Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button
Sunday, September 30, 2012
The Top TEN F1 Brits Of All Time
This week has shown the true value of Britain within F1, as Lewis Hamilton complete his long awaited switch to Mercedes. The sport has long been associated with the British Isles, with many teams down the years using the region as their base. With such a focus on Formula One within the area, it?s understandable [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/JPZ1uG0zGr8/the-top-ten-f1-brits-of-all-time
Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell
Hamilton looks for long-term success at Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton's move to Mercedes is the biggest development in the Formula 1 driver market for three years.
Ahead of the 2010 season, Fernando Alonso moved to Ferrari, world champion Jenson Button switched from world champions Brawn (soon to become Mercedes) to McLaren and Michael Schumacher came out of retirement to replace Button.
Now, the man who most consider to be the fastest driver in the world has taken a huge gamble by switching from McLaren, who have the best car this year and have won five races this season alone, to Mercedes, who have won one race in three years.
To make way for Hamilton, Mercedes have ditched the most successful racing driver of all time.
Schumacher's return at the wheel of a Mercedes 'Silver Arrow' was billed as a dream for all concerned, but with one podium finish in three years the German marque have abandoned the project.
Hamilton leaves a team that has won more races in the last 30 years than anyone else. Photo: Getty
That the announcement was made just five days after the latest in a series of collisions in which Schumacher rammed into the back of another driver after misjudging his closing speed simply rubs salt into the wound.
Hamilton will be replaced at McLaren by one of F1's most promising rising stars - Sauber's Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who has taken three excellent podium finishes this year.
That's quite a shake-up, and it raises any number of fascinating questions, the first and most obvious of which is why Hamilton would leave a team that has won more races in the last 30 years than anyone else - even Ferrari - for one that has won one in the last three.
The explanation for that lies both at his new and current teams.
Mercedes sold the drive to Hamilton on the basis that they were in the best position to deliver him long-term success. In this, there are echoes of Schumacher's move to Ferrari in 1996.
Back then, the Italian team were in the doldrums, having won just one race the previous year. But Schumacher fancied a project, and saw potential. It took time, but by 1997 he was competing for the title, and from 2000 he won five in a row.
The architect of that success was Ross Brawn, then Ferrari's technical director and now Mercedes' team boss. Brawn is one of the most respected figures in F1, and Hamilton is banking on him being able to transform Mercedes in the same way as he did Ferrari.
Undoubtedly, Brawn will have made a convincing case to Hamilton; he is a very persuasive and credible man. It is also worth pointing out that Mercedes - in their former guise of Brawn - have won the world title more recently than McLaren. Button succeeded Hamilton as world champion in 2009.
Mercedes believe that the new regulations for 2014, when both the cars and engines will be significantly changed, will play into their hands.
They are devoting a lot of resources towards that year, and are optimistic they will be in good shape - just as Brawn were, in fact, when the last big rule change happened for 2009.
And Mercedes have a technical team that, on paper, is immensely strong. In Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis, they have three men who have been technical directors in their own right at other top teams all working under Brawn.
Part of this argument is predicated on the fact that new engine regulations always favour teams run or directly supported by engine manufacturers, on the basis that they are best placed to benefit from developments, and to integrate the car with the engine.
But this is where that argument falls down a little - McLaren may be a mere 'customer' of Mercedes for the first time next year, but they are still going to be using Mercedes engines in 2014, and on the basis of parity of performance.
The love affair with McLaren, who took him on as a 13-year-old karting prodigy, ended some time ago.
Since 2010, Hamilton has been complaining from time to time about the McLaren's lack of aerodynamic downforce compared to the best car of the time.
Through 2009-11, he grew increasingly frustrated at his team's apparent inability to challenge Red Bull. Hamilton is well aware of how good he is, and it hurt to watch Sebastian Vettel win two titles on the trot and not be able to challenge him.
That explains his ill-advised - and dangerously public - approach to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner at the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix.
This year, McLaren started the season with the fastest car for the first time since, arguably, 2005. But again they could not get out of their own way.
Pit-stop blunders affected Hamilton's races in Malaysia and China early in the season, and then a terrible mistake in not putting enough fuel in Hamilton's car in qualifying in Spain turned an almost certain win into a battle for minor points.
These errors badly affected his title charge and in early summer his management started approaching other teams.
His favoured choice was almost certainly Red Bull, but they weren't interested. They also approached Ferrari, where Alonso vetoed Hamilton. That left Mercedes.
It is ironic that his decision to move teams has been announced on the back of four races that McLaren have dominated.
Meanwhile, Hamilton's relationship with McLaren Group chairman Ron Dennis, the man who signed him up and who promoted him to the F1 team in 2007, has collapsed.
It was noticeable that after Hamilton's win in Italy earlier this month Dennis stood, arms-folded and stoney-faced, beneath the podium, not applauding once. Nor did Dennis don one of McLaren's 'rocket-red' victory T-shirts, or join in the champagne celebrations with the team once Hamilton had completed his media duties.
In Singapore last weekend, it seemed that McLaren still believed they had a chance of keeping Hamilton; at least that was the impression from talking to the team.
But did Dennis already know in Monza of Hamilton's decision to defect? Was Hamilton's sombre mood after that win a reflection of his wondering whether he had made the right decision?
Was Hamilton's ill-advised decision to post a picture of confidential McLaren telemetry on the social networking site Twitter on the morning of the Belgian Grand Prix, the weekend before Italy, the action of a man who had had enough and didn't care any more because he knew he was leaving?
When was the Mercedes deal actually finally signed?
Was it done before BBC Sport broke the story of it being imminent in the week leading up to the Italian race?
Or was it not inked, finally, until this week, on the basis that only now has the Mercedes board committed to new commercial terms with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone?
In which case, was the gearbox failure that cost Hamilton a certain victory in Singapore, and effectively extinguished his title hopes for good, the straw that broke the camel's back?
In short, was Hamilton's decision based on cold, hard logic, rooted primarily in performance, in making more money, or founded on emotion as much as calculation. Or was it a combination of all those factors?
All these questions will be answered in time. Whatever led to Hamilton's decision, it is fair to say that it is an enormous gamble, one on which the next phase of his career hangs.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamilton_looks_for_long-term_s.html
JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham
Saturday, September 29, 2012
McLaren P1 debuts in Paris, late 2013 launch confirmed [video]
At its first presence at an international motor show, McLaren has brought the P1 concept.
Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa Ettore Chimeri Louis Chiron
Smouldering stories
I had a bit of a day off yesterday after all the rushing around in the last month and although nothing actually happened, there were a few whispers that might become quite significant as they develop. The most important one is a news report from Germany that the Bavarian prosecution service will soon be indicting [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/smouldering-stories/
Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly
New Jersey promoter ?proud? of slot on 2013 calendar
Grand Prix of America promoter Leo Hindery Jr says he?s proud that the New Jersey race has appeared on the FIA schedule published today. However he made no comment on the ?to be confirmed? status, or Bernie Ecclestone?s recent claim … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/09/28/new-jersey-promoter-proud-of-slot-on-2013-calendar/
Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim ClarkÜ Kevin Cogan
2013 Fiat Panda 4x4 showcased in Paris
Fiat's more rugged Panda 4x4 has made its public debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. 
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais
Friday, September 28, 2012
F1: New Jersey On 2013 Calendar But ?To Be Confirmed?
The Grand Prix of America in New Jersey is on the newly released 2013 F1 calendar ? at least for now...
Source: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-new-jersey-on-2013-calendar-but-to-be-confirmed/
Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Top ten: Suzuka showdowns | Top ten
Top ten: Suzuka showdowns is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Suzuka won't decide the destiny of the title this year but it has seen many world championship showdowns in the past. Here's ten of the best.
Top ten: Suzuka showdowns 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/uZkHVT9EoIs/
Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett
Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model
American Medical News reports hospitals in at least a dozen countries are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronisation of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care.
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/doctors_use_formula_one_pit_cr.php
Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Thailand looks for a Grand Prix
It seems that Thailand is bidding for a Grand Prix, at least according to newspapers in that country. There have been stories of a Thai Grand Prix for several years, because of the connection between Thailand and Red Bull, the original drink company being based there, but up to now there has only been speculation. [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/thailand-looks-for-a-grand-prix/
David Coulthard Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Volkswagen Golf VII GTI Concept
With the Paris Auto Show quickly approaching, we are awaiting the release of the GTI version of the Golf Mk VII. Unfortunately, VW has been pretty stingy with its information on the upcoming GTI trim, but the sneakiness that is the Internet, has picked up on some images and information on the upcoming Golf VII GTI Concept that is reportedly a near-production version.
We have already received just about all of the information available on the 2013 Golf Mk VII, but this sports edition is one that tuners everywhere seek out. The outgoing GTI is peppy enough, boasting a 200-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that rips off a 0-to-60 sprint in just 7.3 seconds. While that?s no Ferrari, it is pretty sweet for a hatchback that gets 33 mpg on the highway.
With the performance and stylish appearance that the 2013 Golf VII GTI offers up, can VW really do anything to make this compact hatch even more desirable?
Click past the jump to read our full review on the Volkswagen Golf VII GTI to find out.
Volkswagen Golf VII GTI Concept originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 26 September 2012 13:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/volkswagen/2012-volkswagen-golf-vii-gti-concept-ar135489.html
Not bad for the number two driver
There was a moment of levity in the news conference after the British Grand Prix when race-winner Mark Webber was asked if he would continue to fight for the championship or back off and support Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
The journalist in question clearly does not know Webber very well. But the men on either side of him - Vettel and the world championship leader Fernando Alonso - certainly do. The two of them broke out into broad, knowing grins at the sheer unlikeliness of the suggestion.
Webber, as befits a man with class out of the cockpit to match his ability in it, treated his inquisitor with a delicacy that some of his rivals might have found more difficult to summon. But, before expanding on his answer, even he couldn’t resist drawing the humour out of the situation.
“Yeah,” he drawled, smothering a smile. “At Hockenheim (the next race), we will let Seb through.” Cue even bigger smiles from Alonso and Vettel, who are well aware he will be doing no such thing.
Mark Webber (left) celebrates winning the British GP with team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Photo: Getty
There is no Formula 1 driver more rooted in the concept of fair but hard competition than Webber – as his battles for equal treatment at Red Bull, which boiled over at Silverstone in the previous two races, attest.
There was no repeat this year of the squabbles that took place in 2010 and 2011, when Red Bull’s apparent preference for Vettel – and the Australian’s absolute refusal to play a supporting role - were laid bare in different ways.
The internal dynamic at Red Bull is very different this year. The team and drivers seem more at peace with their respective positions, and the drivers are fighting it out on the track without the tensions of previous seasons. And Webber is proving every bit a match for the double champion.
Webber out-qualified Vettel in the wet on Saturday, lining up alongside pole position man Alonso on the front row, and then won a straight battle with the Ferrari driver in the sunshine of race day to move within 13 points of the world championship lead.
The internal qualifying score at Red Bull is now five-four in Webber’s favour, and the 35-year-old has two wins to the German’s one. After a difficult season watching Vettel romp to the title in 2011, Webber has bounced back in style this season. A serious title contender he certainly is.
For a long time, the British Grand Prix looked to be Alonso’s to lose. He converted pole position into a lead at the first corner, with the help of a take-no-prisoners sweep across the track to deter the faster-starting Webber, and he led through both rounds of pit stops.
But in the last 14 laps before the chequered flag, Alonso found his Ferrari a much less competitive proposition on the ‘soft’ tyres he had saved to the end of the race because he had not liked them when he tried them in the one dry practice session on Saturday morning.
Webber remorselessly closed him down and, with Alonso defenceless, swept by into the lead with four laps to go.
It would be easy to blame Ferrari for choosing a strategy that in hindsight turned out to lose them the race. Easy but wrong.
It made perfect sense to save the more fragile ‘soft’ tyres to the end of the race, when the track would have more rubber on it and the cars would be carrying less fuel. It just turned out, in hindsight, to be the incorrect choice.
Alonso, Webber and their respective teams have reason to leave Silverstone satisfied.
Ferrari confirmed their recent progress, and theirs is now clearly a seriously fast race car – as evidenced by the fact that Alonso has contended for victory in each of the last five races, as well as team-mate Felipe Massa’s upturn in form. It is a remarkable turnaround after starting the season 1.5 seconds off the pace.
But, as both Alonso and Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted after the race, the car is not quite a match for the Red Bull, which is now clearly the fastest in the field.
Although Red Bull team boss Christian Horner denied it after the race, the championship seems to be distilling down to a straight fight between Alonso and the Red Bull drivers – Vettel is only 16 points behind Webber.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is being left behind in fourth place. He is 37 points behind Alonso in the standings after finishing eighth at Silverstone, but more worryingly McLaren have slipped from the pace.
Quite apart from the problems this will cause for them in the championship, it is particularly bad timing for a team whose driver is out of contract at the end of the season.
Hamilton is known to have had conversations with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. It is not clear how much interest there is in him by any of them but this is not the sort of performance that will encourage him to sign a new contract at McLaren.
The fact that even Bernie Ecclestone – who has never needed an excuse to kick Silverstone – refused to blame them for the horrendous traffic jams of Friday that led to them asking 20,000 fans with tickets not to come on Saturday underlines the reality that the organisers can hardly be blamed for the wettest June on record.
Nevertheless, there were clear examples of organisational problems as well as bad luck, and the track’s contingency plans clearly did not work on Friday, even if Silverstone did subsequently manage to dig themselves out of the hole they found themselves in with some effectiveness. They also showed laudable honesty in admitting there were serious problems.
The situation is more complex than it seems. The size of the fees charged by Ecclestone make it hard for races to make any money out of hosting a grand prix and Silverstone simply does not have the funds to pour money into solving the problem.
But a problem there is, and it could easily recur – as every F1 driver pointed out at the weekend, the British summer is notorious for its poor weather.
Those involved in the post-mortem meetings planned for this coming week will have to be imaginative in trying to coming up with solutions, but solutions, whatever they are, do need to be found.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/07/andrew_benson_1.html
David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack BrabhamÜ Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Rookie win for Peteris in Singapore Predictions round | Predictions Championship
Rookie win for Peteris in Singapore Predictions round is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
New F1 Fanatic member Peteris won on his first appearance in the Predictions Championship.
Rookie win for Peteris in Singapore Predictions round 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/ohJlY2-V2IY/
Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker
Spy Shots: Bentley Continental Flying Spur Gets Questionable Cammo
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The upcoming Bentley Continental Flying Spur has been caught testing at the famous Nurburgring race track once again, but this time, it looks like Bentley has opted to heavily camouflage the luxury sedan. The last time the Flying Spur was caught testing, it was free of cammo and revealed what everybody already knew of its changes, leaving the new disguise to be a bit irrelevant.
Hidden under this new cover-up should be a more aggressive front fascia, a vented hood, and new headlights, as well as a new trunk-mounted spoiler, slimmer taillights, and a revised exhaust system for the back end. Unless the camouflage is now hiding a surprise addition to the sedan, this should be all of the new exterior changes for the Flying Spur.
The standard Flying Spur will be offered with a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 engine rated at 575 HP and 516 lb/ft of torque, but just like all of the other Continental models, Bentley will also be offering it with a 4.0 liter, twin turbocharged V8 engine producing an output of 500 HP and 487 lb-ft of torque.
The official debut for the 2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur will be made by the end of 2012.
Spy Shots: Bentley Continental Flying Spur Gets Questionable Cammo originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 12:00 EST.
Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt
Toyota eQ revealed, company also promises turbocharged engines & 21 new hybrids by 2015
Toyota has revealed new details about their future product lineup which will include an iQ EV, a fuel-cell vehicle and 21 new hybrids. 
Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta
Life in the pit lane
 The Mercedes pit crew prepare for Michael Schumacher in Singapore |
These are not select millionaires but up to 16 ordinary, yet gifted, guys; team mechanics who have worked their way up the system and often migrate from team to team, are paid real-world wages of between �30,000 and �50,000 a year, are drilled to perfection ? and whose split-second synchronisation brings their teams huge rewards.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/life_in_the_pit_lane.php
Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff
Vettel set for titles aplenty
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?Here, after all, is a young man, already dubbed ?Baby Schumi? by Germany?s tabloid press, winning the first of what will presumably be multiple world championships, and all at the tender age of 23. Plenty of time yet to match Schumacher's incredible haul of seven world titles. And yet, their phenomenal ability to drive racing cars apart, there is little similarity between the two men. ?There are still lingering doubts over his racing ability but with such blistering qualifying pace he is nearly always leading from the front anyway. Vettel is set for multiple world championships. Just don?t call him Baby Schumi.?The Guardian?s Paul Weaver says it was difficult to begrudge Vettel his moment of glory after he won the first of what will be many world titles. He also looks back at some of the season?s highlights.
?An amazing Formula One season produced its final twist here on Sunday when Sebastian Vettel, who had never led the title race, won his first world championship. It is difficult to begrudge him his glory, for he had more poles (10) than any other driver and shared the most wins (five) with Fernando Alonso. There will be red faces as well as red cars and overalls at Ferrari, though, for deciding to bring their man in when they did, only to see him re-emerge into heavy traffic. ?Among the highlights, and every race felt like a highlight after the bore-start in Bahrain, there was that wonderful beginning to his McLaren career by Jenson Button, who won two of his first four races, even though he couldn't keep up the pace, especially in qualifying. ?Hamilton once again drove his heart out, and outperformed a car that looked a little too ordinary at times. He was superb in Montreal. Then there was Webber, the Anglophile Aussie who was the favourite among most neutrals to win the title. There was that spectacular crash when he ran into the back of Heikki Kovalainen and the most famous of his four wins, at Silverstone, when he said to his team at the end of the race: 'Not bad for a No2 driver.' ?But in the end there was only one German who mattered. It was the remarkable Vettel. This will be the first of a clutch of championships for him.?The Independent?s David Tremayne focuses on the plight of the other title contenders, writing it is easier to feel more sorry for one than the other.
?It was impossible not to feel for both Webber and Alonso. Yet while a frustrated Alonso gestured at Petrov after the race, the Australian, predictably, refused to complain about his pitstop timing. ?A world championship seemed an inevitable part of Sebastian Vettel's future, but it came a little sooner than most expected, after his recent tribulations. You wouldn't bet against several more, and if that record-breaking streak continues, perhaps even Schumacher's achievements will be overshadowed.?And the Mirror?s Byron Young elaborates further on the petulant behaviour of Fernando Alonso on his slowing down lap after his title dreams ended behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov.
?Fernando Alonso was hurled into more controversy last night for a wild gesture at the former Lada racer who cost him the title. But the Spaniard brushed off accusations he gave Russian Vitaly Petrov the finger for ruining his title hopes by blocking him for 40 laps as they duelled over sixth place. "The Ferrari ace was caught on television cruising alongside the Renault driver on the slowing down lap and gesticulating from the cockpit. Petrov was unrepentant: "What was I supposed to do? Just get out of his way, pull to the side? I don't think that is how we race. It was important for the team for me to get points."
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/vettel_set_for_titles_aplenty_1.php
Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger
Monday, September 24, 2012
Mercedes-Benz Granturismo yacht due next year
Daimler confirmed yesterday that Mercedes-Benz will launch next year a 46-foot Granturismo yacht. 
Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen
Mercedes CML35 by Carlsson
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Noted Mercedes-Benz tuner, Carlsson, has just released a new tuning package for the big dog of the Mercedes lineup. The new CML35 is based on the new generation Mercedes ML-Class and will be available for order starting October 1st at a price of 69,900 euro, or about $90,000 at the current exchange rates.
The new CML35 package starts off with a very cool aerodynamic kit which includes a new front apron combined with a Carlsson double headlamp unit with integrated LED daytime running lights and Carlsson grille inserts made of electro-polished stainless steel mesh. Exterior changes also include new side skirts and a new rear apron with a double-inlet sports rear silencer. For the interior, the tuner is offering its customers a choice between any kind of leather, Alcantara, carbon fiber, and wood trims, all of which will set the owner back an additional 4,986 euro (about $6,500 at the current rates).
Under the hood, the 3.0-liter V6 engine’s parameters have been modified so the luxury SUV now delivers a total of 310 HP and 516 lb-ft of torque, up from the standard 240 HP and 455 lb-ft of torque. Next to the engine upgrades, the package also comes with a C-Tronic suspension module that can easily be configured via a Carlsson app.
Mercedes CML35 by Carlsson originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 24 September 2012 11:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mercedes/2012-mercedes-cml35-by-carlsson-ar135384.html
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
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