In the round-up: All of McLaren’s team members who were quarantined during the Australian Grand Prix weekend have now returned home, the team confirmed on Thursday.
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
We are pleased to confirm that as of yesterday evening, all team personnel who were in self-isolation in Melbourne, as well as management who had stayed with them, have now safely returned home. Thanks once again on behalf of the team for all the support and well wishes. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/P7V8H9seJj
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 26, 2020
Two tracks remain. Only one can win. Watkins Glen or Michigan?#INDYCARChallenge // #INDYCAR //@iRacing // @MISpeedway // @WGI pic.twitter.com/AXTVR9WlIe
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 26, 2020
In line with government directives and the continued roll-out of precautionary and temporary measures to tackle Coronavirus (Covid-19) across Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina Circuit will have to continue its closure until further notice. This closure is under regular review. pic.twitter.com/e4ZljcMEvE
— Yas Marina Circuit (@ymcofficial) March 26, 2020
Sadly I won’t be able to make the race on Saturday. My sim isn’t going to arrive in time 😭 I am a totally new to sim racing and had to start from scratch. Will still be watching and streaming during the race ✌🏻 Cant wait for round 2! @MeyerShankRac @iRacing pic.twitter.com/mlG0wj31Wn
— Jack Harvey (@jack_harvey93) March 26, 2020
SATURDAY: 1500 GMT ⏰
PLATFORM: F1 Facebook and YouTube 📺
We're showing another classic race from the modern F1 archives 🎬🍿
And this time it's the classic 'Duel In The Desert' from Bahrain in 2014! #F1Rewind ⏪ #BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/IMTkW8TeXA
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 26, 2020
The World Rallycross Championship has launched the World RX Esports Invitational Championship on Dirt Rally 2.0 (PC). The first race will be held on April 19th. For your chance to go up against the series' official drivers you can enter the qualifiers which open on Saturday. #WRX
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) March 26, 2020
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
FE driver Sims sets up relief effort to help NHS (Autosport)
"A small group, including Sims and his performance engineer Andrea Ackroyd, are seeking unopened stock such as face masks, goggles, gloves, shoe covers, plastic aprons and detergent wipes."
Festival of Speed postponed (Goodwood)
"Following all that’s happened in the last few weeks and the advice we have received from the UK Government, we have decided to postpone the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, to later in the year."
The helmet and livery designer (Racer)
"We have to prepare some designs in advance as motorsport – and F1 especially – is often horrifically last minute. So doing that in advance lessens some all-nighters for us."
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Comment of the day
Should the FIA have kept quiet about its investigation into Ferrari as Bernie Ecclestone said?
1: It would likely come out eventually (Crashgate).
And 2: Regardless of whether it did come out or not, this is exactly the kind of thing that gave rise to the FIA/Ferrari rumors to begin with. At least if it is all in the open, we can judge what is going on. When things are done in secret, they damage the sport. Good things look shady, and bad things can ruin seasons.
@Hobo
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Justin and Justin!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
27th March 2020, 1:51
I am chuckling at them slipping in a sponsor mention even in this notice.
They could’ve gone a step further: “For COVID-19, there is no cure. For everything else, there’s Mastercard”.
(Yeah, I get that for contractual reasons they probably have to refer to it as such.)
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
27th March 2020, 8:15
LOL! @phylyp. Also…. too soon. Waaay too soon.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
27th March 2020, 8:22
@jimmi-cynic – If I got you to say “too soon”, I probably crossed a line :)
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
27th March 2020, 9:06
@phylyp – No worries. It’s only an imaginary social distancing line…
socksolid (@socksolid)
27th March 2020, 3:05
I think some racing series are now hoping they had been more open and active trying to get their cars and championships into racing sims. Now that e-sport is getting its moment in the spotlight it also means that only those series in motorsports can do e-sport which have their cars in a simulator. Or better yet a game that is actually built around their racing series. F1 has pretty good representation in that many games have f1 cars and tracks from various eras in almost every simulator and racing game. Indycar was lucky it had iracing and some other smaller games. Especially lucky considering its track list only exists in iracing. Nascar is also well represented in that game.
But some other series don’t have anything really to do with games or e-sports. Supergt for example has only gran turismo with some cars but not the tracks. Which could be more than great for it tho. Formula e has pretty much nothing. Most have something in some games but not really one good package. Maybe something worth thinking about when the next big racing game comes out. Maybe it is good to have your series be out there. The cars, the tracks the championship.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
27th March 2020, 8:32
@socksolid – very nice point, particularly the example about Formula E.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
27th March 2020, 8:35
It just occurred to me – apart from the powertrain, is there something that sets FE apart (i.e. that would make it relevant in a game)? Tight kart-like tracks might not have much appeal to gamers, there isn’t much aero either, so there’s no fun to be had in blasting around a corner at speed.
Airtone
27th March 2020, 9:18
Formula E used to have rFactor 2 right?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
28th March 2020, 15:52
@phylyp The enduring appeal of Mario Kart and the like suggests that tight, twisty tracks have some appeal in the less serious end of the market ;)
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th March 2020, 15:55
@alianora-la-canta – LOL :)
Jere (@jerejj)
27th March 2020, 6:42
I agree with the COTD. It indeed probably would’ve come to people’s knowledge sooner or later anyway.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
27th March 2020, 7:56
Happy birthday Gregor, we’ll always have 1989!
GeeMac (@geemac)
27th March 2020, 9:01
And he caused the F3000 crash in 1988 that nearly killed Johnny Herbert…
frood19 (@frood19)
27th March 2020, 21:30
2014 Bahrain gp is an absolute classic. There was something so visceral about it at the time – admittedly the excitement has probably mellowed with age – particularly when the safety car pulled in and the mercs let rip with their true pace. The racing was absolutely superb too, bar one or two dodgy moves. At times I was literally on my feet watching on tv.
With hindsight, it was the race where rosberg truly learned just how tough Hamilton was going to be as a title rival. If rosberg had been a bit more forthright in some of their battles in 2014 (and more comfortable on the brakes), I think the title race could have been even closer. He certainly had at least comparable, if not superior raw speed that year. Having said that, when he went aggressive in Spa, it backfired hugely and set him back for a while. So perhaps it was just one inherent weakness of his.