| Ferg | 02-10-2006 12:13 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]It might be just me but I have never thought that the GPMA was a real threat. Always seemed like a bargaining tool to get the manufactures more cash out of Bernie. I can't seriously see them ever coming together long enough to get a real series off the ground.[/QUOTE]
That's how I've always thought of them too Kevin, just a lot of empty threats and chest pounding. I have to believe that everyone knows splitting F1 would be suicide...they can't have watched what happened to American open wheeled racing and not taken notice.
Jerez, day four and Flav, Gerhard, and Alonso sound off.
[QUOTE]Fisichella tops times at Jerez
February 10th 2006, 16:36 GMT
Renault maintained their impressive pre-season testing form on Friday as Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen led the way in the final major day at Jerez.
With overnight work at Renault's Enstone base allowing the team to return to using two cars following the rear wing dramas earlier in the week, Fisichella and Kovalainen were comfortably clear of the opposition on a damp but drying day.
Fisichella's best lap came right at the end of the afternoon running, while Kovalainen's best lap had come earlier in the day - indicating that the R26 is the current F1 benchmark.
Kimi Raikkonen finally managed to set some competitive times with the updated Mercedes-Benz engine as he went third quickest, but he was only able to run until lunchtime because he had to leave early to attend a function with McLaren this evening at the Royal Albert Hall.
McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa took over Raikkonen's car for the afternoon. Although the Spaniard was left impressed by the improved performance of the power-unit, it was not all good news after his running was curtailed by an engine failure in the final hour.
"It definitely has more power and we are definitely going in the right direction," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "But still we have a long way to go.
"However, at the next test finally we
will have two new cars and we will be able to get more mileage on the engine and other parts."
Nick Heidfeld kept up BMW-Sauber's solid pre-season preparations with the fourth fastest time, despite another mechanical problem leaving him stopped out on the track just after lunch.
Tiago Monteiro finally unleashed some of the potential of Midland's new M16 to set the seventh best time, but behind him the day proved a difficult one for Williams.
Eighth fastest Alexander Wurz encountered a few mechanical gremlins that prevented him completing long runs, while Mark Webber's day was brought to an end after just 15 laps when he was pitched off the track with a gearbox problem. A lack of spare parts meant he could not get back out again, leaving him languishing at the bottom of the time sheets.
Scuderia Toro Rosso's Scott Speed got his first taste of the team's new STR01 car, stopping out on the track once.
Team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi stayed to watch proceedings after being encouraged by his try-out on Thursday. Liuzzi told autosport.com: "Yeah, I have a good feeling about it. It is a good car, but we need to do some more mileage. I want to do a lot more in Bahrain next week."
Testing carries on tomorrow for McLaren and Renault, who are due to conduct some wet weather work for Michelin.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:17.763 75
2. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:17.870 59
3. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.207 28
4. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:19.445 80
5. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:19.488 49
6. Paffet McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:19.912 91*
7. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) 1:19.994 82
8. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.112 78
9. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:20.314 79
10. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (B) 1:20.500 79
11. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.854 63
12. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:23.494 15
14. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.922 63
* Hybrid car (restricted V10)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Briatore: beating Dennis is my motivation
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:14 GMT
Renault boss Flavio Briatore has continued his war of words with Ron Dennis - claiming his chief motivation in Formula One is driven by his desire to beat the McLaren chief on the track.
Briatore remains angry at the manner in which McLaren announced their capture of Fernando Alonso for 2007 at the end of last year, and has claimed that he now has personal reasons for aiming to beat his Woking-based rivals again this year.
"If it (F1) was just a business I would not have been around for such a long time," said Briatore in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport. "I can tell you what feeds my passion � to beat people like Ron Dennis."
Speaking specifically about the Alonso situation, and whether he believed McLaren has deliberately aimed to destabilise Renault with the early announcement, Briatore said he was convinced about the real motivation behind what happened.
"It is not the first time that he (Dennis) does it," explained Briatore. "Remember Montoya. He was telling everybody, that he is going to have the best driver line-up in the world. For me they are excuses.
"McLaren needs good news. He did not get them on the track, so he has to produce them outside. McLaren have not won a championship since 1999. We at Renault like to sell results as good news. Ron rather sells the future."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Red Bull spend too much, says Briatore
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:52 GMT
Red Bull Racing need to win a race this season if they are to justify the huge amount of money they are pumping into Formula One.
That is the view of Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who claims that Red Bull's massive recruitment drive from rival teams has led to the outfit losing sympathy from some of their rivals.
"Red Bull seems to be on a big shopping tour at the moment and they are spoiling the costs with exaggerated salaries," said Briatore in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport.
"In the past we all thought that it was Ferrari who spent the most money. Maybe we have to reconsider that.
"Taking into account how much money Red Bull invests, they have to win their first race this year. Red Bull got a lot of sympathy in their first season, but they are starting to lose that."
Briatore's comments about Red Bull Racing needing to win a race this year have come at the same time as the team's leading figures bid to play down mounting expectations surrounding the outfit.
David Coulthard claimed the realistic target this season was for Red Bull Racing to finish consistently in the points and maybe grab just a single podium finish.
"I think we have to be careful and set realistic targets, and the realistic target is that I think we should be aiming for consistent points finishes and a possible podium," he said in an interview with autosport.com.
Sporting director Christian Horner added: "It is always a fine balance and I think that David's public perception is very high and this year is going to be another building year for Red Bull Racing. We will make progress from where we were last year, but ultimately we won't be winning races this year on pure pace.
"Our targets are quite clear, we want to be challenging some of the big boys ahead of us, we think we can compete with Williams, we got quite close to BAR last year, BMW are going to be a big force to be reckoned with as well. So we are confident we can move forward and build on that progress."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]No advantage for V10s, says Berger
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:06 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger has said he does not understand why rival teams are upset about his outfit running V10 engines this year - because he is adamant they will not have an advantage over the V8 runners.
Midland F1's managing director Colin Kolles said last week he was furious that Toro Rosso were running a V10 engine � and said there would be a 'problem' if the Red Bull junior team outqualified his outfit in Bahrain.
But despite continued doubts about whether the FIA's 'equivalency' restrictions on the V10 engine have gone far enough, Berger has said that he thinks the current level of performance for his team's engines is about right.
When asked for his thoughts on other teams' concerns about the V10 engine situation, Berger told autosport.com: "For other teams, you mean basically Midland.
"I think this is the regulation. I do not see any advantage at the moment and all the lap times are where they should be. We have a good car but we are not doing the quickest times. You know, okay, we are quicker than Midland but so what?
"I think when they decided on the equivalency there were a lot of thoughts behind it and lots of calculations must have been done. We know we are definitely not having an advantage over the V8 Cosworth engine and, although we may have an advantage over another engine, for me at the moment this figure is a fair solution."
Berger has said that he does not expect a swift improvement of form over Minardi's pace for Toro Rosso this year, and claims he is looking at up to three years for the outfit to be competitive.
"You have to see the reality," he said. "It is not reasonable to say that we can go first and second. We will have to see over the first three years. Within three years we have to establish a good pace, put good people together � but knowing that the resources are limited.
"Still, I believe with the right people we can do something together and of course we have direct competitors � Midland and Suzuki. That is the first stage of direct competition. Then let's try to see the next step." [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Rossi won't win in F1, say Alonso
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 17:06 GMT
World champion Fernando Alonso believes that Valentino Rossi's switch to Formula One will end in disappointment - because he doubts the Italian will be able to win.
Although speculation is mounting that Rossi will eventually make the jump from motorcycles to F1 with Ferrari, Alonso is sceptical about whether the MotoGP champion will be as good in cars as he is on bikes.
When asked whether be believed Rossi could actually win in F1, Alonso told Spanish radio station Cadena SER: "Sincerely...no, I don't think so.
"Last week he did his first test with other drivers, but his engine was quite different from ours. It's like if I would try motorbikes. I could take part, have fun, but I could never beat (Dani) Pedrosa. I couldn't beat people that started in mini-bikes when they were three..."
Alonso's doubts about Rossi's potential come after analysis by this week's Autosport magazine reveals that Rossi was theoretically able to set a time just a few tenths slower than Michael Schumacher.
Taking into account the restricted V10 engine that Rossi was running in his F2004, Autosport reports that Rossi would have been able to set a best time of 1:10.8 seconds with a proper V10. This compared to Schumacher's best lap at Valencia in a F2004 of 1:10.2 seconds.[/QUOTE]
That's how I've always thought of them too Kevin, just a lot of empty threats and chest pounding. I have to believe that everyone knows splitting F1 would be suicide...they can't have watched what happened to American open wheeled racing and not taken notice.
Jerez, day four and Flav, Gerhard, and Alonso sound off.
[QUOTE]Fisichella tops times at Jerez
February 10th 2006, 16:36 GMT
Renault maintained their impressive pre-season testing form on Friday as Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen led the way in the final major day at Jerez.
With overnight work at Renault's Enstone base allowing the team to return to using two cars following the rear wing dramas earlier in the week, Fisichella and Kovalainen were comfortably clear of the opposition on a damp but drying day.
Fisichella's best lap came right at the end of the afternoon running, while Kovalainen's best lap had come earlier in the day - indicating that the R26 is the current F1 benchmark.
Kimi Raikkonen finally managed to set some competitive times with the updated Mercedes-Benz engine as he went third quickest, but he was only able to run until lunchtime because he had to leave early to attend a function with McLaren this evening at the Royal Albert Hall.
McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa took over Raikkonen's car for the afternoon. Although the Spaniard was left impressed by the improved performance of the power-unit, it was not all good news after his running was curtailed by an engine failure in the final hour.
"It definitely has more power and we are definitely going in the right direction," de la Rosa told autosport.com. "But still we have a long way to go.
"However, at the next test finally we
will have two new cars and we will be able to get more mileage on the engine and other parts."
Nick Heidfeld kept up BMW-Sauber's solid pre-season preparations with the fourth fastest time, despite another mechanical problem leaving him stopped out on the track just after lunch.
Tiago Monteiro finally unleashed some of the potential of Midland's new M16 to set the seventh best time, but behind him the day proved a difficult one for Williams.
Eighth fastest Alexander Wurz encountered a few mechanical gremlins that prevented him completing long runs, while Mark Webber's day was brought to an end after just 15 laps when he was pitched off the track with a gearbox problem. A lack of spare parts meant he could not get back out again, leaving him languishing at the bottom of the time sheets.
Scuderia Toro Rosso's Scott Speed got his first taste of the team's new STR01 car, stopping out on the track once.
Team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi stayed to watch proceedings after being encouraged by his try-out on Thursday. Liuzzi told autosport.com: "Yeah, I have a good feeling about it. It is a good car, but we need to do some more mileage. I want to do a lot more in Bahrain next week."
Testing carries on tomorrow for McLaren and Renault, who are due to conduct some wet weather work for Michelin.
Today's times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fisichella Renault (M) 1:17.763 75
2. Kovalainen Renault (M) 1:17.870 59
3. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:18.207 28
4. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (M) 1:19.445 80
5. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:19.488 49
6. Paffet McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:19.912 91*
7. Kubica BMW-Sauber (M) 1:19.994 82
8. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.112 78
9. Wurz Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:20.314 79
10. Speed Toro Rosso-Cosworth (B) 1:20.500 79
11. Albers MF1-Toyota (B) 1:21.854 63
12. Webber Williams-Cosworth (B) 1:23.494 15
14. Monteiro MF1-Toyota (B) 1:20.922 63
* Hybrid car (restricted V10)[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Briatore: beating Dennis is my motivation
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:14 GMT
Renault boss Flavio Briatore has continued his war of words with Ron Dennis - claiming his chief motivation in Formula One is driven by his desire to beat the McLaren chief on the track.
Briatore remains angry at the manner in which McLaren announced their capture of Fernando Alonso for 2007 at the end of last year, and has claimed that he now has personal reasons for aiming to beat his Woking-based rivals again this year.
"If it (F1) was just a business I would not have been around for such a long time," said Briatore in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport. "I can tell you what feeds my passion � to beat people like Ron Dennis."
Speaking specifically about the Alonso situation, and whether he believed McLaren has deliberately aimed to destabilise Renault with the early announcement, Briatore said he was convinced about the real motivation behind what happened.
"It is not the first time that he (Dennis) does it," explained Briatore. "Remember Montoya. He was telling everybody, that he is going to have the best driver line-up in the world. For me they are excuses.
"McLaren needs good news. He did not get them on the track, so he has to produce them outside. McLaren have not won a championship since 1999. We at Renault like to sell results as good news. Ron rather sells the future."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Red Bull spend too much, says Briatore
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:52 GMT
Red Bull Racing need to win a race this season if they are to justify the huge amount of money they are pumping into Formula One.
That is the view of Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who claims that Red Bull's massive recruitment drive from rival teams has led to the outfit losing sympathy from some of their rivals.
"Red Bull seems to be on a big shopping tour at the moment and they are spoiling the costs with exaggerated salaries," said Briatore in an interview with Auto Motor Und Sport.
"In the past we all thought that it was Ferrari who spent the most money. Maybe we have to reconsider that.
"Taking into account how much money Red Bull invests, they have to win their first race this year. Red Bull got a lot of sympathy in their first season, but they are starting to lose that."
Briatore's comments about Red Bull Racing needing to win a race this year have come at the same time as the team's leading figures bid to play down mounting expectations surrounding the outfit.
David Coulthard claimed the realistic target this season was for Red Bull Racing to finish consistently in the points and maybe grab just a single podium finish.
"I think we have to be careful and set realistic targets, and the realistic target is that I think we should be aiming for consistent points finishes and a possible podium," he said in an interview with autosport.com.
Sporting director Christian Horner added: "It is always a fine balance and I think that David's public perception is very high and this year is going to be another building year for Red Bull Racing. We will make progress from where we were last year, but ultimately we won't be winning races this year on pure pace.
"Our targets are quite clear, we want to be challenging some of the big boys ahead of us, we think we can compete with Williams, we got quite close to BAR last year, BMW are going to be a big force to be reckoned with as well. So we are confident we can move forward and build on that progress."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]No advantage for V10s, says Berger
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 14:06 GMT
Scuderia Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger has said he does not understand why rival teams are upset about his outfit running V10 engines this year - because he is adamant they will not have an advantage over the V8 runners.
Midland F1's managing director Colin Kolles said last week he was furious that Toro Rosso were running a V10 engine � and said there would be a 'problem' if the Red Bull junior team outqualified his outfit in Bahrain.
But despite continued doubts about whether the FIA's 'equivalency' restrictions on the V10 engine have gone far enough, Berger has said that he thinks the current level of performance for his team's engines is about right.
When asked for his thoughts on other teams' concerns about the V10 engine situation, Berger told autosport.com: "For other teams, you mean basically Midland.
"I think this is the regulation. I do not see any advantage at the moment and all the lap times are where they should be. We have a good car but we are not doing the quickest times. You know, okay, we are quicker than Midland but so what?
"I think when they decided on the equivalency there were a lot of thoughts behind it and lots of calculations must have been done. We know we are definitely not having an advantage over the V8 Cosworth engine and, although we may have an advantage over another engine, for me at the moment this figure is a fair solution."
Berger has said that he does not expect a swift improvement of form over Minardi's pace for Toro Rosso this year, and claims he is looking at up to three years for the outfit to be competitive.
"You have to see the reality," he said. "It is not reasonable to say that we can go first and second. We will have to see over the first three years. Within three years we have to establish a good pace, put good people together � but knowing that the resources are limited.
"Still, I believe with the right people we can do something together and of course we have direct competitors � Midland and Suzuki. That is the first stage of direct competition. Then let's try to see the next step." [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Rossi won't win in F1, say Alonso
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 17:06 GMT
World champion Fernando Alonso believes that Valentino Rossi's switch to Formula One will end in disappointment - because he doubts the Italian will be able to win.
Although speculation is mounting that Rossi will eventually make the jump from motorcycles to F1 with Ferrari, Alonso is sceptical about whether the MotoGP champion will be as good in cars as he is on bikes.
When asked whether be believed Rossi could actually win in F1, Alonso told Spanish radio station Cadena SER: "Sincerely...no, I don't think so.
"Last week he did his first test with other drivers, but his engine was quite different from ours. It's like if I would try motorbikes. I could take part, have fun, but I could never beat (Dani) Pedrosa. I couldn't beat people that started in mini-bikes when they were three..."
Alonso's doubts about Rossi's potential come after analysis by this week's Autosport magazine reveals that Rossi was theoretically able to set a time just a few tenths slower than Michael Schumacher.
Taking into account the restricted V10 engine that Rossi was running in his F2004, Autosport reports that Rossi would have been able to set a best time of 1:10.8 seconds with a proper V10. This compared to Schumacher's best lap at Valencia in a F2004 of 1:10.2 seconds.[/QUOTE]
| StuBeck | 02-10-2006 01:51 PM |
I personally don't think Laguna Seca is a good track for F1. It is very narrow and has a lot of issues with no passing zones. It is also not safe, the corkscrew alone (with no run off room afterwards) would make it not happen. Just remember a few years ago when the Penske went over and killed the driver.
Watkins Glen, as much as I love it, will also not become an F1 track. The pits and garage are horrible (at least they were in 03 when I ran there) and the track is unsafe as well.
The other big issue to remember is that all the venues actually lose money on the F1 race they run. They make it back the rest of the year though because they're able to charge more because they are an F1 track.
Watkins Glen, as much as I love it, will also not become an F1 track. The pits and garage are horrible (at least they were in 03 when I ran there) and the track is unsafe as well.
The other big issue to remember is that all the venues actually lose money on the F1 race they run. They make it back the rest of the year though because they're able to charge more because they are an F1 track.
| Ferg | 02-10-2006 02:06 PM |
Stu's 100% correct, right now there's only one track in the US capable of handling the Grand Prix circus and that's Indy.
Road America is the only track that would truly due a modern F1 car any sort of justice but there's no way they'd ever race there without some serious overhauling of the circuit and it's facilities.
More trouble over Spa... :rolleyes:
[QUOTE]Spa still far from future GP deal
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 17:51 GMT
The Walloon government is trying to put together a plan to secure the future of the Belgian Grand Prix from 2007, autosport.com has learned, but no deal has been done yet.
Although there were widespread rumours earlier today that a provisional deal had been struck between the local government and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone for a five-year deal from 2007, it is now understood that only a proposal has so far been drafted by the local authorities.
The Walloon government have put together a six-point plan that they want to submit to Ecclestone before a new contract is agreed.
The points are that,
� the Walloon government cannot be sued for damages for the cancellation of the 2006 Belgian Grand Prix;
� the current contract between Ecclestone and the Walloon government is declared void;
� a new five-year contract is put in place, with a break clause after three years;
� Ecclestone becomes promoter for the Belgian Grand Prix;
� the Walloon government is not binded to guarantee race will take place;
� the race fee is fixed at 18 million Euros, although six million Euros of this could come back from race sponsorship.
The proposal still needs to be voted on by the Walloon parliament and only then will Minister of the Economy, Jean-Claude Marcourt, can take the matter to London for Bernie Ecclestone's input.
This year's Belgian Grand Prix was cancelled earlier on this week to allow major upgrade work to take place at Spa-Francorchamps. This includes improvements to La Source, spectator facilities, the paddock and access roads.[/QUOTE]
Road America is the only track that would truly due a modern F1 car any sort of justice but there's no way they'd ever race there without some serious overhauling of the circuit and it's facilities.
More trouble over Spa... :rolleyes:
[QUOTE]Spa still far from future GP deal
By Jonathan Noble February 10th 2006, 17:51 GMT
The Walloon government is trying to put together a plan to secure the future of the Belgian Grand Prix from 2007, autosport.com has learned, but no deal has been done yet.
Although there were widespread rumours earlier today that a provisional deal had been struck between the local government and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone for a five-year deal from 2007, it is now understood that only a proposal has so far been drafted by the local authorities.
The Walloon government have put together a six-point plan that they want to submit to Ecclestone before a new contract is agreed.
The points are that,
� the Walloon government cannot be sued for damages for the cancellation of the 2006 Belgian Grand Prix;
� the current contract between Ecclestone and the Walloon government is declared void;
� a new five-year contract is put in place, with a break clause after three years;
� Ecclestone becomes promoter for the Belgian Grand Prix;
� the Walloon government is not binded to guarantee race will take place;
� the race fee is fixed at 18 million Euros, although six million Euros of this could come back from race sponsorship.
The proposal still needs to be voted on by the Walloon parliament and only then will Minister of the Economy, Jean-Claude Marcourt, can take the matter to London for Bernie Ecclestone's input.
This year's Belgian Grand Prix was cancelled earlier on this week to allow major upgrade work to take place at Spa-Francorchamps. This includes improvements to La Source, spectator facilities, the paddock and access roads.[/QUOTE]
| Ferg | 02-10-2006 02:25 PM |
New McLaren livery!
[QUOTE]McLaren reveal 2006 car livery
February 10th 2006, 19:16 GMT
McLaren-Mercedes have revealed their 2006 car livery today, a month ahead of the first race at Bahrain.
The MP4-21 marks the first livery design for McLaren with no tobacco title sponsor, after West pulled out of the sport in August last year.
McLaren has no title sponsor for 2006, having signed a deal with Vodafone for 2007, but their primary sponsor decal on the car is whiskey brand Johnny Walker.[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://www.autosport.com/images/upload/1139599206.jpg[/IMG]
[i]if the pic doesn't work I'll have to host them myself later..[/i]
[QUOTE]McLaren reveal 2006 car livery
February 10th 2006, 19:16 GMT
McLaren-Mercedes have revealed their 2006 car livery today, a month ahead of the first race at Bahrain.
The MP4-21 marks the first livery design for McLaren with no tobacco title sponsor, after West pulled out of the sport in August last year.
McLaren has no title sponsor for 2006, having signed a deal with Vodafone for 2007, but their primary sponsor decal on the car is whiskey brand Johnny Walker.[/QUOTE]
[IMG]http://www.autosport.com/images/upload/1139599206.jpg[/IMG]
[i]if the pic doesn't work I'll have to host them myself later..[/i]
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 02:32 PM |
Holy Chit^^^^
Going with the "Silver Arrows" name a bit too much :eek:
I am going to have to see some more pics of it.
Going with the "Silver Arrows" name a bit too much :eek:
I am going to have to see some more pics of it.
| JoD | 02-10-2006 02:43 PM |
Me likey, but I'm biased. This thing looks evil. I absolutely love the stripe that runs down the center.
| TimStevens | 02-10-2006 02:44 PM |
Great googly moogly... they're going to blind the opposition with solar flares... I like it :devil:
:edit: Just noticed the orange rear wing main plane... looks good too!
:edit: Just noticed the orange rear wing main plane... looks good too!
| JoD | 02-10-2006 02:48 PM |
[IMG]http://www.mclaren.com/interactive/photo-gallery/mp4-21/2006_Team_McLaren_Mercedes-Front_Three_Quarter.jpg[/IMG]
From McLaren.com
Woking, Great Britain, Friday 10th February 2006: The Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One team has revealed a unique new car livery which will adorn the team's cars in the future.
The new livery has an innovative surface coating, which achieves a high level of reflectivity. The technology used was perfected by McLaren during the past six months and is completely new to Formula One.
"A lot of research and months of work have gone into creating this unique chrome finish," explained McLaren Marketing Managing Director Ekrem Sami. "We are always looking at innovative ways to allow our sponsor partners to differentiate their brands from the competition through their partnership with the team and this unique livery is designed to be extremely photogenic. Team McLaren Mercedes had the highest audited 'Share of TV Voice' in 2005 - and we hope that this new identity will contribute to us retaining that status."
"When we created our previous livery in the mid nineties we established what we believed then was an innovative and groundbreaking new identity for McLaren Mercedes," continued Sami. "What we have launched today is as revolutionary and we hope it will be the foundation of the team's livery for many years to come."
The team can look back on a lot of success during the nine years of the former livery. At the very first race after its introduction in Melbourne in 1997 the team won and since then it has taken nearly 30 per cent of all Grands Prix victories.
The team took the opportunity to show the new livery to McLaren Group and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines employees this evening. Two of the Groups better known personalities, drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, were both impressed with their cars' 'new clothes'.
"I have only seen illustrations of the new livery until now but they do it no justice," said Kimi. "It looks fantastic and should create a bit of a stir when we drive it on tracks around the world. [COLOR=DarkOrange]If we can make the car as fast as it looks then we will be in good shape." [/COLOR]
"Wow," said Juan Pablo. "What a beautiful looking car. I have obviously been testing the MP4- 21 quite a bit already but seeing the car like this is something else."
Love Kimi's comment. Maybe there going to blind everyone else off the track!
From McLaren.com
Woking, Great Britain, Friday 10th February 2006: The Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One team has revealed a unique new car livery which will adorn the team's cars in the future.
The new livery has an innovative surface coating, which achieves a high level of reflectivity. The technology used was perfected by McLaren during the past six months and is completely new to Formula One.
"A lot of research and months of work have gone into creating this unique chrome finish," explained McLaren Marketing Managing Director Ekrem Sami. "We are always looking at innovative ways to allow our sponsor partners to differentiate their brands from the competition through their partnership with the team and this unique livery is designed to be extremely photogenic. Team McLaren Mercedes had the highest audited 'Share of TV Voice' in 2005 - and we hope that this new identity will contribute to us retaining that status."
"When we created our previous livery in the mid nineties we established what we believed then was an innovative and groundbreaking new identity for McLaren Mercedes," continued Sami. "What we have launched today is as revolutionary and we hope it will be the foundation of the team's livery for many years to come."
The team can look back on a lot of success during the nine years of the former livery. At the very first race after its introduction in Melbourne in 1997 the team won and since then it has taken nearly 30 per cent of all Grands Prix victories.
The team took the opportunity to show the new livery to McLaren Group and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines employees this evening. Two of the Groups better known personalities, drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, were both impressed with their cars' 'new clothes'.
"I have only seen illustrations of the new livery until now but they do it no justice," said Kimi. "It looks fantastic and should create a bit of a stir when we drive it on tracks around the world. [COLOR=DarkOrange]If we can make the car as fast as it looks then we will be in good shape." [/COLOR]
"Wow," said Juan Pablo. "What a beautiful looking car. I have obviously been testing the MP4- 21 quite a bit already but seeing the car like this is something else."
Love Kimi's comment. Maybe there going to blind everyone else off the track!
| JoD | 02-10-2006 02:50 PM |
Sorry to repeat your comment, Tim. I was typing while you were posting. We'll all need sunglasses to watch the races!
| JoD | 02-10-2006 03:05 PM |
[QUOTE=TimStevens]
:edit: Just noticed the orange rear wing main plane... looks good too![/QUOTE]
ArtKevin and I have had many arguments about whether the "color" on the McLaren is orange or red. I always thought it was orange, but I gave up fighting and deferred to him as an artist and one who knows a lot more about F1 than me. I've decided that it is a red-orange. :)
:edit: Just noticed the orange rear wing main plane... looks good too![/QUOTE]
ArtKevin and I have had many arguments about whether the "color" on the McLaren is orange or red. I always thought it was orange, but I gave up fighting and deferred to him as an artist and one who knows a lot more about F1 than me. I've decided that it is a red-orange. :)
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-10-2006 03:05 PM |
I like that they replaced the Nicotine sponsor with a Booze sponsor. Nicely done.
I'm curious to see what that fancy new finish looks like on the track with carbon dust all over it.
I'm curious to see what that fancy new finish looks like on the track with carbon dust all over it.
| TimStevens | 02-10-2006 03:10 PM |
Yeah, that's true. It's obviously a far cry from the original McLaren orange.
[img]http://www.bruce-mclaren.com/images/m8f.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.bruce-mclaren.com/images/m8f.jpg[/img]
| Wr4wrX | 02-10-2006 03:24 PM |
If Heidi Klum was a race car, she'd be the MP4-21 in its new livery.
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 02-10-2006 03:41 PM |
JoD, You suck for not providing a Hi-res pic. :)
That si beautiful, I do allready miss the orange paint scheme though. I hope they make it a test car tradition.
Also, I'm having a hard time googling mclarens site, can someone link it?
That si beautiful, I do allready miss the orange paint scheme though. I hope they make it a test car tradition.
Also, I'm having a hard time googling mclarens site, can someone link it?
| JoD | 02-10-2006 03:44 PM |
Ask and you shall receive my friend. This is as good as she gets. Check the original post.
[URL]http://www.mclaren.com/[/URL]
[URL]http://www.mclaren.com/[/URL]
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 02-10-2006 04:06 PM |
Yeah, I checked it out.
I'm in need of a nice wallpaper.
Thanks Btw.
I'm in need of a nice wallpaper.
Thanks Btw.
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-10-2006 04:17 PM |
Also, didn't windshield wipers go from chrome to flat black because of racing? I thought I remember reading that someone at LeMans was having trouble with the glare off of their chrome wipers, so his crew sprayed them black. Then the trend stuck. Is the McLaren crew going to have to get the rattle-can out in Bahrain?
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 02-10-2006 04:22 PM |
No, The Mclaren team engineers are so bright, everyone else will have to wear shades. :)
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 04:26 PM |
It seems like the glare could be a real issue with other teams. Again, I need to see it from more angles but I can't imagine a 100 degree sunny day at noon with a 200mph flash light going around the track. I am sure they have looked into the legality of it though.
| JoD | 02-10-2006 04:27 PM |
[QUOTE=parker/slc/gc8fan]No, The Mclaren team engineers are so bright, everyone else will have to wear shades. :)[/QUOTE]
Uh, I just had a bad Huey Lewis flashback.
Uh, I just had a bad Huey Lewis flashback.
| JoD | 02-10-2006 04:28 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]It seems like the glare could be a real issue with other teams. Again, I need to see it from more angles but I can't imagine a 100 degree sunny day at noon with a 200mph flash light going around the track. I am sure they have looked into the legality of it though.[/QUOTE]
Man I can hear Ross Brawn and Jean Todt whining about it already from here.
Man I can hear Ross Brawn and Jean Todt whining about it already from here.
| Harvey_Mushman | 02-10-2006 04:35 PM |
[QUOTE=JoD]Man I can hear Ross Brawn and Jean Todt whining about it already from here.[/QUOTE]
Judging from the articles of the day, Flavio should be complaining shortly too. I miss the old, jolly Flav who beat his competitors to the punch by [I]firing[/I] his driver after winning at Monaco, rather than having them poached.
Judging from the articles of the day, Flavio should be complaining shortly too. I miss the old, jolly Flav who beat his competitors to the punch by [I]firing[/I] his driver after winning at Monaco, rather than having them poached.
| StuBeck | 02-10-2006 05:06 PM |
There have been chrome cars before and it wasn't an issue. The test cars being orange happened in 97 and 98 too. They usually run it when they aren't sure of teh paint scheme for the next year.
| Wr4wrX | 02-10-2006 05:23 PM |
Could the glare off the nose of the McLaren pose a problem for Kimi and JPM? I remember JV asking Sauber to paint the antennas and instruments on the nose of his car grey, rather than black, because they dominated his view too much. I don't think Kimi and JPM are this picky, but that is one shiny car.
| Wr4wrX | 02-10-2006 05:25 PM |
[QUOTE=JoD]Man I can hear Ross Brawn and Jean Todt whining about it already from here.[/QUOTE]
Me too. I hope rather than complaining, they fight fire with fire and next year they come out with a metallic red Ferrari. :devil:
Me too. I hope rather than complaining, they fight fire with fire and next year they come out with a metallic red Ferrari. :devil:
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 05:33 PM |
Maybe this is the new medical car
[IMG]http://www.m3forum.net/gallery/data/522/44819CHROME_BMW_M3_-med.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.m3forum.net/gallery/data/522/44819CHROME_BMW_M3_-med.jpg[/IMG]
| Ferg | 02-10-2006 06:48 PM |
Be sure to catch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics...
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55925273/large.jpg[/IMG]
Apparently Luca Badoer got lost trying to find Fiorano.
[IMG]http://www.pbase.com/image/55925273/large.jpg[/IMG]
Apparently Luca Badoer got lost trying to find Fiorano.
| parker/slc/gc8fan | 02-10-2006 06:53 PM |
OMG!
Super Sad. italy reaches new low of self appretiation.
Super Sad. italy reaches new low of self appretiation.
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 07:01 PM |
They used a F2005! I guess it has to win at something
| JoD | 02-10-2006 07:14 PM |
I bet someone has already radioed the delegation from Brazil and told them to move over to let this one through!
In less than one month we will have already witnessed the first practice sessions at Bahrain! :banana:
In less than one month we will have already witnessed the first practice sessions at Bahrain! :banana:
| jpsimon | 02-10-2006 08:11 PM |
not sure if this was posted... but here are pics of the new mclaren:
go here and right click/save as the highres (300dpi huge pics): [url]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/[/url]
here are the lowres...
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren3.jpg[/img]
go here and right click/save as the highres (300dpi huge pics): [url]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/[/url]
here are the lowres...
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren1.jpg[/img]
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren2.jpg[/img]
[img]http://jonahsimon.com/mclaren/mclaren3.jpg[/img]
| finnRex | 02-10-2006 08:56 PM |
Kevin, I've managed to put my foot in my mouth twice, and both times it's been with two drivers that you like(Sato and JPM).
Sato, he had a brilliant F3 career, but what stinks about him is that he can't bring it together in F1. It's like the all-star QB in college. He's great, he's fantastic, but when he steps up to the big boys, he chokes and walks away with his leg between his legs. I will say that he does try 100% though, which is more than I can say about Juan.
JPM. In all honesty, I think he's a damn good driver. Better than he really shows. I think he slacks off though(my honest to goodness opinion). Sometimes it seems like he just breezes through the weekend and does ok, and then other weekends he busts his tail and gets results. If I was in his shoes, I'd do whatever it took during the weekend to keep "Mr. Bossman" happy. That joker is getting paid millions a year to ride a whip around the freakin' track, and sometimes it seems he doesn't give 100%. Out of those two drivers, I'd much rather have JPM simply because he has shown results. One thing that would frustrate me as a manager would be his seemingly lacksadaisical(sp?) attitude.
FWIW, I don't care for the fact that Kimi has tantrums and gets drunk like a skunk. But the drunk part is a part of Finnish culture. A bunch of lushes, they are. I do like what Kimi said though. I feel that its necessary to toss tact out the window, especially after a year like last year.
Mika
Sato, he had a brilliant F3 career, but what stinks about him is that he can't bring it together in F1. It's like the all-star QB in college. He's great, he's fantastic, but when he steps up to the big boys, he chokes and walks away with his leg between his legs. I will say that he does try 100% though, which is more than I can say about Juan.
JPM. In all honesty, I think he's a damn good driver. Better than he really shows. I think he slacks off though(my honest to goodness opinion). Sometimes it seems like he just breezes through the weekend and does ok, and then other weekends he busts his tail and gets results. If I was in his shoes, I'd do whatever it took during the weekend to keep "Mr. Bossman" happy. That joker is getting paid millions a year to ride a whip around the freakin' track, and sometimes it seems he doesn't give 100%. Out of those two drivers, I'd much rather have JPM simply because he has shown results. One thing that would frustrate me as a manager would be his seemingly lacksadaisical(sp?) attitude.
FWIW, I don't care for the fact that Kimi has tantrums and gets drunk like a skunk. But the drunk part is a part of Finnish culture. A bunch of lushes, they are. I do like what Kimi said though. I feel that its necessary to toss tact out the window, especially after a year like last year.
Mika
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 09:27 PM |
Its cool Mika.
I am cool with anyone having any opinion of any driver they want. I personally respect just about every driver in the field highly and think if anyone of them had the right equipment at the right time and a little luck they would be able to win races. So as you said I guess it comes down to personal opinion and its all good.
You don't like Sato and JPM.
I do.
I like their driving styles a lot. I might come from how visual of a person I am but I love drivers that like just a hint of oversteer. I know Schumacher might be the best driver on the planet but he is not fun to watch. Almost too percise. Same with Kimi. Fernando, JPM, Massa, Sato and Liuzzi all are fun to me. Its also why I like Katherine Legge so much.
We should grab a beer in Indy and fight about it. Well, you should have a beer, I don't drink.
I am cool with anyone having any opinion of any driver they want. I personally respect just about every driver in the field highly and think if anyone of them had the right equipment at the right time and a little luck they would be able to win races. So as you said I guess it comes down to personal opinion and its all good.
You don't like Sato and JPM.
I do.
I like their driving styles a lot. I might come from how visual of a person I am but I love drivers that like just a hint of oversteer. I know Schumacher might be the best driver on the planet but he is not fun to watch. Almost too percise. Same with Kimi. Fernando, JPM, Massa, Sato and Liuzzi all are fun to me. Its also why I like Katherine Legge so much.
We should grab a beer in Indy and fight about it. Well, you should have a beer, I don't drink.
| Ferg | 02-10-2006 09:35 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]I don't drink...[/QUOTE]
..anymore than your average touring southern rock band that is.
[i]sorry Kevin, too easy[/i] :D
29 days!
Jeez this thread is getting sort of out of hand.
..anymore than your average touring southern rock band that is.
[i]sorry Kevin, too easy[/i] :D
29 days!
Jeez this thread is getting sort of out of hand.
| artkevin | 02-10-2006 09:38 PM |
Yeah, this thing has gone all over the place. Tattoos, who-hates-who-why, circuts, bad hair, long hair, drunken Finns other then Mika etc.
SEASON NEEDS TO GET HERE NOW!
SEASON NEEDS TO GET HERE NOW!
| Dussander | 02-11-2006 12:03 AM |
The high res shots of the McLaren are so hot.
| Ferg | 02-11-2006 12:47 AM |
I feel so cheated....NBC didn't show the Ferrari :(
Did I miss it?
Did I miss it?
| artkevin | 02-11-2006 01:39 AM |
Yeah, It was about 3 hours into the broadcast. You could actually hear the crowd over the engine which surprised me. They said that it was last years car (F2005) but they also said they won 5 straight titles w/o mentioning that last year wasn't one of them.
There was a whole pit crew out doing a mock pit stop and they started the engine on stage.
Cool stuff.
There was a whole pit crew out doing a mock pit stop and they started the engine on stage.
Cool stuff.
| milu | 02-11-2006 08:16 AM |
Very nice look for McLaren this year
| rupertberr | 02-11-2006 10:34 AM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]Yeah, It was about 3 hours into the broadcast. You could actually hear the crowd over the engine which surprised me. They said that it was last years car (F2005) but they also said they won 5 straight titles w/o mentioning that last year wasn't one of them.
There was a whole pit crew out doing a mock pit stop and they started the engine on stage.
Cool stuff.[/QUOTE]
It's about time they included F1 in the Olympics! :devil: I was flipping channels and just missed the first couple of seconds of the pit stop so I didn't know who was driving. Loved the reaction of some of the athletes. :D
Pavorotti was pretty cool too. ;) That old geezer can still belt it out! :eek:
There was a whole pit crew out doing a mock pit stop and they started the engine on stage.
Cool stuff.[/QUOTE]
It's about time they included F1 in the Olympics! :devil: I was flipping channels and just missed the first couple of seconds of the pit stop so I didn't know who was driving. Loved the reaction of some of the athletes. :D
Pavorotti was pretty cool too. ;) That old geezer can still belt it out! :eek:
| Ferg | 02-11-2006 10:45 AM |
Ah nice, I didn't realize it would be after the parade of nations. :)
[QUOTE]Button baffled by lack of Bahrain testers
By Jonathan Noble February 11th 2006, 14:32 GMT
Jenson Button says he doesn't understand why more teams are not heading to Bahrain next week - because he believes it will be one of the most important tests before the start of the season.
Only Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Button's Honda Racing team have decided to accept an invitation from the Bahrain circuit to test at the venue that will host the season opening Grand Prix, in four weeks' time.
And with the run likely to give those present a crucial advantage in terms of understanding how their cars and tyres operate in warmer temperatures, Button has said he cannot understand why other outfit have opted to remain in Europe.
"It is going to be an important test and I don't get why not many teams are going," he told autosport.com. "But with Ferrari there, they will at least definitely be a good reference point for us."
Button is upbeat about the progress made with his new RA106 and claims that the good levels of reliability the team are experiencing is paying dividends in helping the team find more pace from the car.
"We have done so much mileage and it makes such a difference," he added. "We have been so reliable and that is the biggest part of it - and we are on the pace too.
"I am happy with the consistency too and, although I know Renault are good and probably Ferrari, the thing we can at least do now is keep pounding around.
"We just have to work on 100 percent reliability. Clearly we have to understand a bit more about the car too, but it is looking good. We have to apply this pace in the season, though."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Ecclestone doubts Rossi will switch to F1
By Jonathan Noble February 11th 2006, 14:06 GMT
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone doesn't think Valentino Rossi will make the switch to car racing - because his contract with Yamaha in MotoGP is too good.
Although Ecclestone is sure that Rossi joining F1 would be great for the sport, he believes that ultimately Ferrari may not be able to offer the financial rewards that he is currently getting in motorcycle racing.
"Yeah, if Valentino can get the job done and make it into Formula One, then it's a good thing for everyone concerned, and good for F1," said Ecclestone.
"But we've not spoken lately so I don't know what he wants to do, really. Whether he's happy just messing around on four wheels or wants to take it further I don't know.
"But I understand that it might be a bit difficult for him to leave such a lucrative contract as he is currently in."
Ecclestone's comments come amid reports that Ferrari have demanded an answer from Rossi in the next few months about whether or not he wants to join them in 2007.
Sources close to Valentino Rossi were quoted in this week's Motorcycle News as saying that Ferrari want a decision soon so they can plan for their future.
A close friend of Rossi told the newspaper: "Valentino is now really close to moving to F1.
"Ferrari are pushing harder than ever to get him into their car in 2007. They have told him they need an answer in the next two or three months, but his mind may be made up earlier.
"This is a dangerous time for motorcycling fans because you can see that now he is thinking about moving to F1 more seriously than ever."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Button baffled by lack of Bahrain testers
By Jonathan Noble February 11th 2006, 14:32 GMT
Jenson Button says he doesn't understand why more teams are not heading to Bahrain next week - because he believes it will be one of the most important tests before the start of the season.
Only Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Button's Honda Racing team have decided to accept an invitation from the Bahrain circuit to test at the venue that will host the season opening Grand Prix, in four weeks' time.
And with the run likely to give those present a crucial advantage in terms of understanding how their cars and tyres operate in warmer temperatures, Button has said he cannot understand why other outfit have opted to remain in Europe.
"It is going to be an important test and I don't get why not many teams are going," he told autosport.com. "But with Ferrari there, they will at least definitely be a good reference point for us."
Button is upbeat about the progress made with his new RA106 and claims that the good levels of reliability the team are experiencing is paying dividends in helping the team find more pace from the car.
"We have done so much mileage and it makes such a difference," he added. "We have been so reliable and that is the biggest part of it - and we are on the pace too.
"I am happy with the consistency too and, although I know Renault are good and probably Ferrari, the thing we can at least do now is keep pounding around.
"We just have to work on 100 percent reliability. Clearly we have to understand a bit more about the car too, but it is looking good. We have to apply this pace in the season, though."[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Ecclestone doubts Rossi will switch to F1
By Jonathan Noble February 11th 2006, 14:06 GMT
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone doesn't think Valentino Rossi will make the switch to car racing - because his contract with Yamaha in MotoGP is too good.
Although Ecclestone is sure that Rossi joining F1 would be great for the sport, he believes that ultimately Ferrari may not be able to offer the financial rewards that he is currently getting in motorcycle racing.
"Yeah, if Valentino can get the job done and make it into Formula One, then it's a good thing for everyone concerned, and good for F1," said Ecclestone.
"But we've not spoken lately so I don't know what he wants to do, really. Whether he's happy just messing around on four wheels or wants to take it further I don't know.
"But I understand that it might be a bit difficult for him to leave such a lucrative contract as he is currently in."
Ecclestone's comments come amid reports that Ferrari have demanded an answer from Rossi in the next few months about whether or not he wants to join them in 2007.
Sources close to Valentino Rossi were quoted in this week's Motorcycle News as saying that Ferrari want a decision soon so they can plan for their future.
A close friend of Rossi told the newspaper: "Valentino is now really close to moving to F1.
"Ferrari are pushing harder than ever to get him into their car in 2007. They have told him they need an answer in the next two or three months, but his mind may be made up earlier.
"This is a dangerous time for motorcycling fans because you can see that now he is thinking about moving to F1 more seriously than ever."[/QUOTE]
| Rosco ReX Rox | 02-11-2006 10:46 AM |
Ferrari at the Olympics
�
�
I watched the opening ceremony last nite, more out of curiosity than the pleasure of witnessing a great production. Quite frankly, I was bored, it seemed long and full of lack of direction. Then, the red car showed up and the only thing I could think of is "Ferari must have paid a fortune to be in the opening act', followed by, ROCK ON!!! This part of the opening ceremony woke me up!!! I thought it was classy, exiting and cool. A great way to have us gear heads paying attention.
This thread is huge, but I've followed it every step of the way. Great information and great anticipation. I recommend the thread be closed with the first official race and a new thread be open for the each of the races on the F1 calendar for the year. My 2 cents.
Rosco
This thread is huge, but I've followed it every step of the way. Great information and great anticipation. I recommend the thread be closed with the first official race and a new thread be open for the each of the races on the F1 calendar for the year. My 2 cents.
Rosco
| Ferg | 02-11-2006 10:57 AM |
[QUOTE=Rosco ReX Rox]This thread is huge, but I've followed it every step of the way. Great information and great anticipation. I recommend the thread be closed with the first official race and a new thread be open for the each of the races on the F1 calendar for the year. My 2 cents.[/QUOTE]
I thought about that but honestly I see no reason to close this thread down once the seaosn starts. Yes there will be new threads for every Grand Prix I'm sure (although I'm not starting them!), they deserve their own for sure....but all the news that happens between the races, testing, politics, the Bernie and Max Show, Kimi caught with strippers, you know the real meat and potatoes of F1 can still find a place in here.
:)
I thought about that but honestly I see no reason to close this thread down once the seaosn starts. Yes there will be new threads for every Grand Prix I'm sure (although I'm not starting them!), they deserve their own for sure....but all the news that happens between the races, testing, politics, the Bernie and Max Show, Kimi caught with strippers, you know the real meat and potatoes of F1 can still find a place in here.
:)
| Rosco ReX Rox | 02-11-2006 11:03 AM |
OK, ok
�
�
I'll go along with that, the buzz of F1 lives here, in this thread.
Real question is who'll start the thread for each one of the GP races? Gotta keep on looking.
Rosco
Real question is who'll start the thread for each one of the GP races? Gotta keep on looking.
Rosco
| FrostyAK | 02-11-2006 11:28 AM |
Ferrari V8 Test Video
�
�
Hopefully this is not a re-post. I do not have time right now to read through all the pages of this great thread. I am like a little kid, I get so easily distracted by all the shiney pictures of the new cars. This is about 5min. of the Ferrari V8 testing at Mugello. Very good quality, great sound. I believe you will have to cut and paste the link as it will want to launch a player:
mms://vipeurosport.yacast.net/eurosport/2006/01/26/ferrari_inter_23155_4_25_3_320x240.wmv
- Chris
mms://vipeurosport.yacast.net/eurosport/2006/01/26/ferrari_inter_23155_4_25_3_320x240.wmv
- Chris
| artkevin | 02-11-2006 12:21 PM |
Good find Frosty AK. I don't think it's in here anywhere.
Couple of things, the V8 sounds almost ghostly compared to the V10. Not very much punch behind the sound.
I've heard that Ferrari put the mirrors all the way out to the side pod so that a turbulence producing peice is now already in turbulent air rather then clean air that they would now have to re-clean. I couldn't tell from the video becuase Schumi was the only guy on the track but it seems that the driver now has to actually fully turn his head to see that far out. I wonder if it will last?
Looks like Schumi removed the German flag from his helmet all together. Think he going to become an Italian?
Couple of things, the V8 sounds almost ghostly compared to the V10. Not very much punch behind the sound.
I've heard that Ferrari put the mirrors all the way out to the side pod so that a turbulence producing peice is now already in turbulent air rather then clean air that they would now have to re-clean. I couldn't tell from the video becuase Schumi was the only guy on the track but it seems that the driver now has to actually fully turn his head to see that far out. I wonder if it will last?
Looks like Schumi removed the German flag from his helmet all together. Think he going to become an Italian?
| JoD | 02-11-2006 12:47 PM |
Ferg, I too missed the Ferrari deal last night. I fell asleep just before it came on. I even set my alarm to watch the rebroadcast, but NBC edited it out by then. Jerks.
If anyone finds a video clip of that I'd like to see. I'm not a big fan of the red, but F1 is F1 in any form, and I'm suffering withdrawl.
If anyone finds a video clip of that I'd like to see. I'm not a big fan of the red, but F1 is F1 in any form, and I'm suffering withdrawl.
| Ferg | 02-11-2006 01:46 PM |
Not much news today...
Testing wraps up at Jerez and a little Q&A with Alonso.
[QUOTE]Jerez testing comes to an end
Saturday, February 11th 2006, 17:48 GMT
Testing at the Spanish circuit of Jerez ended today, with two Michelin-shod cars carrying tyre testing on an artificially wet track.
McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa and Renault's Heikki Kovalainen were the sole drivers taking part in today's session, which ran under sunny sky with warm temperatures. But the circuit ambiance was to no use, as the purpose of the day was to test wet weather tyres for Michelin.
The track was artificially kept wet, as de la Rosa ran a total of 123 laps with a best time of 1:27.713. Kovalainen was on par with the Spaniard: running a total of 133 laps, the Finn's best time was 1:27.761.
Formula One now leaves Jerez until the next scheduled summer test, planned for June 13.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Q & A with Fernando Alonso
Saturday, February 11th 2006, 15:13 GMT
Fernando Alonso talked to Spanish radio station Cadena SER this week. Below is the full, translated transcript of the interview.
[B]Q: How is the pre-season going?[/B]
Alonso: "It's going well. The car is already giving good results and we're happy with it. So far the pre-season is going very well and if the championship would start tomorrow, Renault would be the favourites. But there's still one month to go and our rivals can catch up. We've got up to speed quicker than them."
[B]Q: Will you get nervous before the start of the season?[/B]
Alonso: "Normally, no. I'm usually quite cool. Maybe this year that will change because starting the season with the number one on the car will be more exciting."
[B]Q: What's wrong with McLaren? As soon as you signed they started going slow...[/B]
Alonso: "Well, they're not going very quick at the moment, but I suppose they'll get better. In a few months they'll be winning races again. And let's hope that next year they'll have recovered their edge again..."
[B]Q: Is Ferrari getting better?[/B]
Alonso: "I think this year things will be much closer at the top. Everything is open and the championship will be a lot of fun. We'll have more teams fighting for Grand Prix victories. Unfortunately for me it won't be like in 2005, when only McLaren and Renault were up there, race in, race out."
[B]Q: Honda are going well too. Is it true they have the best engine in the field?[/B]
Alonso: "Yes, they're quick in every track, and in the paddock everyone thinks they have the most powerful engine around. We're going pretty quick, but in terms of horse power we have Honda and Ferrari ahead of us. It's one of the areas in which we need to improve."
[B]Q: Do you see yourself as the favourite for the season?[/B]
Alonso: "I don't think I'm the only favourite, but just one of them. Both Honda drivers, both Ferrari drivers, and both Renault drivers are among the favourites for the first three or four races of the season."
[B]Q: Did you see [Valentino] Rossi in Valencia?[/B]
Alonso: "Outside the car I didn't see him, but we tested together and I saw him from car to car. But I had my job to do there and did a lot of laps, so I didn't see him."
[B]Q: Do you think he can win in F1?[/B]
Alonso: "Sincerely... no, I don't think so. Last week he did his first test with other drivers but his engine was quite different from ours. It's like if I would try motorbikes. I could take part, have fun, but I could never beat [Dani] Pedrosa. I couldn't beat people that started in mini-bikes when they were three..."
[B]Q: Will [Michael] Schumacher be a threat?[/B]
Alonso: "He's very motivated. He's always motivated. I suppose that after losing the title last year he'll come back for revenge stronger than ever."
[B]Q: How's the relationship with Renault, after the announcement you're moving to McLaren? And in your first test of the season you showed up in a Mercedes road car, didn't you???[/B]
Alonso: "It was not my fault, it was what the car rental company gave me to drive. Every time I get different cars and it just happened it was a Mercedes last week. But the relationship with the team is good and everyone is highly motivated.
"There is a good ambiance in the team and everyone is happy we're racing with numbers one and two on the cars. The ambiance is better than ever, even though it was announced I'm moving to McLaren at the end of the year."
[B]Q: How is the relationship with Flavio Briatore?[/B]
Alonso: "Good, good."
[B]Q: Are you sure he didn't know you were moving to McLaren?[/B]
Alonso: "No, he didn't."
[B]Q: What did he say when you announced the deal to him?[/B]
Alonso: "Initially he was quite surprised, because Renault wanted to renew my contract. But he understood, in the end, and now our relationship is stronger than ever. He didn't get angry with my dad or my manager either."
[B]Q: Will you get full support from Renault this year?[/B]
Alonso: "If, with four or five races to go, I'm out of contention for the title and I have a bad season, it's normal they stop giving me information and developments because they will not want me to take that information to McLaren.
"But if things go in a normal way and we're fighting, [Giancarlo] Fisichella and myself, for victories and the title, it won't cross anyone's mind to delay me or hinder my chances in any way. I'm not worried at all about that."
[B]Q: Why was the McLaren announcement made so early?[/B]
Alonso: "For me it didn't mater when it was announced, but something like that would be difficult to keep secret.. Some companies knew what was going on, like Mercedes and the sponsors, and it was just a mater of time before the press would find out.
"And there were four or five teams interested in me, so it wouldn't have been good for me to keep it a secret. There would be a lot of rumours and it would have been difficult for me to concentrate on the championship."
[B]Q: What convinced you to move to McLaren?[/B]
Alonso: "They've been winning races for 20 years. Every season they're up there. They have the best technology in F1, and all the drivers know that. For my future, it was the best option."
[B]Q: Do you have any preference about your future teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "I don't care who my teammate will be. I suppose they'll keep one of their current drivers."
[B]Q: Would you like to have [Pedro] de la Rosa as a teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "It's the same, but we could communicate well in Spanish..."
[B]Q: Can you see yourself as Kimo Raikkonen's teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "For now, the team he's racing for has signed me for 2007. That makes me doubly proud. If he wants to stay there, fine. But if he moves out and it's Juan Pablo Montoya that remains, that's fine with me too."
[B]Q: Has your life changed, now that you're a world champion?[/B]
Alonso: "Nothing changed. Everything remains as it was before."[/QUOTE]
Testing wraps up at Jerez and a little Q&A with Alonso.
[QUOTE]Jerez testing comes to an end
Saturday, February 11th 2006, 17:48 GMT
Testing at the Spanish circuit of Jerez ended today, with two Michelin-shod cars carrying tyre testing on an artificially wet track.
McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa and Renault's Heikki Kovalainen were the sole drivers taking part in today's session, which ran under sunny sky with warm temperatures. But the circuit ambiance was to no use, as the purpose of the day was to test wet weather tyres for Michelin.
The track was artificially kept wet, as de la Rosa ran a total of 123 laps with a best time of 1:27.713. Kovalainen was on par with the Spaniard: running a total of 133 laps, the Finn's best time was 1:27.761.
Formula One now leaves Jerez until the next scheduled summer test, planned for June 13.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Q & A with Fernando Alonso
Saturday, February 11th 2006, 15:13 GMT
Fernando Alonso talked to Spanish radio station Cadena SER this week. Below is the full, translated transcript of the interview.
[B]Q: How is the pre-season going?[/B]
Alonso: "It's going well. The car is already giving good results and we're happy with it. So far the pre-season is going very well and if the championship would start tomorrow, Renault would be the favourites. But there's still one month to go and our rivals can catch up. We've got up to speed quicker than them."
[B]Q: Will you get nervous before the start of the season?[/B]
Alonso: "Normally, no. I'm usually quite cool. Maybe this year that will change because starting the season with the number one on the car will be more exciting."
[B]Q: What's wrong with McLaren? As soon as you signed they started going slow...[/B]
Alonso: "Well, they're not going very quick at the moment, but I suppose they'll get better. In a few months they'll be winning races again. And let's hope that next year they'll have recovered their edge again..."
[B]Q: Is Ferrari getting better?[/B]
Alonso: "I think this year things will be much closer at the top. Everything is open and the championship will be a lot of fun. We'll have more teams fighting for Grand Prix victories. Unfortunately for me it won't be like in 2005, when only McLaren and Renault were up there, race in, race out."
[B]Q: Honda are going well too. Is it true they have the best engine in the field?[/B]
Alonso: "Yes, they're quick in every track, and in the paddock everyone thinks they have the most powerful engine around. We're going pretty quick, but in terms of horse power we have Honda and Ferrari ahead of us. It's one of the areas in which we need to improve."
[B]Q: Do you see yourself as the favourite for the season?[/B]
Alonso: "I don't think I'm the only favourite, but just one of them. Both Honda drivers, both Ferrari drivers, and both Renault drivers are among the favourites for the first three or four races of the season."
[B]Q: Did you see [Valentino] Rossi in Valencia?[/B]
Alonso: "Outside the car I didn't see him, but we tested together and I saw him from car to car. But I had my job to do there and did a lot of laps, so I didn't see him."
[B]Q: Do you think he can win in F1?[/B]
Alonso: "Sincerely... no, I don't think so. Last week he did his first test with other drivers but his engine was quite different from ours. It's like if I would try motorbikes. I could take part, have fun, but I could never beat [Dani] Pedrosa. I couldn't beat people that started in mini-bikes when they were three..."
[B]Q: Will [Michael] Schumacher be a threat?[/B]
Alonso: "He's very motivated. He's always motivated. I suppose that after losing the title last year he'll come back for revenge stronger than ever."
[B]Q: How's the relationship with Renault, after the announcement you're moving to McLaren? And in your first test of the season you showed up in a Mercedes road car, didn't you???[/B]
Alonso: "It was not my fault, it was what the car rental company gave me to drive. Every time I get different cars and it just happened it was a Mercedes last week. But the relationship with the team is good and everyone is highly motivated.
"There is a good ambiance in the team and everyone is happy we're racing with numbers one and two on the cars. The ambiance is better than ever, even though it was announced I'm moving to McLaren at the end of the year."
[B]Q: How is the relationship with Flavio Briatore?[/B]
Alonso: "Good, good."
[B]Q: Are you sure he didn't know you were moving to McLaren?[/B]
Alonso: "No, he didn't."
[B]Q: What did he say when you announced the deal to him?[/B]
Alonso: "Initially he was quite surprised, because Renault wanted to renew my contract. But he understood, in the end, and now our relationship is stronger than ever. He didn't get angry with my dad or my manager either."
[B]Q: Will you get full support from Renault this year?[/B]
Alonso: "If, with four or five races to go, I'm out of contention for the title and I have a bad season, it's normal they stop giving me information and developments because they will not want me to take that information to McLaren.
"But if things go in a normal way and we're fighting, [Giancarlo] Fisichella and myself, for victories and the title, it won't cross anyone's mind to delay me or hinder my chances in any way. I'm not worried at all about that."
[B]Q: Why was the McLaren announcement made so early?[/B]
Alonso: "For me it didn't mater when it was announced, but something like that would be difficult to keep secret.. Some companies knew what was going on, like Mercedes and the sponsors, and it was just a mater of time before the press would find out.
"And there were four or five teams interested in me, so it wouldn't have been good for me to keep it a secret. There would be a lot of rumours and it would have been difficult for me to concentrate on the championship."
[B]Q: What convinced you to move to McLaren?[/B]
Alonso: "They've been winning races for 20 years. Every season they're up there. They have the best technology in F1, and all the drivers know that. For my future, it was the best option."
[B]Q: Do you have any preference about your future teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "I don't care who my teammate will be. I suppose they'll keep one of their current drivers."
[B]Q: Would you like to have [Pedro] de la Rosa as a teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "It's the same, but we could communicate well in Spanish..."
[B]Q: Can you see yourself as Kimo Raikkonen's teammate?[/B]
Alonso: "For now, the team he's racing for has signed me for 2007. That makes me doubly proud. If he wants to stay there, fine. But if he moves out and it's Juan Pablo Montoya that remains, that's fine with me too."
[B]Q: Has your life changed, now that you're a world champion?[/B]
Alonso: "Nothing changed. Everything remains as it was before."[/QUOTE]
| Wr4wrX | 02-11-2006 02:25 PM |
For those who missed or want to rewatch the Ferrari at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, [URL=http://www.youtube.com/w/Formula-One-Ferrari--Burnout-and-Donuts?v=nzf3VazUWBg&search=ferrari%20olympics]here ya go.[/URL]
| Rosco ReX Rox | 02-11-2006 02:28 PM |
Yeah!!!
�
�
I'm ready!!! Man was that SWEET!!!
Rosco
Rosco
| JoD | 02-11-2006 03:43 PM |
[QUOTE=Wr4wrX]For those who missed or want to rewatch the Ferrari at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, [URL=http://www.youtube.com/w/Formula-One-Ferrari--Burnout-and-Donuts?v=nzf3VazUWBg&search=ferrari%20olympics]here ya go.[/URL][/QUOTE]
Fantastic! I got chills when they lit that baby up. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START! Thanks for sharing!!!! :D
Fantastic! I got chills when they lit that baby up. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START! Thanks for sharing!!!! :D
| Jag_Warrior | 02-11-2006 05:28 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]Yeah, this thing has gone all over the place. Tattoos, who-hates-who-why, circuts, bad hair, long hair, drunken Finns other then Mika etc.
SEASON NEEDS TO GET HERE NOW![/QUOTE]
Tats, drinking, hair, IRL drivers (besides "Danikova" Patrick) who wear high heels... What?! No one said anything about that? Well, never mind then.
One of the main reasons I joined this board was because I saw the heavy F1 interest. Maybe I can do a bit of one-stop shopping here.
SEASON NEEDS TO GET HERE NOW![/QUOTE]
Tats, drinking, hair, IRL drivers (besides "Danikova" Patrick) who wear high heels... What?! No one said anything about that? Well, never mind then.
One of the main reasons I joined this board was because I saw the heavy F1 interest. Maybe I can do a bit of one-stop shopping here.
| artkevin | 02-11-2006 05:45 PM |
[QUOTE=Jag_Warrior]Tats, drinking, hair, IRL drivers (besides "Danikova" Patrick) who wear high heels... What?! No one said anything about that? Well, never mind then.
One of the main reasons I joined this board was because I saw the heavy F1 interest. Maybe I can do a bit of one-stop shopping here.[/QUOTE]
?Que?
Who is this said high heel wearing driver you speak of?
Never heard the term Danikova before. Pretty well fitting so far. When she wins a race I will think about not using it but until then... :banana:
One of the main reasons I joined this board was because I saw the heavy F1 interest. Maybe I can do a bit of one-stop shopping here.[/QUOTE]
?Que?
Who is this said high heel wearing driver you speak of?
Never heard the term Danikova before. Pretty well fitting so far. When she wins a race I will think about not using it but until then... :banana:
| Ferg | 02-11-2006 06:43 PM |
[QUOTE=Wr4wrX]For those who missed or want to rewatch the Ferrari at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, [URL=http://www.youtube.com/w/Formula-One-Ferrari--Burnout-and-Donuts?v=nzf3VazUWBg&search=ferrari%20olympics]here ya go.[/URL][/QUOTE]
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
goosebumps all over.
:devil:
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
goosebumps all over.
:devil:
| nKoan | 02-11-2006 06:47 PM |
One more link to the Ferrari at the Olympic ceremony if the other one stops working.
[url]http://s63.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=099L0X6Z33NWM0GWMFRMCF1BZ7[/url]
[url]http://s63.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=099L0X6Z33NWM0GWMFRMCF1BZ7[/url]
| Jag_Warrior | 02-11-2006 09:25 PM |
[QUOTE=artkevin]?Que?
Who is this said high heel wearing driver you speak of?
Never heard the term Danikova before. Pretty well fitting so far. When she wins a race I will think about not using it but until then... :banana:[/QUOTE]
You didn't hear the name Dan Wheldon from me. No sir, 'twasn't me. :devil:
I'm your average [I]live & let die[/I] kinda guy. And what a man does behind closed doors (with his feet) is none of my business. But one of the Champ Car drivers let the cat (a little further) out of the bag during last weekend's Daytona Rolex 24.
As for Danica, the last real race I'm aware of that she won was in a go-kart. Yet (according to that annoying Peak antifreeze commercial)... [I]she's fast enough... good enough to get away with it[/I] (being overhyped, that is). On this one, I'm in agreement with Bernie: Danikova might make a nice kitchen appliance in Formula One, but that's about it. :lol:
Who is this said high heel wearing driver you speak of?
Never heard the term Danikova before. Pretty well fitting so far. When she wins a race I will think about not using it but until then... :banana:[/QUOTE]
You didn't hear the name Dan Wheldon from me. No sir, 'twasn't me. :devil:
I'm your average [I]live & let die[/I] kinda guy. And what a man does behind closed doors (with his feet) is none of my business. But one of the Champ Car drivers let the cat (a little further) out of the bag during last weekend's Daytona Rolex 24.
As for Danica, the last real race I'm aware of that she won was in a go-kart. Yet (according to that annoying Peak antifreeze commercial)... [I]she's fast enough... good enough to get away with it[/I] (being overhyped, that is). On this one, I'm in agreement with Bernie: Danikova might make a nice kitchen appliance in Formula One, but that's about it. :lol:
| artkevin | 02-11-2006 10:07 PM |
I am pulling for her. Yes, she has been overhyped becuase she is "good looking" but she is a good driver IMHO. Not the best and nothing spectacular but I hope she does well.
There's a interview in FHM this month with Wheldon he talked about what Tony Kaanan and his teammates did to him after his last race as a rookie. To make it short, they turned up the heat in his hotel room, several guys took a dump in the bathroom, soaked the matresses with water and blocked off all the windows with them. The best part is the Wheldon is shoe guy and they sent all of his left shoes back to America.
There's a interview in FHM this month with Wheldon he talked about what Tony Kaanan and his teammates did to him after his last race as a rookie. To make it short, they turned up the heat in his hotel room, several guys took a dump in the bathroom, soaked the matresses with water and blocked off all the windows with them. The best part is the Wheldon is shoe guy and they sent all of his left shoes back to America.
| Wr4wrX | 02-12-2006 12:09 AM |
Ya know, I've watched the clip of Luca Badoer doing donuts at the Olympic Opening Ceremony a few times now. I'm disappointed to say that this last time I watched it, it left me feeling a bit empty. I mean, I counted about 4 or 5 donuts, but I really wish he'd made the Olympic rings with them. That would've been tight. I guess that's why he's a perennial test driver. ;)
| artkevin | 02-12-2006 12:26 AM |
Ouch!
| Jag_Warrior | 02-12-2006 08:15 AM |
For some odd reason, Luca's driving style reminds me of Mika Salo - and that's far from an insult. But I agree, especially with some of the young talent moving up (or out), I doubt Luca will get another chance.
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