Barcelona test blog: rain, hail, cold... and pitstops
The fourth day at Barcelona was cold. Very cold. But while hats and gloves might have been needed outside the car, there was still plenty of serious work once in the cockpit, as Edd Straw explains
Friday February 22 - Rain, hail, cold...and pitstops
Edd Straw
If you were to come up with one word to describe the final day of this week's Barcelona test, it would be 'cold'. If you were to go for two words, and keep the language clean, it would be 'very cold'.
Romain Grosjean even suggested a bold rule change to incorporate heaters in the cars after a day in which frost-bite was a more serious danger than the barriers. Unfortunately, the FIA is unlikely to approve such a change because of the potential for heater-blown diffusers.
The risk-laden sector at the heart of F1's latest sponsorship arms race
No self-respecting Formula 1 team is complete these days without a cryptocurrency sponsor and a cupboard full of non-fungible tokens. STUART CODLING digs into the new sponsorship battleground and casts an eye on its future
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start
Explaining the key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' F1 practice debut could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's historics crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history
Why the lack of “needle” between Red Bull and Ferrari in F1 2022 is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Romain Grosjean believes his new approach is already evident
Jenson Button says F1 tyres easier to understand in 2013