Formula 1 served up its best title fight for years, added more new races and boomed in America – has it also successfully courted a new manufacturer?
RacingLines articles archive
The essential weekly read by RaceFans’ special contributor @DieterRencken.
The problems of perception the FIA must address after the Abu Dhabi row
RacingLines
Posted onThe controversial end to the Formula 1 title fight in Abu Dhabi shows its rules need clearing up – and it’s time to stop team bosses nagging the race director.
Why the budget cap could be F1’s next battleground between Mercedes and Red Bull
RacingLines
Posted onFormula 1 has completed its first season under a budget cap, and in three months’ time we’ll learn how successfully each team stuck to it.
Todt defied expectations as president – now he plans to “disappear” from FIA
RacingLines
Posted onFIA president Jean Todt, who will step down next week, reflected on his 12 years in the role in an exclusive interview for RaceFans.
Sir Frank Williams: A personal appreciation of a true racer
RacingLines
Posted onSir Frank Williams, who passed away last weekend at the age of 79, was a loved and respected member of the paddock who adored his racing.
F1 should spare us the 20-hour steward debates and ‘Judge Judy’ antics
RacingLines
Posted onInterminable, 20-hour waits for Formula 1 stewards to hand down verdicts did the sport no favours during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
How a chance meeting sparked the Middle East’s rise as an F1 power
RacingLines
Posted onJust 20 years ago Formula 1 had no races in the Middle East. Now a trio of Gulf races will conclude the 2021 season. A chance meeting led to this revolutionary change.
Analysis: Which teams could gain the most from F1’s 2022 rules revolution
RacingLines
Posted onAlmost every team on the Formula 1 grid believes it will make giant strides when new technical regulations arrive next year. But which is really in the best position?
F1 must avoid past errors in USA as it seeks to capitalise on ‘Netflix effect’
RacingLines
Posted onFormula 1 is already looking for a third round in the USA after the success of last week’s race in Austin, but it must be wary of expanding too quickly again.
How the real change F1 needs to cut its emissions was revealed by the pandemic
RacingLines
Posted onAs world leaders prepare to gather for tough talks over the climate crisis, does F1’s progress on cutting its emissions owe more to its planning or the pandemic?
The financial lesson for F1 in how teams survived the Covid crisis
RacingLines
Posted onFormula 1 made a vital decision which spared its teams the worst financial effects of the Covid-19 disruption, one it would do well to learn from for future seasons.
The rubber revolution F1’s grand plan for better races is riding on
RacingLines
Posted onTesting of F1’s all-new low-profile tyres is almost complete. Will they prove up to the job of creating closer racing in 2022?
What has Liberty achieved in the five years since it arrived in Formula 1?
RacingLines
Posted onLiberty Media’s grand plans for Formula 1 were complicated by the pandemic, but its task of recasting the sport has advanced over its first five years.
Why Alfa Romeo sees better days ahead in F1’s “completely different” new era
RacingLines
Posted onIn 2022 Valtteri Bottas will move from the world champions to the team that’s ninth in the standings. But his future (and former) team boss sees better days ahead.
How F1 politics is scuppering its efforts to court a new engine manufacturer
RacingLines
Posted onRivalries, clashing priorities and unintended consequences look likely to frustrate F1’s hopes of attracting a new engine manufacturer.
Exclusive: Michael Masi on his first 50 grands prix as Formula 1 race director
RacingLines
Posted onThrough tragedies, wash-outs and even a pandemic, Michael Masi’s first 50 grands prix as Formula 1’s race director have proved relentlessly demanding.
Cynical Spa non-race may not be F1’s last as visibility problem will only worsen
RacingLines
Posted onFormula 1 risks a repeat of its Belgian Grand Prix debacle if it doesn’t learn from the event, and address its worsening wet weather visibility problem.
Audi, BMW, Mercedes: Why are so many manufacturers quitting Formula E?
RacingLines
Posted onMercedes have joined BMW and Audi in announcing their departure from Formula E. Does Formula 1 now offer better opportunities for electric drivetrain development?
FIA faces a choice between change and continuity as the Todt era ends
RacingLines
Posted onTwo candidates – so far – have put forward their names to succeed Jean Todt as president of the FIA. Who is likeliest to win election?
The Mercedes-Red Bull rivalry runs far deeper than Hamilton vs Verstappen
RacingLines
Posted onThe championship fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen is intense, but the rivalry between their teams is increasingly bitter and personal.