CAR NEWS

Weather: cloudy, 16.9-.18.2°C air, 26.6-30.7°C track

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG disclosed that racing today was never going to be easy given yesterday’s tragic circumstances. Anthoine was one of my drivers in F3 and the minute of silence we observed for him today was quite an emotional moment. My thoughts go out to his family, while at the same time I hope for a quick recovery for our Sauber Junior driver Juan Manuel. As for the race, it was an afternoon to forget: Kimi’s race was over within a few hundred metres from the start, when he was hit by Max Verstappen in a very optimistic move, and Antonio missed out on some good points with an accident in the last lap.

When tragedies such as the one that took Anthoine Hubert happen, everything else loses relevance. Today we raced to honour the memory of the young Frenchman: it wasn’t a lucky race for us and we leave Spa-Francorchamps empty-handed despite lots of potential. Today, however, it wasn’t the final result that mattered.

Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):

Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)

Result: 16th

Fastest lap: 1:48.753

Tyres: Softs (1 lap) – Medium (30 laps)

“UNFORTUNATELY MY RACE WAS ALREADY OVER IN TURN ONE. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN AS BOTTAS WAS AT THE OUTSIDE AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW I GET HIT AND I’M ON TWO WHEELS. AFTERWARDS IT WAS NEARLY POINTLESS TO STAY OUT AS THERE WAS A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE FLOOR BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN SO WE DID THE WHOLE DISTANCE. REALLY A SHAME AS WE HAD A STRONG CAR TODAY.”-

Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):

Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 01/Ferrari)

Result: (DNF) 18th 

Fastest lap: 1:47.560

Tyres: Medium (29 laps) – Softs (15 laps)

“THE CAR HAS BEEN REALLY STRONG TODAY AND THEREFORE IT’S EVEN MORE DISAPPOINTING NOT TO FINISH THE RACE WITH AN ACCIDENT IN THE LAST LAP. OUR STRATEGY WAS GREAT AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE POINTS AND FOR THIS I FEEL SORRY FOR EVERYONE IN THE TEAM, BUT I GUESS THAT’S RACING.”

Tragic death of Athoine Hubert – Renault Sport Racing is shattered at the loss of one of its liveliest young talents, Anthoine Hubert, who passed away today at 6:45 p.m. local time following an accident comprising of numerous cars at Circuit Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. The 22-year-old Frenchman was competing for BWT-Arden in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Anthoine Hubert was a member of the Renault Sport Academy and raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the final ladder to F1. As reigning GP3 champion and member of the Equipe de France, FFSA (French Federation of Motorsport), Anthoine was a huge talent who also brought unlimited energy and positivity to his championship, his teams and the Renault Sport Academy.

Anthoine Hubert’s smile and sunny personality lit up our formidable group of young drivers, who had formed tight and enduring bonds. His great results in Formula 2 this season, including triumphs on home soil in Monaco and France, inspired not just the other recruits but also the wider Renault Sport Racing group.

“OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH ANTHOINE’S FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT THIS TRAGIC TIME. ANTHOINE WAS A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN. HIS PERFORMANCE AND CONDUCT ON AND OFF TRACK WAS THAT OF A TRUE GENTLEMAN AND IT WAS A PLEASURE AND HONOUR TO HAVE HAD HIM WITHIN OUR ACADEMY. HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY OUR TEAMS AT ENSTONE AND VIRY. HIS SPIRIT WILL REMAIN WITH THE TEAM AND WE WILL RACE IN HIS MEMORY.”

– CYRIL ABITEBOUL, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RENAULT SPORT RACING

10 Millionth MINI revealed at MINI Plant Oxford: The brand’s ten millionth vehicle rolled off the production line in Oxford.

MINI Fans all over the world have a variety of opportunities to look back on the 60 years of history enjoyed by the British brand over these weeks and months. Now there is another reason to celebrate.

The ten millionth vehicle of the heritage brand was produced at the British MINI Plant Oxford where the classic Mini was manufactured from 1959 onwards.

The anniversary vehicle rolling off the production line was a model of the MINI 60 Years Edition and it then came face to face with the brand’s first small car ever manufactured.

The classic Mini from 1959 and the Edition model from the year 2019 then joined forces with 60 other vehicles of the brand – each of them from one of the production years. They are all taking part in a road trip travelling to Bristol in convoy, where thousands of fans are celebrating the world’s biggest birthday party for the British original at the International Mini Meeting being held on Sunday 11 August.

The production anniversary to celebrate 60 years of the brand’s existence bears witness to the uninterrupted popularity of MINI in the 21st century.

 In 1959, the genius who designed the classic Mini, Alec Issigonis, laid down a definitive milestone in automobile history. The vehicle concept with the engine mounted transversely at the front of the car along with the gearbox configured beneath the engine, and the wheels positioned at the corners of the car together with a tailgate body provided maximum interior space on a minimum footprint.

The design also ensured amazingly agile driving characteristics and it became the blueprint for modern small and compact cars. Around 5.3 million units of the classic Mini were sold worldwide up until the year 2000.

Just one year later, the global success story of the brand was continued. Since the relaunch of this marque, MINI is the original in the premium segment of small cars. The reinterpretation of the inimitable design, the unsurpassed driving fun that is unique in the competitive environment and the individual style of the brand are not simply generating enthusiasm in the class of small cars.

These characteristic qualities are empowering MINI to continuously acquire new target groups in the premium compact segment. And the next stage is about to be launched.

In November 2019, production of the all-electric powered MINI Cooper SE (fuel consumption combined: 0.0 l/100 km; electricity consumption combined: 16.8 – 14.8 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km) will commence – also in Oxford. In future, this will also make electromobility a typical MINI experience full of driving fun and individuality.

Alone in the previous year, almost 400 000 MINIs were sold in 110 countries. This means that the sales figures for the modern MINI are following hot on the heels of its historic predecessor. The models MINI 3-door, MINI 5-door and MINI Clubman are currently being produced at the MINI Plant Oxford. Up to 1 000 vehicles are manufactured there every day. The MINI Convertible and the MINI Countryman roll off the assembly line at the Dutch production partner VDL NedCar.

Peter Weber, Head of the MINI Plant Oxford disclosed that seeing the ten millionth vehicle of our brand come off the production line here in Oxford was a moment of pride for all the employees. Some of them have family members who were already producing the classic Mini at this site. This is a wonderful chapter in the history of MINI and proof of the passion that our customers have for this very special British motor car.

In the run-up to the production anniversary, MINI put posts on social media asking the brand’s British community to share their personal stories from 60 years of MINI with other fans. The huge response made it possible to bring together characteristic vehicles from each production year between 1959 and 2019 as the showpiece for the anniversary celebration at the MINI Plant Oxford.

The highlight of this exceptional coalescence was the joint outing to the International Mini Meeting in Bristol.  The first classic Mini ever built drove at the head of the convoy. It bears the registration 621 AOK well known among MINI fans and the car was followed in chronological order by protagonists from 60 years with the ten millionth vehicle of the brand bringing up in the rear of the impressive anniversary procession.

BENTLEY MOTORS CELEBRATES CENTENARY AT MONTEREY CAR WEEK – As part of its centenary celebrations, Bentley today announces the events and special introductions the British marque will host during Monterey Car Week, 15th-18th August. To mark the occasion, two models will debut: the all-new Flying Spur luxury four-door Grand Tourer, and the EXP 100 GT: a vision of luxury mobility in 2035.

The third-generation Flying Spur sets new standards of driving enjoyment and luxury, showcasing Bentley’s unique application of cutting-edge and modern technology, while seamlessly integrating the latest British craftsmanship and innovation features that push the boundaries of refinement and attention to detail.

A technological tour de force, the new Flying Spur will be the most advanced luxury Grand Touring four-door available. Alongside its totally new and advanced aluminium and composite chassis, it features optional Electronic All-Wheel Steering – a first for a Bentley, coupled with Active All-Wheel Drive and the acclaimed Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system powered by a 48V architecture.

The all-new Flying Spur will be on display on 16th August at the Quail: A Motorsports Gathering and at the Home of Bentley for the remainder of the weekend.

It will be joined by the EXP 100 GT concept car, which makes its US debut. With the EXP 100 GT, Bentley has reimagined the idea of Grand Touring for the future.

• Lewis finished P11 in a chaotic race at Hockenheim
• Valtteri failed to finish after a crash at Turn 1 late in the race
• Lewis (223 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship by 39 points from Valtteri (184 points)
• Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (407 points) lead Ferrari (261 points) by 146 points in the Constructors’ Championship

Lewis Hamilton stated after the race: – This has been one of the most difficult races we’ve had as a team for a long time. I thought I had the race under control, but we took a risk going out on slicks and the race fell apart from there. I went wide at Turn 16 and it was like ice out there, then hit the wall and damaged my wing. I made a mistake and paid the price. I was in the lead and then finished P11. I’m not even sure how, but that’s very painful and I’m just glad it’s over. It’s hard to perform when you’re not at 100 per cent. I need to make sure I’m fit and healthy again in time for the next race. You live and you learn from days like this. It’s important now that we regroup for Hungary. I’m happy for Seb, who fought his way back to P2 from the back, and how good to see Daniil and Toro Rosso on the podium too – good for them.

Valtteri Bottas added that it was a really tough race and I’m very disappointed. It was tricky out there: the track was very slippery and the conditions changed all the time. It was very easy to make a mistake and unfortunately I made a mistake in the end which lost us a lot of points. It’s a shame because today was a good opportunity for me to make up some points to Lewis and it was my own fault that I ended up not getting any points at all in the end. I had a good shot to get a podium and I was pushing hard to get past Stroll. I was quite close to the limit in Turn 1, then I suddenly lost the rear and just went off; I don’t think there was any time to catch the car. It’s very disappointing for the entire team, but we’ll give it everything to come back stronger in Hungary.

Toto Wolff also stated that this one hurts us to the core: it was a disastrous result today. We had a decent start of the race with good pace. Then obviously you add incidents, crashing out, tricky conditions, the wrong calls and in the end you’re left with zero points after running 1-2 in the opening laps. Lewis’s incident happened right at the pit entry, so we were not prepared when he came in and made the wrong calls afterwards. Valtteri crashed like many other drivers today, which made a bad day even worse for us. Our 200th race in F1 has been the most difficult day we’ve had in a long time, but we are united in the pain as we are united in the joy of winning. Today is a day for us to look at our mistakes and to learn from them, so we can come back stronger next weekend.

Andrew Shovlin also added his feelings after the race – A very frustrating day. We had opportunity to get both cars in really good points but failed to take them and that’s always painful. The weather wasn’t easy to deal with, the rain was coming and going and around midway we were in reasonable shape but got caught out on dry tyres when the rain got heavier. With Valtteri we went to mediums the lap after Max, which was ok but we should have reacted sooner when the safety car came out to take the opportunity to go to back to intermediate and that cost him the position. With Lewis our timing was about as bad as it could be, we’d stopped for softs just as the conditions were getting worse and then he slipped off the track the next lap in the same place as Charles went off. We were ready for Valtteri to come in, so when Lewis needed a nose change we just weren’t ready and lost a load of time. Despite all that, we were still 2nd and 3rd during the next safety car period but we were too cautious with the jump to dry tyres and lost position with both. On top of that, Lewis had the penalty to serve and should have done that earlier as we lost of a load of positions once everyone was bunched up. We then had both drivers spin at turn 1 in the damp, which pretty much finished our day. Really disappointing and sometimes these days help you improve so we are looking forward to getting back on the track next week in Budapest.

Double podium for Audi in rain battle at Assen – Audi clinched another double podium in the DTM’s eagerly awaited premiere on the famous motorcycle race track at Assen and half-way through the 2019 season maintains the lead in all three championships.

With 18 out of 27 possible podium finishes, Audi has managed an impressive start to the DTM’s turbo era with the new RS 5 DTM. After the first half of the season, two Audi drivers René Rast (145 points) and Nico Müller (121) are heading the standings.

In difficult conditions on Saturday, both extended their advantage over third-placed BMW driver Philipp Eng with strong performances. In the manufacturers’ championship, with 508 points Audi clearly leads ahead of BMW (388). In the teams’ championship, two Audi teams Audi Sport Team Rosberg and Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline are the front runners.

Heavy rain made the first DTM race in the “Cathedral of Speed” tricky, especially in the early stage. “We had aquaplaning in many sections. It was difficult to keep the car on track,” said Nico Müller, who on the first ten laps fought back from sixth on the grid to third position. “I lost a bit too much time to the leaders in the process.”

Müller changed tires only shortly before the end of the race and at the pit stop maintained first place in front of Marco Wittmann (BMW) and René Rast, who had been battling head to head for the lead straight from the start. “Unfortunately, it took a little longer than I was hoping to get the new rain tires to work. That’s why Marco got past me,” said Müller. “He deserved winning today.”

“The duel with Marco obviously cost a lot of time, so Nico rejoined the race in front of us,” said Rast, who finished third behind Wittmann and Müller. It was anything but a perfect race. Even so, it ended in a podium and I continue to lead the championship. Tomorrow we’re going to attack again.” The third-best Audi driver in Saturday’s race was Jonathan Aberdein from the customer team WRT Team Audi Sport in sixth position. Jamie Green, after a difficult qualifying, fought back from 12th on the grid to seventh place. With Loïc Duval and Mike Rockenfeller in positions eight and nine, the two drivers from Audi Sport Team Phoenix and thus six Audi RS 5 DTM cars in total finished in the points.