We’re still three weeks from the drivers and teams of Formula One arriving in Barcelona for their two weeks pre-season testing but that doesn’t mean that F1 cars aren’t on track. Last week, Pirelli invited Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren to the Paul Ricard Circuit in France and turned on the sprinklers to have the teams test various prototype wet tyre compounds for the 2016 season.
Pirelli
F1 Italian Grand Prix: Under Pressure
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious and historic Grands Prix on the F1 calendar. While the current state of F1 made the winning manufacturer a foregone conclusion, the post-race drama gave a little intrigue to an otherwise less-than-thrilling Italian Grand Prix.
In the end, it was Lewis Hamilton who crossed the line first and then survived a stewards’ inquiry after the race to win the Italian Grand Prix.
F1 British Grand Prix: Safety Dance
The story of the day at the British Grand Prix was the same as what it always seems to be this season. Tyres have been an issue all season but it came to a head in Britain. The race was exciting but it had an unexpected added aspect of danger as there were a number of tyre failures. Nico Rosberg may have crossed the line first but he certainly wasn’t the story of the race.
F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Tyres? What Tyres?
Given the recent history of the Canadian Grand Prix and the controversy over the Mercedes GP tyre test, one would have assumed that tyres would have played a factor in the outcome of the race. While the tyres were a story, they weren’t the deciding factor of the Canadian GP as Sebastian Vettel stormed off into the distance en route to a dominant win. Don’t worry, though, there was plenty of off-track drama to keep us entertained.
F1 Monaco GP: To Finish 1st, First You Must Win The Pole
The Monaco Grand Prix is absolutely unparalleled in motorsport for glamour and pageantry. Unfortunately, Monaco is almost unparalleled in terms of its ability to turn Formula One into a parade. If it wasn’t for a pair of safety cars and a red flag, this year’s edition of the race would have also been a parade. This year, it was Nico Rosberg who picked up the win in this season’s most prestigious race but is certainly wasn’t without a tonne of controversy for his Mercedes team.
F1 February/March News Roundup: The Morning Warmup
Welcome to our Formula One 2013 preview week on The Lowdown Blog. This week is dedicated to getting you up to speed for this season with our annual F1 preview. We’ll have the usual examination of rules changes, team and driver outlooks and my predictions for the upcoming season. First, is a roundup of some news that we haven’t talked about yet on the blog. Continue reading
Formula One: Pirelli Tires Test
For the first time in 19 years, Pirelli tires took to the track on a Formula One race car. Just days after the final race of the season, most of the stars of F1 were back testing to get a head start on the 2011 season. Like it was toward the end of the season, Ferrari was the dominant car in this season as the Scuderia had the fastest car on each of the two days of the test. However, hot on their heels was World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Continue reading
F1 Turkish GP: Tangled Webb
It was supposed to be fairly academic. Mark Webber would lead away from pole. Sebastian Vettel would take advantage of the clean line from his third place starting spot to pass Hamilton for second. Then it would be a simple Sunday drive to the finish and another weekend of Red Bull domination. Unfortunately for the energy drink brigade, it didn’t go according to plan. While Red Bull’s plans didn’t come together, Bernie’s plan for a return to America finally came together and Pirelli’s plan for an entrance into F1 is all but sealed. Continue reading
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