All posts by Joey Barnes

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Vettel became the victim of a strategic gamble by Ferrari that has led to the four-time champ crashing out of the Austrian Grand Prix. The German, who turned 29-years-old today, started the race in ninth and made his way up to the lead after many of the frontrunners pitted. The extended tire strategy came to an end on lap 27 when, while coming down the front straightaway, Vettel’s right rear tire blew out and sent him into the inside wall before coming back across track andRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Felipe Massa will start the Austrian Grand Prix from the pit lane due to a damaged front wing. The Brazilian was set to start from 10th, but his Williams team discovered a crack in the front wing and decided to not risk it and change it out for a new one. Massa was running a new spec of front wing, but with the change he left with reverting to the older spec. Massa’s spot on the grid will remain empty. The Brazilian joins Toro Rosso driverRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Nico Rosberg has received a five-place grid penalty after a crash in FP3 forced the Mercedes team to change his gearbox. Rosberg enjoyed a banner Friday after dominating both the first and second practice sessions, but halfway through Saturday’s final practice he suffered suspension failure that sent him into the wall off the Turn 2 exit. The team confirmed that the mechanical failure happened at full throttle under “an unusually high load” on the exit of the curb. The German currently leads defending Formula 1 championRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Kimi Raikkonen remained unflappable in Thursday’s FIA press conference leading up to the Austrian Grand Prix, despite a mass of questions regarding rumors centering over his future at Ferrari. The 2007 Formula 1 champion’s contract with the Italian manufacturer expires at the end of the season. In the midst of a dogfight with Mercedes for F1 supremacy, neither Raikkonen or teammate Sebastian Vettel have won yet this season, with both amassing five runner-up finishes thus far. However, Ferrari president and CEO Sergio Marchionne warned that RaikkonenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires has altered its schedule and will move its race date at Iowa Speedway to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as part of a tripleheader weekend season finale. The series scrapped its round at Iowa, which was set to take place on July 10, due a low amount of car entries in the field. “I want to thank [Iowa Speedway president] Jimmy Small for giving us the option to move our race off of next weekend’s schedule,” said Dan Andersen,Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The Formula 1 season is already hitting the summer months and thus speculation has begun for 2017, with Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen once again at the center of attention. The 2007 F1 champion has enjoyed a solid season thus far, scoring three podiums in eight starts, but he and teammate Sebastian Vettel are still searching for the Scuderia’s first victory of 2016. However, an expiring contract has many believing the Italian manufacturer will move away from the Finn and look the direction of current Force IndiaRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Ferrari president and CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that Kimi Raikkonen must improve his performance if he wants a new deal for 2017. Raikkonen’s current contract with Ferrari expires at the end of the season. The Italian manufacturer’s most recent Formula 1 champion in 2007, Raikkonen enjoyed a promising start to the season that saw him lead teammate and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, before underwhelming results the last few races. For the second consecutive season, the Finn has been on the frontlines of speculation whether or notRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Carlos Sainz Jr. will return to Scuderia Toro Rosso next season, Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner confirmed. Sainz was overlooked for a promotion to Red Bull in favor of teammate Max Verstappen when the team demoted Daniil Kvyat to Toro Rosso. Since then, the Spaniard has impressed enough to warrant a rare third-year with the team and thus ending any speculation about his future. “We took up his option earlier this week, so he’s committed to Red Bull for the next 12 months,” Horner said.Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Sergio Sette Camara will make his official Formula 1 debut in a test at Silverstone with Scuderia Toro Rosso. The 18-year-old Brazilian currently competes in the FIA F3 European Championship and sits seventh in the standings with two podiums in 15 races this season. Sette Camara will take over on the second day of the post-British Grand Prix test for Carlos Sainz Jr. “I’m very happy and excited to be testing with Scuderia Toro Rosso”, Sette Camara said in a statement. “It’s a great opportunity which I’veRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Tony Cotman, the race director of Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires, has place three drivers on probation following events at Road America this past weekend. Andretti Autosport’s Dean Stoneman, Carlin’s Ed Jones and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports w/Curb-Agajanian’s Santiago Urrutia, winner of race 2 at Road America, have been put on probation for the duration of the 2016 season due to what the series deemed as ‘misconduct leading up to and including’ the event at the 4.048-mile road course. If any of the drivers now placedRead More