Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/06/3170444/joey-loganos-confidence-grows.html
Monday, March 31, 2014
LIGHTS: Chaves handed Lights pole
Gabby Chaves has been handed pole position for this weekend's Indy Lights season-opener at St Petersburg after qualifying was cancelled due to bad weather.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Williams need dry weather to be competitive | 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix
Rain during qualifying left the Williams team frustrated as they were unable to exploit their car's dry weather performance. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/tD3naaQZvDI/
Saturday, March 29, 2014
FP2 - Rosberg tops tightly contested session in Malaysia
Nico Rosberg moved to the head of the pack in Sepang on Friday afternoon, as Mercedes underlined their impressive pace in FP2.
In an incredibly close session, Rosberg finished just ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel as the top 11 cars were separated by less than a second
In an incredibly close session, Rosberg finished just ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel as the top 11 cars were separated by less than a second
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15615.html
Kevin Magnussen Q&A: Podium is a dream come true
On Sunday in Melbourne, Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen went a long way towards rewarding the faith that McLaren have placed in him by taking a hugely impressive third-place finish.
After the race the 21-year-old could understandably barely contain his delight
After the race the 21-year-old could understandably barely contain his delight
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/3/15583.html
Friday, March 28, 2014
Sebastian Vettel Q&A: We've made a step forward from Melbourne
Sebastian Vettel's title defence got off to the worst possible start two weeks ago in Australia with an early race retirement. But things were looking much more promising after the first day of running in Malaysia with the Red Bull driver much closer to the front running pace.
On Friday evening Vettel spoke about his Melbourne frustrations and his hopes for this weekend in Sepang
On Friday evening Vettel spoke about his Melbourne frustrations and his hopes for this weekend in Sepang
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/3/15617.html
Sergio Perez Q&A: No repeats of Melbourne qualifying
It's not been the easiest start to 2014 for Sergio Perez. His first outing for Force India saw him qualify a disappointing 16th and then - thanks only to Daniel Ricciardo's exclusion - pick up just a solitary point in Melbourne. To add insult to injury, the team who dropped him at the end of last year - McLaren - have reversed their miserable 2013 form to become frontrunners once more. So how is Perez's head going into this weekend's Malaysia round
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/3/15609.html
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Chandhok closing on Campos seat
There is increasing speculation that Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok will be named as a Campos driver ahead of the weekend
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/hrtf1/motorsport/story/9610.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Lewis Hamilton move would not be a huge surprise
If Lewis Hamilton does move to Mercedes from McLaren for next season, as Eddie Jordan believes he will, it would be a massive shock but not a huge surprise.
There has appeared no urgency from either Hamilton or McLaren to sort out a new contract for 2013 and at the same time there have been signs of unease in the relationship.
The 27-year-old's management team have approached all the big teams this summer and they got short shrift from Red Bull and Ferrari.
Mercedes's reaction has been warmer, and negotiations are known to have taken place, but the issue is complicated by Michael Schumacher's situation.
Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of leaving Mclaren to drive for Mercedes next season. Photo: Getty
Schumacher has not exactly been setting the world on fire this season, with the notable exception of qualifying fastest in Monaco, but at the same time Mercedes cannot be seen to be sacking him because of his status, particularly in Germany.
The German legend is of huge promotional value to Mercedes but the company is split on whether he should continue.
From a marketing point of view, he is a dream - and as he is considered untouchable in Germany any decision to move aside must appear to have come from him.
But those who see the F1 programme from a performance point of view would rather Schumacher stepped down and made way for someone younger and faster.
If they can replace him with someone of the highest calibre - someone such as Hamilton, for example - then that helps, too, as the decision is more easily understandable.
And it is clear after an increasingly uncompetitive season that the team could benefit from employing Hamilton, who is one of F1's 'big three' alongside Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, neither of whom are available.
The attraction Mercedes might have to Hamilton is less clear, given their current struggles, but perhaps the continuing frustrations of his time at McLaren have convinced him it is time for a change.
McLaren struggled by their own high standards in 2009-11, during which time Hamilton did not have a car competitive enough to mount a full-on title challenge.
They came closest in 2010, but it was always a battle against the generally faster Red Bull and Ferrari.
And although McLaren started this season with the fastest car - and have it again after a brief mid-season dip in form - operational errors earlier in the season hit Hamilton's title bid.
Money may well also be an important factor. Hamilton made some cryptic comments in Belgium last weekend about his future move being a "business decision".
Equally, there have been signs of friction between him and McLaren.
In certain quarters of the team, they are uncomfortable about Hamilton's approach to his job and his mindset. And the disconnect was made public this weekend with his ill-advised behaviour on the social networking site Twitter, on which he posted a picture of confidential team telemetry.
Where does that all leave McLaren, Mercedes and Hamilton? Time will tell.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/lewis_hamilton_move_would_not.html
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
RALLYX: Pailler to join two World RX rounds
Frenchman Fabien Pailler will race a brand new Pailler Competition Peugeot 208 Supercar at the British and French rounds of the new-for-2014 World Rallycross Championship
Red Bull submit appeal over Ricciardo exclusion
Red Bull have formally submitted their appeal to Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA, over Daniel Ricciardo's exclusion from the race results in Australia.
Ricciardo lost his second-place finish in Sunday's race in Melbourne after stewards decided his car had run with too high a fuel flow rate - a breach of Article 5.1.4 of the 2014 technical regulations
Ricciardo lost his second-place finish in Sunday's race in Melbourne after stewards decided his car had run with too high a fuel flow rate - a breach of Article 5.1.4 of the 2014 technical regulations
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15590.html
Monday, March 24, 2014
Raikkonen favourite to taste victory in Belgium
At Spa-Francorchamps
In this remarkable season of unpredictability and uncertainty, of seven winners in 11 races, of the most open title battle in years, Formula 1 is still waiting for one big result.
A victory for the revived Lotus team has looked inevitable since the start of the year. And as the world championship re-starts in Belgium this weekend following a month-long summer break, the expectation is that this could be their race.
The car, from the team formerly known as Renault that won two world championships with Fernando Alonso in 2005-6, has been fast all season. Its best result has been four second places. But the momentum seems to be with them.
Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus pushed Lewis Hamilton's winning McLaren all the way in Hungary five weeks ago. The Finn has a stunning record at the stunning Spa-Francorchamps track that hosts this race and Lotus have been working on a technical trick that could give them a key advantage on the demanding track that swoops and twists around the contours of the Ardennes mountains.
Kimi Raikkonen has won the Belgian Grand Prix four times. Photo: Getty
The 32-year-old Finn seems to have a special affinity with the circuit regarded as arguably the biggest test for a racing driver anywhere in the world. He has taken four victories here - and either won or retired from every single race he has competed at Spa since 2004.
Raikkonen's all-action style, based on fast corner entry in a car with good front-end bite, seems perfectly suited to Spa's cascade of long, fast corners.
Two of his wins - for McLaren in 2004 and Ferrari in 2009 - came in years when his machinery was otherwise uncompetitive. The other two were dominant victories from the front in 2005 and 2007.
But Raikkonen's position as arguably the favourite for victory this weekend is not founded just on his renowned Spa specialism. He is widely expected to have the car to do the job.
Lotus have come agonisingly close to victory twice already this year - in Bahrain in April and at the last race, in Hungary at the end of July.
Both times it was Raikkonen who challenged only to just fall short, behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain and Hamilton in Hungary. But the Finn, who returned to F1 this season after two unproductive years in world rallying, has actually been Lotus's weaker driver for most of the year.
His team-mate, the Franco-Swiss Romain Grosjean, who is in his first full season, has generally had a marginal advantage - to the point that around the European Grand Prix in Valencia at the end of June there were murmurings of dissatisfaction with the Finn, who won the world championship for Ferrari in 2007.
Raikkonen ultimately finished second to Alonso in Valencia, but had been off the pace of Grosjean all weekend - indeed the younger man was pushing the Ferrari hard when his alternator failed late in the race.
When, following the race, Raikkonen expressed his frustration at it taking so long for Lotus to win, one team member privately expressed the view that he would be better focused on beating Grosjean before moaning about not winning yet.
Since then, though, Raikkonen has upped his game and in the race in Hungary he was fantastic, the middle stint there that lifted him from fifth place to potential victor one of the most impressive pieces of driving all season.
Had Raikkonen not made a mess of qualifying, and taken the front row slot he should have earned rather than the fifth place he did, he might well have won. The same can be said of Bahrain, where a decision to save tyres for the race left him down in 11th place on the grid and with too much to do.
Grosjean, too, must be considered a potential Spa winner. Despite making too many errors, he has been all confidence and commitment this year.
He has looked a different driver on his return to F1 in 2012 from the haunted figure who was demoralised by Alonso during his first half-season at Renault in 2009, after which he was dropped.
The high expectations for Lotus at Spa are partly based on the car's inherent qualifies - a factor in its general competitiveness this year has been strong performance in fast corners, and Spa is full of them.
As well as that, though, is that innovation mentioned earlier. In Hungary, and in Germany the week before, Lotus trialled a clever system aimed at boosting the team's straight-line speed without compromising its performance in other areas.
Like the DRS overtaking aid featured on all the cars, the Lotus system affects the rear wing to reduce drag.
It works by channelling air from scoops behind the driver's head to the rear wing, which this extra air then 'stalls', reducing the downforce the wing creates and therefore its drag, boosting straight-line speed.
What is not clear is when exactly the Lotus system comes into play.
Is it independent of the DRS, as some believe, and therefore active above a pre-set car velocity and usable at all times, including in the race when DRS use is restricted to a specific zone?
Or is it, as BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson believes, linked to the DRS and simply an extra boost to the car's speed when that system is employed, like the system Mercedes have been using but without the inherent compromises that team have discovered?
Either way, it could be a significant boost to Lotus's chances in Spa. Lotus have yet to use the system outside free practice, and this weekend they will again try it out on Friday before making a decision whether to race it.
For all the talk of Lotus, though, a win for them is a very long way from a foregone conclusion. Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will be as strong as ever on a track that should suit all their cars.
In fact, it will be a particularly interesting weekend all round.
Which teams have made best use of the mid-season break to develop their cars?
Have Ferrari made the step forward in performance they seemed in Hungary to need if Alonso - unquestionably the stand-out driver of the season so far - is to hang on to his championship lead?
Can McLaren maintain the upward momentum they showed in Germany and Hungary after a brief slump?
Will Red Bull finally unlock the potential of what has looked, on balance, overall the fastest car?
The climax of one of the sport's greatest seasons, a hyper-intense period of nine races in three months, starts here.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/08/raikkonen_favourite_to_taste_v.html
Kevin Magnussen Q&A: P4 grid slot the 'icing on the cake'
Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen is already living his dream by making his F1 debut with McLaren. On Saturday in Melbourne dream turned to fairy tale as he put his MP4-29 fourth on the Albert Park grid, while veteran team mate Jenson Button failed to even make Q3
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/3/15573.html
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Hamilton saga nearing endgame
Only Lewis Hamilton truly knows where he wants to drive next season - and perhaps not even he does just yet. But the signs are that the saga that has been occupying Formula 1 for months is nearing its endgame.
Hamilton has two competing offers on the table for his future - one to stay at McLaren and one to move to Mercedes.
The word at the Singapore Grand Prix - for what it's worth - was that he is leaning towards staying where he is; one McLaren insider even suggested that a deal could be inked within days.
At the same time, there may be a complication. There are suggestions that earlier this year Hamilton signed something with Mercedes - a letter of intent, a memorandum of understanding, perhaps - that he would need to get out of before he could commit to McLaren. His current team have heard talk of this, too. Hamilton's management deny this.
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The conventional wisdom is that Mercedes are offering Hamilton more money and that the deal is sweetened further by greater freedom over personal sponsorship deals. Those are highly restricted at McLaren because of the team's breadth of marketing tie-ups.
But BBC Sport understands it is not quite as simple as that.
For one thing, some sources say the figures quoted for the Mercedes offer in the media so far - of £60m over three years - are significantly larger than what is actually on the table.
Of course, in theory, as one of the largest car companies in the world, Mercedes can afford to pay almost any figure it wants.
But the board's commitment to Formula 1 has been in question all year. While it is understood that the company has now reached an agreement with the sport's commercial rights holders defining the financial terms under which they have committed for the next few years, F1 is not a money-no-object exercise for them.
McLaren believe their offer to Hamilton is broadly similar to Mercedes', and that in terms of total remuneration he could actually end up earning more money if he stays where is.
How so? Well, it seems the headline salary figures may not differ that much - although I understand Mercedes' offer is larger.
Mercedes offer greater freedom in terms of new sponsorship deals with which Hamilton can top up his income, and out of which his management group - music industry mogul Simon Fuller's XIX - would take a cut that some sources say is as great as 50%, a figure XIX say is wildly exaggerated.
McLaren, by contrast, have strict rules around their driver contracts - they do not allow any personal sponsorship deal that clashes with any brand owned by a company on their car.
So deals with mobile, fashion, household products, perfumes, oil and so on are all out. Jenson Button is allowed to have his deal to endorse shampoo because it was signed before McLaren had GlaxoSmithKline as a partner.
McLaren, I'm told, have loosened some of their restrictions in an attempt to give Hamilton more freedom.
And in their favour is that all contracts contain clauses that define bonuses for success; in McLaren's case for wins and championships. These amount to significant amounts of money and on current form Hamilton would earn more in bonuses with McLaren than with Mercedes.
Financially, it is in XIX's interests for Hamilton to move to Mercedes - that is where they will earn most money.
But that may not be the case for Hamilton, which of course begs the question of whether the driver and his management group actually have conflicting interests.
While Hamilton has steadfastly refused to discuss his future with the media, he has been consistent in one thing. As he put it at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month: "I want to win."
He knows exactly how good he is and it rankles with him that he has so far won only one world title.
In which case, the last few races will have given him pause for thought.
McLaren started this season with the fastest car in F1, the first time they have done that since at least 2008 and arguably 2005.
But Hamilton's title bid was hampered by a series of early season operational problems that prevented him winning until the seventh race of the season in Canada. Was it during this period that he signed that "something" with Mercedes?
After a slight mid-season wobble through the European and British Grands Prix in late June and early July, though, McLaren have come on strongly.
Upgrades introduced at the German Grand Prix gave them a big step forward, making the McLaren once again the fastest car.
Progress was disguised in Hockenheim by a wet qualifying session, which allowed Alonso to take the pole position from which he controlled the race.
Even then, though, with Hamilton out of the reckoning after an early puncture, Button ran the Spaniard close.
Since then, it has been all McLaren. Hamilton won from pole in Hungary and Italy; Button the same in Belgium. Then in Singapore Hamilton lost an almost certain victory, also from pole, with a gearbox failure.
Meanwhile, Mercedes have floundered. And while rival teams agreed that a big upgrade to the silver cars in Singapore did move them forward a little, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher only just scraped into the top 10 in qualifying and were anonymous in the race until Schumacher's embarrassing crash with Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne.
Undoubtedly, Mercedes will have given Hamilton the hard sell.
They'll have pointed out that they have won the world title more recently than McLaren - in their previous guise of Brawn in 2009.
They'll have said they are a true works team backed by a huge car company, whereas McLaren are from next year paying for their "customer" Mercedes engines.
They'll have argued that, in team boss Ross Brawn, Mercedes have the architect of the most dominant dynasty in F1 history - the Ferrari team of the early 2000s - who is determined to do it again. Triple world champion Niki Lauda, who is expected to be given a senior management role at the Mercedes team, has also been involved in trying to persuade Hamilton to join the team.
And they'll have said Hamilton has relative commercial freedom with them to make as much money as he wants.
What they won't have said is that the 2009 world title came about in rather exceptional circumstances and that at no other time has the team looked remotely like consistently challenging the best - whether as BAR, Honda or Mercedes.
And they won't have said that McLaren - for all Hamilton's frustrations over the cars he has had since 2009 and the mistakes that have been made in 2012 - have a winning record over the past 30 years that is the envy of every team in F1.
Of course, the past does not define the future, but the future is built on the past.
It's possible that the near future of F1 is one of Mercedes hegemony, but it would be a hell of a gamble to take for a man who professes he just "wants to win".
If the latest indications about his mind-set are correct, perhaps that is what Hamilton has now realised.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamilton_saga_nearing_endgame.html
Rookies shine on record-breaking F1® debuts
McLaren's Kevin Magnussen and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat both enjoyed record-breaking starts to their Formula One racing careers in Australia.
Magnussen, who came home in third place, became the first Danish driver in F1 history to score a podium finish and the first rookie since Lewis Hamilton in 2007 to reach the rostrum in his debut race
Magnussen, who came home in third place, became the first Danish driver in F1 history to score a podium finish and the first rookie since Lewis Hamilton in 2007 to reach the rostrum in his debut race
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2014/3/15584.html
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Ricciardo upbeat despite Australia disqualification
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo says he has only positives to take away from the season-opening race in Australia, despite losing his maiden podium finish to disqualification.
Ricciardo was excluded from second place in Melbourne after stewards determined that his car had exceeded the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour permitted under the 2014 technical regulations
Ricciardo was excluded from second place in Melbourne after stewards determined that his car had exceeded the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour permitted under the 2014 technical regulations
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15593.html
Friday, March 21, 2014
Ricciardo upbeat despite Australia disqualification
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo says he has only positives to take away from the season-opening race in Australia, despite losing his maiden podium finish to disqualification.
Ricciardo was excluded from second place in Melbourne after stewards determined that his car had exceeded the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour permitted under the 2014 technical regulations
Ricciardo was excluded from second place in Melbourne after stewards determined that his car had exceeded the maximum fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour permitted under the 2014 technical regulations
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15593.html
Rosberg crushes opposition in Australia
Nico Rosberg dominated the first grand prix of Formula One's new turbo era, winning from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo by 24.5s on a day when Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel failed to make the finish
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/australia/motorsport/story/149475.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Thursday, March 20, 2014
McLaren drivers out of title race
 Is it now a three-way battle for the title? |
“Focus and concentration will be of paramount importance and there is none stronger in this regard than Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.”The Guardian’s Oliver Owen thinks that it is Mark Webber’s title to lose now, and that this may be the Australian’s last realistic chance of winning the title.
“He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season – his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception. But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.”According to The Mirror’s Byron Young, both McLaren drivers are now out of the title hunt after their fourth and fifth place finishes in Suzuka.
“McLaren's title hopes died yesterday in a weekend from Hell at Suzuka. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in a Japanese Grand Prix they had to win to have the remotest chance of keeping their title bid alive."The Sun’s Michael Spearman was of the same opinion, saying “Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's title hopes were in tatters after a shocker in Japan.”
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/mclaren_drivers_out_of_title_r_1.php
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
US F1 closes shop
US F1 has ceased operation, laying off its entire staff indefinitely and closing its factory
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/13412.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Fri: Merc, Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren
Formula One's traditional powerhouses came to the fore in Australia with Merc claiming the 1-2 in FP2 ahead of Ferrari...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9212259/Fri-Merc-Ferrari-Red-Bull-McLaren
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Ready Stefan GP hits out at US F1
Stefan GP will reveal its 2010 car next week in the hope that the FIA will allow it to take the place of any no-shows in this year's championship
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/9736.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
FIA post-qualifying press conference - Australia
Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing); 3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
Q: Lewis, a little bit of history on a number of levels today, not least the first pole position with this new formula and equalling Nigel Mansell's 32 career poles.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah. It's been an interesting weekend
Q: Lewis, a little bit of history on a number of levels today, not least the first pole position with this new formula and equalling Nigel Mansell's 32 career poles.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah. It's been an interesting weekend
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15568.html
Saturday, March 15, 2014
FIA post-qualifying press conference - Australia
Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing); 3 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
Q: Lewis, a little bit of history on a number of levels today, not least the first pole position with this new formula and equalling Nigel Mansell's 32 career poles.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah. It's been an interesting weekend
Q: Lewis, a little bit of history on a number of levels today, not least the first pole position with this new formula and equalling Nigel Mansell's 32 career poles.
Lewis Hamilton: Yeah. It's been an interesting weekend
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15568.html
Friday, March 14, 2014
F1: Alonso fastest in first 2014 practice
Fernando Alonso prevailed over Jenson Button as McLaren and Ferrari traded places up front in the first Formula 1 practice session of 2014 at the Australian Grand Prix
Thursday, March 13, 2014
'Ferrari behind Merc and Williams'
Stefano Domenicali reckons Mercedes and Williams head to Australia as the teams to beat with Ferrari third in the pecking order...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9194514/-Ferrari-behind-Merc-and-Williams-
Smedley joins Massa at Williams
Rob Smedley, Felipe Massa's former race engineer, has joined the Brazilian at Williams as the Grove team's Head of Vehicle Performance...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/9184021/Smedley-joins-Massa-at-Williams
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
2014 Season Preview - Part 3
As the eyes of the world turn to Australia next weekend for the start of the 2014 FIA World Championship there is one vital ingredient that was missing from the final races of 2013: uncertainty.
Everything has gone back into the melting pot after the biggest set of rule changes in the sport's history, and after 12 days of winter testing the reality is that nobody really knows what to expect when the lights go out in Albert Park on Sunday, March 16
Everything has gone back into the melting pot after the biggest set of rule changes in the sport's history, and after 12 days of winter testing the reality is that nobody really knows what to expect when the lights go out in Albert Park on Sunday, March 16
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2014/3/15537.html
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Perez the pacesetter at final pre-season test in Bahrain
Force India's Sergio Perez finished with the fastest time on the opening day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain on Thursday.
Perez took his Mercedes-powered VJM07 around the Sakhir circuit in 1m 35.290s in the morning session, and with many teams opting to concentrate on long runs, the Mexican's time was not bettered in the afternoon
Perez took his Mercedes-powered VJM07 around the Sakhir circuit in 1m 35.290s in the morning session, and with many teams opting to concentrate on long runs, the Mexican's time was not bettered in the afternoon
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/2/15506.html
Renault: Some Melbourne preparations incomplete
Renault have admitted that the technical issues that plagued their new power unit in pre-season testing mean that some of its teams are not fully prepared for the opening Grand Prix of the season in Australia.
The French manufacturer, who provide power units for Red Bull, Lotus, Toro Rosso and Caterham, have suffered from both hardware and software problems this winter and that has left them unable to complete scheduled programmes with all of their teams
The French manufacturer, who provide power units for Red Bull, Lotus, Toro Rosso and Caterham, have suffered from both hardware and software problems this winter and that has left them unable to complete scheduled programmes with all of their teams
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15527.html
Monday, March 10, 2014
Bahrain to name first corner after Schumacher
The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has announced that it is to name the first corner of the track after Michael Schumacher, following consultation with the seven-time world champion's family.
Schumacher, who won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004 and helped with the design of the circuit, including turn one
Schumacher, who won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004 and helped with the design of the circuit, including turn one
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15519.html
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Time running out for Alonso
As Sebastian Vettel headed down the pit lane after winning the Indian Grand Prix, team-mate Mark Webber's Red Bull behind gave him a couple of little nudges as they headed to their correct parking places.
"I switched off the car," Vettel said. "I was told to park the car under the podium and I couldn't remember where it was from last year and Mark gave me a little bit of a push."
He added that he thought it was his "only mistake" of the day, which sounds about right.
The victory was his fourth in a row, a new achievement for the German despite his domination on the way to the world championship last year, and he has now led every racing lap since Lewis Hamilton's McLaren retired from the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix four races ago.
It also moves Vettel to one win short of the tally of Sir Jackie Stewart. At this rate, Vettel will not only pass the Scot's number of victories before the end of the year but join him as a three-time world champion as well.
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Vettel is still only 13 points ahead of his only remaining realistic rival, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, which is less than a driver earns for a third place, but it is the scale of Red Bull's current superiority that has led many to suspect the battle is already effectively over.
Vettel was fastest in every practice session in India and took yet another pole position. After the German's crushing wins in Japan and Korea, the only surprise at the Buddh International Circuit was that Red Bull's margin over the rest of the field was smaller than expected in qualifying.
In the race, though, Vettel was completely untouchable.
In the first 20 laps, he was not that much faster than team-mate Mark Webber in second place, and the Australian was being pretty much matched by Alonso.
But then Vettel cut loose, suddenly lapping 0.5 seconds faster than before. Team boss Christian Horner admitted that, not sure about tyre wear, Vettel had simply been measuring his pace in the opening third of the race.
Ferrari and McLaren both appeared to be in better shape after the single pit stops, more comfortable on the 'hard' tyre than the 'soft', but even then it was clear Vettel was in total control.
For the dispassionate observer wanting to see close racing, Red Bull's current form may be depressing, but it is hard not to admire what they have achieved this season.
For the first time in two years, they started the championship without a dominant car, and although they had strong race pace they were struggling to qualify at the front - the position from which they used to crush their opposition in 2011.
But they have worked away diligently at a series of upgrades aimed at allowing them to run the car as they did last year, and the breakthrough came in Singapore.
Further modifications came on stream in Japan and Korea and now Red Bull have a car that on pure pace is out of reach of their rivals.
It is the qualifying pace that is the key - start at the front and you can run in clear air, dictate the pace of the race, and are not affected by the turbulence of other cars. In this position, Vettel is close to unbeatable.
The start of the season, when there were seven different winners in seven races, seems a very long time ago.
Red Bull are a brilliant team, managed without compromise by Christian Horner and led by a genius designer in Adrian Newey, working in perfect harmony with a great driver. In many ways, it is similar to the way Lotus boss Colin Chapman and Jim Clark dominated the mid-1960s.
How they have done it, BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson has expanded on in his column. For now, the problem for their rivals is what to do about it.
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Alonso was as impressive in India as he has been all season, aggressive and inch perfect in the opening laps as he fought past both McLaren drivers, and relentless in his pursuit of Webber for second place.
The fact that the Spaniard passed the Australian was down to a degree of luck, it has to be said. Webber's Kers power-boost system was working only intermittently, and crucially he got held up behind some backmarkers, allowing Alonso to close to within one second - which meant he was within the margin that allows use of the DRS overtaking aid.
Once there, it took only two laps for Alonso to pass Webber, who without Kers, was defenceless on the long straight against a Ferrari with better straight-line speed anyway, and also employing Kers and DRS.
Nevertheless, to even keep the Red Bulls honest was quite an achievement by Alonso - no-one else was even close.
If there is such a thing as a driver 'deserving' the world title more than another, most people in F1 would say Alonso has been the stand-out competitor of the year.
As Lewis Hamilton put it in India: "Fernando unfortunately doesn't have as quick a car as Sebastian; it's nothing to do with his driving skills, that's for sure."
F1, though, is not purely a drivers' championship - he has to have a car, and at the moment Alonso is fighting an unequal battle with inferior equipment.
And in any case, Alonso himself would undoubtedly say that the driver who ends the season with the most points is the deserving champion.
Red Bull are now virtually certain to clinch a third consecutive constructors' title - indeed they seem likely to do so in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
For all Vettel's recent domination, though, in purely mathematical terms the drivers' championship remains wide open.
Thirteen points sounds a decent amount but the margin between Vettel and Alonso is, in F1's old scoring system abandoned only at the end of 2009, the equivalent of less than four points.
One retirement by Vettel, or a marginal improvement in the performance of Ferrari in the final three races, could tip the balance back in Alonso's favour. Time, though, is running out.
Alonso said on Sunday that the team did have improvements due in the next three races, and there was a hint in some of the other things he said over the weekend that the team expect them to amount to something more substantial than Ferrari have introduced for a while.
McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said on Sunday evening: "The performance can swing from one track to the other by a couple of tenths, and that's all there is in it at the moment - 0.2-0.3secs in terms of qualifying.
"And if you can have that performance, from the front row you have a better chance. So even if no-one upgraded their cars there would still be a reasonable chance that people could have a go at them.
"If Ferrari have a competitive car, then obviously Alonso can still do it."
In the context of the overpowering brilliance of Red Bull, though, that is a big if.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/time_running_out_for_alonso_in.html
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Coulthard slams 'irresponsible' approach to new teams
David Coulthard has added his voice to those expressing concern about the presence of three new Formula One team on the grid this season
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/10465.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Friday, March 7, 2014
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
“Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari’s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari’s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
“The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.”The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them £65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Bahrain to name first corner after Schumacher
The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) has announced that it is to name the first corner of the track after Michael Schumacher, following consultation with the seven-time world champion's family.
Schumacher, who won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004 and helped with the design of the circuit, including turn one
Schumacher, who won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004 and helped with the design of the circuit, including turn one
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/3/15519.html
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Frank Williams Q&A: We must capitalise on 2014 'reset'
After a miserable 2013, some impressive winter testing form has put Williams among the surprise pre-season favourites for 2014 and the upbeat mood at the team was elevated higher on Thursday with the announcement of new title sponsors Martini and the unveiling of an instantly iconic livery on the Mercedes-powered FW36. But what does team founder and principal Sir Frank Williams really make of the changes
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/3/15530.html
Sergio Perez Q&A: Where we are feels good
After a tough first test in Jerez, Force India appear to have found their feet in Bahrain this week, with Sergio Perez topping the times on both of the first two days. For the Mexican driver, whose next track outing will be opening practice in Australia, the improvement has come as something of a relief
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/2/15511.html
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
FIA inspects US F1 factory
The FIA has sent technical delegate Charlie Whiting to inspect US F1's factory, after reports suggested the Charlotte-based squad is way behind on its chassis build and in financial trouble
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/9521.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Life at Lotus - Exclusive Q&A with Pastor Maldonado
Having parted ways with Williams, the team who brought him into Formula One racing, Pastor Maldonado is now determined to impress for Lotus.
We sat down with the race-winning Venezuelan to discuss the reasons behind his move from Grove to Enstone, his thoughts on partnering Romain Grosjean, and whether Lotus will be able to overcome their pre-season technical setbacks in time for Melbourne
We sat down with the race-winning Venezuelan to discuss the reasons behind his move from Grove to Enstone, his thoughts on partnering Romain Grosjean, and whether Lotus will be able to overcome their pre-season technical setbacks in time for Melbourne
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/2/15509.html
Monday, March 3, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
F1: Ferrari: Williams, Mercedes look good
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says rivals Mercedes and Williams have prepared better for the start of the new Formula 1 season than the Scuderia
Alonso the new favourite
 Fernando Alonso is the new favourite for the title |
“He is the man with the momentum and, on the same basis that I backed Mark Webber to win the title before Korea, is now my favourite to claim the world title in Abu Dhabi on Nov 14. “When the cars are so evenly-matched you have to back the man in possession. Especially when that man is a two-time world champion and arguably the finest driver of his generation.”The Mirror’s Byron Young drew comparisons between Alonso and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as the Spaniard bids to become the sport’s youngest ever triple world champion.
“Like Schumacher, Alonso accepts no opposition within his team. Ultimately he fell out with McLaren over their refusal in 2007 to bring Lewis Hamilton to heel. “He returned to Renault on condition he was No.1, only to be at the centre of the Singapore cheat scandal - engineered to hand him victory. “The Spaniard has always denied involvement but at the German GP in July he was brazen enough to radio Ferrari to rein in team-mate Felipe Massa so he could start the winning streak that has taken him to the brink of history.”
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/alonso_the_new_favourite_1.php
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Hamilton on top for Mercedes on day three in Bahrain
Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest lap of the week as he sent Mercedes to the top of the timesheets on the third day of pre-season testing at Sakhir.
The 2008 world champion leapt to the head of the field during Friday's morning session, with McLaren's Jenson Button the only driver to come close to matching Hamilton's furious pace
The 2008 world champion leapt to the head of the field during Friday's morning session, with McLaren's Jenson Button the only driver to come close to matching Hamilton's furious pace
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/2/15490.html
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