Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. It consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held on purpose-built circuits or closed city streets, whose results determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors. The cars race at speeds often in excess of 300 km/h (185 mph) with engines that produce, as of 2005, around 950 bhp at just over 19000 rpm.
Whether or not you were young enough - or maybe not even born yet - to not remember the career of arguably the greatest auto racing driver in history, you still owe it to yourself and your love for racing to watch the just-released feature-length documentary of Ayrton Senna.
Regarded with so many superlatives both as a man and as a racer, Ayrton Senna was a larger-than-life character who happened to be the best at what he did: auto racing. The man was charismatic, passionate, and an all-around lighting rod. Unfortunately, he was also a victim of an accident that cost him his life.
Over the past year, the documentary about the greatest racer of all time was being developed and now, the final product is about ready to hit the shelves. Everything you want and need to know about Ayrton Senna is included in the documentary, including his early upbringing in Brazil, his meteoric rise to the top of Formula One, his unbridled rivalry with Alain Prost, and even the fateful afternoon in Imola in 1994 when everything ended so unexpectedly.
Ever the source of important automotive information, Top Gear is front and center in promoting the documentary. The British auto show has a review of it up on their site and in addition to that, the latest issue of the magazine, which will go on sale on May 18, will contain a free preview DVD of the documentary that includes film footage, outtakes, exclusive interviews with Alain Prost and director Asif Kapadia, and so much more.
If there ever was a documentary that puts serious truth to the phrase "must-watch", this one is it.
When Hublot and Formula One struck a partnership last year for the former to serve as the official timepiece maker of the latter, you kind of expected the watchmaker to roll out a slew of special edition timepieces. Since then, we’ve seen a number of limited edition watches from Hublot and now, they’re preparing to release their latest model. It is called the Hublot Formula 1 King Power Ceramic Watch and will only come in a limited run of 500 pieces.
Coming in a matte black ceramic King Power style case measuring 48 mm wide, the watch was given black and red tones with a strap mixed with titanium tones. There’s also a ceramic bezel placed over a carbon fiber plate and a black Nomex strap with red stitching attached to the case. All the elements used on the watch boast of premium quality, something that you would expect from the luxurious and extravagant world of Formula 1.
Aesthetically, it doesn’t get any better than this. It’s one of the best race-themed watches we’ve seen in a long time, and as a special edition, we expect it to be run dry faster than a Red Bull RB7 laps the Nurburgring.
Luxury timepiece-maker Girard Perregaux needs no introduction when it comes to creating some of the most lust-worthy watches in the world. Just like a lot of other luxury timepieces, the company has close ties to auto racing, probably even more than most considering that since 1992 until 2010, the Swiss company has had the late Luigi Macaluso as its president.
The 1972 European Rally Champion and later president of both the Italian Motorsport Federation and the International Karting Federation, Luigi Macaluso had oil and petroleum running through his veins. As one of the most influential figures in auto racing before his passing last year, Macaluso was also fond of high-end driver’s watches, none more so than the products of Girard-Perregaux.
The Swiss watchmaker’s latest creation, the R&D 01, is a chronograph that features inverted push-buttons, dials styled after a car’s gauges, a tough rotating internal bezel, and a crown field that takes the look of a Formula One air intake. The watch actually took more than a few years to build with lengthy time given to research, development, and feedback given by Formula 1 drivers.
In the end, the R&D 01 is exactly what Luigi Macaluso wanted for the perfect driver’s watch: sporty, classy, and functional with a touch of subtle luxury.
In the world of crossover drivers, a lot of people have wondered how a Formula One driver can fare driving a stripped down NASCAR stock car and a NASCAR driver can handle the technology of a Formula One race car. It’s a scenario that we’ve all wondered and now, thanks to Mobil 1, we might find our answer.
The motorsport oil company and sponsor for both the McLaren F1 team and the Stewart-Haas NASCAR team have come out with a marketing campaign that has the Formula One Champion and the 2-time Sprint Cup Winner taking the other driver’s car to see how they can fare in uncharted cockpits. Will Tony Stewart be able to understand the technology employed in the MP4-26? How will Lewis Hamilton react to driving Stewart’s #14 stock car and all the bumps and bruises it’s bound to come in?
These questions will soon be answered in Mobil 1’s running campaign. For now, check out the teaser video to see how the two ace drivers size up each other and their respective rides.
The long and arduous task of building the new world-class, 3.4-mile racetrack in Austin, Texas took a positive turn after track officials officially unveiled the circuit’s name. From here on out, the racetrack will be called the ‘Circuit of the Americas’.
Now that that’s been settled, the important part of actually building the track before it hosts the 2012 Formula One U.S. Grand Prix continues on. Earlier this year, the site from where the track will rise officially broke ground, kicking off a tight and busy 18 months to build the track before it opens to racing.
The Circuit of the Americas will be the latest race track to open in the US, one that is expected to host other racing events apart from Formula One. In fact, executives announced that the track will also host MotoGP starting in 2013. It is still unclear whether the Circuit of the Americas will be the third US track on the MotoGP schedule, or if it will replace the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which does not have a contract set up for 2012 or 2013.
In addition to running 3.4 miles, the circuit also features 20 turns, a 133-feet elevation change, and most importantly for stability and business reasons, a 10-year contract with Formula One.
Seeing as the 2011 F1 seasons just kicked off, it seems like there’s plenty of time for the Circuit of the Americas to be completed. But given how a Formula One season runs as fast as the cars that compete in them, 2012 will be just around the corner in no time.
Let’s just hope that by then, the Circuit of the Americas will have more than just an official name to show for it.
