the Chinese grand prix

Last weekend the formula one roadshow came to China, with fans all wondering whether any of the other formula 1 teams could catch mercedes for an advantage on the track. Qualifying was impeded by heavy rainfall and, as such, saw some surprising qualifying results of former world champions not even making Q3, such as Kimi Raikonnen and Jensen Button. Surprisingly, the two Red Bull cars divided the two Mercedes cars at the top of the table, the top being Hamilton, Riccardo, Vettel and then Rosberg. Results for qualifying can be found at http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2014/917/7334/

The race itself, which was thankfully dry, saw most teams using the harder tyre for a different strategy. Rosberg had a very bad start, dropping down to 6^th off the line. Fernando Alonso squeezed into 2^nd after a very aggressive first lap. Hamilton dominated the race from start to finish, as was expected, while Alonso managed to stay in second for the majority of the race before being taken by Rosberg, who managed to retake the places he lost off the line. Lotus' first chance at points was dashed when Grojean, qualifying in 10^th and managing to get down to 9^th, had a sudden gearbox malfunction which led to his retirement from the race to the dismay of the fans. The results can be found at http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2014/917/7335/ the next race will be on from 9-11^th May in Catalunya. Cant wait.

Nev

The Bahrain Grand Prix

It may be late, but here is my usual post on the formula 1.

This years Bahrain GP had a fair few surprises up its sandy sleeve. Mercedes, being allowed to go wheel to wheel racing even though they are on the same team. This decision meant that viewers were in for a treat during the race. Lewis Hamilton was able to stay in front of teammate Nico Rosberg throughout the race, even though there were moments where everyone thought that the new tactic will mean that neither car finished the race. However, there was no contact so both cars finished the race, and achieved another 1-2 finish for a delighted Mercedes team. However, the race was also Jensen Buttons 250th race. However, the race was not a good one for Maclaren, with both cars not finishing, for the first time in a very long time. Not the best way to celebrate a race. Red bull managed to finish 4th and 6th, and force indias Nico Hulkenberg managed to finish 3rd, Force Indias first podium in a very long time and a cause for much celebration in the garage. Lotus had another disappointing day, with Grojean finishing 13th and Maldonardo 19th after receiving a 10second penalty after causing a collision and flipping an opponent. On the 18th-20th April the next race, China, will happen. And Rosberg has already planned victory...

Nev

Can Mercedes be caught? Opinions will be appreciated in the comments box. Thanks

Koesnigsegg one:1- first of the mega cars?

Deep in the Koenigsegg factory, customers have been wanting a race version of the already ballistic Agera r. Koenigsegg could have put a body kit on one and then presented it. Instead, they used it as an opportunity to develop one of their extreme projects. A car with the same weight as horsepower. So they built it, partially in retaliation to the new hyper cars proposed by Maclaren, Ferrari and Porsche. Koenigsegg was worried that these cars would make the Agera R seem tame. And so the Koenigsegg one:1 was born, the car you see at the top of the blog (as it looks so good). It has all of 1360bhp pulling only 1360kg of car (it uses a whole warehouse-full of carbon fibre and aluminium). This combination gives it a theoretical top speed of 273mph, enough to beat the Hennesey Venom GT as the unofficial record holder, if it can book a stretch of Tarmac long enough (the runs where the Venom and Veyron hit their speeds are not wanting to lend it to someone who has a good chance of stealing their coveted record). But perhaps the most shocking stat of the one:1 is (maybe predictably) it's power to weight ratio. 1002horsepower per tonne. ( or, obviously, 1horsepower per kg). Wow. This car could completely dwarf the hypercar trio, and make their manufacturers blush. Koenigsegg are eager to make a one:1 available for the test of the hypercars. The excitement has just gone up a level.

Nev

Opinions on the Koenigsegg one:1 will be appreciated in the comments box. Thanks

Lamborghini Huracan: Gallardo replacement or failed attempt?

The Lamborghini Gallardo is an old car. It was first launched over 10 years ago. Despite the constant refreshes, it's basics have remained the same. However, it remains the most popular Lamborghini ever, so it must be good to have kept sales up over so long. It's sharp design have defined Lamborghini for so long, so how can its legacy be continued? How can Lamborghini keep sales up with its replacement? Well, a replacement has been announced. The Lamborghini Huracàn. Named, as ever, after a famous fighting bull. To us, though, it souns like hurricane, the deadly storm which can rip towns apart. Fearsome. The pictures released show a car a lot less pointy than the edgy Gallardo, with a rounded front and a rear a lot like its popular predecessor. It's angry headlights maintain its angry stance while side on it still looks distinctively Lamborghini-ish and Gallardo-ish too. The new baby Lambo will be faster and lighter than the Gallardo, showing an advancement over the years. A couple of aspects have been borrowed from the Aventador. Lamborghini hope to carry on the period of success that they have been having over the past few years with this new car. Just have to hope they have hit the spot with their potential customers.

Nev

Is the Huracàn better looking than the Gallardo? Share your opinion in the comments box. Thanks

the Malaysian grand prix

The second race of the 2014 formula 1 season happened last Saturday & Sunday, with eyes being on the Mercedes team leading into the race. This was because Nico Rosberg had won the previous GP thanks to the Mercedes powertrain, which had been developed far before the others. And sure enough, Lewis Hamilton (unable to finish in Melbourne) qualified in pole position on the grid, followed by Sebastien Vettel and then his teammate Nico Rosberg. qualifying rasults can be found at http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2014/915/7322/
the race started on sunday with the track at a boiling temperature and all of the cars deciding to start on the hard tyres. Not surprisingly, seven cars were unable to finish the race, with Sergio Perez being unable to start. Daniel Ricciardo was doing well until he was released from the pit lane with a loose wheel ans consequently broke down at the exit. He then received a drive-through penalty and was then pulled out of the race. This has been the second bad race for Ricciardo, who did so well in Melbourne before being disqualified and doing so well in Malaysia before his break down. Malaysia was the first race in which a Lotus car was able to finish a race, with Romain Grojean just missing out on a point in 11th, having spent the last laps fending off former teammate Kimi Raikkonen (12th). race results found at http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2014/915/
Mercedes ended up stealing the whole show thanks to their amazing powertrain, which was developed long before the other teams and therefore the most versatile, achieving a spectacular 1st and 2nd place finish, which Mercedes has not managed since 1955.
Bahrain to look foreward to on the 3-4 April to see if Mercedes may be onto a winning streak.

Nev