The motorsport off-season seems to be constantly shrinking in terms of time. Our heart rates have only just resumed normal service from last weekend's Sydney 500, when it's just dawned on us that it's a mere matter of weeks before V8 Supercars explode into 2014 with the Official Test Day at Sydney Motorsport Park. One driver who will be greatly missed from full time V8 Supercar duties next year however, is Walkinshaw Racing's Russell Ingall.
    The karting prodigy won the 1990 Australian Formula Ford Championship before taking himself off to Europe a couple of times. In 1993, driving for the Van Dieman team, he won a record that still stands of 13 wins from 16 races to become British Formula Ford Champion including the prestigious events of the Formula Ford Festival and World Cup at Brands Hatch. Ingall also won the 1995 British Formula Renault Championship and also competed in Japanese F3 and German F3. A lack of funding saw him return to Australia and embark on a full time V8 Supercar drive from 1996 after previously dipping his toe in a couple of times for the enduros. 18 seasons later and Russell Ingall has amassed 27 wins, 40 podiums, 2 Bathurst 1000 wins, series runner-up four times, and V8 Supercar champion in 2005. His pace is ever present as evidenced by his 4th place at this year's Clipsal 500 at Adelaide, his stunning podium at the Gold Coast 600 and stubborn drive into the top ten last weekend. Street circuits are obviously to his liking.
    Russell Ingall fans fear not though. He's not retiring from motorsport. No doubt he'll make an exciting addition to any V8 Supercar team as co-driver for the endurance season, plus he still harbours overseas ambitions such as Nascar and Le Mans 24 Hour. Jim Richards and John Bowe's careers have flourished since retiring from V8 Supercars. Russell Ingall's will too.
    Let us know your favourite or infamous Ingall moment. Who could ever forget his stouches with Mark Skaife? He certainly didn't mind putting his car up on two wheels around the concrete canyon last weekend. Crowd pleasing and feisty as ever. Leave formulafrontrow.com a comment or email us at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com. Can't help but wonder if we'll see him driving something exotic at the Bathurst 12 Hour....

    Merry Christmas to all our friends and loyal followers. Season's Greetings.
    

    V8 Supercars are about to wind up a thoroughly thrilling and entertaining 2013 season with their final event around the tight concrete lined Sydney Olympic Park street circuit that will stage the Sydney 500.
    With two gruelling 250km races still to contend and 300 points on offer, we have a situation where four drivers can claim the 2013 title. Recent series benchmark Jamie Whincup takes a slender 20 point lead over Red Bull Racing Australia team mate Craig Lowndes, with FPR duo Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison an outside chance for the victory spoils.
    As the season reaches its dramatic conclusion, we'd simply like to know; who will win? A retirement in one of the last two races could prove disastrous for one of the title protagonists. We must admit our sentimental favourite is Craig Lowndes. Formula Ford champ, Formula Brabham champ, International F3000, three V8 series championships, five time Bathurst winner. He's done it all. Leave a comment letting us know who you think will win and why or contact us at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com. See you at the Sydney 500.

    Congratulations once again to Mark Webber for a marvellous F1 career. 215 starts, 9 wins, 42 podiums, 13 pole positions, 19 fastest laps. Stunning! Best of luck spearheading Porsche's World Endurance Championship campaign. Seems he's also contemplating teaming up with Eric Bana for an assault on the Bathurst 12 Hour GT race. Awesome....

    

    2014 heralds a new era in Formula One racing with the introduction of 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engines amidst a host of other technical changes. However, another change that is ongoing year after year concerns driver signings and movements between teams.
    Intriguingly exciting is Ferrari's announcement of their signing of Kimi Raikkonen to partner Fernando Alonso in 2014. Two world champs in a couple of Prancing Horses? The exciting part takes care of itself. The intriguing part however, is a little more complex. Does anyone find it ironic that the very man hired to replace an outgoing Michael Schumacher wins a driver's championship in his first year with the team, only to have his contract paid out of his last year to accommodate Alonso's arrival, to now be rehired to partner Alonso? There's a definite statement there though. Arguably since the early 90's after Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell were team mates, Ferrari have always employed a clear #1 and #2 driver. It certainly served them well during Schumi's heyday, but they've not won a driver's championship since Kimi's in 2007 and a constructor's championship since 2008. Now, by placing two world champions in their cars, they obviously feel that this is the most effective way to mount a major assault on next year's championships.
    Another intriguing factor is how will Fernando Alonso react to having a top drawer winning driver as a team mate? Alonso has the ability to galvanise the team to achieve their potential, but only if he feels their unequivocal support. Apart from Alonso's tempestuous year at McLaren battling rookie Lewis Hamilton in 2007, he has always enjoyed the services of shall we say, a rather compliant team mate. One can anticipate that may not be the case next year.
    At formulafrontrow.com we love to speculate and throw an idea out there. Will two #1 drivers help Ferrari overhaul the Red Bull juggernaut and propel them to F1 glory? Perhaps two winning drivers may compromise the championship by taking points off each other? Will Kimi's arrival spur Fernando to greater heights, or will relationships be strained if Kimi starts outracing Fernando? Give us your opinion. Leave a comment or contact us at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com. No difference to Kimi though. Kimi will just be Kimi. 
    The first intriguing chapter of Ferrari circa 2014 takes place at Melbourne's Albert Park. Fantastico....

    V8 Supercars turns it on again. What a stonking race the 2013 Bathurst 1000 was. Well done to Mark Winterbottom, Steven Richards and Ford Performance Racing who prevailed at the end of 161 gruelling laps around Mt Panorama. Long suffering Ford fans must still be celebrating Ford's first win at The Mountain since 2008, and first factory backed win since 1977.
    Overall reliability of the new Car Of The Future was surely tested. The conditions were testing due to a howling wind which made the cars quite nervous across the top. Despite the teams' pre-race uncertainty, you'd have to say that COTF passed with flying colours.
    Another success story from the Bathurst 1000 has to be the stunning cameo from the #10 X-Box One Holden wild card entry piloted by DTM stars Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekstrom. Their aggression and opportunistic overtaking was simply brilliant. The international drivers certainly add an interesting flavour.
    With the recent announcement of Le Mans winner and former F1 driver David Brabham joining Erebus Motorsport to partner Tim Slade in his Mercedes at this weekend's Gold Coast 600, do you like the injection of international drivers providing an unknown variable to the racing? Do you find it intriguing to see how they stack up against the regular V8 combatants? Do international drivers add to the spectacle? Whilst we like the concept of a mini endurance series contained within a championship series, at the same time we can't help but miss the annual big influx of internationals to the Gold Coast. Remember last year the Surfer's Paradise grid largely comprised F1 aces like Heidfeld, Villeneuve, Salo, Liuzzi and Bourdais. Let us know what you think. Send formulafrontrow.com an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment.
    Great to see Indy Car superstar and former F1 tester Ryan Briscoe back in a V8 Supercar competing in the Pirtek Endurance Cup alongside Russell Ingall. Brabham and Briscoe, throw in Porsche Carrera Cup star Craig Baird and Dutch sensation Jereon Bleekemolen - there's some international pedigree there. Cheers....

    With five Formula One races left to run in 2013, it's becoming apparent that Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel's acquisition of a fourth consecutive F1 driver's crown is a mere formality. With Vettel displaying demoralising dominance, comparisons to the only other F1 pilots since the championship's inception in 1950 to claim four consecutive titles have understandably been made. The great Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won titles in 1951 and 1954-57. German ace Michael Schumacher won titles in 1994-95 and 2000-2004.
    Is it objective comparing drivers from different eras? Technology is different, rules and regulations are different, safety standards different, machinery vastly different.  
    Fangio achieved a feat that is still unsurpassed. That is, four consecutive titles with four different teams; Alfa, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati. "El Maestro's" drive in the 1957 German GP at the Nurburgring is still regarded as one of the best of all time. Squandering a 30sec. lead by virtue of a disastrous pit stop, he rejoined 50sec. behind the Ferraris of Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn only to reel off fastest lap after fastest lap often carrying a higher gear through the majority of corners to take an emphatic victory. Stating after the race that he had never driven that fast in his life and probably wouldn't do it again, he was actually unable to sleep for the following 48 hours.
    Schumacher achieved utter dominance over his rivals and superiority over his team mates during his Ferrari tenure. Schumi holds countless records, but the one which outlines his exceptional performance is his clinching of the 2002 title just past the halfway point of the season at the French GP. This is still the earliest anyone has ever won the title.
    Now we have Sebastian Vettel on the verge of a fourth consecutive title joining the distinguished company of Fangio and Schumacher, and in the process becoming the youngest to do so.
    All three drivers are not impervious to controversy though. In Fangio's time if a lead driver retired, his team mate could hand over his car, and any points scored were shared between the two drivers. The most famous being in 1956 at the season ending Italian GP at Monza when team mate Peter Collins with 15 laps to go forfeited the race lead and a potential championship by handing over his Ferrari to Fangio. Whilst permitted in the rules, imagine that happening today? Schumi? Well what can you say? Contentious incidents occasionally blighted his greatness. A season deciding accident with Damon Hill after clouting the wall at Adelaide 1994; a nerfing of Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez 1997; team mate Rubens Barrichello slowing on the last lap to allow Schumi to overtake and win the Austrian GP 2002; parking his Ferrari on the racing line at Rascasse stopping qualifying and denying Fernando Alonso a chance at pole during the 2006 Monaco GP will all forever be remembered. Australian fans still haven't forgiven Vettel for taking out Mark Webber at Turkey 2010 or ignoring team orders to pass Webber and subsequently win this year's Malaysian GP (see Archives April 2013).
    Whilst it certainly is difficult to compare drivers from different eras, the common denominator is Formula One. Remember it's the pinnacle of motorsport, therefore the technology, safety, standards and machinery available is all relative. In other words, the best available at the time.
    With the lights about to go out on this weekend's Japanese GP, how do you think Sebastian Vettel will be remembered when he eventually retires from F1? Where does he sit amongst the great drivers of Formula One?We haven't even mentioned other illustrious F1 names like Ascari, Brabham, Clark, Hill, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Stewart, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Senna. Let us know what you think. Send formulafrontrow.com an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. Cheers....
    

    V8 Supercars have released the 2014 calendar whilst simultaneously announcing three specific race formats to determine the championship. The Pirtek Enduro Cup remains, encompassing the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 600 events. Gone is the 60/60 format with the remaining events being either SuperStreet or SuperSprint formats. V8 Supercars also bursts into prime time TV with a potential five events embracing twilight Saturday races. In fact, a first twilight race is scheduled for this year's Sydney 500 on the Saturday starting at 5.10pm.
    Which leads us to Sydney. Three events are slated for the harbour city in 2014, and Sydney punters must be rubbing their hands together in anticipation already. The immensely popular Official Test Day returns to Sydney Motorsport Park on Feb. 15th. A great day which allows the fans to get up close to the teams and cars, and grab a photo and a chat with the drivers. August 22-24 sees V8 Supercars return to Sydney Motorsport Park for a SuperSprint format event, whereas 2 x 100km races on Saturday and a 200km race on Sunday are contested. In what's rapidly becoming a tradition, the championship once again winds up with two gruelling 250km races around the tight confines of Sydney Olympic Park for the Sydney 500 on December 5-7. Not only do Sydneysiders have the good fortune of three events next year, but the Sydney 500's contract has been extended for a further three years with an option for a another two. Well done to the event organisers, V8 Supercars and the NSW Govt. for brokering a deal which perpetuates such a great event. Sydney punters will need a decent supply of earplugs in 2014.
    The 2013 Bathurst 1000 looms larger than Mt Panorama itself. It's the event win they all want on their CV. Let us know your tip and why for the Great Race. Will Mercedes or Nissan spring a surprise? Can FPR haul in the Holdens of Red Bull Racing Aust.? What about the vastly improving HRT who are definitely starting to compete back where they rightfully belong? Maybe Bathurst may crown a completely unexpected winner? Send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. 1000km/161 laps around the intimidating Mt Panorama circuit? Who knows? We certainly don't. Enjoy the race. Cheers....

    Patience is a virtue. As time inevitably marches on, all the answers to our motorsport questions come to fruition. Earlier in the year we posed the question that 2013 was a make or break year for Scuderia Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo (see Archives-January 2013). Well Australian fans can rejoice in the news that he's been signed to a multi-year deal with F1's big hitters, Red Bull Racing.
    However, expectation and media attention will rise, and therefore pressure will be higher for Ricciardo than previously experienced. No doubt that will be at fever pitch by the time he contests his first race for Red Bull alongside Sebastian Vettel at his home GP at Albert Park. With compatriot Mark Webber retired, all scrutiny with be on Daniel Ricciardo.
    Now that Ricciardo has made the step up from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, can he make the next step up to the podium? Obviously he hasn't the credentials of his illustrious team mate, but can he push Vettel hard enough to fight for race wins? Besides, with a new set of regulations coming in next year, another team may design a better package than Red Bull. How will both drivers react? One may come to terms with the new turbo engines and Energy Recovery Systems quicker than the other. Sure be intriguing to see how amicable the relationship stays if Ricciardo starts competing right at the sharp end of the grid. Let us know what you think. Send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment.
    Early speculation we know, but we also know that time will reveal all. Just got to be patient.
    Monza tonight. Ciao....  

    During the F1 summer break we found ourselves contemplating the 2014 switch from high-revving 2.4 litre normally-aspirated V8 powertrains to 1.6 litre turbo engines limited to 15000 rpm. After delving a tad deeper into next year's regulation changes, we've come to the conclusion that the next time F1 arrives Down Under to tackle the Albert Park street circuit, the cars will look vastly different.
    Narrower front wing, slimmer rear wing with the lower beam outlawed, but one of the most interesting concerns exit exhaust positioning. Since the last major changes from 2009, F1 teams have been utilising exhaust gases to influence rear diffusers and improve airflow to the rear bodywork. However, from 2014, there is to be a single exhaust, angled upwards, and with no bodywork behind. In the interest of safety, nose height has drastically been reduced to 185mm from 550mm. Open wheel race cars are more prone to launch into the air in the event of a rear end collision with another car. Think Webber-Valencia or Schumi-Singapore or Ralf Schumacher-Australia.
    The aero sensitive bodywork mysteriously shrouds a number of changes. Gearboxes must now have 8 forward gears instead of 7 and race fuel will be limited to 100kg/race with the emphasis on fuel efficiency. F1 and the auto industry have recently ventured into the world of Energy Recovery Systems. 2014 sees greater emphasis on ERS as the quantity of fuel permitted is not enough to complete the minimum 300km race distance. Therefore the new systems in addition to harvesting energy under braking, can also stockpile energy from waste heat generated by the turbocharger. This equates to an extra 160bhp for approximately 30 sec/lap. Impressive or what? F1 being F1, they'll endeavour to perfect the technology which will filter down to the auto industry.
    But how will this all affect the racing, and more importantly, the show to the viewing punter? Will we see cars retiring amid a huge plume of smoke courtesy of a shat engine/turbocharger? The packaging under the skin must surely present cooling issues for the teams. Will we see the leader dramatically splutter to a halt with 2 laps to go as a consequence of fuel mismanagement? With the emphasis on development pointing more towards the mechanical package, will the teams produce markedly different looking cars to each other now they're starting with a relatively clean slate? The big question? How will they sound?
    Let us know what you think. Send formulafrontrow.com an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. The 2013 European season culminates with this weekend's Belgium GP around the formidable Spa-Francorchamps, followed by the Italian GP at Ferrari's spiritual home, Monza. 10-time GP winner Mark Webber? Now that sounds good.... 

    The Formula One summer break usually triggers a raft of anticipation regarding which driver will drive for which team the following season, and it seems that this season is no exception. Whether it's a case of drivers with substantial funding, exciting up and comers, current drivers underperforming, star drivers coming off contract, or frustrated drivers wishing to change teams, speculation undoubtedly reaches fever pitch.
    The coveted Red Bull Racing seat has materialised by fortune of the retiring Mark Webber. But who will partner 3-time (possibly 4-time) world champion Sebastian Vettel for 2014? Red Bull seem to have their crosshairs pointed towards Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen. But would Raikkonen be tempted away from a team that he has stated he's very happy with, and is already fighting at the sharp end? Red Bull have also evaluated Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo. The young Aussie continues to improve in Formula One, and performed admirably in a 2013 RB9 at the recent Silverstone young driver test. 
    Whilst the focus seems to be on those two drivers, are there other current drivers that Red Bull should be considering? Scotland's Paul Di Resta is a regular point scorer for team Force India and is off contract at the end of this season. If you've ever seen Di Resta's racecam you'll realise what a smooth driver he is, with minimal steering inputs, and therefore corrections are subtle to the point of non-existent. A joy to watch. Highly rated German, Nico Hulkenberg would dearly love to leave Swiss team Sauber, due to an underwhelming F1 car. We remember seeing Nico destroy the opposition many moons ago at Sydney Motorsport Park in the now defunct A1GP. Both drivers would complement Vettel at Red Bull very well. Not to mention, amid rumours of tension between the team and their star driver Fernando Alonso, Ferrari may opt not retain 11-time winner Felipe Massa. 
    So how will the 2014 driver market shakedown? Don't forget the sub-plots. Will Lotus retain Romain Grosjean? Is Sergio Perez' seat safe at McLaren? Let formulafrontrow.com know your opinion. Send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment. 
    As Aussies ourselves, no need to guess who we'll be supporting. Go Dan! 
                                                    Cheers....  

    The first half of the 2013 V8 Supercar season is now consigned to history, and with the season's endurance races lurking just over the horizon, it would be safe to conclude that the new V8 Supercar "Car Of The Future" (COTF) has to date been a resounding success.
    Success can be measured from a number of perspectives. Common components improves manufacturing turnover, quality control and replacement techniques. Driver safety has no doubt also improved. Both these points are reinforced by the fact that we've seen drivers walk away relatively unscathed from some horrific shunts, and majority of the time, their car is ready for the next day's hostilities. The teams are simply turning the cars around quicker between sessions, allowing them to focus more on set up and strategy. 
    Parity across the field regarding downforce levels, horsepower and the like has also been achieved, as evidenced by there regularly being little more than 1 sec. after qualifying across the entire grid. 
    New manufacturers were encouraged to join the traditional Ford vs Holden rivalry, of which Nissan and Mercedes obliged. Now we have Garry Rogers Motorsport welcoming Volvo into the fray for 2014. V8 Supercars must now be considered a viable avenue for these marques to utilise to promote their respective brands. 
    V8 Supercars has done a stellar job in promoting its brand. COTF has enticed new combatants, crowd numbers at events are strong, TV ratings are performing well, and the Nascar loving Texans seemed to really embrace V8 Supercars during their recent junket to Circuit Of The Americas. Now there's talk of bringing V8 Supercars into prime time viewing hours by staging some twilight and night races under lights. Question is, where? Our temporary street circuits Down Under are second to none, and there have been suggestions that events such as Adelaide's Clipsal 500 or Surfer's Paradise's Gold Coast 600 could be constructed to incorporate lighting for night racing. But would the extra cost involved to accommodate lighting in addition to the usual expenditure involved erecting and dismantling the catch fencing and other necessary infrastructure be too difficult to sustain? Would it be more feasible to light an existing, permanent circuit? That way, installation only takes place once, as does the cost, and the circuit can host all sorts of night time motorsport events.
    Would V8 Supercar night racing prove to be commercially viable? With the working week starting on Monday, would crowd numbers be affected by staging a Sunday night race or would the race itinerary need tweaking? Would you be more inclined to attend an event or watch it on TV if the racing's at night? Let us know what you think. Send us an email at : greenflag@formulafrontrow.com or simply leave a comment.
    Sure be cool to see V8 Supercars under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park or the Sydney 500 though....