BlogF1

The Scuderia have endured many tough times in their history, and while they have rewritten many entries in the Formula One record books over the last ten years, things will be different in the post Michael Schumacher era. Since the German hung up his racing boots, Ferrari have made changes to the team’s structure and management, and while this will see benefits in the long term, the short term will almost certainly be a stressful experience for the Italian squad. Continue Reading…

McLaren’s 2007 campaign really started way back in late 2005 when it was announced that Fernando Alonso would be switching from his championship winning Renault to the silver car for this season. With this contract in place, team principal Ron Dennis started to put in place all the necessary components to see his team return to winning form. New sponsors have been signed, new drivers have been acquired or promoted, new staff have fallen into place and generally speaking, McLaren appear to be on the up. Can anything prevent the Woking squad from lifting the championship trophy this year? Well, there is the small matter of the red cars to contend with. Continue Reading…

The immortal optimists Honda will be hoping for some reverse psychological goodness this season, as for the first time since the team’s inception as BAR back in 1999, they have leaned on the conservative side of the fence and not hyped their own chances of success. Perhaps a realisation of their previous errors, or perhaps a wake up call from a wise person in marketing – who knows – but this year the only thing that got hyped was the paint job. Continue Reading…

In 1996, back-of-the-grid minnows, Minardi, signed three drivers to fill two cars. In car one sat Pedro Lamy, a Portuguese driver who, aside from good looks, didn’t contribute much to the team apart from cash. In seat one-point-five sat Giovanni Lavaggi, and in seat two sat Giancarlo Fisichella. My first question is which one is still racing in Formula One? If you said seat two – Fisichella – give yourself a pat on the back. Team owner, Giancarlo Minardi, alternated Fisichella with Lavaggi, one getting the first races of the season, the other getting the latter. But by the final Grand Prix of the year, it was very clear that Giancarlo had a lot of talent, and he was soon snapped up by Eddie Jordan – the man who introduced Michael Schumacher to Formula One, no less. Continue Reading…

When luxury car maker BMW said they would be launching a Formula One team all of their own a little over a year ago, few thought the German marque were destined for failure. The motor company had been producing very powerful engines for the Williams team at the time, and their units were considered to be among the best in the field. Couple with the success of BMW in other racing series, the team looked to be winners from the get go. The purchase of Sauber from Swiss entrepreneur Peter Sauber meant the team had a good base from which to develop their own car, and while the squad insisted that their goal was a slow and steady progression through the F1 grid, nobody expected the success they have gained from only one season of racing. And if the testing times are to be believed, BMW are on the brink of bringing home regular points, podiums and furthering their success in the sport. Continue Reading…

Dutch Formula One team Spyker have re-launched their livery in a bid to ensure the colours come across well on TV screens the world over. The new colours were painted on the third chassis that test driver Markus Winkelhock shook down at Silverstone on Tuesday. The team first launched a rushed design in the final races of 2006, just after the Dutch consortium had bought the squad from Midland. The team ran a light orange and silver scheme, which initally come across as okay in my eyes. However, the cameras at the Brazilian Interlagos circuit didn’t show the car correctly and it came over as being closer to Ferrari’s red than Spyker’s orange. The team have worked away at adjusting the shade and now believe they have the correct one. Continue Reading…

Being one of the largest manufacturers of automobiles on the planet, you’d expect Toyota to be passionate about motor racing. You’d expect such a company to work tirelessly in the pursuit of speed and reliability in their racing cars. Let’s be honest, you’d expect them to be a winning team. But after launching their assault on Formula One in 2002, Toyota are yet to make a serious attempt at winning races on a regular basis. The team has been floundering towards the rear-end of the grid since its inception, and aside from a couple of brief flashes of speed, the Japanese squad is yet to show the passion and flare for racing that have seen other teams do so well for so many years. Continue Reading…

I have a certain respect for Nick Heidfeld. To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know why, but never-the-less, that small amount of respect is there. He is no faster than any other driver, he is no more intelligent nor does he possess any more charisma or flamboyance than his fellow racers. But each race he turns up, generally keeps his head down and quietly goes about the business of thrashing a Formula One car around a circuit. In many respects, his attitude towards his work is much like my own, and maybe it is because of that I find a small smile creep across my face when the German driver does well.
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Two years in Formula One have seen Red Bull Racing grow at quite a rate. Starting off with the Jaguar team, Red Bull injected cash and enthusiasm in equal measure in a bid to lift the beleaguered team to new heights. This drive hasn’t stopped, and although some expectations were dashed in 2006, the team appear strong and able on paper. 2007 will an important year for the team as they enter their third season, but can they deliver the goods that look so good from a distance? Let’s get a little closer and see if it’s possible. Continue Reading…

Ferrari have demonstrated their 2006 car, the 248, to a captive audience in Melbourne over the weekend. As part of the build up to the 2007 season which is due to kick off in the city in less than two weeks, test driver Marc Gene drove the Ferrari through the streets much to the applaude of the 10,000+ fans who had ring-side seats.

The event took place in Melbourne’s Little Italy district, and the Ferrari 248 was joined with some classic models that made runs down Lygon Street at reduced speeds. Continue Reading…