Green Notebook from Casablanca

You must remember this… the last six weeks have been brutal on F1’s travellers, with races in Singapore, Japan, Texas, Mexico and Brazil and all the other stopping off points along the way. Now, as we cycle backwards in mid-air (like Wile E. Coyote trying to reach the edge of a canyon) and head the …

Green Notebook from the Islander Bar and Grill

I bounce through Miami International Airport every now and then, and it always makes me smile when I see the airport code MIA. For me this acronym means Missing In Action. Quite often, one feels a little like that when one is jumping around between the time zones. When I find myself in MIA with time …

Mauro Forghieri 1935 – 2022

Mauro Forghieri was one of of the greatest Formula 1 designer of his era - a lengthy period - overseeing championships for John Surtees in 1964, Niki Lauda in 1975 and 1977 and Jody Scheckter in 1979. His cars won 54 Grands Prix and seven Constructors' titles. He was a hyperactive, arm-waving Italian, but he …

Green Notebook from Jolly Cemetary

Yes, I know that’s not how you spell cemetery, but what can you do? That’s the way it is. Mr Dunkin didn’t know how to spell doughnuts, but that didn’t stop money being made. Planet Earth somehow manages to keep on turning despite bad spelling and stray apostrophes. Whoever created the sign for this particular …

Green Notebook from the Rapi:t

Travelling in Japan is never dull, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes: you know where to go, and what to expect. For many in the F1 world, travelling in Japan means taking a train because it is more efficient (and cheaper) than chauffeurs or hire cars. This often means that one …

Domenicali meets Kagame

Stefano Domenicali had a quiet meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday. There as been vague talk for some time about a possible F1 race in Rwanda and with problems impacting the recent bid from South Africa, Rwanda might be in a position to step in. I reported on this in my JBSM newsletter …

Notebook from Manila

It’s four in the morning and it’s already Christmas in Manila. OK, that seems a little odd in October, but the decorations are up and the halls of the darkened airport are decked with boughs of holly. There are no bells jingling, no children listening, nor any treetops glistening and if there are snowmen somewhere, …

Green Notebook from the Dead Sea

No, it’s true, I’m not visiting the Dead Sea, at least not THAT Dead Sea. However, not far from where I live in Normandy there is a place called  Mortemer, which in English means Dead Sea... The name comes from the Middle Ages when, I guess, the valley in question was a worthless flooded marsh. …

Tsunoda confirmed

There are now - in theory at least - just four of the 20 seats available for 2023. The signing of Yuki Tsunoda was no great surprise. Tsunoda is a Honda favourite and obviously very fast, but he has still has a lot to do before he becomes a candidate for anything other than an …

Here’s the 2023 calendar

This is pretty much as expected but it may not happen as published as I think that one or two of the dates are going to be provisional. I am not sure how the Chinese are going to get everything sorted out by April because they were looking for an October date, to buy more …