‘The point of no confidence is quite near’
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 30th, 2012 | 0 comments  The wreckage of Jochen Rindt’s car at Barcelona |
An excellent insight into the world of F1 as it used to be can be found on the regularly-interesting Letters of Note website. It publishes a hitherto unseen letter from Jochen Rindt to Lotus boss Colin Chapman written shortly after Rindt?s crash at Barcelona which was a result of the wing system on Lotus 49 collapsing at speed.
?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.
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Spanish investment firm buys F1 team HRT (PA SportsTicker)
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 30th, 2012 | 0 commentsInvestment firm Thesan Capital has bought Spanish Formula One team Hispania Racing.
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Lotus Vehicle Development on Temporary Hold, Long-Term Ownership Undecided
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 30th, 2012 | 0 commentsWhen Lotus CEO Dany Bahar told Evo magazine earlier this month that new-vehicle development at his company was effectively on ?lockdown? for three months, it was a signal flare sent to the world?s enthusiasts. Yes, we?ve thought for some time now that Lotus?s plans for an extensive new-model lineup were more vapor than valid, but [...]
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Ferrari director ?disappointed? with performance level
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 30th, 2012 | 0 commentsFerrari Technical director Pat Fry has said that he doesn’t expect the team to start the 2012 season well. Who remembers the 1988 Austalian Grand Prix? Many have suggested that Ferrari need to hit the ground running to improve on last year, but Fry is in a rather pessimistic mood. Speaking at the end of a tough pre-season, [...]
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Gordon seeking to rebound at Martinsville
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 29th, 2012 | 0 commentsTeam orders in spotlight again
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 29th, 2012 | 0 comments  Will Christian Horner regret not utilising team orders in Brazil? |
Michael Spearman of The Sun, says that the £65,000 fine Ferrari received for breaching the team orders ban in Germany will seem like loose change if Fernando Alonso wins the drivers? title in Abu Dhabi.
?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.?
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Raikkonen: Lotus has front-row pace
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 29th, 2012 | 0 commentsKimi Raikkonen believes his Lotus had the potential to be inside the top two in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, had not made a mistake on his Q3 flying lap at Sepang. Raikkonen will start from 10th on the grid in Sunday’s race after the team was forced to change his car’s gearbox, but Raikkonen believes his pace was good enough to contend for pole; on paper, at least
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Webber ?will threaten? Vettel in 2012
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 29th, 2012 | 0 commentsBernie Ecclestone has stated his belief that Mark Webber could be Sebastian Vettel’s biggest rival for the title this year. Check out our review of Red Bull in 2011! Webber failed to win a race last year of course, but Ecclestone is convinced that the Australian will improve, threatening his Red Bull team-mate along the [...]
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2013 Scion FR-S Priced for U.S., Starts Just Under $25K
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 28th, 2012 | 0 commentsScion has announced pricing for its all-new 2013 FR-S sports coupe, which will go on sale this spring. This particular fruit of the joint Toyota/Subaru project will start at $24,930 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, while cars with the six-speed auto?the more efficient choice, according to EPA estimates released earlier this week?will start [...]
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Ford dominates Portugal qualifying
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 28th, 2012 | 0 commentsFord dominated qualifying for the 2012 Rally of Portugal, with Jari-Matti Latvala ending the three-mile stage 1.771 seconds faster than anybody. Running in championship order, Latvala backed up his fastest time in the morning’s free practice with an unbeaten time of 3m01.884s.
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Roush Fenway Rewind: Rain doesn’t stop Roush Fenway from having respectable finishes
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 28th, 2012 | 0 commentsMichael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic even more efficient
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 28th, 2012 | 0 comments
Ford Europe has announced the start of production of the new Fiesta ECOnetic which delivers improved efficiency.
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BMW recalls 1.3 million vehicles
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 28th, 2012 | 0 comments
BMW AG issued a recall yesterday for 1.3 million cars to repair a battery cable cover located in the trunk. The defect affects 5- and 6-Series models built between 2003 and 2010.
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To America, Hamilton is the new Beckham
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 27th, 2012 | 0 commentsKyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani
Ferrari, Alonso score
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 27th, 2012 | 0 commentsCharles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Menzer: Roush Fenway running well; dominoes may fall (NASCAR.com)
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 27th, 2012 | 0 commentsMenzer: Roush Fenway running well; dominoes may fall
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Ericsson given grid penalty
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 27th, 2012 | 0 commentsMarcus Ericsson has been given a 10-place grid penalty for the next round of the GP2 championship at Sakhir for causing a collision during the Sepang sprint race on Sunday.
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Volkswagen XL1 Spied: The Hypermiler Becomes Reality
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 27th, 2012 | 0 commentsVolkswagen is producing a small series of its XL1 “1-liter car,” its nickname referring to the fuel (1 liter, or .26 gallons) needed to travel 100 kilometers (62 miles). The ultra-efficient two-seater will be launched in the 2013 calendar year, VW confirms. Spy shots that recently surfaced show a low, aerodynamic coupe whose shape somewhat [...]
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2012 NSCS & NCWTS Martinsville Speedway Weekend Track Event Schedule
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 26th, 2012 | 0 commentsMARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY 2012 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES EVENT SCHEDULE Goody’s Fast Relief 500 LogoThursday, March 29th 11:00 AM NCWTS HAULERS ENTER & UNLOAD 11:30 AM NCWTS REGISTRATION OPENS 12:00 PM NCWTS GARAGE OPENS 3:00 PM NCWTS HAULERS EXIT INFIELD 4:30 PM NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES 5:00 PM NSCS HAULERS…more»
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Castroneves ends victory drought
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 26th, 2012 | 0 commentsHelio Castroneves has taken an emotional win in the IndyCar season-opening race on the streets of St Petersburg. The Brazilian crossed the finish line 5.5 seconds ahead of Scott Dixon to end a victory drought that had extended back to Motegi in 2010, and claim a win in the adopted home city of close friend Dan Wheldon, who was fatally injured in the final race of 2011. Castroneves chose Turn 10, which is built on a street that was renamed in Wheldon’s honour last week, to perform his trademark climb of the catch fencing after securing the victory
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Ricciardo: Silverstone debut a dream
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 26th, 2012 | 0 commentsDaniel Ricciardo admits it will be a dream come true when he lines up on the grid for the British Grand Prix this weekend. The Australian is making his grand prix debut at Silverstone, having replaced Narain Karthikeyan at the Hispania team for the rest of the season
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Malaysia Sunday quotes: Caterham
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 25th, 2012 | 0 commentsVitaly Petrov – 16th: “I am really happy with the performance today. We didn’t show the car’s true potential in qualifying, but today I was able to put in similar lap times to the cars ahead and didn’t make any mistakes in the tricky conditions. The car felt good all afternoon and the team worked really well to help me get the most out of it, both on the pitwall and with the stops, so I’m very pleased I’ve been able to record my first race finish for the team and to start to show what we can do in races
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Hamilton quickest in first practice
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 25th, 2012 | 0 commentsLewis Hamilton continued McLaren’s strong form by setting the fastest time in the opening free practice session ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. The Briton topped the morning by half a second over world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, with the two Mercedes next up. Melbourne winner Jenson Button was hampered by an oil leak and was back in ninth for McLaren.
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Video: 75 cars set new simultaneous burnout record in Sonoma, California
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on Mar 25th, 2012 | 0 comments
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Remember when we featured this record-breaking attempt last year in Australia, featuring 57 cars doing simultaneous burnouts?
It didn’t take long for that record to be eclipsed.
Earlier this week, 75 cars gathered at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California specifically for one purpose: break the almost year-old record that was set on the other side of the world in Australia.
The record attempt was to do simultaneous donuts for at least 15 seconds, which isn’t all that hard to do if you know the art of the burnout. Drivers from all over Northern California participated in the raceway?s weekly Sonoma Drift powered by NOS program. Now on its second year, the program provides drifters the perfect escape to hone their hooning skills in a safe, legal, and controlled environment.
The video was shot and sent over to the Guinness Book of World Records for confirmation, and should the governing body conclude that this attempt will stand, you can expect it to be hailed as the new record holder for most cars doing simultaneous burnouts.
Check out the video and see the record-breaking attempt for yourself.
Video: 75 cars set new simultaneous burnout record in Sonoma, California originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 24 March 2012 18:00 EST.
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