Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/oT0eyQfNxW4/firestone-throws-in-towel.html
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
Bahrain Grand Prix likely to face axe in the F1 2011 Season.
The political unrest that turned Egypt on its head recently arrived at Bahrain, with numerous anti-Government protests rising up across the Middle Eastern nation. The death toll in Bahrain stands at 6 already. Consequentially, the instability of the region is a severe detriment to what would have been a banging opener to the Formula 1 [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/7HfnD4LMBmU/
Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral
Seat to launch four new models starting in 2012
Seat CEO James Muir has confirmed plans to launch four new models starting in 2012. Details inside
F1 Driver Sebastian Vettel takes win at the first race of the F1 2011 season
Red Bull seems poised for a repeat performance of a fantastic Formula One season in 2010, as F1 driver Sebastian Vettel was first past the chequered flag at the season?s opening race in Melbourne.
Vettel?s race was charmed from the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the German F1 driver taking a 2.4 second lead [...]
Vettel?s race was charmed from the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the German F1 driver taking a 2.4 second lead [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/-rWuMawP2vQ/
Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
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
Chrysler unveils S concepts at LX Festival
In a surprise move, Chrysler has unveiled three S concepts at the Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California. 
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
Ferrari look for answers on missing pace | 2011 Australian GP team review
Ferrari were 1.5s slower than Red Bull in qualifying and needed an extra pit stop in the race.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/bBtcaBP8BsA/
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Chevrolet To Get Holden Based SS Sedan
Americans always says that Canadians are ?just like us.? They talk (almost) the same, look slightly paler, and they just happen to use those funny little kilometers per hour instead of the proper miles per hour. After much thought though, it?s the Australians that are most like Americans? especially when it comes down to the shared passion of muscle cars.
The Holden Commodore last made its appearance on our shores in 2009 as the Pontiac G8. It was a big, full-size, four door sedan, complete with an equally big Corvette-sourced V8 engine. What?s not to love about it?
Unfortunately for us, the G8 left our market with the demise of Pontiac in 2010 and we?ve been without our fair share of Australian cars since then. But alas some good news: according to GM Inside News, the Holden Commodore has been confirmed to return to the United States as a 2014 Chevrolet SS Sedan.
Even better news follows. GM Inside News also reports that General Motors is considering bringing the Holden Commodore Ute and Commodore SportWagon to our shores as well, as the Chevy El Camino and SportWagon. If these rumors hold any water, we?d expect to see the El Camino the same time we see the SS Sedan and the Sport Wagon released soon thereafter.
For the record, this isn?t the first time these rumors have popped up. Some of you may even remember that we were supposed to get the Commodore Ute back in 2009 as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck before the economy tanked and it was cancelled. Also in July of the same year, Bob Lutz said that the G8 would be saved and become the Chevrolet Caprice. That also turned out to be untrue although the Commodore?s big brother, the Statesman went on to become the new Caprice PPV.
While there is hope for these awesome Aussies on our shores, we?ll have to wait to believe it when we see it.
Chevrolet To Get Holden Based SS Sedan originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 21:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/chevrolet-to-get-holden-based-ss-sedan-ar107230.html
F1 gurus lead a revolution in car design
Formula 1 is undergoing a quiet revolution.
In two years' time, the cars that line up on the grid for the start of the 2013 season will be vastly different from those that raced in 2010.
Governing body the FIA has already announced that the current 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8 engines will be replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged versions with integrated energy recovery systems.
Now, BBC Sport can reveal that, driven by this big change to the engine regulations, the cars will also undergo their own huge revisions.
To the casual observer, they will still look like F1 cars and, importantly, will still go like them. But within the limitations of an open-cockpit, single-seater racing car with exposed wheels, they will be very different from current machines.
Gone will be the huge, snowplough front wings that have been required since the last major change of rules. Gone will be the high, chunky rear wings. Gone, too, will be the high-revving shriek of the engines.
In their place will be a car with much smaller front and rear wings and the much flatter, lower-pitched sound of a lower-revving turbo.
And critically - although largely invisible - there will be a shaped underfloor, replacing the flat bottoms that have been on F1 cars since 1983.
The 1982 Ferrari - a 126C2 - also possessed a small front wing
These external changes reflect a major change in the philosophy behind the cars and, as with the turbo engines, it is a case of back to the future. As the 1980s dominate the latest High Street fashions, so F1 is borrowing from technologies last seen then and updating them for the 21st century.
F1 last saw turbo engines in 1988. The last time cars had shaped underbodies was 1982. Those were the days of 'ground effect', when designers created huge amounts of aerodynamic downforce - and high cornering speeds - by accelerating the air under the car through the use of curved underfloors to create a 'venturi effect'. This was enhanced by the use of 'skirts', which sealed the underbody and prevented air leaking out of the sides.
We are not talking about a return to those days but the general principle is the same. Just as the cars in the 1979-82 period had small front and rear wings, so will the cars of 2013 and beyond.
The difference now is that whereas in the late 1970s and early '80s aerodynamics in F1 cars were still relatively in their infancy and designers were simply chasing as much as they could, now they are highly refined. And the men behind the proposed new rules are using the underfloor of the car to create efficient - but strictly limited - downforce.
The FIA recognised that if it was to make such a major change to the cars, it needed to be done as effectively and credibly as possible. So to help draw up the new rules they asked two of the most respected and experienced designers they could find - Patrick Head and Rory Byrne.
Between them, Head, the engineering director of Williams, and Byrne, now retired but formerly of Benetton and Ferrari, have won a total of 17 constructors' titles and 15 drivers' titles. They were first approached by FIA president Jean Todt in March 2010.
Among the provisos Head and Byrne were given were: a) at the very least, make sure the changes did not make overtaking any harder than it already is; and b) make the cars a bit harder to drive - the target being for a driver to be able to be on full throttle for only about 50% of the lap, as opposed to the current average of 70%.
The new regulations are being fine-tuned by FIA race director Charlie Whiting this week before being sent to the 12 F1 teams for analysis. In the new year, they will be critiqued at the sport's Technical Working Group, a group of leading engineers who effectively define the technical rules.
Head says "sure as hell there'll be some small changes" there. The basic philosophy, though, is expected to stay the same, while Head says the shaped underfloor is "inevitable".
"It all starts with the fact that we are only going to have roughly 65% of the amount of fuel, and a (limited) fuel flow rate," he explains. "When you're very limited on fuel, it's very clear you've got to reduce drag enormously. OK, the tyres are a very high proportion of the drag but we decided not to put tiny skinny tyres on it because it's still required to go around corners quickly.
"So the next thing you turn to is the massive rear wing we're running at the moment and as soon as you replace that with a much smaller one, it's 'Oh, we've lost all our downforce, so what can we do?' So inevitably you end up with a shaped underside."
This idea has been around for a long time - as long ago as 1998, when another working group, led by the late Dr Harvey Postlethwaite, also suggested reducing the sizes of front and rear wings and re-introducing shaped underfloors. The idea was canned by then FIA president Max Mosley.
Back then, the motivating factor was to improve the racing. In theory, cars designed this way can follow each other more closely than modern F1 cars.
Currently, drivers experience a severe lack of grip when they get to within about a second of a car in front because the airflow to their cars, particularly over the critical front wing, is badly disturbed.
In theory, with smaller wings and a greater proportion of the total downforce coming from under the car, there is less disturbance in the wake of the car in front, so a following car loses less aerodynamic downforce. It therefore retains more grip, allowing drivers to get closer to the car they want to overtake, making passing easier.
Under these new rules, any benefit to the racing will be secondary. The first goal is improving the cars' efficiency.
But it's just possible that, in chasing a goal that is all about keeping F1 in step with a world of diminishing fossil fuels, the effect will be to make overtaking easier.
Chastened by years of rule changes aimed at making cars more raceable that made no discernible difference, those involved are cagey about that for now. But one senior figure will at least admit the thought is on their minds.
"One of the fundamental parts of this," he said, "was that it wouldn't make it worse. But we do believe that if you can ensure there's less disturbance in the wake, that's good."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/12/formula_1_is_undergoing_a_quie.html
Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
Porsche Panamera Turbo S coming next month - report
According to a recent report, Porsche will unveil the Panamera Turbo S sometime next month. 
Porsche planing a new supercar - report
New details are starting to emerge about a new Porsche supercar which would slot between the 911 GT2 RS and 918 Spyder. 
Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
2012 BMW 3-Series teased in new promotional video
BMW has released a new promotional video which gives us our first official glimpse at the redesigned 3-Series. 
Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
F1 Teams and Drivers for 2011 Season
The Formula One is almost here again, and motorsport enthusiasts around the world are already sweating from the anticipation of another lightning fast, exciting season. The F1 2011 season is slated to begin officially on the 13th of March, with the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.
The defending F1 Driver’s Champion in 2011 is Sebastian Vettel, [...]
The defending F1 Driver’s Champion in 2011 is Sebastian Vettel, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/vhqQ2_KnnTk/
Monday, 28 March 2011
Formula One Goes High Definition
This week FOM, the Formula One Management company run by Bernie Ecclestone, has announced it will be providing native High Definition Formula One coverage for the very first time. �This heralds the entrance of the sport into the super clear broadcast territory. High Definition television has been available for some time now in the United [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/formula-one-goes-high-definition/
Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati
McLaren conjure up surprise speed
In Melbourne
McLaren are renowned for their ability to get themselves out of trouble with feverish car development but the Formula 1 community are wondering if they can pull off their biggest Houdini act yet at the Australian Grand Prix.
After three winter tests where they struggled for reliability and pace, McLaren marched to the top of the timesheets as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times on the opening day of practice at the first race of the season.
McLaren personnel were seen arriving at Melbourne airport laden with boxes and boxes of new parts as the English team instigated a major overhaul of the lagging MP4-26.
The team decided to abandon their innovative but unreliable 'octopus' exhaust system - where the idea was to blow air across the floor with multiple exhaust exits - and install a regular exhaust with a new floor and front wing.
Team boss Martin Whitmarsh described the modifications as "risky" but predicted the gamble could garner a second in pace to help close the gap on pre-season front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari.
As twilight fell on the first day of 2011 season, the McLarens held sway at the top of the timings, with leader Button bettering Fernando Alonso's Ferrari by 0.147 seconds and Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel by 0.160secs.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
There was every sign - not to mention a ripple of surprise in the paddock - that McLaren's gamble had paid off.
"It's encouraging and a step in the right direction," a tired but pleased Whitmarsh told BBC Sport.
"The truth is we had a variety of creative exhaust systems and we got some good performance. But we didn't have something that was sufficiently durable in my view, which is why I said to the engineers: 'Let's get something that can be solid and can deliver.' And that's what we chose to do. We needed something reliable that would perform here at the race.
"Everyone has worked hard to get the package here in 10 days flat."
Button also pointed to another encouraging first for McLaren - a car that was capable of completing a race distance, something the team were not able to achieve in testing.
"We've got reliability, which is something we haven't had all winter," Button, who is chasing a third straight win in Melbourne, explained.
"To have a car that can run for as many laps as we want to is great.
"Whatever we'd have done in testing we still wouldn't have been running quickest even if other cars had run on high fuel so I'm very happy with the step we've made."
Top times may be one thing but they do not tell the whole story in F1 - especially in practice when it is not known how much fuel each team has on board. The fact that the teams are still feeling their way with the new Pirelli tyres in the environment of a race weekend adds a further layer of uncertainty.
Tyre management and strategy will be crucial to determining the outcome of races this season as the Pirellis are not only degrading quickly but there is a great performance differential between the compounds.
But McLaren felt they could draw on another positive here, saying they were comfortable with the tyre performance even on Melbourne's bumpy and dusty temporary track.
Ferrari also said they had experienced "less obvious tyre degradation" while in contrast Red Bull's hard tyres were visibly worn during six-lap stints in first practice.
"I've got to say our guys really held the tyres together and exceeded expectations in durability and performance over long runs," added Whitmarsh.
While there are smiles all round at McLaren - even from former boss Ron Dennis, who is keeping his watchful eyes on proceedings - no one is getting carried away.
"It was an encouraging day," commented Whitmarsh. "All we are trying to do is keep our feet on the ground."
Many F1 insiders believe that neither Red Bull nor Ferrari have yet to unleash their true pace in qualifying trim.
Like the great white sharks lurking in Australian water, last season's top predators could well be circling their prey before launching an attack in qualifying.
But if McLaren have sharpened their teeth and taken a genuine step forward in time for the first grand prix then any already hotly-anticipated F1 opener has now got even hotter.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/03/post_2.html
Are we, sometimes, unfriendly?
Last weekend the wife and I went to the Cleveland Autorama. We had a great time except for one instance.
There was a Model Car Car Contest and the models were out on display on several different tables.
We walked over to look at the models and were completely ignored my the men standing on the other side.
I even asked one of them a question and received a very curt, NO.
There was no attempt by those men to engage us in conversation, tell us about the models or anything.
That does not seem to be a very good way to promote a Hobby we all love.
Just my thoughts.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/949627.aspx
Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto
Video: Journalist crashes Ferrari FF
British magazine, CAR, was recently invited to test drive the new Ferrari FF and whether fans of the strange Ferrari or not, the journalists were probably just thrilled with the opportunity. The only problem was that the journalist chosen to complete the test drive ran into a slight problem when unexpectedly greeted by the curb. Ouch! His reaction to the situation is actually pretty funny, but please excuse us for his language, although it is quite understandable given his situation.
Remember to give the guy a break, Ferrari! After all, these things do happen.
As a reminder, the FF is powered by a 6,262 cc direct injection V12 engine that delivers an impressive 660 HP at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 503 lbs-ft 6,000 rpm. With this impressive power, the FF will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and will hit a top speed of 208 mph.
Video: Journalist crashes Ferrari FF originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 28 March 2011 09:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/video-journalist-crashes-ferrari-ff-ar107058.html
Stefano Domenicali: ?This weekend was not the one that we wanted??
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admits that the team underperformed in Australia and will have to hit back in Malaysia. Fernando Alonso recovered to fourth place after being pushed down to ninth when he ran wide at the start, while … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/03/27/stefano-domenicali-this-weekend-was-not-the-one-that-we-wanted/
F1 Driver Sebastian Vettel takes win at the first race of the F1 2011 season
Red Bull seems poised for a repeat performance of a fantastic Formula One season in 2010, as F1 driver Sebastian Vettel was first past the chequered flag at the season?s opening race in Melbourne.
Vettel?s race was charmed from the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the German F1 driver taking a 2.4 second lead [...]
Vettel?s race was charmed from the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the German F1 driver taking a 2.4 second lead [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/-rWuMawP2vQ/
McLaren conjure up surprise speed
In Melbourne
McLaren are renowned for their ability to get themselves out of trouble with feverish car development but the Formula 1 community are wondering if they can pull off their biggest Houdini act yet at the Australian Grand Prix.
After three winter tests where they struggled for reliability and pace, McLaren marched to the top of the timesheets as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times on the opening day of practice at the first race of the season.
McLaren personnel were seen arriving at Melbourne airport laden with boxes and boxes of new parts as the English team instigated a major overhaul of the lagging MP4-26.
The team decided to abandon their innovative but unreliable 'octopus' exhaust system - where the idea was to blow air across the floor with multiple exhaust exits - and install a regular exhaust with a new floor and front wing.
Team boss Martin Whitmarsh described the modifications as "risky" but predicted the gamble could garner a second in pace to help close the gap on pre-season front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari.
As twilight fell on the first day of 2011 season, the McLarens held sway at the top of the timings, with leader Button bettering Fernando Alonso's Ferrari by 0.147 seconds and Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel by 0.160secs.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
There was every sign - not to mention a ripple of surprise in the paddock - that McLaren's gamble had paid off.
"It's encouraging and a step in the right direction," a tired but pleased Whitmarsh told BBC Sport.
"The truth is we had a variety of creative exhaust systems and we got some good performance. But we didn't have something that was sufficiently durable in my view, which is why I said to the engineers: 'Let's get something that can be solid and can deliver.' And that's what we chose to do. We needed something reliable that would perform here at the race.
"Everyone has worked hard to get the package here in 10 days flat."
Button also pointed to another encouraging first for McLaren - a car that was capable of completing a race distance, something the team were not able to achieve in testing.
"We've got reliability, which is something we haven't had all winter," Button, who is chasing a third straight win in Melbourne, explained.
"To have a car that can run for as many laps as we want to is great.
"Whatever we'd have done in testing we still wouldn't have been running quickest even if other cars had run on high fuel so I'm very happy with the step we've made."
Top times may be one thing but they do not tell the whole story in F1 - especially in practice when it is not known how much fuel each team has on board. The fact that the teams are still feeling their way with the new Pirelli tyres in the environment of a race weekend adds a further layer of uncertainty.
Tyre management and strategy will be crucial to determining the outcome of races this season as the Pirellis are not only degrading quickly but there is a great performance differential between the compounds.
But McLaren felt they could draw on another positive here, saying they were comfortable with the tyre performance even on Melbourne's bumpy and dusty temporary track.
Ferrari also said they had experienced "less obvious tyre degradation" while in contrast Red Bull's hard tyres were visibly worn during six-lap stints in first practice.
"I've got to say our guys really held the tyres together and exceeded expectations in durability and performance over long runs," added Whitmarsh.
While there are smiles all round at McLaren - even from former boss Ron Dennis, who is keeping his watchful eyes on proceedings - no one is getting carried away.
"It was an encouraging day," commented Whitmarsh. "All we are trying to do is keep our feet on the ground."
Many F1 insiders believe that neither Red Bull nor Ferrari have yet to unleash their true pace in qualifying trim.
Like the great white sharks lurking in Australian water, last season's top predators could well be circling their prey before launching an attack in qualifying.
But if McLaren have sharpened their teeth and taken a genuine step forward in time for the first grand prix then any already hotly-anticipated F1 opener has now got even hotter.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/03/post_2.html
Sunday, 27 March 2011
No KERS in the world for Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel continued his domination of qualifying in Melbourne taking the pole position to 1m23.529s, despite failing to go quicker on his final run. After the session he admitted that his fastest lap time had been set without using the Red Bull KERS system, which left the team’s rivals scratching the heads because if the [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/vettels-vanishing-point/
F1 gurus lead a revolution in car design
Formula 1 is undergoing a quiet revolution.
In two years' time, the cars that line up on the grid for the start of the 2013 season will be vastly different from those that raced in 2010.
Governing body the FIA has already announced that the current 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8 engines will be replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged versions with integrated energy recovery systems.
Now, BBC Sport can reveal that, driven by this big change to the engine regulations, the cars will also undergo their own huge revisions.
To the casual observer, they will still look like F1 cars and, importantly, will still go like them. But within the limitations of an open-cockpit, single-seater racing car with exposed wheels, they will be very different from current machines.
Gone will be the huge, snowplough front wings that have been required since the last major change of rules. Gone will be the high, chunky rear wings. Gone, too, will be the high-revving shriek of the engines.
In their place will be a car with much smaller front and rear wings and the much flatter, lower-pitched sound of a lower-revving turbo.
And critically - although largely invisible - there will be a shaped underfloor, replacing the flat bottoms that have been on F1 cars since 1983.
The 1982 Ferrari - a 126C2 - also possessed a small front wing
These external changes reflect a major change in the philosophy behind the cars and, as with the turbo engines, it is a case of back to the future. As the 1980s dominate the latest High Street fashions, so F1 is borrowing from technologies last seen then and updating them for the 21st century.
F1 last saw turbo engines in 1988. The last time cars had shaped underbodies was 1982. Those were the days of 'ground effect', when designers created huge amounts of aerodynamic downforce - and high cornering speeds - by accelerating the air under the car through the use of curved underfloors to create a 'venturi effect'. This was enhanced by the use of 'skirts', which sealed the underbody and prevented air leaking out of the sides.
We are not talking about a return to those days but the general principle is the same. Just as the cars in the 1979-82 period had small front and rear wings, so will the cars of 2013 and beyond.
The difference now is that whereas in the late 1970s and early '80s aerodynamics in F1 cars were still relatively in their infancy and designers were simply chasing as much as they could, now they are highly refined. And the men behind the proposed new rules are using the underfloor of the car to create efficient - but strictly limited - downforce.
The FIA recognised that if it was to make such a major change to the cars, it needed to be done as effectively and credibly as possible. So to help draw up the new rules they asked two of the most respected and experienced designers they could find - Patrick Head and Rory Byrne.
Between them, Head, the engineering director of Williams, and Byrne, now retired but formerly of Benetton and Ferrari, have won a total of 17 constructors' titles and 15 drivers' titles. They were first approached by FIA president Jean Todt in March 2010.
Among the provisos Head and Byrne were given were: a) at the very least, make sure the changes did not make overtaking any harder than it already is; and b) make the cars a bit harder to drive - the target being for a driver to be able to be on full throttle for only about 50% of the lap, as opposed to the current average of 70%.
The new regulations are being fine-tuned by FIA race director Charlie Whiting this week before being sent to the 12 F1 teams for analysis. In the new year, they will be critiqued at the sport's Technical Working Group, a group of leading engineers who effectively define the technical rules.
Head says "sure as hell there'll be some small changes" there. The basic philosophy, though, is expected to stay the same, while Head says the shaped underfloor is "inevitable".
"It all starts with the fact that we are only going to have roughly 65% of the amount of fuel, and a (limited) fuel flow rate," he explains. "When you're very limited on fuel, it's very clear you've got to reduce drag enormously. OK, the tyres are a very high proportion of the drag but we decided not to put tiny skinny tyres on it because it's still required to go around corners quickly.
"So the next thing you turn to is the massive rear wing we're running at the moment and as soon as you replace that with a much smaller one, it's 'Oh, we've lost all our downforce, so what can we do?' So inevitably you end up with a shaped underside."
This idea has been around for a long time - as long ago as 1998, when another working group, led by the late Dr Harvey Postlethwaite, also suggested reducing the sizes of front and rear wings and re-introducing shaped underfloors. The idea was canned by then FIA president Max Mosley.
Back then, the motivating factor was to improve the racing. In theory, cars designed this way can follow each other more closely than modern F1 cars.
Currently, drivers experience a severe lack of grip when they get to within about a second of a car in front because the airflow to their cars, particularly over the critical front wing, is badly disturbed.
In theory, with smaller wings and a greater proportion of the total downforce coming from under the car, there is less disturbance in the wake of the car in front, so a following car loses less aerodynamic downforce. It therefore retains more grip, allowing drivers to get closer to the car they want to overtake, making passing easier.
Under these new rules, any benefit to the racing will be secondary. The first goal is improving the cars' efficiency.
But it's just possible that, in chasing a goal that is all about keeping F1 in step with a world of diminishing fossil fuels, the effect will be to make overtaking easier.
Chastened by years of rule changes aimed at making cars more raceable that made no discernible difference, those involved are cagey about that for now. But one senior figure will at least admit the thought is on their minds.
"One of the fundamental parts of this," he said, "was that it wouldn't make it worse. But we do believe that if you can ensure there's less disturbance in the wake, that's good."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2010/12/formula_1_is_undergoing_a_quie.html
Formula One Goes High Definition
This week FOM, the Formula One Management company run by Bernie Ecclestone, has announced it will be providing native High Definition Formula One coverage for the very first time. �This heralds the entrance of the sport into the super clear broadcast territory. High Definition television has been available for some time now in the United [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/formula-one-goes-high-definition/
Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler
Red Bull under the spotlight
 Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel celebrate with Red Bull boss Christian Horner on the podium |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/red_bull_under_the_spotlight.php
Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh
Champions Red Bull the centre of attention
Valencia
On a cold January morning in Valencia it was hard for Red Bull to bask in their glories of last season's double championship success as they unveiled their 2011 challenger.
World champion Sebastian Vettel wisely wore a woolly hat and a blond beard as he and team-mate Mark Webber shiveringly unsheathed the RB7.
There was even an early attempt to burst Red Bull's bubble when a plucky journalist asked in the team's first media conference of the new season, "Have you thought that this car could be complete junk?"
Webber stared into the middle distance, designer Adrian Newey fashioned a face of indifference and it was left to Vettel to answer in shock, "No!"
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By the end of the first day, Vettel had emphatically answered the question on the track by holding sway at the top of the timesheets.
The world champion was more than 0.7 seconds ahead of the next 2011 car, which happened to belong to the man he beat to the 2010 crown, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
Times don't count for much on the first day of winter testing as the teams are furiously tinkering with the cars, running with unknown amounts of fuel on board and learning how to adapt to the Pirelli tyres, which will be used instead of Bridgestone this season.
But Vettel's marker was undeniably a statement of intent - Red Bull are out to defend both titles.
"It's a good sign," Vettel commented after his first day back in the cockpit. "Generally it's better to be on top of the ranking than being at the other end.
"What we achieved [in 2010] made us all very proud and no-one can take it away from us.
"But we have to develop on how good we were last year or the others will pass us. We have to stay focused, keep learning and keep trying to get better. If we just have the same approach as last year then we won't move forward."
Red Bull were cagey about the specific design changes and upgrades to the 2011 car.
Perhaps you cannot blame them when some of the other teams were hovering amid the media throng at the Red Bull launch trying to get a glimpse of Newey's latest creation. One rival team representative was even spotted unsubtly snapping away with a long-range zoom lens.
Red Bull simply say that the car is an evolution of its 2010 championship-winning vehicle and that a lot of the changes are "beneath the skin".
The principal tasks for all teams is in incorporating 2011's regulation changes which include the addition of a movable rear wing to aid overtaking, the return of 2009's Kers energy recovery and power boost system and the removal of the double diffuser, as well as gaining an understanding of the new Pirelli tyres.
Unlike last season, when they skipped the first test to spend more time honing the car at their Milton Keynes factory, Red Bull arrived at the opening test determined to take full advantage of the 15 days of testing before the first race of the season next month.
"We felt that the car was ready to be released," explained Newey. "It's always a balance of research time versus development time in terms of performance and reliability. I was keen to get the car out for the first test.
"It's difficult to design the car for the Pirelli tyres. Packaging for Kers is a challenge and no doubt McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes will have Kers and will be competitive and so for no other reason we need to get it to work for performance off the line.
"In terms of performance we are all struggling to recover the downforce we lost through the double diffuser.
"It is a period of nervousness for us but also a period of excitement."
While Newey grapples with the nuances of designing another peerless car, team boss Christian Horner is tasked with avoiding a repeat of the tensions within his team that threatened to derail last season's championships.
Friction between Vettel and Webber memorably spilled over onto the track at the Turkish Grand Prix when Vettel crashed out in an attempt to pass his team-mate for the lead.
"They'll push each other hard but I don't think they'll push each other too hard as they did in Istanbul," Horner commented.
"They have number one and number two on their cars but that is in many ways irrelevant. We give both drivers equal priority and that's the way we will treat them in 2011."
In their first appearance ahead of the new season, Red Bull presented a united front as a team hungry for more success. With the world champion leading the field, the fastest car on the track and the largest motorhome in the paddock, they already look every inch like being the team to beat when racing resumes next month in Bahrain.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/02/champions_red_bull_the_centre.html
Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon
Audi A5 by Project Kahn
Project Kahn has unveiled the Audi A5 Sport Coupe which features an aggressive styling package inspired by the R8. 
Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/SNlmzDhOvfs/audi-a5-by-project-kahn
Porsche planing a new supercar - report
New details are starting to emerge about a new Porsche supercar which would slot between the 911 GT2 RS and 918 Spyder. Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
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