Daniel Ricciardo to leave McLaren at end of F1 season
LONDON: Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the 2022 Formula One season by mutual agreement and one year before the end of his contract, both parties announced on Wednesday.
Ricciardo joined McLaren from Renault at the end of 2020 but, despite winning last year's Italian Grand Prix at Monza in a one-two finish, has struggled to match British team mate Lando Norris's performance.
Ricciardo is expected to be replaced by compatriot Oscar Piastri, currently a reserve for Renault-owned Alpine.
'No more racing in Russia', says Formula One CEO Domenicali
Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali said the sport has no plans to hold future races in Russia.
The Russian Grand Prix was scheduled to be held in Sochi this year before moving to Igora Drive in St. Petersburg in 2023, but F1 canceled the race after Russia invaded Ukraine. And Domenicali said the sport has no intention of returning to the country.
"I've always believed that you should never say never," Domenicali told Sport Bild magazine, per GrandPrix.com. "But in this case, I can promise for sure -- we will no longer negotiate with them.
"There will be no more racing in Russia."
Alexey Titov, the CEO of Russian GP promoter ANO Rosgonki, said he expects F1 to refund payments made following the cancellation of this year's race.
"This debt exists, it is confirmed and our position on it is unchanged," Titov told Russian news agency Tass. "We expect a refund regardless of the current position of Formula One Management in relation to holding races in the Russian Federation.
"The current situation in world sports is extremely politicized. It is necessary to take Domenicali's words here with this in mind. What he said has a pronounced political connotation that has nothing to do with the real spirit of sports.
"The future of our relations today is really unclear. We will take Domenicali's position into account in our further work."
This is the first year since 2014 that a race has not been held at the Sochi Autodrom, with Mercedes having won every race to date.
SPIELBERG (Austria): Frenchman Johann Zarco set the fastest time in the first two free practice sessions of the Austrian MotoGP on Friday.
Zarco, who rides for Pramac Ducati, was 0.024 seconds faster than Australian Jack Miller on a factory Ducati, with another Pramac rider Jorge Martin at 0.029.
Zarco topped qualifying for the last race at Silverstone but then crashed out on lap five.
"Happy with this first day," said Zarco after the session, adding that he had given himself insurance in case the forecast rain arrives during the third practice session on Saturday.
"Important lap time in the afternoon in case of tricky conditions on Saturday morning. Overall a good feeling," he said.
World champion Fabio Quartararo was fastest of the title contenders.
The French rider, who again leads this year's standings, was fourth on his Yamaha at 0.040.
Italian Francesco Bagnaia, who is third in the standings after winning the last two races, was next on the second factory Ducati at a track where the Italian manufacturer has dominated in recent years.
The day finished with seven Ducatis in the top eight places.
Spaniard Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia, second in the standings, was 11th.
Top times:
1. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Pramac) 1min 29.837sec, 2. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati) at 0.024, 3. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) 0.029, 4. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/ Yamaha) 0.040, 5. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 0.160, 6. Luca Marini (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 0.193, 7. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 0.229, 8. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Ducati-Gresini) 0.229, 9. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 0.276, 10. Brad Binder (AFS/KTM) 0.291, 11. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 0.310
Honda Racing India rider Rajiv Sethu finishes fifth, scores 11 points
TOKYO: Rajiv Sethu of IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team finished fifth in the AP 250 event in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2022 at Sportsland Sugo circuit on Saturday.
It was the best ever finish by an Indian rider in AP250 class in the ARRC.
The race saw five riders crashing out in the first lap. Starting the wet 12-lap race 1 from 14th on the grid, Sethu quickly moved to sixth place after lap 1.