All – F1 Season Review

2012 Spanish Grand Prix Preview

The Spanish Grand Prix marks the start of European leg of the 2012 season. After four long haul races teams come to Spain clueless on the pecking order as the first four races has seen four different winners. The important point to note from the first four races is that no team has been able to dominate.

McLaren has looked most consistent of the top four teams while there has been varying performances from the likes of Mercedes, Lotus and Red Bull. In Bahrain where conditions were hotter Lotus and Red-Bull Triumphed and on the other hand in China when conditions were cooler Mercedes and McLaren triumphed. There has been regular change in balance of power which is great for F1 fans.
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2011 F1 Season Review

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The big surprise of pre-season testing was the struggle McLaren had to get the sleek 2011 challenger up to speed as the new blown floor gave multiple issues. However, come the season proper the McLaren went as quick as it looked and McLaren were competitive for much of the season as proved by winds for Hamilton in China and Button in Canada. 2011 was indeed a season that had everything, that is except, a challenger for the lightning quick German superstar Sebastian Vettel.
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1959 F1 Season Review

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The 1959 F1 season started with the surprise withdrawal of the Vanwall team over the winter, just as it was reaching peak competitiveness. Nevertheless the British honour was upheld by BRM, Cooper and Lotus.

After the tragedies of 1958 Ferrari underwent big changes. Brooks joined from Vanwall and was joined by Behra from BRM. Phil Hill, who was an occasional Ferrari driver in 1958 but was awarded a full time drive for 1959. Sterling Moss meanwhile would split his time between Walker’s Cooper-Climax and BRM.
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Michael Andretti

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The son of Mario Andretti made quick work of the junior ranks in America winning the Super Vee, Formula Atlantic and then graduating to Indy Car in 1984.

Michael Andretti finished second in 1986, 1987 and 1990 before winning the Indy Car title in 1991. These superb performances caught the eye of the F1 teams and with some encouragement from his father, Michael joined the F1 paddock in 1993 with McLaren. What a disaster it turned out to be!
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Simtek

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Simtek Grand Prix was one of two new teams on the grid for the opening race of 1994. Team boss Nick Wirth who was 28 was the youngest team owner in F1 history and also the driving force behind the design and engineering of the team.

The name Simtek was an amalgamation of the worlds “simulated technology” which also adorned the sister company Simtek Research formed in 1989 between Wirth and Max Mosley. Clients of Simtek Research included the FIA and major companies participating in motor racing.
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Mario Andretti

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Mario Andretti was always set to be a racer. Born in 1940 the American didn’t retire until 1994 rendering him a driver with one of the fullest CV’s of all time.

Andretti started his racing career in sprint cars on the local dirt ovals where he was given the nickname “Super-Wop”. In 1964 he graduated to the Indy Car series where he delighted the fans with his skill taking the championship in 1965 and again in 1966. A third title followed in 1969 but by the time Andretti lifted title number three he had already achieved his goal with a drive for Lotus in Formula One, rocking the F1 world by placing the car on pole first time out at Watkins Glen.
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Roland Ratzenberger

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Born in Austria 1960, Roland Ratzenberger started racing in German Formula Ford. Roland knocked a couple of years from his true age to extend his career – a move that did him no harm as in 1983 he won both the Austrian and Central European Formula Ford championships.

Following a second place in 1985 at the Formula Ford festival at Brands Hatch Roland went on to win the British Formula Three championship a year later. Ratzenberger drove tongue firmly in cheek with non other than TV’s Roland Rat on the side of his car – a namesake which brought him to public attention.
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Philippe Alliot

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Philippe Alliot began his career with three years racing in the Formule Renault series where he won the title in 1978.

Moving to Formula Three Alliot found the going tougher and he spend a full three years in the series before moving up to Formula Two in 1983. Graduating to F1, Alliot had two unsuccessful years with the RAM team after which he graduated to Ligier for second half of the 1986 season. Three years at Larousse Lola was more successful as Philippe managed to score points on four occasions.
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Michele Alboreto

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Born in 1956, the calm, dignified and likeable Italian had a long and frustrating F1 career which finished in 1994 whereby he followed many of his ex-colleagues to Touring Car racing.

Alboreto was second in the 1979 Italian Formula Three series and won the European title the following year. A one off race for Tyrrell at San Marino was judged impressive enough to have Ken Tyrrell sign him up until the end of 1983. During the Tyrrell years Michele Alboreto won twice on American soil with the latter being the last win for a normally aspirated engine before the turbo era dominated.

Ferrari was the reward for 1984 to 1988 and Alboreto signalled his intention by winning his third race at Zolder. At the end of the season Alboreto finished fourth overall.
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F1 sells out to Sky

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In a shock move the BBC have lost the right to show the full F1 season from 2012 onwards. But what does this mean?

Simply put, the BBC has the rights to show half of the F1 season with the other half being shown as highlights. With that die hard F1 fans are now faced with the choice – pay for Sky Sports or watch just half the Formula One season live. Hardly a great option at around £20 per month on top of your basic Sky subscription (at time of writing). Add this to the tally of our everyday and necessary expenses like food shopping, RAC breakdown cover, electricity and gas bills. These are affordable. Adding on a Sky subscription? Not so much.
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2012 Spanish Grand Prix Preview

2011 F1 Season Review

1959 F1 Season Review

Michael Andretti

Simtek

Mario Andretti

Roland Ratzenberger

Philippe Alliot

Michele Alboreto

F1 sells out to Sky

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