Category: Motorsports

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 Hungarian Grand Prix in pictures

2010 Hungarian GP

The 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix; Red Bull Racing’s 100th GP, Mark Webber’s 150th GP and his 6th career victory. The Aussie now leads the drivers championship and Red Bull have finally reached the top of the constructors tree. There’s seven races left in 2010, can Mark and RBR maintain the rage?

Elsewhere, Michael drove his old pal Rubens up the wall. Sebastian had a mid-race nap and Robert drove into Adrian. Here’s a surprise, too; think of the six drivers from the new teams (Lotus, Virgin and HRT), if they were running their own mini-championship who do you think would be leading the charge? A gold star for you if you picked out the name Karun Chandhok.

[Thanks to Micky for the Chandhok tip]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber wins Hungarian GP

2010 Hunagrian GP

Mark Webber has just won an extraordinary Hungarian Grand Prix, in doing so he has reclaimed the lead of the 2010 world drivers championship. It was a fortunate turn of events that, in the end, delivered Webber a comfortable win from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and his Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel started the race on pole, with Webber in P2 and Alonso P3. The Ferrari man jumped Webber off the line and very nearly took the lead from Vettel into Turn 1. Vettel was able to fend off Alonso’s challenge and the notoriously difficult to pass Hungaroring looked like providing another boring procession.

However, on lap 15, before teams were planning to bring in their drivers for scheduled pit stops some debris from one of the Force India cars was positioned precariously in the middle of the track. The Safety Car was deployed and the entire field took advantage to make their compulsory tyre change; with the exception of Webber, Rubens Barichello (Williams) and Jarno Trulli (Virgin Racing). Chaos reigned in pit lane, too, with a crash between Robert Kubica (Renault) and Vintonio Liuzzi (Force India), a loose wheel from Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes bouncing down the lane among the teams and cars everywhere.

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Motorsports Porsche

Porsche Carrera Cup set for Australian return in 2011

Porsche GT3 Cup car

Australian race fans will once again be able to see the world’s quickest one-make series in 2011 with the return of the Porsche Carrera Cup. The category was last seen on local race tracks in 2008 following the collapse of the 2009 series.

Porsche Cars Australia will manage the series after gaining support from Germany in the last few days. PCA Managing Director Michael Winkler is excited by the category’s return, “We have the chance for a fresh start, with an all-new race car and an all-new approach for Porsche Carrera Cup Australia,” he said.

“Motorsport is an important part of our brand and our business in Australia. We have been busy working behind the scenes on a sustainable and viable long-term motorsport plan that places Carrera Cup at the forefront of our domestic racing.

“Our job is to now engage organisers, promoters, broadcasters, sponsors and of course potential teams so we can have a full grid for the start of 2011, as well as ensure we are in a position to deliver required outcomes to all stakeholders.”

[Source: SpeedCafe | Thanks to Chris for the tip]

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MINI Challenge

2010 MINI Challenge – Round 4, Townsville

MINI Challenge, Townsville

Chris Alajajian extended his lead in the 2010 MINI Challenge by claiming the round in Townsville earlier this month. Reigning title holder Paul Stokell finshed Round 4 in second place and Beric Lynton, making his first appearance of the year, claimed the final podium spot in the three race program.

Speaking after the final race Alajajian said, “My team continue to do a fantastic job with the R56 Challenge car and it makes it so much more comfortable for me to drive because I have full trust in my car and team. We now have a big gap until the next round at Phillip Island which is a really fast event where anything can happen so expect some exciting racing down there MINI Challenge fans!”

There’s a selection of images on show after the break, as well as the full press release from MINI Challenge. Round 5 action takes place on Phillip Island in mid-September at the L&H 500.

[Pics: Spherix]

UPDATE: TV highlights have been added below.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hungaroring

Mark Webber

It’s the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, held just outside of Budapest. That means Mark is thinking of a tight twisty circuit, a long race and the ladeeez are easy on the optic nerve, too. Well, that’s what Mark said. Don’t believe me; then check out his virtual preview after the break.

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Formula 1

Darren Heath Photographer

Darren Heath Photographer

Darren Heath is a pro photographer who undertakes the enviable job of following the Formula One circus around the globe. I’ve been following him on twitter for a while now. After each race he’s been updating a selection of his photos. The pics are, of course, all good in their own right, but it is his blog that often makes for some very interesting observations. Take this snippet posted after the German Grand Prix, for example, which is discussing the aerodynamic properties of the Red Bull Racing and Ferrari front wings:

…at Barcelona earlier this year Mercedes’ GPS system, busy tracking the F1 cars careening around the flat-out Turn 3, registered similar entry speeds for the MGP W01 and the RB6.

A few seconds later, at the corner’s exit, things had changed. The Red Bull was pulling away with a 12kph advantage.

If that’s the kind of performance the Milton Keynes outfit had with its old front section, imagine it with the new one.

Judging from my photographs Ferrari has worked out the secret – although the front wings on both the F10s and the RB6s have been deemed legal, so the rest must now follow.

Check out Darren’s website HERE. His full German GP blog entry is available HERE.

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MINI WRC

MINI confirms WRC entry from 2011

MINI Countryman WRC

It’s taken a few days longer than expected but MINI have just confirmed their plans to enter the World Rally Championship in 2011. The rally car will be based on the new Countryman platform. Proven rally outfit Prodrive have been charged with preparing the MINI Countryman WRC to new Super2000 regulations.

MINI will undertake a restricted program in 2011 before taking on the full WRC calendar from 2012 and beyond.

Prodrive Chairman, David Richards is excited at the prospect of bringing the MINI brand back to the world rally stage, “During the 1960s MINI captured the imagination of the world when the tiny car took on the might of V8 powered Fords and won what was then one of the toughest motorsport events, the 4000km Monte Carlo rally.

“I believe our new MINI will become a firm favourite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world. We already have a significant number of confirmed customer orders for the new MINI rally car with the first deliveries scheduled for the start of the 2011 season.”

Prodrive have been working on the MINI Countryman WRC since early last year and the first test drive is due in a couple of months from now. As well as the factory cars the MINI Countryman WRC will also be available for privateer teams.

All of a sudden the Countryman takes on a whole new cool factor! Full press release from MINI after the break.

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Renault

2010 German Grand Prix in pictures

2010 German GP

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won the 2010 German Grand Prix. Good for him, it was a hard fought victory and if only that lowly team assistant in the bottom left of corner didn’t ruin the photo opportunity above as the Spaniard held the winning trophy aloft. Who is that guy anyway? Has anyone ever seen him before?

Actually, come to think of it, he could be the little bugger who stole Ferrari’s $100,000 social club kitty. Poor Fernando had no money for champagne to celebrate his win because of that guy. A professional outfit like Ferrari really should keep such team matters in check. There’s no “I” in team, after all.

You can see a few pics from Hockenheim after the jump. I must apologise; a number of the images provided have a Ferrari sweep car in the way, spoiling the view of Alonso’s car. No matter, though, the sweep car found its place before the chequered flag. Phew!

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Citroen WRC

The air up there

Citroen Racing

Citroën Racing have released their favourite top ten “big air” images from their time in WRC. Some of the images are quite spectacular, as the pic above from Sebastien Ogier in Turkey shows. Check the rest out after the, erm, jump. Make sure you click on each pic for the full 2000px super image.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Red Bull moving forward with parity policy

Red Bull Racing

Ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix Red Bull Racing have announced they will adopt a parity policy as they move to put the British GP front wing fiasco behind them.

The team now has enough parts to cover for contingencies ensuring both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel can race in equal spec machinery. However, if faced with a similar situation to Silvertsone again, where only one part is available, then the driver with the most championship points will be favoured.

Christian Horner explains, “If the component fails through no reason of the driver—and let’s not forget that it wasn’t because Sebastian had smashed the wing, it was a component that failed—then the same rules will apply. But we will work very hard to hopefully not be in that unenviable situation again.”

In further news, it has also been revealed that the revised front wing was removed from Webber’s car as a precautionary measure prior to qualifying at Silverstone. Following the failure of the part on Vettel’s car in the final free practice session the team looked over Webber’s front wing and discovered some ares of concern. The wing was removed and both cars were prepared for qualifying using the old wing design. It wasn’t until half an hour before qualifying that the Red Bull were confident the new component could be used.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hockenheim

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Hockenheim

This weekend Mark is thinking about a lot of German drivers on the grid, a huge history and repeating his 2009 success. A matching pair of German Grand Prix victories at the Nürburgring and Hockenheim would make a nice set, don’t you think.

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BMW Motorsports

The power of M

BMW E30 M3

A few days ago BMW celebrated the 25th anniversary of the mighty M3. They did so with a press release and a gallery of photos. Perhaps this video of a race-prepped E30 M3 lapping the Ring in under 7 minutes 40 seconds might have been a more fitting tribute.

[Thanks to Chris for the tip]

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