The 2023 Formula One season is over, but that does not mean racing fans must go without motorsport over the winter break. Here are some of the top events taking place before March.
Image credit: Porsche Newsroom
Last weekend, we Formula One take to the circuit for the last time of 2023. After a 22-race calendar, the teams, drivers and organisers will all be happy to see the end of the season.
But for racing fans, there can never ben too much racing. With that in mind, somewhere around the New Year, we will surely all be crying out for on-track action to start. Formula One in 2024 does not get going until March. But do not fear, there is lots of motorsport to watch before the end of the Winter Break. Here is a quick rundown of the top events.
That is not true for the Middle Eastern series however. The United Arab Emirates has its own collection of local Formula championships, the pinnacle of which being the Formula Regional Middle East Championship.
Essentially the equivalent to FRECA, this series runs across five different events taking place on two circuits. The majority of races take place at Yas Marina. But a short mid-season trip to Dubai Autodrome breaks things up. Proceedings kick off as early as 12 January. From there, the series races every week until 18 February. Little is known about the driver line-up, though top teams will take part from the likes of Prema and MP Motorsport to local outfit Xcel.
Running alongside the Formula Regional Middle East Championship will be the Formula 4 UAE Championship. Following the same calendar, these entry-level cars will be a first taste of single-seater for many drivers. Expect to see some top future talent in both series.
One of the most action-packed forms of motorsport is sportscar racing. With multiple classes, simply driving on-track at speed is impressive. But when battles form, the sport is to die for. The good news is, the Middle East is full of events over the next few weeks. Here are the top picks to watch.
In recent years, the series has been reduced to a pair of double-header weekends in the Gulf. But for this year's running sees the return of Sepang Circuit to the calendar, which provides a bit of racing just before Christmas.
After this little jolly in Southern Asia, the teams will rest up before the trio of Middle Eastern events in February. The calendar forms a five-round championship which, at its end, will earn two teams with an invitation to race in the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. The championship winners of the LMP2 Pro-Am and GT classes will get to race in the pinnacle of endurance racing.
The mini-series' finale may be at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi at the end of January. But it gets going at the Kuwait Motor Town circuit for a 12-hour assault next weekend. However, most racing fans will best recognise the 24 Hours of Dubai.
This famous event typically attracts inconceivably large grids, meaning traffic management is an even bigger factor than at the Nürburgring's NLS. Much like the majority of 24H Series events, the Dubai race does not include prototype machinery. Instead, the top class is made up of GT3 cars, so one can easily root for their favourite marque.
The Dubai 24 Hours is certainly the race you will not want to miss out of the three. It will kick off a long series of back-to-back renowned sportscar events. One can catch all the action on the weekend of the 13th of January. The 24H Series broadcasts all of its races live, for free on YouTube, as well as on their website.
A week after the so-called Roar Before the 24 testing event, Daytona holds its famous Rolex 24 Hour race. This is the opening gambit of the 2024 IMSA Sportscar Championship. Here, fans will get to see the second season of LMDh machinery begin. With plenty of action always on the cards thanks to the Roval's unique layout, the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one to watch.
After Daytona, fans and drivers alike get a weekend off from major endurance races. But on 16 February, it's all eyes down under for the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hours. A challenging course with a tricky night time start, this is a very tough endurance race that always throws curve balls at the drivers. Be it wild animals on the track, changing weather or late-race Safety Cars, one can never predict this race. Who could forget the infamous 2015 sprint by Chiyosan in the Nissan GT-R.
Before those fantastic events however, next week will provide a brilliant end to the true 2023 racing season. On 10 December, Yas Marina will host another nail-biter as the Gulf 12 Hours book ends the season. Much like the Bathurst 12 Hours, this is a GT3 festival with some big names. Valentino Rossi is already confirmed to be racing with Team WRT, whilst AF Corse is bringing no less than four Ferrari 296s to the event.
In fact, another Middle Eastern motorsport takes place in January, the Dakar Rally. An all-out battle of endurance, skill and perseverance, the Dakar may no longer take place between Paris and North Africa. But its new Saudi Arabian location does not disappoint when it comes to the challenge.
Image credit: Audi Sport on NewspressUK
A two-week rally across the desert, fans can tune into daily highlight videos on YouTube. Here, you will witness the best in motorbike, ATV, buggy, car and truck navigation. The event gets going on 5 January leaving little time to recover from the Christmas kilos. Little rest will see the competitors keep going until 19 January.
A reshuffled driver line-up in the WRC class will take on Rally Monte Carlo on the weekend of 25 January. Mountain passes, icy conditions and changeable weather all contribute to the challenge of this infamous rally. Last year saw Sebastien Ogier beat Kalle Rovanpera by less than 20 seconds. But with the Finn joining Ogier as a part-time driver in 2024, the driver line-up is unclear for this first rally of the year. The top spot may therefore be less predictable than previous years.
If one World Rally Championship round was not enough, the series visits Sweden on 15-18 February. A fast rally on snow, it is a popular event with rally fans. In EA Sports WRC, both events are well detailed with real-world roads forming the stages.
There is no way for us to cover every series racing over the next three months. So make sure to help us out with more events. After all, we too want to know what the best racing to watch each weekend is.
What racing events will you be watching over the winter break? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
Image credit: Porsche Newsroom
Last weekend, we Formula One take to the circuit for the last time of 2023. After a 22-race calendar, the teams, drivers and organisers will all be happy to see the end of the season.
But for racing fans, there can never ben too much racing. With that in mind, somewhere around the New Year, we will surely all be crying out for on-track action to start. Formula One in 2024 does not get going until March. But do not fear, there is lots of motorsport to watch before the end of the Winter Break. Here is a quick rundown of the top events.
Single Seater Racing
As we all know, Formula One is the top echelon of single-seater racing. As a result, the majority of junior feeder series all follow a similar calendar. Seasons start in March or April and end just after the Summer.That is not true for the Middle Eastern series however. The United Arab Emirates has its own collection of local Formula championships, the pinnacle of which being the Formula Regional Middle East Championship.
Essentially the equivalent to FRECA, this series runs across five different events taking place on two circuits. The majority of races take place at Yas Marina. But a short mid-season trip to Dubai Autodrome breaks things up. Proceedings kick off as early as 12 January. From there, the series races every week until 18 February. Little is known about the driver line-up, though top teams will take part from the likes of Prema and MP Motorsport to local outfit Xcel.
Running alongside the Formula Regional Middle East Championship will be the Formula 4 UAE Championship. Following the same calendar, these entry-level cars will be a first taste of single-seater for many drivers. Expect to see some top future talent in both series.
No Winter Break for Sportscars
With most major motorsport series taking a break between late-November and early-March, it gives motorsport fans the opportunity to discover new events. In fact, the world of motorsport is far more than just Formula One. Some might even suggest that the action in other categories out-does F1.One of the most action-packed forms of motorsport is sportscar racing. With multiple classes, simply driving on-track at speed is impressive. But when battles form, the sport is to die for. The good news is, the Middle East is full of events over the next few weeks. Here are the top picks to watch.
Asian Le Mans Series
The positive of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship is that the whole series is easy to follow from start to finish. But that is not the only compact season going on over the winter. The 2023-2024 Asian Le Mans Series gets going this weekend.In recent years, the series has been reduced to a pair of double-header weekends in the Gulf. But for this year's running sees the return of Sepang Circuit to the calendar, which provides a bit of racing just before Christmas.
After this little jolly in Southern Asia, the teams will rest up before the trio of Middle Eastern events in February. The calendar forms a five-round championship which, at its end, will earn two teams with an invitation to race in the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours. The championship winners of the LMP2 Pro-Am and GT classes will get to race in the pinnacle of endurance racing.
24H Series
The Middle East will see plenty more sportscar endurance racing thanks to the opening few races of the 24H Series. This amateur championship that travels around the world opens its season with the Middle East Trophy, a trio of winter endurance events.The mini-series' finale may be at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi at the end of January. But it gets going at the Kuwait Motor Town circuit for a 12-hour assault next weekend. However, most racing fans will best recognise the 24 Hours of Dubai.
This famous event typically attracts inconceivably large grids, meaning traffic management is an even bigger factor than at the Nürburgring's NLS. Much like the majority of 24H Series events, the Dubai race does not include prototype machinery. Instead, the top class is made up of GT3 cars, so one can easily root for their favourite marque.
The Dubai 24 Hours is certainly the race you will not want to miss out of the three. It will kick off a long series of back-to-back renowned sportscar events. One can catch all the action on the weekend of the 13th of January. The 24H Series broadcasts all of its races live, for free on YouTube, as well as on their website.
Major Endurance Races
As aforementioned, the end of January and beginning of February makes up a long series of on-the-bounce international enduros. It all kicks off with the Dubai 24. Then, the top drivers in the world head to testing for the Daytona 24 Hours. Mostly a testing event, it also sees support series racing action.A week after the so-called Roar Before the 24 testing event, Daytona holds its famous Rolex 24 Hour race. This is the opening gambit of the 2024 IMSA Sportscar Championship. Here, fans will get to see the second season of LMDh machinery begin. With plenty of action always on the cards thanks to the Roval's unique layout, the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one to watch.
After Daytona, fans and drivers alike get a weekend off from major endurance races. But on 16 February, it's all eyes down under for the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hours. A challenging course with a tricky night time start, this is a very tough endurance race that always throws curve balls at the drivers. Be it wild animals on the track, changing weather or late-race Safety Cars, one can never predict this race. Who could forget the infamous 2015 sprint by Chiyosan in the Nissan GT-R.
Before those fantastic events however, next week will provide a brilliant end to the true 2023 racing season. On 10 December, Yas Marina will host another nail-biter as the Gulf 12 Hours book ends the season. Much like the Bathurst 12 Hours, this is a GT3 festival with some big names. Valentino Rossi is already confirmed to be racing with Team WRT, whilst AF Corse is bringing no less than four Ferrari 296s to the event.
Rallying During F1's Off-Season
If long endurance races are not you're thing, then perhaps you will prefer off-road racing. The early motorsport season is often the perfect time to check out some of the biggest rally and rally raid events of the year.In fact, another Middle Eastern motorsport takes place in January, the Dakar Rally. An all-out battle of endurance, skill and perseverance, the Dakar may no longer take place between Paris and North Africa. But its new Saudi Arabian location does not disappoint when it comes to the challenge.
Image credit: Audi Sport on NewspressUK
A two-week rally across the desert, fans can tune into daily highlight videos on YouTube. Here, you will witness the best in motorbike, ATV, buggy, car and truck navigation. The event gets going on 5 January leaving little time to recover from the Christmas kilos. Little rest will see the competitors keep going until 19 January.
World Rally Championship Kicks Off
A very long event, Dakar competition is tricky to track. But fear not, the World Rally Championship also sees its first pair of rounds take place before the opening F1 race of 2024.A reshuffled driver line-up in the WRC class will take on Rally Monte Carlo on the weekend of 25 January. Mountain passes, icy conditions and changeable weather all contribute to the challenge of this infamous rally. Last year saw Sebastien Ogier beat Kalle Rovanpera by less than 20 seconds. But with the Finn joining Ogier as a part-time driver in 2024, the driver line-up is unclear for this first rally of the year. The top spot may therefore be less predictable than previous years.
If one World Rally Championship round was not enough, the series visits Sweden on 15-18 February. A fast rally on snow, it is a popular event with rally fans. In EA Sports WRC, both events are well detailed with real-world roads forming the stages.
Find More on OverTake
As aforementioned, the winter break is the perfect time to discover something new. Whilst many will consider virtual racing a dish best served in the sim rig, one can also enjoy it from the comfort of the sofa. In fact, Luca has compiled a collection of top Esports events to follow over the next three months. Check that piece out on OverTake.There is no way for us to cover every series racing over the next three months. So make sure to help us out with more events. After all, we too want to know what the best racing to watch each weekend is.
What racing events will you be watching over the winter break? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
