Zigwheels Weekly Motorsport Roundup

Not to be left behind by F1 after Sebastian Vettel’s bombshell Ferrari announcement, MotoGP threw up a stir in the 2021 rider market as well. Formula E also had some stirring in the driver line up as well. F1 revealed the starting dates for the COVID-19 affected season while Indycar’s season opener marked the return of real open-wheel racing. 

Formula 1

The first eight rounds of the F1 season were revealed along with dates for back to back races at Austria’s Red Bull Ring and Great Britain’s Silverstone Circuit. The holding of eight races at the very least ensures that the 2020 F1 season will meet the minimum criteria to crown a drivers and constructors champion at the end even if no more rounds are held.

F1 also announced a bit of relief for the venues that will host a race with 2020 being the final year of their race hosting contracts. In order to make up for the loss in revenue by holding races behind closed doors - one of the measures to safely hold a race - those venues will get their contract extended for next year when it is expected to be relatively safer for people to be outdoors and in close quarters.

MotoGP

Ducati caused a bit of a stir when it announced that Jack Miller would replace Danillo Petrucci at the factory team. Miller’s vacancy would be filled by 2018 Moto3 champion and current Moto2 racer Jorge Martin. But that bit of news was quickly overshadowed by reports of a bombshell from Honda. It was reported that in 2021, reigning Moto2 champion Alex Marquez would move from the Repsol Honda team to the LCR Honda team and he would be replaced by KTM’s Pol Espargaro. 

The news came as a shock to many as Alex Marquez, younger brother of six time premier class champion Marc Marquez had only just joined Repsol Honda and on account of the coronavirus pandemic had not yet raced. Our full analysis of the situation can be read here.

WRC

The news of the cancellation of Rally Finland and Rally New Zealand waa offset by at least some kind of action featuring drivers in real cars. A one-off Rally Sweden Lockdown event was held using roads used in Rally Sweden’s Torsby Sprint speed stage. It was not a serious event, but just WRC’s way to give fans some real action to enjoy. The 2003 WRC champion Petter Solberg’s eighteen-year-old son Oliver won the event with his mother as the co-driver! Pontus Tidemand finished second.

In more serious WRC news, the testing ban imposed on rally crews due to the COVID-19 situation was lifted but manufacturers were told to restrict their testing within Europe.  

IndyCar

Top level open wheel racing returned to an actual race track as the North American based IndyCar series got its season underway at the Texas Motor Speedway on June 6. Five-time series champion Scott Dixon took victory in the opening race of the 14 race season that is set to conclude on October 25. This year’s Indianapolis 500, which is normally held on the last weekend of May, will be held on August 23. 

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Formula E

Late yesterday the Formula E driver market got what appeared to be a bit of a shock. Mahindra Racing’s Pascal Wehrlein announced on his personal Instagram account - via a story - that he will be leaving the Indian manufacturer with immediate effect. The 2019-20 FIA Formula E season managed to start last November in Saudi Arabia and held five races before having to come to a halt due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Mahindra Racing were, at the time of the season’s suspension, were lying just tenth out of a total of 12 teams in the teams championship. Porsche, which is just one spot higher than Mahindra is reported to have secured the services of Wehrlein. 

When asked for a comment, Mahindra Racing team principal Dilbagh Gill told Zigwheels that Wehrlein’s announcement was “premature.”