The 2008 F1 grid has almost taken shape – all the teams bar Super Aguri have their new cars out and only Williams are yet to (officially) reveal their final livery. Toro Rosso are going to start the season with last year’s car. So, who’d got the best looking racer? Cast your vote below.
Keith Collantine's articles on RaceFans
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing.
F1 blogs review – Racism and more
Posted onThe row over racism in Formula 1 following the abuse of Lewis Hamilton in Spain last week propelled the sport onto the front pages of many newspapers and led to a frenzy of coverage. Here’s a cross-section of reaction from a range of blogs including sites about F1, Spain, general sport, black people and more, … Continue reading F1 blogs review – Racism and more
IRL-Champ Car reunion: it’s looking good
Posted onMore promising news today that not only might the IRL and Champ Car finally re-unify, but they might even do it in time for the 2008 season. This can only be good news for open wheel racing in America. The prospect of Justin Wilson, Graham Rahal, Paul Tracy et al taking on Dan Wheldon, Marco … Continue reading IRL-Champ Car reunion: it’s looking good
Comparing the 2008 F1 cars
Posted onIt gets harder and harder to spot the differences between F1 cars. But it’s always interesting to see which teams have copied ideas from their rivals, or given up on a flawed concept – or desperately bolting wings onto any available surface in a desperate bid to increase downforce. This year, wheel shrouds are in, … Continue reading Comparing the 2008 F1 cars
F1 news review: McLaren pulled back into spy row
Posted onTop McLaren personnel Ron Dennis, Martin Whitmarsh, Paddy Lowe and Mike Coughlan (who is still ‘suspended’ rather than ‘fired’) are among those to face questioning from Italian magistrates conducting their own investigation into the spying case. Plus further developments in the Lewis Hamilton racism row, interviews with past F1 greats Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, … Continue reading F1 news review: McLaren pulled back into spy row
Force India reveal their 2008 F1 car: the VJM01
2008 F1 season
Posted onForce India have revealed the livery for their first F1 car, dubbed the VJM01. The car is last year’s Spyker F8-VII B-spec in an attractive new white, gold and dark grey livery with red stripes. Force India also seem to have attracted several new sponsors which is an encouraging sign for a team that is … Continue reading Force India reveal their 2008 F1 car: the VJM01
2008 F1 testing round-up 6: Bahrain
Posted onFerrari and Toyota left the other F1 teams behind by testing in Bahrain this week – perhaps McLaren wished they’d followed them after the events at the Circuit de Catalunya? It may prove an advantage for them as the other teams are not likely to test at Bahrain before its Grand Prix, but Ferrari and … Continue reading 2008 F1 testing round-up 6: Bahrain
Bernie Ecclestone makes demands for Silverstone
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has explained what Silverstone need to do if it is to keep the British Grand Prix for 2010 and beyond. It gives rare insight into how stringent his requirements are: What other countries would normally do is enter into a commercial agreement. We would want a letter of credit to cover two years’ … Continue reading Bernie Ecclestone makes demands for Silverstone
Video: F1 testing at Barcelona (part 3)
Posted onHere are two more videos of the recent Formula 1 tests, covering the session most of the teams attended last week at the Circuit de Catalunya. It includes footage of Red Bull’s unusual new rear engine cover design as well as a couple of the drivers making mistakes and going off.
Kimi Raikkonen shows Ferrari speed at Bahrain
Posted onShortly before the start of the 2004 season, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari tested the new Bridgestone tyres at Imola and suddenly found they were whole seconds quicker than the opposition. Kimi Raikkonen’s highly competitive lap times at Bahrain today may have reminded Ferrari’s rivals of that moment. But with only Toyota testing alongside them it’s … Continue reading Kimi Raikkonen shows Ferrari speed at Bahrain
F1 news review: racism row
Posted onThe British papers today have some conflicting reports on the reaction in Spain: “Spanish media chose to overlook latest incident” (The Times) “Spanish view: ‘Hooligans’ abuse Hamilton” (Daily Telegraph) I’m not sure I agree with The Times’s opinion piece. Some F1 sites have reported about coverage of the incident in Spain, although it is unclear … Continue reading F1 news review: racism row
Mansell takes second win amid Apartheid controversy
1985 South African Grand Prix flashback
Posted onFormula 1 was one of the last sports to abandon apartheid South Africa, though several teams boycotted the final 1985 race on the original Kyalami circuit.
Was Dennis to blame in McLaren’s Hungary row?
Posted onAt the heart of last year’s biggest controversy, the after-effects of which were still visible in the spectator enclosures at Barcelona this weekend, is a rather pathetic row about who swore at who in the heat of the moment. The explosive fall-out between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the Hungarian Grand Prix set in … Continue reading Was Dennis to blame in McLaren’s Hungary row?
2008 F1 testing round-up 5
Posted onFerrari and Toyota stayed away from this week’s test at the Circuit de Catalunya, and with Super Aguri still absent that left eight teams testing at the track near Barcelona. The test was marred by ugly scenes as some of the spectators that showed up hurled racist taunts and abuse at Lewis Hamilton. And for … Continue reading 2008 F1 testing round-up 5
F1 must take a stand against racism
Comment
Posted onYesterday I wrote that “I haven’t seen any evidence of a racial motivation” in the attacks Lewis Hamilton has been subjected to in Spain this week. Today damning evidence of that fact has come in from a number of sources, the worst being of four spectators at the track with blacked-up faces and gorilla masks … Continue reading F1 must take a stand against racism
Williams denies leaked photos show 2008 livery
Posted onPhotos of the new Williams have been leaked on the internet for a second year in a row. Three pictures showing the 2008 Williams livery appeared on the website of new clothing partner MacGregor. Williams denied that the pictures shows the car in its definitive form, claiming they were evaluating potential liveries for the car … Continue reading Williams denies leaked photos show 2008 livery
The future of the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has been quoted in an Australian newspaper casting doubt on the future of the race: Maybe we don’t want to be in Australia. Our costs are very high in Australia and we get a lot less money. It’s bloody bad for us. We’ve got quite a few places on the list that would … Continue reading The future of the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne
In it for the hate
Posted onTrack officials at the Circuit de Catalunya closed one of the spectators enclosures during today’s F1 testing at the circuit after prolonged abuse aimed at the McLaren team from a group of spectators. Anti-Hamilton and McLaren banners have been commonplace during testing this winter, most of which is conducted at Spanish venues such as Jerez, … Continue reading In it for the hate
F1 blogs review: Kazuki Nakajima’s crash
Posted onWith the season drawing ever closer there’s more activity on the F1 blogs – here’s 18 articles worth reading I came across this week. Read on for thoughts on the Renault launch, Kazuki Nakajima’s crash, Gilles Villeneuve and – as always – Lewis Hamilton.
MES denies teams could cheat on traction control
Posted onMcLaren Electronic Systems has denied that F1 teams could find a way around the new-for-2008 standard engine control unit. It follows a complaint from Jarno Trulli that some teams might have found away around the system to restore the banned traction control. MES CEO Peter van Manen said: Once you have decided to have a … Continue reading MES denies teams could cheat on traction control