F1RWRS: 2016 SEASON -ROTY Voting, Page 27-

[pasta_maldonado]

As per request, here's a few quick screenies of Hansuke Shioya's podium scoring Gauthier.

[Klon]

Due to van Rijkens leaving, CR is losing a few sponsors as reflected in their new livery.

[AndreaModa]

As I need to use up Mestolio's credits I'll be running a few tests following the next couple of races. If any other teams want to join in these, please feel free. I'll be creating them on the wiki in a short while so just add yourself into them if you want your team to come along.

[Aerospeed]

As I need to use up Mestolio's credits I'll be running a few tests following the next couple of races. If any other teams want to join in these, please feel free. I'll be creating them on the wiki in a short while so just add yourself into them if you want your team to come along.

I'll likely join in the Argentine test on October 10. (That's right after the race, so it's 10 credits, right?)

[AndreaModa]

As I need to use up Mestolio's credits I'll be running a few tests following the next couple of races. If any other teams want to join in these, please feel free. I'll be creating them on the wiki in a short while so just add yourself into them if you want your team to come along.

I'll likely join in the Argentine test on October 10. (That's right after the race, so it's 10 credits, right?)

Yeah the day after the race.

Also Nuppiz, as Nurmester is one of my test drivers, did you want him to make an appearance at either of these tests? Entirely up to you!

[Aerond]

No, any test outside your home country is 20 credits, no exception

[DemocalypseNow]

No, any test outside your home country is 20 credits, no exception

You already forgot the rule you made?

7.2.7 The cost of running a private test is as follows:
a) ...
b) Running a test immediately after a Grand Prix at the same venue: 10 credits

So Alitalia is testing at Buenos Aires too. For 10 credits.

[Klon]

No, any test outside your home country is 20 credits, no exception

You already forgot the rule you made?

7.2.7 The cost of running a private test is as follows:
a) ...
b) Running a test immediately after a Grand Prix at the same venue: 10 credits

So Alitalia is testing at Buenos Aires too. For 10 credits.

Aerond's status:
[ ] Not Told
[ ] Told
[X] Toldust
[X] Castold Jones Racing
[X] No Country For Told Men
[X] ToldenEye
[X] Told As Ice

[Nuppiz]

Also Nuppiz, as Nurmester is one of my test drivers, did you want him to make an appearance at either of these tests? Entirely up to you!

Yeah, he's ready to test! There's no F3RWRS races around then so he's available for both dates.

[Aerond]

Mmmmh, If it's in the rulebook, I guess it was my bad

[Salamander]

Pascal to join Gauthier for final 4 races of F1RWRS season

Following the recent announcement that highly rated South African Danny van Rijkens will be joining the team to close out the season, Equipe Gauthier has announced that his teammate in these races will be Swiss driver Gregor Pascal. Pascal has spent the majority of the past two seasons in F2RWRS, where he has won twice, and finished 9th in the standings last season. Team principal and CEO Guillaume Gauthier expressed hope that Pascal would rise to the challenge and assist van Rijkens in keeping the team out of pre-qualifying, as regular drivers Jesus Plaza and Hansuke Shioya have managed to do for the majority of the season so far.

"I have spoken many times to Gregor over the past few weeks and he seems quite confident that he should be up to pace and performing on the level I expect of a driver racing for one of my teams. He knows this is a massive opportunity for him and should he perform admirably, he knows his prospects for the future will be much brighter."

Of course, Pascal's appointment alongside van Rijkens means that Jesus Plaza and Hansuke Shoya will likely end the season out of a drive - this despite them keeping the fledgling team in qualifying proper and Shioya shocking the world by placing an incredible 2nd in the Canadian Grand Prix. Gauthier stated his reasons for the driver changes as being due to "budgetary constraints", going on to say, "In an ideal world, we would not be talking right now about this. Jesus and Hansuke have both done fantastic jobs this year - especially Hansuke, given my expectations this year, he has surpassed them greatly. However, we do not live in the ideal world, we live in the real world, and in the real world, an F1RWRS team has expenses. Wages, supplier costs, and development costs, and all are equally critical. That being said, that does not mean that I do not expect any less of Danny and Gregor for the closing rounds of this season. Danny, we all know, is a fantastic driver, and I believe Gregor has something to offer in that department as well."

The van Rijkens/Pascal combination will make their debuts for Gauthier at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Equipe Gauthier will also join the October 10 test at Buenos Aires, we will be running Danny van Rijkens, Jordan Davies, and former Life GP and CART star, the Pie Man himself, Geoff Donnelly (pay driver). We also extend an invitation to GTR-WC driver Ricardo Llosa.

[RonDenisDeletraz]

Daniel Melville signed to Autodynamics as substitute
It has been confirmed today that Daniel Mellville will be the substitute for the suspended Jean-Vincent Albertini at BOC Autodynamics Grand Prix. The Australian driver will run at the Mexican GP, ensuring that Autodynamics GP will not have to withdraw again due to lack of drivers. The agreement was reached earlier today between the team and Melville's management and both parties are said to pleased at the overall outcome of negotiations

[the Masked Lapwing]

Melville graduates to F1RWRS
GRM Holden Young Lions driver Daniel Melville has graduated to the F1RWRS after being confirmed as the replacement for Jean-Vincent Albertini at Autodynamics GP. It is understood that GRM has given him leave to take part in the race as a potential evaluation for a drive with the Holden Racing Team in the F1RWRS next season. Melville will not complete double duty in Mexico though, as GRM and Autodynamics both wish for him to concentrate on his F1 debut. It is believed his brother Dean will once again sub for him in the F2 race.

I feel I should also point out that Melville is a pay driver.

[AndreaModa]

Also Nuppiz, as Nurmester is one of my test drivers, did you want him to make an appearance at either of these tests? Entirely up to you!

Yeah, he's ready to test! There's no F3RWRS races around then so he's available for both dates.

Cool! Will add him to the list then.

[Aerond]

Budget Update (Before any upgrades applied, in brackets shows how many credits team has to spend before season ends)

MRT -- 40 (40)
JONES -- 100 (100)
AERORACING -- 4 (0)
GILLET -- 0
FOXDALE -- 170 (60)
ARROWTECH -- 145 (0)
KAMAHA -- 60 (0)
SUNSHINE -- 70 (0)
BOXTEL -- 55 (0)
KINGFISHER -- 181 (70)
PROSPEC -- 245 (90)
CR -- 98 (doesn't really matter)
ALITALIA -- 125 (75)
REVOLUTION -- 232 (60)
MECHA -- 140 (130)
SIMPSON -- 260 (210)
AUTODYNAMICS -- 205 (180)
DOFASCO -- 220 (220)
GAUTHIER -- 25 (0)

[Aerond]

F1RWRS 2013 -- ROUND 13 -- MEXICO GP

Weather report:
PRE-Q: Light Rain
Qualifying and Race: Dry

PRE-QUALIFYING

1.Alexey Buyvolov (Dofasco) -- 1.20.444
2.David Neuberg (Kingfisher) -- 1.20.587 (+0.123)
3.Daniel Melville (Autodynamics) -- 1.21.283 (+0.839)
4.Andrea Battani (Boxtel) -- 1.21.321 (+0.877)
5.Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- 1.21.565 (+1.121)
6.Daniel Melrose (Dofasco) -- 1.21.804 (+1.360)
7.Ashley Watkinson (Prospec) -- 1.21.886 (+1.442)
8.Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- 1.22.242 (+1.798)
9.Martyn Rietacher (Prospec) -- 1.22.286 (+1.842)
10.Miko Fakkinen (Revolution) -- 1.22.413 (+1.969)
11.Hansuke Shioya (Mecha) -- 1.22.483 (+2.039)
12.Renaldo Jimenez (Mecha) -- 1.22.484 (+2.040)
13.Michael Cameron (Simpson) -- 1.22.524 (+2.080)
14.Du Lei (Simpson) -- 1.22.762 (+2.318)
15.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- 1.22.767 (+2.323)
16.Brucie Kibbutz (CR) -- 1.23.286 (+2.842)
17.Darren Older Jr (CR) -- 1.24.120 (+3.676)
18.Barii Mori (Revolution) -- 1.24.280 (+3.836)
19.Nicolas Steele (Autodynamics) -- 1.25.249 (+4.805)
20.Nathan McKane (Kingfisher) -- 1.25.630 (+5.186)

Dofasco escapes Pre-Q for Round 14

QUALIFYING

1.Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- 1.17.215
2.Pippa Mann (Aeroracing) -- 1.17.288 (+0.073)
3.Tomo Kazama (Kamaha) -- 1.17.329 (+0.114)
4.Ron Mignolet (Alitalia) -- 1.17.408 (+0.193)
5.Martin McFry (Foxdale) -- 1.17.490 (+0.275)
6.Kay Lon (Aeroracing) -- 1.17.527 (+0.312)
7.Mark Dagnall (MRT) -- 1.17.530 (+0.315)
8.Philippe Nicolas (Arrowtech) -- 1.17.601 (+0.386)
9.Nathanael Spencer (Alitalia) -- 1.17.612 (+0.397)
10.Rhys Davies (Jones) -- 1.17.810 (+0.595)
11.Douglas Mann (HRT) -- 1.17.968 (+0.753)
12.Frank Zimmer (HRT) -- 1.18.132 (+0.917)
13.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- 1.18.170 (+0.955)
14.Hagane Shizuka (Kamaha) -- 1.18.249 (+1.034)
15.Danny van Rijkens (Gauthier) -- 1.18.323 (+1.108)
16.Alexey Buyvolov (Dofasco) -- 1.18.374 (+1.159)
17.Mirko Bosevic (Arrowtech) -- 1.18.684 (+1.469)
18.Jean-Luc Schiller (MRT) -- 1.18.842 (+1.627)
19.James Davies (Sunshine) -- 1.18.931 (+1.716)
20.Gregor Pascal (Gauthier) -- 1.19.049 (+1.834)
21.Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- 1.19.086 (+1.871)
22.Daniel Melrose (Dofasco) -- 1.19.090 (+1.875)
23.Fredo Mestolio (Jones) -- 1.19.124 (+1.909)
24.Daniel Martins (Sunshine) -- 1.19.196 (+1.981)
25.Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- 1.19.251 (+2.036)
26.Ashley Watkinson (Prospec) -- 1.19.411 (+2.196)
DNQ.Andrea Battani (Boxtel) -- 1.19.640 (+2.425)
DNQ.Martyn Rietacher (Prospec) -- 1.20.679 (+3.464)

*Sunshine will race in Pre-Q at Race 14

RACE

1.Tomo Kazama (Kamaha) -- 1h 40m 05.150
2.Nathanael Spencer (Alitalia) -- +1.809
3.Rhys Davies (Jones) -- +7.802
4.Kay Lon (Aeroracing) -- +8.537
5.Fredo Mestolio (Jones) -- +1 Lap
6.Daniel Martins (Sunshine) -- +1 Lap
7.Mirko Bosevic (Arrowtech) -- +1 Lap
8.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- +1 Lap
9.Douglas Mann (HRT) -- +1 Lap
10.Alexey Buyvolov (Dofasco) -- +1 Lap
11.Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- +2 Laps
12.Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- +2 Laps
13.Daniel Melrose (Dofasco) -- +6 Laps (*)
14.Martin McFry (Foxdale) -- +6 Laps (*)
15.Danny van Rijkens (Gauthier) -- +7 Laps (*)
Hagane Shizuka (Kamaha) -- Suspension
Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- Transmission
Jean-Luc Schiller (MRT) -- Suspension
Mark Dagnall (MRT) -- Transmission
James Davies (Sunshine) -- Engine
Ron Mignolet (Alitalia) -- Electrical
Frank Zimmer (HRT) -- Transmission
Pippa Mann (Aeroracing) -- Engine
Philippe Nicolas (Arrowtech) -- Water Leak
Gregor Pascal (Gauthier) -- Puncture
Ashley Watkinson (Prospec) -- Suspension

Fastest Lap: Mark Dagnall (MRT) -- 1.19.599
ROTR: Danny van Rijkens -- Must have thought that blue flags were for cheering him up??
DOTR: Tomo Kazama - Made the 1 stop strategy work and finally won for Kamaha

[dr-baker]

I am not on the wiki, so can somebody set this up for me please?

Half-way between rounds 13 and 14

Foxdale to have a private test at Rockingham Motor Speedway to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry and Ben Fleet

Immediately after the Mexican race

Foxdale to have a test at Mexico to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry, Ben Fleet

[Aerospeed]

Do you mean rounds 12 and 13? Round 13 is Mexico

[Aerond]

I am not on the wiki, so can somebody set this up for me please?

Half-way between rounds 13 and 14

Foxdale to have a private test at Rockingham Motor Speedway to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry and Ben Fleet

Immediately after the Mexican race

Foxdale to have a test at Mexico to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry, Ben Fleet

Round 13 is Mexico and there's only one week gap between Mexico and Buenos Aires, so the Rockingham test is not possible. Mexico test is though.

[dr-baker]

I am not on the wiki, so can somebody set this up for me please?

Half-way between rounds 13 and 14

Foxdale to have a private test at Rockingham Motor Speedway to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry and Ben Fleet

Immediately after the Mexican race

Foxdale to have a test at Mexico to focus on driver performance
In attendance: Martin McFry, Ben Fleet

Round 13 is Mexico and there's only one week gap between Mexico and Buenos Aires, so the Rockingham test is not possible. Mexico test is though.

OK, could the test at Rockingham just be at the first available opportunity please (presumably after Buenos Aires)? Thanks.

[Aerond]

Another thing, you can't focus on "driver performance"; If it's for performance, it has to be either Qualifying or Race

[AndreaModa]

Baker to keep things simple you might as well just join the Silverstone test on the weekend following Buenos Aires with my team?

[Aerospeed]

Breaking: Andrea Acuri to sell stake in ArrowTech, will remain as Technical Director
Andrea Acuri, who founded the Acuri Autosport team in 2014, currently owned about 10% as per the deal of the buyout by The Fox in 2014. Reports are now surfacing that Acuri will sell his stake back to The Fox, but will remain as Technical Director of the team, and will be a huge part in designing the 2017 car, the AT-07. The reports claim that Acuri is willing to sell his stake in the team since "he wanted the money." In turn, the team will likely revert back to "ArrowTech ART" for the time being. The Fox comfirmed the sale of Acuri's stake in the team, saying "he seemed very happy with the sum of money he received."

Vantini signed as test/reserve driver for 2017 in ArrowTech
After being sacked by Jones Racing midway through the season, Rosco Vantini was picked up by ArrowTech as a test driver, presumably to evaluate his performances in comparison to the other drivers. There is now word that Vantini will remain in the role in 2017, also opting to stay in the minor series next year to focus on developing his driving abilities. "He is a talented driver," says The Fox, "but I have a feeling he was rushed into the F1RWRS scene and has since been put under a huge amount of pressure. We can only hope 2017 will be a developmental year for him, and hopefully it will aid him in putting his career back in track with us."

[dr-baker]

Baker to keep things simple you might as well just join the Silverstone test on the weekend following Buenos Aires with my team?

Why not?

Another thing, you can't focus on "driver performance"; If it's for performance, it has to be either Qualifying or Race

Race!

[Aerond]

SHIOYA TO END SEASON WITH MECHA

Japanese driver Hansuke Shioya has struck a deal to race for Mecha in the last 4 races of the season, according to words to ESPN by his manager Chris Dagnall. Dagnall, conscious who of his drivers is on high form spoke to the Mecha team in order to find Shioya a race seat in which to end the season, replacing Nathan Scott, who's also represented by Dagnall. "It's very important for Hansuke to keep on racing. We had a test offer from Arrowtech, and I'm very thankful for that, but Shioya needs all the racing time he can get right now and when we had Scott's future sealed and we were notified by Gauthier that they needed the money to end the season then we had to find a place for Hansuke to end the season". It's also thought that Jesus Plaza will take the Mecha seat for the 2017 season if Shioya goes back to Gauthier, something that is not assured.

[Aerond]

Tyres

Michelin spent 50 credits, 18 left
Bridgestone spent 170 credits, 0 left
Pirelli, 20 credits spent, 0 left
Goodyear still has 55 credits available

Teams, in brackets number of credits that must be spent before season ends

Simpson spent 200 credits, 60 left (10)
MRT spent 40 credits, 0 left
Mecha spent 130 credits, 10 left (0)
Foxdale spent 100 credits, 70 left (0)
Revolution spent 60 credits, 172 left (0)
CR spent 75 credits, 22 left (0)
Alitalia spent 1 credit, 124 left (74)

[AndreaModa]

Baker to keep things simple you might as well just join the Silverstone test on the weekend following Buenos Aires with my team?

Why not?

Is that a yes then?

[Klon]

Alright, I hereby announce that CR and Gauthier are swapping their respective chassis. This swap will go ahead before the next GP weekend.

There is no consolation after losing the world championship again. Odds were admittedly stacked against me, but if I hadn't let Davies go I could have kept it alive for another. Now all that is left is to a) apologise to the team for not getting it done and b) congratulate Davies and especially the guys at Jones Racing for their great job this season ... and c) to get drunk, I guess. Where's the Sunshine pit again?

Nobody found evidence that is was Lon who was responsible for puking in the monocoque of Thomas De Bock's Gillet.

That's my thropy! Back up! Mine! Ha, the car works and I win. Strange, isn't it? Some people thought I was nuts but ... I am not nuts. Yay!

Car's not ideal...

Thank god I can go home soon. Only four races left.

[AndreaModa]

Davies seals drivers title with last-gasp pass on Lon

Rhys Davies capped off a superb 2014 for the Australian by clinching the F1RWRS Drivers' Championship with three races to spare by passing the Aeroracing car of Kay Lon in the dying laps of a scintillating Mexican GP. Davies, the first non-British driver to win the F1RWRS title, has finished every race this season, with the exception of Canada, and last time out won his first and so far only race of the year in Belgium. In Mexico, he only had to ensure he finished ahead of rivals Lon and ArrowTech driver Phillippe Nicholas, and with the Frenchman retiring from the lead of the race mid-way through, it was down to the Jones driver to catch and pass Lon in the last few laps to make sure the title went to the delighted Jones team for the first time in their history.

Team boss Sammy Jones was understandably delighted with the result as he and his title-winning driver went up on the podium after the race to celebrate.

"It's been a truly magical year for us, far better than we'd ever hoped. We came so close in 2012, and last year we had the chance, but Dagnall was too good. This year although we had a bit of a slow start and Nicholas did well early on, everything has gone our way since the halfway point and has left us with where we are now. It's unbelievable if I'm honest, you work so hard for these moments, when they come along it's hard to believe it! I was never fortunate to win the title in F1 or F1RWRS myself as a driver, but as a team boss this is just as good, if not better because I've built this team up, from our beginnings in 2011, the DNPQs, the crazy days with McAllister, Mori and the rest. The series has come on so much since then, we can truly claim to be the premier motorsport category in the world, and for us to win it with Rhys driving superbly, it's just fantastic, a dream come true."

With Davies' teammate Italian Fredo Mestolio finishing in 5th place, the Jones team extended their lead in the Constructors' Championship to 28 points over nearest rivals Aeroracing who sit on 60. With a maximum of 51 points still up for grabs however, the battle is far from over, with Alitalia and ArrowTech also still in with a very real chance of winning it themselves.

For Jones however, attention is beginning to turn to 2017, and rumours have spread up and down the paddock about the Briton's plans for next year. Initial reports suggested that Jones was attempting to lure triple world champion Mark Dagnall away from the under-performing MRT team to be paired up with Davies in a line-up that would put the team as firm favourites to repeat their successes from this year. More recently however, there have been a whole host of wild stories about who will drive for Jones in 2017, and the boss himself admitted that whilst some elements of the rumours circulating had truth in them, his plans were far from concrete for 2017,

"We're in the process of sorting everything out at the moment, there's a lot to be negotiated and discussed, but we're working on a line-up that will excite everyone and ensure that the team remains at the front of the grid for many seasons to come. I can't reveal any details of our driver line-up until the season is complete for contractual reasons, but rest assured, it will be worth the wait!"

[Aerospeed]

Hold on, Kamaha won a race??? How do I even....

[FMecha]

Back to DNPQ again.

[AdrianSutil]

A new age in RWRS: Kingfisher and PlusOne unite!

It's difficult to keep any secrets to yourself in the crazy, eventful world of the RWRS, so it may come as a bit of a shock to find out that Mr.Alexander, Team boss of Kingfisher Racing and Luke Knight, CEO of PlusOne, have reached an agreement where BOTH are now running the team full-time. 

Now, before anyone goes 'eh?',  the situation is very simple, if you understand it. Luke Knight and his company, PlusOne, have been running the Kingfisher Racing team since the beginning of the season because Mr.Alexander was taken ill. Now, Mr.Alexander is beginning to recover well, he has recently returned to the paddock to see how things were going. 

A few weeks later, and this is the outcome: Mr.Alexander keeps a majority stake in the team (51%) whilst PlusOne take the other 49. But if you thought Mr.Alexander was returning as the team boss, you'd be mistaken. 

"My role has now changed, and I think it's for the best as I'm still unable to commit myself on a daily basis. Mr.knight can, so he and his team will remain in charge of the racing aspect of the team. I couldn't take the team back into full control, even if it is technically my right to do so. How would I explain that to Mr.Knight? 'Thanks for the hard work you've put in but Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out!?'
My role? I'm now directly in charge of David Neuberg's career and will also take up a marketing role within the team. It's all well and good trying to be successful on the track, but you need to do the same off it as well. I'll be out hunting for the right sponsors, the right personnel and anything else we feel we need as a team to push on in our goals for each year. 
  This team was built on a professional platform and I was delighted in our discussions with PlusOne that they also shared the same beliefs. This is a good sign that we can work well together. I like Mr.Knight as a person as well as a businessman. He kept in touch during my treatments and it helped a lot, which is why we are both very excited about this new venture."
  Mr.Knight also commented on the recent shake-up at Kingfisher. "I'm proud to announce the continuation of the partnership between the Plus One Group and Kingfisher Racing. Mr.Alexander is a good friend of mine, and being asked to run the team during his forced absence from the sport was an honour. With him making a  steady recovery to full health, this partnership is great news for the team, as it will allow us to move up the grid in the coming years. We've had a few struggles this year,
but generally we've improved on the foundations set in 2015, and are set to build on that again in 2017."

Such as what this will mean for the team, which will now be officially known as 'PlusOne Kingfisher Racing', remains to be seen. But it's likely to be a difficult transition at first until everything starts to work together. 
  "We are under no illusions that this won't be easy from the get-go", said an upbeat Mr.Alexander. "We need to remain focused on what we want for the team. This is PlusOne's child now, but I was around for the birth of the team, so we both feel like fathers to a group containing several dozen mechanics, around 30 engineers and the best part of 50 people back at Sevenoaks working tirelessly to make this car better.  This can work, but it needs time."

With this announcement, it's almost certain that David Neuberg will remain with the team for a third season, as his continued personal sponsorship helps the team stay in the game. Mr.Alexander has already said he will be away for the next race as he continues to strike deals for new and exciting opportunities for the PlusOne Kingfisher team. 

So there you have it, two hard-working and equally professional businessmen who are also racing fans and friends away from the track have decided to co-own a racing team. And you thought you'd seen it all in RWRS...

[Salamander]

Alright, I hereby announce that CR and Gauthier are swapping their respective chassis. This swap will go ahead before the next GP weekend.

Due to certain circumstances, this deal will not be going ahead as stated. Instead, Gauthier will scrap our current chassis for 260 credits, and CR will give us theirs - this means that CR will not contest the final 3 Grands Prix.

[Aerond]

Alright, I hereby announce that CR and Gauthier are swapping their respective chassis. This swap will go ahead before the next GP weekend.

Due to certain circumstances, this deal will not be going ahead as stated. Instead, Gauthier will scrap our current chassis for 260 credits, and CR will give us theirs - this means that CR will not contest the final 3 Grands Prix.

Got it. Now that you have some money, could you put Shioya back in the car, please?

[TomWazzleshaw]

Schiller to stay with MRT for 2017

With rumours growing that Mark Dagnall is on his way to Jones Racing for 2017, Melrose Racing Team has moved to confirm that incumbent Swiss driver Jean-Luc Schiller will stay with the team for the 2017 season. In what has been a difficult year for the squad, Schiller's lone highlight with the team was his debut victory at the Austrian Grand Prix in May, with teammate Dagnall having also scored a lone victory at Long Beach.

"Obviously it has been a difficult season after the mess Melrose left the team in at the start of the year" said MRT Team Principal Pierre Depault, "but we've had to make do with what we've got, and while we've made small gains in recent races, it's still not where we want to be. Jean's also had a tough time this season, but the feedback he's given us this year has been exceptional, and I must say he makes a great cheese fondue." The 29 year old Swiss driver is currently in his third season in the F1RWRS, having driven for several teams in the past including Prospec, Mecha, Tropico Grand Prix and Autodynamics, and has always been highly regarded as a solid driver within the paddock.

While Depault remained tight-lipped about who his teammate for 2017 would be, it has been widely speculated that Italian Fredo Mestolio will join him at the team next year, with the new-look MRT management having seemingly given up on any hope of holding onto Dagnall for the foreseeable future.

[the Masked Lapwing]

Davies announces F1RWRS retirement
Newly crowned F1RWRS champion Rhys Davies has announced that he will be retiring from the F1RWRS at the end of the 2016 season. Davies has competed in the F1RWRS since 2012, and was in F1 from 1999 to 2007 and a short stint in 2010-11.
"I reckon I've had a pretty good time in the F1RWRS," said Davies. "I've been in high level open wheelers for an eternity now, so its probably time I stepped down and let some younger guys take a shot. Plus, lets face it, half the drivers in this series are morons, so it'll do me a world of good to get away from them all."
When asked what his plans were for 2017, Davies said "I'm 100% still racing, in fact I signed a deal to do that new sportscar series a while ago, but I'll let my future employers confirm that. For now, I've still got three races left this year, and now Fredo, the team and I can concentrate on getting Jones Racing the WCC they deserve as well."

[SuperAguri]

Police called in to circuit after complaints about noise
Local police were called to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit after complaints about the every increase music volumes coming from the Kamaha and Jones garages. Police ended up confiscating music systems from both teams, but no arrests were made. Barii Mori happily spoke to us and said, "Typical we win our first well deserved win in 5 years and Jones have to steal our thunder by having one of their driving win the drivers championship. They can celebrate that any time in the next three races, this is our day and Jones should show some respect. We are very please with Tomo Kazama, she drove a flawless race and our one stop strategy paid off although the tyres were reall bare at the end of the race. We thank Suzuki for giving us an engine that didn't blow up or thrash the transmission too.". A Jones employee said to us, "I lov.... lov... youuuu. Yoourrr my bestest mate. Give us a kiss.", we hastily made our excuses and left.

Mori wins court battle and takes CR Motorsport F1RWRS team.
After being sacked from CR Motorsport, a court in Germany found CR Motorsports in breach of contract and awarded Mori his lost earnings. However due to CR Motorsport winding up their F1RWRS operations, Mori was happy to take their F1RWRS operations, bar the chassis which was already sold to Gauthier and the CR Motorsports name which will be used in other forms of motorsport. Mori said "I am happy with the victory, I would have prefered hard cash but taking the team means we should get CRs credits at the end of the season which hopefully should help Kamaha survive another season. I would have loved to have let CR Motorsports race for 3 more races but without a chassis, that is not going to happen.". CR Motorsports have yet to make a comment.

[Salamander]

I am absolutely astounded and completely shocked that Dofasco Lukoil Racing have decided to replace me - ME, the guy who dragged them out of pre-qualifying twice now - with that useless drunk and talentless hack Daniel Melrose! Oh, suuuure, they might have gotten out again, even escaped pre-qualifying entirely, but mark my words - this is entirely down to the data I have painstakingly collected during my time with the team.

I'm not quite sure what to do right now, my whole world is upside down, I don't know quite what to believe in now... but I do know this: Dofasco can think again if they think I will ever stoop to their level again. I think perhaps the best thing I can do right now is take a sabbatical for the rest of the year, to recover from this trauma, and get my head straight for my duties for the BITW Porsche team in the Le Mans Cup next season - I have to be at my best if I am going to lead them to title glory.

[Aerond]

F1RWRS 2016 -- ROUND 14/16 -- ARGENTINA GP -- Autódromo Municipal Óscar Galvez

Weather Report:

Dry All Weekend

PRE-QUALIFYING

1.Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- 1.27.878
2.James Davies (Sunshine) -- 1.28.165 (+0.287)
3.Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- 1.28.274 (+0.396)
4.Hansuke Shioya (Mecha) -- 1.28.354 (+0.476)
5.Michael Cameron (Simpson) -- 1.28.393 (+0.515)
6.Andrea Battani (Boxtel) -- 1.28.431 (+0.553)
7.Jean-Vincent Albertini (Autodynamics) -- 1.28.586 (+0.708)
8.Daniel Martins (Sunshine) -- 1.28.594 (+0.716)
9.Nicolas Steele (Autodynamics) -- 1.28.599 (+0.721)
10.David Neuberg (Kingfisher) -- 1.28.626 (+0.748)
11.Nathan McKane (Kingfisher) -- 1.28.954 (+1.076)
12.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- 1.29.146 (+1.268)
13.Renaldo Jimenez (Mecha) -- 1.29.179 (+1.301)
14.Du Lei (Simpson) -- 1.29.250 (+1.372)
15.Ashley Watkinson (Prospec) -- 1.29.338 (+1.460)
16.Martyn Rietacher (Prospec) -- 1.29.971 (+2.093)
17.Barii Mori (Revolution) -- 1.30.277 (+2.399)
18.Miko Fakkinen (Revolution) -- 1.30.791 (+2.913)

*Boxtel will skip Pre-Qualifying at Round 15

QUALIFYING

1.Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- 1.26.288
2.Danny van Rijkens (Gauthier) -- 1.26.390 (+0.102)
3.Ron Mignolet (Alitalia) -- 1.26.631 (+0.343)
4.Tomo Kazama (Kamaha) -- 1.26.749 (+0.461)
5.Martin McFry (Foxdale) -- 1.26.783 (+0.495)
6.Nathanael Spencer (Alitalia) -- 1.26.942 (+0.654)
7.Pippa Mann (Aeroracing) -- 1.27.020 (+0.732)
8.Kay Lon (Aeroracing) -- 1.27.058 (+0.770)
9.Rhys Davies (Jones) -- 1.27.070 (+0.782)
10.Douglas Mann (HRT) -- 1.27.306 (+1.018)
11.Mark Dagnall (MRT) -- 1.27.411 (+1.123)
12.Nicolas Steele (Autodynamics) -- 1.27.417 (+1.129)
13.Frank Zimmer (HRT) -- 1.27.541 (+1.253)
14.Philippe Nicolas (Arrowtech) -- 1.27.572 (+1.284)
15.Hagane Shizuka (Kamaha) -- 1.27.610 (+1.322)
16.Fredo Mestolio (Jones) -- 1.27.699 (+1.411)
17.Mirko Bosevic (Arrowtech) --1.27.853 (+1.565)
18.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- 1.27.972 (+1.684)
19.Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- 1.28.082 (+1.794)
20.Jean-Luc Schiller (MRT) -- 1.28.085 (+1.797)
21.Gregor Pascal (Gauthier) -- 1.28.116 (+1.828)
22.James Davies (Sunshine) -- 1.28.314 (+2.026)
23.Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- 1.28.345 (+2.057)
24.Daniel Martins (Sunshine) -- 1.28.392 (+2.104)
25.Jean-Vincent Albertini (Autodynamics) -- 1.28.587 (+2.299)
26.Andrea Battani (Boxtel) -- 1.28.747 (+2.459)

** Dofasco weren't able to take part in Qualifying due to having only one driver available

RACE

1.Ron Mignolet (Alitalia) -- 1h 54m 58.070
2.Nathanael Spencer (Alitalia) -- +5.577
3.Rhys Davies (Jones) -- +13.204
4.Philippe Nicolas (Arrowtech) -- +1.00.333
5.Tomo Kazama (Kamaha) -- +1.02.900
6.Fredo Mestolio (Jones) -- +1.11.649
7.Daniel Martins (Sunshine) -- +1 Lap
8.Kay Lon (Aeroracing) -- +1 Lap
9.Jean-Vincent Albertini (Autodynamics) -- +2 Laps
10.Douglas Mann (HRT) -- +2 Laps
11.Aurelien Moll (Gillet) -- +2 Laps
12.Martin McFry (Foxdale) -- +4 Laps (*)
James Davies (Sunshine) -- Engine
Gregor Pascal (Gauthier) -- Engine
Thomas de Bock (Gillet) -- Engine
Jari Kekkonen (Boxtel) -- Engine
Andrea Battani (Boxtel) -- Accident
Danny van Rijkens (Gauthier) -- Engine
Mark Dagnall (MRT) -- Accident
Frank Zimmer (HRT) -- Accident
Ben Fleet (Foxdale) -- Accident
Hagane Shizuka (Kamaha) -- Accident
Nicolas Steele (Autodynamics) -- Accident
Pippa Mann (Aeroracing) -- Throttle
Mirko Bosevic (Arrowtech) -- Accident
Jean-Luc Schiller (MRT) -- Accident

FASTEST LAP: Tomo Kazama (Kamaha) -- 1.29.536
ROTR: Foxdale: Both drivers caused mayhem and received well deserved multiple race bans
DOTR: Alitalia drivers: Drove flawlessly in a difficult race and established a solid 1-2

Martin McFry has been given a two race ban for causing multiple colissions during the race
Ben Fleet has been given a two race ban for causing a multiple car pile-up after rejoining the track in a dangerous move
Kay Lon has been given a reprimand for punting another car off the track
Fredo Mestolio has been given a reprimand for punting another car off the track
Douglas Mann has been given a reprimand for punting another car off the track
Phoenix McAllister has been banned off the paddock for 6 races for starting a brawl with another pitcrew member of a rival team

[Aerospeed]

8pm Madrid time? Right after the live Sochi coverage, I see...