On a week-long trip to the UK last fall, I was struck by how quickly the push to open up the country to fracking has been escalating. Thankfully, activists are mounting a vigorous and creative response, and are more than up to the task of galvanizing the public to put a stop to this mad dash to extract. That is not to say it will be easy. In rushing to exploit the UK’s shale gas…
DTM racer Lucas Auer says that it’s ‘crazy’ to think he will be testing a Formula 1 car next month. The 22-year-old Mercedes protégé is the nephew of former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger. Force India confirmed this week that Auer will be in their car for the official test session at Budapest in early August. F3 driver Nikita Mazepin will also get the opportunity to show the team what he can do in the…
MotoGP and works Honda rider Marc Marquez believes in the Japanese manufacturer’s ability to be successful in Formula 1 despite its failed partnership with McLaren. The current leader of the MotoGP world championship compares his winning Repsol Honda to a bull in a rodeo, but his employer’s track record in F1 has lagged spectacularly its success on two wheels. Honda success would make McLaren look ‘silly’ – Brown His allegiance to Honda notwithstanding, Marquez is…
The long and winding road of headline news leads us to ignorance and docility. Consider the past month, in which the lead news item has shifted from U.S. government systemic use of torture and lies about it; to its claims that North Korean cyberterrorists hacked Sony, threatening U.S. national security; to unfair and imbalanced coverage following the attack in Paris by alleged Jihadi terrorists. Smoke and mirrors media propaganda of this sort happens all the…
Force India’s Sergio Perez heads to the season finale in Abu Dhabi unconstrained as the team has already secured its fourth place in the Constructors’ standings. The Silverstone-based outfit put itself out of its rivals’ reach in Mexico, and will finish the season best of the rest behind F1’s front-runners for the second year running. It’s not known yet if Perez and team Esteban Ocon will be free to race around Yas Marina, but the…
Kevin Magnussen says past performance in Singapore isn’t indicative of future results given the challenging nature of the Marina Bay venue. The Haas driver has two career starts in Singapore and finished in the points each time. While he undoubtedly appreciates the race, he’s still wary of the unique demands imposed on drivers on a street circuit which leaves no margin for error. “I think it’s a cool track, fun to drive. It’s pretty difficult…
Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has suggested that the Formula 1 stars of the future could get their initial start in eSports. Traditionally, young prospective drivers have kickstarted their motorsports career in karting. However that’s becoming increasingly expensive, and many youngsters are now unable to afford it. According to Chandhok, eSports represents a new, accessible way of getting into competitive racing. “Today, if you look at it, the cost of going karting is very…
Debenhams has filled 7,000 Christmas jobs across its 165 UK stores ahead of the peak trading period and in time for Black Friday promotions on 29 November. The British retailer said it’s also mobilising volunteers from its central functions, with 500 people from its London HQ helping at local stores. It said it has taken a new approach to its Christmas recruitment drive this year, focusing not only on hiring people with retail experience but…
Scuderia Toro Rosso has linked its destiny in Formula 1 to Honda for the next three years and will be powered by the Japanese manufacturer from 2018. Toro Rosso is partnering with Honda as a result of Renault moving to McLaren. But the deal could also lay the groundwork for a possible Red Bull Racing-Honda tie-up from 2019 when Renault will no longer supply the Milton Keynes-based outfit. As difficult and unsuccessful as Honda’s efforts…
Toro Rosso rookie Brendon Hartley will switch to a new permanent race number at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend as he continues his F1 initiation. The Faenza-based squad’s game of musical chairs has hopefully come to an end, with the Kiwi remaining on board alongside Pierre Gasly for the remainder of the 2017 season after Dany Kvyat’s dismissal. Kvyat dropped by Toro Rosso, permanently Hartley raced with #39 in Austin, Toro Rosso’s reserve number,…