Formula One Category

Amid the backdrop of this week’s FIA World Endurance Championship event at the Circuit of the Americas, SCCA Pro Racing and its partners unveiled plans for a new championship to begin in 2016 The American championship will use a locally-developed Crawford chassis and a 2.0-litre Honda engine producing the category-specified 160 PS – both of which are currently undergoing the FIA Formula 4 homologation process. As testament to the continued global growth and acceptance of FIA Formula 4, the US series will join championships already established in Australia, Japan, Germany,Read More

Red Bull Racing will end its longtime relationship with engine supplier Renault, at the end of the season, according to AUTOSPORT. Since the introduction of the V6 turbo era in Formula 1, Renault has had an array of performance and reliability issues that has led to a tumultuous relationship with the Milton Keynes-based squad. Red Bull’s contract with the French manufacturer was set to expire at the end of the 2016 season, with long-standing rumors that the team could break the contract without penalty due to performance issues. Both DanielRead More

Nico Rosberg mourned the death of his engine which failed with just two laps remaining in the Italian Grand Prix while pursuing Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel for second. Mercedes spent all of its remaining engine tokens heading into Monza, but for Rosberg it mattered little as the German had to fall back on the old spec engine following issues with the new power unit prior to qualifying on Saturday. The engine Rosberg was forced to run with had been used in six full race weekends. “To have it explode two lapsRead More

Sebastian Vettel has called on F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to keep Monza on the series calendar amid rumors that the longtime home of the Italian Grand Prix could be dropped in 2016. The German finished second behind Lewis Hamilton at Monza, leading the charge for Scuderia Ferrari while teammate Kimi Raikkonen grabbed fifth. The uncertainty for over the future for one of F1’s most historic and prestigious venues as the host of the Italian Grand Prix has also put other tracks, such as Imola, back into consideration. Matteo Renzi, theRead More

Speaking privately before today’s Italian Grand Prix, Hollywood legend George Lucas asked Lewis Hamilton why he didn’t go out and win a race by 20 seconds, today Lewis Hamilton did. In doing so, the performance of the year was shaded by controversy. Hamilton who had pulled away from Sebastian Vettel in second, had a 20 second lead going into lap 48 of 53 at Monza when he received a mysterious radio transmission instructing him to pick up the pace and not ask questions. Hamilton duly noted the instructions and uppedRead More

The Italian Grand Prix is special. A look in the team garages to see the likes of FCA boss Sergio Marchionne and Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsch reveals just how much the Italian round of the championship means to to teams. Just one look at the scarlet coated grandstands shows how much it means to the fans, the tifosi. Just one look at the drivers shows how much it means to them, their commitment, their passion. Qualifying at Monza is all about speed and today we were treated to a spectacularRead More

Team boss Eric Boullier has stated that McLaren “intends” to keep longtime F1 veteran Jenson Button for 2016. McLaren has an option on the 2009 world champion’s contract, but also has two youthful talents waiting in the wings in Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne. Both have made a case to be in a second car for McLaren, let alone another team on the grid, which is something Boullier and company might be entertaining. Similar to putting a player on loan in soccer, McLaren may put a transfer fee on theRead More

Lewis Hamilton continued to set the pace for Mercedes at Monza but whereas the championship leader eclipsed team-mate Nico Rosberg by just shy of half a second in the morning session, in the afternoon Rosberg closed the gap to just two hundredths of a second. Sebastian Vettel was third and after being over 1.5s off the pace in the morning he too closed the gap to Hamilton in the afternoon, ending the session seven tenths adrift of the Briton after the teams’ runs on the option soft tyre. The sessionRead More

Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton does not believe Mercedes should not supply engines to Red Bull Racing. Red Bull Racing currently has a contract with Renault as its supplier till the end of 2016, but the team wants to expire that agreement a year early to the end of this season. Renault has struggled in Formula 1 since the inception of the V6 turbo era. With Lotus changing from Renault last season to Mercedes power this year – a move that saw the team grab its first podium inRead More

Mercedes were in a league of their own in the first practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, with F1 championship leader Lewis Hamilton heading team-mate Nico Rosberg in a one-two for the German marque, with Hamilton finishing over 1.5s ahead of nearest non-Mercedes rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. The opening practice session of the weekend at Monza began quietly and there were 13 minutes on the clock before Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen set the first timed lap of the day. His team-mate Carlos Sainz was swiftly back toRead More