Issue #671: Samurai Success

Wow, what a weekend, action that spanned three continents, five disciplines and emotional extremes on both two and four wheels, and we’ve got it all covered… In Japan, the WRC delivered one of its most atmospheric rounds of the season as Elfyn Evans produced a masterclass on the roads of Rally Japan. The Welshman's lead never dipped below ten seconds all weekend - a stunning display of precision and dominance. David Ledbitter was in the thick of it, bringing you the full report including how local hero Takamoto Katsuta's hopes of a dream home win unravelled heartbreakingly on Friday morning. Back over in Mugello, Italy, Marco Bezzecchi took one of the most emotional victories the Italian track has ever seen, with Eden Hannigan bringing you all the details. While in World Superbikes, Eden and Luke Newman covered a dramatic weekend, where Nicolò Bulega swept all three to extend his remarkable unbeaten run to 21 consecutive WorldSBK victories. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, downtown Detroit played host to a packed weekend of American motorsport and Kevin Dejewski was trackside to snap the images and report on the IndyCar Grand Prix, where Alex Palou emerged from the chaos to claim victory. While earlier in the weekend it was the chance of the IMSA WeatherTech crew to show their metal in Motor City. Kevin took the images while Phil Oakley wrote the words. And with IndyCar putting on such a show in Detroit, Oliver Bell makes his debut for Start Your Engines by asking what exactly Formula 1 should be “borrowing” from its American cousins to improve the Monaco Grand Prix? With the Monaco Grand Prix running next week, Jack Oliver Smith reviews some of the classic races in the principality, including some iconic years; yah, it’s Monaco baby..! And, as always, we have all the news, views and stories in this week's edition of the most widely read weekly motorsport magazine in the world!