A genuine threat to mercedes.
IN TERMS OF PREDICTING HOW A season will go, history shows it’s a mistake to set too much store by what happens in Melbourne. For one thing, it’s the first race of the year; for another, Albert Park is hardly a typical Formula 1 circuit.
That said, the events of last weekend suggested that the Barcelona tests did not lie, that – Saints Be Praised – at last the endless Mercedes domination is under genuine threat. Yes, you can say that if Lewis Hamilton hadn’t pitted early, then lost time behind Max Verstappen, he would have been ahead when Sebastian Vettel came back out after his stop, and you can throw in that ‘track position’ – with this latest generation of cars – is now more crucial than ever. You can say all that, but while it may be a different story in Shanghai or Bahrain, the fact is that Vettel and Ferrari won the Australian Grand Prix conclusively.
Despite the slight increase in allocation this year, drivers still reported the need for ‘fuel saving’, but a great plus is that the drivers, rather than pussy-footing around on ridiculous ‘high-degradation’ tyres, at last have Pirellis on which they can race, and for long periods at a time. Thanks to the increase in downforce, it didn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to predict there wouldn’t be much passing last Sunday, but if the race was absorbing rather than thrilling, at least it felt like a contest again.
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The Shock Of The New
If the spectacle of Lewis Hamilton carving his way to the world title seems familiar, much is changing off-track in the new Liberty era.
Dovizioso's Wet Win Keeps Thrilling Title Race Alive
JUST WHEN IT SEEMED MARC MARQUEZ was on the brink of securing MotoGP title number four, Andrea Dovizioso scored a sixth race win of the season to ensure that this most unpredictable of championship campaigns goes down to the last race.
Where Now For The Williams Revival?
Williams leaped to near the front of the field the last time F1’s regulations changed in 2014, but has slowly slipped back since then. The team needs to repeat the trick
Renault's Real First Year Back
After 2016’s ‘year zero’, this will be the season where Renault finally starts working its way towards the front. But there’s a long way to go.
Buemi Completes Hat-trick With His Best Win
Three wins from three rounds, and the championship leader appears stronger than ever. But his rivals look set to make his life much harder.
Porsche Closes On Title After Another Swap
Neel Jani, Andre Lotterer and Nick Tandy were the moral victors, but had to hand the lead over to their team-mates. Again.
Turkington's Missed Chance As Sutton Digs Deep
An unexpected twist of fortunes ensured points leader Sutton held his advantage.
Frijns And Leonard Defy Finale Chaos
THE BLANCPAIN SPRINT CUP FINALE WAS so frenetic and dramatic that two unexpected title contenders – of the 13 drivers who entered the weekend with a shot at the championship – didn’t even realise they were fighting for the crown when the crucial pass was made.
Prodrive Pair Peerless
TWO NEW NAMES WERE ADDED TO THE list of Supercars race winners at Sandown, as Cam Waters and Richie Stanaway combined to take their maiden main game victories.
Nigel Roebuck
The good and the bad of Bernie
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Honda's Transalp lineage dates back to the late '80s as the XL600V. We saw the motorcycle only briefly in the U.S., and then it disappeared in the great adventure dual-sport extinction event of the early '90s. Although, some aspects have been carried over from the 700V model, like the large dash area and color options (which we'll discuss later), the all-new platform comes with a host of modern features. So, what's the 2023 XL750 Transalp all about, and how will it stack up against the competition? Let's dive in....
Honda Unveils First All-Electric SUV, Built on GM's Battery Platform
The Honda Prologue battery-electric SUV arrives in 2024 and will use the Ultium battery technology developed by General Motors.
2023 Honda HR-V
We liked the old Honda FitW-based HR-V, even if it was poky_ More power, a bit more rear space, and a richer-feeling interior were all it needed.
2023 MOTORTREND NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE - PART 3
2023 BUYER'S GUIDE
JAPAN'S HONDA SEES DECLINING PROFITS ON SEMICONDUCTOR CRUNCH
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THE BOOKS THAT WOWED US
READING ROOM
IT USED TO BE SO SIMPLE
THE HONDA CRX S IS WHERE ALL THE GOOD STUFF STARTED.
SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE?
WITH OFF-ROAD-ORIENTED CROSSOVERS RESURGENT, TWO OF THE NEWEST PLAYERS CHALLENGE A PIONEER
IS THIS REALLY THE LAST GAS(P)?
There is no doubt that we are in the beginning/middle/end (you pick) of an automotive era. We have seen your letters complaining about too much electric-car coverage-they're in an overflowing postal bin marked "Angry Letters to Santa." We get it. Unfortunately, many of the new vehicles being introduced are electric or electrified. But, most isn't everything, nor does it mean the next time you head to a dealership you'll have to buy a vehicle with some variation of the following words: "Eco i Lightning tron ID Prime Dream." There are still some great gas-burning machines coming to showrooms soon, and we've carefully selected 12 that we think are worth the wait. After you buy one of these models, consider keeping it for the long run because vehicles of this ilk will become increasingly rare in the coming decades.
HERO HOG SAVES PAĽS BACON!
Closes door and slows fire's spread