Wednesday 29 April 2020

26 years on, Remembering Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger

This Thursday coming up (30/4/20) and Friday (1/5/20) it will be 26 years that Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna has past away from us, from the accidents at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 were Ratzenberger crashed his Simtek at Villenunve in Qualifying and Senna crashed his Williams at Tumbrello in the race itself. Both would have been 60 this year if there still around today. So for this post remembering both Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.





The sport has change since their deaths, with the safety of both cars and tracks to improve safety year after year. So never forget Ayrton and Roland, both are still missed throughout the world of motor-racing in general.

Tuesday 28 April 2020

French Grand Prix Cancelled!

It was confirmed on Monday (27/4/20), this seasons French Grand Prix has been cancelled altogether due to the coronavirus pandemic.




The French Grand Prix was set to be the tenth round of the season, on June 28th but the recent government declaration suspending events until mid-July placed a doubt over the race.

On Monday the event’s promoter confirmed that it has opted to cancel the 2020 running of the Grand Prix.

The first nine races in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Holland, Spain, Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada had already been called off due to the pandemic.

The first round of the season could be the Austrian Grand Prix scheduled for 5th July (which is a possibility it could happen).

While the MotoGP rounds at the Sachsenring (Germany), Assen (Holland) and the Kymi Ring (Finland) are postponed as-well without a new date.



Coronavirus, officially named Covid-19, that has killed over 200,000 people, with over 3,000,000, cases reported.

Stay safe everyone.

Monday 20 April 2020

Top 6 Formula 1 cars that use V12 Engines

During last seasons Russian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel retire with engine failure in his Ferrari. And a radio comment afterwards saying "Bring back the F###### V12's".



Despite this will never happen for cost and environmental reasons, the sounds from the V12 were epic.



With the last of the V12 engines came at 1995 before Ferrari swap to V10 engines for 1996. This post is the top six Formula 1 cars that use V12 Engines! Simple rules V12s only, no W12s engines (Life) or no Flat-12 engine (meaning 1974-80 Ferrari 312T series is excluded on this list), also one entry per manufacture and constructor.



Starting with number 6:

Number 6: 1990 Lola LC90 (Lamborghini)
Story:
Lola LC90 was designed and built by Lola for the Larrousse Formula 1 team. The Lola LC90 was designed by Eric Broadley and Chris Murphy. The Lola LC90 had the Lamborghini 3.5 litre underneath. The Lola LC90 never won a Grand Prix. But, its best race came at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix when Aguri Suzuki finished third place and became the first Japanese driver ever to be on a Formula 1 podium. The Lola LC90 took Larrousse sixth in constructors standings with eleven points.



Number 5: 1971-74 BRM P160 (BRM)
Story:
The BRM P160 was designed by Tony Southgate. The BRM P160 had the BRM 3 litre V12 engine underneath. The BRM P160 took three Grand Prix wins for Jo Siffert, Peter Gethin and Jean-Pierre Beltoise during 1971 and 1972 which induce Beltoise winning the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix. Overall, the BRM P160 took BRM to second in the Constructors standings in 1971.



Number 4: 1966-68 Cooper T81 (Maserati)
Story:
Cooper T81 was designed by Derrick White. The Cooper T81 had the Maserati 3 litre V12 engine underneath. The Cooper T81 took two Grand Prix wins for John Surtees and Pedro Rodríguez during 1966 and 1967, Overall, the Cooper T81 took Cooper to third in the Constructors standings in 1966 and 1967.



Number 3: 1981 Ligier JS17 (Matra)
Story:
Ligier JS17 was designed by Gérard Ducarouge and Michel Beaujon. The Ligier JS17 had the Matra 3 litre V12 engine underneath. The Ligier JS17 took Ligier to fourth in the Constructors standings in 1981, almost took Jacques Laffite to the 1981 Drivers' title and took two wins for Jacques Laffite at the Österreichring and Montreal.



Number 2: 1990 Ferrari 641 (Ferrari)
Story:
Ferrari 641 was designed by Enrique Scalabroni and Steve Nichols. The Ferrari 641 had the Ferrari 3.5 litre V12 engine underneath. The Ferrari 641 took Ferrari to second in the Constructors standings in 1990, almost took Alain Prost to the 1990 Drivers' title. The Ferrari 641 took six Grand Prix wins in 1990, five for Alain Prost and one for Nigel Mansell.



Number 1: 1991-92 McLaren MP4/6 (Honda)
Story:
The McLaren MP4/6 was designed by Neil Oatley. The McLaren MP4/6 had the all new Honda 3.5 litre V12. The McLaren MP4/6 took eight Grand Prix wins in 1991, seven for Ayrton Senna and one for Gerhard Berger. Also, McLaren MP4/6 took the 1991 constructors' title for McLaren in 1991 and the drivers' title for Ayrton Senna in 1991, and Ayrton Senna's last of his drivers' titles as-well. The MP4/6 would go down as the last Formula One car to win a World Championship using a manual transmission or a V12 engine.



To give the 1991-92 McLaren MP4/6 the best Formula 1 car that use a V12 Engine!

Álex Rins remains at Suzuki till 2022

It was confirmed on Sunday (19/4/20), Álex Rins has signed a new two-year deal with that will see him continue to compete with the factory Team Suzuki Ecstar in MotoGP in 2021 and 2022.



Rins finished in fourth place in the MotoGP championship last season, with a best finish of two wins at Austin and Silverstone.



No word as of yet who is Rins team-mate at Suzuki for 2021.


Monday 13 April 2020

Sir Stirling Moss 1929-2020

Sir Stirling Moss, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, even though he did not win the World Championship, has passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday morning (12/4/20) at his home in Mayfair, London, after a long illness. Condolences goes out to the family and friends of Sir Stirling Moss.



Started his Formula 1 career at HW Motors racing at the 1951 Swiss Grand Prix held at the Bremgarten, were he finished eighth on his debut. Took his first full season in Formula 1, in 1955, with Mercedes finishing second behind Juan Manuel Fangio in the standings which includes winning the British Grand Prix at Aintree for his first Grand Prix win that season.



Switching over to Maserati in 1956, then switching over to Vanwall for 1957 and 1958 which includes missing out to the drivers' championship by one point to Mike Hawthorn.

Then the next season, Moss raced at Rob Walker Racing Team till 1962 winning in Cooper cars and becoming the first driver to win in a Lotus in 1960 at the Monaco Grand Prix.

In 1962, he crashed his Lotus heavily during the Glover Trophy at Goodwood. The accident put him in a coma for a month, and for six months the left side of his body was partially paralysed. He recovered, but retired from professional racing in 1963.

Sir Stirling Moss has been runner-up in the F1 Drivers' Championship four years in succession, from 1955 to 1958, and third in each of the next three seasons, winning three Monaco Grand Prixs', winning sixteen Grand Prix wins altogether and winning two F1 Constructors' Championships for Vanwall in 1958 and for Cooper in 1959.

Gone but not forgotten.

R.I.P. Sir Stirling Moss

Wednesday 8 April 2020

Canadian Grand Prix Postponed!

It was confirmed on Tuesday (7/4/20), this seasons Canadian Grand Prix has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.



The first eight races in Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, Holland, Spain, Monaco and Azerbaijan had already been called off due to the pandemic.

FIA hoped the race can be rescheduled later in the year.

The Canadian Grand Prix was set to be the ninth round of the season, on June 14th. Meaning the first round of the season could be the French Grand Prix scheduled for 28th June.

While the MotoGP rounds at Le Mans, Mugello and Barcelona are postponed as-well without a new date.



Coronavirus, officially named Covid-19, that has killed over 80,000 people, with closed to 1,450,000, cases reported.

Stay safe everyone.