martin whitmarsh

Christian Horner Tells McLaren to Stuff It

Thumbnail image for Christian Horner Tells McLaren to Stuff It April 7, 2011

Whenever the Red Bulls run quickly, rumors quickly surface about the legality of their cars.  Last year, the FIA was prompted by McLaren to verify the compliance of the Red Bull’s front wings on more than one occasion.  The Red Bulls always passed their tests, even when the standards were made more stringent. This year, [...]

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Sebastian Vettel Takes Dominant Win in Oz

Thumbnail image for Sebastian Vettel Takes Dominant Win in Oz March 29, 2011

The 2011 Formula 1 season has begun much the way last season ended, with Sebastian Vettel leading the pack.  Sour grape specialists will argue that it was a case of Vettel’s being in the right car at the right time, but this is a familiar refrain, and one that has been leveled at most dominant [...]

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FIA to Review Track Design Hoping to Increase Overtaking Opportunties

Thumbnail image for FIA to Review Track Design Hoping to Increase Overtaking Opportunties March 9, 2011

While the FIA tweaks technical regs year after year in order to create overtaking opportunities for modern F1 cars (witness changes in front wings, rear wings, KERS, front wheel width, wheel base width and an assortment of other modifications that have been mandated by the sport’s governing body in just the past two or three [...]

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Red Bull and McLaren Say Team Orders Okay – If Voluntary

Thumbnail image for Red Bull and McLaren Say Team Orders Okay – If Voluntary November 11, 2010

Since the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim this year, the issue of team orders has been repeated run through the sausage grinder of public debate.  You will recall that Ferrari’s Felipe Massa moved over to let team mate Fernando Alonso pass, and take the win.  The order to Massa from the pits was heard on [...]

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Chris Horner and Martin Whitmarsh Do an About-Face on Team Orders

Thumbnail image for Chris Horner and Martin Whitmarsh Do an About-Face on Team Orders October 25, 2010

When Ferrari clumsily ordered to Felipe Massa to move over for Fernando Alonso during the German Grand Prix this year, granting Alonso the win, a hue and cry arose from the paddock.  Typical Ferrari, it was said.  They were more interested in playing favorites and backing the stronger horse than they were allowing their drivers [...]

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Christian Horner Says McLaren Used Button as a ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ in Suzuka

Thumbnail image for Christian Horner Says McLaren Used Button as a ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ in Suzuka October 12, 2010

Notably among the top qualifiers in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, Jenson Button employed an alternate tire strategy, starting on primes rather than the options.  This meant that his first tire stint would be the longer of his two stints during the race.  On effect of this was that the race leaders, after making their obligatory [...]

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Button Says Vettel Doesn’t Deserve Title, While Whitmarsh Calls Him a ‘Crash Kid’

Thumbnail image for Button Says Vettel Doesn’t Deserve Title, While Whitmarsh Calls Him a ‘Crash Kid’ August 31, 2010

While Lewis Hamilton’s win at Spa should be dominating the sports media, it seems that the McLaren pilot’s victory is taking a back seat to Sebastian Vettel’s faux pis of crashing into the side pod of Jenson Button’s McLaren, effectively ending the race of both drivers, and seriously hobbling their title chances. Button was livid [...]

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Martin Whitmarsh Backs Away from Movable Rear Wings for 2011

Thumbnail image for Martin Whitmarsh Backs Away from Movable Rear Wings for 2011 July 1, 2010

FOTA chairman and McLaren honcho Martin Whitmarsh has begun to equivocate over the proposed technical reg update regarding movable rear wings.  The proposed rule would allow drivers to control their wings to reduce downforce on straightaways.  The rules would restrict their use to overtaking maneuvers, however, and only in pre-determined passing zones when a trailing [...]

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Martin Whitmarsh Predicts McLaren Will Shine at Canadian GP

Thumbnail image for Martin Whitmarsh Predicts McLaren Will Shine at Canadian GP June 8, 2010

It’s obvious to even a casual observer that the McLaren team has been closing the gap on Red Bull Racing since the beginning of the 2010 season.  While Red Bull has certainly been the class of the field over all, at Istanbul weekend before last McLaren showed that they could run at more or less [...]

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F-Ducts Banned for 2011

Thumbnail image for F-Ducts Banned for 2011 May 11, 2010

Only five races into the new season, FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) has agreed to ban F-ducts for 2011.  McLaren introduced the F-duct technology at the beginning of this season.  It’s been something of a boon for the MP4-25, which struggles a bit for downforce.  The F-duct, which stalls airflow over the rear wing on [...]

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