As is our Thursday tradition on Formula One weekends, it’s time to bring back the Formula One power rankings.
For those who are new to the blog or our F1 coverage, prior to each race weekend, I rank the twenty-two drivers on the grid based on who I expect to be fast at that weekend’s race. Sometimes, it’s based on momentum. Sometimes, it’s based on past results at that circuit. Always, though, it’s based on speed.
After updating you on the rules for this season, now it’s time to get you up to speed with the drivers and teams competing in this year’s Formula One World Championship.
It’s not just the drivers being allowed to choose their own numbers that has changed things in the entry list. Unlike 2013 which saw very few driver changes, this season sees all but Mercedes and Marussia with a driver lineup change. Webber’s retirement, Ferrari dumping Massa and Lotus’ money troubles started a domino effect through the whole of the field in 2014.
We’re less than a week away from the start of the 2014 Formula One World Championship. The cars turn their wheels in anger for the first time this weekend in Australia at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
While, theoretically, the championship is up for grabs every season, given that there are generally few major rules changes between season, the dominant teams from previous seasons stay on top in the next. This season, however, the rules changes are so many and so extensive that you can expect a major shake up in the running order.
Unlike most seasons that see the Circuit de Catalunya hosting a pair of tests, this year, the Formula One circus makes a pair of appearances in Bahrain on successive weeks to dial cars in for the season. Even though the two Bahrain tests were only a week apart, teams brought out some new parts and other improvements to tune up for an Australian Grand Prix that’s only two weeks after the conclusion of this test.
While I originally thought that we didn’t learn very much from the initial four days of testing of the 2014 Formula One season, it turns out that things really didn’t change that much between tests. The Mercedes cars are still up front. The Renaults have massive issues that desperately require solving. And the Ferraris are somewhere in the middle. Except for Marussia who had computer troubles because of a virus. You can’t make this up.
Last week, we looked at the some of the rather odd-looking 2014 Formula One cars. This week, we take a look at what the best F1 photoshoppers have done with those terrible cars. At least the unique looking cars provide for a variety of photoshop opportunities.
The 2014 Formula One season doesn’t kickoff properly for another month-and-a-half but pre-season testing starts early as the teams try to get their heads around new engines, new energy recovery systems (ERS) and a new rules package for the cars. From the looks of last week’s test in Jerez, some teams are going to need all the time they can get to get sorted for this season.
Formula One teams have started unveiling their 2014 challengers ahead of the upcoming winter pre-season tests. There is a big shift in technical regulations for the upcoming year with smaller front wings, lower noses and revised cooling packages required for the new turbo V6 engines.
The first few cars unveiled aren’t exactly confidence inspiring. In fact, some of them are hilarious and ugly looking. So here are some F1 design fails. And you thought stepped nosed were bad.
It’s only been three weeks since we last did a Formula One post but given the news from last week, I think we’re definitely due. Last week, the FIA announced some new rules for the 2014 and 2015 seasons and I believe that they’ve earned themselves some rants with their decisions.
The 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix was the end of an era. The V8s were going to be running their last race. Mark Webber was to retire after the race to go run sports cars. And Sebastian Vettel was set to break yet another record. And all of that happened. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the storybook ending for Webber as his teammate picked up his 9th straight win.
The Lowdown 