What do Formula1 stars like Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Timo Glock have in common?
They were all past champions in GP2, a recognized feeder series for F1. Even runners-up Heikki Kovalainen (2005), Nelson Piquet Junior (2006) and Lucas di Grassi (2007) were offered roles as test drivers in the year following their achievements – all for Renault F1, interestingly. Both Piquet Junior and Kovalainen eventually made the graduation to a race seat. +Continue Reading
For those of you who didn’t know, 2010′s Formula One season will see the “return” of Lotus to the grid after a 15-year absence. In all likelihood, the Lotus of 2010 will be quite different from the feisty team that started life as a car maker in t1~ late 1950s, an English outfit led by its legendary founder, Colin Chapman. In all, Lotus chalked up seven championships, 79 race wins and 107 pole positions.
In true Chapman tradition, Lotus formula race cars always tended to be unconventional. The Type 25 entered for the 1962 race was the first F1 car to have a stressed monocoque chassis. The Type 49 was the first racer whose engine also served as a structural component to the chassis. +Continue Reading
Accidents are a common occurrence on our roads – and they happen under regulated speed limits. So driving at high speeds on a narrow circuit would increase the risk of collisions many times over. The last fatality in Formula One occurred in 1994, when Brazilian Ayrton Senna died from horrific head injuries as a result of crashing his Williams into a concrete wall at over 210km/h. Ironically, Senna has gathered all the competitors earlier in the day of the race with intention of forming a driver’s group to look into F1 safety. He did so following the severe injuries suffered by close friend and countryman Rubben Barrichello and Austrian Roland Ratzenberger (the Austrian eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Since then, F1 have taken great measures to improve safety. They have looked into everything from car to driver, to minimize the risks of the dangerous pursuit. The driver’s helmet is a perfect example. These dome-shaped devices proved just how strong they are during Felipe Massa’s freak accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix. A spring was hurled at him at racing speed. If not for this helmet taking the full force of the impact and protecting his head, his injuries would have been even more devastating. +Continue Reading
