2 July 2009 by Keith Collantine
Follow the leader: Racing has not improved much this year
F1 has been grappling with the problem of how to get the cars to race more closely for several years.
For 2009, the FIA’s Overtaking Working Group proposed a radical solution involving lower, wider front wings and higher, narrower rear wings. It made the cars wretchedly unattractive but, they reckoned, it should allow them to follow more closely.
Unfortunately it hasn’t worked. We now have cars that are heinously ugly - and still can’t overtake. Why hasn’t it worked and what should be done about it? more…
2 July 2009 by Keith Collantine
Giancarlo Fisichella had a strong drive to tenth at Silverstone
One of the quieter success stories of the first half of the season has been the gradual improvement of Force India.
An effective programme of development has brought real progress, and the team has finally begun to get cars beyond the first segment in qualifying.
They’ve come tantalisingly close to scoring their first points – but it hasn’t happened yet. Can they make that breakthrough soon? more…
1 July 2009 by Keith Collantine
Great drivers, tremendous cars, iffy fashion: Goodwood's got the lot
Just two days to go until one of my favourite dates on the motor racing calendar: the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
I’m fidgety with anticipation as usual, so for the benefit of those of you who won’t be going, here’s a collection of some of the F1 cars and drivers which have appeared in recent years.
Including classic cars, crowd-pleasing antics - and Jenson Button in a stunningly bad Burberry overcoat… more…
1 July 2009 by Keith Collantine
Looking for another team for next year?
Every few years in Formula 1 the silly season goes into overdrive while the teams wait for the biggest driver on the market to make his move.
Top drivers and top teams pairing up always has a degree of inevitability about it: like Ayrton Senna joining Williams in 1994, and McLaren signing Kimi Raikkonen in 2002.
Fernando Alonso has been linked to a move to Ferrari ever since his McLaren deal went sour. Will it finally come to be in 2010? more…
30 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
Roofs at F1 circuits would be impractical, but useful
There’s no escaping the Wimbledon tennis tournament here in Britain. Last night F1 broadcasters BBC attracted 12.6m viewers as British hopeful Andy Murray scraped through to the next round after a four-hour match that lasted well into the evening.
But there has been criticism of the decision to keep the match going under Wimbledon’s new extensible roof - and questions about whether it was done to help keep viewing figures strong.
It would not be the first sport where compromises have been made to suit the demands of television – Formula 1 is much the same. But this sort of thing can easily go too far. more…
30 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
Jenson Button will be at Goodwood along with Lewis Hamilton this year
Formula 1 cars from at least 14 different constructors will be demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
They include a special tribute to Williams, Lewis Hamilton in one of Ayrton Senna’s old McLarens, the largest collection of Silver Arrows and, of course, plenty of modern F1 cars. Here’s a run-down of the F1 cars that will be taking to the hill. more…
29 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
The Life L190 failed to pre-qualify for all its 14 Grands Prix in 1990
The Life L190* – in all probability the worst F1 car ever – will be demonstrated by Derek Bell at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The W12-engined car failed to progress beyond pre-qualifying in 14 attempts in 1990, and was typically around 20 seconds off the pace at most tracks.
It will take a place alongside some of the greatest Formula 1 cars ever, including the McLaren-Honda MP4/4, which won 15 out of 16 races in 1988. more…
29 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
Have you got used to the unusual 2009 F1 cars?
At the start of the year there was a lot of discussion about whether we’d ever get used to the peculiar 2009-specification cars with their bizarre front and rear wings.
So, has time made us more fond of the new-look F1 cars? How do they compare to the designs of previous generations? Have a look at them and vote below.
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28 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
Romans: Big on aqueducts and roads, but not budget caps
All right, all right! But, apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order… what have the Romans done for us?
Like the Romans in Monty Python’s “The Life of Brian”, Max Mosley gets a fair bit of stick from F1 fans. Particularly at the moment, as he appears to have embarked on a last-gasp bid to wreck the deal that could save Formula 1.
But let’s stop, take stock of his 18 years in the job as FIA president and ask, what has he done for us? What has he got right? more…
27 June 2009 by Keith Collantine
The only good thing about the Honda RA107 was its large numbers
It’s time to tackle another crop of your questions. Today we have queries about drivers who left their teams after winning the world championship, pit TVs, and how to get work at the Abu Dhabu Grand Prix.
Plus, is there really a road named after Jenson Button? more…
