Lorenzo

Bandini in his penultimate year, 1966.

Getting Excited for USGP 2013 in New Jersey!

After the inital knee-jerk reaction of WTF? New Jersey? I actually have settled into being very excited about the promise held in the new street circuit along the waterfront. Here's a recent video of Sebastien Vettel driving an Infiniti road car and commenting on the new circuit:

Also here is an older video simulating how the track will be in actuality.  The speed and elevation changes are going to be fantastic. I think it will have a great challenge for the drivers.

Poetics of Speed: The Racing Photography of Dale Kistemaker

One of the great things about having a blog is getting emails from fascinating people you never would otherwise meet.  Such is the case with Dale Kistemaker, who shared some wonderful tales with me regarding his time as a racing photographer both at F1 races as well as Le Mans in the early 1980s.  The best of them involves Dale being driven round La Sarthe by Derek Bell in the Le Mans Porsche 956 at racing speeds!Dale has been posting images from his archives at his aptly-named site: Poetics of Speed. His work is not typical motorsports photography, because a lot of it focuses on what is going on around the main attraction rather than focusing directly on the main attraction.  His focus on the details, the textures, and the atmosphere of Grand Prix racing, allied with the vivid colors and sharpness of his imagery are quite an intoxicating combination. I personally love all the intense driver portraits he got (see Keke Rosberg below, and study all the activity going on in his reflective glasses as he coolly smokes his cigarette.) as well as the garage and tool-box still lifes that really paint a picture of the time period, the technology, the people, and the tools. Below are my personal favorites from the site.All images copyright Dale Kistemaker, used with permission. Poetics of Speed

Anatomie d'un Depart: Well worth 11 minutes of your life

In 1985, Elf made this stellar little documentary showing the lead-up to the start of an F1 race.  All the wonderful master drivers of the turbo era are there, from Keke Rosberg to Niki Lauda to Nigel Mansell, and of course the young Senna who we watch as he applies a sticker to his own helmet visor with fastidious precision. The music is awesomely period. Well worth the 11 minute running time.

Chapeau, Amaury!

Video of the Week: Stirling Moss on the Art and Craft of Racing

Though the venerable Sir Stirling has now retired from racing, here is a video from probably about 15 years ago with some fantastic onboard footage and interesting commentary on how to driving rapidly in a 1959 Formula One car.