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Source: https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a38402676/formula-1-18-inch-tires/ Pirelli is one of the biggest names in tires. Pirelli tires feature prominently in our best all-terrain and best-winter tire buying guides; Pirelli makes the stock treads for everything from the Pagani Huayra supercar to the Rivian R1T pickup. Sure, Pirelli doesn't produce the world's premier restaurant guide or sponsor the pre-eminent non-rigid airship, butut even if you know nothing about tires, you may have heard the name Pirelli because of one factor: their sponsorship of Formula 1. As of this story's writing, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are battling for the F1 title over the final races. But whoever wins will do so on Pirelli tires, and sport a Pirelli hat on the podium. And it's Pirelli that will spearhead one of the sport's biggest historical changes for the 2022 season. Formula 1 is abandoning its 13-inch wheels — the standard for decades — for 18-inch ones. Moving to bigger wheels is not a change that teams, in particular, were itching to make. The lower profile tires force designers to rethink not just suspensions but almost every other part of the car. But there are some compelling reasons Pirelli and F1 have decided to go that route. The new wheels are important for branding F1 and Pirelli sell the sport as the pinnacle of automotive performance. But for that to work, that performance has to resonate with the broader automotive world. Pirelli got involved with F1 to sell its tires, and the sport has increased its profile, particularly in the eastern part of the world. The new 18-inch wheels look far more like the performance tires they sell than the dated 13-inch wheels with chunky tires and a potbellied sidewall. Not looking dated is also important for Formula 1. For Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport's head of F1 and car racing, shifting to 18-inch wheels is also part of a comprehensive effort to update the sport's image. "Why the change? I believe it’s part of the process that Liberty Media started a few years ago to give an image to Formula 1 – a more modern image," Isola said. The new wheels help Pirelli develop road tires Pirelli argues that F1 is not just a banding gambit, it's vital to their testing and development for their road tires. Knowledge learned at the extreme limits in Formula 1 trickles down into their consumer product, and moving to 18 inches — far closer in shape to the tire they would sell for a Ferrari — makes that testing even more valuable. "Racing at this level pushes innovation," Pirelli's R&D head Piero Misani said. "And what we can experiment in the world of racing is immediately transferred." Formula 1 helps Pirelli in a few key areas. One is developing tires for electric cars. EVs are heavier than combustion cars, F1 cars are not — but the extreme downforce they generate can replicate the increased load heavy EVs put on tires. "The downforces coming from Formula 1 are by far the highest you could have in any car competition," Misani said. "What in Formula 1 is downforce is, in the electric vehicle extra weight. High load capacity. But the mechanism is the same." F1 is particularly important for testing materials when constructing a tire. The most advanced polymers and grip-enhancing resins often get their start in F1 before ending up in road cars. Pirelli also learns a great deal for its tires when it comes to rain performance. One of the reasons F1 cars can go racing in the wet (most of the time) is they displace an incredible amount of water with a limited tread profile. F1 has also dramatically enhanced Pirelli's development process, as the sport uses some of the world's most advanced virtualization technology. Virtual tire development that started in racing is now critical to Pirelli development with OEM manufacturers. And it leads to better tires. "With virtualization you have a clear understanding of the change you made and the effect you get," Misani said. "You become faster, cheaper — but also cleverer." The new wheels may make F1 racing better...potentially Pirelli believes its new 2022 tires will address many of the drivers' complaints about the current tires — inconsistency and overheating. This should create an environment to help the drivers — not the tires — be the center of attention. "Tires next year will be more consistent," Isola said. "We tried to design a new family of compounds with a different concept, with less overheating, with a wider working range. The potential risk is that we have the majority of the races on one stop because of the characteristics of the tire." But Isola says that less tire-strategy-dominating races would not necessarily be a bad thing. "This doesn’t mean that races will be boring or worse because of that," Isola said. "If we have action on track and drivers that are pushing and they overtake each other, that is good for the show. So this is exactly what we want to see. It is not that two-stop or one-stop is making the race better or worse." One note of caution Isola offers is that the new 18-inch wheels have not been tested on the 2022 cars yet — because those cars don't yet exist. Much of the testing was performed on retrofitted 2019 cars. So we won't know the true characteristics until they officially get on track.- 17 replies
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It will be disastrous for the F1 sport if it happens, especially for Scuderia Ferrari F1 team. https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-giants-ferrari-could-pull-out-of-australian-grand-prix-over-coronavirus-fears/news-story/5b35d603327d1dd74608df680fcc7396
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Mercedes notices Red Bull's increased top speed in Formula One
chitchatboy posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Red Bull fans have been given some hope with the increased in performance from this year's version of the Honda engine. Since its return to Formula One in 2015 with McLaren, Honda has been plagued with power and to a certain extend, reliability issues. However, judging from last weekend's performance, Honda seems to have solved both problems as it racked up a podium finish with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, managing to even overtake Vettel's Ferrari on Lap 31. As seen from Autosport, the increase in performance hasn’t gone unnoticed, and Mercedes's team head Toto Wolff pointed out that “if you look at the speed trace, it looks a very different Red Bull than before. They’re very fast on the straights and that’s good to see.” Meanwhile, Verstappen was "very pleased" with the car's race day performance. “I could at least have a go at it in terms of top speed. It’s a good progress, there’s a lot of positive things coming as well. If I just compared top speeds against the other two teams, I’m very pleased with that.” The third-place finish in Melbourne is Honda’s first ever podium since its return to the turbo V6 hybrid era. -
Formula One drivers will be rewarded for clocking fastest lap
chitchatboy posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Formula One drivers will be awarded a point for the doing the fastest lap in each race, starting from the season-opening race in Melbourne on 17th of March. Similar to Formula E, the point will only be awarded if the driver with the fastest lap actually finishes the race in the top 10. According to Autonews, the ruling has been approved by the Sporting Working Group and the Strategy Group. However, it still needs to be passed by an e-vote of the Formula 1 Commission. This is not actually a new rule as a similar rule was in place during the first 10 years of Formula 1 in the 1950s. -
While we all know that this year's Formula One 1.6-litre V6 Turbo power units have been criticised for being too soft in terms of volume, some people prefer the quieter and more defined engine note. However, it seems that the FIA, F1's governing body, has decided that the cars need more noise. And Mercedes is possibly the first one with a solution - a flared 'megaphone' exhaust. Sadly, early reports indicate that the new exhaust does not make much of a difference to the volume of the engine.
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Hat-trick of wins for Hamilton and the Mercedes AMG team
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Lewis Hamilton recorded his first hat-trick victory of his career as well as in the Chinese circuit and, in the process, led the Mercedes AMG team to another dominant victory for the third consecutive time in the 2014 season. At the end of the 54 laps, Hamilton crossed the chequered flags 18 seconds ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg, in the other silver arrows, and 23 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari - the first podium finish for the Italian team in 2014, delivered in front of new Team Principal, Marco Mattiacci. Like in the previous two races in Malaysia and Bahrain, it was a leisurely cruise for the Brit after sprinting ahead of the rest of the grid, as the Mercedes team executed a flawless two-stop strategy. Besides a mild error before his first pit stop where Hamilton slid wide at Turn 14, it was an effortless race. Rosberg recovered from a poor start to aid in Mercedes' podium dominance once again, while Alonso defended the briskly charging Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo in the closing laps to secure the last spot on the podium. The other Ferrari at the hands of Kimi Raikkonen had a quiet race and managed a best of eight after starting off the grid in 11th. Felipe Massa's impressive start off the line was short lived after trying to squeeze into a gap too small for his Williams and banged wheels with his former teammate's Ferrari. After the minor incident and a botched first pit stop which involved a mix-up of rear tyres - the Williams driver crossed the line in 15th. His teammate, Valtteri Bottas, was also lucky to survive his first corner incident after making contact with Rosberg, who had a terrible start and had to fight past Massa and Nico Hulkenberg on the first lap to get into fifth. Defending champion, Sebastian Vettel, was once again outperformed by his teammate and had to settle for fifth. McLaren had another weekend to forget after its drivers crossed the line out of points classification in 11th and 13th respectively. The F1 circus heads to Barcelona in around three weeks, with Rosberg marginally leading the drivers' championship over Hamilton and Alonso at 79, 75 and 41 points respectively. In the constructors' charts, Mercedes with 154 points are clear of Red Bull and Force India with 57 and 54 points respectively. -
Singapore GP recruiting volunteer race officials for this year's night race
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Local Formula One race promoter, Singapore GP, is inviting members of the public to sign up as race officials. Public registration for a total of 180 available positions is open now and will conclude at 11:59pm, 31st March 2014, local time. Positions are available in key trackside functions, including track marshals, flag marshals and fire marshals, among others. Depending on the area of responsibility, each marshal can expect to clock a minimum of 32 hours of training. First time race officials will attend approximately seven days of theory and practical training, conducted over weekends starting in May. Highlights of the practical training include performing recovery and extrication exercises on a Formula BMW open-wheeler and a Subaru WRX. Senior officials will also undergo specialist hands on training in fire safety and track recovery. To those interested, do take note, you have to above 18-years of age as of 1st January 2014, be physically fit and fluent in written and spoken English. You should also be able to commit to all scheduled training sessions and must be available to participate in all three days of the race - from the 19th to the 21st September 2014. Successful candidates will be notified by the end of April. Applications must be submitted via Singapore GP's race official recruitment website. Members of the public keen to apply for other contract positions may do so here. -
Sales of 2014 Singapore Grand Prix early bird tickets have begun
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Early bird ticket sales for this year's Formula One Singapore Grand Prix have officially begun through various sales channels including its website, the ticketing hotline (+65 6738 6738) and all Sistic outlets. The early bird phase runs from now until the 30th of April, before prices revert back to normal rates from the 1st of May. Three new Combination Packages this year To cater to the increased demand for the popular Combination Packages introduced last year, Singapore GP has added three new combinations packages. The new Combination Packages offer a mix of Pit Grandstand, Padang Grandstand and Bay Grandstand and brings the total number of Combination Packages to seven, with prices ranging from $498 to $888 during the early bird phase. Group Booking Specials extended to two additional grandstands The Group Booking Special, which was first introduced in 2011, offers fans savings when they purchase four or more tickets in a single transaction. For better savings, patrons who purchase eight or more tickets in a single booking can enjoy more than 25 percent off a single regular priced ticket. Better still, this offer is extended to the Pit, Padang, Connaught, Esplanade Waterfront and Bay Grandstands. In addition, Esplanade Waterfront Grandstand tickets are cheaper by 14 percent - compared to 2013. Single day Zone 4 Walkabout tickets released earlier For the first time, single day Zone 4 Walkabout tickets are released during the early bird phase. They cost $68, $158 and $188 - for Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. Additionally, a limited number of Friday Zone 4 Walkabout tickets will be available at a promotional price of $38, exclusively for Singaporeans and Singapore residents. This promotion is only available for over-the-counter purchases at all Sistic outlets in Singapore, with a maximum of four tickets allowed per transaction. Zone 4 Walkabout tickets are ideal for patrons to catch the race up close at strategic locations, performances by international headlining acts at the Padang Stage as well as other entertainment acts within the zone. Stand a chance to meet your favourite Formula One driver In addition to cost savings, 15 lucky fans stand a chance to win a pair of exclusive passes for the Formula One Drivers' Autograph Session and pre-event cocktail reception on 18th September, with the purchase of any pair of Singapore GP tickets before the 1st of May. To participate, early-bird ticket holders need to register their ticket transaction number on the official Singapore GP website before 1st of May, 11:59pm, local time. -
As the five red lights went off at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Australia yesterday afternoon, the high-revving, high-octane sport of Formula One entered a new era. Lining up on the grid were probably some of the appalling (and vulgar) cars the highest class of motorsports has ever witnessed. 22 turbocharged 1.6-litre hybrid racers set off, but only 15 saw the dance of the chequered flags. Felipe Massa's debut in his beautiful, Martini-liveried Williams ended short due to Kamui Kobayashi's clumsy accident in his Caterham with the former in the first lap. In addition, the season opener saw both Lotus cars, the second Caterham, Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull lost to various technical issues - including total loss of power for the quadruple champion. Ferrari and Torro Rosso were the only works team and Renault-powered team, respectively, to complete the Grand Prix without major hiccups. Mercedes' display of strength was only tainted by pole sitter Lewis Hamilton's retirement on lap three due to a misfiring engine - and it was the sole Mercedes powered car that was lost to a technical issue. Despite the drawbacks, the German national anthem was heard in all its glory once again during the podium ceremony - but for the first time since June 2013, it was compatriot Nico Rosberg (who also coincidentally won the British GP last June) who took the honours. Rosberg denied Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren's rookie, Kevin Magnussen, a place on the top spot of the podium in a style of domination akin to Vettel. Rosberg steered clear of Australian Ricciardo by 24.5 seconds while Danish driver, Magnussen, marked an impressive debut on his maiden F1 outing by not only finishing third but also ahead of his teammate - former world champion Jenson Button - who rose up the grid from starting at tenth. The Ferrari 'dream' team of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen had a decent race - although nothing memorable after finishing fifth and eighth respectively. Post race, the season opener became a nightmare for the defending quadruple champions after second-place finish Ricciardo was disqualified from the race. The decision came about after his car was considered to be in breach of fuel flow regulations. According to a FIA sensor which was fitted to the car, the Red Bull exceeded the maximum allowed fuel flow of 100kg/hr, and after over five hours of negotiations - the stewards eventually ruled the car was run illegally. According to the ruling body, the car was not only in breach of the fuel flow regulation but apparently the team was found not to be compliant with technical regulations throughout the event. Naturally, Red Bull has made clear its intentions to appeal the decision.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFHmYFlbFn8 F1 rules changes have been part of Red Bull’s problems, Infiniti Red Bull Racing has released an impressive video presenting this year's most important regulation changes in Formula 1, it seems the team is as prepared as any in the open-wheel paddock. Red Bull's 2014 drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel summarize the changes the RB10 had to go through following the new regulation modifications, starting out with the smaller 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engine revving up to 15,000 rpm and matched to an eight-speed gearbox. The car comes with a new advanced energy recovery system (ERS) that has two motor generator units while the battery pack stores ten times more energy offering a total boost of 33 seconds per lap and enabling a 160 bhp double boost which should facilitate more overtakes. Other changes include a 20 percent downforce reduction due to the lower and narrower front wing, a flatter rear wing flap which opens up further, different nose and rear wing, along with the elimination of the exhaust blown diffuser and beam wing. For this year teams will only have five engines to use throughout the season as opposed to 2013 when they had eight. Lastly, the fuel tank's capacity has been reduced by 30 percent to 140 liters. The 2014 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MRwCWQRx7EYou might call it the "Vettel Rule": victory donuts are now legal in Formula 1. After winning a race, the victor can do a donut to celebrate their winning. In fact, the winning driver can now do an in-car celebration of just about any sort. Stopping on track, picking up the flag, or just about any other creative celebration is now legal--so long as it doesn't endanger fans or officials, "call into question the legality" of the car, or delay the podium ceremony. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJpLVhsijY The new exception to the rules after a race are likely attributable directly to Sebastian Vettel's antics last year. After winning the Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit last year, Vettel celebrated with a big cloud of donuts. Then he was fined a bit over S$40,000. But then Vettel, joined by his teammate Mark Webber, did donuts after finishing 1-2 at Abu Dhabi--essentially flipping the bird at the FIA's fines. That left the FIA with the choice of looking like irrelevant, party poopers, or amending the regulations to allow some reasonable demonstrations of the joy of winning. We're glad they finally came around. Lets hope we get to see some F1 donuts in Singapore this year.
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Infiniti presents Q50 Eau Rouge performance sedan concept in Detroit
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Infiniti has formally premiered the Formula One inspired - the Q50 Eau Rouge performance sedan concept - at the Detroit Auto Show. The Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge expresses the firms design vision of a high-performance Q50 premium sports sedan. Featuring custom aerodynamic bodywork, the Q50 Eau Rouge is lower and wider. The performance sedan is inspired by masculinity, aerodynamics, refinement and power. The Q50 Eau Rouge mirrors components from the successful RB9 race car and almost every exterior panel is custom to the Q50 Eau Rouge. In fact only the front doors and the arch of the roof pillars are retained from its stock brethren. According to the premium Japanese marque, the interior of the Q50 Eau Rouge was designed to offer command and comfort. Precision control is afforded by a high-grip sports steering wheel and paddle shifters akin to Formula One. Red infused carbon fibre detail the doors - while the centre console complement the exterior styling. Once again, a darker shade of chrome replaces the more energetic silver chrome in the red cockpit. "If we built this car I would expect it to feature over 500bhp and 812Nm of torque. Through our various alliance partners, we have access to a range of engines featuring this performance capability which, with a fair amount of engineering effort, can be developed to exhibit Infiniti character and accommodated within the Q50 engine bay," said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company Limited. -
Michael Schumacher reportedly in coma after ski accident in France
Deeq posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Reports coming in from Europe indicate that the seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher was skiing at a resort in Meribel, France, when he fell and injured himself, hitting his head on a rock. Fully aware of the benefits of head protection, Schumacher was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but the severity of the impact has apparently left the racer in a coma. Though conscious after the impact, Schumacher was reportedly left dazed and shocked from the impact as he was airlifted first to a trauma center in Moutiers and then transported to University Hospital Center in nearby Grenoble. Schumacher arrived in a coma and required immediate brain surgery. There are conflicting reports of Schumacher's present condition, with initial reports suggesting the injury was "not very serious" and newer information suggesting that he sustained "severe head trauma." There were also reports saying that the 44-year-old German was "suffering a serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival, which required an immediate neurosurgical operation". -
Some racing series are easier to understand than others, but to put it mildly, F1 is about as technically complex as rocket science. With 500 members of each team spending millions upon millions each year to gain an advantage. But if you thought you had managed to wrap your head around the way things work, think again, because the series is undergoing a major overhaul of its technical regulations for the 2014 season. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkVGl9bD9T0 Of course, the biggest change is a switch from naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V8 engines to turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 powerplants, but that's not the sum total of the shift. The cars' hybrid component are set to play a bigger role, the aerodynamic regulations are changing, as are the exhaust system limitations and a whole mess of other details. It's enough to make your head spin at 20,000 rpm. Fortunately the BBC has put together this handy little video interviewing the experts and breaking down the changes into layman's terms that even we can understand. Watch the handy three-and-a-half-minute video primer below to get yourself up to speed on next year's F1 regulations.
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Five months ago, Honda confirmed that it would be returning to F1 and it would pair up with old partner, McLaren. Now, you may start to recall Senna, Prost and that MP4/4 (above) which near dominated in 1988. Well, let's look at the impressive McLaren/Honda stat attack: between them, they had 80 GP starts, registered 53 pole positions, 44 victories, set 30 fastest laps and scored eight world championships (four drivers’ titles, four constructors’ titles). Nice. http://dai.ly/x12i4qr Quite recently, the Internet was all fired up over Honda’s simply excellent video recreating Senna’s 1989 Suzuka GP at night, using telemetry from the race and lots of lights to make something a bit spine-tingling. Anyway, Honda has just released a clip of its forthcoming Formula One engine, which is still being developed for the 2015 season where Honda will participate under a joint project with McLaren. The video below (audio only - no pun intended) is what the new turbo V6 will sound like. Have a listen, do you like it? http://dai.ly/x167tbo
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Anyone here watched the movie Rush? How did you guys find it? I thought it was great, for a guy who wasnt born in that era, nice to see cars and a little bit of their lifestyle and the well know rivalry between the two drivers. Though I feel that the focus was more on James Hunt more than Lauda?
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Sebastian Vettel extends lead to his fourth title with a flawless race
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
When Sebastian Vettel qualifies at the front, there is nothing that can stop the German from grabbing the top step on the podium. Out of 88 race starts he has with Infiniti Red Bull Racing - from Australia 2009 to Singapore 2013 - he has 22 lights to flag victories and three Grand Chelem titles (currently tied with Nelson Piquet) - meaning he has qualified in pole, won the race after leading every lap of the race and set the fastest lap of the race in the same weekend. Still his record is one more than Juan Manuel Fangio who has five world championships under his belt, but one less than the legendary Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Even Fernando Alonso, Niki Lauda and Stirling Moss only have one each and interestingly James Hunt and Kimi Raikkonen have none. As the Singapore Grand Prix concluded - minutes before 10:00pm - with fireworks lighting up the already colourful and vibrant Marina Bay CBD area with stunning backdrop from the Singapore Flyer to Marina Bay Sands and ANZ to Maybank towers and hysterical cheers from the attendees - Vettel recorded his third consecutive win this season, his third consecutive win at the street circuit and his seventh podium overall. The question remains if there is anything that could stop the German driver. Unless Adrian Newey is removed, I doubt so. The problem with F1 right now is not about the lack of overtaking or people getting bored with the same person winning - it's just that rival teams have yet to produce their own Adrian Newey including legendary ones like Scuderia Ferrari and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. McLaren seem to be a little off pace this year while only one of the two Ferraris seem to be interested in any actual racing. Over the past two years, the sport has evolved from who is winning and fighting for the championship to who had the best recovery or who managed to finish third after a strenuous battle. As stated earlier, as soon as Vettel qualifies on the front grid - you can prepare tomorrow's sports headlines today. Even yesterday at the sixth SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, Vettel won the race after qualifying in pole with a record setting time of 1:42.841 - which is even faster than Kimi Raikkonen's lap record. Not even the tropical climate of heat and humidity or the intervention of the safety car - courtesy of Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso - could hinder or delay the triple world champion from claiming another this season. After 61 laps, Vettel won by a staggering 32.6 seconds over title contender, Fernando Alonso in the Prancing Horse, who leaped from seventh at the starting grid while Kimi Raikkonen catapulted to third from starting 13th on the grid -
Making Formula One accessible to the general population
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Formula One circus will be back to outwit and outlast each other this weekend at the British Grand Prix - to take place at the iconic Silverstone circuit. But just seven days after - certain teams will return to lend their support to the Motor Sports Association's inaugural Go Motorsport Live! on the July 7th - which also happens to be the German Grand Prix. With free public access, Go Motorsport Live! has been introduced as part of National Motorsport Week (U.K.) to encourage more people to get involved in all areas of motorsport. A wide range of enthusiast motor clubs, championships, teams and other organisations will provide displays and offer advice to help newcomers get started in the sport, whether as a competitor, volunteer or spectator. So essentially it sounds like one of those open houses we have here by the Air Force or Home Team only this time its all about high octane and two pairs of wheels. Visitors to Go Motorsport Live! will not only be able to see one of the Marussia F1 Team's cars up close but they will also have the chance to win factory visits to both the Sahara Force India and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One teams. Sahara Force India is situated opposite the entrance to Silverstone and will be offering 50 lucky visitors a unique opportunity to visit the F1 team's headquarters. There will also be a chance for four Go Motorsport Live! visitors to win a factory tour at Mercedes AMG F1 at a later date. As a further attraction to Formula One fans, Silverstone will be offering hot laps on the southern section of its Grand Prix circuit as well as tours of its imposing new Wing pits. Visitors will even be offered the chance to stand on the F1 podium. -
30 years after his father claimed victory, Nico Rosberg took the highest step of the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix - fighting off stiff competition from title defender Sebastian Vettel. Rosberg - a resident of Monaco - managed to fend off Vettel till the end while Webber completed the podium despite sustained pressure from Hamilton. A pit stop strategy worked well for the Red Bull team to leap ahead of Hamilton, during the first safety car period - trigged by Massa at lap 30 who managed to replicate a crash similar to Saturday
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Red Bull wins a 1-2 ahead of the Mercedes duo and Massa in the sole Ferrari
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Like Jeremy Renner's character from the Academy Award winning film - The Hurt Locker - the Red Bull and Mercedes AMG racing teams were clouded in tension as their drivers were getting increasingly frustrated by team orders and driver rivalry. More than skill or strategy - frustrations between team mates and radio messages spilled out the plot of the Malaysian Grand Prix from the end of the middle stint. In the Mercedes AMG camp, Nico Rosberg missed a podium appearance by obeying instructions to not challenge his team mate and personal friend - Hamilton - from Team Principle Ross Brawn. The eventful and tense Malaysian Grand Prix could have ended in disaster for the Austrian-U.K. racing team. Defending champion Vettel ignored team orders - which post-race claimed he was unaware of, and 'stole' a rightful win away from Webber by racing him unexpectedly. At that stint of the race Webber was 'coasting' his car to the end of the race and wasn't prepared for an attack by his team mate. Vettel's radio message from his team could not have been sharper or clearer to the millions of motorsport enthusiasts the world over as he crossed the finishing line, "Great job Sebastian, it looked like you wanted it more. But still there'll be some explaining to do." The green room and podium were showing a multitude of emotions as all three winners felt glum, gloomy, anger, frustration, disappointment and remorse. Despite all the tension, the race staged its fair share of incidents - starting with Alonso whose race ended at the end of the first lap, after his mildly damaged front wing broke off completely and sent him skidding into a gravel trap. Force India retired both their cars after a pit stop error involving a wheel nut. Button retired as well while his team mate Perez contributed two points to the team by bringing home his McLaren in ninth. Nostalgia hit third place winner Hamilton during a pit stop as he 'accidentally' pulled in at his former team - McLaren's - pit box. The McLaren crew were all set to receive Button before Hamilton came in on lap seven. Fortunately Hamilton completed his pit-stop in the right garage and resumed his fight for the lead. Last week's race winner Raikkonen and the Lotus team in general seemed to lack pace despite finishing a respectable seventh behind his team mate. Massa on the other hand finished a credible fifth in the sole prancing horse after a weak start and a surprisingly unimpressive middle stint. At the end of the race Vettel leads the drivers' championship at 40 points while Kimi Raikkonen and Mark Webber trail the German at 31 and 26 points respectively. On the constructors championships, Red Bull is leading at 66 points while Lotus and Ferrari are currently tied at 40 points as the F1 circus heads to China in three weeks. -
[extract] Storied tuner and engine builder, Cosworth, is known for its involvement in performance motors and also in the Formula One. Cosworth is best known for its long affiliation with Ford but they have also worked with other automakers such as Subaru. Cosworth was a major player in the Formula One for many years but somehow their involvement in Formula One ended in 2006 when they lost the contract to supply their engines to Formula One racing cars. And now, it seems that the company
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Michael Schumacher announces retirement from F1 as Hamilton takes over from 2013
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher has announced his (second) retirement from Formula One at the end of the season. In what might be a sad news for his fans, Schumacher, while speaking to the media in Suzuka, Japan, confirmed his retirement from Formula One at the end of the season. The news comes in a week after Mercedes Petronas AMG announced the signing of Lewis Hamilton from 2013 as his replacement. He explained how he is uncertain if he can feel fully motivated and energised to continue in the future and wants to be measured by his success. However, he is happy overall with the achievements attained in F1. "I have decided to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season, although I am still able to compete with the best drivers of the world. This is something that makes me proud, and this is part of why I never regretted my comeback. I can be happy with my performance and the fact that I was continuously raising my game during the last three years. But then, at some point it is time to say goodbye." -
Ferrari will display the F12berlinetta in Mid-September
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Formula One giants Ferrari will showcase an exhibit briefing us through its history from the 5th to 24th September at the Marina Bay Sands. The exhibit will highlight the marque -
Hamilton returns to victory in Hungary GP despite threat from Lotus duo
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Hamilton got off with a perfect start and led the majority of the Hungarian Grand Prix, though subsequently found himself fighting till the finish with a two-stop strategy and defending his position from Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen later in the closing stages. Hamilton held off the Lotus duo and won the race by just one second from Raikkonen with team mate Grosjean completing the podium. Raikkonen had been sixth in the opening stint, who then jumped Fernando Alonso in the first stops. His strong stint on a long due soft tyres in his second stint allowed him to leap from fifth to second, nearly colliding with team-mate Grosjean as he emerged from his third and final stop. Grosjean held his third placing ahead of Sebastian Vettel -
[extract] The Nurburgring is facing bankruptcy because its private operating company, Nurburgring GmbH, is no longer able to pay the interest on a
