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<Why Koenigsegg Never Went Racing, And Why It Doesn't Plan to Start Christian von Koenigsegg explains why his cars have never competed at Le Mans, and why he doesn't intend to participate in the new Hypercar class. KOENIGSEGG Despite building some of the most innovative supercars on earth, Koenigsegg does not currently have a racing team. That's not for lack of trying: Founder Christian von Koenigsegg actually built a viable race car with intent to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when his company was in its infancy. But it never happened, and during a lengthy conversation with the man behind the Swedish performance car company, we learned more about why his Le Mans ambitions fell apart—and whether he hopes to try again. In 2007, Koenigsegg built a fully-functional race car that exactly followed the FIA's Group GT1 rules. The race car, called CCGT, bore a strong resemblance to Koenigsegg's second production model, the CCR. But its roots went back even further, to the very first prototype Koenigsegg built, called CC. As explained on a Koenigsegg company blog post, the original CC, and the race car it spawned, was designed to fit exactly into GT1's dimension requirements: The car could be two meters wide at the maximum, and the cockpit had to span 70 percent of the vehicle's overall width. It had a dry weight of 2200 pounds (significantly below the minimum weight for GT1, which would mean adding ballast to reach the required weight) and was powered by a naturally aspirated V-8 making well over 600 horsepower. But two months after the CCGT's first shakedown runs, the ACO and FIA had a change of heart. The governing bodies banned carbon-fiber monocoque construction, which was used in every Koenigsegg road car and thus formed the basis of the CCGT. The regulators also raised the minimum production requirement dramatically. Previously, an automaker was required to construct 20 street-legal examples of a model, in total, to be eligible to race. After the 2007 change, that number rose to 350 cars per year, impossible for a tiny automaker like Koenigsegg to achieve. The CCGT was ruled out of the class before it ever competed in a single race. The only Koenigsegg CCGT ever built. | KOENIGSEGG "We were aiming to go racing in the GT1 series, which was perfect for our type of cars—road-going hypercars turned race cars" von Koenigsegg told Road & Track during a recent, lengthy conversation. "Then they shut it down right when we were about to go racing, which was very annoying. Since then, there hasn't been any series for these types of cars." The rule change left von Koenigsegg without a place to take his supercars racing. "Even if we would be allowed to go to the highest level of GT racing, we would be competing against Porsche 911s and Ferrari 488s"—sports cars built to vastly different performance goals than Koenigsegg's cars, which commanded well over half a million dollars each. Even if von Koenigsegg had wanted to compete in such a class, he worried that his cars would be "completely downgraded through Balance of Performance via restrictors, because we are not supposed to be any faster. And then it would be just a super-expensive racing car, which would cost more to repair than a 911, and we might even get beaten by a 911 because of BoP, while in reality, they are completely different vehicles. That doesn't make any sense." So Koenigsegg's racing dreams died in 2007, before they could ever become real. But what about today? The WEC's new Hypercar class debuted this year, and it was seemingly built for exactly the kind of extreme vehicles that Koenigsegg builds. But the man behind the Swedish supercar company is unconvinced. "Of course, they started this Hypercar series at Le Mans, but in the end it turned out to be some kind of LMP car again, so it's just a new name for the same kind of thing, more or less." Does von Koenigsegg see a racing future for his cars? Not under the current rules. "The alternative, I guess, is to build some kind of a Le Mans Prototype, which has no relation to our road cars, which I don't find too appealing. I would like to go back to the GT1 type of class, where we [could] see Bugattis, Paganis, Koenigseggs—modified road cars featuring completely different technologies. Not this silhouette racing where you have the same chassis under different bodies. Granted, it would be a very expensive series, given the price of these cars, but then we could build up on what we have. Everyone could showcase something you could actually buy, if you're extremely wealthy. That's what we would like, but I'm not sure if it could ever happen.">

The FIA has revealed that the World Rally Championship will start using petrol-electric hybrid rally cars from the 2022 season. Using a common hybrid unit, the cars will have to be able to run on pure electric power during transit stages through cities while the hybrid powertrain will provide an electric power boost on special stages. To make the sport more entertaining, the teams will be given more technical freedom in 2025 even though this has not been confirmed. Also revealed by FIA is a few other new regulations that will soon come into effect. One of them is the stopping of tyre development from 2021 through 2024 in a bid to reduce costs and prevent a tire war among manufacturers. Another one is will require teams to use either a production car bodyshell or compete in vehicles with a tubular spaceframe chassis with a shell on top that features carryover parts from the standard road car it is based around. Cars with bigger dimensions will also be allowed to scaled down to comply with dimension targets.

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.

Along with the controversial decision to award double points for the final race of the season, the FIA announced last month that Formula One drivers would be allowed to choose permanent numbers that can be carried over from season to season. Previously, the numbers changed based on finishing position during the previous year. The new system allows the reigning world champion to wear number one, if he chooses, while the rest of the field can choose a number from 2 to 99. Now, we have the list of numbers each driver has chosen. First and foremost, Sebastian Vettel will wear number one next season, although the four-time champion will race under number five if someone ever manages to unseat him from the top of the F1 hierarchy. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, meanwhile, will carry number 44 to the track, while Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari will wear 14 and seven, respectively. Jenson Button and his McLaren will be number 22. See the full list of numbers below. Red Bull 1. Sebastian Vettel (will use number five when not reigning champion) 3. Daniel Ricciardo Mercedes 44. Lewis Hamilton 6. Nico Rosberg Ferrari 14. Fernando Alonso 7. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 8. Romain Grosjean 13. Pastor Maldonado McLaren 22. Jenson Button 20. Kevin Magnussen Force India 27. Nico Hulkenberg 11. Sergio Perez Sauber 99. Adrian Sutil 21. Esteban Gutierrez Toro Rosso 25. Jean Eric Vergne 26. Daniel Kvyat Williams 19. Felipe Massa 77. Valtteri Bottas Marussia 17. Jules Bianchi TBC Max Chilton Caterham Both drivers to be confirmed

An accident involving a Mitsubishi rally car killed three spectators in Serbia on 26 Aug, Sunday. The car lost control and ramped into the crowd that was standing very close to the road at a high speed corner. The driver of the car is a Bosnian. The event was a local rally called the Hill Climb Tara 2012 race which took place on Mt. Tara, about 100 kilometers southwest of Belgrade. One man reportedly died shortly after the accident where as another man and a woman was treated but succumbed to injuries later on. A 17 year old boy was badly injured during the accident but he is said to be out of danger now. The organizers immediately banned all spectators from staying there in order to avoid further tragedies. Spectators standing next to the road during car rallies expose themselves to tremendous danger. However, this has been a problem for decades and similar accidents have happened in the past. People never seem to learn. Perhaps, the FIA should put its foot down and administer some rules and regulations for such races. Failure of compliance by the organizer should result in hefty fines. (Warning: The above video may be uncomfortable to some viewers)

Honda today announced that the Honda Civic will race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). "We have made a decision" said Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito "to enter into the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge." For this project, Honda has formed a joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport. Mugen will manufacture a bespoke racing engine developed by Honda R&D and will maintain the engine in every race along with the team. J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda Civic 5door produced in Honda's manufacturing plant located in Swindon (UK). The racing engine is a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder direct injection turbo-charged petrol engine, developed in accordance with FIA's Super 2000 regulations. Honda's ambition is to join the WTCC as early as this season, with a string of "inaugural rounds". Discussions are currently being held with the FIA, but these rounds would include Japan (held on 21 October 2012 at Honda's Suzuka circuit), followed by China and Macau. Honda will then enter a two car team, managed by J.A.S. Motorsport, into every race in the 2013 championship season. Racing has always been a fundamental element of Honda's DNA . In the late 1950s Honda first entered the Isle of man T.T and then Formula 1 in the 1960s. The FIA WTCC is the next chapter in Honda's on-going commitment to world motor sport and provides a perfect platform to demonstrate its racing spirit to Honda's numerous fans around the world.

[extract] Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that it will participate in the FIA (Federation Internationale de l

The teams and manufacturers have agreed to drop the controversial 'green' engine formula which was set to be introduced in 2013. The compromise will see the cars powered by 1.6 liter V6 turbocharged engines in 2014, rather than the four-cylinders proposed earlier. The plan was outlined at an F1 commission meeting held in Heathrow. It's thought the sports stakeholders have come to a unanimous agreement, therefore securing the future of all current suppliers, including Renault, despite their interest in the four-cylinder formula. A fax vote will now take place amongst members of the FIA and World Motor Sport Council with a definite decision expected to be announced in early July. The compromise is expected to appease the opposing teams, as it offers a compromise between the two layouts. In the earlier proposal, the regulations called for the replacement of today

The FIA is proposing to mandate plexiglass windscreens for the cockpits of formula one cars, according to an Italian report. Autosprint published a photoshopped image of a possible F1 windshield that claims to protect drivers from being struck on the head. The exposure of the drivers' heads made headlines last year, when Felipe Massa was seriously injured by a flying suspension spring, days after Formula Two driver, Henry Surtees, was killed when he drove into the path of a stricken wheel. Autosprint said the proposed protective structure, whilst not impeding driver visibility, would be designed to withstand the impact of a flying wheel and the full 640kg weight of an F1 car. "I'm not saying we need to cover (the cockpit) completely," Ferrari driver Massa said after recovering from his skull injuries. "But maybe there are some other things we can do to the car to stop a wheel hitting your head." He added. After those incidents last year, Bernie Ecclestone said Professor Sid Watkins - the president of the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety - had been commissioned to look into the issue. The renewed push for driver head safety also came just six weeks after the nose of Vitantonio Liuzzi's Force India rode up and almost struck Michael Schumacher's head during the 2010 season finale in Abu Dhabi. The report said the solution would also need to take into consideration its aerodynamic impact, including the flow of air to the engine airbox and the wings.

The FIA has published the full sporting and technical regulations for next season. Under the new rules, team mechanics in 2011 will be barred from working all night on formula one cars before practice days. The curfew will apply to team personnel associated in any way with the operation of the cars between midnight to 6am when practice is due to start at 10am. If the practice is scheduled for 11am, the curfew period will be postponed to 1am to 7am. "However, each team will be permitted four individual exceptions to the above during a championship season," the FIA said. Another new rule for 2011 relates to driving standards, which could have been implemented due to Michael Schumacher's controversial move on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary this year. "Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as more than one change of direction to defend a position, deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted," said the FIA. Stewards also have new powers to penalise drivers, including by imposing a one-race ban. The one-gearbox-per-four-races rule has been toughened to five races in 2011, with one penalty-free gearbox change per driver allowed. Finally, the race director has been given the power to close the pit entry during races for safety reasons.

Volkswagen motor racing representative Hans-Joachim Stuck has applauded F1's radical engine formula for 2013. The German car giant and its subsidiary Porsche have been linked with a possible F1 foray in the near future if the sport moves away from its current V8 engine formula. Recently in Monaco, the FIA green-lighted a new efficient formula for 2013 featuring small energy-efficient turbo engines. "The conditions for a possible entrance of the Volkswagen group have been created," hailed Stuck. He is also quoted by rp-online.de: "We have not decided anything, but we very much welcome the FIA's decision." In addition, Stuck reportedly told Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "The engine rules are a good starting point for Volkswagen in formula one." Mercedes' motor racing boss Norbert Haug said the new rules will slash engine budgets by "at least a quarter". The existing 1.4 Twincharger is already generating 180 bhp in certain applications. How about a 1.6L Twincharger producing well above 200 bhp for F1 ?!

Soon we can all say goodbye to the high-revving V8s currently shrieking their way around the world's Formula One circuits. F1 has officially enacted new rules that require all teams to run a new turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine design by 2013. In addition, the maximum engine speed will be reduced from the current 18,000 rpm to a maximum of 12,000 rpm. With the new regulation, the racing vehicles are expected to use around 35 percent less fuel than the outgoing eight-pots while churning out very similar power numbers. While neither the FIA nor F1 organizers are willing to throw out any solid numbers, there is word that the engines will use high-pressure gasoline injectors that can inject fuel into the combustion chamber at up to 7,251 psi. At the same time, F1 is also moving to limit the number of engines that a team can use during a season. Right now, the rules allow for a stable of eight engines. By 2013, that number will drop to five before falling to four soon after. That would mean on top of nabbing better fuel economy and yielding high power, the new lumps will need to be stout enough to take the abuse of multiple races without breaking down.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Cup saw an ugly accident during Round 4 of the season. The number 22 Gallardo LP560-4, driven by Giorgio Bartocci, got off into the gravel on the last turn before the front straight. It's unclear whether Bartocci was nudged by another racer or a mechanical failure caused the slide. But either way, the car hit the wall at considerable speed and nearly disintegrated on impact. The driver's side door sprung open as the car slid down the tarmac and Bartocci could be seen falling outside the vehicle, which was lucky for him as he could have been burned alive if he had been trapped in the car. When it finally came to a stop, the Raging Bull turned into a raging fireball. Fire crews initially took longer than expected to pull the driver from the wreckage and were seen using underpowered fire extinguishers to battle the blaze. The FIA is expected to investigate the incident. Amazingly, Bartocci survived the ordeal and is currently in intensive care. Lamborghini canceled the remainder of the event and rounds six and seven have been indefinitely nixed as well.