Double dose of Red Bull doesn’t ensure a win

My latest column in the Globe and Mail:

Their ads say that Red Bull gives you wings, but having its Formula One drivers flying into each other probably wasn’t the planned result.

With 17 laps left in Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were cruising to a Red Bull 1-2 when disaster struck.

The pair tangled as Vettel tried to overtake his teammate going into Turn 12, knocking the German out of the race while Webber continued and limped to the pitlane for a new nose cone.

More at: Globe Drive

Kubica races to surprising start

My latest column in The Globe and Mail:

When Robert Kubica signed with Renault for 2010 after his BMW-Sauber team announced it would withdraw from Formula 1at the end of last season, things looked bleak for the talented Polish driver.

Only three years after winning consecutive world championships, Renault had limped through 2009 and finished eighth out of 10 teams with a dismal 26 points. And if it weren’t for the superlative talent of two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso wringing the most out of a terrible car, things would have been much worse.

More at Globe Drive

Lotus launches new online shop

OK, it may not be the old Colin Chapman Lotus Team, but the stuff is still really cool.

The newly revived Lotus Racing has unveiled team clothes and accessories available for purchase. The selection is sparse, with only 13 items for sale and nothing for women or kids until June, but the British racing green stuff is rather classy and neat.

The shop is open now with more items to come later in the season, including the usual caps, backpacks, t-shirts, drink bottles, key holders, luggage tags and pens.

And while you can see prices in Malaysian Ringgits, the Canadian dollar is not one of the available currencies.

The Thrill of the Chase

My latest column in the Globe and Mail...

With the NASCAR season almost one-third over, almost half of the Chase for the Cup qualifiers from last year need to get it in gear.

Five of the 12 drivers who battled in the 10-race playoff last year are on the outside looking in going into Darlington this weekend, the 11th of the season’s 36 races.

And while it may be too early to panic, the five drivers — Kasey Kahne, Juan Montoya, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers — know they can’t afford to lose more ground to the top 12.

More at Globe Drive

Porsche Cayman Interseries video

The newly Porsche Cayman Interseries ran its second race of its inaugural season at Road Atlanta in Braselton Georgia and the car maker used the occasion to produce a video about the new series. Also included are interviews with the founders of the series as well as on-track footage of the heritage livery themed 2010 Porsche Caymans.

Enjoy.

The Cayman Interseries: HSR, Road Atlanta from TangentVector on Vimeo.