MOTORSPORT - The African Mirror

Apr

01

2024

Rovanpera takes his second Safari win in Toyota one-two

MOTORSPORT

TOYOTA'S Kalle Rovanpera and co-driver Jonne Halttunen won Safari Rally Kenya with Hyundai's Thierry Neuville stretching his championship lead to six points despite finishing only fifth. Double world champion Rovanpera, competing in selected events only this season before a full return in 2025, led from Friday and finished one minute and 37.8 seconds clear of team mate Takamoto Katsuta over the rough gravel roads. M-Sport Ford's Adrien Fourmaux finished third. "It’s always special to win here," Rovanpera, who also won in 2022, said of his 12th career victory and first of the season. "Also, a legendary event for Toyota. We’ve…

Mar

30

2024

By The African Mirror

Maserati’s Max Gunther grabs Tokyo Eprix win

MOTORSPORT

“KONNICHIWA" from this author as Formula E (FE) returns this weekend, taking its fifth round to Japan. Japan is a popular racing spot with a rich motorsport history. Several current FE drivers have raced there in both Formula 1 and SuperFormula, often leading to exciting moments, like this year’s inaugural Tokyo EPrix. HIGH STAKES AND OVERTAKES Following a thrilling Sao Paulo EPrix, FE fans were treated to another race winner in Maserati MSG’s Maximilian Gunther. Gunther took the chequered flag after 35 laps (two added for the safety car), and grabbed his and Maserati’s first win since the 2023 Jakarta…

Mar

12

2024

By PESHA MAGID

Mercedes would do handstands to have Verstappen says Wolff

MOTORSPORT

MERCEDES would do handstands to have Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen driving for them but first, they need a car worthy of his talents, team boss Toto Wolff said. Verstappen has won 19 of the last 20 races and took his second of the Formula One season in Saudi Arabia with an untroubled run from pole position. The Dutch driver's future has been the subject of some speculation, despite Red Bull being way ahead of the rest, as a consequence of allegations by a female team employee against principal Christian Horner. Horner has been cleared, after denying the accusations, but…

Mar

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Important for F1 to show its values, says Hamilton

MOTORSPORT

LEWIS Hamilton said Formula One faced a pivotal moment and needed to show its values amid controversies away from the track involving leading personalities in the paddock and governing body. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been in the spotlight after a drawn-out investigation into misconduct allegations by a female employee showed clear divisions behind the scenes. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing FIA, has been accused by a whistleblower of attempted interference in a race and allegedly seeking to deny certification of the Las Vegas street circuit that debuted last November. "As someone who loves the sport, it's definitely disappointing to…

Mar

04

2024

By The African Mirror

Bahrain Grand Prix team-by-team

MOTORSPORT

TEAM-BY-TEAM review of Formula One's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday (listed in their current championship order): RED BULL (Max Verstappen 1, Sergio Perez 2) Verstappen started the season with a grand slam of pole position, fastest lap (lap 39) and leading all 57 laps. The victory was the 55th of his career, and fifth grand slam, lifting Red Bull level with Williams in fourth place on the all-time list with 114. The gap to Perez of 22.457 seconds compared to last year's 11.987 advantage. Verstappen has now led the championship for 40 races in a row. Perez started fifth…

Mar

03

2024

By ABHISHEK TAKLE

Verstappen dominates F1’s Bahrain season-opener

MOTORSPORT

REIGNING Formula One champion Max Verstappen opened his bid for a fourth successive title in dominant style with an unchallenged cruise to a Red Bull one-two victory in Saturday's Bahrain Grand Prix. The 26-year-old Dutchman enjoyed a perfect day as he led from pole position and took a bonus point for the fastest lap on his way to finishing 22.4 seconds ahead of Mexican teammate Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz, who will be making way for seven-times champion Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next year, took the final podium spot in third place ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc. The triumph under the…

Feb

15

2024

By MPHO RANTAO

Brand new African Karting Championships kicks off in South Africa ahead of Karting World Cup

MOTORSPORT, WHAT'S HAPPENING

THE inaugural African Karting Cup starts this weekend at the Zwartkops Kart Circuit, in the city of Centurion, Gauteng, from February 15 -17. Over 15 countries, including Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, will be represented by 40 drivers on the karting circuit, signalling the popular rise of young drivers with high ambitions. The event will be managed by Motorsport South Africa (MSA) and is an FIA-recognised competition. MSA chairperson Adrian Stoltz said that the Cup competition was meant to take place at the main Zwartkop Racing Circuit, but announced a last-minute venue change due…

Feb

07

2024

By The African Mirror

Racing for Ferrari fulfils a childhood dream, says Hamilton

MOTORSPORT

LEWIS Hamilton said he was determined to leave Mercedes on a high this season before fulfilling a childhood dream by racing for Ferrari in 2025. Britain's seven-times Formula One world champion stunned the sport when his move on a multi-year deal was announced on Thursday. Hamilton, 39, said in a post on Instagram on Saturday that the decision felt right and reminded him of his move to Mercedes from McLaren at the end of 2012. "I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil…

Feb

04

2024

By MPHO RANTAO

Lewis Hamilton shocks F1 with surprise Ferrari move

MOTORSPORT

WHETHER Formula 1 (F1) chooses to acknowledge this or not, a historic moment happened on February 1, 2024, when Mercedes AMG F1 Petronas team driver Sir Lewis Hamilton was announced to become a Scuderia Ferrari driver from the 2025 F1 season. Social media across all platforms all but shook when British broadcaster Sky Sports F1 News dropped the bombshell reports of Hamilton’s unexpected exit from the Brackley-based team following the 2024 season. The announcement trended higher than the global football deadline day and had football social media accounts reposting the news as well. https://twitter.com/scuderiaferrari/status/1753133900925129140?s=46&t=fie-xWLwPZ0SYPvWeGCBvA It was initially considered a rumour…

Jan

26

2024

By MPHO RANTAO

FE heats up for double Diriyah leg under the lights

MOTORSPORT, MOTORING NEWS

ROUNDS two and three of Formula E (FE) season ten continue in Saudi Arabia on a circuit nestled between UNESCO-protected ancient sites. DS Penske driver Jean-Eric Vergne grabbed pole for the first leg of the Diriyah E-Prix doubleheader, beating out Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans by just 0.072 seconds at the finish line. Vergne grabbed his 16th career pole in Formula E and the team’s first pole since São Paulo in 2023, when JEV's teammate Stoffel Vandoorne took P1, and Vergne’s first since Jakarta in 2022. Defending World Champion Jake Dennis will start race one from third after losing out…