Alvin's Formula One Blog

Hey everybody. We're back with another guest post by Joshua Madisson. The news had barely got around the world that Nico Rosberg had won the Formula 1 World Championship, before it was revealed he had also announced his retirement. This came just five days after lifting the trophy. He is leaving at the highest possible point in a career and said in his statement "I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right,". But this leaves not only F1 without one of its stars, but also Lewis Hamilton needing a new teammate . Rosberg is only 31, but has been racing for 25 of those years. He is the second big name to retire after Jenson Button who also called it time. Button was honoured by the University of Bath this week for his services to the sport and contribution to British racing. Unlike when Button won his F1 Championship with Brawn, Rosberg is not going to try and add to his collection. The German’s experience is quite extensive considering his young...

The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor race on the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The event takes place in Singapore on the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was the inaugural F1 night race and the first street circuit in Asia. Spaniard Fernando Alonso won the first edition of the grand prix, driving for the Renault F1 team. The Singapore Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar through at least 2017, after race organizers signed a contract extension with Formula One Management on the eve of the 2012 event. Singapore’s street race under night lights has been a dazzling addition to the calendar though the track is more a test of endurance than skill. It boasts 23 turns which are almost all slow and the majority of them are right-angled. Like Baku, Sochi and – of course – Monaco, this is more a tour bus route than a track. That isn’t to say it can’t catch drivers out. The combination of frequent bumps and braking zones, unforgiving walls and energy-sapping humidity...

Lewis Hamilton had the measure of Nico Rosberg when it mattered most and F1’s regulations need some serious rethinking… Lewis Hamilton ‘owned it’ Lewis Hamilton put in a measured drive with an engine that may be his last before penalties come, as he claimed a record-breaking fifth Hungarian GP victory. Although Hamilton was told to “pick up the pace” and at one stage found himself just 0.4s ahead of Nico Rosberg as they navigated the traffic of Esteban Gutierrez, there was never the impression that Rosberg would – or could – attack. Conspiracy theorists will be questioning whether team orders were at play or whether Hamilton was trying to back Rosberg up into the chasers. However, the one thing is certain, the World Champion “owned it”, and now also owns the lead in the Drivers’ standings for the first time this season. Best of the rest heats up Sebastian Vettel hunted down Daniel Ricciardo in the closing stages of the Hungarian GP while Kimi Raikkonen had a fantastic bat...

Yes, yes I know the British GP is done and dusted. And I apologise as I should have gotten this piece posted BEFORE the race. But all is not lost, our regular guest contributor and man of wonder, Joshua Mason, has adjusted this piece to suit the time. Kind of "Back To The Future"...ish. Anyway, Lewis won! Yay! And we're still excited about that, right? Not only that, we're headed to one of Lewis' strongest tracks - Hungary. Yay! So, here he is, Joshua Mason with his excellent piece on that oldie but goodie and race-tastic circuit - Silverstone. Last week saw our boy Lewis give a dominant display, leading from start to finish and increasing the pressure on Rosberg. The Silverstone track was, in typical British fashion, very wet, but the fans were still in good voice. The Northamptonshire track is the home of British Motorsport and by virtue, motorsport itself so what is the story behind the hallowed tarmac? Lewis Hamilton equalled Nigel Mansell’s 4 British ...

The British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire in England. The British and Italian Grands Prix are the oldest continuously staged Formula One World Championship Grands Prix. It was designated the European Grand Prix five times between 1950 and 1977, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe. All British Grands Prix dating back to 1926 have been held in England; where the British motor racing industry is primarily located. Silverstone is one of the oldest races on the calendar and started life as an airfield. The end of Second World War left Britain with no major race track. An ex-farmer, James Wilson Brown, was employed by the RAC and given just two months to turn the site from a wartime airfield and farm into a race track for the first RAC International Grand Prix. On the 2nd October ...

Formula 1 moves to its 32nd new country this weekend with the inaugural Baku European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan on what looks like the fastest street track F1 has ever seen. Speeds of up to 350km/h are predicted on the 2.1km long straight, which is the kind of speed only seen at Monza and in the high altitude of Mexico! The six kilometre, counter-clockwise layout of the circuit was designed by circuit architect Hermann Tilke.The circuit is planned to start adjacent to Azadliq Square, then loop around Government House before heading west to Maiden Tower. Here, the track is planned to have a narrow uphill traversal and then circle the Old City before opening up onto a 2.2 km stretch along Neftchilar Avenue back to the start line. The circuit is projected to be the fastest street circuit in the world and the second longest circuit on the current F1 calendar behind the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium which currently is the longest circuit on calendar. It is expected that lap ti...

The Canadian Grand Prix (known in French as the Grand Prix du Canada), abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario as a sports car event before it alternated between Mosport and Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Quebec after Formula One took over the event. After 1971, safety concerns led to the Grand Prix moving permanently to Mosport. In 1978, after similar safety concerns with Mosport, the Canadian Grand Prix moved to its current home at the Circuit Giles Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal. In 2005, the Canadian Grand Prix was the most watched Formula One GP in the world. The race was also the third most watched sporting event worldwide, behind the first place Super Bowl XXXIX and the UEFA Champions League Final. F1 returns to Montreal this weekend for the running of the 2016 Canadian Grand Prix. One of the more popular an...

Goonies anyone? From the desert of Bahrain Formula One heads to the industrial sprawl of Shanghai for the third round of the world championship and another track which first appeared on the calendar in 2004. But the Shanghai International Circuit is a very different proposition, with longer corners which place the tyres under greater strain. The front-left tyre takes the biggest pounding, especially in turns one/two/three and twelve/thirteen. The Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, Shanghai, designed by Hermann Tilke, when completed in 2004 was the most expensive Formula One circuit facility, costing $240 million. The track is 5.451 km long and features one of the trickiest corners combinations on the Formula One calendar, comparable to that of Istanbul Park's turn 8, also designed by Tilke. Turn 1 and 2 are a very demanding 270 degree, right-handed corner combination that requires a lot of speed whilst entering and it tightens up towards the end. Two long straights wi...

Nico! Amma beat ya! Again! The Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One Championship race in Bahrain sponsored by Gulf Air. The first race took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004. It made history as the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East, and was given the award for the "Best Organised Grand Prix" by the FIA. The Bahrain International Circuit is holding its 12th round of the world championship this year. A typical modern circuit with wide run-off areas and frequent braking zones, it has nonetheless produced some memorable races in recent years. The purpose-built venue was designed by Hermann Tilke and is characterised by long straights and slow corners. This puts a premium on top speed and traction. Despite the focus being on the controversial decision to stick with the unloved ‘elimination’ qualifying, the tactical game in the race should once again prove the main attraction. The opening race in Melbourne showed that the n...

You've read this before. An F1 car vs a road car. There is really no match here. But still the facts are staggering in the least. So to whet your appetite for the second race of the season, here is an infographic of an F1 car against a road car. If you enjoyed this posting, please do share it with your network so more people can enjoy it as well. Also, check out my Lewis Hamilton inspired designs at my online shop. Unique, personal Triple F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton inspired designs for the loyal Lewis Hamilton fan. Support Lewis this season by owning this collection. Get yours now! 1. Hamilton Tees (fixed designs) - http://shop.spreadshirt.com/hamiltontees/ 2. Lewis Hamilton T-shirt (design your own) - http://lewishamiltontshirt.spreadshirt.com/ Thank you for your support. May you enjoy it with this new season and your favorite team/driver wins! Here is a sample.

F1Fanatic is one of the best, if not THE best F1 sites out there. There I said it. Keith who runs it is a very knowledgeable and connected individual in the world of F1. He may not be right all the time but his site has relevant content that is presented in a way that is easy to consume for us F1 fans. I'm not paid to rave about him or his site by the way. Although if anybody thinks I should be..thanks! I just wanted to share what a great site F1Fanatic is. And if you're any type of F1 fan, bookmark the place. So the reason I wanted to post about this today is because F1Fanatic has done such a great job putting together all the information we need about all the new 2016 cars. For those who like to pore over details, this posting from F1Fanatic is excellent. It's interactive, you can put 2 different cars side by side then move the slider to reveal or hide more of one car or the other. You have to see it to understand. And there are views from the top, front, side and r...

Meeting in Doha, the World Motor Sport Council has announced a number of changes to the Sporting and Technical Regulations. Along with these changes to the regulations, the FIA President confirmed that the focus will be on reducing costs, improving the show, making cars quicker and more difficult to drive, and reviewing the technical and sporting regulations, with the aim of simplifying the rules where possible. Sporting Regulations Points Points for both titles will no longer be doubled for the final Event of the Championship. Standing Restarts After consultation with the Teams who raised a number of safety concerns, Articles 42.7 and 42.8 on standing restarts have been rescinded. Virtual Safety Car (VSC) Following tests of the VSC system at the final Events of 2014, the introduction of the system has been approved for 2015. The VSC procedure may be initiated to neutralise a race upon the order of the clerk of the course. It will normally be used when double waved ye...