The first official test since the start of the season ended at Barcelona today. The four-day test threw up some confusing times as some drivers tried out slick tyres for next year while others stayed on grooves, and today’s running was spoiled by rain. They will be back at the track in just eight days … Continue reading 2008 F1 testing round-up 11: Catalunya
After a dismal showing in winter testing Honda’s performance in the first three races of the season has been almost respectable. Jenson Button got the RA108 into the top ten in qualifying at Bahrain – beating Fernando Alonso’s Renault – and reckoned a points finish was on the cards had he not picked up a … Continue reading Ross Brawn and the Honda recovery
Max Mosley has tried to shrug off growing demands for him to quit in the face of lurid revelations about his personal life and pushed ahead with his plans to introduce environmentally-friendly kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in F1 from 2009. He has written to teams outlining a vision of how a more powerful KERS … Continue reading Problems with KERS and its impact on F1
The Formula 1 grid could be down to just 20 cars for the Spanish Grand Prix as the Magma Group purchase of Super Aguri appears to have fallen through as was rumoured last week. Unless a source of funds is found in the eight days before next weekend’s race at the Circuit de Catalunya, Super … Continue reading Super Aguri doubt may cut F1 to 20 cars (update: Honda will not help team)
Here’s a new picture showing just how bright the lighting will be at the inaugual Singapore Grand Prix this year: The Singapore race organisers trialled a new lighting system recently along St Andrew’s Road in front of the Padang – where the cars will hit 260kph during this year’s race. More pictures below:
This poll is now closed. The results are as follows: Yes 101 29% of all votes No 224 65% of all votes Don’t know 21 6% of all votes Debate rumbles on over F1’s planned ban of tyre warmers for next year. Last year drivers including David Coulthard criticised the move to ban tyre warmers … Continue reading Poll: should tyre warmers be banned?
It looks as though Formula 1 fans will have to make do without an official F1 video game again in 2008. According to Pitpass discussions between Bernie Ecclestone and Sony (previous holders of the F1 franchise) have reached a dead end. Sony previously paid $15m per year for the rights to the game. Ecclestone’s entire … Continue reading Still no sign of a new F1 video game
Today’s subject of our weekly driver debates is Super Aguri pilot Anthony Davidson. How does he stack up against team mate Takuma Sato? What would he do in a more competitive car? Read my opinion and have your say below.
The world of swimming is up in arms about a controversial new piece of swimwear dubbed the Speedo LZR Racer. Its effectiveness in making swimmers faster can be judged by the fact that 33 swimming world records have been broken since February – 30 by users of the LZR gear. The Times’s top sporting scribe … Continue reading What swimming can tell us about F1
Rumours began circulating that Ferrari were readying a radical new nose cone arrangement several weeks ago. They finally tested the device in public at Barcelona today and Autosport has a picture. Ferrari has essentially created a slotted hole in the nose through which air can pass. It allows air to flow at high pressure through … Continue reading Ferrari has an unusual new nose
Mark Webber has given an amusingly frank assessment of F1 rookies Nelson Piquet Jnr and Kazuki Nakajima. Asked how well his Red Bull team would fare compared to Renault and Williams he replied: We have two drivers. Williams and Renault have only one. We must extract the full potential from the current car as quickly … Continue reading Webber: Piquet & Nakajima are no use
I’ve been working on a short biography of Max Mosley for the “Who’s Who” section on the website and while reading an old interview with him I came across a very good argument for why he should resign. And he made the case himself. Here it is:
Hoshiyar had this to say about Adrian Sutil in a recent discussion: To have Force India without an Indian pilot is ridiculous. Narain [Karthikeyan] can take the bull by its horn and come in front of fisi each and every time. To not even have tried him for the race seat?óÔé¼?ª its clear where Vijay … Continue reading Should Force India have Indian drivers?
At the very moment that F1 Fanatics were tuning in to the Bahrain Grand Prix I was busy reliving one of the greatest F1 battles of all time racing at Dijon-Prenois. Dijon was home to F1 racing on and off from 1972 through to 1984, before falling into an international decline that was completed with … Continue reading The Ben Evans column: Driving Dijon
Jon Lancaster suffered this gigantic crash in the first round of the F3 Euroseries championship today. But the shocking somersault left him with only bruising. Lancaster hit the rear of Jean Karl Vernay’s car and flipped end-over-end, sliding off the track and clipping Dani Clos’s car before flipping the right way up again. Lancaster will … Continue reading Video: Jon Lancaster in huge F3 Euro crash
Did Felipe Massa’s less stressed engine help him beat Kimi Raikkonen? Why did the Ferraris have much higher top speeds than the opposition? Did wing failure cause Lewis Hamilton’s collision with Fernando Alonso? Here’s my round-up of the stories from the Bahrain Grand Prix.
I know a lot of British F1 fans get irritated by ITV commentator James Allen. I’ve never been a big fan either but I’ve tried not to get too drawn into the Allen-bashing because, much like when it comes to discussing the talents of F1 drivers, I’ve never done it so I don’t feel I … Continue reading Commentating: How hard can it be…
A quick reminder about the F1 Fanatic Facebook Group: There’s over 100 members on there now and there are a number of discussions going about future stuff on the site I’d like to get feedback on including: The F1Fanatic Court Tips on commenting The Cool Wall What made F1 great? You can also watch many … Continue reading New stuff on the Facebook Group
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is still sending out positive signals about its desire to hold a 2009 United States Grand Prix. The circuit owners have made a point of stating that the Moto GP race held for the first time this year is not a replacement for F1 (it’s behind held in September, not June), and … Continue reading Indianapolis still hopeful of 2009 F1 race
As Max Mosley clings desperately to power while the FIA waits for the chance to have its say on June 3rd, there are three more Grands Prix to run in the meantime. And the next one is the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, at which we are expecting to see the launch … Continue reading Who will launch Racing Against Racism?