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latest news
Red Bull RB9 to break cover on February 3 |
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Narain Karthikeyan 14th January 1977
[hidden link - please register] Happy Birthday to your 36th anniversary 
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Kazuki Nakajima 11th January 1985
[hidden link - please register] Happy Birthday to your 28th anniversary
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News Part 5 :
De la Rosa aiming for reserve driver role : Pedro de la Rosa has set his sights on securing a test or reserve driver role for the 2013 Formula 1 season, having been left on the sidelines after HRT's exit from the sport. The Spaniard, who described the experiences of his sole season at the outfit as 'beautiful and very special', is hopeful of joining a front-running team. "I will try to become a test or reserve driver in a good team," de la Rosa told Spanish newspaper Diario AS. "With the teams that remain it is like an auction and the one who brings the most money will get it, but we do not have sponsors to do that." De la Rosa went on to talk about his previous ties with McLaren, having tested and raced for the Woking-based outfit between 2003 and 2009. Although admitting to frequent conversations with team boss Martin Whitmarsh throughout the 2012 campaign, the 41-year-old insists that negotiations over a potential reserve driver position have not yet taken place. "We were talking all year (2012) about many things, but in no real depth, so I do not know if they want me or not. To this day I have not taken steps to find a seat yet and I am in no hurry. First I want to sort the ideas, finalise my objectives and then go for it." Since breaking into the sport as a test driver for Jordan back in 1998, de la Rosa has been a team member at Arrows, Prost, Jaguar, McLaren, Sauber and HRT. Lauda leaves Air Berlin Board of Directors : Niki Lauda has left his position as the Non-Executive Director of the Air Berlin Board of Directors, opting to focus solely on his new role at the Mercedes AMG F1 Team. The triple World Champion, who has been working as a pundit for German television channel RTL, joined Mercedes as the Non-Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors in September 2012. Soon after, Lewis Hamilton signed a three-year contract with the Silver Arrows to race alongside former karting team-mate Nico Rosberg. Prior to his advisory role with Mercedes, 63-year-old Lauda held a similar position at Ferrari, the team with whom he claimed two of his world titles (1975 and 1977). He achieved his third and final Drivers' crown with McLaren during the 1984 season. We could have kept Hamilton, says Dennis : Ron Dennis, former McLaren Team Principal and now Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive, has revealed that the outfit could have retained Lewis Hamilton for the 2013 Formula 1 campaign, but instead opted not to. The 2008 World Champion announced a three-year deal with rivals Mercedes last September. Having spent six seasons with McLaren, debuting at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton has been unable to build upon his sole title success of 2008. He is eager to change this statistic through what he describes as 'a fresh start' at the Silver Arrows, but Dennis says the 27-year-old's move was more than just a personal choice. "I think it’s wrong to portray that Lewis left this team," Dennis explained to The Business Voice magazine. "At the end of the day, you end up with a situation where you’re going to separate if the circumstances aren’t right. Life isn’t about one person deciding anything. It’s never that way. It’s about circumstances. "Everybody says: ‘Am I bitterly this or bitterly that?’ What? I’m a realist. Did we have the ability to create a situation where we could have stayed together? Categorically, yes. Would that have been the right thing to do? We didn’t think so." Dennis went on to discuss Hamilton's future in more detail, explaining that although he is 'not wishing anything negative' on the 21-time race winner as he prepares to begin his Mercedes career, he hopes McLaren can reign supreme on-track. "Whatever people choose to do at the end of a contractual period, the professional thing to do is to be supportive of the other side," said Dennis, who left his Formula 1 role in 2009. "We don’t wish him every success at Mercedes – that’s understandable, as he’s obviously going to be a competitor – but we don’t wish him anything negative." Sergio Pérez has replaced Hamilton at McLaren on a 'multi-year' agreement, joining Jenson Button who is entering a fourth season with the Woking-based squad in 2013 Force India teams up with 3D Systems : Force India has signed a new technical partnership with 3D Systems Corporation ahead of the 2013 season, a market-leading supplier of 3D content-to-print solutions. The Silverstone-based outfit has been making use of the company's machinery for a number of years, primarily for the construction of wind tunnel model components. "We’ve been working with 3D systems as a customer for many years, so we are delighted to forge stronger links with a company that is the market-leader for rapid prototyping technology," said Team Principal Vijay Mallya. "We use their technology on a daily basis to manufacture wind tunnel model components and this new relationship will hopefully allow us to get performance to the car faster." In November last year, Mallya announced that Force India's board members had approved a bonus investment of 50 million pounds to be used in future campaigns. 'RB9 has been compromised' - Newey : Adrian Newey has admitted that the timescales surrounding the completion of Red Bull's new RB9 chassis have been compromised as a result of the 2012 title run-in, with Sebastian Vettel fighting for his third world title until the final race in Brazil. Although explaining that a continual development push was the only logical choice for the team as the season drew to a close, Chief Technical Officer Newey is aware of the consequences and believes the team's 2013 preparations have taken a hit. Adrian Newey"We were introducing developments to the car right up to the penultimate race," Newey explained to Autosport. "That has made it difficult to introduce all of those and simultaneously develop the next car. "This has compromised the timescales of the new car more than we would have liked. It was the right trade at the time because we managed to get the job done, but it means a busy winter trying to catch up." Red Bull has not yet confirmed a launch date for its new challenger and is expected to make a decision over its ability to attend the opening pre-season test next week. Barcelona pulls pin on alternation plans with Valencia : Barcelona has moved to secure its annual spot on the formula one calendar. With European grand prix host Valencia dropped from the 2013 schedule, it was expected that both of Spain's F1 hosts would now move to annually alternate a single race per year. But El Mundo Deportivo newspaper reports that the Circuit de Catalunya has inked an agreement with the public institution Diputacion Provincial de Barcelona, providing new funding to the track. "We have a contract to host the GP de Espana until 2016," said Circuit de Catalunya chief Vincente Aguilera, "and we want to keep it. Indeed, we are open to negotiating an extension until 2020 with the same conditions," he added. Aguilera told AS newspaper: "We have no desire to alternate. We cannot speak for Valencia, who have agreements with (Bernie) Ecclestone about which we have nothing to say." Norbert Haug admits Mercedes defeats led to F1 departure : Norbert Haug has admitted he is stepping down due to Mercedes' lack of success as a works team since 2010. But in an interview with Germany's Bild daily, he denied reports he is being made a scapegoat. "No, I'm not," said Haug, who served as the German marque's motor sport vice president for more than two decades. "If I had nothing to do with our failures in the last three years, then I would have nothing to do with our victory in China this year," said the 60-year-old, "and I wouldn't like that." But why has Haug been axed, and not the Brackley based team's British principal, Ross Brawn? "Because over 22 years I have borne the overall responsibility for motor sport at Mercedes, not Ross Brawn. I am ultimately his superior," he insisted. Haug said he accepts that he must take the responsibility. "The basis of our car was good, but the development was poor to very poor," he admitted. Haug denied rumours he is actually quitting for health reasons. "Thank god not," the German insisted. "Almost three years ago to the day I had thyroid surgery, but since then I'm doing very well. I'm totally healthy," he added. He said he doesn't know if his job will now be split into two roles -- DTM and F1. "I have no information. Maybe there is a very capable professional who can do much more than I can," said Haug. He played down suggestions ex-drivers like Michael and Ralf Schumacher, or Mika Hakkinen, can fill his shoes. "Honestly, I don't think they were born to be in the office," laughed Haug. FIA feared Formula 1 to be too slow in 2014 : F1's governing body backtracked on aerodynamic changes for the 2014 season because of fears the next generation of cars would be too slow. After the recent World Motor Sport Council meeting in Turkey, the FIA announced that scheduled bodywork rule changes for 2014 to reduce downforce have been replaced by "2012 specification". "There was concern that formula one cars would become too slow," read a report by the authoritative magazine Auto Motor und Sport. One problem is that the all-new turbo V6 and energy recovery systems will add considerable weight - and more than initially expected - to the 2014 single seaters. With the 2014 rules, the FIA is reportedly aiming to slow down the F1 cars by no more than five seconds per lap. Any more than that, the German report claimed, runs the risk that formula one could be genuinely outpaced by Le Mans prototype cars, or the US-based Indycars. Valencia surprised as Barcelona scraps GP alternation plans : Barcelona's decision to abandon plans to alternate its annual grand prix hosting rights has caught Valencia by surprise. It was believed Barcelona, the regular host of the annual Spanish grand prix, had agreed with European GP venue Valencia to annually alternate a single spot on the schedule from now on. Valencia is duly absent from next year's calendar. But Circuit de Catalunya chief Vincente Aguilera said on Wednesday: "We have no desire to alternate. We cannot speak for Valencia, who have agreements with (Bernie) Ecclestone about which we have nothing to say." That has caught Valencia by surprise. A Valencian government source is quoted by Marca sports newspaper: "There was an agreement between the (Valencia and Barcelona) presidents over the alternation. With the formation of the current Catalan government there may have been a change, we do not know. Understand that for our part we have worked for the continuity of F1 in Valencia through the alternation, which for us gives the grand prix rationality through increasing revenue and reducing costs," the source added. Kubica: "It is difficult for me to watch F1" : Robert Kubica admits he misses Formula 1 dearly, but says there is little chance of him returning to the sport in the near future. The former BMW Sauber and Renault driver's career was dealt a severe blow in 2011 when he was seriously injured in a crash at the Ronde di Andora rally, partially severing his right forearm. The rehabilitation process has been a long and arduous one, and while he has been able to return to racing in some form, F1 is still a bridge too far. For a man who thrives on the competitive racing atmosphere, it's been a bitter pill to swallow. "I find it difficult to watch F1 races," he told the Daily Express. "I miss racing, that is the biggest problem. After the race, when I am at home, I think I am living a boring and monotonous life. When I am driving, thanks to concentrating, the limitations are not really affecting me a lot. I am grateful for what I have. "You cannot get out of life everything you want. When I am driving race cars it is for sure much better than it was six months ago and it is very close to what I was doing before the accident. So it is very good. "If I can move my arm again [freely], there is a chance that I will return. But until that happens, we'll have to see. There's no chance of me coming back to Formula One soon." Kubica's injuries have mended enough to allow him to compete in other forms of motorsport, but the physical demands of F1 still makes returning to the pinnacle of the sport an impossibility. "The strength, the power in the arm is not as good as it was, but if this was the only problem then two months of treatment and that would be gone," said Kubica. "Unfortunately, there are bigger problems which you need to concentrate on solving than the power. "I have limited functionality of the hand and the fingers but this is something I am convinced will come back slowly because the nerves need a lot of time. "There has been slow progress this year. That is life. I will not gain anything by being frustrated. It is very simple. There is no other option than to keep pushing, keep working." Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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News Part 4 :
Di Montezemolo tones down political plans : Luca di Montezemolo has announced that he will not campaign for a seat in the Italian Parliament this year, taking a step back from his recent political involvement. The 65-year-old, who established the Italia Futura association back in 2009, is instead set to focus on his Ferrari presidency, leaving the future responsibility of the growing group in the hands of those who have worked around him in recent years. "I will not run for a seat," di Montezemolo told Italy's La Repubblica newspaper. "I will leave it to the many qualified people who have supported and worked for the association in the past few years. It is only fair that they are the key players." Di Montezemolo added that although he will continue to support Italia Futura's bid to become a recognised party, he is no longer going to play a key role in the movement. "Italia Futura is close to turning into something a lot more widespread and diverse and I won't be the leader of it," he explained of his plans. "I will support it with determination, but not in a position that will lead to any conflicts of interests." Since the beginning of di Montezemolo's Ferrari reign in 1991, the Italian marque has claimed eight Constructors' titles and notched up six Drivers' championships. 'I'm not guilty' - Ecclestone on bribery case : Bernie Ecclestone says he is innocent of any crime surrounding the sale of Formula 1 to private equity firm CVC in 2006, with the 82-year-old accused of paying a 27 million pound bribe to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky during the process.The business magnate, who is confident of remaining in F1 for many years to come, recently explained that he transferred the money after the now jailed Gribkowsky made threats to supply HM Revenue & Customs with tax information. Approaching the 2013 season, he is adamant that the situation will not result in a court appearance. Bernie Ecclestone"I would be (worried) if I was guilty, but I’m not!" Ecclestone told Italy's Corriere della Sera. "Are they trying to entrap me? I don’t know and I don’t care! All I know is that people try anything when money is involved! It won’t get to me appearing in court. Ecclestone also reacted to the comments recently made by Luca di Montezemolo, with the Ferrari President questioning his long-term Formula 1 future. "Montezemolo is still a friend and I’m convinced that he didn’t really intend to say the things he said about me, about my age and my ability to continue to work," Ecclestone said of the 65-year-old Italian. "I’m happy – it’s just ‘role playing’!" Ecclestone has been involved in the management of Formula 1 since 1978. Ecclestone hoping Alonso wins 2013 title : Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is eager for a change at the top of the pecking order this season, with the 82-year-old arguing that 'it wouldn't be too bad' for the sport if Fernando Alonso wins the 2013 title. The Spaniard has not claimed honours since 2006, while Ferrari is searching for its first Constructors' crown since 2008. Following Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's three-year run of championship success, Ecclestone says a new leader would be be positive, highlighting Ferrari in particular. "I explained that Vettel is a true champion, but that he’s still young and can only improve in terms of being a character in the sport and in terms of his personality," Ecclestone told daily Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "As for Alonso, after three years of dominance by Red Bull it wouldn’t be too bad a thing if we were to have a change at the top of the sport, perhaps with Ferrari leading the way again." After 11 Formula 1 campaigns, Alonso has two Drivers' titles to his name. In 2012, Sebastian Vettel joined the illustrious group of triple World Champions alongside Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna . Ferrari: New Massa deal the right decision : Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has backed his and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali's decision to retain Felipe Massa for the 2013 season, explaining that the Brazilian and team-mate Fernando Alonso create the perfect balance at the team. After a relatively slow start to the season, Massa improved greatly and was able to consistently challenge Alonso during the final few rounds of the year. "The Brazilian improved a great deal in the second half: in fact in the first part, it seemed he’d gone on a round the world holiday," di Montezemolo said at Ferrari's Christmas lunch with Italian media. "Joking apart, I think the decision to reconfirm his position was the right one: if we had changed, then one would need to take on someone who would make a difference and I can’t say I noticed many drivers around who would be quicker than Felipe. "Also, we did not want to change the balance and the good atmosphere. Domenicali and I told ourselves it was best to wait and I think that the facts proved us right. Towards the end, when Felipe was even faster than Fernando a couple of times, his points played a vital part in securing our place in the Constructors’ championship." Alonso and Massa will be entering a fourth season as Ferrari team-mates in 2013 . Ferrari picks separate designers for 2013/14 : Ferrari has opted to split the design focus of its 2013 and 2014 cars, with two separate designers picked to lead the respective programmes. Simone Resta is in charge of the team's 2013 chassis, while Fabio Montecchi focuses on 2014. "We have decided, particularly in light of the unusual demands we will face in 2013, when we will have a completely new project to work on for the future, to have two coordinators," said Team Principal Stefano Domenicali. "Simone Resta, an engineer who has developed his career in Maranello and is very effective, will work on the 2013 car and Fabio Montecchi, will deal with the one for the following year. "Nikolas Tombazis continues as Chief Designer. We must also apply in other areas what we have done at the track, for example in production: as was confirmed by some new arrivals from outside the company, in our 'time to market', by which is meant the time from conception to producing the parts and in our long term research." Ferrari has not won a Constructors' title since 2008, when Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa guided the F2008 to eight victories and eight pole positions. Domenicali sure of better start in 2013 : Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali is adamant that the Italian marque will enjoy a much stronger start to the 2013 Formula 1 campaign, having endured a troublesome pre-season testing period with its F2012 chassis last year. Domenicali also believes the title race will be decided in the opening handful of races, explaining that most teams will switch full focus to the new 2014 ruleset by July. Stefano Domenicali"What happened to us at the first winter test in Jerez last year will not happen to us this year," he is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "The upcoming season will be decided in the first races. The teams will do their work for 2013 and then pretty quickly move on to the preparations for 2014. I think this switch will happen no later July, so it is important to have a good car for the beginning." Ferrari is yet to confirm a date for the launch of its new design, although the team unveiled its 2012 car to the public before pre-season testing got underway at Jerez. Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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News Part 3 :
Summary: Changes for the 2013 season !!!! A wide range of minor but potentially decisive regulation tweaks have been made ahead of the 2013 season, with governing body the FIA moving to tidy up the rulebook. Let's take a look at the main technical and driver changes. Front wing tests: Following the continual debate between teams over flexible front wings, the FIA has outlined 'more stringent' load tests for the 2013 campaign. Minimum weight: Previously capped at 640kg, the minimum weight of cars has now been raised to 642kg. This is to compensate the heavier Pirelli tyres in 2013. Stepped noses: With widespread dissatisfaction expressed at the introduction of 'stepped noses' in 2012, a compromise has been reached between teams and the FIA for the upcoming season. The area in question can now feature a small laminate panel, aimed at improving the transition of the drop. Force Majeure: The force majeure regulation, relating to a car stopping on-track in qualifying, has been dropped from the rulebook. In 2013, the FIA will judge the level of fuel a driver would have required to return to the pit lane and add it to the one-litre minimum sample required for testing after qualifying. DRS use: For safety reasons, the Drag Reduction System (DRS) will only be permitted in the designated race zones throughout an entire Grand Prix weekend this season. Previously, the device could be freely activated in practice and qualifying. Curfews: The personnel curfew, which limited the time team members were permitted to work on Thursday nights, has been extended from six to eight hours in 2013. However, the number of exceptions has been cut back from four to just two. Teams and drivers HRT failed to find a new owner after being put up for sale by Thesan Capital during the final stages of the 2012 campaign, forcing it to close its factory doors before the year was out. The 2013 grid features 11 teams, meaning the Q1 and Q2 qualifying sessions will see six drivers eliminated as opposed to the previous number of seven. While there are no changes at Red Bull (Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber), Ferrari (Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa) or Lotus (Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean), Michael Schumacher's second retirement paved the way for a series of significant driver changes. Lewis Hamilton joins Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, while Mexico's Sergio Pérez fills the vacant McLaren seat alongside Jenson Button. New on the grid for 2013 is Esteban Gutiérrez, the GP2 graduate partnering Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber. Williams has retained race winner Pastor Maldonado and promoted 2012 reserve Valtteri Bottas to a full-time seat, with Toro Rosso opting to field an unchanged pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne. Max Chilton becomes the fourth British driver with his deal to race at Marussia next to Timo Glock. There are still two seats available for the 2013 campaign, but the candidates have now been reduced to a very small number. Caterham has confirmed Charles Pic, with his team-mate expected to be either Vitaly Petrov or Giedo van der Garde. Force India, almost certain to confirm Paul di Resta, is yet to finalise its complete line-up. 2012 reserve Jules Bianchi and former driver Adrian Sutil are the remaining contenders. Tyres Pirelli outlined its tyre plans for the 2013 season to GPUpdate.net last month, with the Italian company eager to bring back higher degradation levels. The heavier rubber is expected to heat up and wear out at a faster rate, with the differences between compounds also set to be larger. Tyre strategies will be even more important as a result, but the changes will not be fully understood until pre-season testing begins. Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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News Part 2 :
Whiting: People will get used to new engines : FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting is confident that Formula 1 supporters will quickly adapt to the sound of the turbo engines in 2014. In a bid to give the sport a greener image, a range of rule changes will be enforced in 12 months' time. Cut back from 2.4 litre V8 units to 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 powerplants, fans have expressed concerns over the potential sound implications of the new engines. However, Whiting believes the noise levels will still sufficiently represent F1. "It’s a big challenge, a very big challenge for the engine manufacturers," Whiting told PeterWindsor.com of the change. "I’m looking forward to seeing the engines run - to see how complicated they are and how clever they are. They’re going to be extremely high-tech power units, that’s for sure. "As for the sound, I think people will get used to it pretty quickly. When I think back to the old BMW four cylinder engine we ran in the Brabham days, that revved to 11,000rpm and it sounded fine. The new engines will not be silent. The sound is going to be different but people will get used to it very quickly, I think." The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), first introduced to Formula 1 back in 2009, will be incorporated into the design of engines for the 2014 season. 'Buemi misses out on Force India seat' : to Swiss newspaper Blick. The 24-year-old's former Toro Rosso team-mate, Jaime Alguersuari, is also believed to have missed out on a drive at the Silverstone-based squad, with Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi the two remaining candidates. Force India and Caterham are the only teams yet to confirm their complete line-ups for the upcoming campaign, with a number of drivers left on the sidelines at the end of 2012. Buemi and Alguersuari were both hopeful over their chances of claiming a place alongside Paul di Resta, but this now appears to be out of the question. Sutil, who drove for Force India and its predecessors from 2006 to 2011, has been attempting to return to Formula 1 after a year out of the sport. However, 2012 test and reserve driver Bianchi is said to be closer to a deal with his ties to Ferrari. The famous Italian marque is keen for its well-rated protégé to break into the sport and could offer engines to Force India for the 2014 season as part of an agreement. Di Resta, who has contested two seasons with Force India to date, is almost certain to retain his seat for 2013. Throughout 2012, Team Principal Vijay Mallya continually expressed his desire to reveal the outfit's drivers in one announcement. 'Very difficult to time retirement' – Webber : Mark Webber says it will be extremely difficult to pick the optimal time to retire from Formula 1, with the Red Bull driver fearful of either 'pulling the plug too early' or spending too long in the sport. The 36-year-old, who has claimed nine Grand Prix victories to date, will enter an 12th F1 season in 2013 and his seventh with Red Bull. Webber: Retirement decision will be very difficult"Timing's very important," Webber explained to the news reporter of the Belgian sportspaper when discussing retirement. "I haven't been there yet, but this is going to be a very, very difficult moment, no question about it. "I suppose it's just about getting the timing right... not pulling the plug too early, knowing you have more to give of yourself, or going too long and not being quick enough or struggling to do the things you used to be able to do. That can become an issue as well." Webber went on to explain that the learning process never stops in Formula 1, but admitted that experience alone is not enough to guarantee strong results. "The thing is, the wisdom keeps carrying on, but the sharpness eventually drops off," the Australian added. "You never stop learning, so a 22-year-old Mark Webber is nowhere in terms of wisdom, but now I have a lot of wisdom it's about dropping that into your whole skill set and performing better. But there comes a point where even that's not enough to keep you at the front. And that's when you need to stop." Webber signed a one-year contract extension with Red Bull after winning the 2012 British Grand Prix, meaning his current deal is set to expire at the end of 2013 . 'Impossible for HRT to continue' - Pérez-Sala : Luis Pérez-Sala has spoken out for the first time since HRT's demise, with the Spanish outfit forced to shutdown its Formula 1 operation at the end of the 2012 season. Owners Thesan Capital had put the squad up for sale prior to the United States Grand Prix in November, but a buyer was not found in time. Luis Pérez-SalaEntering F1 as Hispania Racing back in 2010, HRT continually struggled for long-term financial stability. Going through a renaming process before its very first race, when Campos Meta had to be rescued by businessman José Ramón Carabante, it passed through the hands of various owners and ultimately ground to a halt when it failed to obtain investment. Pérez-Sala, who held the role of Team Principal throughout the 2012 campaign, says the outcome was simply unavoidable. Speaking to daily Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, he explained: "It was impossible to go on. When we took charge of the team we were promised help which did not arrive." HRT's highest ever race finish was achieved at the rain-hit Canadian Grand Prix of 2011, with Italian driver Vitantonio Liuzzi taking the chequered flag in 13th place. Glock: McLaren wind tunnel work a boost : Timo Glock says the aerodynamic work that has been carried out by his Marussia team at McLaren's wind tunnel 'looks very positive' for future seasons, with the German driver hopeful of moving up the Formula 1 grid in 2013. The Banbury-based outfit first entered the sport as Virgin Racing back in 2010, competing with a solely CFD-designed car. Since then, it has substantially widened its research methods, something which fills Glock with optimism. Timo Glock"I think the wind tunnel work paid off since we went to McLaren, and that looks very positive for the future," he said. "It was a difficult year in 2012 with a very difficult start; going to Australia with no testing. But I think since then we've improved the car quite a lot. "I didn't think that we'd close the gap as we were 1.5 seconds off Caterham, then we closed it very quickly over the second half of the season, which is great." Glock's new team-mate, Max Chilton, is also optimistic about Marussia's chances in 2013. The Briton, who is preparing for his Formula 1 debut, says the performance projections made by Technical Consultant Pat Symonds are extremely encouraging. "The car sounds very, very good," Chilton told GPUpdate.net. "With the addition of KERS as well, that’s just free time. There’s no loss of time by installing it. KERS in itself would put us further up the grid and if we’re having the car they say we will then it’s going to be a very promising year. Pat seems to think we’ve found a lot." Marussia and Caterham, the two surviving teams from the three which joined Formula 1 ahead of the 2010 campaign, are yet to record a points-scoring result. Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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News Part 1 :
New Mercedes passes FIA crash tests The Mercedes AMG W04 chassis has passed all of the necessary FIA crash tests ahead of the new year, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. The Brackley-based squad's new design is expected to feature a heavily-modified rear end, built in time to hit the track during the opening pre-season test at Jerez. Lewis Hamilton, who replaces Michael Schumacher at the famous German marque, will race alongside former karting team-mate Nico Rosberg in 2013. Hülkenberg completes seat fitting at Sauber : Nico Hülkenberg had a seat fitting for Sauber's new C32 chassis this week, beginning his transition phase from Force India. The German outlined his desire to achieve podium finishes at the team. Hülkenberg, who has two Formula 1 seasons under his belt, met with engineers and sat in a base tub at the outfit's Hinwil factory. The 25-year-old will race alongside Esteban Gutiérrez next season, the Mexican graduating from feeder series GP2. Sauber has already announced that its 2013 car will be ready in time for the opening pre-season test at the Circuito de Jerez, taking place from February 5-8. Bribery case could force Ecclestone out : Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he may be forced into retirement if he is charged in a bribary case surrounding the sale of the sport to private equity firm CVC back in 2006. The business magnate is alleged to have paid German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky a bribe of around 27 million pounds during the deal. Ecclestone insists that the payment was not corrupt, instead arguing that Gribkowsky had been threatening to give tax information to HM Revenue & Customs. However, since the latter's arrest in 2011, the 82-year-old has also been under investigation. "(CVC) will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me," Ecclestone explained to The Sunday Telegraph. "It’s pretty obvious, if I’m locked up." Ecclestone added that CVC has also hired head-hunting agency Egon Zehnder to draft up a list of potential replacements should he leave his post in the near future. "They said they had hired a head-hunter to find somebody in the event that I was not going to be there - if I was going to die or something," Ecclestone said of the situation. "It is the normal thing they do to keep people happy." Earlier this month, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo argued that if found guilty, Ecclestone has no other choice but to resign: "If Bernie is accused under process, I think he will be the first to give a step back in the interests of Formula 1." Five key themes to look out for in 2013 : Formula 1 2012 has been and gone in a flash, with Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull crowned triple World Champions. Now the attention turns to the 2013 campaign, with plenty of talking points to mull over. Here are five key themes to look out for... Hamilton's switch to Mercedes Lewis Hamilton's move to Mercedes conjured up one word with most Formula 1 fans: money. However, there is more to the deal than meets the eye and the 2008 World Champion could surprise quite a lot of people in 2013. Switching to the Silver Arrows for what has been titled a 'fresh start', he certainly has a difficult task on his hands, but his rollercoaster career with McLaren will have prepared him well. Although Hamilton has enjoyed front-running machinery during many of his McLaren years, it is easy to forget his heroics from 2009 when driving a sub-standard car. Much like Alonso in 2012, the Briton has proven that he can get the most from a slower package and so an early performance deficit should not unduly concern him. The 27-year-old clearly wanted a new challenge and Mercedes has provided him with that opportunity. He has new-found focus and, most importantly, the speed to deliver. Sergio Pérez, who is still a slightly unknown quantity, has big boots to fill this season . A changing of the guard? "CVC will probably be forced to get rid of me if the Germans come after me," are Ecclestone's own words on the bribery case which could ultimately drive him out of Formula 1. The business magnate transferred a sum of around 27 million pounds to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to push through the sale of the sport to private equity firm CVC in 2006, with Ecclestone claiming that the latter had threatened to supply tax information to HM Revenue & Customs if he was not paid. What will come of the situation? We know this much: Gribkowsky was arrested in 2011 and Ecclestone is now under investigation for his role in the deal. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo says stepping down is the only option for the 82-year-old if found guilty, but the situation looks likely to drag on for some time. One thing is for sure, no matter how controversial a figure Ecclestone has been during his long reign, Formula 1 would endure a massive structural loss if he leaves. Pirelli's 'more aggressive' tyres With seven different winners from the first seven races of 2012, Pirelli was hailed for its large part in producing an almost unpredictable Formula 1 spectacle. However, teams and drivers eventually got on top of the complex tyre situation as the races passed by and at the end of the season the Italian company was being described as overly cautious. Despite this anti-climax, fans need not fear ahead of the 2013 season. Speaking to GPUpdate.net last month, Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery said: "There’s a more rapid warm-up and more temperature going into the tyres. With the changes we’re making to the compounds we’re trying to bring back some degradation levels." This is definitely something to look forward to as the first race approaches. In-season development Formula 1 has long been known as a constant development race, but there will be a big twist this year. A major engine overhaul, amid further regulation tweaks, will come into play in 2014. This will force teams up and down the grid to perform a balancing act; the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus can't let up in their bid for title glory, whereas teams further down the grid could opt for a strategic gamble. Highlighting the issue facing the entire field, Ferrari has already announced that two separate designers will be leading its respective 2013 and 2014 projects, meaning the staff at Maranello can be split equally in the chase for those crucial tenths of a second. The differing strategies will be extremely interesting to follow. The real Romain Grosjean A string of silly errors may have tarnished Romain Grosjean's reputation in 2012, but the Frenchman remains one of Formula 1's most exciting prospects. It must be reiterated that the 26-year-old, who claimed the 2011 GP2 title, contested his first full F1 season last year, with his 2009 stint at Renault not worthy of being described as a genuine opportunity to shine. Dotted around his mistakes were performances even the most established of drivers would have savoured. A stunning lap to claim third on the grid for the opening race of the season well and truly marked his return to the Grand Prix scene, with podiums in Bahrain and Canada following. If it wasn't for an alternator failure in Valencia, he may well have become France's 13th Grand Prix winner. Lotus will have a championship contender on its hands if his lapses in concentration can be eradicated. Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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Analysis: Fight for Force India and Caterham F1 seats nears end :
The fight for Formula 1's leading seats may have been over months ago, but the battle for cockpits further down the field remains intense as judgements loom on the final two vacancies. Force India and Caterham are the only remaining outfits that have yet to finalise their line-ups, but with just one month to go before the start of 2013 testing, decisions are now expected within days. The increasingly tough economic climate worldwide means that teams at both ends of the grid have had to be more mindful of commercial considerations when it comes to drivers, which is why neither outfit is having an easy time making its choice. Force India: Bianchi vs Sutil The Force India vacancy is a plum seat, with Nico Hulkenberg having shown at the Brazilian Grand Prix that the team has the capability to fight right at the front. Although Paul di Resta has not yet been confirmed, his performances last year left the team in no doubt that he justified another opportunity for 2013, so his place is secure. Towards the end of last season, the list of candidates for the seat alongside di Resta stretched to double figures though, as youngsters like Luiz Razia, out of work men like Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi, and current racers like Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi vied to fill Hulkenberg's place. Although each driver had varying amounts of sponsorship behind him, Force India CEO Otmar Szafnauer told us at the end of last season that the decision would ultimately rest on ability rather than backing. He made it clear his preference was for speed to ultimately win out, because that would be the only way of ensuring both its men performed. "I am a believer that you need someone like that," he said. "Not everyone does, and it is a subconscious thing. "You think you are driving the best you can, but there is nothing like competition for us humans to really sharpen our focus, attention and skills in all sort of stuff. If you have competition you end up driving yourself more." That process has culminated in the selection whittling down now to what appears to be a straightforward decision between veteran Adrian Sutil and rising star Jules Bianchi Sutil has the experience and speed to keep things moving forward after Hulkenberg, and would bring some funding from his long-term backers. Bianchi would be more of a gamble on the driving front - because he has yet to race in F1 – but he has the added attraction of closes ties to Ferrari. The Frenchman has been retained as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy for 2013, and a long-term deal could tie in to a potential engine partnership for 2014 and beyond. Ferrari is currently working on sorting out its future customer engine plans, and may need to secure another partner with Scuderia Toro Rosso likely to make the move to Renault after this season. The final call on Force India's drivers rests with team principal Vijay Mallya, who will need to weigh up both the short-term and long-term benefits of either candidate. Caterham: Petrov, Senna or van der Garde? At Caterham, there is an equally tough decision to be made as to who will partner youngster Charles Pic. The Leafield-based outfit may have secured its 10th place in the constructors' championship at the 11th hour with Vitaly Petrov's result in Brazil, but it remains eager to bolster its commercial situation even more. Heikki Kovalainen is unlikely to be kept on for another year, with the leading candidates for the role now being Petrov, Bruno Senna and Giedo van der Garde.Petrov added nearly $10 million to Caterham's coffers with his 11th-place finish at Interlagos that got the team back in the top 10 of the constructors' championship, so there is an obvious reason to retain him.Furthermore, Petrov has the potential to unlock more sponsorship from Russia with the Sochi Grand Prix looming on the horizon for 2014.However, Senna has valuable backing behind him right now, and has the kind of profile and attitude that the team would benefit from. Like the decision facing Mallya, Caterham has candidates who each easily justify their place, but in the end there is only space for one man. Kind Regards Shaky-Schumi |
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Franck Montagny 5th January 1978
(Super Aguri driver in 2006) [hidden link - please register] Happy Birthday to your 35th anniversary
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Michael Schumacher 3rd January 1969
[hidden link - please register] Happy Birthday to your 44th anniversary
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