Thursday 27 January 2011

Ferrari names 2011 car F150

Ferrari has revealed that its new car will be called the F150, with it set to be revealed in Maranello live on Italian television this Friday. For 2011, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa remain as race drivers although, with Luca Badoer now in retirement, Jules Bianchi joins Marc Gené and Giancarlo Fisichella on the reserves bench.

‘The choice of name stems from Ferrari’s desire to pay tribute to this year’s 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy,’ reads an explanation on the Ferrari website. ‘The placement of the “Tricolore” Italian flag as part of the car livery will therefore have even more significance in 2011.’



The initiative has also received the appreciation of Italian Republic President Giorgio Napolitano, to which Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo replied: “Ferrari is an expression of Italian excellence, talent and creativity.

“All the men and women who put so much effort and passion into their work at Maranello share the pride and responsibility of representing our country around the world and it is in this spirit that we chose to dedicate this car to an event that is so important for the whole of Italy.”

Mallya: Line-up one of strongest on grid

Vijay Mallya has expressed his feelings over this season’s Force India driver combination, which involves Adrian Sutil remaining with the team as Paul di Resta steps up to replace Vitantonio Liuzzi and Nico Hülkenberg joins as reserve pilot.

“I am genuinely excited by the drivers we will be fielding in 2011,” commented the Silverstone squad’s Chairman and Team Principal. “I believe that the combination of talent we've assembled gives us one of the strongest line-ups on the grid.



Left-right: Paul
 di Resta, Adrian Sutil and Nico Hülkenberg
Left-right: Paul di Resta, Adrian Sutil and Nico Hülkenberg
“Adrian has matured into one of F1's most consistent and highly-rated young drivers while Paul is, I believe, a real star of the future; he has won in every category in his career and this base speed was in evidence when he got in the car on Fridays last year.

“With Nico, signing him was too good an opportunity to let by; he showed a good racing head and talent and I was amazed by his control in Brazil last year.

“Together I think they are a formidable partnership and will help take us to the next level of performance.”

F1 2011 line-up: One seat to fill…

With Force India’s line-up finally confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, just a single vacant race seat now remains in the 2011 Formula 1 field, with returnee Narain Karthikeyan awaiting an announcement for his Hispania Racing team-mate.

The current F1 2011 driver line-up is as follows:



Red Bull Renault
1 Sebastian VETTEL
2 Mark WEBBER

McLaren Mercedes
3 Lewis HAMILTON
4 Jenson BUTTON

Ferrari
5 Fernando ALONSO
6 Felipe MASSA

Mercedes Grand Prix
7 Michael SCHUMACHER
8 Nico ROSBERG

Lotus Renault GP Renault
9 Robert KUBICA
10 Vitaly PETROV

Williams Cosworth
11 Rubens BARRICHELLO
12 Pastor MALDONADO

Force India Mercedes
14 Adrian SUTIL
15 Paul DI RESTA

Sauber Ferrari
16 Kamui KOBAYASHI
17 Sergio PÉREZ

Toro Rosso Ferrari
18 Sébastien BUEMI
19 Jaime ALGUERSUARI

Team Lotus Renault
20 Jarno TRULLI
21 Heikki KOVALAINEN

Hispania Cosworth
22 Narain KARTHIKEYAN
23 Klien / Yamamoto / Liuzzi / Valsecchi / Aleshin? 

Virgin Cosworth
24 Timo GLOCK
25 Jérôme D’AMBROSIO

Proposals in place for Cape Town Grand Prix

Plans have remerged for a possible Formula 1 return to South Africa, with World Cup host city Cape Town named as a candidate for a street race which would involve the cars travelling through the stadium in which semi-finals were played prior to the Spanish football team’s ultimate success in July.

Hopes for a South Africa comeback have been on the cards for several years although more concrete plans have now emerged for a potentially thrilling spectacle in Cape Town. The project is being led by the Cape Town Grand Prix Bid Company, which is highly keen to meet with Formula One Management’s Bernie Ecclestone.

“We have made significant progress with Ecclestone,” company spokesperson Esther Henderson told the wheels24 website on Wednesday. “We have an invitation from his office.

“Back in 2009, his office said he would like to meet us but unfortunately our national government was focused on the World Cup. But the 2010 World Cup has now allowed Ecclestone to evaluate a major event in South Africa and we hope to secure a meeting with him before the Grand Prix season.”

In 2010, talk was also on the cards for a possible return to former South African Grand Prix host venue Kyalami, although Ecclestone quickly called off the possibility. However, chances of a Cape Town debut now appear more possible.

“It would be along the coast, with the city's magnificent landmarks,” Henderson added. “It would be an iconic location for a TV broadcast, a very sexy location. It's about staging a show that's entertaining and the best of its kind and we believe it would fit Ecclestone's plans for F1.”

Vettel to launch Red Bull’s testing programme

World Champions Red Bull Racing have confirmed to GPUpdate.net that Sebastian Vettel will be first in the car when pre-season testing begins in Valencia next Tuesday.

With the three-day test running until Thursday, it is confirmed that Vettel will begin before team-mate Mark Webber ends proceedings two days later. However, Wednesday’s arrangements will be made at the venue.

“Day 2 will depend on how the car runs on Day 1, but it’s likely to be Seb in the morning and Mark in the afternoon,” a Red Bull team spokesperson explained to GPUpdate.net on Thursday afternoon.

Red Bull’s Valencia line-up is as follows:

Tuesday Sebastian Vettel
Wednesday TBC
Thursday Mark Webber

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Interview with Martin Brundle

GPupdate interview with Martin Brundle:
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/703/interview-with-martin-brundle/

The Legendary commentator gives his thoughts on the Formula 1 year ahead. And talks about his promotion at the BBC to becoming the lead commentator.

Schumacher ‘susceptible to simulator sickness’

Michael Schumacher is prone to suffering from some simulator sickness although this does not affect his performance in comparison to Mercedes GP team-mate Nico Rosberg, according to his team.

The seven-time World Champion lost out in raw pace terms to his younger compatriot in 2010 although the Brackley-based team is confident that his simulator performances are not to blame.



“Throughout his career, Michael from time to time has been susceptible to simulator sickness,” the squad is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

“It hasn't adversely affected Michael's race preparation or competitiveness with regard to his team-mate.

“It has affected the length of time that he can spend on a simulator; this is a relatively common occurrence for many people in all fields of simulator activity, including military, aircraft and racing cars.”

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Melbourne officials flag F1 exit after 2015

Two influential officials have cast doubt on the future of Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix.
First, the city's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the annual event at Albert Park, contracted to host the race through 2015, is no longer value for money.
"My judgment would be: get ready. Time's up," he wrote in the Sunday Herald Sun newspaper.
And the state of Victoria's new premier Ted Baillieu admitted that the $50 million per year taxpayer's bill for the race will need to be reduced.
"The Grand Prix has been great for Melbourne and great for Victoria but we look forward to (it) performing financially better than it has and we will be looking to make sure that happens," he said.

Force India set to confirm di Resta

The Force India team has confirmed to GPUpdate.net that it will be staging a press conference in Scottish city Glasgow on Wednesday, with speculation continuing to circulate that Paul di Resta is set to be announced as a driver for the upcoming season.



Many are 
expecting a Force India-di Resta announcement on Wednesday afternoon
Many are expecting a Force India-di Resta announcement on Wednesday afternoon
The Silverstone-based outfit is yet to confirm any of its 2011 drivers although it is generally believed that DTM Champion di Resta is set to be verified as part of its line-up alongside Adrian Sutil, meaning Vitantonio Liuzzi would be left on the sidelines. Williams expat Nico Hülkenberg has also been linked to the squad for a possible reserve driver role.

“We will be hosting a press conference on Wednesday 26 January in Glasgow with Whyte & Mackay (personal sponsor of di Resta),” a Force India spokesperson confirmed to GPUpdate.net.

Sunday 9 January 2011

Chandhok sets sights on reserve role

Karun Chandhok says he would be willing to sit on the sidelines as a reserve driver this year if it helped secure him a race seat in the longer term.
The Indian, who made his debut for HRT last season, has been exploring other options for several months now as he looks to continue in grand prix racing - and the focus has been put back on his plans following compatriot Narain Karthikeyan signing a deal to join his former outfit.
Chandhok has recently been linked with the reserve driver role at Team Lotus, and he admits that he would be willing to go down that route if it helped him secure a race drive for 2012 and beyond.
"I want something for the medium and long term - not just for 2011," Chandhok told AUTOSPORT on Friday. "What I do in 2012 and 2013 is important. If that means taking a back seat, as reserve driver next year, then so be it - a bit like what Paul di Resta did in 2010. As long as it is somewhere further up the grid, then that is the best option."
Chandhok said he never entered into detailed talks with HRT for this year, and his efforts were always on joining a new team.
"I wasn't chasing the HRT drive in 2011," he explained. "The team didn't make much progress last year and, at the time when we last spoke to them, it didn't sound like there was a huge amount in the pipeline for this year. I had one year with them, and I am grateful and will always be grateful to them for getting me a foot in the door. But now I'm looking elsewhere."
Chandhok says that he remains in discussions with parties about his 2011 plans, but did admit that a tie-up with Team Lotus would be of interest to him - and beneficial to the Hingham-based outfit and its team principal Tony Fernandes.
"I like Tony's attitude about building an Asian team," he said. "He has been quite vocal about it, and talked in the past about building a team with Asian drivers and staff. For me to go there would be a big benefit to him too, especially as AirAsia is now flying to India.
"The team progressed well last year with its structure. There are a lot of good people there, and they invested well for the future. It seems like a good place to be for the immediate future - but at the moment nothing is done. Everything is still up in the air."
Chandhok also reckoned that the presence of Karthikeyan, whose deal with HRT was announced yesterday, in F1 will be a huge boost to the sport in India ahead of its inaugural grand prix this year.
"The more Indians we can have around F1, the better it is for the sport," said Chandhok.
When asked if it was good or bad for him that there was another Indian on the grid, Chandhok said: "It makes no difference to me.
"It has been a pain in terms of all the telephone calls I have had today about it, but apart from that it makes no difference to me. The financial backing he has got is a long-term sponsor of his, so it doesn't take anything away from me, and he has taken a seat which I wasn't interested in."

By Jonathan Noble, Autosport.com

Mallya 'excited' by driver plans

Force India chief Vijay Mallya says he is 'really excited' about the driver line-up his team is planning for 2011, and hinted that an announcement is not far away.
With confirmation of Vitaly Petrov's Lotus Renault deal and Jerome D'Ambrosio's Virgin seat just before Christmas, plus Hispania revealing it had signed returnee Narain Karthikeyan earlier this week, the 2011 grid is now nearly complete, with the identity of Force India's drivers the most significant missing piece.
Adrian Sutil's contract has expired, but despite the German having looked at other options last autumn, he is expected to be re-signed for a fifth season at the team he initially joined when it was still known as Spyker.
Although Tonio Liuzzi has a Force India contract for this year and has repeatedly said he expects it to be honoured, there have been strong suggestions that the team will try to drop the Italian and promote its test driver Paul di Resta to a race seat instead.

In a message to fans on Facebook, Mallya said he was very satisfied with the driver pairing Force India had in mind for 2011.
"We're currently closing our driver line-up and I'm really excited about what's to come," he wrote.
Mallya also said he was very pleased to see that at least one of his compatriots would be on the grid for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix now that Hispania had brought Karthikeyan back into the Formula 1 fold.
"I'm delighted that Narain is able to make his F1 comeback with HRT and I wish him every success in the coming year," Mallya said.
"India should be proud that it will be fully represented in its inaugural Grand Prix by an Indian team and now an Indian driver."
Although Karthikeyan had a run in Force India's simulator last autumn and the Indian media has long been keen for the team to run an Indian driver, Mallya said a deal with the ex-Jordan driver had never really been an option.
"We have spoken to Narain over a period of time about returning and it just wasn't the right time for us in this stage of our development," Mallya explained.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Ferrari confirms late January launch date

Ferrari has confirmed the much-reported word that it will be launching its 2011 car at the end of the month, shortly before the start of pre-season testing in Valencia. This will follow next week’s annual ‘Wrooom’ skiing event for leading personnel at the Madonna di Campiglio resort in north-east Italy.



At present, only a pair of teams have pencilled in dates for 2011 car launches, with Sauber taking the covers off its new contender in Valencia on Monday 31 January before Toro Rosso unveils its latest F1 machine one day later, with testing then beginning on the same morning.

The designation of Ferrari’s chassis – which underwent a series of compulsory FIA crash tests on the run-up to Christmas - is yet to be revealed, with its last title-contending vehicle having been known as the F10.

Trulli: F1 too expensive now

Jarno Trulli believes that finances are now too much of a factor when it comes to entering Formula 1 as a young driver, with a selection of the 2011 field set to pay for their drives as teams strive to survive.

Team Lotus driver Trulli entered F1 with Minardi in 1997 before switching to Prost mid-season and leading a race by as early as his 14th Grand Prix in Austria.



Money played a 
large role for the likes of Hispania Racing's Karun Chandhok in 2010
Money played a large role for the likes of Hispania Racing's Karun Chandhok in 2010
However, the Italian believes that such situations are now unlikely to be repeated by drivers with similar backgrounds.

“Nowadays it’s difficult to come up the ranks for a young driver,” the Italian explained to German publication Auto Motor und Sport. “Money plays too large a role. The lower series, ranging from Formula 3, are too expensive.

“The next new Champion will probably come from a wealthy family; you couldn’t have a repetition of my career anymore.”

Domenicali: I considered quitting

Stefano Domenicali has confessed he considered resigning as Ferrari’s team boss in the wake of the strategy error that cost Fernando Alonso the world championship in the final race of last season in Abu Dhabi.
Alonso’s hopes of winning a third drivers’ title were wrecked by the timing of his pit stop in last November's race, Ferrari opting to pull him into the pits to cover Mark Webber's stop only to see him fall behind a series of runners who had already pitted – a mistake that allowed race winner Sebastian Vettel to pip him to the crown.
Domenicali acknowledged the team’s mistake in the immediate aftermath of the race but both he and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo refused to point the finger of blame at any individual, insisting that they won and lost as a team.
The Maranello outfit was subjected to criticism from both media and Italian politicians in the days following the season finale and Domenicali has now revealed he considered his own position during that time.
However, the 45-year-old – who added that he could not sleep properly for two days after the race – reasoned that he would be wrong to simply walk away as he feels he is the right person to lead Ferrari's planned fightback this year.
“After Abu Dhabi I personally raised the issue, I thought about whether or not it was right for me to stay,” he said in a frank interview with Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper.

“Reflecting on [my position] seemed to me my duty, the responsible thing to do.
“I am not fixated on keeping my job. But I came to the conclusion that resigning would be a mistake.
“I know the team and I think I’m the right person to capitalise on all that we have sown in recent months.
“In terms of procedures at [the factory in] Maranello, we have changed almost everything and I am sure we will soon see the results of all our hard work.”
Although Domenicali accepts the Abu Dhabi error was a big one, he argues that the fact it was made in a tense championship decider was what had made it all the more damaging and that therefore Ferrari shouldn't look to change everything.
Nonetheless he accepts that alterations to the squad's race operations have been needed as a result and says that an annoucement regarding this area is imminent.
“The mistake was – let’s put it this way – huge in terms of magnitude; it produced devastating effects. But in a normal race it would have been a normal error,” Domenicali said.
“So you must not jettison everything, even the good things, because of that mistake.
“We will make some changes and officially announce things in the coming hours – and we will make sure that those who have to make these difficult decisions have all the tools they need to avoid making the same mistake again.
“Personally I will try to help the team from a psychological point of view as well, because the hardest penalty in a shoot-out is the one coming after you missed one.”

Ferrari update: Dyer falls on sword, Martin head of Strategy

Since I posted this morning Ferrari has announced the major changes that team boss Stefano Domenicali hinted at.
According to the team’s website, “Neil Martin takes on the role of heading up the new Operations Research department. A 38 year old Englishman, Martin previously worked for Red Bull and prior to that McLaren and he will now report directly to Technical Director, Aldo Costa.
“At the same time, Costa’s deputy, Pat Fry will, in addition to his current role, take on the job of head of race track engineering. Up until yesterday, this position was held by Chris Dyer and his role within the company will be redefined in the next few days.”
So as predicted Dyer falls on the sword for the strategy mistake in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile Neil Martin is an interesting appointment. He comes from the financial services field originally and wrote a programme which he realised had uses for F1 strategy. He showed it to McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh who hired him on the strength of it.
He was headhunted by Red Bull and headed up their strategy until last year when he promptly left the team. Last summer there were suggestions he would be joining Ferrari but I got a categorical denial from Ferrari when I asked. It seems that the events of Abu Dhabi have prompted a rethink.
Although Ferrari say that Martin’s role is not specifically to run race strategies, it is more of a role looking at ways of improving operations across the board, his appointment will also have been at the behest of Fry with whom he worked at McLaren.
Fry now puts his head in the lion’s mouth as head of track operations, an area where Ferrari has struggled in recent years.

Monday 3 January 2011

Di Montezemolo against new style F1 engines

Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo has voiced his criticisms over the modified Formula 1 engines which will be brought into use for the 2013 season, with the current 2.4-litre V8 units set to be replaced by 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged powerplants.



F1’s last significant engine regulation changes came at the start of the 2006 season, with eight-cylinder engines replacing the previous V10 versions. However, di Montezemolo is not shy when sharing his opinions over the planned four-cylinder specification of 2013 and beyond.

“We are not going to build four-cylinder engines for road cars just because we now need them for Formula 1,” the Italian explained to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“Four cylinders…that sounds a bit pathetic for the top class. Couldn’t we have decided for a V6 turbo? We shouldn’t confuse saving money with being ‘cheap’; there are other ways of reaching the goals (motorsport governing body) the FIA wants us to in order to save money.”



V4 engines will 
arrive as the FIA continues to lower costs
V4 engines will arrive as the FIA continues to lower costs
Di Montezemolo went on to add that he will be supporting any changes to the idea. “When there's even the smallest chance of avoiding the four cylinders, I want to go for it,” he continued, with Ferrari also being reported as requesting a delay for the introduction of four-cylinder power by at least one season.

“That's right, but we need unity amongst all teams for that,” the 63-year-old concluded.

Lauda worried about sound of 2013 engines

Niki Lauda has admitted he is concerned about F1's switch to four cylinder engines.
Not keen on the newly announced turbo formula for 2013, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo recently insisted that "for the top class of racing it sounds a bit pathetic".
Triple world champion Lauda agrees: "I am worried about the sound, which in Formula One has been so unique.
"Hopefully there will be more than a faint hum," the Austrian told Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Alonso suffers holiday confrontation with paparazzi

Former double World Champion Fernando Alonso has experienced a run-in with paparazzi upon arrival to Portuguese island Porto Santo for a holiday this week.

Having landed in a private jet with wife and singer Raquel del Rosario, the Ferrari driver appeared to have been tracked by cameras before confronting a group of reporters in the airport terminal.

“Boys, the first photographer or camera I see in the next few days, I will leave the next day and tell everybody that Porto Santo was a disaster, okay?” Alonso can be seen stating on Portuguese television. “So, please, calm down otherwise I will leave tomorrow and Porto Santo…(thumbs down), okay?” 

Gascoyne: ‘Lotus’ situation a great shame

Mike Gascoyne has labelled the overall situation ‘a great shame’, with regards to the Renault F1 Team being relabelled 'Lotus Renault GP' and therefore meaning two ‘Lotus’ teams will be on the Formula 1 grid this year, with his own ‘Lotus Racing’ squad now renamed as ‘Team Lotus’.



Mike Gascoyne, 
Chief Technical Officer of recently renamed Team Lotus
Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer of recently renamed Team Lotus
The ‘Lotus’ name made its return to the sport in 2010, with Gascoyne and Tony Fernandes introducing Lotus Racing as one of a trio of debutant teams.

However, the Renault squad has now been renamed following a buy-in from Norfolk-based sports car manufacturer Group Lotus – an entirely separate company to that of Gascoyne.

“I think it’s a great shame,” the Chief Technical Officer explained to Paul Tan’s automotive blog of Malaysia. “On one level Tony’s stressed to everyone that a team is about the people in the team and whatever we’re called isn’t going to change what we are as a team and we’ve built up that team and the fan base around the world and in Malaysia – we’ve built up that team and that isn’t going to change.

“For me as an engineer, whether you paint it green or black or pink or bright red…however fast the car goes at the first test won’t be affected at all by what the team is called. Having said that, I think we’re all intensely proud of what the team has achieved this year as Lotus Racing, bringing the name ‘Lotus’ back into Formula 1 – that can never be taken away from us.”

However, the Englishman admits that recent events have met a disappointing end.

“I think we brought tremendous value to the brand and we want to continue to do that,” Gascoyne continued. “For me, Lotus is about engineering – it’s about building, engineering and racing racing cars; that’s what Team Lotus did, it did it in Norfolk and that’s what we’ve done here in Norfolk.



Kubica and 
Petrov are driving for 'Lotus Renault GP' in 2011
Kubica and Petrov are driving for 'Lotus Renault GP' in 2011
“Was Colin Chapman and Lotus about branding a French car as ‘Lotus’? I’m not so sure it was; I think Colin Chapman was one of the great innovators in Formula 1 and when he brought sponsorship into Formula 1 I think he thought he’d be receiving it, not giving it out, but that’s for Tony and the shareholders to work on.

“As I say, we feel we’ve got the best shareholders in Formula 1, we’re very proud to work for them and we’re going to repay them by working hard and designing them a quicker car; they can call it anything they like and we’ll still be doing that job for them, but there is still a sense of pride of bringing Lotus back into Formula 1.”