[2023 年 2 月 6 日，香港]: 享譽全球的「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」將於 2023 年 3 月 31 日至 4 月 2 日在香港大球場舉行，再次為香港敲響鑼鼓。今屆賽事將起用「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」新名字，而中國香港男子及女子代表隊將首次同時在「滙豐世界七人欖球系列賽」中爭標。 今屆賽事以「Play On! 勢不擋！」為主題，繼去年 11 月「七欖」在疫情中復辦後乘勝追擊，今年全城欖球迷均無須在社交距離限制下盡情享受賽事。 「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」將迎接 28 支國家球隊，包括史上首次加入的一眾女子精英七人欖球隊，屆時世界各地的球員和球迷將聚首一堂，一起揮灑熱血和汗水。 「Play On! 勢不可擋！」亦彰顯欖球和香港共有的堅毅精神。經歷了疫情的嚴峻考驗後，香港已準備好重拾多姿多彩和繁忙的國際形象，「七欖」作為全球首屈一指的體育盛事亦不例外。 「七欖」繼續貫徹欖球運動的廣泛包容性，專注於香港和國外欖球界組成的多元化社區，當中覆蓋了頂級女子球員，以及身體或精神殘障等欖球員。 香港欖球總會（欖總）主席蒲敬思（Chris Brooke）歡迎「七欖」如常在春天傳統檔期舉行時説：「去年 11 月的『七欖』經歷了疫情的考驗，以香港和本地社區為焦點。 能夠在香港成功舉辦並開創大型活動安全復辦的先例，我們都感到十分自豪。我們也很感激風雨同舟的支持者們，尤其是聯合冠名贊助商國泰和滙豐。」 蒲敬思續說：「香港有足夠的因由被稱為世界七人欖球界的一顆明珠，今天，我們懷著同樣興奮的心情為本地及全球欖球界帶來!勢不可擋！"的賽事。我們期待著全世界在 2023 年前來作樂。」 東道主中國香港女子七人欖球隊將於「七欖週末」破天荒亮相大球場，與另外 11 支世界頂級女子國家隊一較高下。女子組爭標人馬有系列賽衛冕冠軍澳洲、巴西、加拿大、斐濟、法國、英國、愛爾蘭、日本、新西蘭、西班牙、美國和中國香港。 自 1997年起，香港欖球總會一直主辦開拓性的「香港國際女子七人欖球賽」，曾招待多支現時系列賽隊伍。欖總很高興今屆能同時主辦男女子賽事。這亦給予香港女子七人欖球員一個難能可貴的機會。 中國香港女子七人欖球隊雙隊長之一的李念殷説：「這機會對我們的重要性非言語所能形容。我們很興奮能與當今頂尖球手切磋，並且期待透過與世界級勁旅交手來考驗自身能耐。」 香港女子欖球傳奇兼女子七人隊前隊長及十五人隊前代表陳朗詩也感雀躍，她亦是香港女子十五人欖球代表隊首位華裔教練。 陳朗詩説：「讓女子欖球曝光的機會是必要的。小男孩在大球場欣賞過欖球偶像們的英姿後，選擇投身欖球已有很多先例可循，我們希望香港女子隊於『七欖週末』亮相大球場後也能產生類似的效應。數以萬計的女孩在如此難忘的舞台上目睹最優秀的女子欖球競技實在令人興奮，而在『七欖週末』中加入女子賽事實在是給予香港對女子七人欖球運動貢獻的巨大獎勵。」 繼 11 月鼓動人心的賽事後，全球 15 支頂尖男子隊將與東道主中國香港隊一決高下。 爭冠隊伍有自 1980 年代以來首奪香港站銀盃的衛冕盟主澳洲、阿根廷、加拿大、斐濟、法國、英國、愛爾蘭、日本、肯雅、新西蘭、薩摩亞、西班牙、南非、美國及烏拉圭。 一連三日的欖球嘉年華充滿著音樂和美酒佳餚，「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」將於 2023年再次讓全城熱血沸騰。大球場內所有特許商販將如常提供觀眾席和廂房的全套餐飲等服務。 「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽 2023」的門票將於本週開始公開發售。http://xn--hksevens-te1m1nw17bqro469chu1b8m9c.com/ 訂閱電子通訊，以便於 2023 年 2 月 9 日享有公開發售前的 24 小時優先預購權。 欖總行政總裁麥偉彬（Robbie McRobbie）說：「我們很高興能在 3 月底迎來一個足本且更盛大的『國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽』。去年 11 月，賽事成功吸納大批本地觀眾，我們熱切期待在今年春天歡迎世界各地的欖球好友重遊舊地，一同在香港『Play On！勢不可擋！』。 」 「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」詳情可瀏覽：www.hksevens.com Information and photo source : Elite Step Asia / HKRU

Curtain comes down on 2022 beach volleyball season with Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes and Anders Mol and Christian Sørum as champions The first ever Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Champions were crowned in Doha on Sunday to complete a memorable first season of the competition. On a fitting end to the 2022 campaign, Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng of the United States and Anders Mol and Christian Sørum of Norway came out on top in the women’s and men’s finals at the Beach Pro Tour Finals 2022 at Aspire Park. The teams’ reward is not only a cheque for 150,000 US Dollars – the highest amount of the international beach volleyball scene – but also the Most Valuable Trophy, the unique prize made out of recycled materials collected from beaches. Six of the best for Mol and Sørum Victory for the Norwegians meant they ended the competition unbeaten, winning all six matches, beating the only other remaining team in the competition. Vikings Mol and Sørum, the reigning Olympic and world champions, saw off the challenge of Polish pair Michal Bryl and Piotr Losiak in straight sets, 21-18, 21-18. The gold was Mol and Sørum’s 19th international victory in just 45 career events and their fifth title of 2022, adding to the Elite16 golds secured in Ostrava, Paris and Cape Town plus their world title. “This Finals title is really, really, really cool,” said Mol afterwards. “We fought so many great teams here, in Doha. The best of the best are here, so I’m really proud and very tired.” “It’s been just tough matches at this tournament,” Sørum added. “What’s made the difference is that I have Anders by my side. He was really carrying the team in this final. He played amazing, had some amazing blocks and just kept pushing. I was tired, but he just kept giving me good feedback on my reception, and it was enough to win the game.” Three-in-a-row for American heroes Hughes and Cheng came into the final chasing a third straight tournament victory since reuniting as partners at the end of the calendar year after back-to-back wins in Australia. And the US duo were in scintillating form to earn the hat-trick by beating reigning world champions Eduarda Santos Lisboa ‘Duda’ and Ana Patricia Ramos of Brazil in straight sets, 21-18, 21-16. “Kelly and I are so happy That was just such an amazing finish,” Hughes said after the last whistle. “I am so proud of her. She was absolutely perfect and I think we are very steady as a team. We are so excited to come out with a win, and we are also looking forward to next week.” “I am speechless right now. I’m really proud of our team,” Cheng added. “We have another tournament next week, so we are probably going to get some ice cream from the mall and then sleep for like 12 hours tonight. We’ll sleep and recover as best as we can and then get out and fight next week.” Dutch and Italian pairs complete podium Raisa Schoon and Katja Stam, Elite16 winners in Rosarito back in March, ended their excellent season with a bronze medal, after the Dutch duo defeated Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho Del Solar in straight sets (21-18, 21-10). The fight for third in the men’s competition was a thrilling battle that went the way of Italian partnership Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottava. The pair, winners of an Elite16 in Jurmala earlier in the season, saw off the challenge of experienced Dutchmen Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen in three sets (22-20, 19-20, 16-14). A new season begins on Wednesday The best in beach volleyball return to the sand in Doha next week as the 2023 season kicks off with the first event of the calendar. Qualification for the Elite16 event begins on Wednesday morning at 09:00 local time. Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation

中國香港棍網球總會與嶺南大學跨學科學院簽署合作備忘，進行為期5年的合作，為院校提供結合運動技能、運動科學等元素的課程，推廣棍網球運動，同時為學生提供包括棍網球總會行政工作、活動管理、體適能教學等實習工作機會。 出席合作備忘簽訂儀式的嘉賓包括：中國香港棍網球總會行政總裁黎振國先生、嶺南大學跨學科學院副院長余嘉明教授、跨學科學院講師黃力柱先生以及跨學科學院兼任助理教授莫鑑明博士。 中國香港棍網球總會行政總裁黎振國表示：「很高興可以與嶺南大學成為合作伙伴，我們為嶺南大學提供結合運動技能、運動科學等元素的棍網球課程，藉此推廣這項運動，培育球員，甚至加入港隊。其中“Train the trainers” 課程更會為有意成為教練的學生，提供教學培訓，培育更多學生成為專業的棍網球教練。此外，我們亦會為學生提供包括總會行政工作、活動管理等實習工作機會，令他們可以學以致用，增加實際工作經驗。」 除了透過現代科學化的訓練，提升學生對運動科學的知識。中國香港棍網球總會更會為嶺南大學修讀運動教練學及盛事管理（榮譽）社會科學學士的學生提供研究專題，例如香港棍網球代表隊，透過科學數據協助香港的精英棍網球運動員提升表現。 Information and photo source : N Square / 中國香港棍網球總會

2023年1月19日 * 香港車手許建德首度挑戰帕諾拉馬山賽道 * 澳門車手謝榮鍵繼去年成功登上頒獎台後重返賽事 * Craft-Bamboo Racing 為兩人所屬的 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 提出技術協助 許建德（Jonathan）聯同謝榮鍵（Kevin）宣佈參加澳洲年度重頭耐力賽大戰，2023 年巴瑟斯特 12 小時耐力賽（Bathurst 12 Hour）。這場國際大賽同時亦是 2023 年洲際 GT 挑戰賽（Intercontinental GT Challenge，IGTC） 的第一站賽事，比賽將於 2 月 3-5 日在澳洲帕諾拉馬山賽道（Mount Panorama Circuit）舉行。這兩位知名的港澳車手將與澳洲車手 Ross Poulakis 組成三人團隊，並駕駛 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 車隊的 101 號平治-AMG GT3 戰車，爭奪銅級組別（Bronze class）錦標。 這次將會是許建德首度挑戰世界上最具挑戰性的耐力賽之一，這名耐力賽的能手經驗豐富，曾在 GT 世界挑戰賽歐洲賽中奪得多次冠軍。他以前曾參加澳門格蘭披治大賽，於狹窄山路上作賽有一定經驗，而巴瑟斯特的帕諾拉馬山賽道便經常被拿來與澳門東望洋賽道相提並論，Jonathan 希望在下月的比賽中過往在澳門的比賽經驗能有所幫助。另一方面，謝榮鍵去年首次到此參賽，與晏高（Maro Engel）和真卡迪拿（Daniel Juncadella）兩名平治-AMG 的廠隊車手合作成功奪得亞軍而回。上屆賽事中，他們三人跟以平治-AMG 廠隊身份參賽的香港 Craft-Bamboo Racing 賽車隊合力上演一場大逆轉，從最後一名起步一直追上至第 2 名衝線，當中這名澳門車手交出令人難以置信的穩定表現和決心，令人眼前一亮。 這兩位為港人所熟悉的車手，將會夥拍澳洲車手 Ross Poulakis 一同出賽。Ross Poulakis 在去年年尾亦在長 6.2 公里的帕諾拉馬山賽道處子登場，成功在一場三小時耐力賽中登上頒獎台。此外，香港 Craft-Bamboo Racing 賽車隊過往多次參與這項每年一度的大賽，更曾三度以同款的平治-AMG GT3 戰車參加這項 12 小時的比賽。這支車隊將會在今屆賽事中，為 Jonathan 和 Kevin 所駕駛的 101 車號 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 的平治-AMG GT3 戰車提供技術支援，與他們分享多年在此參賽的比賽數據和作戰經驗。上屆的大逆轉表現，正好就是該支車隊寶貴經驗的最佳印證，他們將會在本屆賽事中，成為謝榮鍵，Ross Poulakis 及許建德三人的最強後盾。 許建德和謝榮鍵連日來都積極備戰，冀能在比賽上有好發揮，取得銅級組別錦標。而對許建德來說，這次參賽亦是他個人第一次參加全季度的洲際 GT 挑戰賽，他將在全年賽季的 Pro-Am 組別中，決心努力爭取錦標賽積分競逐年度錦標賽，而早已享負盛名的巴瑟斯特 12 小時耐力賽將會是賽季第一站賽事。 許建德 | 101號 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 車隊平治-AMG GT3 車手 「我已觀看巴瑟斯特 12 小時耐力賽多年，一直也很想參加，這次終於有機會到此參賽! 我很期待跟 Kevin 及 Ross 一起挑戰這項賽事，他們都曾在這裡比賽，我期待跟他們學習。 帕諾拉馬山賽道是世上最具挑戰性的賽道之一，國際頂級的車手都對這裡推崇備至。我對自己的期望比較實際，我知道賽前只會有很少時間讓我熟習，最重要是不要太進取並且盡可能取得最多的錦標賽積分。得到 Volante Rosso 車隊以及 Craft-Bamboo Racing 的技術支援，我有信心可以在比賽中拿出好表現。」 謝榮鍵 | 101號 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 車隊平治-AMG GT3 車手 「自上次比賽的八個月後，再一次回到巴瑟斯特比賽令我十分期待。這次不是 Pro-Am 組別的戰車，我將跟 Jon 和 Ross 一起挑戰銅級組別的勝利。希望我可以將去年從 Maro 和 Dani 身上學習到的東西，成功在今年的比賽上活用出來。我們將駕駛與去年同一部平治-AMG 戰車，我期望能再次有好的發揮。」 Ross Poulakis | 101號 Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport 車隊平治-AMG GT3 車手 「經過多年努力後，我不能相信我終於有機會參加巴瑟斯特 12 小時耐力賽，這絕對是夢想成真。我很期待與 Jon 和 Kevin 合作，我已聽過他們二人以往的彪炳戰績，也看過數場他們去年的比賽，很期待可以與他們一同合作。去年年尾，我跟 Jordan Love 合作到巴瑟斯特出戰三小時耐力賽確實是一次很好的體驗，那是我第一次在這裡『上山』比賽，當然那時的天氣與現在不同。我會將我之前所學的，在今次 12 小時的比賽上發揮出來。我要感謝 Harrolds 以及 Guilty Chocolates 支持我参加這次賽事。」 Information and photo source : CBR Media / Volante Rosso Motorsport

The 2023 season of the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour will once again see iconic locations serve as the perfect backdrop to beach volleyball Beach Pro Tour 2023 calendar announced New Elite16 stops in Mexico and Canada revealed Elite16 events return to iconic sporting locations Season sees race for Olympic qualification begin World Championships to take place in Mexico in October The 2023 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour season promises to be bigger, brighter and better than ever following the announcement of next season’s all-important competition schedule. Following the success of the inaugural season, the Beach Pro Tour will continue to bring world-class sporting action to crowds at new, familiar and iconic locations across four continents. With start of the Olympic Qualification cycle in January and the World Championships taking place in Mexico in October, the second season of the Beach Pro Tour will be one to remember on and off the sand for players and fans alike. The fun in the sun begins when the Elite16 event in Doha kicks off the new season on 1 February. Among the new stops on the global tour, Volleyball World are delighted to be able to announce a number of new Elite 16 stops to the calendar for 2023, with hugely anticipated events planned in Tepic, Mexico, and Montréal, Canada. The calendar will also see the beach return to a number of memorable stops from the 2022 season, including Roland-Garros in Paris, Hamburg in Germany, and Dubai, which will return in 2023 with an Elite16 event. Challenge events at iconic locations including Itapema, Mexico, the Maldives and Espinho, Portugal, return while new Challenge stops will head to Saquarema, Brazil, Hainan, China and the Philippines. After 10 months touring the globe in South America, Europe, North America and Asia, the curtain will then come down on yet another thrilling season on the sand in Doha for the Beach Pro Tour Finals 2023, between 7-10 December at the Aspire Park in Doha. Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor said: “The first season of the Beach Pro Tour has seen the world’s best teams compete at the highest level and we are looking forward to building on that success in the competition’s second season in 2023. “The interest from fans – both inside arenas and watching on TV and Volleyball World TV – shows the popularity is growing. The audience numbers around the globe particularly highlight the fact that beach volleyball continues to be an amazing product for sports fans to watch. “We are taking beach volleyball to fans in all corners of the world next season and the 2023 calendar represents a great opportunity for fans of all ages to rub shoulders with Olympic and world champions in some truly breathtaking locations.” Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation

2023年1月17日 香港車手將回歸亞洲利曼系列賽，再度與 Herberth Motorsport 合作出賽 區天駿冀能在競爭激烈的 GT 組別從 24 隊隊伍中脫穎取勝 賽事將於 2 月 11 日開始接連在兩個週末上演香港賽車代表區天駿（Antares）確定出戰 2023 亞洲利曼系列賽（Asian Le Mans Series, ALMS），賽事將於 2 月 11-19 日分別在杜拜及阿布扎比上演。繼去年於閉幕戰上登上頒獎台後，區天駿冀能再進一步，再度參加此項國際錦標賽，以冠軍為目標。他將聯同兩名隊友組成最強組合，並代表 Herberth Motorsport 參賽。兩名隊友分別是保時捷廠隊代表的奧地利車手 Klaus Bachler，和車隊負責人之一的德國車手 Alfred Renauer。三人將合作駕駛 33 號的保時捷 911 GT3 R 賽車，與來自歐美各地的頂尖隊伍交鋒。 錦標賽採用近似 2022 賽季的模式，於連續兩個週末密集進行合共 4 場比賽，每場長達 4 小時。賽季首兩場賽事將在杜拜賽道（Dubai Autodrome）展開，接著兩場移師至阿布扎比的亞斯碼頭賽道（Yas Marina Circuit）決出冠軍誰屬。今年正值利曼 24 小時耐力賽 （24 Hours of Le Mans）舉辦 100 週年紀念，勝出亞洲利曼系列賽的隊伍將獲邀請到法國，參與 6 月份的歷史性大賽。多年來競爭激烈的亞洲利曼系列賽，今年就變得白熱化，將有 48 多隊伍參賽，GT 組別裡有 24 部來自不同車廠的 GT3 賽車，包括：保時捷、平治、寶馬、法拉利、林寶堅尼、雅士頓馬田、以及麥拿崙。Antares 近年來以保時捷 911 GT3 R 賽車征戰多達十數場耐力賽事，對戰車已十分熟悉。 區天駿希望自去季煞科戰登上頒獎台後，能在每站躋身三甲，憑穩定表現，累積錦標賽積分。這名紳士車手已連續 7 年到中東作賽，深度理解當地的比賽環境。他去年在最後一場在阿布扎比的亞洲利曼系列賽上，通過激烈的比賽成功取得亞軍而回，比冠軍落後僅0.6秒。 Herberth Motorsport 車隊去年取得 GT 組別的年度總亞軍，當中 Alfred Renauer 更是在阿布扎比駕駛隊內另一部賽車連續兩場贏得勝利。今年他加入 Antares 和 Klaus Bachler 這對已合作逾兩年的組合，定必帶來寶貴的新元素。三人與車隊已於去年 12 月在中東完成為期 3 天的季前測試，準備好以個人發揮和團隊合作迎戰錦標大賽。 區天駿 | 33號 參賽車手 「我很興奮能與 Klaus，Alfred 以及 Herberth Motorsport 再度合作出戰 2023 ALMS。這是我第三次挑戰 ALMS，個人和團隊都累積了深厚經驗，吸收過良多教訓。 幾年間磨合，車手們、工程師們、和團隊上下已形成種一默契，我覺得是個最好的開始。大家去年底投入很多時間去為比賽計劃，定策略，並不斷測試，希望能作萬全準備，開季一刻就全力以赴。無疑今年的賽事會比以往艱難，其他頂級車隊和車廠的眼光，也將會是投向夢寐以求的利曼 24 小時耐力賽邀請上。」 Klaus Bachler | 33號 保時捷廠方車手 「這是我第三次參加亞洲利曼系列賽，我十分期待比賽的到來，參賽車手的陣容非常鼎盛，而且 Herberth Motorsport 亦有很強的實力。我們在去年的最後一場比賽上表現很好，只落後不足一秒並取得亞軍。當然，我們的目標是要再進一步，然而今年的競爭看來比以往是更為激烈。杜拜和阿布扎比都是我十分喜歡的賽道，我很期待二月份再次回到那裡比賽。」 Alfred Renauer | 33號 參賽車手 及 Herberth Motorsport 負責人 「我們在 ALMS 的往績一向不錯，很高興今年能再次回來參賽，今年更是利曼大賽舉行的 100 週年。我們在 2021 年勝出 GT 組別並獲邀到法國參賽，2022 年亦奪得年度亞軍。我是非常興奮今年能夠與 Antares 及 Klaus 一同合作參加新賽季。我們已做好一切，所有事情包括賽車，車手以及整個團隊都已準備充足。我們期待比賽中爭取勝利。」 Information and photo source : CBR Media

Mumbai / Banbury, January 15, 2023: Mahindra Racing started Season 9 of the FIA ABB Formula E Championship in stunning style this weekend as Lucas Di Grassi clinched the first pole position of the Gen3 era and finished third in a fantastic opening race in Mexico City. Starting from pole, Lucas held the lead through two safety cars before dropping to second behind eventual winner, Jake Dennis. After a tense battle with Pascal Wehrlein, Lucas slipped to third, but held on to the lead of a five-car train that were right on his tail throughout the latter part of the race. He crossed the line third, grabbing the team’s first podium in 2023 and Lucas’ 40th pole in Formula E history. Oliver Rowland had a more difficult race, struggling with the pace of the car and rear tyre degradation in qualifying, making it a mammoth task to even get into the points. He crossed the line P13 in the #8 Mahindra M9Electro. Speaking after the race, CEO Frederic Bertrand said: “I think it’s been the dream weekend you could want as a Team Principle starting with a new team. We managed the weekend well so it’s very satisfying getting pole and being on the podium at the end. Ollie also came back into the game after a difficult qualifying, he had good pace towards the end. A mega result for the team but we need to make sure we can do this at the rest of the events. It’s a great achievement for Mahindra Racing but also all the partners who have worked so hard on creating the Gen3 car. ZF has done a great job on the powertrain and Tech Mahindra have supported us in the performance of the car. It’s great to see all our sponsors sharing this result with us.” After getting his first pole and podium for Mahindra Racing, Lucas Di Grassi said: “What happened today was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the podium and going home with 18 points after a tough beginning to the season is a testimony to the hard work the team are putting in to make the car the best we can. I gave it my all today to try and make the team proud. I’m very happy to leave here with this result, it feels like a victory to us. But this is just the beginning. We need more consistent results and we have got to work hard for this.” Commenting on his race, Oliver Rowland said: “It’s been a pretty tough weekend here in Mexico. I struggled quite a lot in practice and qualifying. We changed a lot for the race, which was a little bit better, but still not perfect. It’s disappointing to not score any points here, but hopefully we can learn from what happened this weekend. Obviously Lucas did a great job and got some good solid points for the team and hopefully we can move forward in Saudi.” This result marks a sensational start to Season 9 and the Gen3 era for the Indian-flagged, UK-based team. The aim is now to continue this run of form into the rest of the season with the next round taking place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in just two weeks’ time on 27-28 January. Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper. Information and photo source : Mahindra Racing

The Race In Numbers Edoardo Mortara Free Practice One // P6 Free Practice Two // P19 Qualifying // P16 [1:13.618, Group B] Race // DNF Positions Gained // N/A Fastest Lap // 1:14.648 Championship Position // P19 [0 points] Maximilian Günther Free Practice One // P10 Free Practice Two // P16 Qualifying // P17 [1:13.742, Group A] Race // P11 Positions Gained // +6 Fastest Lap // 1:14.754 Championship Position // P11 [0 points] Maserati MSG Racing Championship Position // P8 [0 points] The Report Maserati MSG Racing accelerated into a new era for Formula E at the Mexico City E-Prix, with the team narrowly missing out on the top 10 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Facing the dawn of Gen3, drivers Edoardo Mortara and Maximilian Günther gained invaluable insight during the Season 9 opener and showed promising initial pace following an encouraging pre-season test. A challenging qualifying session – which saw both drivers fall short of the Duel stages – left the duo facing an uphill recovery in the race, in which they started from 16th and 17th. Edo advanced to 15th on the opening lap by overtaking McLaren’s Rene Rast, although the race was quickly paused when a collision for Robin Frijns brought out the Safety Car. Action was resumed on lap five but was again halted one lap later when Jaguar’s Sam Bird stopped on track with a technical failure. The field took to green flag running again on lap nine. Edo and Max overtook a penalised Dan Ticktum during the restart, while the latter also passed Rast, who activated Attack Mode, for 15th. On lap 18, an unfortunate spin and collision caused by a snap of oversteer forced Edo to retire, leaving Max as the team’s sole runner for the remainder of the race. With a late Attack Mode activation, the German pilot made good progress to threaten for points in the closing laps and overtook DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne on the final tour to finish 11th. Formula E’s ninth season will continue on January 27th and 28th, with a double-header event on the Riyadh Street Circuit in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah. In Their Words James Rossiter, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing “It was a difficult day but in motorsport, you learn the most from your bad days – not your good ones. A poor qualifying put us on the back foot, but in the race, we were able to come back strong, with Max fighting from 17th to 11th and finishing just outside the points. Edo was showing really strong pace during the race, and his incident in Turn One was unfortunate. It’s a shame as his pace was great. We have a lot to learn and there is a lot of data that we need to process from this weekend so that we can be in a better position for the next race in Diriyah.” Edoardo Mortara, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing “This weekend wasn’t our best. After the pace we had in Valencia, I found it difficult to find a good rhythm in the car, especially over one lap. I managed to come back in the race and until the crash, I think we were in a good position, especially with our pace and on the energy side. I found it quite challenging to find a good balance on the tyres, and a snap of oversteer caused me to go off in the first corner. Overall, there were few positives to take, but we will examine our data closely, understand what happened and come back for Diriyah.” Maximilian Günther, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing “This weekend has been tough for us as a team. With the high altitude it was quite difficult to get the tyres into the sweet spot which impacted our pace in qualifying. Starting from the back, our pace in the race was much better and our efficiency and strategy proved to be competitive. I was able to move forward several places, but unfortunately, we were just short of the top 10. We’ve gained a lot of data from this weekend, and now, we just need to examine our performance, focus on our progress, and come back stronger in Riyadh.” Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse “Maserati is back to racing and although the result was not what we were hoping for, it still made the Mexico City E-Prix exciting and memorable for all of us. Motorsport is unpredictable. First and foremost, we're relieved Edo is ok and what a competitive race for Max, as he fought from 17th to finish just outside the points in 11th. This first race has been a great learning experience and we now focus our attention and determination on Saudi Arabia.” Information and photo source : MASERATI / 2023 ROKiT Venturi Racing

Mumbai / Banbury, January 15, 2023: Mahindra Racing started Season 9 of the FIA ABB Formula E Championship in stunning style this weekend as Lucas Di Grassi clinched the first pole position of the Gen3 era and finished third in a fantastic opening race in Mexico City. Starting from pole, Lucas held the lead through two safety cars before dropping to second behind eventual winner, Jake Dennis. After a tense battle with Pascal Wehrlein, Lucas slipped to third, but held on to the lead of a five-car train that were right on his tail throughout the latter part of the race. He crossed the line third, grabbing the team’s first podium in 2023 and Lucas’ 40th pole in Formula E history. Oliver Rowland had a more difficult race, struggling with the pace of the car and rear tyre degradation in qualifying, making it a mammoth task to even get into the points. He crossed the line P13 in the #8 Mahindra M9Electro. Speaking after the race, CEO Frederic Bertrand said: “I think it’s been the dream weekend you could want as a Team Principle starting with a new team. We managed the weekend well so it’s very satisfying getting pole and being on the podium at the end. Ollie also came back into the game after a difficult qualifying, he had good pace towards the end. A mega result for the team but we need to make sure we can do this at the rest of the events. It’s a great achievement for Mahindra Racing but also all the partners who have worked so hard on creating the Gen3 car. ZF has done a great job on the powertrain and Tech Mahindra have supported us in the performance of the car. It’s great to see all our sponsors sharing this result with us.” After getting his first pole and podium for Mahindra Racing, Lucas Di Grassi said: “What happened today was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the podium and going home with 18 points after a tough beginning to the season is a testimony to the hard work the team are putting in to make the car the best we can. I gave it my all today to try and make the team proud. I’m very happy to leave here with this result, it feels like a victory to us. But this is just the beginning. We need more consistent results and we have got to work hard for this.” Commenting on his race, Oliver Rowland said: “It’s been a pretty tough weekend here in Mexico. I struggled quite a lot in practice and qualifying. We changed a lot for the race, which was a little bit better, but still not perfect. It’s disappointing to not score any points here, but hopefully we can learn from what happened this weekend. Obviously Lucas did a great job and got some good solid points for the team and hopefully we can move forward in Saudi.” This result marks a sensational start to Season 9 and the Gen3 era for the Indian-flagged, UK-based team. The aim is now to continue this run of form into the rest of the season with the next round taking place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in just two weeks’ time on 27-28 January. Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper. Information and photo source : Mahindra Racing

Wildcards also revealed as 10 teams per gender aim to secure inaugural Beach Pro Tour Finals crown in Doha, Qatar, 26-29 January The curtain will come down on a brilliant first season of the Beach Pro Tour when 20 of the world’s best beach volleyball teams battle to become the 2022 season champions in Doha, Qatar between 26-29 January. The 10 teams per gender go into the end-of-season showpiece after a memorable first season of the Beach Pro Tour that began in March 2022 and wowed crowds at 47 events across the globe before coming to its conclusion in December. Eight of the teams booked their place at the Aspire Park sports complex thanks to their fine performances on the Beach Pro Tour in 2022, as per world ranking points as of 5 December, with the field completed by two wildcards. The winners of the Finals will each be crowned 2022 Beach Pro Tour champions and receive an equal prize money of 150,000 US Dollars of the overall 800,000-US Dollar prize purse. All 52 matches will be live on VBTV. In the men’s competition, top seeds are home favourites Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse, and in what promises to be mouthwatering entertainment for beach volleyball fans, the team from Qatar face stiff competition from the likes of reigning Olympic and World champions from Norway Anders Mol and Christian Sørum – plus a host of teams that have won Beach Pro Tour events in 2022. Chilean cousins Marco and Esteban Grimalt, winners of the Gstaad Elite16 title in July, and freshly reunited Italian duo Adrian Carambula and Alex Ranghieri, were awarded wildcard entries. Competing men’s teams: Cherif/Ahmed (Qatar), A. Mol/C. Sørum (Norway), Brouwer/Meeuwsen (Netherlands), George/Andre (Brazil), Bryl/Losiak (Poland), Nicolai/Cottafava (Italy), Perusic/Schweiner (Czech Republic), E. Grimalt/M. Grimalt (Chile), Renato/Vitor Felipe (Brazil), Carambula/Ranghieri (Italy). The women’s event is headed by Brazilian World champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Santos Lisboa and Ana Patricia Silva Ramos, who won five Elite16 medals in 2022, including gold in Gstaad and Uberlandia. The duo will have competition from compatriots Barbara Seixas and Carolina Solberg, arguably one of the most consistent teams on the tour in 2022, as well as another team who scooped two Elite16 titles during the season, Katja Stam and Raïsa Schoon from the Netherlands. Both of the women’s wildcards were awarded to newly-formed pairings. 2019 World champion Sarah Pavan and 2021 world championship runner-up Sophie Bukovec of Canada will make their Beach Pro Tour debut in Doha while the second wildcards are Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes of the United States, who reunited late in the season and won back-to-back events in Torquay. Competing women’s teams: Duda/Ana Patricia (Brazil), Barbara/Carol (Brazil), Stam/Schoon (Netherlands), Clancy/Mariafe (Australia), Anastasija/Tina (Latvia), Hüberli/Brunner (Switzerland), Tillmann/Müller (Germany), Nuss/Kloth (USA), Hughes/Cheng (USA), Pavan/Bukovec (Canada). Volleyball World CEO Finn Taylor said: “This is the culmination of an incredibly competitive year on the sand around the world and one look at the teams involved shows just how exciting and competitive the first ever Beach Pro Tour Finals is going to be. “With Olympic champions, world champions, in-form teams and new and returning partnerships taking to the sand, we have an event that promises to be packed with intriguing stories from the best teams in the world. “We are looking forward to receiving a wonderful welcome from our hosts at the magnificent Aspire Park in Doha, and are grateful to our partners at the Qatar Volleyball Association and Aspire Zone.” Once the champions of the 2022 season have been crowned, attention will turn to the beginning of the Beach Pro Tour 2023 campaign, which kicks-off just days after the Finals in Doha with a mouthwatering Elite16 event featuring the world’s best partnerships. Watch the action live on Volleyball World TV. Information and photo source : International Volleyball Federation