Motorsports
ECO Rally Acropolis: Leb started the day with a win in ED Loutraki 1
The crews had problems with dust and for the rest of the day they will start 4 minutes apart.
The first stage of the EKO Rally Acropolis 2022 started on Friday morning with Sebastian Leb’s victory. The French M-Sport Ford WRT driver showed his vast experience, braved the dust and set the fastest time on ED Loutraki 1, the first specialty of the day. With that he leads the race.
Behind him, Ott Tanak was 1.1 inches slower, with the top five rounded out by Thierry Neville also in a Hyundai i20 N, Pierre Louis Loubet in an M-Sport Ford Puma and Kale Rovanpera in a Toyota Yaris, who had the disadvantage of that he cleared the way when he first began.
The 17.95km course had swampy ground and the crews had problems with dust, so it was decided to start 4 minutes apart for the rest of the day. Next special, Harvati.
Let’s see what the protagonists have to say.
#69 Kale Rovanpera – Jone Haltunen (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT)
“It’s not easy, traction is low. It’s not easy to start first, it’s not the best combination. I’ll do my best.”
#8 Ot Tanak – Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT)
“Nobody cares about the car’s balance if you can’t see it. We knew this was going to happen.”
#11 Thierry Neville – Martin Vidage (Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT)
“We had no sight. You’re on the 5th and suddenly you can’t see anything. We asked for four minutes, we knew it would be, but nobody did anything.”
#33 Elfyn Evans-Scott Martin (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT)
“It’s hard to find a rhythm in the dust.”
#18 Takamoto Katsuta – Aaron Johnston (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG)
“In some places we couldn’t see anything at all. And my notes aren’t good.”
#42 Craig Breen – Paul Nagle (M Sport Ford WRT)
“There is a lot of dust in some places. The special was ok.”
#4 Esapeka Lapi – Yane Ferm (Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT)
“All right, dust is a problem. But it’s the same for everyone except for Kalle. Otherwise the special was clean.”
#19 Sebastian Lebb – Isabelle Galmis (M-Sport Ford WRT)
“Good special, but not easy. It’s the sun, the dust, and it’s very slippery in places. The brakes overheat a bit, but it’s not a big deal.”
#6 Dani Sordo – Cadito Carrera (Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT)
“It was difficult with the grades and the dust. On the tarmac we went out a bit in a closing corner.”
#44 Gus Greensmith – Jonas Anderson (M-Sport Ford WRT)
“The first 6 km were good, then we got stuck. It was very difficult”.
#7 Pierre-Louis Loubet – Vincent Lande (M-Sport Ford WRT)
“Good special for us. Difficult with dust.’
#9 Iordanis Serderidis – Frederic Miklot (M-Sport Ford WRT)
“The problem was the dust. We lost time, otherwise the stage was clean, I really liked that.”
Source: sport 24
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.
Motorsports
Will Norris retire after his first championship? F1 champion evaluates his chance
Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg has weighed in on whether Lando Norris will follow in his footsteps and end his career in the sport early.
Norris joins a list of 35 drivers who have won the F1 championship in the championship’s 75-year history. But the Briton won his first title the hard way; Despite McLaren’s dominance in 2025, he lost to Oscar Piastri in the first half of the season and only defended the championship against Max Verstappen at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Nico Rosberg shared his memories of his title and then unexpectedly retired at the age of 31.
He then embarked on a tough challenge with his partner Lewis Hamilton, in which the pilot required enormous physical and emotional resources.
Rosberg stated that Norris was unlikely to follow a similar path as he was much younger and had many more years in F1.
“Everyone chooses their own path. I felt that I had reached the top and wanted to leave the top. It was a great moment after a long career. For me personally, it was the right decision.”
I understand that many were disappointed because it was a great fight at the time. But in Lando’s case, I’m sure he’s not even thinking about such a thing. He still has many good years ahead of him and he is definitely younger than I was then,” Rosberg explained.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Formula-1
Three Formula 1 teams filed a lawsuit due to the possible technical advantage of Mercedes and Red Bull
Formula 1 track in Las Vegas / Photo: © Alex Bierens de Haan / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
The Ferrari, Audi and Aston Martin teams have filed a joint lawsuit with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) over the advantage that Mercedes and Red Bull may have in the 2026 season under the new technical regulations, The Race reports.
In 2026, Formula 1 will switch to new technical regulations, which provide for a reduction in the fuel compression ratio in power plants from 18:1 to 16:1. This indicator will be monitored off the track.
According to the source, Mercedes and Red Bull have found a way to pass the tests while maintaining the actual race compression ratio at 18:1. This could give teams an advantage of 0.3-0.4 seconds per lap.
— The regulations clearly define the maximum compression ratio and the method for measuring it, based on static conditions at ambient temperature. This procedure remains unchanged despite the reduction in the permissible compression ratio for 2026, the FIA said in a statement.
The FIA does not intend to change the regulations at least until the tests are carried out. Teams are allowed to update their power unit designs every six races of the season.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has written for a number of Sportish. I have a background in journalism and have been writing since I was young. My main focus is sports news, but I also write about general news. I am currently working as an author at Sportish.
Motorsports
Verstappen praises Red Bull’s first engine: ‘Really good’
Max Verstappen shared his first impressions of the sound of the new generation Formula 1 power plants created according to the 2026 technical regulations.
Next season, the championship will see the most comprehensive changes to engine architecture since the introduction of turbo-hybrid units in 2014. The regulations foresee the abandonment of the MGU-H system, as well as a significant increase in the role of the electrical component; The ratio between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor will be 50 to 50.
Even though there is just over a month until the cars hit the track, Verstappen was pleased to hear the new engine was running.
Verstappen said: “It sounds good. Of course you hear it in the stands, but the sound is clear and pleasant. I don’t think anyone has specifically worked on the noise but it’s really good.” he said.
For the first time in its history, the Red Bull team is building its own power plant, working in partnership with the American automobile giant Ford.
Verstappen wants to challenge for the Formula One title again in the 2026 season after his tense championship defeat to Lando Norris this month. However, the Dutch pilot plans to take a break from F1 before the new season starts.
“I’m really looking forward to it – I really need it. I also want to make sure that everything I do within the program next year will be well prepared, especially the GT3 project. That’s the most important thing for me at the moment, that everything is in the right state,” summarized the pilot.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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