Button, Alonso show they’ve still got it at Silverstone

By Jul 7, 2014, 2:30 PM EDT
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There were two fascinating performances at Silverstone Sunday that showcase two great elements of Formula One. One is when a driver outperforms his or her machinery; the other is when a veteran shows the relentless doggedness and determination they showcased earlier in their careers.

On Sunday, former World Champions Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso did just that in their down on outright pace 2014-spec McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari, respectively.

Button ran second early, ultimately passed by Lewis Hamilton in the opening laps, but consistently ran third or fourth the remainder of the race.

What followed in the closing laps was very nearly a spiritual drive as Button closed to the tune of 1-1.5 seconds per lap on the ailing Daniel Ricciardo, on older, softer tires in his quest for his elusive first British Grand Prix podium.

He came up just short at the flag but it was a memorable performance. It was especially well-timed considering comments made by Ron Dennis telling him to “step it up” entering the weekend.

Yes, the tire gap had a lot to do with it but you could tell this was Button at his fighting best – a la race-winning performances of Hungary 2006 or Canada 2011 for instance – when he could have been resigned simply to bag the fourth place and not be able to reel him in. He was spurred on by the home crowd and Ricciardo reckoned if Button had had one more lap at his disposal, he would have been past.

It would have been fitting for Button to score a home podium and to pass Ricciardo to have the honor. It was Button, coincidentally, who inherited Ricciardo’s podium at Ricciardo’s home Grand Prix in Melbourne following the Red Bull driver’s disqualification for exceeding the fuel flow limit. Alas, Button has a podium this year, but wasn’t able to celebrate it. And this was a day that he drove better than in Australia, but again, came up just shy of the rostrum.

Meanwhile Alonso’s fight with Ricciardo’s Red Bull teammate, Sebastian Vettel, was amazing to watch in the moment and is likely going to enter F1 lore in the years to come.

Ace stat man Sean Kelly mentioned Alonso in the same breath as Gilles Villeneuve for Ferrari, and Ayrton Senna for 1992 in McLaren – no small comparison. Being mentioned in that regard meant that Alonso, again, simply willed a car on a day it had no business being as high up as it was.

This has been the hallmark of Alonso’s Ferrari career. He went there expecting to win more World Championships; instead, year after year, he’s had to ring the absolute hell out of a car that has traditionally been third or fourth best, at best, on the grid. This year it might not even be that high considering the engine and chassis are both down by comparison to the Mercedes power unit and the Mercedes, Red Bull and even Williams chassis.

For Button, 34, and Alonso, 33 later this month, they’re closer to the ends of their F1 careers than the beginning. Button is the most experienced driver on the grid with 250+ Grand Prix starts since 2000; Alonso only trails by a handful with 225+ since 2001. They are now F1’s old guard – despite entering the sport at age 20 and 19, respectively.

Still though, as F1 always stands on the balance of youthful exuberance versus the wisdom, sage and experience of the veterans in terms of the grid, it’s refreshing to see the old dogs still have some youthful bark.

Seeing them put on these performances at the iconic and legendary Silverstone Circuit was simply great theater that spanned generations.

Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
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LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).