Motorsports

Stellantis appears to be ready to accelerate its plans for electrifying the classic Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands.Motorsport publication, The Race, reports Alfa Romeo may quit Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season and make the switch to the all-electric Formula E category. And if not with Alfa Romeo, it could be Maserati on the Formula E grid as Stellantis looks to improve the electric credentials of its famous Italian brands.The report comes just weeks after former Peugeot CEO Jean-Philipe Imparato took the reins at Alfa Romeo as part of the Stellantis merger. Imparato is both a racing fan and an EV advocate and was key in Peugeot’s Le Mans return with a hybrid hypercar. He is on the record saying all motorsport needs to be electrified if it’s to be worthwhile for car makers as customers begin switching to EV road cars.Formula E is set to introduce new ‘Gen3’ regulations for the 2022-23 season, with more powerful cars with faster charging thanks to 800-volt batteries. These rules are not only designed to make the racing more exciting by renewing manufacturer interest in the category as a test bed for future technology.Alfa Romeo has been noticeably slow in making the switch to EVs, especially compared to new partners Peugeot and Citroen; which already offer a range of electrified models in Europe. By contrast, Alfa Romeo’s first hybrid is due this year, the new plug-in Tonale small SUV. Its maiden all-electric model is not set to arrive until 2022, when a yet-to-be-named compact SUV, using Peugeot technology, slots beneath the Tonale.Maserati has already revealed plans for an overhaul of its entire range with electric versions of all of its new models, including the MC20 sports car. The company has developed an all-new modular electric powertrain dubbed, Folgore (Italian for lightning), that features three electric motors and an 800-volt electrical system.While entering F1 has helped Alfa Romeo establish itself on the global market, sales of the Giulia and Stelvio remain slow. A switch to Formula E could help set the brand on a new path as it launches its first electric models.Whether Stellantis chooses Alfa Romeo or Maserati to lead its Formula E program its clear the brand is charging into an electric future both on the road and racetrack.

Australia has had it good in the last two decades with Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo winning grands prix against the world’s best. Now a 19-year-old from Melbourne is on the verge of joining this exclusive club.Oscar Piastri will step up to the next rung on the ladder to F1 this year, joining the Formula 2 grid with the championship-winning team and with the backing of Renault’s sports car brand, Alpine.Piastri was introduced as a member of the new Alpine Academy this week, part of the continued rebranding of all of Renault’s motor racing activities under the Alpine brand, which will see him get support for the car maker throughout the year. Renault is making a major push to turn Alpine into a globally-recognised performance brand, to rival the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW M, albeit with a new range of electric vehicles including a replacement for the A110 and a hot hatch and SUV.Alpine isn’t the only important backer Piastri has either. He’s represented by Webber’s management company - JAM Sports Management - and the former driver was a notable attendee at several races last year to help him navigate the challenges of cut-throat European racing.Not that Piastri needs Webber to be by his side all the time, he’s determined to stand on his own two feet.“I made it clear to the people from JAM that I don’t need someone holding my hand and carrying my helmet all the time,” he said. If all goes to plan in the next two seasons Piastri could find himself a key cog in Alpine’s international marketing plans as the brand’s F1 ace. But first comes his move F2, which he’s stepping up to after winning the Formula 3 championship in 2020 and the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019.Alpine’s expectations for Piastri are low for 2021, given he will be a rookie in F2 and be racing against drivers with more experience in the category; including fellow Alpine Academy members Guanyu Zhou and Christian Lundgaard. Piastri will stay with the same team he raced for in F3, Prema Racing, which is the same outfit that claimed the ‘20 F2 championship with F1-graduate Mick Schumacher; so the young Aussie knows he’ll have a competitive car underneath him. Which is why his expectations exceed even Alpine’s hopes for him. The company would be happy for him to learn the ropes and fight for race wins this season before taking a title run in 2022, but Piastri is aiming to accelerate that.“I’m trying to get to F1 so if anything my expectations of myself are going to be higher than what Alpine have for me,” Piastri said.“It’s an important year. I’ve got the momentum off the back of two championships in a row. If I can add a third that would be good.”Piastri has already got a taste of F1, testing the Renault RS.18 at Bahrain late last year as a reward for winning the F3 title. While he concedes there’s still things he needs to learn, his competitive spirit and desire to make it to the pinnacle of the sport is clear. “I feel pretty ready,” he told CarsGuide “I’ve experienced an F1 car now, the test in Bahrain last year was very positive. Obviously there were a fair few areas to improve on but the feedback I’ve had has been very positive. I don’t feel I’d be ready to jump in an F1 car tomorrow, but if asked I’d say ‘yes’. I think I’ve still got a bit of learning to do but F2 is on the ladder to F1 for a reason.”Alpine’s two-year plan for him in F2 does dovetail nicely with the two-year contract former world champion Fernando Alonso has with the team. The Spaniard will be 41 years old by the end of his contract, which is beyond the typical age of an F1 driver, so Alpine will likely be looking to promote one of its Academy drivers to F1 for the 2023 season. It’s a situation Piastri is all-too-aware of.“We all know that with F1 it’s not just skill, timing is a massive part of it as well,” he said. “So obviously there are a few dominos to fall into place but all I want to do is do as well as I can on the track and integrate myself into the Alpine F1 team off the track and presenting myself in the best light possible.”Asked specifically about his chances of replacing Alonso, a two-time champion, Piastri is hoping to make it a simple choice for Alpine.“Yes, I think that timing could line-up very well, but I also, in saying that, I have two other guys in the Alpine Academy drivers in F2 with me,” he said. “So I can’t rely on that to simply get me into F1. I’m expecting Zhou and Christian to be strong in F2 this year. I believe if you’re extremely successful on the track you can make your own timing, that’s the mentality I’m taking. If that gives Alpine and myself a headache then that’s a nice headache to have.”If Ricciardo continues his strong form at McLaren Australian F1 fans could be rewarded with a pair of F1 drivers on the grid for the 2023 season - or sooner if Piastri has his way.

This week saw two seismic events shake the Australian automotive landscape. Firstly, the country’s most successful touring car driver in history announced he’s quitting driving to take on a new leadership role with the powerhouse Triple Eight Race Engineering team. Secondly, the latest new-car sales figures put the final nail in Holden’s coffin, with no new Holdens sold in January 2021.

Supercars racing stands on the brink of a new era. The reigning champion is gone (to take on the challenge of Indycar racing in the USA); Holden is gone after decades as the foundation of the sport and now, in news that broke today, the most successful driver of his generation (and arguably ever), Jamie Whincup, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2021 season.

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Mercedes Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton, the British icon considered one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, having won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles and clocked up records for the most wins, pole positions, podium finishes, points finishes, career points and points in a season. 

While Formula One racing is an intensely exciting, death-defying sport, undertaken by supremely fit human beings with super-human reflexes, strangely the drivers can be a bit dull - with the notable exception of Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo. 

The death of Holden has led to the demise of many things - from the Commodore nameplate to the iconic Lion badge. And now as the calendar turns into October, thoughts naturally turn to the Bathurst 1000, which raises the question; what happens to The Great Race without Holden?

Mazda has launched its newest rotary sports car, but don't go rushing to your nearest dealership with a cash deposit just yet.The brand's latest will only be available digitally, with the RX-Vision GT3 Concept rolling out to Gran Turismo Sport on the Play

Not for the first time Formula 1 has shot itself in the foot and demonstrated it values money over its fans. The decision to call off the event on Friday morning came too late and has allowed for the potential further spread of the coronavirus.

Harry Bates, the reigning Australian rally champion and son of Neal Bates, has been awarded the 2020 Peter Brock Medal due to his contribution to motorsport.Mr Bates follows in the footsteps of his father, who was awarded the same medal in 2014.The medal