BlogF1

The FIA and new association FOTA met on Tuesday in Geneva to discuss proposed changes to Formula One’s future direction. The talks came about after FIA president Max Mosley continued to whittle on about saving money and making the motor racing series more single-spec, notably the engines. FOTA sent Luca di Montezemolo and John Howett to represent the association and the response is said to have been positive. Continue Reading

The Formula One team bosses met at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters yesterday to discuss the future of the sport and it’s immediate concern regarding the Concorde Agreement - a document that outlines the commercial and financial rewards from competing in Formula One. Along with representatives from each of the ten teams, Bernie Ecclestone and CVC managing partner Donald McKenzie were also present. One result from the talks is the creation of a new association. Continue Reading

Max Mosley has written to each of the Formula One teams outlining ideas and proposals for the future direction of the sport, giving particular attention to the technical rules and cost-cutting schemes. However, in the past the regulations have been pretty much dictated to the teams involved in the sport and while they have had some say in what happens, I sincerely doubt they’ve had as much as they’ve just been asked for. Mosley has invited the teams to bring ideas to the table… Continue Reading

During the in-laps for yesterday’s second free practice session, the drivers tested a potential new way of handling a safety car incident. The current rules make the SC period a bit of a lottery as the pitlane closes to prevent drivers rushing back to get a free stop. However, if an accident means the safety car has be deployed as a driver approaches his pit stop window, then a stop is necessary, but so is a penalty under the these regulations. However a new system was tested yesterday and received mixed reaction from the pilots. Continue Reading

The final French Grand Prix will be the first race where a new system will be employed by the Formula One teams to hopefully solve the safety car pitlane controversy. The FIA and Formula One’s Technical Working Group have developed some software which will be added to the standard ECU and will monitor the cars sector times during a safety car period. This will allow the pitlane to remain open and give the FIA and race stewards a way to check the pace of the cars. Continue Reading

During yesterday’s second free practice session at Monaco, Renault driver Fernando Alonso damaged his R28 chassis while exiting T1. The famous Ste Devote corner - a sharp right-hander that leads onto the hill - caught Alonso’s team mate out only minutes prior to Fernando’s incident, and because of his actions, the stewards have had a chat with the double world champion. Fortunately, no penalty was given after Alonso explained his actions. Continue Reading

Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Bourdais will enjoy the privilege of racing the brand new STR3 at this upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, the team having finally been able to build and test enough cars after the French half of the driving duo trashed the first one while testing. But unfortunately for Vettel, running the new car will also be rewarded with a five-grid slot penalty, thanks to the new four-race gearbox rules. Continue Reading

The penultimate preview post is upon us and we can almost smell the unmistakable odour of petrol and burnt rubber as the build-up continues to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. This post however is all about the changes to the rules and how they might affect the 2008 season. Unlike previous years, the rule changes don’t seem that big from the outside looking in, but they have affected how the cars will handle and thus may change the way a driver runs a race. Continue Reading

Last year I tackled a difficult subject here at BlogF1, that being how Formula One is sometimes perceived as boring. The article went down quite well with fans and non-fans, and some great comments were left. A couple of commenters touched on the time taken to absorb Formula One, its complexities and nuances. And indeed it does take quite a commitment to follow properly, or even just to grasp a basic understanding of what is actually happening on the track. Today, I revisited the subject in my mind and realised that perhaps part of the problem isn’t necessarily the long-haul commitment needed over time, but rather the short-term dedication; actually watching the races. Are they too long? Continue Reading

As the days and weeks roll by, the Australian Grand Prix gets ever closer. The Melbourne race will start the 2008 season, the 58th since the organised championship began, and the sport as come a long way since the days of Ascari and Fangio. But the modern era of Formula One seems to be dominated at the moment with politics and money. Admittedly, if you were looking to point a finger, you cannot necessarily blame the sport entirely for this. It just happens to be the climate of the times in which F1 rests; it isn’t going to change too soon and is something the teams and fans have become used to over the passing decades. However, this money and political involvement has caused the rules of the sport to be changed significantly, and not always for the better. Continue Reading