Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/05/31/1239618/this-week-in-auto-racing-june.html
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Ferrari Launch Their 2011 Car The F150
Ferrari have become the first team to launch their 2011 Formula One car – named the F150. Thw F150 name comes from the fact it is 150 years since Italian unification, the flag bearer for the nation decided it was important to increase exposure of the major event in the country’s long history. �The cars [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/ferrari-launch-their-2011-car-the-f150/
Button Steps Up Pre Season Training With Lance Armstrong
Jenson Button teamed up with record breaking cyclist Lance Armstrong, as he continues to prepare for another Formula One season. The McLaren driver excitedly tweeted that he would be riding with Armstrong, the 7 time Tour de France winner, in Hawaii. Armstrong responded via Twitter “I hope he doesn’t ride as srong as he drives [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/button-steps-up-pre-season-training-with-lance-armstrong/
'70 Plymouth Hemi Barracuda grille - DENCON can't come through
Hey guys, I have an order with DENCON for this grill and it doesn't look like they are going to come through for me. For the Revell Hemi Cuda '71 kit in 1/24 scale, I need a grille to convert it to at '70 Hemi Barracuda. The grille looks like this....
Let me know! I'm checking into Reliable Resin on a possible alternative, but not sure if it will work.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/960233.aspx
Vettel seals Monaco GP victory
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel continued his dominance of the 2011 Formula 1 season as he secured his first Monaco Grand Prix victory.
Ferrari’s Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/PFTEhBBqLSY/vettel-seals-monaco-gp-victory
Team Lotus Launch Their 2011 Machine The T128
Team Lotus (the one who raced last year) have become the second team to officially pull the covers off their new 2011 car. The green and yellow liveried machine will start be raced by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen this season under the name of Team Lotus as the management’s row with Group Lotus, now [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-launch-their-2011-machine-the-t128/
BMW Track Trainer software helps drivers make the perfect slalom [video]
Track Trainer software program shows a driver the best way around a track and can drive the car itself to demonstrate it.Monday, 30 May 2011
What did Lewis Hamilton actually say? ? Monaco GP Reaction here (Video)
You may have heard much in the aftermath of the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix about Lewis Hamilton’s incredible interview after the race.
Quite frankly, he was not a happy man and despite the fact that he didn’t win the race (he finished 6th) he ...
Williams: First points of 2011 despite crash | 2011 Monaco GP team review
A controversial collision between Maldonado and Hamilton cost Williams a double points finish.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/oCKp53rtf_A/
Hamilton fumes at Torro Rosso tactics
Lewis Hamilton has warned race stewards to keep an eye on both Torro Rosso drivers after accusing them of attempting to help Red Bull?s Sebastian Vettel win ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/JT5oTSAB1wk/hamilton-fumes-at-torro-rosso-tactics
Revell '68 Charger Filler Cap
Don't know if this has been covered here before (I apologise if it has & no, I didn't do a search) but i've just completed my own build of this kit and upon checking my reference material (Muscle Car Review - Dodge Charger Issue - Comparisonbetween '68 & '69) it became obvious that when retooling the '69 kit to a '68 Revell missed the fact that the '68 filler cap differs from the '69 in that it has a smooth top (sourced from the '68 Duster IIRC). The '69 has black applique in the top of the cap.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/961204.aspx
Hamilton demoted to ninth on grid
As expected Lewis Hamlton has lost his qualifying time in Q3 after cutting the chicane at the exit of the Swimming Pool. Because it was his only proper flying lap in that session he drops to the back of Q3, … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/28/hamilton-demoted-to-ninth-on-grid/
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Monaco diffuser protest called off by Hispania
HRT boss Colin Kolles has decided against launching a protest aver the legality of the blown diffusers being used by some teams this season ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Kolles, who had previously written to FIA president http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/2I3K5-4QUFI/monaco-diffuser-protest-called-off-by-hispania
Team orders in spotlight again
 Will Christian Horner regret not utilising team orders in Brazil? |
?The extra seven points Alonso collected when Ferrari ordered Felipe Massa to move over for him in Germany earlier in the season are now looking even more crucial. ?And the �65,000 fine they picked up for ruthlessly breaking the rules will seem loose change if Alonso clinches the title in his first year with the Maranello team. ?Red Bull could have switched the result yesterday given their crushing dominance and still celebrated their first constructors' championship just five years after coming into the sport. ?That would also have given Webber an extra seven points, leaving him just one behind Alonso.?The Guardian?s Paul Weaver says that if Fernando Alonso does take the drivers? title in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari owes a debt of gratitude to Red Bull for their decision not to employ team orders in Brazil.
?If Alonso does take the title next week it would not be inappropriate were he and Ferrari to send a few gallons of champagne to Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes. ?While Red Bull should be heartily applauded for the championship they did win today their apparent acceptance that Ferrari might carry off the more glamorous prize continues to baffle Formula One and its globetrotting supporters. ?Their refusal to make life easy for Webber, who has led for much of the season and is still seven points ahead of Vettel, means that whatever happens in the desert next week Alonso, the only driver who was capable of taking the championship in the race today, only has to secure second place to guarantee his third world title.?The Independent?s David Tremayne is also of the opinion that Red Bull may regret not using team orders in Brazil.
?Had Red Bull elected to adopt team orders and let Webber win ? something that the governing body allows when championships are at stake ? Webber would have left Brazil with 245 points ? just one point off the lead. For some that was confirmation of his suggestion that Vettel is the team's favoured driver ? which generated an angry call from team owner Dietrich Mateschitz in Austria and was much denied by team principal, Christian Horner. ?And it sets up a situation where, if the result is repeated next weekend, as is likely, Vettel and Webber will tie on 256, five behind Alonso.?The Mirror?s Byron Young has put Lewis Hamilton?s fading title chances down to an inferior McLaren machine and he admits the 2008 World Champion now needs a miracle.
?Sebastian Vettel's victory sends the world title fight to a four-way showdown for the first time in the sport's history. ?Hamilton goes there as part of that story with a 24-point deficit to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, but with just 25 on offer in the final round in six days' time it would take more than a miracle. ?Driving an outclassed McLaren he slugged it out against superior machinery and stiff odds to finish fourth.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/team_orders_in_spotlight_again_1.php
Live: 2011 Indianapolis 500 | F1 Fanatic Live
Follow the 2011 Indianapolis 500 on F1 Fanatic Live.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/mFHr_Ed3KJo/
Hamilton outburst overshadows Monaco thriller
As if the Monaco Grand Prix had not already been dramatic enough, Lewis Hamilton's controversial comments afterwards will ensure it makes even bigger headlines across the world.
The McLaren driver quoted Ali G, the original spoof character dreamt up by Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen, as he railed against the decision by race stewards to call him to explain his part in two separate incidents during Sunday's event.
Hamilton pointed out to BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Lee McKenzie that it was the fifth time in six races this year he had been called to account for his actions, and she asked him why he thought that was.
"Maybe it's because I'm black," he said, laughing. "That's what Ali G said. I dunno."
"People want to see overtaking and racing and you get done for trying to put on a show and make a move," he continued. "Fair play. If I really feel I've gone too late and hit someone, I'll put my hand up and say I've caused the incident and been the stupid one."
Hamilton described his being called to account for incidents for which he felt was blameless as "a joke", and described the rivals in question - Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Williams novice Pastor Maldonado - as "stupid".
What was he going to do about the situation? "I'll just try and keep my mouth shut," he said.
It is too late for that, though, even though McLaren went into damage-limitation mode after the race.
"Immediately after the race he was very down," team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, "and during a post-race TV interview he made a poor joke about his penalties that referenced Ali G. However, I'm pleased to say that he chose to return to the track a little while later to speak to the stewards about the joke. They accepted his explanation."
Hamilton's remarks came at the end of a weekend when nothing seemed to go right for him.
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A wrong call to do only one run in qualifying led to him starting the race from ninth place, after he made a mistake and cut a chicane on his flying lap.
Trying to make up ground in the race, a brilliant early pass on Michael Schumacher was followed by the two collisions with Massa and Petrov.
Sir Jackie Stewart talks about the importance of ridding yourself of emotion before stepping into a grand prix car, but it looked as if Hamilton had not taken the great man's advice on Sunday.
Hamilton has made himself one of global sport's highest profile figures thanks to his inspirational driving, and cool, youthful image. And he has established himself in the four and a half years of his career as unquestionably the greatest overtaker in F1, as well as arguably its out-and-out fastest driver.
But he did not earn that reputation with performances like that in Monaco on Sunday. BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle described his late lunge down the inside of Massa as "clumsy" and his attempt to pass Maldonado later on was similarly optimistic.
When Hamilton watches the incidents back, I suspect he might agree, as he may well regret his post-race comments when he calms down after what was admittedly an intensely frustrating weekend. It remains to be seen whether they will get him into hot water with governing body the FIA.
In the days of the former president Max Mosley, there is no question Hamilton would have been called up to answer a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute. His successor Jean Todt has taken a less antagonistic approach, but has not yet had to deal with a similar incident.
Brundle said he thought Hamilton had let frustration creep into his driving, and it certainly looked that way.
He entered Monaco expecting to fight for victory and was quick throughout practice on a circuit he adores and on which he excels, only for it all to slip agonisingly through his fingers.
That frustration will be heightened by the fact that Vettel, with five wins in six races, is now in what has to be considered a virtually unassailable position in the championship.
Hamilton is well aware of how good he is. He aches to add more crowns to the one he won in 2008, and even before Monaco it was obvious that the fact this season is likely to be another barren year was already bubbling provocatively inside him.
But the sooner he realises that his quest to win the multiple titles he feels he deserves will not be helped by this sort of reaction, the better it will be for him.
While luck appeared to desert Hamilton in Monaco, the angels are truly smiling on Vettel this season. And it is not even as if he needs them.
Time after time, circumstance has intervened to make the German's path to victory easier than it should have been, and Vettel has taken full advantage.
Vettel's victory in Monaco on Sunday, his first in the principality, was his fifth in six grands prix so far this season. Only Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell, Schumacher and Jenson Button have achieved that and all of them ended the season in question as champions.
Vettel now leads the championship by 58 points - that means Hamilton, his closest pursuer, would have to take two wins and a sixth place with the Red Bull driver not scoring just to draw level.
It is the sort of margin that can be closed only by a driver in the best car. The problem is that it is Vettel himself who enjoys that luxury and, boy, is he capitalising on it.
His and Red Bull's domination is being founded on their blistering superiority in qualifying. In races, as Sunday demonstrated yet again, the Red Bull is far more vulnerable.
This time, a mix-up at Vettel's first pit stop meant he rejoined on the harder of the two tyre choices, the softs, when Red Bull had been intending to put him on the super-softs, which his closest pursuer Button chose to fit at his first stop.
The mistake made, Red Bull altered their strategy, in light of a mid-race safety car period, and decided to try to make it to the end of the race on those tyres.
That meant Vettel entered the final 30 laps of the race with tyres that were already 32 laps old and with two of F1's finest drivers closing in fast on fresher rubber.
Fernando Alonso's tyres were 17 laps younger than Vettel's, Button's a full 31; and with a little less than 20 laps to go the three of them were running nose to tail.
Vettel, driving brilliantly as he has all year, had held them off relatively comfortably until a big crash involving Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Adrian Sutil brought out the safety car again and subsequently the red flag.
The 20-minute stoppage before the race was resumed robbed millions of viewers around the world of what promised to be a spectacular climax to the race - it meant all the drivers could fit fresh tyres and Vettel survived the last eight laps of the re-started race without incident.
It will never be known whether he could have held off Alonso and Button for the last eight laps had the race not been stopped.
But McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale told BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz that by their calculations Vettel's tyres had no more than three more laps before they "dropped off the cliff", as F1 teams have taken to describing the moment the Pirellis that have done so much for the racing this year finally lose all their grip.
If Neale was right, even at Monaco Vettel would surely not have been able to hold Alonso and Button back.
Even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted luck had shone on his team, saying the red flag was a "reprieve".
It was just the latest example of a recurring phenomenon this year. For all Vettel's searing qualifying pace, he is vulnerable in races, but events are transpiring to give him the breathing space he needs to keep winning.
Monaco followed Australia, Malaysia and Turkey this year as a race in which he might have faced a more serious challenge but didn't.
The championship may already appear to be a formality but the races themselves are making up for it with a combination of action and unpredictability that F1 has never seen before.
Next up is the Canadian Grand Prix, on one of the least favourable tracks for Red Bull, the long straights at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve favouring the extra power of McLaren's Mercedes engine and Ferrari over the Renault in the Red Bull.
Last year, Red Bull could manage only fourth and fifth in Montreal, behind Hamilton, Button and Alonso, in a race that prompted the decision to ask new supplier Pirelli to produce tyres that degraded rapidly.
The unique track surface there made the super-durable Bridgestones used last year behave like the Pirellis are doing at every race this season, and prompted the most exciting grand prix of the year.
If that happened when the racing was sometimes processional, even if the title fight was thrilling, the mind boggles at what could happen there in 2011.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/hamilton.html
Vettel takes pole for Monaco GP
Sebastian Vettel took pole for the Monaco Grand Pirx in a dramatic qualifying session that was affected by Suaber?s Sergio Perez shocking crash in the final shoot-out.
The Mexican rookie delivered a sobering reminder of the danger the Monte Carlo street circuit presents after crashing heavily into the barriers exiting ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/fRAPKLkCoic/vettel-takes-pole-for-monaco-gp
Monaco diffuser protest called off by Hispania
HRT boss Colin Kolles has decided against launching a protest aver the legality of the blown diffusers being used by some teams this season ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Kolles, who had previously written to FIA president http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/2I3K5-4QUFI/monaco-diffuser-protest-called-off-by-hispania
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Mercedes SLS AMG by MEC Design
MEC Design has released the first pictures of their new styling package for the Mercedes SLS AMG.Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/ElqGOPCXf1o/mercedes-sls-amg-by-mec-design
Hamilton's pace threatens Red Bull
At the Circuit de Catalunya
Sebastian Vettel had the same question on his lips following his victory in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix as everyone else. "We need to see where our pace went," he said.
It is an interesting question. Vettel and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber qualified first and second in Barcelona, about a second faster than Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in third, fourth and fifth places. And yet in the race Hamilton's McLaren was at least a match for the Red Bull. Indeed, as Vettel put it, "it seemed quicker".
It is the starkest example yet of a phenomenon that has been apparent throughout the year. For all Red Bull's breathtaking pace on a Saturday afternoon, the races have actually been pretty competitive.
The reasons why are complex, and vary depending on who you talk to. They will be explored in much more depth by my colleague Mark Hughes in his column on Tuesday.
What it means, though, is that a season that on paper looks like a Red Bull walkover is actually anything but.
Vettel might have taken four wins and a second place from the first five races of the season, but he has had to work hard for all of them.
Hamilton will not give up the fight in the battle to beat Red Bull (Getty)
That was not expected to be the case here, of all places. If there are circuits that could have been made for the Red Bull, they are this track and Hungary's Hungaroring, where the combination of long corners of varying speeds plays perfectly into the hands of a team whose car is aerodynamically the class of the field.
Last year, Red Bull duly dominated both events. So for McLaren to run them so close this weekend bodes well for more battles of this intensity throughout the season. As does the fact that at Barcelona, where races have generally tended towards the soporific, this time the grand prix was exciting from start to finish, a sure indication that this year's new rules, with rapidly degrading tyres and the DRS overtaking device, are working.
Just as in China, the race was made by a slower car holding up the Red Bulls in the early stages, preventing them stretching their legs.
But the pace of the McLaren throughout the Spanish Grand Prix suggested Hamilton, on scintillating form, would have been able to take the fight to Vettel even without the intervention of Alonso's spectacular start in the ultimately slower Ferrari.
When Vettel finally cleared Alonso by using what Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described as an "aggressive undercut" - making a second stop at the very early stage of lap 18 - the German must have expected that the rest of the race would be pretty comfortable.
He did brilliantly to clear four slower cars during his 'out lap' and having seen Alonso emerge from the pits behind him next time around, Vettel must have thought that he was now in control.
But when Hamilton emerged from his second pit stop five laps later and began edging closer to Vettel, it became clear that was not going to be the case. "From then onwards," Vettel said, "I knew it would be very, very close."
While it was perhaps not that surprising that Hamilton, on tyres that were five laps fresher, was able to close in on Vettel between their third and final stops, it was impressive indeed to see him continue to do that in the final stint, when their tyres were at more or less identical stages of their lives.
What saved Vettel, Hamilton said, was the performance of the Red Bull in high-speed corners, the characteristics that put them on the front row.
The Red Bulls were the only cars that were able to take Turn Three, Turn Nine and the final corner flat out on the throttle in qualifying, a speed advantage over the other cars of something like 15.5mph - a huge amount. On race fuel and worn tyres they were no longer flat out there, but the pace differential between the Red Bull and the other cars remained comparable.
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That, said Hamilton, meant he was unable to stay quite close enough to Vettel, particularly through the final corner, to be able to bring the DRS effectively into action and make a pass.
"They were massively, massively quick in the high-speed Turn Three, Turn Nine and through the last corner," Hamilton said. "His downforce was incredibly clear for me to see. It is very, very difficult with the step in downforce they have against us."
In hindsight, race director Charlie Whiting may consider that the DRS zone, which started at the timing line, could have been moved further back to the exit of the last corner, to make it a little more effective.
Whatever, not all tracks are like Barcelona and the next two, Monaco and Canada, should even things out more between the two cars.
Horner said he was not overly worried. "It wasn't concerning at all," he said, "because we managed to win the grand prix.
"It would be very arrogant of us to believe we had a car that enabled us to pull away at a second a lap. We managed to have a phenomenal qualifying.
"McLaren pushed us hard in China. They were competitive there. They weren't competitive in Turkey and it tends to see-saw.
"They brought a huge upgrade, almost a B-spec car here, and the upgrades that we have managed to introduce have moved us forward. I think we're in a good situation.
"The form will continue to be circuit-dependent, where some teams will be stronger in the race and some teams stronger in qualifying."
Hamilton clearly fancies his chances around the streets next weekend, saying after the race: "It is good to come from this race on a positive footing going into Monaco, where a driver can make even more of a difference."
Which you can take to mean: I'm brilliant around Monaco, just watch me go.
He's right, of course. But he is not the only Monaco specialist in the field. Alonso, at his superb best here, is also an ace on street circuits - just look at Singapore last year. Webber - who took a stunning victory in the principality last year - is pretty handy there, too. And Vettel, who Red Bull feel has moved on to another level this season, will be desperate to prove he belongs in the same Monaco masterclass.
Qualifying next weekend, then, promises to be fascinating, and there has been much discussion in Spain about how the new rules will affect the race there.
Two weeks after that comes Montreal, where McLaren finished one-two last season and Red Bull's engine power deficit will bring them back closer to their rivals.
Vettel's lead in the championship - 41 points over Hamilton - is edging up towards two clear wins after just five races, but this season is a long way from over yet.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/xxx.html
Need a decal, hope you can help!
Could anyone spare the woodgrain decal that came with the reissue 1965 Lincoln Continental, the one with the three different versions on the box top? I just need the woodgrain decal, not the whole sheet. thanks for your consideration.
cmhjets@hotmail.com
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/961018.aspx
Friday, 27 May 2011
F1 2011 Launch Catch Up ? McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Renault?
Catching up on the launches in one mega post. �Here in you’ll find quick interviews with senior members of the team and photos from the Red Bull, Sauber, Renault Lotus, Toro Rosso, Mercedes and McLaren launches. Apologies for being somewhat late, the whole blog isn’t running at full power until the season starts again. Red [...]
Duplicolor tropicgreen met. HELP!!!!!
I found a build on another forum that a guy did in Duplicolor rattle can TROPICGREEN METALIC 30-0260. I cant find this stuff anywhere, the builder was from the UK so maybe its just not issued in the US. Any help would be great. Thanks!
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/960312.aspx
Back In The Day: Monaco Grand Prix
So the race we all look forward to the most is almost upon us ? the Monaco Grand Prix.
Images of icons from a bygone era shooting along the streets of Monte Carlo and past the famous harbour stay etched in the minds of F1 ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/iwdYpt5S0l8/back-in-the-day-monaco-grand-prix
Class? or is that crass?
There are some people in the world who think that Monaco is a place for people with lots of money, but very little class. Somerset Maugham, a man who preferred Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, famously described Monaco as “a sunny place for shady people”. Money can buy you many things, but it cannot buy class [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/class-of-is-that-crass/
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Vettel fastest as Schumacher crashes in first practice | 2011 Monaco Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel topped the times in first practice in Monaco.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/Ngw8fJz2iLg/
Hamilton fumes at Torro Rosso tactics
Lewis Hamilton has warned race stewards to keep an eye on both Torro Rosso drivers after accusing them of attempting to help Red Bull?s Sebastian Vettel win races.
Although ...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/JT5oTSAB1wk/hamilton-fumes-at-torro-rosso-tactics
Super-soft tyres which ?last ten laps? will dictate Monaco strategy
Pirelli say their super-soft tyre is good for just ten laps at Monaco.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/-lozqzgp4LY/
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Campaign launched to save Team Lotus
 |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/campaign_launched_to_save_team_1.php
2014 BMW X5 & X6 come into focus
New details are starting to emerge about the 2014 BMW X5 and X6. Both models are expected to be lighter and more fuel efficientSource: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/HYJxMulc61g/2014-bmw-x5--x6-come-into-focus
Five ways to improve F1
 Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php
Audi S1 spied near the Nürburgring
Our spy photographers have caught the 2012 Audi S1 undergoing testing near the Nurburgring. It features an aggressive body kit, aluminum accents and a dual exhaust system.Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/U4vzPdE0YzM/audi-s1-spied-near-the-nrburgring
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Mark Webber Jumps In Swimming Pool (Video)
With Mark Webber fastest in practice today ahead of the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix, it reminded us over at Formula1Fancast about happy times for the Australian.
Cast your minds back to the Monaco Grand Prix last year, Webber won the race closely followed by team-mate ...
Alonso gives Red Bull pause for thought
The 2011 Formula 1 season is not yet a quarter done but it is already difficult to see past Sebastian Vettel ending a second consecutive season as the world champion.
A third victory in four races has given the Red Bull driver a 34-point lead in the standings and the man in second place, Lewis Hamilton, could finish only fourth in Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.
There is no doubt that the German is now in total control of this season. The word "domination" is being bandied around and it is easy to see why but, in each of the four races so far, the performance gap between Vettel and his pursuers has not been as great as the stark results suggest.
Just as in his wins in Australia and Malaysia, Vettel's afternoon at Istanbul Park was made easier by delays suffered by his rivals.
This time, Nico Rosberg, who started third on the grid behind Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber, was the man responsible for allowing his fellow German to make a break. That ensured he could ease into cruise control as early as lap five, when Webber was finally able to pass the fast-starting Mercedes.
The key to all of Vettel's victories has been his searing pace in qualifying. Turkey was his fourth pole position in a row this season - his seventh in the last eight races if you count the end of last year - and it was one of his most impressive so far.
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Vettel had no dry running on Friday following a hefty crash caused by pushing too hard on intermediate tyres at Turn Eight in the wet conditions on Friday morning. Yet the following day he put his car on pole by nearly half a second from Webber.
Even in the wild and whacky races of 2011, pole position is proving a vital weapon for Vettel. It is allowing him to steer clear of the craziness behind him, and allowing him to run at his own pace, putting him in control of races from very early on.
Would Webber or Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished second and third, have been able to challenge him on Sunday had it not been for Rosberg? Neither man sounded very confident of that after the race.
Webber said it would have been "difficult to beat Sebastian today", while Alonso - the race's big surprise - described Vettel as a "99% favourite".
However, Alonso added that "this 1% (is what) we had lost in the first five laps with Nico because more or less the seven seconds distance to Sebastian was consistent all through the race. Without those five seconds, maybe we could have raced in the pit stop and forced something".
And that's the point. Vettel, as he said himself, is not unbeatable. But his life is being made easier by the frenetic battle behind him, which he is surveying from above for now.
Heading into the Turkey race, few would have predicted that it would be Alonso taking the fight to the Red Bulls - and certainly not the man himself.
The Spaniard arrived in Istanbul talking about Ferrari having taken a "small step". But new front and rear wings and brake ducts added up to a lot more than that.
Alonso has qualified fifth for all four races so far this season, but he and Ferrari reduced their deficit to Vettel from 1.4secs in China three weeks ago to 0.8secs in Turkey. And in the race he went toe-to-toe with Webber and very nearly came out on top.
Alonso drove a superb race, taking advantage of Hamilton's lap one error to slip into fourth place, following Webber past Rosberg and then slugging it out with the Red Bulls for the rest of the afternoon.
He was, then, the deserved winner of our new BBC F1 driver of the day vote, in which he took 18.5% of the support, just ahead of Vettel (17.9%) and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who fought from the back of the grid to 10th place (17.2%).
It was a remarkable turnaround by Ferrari and there is more to come from them after some soul-searching and intense analysis at Maranello following their disappointing start to the season.
It immediately revived memories of last year. Leaving the British Grand Prix last July, nearly two clear wins off the championship lead on points, Alonso famously declared that he was more confident than ever that he could win the championship. And had it not been for some bungled Ferrari strategy in the final race of the season, he would have done.
Alonso might be 52 points - more than two wins - behind Vettel right now, but he has 15 races, or possibly 16 depending on what happens to Bahrain, to recover it and it would be a fool who wrote off now such a formidable fighter. After last year's experience, Red Bull certainly won't be making that mistake.
"Ferrari," said team principal Christian Horner, "they're back. They pushed us very hard today with Fernando."
Alonso felt confident enough after his third place in Turkey to talk about winning races. For now, though, the only person to do so this year apart from Vettel is Hamilton, for whose McLaren team Sunday was a chastening experience after their driver's breathtaking win in China.
That error on the first lap, running wide at Turn Four challenging Webber, put him on the back foot and a fumbled pit stop, caused by a sticking wheel nut, dropped him down still further. In typical style, Hamilton stuck with the task and he fought back to finish fourth.
Jenson Button was sixth after he and the team erroneously chose a three-stop strategy when four was the way to go.
Team boss Martin Whitmarsh rightly described it as a "fairly average day at the office" but Hamilton talked about battling for second without his problems, and there is no reason to suppose McLaren have lost the ability they have showed in the first three races to keep pace with Red Bull.
The next phase of the season, then, promises to be fascinating, with Mercedes, too, in the mix - even if Rosberg's race pace did not match his superb qualifying performance.
For his team-mate, though, the future looks less bright. Sunday was another difficult day in Michael Schumacher's ill-starred comeback.
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Trounced by Rosberg in qualifying, when he was - just like for much of last year - guilty of over-driving, Schumacher had another poor race, wrecking any hopes of a recovery by completely misjudging his defence against Renault's Vitaly Petrov in the early laps and ripping off his own front wing.
"I don't know why he doesn't know when to give up," David Coulthard said in the commentary. "On the track or in his career?" replied Martin Brundle, sharp as ever.
BBC pundit Eddie Jordan's post-race analogy with an aging and punch-drunk Muhammad Ali when he fought Larry Holmes in 1980 was perhaps a touch harsh, but you could see where he was coming from.
Fascinatingly, Schumacher's mask slipped a little for the first time since making his comeback. He had always insisted that he was enjoying himself, and that the pace and touch would come back. On Sunday, though, he admitted "the big joy is not there right now".
I've known Schumacher for a long time, and he looked and sounded like a man beginning, as Coulthard put it, "to ask himself some questions".
Perhaps it was the immediate post-race emotion talking, perhaps not. But, not for the first time, many in F1 will be asking whether his second career will last the three years for which he signed up.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/the_2011_formula_1_season.html
Video: Lexus LF-A vs. IS-F
Lexus UK took two of the company’s most powerful models, the LF-A supercar and the IS-F sports sedan and put them to race at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground track. Of course is needless to say who the winner was, but the video is a really amazing, especially the first part where it shows the LFA?s speedometer. It makes you feel like you are driving in a car game.
Of course you know Lexus will build only 500 LF-A supercars and the one featured in this video is the car number 16.
By the numbers: the LF-A is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 that delivers a maximum output of 560 HP at 9,000 RPM and a peak torque of 354 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM, and it can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds. On the other hand, the IS-F sports sedan gets a 5.0-liter V8 engine rated at 416 HP at 6,600 rpm and 371 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 5,200 rpm and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Of course the LF-A has an enormous advantage, but watching the two cars together is a real show!
Video: Lexus LF-A vs. IS-F originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 May 2011 15:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/video-lexus-lf-a-vs-is-f-ar110087.html
'The point of no confidence is quite near'
 The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona |
?Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. ?Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.?A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php
Monday, 23 May 2011
Ferrari Launch Their 2011 Car The F150
Ferrari have become the first team to launch their 2011 Formula One car – named the F150. Thw F150 name comes from the fact it is 150 years since Italian unification, the flag bearer for the nation decided it was important to increase exposure of the major event in the country’s long history. �The cars [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/ferrari-launch-their-2011-car-the-f150/
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