After four weeks off, the 2011 Formula One World Championship is back in full-force for the stretch run. With eight races to go, Sebastian Vettel holds an 85 point lead over teammate Mark Webber. That’s equivalent to over three race wins meaning Vettel can sit out the next three Grands Prix and still hold a 10 point lead in the championship. It looks like back-to-back titles are in the cards for Vettel but McLaren still like their chances. Continue reading
Formula One
F1 Power Rankings: Hungarian Grand Prix
It’s the second of back-to-back Grand Prix weekends followed by the annual summer break for the 2011 Formula One World Championship. There’s just one problem, though. This weekend’s race is the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. Until the creation of the Valencia street circuit, this was unquestionably the most boring track to host a race at in Formula One. After last week’s lacklustre German Grand Prix, we could be in for a second straight snoozer of a race. Will championship leader Sebastian Vettel be able to stay awake for this race or will he finish outside the top two for the second straight Grand Prix? Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: German Grand Prix
It’s time for the 2011 German Grand Prix. This year, it’s the Nurburgring’s turn to host the race after the Hockenheimring hosted last year’s edition. Naturally, there’s a lot of talk about this historic Nordschlife circuit that F1 originally raced on. For the first time, it seems as though no one is harbouring delusions of catching Sebastian Vettel. He has a three-race lead (80 points) with 10 races left. Can we hand him the title yet? Continue reading
The Humanoids: +1
I went 15 weeks between Humanoids columns between the last column and the one previous to that. So if you’re surprised that I’m back one week later with a new Humanoids column, it’s completely understandable. In fact, I’m surprised that I came up with enough crap to write to warrant posting this. But here we are but we’re not throwing out +1s in this edition. Then again, when do I ever. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: British Grand Prix
We’re only 13 months from the 2012 Olympics. But nobody really cares right now because Formula One has come home for its most historic World Championship race at a disused airfield in Northamptonshire. In fact, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone was the first F1 World Championship race of the inaugural 1950 season. Speaking of history, that’s what Sebastian Vettel seems to be destined to make. He’s finished in the top two in each of the season’s eight races to go with seven poles and a three-race lead in the points. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: European Grand Prix
It’s back to Europe for the summer stretch of the Formula One World Championship. The European Grand Prix held around the streets of the harbour of Valencia is the fourth-to-last race before the annual summer break. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the worst races on the calendar. But with the KERS and double DRS zones, maybe there’s hope for this race. And hope is all 23 drivers in the field are clinging to if they think they can beat Sebastian Vettel. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Canadian Grand Prix
It’s time for my favourite race of the Formula One World Championship. The F1 circus makes its only stop of the season in North America this weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix. This is largely homerism but the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of today’s great Grand Prix circuits. Regardless of the fact that it’s part street circuit and part dedicated race track, it always produces an exciting and unpredictable event. Maybe that’s what some folks need to knock Sebastian Vettel off the top step of the podium. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Monaco Grand Prix
We’re only six races into the season and still six months from the season finale but we’ve reached the biggest race of the 2011 Formula One World Championship. The Monaco Grand Prix is the most prestigious race on the calendar and one that every driver wants to win. Four of the top five drivers in this year’s championship have won on the streets of the principality. The one man who hasn’t is the man who has dominated 2011 so far. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Spanish Grand Prix
This weekend, we reach the quarter-way mark of the season. The Spanish Grand Prix is the fifth of the currently scheduled 19 races this season. This weekend is likely to play out as a battle between the Red Bulls as Vettel attempts to win his fourth of five races while Webber tries to continue his steady improvement this season. Continue reading
F1 Power Rankings: Turkish Grand Prix
After the now traditional three-week spring break, the stars of the Formula One World Championship are ready to kick-off the European portion of the season with the Turkish Grand Prix. So far this season, one driver has dominated the World Drivers’ Championship but he saw a new contender to his crown rise up in China thanks to tire strategy. So who do I tip as the favourite this weekend: The Champion or the Challenger? Find out in this week’s Formula One Power Rankings. Continue reading
The Lowdown 