Will Donald Trump attend the 2017 United States Grand Prix? If he does, would he tweet about Formula 1? After all, that's one thing he's really good at. In this week's episode, Mithila and Kunal put their creative hats on and tell you what Trump could tweet on Formula 1, if he did.
Also, could Fernando Alonso have won the 2017 Drivers' Championship with Ferrari? With Usain Bolt, Michael Buffer and a variety of musical acts, the United States Grand Prix could be setting a new benchmark for Formula 1. Tune in!
(Season 2017, Episode 34)
Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and audioBoom for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour.
Friday, 20 October 2017
Thursday, 19 October 2017
USA uses enough oil to fill the Empire State Building 3 times over – every day, by Select Car Leasing
Since President Trump withdrew the USA from the Paris Agreement, Select Car Leasing thought it would be a good time to look at just how much petrol the USA uses when compared with other large economies.
It may not surprise you that the USA 'leads' the world in terms of petrol usage. But it may surprise you when you see just how much petrol they use when compared with other major economies.
The USA uses 19,396,000 barrels of petrol per day. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building almost 3 times over.
It may not surprise you that the USA 'leads' the world in terms of petrol usage. But it may surprise you when you see just how much petrol they use when compared with other major economies.
The USA uses 19,396,000 barrels of petrol per day. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building almost 3 times over.
Wednesday, 18 October 2017
US GP Betting Preview - Lone star in the Lone Star State?
On one level calling this weekend's US Grand Prix at Austin looks a no brainer.
Lewis Hamilton is a Texan specialist, with four wins from five races here. He also is in formidable recent form - winning five from the last seven. Plus the circuit, the first two thirds of it at least, should suit the Mercedes. And 9/10 for Lewis to triumph looks reasonable value.
But dig a little deeper and things may not be that simple in any case. The final part of the COTA lap may not suit the Merc plus tyre warm up can be tricky at Austin - something that on 2017 experience will give the silver squad's engineers a shudder.
Plus its two closest rival teams will enter the weekend with optimism. It's easy to lose sight of that the Ferrari's still looked quick in recent weeks when it's not been breaking down; COTA has a bit of everything about both its layout and its temperatures and these should play into the hands of the versatile red machine. And its reliability woes have to end sometime, don't they...?
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| Will it be a close fight between the big three teams? Photo: Octane Photography |
But dig a little deeper and things may not be that simple in any case. The final part of the COTA lap may not suit the Merc plus tyre warm up can be tricky at Austin - something that on 2017 experience will give the silver squad's engineers a shudder.
Plus its two closest rival teams will enter the weekend with optimism. It's easy to lose sight of that the Ferrari's still looked quick in recent weeks when it's not been breaking down; COTA has a bit of everything about both its layout and its temperatures and these should play into the hands of the versatile red machine. And its reliability woes have to end sometime, don't they...?
Fastest cars on the planet in 2017, by Multilotto
2017 is the year of the ultimate Speed freak. Gone are the days when 200 mph was the holy grail of motoring. Today there are many cars which have breached this once impossible threshold. Indeed, some of the fastest cars of 2017 completely obliterate 200 mph. It seems 2017 has thrown up a new unreachable target, the lords of asphalt are now on a mission to create a mind boggling 300 mph, road legal car.
Here, Multilotto have put together a list of the fastest cars on the planet in 2017. With the price tag which comes with these dream Hypercars, a lottery win is the only way that most of us will be able to afford one of the oh so beautiful beasts.
Sit back, relax, and dream the impossible dream.
Here, Multilotto have put together a list of the fastest cars on the planet in 2017. With the price tag which comes with these dream Hypercars, a lottery win is the only way that most of us will be able to afford one of the oh so beautiful beasts.
Sit back, relax, and dream the impossible dream.
Monday, 16 October 2017
Austin Preview: Taking care of business
Unfinished business. The itch it couldn't scratch. Call it what you will, it applied to America for much of F1's history.
The world's largest economy, sports mad and likely unparalleled in its attachment to the automobile; add that F1 purports to have a world championship. Yet somehow for years it didn't amount to pitching a tent Stateside that wouldn't fall down upon contact with the slightest gust of wind.
Demonstrating as much there have been no fewer than ten US F1 hosts (no other country gets close). Contrary to some presumptions F1 did previously get it right in the States, with well-established and popular rounds at Watkins Glen and Long Beach. Both were lost in the early 1980s.
Of the other attempts, some of them have been cringe-worthy; for stretches there was no US round at all. In advance of the latest go in Austin a few expected more of the same.
Yet when everyone arrived for the first time in 2012 the doom-mongers simply could not have been more wrong.
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| F1 has at last found a good home in the US - at Austin Photo: Octane Photography |
Demonstrating as much there have been no fewer than ten US F1 hosts (no other country gets close). Contrary to some presumptions F1 did previously get it right in the States, with well-established and popular rounds at Watkins Glen and Long Beach. Both were lost in the early 1980s.
Of the other attempts, some of them have been cringe-worthy; for stretches there was no US round at all. In advance of the latest go in Austin a few expected more of the same.
Yet when everyone arrived for the first time in 2012 the doom-mongers simply could not have been more wrong.
Thursday, 12 October 2017
Japanese Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Deja vu all over again
At Suzuka it was deja vu all over again.
Really. For the third race in a row Ferrari compromised itself from the first beat. And Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes helped themselves to a big points gain. Now the destination of the drivers' title their way looks certain.
For Motor Verso I give my take on it all, and shoehorn a few more Yogi Berra lines...
You can have a read via this link: http://www.motorverso.com/japanese-gp-2017-report-deja-vu/
Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.
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| Photo: Octane Photography |
For Motor Verso I give my take on it all, and shoehorn a few more Yogi Berra lines...
You can have a read via this link: http://www.motorverso.com/japanese-gp-2017-report-deja-vu/
Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.
Monday, 9 October 2017
Malaysia Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Let's twist again
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| By Morio (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
You can have a read via this link: http://www.motorverso.com/malaysia-gp-2017-report-lets-twist-again/
Do check out the Motor Verso site too; you'll find motoring news, car reviews and features - the team on the site carry out week-long test drives of the latest cars - as well as photos and videos of the machines.
Sunday, 8 October 2017
Japanese GP Report - When things run away from you
It was deja vu all over again. Literally. In the Japanese Grand Prix for the third race in a row Ferrari was compromised from the first beat. For the third race in a row (in fact more than that) Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes made a major points gain. And now we're in the endgame.
This time it was a spark plug problem for Sebastian Vettel. Just as with Kimi Raikkonen in Malaysia, the Ferrari mechanics were frantic on the grid around Seb's car. Such reliability niggles are becoming a habit.
Unlike Kimi in Sepang Seb got going but the extent of his problem soon was evident. Max Verstappen ambushed him for P2 at the hairpin first time through, then Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas all swamped him on the pit straight next time past.
Quickly he was pulled in to retire, and Vettel later spoke like a man who knew the championship was gone.
"I think I need to protect them," he said of his team. "We've done an incredible job this year, it's like that sometimes.
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| No wonder he's smiling - in Suzuka Lewis Hamilton all but wrapped up his fourth drivers' title Photo: Octane Photography |
Unlike Kimi in Sepang Seb got going but the extent of his problem soon was evident. Max Verstappen ambushed him for P2 at the hairpin first time through, then Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas all swamped him on the pit straight next time past.
Quickly he was pulled in to retire, and Vettel later spoke like a man who knew the championship was gone.
"I think I need to protect them," he said of his team. "We've done an incredible job this year, it's like that sometimes.
Saturday, 7 October 2017
Does Kimi Räikkönen have what it takes to make up points on the leaders? By Steven Critchley
Ten years ago a champion, today a relative also-ran. Kimi Räikkönen is perhaps one of the most underrated racers in the roster today. And with Finland's record for producing F1 talent, it may pain him particularly to see a less-experienced countryman – in Valtteri Bottas – occupying a coveted Mercedes car. Naturally, where Räikkönen's title win of 2007 is concerned, cynics would be quick to point out that it was won by just a single point, and afforded him in some part by a period of indifferent form for both McLaren drivers. Today, a long win-less run, spanning back to the 2013 season opener in Australia, as reported on BBC Sport, stands out as particularly galling for Räikkönen. Yet, until his retirement at the Spanish Grand Prix, Räikkönen's early 2017 form on was strong and consistent.
Whether Sebastian Vettel's continued dominance over his team mate is part of some intricate Ferrari strategy remains to be seen, but as of 24 May 2017, where he is an 80/1 outsider (Source: Betway Sports), Räikkönen's ability to mix it with the elite remains firmly in question. Naturally, in light of the downturn in form he suffered at the end of 2016, with two retirements in the final four races, most experts would have dismissed Räikkönen's title hopes long before even the pre-season tests of 2017 began. These same 'experts' could forever analyse Räikkönen's situation, but the sole fact remains obvious – Räikkönen must begin winning races, and quickly.
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| ‘Kimi Räikkönen’ by Mark McArdle via Flickr (CC-BY-SA-2.0) |
Suzuka Qualifying - Rising star
So reports of Mercedes's F1 death were greatly exaggerated.
Yes to an extent a bounce back was expected. Suzuka, particularly its full noise final part, would suit it. The temperatures - unlike the previous two rounds - were cool, and this the Merc loves. But given recent flailing, much of it unanticipated, no one was taking anything for granted.
From an early part of the qualifying hour it looked a familiar story though - Lewis Hamilton and his Merc well on top. He converted his advantage too, taking a pole as balmy as is possible in such circumstances, by a third of a second. It is, astonishingly at this drivers' track, his first ever pole here of his 71.
"I never ever really got a great balance in the past so I never did great in qualifying," Lewis noted afterwards.
"So to finally get the balance behind me with the great work of my engineers and the great timing from all the mechanics, I finally got on track and did the time.
"And the car is crazy here, I wish you could feel it.
Yes to an extent a bounce back was expected. Suzuka, particularly its full noise final part, would suit it. The temperatures - unlike the previous two rounds - were cool, and this the Merc loves. But given recent flailing, much of it unanticipated, no one was taking anything for granted.
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| Mercedes, and especially Lewis Hamilton, reasserted control in Suzuka qualifying Photo: Octane Photography |
"I never ever really got a great balance in the past so I never did great in qualifying," Lewis noted afterwards.
"So to finally get the balance behind me with the great work of my engineers and the great timing from all the mechanics, I finally got on track and did the time.
"And the car is crazy here, I wish you could feel it.
Thursday, 5 October 2017
Inside Line F1 Podcast - Why Microphones To Enhance F1 Engines Sounds Is A Good Idea
Is Formula 1 going too artificial by thinking of introducing ceramic microphones to enhance the sounds of the F1 engines? Or is it an acceptable solution from a sports broadcast point of view? Unlike the DRS, this is one solution that we don't mind supporting the sport for.
In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we wonder if the race organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix blurted out the absolute truth about the sport, while also claiming that they wouldn't play host to Formula 1 even if it was offered for free! Ouch!
We discuss Paul Hembrey's idea of introducing 'mini cups' along side the World Championship to make the longer seasons more interesting and Graham Keilloh's novel idea of crowning the driver with the maximum race laps led as that season's Drivers' Champion.
And then of course, we have our usual McLaren-Honda section, along with a much-needed one for Daniel Ricciardo. As we look forward to Suzuka, let's hope Ferrari's engines don't hit Honda mode yet again.
(Season 2017, Episode 33)
Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and audioBoom for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour.
In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we wonder if the race organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix blurted out the absolute truth about the sport, while also claiming that they wouldn't play host to Formula 1 even if it was offered for free! Ouch!
We discuss Paul Hembrey's idea of introducing 'mini cups' along side the World Championship to make the longer seasons more interesting and Graham Keilloh's novel idea of crowning the driver with the maximum race laps led as that season's Drivers' Champion.
And then of course, we have our usual McLaren-Honda section, along with a much-needed one for Daniel Ricciardo. As we look forward to Suzuka, let's hope Ferrari's engines don't hit Honda mode yet again.
(Season 2017, Episode 33)
Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and audioBoom for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour.
Wednesday, 4 October 2017
New Motorsport Week article: Why Formula 1 should get rid of blue flags
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| By Royalbroil (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativec ommons.org/licenses/by-sa/ 3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
And one from late in the race got me - that Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso had their latest minor spat. This time as Alonso waited a few corners before letting Vettel by to lap him.
Nothing personal to Seb, but it's long been a hobby horse of mine that F1 could do without blue flags. Keep them as advice by all means, but we'd benefit in a number of ways if those lapped were not forced to leap out of the way pronto.
In my latest article for Motorsport Week I argue this case. You can have a read here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/16036
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