Nico Rosberg from Mercedes AMG has taken time out to talk to about the features of his helmet. It’s short and sweet and you might even learn something!
[Source: Wired]
Category: Formula 1
Ron Howard’s F1 movie Rush doesn’t officially open in Australian cinemas until early October. But, if you can get yourself to Sydney on 30 September you could be in with a chance to beat the, erm, rush to see the film.
To do that head on over to MotorSportRetro.com and enter their comp to win one of 50 double passes to a preview screening at 7:30pm on Monday 30 September.
[Source: MotorSportRetro | Pic: Hopscotch Films]
After the inevitable became reality we’ve been interested to read the reaction via twitter from others to the confirmation that Daniel Ricciardo will join Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull Racing next year. We thought this photo taken back in 2006 when Daniel was racing in the Formula BMW Asia championship with Sebatsian, then a test driver for BMW Sauber, was a nice match.
The Autosport article “Ten reasons Red Bull signed Ricciardo” is also worth a read (subscription required).
Great stuff Daniel
You deserve it, some special days in the future I'm sure. Australian flag still flying too.. Little bonus.— Mark Webber (@AussieGrit) September 2, 2013
I can't imagine how big the smile is on @danielricciardo 's face tonight. Couldn't happen to a nicer kid.
— Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) September 2, 2013
Sp @danielricciardo finally confirmed as Red Bull driver for 2014 and beyond. Good for him. Nice guy.
— Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) September 2, 2013
.@danielricciardo an engaging guy who has shown an impressive turn of speed. And has big, big shoes to fill http://t.co/vXpKteeDMH
— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) September 2, 2013
We’ve known it to be a virtual certainty for over two weeks, but now it’s official: Daniel Ricciardo will replace Mark Webber at Red Bull Racing next year.
Team Principal Christian Horner is at pains to say both Daniel and new teammate Sebastian Vettel will get the same equipment and the same opportunity. Of course, the Formula 1 world will be very sceptical about that, expecting Daniel will play a clear number two role in support of Vettel.
Naturally, Daniel is very happy. “I feel very, very good at the moment and obviously there’s a lot of excitement running through me,: he said.
“Next year I’ll be with a Championship-winning team, arguably the best team, and will be expected to deliver. I’m ready for that. I’m not here to run around in tenth place, I want to get the best results for myself and the team.”
It seems clear that Daniel experiences with Red Bull Racing over the years has played a strong part in the team’s decision. “I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do,” Ricciardo added.
“I know the team quite well already since being its reserve driver in 2010, which should make the transition easier. It will be a great challenge to be up against Sebastian Vettel, I’m looking forward to that.”
We wish Daniel all the best and hope he’s able to match it with the world’s best. There’s more after the break, including extended video interviews with Danial, Christian Horner and Adrian Newey.
Amid the speculation that Daniel Ricciardo will be driving a widebody RB10 for Red Bull Racing next year comes this obscure tweet from Fernando Alonso:
I have important news coming these days … Stay tuned here on Twitter and on the Web.. !!!
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) September 1, 2013
We wonder, is he trolling? His Ferrari contract ties him to Maranello until the end of the 2016 season, although we note contracts can be broken if both parties agree.
So, could Fernando really be heading to Red Bull or is he just announcing he’s got a new shampoo sponsor, or something?
[Pic: Ferrari]
UPDATE: Turns out Alonso has bought the licence of the failed pro cycling team Euskaltel. [Source | Thanks to Ryan for the tip]
We don’t really know why Red Bull is playing silly buggers and not confirming Daniel Ricciardo’s promotion from Toro Rosso. But the whole world knows it’s going to hippen. Hippen?!
Ah yes, it seems one possible explanation for the delay could be the width of young Daniel’s hips. Yes, really.
It turns out that the 24-year-old Aussie’s hips are wider than Sebastian Vettel’s and Mark Webber’s. Adrian Newey likes a skinny car, you see, and there’s a slight problem of fitting Daniel into the 2104 RB10.
“I’ve got wide hips. It’s not my arse per se. I guess it’s genetic,” explained Daniel to Tom Cary from The Telegraph. “Even when I signed for Toro Rosso we had to do a few seat fits and they did some scans to make that particular part of the cockpit a bit wider, so that we’re not sitting on the actual carbon fibre.
“But yeah, I’ve heard that Adrian does like to build small race cars. I can’t do much about it. Even if I go on a massive diet my hip bones aren’t going to change.â€
Another factor indicating Ricciardo is Red Bull bound is his confirmation that he has moved to sunny Monaco. While that takes him away from Milton Keynes where RBR is based, perhaps the young fella has just secured a pay rise that might make the tax-free confines of Monaco a little more attractive.
One thing is certain, Daniel isn’t going to let his hips stop him from getting a chance to be Sebastian’s bitch.
“No chance. I’d shave my hips if necessary. I might die of blood loss but it would be worth it,†he quipped.
[Source: The Telegraph | Thanks to Ryan for the tip]
Formula 1-related movies are almost the in thing these days. We’ve had Senna, we’re about to have Rush and on 1 October, via iTunes, we’ll have ‘1’.
A feature length documentary, ‘1’ takes a more sober look at the sport we know and love so much. The cast of interviewees is impressive and we think it will be compulsory viewing. You can see a trailer for the film after the break.
For background viewing, we recommend watching Grand Prix: The Killer Years if you can find yourself a copy.
[Via Facebook]
Sebastian Vettel explains the tale of Belgian Grand Prix victory lay in a good opening lap. “It helped the first lap to have the tow off Lewis through Eau Rouge and then I was flying,” he said. “Once I passed him we had incredible pace and really could control the race until the end.”
Finishing in fifth place wasn’t part of Mark Webber’s plans in his final F1 appearance at Spa. “The two practice starts before the race weren’t great and so we were a bit worried about the clutch going to the start, which put us on to the back foot,” Mark said. “We tried our best, but lost a couple of rows off the line which is not good. We then had to try and clear people on the track, which was difficult, as we had set up the top gear to race in clean air, rather than to pass. The bad start put us out of position and it snowballs from there, as you use up the tyres trying to getting to back into position.”
Meanwhile Daniel Ricciardo was happy to finish in the points after starting from P19. “It was nice to get that point! We ran a long first stint on the Hards and I think that helped us build a good base to have a strong pace in the final stints on the Medium,” Daniel explained. “I felt much more comfortable on the Option tyre and that’s when my race really started. With the last set of tyres I was knocking out maybe ten or so qualifying laps and managed to pick off some cars in front to bring home that crucial point.”
The full transcript of the post-race press conference featuring the first three drivers can be read after the break.
[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]
Greenpeace carried out a protest against Shell at yesterday’s Belgian Grand Prix. They wanted to bring attention to Shell’s drilling and exploration for oil in the arctic region. A number of banners and signs were placed around the circuit, including the use of two remote controlled signs that were activated in front of the podium (video below).
The appearance of these signs, or perhaps the removal of them, was responsible for the jeering and booing that could be heard during the post-race interview held on the podium with David Coulthard.
Vanessa Hall, protesting with a banner on the pit straight grandstand, said: “This sport is all about cutting edge developments in engineering and safety, but Shell’s Arctic drilling programme relies on technology and equipment that was developed before today’s drivers were even born. And of course the only reason Shell can drill there at all is because climate change is melting the Arctic ice cap, and they’re going in to drill for more of the stuff that caused the melt in the first place—it’s madness.â€
Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International Executive Director, said: “I was a fan of Grand Prix racing when I was growing up, but I am not a fan of what Shell is doing in the Arctic. Right now we are in the race of our lives against Shell, a company that sees the melting of the Arctic as a business opportunity, rather than a warning. Every driver and F1 fan knows that oil on the tracks spells disaster; an oil spill in the Arctic would be catastrophic. We hope that when they’ve heard about what Shell is up to they’ll join the almost four-million-strong movement to save the Arctic.â€
You can read more at Greenpeace.
UPDATE: New images added below courtesy of Greenpeace.
Sebastian Vettel cruised to an easy victory at the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix. The Red Bull ace had to work hard on the first lap to overtake pole sitter Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG) but once that was done he remained unchallenged.
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) was the big improver the head of the field, finishing second after starting from P9. Lewis Hamilton had to content himself with P3.
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG) finished where he started in P4, while Mark Webber (Red Bull) dropped two places to finish fifth. Although, there was word just before the race began that Webber had clutch issues which may explain his slow getaway off the line and why he dropped three places after the first lap.
Toro Rosso will be pleased that their drivers made good ground after their qualifying woes. Starting from P19 Daniel Ricciardo managed to fight his way to P10 to claim a championship point, while Jean-Eric Vergne improved from P18 to P12.
Aside from a bit of a kerfuffle with Pastor Maldonado (Williams) and the two Force India drivers which sent Paul di Resta in for an early shower not much else happened.
Tonight’s win is Vettel’s 31st career victory which places him equal fifth on the all-time tally alongside Nigel Mansell. What odds he’ll join Fernando Alonso on 32 wins at Monza in a couple of weeks?
While we’re still waiting for the official word that Daniel Ricciardo will replace Mark Webber at Red Bull next year, Webber himself has pretty much given the game away.
“The decision’s made,” Mark told James Allen on Channel 10. “We all know who it is. I’m happy with that decision.
“It’s good for him and good for Australia.”
Meanwhile, officially at least, the 24-year-old Aussie is not taking anything for granted. “I’m not going to assume anything,” Ricciardo said. “For me there is still a seat up for grabs.”
“Obviously there is a bit of excitement around, but there is nothing further to say from what I knew in Budapest.
“I think I’ve learned that until something is signed, sealed and delivered nothing is ever concrete.”
[Source: Ten Sport | Pic: Toro Rosso/Getty Images]
Shell is celebrating its associtation with the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix by transporting us back in time to the 1955 race. They do this by making available a 30 minute documentary of the race and we suggest you find the time to watch before tonight’s instalment if you can.
It’s fair to say a lot has changed in Formula 1 in the last 58 years, as the image above shows. We’re sure you’ll recognise it but in case you don’t the photo is taken at the old pit complex, on the downhill run after La Source and you can see Eau Rouge and Radillion in the background.
Yes, that is a dog running across the track. No, there is no barrier between the track and pit lane. And, yes, it is raining at Spa! Although, that photo was taken during qualifying and the race was run in brilliant sunshine.
The race was completed on the old 14km Spa-Francorchamps layout and only Blanchimont, La Source and Eau Rouge/Radillion remain from the original layout. You can compare the old and current circuits HERE.
All that’s left to do now is sit back, relax and enjoy finding out how Juan Manuel Fangio went about claiming his fifteenth F1 victory.
[Thanks to Wes for the tip]