Tag Archives: F1

New McLaren breaks Cover (and other news from the team)

Here is the first pictures of the new 2014 McLaren F1 contender  the MP4-29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, more news:

Gone now is the title sponsor Vodafone, but also missing at the launch of the MP4-29 on Friday was boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Button welcomed the return to power of company supremo Ron Dennis.

“For me that’s the exciting thing about this year.  And you do need change sometimes,” he said.

Multiple authoritative sources all agree that Whitmarsh’s certain successor is Eric Boullier, the newly-departed Lotus team principal.

That move has ruffled some feathers at Enstone.

Indeed, in what was widely interpreted as a spoiling move, Lotus chose the precise minute that McLaren’s 2014 car was revealed to publish the first photo of its own new single seater, the E22.

And, defiantly hinting at Boullier’s choice of next job, the team said on Twitter that the Frenchman’s parting gift is a copy of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’.

Now, the respected Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt claims that a leading contender to succeed Boullier at Lotus is none other than Whitmarsh himself.

Schmidt also mentioned Ross Brawn as a contender, while rumours on Twitter pointed to Craig Pollock, Jacques Villeneuve’s former manager, who may also be interested in buying into the Enstone based team.

Another reason for the animosity between McLaren and Lotus, according to Schmidt, is because the teams are both in talks with the same major potential sponsor.

Lotus has reportedly entered the talks with a lower asking price, but the identity of the sponsor is currently not known.

“We only know that it is a Japanese technology company,” said Schmidt, speculating that it could be Sony.

Name the Next Ferrari F1 Car…

Ferrari has given race fans the opportunity to name its 2014 contender ahead of its unveiling on 25 January.

Rather than designating the car name in-house, the Maranello outfit has invited race fans to make the choice, the options being between F14 T, F14 Maranello, F14 Scuderia, F166 Turbo or F616.

Voting is now open (here) and will close on 24 January 12:30 (CET), the day before the 2014 car is unveiled ahead of its track debut just a few days later in Jerez.

In addition to naming the car, fans can also put questions to Stefano Domenicali and drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, the three answering the most “interesting and stimulating””questions in a video which will also go out on the day of the car’s unveiling.

F1 Launch Dates Set…. Here we go !

Just three teams — Lotus, Marussia and Force India — have yet to set dates for their launches. Lotus previously said that it would wait until next month’s test at Bahrain before unveiling its 2014 car. The Bahrain tests are slated for Feb. 19-22 and Feb. 27-March 2.

 

2014 Formula One Launch Dates

Jan. 14 – McLaren

Jan. 25 – Ferrari

Jan. 26 – Sauber

Jan. 27 – Toro Rosso

Jan. 28 – Mercedes

Jan. 28 – Red Bull

Jan. 28 – Williams

Jan. 28 – Caterham

TBA – Lotus

TBA – Force India

TBA – Marussia

 

Now it can be told…WEC at COTA Notes

Here are some snippets for my trip the WEC event in Austin :

Spoke with Beau Barfield, an interest observer at the ALMS race, re: Muscle Milk coming to Indy cars, “Would love to have them”.   Latest news is that the team remains committed sportscar, but in what form remains to be seen.

2013 COTA Sm (1245)

Texas “Grid Girl” – love the hats

– Rode in one of the shuttles early on and sat next to Graham Goodwin, from Daily Sportscar.com (excellent site if you have never seen it!). It was his first trip to COTA and relayed that it is much easier to get about than Brazil (where the last round of WEC was).  The crime there is so bad that some unscrupulous types create fake taxis in order to rob unsuspected people.  Unbelievable!

– Talked with the Michelin lead tire rep at the track and asked about their possible involvement in F1.   Their man in Austin replied, “Michelin wants competition and would never be a sole supplier”  (replacing Pirelli).  Not a denial, so it will be interesting to see if they turn up in F1 at some point when Pirelli’s exclusive deal ends).

2013 COTA Sm (2198)

Honda back in F1 with McLaren

McLaren has officially announced they will be racing with Honda engines from 2015 onwards.

Here you have the McLaren-Honda partnership in numbers:

5 years of partnership – 1988 to ‘92

80 grands prix starts

53 pole positions – a 66 per cent strike rate

44 victories – a 55 per cent win rate

30 fastest laps – 10 in 1988 alone

8 world championships – drivers’ titles for Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991) and Alain Prost (1989), and constructors’ titles in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991

3 race-winning engine configurations – 1.5-litre turbo V6, 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V10, 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V12

Now now, Boys….

image

Love this…

Pirelli Issues F1 Statistics from 2012 Season –

Here are some interesting status that Pirelli disclosed for the this past F1 Season:

Pitstops

Total number of pitstops this season: 957 (including 14 Drive-Through and 2 Stop & Go)

Total average stops per race: 47.9, ie 1.9 per driver

Largest number of stops in a race: 76 Malaysia

Minimum number of stops in the race: 24 United States

Off the fastest: 2.31 s (McLaren / Jenson Button Grand Prix of Germany)

EXCEEDANCES

Number of exceedances in 2012: 994, besides Brazil

Largest number of exceedances in the dry: 90 at Chinese GP

Largest number of exceedances in the wet: 76, Malaysian GP

Lowest number of exceedances in the dry: 12 at Monaco GP

MORE FIGURES

Total distance traveled by all the P Zero compounds in 2012 (races and tests): Drive: 101’692 – Medium: 121’840 – Supertendre: 21’993 – Intermediate: 13’770 – Rain: 7’930

Temperature of the coolest track on which ran a compound Pirelli P Zero 2012 United States GP, 11 ° C per track, 17 November. 0 ° C in winter testing at the Circuito de Jerez on February 10.

Track temperature highest which ran on a compound Pirelli P Zero 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, 55 ° C, 23 November.

The cooler temperature: USA GP, 4 ° C on 17 November. -2 ° C, winter testing in Jerez on February 10.

Highest ambient temperature: European GP, ​​37 ° C, 21 June

Time to download all the data in RTS tires this season (incl.tests): 92 h

Number of samples taken by engineers temperature pneumatic race weekend: 124

Total distance traveled by the F1 tires in 2012 (forwarding): 216’967 km

Bob Varsha out of NBC Booth for next year

NBC Sports has confirmed its announcers’ lineup for its coverage of Formula 1 races beginning next season, hiring three veteran talents from SPEED – but not the same lineup that SPEED currently employs.

Veteran motorsports voices Leigh Diffey will serve as play-by-play man for both NBC Sports Network’s F1 and IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. David Hobbs (analyst) and Steve Matchett (analyst) will move over from SPEED to form the new broadcast team for the NBC Sports Group’s F1 coverage, which begins in March 2013. Additionally, Diffey will call IZOD IndyCar races on NBC Sports Network, following the retirement of legendary motorsports voice Bob Jenkins at the end of this season.
Diffey, Hobbs and Matchett bring continuity to NBC Sports Group’s F1 coverage, as all three have worked together for several years on SPEED’s coverage of the circuit. Diffey is a longtime F1 voice who has called the series both in the U.S. and internationally, as well as covering Grand-Am, ALMS and NASCAR events.

“We are privileged to add not one, not two, but three experienced and respected voices to our Formula 1 coverage,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “Leigh, David and Steve are all gifted storytellers, who live and breathe F1. They will educate viewers with their unique perspectives, which have been formed from longtime careers spent either behind the wheel, in the pits or in the booth.”

Air cargo in Austin!

Check out this link… F1 arrives in Austin!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1698505120001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFSNjfU~,4oPitrNpKqwj2_4p_2HPesaVS1vkOMWZ&bclid=1958361140001&bctid=1954390457001

Formula 1 lands four-year deal with NBC

NBC Sports Group is the new home for Formula 1 in the U.S. from 2013. A four-year contract next year will see four races on NBC and the remainder will be on NBCSN, the same network that is the cable home for the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Confirmation of NBC’s decision came to the Associated Press Sunday afternoon, followed later by a tweet from the NBCSN account that read, “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Formula 1 Racing! Stay tuned for more details.”

NBC subsequently confirmed that all races will be aired live, with live streaming also planned for the 20-race schedule. More than 100 hours of programming are expected.

The four NBC races for 2013 are the Canadian Grand Prix June 9, then the final three races of the season at Abu Dhabi, Austin and Brazil in November. The inaugural Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial is scheduled for June 16, the same date as the U.S. Open golf final round, also an NBC property.

NBC officially confirmed the move on Monday, now with exclusive media rights in the U.S. Beyond airing on TV, all 20 races will be live streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra, the NBC Sports Group’s live-stream platform that is available online at NBCSports.com as well as on mobile and tablet apps.