Category: News

A quick reminder for motor racing fans that the general release of the full length Ayrton Senna documentary is due to start around Australia this Thursday. Above is a new 30 second TVC posted to the official Senna movie YouTube account.

Already there have been a number of preview screenings across the country, including one on the Gold Coast hosted by speedcafe.com. After the break you can see more from that screening including interviews with Sir Jack Brabham and Mick Doohan. Also interviewed were Adrian Burgess and Martin Whitaker, both well known locally for their current involvement with V8 Supercars, but both had worked in F1 while Senna was at his peak.

Young Australian racing driver Daniel Ricciardo is just three races in to what we hope will be a long and successful Formula One career. Starting with Hispania Racing the 22-year-old has been making steady progress with the equipment available to him. Helping us understand what’s been on Daniel’s mind of late HRT has sent out a Q&A interview which you can read in full after the break.

In regards to Ricciardo’s longer term future, if all goes well, he will be the one most likely to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull Racing. Perhaps as soon as the 2013 F1 season. Plenty of water to pass under the bridge before then, though.

Revisions to the 2012 Formula One calendar will see the Australian Grand Prix host the opening race next year Autosport reports.

The expected changes follow news that Bernie has got his red pen out and started to fiddle with the dates due to lingering safety concerns in Bahrain. It’s now thought the Bahrain Grand Prix will be pushed back to November to go back-to-back with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Such a move would allow Melbourne to return to its debut role. It’s also possible the Australian GP will be held on 11 March, one week earlier than first advised, and the Malaysian Grand Prix will move to 18 March to allow consecutive fly-away races to open the season.

Other changes mentioned include Bernie’s red pen putting a line right through the Turkish Grand Prix, removing it from the 2012 calendar altogether. A three week gap prior to the Spanish Grand Prix could usher in a return for in-season testing as well.

Concerns over Texas’ hot temperatures in June are understood to see the United States Grand Prix move to the second last race of the year, where it will run back-to-back with the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Eccelstone’s proposed changes would need to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council later this year. Assuming no major gripes from the teams over logistics a rubber stamp should be a formality.

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

Advance screenings: Melbourne (20, 22 & 30 July) // Sydney (28 July & 4 August)

As most of you will know the general Australian release of the Senna documentary is 11 August. Not too far away. For those who can’t wait any longer there are a few advance screenings coming soon.

The award-winning movie has already screened at festivals in Adelaide and Sydney. Now Melbourne is getting ready for its premiere screening of Senna at an invitation only Australian Grand Prix Corporation event later this week.

However, Sydney movie goers will have two further chances to catch Senna before general release, with tickets for both still currently available. First is the Circuit Club charity event (28 July) before Alan Jones, 1980 F1 world champ, presents the movie at the Orpheum (4 August).

[Pic: Facebook | Thanks to Tom for the tip]

UPDATE: Senna will also be screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 22 and 30 July.

Fantastic news for Australian F1 fans with confirmation Daniel Ricciardo has landed an F1 race seat with Hispania Racing Team for the rest of 2011.

It’s expected Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan will make way for Ricciardo at HRT under a new agreement struck between the Spanish team and Red Bull. This will allow Red Bull to compare Ricciardo to Vitantonio Liuzzi who has driven for both Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing in the past.

So far in 2011 Ricciardo has experienced F1 seat time in all Friday practice sessions for Toro Rosso. In the eight events completed the young West Australian, and 2009 British Formula 3 champ, has impressed to the point recent speculation has been rife Ricciardo might have displaced current Toro Rosso drivers Sebatien Buemi or Jaime Algeusuari before the year was out. Those two can rest easy, for now.

Ricciardo, who turns 22 today (1 July), is expected to have 10 races with HRT, starting with next weekend’s British Grand Prix, to establish his reputation in motorsport’s elite category. Assuming he performs well, it is thought he will get a drive with Toro Rosso or even Red Bull Racing in 2012.

Note: There are 11 F1 races remaining this year and it is understood Karthikeyan will be allowed to race in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in late October.

The 2011 British Grand Prix is now shaping to be the first time two Australians have made an F1 starting grid since Alan Jones (Shadow-Ford) and Vern Schuppan (Surtees-Ford) started the 1977 Austrian GP. Incidentally, that race was Alan Jones’ maiden Grand Prix win.

The official announcement from HRT can be read below.