Stoffel Vandoorne Tag

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor McLaren’s miserable start to the 2017 season continued this morning in Barcelona when Honda had to change the engine in Stoffel Vandoorne’s MCL32 after an electrical issue limited the Belgian to just 34 laps in the first session of the day. The power unit change has taken the place of the afternoon session. It is the third such unscheduled change for McLaren and Honda after only five days of pre-season testing. Last week the team suffered from an oil tank failure and a valve issue whichRead 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 Adam Tate, Associate Editor McLaren dropped a big hint with the teaser poster for their car unveiling this season. It’s orange and black theme is believed to indicate a return to the firm’s classic papaya orange livery, famously introduced by company founder Bruce McLaren. The iconic orange hue has often been used as a testing livery for the team, such as the case of Pedro de la Rosa’s car above. It has also been used for special edition road cars like the F1 LM that celebrated the team’s victory atRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor There is a reason Toto Wolff is so happy Valtteri Bottas has finally signed for Mercedes. Consequently, there is a reason Claire Williams is so happy Felipe Massa is back with her team as Bottas’ replacement. Teams with experienced veterans are rejoicing ahead of the 2017 regulations because they know that experience will count more than ever before. It is not unusual for cars and teams to be pushed to their breaking point during the debut season of major rule changes, but 2017 is going toRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The FIA have unveiled their provisional list of entries for the 2017 Formula 1 season, with four seats currently vacant. Despite several entries being set several weeks ago, the recent retirement of World Champion Nico Rosberg has Mercedes scrambling to fill the seat, while both seats at Manor remain empty along with one at Sauber. Although Toro Rosso will move away from Ferrari power next season, it isn’t known yet which label they  will give the Renault powerunits – likely copying that of its senior team,Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief After scoring points in his debut Formula 1 race in the Bahrain Grand Prix, it is time for the McLaren-Honda F1 Team to explore the option to run Stoffel Vandoorne for the 2016 season. Vandoorne, 24, substituted for Fernando Alonso after the two-time F1 champion was not medically cleared to race at the Sakhir International Circuit. Alonso was the focal point following a horrific crash that saw his McLaren MP4-31 collided with Haas F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez before flipping violently in the Australian Grand Prix. TheRead More

Nico Rosberg’s dream start to the 2016 season continued as the German took his second consecutive victory and his first in Bahrain and his first at the Gulf circuit. Kimi Raikkonen took his fifth second place with Lewis Hamilton recovering to third after a first-corner collision. Before the start there was disappointment for Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel, set to start from third, slowed on the formation lap with smoke billowing from the back of his car. His failure to start, the first of his career, meant a space opened onRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor 1:29.493, the lap Lewis Hamilton put in to claim pole position today at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit to beat team mate Nico Rosberg is the fastest lap ever recorded here. Faster than the mighty V10 era cars, faster than the V8’s, faster than Mark Webber’s 2005 lap record of 1:29.527 set in a Williams with a roaring V10. Hamilton was thrilled with the time and called it “sexy.” F1 might not have to change as much as they thought for 2017 to make the cars faster thanRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor Fernando Alonso has not been cleared to race at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. The two-time champ has been sidelined by FIA doctors after the scary crash he had with Haas F1’s Esteban Gutierrez in the season opening Australian Grand Prix. The announcement does not come as a shock as Alonso withstood over 40G’s in one of the most violent crashes in recent memory. Alonso has further revealed that he has a broken rib and a lung issue called a pneumothorax, where air gets trappedRead More

by Josh Farmer, IndyCar reporter Alexander Rossi has been officially confirmed as the driver of the #98 Andretti Autosport Honda for the upcoming 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Rossi will get his first laps in an IndyCar during a rookie test next Tuesday at the Sebring International Raceway, rather than this weekend’s series test at the Phoenix International Raceway. “I’m very much looking forward to making my IndyCar Series debut this season and am proud to be racing with a team of such high caliber and pedigree as that of Andretti Autosport,” saidRead More