FORMULA 1
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 Photo courtesy of Maximus Hall  Photo courtesy of Maximus Hall Fans of the British Touring Car Championship will already be familiar with the excitement that the fantastic support series have provided over the years, not least the Mini Challenge which is marking its fourth season as part of the BTCC package this season. In 2020, the series was selected as the replacement for the highly-popular Renault Clio Cup, which introduced us to future BTCC stars such as Jack Goff, Mike Bushell and three-time champion Ash Sutton. Since then, the Mini Challenge has quickly become an integral part of the programme and a must-see event for many a BTCC supporter. The series itself provides not one but two competitions, divided between all ten BTCC meetings each year. Whilst the JCW category boasts the powerful two-litre 256bhp cars, it is the Challenge Trophy category – which showcases the naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre machines – that provided the foundation for the championship during its inception back in 2002. And fans that have followed the competition this year will already be familiar with newcomer Maximus Hall who, in his debut season, is already no stranger to success. Although still only sixteen years-of-age, Max has already carved out a storied motorsport career for himself. Starting in kart racing when he was only six-years-old, quickly winning his first British Open Championship in Bambino Karts, Max graduated to the Ginetta Juniors in 2021 when he was only fourteen-years-old. But it was during his debut season in the Citroen Saxo-led Junior Saloon Car Championship where he really made a name for himself, notching up ten race victories en route to winning the 2022 driver’s championship on his first try. Reflecting on his championship win, Max told Reverse Grid Podcast this week: “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Being consistent all year is very important. If you’re not consistent, you can win a few races but you wouldn’t win the championship. So I had to focus on being consistent in every race.” A new challenge awaited him this year as he took the opportunity to step up to the Mini Challenge Trophy, remaining with his JSCC-winning team, Westbourne Motorsport. The three rounds so far this season has seen Max secure two wins and a second at Snetterton, as well as his maiden pole as he set the fastest time in qualifying last time out at Thruxton. Despite a winless visit to Thruxton, Max certainly gave everyone a glimpse at his potential. During the second race, Hall found himself mixed up in the fall-out of a dramatic incident involving his team-mate Harry Hickton. The damage incurred meant Hall could not finish the race and would start race three on Sunday at the back of the grid. Max remarked: “That was a very big accident, that was. I’m just glad Harry was okay. Myself, I just had to keep calm. I said to myself that I was going to get the best result I could in the next race.” When race three played out, in a performance worthy of BTCC greats (and in similar style to four-time champion Colin Turkington a few weeks ago at Oulton Park), Max Hall carved his way through the pack to finish seventh from twenty-fourth. With the mid-season break now upon us, focus now shifts to the next meeting at Croft on 29th and 30th July. A strong start to the season already sees Max sitting at 5th in the overall driver's championship and top of the Rookie Cup standings. Reflecting on his season so far and what may lie ahead, it is very clear that Max Hall has his eyes on the prize. “The best highlight was Snetterton, getting a double win and second place. I’ve had a few mechanical issues this year but I think they’re all sorted now and I can’t wait for Croft, where I can hopefully get a few more wins. “This year we are just aiming to do as well as we can. Obviously the championship would be very nice but we’ll just take it as it comes.” The Mini Challenge Trophy returns to action on 29th & 30th July at Croft, as part of the BTCC programme. You can check out the full interview with Maximus Hall on Reverse Grid Podcast here now. Chris Tetreault-Blay BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal
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 Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) The jubilation shown by Colin Turkington as he took his place on the top podium step on Sunday was not just of a man celebrating his 65th victory in BTCC, but of a driver who had just overcome insurmountable odds in a comeback worthy of British motorsport legend. There has been much debate in the last couple of years that regulations and technical advances have come at the cost of a level of excitement that the competition was renowned for, but this Sunday we were treated to a display that proved the magic of BTCC is still very much alive. Earning his spot in the Top Ten Showdown on Saturday afternoon, the Northern Irishman was set to start Sunday’s first race in seventh after Q2. However, these plans were soon turned on their head after a fuel regulation failure was identified during scrutineering and saw him disqualified from the qualifying results, fated to start from the very back of the grid. The record-tying four-time champion soon proved why the West Surrey Racing machines are very rarely at the back of the pack, making spectacular progress in the first race to finish in ninth place. A three-place penalty given to WSR team-mate Adam Morgan bumped Turkington up to eighth for the start of race two, where he continued his surge by gaining two places up to sixth before the safety car was deployed. Turkington continued chipping away at the gap between himself and the top five before taking places from Napa Racing UK’s Dan Cammish and Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Ricky Collard, securing fourth spot. Despite his best efforts to grab Tom Ingram’s last podium spot, late braking from the reigning champion coming out of Lodge ensured Turkington was kept behind. A three-place penalty to One Motorsport with Starline Racing’s Josh Cook saw the Northern Irishman promoted to third for the reverse grid finale. After the dramatic opening few moments, which also saw championship leader Ash Sutton taken out of the race after he collided with the pit wall, Turkington surged past Dan Cammish into second, behind team-mate Adam Morgan, with Jake Hill behind rounding out a BMW 1-2-3 early on. After a second safety car period, Turkington took full advantage of the restart, making a masterful play on Morgan on the first turn to draw alongside, taking the lead going into Cascades, as Hill followed him through into second. A late lock-up raised a few eyebrows but it was to be the four-time champion’s day as he powered the BMW 330e M Sport over the line to round off a true fairy-tale story and a historic BMW clean-sweep after Jake Hill's two victories earlier in the day. Colin Turkington, Team BMW, said: “It’s been the most amazing day. I was a bit down in the dumps last night knowing I had to start right at the back in P27 – right in the dip here! I did not think we could make the progress we have, though. “This victory means so much. I had to really graft for it, having started right at the back at the beginning of the day in the doldrums to the top step of the podium. It really means a lot. “There are not too many opportunities to overtake against a car which is the same as your own, so you have to try something different. It was maybe a move which Adam [Morgan] wasn’t expecting. I got a really good run on the hybrid coming out of the last corner to start the lap which really set me up to make the move. Having three BMWs on the podium is a fantastic feeling. Jake [Hill] was on my case, but I could see where we were strong and where we were not – so it was nice in the last few laps to stretch my legs at the front.” His second victory of the season puts Colin Turkington in 4th place overall in the championship standings, 9 points behind team-mate Jake Hill and 35 points behind leader Ash Sutton. The BTCC resumes on 29th and 30th July when it visits Croft. Chris Tetreault-Blay BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal  © Redbull media After an exciting wet Qualifying, we started the Canadian Grand Prix with a mixed up grid and the chance of a brilliant race, and we where not disappointed! Overtaking up and down the grid, team mate on team mate battles, a safety car and Redbull scoring their 100th win. Lets take a look team by team at how the race happened for them. RedBull- Max Verstappen & Sergio Perez
Aston Martin- Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll
Mercedes- Lewis Hamilton & George Russell
Ferrari- Charles LeClerc & Carlos Sainz
William- Alex Albon & Logan Sargeant
Alpine- Esteban Ocon & Pierre Gasley
Mclaren- Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Alfa Romeo Sauber- Valtteri Bottas & Guanyu Zhou
HAAS- Nico Hulkenberg & Kevin Magnussen
Alpha Tauri- Yuki Tsonoda & Nyck De Vries
It was a great race, at a great race track and I'm already excited for the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix. Joanna Blackmore F1 Writer @ F1journal  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) After narrowly missing out on the BTCC title last year, Jake Hill used this past weekend to turn up the pressure on current championship leader Ash Sutton after a thrilling day of action at Oulton Park on Sunday. Securing his third consecutive pole after Q2 on Saturday, Sutton appeared to be on course for another successful outing. However, within the opening moments of race one, Hill reminded us just how dangerous the BMWs can be off the line, taking the lead out of the first corner. Despite Sutton’s best attempts, his lack of Hybrid allowance obviously played a part and he was unable to wrest the victory away, handing Hill his first victory of the season and his first-ever at the Cheshire circuit. It was much the same story in race two, as Jake Hill maintained a comfortable lead whilst Ash Sutton was busy defending second place from reigning champion Tom Ingram, until Will Powell’s exit into the gravel prompted a safety car, bringing the pack back together. A confident restart from Hill and a few laps later, the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport driver crossed the line to take not only his second win of the day but also his first-ever double-win of his career. Being the one to make the reverse grid draw himself, Hill proved that luck was very much still on his side by drawing seventh-placed BMW team-mate Adam Morgan on pole for the final race of the day, placing himself seventh in the process. In the drama-filled opening moments, championship leader Ash Sutton come off worse in a tussle with Tom Ingram and ended his race as quickly as it had begun. All eyes were then on Hill’s BMW team-mate Colin Turkington as he continued his remarkable comeback and surged into second-place early. With all of this happening, it was almost easy to overlook Hill’s own progress from seventh to third within the first lap. Team BMW were leading the way with Hill and Turkington behind Adam Morgan. Not one to simply accept another podium spot, Jake Hill took advantage of Turkington’s move on Adam Morgan, taking second as the four-time champion fired into the lead en route to his 65th BTCC victory. Two wins, a second and three fastest laps – Jake Hill took massive strides to silence any critics that may have said he was lacking the bite that saw him almost win the title last year. He now sits third in the overall driver’s championship, 20 points behind Tom Ingram and only 26 behind leader Sutton. Jake Hill, Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, said: “It’s been a blinder of a race weekend! To take two wins, three podiums and three fastest laps is brilliant and I can’t say much more than that. This car and the team are true heroes, and we have really turned it around this weekend. The car was monstrous – I am not saying that it is going to be rapid everywhere, but it is currently a lovely place to be. I must say a huge thank you to Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport, everyone in the team at West Surrey Racing and of course BMW UK for all of their support. As BTCC now goes into its summer break, it’ll all be down to how the drivers and the teams – especially West Surrey Racing – take advantage of this time and any changes that can be made to capitalise on this success before the competition resumes at Croft on 29th & 30th July. Chris Tetreault-Blay BTCC Journalist @F1 Journal  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) This weekend marks the half-way point for this season’s British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), as the competition roars into Cheshire for rounds 13, 14 & 15 at Oulton Park. All eyes will be on three-time BTCC champion, Napa Racing UK’s Ash Sutton - fresh off his record-setting third double-win of the season last time out at Thruxton - to see if he can not only extend his lead at the top of the standings but also add to his impressive win-tally so far. It seems only fitting that Sutton’s closest rival is reigning and defending BTCC champion, Exceler8 Motorsport’s Tom Ingram, who scored a brace of victories himself at the Cheshire circuit last year, – ironically enough, with Sutton in second both times. On a track notorious for making overtaking an art form, getting clear of the pack is vital at Oulton Park. Ingram has already demonstrated his pace at this circuit by setting and maintaining both of the current race and qualifying lap records, which he achieved in 2021 and 2022 respectively. He will also hold the advantage over the championship leader with slightly more laps of Hybrid deployment available. However, even this handicap couldn’t stop Sutton securing his third Race 1 pole of the season at Thruxton, meaning Saturday’s qualifying could be all-important in setting the tone for the remaining races. There will, of course, be many other drivers on the grid wishing to make an impact after impressive outings at the last meeting. Amongst them will be One Motorsport with Starline Racing’s Josh Cook and Aidan Moffat who, with Cook’s two second-places and Moffat’s third, were the closest team to match Napa Racing UK’s dominance at Thruxton a fortnight ago. Having set the pace in both free practice sessions, it is easy to understand Cook’s frustration at leaving the Hampshire meeting without a win for the first time since 2017. Although currently seventh place in the overall championship standings, Josh Cook is comfortably sitting atop the Independent driver’s table, 40 points ahead of team-mate Moffat. Also hoping to capitalise on their surge of momentum from the last round will be CarStore Power Maxed Racing, with impressive outings from all three of their drivers over the course of the weekend which saw all three Vauxhall Astra's finish inside the top ten. Most notably, Aron Taylor-Smith seems to have quickly found the form that eluded him last year, with top-ten finishes in all three races at Thruxton. The consistency and control shown recently by the Vauxhall’s could be key in allowing the team to carve their way through the pack again this weekend. Chris Tetreault-Blay BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal
Joanna Blackmore Formula 1 writer @F1journal  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)  Photo courtesy of British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) It may be considered too early in the season to ponder but already many are asking, ‘Who can stop Napa Racing UK this season?’
The team’s early dominance this season was never more evident than last weekend at Thruxton for rounds 10, 11 & 12 of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), where the yellow-and-blue took home victories in all three races. One Motorsport with Starline Racing’s Josh Cook - known as the ‘King of Thruxton’ owing to his record-setting ten wins at the Hampshire circuit during his BTCC career so far - set expectations early by securing the fastest times in both FP1 and FP2, with Sutton placed only sixth in the second practice session on Saturday. However, once the official qualifying session got underway that afternoon, it was business-as-usual for the three-time champion and current championship leader as he snatched pole position for Sunday’s opening race with a lap time of 1:15:489s. With little challenge coming from Tom Ingram and Josh Cook in second and third respectively, and in a carbon copy of his performance at Snetterton a fortnight earlier, Ash Sutton comfortably led the way for rounds 10 and 11, securing not only his fifth and sixth wins of the season but also gaining the record of becoming the first-ever driver in BTCC history to pull off double-wins at three consecutive meetings. Despite the reverse-grid draw sending the championship leader to a twelfth-place start for race three,, it appeared that the day was far from over for the Kent-based outfit as Sutton’s team-mate Dan Rowbottom sought to finish a difficult weekend on a high by being placed in second for the final race behind BMW’s Adam Morgan. However, another obstacle soon emerged as Rowbottom was handed a three-place grid penalty for an earlier incident in race two, involving Exceler8’s Ronan Pearson. One thing was for sure – if this was going to be ‘Rowbo’s race, he was going to have to work for it. And work he did, as by the fifth lap Rowbottom had made it past his nearest rivals and moved up to second place, with Morgan firmly in his sights. Before making it to Church on lap ten, Rowbottom had clinched the lead and defended it masterfully en route to securing his maiden victory for Napa Racing UK, cementing the Motorbase-led outfit’s clean sweep at the country’s fastest circuit. With Ash Sutton now commanding a 14-point lead at the top of the championship ahead of defending champion Tom Ingram, and with team-mates Dan Cammish and Dan Rowbottom in fifth and sixth place respectively, attention now turns to Oulton Park on 17th and 18th June, to see what the other teams’ responses will be to Napa’s early title charge. Chris Tetreault-Blay BTCC Journalist @ F1 Journal
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