Race Weekend Central

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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F1 Midweek: Storylines for 2020; Starting in Australia

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(credit: FIA images)

Coronavirus be damned! The Formula 1 season will go lights out this weekend at its customary starting track in Melbourne, Australia. Chatter that it might be canceled had surrounded the race, but with Ferrari en route, everything looks set to go on as usual. The ʻon with the showʻ attitude is a bit puzzling coming …

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2019 Formula 1 Season Review, Pt. 2: The Better Half of the Field

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Lewis Hamilton celebrates his season-ending pole grab (credit FIA Images)

The Formula 1 season concluded with Lewis Hamilton cruising to a win at Abu Dhabi, further distinguishing himself from the rest of his peers during his sixth championship season.  There were, however, other teams and drivers on the track, and this is where we get to go through the field and examine how they did. …

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James Davison Joins the Field for the 2020 Indy 500

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James Davison fills the field for the 2020 Indy 500 (credit: Twitter)

Dale Coyne Racing in partnership with Jonathan Byrd’s Racing, Hollinger Motorsport and Belardi Auto Racing announced that James Davison will be returning to the fold to race in the Indianapolis 500 in May 2020.  Davison becomes the 33rd official entrant for next year’s edition of the race.   Davison will also be racing the 2020 Daytona …

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