The Best of - The Australian Grand Prix

For the 17th time in the Formula One World Championship, Australia will host the opening round of the season. The 2014 season is the most hotly anticipated championship for Formula One in its history, and the first race this weekend should be an instant classic. Australia certainly is the best place to get off to a flyer...

Ralf Schumacher's 2002 season starts in spectacular, though short lived, fashion.

When are the posts coming?

The 2014 season opener is just 1 week away!

I have been a little quiet on my blog lately, last posting in mid-February. I had intended to do 2 more posts about the second and third pre-season tests in Bahrain, as long as a post regarding the Williams - Martini deal and the other news heading into the season next weekend.

The truth is that I would rather I didn't post anything that I have not committed myself and attention to, than brief posts that would not provide a decent or informative read. I could have just posted the results from Bahrain, along with 1 line about each team, but it would not have been news to you having probably seen the same results and a write up on other websites. I like providing my own thoughts, insight and analysis that the main news reports tend to skip past, or are somewhat skewed by what they are allowed to say.

I write these blog posts in my own free time around my full time job, and tomorrow is a very important day in that regards. I have been very busy staying late and making sure all my work is done on time, meaning my reduced free time has been needed to relax and recharge ready for another frantic day. After all my efforts going into tomorrow though, I am feeling less anxious and have got some great ideas going onwards into the 2014 Formula 1 season and beyond!

Keep an eye on this blog for more posts coming soon...

Virtual to Reality

One day from my own history highlights so much of what is currently so wrong with motorsport. I was thrilled to finally be old enough to race a go kart, and I was quickly lapping the indoor track flat out in the junior powered go kart on my 8th birthday itself. After just 30 minutes behind the wheel however, my potential racing career would already be starting late and a decision would have been needed immediately on whether to progress or not.

Pre-Season Test 1 - Jerez

The first and most revealing test was completed last week at the Jerez circuit in Spain. We saw many of the challengers for the first time, heard the new V6 turbo engines in action, the first ideas about each teams chances in 2014. Here is the overview of the 4 days for each team.

More Rule Changes

The World Motor Sport Council met yesterday (23rd January) to discuss the implementation of the new 2014 rules, and to outline new rules for 2015. The outcome of this meeting (from the FIA website) is quoted as follows.

All Change at McLaren

For a team that target both championships at the start of every season to finish 5th and without a single podium all year, 2013 certainly was not a year to remember for the McLaren team and its fans. The ambitious choice to start again with the car design rather than evolve what had ended the 2012 season as the fastest car backfired immensely, causing the team to instead focus its efforts on 2014 early. It was a gamble, and not every gamble goes well so even a team of McLaren's calibre can be forgiven for having 1 bad year. Think back only to 2009 when Lewis hamilton could only extract a pair of wins from the MP4-24, having won the drivers championship the year before, and coming close to doing so again the year after in 2010.

Victories in Hungary and Singapore were highlights in an otherwise fruitless 2009 season

First Post of the New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas break. I'll begin 2014 with... 2013. I missed a lot of the main talking points surrounding Formula 1 in December, so I begin the new year by closing the last.