Open Sector Media

Author: Enrique Calvo

  • Entrevista a Iker García, contendiente al título de Stock en JuniorGP

    El pasado fin de semana, la JuniorGP vino al Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Y, con ello, tuve la oportunidad de entrevistar a Iker García Abella, piloto de la categoría de Stock y por aquel entonces líder del campeonato. Desafortunadamente, se cayó en la carrera y perdió el liderato ante Tibor Erik Varga. Pero antes de eso y justo después de su espectacular “pole position” el sábado, pude conversar con él y conocer su punto de vista.

    • Enrique: ¿Qué tal, Iker? Enhorabuena por la “pole”.
    • Iker: Gracias.
    • E: ¿Cómo te sientes después de la “pole”?
    • I: La verdad es que muy contento, porque el objetivo de hoy era conseguir buena posición para mañana en la carrera. Hay muchas ganas de salir mañana a carrera y poder demostrar el ritmo que tenemos.

    Iker García llegaba como líder a la penúltima ronda con 24 puntos de ventaja sobre su perseguidor Varga. Por lo tanto, necesitaba solamente sumar un punto más que el húngaro para llegar a los 25 que le asegurarían el título antes del fin de semana de Valencia.

    • E: ¿Cuándo estás en esta posición tan buena, sacas la calculadora o vas a tope?
    • I: Mañana sobre la marcha ya lo decidiré. Depende de cómo me sienta y de cómo vea la carrera intentaré apretar más o menos. Sobre la marcha, veré también las sensaciones y a ver qué tal.
    • E: Justo ahora acabas de correr a muy altas velocidades, jugándote la vida. ¿Cómo se siente?
    • I: Al final no lo piensas. Te suben mucho las pulsaciones y vas muy encendido. No notas ni la velocidad ni nada: vas al máximo todo lo que puedes y hasta ahí. Hay días que te salen mejor y días que te salen peor.
    • E: Durante toda la temporada pasado y la ronda de 2025 en Estoril estuviste corriendo con Lorenzo Dalla Porta, todo un Campeón del Mundo de Moto3. ¿Dirías que, de momento, es el piloto más difícil con el que te has enfrentado?
    • I: A lo mejor el más difícil, no. Pero es un piloto que se nota que ya tiene mucha experiencia. Ha hecho muchas carreras en muchos campeonatos y se nota en ciertos detalles del pilotaje. Es un piloto de mucho nivel. Al tenerlo en el box, nos ayudó mucho a progresar y a enseñarnos cosas.

    Dalla Porta ha participado en 55 carreras de Moto2 y 73 carreras de Moto3. Por lo tanto, suma un total de 128 carreras en el Mundial de Motociclismo desde su debut en 2015.

    • E: ¿Te gustaría coincidir con algún otro piloto, en el futuro?
    • I: La verdad es que no tengo ninguno. No lo he pensado nunca. Simplemente pienso en seguir mi camino y en seguir progresando, y te vas encontrando cada vez a pilotos de más nivel.
    • E: En 2020 y 2022 competiste en Supersport300. ¿Cómo de diferente es la moto de Supersport300 con esta [de Stock 600] que pilotas ahora?
    • I: Es una moto un poquito más ligera y de mucha menos potencia. Y eso se nota mucho en el pilotaje, en las inercias, en la velocidad y en la aceleración. Es también una Yamaha, pero prácticamente no tiene nada que ver el comportamiento de una con la otra.
    • E: ¿Y qué circuito del calendario te gusta más o te parece más exigente?
    • I: Estoril y Montmeló, por ejemplo, son dos circuitos que me gustan mucho. Aparte, se me dan bien. Este año no está en el calendario Portimão, pero la verdad es que me gusta mucho también y se disfruta muchísimo.
    • E: Cuándo estás rueda a rueda, sobre todo en situación de carrera (como mañana, por ejemplo), ¿cómo gestionas la presión?
    • I: Al final la presión es, sobre todo, antes de la carrera. Luego, no hay más que soltarte, dar el máximo e intentar disfrutar. La presión es algo difícil de gestionar, pero poco a poco, con trabajo fuera de pista, lo vas intentando. Vas intentando mejorarlo.
    • E: Algo de lo que se ha hablado últimamente es el salto de Moto3 a Moto2. ¿Es muy grande? ¿Lo ves así?
    • I: Sí, al final la Moto2 es una moto muy difícil. Corre mucho y tiene un chasis muy rígido. Es una moto que al principio cuesta entender. Necesitas un buen equipo y un buen técnico para que te ayude a encontrar el punto.
    • E: ¿Cambiarías las cilindradas entre Moto3 y Moto2?
    • I: No he probado nunca una Moto3, por lo que no sabría decir. Al final esas son decisiones de la Federación [Internacional de Motociclismo] y los pilotos solamente podemos aceptarlo. Ya está.
    • E: Esta temporada está siendo magnífica. ¿Algún momento de la temporada que destacarías, por encima de otro?
    • I: La última carrera en Italia creo que fue muy importante. Me venían recortando puntos y fue un golpe fuerte al campeonato saliendo cuarto. Así que esa victoria fue el mejor momento de la temporada.

    El campeonato de Stock Europeo vivió un momento muy triste este año durante el fin de semana de Magny-Cours, cuando Borja Gómez falleció tras un grave accidente.

    • E: Pasando a un lado más duro. La pérdida de Borja Gómez es algo muy duro. ¿Cómo lo pudiste gestionar?
    • I: Es algo difícil de gestionar porque es algo que ni quieres ni te esperas. Es muy difícil, se pone todo muy difícil. Cuando lo vives es muy difícil de asimilar. Pero al final, cuando venimos aquí, todos sabemos que es algo peligroso. Lo mejor que podemos hacer es seguir corriendo.
    • E: Realmente, es triste que solamente se hable de estas categorías de más jóvenes cuando hay estos momentos. ¿A ti te frustra eso?
    • I: No, porque, al final, tienes que entenderlo. Pero sí que es un poco triste, como has dicho tú, que solamente se hable cuando pasan estas cosas. Pero al final tienes que seguir haciendo lo tuyo y ya está.
    • E: Muchas gracias, Iker, por habernos acompañado. Mucha suerte para mañana y ojalá podamos celebrar el campeonato.
    • I: Claro que sí. Muchas gracias.

  • Quick interviews at JuniorGP: Lorenzo Fellon and Archie McDonald

    I had the great honour of interviewing both Archie Bob McDonald and Lorenzo Fellon at the Barcelona-Catalunya round of JuniorGP. McDonald is rider #69 of the Stock category and finished 6th that same race, whilst Fellon is a proven former Moto3 World Championship point scorer and rider #5 of the European Moto2 category.

    Both interviews were carried out on Saturday, November 1st.

    Interview with Archie Bob McDonald:

    • Enrique: We’re here with Archie McDonald. Hello Archie, how are you?
    • Archie: Good, how are you?
    • E: Good, thanks. So how have you been feeling? P1 today [in Practice].
    • A: So far P1, it’s been a good session. We need to figure out how to work it out with the old tyres, but we’re happy. We’ve got qualifying this afternoon, I hope we get the same result.

    Archie qualified P3 on Saturday and finished P6 on Sunday. An overall positive result for the Australian, who scored 10 points in Catalonia.

    • E: I wanted to ask you: what’s your favourite track so far?
    • A: This year?
    • E: Yes, or any other time.
    • A: I really like Valencia, where we’re going next. It’s a good track and it has all the corners. Unfortunately, we couldn’t race there last year, so I can’t wait to get back there.

    The tragic floodings in 2024 meant the round at Circuit Ricardo Tormo last year was replaced by a second weekend in Estoril.

    • E: What’s your favourite race you’ve ever done?
    • A: Portimão, last year. It’s one of my favourite tracks. I won there last year. I was in my prime and I felt so comfortable. It’s such an amazing track to race around on. I won as well; it was my first in an international race.
    • E: What about your hardest rival? Do you have a name?
    • A: I’d say he was probably always on my bum non-stop for a couple of years, but, at the moment, Iker [García] is pretty fast. But I’ve never had someone I’ve truly hated or battled with in my life.
    • E: No, not hate. But the most difficult?
    • A: The fastest rider? I’d say Iker. Other than that, he’s always been fast.

    Iker García was, at that point, the Stock JuniorGP championship leader until his crash on Sunday. The Spaniard, however, is still a contender for the title, as he sits just one point behind new leader Tibor Erik Varga.

    • E: And last but not least. Why did you choose the number 69?
    • A: It’s my favourite sex position!
    • E: Well, thanks for being so honest!

    And thank you for your time, Archie.

    Interview with Lorenzo Fellon:

    • Enrique: We are here with Lorenzo Fellon, former Moto3 rider and currently competing in European Moto2. I have a few questions for him. How are you feeling, Lorenzo? How is your weekend so far?
    • Lorenzo: Good, the truth is that the first few days weren’t easy. But now [after Practice], with a few more laps I feel a bit better.
    • E: You are at the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya right now. What is your favourite track, from the ones you’ve been to?
    • L: I think my favourite track is Philip Island. It’s very unique, very quick, and you really enjoy riding there.

    The former Moto3 rider scored a career-best position of P10 in the 2023 Moto3 Australian GP. He also raced in the 2022 weekend (19th).

    • E: Is there a lot of difference between the Moto3 bikes you rode and your current bikes in European Moto2?
    • L: Yes, quite a bit. It’s a completely different bike. The riding is very different. The bike is very heavy and has a lot more power. Therefore, the riding style is very different on track.
    • E: From the races you’ve participated in, do you have a favourite one?
    • L: I think the last race in Misano [in European Moto2] wasn’t bad. We had a crash in the first corner, during the start. I dropped to P22, but we came back from that and ended the race in 8th. We had some good pace. I really enjoyed that one, I think it was one of the best experiences.
    • E: And finally; who would you say is the hardest rival you’ve ever faced?
    • L: Honestly, there’s been a lot of them. I would say Pedro Acosta in Moto3 and in the [Red Bull] Rookies [Cup]. Being a junior here, we always raced together. Truth is he was a very hard rival, yes.

    “El Tiburón de Mazarrón” won the 2021 Moto3 World Championship where they both participated in as rookies. Fellon continued for two more years. Izan Guevara and Jaume Masià were the victors in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

    • E: All right, thank you.
    • L: Thank you too!

    Again, a huge thank you to both Lorenzo and Archie for opening up a little gap in their busy schedules, and I wish them the best of luck in their personal and professional lives.

    You can check out both interviews on my Instagram page @opensector or on my YouTube page.

  • Pepe Martí leaves F2 and Red Bull

    File:2024 FIA Formula 2 Silverstone (54042417306).jpg
    Formula 2 driver Josep María Martí competing in Silverstone under Red Bull colours in 2024.

    This image was originally posted to Flickr ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flickr ) by Jen_ross83 at https://flickr.com/photos/69527563@N05/54042417306 . It was reviewed on 26 October 2024 by FlickreviewR 2 ( https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:FlickreviewR_2 ) and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0 ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en ) ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons ).

    22/10/2025 11:24 (GMT +2)

    Yesterday was a busy day for Josep María Martí, as it has been announced on his official social media that the Spaniard is leaving Formula 2 with immediate effect to join CUPRA Kiro in Formula E. His other link to Formula 1, the Red Bull Junior team, has also been broken. It seems confirmed, however, that his partnership with A14 Management will continue, as Fernando Alonso’s agency has reposted various posts related to the move.

    Until now, 2016 European F3 vice-champion Maximilian Günther had been the only Alonso protégé in Formula E. However, Pepe, who had been competing in F2 with Campos Racing uninterruptedly since the 2024 Bahrain GP, will join him from the 2025-26 Brazilian e-Prix onwards.

    On the other side of Martí’s box, however, will be another former Red Bull junior. David Beckmann had already parted ways with CUPRA Kiro and, therefore, Dan Ticktum will be the one partnering the Sabadell-born driver at the American team.

    Russell O’Hagan, Chief Operating Officer of CUPRA KIRO, has declared to fiaformulae.com that Martí has “stepped away from F2” and is now “committed fully” to Formula E. This move is effective immediately, which means the Catalan driver will not be competing in the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds of Formula 2. His chances of a title win were almost null, as he trails leader Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta) by 76 points with 78 still in play. But now, only five candidates remain mathematically in contention: the Italian, Jak Crawford (DAMS), Luke Browning (Hitech), Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) and Alexander Dunne (Rodin).

    The Spaniard’s electric switch means a current Campos seat is now void. Whilst the 2026 line-up will be Nikola Tsolov and Noel León, it seems only logical for the “Bulgarian Lion” to take Martí’s spot in the last two F2 rounds. The Sofia-born driver is part of the aforementioned Red Bull Junior Team and is the incumbent vice-champion of Formula 3. The Mexican, on the other hand, left the Austrian academy after 2022 and was ranked 17th in the last F3 season.

    Said driver development programme only has two drivers in the silver category right now: Arvid Lindblad at Campos and Oliver Goethe at MP Motorsport. Nevertheless, this could change if the 18-year-old Alonso protegé makes the early jump. The only thing sure for now is that Pepe Martí has left the silver step in the road to F1, and will instead try to work his way up in Formula E. And this mission starts at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, where his official pre-season testing will take place from the 27th to the 30th of October.

  • Iker García busca el título de Stock Europeo en Barcelona

    Foto de: GV RACING

    El Campeonato de Europa de Stock, que está regida por la Federación Internacional de Motociclismo (FIM) y forma parte del Campeonato Mundial de Junior GP, acapara los ojos de quienes están pendientes de las jóvenes promesas, de aquellos que tienen como objetivo entrar en el Mundial de Motociclismo (que cuenta con Moto 3 como su categoría más “baja”).

    Quien lidera esta categoría en 2025 es un piloto español, Iker García Abella, que corre con los vigentes campeones de equipos y de pilotos: GV Racing. Los madrileños, que cuentan con el apoyo de Yamaha y corren con dicha moto japonesa, forman un duopolio con el catalán que reina en esta categoría de soporte.

    La siguiente carrera de Stock es en Montmeló, donde se disputará la ronda de Barcelona-Catalunya. Y puede ser la más importante de la carrera del joven de Les Cases d’Alcanar, ya que el #11 depende de si mismo para conquistar el título con una carrera de antelación.

    García lidera el campeonato con 80 puntos, y para no tener que disputarse el campeonato en Valencia, tiene que sumar un punto más que el húngaro Tibor Erik Varga (56) y no perder más de cinco puntos con el italiano Jacopo Cretaro (49).

    Posibilidades más remotas tiene Blai Trias (42,5), que tiene que sumar 12,5 puntos más que Iker García para seguir en la pelea. Álvaro Fuertes (39) y Rubén Romero (35,5) le tendrían que recortar al líder 16 y 19,5 puntos respectivamente, mientras que a Archie Bob McDonald solo le vale con arañarle 21 puntos a Iker García. Alberto García tendría que recortarle a este último 24, mientras que a Filippo Fuligni y a Joan Díaz solo les sirven los 25 puntos de la victoria y un 0 del líder.

    En todo caso, parece que, con un liderato de 24 puntos a gestionar durante dos rondas, el piloto de 21 años es el favorito para llevarse la categoría a casa. Iker García comenzó el año a lo grande en Estoril, donde supo aprovechar una increíble “pole position” para llevarse la carrera por una gran ventaja de 4,5 segundos con el expiloto de Moto2 Borja Gómez (Honda Laglisse), tristemente fallecido en Magny-Cours.

    García supo minimizar perdidas en el campeonato en Jerez, donde empezó y terminó quinto en una carrera que fue ganada por el entonces líder Gómez. El mes siguiente, en una ronda francesa desafortunadamente marcada por el trágico accidente del murciano, Iker García fue el más rápido en la clasificación y completó el podio en tercer puesto por detrás de Piero Francesco Venturini (AC Racing) y de Tibor Varga (IUM).

    Otro sólido quinto en Aragón catapultó el #11 al liderato, aventajando en el campeonato a sus rivales Varga (3º en carrera) y Cretaro (SF Racing), ganador de esta. En la Emilia-Romagna vino una actuación magistral que le alejaba de sus perseguidores: una victoria apretada en la que aventajó a su compañero Alberto García por solamente cuatro décimas.

    Y aunque hay mucho trabajo hecho, a Iker García le falta el colofón. ¿Conseguirá en Montmeló llevarse el campeonato de Stock de FIM Junior GP? Lo sabremos el 2 de noviembre.

  • Rovanperä confirms F2 adventure in 2027

    “Kalle Rovanperä during Rally Sweden 2020”
    Image ( https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87242923 ) by Cal1 ( https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Cal1&action=edit&redlink=1 )– own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons ) Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en ) license.

    2022 and 2023 WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä has announced he will be leaving the pinnacle of rallying after the season end in Saudi Arabia. His destination? Next year, Super Formula. In 2027, Formula 2.

    The Finn’s announcement comes as a sudden shock for both fans of rallying and formula racing. Whilst, in recent years, experienced and successful F1 drivers such as Kimi Räikkönen, Robert Kubica and 2020 Rally Dakar “Rookie of the Year” Fernando Alonso have dipped their toes into rallies, it has not been as widespread the other way around. Sébastien Loeb is the only driver to have been rumoured to make the big switch. The WRC legend tested both the Renault R27 and the Red Bull RB4 and was seriously linked, as confirmed by himself, to a race drive in 2009 for Toro Rosso.

    Rovanperä, however, will apparently take the feeder series route to a possible place in the pinnacle of motorsport. Raymond Blancafort of Soy Motor indicates that the driver of Latvian descent has “Formula 1 as his objective”, which is only logical considering his unusual switch to FIA Formula 2. He will start the 2027 season at 26 years of age and will end it at 27, something uncommon in non-pay drivers. This is also the earliest ever announcement of a driver of the category since its inception in 2017.

    In an X video titled “New Chapter”, he also explains that he will be continuing to develop his career with the support of Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) in Super Formula. Rovanperä has become synonymous with the Japanese team, as he has driven with them in WRC for the last six seasons, winning two titles which could possibly become three this year. The trailer also insinuates he will be driving for Hitech-TGR when he makes the full switch to F1 feeders in F2, something logical considering the aforementioned links.

    It remains to be seen whether Haas, who has been partnered with Toyota since 2024, has the Jyväskylä-born driver in their plans for the 2028 Formula 1 season. And whilst the ties seem logical, it is, for now, nothing but speculation.

  • The comeback of Rudolf Caracciola

    The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W194 was the sportscar model driven by Rudolf Caracciola in the two major 1952 races he participated in.

    “Mercedes 300 SL W194 at RMMR 2022” by Prova MO is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Few words can describe how immense the accomplishments of Rudolf Caracciola were. Many people talk about Formula 1, but it didn’t just appear out of thin air in 1950 with the likes of more memorable heroes such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari or Giuseppe Farina.

    The AIACR European Championship, a precursor of today’s Formula 1, held six full seasons, three of which were won by “Caratsch”: the most out of any driver. The German of Italian descent, who also held Swiss citizenship but never raced under said flag, also finished an honourable third with Alfa Romeo in 1932. These achievements undoubtedly make him one of, if not the best, driver of the pre-F1 era. And whilst his prime time, cut short by World War II, was quite obviously before the 50’s, few people remember his short-lived and not-so-successful comeback, which was somewhat involved with “modern” Formula 1.

    Long past his best years and already aged 51, Rudolf Caracciola decided to compete in a support race that was “part” of the 1952 Swiss Formula 1 Grand Prix event. It was not F1 itself, not quite, but a sportscar race of that level after a comeback from a serious leg injury was nothing short of impressive. Make no mistake, the “Rain Master”, as he was called during his winning days, had nothing to prove. Long before the births of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, he had become synonymous with Mercedes and was, back then, the most successful Grand Prix car driver of all time.

    Whilst the Formula 1 Swiss Grand Prix was won by Ferrari’s Piero Taruffi, the “Prix de Bremgarten for Sportscars”, named after the Bremgarten Circuit it was held at, was not short of stars. One of his Mercedes team-mates was Hermann Lang; 3rd place in the 1937 and 1938 European Championship seasons and now officially an F1 driver. His other two team-mates, Fritz Riess and Karl Kling, also had the honour of having participated in the top class, the former of which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Lang himself later that year. Bonetto at Lancia, Biondetti at Jaguar, Duke and Parnell at Aston Martin and F1 race winner Luigi Fagioli at Lancia also participated in the race.

    The “Silver Arrow” driven by Rudolf Caracciola was none other than the legendary Mercedes-Benz W194 300 SL. Caracciola had fond memories of the car, as he and navigator Paul Kurrle had managed a 4th place at Automobile Club di Brescia’s Millie Miglia two weeks prior in that same machinery, in what was Caracciola’s. first major race post-comeback.

    In Bern, however, Swiss Sportscar Champion and home hero Willie Daetwyler of Ferrari took pole position in qualifying ahead of Kling (2nd) and Caracciola (3rd). “Caratsch” managed to outqualify team-mates Lang (4th) and Reiss (11th), although with the latter’s unique disadvantage of having to handle a previously unraced car.

    Three of the Mercedes-Benz W1940 300 SL cars ended on the podium. Karl Kling was the winner of the race, whilst Hermann Lang (who also took fastest lap) and Fritz Riess would accompany him in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Sadly for Caracciola, the brakes on car #005 suffered a critical failure which meant the German would end up colliding against a tree. Whilst he survived, the injuries from another dangerous crash were, this time, career-ending. A wheelchair and a walking stick would accompany the Remagen-born champion, from that point onwards a Mercedes-Benz salesman, until his death of liver failure at 58.

  • FIA F3’s Rodin sign Brando Badoer for 2026

    “FIA F3 Imola 2025 Badoer” by Jen_ross83 is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

    “We’re delighted to welcome Brando to Rodin Motorsport for FIA F3 in 2026”. Those were the words with which Benn Huntingford, Sporting Director of the team, announced via Rodin’s official Instagram page that Badoer will be continuing his FIA F3 adventure with a different outfit compared to this year.

    The 19-year-old, who drove for the fellow Italians of Prema Racing in 2025, had a difficult year in the #1 car. His final place in the standings of 25th with only 13 points, especially compared to team-mates Noel León at 17th with 36 points and Ugo Ugochukwu at 16th with 43, will be something he surely hopes to revert for 2026.

    Whilst listing reasons for this second opportunity, Huntingford declared that Badoer had “shown great speed and maturity” and that he is “confident he’ll make a strong impact with the team”. A 5th place finish in his only ever FRECA season in 2024 does give some sense to Benn’s words on the speed of the Montebelluna-born driver, but his involvement in more than a couple of incidents in this year’s FIA F3 campaign also shows he needs to improve his racecraft maturity to one day hopefully reach the heights achieved by his father and former Formula 1 driver Luca Badoer.

    Despite a weaker year, he seemingly still has the support of the McLaren Driver Development Programme alongside prominent youngsters such as Norway’s Martinius Stenshorne, Ireland’s Alexander Dunne, and the aforementioned American Ugochukwu. The Italian will surely want to follow the footsteps of the first two, who have both made it to the silver lining of Formula 2 thus far.

    On the other side of the 2026 Badoer-Rodin partnership, the New Zealanders have had a decent year in 2025 at 6th, one position and 36 points ahead of Prema at 5th. Monza Sprint winner Roman Bilinski was Rodin’s highest-placed driver in the championship at 11th, whilst Callum Voisin (14th) and Louis Sharp (26th) completed the line-up of the British-based team. Brando Badoer becomes the 9th driver (and the first for Rodin) to be confirmed to be competing in the 2026 FIA F3 championship. AIX Racing have already announced their full line-up, which will consist of returning drivers Fernando Barrichello and Brad Benavides, as well as newcomer Yevan David. Freddie Slater and Matteo De Palo will be two of Trident’s drivers, whilst Mattia Colnaghi and Alessandro Giusti will race for MP Motorsport. Jesse Carrasquedo Jr. will enter next year with Van Amersfoort Racing and, after the Badoer-Rodin announcement, Campos Racing also confirmed the signing of France’s Théophile Naël.

  • What is F2 looking like for 2026?

    This image was originally posted to Flickr by Jen_ross83 at https://flickr.com/photos/69527563@N05/43025503924 (archive). It was reviewed on 6 January 2019 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

    With Formula 2 heading to Azerbaijan for its twelfth round of the season, this weekend marks the third to last time we will be seeing the silver division in 2025. And whilst the championship is far from over, many have been setting their sights on the following year.

    MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor, who sits at 3rd and is 30 points off leader Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta), has confirmed his departure from F2 regardless of him clinching the title or not. The Dutchman, now in his 5th (4th complete) season, is the veteran of the category and has stated to Formula Scout’s Jacob Awcock that 2025 will be his “last season for sure”.

    Another confirmed departure is the champion’s. The Formula 2 title holder has always been required to leave the category the following year, and this year will be no exception. Whilst Verschoor is already out for 2026, one of the title challengers will have to follow suit. It seems like this honour might be fought for by only two drivers however, as Fornaroli and Hitech’s Luke Browning (1st and 2nd with 174 and 153 points respectively) outscore outsiders like the Dutchman (3rd, 144 points), DAMS’ Jak Crawford (4th, 137 points) and Rodin’s Alex Dunne (5th, 124 points) by quite a big margin at this late stage. The only way that all of the youngsters mentioned in this paragraph feature in next year’s grid is for Verschoor to finally win the whole thing.

    Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov, recently crowned Formula 3 vice-champion, has made the step up to Formula 2 for next year and is the second officially confirmed driver after AIX’s Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. It is yet to be seen who will partner Alonso’s protégé at Campos, however, as rumours surround three of the four Red Bull-controlled seats in Formula 1.

    Auto Hebdo reports that there are “little doubts” that Isack Hadjar will join Red Bull in 2026, leaving a vacant seat at Racing Bulls. Whilst one of them would be occupied by one of Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda however, the other could very well be taken by current Campos F2 driver Arvid Lindblad. The French outlet reports that the Brit making the big jump to Formula 1 is a “very high possibility”.

    This would come at the cost of fellow Red Bull junior and Campos team-mate Pepe Martí. The Spaniard, currently an outsider for the title at 6th with 112 points, is the other confirmed departure for 2026. Martí confirmed to Cadena COPE that this is his last season in the category, stating that he doesn’t “consider a third year in F2”. With his signing as Cupra ambassador confirmed, the Cupra Kiro Formula E rumours seem logical. As for who will replace him at the Spanish F2 team (if not Tsolov himself if Lindblad stays), Campos’ link to Red Bull does also spark rumours of a Tim Tramnitz jump to F2 with the Valencians.

    Aston Martin junior Mari Boya, who just finished his 2025 Formula 3 campaign with Campos, has announced he has left the team. Whilst it would make sense that the third-placed driver of last year’s F3 season makes the jump to Formula 2, it is not confirmed yet if he will do so. Whether he makes that logical step or not, the Campos-Boya link will not continue in 2026.

    The predictable signing of 2025 Formula 3 champion Rafael Câmara to the silver division was confirmed by himself immediately after his mathematical clinching of the title at the Hungaroring. And, although a team for the Ferrari junior is yet to be announced, recent F2 juggernaut Invicta (as reported by outlets such as Fórmula BR) seems like the logical choice for somebody who will surely be in title contention for 2026.

    The shock move is, however, quite obviously, Colton Herta’s. The Californian, who was IndyCar’s vice-champion in 2024 and is one of the stars of the American category, has been confirmed by Cadillac F1 as their first ever reserve driver and part of the 2026 Formula 2 grid. A future first team seat has been speculated by everyone including Formula 1 themselves, but not before at least going through the silver division.

    Whether or not he will replace either Sergio Pérez or Valtteri Bottas in 2027 however, will surely somewhat depend on the F2 team Cadillac chooses to partner with. A deal with the historic Prema, who has recently been on a bit of a downwards spiral, seems to be “confirmed” according to English journalist Bobby Parsons. However, this choice of machinery might not be the most effective for someone who surely hopes to conquer Formula 2 after following this unusual path from IndyCar.

    And whilst the Toyota link does seem to put Ritomo Miyata (currently at ART) closer to a Hitech seat, there have been no more credible or consistent rumours surrounding transfers for the following season of Formula 2. Whatever happens at the Baku City Circuit, however, will surely impact it.   

  • F1 swan songs: Giuseppe Farina

    The 1956 Ferrari-powered Kurtis Kraft 500D, entered as Bardahl-Ferrari, was the last car Farina ever raced in a Formula 1 Grand Prix

    This file (“Français : Ferrari Kurtis Kraft Bardahl Special”, 2020) is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: MaxPast

    As Formula 1’s first ever World Champion, Giuseppe Farina’s “lasts” are rarely ever remembered. But what if we told you the Italian’s last ever F1 race was as unconventional as it was unspectacular?

    After his 1954 F1 season ended early due to persistent pain caused by injury, “Nino” was ready to compete in the 1955 edition of the 500-Mile International Sweepstakes, nowadays called the Indianapolis 500 and part of the IndyCar Series calendar. But what does this have to do with Formula 1, you may ask? What some may not know is that the Indy 500 was part of the World Drivers’ Championship from its start in 1950 until 1960, and, therefore, was, technically speaking, Farina’s last F1 Grand Prix entry, and not the 1954 Italian GP.

    What is also unimaginable nowadays is Ferrari entering the so-called “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. And whilst this technically also just happened once, when Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari 375 Indianapolis came in 31st place in 1952, Farina did enter the 1956 edition with a Bardahl-Ferrari. The car, a (now) classic Kurtis Kraft chassis, received its name from its Ferrari six-cylinder engine and its sponsorship from motor oil additive brand Bardahl.

    Despite the big names of the Italian giants accompanying car #9’s entry, actually qualifying for the race was proving to be a hard challenge. If the legendary Farina had an Achilles heel, it was the 500, as he failed to qualify in the first two time trials of May 19th and May 20th. The prize he had cherished and hoped for, pole position, was occupied by eventual winner, American Pat Flaherty.

    May 26th proved to be another unfortunate day for the Turin-born driver, as the rain forced the cancellation of the third session of time trials. On his final opportunity, May 27th, Farina officially failed to qualify for the 1956 Indianapolis 500 due to a lack of speed, and therefore officially ended a Formula 1 career he can be proud of.

    The Italian did not know this at the time, however, as he returned one year later to the USAC-sanctioned event with an entry alongside teammate and home hero Keith Andrews. The car, simply named “Farina”, was another Kurtis Kraft chassis, but was powered by Offenhauser this time around. However, car #62 never even attempted to qualify, as “Nino” withdrew after Andrews was killed during a test run on May 15th and Farina officially never participated.

    The 1956 Indy 500 was, therefore, the former Alfa Romeo driver’s last ever major race. He passed away himself, after a decade away from racing, in 1966, due to a car crash unrelated directly to motorsports.

  • The last 4 F1 drivers to have debuted at Monza

    The Autodromo Nazionale Monza, home to the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix every year since 1950 (with the exception of the 1980 Imola edition), is one of, if not the, most iconic track in motorsport history. From incredible wins by legends such as Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher to being the title decider to World Championships won by Giuseppe Farina in 1950 and Jack Brabham in 1960, Monza is host of some of the most emblematic moments in F1 history, with every fan surely looking forward to another show of high-end racing in Lombardy this week.

    And whilst Argentina hasn’t had an Italian GP winner since Juan Manuel Fangio (Mercedes) in 1955, many recent fans from the South American country may remember Monza fondly because of Franco Colapinto’s F1 debut there last year. Since the Italian GP has never been the season opener, there hasn’t been that many debuts if we compare to other iconic curtain lifters like Australia’s Melbourne, Bahrain’s Sakhir or Brazil’s Interlagos and Jacarepaguá. However, intra-seasonal driver changes open the possibilities to make a list of the last few drivers to have ever debuted at Monza.

    4. Tomáš Enge – 2001 Italian GP (Prost GP)

    A serious crash between Prost GP’s Luciano Burti and Jaguar’s Eddie Irvine at the 2001 Belgian GP meant the former suffered some severe injuries that forced him to miss the rest of the season. Formula 3000 title challenger Tomáš Enge made the step up from Coca-Cola Nordic Racing to become the first ever Czech F1 driver at the 2001 Italian GP.

    A while was going to be needed to get somewhat used to the backmarker car, however, as the Liberec-born driver spun at the Ascari corner and failed to make a good first impression in practice. A rookie and a struggling car proved not to be the best combo, as Enge qualified in 20th (out of the then 22-car-grid), just ahead of the two Minardis, bottom of the barrel. Team-mate and 1997 vice-champion Heinz-Harald Frentzen however, qualified a respectable 12th.

    The eventual 24 Hours of Le Mans winner did what he could with a car that was, as well as incredibly slow, mechanically faulty during the weekend. A 12th position, one lap behind Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams, was all he could possibly manage in what was arguably the second worst car.

    Whilst Enge finished the season, Prost GP’s bankruptcy in early 2002 meant that the 2001 Japanese GP was the last ever F1 race for both the Czech driver and the French team.

    3. Alex Yoong – 2001 Italian GP (Minardi)

    Another debutant at the same Grand Prix, and for another backmarker. Malaysian Alex Yoong, also the first driver to ever compete for his country, replaced the departing Brazilian Tarso Marques after the latter offered less money to drive the Minardi.

    And so, immediately, Yoong got acquitted with the typical Minardi experience. Mechanical problems meant the driver of Chinese descent struggled throughout all practice sessions, including the third where he even failed to set a time.

    Things would get even worse in qualifying, as both him and team-mate Fernando Alonso would suffer from terminal gearbox failures. Sharing the spare car, a rule that was allowed at the time, was all Yoong could do to get a lap in. Nevertheless, his time of 1:27.463, which was 5.2 seconds off pole and 1.2 off the Spaniard (21st), meant he would narrowly avoid the 107% turmoil and start in 22nd.

    His race would be as chaotic as the preceding events however, as he contacted with the Benetton of Jenson Button on the starting lap. The damage contributed to his first big mistake. A spin at Curva di Lesmo meant his race was close to ending as he almost contacted with the lapping cars of Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) and Montoya. Another spin sealed the deal. This was his last spin of the race, as his Minardi PS01 remained stalled in the Monza gravel and the Kuala Lumpur-born driver was forced to retire.

    Alex Yoong would also finish the season and would manage to race in most Grands Prix of 2002, also with the Italian team. That year’s Japanese round, however, was his last ever, as the now Cosworth-powered constructor chose to field Jos Verstappen and Justin Wilson to start the 2003 season.

    While it is expected that the pay driver, especially in the early 2000s, gets the backmarker seat, and that hardly anybody will remember Alex Yoong as the pinnacle of talent gone to waste, it could be said that he faired relatively well, all things considered. His promise largely kept of “don’t crash the car”, as well as the tricky situation of driving unforgiving machinery and partnering future race winner Mark Webber in 2002, and, of course, the all-mighty eventual two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso in 2001, should cut him some slack when compared to some of his fellow pay drivers of the era. After all, no awful driver gets two top 10s in a Minardi.

    2. Nyck de Vries – 2022 Italian GP (Williams)

    Nyck de Vries actually started his 2022 Italian GP weekend at Aston Martin, replacing four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel during one of the obligatory rookie FP1 sessions. However, the appendicitis suffered by Alexander Albon of Williams meant all eyes turned to the Dutchman, who was also Williams’ test driver. De Vries, whose potential F1 career had been considered a long shot away due to his age (27 as a rookie), finally got his opportunity after test drives at the Grove-based outfit and Mercedes.

    With two practice sessions under the belt with Williams, the Formula E graduate managed to qualify 8th for the grid, partially thanks to many driver power unit penalties, quite common at Monza. Team-mate Nicholas Latifi, already on the verge of a sacking that came true at the end of the season, qualified 10th.

    On Sunday, an incident-free race and a steady rhythm by taking advantage of Williams FW44’s great straight-line speed meant the driver of Indonesian descent obtained his first ever two points by finishing 9th, as compared to Latifi’s P15 finish.

    His change of stock value was impressive, as he ended up in the 2023 Alpha Tauri seat ahead of race winner Daniel Ricciardo. Once the British Grand Prix was done and dusted, however, so was his decent, albeit short F1 career.

    1. Franco Colapinto – 2024 Italian GP (Williams)

    Franco Colapinto is the only driver of the current grid that made his debut at Monza and the second on this list to make it with Williams. The Argentine made his first F1 start by replacing departing Logan Sargeant at the Grove-based outfit after another no-points finish at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort.

    Whilst an unimpressive 18th place in qualifying didn’t set expectations on fire for driver of Ukrainian descent, a respectable P12 in the race whilst keeping out of trouble meant another driver was, once again, upping his stock because of a stand-in race in Monza, in a Williams. Despite some crashes in the latter parts of the season, Colapinto came back to the grid after his last Williams race in Abu Dhabi 2024 when he replaced Australian Jack Doohan at Alpine for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. And whilst rumours of a sacking always seem to loom the drivers of the French team, he has proved to be, whilst not a stand-out talent, a somewhat solid, yet replaceable, member of the premier class.