BlogF1

Last week I essentially closed BlogF1 and posted a note to the top of all pages on the site. The message is still there as I type this, but for future reference, it basically says that I am on hiatus until August. I appreciate however, that no explanation or reason was given, and for those who regularly read BlogF1 but do not necessarily know me, that may have seemed strange and probably turned you off from re-visiting. So, with things getting better, I hope you will allow me to briefly explain. Continue Reading

If you are currently reading this post in your feed reader, I urge you to click the link and come on over; this post is about my redesign and only really makes sense if you’re actually here. Don’t be shy, the kettle is on and the conversation is flowing.

For regular readers, I’m going to point out before I begin that this post has nothing to do with Formula One. The reason why I’m writing this is because every now and then I like to get a bit geeky and talk about something else other than motor sport. You would be right in saying that this isn’t the place, but for a discussion about the specifics of BlogF1 v6.0, I think that it is okay to post here. Don’t worry though, I only put up random posts like this once a year or so; I’m not about to subject everyone to the inner workings of my mind on any kind of regular basis! Continue Reading

With a three week break until the Spanish Grand Prix, I thought it would be a good time to resurrect the News Round-up posts, as well as write some series posts about things I’ve yet to discuss on the site. Earlier today I posted about the background to Honda, their past and how they got back into Formula One. Over the next two weeks I’ll post about Renault, Force India, BMW et al. For now though, here’s the latest from the world of fast cars and controversial rules. Continue Reading

Of all the newspapers available for me to read, I normally plump for The Sunday Times. There are a variety of reasons why, but mainly because I find it generally unbiased (though only in comparison), features some great articles and the only time I ever get to sit down and enjoy a paper is on a Sunday. However, with a hectic lifestyle, juggling a full-time career and running BlogF1, the relaxing time spent on a Sunday morning with the paper and coffee has been sacrificed; I blame the flyaway races! And just as it was with my summer holiday last year, my timing to give up the Sunday read was as impeccable as ever. Continue Reading

Number three in the retrospective series centres around a team close to my heart. It was the team that caught my attention back in the mid-nineties, so emphatically doted upon by the legendary commentator Murray Walker. Of course, the team is Williams. They haven’t won much in quite a while, and each year I seem to end my preview posts with a conservative not this year, but maybe next. But they still capture my imagination, even if it does then get a little carried away. Continue Reading

This is the second in my retrospective posts series, looking back at the previous three season previews I’ve written. This time around it is the other Japanese team, Toyota who feel the wrath of my website history. Ever since joining the circus back in 2002 they’ve never really looked like winning, this despite their enormous budget, one that is often considered to be the largest on the grid. My first preview came about just prior to the 2006 season when the team were riding the relative high of 2005. By 2008, the squad had received an ultimatum of sorts from the parent company, frustrated by the lack of results from the masses of investment. They have a couple of years to sort themselves out to avoid the might of Toyota’s accountants, no doubt. Continue Reading

Seeing the 2008 Honda preview post go up triggered my mind to think about how the team have fluctuated over the last few years, from the transition from BAR to Honda, the simply awesome 2004 campaign, Button’s win in 2006 and of course, the spectacular disappointment that was their 2007 season. Below are a few paragraphs from my 2006, 2007 and 2008 preview posts. If anything, it shows the downward spiral the team have endured over the last two years. Interestingly though, all three posts end on a positive note. Maybe I should stop doing that… Continue Reading

Hey guys, this is just a quickie to say thanks to all the people who have sent me well-wishes over the last month or so. Breaking my wrist wasn’t a particularly great thing to do, but it has proven to me that I can still blog, even one-handed! The support shown by the awesome community of commenters, readers and fellow bloggers is something you should all feel proud to be a part of. Continue Reading

I don’t really do wrap-up posts or season reviews, partly due to the fact that other bloggers do them better and partly due to the diary of the season being laid out in the previous posts from each of the races. So I decided now would be a good time to talk about the off-season and what this time of year means to BlogF1. The photo of Mark Webber there is meant to depict relaxation by the way. It was the best I could find, honest! Continue Reading