Motor Sport

Sport newsBelgian star Thierry Neuville vaulted from fifth to second in the provisional FIA World Rally Championship standings after clinching a long-awaited victory on Rally Italia Sardegna at the wheel of a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid.Co-driven by compatriot Martijn Wydaeghe, Neuville headed Esapekka Lappi by 33.0s in a Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team one-two to become the fourth winner in six rounds and triumph for the 18th time in his career.The result, the…

Sport newsThierry Neuville sits on the brink of his first victory in this season’s FIA World Rally Championship after he took control of Rally Italia Sardegna during an action-packed second leg when eight-time WRC champion Sébastien Ogier was unable to go the distance.Neuville had trailed Ogier and Esapekka Lappi since the start of this sixth round of the season, but a heavy downpour on the penultimate Erula – Tula test had a significant impact on…

Sport newsDriving his Kristoffersson Motorsport Volkswagen RX1e, the Swede set an unmatched 46.768secs to beat team-mate Ole Christian Veiby (NOR) into second by 0.508sec.The Swedish Hansen brothers, Timmy and Kevin, were third and fourth quickest respectively in a pair of Hansen World RX Team Peugeot 208 RX1es.Gustav Bergström (SWE) matched Kristoffersson’s time in the first sector, but ended up fifth quickest in his Volkswagen RX1e, while Sébastian Loeb (FRA) was sixth fastest in his first…

FIA newsAgainst the backdrop of the Spanish Grand Prix taking place in Barcelona this weekend, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was joined by Mayor of Cordoba José María Bellido Roche, Regional Minister for Industry, Energy and Mining of the Government of Andalusia Jorge Paradela, FIA Senate President and Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) President Carmelo Sanz de Barros and FIA Vice President for Sport Europe and Real Federación Española de Automovilismo President Manuel Aviño to officially…

Sport newsSwiss Alps play host to big names and evocative machinery in fourth round of 2023 FIA European Historic Rally ChampionshipRainfall helped four-wheel-drive Lancia Integrale cement its lead in latest FIA EHRC encounterChampionship contender Tibor Erdí sidelined by turbo failure after taking the early leadItalian driver ‘Lucky’ and his former WRC vice-champion co-driver Fabrizia Pons profited from thunderstorms and torrential rain in the Swiss Alps to take the overnight lead on the Rallye du Chablais,…

Sport newsEsapekka Lappi demoted Sébastien Ogier in a gripping conclusion to Friday’s opening leg by claiming the tiniest of overnight leads on Rally Italia Sardegna.After one of the most challenging days so far in this year’s FIA World Rally Championship, where crews tackled more than 140 kilometres of rough gravel stages in changeable weather conditions, the duelling duo reached the overnight halt in Olbia separated by a mere one-tenth of a second.Ogier, contesting his fourth…

Sport newsEsapekka Lappi leads Rally Italia Sardegna overnight after winning this evening’s superspecial stage in the suburbs of host city Olbia.With thousands of fans watching the action, Lappi quickly found his rhythm to edge M-Sport Ford Puma driver Ott Tänak by 0.2s through the 3.20-kilometre curtain-raiser, which featured a thrilling blend of smooth asphalt roads combined with off-road tracks and jumps.He relished the opportunity to “play” with his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid before the…

Sport newsThe Racing Together initiative was the recipient of the FIA President’s Award in the category of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The award was presented at the FIA Annual General Assembly in Bologna last year by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The programme is about building a team of indigenous youths and teaching them the career and life skills they need to get jobs in the motor sport or automobile industry.Since its inception, Racing Together…

Sport newsFIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis said: “This partnership with iRacing is an important step for grassroots motor sport development. The virtual racing space is a key area for the FIA in its goal to double global participation in motor sport, both as a discipline in its own right and as a route into real-world competition. The next generation of racing drivers is already highly engaged in this arena, which removes many of the historical…

Sport newsRound four of this year’s FIA WEC season marks the centenary of the 24-hour French classic which was first staged in 1923. Le Mans also represents the halfway point for the seven-round FIA WEC season, with a total of 62 cars shared by 186 drivers (including 37 full-time FIA WEC entries) set to tackle the 13.6-kilometre circuit, where Hypercars reach speeds in the region of 330kph and nearly 70% of the lap is travelled…