Motorsport
f... f.... football. If it doesn't have an engine, forget about it!
F1: And yet, McLaren are strangely silent
Another announcement from Vijay Mallya. This time, it's that the Force India team is to give up with the Ferrari engines that propelled the cars further up the grid than expected despite there being a year to go on the customer engine supply agreement.
F1: Ecclestone's plans to deny Hamilton a second championship
Having failed to prevent Hamilton winning the 2008 Championship, Formula One is determined to prevent him winning again, by changing the rules.
WRC: too much money, too little return
If Subaru doesn't think the money it spends on rallying translates into enough sales for the amount spent, then the future of manufacturer-supported motorsport must be in doubt.
F1: RIP Honda
Honda has announced their withdrawal from Formula One and put its team up for sale, making it clear that it will not start next season unless the team has a new owner.
F1: Hamilton gets the point
The final Grand Prix of the 2008 season spawned drama even before the warm-up lap. As the cars sat on the grid, rain unceremoniously dumped water all over Interlagos. Given ten minutes delay to change the setup and tyres - limited to what they could do on the grid, teams changed wings, fitted intermediate tyres and told drivers to stay calm and not to race too hard into the first bend.
MotoGP: The Old Order more or less re-established.
In 2006, Rossi's injuries allowed Haydon to sneak through and win the Championship; in 2007 no one could touch Stoner. This year, Rossi has won, on merit but with a little help from Stoner's injuries. The last race of the season in Valencia proved a cracker as Stoner made it clear: his tiny hand is broken but his heart and his ambition are as big as ever.
Land Speed Record: Green and Noble team up again to top 1,000 MPH
It was thrilling Boys' Own stuff. In the red, white and blue corner, the little team from the UK led by Richard Noble with a car powered by a jet engine and driven by a fighter pilot Andy Green. In the corner with the stars and stripes, a hugely funded American team. The prize? To be the first to break the sound barrier on land.
Kudos: the best motor racing article ever?
Sometimes it takes you by surprise: its the article you always wished you coud write, and someone else writes it. Kudos, Kathy Marks and The Independent.
F1: sponsorship not as good as in the bank.
It emerged recently that McLaren have not yet signed a renewal deal with Santander to continue the major sponsorship deal that has put them onto millions of TV screens around the world, although the deal is said to be in place for 2009. But there are darker issues at work - and it's not just McLaren who need to be worried about funding.
F1: the drivers did it, not us, Ferrari will tell stewards
Ferrari will come up with all sorts of excuses - something broke on Raikkenon's car, he was dehyrdated and not feeling well, the telemetry showed that he may have had a puncture. Whatever it was, suddenly the Finn's Ferrari was a lot slower than his team-mate as they swapped places to keep Massa's title chances one point more hopeful.