Roar Guru
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An accredited Formula One journalist, Mat's work has been carried online, by newspaper and magazines globally.
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Formula One in 2014 will resemble Formula One in 2013, and there's no reason to expect it to be any different. Rule changes will…
Lotus has sold a 35% stake in the team to a company called Infinity Racing Partners Limited for an undisclosed sum. The Enstone team,…
Force India has enjoyed a remarkable 2013 campaign to date. They led the Australian Grand Prix thanks to Adrian Sutil, while Paul Di Resta…
News that Jean-Eric Vergne is being considered as a possible replacement for Mark Webber should come as no surprise. The Frenchman starred in the…
Formula One is reaching a crisis point, if one is to believe the ruminations emanating from Planet Paddock. New regulations set to be introduced…
Formula One in 2013 will resemble the season just gone. Little has changed, and despite tweaking to the rubber, one can expect those at…
“If you’re attacking make sure you get it right, else the Horse Whisperer will eat you for lunch.” Ferrari's Twitter account, the Horse Whisperer,…
Robert Kubica has confessed, for the first time, that he may never return to Formula One. The popular Pole was injured in a rally…
Ferrari has graciously elected not to protest the result of the Brazilian Grand Prix. It had no cause for complaint, however that didn’t stop…
Ayrton Senna is the greatest Formula One driver of all time, according to a panel of experts for the BBC. The Brazilian topped a…
The current crop of Formula One drivers need to stop crying wolf. The circuits, cars and facilities are better equipped than ever which has…
Sebastian Vettel is not going to Ferrari. Rumours have been circulating for some time, dating back as far as July, but are wide of…
Kamui Kobayashi became the first Japanese driver to stand on a Formula One podium for almost a decade in Suzuka. He is just the…
Lewis Hamilton has signed for Mercedes. The 2008 world champion will join the Brackley-based outfit alongside Nico Rosberg for the 2013 Formula One championship.…
While Lewis Hamilton fended off probing questions about his future with a flat refusal to discuss it, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh simply laughed…
After stealing the headlines on Sunday morning, changes to the engine map regulations have passed largely without comment so far in Hungary. In the…
The Thursday afternoon Formula 1 press conference is usually about as exciting as cream wallpaper. Six of the world’s best drivers are ushered in…
A few years ago, a story did the rounds that a diamond had gone missing from a Jaguar during the Monaco Grand Prix. The…
Formula One is set to race down the same 100m track as Usain Bolt, if reports are to be taken seriously. After London has…
Like it or lump it, Mark Webber is Red Bull’s ‘other’ driver. He’s the guy who drives the second car, alongside the teams star…
Red 5, so chosen after Mansell learned it was Luke Skywalker’s number in Star Wars.
F1 drivers to get permanent car numbers
Assuming one ignores the history Williams has with the numbers, too.
F1 drivers to get permanent car numbers
The current structure came in when the championship was more formalised. Previously each event was run by the individual organisers and teams could choose whether to attend or not, with the Commission Sportive Internationale identifying which events counted to the world championship.
Event organisers would give numbers out according to their own systems, so you’d see drivers and cars carrying different numbers throughout the season.
When Bernie got involved and compelled teams to race in all championship events (therefore presenting a more saleable product, increasing the negotiating power) numbers eventually followed constructors championship order.
F1 drivers to get permanent car numbers
Double-up multiplier points structure, or DUM for short.
Formula One changes: final race now worth double points - crazy or genius?
Nick Fry would not be considered a loss. Some would argue quite the opposite, in fact.
Toto Wolff sits in the position Norbert Haug did, but is powerless. Paddy Lowe will be the team principal while Niki Lauda… As far as I know there are many in the team who aren’t sure themselves exactly what he does.
Mercedes officially announce Brawn exit
We do thank you for reading!
Mike is an incredible writer; former editor at Motor Sport Magazine and was actually DSJ’s editor for a time, though Mike insists he learnt more from Jenks than the other way around.
Sebastian the Great and other Formula One lessons
The Quantam deal is dead. If it didn’t happen 6 months ago, or 3 months ago or in any of the ‘next weeks’ that were so eagerly pressed upon us, why would it happen now?
Maldonado has no place on an F1 grid. Just as the marshal he hit under double waved yellow’s at Monaco. Money saved him then, as now.
Maldonado to Lotus proof that money speaks loudest
Investment funds don’t tend to make a habit of losing money.
Maldonado to Lotus proof that money speaks loudest
Nuvolari has to be ranked with the very best, and even JYS doesn’t make that cut.
Nuvolari, Fangio, Schumacher are about the only members of that club – they were easily the class of their generation and maximised what they had.
Hulkenberg is an enigma. There are parallels with Jean Alesi and part of me hopes he never gets a truly competitive drive. The reason for that is I think he would be better served as a driver full of promise who never got a shot as opposed to a driver found wanting when his time to shine arrived.
It is that same logic for me that means Stefan Bellof ranks higher than Ayrton Senna. For those unfamiliar with Bellof just track down a copy of the Monaco ’84 race footage. Yes, Senna was catching Prost hand over fist, but who was catching Senna?
How will Mark Webber be remembered?
Don’t hold out hope for a reshuffle next year.
In 1988 we ushered out the last turbo era with McLaren on top from Ferrari, Williams and Benetton. In 1989 McLaren was on top from Ferrari, Williams and Benetton. The cream will rise to the top, so expect Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari to be up there somewhere.
Sebastian the Great and other Formula One lessons
Have you ever wondered how Brawn afforded that 2009 campaign and its management ended up with a tidy lump in their pockets at the end of it? It wasn’t all Mercedes money, and it wasn’t such a fairy tale at Brackley.
The Vettel era - part I
Wolff is there but can be ignored. If Mercedes could they’d have sacked him a while ago.
Mercedes officially announce Brawn exit
Williams will never return to the top unless there is a fundamental change in Formula One, the sport has simply moved on too far in recent years.
For any team to reach the top is a 5-year deal, if they have the money.
In year one they recruit the brightest and best, who then spend 12 months tending to their garden.
In year two the new staff begin restructuring.
In year three they really begin working together.
It’s then a couple of years to learn how to work as a team and get the most out of things.
Look at Red Bull. Newey came over in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2009 that it won its first race. And the team was halfway competitive at the time.
Williams is not competitive, and new regulations in 2014 aren’t going to do a great deal to change that. At best it’s looking at Force India and Sauber as rivals.
Mercedes officially announce Brawn exit
My understanding is Bianchi will sit with Marussia for another year. There is talk of a Marussia/Sauber merger, but that’s coming out of the less reputable sources, so take that one with a table spoon of salt.
Pic has not impressed at Caterham, and that the team has been willing to give Kovalainen seat time on Fridays one gets the impression they have an agenda there.
Interestingly Caterham only lost $4m by finishing 11th in the championship. 10th place is worth about $14m, but teams finishing outside the top 10 receive $10m from Bernie. Net result is a $4m hit. That’s a lot for you or me, but in F1 terms it’s nothing – a single digit percentage of even a minnows annual budget.
Kovalainen fails to deliver for Lotus
Kovalainen did the right thing in taking the Lotus drive as he reminded us all that he could drive and did nothing to harm his reputation. If anything it has increased his worth, and certainly the value he can offer Caterham.
He had two race weekends, with no testing and just a handful of hours in the simulator. His performance in Austin was remarkable as a result, even if it did show signs of race-rustiness. Wet running during Friday and Saturday in Brazil but a dry race meant he never stood a chance; he was competing against drivers and teams who have had a year to learn their car and could adapt. Kovalainen had the United States Grand Prix. To judge him based on the Brazilian Grand Prix is unfair as a result.
Instead look at his performance in the race from a competitive stand point. He put the car in good areas of the track to defend and attack and drove a consistent race. In those scenarios nothing more can be asked of a driver parachuted in at a moments notice.
The results may not have been what was hoped for, but I don’t think that is necessarily the entire story. The fact is, we’re talking about him in conjunction with Enstone, and that’s an improvement from what we were doing two months ago when we weren’t talking about him at all.
Kovalainen fails to deliver for Lotus
Perez simply hasn’t made the most of his opportunity. With Magnussen waiting in the wings the risk in dumping Perez for him is comparatively small – the question is how much more could Perez give than Magnussen in 2014, be it a good car or not?
The year has shown that Perez will never be a world champion, and as a result as a leading team boss I’d be reluctant to hire him. His stock has fallen and a midfield career beckons.
If he is after success and championships he’d be best served heading to WEC, as I don’t see how a move from McLaren to a second tier team is constructive in Formula One.
McLaren need to hold on to Perez
You’ve forgotten JYS. I’d rank him above Senna in a heart-beat.
How will Mark Webber be remembered?
What Mark has achieved cannot be underestimated. He is a solid, world-class driver and was worthy of his place at Red Bull as a rear-gunner to Vettel.
But that is all he is; a very good second driver who, when combined with an exceptional lead driver, make a phenomenally strong combination. Consider him Gerhard Berger to Ayrton Senna, or Francois Cevert to Jackie Stewart.
Vettel is exceptional, while Mark is merely word-class. Being beaten by Vettel is nothing to be ashamed about for a two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner.
How will Mark Webber be remembered?
Has anyone stopped to consider whether Raikkonen would want to drive for Red Bulll?
Why Red Bull should choose Raikkonen over Ricciardo
Unless you get him talking about the football, and point out your team just thumped his…
Why Red Bull and Raikkonen must not mix
Well said, and exactly my thoughts on the topic too.
However, there is also the argument that Kimi could go there for a year (he has Red Bull ties through his rally days) before JEV or Dan are ready.
In the STR boys favour is the fact the next driver in line, Felix Da Costa, is also probably 12 months away from being ready for Formula One.
One could excuse Red Bull opting for a former world champion for a year while it waits for its youngsters to blossom – and one gets the feeling both JEV and Dan probably need another 12 months.
Why Red Bull and Raikkonen must not mix
I can assure you Red Bull do all they can to ensure the cars are equal.
However, if there is one development part, Seb gets it. He is a three-time world champion. He has earned that right.
Formula One is also a team sport. The team does not work for the drivers, quite the reverse. The fact is Mark is not as good as Seb.
Like him or not, Vettel is a champion racer
He showed promise in his first season, failed to improve in his second and was decidedly unimpressive in his third. He was given his chance and failed to do enough to cement himself in the sport. Promise does not always equate to a successful F1 career – Tonio Liuzzi is a case in point.
Is Paul di Resta overrated?