Pirelli support for Jackie Stewart and Race Against Dementia at SilverstoneThree-time Formula 1 world champion Jackie Stewart is still a fixed presence in the paddock. His wife Helen was for many years constantly at his side but has not been seen for some time, having been diagnosed with dementia.
Jackie has created a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for this terrible disease, called Race Against Dementia. To support this project, Pirelli donated a stunning artwork at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It’s a painting from renowned artist Paul Oz, depicting Lewis Hamilton on the 2015 Russian Grand Prix podium wearing his specially commissioned Pirelli Russian podium hat.
Both Hamilton and Stewart have three world titles. So Silverstone, the home race for both champions, was clearly the ideal place to hand over this significant artwork to benefit Race Against Dementia: a charity that survives on donations, auctions and fundraising. A few photographs and a handshake between Jackie and Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery marked the occasion. Like everybody else involved, Pirelli is proud to be supporting this important initiative, headed up by a great champion.
King wins again as Rowland takes points lead in Pirelli-backed GP2 at SilverstoneJordan King claimed a second GP2 sprint race victory in the space of seven days on home soil at Silverstone, as fellow Briton Oliver Rowland took the points lead with a pair of podiums.
Rowland, a member of the Renault Sport Academy, finished third in both races, just holding off Antonio Giovinazzi in the sprint race to take a one-point advantage over the Italian away from his home event.
As in Austria one week earlier, eighth place in the first race gave King the reverse-grid pole position for the second race, and he again led throughout. A late rain shower cut his advantage over the final two laps but he was able to hold on.
It was a tougher weekend for Alex Lynn, who struggled for pace from his car, but he is still only 28 points behind new leader Rowland with six race weekends of the Pirelli-supplied series remaining.
Both Lynn and King are in action at this week’s post-British Grand Prix F1 test at Silverstone as part of their development driver roles with Williams and Manor respectively.
Albon continues title push in Pirelli-supplied GP3 with Silverstone winAlex Albon scored his second win of the GP3 season on home ground at Silverstone to maintain his championship challenge.
The Anglo-Thai driver led from start to finish in the first race of the weekend after coming out on top of the earlier qualifying session. An engine problem forced him to pit early in race two, but he finished the event just two points behind ART Grand Prix team-mate and standings leader Charles Leclerc.
Matt Parry also took a strong result in the opening race, charging from 11th on the grid to finish in fourth position. Fellow Briton Jake Hughes had been running ahead of him and challenging for a podium before a loose rear wing forced him to pit.
Parry had climbed to second in race two before suffering a similar problem with his front wing, while Jake Dennis – relegated from eighth to 12th for a track limits offence in race one – was up to fourth when he was spun around by another driver, leaving him ninth at the finish.
Norris and Randle win with Pirelli at Spa in BRDC British F3The BRDC British Formula 3 Championship travelled to famous Belgian circuit Spa-Francorchamps for the first time, supporting fellow Pirelli-supplied series British GT.
Lando Norris capitalised on past experience at the track to win the weekend’s two main races, leading the first race from pole position and fighting back after a mid-race pass from his Carlin team-mate Ricky Collard. Brazil’s Matheus Leist beat Collard to second place to cut the latter’s points lead.
In race two, Australian driver Thomas Randle came from ninth on the grid to win with a late-race pass on Toby Sowery. Tarun Reddy of India completed the podium.
Last year’s BRDC F4 champion Will Palmer started the final race from pole on his first weekend racing the 2016 car but would have to settle for third in the race. Norris worked his way up from fifth on the grid to take victory once more and Leist was second, a result that reduces his deficit to Collard in the standings to a single point.
Two rounds remain, the first of which will be at Snetterton on August 6-7.
Pirelli-equipped Francis claims double honours at Nicky Grist StagesLuke Francis continued his successful 2016 season with wins in the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship and BTRDA Rally Series at the Nicky Grist Stages.
The two categories ran over the first gravel-based day of the mixed-surface British Rally Championship event, and Pirelli-equipped Mitsubishi driver Francis won this portion of the competition by exactly a minute.
It was an all-Pirelli podium, with Stephen Petch taking second in his Ford Fiesta R5 and Paul Benn third in his Ford Focus WRC.
BTRDA points leader Charlie Payne held a narrow advantage over Francis in his Pirelli-shod Fiesta before retiring with electrical issues. That means there are now only 22 points between him and Francis, taking the championship fight onto the Woodpecker Stages on September 3.
A fifth maximum score from as many starts in the Welsh series moves Francis closer to that title.
