F1 Insight
Formula 1 analysis and race pondering
596 posts
- Opinion
A Lament for F1
F1 Fanatic has an article today on domination of one driver in F1 and NASCAR. As it always does, this develops in the comments into a comparison between the two forms of motor sport and I am led to muse once again on…
- Races
Thoughts on the Brazilian GP 2009
There is very little to say about the Brazilian GP that has not been said already but I will try. It was a good race with plenty of action throughout the field and (dare I say it) the best driver on the day won. Mark…
- Races
Thoughts on the Japanese GP 2009
I was so pleased that the GP was to be held at Suzuka again after a two-year absence that my expectations may have risen above the possible. Yes, it is a great circuit but it is just as capable of producing a…
- Drivers
Reflections on the Silly Season
Now that Ferrari has confirmed Alonso as their driver alongside Massa for 2010, the silly season really gets going with rumors putting drivers "definitely" in one seat or another. In fact, only the Alonso move is…
- Races
Thoughts on the Singapore GP 2009
From the moment that Barrichello slid into the wall in qualifying, thereby ending Q3, this looked like Lewis Hamilton's race. From pole position he is generally unbeatable, sailing off into an increasing lead from the…
- Races
Practice in Singapore 2009
The more I see of the Singapore circuit, the more I like it. Others may complain about the difficulty of overtaking there but that is true of every GP venue these days; apart from that, the track is varied, interesting…
- Regulations
The Nonsense of Engine Parity
I find it quite surprising that, to the best of my knowledge, no one has questioned the FIA's announcement that the manufacturers will be allowed to "re-tune" their engines to establish equality. Does it not occur to…
- Politics
The WMSC on Renault
Predictably enough, the WMSC has been lenient in the Renault race-fixing case, handing out a suspended ban on the team and doing what they could against the identified culprits, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds. Clearly,…
- Teams
BMW Sauber Prospects
Were it not for the explosion of interest in the Renault/Singapore scandal, the big news this week would have been the sale of the BMW Sauber team to the Swiss investment company, Qadbak. As a supporter of the team, I…
- Opinion
Strategy and the Renault Affair
Today's big news is the departure of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds from the Renault team , coupled with the company's statement that it will not contest the allegations of race fixing at the WMSC hearing. Reading…
- Races
Thoughts on the Italian GP 2009
The F1 calendar seems so lop-sided at times. We have groups of the most featureless tracks imaginable and then the best two circuits on the calendar arrive one after the other, rather like British buses. I suppose the…
- Races
Qualifying at Monza 2009
This appeared to be the battle between the competitors for Mercedes favor; all six of the German company's engine customer cars making it through to Q3 and only Raikkonen's Ferrari was able to enter the family squabble…
- Teams
Distributing the Mercedes Cash
Mercedes is apparently in talks with Brawn GP at the moment, hoping to buy into the team while retaining their links with McLaren. One can understand why they should be so interested in Brawn, the team having produced…
- Politics
F1 Finds More Muck to Rake
Sometimes it seems that F1 cannot go five minutes without some sort of scandal running in the background. Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, the Brazilian press reports Piquet Jr's allegation that…
- Races
Thoughts on the Belgian GP 2009
It seems I should pay more attention to my gut feelings; as mentioned in my previous post and despite my hope that Heidfeld or Fisichella would win this one, my foreboding that it would be Raikkonen proved correct. He…
- Races
Qualifying for the Belgian GP 2009
What a wonderful place is Spa-Francorchamps. The circuit exudes atmosphere and history, the memories of brilliant races and wonderful moments piling in upon us as we view the swooping curves, the steep gradients amongst…
- Misc
The Sport of F1
Keith Collantine has begun an interesting debate on whether F1 is a sport, sparked by the Indian Minister of Sport's assertion this week that it is not. Although I agree with Keith that the statement was really an…
- Teams
Red Bull and Fashion
I have come to the conclusion that Red Bull are the most fashion conscious team in F1, at least when it comes to engines. When Dietrich Mateschitz first bought the team at the end of 2004, it continued with Cosworth…
- Races
Thoughts on the European GP
The race in Valencia went some way to redeeming its reputation as worst circuit of the year, I thought. Although this was one of those races decided by pit stop strategy rather than on the track, the battle between the…
- Races
Qualifying in Valencia 2009
I don't care what they say, I quite like the race in Valencia. The setting is certainly atmospheric, with long, sweeping straights alongside the water, a very distinctive bridge and even the industrial section giving…