BlogF1

The qualifying session for the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix threw up a couple of surprises, but I think all the talking points have centred around one driver - Fernando Alonso. The double world champion was able to place his Renault R28 on provisional pole position with his final lap of the day. Unfortunately to the euphoric crowds who stood, cheered and applauded their hero, Kimi Raikkonen followed Alonso over the line with a pole-stealing lap. The Finnish driver simply had a faster car on the day. However, while many expect Alonso is light on fuel, we need to consider Nelson Piquet Jr’s lap as well, the Brazilian managing to get in to tenth. Continue Reading

BMW driver Nick Heidfeld performed a demonstration run at the company’s Munich factory earlier today. As a way of thanking the staff of BMW who regularly watch the races and follow the squad’s progression around the world, Heidfeld performed a series of donuts and spoke with employees at the plant. World Touring Car driver Jorg Muller was also present, driving his BMW 320si. Team boss Mario Theissen said that transporting factory workers to the races was very difficult to achieve, so wanted to put on a show in order to praise their support for the Formula One operation. Continue Reading

BMW are making for interesting viewing at the moment, the former Sauber team looking to be on the verge of their maiden win and thinking slightly longer-term, on the verge of their maiden constructor’s title. But this evening, while sitting in The Blogger’s Dog, it struck me that the team have very similar experience to another on the grid. The other team has gone that bit further and taken a victorious drink of Mumm, but in all honesty, that moment is all but a distant memory among the torrid battles with a woefully uncompetitive car. The other team is of course Honda, and the paths each have followed are quite interesting. Continue Reading

With Formula One on a three week break at the moment, the teams have descended on Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya to rack up some miles in their cars. This test session is often considered to be the season’s most important, as teams that didn’t start well in the first few races now have some time to improve their motors before the European leg begins. But what would happen if testing wasn’t allowed? Would Formula One be more or less exciting? Continue Reading

Despite staying away from the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend at the request of the Bahraini Royal Family, Max Mosley is still hitting the headlines as the Formula One teams break their silence and openly criticise the FIA president over his recent behaviour. German manufacturers BMW and Mercedes issued a joint statement which made it very clear they wished to distance themselves from Mosley. Honda and Toyota have issued statements effectively saying the same. And finally, Max responded to these statements in a manner which I feel inclined to describe as a little cry-babyish. Continue Reading

It doesn’t come as much surprise that BMW boss Mario Theissen wants changes to be made to the qualifying procedure as soon as possible. BMW driver Nick Heidfeld was unnecessarily held up while attempting to qualify in Malaysia. The incident can only really be described as ridiculous and dangerous. The videos and article can be viewed via this link, but needless to say Thiessen is backed by an awful lot of people. Continue Reading

Over the following four days; today, Friday, Monday and Tuesday, BlogF1 is being handed over to four excellent writers from the field of Formula One blogging. Each writer has submitted a post comparing the team mates from the top four squads, and having read through them, you are all in for a real treat. First up is Clive Allen from F1 Insight. Clive’s blog has become a real treasure to read with well-thought out and explanatory pieces. I’m not ashamed to say I get excited when I see F1 Insight updates in my feed reader.

Today though, Clive is talking about one of his favourite teams, BMW. Take it away my good man… Continue Reading

BMW have to be one of the fastest growing teams on the grid at the moment in terms of overall performance. In 2006 they finished in 5th, improved to 2nd (3rd inc. McLaren) in 2007 and now enter 2008 with a lot of expectations on their shoulders. While BMW finished third in reality last year, can we really expect the squad to improve on this in 2008? With McLaren and Ferrari keeping a firm grip on the top of the grid, it is going to be difficult for the Swiss-German team to break through. They will need a good combination of drivers, car and team to split the front row. It’s not impossible, but I fear BMW will struggle to improve on their current form in the short term. Continue Reading

The second day of testing was finalised earlier today with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa going fastest on the rain-soaked Circuit de Catalunya. Massa was partnering test driver Luca Badoer today as they worked on a revised aerodynamic package on the F2008. Massa did suffer a spin on the damp tarmac, but his new car escaped unscathed and the Brazilian was able to complete 46 laps, with Badoer making 33 passes on the start/finish line. Continue Reading

BMW have already launched their new car, in fact they were one of the first to remove the wrappers. But only two drivers were present at the unveiling last month, something that is odd at such a function. Normally the team boss is flanked by at least four drivers, varying in experience and capability. The lesser experienced drivers are posted to testing roles, and today BMW announced theirs, almost a month after the car. Continue Reading