Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/31/1820329/no-injuries-in-fire-at-joe-gibbs.html
Dienstag, 31. Januar 2012
Whitmarsh: Hamilton is ?his own sternest critic? | F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Martin Whitmarsh defends Lewis Hamilton's performance in 2011.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/qVYIoO8brOM/
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/
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/
Team order rule needs a re-think
 Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
?Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari?s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari?s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
?The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.?The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them �65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Jules Bianchi gets third driver role at Force India | 2012 F1 season
Jules Bianchi will be Force India's third driver for the forthcoming season.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/Ftxj4iPQv3s/
Montag, 30. Januar 2012
McLaren ? Hamilton is ?getting himself together?
Ahead of the 2012 Formula 1 season, McLaren have spoken about Lewis Hamilton’s progress in the winter months. The 2008 World Champion had a difficult 2011 – both on and off the race track – but team director Jonathan Neale is convinced that positive times are ahead. Speaking about Hamilton, he said: “He’s winter training [...]
F1: Barrichello Admits IndyCar Switch Possible
19 year Formula One veteran weighing options...
Source: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-rubens-barrichello-admits-indycar-switch-possible/
2013 Ford Fiesta facelift spied hiding a new front end
The current Ford Fiesta has now been on the market since 2008 meaning it is due a mid-cycle facelift pretty soon.Best kit to make a 1973 F Bomb Camaro?
i was thinking of gettin a 1970.5 baldwin motion camaro and modifying it but is there a better kit? many thanks
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/999192.aspx
Ferrari ? Things have to change
Ferrari have been speaking about the changes they will be making for the 2012 Formula 1 season. In recent times, they have struggled to match Ferrari and McLaren for success and they want this to change from now on. Referring to the effort they are putting in, team boss�Stefano Domenicali said: “The situation shouldn’t be [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/LnrohYobz4I/ferrari-things-have-to-change
2013 BMW M6 unofficially confirmed for public debut in Geneva
The M6 to accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100kph) in 4.2 seconds. Assuming we are talking about the coupe, this is 0.2 seconds quicker than its predecessor and suggests the convertible will achieve a time of around 4.5 seconds.Sonntag, 29. Januar 2012
Lingenfelter Chevy Camaro Signature Series revealed
Lingenfelter has introduced two new tuning packages for the Chevrolet Camaro. Learn more insideJake Humphrey's season review
I should have known what to expect from this season when we went on air for the first time in Australia back in March.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel went on to win the race in Melbourne without really breaking a sweat, while expert pundit David Coulthard ended up with cake on his face during the post-race F1 Forum thanks to a very over-excited world champion.
Dominance and madness in one go.
Since then, Vettel has won almost every race, while we've had masses of fun and games on camera as we traversed the globe. I have plenty of highlights from a season that has been, without question, the most rewarding of my three years. At the same time, it has been one of the most difficult and surreal. But more of that later...
First the fun! One of the things I've loved about the coverage we've provided since 2009 has been the genuine human emotion that only live sport can deliver. The F1 Forum, in particular, has given us a chance to see a side to the sport that was previously hidden, usually because all the TV crews had long since stopped work.
A stand-out moment for me occurred in the F1 Forum after the Monaco GP. We headed up to the Red Bull Barge - or the 'float-a-home' as it's nicknamed - where the team were celebrating their second successive win in the race.
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First, Vettel went into the pool, followed by various Red Bull team members, making it inevitable that Eddie Jordan would join them. I must confess that, as I challenged Eddie to go and grab the race winner, I knew he was likely to end up in the drink... and that's precisely what happened. EJ losing his glasses and proceeding to do duck-dive after duck-dive to retrieve them will live with me forever. All on live TV, let me remind you.
We then got a glimpse of just how brave the strong, fearless, race-winning F1 star DC really is. As soon as it looked like he would be the next one to get a soaking, he suddenly grabbed both his mic and the nearest railing for dear life. Cries of "No, I'm wearing white jeans!" and "No, I'm holding a microphone!" fell on deaf ears.
We often see drivers wearing race suits, helmets on their heads, wrapped inside a shell of carbon fibre. We never really get to know the human being behind the mask. I hope that, as the year progressed, you have felt you've got to know the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber as never before.
After the careers they've had and the success and the riches that have come their way, it would be very easy for Eddie and DC to not bother going the extra-mile for the good of the coverage, too. Yet they have. Early starts, late finishes, being asked to do ludicrous things and always buying into it... they've done it all. In fact, EJ refusing to go on the Abu Dhabi rollercoaster was just about the only time he has said 'no' in three years!
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I remember heading to a shopping centre in India to film a Bollywood opening to a show. When the nearby Metallica gig was cancelled, 40,000 very unhappy heavy metal fans suddenly surrounded the car. It was a little scary until EJ decided to engage them in conversation to find out what was going on. Moment defused!
That first trip to India was fascinating. I found it particularly difficult and struggled on a daily basis with the contrast between the glitz and glamour of F1 and a country with such obvious socio-economic issues. It was hard to see the poverty as we headed to the track every day, then watch million-pound cars going round in circles. I sincerely hope that F1 makes a concerted effort to give something back to India in the coming years.
It was good to chat that weekend to Rowan Atkinson. But after creating such genius TV as Blackadder, it's sad to think he's globally famous as Mr Bean! Great he could join us on the show, though. To have 'George McCartney' (copyright E Jordan) with us in Abu Dhabi was also special. The only reason McCartney and Atkinson came to chat to us was because of Eddie. It's amazing the power he actually wields!
At this point, let me congratulate Eddie on raising more than £100,000 for Children In Need with his signed Indian GP shirt. He forced all the drivers to sign it, as well as Bernie Ecclestone and Macca.
DC has also really come into his own this year. Whether he's taking on Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button in a pit-stop challenge or on a jet-ski, he's become a credible, eloquent and respected pundit. Added to that, he knows how it feels to win races, fight for titles and drive contemporary F1 machinery.
Jake Humphrey and Eddie Jordan meet Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney. Photo: Getty
He's also rather naughty, using his weekly track guides to educate Sergio Perez about the perks of being an F1 driver, to tell Vettel about the German-speaking films he watched as a kid, or to make Karun Chandhok, who was busy minding his own business by cycling the track, re-enact Hamilton's crash with Webber in Singapore.
I'd just like to say how much I've loved working with both EJ and DC over the past three years. It's rare to find three people who just seem to click, but we have and it's been an incredibly rewarding time.
Despite Vettel being so dominant, I've really enjoyed the racing in 2011.
The new DRS overtaking aid on the cars has been toyed with by the FIA during the year but I think they've generally got the balance right now after the slightly embarrassing overtaking-laden Turkish Grand Prix.
What has really got me excited this year, though, have been the Pirelli tyres. Yes, the teams have worked really hard to nullify the effects of marginal tyres, but they have still added to the spectacle. Next year, Pirelli will be even smarter and more aggressive with tyre choice, so I think the tyres will really ask questions of the strategies that teams employ. If they get it right, Pirelli could again be the difference between a good season and a great season in 2012.
And what about my classic moments of 2011? Well, Canada stands out. We had international pop star Rihanna trying out Hamilton's car, DC demonstrating his knowledge of ornithology and Star Wars creator George Lucas chatting to us in the garage... all while a race should have been taking place!
When the racing eventually started, it didn't disappoint, did it? Button was incredible that day and I'd like to extend my thanks to him and all the other drivers who have made themselves so accessible this season.
The F1 Forum has been a magnet for race winners, from Vettel in tears as he watched our 'back-to-back champions' tape, to EJ, DC, Martin Brundle and me leaning over flight cases and around photographers in an attempt to get to Hamilton after his race win in Abu Dhabi. All great times.
It's worth pointing out that the drivers are not obliged to join us live pre-race, before or after qualifying, or on the F1 Forum. They choose to do it, which I think speaks volumes for both our coverage and about the drivers themselves. Thanks, guys.
After all that fun over the last eight months, we get to take a breath, grab a winter holiday, then do it all over again come March 2012. So what can you expect from the BBC next year and how will we make a very different season just as interesting to watch?
Well, the first thing to say is that EVERY race will be on the BBC.
I know you guys want live F1 but you will still get plenty of racing to watch - and often at much better times. Australia, Japan and Malaysia, for example, are races that take place in the early hours in the United Kingdom but we will show almost the whole race at 2pm. As well as that, the programme will be two hours long, so there will be plenty of action and reaction. For non-live races that are run at lunchtime in the UK, you can now enjoy a Sunday out, get home for 5.30pm and have 90 minutes of F1 in a peak-time slot.
The highlights will not just be a few token laps edited together either. We're talking extended, comprehensive highlights to really tell the story of the grand prix.
I can also reveal that the BBC presentation team will be at all the races, so the guys and I will be interviewing drivers, bringing you the usual banter and hosting the show in the way you've come to expect since 2009. So expect F1 Forums and the usual 60-minute build-up for live races. Plus we will have in-depth analysis from DC and others, as well as stacks of driver interviews for the highlights races.
Yes, it's a shame we haven't got 100% live F1. As a fan, I would dearly love to host every race live and you can only imagine how hard and uncertain it has been for all of us since Hungary, when the new rights deal was announced.
The team works so hard to make F1 a success on the BBC and it hurts that, after all that effort we've put in, things have changed. But the BBC has backed us with great on-air times and, as I have said, will be sending us to every race, while the usual back-room talent will be making every show special.
Thanks so much for your support, loyalty and viewership over the last three years. I promise you that, if you stick with the BBC, we won't disappoint in 2012. I am personally driven to make next year's coverage even better than ever before.
Have a great winter and I look forward to you getting a lie-in before I welcome you to the Australian Grand Prix in less than four months.
All the best,
Jake
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2011/11/jake_humphreys_2011_season_rev.html
Follow that Mole?
Click here for the latest news from the Motor Racing and Trade Development Department of the Secret Intelligence Service. This week there is scandal involving Tamara E, and Dany B.
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/follow-that-mole/
Gascoyne says EBD ban and KERS introduction will help Caterham | 2012 F1 season
Caterham chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne says the team stand to benefit from the ban on exhaust-blown diffusers in 2012.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/s2zDAx--n7U/
Heikki Kovalainen - Classic F1
Heikki Kovalainen is the driver picking his five favourite all-time grands prix for the penultimate edition of BBC Sport's 2011 classic Formula 1 series.
The Finn has re-established his reputation with Team Lotus in 2010-11 after two years at McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton that were, by Kovalainen's own admission, "disappointing in terms of results".
So it is appropriate he has chosen five of his own races, as they remind us that he is a race winner in his own right and not simply one of F1's top drivers.
Kovalainen is trying to re-establish his F1 career at Lotus. Photo: Getty
In chronological order, the 30-year-old talks through his choices, starting with the race that stopped him getting the sack after a shaky start to his debut season with Renault:
"A very difficult weekend. One of the low points of my F1 career. I think Flavio [Briatore, the Renault team boss] was very close to getting rid of me. His patience was running out.�I crashed the car on Friday and it didn't look good in the first part of qualifying.�I honestly think he would have sacked me after that race if I hadn't come through the field and finished fourth, fighting actually for a podium with [Williams driver] Alex Wurz.�
"After that, I finished a strong fifth in Indy, beating Kimi [Raikkonen of Ferrari]. From then on, things started to work in the right direction.�I probably didn't realise at the time that it was that much on the line. I just thought: 'It's not working, let's try again tomorrow.'�But looking back now I think my career was at stake. Some other people have told me that. Luckily, he [Briatore] gave me some more races and things started to go well.�
"In Canada, Robert Kubica had a big accident. I was just exiting the hairpin and I saw the accident to my side and thought: 'That's going to be a safety car.'�I was just coming up to a pit stop and I decided to go into the pits myself. I called the team and said: 'There's going to be a safety car.' And they were like: 'No, no, no.' I said: 'Yeah. I'm sure there will be.' And as soon as I left the pits I saw the safety car, so I jumped a lot of people. If I had stayed out I probably wouldn't have been able to finish fourth."
"It was my first podium in F1 and with Renault. It was raining a lot, quite difficult conditions. We started behind the safety car, then [I was] coming through [the field] all the way through the race. I found I was in second place and fighting with Kimi on the last lap. He passed me, I passed him back, and I was able to keep him behind me.�
"Of course, it mattered that it was Kimi and a Ferrari. Kimi was at that time one of the big names, one of the guys fighting for the championship. To be able to beat him as a rookie, in a car that wasn't as good as his car, was a great moment.�
"Obviously, the circumstances worked out very well for us. The strategy was good and the rain maybe it evened out a bit.�It was a tricky race and Kimi was also coming through the field. Maybe a few more laps and he would have got me."
"My first race at McLaren and I came very close to winning it.�[Team-mate] Lewis [Hamilton] had done his second pit stop, I was coming up to mine. I had just done the fastest lap of the race and I was catching him.�
"He was on full fuel and I had a few extra laps before the end of my stint, so I was actually gaining a couple of seconds a lap on him. The team thought about stopping, but we decided to go to the planned end of my stint. Then the safety car came out.�
"I remember being behind the safety car at the head of the queue. Most of the guys behind me had stopped, so I dropped to 10th and eventually fought back to fifth. I overtook Kimi and Fernando [Alonso's Renault]. It was good. But imagine starting your McLaren career with a victory; it would have been quite cool.
"At the time I was annoyed, but what can you do? It was the right choice to stay out to fight for a win. If we had taken the conservative approach and stopped earlier, I would have been second, but we had good pace and going quicker and quicker. It was just unfortunate the safety car came out."
Hungary 2008
"My first win. I was in a good position all the way through the weekend. After Lewis had a puncture, I was running second all the way through the race. Then at the end I was catching Felipe Massa's Ferrari by two seconds a lap.�
"I knew he was in trouble. We were running out of laps. Then I saw his engine go. There are no style points in F1. It was a great moment.�I knew now was a good chance to win the race. I had a good cushion behind me to Timo [Glock's Toyota]. I didn't have to push. I was able to ease off a little bit and finish the job.�It was nice to win a race.
"It was a good part of the season [for me]. I was on pole at Silverstone and I didn't finish off that race. Hockenheim was a little bit unfortunate - I was in a position to be on the podium and then it didn't work out for me with the safety car. Then to get the victory just before the summer break was great."
"Looking at the performance of the [Lotus] car, I think I got everything out of it. I remember fighting with [Renault's Vitaly] Petrov and some other guys in better cars for quite a long time, knocking on the [door of the] top 10.�But then the power steering broke five laps before the end and I had to stop. It was a good race - I was able to build a big gap to the other new teams and join the back of the [midfield] queue."
Kovalainen has chosen Hungary 2008 as his favourite race. The highlights are embedded below, with short and extended highlights of last year's title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix underneath to whet your appetites for the weekend's action.�
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CLICK HERE TO WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
The classic races will also be available on digital television in the UK. On Freeview, they will be broadcast between the two free practice sessions on Friday 11 November, from 1035 and 1255 GMT. On satellite and cable, they will be available from 1500 GMT on Wednesday 9 November to 1000 on Thursday 10 November, from 1030-1430 and 1830-2000 on Thursday, and from 1035 -1255 on Friday.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/11/heikki_kovalainen_-_classic_f1.html
Samstag, 28. Januar 2012
Why is the primer cracking?
Hey everyone! As the post says i primed a model and now its cracking. I put my other projects aside and am doing a weekend box stock project.
I washed all the parts and dryed them with a clean lint free rag. I shooked the can of Rustoleum filler primer for about a minute and sprayed the body and hood. after about 20 minutes i checked on the parts and i noticed some cracking. i shooked the can again about another minute and sprayed a 2nd coat of primer. some spots that had cracks are gone for the most part but i noticed some more cracking in other areas. Its not cracking like in the middle of a panel but it has some cracking around the molded trim. any ideas? i have used rustoleum filler primer before and never had this problem.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/998890.aspx
1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda WIP
I'm starting another build and I was looking for some inspiration in an old magazine and ran across this 71 Cuda 440 Clone. I have this kit in the closet and it doesn't look too complicated so here I go! I don't have the Sassy Grass Green paint but I do have a bottle of Lime Green metallic that is a 70 Plymouth color and will probably pass for the Amber Sherwood Poly for 1971. Its a little darker but should work. I will be able to do another vinyl top which I enjoyed on the 67 Chevelle I built and I think i still have a few B F Goodrich radials somewhere around here. So its time to get started! Thanks for looking!
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/998855.aspx
Robert Kubica Could Be Ruled Out For At Least A Year Following Accident
Polish racing driver Robert Kubica will spend at least one whole year recovering from a rally crash he suffered this morning, according to his surgeon. Kubica, who races for Renault Lotus crashed the Skoda Fabia rally car this morning and was airlifted to hospital suffering serious injuries. He has spent many hours in surgery, with [...]
Better racing - but is it fake?
In Monaco before Christmas, Formula 1's governing body held a meeting to discuss one of the key and most controversial aspects of 2011 - the Drag Reduction System or DRS.
Introduced amid much controversy and no small amount of trepidation in some quarters, questions about the validity of the overtaking aid, not to mention the wisdom of employing it, decreased during the season. So much so that, at the Monaco meeting, it was decided that only small refinements needed to be made to its use for the 2012 campaign.
But while the FIA and the teams all agree that DRS has played a valuable role in improving F1 as a spectacle, they are determined to ensure it performs in the way intended. In particular, no-one wants to cheapen one of the central aspects of a driver's skill by making overtaking too easy.
Sebastian Vettel enters the DRS zone at the Spanish Grand Prix. Photo: Getty
To recap briefly, DRS was introduced in an attempt to solve the perennial problem of there being too little overtaking. After years - decades even - of discussions, F1's technical brains hit on what they thought could be a solution: DRS.
DRS does what it says on the tin. When deployed, the top part of the rear wing moves upwards, reducing drag and giving a boost in straight-line speed. In races, drivers could use it only if they were within a second of the car in front at a "detection point" shortly before the "DRS zone". The DRS zone was where DRS could be deployed, which was usually the track's longest straight.
The idea was to make overtaking possible but not too easy.
There is no doubt that racing improved immeasurably as a spectacle in 2011 compared with previous seasons. But how big a role did DRS play? And did overtaking become too easy at some tracks and remain too hard at others?
It is a more complex issue than it at first appears because it is not always easy to tell from the outside whether an overtaking move was a result of DRS or not.
In Turkey and Belgium, for example, several drivers sailed past rivals in the DRS zone long before the end of it, leading many to think the device had made overtaking too easy.
But, armed with statistics, FIA race director Charlie Whiting says appearances were deceptive. What was making overtaking easy at those two races, he said, was the speed advantage of the car behind as the two cars battling for position came off the corner before the DRS zone.
Whiting showed me a spreadsheet detailing the speeds of the respective cars in all the overtaking manoeuvres that happened in the Belgian GP.
"This shows very clearly that when the speed delta [difference] between the two cars at the beginning of the zone is low, then overtaking is not easy," he said. "But if one car goes through Eau Rouge that bit quicker, sometimes you had a speed delta of 18km/h (11mph). Well, that's going to be an overtake whether you've got DRS or not."
According to Whiting, the statistics show that if the two cars come off the corner into the DRS zone at similar speeds, then the driver behind needs to be far closer than the one-second margin that activates the DRS if he is to overtake.
"One second is the activation but that won't do it for you," Whiting said. "You've got to be 0.4secs behind to get alongside into the braking zone."
Confusing the picture in 2011 - particularly early in the season - was the fast-wearing nature of the new Pirelli tyres, which led to huge grip differences between cars at various points of the races. A driver on fresher tyres would come off a corner much faster and brake that much later for the next one. That would have a far greater impact on the ease of an overtaking move than DRS ever would.
Critics of DRS might argue that while it may be useful at tracks where overtaking has traditionally been difficult, like Melbourne, Valencia and Barcelona, for example, it is debatable whether there is a need for it at circuits where historically there has been good racing, like Turkey, Belgium and Brazil.
According to Whiting, DRS does not diminish the value of an overtaking move at tracks where it is usually easy to pass. It just means that DRS opens up the possibility for more. In other words, it works just as it does at any other track.
McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe is an influential member of the Technical Working Group of leading engineers which came up with DRS. He said people had been arguing for years that engineers should alter the fundamental design of cars to facilitate overtaking.
However, tinkering with aerodynamic design was never going to be a solution, according to Lowe, because F1 cars will always need downforce to produce such high performance, and that means overtaking will always, by the cars' nature, be difficult.
"What's great [about DRS is] at least we can move on from this debate of trying to change the aerodynamic characteristics of cars to try to improve overtaking," added Lowe.
"We've found something much more authoritative, much cheaper, easier and more effective, and adjustable from race to race."
Whiting thinks DRS worked as expected everywhere except Melbourne and Valencia.
Valencia's DRS zone could be extended for 2012. Photo: Getty
So for next season's opening race in Australia, he is considering adding a second DRS zone after the first chicane, so drivers who have used DRS to draw close to rivals along the pit straight can have another crack at overtaking straight afterwards. As for Valencia, traditionally the least entertaining race of the year, the FIA will simply make the zone, which is located on the run to Turn 12, longer.
There is potentially one big negative about DRS, though.
There is a risk that its introduction could mean the end of races in which a driver uses his skills to hold off a rival in a faster car. Some of the greatest defensive victories of the modern age have been achieved in this way. One thinks of Gilles Villeneuve holding off a train of four cars in his powerful but poor-handling Ferrari to win in Jarama in 1981, or Fernando Alonso fending off Michael Schumacher's faster Ferrari at Imola in 2005.
The idea behind the introduction of DRS was for a much faster car to be able to overtake relatively easily but for passing still to be difficult between two cars of comparative performance. In theory, if that philosophy is adhered to rigidly, the sorts of races mentioned above will still be possible.
However, once an aid has been introduced that gives the driver behind a straight-line speed advantage that is an incredibly difficult line to walk, as Whiting himself admits. "You've got to take the rough with the smooth to a certain extent," he said.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/drs.html
56 Chevy Moderate custom
I started work on this 56 Chevy moderate custom about two weeks ago. I prepped the body and used Tamiya white primer, with a coat of Tamiya pearl-white. I have been doing the panels with Tamiya clear orange and lots of masking tape. The clear orange looks more yellow over the white, but I like where it;s heading. Going to get some Bare-metal foil on it, and get some clear laid on next.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/998134.aspx
Fernandes: scoring a point ?has to be the aim? in 2012 | 2012 F1 cars
Tony Fernandes says Caterham must score its first points in Formula 1 in 2012.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/sB-Q4D1oZLo/
McLaren ? Hamilton is ?getting himself together?
Ahead of the 2012 Formula 1 season, McLaren have spoken about Lewis Hamilton’s progress in the winter months. The 2008 World Champion had a difficult 2011 – both on and off the race track – but team director Jonathan Neale is convinced that positive times are ahead. Speaking about Hamilton, he said: “He’s winter training [...]
Freitag, 27. Januar 2012
Pirelli reveal softer compounds and new tyre colours for 2012 | 2012 F1 season
Pirelli will supply softer tyres in 2012 in a bid to further improve the standard of racing in Formula 1.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/TXhpQFR-Ibs/
71 OLDS DELTA 88 ENG & INTERIOR UPDATE 1/27/12
Finished the engine and interior now back to the sanding
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/998603.aspx
'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
Obama's Chrysler 300C on eBay for $1 million
It sounds insane to ask for a cool million bucks for a 2005 Chrysler 300C, but in reality when the previous owner is the President of the United States of America, anything is possible.Team order rule needs a re-think
| Jean Todt arives for Wednesday's hearing |
?Whether you are for or against team orders, if the FIA could not back up its own rules and nail a competitor in a blatant case such as this the rule really does need reviewing. Perhaps Ferrari?s thinly-veiled threat to take the matter to the civil courts if they were punished too harshly scared the governing body, who as much as admitted the flimsiness of its rule."Paul Weaver, reporting for the Guardian in Monza, was in favour of the ruling which keeps alive Ferrari?s slim chances in an enthralling championship.
?The World Motor Sport Council was right not to ruin a compelling Formula One season by taking away the 25 points Alonso collected in Germany. That would have put him out of the five-man title race. But the council was widely expected to increase the fine and possibly deduct points from the team, as opposed to the individual. In the end, it could be argued that common sense prevailed. But the decision will dismay those who were upset by the way Ferrari handled the situation as much as anything else.?The Daily Mail's Jonathan McEvoy expressed outrage at the FIA tearing up its own rule book by allowing Ferrari to escape unpunished.
"Although the race stewards fined them �65,000 for giving team orders in July, the FIA World Motor Sport Council, to whom the matter was referred, decided not to impose any further punishment. It leaves the sport's rulers open to derision. It was, after all, their rule they undermined. In a statement, the WMSC said the regulation banning team orders 'should be reviewed'."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/team_order_rule_needs_a_rethin_1.php
Donnerstag, 26. Januar 2012
Journalists shocked at Korea award
 Scarecrows adorn the entrance to a barren Korean International Circuit |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/12/journalists_shocked_at_korea_a.php
Protests raise fresh concerns over Bahrain GP
Fresh doubts have emerged about the viability of this year's Bahrain Grand Prix after a human rights group in the Gulf kingdom called on the Formula 1 teams to boycott the race in the wake of continuing civil unrest.
It is the first public intervention by an interested party on the subject of the wisdom of holding the race since F1's governing body the FIA confirmed Bahrain's place on the 2012 calendar last month.
Bahrain's inclusion on the official schedule raised eyebrows. That's because unrest continues there, despite pledges by the ruling royal family to increase human rights and democratic representation in an attempt to move on from the disturbances that led to the cancellation of last year's race.
The call for a boycott - by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) - became public two days after police were accused of beating a leading opposition activist on the back, neck and head at a rally on Friday.
Bahrain's Sakir International Circuit has not had a Grand Prix since 2010. Photo: Getty
That man was the vice-president of the BCHR, Nabeel Rajab, who also happens to be the man who gave the interview calling for the boycott of the race.
Rajab told a leading Arab business magazine: "We will campaign for... drivers and teams to boycott. The government wants Formula 1 to tell the outside world that everything is back to normal.
"Formula 1, if they come, they are helping the government to say [it is normal]. We would prefer it if they didn't take part. I am sure the drivers and teams respect human rights."
F1, then, appears headed for another long-running saga over whether the Bahrain race can go ahead this year - just as in 2011, when it was four months between the outbreak of civil unrest and the race finally being cancelled.
During that time, it became clear that F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone was keen for the event to take place, despite the concerns of many both inside and outside the sport that holding a race would send the wrong message.
Those concerns remain alive today.
Ecclestone was unavailable for comment, but I understand he and the FIA are still determined to hold this year's race.
At the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix six weeks ago, he told BBC Sport: "It's on the calendar. We'll be there. Unless something terrible happens to stop us."
Asked if he had any concerns about the race becoming a magnet for problems in the kingdom, he said: "No, I don't see that."
On Monday, the race organisers insisted the race should go ahead, pointing out that the government had already started down the path to reform and insisting that the race was "supported by an overwhelming majority of people from all sections of society in Bahrain and represents a symbol of national unity".
But within F1 teams, there are murmurings of unease. No-one will publicly comment on the situation, let alone call for the race to be boycotted, but some insiders do believe there is a strong chance the race will be called off.
For the teams and other stakeholders in F1, such as sponsors and suppliers, it is not so much a question of the lack of human rights in Bahrain per se. After all, it is far from the only grand prix venue where there are concerns on that subject; indeed, very few countries have blemish-free records.
Nor, assuming the situation in Bahrain does not escalate, does it seem there is a serious concern that the safety of personnel who would attend the race would be threatened.
Of greater relevance is the effect going there could have on the organisations involved.
The big problem with Bahrain is that the race is so closely tied to the royal family - particularly the crown prince, the King's son. So it will inevitably become a target for protests - as has now happened with Bahrain Human Rights Watch linking the two things directly.
Last year, the opposition declared a "day of rage" for the date of the race, and some in F1 say they expect a similar thing to happen imminently for race day this year - 22 April.
Once human rights groups have linked the race to the problems in the country, it becomes very uncomfortable for the major global companies in F1 to be associated with it. For them, it would directly contradict with their global social responsibility programmes, which have become so important to many international companies.
This is one of the main reasons the situation came to a head last year. While the teams were careful to say nothing along these lines publicly, several of them let it be known privately to Ecclestone and the FIA that either they or their sponsors were not happy about attending the race.
Among those with the biggest concerns were Mercedes - which runs its own team as well as supplying engines to McLaren and Force India - and F1's only tyre supplier, Pirelli. Neither was available for comment on Monday.
I'm told, though, that these two, among others, remain concerned about holding a race in 2012. If Mercedes were to decide not to go, that would mean a grid shorn of six of its 24 cars. If Pirelli followed suit, no-one could race.
It is unlikely to come to that, of course.
One insider said that, of those with the power to do so, no-one wants to call the race off, as whoever does will be out of pocket.
If Ecclestone or the FIA jump first, the Bahrainis don't have to pay their race fee, whereas if the Bahrainis themselves decide to call the race off, F1 gets to keep the cash. And when it is a reputed �25m you're talking about, that's a serious consideration, whoever you are.
Last year, it was Bahrain who ultimately made the call - after it became clear that there was a serious threat of a boycott if they did not.
Will it get that far this time? No-one knows, but Ecclestone is unlikely to be in any hurry to move the situation along.
What would you do if trouble did flare up in February or March, I asked him in Brazil.
"I'd wait and see what happened and then decide," he replied. "Up to now they [the Bahrain royal family] have done everything they said they were going to do."
The next two months are likely to be a game of brinksmanship over who blinks first, with quiet diplomacy taking place behind the scenes. Whatever solution is found is unlikely to be a quick one.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/01/protests_raise_fresh_concerns.html
AMA SBK: Preseason Notebook
The AMA Pro Road Racing scene is starting to heat up with Daytona just around the corner?
Source: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-preseason-notebook/
Audi A4/S4 by ABT Sportsline
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The facelift version of the Audi A4 is on sale in Europe and will go on sale in the USA in the summer of 2012. In this short time, the model has already received a number of significant upgrades, but German tuner, ABT Sportsline, is adding another one to the faster version of the A4, the S4. Their package, called the AS4, includes a series of exterior upgrades and some serious engine boosts to allow the A4 to excel.
The exterior changes were made to improve the car’s aerodynamics and were kept to a minimum. These changes include a new air dam, new side sills and wing inserts, aerofoils, rear apron inserts, a two-pipe exhaust system, and, of course, a new set of alloy wheels.
Under the hoods of the different versions of the A4, the most impressive changes were made for the S4. The Audi S4’s 3.0 L TFSI V6 engine was pumped up to 435 HP from the standard 333 HP. The top speed limiter has also been removed, providing the luxury sedan with a top speed of 175 mph, while the 0 to 60 mph sprint is made in 4.8 seconds. The 3.0 TDI engine has also been increased from 245 HP to 282 HP, while the tiny four-cylinder version, the 2.0 TFSI, goes from 211 HP to 275 HP.
Audi A4/S4 by ABT Sportsline originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 18:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/audi/2012-audi-a4-s4-by-abt-sportsline-ar123680.html
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