We love to speculate. However, we tend to steer clear of driver predictions, especially Formula One. F1 is notoriously unpredictable, and attempting to foresee who'll drive for who, or who's out, who's in, is fraught with surprise and/or disappointment.
    Having stated all that, we can't help but notice that Renault incumbent, Nico Hulkenberg, may be without a drive in 2020. We'll make no apologies for it, but unashamedly we are a bit of a fan of The Hulk. A German karting champ, Formula BMW champ in 2005, Formula 3 Euro champ in 2008, GP2 champ in 2009. We can remember seeing Nico destroy the opposition in Sydney winning in the one make A1GP. He won nearly half of the races for Team Germany en route to the 2006-07 title. He graduates to F1 for Williams and makes the progression from test and reserve driver to race driver in 2010, bagging a pole position in his first year in variable conditions at Brazil. In 2015 he drove a factory Porsche in the Le Mans 24 Hour and won on debut. His pedigree is unquestionable. 
    Now at the time of writing his options for 2020 are limited, as he's lost his seat at Renault to Mercedes backed Esteban Ocon. Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Racing Point and Haas have all settled on their 2020 lineups. This only leaves Alfa Romeo and Williams as possibilities, as Red Bull and Toro Rosso tend to employ their own sponsored drivers. The last time Red Bull hired outside their stable was Mark Webber from 2007-2013. So, has Hulkenberg missed his chance of a drive at a top team? Is he a case of unfulfilled potential? After nearly 10 years in F1, he still hasn't stood on the podium. Could F1 still spring a surprise? Perhaps a certain Ferrari driver retires freeing up a seat, or Red Bull buck their own tradition and snap up Nico? Ferrari and Red Bull could do a lot worse. Simply put, will we see The Hulk on the 2020 F1 grid? We hope so....   

    Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Anthoine Hubert who tragically lost his life in a horrific crash at the Belgium GP. A star of F2 and destined for F1. Rest In Peace.
    We'd also like to wish Juan Manuel Correa a speedy recovery after sustaining extensive injuries in the same incident. Best wishes.  
     

    There's a freshness of all things new in the air. The season's changing. The flowers are blooming. The birds are chirping. Spring has sprung Down Under. The September winds herald another new season. Endurance Season and The Mountain looms large at this time of year. Bathurst's imposing Mt Panorama summons the Supercar fraternity to its fabled circuit for the start of this year's Pirtek Endurance Cup. 161 laps of the toughest assignment for Australia's premier "tin-top" category. 
    This year's Bathurst 1000 starts 20 minutes later than last year's race at 11.30am, but never fear. As you are probably aware, the race is not time certain and even if it runs a record length, last light is after 7.30pm. So who will conquer The Mountain? A previous winner or perhaps a fresh face? Who's your tip?
    As we get revved up for Bathurst, we noticed Supercars recently released the calendar for 2020. 14 events down from 15. As per usual, the championship kicks off around the streets of Adelaide followed by an event every 3 weeks to maintain uniformity for the fans with the exception of the penultimate round at Sandown and the finale at Newcastle which is separated by 2 weeks. Speaking of Sandown, it now becomes a SuperSprint round with The Bend opening The Pirtek Endurance Cup. The notable absentees off the calendar are Phillip Island and Queensland Raceway. There's a winter break in July and August which coincides with the Tokyo Olympics. 3 night events adorn the calendar with the Perth SuperNight, Sydney Motorsport Park returning to its traditional date in late August racing under their new permanent lighting, and the Gold Coast 600 Saturday enduro. The Auckland SuperSprint fittingly moves to the Anzac weekend in April. Supporting Formula One on the world stage at Melbourne's Albert Park, Supercars will utilise both hard and soft compound tyres in their 4 x 100km races. Fan favourite Stadium Super Trucks return and Australian Superbikes join the support cast at selected events.
    Recognising that not all fans can attend events on Sunday, the big news is that all SuperSprint rounds are now 400 km events (up from 300km). This brings Saturday in line with Sunday with both days featuring 200km sprints.
    We'll definitely be at the Australian F1GP at Melbourne and Sydney Motorsport Park. So charge up your camera and we hope to see you there. Chao....

​    Unequivocally race drivers have astounding reflexes. They can react to situations instantaneously. The very best can envision scenarios before they even occur and methodically devise contingencies all within milliseconds. Whether it be through the hands, arms, feet, their backsides, or the sum thereof, they also possess an innate touch or intrinsic feel for what’s happening. They constantly adjust their points of focus. This heightened sensory awareness gels to form a potent combination in their quest to be the fastest.
    But what is their point of focus? What is commanding their attention? As they’re hurtling down the straight at breakneck speeds, do you think they’re fixated on their braking point? As they approach the apex of a corner, do they stay focussed on it until the apex is passed? Do you simply stare at your rival in front and follow their lines? Have you ever seen someone spin, only for the driver behind to spin in sympathy? Any aspiring driver who adopts these traits is destined to be at the back of the grid and is an accident waiting to happen.
    Adjusting your points of focus is paramount. Don’t be misled. A driver definitely spots their braking point when travelling down the straight by way of a landmark, bump or crack in the track surface, fence line or advertising, whatever. The point is, once that’s found, they’re looking for the apex. Once the apex is spotted, they’re looking for the corner exit. This all occurs before they reach said point. Sounds obvious right? But do you get the point? You drive to where you look. Hence why you look for the corner exit as soon as practical. But here’s the best bit. If you have a bit of a moment through the corner, like the back stepping out potentially about to cause a spin, you correct it instinctively without consciously endeavouring to do so. Why? You’re already focussed on the corner exit. You drive to where you look.
    Focussing so far ahead while constantly adjusting your points of focus, therefore driving to where you look, is something that doesn’t always come naturally. You have to train yourself to do so. If you want to drive fast, you have to resist the temptation to watch each point as you pass it. If you can do that, then maybe, just maybe, the best race drivers may not be passing you. Cheers…. 

    Australian fans should be ecstatic. Formula One has exercised its option by extending the Australian Formula One Grand Prix's contract for another two years. This takes grand prix racing in Melbourne up to and including 2025. That's 30 years racing around Albert Park's idyllic lakeside street circuit. Punters have always supported our GP, so let's continue to do so. We trust you're enjoying our look back at this year's AGP in the Final Sector. 
    As F1 approaches its mid-season summer break, the driver market rumour mill for the following season usually steps up a gear. Who'll drive for which team? Who's going to retire? Who's going to make their debut? Another topic of discussion is the makeup of the next year's calendar. Whilst Australia's future is assured, a couple of other races are in jeopardy of dropping off the calendar. 2020 sees a new race in Vietnam, plus the reemergence of the Dutch GP at Zandvoort. This means that F1's already bulging calendar needs to drop two races. Where once it was under threat, Silverstone has shored up the British GP with a contract extension. A deal at Monza for the Italian GP is all but done. At the time of writing it seems Mexico, Spain and Germany are under threat. Despite Mexico only just coming back onto the calendar, it has history, is extremely well patronised, yet has asked for government assistance to remain viable. Last weekend's epic German GP is rumoured to be cut despite having an option in place for next year at this year's conditions. The resurrected Dutch GP is slated for May. Bearing in mind Monaco is also in May, what does that say for Spain? We have to ask though. Would the Dutch GP be on the calendar if it wasn't for the Max factor? There's no doubt that Red Bull's Dutch ace Max Verstappen is a huge talent. A potential world champion. His presence on the grid has largely bolstered numbers at almost all the European circuits. The sea of orange clad punters at races like Austria, France and Germany will attest to that. Just wait until Belgium. The Ardennes will look orange from space. 
    The last 20 years or so F1 has branched into new markets, mainly in Asia. Now Vietnam is the latest addition. Exploring new markets broadens F1's appeal and captivates new audiences, but at what cost? At the expense of F1's European heartland in an attempt to create new traditions in countries that year after year, may not be able to sustain F1's costs? Anyone remember the Indian, Malaysian or Korean GP? Don't misinterpret our sentiments. We sincerely hope the Vietnam GP is a success and around for a long time. 
​    Question is, can F1 accommodate both history and tradition at older established circuits whilst promoting itself at new venues? Conversely, are the new venues capable of creating traditions of their own by continuing lengthy tenures? 

    Ever wonder why Formula One drivers speak so fondly of a track like Japan's Suzuka? Or perhaps Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium? Both challenge the drivers. Not simply because of their configuration, but because driver errors are punished. Get it wrong and they're beached in the gravel trap, or uncontrollably skidding across the grass into the barriers and out of the race. Conversely, construct a near perfect lap on the edge and their job satisfaction skyrockets.
    The last F1 race in Canada had a shroud of controversy draped over the result. Relentless pressure from Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton resulted in race leader, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel missing the Turn 3 + 4 chicane, skating across the grass and rejoining just in front of Hamilton who took avoiding action. Deeming the rejoining on track unsafe, the stewards handed Vettel a 5 second penalty, gifting the race win to Hamilton at the chequered flag. It's been debated ad nauseam, but technically the penalty was a slam dunk. Morally, well, you decide. 
    We could add to the debate, or even comment that Vettal made another mistake when the pressure was on. It did however got us thinking about circuit layout. Modern day circuits have replaced grass and gravel traps with tarmac runoffs. Now if a driver makes a mistake, they can just continue on. Where's the penalty in that? Time lost perhaps or driving around a bollard to rejoin the circuit? Imagine if the grass that Vettel drove over at Canada was covered with asphalt. You could conclude he gained an advantage. Then what's he supposed to do? Cede the place to Hamilton? After his mistake, upon sliding across the grass Vettel should be applauded for barely avoiding crashing himself. We understand that circuit safety is the reason for tarmac runoffs, but is it eliminating a challenging element for the drivers? Look at Monaco. St Devote at Turn 1 and the entrance to the swimming pool section were both guarded by the walls and made a formidable challenge. Now the walls are moved back. Don't fans deserve to see F1 drivers challenged to the best of their ability, or are the punters unable to see clearly because they are too far from the action due to the tarmac runoffs?
    Cynically yours....

    Midday is fast approaching. Better make your way to your favourite vantage point before the crowd stake a claim for your preferred real estate. Camera's charged and at the ready. The venue is Albert Park, Melbourne and once again Australia is the first race of a new Formula One campaign. Can't wait to get our first glimpse of the latest spec F1 cars. Anticipation crescendos as you listen for the sound of the cars leaving pit lane. 12 midday passes and then....nothing! 
    The recent edition of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw virtually all of first Friday practice lost after George Russell's Williams dislodged a manhole cover. The cover responded in kind by ripping the Williams floor to pieces only to fall millimetres short of George Russell himself. This prompted officials to red flag the session and ensure circuit safety. F1 being F1 though, the teams were able to adapt to reduced track time, complete their programmes and find a desirable setup for their cars. Later various team principals were quizzed as to how much of a disadvantage it was to miss Free Practice 1. The consensus was that it was no big deal. Maybe they didn't want to alert their rivals of any perceived shortfalls. They also stated that in the interest of reducing the physical demands required of their race teams, even entertained the idea of scraping Friday practice permanently. There's no doubt the F1 schedule is gruelling for the teams, but is compartmentalising a race weekend into two days good for F1? Have they forgotten something? By that we mean, the subjective tone of their answers reeks of a perspective issue. What about the fans?
    Many fans base their holidays around attending a Formula One Grand Prix. They spend their hard earned to travel nationally or even internationally just to be part of the spectacle. The fans want to see "The Pinnacle Of Motorsport" on track. At Melbourne, we've chatted to Germans who've come to see Michael Schumacher race, Colombians to see Juan Pablo Montoya race, Finns to see Kimi Raikkonen race. Would a punter from the Czech Republic be inclined to travel to the Red Bull Ring in Austria, a Californian to Texas for the US GP, or an Australian to the UK for the British GP at iconic Silverstone if the cars are only on track for 2 days? You get the picture? Not to mention television. F1 is heading globally down the Pay TV route. Would F1 still be tempting enough to pay for TV for the average punter?
    Let's hope there's more on track on Friday than just the support categories. Cheers.
    

    Australians are well versed in colloquialisms and are renown for it. Down Under we have a saying, "Shut the gate. The horse has bolted." Translation. It's too late to stop something that has already happened.
    The first four rounds of Supercars for 2019 have been run and won. Ford's new Mustang has claimed the victory spoils in dominant fashion. 9 wins out of 10 races with 8 pole positions. Defending Supercars champion, DJR Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin has 7 of those wins coupled with 6 pole positions. With Supercars being a parity category, after further testing through Computational Fluid Dynamics, this has prompted Supercars to decree some aerodynamic tweaks to the Mustangs ahead of this weekend's round at Barbagallo Raceway, Perth. After ballast adjustments at the start of the season to both the Mustang and ZB Commodore to bring them into line with the Nissan Altimas, now the Mustangs have to sport smaller rear wing endplates and a lower rear wing Gurney flap plus a reduced undertray extension. 
    Whenever a new make enters competition, there's quite often a perception of some sort of advantage. Whether it be mechanical or aerodynamic, the teams running the established makes nearly always cry unfair. Remember last season when the new ZB Commodore came fresh out of the blocks and won? But how much of it can be contributed to the car and how much of it is down to the driver and team? Maybe the Mustangs need to be reined in. Pardon the pun. We also think that we can all come to the same consensus when we say what a massive boost it was to Dick Johnson Racing when they orchestrated a collaboration with Team Penske a couple of seasons ago. Every category of motorsport always has a dominant team, and right now in Supercars, DJR Team Penske are reaping the rewards of that partnership. With Scott McLaughlin at the top of his game, who's to say the parity adjustments to the Mustangs will stop their winning momentum? Are DJR Team Penske and Scott McLaughlin simply in a class of their own at present? If not, how come Tickford Racing who are also running Mustangs, not on the same level?
    So, to translate. Is it too late to shut the Supercars paddock gate because the McLaughlin Mustang has bolted?

    Do you recall when Formula One qualifying was a flat out blast for one hour? All the drivers would run as their teams' desired, each run improved upon the previous, only for the likes of say Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher to demolish their times at the last possible moment, thus demoralising the opposition. Would have to erode the other drivers' confidence, wouldn't it?
    It was refreshing to see that psychological warfare is still prevalent in today's F1, as evidenced by last week's Australian Grand Prix. To gain the ascendancy over not only your team mate, but the entire field through unyielding determination, resilience, tenacity or what ever you want to call it, all adds to driver confidence. When racing, driver confidence is paramount. 
    Anyone who's ever attended a Grand Prix weekend can feel how the momentum builds through Free Practise towards Qualifying, culminating in the Grand Prix itself. We found it intriguing and never more evident at Albert Park. Looking to justify his signing and cement his place in the team, newcomer at Ferrari Charles Leclerc was quick  during practise into qualifying, often faster than team mate, Sebastian Vettel. Would a four time champion let a kid with only one year's F1 experience beat him? After all, Vettel is the undisputed leader at Ferrari, isn't he? When the pressure was on, in the end, it was Vettel who outqualified him and beat him in the race. To Leclerc's credit though, he applied strong pressure to Vettel in the race until Ferrari put a halt to the attack in favour of bringing both cars home in the points. A tussle we hope will run all season.
    However the driver that warrants applause is Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas. Here's a driver that endured a woeful 2018. No wins despite driving the best car. Retirements whilst on the cusp of winning. Told to pull over for team mate Lewis Hamilton for the sake of the championship. Labelled a good "wingman" to Hamilton by team boss Toto Wolff. Now he has Mercedes sponsored Esteban Ocon waiting to take his seat if Mercedes opt not to exercise their option on Bottas next year. He could be forgiven if his motivation waned for the forthcoming season. Not Bottas though. He distanced himself from not only F1, but all distractions, reflected, trained hard and returned reinvigorated, determined to put his own stamp on F1. With the scars of last year's Australian GP still fresh from when he crashed in qualifying, he turns up at Albert Park and despite Hamilton being quickest in all practise sessions, puts the car on provisional pole. Hamilton responds only the way he knows how by summoning all his experience and talent to place the car on pole in the dying moments of qualifying. After qualifying a lesser driver than Bottas may of acquiesced. Which leads us to the race itself. Whose confidence will skyrocket after they land that psychological body blow? Bottas not only won the start, but he destroyed the entire field by winning the race by 20 seconds over Hamilton and nearly a minute over Ferrari, also absconding with the bonus point for fastest lap. 
    Hamilton doesn't win five world championships by chance. He knows how to mount a challenge and is renown for being unrelenting in the second half of the season. Former team mate and 2016 champ Nico Rosberg has stated that it took all his mental strength to defeat Lewis Hamilton. Question is, does Valtteri Bottas possess the intestinal fortitude to sustain a serious championship assault? Australian GP domination undoubtedly boosted Valtteri's confidence sending a chilling message to the opposition, but are we yet to see the full depth of a Bottas ruthless reserve? Psychological pistols at ten paces, or should we say 21 races? Cheers....    
    
    
    

    This time in a week we'll know who has claimed the spoils of victory at the 2019 season opening Formula One race at Melbourne's idyllic Albert Park. Comes around quick doesn't it? Formula One is ably supported by Supercars, Porsche Carrera Cup, Australian GT, Formula 4 and Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific. Not to mention a big presence in the skies courtesy of the Royal Australian Air Force and a massive music festival. For the first time ever Formula One and the Australian GP Corporation are bringing years of planning to fruition by staging a F1 season launch in the heart of Melbourne at Federation Square on the Wednesday before the event starts on Thursday. All this to create a bonanza for the senses over a hectic 5 day period. 
    As usual F1 winter testing revealed little regarding a potential pecking order. No one knows what programmes the teams are running and we think it a frivolous exercise to try and dissect who's hot and who's not. However, the consensus at this early stage is that Ferrari look strong. One thing we did notice amongst all the teams is that reliability seemed to be at a higher level than at this time in previous years. Bodes well for Melbourne.
    Aerodynamically speaking, F1 cars are designed to be as fast as possible when travelling in clear or undisturbed air. Upon approach to another car, the disturbed air created behind the car in front compromises the pursuing car's aero  rendering it difficult to overtake the car in front. The loss of downforce counters any speed differential. Therefore a number of aerodynamic changes have been mandated for the forthcoming season. They are designed to assist F1 cars punch through the dirty air when chasing another car. In short, the complex endplates which adorned front wings are banned. Front wings are now higher, wider, further forward, thus devoted to creating downforce and less likely to stall when in dirty air. Brake ducts are smaller, thereby having less surface area for dirty air to mess with. The bargeboards which guard the sidepods are smaller and moved forward to better link up with the air coming from the front of the car. There's a ban on blown axles. Rear wings have also had extensive reworking. The Drag Reduction System (DRS), whereby the rear wing opens in designated spots to reduce drag and therefore increase speed, has had its gap widened. The rear wing is also wider and higher, having the duel effect of increased downforce and punching a larger hole in the air so the car behind can follow in less disturbed air.
    To date, opinions are divided on whether the changes will have the desired effect or not. During winter testing, Haas' Kevin Magnussen commented that it was easier to follow another car and that the changes are a step in the right direction. But did he know what fuel load or tyre compound they were running? Contrarily Red Bull design genius Adrian Newey thinks not much will change. Remember even when aero was in its infancy in F1 design when the cars had relatively simple front and rear wings compared to today's standards, F1 cars were still difficult to follow, let alone overtake. Hasn't it always been difficult to overtake in F1?
    So will the revised aero rules have the desired effect or will it still reminisce of groundhog day? Melbourne's always been notoriously hard for overtaking. Will some of our questions be answered next weekend, or will we have to wait for subsequent races? Either way, Melbourne's still the place to be....
    
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    Welcome back to all our friends and surfers. It's that time again where we outline the motorsport events we plan on attending in 2019. So here goes....
  As you see, we've already attended the Bathurst 12 Hour in early February at majestic Mt Panorama. What a marvellous event it is, with it continuing to grow year on year. We trust you are enjoying the many images we've posted.
    March 14th-17th - Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne featuring F1 and Supercars.
    April 19th-21st - Bathurst Motor Festival featuring the Bathurst 6 Hour.
   May 3rd-4th - Nitro Thunder at Sydney Dragway featuring 400 Thunder Series with their earth shattering Top Fuel  and Pro Slammers.
    May 18th-19th - The Nationals at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) featuring S5000 and Radical Australia Cup.
    June 8th-9th - Sydney Classic at SMSP featuring historic racing.
    July 6th-7th - NSW Kart Championship hosted by Sydney Motorsport Kart Club.
    August 3rd-4th - NSW Motor Racing Championship at SMSP featuring Formula Ford.
    September 28th-29th - SMSP featuring Formula 3.
    November 1st-2nd - East Coast Thunder at Sydney Dragway featuring 400 Thunder Series.
    November 30th-December 1st - Summer Festival at SMSP featuring historic racing.
   
​    This of course is subject to change. Roll on 2019....