Friday 31 May 2019

Inside Line F1 Podcast - 10 Personalities We Want On The Netflix-F1 Show Season 2

This week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast talks about the 10 paddock personalities that would be make Season 2 of the Netflix-F1 show that much more interesting and funny!

Photo: Octane Photography
There's no official news on Season 2 of the Netflix-F1 show. But we know it's happening! In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we discuss the 10 personalities from the Formula 1 paddock that should absolutely feature in Season 2.

Also in this episode, we talk (again!) about Sebastian Vettel's retirement rumours, how Ferrari could be/is Charles Leclerc's only hope for the next few seasons and why Nico Hulkenberg to Red Bull Racing is more imaginative than real. Tune in, laugh along!

(Season 2019, Episode 21)
Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes, audioBoom (RSS feed) and Google Podcasts for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Thursday 30 May 2019

New Motorsport Week article: Hamilton’s Monaco drive – good but not that good

Photo: Octane Photography
Lewis Hamilton's victorious Monaco Grand Prix drive last weekend deservedly got plenty of plaudits. This included stellar rating from the man himself, who said the race was his hardest ever as well as, in advance, that it required a "miracle" to prevail.

And not for nothing - he'd just held off Max Verstappen for much of the way on tyres not designed for the task.

In my latest for Motorsport Week I explain though that, while Hamilton's race was certainly very good, it wasn't quite the "miracle" advertised.

You can have a read of my take here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/23015

Thursday 23 May 2019

F1 retro grand prix articles for Motor Sport Magazine's website

I'm very pleased to have provided for Motor Sport Magazine this year retro grand prix reviews for forthcoming F1 grands prix. For these I've picked a noteworthy grand prix of the past in the week before each F1 race.

By Janice Waltzer from Owasso, USA - Monte Carlo
harbor, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.
org/w/index.php?curid=4127081
And the latest of these has just landed, where I selected from the treasure trove of the Monaco Grand Prix, the first of which was a mere 90 years ago...

I've picked the one that provided likely its most thrilling finish of all, in 1970. It was a battle of the old hand Jack Brabham vs young gun Jochen Rindt. The old hand led for much of the way, but in the final minutes the young gun chased him down at a scarcely plausible rate. And at the final turn, the old hand, highly atypically, cracked...

You can have a read of the tale in full here: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/history/f1/monaco-90-its-most-thrilling-finish

And, in case you fancy flicking back through my previous grand prix retro reviews from this season so far, here are the links:

Australian Grand Prix - 1997; The Australian Grand Prix that didn't go to form
Bahrain Grand Prix - 2014; The race that saved F1 as we know it
Chinese Grand Prix - 2006; Michael Schumacher's final Formula 1 win
Azerbaijan Grand Prix - 2017; Hamilton and Vettel clash; Ricciardo conquers

Sadly I didn't do the Spanish Grand Prix article!

Friday 17 May 2019

New Motorsport Week article: Where does it end for Mercedes?

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And so Mercedes' F1 dominance continues, stronger than ever. A dominance that stretches back all the way to this start of 2014.

So with this, it's tempting to ask where Merc's dominance might end? It has to end of course, as that's the way of the world. However imperceptible the prospect may seem right now.

For Motorsport Week I investigate what history tells us about how the reign of great F1 teams come to an end. And history suggests it'll take something big.

You can have a read of my exploration here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22809

Thursday 9 May 2019

Amazing Car Rallies Anyone Can Do, by Quotezone

This article and its graphics were created by Quotezone

Want an adrenaline rush to test yourself to the limits, all while seeing the world? Then, a car rally could be right up your street.

Rallies have been described as the most exciting kind of travel adventure, and luckily for you we've found the car rallies that anyone can join.

The goal isn't necessarily to be first across the line – it's simply to make it TO the finish line. And you don't need to be an experienced rally driver – all you need is some mechanical skills, some money, a bit of courage and a lot of patience.

Read on to discover some of the world's most amazing (and most challenging) car rallies.

What is a Car Rally?
A car rally is a long-distance motorsport where drivers race towards pre-defined checkpoints on a road-based route rather than along a standard racing circuit.

Rallying started off as a competitive motorsport back in 1894 with the launch of the Paris-Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition in France. Car rallies have continued to be a major motorsport, but nowadays you can find many car rallies that have sprouted in the name of adventure and adrenaline.

The organisers of these types of adventure rallies want you to ditch the GPS and your sanity - because if it hasn't left already it will be sure to go while travelling across the globe in a banger. If you want the ultimate travel experience and some funny stories to tell your friends back home, these rallies might be for you.

But, it's not all for adventure. These rallies have an important aspect – helping those in need. Many of the car rallies have a designated charity to raise money for, or you can choose a charity of your choice.

The Weirdest Rally

Thursday 2 May 2019

New Motorsport Week article: Has Ferrari blown it already?

Photo: Octane Photography
To think that just six weeks ago we were sure that Ferrari was the team to beat.

Mercedes has started 2019 with four 1-2 finishes, beating the record of the imperious Williams FW14B in 1992, and that sort of early-season run has never failed to end up with that year's title. But is it really all over for Ferrari already?

For Motorsport Week, I dig out some reasons for the Scuderia to maintain a little optimism.

You can have a read here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/22585