The evolution of fireproof socks
Progress in F1 driver safety
Humans have used fireproof clothing for centuries. The earliest reliably documented use of fireproof clothing was in twelfth century Arabia; warriors would don silk undergarments, a cotton tunic daubed with a sticky fireproof substance, and a barrage of fireworks. Then, for some reason, the technology was forgotten until humans started venturing into space and incinerating themselves on race tracks.
The five greatest machines of F1
A look at some of the strongest cars that have participated in Formula One
With most of the teams having launched their challengers for the upcoming season, one wonders what path of evolution has resulted in the 700-odd bhp machines which shall line up at Melbourne come 17th March 2013. In an attempt to answer that question, here’s a look back at five of the most prominent racing cars that the Formula 1 community has seen over the six decades of its existence.
1929 and the first Monaco Grand Prix
Archive footage from the dusty streets of Monte Carlo
Pathé Newsreels, one of the oldest names in the motion picture industry, launched a YouTube channel last year and have been uploading all manner of archive clips ever since. This month they dug out a 2 minute vignette of the inaugural Grand Prix in Monaco, founded by Anthony Noghes.
Simply imperious: The 1965 French Grand Prix
A recap of the action from the mid-60s racing
Before the 1965 French Grand Prix, Lotus driver Jim Clark was quietly confident. After three rounds, the legendary Scot had a three-point advantage over BRM's Graham Hill when they arrived at Clermont-Ferrand. With skill and smoothness a premium at the French circuit, Clark possessed an advantage that often superseded the superb engineering of his nimble Lotus 33. In the race, he would made it look so easy.
Driver replacement therapy: Ricardo Zuniño
Stepping into some pretty serious Formula One shoes
When Niki Lauda walked out on his Brabham team following practice for the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix, the British team found themselves in a dire situation. Step forward Ricardo Zuniño.
It never rains, but it snows
A race affected by the worst seasonable conditions
An unseasonal cold spell broken, a sodden and wintry base is revealed, as the snow in Ireland and the UK peels away feebly. The once pretty white sheets, now betray their subtle beauty as they age to a dirt riddled slush. This is what winter in Ireland is supposed to look like. Grey. Motorsport tends not to happen in these conditions. Smaller meets and track days would often be cancelled beforehand, while many Championships are deliberately scheduled to avoid such poor weather systems.
Flying the flag
Participating in a local Grand Prix is a lot of pressure
When the Formula 1 teams showed up for the final race of the 1976 season and the conclusion of a titanic battle between Ferrari’s Niki Lauda and McLaren’s James Hunt, few noticed several Japanese drivers on the entry list for the main event. One of which happened to be Tokyo native Masahiro Hasemi.
Kiss with a fist: Bertrand Gachot
How one small event can change Formula One forever
When the Jordan Formula 1 driver, Bertrand Gachot, was jailed for actual bodily harm just prior to the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, little did anyone know the world of Formula 1 would soon be changed forever.
The best and the worst of Spa (since 2003)
Some recent events at the Belgian Grand Prix
Now that we're halfway through the summer break, it's almost time to start looking ahead to the Belgian Grand Prix. As it's a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was browsing through some videos of racing at Spa, and remembering the best and worst bits since I started watching. I thought I'd share them with you, and then perhaps you can let me know what your best and worst Belgian Grand Prix moments are since you switched on and tuned in.
Fast, but dangerous: Montjuïc Circuit
A closer look at the powerful action at the Spanish track
When the first race at Montjuïc Circuit took place in 1933, the Catalonia region had already experienced a good deal of either Grand Prix or Sportscar racing events - in fact, the initial races in Barcelona go as far back as 1908, when the Catalan Cup was run on the roads around Sitges
The power of momentum
The extra, unseen push that can make the difference to a career
One of the key aspects in motor sport, both physically and mentally, is momentum. It is often the unspoken element that gives a competitor the extra drive to make his machine work; it can breed confidence within one's psyche and also in a driver's surroundings.
Gerry Birrell - What might have been
Another excellent history lesson with a lesser known driver
Steven Roy is back again with another story from F1 gone by. I've never heard of this driver, so once again, many thanks go to Steven for the excellent history lessons.
François Cevert
A look at the history of the French F1 driver
François Cevert was born in Nazi occupied Paris in February 1944. He became interested in motor racing after meeting his sister’s boyfriend and future Monaco grand prix winner Jean-Pierre Beltoise. After completing two years of national service Cevert entered and won the Volant Shell competition in 1966. The prize was a sponsored season in the French formula three championship with Alpine.
Jim Clark - Yes, he really was that good
A different perspective on the talents of the British champion
Having watched BBC4’s re-run of Jim Clark: The Quiet Champion recently I was surprised at the effect that he had on people even though I know all the stories and I have seen the film before. It seems incredible to me that someone like Dan Gurney still breaks down and cries when speaking about Clark even though the film was made 40 years after his death.
Waving from behind the barriers
The history of a German driver that may oft be overlooked
German drivers in F1 were few and far between before the emergence of Schumacher. Once he started imposing his skills on the World Championship, more and more have managed to make their way to the top. Names which spring to mind include Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg, Timo Glock and Adrian Sutil.
Jim who?
A name in Formula One that should be remembered
There are people who believe that the thing that sets F1 apart from other classes of racing is technology. The theory is F1 has the best people and has always had a technological lead. Only F1 could have ever made the great breakthroughs in technology that have taken us from barely modified road cars to cars that, in theory at least, could run upside down on a ceiling.
Jim Clark grew up as a boy who loved cars
A tribute to the Scottish double world champion
On April 7th 1968 Jim Clark died in a formula two race at Hockenheim. He remains one of the small group of drivers inevitably mentioned whenever the subject of "the greatest of them all" arises. This tribute explains the effect that Clark's fatal accident had on a small boy in Scotland.
Bernd Rosemeyer
The early days of motor racing, when talent was all you need
This week, Steven Roy takes us back to the early days of motor racing, when sport and politics still mixed, but talent was all you needed.
The fastest Grand Prix driver ever
Originally written to mark the 26th anniversary of Villeneuve's death
Following on from the success of the first Steven Roy guest post, we invited him back to share some more history. A note from the author: "This was originally written to mark the 26th anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve’s death. I decided to post it here unchanged." Now on with the good stuff.
The fastest driver who never raced
Car designers can drive fast too
It's been a while since we've had a guest writer, and there's no one better to bring the series back than Steven Roy. We're encouraging the man to get his own blog, but until then, enjoy his words.
365 F1 stories
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