Latest articles by Damien Smith
WTCR Saudi Arabia: Azcona crowned champion as series comes to a close
Mikel Azcona clinched the 2022 World Touring Car Cup title in the season finale in Saudi Arabia, as the long-running tin-top championship came to a close.
WTCR wants Lynk & Co back for 2023 after sudden pullout
The boss of the World Touring Car Cup has stated his hope that Cyan Lynk & Co will return next year, following its dramatic mid-season withdrawal over tyre safety concerns.
Lynk & Co suspends WTCR programme over tyre safety fears
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co has suspended its World Touring Car Cup campaign with immediate effect over Goodyear tyre safety concerns.
Nordschleife WTCR races cancelled over Goodyear tyre failures
The World Touring Car Cup has cancelled its two races on the Nurburgring Nordschleife this weekend because of safety fears over Goodyear’s control tyres on the 15.77-mile circuit.
How Audi took the Dakar by storm with its hybrid game-changer
Four stage wins and all three cars reaching the finish was no small achievement for Audi on its first attempt at motorsport’s toughest event with a brand-new car. The key men behind the RS Q e-tron project explain why it was such a momentous feat.
How Williams overcame its greatest F1 setback
The biggest challenge of Sir Frank Williams’ life struck in early 1986 when he suffered terrible injuries in a car crash on his way to the airport following a test at Paul Ricard. But with the kind of steely determination that characterised his whole approach to F1, Williams never let the disabilities hold him back – and he certainly never let it impact his team. In a tribute to the late F1 team boss, we revisit Damien Smith’s piece on how Williams recovered from that difficult period.
Sochi WTCR: Huff becomes 12th race winner in season finale
Rob Huff scored his first World Touring Car Cup victory of the season and became the 12th winner in 16 races in a thrilling wet-weather finale at Sochi.
Sochi WTCR: Ehrlacher champion, Azcona scores first win of 2021
Yann Ehrlacher secured his second consecutive World Touring Car Cup title with a safe sixth place finish in race one at a sodden Sochi, as Mikel Azcona came from eighth on the grid to score his first win of the season.
France WTCR: Vernay wins to remain in title hunt
Jean-Karl Vernay reignited his World Touring Car Cup title hopes with a vital victory on home soil, beating fellow Frenchman Yvan Muller at Pau-Arnos.
Aragon WTCR: Vervisch delivers first win for new Audi
Frederic Vervisch won the second World Touring Car Cup race from pole at Aragon, while Gabriele Tarquini scored his first win in two years in the opening contest.
Estoril WTCR: Honda's Tassi wins as loose bonnet costs Monteiro
Attila Tassi saved Honda’s blushes to score his first World Touring Car Cup victory after a loose bonnet cost Tiago Monteiro what had looked like a certain home win at Estoril.
Nurburgring WTCR: Vernay holds off Engstler for first Hyundai win
Jean-Karl Vernay headed new teammate Luca Engstler to win on his debut for Hyundai at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, after Honda veteran Tiago Monteiro won the reversed-grid WTCR season opener.
Nurburgring WTCR: Girolami takes Nordschleife pole
Nestor Girolami claimed his second successive World Touring Car Cup pole position on the Nurburgring Nordschleife after topping a dry 40-minute session at the opening round of the 2021 season.
The key mistakes behind a lost Williams title
Formula 1 history is full of should'ves, could'ves and would'ves, but it's easy to see 1991 as the greatest missed opportunity in the illustrious history of Williams, allowing Ayrton Senna to steal his last and perhaps greatest world championship title
Yann Ehrlacher crowned 2020 World Touring Car Cup champion
Yann Ehrlacher became the youngest ever FIA touring car champion at a global level on Sunday by clinching the World Touring Car Cup in Aragon, as his uncle Yvan Muller completed a Cyan Racing team one-two at the top of the standings.
The start of McLaren's 21st century decline
At the turn of the century, McLaren seemed to have all the ingredients for lasting Formula 1 success. Instead, opportunities were missed and bridges were burned.
How McLaren recovered from its greatest tragedy
The tragic death of Bruce McLaren could have initiated his young team's demise. But remarkably, and inspired by Bruce's own determination and grit, they gathered themselves and pushed on to greater glory.
The groundbreaking 4WD Formula 1 car
Years before Formula 1 teams entered into serious experiments with 4WD, one car had already brought the technology to the category - the Ferguson P99. It piqued Stirling Moss’s interest and took an unlikely victory.
The car that gave Senna his first taste of Formula 1
An early 1980s Williams design has the honour of being both the first Formula 1 car tested by Ayrton Senna and the winner of one of the most famous Monaco Grands Prix. Damien Smith explains what makes the FW08C so special.
Ferrari special: How its greatest losses led to a new era
From F1 Racing & Motorsport PRIME: Some said that romance in motor racing died with Ferrari darling Gilles Villeneuve in 1982. Six years later, Enzo himself was gone. On the 30th anniversary of that day, this is how Ferrari's legend only grew stronger in adversity.
How Benetton built a Ferrari empire
The Benetton B192 wasn't 1992's fastest Formula 1 car, but the brains behind it would go on to change the shape of the championship.
Why F1 needs to rethink endless expansion
More races, more entertainment, more money. That might well be a glimpse into Formula 1's near future, but is that really what fans want? And more importantly, is it really for the best?