I am excited to begin the 2018 season by announcing the arrival of Dieter Rencken as F1 Fanatic’s new columnist.
Dieter will bring F1 Fanatic readers fresh news from the paddock, exclusive interviews with the sport’s major players plus his unrivalled insight into the political and economic realities of motorsport.
Several of the biggest F1 news stories of 2017 were broken by Dieter. These included the end of McLaren’s relationship with Honda, which also brought about Carlos Sainz Jnr’s move to Renault, as well as Force India’s new title sponsor and dramatic new colour scheme.
His years of experience in the paddock and deep knowledge of F1’s complex finances means he is uniquely placed to inform fans about the changes which shape their favourite sport. There is no better example of this than the unequal payment structure between Formula One Management and the teams, a subject which Dieter has drawn much attention to.
This will be a crucial year for Formula One following its change of ownership. The new owners are committed to expanding and modernising the sport and have shown they are unafraid to challenge convention. F1 fans are eager to understand their plans and F1 Fanatic will continue to be an independent voice for them.
This is only the beginning of F1 Fanatic’s plans for 2018. I look forward to sharing more details with you in the months ahead.
I will leave it to Dieter to expand on his reasons for joining us at this time in the first of his columns for F1 Fanatic, which will be published on Wednesday. In the meantime I hope you’ll all join me in welcoming the newest member of our F1 Fanatic community: @DieterRencken.
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Phylyp (@phylyp)
8th January 2018, 12:07
Nice news! At a time when Motorsport’s various acquisitions were being talked about, and its impact on the F1 sites, it’s nice to see F1 Fanatic beefing up its contributors ranks with this!
Looking forward to the first – of many – articles on Wednesday.
Lele
10th January 2018, 1:16
QFA.
We need a different voice than Liberty’s own, Kudos to Mr. Rencken for the courage.
72defender (@72defender)
8th January 2018, 12:09
Awesome stuff!
Neil (@neilosjames)
8th January 2018, 12:13
Great news. I often read Dieter’s stuff when I had my Autosport+ subscription, and as you say he did a great deal to highlight the revenue distribution problems I also consider to be a huge issue.
Will look forward to his future contributions.
KnGS (@)
8th January 2018, 12:15
Great news Keith! The future is looking very bright indeed for F1 Fanatic. Will be eagerly waiting for Dieter’s first article on Wednesday.
Rahnarl Smenves (@rahnarlsmenves)
8th January 2018, 12:25
Great news, welcome Dieter!
Joao (@johnmilk)
8th January 2018, 12:30
so instead of Dieter Rencken, racing lines will he hear Dieter Rencken, F1 Fanatic?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
8th January 2018, 12:32
@johnmilk That’s pretty much the plan!
Joao (@johnmilk)
8th January 2018, 12:48
@keithcollantine as usual I’m going to step my boundaries and suggest that we can propose questions for the press conferences
talk about bad ideas
Joao (@johnmilk)
8th January 2018, 12:33
Keith are you sure it is a good idea to tag him in the comments? We can be pretty annoying
Tristan
8th January 2018, 14:42
I knew the name was familiar, that’s so cool!
Potsie (@potsie159)
12th January 2018, 2:26
I only heard this news today about Dieter .. and that was going to be my first Question .. How often over the last several seasons have we heard that start to a question in the Drivers/Principals briefing … “..Dieter Rencken, Racing Lines..” ??? Too many to count. It will be great to hear ‘Dieter Rencken, F1 Fanatic’ .. lol. The first great signing of the 2018 season .. well done Keith!
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
8th January 2018, 12:31
Wunderbar, well done to all involved!
Egonovi
8th January 2018, 16:33
From memory, @DieterRencken is South African.
So maybe it should be “Pragtig”, or “Magnificent” ;)
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
8th January 2018, 16:56
Ah, cripes haha. Always sounded Germanic to me ;-)
Ninjenius (@ninjenius)
8th January 2018, 12:49
Fantastic news, Keith! Been following F1 Fanatic since 2007 and it always puts a smile on my face when I’m reminded of how far you and the site have come along since then.
Tango (@tango)
8th January 2018, 19:18
Same here (albeit two years later)
Sasquatch
8th January 2018, 12:50
Just as long as it doesn’t mean that F1 Fanatic is being consumed by Motorsport.com (like James Allen) I am all for it.
I am getting tired of reliable F1 sites being bought by this site, eradicating a lot of independent news sources.
BasCB (@bascb)
8th January 2018, 13:28
Yes, it is good, and maybe telling, that there are less and less reliable and independant sources left. Good news that F1Fanatic takes a step forward with this though.
Ju88sy (@)
8th January 2018, 15:52
We as consumers have ourselves to blame, the expectation that excellent content should be free to consume online (i.e. it has no monetary ‘value’ to us) vs print combined with the centre of gravity that Google & Facebook exert for brands A&P budgets. It’s no surprise that the market has consolidated in response, to benefit from centralisation in the absence of consumers paying for content.
Great news for F1-Fanatic with this addition!
bull mello (@bullmello)
8th January 2018, 17:35
Great news that Dieter Rencken is here now. Glad to see this site grow!
@ju88sy – The way Keith has set this site up is the best of both worlds I believe. No paywall, content is open to all. Pay a minimal amount for no adverts if you can and wish to. This is one of the few sites I do gladly and willingly pay for and support.
I remember when autosport put up their paywall and admitted they didn’t care if they only brought about 10% or less of their readers onboard for pay content. I understand the need for a business model for a news/info site to survive, but there is more than one way to do it.
Loen (@loen)
10th January 2018, 20:06
Very well put, @bullmello…!
There are still some very good people writing up F1,
but so many of them are disappearing behind expensive
pay-walls. Keith has got the balance exactly right
and the quality this site produces is first class.
As a large and powerful consortium gradually changes
F1 into the kind of sports show it best understands
and enjoys, it’s good to know that our values will
be well stressed, explained and fought for by a
great team which will stand up for the things that
matter a great deal to us.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
9th January 2018, 6:52
So subscribe to the website.
Shaun Robinson (@)
8th January 2018, 13:05
Brilliant, welcome Dieter!
petebaldwin (@)
8th January 2018, 13:06
Great acquisition Keith! It’ll make what is already the best F1 site even better. You’ll have to go all “Toto” soon and start pretending that Autosport are catching up to keep everyone happy! :D
Joao (@johnmilk)
8th January 2018, 13:17
this has to be the COTD ahah
Shimks (@shimks)
8th January 2018, 13:39
Hahaha! Go all Toto, indeed. I’m writing to Oxford University Press to get this included in the next edition of Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms! :)
Ciaran (@walsh-f1)
8th January 2018, 14:11
I fear for the tables in Keith’s house then
Todfod (@todfod)
9th January 2018, 8:38
@petebaldwin
Touche!
@keithcollantine . This is fantastic news for F1fanatics.
Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
8th January 2018, 13:14
Big news!!! (the Dacia Sandero…..)
Welcome @dieterrencken !
Well in Keith, great aquisition
Crom
8th January 2018, 13:26
Very cool, in the press conferences he usually comes up with good questions for drivers/team principals, so we can look forward to his contributions to this site
Balue (@balue)
8th January 2018, 17:48
Indeed, one of the few with sensible questions in the press conferences.
BasCB (@bascb)
8th January 2018, 13:26
That is indeed great news for F1Fanatic, superb development @keithcollantine! Looking forward to some really interesting reading from @dieterrencken.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
8th January 2018, 13:30
That’s an impressive coup! Well done Keith. Always enjoyed Dieter’s articles on Autosport.
Shimks (@shimks)
8th January 2018, 13:34
@keithcollantine, I am so happy for you. This is a major coup; a watershed moment for F1F. You have worked extremely hard to make this online publication the very best it can be and I really do believe it is the very best. My hearfelt congratulations to yourself and the team. Once again, thank you for the excellent output.
Tristan
8th January 2018, 14:41
+1
KP (@kp)
8th January 2018, 14:54
Lurker since 2007. What a terrific evolution from a hobby site to the current version on I take it on a very modest cost base. I would encourage all to at least contribute £1 every month.
+1
Lyndell D Wolff (@deadbrotherbear)
8th January 2018, 20:57
+1
I completely agree. Thanks for the great site!
Alex De (@alexde)
8th January 2018, 13:46
Well done and congratulation, @keithcollantine
Ciaran (@walsh-f1)
8th January 2018, 14:09
What a coup! A surprise and a very pleasant one at that Keith! Looking forward to this a lot, I love Dieter’s work.
leroy (@leroy)
8th January 2018, 14:36
Welcome!
Jere (@jerejj)
8th January 2018, 14:54
So from now on every time he asks a question in a press conference he will say ‘Dieter Rencken, F1 Fanatic’ rather than ‘Dieter Rencken, Racing Lines’ before asking the question.
GeeMac (@geemac)
8th January 2018, 14:58
This is great news.
Whenever a big news story is starting to gain traction I will always try get hold of something Dieter has written on the subject to see if the story has legs. If he thinks it’s happening, it invariably is.
Kie
8th January 2018, 15:01
Great news, super best F1 Site Keith. you winner
Ed Marques (@edmarques)
8th January 2018, 15:11
Wow! Amazing news!
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
8th January 2018, 15:13
Cool, welcome Dieter Rencken
Dave
8th January 2018, 15:22
Welcome Dieter!
Zad (@)
8th January 2018, 15:29
coolio
KimiRaikkonen1207 (@kimiraikkonen1207)
8th January 2018, 15:32
Massive step for the site, which has by now become practically my bible – Well done Keith!
Maciek (@maciek)
8th January 2018, 15:49
Super, looking forward to the columns!
bankelele (@bankelele)
8th January 2018, 17:39
Welcome Dieter. Looking forward to reading your column.
Gary
8th January 2018, 17:47
That’s impressive.
“Dieter Renkin, Racing Lines”
Nathan Builder (@nathanbuilder)
8th January 2018, 18:19
Hey, hey, hey! This is awesome news! :)
Billys (@bilarxos)
8th January 2018, 20:08
Welcome Dieter Rencken to F1Fanatic Family!
John H (@john-h)
8th January 2018, 20:54
Excellent news, congrats. Now all we need is @prisoner-monkeys to return and all will be complete!
PaulT (@pault)
8th January 2018, 21:06
@john-h +1
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
8th January 2018, 20:58
Really glad to see everyone is so enthusiastic about this. I’m very grateful for all your encouragement.
Thanks also to all of our F1 Fanatic Supporters, including those of you who have signed up today following this announcement, as it is vital to help us keep growing and expanding.
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
8th January 2018, 21:49
Welcome @dieterrencken ! I look forward to your columns.
Congrats @keithcollantine I look forward to your world domination of F1 journalism
andae23 (@andae23)
9th January 2018, 1:03
Fantastic news! F1 fanatic to the rescue :D
smudgersmith1 (@smudgersmith1)
9th January 2018, 3:32
A big welcome to my favourite F1 site.
PT (@pt)
9th January 2018, 4:28
This is really great news. Dieter’s in-depth articles in Autosport really penetrate deep into the workings of Formula 1, the FIA and the various companies and personalities involved in sponsoring and running the sport. And it is a testament to the reputation and popularity of Keith Collantine’s F1Fanatic that Dieter has decided to be one of its columnists.
Great job Keith, and welcome onboard Dieter!
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
9th January 2018, 5:25
Fantastic stuff Keith, you’ve done so well to grow this site into what it is today. You should be very proud.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
9th January 2018, 7:17
Great news!
Congrats @keithcollantine and welcome @dieterrencken.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
10th January 2018, 3:41
F1fanatic is loaded. Dieter is so independent that he’s extremely independent.
F1 Alleycat (@f1alleycat)
10th January 2018, 4:59
Fantastic news! As a big fan of @dieterrencken & a big fan of F1 Fanatic what’s not to love? I can’t wait to read what is guaranteed to be a fascinating column & the lively discussions it is likely to encourage amongst our members. Kudos to you @keithcollantine for having such a highly regarded & respected F1 journalist join your already excellent team & making it even better.
Bernie Jr
11th January 2018, 20:23
I don’t know, what do you rencken?
Sounds great as long as it doesn’t interfere with Dieter’s Box of Neutrals duties.
steveng
30th January 2018, 2:10
Hope this works as F1 is dead and more and more people are deserting the sport. Thank god for ‘motorgp’ as that is the only thing that is giving me any thrills in motor racing.
Robert P
13th March 2018, 22:50
Just read this today while searching for Dieter… I’m bookmarking the site immediately to add it to my regular racing news. I always enjoy reading Dieter’s work, and eons ago we both had bylines in F1Rumors.net.