My Formula 1 Blog

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Graham Hill. Norman Graham Hill OBE (15 February 1929 – 29 November 1975) was a British racing driver and team owner, who was the Formula One World Champion twice, winning in 1962 and 1968 as well as being runner up on three occasions (1963, 1964 and 1965). Despite not passing his driving test until 1953 when he was already 24 years of age, and only entering the world of motorsports a year later, Hill would go on to become one of the greatest drivers of his generation. Hill is most celebrated for being the only driver ever to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport, an achievement which he defined as winning the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. While several of his peers have also espoused this definition, including fellow F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, the achievement is today most commonly defined as including the Monaco Grand Prix rather than the Formula One World Championship. By th...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Jim Clark. James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapolis 500, which he won in 1965. He was particularly associated with the Lotus marque.  Clark was killed in a Formula Two racing accident in 1968 in Hockenheim, West Germany. At the time of his death, aged 32, he had won more Grand Prix races (25) and achieved more Grand Prix pole positions (33) than any other driver. In 2009, The Times placed Clark at the top of a list of the greatest-ever Formula One drivers. Early Years: James Clark Jr was born into a farming family at Kilmany House Farm, Fife, the youngest child of five, and the only boy. In 1942 the family moved to Edington Mains Farm, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Borders. He was educated at primary schools in Kilmany and then in Chirnside. Follo...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Alpine. Alpine is based in Enstone, Oxfordshire, England, UK. Current team members: Team principal- Otmar Szafnauer CEO- Laurent Rossi Executive director of Viry-Chatillon- Bruno Famin Director of racing expansion projects- Davide Brivio Chief Technical Officer- Pat Fry Technical director- Matt Harman Drivers- Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon History  The team entity has a long history, first competing in Formula One in 1981 as Toleman, when the team was based in Witney, England. In 1986, following its purchase by Benetton Group, it was renamed and competed as Benetton. As Benetton, it won the 1995 Constructors' Championship and its driver, Michael Schumacher, won two Drivers' Championships in 1994 and 1995. Prior to the 1992 season it moved to its current location in Enstone, UK. By the 2000 season, Renault had purchased the team (for the first time), and by the 2002 season its name was changed to Renault F1 Team, and it was racing as Renaul...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Aston Martin Aston Martin is based in Silverstone, England, UK. Current Team members: Chairman- Lawrence Stroll Team principal- Mike Krack CEO- Martin Whitmarsh Chief Technical Officer- Andrew Green Technical director- Dan Fallows Drivers- Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll History Aston Martin first entered Formula One with the DBR4, their first open-wheel racing car. The DBR4 was first built and tested in 1957 but did not make its Formula One debut until 1959. This delay was caused by the company prioritising the development of the DBR1 sports car, which went on to win the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the DBR4's world championship debut at the Dutch Grand Prix, it had become outdated and struggled for pace against its competitors, with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori qualifying 10th and 13th respectively out of 15. Salvadori retired from the race in the early laps with an engine failure, with Shelby's car suffering the same fate later in th...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Alfa Romeo Racing. Alfa Romeo is an Italian car manufacturer that competes in F1 while being operated by Sauber Motorsport AG.  Alfa Romeo Racing is based in Hinwil, Zurich, Switzerland. Current team members: Team Principal- Frederic Vasseur (Managing Director) Technical Director- Jan Monchaux Drivers- Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou  History Alfa Romeo had often been a force in Grand Prix racing before World War II. Cars like the P2 and the P3 were winners regularly until the German Mercedes and Auto Union cars came around in 1934; Alfa by this time had withdrawn temporarily as a manufacturer from racing but continued to give direct support to privateers like Enzo Ferrari and his Scuderia Ferrari team. From 1934 to the start of World War II in 1939, Alfa rarely won and their cars looked rather outdated and badly built compared to the high-tech Mercedes. Alfa was able to make the 158 for the 1938 season, although this car was not competitiv...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Haas F1 Team. Haas F1 Team is the newest Formula 1 team since 2016.  Haas are based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA and Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, UK. Current team members: Team owner- Gene Haas COO- Joe Custer Team principal- Guenther Steiner Technical director- Simone Resta Drivers- Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher Founder- Gene Haas History Haas was the first American constructor to submit a F1 entry after the failed US F1 project in 2010, and it is the first American constructor to compete since the unrelated Haas Lola outfit raced in 1985 and 1986 seasons. The Haas Lola team was owned by former McLaren boss Teddy Mayer and Carl Haas, who was not related to Gene Haas. Following collapse of the Murussia F1 during the 2014 season and the auctioning of their assets, Haas purchased the team's Banbury headquarters to serve as forward base for their operations. Unrestricted by testing regulations until the time the team actually entered ...

  Hi, this week I'm introducing Williams Racing. Williams Racing is 3rd oldest F1 team and joint 3rd most successful team in F1 history. Williams are based in Grove, Oxfordshire, England, UK. Current team members: Team Principal- Jost Capito(CEO) Technical director- Francois-Xavier Demaison  Drivers- Alexander Albon and Nicholas Latifi Founders- Frank Williams and Patrick Head History Frank Williams started the current Williams team in 1977 after his previous outfit, Frank Williams Racing Cars , failed to achieve the success he desired. Despite the promise of a new owner, Canadian millionaire Walter Wolf , and the team's rebranding as Wolf–Williams Racing in 1976 , the cars were not competitive. Eventually, Williams left the rechristened Walter Wolf Racing  and moved to Didcot  to rebuild his team as "Williams Grand Prix Engineering". Frank recruited young engineer Patrick Head  to work for the team, creating the "Williams–Head" partnership. Williams entered...