New Motorsport Week article: Formula 1’s only ‘cancelled’ race – the 1985 Belgian Grand Prix

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licenses/by/2.0)]

It looked fleetingly last weekend like the Japanese Grand Prix could be called off, with the impact of Typhoon Hagibis.

But the race went on. As in Formula 1 it always does in the end. Literally, as it may surprise to learn that never once in F1 history has a race been scratched after the meeting has got underway.

Well, apart from one time. Sort of. Then the race did happen, but some three months after the Friday running.

This was the Belgian Grand Prix in 1985. In my latest for Motorsport Week I tell the story:  https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/24833

1994 Japanese Grand Prix review for Motor Sport Magazine

Martin Lee from London, UK [CC BY-SA 2.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

The latest of my historic F1 articles for Motor Sport Magazine is here. And it's from the rich retro treasure trove that is the Japanese Grand Prix - the latest of which is this weekend.

And the one I've gone for is a classic tale of proving your doubters wrong. Damon Hill entered the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix viewed roundly as an impostor in that season's championship fight up against the imperious Michael Schumacher.

But in the most trying circumstances Hill showed he was much more than that.

I tell the tale via this link: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/i-was-driving-different-level-damon-hill-s-1994-japanese-grand-prix

Johnny Herbert at Benetton, by Ibrar Malik

The upcoming book details what can be learnt about the 1994 Benetton controversies whenever other drivers sat within the car, like Johnny Herbert. So what was the Grand Prix winner's view of driving it?

Johnny had been tipped for F1 stardom before sustaining serious leg injuries in a horrific multi-car pileup during an F3000 race in the summer of 1988. Despite not having fully recovered, the Englishman bravely returned to racing at the beginning of 1989 with the Benetton Formula 1 team and astonished onlookers by finishing a brilliant fourth on his debut.

Herbert arriving for his first Formula One test in 1989. Whenever he was buckled up within the car, painkilling injections were stabbed into his legs. Herbert's injuries still affect him today.

Determined as he was, Johnny's performances progressively got worse throughout 1989 as his leg injuries hindered him on circuits which required heavier braking. This led to a political battle over Herbert's future, between Peter Collins (Benetton's team manager) and Flavio Briatore (Benetton's newly appointed Commercial Director). Collins, having spent three years supporting Johnny through the junior categories was adamant the Englishman should remain, but Briatore insisted on replacing him with a fellow Italian. After failing to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix Herbert was promptly replaced by Emanuele Pirro (an Italian) and Collins left the team a few weeks later.

Motor Verso F1 2018 Season Summary - Japanese Grand Prix review

Photo: Octane Photography

If the Japanese Grand Prix felt familiar that's because it was. The themes of recent weeks barely altered; the previous momentum was unchecked - maybe even accelerated. Lewis Hamilton won imperiously. Ferrari if anything got more risible than before. Lewis now has world championship match point.

The Motor Verso F1 season summary has been updated with my take on the Japanese weekend. As ever it's illustrated with fantastic Pirelli photography and my selection of the best of F1 content on YouTube.

You can check out the latest summary here: https://www.motorverso.com/2018-f1-summary/

Japanese GP Report - The Big Mo

"You wouldn't want to get in the way of the World Championship battle, would you?," asked David Coulthard of Max Verstappen after qualifying. The Dutchman's reply was typically pointed. "Is it still a battle? Not sure."

Continuing the recent theme, Lewis Hamilton won again
Photo: Octane Photography

Formula 1 is a lot like US presidential nomination races. While that may seem an unlikely analogy in either pursuit 'The Big Mo' - the intangible called momentum - counts for a lot.

In either pursuit too such runaway handcart scenarios can be felt in the positive or the negative. We're seeing both in F1 right now. The theme of recent weeks scarcely altered in Japan. If there was a shift it was only to gather pace in the direction it was already headed. Lewis Hamilton won from pole, barely looking troubled as he did so at this Suzuka track that perhaps suits the Mercedes better than any other.

While Ferrari's momentum in the negative also accelerated. It was perhaps further off the Merc pace than previously. And again Ferrari when up against it made things worse with acts of self-sabotage. This time it entered the realms of farce. Late in qualifying it sent both cars out on intermediate tyres - rain was expected at some point but in that moment the track was bone dry. The sight of the two cars crawling around the lap on utterly unsuited rubber was risible.

Inside Line F1 Podcast - What Could Be Sebastian Vettel's Future In F1?

Will Sebastian Vettel go the Fernando Alonso way? Or will he retire from the sport as a quadruple World Champion? Or will he follow Michael Schumacher's footsteps and take on a team management role? What are the chances of Vettel jumping ship to Mercedes; a German driver racing for a German team and all of that...! Let alone young drivers, the lack of competitive teams in the sport could catch out this former World Champion too! From fighting Mercedes, Ferrari seem to be fighting within themselves.

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we tell you why Red Bull Racing should sell its vacant Toro Rosso cockpit to a wealthy pay driver. We applaud Daniel Ricciardo's comic timing while also questioning why Vladimir Putin arrives closer to the end of the Russian Grand Prix every year. Finally, we predict by what race this season would Lewis Hamilton seal the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship. We picked Brazil or Mexico - what's your pick? Tune in!

00:00-2:00 - Should Sebastian Vettel be called title contender for 2018 anymore?
2:00 - 5:00 - Will Vettel go the Fernando Alonso way? What could be Sebastian Vettel's future in Formula 1?
5:00 - 7:00 - Red Bull Racing to make money from their vacant cockpit at Toro Rosso?
7:00 - 9:00 - Good timing for Ferrari to introduce a new livery? Should Formula 1 allow teams to use one-off liveries?
9:00 - 11:00 - How would Mercedes deploy team orders in case they had a three car team & all three of their cars were 1-2-3?
11:00 - 13:00 - Daniel Ricciardo's comic timing - he cracked a doping joke at the Russian Grand Prix!
13:00 - 15:00 - Why does Vladimir Putin arrive closer to the end of the Russian Grand Prix every single year?
15:00 - 17:00 - What Wolff Said This Week section + Looking forward to Suzuka & the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix
17:00 - 22:00 - Moments in Time with Lucien; by which race would Lewis Hamilton clinch the 2018 Formula 1 Championship?

(Season 2018, Episode 34)

Subscribe to the Inside Line F1 Podcast on iTunes and on audioBoom (RSS feed) for your weekly dose of Formula 1 humour

Suzuka Preview: Turning Japanese

Formula 1 appears to have entered one of its periodic states of inevitability.

On the face of it, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes
will be hard to stop at Suzuka
Photo: Octane Photography

It's very strange to think that just a month ago there appeared no way for Mercedes to beat Ferrari. Now the opposite appears true. Ferrari seems to have shot its bolt. It was hobbled by operational problems and mistakes in several rounds; more lately it lost its pace too. Lewis Hamilton's form is towering (in results anyway) and his points lead now looks insurmountable.

With five rounds remaining all now give the impression going through the motions until titles are confirmed. And this Japanese round coming should increase the sense of the inevitable. It's at mighty Suzuka, which is usually cited as Mercedes country. It has won the last four here and long fast corners are just its thing. Last year Hamilton won and Mercedes was one and two in qualifying (though Valtteri Bottas then got a gearbox grid penalty).

Yet in keeping with the Suzuka venue things this weekend may in fact not be that simple. One thing to consider is that, despite appearances, Hamilton hasn't always been that happy here. Yes he's won at Suzuka three times but last year was the first time he'd taken pole and by his own admission he's not always found an ideal set-up at this track. And of his three wins one was in the wet and another owed mostly to getting ahead of Nico Rosberg at turn one.

Japanese Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Deja vu all over again

At Suzuka it was deja vu all over again.

Photo: Octane Photography

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.

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.

No wonder he's smiling - in Suzuka Lewis Hamilton
all but wrapped up his fourth drivers' title
Photo: Octane Photography

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.

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.

Mercedes, and especially Lewis Hamilton, reasserted
control in Suzuka qualifying
Photo: Octane Photography

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.

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.

Japanese GP Betting Preview - Turning Japanese

F1's battles at the front in recent times have been three way between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. And the Japanese round this weekend once again in advance feels a close call between the trio - all approach the round with some reason for hope.

Will the 'big three' teams be evenly
matched again at Suzuka?
Photo: Octane Photography

Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari will not now be taking a gearbox grid drop in Japan, which brings him right back into the game. He has after all been the pace-setter in both of the previous two rounds, and more encouragingly for him the two tracks had very different demands.

It's not clear if the bookies have noticed - or perhaps they've noticed Ferrari's concurrent habit of treading on its own tail. Seb's 14/5 to win in Japan looks generous.

They have noticed Red Bull's improved form though, with Max Verstappen at a much tightened 5/1 (readers of the Malaysia betting preview will know Max could have been backed at 25/1 for his Sepang win) and Daniel Ricciardo at 7/1 to triumph this time. Flowing Suzuka will suit the RB13 - a few think Red Bull again has the best chassis in F1. If you fancy playing safer then Max is at 3/4 and Daniel 11/10 to get on the podium.

Suzuka Preview: Big in Japan

They don't make 'em like they used to.

It's not always true, but it sometimes is. It certainly is with Suzuka, the welcome stop-off for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

Inimitable Suzuka
Photo: Octane Photography

Whatever the newer venues' merits none have got even close to quickening the pulse when cars circulate as they do at this venue. Not all that many of the older tracks have either.

The layout is dominated by challenging, snaking, undulating turns - the sort that separate the great from the good; the sort that would most likely be laughed out of court were they proposed now from the ground up.

The narrow circuit's challenge is like walking an ever-veering tightrope. There aren't vast run-off areas to use as a benign get-out. Precision counts.

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Nico Rosberg Should Invite Nicole Scherzinger To The US GP

Is the United States Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton's new home race? Going purely by his Instagram feed, we'd like to believe so. How many of Hamilton's reported girlfriends would cheer him in the Paddock? Would 'Joey' be visiting too? If so, they should broadcast a live car-to-television radio chat between Joey and Hamilton. We actually try simulate what this conversation could be like.

In the 'Race to the White House', who would Hamilton vote for - Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? Also, would Bernie Ecclestone's pal, Donald Trump, attend the United States Grand Prix in Austin? Formula 1 is a perfect sport for Trump to invest in and we tell you why. All-in-all,  we hope that being in the United States of America does motivate Hamilton to race as Hamilton - he's been Rosberg-like in the last few races.

Nico Rosberg's best psychological attack on Hamilton would be to invite Nicole Sherzinger to the US GP. It would also be yet another battle that Rosberg would win off-track - since beating Hamilton on-track seems unlikely this season. But Hamilton has always beaten Rosberg in the USA and Rosberg has never won here, will his 'fear of missing out' propel Rosberg to win his 8th first-ever win of the season? Surprisingly, Hamilton copied everything but Rosberg's clutch settings in Suzuka!

Let's hope that Hamilton skipped the Pirelli test due to a sore foot and not a sore thumb - after all, that's what people obsessed with social media suffer from! Moving on from Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg's move to Renault would mean that he would at least go the Fernando Alonso and not the Adrian Sutil way. Good choice, Nico!

If Valtteri Bottas partners Hulkenberg at Renault, should Williams request Felipe Massa to stay back for yet another season? Renault said that they would need five years to be World Champion. Given Renault's commitment phobia to Formula 1, will they be around for that long? It is interesting how Sebastian Vettel and Nico Hulkenberg have cited Michael Schumacher as an inspiration in their career moves. Should Jenson Button seek some inspiration too?

Finally, we tell you why Ron Dennis' 5 on 10 rating is terrible for McLaren-Honda and how Mark Webber's retirement automatically increases his chances of being subject to Daniel Ricciardo's famous shoey! Seeing how Ricciardo's 'shoe' has suddenly become so popular, will Red Bull Racing hike their sponsorship rates for 'official shoe supplier'?

Tune in!

(Season 2016, Episode 34)

New Vital F1 article: Let’s go back to the future on backmarkers

Photo: Octane Photography

The Japanese Grand Prix weekend was one for recrimination. And in the race we got a little more, with much complaining from some of those near the front about blue flags, and those being lapped not leaping out of the way sufficiently pronto.

In my latest article for Vital F1 I explain why, though it's nothing personal, they get no sympathy from me. And why if it was up to me we wouldn't have blue flags at all, as the sport would be better for it.

You can have a read here: http://www.vitalf1.com/sitepage.asp?a=3704

New Grand Prix Times article: Does F1 need to learn to love Lewis Hamilton?

The Japanese Grand Prix was all about Nico Rosberg's imperious showing, which send him a great stride towards this year's drivers' championship.

Photo: Octane Photography

Or rather it should have been. But instead the chat was again all about his team mate Lewis Hamilton. And not for anything he did on track. Instead it was for his antics in press conferences. Or antics not in press conferences as the case may be. Sure enough we got a giant wave of indignation.

But in my latest article for Grand Prix Times I ask whether Lewis has been rather maligned and not for the first time. And whether F1 needs to learn to love him a bit more.

You can have a read here: http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/id/13069

The latest Lights to Flag Podcast - 2016 Japanese Grand Prix Review

The latest Lights to Flag podcast is here, and for the second week in a row Ewan and I were delighted to be joined by Jack Amey to look back at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Of course there's much fat-chewing over Lewis Hamilton, Snapchat and all that, but also at Nico Rosberg's dominant weekend that could well go considerable way to deciding this year's drivers' title destination.

And we chat about other news from on and off the track in Suzuka, including whither Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen's defence, Nico Hulkenberg's Renault switch, among many other things.

It's well worth the 58 minutes of your time, and you can listen via the player below.

As ever you can interact with the podcast via its Twitter account and on its Facebook page. If you want to appear on it give us a shout too. And if you have comments then get them to us via the various channels and we'll read out the good ones on a future episode!

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Will Hamilton Still Back Verstappen's Aggressive Moves?

Max Verstappen pulled off a 'Verstappen' on Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka. This made us wonder, will Lewis Hamilton still back Max Verstappen's aggressive moves? The Hamilton vs. Verstappen battle was our highlight moment!

The FIA had a chat with Verstappen and told him that they're 'watching' him. Well, if not for Verstappen, who have the FIA been watching all of 2016? This lad has had our eyes glued on him. Maybe, Baby Vettel is now THE Vettel for Red Bull Racing.

The Rosberg vs. Hamilton battle - we're hoping for at least one on-track battle between the two title rivals before this year's championship is concluded. However, it seems that Hamilton is hell bent on picking battles on and off track. We discuss the various avoidable episodes for the Lewis Hamilton camp from the last week. By the way, some of it reminded us of the prank played on Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.

Will Nico Rosberg be a worthy Formula 1 champion? That's the latest debate on social media and while we're not taking sides, we do add our perspectives from this season. At the same time, we should be thankful that we've a fight on our hands (and on the telly) as we witness the 2016 Drivers' Championship being fought tooth-and-nail between two team-mates, driving for a team that's been very fair and just in their approach towards both contenders. On that note, THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS, Mercedes!

Mercedes to Formula E? We tell you why they're eyeing another single-seater championship and if Red Bull and Ferrari could follow suit too. Are Mercedes too bored of dominating Formula 1 and now have their sights on Formula E? Also, if Formula E's prowess grows in the coming years, will Formula 1 lose its relevance? And could Formula 1 go all-electric to remain relevant? The next few years will define the future of this category of racing.

Ferrari and McLaren - two of Formula 1's most-iconic teams seem unable to find an answer to their struggles. As for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, is the 'Michael Schumacher' dream going to remain a dream after all? And it seems that curse of the 'Number 2' got to Vettel in Suzuka, after all. Would a 16th and 18th place finish at Suzuka please Honda? Well, so long as Fernando Alonso didn't compare their Formula 1 engine to a GP2 engine!

We tell you why Nico Hulkenberg should hedge his bets and go off to Renault and how GP3 is trying all it can to make sure their drivers are Formula 1 ready from 2017 onwards. The one line we had fun reading in this episode was 'Jan wonders if his son will have a contract come Jan'! And finally, we scoop out some inside information to tell you why the revolutionary 'car-to-television' interview was deferred from Malaysia to Japan.

Tune in!

Japanese Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Rosberg Stands on the Brink

Photo: Octane Photography

We keep expecting him to falter now we're in the world championship crunch point. But he keeps refusing to. And, whaddaya know, now Nico Rosberg stands on the brink.

Don't let anyone tell you that this game's predictable in other words. And perhaps the last two races - seven days apart - sum up his charge. When he's not been on top things have gone his way. When he has been on top he's been almost literally flawless. Whatever, it's an equation that usually adds up to titles. Given where we've got to, now only the unusual can deprive Nico.

In my Japanese Grand Prix review for Motor Verso I try to sum up where we're at. You can have a read here: http://www.motorverso.com/japanese-gp-2016-review-rosberg-stands-brink/

Japanese GP Report - Everything's coming up Rosberg

It is our contradictions that make us interesting. Even as rational beings we often rely on explanations that have no more basis than hocus pocus. Even in F1, that most empirical of activities.

Nico Rosberg triumphed yet again
Photo: Octane Photography

But we can understand why, particularly after a weekend such as this for the Japanese Grand Prix. When things are going your way, they go your way. Somehow. And it continued that way when it mattered for our most unlikely of world championship interlopers called Nico Rosberg.

The rounds tick down; he remains on top. Things continue to go his way. Somehow.

But it would be wrong to suggest this one owed at all to fortune. Nico's was not a race but a weekend dominated in the finest style. Almost from a wheel being turned at the start of Friday practice he appeared on another level. Every session he topped. And all this with the drivers' championship pressure cranked up to 11. Not for the first time you suspect long-held assumptions about him are being recalibrated. His more entrenched critics will point out no doubt that ho hum Nico in his one trick won from the front. Maybe so (albeit it's a harsh criticism), but as Martin Brundle pointed out a few rounds back, he keeps getting to the front.