F-1ing About: A Comprehensive Guide to All Things F-1, Part 1
On November 18th 2012, the sport of Formula One Racing returns to the USA following a break of seven years. The last race in America was the legendary ill fated Indianapolis Grand Prix of 2005, where due to a screw up over tires, only six 
cars competed in the race. This race is often cited as the low point of the sport in recent years.
Let’s not dwell on that, though, for the modern F1, with its innovative DRS, KERS and new Pirelli tries, is a far cry from the old processional racing that had no overtakes and very little in the way of wheel to wheel battling . Make no mistake, F1 in 2012 is possibly the most exciting the sport has ever been. New tactics are in play due to the ban on re-fueling, the previously mentioned tires are something of a wild card, and there is enough new blood in the sport now to give even the most seasoned of those old dogs something to worry about.
The forthcoming race in Austin, Texas on the 18th November aims to re-ignite the USA’s interest in this sport and this will be joined in 2013 by the first ever race in New Jersey. To that end The Inept Owl is bringing you a weekly guide to the teams and drivers, with the aim of telling you everything you need to know before a wheel is turned in anger on U.S. soil.
Red Bull Racing
Yes, this is a team named after a fizzy drink. Red Bull Racing is the baby of Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz. Looking like a cross between Charlton Heston and a Eastern European Mafia boss, my research has yet to uncover a photo of Herr. Mateschitz in his extinct Volcano hideout stroking a white cat, although I am led to believe they exist somewhere. Since the team’s inception in 2005, they have screamed to the head of the field, winning the previous two constructors and drivers championships.
Adrian Newey (left), Christian Horner (right)
Team Principle: Christian Horner - Christian is a master of the PR statement, nothing that happens within the team is ever their fault, even when it clearly is their fault and there is video and audio evidence to back it up. Expect to see numerous camera shots of Christian’s twitching feet, a nervous tick which shows itself during moments of high stress, elation, and when he is accused of doing something that is his fault.
Chief Designer: Adrian Newey - Newey is THE designer in F1. All the teams would love to have this quiet, unassuming, God-like genius of aerodynamics on their crew. F1 is very much about taking the technical regulations and finding grey area an holes to exploit, and Newey is a master of this. As soon as he comes up with a new innovation, all the other teams try to copy it, then usually tried to get it banned because they don’t have Newey’s planet-sized brain to make it work.
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