Motorsport News

Lewis Hamilton emphasised his loyalty to Mercedes on Thursday while leaving open the possibility that he might one day be tempted to race for Formula One glamour team Ferrari if circumstances change.

India's Jehan Daruvala moved up in the driver standings to second after a promising weekend in Round 6 of the FIA Formula 3 championship in Belgium. The racer secured his sixth podium of the season finishing third in the feature race on Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps, while the sprint race on Sunday saw the driver finish fifth, scoring crucial points in both races. The cumulative total has helped Daruvala to move to second in the driver standings with a total of 129 points, 23 points behind championship leader and Prema Racing teammate Robert Shwartzman.

Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc bagged his first-ever Formula 1 win in the Belgian Grand Prix, after a dramatic start to the race. The Ferrari rookie managed to convert his third pole start of the season into a victory amidst a competitive grid, beating Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton for the top spot. The victory also marks the team's first this season after a couple of close calls and podiums finishes in the first half of the year. Leclerc dedicated the win to his friend and Formula 2 racer, Anthoine Hubert, who passed after a tragic accident during the feature race at the Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday. Completing the podium were Mercedes duo Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, while Ferrari's Vettel finished at P4.

Formula 2 racer Anthoine Hubert passed away on August 31, 2019, after sustaining injuries in a horrific crash during the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps in the Belgian GP. The 22-year-old driver was involved in a multi-car incident at the exit of the Raidillon corner and sustained injuries along with driver Juan Manuel Correa. Both drivers were immediately attended at the medical centre and were later shifted to the hospital for further treatment. However, Hubert succumbed to his injuries at 18:35 local time, over an hour after the accident, the FIA confirmed.

In a big milestone for Indian motorsport, rallyist Gaurav Gill has become the first-ever person from the field of motorsports to win the Arjuna Award. The ace rally driver received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind at a special ceremony recognising his efforts. Gill's victory isn't just a big moment for the motorsport athlete but also a huge one for the sport and its contribution that has been largely ignored by the government over the years. The Arjuna Award is awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognise outstanding achievement. It is the highest civilian honour for sports in the country.

Alex Rins made a spectacular move in the final seconds of the 2019 MotoGP British Grand Prix to win one of the most thrilling races of the season. The Suzuki Ecstar rider passed reigning champion Marc Marquez just moments before the finish line to cross the chequered flag. The long duel between the riders saw Rins edge out past the final corner by a margin of 0.013s at the Silverstone circuit. This marks Rins second MotoGP victory ever after bagging his first in the Austin GP earlier this year, apart from a few podium finishes. Coming in third was Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, 0.620s behind the lead riders while teammate Valentino Rossi was a distant fourth.

Agra boy Shahan Ali Mohsin has been crowned the 2019 JK Tyre National Karting Champion in the final round of the season. The fifth and final round held at Meco Kartopia in Bangalore saw the driver dominate the weekend right from the start. The 15-year-old has become the youngest driver to win the championship in the senior category, and will now be representing India at the grand finals at Sarno in Italy that will be held between October 19-26, this year. The grand finals of the National Karting Championship will see drivers from nearly 60 countries in participation.

It's no surprise that Formula 1 is heading for a complete overhaul with the next decade and we got a first real glimpse at this change with the 2021 F1 car design. A recent video released by F1 showcased the 50 per cent sized model of a 2021 F1 car testing at Sauber's wind tunnel in Switzerland. This, of course, isn't the final design but gives a close look at what the final race car will look like. Notable changes include the shorter front wing, along with newly contoured side pods and the shorter rear wing. The rear diffuser too gets a simpler design. We also get a good look at the new 18-inch wheels with Pirelli tyres and slimmer sidewalls, which will replace the current 13-inch units. F1 does say that the front wing will evolve as testing continues but the new side pods and smaller rear wing are likely to remain the same.