European Grand Prix - Race Summary

A very chaotic European Grand Prix for us this season.

Things were pretty calm from the beginning of the race until lap 14 when Red Bull's Mark Webber collided with Lotus Racing's Heikki Kovalainen.  Webber was approaching a turn from the long straight and caught up to Kovalainen very quickly.  As Webber was in the slipstream behind the Lotus, also known as drafting for those who've seen Days of Thunder, he rapidly closed the distance between the Lotus and both cars attempted to move out of the way, but Mark hit the back of the Lotus and went up in the air flying, flipping backwards and finally landing right side up.

Mark came out of the crash without a scratch and walked away fine.  The race ended early and took him completely out of the points for the championship, hurting Red Bull for the constructor points as well when they were in the contention for a first and second position for Vettel and Webber.

While this crash occured, the safety car came out and caused a whole new set of problems for the rest of the grid, incuring a drive through penalty for Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes.  Hamiltons penalty looked like it was going to push him back to third, but due to his distance between Kamui Kobayashi of BMW Sauber he was able to remain in second position.  This severely upset Fernando Alonso of Ferrari who remains to be very critical of the penalty, saying it wasn't severe enough. 

Following the end of the race, 9 other cars came under investigation for not lining up behind the safety car in a timely manner, and incured a five position penalty added to their finishing position, moving some out of the points and some others back in.

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See Speed TV's recap video here

Valencia Circuit - Ride With Mark Webber

Here's a cool video summary from a F1 Simulator of the Valencia Ciruit of the European Grand Prix by Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing!  This is a good way to see just how the drivers think and what sitting in a Formula 1 car is really like.  Thanks to Red Bull Racing for the video.

European Grand Prix - Qualifying

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber of Red Bull are back at the top of the grid in Position 1 and Position 2 after a stellar qualifying performance today.  Just behind them is Lewis Hamilton in McLaren looking for a repeat of the Turkish Grand Prix where a Red Bull conflict caused Vettel to be knocked out and pushed Webber backwards allowing both McLaren cars to move up to P1 and P2 for the finish. 

Reb Bull has made it very clear that both drivers are racing but not at the expense of damaging their cars and losing positions, costing both the drivers and Red Bull team points for the World Championship.  Both drivers seem to be on the same page as of the Canadian Grand Prix but it still looks like Vettel is looking to make his mark on the grid and get back in the lead of the Driver's Championship.

US F1 Fans can watch the race on FOX on race day, June 27th at 11am Central Time (GMT: -6).

Wear Your Shirt Proudly!!

Our sister site and Austin Grand Prix merchandise store COME AND RACE IT,  has launched the first ever product designed to promote the upcoming race in Austin, TX.  The Come And Race It shirt features a little Texas flare added to the world of Formula 1 Apparel and promises to get people asking questions, wanting to know more about the race.

We will be wearing our shirts proudly, spreading the word as best as possible, won't you join us?

Visit COME AND RACE IT to get yours now!

Canadian Grand Prix - Race Summary

A very interesting race for us last weekend!  The key to the race was tire choice, something that is a new factor to many racing fans not adversed in F1.  Due to the temperature, one of the hottest of the year so far, and the new rules this year that require one lap on each set of two tire types, the strategy helped determine the outcome of the race.  Tire wear because of the heat was a large problem and helped contribute to rapid wear of the tires, causing many teams to have to pit earlier and more often than necessary.

Lewis Hamilton made the right choice and thanks to his strategy, won the race with his teamate from McLaren, Jenson Button, right behind him.  Visit SPEED TV to catch a video recap with the Speed TV commentators and a comprehensive discussion of each team and their performace in the race.

Will tires be a big problem in Valencia, Spain for the European Grand Prix?  Bridgestone has adjusted it's strategy to aid in the process and says that it won't be a problem...your thoughts?

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Tilke's History with Texas

An article released at the Austin American Statesman last night explains some interesting background on Hermann Tilke and his relationship with plans to develop a new track in Texas just a few years ago.  The track was supposed to be a private venture designed as a sort of boutique-raceway for wealthy enthusiasts (at $25,000 per membership) and located in the western hill country of Austin.

Austin American Statesman - Tilke's History with Texas

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