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Renault has unveiled their new 1.6-litre F1 engine at the 2013 Paris Air Show. The direct-injected V6 unit is equipped with an exhaust-driven turbocharger, two motor generator units (MGUs) with an Energy Recovery System (ERS). For reader's information, come 2014, the current 2.4-litre V8 engines which rev to a maximum of 18,000rpm will be replaced by 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged power units revving to a maximum of 15,000rpm. The MGUs are capable of producing 160bhp while the turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 churns out approximately 600bhp, bringing the combined output to roughly 760bhp. Although the output is higher than the current V8, fuel efficiency is claimed to improve vastly by about 35 percent. On the new engine, Renault's Deputy Managing Director (Technical), Rob White, explained, "The engines remain high-revving, ultra-high output competition engines. Fundamentally the engine noise will still be loud. The engine noise is just a turbocharged noise rather than a normally-aspirated noise: you can just hear the turbo when the driver lifts off the throttle and the engine speed drops. The sound of the new generation power units is just different (from the preceding V8)". Renault has released a video alongside with the launch and interestingly, it seemed like a video promoting Adidas products at certain points.
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Renault power dominates 2013 F1 season with fourth podium lock out
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Reigning F1 world champion, Sebastian Vettel, won a gripping Japanese Grand Prix to edge closer to his fourth drivers’ title. It might be the usual repeated tale, but this time, the triple world champion, had to put in a minuscule amount of effort to earn the highest spot on the podium on Sunday. At the dance of the chequered flags, Vettel crossed the line ahead of his team mate, a decent 7.13 seconds at the end of the 53 laps. Lotus F1 Team's, Romain Grosjean, filled the last podium slot, securing a podium lock out for Renault in succession. This is the fourth time this season, after Bahrain, Germany and Korea earlier this month, the podium was locked out by Renault power courtesy of Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Lotus Renault. It is the first time in 17 years that Renault has secured two consecutive perfect podiums. With Kimi Raikkonen bringing the second Lotus past the chequered flag in fifth, four of the top five positions were filled by Renault-powered cars – with Alonso’s Ferrari crashing the party. Additionally, Mark Webber’s pole position on Saturday took Renault’s total number of poles in the FIA Formula One World Championship to 209, a new record for the most pole positions held by an engine manufacturer beating Ferrari’s record of 208. "It has been an exceptional two races for Renaultsport F1, with a new record in pole positions set by an engine manufacturer and then another 1-2-3 result today for the second race in succession. We’ll make it our aim in the coming races to maximise the points across all our partners and to finish the season - and the end of the V8 era - on a high. We broke one record this weekend but it would be good to set the bar even higher now!" said Remi Taffin, Renaultsport F1 Head of Track Operations. With four races remaining, Red Bull has dominated the 2013 season after earning 445 points - a massive 148 points ahead of Ferrari and 158 points ahead of Mercedes. In the drivers’ title race, Alonso at 207 points is 90 points away from the young German and the Spaniard has to miraculously win every single race from hereafter to win his third title. With the drivers' championship pretty much sealed, the constructor's championship is lives - for second and third placing that is - between Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus Renault. Formula One entertainment returns in India, on the 27th of October, where the battle will - without a doubt - reach its climax. -
While cars and automobiles can be considered a hobby turned obsession, films have always been a more passion-driven interest for me. I wanted to become a cinematographer but decided against it due to personal reasons, and somehow ended up with a job within the automotive industry. I'm not complaining though. Occasionally a movie blends the best of both worlds - like Fast and the Furious or Death Race. And then there is the movie Rush, where it is a cocktail of three of my favourite interests cinema, cars and Formula One. Seldom have you walked out of a movie theatre where you get disturbed, enlightened or inspired. Rush added a high dose of high octane fuel to my already burning interest for cars and the sport and despite watching it three times, I'm still craving for more. The plot should be familiar by now. It tells the classic tale of rivalry between two men, two exceptional men in this case. Niki Lauda - a triple world champion, a perfectionist and a no nonsense guy vs James Hunt - a man with no fear, a playboy and a rockstar. While the main focus is on the 1976 Formula One Season, we do get a little back story for both characters portrayed by Daniel Bruhl, a Spanish born German actor and Chris 'Thor' Hemsworth. I have to applaud the production crew efforts for bringing 1976 back in 2013. The cars looked ancient, they sounded monstrous, and F1 looked so fragile. No high-tech machinery, radio or computer systems. No flamboyance, safety and the persistent threat of death loomed around the drivers. I'm not sure how true this is but Hunt apparently broke his gear shifter at the Japanese GP. The portrayal of Niki Lauda seemed near perfect while I couldn't really see Hemsworth as Hunt. I guess they just needed someone familiar to get the crowds coming in. There were some really good dialogues - especially between Lauda and Hunt. It was a love-hate relationship from the start - according to the movie at least. At times the movie felt like a free advertising campaign for Ferrari, with the score and camera angles seem to glorify an already holy team in the sport. But sadly the cars looked slower than they should be, even slower than the television telecast. Of course the highlight is the infamous crash at the Nurburgring, which personally seemed to be a spot on re-enactment of the actual event. The prosthetic burnt make-up makes you empathise with Lauda although he passes of as an arrogant, talented prick in the first half of the movie. The problem I had with the movie was it was struggling to tell a balanced story. I feel like I've learnt more about Hunt than I learnt about Lauda. But after watching it the third time, I can probably understand why. Lauda is a teetotaller in comparison to the wreck and damaged persona of Hunt but honestly who wants to watch a boring monotonous strict guy when we have Hunt who parties late into the night, has character issues and is a rebel in a car (and apparently a god in bed)? But as soon as the accident occurs, the movie is all about Lauda. It has to be, I mean that man got back to racing just 40 days after blowing half himself to hell. A classic tale of rivalry between two of the finest men, the world of Formula One has ever seen directed by a credible Ron Howard. Why should you miss it? If you like movies, you should watch it. If you like F1 cars and racing, you should watch it. And ladies, if you adore Chris Hemsworth, there is a particular scene early in the movie you might just appreciate. Rush is to F1 what Top Gun was for the Navy or Act of Valor, Special Forces, is to the Army. F1 is a dangerous sport and the movie addresses it but the rewards are endless. So long as you stay at the top, of course.
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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 -
Jay Leno becomes the first person outside McLaren to drive the McLaren P1
Akram_saheed posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Let me get one thing straight. Personally I am not a fan of McLaren. I have nothing against the team, its Formula One drivers or the firm's awkward behaviour of naming its cars after fax machines. It's just like Manchester United vs Liverpool or Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer or Tiger Woods vs well whoever he competes with. However there are one or two things I admire about McLaren. Firstly, its futuristic, yin-yang inspired factory at Woking, U.K. Secondly, the automaker's approach to cars and the firm's obsession with implementing technology. I have mentioned a countless number of times in the blog, as much as I like cars and the science, art and engineering behind it - I like technology, gadgets and gizmos. As such I cannot think of any other automaker in this era (perhaps besides Audi) that harnesses science, technology and cars as well as McLaren. Ferrari is a front to sell road legal Formula One cars to fund their F1 programme while Lamborghini is a German engineered Italian on steroids and performance enhancing drugs. Pagani is a new kid on the block that is all about theatricality, flamboyance and art. McLaren celebrated - with pride - their 50th anniversary as a racing team. 50 years is a long time, but the British firm has only created five road going cars thus far, and all five have been blockbusters in their own right. We have the iconic and legendary McLaren F1, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the MP4-12 and 12C and now we have the long awaited and alien looking McLaren 'Designed by Air' P1. The McLaren P1, together with the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari, welcome the next generation of hypercars and motoring in general. They are from three different countries in one continent but they share a similarity - they are all hybrids. Unlike its predecessors, the McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT and Enzo Ferrari, they are not purely naturally aspirated. Each feature an electric motor of some sort to boost performance to an already capable internal combustion engine. http://dai.ly/x14g7to In the case of the P1, the futuristic looking vehicle is unlike anything I have ever seen. The aesthetics have time travelled 10-15 years from the future, combined with the technical limitations of today. It is powered by a substantially revised 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, coupled to a single electric motor, for a combined power output of 903bhp. Top speed is electronically limited to 350km/h, with the 0-100km/h standing start acceleration taking less than three seconds. The McLaren P1 will power from rest to 200km/h in less than seven seconds, and on to 300km/h in less than 17 seconds - a full five seconds quicker than the McLaren F1. Despite this, the P1 is also efficient with CO2 emissions less than 200g/km, and the ability to cover more than 10km in emissions free electric mode. Undergoing the final stages of testing before commencing on first customer deliveries soon, fellow self-confessed automotive and collector, Jay Leno, became the first man outside the development team at Woking, and Jenson Button, to drive the McLaren P1. The 12 minute video is pretty much split into two sections, a tour of the McLaren engineering centre that looks nothing short of a cathedral while the second part is Leno thrashing the all new hypercar on what I think is the Top Gear test track - who was gleaming with excitement every single minute of course. As mentioned at the start, I am not a fan of McLaren, but does that mean I should not be jealous? -
[extract] Although the 20th Anniversary of the Goodwood Festival of Speed is over, Ferrari fans had many memories on which to reflect until next year's event. The Italian marque was represented by a diverse array of classic and modern road and race cars from the Prancing Horse
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The Motor Sports Association (MSA) was delighted to welcome more than 2,500 visitors to the inaugural Go Motorsport Live! at Silverstone, and can confirm the event will return in 2014. Staged at Silverstone last Sunday, Go Motorsport Live! was created to demonstrate just how easy it can be for people to get involved in motor sport. Visitors from all over the country attended the free six-hour show featuring a wide range of over 50 displays from motor clubs, teams, championships, manufacturers and other organisations. Most areas of the sport were represented from circuit racing and karting to drag racing and rallying, among others. Exhibitors reported excellent interest and engagement from the attendees. For example, one Oxford Motor Club staged an AutoSolo to showcase this entry-level discipline's huge appeal and more than 500 free passenger rides were provided during the day in a selection of unmodified road cars. Marshalling clubs were busy showcasing their expertise, performing extrications from a damaged saloon car, advising newcomers how to volunteer and highlighting the MSA
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Jaguar C-X75's twincharged 1.6-litre engine may enter production
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Although the Jaguar C-X75 did not receive the green light for production, its twincharged 1.6-litre engine is still being developed and could make it to production. The power plant, developed by Cosworth, is conceived initially as an F1 engine. On the adaptation of the engine for a road-going model, Cosworth's principal engineer, Andy Ball, said, "We've being doing development engines. We're still partnering on this. As a road-going engine it could have similar specific power as a Formula One engine of 300bhp per litre -
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. -
Big stars from world of motorsports to attend Goodwood Festival of Speed
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Festival of Speed remains unique in its ability to attract the majority of the current season's Formula 1 teams and drivers, with seven current F1 teams confirmed for Goodwood including Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus, Mercedes, Marussia and Caterham. Current F1 drivers and leading characters in action at the Festival will include previous World Champions, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, on top of Nico Rosberg, Roman Grosjean, Max Chilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Newey among others. Past Grand Prix masters present at this summer's Festival of Speed will include Alain Prost (above), Nelson Piquet, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and Nick Heidfeld among others. In total, 17 Grand Prix winners will be in action, with a total of 232 GP wins between them! One of the great Festival of Speed's moments will be relived at this year's event when Nick Heidfeld is reunited with the very McLaren MP4/13 that he so famously launched up the Goodwood Hill in a record time of 41.6 seconds back in 1999. From the world of rallying, IRC Champion, Andreas Mikkelsen(above) will be spitting gravel in the 2013 VW Polo WRC, as will Spanish double World Champion Carlos Sainz, whilst Mikko Hirvonen's Citroen DS3 WRC will also be in full flight on the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage. A host of other star drivers and riders, plus cars and motorcycles from each of the world's major motor sport disciplines, past and present, will also be featured at Goodwood, including champions from Formula 1, Indycar, the World Rally Championship, Superbikes, NASCAR, World Sports Cars and Touring Cars, plus Land Speed Record holders. Goodwood is recapturing many of the outstanding Festival of Speed moments from the 1993-2012 era, including over 350 great machines from all of the world, as far flung as New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Japan and the USA, all making a very rare return to the U.K. The 20th anniversary of the Festival will see many famous man and machine pairings reunited, including three-time Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet returning to the cockpit of his celebrated Brabham BT52, in which he secured the 1983 crown. -
If you take part in motorsport driving, or ride a motorcycle (especially), I would recommend that you do not take your helmet for granted, under any circumstances. This is because you may regret it afterwards. You see, you never know when the unexpected may take place. If you aren't really buying what I am trying to say here, I suggest that you take a look at the picture involving the helmet previously worn by a Spanish F1 test driver, Maria de Villota. If you aren't quite aware or can't recall, Maria de Villota came across a horrifying incident while testing a Marussia Formula 1 racecar nearly a year ago. As for the cause of the incident, it has yet to be clarified. All that we know is that she crashed the F1 car she was piloting at that time due to some unexplained acceleration. According to eyewitnesses, though, the car had been misfiring. Had it been true, I wonder why the engineers weren't really concerned about it. Anyway, it was really a misfortune as Maria de Villota was actually trying to come back to the paddock and she was piloting the Marussia F1 car at a low speed, too. At that point of time, as a matter of fact, she had completed a straight line aero test. Due to the unexpected acceleration, the Marussia F1 car rear ended one of Villota's team trucks. Ironically, the truck was actually the one which brought the Marussia F1 car onto the track in the first place. Unfortunately, the liftgate of the truck was partially lowered at that moment and Villota's head happened to strike it. Well, I bet you can guess what happened next. After the incident, Villota went into a coma lasting four days. Fortunately, the doctors managed to save her life but, well, the same couldn't be said of her right eye. Yes, the horrifying and unfortunate crash cost Maria de Villota one of her priceless eyes. No longer an F1 test driver, Maria de Villota is now working as a road safety advocate in the country where she was born. Working as a road safety advocate, she never gets tired of showing her horribly damaged helmet to her audiences, hoping that more people - especially the more aggressive young drivers - will be more careful and always put on their helmets whenever necessary, for their own sake. For your information, I am confused whether she's stubborn or that she's persistent and just have a strong will. You know, after the horror she encountered, she has revealed that she still wants to get back into the F1 racing world, making an eventual comeback when the time comes.
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A bird avoided a runover at the 2013 Monaco GP with a backflip
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
While there are birds practical enough to help people in life - think of pigeons as letter couriers, some birds out there just don't have any idea whatsoever on what they are doing. The dove in the video below is one example. Believe it or not, doves are not clever, not at all. Well, while it's true some birds may find their home after flying a pretty far distance, you still can't consider them clever. It's more like a natural autopilot routine hardwired into their brain, without them realising what they're actually doing. That said, you can't expect doves to do things they aren't exactly created for. As an example, the dove you can see in the video really has no idea that standing on an F1 track is horribly dangerous, especially when an F1 Grand Prix (GP) is taking place. As a result, it had to play chicken with an F1 racer who happened to be approaching its direction. The F1 racer was revealed to be Brazilian Luiz Felipe de Oliveira Nasr. He was piloting a Dallara-Renault F1 car, racing for Carlin Motorsport. However, being stupid for standing on the racetrack in the first place, I must admit the bird has some great maneuverability. You see, it avoided being flattened by the racecar with a somehow adorable backflip, reminding me of those Kung-Fu moves you see in the movies. Fortunately, the bird survived, which is a good thing - and a miracle, too. -
Renault has signed on as official Technical Partner of Spark Racing Technology to supply Formula E cars that will contest in the FIA Formula E Championship. Formula E is a class of auto racing governed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and is intended to be the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seat, electrically-powered racing cars. The series was conceived in 2012, with the inaugural race to be held in 2014. Demonstration events have been planned for the second half of 2013. Former Formula One driver Lucas di Grassi will be the series' test driver. Forty two cars were ordered have been ordered with Formula One team - McLaren - providing the motor, transmission and electronics that will be used by all the cars while Dallara Automobili will construct the chassis. Ten host cities are planning to hold the races and will occur exclusively on street circuits including in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Bangkok, Beijing and Miami - among others. The agreement was signed by Patrice Ratti, Renault Sport Technologies Managing Director and as a Renault SAS representative, Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings and Frederic Vasseur, President of Spark Racing Technologies. Renault's ongoing involvement in motor racing's series provides it with a unique technological laboratory, giving it an edge not only in the world of production vehicles but also on the race track. Renault's technological excellence extends not only in F1 but also in all Z.E. range. The forty two Formula E single-seaters built for the beginning of the first season will be aptly named 'Spark-Renault'.
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Had he been alive, he would have celebrated his 53rd birthday last March. Yet yesterday motorsports enthusiasts and the people of Brazil - or those who remember anyway - rekindled the memories of the best racing driver in the world - Ayrton Senna. 19 years after his death, Ayrton Senna is still remembered for many things including his charity work to his people, but it's his driving attitude and god-like performance on the track that many - including Mika Haikkainen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, David Coultard place him among the best. Including the most successful driver of all time - Michael Schumacher - who won the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and equaled Senna's 41 victory record in 2000. The three time world championship winner was also responsible in part in the development of the Honda NSX. Ayrton Senna's three championship winning cars were powered by Honda engines and after testing at the Suzuka GP circuit - Senna requested Honda to stiffen the chassis. Senna was given two cars by Honda. The newer one, a black 1993 model, license plate BSS-8888 (the letters meaning Beco - a childhood nickname - Senna Silva and the number 8 is a reference to his first F1 championship in 1988) is still in his family's possession. A team from Hungary's TotalCar Magazine has prepared a special video to honour the late Senna featuring professional touring car driver and WTCC Rookie of the Year 2011, Norbert Michelisz, in a car that the Brazilian helped fine tune - the NSX.
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Mercedes AMG has just taken the wraps off the all new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine for the 2014 Formula One season. The engine will replace the current naturally aspirated 2.4-litre V8 unit in order to comply with the revised engine formula. Mercedes' new F1 engine is expected to produce about 600bhp with the assistance of two electric motors that features a new energy recovery system (ERS). One of the motors provides an additional 161bhp to the car while the other helps to spool up the engine's turbo or topping up the batteries. Alongside with the announcement of the new engine, Mercedes AMG has also announced the extension of its supply agreement with Sahara Force India F1 team. Under the deal, Mercedes will supply Force India the internal combustion engine with ERS, transmission and all associated ancillary systems. Mercedes' revealing comes after Renault, which is the first to show off its new F1 engine under the new regulations. It develops about 750bhp.
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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. -
McLaren will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on 2 Sep 2013. However, the British supercar maker has planned a wide range of events throughout the year. As part of the celebration, McLaren has launched a 50th anniversary logo that will be put all their products including their team shirts and the new MP4-28 Formula 1 that will debut on 31 January. Founded back in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren, the team made its Formula 1 debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, it has claimed 155 pole positions and won 182 races. "McLaren's history is long and storied, but McLaren's legacy is harder to define
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F1 chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying that the first street race in Thailand will take place in 2015. Similar to the night race in Singapore, the event will be staged under floodlights and held in the country's capital, Bangkok. "An F1 race is likely to take place here in early 2015 instead of in 2014 in our initial plan," said Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand. Red Bull's co-owner Chalerm Yoovidkya, a Thai himself, is believed to be involved in the preparations. According to Red Bull's representative, Michael De Santiesteban, he is almost 100% certain that Thailand will host an F1 race. Apparently, he met up with Ecclestone a month ago. Singapore's night race has been extended till 2017. With Thailand likely to mimic the race here, the city state's F1 future beyond 2017 will be put to greater doubt.
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The mention of Phillip Island has brought back a lot of sweet memories for me due to a recent holiday spent over there. The penguin parade, grand scenery at The Nobbies and Fish & Chips at San Remo are some highlights of this lovely place. Phillip Island is also famous for its motorsport events. Now, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is getting a major upgrading with a fresh coat of tarmac costing AUD$3 million. This is the circuit's first major facelift in 14 years. The re-surfacing material is supposed to be very special. The asphalt mix was developed by the circuit managing director, Fergus Cameron, in conjunction with construction group Downer Australia to achieve the aim of a hard, durable and smooth surface resistant to the pressures of racing. This special asphalt will ensure high levels of grip as well. Over 35 heavy machines and 70 contractors were involved in a massive logistical operation that saw five meters of track laid every minute. Thus, re-laying the entire 4.4km track would take close to 15 hours. The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit plays host to events such as the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix, Superbike World Championship, V8 Supercars and the Australian Drivers' Championship.
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Bernie Ecclestone feels that Schumacher should not have returned
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, feels that Michael Schumacher -
Vettel wins third drivers championship, re-writes history books in the process
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The 2012 F1 season concluding Brazilian Grand Prix was met with rain, crashes, and suspense. While Vettel managed to finish a best of six in a damaged car, the results were good enough for him to clinch the much anticipated third world title. Red Bull had all the reasons to celebrate, after clinching the constructor's championships last weekend at Austin and grabbing the drivers championships through Vettel at Brazil. More than becoming the world's youngest triple world champion - by just three points over Alonso - Vettel also joins an elite club whom have claimed three titles consecutively. It was high octane drama from the first lap, heading down into turn four, it was disaster for Vettel who spun around, incurred damaged and thrown to last place after getting tagged by Bruno Senna's Williams. At this point the championship battle was in Alonso's favour who drove flawlessly till the end. Over the course of the next 71 laps, it was an intense battle with the much expected rain making appearances in varous intensities and leaving the pit crew scrambling for perfect tyre strategies. The under appreciated Nico Hulkenberg of Force India drove well with slick tyres on damp conditions. The German lead the race over Button for several laps before a questionable pass on Hamilton went all wrong exiting Hamilton from his final race with McLaren and earning a drive-through penalty in the process. Jenson Button regained the lead and stayed comfortably. Behind him was the RB8 piloted by Vettel managed to get up to sixth place after overtaking Schumacher on the 64th lap. At that moment the points situation became 281 to 278, just enough for him to win the championship. There was a final drama to be played out when Paul di Resta crashed his Force India heavily in the final sector on the 69th lap, bringing out the safety car two laps to the end of the race. As the safety car pulled in before the 71st lap was over, FIA history books were re-written. At just 25-years old, Vettel became the youngest triple world champion and joins Juan Manuel Fangio and Vettel's racing hero, Michael Schumacher as the only drivers in the long history of Formula One to score a hat trick of championships. Schumacher finished seventh on his 306th and final race as he retires for the second and last time from Formula One. Vettel might be a champion by statistics, but fans claim Alonso deserves more for he took a difficult and inferior Ferrari and pulled it to second in the championships. During post race, the unfazed and cold stare from Alonso could only mean one thing - this is not over. Congratulations Vettel and Red Bull Racing, hang in there Alonso, good luck on your future endeavours with Mercedes Hamilton and a sincere thank you Schumacher, for without you Formula One would not be where it is today. -
Ayrton Senna, possibly the greatest driver to have ever lived. Recently I got to watch the movie "Senna" in which it documented the life of Ayrton Senna from when he first set foot in Europe to race in a karting championship till his highly controversial death at Imola in 1994. Having driven during the period when piloting a F1 car can be likened to strapping a gorilla to your back, Ayrton Senna not only shone above all the other drivers of his time, he quite literally left them a planet's distance behind. F1 has also never seen as much drama and as much tenacity since Ayrton Senna's time. His bitter battle with then team mate Alain Prost almost saw him quit altogether. Yet, despite the goliath of the FIA against him, Senna bounced back and claimed his 3rd world title. Personally, I think that Ayrton Senna's greatest and most heroic moment was when he brought home the championship to his home country, Brazil, in 1991 despite having his gearbox stuck in 6th gear for the final few laps. He drove so hard, that after he cross the chequerd flag, he passed out momentarily and was in extreme pain from muscle spasms. His pain was clearly evident in his face when he tried to lift the trophy on the podium in his home ground. Jump to 3:25 to see the moment when he lifted the trophy. If you guys have yet to watch "Senna" the movie, I urge you all to go have a look. Be inspired by his humble nature, his out of this world driving skills and his gritty tenacity to never bow down to the uglies of these world. So, go look it up at your local video stores. I'm pretty sure they stock it for rental.
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Ferrari brings entire range and Enzo 2.0's carbon chassis to Paris
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Ferrari has brought its current range for display in Paris, each equipped with either a new generation of the company's 8 or 12-cylinder powertrains. The F12berlinetta - the most powerful V12 ever built by the Maranello based factory, contains 740bhp within a light, compact architecture. Complementing the F12 is the FF, Ferrari -
McLaren has released the first official images of the new P1 design study, which will subsequently become a production model next year with sales starting within a year after that. The production version will be the successor of the legendary McLaren F1, whose production ended in 1998. "The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage," says McLaren Automotive Executive Chairman Ron Dennis. "Twenty years ago we set the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again." The British supercar maker says that the P1
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As previously reported, Sky Tv is producing 11 animated clips of the McLaren Formula 1 team featuring its championship winning star drivers. In episodes 4 and 5 titled 'Beyond the Limit' and 'List Story' we see cars that benefits the drivers in great length and a little history of Professor M. P.S. Guys I have no idea why the embadding doesn't work, but click on "Watch on YouTube" to, well watch the clip. Sorry for the trouble, but hope you folks (Specially fans of Formula 1 and McLaren) enjoyed the clips!