New Motor Verso article: What’s Going On With F1 Qualifying?

Photo: Octane Photography

One way or another the 2016 F1 season so far has been the season of the qualifying session. Not for good reasons either. An excruciating new system was introduced, then after its excruciating nature was confirmed it was retained for another round nevertheless, and looked for a time that it might be retained for round three as well. Only in recent days, after any amount of wrangling, was the obvious done and it agreed to return to the 2015 system.

For Motor Verso I do my best to explain what it was all about. And no, despite appearances it wasn't actually all about qualifying. It wasn't simply that all involved were idiots either. Well, not entirely anyway.

You can have a read here: http://www.motorverso.com/whats-going-f1-qualifying/

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.

1982 and all that - is history repeating?

Nineteen Eighty-Two. For the historically-minded F1 fan the rather Orwellian air isn't inappropriate. Even in a sport rarely shy of providing notoriety it was a season that has strong claim to being its most notorious of all. It was possessed of almost everything, both highs and moreover desperate and extreme lows.

For extreme ill and some good, the 1982 F1 season
is possibly F1's most notorious
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ad1aa58a-d0b4-102d-bcf8-003048976d84, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl,
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And was one of a sort that perhaps is being repeated now. To an extent at least. Thankfully the worst of the 1982 season's depths look unlikely to be replicated this time; as most probably will not the scaling of the higher peaks. But the family resemblance is there.

You'll be aware that F1 right now is in a state of civil war. That some political wrangle or other is at all points it seems elbowing into view. F1 in 1982 was just the same.

It even then as now had roughly the same protagonists, and literally the same in the case of Bernie Ecclestone. Though unlike now the warring factions then were Bernie and his FOCA organisation set against the FIA (or FISA at its sporting arm was then known) and particularly against its autocratic head Jean-Marie Balestre. Now Bernie and the FIA are allies, and they are allied against the teams. Again the rather Orwellian whiff is present - three 'superstates' of the governing body, commercial rights holder and teams in perpetual war, alliances shifting like water.

Top trophy winners in Formula One, by Aford Awards

Formula One racing is one of the most thrilling sports around. It's been a recognised sport for approximately 60 years now, where it has constantly developed into the nail-bitingly exciting sport we know today.

To the victor, the spoils
Photo: Octane Photography

As the sport has morphed and grown, so has the variety of its winners and notable drivers, with many of them becoming celebrities in their own right.

Of course, with sports comes winners, and with winners comes awards - particularly trophies. So, what is it about Formula One trophies that make them stand out from the crowd compared to other sports?

The history of Formula One trophies is a rich one; there's been that many winners and extraordinary efforts made over the last few years that it’s very difficult to only pick a select few.

Take the Ultimate F1 Circuit Quiz

With the 2016 F1 season now in full swing JCT600 has created an F1 quiz intended to put even the most knowledgeable of fans to the test. It challenges you to see how much you know about some of the most famous and evocative tracks in F1 history.

You can have a go at the quiz below, and even better if you share your result you have a chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher!

The terms and conditions are here.

And without wishing to blag, I got a clean sweep. Probably more a reflection of me being tragic than anything else, but hey...

I got "You're in pole position" on "The Ultimate #F1 Circuit Quiz" What about you? https://t.co/gDP2BMIkRe via @jct600 13/13. Beat that :)

— Graham Keilloh (@TalkingaboutF1) April 6, 2016

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Power Struggles Trouble Formula One

The repeat mismanagement of the qualifying fiasco has brought Formula 1's power struggles to the fore, say Mithila and Kunal in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast. While the FIA & FOM seem to have ganged up against the teams, the fans have been neglected yet again. And for a change, the drivers too.

Given that the 'three tyre compound' rule seems to be working wonders for the sport, the duo wonder if this was a fluke decision after all. Also, does it make the sport a tad too confusing at times? We tell you why we prefer tyre strategy over fuel strategy.

Nico Rosberg's victory in Bahrain was long overdue, but the same can be said about his career as well. Whether the 'five consecutive wins' statistic works for him or not, Rosberg is a true champion and we tell you why.

As for Lewis Hamilton, he seems better in finishing races than starting them; will this prompt a rule change by the FIA-FOM to help him back to his winning ways? We discussed the Hamilton-Bottas incident and wonder if the FIA Stewards are missing Pastor Maldonado this season.

Fernando Alonso might have missed performing on track in Bahrain, but he did make up for it via a stellar performance on LIVE TV with Johnny Herbert. Clap! Clap! And we wouldn't be surprised if Stoffel Vandoorne reluctantly returned the keys of the McLaren Honda back to Alonso for China.

Lastly, are Ferrari pushing their development agenda at the cost of reliability? And did you know that three out of Kimi Raikkonen's last four podium finishes came at circuits where there was no alcohol served (on the podium).

Tune in!

(Season 2016, Episode 10)

New Grand Prix Times article: Why Fernando Alonso's not done yet

One way or another Fernando Alonso was the talk of the Bahrain steamie last weekend. And this despite not driving his McLaren so much as the distance of a Pirelli's circumference.

Photo: Octane Photography

He had to sit out of Bahrain proceedings, as following on from his spectacular Melbourne barrel-roll he had a broken rib. But given it's Alonso this fairly straightforward development had to be accompanied by rumour and invective. Not least from Johnny Herbert who suggested that it was all a sign of Alonso lacking commitment and opined that he should retire.

In my latest article for Grand Prix Times though I rebut Herbert's claims, as well as more generally outline why Alonso is far from being done yet.

You can have a read here: http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/id/11702

Bahrain Grand Prix review for Motor Verso - Things go for Rosberg

Here is my latest Motor Verso race review, this time for the Bahrain Grand Prix just passed.

Photo: Octane Photography

Just like in Australia, wrangles off-track threatened to dominate the Sakhir weekend. Just like in Australia, the excruciating qualifying system was used. Just like in Australia too through, the race despite everything turned out to be a diverting one. And just like in Australia, everything's coming up Rosberg. Still.

For Motor Verso I give my take on all that went on at the Sakhir track. You can have a read here: http://www.motorverso.com/bahrain-gp-2016-review/

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.

Bahrain GP Report - Rosberg keeps rollin'

When things are rolling for you, they roll for you. Really, you enter a race with three credible rivals, yet one has dropped out before the race has even started and the other two have had their days severely compromised as quickly as the point of exiting turn one. Already the day is as good as yours. It's hard to imagine how it gets much better.

Nico Rosberg had another win come his way
Photo: Octane Photography

That's exactly what happened to Nico Rosberg in today's Bahrain Grand Prix. First off Sebastian Vettel didn't last even to the end of the parade lap, his Ferrari engine going pop; redolent of Michael Schumacher in France 20 years ago. The red cars' reliability hasn't looked near to being perfect in the 2016 calendar year and in this instance F1 once again demonstrated that it abides closely by Murphy's Law.

Then neither Lewis Hamilton nor Kimi Raikkonen got good starts. Worse for Lewis a rather lairy Valtteri Bottas hit him at the first corner, the upshot of it all was that Kimi was P5 and Lewis could continue but in P7. Worse still for Lewis was that his car was damaged, particularly in the floor, and some later spoke of it costing him up to a second a lap. For more than one reason he was condemned to damage limitation. While moreover the matter of first place was done pretty much by the first turn.

Sakhir Qualifying - Lewis lights up the gloom

Light and shade, this F1. Light and shade.

Lewis Hamilton made it two poles from two in 2016
Photo: Octane Photography

And rarely can it have been more markedly the case than in today's Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying session. Not merely either because it is one of the few run under artificial illumination.

The notorious flopped qualifying format did no better than when it debuted in Melbourne two weeks ago, as everyone worth listening to said it wouldn't. The long spells of empty track; cars being eliminated while sat in the garage; that the final grid was not the jumbled one that the system was designed to create. All were repeated pretty much exactly as in its excruciating first outing. Albert Einstein's definition of insanity - of doing the same thing and expecting different results - was quoted endlessly. Surely now we'll never see its like again.

But in another repeat of a fortnight ago the awful system at least provided a worthy pole winner. In fact it did so even more emphatically than then, as the lap that took it was as extraordinary as it was unexpected. Just like then Lewis Hamilton won out. Unlike then this was one taken against the head.

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Ferrari Should Sign Max Verstappen

In this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Mithila and Kunal tell you why Ferrari should sign up Max Verstappen at the expense of letting go the yet-to-find-form Kimi Raikkonen.

We explain why there's no 'crisis in Formula 1' and wonder what Haas Racing's real pace is. As we THANK GOD that Flavio Briatore isn't Bernie Ecclestone's successor, we wonder if Formula 1 needs a Narendra Modi too?

The dubious qualifying format, Pirelli tyres, Ferrari vs. Mercedes - so much to look forward to in Bahrain, including Toro Rosso scoring their first points ever? And obviously, there's no incentive to race to the podium in Bahrain for Kimi Raikkonen (we tell you why!).

And finally, did Kunal crack his best F1 joke ever in this episode? Tune in and find out.

(Season 2016, Episode 09)