Senna Out, Bottas In at Williams

Williams have confirmed that their 2012 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, will replace Bruno Senna for 2013. 
Bottas will race alongside Venezuelan team-mate Pastor Maldonado, of whom will venture into his third season with the British squad, after months of uncertainty regarding the security of his seat for next year.. Aswell as joining the world's elite drivers on the grid, Bottas' involvement next year means that for the first time since 2002, their will be two Finnish drivers on the grid, with Kimi Raikkonen again spearheading Lotus F1's charge for a second season running. 
Having impressed team personnel, fellow drivers, fans and experts alike, Bottas' promotion to a race-seat is far from unexpected, with his predecessor Bruno Senna rumoured to be on his way out of the team for the majority of this season, despite a string of strong results. Sir Frank Williams himself boldly stated that the Finn is "one of the most talented young racing drivers we have ever come across". Such a statement puts the youngster in the same bracket as former Williams stars such as Alan Jones, Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, and Jacques Villeneuve. 
With Bottas and Maldonado on board for 2013, it cannot be overlooked that the line-up is one that concerns significant financial backing from the two drivers, and may have acted as a catalyst for Senna's removal and Bottas' promotion. 
Bottas' reputation comes before him, having won the inaugural GP3 Series in 2011 with ART and clinched the infamous Masters of F3 held at Zandvoort the year previous. More impressive however is Bottas' promotion to Williams Reserve Driver, seemingly skipping feeder-categories such as Formula Renault and GP2. It is clear that Bottas has impressed. 
So where now for Senna? With race seats for 2013 now few-and-far between, it would seem that the Brazilian's dwindling career in F1 is nigh, with the most probable destination for Senna being North America, and more namely, IndyCar. 
With regards to IndyCar, with the likes of Heikki Kovalainen, Kamui Kobayashi and Vitaly Petrov likely to be ousted from Formula One, the North American series could be about to see an influx of proven F1 drivers enter it's drivers market, with their respective track-records likely to become appealing for team bosses throughout the IndyCar franchise. 
As for Bottas, 2013 signals a debut year filled with pressure, a probable baptism of fire, and a great degree of promise.

Q&A with Harry Stafford

A quick glance at former 125cc Moto GP rider Harry Stafford's Twitter page*, and you'll soon come across the words: 'Is it a race or a chase?'. In truth, the British racer's career has been a story of both so far. I caught up with Harry, to look back, at the present, and to the future of his impressive career on two wheels:

How did you first get into racing/why?

My dad used to sponsor a racer on a 600 and we were watching him at Donington Park. They were only using the National Circuit, so the Melbourne Hairpin wasn’t being used and a mini-moto race meeting was on the Hairpin. I sat on a bike and said I could ride one of these to my Dad. I was seven I think.

What happened after that first meeting with a mini-moto then?

My dad bought me a bike (mini-moto) and I used to ride it down at the go kart tract at Hindleys Community College (In Shepshed, my and Harry’s hometown). I think they’re are astro pitches or netball courts now!

Must have been quite a moment when you realised Dad had got you a mini-moto! Can you remember it?

Yeah there is a store room at the back of the shop and I went into there and looked to the side of the door and saw it. I couldn’t believe it because for so long I had loved bikes and now I had my own.

I Bet that moment will stay with you forever! Your first race/championship win; remember it?

I didn’t win my first championship until 2005 on a 50cc bike. It was a great feeling because I was so dominant in the class and to know I out rode all of the other riders all year was brilliant.

So after that first championship, was it a case of doors opening for you in your career? Or did you have to dig deep in terms of sponsorship/opportunities to carry on your love for racing?

Well I was a factory rider (for Conti) then and they wanted to keep me for the year after, but for me I wanted to move onto something bigger and better so that I could move on my career. Sponsorship is always difficult but when you’re younger the level of sponsorship is much less.

Sounds as if you were eager to move onwards and upwards through the ranks; would you say it’s that attitude that caught the attention of Red Bull?

Well I did the trials for Red Bull at the end of 2007 for the 2008 season. I was riding a 125 in the UK at the time so my results got me to the trials.

Was that in the British 125 Champs?

No just club at the time.

With Red Bull being such a huge brand with enormous backing, how did it feel to make it on the international stage? How did you handle the ‘pressure’ of it all?

I turned up at the first race and there was the huge hospitality, huge team, loads of people working in the team, racing in Moto GP. It was all so big and daunting so it took me all season to be settled down and to be able to ride like me.

Quite a big step up then in terms of the size of it all off-track then, but did you still have that same enjoyment-factor  you got before the Red Bull Rookies (RBR), when it was visor down, lights out?

Yeah it was a huge step up and the enjoyment went down. The results were harder to come by and the pressure really started to get to me so it crossed my mind whether I should give up racing. I thought maybe I had reached my level but I carried on working hard and the results started to come.

Having stuck with it, despite a huge crash at Jerez (I can remember that one!), did you find that with the results starting to pick up, so did your enjoyment/passion for racing?

Yeah that crash was my first race in my second season of the RBR. I was battling for the lead at the time so I had improved massively. I had half the season off to recover so then it was starting from scratch really building my confidence back and getting the results.

With a string of strong results afterwards, followed by the graduation to the 125cc World Championship, would you go as far to say that crash in Spain was a turning point?

Yeah I think so. It made me more mature as a rider after recovering. My third season in the rookies cup was much more successful but a little bit of misfortune stopped me challenging for the championship. But I was ready to move into World Championship Grand Prix racing. Even people like Kevin Scwantz said I was ready so that was the step I was making next.

Having clearly proved your resolve and talent in the Rookies, was the jump to GP 125’s a matter of teams falling at your feet, or did you have to go knocking on doors, and ringing up team managers? Did the backing of Scwantz help you progress to GP in any way?

Well at this point in my career I realised the reality of a professional career in motorsport and sport in general, that money speaks and talent doesn’t come to the fore as much. I had to get a manager and to search for sponsorship so that I could go race at GP. The costs are astonishing, but to race at the top level, you have to pay.  With the lack of tobacco sponsorship now, this is the reason it costs so much to the rider.

With so much effort clearly gone into clinching sponsorship, gaining contacts and promoting yourself as a serious contender for a ride in the 125’s, would you say that the season itself justified all that time and effort? Was it a case of ‘living the dream’ or more a case of ‘pressure to deliver’?

Yeah it was something I had worked for since I use to imagine being there when I was little. It was so difficult not having the equipment of the top teams so I had to ride at 100% all the time. It made me a better rider but it was so demoralising. But it was such an experience travelling the world and doing what I love.

Have you got a specific favourite memory from that season with Ongetta Racing?

My favourite memory was probably when I got my first points. It was at Brno in the Czech Republic and I had problems with my bike in Qualifying so I qualified 31^st. But I had a brilliant race and was in the battle for 9^th, ending up 13^th but the change in result over night was brilliant and I was proud of the team. We showed real determination.

So after such a brilliant season racing at the highest level possible around the world, just how hard was it for you this year (2012), having to take a step back from racing/why?

Well for me to watch it on TV is difficult, but I’ve had to accept the fact that in sport this happens. Opportunities aren’t easily come-by and unfortunately I didn’t get an opportunity to race again this season. But I carry on working hard training, and trying to get back where I want to be. I did one race in the British Championship and won it, and I’ve recently done some testing for KTM, so this year hasn’t gone to waste.

Despite these positives taken from 2012, are we right in saying that a return to full-time racing is the goal for 2013? Is anything beginning to fall into place?

Yeah that's the goal. Where I'm going to race I don't know but it would be nice to be on a competitive bike. I could be doing a lot of testing next year also, so what I'm doing exactly is unknown. I'll know more in the New Year.

Do you see yourself ever reaching the heights of 2011, back in the GP?

I hope to be back there. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and going down a different route maybe to get there again but it’s possible and I will always do my best.

Biggest inspirations?

My biggest inspiration has got to be Valentino Rossi. He has the skill on the bike and he has the personality in the paddock to be the people’s champion. I see it as the way to be the best.

Is there set of words, or mentality that you have carried throughout your career so far?

"People ask me if I will be the next Valentino Rossi or Barry Sheene and I reply 'no', I will be the first Harry Stafford."

*You can follow Harry on Twitter @HarryStafford21 ,aswell as leaving any questions or comments below.

Ana Carrasco joins Maverick Vinales at Laglisse for 2013

15-year-old Ana Carrasco has signed a deal with the JHK Laglisse team, to participate in the 2013 Moto 3 World Championship. 
In doing so, the Spanish rider will partner fellow statesman and established Moto 3 frontrunner Maverick Vinales, and perhaps more significantly, become the first female rider to grace the Moto 3 championship. 
Carrasco's place at the highest level appears to hinge not just on her gender, which in itself poses as an lucrative selling point to sponsors, but also rightfully down to her talent on a bike, with a 2011 season boasting three points-scoring finishes in the intensely competitive CEV Spanish Championship. 
With the addition of Carrasco and Vinales, JHK Laglisse stand as a force to be reckoned with next season, with such a partnership bringing strong sponsorship, high expectation and almost undoubtedly an ever growing fan base beneath it's feet. 
Speaking of 'beneath'... Vinales and Carrasco will sit astride 4-Stroke KTM machinery next season, after the Austrian manufacturer successfully carrying Sandro Cortese and the Red Bull AJO Team to title success in 2012. 
From a management perspective, Jaime Fernández Avilés looks to be sitting pretty going into the festive season, with two riders guaranteed to bring unprecedented levels of success both on and off the track in 2013, with publicity levels likely to go through the roof for his Laglisse outfit.

Can McLaren Give Lewis a Fitting Brazilian?

It's twilight time for Lewis Hamilton. After being under the wing of McLaren for a mere seventeen years, the world has watched in awe, shock, disappoint at times, and always with great interest in Lewis' rise to the very pinnacle of Motorsport.
After this weekends race in Brazil, as is common knowledge now, Hamilton will move to pastures new at Mercedes-AMG, where for the meantime at least, the grass certainly doesn't look any greener. So then, can we hear the curtain call of one of the world's fastest men challenging for stardom? Sadly, those echoes are getting louder.
Going into the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton is by far the man on the move, in more ways than one. His and McLaren's pace since the Singapore Grand Prix back in October has been clear for all to see, and, minus a string of torrid reliability woes, the British combination would almost certainly be alongside Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in the title fight at this perilously late stage.
So with the 2012 title out of reach, can Lewis and his adopted Motorsport family based in Woking manage one last hoorah? It'd be fitting wouldn't it; at an Interlagos circuit that in 2008, gave team and driver the Drivers' World Championship in staggering circumstances, on the last lap, at the last corner, of the last race...
The team certainly have momentum, having out-gunned Red Bull down in the deep south in Texas last weekend, and with a fired-up Lewis widely regarded to be in the form of his life, you'd be a brave or simply stupid man to look past him for the perfect parting of ways of a truly amazing partnership grace F1 since 2007. Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, is soon to be an emotional story for the history books.

DRS Ban for 2013

It's been revealed by F.I.A Race Director this weekend that the unlimited use of DRS in Practice and Qualifying is to be banned for 2013. The decision comes a a seemingly harmonious one, with drivers and officials alike citing safety concerns  as the primary motive behind the move.
For me, this new stance on DRS brings with it a mix of opinion. Of course, as has become the focus of the governing body ever since Ayrton Senna's death in 1994, safety has been the primary concern beyond and above all others within the sport, and this move almost certainly continues that principle.
 However, are we now getting to a point in Formula One where the very mentioning of 'safety concern' sets alarm bells ringing in the heads of the sports big-wigs, almost unnecessarily? The use of the Drag-Reduction System is of course, entirely driver dependant. It isn't something that is forced upon the 24 drivers in the sport, it is instead up something that up until next season, a manner of pushing the limits of a Formula One car, in the hands of 24 drivers who are praised and renound for being the 24 finest of their kind in the world.
The basic principle, and the thing that prevents Qualifying from being a bore from a fans point of view, is seeing car and driver dicing with the absolute ragged edge of speed, low fuel, new rubber, maximum revs, and all that jazz. Under that umbrella also comes DRS, as each driver seeks to extract  the very last tenth of a second from a lap by using the system as much as possible. That now, has gone, and I feel it can only be seen as an avoidable shame.
Im not for one minute neglecting safety as a vital matter in Motor-Sport, as it is clearly something that needs maximum attention. The introduction of raised cockpits a few years back for example, was a simple one I felt was fantastic, and easily a potential life saver. But with the ban of F-Ducts two seasons ago and now this limitation of another passive system in the form of DRS-usage in Qualifying in Practice, I feel we're stepping over the line of what is needed and acceptable in the name of changes in the name of safety.
It isn't the first time that safety has perhaps gone a step too far, and im sure as we become ever more paranoid and on edge about such concerns in the 21st century, it wont be long. Stay tuned for the next batch of nanny-style safety interventions, coming soon to a sport near you.

Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Leicester City: Match Report

Leicester City managed to stop the rot of a two-game losing streak after playing out an entertaining goalless draw away to Bolton Wanderers.

On a freezing cold night, it was Leicester who looked the most promising from the get-go, with David Nugent going perilously close to putting the visitors one goal to the good, only for Hungarian goalkeeper Adam Bogdan to pull off a fantastic reflex to save his teams blushes.

Bogdan would very much become the key man in the first half, making further saves to prevent Lloyd Dyer and Danny Drinkwater netting for the Foxes. Despite Leicester’s continued attacking presence, Nigel Pearson’s team were clearly a shadow of the team enjoying a six-game winning streak not two games previous, with an array of ill-judged passes and lack of understanding blatant in the eyes of the 1,227 travelling Foxes fans; Antony Knockaert and Danny Drinkwater the worst offenders.

The half-time whistle couldn't come soon enough for Dougie Freedman’s men, as the visitors continued to press the Trotters deep into their own half, yielding no less than nine corners within the first forty-five minutes of match,  despite how fruitless they proved to be. But Bolton soaked up the pressure well, with former Leicester captain Matt Mills leading Bolton’s back-line well, to the echoes of the boo-boy’s sitting in the away end.

The second half proved to be an entirely different kettle of fish, with Bolton severely picking up their game and threatening the score-line in favour of the home-side’s fan base. Lee Chung-yong went closest for Bolton shortly after the break, with Kasper Schmeichel parrying a long-range effort from the South Korean player. Lee in fact was the man of the match for Bolton in my eyes, with a string of brilliantly weighted passes orchestrated across the pitch to awaiting team-mates being highly commendable.

Despite Bolton’s increased presence in the game, and the introduction of play-maker Martin Petrov in place of a flagging Lee Chung-yong, Leicester remained the team enjoying the best chances on goal; Antony Knockaert, Andy King and Martyn Waghorn all with rasping efforts from outside the penalty area failing to foil the ever-impressive Bogdan between the sticks. King was as-ever, the man to keep Leicester ticking throughout the match, quiet and subtle but not to be understated as his set-up play and vision was at the very heart of Leicester’s offensive play. But it was Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer who put on the best display for Leicester, with Waghorn’s consistent ability to win balls and threaten the goal mouth alongside Dyer’s blistering runs down the wing and improved service to the box, most probably helping their respective quests for a solid position in Pearson’s starting line-up.

With Leicester squandering chance after chance, and with Bolton unable to maintain pressure on the visitors yet organised and strong as a unit, the game finished as a perhaps fair result of 0-0, sending the Trotters to 17^th in the table and carrying on Dougie Freedman’s undefeated run as Bolton’s recently appointed manager.

As for Leicester, the result see’s them remain in the Play-Off places, a mere four points off of the summit. Despite a clear need for work on set-pieces, Pearson can take many positives away from the trip to the Reebok Stadium, most potently the resumption of his team’s intensity on the pitch, and the individual performances of Lloyd Dyer and Martyn Waghorn, but also a strong display from Andy King and Ritchie De Laet, both putting in solid shifts in holding the midfield and defence units together respectively.