In an effort to improve safety, BMW has introduced two new lighting technologies. Details insideJohn Rhodes Alex Ribeiro Ken Richardson Fritz Riess Jim Rigsby
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
BMW illuminates the future with new lighting tech
In an effort to improve safety, BMW has introduced two new lighting technologies. Details inside
Vettel seals Monaco GP victory
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel continued his dominance of the 2011 Formula 1 season as he secured his first Monaco Grand Prix victory.
Ferrari’s Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/PFTEhBBqLSY/vettel-seals-monaco-gp-victory
2012 Volkswagen Passat Priced from $20,765; TDI Diesel Starts at $26,765
Volkswagen has released pricing for its all-new 2012 Passat, and the new mid-sizer will start at $20,765?or, as the ads will say over and over again, $19,995 before destination. For their 20-ish grand, shoppers will get the base Passat S, powered by the familiar 170-hp, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Oh, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/UChESF30DhQ/
Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann Francois Hesnault
Button sure victory is achievable
Jenson Button thinks that his fight for victory in the Monaco Grand Prix is far from a lost cause, despite world championship leader Sebastian Vettel starting ahead of him on the grid. With track position vital in Monaco, and the dirty side of the track having not offered the best get away in the support races, Button's chances of beating Vettel into the first corner appear to be slim.
Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks
Rally organisers given fine
The organisers of Rally Argentina have been fined $5,000 for an irregularity in the road book for the event. The stewards of the event received a protest from the Ford team in relation to a junction towards the end of the El Condor stage. The junction was a traffic roundabout.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/rally-organisers-given-fine/
Emilio de Villota Ottorino Volonterio Jo Vonlanthen Ernie de Vos Bill Vukovich
Harry's Law - Send In The Clowns
Harry helps an old boyfriend with a case, but has difficulty believing in the accused's innocence; and Adam represents a drag queen in a wrongful-termination case
Source: http://iplayvideos.net/harrys-law/season/1/episode/10
Piero Drogo Bernard de Dryver Johnny Dumfries Geoff Duke Len Duncan
Monday, May 30, 2011
Volvo Testing KERS Kinetic Energy Recovery Flywheels for Its Lineup
Volvo seems an unlikely carmaker to explore the use of kinetic-energy recovery flywheels in its pedestrian automobiles, but the traditionally safety-oriented company is indeed working to bring the Formula 1 tech to its cars. Volvo joins Porsche and its GT3 R hybrid racer in the utilization of a kinetic-energy recovery system (KERS) that uses the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/ddYqSmd-18c/
Robert Kubica Kurt Kuhnke Masami Kuwashima Robert La Caze Jacques Laffite
1990 F150 4x4 WIP
When I saw the Monogram F250 Super Duty kit, I thought, "Cool! I can build a model of my 1:1 truck, like this:
I got the kit, and discovered it is an F250 extended cab, with a V8, automatic trans, 4x2, power windows, bucket seats, body side moldings, and the wrong mirrors. My truck is none of those. Other than that, they are just the same!
So I added the Lindberg F150 Off Road, and the Monogram '80 Bronco. The Bronco has the right mirrors! Here's the kits:
To be continued:
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/957255.aspx
Johnny Dumfries Geoff Duke Len Duncan Piero Dusio George Eaton
Grey's Anatomy - Not Responsible
Meredith's fertility treatments start affecting her eyesight; Mark talks to Callie and Arizona about his role as a father; April learns more about Dr. Stark (Peter MacNicol).
Source: http://iplayvideos.net/greys-anatomy/season/7/episode/16
Oscar Larrauri Gerard Larrousse Jud Larson Niki Lauda† Roger Laurent
Chrysler Asks Fan to Show Their Most Insanely Tuned Mopars in the Mopar Top Eliminator Competition
For the fifth year, Chrysler’s Mopar division is challenging owners of Chryslers, Dodges, and Plymouths of all vintages to produce highly modified masterpieces for its Top Eliminator competition. While “Top Eliminator” sounds like it could be a new, testosterone-laden trim level for the Grand Caravan, it’s actually a serious contest for the company: The most [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/EhnQUDyNjBw/
Vitaly Petrov* Alfredo Piàn Francois Picard Ernie Pieterse Paul Pietsch
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Alonso: Grid not representative of pace
Fernando Alonso believes the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix does not represent to true pecking order, as he reckons Lewis Hamilton should have been on pole. Several drivers were hindered by the stoppage caused by Sergio Perez's crash with over two minutes of the session remaining. That meant their final runs were not fast enough, and drivers like Hamilton were unable to set a significant time
Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk
2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster officially unveiled [video]
Mercedes has officially unveiled the SLS AMG Roadster, ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.Harry Merkel Arturo Merzario Roberto Mieres Francois Migault John Miles
Vettel says ?risky? strategy his call
Sebastian Vettel admitted he opted for a "risky" one-stop strategy because he was determined to try to win the Monaco Grand Prix. The championship leader decided to stay out while his rivals pitted during the opening safety car period, the German having to do a 56-lap stint on a set of soft tyres.
Pat OConnor Jackie Oliver Danny Ongais Rikky von Opel Karl Oppitzhauser
Alonso tops final practice in Monaco
Fernando Alonso set the pace in the final free practice session ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday morning.
Basil van Rooyen Lloyd Ruby JeanClaude Rudaz Eddie Russo Paul Russo
What is your 1:1 car?
Mine is a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. 4 cylinder 4 door. I love the thing to death 
I would post a pic but...the camera is broken 
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/959449.aspx
Tim Schenken Albert Scherrer Domenico Schiattarella Heinz Schiller Bill Schindler
Sheriff Rosco's '77 Monaco
I recently bought this kit off Ebay.
Mock up....
The dog on the front seat is Rosco's dog "Flash." The steering wheel is from parts box. Put real wire on the CB. BMF the interior door trim and dash gage panel.
More later.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/797677.aspx
Moises Solana Alex SolerRoig Raymond Sommer Vincenzo Sospiri Stephen South
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Horner not expecting Vettel dominance
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says he would have no qualms about Sebastian Vettel's continued dominance killing off this year's world title chase early - but thinks that is unlikely to happen. Vettel has won four of the first five races of the campaign and leads the world title chase by 41 points from McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. There are already fears that Vettel's runaway success could lead to a dip in interest in the sport, but Horner thinks that unlikely to happen.
Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton
Interview with Eugene Laverty
Yamaha Racing Fri, May 27, 2011 Just over two weeks after the stunning double victory in Monza, weve gotten together with Eugene Laverty to talk about his first World Superbike win and his plans and ambitions for the near future,...
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/05/interview_with_eugene_lav.php
Hermann Lang Claudio Langes Nicola Larini Oscar Larrauri Gerard Larrousse
2011 NSCS Coca-Cola 600 Second Practice Session Speeds
2011 NSCS Paul Menard - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCARPaul Menard, with a lap speed of 188.745 mph, was the fastest in the second NSCS Coca-Cola 600 practice session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Second fastest with a lap speed of 188.357 mph, was Kurt Busch, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (187.162) who was...more»
Volker Weidler Wayne Weiler Karl Wendlinger Peter Westbury Chuck Weyant
Ferrari FXX crashes at Laguna Seca
The 2011 edition of the Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca was supposed to be a fun day of merry-making amongst owners of the Prancing Horse.
The weekend-long event featured a number of races involving cars from the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, including that of the new 458 Italia, as well as the FXX and the 599 XX.
Unfortunately, one owner of a rare Ferrari FXX didn’t have as good a weekend as his contemporaries after crashing his supercar out on the infamous ’Corkscrew’ section of the racetrack. While the damage doesn’t appear to be as serious as it should have been - FXX models are not meant for collisions - the dings and scratches are still noticeable enough to leave a pretty big dent in the owner’s wallet.
He could probably still afford paying for the damage done to his street-illegal sports car, but for a vehicle that could fetch millions of dollars in the market, the owner of this FXX should probably take good care of his prized stallion the next time he takes it out on the race track.
Ferrari FXX crashes at Laguna Seca originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 28 May 2011 06:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/ferrari-fxx-crashes-at-laguna-seca-ar110089.html
Bob Said Eliseo Salazar Mika Salo Roy Salvadori Consalvo Sanesi
AMA MX: Who's The Man?
Defending AMA Motocross champ Ryan Dungey, reigning supercross king Ryan Villopoto, and former champion Chad Reed square off in 2011.
Source: http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-mx-reputations-on-the-line/
Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham
Friday, May 27, 2011
Class? or is that crass?
There are some people in the world who think that Monaco is a place for people with lots of money, but very little class. Somerset Maugham, a man who preferred Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, famously described Monaco as “a sunny place for shady people”. Money can buy you many things, but it cannot buy class [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/class-of-is-that-crass/
Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling
Nick Heidfeld - classic F1 2011
Renault's Nick Heidfeld is the latest driver to choose his five favourite all-time grands prix for our new-look classic Formula 1 series.
For those unfamiliar with the format, BBC Sport has asked all the F1 drivers to select their five favourite races and we are serialising their choices before every race this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and the red button on BBC television in the UK.
So far, we have had world champion Sebastian Vettel, F1 legend Michael Schumacher, Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, Williams veteran Rubens Barrichello and, for his home grand prix in Spain last weekend, double champion Fernando Alonso.
Ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, we have the man who is standing in this season for Robert Kubica, who was injured in a rally crash in February and who will be watching the race from his apartment in the principality.
Heidfeld, a 34-year-old German, is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid and his selection is an interesting mix of races from his career and before his time in F1.
In chronological order, they are as follows:
The 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, which Heidfeld says he has chosen as it was the first F1 race he attended. Most people, though, remember it as one of the defining moments in the career of Ayrton Senna, who dominated the weekend in his McLaren until crashing out of the lead with a handful of laps remaining, handing victory to his team-mate Alain Prost.
Heidfeld's second pick is the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, which Heidfeld calls a "classic F1 moment", and which is proving popular among the current drivers - both Alonso and Buemi also chose this race.
It was also a key event in the careers of Senna and Prost. As many will recall, Senna drove into the back of his arch-rival, who was now at Ferrari, at the first corner at 160mph.
Senna's actions were in revenge for pole position, which he had won, being moved to the 'wrong' side of the track - which he felt was part of a conspiracy against him by then-FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre against him.
Next is the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix. This was Heidfeld's first appearance on an F1 podium, and came at the end of a thrilling grand prix famous for two stunning overtaking manoeuvres on Ferrari's Michael Schumacher by Juan Pablo Montoya, who should have won the race in his Williams, and McLaren's David Coulthard, who did.
It was an incident-packed race throughout and one in which Heidfeld's sure touch in changing conditions - a feature of his career - was in evidence.
The 2001 US Grand Prix was won brilliantly by Mika Hakkinen, who was to retire following the next race, the season finale in Japan, after winning a tactical battle with team-mate Coulthard and the Ferraris of Schumacher and Barrichello.
It was a fascinating race, typical of F1's refuelling era, but that is not why Heidfeld has chosen it. The event has special memories for him because he finished sixth, scoring points for Sauber, despite the lack of first, second and seventh gears. This race was broadcast during the era when ITV had the rights to F1 in the UK, and unfortunately technical problems mean we cannot broadcast highlights for you.
Finally, Heidfeld has chosen Brazil 2008, not because of anything special he did (he finished 10th for BMW Sauber), but because of its famous finish that saw McLaren's Lewis Hamilton regaining the fifth place he needed to win the title from Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who won the race, on the last corner of the last lap.
As always, we pick one race to highlight to help whet your appetites for the action at the forthcoming grand prix.
Heidfeld has made five excellent choices, but as Monaco is the next race, we have plumped for that event in 1988.
It is worth a bit of back story. Senna was on pole by an astonishing 1.4 seconds from Prost - and was later famously to talk about having what felt like an out-of-body experience while he went faster and faster around the principality.
The Brazilian's utter domination continued in the race, helped by Prost being beaten away from the start by the slower Ferrari of Gerhard Berger.
The Frenchman finally got past on lap 54, by which time Senna had a 46-second lead and was totally in control. But this was only the third race of the 1988 season, for which the Brazilian had joined McLaren, where his main aim was to establish himself as better than Prost, then regarded as the finest driver in the world.
The result was a battle of wills, for pride, between the two finest drivers of their generation - and two of the greatest ever. And in Monaco, this was to lead to Senna's downfall.
Free of Berger, Prost started trading fastest laps with Senna. McLaren boss Ron Dennis, concerned that the team might lose a one-two, assured Senna his lead was safe and he backed off.
But when Prost then gained six seconds in one lap on his team-mate, Senna responded by setting two fastest laps - and then crashed at Portier after losing concentration.
Shell-shocked, and in tears, he returned to his nearby apartment, refusing to speak to his team or answer calls. It was the first of many twists in a drama that was to grip sporting fans the world over for the next five years.
The full 'Grand Prix' programme broadcast that evening on the BBC is embedded below, with links below it to shorter highlights and long and short highlights of Mark Webber's dominant win for Red Bull in Monaco in 2010.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
CLICK HERE FOR SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 MONACO GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 MONACO GRAND PRIX
A selection of classic races will be shown on the BBC red button on satellite and cable digital television in the UK from 1500 BST on Wednesday 25 May until 1030 BST on Friday 27 May. The races selected are extended highlights of Monaco 1988, short highlights of Brazill 2001 and Brazil 2008 and extended highlights of Monaco 2010.
Unfortunately, because of a lack of bandwidth caused by our coverage of the French Open tennis, we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/nick_heidfeld_-_classic_f1_201.html
Robert La Caze Jacques Laffite Franck Lagorce Jan Lammers Pedro Lamy
2013 Aston Martin Rapide S Spy Photos ? Future Cars
A rapide-r Rapide seems to be on the horizon. Its 470-hp V-12 and gorgeous shape make the Aston Martin Rapide one of the most gratifying sedans on earth, but the $200,000-plus Aston is way slower?and way more expensive?than most of its loosely defined competitive set, which includes the Porsche Panamera Turbo and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG. [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/-Pn6YJF-sbc/
Otto Stuppacher Danny Sullivan Marc Surer John Surtees Andy Sutcliffe
Arrinera Automotive to introduce the world's first Polish supercar
For the most part, most of today’s supercars call the European continent their home. The growing trend of these high-powered machines has stretched far and wide in the continent with established countries like Germany, Italy, and the UK being joined in the supercar arms race by Sweden, Denmark, and Spain, among other countries.
Now you can add Poland to the mix.
The country best known for their polish sausages is set to introduce their very first supercar courtesy of Arrinera Automotive. The name for this Lamborghini-inspired beast hasn’t been announced yet, but Arrinera has nonetheless released a number of renderings to give us a first look on what to expect when this Polish hammer hits the streets in the future.
Initial details behind the car suggest that it will ride on a tubular steel chassis and will come with a carbon Kevlar body with plenty of carbon fiber, aluminum accents, and premium leather upholstery. It will glide along the streets with large diameter light alloy wheels wrapped around ultra low profile tires, 255/30 R19 at the front and 335/30 R20 at the rear. Stopping power will come from Ceramic brake discs.
As for the powertrain, there are whispers that it will come with a mid-mounted 6.2-liter V8 engine with four Eaton superchargers, producing an output of 638 horsepower and 604 lb/ft of torque.
More details on Poland’s first supercar after the jump.
Arrinera Automotive to introduce the world's first Polish supercar originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 26 May 2011 17:00 EST.
Jimmy Stewart Siegfried Stohr Rolf Stommelen Philippe Streiff Hans Stuck
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Vettel: Confidence key at Monaco
Sebastian Vettel thinks that gaining confidence on track, rather than simply having the quickest car, will be key to him taking his maiden Monaco Grand Prix victory this weekend. On the back of wins in four of the first five races of the campaign, Vettel is favourite to add to his tally with a triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Ricardo Rosset Huub Rothengatter Basil van Rooyen Lloyd Ruby JeanClaude Rudaz
T4America: Just Like Plane Crashes, Pedestrian Deaths Are a National Issue
Over the last decade, nearly 48,000 people were killed in the simple act of walking. Many of them were on streets built only to accommodate fast-moving cars, without safe places for people to walk or cross the street.
Pedestrian fatalities from 2000 to 2009 near the high school I graduated from, in Philadelphia's inner suburbs. [...]
Pedestrian fatalities from 2000 to 2009 near the high school I graduated from, in Philadelphia's inner suburbs. [...]
Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adrián Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni
Lotus Renault confirm Heidfeld as Kubica stand-in
The Lotus Renault Formula One team have announced that German F1 Driver Nick Heidfeld will replace the injured Robert Kubica as a starting driver for the beginning of the F1 2011 season.
Robert Kubica broke several bones and almost lost his right hand in a horrific rally accident earlier this month. He is out of action [...]
Robert Kubica broke several bones and almost lost his right hand in a horrific rally accident earlier this month. He is out of action [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/09_nFyJu4hQ/
Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas
AUTOS: Kyle Busch Ticket Bait: Lexus LFA
Super-fast supercar is an extraordinary example of high-tech engineering by the Toyota luxury division at the top of its game.
Source: http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/autos-kyle-busch-ticket-bait-lexus-lfa/
Jan Lammers Pedro Lamy Chico Landi Hermann Lang Claudio Langes
Montoya praises Raikkonen?s debut
Juan Pablo Montoya praised Kimi Raikkonen's performance on his NASCAR debut last weekend and does not anticipate that the Finn will have much trouble quickly stepping up the stock car ladder. The Colombian followed the debut of his former McLaren Formula 1 team-mate closely, even offering advice during practice and ahead of the race - and admitting they probably talked more than they ever did during their time in F1. Before Raikkonen ran at Charlotte, Montoya had said he would not choose the mile-and-a-half venue for a start in NASCAR but following Friday's race he said the Finn showed he could adapt quickly not only to the car and track but also to the different style of racing, despite a few brushes with the wall
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/montoya-praises-raikkonens-debut/
Pete Lovely Roger Loyer Jean Lucas Jean Lucienbonnet Brett Lunger
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Karthikeyan Makes Surprise F1 Return With HRT
Narain Karthikeyan has made a surprise return to Formula One after being announced as one of Hispania HRT’s drivers for the 2011 season. The Indian driver was unveiled as the first racer to be working with the Spanish based squad, who look likely to enter into a second season of racing despite on-going financial concerns. [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/karthikeyan-makes-surprise-f1-return-with-hrt/
Chuck Stevenson Ian Stewart Jackie Stewart Jimmy Stewart Siegfried Stohr
NASCAR suspends RCR crewman for failed drug test
NASCAR has suspended a crew member from Jeff Burtons team for violating the substance abuse policy.
Source: http://www.nascarracinglive.com/nascar/nascar-suspends-rcr-crewman-for-failed-drug-test-ap.html
Ronnie Peterson Vitaly Petrov* Alfredo Piàn Francois Picard Ernie Pieterse
The Game - Death Becomes Her
Tasha's new man has a terminal illness; Malik's future with the Sabers is questionable; Melanie and Derwin discuss starting a family.
Source: http://iplayvideos.net/the-game/season/4/episode/11
Jochen Mass Felipe Massa Cristiano da Matta Michael May Timmy Mayer
What you missed on 5.24.11
First Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen has wasted no chance to tell the world that the company's newest sedan will be custom-tailored to the American market, with styling and packaging tweaks designed to set the vehicle apart from its European counterpart. But is that a good thing?
Video: Ferrari 458 Challenge demonstrates evolution of the breed on Laguna Seca's Corkscrew
Progress: 458 Challenge cars were turning in times more than three seconds quicker than the top 430 Challenge cars.
Video: Tour the LAPD's new Chevrolet Caprice PPV with Translogic
It pays to know your police cruisers...
Also of interest:
- Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca: A closer look at the 458 Challenge
- BMW 1 Series M to be one year and done?
- Report: Lamborghini CEO Winkelmann confirms new "everyday" model line
- Report: NHTSA expected to mandate black boxes in all cars next month
- Breaking: Chrysler repays the rest of its federal loans... are SUVs to thank?
- Report: Watchdog group blasts report that exonerates Toyota
Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed
What you missed on 5.24.11 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/24/what-you-missed-on-5-24-11/
Pat OConnor Jackie Oliver Danny Ongais Rikky von Opel Karl Oppitzhauser
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Stefano Domenicali: ?This was the worst race we?ve had??
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali admits that Ferrari was simply not on the pace in Spain today, but says that it?s too early to write off the team?s title challenge. Ferrari has until now showed good race pace, and he?s hoping … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/22/stefano-domenicali-this-was-the-worst-race-weve-had/
Stuart LewisEvans Guy Ligier Andy Linden Roberto Lippi Vitantonio Liuzzi
Last gasp Vettel
Sebastian Vettel pipped Mark Webber to the fastest time of the Saturday morning session in Barcelona having spent much of the session sitting in the pits, saving tyres. He did just six laps, while Webber did 17. The gap back to third-placed Michael Schumacher was 1.3 seconds with Lewis Hamilton right with him. Jenson Button [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/last-gap-vettel/
Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby Andre Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra
Massa threatened with jail over team orders
 |
?A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa?s apparent lack of ambition.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/massa_threatened_with_jail_ove.php
Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell Raul Boesel
Hamilton's pace threatens Red Bull
At the Circuit de Catalunya
Sebastian Vettel had the same question on his lips following his victory in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix as everyone else. "We need to see where our pace went," he said.
It is an interesting question. Vettel and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber qualified first and second in Barcelona, about a second faster than Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in third, fourth and fifth places. And yet in the race Hamilton's McLaren was at least a match for the Red Bull. Indeed, as Vettel put it, "it seemed quicker".
It is the starkest example yet of a phenomenon that has been apparent throughout the year. For all Red Bull's breathtaking pace on a Saturday afternoon, the races have actually been pretty competitive.
The reasons why are complex, and vary depending on who you talk to. They will be explored in much more depth by my colleague Mark Hughes in his column on Tuesday.
What it means, though, is that a season that on paper looks like a Red Bull walkover is actually anything but.
Vettel might have taken four wins and a second place from the first five races of the season, but he has had to work hard for all of them.
Hamilton will not give up the fight in the battle to beat Red Bull (Getty)
That was not expected to be the case here, of all places. If there are circuits that could have been made for the Red Bull, they are this track and Hungary's Hungaroring, where the combination of long corners of varying speeds plays perfectly into the hands of a team whose car is aerodynamically the class of the field.
Last year, Red Bull duly dominated both events. So for McLaren to run them so close this weekend bodes well for more battles of this intensity throughout the season. As does the fact that at Barcelona, where races have generally tended towards the soporific, this time the grand prix was exciting from start to finish, a sure indication that this year's new rules, with rapidly degrading tyres and the DRS overtaking device, are working.
Just as in China, the race was made by a slower car holding up the Red Bulls in the early stages, preventing them stretching their legs.
But the pace of the McLaren throughout the Spanish Grand Prix suggested Hamilton, on scintillating form, would have been able to take the fight to Vettel even without the intervention of Alonso's spectacular start in the ultimately slower Ferrari.
When Vettel finally cleared Alonso by using what Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described as an "aggressive undercut" - making a second stop at the very early stage of lap 18 - the German must have expected that the rest of the race would be pretty comfortable.
He did brilliantly to clear four slower cars during his 'out lap' and having seen Alonso emerge from the pits behind him next time around, Vettel must have thought that he was now in control.
But when Hamilton emerged from his second pit stop five laps later and began edging closer to Vettel, it became clear that was not going to be the case. "From then onwards," Vettel said, "I knew it would be very, very close."
While it was perhaps not that surprising that Hamilton, on tyres that were five laps fresher, was able to close in on Vettel between their third and final stops, it was impressive indeed to see him continue to do that in the final stint, when their tyres were at more or less identical stages of their lives.
What saved Vettel, Hamilton said, was the performance of the Red Bull in high-speed corners, the characteristics that put them on the front row.
The Red Bulls were the only cars that were able to take Turn Three, Turn Nine and the final corner flat out on the throttle in qualifying, a speed advantage over the other cars of something like 15.5mph - a huge amount. On race fuel and worn tyres they were no longer flat out there, but the pace differential between the Red Bull and the other cars remained comparable.
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That, said Hamilton, meant he was unable to stay quite close enough to Vettel, particularly through the final corner, to be able to bring the DRS effectively into action and make a pass.
"They were massively, massively quick in the high-speed Turn Three, Turn Nine and through the last corner," Hamilton said. "His downforce was incredibly clear for me to see. It is very, very difficult with the step in downforce they have against us."
In hindsight, race director Charlie Whiting may consider that the DRS zone, which started at the timing line, could have been moved further back to the exit of the last corner, to make it a little more effective.
Whatever, not all tracks are like Barcelona and the next two, Monaco and Canada, should even things out more between the two cars.
Horner said he was not overly worried. "It wasn't concerning at all," he said, "because we managed to win the grand prix.
"It would be very arrogant of us to believe we had a car that enabled us to pull away at a second a lap. We managed to have a phenomenal qualifying.
"McLaren pushed us hard in China. They were competitive there. They weren't competitive in Turkey and it tends to see-saw.
"They brought a huge upgrade, almost a B-spec car here, and the upgrades that we have managed to introduce have moved us forward. I think we're in a good situation.
"The form will continue to be circuit-dependent, where some teams will be stronger in the race and some teams stronger in qualifying."
Hamilton clearly fancies his chances around the streets next weekend, saying after the race: "It is good to come from this race on a positive footing going into Monaco, where a driver can make even more of a difference."
Which you can take to mean: I'm brilliant around Monaco, just watch me go.
He's right, of course. But he is not the only Monaco specialist in the field. Alonso, at his superb best here, is also an ace on street circuits - just look at Singapore last year. Webber - who took a stunning victory in the principality last year - is pretty handy there, too. And Vettel, who Red Bull feel has moved on to another level this season, will be desperate to prove he belongs in the same Monaco masterclass.
Qualifying next weekend, then, promises to be fascinating, and there has been much discussion in Spain about how the new rules will affect the race there.
Two weeks after that comes Montreal, where McLaren finished one-two last season and Red Bull's engine power deficit will bring them back closer to their rivals.
Vettel's lead in the championship - 41 points over Hamilton - is edging up towards two clear wins after just five races, but this season is a long way from over yet.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/xxx.html
Jackie Lewis Stuart LewisEvans Guy Ligier Andy Linden Roberto Lippi
Vettel ?not disappointed? pole run ended
Sebastian Vettel said he felt no great disappointment at seeing his run of pole positions come to an end in Spain, and played down the impact of his KERS issues on the result. The world champion had started from the top spot at every race so far this year prior to Catalunya, and had also taken pole for the 2010 finale in Abu Dhabi. But in Spain today his team-mate Mark Webber denied him first place with a lap 0.2 seconds faster.
Ferrari: Rear wing ban no drama
Ferrari has downplayed the impact of the FIA's decision to not allow the Italian squad to use its new rear wing in the Spanish Grand Prix. The governing body ruled on Saturday that the higher-than-normal flap extension on the rear wing was breaching the regulations and so the team was asked to remove it
Gregor Foitek George Follmer George Fonder Norberto Fontana Azdrubal Fontes Bayardo
Monday, May 23, 2011
Official: Spyker to be renamed Swedish Automobile N.V. as Pang Da talks with Chinese gov't.
Filed under: China, Government/Legal, Saab, Earnings/Financials, Spyker
Spyker is on a Chinese money hunt, and it appears the automaker may have found a partner willing to pony up the cash. Pang Da, a Chinese automobile distribution company, had recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with Spyker. Now, Spyker is set to rename itself Swedish Automobile N.V., and the Saab-owner believes Chinese authorities will give the green light for this deal to proceed.
According to Saab CEO Victor Muller, a very important portion of the deal has already gone through; a cash infusion of €30 million ($42M USD). Muller states that "Pang Da's advance payment and sales of imported Saab cars are not subject to approval from the NDRC. The first advance payment of EUR 30 million was received last Tuesday."
Bloomberg reports that the rest of the deal may not move forward so easily. According to analysts in China, the country's government is unlikely to allow Pang Da's purchase of a stake in Swedish Automobile N.V. because the nation is working to consolidate its auto industry, not expand it.
If approved, however, Pang Da will spend $91 million and receive a 23 percent share of the automaker's business. Despite the negative view of Chinese analysts, Pang Da says it remains confident the transaction will be approved.
Continue reading Spyker to be renamed Swedish Automobile N.V. as Pang Da talks with Chinese gov't.
Spyker to be renamed Swedish Automobile N.V. as Pang Da talks with Chinese gov't. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/23/spyker-to-be-renamed-swedish-automobile-n-v-as-pang-da-talks-wi/
Gunther Seiffert Ayrton Senna† Bruno Senna Dorino Serafini Chico Serra
McLaren wants straight fight with RBR
McLaren is hoping that the Monaco Grand Prix turns into a straight head-to-head fight between itself and Red Bull Racing - but it fears other teams remain a serious threat. Although Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were in a class of their own in the Spanish GP, Whitmarsh thinks that rivals like Ferrari and Mercedes GP can deliver more on the streets of Monte Carlo. "I hope so," said Whitmarsh, when asked if he expected the team to be locked in a private battle with Red Bull Racing again
Tony Shelly Jo Siffert Andre Simon Rob Slotemaker Moises Solana
WIP 70.5 Camaro Pro Mod
I've been pending most of my Summer working on projects for the magazine. With the bulk of it taken care of, I decided to get back to a project of my own. I enjoy the magazine work but it's also nice to be able to build something with no rules, obligations or time constraints.
I've had a lot of people ask me about my drag cars and ask me why I never built a Pro Mod. More than anything I had so many NHRA cars I wanted to do, I never really paid much attention to them. After getting beat up for so long, I finally decided to try one. I picked up a handful of bodies from Slixx until I found one that made me smile. This is the Flashpoint Resins 70.5 Camaro.
And here's the body with some clean up done. My plan is to get this one to go back together when finished. Doors that will open and close, and the hood that will go back on. I'd like to be able to show it all opened up or completely buttoned up, race ready.
Once I get the chassis done I'll start cutting it apart.
One of the first things I started working on was a new clutch can and Lenco transmission. These are two separate pieces, just tacked together. Both were machined on both the lathe and the mill. This will get a lot more stuff added to it as things progress. You can also see a small start to the completely scratch built chassis.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/913783.aspx
Emanuele Pirro Antônio Pizzonia Eric van de Poele Jacques Pollet Ben Pon
Massa threatened with jail over team orders
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?A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa?s apparent lack of ambition.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/massa_threatened_with_jail_ove.php
Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso
Ecclestone admits India could move to December
Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that it’s possible that the Indian GP could be moved from October 30 to December, freeing up the original date for a re-instated Bahrain GP. December 4 has been suggested as the likely new date for … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/05/20/ecclestone-admits-india-could-move-to-december/
Ernesto Prinoth David Prophet Alain Prost Tom Pryce David Purley
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Alonso the new favourite
 Fernando Alonso is the new favourite for the title |
?He is the man with the momentum and, on the same basis that I backed Mark Webber to win the title before Korea, is now my favourite to claim the world title in Abu Dhabi on Nov 14. ?When the cars are so evenly-matched you have to back the man in possession. Especially when that man is a two-time world champion and arguably the finest driver of his generation.?The Mirror?s Byron Young drew comparisons between Alonso and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as the Spaniard bids to become the sport?s youngest ever triple world champion.
?Like Schumacher, Alonso accepts no opposition within his team. Ultimately he fell out with McLaren over their refusal in 2007 to bring Lewis Hamilton to heel. ?He returned to Renault on condition he was No.1, only to be at the centre of the Singapore cheat scandal - engineered to hand him victory. ?The Spaniard has always denied involvement but at the German GP in July he was brazen enough to radio Ferrari to rein in team-mate Felipe Massa so he could start the winning streak that has taken him to the brink of history.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/alonso_the_new_favourite_1.php
Bill Whitehouse Robin Widdows Eppie Wietzes Mike Wilds Jonathan Williams
F1: Vettel - Again - In Spain
Sebastian Vettel wins for the fourth time in five races this season...
Source: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-sebastian-vettel-again-in-spain/
Jarno Trulli Esteban Tuero Guy Tunmer Jack Turner Toni Ulmen
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