New Motor Sport Magazine article: When Ayrton Senna was nearly banned from F1

By Gabriele - Cropped from Image:
Ayrton Senna Imola 1989.jpg. Original at
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46502612, CC BY 2.0, https://
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Imagine Ayrton Senna being banned in advance from the 1990 Formula 1 season.

That rather than claiming the second of his three world title he'd been forced to sit the season out. And that the driver replacing him in a race seat at all-conquering McLaren Honda was Jonathan Palmer.

Imagine too that this followed weeks wherein McLaren as a team being kept off the grid looked a possibility too.

It all seems unthinkable. But almost exactly 30 years ago it, briefly, happened.

For Motor Sport Magazine I tell the tale. You can have a read here: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/when-ayrton-senna-was-nearly-banned-from-f1

New Motor Sport Magazine article: The races that never happened: F1's cancelled grands prix

Hamel Alrayeh [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org
/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

Today the not-exactly-surprising confirmation has landed that the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled for April 19, is at least postponed due to coronavirus.

But as with most things in Formula 1, grands prix being postponed or cancelled is far from being new.

So for Motor Sport Magazine I have taken a look at five notable previous times that F1 races were canned.

You can have a read here.

Things To Expect From The Australian Grand Prix 2020

For F1 fans, the good news couldn’t come any sooner! The 2020 Formula 1 will be kicking off on the 15th of March in Albert Park, Melbourne. For those who are familiar with F1 or Formula 1, it is the highest class of single-seater motor race. It was sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and owned by the Formula 1 Group. Formerly known as the World Drivers' Championship, it became the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1981. A Formula One season consists of a series of races known as Grands Prix.

A quick word before starting, if you are thinking of buying car parts you can have a chat with auto body parts wholesale distributors.

Coronavirus And The Australian Grand Prix 2020

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 Coronavirus, we’ve seen major motorsports events getting either canceled or postponed. With the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix and Thai Motorcycle Grand Prix, it was speculated whether the Australian Grand Prix would share the same fate. But the good news for the fans! Turned out it wouldn’t. The Victorian Department of Health declared that the Australian Grand Prix would go ahead as planned. The CEO of Australian Grand Prix, Andrew Westacott has stated,

“We are all systems go and gearing up for the 25th Formula One race in Melbourne next week. The finishing touches are being put on the circuit, Formula 1 freight and personnel are arriving in the coming days and we're looking forward to opening the gates to the public on Thursday, March 12."

He also assured that The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has robust health and emergency management ready at each event. And are working collectively with health agencies and related government and emergency services organizations.

On the other hand, The Italy based team, AlphaTauri has faced issues regarding the GP. Italy had the second-worst outbreak after China and thus going through certain restrictions. Alpha Tauri team’s head Franz Tost stated the issues at hand.

“It’s changing all the time from the logistics side. We have to change all the flights because we are not allowed to go anymore via Singapore or Hong Kong. There’s a lot of work in front of us.

This Coronavirus is a really serious story from the AlphaTauri side. I instructed all the employees to behave in a special manner. For example, we reduced traveling dramatically. Then people who are coming from the red zones in Italy should stay at home. We do not want that they come to the factory. Suppliers are supposed not to visit us in the factory. And we will see now what’s going on regarding your races in Melbourne or Bahrain.”

What To Expect From The Championship

Dual-Axis Steering System

If you are following F1 for a while now, you’d know that the Dual-Axis Steering System deployed on the Mercedes is making headlines. They came up with an innovative approach with the steering wheel. If the drivers pull or push the steering wheel the dual-axis system helps them adjust the toe of the front wheels to optimize mechanical grip. This provides aerodynamic benefits and extra speed. DAS was first spotted on the second day of pre-season F1 testing in Barcelona.

However, the system was on the verge of creating controversies regarding the illegal front suspension alteration due to the toe-angle illegally changing the front suspension. To combat the problem FIA has put a ban on it. According to F1's 2021 regulations which got published at the end of last year, it was made clear that any changes to the angle of the wheels can only be made by the steering wheel.

They have already fixed their issues regarding the steering wheel and the system. If you want to fix your vehicle’s parts problem and want to make a purchase, always consider buying the best aftermarket auto parts.

Daniel Ricciardo’s Comeback

Something jinx is going on for Daniel Ricciardo in the Australian Grand Prix. He has never achieved a podium at Albert Park. Has been retired from the race thrice. And even after securing the second position in the race he was disqualified for an illegal fuel flow rate. This time he’s trying his heart and soul not to lose against the jinx. Let’s hope this Grand Prix proves to be grand for him.

Australian Grand Prix 2020 Schedule

Friday 13 March

Free practice 1: 1am-2.30am

Free practice 2: 5 am-6.30 am

Saturday 14 March

Free practice 3: 3 am-4 am

Qualifying: 6am-7am

Sunday 15 March

Race: 5.10am-7.10am (latest finish time)

Australian Grand Prix Tickets

You can select a session with different prices for Australian Grand Prix tickets. Note that the prices may vary.

Friday 13th March

Session: 1 day

Price Range: From €269 to €391

Saturday 14th March

Session: 1 day

Price Range: From €58 to €1360

Sunday 15th March

Session: 1 day

Price Range: From €68 to €1339

Saturday & Sunday (2 days)

Session: 2 days

Price Range: From €793 to €1564

Friday, Saturday & Sunday (3 days)

Session: 3 days

Price Range: From € 127 to € 1789

A Final Word

Sky Sports will be live telecasting the events including the practice sessions, qualifying rounds and the race from Melbourne. Keep an eye on the channel on 13th March. Lastly, a piece of friendly advice to my readers; always check car parts comparison sites before ordering parts.

The Consequences Of Dangerous Driving

Everyone knows the importance of safe driving, this is crucial for businesses with motor trade insurance, but some people choose to ignore the expectations of being a responsible motorist. If you're one of these people, you should know that there are serious consequences to committing reckless actions on the road.

1. Your Insurance Costs Rise

If you get charged and convicted of reckless driving, then your insurance company will consider you a high-risk driver and raise your premiums accordingly. On top of that, you may have to get an SR22 insurance policy to continue driving your car legally. If you’ve already been flagged as a high-risk motorist requiring this form of certification, you might be wondering can you get an SR22 online or not? It varies from state to state but generally speaking it’s possible. However, for those who’ve yet to be required to carry SR22 insurance, it’s best to change your ways and be a safer driver.

2. You Could Lose Your License

Careless or reckless driving is a criminal offense, and you could have your license suspended or even revoked. The court will consider the severity of the offense, your driving record before the event and the likelihood of it happening again when they make their decision. If it's revoked, you'll have to apply for a new license when the revocation period has elapsed. You may also have to take an expensive court-ordered defensive driving course before you're allowed back on the road. These take a lot of time out of your busy schedule.

3. You'll Cause Unnecessary Damage To Your Vehicle

Driving too quickly and too dangerously can damage your vehicle's components. For example, the engine’s valves and cylinder heads can break from the strain of excessive speeding. Habitually riding the clutch can cause it to wear out long before it should. This leads to expensive repairs that can be, at the very least, delayed by safe driving.

4. You Could Face Fines And Jail Time

Most states impose fines on people convicted of reckless driving. These fines can get into the thousands of dollars depending on the state and the nature of the offenses. You'll also have to pay all court costs, and these can be quite expensive. Worse still, you could face jail time for your actions. Many states impose jail sentences of 30-90 days depending on the offense. If this isn't your first time before a judge, some states have sentences as long as a year. Losing all that time is terrible, but there's one thing you could lose that's dearer still.

5. You Could Face Severe Injury, Disability Or Even Death

Eventually, your carelessness will catch up to you. Going too fast or ignoring stop signs for too long will lead to a collision of some kind. When it does, you or someone else could be severely injured or worse. Thousands die every year as a result of reckless driving. Don't make yourself or others a part of this statistic. The best way you can do that is to practice safe and defensive driving.

New Motorsport Week article: Alonso’s Formula 1 return – is it all that unlikely?

Photo: Octane Photography

So, as far as Fernando Alonso is concerned Formula 1 is "unfinished business". And any return would not be on the basis of merely making the numbers up.

His driving talents are not in much question, but as often is the case with Alonso matters are not quite as simple as that.

With all this, for Motorsport Week I explore how likely a comeback is.

You can have a read here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/2020/02/01/feature-alonsos-formula-1-return-all-that-unlikely/

Top Performing Sunglasses For Winter Sport

Snow is one of the most reflective surfaces when it comes to light, so wearing sunglasses for winter sports is absolutely essential to avoid harmful UV rays, even without direct sunlight. Snow blindness (when bright light reflected from snow affects vision) is a real threat when skiing or snowboarding, particularly at high altitudes and travelling at high speeds.

Hitting the slopes this winter? Make sure your ski goggles or ski glasses lenses provide 100% UV protection to ensure the best experiences.

To make choosing the ideal pair of winter sports eyewear easy, SmartBuyGlasses provides you with a list of the top recommended products which are worth to be invested in before heading to the mountains.

Top Recommended Goggles

If you're planning on skiing or snowboarding down the slopes this winter, consider equipping yourself with some quality ski goggles; they are your best choice for comfort, visibility and eye protection.

In low-light and fogging conditions, yellow, gold and amber lenses filter out blue light. Shadows are emphasised to see better the contours in the snow. They also work well in moderate and variable light conditions. Check out the Bloc Evolution E014 or the Bloc Small Fit Moon JM01.

Win a Team Lotus Audio Book by Ibrar Malik

On Talking about F1 we have been very pleased to feature blogs previewing the books of Ibrar Malik.

Ibrar's debut work delved into the controversial 1994 Formula 1 season, and he has just released his second book: Team Lotus, Struggling Beyond The Post Colin Chapman Era.

And we have five copies of the audio book to give away to Talking about F1 readers.

All you have to do is answer the very simple question below.

Addendum 19/01/2020: Apologies, something I forgot to mention when initially publishing this is that the audio book codes we have to give away only work in the US, Canada and Australia, so the competition is only open to those based there.

We will pick five winners at random from the correct answers and will be in touch if you're one of the lucky quintet. Good luck!

THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Team Lotus, Struggling Beyond The Post Colin Chapman Era, is now available to purchase in E Book format here (a free sample is contained within that link) or Audio Book format here.

You can also read more detail about the book here: http://www.1994f1.com/lotusbook/

New Motorsport Week article: When Jim Clark took part in the RAC Rally

Leo A Capaldi [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Fernando Alonso has been keeping us entertained recently, by having a go at the Dakar Rally. This is the latest leg of his outlier path of being a Formula 1 star trying his hand at other motorsport disciplines.

But it's also a throwback path, as such an existence used to be common. And even making the large shift from F1 all the way to rallying is not entirely new.

For Motorsport Week I look back to 1966 and Jim Clark taking on the RAC Rally, the Rally GB of its day. And he performed sensationally.

You can have a read of the tale here: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/25827

Pedro Lamy's 1994 Silverstone Testing Accident, by Ibrar Malik and Ben Green

This is a special blog to celebrate the launch of the audiobook: Team Lotus, Struggling Beyond The Post Colin Chapman Era.

This blog has been co-written by Ben Green, who is the proud owner of the Lotus Formula 1 car Pedro Lamy crashed during that Silverstone test in May 1994, just prior to that year's Spanish Grand Prix. If you have read the book: 1994 The Untold Story of a Tragic and Controversial F1 Season, you'll know Lamy's crash and its subsequent fallout, was hugely significant to F1 that year. Ben's Lotus chassis is the 107C (chassis no 1).

This is the (restored) Lotus 107C that Lamy almost was killed in during that fateful day at Silverstone in May 1994. Ben purchased the chassis from Team Lotus during 1995, along with a heap of spares.
     
1994 Lotus 107C
At the end of the 1993 season, Team Lotus's finances were in a bad way. The newly released book: Team Lotus, Struggling Beyond The Post Colin Chapman Era details how and why Team Lotus got there by the early 1990s.

Its Chris Murphy-designed 107B was fast but unreliable, while its complex active suspension and customer Cosworth HB engines had drained resources. Along came Honda with the Mugen brand and an updated 1989 ZA5 V10 engine, a no-cost factory option.

New Motorsport Week article: F1 2019 end of season awards - The Golden Grahams

Photo: Octane Photography

We know how the 2019 F1 season ended, but who were the real winners? In my latest for Motorsport Week I again seek to unravel the matter with my annual set of 'prestigious' awards, The Golden Grahams.

Some of it is serious (best driver, best team...); some of it, erm, is less so.

You can have a read of it in all its glorious nonsense via this link: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/25726