formula 1

Is Formula 1 for Sale?

Thumbnail image for Is Formula 1 for Sale? April 20, 2011

There’s an old Hollywood joke that runs something like this: Two old style movie producers (think portly, bald, expensive Italian suits, too much gold jewelry and leathery tans) are wandering around in the dessert (God knows why, but this is Hollywood, where most narratives aren’t expected to make much sense), about to die of thirst.  [...]

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Will Civil Unrest Disrupt the Season-Opener in Bahrain?

Thumbnail image for Will Civil Unrest Disrupt the Season-Opener in Bahrain? February 17, 2011

There are growing concerns that the Formula 1 season-opener in Bahrain might be threatened by the civil unrest that has erupted in that country in the wake of the recent events in Egypt.  Yesterday, thousands of demonstrators congregated in Pearl Square in the capital city of Manama.  In the early hours of Thursday morning, they [...]

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Back to the Future in F1 with Ground Effects and Turbos

Thumbnail image for Back to the Future in F1 with Ground Effects and Turbos September 4, 2010

The current configuration of Formula 1 cars was developed to improve overtaking opportunities.  When one car follows another, the  air turbulence thrown off by the rear wings reduces the ability of a following car to attain adequate downforce to maintain grip.  This makes close racing, and overtaking, very difficult.  To mitigate this “dirty air” problem, [...]

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Pirelli Selected as Sole Formula 1 Tire Supplier

Thumbnail image for Pirelli Selected as Sole Formula 1 Tire Supplier June 23, 2010

Pirelli has been selected as the official tire supplier for Formula 1.  The new deal with Pirelli is for three years. The FIA had been dragging its heels in making a decision on this, to the extent that the top F1 teams, who  have already begun planning next year’s cars, have had to use data [...]

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Fans and Teams Say the Show Was Boring, Bernie Says Be Patient

Thumbnail image for Fans and Teams Say the Show Was Boring, Bernie Says Be Patient March 17, 2010

Bernie Ecclestone is making an effort to instill calm in the troops.  Amidst a unanimous clamor that the season-opener in Bahrain was exceptional only in the level of tedium it produced, Ecclestone has encouraged teams and fans alike to reserve judgment. In the aftermath of Sunday’s race, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh called for an immediate [...]

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Tentative Lineup at Jerez Test This Week

Thumbnail image for Tentative Lineup at Jerez Test This Week February 17, 2010

The tentative line-up for this week’s test at Jerez has been released.  As has been the usual practice for teams thus far, they’ll be following a rotational pattern, rather than having drivers overlap on the same day, for the most part.  There are a couple of exceptions, but for the most part, the drivers will [...]

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More Rain Forecast for This Week’s Test at Jerez

Thumbnail image for More Rain Forecast for This Week’s Test at Jerez February 16, 2010

In another illustration of why a severely restricted pre-season test window is ineffective in Formula 1, rain is predicted for the four-day test meeting at Jerez this week.  This means that at least two of only four allowed pre-season tests will be rain-soaked.  While this will give the teams an opportunity to experiment with wet [...]

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Raikkonen Says a WRC Crown Would Mean More Than His F1 Title

Thumbnail image for Raikkonen Says a WRC Crown Would Mean More Than His F1 Title January 11, 2010

Kimi Raikkonen, in a pronounced case of sour grapes, has said that winning a World Rally Championship title would now mean more to him than his Formula 1 crown.  As reported in Autosport, the Finn went on to say, “I’m just starting out and I can sense what a long journey it would be to [...]

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New Win-Weighted Points System Approved for 2010

Thumbnail image for New Win-Weighted Points System Approved for 2010 December 12, 2009

The FIA has agreed to implement a new points system for Formula 1 in 2010.  The new scheme will award points to the top 10 finishers, respectively, in the following increments: 25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1. This replaces a system that was put in place in 2003, largely as a countermeasure to prevent the kind of drama-deflating dominance that [...]

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Button and Brawn Still at Loggerheads

Thumbnail image for Button and Brawn Still at Loggerheads November 11, 2009

It seems that Ross Brawn and Jenson Button are still at loggerheads in their contract negoations for 2010.  As has been well publicized, both Button and his team mate Rubens Barrichello took steep pay cuts in 2009 to help ensure the survival of the team.  Apparently, this was done with the understanding that their former [...]

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