Tag Archives: Formula 1

Porsche Mourns Jochen Mass Death

Porsche AG (P911.DE) said this week that it mourns the “death of one of the family – with gratitude, respect and deep affection.” Jochen Mass, the  former works racing driver died on 4 May 2025 at the age of 78 in Cannes, France.

“We are very saddened by the news of his death. Jochen Mass was a driver with depth. One who could understand the car like few others”, said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsports. “He had an excellent feel for technology and for everything that makes a team strong. We are losing a remarkable driver and a trusted companion who was with us for many years. His legacy extends well beyond his success – it lives in memories, in stories and in his way of thinking about motorsports. Our thoughts are with his family.” Continue reading

Posted in news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Annals of Marketing – Lotus Emira Clark Edition

Lotus* said today that it will honor one of its works drivers with the introduction of the Emira Clark Edition, in collaboration with the Jim Clark Trust. This model, limited to just 60 cars for selected markets, will make its world debut leading at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The Emira Clark Edition pricing will be £115,000 in the UK,€140,000 in Germany.

“The legacy of Jim Clark and Team Lotus is forever etched into the history of motorsport. In 1965, Clark secured the Formula 1 World Championship with Team Lotus and triumphed in the iconic Indianapolis 500 – a remarkable double victory that remains unmatched to this day. That same year, Clark further demonstrated his extraordinary talent with championship victories in Formula 2 and the Tasman Series in Australia and New Zealand, as well as winning touring car races in a Lotus Cortina,” Lotus said. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, design and styling, marketing, performance, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

General Motors via Cadillac F1 Bound in 2026

The move comes after Max Verstappen took the 2024 driver’s title driving for Red Bull at Las Vegas over the past weekend. An announcement of some sort was widely rumored in the paddock. This starts another era in F1 as Cadillac would be the first new team to join F1 since 2016 and the eleventh team on the grid. In addition to the Cadillac F1 partnership with GM, TWG Global owns and operates Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing, and Spire Motorsports. [It will also open up a couple of driver’s seats in the world’s most expensive motor sports series.  Seven different drivers won more than one race in 2024, which has two races remaining. Gentleman, let the driver speculation intrigue begin. Gentlewoman? – AutoCrat] Continue reading

Posted in auto news, marketing, news analysis, people, performance, racing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sam’s Scrapbook by Sam Posey Now Available in the US

Running alongside the images, Posey’s commentary is both amusing and emotional. This is a must read memoir by one of America’s racing stars. Surely it will appeal to all motorsports enthusiasts and those who are just getting to know the giant motorsports money machine. I knew Posey from my long association with the International Motor Press Association in New York. He was friendly, intellectually curious and colorful in a latter-day Connecticut Yankee kind of way at Racing’s court. Sam’s Scrapbook is a first-hand account of a golden era in racing, through pictures no outsider has seen and stories not heard. Continue reading

Posted in people, performance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aston Martin Returns to Formula 1 in 2021?

Whether that holds true today given the tatters that F1 was in last year remains to be proven. The 2020 F1 season is one I won’t miss. (I guess the nicest way to characterize the last race is “strategic.” This is a polite way of saying there wasn’t any racing going on. Ferrari with six straight losing seasons. Mercedes dominating qualifying and the races as it had for years on years. YAWN. Changing 2021 down-force doesn’t appear to be anything but a meaningless tweak. I know: don’t write your lede on the way to Australia in 2021. Still it reminds me of the McClaren mid-1980s domination years that badly damaged F1 with its lack of racing. ) Continue reading

Posted in marketing, news analysis, racing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment