Yas Marina ‘trying to address feedback from fans’ with track changes · RaceFans

In brief

Driver feedback and fan response key to changes at Yas Marina

Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management deputy CEO Saif Al Noaimi discussed the changes being made to the Yas Marina in yesterday’s Blackbook Motorsport Virtual Conference.

Three areas of the track are being extensively overhauled ahead of this year’s season-closing grand prix.

“We wanted to look at an evolution of the racetrack, look at ways in which we can enhance the on-track racing and the excitement for the drivers and for the fans,” explained Al Noaimi. “We’re currently going through the the first real changes to the track since it was it was initially built.

“Essentially it’s taking feedback from the drivers, the teams, but most importantly, from the fans and the spectators and trying to address some of their feedback.”

Abu Dhabi held F1’s most recent final-round championship shown in 2016 and Al Noaimi said they are hoping the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen goes the distance again this year.

“We’re really excited to to have the new track ready ahead of this year’s grand prix. And we’re hoping for some close wheel to wheel racing and also hoping for a championship decider.”

Frederick to miss Spa F3 round

Frederick had been in an intense recovery process, following an injury to his hand during race two in Austria which had already seen him sit out races in Hungary. Having now tested positive for COVID-19, Carlin announced that Frederick will once again miss out on the Belgian F3 round, and the team will only run two cars.

“I’m absolutely heartbroken,” said Ferederick. “Aside from being painful, the injury in Austria was such a blow as it meant I would miss Hungary. Thinking about being back for Spa really helped push me through the surgery and physio, all of which was designed to accelerate my recovery.

“To now have tested positive for Covid-19 is just agonising. I don’t feel too bad, so I’ll just be sitting at home, but it will be awful to see everyone out in Spa without me.”

Charouz replace two-thirds of F3 line-up

There will be two other changes on the F3 grid this weekend, both at Charouz. The team has replaced Enzo Fittipaldi and Reshad de Gerus with Hunter Yeany and Zdenek Chovanec for the Belgian round of Formula 3.

The 16-year-old Yeany, reigning American F4 champion, will see out the season with the Czech outfit. Chovanec has raced in Italian and UAE F4, but like Yeany has never raced in an F3-spec series before.

Charouz are currently third in the F3 teams’ championship, with their 60-point haul earned by remaining driver Logan Sargeant, on 35 and Fittipaldi, who had scored 25 at the halfway point in the season. Sargeant is currently 13th in the championship, Fittipaldi 14th.

Electric lap record broken at Zolder

ERA Championship, a new, all-electric junior series focussed on both engineering and driver development, have used their championship car to set a new lap record for cars of the type around Zolder.

Driven by Xavier Maassen, who held the previous electric record around the former home of the Belgian Grand Prix, the F4-style ‘Mitsu-Bachi’ set a 1’38.81, shattering the four-year-old former record by 3.8 seconds.

ERA Championship will hold its inaugural season in 2022, having been in development since 2019.

Powell: W Series podium representation important to encourage LGBT community in racing

W Series title contender Alice Powell said standing on the series’ first podium of the year alongside openly gay racer Sarah Moore was “a real standout moment and hopefully for many young people to have seen Sarah on the podium.”

Powell said the visibility of Moore’s success – the first ‘out’ driver to stand on a podium over a grand prix weekend – was key to encouraging more LGBT racers. “She managed to get some great pictures with the pride flag as well, her trophy, and blasted them out all on social media.

“I hope that just gives a lot of young people encouragement and belief that they can go out there and achieve their dreams. I think it’s a shame that it has to take someone to do this, to stand on the podium for people to believe, they should be able to believe anyway. It’s really important that we really try and showcase these special moments.”

Social media

Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:

From Robin Miller’s wonderful, loving sister Diane – pic.twitter.com/CZ2m2LlpEc

— Steve H. Shunck (@SHUNCK)

Twitter

Motor sport journalism – the US scene in particular – has lost a true one-off with Robin Miller succumbing to cancer. Never afraid to say it like it is. The weak-kneed Indianapolis Star fired him for his stance on the ruinous Indycar split. Respected by racers who mattered. RIP

— Maurice Hamilton (@MauriceHamilton)

Twitter

We love you, and we’ll miss you.

Robin Miller has died at the age of 71. pic.twitter.com/O8nG7UeYqj

— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC)

Twitter

I am deeply saddened today. Robin told me that Saturday before last (at Indy) was the best day of his life. Always a friend to me, swapping stories and respect, I still have his way-too-big gloves in my locker in the race trailer he gave me at a very cold Indy test. https://t.co/k58F9UZyZx

— Cara Adams (@Cara_Adams)

Twitter

30 years to the day since @schumacher made his @F1 debut, the trailer for the forthcoming film about the seven-times world champion has been released.pic.twitter.com/QCbHP7mNd2#F1 #BelgianGP

— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet)

Twitter

Links

Motor racing links of interest:

Sato warns ‘time is ticking’ for compatriot Tsunoda (Speedcafe)

“Sato: ‘He shows tremendous speed and he just needs a little bit more experience and (be) a little bit more comfortable in the car, then I think the results will just come eventually. But the time is ticking for the Red Bull family, he doesn’t have a long working time.'”

Christopher Meloni and Lewis Hamilton Share a Drive for Perfection (W Magazine)

“Hamilton: ‘It is a difficult sport for people to tune in to because, of course, we all played basketball, football. We can all go and do that, you know? We can all try it at least, but not many people get to try driving a foreign car. Maybe you can do go-karting, but that man and machine synergy that’s needed, I appreciate that you noticed that. Because I don’t know if anyone does.'”

Amazon is helping Formula 1 preserve its history with colossal video archive (TechRadar)

“Over the years, the quantity and quality of the video footage captured at races has also risen sharply, creating capacity issues. In the 1970s, just a few reels of film were shot at each race, but the latest grand prix are captured from tens of different angles (including shots from the cockpit of each driver) and often at 4K resolution. For context, a single hour of 4K footage takes up hundreds of gigabytes of storage space.”

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