The addition of photo galleries following each Grand Prix during the 2010 Formula One season was something new to AUSmotive this year. To help celebrate Christmas with you all here is a handy reference page that provides links to the galleries for all 19 Grands Prix.
It’s intended as a small present to say thank you to our loyal readers out there. Stay safe and all the best for 2011.
The Ferrari Press Office has released this interview with its top dog Fernando Alonso. For now, Ferrari’s apparent number two driver, Felipe Massa, is nowhere to be seen.
Alonso starts by reflecting on the 2010 season, stating, “we had a very good integration in the team, from day one I felt at home.” In regards to 2011, Fernando expects to improve and said, “when you drive for Ferrari, there is only one goal, which is fighting for the World Championship.”
The Championship runner-up says new rule changes in Formula One for the 2011 season, specifically the re-introduction of KERS and moveable rear wings, are expected to make overtaking easier. “I’m confident that next year, finally, the rules will help the overtaking and we will have a better show for everybody,” Alonso claimed.
Fernando also confirmed Ferrari will reveal their 2011 F1 car at Maranello in the last week of January. You can watch the full interview after the break.
Amid all the controversy about the use of the Lotus name in Formula One, Group Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, took the time out to speak to the press to explain, among other things, his company’s reasons for entering into a title sponsorship role with Lotus Renault GP.
Here’s a little of what Bahar had to say:
Q. You have also said RIP to Team Lotus. So will you be disappointed if there is a Team Lotus on the grid next season, and are you surprised Tony Fernandes is pursuing the route he is going?
DB: No. I cannot comment for Mr Fernandes, but if he believes he has all the legal grounds to own this brand, then he should use it. I don’t believe we are fighting this. What we are 100 per cent certain of is that we own the brand that is called Lotus, which is associated with the car manufacturer. And that Lotus brand has the right to enter in any sports activity. And if any chassis will be called a Lotus then it is our chassis, and no one else’s.
We don’t claim to have the name Team Lotus or to use the name Team Lotus. That is not what it is all about. We just don’t want other people to call their car a Lotus because the Lotus car is our brand and that is all.
Autosport has a full Q&A article on Bahar’s meeting, so follow the source link below for the complete text.
[Source: Autosport]
Mark Webber, by any measure, had a great season in Formula One this year. He led the championship for the majority of the year and won four races—Spain, Monaco, Britain and Hungary—but there were also some lowlights, as well. In a typically candid interview with BBC 5 Live Webber opened up about all manner of subjects, including Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, the health of his pet chooks and, of course F1, too.
No topic was left untouched and Mark discussed openly about the procedure the team went through following the crash with Sebastian Vettel in Turkey. He praised Red Bull Racing’s chief designer Adrian Newey. Webber also explained in more detail about his late season shoulder injury and the reasons why he kept it quiet. And he also discussed that spectacular crash at Valencia, where he pressed the brake pedal so hard he snapped the pedal!
It’s a fascinating insight and rare opportunity to hear an F1 driver speak his mind. It was also a rare chance for the public to be involved with most of the topics discussed in direct response to questions from callers.
The good news is you can still listen to the interview via the BBC website. Just follow the link below for the full 60 minutes of audio. It seems the link will only be active for a few more days, so make sure you tune in soon.
[Source: BBC 5 Live Formula 1]
It’s barely been a month since the Volkswagen Chairman supposedly put a stop to rumours linking Volkswagen to Formula One in the role of engine supplier. But with new engine regulations for 2013 recently confirmed Hans Stuck, at least, reckons VW might be keen to build on its Formula 3 commitments.
Speaking to Welt am Sonntag Herr Stuck said, “The conditions for a possible entrance of the Volkswagen group have been created.”
The former F1 driver is also on record at rp-online.de, saying, “We have not decided anything, but we very much welcome the FIA’s decision.”
[Source: ESPN]
Team Lotus boss, Tony Fernandes, has revealed his cars will not race with a black and gold livery in 2011 as previously announced. They will now be sticking with the traditional Lotus colours of green and yellow.
Fernandes made the decision following the announcement of the Lotus Renault GP team and their subsequent plans to revive the classic black and gold livery. Speaking to Autosport Fernandes explained, “I do think it would be ludicrous if we are both black and gold, and I can inform you that we will be changing our plans for the colour scheme.
“We declared that we were going to run in black and gold, and I’m not going to be childish to say we were first with our plans, so we will do it whatever. They have painted their car black and gold, they have made their intentions clear on that front, so be it.
“And after yesterday’s announcement by the FIA about the new engine plans for 2013, which means F1 is going green – so what better colour to be than green? So, we have been testing our fans’ reactions and many have come back to us to say we should stay green and yellow. So, I am 99 per cent sure that we will be green and yellow.”
The shame of that decision is the wonderful Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna inspired schemes will not see a race track.
Autosport’s interview with Fernandes is a good read and gives more insight into the Group Lotus v Team Lotus debacle. Make sure you check it out.
[Source: Autosport]
The World Motor Sport Council has ushered in numerous changes for Formula One following its meeting in Monaco on Friday. Many changes will take place in 2011, however, it is the new engine regulations, due in 2013, that will give the category its biggest shake up.
Currently F1 cars are powered by 2.4 litre normally aspirated V8s with an 18,000rpm rev limiter. But from 2013 we’ll be heading back to the good old turbo days with the new regs specifying the use of turbocharged 1.6 litre four cylinder engines capped to 12,000rpm. The new engines are expected to match current performance level while cutting fuel use by 35%.
A new limit on the total of engines available to each driver will also come into play in 2013. Each team can now give a driver a total of eight new engines per year. In 2013 that cap will be five engines, further reduced to just four in 2014 and beyond. Teams will be working hard for their money, won’t they!
The 2011 season will be seeing some changes, as well. The controversial team orders ban will be lifted. Well, kind of. Leaving a massive area of grey the FIA say teams can still be charged with bringing the sport into disrepute under Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
Also new in 2011, teams must use each gearbox for a minimum of five consecutive races, instead of the four race minimum in 2010. In a move hoped to increase overtaking opportunities moveable rear wings have been approved.
And finally, from 2012 all team communications will be made available to television broadcasters. Directors are sure to have that “bleep” button at the ready.
The full list of changes can be read in the WMSC press release after the break.
Raphael Campos has sent in another gold and black Team Lotus-inspired livery via his twitter page. This one is based on Ayrton Senna’s 1986 Lotus 98T racecar and it looks just as good as the Emerson Fittipaldi version. Great work!
There’s another pic after the break, just click on it to load a 3000px mega image.
The “motorsport is dangerous” term is well known. It’s usually printed somewhere on the ticket to almost any motorsport event the world over, no matter if it is granting entry to a Formula One race or your local car club track day. The photo above perfectly illustrates the point and shows just how lucky Michael Schumacher was to walk away unharmed after Tonio Liuzzi parked his Force India on top of the Mercedes GP machine at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
[Thanks to Ryan for the tip | Photographer unknown, leave a comment if you know the source]
Following last night’s (Group) Lotus Renault GP announcement here is an image showing what the (Team) Lotus Racing car might look like in 2011. So far as we can tell this is an entry into the Lotus Racing livery competition and it was published via twitter last Friday. The scheme has been based on Emerson Fittipaldi’s Lotus 72D which he drove on his way to the 1972 World Championship.
So far, then, this image looks better than the official rendering provided by the other Lotus team. We know we’re probably only getting half of the real story, but to us here at AUSmotive, we hope the Tony Fernandes backed team gets the rights to use the Team Lotus name and that its paintwork ends up looking the best.
There’s another pic after the break, just click on it to load a 3000px mega image.
[Thanks to Ryan for the tip]
Formula One sometimes gains as much publicity for its off-track dramas as it does for its racing action. And here is a perfect example of that. The team formerly known as Renault F1, which was mostly owned by Luxembourg-based company Genii Capital, will now be known as Lotus Renault GP.
Oh, so Lotus Racing and Renault have merged, right? No, you need to go back and read The Lotus position article to get up speed. Basically the Proton controlled Group Lotus has signed on as major sponsor to the Renault team in a deal set to last until 2017. Muddying the waters further Renault has sold its ownership share back to Genii and will be involved solely as an engine supplier.
As you can see the Lotus Renault GP team has already given us an early glimpse of its planned racing livery for 2011, a great tribute to the famous John Player Special sponsored Lotus machines of the 1970s and 80s.
Are you sitting down, though, because things are about to get even more confusing. Despite Group Lotus now having direct involvement in F1 the other team known as Lotus Racing, headed by Tony Fernandes, is still planning to compete in the 2011 season as well. They will also have their engines supplied by Renault. And they have already announced they wish to race with gold and black livery too.
From a distance it all seems a bit tit for tat and all a bit unnecessary. At least Mike Gascoyne now knows why Group Lotus has been reluctant to talk to Lotus Racing.
If you’ve managed to keep up to speed with this article you’ve done well. On the surface it looks like we’ll be having two gold and black Lotus-named teams in Formula One next year. But, between now and the Bahrain Grand Prix in March expect quite a few lawyers to get a massive Christmas bonus.
Official press releases from Lotus Renault GP and Group Lotus are available after the break.
UPDATE: You can now click on the image above to view a 1780px version.
You’ve all probably heard the news that Mark Webber drove the last four races of the 2010 F1 season with a busted shoulder following yet another mountain bike accident. Now, his boss, Christian Horner says he should keep away from bikes altogether.
Webber sustained a broken leg and fractured shoulder in late 2008 after he collided with a car while competing in the Mark Webber Challenge in Tasmania. While Mark competed stoically during 2009, notching up two race wins, it took him at least half the season to regain full fitness.
Fast forward to October this year—just before the Japanese Grand Prix—and Webber made a quick trip home to Australia for some R&R to get refreshed for the last few races of the year. At least, that was the plan. For the first time since his 2008 accident, Mark climbed aboard a mountain bike. And crashed again. Another injured shoulder was the result. Webber kept the injury pretty much to himself and took a series of pain killing injections to see out the season.
News of Webber’s injury only emerged following the release of a new book from the Australian titled Up Front – 2010, A Season To Remember. Christian Horner has spoken to the UK’s Telegraph and expressed his ire at being kept in the dark, “I didn’t even know about the book, let alone the shoulder.
“It is obviously disappointing that Mark said nothing. It was an injury that did not appear to have any effect on his performance but all the same it would have been nice to know about it.”
Horner was asked if Red Bull Racing would insist Mark sticks to racing cars in 2011 and replied, “Our drivers have an obligation to make sure they are fit. It seems bikes don’t agree with Mark so maybe it would be better if he stayed away from them.”
Perhaps it’s good that Mark kept quiet about the injury; it would have only strengthened the mental belief of his closest competitors after all. However, you can’t help but think the ultimate result in the 2010 championship race could have been different if Mark was 100% fit.