Kamui Kobayashi has revealed that he was told to retire from today’s Russian Grand Prix by the management at Caterham F1 Team in a bid to save the mileage on his car.
The Japanese driver was one of just two drivers to not finish the race at the Sochi Autodrom today, but he revealed to NBCSN’s Will Buxton that he could have seen the checkered flag as there was nothing wrong with his car.
“I don’t know actually, nothing,” he said when asked what the problem was. “We could have done the race. Maybe I think management decided we’re not fighting with anyone, so we stop racing.
“I think we have limitations with the mileage and we want to save it. I don’t understand what happened, but this is what I get from the top management.”
Caterham is known to be struggling financially of late, having had some goods seized by bailiffs earlier this month. The team currently ranks last in the constructors’ championship, and is not expected to be on the grid in 2015.
Kobayashi has been racing at the back of the grid all year long for the team, and was asked by NBCSN if he regretted leaving a works drive with Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship to return to F1.
“I enjoy racing,” he said. “I had a chance to try this V6 engine with turbo, but I didn’t expect it to be so hard.”
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
