There’s a huge following for motorsport across Britain and the world. Motorsport encompasses a plethora of competitions that entail the use of vehicles. Motorsports range from drifting to racing, even tractor pulling. However, F1 is definitely the most popular and constantly has supporters and viewers gripped on what’s to come, which isn’t surprising when you consider that they are supposed to be the most advanced machines in the world.
Motorsport primarily focuses on putting motorized vehicles and their drivers to the test. To evaluate their performance and success against other contenders. In England’s capital, motorsports are so popular that they’re permitted to take place on the roads! So long as they comply with the rules and regulations set by the government, of course.
If you want to find out more about how motorized vehicles and motorsports began, please see below.
The Birth Of Motorized Vehicles
Before the motorsport industry developed, there was one crucial factor that allowed motorsports existence – the automobile.
Carl Benz was responsible for daring to dream about a carriage that didn’t require horses. After numerous trials and errors, he eventually created an engine and the car between 1885 and 1886. The original was a three-wheel car. From here, other inventors and engineers would continue to upgrade the horseless carriage.
The British Grand Prix is always one of the sporting highlights of the year in the UK.
Even if you are a casual observer, you will likely have noticed the passion and fervor associated with sporting events held annually in the UK, and how they keep drawing in the crowds year after year. Here are some of the highest profile sporting events.
The FA Cup Final
Held in May of each year, the FA Cup Final marks the end of the football season and the culmination of one of the most famous knockout competitions in world football. The Cup Final, held at Wembley Stadium, is a glamorous affair and receives extensive media coverage both at home and internationally, but the competition starts in August of each year and goes through six qualifying rounds before the League clubs enter the draw. The FA Cup has become famous for its so-called giant killings, with unfancied teams beating their more high-profile opponents. If you are a football fan, you will likely remember some of these matches, including Cup Finals such as 1973, when Sunderland beat Leeds United, and 1988, when Wimbledon shocked Liverpool, the then-giant of English football.
The British Grand Prix
The UK has a long association with motor car racing, and Formula One comes to the country annually with a Grand Prix, currently held at the Silverstone Circuit. Grand Prix motor racing in the UK can be traced back to the 1920s, and the history of the British Grand Prix shows some thrilling races down through the years. Such homegrown talents as Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell and, more recently, Lewis Hamilton have enjoyed wins in the race. Hamilton won the 2014 race on his way to that year’s World Championship and will hope for a repeat in July. Read the rest of this entry →
The 2011 China Grand Prix will go down in history as one of the very best and one that will live long in the memory of the race winner, Lewis Hamilton, who once again proved why he is the sport’s biggest box office attraction.
If there was ever a Grand Prix that had everything then this was it in Shanghai, a battle of race strategies, incredible overtaking, particularly by Hamilton, a charge from the back from Mark Webber of Red Bull that defied belief, It also had a moment of serious embarrassment when McLaren’s Jenson Button parked his car in the Red Bull pit for a tyre change, a mistake which cost him the lead in the race at the time.
Hamilton, had qualified only in third place on the grid after deciding that he will only make one run in the final q3 practice in order to preserve the tyres that he would be starting with. This would mean that he would adopt a three stop strategy as opposed to the two to be made by Vettel in his Red Bull.
He had to endure a scare before the start of the race where a minor fuel leak was detected and which was only rectified within a half minute of the start time. Notwithstanding, Hamilton got off to a flyer off the grid, charging up the inside of Vettel which demoted the world champion to third place as Button had already steamed past him to lead. Read the rest of this entry →
2008 Champion, Lewis Hamilton, holds solid claims of regaining the F1 Drivers Championship in 2011
Lewis Hamilton begins his fifth season driving for the F1 McLaren team in March hoping that he can improve upon his fourth place in the world driver’s championship achieved in 2010.
Hamilton won the Driver’s Championship in 2008, in what was only his second ever season as a driver at the top level of the sport, finishing a single point clear of Felipe Massa driving for Ferrari. It was a magnificent effort made even more special due to the fact that he was only 24 years old, the youngest ever winner of the world championship! It should also be remembered that the year before was his F1 debut season where he finished in second place just a single point behind Kimi Raikonnen of Ferrari.
To date Hamilton has won 14 F1 Grand Prix’s on eleven different circuits and has had 36 podium finishes. He holds a number of records including:
The most consecutive podium finishes – 9
Most wins in a debut season (2007) – 4
Most Pole positions in a debut season (2007) – 6
Most points in a debut season – 109 (points system now changed)
In his four years on the Formula One circuit, he has finished 2nd, 1st, 5th and 4th and has only retired from seven races in 71 starts, although he was disqualified in the 2009 Australian GP.
The Indianapolis 500 is still one of the most exciting one-day events in sports.
In case you haven’t noticed, and chances are pretty good that you haven’t, the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 is happening this weekend.
It wasn’t all that long ago when the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” wasn’t just a big deal for race fans, it was part of the national fabric and as important a part of Memorial Day Weekend as cookouts, swimming pools and veteran’s celebrations.
Much like the Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500 and Wimbledon Finals, it was one of those annual “sports spectacles” that everybody followed, regardless of whether they paid attention to the sport for the other 364 days of the year.
From 1965 through 1985, ABC televised the race through tape delay on Sunday night, meaning the only way to follow it live was on the radio.
As a kid growing up in Virginia in the 1970s and early 1980s, I remember that regardless of whether we were off on a family camping trip, visiting relatives, or at a picnic, on the Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend we always had the radio on and were listening to the race.
I then couldn’t wait until that night when I actually got to see what I had heard through ABC’s coverage of the race. I don’t really remember it bothering me that I already knew the winner. Read the rest of this entry →
Five-time F1 Champion Juan Manuel Fangio was able to narrowly avoid disaster during the horrible accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The element of danger in sports is like a wedding ring: always present, a constant reminder of commitment, passion…and eternity. All too often that tantalizing element has come calling, then taking the heroes we thought were invincible. On rare, regrettable occasions, danger spreads its cloak beyond the field of play to encompass even the spectator. This is an account of one such tragedy.
The Course
June 11, the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans at the famous 8.38 mile track outside the French town of Le Mans. Traffic moves in a clockwise direction with the pits and infield being on the driver’s right and the grandstand and spectators on the left.
The Principals
Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Maserati were the fierce competitors of the era. Daimler-Benz (Mercedes) had three of their new ultra-light 300SLR cars in the race. The formidable team of five-time F1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio and the legendary Stirling Moss were favored to win it for Mercedes. Another Benz car featured the team of Frenchman Pierre Levegh and the American, John Finch.
Jaguar was up to the challenge with the team of Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb in their D-type.
Lance Macklin, driving an Austin-Healey 100, was the man “caught in the middle” when all hell broke loose. Read the rest of this entry →
Louie Dampier’s name might not resonate as widely as other basketball legends, but the Sports Then & Now Vintage Athlete of the Month’s impact on the game, particularly during the American Basketball Association (ABA) era, is undeniable. Known for his pinpoint shooting, exceptional ball handling, and relentless work ethic, Dampier enjoyed a stellar basketball career that saw him thrive in both the ABA and NBA. As one of the most consistent and prolific guards of his time, Dampier left a lasting legacy, and his role in the ABA’s history solidified his place in the annals of basketball greatness.
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