SAKHIR: World champion Max Verstappen claimed his maiden season-opening victory and first at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday when he led Sergio Perez home in a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favorite for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year.
It was his first win in the Gulf state at the 10th attempt.
Behind the two Red Bulls, two-time champion Fernando Alonso continued to make light of his 41 years by storming his way to a rousing third place for Aston Martin in his first appearance with the team since succeeding the retired four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
It was his record-increasing 356th race in Formula One in a career that started 22 years earlier, to the weekend, in Melbourne at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.
Fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who he passed in a late scrap for a podium finish, finished fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Lance Stroll, racing in the second Aston Martin just weeks after cracking both wrists and breaking a toe in a pre-season cycling accident.
George Russell took seventh for Mercedes ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, who had started last, and Alex Albon who claimed a point for Williams finishing 10th.
Charles Leclerc, who won the race in 2022, failed to finish after engine failure on his Ferrari on the 41st lap.
“Thank you, guys,” said 25-year-old Verstappen. “It’s exactly the start we needed. I had a good start and first stint and then had a gap and just looked after the tires.”
Verstappen made a clean, quick start to pull clear as Leclerc passed Perez for second while, behind them, Stroll hit his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso, under braking at Turn Four.
Both Mercedes had good starts and passed Alonso, Hamilton climbing to fifth ahead of Russell in pursuit of Sainz as Verstappen opened up a commanding lead.
By lap five, he was four seconds clear as Leclerc kept Perez at bay.
Gasly began the pit stops on lap 10, switching his Alpine from softs to hards, followed quickly by Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda with tire degradation taking early effect.
Hamilton pitted from fifth on lap 13, prompting a classic scrap as Alonso battled past Russell to regain his original grid slot and climb to third when both Ferraris pitted. Russell followed.
Verstappen came in a lap later, switching to more softs and handing the lead to Perez, while luckless Australian rookie Oscar Piastri’s McLaren debut ended early with electrical problems.
The champion re-joined in second place and regained his lead on lap 18 when Perez pitted, elevating Leclerc to second until the Mexican passed him into Turn One on lap 26.
Hamilton pitted again on lap 31, for more hards, followed by Sainz and Russell, as the leaders prepared for their final stint while, at the back, a beleaguered Esteban Ocon of Alpine, hit with three time penalties for minor infringements, stopped again.
Perez and Verstappen then completed their second stops, the Dutchman re-joining with a 12-second lead.
Leclerc’s Ferrari lost power on the straight. He parked it safely, prompting a brief virtual safety car intervention, with 15 laps remaining, handing Red Bull the prospect of a cosy one-two, 23 seconds clear of third-placed Sainz in the second Ferrari.
“No, no, no,” wailed Leclerc. “Come on! What happened, guys? No power.”
All this left the two Spaniards scrapping for third, the old master squeezing through on lap 45 after the pair appeared to touch in a frantic and dramatic tussle ahead of the watching fifth man Hamilton.
Verstappen wins season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as Alonso shines
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Verstappen wins season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as Alonso shines
- The defending double world champion led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to establish himself as a strong favorite for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year
‘I have nothing to hide,’ says motorsport boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem
- The UAE national, a former rally driver, was also cleared by the FIA ethics committee of influencing the results of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year
- The reasons why FIA president would have wanted to prevent the Las Vegas race from taking place have never been explained
SHANGHAI: Motorsport boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he has “nothing to hide” and “I play by the rules” after being cleared of accusations that he interfered with the organization of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The president of governing body the FIA had been accused of asking officials “to find some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the (Las Vegas) circuit” before it hosted a grand prix for the first time in 2023, according to an internal FIA report.
The UAE national, a former rally driver, was also cleared by the FIA ethics committee of influencing the results of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year.
“I wish it was only an accusation, but I was already convicted in the court of public opinion,” Ben Sulayem told media including AFP at the Chinese Grand Prix at the weekend.
“I have nothing to hide.”
“I’m proud of the work I’ve accomplished,” added Ben Sulayem of his tenure since being elected FIA president in December 2021.
The reasons why the president of the FIA would have wanted to prevent the Las Vegas race from taking place have never been explained.
However, there have been claims of tensions over influence in the sport between the FIA and American group Liberty Media, who own the commercial rights to Formula One and organized the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
But Ben Sulayem said his relationship with Formula One Management (FOM) was “very good.”
“FOM is our partner,” said Ben Sulayem. “I don’t have any problems. I just want to continue doing business with them.”
As for the past allegations against him, Ben Sulayem was adamant that he played it by the book.
“I can stand tall and look you in the eyes and say I am a sportsman and I play by the rules,” he said.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem receives Arab and MENA backing
- Statement condemns “false allegations” of interference in sporting decisions during 2023 Formula One season
DUBAI: The FIA Members for Sport for MENA region and Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs sub-region have released a statement of support for FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem against what they see as “false allegations” of interference in sporting decisions during the 2023 Formula One season.
“Knowing that Mr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been committed to promoting transparency within the FIA since he was elected president of the FIA, his full co-operation with the FIA Ethics Committee and the Compliance department during the 30 days of investigations is highly regarded,” the statement said.
“The Ethics Committee were unanimous in their determination that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of interference of any kind involving the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and strong evidence beyond any reasonable doubt was presented to support the determination of the FIA Ethics Committee.”
The statement said that the FIA president was cleared of any wrongdoing over allegations he interfered with the stewards’ decision at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023, and cleared of any wrongdoing regarding allegations that he attempted to interfere with the track certification process for the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023.
The statement continued: “The FIA Members for Sport for MENA Region and ACTAC Sub-Region condemn, and at the same time are profoundly disappointed with the unjust and relentless attempt to undermine the integrity of the FIA Leadership by such unfaithful allegations to serve narrow personal agendas, and we strongly encourage the FIA administration to initiate legal actions against those responsible for those allegations against the FIA President.
“We are confident that Mr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem will continue to serve the FIA and its Members in a transparent manner implementing the FIA Code of Ethics as top priority.
“We also would like to assert our support to Mr. Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership of the FIA and will continue our co-operation with him in his efforts to serve and develop the FIA and its Members,” it said.
12-year-old Saudi karting sensation dreams of glory at motorsport’s highest level
- Only three years after taking up racing, Janna Al-Nujaiman has already excelled in domestic and regional competitions against more experienced drivers
- Janna Al-Nujaiman: My dad used to take me to a rental karting, which sparked my interest, as well as watching F1 on the weekends with him as a little kid
JEDDAH: At only 12, Saudi’s Janna Talal Al-Nujaiman is already dreaming big. As she makes a name for herself in the Kingdom’s karting scene, she has set her sights on becoming a professional driver and ultimately racing in no less a category than Formula One.
The Jeddah resident started karting three years ago in Kyiv while living with her Ukrainian mother, and since then, she has progressed through age group levels and has gone on to rank highly in multiple national and regional races.
Unlike many young drivers coming through the ranks of different racing categories today, however, Janna does not come from a motorsport background.
She is making her way through a tough and costly sport with the support of her family, especially her father Talal Al-Nujaiman.
“I’m not really from a racing family. My dad used to take me to a rental karting, which sparked my interest, as well as watching F1 on the weekends with him as a little kid,” she said about the origins of her passion for the sport.
From the first day, she showed a remarkable aptitude for karting.
“After my father saw how happy I was driving, he called the (instructors) and asked them about me, and my first time in karting,” Janna added. “He asked them about my performance and timing. Was it normal? The answer was no, what I did was not normal.”
In 2022, while Janna and her father were in France on vacation, she was admitted into a karting academy, which was supervised by Herve Montage, a former French rally driver.
Janna was again the least experienced among the senior candidates — a group of elite karting drivers aged 14 to 16. And yet again, the young Saudi offered a glimpse of what she is capable of.
After one month of practice and breaking records, she was asked to stay in France and continue racing, but her father, a Saudia captain, believed that the future of racing was in the Kingdom and refused all offers his daughter received.
“Based on the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and what my country has been going through in all fields, I decided to bring back my daughter to Saudi Arabia and (have her) make her way in motorsports in her own country,” Talal said.
He believes his daughter has what it takes to break into motorsports in Saudi Arabia.
“I have to be very careful what I say now so that I don’t build up pressure on her,” Talal said. “But racing today is looking for women, wants women, and she really loves racing. So, I support her as best I can.
“Making it to the top is of course a very tough road. If she wants to get there, she has to do everything and work very hard. Then she can do it.”
Talal said that his daughter started racing competitively in Jeddah in September 2023, winning her first karting competition on Feb. 24 of this year at the Track Challenge in Jeddah. A mark of her talent, she achieved this in a field of almost 100 male drivers, all older and more experienced than her, with some being university champions with 10 years of experience.
“My dream is to see my daughter representing her country,” Talal said.
For Janna however, that is not enough. Her dream is to be the first female champion in racing’s most elite series here in the Kingdom.
“My dream is to see myself in the future raising the flag of my country Saudi Arabia … by winning the F1 and (being) the first Saudi woman who will make the impossible come true,” she said.
She says she hopes to one day become as good as her motor racing idol Fernando Alonso.
Karting has historically been the birthplace of champions such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Alonso, whom Janna recently met.
Now she is looking for sponsorship opportunities to help keep her racing dream alive through karting and eventually other series. While she continues to count on the significant support of her father, who helps cover many racing expenses, her goal now is to add sponsors who will help push her onto the professional circuits.
Given her breakthroughs in such a short time, with the right support, the name Janna Al-Nujaiman is set to become a familiar one for racing fans across the Kingdom and the region in the coming years.
Wehrlein wins Misano E-Prix after last-lap heartbreak for Rowland
- Victory for TAG Heuer Porsche driver was the sixth of his Formula E career
- Reigning champion Jake Dennis claims second place for Andretti Formula E Team, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing secures third
MISANO: The Misano E-Prix saw Pascal Wehrlein of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team emerge triumphant after an intense battle for Round 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Sunday night.
At the second leg of the inaugural Misano E-Prix double-header, Wehrlein made amends for TAG Heuer Porsche’s poor performance in the first race on Saturday. His first-place trophy from Round 7 is the sixth of his Formula E career, following a heartbreaking last-lap miscalculation that resulted in the then-race leader Oliver Rowland running out of energy and retiring.
Reigning ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis of the Andretti Formula E Team secured second place, while Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy clinched third place at the flag by five hundredths of a second, in front of a 25,000-strong crowd.
Wehrlein’s triumph has him tied with Dennis at the top of the Drivers’ standings, with previous leader Rowland falling to third. Meanwhile, Jaguar TCS Racing leads the Teams’ table by a significant margin.
“Yesterday would have been better to win but I’m very happy about the race today,” Wehrlein said. “It was quite chaotic again in the beginning until mid-race. I wasn’t sure if I should stay in the lead or let Oli (Rowland) through the pace. His pace seemed a bit weird and too fast to try and defend so I didn’t defend him much. I was a bit surprised by his energy, I wasn’t sure if the team had the correct information or not. But in the end, it proved to be the right thing to do. It was a lot of managing; the energy, the battery, the tires. Just everything.
“It goes quickly from zero to hero, we know that in Formula E. I think we had the pace this weekend to win both races. Unfortunately yesterday with these kinds of races I was a bit of a victim with my front wing and then being at the back, but today was a big redemption for us.”
Round 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be the 2024 Monaco E-Prix on Saturday, April 27.
Formula E reveals driver lineup for first rookie session of season 10
- Session is scheduled for rounds 6, 7 of championship taking place at Misano World Circuit in Italy
RIYADH: Formula E and the FIA have revealed the full roster of 11 rookie drivers set to debut at the first rookie session of season 10, scheduled for rounds six and seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Misano World Circuit in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
The rookie free practice sessions are designed exclusively for drivers with no previous experience racing a Formula E car on-track and who hold a minimum International Grade B license. The session is designed to promote new and emerging talent in the premier electric racing series, offering drivers a platform to showcase their skills in the seat of the GEN3 race car — the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built.
The last on-track rookie session conducted by the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship was the official rookie free practice in Rome for rounds 13 and 14 of season nine. Notably, Jehan Daruvala, a rookie from that session, has since advanced to a full-time seat for season 10 with Maserati MSG Racing.
The rookies representing all 11 teams in the championship got the opportunity to shine in a free practice session this weekend.
For the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s first visit to the Italian track, the drivers will face the 14 turns of the 3.382 km track complete clockwise, infield at turns one, two, three and four, before returning to the GP layout down toward what will be turn five and the turn seven hairpin. A high-speed straight follows into a sharp left-right at turns eight and nine before another fast sprint around the complex at the back of the circuit before hooking back through turn 14 on to the home straight.
“As we embark on this exciting new venture in Misano, we welcome a new wave of talent to the Formula E stage,” Alberto Longo, co-founder and chief championship officer at Formula E, said. “These rookie sessions not only showcase the potential of emerging drivers, but also our underlying commitment to nurturing fresh talent in the world of electric motorsport.
“Formula E stands at the forefront of motorsport when it comes to technological advancement and innovation,” he added. “We’re thrilled to harness that energy and provide the upcoming generation of racing prodigies with the ultimate platform to showcase their skills: Behind the wheel of the GEN3 race car.”
Drivers to watch
Zane Maloney, Andretti Formula E: Andretti is set to once again highlight the talents of Zane Maloney, who will commandeer the team’s Porsche 99X Electric in both the rookie free practice session in Misano and the upcoming Berlin rookie test. Returning to represent the American outfit, Maloney is poised to further solidify his role as the team’s official reserve and development driver, clocking valuable laps in the Misano session. This will mark his fourth appearance with the team, building on his experience from the 2023 rookie test, as well as his participation in the rookie free practice session in Rome and the season 10 preseason test in Valencia.
Paul Aron, Envision Racing: At just 20 years old, Aron is hailed as one of the most thrilling young talents in single-seater racing, holding the second position in the Formula Two standings for the season. With an impressive three podium finishes under his belt already in his inaugural full FIA Formula Two campaign this year, the Estonian driver is swiftly establishing himself as a standout prospect for the future.
Jordan King, Mahindra Racing: With Nyck de Vries of Mahindra Racing unavailable for the double-header around Tempelhof Airport due to a prior commitment in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the team will turn to King to fill the void. A seasoned racer with a rich background in international single-seaters, including stints in the IndyCar Series, FIA Formula Two and FIA Formula Three, King brings a wealth of experience to the table. Having served as test driver for the Manor Racing Formula One team in the past, he currently holds a crucial simulator and development role with the Alpine F1 Team.
Sheldon van der Linde, Jaguar TCS Racing: The 2022 DTM champion will make his return to the Formula E paddock, gearing up for today’s free practice zero test. The South African — brother of Kelvin van der Linde — stepped in at ABT CUPRA in season nine, swiftly acclimatising himself when he took part in the championship’s official Berlin rookie test for Jaguar TCS Racing last April.
