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Adrian Sutil has crashed quite heavily at the Abbey complex at Silverstone, resulting in the session red-flagged. Sutil removed himself from the Force India car and walked away, seemingly fine. Praise due to the strength of cars, of course, but the stoppage effected Lewis Hamilton’s lap and both these drivers are now out of qualifying. Interestingly, Kazuki Nakajima is at the very top of the first session. Continue Reading

As in life, Formula One is often unfair. A talent may be overlooked, or a silly incident not of his creation can lead to a driver retiring from a great position in a race. Occasionally, these moments define a career and a driver fails to make it into a top team, or fails to win if already in a competitive car. While those fans who understand the sport may recognise the efforts and skill, the record books will tell a different tale. Does the current grid of 20 pilots contain any of these so close yet so far drivers? Continue Reading

Poor Adrian Sutil. What does the man have to do to score a point in Formula One? The German driver has come so close on occasion to achieving the impossible that surely he deserves just a little bit of luck. Each time though there is always something or someone who ends his race early, and today it was Sutil himself who got caught out by the perilous conditions, throwing his Force India off the track like it was a toy car on a Scalextric track. Adrian was touring in P7 at the time and looking good for the remainder of the race. Continue Reading

Giancarlo Fisichella, Formula One’s second most experienced driver behind Rubens Barrichello, has apologised to his team for the error he made during his pitstop earlier today in the race. The incident happened on lap 20 as Fisichella entered the pitlane for his first stop. The Italian driver missed his garage and waiting mechanics and had to be manually pushed back in order for the Force India to get enough lock to turn into the box. Needless to say, Fisichella is suitably embarrassed. Continue Reading

With a collaboration with McLaren and Mercedes-Benz, 2009 should see the Force India team improve in both pace and reliability over their dismal 2008 performance. Coupled with a continuation in drivers and team boss Vijay Mallya taking a more hands-on role within the team, the 2008 back row minnows could be about to launch themselves closer to the midfield. There are many obstacles in their way, not least experience, but the squad remain buoyed for the upcoming season. Continue Reading

Scuderia Toro Rosso are yet to receive the blueprints for their 2009 car, but both Sebastien Bourdais and Sebastien Buemi have been putting in some serious mileage in the 2008 post-season tests and also in the pre-2009 sessions. Driving a modified STR3 with less downforce and slick tyres, both drivers have been acclimatising themselves to how the new car may handle, and combined with Takuma Sato’s tests, the team have certainly been collecting a lot of information. Continue Reading

Although pictures of the car managed to find their way on to the Internet yesterday, today was the first time we could see the new VJM02 on track and compare the lap times set by the car to others who were also taking part in the group test at Jerez. With Sunday being the official launch day of the car, the team were speaking to the media about their expectations for 2009, and also 2010 as they get used to their collaboration with Mercedes-Benz and McLaren. Continue Reading

Although among the last of the cars to be launched, Force India’s 2009 challenger, the VJM02, was given a shakedown at Silverstone earlier in the week. Today, photographs of the short test as well as some studio images that show the squad’s new livery have been spreading around the Internet. It is currently unclear as to whether or not this was intentional, as the team were supposed to be revealing the car tomorrow just prior to the group test at Jerez. Continue Reading

Following on from the vague predictions regarding the top five teams competing in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, we now turn our attention to the other half of the grid for my ‘09 predictions. 2008 saw some impressive action from the midfield, with lap times very closely bunched together. However, with a shakeup in the rules, the cars could be more spread out this time around, some teams doing well while others struggle to catch-up. Continue Reading

While in New Delhi, Force India boss Vijay Mallya has let it be known that the second chassis to be built by the team will be unveiled at Jerez in early-March. Part of the reason why the 2009 Force India is delayed is due to the team having to fit new components that were not a part of the first chassis, the VJM01. With a new affiliation with McLaren and Mercedes, Force India will have to now include the Mercedes engine and McLaren gearbox, as well the KERS system. Continue Reading