BlogF1

With Formula One on a four week break, news and rumours have been a little thin on the ground. But today the circus descended on Circuit de Catalunya to test their machines prior to the start of the Spanish Grand Prix in two weeks time. McLaren were trying out a new front wing which looks quite different and apparently, all going well, could be introduced for the first leg of the European season. McLaren weren’t he only ones trying out new parts either, with several teams bringing new aero devices and remodeled components to Spain for trials. Continue Reading…

It has been 31 years since the last time a Formula One car graced the hallowed tarmac at the Nordschleife track at Nurburgring in Germany. But on Saturday 28th April, Nick Heidfeld lapped the historic circuit in his BMW F1.07, making history and having a bit of fun. The 20.8km circuit was famed as being incredible dangerous, cutting through the trees and challenging driver’s to the absolute limit. However, Nick was purely doing this as a PR stunt, and to also provide some entertainment for 45,000 people who lined the track. Continue Reading…

Dutch test driver Giedo Van Der Garde caused a little controversy earlier in the year when it became clear that he had managed to sign two contracts, one with Super Aguri and one with Spyker. Van Der Garde is hoping to use his time testing in 2007 as a springboard to a full time drive in either 2008 or 2009, but hadn’t bargained on working for two different teams. And almost unbelievably, the 23 year old driver is still without a Super License, having not yet managed to complete enough miles in a Formula One car. Continue Reading…

The customer chassis issue is still on-going, as you’d expect, but there has been some more news recently regarding the future of the customer chassis, the rule change for 2008 and some more opinions from Formula One controllers.

The issue revolves around another team using an identical chassis to another team. Currently, each squad must design and build their own car. Naturally, with the constraints put in place with the Technical Regulations, some chassis tend to look similar, but they rarely are the same. However, the introduction of Super Aguri and Toro Rosso as B-Teams to Honda and Red Bull respectively, this current rule has been bent, allegedly. Spyker have taken the issue to arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce, and the result of which is still pending. At the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone met with the team principals to try to organise a compromise for now, which would probably revolve around the ‘infringing’ teams being allowed to race, but would not receive points towards the constructors championship. According to Bernie, he’s still working on it. Continue Reading…

Both Istanbul Park in Turkey and Sepang in Malaysia have agreed terms to extend their rights to host Formula One Grands Prix into the future. After it was announced that F1 commerical rights holder Bernie Ecclestone had brought the Istanbul circuit, Sepang also signed a contract that will see the Malaysian Grand Prix on the calendar until 2015. This is obviously good news for both tracks, which have only recently joined the calendar, but it does put the rumour of a Singapore race on hold for a while. Continue Reading…

Yesterday afternoon, more than 10,000 people lined the grounds of the Royal Netherlands Air Force base in Volkel to watch a very special race. While Formula One is on a four month week break, Spyker decided to liven things up a little and have a non-championship race of their own. The race was between Christijan Albers and Ralph Aarts. Erm, Captain Ralph Aarts. Albers drove his familiar 2007 challenger - the F8-VII - while Ralph Aarts piloted his familar charger, an F16 fighter jet. Seriously. Continue Reading…

Is it a good thing thing that the UK have a competitive British driver doing well in Formula One at the moment?

It’s an obvious question really, that deserves an equally obvious answer. Surely, the one and only response is yes. And it should always be yes. As a nation that often fails to celebrate its victors and regularly berates its losers, we should be standing on two feet and applauding the efforts of Lewis Hamilton, buoying him up and encouraging the guy to do even better.

However, and you knew there was a however coming, didn’t you? However, how far should it all go? As far as dedicating the UK ITV F1 show to Lewis? As far as pretty much taking over the Monday papers sports section? What about the frontpage? Continue Reading…

Ralf Schumacher’s contract is up for renewal at the end of this year, and with many young up-and-coming drivers eager to show their worth in motorsports elite series, maybe it is time for younger of the Schumacher siblings to stand aside and let someone else begin a career in Formula One.

Competing in his eleventh year in Formula One, Ralf has accrued six wins from 166 starts, had many a big accident and has been often outpaced by his team mates. This year alone, and only after three races, fellow Toyota driver Jarno Trulli is on four times the points. For the past two seasons though, Ralf has finished higher than Trulli, 20:15 and 45:43 for 2006 and 2005 respectively. But with confidence waning at Toyota, and with the car performing woefully for the money that is thrown at it, maybe the Japanese marque need to shake up their drivers and team personnel a little. Continue Reading…

As a veteran of 181 races to date, Giancarlo Fisichella has recently spoken of his long term goals regarding his Formula One career. While the Renault he is driving is not performing well, many critics have been suggesting that this is the final year we will see the Italian driver on the F1 grid. Renault boss and fellow Italian Flavio Briatore has been critical of both his drivers, but has also mentioned that the team cannot fight for the title this year, as the car is too far behind the Ferrari and McLaren. Does this failure to perform rest on Fisichella’s shoulders, or is it equally balanced with the team? If Renault can answer this question, then maybe they will know better what to do with their drivers. Continue Reading…

The Bahrain Grand Prix marks the end of the long fly-away stint in the 2007 Formula One calendar, and the month off allows drivers to head home and regroup with families and teams. The break will provide Renault and Red Bull valuable time to improve their cars, but be rest assured the title leaders McLaren and Ferrari will be pushing for the extra tenth as well. But while the teams pack everything away and head for the airports, some drivers have allowed the pressure to get to them, particularly the outspoken Mark Webber who is enraged with his car’s reliability. Conversely, Lewis Hamilton is delighted at setting a new record and after his first three races in F1, cannot believe he is jointly leading the title on points. Continue Reading…