Category: Motorsports

Categories
Formula 1

2014 Williams FW36 revealed

2014 Williams FW36

Williams has revealed a series of renderings showing their 2014 F1 car, the FW36. And as you can see we have confirmation of our first finger-style front nose. It looks a bit like an anteater, too.

There’s a couple of firsts for Williams here: it’s the first time the team has worked with a Mercedes-Benz engine power unit and the first time they’ve run an 8-speed gearbox.

Chief Technical Officer, Pat Symonds, explains some of the challenges in designing this car: “There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year. We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.

“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year. The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

Williams has given a rough timeline for the design of the new car, which we’ve listed in dotpoint form below:

  • CAD data for 2014 power unit received from Mercedes mid-way through last season
  • FW36 design phase completed by mid-September 2013
  • New gearbox run on dyno in early-November 2013
  • Launch spec aero packaged finalised in early-December 2013
  • Transmission mated to power unit on dyno in December 2013
  • FW36 crash test passed before Christmas 2013
  • Melbourne-spec aero package approved in early-January 2014

UPDATE 29 January: Williams has tweeted a pic of the car from the team’s pit garage at Jerez (see below).

Continue reading “2014 Williams FW36 revealed”
Categories
Porsche WEC

Mark Webber previews his 2014 season

Porsche LMP1 test with Mark Webber

The beginning of 2014 is unfamiliar for Mark Webber in that he’s still got a few weeks left of being able to slam down a few Tim Tams before he needs to be at his racing weight. He explains that and more in Q&A interview on his official website:

Your new season with Porsche will start soon. In F1 the focus of your training was on the neck strength and being as light as possible, how does your training change for the sports car series?
MW: “This is my first season for probably five or six years when I haven’t needed to be on weight by February! Even though we will be doing some pre-season testing with Porsche, the preparation for F1 was different; I had to be on weight right from the start of pre-season testing and my weight control had to be extremely disciplined.

“But, don’t think for one moment I’m going to be overweight in sports cars! I’ll be back at my F1 weight for the start of the championship in April but the WEC season is much shorter with only eight races, so I don’t need to be in that tight weight window for as long as I was in F1. My training regime has changed a bit too; you do quite a lot of specific training for F1; for example, neck training to deal with the high G-forces whereas in sports cars because the lap times are a bit slower, I won’t quite have the load on the body that I used to. Of course, there are lots of things from my training in F1 which are completely adaptable in sports cars, i.e. heat control in hot environments as was the case at some races in Formula One so there are a lot of things I learnt in F1 which I will carry across.”

Follow the source link for the full interview.

[Source: markwebber.com]

Categories
Formula 1

Will F1 have another unwanted finger in 2014?

Finger nose drawing by Craig Scarborough

Last night’s teaser image from Force India has given us hope that the days of ugly Formula 1 cars are behind us. However, seen only in profile form, even with that pic we still need to be prepared for the worst. Late last year Craig Scarborough warned us of “the finger nose”, shown in his illustration above.

The finger solution is due to the new 2014 regulations which prescribe a high chassis and low nose. The regs specify a relatively narrow width for the nose tip which teams will want to adopt in order to achieve the maximum possible airflow under the car.

More recently, Caterham F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul, has been more direct, drawing inspiration for his description from Hollywood.

“It is going to be ugly,” Abiteboul warned. “I think F1 is still show business and it should still be attractive to people.

“Kids should be dreaming when they see an F1 car—I don’t know about the dream or nightmare you will be having when you look at those cars.

“It does remind me of the ‘Alien’ film with it coming out the mouth.”

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Craig Scarborough]

UPDATE: Scarbs has posted a sketch of the VJM07 nose to twitter (see below).

Continue reading “Will F1 have another unwanted finger in 2014?”
Categories
Citroen Ford Hyundai Volkswagen WRC

Sebastien Ogier wins 2014 Rallye Monte Carlo

2014 Rallye Monte Carlo

Sebastien Ogier overcame a poor tyre choice on Day 1 to fight back and win the Rallye Monte Carlo in style, getting his world championship defence off to a near perfect start.

To rack up his first Monte win Ogier had to reel in an impressive Bryan Bouffier in his first outing at the wheel of a privately entered Ford Fiesta RS WRC. Bouffier’s name may be familiar to you, he was one of the test drivers who helped develop the Hyundai i20 WRC, so his second place result will be extra sweet after missing out on official driving duties with the Korean team this year.

Conditions during the rally were extreme and presented the drivers with all kinds of hazards, from ice, “shiny” wet patches on slippery tarmac, heavy rain and a snow storm just to top things off.

Kris Meeke took a big step in repaying Citroën’s faith and was delighted to overcome those difficulties unscathed on his way to satisfying third place. He leaves Monte Carlo with increased confidence, acknowledging he has no issue with raw pace, but has in the past made too many silly errors.

Robert Kubica may need to take a few notes from Meeke. The former F1 star was sure fast enough during the rally and was easily mixing it with the established WRC front runners. Yet, he still found his way off course and crashed into a bridge in a manner perhaps only Robert could. Thankfully the impact was at relatively low speed and he was in no real danger of any injury.

Jari-Matti Latvala finds himself in Ogier’s shadow once again, although he lost a bit of time on Day 2 with an annoying puncture. Latvala did register a small win over his teammate when he beat him to first place in the Power Stage by 0.2 seconds. Judging by the look on Ogier’s face immediately afterwards the world of motorsport has another Seb who doesn’t like losing one little bit!

Of course, Hyundai’s return to the WRC spotlight didn’t quite go to plan and they’ll be hoping for more in Sweden next month.

After the break there’s Volkswagen’s official word along with pictures and videos from the leading WRC teams.

Continue reading “Sebastien Ogier wins 2014 Rallye Monte Carlo”
Categories
Formula 1

2014 Force India VJM07 previewed

2014 Force India VJM07

Force India has given us the first look yet at Formula 1’s new world order by releasing this image of its 2014 F1 car, the VJM07.

On this evidence fears that the new regulations would result in yet another round of ugly duckling cars seem unfounded. Although, full judgement will need to wait until we have more than a simple side profile shot.

You’ve probably also noticed the change in livery for Force India with what was a predominantly white car in 2013 now having a black base. There’s a bunch of new sponsors too and you can read about them in the official statement after the break.

For now, though, we’re giving the 2014 F1 car a qualified tick of approval. There’s more big reveals scheduled for the coming days, including McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. We can’t wait to see more.

UPDATE 28 January: See more pics of the VJM07 here.

Continue reading “2014 Force India VJM07 previewed”
Categories
Caterham Formula 1

Tony Fernandes delivers Caterham ultimatum

Tony Fernandes

While announcing the new drivers for the 2014 F1 season Caterham owner Tony Fernandes delivered his under-performing team a sharp and direct ultimatum: Get better or I’ll quit!

“My message to the 250 people here [at the factory] is we have to go for it this year,” Fernandes said. “This is it—the final chance. We’ve given you the best infrastructure, the best potential drivers but it is now down to all of you to go and do it.”

And then came the threat that the Malaysian entrepreneur is willing to leave F1.

“If we’re at the back I don’t think I’m going to carry on,” claimed Fernandes. “Nothing is set in stone but after five years with no points there is a limit to one’s patience, money, motivation, etc, so it’s an important year.

“I need to feel like we’re going somewhere. If I feel we can compete, then great but if we’re not competing then we have to seriously examine ourselves and ask ‘does this make sense?’ If we’re not competing, two seconds behind everybody else, then we haven’t made any progress.”

So, no pressure on F1 rookie Marcus Ericsson and the returning Kamui Kobayashi to deliver some strong results, then.

Fernandes also took the opportunity to pass comment on the introduction of double-points status for this year’s final race in Abu Dhabi.

“That is a fake fix,” Fernanded added. “What’s better is to solve the issue and make the racing more compact so a Sauber, a Lotus or a Force India could cause an upset.

“That’s what people like to see, what people like to watch, and that is what is missing in Formula One. The gaps between the haves and the have-nots has made racing boring.”

[Soure: The Guardian]

Categories
Formula 1

Who’s ready for the 2014 F1 season?

Formula 1 2014

The first public signs of the 2014 Formula 1 season coming to life will start in the coming days as teams begin to unveil their new cars ahead of the first winter test to be held in Jerez (28–31 January).

Here’s a brief fan video from the maker of the Racing In Slow Motion series to whet your appetite for the year ahead.

Continue reading “Who’s ready for the 2014 F1 season?”
Categories
Porsche WEC

Doesn’t he look dashing!

Mark Webber, Porsche factory driver

Porsche has updated its Mission 2014 microsite with bios for all six of its LMP1 factory drivers. This gives us one of the first chances to see Mark Webber in his new racing suit. And doesn’t he look smart. Mum and dad will be so proud!

Categories
Formula 1

Kobayashi and Ericsson get Caterham call up

Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson

The absence of the popular Kamui Kobayashi from Formula 1 is over with confirmation the 27-year-old will race for Caterham in 2014. He will be joined by 23-year-old Swede Marcus Ericsson.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Kamui back,” said Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal and CEO, Caterham F1 Team. “He is a very popular driver and it’s very good for the whole team that we’ve been able to attract such an exciting driver to join us at a critical point in our development.

“His pace speaks for itself and his extensive experience of developing cars, particularly in his years with Toyota, will be incredibly important for us as we tackle one of the most challenging seasons F1 has ever embarked upon.”

Ericsson will make his F1 debut after progressing from GP2. As you’d expect he has a history of success in the junior categories and first tested an F1 car with Brawn GP back in 2009. He’s the first Swede to race in F1 since Stefan Johansson in 1991.

“He [Ericsson] started his single-seater career by winning Formula BMW UK in 2007 and rose through the ranks to GP2,” Abiteboul added. “Last year he won in Germany, scored two poles, three fastest laps and five podiums.

“He’s physically and mentally prepared for what lies ahead, and he will have all the support we can give him across the team to help him fulfil his obvious potential in Formula One.”

Robert Frijns and Alexander Rossi will be Caterham’s F1 reserve drivers. Rossi will double up his duties with Caterham during the 2014 GP2 season, where he will be joined by Rio Haryanto.

Caterham’s full statement can be read below.

Continue reading “Kobayashi and Ericsson get Caterham call up”
Categories
Motorsports Porsche

The sweet sounds of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Steven Richards in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The raw sounds from inside the cabin of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup are a true delight. And thanks to the combination of a brand new 991-based GT3 Cup, Steven Richards, Speedcafe and Sydney Motorsport Park you can experience those sounds right now!

[Thanks to John for the tip]

Continue reading “The sweet sounds of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup”
Categories
BMW Motorsports

Real photos of the BMW M235i Racing

BMW M235i Racing

The we-just-want-one BMW M235i Racing was launched to the media at the Las Vegas International Speedway recently. So here’s a handful of pics showing the car in the flesh for the first time. Follow the source link for larger versions.

[Source: Bimmerpost | Thanks to John for the tip]

Continue reading “Real photos of the BMW M235i Racing”
Categories
Formula 1

Mark Webber, remember him?

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

One of the most reliable and respected sources of Formula 1 news is Autosport. So when they create a list of the 25 best F1 drivers never to have won a world championship you can expect it to be well researched and well considered.

You may be surprised to learn, then, that Mark Webber didn’t make the list. With the likes of bona fide F1 legends Stirling Moss and Gilles Villeneuve at the pointy end of their list that may be fair enough.

We don’t suggest for a moment Mark is an all-time great of F1, but we do think he should, at the very least, be mentioned in the same breath as Michele Alboreto, Rene Arnoux, Jacques Lafitte and John Watson, if not ranked ahead of them. What about Juan Pablo Montoya or even Robert Kubica (ranked third behind Moss and Villeneuve)?

In 2010, Mark’s best chance at winning a world championship, he only finished third, we acknowledge. But going into that final race in Abu Dhabi he was a chance to win the crown.

Overall Webber won nine grands prix. That’s three more than Gilles Villeneuve and more career wins than 17 of the drivers in Autosport’s list of 25.

At his very best Webber showed he could mix it with the sport’s elite. While the Autosport list doesn’t count for much, we still think our Mark wuz robbed!

[Source: Autosport+ (sub reqd) | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]