GP Racing UK August 2020

The inspiration for this month’s cover comes from an iconic image of boxer Muhammad Ali (née Cassius Clay) arriving at the weigh-in for his 1963 bout with Doug Jones – Clay with his usually loquacious mouth taped firmly shut, no doubt mocking those who would prefer he stayed silent. As he rose to global fame and acclaim, Ali made concerted efforts to use his profile and platform to further the cause of racial justice and civil rights. He remains one of the greatest sportsmen who ever lived, as well as an important political figure. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton has seized the present moment sparked by the brutal killing of black civilian George Floyd by police in the United States, using his own global profile to campaign in a similar vein – supporting the…

MARK GALLAGHER Lewis Hamilton's fight against racism, and his campaign to address the issue in F1 and the wider world, is Mark's focus this month (p32) STEVEN TEE As racing resumed Steven was in Austria and Hungary, snapping away and examining what F1's 'new normal' is actually like (p44) RICHARD WILLIAMS Richard's superb feature on the 70 most influential people in 70 years of Formula 1 has reached the 1970s (see p50) STUART CODLING Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams gives Stuart the low down on the team's finances and why she remains optimistic (p40)…

New perspective for an ageing bull With a circuit as small as this it’s tricky to find fresh angles but I set myself that challenge for the second part of the double-header in Austria. In the centre of the circuit there’s a huge wrought-iron sculpture of a bull jumping through an arch. During FP2 I looked to find a way of integrating it into a new shot, and came up with this. Shooting at a very slow shutter speed, which blurs the background slightly as you pan across, you can get the cars as they brake for Turn 1. It’s technically difficult to achieve because they appear quickly from behind a tree, so you have very little time to pick them up as you pan, but you do get into a rhythm. Photographer…

01 THIRD TIME’S A CHARM? ALONSO BACK TO RENAULT 02 F1 BOSS BACKS RACING POINT IN ‘DUCT-GATE’ 03 MORE ROUNDS JOIN THE 2020 CALENDAR 01 ALONSO DEAL LEAVES VETTEL ON THE MARGINS Sebastian Vettel’s future in Formula 1 hangs in the balance following Renault’s announcement that Fernando Alonso will join the Anglo-French team on a two-year contract from the start of 2021. When Ferrari announced that Vettel’s contract would not be renewed beyond this year – indeed, that it had not even offered the four-time world champion a deal to stay on – Renault seemed the most plausible alternative destination, given that it has championship ambitions and had a vacancy to fill. That door was closed at the beginning of July when Renault announced that Alonso, who walked away from F1 at the end of…

Q1 In 2019 Charles Leclerc had six pole positions but which was the only race he started from second? Q2 Which current driver was disqualified from seventh in his first F1 race? Q3 Who started more world championship F1 races: John Watson or Derek Warwick? Q4 In Hungary Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of eight wins at one GP. At which race were Schumacher’s wins achieved? Q5 In which year did a country last host two GPs at different circuits? Q6 How many races did Brabham win as a constructor in F1: 31, 35, or 36? Q7 Which driver raced all of these makes of car in his F1 career: Hesketh, Hill, Surtees, Shadow, Williams, Arrows and Lola? Q8 Which was the last race in which cars failed to qualify because the entry was oversubscribed? Q9 When…

RUSSELL WILL ‘EXPERIENCE’ GREATNESS Working from the Silverstone Experience for Channel 4’s coronavirus-adapted production of the Austrian Grand Prix allowed me to immerse myself in the fabulous heritage of motorsport we enjoy in this country. The newly opened museum contains cars, bikes and memorabilia from some of Britain’s greatest motorsport exponents, as well as educational areas to entice youngsters. It serves as a reminder of what’s been achieved in the past as we prepare for two key events a few metres away on the circuit. In 2020, Lewis Hamilton is not only seeking a seventh world title but also his seventh victory at Silverstone; how suitable it would be if he achieved it in the year we sadly lost the man who thrived on number 7, the late, lamented Sir Stirling Moss. Hamilton…