F1 2017 Tag

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Renault and Toro Rosso have agreed that Carlos Sainz Jr. will move to the French team after the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. This had been the original aim of the deal between Red Bull and Renault when it was agreed that Toro Rosso would loan Sainz to the French outfit. However, negotiations between Renault and Jolyon Palmer broke down and the British driver remained alongside Nico Hukenberg. The negotiations later resumed and Palmer has announced that tomorrow will be his last race with the team,Read More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The Japanese Grand Prix was first held all the way back in 1963 as a sports car race, it did not become an official Formula One Grand Prix until 1976 on and has been held 30 times since. The first two grands prix were at Fuji speedway near Tokyo, including the dramatic 1977 title decider where James Hunt won the World Championship over Niki Lauda. The race then dropped off the calendar for 10 years before it moved to its spiritual home of Suzuka Circuit inRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Lewis Hamilton has bested Michael Schumacher and every other driver in the history of Formula One by claiming 69 pole positions. This is a milestone worth celebrating for Hamilton and for the sport, but there is another, greater milestone that has gone unnoticed that far more accurately gauges the impact that Hamilton has made on Formula One. To understand this we have to cast ourselves back 16 years, back to when Hamilton was just a boy and F1 was just entering the period of Michael Schumacher’sRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Carlos Sainz’s widely reported move from Toro Rosso to Renault is apparently in the form of a “loan” which at least in theory, Red Bull can take back if they need or desire to. With the top Red Bull team filled and Pierre Gasly coming to take his place at Toro Rosso it is likely that Sainz will stay at Renault after 2018, but it is not guarunteed. Should Honda continue to be a disaster in 2018 and Red Bull be forced to take their enginesRead More

Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo went fastest in opening practice for the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Ferrari but it was announcements off-track that garnered most attention at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Following months of speculation McLaren and Honda announced that they will end their partnership at the close of the 2017, with the Woking squad then quickly announcing that its power units will be supplied by Renault in 2018. As well as issuing its own statement about the McLaren supply, Renault subsequently announced that it has signed ToroRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Valtteri Bottas will stay in silver for 2018. The two-time race winner has signed a new one year deal with Mercedes AMG Petronas to partner with Lewis Hamilton for a second season. The Finn was quickly added to the team over last winter after 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg shocked the racing world by announcing his immediate retirement. He has more than proved himself throughout 2017, in addition to his two wins in Russia and Austria, he sits third in the drivers’ standings and has stoodRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor The Azerbaijan Grand Prix had everything this year: crashes, controversy, surprise results and a ton of interesting statistics to process. Chief among them was the fifth win of Daniel Ricciardo’s career. His win from 10th on the grid is the furthest back a driver has won since Fernando Alonso won from 11th in the 2012 European Grand Prix. The last driver who actually won from 10th was Kimi Raikkonen, way back in the 2004 Belgian Grand Prix. With five wins, Ricciardo is tied with Giuseppe Farina,Read More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After his first F1 test in six years, Robert Kubica has announced that his goal is to return to Formula 1. In an interview with Sky Sports the 32 year old Polish driver spoke of his satisfaction in being able to drive a Formula One car again and declared that he wants to make a full time return to the series. “For sure it’s kind of a new start for me. I don’t know what it will bring, but definitely it’s a nice feeling to know I can drive anRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Fernando Alonso phoned in from Montreal to the on air television broadcast of the Rainguard Water Sealers 600 at Texas Motor Speedway last night to talk with the NBCSN hosts and give some more of his thoughts on IndyCar. Today’s Canadian Grand Prix marks his return to F1 after his electrifying Indy 500 debut two weeks ago, and the broadcast team wanted to get his opinion on the oval racing at TMS. He hailed the Texas race, then in its early stages as “spectacular” and saidRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor With the rumors swirling around McLaren-Honda like vultures, Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg has gone on record saying he would welcome Fernando Alonso back to Renault should the two-time World Champ leave McLaren at season’s end. Speaking to Speed Week ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the German driver was very excited at the possibility of Alonso considering a Renault return. “I think it would be great,” said Hulkenberg. “It would be great not only for the whole team, but for me as well to compete with one ofRead More