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Archive for the tag “Formula One”

07 May 2014

Memories of Montjuic

I used to love the Spanish Grands Prix at Montjuic, on the hill overlooking Barcelona. It was as if the whole city engulfed the race – embraced the danger, swallowed the pain. And then there was the sound of an over-rich DFV on over-run, crackling early in the morning, echoing between the trees, or a Matra V12, pushed to its screaming limit on the ultra-fast uphill sweepers. We’d sit in the shade in the paddock area as if it was just another race. Drivers sipped Cokes. Team owners looked fretful. Mechanics lit another gasper.

It wasn’t normal, though; this wasn’t just another venue. This was Montjuic.

This was street racing on the edge of a razor.

Posted in Circuits, Days Past, F1 and tagged barcelona, F1, Formula One, Grand Prix, Montjuic, Spanish GP

28 Dec 2013

4 Comments

A record-breaking (seventh) win

It seems strange now but in 1963 it was part of motor racing tradition: Christmas and New Year meant South African sunshine. Read more…

Posted in Days Past, F1, Jim Clark's 1963 season and tagged Caltex, Colin Chapman, East London, F1, Ferrari, Ford, Formula One, GP, Grand Prix, Jim Clark, Lotus, Mobil, South Africa, South African Grand Prix, Team Lotus

15 Dec 2013

5 Comments

More hectic than racing

Continuing our year-long diary of Jim Clark’s epic 1963 season. When we last reported, Jim had flown straight to Indianapolis from Mexico in order to test the new four-cam Ford V8 Lotus 29B. Read more…

Posted in Days Past, F1, Jim Clark's 1963 season and tagged Colin Chapman, F1, Ford, formula 1, Formula One, GP, Grand Prix, Jim Clark, Lotus, Scotland, Team Lotus

13 Dec 2013

4 Comments

The Best in the West

WilliamsF1 celebrated their 600th Grand Prix start in 2013. Here are a few thoughts – and memories – of times that will always make me smile

Before Silverstone, 1979, there were others. Read more…

Posted in Days Past, F1 and tagged F1, Formula One, Goodyear, GP, Honda, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Renault, Sir Frank Williams, WilliamsF1

12 Dec 2013

2 Comments

Fiesta Fernando!!

I love the new Fernando Alonso exhibition currently showing in Madrid. Read more…

Posted in F1 and tagged F1, Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Formula One, GP, Grand Prix, Madrid, McLaren, RenaultF1, Spain

06 Dec 2013

3 Comments

2014: what the drivers will feel

There are a lot of unanswered questions out there when it comes to 2014. We can go on for as long as we like about the technical details but it’s difficult, at this point, to know exactly how it’s all going to settle. The teams aren’t sure, which means the drivers aren’t sure – which means that we, the fans, can’t be sure either.

We can but push, however, and to this end I sat down last week with Rob Wilson to talk about the driving fundamentals that may or not be relevant to 2014. We were joined on line by Tom McCullough, the very talented pit lane engineer who worked in IndyCar and then at WilliamsF1 before joining Sauber towards the end of 2012. Having helped to turn that team around mid-season, and secured some consistently strong results with the driver he first met at Williams – Nico Hulkenberg – Tom is now joining Nico at Sahara Force India for 2014. Here’s how the conversation went: