Fab, just Fab...

Fab Design Mercedes SLS In front of the Plaza Athénée in Paris today.... comment section is below. :)


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Mclaren MP4-12C vs Ferrari 458: Strike Three!

Holy smokes, this one is devastating. One of the reason we like 5th Gear shoot outs with Jason Plato and Tiff Needell best is because, they are fun of course but mainly because they are racing drivers, old fashioned ones at that, they like their cars with a good analog feel and soul.

Have a look at what happens to Tiff when he tries a long drift, that is just horrible! And Plato's verdict is even more devastating: "This car is programmed to be driven the way McLaren wants you to drive and I'm not programmed that way". Ouch. Downshifts? "It does not downshift when you want it"...Ouch.

I guess cars truly are the personification of the companies who build them, Ferrari might have had some combustion problems but the 458 is clearly the car of the moment, the one all other makes need to measure up to. The Mclaren MP4-12C reflects Mclaren's corporate image, it's impeccably built and with clever engineering, the best money can buy and all... but apparently, soul is not for sale.
(Thanks Ruben!)
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Dear Formula 1....

If a driver has to radio his engineers: "I'm going as slow as I can", that's a clue something may be wrong ...
(photo: Daniel Navarro Ferrer)
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N24: The Duel

Two cool clips from LeMansLive.com, The one above concentrating on the fight for the lead between Porsche . BMW and Mercedes. Audi was in there too, but this being a Michelin sponsored clip, I'm guessing they were running a different tire...
In any case,,it was the Manthey Porsche RSR who won from the the BMW and a bunch of R8 after the usual 24 hour long sprint race. 24 Hours at full bore around the 'Ring with all 200 other cars, respect!
(via Motorsportblog.it)


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Valencia Valium

...seriously...zzzz. OK, the fast Ferrari was as fast as the slower of the Red Bulls and McLaren though they made big claims about their race pace, were very disappointing. Wow, exciting.

I liked Perez's race. Hope Ferrari go for him in the future rather than the dreadful Jules Bianchi.

Going along with the "boring" theme, teams ratified a so called compromise over engines for post 2013, now they will be V6 rather than I4 but still 1.6 liters turbos....zzzzzz.

(photo: Pirelli)

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The European Grand Prix
Valencia, Spain;
57 laps; 310.080km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos  Driver        Team                       Time
 1.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           1h39:36.169
 2.  Alonso        Ferrari                    +    10.891
 3.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           +    27.255
 4.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes           +    46.190
 5.  Massa         Ferrari                    +    51.705
 6.  Button        McLaren-Mercedes           +  1:00.000
 7.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +  1:38.000
 8.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
 9.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes       +     1 lap
10.  Heidfeld      Renault                    +     1 lap
11.  Perez         Sauber-Ferrari             +     1 lap
12.  Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth          +     1 lap
13.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
14.  Di Resta      Force India-Mercedes       +     1 lap
15.  Petrov        Renault                    +     1 lap
16.  Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari             +     1 lap
17.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +     1 lap
18.  Maldonado     Williams-Cosworth          +     1 lap
19.  Kovalainen    Lotus-Renault              +    2 laps
20.  Trulli        Lotus-Renault              +    2 laps
21.  Glock         Virgin-Cosworth            +    2 laps
22.  D'Ambrosio    Virgin-Cosworth            +    2 laps
23.  Liuzzi        HRT-Cosworth               +    3 laps
24.  Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth               +    3 laps

Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:41.852

       
All timing unofficial

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24 Hour Warrior

Victory for Olaf Manthey's team with the Porsche 997 RSR of Marc Lieb, Lucas Lühr, Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard.

Check out that RSR, that is a warrior's car!

Really, all those who finished the Eiffel classic deserve a big round of applause. Among them, a fantastic 20th overall for the EVO sponsored GT3 Chris Harris was driving and the 38th placing of or friend Sergio "Sergini" Negroni. Congratulations to everyone!

Videos are on a separate post but make sure you hop over the jump to see some great shots Julien Mahiels sent for us. Brilliant as usual!

The start via Clashproduction



And the Finish





2011 24 Rennen by Julien Mahiels













Pos. Nr. Fahrer Rund Zeit
1 18 Lieb/Luhr/Bern/Duma 156 9:50.166
2 1 Mül/Farf/Alze/Lamy 156 9:24.921
3 14 Bass/Fäs/Picc/Stip 155 9:37.582
4 15 Stip/Henn/Haas/Wink 154 9:40.398
5 16 Ekst/Sche/Wern/Abt 154 10:37.689
6 22 Heye/Jäg/Blee/Seyf 153 9:03.563
7 32 Arno/Marg/Brü/Fran 153 11:05.863
8 2 Farn/Simo/Seef/Melo 152 9:43.708
9 26 Abbe/Schm/Kent/Berg 152 9:36.345
10 12 Weis/Kain/Jaco/Krum 151 10:44.891
11 21 Meht/Bres/Bres/Rös 150 9:33.726
12 17 Ludw/Mies/Jön/Abt 149 11:29.063
13 8 West/Menz/Stur/Rieg 149 9:29.581
14 125 Amme/Biel/Klin/Tomc 148 9:26.303
15 34 Stuc/Stuc/Stuc/Rost 148 9:48.516
16 27 Illb/Lauc/van /Hege 145 11:11.739
18 28 Schm/Boll/Bark/Spei 145 9:43.770
19 55 Bour/Kiki/Forb/Feid 145 10:16.791
20 56 Coop/Spur/Harr/Horn 143 10:51.390
21 155 Yosh/Sasa/Enge/van 142 11:43.273
22 10 Gind/Kohl/Scha/Wlaz 142 9:34.086
23 82 Gutt/Füb/Kies/Keil 140 11:47.156
24 133 Deeg/Wohl/Breu/Haug 140 10:42.975
26 7 Mül/Wern/Ador/Lamy 139 8:58.722
27 117 Sain/AL-A/de V/Nied 139 10:39.792
28 9 Berg/Liet/Holz/Long 139 12:01.436
29 134 Wase/Wase/Löh/Löh 137 10:02.471
30 81 Plen/Neus/Kapp/Sehe 137 10:36.406
31 100 Rost/Simo/Land/Krä 137 10:19.766
32 225 Knec/Metz/Sche/Leis 135 10:40.003
33 234 Unge/Zils/Fisc/Schu 135 12:18.880
34 80 Jeli/Sehe/Grü/Stra 135 11:21.893
35 142 Bohl/Groh/Bart/Proc 134 13:04.142
36 67 Korn/Korn/Stil 134 13:57.270
37 71 Schu/Schu/Yama/Yama 134 10:59.635
38 60 Wern/Hude/Negr/Rizz 134 11:52.630
39 70 Kenn/Eber/Tenc/Robs 133 10:27.756
40 23 Salo/Capp/Lari/Giov 133 10:17.739
41 89 Walk/Moet/Moer/Ross 133 11:09.448
42 88 Iida/Ishi/Oshi 133 12:23.624
43 230 Guse/Herw/Trin/Kath 132 11:17.390
45 170 Schm/Jack/Lore/Mihm 132 12:12.368
46 45 Dr. /Dr. /Edel/Grim 132 11:11.324
47 116 Nied/Ickx/Wyss/Ostm 132 10:30.303
48 51 Baun/Kük/Sale/Kala 132 12:52.947
49 44 Henz/Dumb/Ragg/Asch 132 10:57.990
50 62 Webe/Nils/Berm/Nitt 131 9:59.586
51 20 Lebe/Ples/Rose/Scha 131 10:27.988
52 124 Bren/Mül/Eick/Andr 131 11:57.321
53 52 Kauf/Less/Osie/Schr 131 11:33.294
54 222 Frei/Abeg/Funa 131 11:09.292
55 109 Purt/Klet/Hube/Tepe 130 34:39.668
56 201 Bohr/Cail/Nett/Prem 130 12:02.426
57 48 Pern/Lund/Andr/Ljun 130 11:04.648
58 241 Reng/Ober/Ober/Tsch 130 10:47.931
59 72 Scot/Ower/Schl/Mill 130 11:44.326
61 140 Frit/Niem/Nack/Frit 129 10:44.871
63 126 Hohe/Joha/Moli/Picc 128 33:46.021
64 238 Manh/Mül/Prym/Pfl 127 11:08.361
65 137 Hund/Berg/Schn/Dupo 127 12:52.510
66 127 Wöl/Bres/Gags/Foes 127 11:10.269
68 182 Kirs/Walt/Schu 127 12:18.402
69 218 Pfle/Asse/Marb 126 15:15.542
70 233 Zabe/Buch/Stei/Stei 126 14:00.677
71 93 Pove/Shep/van /Mart 126 11:32.010
72 227 Enzi/Reit/Krel/Krel 126 11:26.438
73 53 Nitt/Möl/Gebh/Krum 126 10:31.482
74 73 Kohl/Duff/Rice/Lewi 126 10:46.252
75 138 Näh/Palu/Schm/Glö 126 12:29.057
76 143 Immi/Moor/O'Re/Hack 125 12:58.072
77 219 Fisc/Lipp/Holl/Jaku 125 12:08.465
78 145 Kitt/Mül/Dr. /Schn 124 11:37.097
79 250 Grif/McFa/Perr 124 10:58.579
80 107 Rehs/Rehs/Wolf/Rein 123 12:18.209
81 131 Ross/Roma/Vari/Rapp 122 11:53.512
82 212 Silv/Burg/Sigw/Mies 122 12:11.211
83 49 Carl/Carl/Lars/Lars 122 11:01.765
84 239 Rocc/Mase/Dena/Ehlk 121 11:29.771
85 6 Turn/Kats/Thom/Stum 121 11:13.110
86 79 Krum/Schm/Eckh/Tana 121 14:08.838
87 90 de T/Depo/Haez 121 10:18.870
88 54 Moor/Came/Lock 121 10:21.375
89 57 Jode/Dest/Zieg/Paue 121 9:49.057
90 193 Haid/Hilt/Höt/Schu 120 12:26.203
91 248 Hick/Corb/Cock/Eady 120 12:22.861
92 183 Berg/Wart/Radu/Schr 120 15:10.087
93 236 Weid/Wack/Schm/Mert 120 24:35.051
94 156 Holz/Poet/Schi/Jord 118 1:07:31.146
95 3 Dr. /Schu/von /Mars 118 11:25.990
96 216 Lake/Wimb/Gös/Simo 118 12:09.795
97 167 Hanc/Zuho/Dr. /Al-A 117 14:01.060
98 202 Hani/Lein/Keut/Tren 117 12:56.679
99 65 Thii/Smit/Bunc/Huis 116 10:04.657
100 232 Wilm/Pete/Zens 116 11:37.443
101 112 Tisc/Beck/Brin/Tisc 116 16:57.474
102 184 Prew/Lass/Brio/Euse 116 11:39.888
103 207 Acke/Riem/Klin/Gorb 116 11:03.912
104 123 Reic/von /Lach/Kran 115 11:54.210
105 213 Kuhl/Gies/Drö/Heit 115 15:06.461
106 204 Schw/Spor/Holz 115 13:48.111
107 4 Hart/Vieb/Coro/Hür 114 9:13.319
108 247 Mc G/Spar/Lowr/Tayl 114 12:55.307
109 119 Pagn/Nury/Sala/Rive 114 11:40.094
110 111 Mül/Rudo 114 11:52.993
111 176 Juul/Grö/Henn/Dubl 114 11:17.216
112 139 Penn/Holo/Konr/Hahn 114 12:00.343
113 146 Viet/Mart/Schm/Wass 114 12:08.521
114 243 Wolf/Bour/Reic/Rett 114 11:36.954
115 144 Fuge/Wäc/Zelt/Cora 114 10:55.613
116 199 Hani/Eich/Ansp 113 12:28.519
117 172 Schn/Vice/Hart/Schl 113 12:58.189
118 235 Herb/Rast/Bern/Blun 112 9:17.964
119 168 Walk/Weid/Kell/Henk 112 14:54.559
120 5 Porr/Mead/Cate/Math 112 11:24.631
121 246 Sets/Pett/Bjoe/Gust 111 12:48.005
122 171 Dohm/Tren/Lied/Klei 110 13:16.147
123 221 Sorg/Meis/Bara/Sorg 109 16:04.438
124 181 Breu/Thij/Verk 109 12:50.057
125 128 Wass/Schm/Kosk/Schl 109 11:10.140
126 154 Schm/Gaup/Mön/Heid 109 15:44.627
127 85 Neuh/Lamb/Loui/Niem 108 1:26:53.046
128 147 Lest/Bast/Henn 108 12:08.520
129 210 Herr/Hoen/Dr. /Herr 108 14:00.278
130 175 Hein/Kauk/Sten/Schn 107 15:38.887
131 180 Knap/Knap/Joha/Flin 106 21:02.594
132 159 Effe/Visi/Font/Borc 106 16:50.089
133 105 Scal/Truc/Klee/Thie 106 11:57.315
134 163 Ding/Frei/Kurt/Wei 106 13:03.098
135 164 Lama/Lama/Gira/Dona 105 12:23.229
136 153 Glan/Goto/Laut 105 15:43.845
137 148 Haus/Belk/Rath/Albr 103 10:31.769
138 209 Auer/Lenn/Brun/Kebb 102 13:50.468
139 177 Majg/Boru/Trä/O'Co 101 12:20.292
140 217 Hoff/Bard/Roth/Simo 99 13:12.968
141 160 Beck/Stry/Hass/Schu 97 12:03.226
142 59 Gros/Kluc/Gebh/Mape 96 1:03:18.704
143 75 Pfla/Venn/Blis/Sand 96 11:12.306
144 214 Sch 95 12:49.049
145 77 Buch/Posa/Maye/Sorl 94 9:02.877
146 220 Unve/Petr/Hart/Ito 94 10:51.609
147 173 Goed/Geis/Abri/Näs 94 12:02.995
148 31 Alze/Deut/Ludw/Bert 93 9:20.742
149 194 Balb/Cusa/Chah/Rodr 89 18:41.864
150 174 El B/Rica/Sale/Cers 84 12:01.903
151 87 Kino/Lott/Waki 83 10:50.467
152 231 Gart/Stub/Stub 80 10:30.560
153 215 Kram/Rebh/Knud/Cham 78 12:22.334
154 64 Mön/Mull/Chri/Quai 75 10:12.782
155 162 Oliv/Jure/Wolt/Brü 75 12:24.784
156 200 Prem/Coch/Joua/Cail 72 10:30.554
157 237 Kish/Svep/Maej/Buss 68 10:51.527
158 150 Jäg/Mich/Stip/Schm 67 26:07.271
159 203 Caba/Lang/Spru 67 11:15.114
160 161 Sch 66 15:41.302
161 195 Vett/Weis/Pren/Weid 63 10:40.158
162 178 Dose/Hetz/Mazi/Weya 63 13:43.901
163 76 Sand/Miln/Lars/Hür 61 9:04.736
165 141 Naca/Bert/Chec/Bian 59 10:35.864
166 36 Rolo/Rehf/Haup/Sche 58 9:48.306
167 24 Schm/Kosl/Geul/Frer 56 9:59.392
168 50 Huis/Fric/Derc/Tand 53 9:13.720
169 106 Scha/Crem/Coln/Krö 53 11:56.940
170 19 Holt/Lieb/Hoff/Cook 51 9:27.140
171 122 Bran/Krat/Plat/Höm 50 10:11.127
172 30 Mame/Hahn/Kaff 49 9:01.591
173 40 Ditt/Ditt/Smol/Lung 49 11:50.663
174 240 Hede/Will/Kell/Weig 48 10:48.221
175 58 Krum/Fuch/Schl/Mahl 44 10:21.244
176 152 von /Oest/Serr/Scha 43 10:17.880
177 35 Tert/Thii/Mail/Rast 40 10:03.865
178 151 Hert/Sand/Böl/Hamm 39 19:09.831
179 229 Smit/Thor/Reim/Reng 39 11:16.343
180 135 Muts/Ekbl/Simo/Mort 37 8:55.983
181 249 Delv/Mari/Beul 37 46:10.741
182 108 Kudr/Leut/Nack/Pack 36 9:56.663
183 166 Mül/Boto/Mars/Hawn 35 11:07.654
184 69 Adam/Good/Klas/Meie 34 8:44.041
185 245 Flin/Gies/Gron/Gron 30 11:12.425
186 41 Schu/Schu/Berl/Köp 29 10:10.449
187 43 Rose/Leem/Flac 28 10:04.726
188 149 Schj/Gulb/Krog/Ostv 27 12:00.704
189 169 Aust/Stre/Hofm/Sche 27 9:37.694
190 205 Smud/von /Wilk/Schr 25 12:12.135
191 244 Jaco/Dr. /Cass/Wang 24 12:26.776
192 223 Koll/Berm/Hess/von 22 10:48.140
193 158 Weil/Feid/Rink 16 10:28.881
195 11 Lieb/Bern/Duma/Luhr 13 9:01.377
196 37 Schr/Sieg/Mich/Rydq 12 11:48.909
197 206 Jest/Schl/Memm/Memm12 11:16.573
198 114 Nöh/Whit/Cox 11 11:47.988
199 29 Grub/Vogl/Dess/Akat 10 9:16.258
200 91 Gro 10 20:31.386
202 136 Nial/Harv/Nial/Pila 1 12:00.738

F1 Qualifying Stinks

It's bad enough that it's yet another Red Bull Pole but that teams don't feel it's worth while trying to go for pole, that saving a set of tires from doing ONE hot lap is more important than improving the grid position is, in my view, symptomatic of something very wrong with the formula of Formula 1.

Pos  Driver                Team                  Time          Gap   
 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m36.975
 2.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m37.163  +  0.188
 3.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      1m37.380  +  0.405
 4.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m37.454  +  0.479
 5.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m37.535  +  0.560
 6.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m37.645  +  0.670
 7.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m38.231  +  1.256
 8.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes              1m38.240  +  1.265
 9.  Nick Heidfeld         Renault               No time
10.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes  No time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m39.034s                                   Gap **
11.  Vitaly Petrov         Renault              1m39.068s  +  1.763
12.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes 1m39.422s  +  2.117
13.  Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth    1m39.489s  +  2.184
14.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari       1m39.525s  +  2.220
15.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Cosworth    1m39.645s  +  2.340
16.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari       1m39.657s  +  2.352
17.  Sebastien Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m39.711s  +  2.406
Q1 cut-off time: 1m40.131s                                    Gap *
18.  Jaime Alguersuari     Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m40.232   +  1.819
19.  Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault        1m41.664   +  3.251
20.  Jarno Trulli          Lotus-Renault        1m42.234   +  3.821
21.  Timo Glock            Virgin-Cosworth      1m42.553   +  4.140
22.  Tonio Liuzzi          HRT-Cosworth         1m43.584   +  5.171
23.  Jerome D'Ambrosio     Virgin-Cosworth      1m43.735   +  5.322
24.  Narain Karthikeyan    HRT-Cosworth         1m44.363   +  5.950

107% time: 1m45.301s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

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2011 N24 Video Clips Updated

As I find then, I'll add them after the jump.

Funniest Bike Crash video ever...

with 3 million plus views in couple of days, chances are you have seen this already...worth a second chuckle.

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Porsche Carrera World Cup Videos

Raining cats and dogs at the Nürburgring for the 2011 Porsche Carrera World Cup, the ultimate Cup race with drivers invited from all the various series around the world. Not much of a surprise though that the top drivers were those competing in the top tier Supercup dominated the 6 lap race. Rene Rast was first followed by Norbert Siedler and Lance David Arnold.
The leaders were well on the way to the podium when the tailenders crossed the line some 11 minutes after the leaders!



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24h-Rennen Nuerburgring, Porsche Team Manthey, Porsche - 911 GT3 R, E1-XP Hybrid, Joerg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
(photo:Porsche)

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Epic Nürburgring week end: Carrera World Cup and N24

Porsche Carrera World Cup, the "creme de la creme" of Porker drivers from around the world fighting it out on the Nürburgring, awesome. Porsche is providing an internet feed HERE



Of course there is the ADAC 24 HR Rennen. Ferrari was on pole in after the first practice with the Farnbacher Hankook 458. Porsche again is providing some coverage at the link above but also the N24 official site has continuos live stream and timing and scoring HERE.

That may of may not include the historic "Youngtimer" race.

Wish I had the time to watch it all, but perhaps you can help collect some cool videos here and there and I can put together a collection after the week end!

Have fun!



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Aston Martin Cygnet for real!

Just when I thought it was all a bad joke made up by the auto press...parked right outside my hotel was this rebadged Toyota IQ Aston Martin Cygnet...all tarted up too with blue accent wheels and all. Comical.

BUt as RobZ points out in the comments it's a limited edition of a limited edition... guess it's either the prototype or they delivered early ...Check HERE


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Nürburgring 24H iPhone apps

This week end you can watch F1 in Valencia and at the same time keep and eye on the most awesome 24 race in the world: the 24 H Rennen at the Nürburgring thanks to a $0.99 iphone app.. OK, fine, it's in German but you'll figure it out.

Make sure you follow the progress of one of the tracktards dear to Axis, Sergio Negroni, the famous "Sergini" featured here many time before.

Sergio has a ride on a sexy 997 Porsche GT3, number 60 in the SP7 class. And by sexy I mean the team is sponsored by an online sex toy distributor!

Well, pit girl uniforms should be interesting, probably better than Montoya's Cottonelle girls!



It you are planning on going to the ring to drive at some point, you might want to check out this other iPhone app by Tracktutor.com which has a turn by turn guide. I don't recommend actually consulting it while on the Nordschliefe though!


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Disconnect

I don't want to pile on to McLaren but this video, from the opening of the flagship store in London, illustrates why people reacted so strongly to the recent round of comparison tests.

Bold statements like " the performance of this car is such that you can drive it on a track and do lap times you would would never have achieved in any other car" are looking a bit like...bad timing?

And never mind Lewis' "...Honestly, it handles better than any other car I have ever driven"

Mclaren have spent much on "Norman Foster" designed factories and dealerships at prestigious addresses around the world. That the 12c is not delivering in comparison to the very car it was built to trounce must be driving Ron bonkers...

Plymouth Hemicuda around Spa

and 12 minutes of other tasty stuff. Onboard starts around 3:30, enjoy!
...and yes that is a Howmet TX, and you got more onboard after the jump
(http://www.motorsportvideo.tv/)

Mclaren MP4-12C vs Ferrari 458, Round 2: D'OH!

Spring must be Supercar test time in the UK. CAR pits the McLaren versus the Ferrari 458, Porsche GT2 RS, Mercedes SLS, Audi R8 V10 and Lamborghini LP 670-4 PS. This is the way all tests should be, BTW, Same track, same day, same driver, in this case, the ex-Stig Ben Collins.

SLS 1:33.1
Audi: 1:31.06
McLaren: 1:30.1
Lambo: 1:29.92
GT2 RS: 1:28.78
458 Italia:1:28.30

In the video, tires are not specified save for the Porsche GT2 RS' standard Michelin Sport Cup which makes the Ferrari time that much more remarkable. Also, you can't turn traction control fully off on the 12c, really?

As you can see at the end of the video, Mclaren claimed there was a mechanical issue with the car tested and later returned to the same track with their chief test driver and a presumably perfect MP4 12c fitted with optional Pirelli Corsa.

Their time? 1:28.0 ....D'oh!

It's all in the July Issue of CAR

Ouch.

MGU-K, MGU-H and other F1 tech terms you'll learn to love come 2013.

You hear something different about the 2013 engine regulations on every web site: Italian ones say the switch to turbo inline 1.6 four is definitively out, British ones say McLaren now wants Turbos but V6, French ones point out how Renault wants the inline 4 and is impatient for a final decision. Bernie seems to be worried that the small engines will turn people off and the revenue stream dwindle. Jean Todt stands firm but Ferrari is pressuring... Who knows.

What we do know is that the teams at some point agreed to the switch and signed something to that effect presumably, and now, with the 2013 technical regulations released, everything else seems to be just politics. Granted, in F1 nothing seems to be worth the paper it's written on but it is worth exploring some of the mandated changes.

Meet MGU-K and MGU-H. These two rather unfortunate acronyms stand for Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic and Motor Generator Unit-Heat and are part of what one could interpret as move towards a new definition of what propels a Formula 1 race car, away from "engine" and towards the concept of a "power unit", the combined internal combustion engine and energy recovery system.

New from 2013 the ERS, what we now refer to as KERS, would be specified as three units:

1. MGU-K, the electrical machine mechanically linked to the drivetrain.
2. MGU-H he electrical machine linked to the exhaust turbine of a pressure charging system.
3. Energy Store, he part of ERS that stores energy, including its safety control electronics and a minimal housing.

The energy store may recover energy from a single MGU-K and /or a Single MGU-H. Energy recovered from those separate systems must be returned to the car via the same path.

This "power unit" is to have a minimum weight of 150kg.

Energy from the ERS would be allowed to be used to power engine ancillaries and actuation systems.

Of course that all goes along with engines becoming 1600cc inline fours with a single turbocharger and a rev limit of 12000 rpm, and there are many specifications limiting engine design there. The innovation is regulated towards progress with the ERS.

Cars will move up in weight from 640 to 660kg and of course there are a number of aero changes I just won't go into here.

Worth noticing is a stunning obstacle placed in front of the teams and engineers: cars will have to have 8 forward gears but teams must declare their gear ratios for the whole season. For 2013 only, teams will be give one chance to modify their gear selection. Yup, you read that right, Monza and Monaco on the same gearset!

9.6.2 The maximum number of numerical change gear ratio pairs a competitor has available to him during a Championship season is 30. Each competitor must nominate the forward gear ratios (calculated from engine crankshaft to drive shafts) to be employed within their gearbox. All such gear ratio pairs These nominations must be declared to the FIA technical delegate at or before the first Event of the Championship. For 2013 only, a competitor may re-nominate these ratios once within the Championship season, in which case the original nomination becomes immediately void. Ratio re-nominations must be declared as a set and may only be effected by the substitution of change gears.


If you are interested, the full document is after the jump. See what else you can find.

A Porsche GT3 Cup Car built in 54 Seconds

I'm a sucker for time lapse build videos.... thanks CG!.

Heaviest, Most Powerful M5 Ever

I keep thinking it looks just like an M3 sedan with more torque. Will BMW make 4wd and stick shift versions? How much will the ring Taxi tire bill increase next year?
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Mclaren MP4-12C vs Ferrari 458: Ouch!

Some interesting previews of an upcoming super test from EVO have hit the net and Mclaren comes out looking a bit like Lewis Hamilton's chin strap beard.

The test pitted the MP4-12c against the 458 Italia, the Porsche Turbo S, Mercedes SLS, Ford GT and the Noble M600.

Here are some of the more surprising figures:

Mclaren weighed in at 1433 kg/3159 lbs with the carbon brake option, the 458 at 1469 kg/3238 lbs a much smaller weight delta than I imagined.


And the track time at the Bedford Autodrome:

Mp4-12c: 1:20.6
458: 1:19.3

Mclaren had sent a full sized technical support team with the car for the test (where is the outrage Mr. Harris?) who then fitted Pirelli Corsas on the MP4.... they still lost, 1:19.6 , The Ferrari was on Michelin Super Sports.

More troubling for Mclaren are reports magazine testers found the handling "unrewarding", the brakes laking feel and the ride "citroen like" (yikes) at regular road speeds. at fast road speeds the MP4 "...suddenly feels all at sea, with only moderate loadings to deal with, the strange Citroen like ride reactions are back and the chassis feels out of tune with road''

Ouch.

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Pagani Porn

You can't pronounce it but, do you want it? Of course you do. (photo by [ JR ])
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2 accidents, 2 flat tires, 5 pit stops, 1 penalty FTW!

OK, OK... here it is. Seriously if these GPs keep having so much action I'll have to stop making these, too much work, this one is close to ten minutes!

As the Canadian GP was so long (and we got so soaked in the stands) I'll keep the comments short:

Great race, tainted a bit in my view by the safety car start. It was barely raining as the race started and the excuse that teams were not familiar with the Pirelli rains was just sad. Hey, If AxisCG could go out in the rain, never having driven on Yokohama wets, you mean to tell me the worl's best drivers in the world's most sophisticated cars cannot handle it...pppft.
It was a completely unfair advantage to Vettel and Red Bull. Lame

Button, crowd favorite, nice to the Jense the Gent (or anyone for that matter) get such a great win. Yeah he had some luck but the trick was to keep your cool and Button was an icicle in Montreal. Fantastic race.

Vettel, well, he chocked didn't he? it was just one mistake but a costly one. Inevitably people might question how Vettel handles pressure on track.

Hamilton: don't want to dwell too much, but he drove yet another brainless race with too many people afterwards falling all over themselves to find excuses for the dolt. His bump into Webber was the stuff of first year rookies and the collision with Button completely illogical given the conditions and the racing line (check out the last lap pass Massa made on Kobayashi on the outside of the kink, he made it, but he never made turn 1, same thing would have happened to Hamilton). Yawn.

Alonso: penalyfed by the SC start, Ferrari blew it when they came in for inters seconds before a downpour. Collision with Button was just one of those things, Alonso gave him some room, Button could not turn in any tighter. Racing incident.

Schumacher: the magic was back but the car was not. Respect for Webber, another true gent, who said in a post race interview that he passed "grandpa" because "he does not have the car I do"... You're the man @aussiegrit !

Kobayashi: he's crashed a lot less than Hamilton of late. Has gotten to a point where people know he's going to go for anything vaguely possible, just ask Massa who conceded turn 1 to Kamui. That is a fantastic card for him if he's smart about it.

Feel free to discuss... clip after the jump

Hungarian Strip

A Hungarian drag scene, who knew? Like the dude with flames coming out from his head.
(Xprovid.com)
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Renault Sport pulverizes Nürburgring FWD record: 8:07! (video)

Last week we anticipated Renault planned to set a new front wheel drive record at the Nürburgring. It was a record, 8minutes and 16 seconds, they previously held with the super track focused Megane R26.R.

We mentioned a time of 8:09 which raised quite a bit of eyebrows. This morning I woke to an email from France: the new Megane 3 RS Trophy, lapped the Nordschleife in 8:07,9!

8:07, that is simply insane. That's real close to M3 territory (8:05) and quite a bit quicker than a hot car like the 1M (8:15).



The Megane looks like it needs a hefty amount of lock in the turns but it's so smooth, it's almost hard to tell how fast it's going, until the driver has a bit of oversteer after Wipperman.
UPDATE: The Press release just landed, read it after the jump


8’08’’: another record1 for Renault sport at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with Megane R.S. Trophy
June 17, 2011 | ID: 28852

A time of 8’08”” has seen Mégane R.S. Trophy – the new limited edition version of Mégane Renault Sport – establish a new benchmark time for a production-specification front-wheel drive car at the Nürburgring’s infamous Nordschleife. This performance beats the attempts of several far more powerful, rear-wheel drive cars.

Renault Sport -the sport brand of Renault- shows one more time what Renault know-how and enthusiasm mean. Today’s achievement provides further evidence of the technological excellence that goes into the design of Renault models and of how motorsport-proven technical solutions are carried over to production cars, the chief beneficiaries being the brand’s customers.

An exploit that has ‘shortened’ the Nordschleife…

Renault Sport established its first lap record for a front-wheel drive production car at the Nordschleife on June 23, 2008. The time of 8m17s posted that day by Mégane R26.R. demonstrated that a showroom-specification front-wheel drive car could beat many models produced by some elite specialist brands and tuners. On June 17, 2011, it was the turn of Mégane R.S. Trophy – a new limited-edition version of Mégane R.S. – to beat the time by 9 seconds, a lap record that has stood for three years in the firm grasp of its predecessor.

Today’s lap time is the fruit of an increase in power output to 265hp, along with careful set-up work and a tyre choice optimised by Renault Sport engineers. This limited edition version reveals the exceptional performance potential of Mégane R.S.

The latest achievement speaks volumes for Renault’s ability to dial the expertise and experience it has forged in motorsport – including Formula 1 – into its production cars. Indeed, Mégane R.S. Trophy has benefited directly from all the domains in which Renault Sport excels, from design quality and exacting reliability, to painstakingly tuned engines, chassis and brakes.


Supercar performance… for a much wider audience of enthusiasts

The time posted at the Nürburgring puts Mégane R.S. on a par with an extremely prestigious list of supercars. Mégane R.S Trophy provides access to a level of performance which rivals that of exclusive cars with power outputs of up to and beyond 500hp.


Laurent Hurgon (development driver, Renault Sport):

“The Nordschleife is a legendary course. Its length and layout, which is very different to that of a conventional circuit, make it a unique and technically demanding challenge. Its difficulties are extremely varied, ranging from fast and even very fast in places to much twistier and slower portions. Turns like ‘Karusell’ and ‘Pflanzgarten’, for example, make huge demands of the car and driver alike, yet Mégane R.S. Trophy is very much in its element here and feels particularly reassuring despite the uncompromising nature of the terrain. The limited slip differential allowed me to accelerate hard out of the countless turns without understeer. The carefully-tuned Cup chassis, the dampers, the fade-resistant brakes, the Recaro seats, the power of the 195kW engine, the ready availability of torque between 2,500 and 5,000rpm and the car’s Bridgestone RE 050A (235/35 R19) tyres allowed me to make the most of the car’s enormous potential, especially into and out of the corners. It is this package which enabled me to post such a quick time round this circuit which you must always approach with a certain degree of humility.”



RENAULT MÉGANE R.S. AND MOTORSPORT

Mégane is very active in both rallying and circuit racing. Designed for rallying, Mégane R.S. N4 stands out at once through its looks. Widely acclaimed for the quality of its chassis and engine, it is an ideal choice for privateer teams and drivers. Developed for tarmac competition, Mégane R.S. N4 is emerging as a new benchmark on sealed-surface events.

On track, Mégane Trophy V6 takes the lines of the production version a step further to combine carefully-honed aerodynamics and a remarkably elegant stance. It sets new standards in the world of ‘high performance’ racing saloons. Designed and engineered solely for motorsport, this prototype delivers 360hp while tipping the scales at 980kg. It has become emblematic of the World Series by Renault and delivers unrivalled performance/driving pleasure package for its price and class.


Bridgestone RE050A: the record-beating tyre

The Bridgestone RE050A’s rigid construction features two Rayon plies which transmit the forces generated by the contact patch to ensure responsive performance and impeccable stability.

The tread’s ‘soft’ high-grip compound was conceived for high-performance sporting cars and is capable of withstanding extremely high lateral and longitudinal forces.

The Potenza RE050A’s asymmetric tread pattern takes its inspiration from the tyres developed by Bridgestone for Formula 1 which demands exceptional performance in both wet and dry conditions.

The pattern of the outer sides of the tread is derived from that employed in F1. Its extremely rigid properties deliver enhanced response and optimal handling. The rigid tread blocks favour outstanding road holding which is particularly appreciable when cornering.

The central, semi-slick circumferential band optimises the potential of Mégane R.S. Trophy’s chassis, combining instant response from the front tyres and good rear-end directional control to facilitate entry into corners.
The central part of the tread takes its inspiration from the Potenza F1 rain tyre. Its carefully designed tread blocks clear water more quickly and more efficiently towards the main grooves to provide even greater grip in wet conditions and push back the aquaplaning threshold.
In addition to its sporting potential, the Potenza RE050A delivers a high standard of ride comfort and also packs Bridgestone-developed noise-reduction technology in accordance with the philosophy behind Mégane R.S. Trophy.

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A look at the 2011 Porsche GT3 Cup

(Porsche)
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Axis of Oversteer scores top ten finish in Montreal

Carlos Gomez (Bogotá, Colombia) driving the Axis of Oversteer/Capital Managers 2011 Porsche GT3 Cup, scored a fantastic sixth place finish at the IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama race in Montreal. The race marked the first time IMSA GT3 Challenge has returned as support to the Formula 1 Canadian GP since 2008.

Gomez, on his first visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and in his first race with a Porsche GT3 Cup, started the race in P9 and survived an incident filled wet race to finish in 6th place. A remarkable performance, especially considering he had had no wet weather testing at all before the race, the first time he drove the car in the rain was on his out lap before the start!

The Axis of Oversteer GT3 Cup was expertly prepared by Spencer Cox of SpeedSport Tuning and supported by the mighty TRG team.

The next appointment for Carlos and the Axis of Oversteer Porsche will be at Lime Rock Park on July 9th in support of the American LeMans Series race. We hope to see many of you there and thank you again to all those who sent us pictures of the car in action!

Check out the slide show after the jump and don't forget to "like" Axis of Oversteer of Facebook.

For more information on the Porsche IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama please visit the official site

Smartycam at LeMans

IMSA GT3 Challenge competitors at last week race in Montreal were warned by FOM that if any onboard cameras were found a mega ( and I mean MEGA) fine would be levied.
I guess "all your pictures belongs to us" when it comes to Bernie's empire who after all needs to buy his 22 year old daughter a modest residence in Bel Air. The saddest part of course is that the IMSA race go no exposure or broadcast anywhere outside of the on track jumbotrons.

The ACO is apparently much more lenient . Here is some onboard from a Smartycam mounted in the Robertson Racing Ford GT of Mr and Mrs Robertson and David Murry.

Interesting to learn that the Mulsanne straight is not the fastest part of track anymore, top speed looks to be in the section from Mulsanne corner to Indianapolis: 176mph for the Ford. Of course even at those speeds the GT cars get passed by the prototype cars like they are standing still...end of post

Entertainment: BMW 1M vs Porsche Cayman R

Spot on

Today's article about Lewis Hamilton on Darren Heath's blog nails it.

"...Lewis Hamilton appears to be square in the storm’s path right now and it’s baffling to behold. In a team that likes to love him, and with a world championship in his pocket, a race-winning car to drive and all the trappings of an F1 driver’s life, Lewis ought to be finding everything sweet. So where’s it all going wrong?

Perhaps he’s frustrated by the torrent of success a certain young(er) German is enjoying right now? Maybe his ever-so-popular team-mate, the loved-by-everyone, easy-to-manage, happy-with-life guy that is Jenson Button, is winning the intra-team mind games? Has his head been turned by XIX Entertainment’s stellar world of ‘talent’ and the attention of rappers, basketball players, girl band singers and sundry wannabes?

Who knows?..."

Read the complete article HERE and while you are there don't miss the amazing photos, as usual..

Hoon Heaven

This rear shot of the new BMW M5, the F10, illustrates its two most interesting new features: a torque vectoring predictive diff and the rear sub-frame which is treated differently than any other street car I can think of.... This car will be hoon heaven. You'll read all about it soon.



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Formula 1 at Watkins Glen

Yup that's a recent spec McLaren F1 car running turn 11 at Watking Glen. The picture was posted by Nathan Sunseri who was on hand to see the Mobil 1 organized promo event. Lewis Hamilton and Tony Steward swapped a tight F1 for a big NASCAR . It's going to be shown on SpeedTV later tonight.. 2:10 for the NASCAR..really?

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Robert Kubica walking on his own

Robert Kubica was photographed walking outside the Formula Medicine clinic in Viareggio Italy. Formula Medicine is a medical training clinic run by Dr. Riccardo Chiccarelli who had helped Robert after a previous car accident:

" ...Kubica is not from a wealthy background but he is very talented, we first helped him when racing in the minor categories. He had been involved in a serious road accident, in a car driven by a friend in Poland. It had left him with his arm in plaster with a prognosis of six months and the risk of losing the use of his right hand. His career was at risk of being compromised.
We brought him to Italy to be operated in Lucca. He returned racing only forty days after the operation with a steel plate and eighteen screws in his arm. He made his debut in F3 and in 2007 started racing in F1 with BMW-Sauber."

Kubica is no stranger to pain or recovery. Get well soon Robert!
(Photo: TEAM)



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Montreal Marshals

With all due respect for our Canadian friends and volunteer marshals, I can understand it was a long day with long delays but guys, lay off the brews eh? :)

Home

Questions

On the way up to Montreal, Stee and I were listening to the generally excellent BBC Checkered Flag podcast but we had to laugh at the dumbass question sporting journalist often ask, to fill in dead space, I suppose.
You know, questions like: "So Sebastian, what will you try to do here this week end, will you try to drive as hard as you can and win the race?" You all face palmed, I'm sure...

Anyway, this classic Juha Kannkunen clip illustrates what should be the correct way for drivers to answer.

Renault Exhausts

In case anyone was still wondering where they blow...

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A thought about the big Audi crash at Le Mans

Manufacturers have an opportunity to make a point relating to their consumer safety products. Blind spot detection system are now pretty standard, why not mandate an implementation of those systems for LMS GT cars. It could be as simple as two LED or , perhaps integrate a screen as a extra rear view mirror, like on the Ferrari FXX. In fact it could even have enhanced night vision... Just a thought.


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Montreal IMSA GT3 Challenge Qualifying live

Thank you Andris Kanins for posting on our Facebook page this great picture of CG exiting the hairpin in Montreal yesterday.

Carlos was 10th in first practice, quite good for his first time on the track and the first time in the GT3 Cup in a competitive setting. He reported some crazy driving in the ranks which turns out to have been the reason Porsche Cup has not been invited to the Canadian GP since '08, Apparently Bernie does not appreciate having his grass torn up and advertising banners ripped by the Superclowns. Drivers were warned at the briefing, let's see how it goes.

Qualifying will take place today at 11:15 am. You can follow along at http://www.imsachallenge.com/timing/


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Bienvenue au Quebec, Sebastian!

Sebastian Vettel tasted the famed Montreal Wall of Champions only eight laps into the first practice. Only his pride was hurt, looks like the marshal who inexplicably fell going to his aid probably suffered more damage.

Vettel wasn't the only one who gained some intimate knowledge of the Gilles Villeneuve track, Kamui Kobayashi, Machete Sutil and Jerome D'Ambrosio experienced the walls up close and personal. Kind of a funny radio transmission from Machete....check it out after the jump but don't miss Heikki Kovalainen's epic scandinavian flick save!...Perkele!

IMSA GT3 Challenge Live Timing

Session is on now!

http://www.imsachallenge.com/timing/




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King of the ring...or not?

So this is kind of amusing: Corvette posted a 7min.19 sec. lap of the Nürburgring with the 2012 ZR-1, an awesome lap time from a special car. Porsche had previously claimed 7 min. 18 sec. for their GT2RS. Both cars are on semi slick Michelin Pilot Cups but Dale for one is declaring the Vette king. Why?
Porsche never released a video on YouTube and as we all know if it ain't on YouTube it never happened!
What do you think? Check out the video over on Dale's BTG

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Tony Stewart gets stuck in Hamilton's F1car

OK, this is funny, well played!
(Mobil1)
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So how do you prepare for a track you've never been to?

More to the point, how do you prepare for a track very few have ever driven on?

That's the problem facing CG this week as he prepares for the IMSA GT3 Challenge by Yokohama race this week end on Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

What do we know about Montreal? We know it's a point and squirt track that demands much from brakes and tires. The figures for Formula 1 cars are , of course, staggering as this Pirelli video makes clear.



Sure you can look at lots of Formula 1 onboards but, really, what's the use for CG? Footage from relevant cars is pretty scarce. One is a rather low quality one with Andy Lally driving a Grand Am spec Porsche:



rFactor is one tool and I know CG has been spending a lot of time at the secret Axis training facility (Mclaren's headquarter are nothing compared!) pounding out the virtual laps.



But there is one reality that will be first and foremost on CG's mind, a characteristic unique Gilles Villeneuve: The Wall of Champions!



Here is how the track guide CG was provided clinically describes it

Turn 13&14:
 The last chicane.
 Position the car track-left, as you head for the brake zone.
 You’ll be going over 150 mph. So, apply a hard brake application at the 400 marker (just before the bridge).
 Downshift from 6th to 3rd Gear.
 Be very careful with curb strikes in this chicane. Inside the flat rumble strips are two large bumps at each apex. Striking these humps can cause quite a bit of damage.
(Davies Motorsports Services)

This is what it looks like:



Bonne Chance CG, we'll be there rooting for you Sunday, Just watch out for Lewis Hamilton in pit lane!



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Renault Sport going for new Nürburgring lap record

8:09, keep that number handy. The teaser video and info was sent to us by one of our readers who certainly would know. The car, a new limited edition version of the Megane 3, might be named Megane 3 Trophy and it will go after Renault's own FWD record of 8:17 set with the R26R. But while the R26R was a true, honest to god, factory clubsport model with no rear seats, plastic windows, a half cage, bucket seats and sticky tires, this new car does not have any radical weight saving modifications at all, just suspension tweaks and more power.

If you've ever encountered a Megane 3 RS you will definitively remember its sound, nothing quite like it anywhere. I saw a couple making the VIP passenger rounds between races in Monaco last month, they certainly hauled. By the way, did you know the Nissan GT-R is not the only car with onboard performance display/recorder? Check this out

Like any turbo motor, you know extra power is just a chip away and only limited by how long you expect the engine to live. Getting a factory "chipped" engine has all the advantages of having the best engineers work out the right compromises.
What, don't feel like the factory is giving you enough power?...Ok, obviously you are braking too much because Renault Sport is shooting to beat the time set by the radical R26R, by a lot!

For reference, the new hot small car of the moment, the BMW 1M set an impressive Nürburgring lap time of 8:12... will Renault do it? find out June 17th as the say...I'm guessing they have already.

So what does the Renault Megane 3RS feel like? Let's take a ride and enjoy that peculiar giant blowing sound in our reader's Mega3RS at Spa. It is not the 'Ring model but it shares engine tuning. Nice line coming up out of Eau Rouge man!



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Rule makers vs Engineers: Episode 174

The rear wing of the OAK Racing LMP1 Le Mans racer, bizarre, isn't it? Care to venture a guess?

No they are not vortex generators, the answer is both more pedestrian and much more fascinating as part of the never ending battle between those who write the rules and those who get paid to bend them until they are broken.
Find out after the jump.



As Race Car Engineering and Mulsannecorner.com explain, LMP1 regulations mandate a 20mm gurney flap at 90 degrees to a virtual plane connecting the highpoint of the wing to the rear lip. With mandated power reductions in 2011 teams have been striving to reduce drag more than to find more downforce and a tall 90 degree flap is not what you want on the long straights of the Sarthe.

The solution found by OAK Racing engineers, simple if not very esthetically pleasing, turns 90 degrees into 120 and is illustrated in the drawing below.

Le Mans Lizards

Axis of Oversteer wishes Spencer Pumpelly and the Flying Lizards monster grip and long stints for the 2011 24 Heurs du Mans this coming week end!

Turn in early with big speed!



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FIA GT3 is great!

Check out this segment from the FIA GT race at the newly renovated Silverstone.
While GT1 seems to have evolved into a bit of a heavy handed clown show, FIA GT3 looks to have its mix just right with Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi and BMW fighting tooth an nail along with Astons, Fords, Porsches and Lamborghinis. What a series!
(Photo: Dave Adams)



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Gulf!

Gulf by CM ARTE. Check out more stunning photography at CM-ARTE.com

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Paris Hilton loves all her riders

Face palm...More about Paris Hilton

So, Red Bull does give you wings?..

Why does the official cross the road?





An official at a Red Bull event for tsunami victims in Chiba Japan decided it was time to get to the other side right as Sebastian Buemi's RB6 was making a pass.

What role lingering Fukushima radiation played in his decision making is unknown but perhaps it was those free cans of the sticky pink stuff that allowed the man do to a reasonable frightened deer imitation and avoid getting his legs sliced off.

He was not seriously harmed, despite the hard landing.
(via Blick.ch)
More about Red Bull

Axis IMSA GT3 Challenge livery revealed!

A week from today, on June 11th, the Capital Managers-Axis of Oversteer Porsche GT3 cup will make its debut in the IMSA-Yokohama GT3 Challenge race on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

The race will be run in support of the 2011 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.

The 75 car will be driven by series rookie Carlos Gomez, our own CG, and is set up by our friends at SpeedSport Tuning.

Below is video of CG testing the car at Monticello Motor Club recently.

If you are going to the Grand Prix, go early, the IMSA GT3 race starts at 9:05 AM. Follow Axis on Twitter and on Facebook for updates and please make sure send us any pictures you may have of the car on track!

More pictures after the jump

VLN Lauf 4 2011

No description needed, just sit back and enjoy the next seven minutes and forty five seconds.
(Ringfokus)
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Ferrari will introduce B-spec car for Silverstone

Bit of a scoop by Autosprint: Ferrari will introduce major changes in the F150 for the British GP in July.

The upcoming Montreal and Valencia are two tracks in many ways similar to Monaco, basically point and squirt and where the F150th's "falta de carga", as Alonso would say, in not a factor. Silverstone is another story and that's where Ferrari is to make its final stand. If the Pat Fry curated update does not work then Ferrari will start putting eggs in the 2012 basket.

Question is, will Alonso manage to drag the present car into enough points in the next two races for the revised Ferrari to even matter?

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