FORD AND CHEVY GEN3 SUPERCARS TESTING BEGINS
NEW ORDER
STOP PRESS PIASTRI SIGNED AS ALPINE F1 TEST DRIVER
WILL BROWN LEADS A SUPERCARS CHANGING OF THE GUARD
THE F1 BATTLE HEATS UP IN BRAZIL
...ON AND OFF THE TRACK ISSN 2204-9924
9 772204
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Issue #1824 Nov 18 to Dec 01 2021 $9.95 INC GST
992016
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PLUS
SON OF A GUN WINS MOTO 2
REMY GARDNER LATEST AUSSIE WORLD CHAMP
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REYNOLDS TO RETURN David Reynolds is out of the doghouse and should be back on the grid for Bathurst. He could even be back at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.
By Paul Gover, News Editor THE KELLY Grove racer has avoided any major sanction from NSW Health over the Covid-19 exemption that was questioned after he raced at the first of the Sydney Motorsport Park four-peat. With his vaccination now well underway, team owner Stephen Grove has committed to having Reynolds back with Luke Youlden in the Penrite Mustang at Mount Panorama. Provided his jabs meet the timing, Grove is also hopeful - but not confident - that Reynolds could even be back in the driving seat for SMP4. Grove refuses to go into details, or play any sort of blame game, as he looks to move forward with Reynolds. “Dave will be back at Bathurst because we believe he will be cleared by NSW Heath, which means he is eligible to race. And he’s the first guy we would want in the car for Bathurst,” Grove tells Auto Action. “He has agreed to meet the Covid
requirements for NSW Health. We are expecting him to be vaccinated so he can race at Bathurst.” The Reynolds situation has been simmering since his contentious involvement at SMP1, which saw him sit out the next two race weekends as Youlden was drafted-in as his emergency replacement. Youlden got two shots at SMP, which means he will be race ready for the Repco Bathurst 1000, but he could also be racing again this weekend if there is any hiccup for Reynolds. But Kelly Grove failed in its efforts to have its fourth driver at Bathurst, Porsche star Matt Campbell, slide into the Penrite racer. His chance of driving at SMP4 was blocked by Supercars, partly because Kelly Grove had already used Youlden as a stand-in and partly because he will be in the team’s NEDs Mustang and not the Penrite car at Bathurst. “We wanted to give Matt the oppor-
tunity to get used to the car, so the plan was to put him in the car. But it’s been deemed to be outside the regulations for co-drivers, so we’ll run him in the co-driver practice session on the weekend Andre’s car,” says Grove. “He raced in the USA at Petit Le Mans over the weekend and won his class, so I expect him to settle into the car really quickly. He has unbelievably good racecraft, which will help us at Bathurst.” Although Grove is reluctant to re-hash the Covid events with Reynolds, he admits he was caught by surprise. “I first heard about it on the Saturday morning of the first Sydney race weekend. We came into the weekend knowing he had an exception. “So we worked with Supercars, who were fantastic through the process, and NSW Health. We had to ensure all the protocols for a safe event.” Once the weekend was done,
and NSW Health decided to investigate Reynolds’ exemption, things spiralled. “When the question was raised, it took us by surprise. Because we went through the process to ensure all the paperwork was in order,” he says. “It was unbelievably frustrating as the team owner. We were continually reacting to delayed information. “The most frustrating part of the issue with Dave is that we had no control on whether he could or couldn’t race. We had to work within the guidelines.” But he is clear on the way ahead. “My understanding is that David is eligible to race so long as he complies with the requirements of NSW Health.” And what about the situation, beyond Bathurst and into season 2022. “Dave has one more year left on his contract with us and we haven’t had any discussion about anything other than him being in the car next year,” says Grove
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LEWIS HAMILTON has preferred to keep his #44 rather than switch to the #1 reserved for the world champion. But Max Verstappen will gladly change from #33 to #1 if he wins the title. “Absolutely,” he said. “How many times do you have the opportunity to drive with #1? And it’s good for merchandise as well, so it’s smart to do that.” In 2014, the rules were amended so that Formula 1 drivers could choose and keep their car numbers. Hence #3 for Daniel Ricciardo, #5 for Sebastian Vettel, #14 for Fernando Alonso, #55 for Carlos Sainz and so on. For many years prior to that, the numbers were distributed in descending order based on the results of the previous year’s constructors’ championship. Hamilton has stuck with #44 since the V6 hybrid era began in 2014. Since 2014, only the reigning world champion has been able to use the #1 on their car. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg ran
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F1 INSIDER
with the #6 when he won the 2016 world championship. But then Rosberg abruptly retired at the end of the season. So the last time #1 appeared on a Formula 1 grid was when 2013 world champion Sebastian Vettel ran it in 2014. But Verstappen is not counting his numbers until a world championship has been hatched. He was wary the day before practice began for the Brazilian Grand Prix. “As I said after the race in Mexico, I have had a bigger lead already in the championship and that disappeared within two race weekends,” he said, referring to the 32 point lead he had after the Austrian Grand Prix. “So we have to again try to do the best we can here and again after this weekend we will try again to try and win the race. My approach every
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single weekend is the same, so we will not change that.” Verstappen has a method dealing with the mental challenges and pressures of trying to win his first world championship: he just does not think about it. “It’s very simple because if you don’t think about it, you don’t have any dreams or whatever,” he explained. “I am just really focused. In four races, a lot of things can happen. We are looking good but things can change very quickly.” No one can win more races than Verstappen this year, so does he feel like the moral winner? “No, the only winner is the one who finishes on top – it doesn’t matter how many races you win.” he said. “I have so far had a great season, a lot of wins, nice pole positions.
Exactly whatever happens in the end it’s not going to change my life – I’ve said it many times. I am just enjoying what I am doing. Of course, I will try to win the championship. We are looking good, but also I said a lot of things can happen.” Racing is, obviously, more enjoyable for Verstappen when he is winning. “Otherwise it’s pretty depressing if you know that you can’t win after a while,” he said. “Of course, you know when you get to Formula 1 you have to accept it. When I started at Toro Rosso at the time this is how F1 is. Normally there are only one or two teams that can fight for a championship but of course, you hope that one day you get into a car where you can win. “As soon as you get into that car it’s very enjoyable and you’re happy because how many times do you have this opportunity? You don’t know. Maybe from next year onwards you will never get that opportunity again. I am just really enjoying the moment.”
Massive Bathurst 1000 preview issue; Supercars: SMP 4 – news and coverage; Qatar Grand Prix; Challenge Bathurst coverage WRC finale; Historic features, plus heaps more Auto_Action
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Auto Action is published by Action Media Partners ABN number 62976094459 Suite 4/156 Drummond Street Oakleigh Victoria 3166 Phone: 03 9563 2107 The trademark Auto Action is the sole property of Action Media Partners The website www.autoaction. com.au and associated social media pages are wholly owned by Action Media Partners. All rights reserved No part of this magazine’s content may be reproduced, retransmitted or rebroadcast without the express written permission of the Publisher and Action Media Partners. Printed by ive Group Distribution by ARE Direct FORD AND CHEVY GEN3 SUPERCARS TESTING
NEW ORDER
BEGINS
WILL BROWN LEADS A SUPERCARS’ CHANGING OF THE GUARD
THE F1 BATTLE HEATS UP IN BRAZIL ISSN 2204-9924
9 772204
35
Issue #1824 Nov 18 to Dec 01 2021 $9.95 INC GST
992016
www.autoaction.com.au
S PLUSON OF A GUN WINS MOTO 2 REMY GARDNER
Images: Mark Horsburgh and Motorsport Images
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