Max Verstappen tops 2nd practice at Bahrain GP; Lewis Hamilton struggling for pace

Associated PressMar 19, 2022, 9:30 AM EDT
F1 Hamilton Verstappen Bahrain
Clive Mason/Getty Images
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SAKHIR, Bahrain — Formula One champion Max Verstappen quickly got back to business for Red Bull by leading the second and practice sessions at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, where F1 rival Lewis Hamilton continued to struggle.

Hamilton was only sixth fastest in the final practice. Last year’s title runner-up has a record 103 F1 wins yet totally ruled out opening the season with No. 104 on Sunday.

“As you can see we’re a long way off,” said Hamilton, who had been worried during preaseason testing about his lack of pace. “I’m just realistic, we’re not going to be in the race for a win here. If you look at the Red Bulls, they’re a long way ahead.”

Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, fared a bit better, placing fourth in the second session, but said that was a one-off lap pace and thinks it will be a case of “damage limitation” for Mercedes this weekend.

“The pace just is not there at all at the moment. We’re both struggling and we’re both a long way off,” the British driver said. “From our side we’re not overly happy with where we are.”

Red Bull and resurgent Ferrari, which last won the drivers’ title in 2007, must be delighted.

Although Verstappen was fifth in first practice earlier Friday, the Dutchman improved to finish ahead of Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr.

“We had quite a straightforward and smooth day so I’m pretty happy,” said Verstappen, who was fastest in all preseason testing. “We tried a few things on the car in each session and they seemed to work well.”

Verstappen’s time put him a narrow .09 seconds ahead of Leclerc and .58 clear of Sainz on an encouraging day for Ferrari.

“Ferrari are pushing hard and are very close, so that’s exciting,” said Verstappen, who might have a new rival.

Hamilton was a distant 1.2 seconds behind Verstappen’s leading mark on a disappointing day when the seven-time F1 champion placed seventh in the first practice.

“We’ve had small problems in the past compared to this year. We’re faced with much, much bigger problems,” Hamilton said. “Everything we do to try and fix it doesn’t really change that. It appears that it’s going to be a more longer-term fix, so nothing in the short term.”

There is a third and final practice on Saturday ahead of qualifying in cooler evening conditions at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

Friday’s first practice was led by AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly, with Leclerc and Sainz also second and third as Ferrari’s encouraging performance from preseason testing continued.

Russell was fourth in his first practice since replacing Valtteri Bottas on the team. Hamilton was a considerable .75 back from Gasly’s time, and the gap to the leader only grew bigger in the second session.

This season has seen new regulations designed to level the playing field by reducing the advantage of the traditional big teams.

In a bid to increase fairer competition, budgets were cut from $145 million (132 million euros) to $140 million (127 million euros) for each team and will drop to $135 million (123 million euros) in 2023.

The cars are heavier and there has also been a problem with what is known in F1 as “porpoising” – an aerodynamic issue where cars hop and bounce on the track.

Mercedes has been affected by this.

“The braking is something we can fix so it’s not a concern,” Hamilton said. “It’s more the balance and this bouncing that we have, and a loss of downforce that we do seem to have compared to others.”

McLaren uses Mercedes engines and seems to have similar issues to resolve. British driver Lando Norris was 16th in the first practice and 11th in the second practice as he slid around.

McLaren had five podiums last season – four for Norris and a win for Daniel Ricciardo – while back-marker Haas did not even score a point.

But both of the Haas cars – which use Ferrari engines – were ahead of McLaren in the second practice, with Mick Schumacher eighth and Kevin Magnussen 10th.

With throaty roar, NASCAR Next Gen Camaro is taking Le Mans by storm on global stage

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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LE MANS, France — The V8 engine of the NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro has a distinct growl that cannot go unnoticed even among the most elite sports cars in the world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When the Hendrick Motorsports crew fired up the car inside Garage 56, NASCAR chairman Jim France broke into a huge grin and gave a thumbs up.

“The only guy who didn’t cover his ears,” laughed seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

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France has been waiting since 1962 – the year his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brought him to his first 24 Hours of Le Mans – to hear the roar of a stock car at the most prestigious endurance race in the world.

A path finally opened when NASCAR developed its Next Gen car, which debuted last year. France worked out a deal to enter a car in a specialized “Innovative Car” class designed to showcase technology and development. The effort would be part of NASCAR’s 75th celebration and it comes as Le Mans marks its 100th.

Once he had the approval, France persuaded Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – NASCAR’s winningest team, manufacturer and tire supplier – to build a car capable of running the twice-around-the-clock race.

The race doesn’t start until Saturday, but NASCAR’s arrival has already been wildly embraced and France could not be more thrilled.

“Dad’s vision, to be able to follow it, it took awhile to follow it up, and my goal was to outdo what he accomplished,” France told The Associated Press. “I just hope we don’t fall on our ass.”

The car is in a class of its own and not racing anyone else in the 62-car field. But the lineup of 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and Johnson has been fast enough; Rockenfeller put down a qualifying lap that was faster than every car in the GTE AM class by a full three seconds.

The Hendrick Motorsports crew won its class in the pit stop competition and finished fifth overall as the only team using a manual jack against teams exclusively using air jacks. Rick Hendrick said he could not be prouder of the showing his organization has made even before race day.

“When we said we’re gonna do it, I said, ‘Look, we can’t do this half-assed. I want to be as sharp as anybody out there,” Hendrick told AP. “I don’t want to be any less than any other team here. And just to see the reaction from the crowd, people are so excited about this car. My granddaughter has been sending me all these TikTok things that fans are making about NASCAR being at Le Mans.”

This isn’t NASCAR’s first attempt to run Le Mans. The late France Sr. brokered a deal in 1976, as America celebrated its bicentennial, to bring two cars to compete in the Grand International class and NASCAR selected the teams. Herschel McGriff and his son, Doug, drove a Wedge-powered, Olympia Beer-sponsored Dodge Charger, and Junie Donlavey piloted a Ford Torino shared by Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson.

Neither car came close to finishing the race. McGriff, now 95 and inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame in January, is in Le Mans as France’s guest, clad head-to-toe in the noticeable Garage 56 uniforms.

“I threw a lot of hints that I would like to come. And I’ve been treated as royalty,” McGriff said. “This is unbelievable to me. I recognize nothing but I’m anxious to see everything. I’ve been watching and seeing pictures and I can certainly see the fans love their NASCAR.”

The goal is to finish the full race Sunday and, just maybe, beat cars from other classes. Should they pull off the feat, the driver trio wants its own podium celebration.

“I think people will talk about this car for a long, long time,” said Rockenfeller, who along with sports car driver Jordan Taylor did much of the development alongside crew chief Chad Knaus and Greg Ives, a former crew chief who stepped into a projects role at Hendrick this year.

“When we started with the Cup car, we felt already there was so much potential,” Rockenfeller said. “And then we tweaked it. And we go faster, and faster, at Le Mans on the SIM. But you never know until you hit the real track, and to be actually faster than the SIM. Everybody in the paddock, all the drivers, they come up and they are, ‘Wow, this is so cool,’ and they were impressed by the pit stops. We’ve overachieved, almost, and now of course the goal is to run for 24 hours.”

The car completed a full 24-hour test at Sebring, Florida, earlier this year, Knaus said, and is capable of finishing the race. Button believes NASCAR will leave a lasting impression no matter what happens.

“If you haven’t seen this car live yet, it’s an absolute beast,” Button said. “When you see and hear it go by, it just puts a massive smile on your face.”

For Hendrick, the effort is the first in his newfound embrace of racing outside NASCAR, the stock car series founded long ago in the American South. Aside from the Le Mans project, he will own the Indy car that Kyle Larson drives for Arrow McLaren in next year’s Indianapolis 500 and it will be sponsored by his automotive company.

“If you’d have told me I’d be racing at Le Mans and Indianapolis within the same year, I’d never have believed you,” Hendrick told AP. “But we’re doing both and we’re going to do it right.”

Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Fans gather around the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that is the Garage 56 entry for the 100th 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe (Chris Graythen/Getty Images).

General Motors is celebrating the achievement with a 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition and only 56 will be available to collectors later this year.

“Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “A NASCAR stock car running at Le Mans is something fans doubted they would see again.”

The race hasn’t even started yet, but Hendrick has enjoyed it so much that he doesn’t want the project to end.

“It’s like a shame to go through all this and do all this, and then Sunday it’s done,” Hendrick said. “It’s just really special to be here.”