Latest news with #Motorsport
Daily Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
Supercars Darwin: Barry Ryan's frank verdict on fall of Erebus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motorsport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Erebus chief executive Barry Ryan has offered a frank reflection on a crippling 18 months that has seen his title-winning team slip to last in the Supercars standings. After a fairytale start to the Gen3 era, which saw Erebus win both the drivers' and teams' titles in 2023, the squad has endured a string of well-publicised internal struggles. Will Brown defected to Triple Eight at the end of 2023, while reigning champion Brodie Kostecki missed the start of the 2024 season while in dispute with the team, which coincided with big name sponsors such as Coca-Cola walking away. Kostecki would later return and win the Bathurst 1000, however left to Dick Johnson Racing at the end of last season – along with both Erebus race engineers George Commins and Tom Moore. Will Brown left Erebus at the end of 2023. Picture: Brendan Radke Brodie Kostecki was another high-profile departure. Team principal Brad Tremain also left the squad at the end of 2024 with plans to pursue an opportunity in IndyCar in the US. That has prompted a significant, and ongoing, internal rebuild, highlighted by Ryan himself needing to take the race engineer role on Jack Le Brocq's car. It's been tough going for Le Brocq and rookie teammate Cooper Murray, too, with Erebus slumping to last in the teams' standings ahead of this weekend's Darwin Triple Crown. 'There's no hiding behind it; the last 18 months have been really hard on our team. Really hard,' said Ryan at Hidden Valley on Friday. 'Losing key people … our last rebuild was 2021 and we got Brodie and Will and no one believed, really, in that. And we won a championship two years later, and we won Bathurst the year after. 'We've gone back to where we were [in 2021]. 'It's hard on the team. To replace people like George, Tom and Brodie is really hard. Brad Tremain is going to kick goals in America. That's four key people out of the team, it's really tough to replace that. 'It's going to take time. We can't hide behind that. I can only do so much and the boys that I've had there for six, seven years can only do so much. 'Unfortunately I'm still race engineering, and I say that because I shouldn't be. I should be running the business. But until we can get the right person to do that role; we're trying to self-promote from within, we're trying to find an engineer we can just put in and be really successful. Cooper Murray was 11th in the second practice session in Darwin. 'It's a balancing act and I can't say I'm really enjoying it. We got to a point where we were beating Triple Eight and we wanted to be that team that was the best year in, year out. 'Massive respect to Roland Dane for what he did for that whole time he was there, and what they're still doing. We got there and we just couldn't keep the momentum. 'No matter what everyone thinks the reason is why. We just couldn't keep that momentum that teams like that can do. 'Anyway, it's a lesson learned, this whole situation. We'll try not to go through it again. 'We'll get there again. We're confident in our team. We've got a great bunch of loyal staff that want to stay on and want to see us get there again and win championships and Bathursts. 'We're still going to go to Bathurst trying to win there this year. We'll have the belief and we'll have the drivers than can do it.' Erebus showed signs of improvement on track on Friday, with Murray 11th in the second practice session and Le Brocq in 19th as Andre Heimgartner led the way for Brad Jones Racing ahead of Ryan Wood and Will Brown. This story was written by Speedcafe Originally published as Supercars Darwin: Barry Ryan's frank verdict on fall of Erebus
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
The Aston Martin Valkyrie LM Is Your Ticket To A Very Exclusive Club
The Valkyrie LM is a close relation of Aston Martin's Le Mans racer, itself based on the Valkyrie ... More street car. It might not be a race winner (yet), but the Aston Martin Valkyrie was undoubtedly the people's champion at last weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans – and now you can buy one of your own. Revealed in the run-up to this year's event, the Valkyrie LM represents the chance to own a car that, Astin Martin says, is very closely related to its Le Mans racer. It's powered by the same 6.5-liter, naturally-aspirated V12 engine that undoubtedly made the best noise at this year's race, and it shares the same vehicle dynamics and technology too. Limited to just 10 examples, the Valkyrie LM is a long way from being street-legal, as the standard Valkyrie is. Instead, purchasing this car unlocks the opportunity to take part in a series of track days, organized by Aston Martin as part of an event program launching in Q2 of 2026. Just 10 examples of the track-only hypercar will be built. Aston is creating what it calls 'a dedicated driver development program that is tailored to support, harness and optimize their driving ability and provide them with the ultimate topflight motorsport experience.' The company says this will remove the stress of owners organizing their own track days and running the car without factory support. Given the obvious wealth of such customers, Aston describes the Valkyrie LM ownership experience as one delivered on a 'fly-in-and-drive' basis, with every event managed by a team of professional engineers to help owners get the most out of their cars. There's even the option for simulator driver coaching between track sessions, and Aston says cars will be transported, maintained and stored by the company itself. Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin CEO, said, 'Valkyrie LM is an exquisite opportunity to be part of the most exclusive Aston Martin owners club in the world; a group who can immerse themselves in the purest and most comparable endurance driving experience, one that would otherwise only be available to our works drivers operating at the very limit of sports car racing's highest echelon.' The car uses the same 6.5-liter, naturally-aspirated V12 engine as the car that compete at this ... More year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. In a bid to ensure drivers get the most out of their new toys – and, one assumes, seek to avoid costly repair bills – Aston Martin added, 'clients will gain extra preparation through detailed track walks and classroom sessions before they are unleashed under one-on-one supervision. The Valkyrie LM's engineering team will also offer data and onboard video analysis to fully optimize the driving experience.' All that said, Aston Martin will allow customers to 'take full possession of their car' if they so wish, so it can live in pride of place in their garage at home, if preferred. There are a couple of key differences between the Valkyrie LM and the pair of racers Aston took to Le Mans this summer. Race ballast and series-regulation electronics are not fitted, since there are no rules to adhere to, and the cockpit interface has been modified for track day usage instead of professional motorsport. Buying the car gains access to exclusive track days with vehicle support and expert driving tuition ... More provided by Aston Martin. Aston also says torque sensors that manage power delivery during racing have been removed, in a bid to make the driving experience more customer-friendly. Although largely unchanged, the V12 engine has been recalibrated to run on regular fuel. Unsurprisingly, Aston Martin has not publically revealed a price for the Valkyrie LM. But given the standard road car costs from around $3.5 Million, the track special is sure to cost even more.
Top Gear
a day ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
A 190E Evo II will race in the 2026 Nürburgring 24hrs, and Senna would be pleased
A 190E Evo II will race in the 2026 Nürburgring 24hrs, and Senna would be pleased HWA's stunning EVO will race in the 2026 Nürburgring 24hr race. Woohoo! Skip 13 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 13 Ayrton would be happy. HWA – builders of the stunning Mercedes-based EVO – has revealed its intention to race in next year's Nürburgring 24hr race, sending a 190E back in time. For it was Senna's heroics in the 1984 one-make race at the 'Ring that helped cement his legend. Now, HWA is making its street-legal EVO resto very much track-legal, and intends to absolutely send it. Advertisement - Page continues below 'Motorsport is in our DNA, and consequently in that of the HWA EVO,' said HWA boss Martin Marx. HWA hasn't specified what's in the 'Ring-bound EVO's DNA, mind, saying only that a pair of them will contest the special vehicles 'SP-X' class, 'with appropriate modifications in performance, weight and safety systems'. Probably an opportune moment to pick over the street-car's spec. There's a dry-sumped Mercedes 3.0-litre V6 positioned just behind the front axle (likely the 24v M276), here turbocharged to over 450bhp. In a car that weighs 1,350kg – what the Evo II weighed in its 90s heyday. There are big six-piston brakes, DTM-spec suspension (the original Evo II finally won a DTM title in 1992 after years of being trounced by that pesky E30), and – literally – the two biggest and most important 190 Things: fat arches and a monster rear wing. Advertisement - Page continues below Now the road car's pretty much done, hotshoes Roland Asch and Klaus Ludwig will help develop the race car ahead of next year's entry. There'll be demonstration runs of roadgoing prototypes at this weekend's N24, and we'll get further details in due course. Reckon HWA should organise another Nürburgring GP with a fleet of these EVOs? It'd make Ayrton happy… 13 minutes 34 seconds Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
The Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton's former teammate delivers verdict on his Ferrari career so far
Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has offered an explanation for Lewis Hamilton 's current struggles at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari this season, has yet to secure a podium finish, while his teammate Charles Leclerc has achieved three. The Spanish driver, who raced alongside the British driver at McLaren, suggests Lewis Hamilton's difficulties mirror his previous season at Mercedes, where George Russell appeared more comfortable with the car. He believes the Ferrari car might be challenging to drive, similar to the Mercedes last year, contributing to Hamilton's deficit against Charles Leclerc. Despite the current form, Alonso acknowledges Hamilton's capabilities and notes that he can quickly turn his performance around.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
2025 NASCAR Pocono Entry List: All 37 drivers for The Great American Getaway 400
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway for the 2025 edition of the high-speed triangle showdown. Known for its unique three-turn layout and long straightaways, Pocono promises strategic racing, bold moves, and tight battles across the field. Here's a look at the full entry list for this weekend's race.
