Damien Smith Journalist Profile

Articles

When Alesi was reunited with his "dream" F1 racer

6 days ago | autosport.com | Damien Smith

New sponsor, a change of driver. Camel tobacco money is a welcome fillip for minnow Tyrrell and its previously plain blue 018. But it means Marlboro-backed Michele Alboreto – the team’s last grand prix winner from way back in 1983 – can make his excuses and leave mid-season. Incoming is some French-Sicilian chap who is doing good things in Formula 3000 with Eddie Jordan’s Camel-backed Reynard. But Ken Tyrrell has little idea what he should expect from blue-eyed Jean Alesi.
How Kubica delivered Ferrari its Le Mans hat-trick

1 week ago | goodwood.com | Damien Smith

Always Ferrari’s race to loseExpectations that perhaps five or six manufacturers might fight for the win sadly proved unfounded at Le Mans this year. The race was strangely flat for long periods despite the stunning entry featuring eight manufacturers bidding for Hypercar honours. The three Ferraris dominated the top of the timing screens through most of the race despite disappointing in qualifying, the #50 lining up seventh on the grid, #51 in 11th and the eventual winner in 13th.
How heroic Kubica and Co pulled off stunning Ferrari Le Mans win

1 week ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

AF Corse painted the town yellow at the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend as the so-called ‘customer’ No83 Ferrari proved conclusively the most potent of the three 499Ps, beating the two red works cars to make it a magical three from three for the Prancing Horse in this Hypercar era. From the early stages, Ferrari’s 12th Le Mans win never seemed in serious doubt as for long periods the three cars locked out the podium places.
Ferrari believes Le Mans hat-trick is still on ahead of 'close fight' in race

2 weeks ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

The fastest Ferrari, that of 2024 race winners Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and (an under the weather) Nicklas Nielsen, is only seventh on the grid; Calado, Fabrizio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi, winners two years ago, are down in 11th; and the third 499P of the officially ‘customer’ AF Corse entry of Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson is only 13th.
SUMMONS AND AUTOMATIC ECONOMIC RESTRAINING ORDER

2 weeks ago | bitterrootstar.com | Damien Smith

Megan S. Winderl CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C. 99 Marcus St. 3rd FL Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 218-4888 [email protected] [email protected] Attorneys for Petitioner MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTYIN RE: THE MARRIAGE OF: JESSICA SCHUELER, Petitioner,vs. MYNOR ROBERTO RABRE CEBALLOS, Respondent. Cause No. DR-41-2005-0000101-DUDept. No. 1Howard F.
F1 legend Jackie Stewart recalls his greatest moments

3 weeks ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

Were he to have his time again and had the blessing of choice, would Sir Jackie Stewart have raced in a different era? He’d surely have enjoyed the money Formula 1 stars earn today… But no. In the pantheon of the F1 World Championship’s 75 years, Sir Jackie says he wouldn’t change his own timeline. After all, he raced with and against his best friends. What could be better than that? There is a caveat, however – and not the one you might expect.
Porsche 917: The film - review of DVD and book release

3 weeks ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

Thirst for the Porsche 917 cannot be quenched, it seems. The latest offering on what many consider the greatest sports racing car of them all is this: Porsche 917: The Film, available as a standalone DVD or with accompanying 11x11in hardback book. The slim 60-page hardback is slightly smaller in dimension than a vinyl LP sleeve, with German text and translated English written by Wilfried Müller. There aren’t many words. Most are quotes taken from the leading lights featured in the film.
Why McLaren’s M26 wasn’t solely to blame for its decline

1 month ago | autosport.com | Damien Smith

The biggest problem with the McLaren M26? Simple. It wasn’t the McLaren M23. Yet with the hindsight of nearly 50 years, looking back specifically to the first of its two seasons in the Formula 1 frontline, a softer light can be cast upon a car that didn’t inspire a great deal of love within McLaren and its star driver James Hunt during 1977.
Breaking the Brickyard

2 months ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

He could have what so many want: a full-fat factory drive in the top tier of endurance sports car racing. Instead, Callum Ilott has thrown the dice on a far riskier choice. The 26-year-old from Cambridge has steered away from a prime Hypercar drive with Jota’s works Cadillac team in the World Endurance Championship to head back to IndyCar with a European operation, Prema Racing, which is diving into one of the most competitive and difficult racing series for the first time.
Riders of the Valkyrie

2 months ago | motorsportmagazine.com | Damien Smith

Harry Tincknell, 33 (GB) The two-time class winner will be making his 12th attempt at the Le Mans 24 Hours, but only his third in the top class. A veteran of the Ganassi-run Ford GT campaigns, he has only raced for Aston once at Le Mans, when he won the GTE Pro class with Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin in 2020. “To be in the middle of this Hypercar era is absolutely amazing.