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Showing posts from December, 2017

Sauber rescued a "disaster" in 2017, says Ericsson

Though Sauber spent most of the season at the rear of the grid and did not score again after Pascal Wehrlein's 10th place in June's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it went from being cut adrift at the back to challenging other midfield teams in the closing races.The team gained pace from chassis developments, and also made a step forward in straightline speed.Sauber used 2016 Ferrari engines ... Keep reading
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Five F1 tech talking points of 2017: Ferrari lead the way on Bargeboard development

When the new cars were launched ahead of the 2017 season, one area of immediate interest was the area in front of the side pods – the bargeboards, with Ferrari leading the way. Throughout the season this continued to be an area of interesting development as the redefined areas opened up by the 2017 regulations […]
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Hamilton: Wolff winter meeting "reset" relationship for 2017

Internal relations became highly strained as Hamilton’s F1 title battles with Rosberg from 2014-16 became affected by various controversies relating to on-track collisions, off-track behaviour and Mercedes management decisions.After two collisions in the early part of the 2016 season, Wolff threatened to bench both drivers if they caused a third, and there was further controversy at ... Keep reading
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Ferrari's landmark F1 cars: Kicking off Schumacher's reign

This was the car that started five years of supremacy for Ferrari, which won the drivers’ and constructors’ championships from 2000-2004.In the years following Enzo Ferrari's death, his team grew so dysfunctional that only a complete change of management could turn around its on-track fortunes.Jean Todt was headhunted to take charge in 1993 and empowered from above to transform the ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #2: Kubica mounts F1 comeback bid

Robert Kubica’s return to the F1 cockpit was the sport’s biggest feel good story of 2017, albeit one tempered somewhat by the news that ultimately he hasn’t landed a race seat for next season.Nevertheless, the popular Polish driver has proved that he can still perform, and that is remarkable in itself, given the extent of his injuries.Once regarded as a potential world champion ... Keep reading
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Haas admits early 2018 focus likely hurt results

At the championship's halfway point, Haas sat seventh in the constructors' standings - four points behind Toro Rosso.By the end of the year, Renault had leapfrogged both and Haas ended up six points off Toro Rosso in the same eighth place it had achieved in its debut season in 2016.Haas made no secret of the fact it abandoned its 2016 car development very early to prioritise ... Keep reading
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Honda to keep current F1 engine as back-up for 2018 spec

Honda completed a major revamp of its engine design over the 2016-17 winter, but a problem with the oil system put it on the back foot at the start of the season, faced with a slog to recover.The Japanese manufacturer is sticking with the concept and evolving it for 2018 for its switch from McLaren to Toro Rosso, which means it has the option to stick with its current spec for the ... Keep reading
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Inside Line F1 Podcast - Ferrari breakaway series

But will the out-of-work Bernie Ecclestone take up Ferrari's breakaway series as a project to bring him back into force in the world of Motorsport? Ecclestone's love for Ferrari is public knowledge, but how serious could Ferrari be?But will the out-of-work Bernie Ecclestone take up Ferrari's breakaway series as a project to bring him back into force in the world of Motorsport? ... Keep reading
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Vettel will come back "guns blazing" in 2018 - Hamilton

Vettel led the points standings for 12 straight races at the start of the season, before losing out as Hamilton went on a winning surge after the August break.Losing potential victories by deliberately driving into Hamilton in Azerbaijan and triggering a three-way collision with Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen in Singapore caused major damage to Vettel's title challenge.The ... Keep reading
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Ferrari's landmark F1 cars: Why the 641 should have won the title

During McLaren-Honda's dominant seasons from 1988-1991, no car pushed it harder than the Ferrari 641.Having watched with mounting fury as his cars were trounced on track by John Barnard-designed McLarens, Enzo Ferrari came to a logical conclusion - and poached Barnard at the end of 1986.Barnard had fallen out with McLaren boss Ron Dennis and was keen to leave, but was aware of his ... Keep reading
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How Schumacher won his toughest Ferrari title

The GA stands for Gianni Agnelli, a fitting memorial to the man who saved Ferrari and kept the Italian tricolore flying proud over Maranello. It was at the end of the 1960s that this titan of Italian business and politics succeeded where Ford had failed by negotiating a controlling interest to keep Ferrari solvent. On the face of it, Enzo maintained power over his scarlet empire - but ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #3: Hamilton wins title amid Ferrari meltdown

Few would have bet against Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes having another dominant season in 2017 given how the previous year (and years) had gone.The British driver may have lost the 2016 championship battle to now-retired teammate Nico Rosberg, but the German squad was again in a league apart. Red Bull was its main threat with an underpowered car, and Ferrari failed to even win a race ... Keep reading
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Verstappen upped his game in 2017 - Horner

Verstappen finished 32 points adrift of teammate Daniel Ricciardo in 2017, but scored more wins (2-1) and had the better record head-to-head in qualifying (13-7) and the race (5-2) when both cars finished."Max has really upped his game, particularly on Saturday and Daniel has had to stick with it to go shoulder to shoulder with him," Horner told Motorsport.com."The margins between ... Keep reading
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Hamilton: French GP is at the wrong track

Hamilton drove his Mercedes W08 at Paul Ricard in September, making a rare appearance in a Pirelli tyre test as the supplier finalised 2018 slick-tyre compounds.He completed 114 laps on the day, before handing over to teammate Valtteri Bottas.In an interview with Canal + Sport’s Thomas Senecal for a season review show, Hamilton was asked his thoughts on the 5.8km Ricard track in Le ... Keep reading
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Ferrari's landmark F1 cars: Villeneuve's first race winner

Ferrari lost one legend after the 1977 season when Niki Lauda left for Brabham, but gained a new one for the following year in Gilles Villeneuve.Driving the Ferrari 312T3, Villeneuve won his first grand prix on home soil in Canada and went on to become arguably the most famous driver in the marque’s history.Ranged against an army of Cosworth V8s, and BRM and Matra V12s, Ferrari's ... Keep reading
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Wehrlein: "You couldn't see" my best F1 races in 2017

Wehrlein scored all five of Sauber's 2017 points via eighth place in the Spanish Grand Prix and 10th in Azerbaijan, but has lost his seat to Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc for '18 amid Sauber's enhanced relationship with Ferrari and new Alfa Romeo tie-up.Though the Barcelona drive was the statistical high point, Wehrlein reckons he performed better than that in the second half of ... Keep reading
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Red Bull endured "worst year since 2006" for reliability

A string of Renault failures blighted its 2017 campaign, with Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo unable to mount a title challenge.There were a total of 740 grid penalties issues for power unit element changes this season, with Honda picking up 380 places. Renault had 320, while Ferrari and Mercedes had just 20 each."Reliability-wise, engine reliability, it's probably been the worst ... Keep reading
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Five F1 tech talking points of 2017: How Mercedes F1 featured something not seen before

In this latest look at some of 2017’s most interesting technical developments in Formula 1, we analyse a specific development pioneered by Mercedes to improve the front-end of its W08 chassis, something not seen before in F1. Arriving in pre-season testing ahead of the 2017 season, Mercedes seemed to struggle relative to the team’s previous […]
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Top Stories of 2017, #5: McLaren and Honda's messy divorce

When formal confirmation of the split between McLaren and Honda finally emerged during the Singapore GP weekend it hardly came a surprise, given how long the painful saga had dragged on for.However, it’s easy to forget now what a shock it really was when the first hints that a split was a viable option began to emerge from the Woking camp.How could mighty McLaren possibly abandon ... Keep reading
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Ferrari's landmark F1 cars: The 156 'sharknose'

It also carried Phil Hill to the 1961 title after the death of team-mate Wolfgang von Trips in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.Grudgingly and without great joy, Enzo Ferrari, who believed the horse should pull the cart, not push it, embraced the notion of rear drive after a season of being given the runaround by the nimble little British chassis he had dismissed as the products of ... Keep reading
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Haas proved new F1 teams can avoid "embarrassment" - Steiner

The previous generation of new F1 entrants had all fared badly, with 2010 incomers Lotus/Caterham, Virgin/Marussia/Manor and Hispania/HRT all remaining rooted to the back of the grid before folding.While those three teams were created to take advantage of a planned budget cap that never came to fruition, Haas was able to form a technical partnership with Ferrari as rules regarding ... Keep reading
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McLaren-Honda's 2017 decline was "humiliating" for Alonso

After its abject first season back with Honda in 2015, McLaren improved from ninth to sixth in the '16 constructors' championship and hopes of further progress this year were high.But Honda's new engine concept proved a retrograde step in both performance and reliability terms.Boullier admitted that realisation hit Alonso hard."As a competitor, he is making his mental preparation ... Keep reading
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Ferrari's landmark F1 cars: The record-breaking 500

This makes it a key car in Ferrari's journey to becoming the most successful constructor in F1 world championship history, taking the first of the team's combined total of 31 drivers' and constructors' titles.Enzo Ferrari was conflicted when F1 stuttered and almost died in 1952, because he felt a lingering tug of affection for the departed Alfa Romeo and its potent supercharged F1 ... Keep reading
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Stroll certain he answered his critics in 2017

The Williams driver, who graduated to F1 after winning the Formula 3 European championship, had a tough start with three successive retirements.Jacques Villeneuve was particularly critical of his fellow Canadian, suggesting the job he was doing compared to teammate Felipe Massa was "pathetic".However, Stroll scored his first points in round seven in Canada and followed that up with a ... Keep reading
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Hamilton: 2017 car most difficult of my F1 career

Hamilton broke Michael Schumacher’s F1 pole position record with the Mercedes W08, and won nine races in taking his fourth career title, but trailed chief rival Sebastian Vettel for most of the championship as Mercedes struggled to unlock the car’s potential consistently.The W08 was hard on its tyres in the early part of the year, and particularly troublesome on Pirelli’s new ... Keep reading
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Opinion: James Allen’s top five F1 drivers of 2017

It's always a tough decision and sometimes controversial; fans don't agree or don't like the reasons for the positions. That's all part of the fun of the exercise, to encourage debate.This year the Number 1 is not really a question for debate as Lewis Hamilton was truly outstanding, making few mistakes and raising his driving to another level.But the other four – and the order to put ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #7: Ecclestone ousted as F1 CEO

Despite him claiming in July of 2016 that Liberty Media had asked him to stay for three more years, the 87-year-old's nearly 40-year spell at the helm of the sport came to an end in January, as grand prix racing's new owners began their revolution to give Formula 1 a fresher look.Following years of speculation about the future ownership of the sport, Liberty completed the purchase ... Keep reading
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Vandoorne: Early 2017 performances were below my standard

After a decorated junior single-seater career, including the 2015 GP2 title and a successful stint in Japanese Super Formula, Vandoorne was expected to star upon receiving full-time promotion to F1.But the Belgian racer failed to escape Q1 at any of the first five races, while star teammate Fernando Alonso earned plaudits for plucky performances in a difficult car.Vandoorne accepts ... Keep reading
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F1 did away with "grandmother" driving in 2017 - Massa

Massa, who won 11 grands prix for Ferrari between 2006 and 2008, ended his 16-year spell in F1 with Williams in 2017.The Brazilian said this year's cars restored a challenge he felt had been the missing before the aerodynamic rule changes and move to more durable tyres."Definitely I will remember that it [the 2017 car] is nice to drive," Massa said."When you're just driving the car ... Keep reading
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Gary Anderson: The details behind F1's trick steering clampdown

It’s interesting to see the FIA is taking a stand on what constitutes an aerodynamic advantage by tackling the lowering of the front ride height with steering lock in Formula 1.The FIA is using a 5mm change from lock to lock as the threshold for legality, but this is difficult to police.With the steering straight ahead, you can slide a block underneath the car that has 5mm clearance ... Keep reading
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Baku Vettel's "worst feeling" of F1 season

Vettel was penalised and widely condemned for deliberately driving into Hamilton's Mercedes as they prepared for a safety-car restart in Baku, the German having felt his F1 title rival had brake-tested him.Ultimately Vettel still outscored Hamilton in Azerbaijan as he recovered from his penalty to fourth while a pitstop to fix a headrest problem left Hamilton fifth.But Vettel said ... Keep reading
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Gary Anderson: The details behind F1's trick steering clampdown

It’s interesting to see the FIA is taking a stand on what constitutes an aerodynamic advantage by tackling the lowering of the front ride height with steering lock in Formula 1.The FIA is using a 5mm change from lock to lock as the threshold for legality, but this is difficult to police.With the steering straight ahead, you can slide a block underneath the car that has 5mm clearance ... Keep reading
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Mercedes aimed for "90% car" with 2017 F1 design

The dominant team of the V6 hybrid engine era managed to win the drivers' and constructors' championship double for the fourth year running, but it admits that it did not want to aim too high with its first car built to the new rules.Speaking exclusively to F1 Racing magazine about the Mercedes W08, chief designer John Owen said the car had more flexibility factored into its design ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #9: Halo introduced to F1 for 2018

It is a tough ask to find a recent Formula 1 concept more controversial and divisive than the Halo cockpit protection system, yet there is seemingly universal agreement across party lines that it does the sport no favours in the aesthetics department.Some have argued that any cockpit protection is against the DNA of grand prix racing, yet those voices would not have been anywhere near ... Keep reading
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New Ferrari F1 car passes FIA crash tests

The car, known internally as the 669, passed the tests at the FIA-approved CSI facility at Bollate, near Milan, under the supervision of technical director Mattia Binotto.It had earlier passed the relevant static tests. The Italian team reached the landmark exactly two months before the scheduled online launch of the new car on February 22, allowing plenty of time for further ... Keep reading
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Bottas needs to be "on it all the time" like Hamilton

The Finn scored the third victory of his first season with Mercedes in the 2017 season finale in Abu Dhabi, having started from pole for the second successive race.Bottas admits that he had a tough time in the second half of the year, until he was able to turn things around near the end."Next year the target is to win more," he said. "Now with the points system we have, you need to ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #10: Vettel loses his cool in Baku

Now that a fair bit of time has passed and Sebastian Vettel himself has repeatedly expressed regret over his Azerbaijan GP sideswipe against Lewis Hamilton, it would be easy to forget just how distinctly unrepentant he was during (and right after) the race itself.“When did I do dangerous driving then? Can you give me an explanation - when I did dangerous driving?”As if he didn't ... Keep reading
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FIA clamps down on trick F1 steering systems

A Technical Directive sent by the Charlie Whiting last week made it clear that the governing body believes that in 2017 some teams designed their suspension and steering systems to lower the front ride height in cornering, potentially providing an aerodynamic benefit and hence increasing grip.Whiting acknowledges that a ride height change under steering lock is normal, but he says ... Keep reading
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Button: The highs and lows of my F1 career

Hard to believe that it's 17 years, almost to the day, since I had my first one-to-one with Jenson Button. It was a nervy moment for us both as we sat down in the bland office of the insurance company who were sponsoring Williams and discussed his debut season in F1.I'd got off on the wrong foot at the start of the year by mildly questioning Jenson's qualifications (in F3) for a drive ... Keep reading
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Ocon asked Wolff for advice on Perez situation

The duo came together twice at Spa, with Ocon claiming Perez “tried to kill me” and the Mexican subsequently defending himself.It came after Perez and Ocon rowed in Canada, collided in Azerbaijan and the clashed again in Hungary - with Force India bosses enforcing team orders after the Spa clash.After the race in Belgium, Ocon called Wolff to discuss the incidents and growing ... Keep reading
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Sirotkin "needs to be given a chance" in F1 - Renault

Sirotkin has emerged as the leading contender to take the final vacant seat on next season’s F1 grid, after a successful test with Williams in Abu Dhabi in November.The suggestion is that Sirotkin outperformed leading contender Robert Kubica in the test, and the Russian will also bring substantial financial backing with him should Williams award him the seat.Sirot ... Keep reading
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Massa was a "great reference" for Williams - Lowe

The Brazilian came out of retirement to race for the team for a fourth year in 2017 after Valtteri Bottas replaced Nico Rosberg at Mercedes during the winter.Massa scored 43 points for the team and was in contention to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix before he suffered a technical problem.Lowe said Massa was consistent throughout the year, which in turn meant rookie Lance Stroll always ... Keep reading
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Honda believes it can be "proud" of 2017 engine progress

Honda opted to change its F1 engine concept over the winter, but ran out of time to be sufficiently prepared for the season.It suffered a series of failures and, in a bid to save its relationship with McLaren, aggressively introduced performance developments at the expense of reliability.While McLaren decided to switch to Renault engines for 2018, by the end of the year, it was able ... Keep reading
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Ferrari F2004 to appear at 2018 Autosport International Show

Winning 15 F1 races throughout the 2004 season, the F2004 claimed a record-breaking seventh world championship for Michael Schumacher, with teammate Rubens Barrichello finishing the year in second place.Schumacher also won a single-season record of 13 races, breaking his own record of 11, as Ferrari collected the constructors' championship with ease.To this day, the F2004 still holds ... Keep reading
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Why Mercedes was so confused by its diva

"I'm proud of its flaws because she's not been perfect," was Lewis Hamilton's verdict on the Mercedes W08 on the day he won his fourth world championship. "While people have written that we've had the best car, I don't believe we've had the best car. I think we've been the best team."Inarguably, and although Lewis sealed the title with two races to run, this has been the tightest ... Keep reading
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Magnussen admits Haas F1 car has been "difficult"

Magnussen was outscored 28 points to 19 by teammate Romain Grosjean this year, and beaten 12-8 in the head-to-head qualifying battle.While Magnussen made clear he is happier at Haas than he was at previous F1 employers McLaren and Renault, he admitted the 2017 car did not suit his style.For 2018 - the first time in his F1 career he has stayed at the same team for a second season of ... Keep reading
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Red Bull could be F1 championship favourite in 2018 - Ricciardo

The overhaul of the technical regulations for 2017 was expected to favour Red Bull but a problem with its correlation tools ended all hopes of the team mounting a title challenge.Red Bull's development rate across the season was impressive, with Max Verstappen securing two wins in the closing stages and Red Bull claiming to have the best chassis on the grid."We just started off on ... Keep reading
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FIA clamps down on F1 practice driver licences

Previously, drivers only had to complete 300km in a "representative Formula 1 car" over two days and answer questions on sporting regulations to qualify for a 'free practice only' superlicence, so long as the FIA adjudged them sufficiently capable based on their prior single-seater experience.To apply for subsequent licences, drivers only needed their team to demonstrate it had ... Keep reading
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Too early to worry about Honda engine penalties - Toro Rosso

In 2018 drivers will only be allowed three combustion engines, turbos, and MGU-Hs, and only two MGU-Ks, control electronics and energy stores for the 21 races.Tost says he's only thinking about the positives in the new relationship."First of all we must see next year's engine tested, and then we can think about possible penalties," he told Motorsport.com. "But it's far too early ... Keep reading
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Perez: Force India needs to lift team orders in 2018

Perez and Ocon were under team orders not to fight each other after they collided twice at the Belgian Grand Prix."We have got to understand how difficult it is going to be next year," Perez told Motorsport.com."We'll have the Renaults and McLarens pushing us hard. So we need to push freely if we are to be in the fight."We also need to have a car that is competitive from the ... Keep reading
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Analysis: How the Halo will change F1 in 2018

Every Halo run on track up to now has been a 'fake', representing only the shape of the design.The testing gave teams some feedback on the aerodynamic impact, and in Abu Dhabi we even saw some early attempts at directing the airflow, within the permitted limits.The drivers and the FIA also had an opportunity to assess the effect on visibility and cockpit access.Three manufacturers ... Keep reading
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How Hamilton won what he'd waited years for

It's touching that Lewis Hamilton still takes unfakeably genuine pleasure at receiving reader awards from F1 Racing. As we hand over frames celebrating his 'Driver of the Year' and 'Qualifier of the Year' accolades, that brilliant 'Aw, shucks' beam cracks irrepressibly across his face.For a man who has achieved so much, so young, and for whom material rewards are now little more than ... Keep reading
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Renault says F1 engine gained a second over 2016

The French manufacturer substantially overhauled its F1 engine for '17, having decided the previous specification had run out of development potential.The new power unit proved unreliable and could not make use of a new and lighter MGU-K design, but it produced enough performance through the season to allow customer team Red Bull to win the Malaysian and Mexican Grands Prix on ... Keep reading
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F1 extends free-to-air TV coverage deal in Germany with RTL

RTL will show F1 track action for the next three seasons, building on its previous two-year deal. It has covered the sport in Germany since 1991, and previously between 1984 and ’88.Last year’s F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg and former Jordan and Toyota racer Timo Glock will take over the punditry role in 2018 from Niki Lauda.“Germany is one of the most important countries for ... Keep reading
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Gary Anderson's verdict on the predicament facing Williams

With Williams set to take Sergey Sirotkin, what's it like for those working in a team to know a driver has been taken primarily for commercial reasons? He seems to be an OK driver, but he's nothing amazing, so surely that just makes all the hard work feel like it's for nothing?David Mills, via emailWilliams is in a very difficult position for next year. It has Lance Stroll in one car ... Keep reading
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Mercedes: 2017 title triumph equal to 2014 win

Mercedes won the double at the start of the V6 hybrid turbo era in 2014 and followed that up by repeating the achievement over the next three seasons.This year marked the first time that the F1 drivers' and constructors' titles have been defended by a team across a major change of chassis regulations.Mercedes also fended off a stern challenge from Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, having ... Keep reading
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Stroll admits he must up his game in qualifying

Stroll has had some strong races this year, including a podium in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and finished just three points behind teammate Felipe Massa in the drivers' standings.But the 2016 European F3 champion has found it harder to get the best out of the car in qualifying, trailing Massa 2-17 in the head-to-head.Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe has said he thinks ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #13: Manor disappears from the F1 grid

There is a certain irony in Felipe Nasr being absent from the 2017 Formula 1 grid after being the man who basically ended Manor's hopes of continuing to compete in the sport.Nasr's ninth-place finish in the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix put his Sauber team ahead of Manor in the constructors' championship, effectively dealing the final blow to the struggling Banbury-based squad.Like that ... Keep reading
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Ferrari says 2018 last chance to unlock Raikkonen form

Raikkonen, the oldest driver on the current grid at 38, returned to the Maranello squad in 2014 but has failed to win a race in four seasons, first alongside Fernando Alonso and then as Sebastian Vettel's teammate.The German has won eight races in the past three years and has finished ahead of Raikkonen in the standings each season.Raikkonen was given another one-year contract for ... Keep reading
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McLaren won't have a title sponsor in 2018 - Brown

In the past, former McLaren team principal Ron Dennis suggested that the era of the title sponsor in F1 was gone, and Brown agrees with that view, despite the likes of Red Bull and Sauber attracting support for next season."I don't think we're going to have a title sponsor per se," said Brown. "What I think we're going to have are major partners."If you look at F1 no one really ... Keep reading
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Marchionne sends Brawn and Carey a different kind of F1 Christmas message

Sergio Marchionne, the Ferrari chairman, has sent a strongly worded message via the Italian media to the bosses of F1, that they had better take his threat to pull Ferrari out of Formula 1 seriously, otherwise they are ‘playing with fire’. He has been increasingly strong on his Ferrari quit threat, based on his unhappiness […]
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Ferrari boss warns F1 quit sceptics "playing with fire"

Marchionne has made it clear that he is prepared to withdraw Ferrari from Formula 1 if the championship's future regulations are not set out in a direction he agrees with.With Ferrari having occasionally made similar threats throughout the history of F1, that has led some people to believe that the Maranello team would never leave, but Marchionne says the recent threats remain ... Keep reading
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The tragedies and turmoil that forced Ferrari's reinvention

Divisive politics, petty squabbles, ego-driven ambition and the odd unfortunate misunderstanding: these were the defining factors of a Ferrari era still considered glorious in hindsight, but one from which a much richer harvest should have been reaped.Ferrari's rhythm through the Swinging Sixties and into the brash next decade lacked the solid backbeat of their hip new adversaries ... Keep reading
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Ferrari sets February launch date for 2018 F1 car

The Italian team enjoyed a resurgence in fortunes this year, bouncing back from a disappointing, win-less 2016 campaign to win five races and fight for the drivers' championship with Sebastian Vettel.Ferrari will launch next year's car on Thursday February 22 with an online reveal, before the car is taken to Barcelona early for a filming day ahead of testing starting on the following ... Keep reading
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Aston Martin feels the "disruptor" in F1 2021 talks

The British manufacturer was "encouraged" by the direction of the 2021 engine plans that were unveiled by F1 in October.However, there has been a backlash from F1's established manufacturers, with Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari all raising doubts about the intended new direction.While Aston Martin can understand that approach, it has also made clear that it would go about an F1 ... Keep reading
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Mercedes "close" to breaking 1000bhp barrier with F1 engine

Mercedes has dominated the V6 turbo hybrid era, clinching four successive double world championships.Power unit development has been such that last year, Cowell said Mercedes had exceeded 900bhp and now says it is on course to break the 1000bhp barrier."We're close," Cowell told Motorsport.com. "I'm sure that'll happen at some point."This year, its engine hit a landmark achievement ... Keep reading
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Video: McLaren's halo development explained

Technical analyst Craig Scarborough interviews grand prix-winning aerodynamicist Willem Toet, who explains the idea behind the halo development experiments trialled by McLaren.“You’re allowed about 20mm of devices around the halo, the idea in the rules was you use this to reduce its drag, make it streamlined,” says Toet.“But actually what the t ... Keep reading
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Verstappen's attitude his star quality in 2017 - Red Bull

Verstappen endured a run of poor reliability this year that cost him potential podium finishes – and allowed teammate Daniel Ricciardo to finish well clear of him in the points standings.After an engine failure in the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen admitted to starting losing faith in Red Bull and Renault ever being able to get on top of their problems.But a victory in Malaysia ... Keep reading
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McLaren deal puts "positive pressure" on Renault - Prost

McLaren will switch to the French power units next year after three disappointing seasons with Honda.Some observers have questioned why Renault would want to supply its power unit to another major team when it already faces competition from Red Bull, but Prost sees only benefits."It will make pressure, for sure," Prost told Motorsport.com. "Because we will have one more competitor in ... Keep reading
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Vandoorne grilled by fans on McLaren, Senna and Bathurst

Words: Stuart CodlingMidday in Mexico City and the baking-hot sun is radiating with squint-making ferocity - and yet some folk in the Formula 1 paddock, including our interviewee, are still wearing garb to ward off the morning chill. The proliferation of gilets - more, even, than you'd expect to see at the average Harlequins rugby match - makes for a peculiar juxtaposition with what ... Keep reading
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Top Stories of 2017, #16: Kvyat the loser in Toro Rosso reshuffle

At different points in the season, various Red Bull officials would openly express a preference for keeping the Toro Rosso line-up unchanged for next year.That made it all the more surprising – and quintessentially 'Formula 1' – when both Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat instead departed the Italian team midway through 2017.They had made for a handy midfield line-up – two drivers of ... Keep reading
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