2017 is here and it's time to let you know what motorsport events we are planning on attending for the year.
    We trust you are enjoying the images from the Bathurst 12 Hour at Mt Panorama, Bathurst. A fantastic test of endurance for GT cars which is rapidly growing in fan appeal and becoming a must do for international GT teams. Congratulations to the Maranello Motorsport team for their win. When they turned up at last year's Bathurst Motor Festival at Easter with their brand new Ferrari 488 and blitzed the Production Sports field in what was essentially a data collecting exercise, we had an hunch that they would do well in the 12 Hour. Well done guys.
    Anyway, let's get down to business.... 
23-26th March is the big one. The 2017 Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, featuring Formula One and supported by V8 Supercars, Australian GT and Porsche Carrera Cup.
Sydney Motorsport Park plays host to:- Sydney Classic Speed Festival on 10-11th June.
                                                          Shannons Nationals on 8-9th July.
                                                          SMSP Supersprint featuring V8 Supercars on 19-20th August.
                                                          Muscle Car Masters on 28-29th October.
                                                          Tasman Trophy on 11-12th November.
Sydney Dragway plays host to:- Nitro Thunder on 6-7th May.
                                               East Coast Thunder on 4-5th November.
    We will also try to cover some two wheel action by attending the MX Nationals.
​    Please note that all events are subject to change. 

    Even for a fleeting moment, every race driver that's ever pushed anything on four wheels to its limit, has allowed their mind to wonder, "Imagine if I could...." From grass root kart racers competing at club level, through all categories and junior formulae, they've all imagined winning the Formula One World Championship for themselves while donned in their favourite team's colours. How splendid life could be. 
    With a F1 champ as a father, you can bet that's what Nico Rosberg thought when he hopped in his first kart as a youngster. An indeterminable amount of racing laps later he's driving for the all conquering Mercedes team and achieves his dream of winning the F1 championship. The culmination of a lifetime's hard work, sees him not only emulate his father, Keke Rosberg, but renders him top dog of the pnnacle of motorsport. Congatulations Nico Rosberg.
    However, 5 days later, Rosberg announces his retirement. Surprising? Possibly. There are those that say why not retire at the peak of your powers? There are others that say that a champion's biggest challenge is whether they can defend said championship. Either way, it's left one of the most coveted seats in F1 vacant.
      On Mercedes' short list shopping for a driver to partner triple champ, Lewis Hamilton, was the 2005 and 2006 champ Fernando Alonso. Alonso has categorically ruled out joining Mercedes, stating he will fulfil his contract with McLaren. Still widely regarded by many as the best driver in F1, Alonso believes his best chance of securing that elusive third title lies with McLaren. He's driven for all the top teams, but quite often seems to be at the right place at the wrong time. Now though, McLaren have exclusivity with Honda, and were on the ascendency in 2016.
    But will McLaren who are now enduring a management upheaval and restructuring, be able to adapt to the new 2017 regulations and produce a car to mirror Alonso vast talents? More to the point, with new cars in the offing and technical director Paddy Lowe leaving, what guarantee is there that Mercedes will continue their domination? Now it looks almost certain that an announcement will soon be made that Mercedes have orchestrated a release from Williams for the talented Finnish driver, Valtteri Bottas. Would've been intriguing though to see Alonso vs Hamilton again, ten years after their tempestuous rivalry when Hamilton was a rookie.
    The dark horse in all this, or dark bull if you will, is Red Bull Racing. When the regulations change, Red Bull, with design genius Adrian Newey on board, traditionally design a belter.
    Maybe Max Verstappen or Daniel Ricciardo will wonder, "Imagine if I could...."
    

    The Pirtek Endurance Cup has been run and won, and the spoils of victory fall to Red Bull Racing's Shane Van Gisbergen and Alex Premat. Now with two rounds to go and co-drivers exiled until next year, it seems like a straight shootout amongst Red Bull Racing Australia's two mail protagonists. A mere 148 points separate them. When the tyre smoke clears at the final Sydney 500, who will reign victorious? Shane Van Gisbergen or Jamie Whincup?
    Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. Cast your mind back to that amazing Bathurst 1000. Be honest. Who picked it? Did anyone expect Team Tekno's Will Davison and Jonathon Webb to triumph at Mt Panorama?
    Then there was that penalty. Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell may have passed the chequered flag first, but incurred a time penalty for causing an avoidable collision. As Whincup was pressuring the Volvo of Scott McLaughlin, he locked his rear brakes sending one up the inside at The Chase, made contact, thereby depositing McLaughlin into the kibble. As McLaughlin was re-entering the circuit, the ever present HRT of Garth Tander sensed an opportunity to pass. However, a collision ensued, taking out Tander and McLaughlin, prompting the stewards to issue Whincup with a time penalty.
    Are there other things to consider though? Would the penalty have still been issued if there was no collision between Tander, McLaughlin and Whincup, and the subsequent retirements? Whincup, after all, realised he caused McLaughlin to leave the circuit and was trying to redress when the collision occurred. Shouldn't the stewards have considered them two separate incidents? If so, wouldn't that render Tander at fault?
    It's all consigned to history now, with opinions forever divided. Could the championship points deprived of Whincup at Bathurst be the difference with Van Gisbergen when the final chequered flag drops at Sydney Olympic Park? Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Chao....     

    The long and distinguished Formula One career of Brazilian Felipe Massa is set to come to a close after this year's season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Felipe Massa is about to achieve what not all F1 drivers are able to achieve. That is, retire on his own terms.
    After bursting onto the scene with Sauber in 2002, Massa then spent a year as test driver under Ferrari's best ever driver's tutelage, Michael Schumacher, only to return to Sauber for 2004-05. 2006-13 saw Massa complete a lengthy stint at F1's grandee team, Ferrari, before joining Williams in 2014, to which he remains to this day. An errant suspension spring striking him in the head from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn not only threatened to prematurely end Massa's career, but very nearly cost him his life at the Hungarian GP in 2009.
    To date Felipe Massa has acquired 11 wins and 41 podiums. Undoubtedly, Massa's finest moment came at his home event in 2008. For a fleeting moment he held the driver's championship after passing the chequered flag first, only to be denied seconds later by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. It was the dignified way in which he conducted himself on the Interlagos podium however, that not only endeared him to his adoring Brazilian fans, but won him fans worldwide. Can you imagine the party and emotion if Williams can propel Felipe onto the podium at his final Brazilian Grand Prix?


   
    

    ​ British Formula One driver Jenson Button is taking a sabbatical in 2017. He has announced that he is taking up an ambassadorial role for McLaren for 2 years with an option to race again in 2018. 17 years in F1 started as a 20 year old with Williams in 2000. Stints with Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda and Brawn finally saw him wind up at McLaren in 2010. To date he's garnered 15 wins and 50 podiums. 
    Button seemed set to be without a F1 drive after the demise of Honda at the end of 2008. A last minute management buyout morphing Honda into Brawn threw Jenson a lifeline for the 2009 season, and boy, did it pay dividends. The Brawn team interpreted the new technical regulations to their potential, which translated to 6 wins out of the first 7 races. While the rest of the teams played catch up, they managed to consistently score points, thus netting both the constructors championship for Brawn with Button declared driver's champion.
    Jenson Button has stated with authority that he is not retiring from F1. Is there more to the story though? Are McLaren hedging their bets and covering all bases? With the current GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne waiting to take Button's seat, have they managed to keep Jenson on ice in case the highly rated Vandoorne doesn't measure up? There could be another scenario though. Could McLaren be keeping Button on the books for another reason? The technical regulations are undergoing a major overhaul for 2017. Could Button step back into racing if double world champ Fernando Alonso decides to walk away from F1 if McLaren produce a lacklustre car for 2017?    

    You have to feel for Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian looked set to win the last two Formula One Grands Prix only to be denied by either seemingly tactical errors or operational errors by his team. Formula One is a team sport. There's no denying that. An F1 team wins and loses together. A team would undeniably feel deflated when a driver bins it into a wall or gravel trap. Likewise with a driver when the team makes a costly error.
    The Spanish GP at Catalunya was a victory to Daniel Ricciardo that went begging. The arrival of Max Verstappen to Red Bull after being promoted from junior team Scuderia Toro Rosso spurned D. Ricc. to attempt to assert his authority over the karting prodigy. Ricciardo was leading the Spanish GP and with Verstappen running a strong fourth, Red Bull were forced to split their strategies. Theoretically a three-stop strategy was the quicker option to the two-stop strategy, but it required the three stopper with fresh tyres to overtake cars in front on the final stint to claim victory. Ricciardo switched to a three-stop strategy. Realistically, this was not the case. At the chequered flag positions were reversed with Verstappen becoming the youngest winner in F1 history at the tender age of 18. Not to take anything away from Verstappen, as his drive was mature beyond his years. But did Ricciardo have any input on strategy during the race? Surely the lead driver on track has the call on strategy. With radio communications limited this year, are the team even able to give Ricciardo the options available on strategy during the race? Track position is still king, right?
    Which leads us to Monaco. Well, what can you say? Daniel Ricciardo dominated the bulk of the weekend. He bagged an emphatic pole position, looked quick in both wet and dry conditions, and was in the process beating the unforgiving Mercedes team fair and square on track. A faultless display of car control. Then there was that disastrous pit stop. The jackmen were there, the wheel gun men were there, the tyre removers were there, but the tyre men and more importantly the tyres were not. Ricciardo sat up on the jacks with no wheels and tyres while he painstakingly waited for what seemed like an eternity for fresh rubber. The team later offered the explanation that through a combination of contributing factors, the available tyre compounds were not in the garage. What a revelation! This allowed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to abscond with the win. Teams really do win and lose together.
    Certainly will be intriguing to see how D. Ricc. and Red Bull bounce back in this weekend's Canadian GP....    

    The 2016 Formula One season is alive and already there's contention. Mercedes ace Nico Rosberg has the early jump on team mate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton by claiming victory at Albert Park and sustaining the momentum harnessed at 2015's season end. Red Bull driver and local hero Daniel Ricciardo absconded with fastest lap whilst passing the chequered flag in fourth place. But what was the post race chat about? Qualifying! That's right. The  new for 2016 elimination style qualifying system.
    The three qualifying sessions remain, but with a twist. After a preordained time in each session, the slowest driver is eliminated every 90 seconds. This system was universally disliked by drivers and the teams, and being trackside, proved confusing for the fans. The commentary revolved around who was the slowest, not who was the quickest. Isn't qualifying all about the fastest cars? Q3 saw no track action with over 3 minutes still to run. Where was that last minute dash for pole that persuades punters to squirm nervously on the ends of their seats? Knowing they could not beat the two Mercedes drivers, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was in civvies and team shirt by the chequered in Q3, electing to save a set of tyres for the race. Last year's system would have seen them have a last minute dash for pole. McLaren driver Fernando Alonso suggested the new system favoured the strongest teams. 1996 world champ Damon Hill made the most poignant comment suggesting that pole winner Lewis Hamilton could of waved his own chequered flag.
    An emergency meeting of all team principals was called on Sunday morning. They unanimously voted to go back to last year's qualifying system with immediate effect in time for the next GP at Bahrain. Have they jumped the gun? Is this a knee jerk reaction without thorough evaluation? Should drivers be able to complete their flying laps if started before the clock expires? Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez would certainly have progressed if this was the case. Should we keep the new system for Q1 and Q2, then revert to a shootout for pole in Q3? When the meeting's outcome was announced over the PA trackside, this decision was met with spirited applause by the fans.
    The key word here is ratification. Team principals alone cannot make such decisions. Therefore the powers that be have decreed that the new system will stay for at least the next GP in Bahrain this weekend. Then and only then after proper consultation and evaluation will a definitive qualifying system be adopted for the remainder of the season. 
    As usual, F1 never disappoints.... 
       
    
    

    The 2016 Formula One season is here. Came around fast didn't it? A shortened F1 winter testing season is completed. So who's looking strong ahead of racing hostilities commencing? Ferrari's looking strong, but can they challenge recent benchmarks Mercedes? You know what? Let's not go there. Testing is just that. Testing! Any true indication of speed won't come until 6pm on the Saturday of the Australian GP after the first qualifying session of the season.
    Excitement and anticipation levels for spectators build over the final countdown to any GP. They reach unbearable heights as the cars strain to be unleashed during the warm up lap followed by lights out and the run into Turn 1. The other contingent of a GP weekend which is compulsive viewing for punters is qualifying. 2016 sees a reworking of the popular elimination style qualifying session. 3 qualifying periods remain, but now Q1 runs for 16 min with the slowest car eliminated after 7 min, then another car eliminated every subsequent 90 sec until 15 cars are left. Q2 runs for 15 min with the slowest out after 6 min, then a car every 90 sec until 8 cars remain. The 14 min Q3 sees the slowest out after 5 min, then another car eliminated every 90 seconds until we have a pole winner. An expansion of the existing qualifying, but will the fans embrace it? Will this force the teams to run as many qualifying laps as time allows? Fans will certainly enjoy seeing as many cars as possible all punching out qualifying laps. However, if weather conditions remain stable, as the track evolves with more rubber going down, have we lost the strategic element when track conditions are at their optimum of a late qualifying charge to steal pole?
    The other intriguing change for 2016 is tyre supplier Pirelli making three dry weather compounds available to the teams over a GP weekend. Out of the 13 sets available, two are mandated for the race with one mandatory to use. One set of the softest of the three compounds is mandated for Q3 only. The teams are free to choose whichever compounds they want to make up their 13 sets. This allows much more flexibility amongst the teams, with some teams including Mercedes splitting their tyre choices between their drivers. Does this help combat processional racing?
    We'll see at the Australian Grand Prix. See you at Albert Park. Ciao....    

    Many of you will no doubt be aware of how much we love to speculate. However, we're going to stick our neck out and make a prediction. Bold, irresponsible, unsubstantiated you may ask. After all, what do we know? All valid, worthy comments.
    We've just returned from Australian motorsport's amazing season opening Bathurst 12 Hour for GT-3 spec cars at the majestic, yet daunting Mt Panorama. Top end exotic marques like Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and McLaren blasting around Mt Panorama in a once around the clock marathon of speed, strategy and endurance. 
    One of the drivers that thoroughly impressed us was V8 Supercar ace, Shane van Gisbergen. Part of the winning team in the gorgeous McLaren 650S, SVG set a few benchmarks over the Bathurst weekend. Bear in mind the GT-3 spec cars improve by at least 1 sec.a lap each year, SVG achieved a record 2.01.2 to claim pole, and a race lap record of 2.01.5. How long before the GT-3's bust the 2 minute mark? Sure the McLaren was the package to have, but it wasn't the only McLaren on circuit. Here's a kid at just 26 dwarfing the best endurance drivers Europe and Japan has to offer, fellow V8 Supercar drivers, as well as a host of ex-F1 drivers. 
    Whether it's GT racing, drifting, or dragging an opportune result out of a V8 Supercar, SVG seems to excel. Hardly surprising when his pedigree includes racing ATV's on Moto X tracks, Quarter Midgets on oval speedways, karting and winning the 2006 NZ Formula Ford Championship. His obvious car control in a number of disciplines earned him a V8 Supercar debut at just 17. In recent years, SVG has dovetailed his V8 Supercar career with GT endurance racing, including entering the prestigious Daytona 24 Hour, whilst making guest appearances in the Australian Drifting Series. A true racing professional.
    Now for 2016 he's joined the front running Red Bull Racing team for the forthcoming V8 Supercar season. A top drive at last. Will SVG be able to harry his team mates, the illustrious Craig Lowndes and 6-time champ Jamie Whincup? Both Lowndes and Whincup must be hungry for success after being beaten by PRA's Mark Winterbottom in 2015.
    So, to throw the cat amongst the pidgeons, our prediction is this. Shane van Gisbergen will win the 2016 V8 Supercar championship. We'll find out come November. Ciao....  
    

    formulafrontrow.com is turning 4 years old. Wow, how time has flown. When we celebrate our birthday we like to inform you of what events we hope to attend in the upcoming year. So here goes....
    February 6-7 - Bathurst 12 Hour at Mt Panorama featuring GT and supported by Radical Australia Cup.
    March 17-20 - Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, featuring Formula One, and ably supported by V8 Supercars, Australian GT and Porsche Carrera Cup.
    March 25-27 - Bathurst Motor Festival at Mt Panorama featuring the inaugural Bathurst 6 Hour Enduro for Production Cars.
    April 16 - Rotax Pro Tour at Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway.
    April 17 - MX Nationals at Appin.
    April 30-May 1 - Porsche Rennsport Festival at Sydney Motorsport Park featuring Porsche Carrera Cup.
    June 11-12 - Retro Speedfest at Sydney Motorsport Park featuring historic F1 cars.
    June 19 - East Coast MX Series at Mt Kembla, Wollongong.
    July 2-3 - Shannons Nationals at Sydney Motorsport Park featuring Formula 3.
    August 27-28 - Sydney Motorsport Park Supersprint featuring V8 Supercars.
    October 23 - TAG Super Series at Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway.
    November 12-13 - Shannons Nationals at Sydney Motorsport Park featuring Formula 3.
    November 26-27 - Sydney 500 at Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit featuring V8 Supercars.
    This is just for starters and is subject to change. One thing we haven't yet been able to ascertain is the dates for when the big boys of drag racing, the ANDRA series, descends on Sydney Dragway. The traditional months are May and November. If anyone knows please inform us via the "Comment" icon.
    
    Mucho grazie to all our friends and surfers. Your support is greatly appreciated. Think we better buy some more batteries for the Nikons. 
                                                    See you trackside....
    
    
    

    Finally, finally, finally Frosty has done it. 2015 has a new V8 Supercar champion and his name is Mark Winterbottom. Ford fans can rejoice. It's a celebratory time of year, so it's only fitting we offer our kudos to the Prodrive Racing Australia driver now sporting the coveted #1. 
    Mark Winterbottom won 10 Australian kart championships, 25 state kart championships and was crowned Australian Formula A Kart Champ (Rotax 125CC class) in 2001. He also debuted in Victorian Formula Ford in 2001. Winning the Ford Kart Stars Scholarship Championship earned him a Ford supported drive in Australian Formula Ford for 2002, of which he finished 2nd to Jamie Whincup. 2003 saw Frosty move into V8's via the development series, winning the championship on debut. Courtesy of Larkham Motor Sport, Frosty stepped up to the main V8 Supercar game for 2004 and 2005. 2006-2014 saw Frosty driving for the Ford factory backed Ford Performance Racing with mixed results leaving him tantalisingly close to championship glory. Despite winning the signature event, the Bathurst 1000 in 2013, he'd finished 3rd five times and runner up once in the championship. Mark Winterbottom was always there or thereabouts. With Ford involvement diminishing, FPR morphed into Prodrive Racing Australia for 2015, producing the pace setting Falcon FG X and the rest as they say, is history. 
    Congratulations to Mark Winterbottom on finally reaching the pinnacle of Australian motorsport. Question is, can he back it up? This time next year, will we be celebrating a back-to-back champion? The back half of 2015 saw Jamie Whincup and Red Bull virtually back to their title winning best. That new car for Whincup since the start of the enduros worked a treat didn't it?. Don't forget, one of the most talented and versatile drivers on the grid, Shane van Gisbergen, will be piloting a Red Bull in 2016. We better leave the speculating for another time. When's Adelaide? Well done Frosty. 

    Best wishes to all our friends for the New Year. Thanks for your support. See you at the track in 2016....