Spa-Francorchamps mourns shock death of CEO Maillet

In brief

Spa circuit CEO Nathalie Maillet dead at 51

Local news has reported Maillet was found dead on Sunday morning, with some reports claiming she was murdered by her husband at their home in Luxembourg.

Spa-Francorchamps issued a statement from their chairman of the board, Melchior Wathelet, which confirmed Maillet’s passing.

“My thoughts are with Nathalie’s family, her parents, her loved ones and her teams,” reads the statement. “I know how much this news will upset our teams and I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the entire circuit team on behalf of the entire board.

“Today, we are losing a highly respected lady, a true leader who will be greatly missed. Nathalie had become the face of the circuit, she embodied the passion for racing that we all share.”

Vergne: Techeetah only quick enough for third this season

Two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne, whose Techeetah team has won the past three driver titles and past two teams’ championships, said their car’s pace this year was simply lacking compared to Mercedes and Jaguar.

“We finished third in the teams championship and I think, clearly, that’s where our position is,” explained Vergne, who had taken pole during the first Berlin round but then slid down the order during the race. “In qualifying yesterday I think we did a very good job, but our pace is not there. Yesterday, in the race, we fell back to where our pace is and today I tried to come back, but at the end it was a bit crazy cars, so I could have been finishing higher.

“But it’s what it is. It’s Formula E, the driving has to improve because with drivers crashing into everybody all the time, it’s becoming a nightmare. In any case, season was tough, a lot of drama, lows and highs – it was a bit of a rollercoaster. But I think we’re going to be working very hard next year to come back stronger. We know what to improve, we know what we need to be working on.”

Steiner: Mazepin pace improving relative to Schumacher

Gunther Steiner has said that he believes Nikita Mazepin is improving on pace, compared to team mate Mick Schumacher.

“I think it didn’t change a lot, but it is changing,” Steiner said. “He sometimes is getting closer to Mick.

“Like the race in Silverstone he was in front of Mick in the race. So I think he’s developing in that area quite a bit as well. But for sure that is what we want, two drivers at the same speed, at the end.”

Social media

Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:

Let that sink in, Nyck… 🏆#WeDriveTheCity #BerlinEPrix #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/Y4fvvc2pE4

— Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team (@MercedesEQFE) August 15, 2021

We are WORLD CHAMPIONS!!! Incredible effort by everyone @MercedesEQFE 🙏🏼 We deserve this so much after showing so much pace all season! Congratulations @nyckdevries , Fons, be proud and we’ll come back fighting next year! 🙌🏆 pic.twitter.com/0Dp9FpKSPM

— Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) August 15, 2021

⚡️ FORMULA E TEAMS RUNNERS-UP 🙌
⁰We want to say a massive thanks to all of you, the fans who have supported, voted and kept pushing us forward in the good and the bad.

P2 in the Teams’ Championship is progress but we will be back next year looking to go one place further 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5H55PkOm6L

— Jaguar Racing (@JaguarRacing) August 15, 2021

.@edomortara is OK after the first-lap incident, but is off to the medical centre for precautionary checks. We're also relieved to see @JaguarRacing's Mitch Evans safely back with the team. Sending love to you guys ❤️#BerlinEPrix #MadeInMonaco #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/FMxXA0Y9Yl

— ROKiT Venturi Racing (@VenturiFE) August 15, 2021

• Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory

Links

Motor racing links of interest:

GB3 championship confirms major Tatuus car upgrades for 2022 (GB3 Championship)

"MSV’s existing partner Tatuus will supply a completely new chassis, the Tatuus MSV-022, incorporating the halo, improved side-impact protection, revisions to the roll hoop, headrest, front anti-intrusion panel, seat and fuel cell areas."

British F4 to switch to Tatuus chassis and Abarth power for 2022 (Formula Scout)

"Motorsport UK will ditch British Formula 4’s engine supplier Ford for Abarth when it takes over the championship in 2022, and has announced it will also use Tatuus’s second-generation chassis.t"

We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.

Comment of the day

Looking at the comparison between Aston Martin’s drivers, Balue throws back to what had looked like a truly dire start to the season for the team, struggling severely with car balance in Bahrain testing to come back to competitiveness.

From the worst possible start in testing, Vettel has adjusted well, and 2 podiums is quite something for a midfield car. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could pull another one out of the bag now that he’s getting more used to the car.

Stroll is underrated. Good rain and first lap skills means he can instantly feel the grip and that’s rare.
@balue

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On this day in motorsport

• 40 years ago today Jacques Laffite won the Austrian Grand Prix for Ligier at the Osterreichring, ahead of pole-winner Rene Arnoux in his Renault