Category: Formula 1


Next stop Europe: our recap on the F1 season so far

Filed under: Caterham, Ferrari, Force India, Formula 1, Marussia, McLaren, Mercedes GP, Motorsport, Red Bull, Sauber, Williams by Maithri Jayasuriya — Leave a comment
May 11, 2013

Vettel was full of apologies following the ‘Multi-21′ controversy, but Webber would hear none of it. (Image | AP)

Formula 1 is back this weekend as the fun and games comes to Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona after a three week absence following the Bahrain Grand Prix. Whilst it hasn’t perhaps started off with the bang that was last year, the action has been simmering just nicely to really take off over the next few races, and the level of intrigue remains high. So it is perhaps worthwhile recapping what has passed over the course of the first four races.

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Five questions ahead of the Chinese GP

Filed under: Ferrari, Force India, Formula 1, HRT, Lotus Renault, Mercedes GP, Motorsport, Red Bull, Toro Rosso by Rob Schatten — Leave a comment
April 13, 2013
The Chinese Grand Prix, now in its ninth year as a Formula 1 venue, is host to plenty of talking points this weekend (Image | providingnews.com)

The Chinese Grand Prix, now in its ninth year as a Formula 1 venue, is host to plenty of talking points this weekend (Image | providingnews.com)

Two rounds down, seventeen to go, and the 2013 Formula 1 season is already shaping up to be a rather intriguing, and at this stage utterly unpredictable, affair.

There are already a great number of talking points following the curtain-raiser in Melbourne and last weekend’s eyebrow-raiser in Sepang, but we’ve taken four to examine and highlighted the three teams in most turmoil up and down the grid…

1) Are team orders still acceptable in Formula 1?

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TAP’s top sporting tips for 2013

Filed under: Cricket, Football, Formula 1, Manchester United, Motorsport, Premier League, Tennis, The Ashes, UEFA Champions League, Wimbledon by Chris King — 1 Comment
January 8, 2013

As another sporting year begins there may be a certain feeling that nothing could top the unforgettable year of 2012, which saw a magnificent Olympic Games, the European Championships, a British Grand Slam winner after so long and much more.

Mario Balotelli | Why, oh why is it always him? (Image | Manchester City FC)

Mario Balotelli | Having once again hit the headlines after a row with manager Roberto Mancini in training, we ask: why, oh why is it always him? (Image | Manchester City FC)

However, there are more than enough prizes to be decided over the next 12 months, some of which are fairly easy to predict, while others remain very much open to debate.

The Armchair Pundits, therefore, has taken a look at the calendar and pinpointed five “sure-fire successes”, some of which are bound to be as controversial as Mario Balotelli and about as likely as Tom Daley being handed his own diving-themed show on televi… Oh, hang on.

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Ferrari protest risks tarnishing fantastic F1 season

Filed under: Ferrari, Force India, Formula 1, Lotus Renault, McLaren, Mercedes GP, Motorsport, Red Bull, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Williams by Rob Schatten — Leave a comment
November 28, 2012

As Sebastian Vettel slides past the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne on the run down to Turn 4, the yellow flag indicators can clearly be seen showing on his dashboard, either side of the timing screen. This would seem to suggest that the pass is illegal, which could result in a penalty for the German. (Video | YouTube)

This is the moment which could ruin Sebastian Vettel’s hat-trick of Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship crowns.

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Formula 1 returning to France would be a victory for the sport’s heritage

Filed under: Formula 1, Motorsport by Chris King — Leave a comment
October 31, 2012

Return | Formula 1 looks set to come back to France, five years after the French Grand Prix was wiped off the calendar. (Image | Formula 1 On Live)

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone announced on Sunday that the sport could soon be returning to France in the wake of construction delays in New Jersey, that have caused the Grand Prix of America to be postponed until 2014.

It could go one of two ways: south to Circuit Paul Ricard, which has not hosted a race since 1990, or back to Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, in central France.

So what does this mean for the sport? Firstly, it could mean the return of a classic racing circuit steeped in history, the setting for 17 Grand Prix races between 1991 and 2008, and almost certainly signifies at least one journey to the land of Proust, De Gaulle and Prost.

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Mercedes ditch Schumacher as Hamilton walks out on McLaren

Filed under: Formula 1, Mercedes GP, Motorsport by Chris King — Leave a comment
September 28, 2012

All smiles | Lewis Hamilton will drive for Mercedes GP next year. (Image | Planet F1)

The world of Formula 1 was moderately stirred earlier today by the announcement that Lewis Hamilton is set to join Mercedes GP. Having been at McLaren for six years, the 27-year-old driver moves to Mercedes hoping to reignite his title challenge.

Hamilton currently sits fourth in the drivers’ world championship, behind Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus-Renault, Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Fernando Alonso, his former nemesis, at Ferrari.

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A sad farewell to Sid Watkins

Filed under: Formula 1, Motorsport by Rob Schatten — Leave a comment
September 19, 2012

Sid Watkins, the doctor who worked for 25 years to improve safety in Formula 1, died last week aged 84. (Image | LAT)

Most people, even the majority of Formula 1 fans, will never have heard of Dr Sid Watkins until his passing last week was announced on national news. Little will they know, then, just how much is owed to one of the most important figures in F1′s safety advancements of the 1980s and  90s.

Watkins’ career and input in F1′s recent history can barely be measured until you look at the reaction of the professional racing community on Twitter.

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Five observations following the Belgian GP

Filed under: Ferrari, Formula 1, Lotus Renault, McLaren, Mercedes GP, Motorsport, Red Bull by Rob Schatten — Leave a comment
September 2, 2012

A horrifying crash at La Source removed Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean on the first lap but Jenson Button steered clear of chaos to win (Image | Sutton/Corbis)

Jenson Button returned to winning ways at the Belgian Grand Prix at historic Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, notching up his first victory since the season’s opening round in Australia with an utterly dominant lights-to-flag display. Managing to run a one-stop strategy following the opening lap carnage, Button’s incredible consistency helped him preserve both his tyres and his healthy lead for the duration of the 44-lap race.

I had intended to post a ‘Five Questions’ article ahead of this weekend, but I plain ran out of time between work and writing other pieces, so I’m flipping the script. Here, instead, are my five observations in the aftermath of a highly entertaining afternoon’s racing.

1) Is there a better circuit in Formula 1 than Spa?

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Raikkonen an outside bet for title as championship intensifies

Filed under: Ferrari, Formula 1, Lotus Renault, McLaren, Motorsport, Red Bull by Billy Sexton — Leave a comment
August 14, 2012

Coming up on the rails | Kimi Raikkonen‘s metronomic consistency, combined with a forthcoming major upgrade for Lotus, could see the Iceman become a serious title contender over the second half of the season (Image | AP)

Somewhat overlooked due to the Olympic Games, the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton record his second victory of the season to reignite his title bid, but the result observers should have been more wary of was the second place of Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen.

Raikkonen’s second place was his fifth podium of the season and although a win still eludes the Iceman (and Lotus), he has only failed to score points on one occasion this season - a record eclipsed only by championship leader Fernando Alonso. What’s more impressive about Raikkonen’s performance at Hungary is that he finished just over a second behind Hamilton, with the victor even admitting that had the race been at a circuit where there are more overtaking opportunities, he would have struggled to keep the blistering pace of the Lotus at bay.

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The sporting highlights of the summer

Filed under: England, Ferrari, Football, Formula 1, Germany, Golf, International, Italy, London 2012 Olympics, McLaren, Motorsport, Open Championship, Red Bull, Spain, Tennis, The Netherlands, UEFA European Championships, Wimbledon by Chris King — Leave a comment
July 25, 2012

A long road | As the Olympic torch has been transported up and down the country, Olympic fever has slowly begun to take hold, despite the negative press surrounding the Games. (Image | The Sun)

It really has been a vintage summer of sport. The superb entertainment offered by the 2012 European Championships, England notwithstanding, Andy Murray reaching the Wimbledon final and Bradley Wiggins‘ dominance of the Tour de France will live long in the memory of sports fans everywhere.

Not only this, but arguably the most prestigious, and potentially exhilarating sporting event of the summer, is yet to even begin. It is the London 2012 Olympic Games to which that reference pertains, which unofficially begin tonight (with Women’s Football group games) and have already been hitting the headlines, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

Away from transport dilemmas, the issue of packing an extra 10 million visitors into London and the G4S debacle, the Olympic Games celebrate the greatest sporting talents of athletes from across the world. If you claim to be a sports fan, yet this somehow fails to excite you, may I suggest a quick examination of your pulse.

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