Motor Sport

Sport newsSébastien Loeb became the oldest driver to lead an FIA World Rally Championship round after a sensational return to dominate Rallye Monte-Carlo on Friday.As he approaches his 48th birthday, the Frenchman won four of the six French Alps speed tests to lead the first rally of the WRC’s innovative new hybrid era by 9.9sec in M-Sport Ford’s Puma.The Monaco-based event is Loeb’s first WRC outing for more than a year and, currently, a one-off…

Sport newsSébastien Loeb claimed a clean sweep of Rallye Monte-Carlo’s Friday morning speed tests to charge into the lead of the opening round of the FIA World Rally ChampionshipThe 47-year-old Frenchman, who scored the last of his seven Monte wins in 2013, turned back the clock in his all-new hybrid-powered Ford Puma to outpace Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans in an absorbing morning.Loeb trailed arch-rival Ogier after last night’s short opening leg, but turned the…

Sport newsSébastien Ogier outgunned arch-rival Sébastien Loeb as the two Rallye Monte-Carlo masters went head-to-head in a spectacular opening night of the FIA World Rally Championship season on Thursday.Ogier, an eight-time winner in the French Alps, opened the series’ pioneering new hybrid-powered era by winning both speed tests in his Toyota GR Yaris to build a 6.7sec lead.Snapping on his heels was seven-time Monte winner Loeb. In his first WRC drive for more than a…

Sport newsThe FIA is pleased to confirm that Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the new safety car in the innovative electric racing series this season. The vehicle will celebrate its racetrack debut at the opening round of the Formula E season on 28/29 January in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.The high performance Taycan Turbo S (output of up to 560 kW / 761 PS) is a perfect choice in the critical role of a safety car…

Sport newsThe 2022 season will feature nine events, with eight of the rallies that took place in 2021 back for another season, with a new event on the calendar, the Rallye du Chablais in Switzerland, taking place in June.The regulations for this year’s championship have been updated to include the following main sporting changes –The possibility for competitors to register in the EHRC and score Drivers and Co Drivers points up to the closing date…

Sport newsThe WRC’s ground-breaking new-generation of Rally1 cars from the three manufacturers gathered for the first time in Salzburg’s landmark Hangar-7 as the 2022 season was launched five days before the opening round at Rallye Monte-Carlo (20 – 23 January).In the presence of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, reigning champions Toyota Gazoo Racing, Hyundai Motorsport and M-Sport Ford revealed their stunning all-new cars which will compete across 13 rounds on four continents.Among those attending were…

Sport newsAl-Attiyah won three of the 13 timed stages and had built up a lead of 48min 54sec at the Riyadh rest day. On each stage after the mid-point, he eased his pace to conserve the Toyota Hilux and overcame a five-minute penalty for a safety belt violation, punctures and finishing one stage in two-wheel drive to confirm his fourth Dakar success after 2011, 2015 and 2019. The feat meant the Qatari equalled flying Finn…

Sport newsHeralding the advent of a new and sustainable era, the Rally1 regulations are the product of extensive work by the FIA departments in partnership with the competing manufacturers Hyundai, M-Sport (Ford) and Toyota. Together they aligned to deliver a category that maintains spectacular performance, further enhances safety, while focusing firmly on the environment. In addition to the plug-in hybrid unit, which is mated to the existing 1.6-litre turbocharged internal combustion engine, Rally1 cars run on…

Sport newsKristoffersson is the most successful driver in World RX history, clinching his fourth World Championship in dramatic fashion at the Nürburgring last November after overturning a 17-point deficit to beat countryman Timmy Hansen on countback.That achievement came behind the wheel of an Audi S1, but the 33-year-old Swede’s three previous top-tier triumphs were all secured in Volkswagen machinery, meaning Kristoffersson will be back in familiar surroundings.As in its title-winning season in 2020, the team…

Sport newsThe entry list for the 2022 FIA WEC includes 39 full-season entrants from 12 different countries plus a record number of teams competing in Hypercar and LMP2 and categories.In what will be the FIA WEC’s tenth anniversary year, the world’s premier international sportscar championship continues to go from strength to strength.The introduction of the Hypercar category last season has seen an influx of manufacturers commit to the WEC with Peugeot set to join Toyota,…