https://www.scmp.com/rss/12048/feed Richard Drew has been a writer and broadcaster for almost 25 years. For several years he presented ESPN Star Sports coverage of Formula One. He commentates on a variety of sports, including football, motorsport and winter sports. After working in Asia, Richard and his family now live in England. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com There are some swish cafes fronting the marina in Abu Dhabi. The gossip there, and at the paddock next door, will be about what the 2016 season will hold. There may still be the season-ending race in the UAE before 2015 is done and dusted, but with championships decided and no double points here (thank goodness), you could be forgiven for letting your mind wander. There’s much to speculate on, most of which won’t be decided any time soon. One thing we do know is that there will be a new team on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1883140/fascinating-2016-season-store-formula-one-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1883140/fascinating-2016-season-store-formula-one-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2015 03:40:31 +0000 Two races to go in the F1 season, you could forgive the drivers and the teams for feeling it's like the end of a school term - a bit of a breeze. After all, the drivers and team championships have been decided and Mercedes have nothing left to prove. The thing is, it doesn't work that way in this sport. An F1 driver is a competitive beast, and none more so than world champion Lewis Hamilton. He won his third title in the United States, and on the evidence of the race in Mexico, he has no... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1877917/done-deal-title-hamilton-wont-ease-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1877917/done-deal-title-hamilton-wont-ease-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2015 02:10:24 +0000 I don't know how you might classify these things, but surely Lewis Hamilton is now a legend of motor racing. He's world champion again, with his third title; a second in a row. It's been suggested, not unreasonably, that this is now the Hamilton era of F1. The title was wrapped up in Austin, and now Hamilton has three races - including this weekend's welcome return to Mexico - to bask in the glow of his own success. It's been borne not only by the brilliance of Mercedes, but also by the Briton's... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1873438/lewis-hamilton-now-class-act-mature-and-formula-one-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1873438/lewis-hamilton-now-class-act-mature-and-formula-one-track?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:45:41 +0000 What is it about sports administrators nowadays? Football is all of a tizz. Fifa is in the mire with president Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini both suspended and handfuls of other figures being investigated by the police. In Formula One we have Bernie Ecclestone, 85, and the kingmaker in the sport for as long as most people can remember. He continues to run F1 despite what you could argue is a history that in any other line of work might see you being shown the door. [Bernie... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1870593/foot-mouth-no-problem-when-you-make-billions-formula-one-supremo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1870593/foot-mouth-no-problem-when-you-make-billions-formula-one-supremo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:21:08 +0000 "GP2 engine, GP2." With an exasperated groan, Fernando Alonso finished his curt radio message to the McLaren pit wall in the Japanese Grand Prix. It was an astonishing outburst, given the Spaniard knew television coverage would beam the comments around the world. Astonishing because his comment came at the Japanese Grand Prix, the home of engine supplier Honda; in fact at the track the Japanese firm owns. The grand old British team are in a deep, deep hole at the moment. They are saddled with an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1864994/mclaren-need-drastic-changes-put-brake-their-bleak-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1864994/mclaren-need-drastic-changes-put-brake-their-bleak-fortunes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:30:30 +0000 What, you wonder, must go through a man's head (because it tends to be a man) when they decide to have a Sunday afternoon stroll through a Formula One race? It is, I'm sure, a question no one can really answer, but it's being asked after a British man walked down the track in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix. Yogvitam Pravin Dhokia has been charged with committing a "rash act". It doesn't quite seem to do justice to the stupidity of what he did. He jumped over the barrier near the approach to turn... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1860822/supercharged-machines-flying-300kmh-wanderlust-has-no-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1860822/supercharged-machines-flying-300kmh-wanderlust-has-no-place?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:15:45 +0000 The Southeast Asian haze. It has been enough to send expats back home and locals scurrying indoors for cover. Now it’s threatening to disrupt the Singapore Grand Prix. Indonesian farmers have been burning off forests for agriculture, as they have done for years. It’s a dramatic illustration of the retreat of the rainforest in the area, but it’s also having unwanted effects in the city state. Other sports have been postponed because of the air quality, and organisers are keeping a close eye on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1858715/pollution-threatens-singapore-grand-prix-future-lotus-almost-murky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1858715/pollution-threatens-singapore-grand-prix-future-lotus-almost-murky?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:32:25 +0000 We head towards the Monza Grand Prix, with safety very much top of the Formula One agenda. It is, of course, a subject that is always on the minds of those in the sport, but recent events have once again focused the mind. Since the F1 fraternity was last together in Belgium, we have had the terrible news of the death of Justin Wilson. The British driver died racing in the IndyCar 500 series in the United States. He was hit by flying debris during the event at the Pocono circuit, and died of head... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1854757/pit-stop-tragedy-fuels-safety-debate-attention-whether-cockpits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1854757/pit-stop-tragedy-fuels-safety-debate-attention-whether-cockpits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2015 13:45:30 +0000 How were your summer holidays? Hope you had a better time than Jenson Button. The British driver was enjoying some down time during Formula One's midseason break when he was burgled. It was all a bit dramatic, with suggestions the St Tropez villa was pumped with anaesthetic gas to make sure he and wife Jessica did not wake up during the raid. Some reports said valuables up to £300,000 (HK$3.6 million) were taken. There will be much discussion within the F1 circus alighting in Belgium for this... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1850875/summer-rumours-fuel-formula-one-distraction-teams-prepare-return?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1850875/summer-rumours-fuel-formula-one-distraction-teams-prepare-return?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:00:15 +0000 As Formula One gears up for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, those in the sport will have more than the race on their minds. It's less than a week since the death of Jules Bianchi. The 25-year-old had been in a coma since his crash at the Japanese Grand Prix last October. It became increasingly clear to his family in their bedside vigil that he wasn't going to recover from his devastating head injuries. Bianchi's death was the first race track fatality of a driver since Ayrton Senna's in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1842835/jules-bianchis-death-shows-flip-side-all-formula-one-glamour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1842835/jules-bianchis-death-shows-flip-side-all-formula-one-glamour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2015 15:09:28 +0000 It can be tough being a racing driver in Formula One. Spare a thought for poor old Lewis Hamilton. Flush from his new contract, he could probably afford to buy all the tickets for the men's tennis final at Wimbledon. Instead, he was invited to take a place in the Royal Box to watch Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer battle it out. He duly posted a pic of the invite on social media and if you look closely you can see not only the invite, but also the guide. He should have paid more attention; the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1839876/lewis-hamiltons-fashion-faux-pas-rivals-williams-bungled-coup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1839876/lewis-hamiltons-fashion-faux-pas-rivals-williams-bungled-coup?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2015 14:45:30 +0000 Spotted at a London airport a few days ago while waiting at the baggage carousel: "Renault, over 115 years of winning innovation. And now proud to lead the electric revolution". It was an advert for not only the car manufacturer, but also the finale of the Formula E series. The electric series wrapped up its season by the banks of the River Thames, with a suitably exciting climax to the championship. Now, a week later, British fans have the chance to see Formula One at close quarters as the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1831425/electrifying-formula-e-series-may-shock-formula-one-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1831425/electrifying-formula-e-series-may-shock-formula-one-action?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2015 15:30:17 +0000 Love him or loathe him, Nigel Mansell is an F1 world champion and when he speaks perhaps we should sit up and take notice. He's the latest to wade into the debate about the future - and the soul - of the sport. The Briton says that the sport needs "a bit of magic", and there are few at the moment who would disagree. The problem is that there is a lot of disagreement over how that magic can be provided. Mansell himself has plenty of ideas. Ditch the drag reduction system for a start. He claimed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1823219/f1-needs-thrill-racing-back-double-quick-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1823219/f1-needs-thrill-racing-back-double-quick-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2015 01:30:12 +0000 Ask a relationship counsellor what the secret to a good marriage is, and a top answer will be trust. As the Formula One family gathers in Canada, all eyes will be on Lewis Hamilton and his racing partner, Mercedes. The relationship between Hamilton and his team have not always been the most harmonious, and Monaco last time out was certainly a rocky moment. After bossing the whole weekend in the principality, he was within touching distance of the chequered flag. When the safety car came out... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1815966/why-lewis-hamiltons-new-found-maturity-should-benefit-him-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1815966/why-lewis-hamiltons-new-found-maturity-should-benefit-him-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:09:35 +0000 Another week, another high-noon moment in Formula One. The great and the good of the sport have been meeting ahead of this weekend's grand prix in Monaco to make some sweeping changes to the sport. It's called the F1 Strategy Group, and is made up of FIA president Jean Todt, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and representatives of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams and Force India. They have been concerned that the sport was getting, to put it plainly, boring. So a raft of changes, of which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1804691/expect-change-formula-one-not-necessarily-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1804691/expect-change-formula-one-not-necessarily-better?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2015 15:51:24 +0000 Formula One is back in its traditional heartland this weekend - Europe. Barcelona will be the fifth race in a 19-date calendar and it is a good time to take stock. For some there is a lot of work to be done, and being back closer to the factories will be a huge relief. For others there is already good momentum. At the front of the grid, Mercedes are where we all expected them to be, and Lewis Hamilton is looking every inch the dominant champion within the team. A look at the world championship... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1787725/fernando-alonso-may-be-mulling-retirement-mclaren-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1787725/fernando-alonso-may-be-mulling-retirement-mclaren-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2015 13:26:43 +0000 I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever heard the guy who's running second in a grand prix ask the leader to go a bit faster, but that's the odd thing that happened last weekend in Shanghai. Three races into the season and the Mercedes feud between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has flared up again. Apparently all will be sweetness and light as they roll into Bahrain for this weekend's duel in the desert. According to the team the air was cleared, the slate was wiped clean after a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1767108/battle-lines-drawn-early-season-formula-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1767108/battle-lines-drawn-early-season-formula-one?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:15:15 +0000 The Formula One season is a bit like a book. Each race is a chapter and, if we are lucky, we get a cliffhanger that's only resolved at the end of the season. The first two chapters of the 2015 story have certainly been absorbing. There's been triumph, disaster, high drama and even higher farce. Chapter three in our own back yard promises to continue the gripping tale, especially for two of the teams. Like all good stories, one is down on their fortunes, the other is riding high. The two teams... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1760966/gripping-opening-story-2015-formula-one-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1760966/gripping-opening-story-2015-formula-one-season?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:30:45 +0000 All sport is pointless. When you look at it objectively, it seems pretty stupid to spend 90 minutes trying to put a glorified pig's bladder in the back of a net. In the greater scheme of things, there must be better ways to spend your time than knocking seven bells out of each other just to get a rugby ball over a random line. For that matter, when you look at it like that, driving a car around in circles 50 or 60 times just to be the fastest is plain daft. Of course, it isn't pointless. It... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1747287/drama-track-spoiled-f1-season-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1747287/drama-track-spoiled-f1-season-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:30:15 +0000 In the trees around the English countryside, birds are busy making their nests in the bare branches before spring arrives. But in the factories of Formula One teams nearby, they are a little ahead of their feathered friends. A busy winter is over and their cars have already been airfreighted to Australia, ready for the first grand prix in Melbourne this weekend. There may not be the same wholesale changes to the cars that we experienced in 2014, but nevertheless the sport has managed to whip... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1735226/pit-stop-plenty-new-story-lines-and-some-old-f1-teams-gather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1735226/pit-stop-plenty-new-story-lines-and-some-old-f1-teams-gather?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2015 13:30:30 +0000 And so it has come down to this. Last race, double the points, double the jeopardy if you happen to be Lewis Hamilton. Abu Dhabi, the manufactured marina is host to the manufactured nail-biting finish to the season. Those, including this column, that have objected to double points for the last race will have to concede Bernie Ecclestone's point that without it, the championship will already be close to a done deal for Hamilton. Under normal points, if rival Nico Rosberg won, the Briton would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1643967/pit-stop-season-ends-double-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1643967/pit-stop-season-ends-double-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2014 15:07:05 +0000 There is good news and bad news this week. The good news is boss Bernie Ecclestone has admitted this financial crisis is his fault. The bad news is that he doesn't know how to fix it. Perhaps the more interesting news is that it might not matter what Bernie thinks in the not to distant future, with the first signs that the sport's owners, CVC Capital Partners, have sidestepped the octogenarian and dealt with the Formula One teams directly. There has been talk that this mighty sport might be in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1632922/ecclestone-feels-heat-over-cash-pot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1632922/ecclestone-feels-heat-over-cash-pot?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:12:51 +0000 The news that two Formula One teams have gone bust cannot have come as a surprise to anyone with even half an interest in the sport. Perhaps the only slightly shocking fact is that a couple have called in the administrators in the space of a week. In the past, this column has predicted financial meltdown in F1 unless big changes are made. Formula One might dance the dance with the financial big hitters, but even this sport needs a proper business plan. It is sad that Caterham and Marrusia will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1627728/pit-stop-teams-going-bust-signal-bigger-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1627728/pit-stop-teams-going-bust-signal-bigger-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:54:02 +0000 Three races left in the season and Lewis Hamilton has a lead in the championship of 17 points. It's been quite a turnaround, and the Russian Grand Prix proved a few things. Firstly, the gods seem to be smiling on the Briton. After his travails in the first half of the season, his progress now seems serene. Arch-rival and teammate Nico Rosberg is scrabbling to keep up. His ill-advised late braking at the start of the race in Sochi seemed to be the mark of a man who is not at ease with himself or... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1622267/pit-stop-lewis-hamilton-deserves-be-head-pack-heading-us-grand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1622267/pit-stop-lewis-hamilton-deserves-be-head-pack-heading-us-grand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:34:35 +0000 Sochi during the Olympics was an odd place. The venues were good, the people charming and the Games were great, but my goodness, it seemed a scramble to be ready. Electricians on the promenade trying to get the new lights on, grass being sprayed green and unfinished houses on the perimeter of the Olympic Park wrapped up in canvases depicting completed dwellings. On the trip from the hotel (equally a work in progress) to the broadcast centre, you passed around the edge of the Olympic Park. There... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1612250/pit-stop-sochis-chance-make-huge-noise-it-hosts-russias-f1-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1612250/pit-stop-sochis-chance-make-huge-noise-it-hosts-russias-f1-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2014 15:51:54 +0000 Can Hamilton end jinx at F1-mad Suzuka? one website has been asking this week. Well, when you have just turned a 22-point deficit into a three-point lead in one race, anything is possible. We have spoken before about momentum. Hamilton must have felt for much of the season he was a stranger to the concept, and to lady luck. How that changed in Singapore. To win the race while your teammate and main rival is unable to sort out technical gremlins and finish the race has to put a smile on your... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1606282/singapore-gift-puts-lewis-hamilton-drivers-seat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1606282/singapore-gift-puts-lewis-hamilton-drivers-seat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2014 14:30:15 +0000 Well, who would have thought it, electric cars are interesting. Ever since Clive Sinclair tootled around the streets of Britain with his C5, electric cars have had something of an image problem. Despite the best efforts of Tesla, fans of sports cars have rather looked down their noses at electric or hybrid hot wheels. Imagine everyone's surprise then when an actual electric racing car formula turned out to be, well, rather good. Formula E got under way with a bang in Beijing. To be more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1594809/e-excitement-hybrid-hot-wheels-gain-traction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1594809/e-excitement-hybrid-hot-wheels-gain-traction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:15:30 +0000 I bet they have one at Mercedes. Possibly in the pits. Perhaps in the motorhome, who knows. I suppose, like all things F1, it will be shiny, made from the best materials and cost an absolute fortune. I'm talking about a naughty seat because Nico Rosberg is in the doghouse with his bosses. Alright, they might not have an actual place at the bottom of the stairs where you are sent for a 10-minute spell, but they've done their best to signal their displeasure with the German. Managing the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1584559/dangers-abound-mercedes-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1584559/dangers-abound-mercedes-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2014 13:59:48 +0000 They say if you're good, you're old enough. Max Verstappen must be good, because the Dutchman is 16 and has just been named as a Toro Rosso driver for next year. Admittedly he will be 17 by then, but even at that grand old age he won't be allowed a normal driving licence in his home country for another year. He might not be allowed to take a Dutch driving test, but he will be assured of the super licence he needs for Formula One because he has all the credentials already. He's been racing in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1577838/teenager-max-verstappen-set-take-f1-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1577838/teenager-max-verstappen-set-take-f1-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2014 13:15:15 +0000 Momentum. Engineers will understand it as one thing, drivers as a completely different beast. While momentum for the mechanic is a branch of physics, for the man in the cockpit it's not an exact science. It's about form, or lack of it. It's about feeling and mood and what's going on under the helmet. Lewis Hamilton isn't desperate for form, if the German Grand Pix is anything to go by. He roared up the grid to make sure the damage to his championship challenge wasn't as bad as it might have... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1557628/lewis-hamilton-looking-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1557628/lewis-hamilton-looking-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2014 12:45:15 +0000 Just how German do you have to be to be considered a German driver in F1? Ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix, there has been a suggestion Nico Rosberg may not be all that German after all. Of course, this comment comes not from the German government, but from Rosberg's teammate Lewis Hamilton. It's all part of the mind games that F1 drivers play, and Hamilton will deploy any card to gain an advantage as the two-horse race of the F1 world championship reaches the halfway mark. The white... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1555427/pit-stop-lewis-hamiltons-mind-games-just-shows-hes-hungry-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1555427/pit-stop-lewis-hamiltons-mind-games-just-shows-hes-hungry-success?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:12:41 +0000 Go on, admit it. We've all done it, especially in the days of the Schumacher processions. Watch the start because it's the most exciting part of a grand prix, then walk out and do something more interesting before returning for the last few laps. Well, the geniuses at the top of F1 have come up with a way of "improving the show". They would like to have several starts in a race. This might sound a bit odd at first. After all, a race by definition has one start and one finish. However, the World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1545109/theyre-and-theyre-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1545109/theyre-and-theyre-again?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:38:51 +0000 Formula One is back at the Red Bull Ring this weekend. You may remember it better as the A1-Ring, but it would appear that the drinks company has the money to buy whatever it wants, especially in the home country of owner Dietrich Mateschitz. To be fair to him, without Mateschitz's investment the circuit would have drifted into disrepair, and Austrians would have waited a lot longer than 11 years for F1 to return to their country. So in many ways this is a home grand prix for Red Bull Racing.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1535683/sad-see-neweys-genius-curbed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1535683/sad-see-neweys-genius-curbed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 14:33:54 +0000 Thank goodness for teammate rivalry. Another Mercedes 1-2 at Monaco would have been dull beyond belief but for the full-on tantrum that Lewis Hamilton had after Nico Rosberg's antics to secure pole position. All eyes will be on them and the team as Formula One gets back on track again this weekend in Canada. But there is one driver who shone in Monaco and who has shone this season as a whole - Daniel Ricciardo has made the world sit up and take notice in his first season at Red Bull. Team boss... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1525449/daniel-ricciardo-has-key-winning-attribute-composure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1525449/daniel-ricciardo-has-key-winning-attribute-composure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:34:36 +0000 It looks like a new dynasty has just been born. Formula One, like most sports, experiences periods of dominance by one team or another. Now the Germans are coming. And the Brits. For while Mercedes is a German company, the Formula One outfit is based in Brackley, England. The Silver Arrows have had a purple patch before, but you have to go back to the 1930s. In those days, it was the cash of the Third Reich that produced the dominance of Mercedes-Benz and their German rivals Auto Union. However... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1517367/return-slick-silver-arrows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1517367/return-slick-silver-arrows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2014 14:06:46 +0000 We head to Spain this weekend for the first European Grand Prix of the season with thoughts of Ayrton Senna still very fresh. It was the 20th anniversary of his death last week, and for motorsport fans it was very much a "John F. Kennedy" moment: you can still remember where you were when you heard about it. I watched the excellent Senna film again over the weekend. It's a fabulous film that really catches the race world in the '80s and '90s. What struck me was how much had changed, and yet how... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1506709/same-old-story-its-getting-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1506709/same-old-story-its-getting-better?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2014 12:45:45 +0000 In recent years, it's become a reliable sign that spring is finally upon us: the sight of Ferrari struggling to keep up with the pace setters. What is it with the Prancing Horse? The team flatter to deceive in testing, teasing us only to sorely disappoint fans in the first few races of the season. As Fernando Alonso will testify, if a team don't get off to a flier in the championship, success that season is probably beyond them. Ferrari have had anything but a flier at the start of this season... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1484391/prancing-horse-has-sore-hooves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1484391/prancing-horse-has-sore-hooves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:00:45 +0000 Boy racers. You know the sort. As you walk down the road you hear a low rumble, then a deafening roar. You think for a moment it might be a super car. It turns out to be a 20-year-old Nissan March driven by someone in an oversized baseball cap. The biggest thing on it is an oversized exhaust. It sounds like it could break the speed limit; in reality it might struggle. The race experience has got better. We can hear the sounds of tyres screeching, the whistles of the marshals in the pit... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1463233/message-loud-and-clear-quieter-cars-are-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1463233/message-loud-and-clear-quieter-cars-are-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2014 12:30:45 +0000 Imagine watching your football team scoring a goal in injury time to win 2-1 in a winner-takes-all finale. You go home (or to the pub) and enjoy the warm glow of success. The next morning you wake up to find out that six hours after the final whistle both your team's goals had been disallowed for offside, and you had in fact lost 1-0. Ridiculous, of course. It is something that would never happen in football, or most other sports for that matter. But Formula One is not most other sports, and we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1457879/state-chaos-after-first-race-may-be-sign-more-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1457879/state-chaos-after-first-race-may-be-sign-more-come?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2014 12:30:15 +0000 This column is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season. A lot has changed since 2004, but this season could be the year that has seen the biggest upheaval, as we look to the lights going out in Melbourne this weekend. Last year's rule book has been ripped up and rewritten. Expect the cars to look different, sound different and the races to be very different. As for the drivers, you've guessed it: the line up is very different. Where to start? The engines have been the real talking point in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1447242/too-many-variables-may-see-biggest-upheaval-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1447242/too-many-variables-may-see-biggest-upheaval-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2014 12:51:35 +0000 In the nine years this column has been in this newspaper I can't remember when I sat in front of the computer and not known what to write, so this is a first. The last race is looming in Brazil, and this is the time to reflect on the season and perhaps give out a few gongs for various achievements; perhaps wax lyrical about what an exciting period it has been. Let's skip that this year. Sebastian Vettel has spoiled the end-of-term party by being, well, too damn brilliant. He would sweep the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1361498/little-chance-drama-brazil-sebastian-vettel-seeks-13th-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1361498/little-chance-drama-brazil-sebastian-vettel-seeks-13th-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:19:46 +0000 Oh, that the Formula One season had been as exciting as the one MotoGP fans have just enjoyed. Those who prefer their action on two wheels have just witnessed a humdinger of a finale in Spain. Marc Marquez, the 20-year-old Spaniard, won the title on the last race in his home country. He came in fourth, which was just enough to pip the defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, who actually won the race. It is Marquez's first season in the top tier of motorcycling and, but for a monumental cock-up by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1355310/sebastian-vettels-dominance-creates-vacuum-f1-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1355310/sebastian-vettels-dominance-creates-vacuum-f1-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:15:00 +0000 Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel. A fourth world title in a row and the most dominant yet. With Adrian Newey absent from several of the recent fly-away races as he sharpens his design pencil for Red Bull in 2014, the team and the driver could continue to dominate despite the sweeping rule changes next year. In reality most teams have been concentrating on 2014 for some time, since it became clear that Vettel was going to sweep all before him. But recent developments have highlighted the fact... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1343873/f1-boring-wait-till-next-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/1343873/f1-boring-wait-till-next-season?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:16:08 +0000 Motor sport is dangerous. This much should be obvious, but with the amount of space taken up in this column over the years lauding the advances of safety in Formula One, the casual reader might think racing is no more dangerous than getting in your car and going to work. This, of course, is ridiculous, and recent tragedies away from F1 have served to underline this. First there was the death of Maria de Villota. Although the racer's body was found in a hotel in Seville, her death seems related... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1338228/safety-relative-concept-when-travelling-fast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1338228/safety-relative-concept-when-travelling-fast?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2013 08:30:45 +0000 Been on a diet recently? Bit concerned about the odd moment of overeating? Be thankful you are not a sportsperson. We all know about jockeys. Not the bulkiest of the species in the first place, they often go to extreme lengths to keep their weight down. It would appear that jockeys are not the only ones concerned about their waistline. Increasingly, racing drivers are having to keep an eye on their weight. It would seem to be a preposterous state of affairs given how fit they are, but such is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1328011/new-fia-weight-rules-heavy-burden-formula-one-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1328011/new-fia-weight-rules-heavy-burden-formula-one-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 How' s your week at work been? Do you feel appreciated? Sometimes, now matter how hard you work and how brilliant you are, it feels like you just can't do the right thing. If that is the case, take solace in the past few weeks in the working life of Sebastian Vettel. The German will be looking to take his fourth consecutive win in South Korea this weekend. He's won seven of the last 13 races and will probably take his fourth world title in a row come the end of the season. And yet, he's been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1322951/sebastian-vettels-f1-success-should-be-celebrated-not-criticised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1322951/sebastian-vettels-f1-success-should-be-celebrated-not-criticised?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 So the deal has been done and one of the worst kept secrets of recent days has finally been confirmed. Kimi Raikkonen is heading to Ferrari for the next two seasons. Spectators and drivers had better buckle up as it is going to be a spectacular, and probably bumpy ride. Ferrari have pointed out that it is the first time since 1953 that they have had two world champions driving at the same time for them. It certainly will be one of the most experienced and accomplished pairings on the grid for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1312387/fiery-ferrari-pairing-alonso-and-raikkonen-likely-end-tears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1312387/fiery-ferrari-pairing-alonso-and-raikkonen-likely-end-tears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Nice to see Mark Webber at Silverstone at the weekend. He was wandering around the grid of the MotoGP seemingly without a care in the world, which compared to the average F1 driver is probably true. Webber has, of course, decided to race away from Formula One next year, but for those whose ambitions only encompass the top of the tree it's an anxious time. It's especially anxious if you are an under-pressure Ferrari driver in the hothouse atmosphere of Monza. You have to feel sorry for Felipe... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1303375/pressure-perform-weight-felipe-massas-mind-stay-ferrari?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1303375/pressure-perform-weight-felipe-massas-mind-stay-ferrari?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Finally, the second half of the Formula One season is about to get underway. Like boxers who have been trading jabs and biding their time, now is the moment to start the serious knockout blows. There are two main subjects of discussion as we look forward to the home stretch: can Sebastian Vettel be overhauled for the world championship, and just who will be sitting in which F1 seat next season? First things first: the drivers' championship. Vettel may be 38 points ahead of his nearest rival, but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1298377/lewis-hamilton-may-be-dark-horse-f1-championship-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1298377/lewis-hamilton-may-be-dark-horse-f1-championship-race?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 This weekend's grand prix in Hungary is being held in what once was a potato field. Not perhaps the image one would expect or desire for the glamorous world of Formula One. As an outsider looking in, you'd think the global economic problems encountered in the past few years had not bothered the gold-plated bubble that is the F1 paddock. You would be wrong. According to reports, seven of the 11 teams face a financial crisis. For every Ferrari or McLaren, there is a Marussia or the now defunct... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1289951/formula-one-not-immune-global-financial-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/1289951/formula-one-not-immune-global-financial-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000