Female runner loses shoe wins race

F1’s aerodynamics overhaul failed to deliver “significantly” closer racing, according to Mercedes’ technical director, who believes cars capable of tighter battles are “very different” to the 2022 machines. The FIA rolled out the first major update to its F1 technical regulations since 2014 last year, aiming to shake up the grid and appease fans’ demand for more overtaking action. The new cars took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their marquee modification, utilising ground effect to stick them to the track, instead of relying on the wings for downforce. This would decrease the influence of ‘dirty air’ on racing and allow drivers to follow each other more closely. Two rounds into the season, fans couldn’t believe their luck. The new regulations were setting the stage for a thrilling 22-race title battle, after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Their Red Bull and Ferrari machines were visibly more comfortable racing at … [Read more...] about Mercedes tech chief questions theory that new regulations have led to ‘significantly closer racing’

The first of 15 drivers who will contest Formula 1’s new all-female junior series has been announced. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free ART Grand Prix, one of the five teams which will contest the inaugural championship, has signed 25-year-old Swiss racer Lena Bühler as the first member of its three-strong squad. Bühler began karting seven years ago having previously raced BMX bikes. She moved into racing cars in 2020, finishing 15th in the Spanish Formula 4 championship. The following year she moved into the Formula Regional European series with R-ace GP, managing a best finish of 20th. Her return the following year was cut short, but she returned to racing in the Formula 4 UAE series this year. Her overalls bore Sauber Academy logos at this week’s round in Kuwait, but no formal tie-up has yet been announced. Bühler said she was pleased to be joining “a team with a fantastic record”. ART has won multiple championships in other series and taken four … [Read more...] about First driver confirmed for new female junior racing series F1 Academy · RaceFans

Max Verstappen’s chance to score a stunning victory in the Spanish Grand Prix became real when Red Bull switched his race-leading team mate to a three-stop strategy. After the race said team mate was unimpressed. “We threw the win away” lamented Daniel Ricciardo following his mid-race tactical switch. Did Red Bull make a tactical mistake? Red Bull facing a Ferrari threat On lap 16 at the Circuit de Catalunya Red Bull’s cars were running first and second but it was clear the chasing Ferraris had the potential to beat them. Before the race Christian Horner had said he was surprised his team had out-qualified the red cars, who lost their way with set-up in qualifying, but that Friday had shown Ferrari’s race pace was at least as good as Mercedes’. Sure enough, after Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen emerged from behind Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s lead was eroded. Vettel had cut Ricciardo’s six second lead to two, and the pair had Verstappen between them. … [Read more...] about Why Red Bull’s strategy was a success – but not for Ricciardo · RaceFans

Ahead of his first season on the F1 grid, Nyck de Vries has spoken about the “fine” line between focusing on the details and “overthinking” them. This season De Vries’s dream of racing in Formula 1 will be realised, the Dutchman signed by Red Bull to AlphaTauri. He caught the attention of Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, and the rest of the paddock too, with his points-scoring one-off appearance for Williams at last year’s Italian Grand Prix. That led to talks with Marko, the 79-year-old committing De Vries to a multi-year deal although he’s only confirmed as a AlphaTauri driver for the 2023 season. That means the pressure is on for De Vries, but he can’t let it get to him. Speaking about his strengths on this week’s AlphaTauri’s podcast, Tauri Talk , the driver acknowledged that often strengths can also be a weakness and that’s something he has to watch out for. “My commitment, determination but also my perfectionism is a great asset and a strength,” the … [Read more...] about Nyck de Vries on the mental conundrum he faces in his first full F1 season

More than a quarter of you correctly predicted Daniel Ricciardo would take pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix – but almost twice as many tipped Lewis Hamilton to claim the top spot. And with almost half of you picking Hamilton to win the race, many players scored well in the latest round of the Predictions Championship. Two players shared the top score of 29 points for this round, and @Solidg ’s excellent pole position time prediction earned them the top prize. The runner-up prize went to @PlayerPeet . In the overall points standings @Bokdawg edged back into a four-point lead. There are chances to win every race weekend and at the end of the season for the top scorers. The F1 Fanatic Predictions Championship is free to enter. You will need an F1 Fanatic account to place so sign up here if you haven’t got one . Enter your predictions for each race using the form below, and scroll down for more information on the prizes and the rules. Current F1 Fanatic … [Read more...] about 2016 Monaco Grand Prix Predictions Championship results · RaceFans

Jean-Pierre Jabouille, whose victory for Renault in the 1979 French Grand Prix heralded a new era of turbo-powered Formula 1 cars, has died at the age of 80. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free It was a deserved breakthrough victory, the culmination of years of development work and repeated failures of turbo engines. While it came in Jabouille’s third season with the team, it was only their second points-scoring finish. Alpine, the F1 team run by Renault, issued a statement expressing that it was “incredibly saddened” by Jabouille’s death. “A humble racing driver, brilliant engineer, and a pioneer of our sport. Jean-Pierre was a true racer,” Alpine said in the statement. “He spearheaded Renault’s journey into F1 in 1977 with his resilient and dare to do attitude. He was Renault’s first Grand Prix winner in 1979, a landmark moment in Renault’s journey in Formula 1. His determination and dedication to succeed inspired many, and these values remain central to … [Read more...] about Jean-Pierre Jabouille, 1942-2023 · RaceFans

Listen to this article On-screen graphics are regularly evolving to aid fans’ understanding of F1, while fresh camera angles and techniques are constantly explored to bring the on-track action alive. But no camera angle has got as close to giving fans a true feeling of what it is like inside the F1 cockpit than Driver’s Eye. Through a small 9mm x 9mm camera fitted to the padding of the helmet, fans are able to get a closer understanding of what the drivers can see through the visor, offering some spectacular footage. One of the finest moments last year came at the opening race in Bahrain, when Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen duelled for a series of laps for the lead. The F1 TV directors were able to switch to the Driver’s Eye camera in Leclerc’s helmet throughout the scrap, giving some incredible insight into how a race-winning overtake is executed from the cockpit. Designing a camera that is capable of delivering broadcast footage while fitting within the … [Read more...] about How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger

Nico Rosberg had gone 217 days without losing a point to Lewis Hamilton in the world championship. And he looked set to continue that streak as he led his team mate in the opening stages of last week’s Monaco Grand Prix. But when the call came from the Mercedes pit wall to let Hamilton by Rosberg didn’t hesitate to comply. Mercedes praised Rosberg’s willingness to let Hamilton through but it cost him dearly in the championship. His team mate went on to win the race, reducing Rosberg’s advantage over him from 43 points to 24. World championships have been won by far less. Will Rosberg regret not being a bit more ruthless? Was he right to follow Mercedes’ team orders? For The drivers are the teams’ employees and they are expected to do as they’re told. Rosberg knows this well: he had to sit behind Hamilton for lap after lap in the closing stages of the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix despite potentially being quick enough to pass his team mate. Arriving in Monaco this yer, the … [Read more...] about Was Rosberg right to let Hamilton pass? · RaceFans

Lewis Hamilton narrowly edged team mate and championship rival Nico Rosberg in second practice – but was then sidelined with a technical problem. Rosberg initially set the pace when the pair did their performance runs on the soft compound tyre, beating Hamilton by 0.053 seconds. But unlike his team mate Hamilton chose to do another lap, and despite being advised the tyres would drop off by two-tenths of a second, he found a small improvement to pip Rosberg by three thousandths of a second. Hamilton’s session came to an early end, however. Shortly after reporting a problem with an upshift he was called into the pits for attention to his car. Rosberg also said he had a problem with a gear change during the session, but his car kept running. The two Mercedes asserted their usual performance margin over the rest, with Fernando Alonso over a second off Hamilton’s pace in third. Daniel Ricciardo had a more productive outing in the Red Bull and ended up fourth-quickest. … [Read more...] about Hamilton pips Rosberg – then hits trouble · RaceFans