The F1 News Thread - 2008

A note regarding the content. I have decided to stop following the Max Mosley scandal. If he choses to step down, I'll be sure to post it here. There is plenty of interesting F1 news still to cover. Enjoy!





Piquet cautious on Renault updates

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 09:23 GMT


 1208251461.jpg ( 23.52K ) Number of downloads: 6


Nelsinho Piquet is cautious about how much Renault can improve thanks to the new updates to be introduced this week, although the the Brazilian admitted the car is already better.

Renault, who have endured a difficult start to the season, are pinning their hopes for the year on all the improvements they will introduce in this week's test at Barcelona.

The team already tested a new front wing and other updates yesterday, and introduced a new engine cover fin in today's session.

Piquet reckons the car is already a step forward, although he says it's hard to judge by how much.

"I think the car is better everywhere," Piquet told reporters after the test.

"Obviously it's difficult to calculate how much better the track is since the last time we were here because they had an LMS race and then BMW drove here yesterday and cleaned up the track a little bit, so it's difficult to say if the track is much better or if the car improved a lot.

"Obviously set-up wise we have improved throughout the three races, so coming back after two months obviously we would have a gain. When you gain on aero you gain everywhere.

"You gain on braking, you gain on speed on the corner, on the straights. So I think we gained a little bit everywhere."

The Brazilian said Renault are doing things step by step in order to see what works and what doesn't.

"Obviously we have four days of testing so we are going to test things step by step every day," he said. "But obviously it's not a case of putting them on the car and making them work straight away. You need to put them on the car and develop them slowly.

"So I think the good thing of having these new bits is that you have more doors for improvement; you can improve in different ways. So at the moment we didn't find a one-second gain, but we found some doors to improve.

"It will be four days of data collection and a lot of experiments but I'm sure it will open a lot of doors for improvement for the car."

Despite his caution, Piquet reckons the updated car will allow Renault to get both cars into Q3 in the Spanish Grand Prix next week.

"I thought the car was very good today and we have another three days of testing and there's margin to improve. I think I'm optimistic that we can put both cars in the top ten in qualifying."


Source: AutoSport






De la Rosa worried about no tyre warmers

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 09:52 GMT


 1208253176.jpg ( 17.75K ) Number of downloads: 5


Pedro de la Rosa believes Bridgestone and the teams need a lot more work before they find the right slicks for 2009, the Spaniard admitting the lack of tyre warmers is a concern right now.

Tyre warmers will be banned from the 2009 season, when slick tyres will also be making a return to Formula One.

Downforce levels will be drastically reduced too, making things even trickier for the drivers.

Some drivers in the past have expressed their concerns about running with cold tyres, because of the speed difference with cars that are already up to racing pace with warmed-up rubber.

Teams struggled on their opening laps when they tested the slicks for the first time at Jerez last December, and Bridgestone has introduced new compounds for this week's second test.

On Monday, de la Rosa was running with simulated 2009 downforce levels and with slicks not previously warmed up.

The McLaren tester admitted the situation has improved since the Jerez test, but he reckons there is still a lot of work to be done in order to improve the safety aspect.

"Bridgestone is trying to make the tyres work at low temperatures, because in theory we are not going to have tyre warmers," de la Rosa told reporters in Barcelona.

"We had a lot of problems in Jerez to make them work without the tyre warmers. Here it was better. It's still difficult but it was somewhat better, because Bridgestone has created a compound that works in lower temperatures.

"The first lap is very slow, and that's the danger. There are cars which are up to racing speed and you are coming out of the pits very slowly. You are like a mobile chicane.

"That's the problem that this kind of rules has. But Bridgestone has taken a big step forward and we still need to improve a lot."

De la Rosa said he needed around two laps before the tyres were up to temperature.

The Spaniard admitted, however, that driving with such a different car was a challenging situation.

"It was interesting. Because driving a car with no electronics aids, with low downforce and slicks is very different from what I'm used to, but it was very interesting.

"We were running the downforce levels that we think we are going to get in 2009, which are very low, about 50%.

"These numbers are just predictions because you always gain a bit later. But we have been running with the wings that generate less downforce, especially to learn more with the slicks."


Source: AutoSport





Massa flies on slicks at Barcelona

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, April 14th 2008, 16:13 GMT


 1208189631.jpg ( 17.98K ) Number of downloads: 5


Felipe Massa set a blistering pace in Formula One's return to testing action, the Brazilian using slick tyres to finish over two and a half seconds in front of his closest rival at Barcelona.

Massa's best time of 1:18.339 put him 2.7 seconds ahead of Honda test driver Alex Wurz, who also set his best time on slick tyres.

The majority of the teams present at Barcelona were introducing new updates that will be raced for the first time when the European season kicks off in Spain later this month.

Massa's Ferrari team finally showed off a much rumoured radical new nose cone, with a hole on top of it, while McLaren tried a new rear wing - designed for 2009 regulations - and Renault tested several upgrades, including a new front wing.

McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa, who also tried out slicks, was third fastest, but over three seconds off Massa's pace. The Spaniard was the busiest man today with 113 laps covered.

Each team were allocated nine sets of slick tyres for the test, as Bridgestone continues work on preparing for the 2009 season, when grooved tyres will no longer be used.

All drivers, except BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Toyota's Timo Glock, sampled the new tyres today.

All the running done with slicks is outside the agreed testing mileage.

Despite not using the slick tyres, Heidfeld was fourth fastest, just a tenth behind de la Rosa, with Nelsinho Piquet down in fifth in the revamped Renault R28.

There were a total of four red flags today, caused by Glock, Piquet and Heidfeld spinning, and Williams's Kazuki Nakajima going off track late in the session.

"Today was a productive day and the team and mechanics did a good job," said Toyota's Glock. "Everybody was focused on the new bits and pieces that we have brought and trying to find the right way forward.

"In the end that's what we did. I made one small mistake in the morning and spun off but it didn't cost us too much running time. In the afternoon we collected a lot of data to look at and now we just have to fine-tune that.

"Hopefully overnight we can find the right direction from all the information we have gathered today. The time sheets might not show it yet but I'm happy with our work so far."


Today's times:


 Picture_3.png ( 25K ) Number of downloads: 6



Source: AutoSport





Ferrari show off radical new nose cone

By Craig Scarborough Monday, April 14th 2008, 16:27 GMT


 1208190493.jpg ( 17.14K ) Number of downloads: 6


After much speculation, Ferrari's radical new nose cone was finally unveiled today during testing at the Barcelona circuit.

As Felipe Massa tested the F2008 on Bridgestone's slick tyres, the car was fitted with a slotted nose cone.

This 'hole in the nose' is aimed at making use of the high-pressure air that builds up between the front wing and the underside of the nose.

This would improve the car's downforce by sending a better airflow to the rear wing.

What Ferrari have done is to create a channel inside the nose cone that takes this high-pressure region and vents it over the top of the chassis.

From overhead shots the hole's outlet can be seen, with one large exit split into two. This probably helps the exit flow merge with the flow already passing over the car.

Ferrari were testing an array of pitot tubes in front of the engine's inlet snorkel. These sensors would have picked up the differing air speed going into and over the airbox.

This set-up would give Ferrari a comparative reading for the new nose's effect.

If the test goes well, Ferrari are expected to give the new nose its race debut in Spain in two weeks' time.

Massa finished the day over 2.5 seconds ahead of his closest rival.


Source: AutoSport





Q & A with Nelsinho Piquet

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 09:25 GMT


 1208251663.jpg ( 21.57K ) Number of downloads: 5


Q. How are the new updates working?

Nelsinho Piquet: We are starting to put them slowly. Obviously we have four days of testing so we are going to test things step by step every day. But obviously it's not a case of putting them on the car and making them work straight away. You need to put them on the car and develop them slowly.

So I think the good thing of having these new bits is that you have more doors for improvement; you can improve in different ways. So at the moment we didn't find a one-second gain, but we found some doors to improve. It will be four days of data collection and a lot of experiments but I'm sure it will open a lot of doors for improvement for the car.

Q. Did you only test the new front wing today?

NP: We have a few different bits in the car and I think day after day we are going test things. We are not going to put everything at once. We are doing it step by step. We don't want to get lost so we are going to do things very straight forward and step by step to see what's good what's not good.

Q. Do you think the car is a step ahead?

NP: For sure. Even if it's not quicker straight away it means doors to open for improvement. You make new bits, you make new suspensions, you make new dampers, you make new aero bits, so there's more to improve now.

There's more where you can work to make the car better. So that's the good point. Maybe we are not going to gain straight away. I think we are going to gain a little bit straight away, but the main thing is that it's going to make it easier to make the car quicker.

Q. You were close to BMW and McLaren...

NP: A lot of people are running slicks tyres and different wings, so to be honest I cannot say. I was more worried about us. Everybody knows everybody is running different fuel loads so it's not easy to say. I was very, very happy with the car compared to the previous test here. So I'm quite happy with the day.

Q. In which areas did you see the improvements?

NP: I think the car is better everywhere. Obviously it's difficult to calculate how much better the track is since the last time we were here because they had an LMS race and then BMW drove here yesterday and cleaned up the track a little bit, so it's difficult to say if the track is much better or if the car improved a lot.

Obviously set-up wise we have improved throughout the three races, so coming back after two months obviously we would have a gain. When you gain on aero you gain everywhere. You gain on braking, you gain on speed on the corner, on the straights. So I think we gained a little bit everywhere.

Q. You tried both front wings. Did you feel the difference between the new and old one?

NP: This kind of thing you cannot feel it like that. It's very slight differences. You are never going to put one and feel a big difference. It's all little bits. When you put ten small parts together is when you feel the difference.

Q. Did the updates fixed the understeer issues?

NP: It depends on the tracks. At some tracks we run out of front wing and get a lot of understeer; some tracks you don't need too much front wing and you are okay. So it depends on the tracks, but here in Barcelona we don't have a problem at all.

Q. Can you make a prediction for the race next week?

NP: I thought the car was very good today and we have another three days of testing and there's margin to improve. I think I'm optimistic that we can put both cars in the top ten in qualifying.


Source: AutoSport





Q & A with Nick Heidfeld

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 13:10 GMT


 1208265043.jpg ( 14.77K ) Number of downloads: 6


Q. How do you see your start of the season?

Nick Heidfeld: It's better than expected after the winter time, of course. But it could also be better. It can always be better. We could have more points, but then again most of the teams can say that.

For Ferrari and McLaren it has not been perfect and it's the same for us. We are leading the championship and I'm second, but I think it could have been a bit better.

Q. So what did exactly change between winter testing and the start of the season?

NH: I already knew at the end of winter testing that we were quite good, but people somehow didn't listen. They preferred to look at the first comments and the problems we had. But we already knew that we had made big progress. But we didn't expect to be this good.

We have been the second best team and we are leading the championship. A couple of months ago I wouldn't have believed that.

Q. Has the car's handling improved?

NH: The car has improved a lot, but it still a little more difficult to drive than last year's. But it's quicker, which is the most important thing.

Q. So the car is quick but difficult to set up?

NH: It's more difficult to set up than last year, yes. With last year's electronics it would have been easier to hide some of the problems, but this car is clearly more difficult.

Q. Is it more difficult to drive as well?

NH: It is also more difficult and different to drive but it doesn't take a driver too long to get used to it. You have what you have and you just try to drive it as quick as possible.

Q. Do you think you are in a position to win races?

NH: Well, so far we haven't been able to win races. We have three races behind us and three podiums, but there were always cars that were quicker. But hopefully before the end of the season we can win a race in our own power. Right now we can't, but we are working hard on it.

Q. Do you think you have been missing out a little bit in qualifying?

NH: Not in general. I think I missed out a little bit in Bahrain, but in the first two races we were okay. In fact, once I was in qualifying it was not that bad, because I struggled a lot more in practice. But for the fuel level I had it was okay. It should have been even better but it was where I expected to be.

Q. Are you concerned that your teammate is getting more attention even though your performances are not so different?

NH: No. I did two very good races. It's clear that when you have a pole position - the very first one for the team - you get a lot of attention. He did a really good job in Bahrain. Clearly he didn't really struggled as much as me in practice. In the race I think my performance was good.

I think he deserves it so it's okay. As usual I'll just try to beat him over the whole season. I would have liked to get the first pole, of course, but that's the way it is.

Q. Are you surprised about McLaren's form so far?

NH: Yes, I expected them to be stronger.

Q. How about Ferrari?

NH: In the first race they worse than everybody expected but now they are were I expected them to be, although we are closer than I thought.


Source: AutoSport





Ferrari 'keeping feet on the ground'

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 13:45 GMT


 1208267212.jpg ( 22.98K ) Number of downloads: 6


Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali says the Maranello team are keeping their feet on the ground despite their two consecutive victories.

The Italian squad endured a torrid start to the season in Australia, but fought back in Malaysia and won again in Bahrain, where Felipe Massa led teammate Kimi Raikkonen for their first one-two of the year.

Ferrari are now one point behind BMW in the standings, with McLaren a further point back.

But despite their current form, Domenicali says his team are working as hard as ever ahead of next week's Spanish Grand Prix.

"The real Ferrari is not the one we've seen at the Australian GP. The team reacted immediately and has shown the great potential of our package, which is extremely competitive," Domenicali told Ferrari's website.

"Having said that, we have to be aware. We're approaching the Spanish GP with a maximum effort, keeping our feet on the ground: we were not depressed after the first race and we are not euphoric after Bahrain.

"We need absolute motivation and we are aware of the fact that our competitors are getting better.

"We need the best Ferrari with the best drivers, the best engineers and the best mechanics to fight them on the track."


Source: AutoSport





Toro Rosso to test new car tomorrow

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 15th 2008, 14:32 GMT

Scuderia Toro Rosso's new car will complete its first public outing tomorrow in testing at the Barcelona circuit.

The STR3 was already shaken down in a private test at the Vairano circuit in Italy at the end of last month, and will begin its proper testing in a two-day session starting tomorrow.

Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais will be the man in charge of driving the car on Wednesday, with teammate Sebastian Vettel taking over on Thursday.

Technical director Giorgio Ascanelli said in Australia in March that the team were hoping to race the new car for the first time at the Turkish Grand Prix, the fifth round of the championship.

Toro Rosso have enjoyed a promising start to the 2008 season with last year's car, having scored two points in the season opener in Australia, although Bourdais was set to finish in fourth place before being hit by mechanical problems.


Source: AutoSport





Berger hopes for Kuwaiti cash


Scuderia Toro Rosso is up for sale but former F1 driver Gerhard Berger wants to hold on to his share in the team and is looking for a buyer for the shares currently owned by Red Bull. Berger popped up this week in Kuwait, talking to Anwar Bukhamseen, a member of one of the country's most powerful business families, and a leading player in the Kuwait International Automobile Club (KIAC).

Kuwait has lagged behind the other Gulf states in the development of motorsport activities, and the government is not showing any intention of funding racing activity in the same way as has been seen in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. It hopes to follow the Dubai route and use private money to fund the construction of a circuit.

Berger says that everything is possible but argues that a team gives a country exposure every other weekend and wants Kuwaiti money for Toro Rosso. He says that he hopes that there are businessmen who will help to develop motorsport in Kuwait. The Bukhamseen Group would be a good partner for Berger. It is involved in hotels and resorts, tourism; real estate development; banking and insurance; automobiles; food and beverages. It is also a shareholder in the country's cable TV company, the national airline and the Egyptian Gulf Bank. It has also invested heavily in Dubai where it is a major player in the Business Bay development. It also has operations in Egypt, Syria and the Lebanon.

It is worth noting that David Richards, who is also looking for money for his Prodrive F1 operation, is already involved in a partnership with Investment Dar, a company which is part-owned by the Kuwaiti government. The alliance enabled Richards to buy the Aston Martin car company.

Kuwait is a small countrry but it is one of the strongest economies in the region, as it boasts 10% of the world's proven oil reserves. Oil accounts for 95% of the country's exports and 80% of the government income. The country suffered a setback in 1990 when it was invaded by neighbouring Iraq but it was liberated by UN coalition forces early in 1991. It boasts a population of 2.5m. Thus far there has been little diversification in the national economy but the country has made considerable investments in companies around the world. There are hopes that as Iraq settles down after the recent conflict, Kuwait will become the gateway to Iraq, which boasts a population of 27m people.


Source: GrandPrix





THE MOLE

The value of a good nanny

APRIL 14, 2008

Miss Pringle-Featherby (of the Berkshire Pringle-Featherbys) looked rather worried. She was holding the telephone a good three inches from her ear and The Mole could hear noises suggesting that someone on the other end of the phone was shouting at her.

"It is The Minister?" she mouthed in an exaggerated fashion, without a sound passing her perfect lipstick.

The Mole nodded. It was not really surprising. The Mosley Affair, although perhaps there was a better term for it, was a disaster for the image of motor racing. British motor racing was The Mole's beat. He had failed to spot Mosley's foibles before The News of the World got him. So The Mole was the man who was going to have to take the bullet from the politicians.

"He's rather upset," Miss Pringle-Featherby added, finishing with a little smile, as if in encouragement.

As he walked into his office The Mole smiled at the irony of it. Why was he being shouted at while Mosley still sat in his ivory tower at the FIA? Should he have hunted down Mosley before the disaster? Would that have been in the best interest of the sport? Would future FIA Presidents need to be fully checked out for dubious sexual activities, tax dodging, drug smuggling and all the rest of it?

He lifted the phone slowly to his ear.

The Minister was still ranting and raving (as socialists often do). The Mole listened. It was not good for Britain. It would hurt the motorsport industry. It made a mockery of sporting government. Worst of all, it compounded the widely-held belief that British men like to be spanked.

"I hear the Germans are worse," said The Mole, despite having no knowledge of the S&M world and merely hoping to stop the tirade. It worked. The Minister stopped for a moment to think about what The Mole had said. A rush of cold air must have come upon him at the same moment. The next time he spoke the anger had gone. He sounded weary.

"How did we not know?" he said.

"We did not know," said The Mole, uttering the words no secret operative likes to say. "I mean you hear things, but no-one ever hinted at something nasty like this."

"I thought you had girls to check out this sort of thing?" said The Minister.

"The Penelopes are not that kind of girl," said The Mole, mildly affronted. "They are flirts, not prostitutes. We have always found that flirting produces much better results with racing people. They all feel the need to prove themselves all the time and so blurt out secrets to impress pretty girls. They never think that girls have brains."

"Is there any damage limitation we can do?" said The Minister.

"Well," said The Mole. " Most of the outrage is because he won't resign. If he had gone in the first 24 hours it would not have been a problem. By staying on he has damaged the FIA and the sport. The best thing is for everyone to come out and say what they really think. Get the point across so that he disappears once and for all. That will take the heat out of it.

"I have sent the girls to all four corners of the world to talk to lonely souls in the automobile clubs. We are building up a picture of their voting intentions. The problem is that it is often hard to tell what the clubs are going to do. They all worry about losing their FIA events. Mosley has these guys working at regional level and no-one wants to upset them."

"Can we take out the regional guys?" said The Minister.

"Oh, I think they will take care of themselves," said The Mole. "They support him because he has been the strong man. Now he is weak. They will probably turn on him if there is a sniff of a new candidate. When that happens they know they must jump or go down with him, and they are survivors.

"So until that happens people are frightened?" said The Minister. "It is preposterous. He is a man with no moral authority left and few doors open to him. How could he even consider himself to be the right person to run the FIA? He got caught. End of story. Have you seen the coverage? It ridicules the federation and the sport. F1 boss, it says. Good Lord, it was even mentioned on the Jay Leno Show in the US. And on Jon Stewart's Daily Show. One of the people said that Mosley was 'the head of the Grand Prix association' and added that 'this makes Eliot Spitzer look like a little school girl'. And you know what Stewart said? He said: 'That sounds like something right out of The Producers'. The Producers! A film about two con men who attempt to cheat investors out of money by producing a Broadway musical called Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden."

"I know," said The Mole.

"The sporting people seem to be worried that the touring clubs might take over the FIA," he went on. "This is considered a bad thing. The sport brings in the money so that should make the sporting guys more powerful but they are worried that a weak FIA will somehow be a threat because of turf wars that constantly occur between the FIA and Formula One Management over areas of control in F1."

"Everyone is just very jumpy," he added. "It is as if even discussing the future of Mosley is something that might result in trouble. And the system protects him. I thought Damon Hill was the most sensible reaction. He said that none of us wants to be moralising about individuals, but one has to consider the image of the sport, and the ability of the premier representative of the sport in the world to continue to engage with a politic concerned about values. It’s a practical issue, but it’s also a marketing issue. Businesses connected with the sport want a positive image, and politicians want to engage with it because they know motorsport people support those values."

"Bang on!" said The Minister. "I think Mosley needs some grounded people around him, to tell him things straight. Maybe there is some old nanny somewhere who could be pulled in to tell him what to do.

"Old nannies always know what to do."


Source: GrandPrix





Barrichello goes fastest in Barcelona

15 April 2008 / Results / Photos


 97091.jpg ( 25.89K ) Number of downloads: 5


Rubens Barrichello finished the second day of testing this week at Barcelona on top of the timesheets as he continued to evaluate slick Bridgestone tyres. His best lap of 1m18.928s was 0.8s ahead of Fisichella's Force India, also set on slick tyres.

Felipe Massa was third fastest, the quickest driver running on grooved tyres, 1.3s behind Barrichello who was also testing Honda's new aero package, which included two prominent winglets on top of the car's nose.

David Coulthard was fourth in his Red Bull on slick tyres while Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso ended fifth and sixth on grooved tyres. Alonso completed the most mileage of any driver today with 118 laps as he tested Renault's major aero update and was within 0.4s of Massa's best lap.

Nico Rosberg finished the day seventh for Williams ahead of Toyota's Timo Glock and BMW's Nick Heidfeld.

Testing continues tomorrow when Michael Schumacher will test slick tyres at Ferrari.


Source: GPUpdate.net





Toyota happy with test progress

15 April 2008 / Results / Photos


 97074.jpg ( 27.91K ) Number of downloads: 6


Timo Glock returned to action for Toyota today as the team continued its four-day test at Barcelona. Glock spent most of his time continuing his work on set-up for the Spanish Grand Prix, along with dampers and suspension. Late in the afternoon he tried out Bridgestone's new slick tyres which will be introduced into F1 in 2009. He finished the day with over 100 laps.

"This has been a positive two days of testing for me," said Glock. "We spent the morning continuing our set-up work for the Spanish Grand Prix and collecting data on various systems. We're going in the right direction so we hope that can help us next week. Towards the end of the day we tried the new slick tyres for next year. We gathered some important information but we still need to learn more. For now I am more focused on the current situation, in particular the race here next weekend. The work we have done here will hopefully make us well prepared."

Gerd Pfeiffer, test team manager added, "Today we had a busy programme with a variety of different elements. In the morning we kept up our work on set-up for the Spanish Grand Prix, along with some tests on other parts including dampers and suspension. We continued that work after lunch before switching late in the afternoon to the slick tyres that are going to be introduced in 2009. Overall we made it through everything we had planned and collected useful data."

Tomorrow Jarno Trulli is scheduled to take over the driving duties as Toyota continues its preparations for next week's race.


Source: GPUpdate.net






Force India flying at Barcelona

15 April 2008 / Results / Photos


 97103.jpg ( 24.68K ) Number of downloads: 6


Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella has finished the team's second day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain, with the second fastest time of the nine-man field. The Italian recorded a 1m19.721s lap on 2009-spec slick tyres. His best lap on grooved tyres was still 1min 20.7s. The team's previous fastest lap round Barcelona this year, a 1min 22.233, was set by Giancarlo in February.

"The car went much better this time out than the last time we tested in Barcelona, which you can see in the considerable improvement in our lap times," said Fisichella. "This is largely due to the new parts we have introduced since the start of the season and the last time we were here. I tested the new 2009 slick tyres here today - which was the reason for my fastest lap - but we were also much quicker on the 2008 grooved rubber too. The best lap we did here in February was a 1min 22.3 and now we are at 1min 20.7, so we're really moving forward."


Source: GPUpdate.net





Honda shows new wings

15 April 2008 / Photos


 97057.jpg ( 17.38K ) Number of downloads: 5


In Tuesday's test session at Circuit de Catalunya the Honda Formula 1 team is testing two little wings attached to the car's front wing. The BMW Sauber team is the only team running the same kind of wings in Formula 1, although Honda placed the same wings up-side-down compared to the wings they are using at BMW.

This week's three-day test session in Barcelona proves to be an important test for teams testing various radical changes to their cars. Ferrari tested a brand-new front wing with a open air space on top of their wing. At Renault the team copied Red Bull's engine cover to try and test it in Spain.


 97054.jpg ( 32.15K ) Number of downloads: 6


Source: GPUpdate.net





Renault testing special engine cover

15 April 2008 / Photos


 97048.jpg ( 22.99K ) Number of downloads: 6


Former Formula One champion Fernando Alonso completed his laps on Tuesday morning at Circuit de Catalunya with a new engine cover. Red Bull Racing is using the type of engine cover since the start of the season and the Renault F1 team is now testing the aerodynamics of the engine cover to see if it is working for them as well.

The shark fin should improve the airflow at the back of the car, which should see the car becoming more stable on track. It is unknown if Renault will be racing with the new engine cover in two weeks time at the Spanish Grand Prix.


Source: GPUpdate.net





F1: “We Are a Top Team Now,” Says Theissen


Written by: RACER & autosport.com
RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com
04/15/2008 - 08:04 AM
Munich, Germany


 831463_article_img_large1.jpg ( 56.91K ) Number of downloads: 6

Theissen with driver Nick Heidfeld: despite having yet to win, BMW currently leads the constructor's championship. (LAT Photo)

BMW’s progress so far in the 2008 campaign and its status as current leader of the Formula 1 constructor’s championship ahead of McLaren and Ferrari have led team boss Mario Theissen to say the sport’s pecking order has changed.
“Let me put it this way - last year we were the third power after the two top teams Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes,” Theissen told F1’s official website. “Now, after three races, we are one of the three top teams - this is a significant difference.”

BMW has been on the podium in all three races this year, including runner-up results in Australia and Malaysia, but the squad’s maiden win remains elusive. Perhaps for that reason, Theissen says the team can’t yet be considered a title contender.

“This is our goal, but for a substantiated prognosis, it’s still too early,” he continued. “The race in Barcelona will see all the teams operating with a modified aero package and this can lead to a change in the pecking order.

“Since the launch of the F1.08 we have not only added pace to the car, but in those eight weeks since the launch to the season opener in Australia, we have learned more than in a whole season. Looking back it was a very prolific and highly motivating period.”


Source: SPEEDTV





Fast starters or backmarkers? The 2008 story so far - part two


 d08brn2297.jpg ( 19.82K ) Number of downloads: 6
 d08mal2376.jpg ( 13.64K ) Number of downloads: 5
 d08aus3471.jpg ( 18.63K ) Number of downloads: 5
 d08aus2706.jpg ( 19.87K ) Number of downloads: 5
 d08mal1411.jpg ( 24.61K ) Number of downloads: 6


Three races in and the 2008 world championship has a very different complexion to that which was being predicted pre-season. BMW Sauber lead Ferrari and McLaren in the constructors’ table, the German-Swiss team having already recorded their first fastest race lap and a maiden pole position.

There are surprises too in the midfield, with an improved Toyota squad leapfrogging Red Bull, Williams and Renault relative to their final 2007 standings. As the teams head to Europe we look at how the top five are shaping up…

Toyota, 5th, 8 points
Best result: 4th, Best qualifying: 5th
Toyota’s 2008 season has certainly started in more positive fashion than their 2007 campaign. Both Jarno Trulli and newcomer Timo Glock made it safely into Q3 in Australia thanks to some highly respectable pace from the TF108, and they did it again in Malaysia, Trulli ultimately starting a heady third on the grid thanks to penalties for the two McLarens. He came home fourth in the race, splitting the silver cars and giving the Japanese squad their best result since France 2006.

He followed that up with another top-ten grid slot and a sixth place in Bahrain, putting the team in optimistic mood as they head back to Europe. Glock, meanwhile, has had his fair share of misfortune, but despite that spectacular crash in Melbourne, he has proved more than capable of keeping Trulli honest, making Q3 in two out of the three rounds and going from 13th on the grid to finish ninth in Bahrain, where a gearbox glitch almost certainly robbed him of a point.

Williams, 4th, 10 points
Best result: 3rd, Best qualifying: 7th
Cynics would suggest that Williams’ fourth place in the standings is unrepresentative of the team’s true form - after all, nine of their ten points came in Australia, where only six cars took the chequered flag. However, that masks the fact that Frank Williams’ squad have been genuinely competitive. After the success of Melbourne, where Nico Rosberg secured his first F1 podium, results did indeed take a dramatic downturn in Malaysia. The team struggled to get the best from their tyres, but a number of other factors also worked against them. Kazuki Nakajima was carrying a grid penalty for a collision in the previous round and was then hamstrung by a puncture after making a great start, while an early accident scuppered Rosberg’s chances. Neither finished on the same lap as the leaders.

In Bahrain, something resembling normal service was resumed. Rosberg qualified eighth and finished eighth, but Nakajima’s race was compromised by an anti-stall glitch at the start and a spin on oil on lap two. Overall, reliability has been good and Rosberg’s fifth- and sixth-fastest race laps in Australia and Bahrain respectively prove the FW30 has potential. Now the team just need a bit more pace and a bit more luck.

McLaren, 3rd, 28 points
Best result: 1st, Best qualifying: 1st
McLaren were very much the team to beat at the season opener in Australia, where they made a clean sweep of pole, victory and fastest lap. Only misfortune prevented Heikki Kovalainen joining Lewis Hamilton on the podium - safety car timing went against the Finn, who then managed to hit his pitlane speed limiter during a dice with Fernando Alonso. But a week later in Malaysia both Ferrari and BMW Sauber had superior pace. Admittedly, McLaren’s race wasn’t helped by the five-place grid penalties handed to both drivers for impeding others during qualifying, nor by a lengthy pit stop for Hamilton, but third and fifth was not the result the team had been expecting.

And there was little sign of improvement in Bahrain. They were again kept off the front row by their Italian and German-Swiss rivals and on Hamilton at least the pressure seemed to tell. He made a procedural error on the grid, causing the anti-stall to kick in and losing him several places off the line. He then compounded his mistake by tangling with other cars and running into the rear of Fernando Alonso after his front wing failed, almost certainly as a result of earlier contact. While the Briton trailed home a lowly 13th, it was left to Kovalainen to keep McLaren in the hunt, taking fifth place to put himself level on points with his team mate. The Finn set the fastest lap at Sakhir in the process, but Ron Dennis’s men know they have plenty of work to do if they are to stop Ferrari and BMW Sauber pulling away from them in the coming races.

Ferrari, 2nd, 29 points
Best result: 1st, Best qualifying: 1st
In contrast to McLaren, Ferrari’s season started in lacklustre fashion, but has since regained its sparkle in convincing fashion. In Melbourne, Felipe Massa scraped onto the second row of the grid, while world champion Kimi Raikkonen was forced to start from 15th after technical problems. Engine woes then meant neither made the finish, though Raikkonen had at least completed enough distance to be classified eighth and bag a solitary point. What had happened to Ferrari’s legendary reliability? Nothing, hinted the team - the problems most likely stemmed from the new standardised ECU.

Come Malaysia and it seemed those problems had been solved. Massa and Raikkonen locked out the front row, the latter then cruising to a comfortable win. Massa, however, blotted his copybook by spinning into retirement halfway through the Sepang race, leaving him pointless and under pressure with two rounds gone. The Brazilian’s critics were quickly silenced though by a dominant victory in Bahrain, where he had the upper hand on Raikkonen all weekend. Ferrari may still trail BMW Sauber by a point in the standings, but as the calendar switches to Europe they remain firm favourites to go on and retain their constructors’ crown.

BMW Sauber, 1st, 30 points
Best result: 2nd, Best qualifying: 1st
It goes without saying that BMW Sauber have been the revelation of 2008 to date. Yes, they have benefitted from Ferrari’s stuttering start and McLaren’s faltering form, but the progress they have made is remarkable nonetheless - in particular that of Robert Kubica, who has given the team two of their three podiums and a maiden pole in Bahrain. Kubica laid down the gauntlet with second on the grid in Australia, only to be shunted from behind by Nakajima during the race. Team mate Nick Heidfeld had the better Sunday down under, starting fifth and finishing second. Only the two McLarens were quicker.

Qualifying was less impressive in Malaysia, but it didn’t stop Kubica capitalising on his P4 start (after McLaren’s grid penalties) to match Heidfeld’s second place from round one. The German, meanwhile, came home sixth, giving BMW Sauber their first fastest lap in the process. When Kubica then clinched pole at Sakhir, despite a less-than-perfect lap, it looked as though the team might achieve their target of a first win in 2008 a little sooner than expected. Such hopes quickly evaporated, however, when Kubica was swallowed up by both Ferraris within three laps. Encouragingly, though, the red cars didn’t walk away and Kubica was within five seconds of second-placed Raikkonen at the flag, with Heidfeld also staying in touch for fourth. The result gave BMW the lead in the constructors’ championship, something almost no one would have predicted four weeks earlier.

BMW Sauber admitted they took a gamble with the design of the F1.08 and its performance looked patchy in pre-season testing. Some said they were sandbagging, a theory to which the team’s excellent results have since lent credibility. Whatever the truth, the outcome is the same - the gamble is paying off. They have put McLaren on the back foot and have Ferrari on the run. Now for that maiden win…


Source: Formula1.com





Exclusive interview - BMW Sauber’s Mario Theissen


 d08mal1359.jpg ( 13.23K ) Number of downloads: 5


So far this season BMW Sauber are in the pink. After experiencing rosy times at each of the opening three races, the German-Swiss team have already enjoyed a trio of podium finishes, a fastest lap honour in Malaysia and a maiden pole position in Bahrain.

The squad’s progress - and lead in the constructors’ standings - has certainly given BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen more than enough to smile about. And if, as the saying goes, the meek really do inherit the earth, then Ferrari and McLaren should be on their guard….

Q: The first three races are over and BMW Sauber have an astounding balance sheet, with the team currently leading the constructors’ championship. Would you say it is a well-deserved position?
Mario Theissen: The fact is we have been on the podium at all three races, for the first time Nick (Heidfeld) clocked the fastest race lap in Malaysia, Robert (Kubica) was on pole position in Bahrain - the first ever for the BMW Sauber F1 Team - and as a consequence we have 30 points in the constructors’ championship. This was not a free ride - we worked very hard for it. But the fact is also that this standing is nothing more than a snapshot. Ferrari still run the fastest cars, but we are on a promising track.

Q: Robert’s pole in Bahrain made history for the team. Did you expect your qualifying pace to be so competitive so early in the season?
MT: This was not foreseeable, especially when you consider our roll-out woes in Valencia in mid-January. The aftermath was the first major test for our still young team. But we kept our eyes on our goal and consequently proceeded with our plan. Performance data and driver statements were synchronised, causes analysed and a package of measures adopted. It proved successful. This pole in Bahrain indicates another cornerstone in our efforts and that it happened at such an early stage in the season was the icing on the cake. Since the launch of the F1.08 we have not only added pace to the car, but in those eight weeks since the launch to the season opener in Australia, we have learned more than in a whole season. Looking back it was a very prolific and highly motivating period. My compliments go to (technical director) Willy Rampf and the whole team as, even though they were under pressure, they never caved in.

Q: Assuming Ferrari are still the preeminent force on the grid, do you believe there has been a change for second position? Has BMW Sauber outrun McLaren?
MT: The race in Australia was a debacle for Ferrari but since then they recovered their dominance and are the ultimate benchmark at the moment. Behind them, the situation is tight. Let me put it this way - last year we were the third power after the two top teams Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes. Now, after three races, we are one of the three top teams - this is a significant difference.

Q: Will it be a three-horse race for the championship?
MT: This is our goal, but for a substantiated prognosis, it’s still too early. The race in Barcelona will see all the teams operating with a modified aero package and this can lead to a change in the pecking order.

Q: You have said that the unconventional approach BMW Sauber has taken with the design of the F1.08 has paid off, but that the gamble could have backfired. When did you know you had chosen the right road for success?
MT: It is not possible to pinpoint that to a specific date as it is a continuous process. The F1.08 is a major step forward compared to our car last year. We pushed the edge in aerodynamics especially, leaving familiar terrain behind us. This holds chance and risk - and in our case, it did not work at first. The data gained from the first tests helped us to identify weaknesses in our concept and to eliminate them step by step. As a side effect, it sharpened our development process.

Q: Both your drivers have come close to the first step of the podium and you have said that you still have something up your sleeve. When will we hear either the German or Polish national anthem playing after the chequered flag?
MT: If one could predict that, Formula One would be bland, wouldn’t it? In any case, we will do our utmost to have the respective anthem played as soon as possible.

Q: Will some of the aces up your sleeve be introduced at next week’s Barcelona test?
MT: As I said before, at the start of the European season in Barcelona all teams will have undergone a development process - so will we. We are confident that our actions will prove successful.

Q: Based on the data you have gained from the first three races, what areas of the car need to be improved?
MT: It always has to be an improvement of the whole package, but naturally the emphasis will be on the aerodynamics as there lies the biggest potential for enhancement. But we will also focus on the precise tuning of mechanical components.

Q: Another result of this profitable season is that Robert and Nick are no longer considered ‘lucky’ to be in the points. Has this made any difference to the way BMW’s management views their investment in Formula One racing?
MT: BMW’s Formula One commitment was always planned long term. So it wouldn’t go astray in good or bad times. What is important is the attitude to stay realistic at all times. Our board of directors not only stands out due to its immense competence, but also due to its passionate sportsmanship. And it goes without saying that we all get pleasure from looking at our present balance sheet!


Source: Formula1.com

cheers traveling at the minute so don't get my f1 fix

Super Aguri in doubt for Spanish GP

By Alastair Himmer Friday, April 18th 2008, 08:39 GMT


 1208508312.jpg ( 13.88K ) Number of downloads: 5


The Super Aguri team admit their presence at next week's Spanish Grand Prix is in doubt after the collapse of a planned rescue deal.

Potential buyers Magma Group pulled the plug on their takeover earlier this week and the cash-strapped Japanese team could now miss next week's race.

"It's possible," Super Aguri co-owner Fumio Akita told Reuters on Friday. "We were banking on Magma's buyout but they turned it down. It feels like being jilted by a lover.

"Even if we have the money to go to Spain we might not be able to carry on after that. It's impossible to predict what will happen but it could now depend on Honda."

The survival of the team now looks likely to rest on the goodwill of backers Honda.

Honda may be reluctant to provide more funding, however, having said only recently that they would scale down support for former driver Aguri Suzuki's team after the initial announcement of the Magma deal.

Super Aguri, whose main driver is popular Japanese Takuma Sato, have effectively operated as Honda's B-team in their two years in Formula One and the two teams have adjoining garages this season.

But Super Aguri, who barely tested pre-season due to financial constraints, have not joined the other teams in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya this week.

Team sources said the cars and transporters were due to leave early next week for the first race of the year in Europe after the opening three long-haul rounds. Free practice starts on Friday.

"I don't think there will be a decision until after the weekend," Akita said. "It is likely to be Monday or Tuesday until we hear. It will be very, very tight."

Sources at the team's Leafield factory in Britain said they were acting as if it were business as normal until told otherwise.

"We are still preparing the cars to go to Barcelona and are still planning to be there," said one source, who declined to be identified.

The tail-enders, who have the smallest budget in Formula One but have a strong fan base in Japan, finished ninth of the 11 teams in the 2007 season. Sato and Britain's Anthony Davidson have yet to score a point this year.


Source: AutoSport





Aguri dispatch transporter to Barcelona

By Simon Strang Friday, April 18th 2008, 11:23 GMT


 1208518133.jpg ( 15.75K ) Number of downloads: 6


The Super Aguri team have dispatched the first of their transporters to Barcelona for next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, while remaining optimistic that a financial package can be put in place to overcome the collapse of their planned rescue deal.

Team co-owner Aguri Suzuki confirmed on Wednesday that potential buyers Magma Group pulled out of their takeover bid, leaving Super Aguri short on budget and unclear whether they would have the funds and the spares to compete in Barcelona next weekend.

But a source inside the team told Autosport on Friday that Suzuki remains locked in talks with alternative backers and that he had made 'some steady progress, but was not out of the woods yet.'

Super Aguri's long-term future is likely to remain in doubt until at least early next week, and it seems likely that Honda will be asked to subsidise the team until a new financial package can be put in place.

"I don't think there will be a decision until after the weekend," Super Aguri co-owner Fumio Akita told Reuters on Friday.

"It is likely to be Monday or Tuesday until we hear. It will be very, very tight."

Suzuki agreed a deal with Magma before the start of the season after Honda indicated over the winter that it was no longer prepared to fully fund a B-team in Formula One.

With regulations set to come in to force insisting on teams designing and constructing their own chassis from 2009 onwards, Suzuki set about looking for alternative backers to give the team full independent status.

But Super Aguri's on-track competitiveness has been badly affected by the Magma takeover, with the team completing minimal pre-season testing during the build-up to the Melbourne season-opener.

Since then Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson have been running on limited mileage, and were told to protect the cars over GP weekends to save spares, which are in short supply.

Super Aguri were the only team not present at this week's massive pre-European season test at Barcelona.


Source: AutoSport





Bridgestone downplays slick tyres worries

By Simon Strang Friday, April 18th 2008, 15:54 GMT


 1208534123.jpg ( 13.36K ) Number of downloads: 5


Bridgestone has played down the concerns of a number of Formula One drivers over the ban on tyre warmers in 2009, suggesting that the performance of its new slick tyres when cold had been 'much-improved'.

Michael Schumacher joined the likes of GPDA president Pedro de la Rosa, Nico Rosberg and David Coulthard in questioning the regulation which will call for drivers to warm their tyres on track from cold, leading to what they describe as 'alarming' speed differentials between cars up-to-speed and those on their out laps.

But Bridgestone Motorsport's technical manager Tetsuro Kobayashi said the Japanese tyre maker had made significant progress during this week's test at Barcelona.

"Running with the slick tyres has been interesting and we are also happy with their performance," he said. "The situation of warm-up with these tyres is much improved as we look to the future with no tyre blankets.

"We brought three compounds of slicks here so there was a lot of work to do, especially with teams running with different aerodynamic configurations."

Kobayashi added that he believes the situation would improve further as Bridgestone and the teams continued to develop the new tyres.

"We have accumulated good data for analysis from the four days here," he said. "This data will be processed and investigated carefully to evaluate our next steps.

"Teams will also be making use of the data they have gained. The drivers now have a greater understanding of driving Formula One cars with slick tyres to the 2009 regulations with lower levels of downforce and no tyre blankets.

"We should all expect to see more progress next time we test slicks, which is planned for the Jerez test in July."


Source: AutoSport





Honda look to maintain progress

By Jonathan Noble Monday, April 21st 2008, 09:31 GMT


 1208770513.jpg ( 47.33K ) Number of downloads: 5


Honda Racing are confident they can maintain the rate of progress they have shown at the start of the season thanks to the upgrades they plan to introduce at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

The Japanese manufacturer tried out aerodynamic improvements, revised suspension and other mechanical changes during last week's test at Barcelona, and the run has left them bullish about challenging for points in the race.

Team principal Ross Brawn said: "The team has made good progress at each race so far this season, gaining in confidence and performing better on each occasion.

"Our recent development push on the RA108 with a new aerodynamic package, suspension modifications and driveability improvements showed pleasing results during the four-day test this week.

"I expect these developments to add to our competitiveness and improve our points scoring potential at the Spanish Grand Prix and the races to follow."

Jenson Button only got limited mileage with the new car parts at the Barcelona test, thanks to wet weather, but he thinks that the team can target getting through to Q3 again.

"Our performance over the first three races showed a steady rate of improvement, which was encouraging for the whole team and has given us renewed confidence in the car," he explained.

"Although I was not able to complete much mileage at the test this week due to the weather, the team had three days evaluating the new upgrades, so I am confident that we are in good shape.

"We hope to be challenging for a top ten qualifying position again which would put us in position for a strong race."

Teammate Rubens Barrichello added: ""We had a very successful four-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya and were able to work through a lot of test items.

"Our main focus was the mechanical and aerodynamic developments for the RA108 car at this race. We saw a significant lap time improvement with the new upgrades, which is very pleasing, but as ever, we need to wait until the race weekend to determine how this will impact our position on the grid. I'm confident that we have continued to make good progress."


Source: AutoSport





Q&A with Renault's Bob Bell

Monday, April 21st 2008, 10:26 GMT

Conducted and provided by the Renault press office


 1205151995.jpg ( 8.98K ) Number of downloads: 5

Bob Bell, Renault technical director, chassis

Bob, it has been three weeks since the Bahrain Grand Prix. What has been the agenda for the team over that period?

BB: "Our main focus was to prepare for the Barcelona test last week, which was very important for us as we have quite a major aerodynamic upgrade and some new mechanical components for the R28. The purpose of the test was to verify that they were all fit for purpose and then to pick the best parts for the Spanish Grand Prix because some of those upgrades are circuit dependent."

What areas have the team focussed on in the quest to improve performance?

BB: "We now have quite a clear picture of where we are underperforming. One of those areas is our aerodynamic performance because at the moment we are deficient in aero- generated grip in the high-speed corners. That's where we are making the biggest push because that area is probably contributing the most to our lack of performance.

"Equally, we are losing out in the low-speed corners where the performance of the car is dominated by mechanical grip, and so we have suspension upgrades that will start addressing those problems. We are also a bit down on engine performance and we can recognise a straight-line performance deficit compared with other teams. However, in the world of frozen engines there is not much we can do about that."

Will this progress be reflected by an improvement in on-track performance?

BB: "We are reasonably confident that the things we are putting on the car will produce a clear and definable performance advantage. I think we will also see some more unquantifiable benefits with improvements to the driveability and feel of the car because if we give the drivers more confidence, particularly under braking, they can extract more performance from the car. So we can be reasonably confident that it will be a big step forward and that it will be multiple tenths of a second. We do have to be cautious, though, and remember that every team sees Barcelona as an opportunity to introduce a major upgrade - we just have to make sure that we take a bigger step than the other teams."

Let's talk about the drivers. How is Fernando’s state of mind ahead of his home Grand Prix?

BB: "Fernando remains very focussed and positive. I think he’s also suffering a degree of disappointment because he doesn’t have a car capable of fighting for the podium, although he recognises that the team is doing all it can to provide a better package. So I think he will approach Barcelona with mixed feelings because although he will enjoy massive support at his home race, this is certainly a race where he would like a car that is capable of fighting for the win. However, the one thing we know about Fernando is that he will fight tooth and nail until the chequered flag, whether he’s fighting for first place or fifteenth place - he never gives up. Nelson had a difficult debut, but has come on strongly."

How do you view his introduction to Formula One?

BB: "It has been a difficult introduction for Nelson, in much the same way as it was for Heikki last year, and there is a lot of expectation on young drivers nowadays. Winter testing was difficult and we did have concerns as to whether Nelson would be fully ready for the season. But he was, and at the final winter test he showed his true performance which impressed us all. Melbourne was certainly a difficult debut, but in the last two races he has really shown his capabilities and I think he has done an excellent job for the team. We’ve been impressed and to some extent pleasantly surprised, and we expect him to get stronger and stronger throughout the season."

What can we expect from the team this weekend?

BB: "During winter testing we did not look too bad in Barcelona and if this trend continues, combined with the upgrades we have to the car, then we should take a step forward. Barcelona is very much a circuit that separates the wheat from the chaff in terms of aerodynamic performance and we do recognise that we are deficient there in comparison to the front runners, but I still feel we can do a good job."


Source: AutoSport





Ferrari play down new nose design

By Jonathan Noble & Michele Lostia Monday, April 21st 2008, 11:26 GMT


 1208777379.jpg ( 62.89K ) Number of downloads: 5


Ferrari have played down the significance of their 'hole in the nose' design, insisting other aerodynamic developments on their car are just as important in helping the speed of the F2008.

The Maranello-based team were the centre of attention during testing at Barcelona in Spain last week when they ran the much-rumoured nose hole feature for the first time.

And although there had been talk that the benefit of the concept could be large, Ferrari's chief designer Nicholas Tombazis insists the impact is not that great.

"It is not something revolutionary that will make us go two seconds quicker," Tombazis told Gazzetta dello Sport. "More simply, it's an aerodynamic development, like others that are perhaps less evident but maybe even more important."

Tombazis explained that the introduction of the hole was delayed until the start of the European season because of the need to pass a new crash test, and so Ferrari could ensure they had enough parts for the races.

"It's an idea we've been working on for some time, but it wasn't one of the fundamental points of the F2008 project as people may think. In fact the car has raced, and well, without it too."

Speaking about the benefits of the design, Tombazis said: "It allows you to better control the airflow on the front wing, with benefits on other components behind, like the diffuser and the rear wing.

"The driver feels an increase of aerodynamic load, so he can go quicker in the curves. But this is also the result of other things we introduced in the Montmelo test and that are not visible."


Source: AutoSport





Trulli: Toyota must keep work ethic

By Jonathan Noble Monday, April 21st 2008, 13:46 GMT


 1208785711.jpg ( 54.45K ) Number of downloads: 5


Jarno Trulli believes his Toyota team are going to have to keep working as hard as they have done since the start of the year if they are to maintain their strong form.

Trulli has helped the Japanese car manufacturer emerge as one of the leading teams in the fight behind Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber, but is aware they cannot afford to relax their efforts yet.

"I am very happy with my start to the season; the new car has been strong, the team has worked really well and we have got the results we deserved," said the Italian, who has been further encouraged by Toyota's form after trying out their Barcelona upgrades last week.

"But I am not getting carried away because I know we must continue to work hard to stay in this position and hopefully close the gap on the top three teams.

"We had a successful test in Barcelona last week with the new package so we should be in good shape this weekend, but the battle is so close we cannot afford any mistakes. I think we have proven we are leading the second group of cars at the moment so we should go to Spain expecting to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the points.

"It would be great to fight for the top six again but we'll see how it goes because we are not quite on the same level as the leading teams at the moment."

The improvements to the TF108 include a new front wing, engine cover and rear wheel rim covers, as well as modifications to the suspension and brakes.

Toyota's senior general manager of chassis Pascal Vasselon is confident that the revisions will lift his team's performance in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"We tested the new package at Barcelona last week and the results were in line with our expectations so we should see a performance increase," he explained. "I expect us to build on our strong performances so far this season and hopefully score points with both cars."


Source: AutoSport





Hartley eyes test drive with Toro Rosso

21 April 2008


 95307.jpg ( 27.78K ) Number of downloads: 5


British F3 driver Brendon Hartley hopes to become Scuderia Toro Rosso's test driver in 2009. The driver from New Zealand is currently racing in the British F3 series with Carlin and finished just outside the podium in the opening round at Oulton Park.

His manager Johnston said about Hartley's future plans: "In the near future, a F1 drive is not possible. Brendon has to win the British F3 championship before he goes anywhere. He has to do very well this year and then move on to GP2. He is doing some componentry testing for Torro Roso but that is all it is.

"If he does good this year, he could become a fulltime test driver with Torro Rosso next year."


 95283.jpg ( 28.21K ) Number of downloads: 5



Source: GPUpdate.net





Heidfeld hopes F1.08 updates will work

18 April 2008


 97016.jpg ( 18.04K ) Number of downloads: 5


The BMW Sauber F1 team will travel to Spain next week for the first European round on the 2008 Formula 1 calendar. German driver Nick Heidfeld is interested to see how strong the team will be in Barcelona as every team will come with extra new components to compete at the Spanish Grand Prix.

During the brief spring break all the teams have been upgrading their cars in preparation for the European curtain-raiser in Barcelona on 27th April. The Spanish Grand Prix on the impressive, but unforgiving, Circuit de Catalunya could prompt a reappraisal of where the teams stand relative to one another.

Looking ahead of next week's race Heidfeld is interested to see where everyone will be standing after the three-week break. "The question everybody wants to hear the answer to is: how well are the new components, with which we've modified the BMW Sauber F1.08 since the initial overseas races, going to work?" Heidfeld wonders. "I'm also very keen to see whether we have made more progress with our new developments than the competition. At any rate, I'm confident that we will be just as strong as in Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain."

Looking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend Heidfeld commented: "The Spanish Grand Prix has its own special ambience because the stands are now regularly packed to the rafters. The fans ensure a brilliant atmosphere, which we as drivers pick up on to some extent as well.

"Although I have already clocked up hundreds of race and test laps on the Circuit de Catalunya, boredom just doesn't come into it. It has often been the case that a set-up determined during testing was no longer the right one for the race weekend. That could be due to the weather or to the condition of the track, which naturally accumulates much more rubber deposits over a grand prix weekend than during testing."


 97095.jpg ( 39.05K ) Number of downloads: 6



Source: GPUpdate.net







Hamilton confident of fight-back in Spain

18 April 2008


 97146.jpg ( 25.31K ) Number of downloads: 5


Lewis Hamilton says he is feeling confident he and McLaren can fight back from the last two Ferrari-dominated races, to be back fighting for the win in the Spanish Grand Prix.

"Looking ahead to next week I feel very confident we can do a much better job," Hamilton told the BBC. "The car is feeling better and I feel a bit more comfortable in it."

"It's great to be back in Europe which is when things really start getting busy and you're closer to home so it's a great feeling," he added. "I think we can be a bit more productive when we're back here and we've definitely made some steps forward and we feel quite strong at Barcelona."


Source: GPUpdate.net





I Have This Friend
21/04/2008


 2004maxmon400.jpg ( 30.58K ) Number of downloads: 6


I have this friend… Decent enough sort of chap in an amusing kind of way. Perhaps a little too loud and opinionated but ever able to quote undisclosed "special sources". Of course the veracity of the sources is never forthcoming. According to my friend, should the logic demanding the demise of Max Mosley in the ways of his recent video be extended to the houses of Westminster, England's parliament might suddenly become a quiet and lonely place.

No, I am not excusing Max by way of comparison to his peers - one of the oldest tricks in the book. "I may be bad but I am not as bad as…" And I am sure Max could care less either way what I think anyway.

Fact is I am on public record as repeatedly mauling Max's edicts in his role as supreme, elected master of the F.I.A.

So if Max's leadership of the FIA was currently under threat because he refuses to address the boredom of current F1 by way of reducing the dependency on downforce over mechanical grip, the handling of the Stepney affair or even his rather odd posturing over Honda having much the same fuel cell as every other team on the grid, I'd be at the head of the queue to dig his professional grave and dance upon it as soon as the hole was filled. And here I name but a few of my private grievances with Max.

But Max is not under threat for any of the right reasons.

Max is under threat because seemingly somebody paid somebody who likely paid somebody else and then paid somebody who paid somebody to record images of what Max does in his spare time. Finally a facsimile of news service offered that footage to the public. My memory is not what it once was but I have a suspicion that the same news service once claimed to have photographs of a Second World War bomber aircraft on the Planet Mars.

I am all at once reminded of my authoritive chum with the unsubstantiated sources.

Personally, I can live with the notion that the incumbent, elected president of the FIA might be willing to pay for a jolly good flogging in a house of ill repute. I pity him as much but I pity more the motives of those who saw fit to pay for such scenes to become public.

Somewhere, somebody has something to gain by making Max's private life public. Or perhaps somebody has a score to settle by the same means. Consider the last two sentences and form your own list of suspects. Your speculation may one day form the basis of a bestselling crime novel.

Whatever I or anyone else may think, Max's behaviour is now in the public domain and he is necessarily dealing with his conundrum in this context. But what of those who likely paid to make it public? Here we speak of advance warning, hidden cameras and lines to publishing forums, none of which happen by accident.

Perhaps I am a boring slave to whodunit novels but I should rather like to know who saw fit to arrange the footage of Max, their motives and, quite frankly, how much they paid.

I am also reminded of the sagacious Mike Lawrence who so unerringly choruses his favoured phrase, "follow the money".

Permit me to be rhetorically blunt in the way only Antipodeans seem capable. Should Max's private proclivities preclude him from his elected roll at the FIA? Moreover, of the voices presently calling for Max to resign, who among them are so piously perfect as to moralise?

Despite my private grievances with Max, his stewardship of the governing body of world motorsport and motoring can conspicuously claim credit for unprecedented levels of safety in car racing and roadgoing cars.

At the point Max took the reigns of the FIA, driver mortality was an accepted risk of the game. In days of yore, drivers paid the price of their love of racing with their lives. In the years since Max has been running the show, how many drivers have paid that price? Indeed, how many drivers have lived through accidents that would have been fatal a decade earlier?

I don't much like Max and I probably never will. But for all that, I will not stand by and watch the man set up and slaughtered by those who are so clearly worse than he.

And so to my open challenge, one designed to find villains and lay clear motives… not that I hold much hope.

To those who oversaw, contrived and funded this incident, are you prepared to name yourself and declare your motives? My e-mail address awaits you but be assured whatsoever you tell me it will be published.

Glen Crompton
crompo@pitpass.com


Source: PitPass





Meanwhile at Silverstone


The Formula 1 world has been paying very little attention in recent weeks to its normal goings-on, with FIA President Max Mosley hogging the limelight. However, we are hearing disquieting stories from Northamptonshire, where the British Grand Prix is facing a troubled future. At the moment the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) has a deal that will keep the race at the Silverstone circuit only until 2009.

We are hearing that Formula One Management has offered the BRDC a new contract for the years 2010 to 2014. There are, however, a number of commitments needed from the club in order for this deal to be secured. These include the promise that Silverstone will have new facilities by the time the new deal begins. The financial details of the offer are not clear, but we are hearing that these are well in excess of the $15m that the club is currently paying for the right to host the race. Insiders say that the deal on offer is on a par with the deal that was signed with Germany. This is believed to be around $22m, although most of the FOM contracts these days include an annual price increase of 10%, which means that by the end of a five-year deal a promoter would be paying $32m a year. This would mean an overall commitment over five years of something in the region of $130m.

This is not bad value for money given the cost of sporting events in general and with a race able to generate around $80-$100m for the region each year, it might be do-able in another country. However, the BRDC does not benefit from the money that flows into the country and as there is little help obvious help coming from the government, there is a feeling that the race is once again in jeopardy.

Most worrying, however, is a story we have heard suggesting that FOM wants a bank guarantee covering the first two years of the new deal as soon as the deal is signed. This would amount to an immediate commitment of $50m. Even allowing for the low value of the dollar, which has helped races with US dollar deals in recent years, this is simply not possible for the BRDC in the next 10 days.

Even if that can be negotiated away - and FOM has no real need to be generous - the BRDC still has the major problem that it needs planning permission in order to make a commitment to go ahead with the Grand Prix, and it needs a Grand Prix contract in order to get the planning permission.

It is possible that FOM may now try to engineer an arrangement in which the British and French GPs alternate, thus opening the way for another high-paying race in Asia or the Middle East. There are currently 18 races. As things stand there are three new races in the pipeline for the next few years: Korea, India and Abu Dhabi. In addition Indianapolis is keen to get back into the schedule. And the F1 teams say that they will agree to 20 races a year but no more.

That means two events will need to disappear. Merging Britain and France would get rid of one. The other races in the firing line are believed to be Australia and Hungary. The Budapest event is likely to stay alive as long as the Russians are unable to come up with a deal, but has little chance of survival after that.

The race in Melbourne may be popular and may add another continent to F1's list of venues, but the timezones are difficult and the population of Australia is only 21m, which is only slightly larger than the number of people who live in Mexico City, Mumbai or Sao Paulo.


Source: GrandPrix





Why Super Aguri needs to be saved



 sato1_lg.jpg ( 24.67K ) Number of downloads: 7

Takuma Sato, Malaysian GP 2008 © The Cahier Archive


There are rumours suggesting that Super Aguri F1 may be in danger as a result of a decision by the backers of Magma International not to push ahead with the deal that was close to being signed. Contrary to some reports, however, our sources say the deal is not completely dead as the backers in Dubai are still assessing the risks involved in investing in the team, notably the arbitration between Super Aguri and Force India F1 and the lack of a Concorde Agreement, giving the teams long-term security in the sport.

There are commercial agreements in place with Formula One Management until the end of 2012 and some argue that there is a Concorde Agreement, citing a press release of January 19 2005 in which the FIA, Ferrari and Formula One Management announced that they had "agreed to prolong the Concorde Agreement for the period 2008 to 2012". The statement included quotes from the FIA President Max Mosley, Bernie Ecclestone and Luca di Montezemolo as all being delighted that a new deal had been agreed.

In July 2006, however, Mosley told Autosport that "unless and until we sign up to another Concorde Agreement, we are free to do what we like and of course teams and manufacturers are free to enter or not enter" and later that year he was quoted as saying "We have a deal with Bernie that he will show up with 20 cars. Bernie has a deal with the teams that they will come with 20 cars. We have a deal with Bernie that we regulate the championship in the traditional way, so at the moment the entire structure is in place so we don’t have to have a Concorde Agreement".

This fuzziness about the Concorde Agreement has obviously not helped the Super Aguri situation.

There are however strong forces in play to keep the team alive. Honda does not want to be seen to be pushing the team out of business and, in any case, will gain more financially by keeping the team alive as there will then be chance to recoup at least some of the money that is owed by the team. At the same time Honda can make money off its engine supply deal and, perhaps more importantly, can get useful data that might help to improve the performance of the engines. These are frozen but there are things that can be done that will find additional horsepower. This is believed to be one of the big advantages enjoyed by Ferrari at the moment.

The Formula One group is also keen for the team to stay alive because having an 11th team is of key importance in keeping the other teams competitive. The financial agreements mean that only the top 10 teams get prize and travel money. If there is no 11th team, there is no real incentive for the back of the grid teams to push hard and they become weaker, particularly if they are already up for sale.

For the financial men in Dubai, little has changed in terms of the philosophy. They want a team to help to tell the world about the city andd to give it some additional glitz. There is no desire for an F1 race in the city but the development of the F1X theme park is aimed the achieve an increase in the tourist trade, which is much the same goal as a race.

Thus, when all is said and done, everyone has something to gain from the deal going ahead.

We hear from Leafield that the first Super Aguri set-up truck has departed for Barcelona and will begin work over the weekend getting things ready for the team to arrive. The cars must depart on Tuesday morning at the latest and the signs are that the money and the parts to do this will be found, thus buying the team another fortnight in which to get a deal together.


Source: GrandPrix





Danica wins Motegi!


It has taken a while to get there, but Danica Patrick finally won an Indycar race with victory in the rain-delayed Indy Japan 300 at Motegi, taking the chequered flag nearly six seconds ahead of Penske's Helio Castroneves. The two Target Chip Ganassi drivers Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon were third and fourth with Patrick's Andretti Green Racing team-mate Tony Kanaan fifth. For the Indy Racing League this is the best possible publicity as attention will soon turn to the biggest event of the year, the Indianapolis 500.

The win lifts Patrick to third in the IRL championship behind Castroneves and Dixon.

Patrick's victory is the first by a woman in the history of the series and the first major international victory for a lady racer in a single-seater race in the modern era.

It was Patrick's 50th IRL race and it came in style as Patrick surged to victory in the final laps of the race, running on the same strategy as Castroneves.

"When I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it," she said. "This is fabulous."


Source: GrandPrix





THE MAN IN THE PUB

The German we should be talking about

APRIL 21, 2008
BY ROB SINFIELD

Sunday’s during the winter are, it has to be said, generally rather pleasant affairs. They are the high point of the week and during the dark months they usually follow the same pattern. Have an hour’s extra kip, get up and enjoy a trucker's salad, take assorted ankle biters off to mini-rugby then retire to the Halfway House (it is a pub not somewhere for those on probation to stay), while the current wife does something unnatural to a chicken, with a lemon and half a pound of sausagemeat.

Talking of doing unnatural things to trussed up birds, it’s fair to say that the main topic of conversation amongst the chaps at the bar is not of Lewis Hamilton’s dip in form, Ferrari’s funny new nose or anything even remotely track-related, but more about some rather spicy antics in a Chelsea basement that may well have been sponsored by World of Leather.

Our quiet little pub, deep in the conservative Cotswolds, is more the sort of place where you will find the choice of newspaper being The Times or The Daily Telegraph. Somebody once came in with a copy of the Daily Mail - I think he was promptly shown the door and barred for life. Recently however, us country folk have been woken up to what goes on up in the smoke as more than a few copies of The News of The World have been spotted around the place.

For those who have been on the Moon for the last month, or maybe in Wales, the NOTW got the F1 scoop of the decade with the story, complete with pictures and even a video, for Pete’s sake, of some sexy (I use that word loosely, it’s more like a post-watershed version of ‘Allo Allo’) goings on with Max Mosley and some young ladies who appear to have been on some sort of foreign exchange trip.

The story has dominated the back, middle and often front pages of every newspaper and racing magazine for weeks. The video is probably the most Googled since the one of the dippy Amercan heiress and her boyfriend made it onto the web.

The first issue of F1 Racing (May’s) since the scandal broke, chose to not whip (sorry) the matter up anymore and tried it’s best to ignore it completely. A bit late and more than a little pointless really, the words ‘gate’ and ‘horse’ spring to mind, but you can understand their motives.

It’s a bit of a shame, to put it mildly, that the conversation for the last four Sundays - and no doubt many more to come, is not about what really matters, a season ahead with the best top driver line up for yonks, but instead a bit of rather adventurous hanky panky.

Still, back on the track it’s going to be a battle royale between Hamilton, Kovalainen, Raikkonen, Massa, Kubica and Nick Heidfeld - and there’s a name I never thought I’d ever include in the same sentence as the words "top driver".

You see, Heidfeld is an odd type for an F1 driver. You’ll notice that I (as most others do) refer to the top drivers by surname only, it’s all that’s needed as everybody knows who they are without the need to elaborate. Blimey, even Sato doesn’t require a full name introduction. Nick on the other hand needs the complete moniker, as despite being in F1 since 2000 he has been hidden away better than a NOTW snapper. And yet, here he is 8 years later, finding himself in one of the quickest cars on the grid - and sitting nicely in second place (I’m writing this pre-Spanish Grand Prix) in the Drivers' World Championship.

How did he do that? Did anybody else notice? We were all busy paying attention to the red and silver cars (as ever) and noting on a few stellar drives from super-pole Kubica, yet there Nick is, second place on 16 points.

Sure, the season never really starts for real until the circus gets back to Europe, but here we are now, are on tracks that (Raikkonen excepted) Heidfeld knows better than any of his immediate rivals. The man who my Mum, bless her, mistook for Bjorn Borg is finally in a position to show us what he is made of.

Leaving the top half dozen drivers aside, it is Nick’s countryman, Sebastian Vettel, currently giving his team mate a bit of a caning (sorry again), who is grabbing the headlines, but maybe, at least for 2008, he is not the German we should be watching.

Auf wiedersehen !

Rob Sinfield also writes for www.GrandPrixDiary.com


Source: GrandPrix





F1: Q&A with Force India’s Vijay Mallya


Written by: Adam Cooper
RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com
04/21/2008 - 12:58 PM
Manama, Bahrain


 833383_article_img_large1.jpg ( 40.42K ) Number of downloads: 5

Mallya expects more progress from his surprising Force India squad. (LAT Photo)


If there was a prize for “most improved team” thus far in 2008, it would have to go to Force India. Not so long ago under its various incarnations the team was stuck on the back row of the grid, but at every race this year Giancarlo Fisichella has been challenging for a place in Q2 on merit, missing out by a tenth or two. A great chance to score points in Australia was wasted by a first-lap incident, but in Bahrain the Italian took advantage of trouble ahead in the early laps and ran in the middle of the field throughout, even setting the 11th fastest lap. It’s been an encouraging start for team boss Vijay Mallya, who aims to be challenging for podiums within a couple of years.

Q: We are already three races into the season. What do you think about the way things have gone so far?

“You know, I had said that my objective this year would definitely be to show that this team was not a backmarker, and that we were a good midfield competitor. That was the objective. I didn’t want to raise people’s expectations, so I was cautiously optimistic. But I said to our guys that even though time is short over the winter, we need to do the best we can. We obviously have qualifying to sort out, because usually you pretty much finish where you qualify. Every time we’ve missed Q2 by fractions of a second, which is frustrating, but it’s a reality. But in Malaysia as well in Bahrain we’ve gained at least five to six places, and we’ve shown that we are a good midfield team that’s actually competing with some good teams out there.”

Q: The team had a good performance in Bahrain. What impressed you most there?

“First of all it was the reliability. We suffered in Malaysia as well as Australia with unreliability, and Sutil didn’t finish the races. In Bahrain even though he had a bit of a shunt at the start he finished the race and brought the car home, so we know now the car is reliable under these conditions. European conditions will be a lot kinder on the car than they were in Bahrain. So that’s one big relief to me personally, that the car at least is reliable. I was getting a bit worried after two successive dropouts, both in Australia and Malaysia.”

Q: Are you pleased with the performance of Giancarlo Fisichella?

“I think I’ve fully vindicated my decision to employ Giancarlo. Everybody said why not Driver A or Driver B? Why not an Indian? And so on. I think I said that we need a combination of experience and talent – experience to help us build up the team, and talent to achieve a result. I think Giancarlo is a perfect blend of both. He has helped us enormously within the team, and more importantly, I think he’s producing the results. He had good midfield finishes both in Malaysia and Bahrain. Obviously it gives me great reason to be pleased.”

Q: Were you especially pleased in Bahrain to see him holding off a Honda, and even giving Lewis Hamilton a hard time?

“Not only that, the car obviously has good race pace. If the car did not have race pace then we would not be able to compete. It was interesting to see how he was racing with Lewis, but he was also racing with Barrichello’s Honda, and these are top-class teams. So I’m very encouraged, I think we have had a good start to the season. I think we are achieving our objectives of showing to the world that we have significantly improved, and now it’s a question of going to Europe with a positive mindset. I think the boys in the team are going to be very positive, and very charged up and motivated by Bahrain, and they will crank it up a bit for the European season.”

Q: Obviously Australia was the first time you walked into the paddock as a team boss. How do you think it will be in Barcelona when we see the Force India and Kingfisher names on the trucks and motor home?

“It’ll be even more dramatic! In fact I’m looking forward to Barcelona because we’re getting our new motor home.”

Q: Does it feel different now that you own a team? Do the other bosses treat you differently?

“I’ve known most of the team principals for a while because I’ve interacted with them when I was in my sponsorship role. We meet at team principals’ meetings, which are called every so often. There are a lot of common issues that we talk about. I think it’s a great fraternity.”

Q: Finally, there was a long build-up during the winter, but now the season is underway what sort of interest has there been in India?

“The level of interest is absolutely massive, and the number of SMS messages and phone calls I got after the Bahrain result is quite pleasing. There’s a huge excitement in India, and I felt it with the large number of Indians in Bahrain. They expressed a huge amount of feeling.”


Source: SPEEDTV





SPECIAL: The McLambo That Never Was



Written by: F1 Racing
04/14/2008 - 01:52 PM
London, UK


 831233_article_img_large1.jpg ( 55.13K ) Number of downloads: 6

Senna and the Ford-engined '93 McLaren humbled the more powerful Williams-Renaults on occasion, but the Brazilian was determined to get a power upgrade for '94. (LAT photo)

Late summer, 1993. Ron Dennis being chauffeured in a plutocrat’s barge alongside partner, billionaire and confident Mansour Ojjeh. A carphone (the latest thing then) rings. Half a decade before mobile-phone ubiquity, very few people have this number. Must be important.

Dennis extends a manicured palm toward the trilling black handset; places it next to his ear.

“Ron, hi,” says a softly accented South American voice. “It’s Ayrton.”

Senna is in a state of some emotion. He has recently stepped from the cockpit of a Lamborghini-engined McLaren MP4/8 “hybrid” and has been beguiled by a glimpse of a possible future. One with V12 power, a wailing, rev-addicted screamer behind his shoulders; the promise of more competitiveness. More speed.

It has been a difficult year, 1993. After three world titles together since ’88, the team has been reeling under the Williams-Renault technical sledgehammer. Senna has nonetheless gladiatored his way through the year and will end it as runner-up. Despite the handicap of a Ford V8 weaker not only than the Renault V10 but shy, too, of the similar but higher-spec factory Ford unit powering Benetton. But Ayrton Senna – unquestionably still the greatest driver of his day, despite the recent successes of Nigel Mansell (1992 champ) and Alain Prost (who would win the ’93 title – wants more power. And his desire has been piqued by what he has just tasted.

The pungent V12 slotted into the proven-excellent MP4/8 tub (designed by Neil Oatley and Henri Durand) will, Senna believes, give McLaren the wallop the team needs to challenge for the ’94 crowns. It will allow him to recommit to the team for which he has driven only on a race-by-race basis throughout ’93. It will allow him to ignore the overtures of Frank Williams, who has craved Senna’s presence in one of his team’s cars as much as Senna craves hp.

He begins to lobby. He reminds Ron of the success the team enjoyed with Honda V12 engines…. But it is already too late. A train of events is in place that will lead to Senna’s departure from McLaren and take him, fatally, to Williams.

Things were so very nearly very different. Dennis, tempted by the giddy promise of the still-untamed V12, reached agreement with Lamborghini’s owner, Chrysler, for McLaren to run the engines through ’94. A handshake deal to that effect was made at the Frankfurt motor show in September 1993 between Dennis, Chrysler President Bob Lutz and Lambo’s F1 chief, Daniel Audetto (although Dennis, it would later emerge, never believed the deal had bee “inked”). Lutz and Audetto began to make plans, encouraging engine design chief, mercurial, brilliant Mauro Forghieri, to listen to Senna’s entreaties for a less-brutal top end and a fatter midrange.

He was heeded, of course, because he was Ayrton Senna, triple World Champion. Legend. Twenty-five horses, grazing in the rarefied pastures at the top end of the rev range, were culled and 60 more were found on the lower slopes. The changes made the engine more driveable, the car faster.


 831233_article_img_large2.jpg ( 57.11K ) Number of downloads: 5

Ayrton Senna (LAT photo)


Mika Hakkinen, McLaren’s ’93 test driver before replacing Michael Andretti for the final three races of the season – and the only man still alive to have driven the McLaren-Lamborghini, tested it soon after Senna. Fourteen years on, the memory remains vivid.

“I remember that test very clearly – it was a very exciting time,” says Hakkinen, who would go on to claim a couple of world titles of his own with McLaren. “The Ford engine was a good package but we had very high expectations of the Lamborghini V12 and we were right to – when you put your foot down, you would really go.

“There were a couple of problems, for sure. It was very long, for a start, and that didn’t help the chassis. The fuel consumption was higher, it was a bit too heavy and it needed more cooling. But it was a very exciting engine.”

Never more so than on one chilly afternoon at Silverstone. “Yeah, I’ll never forget the feeling of it around there,” Mika recalls. “It was amazing. The power kept on coming. It was fantastic; we were really flying. But on the Hangar Straight going towards Stowe, it exploded…I mean, really exploded! It was massive, maybe the biggest engine blow-up I ever had. It was shocking, actually. Engine bits and pistons were flying past me, left, right, everywhere. I could see them coming past my helmet. It was such a big bang, it blew a hole in the floor. Still, it was one of the most special moments in my F1 career. And what an incredible sound…”

No doubt, the Lambo 3512 wasn’t ready for a championship campaign, but there was time to test and develop it. And the chassis was already a honey. Giorgio Ascanelli, then Senna’s race engineer, now Toro Rosso’s tech boss, remembers the all-nighters pulled to graft the V12 onto a monocoque designed for a V8.

“It was three months of solid work, in the middle of a season; new launch control, revised chassis, gearbox, drive-by-wire…it was a lot of work. Only a great team like McLaren could have done it. But we came out with something pretty special. It was a bit longer and heavier than the V8 car, but more stable and easier on its tires. And it was considerably more powerful.”

It thrilled Hakkinen. It inspired Senna, who wanted to race it straight away, before ’93 was out. If it blew up, so be it. At least it would be quick.

Dennis, though—tough-loving, romantic but unsentimental Ron Dennis – was unwavering. The team would finish the season with the Ford (and Senna would win his last McLaren race, the Australian Grand Prix, from the pole). Besides, Dennis already had other plans. He had conjured a ’94 deal with Peugeot, an ambitious French giant jealous of compatriot Renault’s multiple-title success.



 831233_article_img_large3.jpg ( 75.08K ) Number of downloads: 6

Larrousse never gave the Chrysler/Lambo a shot at the front, and corporate enthusiasm quickly evaporated after McLaren opted for Peugeots. (LAT photo)


Peugeot came to McLaren with its prototype A6 V10, sackfuls of francs, and the promise of an intensive development program. It was a major manufacturer, offering the stability and deep pockets Dennis had pined for since his team’s split with Honda at the end of 1992. Financial inducements made the partnership inevitable, but it was agreed without Senna’s blessing, and would incur the undying wrath of the Lambo/Chrysler management. A brief liaison that could have brought spectacular success ended after a few short months as one of F1’s most acrimonious, though almost overlooked, chapters.

When announced, the deal had an immediate fallout. Senna left the team, not soley because of the abortive McLambo partnership, but because he knew that a McLaren-Peugeot would be no match for a Williams-Renault in 1994. Chrysler ended its funding of the F1 project, and Lambo had to close its factory (although, under Italian law, it had to remain open one more season, during which it supplied engines to Larrousse).

A few months on, it became clear the McLaren-Peugeot partnership was on course for ignominy as one of the least-successful cars the team had ever built. It finished a distant fourth in the ’94 championship with eight podiums, but no wins. The Anglo-French partnership began to fray early, torn apart by frustrations borne of unreliability, and Dennis, Lamborghini’s nemesis and Peugeot’s fleeting darling, began to explore a new relationship with Mercedes-Benz (destined, with bittersweet irony, to merge with Chrysler four years later). Lambo’s F1 operation, emasculated, shuffled into God’s waiting room.

Ayrton Senna was killed on May 1, 1994, when his Williams-Renault crashed at Imola. There are many who remain in F1 who were close, then to Senna and close, still to those involved in the McLaren-Lamborghini affair, who believe that had team and engine builder agreed to race together in 1994, Senna would have stayed on. They believe he might still be with us to speak late and long about his epic duels with his heir apparent, Michael Schumacher.
-Anthony Rowlinson/F1 Racing


Source: SPEEDTV

The future of Fernando Alonso


 alonso1_lg.jpg ( 34.62K ) Number of downloads: 7

Fernando Alonso, Bahrain GP 2008 © The Cahier Archive

Fernando Alonso has not been very competitive this year in his Renault and the Spaniard is already beginning to speculate about the future. He says that his goal is to get back to a winning car and he told the El Pais newspaper in Spain that there are several teams who could offer him that opportunity, naming Ferrari, BMW, Williams and Toyota.

Alonso said that his primary option was to continue at Renault and make the Renault a winning car. He said that the team is making progress but there are no signs that this will make much difference in comparison to the other teams as everyone is making progress all the time.

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo soon responded to Alonso by saying that Ferrari is not interested in signing the Spaniard, as a Raikkonen-Alonso pairing would be a dangerous situation.

"I want two equal driver who work together," he said, hinting that Alonso may have blotted his copybook with his antics last year at McLaren.

We hear that several other teams are not very keen on the Spaniard for similar reasons, although all seem to accept that he is a useful addition to any team if he is the undisputed number one driver.


Source: GrandPrix





Super Aguri looking good for Spain


The Super Aguri F1 team has sent its cars to Spain and the race team is flying out later today. There is expected to be a decision about the team's involvement in the event by the morning, but all the signs are that the cars will race, if only to give the negotiations the chance to continue. The signs are that the talks between Magma International and the Dubai Investment Corporation are still going on quietly. Honda Racing F1's Nick Fry is currently out in Dubai, but from what we hear he is not talking about deals for Super Aguri, but rather taking part in the Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

There is no point in anyone deciding to shut down the team as the cost of going to the Spanish Grand Prix is minimal, in the overall scheme of things. The real problem will come when the current parts begin to run out of life and need to be replaced.


Source: GrandPrix





Keeping up with Speed


Scott Speed disappeared from Formula 1 last year, disaffected with Scuderia Toro Rosso and keen to rebuild his career in the United States of America. Red Bull stuck by the 25-year-old Californian racer and this year he has been racing in the ARCA Re/Max Series. This is a professional stock car series, sanctioned by the Automobile Racing Club of America, which is considered to be two steps down from the Nextel Sprint Cup. It is often used as a stepping stone by youngsters who want to move up to the NASCAR Nationwide Series and then the Sprint Cup. The series is held on a variety of tracks from dirt ovals to the big speedways like Daytona and even on road courses. The series has a man who is considered to be the yardstick for all the rising stars. Frank Kimmel has been ARCA Re/Max champion every year for the last eight years. Beat him and you on your way. The series is three races into the season and Speed has done well. He has qualified on the front row twice and while he crashed out of the first race, he was fifth in the second event and third last weekend in Iowa. He has led all three races. He is now eighth in the championship standings but with 21 races still to go, there is plenty of time. Speed has also competed in a couple of NASCAR Craftsman Truck series events at the wheel of a Red Bull-sponsored Bill Davis Racing Chevrolet Silverado and finished 10th in his second event. He is due to take part in another nine truck races this year.

If all goes well Speed is bound for the Sprint Cup in 2009 or 2010. Red Bull currently runs two cars in the Sprint Cup for Brian Vickers and veteran Mike Skinner, who is currently standing in for AJ Allmendinger, who was stood down after failing to qualify for the first three races of the year. Allmendinger returns to action this weekend in Talladega.


Source: GrandPrix





A change of scene


Honda Racing F1's chief mechanic Alastair Gibson left the team a few weeks ago, his aim being to pursue a career in the art world, creating carbonfibre sculptures. He will be displaying his most recent works, called Racing Brown and Racing Piranha, with the Russell Gallery at the Chelsea Art Fair this week in London.

"This is a real privilege for a relatively new artist such as myself," Gibson says. "I hope many art lovers will enjoy the medium of carbon fibre sculpture, which is little known at the moment, but I’m sure will become increasingly popular as this unique textile becomes more prevalent in our environment. Both of these pieces are highly individual and use the sleekness of the carbon fibre to bring movement and fluidity to the aquatic forms. Most of my work has been based on marine life, but with the time to be more creative and develop all the ideas that I have, as well as the freedom to explore some of the new, innovative materials that are used in Formula 1, I hope to evolve my work with new subjects and themes. It’s a major change for me, but I’m very excited about the future."

The Chelsea Art Fair starts tomorrow at the Chelsea Old Town Hall in the Kings Road.


Source: GrandPrix





A HACK LOOKS BACK

On despots and elsewhere

APRIL 23, 2008
BY MIKE DOODSON

What with Robert Mugabe defying the wishes of the Zimbabwean people and clutching fast to his country's discredited presidency, not to mention Vladimir Putin's dubious plan to stay in charge of Russia, dictators are much in the news right now. A curse on them all. I've yet to make the trip to Bahrain, for example, mainly because the price of the hotels is so terrifying, but that's not the only reason. Judging by the number of normally bumptious westerners (that includes you, Martin Brundle) that I saw scraping and bowing to the kingdom's Crown Prince on TV, he's obviously a splendidly benevolent chap and definitely no despot. Nevertheless, it was a little startling to find (from the Mercedes crib sheet, actually) that his family, the Al Khalifas, have been ruling the kingdom since 1783. That's even longer than Bernie's been looking after all our interests in F1...

One of the more memorable televised sights from Bahrain was that of the group of Polish fans, all beer bellies and red hair, who'd come to support the excellent Robert Kubica. In contrast with the Brits who had unfurled the Union flag opposite the McLaren pits in Malaysia, at least they knew which was the right way up for their country's colours. It's all very well being patriotic, but you'd think these people would have discovered by now not only that there's a right way up to fly the flag but also that exhibiting it upside-down is traditionally deemed to be a sign of distress, e.g. "this vessel is about to sink."

It was on the morning of the Australian GP in Adelaide, back in 1986, that I saw the biggest Union flag ever, in the grandstand overlooking the hairpin. Several dozen Nigel Mansell fans had brought it all the way from England, and it was inevitable that they, too, had got the bloody thing upside down. I knew instinctively that it meant Mansell's hopes of becoming champion that day were about to be dashed, just as Lewis Hamilton's ambitions were to be frustrated at Sepang. Judging by the further miseries which Lewis had to go through in Bahrain, I would not be surprised that the same bunch of dunderheads (or 'ignoranuses' as the Editor would call them) were present there, too.

So, you army of McLaren minders and human performance directors, take it from me: your boy doesn't stand a chance of turning his season around unless you dash over to the tribunes and make sure our country's flag is correctly displayed. The broad white stripe should be uppermost on the side adjacent to the flagpole, which is assumed to be on the left if the flag is displayed without one. Yes, I know, I should get out more ...

There have been some long faces in the Press Centre recently, worn by the chaps (and chapesses) who work for ITV and are about to lose their jobs to the BBC. So despondent about their futures are they that some of them have actually been turning to hacks like me for a bit of sympathy. Obviously the 13 years of ITV's Grand Prix coverage have passed these people by, because they seem to have overlooked the fact that I was one of the unfortunates who lost his BBC gig when ITV muscled in. Sorry and all that, guys, but I'm tickled pink that once again we'll be able to watch races without being interrupted by someone trying to sell us sanitary towels.

Now we're off to Spain, or more accurately to Catalonia. My memories of Barcelona go all the way back to my first visit, for an F2 race in (I think) 1968. At that time I was completely ignorant of the fact that the people of this region are not only culturally different from the Castilian majority but that they also have their own language. Out on the circuit, during the lunch break before qualifying, I found myself chatting in my terrible Spanish with a group of flag marshals. Unaware of the city's rivalry with the capital, I told them I'd been in Madrid for another race the previous week. They asked which of the two places I preferred, and I responded (truthfully) that it was Barcelona. To my amazement, this not only generated smiles all round but triggered an invitation from my new amigos to share their sandwiches and beer.

Motor racing in Spain has always been something of an on-off business. Until Fernando Alonso arrived on the scene, the country's best driver was probably Fon Portago, the son of an aristocratic family who lived the playboy life (Olympic winter sports and a run in the Grand National) and was beginning to show some real talent behind the wheel until it all shuddered to a hideous end with a crash which killed him, his co-driver and a dozen spectators in the 1958 Mille Miglia.

Then, in 1991, the politicians in Barcelona raided the taxpayers' piggy bank and opened the Circuit de Catalunya (see what I mean about regional pride?), entering the modern age as a serious promoter of the sport. Fortunately, they were a lot more efficient than some of the previous organisers of the Spanish GP. Nobody will ever forget the crashes at Montjuic in 1969 which so nearly cost the lives of Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill, although most of the blame for that double mishap rests at the feet of Colin Chapman and the grotesque - not to mention fragile - wings that he had just introduced. The 1975 crash which cost several lives finally spelled the end of Montjuic as an F1 venue was also the result of a car failure. It not only highlighted the serious deficiencies of the circuit but also drew attention to the callous attitude of the organisers, who refused to acknowledge that their barriers were inadequate.

If anything, the owners of the Jarama circuit near Madrid were even more incompetent. In 1970, for some reason, they had decided that only 16 drivers would start the race, which with 22 entries meant that half a dozen would have to eliminated. Incredibly, nobody seemed to know which session would decide the final 16, and anyway the official lap times took so long before they were issued that confusion reigned right up until the grid assembled, whereupon a number of fist fights broke out as drivers and managers at the back of the field argued over who had earned a place.

All this came as a bit of a shock to me, and I was delighted that I was present only as an observer, prior to taking over the F1 coverage for my newspaper (Motoring News) at the next race, in Belgium. Having a full credential, I had decided to watch the race from the highest point on the circuit, overlooking a left-handed downhill hairpin. On the first lap, this was the very corner where Jack Oliver lost control of his BRM when a front stub-axle broke. He veered helplessly into the path of Jacky Ickx's Ferrari, badly damaging both cars, which were of course full of fuel, and they promptly burst into flames.

The locally recruited fire marshals were clearly unfit to cope with an incident as serious as this. Fortunately, neither driver lost consciousness and both of them were able to escape, although Ickx was trapped for a few seconds and sustained some quite serious (and painful) burns. But there was no sign of the race being stopped, even when the burning cars started sliding down the hill. The flames roared unchecked for at least half the race, which was dominated from start to finish by Ken Tyrrell's March-Ford in the hands of Jackie Stewart.

It was also the only GP won that year by a March, an acronym for the four founders of the company - Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd. Only one of the four is still actively involved in motor racing, and he's currently involved in trying to put out a few fires of his own making.


Source: GrandPrix





THE MOLE

When the chips are down

APRIL 23, 2008

"Right," said The Mole. "Rule number one: we are not going to mention the word Mosley. No jokes about whips, chains, hookers or whatever. We are here to talk about motor racing, and that business has got nothing to do with motor racing."

Once a month, maybe, The Mole, The Colonel and The Reverend O meet in the pub and, over some rather good fish and chips (and a splendid homemade Tartare Sauce) plus a few drinks, they gossip about motorsport. The Mole finds this very useful as it gives him some idea of what the general public is thinking.

"Well, I think it is bloody disgusting," said The Colonel. "The man should quit immediately! Disgraceful."

"Cut off his goolies, eh?" said The Mole. "Nice to see you have such moderate views."

"It IS all a bit eccentric," said The Reverend O. "And, to be quite honest, I really don't understand it. I mean sex is about love ..."

"Let's talk motor racing," said The Mole, cutting rudely across The Reverend's bows like a gunboat.

There was a pause.

"Is anything else happening?" said The Colonel. "It seems to me that President Thrasher has monopolised the news pages of late."

"Come on, Colonel," said The Reverend O. "There must be something positive."

The Mole chuckled. The Reverend O was always accentuating the positive. The Mole liked him for that.

Being a country clergyman meant that he was given to "a nice cup of tea" and polite conversations at village fetes about spectacular flower arrangements, jolly good jams and chirpy pink-cheeked babies. The down side of his profession amounted to the occasional little old lady "popping her clogs" (as The Colonel would say), a bit of "snogging" amongst members of the choir - usually involving different sexes (thank goodness) and the occasional rumble of extra-marital activity as yet another man fell at the fence marked "Mid Life Crisis".

"Actually," The Reverend admitted one day. "If it wasn't for the occasional marriage break-up, I am not sure we would get any new recruits at the church."

The Reverend's one vice was his passion for automobile racing. He had explained that this was all because of his father, a regular spectator at Brooklands in his boyhood. When young O was in short trousers he had been dragged to Aintree, Oulton Park, Crystal Palace and, of course, Silverstone. He had stood on earth banks and eaten squashed egg sandwiches. But, from an early age, he had been ensnared by the magic: the smell of Castrol R, the squeal of hot rubber on tarmac and the gung-ho bravado of the drivers, who seemed somehow invincible, until they died.

He had wept for Jim Clark, Mike Spence, Piers Courage and the rest of them. There were too many to count.

The Colonel, a military man, was more sanguine.

"Chaps who do dangerous things sometimes get killed," he would say. "Simple as that."

The one thing that they all agreed upon was that it was a good thing that Britannia ruled the waves in motorsport. The Americans could waste their (increasingly worthless) dollars on fighting wars and the Italians and French could dream of the days of renewed domination of the motor racing world, but the big worry for the three men in the pub was that one day Formula 1 would be sold to the Arabs.

"Ever since that Dodi chap got hold of Harrods, things have been sliding downhill," said The Colonel, with his usual attention to detail.

The Mole smiled.

"How can one compete when they have money coming out of the ground?" said The Colonel. "I mean look at the price of oil!"

"I hate to rain on your parade," said The Mole, munching on a chip, "but you seem to have forgotten that the UK has oil as well. I mean we have had significant oil revenues for the last 30-odd years. A few years ago we were producing about 10% of the oil in the world. I know production is falling and I believe that we may now be importing more than we are producing, but we still have money coming in. If our politicians were smart, they would be looking at what is happening in the Middle East and adopting similar policies, investing oil money now so that there are new industries when the oil runs out."

The Colonel dipped a chip into the Tartare Sauce and hrmphed.

"Do you know," The Mole went on, "that in Norway they have this thing called the government pension fund. Each year they put a percentage of the oil revenues into it. They've been doing that since 1990 and they now have something like $600 billion in the fund. That was billion, not million. They are making more money per year from the interest on their money than they are from the oil."

"Golly," said The Reverend O.

"The only good news is that oil production in the North Sea will continue for another 15 years or so, so there is still a chance for the British Government to build up a similar fund, particularly now that the oil price is high. Do you know that oil generates about $16bn a year in tax revenues in the UK? The problem is that the politicians are frightened to do something like that because it will mean that there would be less money for the health service, for bicycle lanes ..."

"Slipways for gay whales," chimed in The Colonel.

"... and all that other rubbish that is considered important," The Mole added.

"It means that when the oil does run out Britain will be hit hard. The politicians don't care because they know that by then they will not be in office. It is really stupid."

The Reverend O had his mouth open.

"And here we are worrying about Max Mosley," The Mole went on. "The Motorsport Association should be going after the government and showing them what is happening in the Middle East. Showing them how motorsport can help the economy, particularly the British one, and making sure that these fools in power stop messing around and give Silverstone the money it needs to develop and keep the British GP.

"I think the government should buy Silverstone, invest the money to upgrade it and get the GP squared away with Bernie for at least the next 10 years. That would cost about $350m. Each year the race generates around $150m for the country so even I can work out that it is good economics. It would stop the gradual decline that is now happening in the British motorsport industry and give everyone confidence for the future.

"If they do not do that I cannot see how the British GP can possibly survive. I mean people like to blame Bernie for asking too much money and being tough on the British Racing Drivers' Club, but how are they supposed to survive when they are not the people getting the money? It is just impossible. Bernie wants about $22m a year. That is a bargain. He can get $30-40m in the Middle East and in Asia.

"The thing that really gets on my nerves is that these politicians are spending something like $18bn on the 2012 London Olympics. They are going to get some new buildings and hopefully a few more tourists. But think about it, London already gets 15m overseas visitors a year. Total visitor spending, including domestic visitors, is about $30bn a year. How much is the Olympics going to increase that? If they are really lucky they might add a billion a year. But look at the risks. A terrorist attack could cut the number of tourists overnight.

"And look at what happened with tourist numbers in Sydney. There was an increase around the time of the Games and then no real impact afterwards. Nothing major. So when you boil it all down, the Olympic Games is really just an ego-trip for the politicians involved and I guess lots of money in consulting fees for their friends and supporters.

"They will get one two week event at the end of it all. There is not going to be a sustainable industry created."

"I did not realise," said the Reverend O. "Maybe Max Mosley could resign from the FIA and restore his reputation by saving the British motorsport industry."

"No," said The Mole. "What we need is a properly orchestrated campaign by someone with credibility and good connections. We need a Sir Jackie Stewart or a Ron Dennis to do that."

"The sooner we get rid of the Mosley thing the better," said The Colonel.

The Mole shrugged.

"There are certainly bigger fish to fry," he said.


Source: GrandPrix





Ferrari critical of KERS plans

By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, April 23rd 2008, 10:31 GMT


 1208946868.jpg ( 17.66K ) Number of downloads: 5


Ferrari's vice president Piero Ferrari believes the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems will only increase costs and will not improve the racing.

KERS are due to be introduced in Formula One from 2009 in what promises to be a major challenge for engineers.

The system will allow drivers to draw 60kW of energy from one axle on the car to be used in the form of a "push-to-pass" button to increase the chances of overtaking.

Ferrari, however, believes the system will not mean more overtaking and will also see the teams having to spend more money in research.

"We should reflect on many of the technical and sporting decisions taken in F1 lately," he told Italian magazine Autosprint.

"Engines were frozen with the result that all of them now run at 19,000 revolutions, so there's no difference in power nor revs, and therefore there's no way you can take advantage of a possible overrevving to try to overtake.

"We should have done something similar to what NASCAR has done: to set some limits in the regulations, while allowing for researching and re-designing. The way the regulations are right now, we can't re-design a single part to improve it. It's excessive. Ferrari have great engine guys twiddling their thumbs.

"By contrast, they make us spend time and money to design the KERS, for which we can't evaluate the costs precisely because it's a new technology.

"It's also based on knowledge unknown to traditional engine guys, like high-capacity batteries and high-performance electrical engines, for which you need specialized engineers from outside the motoring world.

"To acquire that know-how will cause high levels of spending over the years, it's not the best solution to reduce costs.

"Engine recovery is fine, but not this way. Too many different systems to recover energy have been permitted. They need to be limited, otherwise costs could go sky-high, with the risk of having to cut drastically on other areas to limit spending, as was done with engines, revs, and electronics.

"This way we risk to transform an F1 car into a GP2 car, and that must not happen."


Source: AutoSport





Q & A with Toyota's Luca Marmorini

Tuesday, April 22nd 2008, 12:04 GMT


 1208866049.jpg ( 11.27K ) Number of downloads: 5


Conducted and provided by Toyota's press office.

Q. How much work was involved in adapting to the standard ECU?

Luca Marmorini - Toyota's Senior General Manager Engine: A lot. We had to do many long test runs because the current engine was developed with a different ECU, made by Magneti Marelli. On top of this we had to cope with the other restrictions, on traction control, engine braking and so on.

Even that change, if we had the freedom to adapt our own ECU, would have been significant but we had the standard ECU as well. We received documentation detailing the standard ECU systems but the tuning required testing not only on the dyno but also on the track. It was such a complex revision that there was not time to test everything, although we think we covered most of the uncertainties.

Q. How significant are the differences between the previous ECU and the standard ECU?

LM: They are significant, not only from the engine point of view but also when it comes to gearbox and gearshift control. The seamless gearshift control is quite a delicate thing and you cannot afford any small mismatch or mistake. The team has done a great job with this but it has involved a lot of development.

People think there was no development at all because we have an engine development freeze and a standard ECU but it was actually a huge amount, comparable to developing a complete new engine. We had a lot of issues involving incompatibilities and had to learn to work within the right parameters.

Q. Is the team still learning about the standard ECU?

LM: Definitely. If you think about what we did with our previous system, we were bringing some sort of software upgrade to each race, not only for performance but also to optimise strategy, so there is still a lot to learn to completely optimise the standard ECU.

We can handle the new device and race with it but I can't imagine we have tested all the possible conditions, so, even though I believe our team did a great job, still there is a learning phase. I cannot assume all the problems are solved and we saw that in Australia when we had to change Timo's gearbox after practice due to an issue which originated from the wrong interpretation, on our side, of how to set the system.

Q. If you look at the behaviour of cars, what has changed?

LM: If you do a back-to-back comparison from this year and last year it is very interesting. The pedal position of the driver last year was much more digital, so already in the middle of the corner it was flat, but the engine throttle was delayed. This year you see that there is a direct correspondence between the engine throttle and foot movement, so the driver has to do on his own what last year the ECU was doing.

It's more difficult for him to go on the throttle, but of course we are helping by making the engine smoother. In the end the difference in lap time is minimal but there is a greater risk of a mistake. Over a race distance or with variable grip conditions there is more stress for the driver.

Q. Do the drivers say engine braking is a bigger issue than the traction control?

LM: With the new regulations it was easy to focus initially only on the lack of traction control and underestimate how important the engine contribution was to effective braking, but we found this was quite significant to the driver. The driver has to be careful in variable grip conditions because the braking instability can mean him losing control of the car. Within the regulations we can use some engine maps to help a bit but it is very little compared to last year.

Q. How much has the start procedure changed without launch control?

LM: It is dependent a lot more on driver skill. We can use a special launch map with less engine response at low throttle openings, so the driver can better control the wheelspin, but we have to use this map for 90 seconds so it cannot be too extreme, otherwise you risk spinning on the first lap.

Full throttle means full throttle and you cannot chop it. If you make a throttle map that is very gentle initially and then very harsh, it would be risky on the first lap when the driver is fighting for position. The emphasis has to be not only on launch but also on first-lap performance - you don't want him spinning when he gets to a hairpin, for example. The regulation is designed so that you cannot help the driver too much with the special launch map.


Source: AutoSport





Ferrari not interested in signing Alonso

Tuesday, April 22nd 2008, 09:26 GMT


 1208856484.jpg ( 17.66K ) Number of downloads: 5


Bringing Fernando Alonso to Ferrari to partner world champion Kimi Raikkonen would not be desirable, team president Luca di Montezemolo said on Tuesday.

Alonso denied this month that he had an escape clause in his contract with struggling Renault that might allow him to leave for Ferrari at the end of the Formula One season.

However, Spain's double world champion did say contracts were "very flexible" given his departure from McLaren last year.

Felipe Massa's shaky start for world champions Ferrari this season increased the speculation.

However, Massa won in Bahrain and now Montezemolo has said Alonso would not be the ideal driver.

"To line up a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself. I want two equal drivers that work together," the president told Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport.

Di Montezemolo also said he would be devoting more time to Ferrari after stepping down as head of Italy's industry body.

Alonso, meanwhile, told El Pais newspaper on Monday that his future at Renault would depend on the team providing him with a car capable of fighting on top.

"There are a lot of factors to evaluate," the Spaniard said. "My first option is to stay with Renault if we manage to create a winning car, and the truth is that we are moving forwards.

"But what I do want is a car with which I can win. There are several, Williams, Toyota, BMW and Ferrari, of course, who are always on top no matter what. I wouldn't want to continue fighting to get into Q3."


Source: AutoSport





EU to investigate Valencia GP contract

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 22nd 2008, 10:11 GMT

The European Union's Commissioner for Environment, Stavros Dimas, will investigate possible irregularities in the project to build Valencia's new street circuit.

Dimas said he will look into "possible irregularities of the EU's public contract rules in the bidding process," Spanish news agency EFE reports.

The investigation will come as a result of questions asked by members of Green group David Hammerstein, Raul Romeva and Monica Frassoni.

It is also reported that there could be an investigation over the noise levels reached during the race weekend.

"With the hurry, it is possible that El Consell (Valencian government) has not done its homework regarding transparency and noise," Hammerstein was quoted as saying by EFE.

"Formula One's speed excess could create serious problems to the Valencian Government to comply with European law," he added, referring to the noise levels.

The new circuit will host the European Grand Prix on 24 August this year.


Source: AutoSport





Force India confident of reaching Q2

By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, April 22nd 2008, 09:17 GMT


 1208855978.jpg ( 17.21K ) Number of downloads: 5


Force India remain confident that they are on course to achieve their first target of reaching Q2 sooner rather than later, despite having missed out in the first three races of the year.

A host of improvements to the team's car have left Giancarlo Fisichella on the verge of breaking the team out of Q3.

And, with further updates added to the car for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the team are already eyeing not just Q2 but also possibly a point-scoring finish.

Team chairman Vijay Mallya said: "A tenth of a second has never mattered as much as now. All the guys at the track and back at the factory are doing everything they possibly can to get every millisecond and we are now tantalisingly close to that competitive midfield group.

"I have every confidence and no doubt that it will come. If you look at what we have achieved over the winter in just five months, which isn't very long in the context of this sport, you'll see just how much we've come on. We're no longer at the back and though it will get tougher here on in, it's a golden opportunity for us.

"No one expects miracles, but the fact that we qualified close to the top 16 and finished in the top 12 in Malaysia and Bahrain demonstrates everything is happening strongly and positively. At this stage of the season everything counts and that's the challenge we face now."

Team principal Colin Kolles added: "Our targets this time out will be to reach Q2 in qualifying and to score points. We are working very hard to reach these targets and I am confident we will reach them sooner rather than later."

Giancarlo Fisichella is optimistic about the improvements made to the VJM01, as he enjoys the new challenges he is facing at Force India.

"This week's Spanish Grand Prix will be as close as it has been in the past," he said. "I enjoy the track, it is one of my favourite circuits so if we play it right, I think we have a good chance.

"Our closest opponents at the moment are probably Toro Rosso and Honda; we are all just outside the point scoring area and are fighting for any chance. I want to be there fighting again this year and taking advantage of anything that comes our way."


Source: AutoSport






Raikkonen ready to continue championship fight

23 April 2008


 97233.jpg ( 24.95K ) Number of downloads: 6


Kimi Raikkonen will travel to Barcelona for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix as the championship leader. Even though the Fin showed he and team-mate Felipe Massa are in good shape at Ferrari Raikkonen will not sit back and relax. He realises the competition will be extremely motivated to chase the Ferrari duo.


 96333.jpg ( 92.7K ) Number of downloads: 5


Looking ahead of the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix Raikkonen said: "I've raced many times in Barcelona and I have to say it is always a very challenging circuit. But this time it will be special. I'll come to Spain as the leader of the classification, while usually I was the chaser. If I can manage to keep all the others behind me in the race that would mean that I keep them also behind in the Championship.

"My approach is the usual one: giving 100%, just like the whole team. The situation can change very quickly in Formula One. That's why it's very important to collect as many points as possible in every single race: There's still a long way to go until the title.


 96217.jpg ( 40.72K ) Number of downloads: 5


"The team is in good shape. My participation in last week's tests has been quite limited, due to the rain. But that's not a problem. I think we'll have a good performance and we can be really competitive; at least the components are all there. It's going to be very close: all the teams have introduced updates ahead of the first European race, which makes it even more interesting. We have won the last two races and that might make our competitors even hungrier to win."


Source: GPUpdate.net





Heidfeld does donuts in front of BMW factory

23 April 2008


 97337.jpg ( 42.19K ) Number of downloads: 5


The assembly lines came to a standstill and the workforce gathered in anticipation in front of the production halls. Outside, Nick Heidfeld roared his way around BMW's Munich plant in his Formula One car. The BMW Sauber F1 Team put on Wednesday's spectacular driving demonstration to thank the employees at the plant for their support in its Formula One campaign. "It was long overdue and a really great event," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.


 97336.jpg ( 70.38K ) Number of downloads: 5


Heidfeld was not the only driver performing donuts , which eventually cost a front wing, watched by over 5000 employees four days ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. Touring car driver Jörg Müller was also out and about at the plant with his BMW 320si WTCC. David Mengesdorf rounded off the BMW Motorsport line-up with a demo run in the Formula BMW junior racing car.

"We're well aware that a lot of people in the various departments are keenly following our fortunes and have bets on our results. However, it is not possible to involve the workforce properly at the circuits, so we had to come up with something special instead," explained Theissen. "It is wonderful to see the BMW employees getting behind the sport. Support from within the company really helps us and gives us extra incentives. If we continue to pull together in this way then we will be well set to achieve that maiden GP victory we have set our sights on for 2008."

Heidfeld started the day with a tour through the production halls. "The scale of the machinery is impressive, but the euphoric reception I was given by the workforce was even more amazing," said the German. "I lost track of how many hands I was shaking."

BMW Sauber F1Team Due to flexible break times, production at the plant was halted from 11.15 to 12.30 hrs to give the workers the opportunity to watch the driving demonstrations and collect autographs.

After a break for lunch, Heidfeld spent a further hour in another area of the production facility. "And even then we barely had enough time," he said. "There were still hundreds of people I would like to have talked to."


 97335.jpg ( 70.96K ) Number of downloads: 7



Source: GPUpdate.net





Trulli hopeful of top six

23 April 2008


 97199.jpg ( 25.03K ) Number of downloads: 5


Jarno Trulli has enjoyed a better start to the season than most people had expected, managing to take eight points from the first three races. Heading to Spain Trulli is hopeful he can still continue to mix it with the top six.

"I am very happy with my start to the season; the new car has been strong, the team has worked really well and we have got the results we deserved," Trulli said. "But I am not getting carried away because I know we must continue to work hard to stay in this position and hopefully close the gap on the top three teams."

"We had a successful test in Barcelona last week with the new package so we should be in good shape this weekend, but the battle is so close we cannot afford any mistakes," he added. "I think we have proven we are leading the second group of cars at the moment so we should go to Spain expecting to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the points. It would be great to fight for the top six again but we'll see how it goes because we are not quite on the same level as the leading teams at the moment."


Source: GPUpdate.net





Weather forecast Spain: Rain on Saturday and Sunday

23 April 2008


 97227.jpg ( 21.69K ) Number of downloads: 5


The Spanish Grand Prix could become the first wet race in the 2008 Formula 1 season. Forecasts in Spain predict rain on Saturday and Sunday while it should remain dry all day on Friday.

Formula 1 teams are used to brilliant weather in Spain, but this year's Spanish Grand Prix will not be as sunny as usual. Temperatures are expected to stay as low as 19 degrees Celsius on Friday and even a bit lower on Saturday and Sunday.

Last week rain interrupted the team's test at Circuit de Catalunya.


Source: GPUpdate.net





Nakajima hopes aero updates will work in Spain

23 April 2008


 97236.jpg ( 22.44K ) Number of downloads: 5


Williams F1 driver Kazuki Nakajima is looking forward to his first Formula 1 race at Circuit de Catalunya. Last season the Japanese driver qualified himself in fifth position for the Spanish Grand Prix in the GP2 series. He now hopes to do well at the track near Barcelona this weekend.

Speaking about the upcoming race 23-year-old Nakajima said: "We have some aero updates on the car for Barcelona, which we spent last week testing, and they should bring us some gains performance-wise. Personally, I like the Circuit de Catalunya. I had a good result there when I raced in GP2 last year and I hope I can do well in my debut Spanish Grand Prix. My engineer, Xevi Pujolar, is from Spain, so it's technically going to be one of our home races, so I'm hoping I can get him a good result!"


 95781.jpg ( 35.42K ) Number of downloads: 7



Source: GPUpdate.net





Schumacher junior enjoys karting debut

22 April 2008

Michael Schumacher's nine-year-old son Mick enjoyed his first kart event in Spain. To keep the press away Schumacher's son entered the competition under the name of Mick Betsch. Betsch is Schumacher's wife (Corinna) maide name.


The event was held in Sils, a little town near Girona in the North-East of Spain. Mick was not guided by his father Michael, but by his grandfather Rolf who once guided Michael at the karting tracks around Europe.

Mick Schumacher qualified himself in fifth position and finished the first race in tenth and his second race in eighth position wearing the typical Schumacher helmet but instead of using the recognizable red colours he wore the helmet in blue.


Source: GPUpdate.net





F1nvestor: A Question of Judgement
22/04/2008


"From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much: the love of my family, the faith and trust (of my constituency) the chance to lead this (institution). I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me.

"Over the course of my public life, I have insisted - I believe correctly - that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct," he said. "I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning."

So said Elliot Spitzer, governor of New York, on March 12 this year when he resigned from office five days after being informed that an FBI investigation had uncovered him as being Client 9 of the Emperor's Club, an alleged high level prostitution ring. His denouement was as sudden as his rise to political stardom had been meteoric. In the white heat of America media attention, the political life of a democrat who had built his reputation on the relentless pursuit of criminals involved in vice and corruption was over. One prostitute, one overheard conversation and the career of a potential future leader of the free world stopped dead.

Two and half weeks after the Spitzer sex scandal rocked American politics, the News of the World's exclusive 'F1 boss Max Mosley has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers' burst upon us and for the last three weeks those of us lucky enough to earn our money inside the world of professional motor racing have watched the video, listened to the jokes and read the stories as the details of this extraordinary scandal have been played out before us. If anyone thought the President of the FIA would resign, they were soon disabused, the former barrister quickly seeing the personal, political and legal dimensions of his predicament rather differently than most had expected.

The scandal involving Mr Mosley has hardly been any different from those which have gone before. With one exception; Mr Mosley is up for a fight and I doubt that the NoW had any idea what it was taking on.

Last weekend's Sunday Telegraph, for example, shows just how serious Mr Mosley is about meeting this scandal head on. The decision was taken to provide one, exclusive, print interview to a major broadsheet newspaper on the basis that it would receive dominant front page coverage and a further three full pages inside. These included giving Mr Mosley the opportunity to comment on each aspect of the scandal, laying out the basis of the legal argument which his lawyers plan to use in defeating the NoW and a comprehensive career biography which includes the work that he has done as FIA President to improve safety in the sport and on our roads.

The battle lines are now drawn and, for the moment, one cannot help but feel that we are about to witness a fierce battle which, as Mike Lawrence has pointed out on Pitpass, may well redraw the map of British law.

The only ground Mr Mosley has given, but it is surely very important ground given the looming FIA Senate meeting on June 3rd, is that he will not continue in office after 2009. He maintains this was always going to be the case. In making this announcement he has, at one fell swoop, helped garner the support of anyone who was unsure of which way to vote, because he is effectively saying that - for good or bad - I'll be gone soon anyway. Vote against Mr Mosley on June 3rd and you will be characterised as siding with a vindictive media giant at a time when the President has launched a vigorous and possibly landmark legal case. Vote for him and the harder decision will be best left to the London High Court when Mr Mosley's privacy case is heard in July.

The reaction of the motor sport community to the NoW's revelations have been interesting. Initially it seemed that the F1 media didn't really know what to say. The fascinating thing was not in what they were saying, but what they weren't. The initial feeling of shock - which we can assume was rather less than in the Mosley household where the Sunday Telegraph informed us that Mr Mosley's wife was 'not best pleased' - prompted a fair bit of knee jerk reaction. Everyone I spoke to at that stage felt he had to go. And yet, and yet.

The last time I looked the Presidency of the FIA did not require the holder to take a vow of celibacy. So the concept of the President having sex with a woman is not exactly an alien or unacceptable concept. He might even, for example, have sex with a man and that would be, in Western liberal democracies at any rate, perfectly fine. But a woman, or rather women, it was to be. The fact that it was five does raise eyebrows. That takes some figuring out, vis a vis physical permutations and the general feeling that if two's company, three's a crowd and six is, well, almost a bus outing.

But five women it was to be and again, in the UK at least, having sex with five women is not illegal. Indeed it might make some people very famous.

The alleged sadomasochistic element to the encounter raised the stakes yet further, as the practice of whipping and being whipped seems likely to be a minority sport, but again it is not illegal amongst consenting adults. And there's the basis of Mr Mosley's case; this was a legal activity, carried out by consenting adults in private. He also argues that, had it remained private, it would not have hurt anyone. As things stand, however, it has hurt people - certainly his wife and sons - but the hurt was caused principally by the publication of the NoW story and video. His assertion is that the NoW invaded his privacy for no good reason.

We now cut to the chase; the allegations of this being a 'sick' 'Nazi' orgy.

As my library at home will testify, I have read a lot of books on the subject of the First and Second World Wars, the path that history took us on with the birth of fascism, the creation of the Third Reich and the utter destruction which Nazism brought on Germany and much of the world between 1939 and 1945. This included, of course, the Holocaust and the systematic extermination of 6 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped and political prisoners. If you have visited a camp, such as Dachau, you will not easily identify with Nazism as being anything other than entirely inhuman. To be branded a Nazi is to be turned into a 21st century socio-political leper.

Last week I happened to be in Dusseldorf and had the opportunity to visit the offices from where the Nazis ruled the city, including their underground bunker and air raid shelter where the few lucky ones could escape from the relentless attention of the RAF and USAF. Nazism destroyed lives and cultures, and not just outside Germany.

To label someone a Nazi is therefore a very serious affair, and in my opinion it is this aspect of the NoW's scoop that is the only possible defence for it publishing the lurid details of this infamous session - 'in the public interest'. Equally, it is the only aspect Mr Mosley needs to undo through his legal challenge in order to emerge vindicated. He absolutely cannot be pilloried for having sex. It is no one's business.

The NoW's accusation that Mr Mosley is a 'Nazi' by virtue of his sexual activities is going to be key to the legal arguments this summer, and I have to say the evidence to support the newspapers claim will have to be much better than we have seen to date if it is to withstand the onslaught heading its way.

From what we have seen there is no Nazi insignia present, no 'Heil Hitler' saluting and nothing to denote anti-Semitic behaviour within the role playing present. The 'Nazi' context appears to come from four things; the apparent 'inspection' of the 'prisoner', the horizontally striped clothing worn by one of the women, the black leather gear worn by a dominatrix and the use of both German and English with a German accent.

The first and second - the 'prisoner' scenario - will undoubtedly come under close scrutiny, right down to the detail of Holocaust prisoners wearing vertically striped clothing. As the son of British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, the President of the FIA will surely have considered the implications of role-playing of this nature. The third aspect, black leather clothing, is hardly grounds for calling anyone a Nazi. Just check out the local biker bar.

And, to take the last point, I could have sworn last week in Dusseldorf that most people were speaking German, some were speaking English with a German accent and that presumably many of them have sex from time to time. Without being videoed by a newspaper. Being in possession of a black leather coat and saying 'ze' a lot is not a crime.

In the final analysis, therefore, the scandal enveloping the President of the FIA will undergo rigorous scrutiny in a court of law in the UK, and indeed in other countries, as Mr Mosley seeks to unpick the NoW's headlines and prove that, while this may indeed have been an orgy, its details embarrassing in the extreme, he is no 'sick Nazi'. This serious charge is clearly going to face an equally serious defence.

What remains uncertain, however, is how the judgement of various courts of law, or of the FIA Senate, will stand against the FIA Senate's view of the personal judgement of the man at the centre of this scandal. For it will be the wisdom of his own judgement in entering into a role-playing tryst with five prostitutes that may determine whether he should stay at the helm of the FIA. Personal judgement, indeed moral judgement, is important when demonstrating the right credentials to lead an organisation - especially one that also sits in judgement over others from time to time.

Within the laws of the UK and the moral code of a secular society where 'anything goes', the sexual aspect of this scandal alone is no ground for change at the FIA. Taken in the context of someone making a conscious decision to behave in such a way, knowing that they represent organisations worldwide which include many different religious beliefs, moral codes and cultures, it is really very difficult indeed to see how its exposure - however distastefully secured by a newspaper - has not damaged Mr Mosley's reputation, credibility and ability to lead.

That ability, to continue to lead the FIA, will only be confirmed by his performance at the June 3rd Senate meeting and in subsequent court appearances when the full details of the unfortunate episode will be picked over in detail. If Mr Mosley presents the kind of robust case outlined in the Sunday Telegraph, it will be the judgement of the NoW's editor that will be found wanting.

In New York Elliot Spitzer left office quickly, not because he visited a prostitute, but because his behaviour betrayed the very basis on which he had campaigned as a District Attorney and been elected to office. Mr Mosley was not elected to fight vice inside motorsport, but to lead the FIA and represent its affiliates, and this is the important difference too often overlooked when people judge this issue in private.

It's ironic, too, that Spitzer was forced out of office for a sexual misdemeanour; as a senior democrat he was tipped to follow in the footsteps of Bill Clinton to the White House. Faced with a sex scandal that many thought would oust him from office, Clinton proved that, as President, it takes more than being accused of doing rude things with an intern to end a career. Good ol' Bill showed what can be done by knuckling down, riding the storm and showing that one's detractors often represent an agenda more evil than the one they aim to expose.

It's all a question of judgement.

Mark Gallagher
mark@pitpass.com

Source: PitPass





Who wants to buy an F1 team?
23/04/2008


 2008superaguri400.jpg ( 22.27K ) Number of downloads: 5


F1 should be in rude health. Formula One Management says that the TV figures were up last year to give the sport 597 million unique viewers, the on-track action is a little less predictable than in recent years and the (almost complete) departure of tobacco sponsors has seen big-spending banks take their place.

So why are two F1 teams currently up for grabs without a long line of buyers biting at their ankles? There is one good reason for this says Pitpass' business sleuth Christian Sylt.

Contrary to popular belief F1 teams simply do not make much money. We have all heard the famous line that the quickest way to become a millionaire in F1 is to start as a billionaire, and it highlights the massive personal outlay necessary to get a team onto the grid. But once the wheels are turning most business managers expect something for their efforts. In truth, there is one reason that entrepreneurs set up businesses and that is for them to be successful moneymakers.

Looking at businesses from a wide range of other industries the difference to F1 soon becomes apparent. Take the UK chain of discount stores Poundland. It's at the bottom end of the retail spectrum but still aces F1 teams in financial performance. According to Poundland's latest results, it made a £5.6 million pre-tax profit. Then lets move to leisure where Peel hotels runs eight modest 4-star hotels across the UK - not the Savoy or the Dorchester but rather the Crown & Mitre in Carlisle. Peel made a £2.2 million profit according to its latest figures. And getting even more regional, Leicestershire-based Everards Brewery recently announced pre-tax profits of £4.6 million. True, it does have 166 pubs to its name but it's not operating on an international level - they are all in a 70 mile radius of its brewery.

In contrast, according to the latest financial results of the UK-based F1 teams, the best-performer of the bunch was Red Bull which made a pre-tax profit of just £514,000. This was followed by Honda which broke even and the four others all made pre-tax losses ranging from Renault's £3.6 million loss to Williams' whopping £34.8 million loss. The two reasons for this are high costs and restricted revenues.

The deal that the manufacturers signed with F1's owners CVC several years ago has still not shown up on the teams' financial statements and, likewise, the cost-cutting of FIA president Max Mosley hasn't seemed to have much effect. With Mosley's mind on other matters at the moment it doesn't look likely that that will change soon.

It is against this backdrop that Super Aguri and Toro Rosso are being sold. As Pitpass recently reported, Toro Rosso's latest results showed a pre-tax profit of £150,000 but the asking price is far higher. "80 million is a fixed price and not negotiable. That gets an entry into Formula 1, an excellent team and an excellent car, on which further development can be built," says Toro Rosso's half-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

A price-tag of 80 million euros on half of the team would give Toro Rosso an overall valuation of a massive £130 million. This is approximately the same amount Honda paid for BAR and double the amount Renault paid for Benetton - unlike Toro Rosso, both these teams had full manufacturing facilities complete with windtunnels with the latter of course also being a two-time world champion to boot. Toro Rosso would be at the highest end of the spectrum of F1 deals even at half the sale price given its limited infrastructure

Since it would take decades for the purchase price to be recouped via dividend payments, the stratospheric valuation is primarily based on one premium asset - the right to compete in F1. However, with Dave Richards having walked away from a free slot on the grid, one wonders just how valuable this really is. Likewise, the slot only has value in relation to its exclusivity and this isn't guaranteed forever.

CVC is looking to increase F1's appeal in emerging markets so that they can host races (with costly sanction fees) and pay premium prices for the television rights. Having a team based in the country is an ideal way of nurturing this, as Force India is hoping, but this may require adding more cars to the grid if CVC's expansion plans are to be fully realised. In turn it is likely that this would send the value of the grid slot into reverse.

Toro Rosso is indeed selling as values are peaking but with his "fixed price" Mateschitz may still struggle. Perhaps mindful of this he says "so far no one has actively sought a buyer, and there is an equally high likelihood that we will keep Toro Rosso." Sadly Super Aguri doesn't have the benefit of a billionaire benefactor and it might only be days before its fate is known.


Source: PitPass

To leverage their sponsorship of the BMW Sauber F1 Racing Team, Intel has put together a fun online challenge called You Be The Driver where you slide behind the wheel of the BMW Sauber car and take on three challenges.

The first is a reaction test where you must quickly click on a series of targets,

The second a timing test where you must worh with your pit crew,

And the last is a racing test where you must react quickly to a series of signals on the track guiding you through moves to overtake other cars.

LINK

This was so much fun. Well, to begin with. I did brillantly on the reaction test, just couldnt make it past pit stop without killing all my crew

Lots of fun.

Jeremy and lenny, this should have you enthralled for a while.

But.. damn, i love the noises of F1 Cars.

p.s.. hope this hasnt been posted before. Forgot to check.

Cool! Thanks for posting this sum, I might have to get on a friend's computer to try it out. [I suspect that it requires full Flash support which my iPhone lacking along with a full 108 key keyboard.]

I wonder how many times I'll hand the pit crew a death certificate too.

Good fun managed to get through the pit stop but the next test was hard

There are now openings for Nick Hiedfeld's pit crew. I ran over all his

Finally got to try it. Fun but not as challenging as I expected. It took me a couple times to get the pit stop though I didn't manage to kill anyone, which was kinda disappointing. It took me a couple times to get a hand on the first challenge, it turns out it helps to read the rules.

Fun stuff sum, thanks again.

MADRID, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - The new Formula One street circuit in the Spanish city of Valencia appears ready after testing at the weekend, less than one month before it stages the European Grand Prix, reports said Monday.

The track set up around the Mediterranean coastal city's port hosted GT and local formula three races on Sunday and the only major problems were those of access by the public to the site, local newspaper Las Provincias reported.

Spanish motor racing chief Carlos Garcia said the weekend testing had been "very positive".

"From this moment, the countdown to the Grand Prix begins," he told sports daily AS.

Next month's inaugural event is officially called the European Grand Prix because Barcelona already hosts the yearly Spanish Grand Prix. source

Hm, another street circuit... narrow corners and no chances to overtake?

Ahhh but the romance the scream of the v8's shaking the buildings of Valencia to their core....And it's a new circuit everyone coming on equal terms as far as circuit knowledge goes....


Edited for shame

This post has been edited by bigbaldybloke: Jul 29 2008, 04:54 PM

V8's, V10's are so 2006.

We'll have KERS next season.

Oh and Canada was one of the best races this season

OOOPS my bad, and in a motoring forum too...I knew that as well...
For me it was Silverstone not the most exciting GP but the last one for a while, so nostalgia and all that, plus little lewis won....

Is this bloody fair. Mclaren always seem to get the shitty end of the stick... Personally I thought Lewis did exactly the right thing he gave back the place he won by cutting the chicane and his bosses checked with a reliable official to make sure it was legal... I would hate for anyone to win by cheating like Shumaker running Damon Hill off the road, but Lewis did not cheat.... He just ran wide, am I viewing this from "Our boy Lewis" tinted specks....


OOOPs should read 25 second deduction.... Could you change topic description Jezza or Lenny....Please

This post has been edited by Jeremy221: Sep 28 2008, 05:16 AM

I really don't think it was fair. I watched and rewatched that pass and it feels like there was something fishy about the decision by the stewards.

Pitpass had a really good article about the possible fixing of the results. I tried to find the article but to no avail. Here's a little to work with though. The guys at SPEEDTV also had some good commentary but I need some sleep before the race.


Massa wins Belgian GP as Hamilton is penalised
07/09/2008


 2008winsalute400.jpg ( 45.36K ) Number of downloads: 3


In a controversial move, Lewis Hamilton has been handed a 25s penalty following today's Belgian GP, thereby handing the victory, and further precious championship points to title rival Felipe Massa.

Following an investigation, Race Stewards adjudged Hamilton to have cut the final chicane before the pit straight on the penultimate lap.

The 25s penalty means that Hamilton drops to third, and Nick Heidfeld is promoted to second.

The decision is sure to be unpopular with many race fans and sections of the media, especially in light of the controversial decision to merely fine Felipe Massa for an incident in the pitlane in Valencia.

In their official report, the stewards ruled that Hamilton had cut the final chicane and gained an advantage, a breach of Article 30.3 (a) of the 2008 FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations and Appendix L chapter 4 Article 2 (g) of the International Sporting Code.

Under Article 16.2 (A) Hamilton would have served a drive-through, had the incident taken place earlier in the race.

The penalty means that with just five race remaining, Hamilton has a two point advantage over Massa.

Source: Pitpass

Canada dropped from F1 calendar

The Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2009 Formula One calendar and replaced with the inaugural race in Abu Dhabi.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) issued a revised calendar with Turkey moving from August to 7 June to allow a summer break for the teams.
There will be no North American round after the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis was dropped this year.
The new 18-race season will begin on 29 March in Melbourne.
The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps has moved forward from September to 30 August, the weekend after the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
The Italian Grand Prix has switched back a week to take Belgium's original 13 September date.


2009 calendar

29 March - Australia (Melbourne)

5 April - Malaysia (Sepang)

19 April - Bahrain

10 May - Spain (Barcelona)

24 May - Monaco

7 June - Turkey (Istanbul)

21 June - Britain (Silverstone)

28 June - France (Magny-Cours)

12 July - Germany

26 July - Hungary (Budapest)

23 August - Europe (Valencia)

30 August - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

13 September - Italy (Monza)

27 September - Singapore

11 October - Japan

18 October - China

1 November - Brazil

15 November - Abu Dhabi

Source

FIA and F1 teams reach agreement in Geneva

Posted Oct 24th 2008 8:33AM by Noah Joseph
Filed under: Motorsports


 fia_250op.jpg ( 17.13K ) Number of downloads: 3


In the wake of the FIA's shocking proposal to move to standardized spec engines across the Formula One grid, the participating teams have met to come up with alternative cost-cutting measures to implement in the sport. After what was described as an unprecedentedly unanimous meeting of team principals under the newly formed Formula One Teams Association, Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo and Toyota's John Howett met with our favorite whipping post, Max Mosley, on neutral ground in Geneva to discuss alternatives.

Although the only official word following the meeting Tuesday in Geneva is that the discussions were constructive, reports indicate that considerable agreements were reached towards bringing down the costs of participation in Formula One without having to resort to spec engines. Among those measures reported include the life of each engine being expanded from the current two-race requirement to three and a requirement for each manufacturer to offer 25 engines for purchase by independent teams at 10 million euros per unit. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but the representatives are expected to meet again after the season's conclusion at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix to further discuss the arrangements, which are tipped to be stop-gap measures for the coming two seasons while the FIA comes up with more reasonable proposals for the long term.


Source: AutoBlog





Force India negotiates deal to buy cars from McLaren

Posted Oct 23rd 2008 7:28AM by Noah Joseph
Filed under: Car Buying, Motorsports

 force_india_f107.jpg ( 142.04K ) Number of downloads: 4

Click for a hi-res gallery of the current Force India VJM01

So far, the Force India team has had a consistent season in Formula One. Unfortunately, that means consistently running at the back. But Indian business mogul Vijay Mallya is committed to making a go of it, and the latest deal in the works could give his team the machinery they need to start moving up the field.

The deal is reportedly all but complete between perennial back-marker Force India and front-runners McLaren for the former to buy their cars – lock, stock and barrel – from the latter. It's a highly tentative deal, however, as Formula One rules are due to be enacted that would ban customer cars. F1 teams are supposed to act as their own constructors, however other teams – such as Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Honda and the defunct Super Aguri – have been using common designs. David Richards' Prodrive outfit was slated to re-enter the series with customer cars from McLaren, but withdrew their tender at the last minute due to the anticipated ban on customer cars. Force India, which currently builds its own chassis and buys engines from Ferrari, evidently thinks the rules won't be enforced. If it is allowed to proceed, the Force India team would turn into an effective B-squad for McLaren.


Source: AutoBlog







This post has been edited by Jeremy221: Oct 25 2008, 04:23 AM

Great share it is surely. My friend has been searching for this update.

Why do the spammers like this topic all of a sudden?

Edit: And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust ...

This post has been edited by BladeD: Oct 30 2011, 01:52 AM