2018 RWRS Universe Silly Season Thread

[HawkAussie]

So with testing in full swing, it is time to open up a 2018 thread of the Silly Season. This is stuff related to the following seasons, for those who are new, have forgotten, or simply haven't kept track of the latest canon additions

2018 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season
2018 Formula 2 Rejects World Race Series season
2018 Formula 3 Rejects World Race Series season
2018 AutoReject 2.0 Europe season
2018 AutoReject 2.0 North America season
2018 AutoReject 3.5 season
2018 AutoReject Indy World Cup season
2018 ACO Le Mans Cup season
2018 GTR World Championship season
2018 Auto Reject Super Touring season
2018 Auto Reject GTi season
2018 RejecTrucks Super Series season
2018 Rejects World Motorcycle Trophy season
2018 Toyota Reject Racing Series season
2017-2018 Formula Reject Nippon Championship

So for any news, rumours, or downright scandalous statements regarding the above seasons then this is the place!

Past Silly Seasons
2017
2016

[DemocalypseNow]

Voeckler announces construction of new racetrack in Corsica

The Voeckler consortium has today made public plans to construct a brand new world-class racetrack facility on the French island of Corsica.

The new 6-kilometre track will be built on the edge of the island's capital city Ajaccio, and be similar in style to Albert Park, in the sense that some of its roads will be open for public use when not being raced on. The new complex will cost in the region of €350 million to develop, and will create several hundred jobs in the greater Corsica area.

"I am ecstatic this project is finally becoming a reality," said Voeckler GPE CEO Jeremy-Etienne Voeckler. "This was always a component of our long-term vision. We are building Voeckler into a world leader in the motorsport industry, and this project is a major part of achieving that aim."

The circuit is being constructed to FIA Grade 1 standards, and Voeckler have indicated they want the track to be present on major racing calendars from the off.

"We are 99% certain of hosting a French round of the Indy World Cup here in 2018" he stated. "We are also hoping to have other branches of the AutoReject series participate here in future, and also a collaboration with some series within the RWRS system is not out of the question in the future."

The new track has been christened as Circuit Henri Toivonen de Corse, in honour of the Finnish rally legend who tragically lost his life while competing in the Tour de Corse in 1986.

[DemocalypseNow]

F1RWRS automercato: the next generation?

Gillet more promiscuous than ever
It seems after the experiment with Eric Swerts failed miserably, he will be replaced. The quality of driver currently available mid-season is poor, so it's likely anyone they are able to draft in during 2017 won't be with them beyond it. The question then is - who will be only the fifth ever driver for Gillet in seven years on the grid?

Gillet are undoubtedly the most nationalistic team in F1RWRS - at the time of writing, all four drivers in their history have been from their homeland of Belgium. This immediately puts their F2RWRS protege Alexandre Dorval in pole position, despite his so-so results in his career thus far. He at least had a breakout season in 2016, and if he can continue an upward momentum during 2017 he might have a shout of taking the seat on merit. Just not a particularly strong shout. It's considerably easier to rule out Dorval's team-mate Jason Hamilton - the Aussie has been around forever and not done much to justify promotion to F1RWRS - even if he's actually made an appearance there previously.

Of course, their permanent replacement could be Ron Mignolet, but this depends on a few factors. First of all, Mignolet is not exactly the youngest driver on the grid, having recently passed the big 4-0. He has come off a career best season, second in the championship last year, but has started 2017 in acrimonious fashion, which caused him to be dropped by Voeckler and sent to Gillet in the first place. If Thomas De Bock returns, then Mignolet is guaranteed to be their first choice. The real question is if Mignolet agrees to an extension to his current short-term deal for the current season.

There was an unexpected implication above, the thought that De Bock might not be in a Gillet next year. For this there is good reason; De Bock is thought of highly by Voeckler's CEO and former F1 driver Jeremy-Etienne Voeckler, who is said to prefer the Belgian to current lead driver Nathanael Spencer. While Gillet will be desperate to have De Bock back at the helm of the team, if Voeckler can stay at the front of the field and offer De Bock a race winning car, it might be harder to convince him to return home to a team in a state of turmoil. Hence the need for a new driver even if Mignolet stayed on.


Fusion aiming for the stars, but avoiding the Nebula
Fusion Motorsports are sandbagging in 2017, but their chassis looks top notch, and are biding their time to secure a preferable engine deal for 2018 and beyond. This could make them an attractive proposition for some, and theoretically a perfect time for their Nebula young driver programme members to be stepping up to F1RWRS, but it seems none of them are in contention for a ride.

Marko Jantscher seems the most obvious choice, but GdS understands management has already taken him out of the equation completely for a ride in 2018. Nino Barlini is a driver almost stuck in a tug-of-war between Voeckler and Fusion, but that co-ownership squabble will be settled at a later date, the Italian only just having made the step up from AR 2.0, and both parties will likely want him to accrue more experience in 3.5 before a further step-up.

The one driver in the programme that looks strong enough to contend for a drive is Quentin Reatherson - already known for good consistency from his IFRC stint last season, this form has continued, and is at the sharp end of the title race in F2RWRS so far despite not winning a race. And yet, despite this good form, he too may be overlooked.

Instead, the young gun who may make their debut with Fusion next year is a Voeckler-affiliated driver, Alessandro Lucarelli. Lucarelli is a driver with plenty of cash to burn, thanks to backing from both Lavezzi Caffe and Peroni. He is expected to be the number two driver, a far more skilled replacement for the (literal) weight that currently drags the team down, Geoff Donnelly and his Greggs money.

The first seat is the real curiosity. Fusion appear determined to bag some form of marquee signing, but so far it seems a little hard to understand where such a driver will be coming from. Mark Dagnall's multi-year deal looks like it may actually be honoured (unlike the 'contract' he previously had with MRT), De Bock will either return to Gillet or stay with Voeckler, Rhys Davies has so far appeared insistent that he is retired from racing in F1RWRS, Phillippe Nicolas looks almost certain to be at MRT next year, and Alexey Buyvolov has no reason to leave Aeroracing, having just joined the Spanish outfit and currently enjoying the form of his life. Kay Lon and Hagane Shizuka may be on the market at the end of the year, but neither can really be considered a marquee team-leader in the sense of Dagnall, Davies or De Bock - especially with Lon currently being shown up by his far less experienced team-mate. And so the baton passes to Nathanael Spencer, who looks like he may be cast astray by Voeckler after continuing his wildly unpredictable form from last season into 2017.


Kazama reaching new heights of unprofessionalism?
There is no denying Tomo Kazama has a turn of speed in her. She is a former F3RWRS and F2RWRS championship. Talent is not really up for debate. The real issue is her diva attitude constantly getting her into hot water. She has walked out on a second team in two months. Despite Gauthier being surprisingly forgiving and leaving the door open for her to return again once she's finished having a strop, surely they will get tired of the behaviour that saw Kazama storm out of Kamaha in 2016. And it seems a replacement is already lined up; rumours strongly link Dutchman Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen, who was shunned by Kamaha at the start of the year, to taking a ride at the French team in 2018. One Kamaha refugree replaced by another; funny how the world works at times.


Simpson to hang up his helmet for good; a successor has finally arrived
Dave Simpson has been rather uninspiring since returning to drive for his own team a year ago. This season especially he has so far been shown up badly by rookie team-mate Wouter Lamberigts, the man known in F2RWRS for collecting pole position awards like the free toys that come with every Happy Meal, but doing nothing else with his time. It's been the same thing from him so far, and yet he has still managed to outperform Simpson, who has contributed nothing to the team.

However, it seems Simpson finally have a .driver who can come in and lead the team. Michael Robertson, whose career looked dead and buried at the end of 2015, has suddenly been resurrected by good performances across the pond, followed up by a promising turn of pace in AR3.5 so far in 2017. He looks like a true title contender, and the time may finally be right for the Aussie to step up to F1RWRS with a team he knows well from his past.

Certainly, it looks like Robertson would be a match for the veteran driver turned team principal, and so Simpson can finally slip back into retirement and focusing on running the affairs of the team, and leaving the driving to a much younger Aussie, who may have a bright future ahead of him after all.


RLR have a shopping list longer than an Airbus A380, but will probably end up in the Italian, Japanese or Mexican aisle
Rob Lomas Racing started 2017 with one of the least inspiring lineups on the grid, but look keen to make up for their poor first choices with a more solid and experienced duo in the future. They are said to be extremely keen on retaining the services of Shinobu Katayama (who used to be relevant, we've been informed by our resident historian), after a shocking run in 5th place during Brands almost bagged them points on their first appearance in an F1RWRS race.

The second car is less clear; they've already made offers for Aurelien Moll and Ron Mingolet, and been knocked back by both, and while they may find a temporary replacement for Adelaide Voeckler between now and the end of the year, don't be surprised if one of these three drivers end up in an RLR in 2018.

Fredo Mestolio and Hansuke Shioya are two drivers whose seats are at risk for 2018. Shioya has been less than impressive for ArrowTech thus far, being thoroughly outperformed by team-mate Phillippe Nicolas, while Mestolio will be well aware the Frenchman is an almost certainty to be arriving at his MRT team next season. Jesus Plaza has experience at the top level and is likely to tire of Mecha's perpetual failure to escape Pre-Qualifying. He might be a little more enthused by a drive at RLR than staying put, given the demonstration put on by Katayama at Brands Hatch.

Mestolio is likely to be their top target, given he is the only race winner of the trio, but also brings the most cash. However, if he wins the battle with current team-mate Jean-Luc Schiller to retain his place at MRT along with the incoming Nicolas, that leaves the door open for either Shioya or Plaza to step in.


Voeckler considering a full reboot
Voeckler have stuck with their tried and tested formula since the start of the 2016 season - the same chassis design, engine and drivers, but after two whole season with the same package, change will be necessary to keep pace at the top of the grid. A revolution in the technical department is inevitable, but it may also occur in the driving lineup.

Ron Mignolet has already been punished for his erronous driving so far in 2017, banished to the hellish nightmare of Gillet, with Thomas de Bock coming the other way to fill the void. The hugely experienced Belgian is only a temporary replacement, insists parent team Gillet, but Voeckler are trying their hardest to turn it into a more permanent deal. Given the similar unpredictability of lead driver Nathanael Spencer, it seems Voeckler are keen to secure the services of a somewhat more level headed lead driver, even if De Bock has no world titles in comparison to Spencer's earlier triumph. They are also said to be trying to tempt Rhys Davies out of retirement to spearhead the team's efforts, but the current Voeckler tester seems insistent of staying out of single seaters for good, at least in a full racing season context - he currently continues to test for the French squad this year.

As far as the second seat goes, a Spencer - De Bock lineup continuing into 2018 is not on the cars; it will be one or the other staying, and new blood coming in to the second seat. Voeckler have a total of four drivers in the F2RWRS series, but with Lucarelli strongly linked to Fusion, it seems there will be a three-way shootout for the second drive. So far, Dan Greenlaw is winning that showdown. By a fair margin. Agyemang-Badu's season has been littered with unforced errors so far, but Salvatore Miccoli may yet mount a challenge to Greenlaw for that second seat.


Torrente to be shafted by Jones
Diego Alvarez Torrente was the surprise winner of F2RWRS last season, a driver few had tipped for the title heading into 2016. But win he did, and a drive at Jones was his prize. Despite this success, rumour is rife that the Spaniard will be unceremoniously dumped at the end of the year to make way for Nick Nurmester, who is one of the main protagonists in the F2RWRS title battle this season. The credit bonus handed to teams for signing current F2RWRS champions may be too hard to resist for Jones, a bonus they have benefited from on two occasions already.


ArrowTech will be the biggest losers of Automercato 2018
When it comes to hiring, ArrowTech are usually the team most guilty of chasing drivers they could only sign in their dreams. No doubt they will spend all their waking hours trying to lure Mark Dagnall or Rhys Davies to their team, or a bizarre flat out denial of Nicolas going anywhere, even if MRT is certain to be his team of residence in 2018. In this procedure of having their heads in the clouds, they will miss all the opportunities they may have had of acquring half-decent drivers who may actually be interested in racing for them, and thus will end up with the scraps of the market.

Expect their lineup to be made up of not one, but two disgraced former young guns who were previously fired from F1RWRS for simply not making the grade; Marie Simon and Rosco Vantini.

[Ataxia]

Good morning, Starshine?

A rumour emanating from Twitter has suggested that Astro Racing Group are to offer a deal to Sunshine Motorsports to become their official F1RWRS junior team. Astro's current Fusion venture has big plans set on joining the very front, and stories from the paddock suggest that Astro would like to use another F1RWRS team as a training ground for some of their top Astro Racing Stars; the Daihatsu-backed Sunshine are rumoured to be top of the list. Astro would most likely loan out Marko Jantscher for 2018 as he looks to build on his one race start with the Kamaha team last season.

Watch this space.

[Pointrox]

RWMT: All in for 2018?
Séaghdha Puig of HoW Promotions has recently unveiled his plans to improve the faltering RWMT motorcycle racing series in 2018

Despite many adjustments in the calendar and relatively low entry requirements that attracted riders from Europe, Asia and South America, RWMT struggles with developing an identity that would appeal to the international audiences. Rumor has it that because of poor ticket sales some rounds might be cancelled and the series might not be back for another season. This, however, might be prevented, as Seaghdha Puig tries to prove with his game plan for 2018.

New motorcycles
This season all riders use the 1998-spec bikes. As much as they appeal to the riders for their low-cost nature and easy handling, they don't help in making the series any exciting for a potential follower. New bikes, that will be built around one of the three available chassis and will be fully customisable, should improve the show and attract managers that will not only put money in their riders, but also help developing the bike through the season.

New tracks
2017 season is largely limited to continental Europe as HoW Promotions failed to find a suitable logistics partner that would be able to transport the entire series between the continents. This problem, however, was already addressed and here's hope that in 2018 we get to see races in some exotic places. Venues like Sentul, Losail and Sears Point are already considered by Mr. Puig to be included in a new season race calendar.

Abandoning the single rider championship
"Lone Rider Cup" was a last minute attempt to attract minor riders that would round up the number of entries. These, however, lack in quality, and in 2018 only major entrants will be allowed.

Increasing the number of entrants
This season has 23 riders in each race. It's not too little for a debuting series, but for a motorcycle racing series it is insufficient to create a worthwhile experience. Efforts to create a field of at least 32 bikes should pay off and bring more variety and excitement for 2018 races.

These, and many more, were announced by Mr. Puig when presenting the HoW Promotions LLC annual report. Other plans were discussed behind closed doors with other shareholders during a vigorous org- business lunch, and are yet to be disclosed.

[Ataxia]

Coca-Cola add fizz to Fusion Motorsports

Soft drinks giants Coca-Cola have signed a title sponsorship deal with Fusion Motorsports for the next three seasons, it has been revealed.

The company currently sponsor the team with subsidiary Glaceau and their Vitaminwater brand, and will replace Italian energy company Energy T.I. as the title sponsor in 2018 onwards. Energy T.I. will continue to back the team in a smaller role.

"We are delighted to sign this deal with Coca-Cola" said team principal Jacques Couteau. "It's a real sign of the progress we are making as a team and they buy into our ethos of working to get to the top. And yes, we will have a red car next year!"

In addition, The Coca-Cola Company will use their other brands on the other Astro affiliate teams from 2018 onwards. Powerade are expected to sponsor Nebula next season, energy drink Burn will make an appearance on the Alvarez Competicion liveries, whilst it has yet to be disclosed which brand will sponsor Pulsar.

[Ataxia]

Plus One to subtract McKane?
According to sources within the paddock, it appears that Plus One Kingfisher Racing are looking to offload Nathan McKane as soon as possible.

The British team have been disappointed with the Scottish driver's performances, and it is alleged that they will be looking to try and sign Shinobu Katayama from Rob Lomas Racing; the Japanese driver drove a miraculous race at Brands Hatch before retiring, and Plus One may give Katayama the chance to reinvigorate her career at a team which currently does not have to deal with pre-qualifying.

Plus One's management was unavailable for comment.

Fusion already looking at 2018

With the season settling down into some kind of order, Fusion Motorsports have already begun with their preparations for 2018 as they look to get away from the back of the grid.

Team principal Jacques Couteau has been quoted as saying "I'm looking for a driver who can win races, and has the potential to go and win titles. We've spoken to a few drivers who have the potential to be future champions."

Gillet at crisis point?
Having swapped Thomas de Bock for Ron Mignolet, the Belgian team have still been unable to see any results as they continue to struggle with pre-qualifying. It is rumoured that Tony Gillet will be putting his hand deep in his pocket as he looks to try and improve the car. Mignolet looks set on a deal with Gauthier to replace Tomo Kazama if Gillet do not improve, so the team are currently in a bit of a contractual mess.

It is rumoured that Aurelien Moll may make a return to the team, having been edged out in favour of Eric Swerts' cash; Moll was impressive in testing for Fusion Motorsports, despite the British team's horsepower handicap.

[DemocalypseNow]

F1RWRS: The Early Silly Season Predictions

Despite only five rounds of the 16 round calendar, it seems many teams have already set their plans for 2018 into motion. Contracts are being ripped up, signed, and the ripped up again, with 10 races still to go between now and the end of the 2017 season. Tuttosport analyses the automercato along with former Virgin Inter Corse and Scuderia Alitalia team manager Antonio Di Vaio.

Voeckler GPE
Nathanael Spencer
Dan Greenlaw

Antonio di Vaio: "I think bringing in De Bock to replace Mignolet was more than just a knee-jerk mid-season replacement decision. Nathanael Spencer was signed to be the team leader, the guy pushing the team forward to the championship, but instead it was Mignolet who did it last season, and neither was doing it this season. Spencer's start to the year was similar to 2016, and that poor start cost him a shot at the title. I think they want De Bock to replace Spencer in that lead driver role in the long term.

They have quite a few young guys on their books, and it's likely time for some of them to step up to the top level. I expect Voeckler will take the pick of the litter for themselves, and at the moment the driver that fits this is Dan Greenlaw. If it turns out he's just flavour of the month though, someone like Salvatore Miccoli or Alessandro Lucarelli could end up there too."

Jones Racing
Terry Hawkin, Marko Jantscher
James Jones

ADV: "In terms of the main drivers, Jones will retain the status quo. Dagnall is their talisman, and will seek to retain him at costs. He seems much more content here than his brief stint at MRT, so the relationship will probably continue for a few seasons yet. Alvarez Torrente perhaps hasn't been as fast the team had hoped, but yet he has still been getting the job done regardless so far. He'll probably be retained for 2018, before suffering a difficult second season and being cast aside, much like Vantini before him.

The real changes for 2018 will be in the test and reserve areas. I see both Hawkin and Jantscher bagging race drivers, so they'll need to be replaced. Their other F2RWRS level junior driver is Nurmester, who I also expect will jump to F1RWRS next year, which discounts him. The rest of their F3RWRS/3.5 level prospects have been really poor, so I see them promoting up talent and signing someone like James Jones or Katie May from AR 2.0 to fill Hawkin and Jantscher's spot."

Aeroracing Engineering
n/a
n/a

ADV: "No change here. Lon will do one final season before bowing out at the end of 2018, making way for Yamamura. As the works Audi team, little is going to change on the technical front as well."

ArrowTech-Acuri Autosport
Phillippe Nicolas, Hansuke Shioya
Nicolas Steele, Rosco Vantini

ADV: "ArrowTech are having a horror season right now, and Nicolas is going to set sail the second his contract expires. Even if the technical package is to blame for their woes, I think ArrowTech management will still find a way to tack Shioya with the blame and dismiss him. With Autodynamics in the state they're in now, I think they'll pick up Nicolas Steele as team leader, and partner him with either Rosco Vantini or Marie Simon. I'm leaning towards Vantini given his recent form in AR 3.5, with Simon staying on as reserve yet again."

Autodynamics GP
Nicolas Steele, Daniel Melrose
Andrea Battani

ADV: "Melrose is merely a formal inclusion, given his departure from the team is a scheduled one already. However, I think given Autodynamics' now perilous situation in terms of finances, their competitiveness will take a hit, and they won't be able to get anywhere near the podium in the forseeable future. Steele will therefore abandon ship, and Melrose likely won't consider a return to plug the gap left by the American. The "MRT B-Team" as they were once known will no longer be an attractive proposition to many, but a fringe driver like Andrea Battani, who lost his Boxtel ride at the end of 2016, will likely grab the opportunity. Battani's close links to the team should ensure him the drive over others."

Melrose Racing Team
Fredo Mestolio
Phillippe Nicolas

ADV: "It's the worst kept secret in F1RWRS that Nicolas will return to his old team for 2018. He was sacrificed to make way for Mark Dagnall in 2016, but with the Brit now gone, MRT are current rudderless without a natural team leader. Nicolas will return to fulfill that role as the #1 in the team. Schiller will likely remain as the #2, squeezing Mestolio out."

Kamaha Motorsports
Hagane Shizuka, Daniel Melville
Shinobu Katayama, Barii Mori

ADV: "Kamaha's reputation preceeds them. Their notoriety in failing to honour contracts has made securing a drive with them a poisoned chalice. Talented drivers will likely stay away from them, and they'll be left picking from drivers with few options aside from other backmarkers.

I'm entirely certain Daniel Melville will be sacked - he hasn't set the world on fire so far this year, and Kamaha have often unreasonably high standards. Shizuka is also starting to flag slightly - he may return to his Revolution team, or just retire from F1RWRS altogether. With few drivers willing to consider Kamaha given their track record, it will likely fall to the drivers closest to the team to come in and fill the gaps - Shinobu Katayama, who is having something of a renaissance with Rob Lomas Racing this season, along with current test driver Barii Mori, are my best picks for their seats next season. But who knows, they might have hired and fired them both by the time 2017 is out, never mind 2018."

Gillet ENB
Daniel Moreno, Eric Swerts
Alexandre Dorval, Wouter Lamberigts

ADV: "Gillet are a team in dire straits. They are planted firmly at the foot of the Pre-Qualifying table, and have already gone through four drivers this year. Long term pairing Thomas de Bock and Aurelien Moll have both already left, and de Bock's replacement Mignolet also ran out of patience in a hurry and folded. The situation has become so dire, Gillet have committed the ultimate sin and hired a non-Belgian. Replacement drivers, Canadian veteran Daniel Moreno and Eric Swerts have done little to justify contract renewals, to the point that without the four driver per season limit, Swerts would likely have been fired at this point. It's a certainty he will be cast off at the end of the year.

Moreno is here as a temporary replacement and nothing more. I'm not sure he'll want to continue for a full season in 2018, and even then, it's not certain he'd be offered that chance either. Even if his performances have been so-so, I wouldn't be surprised to see them take a punt on Alex Dorval, and the money he brings. Gillet's problem for filling the other seat is they have standards, which they're not really in a position to have. No doubt he won't get the drive, but someone like Benoit Voeckler is closer to the mould of driver they can tempt to their squad next season. Despite this, I think they'll pour all their efforts into trying to secure Wouter Lamberigts, and while it won't be the easiest task convincing him to switch, it might just work out for them. Their other option is to try and sign a junior driver from one of the biggest development squads (Voeckler, Fusion, et al) that isn't quite the pick of the bunch, but still decent, and one that'll bring some cash. That puts drivers like Quentin Reatherson and Alessandro Lucarelli in the frame."

Holden Racing Team
Douglas Mann, Renatu Bulku
Nathanael Spencer, Iakopo Fuamatu

ADV: "Douglas Mann's career is as good as over. The lad is over the hill and in his final days of racing in F1RWRS. I think the team are starting to realise this as well, and are preparing to let him go at the end of the year. Cara was the driver that had questions over his job security, but seems to have done enough to impress management and may well continue into 2018.

They'll be looking for an experienced hand to partner Cara, and with Spencer looking like he will be let go by Voeckler GPE, the two seem like a good match. They might change their mind if protege Carter Simpson is able to make a late push in the F2RWRS title race, but I think this was a do or die season for him, and he doesn't look to have done enough to impress the HRT top brass into giving him an F1RWRS ride. Renatu Bulku has had a shocker in F2RWRS this year, I expect he will be dropped from their programme and replaced by Iakopo Fuamatu as a development driver, who has been impressive in AR 2.0 and will likely step up to either AR 3.5 or F3RWRS next year.

Plus One Racing Engineering
Du Lei, Martyn Rietacher
Marko Jantscher, Gary Pacer

ADV: "David Neuberg is going nowhere. The team are happy with him, and he is happy to stay. He'll remain the team leader. The question mark is over who will partner him - Nathan McKane has already been let go and replaced by Du Lei, but one can't help but feel this is only a temporary measure, and they'll be after someone with more quality for 2018. Neuberg also brings them plenty of cash, so they won't need to resort to another pay driver necessarily. They aren't in a position to bag a big name driver with lots of experience, so I think they'll turn to youth and try and sign someone talented, that might have been overlooked by the biggest teams. AR 3.5 drivers don't come with bonus payments and so the best drivers of the series are sometimes overlooked for their counterparts in F2RWRS, and so while Marko Jantscher might be on a par performance wise with other rookies heading to better seats, he may have to settle for a debut with Plus One, rather than another Nebula junior formulae champion Torrente who managed to bag a seat at champions Jones this year.

In the test and reserve department, Rietacher's career has hit the buffers and hasn't really made the grade. They have a better prospect in their ranks in the form of Gary Pacer, and I think he'll take Rietacher's place in the development squad."

Equipe Gauthier
Ron Mignolet
Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen

ADV: "The team has spoken highly of Danny van Rijkens, and they are keen to hold onto him. Van Rijkens doesn't really have a reason to leave unless he can get himself a ride at a proven top team, which I don't think he'll manage. Therefore staying put makes sense for him. In the other seat, Tomo Kazama left not just Gauthier, but F1RWRS, in a fit of rage, and replacement Ron Mignolet has announced he will retire from the sport this year. Gauthier knew this was coming however, and have already signed Dutchman Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen to a pre-contract for next season. He has finished 2nd overall in F2RWRS in the past, and would be right at the sharp end of the AR 3.5 title fight this year without such bad luck. I think he can push on and at least come close to the championship, if not coming first overall, and Gauthier will honour the pre-contract if Basti performs to his full capabilities."

Sunshine Daihatsu
Barii Mori, Yuka Katayama
Benoît Voeckler, Carlinho

ADV: "This is a team in a metaphorical comatose. They're still alive, but they don't appear to be concious of the irreversible decline they're going into. They're already anchored to the Pre-Qualifying sessions, but don't seem to have taken appropriate financial planning to deal with this. They're still running two drivers who don't pay the team anything to be there, and in their current predicament, that's suicide. In 2018, they'll be broke and slow, and this will make them an extremely unattractive prospect for any driver. Barii Mori will depart, and given their dire situation, will have no choice but to hire the select few pay-drivers who come knocking. Given Boxtel are likely to not exist a year from now, Benoît Voeckler is likely to be banging on Sunshine's door the hardest of any.

"Katayama will depart along with Mori, and look for a window somewhere else. The one thing going for the Sunshine programme right now is Carlinho, who is faring quite well in F3RWRS this season and will likely take Katayama's place as a development driver."

Foxdale Auto Racing Team
n/a
Douglas Mann

ADV: "Foxdale have seemed pretty apathetic to their slow decline into oblivion, and for this reason I can see them retaining both Pippa Mann and Ben Fleet, even if neither has done anything remarkable, and the latter actually having been rather poor. Their technical package is garbage and they don't seem to know how to get back in the right direction, so I'm not sure many drivers will be knocking at their door asking for a ride either. Douglas Mann will no doubt return on the prat perch, but will probably stay in the lineup as a test and reserve as well, following his contract with HRT coming to an end."

Dacia F1RWRS Team
Dave Simpson, Wouter Lamberigts
Michael Robertson, Daniel Melrose

ADV: "I think Dave Simpson is going to retire from F1RWRS at the end of the year - he mentioned considering it a few times recently, and him not being able to assert himself over rookie team-mate Lamberigts will probably be the catalyst for him to finally pack it in. I don't see Lamberigts staying either - he has been imperious in qualifying, but utterly hopeless in races. Dacia appear to be safe of the dreaded Pre-Qualifying zone, and I think they'll try to get a more rounded driver than Wouter for next year.

Michael Robertson is having a good year in AR 3.5, and I think it might just be enough for him to earn a promotion to F1RWRS at last. He's done F2RWRS, IndyCar and now AR 3.5, so while he'd been an F1RWRS rookie, he has plenty of experience elsewhere. I also think they might bring Daniel Melrose back. Yes, his last stint with Simpson was an unmitigated disaster, but their technical package is completely different now, they've come on a fair bit since that ill-fated stint, and I think Melrose will find it hard to keep himself out of the sport - if he is willing to act as a sub for a team as disorganised and slow as Dofasco, I think driving for Dacia isn't really out of the question."

Team Mecha Racing
Hiroto Tojo
Gregor Pascal

ADV: "Mecha's hiring policy is a bit unusual - last season the publically delcared Benoît Voeckler wasn't good enough to drive for them, and they hired Hiroto Tojo instead. Not exactly any upgrade. Anyway, they didn't really want Tojo in the first place, and while he has at least made into qualifying on a handful of occasions, has been no match for team-leader Plaza. The team sound really happy to have Plaza onboard, and will want to renew his contract. I don't think Plaza will have many better offers coming in for him, and so will likely stay put. They might still have issues filling that second seat again - they've been stuck in Pre Qualifying for years now, and there's never really much hope for a leap in performance during the off-season. Someone like Gregor Pascal or Du Lei, that has cash and is happy to pay any team just to stay in the sport, might be their best bet."

Revolution Engineering
Andrej Kremnicky, Marco Bizzarri
Hagane Shizuka, Alessandro Lucarelli

ADV: "Revo made a bold choice going with Kremnicky. It was a big risk, and so far it unfortunately doesn't seem to have paid off. I'm pretty sure everyone in the paddock is surprised that Marco Bizzarri is solely responsible for their two starts this season, while Andrej has keep falling flat on his face in qualifying proper. He had a habit of binning cars under pressure in F2RWRS and it seems he hasn't been able to address those issues. I also think despite his two finishes, Marco Bizzarri generally has been a bit too slow to warrant a contract extension, and they'll likely reboot their lineup again next year. I think Shizuka will return again to try and get things back on track, and maybe bring in Lucarelli for money, who has at least proven a bit faster in lower formulae than Bizzarri."

Nurminen Grand Prix
Gregor Pascal
Nick Nurmester

ADV: "Nurminen have demonstrated to be reasonably competent, but at the same time I'm not sure they're going to have a breakout season next year either. They'll be totally reinventing their technical package next season, and that will take a lot of finances they don't necessarily have at the moment. Money is the name of the game, and while Nurmester is certainly an F2RWRS frontrunner, he also has plenty of cash. The credit bonus he would get for coming Top 3 in the championship would come in handy for them too."

Fusion Motorsports
Miko Fäkkinen, Geoff Donnelly, Franc Piscine
Terry Hawkin, Fredo Mestolio, Quentin Reatherson, Victoria Desai

ADV: "2017 was a growing year for Fusion, gearing everything towards 2018. Therefore, they'll have a complete clearout of their current lineup, which was geared towards generating revenue rather than results. Insider talk says they've already signed a contract with Terry Hawkin, the current AR 3.5 champ and also a front-runner in F2RWRS this year. They still want a pay-driver in the other seat, and given his past success, and that MRT are likely to release him to make way for Nicolas, Mestolio will probably be top of their list.

In the reserves area, Piscine will probably depart and be replaced by Nebula youngsters Reatherson and Desai. These two perhaps aren't quite ready to step up to F1RWRS just yet, but are edging towards the brink of doing so."

Rob Lomas Racing
Shinobu Katayama, Adélaïde Voeckler
Miko Fäkkinen, Hansuke Shioya

ADV: "While Shinobu Katayama has actually been rather competitive with the RLR this season when the team has actually made it into the races, I don't see her sticking around for 2018, as their technical package is quite old and will probably be badly outclassed by next year. The engine is powerful but unreliable, and the chassis will be completely obsolete by next year. I think they'll be left to pick up scraps in the market, and Miko Fäkkinen is probably the best compromise they have between ease of securing a deal with and not being completely hopeless like Adélaïde Voeckler was. I think they might be able to pick up Hansuke Shioya after his expected release from ArrowTech as well. So by logical deduction, I'm expecting Skeelenberg to be demoted back to a test and reserve position until he picks up more experience in other formulae first. It's not a terrible lineup at all, just a rather uninspiring one."

Boxtel's Replacement?
n/a
????? ????? / ????? ?????

ADV: "I expect Boxtel will go to the wall and be replaced by a new team. We saw with the new teams last season they struggle to compete with the other teams, who already have deals with drivers signed and sealed by the time new teams have their entry to the sport confirmed. They'll be left to fend for scraps, so they'll likely turn to rookies as the best bet for someone talented. They might be able to pick up a decent youngster like Nathanael Cameron or Shane Walsh, and partner them with an experience pay-driver of some sort, but without knowing who is going to be accepted, it's impossible to know what kind of drivers the people who end up in charge might be wanting to hire."

[Klon]

Marlin Hortin Signs Two-Year Contract Extension

Best In The World Motorsport UK confirmed that former CRL driver Marlin Hortin, who joined the team as part of him joining the Best In The World Support Group, signed a deal extending his stay with the team in the GT-R World Championship for two more seasons. "We are very happy with his performance and his win alongside Asim [Adhikari] is just what we needed to see that Marlin's future lies with me, with Best In The World™, Kay Lon stated.

[Normal32]

Valerian's restructure on 2018

After 2017, VRE will race under separate operations rather than a single operation. The reason for this is that we want a bit more of separate focus rather than a single operation dealing all. After a few meetings, these teams will race with Valerian on 2018:

Ericadi Racing
This team will be racing mostly on the top-tins, such as ARST and GT-R. But it will also be endurace, and it will race on 2018 LMC. There is also possibility of a AR GTi team.
Nation: Spain (Andorran on 2017 WDNC)

Bestowal
This one will race will race under series with NA banner.
Nation: USA

Mitsuri Motor Engineering
No planned changes.
Nation: Japan

Valerian Formula
No planned changes.
Nation: France

[AndreaModa]

EXCLUSIVE! Fusion Snare Hawkin As Plans for 2018 Gather Pace

Fusion Motorsports have completed the signing of highly-rated British driver Terry Hawkin, who will make his F1RWRS debut with the team at the start of the 2018 season. The team are well-known to be plotting for a successful second season in the sport, as their debut year has seen them mired in pre-qualifying, lumbered with a cheap, but woefully slow engine and two lacklustre paydrivers. Hawkin however has no such fears about suffering the same fate in 2018:

"I've seen Fusion's plans for next year, and I fully expect them to be challenging right at the head of the field" the young Briton told Autosport.

"I'm excited for what will no doubt be a brilliant season at a well-run team that is concentrating on a strong, sustainable future. It will be a bit weird racing against Sammy as I've driven his cars for almost my entire career, but he has helped me secure this deal for which I'm very grateful. I'd also like to thank National Petroleum who have helped me realise my dream of making it to F1RWRS."

Hawkin will be partnered at Fusion by Italian two-time race winner Fredo Mestolio. The MRT driver has this year had an up-and-down season but his experience behind the wheel will no doubt aid Hawkin as he learns how to handle an F1RWRS car in race conditions. He's had plenty of miles testing for Jones however, and recently topped the official Young Drivers Test in both qualifying and race simulations. His manager Sammy Jones has no doubts that his young charger is ready for the step up,

"Terry has impressed all of us ever since he came into F3RWRS. He's a consummate professional in every sense, and fully deserves this opportunity at Fusion. They're a cracking team to have in F1RWRS and I'm really looking forward to seeing how well they go in 2018. It's the perfect environment for Terry to be in. I shan't hide from the fact that I always wanted to give him his debut myself at Jones Racing, but the fact is I have two fantastic drivers who I intend to keep for 2018 and thus, there is no room for Terry. I have options for 2019, but I think the reality is that if he does well at Fusion next year - which I fully expect him to do - then he'll no doubt stay on for his second season. Whatever the outcome though, I'm just delighted that he's finally achieved his dream. It's a great day for the sport to have such a talented driver on the grid."

[dr-baker]

Foxdale Discuss Their Driver Plans For 2018

Pippa Mann has decided that with immediate effect that she has now stood down from racing full-time. It is not, as rumoured, because she is already pregnant (although stepping down from driving mid-season to let Douglas drive does seem to suggest that to outsiders). No further reasons have been given for this decision.

Peter Port, Foxdale's current test-driver, is to leave motorsport altogether at the end of the season. He feels that a couple of years of F3RWRS, followed by a year of limited testing for an F1RWRS team, has not met his expectations, and would have felt that a year in F2RWRS would have been better for his career had his career been better managed. It is rumoured that he will be going to study motorsport engineering at a British university as from September 2018, spending late 2017 and early 2018 as an engineering apprentice for Foxdale Auto Racing Team.

The two race seats at Foxdale for 2018 is likely to be filled by two of Douglas Mann, Ben Fleet and Martin McFry (depending upon his current contract with Nurminen). A decision will be made at the end of 2017.

[Ataxia]

Absolutely delighted to get Terry on board for next year and hopefully beyond. Everyone's really excited for next season, and having Fredo and Terry is possibly one of the best line-ups on the grid. It leaves us the time to get a fantastic engine supplier on board, and we should be set for next season.

I'd like to thank Sammy for his hand in getting this deal done quickly, I'm glad to have a really strong lineup for 2018!

[TomWazzleshaw]

2018 Last Hurrah for BMW?

As the F1RWRS silly season starts to gather pace, many rumours are floating around about the future of many teams and drivers for the 2018 season as the game of musical chairs begins. With Autodynamics, Boxtel and engine manufacturer Lancia already on the casualty list for 2018, they look set to be joined by BMW and their works operation Melrose Racing Team at the conclusion of next season. Growing discontent within Munich of the future direction of the sport coupled with the establishment of an ACO LMC program through MRT's sister team JLD Motorsport is believed to be the major reasons behind the move, as it's believed that neither MRT nor BMW can financially justify having two top-tier motorsport programs at the same time beyond next season with PDVSA's recent troubles. While representatives from both parties were unavailable for comment, it's believed an official announcement could be expected as soon as Morocco.

[Ataxia]

Nebula announce 2018 AR3.5 lineup

Airwaves Nebula Grand Prix have announced that Nathanael Cameron and Nino Barlini will serve as the team's lineup for AutoReject 3.5 next season, releasing both Victoria Desai and Bjorn Ekdal.

The team have also added Powerade to their sponsorship roster due to the Astro Racing Group tie-up with Coca-Cola whilst Pirtek, Haas Automation, Bristol Sport and RSG have also come on board with Astro's racing projects. The team will release an updated livery at the end of the season.

"We've always desired to build our Astro Racing Stars system into a self-sufficient driver supply" said team principal Jacques Couteau. "Nino has had a couple of years at the Alitalia-then-Voeckler team to learn his trade, and he's been with amazing drivers like Alessandro Lucarelli, Basti van Nieuwenhuijzen along with many others. This is the first chance we've had to put him into a team of our own, and I'm confident he'll be great. I'd also like to thank Technogym and Generali for electing to support Nino's efforts this season."

"Nathanael came to us at the end of 2016 after the Prospec surroundings he grew up in sadly disappeared. He's been a real star in F2RWRS and Aeroracing were good enough to us to take him on at short notice. We think he'll really go places in AR3.5 next season, and we've got a really competitive lineup. We'd like to thank Vicky and Bjorn for their efforts, and we wish them the best of luck in the future."

[Nuppiz]

Nurminen extends contract with McFry

BASF Nurminen Grand Prix have announced today that they've signed a contract extension with their lead driver Martin McFry, who recently scored the team's first points with a 5th place finish in Monaco. The deal is for 1 year with an option for another year depending on the performances of both the team and driver.

To continue reading, subscribe to Some Random Motorsport Publication Gold - only for £99 a month and naming rights to your firstborn child!

[AndreaModa]

TAG Announces Partnership with Jones for 2018

Luxembourg-based Techniques d'Avant Garde has revealed that it will sponsor the Jones Racing team in F1RWRS from 2018 onwards. The company, which was heavily involved in motorsport during the 1980s, will join Jones' impressive portfolio of partners, that also includes BP, Marlboro, 3M and Telefonica - the Spanish telecoms giant as a result of hiring impressive rookie Diego Alvarez Torrente.

Team boss Sammy Jones however was quick to point out that whilst his sponsor line-up looked impressive, the arrival of TAG covers losses in other areas.

"It's true, we're very proud to have such an impressive list of partners, but TAG coming on board is very fortunate for us, because we're set to loose Reckitt Benckiser who have been with us the past three years as their contract comes to an end, and also BP who have supported us since I re-entered the series in 2013 will scale back their involvement somewhat."

Jones was quick to deny however that BP reducing its interest in the team meant drastic changes.

"No, as far as the team is concerned, we will still be National Jones Ford next year. BP have done a lot of work re-branding in the UK and elsewhere and they aren't going to walk away from a commitment like that so easily. I still have an excellent relationship with them, and we're naturally exploring options for the future. What it does mean, with TAG coming on board too, is that I think there'll be a bit of green returning to the livery next year. I've heard some of the fans have been a bit vocal about our livery this year so hopefully next year we can give them something to be a bit more happy about."

[Peteroli34]

Luke Gilson-Clarke looks to 2018

AutoReject 2.0NA front runner Luke Gilson Clarke has set his sights on moving up from the series in 2018. The Falklander Island currently sitting 4th in the championship with 1 win to his name hopes to move to Europe for next season and has his sights set on AutoReject 3.5 " I would like to progress to AR3.5 for next season. If i cant get a seat in AR3.5 then ill look at other options avaliable"

[DemocalypseNow]

Postma, Pykälistö sign for Vivendi EBL

Voeckler Talent Troupe announced that two of their young drivers, Marjolein Postma and Kyösti Pykälistö, have secured deals in AR 2.0 Europe for 2018, signing with Belgian squad Vivendi EBL.

Postma's contract is a continuation of her current circumstances, having stepped in to Vivendi EBL mid-way through 2017 as a replacement for JJ Taylor. Pykälistö meanwhile moves to the Belgian squad from Nurminen Racing Engineering, the reigning F1RDS champions from 2016.

"I'm really happy to continue my journey with Vivendi," said Postma. "We have shown a lot of potential together so far, and I think we can make a further step in 2018. Hopefully we can bring the team its first win and further success."

[Ataxia]

Velazquez to swap series with Torrente

Current AR2.0E driver Ricardo Velazquez will move across to the North America series in 2018 whilst Carmen Alvarez Torrente will move the other way, Astro Racing Group have confirmed. Both drivers are looking for new seats next season as they aim to make bids for the title in their second seasons in AR2.0.

Jantscher not giving up on F1RWRS

Austrian racer Marko Jantscher "isn't giving up on the dream of reaching F1RWRS", according to an interview on Autoreject.com.

Despite a number of top seats being closed off early, the Jones-employed AR3.5 driver is still looking at making the step up to the top level of RWRS. He made one appearance for Kamaha last year, although he hit transmission trouble early when running in 3rd position.

Komarek looking for Super Touring berth

Having impressed in a one-off outing for Infiniti All-Stars at the Czech round of ARST, Jiri Komarek has announced he will be looking for a full-time role within the series next year. The Domazlice-born driver will make another appearance in the series in 2017, having agreed a deal to join Lada for the double-header round at Hong Kong. The Czech driver will also be representing his country in the upcoming AutoReject Nations Championship.

Astro sign GT Academy winner

Our winner of the 2017 Gran Turismo Academy - 17-year-old Belgian Kevin Van Kerckhoven - has been signed to the Astro Racing Group's ProtoStars program, their scheme for young drivers. Van Kerckhoven beat tough competition in the GT Academy final, finishing ahead of Swiss driver Thibault Stadelmann and Romanian ace Constantin Florescu in the final deciding round at the Silverstone circuit. With a number of driver development teams watching, Astro managed to secure Van Kerckhoven's signature. The team are looking to find him a seat in AutoReject 2.0 next season, and will bring backing from Playstation and NISMO.

feel free to take Stadelmann or Florescu...kinda created them just for the report but if you want a driver with some backstory done for you pick 'em up.

[tommykl]

Gillet to have new line-up for 2018; Aurelien Moll to return; Shane Walsh to debut
Following a long and difficult season with a difficult chassis, Gillet - Ecurie Nationale Belge have decided to start anew for 2018 with two big signings.

With Eric Swerts not being nearly fast enough for the series and Daniel Moreno nearing retirement, Tony Gillet decided to take a stand and actively look for drivers. Aurelien Moll, dissatisfied with his car's lack of reliability in GTR-WC, was tempted to return to the sport in the first car with the goal of rebuilding the team. Alongside him, another driver would have to be found.

Many expected Gillet to promote one of the team's junior drivers, but Alexandre Dorval does not look ready to make the jump, while Jason Hamilton's career is merely surviving on artificial respiration at this point. Instead, Gillet turned towards the United States and signed promising F2RWRS driver Shane Walsh, currently third in the standings.

With money from Eric Swerts' pockets in the bank, Gillet will undertake a testing programme for the rest of the season in order to give Walsh a chance to test the 2017 car and gain some experience on the track as well as getting to know the team.

Testing schedule to be announced later on.

[Nuppiz]

Nurminen signs Jantscher

BASF Nurminen Grand Prix have announced today that they've signed AutoReject 3.5 runner-up Marko Jantscher for their second car in the 2018 F1RWRS season. Jantscher, 22, finished the season on the same amount of points as champion Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen but had less wins to his name, thus losing the title on countback. He has previous experience from F1RWRS from substituting Tomo Kazama (who was banned for one race due to driving infringements) at the 2016 Northern US Grand Prix; however his race ended early in mechanical problems.

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[Ataxia]

Velazquez ends hunt with Hunter

Hunter-Maple Racing, the North American offshoot of the Hunter Autosport team, have signed Venezuela's Ricardo Velazquez for their AR2.0NA title challenge in 2018. Velazquez had been racing in the European sister series this season, and this move comes after the Astro Racing Group decided to switch Velazquez and Carmen Alvarez Torrente around in the series to allow both drivers to be closer to their homes. Torrente has been racing for Hunter-Maple this season, ensuring the move is direct swap with Astro. The team are still finding seats for Torrente and GT Academy winner Kevin van Kerckhoven.

F3RWRS to go under the knife?

It is believed that the Reject World Race Series' bottom division will undergo some dramatic changes for 2018. The series commissioners are believed to be in talks with a number of different companies to promote and rehash the series. In recent seasons, F3RWRS has seen grid sizes swell to an unsustainable level, and in addition select races have been cancelled to accommodate the 36-strong grid. Rumours are abound that the series is looking to downsize a considerable amount or even split into two series in order to better serve the RWRS ladder. A slower car is also being looked at in order to bridge the gap to AR2.0.

[DemocalypseNow]

Paraguayan hotshot Aguilar heads Stateside

Hernán Aguilar, widely regarded as Paraguay's most promising racing driver, will move from the Argentine Formula Renault series, and head to the United States of America, where he will compete in the AutoReject 2.0 series for Cassidy Racing.

"I am really excited I get to go to America and race for such an experienced team," said Aguilar. "Cassidy is a team that has been racing for a long time in motorsport, they have teams in all levels of American motorsport. They are a good team and hopefully I can learn some new things."

"But most of all, I'm proud to be flying the flag of Paraguay abroad. We don't really have a presence in motorsport, so to represent my nation on a continental scale is a great honour. I will do my best, and hopefully in time, put our nation on the motor racing map!"

[Backmarker]

Thomas Butler to Challenge for 2018 Title with Schröder

Today AutoReject 3.5 team Schröder announced that they have signed young British driver Thomas Butler to compete in the 2018 season. While the German team had been favourites to retain Butler for another season, it remained possible that Valerian Formula would take up their option on the driver for the 2018 Alternate Formula One season.

Having made the step up from sister series AutoReject 2.0, Butler enjoyed a fruitful debut season at the German team, finishing eighth in the final standings, and ahead of his more experienced team mate. In a statement released on Schröder's website, Bernd Schröder stated: "We are all very happy that Thomas Butler will be with us in 2018. He has impressed us with his performances this season, and we are confided that as he and the team grow in experience and confidence, together we will be able to challenge for the title in 2018."

With regards Thomas Butler's team mate for 2018, no official announcement has been made. It is, however, believed that Guadalupe Alvarez Reina, the current points-leader in F5000 is most likely to take the seat and make her debut in AutoReject 3.5, if she impresses enough in the Nobushige Fukuda Memorial Trophy, which she is due to contest for Schröder.

[SuperAguri]

Prince Falik to sell Arrowtech shares and buy kamaha?

There are strong rumours that The Fox and Prince Falik have fallen out over the direction of the team and Prince Falik is selling all his shares in the the team back to The Fox and purchasing the Kamaha team from Barii Mori. Such a move would give Prince Falik teams in all the major racing serieses and give him an outlet for his drivers. Barii Mori declined to return our phone call but Prince Falik said that plans for his teams for 2018 will be announced later this year.

Shinobu Katayama splits with manager.
After bad advice, Shinobu Katayama has sacked her manager and has decided to manage herself. "My old manager, Kevin, has been useless and I have sacked him to try and get a decent drive for 2018.", Shinobu Katayama previously left Prince Faliks management after disagreements over her move to Revolution, it is known that Prince Falik thought it was a terrible idea but Katayamawanted to drive for a Japanese team, it is unknown where she might end up in 2018.

Just to sum my drivers managers out...

Self managed
Barii Mori (JPN)
Shinobu Katayama (JPN)
Kenji Katayama (JPN)
Saeed Al Faisal (SAU)
Turki Al Faisal (SAU) - Managed by brother Saeed.

Manager by Prince Falik
Yuka Katayama (JPN) - F2RWRS (2017 - F1RWRS)
Kyoko Katayama (JPN) - FRENCH (2017 - FFWCS)
Rosco Vantini (ITA) - F1RWRS, IFRC (2017 - AR3.5)
Nobou Takahashi (JPN) - IFRC, GT-R (2017 - Availible)
Francesco Fagioli (ITA) - F3RWRS (2017 - ARST)
Sam Keppler III (USA) - (2017 - ACO)
Akinjide Ezerioha (USA) - F3RWRS (2017 - ACO)
Sani Morgan (NGR) - F2RWRS (2017 - ACO)
Nonofo Masisi (BOT) - (2017 - AR2.0 NA)
Didier Honore (FRA) - Never Raced, was announced as 2012 IRDU driver
Jayleen Mori (MIC)
Kenan Ardaoglu (GER)

[pi314159]

Kjellerup involved in late bid to join F1RWRS in 2018

Mattias Kjellerup, danish businessman and amateur racing driver, is the latest person linked to F1RWRS. Kjellerup set up his team two years ago to compete in the GT-R World Championship, and after a difficult 2016 season has seen some success in 2017. But now Kjellerup seems to have greater ambitions in motorsport. Together with Jean-Marc Hadamard, owner of Écurie Prenois, who also supports Kjellerups GT effort, he has launched a bid to take over the struggling Boxtel Engineering outfit to create his own F1RWRS team.

Hadamard has confirmed that there is interest in joining F1RWRS. "I have been working on an F1RWRS entry for quite some time now, but I've been looking for the funding. Mattias only recently considered joining F1RWRS, so it is already a bit late to go ahead with it for 2018, but if we acquire an old chassis to start the season until our own one is ready, it's doable."

Mattias Kjellerup has also confirmed that he is finalizing an F1RWRS entry for next year: "I wish I had made the decision earlier, but acquiring a top-level racing team is a major investment. Jean-Marc and his team are working on a chassis, but we'll do it properly and won't rush it, so we're planning to start 2018 with an old chassis. We don't have much time, but I'm sure that we'll be on the grid for the start of next season."

[DemocalypseNow]

Bizzarri deserves another year, proclaims manager Roda

Despite being a pre-season favourite to not make the end of the year without being sacked, Marco Bizzarri is still racing for the Revolution team which handed him his F1RWRS debut, and after a sublime performance at Monaco almost brought his team their first ever podium finish, his manager Giovanni Roda has put pressure on the Japanese squad to hold onto the young Italian for another year.

"Marco has grown one thousand percent as a racing driver this year," Roda said. "He has had a steep learning curve, but Monaco was the climax to the months of learning. It was a sublime drive. It's a testament to his hard work to improve his driving and mentality."

"Would I be disappointed if Revo didn't keep him for another year? Certainly," he continued. "Because most of all, he has done enough to earn a renewal. Of course, there are economic considerations, and in this area we are strong, but that's besides the point; his driving has been enough. He has earned more points for them than his team-mate in the Pre-Quali cup, which was one of their most critical goals for this season."

However, Roda indicated that thus far a deal had not been forthcoming from the Japanese team, and that he wanted to secure the future of his client as soon as possible.

"I'm a little worried, Revolution have been a bit quiet on this front. I would very much like to get a deal between ourselves and them done quickly, but we haven't made any progress so far. Marco is happy where he is, I'm happy with Marco's condition at Revolution, and we hope Revo themselves are too. Hopefully my next interview to you about Marco will be announcing a new contract!"

[Shizuka]

Bizzarri should not worry

Several sources close to Revolution Engineering have said that the team is likely to offer both of their current drivers a seat for next season.
Revolution's spokesman was not able to comment, but this should give hope to Marco Bizzarri.

[Klon]

Alright, I am no longer in the mood to wait, so y'all can please pretend this article was posted in the days before the Super GP? Thanks.

Calvin Brooks Joins GT-R World Championship

In a video posted on the common video websites, the Best In The World brand confirmed their line-up for the 2018 GT-R World Championship season. In said video, the team confirmed that former Aston 24 Hours Winner Calvin Brooks will join the series from next season onwards.

He will team with Asim Adhikari, who signed a long-term deal with BITW in the #11 car. The other car will be kept by Marlin Hortin. He will be joined by the current second driver of the #11, Bob Lomas. The young Brit (editor's note: turns 20 next season) will be in the second year of his two-year contract.

[DemocalypseNow]

F1RWRS Silly Season 2018: Vol II

With the racing season over, silly season kicks into full force. Now is the time drivers sign their contracts for the year ahead, deciding their future for the next 12 months - or perhaps less if they don't satisfy their new or current employer. We take a look with former IBR manager Antonio della Valle at the possible moves this post-season.

Voeckler GPE
IN: Alexey Buyvolov
OUT: Rhys Davies

Rhys Davies has set sail, this is a certainty. I think he wants to go back to F1 and will do so next season. His replacement, won't be Dan Greenlaw, because Greenlaw bottled the F2RWRS championship, which was required of him to get the Voeckler drive. Thus, De Bock's new team-mate will be Buyvolov, who said he was open to moving elsewhere depsite a career defining season at Aeroracing.

Jones Racing
IN: Nick Nurmester
OUT: Diego Alvarez Torrente

One of the top F2 drivers from last season, they will sign Nurmester and the uncapped finance bonus he comes with, and give DAT the boot. Torrente had flashes of brilliance but overall was a distant second to team-mate Dagnall.

Aeroracing Engineering
IN: Nicolas Steele, Akira Yamamura
OUT: Alexey Buyvolov, Kay Lon

Lon was already confirmed as leaving, having gotten fed up with being unable to succeed. This year was the nail in the coffin, at times being humiliated by his much less fancied team-mate. It could have been a championship year for him, but he failed miserably. Buyvolov was surprisingly non-committal despite his sudden success, and I think he will bolt for Voeckler. Yamamura, a young talent from AutoReject 3.5, is already confirmed in the second car, but they need experience for the other car, and I think they will go back to the familiar face of Nicolas Steele, who had a good season for the now defunct Autodynamics team given the circumstances.

Melrose Racing Team
IN: Phillippe Nicolas, Alberto Cara
OUT: Jean-Luc Schiller, Fredo Mestolio

Mestolio was already confirmed as leaving and Cara his replacement, but they may regret having signed up Cara so quickly. His form was temporary at the start of the year and his performances quickly went down the drain the second half of the season. Meanwhile Schiller only got better, but I still think he'll get bumped nonetheless in favour of Nicolas, whose ArrowTech team just went bust, and is a familiary face to the team.

Dacia F1RWRS Team
IN: Nathanael Spencer, Diego Alvarez Torrente
OUT: Dave Simpson, Wouter Lamberigts

Dave Simpson has finally hung up his helmet, and the team has indicated they will not renew the contract of Wouter Lamberigts (watch the pre-quali teams scramble!). This means they need a totally new driver lineup, and one of the two drivers they were grooming for the seat, Michael Robertson, had been a stark disappointment during his HRT stint, consistently failing to qualify for races while team-mate Cara easily makes the cut. They are unlikely to be able to stave off Nicolas from the attentions of MRT, so this means they will have to go left field. You can tell from their previous lineups they like a mixture of youth and experience, and so I imagine they will sign up Boxtel refugee Nathanael Spencer, and pick up former MRT driver Schiller for both his talent and his Swiss Francs.

Rosenforth Holden
IN: Diego Alvarez Torrente, Carter Simpson
OUT: Alberto Cara, Michael Robertson

As Gauthier's lineup is already set in stone, we move on to Holden. The Zimmer family are abandoning ship after a poor year, and Holden are going to withdraw their works support as well. This means Jimmy Rosenforth will be in charge, and with Cara leaving for MRT and Robertson being a huge disappointment, this is another team in need of a fresh lineup. This is a team that's shown trust in youth in the past, and with many of the older drivers in F1RWRS going stale or just straight up quitting, they will turn to a mixture of a somewhat new arrival and a rookie. Torrente will be looking for a ride after Jones ditch him, and Holden might be one of the better teams to come knocking. They will probably go ahead and finally promote Holden youth product Carter Simpson, who has been threatening to make the step up for some time.

Plus One Kingfisher
IN: Quentin Reatherson
OUT: Alessandro Lucarelli

Lucarelli has already confirmed he is on the way out, so David Neuberg, who remains at Kingfisher for a fifth season in a row. Quentin Reatherson looked reasonably adept during his unexpected call up to replace Lucarelli at the Norisring, and a strong showing in the F2RWRS junior series puts him firmly in the spotlight for a promotion. A team that has always favoured youth, handing Neuberg, Reatherson, Lucarelli, Matthias Valsattis, Alexey Pchelintsev and Brucie Kibbutz their F1RWRS debuts (with varying levels of success), Reatherson seems a good fit for the team.

Revolution Engineering
IN: Dan Greenlaw
OUT: Andrej Kremnicky

The Kremnicky experiment hasn't entirely worked. Much like his junior career, there have been flashes of brilliance dampened by very poor race performances - sometimes even making out of Pre-Quali only to stumble in Quali proper and fail to make the grid, while Bizzarri marched on. He got points on the board, which Bizzarri didn't, but Bizzarri not only performed better overall in the races, he also had the standout performance of the year for Revo, engine woes robbing the Italian of a podium at Monaco. Crucially though, Bizzarri brings money, while Kremnicky does not. I think the Slovak will get the heave-ho, and they will take a gamble on Greenlaw, who like AK, had shown lots of promise in junior formulae but couldn't quite produce the finished product over the course of a season. Worth a punt, at least.

Kamaha Motorsports
IN: Shinobu Katayama, Rosco Vantini
OUT: Hagane Shizuka, Daniel Melville

Shizuka is rumoured to be finally hanging up his helmet and focusing on team management at Revolution. This leaves at least one vacancy, and while the team claimed Daniel Melville will be retained, there has been no official contract signed, and simply, I don't believe a word they say. He will be sacked - the Kamaha boss gets a perverse pleasure from firing drivers.

Replacing them will be those close to the Kamaha senior staff, because nobody else will want to go near them. Kamaha is poison for a driver's career. This means drivers who couldn't get a look in elsewhere, at least at teams of similar strength, will be those that get the rides. Shinobu Katayama, whose stock has dropped like a rock in the last two years, will lead the team, and former Jones driver Rosco Vantini, who plied his trade in IFRC this year, will partner her. At least one will fail to see out the year.

Rob Lomas Racing
No change

Their lineup needs improving, but they won't do anything. I've heard that Adelaide Voeckler has been offered a contract extension, and thus there is absolutely no way they will think about dropping Skeelenburg, who they favour even more than Voeckler.

Foxdale Auto Racing Team
IN: Peter Port
OUT: Ben Fleet

Ben Fleet had a horrendous season, constantly receiving ire from drivers throughout the grid for being a mobile chicane that made it his job to annoy as many leading cars as possible. I think that despite Foxdale being a team that is loyal to their drivers, especially those that are family, they will excuse Fleet of his duties because of just how much hot water he has gotten his team into with the rest of the paddock.

Foxdale are a family team and will stay close to those they know well, so Peter Port will replace him, even if there are far more qualified candidates out there.

Sunshine Daihatsu
No change

Totally apathetic to their decline into oblivion, somehow lead driver Daniel Martins made it into the races a handful of times towards the end of the season. The technical package at the team's disposal is woefully poor. They won't be able to attact good drivers, and Martins will be content to renew his deal. Pascal will probably stay put, his options are frankly hardly any better than Sunshine.

Team Mecha Racing
IN: Hansuke Shioya, Miko Fakkinen
OUT: Jesus Plaza, Hiroto Tojo

Plaza has done well given the circumstances. The car couldn't finish a race and while he put in some solid quali performances, the car was hopeless in the races, and he usually fell backwards. Tojo was even worse, sometimes stopping Plaza from escaping pre-qualifying. Plaza will probably want to leave, and the team probably don't want to renew Tojo's deal.

Shioya is on the market now thanks to Arrowtech going the wall, and he won't get much better offers than back of the grid teams, so I think he will have to take the Mecha deal, even if he had hoped for better. His team-mate will be Miko Fakkinen, that one guy who somehow always has a drive thanks to a mixture of money and having consistency through mediocrity.

Kjellerup by Ecurie Prenois
IN: Alessandro Lucarelli, Wouter Lamberigts

Kjellerup are the only new team confirmed for 2018 so far, and they already have a driver in Alessandro Lucarelli. The other driver should be somewhat easy to deduce - their number one target is Jean-Luc Schiller, but the Swiss driver will probably receive offers from teams higher up the grid. This means they'll fall back to quali specialist Wouter Lamberigts, who also comes with sponsorship. He checks the boxes Kjellerup need from a driver right now, and the Belgian driver mostly likely won't be receiving offers from teams that are much better than theirs.

[FantometteBR]

Bisping eyes '19 ARST, but keeps patient with GTR-WC project

Canadian Quentin Bisping, one of the several drivers Équipe Fantomette, Euromotor International's endurance branch, used during the 2017 season of GT-R WC series, might stay there for another season, but his future aims to a different position within the 'mothership': a seat at the team in Auto Reject Supertouring series.

Joaquim Alcântara, Euromotor's CEO, granted Bisping the main reserve driver position to replace any of the outfit's ARST drivers (Frenchman Ernest Saillard and Costa Rican Kieth Remedios) and for the Canadian, it might be a change of pace at this moment of his career.

"I am still tied with the GT-R WC project in 2018 and won't leave that soon, but beyond that, my career can go anywhere. ARST is an option for me, of course, and I am going to be their reserve driver for the next season, but neverthless, Équipe Fantomette is the team I defend now and I will be next season", said Bisping to the local press.

Équipe Fantomette's GT-R WC's 2018 plans aren't disclosed so far, but there are rumors the team will trim down their driver options to avoid the lineup trouble they had in 2017"

[roblo97]

Torente, Rietacher, Plaza rumored to be in talks with RLR

A Rob Lomas Racing spokesperson has has dropped a massive bombshell by revealing just some of the drivers who could be in talks with RLR for an F1RWRS drive for 2018. Representatives of the drivers declined to comment.

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[Ataxia]

Torente, Rietacher, Plaza rumored to be in talks with RLR

A Rob Lomas Racing spokesperson has has dropped a massive bombshell by revealing just some of the drivers who could be in talks with RLR for an F1RWRS drive for 2018. Representatives of the drivers declined to comment.

Subscribe to Autosport plus to read more

Er, I don't think this is about me...Jorge, are you speaking to this Rob Lomas guy?

No way, bro! I don't even know what a Rob Lomas is...Carmen, is this you?

No! I already have the contract for next year! I don't know who they could mean, unless...

...uh-oh.

...dios mío...

Did Rob Lomas Racing really call? Could more Torrentes appear in the future? Are they really that bad? Stay tuned for more...TALES...OF...INTEREST!

TL;DR: lolno

[AndreaModa]

Jones weighs up options as stillborn LMP2 project gathers dust

Following the collapse of the ACO's planned Le Mans Cup series in 2017, many teams have been left in the lurch with plans to compete having to be put on hold. One of those is Jones Racing Group - the British team has already designed and built two LMP2 chassis of its own design which are, according to team boss Sammy Jones, "gathering dust in a warehouse".

It is believed that, having invested a considerable amount of his team's money into the project to build their own prototype sportscar, Jones is now considering a number of options that will see the cars put to use on the track. Reports that Jones has contacted other chassis manufacturers including Oreca, Dome and Valerian in an attempt to create a replacement series to the Le Mans Cup have yet to be denied, however a spokesperson from Oreca told Autosport that "presently we have no plans to compete in 2018".

Sources from within Jones Racing Group have reportedly said that the firm is preparing to manufacture additional LMP2 chassis, all to the existing Jones 111 design, but Autosport has yet to confirm this rumour.

When quizzed on the matter, Jones himself told Autosport, "yes we have two LMP2 cars sat empty, gathering dust in a warehouse. We spent a lot of money designing and building them and I think it would be a great shame to see that money and hard work all go to waste. If I want to piss my money up the wall I go to the pub, I don't build my own LMP2 prototypes, so no I'm not going to just let them sit there. I'm going to work out how we can get them on track and racing. How is an answer for another time. Too many loose ends at present."

[Warren Hughes]

Schiller open to offers

F1RWRS race winner Jean-Luc Schiller has revealed that he is willing to consider any offers of a permanent race drive for the 2018 season in the rebranded AutoReject World Series. The Swiss driver, who finished on the podium five times in 2017 in addition to his second career victory at the North Sea Grand Prix, is not under contract at current team MRT and while he would not rule out the possibility of remaining with Daniel Melrose's outfit, he is considering his options at a time when his stock is undoubtedly as high as it has ever been within the paddock. As well as the obvious talent that took him to 4th place in the 2017 drivers' championship, the 30-year-old brings with him a substantial amount of financial clout from his Credit Suisse backing - along with his considerable personal wealth.

If Schiller does move away from MRT for the upcoming season, there are likely to be a number of potential suitors, with Dacia thought to be leading the race at present.

[DemocalypseNow]

Bizzarri on verge of Revo renewal

Italian racer Marco Bizzarri is very close to continuing his AR World Series career with Revolution Engineering, according to his manager, former F1RWRS driver Giovanni Roda.

"We are 99% of the way down the path," he said. "Revolution needs to add the final signatures, a few pieces of paperwork need cleared and Marco will continue with Revo for 2018."

"He is grateful the team showed faith in his abilities by handing him his début, and he repaid them well last season. The hope is the team improves greatly next season, with a new chassis design perhaps on the horizon. Keeping the Renault engine is also a must, and it seems [team principal] Shizuka-san is in agreement with this."

Roda outlined his client's goals for the upcoming season, hoping to build further on his flashes of speed from his début campaign.

"Obviously getting on the scoreboard is the next step," he said. "He should have had at least three, probably six points last season without car failures while in great positions. If the team is able to continually improve, I don't doubt Marco's potential to score these kinds of result."

Crescenzi changing teams in FIAT factory reshuffle

Factory Ferrari driver Lorenzo Crescenzi, currently racing alongside Dennis van Walwijk in the team's lead 550M in the GT-R World Championship, will move across to sister marque Maserati's works effort.

The young Italian made a good impression in his debut year as a works Ferrari driver, picking up a victory so far this campaign, and with the current Maserati quarter struggling for results, there is hope that the rejuvenation of Il Tridente's lineup will turn their form around next year.

"I have extremely enjoyed my time with Ferrari," said Crescenzi. "It is a legendary marque and I will be sad to no longer be piloting the 550 Maranello in 2018."

"However, it is not a big transition to my new team, as they are closely linked. Maserati have been working hard to improve the MC-12, and I'm sure that next season myself and this car will be a winning package."

The other two new factory drivers for Ferrari this year, former F1 racer Alexandre-Laurent Voeckler and touring car ace Natalia Valenti, are expected to continue with La Scuderia into next season.

[Ataxia]

Nebula to run Russian Time's F2 challenge?

With recent news from the Russian Time team that they intend to enter the FIA F2 series, it has been suggested that current front-runners Nebula Grand Prix will be the operation behind the GP2 team's expansion.

Svetlana Strelnikova - the Russian Time principal - has indicated that Russian Time will expand to become a greater presence in F1 feeder series and with current GP2 partners Virtuosi Racing busy with AutoGP as well, Nebula may become the team behind the Russian guise.

Nebula are currently 4th in the F2RWRS standings, and the series will rebrand to become the de facto feeder series to the Formula 1 championship. The team have allegedly been looking for partners in order to sustain their operations which currently encompass F3RWRS and AutoReject 3.5 as well as F2, and so the move makes sense for both sides. The move would provide Russian Time with a link to the extensive Astro Racing Group management program, although the team may wish to also promote young Russian talent.

Current drivers Quentin Reatherson and Thomas Yorke are expected to move on at the end of the season, and if the Russian Time tie-up goes ahead the team may move to sign F3RWRS driver Alexander Obolensky for one of the seats.

[pi314159]

Kjellerup signs Nurmester

Mattias Kjellerup's new ARWS team has finalized its driver lineup. Today, the team announced that they have signed Nick Nurmester to drive their second car. Nurmester won the 2016 F3RWRS championship, and has been successful in F2RWRS in 2017. "We are very happy to have Nurmester in the team.", Kjellerup said. "I consider him one of the greatest talents in the sport. We are a new team, so I'm happy that Nurmester trusts us to have a good package for next season."

Kjellerup will start the season with the chassis which Thomas de Bock drove to the F1RWRS drivers' championship last year. "The chassis is four years old, so it doesn't have much potential for development left, but it is still a very good car, and we hope to be competetive from the start of the season.", says Jean-Marc Hadamard, technical director of the team.

Meanwhile, the team is working on its own design, the Kjellerup 018, at Dijon. It should debut by round 9 of the championship at the very latest, but work on the car is currently ahead of the original schedule.

Kjellerup is very optimistic about the coming season. "Just qualifying for races is not our goal. We hope to score points soon."

Fushida to make top-level comeback?

Following his win at Motegi in FRENCH, Kazuki Fushida is hoping to return to international top-level motorsport this year. He has found the necessary budget to run in ARWS, but is still negotiating with several teams. Negotiations with Blokkmonsta Motorsport have been unsuccessful, but Fushida is still in in talks with Tassie Racing and Team Mecha Racing, hoping to compete in ARWS next season.

"I still hope to be in ARWS next season, but I'm aware that there aren't many options left.", says Fushida. An alternative plan would be a return to American single-seaters. "I'm quite good at driving on ovals, so a return to America would be an option. At the moment ARWS has priority, but at some point I want to do the Indy 500, and I know I don't have many years left in my career."

[FMecha]

Team Mecha welcomes Fushida-san!