Race Weekend Central

Lewis Hamilton Cruises to Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix Victory

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Lewis Hamilton earned his 88th career victory at the Spanish Grand Prix (credit: Mercedes AMG F1)

Lewis Hamilton managed a clean getaway at the start and played it to his advantage to earn the win at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday (Aug. 16). For Hamilton, the victory is his fourth of the season and the 88th of his career. Max Verstappen followed Hamilton’s slipstream at the start to …

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Lewis Hamilton Speeds to Spanish Grand Prix Pole

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Will the Spanish GP be another 1-2 procession for Mercedes? (credit: MercedesAMG)

Lewis Hamilton did what Lewis Hamilton does, scoring the pole for the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix Aug. 15.  His pole allowed him to set the record for 150th front-row start, becoming the first driver to do so in F1 history. Valtteri Bottas threatened his teammate Hamilton for pole but came in about .07 seconds …

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F1: Nico Hulkenberg Bids Cheers to Racing Point…and Perhaps F1

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(Photo: FIA images)

While Max Verstappen and Red Bull pulled off an impressive use of strategy and steady driving to best the Mercedes team, and Charles Leclerc slid into another fourth-place finish, Nico Hulkenberg managed to earn seventh in his return to the grid. Hulkenberg, filling in at Racing Point for Sergio Perez who tested positive for COVID-19, …

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F1 Midweek: Pirelli & Forced Strategy Changes

Sergio Perez at Hungary

Sergio Perez (Racing Point F1 on Twitter)

Last weekend’s British Grand Prix offered a fascinating event. Going into the race, the high temperatures were thought to be something that would corral the Mercedes dominance.  For a few moments, that looked like that very thought would play out – and then things cooled down for qualifying and the race, and Mercedes looked like …

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Lewis Hamilton Delivers Another Masterful Performance at the British GP

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Lewis Hamilton holding the trophy for his British GP win and Driver of the Day award (Photo: Mercedes AMG)

In what seemed another fait accompli for Lewis Hamilton, the Brit found late-race trouble and eked his Mercedes across the finish for his record-setting seventh British Grand Prix win.  Max Verstappen took second, himself unsure of his ability to finish.  Charles Leclerc drove his Ferrari to a solid if quiet third-place. Daniel Ricciardo benefited from …

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Slipstream Saturday: Lewis Hamilton on Pole, More Notes from the British GP

Sergio Perez at Hungary

Sergio Perez (Racing Point F1 on Twitter)

Qualifying Lewis Hamilton set a British Grand Prix record by claiming his seventh pole for the event.  He bested his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by three-tenths.  Hamilton recovered from a Q2 spin to blister the field and Mercedes set a staggering pace with Hamilton a full second clear of third-place qualifier Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc …

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F1 Midweek: A Quick Recap of the Season – Copying, Poor Ferrari & Lewis Hamilton

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Will the Spanish GP be another 1-2 procession for Mercedes? (credit: MercedesAMG)

After a ripping stint of racing that featured grand prix on three consecutive weekends, the sport of Formula 1 will enjoy a quick break before driving through a similar stint.  The racing, thus far, is a mixture of things, as one might imagine. With a pause in the action, now is a good time to …

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F1: Valtteri Bottas Awesome in 2020 Austrian GP Opener

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(Photo: Mercedes AMG twitter)

Valtteri Bottas managed to hold off his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to win the Austrian Grand Prix, the inaugural race of the Formula 1 2020 season. With the schedule re-worked many times over because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Austrian GP took the spotlight as the season opener and proved to be a delightful race. …

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NASCAR, Bubba Wallace Confronting Unsettling Symbols From the Past

2020 Talladega NCS Unity for Bubba NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

In 1960, C.Vann Woodward, the esteemed Southern scholar, remarked, “It would take a blind sentimentalist to mourn their passing.” The passing Woodward addresses has to do with all manner of Southern customs, from the statues that dot the region to the lynching bee. Yes, that’s right, there used to be something called a lynching bee …

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Open Wheel Wednesday: Lewis Hamiltonʻs Frustration

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Lewis Hamilton Voices His Frustration (Photo: F1 Media)

Lewis Hamilton provides a vital voice in Formula 1 as its sole black driver. Regardless of his poles, wins and championships, Hamilton is in the unique position to provide perspective on a sport that runs worldwide. His recent Instagram postings indicate that he has taken his outspoken nature and directed his attention to the sport …

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F1 Midweek: Parting of Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari Shakes Up Silly Season

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This year will be Vettel's last with the Prancing Horse (credit: FIA Images)

On Monday, news broke that Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel would part at the end of the 2020 season. With the announcement confirmed the next day by Ferrari, the game of musical chairs in Formula 1 revved to a high rpm. Vettel leaving Ferrari is big news in and of itself and deserves reckoning, but the …

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Racing Journalist’s COVID-19 Survivor Story — Should NASCAR Actually Return?

2019 Darlington MENCS Racing NKP

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

As NASCAR seeks to resume its season May 17 after a lengthy pit stop from COVID-19, my befuddlement grows daily. I get the whole economic side and the need to continue the sport so that it does not lose any of the “traction” that it may have developed. The sport seeks a need to become …

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