The Flying Dutchman After 1994, by Ibrar Malik

Jos Verstappen, the father of current F1 star Max, arrived in the sport with a BANG. On his debut, the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix, he arguably caused one of the most horrific looking multi-car pileups ever. This had followed massive hype surrounding the 22-year-old that he was F1's next big thing.

Verstappen failed to deliver on his initial promise, instead he crashed out of 50% of races during 1994. It earned him the nickname "Vercrashen". 

Some believed the pressure of debuting for one of F1's top teams - Benetton - alongside the 1994 world champion got to him. Whereas others, including Jos himself, felt Benetton secretly gave Schumacher a car laden with hidden electronic aids which explained the Dutchman's lack of performance. The new book investigates this in detail however, what can be learned from Jos's career outside of Benetton?

Which Nations Dominate F1 and WRC?, by Select Car Leasing

We're all familiar with the greats of the sport, but which countries can boast the best record on the track? Select Car Leasing analysed how many drivers from each country have taken part in F1 and WRC and compared that total to each nation's population size, per every 1m citizens. The stats revealed some big surprises.

Key Findings

-       The UK loves the track...with the second-best F1 participation rate, behind only Switzerland

-       Just five nations have won a title in both F1 and WRC... which includes the UK, Finland, Italy, Spain and France

-       The UK and US represent almost half of the total motorsport participants since 1950... featuring a combined total of 418 drivers

-       The F1 bug hasn't yet reached China and India... Despite a combined population of 2.7 billion citizens, they've had just two professional drivers

-       Where winter bites WRC is popular... Estonia, Sweden, Norway and Finland lead the line for participation

-       Estonia falling at the final hurdle... despite huge participation, the country is yet to win a professional WRC title

Inside Line F1 Podcast - Here We Go, Talking About F1

Photo: Octane Photography

Yes, we talk about Formula 1 all the time, but in this week's episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, we talk to Mr. Talking About F1 himself - Graham Keilloh. Keilloh, who is a seasoned Motorsport journalist, talks to us about the upcoming season. Some of the topics discussed on this week's show include the team management changes at Ferrari and McLaren, the new driver line-ups, if the new aero regulations will shake up the competitive order and five things to look forward to in 2019.

Is Mick Schumacher to Ferrari the best step for Schumacher Jr.? When could we actually see him race a Scarlet Red Formula 1 car? Well, you can place a friendly bet with us! And of course, Mithila ends the show with her famous and funny 'What Wolff Said This Week' section. Tune in!

(Season 2019, Episode 02)

P.S.: While tuning into this episode, remember the Red Bull Racing cars of the hybrid-turbo era - ones where the aerodynamics more than made up for the power deficit. Likewise for this week's show, the quality of our conversations more than make up for the audio loss you might experience at a few parts. 

Why are Finns so Good At Motorsport?, by Select Car Leasing

This article and its graphics were created by Select Car Leasing

Another Formula 1 (F1) season draws to its conclusion and it's another drivers' championship win for Lewis Hamilton. It's also been another year that has seen strong representation from Finland on the leaderboard, with Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton's team-mate, finishing in fifth position in the standings and Kimi Räikkönen placed above him in third. The continuing trend of Finnish drivers succeeding in motorsport got us thinking - just how has a nation of only 5.5m people managed to have such a strong influence on the motorsport world?

Select Car Leasing investigated some of the key reasons behind the incredible rise of the Finnish nation over the years.  Here are five ways that have been crucial to Finland's ascent to becoming a motorsport powerhouse:

-       Sisu... The ancient Finnish art inspiring its drivers
-       Forest roads and harsh winters... These allow for drivers in Finland to hone their skills and pave the way for successful motorsport competitors
-       Putting the population through its paces...  Finland has one of the hardest driving tests in the world
-       Folk racing... The Finnish pastime which tests drivers endurance and encourages competition on the road
-       The art of the 'Scandinavian flick'...  How a unique driving style has caught on all over the world

Photo: Octane Photography

New Motorsport Week article: The inside story of the new bronze Senna statue

You no doubt have seen the new life-size bronze statue of Ayrton Senna statue by now. It was unveiled at Autosport International Show​ and indeed rather stole the show. Backed by Instituto Ayrton Senna it marks a quarter century since the great Brazilian's untimely death.

And even though there is no shortage of Senna memorabilia out there this one succeeded in providing something far removed from what we might have expected.

At the Autosport show for Motorsport Week​ I spoke to the man behind it, prominent F1 artist Paul Oz. We explored the story behind the work as well as what else Paul gets up to.

You can check our conversation out via this link: https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/21231