Author Profile: Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

Leopold Pleijsier

F1 Journalist

30389 published articles
22 Oct 2026 latest publication

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

Latest story: Leclerc Tops 2026 F1 Crash Damage Ranking With $2m Bill

Berger: Rosberg equaly fast as Hamilton

Gerhard Berger, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver, thinks Nico Rosberg is just as good as Lewis Hamilton. The famous Austrian, who formerly co-owned...

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9 May 2013

Abu Dhabi wants 2014 F1 winter testing

Abu Dhabi has now officially thrown its name into the hat as a potential pre-season testing venue for next season. We reported last month...

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9 May 2013

F1 driver salary Hamilton catches up with Alonso's

Lewis Hamilton has caught up with Fernando Alonso as F1's highest earner. According to Business Book GP 2013, Briton Hamilton F1 driver salary now...

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8 May 2013

McLaren F1 now supplying Red Bull RB9 alternator

Red Bull's new alternator supplier is actually McLaren, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports. We reported last week that, after being dogged by recurring...

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8 May 2013

Lotus F1 technical boss James Allison switches team

Lotus on Wednesday confirmed multiple media reports claiming technical director James Allison is leaving the team. The Enstone based squad said 45-year-old Briton Allison,...

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8 May 2013

Lauda plays down Vettel F1 team switch reports

Niki Lauda has played down reports Mercedes is making a serious bid to secure the services of world champion Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull's Dr...

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8 May 2013

Mercedes reveals more silver F1 car livery at Spanish F1 GP

Mercedes' formula one car will look visibly different this weekend in Barcelona, according to Niki Lauda. And the team's chairman and co-owner is not...

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8 May 2013

Berger doubts Raikkonen can win 2013 F1 Champtionship title

Gerhard Berger, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver, doubts Kimi Raikkonen can win the 2013 title. The Finn, and his Pirelli-gentle Lotus car, are...

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8 May 2013

F1 teams to vote on extensive testing

F1 teams will on Wednesday vote to bring back extensive track testing, McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale has reportedly claimed. According to German reports,...

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8 May 2013

Mercedes not ruling out Indy 500 & Le Mans

Toto Wolff is not ruling out a return for Mercedes in the future to the fabled Indy 500 and Le Mans races. The German...

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8 May 2013

Hamilton: I could handle Vettel & Alonso as F1 teammate

Seven years into his F1 career, Lewis Hamilton thinks he is now mature enough to handle any teammate. Before switching to Mercedes for 2013,...

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8 May 2013

Teams get new prototype Pirelli F1 tyre this Friday

Pirelli has finally confirmed that it will supply a new 'prototype' hard tyre to teams from this weekend in Barcelona. The extra tyre set,...

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8 May 2013

Maldonado hopes Williams F1 will recover soon

One year ago, Pastor Maldonado was on top of the world in F1, having broken through for his first formula one win. Now returning...

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8 May 2013

Alguersuari unsure about F1 future

Once so confident he would return to the grid in 2013, Jaime Alguersuari now admits his formula one future is clouded. Dropped suddenly by...

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8 May 2013

De Villota to return to F1 paddock this weekend

Ten months after her Marussia testing crash, Maria de Villota will return to a formula one paddock this weekend in her native Spain. Last...

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8 May 2013

F1 doctor's daughter wins Miss Finland

The new Miss Finland is Lotta Hintsa. That sort of news usually wouldn't make formula one headlines, but the 24-year-old blonde beauty's father is...

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8 May 2013

Catalunya Racing Line discussion Hamilton & Rosberg

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton know the Barcelona track well... but can they agree on the best racing line for turns 4 and 5?...

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8 May 2013

Coulthard: 2013 F1 championship title difficult for McLaren now

The 2013 title is slipping away from McLaren, according to the British team's former long-time driver David Coulthard. On the record, boss Martin Whitmarsh...

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6 May 2013

Helmut Marko: Mercedes F1 is trying to get Vettel

Dr Helmut Marko has admitted he can understand Mercedes' efforts to woo triple world champion Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull. Speaking to Germany's Bild...

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6 May 2013

Barrichello: Red Bull Racing the F1 team to beat

With the European phase of the 2013 season now looming, Rubens Barrichello thinks Red Bull is a step ahead. Indeed, drivers' title leader Sebastian...

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6 May 2013

Mark Webber: F1 pole position much less important now

Qualifying is no longer as important as in the past, according to Mark Webber. "Previously," the Australian is quoted by the German-language T-Online website,...

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6 May 2013

Lotus surprised about no soft tyre for Spanish F1 GP

Lotus has admitted it is "surprised" at Pirelli's decision to not supply the 'soft'-compound tyre this weekend in Barcelona. Following all the controversy about...

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6 May 2013

Sauber F1 not considering Gutierrez axe

Peter Sauber has played down suggestions the Swiss team might be considering ousting underperforming rookie Esteban Gutierrez. Having fielded Sergio Pérez alongside Kamui Kobayashi...

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6 May 2013

FIA wants demerit point F1 penalty system

Formula one chiefs will meet next weekend in Barcelona to discuss a potential demerit-points system that could lead to drivers facing race bans for...

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4 May 2013

Da Costa very close to F1 debut

The latest cream of Red Bull's junior driver programme insists he is ready to step up to formula one. With Mark Webber's contract at...

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4 May 2013

Bottas: Pirelli still listening to feedback F1 teams

Williams rookie Valtteri Bottas thinks Pirelli remains receptive to F1 teams' feedback about the 2013 tyres. This year's Pirelli rubber has been the most...

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4 May 2013

Ross Brawn: More changes could hurt Mercedes F1

Ross Brawn has warned Mercedes against making more big changes to the team that could result in a performance dip. It was believed McLaren's...

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4 May 2013

Williams F1 clarifies reports of financial loss

Williams has played down reports it suffered a financial loss last year, insisting instead that it is gearing up to expand. Listed on the...

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4 May 2013

Mercedes would offer Robert Kubica F1 test

Mercedes says it would be willing to give Robert Kubica a formula one test. The German marque this week declined to comment on reports...

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4 May 2013

Helmut Marko: I take the final decision

In the wake of the 'Multi-21' team orders debacle, an important question has emerged at Red Bull -- who is really in charge? On...

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4 May 2013