Archive
Word on the beat, August 2021
Asked in Baku why he hasn’t done a track walk since 2017, Max Verstappen replied, “I can’t be arsed. If I need to learn anything about the track, I just…
Mark Hughes
Archive
The hard chargers
Strategy presented something of a dilemma at Baku, partly because of the complications in choice of wing level (see Tech), partly because of the behaviour of the softest tyres in…
Archive
2021 Monaco & Azerbaijan GPs: Advantage Max... for now
Monaco GP | Azerbaijan GP This is where the competitive shape of the season changed again, where the narrative of the fight up front between Mercedes and Red Bull took…
F1
Jan Matsuzaki: the Aston Martin tyre guru set to shape F1 title race — MPH
Why do Red Bull and Aston Martin seem to be able to run their tyres at a lower pressure than F1 rivals? Step forward Jan Matsuzaki who has an uncanny understanding of race rubber
F1
The Baku mini-Prix: behind the two dramatic laps in Azerbaijan — MPH
In championship terms, the last five laps ensured the two contenders were neutralised. Max Verstappen, on his way to an apparently comfortable Baku victory, suffered a sudden deflation of his…
F1
Cancelled F1 races will alter Mercedes vs Red Bull battle; who will benefit? MPH
Formula 1 continues to dance very dexterously around the challenges of the pandemic in keeping the whole show on the road. But perhaps its greatest calendar-related challenge is set for…
F1
Why Daniel Ricciardo must retrain his brain to get the best from McLaren — MPH
Daniel Ricciardo has struggled to adapt to an idiosyncratic McLaren developed around Lando Norris – Mark Hughes analyses what the Australian has to do to get on top of it
Archive
McLaren’s Z-floor: analysing the latest 2021 F1 upgrade
McLaren had a significant upgrade fitted to its car in Barcelona, featuring a new floor and subtly different front wing. The outer end of the wing’s mainplane has been raised slightly,…
Archive
Could Mercedes have been beaten at the 2021 Spanish GP?
Every team went into the Spanish Grand Prix pretty certain it was going to be a one-stop race. It wasn’t. The tyre degradation and wear was more aggressive than had…
Archive
The 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix: As (not) seen on screen
The feature the TV cameras really miss about Portimão is its elevation change. There’s an 85metre difference between its highest and lowest points. Stand at the exit of Turn 7,…
Archive
2021 Portuguese & Spanish GPs: Mercedes gives them the old one, two
Portimão GP | Spanish GP These two events were something of a cold shower for the hopes raised by the first two. Bahrain and Imola had suggested a closely-matched title…
Archive
Why the tight F1 championship battle looks set to rage all year
As we touch upon in the race reports of the two grands prix which have taken place since the last issue, the pattern of the season after four races suggests…
F1
Why Mercedes' Monaco strategy was always destined to fail — MPH
Max Verstappen leads the world championship for the first time in his career after an immaculate victory drive in the Monaco Grand Prix. Given the performance traits of his Red…
F1
Red Bull in jeopardy after Toto Wolff bendy wing threat — MPH
In the language of lap time, downforce is good but its associated drag is bad. Therefore bendy wings – which bend backwards and down at speed to reduce drag but…
F1
MPH: Did Mercedes strategy call provide window into wild F1 future?
The strategic game of chess that played out between Mercedes and Red Bull in Spain could carry on into next season – but with potentially even more on-track action
F1
How foresight helped Mercedes win the Spanish GP – MPH
Thinking about what it did on Friday and Saturday helped Mercedes win on Sunday, as Mark Hughes explains
F1
MPH: does Alonso's Portimão performance indicate progress?
It's been patchy at best for Fernando Alonso so far, but does a storming drive at Portimão show his and Alpine's true potential?