All posts by Joey Barnes

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sauber F1 Team has announced that Antonio Giovinazzi will replace Pascal Wehrlein for the upcoming preseason test set for next week at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Wehrlein is still recovering from a back injury sustained in a heavy crash at the Race of Champions in January and decided to sit out the opening week of testing after medical advice. Giovinazzi, a reserve driver for Ferrari, will split the first four days with fellow Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson. “We took the decision that Pascal will not be drivingRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Following the online launch of the SF70H, Kimi Raikkonen was given the pleasure of shaking down Ferrari’s newest creation at Fiorano. The revealing of the car was also used as one of the team’s filming days, similar to what Mercedes did on Thursday when they launched the W08. The 37-year-old Finn wasn’t pushing the pace, but added that today was just the beginning. “Obviously we didn’t go full speed, it’s the install lap and the very first lap with the new car so it all feltRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Ferrari took the covers off their 2017 contender, labeled the SF70H, via an online stream ahead of filming day in Italy. The 63rd single-seater crafted by the Scuderia is the latest to be launched among the Formula 1 teams. A sharkfin, which comes with the addition of the T-wing at the top, can be seen in white, but the remainder of the livery returns to the iconic Rosso Corsa. What stands out about the bodywork is the sidepods – which Ferrari have gone with a wideRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief After a year to forget in 2016, Clint Bowyer couldn’t stop smiling after the end of second race of the Can-Am Duels at Daytona. The 37-year-old Kansas native took the wheel of the No. 14 Ford in his first race with Stewart-Haas Racing and drove to a runner-up finish, his best result since finishing third at Sonoma Raceway in 2015. “Damn, this is fun again,” said Bowyer. “Man, what a rocket ship. Hats off to all these guys that put all this hard work into theseRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Scuderia Toro Rosso’s filming day run at the Misano World Circuit was cut short following an issue by the power unit. The Faenza-based squad ran six laps while shaking down its STR12 prior to the apparent problem with the ERS, which comes on the heels of the team switching from Ferrari to Renault power for the 2017 Formula 1 season. The Franz Tost-led squad is set to officially launch the STR12 on Sunday at Barcelona, the same day as senior team Red Bull Racing.Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Mercedes have revealed their 2017 car – the W08 – at Silverstone on Thursday. Lewis Hamilton completed a handful of laps for filming day on a damp day on a set of wet Pirelli tires at the circuit that hosts the British Grand Prix. After a series of short stints he returned on slick rubber, ramping up the pace before pitting the car for the official launch. Valtteri Bottas also enjoyed a brief run in the afternoon, his first run with the team since moving overRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Force India became the fourth team to showcase their 2017 car, revealing the VJM10 during an online presentation at Silverstone. The silver and black liver has a hint of orange streaking from the nose down to the back of the side pods, with similar features to recently revealed challengers Williams, Sauber and Renault. The most notable difference comes with the front wing, which features a slit ‘thumb-nose.’ The backend of the VJM10 also sees an extended shark fin. The car was unveiled by Sergio Perez andRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The winning helmet design that Lewis Hamilton will carry for the 2017 Formula 1 season has been chosen. The Mercedes driver had to make the tough choice over 8,000 submitted entries from participants through Instagram, but eventually settled on a rendering by Rai Caldato of Caldato Design. The winning design features ties to the 32-year-old Brit’s hero, Ayrton Senna, past helmets and stars to signify his three championships. The featured design can be seen below courtesy of Hamilton’s Instagram post. Here it is. The winning helmetRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Renault Sport F1 Team became the third squad to reveal its 2017 Formula 1 car – the RS17. The launch came at an event in London with the team also officially introducing race drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer, and test driver Sergei Sorotkin. Having finished ninth in the constructors’ standings last season, Renault Sport president Jerome Stoll set the target for fifth place for the upcoming season. “The RS17 is the first car which Enstone and Viry (Renault’s UK and French F1 bases) have beenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sauber F1 Team celebrates their 25 years in Formula 1 with an all-new livery on the C36 chassis – their 2017 challenger. Although he only just joined the Hinwill-based squad in January, new technical director Jorg Zander  pushed its development after replacing Mark Smith, whom began the car’s design but left in March last season. Powered by a year-old Ferrari engine which is likely to hamper its full potential, Zander put a bigger focus on the aerodynamics. “We put greater emphasis on aerodynamic stability as opposedRead More