David Coulthard bows out this weekend after 246 Grands Prix, slightly less than Rubens Barrichello, who doesn’t know yet whether this will be his last Grand Prix. Rubens wants to stay at Honda and some of his performances lately have been strong as he drives home his candidacy. Jenson Button wants him to stay and says that Ross Brawn believes Rubens is driving better now than when he was at Ferrari. Knowing when the game is up is the classic dilemma of the ageing racing driver. DC, like Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher has acknowledged that he cannot do this wonderful job any more and set up a dignified retirement plan. Rubens, like Nigel Mansell, is likely to be retired by the sport, despite still feeling the fire in his belly. But the faint chance that he may hold on to his seat has kept him going this year. He saw DC making his announcement at Silverstone, but opted not to follow him. If this is the end for Rubens, there is unlikely to be any … [Read more...] about David and Rubens – to quit or not to quit?
David wasco
Carlos Sainz ‘looks like he’s been doing workouts with Mike Tyson’ as pace improves
David Coulthard said it looked as if Carlos Sainz has “been doing workouts with Mike Tyson” such was the Spaniard’s feistiness of late. Sainz is like a man reborn having secured two poles in the last two races and a victory in Singapore, moving from a possible second driver at Ferrari to the leading star. Away from the track, Coulthard took note of the demeanour of Sainz who he commented was arriving at the track in a no nonsense manner. Carlos Sainz poses an intimidating presence says David Coulthard For any driver, confidence is a huge factor in their performance and can often be the difference between a qualifying lap that gets you in the top 10 and one that gets you pole position. Sainz may not have always seemed the most confident driver, one that is perhaps swayed by emotions, but in the last few races he has approached the track with a single mindedness to be at his best and it has been picked up on by Coutlhard. “He’s studied hard and he’s had one of the best … [Read more...] about Carlos Sainz ‘looks like he’s been doing workouts with Mike Tyson’ as pace improves
Mini eMastered Is A $150,000+ Luxury EV Restomod With 110 Miles Of Range
The classic Mini was the go-to mode of affordable personal transportation for British drivers for several decades before the brand was bought by the BMW Group in 2000. It came to life during a fuel crisis and it was simple, cheap to buy, and cheap to run, thanks in no small part to the clever design penned by Alec Issigonis. With this being said, there are now specialist companies out there that are doing their best to transform the classic British two-door into something much more refined, luxurious, and well put together, for quite a lot of money – much more than the original car ever dreamed of getting. And while Singer is well-known for its Porsche 911-inspired creations, David Brown Automotive made a name for itself in the Mini restomod business, offering built-to-order machines with leather-filled interiors and modern amenities like electric windows, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and engines that are a bit more powerful than when they left the factory floor some … [Read more...] about Mini eMastered Is A $150,000+ Luxury EV Restomod With 110 Miles Of Range
Motorsport Live launches the Motorsport Valley Tour
London, UK - April 12, 2019 – Motorsport Live , the events and ticketing arm of Motorsport Network , today launched the Motorsport Valley Tour for superfans seeking a first-hand insider’s view of Formula 1. The Motorsport Valley Tour is a world-first for the highly competitive, ultra-secretive world of Formula 1. The expertly-curated two-day event will give participants an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience with three leading Formula 1 teams including Red Bull Racing, Williams and SportPesa Racing Point, and a visit to McLaren. The first Motorsport Valley Tour takes place on the 15 th & 16 th of July immediately following the British Grand Prix . The itinerary starts at McLaren’s state-of-the-art headquarters designed by Sir Norman Foster, where participants will be invited to take part in a pit stop challenge under the expert guidance of a representative of the race team pit crew. From one legendary team headquarters to another, the tour … [Read more...] about Motorsport Live launches the Motorsport Valley Tour
Singapore first impressions
As this is such a new event and there is so much interest, I thought I would pen an occasional blog over the course of the weekend with extra information and behind the scenes insight. It’s Thursday night and everyone is still at the track, because it’s lunchtime in Europe and most people in F1 are staying on European time. It’s a bit weird going about your daily business at night, but for anyone who has done Le Mans or journalists who have covered night time football matches, it’s fairly normal. My plan is to get to the track around 3pm local time each day and leave around 2am. The problem then is that your body is telling you that it is dinner time, but your watch is saying ‘go to bed’. Some of our TV crew were in the hotel bar last night at 2am (which is fairly normal) and David Coulthard was apparently there, ordering his dinner, as it was the only place still open! He was trying to stay up until 4am. Apparently it is critical that the drivers eat their meals at the … [Read more...] about Singapore first impressions
Oscar Piastri extends McLaren stay and Mercedes deny Lewis Hamilton claims – F1 news round up
As time ticks down until the Japanese Grand Prix, there was still plenty of news to come out of Formula 1 today. From contract extensions to a corner renamed in honour of bees, there was plenty to get stuck into on Wednesday, September 20. Here are all the headlines from the day: Oscar Piastri commits to McLaren While there is plenty of talk about the future of his team-mate, Oscar Piastri took another step on his F1 journey as he signed an extension to his McLaren deal. Despite only joining this year and with another season to run, McLaren have acted on Piastri’s impressive performances in his rookie season and tied him down until the end of the 2026 season. Piastri said: “I am thrilled to be extending my partnership with McLaren for many years. I want to be fighting it out at the front of the grid with this team and I am excited by the vision and foundations that are already being laid to get us there. “The welcome that I have received and the relationships that I have … [Read more...] about Oscar Piastri extends McLaren stay and Mercedes deny Lewis Hamilton claims – F1 news round up
Former F1 driver worried Lewis Hamilton will miss out on eighth title after Mercedes extension
Opting to stick with Mercedes instead of chasing a Ferrari seat, Johnny Herbert fears that’s the end of Lewis Hamilton’s chances of securing a record-breaking eighth World title. As Hamilton and Mercedes discussed the finer points in a new contract, several notable pundits urged the Briton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari. That, the likes of Eddie Jordan felt, would be a match made in heaven while moving in 2024 would give the Briton enough time to build Ferrari up into the team he wants in order to chase number eight. Johnny Herbert rules out Lewis Hamilton winning an eighth World title Instead, Hamilton put pen to paper on a new $50m Mercedes contract , one that will see him remain with the Brackley squad through to the end of the 2025 season. It’s also one that Herbert fears has brought an end to his chances of winning an eighth World title. “He may be aware of what may be happening in the future with Mercedes and has been satisfied that is where his future is,” he told … [Read more...] about Former F1 driver worried Lewis Hamilton will miss out on eighth title after Mercedes extension
Vettel’s win – good for business?
Sebastien Vettel’s win in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was a fairytale for Toro Rosso, but something of a headache for their competitors. Toro Rosso is a customer team, probably the purest example of the breed. They get a car from Red Bull Technologies, which is essentially the same as the Red Bull, except for the Ferrari engine and its installation equipment. Their win is not good news for the teams who manufacture their own car, like Williams and there have been some murmurs that the old battles may be opened up again in light of Vettel’s win. It’s one thing to score four or five points here and there, quite another to be winning races and have 27 points on the board! Sponsors ask awkward questions like, “Why can’t we do that?” and conspiracy theorists have a field day, because the team is officially up for sale. If you were an Abu Dhabi squillionaire thinking about buying Toro Rosso, wouldn’t a nice win and a strong position in the constructors table be just the thing to … [Read more...] about Vettel’s win – good for business?
The blame game – 2005 United States GP at Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, June 21, 2005 – Let’s pass blame around for this debacle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in what was intended to be the sixth annual US Grand Prix here. It turned out to be a six-car show with only Michael Schumacher’s intimidation of teammate Rubens Barrichello while exiting the pits from his second stop to excite any one of the remaining fans at the Brickyard. It’s estimated the Speedway had 130,000 on the grounds before 1PM EST but they began filing out shortly after the “start." This “race” was a yawner after all 14 Michelin-shod drivers retired before the official start, completing only their formation lap. All, including polesitter Jarno Trulli went immediately to their garages. Michelin vs Bridgestone Start the blame game with Michelin, who did not fully study the changes to the road-oval circuit after resurfacing and subsequent diamond grooving between the 2004 Brickyard 400 and the Indianapolis 500. In pre-May tire tests, Firestone engineers … [Read more...] about The blame game – 2005 United States GP at Indianapolis