Categories
WEC

2014 WEC calendar confirmed

2014 Porsche LMP1

Next year the FIA World Endurance Championship is going to be all about Porsche. True, we can probably expect Audi and Toyota to take favouritism as the two most likely to the battle for the title. But when you consider Porsche has had the relative luxury of developing its 2014 LMP1 racecar without the demands of ongoing competition you’d not be surprised to see the 16-time Le Mans winners make a strong early showing.

No doubt the WEC will receive a huge upsurge in coverage here in Australia on the back of Mark Webber‘s return to top line sporstcar racing and we’ll be doing our best to play a part in that role.

Following the FIA’s approval overnight here’s the full calendar of events for the 2014 WEC season, which begins on 20 April with the 6 Hours of Silverstone. The jewel in the WEC crown is, of course, the 24 Hours of Le Mans which will take place on 14–15 June.

Continue reading “2014 WEC calendar confirmed”
Categories
Formula 1

2014 F1 calendar confirmed

2013 Australian Grand Prix

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council met overnight to sign off on a whole bunch of agenda items. Chief among them was the 2014 F1 calendar, which has now been locked away at 19 races.

Last time we updated you on the 2014 calendar we were facing the prospect of a 22-race season. We already knew the New York race had been scuppered and now we learn that the Korean and Mexican Grands Prix have also been cast aside for at least one more year.

That means we’ll be getting our first Russian Grand Prix, now on 12 October. The F1 teams will stay in the Americas for back to back races with the Brazilian Grand Prix to be run straight after the Unites States Grand Prix. Abu Dhabi will host the final race of the year on 23 November.

The full calendar is available below and will kick off in Melbourne on 16 March.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

Continue reading “2014 F1 calendar confirmed”
Categories
BMW Motorsports Video

VIDEO: At the wheel of a BMW M3 DTM

BMW M3 DTM

Last year BMW returned to DTM racing and did so in style by winning the drivers’ and constructors’ titles. This week Chris Harris takes us inside the carbon fibre shell of the BMW M3 DTM. It starts off as a fairly regulated affair full of briefings and instructions. Soon enough Harris is let out on the track and it’s worth watching to get a better appreciation of what these space age bespoke racecars are all about.

It’s also interesting to note Harris’ observation than V8 Supercars, in his eyes, are a better form of entertainment that the current generation DTM.

Continue reading “VIDEO: At the wheel of a BMW M3 DTM”
Categories
Formula 1

GP of America plans up in smoke once again

Red Bull Racing visits New York City

We suspected this was going to happen, so it’s no surprise to read a report suggesting the Grand Prix of America, aka the New York GP, will be postponed until 2015.

In a telephone interview Bernie Eccelstone said of the race: “We are not satisfied it’s going to happen in time. What we’re aiming for is 2015.”

The future of the race has been in question right from its initial announcement back in 2o11. Everyone seems to think it’s a great idea to race on the streets of New Jersey with the Manhattan skyline forming a million dollar backdrop, but for whatever reason race promoter Leo Hindery Jr can’t get the event across the line.

One positive for the withdrawal of the GP of America, expected to be confirmed by the World Motor Sport Council later this week, is that the jam-packed 22-race 2014 F1 calendar will get some much needed relief.

[Source: WSJ | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

UPDATE 5 December: An official statement from Grand Prix of America organisers has been added below.

Continue reading “GP of America plans up in smoke once again”
Categories
Honda Motorsports

Because racecar

2014 Honda Civic WTCC

It’s true we don’t really spend any time following the FIA’s World Touring Car Championship, another category undergoing big changes for 2014. But we couldn’t resist sharing this new image from Honda Racing showing off its very cool and aggressively styled 2014 Civic WTCC…

…because racecar!

Continue reading “Because racecar”
Categories
Ferrari

VIDEO: Ferrari F50 on the go slow

Ferrari F50

A Ferrari F50 is the latest car to be given the Tax the Rich treatment. That means all sorts of slow motion abuse that we generally can’t get enough of. And it’s precisely because of that we think this video, at just over 90 seconds, is way too brief.

Continue reading “VIDEO: Ferrari F50 on the go slow”
Categories
Hyundai WRC

Hyundai Motorsport names the date

Hyundai i20 WRC

We already know the emerging Thierry Neuville will be leading Hyundai’s WRC assault in 2014, but we don’t know who will be joining him or which sponsors will be plastered all over the i20 WRC. It would be nice to see Chris Atkinson land another full-time gig in top line rallying, but we’re not holding our breath. Although, if we did, we’d only have to wait until next Tuesday, 10 December, to find out all the answers.

Continue reading “Hyundai Motorsport names the date”
Categories
Formula 1

Nico Hulkenberg returns to Force India for 2014

Vijay Mallya and Nico Hulkenberg

It looks like 2014 is the year of the return. Kimi Raikkonen is returning to the scene of his 2007 world championship at Ferrari, while Nico Hulkenberg is returning to the scene of his, erm, fourth place with Force India.

Of coruse, the arrival of Hulkenberg to Force India means at least one of Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil will be looking for work next year. Force India says their full driver line up will be announced in the fullness of time, or something.

Hulkenberg spent a year as a test driver with Force India in 2011 after his debut season with Williams. He managed to land full driver status with the team in 2012 before switching to Sauber this year.

Being described as a “multi-year deal” Hulkenberg will be hoping his second stint with Force India will bear fruit.

“The team is aiming high for next year and I believe that the experience I have gained over the years will help us achieve those goals,” he said. “I genuinely believe we can have a competitive package in 2014. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about the Mercedes engine as well, so I think there is a lot to be excited about for next year.”

Full statements and video from Force India can be found below. You know it’s funny, Formula 1 is all about massive budgets, innovation and total precision, so you’d think they’d be able to turn a mobile phone around…

Continue reading “Nico Hulkenberg returns to Force India for 2014”
Categories
Lamborghini

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster wins at irrelevance

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster

Lamborghini’s pointless supercar, the Veneno Roadster, has plummeted to new depths of irrelevance with its public launch taking place on an aircraft carrier in Abu Dhabi. You think that’s strange enough, then what do you make of Fabio Cannavaro, a vital part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning squad, being there to lend his cheesy smile for publicity shots?

Why did you make this car so ugly? Why did you take it to the middle of nowhere to launch it on an aircraft carrier? Why is a retired footballer needed to complete this remarkable achievement in pointlessness? Why Lamborghini, why?

Lambo’s boss Stephan Winkelmann has a crack at answering a few of our questions: “We are honored that Lamborghini was chosen to represent the Italian car industry in the UAE, as a perfect example of iconic Italian super sports cars, and that we have the opportunity to show the Veneno Roadster for the first time in Abu Dhabi. Lamborghini has an extremely strong following in the region for its super sports cars, with the Middle East one of our largest markets in the world.”

Did you see how he artfully avoided answering the question asking why they made the Veneno so ugly? And let’s not forget it costs €3.3 million!

Continue reading “Lamborghini Veneno Roadster wins at irrelevance”
Categories
Audi

Audi to launch Q1 in 2016

Audi Q1 sketch

Audi has continued the inexorable march of SUVs by announcing it will launch a Q1 in 2016. Judging by this sketch it looks like we can refer back to the Crosslane concept from last year to get a better idea as to how Audi might style the baby Q.

The Q1 will be built at Ingolstadt and is part of a model expansion which Audi hopes will result in sales in excess of two million units per year by 2020. By that time Audi will have increased its portfolio from the 49 model variations we have today to beyond 60.

More, more, more!

Continue reading “Audi to launch Q1 in 2016”
Categories
Top Gear

Top Gear Series 21 to start on 26 January 2014?

Top Gear, Series 21 tweet

There you go, confirmation on the start date for the 21st season of Top Gear has come from Jeremy Clarkson himself.

After the break you can see a preview for a couple of possible segments thanks to the all seeing eye of YouTube.

UPDATE: As pointed out by FinalGear.com, 23 January is a Thursday and because Top Gear usually screens on a Sunday night timeslot in the UK the premiere for S21 is more likely to be 26 January; Australia Day!

UPDATE #2: Applause Store has announced tickets for filming at Top Gear’s Dunsfold Park studio will be available for Wednesday 29 January. Past experience says the show will air the following Sunday, 2 February.

Continue reading “Top Gear Series 21 to start on 26 January 2014?”
Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Speciale in video

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Over the last couple of weeks motoring journos have been putting their thoughts on the 445kW Ferrari 458 Speciale to video. We’ve grabbed three of them for you which should give you some idea of what this more extreme 458 is like.

Jethro Bovingdon from Evo is first up and he starts by doing his research at the wheel of a standard 458 Italia before returning to the 430 Scuderia to see what tricks Ferrari might have up its sleeve for the Speciale. It’s fair to say his expectations were high by the time he took the wheel of the Speciale and those expectations were met and perhaps even exceeded.

Steve Sutcliffe from Autocar had a turn as well, also testing the 458 Speciale on the road and track. Like his Evo colleague, Sutcliffe thought the Speciale was, well, quite special. Both marvelled at the freedom displayed by the car’s Side Slip angle Control system (SSC), which allows sideways action without the horrors of spinning out of control. At least that’s the theory.

Ben Barry from Car drove the 458 Speciale on the road only. And, interestingly, he wasn’t as convinced by the step from the standard car to Speciale.

Continue reading “Ferrari 458 Speciale in video”