NEWS ROUND-UP
Mclaren woes in rear-view mirror
Mclaren Racing boss Zak Brown says that “the bad news is behind us now” after the firm’s coronavirus-related financial struggles in the first half of the year. The Wokingbased Mclaren Group laid off hundreds of staff and has been looking for additional funding, but Brown said the Formula 1 team is now “financially healthy” and aided by a “better business model” being adopted by the sport in the future.
Ticktum takes his first Formula 2 win
Williams F1 junior Dan Ticktum said his first Formula 2 race win at Silverstone proved that Red Bull’s “doubts in me were wrong”. The British racer was dropped from the drinks firm’s driver development scheme at the end of last season.
BTCC keeps Infiniti flag flying in the UK
Infiniti may have withdrawn from the UK, but that didn’t stop it from becoming the latest marque to win a British Touring Car Championship race. Ash Sutton took victory in his privately run BMR Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50 in the Donington Park seasonopener, making Infiniti the 28th brand to win a BTCC race.
WRC makes moves to add Belgian round
The Ypres Rally is set to be added to this year’s World Rally Championship calendar, after series organisers shifted the Turkish event forward a week from its planned 25-27 September date. This will allow the Belgian rally to be added to the calendar on 2-4 October.
Racing Point penalised for copying Mercedes
The Racing Point F1 team has been reprimanded, fined €400,000 and docked 15 constructors’ championship points for running Mercedes-designed rear brake ducts. Rival Renault had lodged a series of protests against the car that has been popularly dubbed ‘the pink Mercedes’.
Virtual racer scores win for Button’s team
Esports racer James Baldwin took victory in his first real car racing event for Jenson Button’s team in the British GT season-opener at Oulton Park. Baldwin won his seat alongside Michael O’brien in the Jenson Team Rocket JLN Mclaren 720S after winning The World’s Fastest Gamer contest. Adam Balon and Phil Keene won the second race in a Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán.