Peter Sauber, who recently bought back his old team from BMW, has been granted the final entry for the 2010 Formula One season. The news ends months of speculation after BMW decided to withdraw earlier in the year. A deal with Qadbak fell through and the future of the team [...]
It is my belief that Jenson Button, the most triumphant driver of the 2009 season, has won the first and last world championship of his Formula One career. While my crystal ball is not always accurate, I feel Button’s move to McLaren may prove to be his downfall. I also [...]
Jenson Button currently remains unsigned for the 2010 season, this despite winning the drivers title with a race to go and contributing towards the Brawn team winning the constructors championship. With negotiations apparently stumbling around the issue of money, Button was reported by the Guardian newspaper as having visited McLaren’s [...]
In a press conference held earlier this morning in Tokyo, Toyota announced it is to withdraw its participation in Formula One with immediate effect. The news comes after much speculation all year that the Japanese marque could be another to succumb to the economic crisis, similar in vein to Honda [...]
With the 2009 season completed many teams and suppliers are taking the opportunity to make announcements regarding their futures. Earlier today Williams stated that their driver line-up will change for next season (favouring Barrichello and Hulkenberg) and Brawn are expected [...]
Williams today have announced their 2010 driver line-up, the team unsurprisingly opting for current test driver Nico Hulkenberg and Brawn refugee Rubens Barrichello. The Brazilian driver finished the 2009 season in third while team mate Jenson Button took the championship, and Nico Hulkenberg took his first GP2 title.
The announcement [...]
Former Ferrari principal Jean Todt has won the election to become the FIA’s next president, beating Ari Vatanen with 135 votes to 49. Max Mosley, who has presided over the organisation since 1993 decided to not run again earlier in the year after controversial measures were intended to be implemented [...]
It has been a long time coming, but this afternoon Jenson Button clinched the 2009 World Championship with a drive to fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix. In a race full of incident that started in qualifying with a terrible run to fourteenth, Button hauled his way through the field [...]
The Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the 2009 championship, is due to unfold before our eyes. Rubens Barrichello will lead the field from the start and will be hoping to retain his position as the gaggle of cars thread their way around the Senna Esses. Jenson Button will [...]
If qualifying is anything to go by, the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix should be interesting if not anything else. However, while the temperamental Sao Paulo weather caused havoc for Saturday’s running, the climate in the world’s second largest city has greatly improved for Sunday. Rubens Barrichello will be hoping for [...]
In an effort to lift the lifetime ban from motorsport imposed on him following the race-fixing scandal that came to light earlier this year, Flavio Briatore intends to lodge papers in the French courts on Monday that will see him start a fightback against the FIA. [...]
The qualifying weights of the top-ten qualifiers and the declared weights of the remaining ten drivers have been published by the FIA and from what we have been told we can work out who did well in qualifying and who didn’t do so good. We can also estimate the first [...]
The grid has finally been completed for the Brazilian Grand Prix after the session was deluged under heavy rain and thunderstorms. However, despite all the problems that the drivers endured around the Interlagos circuit, it was Rubens Barrichello who took pole position and will lead the field through the Senna [...]
I think it is fair to say that in their first season since returning to broadcast Formula One to British fans, the BBC have done a pretty good job. There are few gripes which I know many are happy to vocalise at any given opportunity, but I speak for myself [...]
Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix has been a complete wash-out as rain storms have saturated the Interlagos track in Sao Paulo. The circuit suffered a huge storm earlier in the day and the rain continued to fall for most of the afternoon. Claps of thunder and bolts of lightning [...]
Qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix will start under clouds dispensing rain onto the track, but currently it seems as though the session will not be delayed. Below are the live notes from all three stints and the qualifying result post will be updated after each session. Jenson Button, Rubens [...]
With rain pouring down on the Interlagos circuit, the drivers commit themselves to the penultimate qualifying session of the 2009 championship. All contenders have been speaking of the pressure being on their rivals, but it is clear that all are desperate to perform well and either cement their position or [...]
Please note, this grid is very much subject to change. The FIA have stated they will publish the final grid prior to the race on Sunday morning, and until then we are all left to guess. The reason for the sudden disruption to the regular running is because of the [...]
Several drivers have felt the wrath of the FIA this weekend during the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session. The afternoon was hectic and saw many accidents as drivers skated over gravel traps and contacted barriers. With several red flags and many more yellow flags, the stewards were having a field [...]
In a difficult session that saw Mark Webber not take part and several red flags caused by drivers going off-track, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has triumphed in taking pole position for tomorrow’s race. The first of the day’s incidents actually took place in the third practice session prior to qualifying, [...]
After an interesting race around the streets of downtown Singapore, Lewis Hamilton has added to his victory tally with a lights to flag win. Timo Glock gave the Toyota board something to talk about after the German driver came through to second with a mature drive and Fernando Alonso took [...]
Following qualifying for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix held at night time under the artificially-lit street circuit, we can now see the grid in its entirety, including any penalties received. So far, only one driver has been demoted from their original qualifying position, Rubens Barrichello having to take an unscheduled gearbox [...]
The FIA have published the measured and declared car weights from the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying session and from the data they have provided, we can make a fairly good guess as to which lap the drivers will make their first pitstop, and how many they are likely to make [...]
With only four races to go the 2009 Formula One Championship is heating up to a grand finale in around six weeks time. right now though, the circus is in downtown Singapore and dealing with artificial light and strange sleeping schedules as the sport enjoys it’s second night race. Qualifying [...]
Qualifying is due to begin in a little under thirty minutes and here is the results post that will be updated just after each session is completed. The McLarens looked good during free practice and Lewis Hamilton topped the third and final fun earlier in the day. However, both Jenson [...]
Singapore’s second practice sessions wrapped up earlier and while Brawn continue to look strong, they weren’t quite as dominant on their second runs with Sebastian Vettel taking the top spot for Red Bull Racing. Fernando Alonso also improved and managed to get his Renault in to P2 while Heikki Kovalainen [...]
The first of the evening’s free practice sessions wrapped earlier today (UK time) and it seems as though Brawn are continuing their comeback dominance with Rubens Barrichello leading Jenson Button at the top of the timing sheet. The pair led throughout the 90 minute run and Barrichello edged ahead of [...]
As a result of the WMSC investigation in the race-fixing scandal that has recently gripped Formula One, the Renault team have received a two year suspended disqualification. The lenient punishment comes after the WMSC agreed that the Renault team acted swiftly and [...]
The Renault Formula One team has received a two year suspended disqualification following the revelation that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds asked Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately crash his car during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to better his team mate’s chances of victory. The sentence comes after [...]
Controversy is a given in any sport, and although not always welcome, should be considered an inevitability when people are competing for the same thing and adhering to the same set of rules. Sometimes the controversy is trivial and inconsequential, other times it erupts in to an issue that engulfs [...]
After all was said and done, the one-stop strategy worked out best as both Brawn drivers threaded their way through to take a one-two finish at Monza. Both Jenson Button and race winner Rubens Barrichello completed one single pitstop this afternoon, out-performing the McLaren of Lewis Hamtilon and the Ferrari [...]
Heikki Kovalainen is on the fuel-adjusted pole position just ahead of Rubens Barrichello, but on the actual pole position sits Heikki’s team mate Lewis Hamilton. Adrian Sutil sits alongside the leading McLaren in his best ever qualifying performance, and all talk is of strategies. A one-stopper is about 5 seconds [...]
With qualifying over with, we now have the grid for the 2009 Italian Grand Prix. Although the fuel loads are yet to be published by the FIA, it is clear (and has since been confirmed) that the Brawns are on a one-stop strategy, and therefore looking very good for the [...]
The final European race of the season sees the Formula One circus in Italy and at the historic Monza circuit. There are a couple of driver changes for this grand prix, with Giancarlo Fisichella piloting the second Ferrari and fellow Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi taking over his seat at the Force [...]
Although currently living off Honda’s money for this year, Brawn have seemingly been quite casual when it comes to finding sponsors. Getting Richard Branson’s Virgin group of companies onboard was a good step, but recently the British entrepreneur has stated that he will not continue his sponsorship of the team [...]
Following the news that Giancarlo Fisichella had been given the opportunity to drive for Ferrari as substitute for the recuperating Felipe Massa, Force India have promoted their test driver and once Scuderia Toro Rosso pilot Vitantonio Liuzzi. Liuzzi, who has 39 race [...]
After much speculation it has been announced that Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella has been released from his contract with Force India in order to substitute the recuperating Felipe Massa at Ferrari for the remainder of the 2009 season. It was recently announced that Felipe would not return to racing this [...]
The FIA have announced that they are launching an investigation into the inaugural 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in which Fernando Alonso sensationally won for Renault having had a key element of the race fall into his lap at just the right time. [...]
So it would seem that my Fantasy Racers effort is following that of Jenson Button’s championship dream at the moment; right down the swanny. I decided to make more of an effort this time and shifted out a lot of driver after Valencia and each of my [...]
Every now and then, Formula One has a great weekend when everything falls into place and everybody leaves the circuit or turns off the television feeling good, irregardless who you support or cheer on. The 2009 Belgian Grand Prix has been won by Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn’s first win of [...]
Having won the Belgian Grand Prix from Giancarlo Fisichella and Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen took his first victory of the year for both himself and the Ferrari team, partly with thanks to slick pitwork on each of his two pitstops. The safety car played a huge part in the strategies [...]
Updated live as the race unfolds, here is the result of the Belgian Grand Prix (unless you’re reading this prior to the start of the race). Will Giancarlo Fisichella be able to convert his pole from yesterday into a maiden win for the Force India team, or will Jarno Trulli [...]
Round twelve of the 2009 Formula One World Championship is about to get underway, and the grid certainly looks a little different to what we are used to. Giancarlo Fisichella will lead the pack as the lights go out, and with fellow Italian [...]
The FIA have published the measured and declared weights of all the runners and riders for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix. With a Force India on pole position, it had been expected that Giancarlo Fisichella was light on gas. As you will see in just a moment, the Italian is not [...]
With qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix complete, we can see the grid in all its glory, albeit slightly strange and breaking from the usual run. On pole we have Giancarlo Fisichella, followed by fellow Italian Jarno Trulli. It is Force India’s maiden pole and the first for Fisichella in [...]
In a sensational qualifying session that saw some big names fail to impress, it came down to the Force India team and Giancarlo Fisichella to put in a mighty performance. The experienced Italian driver went fastest in the first run, was up with Jarno Trulli in the second and clinched [...]
Qualifying has just been completed at the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, and the session threw up a few surprises. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button lost out in the second run, failing to progress out of Q2, and Luca Badoer failed to make it out of Q1, backing his F60 [...]
Believe it or not, there are a fair few drivers out there right now who are available to drive the second Ferrari, and more importantly, would love to drive the second Ferrari. With Massa recuperating at home in Brazil, the drive is perhaps one of the most sought after right [...]
The ninety-ninth photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. He had a disastrous weekend in Valencia, but somehow Luca Badoer managed to ride through and keep his seat for this weekend’s [...]
Not only does August mark the start of the driver silly-season, but also that of the engines. The teams who are supplied with power-plants – the non-manufacturers – are looking carefully at their contracts and wondering if the grass is any greener elsewhere. Two teams that have come into the [...]
The Honda-owned Suzuka circuit will continue to host the Japanese Grand Prix it has been announced, the decision to continue at the track for another two years being reached today between Suzuka officials and Bernie Ecclestone. The race had recently been alternating between Suzuka and Fuji International Speedway, a decision [...]
The worse performance in the Fantasy Racers competition yet, I believe. None of my teams broke out of the 500 points mark and BlogF1 Racing were thrashed by Inner Pickle Racing, the latter claiming 65 more points than the former. The failure to check up on what [...]
Valencia proved to be a mix bag in terms of strategy, with many teams and drivers opting for two-stops, but a fair few attempting just one scheduled stop. although the incidents at the start of the race meant that although a few drivers did realistically make one stop in terms [...]
Rubens Barrichello has taken his first race win in five years, the Brazilian’s career tenth and remounts his championship challenge by moving back into second place and eighteen points shy of Jenson Button. The race proved to be relatively unexciting, but with another new winner for 2009, the season is [...]
The Mclaren duo have locked out the front row and with their KERS-enabled cars, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen look good for another great result, this time around the streets that make up the dock area of Valencia. Brawn are running a slightly better strategy in terms of fuel, but [...]
As the season enters its second and final stage, with just seven events to run, the championship is really heating up. Brawn have had the wind taken out of their sails, and Red Bull Racing have improved along with McLaren who dominated in Hungary and have dominated the qualifying in [...]
The FIA have published the weights of the top ten in qualifying earlier and the declared weights of the bottom half of the grid ahead of tomorrow’s European Grand Prix. From this, we can estimate the first pitstop of all the runners by taking [...]
The grid has been decided for Sunday’s European Grand Prix, and after a fairly steady qualifying session, it is McLaren who will lead the pack away when the lights go out, Lewis Hamilton taking pole position ahead of team mate Heikki Kovalainen is second.Brawn did reasonably well with Rubens Barrichello [...]
After four weeks away, Formula One returns to action this weekend with the European Grand Prix, held around the docks of Valencia. Felipe Massa is not racing this weekend as he recovers at home in Brazil, and in his place sits Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer. The Italian last raced [...]
With the return of Formula One action come the regular posting schedule over the course of the race weekend. Below are the notes from qualifying for the European Grand Prix, taken down live as the sessions unfold in front of us all. From the free practice runs yesterday and this [...]
The second session from yesterday’s free practice runs proved to be exciting as local hero Fernando Alonso set about entertaining his devoted fans that lined the street circuit. The Spanish double champion posted a fast lap time that remained until until the one-third distance. With an increasingly improving track though, [...]
Rubens Barrichello topped the morning free practice session on Friday, beating the McLarens and team mate Jenson Button and setting a lap time around the streets of Valencia that was 0.176s clear of Heikki Kovalainen. Sebastian Vettel led the Red Bull charge with P5 and 0.1s ahead of Adrian Sutil [...]
The ninety-eighth photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. With the imminent release of the latest installment in the Terminator film franchise during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend this year, the [...]
Michael Schumacher has been forced to cancel is much-reported temporary comeback as a substitute for the injured Felipe Massa, owing to an injury the multiple world champion suffered while testing a superbike earlier in the year. Schumacher had been in training for his stand-in duties for Ferrari and underwent a [...]
When BMW announced to the world they would be withdrawing from Formula One at the end of 2009, the Swiss-German squad had the option to either find a buyer for the team or close down the operation. The FIA apparently gave [...]
The ninety-seventh photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. Here we have Rubens Barrichello in Monaco earlier this year. A part of the new rules for 2009 states that drivers have [...]
Nelson Piquet Jr has confirmed one of the sport’s worse kept secrets of late; he won’t be driving the Renault R29 anymore, as with immediate effect the young Brazilian is no longer employed by the Enstone-based team. The rumours of Piquet’s exit had been circling the driver since about mid-2008, [...]
The FIA have announced the long awaited Concorde Agreement – which will run until the end of 2012 – has now been signed by the teams and current FIA president Max Mosley. The agreement concludes a long battle between FOTA and the FIA that at times, [...]
With the ideas that were being bandied around in the previous post regarding the future of Nico Rosberg, I suddenly realised that the silly season is imminent. Of course, in this day and age of long (and short)-term contracts being announced in [...]
Nico Rosberg, prior to the start of the 2009 season, was making suggestions that he is not entirely happy with his situation at the Williams team, and that perhaps when his contract is up at the end of the year, he may look elsewhere for a drive. The young German [...]
In the build up to the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend, much of the talk in the paddock and on the Internet was the debut of the sport’s youngest ever competitor. But it wasn’t so much that Jaime Alguersuari is very young, [...]
With a current ban on in-season testing, that has already posed many questions about the usefulness of test drivers and the difficulty now facing up-an-coming drivers who want to break into the Formula One, Michael Schumacher has found an interesting way around the problem. The seven-time world champion is apparently [...]
Michael Schumacher has added to the shock value of the news this week by sending off the relevant paperwork to the FIA requesting a super license. The seven-times champion has been asked by Ferrari to make a return to the cockpit to substitute the injured Felipe Massa in Valencia. The [...]
The shock decision made by the BMW board that the Formula One operation would be withdrawn from the championship from 2010 onwards has sent further shockwaves through the sport, following on from Honda’s withdrawal late last year. The news comes after a disappointing season for the Hinwil squad, and will [...]
The ninety-sixth photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. Following Lewis Hamilton’s return to the top of the podium at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the celebrations were enjoyed by all [...]
With a four week break in the Formula One action, I thought I would pass some of the time by reviewing what I’ve been getting up to this year. One thing I decided to do back in December of last year was to enter in the widely acclaimed [...]
The race at Hungary this afternoon was quite hectic at times, and during the event Kimi Raikkonen was being investigated for his actions at the very start. There were two other incidents of note during the grand prix that the stewards didn’t initially state they were investigating, but after the [...]
The Renault Formula One team have been suspended from taking part in the next race at Valencia at the end of August. The suspension comes after Fernando Alonso’s wheel came off during the race following the wheel-bin working loose and unraveling the wheel nut. This means Fernando Alonso will not [...]
It would appear I am getting better at this Fantasy Racers malarkey, which is good because there is no better way of leaving Formula One for it’s four week break than on a high. It means I can gloat for a good month before it all comes [...]
Below is the strategies table from the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw a high number of retirements for 2009 – three drivers failed to make the chequered flag. Of all the strategies employed, everybody went with a two-stopper, taking out unscheduled visits to the pitlane for damage repair. Most drivers [...]
Lewis Hamilton has returned the McLaren team to the top of the podium with a convincing victory at the Hungaroring. The race, which saw only nineteen runners, was supposed to be a dual between Fernando Alonso and the similarly powered Red Bull duo. But a good start from the reigning [...]
The Hungarian Grand Prix is due to commence in a short while, this race being the last before the four week break. Fernando Alonso has taken a timeless pole position to head the pack down to the first corner, but right behind are the heavier Red Bull drivers of Sebastian [...]
Listed below are my notes from the Hungarian Grand Prix, updated as the race unfolds before us. Lewis Hamilton will be wanting to get by the Red Bulls before the first corner, and Fernando Alonso is very light and expected to be the first to pit this afternoon. Conversely, Rubens [...]
Felipe Massa this evening is resting his tired head after having an operation at Hungary’s AEK hospital in Budapest. The Ferrari pilot was airlifted from the Hungaroring to the city’s hospital following a high-speed accident in qualifying which left the Brazilian with concussion and damage to his skull. Thankfully, Massa [...]
The FIA have published the weights of the top ten qualifiers and the declared weights of the remaining ten cars following the qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Using Williams’s reckoning of the Hungaroring using 2.48kg of fuel over a normalised distance of 5km, [...]
Here is the grid for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix, which will be updated should any penalties be handed out between now and the race start. At the front we have Fernando Alonso on pole, his first since 2007, but the Spaniard is already ruling out race victory. Right behind are [...]
In what can only be described as an eventful qualifying session, that as predicted proved to be exciting from start to finish, Fernando Alonso has taken his first pole position since the Italian Grand Prix in 2007. From Q1 to Q3, many drivers looked to be competitive, and after Felipe [...]
The final shots from the second stint in qualifying showed Felipe Massa’s Ferrari F60 buried quite deep in the tyre barrier at turn four. While no footage has been shown of exactly what happened, Massa remained in the car, although he was moving his head and appeared to be speaking [...]
Lasting approximately one hour, qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix shuld prove to be just as exciting as the other sessions this year. Scuderia Toro Rosso are debuting Jaime Alguersuari, and McLaren appear to have found some serious pace in the MP4-23, running well in all three practice sessions. Red [...]
The Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying is due to get underway in a little over 30 minutes, and here is the results post that will be updated shortly after each session has come to a close. Many drivers are saying that this and the next few races after the summer break [...]
Ferrari’s leading driver Felipe Massa has clarified his comments regarding rookie pilot Jaime Alguersuari and further pointed out the issues surrounding the in-season testing ban currently in place. While Alguersuari did a good job in his practice sessions yesterday and this morning, many drivers on the grid had concerns prior [...]
The second free practice session came to a close a short while ago and McLaren have compounded their initial pace by topping the tables once again, this time with Lewis Hamilton getting the better of his team mate and setting fastest lap time around the Hungaroring. Heikki Kovalainen wasn’t too [...]
The Hungarian free practice sessions began earlier this morning, and by the end of the first ninety-minute stint, it was McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen who led the way, setting the pace with a lap time just a fraction faster than Nico Rosberg in the Williams. Kovalainen’s team mate Lewis Hamilton wasn’t [...]
Christian Horner announced yesterday that the Red Bull Racing team he manages will continue its relationship with German Grand Prix winner Mark Webber. The news of Webber’s contract extension means that the squad will retain the same driver pairing for the next season, which has already proved quite successful with [...]
Much fuss has been made of the name used by Team USF1 since the project was rumoured and then further confirmed by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor. You perhaps wouldn’t think the name of a Formula One team is overly important, and although the sport does have some impressive marques, [...]
Amid all the political wranglings that have gripped the sport recently, news of Ken Anderson’s and Peter Windsor’s newly created Team USF1 have slipped beneath the radar. However, Autosport are reporting that the new car is progressing well and slowly but surely, the Charlotte team is coming together. Anderson expects [...]
The FIA has criticised the way presidential candidate Ari Vatanen suggested last week that the motoring organisation is supporting Jean Todt’s campaign to succeed Max Mosley. Current president Mosley has voiced his backing of the former Ferrari boss, which although widely expected, still sends a slightly dubious message out to [...]
The ninety-fifth photograph to feature in BlogF1’s caption contest. You know the drill, think of something funny and witty to say and leave it as a comment below. With the news that Sebastien Bourdais has been dumped by Scuderia Toro Rosso in favour of upcoming driver Jaime Alguersuari, I thought [...]
Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari has been confirmed as a Scuderia Toro Rosso pilot for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Should Jaime compete in the race on Sunday as planned, he will become Formula One’s youngest ever competitor, breaking the current record set by Mike Thackwell back in 1980. Obviously Alguersuari [...]
Death in motor sport has thankfully become something of a rarity in recent years, which given the fact that drivers pound their bodies and machines around circuits at terrifying speed is a true testament to the tireless work on improving safety. However, despite the decline in frequency of the sport [...]
