SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

(Formula1.com)
Max Verstappen (No. 33 Red Bull Racing Honda) has moved back to the lead in the drivers’ championship standings after winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, sending his home fans into ecstasy. In the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985, Verstappen led away from pole, keeping Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) at bay throughout the 72-lap race around the sweeping Zandvoort track, to bring home his seventh win of the season. Hamilton had to settle for second, the seven-time champion stopping with two laps to go for soft compound tires. Valtteri Bottas (No. 77 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team) was a comfortable third, despite his own late stop for soft tires, with Bottas appearing to then ignore team orders not to attempt to take the fastest lap bonus point away from Hamilton – only for Hamilton to claim it anyway on the final lap. (Thank you to F1.com) Watch video highlights here.

(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) held off regular-season champion Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) throughout a thrilling final green-flag run to win Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Hamlin maintained control as Larson pushed him hard into Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap. Larson gave Hamlin a tap, but Hamlin blocked the top lane and got to the finish line .212 seconds ahead of the runner-up. It was Hamlin's first win of the season. “He drove it in past the limit of the car and tires,” Hamlin said of Larson’s banzai charge. “I knew he was coming. I was a little conservative on that last lap because I had that four-car-length lead.” It was Hamlin’s fourth win at Darlington and the 45th of his career, and it earned him an automatic berth into the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. “Yeah, it was a matter of time,” Hamlin said of the long-awaited win. “We can’t just keep leading inside 10 laps to go every week and not get a win.” Larson led 156 of the 367 laps to Hamlin’s 146. Non-Playoff driver Ross Chastain (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) finished third. Watch video highlights here. (Thank you to Reid Spencer/NASCAR WIre Service)

(Porsche images)
At the start of the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich (September 7 - 12), Porsche is providing a peek into its automotive future, at least as they see it. The Porsche Mission R concept car "combines state-of-the-art technologies and sustainable materials, such as natural fiber-reinforced plastics, with a passion for racing," according to Porsche's PR minions. The all-electric competition car features two newly developed electric motors that deliver up to 800 kW (1,088 PS) in so-called qualifying mode. The battery capacity of around 80 kWh and the innovative recuperation system make sprint racing possible with no loss of output, according to the manufacturer. The Porsche Mission R projects what the future of a one-make series with all-electric cars could look like. In qualifying mode, the all-wheel drive car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds. Top speed: over 300 km/h. On the race track, the electric racer achieves the same lap time performance as the current Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, according to Porsche. With newly designed electric motors and battery cells – all equipped with innovative direct oil cooling – the Porsche Mission R concept study produces a constant power output of 500 kW (680 PS) in race mode. So-called derating, i.e., reduction of the battery‘s power output due to thermal conditions, has been eliminated. An electric motor with up to 320 kW (435 PS) powers the front axle, while a maximum of 480 kW (653 PS) is delivered to the rear. Thanks to advanced 900-volt technology and Porsche Turbo Charging, a good 15-minute break from racing is all that is needed to charge the battery from 5 to 80 per cent SoC (state of charge). Charging can take place with up to 340 kW. The Mission R also features a further development of Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) with Drag Reduction System (DRS) on the nose section and rear wing. It comprises three louvers in each of the two side air intakes on the nose section as well as an adjustable, two-section rear wing. The body of the concept car also focuses on CO₂ reduction and sustainability: it is largely made of natural fiber reinforced plastic (NFRP), the basic material of which is made from flax fibers obtained from farming. This ecological material is also used for the front spoiler lip, the diffuser and the side skirts. NFRP is also used extensively in the interior of the Mission R, such as the interior door panels, the rear bulkhead and the seat. Editor-in-Chief's Note: As I've stated repeatedly, going all-electric will sap the very life out of racing. Without the visceral, emotional sounds associated with ICEs, racing is not racing. Formula E has proved that conclusively. This is a depressing development if you care at all about the future of racing. -PMD