Advances in car safety (plus ever tougher crash tests) have come thick and fast since then – but it is interesting to see that what was once an area of the car only there to protect drivers is now being exploited like never before to also find performance. The Mercedes W07’s airbox is one of
Is high-mileage Mercedes in better shape than fast Ferrari?
Ignore Ferrari’s headline-setting pace for a moment. Although it is setting the pace on the timesheets in Barcelona F1 testing, rivals Mercedes are racking up the most miles. Speed isn’t everything in testing. Mileage isn’t everything either, of course, but it does mean quite a lot. At this stage of the Formula 1 season, everyone
Quo vadis F1&FIA?
By Kate Walker One of the ironies of the ever-expanding F1 calendar is the way in which it highlights the vital importance of FIA president Jean Todt’s much-derided efforts to throw the Federation’s weight behind global improvements in road safety standards for motorists and pedestrians alike. While Todt is often criticised by members of the
Formula 1 Power Unit Explained
The power unit is built around the 1.6 litre v6 turbo engine and following are the parts comprising the power unit: 1. 1.6 Litre V6 Turbo Engine with direct fuel injection 2. Battery 3. MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit Kinetic) 4. MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit Heat) 5. ERS Control Unit 6. Turbocharger Now, let’s take an
Malaysian Grand Prix Preview 2015
The Malaysian Grand Prix: an abrasive surface with high heat and humidity makes this race a true test for drivers, cars and tyres. Nearly every afternoon there is an intense downpour, making it likely to see the Cinturato tyres in competitive action for the first time this year. Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “The Australian
Lewis Hamilton wins the race with a one-stop strategy
Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton made a perfect start to his title defence by beating his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg to record his second win in Australia and the 34th of his career. Both Mercedes drivers stopped once, starting on the soft tyre and then switching to the medium tyres on laps 25 and 26
Australian Grand Prix Preview: Melbourne
The Australian Grand Prix circuit: a semi-permanent facility at Albert Park in Melbourne, where the soft and medium P Zero tyres have been chosen. There’s a slippery surface, low grip, high downforce and heavy braking: all of which increase the workload on the tyres. Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “Our fifth season of Formula One
Analysis of Barcelona first test – 2015
Once again in Barcelona, as was the case at the first test in Jerez, we had quite cool weather and a sprinkling of rain, but the teams were still able to get through a considerable testing distance, with all the compounds apart from the full wet tried out, although there was very little significant running on
F1 2015 first impressions
Force India and Williams have given us our first taste of 2015 F1. William Tyson dissects the VJM08 and FW37 to find out what’s in store for tech this year. Let’s start with the obvious place to look at: the nose. We suspected some time ago the appearance of the noses this year would again
Rosberg is the engineering driver who plays it clever
Nico Rosberg was born in Germany, brought up in Monaco and Ibiza, educated at an international school in the south of France and has a famous Finnish father, Keke Rosberg who happens to be a Formula 1 world champion… If the Mercedes driver were to win the Formula 1 title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the