Elvis is King

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/15/2066931/what-speeds-jimmy-spencer-really.html

Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber

We are not too far away from the 2012 Australian Grand Prix and everyone is rightly excited. You can check out the drivers that need to deliver in 2012 right here. However, we are going to be building up to Melbourne with a series of videos from races gone by. To begin with, do you [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/GhtjeKpc8QY/who-remembers-the-1988-australian-grand-prix

Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger

It was another frustrating season at the back of the grid for F1?s relative new boys. Lotus, HRT and Virgin all in their sophomore seasons in Formula One all failed, again, to score points in 2011. So what went wrong last season and what does 2012 have in store. Lotus They?ve arguably been the best [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/v07lfgzGM6w/what-went-wrong-for-the-back-of-the-grid

Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/05/vettel-wins-but-has-to-work-for-it.html

Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/vgeartZ0czs/engines-smengynns-what-about-drivers.html

Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/BqwDL1dCXEQ/tensions-in-bahrain-continue-ratcheting.html

Martin Brundle Gianmaria Bruni Jimmy Bryan Carlo Abate George Abecassis

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has been speaking about his team’s preparations for the 2012 Formula 1 season. Check out our Ferrari review for 2011! The Brazilian – who will take part in testing this week – believes that he will try many new ideas as they look to find a winning formula for the season ahead. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/7bLVUyV2Wic/massa-the-truth-will-emerge-in-melbourne

Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi

Boullier: “Both drivers have the same status” is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

In the round-up: Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says his team’s days of having a number one driver are “a thing of the past”.

Boullier: “Both drivers have the same status” is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/ZyDPgaT3VwY/

Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd

Williams has issued a statement about today’s garage fire in Spain, confirming that four team members were hurt. The team also thanked other paddock personnel for their help in fighting the fire, which started when a fuel rig appeared to … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/13/williams-thanks-rivals-and-fia-after-garage-fire/

Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/13/2062253/indy-officials-still-optimistic.html

Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/07/danger-for-breakfast.html

Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/14/2063745/indycar-teams-take-cautious-approach.html

Jean Behra Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso

Pastor Maldonado led the way in the Q2 session in Barcelona, beating Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Kamui Kobayashi and Michael Schumacher. There was a surprise to see Jenson Button and Mark Webber being knocked out, along with the two Force Indias, the two Toro Rossos [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/q2-f1-pastor-ized/

John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/08/schumacher-time-to-call-it-quits.html

Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel

Renault: Heidfeld already leading team By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer Sunday, February 27th 2011, 10:59 GMT Renault team boss Eric Boullier says it was obvious from Nick Heidfeld’s first few laps in the car that he was the man the squad needed to lead its 2011 charge in the absence of the injured Robert Kubica. Heidfeld will fill in alongside Vitaly Petrov at Renault until Kubica recovers from the multiple injuries he suffered in a rally crash three weeks ago. The German had a test audition for Renault before being snapped up, and Boullier said he was very impressed by the way Heidfeld immediately took charge. Related posts:

1. F1: Renault ‘very positive’ about Heidfeld Renault ‘very positive’ about Heidfeld By Matt Beer Saturday, February…
2. F1: Heidfeld, Liuzzi also in Renault frame Heidfeld, Liuzzi also in Renault frame By Jonathan Noble Tuesday,…
3. F1: Heidfeld’s Renault run set for Saturday Heidfeld’s Renault run set for Saturday By Matt Beer Friday,…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Source: http://doxcar.com/f1-renault-heidfeld-already-leading-team/

Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti

Whilst Sebastian Vettel had the year of his life, for some of the other frontrunners, 2011 proved to be an unhappy hunting ground. Matthew Roulstone assesses the drivers who need to find form fast in 2012. Three wins and three podiums would be considered by some drivers as an incredible feat but for Lewis Hamilton [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/XwwMmqGKZ4w/under-pressure-the-drivers-who-need-to-deliver-in-2012

Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer

Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday © Sutton Images

In an interview in the Times, former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi?s outlined his five-point plan to enhance Formula One. Cut costs ?They spend a fortune in wind-tunnel testing alone. Reduce costs and the slowest teams would catch up and make it more even.? Limit downforce ?They need to reduce enormously the downforce in the cars, the only way to bring back overtaking. We need more mechanical grip so that you have longer braking areas, can set up the car coming out of a corner, get in the slipstream and then overtake.? Close the pitlane ?When the safety car goes out they should close the pitlane. Now it?s just a lottery.? Lift ban on team orders ?It is a very stupid rule. It?s why they are called teams, it?s why they have two cars. If a driver is leading in the championship, everything has to go in his favour. What is wrong with that? It?s so easy for teams to camouflage their orders anyway. All they need to do is tell one guy on the radio he has a problem with his brakes. They can bend the rules very easily. In the old days they would even swap cars, so why do we have this ban now?? Retain traditional grands prix ?These places are the soul of racing. The Americas are under-represented. We have Canada back, but there is no USA, no Argentina, no Mexico. We need to stay in the heartlands.?

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php

Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler

The Formula 1 teams arrived in Melbourne’s Albert Park to be greeted by grey skies, intermittent rain and blustery wind. But not even the weather could dampen the palpable excitement and nervous tension.

The start of the new season is just a few hours away and everyone from world champions Red Bull to lowly HRT is desperate to find the answer to the question they have been asking all winter. Where will they be come Saturday and Sunday afternoons?

The F1 teams like to keep outsiders guessing before the first race by saying they don’t know where they are in terms of competitiveness, but usually this is little more than kidology.

Such is their capacity to analyse data with massive super-computers that usually they have a very good idea of their position in relation to their rivals, despite the well-known difficulty of predicting form from pre-season testing.

But this year seems different; they genuinely don’t seem to know – so the usual anticipation ahead of the first race of the season is magnified.

Lewis Hamilton said that judging by the data that mattered from winter testing he felt McLaren were “in the top three or four”.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has also bigged up his team’s chances for the 2012 season. Photo: Getty

Meanwhile, a senior engineer from one of the teams who will be contesting what is expected to be a congested midfield battle told me he was pretty sure Red Bull and McLaren were out front but he didn’t know “whether we will be third or seventh”.

Some people’s anticipation is more nervous than others’, though.

For teams such as Mercedes and Lotus, there is a genuine sense that they have done a good job and moved forward over the winter.

In fact there is a growing sense in the paddock that Mercedes may even be able to give McLaren and Red Bull a run for their money, something team principal Ross Brawn was quick to dismiss as “unlikely”.

For others, the desire to discover the true pace of their car is tinged as much with trepidation as anticipation.

Ferrari have had what Fernando Alonso described here on Thursday as a “tough” winter, struggling with “quite a complex car in terms of set-up and understanding it”.

Alonso was doing his best to talk up the team’s chances, saying: “Maybe we didn’t reach our targets but it doesn’t mean that we are slower than the other cars. That we will not know until Saturday.”

Others are keen to play down the importance of this first race of the season.

Vettel said that Australia this weekend and Malaysia next would do no more than demonstrate a “trend” for performance over the season.

And Brawn said he “preferred to look at the first four races and the range of circuits we have and see how that looks”.

But the statistics belie that point of view.

Albert Park might be a unique street circuit, with a dusty, low-grip surface, and the teams may only just be beginning to work with their new cars. But actually it has proven to be a rather good arbiter of the season to come – five of the last six winners of the Australian Grand Prix have gone on to become world champion that year.

Other themes are also emerging this weekend that will have importance to one degree or another as the season develops.

F1 wouldn’t be F1 without a good technical conspiracy and this year looks like being no different.

Already during pre-season testing there have been eyebrows raised at the way some teams are trying to exploit exhaust gases for aerodynamic effect.

This practice was supposed to have been ended by rule changes that have restricted the positioning and angle of the exhaust pipes and put much stricter limits on engine mapping – both an attempt to rid the sport of so-called exhaust-blown diffusers that became such important tools over the previous two seasons.

But this weekend another potential controversy has emerged over the rear wings on several cars, particularly the Mercedes, Red Bull and the Ferrari.

These new devices – that some believe to be on the fringes of legality – seem designed to exploit the DRS overtaking aid in ways not originally intended.

The DRS was designed as a tool to make overtaking less difficult – if a driver is within a one-second margin of a car he is trying to overtake, he can use the DRS in a specified zone on the track to give him a straight-line speed boost.

Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, meanwhile, have what appear to be extra slots on the rear wing that can work in conjunction with the DRS to either increase straight-line speed even further, or allow the teams to run extra downforce with no drag penalty.

The most noticeable feature of the 2012 cars, though, remains the noses – and specifically the ugly ‘platypus’ step on all but the McLaren and Marussia.

This is a result of a rule that has lowered the nose tips of the cars to increase driver safety, but not lowered the top of the chassis.

The result is a grid full of ridiculous and ugly-looking cars, and very few are troubling to hide their frustration at the situation.

“It is unfortunate,” Brawn said, “and the teams should look at themselves and blame themselves.

“[Governing body] the FIA tried to do what they could and a number of teams wouldn’t agree to the changes because they said they wanted to carry over their chassis, which we all know is a load of nonsense because nobody has carried over their chassis.

“We’ve ended up with a very odd feature on the cars which is not very endearing and I’m sure will get fixed for 2013.”

The noses, of course, will soon be forgotten if the season is close and competitive. And that will only begin to become clear as this weekend unfolds.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/new_f1_season_could_prove_unpr.html

Raul Boesel Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto Jo Bonnier

Pastor Maldonado led the way in the Q2 session in Barcelona, beating Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Kamui Kobayashi and Michael Schumacher. There was a surprise to see Jenson Button and Mark Webber being knocked out, along with the two Force Indias, the two Toro Rossos [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/q2-f1-pastor-ized/

Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/11/2058780/stewart-has-modest-goals-for-danica.html

Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/bxCBA-u6OKQ/off-to-left-turn-adventure-in-desert.html

Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen

Ferrari make progress and Lotus look quick in Spain is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Ferrari appear to have made a step forward with their F2012 and Lotus look set to be quick again this weekend.

Ferrari make progress and Lotus look quick in Spain is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/7sb5_biwl40/

Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams

© Getty Images

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian as his 80th birthday approaches, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone speak out about a variety of subjects, from the future of the sport to Margaret Thatcher, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, democracy, football and what continues to drive him.

The way I feel at the moment, why stop? I do it because I enjoy it. And yesterday is gone. I don’t care what happened yesterday. What else would I do? People retire to die. I don’t get any individual pleasure because we don’t win races or titles in this job. I’m like most business people. You look back at the end of the year and you see what you’ve achieved by working out how much money the company has made. That’s it.

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/bernie_ecclestone_no_plans_to.php

Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella

The F1 teams remain split on whether the annual Young Driver test should take place at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi or at Silverstone in the summer, with the field likely to be split between the two … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/05/11/teams-still-split-on-venue-for-rookie-test/

Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has been speaking about his team’s preparations for the 2012 Formula 1 season. Check out our Ferrari review for 2011! The Brazilian – who will take part in testing this week – believes that he will try many new ideas as they look to find a winning formula for the season ahead. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/7bLVUyV2Wic/massa-the-truth-will-emerge-in-melbourne

Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo

Fry says F1 needs Mercedes deal before flotation is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

In the round-up: Mercedes CEO Nick Fry says F1 owners CVC should agree terms for them to remain in F1 before the planned flotation.

Fry says F1 needs Mercedes deal before flotation is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/v3smaNX0Bdc/

Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/ssqfZDojCms/group-lotus-gets-personal.html

Tony Brooks Alan Brown Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes

Dry start in Spain but chance of rain on race day is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

The Spanish Grand Prix weekend will get off to a dry start but could turn wet in time for the race.

Dry start in Spain but chance of rain on race day is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/n68moGHWfxk/

Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa

Sebastian Vettel gave this already fascinating Formula 1 world championship another huge twist at the Bahrain Grand Prix with his first victory of the season.

What looked for a while like it might turn into a carbon-copy of so many of the Red Bull driver’s wins on his way to the title last year – pole, blitz the start, consolidate lead – turned into a fascinating battle with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen.

The Finn showed all his old skill and consistency as he climbed from 11th place on the grid to take second place. In so doing, Raikkonen finally delivered on the potential of a car that has looked capable of this sort of result since the start of the season and proved he has lost nothing in his two years away in rallying.

The result, and a nightmare race for McLaren, leaves the championship finely poised going into a three-week break before the Spanish Grand Prix, with Vettel leapfrogging from fifth overall to first and only a handful of points covering all the top five.

All of this, though, has been completely overshadowed by the situation outside the track, and the controversy over F1′s decision to return to Bahrain despite ongoing civil unrest in the Gulf state.

The race has dominated the news agenda over the weekend and, for those involved in the sport, it has not been pretty.

Most people could see the situation F1 has found itself in this weekend coming from miles away, but if the sport’s bosses did, they are doing a good job of hiding it.

Last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled following the violent suppression of protests which were part of the Arab Spring that swept across much of the Middle East.

Troubles have continued, despite promises by the ruling royal family to instigate reform following a critical independent report last November, which detailed human rights abuses, including wrongful arrests and torture. Amnesty International says the situation in Bahrain is “not much different” from a year ago.

Yet F1 chose to return, FIA president Jean Todt and commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone believing the claims of the authorities that the situation was much improved and that they could guarantee security.

It did not take long for that last claim to be exposed. Returning from the track on Wednesday evening, down the main highway into the capital Manama, four Force India mechanics were caught between protestors on one side of the road and riot police on the other.

The protestors were throwing petrol bombs at the police, who were responding with tear gas. Petrol bombs flew over the car, and one landed worryingly close.

The whole incident lasted no more than two or three minutes, but it clearly spooked those involved – and the rest of their team, who subsequently chose to skip second practice on Friday so they could return to their hotels before dark. A decision made despite an intervention by Ecclestone.

Most F1 personnel encountered no trouble. But the unrest continued throughout the weekend, and on Friday night a protestor was killed.

Vettel, who had described the controversy over the race as “hype” when he arrived on Thursday, was forced to think again. “It’s always dreadful when someone dies,” he said after qualifying on pole position.

For all the protestations from Todt and Ecclestone about sport staying apart from politics, the grand prix has become part of the argument in Bahrain.

The protests are not specifically directed at the race, but it is seen as a legitimate target because it is so closely identified with the ruling Sunni royal family, who set it up as a global promotional tool for the country and by extension their regime.

The race organisers – effectively the royal family themselves – have overtly politicised the event by promoting it with posters using the F1 logo in the middle of the slogan “UniF1ed”, in a country that is clearly anything but.

Protests have targeted Formula 1 both inside Bahrain and across the world. Photo: Getty

Ecclestone’s and Todt’s responses to this – that they cannot control how people promote their races (Ecclestone) or that the slogan can be interpreted in lots of ways (Todt) – are debatable at best. Some have called it sophistry.

If F1′s bosses thought they could go to Bahrain, pick up the huge pay cheque for the race, and get out without any damage to their or the sport’s reputation, they have been disabused of that notion in the starkest terms.

On Saturday, Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn – who, behind the scenes, has been one of the senior figures most opposed to holding the Bahrain race – said F1 “with proper judgement of what happened and what we saw needed to come to a conclusion”.

I am told by senior insiders that the many of the sport’s bosses have been staggered by the extent to which the sport’s name has been dragged through the mud this weekend, as well as the focus on it by major global news organisations.

Quite apart from the obvious moral and personal safety issues involved, this is clearly a commercial concern. F1 is selling a dream and an aspiration. But the dream has this weekend become a nightmare – and there has been nothing aspirational about the image the sport has presented to the world.

F1 being what it is, if anything will make them wake up to the potential consequences of racing in Bahrain, that will be it.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/04/the_right_race_in_the_wrong_pl.html

Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/vgeartZ0czs/engines-smengynns-what-about-drivers.html

Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd

Michael Schumacher?s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive.  The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion.  He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career.  So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It?s [...]

Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/why-michael-schumacher-could-win-the-2011-world-championship/

Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley

Fernando Alonso’s face as he stood on the top step of the podium said it all – a mixture of extreme satisfaction, delight and disbelief.

“Incredible, incredible,” he said in Spanish in his television interviews immediately afterwards, and that seemed as good a summing up as any of one of the most remarkable and thrilling grands prix for some time.

Alonso’s victory was the 28th of his career and it moved him ahead of Sir Jackie Stewart in the all-time list of winners – he is now behind only Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, whose 31 wins are his next target.

The Ferrari team leader’s presence in such celebrated company is a reminder, as if one was needed, of what a great grand prix driver Alonso is and it was appropriate that his drive on Sunday was one that befitted such a landmark.

Alonso moved up to fifth on the all-time victories list with his win in Malaysia. Photo: Getty

Arguably not the greatest qualifier, Alonso has produced some stunning races in his career, and the one in Malaysia on Sunday ranks up there with the very best.

The Ferrari in its current form has no business whatsoever being able to win a race. In normal, dry conditions, it is way off the pace of the McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes and Lotus, and almost certainly slower also than the Williams and the Sauber.

And yet there was Alonso, up in fifth place from eighth on the grid by the end of lap one, challenging world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, which he moved ahead of thanks to stopping one lap earlier for wet tyres in the downpour that led to the race being stopped on lap six.

What won him the race, though, were the laps after the re-start.

He emerged in the lead on lap 16, helped by McLaren having to hold Lewis Hamilton in the pits as Felipe Massa came past.

After everyone had stopped for intermediate tyres, Alonso was 2.4 seconds ahead of Sauber’s Sergio Perez – of whose stunning performance more later – and 6.2secs ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren.

At that point, most would have expected Hamilton – one of the greatest wet-weather drivers in history – to close in on the two cars ahead of him. Instead, Alonso pulled away from Perez, who himself pulled away from Hamilton.

This was, as BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard said, “Alonso at his brilliant best”, as he built an eight-second lead over Perez in 12 laps.

Alonso is such a benchmark, so peerless, so utterly relentless and unforgiving when he senses a sniff of a win, that it seemed impossible at that stage that he would not win the race.

But then Perez began to come back at him – showing the differing characteristics of the two cars that have been apparent since the start of pre-season testing. The Ferrari is hard on its tyres and the Sauber is the opposite.

Closer and closer Perez got, first by fractions, then by full seconds until by lap 40 he appeared to have Alonso at his mercy.

Stopping a lap earlier than Perez for ‘slick’ dry-weather tyres put his lead back up to seven seconds, but on these the Sauber was even more superior.

Perez was within a second of Alonso by lap 48 – with eight to go – and what would have been a fully deserved victory by a man who from the beginning of his career last year has looked destined for great things seemed inevitable.

F1 being what it is, a lot may well be made of the radio call that Perez received at about this point. “Checo, be careful, we need this position,” he was told by his team, who use Ferrari engines. Was this simply a team that is known to be struggling for finance sensibly warning an excited young driver to make sure he didn’t bin it when a valuable podium place was up for grabs? Or was it, as some will surmise, team orders in disguise, an order not to try to deprive the company on whose largesse they have depended in many more seasons than this one of a much-needed win? If it was a team order, Perez didn’t seem to pay any attention – he continued to push hard until he made that fateful error. And team principal Monisha Kaltenborn dismissed any thoughts of a conspiracy.

“What we meant was get the car home,” she said. “It was important to us to get the result – there was nothing else to it. There was no instruction.”

Either of them would have been a deserving winner after two superlative drives – and there were other noteworthy performances down the field, too.

Bruno Senna showed something of his famous uncle’s wet-weather skills with his climb up from last place at the restart to finish an impressive sixth.

And Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who narrowly missed out on a point on his debut last weekend in Australia, delivered in spades with a sure-footed drive in the treacherous conditions at Sepang.

The Frenchman was the only driver to stick with intermediate tyres in the early downpour, and he continued to perform impressively on his way to eighth place, just behind last year’s rookie of the year Paul di Resta, who also looked good.

Senna, Vergne and most of all Perez clearly have bright futures ahead of them.

But ahead of them all was the man whose consistent excellence over a 10-year career not only they but everyone else in F1 has to aspire to.

“Great race for Alonso, top job, and also Perez,” Jenson Button said on Sunday evening in Malaysia. You can say that again.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/alonso_sets_the_standard.html

Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh

Sauber has now formally confirmed its new marketing partnership with Chelsea FC, which had been rumoured for some time after the car carried ?blue? teaser messages at the last two Grands Prix. The relationship is the first in F1 to … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/04/30/sauber-finally-confirms-chelsea-deal/

Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader

The IndyCar team Dragon Racing has sued Group Lotus for at least $4.6 million in damages, accusing the company in its claim of damaging the team’s reputation by spreading “especially outrageous” falsehoods while at the same time failing to deliver two chassis which it had agreed to supply, which handicapped the team’s opportunity to be [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/a-lawsuit-for-group-lotus/

Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari

If Ferrari fans thought that their team had perhaps not lived up its name last season then they should talk to fans of Williams. The team that dominated in the early 90?s winning multiple World Championships managed to score only five points last season. Five. It?s a sad fall from grace and one, that at [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/E6B6tv0XDjM/williams-begin-beginning-of-a-rebuilding-process

Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/05/sutil-scandal-i-suppose-im-witness-x.html

JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/f5lM2YVRC8E/tucker-brothers-in-trouble-with-law.html

Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/06/2050151/wild-card-likely-jeff-gordons.html

Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi

New Senna film ‘in development’ is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

In the round-up: Another film on the life of Ayrton Senna is in development.

New Senna film ‘in development’ is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/x4jWlZA_WLA/

Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol

The wreckage of Jochen Rindt’s car at Barcelona © Getty Images

An excellent insight into the world of F1 as it used to be can be found on the regularly-interesting Letters of Note website. It publishes a hitherto unseen letter from Jochen Rindt to Lotus boss Colin Chapman written shortly after Rindt?s crash at Barcelona which was a result of the wing system on Lotus 49 collapsing at speed.

?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?

A little more than a year later Rindt’s Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php

George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader

Source: http://www.metrof1.com/blogs/metrof1/2011/07/webber-on-the-verge-of-walking.html

Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown

Alonso hails Massa as “one of the best” is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

In the round-up: Fernando Alonso gives a vote of confidence for his under-fire team mate.

Alonso hails Massa as “one of the best” is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/QuL7kGiDVYg/

Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman

Patrick finishes 17th at Phoenix By Diego Mejia Sunday, February 27th 2011, 07:21 GMT Danica Patrick improved on her previous form at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing 17th in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event. After an eventful first race at the one-mile Arizona oval last November, Patrick had a smoother run this time around as she continues to build on her stock car experience, while pondering still a possible full-time move from IndyCar. Although Patrick managed to finished the race two positions shy of her top-15 target, she eventually finished three laps down on winner Kyle Busch as the 200 laps saw little incidents and long green-flag periods that did not allow her to recover ground and be in contention further up. Related posts:

1. NASCAR: Patrick finishes 27th at Michigan Patrick finishes 27th at Michigan By Diego Mejia Sunday, August…
2. Danica Patrick looking forward to NASCAR return FORT WORTH, Texas — Danica Patrick is looking forward to…
3. NASCAR: Patrick takes best NASCAR finish Patrick takes best NASCAR finish By Diego Mejia Saturday, February…

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Source: http://doxcar.com/nascar-patrick-finishes-17th-at-phoenix/

Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/07/2049584/f1-vet-barrichello-runs-first.html

Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/06/2048243/mcclure-stable-alert-after-wreck.html

Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/06/2048691/unlikely-alliance-puts-keselowski.html

Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle Gianmaria Bruni

Nine months ago Caterham F1 boss Tony Fernandes agreed to give up his fight for the Team Lotus name in exchange for a deal to take over management control and 20 percent of the troubled national carrier, Malaysian Airline System (MAS). This came after the company suffered a shocking $836 million loss in 2011, due [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/a-step-back-for-fernandes/

Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi

Sauber has now formally confirmed its new marketing partnership with Chelsea FC, which had been rumoured for some time after the car carried ?blue? teaser messages at the last two Grands Prix. The relationship is the first in F1 to … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/04/30/sauber-finally-confirms-chelsea-deal/

Tony Brooks Alan Brown Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/05/2046292/gordon-wins-another-pole-at-talladega.html

Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey

Over the course of his long career Michael Schumacher has rarely strayed into controversy with off-track comments, always preferring to keep his thoughts to himself. However after the Bahrain GP his frustrations came to the surface after what he called … Continue reading →

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/04/23/michael-schumacher-im-not-happy-about-the-situation/

Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello