The backup Brabham behind a 50-year-old record
Brabham's first monocoque F1 car made Jack Brabham a winner across three decades - a record only recently broken by Lewis Hamilton. STUART CODLING examines the belated debut of the BT33
Change was on the cards in the Brabham world in 1970, though visitors to the launch of the BT33 - not a champagne gala but a here-it-is-mate unveiling in the Byfleet factory - would have been hard-pushed to spot much beyond engineering details and the new car's colours, as blue came in for green alongside the familiar yellow stripe. It was not widely known at the time that Jack Brabham had sold his shares in the company to his business partner and chief designer Ron Tauranac.
And why should it be? Neither man was known for their eagerness to engage in idle banter. As Tauranac 'posed' for pictures in the cockpit of the BT33, his first monocoque Formula 1 car, his expression was not that of a man freshly in charge of his own destiny but one thinking "Do I have to?"
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman
Previous article
Wait for Grosjean to escape Bahrain F1 crash fire "felt like ages" - Van der Merwe
Next article
F1 Bahrain GP: Hamilton wins following Grosjean's fireball crash
