All posts by Adam Tate

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor The next Formula One strategy group meeting is Tuesday in Paris and details of its agenda have been revealed to the press. Chief among the items to be discussed include the proposal to introduce a budget engine in 2017 to lower costs for customer teams. The highly controversial topic came about after Ferrari exercised its veto ability when the sport tried to introduce a cost cap for engines. The proposed budget power units are expected to take up a majority of the meeting. The docket alsoRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor FORT WORTH, Texas – Shortly before today’s ongoing AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials confiscated the front splitters from the No. 11, No. 18 and No. 19 of Joe Gibb’s Racing machines. It is believed that the crews altered the splitters by using bondo to create aerodynamic ‘concaves’ in them to create a small but meaningful aerodynamic advantage. The confiscated pieces will be taken to NASCAR’S R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina for further examination. It will then be decided if the teamsRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor At its annual Finali Mondiali event at Italy’s Mugello circuit, Ferrari unveiled both racing variants of its new 488 GTB. The first is the 488 GTE set to compete in the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Like the street version it is based upon, it features a 3.9 liter, twin turbocharged V8 engine. It will be campaigned by privateers like the 458 GTE before it and was unveiled in the team colors of the stalwart outfit AF Corse. The GT3 versionRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor Officials for the Nurburgring have expressed an interest to see the Grand Prix track make a return to the Formula One calendar in 2017 and have already begun talks with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone on the subject. The German Grand Prix which is usually shared between the Nurburgring and the Hockenheimring faced unprecedented financial issues earlier this year that led to the race being cancelled. No doubt Ecclestone will put undue pressure on both Hockenheim for 2016 and the Nurbrugring for 2017 to ensure that theRead More

Lewis Hamilton, basking in the moment of claiming his third world championship took a friendly jab at Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel today in the post race press conference. Hamilton talked about all the times he sat there when it was Vettel’s day and now that it was his, he was going to talk for longer than Vettel did when the German won his four world titles. It garnered laughter from the room and from Vettel, but Sebastian’s range of emotions during the Q&A showed a man quietly analyzing his season, hisRead More

Despite constant deluge dominating the US Grand Prix weekend so far, conditions are set to improve by the race start time of 2:00 pm today when there will only be a 15 percent chance of showers. Qualifying this morning followed the script of the weekend and thus Daniel Ricciardo and Danil Kvyat line their Red Bulls up on row two behind the all conquering Mercedes. The wet, low grip conditions allowed the down on power Red Bull chassis to shine and close the gap on the Silver Arrows. Today’s raceRead More

In an extraordinary move of empathy, hard nosed McLaren-Honda boss Ron Dennis has reportedly blocked Red Bull Racing from securing Honda power units for 2016. Despite assurances from Christian Horner that, “quitting is not an option” Red Bull’s predicament looks even worse than the weather in Austin this weekend. After having the door shut in their face by Mercedes and then Ferrari, Ron Dennis may be putting the final nail in the coffin of F1’s youngest super power. Supplying another team with engines for next season could stretch issue plaguedRead More

Currently the F1 community is in a holding pattern. Sitting, waiting on the deluge from Hurricane Patricia to either drown the Lone Star state or mercifully lessen just enough to squeak in qualifying. The prognosis isn’t encouraging. They just brought in the marshals and as I type we just received confirmation of yet another 30 minute rain delay. Everyone is making the best of it. The fans, God bless them are all still here, cheering, dancing, waving banners for the cameras. Two Sauber crew members rode up the pit laneRead More

Sauber reserve driver Rafaelle Marciello, is set to drive Felipe Nasr’s Sauber in FP1 in Austin on Friday in the build up to this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. The chance comes on the heels of rounds in the Sauber in FP1 at Malaysia, Spain and Britain. Marciello currently lies in 8th place in the GP2 standings with three podiums this season. He has been a member of Ferrari’s young driver Academy since 2010. This weekend’s round of the championship will be Sauber’s 400th since entering F1 in 1993. Image: FerrariRead More

Welcome to our newest segment here at Tribute Racing. At a select few races each year I am going to do my best to describe to you just how it feels to be in the paddock for some of the most exciting and interesting races in the world. The only WEC round in North America is the perfect place to start as a WEC race is the best bargain for fans today. Especially in the case of the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Austin.Read More