Ferrari F2008 - First Test Run
fueled by Anonymous @ 9:57 PM
0 pitstops
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
2007 Line-up
McLaren Mercedes
1 Fernando Alonso (E)
2 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
Renault
3 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)
4 Heikki Kovalained (FIN)
Ferrari
5 Felipe Massa (BR)
6 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
Honda
7 Jenson Button (GB)
8 Rubens Barrichello (BR)
BMW
9 Nick Heidfeld (D)
10 Robert Kubica (PL)
Toyota
11 Ralf Schumacher (D)
12 Jarno Trulli (I)
Red Bull Renault
14 David Coulthard (GB)
15 Mark Webber (AUS)
Williams Toyota
16 Nico Rosberg (D)
17 Alex Wurz (A)
STR Ferrari
18 TBA
19 TBA
Spyker Ferrari
20 Christijan Albers (NL)
21 TBA
Super Aguri Honda
22 Takuma Sato (J)
23 Anthony Davidson (GB)
fueled by Anonymous @ 9:27 PM
1 pitstops
Friday, July 14, 2006
Where Are You Going?
Past the half-way mark, and I feel so wrong about my earlier post.
Renault are up there, looking strong. Ferrari have been playing the catch up game. USA made them look like the team they used to be. But I think it was more of a tyre play. The McLarens have been a disappointment. And Honda are miles away from where I thought they would be. Whatever did they ever do out of the pre-season testing results?
Unless Ferrari can pull something special, the season looks more or less sealed by Renault. But whats interesting is the developements which are leading to 2007.
First off, Alonso goes to McLaren. Montoya is out, to NASCAR he goes. At the start of the season, rumours of a Kimi-Ferrari deal were on. This seems to have shifted to a Kimi-Renault deal now. Ferrari might invariably stick to Schumacher and Massa. Renault have signed on Fisi. The second spot, if not taken by Kimi, might go to Heikki Kovalainen. And if Kimi leaves McLaren, there are rumours Lewis Hamilton might be signed on.
Lots of if's-but's. Altho I would like a twist to it. I see good talent in Nico Rosberg. Would one of the top teams grab him? Flavio's always been a talent spotter, but its too high a risk to team up a rookie with Fisi, specially with the prime spot that Renault has occupied, they could bring in the best to drive for them. An interesting pair-up would be to have him match up with Alonso for McLaren.
Who would you like to see paired up?
Renault are up there, looking strong. Ferrari have been playing the catch up game. USA made them look like the team they used to be. But I think it was more of a tyre play. The McLarens have been a disappointment. And Honda are miles away from where I thought they would be. Whatever did they ever do out of the pre-season testing results?
Unless Ferrari can pull something special, the season looks more or less sealed by Renault. But whats interesting is the developements which are leading to 2007.
First off, Alonso goes to McLaren. Montoya is out, to NASCAR he goes. At the start of the season, rumours of a Kimi-Ferrari deal were on. This seems to have shifted to a Kimi-Renault deal now. Ferrari might invariably stick to Schumacher and Massa. Renault have signed on Fisi. The second spot, if not taken by Kimi, might go to Heikki Kovalainen. And if Kimi leaves McLaren, there are rumours Lewis Hamilton might be signed on.
Lots of if's-but's. Altho I would like a twist to it. I see good talent in Nico Rosberg. Would one of the top teams grab him? Flavio's always been a talent spotter, but its too high a risk to team up a rookie with Fisi, specially with the prime spot that Renault has occupied, they could bring in the best to drive for them. An interesting pair-up would be to have him match up with Alonso for McLaren.
Who would you like to see paired up?
fueled by APOO @ 10:39 PM
1 pitstops
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Rossi vs Alonso?
Valentino Rossi surged ahead burning major rubber with his bounce back statement on Alonso’s comment.Alonso:
"He might finish fifth or even get on the podium" mocked Alonso, "but some time I could do the same on the bikes if I was given enough time to practice."
Rossi comes back with:
"I read that if Alonso is able to make some practice then he can put a MotoGP bike on the podium with me. Well, I think we should drive a Formula One car, a World Rally car and a MotoGP bike, add the times together and then we will see who is the fastest."
Do we see Rossi taking on Alonso in 2007? Well it just could happen a little earlier (2 or 4 wheels OR maybe a bar brawl).
fueled by Anonymous @ 9:38 PM
1 pitstops
Monday, March 13, 2006
Nico Rosberg ... a champion in the ranks?
A fleeting mention in the press of this boy's blazing fastest lap wouldn't really do justice to him. Nico Rosberg, son of Williams' 1982 champion Keke Rosberg, has shown more courage, determination and gut than most seasoned racers yesterday, at the Bahrain GP 2006. It doesn't surprise me that this 21 year old pipped ex-Jordan hothead Kartikeyan and serial substitute Wurz for the coveted Williams 06 second driver seat.
In a quick comparison to fellow Williams driver, Mark Webber, Nico, despite a first lap pit visit and a seemingly normal rookie spin at the first corner later, pushed his FW28 so hard, he flew from nearly a lap down and over a minute behind Webber out of the points to pass car after car and finish nearly 20 seconds behind Webber.
A quick glance at his numbers ... Though the 63 seconds that he was behind race winner and reigning champion, Fernando Alonso, doesn't boast of a knock-out debut performance, Nico beat veterans like Rubens Barichello and David Coulthard to get Williams a promising 5 points (with Webber's 3) sharing the 4th constructor's rank with Honda. Of course, his road-uprooting 1:32.408 fastest lap, that too at a tiring 42nd lap (of 58) is going to look fantastic on his resume.
Kudos to this young lad. Maybe his debut didn't look quite like the late legend Ayrton Senna's, but there's promise of more action from him through the season... who knows ... a few years on the track might show him the way, right to the podium.
Until more burning rubber,
F1~Infected
fueled by Alap Ghosh @ 6:29 AM
2 pitstops
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
2006 - My Take
Finally its here. Just 4 days away. The engines will roar, the fans will scream, the cars will fly. And the analysts will start punching their keyboards.
2005 was a genuinely good year. For F1 and more so for Renault. The surprise package. They were setting some good times in the 2004-05 practice/test season and ended the year showing those times were no flukes. Ferrari on the whole seemed a disappointment, but they ran Bridgestone.
2006. A whole new start. V8's come into the picture. The V10's are gone (altho some teams can use V10's at reduced revs). And just like last year, every team had their rigorous work outs. The problem behind these tests is you cant make out who is the best. While each one could be testing different aspects of the car on a given day, they could be running heavier/lighter fuel loads, different tyre compounds to testing under different weather conditions. Till now, Renault have come out on top and looking at the way they have been carrying on from last year, they surely look like favorites.
But here is 2006 - My Take.
Personally, I have always been a fan of Mc'Laren and Kimi. And tho they didnt look too impressive in the test season, Kimi sure managed a fastest lap (at one stage). Which again makes me think, is this going to be a repeat for Mc'Laren, where they might not start off the year at their best in terms of reliability, but gradually improve. Till last year, I used to think if I ever had to bet on a team which could reverse its fortunes, I would bet on Mc'Laren. They learn, improvise and get better as the season progresses. Only last year, it was too late. Will they learn this year. Was the initial lack of pace during testing a trade off for improved reliability? Unfortunately, Newey has left camp for Red Bull, and in the long run this will surely impact Mc'Laren. For 2006, I feel they could just have a little more reliable car, but will they improve with every race? Will the loss of engine power be compensated with aero changes (they dont have Newey now). Time will tell.
Renault by far look as the strongest contenders for the title. Alonso has shown what he is made of. Fisi, I used to admire him till he got clobbered by Kimi on the last lap. He makes a good foil for Alonso, but somehow lacks the killer instinct. But more importantly, the car is one of the most reliable. Last year, Renault showed that reliability wins over raw power. Having a firm reliable base, they better be working on some speed this year.
The third team I would look into is Honda. Apart from renault, they have had one of their best test season so far. Frankly, half way through 2005, I felt they had started looking at 2006. Backed by perhaps one of the best driver line ups, I would perhaps bet on them picking up the constructors. Ferrari, the all time favorites. Will they do a turn around from 2005? Everyone will be watching Michael Schumacher in Bahrain, waiting to write him off. Will this be his last year with Ferrari? Will he stage a comeback. The problem over the years is, its been more Michael and less Ferrari. There are rumours of Kimi shifting to Ferrari next year. In Masa they have talent to be groomed. Tire changes are back. But Ferrari has had an awful test run, marred with bad weather. I expect them to be better than last year, but I dont expect them to bag the constructors. I expect Schumi to be back to the Schumi we knew. And surely, a contender for the crown.
If you ask my heart, I would say, Mc'Laren, Honda, Renault. But that was a decision devoid of any analysis or logic. If I put my grey cells to work, I am looking at a close fight between Renault & Honda with Mc'Laren hovering close.
Underdogs who could break through: Toyota, Williams and Red Bull.
Where does this leave us? Back to square one. We can just keep guessing till all teams hit the Sakhir circuit, under similiar conditions. Time will tell.
But if it ends up being a Mc'Laren, Honda, Renault, the next time I feel like trying for the Maryland Jackpot, I will not hold back. And if its a Renault/Honda, McLaren, I will start investing in stocks!
2005 was a genuinely good year. For F1 and more so for Renault. The surprise package. They were setting some good times in the 2004-05 practice/test season and ended the year showing those times were no flukes. Ferrari on the whole seemed a disappointment, but they ran Bridgestone.
2006. A whole new start. V8's come into the picture. The V10's are gone (altho some teams can use V10's at reduced revs). And just like last year, every team had their rigorous work outs. The problem behind these tests is you cant make out who is the best. While each one could be testing different aspects of the car on a given day, they could be running heavier/lighter fuel loads, different tyre compounds to testing under different weather conditions. Till now, Renault have come out on top and looking at the way they have been carrying on from last year, they surely look like favorites.
But here is 2006 - My Take.
Personally, I have always been a fan of Mc'Laren and Kimi. And tho they didnt look too impressive in the test season, Kimi sure managed a fastest lap (at one stage). Which again makes me think, is this going to be a repeat for Mc'Laren, where they might not start off the year at their best in terms of reliability, but gradually improve. Till last year, I used to think if I ever had to bet on a team which could reverse its fortunes, I would bet on Mc'Laren. They learn, improvise and get better as the season progresses. Only last year, it was too late. Will they learn this year. Was the initial lack of pace during testing a trade off for improved reliability? Unfortunately, Newey has left camp for Red Bull, and in the long run this will surely impact Mc'Laren. For 2006, I feel they could just have a little more reliable car, but will they improve with every race? Will the loss of engine power be compensated with aero changes (they dont have Newey now). Time will tell.
Renault by far look as the strongest contenders for the title. Alonso has shown what he is made of. Fisi, I used to admire him till he got clobbered by Kimi on the last lap. He makes a good foil for Alonso, but somehow lacks the killer instinct. But more importantly, the car is one of the most reliable. Last year, Renault showed that reliability wins over raw power. Having a firm reliable base, they better be working on some speed this year.
The third team I would look into is Honda. Apart from renault, they have had one of their best test season so far. Frankly, half way through 2005, I felt they had started looking at 2006. Backed by perhaps one of the best driver line ups, I would perhaps bet on them picking up the constructors. Ferrari, the all time favorites. Will they do a turn around from 2005? Everyone will be watching Michael Schumacher in Bahrain, waiting to write him off. Will this be his last year with Ferrari? Will he stage a comeback. The problem over the years is, its been more Michael and less Ferrari. There are rumours of Kimi shifting to Ferrari next year. In Masa they have talent to be groomed. Tire changes are back. But Ferrari has had an awful test run, marred with bad weather. I expect them to be better than last year, but I dont expect them to bag the constructors. I expect Schumi to be back to the Schumi we knew. And surely, a contender for the crown.
If you ask my heart, I would say, Mc'Laren, Honda, Renault. But that was a decision devoid of any analysis or logic. If I put my grey cells to work, I am looking at a close fight between Renault & Honda with Mc'Laren hovering close.
Underdogs who could break through: Toyota, Williams and Red Bull.
Where does this leave us? Back to square one. We can just keep guessing till all teams hit the Sakhir circuit, under similiar conditions. Time will tell.
But if it ends up being a Mc'Laren, Honda, Renault, the next time I feel like trying for the Maryland Jackpot, I will not hold back. And if its a Renault/Honda, McLaren, I will start investing in stocks!
fueled by APOO @ 6:27 PM
2 pitstops
Sunday, March 05, 2006
CLK 63 AMG
For a taste of things to come ... here's a breather on the new Safety Car ...
The high-speed AMG V8 Coupé is excellently equipped for this job. Its new, eight-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, which was developed entirely by AMG, has a displacement of 6.208 litres and develops maximum power of 354 kW at 6800 rpm and maximum torque of 630 Newton metres at 5000 rpm. The power is managed by an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission with steering-wheel shift paddles. For its Formula 1 role, the CLK 63 AMG gets a new throaty-sounding exhaust system which will go down well with motor sport fans both at the track and in front of the TV screens.
The new AMG safety car is well endowed with motor sport technology to help it brave any climate, including a high-performance radiator, two engine oil coolers fitted in the sides of the front apron and an auxiliary, larger transmission oil cooler. The rear axle differential has cooling fins and separate oil cooler.
Source - www.fullboost.com.au
fueled by Anonymous @ 2:10 AM
0 pitstops