Brits on Pole

Time for another round-up of the best of the photography from the teams, series and motorsport companies that allow us to use their imagery – and this time Dario Franchitti gets the first and last words.

The Scottish IndyCar star took pole position for the races in Texas and this weekend in Richmond, and in between he took a victory in Iowa.

But it’s not all about Dario this month.

Formula One gave us two instalments in the endless battle between Ross Brawn and Adrian Newey, including the British Grand Prix – and it also gave us enough politics to last a lifetime.

In France, Superleague Formula returns this weekend and the 24 Hours of Le Mans saw Peugeot triumph, while across the Atlantic Helio climbed another fence and Pippa Mann took a ride on her head.

Enjoy.

IRL: Franchitti’s charge continues with Richmond pole
Dario Franchitti tightened his grip on the short oval part of the IndyCar season by taking pole for the SunTrust Indy Challenge in Richmond, ahead of his team-mate and his two closest rivals. Read more.Photo: IRL / Shawn Payne

SLF: Reds fastest in testing as new season takes shape
Liverpool topped the timesheets as the football-themed racing series Superleague Formula held a pre-season test and shakedown at Magny Cours ahead of the opening weekend of its second campaign – and driver Adrian Valles also took part in a demonstration on the rain streets of nearby Nevers. Read more.Photo: Superleague Formula

FIA reveals rules for unified F1 in 2010 — including Mosley’s retirement
A deal was struck to prevent the breakaway of eight Formula One teams to form a new series, with peace breaking out at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris. But since then Max Mosley has taken offence at the reactions of some of the teams and is threatening to backtrack. Read more.Photo: Formula Two

IRL: ‘Timing is everything’ says victorious Franchitti
Dario Franchitti seized control of an engrossing Iowa Corn Indy 250 with 50 laps to go and closed out a win that leaves him just three points off the series lead. Heavy attrition in the early stages knocked seven of the 20 runners out of the race. Read more.Photo: IRL / Ron McQueeney

Indy Lights: Horror crash for Pippa Mann in Iowa
British Indy Lights driver Pippa Mann escaped unscathed from the Miller Lite 100 at the Iowa Speedway despite a high-speed crash in which her car was sent into the wall at speed, went airborne and finally skidded down the track on its roof. Read more.Screengrab: IRL/Versus, Pic: IRL/Ron McQueeney

F1: Vettel begins fightback with crushing win
Sebastian Vettel poured a bucket of cold water over the feverish excitement at Silverstone by turning the British Grand Prix into a demonstration drive as the balance of power in the eternal battle for supremacy between Adrian Newey and Ross Brawn swung towards the Red Bull designer. Read more.Photo: Bridgestone

Behind the scenes with Shell and Ferrari during the British Grand Prix
They’re the people you don’t usually see — the scientists and engineers whose expertise and hard work behind the scenes make reality out of Formula One’s proud boast to represent the cutting edge of motorsport. But now you can hear them in their own words. Read more.Photo: Shell V-Power

F1: Button undone as Vettel takes Silverstone pole
Sebastian Vettel took pole for the British Grand Prix ahead of Rubens Barrichello, as Jenson Button qualified sixth and the battle between Brawn GP and Red Bull for supremacy showed signs of starting to swing away from the championship-leading newcomers. Read more.Photo: Brawn GP

Silverstone, the morning after the night before
For the Brits on Pole team, visiting the British Grand Prix during Friday practice as guests of Ferrari’s fuel partners Shell along with a cadre of other bloggers and web journalists, Silverstone after the FOTA breakaway anouncement proved a puzzling experience. Read more.Photo: BritsOnPole

F1: Win a paddock pass to the European Grand Prix
So, how do you fancy Spain in August? Long, hot summer afternoons, the sun glinting off the Mediterranean, the scream of F1 cars around Valencia Harbour… sounds good? Thought so. Renault ran a competition to win a paddock pass to the European Grand Prix, so we dug out one of their photos from last year’s even to promote it. Read more.Photo: Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT/Renault F1

F1 splits as teams launch rebel series
Negotiations on the future of F1 broke down after an 11th-hour meeting at Renault’s Oxfordshire headquarters led to the late-night annnouncement of a breakaway series (and we didn’t get much sleep, what with editing this Bridgestone image from Turkey and all). Read more.Original photo: Bridgestone

F1: Fan gets ahead of the pack with Jenson Button
F1 world championship leader Jenson Button continued his tradition of wearing a specially-designed helmet incorporating a Union Flag theme for the British Grand Prix following a design competition on his website. He said: “For the last few years, it has become something of a tradition for me.” Read more.Photo: Brawn GP

F1: Drivers and teams back Silverstone and British GP
Going into race weekend, the British Grand Prix seemed under threat, with Silverstone supposedly hosting its final race and Donington Park failing to inspire confidence as a replacement. For teams and drivers alike, the loss of the race was an outcome to be avoided. Read more.Photos: www.McLaren.com and Brawn GP

F1: Our manifesto for the British Grand Prix
It was the British Grand Prix, the biggest weekend of the year on this site. A Brit leading the championship and decades of history. So why couldn’t we get more excited? Pretty obvious, really. The Max and Bernie show. So we wrote our own manifesto on what should happen next. Read more.Photo: The old Honda F1 archives

Peugeot score Le Mans one-two as Aston’s hopes are dashed
Peugeot has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at its third attempt with its current car, breaking the recent dominance of its major rival Audi and dashing the hopes of Britain’s Aston Martin team. Read more.Photo: Audi Motorsport

F1: Button pounces to punish wayward Vettel
Jenson Button made the most of a first-lap mistake by Sebastian Vettel to sweep into the lead of the Turkish Grand Prix and off down the road to his sixth win from seven races this season. Read more.Photo: Bridgestone

IRL: Castroneves steals Texas win from team-mate
For the second race in a row Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe dominated his rivals, only to see a late caution wipe out his lead and allow one of them – this time, his team-mate Helio Castroneves – to snatch victory from under his nose. Read more.Photo: Shawn Payne / IRL

F1: Turkish Grand Prix liveblog
It was as wet as a haddock’s bathing suit in Britain, so bad that the Isle of Man’s iconic TT bike race had been delayed — but that was hardly likely to bother the F1 circus on its stay in sunny Turkey. And Jenson Button duly shone. Read more.Photo: Bridgestone

F1: Vettel pips Button to Istanbul pole
Sebastian Vettel served notice that he didn’t plan to concede the World Championship battle to Jenson Button just yet by seizing pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix from the Englishman at the last gasp. Read more.Photo: Bridgestone

IRL: Franchitti on pole in Texas
Dario Franchitti’s strong return to IndyCars from NASCAR continued with a pole position for the Bombardier Learjet 550 at the Texas Motor Speedway, ahead of championship rivals Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon. Read more.Photo: IRL/Shawn Payne