Keith Collantine's articles on RaceFans

Have you, like me, spent the past two weekends in the pits of despair and misery with no F1 or Moto GP action? If so you will doubtless be ruing the development of the F1 summer break for ruining that excuse to get out of a walk or picnic or some other wholesome activity. But … Continue reading Summer holiday

The inaugural Turkish Grand Prix has rightly been hailed a success. After the inevitable last-minute organisational panic the facility was, more or less, ready, and certainly in a better shape than Bahrain was for its first race last year. Turkey is typical of a recent trend for emerging, progressive countries to advertise their success and … Continue reading Editorial: Vote Formula One!

Fernando Alonso is taking nothing for granted as he closes in on the World Championship title. After all, another Renault driver failed to win the title in similar circumstances in 1983: Alain Prost. Alonso may be sitting pretty at the top of the championship table but, with six races left in 2006, his closest rival … Continue reading Editorial: Renault’s Regret

Showdown! After a demanding period of racing unprecedented in the history of Formula One, the ten teams now face a three-week break in which to ready themselves for the final six races of this gruelling 19-event calendar. But for three teams in particular this short reprieve is just the calm before the storm, as the … Continue reading Showdown!

Not for the first time in 2005, Ferrari’s controversial stance on testing has drawn serious criticism. Not only have they continually refused to subscribe to the testing limits agreed by all the othe teams, but they have now reneged on the previous agreement not to test during the summer break. Ferrari’s reasoning is simple enough: … Continue reading Editorial: A question of sportsmanship

The first major driver change for 2006 has been confirmed: Felipe Massa will replace Rubens Barrichello at Ferrari. Barrichello is rumoured to be heading for BAR. Massa has secured one of the best drivers in Formula One despite an inauspicious career to date. In 2002 he was beaten 11-5 in qualifying by team mate Heidfeld … Continue reading Massa’s the man for Ferrari

Can it really be 19 years since Formula One made its first, tentative steps into the Eastern Bloc? The F1 circus first came to the Hungaroring in 1986, celebrating the spirit of glasnost that introduced the world’s most capitalistic sport into the Communist heartland of Hungary. On that weekend the tiny Zakspeed team even celebrated … Continue reading Editorial: Kicking the habit

Having just spent a fortnight touring round the Midwest of the USA, I managed to squeeze in a couple of NASCAR races and an IRL event on the TV. After all, when you have a 24 hr motor sports channel in your hotel room, Mount Rushmore pales in comparison. Now while I will never be … Continue reading Smile for the cameras

Since the first attempts at banning electronic driver aids in 1994, the Formula One rules have been in a state of constant upheaval. But by failing to understand its past, the sport’s authorities have misdirected its future. The changes to F1 since 1994 have radically altered the nature of the sport, driven teams to bankruptcy … Continue reading Editorial: Permanent Revolution

If Fernando Alonso was cruising to the title before his German Grand Prix victory, expect him to be coasting around the Hungaroring with one hand on the wheel this weekend. Meanwhile title rival Kimi Raikkonen will be flat-out all the way on the off chance that his MP4-20 permits him a trouble-free weekend and maybe, … Continue reading Hungarian Grand Prix 2005 Preview

Much has been made of the FIA survey’s revelation that – shock, horror – F1 fans want to see more overtaking. But one crucial aspect of the survey has gone without sufficient comment – the need for more teams. The FIA survey revealed that 69% of Formula One fans think that there are not enough … Continue reading Editorial: More F1, please