McLaren’s Neil Oatley is a source of motorsport minutiae and he has tracked down a most unusual story linked to Caterham, Lotus and Formula 1. Caterham was established to sell the Lotus 7, the manufacturing rights of which were acquired by Caterham founder Graham Nearn. The Caterham Super 7 was a derivative of the original [...]
Archive for April, 2011
Caterham and F1
Posted in F1 Teams on April 29, 2011 | 36 Comments »
One tiny little point…
Posted in F1 politics on April 29, 2011 | 34 Comments »
The newspapers this morning are filled with stories of how Bernie Ecclestone is going to give Bahrain more time to make a decision about its Formula 1 race. This is all well and good (or not, if you do not think much of the Bahrain government), but it overlooks one rather important fact: it is [...]
Formula 1 and Bahrain
Posted in Circuits on April 28, 2011 | 32 Comments »
Bernie Ecclestone has been saying that Formula 1 should give Bahrain more time to revive its Grand Prix. The country has a deadline of May 1 to ask for a new date for the Grand Prix. There seems to be little enthusiasm in F1 circles for a race in the Gulf kingdom, even if it [...]
The question of Sonangol
Posted in F1 Teams on April 28, 2011 | 26 Comments »
Sonangol – or to give the company its full name, the Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola – is responsible for the management of hydrocarbon resources in the African country of Angola. The company’s activities include management of onshore and offshore oil concessions, oil prospecting, research and production, fuel distribution, and will soon include refining. [...]
The things these F1 people get up to…
Posted in F1 people on April 28, 2011 | 17 Comments »
Antonia Terzi disappeared from Formula 1 back in 2004, after the unusual front end of the FW26 was abandoned and a more conventional layout tried. Her role went to Loic Bigois, who stayed with the team for three years before moving to Honda, where he would oversee the Brawn GP World Championship in 2009. Bigois [...]
Moving with the game
Posted in FIA and F1 politics on April 28, 2011 | 7 Comments »
It is nice to see that technology is seeping ever onward through the business of motor racing. The FIA Institute has just released its Medicine in Motor Sport guide as an ebook, compatible with a variety of mobile devices, making life a little easier for motor racing’s medical staff around the world. The ebook, which [...]
Consequences…
Posted in F1 politics on April 27, 2011 | 38 Comments »
Let us assume for a moment that the German publications reporting that Bernie Ecclestone has alleged that BayernLB’s Gerhard Gribkowsky blackmailed him during the sale of the Formula One group to CVC Capital Partners back in 2005 are correct. It is a safe bet because they seem to have exceptionally good links to the judiciary [...]
More on the Team Lotus Caterham deal
Posted in F1 Teams on April 26, 2011 | 66 Comments »
The decision of the High Court in London on the question of the use of the name Team Lotus in Formula 1 is coming shortly, but Tony Fernandes and his business partner Kamarudin Meranun are not really bothered about the result. They seem to be fairly confident that they will be given the right to [...]
Track talk
Posted in Circuits on April 26, 2011 | 25 Comments »
The Easter break has meant that F1 has been pretty quiet, as everyone gears up for the start of “the European season”, ironically in Turkey, which is not European at all. The races come thick and fast in May with Istanbul on May 8, Barcelona on May 22 and Monaco on May 29 and then [...]
What next for Robert Kubica?
Posted in F1 Drivers on April 22, 2011 | 13 Comments »
Robert Kubica has been in hospital in Italy for the last 10 weeks, following his rallying accident at the end of February. He says that he is now beginning to feel better and his strength is beginning to return. He will leave the Santa Corona hospitalin Pietra Ligure soon and will then spend a little [...]
