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Showing posts from January, 2018

The first appearance of wings on Formula 1 cars

During the ‘60s, aerodynamics was some sort of black art. The lack of sophisticated wind tunnels and appropriate tools explained why certain aero solutions worked miraculously while others, failed poorly.During that same period, Formula 1 engines stepped up from being small, 1.5 litre, and underpowered motors to normally aspirated three-litre power plants. Power reached 450 horsepower ... Keep reading
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Latest: F1 abandons practice of Grid Girls

There will be no more grid girls in Formula 1 with immediate effect. F1 described the practice of glamorous women holding drivers’ grid boards as “at odds with modern day societal norms.” And the same will apply to all the support categories on the F1 race programme like F2 and GP3. Announcing the move, Formula […]
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Formula 1 to drop grid girls for 2018

The move, which will be both for motor racing's top category as well as all support events at each grand prix - including Formula 2 and GP3 - comes as part of Liberty Media's revamp.F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches said that it was felt using grid girls no longer fitted in with the new brand image that Liberty wants for grand prix racing.In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said ... Keep reading
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Amazon McLaren documentary reveals Alonso quit fears

The series "Grand Prix Driver", which is narrated by Michael Douglas and produced by Manish Pandey, a BAFTA winner for his involvement in Senna, is being released on Amazon Prime from February 9.The four-part series follows the progress of McLaren during a particularly difficult build-up to the 2017 campaign, and climaxes with the disastrous pre-season test session at Barcelona when ... Keep reading
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Hulkenberg/Sainz make "massive difference" for Renault

Hulkenberg left Force India at the end of 2016 to replace Kevin Magnussen at Renault, and outscored initial teammate Jolyon Palmer 34 points to eight before Palmer was dropped in favour of Carlos Sainz.Chester said Hulkenberg's main contribution had been to give Renault a dependable reference, and that Sainz had multiplied that effect."It is massively important. The really great ... Keep reading
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Analysis: The car that will change motorsport.. even F1 forever?

“This car represents the future of racing.” As statements about new racing cars go, this one from Alejandro Agag is pretty confident. Launching the car that Formula E teams will race in the all important Season V starting later this year, Agag claims that his electric racing series will lead a ‘revolution’ in motorsport. And […]
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The car so good it shocked Ferrari

The numbers are impressive. Between them, Michael Schumacher and his teammate Rubens Barrichello won 15 grands prix from 18 starts, and for 10 years the car shared the record of most victories in a season with the 1988 McLaren MP4/4 and Ferrari's own F2002.More recently, Mercedes has moved the goalposts, with 19 wins in 2016, and 16 in both '14 and '15. But Schumacher's strike rate of ... Keep reading
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Ricciardo facing "make or break" decision on F1 future

While Red Bull extended Max Verstappen's deal in late 2017, it has agreed to give Ricciardo time to assess his options ahead of a season in which most top drivers' contracts expire and there could be substantial movement in the driver market.Now 28 and about to begin his seventh full season in F1, five-time grand prix winner Ricciardo believes he is facing the most important decision ... Keep reading
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Bottas admits overthinking hurt his form in 2017

While teammate Lewis Hamilton took control of the championship battle with four wins from five grands prix after last year's summer break, Bottas started struggling to get the Mercedes to his liking and fell off the pace.He arrested that slide with pole for the penultimate race in Brazil and then a win in the Abu Dhabi season finale, but admits his run of poor performances had been ... Keep reading
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How Formula 1 can bring back underdog shocks

It seems that in the past we were more likely to see spectacular, against-all-odds performances from midfield teams on a given day. Will we ever see things like that happen again in modern F1? How is it that a midfield car, that doesn't fight for the win in any other race in the season, is able to pull a win with fantastic performance?Marcelo Kanno, via emailThe void between those ... Keep reading
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Alonso’s gruelling 25-race F1/WEC schedule

The Spaniard’s F1 season begins with the first four grands prix in Australia, Bahrain, China and Baku, before he makes his WEC debut at Spa on May 5.His most intense spell of the year will kick off from the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10, when he will undertake five consecutive weekends of F1 and WEC events, including Le Mans on June 16/17.At the end of the season, he also faces a ... Keep reading
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A tortured journey back from F1's scrapheap

Brendon Hartley's unexpected arrival on the Formula 1 scene with Toro Rosso was one of the great stories of the 2017 season, and his experience provides a lesson to people in all walks of life about not giving up on your dreams.Just a few months earlier the New Zealander's future was uncertain after Porsche announced its intention to quit the World Endurance Championship. And yet at ... Keep reading
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Lauda: New airline role won't affect F1 job

The three-time world champion last week beat off British Airways owner IAG to successfully retake control of the Niki airline, which he founded in 2003 and had sold to the now defunct Air Berlin in 2011.While Lauda's buyout suggests fresh plans to make a success of his airline, he is adamant that his focus will not be diverted away from what he has done in assisting Mercedes win four ... Keep reading
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Sirotkin was the "best driver available" for Williams

Former Renault reserve Sirotkin, who is backed by Russian programme and reportedly brings a financial package worth around £15million, emerged as favourite to replace Felipe Massa in the Grove-based team following a strong showing in the Abu Dhabi test.Robert Kubica, Paul di Resta, Daniil Kvyat and Pascal Wehrlein were among the other contenders for the drive."We selected him as the ... Keep reading
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Former Australian GP boss Ron Walker dies

Walker was a successful Melbourne businessman for years and, after being appointed to lead the city's bid for the 1996 Olympic Games, he was handed the task of luring the Australian Grand Prix away from Adelaide.Securing the race for 1996 and becoming chairman of the event for nearly 20 years brought him into close contact with Bernie Ecclestone, and over the years the pair became ... Keep reading
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Renault reveals launch date for 2018 F1 car

The French car manufacturer is entering its third year back in F1, having taken over the Lotus outfit and invested heavily in its bid to get back to the front of the grid.In a tweet sent out on Monday, the team revealed that the covers will come of the car in the week before testing gets underway. ... Keep reading
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Red Bull: Gasly’s year in Japan "essential" to make him F1 ready

Despite the French driver winning the GP2 Series in 2016, Red Bull chiefs were not totally convinced about him – so elected to fund him for a season in Japan rather than find him a seat on the grand prix grid.After delivering some impressive race wins, and coming close to winning the championship, Marko reflects on Gasly's campaign there as a vital step in preparing him for F1 with ... Keep reading
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Alonso likely to return to Daytona

Fernando Alonso says he is likely to return to Daytona in the future.
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Why Formula 1's age of paranoia must end

It's Thursday at the British Grand Prix and the Silverstone pitlane is packed with fans getting their fill of driver autographs and photos the day before track action gets underway.A bigger than usual throng has gathered outside the FIA's scrutineering garage as it is Red Bull's turn to go through Formula 1's new technical 'show and tell' extravaganza - revealing all about the updates ... Keep reading
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Ferrari defeat not down to Marchionne's management style - Wolff

Marchionne was outspoken about Ferrari at times during its ultimately unsuccessful 2017 F1 title battle with Mercedes, including criticising the team during its reliability troubles and calling Kimi Raikkonen a "laggard".Asked if he felt Mercedes benefited from the Ferrari president's bluntness towards his employees, Wolff acknowledged the differences in team management styles but ... Keep reading
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Live broadcast F1 races named for Channel 4's final season

Channel 4 and Sky Sports announced on Monday how their live races will be divided in 2018, with the season opening round in Australia exclusively live on Sky.Races in Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Monaco, Austria, Britain, Belgium, Singapore, Japan, USA and Abu Dhabi will be live on Channel 4.It means the returning French and German Grands Prix will be exclusive live events for Sky.Channel 4 ... Keep reading
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Sauber announces 2018 F1 car launch date

Sauber said the Ferrari-powered C37 will be launched online.In Monday's announcement, the Hinwil-based outfit also revealed parts of its new image, switching from its traditional blue to Alfa Romeo's red for its logo.Read Also:F1 2018: Launch dates, calendar, line-ups and testing scheduleSauber will have Alfa Romeo as its new title sponsor for the 2018 season ... Keep reading
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Action Express-Cadillac wins Daytona 24 Hours

Felipe Albueuerque, Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa won the 56th running of the Daytona 24 hours completing a record 808 laps in their Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.
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How new Barcelona surface will affect F1 testing

The Barcelona circuit agreed to carry out resurfacing and track modifications in order to ensure it remains on the 2018 MotoGP calendar, after its place had been under threat.Earlier this month, work began with the entire circuit set to be resurfaced and the run-off area at Turn 13 extended.With the first pre-season test at Barcelona set to start on February 26, Pirelli plans t ... Keep reading
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F1 no longer has "depth of competition" - Mansell

F1 has not hit its maximum 26-car grid quota since the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix, which was the last event the Simtek team contested before going out of business.The previous year was the last time teams - invariably newcomer Pacific - failed to qualify due to the field being full.The grid rose to 24 cars in 2010, when HRT, Lotus Racing and Virgin Racing joined F1, but they have all ... Keep reading
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Stroll a "completely different driver" compared to F1 debut

The Canadian, who graduated to F1 after winning the Formula 3 European championship, had a tough start with three successive retirements and drew criticism in particular from Jacques Villeneuve.But Stroll turned things around with his first points in round seven in Canada, followed by third place at the following race in Azerbaijan, and ended the year with 40 points, just three adrift ... Keep reading
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Hamilton reveals his top three F1 rivals

Hamilton, who claimed the fourth F1 championship crown of his career in 2017, identified McLaren's Fernando Alonso, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's Max Verstappen as the three drivers he most has to watch out for.When asked which of those three he would most have to watch if Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all produced cars of a similar level of competitiveness ... Keep reading
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Formula 1 considering 3.10pm race starts for 2018

With Liberty determined to make its mark on the sport this year after spending its first year in charge evaluating it, it has emerged that F1 chiefs want to shake up the timetable.One proposal that is being seriously considered is for the entire weekend schedule to be shifted back by one hour.Multiple sources have revealed that this idea was raised with television broadcasters during ... Keep reading
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Williams reveals 2018 F1 car launch date

The FW41 will be the first Williams chief technical officer Paddy Lowe has had influence on from the start since rejoining the team last March.Lowe has said Williams will make "quite substantial changes" to key areas of its car's philosophy for the coming season.The team finished fifth in the constructors' championship in 2017, 104 points adrift of Force India in fourth.Williams ... Keep reading
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Whiting inspection says Assen needs small changes to host F1

Whiting visited the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands last week for a track inspection, with the venue chasing the Grade F1 licence it would need to hold a grand prix.According to a statement issued on Friday, Assen chiefs said that following the "thorough inspection", Whiting's verdict was that only a few minor changes were required for the FIA to be happy it could hold an F1 ... Keep reading
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Will F1's most volatile rivalry explode in 2018?

Rivalries add a glorious edge of grit and fire to Formula 1, beyond the simple pleasure that comes from masters of their craft expressing their talents on track. How dull the first three seasons of Mercedes' F1 domination would have been had relations between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg not disintegrated so spectacularly amid all the collisions, suspicions and recriminations.With ... Keep reading
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The secrets of Formula 1's greatest 'dinosaur' mind

Adrian Newey OBE: the only F1 designer responsible for championship-winning cars with three different teams; Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Sought after by Ferrari. And now the author of How to Build a Car.That's a racing car, of course. Given the secretive nature of the business, not to mention Newey's low profile, it's worth finding out just how much this essentially private man ... Keep reading
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Renault admits 2018 F1 customers will be "high-maintenance"

Renault has endured a tempestuous relationship with Red Bull during the V6 era, and publicly fell out with Toro Rosso in 2017.McLaren has joined Renault after three difficult seasons with Honda, during which time it was often publicly critical of its struggling engine partner.Renault Formula 1 advisor Alain Prost reckons McLaren will put "positive pressure" on the French manufacturer ... Keep reading
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Ferrari F1 team boss spells out what makes a “true champion”

According to the Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne, “The true champions are also great men. They are capable of making difficult decisions, of admitting their mistakes and of pushing harder than before when they get up from a fall. “They also share their success with their colleagues. “They are leaders, who take responsibility in every situation, […]
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How T-wings could still return on F1's 2018 cars

A loophole in last year's technical regulations opened the door for teams to run high T-wings on the shark fin engine covers in a bid to improve performance.But their addition to the cars caused an outcry among fans and teams because they were ugly, and this led to an outright ban being introduced for this year.However, with F1 teams well aware of the benefits that the small wings ... Keep reading
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F1 confirms free-to-air cutback for Italy

As Motorsport.com revealed last week, previous free-to-air broadcaster RAI had failed to reach a new deal for broadcast rights – leaving the door open for Sky to tighten its control.F1 has therefore agreed a three-year deal with Sky, until the end of 2020, for exclusive broadcast and digital coverage on its pay TV channels.A statement from F1 said that part of the deal includes that ... Keep reading
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The F1 demolition that will be tough to repeat

Focus. Attack. There's just one opponent you need to beat. At its core, Formula 1 has a simple premise: defeat your teammate. It doesn't matter if you're driving the title-winning Mercedes or a back-of-the-grid Sauber. You go into every grand prix with a clear objective.Get the better of your teammate in qualifying and the chances of scoring more points on Sunday increases. Achieve ... Keep reading
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Force India, Sauber withdraw EU complaint against F1

The two teams lodged an official complaint with the Commission in September 2015, citing the division of revenues and drawing up of rules as "unfair and unlawful".Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Williams currently receive favourable financial payments from F1 in addition to the evenly-distributed funds earned from the constructors' championship.The pursuit from Force ... Keep reading
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Three engines per year rule "no new science" - Mercedes

This year drivers will incur grid penalties as soon as they use more than three internal combustion engines, MGU-Hs or turbochargers, rather than the previous four.Andy Cowell, head of the High Performance Powertrains arm that produces the engines Mercedes has used to win the last four F1 titles, said teams should not find the latest change taxing as it simply continues the trend ... Keep reading
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Honda-powered Toro Rosso set for Misano shakedown

Teams are allowed to conduct two promotional events each season but no test may exceed 100km in length.The regulations also insist only promotional tyres provided by Pirelli may be used.The test will allow Toro Rosso a chance to shake down its new car, which will run Honda engines for the first time, before pre-season testing.It will take place four days before it plans to formerly ... Keep reading
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Alonso admits interest in NASCAR test

Speaking at the media tour in Charlotte, ahead of his Daytona 24 Hours debut this weekend in the NASCAR-owned IMSA series, Alonso admitted he's a fan of watching the Daytona 500."It's a race that is definitely one of the best, most iconic in the world," he told Motorsport.com."On the other hand, NASCAR is a very unique series where the driving technique is apart."The traffic ... Keep reading
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McLaren F1 gets down to business with new approach

Interesting notes from McLaren in the last couple of days as the restructuring of the company and its approach to business continues, following the forced departure of Ron Dennis a year ago. Yesterday they announced a partnership with CNBC, which has done the rounds of a few F1 teams before, but perhaps more interestingly they […]
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Force India "an example to follow" - Renault

Force India finished fourth in F1's constructors' championship for the second consecutive season in 2017, two places ahead of the Renault works outfit.Abiteboul suggested before the 2017 season that F1's new aerodynamic regulations would create an "arms race" and make "resources very difficult for the small teams"."I believe that most of the car-build budget of a Force India will be ... Keep reading
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Why Formula 1 won't get better this season

3The first question anyone who knows I have an interest in Formula 1 asks is, 'Will 2018 be better than last season'?My answer is very simple: why would it be? The people that can do something about the show have done nothing, and unless you are into the razzmatazz of pre- or post-event functions, I'm not sure I see any significant change on the horizon.Formula 1 is not a sport. It ... Keep reading
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The driver Mercedes should sign for 2019

When Mercedes turns its attention to nailing down its drivers for the 2019 Formula 1 season, it will not be short of options. Keeping hold of Lewis Hamilton, champion in three of the past four years, will be its priority, but the occupant of the second seat is less certain.Valtteri Bottas is in a strong position as the incumbent but he will need to take a big step forward this year ... Keep reading
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Alonso favours IndyCar-like orange for 2018 McLaren F1 car

Contesting the famous race for the first time, Alonso led 27 laps in his McLaren-Andretti Autosport Honda before engine failure took him out of the fight for the lead in the closing stages.When asked by Motorsport.com if he had seen the livery for the upcoming campaign when speaking at a NASCAR media day, Alonso said: "No, not [seen it] yet – but we'll see."I'll be happy with any ... Keep reading
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Vasseur called off Honda deal an hour into Sauber tenure

Yet there is no better proof for how intense, determined and focused he can be in his job than the speed with which he got on with plotting an all new direction for the Swiss team within minutes of getting his feet under the desk on his first day.The boldest move of all – cancelling plans for Sauber to tie up with Honda – was top of his job list when he walked through the factory ... Keep reading
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Grosjean says he could race in F1 until he is 40

The 31-year-old has completed six full seasons in F1, following a short stint with Renault, and has a contract to continue with Haas for a third season in 2018.It remains unclear whether the former Lotus driver will stay on at Haas for a fourth season or pursue a move elsewhere on the grid."I still have a long way to go to the end," he told Motorsport.com. "I started when I was 27 ... Keep reading
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ABB in Formula 1, a first attempt with the Comprex

ABB, the acronym for Asea Brown Boveri, was created in 1988 from the merger of Asea AB of Sweden and BBC Brown Boveri Ltd. of Switzerland. The company, which operates in more than 100 countries and employs approximately 136,000 people today, is involved mainly in robotics, power, heavy electrical equipment, and automation technology areas.The original company, BBC Brown Boveri, was ... Keep reading
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Ex-Senna, race-winning McLaren to be auctioned in May

Senna finished 1993 - his final year with McLaren - second in the points and 16 behind eventual champion Alain Prost.With this car, chassis number six, he claimed his sixth and last victory in Monaco – a record which still stands 25 years on.Senna also drove the car in a further seven races that year, finishing second behind Prost on its debut at the fifth round at the Spanish Grand ... Keep reading
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Sauber "scared" about F1 cost cap potential for trouble

Although his small Swiss outfit would be one of the main beneficiaries of any move to cut the spending of the big teams over the long term, he is cautious about how such plans are introduced.In particular, he has concerns that a simple budget cap may not be the right way to do it, especially if there was a risk of spending limits becoming the main talking point in the paddock."If we ... Keep reading
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The real team that has no excuses in F1 2018

This is the year all the big talk stops for McLaren, and we finally find out how much those troublesome Honda engines have been holding the team back for the past three years.It's no secret that there weren't enough Japanese horses pushing Woking's recent creations along, and they weren't capable of lasting the distance on a regular basis. But the longer the malaise went on, the more ... Keep reading
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Kubica has to "earn" F1 seat for 2019 - Williams

Kubica, who ranked among F1's top drivers before a rally crash injury disrupted his grand prix racing career in 2011, mounted a sustained effort last year to return to the grid.He tested with Renault and Williams, and was at one point a strong favourite to land a seat with the latter, but eventually lost out to rookie Sergey Sirotkin and instead took on a reserve and development role ... Keep reading
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How Formula 1 swerved a pre-season flop

With Abu Dhabi's dull season finale thankfully just a fading memory, the steady trickle of announcements last week about 2018 Formula 1 car launch dates marked the official switch-on of excitement for the season ahead.It's the time of year when things get serious again: teams flat-out getting their new challengers in order; the nerves starting to heighten as the potential for smiles ... Keep reading
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Renault wants F1 customers to take its young drivers

For 2018, the French marque has seven up-and-coming drivers in the Renault Sport Academy set-up, led by ART Formula 2 racer Jack Aitken.Renault previously supported the likes of Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen on their way to F1, and Abiteboul explained that in order help its current crop of juniors it would need to look at how it exploits its engine supply deals. In recent ... Keep reading
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What we would change about Formula 1

Formula 1 fans are being promised change, new ideas, a better spectacle and all the rest by grand prix racing's owner. Whether it's a new on-track experience, better ways to follow the racing, rule tweaks - whatever - there's always something that F1 is willing to experiment with.So, we thought about what would happen if Chase Carey called some of our esteemed journalists and asked ... Keep reading
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McLaren/Renault pose "significant" threat to Force India

Force India secured fourth in the constructors' championship for the second successive year, finishing a comfortable 104 points clear of fifth-placed Williams.But Fernley is aware Renault is on an upward trajectory, snatching sixth in the constructors' championship at the final race of the season, where Nico Hulkenberg finished ahead of both Force India drivers to take sixth in Abu ... Keep reading
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F1 future to be shaped around three performance factors

F1 is keen to boost its audience and increase engagement with fans with Ross Brawn's team, which includes former chief technical officer Pat Symonds, looking at ways to improve the show.A key focus is the technical regulations, with Brawn's team having marked out three sections of the rules as key performance differentiators."We're look at the technical and sporting regulations," ... Keep reading
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Haas shifted focus to 2018 too early, says Steiner

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 teams and Haas ended up six points off Toro Rosso, occupying the same eighth place it 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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Opinion: Can Stroll ever silence his harshest critic?

In 1996, a 24-year-old Canadian rookie with a famous surname took grand prix racing by storm.He stepped into the Williams team, armed with the best car in the field, carrying the momentum of a convincing title-winning season in a different category from the year previously.He benefitted from a rigorous test programme, finished on the podium on his Grand Prix debut, ended the season ... Keep reading
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Gary Anderson: F1 can do more to solve driver weight issue

This is something I have been advocating for years because it just isn’t correct for someone who would healthily weigh 75kg to go on a diet just because the car is overweight. In the 1980s and ‘90s, the weight of the driver was not part of the overall car weight and there were minimum cockpit length dimensions, so small and light drivers were the order of the day.But that all ... Keep reading
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F1 teams agree sponsor-friendly bodywork changes for 2019

In recent seasons, sponsorship considerations have become more of a factor in discussions about bodywork, and at last week’s Strategy Group meeting the subject was widely discussed.Proposals were aired by five teams, and two ideas were agreed on and are set to be adopted for 2019.Bargeboards will have now have to be lower, allowing better visibility for the side of the chassis in the ... Keep reading
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Opinion: Why F1’s excellence needs to translate to TV

I went to the theatre this week to see Hamilton, the musical based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, which is now running in London.Many have written more eloquently than I ever could about how extraordinary this show is, but what struck me most about it was how everything was of the highest quality. The writing, the music ... Keep reading
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Williams expects to keep Sirotkin for "many years ahead"

Sirotkin beat several contenders – including grand prix winner and now-Williams reserve Robert Kubica – to the final vacant seat on the F1 grid alongside Lance Stroll. Speaking at a Williams-SMP Racing event in Moscow, key figures from the team and Sirotkin’s Russian backers made clear a long-term deal was in place.Williams CEO Mike O’Driscoll said: “What we have with Sergey is a ... Keep reading
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F1 set to introduce minimum driver weight in 2019

A minimum of 80kg will be established for the driver and his seat, including specially marked ballast that will sit under it, while the overall car/driver weight will rise a further 6kg to 740kg.When considered on its own, the car will have to weigh 660kg.The idea emerged from the last F1 Strategy Group meeting, and after discussions at the Technical Working Group, the Strategy Group ... Keep reading
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Bottas altered Mercedes view of intra-team rivalries

Mercedes had a difficult time managing the dynamic between Hamilton and 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg, as their recent battles for the championship became increasingly vitriolic.Multiple controversies developed between the two, concerning engine modes, strategy, on-track collisions, personnel swaps between the garages, rules of engagement, and how the team managed their rivalry ... Keep reading
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Sir Stirling Moss announces retirement from public life

Moss – widely renowned as the best driver never to win the Formula 1 World Championship and one of the most versatile racers of all time – maintained an active public role long after his professional driving career ended.But his health deteriorated since being admitted to hospital with a serious chest infection at the end of 2016, when he was aged 87. He was flown back to the UK after ... Keep reading
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Mercedes defends staff contract strategy

Abiteboul said Mercedes is being "unfair" in the way it locks down staff to lengthy gardening leave spells to delay them switching to other F1 teams.The Renault chief said the "aggressive" contractual terms are bad for F1 because they prevent the spreading of knowledge that keeps the grid competitive.But Wolff defended Mercedes and suggested that Abiteboul's comments came abo ... Keep reading
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Brutally honest: Lauda quizzed by the F1 paddock

For more than 40 years Niki Lauda has been one of the most prominent characters in the F1 paddock. From humble beginnings as a pay driver at BRM, he rose to become one of the sport's superstars, leading a stellar period in Ferrari's history.After dominating the 1975 season, he was heading for back-to-back titles in '76 before he suffered one of the worst accidents captured on film, at ... Keep reading
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Italy set to lose free-to-air F1 TV coverage

State broadcaster RAI has been the backbone of live TV coverage in Italy for decades, although it has been diluted by a move to Sky Italia in recent years.Until last season Italy operated a similar system to the UK, with all the races carried live by Sky Italia and nine live on RAI, together with highlights of the rest.Recent negotiations over 2018 arrangements led to RAI failing to ... Keep reading
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Renault was nearly a decade behind F1 rivals - Abiteboul

The former Benetton and Lotus team was Renault owned from 2001-09 and then reacquired ahead of the 2016 season.Although Renault won the 2005 and '06 F1 world championships in the first of those eras and won grands prix as late as '08, Abiteboul says by that time the Enstone facility was already suffering from a lack of investment that would escalate under its subsequent Genii ... Keep reading
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How you can help create a Formula 1 car

When the 2018 Renault Sport F1 car fires up for the first time, there will be some very proud engineers within the team and a handful of them will be pinching themselves.For a couple of the young engineering students, the sight of the first Formula 1 car they have helped build will be the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.You can lay the blame at Lego. Those small building blocks that ... Keep reading
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Inexperienced line-up not a handicap for Williams - Mansell

Williams announced Sergey Sirotkin would partner Lance Stroll this season, with the two drivers having a combined age of 41, which is three years older than Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.The team signed Robert Kubica as its development and reserve driver, with the aim of using his experience to provide support to the drivers and push car development.Mansell said that while having an ... Keep reading
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Cosworth keen on Aston Martin F1 engine partnership

Aston is keeping a close eye on developments with F1's 2021 engine rules, and is keen on re-entering grand prix racing as an engine supplier should the new rules substantially reduce costs.Red Bull says it would be open to running an engine supplied by its new title sponsor in future, and Aston says it has entered discussions with potential partners about developing an engine to the ... Keep reading
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Formula 1's billion-dollar problem

After a year of grace while it found its feet, Formula 1's new owner is about to find out just how tough it can be to square circles in modern grand prix racing. Social media strategies, 'fan engagement' and experimental grid ceremonies are all well and good to start with, but now it's time for the serious stuff.Few would disagree with appointing Ross Brawn to a senior position and ... Keep reading
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How F1 will build on its eSports success story

Cold hard cash in the bank was all that seemed to matter.But some new-world thinking from Liberty Media to embrace gaming, McLaren's World's Fastest Racer project, a move to eSports team management by Fernando Alonso, and a brilliant bit of finger waving from F1's official F1 eSports Series winner in Abu Dhabi helped deliver perhaps the biggest off-track success story for the sport's ... Keep reading
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Mercedes reveals 2018 car launch date

The German squad will unveil the new car on February 22, the same day as Ferrari plans to reveal its 2018 single-seater and one day ahead of McLaren, which announced its launch date on Thursday as well.The car will be launched at the Silverstone circuit, where it will have its initial shakedown. ... Keep reading
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McLaren, Toro Rosso set launch dates for 2018 F1 cars

The Woking-based outfit has big ambitions for the year ahead following its change of engine supplier, having overcome some packaging headaches to fit the new power unit in its chassis.Read Also:F1 2018: Launch dates, calendar, line-ups and testing scheduleThe car will be presented the day after Ferrari unveils its new 2018 car.No location has been revealed for ... Keep reading
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