In the round-up: Ferrari’s new World Endurance Championship driver Robert Kubica describes his regret at missing an opportunity to drive for them in Formula 1.
In brief
Not racing for Ferrari in F1 an ‘open wound’ – Kubica
Kubica was set to join Ferrari in 2012 but was unable to as a result of the serious injuries he suffered in a rally crash before the start of the 2011 season. He did not race in Formula 1 again until 2019.
“I think that driving a Ferrari represents something different than racing with others brands,” Kubica told La Gazzetta dello Sport “In the past I had looked for Ferrari many times.
“As an F1 driver I had two objectives: to win the world championship and get into the red. It didn’t happen because life served me another scenario. And I confess that an open wound remained. Now this opportunity is a great challenge.”
Verstappen to compete in iRacing Daytona 24 Hours
Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen will compete in today’s iRacing Daytona 24 Hours simracing event in the top elite level with Team Redline.
Verstappen, who has participated in simracing with Redline for many years, will race with two team mates who have yet to be announced in the first major iRacing event of the year, which begins at 12:15pm UK time today.
It is the latest endurance simracing event the Red Bull driver has taken part in since winning his first world championship in 2021, having raced in the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours and iRacing Bathurst 12 Hours among others.
Driver killed in road car crash over Miami GP track
A driver died after crashing their car on an overpass near the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and falling onto the circuit used for the Miami Grand Prix.
Miami police confirmed the death of the driver who appeared to lose control of their car on the exit ramp and was ejected from the car, which came to a rest on the grand prix circuit on what is the back straight of the Miami International Autodrome.
In investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
AMR24 launch competition (Aston Martin)
‘We’re giving I / AM members the chance to join us at Silverstone for a first look at our 2024 Formula One challenger, the AMR24, on 12 February. We’re taking your fan experience to another level by giving I / AM members more unforgettable experiences, more ways to engage, and more unparalleled access. And it all starts with our competition to attend the launch of the AMR24.’
The F1 hidden treasure that’s key to Mercedes catching Red Bull (Motor Sport)
‘These cars run with a static rear ride height of around 60mm. Under the previous regs, even the low-rake Mercedes would typically be running around 120mm, with the high-rake Red Bull considerably more. That gave the suspension some ability to cushion and keep the aero platform stable. But run those ride heights now and most of the underfloor downforce would bleed away catastrophically – because they have ground effect tunnels. So at just the time the cars need good rear suspension travel and compliance more than ever before, they have an aero platform demanding they run low. That’s the essence of why it’s difficult.’
Sainz/Cruz hold on to give Team Audi Sport an historic victory at the 46th Dakar (FIA)
‘Team Audi Sport’s Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz held their nerve over the second week and were supported superbly by their two team-mates en route to a memorable victory at the 46th Dakar Rally. A fourth career Dakar success for both Sainz and Cruz enabled the Spaniard to draw level with Finnish legend Ari Vatanen with four wins but, more importantly, it gave Audi a first success with the electric-powered Audi RS Q E-Tron E2.’
Brad Pitt F1 movie filming set for Rolex 24 in Wright Porsches (Sportscar365)
‘Filming for the yet-to-be-titled Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt is shifting to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the next two weeks at Daytona International Speedway. The Joseph Kosinski-directed film, which stars Pitt as a washed-up driver who is drafted into F1, will be utilizing multiple film cars as part of a tie-up with WeatherTech Championship squad Wright Motorsports.’
The Formula 1 technology is being applied to Network Rail’s monitoring trains (Railway Supply)
‘McLaren Applied, a British engineering company, has begun installing its 5G antennas on Network Rail infrastructure, controlling the train fleet and activating Fleet Connect software, based on Formula 1 principles. This connection technology aims to enhance data collection for 14 Network Rail monitoring trains, enabling them to use live data streams to transmit sensor readings on the condition of the UK railway infrastructure.’
2024 Formula Regional Oceania season begins this weekend (Toyota NZ)
‘Drivers from nine countries will compete over the five back-to-back weekends of this year’s championship, with each fighting for FIA Super Licence points that are a major stepping stone to higher formulae in the governing body’s ladder of progression. Canadian Patrick Woods-Toth is the reigning F4 United States Champion after an epic 2023 that saw him plucked from obscurity with a win in a driver scholarship competition that then propelled him into a competitive seat. He duly delivered and caught the attention of many as potentially Canada’s next big motorsport name. Runner up to Patrick last year in the F4 US Championship, Titus Sherlock, is another with abundant talent racing this weekend.’
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
Keen to show @F1 in our little café, I called @SkySportsF1. Because we sell alcohol (local beers and ales), it is done on our rateable value. The café and events venue next door are linked on the council website, so I was quoted £1744 +VAT per month. We won’t be showing F1…! pic.twitter.com/GFEnZkAo0e
— Ed Foster (@AnotherEdFoster) January 19, 2024
Season 2024 Line-up : you already know the names, now know the crews!
Car #93: @MikkelhJensen, @nico_mueller, @JeanEricVergne
Car #94: @PaulDiResta, @loicduval, @svandoorne #Peugeot9X8 #WEC pic.twitter.com/imvXRWDMzg— Peugeot Sport (@peugeotsport) January 19, 2024
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Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Cathal, Explosiva, Qazuhb, The_Sigman, Charlie and Fikri!
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