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Entries in Formula 1 (3)

Tuesday

Apr132010

Whoops!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 8:09 PM

The March issue of Racecar Engineering has an "exclusive" that isn't so relevantGreat moments in bad timing:

Just saw on newstands the latest edition of Racecar Engineering magazine, which features an "exclusive" look at the new car from U.S. F1. "Inside a New Breed of Grand Prix Team," the teaser reads.

One problem: U.S. F1 earlier this year missed deadlines to race in 2010, and earlier this month laid off all employees.

D'oh!

Lotus lives on

Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 8:39 PM

March 2010 issue of MotorsportThe March issue of Motorsport magazine arrived in the mail today, and, whoa, it contains a 21-page special package on Lotus that includes an in-depth look at the famed Lotus 79 that inspired me to become a rapid open-wheel fan.

The elegant black-and-gold John Player Special remains a thing of beauty 30 years after it earned a spot in racing annals as one of the first cars to truly exploit ground effects and complex aerodynamics.

Formula 1 fans know that a Malaysian company is reviving the Lotus name this F-1 and IndyCar this season, so there's a resurgence in the brand that once was one of the most famous in racing before hitting hard times in the late 1980s and vaporizing in the mid-1990s. Even the separate but related Lotus automaker -- once a threat to Ferrari and Lamborghini among road-car fiends -- is a shadow of its former self.

Mario Andretti drove the Lotus 79 to his only Formula 1 world title, in 1978.

Even though there's no connection to the original team founded by Colin Chapman, I'll be rooting for Lotus this season, and hoping they'll do justice to a name made famous by Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Ayrton Senna, among many others.

Unbelievable day in Formula 1

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 7:41 AM

It’s hard to top Formula 1 for off-the-track drama, but Tuesday’s developments were jaw-dropping for the world’s premier soap opera, I mean, motorsports series.

First we hear that the grand name of Lotus – my favorite team for many years -- will return to the series, funded by the Malaysian government and some investors from the country. WTF? A government in the team sport business? Lotus’ entry fills the 13th and final slot on the F1 grid, meaning we’ll have 26 cars next year. Sweet!

But wait, BMW-Sauber – on the rocks since BMW opted to pull out of the sport earlier this summer – finally found a buyer, and says it deserves to be on the F1 grid. If you believe this story, F1 may make room for the team and its two cars for next season. Good for Peter Sauber.

Then came the real bombshell: Renault admits it ordered driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to purposely crash at a race last year in order to help teammate Fernando Alonso. Team principal Flavio Briatore – the old dude well-known for dating supermodels like Heidi Klum – and chief engineer Pay Symonds have admitted their guilt in trying to fix the race and have left the team! I always thought Symonds was a good guy, so this news surprised me. Given the weak economy and the pullout of manufacturers BMW and Honda, and rumors that Toyota is next, Tuesday’s black eye makes you wonder whether Renault will see a window to pull the plug on the hundreds of millions it’s spending each year on the F1.

I also learned Tuesday that Montreal is getting its race back, meaning F1 is returning to North America after several years. Given that Peter Windsor’s American team will debut next season, I may have to start saving for a trip to see the action first hand. I'll certainly need a program to follow all the changes.