At the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, a Porsche pace car intervened for the first time after a collision between Francois Cevert and Jody Scheckter.The FIA’s 50-year safety car anniversary is somewhat misleading, however, as further appearances were few and far between. The safety car as we know it has only been a regular fixture since the 1993 season.One man has been at the wheel for 24 of …Keep reading
That’s perhaps not surprising given that for many years the team struggled to balance the books. Spending on equipment for the factory was not a priority compared to reaching the end of the season. It’s taken the arrival of Vowles, a man with so much intimate knowledge of how Mercedes operates, for the realisation to fully sink in in terms of just how far the team lags behind.The good news …Keep reading
Red Bull has taken over Mercedes’ position as the dominant force in F1 since the 2022 regulations change to ground-effect based cars, with Max Verstappen an overwhelming favourite to grab his third consecutive world drivers’ championship this year.Mercedes dropped the ball with its 2022 car and has since been working its way back in contention, with a concept change of its 2023 car offering …Keep reading
Team principal James Vowles made the call to fast-track an update package that wasn’t originally intended for Montreal, and the factory managed to produce enough new parts for Albon’s car.In addition, Albon was given a brand new Mercedes power unit in the search for an extra edge over the weekend.A brilliant strategy call saw Albon fastest on slicks on a drying track in the Q2 session …Keep reading
From the launch of the MCL60, new team principal Andrea Stella played down expectations and stressed the need to be “realistic” after off-season development targets were missed.A key update package was ushered in for round four in Azerbaijan, with the revised floor and rear wing said to mark the specification in which the car should have started the year.Stella now reckons that nearly …Keep reading
The FIA recently opened the tender for the F1 tyre contract from 2025 to 2027, with an option for it to be extended by another year.Last week the selection process moved on to its second stage, as F1’s governing body completed its evaluation of applicants and selected approved bidders.It is understood that Pirelli and Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone have been chosen to go …Keep reading
F1’s calendar ballooned to a record 24 races for 2024 with the addition of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.The return of Shanghai’s Chinese Grand Prix was then cancelled as a result of China’s on-going COVID-19 policy, while Imola’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was called off due to severe flooding, reducing the calendar down to 22 races.The 2024 calendar is expected to feature …Keep reading
When you’ve raced over a dozen different Formula 1 cars from Minardi to Ferrari, and enjoyed a lengthy GT racing career in the Prancing Horse’s machinery, choosing a favourite is going to be tough.Post-F1, Giancarlo Fisichella has notched up two class victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours with AF Corse, in 2012 and 2014. Naturally, he considers the Ferrari 458 GTE with which he took those GTE …Keep reading
Perez has now failed to make Q3 at three consecutive events, the streak having started with a qualifying crash at Monaco that led to a scrappy race and no points in the principality.In Spain, he recovered well from 11th on the grid to fourth after a solid race, and while in Canada his run from 12th to sixth was respectable it was evident that he didn’t have the pace that he …Keep reading
Pirelli has been working to create tyres that do not need pre-heating, with teams and the FIA poised to vote next month on whether or not to go ahead with a tyre warmer ban for 2024.So far the issue has been mainly focused on the safety of the tyres, with a number of drivers questioning whether or not it is worth the risk of more accidents on cold tyres just to save money in needing Read more…