日: 2024年5月27日

Carlos Sainz says he was “tempted a few times” to unleash an attack on Oscar Piastri during the…

The post Sainz tempted a few times by ‘all or nothing’ move on Piastri appeared first on F1i.com.

Sergio Perez is in the fast lane towards a Red Bull exit. His horrific Lap 1 crash at the Monaco GP with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen has not only increased the doubts around his competency to be driving a championship-winning car but also cost Red Bull nearly $3 million in damages. Such an enormous […]

The post Sergio Perez’s $3 million Blunder Provides Golden Opportunity for Frederic Vasseur and Co appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Alexandra Saint Mleux wasn’t Charles Leclerc‘s only partner present at the Monaco GP. His ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Sine, also a Monte Carlo native, was in attendance for the prestigious F1 race with her friends. Though she had her fun closely witnessing the cars in action from a viewing point above the famous Monaco hairpin, fans were […]

The post “Leclerc’s Curse”: Fans Shockingly Harass Charles’ Ex-GF as She Drops 3 Word Message to Join in Ferrari Star’s Celebrations appeared first on EssentiallySports.

• Romet Jürgenson leads FIA Junior WRC Championship after two rounds
• Taylor Gill in second place following first category podium on Croatia Rally
• Max Smart joins FIA Rally Star team-mates in preparing hard for gravel round
• Jose ‘Abito’ Caparó returns to Sardinia boosted by first Junior WRC points

A challenging gravel contest awaits the FIA Rally Star drivers this week with Rally Italia Sardegna marking the next stage of the quartet’s FIA Junior WRC Championship adventure.

Based in Alghero from May 30-June 2, Rally Italia Sardegna is round three of the five-event Junior WRC season and a chance for Jose ‘Abito’ Caparó, Taylor Gill, Romet Jürgenson and Max Smart to visit some previously-charted territory.

Twelve months ago, the rising talents were in Sardinia for the FIA Rally Star Training Camp where they were put through their paces in gravel and Tarmac test sessions and training workshops, benefitting from a wealth of expertise and advice from the FIA instructors. The Training Camp included the reconnaissance for Rally Italia Sardegna, plus a day of media activities.

Caparó, Gill, Jürgenson and Smart now return to Sardinia having successfully progressed through the FIA Rally Star Training Season in 2023 and into the Junior WRC for 2024. 

Following the high-speed, ice-coated stages of Rally Sweden and the low-grip Croatia Rally asphalt, Rally Italia Sardegna is a chance for the fast four to build their experience on rough and tough gravel. With high temperatures, rock-lined roads and a compact itinerary meaning early starts and late finishes, a challenging three days of action awaits.

FIA Rally Star latest news and views

• Victory on April’s Croatia Rally propelled Romet Jürgenson to the top of the provisional Junior WRC standings after two rounds.
• He holds a 20-point advantage over Taylor Gill, the next highest-placed Junior WRC regular.
• Gill’s championship standing follows his runner-up placing on Croatia Rally after the Australian finished eighth in Junior WRC in Sweden back in February.
• Estonian Jürgenson reacclimatised to gravel by contesting Rally Adriatico in Italy earlier this month as part of his additional competition programme. He finished a strong second in Rally3 and 16th overall.
• Jose ‘Abito’ Caparó opened his Junior WRC points-scoring account with sixth place on Croatia Rally, making amends for his non-finish on Rally Sweden.
• After finishing 10th among the Junior WRC contenders in Sweden, Max Smart was seventh in Croatia. The South African has prepared for Rally Italia Sardegna by following a rigorous physical and mental training programme in his home city of Cape Town.

Watch Be The Next One YouTube series all in one place

The full Be The Next One YouTube series, which follows the FIA Rally Star drivers through the 2023 FIA Rally Star Training Season and provides a fascinating insight into their achievements, has been released with the full playlist available here.

FIA Rally Star pre-Rally Italia Sardegna quotes

FIA Rally Star Project Leader Jérôme Roussel said: “With Romet and Taylor first and second in the provisional FIA Junior WRC standings, it’s fair to say the 2024 season is going better than we could have imagined. There are three very challenging gravel rallies remaining and plenty of learning still to be done and progress to be made, which is very much the focus going into Rally Italia Sardegna. While Romet and Taylor have adapted really well to the demands of Junior WRC, Abito and Max are still finding their feet but clearly showing plenty of potential and a real determination to improve. They’re working hard and will take confidence from what they have achieved so far. This will be a tough event, there’s no question, but the plan remains for our four drivers to finish all stages while demonstrating their speed when the conditions allow.”

Romet Jürgenson (EST) said: “Snow and Tarmac is over now and it’s time for gravel. It’s a surface I’m more used to but, at the same time, I know Sardinia is going to be a really difficult event – maybe one of the most difficult of the season. With so many Rally2 cars in front of us, we have to take a different approach, particularly for the second pass of stages when the roads will be quite damaged. I like these kinds of roads where you have to be accurate, you can’t really go wide anywhere because you have some hidden rocks on the side of the road. We have a good overview of the stages from the recce we did last year although my pacenote system has developed quite a lot since then. We’re in a good position in the championship so let’s try to continue this.”

Taylor Gill (AUS) said: “Sardinia is obviously going to be a huge challenge, a very rough event as everyone knows. Thankfully we have some sort of idea of what to expect having done the recce and the Training Camp in Sardinia last year. This gives us a little bit of knowledge as opposed to walking into the unknown. We’ve prepared really hard, trying to work out what are the stages where we can push and maximise the speed and what stages we really have to take easy and get through. We just want to get through the event cleanly and if we can do every stage without stopping that would already put us in position for a good result.”

Jose ‘Abito’ Caparó (PER) said: “It will be a challenge to be on a good pace but for sure I will apply what I learned on the recce last year. It’s helping a lot because I can realise how the stages will be and what the weather might be like. For sure I have to be on a good pace but I have to improve a lot and I am working on this, with a lot of steps. I have prepared a lot of files with pictures and descriptions of the road. I am working a lot on the simulator and improving my reflexes and my reactions with my physical activity to be in a good position. I want to be in a good place at the finish, but with a good pace and try to improve more with Esther my co-driver. We are having a good confidence and that’s the main thing.”

Max Smart (ZAF): “I’m really keen for Sardinia and really keen to get back on gravel, I love gravel and it’s so fun to drive on. The stages look awesome, a mix of medium-speed, low-speed and even some high-speed sections. There are lots of different characteristics throughout the rally with narrow sections, some wider sections, some really bumpy and cresty sections through to awesome flat-out sections where you can see far ahead. Doing the FIA Rally Star Training Camp last year meant we got to check out some of the stages when we did the recce, which was great. Even from doing the preparation I know a bit about what is coming up. I’m going to this event with the aim of having a really good rally.”

Rally Italia Sardegna in numbers

Stage distance: 266.12 km
Total distance: 1035.46 km
Number of stages: 16

FIA Junior WRC Championship event schedule refresher

The 2024 FIA Junior WRC Championship consists of five rounds as follows:

• Rally Sweden (Snow/ice), February 15-18
• Croatia Rally (Tarmac), April 18-21
• Rally Italia Sardegna (Gravel), May 30-June 2
• Secto Rally Finland (Gravel), August 1-4
• EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (Gravel), September 5-8

FIA Rally Star drivers (in Rally Italia Sardegna start number order)

70. Romet Jürgenson (24, Estonia) Co-driver: Siim Oja (EST)
71. Taylor Gill (20, Australia) Co-driver: Daniel Brkic (AUS)
79. Jose ‘Abito’ Caparó (27, Peru) Co-driver: Esther Gutiérrez (ESP)
80. Max Smart (21, South Africa) Co-driver: Cameron Fair (GBR)

World Rally Championship

FIA Rally StarWRCSEASON 2024SportRallies1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2024FIA Rally Star01Monday, May 27, 2024 – 3:13pmMonday, May 27, 2024 – 3:13pm

For the first time ever, experts from across the sporting, political, and social spheres will join forces and stand together in the face of online hate.
The world of sport, whilst exciting and inspiring, is facing an epidemic of abuse. Athletes, officials, and supporters are facing digital hostility, cyber bullying, and hate speech that needs to be addressed.
To ignite the fight, the Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) is proud to announce the upcoming inaugural United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) conference, the first of its kind, taking place at their Paris headquarters on Wednesday 29^th May.

Drawing on the knowledge of experts, the personal experience of athletes and officials, and the combined dedication of all in attendance, the event will serve to educate and inform, building a global coalition to tackle online abuse.
The panels and forums taking place across the day offer opportunities for ideas and opinions to be shared that will help shape the mission and drive towards the goal of eradicating online hate.
The event will also see the launch of the new United Against Online Abuse Educational Module – a free, open access programme designed to upskill communities and help develop the understanding of online abuse in sport, the impact it has, and the challenges that are faced.
Education is key to eradication.

In February, the first four UAOA Global Research Scholars were selected to carry out Masters by Research at Dublin City University, with full funding from the FIA Foundation. Their focuses are on improving global understanding of online abuse against athletes and officials and helping to drive behavioural and regulatory change.
At the start of the year, the UAOA campaign also shared the findings of the barometer survey. The groundbreaking survey found that 75% of athletes have reported threats against their physical safety, whilst over 90% agreed that if online abuse is not addressed, it will drive them away from their sports.

FIA President and founder of the UAOA campaign, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “I am delighted that we will be opening the doors of the FIA in Paris to such an important conference. Everyone joining us is doing so because they want to make a difference, and it is only together that we can truly implement change.
This is the next step in our commitment to eradicating this issue and I look forward to the insights that our many accomplished speakers and guests will bring.”

The UAOA campaign is a collaborative mission between national governments, regulatory institutions, and fellow sporting bodies, with the objective of building a global coalition to tackle online abuse within the sport ecosystem.
To date, the UAOA coalition has welcomed endorsement from the Governments of Albania, Australia, Belgium, France, Greece, Malaysia, Slovenia, Spain, alongside federations including Peace and Sport , FIM, the International Esports Federation, and ASETEK SimSports.  We will welcome further federations and international sports organisations, including FIFA, the IOC, the ITF, World Athletics, World Netball and World Squash, to the coalition in due course. 

For more information about the United Against Online Abuse campaign please visit 

www.unitedagainstonlineabuse.com

United Against Online AbuseFIAFIA1FIAFIAUnited Against Online Abuse01Monday, May 27, 2024 – 3:03pmMonday, May 27, 2024 – 3:03pm

The Spanish pairing of Eduardo Pons and Jaume Betriu threw the form book upside down to claim a shock victory at the 11th Baja Greece, round two of the FIA World Baja Cup.
 
Based out of the northern Greek town of Argos Orestiko, the three-day event from May 23 to 25 offered two passes through a pair of demanding selective sections that featured water crossings, slippery mountainous terrain, tight corners and narrow tracks that gave a slight advantage to the nimbler cars competing in the Challenger and SSV categories. 
 
Pons guided his Taurus T3 Max into the outright lead on the second stage when the Belgian opening stage winner Ghislain de Mévius suffered electrical issues after his G Rally Team OT3 ingested water at a ford. Consistent stage performances from then on netted the Spaniard a memorable win by a massive margin of 13min 05.2sec and maximum points in the Challenger category. 
 
Pons said: “We did it, finally. I drove conservative on the last stage and we won the rally. We are so happy and Jaume (Betriu) made an amazing job. We are more than happy to win Baja Greece.”
 
The father and son duo of Lionel and Lucie Baud stepped down from the Ultimate class to drive a G Rally Team OT3 and the transition was a successful one with the Frenchman netting second overall, although he was not registered for FIA World Baja Cup points. Stopping to change a puncture on the third stage cost the crew around five minutes. 
 
Japanese driver Akira Miura was making his first appearance in the Ultimate class in an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux after spending much of his career achieving success with the Japanese manufacturer in the Stock category at the Dakar Rally and beyond. 

 
He and French co-driver Jean-Michel Polato were just one second behind Czech veteran Miroslav Zapletal and his Slovakian co-driver Marek Sykora before the final stage and managed to regain third, claim the final podium spot and Ultimate class success. Zapletal finished 39.2 seconds adrift in his self-built Offroadsport Ford F-150. 
 
Miura said: “This was my first time in Greece. The car was so different to T2, very fast and controllable, but I still need to understand this car better and improve my skills. Next is Qatar (Baja) for me but I consider today a new starting point and I’ll continue to work hard.”
 
A late charge by Spain’s Alex Toril and Pedro López in their Can-Am saw them climb from seventh to finish fifth and snatch the SSV category victory from Fernando Alvarez and Xavier Panseri of the South Racing Can-Am Team. 
 
But the crew were disqualified from the results after final scrutineering when the Stewards deemed that the inlet manifold and the belt of the CVT device were deemed to be non-compliant with technical regulations. Alvarez moved up to sixth, is now ahead in the points’ standings and also leads the overall FIA World Baja Cup.
 
Alvarez said: “In the last part of the special, we got a puncture and had to stop and change the tyre. We lost time to Alex (Toril) but we are happy. Even with second place (before scrutineering), we are still leading the category and the overall in the cars. This is the business.”

 
The Hungarian duo of Csaba Miklos and Albert Horn were not registered for the FIA World Baja Cup but reached the end in fifth in a Taurus T3 Max, 1min 40.3sec in front of sixth-placed Alvarez. 
 
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk headed the 18-car FIA field at the start of the event but suffered serious brake issues, a cracked brake disc and dropped 45 minutes on the opening stage. Overheating thwarted a second-stage fightback but the Saudi did recover strongly on the final day, despite a third-stage puncture, and climbed from 12th to finish seventh overall and third in the Ultimate class with the quickest time on the last stage.
 
Miguel Toril and his Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari finished eighth in the second of the Escuderia JMP Racing Can-Ams.
 
Argentina’s Diego Martinez picked up points for second in the Challenger category in his South Racing Can-Am. He and Uruguayan co-driver Sergio Lafuente finished nimth overall and moved into the outright lead in the Challenger points’ standings. 
 
Emirati Khalid Al-Jafla and French veteran Claude Fournier brought their Can-Ams to the finish in 10th and 11th overall. De Mévius recovered from his second stage electrical issues to set the fastest time on the third stage, the second quickest time on the final test and was classified in 12th. 
 
The first of two passes through the slightly shortened Mesopotamia stage on Friday ruined João Ferreira’s chance of claiming the win. He left the track in his Can-Am, had to wait for assistance, was unable to complete the stage and incurred time penalties as a result. The Portuguese brought up the rear of the field in 13th place.
 
The result also throws the Teams’ Championship wide open with the South Racing Can-Am Team and Overdrive Racing in the hunt for honours with six rounds to go and ahead of the Escuderia JMP Team. 
 
Italian SSV driver Amerigo Ventura rolled his Yamaha and damage to the YXZ’s roll cage meant the Italian was unable to continue. 
 
Magdalena Zajac (Toyota Hilux) and Konstantin Cholakov (Can-Am) retired after stage two and Uruguay’s Luis Henderson withdrew his Polaris before the last stage after losing an hour in SS3.
 
Ibrahim Al-Muhanna was disqualified by the Stewards before the start on safety grounds when part of the roll cage in his Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR was found to be damaged. 
 
The third round of the FIA World Baja Cup takes competitors to the punishing heat of Teruel for the Baja Spain Aragón on July 26th-28th. 

FIA World Bajas Cup

Cross-CountryAll fia sportSEASON 2024SportCross-Country1SportFIA World Bajas CupCross-CountryAll fia sportSEASON 2024Cross-Country01Monday, May 27, 2024 – 1:43pmMonday, May 27, 2024 – 1:43pm

Relief and cautious optimism filled the air at Williams after Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix following Alex Albon’s run…

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