Thomas Laudenbach’s Post

This past weekend marked the 62nd annual running of the ROLEX 24H of Daytona: the IMSA - International Motor Sports Association season opener which brings together of 222 of the world's best drivers to battle it out on the track for 24 hours straight - all with the goal of bringing home one of racing's most iconic trophies, a specially engraved Rolex Daytona. IMSA is a distinctive season for many reasons, but the Rolex 24H is a one-of-a-kind event, as drivers from across series - Formula 1, INDYCAR, NASCAR, FIA World Endurance Championship and more - are able race against each other in one venue, in one weekend. That's something you can't find much of anywhere else. While a record-breaking 50,000+ fans showed up to the Daytona International Speedway to watch the race and even more tuned in online to watch the event, IMSA is unlike many other racing series', and as such can be a steep learning curve for new fans. We put together a guide to help motorsport audiences get a grasp of what to look out for during the race, and the rest of the IMSA season: https://lnkd.in/ev8e7XTe This series is one of our favorites, but we can't hope to share it with the world if there's no easy way to learn. Check out the guide and tune in for the rest of the season 👇 #IMSA #endurancesport #rolex24h #rolex24hdaytona #motorsport #racing

Why the Monaco GP doesn’t suit F1 anymore 🤔 When we hear Formula 1, three things come to our mind (or at least mine): ✔ Michael Schumacher, ✔ Scuderia Ferrari and ✔ the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of F1’s most prestigious races and is part of the Triple Crown (Indianapolis 500, 24hr of Le Mans, Monaco Grand Prix). However, there are growing concerns over it now. The 2024 Monaco GP safe to say was boring. Following the first lap incident and the race restart, majority of the drivers did not pit. The only good part of the race was Leclerc and Ferrari’s win. There are many reasons over the growing concerns. One of the major ones being the size of the cars. The street circuit features narrow streets with close proximity to the barriers, adding this with the current dimensions of F1 cars, they are simply too big to race in Monaco. Another one being the track not allowing for high-speed racing for teams and cars to show their full potential. We’ve seen that with how Red Bull performed this year. This issue often leads to where the starting grid determines the finishing order. With the car sizes being too big and the track being very narrow, overtaking becomes really hard even with the help of DRS, diminishing the excitement of a proper race. While Monaco’s rich history and its unique charm aids it in being in the calendar, the future of it remains unknown with the debate happening as the sport progresses. #monacogp #formula1 #f1 Video : First Lap Incident Source : Formula Planet in Instagram

We need to talk about Nyck De Vries. Was he a missed opportunity for Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 Team or simply not cut out for Formula 1? Here’s a brief summary of his career: 👇 - Nyck spent three years in FIA Formula 2 and won the title in 2019 - Mercedes signed de Vries to their Formula E team while using him as the test driver for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team - After being crowned 2020 Formule E champion, Nyck was on the hunt for a permanent seat in Formula 1 - At the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, Williams Racing’s Alex Albon fell ill, and de Vries was substituted in. He would finish P9 and score points for in his debut race - AlphaTauri take interest in Nyck’s performance and sign him up for the 2023 season So it’s safe to say that de Vries didn’t follow the conventional path to F1. And by the time he had a permanent seat, he was already 28 years old. (For context, Max Verstappen is 26 and already a three-time world champion) In the customer Red Bull team, Nyck couldn’t replicate his one-off performance for Williams. In 10 race starts, de Vries went pointless and had a best finish of P12. Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull’s driver development programme, decided to sack de Vries and replace him with Daniel Ricciardo - not even half way through his rookie season. Nyck has since re-joined Formula E, signing for Mahindra Racing for the 2024 season. This behaviour isn’t uncommon for Red Bull. Driver swaps have happened on multiple occasions, with the likes of Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon all being promoted/demoted between the two Red Bull Racing & Red Bull Technology teams. But how do we feel about Nyck’s treatment? Was he underperforming or did AlphaTauri not give him enough of a chance? Let me know your thoughts below. 👇 P.S. was Daniel Ricciardo the best signing, or should Liam Lawson have been given a permanent seat? #Formula1 #FormulaE #Motorsports

This past weekend witnessed a thrilling bout of racing action take place around the globe, leaving us to provide you with a blockbuster edition of this week’s #MotorsportMonday First up, the latest instalment of the 2023 Formula 1 season was penned at the Japanese Grand Prix and the inevitable arrived: Red Bull confirmed their status as World Champions following a crushing weekend display by Max Verstappen. Taylor Powling, Graham Harris and Phillip Horton have your detailed reports while James Moy snapped the images. Elsewhere on the F1 front, Taylor Powling assesses the driver dynamic at Ferrari after Carlos Sainz’s superbly-managed Singapore victory. The latest Start Your Engines post also revolves around the premier single-seater class, reflecting on Red Bull’s relentless run to a sixth Constructors’ title success. Meanwhile, MotoGP™ conducted its maiden venture on Indian soil. Kyle Francis reviews the two-wheeled action, as Francesco Bagnaia once again encountered trouble. Back on European shores, DTM’s penultimate round was conducted at the popular Red Bull Ring venue in Austria. Phil Oakley and his team cover every angle. Looking ahead to next weekend, David Ledbitter offers you a preview of the World Rally Championship’s next outing in Chile. And, as always, we have all the usual news, views and stories in this week’s edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world! FREE to read here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eDgTgH3C #MotorsportNews #MotorsportUpdates #MotorsportInsights

The inaugural McLaren Trophy season will commence at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on June 2-4 with drivers competing for class titles and an overall championship prize of a drive in some of McLarens most influential cars including a coveted drive in the McLaren Solus GT. Launched in July last year, the McLaren Trophy is a racing championship designed to put the emphasis on ambitious amateur (Bronze) drivers and to nurture pro-am partnerships. It will showcase the Artura Trophy, a 585PS thoroughbred race car. Capable of lap times close to GT3 cars, it is based on the Artura GT4 and by making straightforward ECU and aerodynamic adjustments, drivers can also compete in GT4 competition with the same car. A separate 570S category will allow owners of the older 570S Trophy cars to compete on the same grid for class victories and championships. The McLaren Trophy is designed to put the amateur driver first and the Bronze-rated drivers will compete for the overall and 570S class championships. The overall champions will have the opportunity to drive the McLaren Solus GT – an ultra-lightweight, V10-powered single seat track-only car capable of more than 200mph and more than 1,200kg of downforce. The 570S Trophy category champions will win a VIP experience with McLaren Racing at a Grand Prix in 2024. Both prizes underline that McLaren Trophy drivers will be racing for McLaren. “After months of preparation there is huge anticipation for the inaugural McLaren Trophy race at Paul Ricard. The Artura has proven to be a highly competitive race car in GT4 specification and lap times at our recent season prologue have exceeded expectations, with the Bronze drivers able to exploit the car as predicted, following an extensive test and development programmed aimed at making the car as accessible as possible to both drivers and mechanics. Ahead of the opening round I wish all of our competitors a hugely fulfilling season and hope that they enjoy developing their driving skills and racecraft within the McLaren family.” Ian Morgan, Director of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive For full release: https://lnkd.in/eM5_CayM #McLarenCustomerRacing #McLaren #McLarenTrophy #Motorsport

The past weekend’s bout of racing action saw one title coronation materialise and another championship battle become even tighter at the top - and you can read all about it in the latest edition of our FREE digital magazine - #MotorsportMonday First up, the World Rally Championship headed to Chile, with TOYOTAGAZOORacing World Rally Team taking the Manufacturers’ crown. David Ledbitter provides a rundown from the three days of competition. From South America to the Far East, MotoGP™ encountered a washed out Sunday in Japan. However, that didn’t stop Jorge Martin from cutting Francesco Bagnaia’s title lead even further. Kyle Francis was on hand to report on the two-wheeled action at Motegi. There may have been no Formula 1 racing to document, but we have still plenty of content on the single-seater front this week. To begin with, Taylor Powling discusses Liam Lawson being denied a place on the 2024 grid in the latest Start Your Engines post, while he later reviews F1’s Japanese GP and the challenge now awaiting McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez endured a nightmare weekend at Suzuka, prompting Graham Harris to ponder what the future holds in F1 for the struggling Mexican. While on the all-electric side of matters, Nick Golding documents why Jaguar could emerge as the early favourites to clinch the Season 10 crown in Formula E. Elsewhere, across the pond, Kevin Dejewski wraps up the INDYCAR season by ranking his top 10 drivers from the 2023 campaign. And, as always, we have all the usual news, views and stories in this week's edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world! Read for FREE ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eUwUUQj4 #Motorsport #MotorsportNews #MotorsportUpdates #MotorsportInsights #F1 #FormulaE #IndyCar #WRC #MotoGP

This week’s edition of #MotorsportMonday begins with Formula 1 heading back Stateside. The Austin event was mixed up by the addition of the Sprint, but Max Verstappen ensured one constant remained at the Circuit of the Americas as he claimed another victory. Taylor Powling, Graham Harris and Phillip Horton report while James Moy snapped the images. Next up, MotoGP™ went Down Under to Phillip Island for the Australian Grand Prix, where a Sunday forecast of extreme weather conditions brought the grand prix forward to Saturday at the expense of the Sprint. Kyle Francis reviews the four-wheeled action. Elsewhere, the DTM campaign concluded at the Hockenheimring on Sunday as a new champion was crowned. Phil Oakley and Mohammed R. document the season finale. And on the feature side of things, this week’s Start Your Engines post sees Dan Lawrence look at why F1’s Sprint format failed to make the anticipated buzz on American soil. Meanwhile, Taylor Powling looks back at Charles Leclerc’s most memorable moments in red as the Monegasque driver hit the century mark for F1 starts with Ferrari.Finally, Nick Golding looks ahead to the upcoming Formula E and the driver line-ups selected by the teams for 2023-24. And, as always, we have all the usual news, views and stories in this week's edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world! Read your FREE copy via the link ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7fb6HAH #MotorsportNews #MotorsportUpdates #MotorsportInsights #MotorsportPhotography

Our favourite races from F1's turbo hybrid era https://lnkd.in/e5-Muuce Hard to believe, but today (March 16) marks the 10th anniversary of the first grand prix of the 1.6-litre V6 turbo-hybrid era. It proved to be an inauspicious beginning as there were five power unit-related retirements at the curtain-raising event in Australia, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, and newly-crowned four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull among the early casualties. Mercedes, though, went on to dominate for eight seasons, since when they have been usurped by Red Bull and Max Verstappen over the past three years following the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations at the start of 2022. Without a doubt, though, there have been some great races over the years. From the 206 grands prix to date, we have selected a few highlights. As for you, our loyal readers, what have been your favourites? Please let us know in the comments section below the article (...).

"🏁 Breaking News: Adrian Newey's Exit from Red Bull Racing! What's Next for F1's Legendary Designer? 🏎️ The Formula 1 world is buzzing with the recent announcement of Adrian Newey's departure from Red Bull Racing, marking the end of an era for one of the sport's most iconic figures. As the mastermind behind some of Red Bull's most dominant years on the track, Newey's departure leaves many wondering about the future of the team and the impact on the rest of the season. Regarded by many as the greatest designer in the history of Formula 1, Adrian Newey's innovative designs and engineering brilliance have reshaped the landscape of motorsport. His contributions to Red Bull's success are immeasurable, with multiple championship-winning cars bearing his signature touch. With rumors swirling that Ferrari is the hot favourite to sign Newey, the question arises: What will this mean for Red Bull Racing moving forward? Will the team be able to maintain its competitive edge without the guiding hand of their design genius? While Newey's departure undoubtedly leaves big shoes to fill, Team Red Bull has proven time and again its ability to adapt and innovate in the face of change. With a talented roster of engineers and drivers, as well as the resources of a powerhouse team, there's no doubt that Red Bull Racing will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the grid. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Red Bull Racing to see how they navigate this transition and whether they can maintain their dominance in the constructors' championship race. What are your thoughts on Adrian Newey's exit from Red Bull Racing? How do you think this will impact the rest of the season? #Formula1 #AdrianNewey #RedBullRacing #Ferrari #Motorsport #EngineeringGenius"

AO Racing’s Seb Priaulx anticipates a challenging #Sahlens6HRS for their #77 Porsche 911 GT3.R despite taking two consecutive victories in the past two IMSA - International Motor Sports Association races. Read more ⤵️ #IMSA #Porsche #WatkinsGlen #Motorsport #Endurance #Racing #Sportscars