Tag: Formula 1

  • Interview with Sean Bull – The Man behind the fantasy F1 liveries

    One of Sean’s 2018 car designs: The new Sauber with the Alfa Romeo livery and the Halo

    We talked with designer Sean Bull about his work in Formula E and his change from casual F1 fan to creator of fictional and real car designs, and show the person who stands behind some of the most popular fantasy F1 liveries.

    Most of the F1 community knows it: the feeling weeks before the presentation of the new F1 cars. Especially when a team has a big new sponsor or has changed their engine partner for example, everybody talks about possible livery changes. How would Ferrari look without Santander? Or the new McLaren in an old-school papaya coat? What about Red Bull with the new Aston Martin deal, or Sauber with Alfa Romeo? And most importantly: how will the cars look with the new halo system above the cockpits?

    Only a few of the many questions in this year’s pre-season. Thats where the work of Sean Bull begins. A man who not only creates possible designs of real and fictional F1 teams—he also started with a real design for the Dragon Formula E team this season.

    The fictional designs are iconic to many people. Thats why the disappointment is often big, when the teams reveal their real cars with a much more conservative livery.  Some people might ask why the real teams don’t look as good as popular examples from designers like Sean Bull. Let’s ask the man himself about this and know more about him, his hobby and his job at  the same time.

     

    A dream came true: Sean’s livery designs for Dragon Racing in this year’s Formula E season.

    1.  First of all, congratulations on your first real car livery, the Dragon Racing Formula E cars and their driver suits. They look great. Could you tell us, what was your reaction when you learned that your design had been chosen for the car?

    Sean: The Dragon design was months of hard work, working closely with the team’s owner, Jay Penske to design and develop the teams refreshed identity this season after the departure of Faraday last year, going back to the team’s roots of the striking red chrome and a more elegant and flowing design was a pleasure to draw and create, with the car lending itself heavily toward the livery layout. A classic use on subtle pinstriping around the key feature lines and the minimalist American flag motif that adorn the roll hoop and front wing are the result of continued fine tweaking and development.

    The decision to split the liveries came quite late and continue what is left of the team’s corporate DNA from last year with the split faraday designs, only presented in a more obvious and dramatic fashion this year, with each car being the mirror imprint of the other, something I wish F1 would be allowed to adopt with such difficulty telling the drivers apart from one another.

    The race suits and garage design were also fun aspects to design and create, we went with a range of options before we settled on something more minimal and classy rather than anything too outlandish and obvious, and I believe they look great, with obvious relation between the cars, pits and corporate branding and I’m very proud to have been part of it and am certainly looking forward to working with the team for the rest of the season.

     2. Tell us what got you started designing. What inspired you to design car liveries, and is that your full time job now, or is it still a hobby for you?

    Sean: I started, as I believe any fan of F1 has, sketching the cars watching the race as a young kid, and it’s from then that it’s always been my passion to be a car designer, so I studied Automotive Design at Coventry university and after gaining an industrial placement in my 3rd year I continued to work for that company as an Automotive Stylist after graduating in 2016. It was the skills in Photoshop and CAD learnt at university and work that helped me develop a hobby designing fantasy F1 liveries that slowly evolved into designing and creating the real thing for some big race teams around the world. Fortunately, it is still my side hobby and one that I take great passion in, but as I enjoy my main career as a car designer, it makes for a good break and free time relaxation, I’m just lucky enough that the livery work I do for ‘fun’ has given me the opportunity of a “second career”.

    Bildergebnis für f1 2018 sean bull design
    Another idea from Sean: making the most of the unpopular halo system with driver-specific liveries.

     3.  Your designs for the upcoming year are everywhere on the web, especially during the winter break. Many are disappointed when the real cars are presented by the teams after the break. In contrast to your designs they are often more simple and less warmly received. Does this reaction make you proud?

    Sean: As mentioned, this is what I love to do in my free time, so it’s good to see how my fantasy designs are received by the public, and that’s the difference between mine and the real ones that get presented in February. I’m not tied down to any corporate restrictions, branding guides or sponsor requirements, hence why my designs can be so much more extreme and dramatic compared to the real life counterparts. So I do have sympathy for the team’s actual design departments, especially now knowing the creative restrictions that do apply after working on a few real world commissions.

     4.  Could you tell us how much time you spend on a typical livery design?

    Sean: Usually when just playing around with my F1 designs, it’s anything from ten minutes to an hour. The real time is spent creating my templates and trying to get them as photo-realistic as possible. That’s where the hours and hours of work is spent. With the real-world teams it can be a lengthy process of design and development, or it can be relatively quick if the team love an initial concept and want to go with that. For example, the Dragon designs were five months from initial sketches to the final application, with changes and tweaks being made even as the car was being wrapped. However, in contrast the F2 livery for MP motorsport last year went straight from an initial sketch to the final proposal in a matter of weeks, such was the reaction from the proposed title sponsor the designs were created for!

    Also one of Sean’s most popular livery series’: the 2017 McLaren with all the team’s liveries from 1966 onwards. This is the design of the 1968 McLaren M7A.

    6.  2017 has been a special year for you, with many successes. What is your next goal? Do you have an ultimate goal, perhaps designing a livery for an F1 team in the near future?

    Sean: 2017 has honestly been the best year of my life, both professionally and personally. I was lucky enough to be engaged to my now-fiancée and we are getting married next year, so that was the personal highlight for me!

    In terms of professional success, this year has been incredible. I only started in November 2016, so for all this to happen in such a small space of time has been amazing—especially the work with Leclerc, going to see my first F1 race as a guest of his, and the Red Bull work I have done with their North American team this year (I was lucky enough for them to fly me out to LA to meet them and see my GRC liveries in action at the last race of the rear). And to top off the year, the Formula E commissions with Dragon and the contest win with Mahindra have been incredibly well received!

    Looking forward to the future, my ultimate goal is of course F1, and to gain a commission with a team there or eventually work as part of the team. I have other aspirations that I hope will be realised in the coming year, but they’re all secret for now!

  • F1 Finale – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Previews The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    F1 Finale – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Previews The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Max Verstappen previews The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

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  • Catching F1 Cars – The intervew with Vladimir Rys

    Catching F1 Cars – The intervew with Vladimir Rys

    Faster and faster… F1 cars are constantly going faster. It is really hard to catch them and show the shape of them. Vladimir Rys, multiple award winning photographer and f-stop gear ambassador who works on the F1 grid, has been doing it perfectly for many years. You can see his full portfolio on the site – vladimirrys.com
    Photography is a vital part of media coverage in not only Formula One, but motorsports and indeed sports in general. Vladmir has been on the grid since 2005, and throughout the years he has been snapping images of some of Formula One’s finest moments.

    In his fast-paced world Vladimir managed to find a moment for a conversation. In this interview he answers questions asked by Julia Paradowska.

    (The interview took a place on 13rd of November before the Brazilian GP.)

    Julia Paradowska: Cameras and lenses are heavy. Do you need to go to the gym to be able to have enough power to carry them?
    Vladimir Rys: Sure, you have to stay fit. I carry around the track about 20kg’s of equipment with me so I have to stay fit. Tracks like Singapore or Malaysia demand a lot of physical effort from us mainly due to climate conditions, so it’s very important to stay fit and strong.  I have a personal trainer back home and I go running quite regularly.
    JP: There are only two races left. What moment of 2017 came as a surprise for you?
    VR: I would say Max Verstappen’s rising star is not really a surprise after his brilliant driving last year, but for me it’s probably still the biggest positive out of all this season. F1 needs drivers like Verstappen, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Ricciardo… It’s all about winning at the end of the day. The heritage that these kind of drivers leave behind is enormous. That is the DNA of F1, that is what F1 is about.
    JP: What race did you attend for the first time as the photographer?
    VR: Australia 2005 was my first race. I had no idea what to expect, but with the first smell of the tyres, the petrol and the V8 engine’s terrifying sound I was instantly sucked into it. I remember standing next to a car in the pitlane and the whole ground was vibrating, same as my clothing I was wearing, to me that was just something I haven’t experienced before. From a photographic point of view a brand new world has opened right in front of my eyes. I suddenly had a playground I could play at. I was excited to dive into this new world with my camera and with eyes wide open I started exploring my new creative limits. I have experienced a new creative boost that would put my photography on a new level again. I didn’t need to sit and wait for the picture like you have to do when shooting football, I went and found the picture my self.
    JP: Which photo (that you’ve taken) is your favourite?
    VR: I have a few photos I like, but I always believe the next one will be my best one.
    JP: What car (since you started working) is the most photogenic for you?
    VR: Probably this year’s cars I would say. They are just beautiful. Even with the shark fins they look amazing on the track. Best looking cars for me this year would be Toro Rosso, Mercedes and Red Bull of course. The RB13 with it’s highly saturated colours, the matt look and it’s beautiful shape just stands out. It’s a perfection of it’s self.
    JP: Do you have other hobbies?
    VR: Away from the track I love sports, reading books and outdoor life like camping and drinking coffee with friends.
    Credit: Vladimir Rys / Red Bull Content Pool
    JP: You opened an exhibition in Amsterdam in September. Why did you call it ‘Gravity‘?
    VR: The title came to our minds after we spoke a lot about my work and the exhibition with my curator Yael van der Lek from Amsterdam. She said to me „when I look at your images, it seems to me almost like the cars are levitating in space, like they would be detached from gravity forces and freely move in space“. That was it, the title was out.
    JP: Who was your photography guru?
    VR: No one really. I had one or two names I looked up to as a young photographer, but it wasn’t any of the world famous names of photography we all know. I remember a photographer called Jiri Pekarek. Czech photographer, who although he worked as a sports photographer had a different approach of telling a story with a completely different image. It wasn’t the podiums or goals, it was a dejection of an athlete, a behind the scenes shot, a detail that he said the story with. Very emotional images. His eye fascinated me in my early days and I feel influenced by him a lot. From there on I have really followed anything that had something to do with photography or arts. You can get inspired from anything, not just photography, but also music, a movie or even a book can inspire you. Obviously the world of fashion is always a massive inspiration.
    JP: How important is social media for photographers?
    VR: I think it’s very important, but at the same time you have to stay authentic and real. It’s a showcase of your work and the way you promote your work. The whole market has completely changed in the last ten years and social media plays a major role for every creative mind. At the same time there are a lot of photographers who are not so talented, but know how to use social media and how to promote themselves even better than some very talented snappers and this distracts a lot of people. As always it’s about the balance really, but it’s very important to have a social media presence.
    JP: Do you have any tips for amateur photographers?
    VR: Doubt the standards, keep your head down and never be satisfied with the outcome.
    Credit: Vladimir Rys / Red Bull Content Pool
  • Racing In The Rain – Max Verstappen Relives His Epic Drive At The 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Racing In The Rain – Max Verstappen Relives His Epic Drive At The 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix | Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Max Verstappen previews the Brazilian Grand Prix, during which he recalls his epic drive at last year’s race in the rain at Interlagos.

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  • You keep me coming back for more

    You keep me coming back for more

    The things you do for love… early mornings, late nights, moments of utter joy tempered with moments of abject sadness. It is an inexplicable bond, this thing called love, that causes a person to stand by the object of their affection in bad times and to celebrate the good times with an air of reckless merriment and joy.
    No, you have not accidently stumbled onto a “how to fix my love life blog” or a tribute to some mysterious love. What you have found is my story on this love affair with Formula One that, as the Brothers Johnson would say, keeps me coming back for more. A few weeks ago my Crew colleague, Aaron Irwin, invoked the Righteous Brothers as he described losing that loving feeling he has for the sport of F1. He inspired me to examine the reason why I am still in love with F1 and keep on tuning in for more regardless of time differences.
    I will be honest, much like a relationship with an actual human, there have been moments of sheer frustration that have made me stop and question why I still have this feeling for the sport. My friends, the non-F1 crowd that is, have a hard time understanding F1 to being with and so you can imagine their confusion when I vent about “the silly grid penalty nonsense and artificial feeling tracks”.

    Credit: Pirelli

    It was Michael Schumacher who cemented my attraction to the sport but it was Ayton Senna who formed its foundation. I loved how drivers as openly emotional and passionate as Senna and one who as passionate in a more clinical and equally brilliant manner that Schumacher possessed, could drive beyond what even their cars technically allowed. Schumacher battling with Mika Hakkinen and later Fernando Alonso would result in my family waking up at 5am on certain Sunday’s, due to the time differences to Australia and Japan, to the sound of Murray Walker saying “GO GO GO!”.
    But with good times, comes the bad. F1 saw technical changes which resulted in certain teams finding loopholes well within the laws, giving them a technical advantage and negating any real competition for many years. Slowly the personalities of drivers were being controlled and the days of free speakers like Juan Pablo Montoya were ending, (although Kimi will always thankfully be Kimi). F1 was slowly feeling a bit too artificial with even drivers being told what to say and do and how to say and do it so as not to create a PR disaster. Tracks felt more like pandering to big money instead of reaching F1’s heart and soul… its fans.

    Credit: Pirelli

    Right about now, you would be staging and intervention trying to reason with me….
    Yet I did not miss a race… not a single one. There were the little things that kept me there, Jenson Button’s empathic maiden championship win, Alonso joining Ferrari, Sauber staying in F1, Schumacher coming back and then breaking my heart by retiring.
    You see the uncertainty of F1 is like nothing else. Take this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. It seemed to be all Sebastian Vettel for sure, many online said they would not even watch the procession, but then the first corner happened and changed the 2017 championship forever, similarly the resurgence of the Red Bull team, when many had written them off. You cannot predict an F1 weekend outcome. I still have that feeling, as the lights are about to go out, a nervous excitement and elevated heart rate, which prima facie sounds silly because, after all, I have nothing personally invested in the race. Lately, however, there has been a swing back to more openness and a nostalgic feel to things, the talent of a driver seems to be allowed more room and teams are closer, technically, to each other.

    Credit: LAT Photographic/Williams F1

    Like any relationship, my love of F1 faced some introspection, what kept me loving the sport? Perhaps Liberty Media have been the correct relationship counsellor? Let us examine that for a quick second. It is evident that fans are less critical of the new regime when compared to that of Bernie and Co. It seems that the more open approach, such as the access to the F1 drivers meeting and more access to the track, have given the fans more of a hands on approach to F1. It is all of that and more. It may sound a bit dramatic, (I am a lawyer, drama is pre-requisite), but my heart and mind and truly invested in F1. While there may be other motorsports that I enjoy, I love F1 and will continue to do so if the ethos remains.
    What is this you may ask? For me it is the authentic feel of the F1 of old remaining and the marriage of driver and machine reaching the peak of human physicality and performance, tempered with the emotional and visual entertainment that only F1 can bring.

  • Sir Frank Williams – The Man Behind Williams F1 Team

    Sir Frank Williams – The Man Behind Williams F1 Team

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid which is the tribute to Sir Frank Williams, featuring Felipe Massa, Pat Symonds and Dickie Stanford.

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  • ‘Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen On F1 Race Preparation’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    ‘Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen On F1 Race Preparation’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Red Bull’s drivers are talking about the preparation before the race.

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  • Who is Brendon Hartley?

    Who is Brendon Hartley?

    Here is the lowdown on the newest motorsport driver to attempt the thrills and spills of Formula 1.

    Dean Tremi/Red Bull Content Pool

    Brendon Hartley

    Age: 27
    Nationality: New Zealand
    Current Drive: Porsche WEC Driver

    Notable Achievements:

    2007: EuroCup Formula Renault 2.0 Champion
    2015: FIA World Endurance Champion
    2017: Le Mans 24 Hours Winner

    History:

    Brendon Hartley is an out-and-out racer, whether we say open wheeled racers or prototypes. Hartley’s F1 debut by all means has come to a shock to the New Zealander, after he was dropped by the Red Bull Junior driver program in 2010. The reason he was dropped was after poor results compared to his team mate in Formula Renault 3.5. His team mate at the time was Daniel Ricciardo.

    Andrew Ferraro/GP2 Media Service

    Hartley fluttered in and out with GP2 between 2010 and ’12, but without anything set in stone it was difficult for him to gain a rhythm in the series. Without a full-time drive in 2012 he moved towards LMP2 in his Le Mans 24 Hours debut. In 2012 and ’13 he continued to have his foot still in the door at Formula 1, performing some shakedown tests for the pre-dominant Mercedes team.

    From 2014 onwards, he then dedicated his full time to the World Endurance Champion when he signed with the up-and-coming Porsche LMP1 team. He won the 2015 Drivers’ Championship, coming on leaps and bounds in that category of motorsport.

    The Kiwi is in good form: he won the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours and, including that event, has won the last four races, ironically his most recent win being at the Circuit of the Americas. In endurance racing he hasn’t finished off the podium since Le Mans last year.

    Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool

    Chance at 2018?

    Daniil Kvyat has now been demoted twice but has been given a reprieve with Carlos Sainz moving to Renault in-season and Pierre Gasly attempting to win the Super Formula Championship in Japan.

    If Brendon Hartley impresses could he replace Kvyat when Gasly returns? The World Endurance Championship and Formula 1 do not clash for the remainder of the year. Brendon Hartley on the 2018 Formula 1 grid—something I wouldn’t have thought would even be in discussion few months ago.

  • ‘Carlos Sainz Jr. On Fernando Alonso & Why He Owes Everything To Scuderia Toro Rosso’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    ‘Carlos Sainz Jr. On Fernando Alonso & Why He Owes Everything To Scuderia Toro Rosso’ – Mobil 1 The Grid

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Carlos Sainz Jr. talks about the influence of Fernando Alonso and much more.

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  • Night Rider – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo Previews The 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

    Night Rider – Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo Previews The 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

    Check out the newest video from Mobil 1 The Grid in which Daniel Ricciardo looks ahead to the Singapore Grand Prix.

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