The new qualifying format for the World Touring Car Championship was revealed today. The format used in 2011 was simple. For race one, drivers had to draw a number between one and ten, multiply it by 2×Π, then aim to complete their lap in that many seconds. The grid was based on how close to […]
Incredible Le Mans Series start failure
This is from today’s Le Mans Series race at Le Castellet. Is this one of the biggest failures of race organisation possible? The safety car doesn’t peel in. Yellow flags continue to wave. Yet the green lights switch on to signal the start of the race. Chaos ensues. As many have pointed out, it is […]
The watering down of Formula 1
This week Ferrari caused a ripple when it published a provocative article on its blog, The Horse Whisperer. The final paragraph is worth quoting in full, not only because it makes an interesting point, but because it elegantly quotes Adam Smith. (Motorsport, economics and my home town of Kirkcaldy all in one little paragraph!) This […]
BMW – Bizarre Manufacturer Withdrawal
The other big news of yesterday was the sudden withdrawal of BMW from Formula 1. This season will be their last. It can’t be called a complete shock. It had become very fashionable in F1 circles to say something like, “I am sure one or two or all of BMW, Renault and Toyota will pull […]
GP3 due for a 2010 start — but will it support F1?
Well, it is a big day for series announcements. First it was announced that two International Formula Master events will be Formula 1 support races in 2009 — at Turkey and Belgium. The rest of the races will support the FIA World Touring Car Championship as before. I originally thought this had put the lid […]
Are there now too many feeder series?
I will turn my attention to the Italian and Belgian Grands Prix later this week. But over the past couple of days a lot more information has come out on the new Formula Two series. It has got me thinking. I was one of many who was really sceptical about the Formula Two idea when […]
Bluffer’s guide — Part 5: Other motor racing series (continued)
This is the second part of my two-part series looking at other motor racing series. Read the first part here. Entry-level series (yellow boxes) These series are — as the heading suggests — ideal for those drivers who have just finished karting and are racing cars for the first time. Formula Renault 2.0 The most […]