BlogF1

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

Robert Kubica has claimed his very first pole position, being powered to the front of the grid in his BMW F1.08. Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton weren’t too far behind though, the Ferrari pilot only being 0.027s shy of the Polish drivers pace. Hamilton finished a further 0.18s down in third while Kimi Raikkonen ended his Saturday in fourth in the sister Ferrari. Both Scuderia Toro Rossos suffered a poor showing and could only manage 15th for Sebastien Bourdais and 19th for Sebastian Vettel. Nico Rosberg graced the final session and eventually qualified in eighth. 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

When BMW unveiled their F1.08 earlier in the month I actually thought it was one of the prettier cars to have been launched thus far, surprising myself as I’ve never been particularly drawn to the Swiss-German cars in the past. But the tight and unspoiled lines combined with the no-nonsense approach to simply developing what previously worked was refreshing among the new-fangled McLarens and Ferraris. However, this morning at Valencia Nick Heidfeld rolled out of his garage with a newly designed nose on the front of his car, and boy does it take the shine of the machine. Continue Reading

BMW impressively launched their 2008 challenger this afternoon at the Welt building in Munich, allowing visiting press to speak with the team and drivers about their aspirations for the upcoming season. Team boss Mario Thiessen believes the F1.08 is a large step forward over its predecessor, the F1.07. Meanwhile, Nick Heidfeld is hoping for the teams maiden victory this year and breaking the stranglehold McLaren and Ferrari have over the front of the grid. Continue Reading