The Biggest F1 Races Taking Place in 2019

2019 brings another exciting year for Formula 1 racing! Even though we are past the halfway mark for the year, we still have a number of races to look forward to. Here are some of the biggest F1 races taking place in 2019.

 

Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2019 – 20-22 September

Singapore’s Marina Bay Circuit is known for its nighttime races, having hosted the first one in F1 history back in 2008. The physically demanding 5.063km course provides no shortage of challenges for the driver, from bumpy surfaces to high humidity. What’s more, the circuit features 23 corners during the high-speed lap. This race gives visitors a chance to experience Singapore at its best.

 

Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2019 27-29 September

The Sochi Autodrom was the site of the Formula 1’s first-ever Russian Grand Prix in 2014. The circuit itself grew from the internal roads of the park built for the Winter Olympics that same year. One of the unique features of the track is right at Turn 3, a 750m constant-radius left turn that takes drivers around the outside of the Poyushchiye fountain. This early autumn race means that it’s still warm enough for visitors to take advantage of some of Russia’s best beach resorts in Sochi. Unfortunately, ski season doesn’t start until at least December. 

 

Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2019 11-13 October

While the Suzuka International Racing Course (better known as just “Suzuka”) was built in 1962, it didn’t see its first Grand Prix until 1987. The track is one of the seminal courses in Formula 1, with driving challenges like snaking S curves and a crossover and remains a favorite among drivers. Kimi Räikkönen holds the current lap record of 1:31.540 from 2005, but we’ll see if anyone can beat that this year. 

 

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix 01-03 November

The Circuit of the Americas’ first Grand Prix was in 2012, which drew a crowd of over 100,000 spectators. The crowd witnessed Lewis Hamilton’s last win in a McLaren before he made the switch to Mercedes the following year. The circuit draws inspiration from a few of the other famous tracks in F1 history, like Suzuka and Hockenheim. The uphill run into Turn 1 provides the opportunity for some overtaking action.

The Top Five F1 Races of All Time

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Formula 1 began in 1950 and has seen its fair share of classic events. After all, there have been nearly 900 Formula 1 races over the years. With so much content, and with so much history, you’re sure to find dozens of exciting, timeless moments.

However, we aren’t looking for classic moments here. We are looking for incredible races – races that are exciting, incredible displays of racing skill from beginning to end.

2008 Brazilian Grand Prix

The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was the conclusion to a tightly fought season. Lewis Hamilton was only 7 points ahead of Felipe Massa. Hamilton had to finish in the top 5 to maintain his lead. Felipe Massa started the race on the pole; Hamilton started in fourth. Even is Massa won the race, if Hamilton finished in the top five, Massa would lose the championship.

After rain stalled the race, Hamilton came out of the pits in sixth position. Massa ended up taking first place home; however, in the last turn, Hamilton took 5th position and took home the championship by just one point.

2012 Brazilian Grand Prix

The season was a tight one between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. The only thing stopping this race from being higher on the list is the fact that it finished under caution. Vettel ended up becoming a triple world champion at the conclusion of this race.

1988 Japanese Grand Prix

A stalled engine, a close finish, and tight season standings make this race stand out from others. Ayrton Senna ultimately won the race and the championship.

1957 German Grand Prix

This is arguably the best Formula 1 race to ever take place, and it happened only seven years after the racing organization was formed. Legendary driver Juan Manuel Fangio displayed what he was known for: incredible racing.

Fangio was driving a Maseratti and started on the pole. Fangio had a unique strategy: he used softer tires and never filled up past half a tank. This gave him greater speed around corners due to the softer tires and lighter load.

Fangio had a 30 second lead on the competition during his first pit stop, but things went terribly wrong. His pit team lost a tire. Fangio exited 48 seconds behind first place. Fangio broke the fastest lap record 9 times to take back first place and go home with the Championship.

1981 Spanish Grand Prix

Gilles Villeneuve’s journey from qualifying seventh and taking home the victory is another legendary race.

Villeneuve’s car had the clear advantage on straight stretched, but he was lacking speed around corners. It was his excellent strategy that earned him the victory. Villeneuve’s car was in the right places at all the right times, stopping Laffite from ever being able to pass him.

Not everyone will agree with these choices because there are countless classic races in Formula 1.

 

Five Auto TV Shows Worth Your Time

On CarlTurnley.net I often blog about my love of cars and racing–it’s a passion that I’ve held for quite some time. While I can fully recognize that not everyone shares the same love of cars that I do, if you’ve found yourself on this website, reading my autoblog, there’s a good chance that you’re interested.

Whether you love cars or simply drive one to work every day, automobiles have become a huge part of most people’s’ lives. They’re on the streets, in magazines, advertised in every other commercial, litter billboards everywhere and, of course, are on television. I’ll be the first to admit that a TV show about car might not sound exciting, but as the saying goes, don’t knock it until you try it.

  1. Counting Cars

Starting off the list is a good car show for non-car lovers to indulge in–a guilty pleasure for some people akin to watching Pawn Stars or other reality shows. The premise of Counting Cars is similar to that of American Restoration–the group restores and customizes classic cars and motorcycles. And, in typical reality-tv fashion, they argue and bicker throughout. Given the more “reality tv” aspect, many car lovers won’t be drawn to Counting Cars, but it’s great lazy TV.

  1. Fast n Loud

Coming in third in Ranker’s list of the best TV shows about cars, the show’s name speaks volumes (pun partially intended) to its content. The premise is the norm for auto shows; finding old, beat up, run down and otherwise junk cars and restoring them for a profit. A ot of the draw in this show comes from the characters and the skits they put on in each episode.

  1. Overhaulin’

A new concept on the list! Overhaulin’ is as much pure entertainment as it is a car show. The synopsis is fairly simple: the family or friends of someone who’s driving an old junker enlists the help of Overhaulin’ to “steal” the car (or have it towed by fake police, seized by repo men, etc). Then, the car is completely customized and restored and the owner of the car is surprised at the end of each episode with the return of their new car.

  1. Consumer Reports

Yes, you’re right, Consumer Reports isn’t a television show, but the long list of videos available on the YouTube channel provides more than enough video content. Consumer Reports is known for its stringent and meticulous reviews of cars with a variety of criteria to determine each year’s best buys.

  1. Top Gear

Did you expect number one to be anything else? Top Gear is a long-running English tv show that has spawned numerous spinoffs including an American version. None will completely replace the original, though. The conversational attitude about the whole series, the hosts’ hilarity and the challenges, races and specials make Top Gear a must watch.

Why Millions Love IndyCar, and Why You Should Too

IndyCar isn’t Formula 1. It isn’t NASCAR. It’s not just left turns. The winners aren’t so forecasted that you can turn off your TV before the last lap is done.

IndyCar is exhilarating, it’s engaging, it’s on-the-edge-of-your-seat excitement and it’s rising in popularity once again. While there’s still a certain stigma that comes with being a racing fan, I implore that you give IndyCar racing a chance before you cast it aside as another drop in the pool of “it’s just driving, it’s not a sport and I’m not a NASCAR fan.”

 

It’s not NASCAR

People often confuse the two, but NASCAR and IndyCar racing are absolutely different in more than one way. The cars are different. The drivers are different. The strategy is immensely different. The two are both racing sports, but watching them side by side points to two very different types of races.

IndyCar is not a “contact” race so to speak–the lighter cars and different bodies mean that crashes can be more devastating and evasive maneuvers become more important. IndyCar also avoids falling into the “it’s just turning left over and over and over again” pit. While there are certainly oval tracks in IndyCar racing (the Indy 500, for instance), there are also street tracks that involve twists and turns you won’t see in NASCAR.

They’re Risking Their Bodies for This Sport

Almost every mainstream sport in United States culture are in some way dangerous to its athletes. NFL players are faced with concussion issues later in life, just to name one of a number of health issues that plague the athletes in other sports. In IndyCar, a wrong turn, a split-second missed decision or a mistake by your opponents could mean an explosive and potentially deadly crash. The athletes in control of the cars that speed around turns at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour are risking life and limb for a sport that they love; seeing that kind of passion for something you care about makes watching them race even more inviting.

They’re Athletes With Incredible Skill

Do you watch baseball? What about football, soccer, hockey, basketball or golf? If you watch any other sport but scoff at the idea of IndyCar drivers being athletes and IndyCar not qualifying as a “sport,” you might want to reconsider.

The reason to watch IndyCar are the same reasons that you’d watch virtually any other sport in existence: the competition, the strategy, the competitors and the thrill of seeing the absolute best in the business compete on the highest stage available.

The racers you’re watching take these turns are the best of the best, they’re the only ones in the world capable of doing what they do at such a level. Seeing 30 of them do it at once, on the same track, each vying for that first place finish are competitors at heart. If you’re watching football, you’re watching it for the competition, you’re watching it in hopes that your favorite team will band together and ultimately come out on top. The same can be said for IndyCar–the team being the driver and the group of mechanics that work together to complete a race.

There’s More Strategy Than You May Think

And the strategy is a whole other ballgame, so to speak. Unlike in NASCAR and Formula 1, IndyCar features considerably more passing, more breaking, more sharp turns and, generally speaking, more strategy. Racers have to know when to make turns, when to ease up on the gas and when to execute the passes that you don’t see much of in F1 racing. And the finishes are almost always neck and neck, coming down to the wire to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

If you were unsure about IndyCar racing before, give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed.

 

It’s Almost Here! Honda NSX to Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in June

In a month, the Goodwood Festival of Speed will be underway. This time around, Jenson Button will be getting behind the wheel of the new Honda NSX, which is making it’s second generation debut after the first was discontinued back in 2005. Glynn Williams of Business Car Manager predicts that the NSX will soon be the envy of high rolling car-collectors, joining the ranks of the coveted Porsche 911 Turbo, Audi R8, and McLaren 540C. Honda’s latest offering has similar performance specs to these classics, and is offered at about the same price.carl-turnley-Detroit_NAIAS_2015_2016_Acura_NSX

The Honda NSX is actually made in the USA (Ohio, to be exact), by a small team of 100 people. With 573 horsepower and top speeds of 191 miles/hour, the vehicle can sprint from 0-62 in under three seconds. Even though the car’s top competitors have higher top speeds, the NSX holds an advantage with its impressive acceleration, thanks to three electric motors. The car also features four different driving modes that can affect everything from the motor to the engine noise level.

Car enthusiasts have long waited for the return of the NSX, and given what we know so far it won’t be a let down.

Honda’s Revival

It’s not unusual for a car to resurrect an old model for a new era. Dodge did it most notably in the mid-2000s with new incarnations of 70’s throwbacks including the Magnum, Charger, and Challenger. In 2005, Ford pulled it off when they channeled their 1960’s vibe for the new look Mustang.

The NSX is back with a fury.

The NSX is back with a fury.

But one auto manufacturer that did not execute this revival was Honda. In fact, they did the opposite, discontinuing several street favorites. Over the last decade, it’s name slowly slipped into conversations of starter cars. The old-reliable, but nothing definitively excellent for auto enthusiasts. But once they abandoned ship on the NSX in 2005 and the S2000 at the end of the decade, Honda became a codeword for “pedestrian”. Not they’re bad cars, but they just weren’t at the top of the mind in the discussion for top of the line street performance.

However, most of that last paragraph was written in the past tense. That’s because Honda is looking to change its fortunes in that department with the release of three formidable autos.

The first is the new look NSX, resurrected from its mid-2000s grave. Released under the Acura brand, this scorcher has confirmed speeds of 191 mph, and possesses a whopping 500+ horsepower. It boasts three different motors, an li-ion battery, and allows the driver to select a different mode to meet any condition they may encounter.

The Honda S660 is new to the fleet, and cousin to the S2000.

The Honda S660 is new to the fleet, and cousin to the S2000.

The S2000, another beloved vehicle, is slated for a re-release, as well, in 2017.

There’s also a new model in the works, the Honda: S660. And unlike the botched release and promotion of the CR-Z, this mini-roadster has well exceeded demand— it’s sold out. The only unexpected snag is that 80% of buyers are over 40 years of age. Compare that with S2000 sales, when 20% of buyers were 40 years or older. The demographics have completely flipped. Honda hoped younger consumers would bite for the S660, but the low demand in that demographic has been chalked up to the fact that many young drivers may not have the income required for a car of that caliber. But perhaps the younger crowd that grew up admiring the S2000 has aged,

and is looking to recapture some of that magic for themselves.

But wait, there’s more! Honda is reportedly in the works for production of a brand-new vehicle ready to fit the demands of the 21st-century. It’s dispelled rumors of a hybrid sports car, as it is a fully electric vehicle. It’s going to be powered by four electric motors, one at each wheel, for the ultimate all-wheel drive experience.

Here’s to Honda dispelling the assumptions that environmentally conscious vehicles can’t be vicious on the street.