Category: Motorsports

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Audi Motorsports

Audi launches R8 LMS Race Experience

Audi R8 LMS

Audi have recently announced they will be offering cashed up wannabe racing drivers a seat in an R8 LMS. Two GT3 cars will be prepared by the Joest Racing Team, the guys responsible for six of Audi’s recent Le Mans victories.

Joest will be entering up to six VLN races at the Nürburgring this year, among other activities, and if you have the cash for this “Race Experience” you could find yourself in the hot seat.

“For the first time, the Audi race experience offers customers the opportunity to participate in a race with a professional Audi ‘factory’ team without having to enter into a long-term commitment or to make a high financial investment,” explains Klaus Demel, who is in charge of the Audi driving experience. “I’m very happy that we’ve been able to win Audi Sport and Reinhold Joest’s team as a partners for this project.”

Joest kicks off their VLN season on 24 April, so you’d better start saving your pennies!

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Formula 1

Final 2010 Formula One entry list

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

The FIA have released the final entry list for the 2010 Formula One season. Most of the news we already know, but we can now confirm that US F1 will not partake in the upcoming season and nor will Stefan GP. The Serbian based used Toyota outfit had been hoping they could fill the breach left by US F1, but the FIA have said no deal.

There is also one seat still available, in the newly renamed Campos Meta team. Bruno Senna is still looking for a teammate in the team now known as HRT F1. No, it’s not a new direction for the Holden Racing Team.

After four weeks of pre-season testing we now only have 10 days to go until the first race starts in Bahrain. Fasten your seatbelts folks, this season will be one hell of a ride!

Full entry list available below, as well as a statement from the FIA on US F1’s withdrawal. Further detail on the US F1 story, including Ken Anderson’s thoughts, has been published over at Autopsort.com.

UPDATE 5 March: Indian driver Karun Chandhok has claimed the last seat for the 2010 F1 season, signing with HRT F1 (via Autosport.com).

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Motorsports Volkswagen

Geneva: Volkswagen CrossGolf

Volkswagen CrossGolf

Volkswagen claim the Golf is “the most successful vehicle concept of all times”. Presumably they have reached this conclusion based on total sales. So, is it any wonder that they are milking the platform with the CrossGolf, the sixth model line in the Golf range.

Essentially what you see is what you get. A body based on the GolfPlus, including an extra 20mm ride height, a few exterior plastic bits and some model specific interior trim. Voila, a new model.

It is unlikely we will ever see the CrossGolf in Australia. Which is a shame. A real shame. Just wait until you see the new Subaru Impreza XV, which will be here mid-year. Somebody really needs to tell Subaru’s designers to stop the madness!

I digress, more pics and details of the comparatively attractive, but probably quite pointless CrossGolf can be seen after the jump.

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Formula 1

US F1 on the brink of collapse – looking ahead to 2011

US F1

According to Autosport.com the future of US F1 has already been sealed. While not officially confirmed, it has been reported that Production Manager Dave Skog has informed US F1 staff they will be placed on unpaid leave. So, they’re technically still employed, but failing new investment the team is unlikely to continue.

This news follows weeks of speculation suggesting US F1 were facing closure. Team bosses Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor were not present when Skog made his announcement, and at this stage, they have failed to comment on the team’s current plight. Such silence only heightens thoughts of an official withdrawal from Formula One being weeks, or even days, away.

Should US F1 plans be officially cast aside then Stefan GP, who bought much of Toyota’s F1 remnants, are ready to step in to fill the void.

UPDATE: Speaking to Autosport.com US F1 boss Ken Anderson has said, “We have applied to the FIA to hold our entry until 2011. It was supposed to be confidential, so I could not really comment on it. It seems to have leaked out though.

“We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and are working with them. In the mean time, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision.”

[Source: Autosport.com | Thanks to Chris for the tip]

Categories
Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

F1 Safety Car gives you wings

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, F1 Safety Car

Mercedes-Benz are pretty chuffed with their new F1 Safety Car. So much so they’ve written a long press release and released a bunch of new pics. The car, of course, is the SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’. And this is the fifteenth year that Mercedes has headed the field with Safety Car duties, the only company to hold that honour.

The Gullwing is a sleek looking machine with 420kW and 650Nm on offer. That means when Bernd Mäylander is wringing the neck off this thing he will still look like he is just plodding around on a Sunday afternoon drive when he has a tantrum of Formula One cars behind him. In reality he will be travelling every bit as fast as the car and chassis will allow. And with a claimed 0-100 time of 3.8 seconds it won’t exactly be hanging about.

The best news, though, in F1-trim, the Gullwing has two telly screens inside so you can watch the race while at work. How good is that!

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Formula 1

Mark Webber sets the pace at Barcelona

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber quickly found his way to the top of the time sheets in his RB6 during pre-season testing at Barcelona overnight. Once Webber found his rhthym he was never headed and settled with a best time of 1:21.487, almost one full second ahead of his nearest rival, Nico Hulkenberg, Williams (1:22.407).

Webber’s Red Bull team were focusing on a race weekend simulation, including qualifying and full race-distance programs. Speaking on the RBR website Webber said, “We had a pretty good day of testing. We did some simulations and performance items in the morning and a race simulation in the afternoon. We had a precautionary stop in the middle of the race simulation because of a gearbox oil alarm, but the guys got the car turned around pretty quickly and we finished the session, so it wasn’t too bad.”

Reliability seems to be the only concern for Red Bull Racing as both drivers have been consistently on the pace in pre-season testing so far.

Sebastien Vettel steps into the RB6 for the next two days of testing, while Webber will return for the final day on Sunday. A schedule of drivers can be seen HERE. You can follow the action when it resumes later tonight on twitter and autosport.com.

[Pics: Getty Images]

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Mazda Targa Tasmania

Fancy a free ride at Targa Tasmania?

Mazda3 MPS

Mazda Australia has just launched a competition offering free entry at the wheel of a 3 MPS at this year’s Targa Tasmania. You’ll need to check out the Mazda Motorsport website for full details, but, the deal is you and a mate get entry into the Targa Tour (Saturday 1 May – Sunday 2 May).

The Tour can be entered by anyone in pretty much any road legal car and allows regular drivers to tackle the demanding Targa Tasmania course with the safety of closed roads and no oncoming traffic. Sounds good, huh.

Mazda’s competition is now open and entries must be lodged by 1 April 2010. The winner will be notified on 6 April.

There’s a press release below from Mazda, but if you can’t be bothered with that then just CLICK HERE!

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Categories
Formula 1

F1 pre-season: Barcelona test schedule

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP

The final Formula One pre-season test window opens at Barcelona later tonight (Australian time) and will run until Sunday. So far the form at Valencia and Jerez has played out as expected, with the major players of Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes GP all looking solid. Although Ferrari probably look the strongest at this stage. Some of the lesser lights have also shown some very good pace, namely BMW Sauber and Toro Rosso.

Inclement weather has robbed teams of precious dry track time during testing, especially at the two Jerez sessions. However the forecast for Barcelona this week looks reasonably good. Sunny days are predicted for Thursday and Saturday, while light rain is expected on Friday and Sunday. You can checkout the schedule of who will be driving when after the jump.

UPDATE: Mark Webber showing great pace in the RB6 during the morning session—quickest by over one second. Don’t forget you can follow the action live on twitter and autosport.com.

[via GPUpdate.net]

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Ferrari Formula 1

Division bell

Ferrari F10

An anonymous blog entry on the Ferrari website has savaged Max Mosley’s Formula One legacy. The article under the banner of The Horse Whisperer is titled “For whom the bell tolls” and brings in to question the merits of introducing new teams into F1. It’s not so much that new teams are in the sport that is the issue, but more the structures employed by the FIA to facilitate these introductions that is causing concern in Maranello.

The closing paragraph of the piece reads, “The cause in question was to allow smaller teams to get into Formula 1. This is the outcome: two teams will limp into the start of the championship, a third is being pushed into the ring by an invisible hand … and, as for the fourth, well, you would do better to call on Missing Persons to locate it. In the meantime, we have lost two constructors along the way, in the shape of BMW and Toyota, while at Renault, there’s not much left other than the name. Was it all worth it?”

In the current off-season, then, we have seen the return of, arguably, the sport’s greatest driver. As a seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is certainly the most successful driver of all time. Reigning champion Jenson Button has moved in with the Hamiltons at McLaren. Journeyman Rubens Barrichello has similarly departed Brawn GP, the team he, along with Button, helped raise from the ashes to deliver the constructor’s title after both men were effectively unemployed a couple of weeks before the season began. That team, in itself, has since been bought out by the world’s oldest car manufacturer.

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Formula 1 McLaren

Button fastest at Jerez

Jenson Button, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Jenson Button saved his best for the last day of pre-season testing at Jerez when he became the first and only driver to break the 1:19 barrier. Button’s time of 1:18.871 was four tenths quicker than the previous best lap set by Mark Webber on day three. Robert Kubica (Renault, 1:19.114) and Kamui Kobayashi (BMW Sauber, 1:19.188) also bettered Webber’s best lap on day four.

A full list of times is available after the jump. The final pre-season test window opens at Barcelona on Thursday night (Australian time). It will run over four days, ending on Sunday 28 February. The first race of the 2010 Formula One season is at Bahrain on 14 March.

[Source: Formula1.com]

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MINI WRC

Rumour: MINI WRC concept set for Geneva Motor Show debut

MINI WRC rendering

A MINI Countryman-based WRC entry is looking increasingly likely with news such a car could make a surprise appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in a couple of weeks.

RallyBuzz is reporting that BMW officials met with Dave Richards from former WRC constructor Prodive in Sweden last week to discuss MINI’s WRC future. Rumours of MINI contemplating a WRC entry surfaced last August and with BMW now out of Formula One they potentially have the budget to fund a rally program.

Dave Richards was quoted earlier in February as saying, “It is still our intention to be in the WRC in 2011.” Now, it seems clear that MINI will be the brand Prodrive partners with to make its WRC return.

Here’s hoping the Geneva rumour proves true and there is more MINI WRC news to bring you in the bear future.

[via theSwitchback & MotoringFile | Pic: theSwitchback]

UPDATE 27 July: MINI confirms WRC entry from 2011

Categories
Formula 1

Webber leads the pack at Jerez – photo gallery

F1 pre-season testing, Jerez, February 2010

Formula One pre-season testing at Jerez finally saw some sunshine overnight and Australia’s Mark Webber made the most hay while it did. Webber piloted his Red Bull RB6 to the quickest time posted at Jerez so far in 2010 with a time of 1:19.299. Last week Lewis Hamilton topped the sheets with his lap of 1:19.583.

A full list of times from last night can be seen below, with the dry weather allowing all teams to record their best times for the week.

Mark Webber isn’t getting ahead of himself, though, and he knows pre-season form doesn’t count for much. Speaking to autsport.com he said, “I promise you that in Malaysia we won’t be talking about the second test in Jerez, things change fast in F1.”

Fernando Alonso was second fastest last night (1.20.115) and the word on the street is that the Ferrari F10 is shaping up as the car to beat in 2010.

After the jump you can see a gallery of pics featuring Ferrari, Lotus, Mercedes GP, Red Bull, Renault and Toro Rosso.

The final day of testing will start in a couple of hours and the only change to the original schedule will see Jenson Button behind the wheel of the McLaren instead of Hamilton. You can follow all the action by reading AUSmotive’s F1 list on twitter. Also keep an eye on the autosport.com website for their live updates as well.

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