Lewis Hamilton says he’s willing to take on any of his rivals in their own teams if the chance arises.
In an interview with F1 Racing magazine Hamilton said: “Would I ever go to Red Bull if Vettel was there? I would go up against any driver.”
“Any time, any place. Any team. Whoever it is, that’s not a worry for me, I would have happily been Sebastian’s team mate. He has a great car, so it would have been a great experience.”
Hamilton described Fernando Alonso as “the toughest opponent I have ever had” in a team. “It’s his sheer, raw, speed – he’s just massively quick. You have to be really ‘on it’ to beat him. You have to bring your ‘A’ game and more.”
He admitted there was an allure to driving for Ferrari – “you look at a Ferrari and think ‘that’s pretty cool'” – and didn’t rule out a return to McLaren in the future. But he added “at the moment I’m really happy where I am and I hope Mercedes keep me for even longer”.
Hamilton has been reunited with former karting team mate Nico Rosberg this year. He’s out-scored his fellow Mercedes driver by 77 points to 57 so far but Rosberg has had two mechanical retirements and had scored three pole positions to Hamilton’s one.
Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider
Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles
“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.
“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”
Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.
“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”
Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.
Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.
The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.
Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.
