All posts by Joey Barnes

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The cloudy future of Lewis Hamilton became has become slightly clearer. The 33-year-old Brit is in the final year of his contract with Mercedes, but after being crowned champion three of the past four seasons some doubt has crept in about his career beyond 2018. During an FIA press conference on Friday ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Toto Wolff, Team Principal of Mercedes, candidly addressed the situation. “The contract we have been discussing before going into the winter holiday and then we kind ofRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The 2018 Formula 1 season just got underway with the first practice of the year and we already have a clash on our hands between Ferrari and Red Bull Racing. The head-to-head battle came between the team principals of both squads during Friday’s FIA press conference, with the focal point being the Italian squad’s hiring of FIA safety delegate Laurent Mekies. The situation under scrutiny comes on the heels of Renault’s move to bring on former FIA Technical Director, Marcin Budkowski late last year – thoughRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sergio Perez is seeking to return to the podium during the 2018 Formula 1 season. The 28-year-old Mexican has seven career podiums to his credit, four of which have come with current team Force India. However, a podium-less campaign last year – a first since 2013 with McLaren – has brought on an additional hunger to return to form. With preseason showing various levels of unpredictability as the season rolls forward with this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the goal – at the minimum – is that ForceRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Formula 1 is so often the dream for many young aspiring drivers, but it is about to become a reality for Charles Leclerc. The 20-year-old from Monaco is set to begin the next chapter of his racing career when the lights go out for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. The climb has been about as methodical as one can get, winning three races en route to the GP3 title in 2016 and moving on to capture seven wins and claim the FIA Formula 2 (formerly GP2Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The moment has finally arrived as months of anticipation over the offseason come to a close this weekend with the Formula 1 season opener. As such, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen preview the Australian Grand Prix, which takes center stage at Albert Park in Melbourne. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid have brought together the two driver’s thoughts in this latest installment. Video Credit: Mobil 1 The GridRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Pirelli has revealed the tire selections for Formula 1 teams ahead of next week’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The Italian manufacturer and exclusive tire supplier for F1 has added both the Hypersoft and Superhard compounds for 2018. However, the event at Albert Park in Melbourne will see the Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft rubber combinations, with each team allowed to choose 10 of 13 sets. McLaren, Mercedes and Williams have chosen nine sets of the Ultrasofts, while Ferrari and Renault have elected for seven. Renault, along withRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The 2018 Formula 1 season is upon us with the Australian Grand Prix just under two weeks away. One of the more compelling stories of the offseason is that of Robert Kubica. The Polish driver returns to F1 in a reserve role with Williams as he continues his remarkable comeback. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid have brought together a highlight of Kubica as he readies for a new role this season. Video Credit: Mobil 1 The GridRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Romain Grosjean propelled Haas F1 Team to a new benchmark on the final day of preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The 31-year-old Frenchman completed 181 laps on Friday around the 2.892-mile, 16-turn road course – the most among the 12 drivers. The strong outing comes after teammate Kevin Magnussen posted the previous best a day prior with 153 total laps. The day’s activities left Grosjean with a remarkable 523.452 miles run, while also posting the fifth-best time at 1 minute, 18.412 seconds in the No.Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins this weekend to officially mark the start of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season. The season opener will also showcase the dawn of a new era with the universal aero kit. The 14-turn, 1.8-mile street circuit will play host to 24 drivers eager to make a strong run out of the gate, including defending series champion Josef Newgarden. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid have brought together a preview for the upcoming year for INDYCAR. Video Credit: Mobil 1Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief With the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season rapidly approaching, Motorsports Tribune is previewing each of the teams competing on the tour. The site’s IndyCar staff will break each team down, laying out their results from the previous season while previewing the year to come for the organization and their driver(s).  Team: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Drivers: Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato What Happened Last Year: A trying start turned into another strong season in 2017 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Graham Rahal piloted the team’s lone full-time entry in the No.Read More