F1 Tag

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Following a strong preseason, Daniel Ricciardo has tabbed Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel as likely contenders to dethrone Mercedes. The Red Bull Racing driver told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he is hoping the pace shown by his former teammate’s Italian squad is legitimate. “From the first test day, Ferrari made a very good impression,” Ricciardo said. “I hope they keep it up because it would be nice if someone could fight Mercedes. They’ve improved a little of everything and they also seem to be very goodRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren announced the return of Mika Hakkinen to the team in a multi-year deal as a ‘partner ambassador’ role. The two-time Formula 1 champion (1998-99) piloted 130 grand prix for the Woking-based outfit, scoring 20 wins. The 48-year-old Finn competed nine years under McLaren and expressed his pleased he was to return to his “home.” “I’ve always considered McLaren to be my home in Formula 1, and I still have an enormous place in my heart for everyone in the team,” said Hakkinen. “Of course, theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief There are times in motorsports that you just need to sit back and appreciate the moment. Yesterday, we witnessed one of racing’s greatest champions remind the world of his capabilities and put everyone on notice that he’s still one of the best to ever compete in an Indy car. Every headline imaginable that would be perfect for a Hollywood movie took place on the streets of St. Petersburg. The ‘little team’ at Dale Coyne Racing that reunited a decade old all-star team and a former four-timeRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Kimi Raikkonen put Ferrari at the top of the timesheets of day two of testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The 37-year-old Finn logged 108 total laps with the SF70H on Tuesday, with his best clocked at 1:20.960 – edging out Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton by 0.023 of a second. One significant note is that Raikkonen scored his best lap on the soft compound Pirelli tires, while Hamilton, who put in 66 laps, put his lap in on the super-soft compound. Valtteri Bottas split time with HamiltonRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Readying for their sophomore campaign, Haas F1 Team have revealed their 2017 challenger to the Formula 1 grid with the VF-17. Electing to showcase their second ever car via online on Sunday following filming day at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya the day prior, the VF-17 features a darker livery than last year’s model. The chassis is built by Italian manufacturer Dallara and features a thumb-like nose with sidepods similar to that of Ferrari’s SF70H, but slightly less aggressive as the main opening doesn’t have as deep ofRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Renault took to the track for its filming day at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of the preseason test set to take place next week. The French outfit revealed the R.S.17 on Tuesday with an aggressive yellow and black livery to balance the changes to a challenger they hope can be among the top five teams in Formula 1. Jolyon Palmer was given the honor of giving the R.S.17 its first laps at the Spanish circuit. The only footage came from the team via Twitter and canRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Fernando Alonso has admitted to F1i.com that the fate of his Formula 1 future will be decided at the break during the summer. The 35-year-old Spaniard is in the final year of his current contract with McLaren. Since jumping over from Ferrari at the end of 2014, the two-time world champion has struggled due in large part to the rebuilding process that has taken place in Woking and with engine supplier Honda. Although 2017 brings new regulation changes and hope that the MCL32 will be aRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief After weeks of speculation, McLaren have finally showcased its 2017 Formula 1 car, the MCL32, but have also brought with it an orange and black livery. The team put hints out through social media that it would revert back to its traditional color and is just one of many notable changes with the newest challenger to the F1 grid. The Woking-based outfit also elected to drop the ‘MP4’ standard – which stood for Marlboro Project Four – as it has now moved away from the eraRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Scuderia Toro Rosso will see its presentation this Sunday of their 2017 challenger, the STR12, pushed back by 90 minutes. The launch was expected to follow Red Bull Racing and Haas F1 Team in Barcelona. However, that time has been pushed back due to unknown circumstances. The new time will be 12 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CET). The Faenza-based squad will still reveal its new car on the pit lane outside their garage at Barcelona- Catalunya Circuit. The team released the following in a statement: “DueRead More

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