Author: Liam

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Formula 1

F1 drivers talk about tyres ahead of German GP

Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel

At the FIA’s Thursday press conference ahead of the German Grand Prix the drivers were asked about the new kevlar-belted Pirelli tyres. Luke Smith from NBC Sports asked: “Pirelli are bringing in new construction of tyres for the race weekend. From a safety aspect, how comfortable do you feel racing with these tyres?”

With word also coming through that the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association has said the drivers will boycott the race if the tyre blow outs experienced at the British Grand Prix are repeated it was a very good question.

Here are the replies from the six drivers in attendance at the press conference:

Sergio Perez: Well, I think it’s definitely important to change something for safety, no longer for the performance. I think it’s very important that we as drivers feel safe, something that could really happen, a big accident in the last race weekend, so I think that definitely it’s a good thing that Pirelli is reacting to make a change.

Nico Hulkenberg: Yeah, I agree with Sergio. I think it is for safety now and there must be some action and there is some action, there are changes and I think generally this track here is not as high speed, not as many high speed corners so the tyres don’t get as hard a time as they did at Silverstone. So I’m confident that this will be safe now.

Adrian Sutil: Yeah, as long as it’s for safety, I think they have to improve it, yes, but it hasn’t been a hundred percent that it was a rear tyre issue, so one says it’s a tyre issue what caused the punctures at Silverstone, some people say it’s maybe kerbing or something like that, so it’s always hard to see where the problem is, but four punctures in a race is too much, so they have to get behind it. I feel safe on these tyres and had no problems with them. I had some two stop races, I did a two stop strategy in Silverstone so for me the concern is not so much.

Daniel Ricciardo: Not much more to add. All I can say is that you’re driving as hard as you can and you don’t really put it… it’s definitely at the back of your mind. As we saw at the weekend, the tyres that went… it was pretty instant… I don’t think any of the drivers felt much before it happened, so all we can do is drive hard and hang on, but I’m definitely… yeah, I’m sure the changes that they’ve made are going to be for the best. But it’s definitely at the back of our mind whilst we’re in the car.

Sebastian Vettel: I think first of all that it’s good that within not even a week’s time, how we were able to get a different tyre for this race which hopefully is safer for all of us. Obviously the last race was not what we want and not satisfactory so I think it’s good that we have a new tyre here. How much better and how different it will be is difficult to judge at this stage but I’m confident that it’s a step forward.

Nico Rosberg: Well, I trust the FIA is going to make the right calls, as they are, they’re working on it flat out together with Pirelli, so I’m sure there’s going to be progress and it shouldn’t be a concern this weekend.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1

Drivers threaten German GP boycott over tyre dramas

2013 British Grand Prix

The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association has threatened to boycott this weekend’s German Grand Prix if there is a repeat of the tyre dramas seen at Silverstone last week.

Pirelli says it has identified the four main factors responsible for the spectacular tyre failures in the British Grand Prix and will use kevlar-belted tyres at the Nürburgring.

If the new measures don’t work, the GPDA has put Pirelli on notice. “The drivers of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association wish to express their deepest concerns about the events that took place at Silverstone,” said a GPDA statement.

“We trust that the changes made to the tyres will have the desired results and that similar problems will not occur during the German GP weekend.

“We are ready to drive our cars to the limit, as we always do, and as it is expected by our teams, sponsors and fans.

“However, the drivers have decided that, if similar problems should manifest themselves during the German GP, we shall immediately withdraw from the event, as this avoidable problem with the tyres endangers again the lives of drivers, marshals and fans.”

We’ve no reason to believe that the drivers wouldn’t follow through with their threat to withdraw, but if tyre problem do re-occur we’d also not be surprised if the drivers backed down and raced, perhaps with special conditions. It wouldn’t be the first time drivers threaten to withdraw from a race on safety concerns, only to renege at the last moment.

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Ferrari]

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Vuhl

This Vuhl 05 looks like a bit of fun

Vuhl 05

This is the Vuhl 05, a new lightweight supercar built by a boutique carmaker. If it looks and sounds a bit odd to you, perhaps the 695kg dry weight and 212kW/420Nm engine will pique your interest?

A trackday weapon in the vein of the KTM X-Bow and Ariel Atom, the Vuhl 05 is the creation of the Echeverria family from Mexico. The car was designed by brothers Guillermo Jr and Iker Echeverria. Guillermo Sr had a 30 year racing career of his own, in which he designed and raced his own cars.

Like most cars of this ilk it’s a bit of a parts bin special. The engine is a 2.0 litre turbocharged EcoBoost unit and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. You’ll need just 3.7 seconds to reach 100km/h apparently. Top speed is 245km/h.

Body panels are made from RTM reinforced plastic, although you can have it wrapped in carbon fibre if you wish. The monocoque weighs in a mere 78kg and the full chassis is a three part bonded tub made from aluminium extrusions and aluminium honeycomb.

Vuhl will have their rather appealing 05 creation on show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Deliveries are expected in the second quarter of 2014 and pricing starts from £55,000 (AU$90,000).

Continue reading “This Vuhl 05 looks like a bit of fun”
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Motorsports Peugeot

King of the Peak in pictures

Sebastien Loeb, Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak

You’ve seen the video, now here’s the photo gallery of Sebastien Loeb’s all-conquering assault on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Red Bull has fittingly labelled Loeb the King of the Peak after his record-breaking 8:13.878 climb. To honour Loeb’s mighty achievement we’ve assembled over 25 2000px super images for you to savour.

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Motorsports News WEC

A foundation for Allan Simonsen

Allan Simonsen

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest brings word of a foundation which has been set up by the Danish Automobile Sports Union in honour of Allan Simonsen, who was killed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month:

A fund was established on the 26th of June following the many expressions of sympathy from fans of motor sport in Denmark and around the world. Donations can be made on the following account number in the Danish bank, Jyske Bank A/S: IBAN DK1350780001117416, SWIFT (BIC-address): JYBADKKK. Donations can be made until 31 December 2013. DASU will hand over the donated amounts to Allan Simonsen’s fiancée Carina Lundbye Hansen at a ceremony in Copenhagen held on 22 January 2014.

The DASU added: “It is with great honor that DASU supports the memory of Allan Simonsen. We have closely followed his career all the way back from the karting years and we are convinced that Allan had the talent to even greater successes.”

[Source: 24-lemans.com]

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MINI

MINI officially responds to F56 spy pics

2014 MINI F56 prototype

MINI has taken the unusual step of releasing an official statement in response to the spy shots of its new F56 Cooper S which spread around the interwebz on Tuesday:

Aggressive and relentless papping is something British celebrities have had to learn to live with. Members of the Royal Family, as well as actors, footballers and top models are all familiar with the sensation of being caught in uncompromising situations, and now MINI is the latest victim. Absolutely unaware and without make-up, the youngest member of our family was caught by sensationalist photographers in a highly private moment. The young one was yellow and completely defenceless. We understand the worldwide interest in our family but it is not the British way to send such unfavourable pictures around the globe.

But like a good stiff-upper-lipped Brit, MINI shall not complain, although we would like to officially state that we are not flattered. The published pictures do not reflect our good looks any way. As every celebrity knows, those extra long telephoto lenses have the devastating ability to negatively distort all surfaces, lines and angles. Therefore our advice: next time come closer to the object of desire. If that doesn’t work, don’t worry,  shortly you will have the opportunity to experience the MINI up close and personal, and to take pictures from all angles.

We think that statement means one of two things. Either the whole thing is a publicity stunt to attract attention ahead of the official release of pics and information (more likely), or they have been shocked into last minute changes after unfavourable commentary about the look of the F56 (less likely).

More pics of the original spy shots can be viewed at Autoblog.

Categories
Formula 1

You mounted them the wrong way, silly!

Pirelli tyres on display at 2013 British Grand Prix

After the PR disaster that was the British Grand Prix, where four drivers suffered exploding rear tyres, Pirelli has explained its theories on why things went wrong, which largely reads as “it’s not our fault!”.

According to Pirelli four main factors caused the issues and just wait until you read the first one! These factors have been outlined in an article published to the Pirelli website (recommended reading) and state:

After exhaustive analysis of the tyres used at Silverstone, Pirelli has concluded that the causes of the failures were principally down to a combination of the following factors:

1) Rear tyres that were mounted the wrong way round: in other words, the right hand tyre being placed where the left hand one should be and vice versa, on the cars that suffered failures. The tyres supplied this year have an asymmetric structure, which means that they are not designed to be interchangeable. The sidewalls are designed in such a way to deal with specific loads on the internal and external sides of the tyre. So swapping the tyres round has an effect on how they work in certain conditions. In particular, the external part is designed to cope with the very high loads that are generated while cornering at a circuit as demanding as Silverstone, with its rapid left-hand bends and some kerbs that are particularly aggressive.

2) The use of tyre pressures that were excessively low or in any case lower than those indicated by Pirelli. Under-inflating the tyres means that the tyre is subjected to more stressful working conditions.

3) The use of extreme camber angles.

4) Kerbing that was particularly aggressive on fast corners, such as that on turn four at Silverstone, which was the scene of most of the failures. Consequently it was the left-rear tyres that were affected.

Continue reading “You mounted them the wrong way, silly!”
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MINI

F56 MINI spied ahead of late year debut

MINI F56 prototype

Autocar brings us a series of images showing the 2014 MINI Cooper S with almost no disguise. It looks as though the two cars captured were on location for a photo shoot and this the first real opportunity we’ve had to see what the third generation MINI will look like.

Restyled headlights appear to have circular LED daytime running lights around the outside. Based on these pics the new front grille is less than successful. Let’s hope it looks better in reality.

In side profile view there’s no obvious differences from the current R56 model, aside from the larger rear wing. The new model does have a longer wheelbase. At the back you can see the centre-mount exhaust tips for the Cooper S are more prominent than they’ve ever been. Actually, from the back the new MINI looks quite good.

We don’t have a lot more to go on inside other than what we learnt in July last year, which is a heavier reliance on BMW parts and the loss of the centrally-mounted speedometer.

The F56 is due for a debut later this year, most likely at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales will commence in 2014.

[Source: Autocar]

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Categories
Motorsports Peugeot Video

VIDEO: Sebastien Loeb annihilates Pikes Peak record

Sebastien Loeb, Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak

Sebastien Loeb has laser etched his name into the record books yet again by setting a time at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb that may never be bettered. According to computer simulations run by Peugeot Sport the 208 T16 Pikes Peak had a theoretical best time of 8m 15s. But that wasn’t fast enough for Loeb, he posted a time of 8m 13.878s.

That’s fast right? Consider this, the previous Pikes Peak world record was set last year by Rhys Millen. His time? A comparatively laughable 9m 46.164s.

Okay, the 20km course has lost some of its charm and intrinsic difficulties now that it has been fully paved to the summit. But there was no gravel in 2012 either. Sebastien Loeb, we bow down before you.

After the break you can watch unhindered onboard footage of Loeb’s ascent. No commentary, just man, machine and the noises generated by his 875hp purpose-built attack weapon.

Continue reading “VIDEO: Sebastien Loeb annihilates Pikes Peak record”
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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2013 British Grand Prix in pictures

2013 British Grand Prix

Here’s your pics from an epic British Grand Prix at Silverstone. If not for a customary dodgy start we may have been looking at Mark Webber with hands raised in triumph in the photo above. Instead Mark almost won, on the back of a gutsy recovery effort.

Ifs, buts and maybes—as likeable and charismatic as Mark has been during his F1 career—that pretty much sums him up. Now that his Porsche move has been confirmed, we can enjoy the Mark Webber F1 farewell tour. Certainly a win at Silverstone would have been a great way to start the journey, but a win at the Nürburgring, the venue of his maiden grand prix victory would have a nice symmetry to it as well.

Oh yeah, well done Nico Rosberg. A solid win for you. There’s over 90 pics from the British GP ready to be enjoyed after the break.

Continue reading “2013 British Grand Prix in pictures”
Categories
Holden Video

The world’s fastest ute?

Holden VF SSV ute at the Nurburgring

When we first saw pics of the Holden VF ute circulating at the Nürbugring we sensed it was little more than a marketing gimmick. And it looks as though we were right. With the VF SSV Redline ute Holden is claiming the title of the world’s fastest utlility vehicle at the Ring, a title which, until now, never existed.

Holden test driver Rob Trubiani was at the wheel during an industry pool test day and posted a lap time of 8:19.47, around 11 seconds better than their 8:30 target time. Holden says the car is a “product-correct engineering test vehicle” with its speed limiter removed and increased negative camber at the front wheels.

You can expect to see and hear a lot more about this lap when the VF ute goes on sale. For now there’s a decent gallery of pics and four videos for you to watch.

The main video shows the full lap with commentary from Trubiani, it’s actually quite a decent effort we have to say. Despite Trubiani’s claims that the ute’s electric power steering is the duck’s guts, to our untrained eye it looks a touch light and requires too much turn to reach full lock.

Continue reading “The world’s fastest ute?”
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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

Nico Rosberg wins 2013 British GP

2013 British Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG) has won an incident-packed British Grand Prix, just 0.765 seconds from Mark Webber (Red Bull). Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) filled the final podium position.

But where to start with the drama this race contained! Off the start line Webber was slow to move, although it appeared he may have been ever so slightly baulked by Rosberg ahead of him. That put the Aussie in thick of the action going into the first corner and unavoidable contact was made with Romain Grosjean (Lotus). Webber was forced wide, with a damaged front wing, and rejoined the track in fifteenth place. His day seemed over.

Out front Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG) made the most of his pole position to establish a two second lead over Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull). But on lap eight the story of the day, and Pirelli’s worst nightmare, emerged when Hamilton’s left rear tyre delaminated before it spectacularly exploded. He limped back to the pits and rejoined in last place.

Alas that was the first of four delaminations for the day with Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) to lose their left rear tyre in the same fashion as Hamilton soon after. As a result there was debris around all over the place and the Safety Car was deployed to clear the track.

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) inherited the lead from Hamilton and was able to post a small gap back to Rosberg after racing resumed on lap 21. Rosberg stayed in touch with Vettel, but on lap 41 the triple world champion coasted into the last corner with gearbox problems, stopping on pit straight. The Safety Car was brought out to move Vettel’s car out of harm’s way.

Webber, who had worked his way back through the field was in third place after Vettel’s retirement, came in for a final tyre stop coming out behind the Safety Car in fifth place. When racing resumed there were six laps remaining, Rosberg in the lead heading towards his third grand prix win. Webber looked the most likely to challenge, if he could overtake the cars ahead.

Shortly after the restart Sergio Perez (McLaren) suffered the final tyre blowout of the race, he was narrowly avoided by Alonso who was preparing to pass the young Mexican. Thankfully a Safety Car wasn’t needed and we were treated to an exciting race to the flag.

Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) stood between Webber and Rosberg. Mark was able to quickly pass Ricciardo and Sutil in the chase for the lead and Raikkonen, on old tyres, was also overtaken without too much bother.

Less than two seconds separated first from second and Webber really needed to within one second of Rosberg so he could benefit from DRS. To Rosberg’s credit he was able to fight hard to keep his lead out of Webber’s reach to take the race win. Another lap or two may have seen a fairytale victory for Mark, but it wasn’t to be.

For all his troubles Lewis Hamilton also drove a great race and finished fourth. All of the top four drivers will have been pleased to have made some inroads into Vettel’s championship lead.

Daniel Ricciardo slipped down to eighth on his old tyres. His late fade out will be softened by the fact teammate Jean-Eric Vergne retired at about two thirds race distance.

It was a deserved win for Rosberg as the Mercedes AMGs were fast all weekend. He’ll take renewed confidence into next weekend when the German Grand Prix takes place at the Nürburgring.

Continue reading “Nico Rosberg wins 2013 British GP”