Racing History

From the days when the track was lined with barrels and hay bales to the recent £28 million renovation of the pits and paddock complex, Silverstone has undergone its fair…

How good was Fernando Alonso in Valencia. (No question mark required.) As capable as the current Formula 1 crop is, only he is capable of “If you go there, he’ll…

“Heard about your 10 British Formula 1 champions feature,” read the email. “I’m sure I’m too late but has anyone bagged Graham Hill? I’d love to champion his cause.” Choosing…

Roy Salvadori knew his limitations. He’d come close enough to death – (eventually) flung from a somersaulting Frazer Nash Le Mans Rep at Silverstone in 1951 – to realise that…

Most exciting news of the week? Webber might go to Ferrari? Vettel might leave Red Bull? Hamilton offered £95 million to stay with McLaren? (Yes, really). No, the best of…

Blimey, that was cagey. Monte Carlo is restrictive at the freest of times, but with the most talented Formula 1 grid since the 1960s resigned to playing the long game…

As with its first win, so with its 114th: Pastor Maldonado’s surprise ending of Williams’ long drought elicited the same reaction as Clay Regazzoni’s surprise opening of the floodgates all…

Jean-Pierre Beltoise, having harried the victorious Lotus 72D of Emerson Fittipaldi in the closing stages of April 1972’s International Trophy at Silverstone, climbed wistfully from his BRM P160: had he…

Of course we should listen whenever a seven-time world champion speaks, but I think we can turn a deaf ear to Michael Schumacher’s volley of verbal bullets at Pirelli. Why?…

Fed up with Formula 1 and its boringly repetitive ability to show itself totally insensitive to, and out of touch with, global opinion? Depressed by the sport’s leaders turning a…

It’s been more than 56 years – plus 111 starts for Nico – and yet it was as if it had never been away. Rosberg’s über-composed maiden Grand Prix win…

I’m looking forward to Long Beach next weekend, America’s greatest street race. Founded by Chris Pook in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race, Long Beach was the scene of the…

Here is a happy story to start a new month. In fact, this is happy speculation, but it does involve Bernie Ecclestone, the Prime Minister of France, and many millions…

The handbagging afters between Sebastian Vettel and Narain Karthikeyan in Malaysia were pure sanitised Formula 1: nothing more savage than a sound bite or two. Idiot. Crybaby. Hardly bare-knuckle. Neither…

They have made the right PC noises since, reaffirmed their commitment to each other, Ferrari, Felipe and Fernando – Alonso would say that, wouldn’t he? – but Massa must know…

I saw Gilles Villeneuve race. Just the once, and not for long. But as time has passed, it’s a brief blurry memory I’ve come to cherish. Why? Because for me,…

Eighty-five years ago today, March 29, 1927, Major Henry Segrave became the first man to exceed 200mph on land. Aboard his 1000bhp Sunbeam ‘Mystery S’, Segrave roared through the measured…