Michael Schumacher was recently allowed by the FIA to do some testing in a GP2 car and this is the video of seven-time World Champion testing at Jerez. For the test Schumacher used his customary red helmet but word is that he will be dropping the colour that has come to be synonymous with the German and his days at Ferrari. It’s yet unknown which colours Schumacher has opted for but we do know is that Schuberth helmets is already working on a prototype model for Schumacher.
Showing posts with label Internation News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Internation News. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Schumacher Testing At Jerez
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Super GT 2010 Team Impul & Team Calsonic Testing At SIC
The race is still some time away but two Nissan teams take this opportunity to do some off season testing at the Sepang International Circuit.
The cars from Team Impul and Calsonic can be seen doing their laps from today till Thursday (12th to 14th January) on the 5.543km long circuit.
Little details are available for now as the teams are testing their latest machines and don’t want their information on their “secret weapon” to leak out to the other teams.
Fans can get a sneak peak of the cars from the main grandstand but no cameras are allowed.
The Super GT season is expected to start around March and the Malaysian round of the race series will be on the 18th to 20th June.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Lotus Formula One Car Decals
We’re all excited about the return of the Lotus name onto the Formula One grid and though we already know who the financiers are, who the drivers are going to be and that the 1Malaysia Formula One Team is just a political card the government is playing to fool us again but we’re still not sure about how the car will look like. So out come the designers and their renderings and this is the latest one by Malaysian designer Hafidz Moro.
As is apparent in the picture above, the traditional Lotus green has been retained and the 14-pointed star of the Malaysian flag adorns the rear wing of the car but I’m guessing that the real car will have a lot more Malaysian features on it to be in-line with the “1Malaysia Formula One Team” propaganda. Well, let us know what you think of the rendering in the comments section after the jump.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Former Renault Boss Has His Ban Overturned By French Court
Flavio Briatore’s indefinite ban from motorsport has been overturned by the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris.
The court reversed the decision of the World Motor Sports Council (WMSC), which hit Briatore with the ban for his part in conspiring to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Briatore was also awarded €15,000 (US$21,600) compensation, although that figure was short of the €1 million (US$1.44m) he was seeking. The French court gave the FIA 15 days to pay or face a €10,000 per day fine.
The FIA’s lawyer Jean-Francois Prat told Associated Press that the governing body would likely launch an appeal, preventing Briatore from returning to the sport until the appeals process had run its course. However, if the judgement stands Briatore’s lawyer Philippe Ouakrat said: “We are in a situation in which Mr Briatore is reinstated in all his capacities to act in Formula One or motorsport.”
Ouakrat argued that the FIA had exceeded its authority by imposing the sanction and that Briatore was targeted because of his tense relationship with ex-FIA president Max Mosley.
“We have the feeling that some justice has been reinstated,” Ouakrat said. “I’m certain that the court was quite shocked by the way that the decision was made against Mr Briatore.”
The judge told the court that the FIA’s evidence was weak, and that lawyers were unable to question witnesses because their identity was withheld.
Ex-Renault director of engineering, Pat Symonds, also had his five-year ban overturned for his part in the scandal. He was awarded US$7,200 compensation, again well short of the US$722,000 he had sought.
Renault got off relatively lightly from the original WMSC hearing, with a two-year suspended ban, and decided not to appeal. Driver Nelson Piquet Jnr was given immunity in exchange for evidence.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Honda HSV-010 GT Replaced NSX in 2010 Japan GT
Honda Racing has announced that the Honda HSV-010 GT will serve as a replacement to the NSX in the Japan Super GT Race Series. Running in the GT500 class, the new model uses a 3.4-liter V8 engine, as required by the racing series rules.
Although the Super GT normally requires racing vehicles to be based on production cars, there are exceptions to the rule. As previously reported, one such exception is the use of a production-ready car, even if the car is not in production.
With the economy's particularly harsh effect on the automotive industry, it is doubtful Honda would release a new high-end sports car this year. This is especially true with Honda's corporate push to focus on more mass-marketable vehicles, and less on niche-market vehicles that are purchased in small numbers.
Honda's new racer is based on a recent NSX prototype. The Honda HSV-010 GT will debut during the March 20-21 season opening race weekend at Suzuka Circuit in south-central Japan.
Schumacher signs Mercedes contract for 2010
Michael Schumacher has now signed a contract to return to formula one next year with Mercedes, according to multiple authoritative sources.
Germany's Bild newspaper and the BBC in Britain say the seven time world champion, who turns 41 in early January, has signed a one-year deal.
Bild, valuing the contract at 7 million euros, said the German's decision is the "biggest comeback in sports history". Schumacher reportedly signed the deal at Brackley, with an announcement to be made on Tuesday.
His spokeswoman Sabine Kehm would not comment, but Schumacher's friend Sebastian Vettel said he was happy to hear the news.
"This is his own decision for his own reasons but it makes me happy that he is going to be there. I hope he is still fit enough for his age to ride along with us," the Red Bull driver is quoted as saying by RTL Nachtmagazin.
Bild said Mercedes is seeking special permission so that Schumacher can test the Brawn car in January.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Petronas Signs 5-Year Agreement with Mercedes in F1
Petronas has just moments ago announced that it will be the title sponsor of Mercedes GP! This comes as a surprise after it was widely reported that the national oil company will be ending its involvement in F1 as a team sponsor. The choice of Mercedes GP is also unexpected – after all Malaysia has its “own” team in Lotus F1.
The five-year agreement with Mercedes comes after Petronas’ deal with BMW Sauber ended in the just concluded 2009 season. Under this new deal, Petronas will be the title partner to the Silver Arrows works team, which will be officially known as the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team.
The official media statement explains that “this partnership allows related business arrangements with Mercedes that will support Petronas’ international business expansion efforts, particularly in its global lubricant business. The exclusive rights of a title partner and association with the premium, internationally-renowned Mercedes brand will further enhance Petronas and Malaysia’s ongoing global brand positioning efforts. Petronas will also be able to continue to leverage on the extensive international exposure offered by the sport to grow its existing business activities.”
This tie-up also presents Petronas with the opportunity to utilise and leverage on Mercedes’ long motor sport heritage to further supplement its talent development initiatives as part of its contribution towards the development of Malaysia’s motorsports industry, it said.
Petronas will continue to be the title sponsor of the Malaysian Grand Prix, as reported earlier.
Quotes from Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports and Ross Brawn, Team Principal are after the jump.
UPDATE: The Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team’s race car will make its track debut in its new livery at Valencia on 1 February to start pre-season testing ahead of the 2010 season.
Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports
“We are very pleased to begin our long-term partnership with our new title partner PETRONAS. Daimler, our premium brand Mercedes-Benz and PETRONAS will work together both on and off the track and I am sure that everybody involved will guarantee their absolute dedication to success. PETRONAS’ home base in Kuala Lumpur is located in the middle of a fast-growing region for the automotive industry which makes this new partnership even more valuable. Within the limits of the new Formula One resource restrictions, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team will be well positioned to achieve our goals. We will all strive to present efficient success in the future knowing at the same time that the new Formula One season with some fundamental rule changes will be a particularly challenging one.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team
“Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm our long-term agreement with PETRONAS and we look forward to working closely with our new partner in the future. The collaboration of the premium automotive brand Mercedes-Benz and a company as prestigious as PETRONAS gives our team a fantastic base from which to achieve our ambitions of competing at the top level of Formula One and building on the success of 2009 which saw the team achieve the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger, and we look forward to seeing the car run in the new Silver Arrows and PETRONAS livery at the Valencia test in February.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ayrton Senna Voted The Greatest F1 Driver of All Time
Formula One legend, hero and god, Ayrton Senna has been awarded the title as the greatest Formula One driver of all time by Autosport. Now you may ask who actually voted and decided Senna as the best, well you could argue the results if it were just a regular man on the street who voted but that’s not so. The voters actually comprised of 217 Formula One drivers – going all the way back to 98-year old Paul Pietsch who raced in the 1930s. Among all their peers the drivers chose the Brazilian as the number one F1 driver of all time.
We think that Senna is the best of the best and he truly deserves his title but there are some controversial results, like Fernando Alonso being at the number nine spot and Lewis Hamilton at number 17 ahead of Jack Brabham and Graham Hill and Jenson Button at number 30 ahead of the likes of Phil Hill and others. Those results do raise a brow, click here to have a look at the list yourself and decide.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Kimi Raikkonen To Join WRC !!
Kimi Raikkonen will be absent from the Formula One grid next season, his manager Steve Robertson announced to the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat late on Tuesday.
The Finn, having agreed to make way for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, had been in serious talks with McLaren, but the parties reportedly disagreed about his salary, sponsor duties and his freedom to race in rallies.
“The only option for F1 next season was McLaren or nothing,” Robertson said. “Kimi and McLaren were unable to reach an agreement, so he will not drive at F1 level, at least not next year.”
Raikkonen’s severance deal with Ferrari means that he stands making more money by taking a year off than he would if he had stayed in F1.
Turun Sanomat said the most likely option for a Raikkonen return in 2011 is with Red Bull Racing. Next year, he is likely to be active in rally cars and possibly the Le Mans 24 Hours, the newspaper added.
“He’s one of those guys who moves on quickly,” his manager told the BBC. “He just said ‘Now we concentrate on rallying’.”
Raikkonen made his WRC debut last summer when he took on his home event, Rally Finland, at the wheel of an Abarth Grande Punto S2000. His times on the fast-paced gravel tests were good and allowed him to hold 15th position overall; however he slid into a ditch and damaged his car on Day Two of the event, forcing him to retire.
The former Ferrari driver will now have a full year ahead of him to gain additional experience on World Rally Championship rounds.
“He is now looking to find a drive in the WRC, although nothing has yet been sorted out,” Robertson confirmed.
2007 champion Raikkonen believed that a deal with McLaren was his best opportunity in fighting for a second F1 title; the team opted for current World Champion
Jenson Button instead.
“Kimi wanted a winning car, only McLaren could supply that and he only had them in his sights,” Robertson explained. “It wasn’t in his interests to race for what they were offering so he’s going to go rallying instead.”
“If they hadn’t gone for Jenson, they’d have gone for someone else,” he added.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Mclaren To Buy Back 40% Stake Held by Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG will have stakes in two Formula 1 teams next season, with a majority shareholding in Brawn GP coming into effect while its 40% stake in McLaren Racing is set to be bought out by the McLaren Group over the coming year.
“In a transaction structured so as to be completed by 2011, the McLaren Group will undertake a phased purchase of the 40 per cent shareholding currently owned by Daimler AG. As a result, the McLaren Group will become a fully independent stand-alone corporate entity,” the company confirmed in a statement on Monday.
This year’s championship-winning Brawn GP team will be renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, and Daimler AG’s statement confirming the purchase used the term ‘Silver Arrows’ to describe its future single-seaters.
However the collaboration with McLaren will continue beyond the buyout of Mercedes’ stake, since the German manufacturer will maintain its supply of engines to McLaren until 2015, at which time a prolonging agreement may come into place.
“The team will continue to be known as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, its distinctive silver-with-red livery will remain unchanged, and Mercedes-Benz will continue as both an engine supplier and a partner,” read the McLaren Group statement.
By the time the new engine-supply agreement reaches its term in 2015, the working relationship between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz will have reached its 21st year. “By which time it will have become by some margin the longest such association in Formula 1 history,” McLaren pointed out.
“For the benefit of both Mercedes and McLaren, we will continue our partnership cooperation in the future,” said Dieter Zetsche, Daimler CEO and head of Mercedes-Benz, in a separate statement. “We will be rivals on-track but, off-track, we will cooperate with McLaren and the other teams in order to create the best possible product for spectators worldwide.”
Mercedes-Benz Motorsport boss Norbert Haug looked back at the 60 Grand Prix victories, four titles and ten runner-up positions gained with McLaren Racing since 1995 in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships: “We thank our partner and will continue to work with McLaren based on an excellent partnership.
Click here to find out more!
“The reaffirmation of the two companies’ commitment to each other is the result of many weeks of careful and cooperative discussion,” the McLaren Group statement explained, adding that the agreement “covers both parties’ continued involvement in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 partnership as well as a shared intention to act in the overall best interests of the sport of Grand Prix racing.
“It also reflects the independent vision of both companies with regard to their automotive production strategies,” the press release indicated, referring to McLaren Automotive’s intention of building “its own range of high-performance production sports cars” starting in 2011.
“This is a win-win situation, for both McLaren and Daimler,” said Ron Dennis, the Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive and founder of the McLaren Group.
“I’ve often stated that it’s my belief that, in order to survive and thrive in 21st-century Formula 1, a team must become much more than merely a team,” Dennis explained. “The next few years will be a very exciting time for McLaren, during which period we intend to become an ever-stronger technological and economic force.
“Over the past two years we’ve analysed in great detail the challenge of entering the high-performance production sports car market,” he continued, however underlining that “Formula 1 will always be a core activity, for sound business reasons as well as for historical sporting reasons.
“All of our partners will of course continue to play a crucial role in our Formula 1 programme,” Dennis said. “For that reason, and because the engines they produce are very competitive, we’re delighted that Mercedes-Benz has committed to continue not only as an engine supplier but also as a partner of ours until 2015 – and perhaps thereafter.”
Monday, November 2, 2009
Rubens Barrichello Will Join Williams
Williams has confirmed that Rubens Barrichello will join the team for the 2010 season alongside Nico Hulkenberg who is promoted from his role as test and reserve driver. The team has already confirmed a switch from Toyota to Cosworth engines for next year.
Despite his success with Brawn this year, the impending acquisition of a stake in the team by Mercedes-Benz and the expected arrival of 2009 Williams driver Nico Rosberg, forced Barrichello to look elsewhere.
“Rubens needs no introduction,” said Frank Williams. “He is not only the most experienced driver in Formula One, but a passionate and talented driver who fought hard for the drivers’ championship this year.”
Having started his Formula One career with Jordan in 1993, his new deal will see him race for the Grove-based team, extending his F1 career to an astonishing 18 seasons and over 300 starts. He has finished second in the championship with Ferrari and third this year with Brawn GP.
Hulkenberg meanwhile is the protégé of Michael Schumacher’s manager Willi Weber and steps up to Formula One with impressive credentials having taken championship honours in Formula BMW ADAC, A1GP, F3 Euroseries and the GP2 championship.
The confirmation of the Williams line-up means that Toyota favourite Kazuki Nakajima has been dropped by the team after a disappointing second season.
“Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima remain our drivers until the end of 2009 and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution to the team,” Williams continued. “Nico and Kazuki have represented AT&T Williams and our partners with dedication, discipline and skill and we wish them every success with their future endeavours.”
Bridgestone To Quit Formula One After 2010 Season
F1’s sole supplier of tyres announced today its decision to pull out of the sport after the 2010 season. 2010 marks the third year of Bridgestone’s exclusive supply contract with formula one, and a media statement said the Bridgestone Corporation in Japan decided not to seek an extension.
A disappointed Hiroshi Yasukawa, boss of the company’s motor racing programme, said the decision was about the redirection of “resources towards the further intensive development of those innovative technologies and strategic products which support the company’s goals and further enhance the company’s reputation as a technology leader.”
Bridgestone entered F1 in 1997 in competition with Goodyear, and later pitted its products against Michelin’s. It was the only supplier in 2007, then entering a contract to be the sole official supplier between 2008-2010.
“The company has benefited directly from its involvement in Formula One racing,” the tyre supplier stated. “The lessons learned through Bridgestone’s successful participation have translated into innovations that can be applied to the design and manufacture of tyres.
“In addition, its collaboration with F1 has contributed to increased brand awareness and the recognition of Bridgestone as a leader in the global tyre industry. Having achieved these goals, Bridgestone is now poised to take its technological and brand building efforts to the next level.”
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ferrari CEO Reveals When Enzo, 612, and 599 Will Be Replaced
Ferrari has just reveled the new 458 Italia and with deliveries set to begin in January, Ferrari already has its sights on the 458 Spider. With that already in the pipelines and the California still fresh on the market, Ferrari is turning its attention from the V8 range to its V12 flagship range. CAR magazine recently sat down with Ferrari CEO and managing direcotr Amedeo Felisa, who revealed the full roll-out schedule for at least three new V12 supercars currently under development in Maranello.
First to be replaced will be the 612 Scaglietti which has been on the market since 2004. Five years on the market may not seem like a long time, but the Scag hasn’t exactly won the hearts and minds of enthusiasts and customers. And due to this, Ferrari is apparently moving ahead with its replacement, due to hit the market by 2012.
And around the same time, we can expect to see the long anticipated successor to the Enzo. Although Ferrari has been working on hybrid propulsion and other forms of green technology, expect the Enzo replacement to follow in the footsteps of the 280GTO, F40, F50 and Enzo and receive a more conventional V12 or possibly a twin turbo V8 to drive Maranello’s new benchmark hypercar.
So with the hypercar already in the works, next up will be the replacement for the 599 GTB Fiorano but that will take a little longer. The two seater GT was just introduced a few years ago and was recently treated to a new HGTE package to keep it ahead of the competition. Though the new 458 Italia is already expected to outrun the Fiorano, and with arch-rival Lamborghini hard at work on a successor to the Murcielago, Ferrari insists it isn’t planning to replace the 599 before 2015.
So there you have it then, three new V12 Ferrari’s that will be introduced in stages over the next six years. If you have your sights on owning one of the top range prancing horses, then this would be the best time to start saving for the next generation Enzo or others.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Renault for 2-year Suspended Ban; Briatore Ban for Life
The consensus of opinion following yesterday’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) and the lifetime ban of the Renault team – suspended for two years – was that the team escaped lightly from what has been perceived as the worst case of cheating in the history of Formula One.
Flavio Briatore was handed a lifetime ban from any FIA sanctioned series, while co-conspirator Pat Symonds received a five year ban. The team itself however were not fined and did not have any points deducted as had been widely predicted. Instead the team was forced to pay the costs of the investigation – estimated at US $1.6m - and make an undisclosed contribution to the FIA’s safety programme.
“A suspended two year ban for Renault means nothing, they’re not really going to do that again are they,” Martin Brundle told the BBC. “They’re having to put some money into the safety fund - we don’t know how much. Many will perceive them as having been treated quite lightly compared to say McLaren of 2007.”
FIA president Max Mosley claimed that the penalty handed out was the “harshest one we can inflict,” something that few publicly support given that it is suspended - and diametrically opposed to the punishment faced by McLaren when they were found guilty of breaching the same regulation (Article 151c) in 2007. The WMSC found McLaren guilty of possessing confidential data from Ferrari and the team were hit with a US $100m fine - which brings up the issue of collective responsibility as well as parity.
“The FIA cannot have it both ways,” reported the Times.”The bill for the investigation is about $1.6 million, which makes Renault’s sanction roughly $98.4 million cheaper [than that faced by McLaren]”. Spain’s El Mundo agreed, calling crash-gate “a scandal without precedent and almost without punishment.”
The Daily Mail likened Renault’s feat to “The Great Escape”, arguing that the French team “should not only be permanently expelled from the track, but face serious criminal charges.”
Singapore newspaper The Straits Times accused F1’s governing body of “one of sport’s biggest cop-outs” and said by not harshly penalising the deliberate crash, the FIA is telling F1’s fans and marshals “that their lives are far less important than possibly losing the support of a car-making giant.”
The New York Times agreed that the FIA had moved to safeguard “the participation of one of its most powerful and wealthy sponsors”, and Britain’s Daily Telegraph said “no one had foreseen quite how lenient the punishment would be”.
The decision clearly pins the blame on three individuals, two of which have been banned from the sport and one who was granted immunity for ‘blowing the whistle’. In the past, ‘rogue’ activities from individuals employed by a team have resulted in the whole team being punished, be that in Formula One or the World Rally Championship.
It is of little surprise that headlines such as “Fury as Renault get easy ride over crash-gate” (The Times), “Renault are lucky to get away with suspended ban” (The Guardian) and “Teams are in the driving seat” (The Independent) are adorning the back pages of our newspapers.
Max Mosley can talk of the WMSC handing down the “harshest” penalty available to the governing body, but he defends the decision to penalise only the individual conspirators rather than revert to the principle of collective responsibility.
“Renault has demonstrated that they have absolutely no moral responsibility for what took place so it would be wrong to impose an immediate penalty,” Mosley insisted. “The blame has been placed where it should be placed and it’s the right decision.”
Clearly not everyone is buying Mosley’s line. Ari Vatanen, an independent candidate to succeed Mosley in October’s presidential elections, said the fact that the world smells an inside deal strengthens his case for “absolutely independent justice” in these sorts of disciplinary matters. World champion Damon Hill agreed. “Knowing what we know, we cannot dissociate this from the power play going on behind the scenes for control of Formula One,” he said.
French industry minister Christian Estrosi. “It is a good thing for French industry and a good thing for the sport in general,” he told L’Equipe.”
Double world champion Mika Hakkinen meanwhile simply wants the sport to move on from the latest controversy. “The show must go on,” he told Reuters. “People who have done wrong, they need a penalty. Life has to go on. I think what is important now is a great grand prix is coming…”
Kimi Raikkonen Signs For Mclaren
Kimi Raikkonen has signed an “outline agreement” to kick off a second tenure with the McLaren team beginning next season, the Mirror newspaper reported on Sunday.
The British newspaper said the 29-year-old Finn, who raced with the Woking based outfit between 2002 and 2006, must first reach an agreement with Ferrari, with whom he is under contract for one more season.
The Mirror cited “paddock sources” in claiming that Raikkonen is prepared to vacate his contracted Ferrari seat in 2010, but only if the famous Italian outfit pays his salary. The newspaper estimated Raikkonen’s 2010 Ferrari contract at nearly US $49m.
The report also said the news ties in with Nico Rosberg’s link with Brawn and the Brackley team’s burgeoning relationship with Mercedes-Benz.
The German manufacturer Mercedes was said to be pushing for Rosberg to replace Heikki Kovalainen at McLaren, but may now have resolved to push the German driver to Brawn and increase its involvement with the Ross Brawn-led outfit.
Monday, September 7, 2009
New Mclaren Set To Be Revealed
Come Wednesday the 9th of September McLaren Automotive will unveil one of the most anticipated supercars of the year, if not this decade. Following months of many spy shots and some official details, the MP4-12C will be presented.
Previously known by its codename P11, the car will go on sale in 2011 and will be a spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 supercar going head-to-head with the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ferrari 458 Italia.
It is expected to lead the field in technical innovation thanks to its Formula One association. Details obtained by WCF state the MP4-12C will have a carbon-fiber monocoque body structure. However, the big innovation is in direct correlation to its namesake, the MP4-12 F1 racecar from 1997. First seen on this racecar, but subsequently banned by the FIA, the MP4-12C will incorporate technology known as a “brake steering” system. It will allow the driver to brake either rear wheels via a selectable second brake pedal resulting in reduced wheelspin and the elimination of understeer.
Power will be sourced from a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V8 petrol engine and accessed through a 7-speed gearbox which will reportedly pump out 600 to 700bhp. Although the MP4-12C is meant to be a supercar worthy of the tag, its makers are not skimping on its everyday usability. As such the 320kmh-plus road runner will have goodies like wi-fi connection, an onboard computer and self-adjusting suspension. Apparently it also comes with vertically opening doors.
As already stated in previous reports this car will not be an only child. CEO Ron Dennis stated that his company is not just building one car but is actually building a brand. Therefore expect to see a total of three models over the next six years, culminating in annual sales of about 4,000. In comparison Ferrari produces about 6,000 cars a year while Porsche is said to be facing a culling of its high-selling non-sports car models under its new VW home.
Of the three upcoming cars the MP4-12C is the midsized one, said to have a future price tag of £150,000 (US$246,000). A 911 rival will launch for about £60,000 (US$98,400) and a Lamborghini Murcielago competitor will round out the initial lineup.
Looking at the rendering posted above, a source states it is very close to the real thing except the headlamps which are more boomerang shaped. Perhaps an early design draft.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ferrari Expects Massa To Return in 2010
While Felipe Massa is recovering well from his injuries, Ferrari has indicated that they do not expect the Brazilian to participate in a Grand Prix before the start of the 2010 championship.
Massa sustained damage to his cranium and left eye last July during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying when an 800gram steel spring was ejected from Rubens Barichello’s car, hitting the Ferrari driver directly on the helmet. The blow instantly knocked Massa out, sending him into the tyre barriers at 190kph.
Medical checks were carried out in Miami yesterday, including neurometric, impact, cognitive capacity, and eye tests; all had positive outcomes. Following plastic surgery to his forehead next week and a short period of rest, Massa will begin a gradual physical preparation programme.
“I’m very happy about the results,” Massa told Ferrari’s official website. “After the small surgery in the next days I can finally start to go to the gym to get back into shape and drive some tests in karts.” The 28-year-old indicated he will be taking the steps towards a full recovery one at a time: “At the moment I’m concentrating on taking up physical activities, which is a great step forward.” Ferrari declared that the team is looking forward to counting on Massa “100% for the start of the next racing season.”
With five races on the 2009 calendar to go and with Massa definitely out of the picture for the remainder of the season, Ferrari needs to replace its test driver and struggling stand-in Luca Badoer with an experienced racer. It is strongly expected that Force India driver Giancarlo Fisichella will take over the second Ferrari starting with the Italian Grand Prix. It was previously rumoured that the Italian was looking at a test driver role with the Maranello-based team starting next year.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Volkswagen To Buy 42% of Porsche
The wheels are rolling towards either a merger or a buyout between Volkswagen AG and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. The two companies are in agreement that VW will buy a shareholding of 42% in Porsche AG for about €3.3 billion, the 100% subsidiary of Porsche SE using cash. The amount is based on the enterprise value of Porsche AG which is €12.4 billion. There will be a cash capital increase of VW AG during the first half of 2010 when new preference shares are issued. Such a transaction will be approved by Porsche SE.
Both entities hope to have engineered a full merger by 2011 if such a move is approved by the regulatory authorities. If not then VW will exercise an option in their agreement to buy out the remaining shares in Porsche AG for a complete takeover. The State of Lower Saxony will reserve the right to appoint two members of the supervisory board as well as to maintain an ordinary shareholding of at least 15% in Volkswagen.
These new proposals may finally put an end to the saga of Porsche and VW which culminated in the “smaller” entity almost buying the bigger one. Now the roles are reversed following the departure last month of former Porsche CEO Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking and his Chief Financial Officer.
Devon GTX Nurburgring Record
This is the Devon GTX. An all-new American supercar that is due to be unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California this weekend. It’s purpose? To dethrone the Radical SR8 Supersport’s production-car record at the Nurburgring. It has been spotted at the Nordshcleife with endurance racer Justin Bell - son of Le Mans hero Derek - behind the wheel. Not much is available on the technology under the car but reports suggests that its V10 powerplant will produce around 650bhp and that a significant amounts of carbon-fiber will be employed around the car.
According to our source, chasing the Radical’s ‘Ring record is still a long ways away as the GTX can apparently only lap California’s Laguna Seca circuit one tenth of a second faster than a Viper ACR. To put that into a ‘Ring context, the ACR managed to lap the Nordschleife in 7min 22sec, so Devon’s target of 6min 55sec looks like a tough task for now.
On top of that, Devon could be facing an even lower lap-time target, as Radical is heading back to the Nurburgring with the SR8LM, a significantly updated version of its SR8, with the aim of beating the 380bhp SR8 Supersport’s time that it set back in 2005.
“It’s several years since we last went for the record, and we’ve carried out a huge amount of development work on the SR8 in the meantime,” said Radical’s Mick Hyde. “The aerodynamics have been considerably improved, now creating more downforce and less drag. The new-for-2009 chassis is much safer having passed the FIA production sports car crash tests, and the engine is also improved, producing 460bhp and driving through our in-house designed six-speed transmission.”
Behind the wheel of the Radical will be Dutch sports car racer Michael Vergers. Watch this space this weekend as we bring you all the details of the Devon GTX.
Source: Pistonheads
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Schumacher might back
Two experts have told Michael Schumacher fans not to get too disheartened despite the seven time world champion calling off his formula one return. The 40-year-old German wanted to fill in for Ferrari's injured Felipe Massa, but his own lingering neck injury meant returning at Valencia next weekend would have endangered his health.
Schumacher played down his motorcycle testing crash in February, but Germany's Bild newspaper now claims he fractured bones in his head and neck, as well as damaging an artery supplying blood to the rear of his head.
"He was lucky he did not have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair," the newspaper said. Former grand prix driver Christian Danner, however, believes Schumacher will still want to return if his injuries heal. "Perhaps he'll be at Monza," the veteran of 47 grands prix is quoted as saying, referring to the Italian grand prix in the middle of September.
Another former German driver, Hans-Joachim Stuck, added: "I would not rule out a comeback for Michael totally. Perhaps next year, if he is able to recover from his injuries completely." Former team boss Eddie Jordan, however, has other plans for the Italian grand prix. "Massa has, thank goodness, made a huge recovery," the Ulsterman told BBC radio's TalkSport programme.
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