Has Formula one lost sight of its purpose to be the ultimate form of motor racing with cars at the absolute cutting edge of technology? The FIA’s recent plans to reduce teams’ use of wind tunnels is just the latest in a long line of steps taken to reduce the development of Formula 1 cars. … Continue reading Imagining ‘Formula X’
Year: 2007 articles archive
When did Ron Dennis say this?
Posted onRemembers this quote from McLaren’s Ron Dennis?: Did they have team uniform on? Then they were hardly spying, were they? I thought that if you are out of uniform then you are a spy but when you are in uniform you are ‘gathering intelligence!’ We are doing nothing that everybody else doesn’t do, except that … Continue reading When did Ron Dennis say this?
F1 blogs review: Goodbye 2007, hello 2008
Posted onThere’s plenty of looks back at 2007 and predictions for 2008 in the F1 blogs this week. Plus some more thoughts on the 2007 F1 season DVD, Ralf Schumacher… and Jos Verstappen.
F1 news review: Mosley backs Raikkonen
Posted onMax Mosley gave a revealing interview to The Guardian this week in which he said he was glad to see Kimi Raikkonen win the world championship following the spy scandal between McLaren and Ferrari. Plus the sports writers look back on 2007, Ralf Schumacher dumps his manager and Alexander Wurz looks to a career in … Continue reading F1 news review: Mosley backs Raikkonen
Which ‘blatantly illegal car’ won a championship?
Posted onI’ve long enjoyed Nigel Roebuck’s writings on Formula 1 and I’ll miss my weekly dose of the ‘Fifth Column’ and ‘Ask Nigel’ when he departs Autosport for Motor Sport next year. His final ‘Ask Nigels’ have been especially entertaining but this startling claim really caught my eye: Anyone in the paddock, for example, will tell … Continue reading Which ‘blatantly illegal car’ won a championship?
Did you get an F1 gift for Christmas?
Posted onWere you opening presents for Christmas (or anything else) this morning? Did you get any F1 goodies? Perhaps you received one of the gifts suggested in the F1 Fanatic Gift Guide? Brag about your F1 gifts below – I’ll add mine later if it turns out I’ve been a good boy this year…
The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive
Posted onThese are the four drivers who have landed the most desirable seats in GP2, the top feeder category for Formula 1: Romain Grosjean, Luca Filippi, Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna. For the past three years the GP2 champion has gone straight into F1: Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and, in 2008, Timo Glock. So who will … Continue reading The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive
“Memories of The Bear” (Eoin Young, 2007)
Posted onFormula 1 World Champions are a fascinating breed. For every Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna or Juan Manuel Fangio – giga-stars whose names are writ large across the motor racing firmament – there are the slightly more obscure, less well known holders of the title World Drivers’ Champion. Denny Hulme, 1967 world champion is one of … Continue reading “Memories of The Bear” (Eoin Young, 2007)
F1 blogs review: Ayrton Senna karting video
Posted onIn the F1 blogs this week some rare video footage of Ayrton Senna karting in 1982. Plus one writer’s thoughts on meeting Jenson Button, the perfect T-shirt for Lewis Hamilton and more worries over that divisive ten-year engine development freeze.
F1 news review: Threat to Valencia Grand Prix
Posted onIn the F1 news this week an EC investigation could put next year’s European Grand Prix at the new Valencia street circuit in danger. Silverstone is getting a lick of paint and the row continues over the McLaren-Ferrari spy saga and the future of Ron Dennis despite the FIA officially finishing the matter. All this … Continue reading F1 news review: Threat to Valencia Grand Prix
Lapped Legends: Andrea Moda
Posted onI sometimes wonder what the FIA are setting out to achieve with their spoilsport rules. In particular, what is gained by raising the entry fee from $100,000 to $50,000,000? Sure a few bad apples slipped in through the net, but it’s now nigh on impossible for a privateer team to enter F1. Of the bad … Continue reading Lapped Legends: Andrea Moda
Rumoured qualifying changes for 2008
Posted onI’ve seen a few details on F1 forums about changes to next year’s qualifying regulations that apparently were agreed by the teams last week. I encourage you to take the following with a pinch of salt, but the changes seem sufficiently odd and unnecessary to convince me this really is something the FIA has suggested. … Continue reading Rumoured qualifying changes for 2008
Speeding Hamilton joins Fisichella, Button, Montoya…
Posted onLewis Hamilton has had some unwanted negative publicity after being caught speeding in France. Although I can’t condone speeding, nor can I say ‘I’m holier than thou’ – I picked up a ticket of my own this year. Ironically enough I was returning from the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the time… Hamilton is not … Continue reading Speeding Hamilton joins Fisichella, Button, Montoya…
It’s time for Audi to take the F1 bait
Posted onAudi fielded the winning team in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). But why aren’t they racing their two major German luxury car manufacturing rivals – BMW and Mercedes – in Formula 1?
FIA end McLaren investigation and publish Renault report
Posted onThe FIA has formally ended its investigation into McLaren’s use of Ferrari intellectual property by cancelling the meeting of the World Motor Sports Council planned for February 14th. However the fall-out from the McLaren and Renault hearings continues. The sport’s governing body also published the full transcripts from the December 6th hearing on whether Renault … Continue reading FIA end McLaren investigation and publish Renault report
How do you stop teams from using wind tunnels?
Posted onThe latest Max Mosley master plan to cut costs in F1 involved banning teams from using their wind tunnels. On January 11th proposals will be put to the team principals requiring that they reduce their wind tunnel use as follows: Each team may have only one wind tunnel operating five days per week, eight hours … Continue reading How do you stop teams from using wind tunnels?
Poll: McLaren – was it a cover up?
Posted onHanlon’s Razor says you should: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” When McLaren first investigated Mike Coughlan’s possession of 780 pages of Ferrari information they found little evidence of its widespread use within the team. But after two hearings the team were found guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute … Continue reading Poll: McLaren – was it a cover up?
Don’t blame Hermann Tilke, blame the rules
Posted onNew Formula 1 tracks usually have two things in common: they’re designed by Hermann Tilke, and they get criticised by F1 fans and commentators for being dull, sterile and unchallenging. Inevitably Tilke gets the blame, but I read something in Autosport recently that made me wonder whether that’s fair: Current F1 track design rules limit … Continue reading Don’t blame Hermann Tilke, blame the rules
“Cars at Speed” (Robert Daley, 2007 reprint)
Posted on“Cars at Speed” – what a fantastic title. I’d like to think that if the TV programme “Top Gear” had been created in the 1950s it would have been called “Cars at Speed” and presented by plummy-voiced Raymond Baxter instead of rant-meister Jeremy Clarkson. But no, “Cars at Speed” is a book about motor racing … Continue reading “Cars at Speed” (Robert Daley, 2007 reprint)
F1 blogs review: Alonso vs Piquet and McLaren vs Renault
Posted onThis week F1 bloggers asked how Fernando Alonso will get on with Nelson Piquet Jnr – and why McLaren got punished ahead of Renault. Plus a great video review of the F1 season and interview with Lewis Hamilton, and much more…