Race Weekend Central

F1 Midweek: Lewis Hamilton and the Need to Step Away

Hamilton Suzuka

Lewis Hamilton on track at Suzuka this past weekend (credit: FIA images)

Lewis Hamilton finished third in the Japanese Grand Prix this past weekend in Suzuka, Japan. Drivers not named Lewis Hamilton would be rather pleased with that result and might even regard it as something worth celebrating. Of course, as he has proven with regularity, Hamilton is not like most other drivers.   If anything, he continues …

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Valtteri Bottas Savors Win at Suzuka, Mercedes Claim Constructors Title

V Bottas

Valterri Bottas used a fantastic start to earn his third win of 2019 (credit: FIA Images)

Peculiarity seemed to surround the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.  With a typhoon taking aim at Japan, the usual schedule of events was changed, with the third free practice being canceled and qualifying being moved to just hours before the race.  Then the start confounded. And in the end, even the end brought consternation.   None …

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F1 Midweek: Typhoon Issues for the Japanese GP and More

Mclaren Russian Gp

Will McLaren be in trouble in 2020? (Credit: FIA images)

Odds & Sods We start off this week’s F1 Midweek with a note about the weather.   This coming weekend, Formula 1 returns to Suzuka, Japan for the Japanese Grand Prix.  There is, however, another visitor heading for the country, which would be super typhoon Hagibis. While rain usually makes F1 races more interesting, a typhoon …

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F1 Midweek: No Surprise with Vettel and Ferrari; and more

Vettel Sochi

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

Odds & Sods: This week we give a quick overview of the headlines of Formula 1 after the Russian Grand Prix.   – This past weekend brought more drama to the relationship between the Ferrari drivers of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.  Ross Brawn, who knows a thing or two about running a team and maintaining …

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F1 Midweek: The Quiet Storyline from Singapore – Alex Albon

Alex Albon (Photo: FIA Images)

(credit: FIA images)

Check the headlines for Formula 1 and they tend to center on three main stories. The first ledes deal with Ferrari’s one-two performance, taking the win and the second place on the podium, a feat they had struggled to execute in the last, um, like nine years or something. (Not that bad, really, as their …

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F1 Midweek: The Singapore Grand Prix, the Revolution That Wasn’t

Ferrari Singapore Gp

(Photo: FIA Images)

This weekend highlights one of the more strikingly innovative races on the Formula 1 calendar. Announced in 2007 and developed over a year’s span, the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix ran in 2008. It marked dual firsts in being the first street circuit in Asia but more significantly was the first and only night race in …

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F1 Midweek: Ferrari & Sebastian Vettel in a Difficult Marriage

Vettel Azerb Gp

Sebastian Vettel is falling behind his teammate (credit: FIA media)

The race this past Sunday looks to be the sign of change at Ferrari. At its home track for the Italian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc put his car on pole then titillated and frustrated Lewis Hamilton with a battle for first for nearly half the race before driving away with the win. That’s a pretty …

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Charles Leclerc Gives the Tifosi a Reason to Rejoice at Italy

Charles Leclerc salutes the crowd in Monza.

Charles Leclerc salutes the Monza crowd (Photo: FIA Images)

Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix gave a little bit of everything on Sunday (Sept 8).  The main thing that it offered was a battle at the front, which is something that has rarely been seen.  First, Charles Leclerc fended off Lewis Hamilton for nearly two-thirds of the race, and then when Hamilton’s tires had given …

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Charles Leclerc Continues His Torrid Pace Through Confusing Italian Grand Prix Qualifying

Leclerc Bahrain 2019

(Photo: FIA)

Qualifying for Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix turned out to be one of the more peculiar in more recent memory.  When things don’t go as usually expected, the weather tends to feature in the narrative. Sometimes the culprit could be the tires.  Then, in a few exceptions, the track itself provides an added element of …

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F1 Midweek: Alex Albon Moving Up to Red Bull Brings Intrigue

Alex Albon (Photo: FIA Images)

(credit: FIA images)

As Formula 1 begins its month-long summer break, the news that has rippled through the tranquil waters came in the form of Red Bull making a driver change. Pierre Gasly has been demoted to Toro Rosso beginning with the next race, the Belgian Grand Prix on September 1. The driver taking Gasly’s seat will be …

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F1 Midweek: The F1 Season Needed the German GP but It Wasn’t a Classic

Bottas German Gp

Valtteri Bottas bowing out of the German GP was a surprise (credit: FIA Images)

This past week’s Formula 1 race, taking place in Hockeheim, Germany, gave the season one of its most unpredictable and brightest moments of the year. The German Grand Prix was supposed to be a homecoming celebration for Mercedes, a chance for them to display their dominance in front of their home crowd and to further …

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F1 Midweek: Refueling, Daniel Ricciardo Highlight the Week’s Storylines

Ricciardo China

(Photo: FIA Media)

Refueling One of the more intriguing things being floated about in the paddock is the return of refueling during races.  The sport eliminated refueling as part of the in-race element beginning with the 2010 season in a move predicated on safety.   The move came on the heels of a number of petrol related incidents in …

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