2013-4Nico Hulkenberg in his first race for Sauber. 2013 would prove to be a season of two halves for the young German. Photo copyright Sauber F1. Sourced from F1Fanatic.co.uk .

With the progress that the team made in 2015, it would of been very interesting to watch Hulkenberg behind the wheel. Since this snub the closest he came to a top seat was a likely move to Lotus for 2014, although the collapse of a investment package curtailed that move.

Hulkenberg continues to star in the very close F1 midfield battle, although in the second half of this season he appeared to struggle slightly against Mexican team mate Sergio Perez. With his Sahara-Force India team strongly rumored to have signed a partnership deal with Aston Martin, perhaps his fortunes in F1 are about to take a upward turn.

Arguably his biggest achievement in 2015 came outside of Formula One, as he harked back to the past by tackling the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours alongside his F1 commitments. With the Porsche team he managed to do the impossible and win with an all- rookie line up of himself along with Porsche factory GT drivers Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.

lemans-24-hours-of-le-mans-2015-lmp1-podium-class-and-overall-winners-porsche-team-nico-huHulkenberg celebrating victory with team mates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber. Their victory was a deserved but a shock at the highly competitive Le Mans 24 Hours. Photo credit Motorsport.com .

This win was yet another reminder to the F1 paddock that surely Hulkenberg is deserving of a top line seat in the future. With the likes of Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa coming to the end of their careers, it seems there will be plenty of drives available amongst the big teams. Hulkenberg has been overlooked by the top teams before, surely it won’t happen a second time. The German has too much talent for that to be the case.

What are your thoughts on this article? Please feel free to comment below.

Where Next For Kevin Magnussen?

5th October 2015. Kevin Magnussen was celebrating his 23rd birthday. But a good day very quickly turned into a very bad one when he checked his emails. He noticed one from McLaren team principal Ron Dennis’s personal assistant Justine Bowen. He was being told his services as McLaren F1 reserve driver would not be required in 2016 and his contract would therefore not be renewed. Even for the famously business orientated Dennis this seemed a very harsh move.

Magnussen had grew up and developed with the team since he joined their young driver programme in 2010, reaching the pinnacle with a second place in his debut for the team at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. Magnussen showed well against experienced former world champion team mate Jenson Button. But then the big names became involved. Honda were partnering with McLaren from 2015 onwards, and very quickly Fernando Alonso fell out of love with Marco Mattiacci and Ferrari, rendering him suddenly on the market for 2015.

This brought about a scenario which seemed impossible in 2008. Fernando Alonso would reunite with Ron Dennis and McLaren. This seemed impossible after their very bitter and public falling out in their first spell together in 2007. But I guess times change and money talks in F1, all of this leaving Magnussen battling Button for the remaining race drive for 2015.

Magnussen racing his way to the Renault World Series title in 2013. The future seemed bright for him at McLaren, but this would soon change. Photo copyright Motorsport.com

What followed was a very drawn out waiting game for both Magnussen and Button as months passed whilst McLaren tried to make their decision. Whilst it’s believed many in the team favoured the younger Magnussen, it appears at the last minute experience won out and the team announced their driver line up of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in early December.

With very little time to find himself another drive in a competitive series, Magnussen had little other option than to accept the role of McLaren reserve driver for 2015, before finding a race seat for 2016. One thing was clear. Kevin Magnussen still wanted to race in 2015. He was in the advanced stages of securing a Indycar drive for the year so he could continue to race. Then Fernando Alonso got in his way again.

In the later stages of pre-season testing Alonso mysteriously crashed his McLaren-Honda, and whilst the initial assessment was not a serious one, it was quickly discovered Alonso had suffered a concussion and was unlikely to make the opening Australian Grand Prix several weeks later.

Magnussen was forced to end talks of an Indycar drive as he was called into action to replace Alonso in Australia. What followed was a hugely disappointing grand prix weekend where both McLaren drivers were plagued with issues surrounding the new Honda power plant. Magnussen qualified last and didn’t even start the race as his engine failed before the start to complete a miserable weekend for him and the team.

Magnussen in pre-season testing for McLaren this year. His lack of racing would prove a huge frustration to him during the year. Photo copyright McLaren/LAT.

Fast forward nine months and Magnussen is now looking for a race deal in 2016 after largely being sat on the sidelines for 2015. He came close to joining the new Haas F1 team for 2016 but lost out to first choice Romain Grosjean, and has recently tested for World Endurance title winning Porsche 919 for the team.

Magnussen will surely be a driver high in demand for 2016 with his talents, it’s now whether he wishes to try and continue in single seater series such as Indycar/Super Formula or whether he changes tack and moves over to sportscars or GT racing.

Surely Magnussen will get another chance in F1 soon, he’s too talented to only have one season at the pinnacle of motorsport. Only forces beyond his control can stop him. Yet where does the young Dane go from here? He’s looking to bounce back in big way next year after being an after thought at McLaren this year. Add the extra fire surely provided by the process of his dismissal from the team and he will be looking to prove a point next year.

He was close to an Indycar drive this year, so could he cast his eye back to the series for next year. The only top line drive available appears to be the final Chip Ganassi Racing entry, a car he could seriously impress with next year. Should he take up this seat he would surely be a dark horse contender for race victories throughout the year.

For now another possibility that hasn’t been ruled out is joining the Super Formula series in Japan. It’s highly competitive with a top quality grid which would keep Magnussen race sharp as he looks towards a return to F1. Whilst it will make it harder to gain the attention of Formula One in Japan, the series would be every bit as good as Indycar for him right now. Whilst nothing has been mentioned and it seems unlikely, it cannot be ruled out.

Or could he be eyeing sportscars next year? The WEC is building in prestige and popularity every year, with an increasing influx of young single seater drivers making the move to become professional drivers. With the level of technology in the current leading LMP1 these prototypes are arguable more advanced than current F1 cars.

Magnussen posing before testing the WEC title winning Porsche 919 Hybrid at Barcelona. Will he be racing the car in 2016? Photo copyright Porsche AG.

After testing the Porsche 919 Hybrid at Barcelona, he raved about the car calling it “the most advanced race car in the world”. Should the European Grand Prix in Baku remain clashing with the Le Mans 24 Hours, that would leave a seat available in the Porsche team for their warm up events and the 24 Hours itself. Porsche say their considering several drivers, could Magnussen be one of them?

He would make a big impact for the Porsche team and would likely prove very fast in the WEC next year. The series would also be the perfect shop window for him to try find a way back into F1 when he feels the time is right. Porsche won both the championship itself and the marquee Le Mans 24 Hours, an opportunity to make your debut for Porsche contending for victory would be a dream for Magnussen.

From here who knows where Kevin Magnussen will be racing in 2016. The only thing we know is that whatever he’s driving, he’ll be going flat out and racing at the front.

Where do you think Magnussen will be racing next year? Let me know in the comments section and thank you for reading.