As the leaves and the temperatures start to fall at VMP Towers, thoughts go to the warmth of the Bahraini welcome which awaits the FIA WEC family as we gather in the desert to watch the 6h of Bahrain, 2016 season finale. So, without further ado, it's ‘last round gentlemen’ as windscreens get polished, tyres checked and mirrors adjusted for that last blast in the desert at the … [Read more...]
If the Audi withdrawal was a splash
If the Audi withdrawal was a splash…there’s a Tsunami coming Much has been written of the future of the six Audi WEC drivers after the announcement by Audi to withdraw from WEC at the end of the 2016 season, less so though about the fate of the army of dedicated technicians and support infrastructure. The decision by Audi to withdraw from the WEC has in effect … [Read more...]
Anecdotes from a motoring journalist
Anecdotes from a motoring journalist – I have been fortunate enough to visit many interesting places, and to see and drive cars that would not ordinarily be possible in other occupations. Not only has this been a great pleasure and a privilege for me, but having been born and grown up in distant South Africa, I have witnessed the world of motoring and motorsport in the … [Read more...]
WEC Round 5 Mexico
Welcome to the land of hot chillies, cacti, sombreros and of course…, Speedy Gonzales. Endurance racing hasn’t taken place in Mexico on a World Championship platform for twenty-five years. The last Group C races here were won by Jean-Louis Schlesser/Jochen Mass in 1989 (Sauber Mercedes), Jochen Mass/Michael Schumacher in 1990 (Sauber Mercedes), and Keke Rosberg/Yannick Dalmas … [Read more...]
Virtual Motorpix’ Top 10 racers
Four weeks ago we enjoyed the 2016 Silverstone Classic and once again, there were in the order of 1000 race cars competing across a wide spectrum of classes and eras. We have attempted to select just ten racers from amongst this awesome field, and called them the ‘VMP Top 10 racers.’ These were selected for reasons that they reminded us of a golden era of motorsport, or for … [Read more...]
Le Mans rollercoaster
Now imagine yourself in a rollercoaster at your local fair with its multiple ups and downs, and even upside down loops. In a similar way, the 24-Hour race this last weekend was a bit like a Le Mans rollercoaster ride, one minute Porsche was up, then it was Toyota, and even the cars within the same team swapped positions regularly. In the end though, it was Porsche who … [Read more...]
Final hours of Le Mans 24H 2016
In the final hours of Le Mans 24H 2016 and after twenty hours of nose-to-tail racing, the no.2 Porsche is 40 seconds behind the lead Toyota and just 24 seconds behind the second placed Toyota. From early on in the race, Toyota took the fight to Porsche and it was a three-way tussle throughout the night, with the lead swapping between them in sync with the pit stops. If truth be … [Read more...]
FORD GT – Then and now
Key information Author: Adrian Streather Publisher: Veloce Publishing LTD, Dorset, UK ISBN: 1-84584-054-2 Format: Hardback, 240 pages, 250 x 250mm The legend created by the awesome Ford GT 40 in the 1960s will live on in the memory of most motorsport enthusiasts fortunate enough to have witnessed that era. But the … [Read more...]
Goodwood Revival 2015
The Goodwood Revival 2015 marked the first time in the history of the Cobra saga, that all six of the Daytona Coupes would be gathered together in one location. This never happened in period because the first of the Daytonas was produced in California, while the remaining five cars were made in Italy. Even once they were racing in 1965, they were never all in one place together … [Read more...]
Geneva Motor Show 2014 – The Le Mans Expo
Virtual Motorpix will be attending the Geneva Motor Show 2014 on the press days, 4-5 March, and we are really excited about the display of Le Mans winners that can be seen at the show. The Geneva Motor Show 2014 will open its doors to the public on Thursday this week. Until 16th March, the Le Mans cars will be on show in one of the halls of this prestigious international … [Read more...]