F1 Insight
Formula 1 analysis and race pondering
596 posts
- Races
Barcelona GP 2009
As races at Barcelona go, this one held rather more than the usual amount of interest. Felipe Massa's good start to enter the first corner ahead of the two Red Bulls was the pivotal point in the race, ensuring that…
- Races
Qualifying in Barcelona 2009
Button grabbed pole position at the very last in qualifying for the Spanish GP today but, for a long time, it looked as though he would not manage it. Barrichello had been quicker throughout the sessions until then and…
- Races
Practice in Barcelona 2009
The expected shake-up in the order just did not happen in the practice sessions in Barcelona. The teams to beat are still Brawn, Red Bull and Toyota, Williams is still putting on a great show with quick times and the…
- Regulations
A Quiet Amendment
The recent fuss over the FIA apparently introducing the "winner takes all" system for deciding the drivers' championship in 2010 has now been deflated by an amended F1 regulations document being published on the FIA…
- Races
Waiting for Barcelona
On to Barcelona and the Spanish GP, ignoring politics for the weekend at least! As the first race back in Europe this year and the place where all the teams will be fitting at least some improvements to the cars, this…
- Teams
Don't Forget Toyota
An odd thing is happening. I am beginning to be quite kindly disposed towards the Toyota team. They have been such a perfect example of how big corporations should not approach F1 that it was easy to get into the habit…
- Politics
The Flav Chucks Out His Toys
I am constantly amazed at the petty nature of some of supposed leaders in F1. In previous posts, I have pointed out Mosley's tendency to use insult instead of reasoned argument when answering his critics; and…
- History
A Two-tier Formula
Although much fuss has been made over Max Mosley's idea of a voluntary budget cap, thereby creating a two-tier formula, this is not the first time that F1 has seen such a creature. In 1966 the FIA introduced the 3 liter…
- Regulations
Reflections on Rule Changes
In the wake of the voluntary budget cap for 2010 announced by the FIA, several changes to the regulations have been added and these are summarized in a useful Pitpass article today. As I have pointed out already and…
- Regulations
Cost Cuts and Cosworth
The FIA has now published a Q&A document on the cost capping decisions made by the WMSC and it can be found here . It makes for an interesting read but contains no real surprises; I had my say on the matter yesterday so…
- Regulations
Suspensions and Budget Caps
Well, after all that, McLaren has been handed a suspended three-race ban in the World Motor Sport Council hearing today. Effectively, this amounts to accepting that the team has been punished enough; all McLaren has to…
- Races
Thoughts on the Bahrain GP - Part Two
For the third year in a row, Williams have produced a car that looks good in pre-season testing, then swiftly loses ground to the competition once the races start. Usually this is blamed on the team having less to spend…
- Races
Thoughts on the Bahrain GP - Part One
I think there can be no doubt that Toyota had the fastest car in Bahrain, and that by a considerable margin. They did everything right before the race, Trulli producing one of his specialty laps to get pole by nearly…
- Races
Bahrain GP 2009 - The Race
Strategy, tires and luck all played their parts in Button's well deserved victory in Bahrain but perhaps the most important factor was Lewis Hamilton. His excellent start vaulted him into third behind the Toyotas and,…
- Races
Bahrain GP 2009 - Qualifying
The two Toyotas made the breakthrough to the front of the grid in qualifying today, Trulli remarkably quicker than Glock in spite of carrying more fuel. Both are fuelled light and Vettel, in third spot and with enough…
- Races
Bahrain GP - Friday Practice Sessions
The first practice period for the Bahrain GP was largely devoted to the teams working on long runs. BMW used the opportunity to go out on soft tires and set the second and third best times, probably as high as they will…
- The Future
All Change in Formula One
Yesterday's news that Lola are considering a return to F1 was very welcome in spite of the company's ill-starred attempts in the past. Most fans will recall how poorly Lola chassis did in the eighties and nineties but I…
- Regulations
Thoughts on the ICA Ruling
The FIA International Court of Appeal has now released its findings in the double diffuser appeal and it has to be said that it is a model of rational legal thinking. To put it in a nutshell, it cuts through the crap.…
- Technical
Kubica and Trulli again
Robert Kubica's collision with Jarno Trulli in Sunday's Chinese GP, apart from being the most spectacular incident in the race, was also strangely reminiscent of the Pole's horrendous crash in the Canadian GP of 2007.…
- Races
China - Red Bull Shines in the Wet
Well, well, well, it seems that Adrian Newey designs a good car for the wet. The Toro Rosso was the car to have when it rained last year and this time it's the Red Bull, as demonstrated by both Sebastian Vettel and Mark…