Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/29/1894261/nascar-lowers-boom-on-chad-knaus.html
Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett Tony Crook
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Patrese says Ferrari should hire an Italian | F1 Fanatic round-up
Patrese says Ferrari should hire an Italian is an original article from F1 Fanatic If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
In the round-up: Riccardo Patrese suggests Ferrari should replace Felipe Massa with a young Italian driver.
Patrese says Ferrari should hire an Italian is an original article from F1 Fanatic If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/Jf4Gep-lRl8/
Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza
The Old Masters at work
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is a virtuoso performer on an instrument known as “The Media”. He knows how to use the press perfectly to get what he wants. And when it comes to most of his comments, what he is really after is to have the chattering classes chattering. Talk sells tickets. When he [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/the-old-masters-at-work/
Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel Menato Boffa
Double BAFTA success for Senna movie
Senna has won the BAFTA awards for Best Documentary and Best Editing in tonight’s event at the Royal Opera House in London, giving F1 a boost in front of a star-studded audience that included the likes of Brad Pitt, George … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/02/12/double-bafta-success-for-senna-movie/
George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson
Dominant car? Great driver? Or a bit of both?
Sebastian Vettel's second world championship title was as remarkable for its control as much as the blinding speed of the German and his Red Bull.
Vettel based his season on a strategy of taking pole position, blitzing the first two laps and from then on going only as fast as he needed to.
The plan generally worked to perfection - Vettel took 11 wins and 15 poles from 19 grands prix - but it left you wondering just how fast he and the Red Bull could have gone.
In Brazil, I asked him if, with the title already in the bag, he had ever been tempted to just go for it, to really push the car and himself to the absolute limits. He replied that he had done just that in Korea and India, the scenes of two of his most dominant wins. "We were able to explore and sometimes take a little bit more risk," Vettel told me.
Despite Vettel's domination in 2011, there were very few of the runaway wins normally seen when one car is superior to the rest. Quite often, the races looked competitive, with Vettel tantalisingly close to - but frustratingly just out of reach of - his leading rivals.
Vettel and team boss Christian Horner often insisted the Red Bull had less of an advantage over McLaren and Ferrari in 2011 than in 2010. Yet Vettel won only five races and recorded 10 poles in 2010 on his way to winning the championship for the first time.
Let's examine the two seasons in a little more detail.
In 2010, Vettel's advantage in qualifying over team-mate Mark Webber was only 0.053 seconds when averaged out over the season. In 2011, it was 0.414. Likewise, Vettel's average advantage over the fastest driver not in a Red Bull was 0.077secs in 2010. In 2011, it was 0.317. That is a massive percentage gain from year to year.
There are reasons why Webber was so far adrift of his team-mate. Unlike Vettel, he struggled with the new Pirelli tyres, which affected both his pace in qualifying and his tyre wear in races.
The Australian is also physically bigger than Vettel so was occasionally at a disadvantage with the car's weight distribution, which again impacted on both his pace and tyre wear.
Turn One, race one; Vettel already has a big lead as the rest squabble. The story of 2011. Photo: Getty
The DRS overtaking aid, which gave drivers within one second of a car in front a boost in straight-line speed, also influenced matters.
But it is the tyres which were key. Asked to produce ones that spiced up racing, Pirelli came up with rubber that wore out rapidly, forcing a greater number of pit stops and resulting in more unpredictable races.
It is also worth looking at Red Bull's race strategy in 2011. The team may have had a car whose aerodynamic superiority made it the fastest by far, but it lacked a little straight-line speed compared to the McLarens and Ferraris. On top of that, I understand Vettel thought some of his rivals were perhaps better at wheel-to-wheel racing.
As a result, Red Bull's strategy was based on Vettel taking pole position, then opening up enough of a gap by lap three to prevent anyone from being close enough to make use of the DRS system, which couldn't be used for the first two laps. After that, he would measure his pace to those behind, producing a super-fast lap or two if he needed to.
Such a strategy did have its risks. If Vettel found himself in the pack during a race, he would have problems overtaking as the car was set up for lap time not straight-line speed. In other words, an error in qualifying or at the start could mess up an entire race.
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Red Bull were caught out a couple of times, notably when Ferrari's Fernando Alonso rocketed to the front on the run down to the first corner in Spain and Italy.
In both cases, Vettel managed to get past again. In Spain, he did it by pit-stop strategy, although it took two attempts, while in Monza he achieved it a brave overtaking move around the outside of the flat-out Curva Grande.
Had it been a McLaren that passed Vettel - a car that was faster than the Ferrari over the lap and down the straights - he might have been sat behind for the entire race.
But team boss Horner was adamant the strategy that Red Bull employed was the right one. "As a team, you have to attack the events," he said. "If you are conservative, sometimes you can pay a penalty. If Vettel was in a situation where he needed a big overtake, yes, a gamble was taken. But it was a calculated risk."
So how dominant was the Red Bull, really?
It had a clear performance advantage in at least nine of the races, of which Vettel won eight - Australia, Turkey, Valencia, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Korea and India. The other one was Brazil, where he hit trouble.
That leaves five races at which it was not possible to ascertain whether Vettel's was the fastest race car, although it almost certainly was in most of them. They were Malaysia and Monaco, which he won, and China, Canada and Abu Dhabi, which he did not. And the remaining five races where it definitely was not, out of which he won only in Spain.
The first obvious conclusion is that the Red Bull's pace advantage was restricted by the tyres. On many occasions, Vettel could have gone faster but chose not to because he was concerned about over-using the tyres.
At the same time, Red Bull insiders insist Vettel was not always in the fastest car. There were weekends, they say, when they did not think the car was quick enough yet Vettel still managed to put it on pole. Equally, there were times when Vettel was having to drive on the edge to break the DRS and to hold his advantage at the head of the field.
The Pirellis required something new of the driver - an exquisite feel for the limits of the tyres, the intelligence to drive measured races at exactly the pace the tyres and car could cope with and the consistency to do it at every race.
How many drivers could do that?
Jenson Button had a great season for McLaren, finishing second behind Vettel in the standings. The 2009 world champion treats his tyres delicately and, at his best, is as good as anyone. However, his form tends to fluctuate depending on outside circumstances, while he is not the best qualifier.
As for Hamilton, his speed and feel are at least equal to Vettel's but the 2008 world champion struggled in 2011, making too many errors and perhaps not fully grasping the demands of the new F1.
Then there is Alonso. The double world champion boasts speed, consistency, adaptability and mental strength. However, the Ferrari was nowhere near fast enough this year and it's rare that the Spaniard transcends the car's abilities in qualifying, although he nearly always does in races.
That is why, in 2011, Vettel was generally in a league of his own, even on the occasions when his car was not.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/sebastian_vettels_second_world.html
Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess Luciano Burti
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
INDYCAR: Drivers Keen On Competing Against Barrichello
Adding Rubens Barrichello to the IndyCar Series would be a promotional coup, but its top drivers are more interested in going head-to-head with the F1 veteran.
Source: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-drivers-keen-on-competing-against-barrichello/
Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo
'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
Antonio Creus Larry Crockett Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley
Range Rover Evoque Cabriolet Concept caught with top up
The fact that it has been caught a second time in a different location defies belief and leads one to consider it as a cheap marketing ploy by the Tata-owned British brand.
Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz
Delphi F1for3 Concept
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Delphi has just announced their presence at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show with the first teaser image of a concept car they call the "F1for3." This concept was developed in cooperation with Franco Sbarro and comes "to demonstrate technologies designed to keep drivers connected while on the road."
Delphi has yet to offer any significant details on the concept - we are sure they are waiting for the debut to do that - but they describe it as "a show car that showcases a range of innovative products including smart user interface, world-standard mobile TV tuner and a slim line roof module with integrated reception system." Aside from the technological goodies, the F1for3 was more than likely also designed for high speed because Delphi says it was created to "redefine the in-vehicle experience and make seamless connectivity possible, even when traveling at high speed."
More details about the new Delphi F1for3 concept will be unveiled on March 6th during its official debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, so stay tuned!
Delphi F1for3 Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 28 February 2012 09:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/others/2012-delphi-f1for3-concept-ar125273.html
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais
2011 Season Review: Renault v Force India v Sauber v Toro Rosso
Some of the most intriguing and captivating battles in 2011 came in the midfield as four teams battled it out for mid-table supremacy. Renault: Renault?s season suffered an early set back as a rally crash in February put Kubica on the shelf for the rest of the season. Petrov and Heidfeld stepped up and they [...]
Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem
The FOTA Fans Forum needs to ask the questions that matter | Comment
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog it is an infringement of copyright.
The point of Wednesday's FOTA Fans Forum is for fans to demonstrate what they want from the sport to those who can influence it.
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/37GCOjuKxd8/
George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson
Monday, February 27, 2012
Bentley target 25,000 SUV sales, gets plug-in hybrid
It is rumored that Bentley are intending to unveil an SUV concept at the Geneva Motor Show next week. They will reportedly gauge media and client reaction before deciding whether to confirm it for production or not. 
Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso
Range Rover Evoque Cabriolet Concept caught with top up
The fact that it has been caught a second time in a different location defies belief and leads one to consider it as a cheap marketing ploy by the Tata-owned British brand. Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza
2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake image leaks online
The 2013 Jaguar XF Sportbrake has become the latest model scheduled to appear in Geneva to leak online. The images look a little grainy suggesting it could be pictures taken from a brochure, but they reveal the rear end in its full glory. 
Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
Five ways to improve F1
 Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php
Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud
Under Pressure: The driver?s who need to deliver in 2012
Whilst Sebastian Vettel had the year of his life, for some of the other frontrunners, 2011 proved to be an unhappy hunting ground. Matthew Roulstone assesses the drivers who need to find form fast in 2012. Three wins and three podiums would be considered by some drivers as an incredible feat but for Lewis Hamilton [...]
Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha
Williams and Mercedes lead testing mileage as Lotus hit trouble | 2012 F1 testing
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog it is an infringement of copyright.
Williams have been the busiest team in testing so far, racking up over 3,750km with their FW34.
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/QLfmtSP-qyo/
Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo
Jerobee McLaren M8B
First step on this is to sort out the body and chassis. The instructions are adamant about following them carefully, but I want to make sure the body fits before step 30. I just don’t trust them 100%.
It is in the first coat of primer; once the body work is done I’ll shoot the white for the sides…
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1002478.aspx
Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly Christian Danner Jorge Daponte
Sunday, February 26, 2012
2012 Detroit Autorama Extreme = Lotsa Building Ideas Here!
Just got done posting pictures from the 2012 Detroit Cobo Autorama EXtreme, the traditional/"rat rod" show that takes place in the basement while the main Autorama is upstairs. Lots of building ideas at the link. http://public.fotki.com/funman1712/2011-cobo-autorama-/2012-cobo-autorama-/2012-autorama-extreme-/
Coverage of the main 2012 Detroit Cobo Autorama (upstairs) is loading now and will be available later this evening.
Thanks for looking and I hope this inspires you to build a hot rod model or two! TIM
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1003759.aspx
Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise
Artega GT Roadster headed to Geneva - report
According to a recent report, Artega will introduce the GT Roadster at the Geneva Motor Show. It will likely feature a 3.6-liter V6 engine that develops 300 PS (220 kW / 295 hp). 
Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button
Maserati GranCabrio Sport rendered & speculated
The rendering features the new restyled front fascia which features new headlights with DRL Led technology. 
Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem
Video: Behind the scenes with Turn 10 Studios on Forza Motorsport's technology
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When we’re playing our favorite car racing video games, be it Forza 4 or Gran Turismo 5, we often marvel at the intricate level of realism that these games exhibit.
What we don’t take into account is the level of work done behind the scenes to give us a product worth blushing over. For their part, Turn 10 Studios, the development geniuses behind the Forza Motorsport franchise, is giving us a quick look at precisely that.
In order to build and develop a game as intricate as Forza 4, you need people that work about as hard as these guys. Half-assed isn’t gonna cut it, and certainly, when you invest as much time on developing a game like this, you need to be on your p’s and q’s all day, all the time.
Watching this video makes you appreciate all the hard work they put in just so we can spend inordinate hours of time on our couches playing the games to our heart’s content.
Video: Behind the scenes with Turn 10 Studios on Forza Motorsport's technology originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 25 February 2012 12:00 EST.
Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol
Reading between the lines in a phoney war
The annual Formula 1 phoney war was in full swing at the second pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya this week.
Fernando Alonso was talking down Ferrari's form, Lewis Hamilton was talking up McLaren's - as, intriguingly, was Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. And the unlikely combination of Kamui Kobayashi and Sauber set the fastest time of the week.
As ever, the headline lap times were a poor guide to the order of the grid that can be expected in Melbourne at the first race in just three weeks' time.
But look behind the fastest laps, and there is usually a way of gleaning at least some sense of form ahead of the season.
Fernando Alonso's Ferrari could yet to turn out to be a dark horse. Photo: Getty
I'll preface what follows with a major caveat - this has been one of the most difficult tests to read for some time. But here goes.
Red Bull, as ever, looked especially strong. Vettel was fastest of all on the first day of the test, and throughout the four days he and team-mate Mark Webber set consistently formidable-looking times.
On Wednesday afternoon, Vettel and Hamilton set out to do race-distance runs at more or less the same time. Both did 66 laps - the length of the Spanish Grand Prix, which will be held at the track in May.
Vettel did five pit stops; Hamilton four. Discount laps on which they went in and out of the pits and they both managed 55 flying laps. Vettel completed his more than two minutes faster than Hamilton.
If that was repeated in a race, Hamilton would be lapped by the end.
And the pattern was repeated on Thursday with Mark Webber and Jenson Button, although the margin was reduced to about half a minute.
Of course, this is very far from an exact scientific comparison.
They didn't use the same tyres as each other - although they don't necessarily have to in the race either.
We don't know what they were doing with fuel loads - although it would be counter-intuitive to start putting fuel in at pit stops because it would provide the team with data that was never going to be relevant to competition.
And it's an especially confusing situation because only the day before Vettel was saying how impressed he had been with the McLaren's pace on the longer runs.
But there was more - none of it especially happy ready for those hoping for a close season.
On the Wednesday, Vettel's fastest time of all was nearly a second faster than Hamilton's on the same type of tyres. Although both were set on very short runs - suggesting a qualifying-type simulation - that's still potentially meaningless as there is no way of knowing the level of fuel on board at the time.
Nevertheless, if you then look at the lap times both were doing at the start of their race-distance runs, they were about the same margin slower than each driver's fastest laps as you would expect given a full race fuel load.
That suggests that the headline lap times of those two drivers could be a reasonably accurate indicator of form - again worrying for McLaren.
Of course, this is only testing, and teams have updates to put on their cars before the first race - as Button pointed out. And everyone expects McLaren to be a close to challenger at the front come Melbourne. Nevertheless, few are under any illusions about Red Bull's strength.
"You're old enough, Andrew," one senior insider said to me during the test, "to know that Red Bull look very strong. McLaren and Ferrari are a bit behind. Force India look like they have a quick car, too."
He might have added that the new Mercedes looks quite decent as well.
But few teams are as difficult to understand right now as Ferrari - who have not done any race simulations to compare with their main rivals.
The messages coming out of the team have all seemed pretty negative.
There has been a lot of attention put on technical director Pat Fry's remark at the first test in Jerez that Ferrari were "not happy" with their understanding of the car.
Start raking through the time sheets, though, and you begin wonder what's behind all the negativity.
On headline lap times, Alonso was less than 0.3secs behind Vettel. And on both his days he started 10-lap runs with a lap in the region of one minute 24.1 seconds.
If you take 10 laps' worth of fuel off that time, you are left with a lap in the low 1:23sec bracket - again, not far off what Vettel managed. And you can bet the Ferrari was running with more than just 10 laps of fuel anyway; most top teams routinely test with 60-80kg of fuel on board.
In other words, the Ferrari actually looks reasonably fast, and an insider did admit: "The car is not as bad as a lot of people think."
If - and it's a big if - Ferrari can start to extract that potential before the first race of the season, Red Bull might just have a serious fight on their hands. And that's without even considering what McLaren might be able to achieve.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/02/reading_between_the_lines_in_a.html
Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso
Red Bull set to dominate?
To some, the decision of Red Bull and Ferrari to pull out of the Formula 1 Teams' Association, the umbrella group that represents the teams' interests, could look innocuous enough. In reality it could have far-reaching consequences.
The F1 teams have put a brave public face on it, but behind the scenes there are serious concerns that it could lead to a period of Red Bull domination about which their rivals can do little.
The move by two of F1's most powerful teams was provoked by continuing distrust about whether all of the competitors were adhering to the terms of a document called the Resource Restriction Agreement.
The RRA sets out limits on the amount of staff, external spend and aerodynamic research teams can employ and covers work on the design of the car - with drivers' salaries, marketing and engines excluded.
World Champion Sebastian Vettel's (left) team Red Bull and Michael Schumacher's (right) former team Ferrari announced that they have quit the Formula One Teams Association (Fota). PHOTO: Getty
It is not a budget cap per se, but it does have the effect of keeping costs under control, to the point that the biggest budgets have dropped from in the region of £300m in 2008 to an estimated £150-200m in 2011.
To cite just one example, the RRA limits the amount of hours a team can dedicate to wind-tunnel testing - a key way of honing an F1 car's aerodynamics, the single biggest performance differentiator.
And the more wind-tunnel hours you do, the less simulation of aerodynamics on a computer is allowed (and vice versa).
Because there is only so much of this work that a team can do, there is only so much money they can spend.
The problem that has arisen is that some of the teams - led by Ferrari and Mercedes - believe Red Bull have been exceeding these limits since 2010, the first of their two consecutive title-winning years.
Red Bull insist they have always operated within the RRA - and they counter their rivals' accusations by pointing out that it is easier for an F1 team allied to a car company (as Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all are) to hide extra work than it is for one that operates in isolation.
A year's worth of talks to try to reach a compromise agreement with which everyone is happy have come to nothing, leading to a situation where Ferrari and Red Bull have run out of patience. They signalled their intention to quit Fota late on Friday - although they have to give two months' notice.
Ferrari's statement was long and detailed, talking about their reluctance at a "difficult decision", their ongoing commitment to cost-reduction and other changes in F1, and emphasising their own central role in Fota since it was set up in 2008.
Red Bull's ran to only two sentences: "Red Bull Racing can confirm it has served notice to withdraw from Fota. The team will remain committed to finding a solution regarding cost saving in Formula 1."
This in itself has led to more suspicion.
It is clear, more than one insider has said, why Ferrari pulled out of Fota - if the organisation could not sort out an RRA, what was the point of it? - but Red Bull's reasoning was very different.
The implication being that the world champions did not like the RRA because they had no intention of adhering to it. Fota had become an inconvenience.
Red Bull were not available for comment.
This suspicion has been poisoning the atmosphere within F1 all year, despite attempts to reduce it.
As well as the endless meetings aimed at bringing the two warring sides together, there was an investigation in the summer by external consultants into the way the teams were detailing their use of resources.
But while Red Bull believe this effectively cleared them of wrongdoing, their accusers disagree. "The analysis showed more than one concern about what Red Bull were doing," one insider told me.
The next step, as laid out by the RRA, was for a full audit of the accounts of the team about which there were suspicions - if a certain number of teams wanted this to happen, the accused team had to agree.
But this point was never reached, and after further meetings at the season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix, Ferrari and Red Bull ran out of patience.
So what happens next? Is this the death knell for Fota? Will the departure of Ferrari and Red Bull lead to a domino effect of teams leaving the organisation?
Alternatively, will a rump stick together, recognising that there can still be strength in numbers, not least in the forthcoming negotiations with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone over a new Concorde Agreement, the document which binds the teams, the commercial rights holder and governing body the FIA together?
That may become clearer after a Fota meeting on Tuesday.
More importantly, does this mean the end for resource restrictions in F1 - and will the sport therefore revert to the 'arms race' spending that led to the RRA in the first place?
On the face of it, the answer to that is no. The RRA is still technically in force. It is a legally binding document which lasts until at least 2012, or perhaps even 2017 - depending on whom you believe, and which version of the document you are talking about.
In theory, if Red Bull's rivals feel that they are breaking the RRA, they can sue them. If that sounds unlikely, one insider I spoke to for this article raised it as a possibility.
Equally, though, Red Bull and Ferrari are due to meet the other members of F1's big four - McLaren and Mercedes - next week to discuss resource restriction and how to move forward on it.
That hardly sounds like the actions of a group of people on the verge of legal action.
In public, everyone in F1 says they want to avoid a return to unrestricted spending.
One of the main reasons for this is that (effectively) unrestricted money is no longer available to top F1 teams - the effects of the credit crunch have reached even this notoriously expensive sport's rarefied climes.
Many of the smaller teams are living hand-to-mouth to a degree, with only the top four existing in relative comfort.
But even they have limitations on what they can spend.
McLaren are a private team who have to live within the budget they can raise from sponsorship and other commercial partnerships.
Mercedes, huge car company though it may be, has set clear limits on the amount of money its team can spend.
Even Ferrari, who 10 years ago could effectively spend what they wanted, now have to be careful with money.
But Red Bull are different, or so their rivals believe.
Team principal Christian Horner insists they have far from the biggest budget in F1 - he ranks them about third or fourth.
But his rivals raise their eyebrows at that, pointing out that Red Bull is worth billions and that the soft-drinks company is weathering the global economic downturn well by comparison with car companies and traditional corporate giants. In that sense, their rivals say, they really can spend what they want.
So whether founded on reality or not, and whether the accusation at its heart contains any truth, the fear at the heart of F1 is quite simple.
If Red Bull, despite the RRA, are prepared to spend what they want, as well as having the best designer in Adrian Newey and arguably the best driver in Sebastian Vettel, who can stop them dominating for years to come?
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/12/red_bull_set_to_dominate.html
Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts
Live: 2012 F1 testing day eight ? Circuit de Catalunya | F1 Fanatic Live
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic - The Formula 1 Blog it is an infringement of copyright.
Join us and follow the final day of the second test at the Circuit de Catalunya on F1 Fanatic Live.
This is an original article from F1 Fanatic If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/Njxb3qh9LXU/
Alberto Colombo Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine
Saturday, February 25, 2012
AUTOS: Ragtop Range Rover Evoque Concept
The British SUV maker reveals a convertible version of its new compact crossover ready to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-land-rovers-ragtop-evoque-concept/
Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella M·rio de Ara˙jo Cabral
Tata becomes official partner of Formula One group
Tata Communications has announced a deal to provide a multi-year technology service and marketing agreement with Formula One Management. The agreement will see Tata Communications delivering world-class connectivity to all 20 Formula 1 race locations over its global network. It will also provide hosting and content delivery services to Formula1.com. Tata Communications will officially become [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/9169/
Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas
Karthikeyan Makes Surprise F1 Return With HRT
Narain Karthikeyan has made a surprise return to Formula One after being announced as one of Hispania HRT’s drivers for the 2011 season. The Indian driver was unveiled as the first racer to be working with the Spanish based squad, who look likely to enter into a second season of racing despite on-going financial concerns. [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/karthikeyan-makes-surprise-f1-return-with-hrt/
Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian
36 Ford WIP (my 1st chop)
I was inspired to build this after seeing several nice examples online. I love the curves of this coupe and I reckon they look good as taildraggers.
This is my 1st chop job. I spent a week trying to decide how/if I should do it. I bought a second kit in case I mess this up!
Body will be satin black and the fenders will be metallic red. I plan to install a Revell Parts Pak Caddy V8 with the six carbs.
I don't know where to buy Lancer hubcaps, but I reckon the Edsel hubcaps would look good on it.
I'll make some bullet rear lights to go on the stalks and I'm thinking about adding some chrome trim to the rear skirts.
First cut:
Second cut:
Pillars lined up:
Thanks for looking.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1000553.aspx
David Clapham Jim ClarkÜ Kevin Cogan Peter Collins Bernard Collomb
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
Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli
Friday, February 24, 2012
Bernie Ecclestone - No plans to put the brakes on
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The way I feel at the moment, why stop? I do it because I enjoy it. And yesterday is gone. I don't care what happened yesterday. What else would I do? People retire to die. I don't get any individual pleasure because we don't win races or titles in this job. I'm like most business people. You look back at the end of the year and you see what you've achieved by working out how much money the company has made. That's it.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/bernie_ecclestone_no_plans_to.php
Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adri·n Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni
GM unleash first military fuel cell vehicles
Each example can travel up to 200 miles on a single charge, can be replenished in just 5 minutes and most importantly produces zero emissions. 
Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks
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