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Ben Vinel
Author

Ben Vinel

Ben Vinel joined Motorsport's Global team as a news writer and editor in January 2024 after eleven years at Motorsport France and its predecessor ToileF1.com, specialising in Formula 1 and junior formulae. Ben previously taught French at Bishop Stopford School (Kettering, UK) and Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) but jumped at the opportunity to work full-time in motorsport journalism thereafter.

Latest articles by Ben Vinel

F1 warned of “potential for disaster” with 2026 cars in Australian GP qualifying

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Formula 1
Australian GP
F1 warned of “potential for disaster” with 2026 cars in Australian GP qualifying

Red Bull on back foot at F1 Australian GP – as Max Verstappen expected

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Formula 1
Australian GP
Red Bull on back foot at F1 Australian GP – as Max Verstappen expected

George Russell gets warning, reprimand for driving violations at F1 Australian GP

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Formula 1
Australian GP
George Russell gets warning, reprimand for driving violations at F1 Australian GP

“Very impressive” Mercedes isn’t sandbagging anymore – Charles Leclerc

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Formula 1
Australian GP
“Very impressive” Mercedes isn’t sandbagging anymore – Charles Leclerc

F1 Australian GP: Oscar Piastri leads FP2 as Aston Martin's woes continue

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Formula 1
Australian GP
F1 Australian GP: Oscar Piastri leads FP2 as Aston Martin's woes continue

Mercedes: Aston Martin made “conscious decision” not to use our F1 engines anymore

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Formula 1
Australian GP
Mercedes: Aston Martin made “conscious decision” not to use our F1 engines anymore

Five things to look out for at F1’s Australian GP

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Australian GP
Five things to look out for at F1’s Australian GP

Why Valtteri Bottas has a grid penalty for 2026 Australian GP – already

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Formula 1
Australian GP
Why Valtteri Bottas has a grid penalty for 2026 Australian GP – already

How latest Iran-US war is impacting F1 and WEC

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Formula 1
Australian GP
How latest Iran-US war is impacting F1 and WEC

Will Colton Herta make it to Formula 1?

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Formula 1
Will Colton Herta make it to Formula 1?

‘The HANS saved my neck’ – Luke Browning on airborne Suzuka crash

Super Formula
Super Formula
Suzuka Testing
‘The HANS saved my neck’ – Luke Browning on airborne Suzuka crash

What Cadillac expects from Colton Herta in F2

FIA F2
FIA F2
What Cadillac expects from Colton Herta in F2

Honda ‘unhappy’ with its own F1 performance, not just reliability

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
Honda ‘unhappy’ with its own F1 performance, not just reliability

F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Ferrari tops testing overall by 0.8s

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Ferrari tops testing overall by 0.8s

Aston Martin ends F1 Bahrain test early

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
Aston Martin ends F1 Bahrain test early

F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Mercedes narrowly beats McLaren, Aston Martin breaks down

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Mercedes narrowly beats McLaren, Aston Martin breaks down

F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Mercedes pips McLaren by 0.01s, as four teams hit trouble

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
F1 Bahrain pre-season test: Mercedes pips McLaren by 0.01s, as four teams hit trouble

Midfield “seconds away” as top F1 teams increase gap in 2026

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
Midfield “seconds away” as top F1 teams increase gap in 2026

“We want to be in charge of our destiny” – Why Cadillac isn’t following Haas’ path with Ferrari

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Session 1
“We want to be in charge of our destiny” – Why Cadillac isn’t following Haas’ path with Ferrari

How Charles Leclerc is finding fun in F1’s 2026 “chaos”

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
How Charles Leclerc is finding fun in F1’s 2026 “chaos”

Pierre Gasly: ‘Turn your TV on for the start in Australia – it might be memorable’

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Session 1
Pierre Gasly: ‘Turn your TV on for the start in Australia – it might be memorable’

"Maybe we’ll brake halfway down the straight” – Max Verstappen on F1’s 2026 “disaster”

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 1
"Maybe we’ll brake halfway down the straight” – Max Verstappen on F1’s 2026 “disaster”

Why high-speed corners are “50km/h slower” with 2026 F1 cars

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 1
Why high-speed corners are “50km/h slower” with 2026 F1 cars

Charles Leclerc’s early verdict on Ferrari in F1 2026 pecking order

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Charles Leclerc’s early verdict on Ferrari in F1 2026 pecking order

F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: George Russell even faster as Cadillac causes red flag

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 1
F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: George Russell even faster as Cadillac causes red flag

F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Charles Leclerc fastest as unreliability hits Mercedes, Red Bull

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 1
F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Charles Leclerc fastest as unreliability hits Mercedes, Red Bull

“A very difficult decision to make” – Lewis Hamilton reacts to Ferrari engineer change

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Formula 1
“A very difficult decision to make” – Lewis Hamilton reacts to Ferrari engineer change

F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Max Verstappen tops opening morning

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Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 1
F1 2026 Bahrain pre-season test: Max Verstappen tops opening morning

Former Lewis Hamilton manager joins Cadillac in senior F1 role

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Former Lewis Hamilton manager joins Cadillac in senior F1 role

Why Cadillac isn’t aiming for points in F1 2026

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Why Cadillac isn’t aiming for points in F1 2026

How much Cadillac spent on Super Bowl ad for its F1 livery reveal

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How much Cadillac spent on Super Bowl ad for its F1 livery reveal

Renault slammed for “lies and betrayal” as F1 site’s future looks bleak

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Renault slammed for “lies and betrayal” as F1 site’s future looks bleak

"We could have used it in a better way" - Esteban Ocon's take on F1 2026’s active aero

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
"We could have used it in a better way" - Esteban Ocon's take on F1 2026’s active aero

Cadillac reveals two-sided 2026 F1 livery

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Cadillac reveals two-sided 2026 F1 livery

The undisclosed aftermath of Romain Grosjean’s infamous Suzuka F1 clash

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The undisclosed aftermath of Romain Grosjean’s infamous Suzuka F1 clash

“We expected more” from Esteban Ocon – Haas

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Haas launch
“We expected more” from Esteban Ocon – Haas

F1 2026 energy management “annoying” and “sad” as drivers lift early

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
F1 2026 energy management “annoying” and “sad” as drivers lift early

Lando Norris: 2026-spec F1 car “feels more like an F2 car”

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Lando Norris: 2026-spec F1 car “feels more like an F2 car”

Williams unveils 2026 F1 car livery

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Mercedes launch
Williams unveils 2026 F1 car livery

Kimi Antonelli: Racing will be like “speed chess” in F1 2026

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Mercedes launch
Kimi Antonelli: Racing will be like “speed chess” in F1 2026

Aston Martin suffered four-month delay with 2026 F1 car design

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Aston Martin suffered four-month delay with 2026 F1 car design

Haas signs former F1 racer as reserve driver

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Formula 1
Mercedes launch
Haas signs former F1 racer as reserve driver

Jenson Button switches from Williams to Aston Martin

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Formula 1
Jenson Button switches from Williams to Aston Martin

Esteban Ocon predicts early F1 2026 pecking order after Barcelona test

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Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Esteban Ocon predicts early F1 2026 pecking order after Barcelona test

Overtaking looks “difficult” with 2026 F1 cars, Esteban Ocon warns

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Overtaking looks “difficult” with 2026 F1 cars, Esteban Ocon warns

The challenges facing Mercedes ahead of F1 2026

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
The challenges facing Mercedes ahead of F1 2026

Fuel system problem curtails McLaren’s day at Barcelona F1 test

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Fuel system problem curtails McLaren’s day at Barcelona F1 test

Aston Martin's 2026 F1 car is finally on track, causes red flag

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Aston Martin's 2026 F1 car is finally on track, causes red flag

Lewis Hamilton: "Today I did 85 laps in the morning, which is amazing"

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Lewis Hamilton: "Today I did 85 laps in the morning, which is amazing"

Audi insists F1 reliability issues "are all fixable"

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Audi insists F1 reliability issues "are all fixable"

Racing Bulls doing "much better than on Monday" at Barcelona F1 test

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Racing Bulls doing "much better than on Monday" at Barcelona F1 test

Here's what happened on day three of F1’s secretive closed-door 2026 shakedown

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Here's what happened on day three of F1’s secretive closed-door 2026 shakedown

Lewis Hamilton recaps Ferrari’s “very challenging” 121-lap day at Barcelona F1 test

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Lewis Hamilton recaps Ferrari’s “very challenging” 121-lap day at Barcelona F1 test

Isack Hadjar crashes Red Bull’s new F1 car

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Isack Hadjar crashes Red Bull’s new F1 car

How Ferrari’s Barcelona F1 test is going so far, according to Charles Leclerc

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
How Ferrari’s Barcelona F1 test is going so far, according to Charles Leclerc

Technical issue ended Audi’s day at Barcelona F1 test

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Technical issue ended Audi’s day at Barcelona F1 test

Haas 'discovering problems, but that's what we are here for' at Barcelona F1 test

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Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Haas 'discovering problems, but that's what we are here for' at Barcelona F1 test

Audi signs Formula Regional champion as first academy driver

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Alpine launch
Audi signs Formula Regional champion as first academy driver

Red Bull reveals actual 2026 F1 car as Barcelona test begins

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Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Red Bull reveals actual 2026 F1 car as Barcelona test begins

F1 has “quite a lot of flexibility” to adjust new Overtake Mode for 2026

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F1 has “quite a lot of flexibility” to adjust new Overtake Mode for 2026