Formula One News - Revised 2016 Calendar

It was reported yesterday that the opening race of the 2016 Formula One season, might be held at the start of April. This is because for some reason daylight saving in Melbourne conflicts with the race and it needed to be pushed forward. It would be a little bit disappointing to see this considering the big gap that will open up from the end of the 2015 season to the start of the 2016 season.

The 2011 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne

My way to fix the problem would be do what they did in 2006. Melbourne hosted the commonwealth games, and the Formula One couldn't interfere with that, so they gave Bahrain the opener, and swapped it with Melbourne, which was the third race, no big problems?

Classic F1 Championships - 1950

1950 was the official inaugural Formula One season. It contained 6 rounds, from an opener at Silverstone, England, to the season finale at Monza, Italy. The Indy 500 was technically part of the championship as well, making it a 7 race season. Even though the classic race provided points for the championship till 1960, only one Formula One driver has competed in the Indy 500. Also another 17 races were contended in 1950, but didn't count toward the championship standings. The championship was contested by 26 different teams varying from 1 to 5 cars per team.  The championship was won by Guiseppe (Nino) Farina, with tight competition from Juan Manuel Fangino (who would later win 5 championships) and Luigi Fagioli. Fangio, Fagioli and Farina drove for the Alfa Romeo team but a constructors championship was not introduced to 1958.

Farina on his way to victory at Silverstone.

The first race in the inaugural Formula One season took place at the Silverstone circuit in England on the 13th of May. Farina won with team mate Fangioli coming in second. Fangio retired with 8 laps from the finish. A week later in Monaco a pile up on the first lap involved Farina (who was in second) ended any hope of him winning. As he blocked the road, Fangio was in the lead and had no knowledge of the crash, and managed to weave through the accident when he came across it on the next lap. Fangio won the race. Alberto Ascari in the Ferrari came home in second. The next race was the Swiss Grand Prix, won by Farina with Fagioli in second, and Fangio retired. All three Ferrari cars had blown up leaving the last podium slot to Louis Rosier. Spa then hosted the Belgium Grand Prix, and this time Fangio won, Fagioli in second, Farina failing to make the podium in 4th, but picking up vital points in the process. The French Grand Prix was next, and it was won comfortably by Juan Manuel Fangio again with Fagioli second. At this point in the season Fangio had 26 points, Fangioli 24, Farina was behind in third. The last race of the year was at Monza, Italy and Alfa Romeo had 2 more cars, which were to be driven by Piero Taruffi and Consalvo Sanesi. On the 24th lap, Fangio's gearbox failed, but he was able to take over the new car driven Taruffi. However this car then dropped a valve forcing Fangio to retire from the race. Now Ferrari's Alberto Ascari was in the fight for the win, because the Alfa Romeos required two lengthy refueling stops, whilst the Ferrari only needed one. Unluckily for Ascari his car failed, but he could knick the car from his team mate Dorino Serafini, and managed to get back to second, with Fagioli behind in third, Farina in the lead. The race order didn't change and it gave Farina his third win, and winning the championship with 30 points from Fangio and Fagioli. Fangio finished second in the championship on 27 points and Fagioli with 24 points. The year was dominated by Alfa Romeo, with them winning all 6 races in the European leg.

Nino Farina after he won the first ever World Championship race, Silverstone, 1950.

Race 1: Silverstone - Winner: Nino Farina
Race 2: Monaco - Winner: Juan Manuel Fangio
Race 3: Indianapolis 500 - Winner: Johnnie Parsons
Race 4: Switzerland - Winner: Nino Farina
Race 5: Belgium - Winner: Juan Manuel Fangio
Race 6: France - Winner: Juan Manuel Fangio
Race 7: Italy - Winner: Nino Farina

And that was the first season of Formula One, the birth of a magnificent sport. Next week will be 1951.

Spanish GP Preview - McLaren planning to charge up the field

Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de-Catalunya, Barcelona McLaren-Honda have been rumored to be upping the pace and fighting for points. From the first four races, it looks as though Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams are the only real front runners for the season. It appeared earlier in the season that the new McLaren-Honda team were definately going to be fighting for mere points rather than podiums and race wins. The team is still pointless and is 9th (out of 10th) in the constructor standings with a best finish of 11th in Australia and Bahrain.

Fernando Alonso in his McLaren MP4-30

It was announced in late 2014 that McLaren were to run with Honda engines for 2015, the move proved to be a bit skeptical and opinions were divided. The 2015 car, MP4-30 definitely didn't seem to be hitting high standards in pre-season pace wise at Barcelona and Jerez, but reliability was a little better for the team. Things were difficult for McLaren with Fernando Alonso suffering a crash which hospitalized him on Day 4 of the 2nd test at Barcelona. The believed reason of why the Honda engine isn't performing is because it actually isn't at its full potential. The engine is said to not be on 100% because it compromises the ability to run a full race, its even said that it would simply explode if put up to 100%. However McLaren's driver Fernando Alonso has stated that the team are turning it up for the Spanish Grand Prix. Quoted from an interview from the official Formula One website, "The steps that we've made since Melbourne all point in the right direction. We will be working flat out to increase the performance for Barcelona - and the odds indicate that we should. I am optimistic - even if I am aware of the fact that still a lot needs to be done."

Medical Teams attending to Alonso after his crash in the 4th day of the 2nd test at Barcelona

My opinion on the Honda powered engine is that McLaren are definitely stepping in the right direction. I think this because Williams will never win a constructors championship over the Mercedes if they are powered by them. This is because Mercedes build there engine so they know how to use it and fully optimize it and because Williams don't build the engine, they can't do the same things. Mercedes can do. But since McLaren are the only Honda powered car, they are effectively the Honda works team. I think by the end of the season, there will be 4 front-runners, Mercedes, Ferrari, Williams and McLaren, and I hope in a few years they can return to the form of the 1988 season, where the Honda powered McLaren, and they won 15 of 16 races.

Classic F1 Tracks - Old Hockenheim

Old Hockenheim was the circuit used for the German Grand Prix between 1965 and 2001. Since 2001 Hockenheim's layout was changed to be a lot safer, and to also expand spectator viewing. It is still used for Formula One today, but the 2015 race was canceled due to the circuit not being up to standard.

Layout used from 1965 - 2001. (The Stadium Section is Turns 12-16)

The track was originally fast flowing, with long straights leading into a tight and twisty stadium sections. Improvements to the layout were made in the 1960s after Formula One legend Jim Clark was killed in an F2 race. 2 Chicanes were added to slow down the cars on the straights, and the track was lined with crash barriers. A memorial can be found at the first chicane for Jim Clark, which has been named in his honor. Setting cars up for this track was always considered difficult because most teams are faced with choice of setting the car up for the long flowing straights, and losing time in the stadium section, or setting up to make full use of the tight corners in the Stadium section and losing time on the straights. During the Turbo Era of Formula One in the 1980s, many people struggled to finish the race due to fuel consumption, most famously 4 time world championship winner Alain Prost. Prost ran out of fuel at the end of the 1986 race, pushing his McLaren toward the line, before giving up. He was placed in 3rd, but when he ran out, he was classified in 6th place, gaining him a valuable championship point, effectively winning him his 2nd world championship.

Problems with the Old Hockenheim Circuit arose after the 2000 German Grand Prix, when Rubens Barrichello achieved his maiden Grand Prix win in changeable conditions from 18th on the grid. However every overtaking move was made into the chicanes of the forest section meaning that no spectators saw the action. Problems were also raised when Jean Alesi crashed into the 3rd chicane, and spun uncontrollably down the straight, which caused him to have dizziness for 3 days after the crash. Then to top things off, a Mercedes-Benz empolyee, who had been dismissed, managed to breach the security barriers on the first main straight. This prompted questions over the tracks security in the forest sectors.

After the incidents of 2000, the FIA called for the track to be shortened or they threatened they would discontinue racing there. Eventually Hermann Tilke was hired to redesign the track. In the redesign, the stadium section stayed intact, with a tighter Turn 1, whilst the long flowing straights were cut off, with tight corners replacing them.

The New Layout (2002 Onwards)

In an extremely controversial move, the old roads of Old Hockenheim were ripped up, and replanted with trees, making racing there for old conventions and motor shows completely off the book. Many drivers and Formula One personal disliked the new layout, because of there no longer being the technical difficulties of setting the car up. People such as Ron Dennis (McLaren Group Owner), Jarno Trulli (Former Toyota/Renault driver) and Juan Pablo Montoya (Former Williams/McLaren driver) stated there preferences to the old track.

The Track can hold up to 120,000 people thanks to the stands provided by Mercedes Benz. Kimi Raikkonen holds the lap record for the new circuit with 1:13.780 for McLaren in the 2004 German Grand Prix. Whilst Juan Pablo Montoya holds the lap record for the old circuit with a 1:41.808 for Williams in 2001 which also turned out to be the last Formula One race on the old circuit. As well as fastest lap of that year, Montoya took Pole Position with a 1.38.117. That lap is provided down below

Welcome!

Welcome to this Formula One blog, Each week I will post news, and great stories from the history of Formula One, whilst also posting about each session of every race weekend. At the moment we are still 2 weeks from the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit De Catalunya. The Spanish Grand Prix has seen some mighty moments from Mika Hakkinen retiring on the last lap of the race in 2001, Michael Schumacher finishing in 2nd in 1994 whilst only be able to use 5th for most of the race, to the surprising victory that Maldonado gifted Williams in 2012. Will the 2015 event throw up the same excitement, a twit in the plot? Is is Mercedes to continue? Another Ferrari attempt to even the playing field or even the likes of Williams mounting a fight? All will be revealed when the weekend begins on the 8th of May.