All posts by Adam Tate

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The FIA has released the 2018 calendar, finally confirming the Brazilian Grand Prix, but they did urge for increased security measures next November in Sao Paulo. They also made a change to the controversial system of grid penalties, as 2018 will see the drivers limited to just three power units for the season. The move is meant to prevent the confusion fans experienced in 2017 over how drivers ended up so heavily penalized throughout the season. Penalties used to incur any time a number of elementsRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Formula One’s bigger, wider cars of 2017 produced the most downforce the sport has ever seen. That, coupled with the wider, more durable Pirelli tires lead to a massive decrease in overtaking which plummeted 47% compared to 2016 according to Pirelli. The excessive turbulent air of the high downforce cars is well known and Ross Brawn is working on a solution with the 2021 regulations, but it along with the rather dull season finale in Abu Dhabi have lead to an increased focus on the circuitsRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was the star of Honda ‘Thanks Day’ at Twin Ring Motegi today. The annual event showcases Honda’s brightest racing stars who lap the circuit in both current and historic race cars to the delight of a massive crowd. Sato was joined by the Borg-Warner trophy which made its first overseas trip to mark the occasion. Other notable participants included MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez, as well as McLaren-Honda Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Stoffel Vandoorne. Toro Rosso driver Pierre Gasly,Read More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Sauber and Alfa Romeo celebrated their new partnership today from the Alfa Romeo museum where they announced their 2018 driver lineup and unveiled a teaser of the 2018 livery that will adorn the cars that will be known as Alfa Romeo Saubers. Reigning F2 champion and Ferrari junior driver Charles Leclerc will make his much anticipated Formula One debut alongside Marcus Ericsson who returns for a fourth season with the team. Antonio Giovinazzi who contested the first two races for the Sauber earlier this year inRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor There is a red dawn rising at Sauber’s Hinwil Headquarters as the team announced a new partnership with historic car maker Alfa Romeo this morning. The Alfa Romeo name will return to Formula 1 in 2018 as part of a commercial and technical partnership with the Swiss outfit and be known as Alfa Romeo Sauber from 2018 onward. The multi-year deal is crucial for FCA Chairman Sergio Marchionne’s desire to put Alfa Romeo back on the world stage and is the first major step of creatingRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Kimi Raikkonen topped the time sheets for Ferrari on the first day of Pirelli’s Abu Dhabi tire test, where all 10 Formula One teams are evaluating the prospective 2018 tire compounds. The Finn clocked an impressive 1:37.768 on Pirelli’s new hypersoft compound, just three tenths ahead of Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull, and nearly a second ahead of World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who qualified and finished second behind team mate Valtteri Bottas on Sunday, hailed Pirelli’s hypersoft tires as the best tire Pirelli has made sinceRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The most obvious stat from the Mexican Grand Prix is that Lewis Hamilton is now a four time World Champion. In doing so he has equaled his rival Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost. The only drivers with more titles remain Juan Manuel Fangio with five and Michael Schumacher with seven. The way Hamilton clinched the title was somewhat anticlimactic and his ninth place finish is the lowest finishing position any driver has ever held to clinch a championship, though Schumacher came close with an eighth placeRead More

Editor’s note: This article first appeared as Track Day with Wings & Slicks by Associate Editor Adam Tate. With the U.S. Grand Prix coming up this weekend we thought it was a perfect time to share this again and give our readers an idea of just what it’s like to drive an open wheel race car. Enjoy. Last week I experienced the power, immediacy and thrill of an open wheel race car for the first time in my life. A fan of open wheel racing since child hood, the anticipation andRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The United States Grand Prix is coming up this weekend! Seeing as Circuit of The Americas is right in our backyard, we’ve put together a guide to COTA and the awesome city of Austin, Texas for those of you making the pilgrimage to one of the best races of the year. What is it? The U.S. Grand Prix, F1’s one and only race in the United States, takes place every October at the wonderful, purpose-built road course known as the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.Read More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After racing in Malaysia and Japan for Toro Rosso, 2016 Formula 2 (formerly GP2) champ Pierre Gasly is set to miss the U.S. Grand Prix in order to compete in the Super Formula season finale to try and add another series championship to his CV. Gasly temporarily replaced Daniil Kvyat in the team’s lineup and is expected to be paired with the Russian for 2018, but he is only half a point off the championship lead in Super Formula behind Toyota driver Hiroaki Ishiura. It isRead More