The new sounds of F1: give them your grades

Photo: Mercedes AMG Petronas

Bernie does not like them and he's not alone, there is a big collective meh from fans across the world.

Of course there were some of same complaints when V12 and V10 got canned but the move to turbos and, more crucially the low,  close to road car low, redlines is what drastically changes the sound.

While the new engines can rev up to 15000 rpm,  the realities of torque curves and fuel regulations mean there will be little reason for engines to go much above 10000 rpm.   A modern F1 car revving just 1000 rpm faster than your cousin's old Honda S2000 will only excite those who like turbo induction sounds.

But, on the other hand, fans have been clamoring for more variety and the new rules certainly have given us that.   Have a listen to the clip below and tell us what you think of the different sounds.

How good of a passenger are you?

Car and Driver

Most track guys I know are terrible passengers.  I will never forget my first time at the Nürbugring, riding in the back seat of Dale Lomas's Alfa 75  with Steve and Carlos...  it was, shall we say, interesting, with Dale doing his best to scare the crap out of us.

Nothing though compared to what we have here: the world champion of brave passengers, Car and Driver's Tony Quiroga...

Could you do it?
(PS: I would love to see what those Dunlops looked like after a lap!)

Mercedes flies, Renault boils on day 3 at Jerez

Lap times may be six seconds slower than last year at Jerez but at least Formula One cars are now lapping faster than GP2s, something they did not accomplish in the first two days of testing.

Leading the times is Mclaren's Kevin Magnussen.  You get the sense that, never having driven a previous generation F1 car and having to "un-learn",  can actually be an advantage.  I'm sure that was part of the math in Mclaren's decision with the rookie.

Mercedes engined cars had no major issues,  Renault powered ones did.  In particular, Red Bull had serious overheating issues and managed to turn exactly 3 laps.    
There are reports of, pardon the pun, heated words between Adrian Newey and Renault's Rob White in the paddock, just before all of Red Bull's top brass, Newey, Horner, Marko and Dieter Mateschitz left Jerez, presumably in a huff.

Heat management, as predicted,  is already a thread to follow in 2014.  Mclaren have more room under the bodywork for cooling, Red Bull at the other extreme have the tightest packaging possible.

Ferrari seems to be somewhat in the middle and I think we can now safely presume that LaFerrari test mule really was all about testing cooling solutions.   Even so, Alonso was 2 seconds off Mclaren and Williams' pace (cue "Fernando, Felipe is faster than you " jokes).

Red Bull and Renault have a busy night ahead of the last session tomorrow.   Certainly the Renault engine did not sound perfectly happy in the video clip below (thanks Mike Humphrey!).

Check out the warbling sound coming from the Toro Rosso as it accelerates down the main straight.

Pos Driver             Team                  Time        Gap     Laps
 1. Kevin Magnussen    McLaren-Mercedes      1m23.276s            52
 2. Felipe Massa       Williams-Mercedes     1m23.700s   +0.424s  47
 3. Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1m23.952s   +0.676s  62
 4. Jenson Button      McLaren-Mercedes      1m25.030s   +1.754s  40
 5. Fernando Alonso    Ferrari               1m25.495s   +2.219s  58
 6. Nico Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes  1m26.096s   +2.820s  17
 7. Jean-Eric Vergne   Toro Rosso-Renault    1m29.915s   +6.639s  30
 8. Adrian Sutil       Sauber-Ferrari        1m30.161s   +6.885s  34
 9. Robin Frijns       Caterham-Renault      No time           -  10
10. Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault      No time           -   3
11. Max Chilton        Marussia-Ferrari      No time           -   5

Ride in the Axis 458 Challenge at Daytona

Halston Pitman/MotorSportMedia

Ride with Carlos in the Axis 458 Challenge at Daytona.   Above is race 1 on Friday, where CG scored a third place podium.   Note how top speed of the 458 is 184 mph in clear air but 191 drafting. Turn 1 apex speed is about 45 mph so you are scrubbing145 mph to make it around.  Hairy.

Below is race 2.   Track was damp on Saturday morning making conditions so tricky the pole sitter lost it on the warm up lap and crashed into the wall...D'oh!

At the start of first clip, Carlos makes a move for the lead into turn 3, losing his left mirror in the process.

In the second clip things get more exciting as CG, blind on his left comes under attack.    Did I mention turning in to the bus stop was tricky?

Red Bull's RB10 blows its nose

Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

Arguably the most anticipated of the 2014 cars, Adrian Newey's RB10 broke cover this morning in Jerez.

While, understandably, Red Bull was a bit cagey with the details and the car seems evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the nose is different from all other competitors.

Newey met the new low nose regulations but managed to keep the high nose profile with what could be described a keel nose (all that talk about him going off to design America's Cup boats had an effect?).

Behind this keel there are what appear to be vents, possibly leading to the exhaust slot on the top of the nose.   A solution related to one seen on Ferrari in years past later "clarified" by the FIA.

Has Newey done it again?  time will tell.

Benedict Redgrove / Red Bull Content Pool

Hamilton first to crash a new era Turbo F1

Not Lewis' fault, the main element of his front wing failed and he was a passenger.  It was a sizable hit into the tires for the just presented Mercedes W05.

On the plus side for Mercedes, before the crash Hamilton had set a time of 1:27.620, fastest for the first session.

Nascar vs Technology: how's that formula working out?

"A DP (Daytona Prototype, ed.)  is nothing more than a late seventies Trans-Am car with more bodywork.   They're an antique, tube-frame car and the mentality of the people we have to deal with is equally antique. 

They don't want change, they don't want technology. They're not interested in selling technology and I think it's going to kill them in the long run. They're just hurtling toward the cliff and they don't seem to realize it."

The scathing quote above from Rob Hill, Director of Operations at Extreme Speed Motorsport from a must read article by Gordon Kirby on the state of the new NASCAR owned United Sport Car Championship.

read then, discuss...

Sauber c33 vs Toro Rosso STR 9

Mercedes and Renault are already protesting Ferrari's engine (Updated)

Ferrari Power Unit

Just a day after the presentation of the F14-T and there is news both Mercedes and Renault are raising objections to the way Ferrari has chosen to interpret the 2014 regulations.

At the heart of the matter is article 5.18.5 of the 2014 F1 Technical regulations which states :

5.18.5 Measures must be taken to ensure that in the event of failure of the turbine wheel any resulting significant debris is contained within the car.

Mercedes: note MGU-H in the middle of the turbines

Renault and Mercedes have addressed this by constructing a casing mounted around the turbo, as part of the engine.   As Auto Motor ind Sport explain, this means it they have a ballistic shield covering the turbo which can weigh, our sources tell us, as much as 5 kg.    That is an enormity in F1 especially considering where it is located, high on top of the engine.

Renault and Ferrari have the MGU-H in the "V"

What is Ferrari doing differently?  Here it gets murky but logic would dictate Ferrari would not simply ignore a regulation but made a ballistic cover incorporated into the bodywork.   The advantage in this interpretation and what must worry competitors if it's the route chosen at Maranello,  is that this extra weight will not count towards the 145 kg minimum engine weight.    Why is this crucial? All manufacturers have been struggling to meet that minimum weight and it's easy to see why they would rather have extra mass to reinforce critical engine parts rather than be used for a heavy prophylactic shield.

Of course, one wonders, how did Renault and Mercedes know how Ferrari was packaging the F14-T before it was even presented?

(with Filippo Zanier/ItaliaRacing.net)

UPDATE
the FIA has issued clarifications on both Lotus' fork nose and Ferrari's turbo.  Both are legal.  Ferrari's argument was that the particular construction of the turbo they use meets the regulation's requirements.

Horrible call robs Level 5 Ferrari of a class win at Daytona. (UPDATED)

Tommy Kendall on the Fox broadcast could not believe it, Dario Franchitti, Marco Andretti, Jeff Segal and even Tiff Needell expressed their outrage via twitter at the bogus call IMSA official made on the last lap of the 2014 Rolex 24.

Audi's Markus Winkelhock tried a low percentage  outside pass at the infield kink on the very last lap.  Anyone who ever raced could see how that was going to turn out and, predictably, the Flying Lizards Audi ran out of road at the exit.
There was no contact yet IMSA officials saw fit to assign the Level 5 Motorsport Ferrari 458 driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi (of "spin and recover at Eau Rouge" fame) a penalty for accidental contact.

The cars never touched.

One of the worst calls I have ever seen in motosport.

UPDATE:   IMSA reversed the call three hours after the end of the race, no doubt feeling the pressure and ridicule from irate fans and professionals alike.  I'm sure Level5 would have preferred to be up on the podium and Lizards, not have to give their Rolex's back.

Read about it over at Racer.com

2014 Sauber c33

Sauber-Ferrari c33

Scary crash at Daytona (updated)

Memo Gidley, likely blinded by the setting sun at the infield kink  hits the slowed Risi Competizione Ferrari driven by Matteo Maluccelli.  
We hope for the best for both drivers.

UPDATE:

At 8:43am this morning, IMSA issued the following update on the conditions of Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli following their horrific incident at Daytona yesterday:

"Memo Gidley, driver of the No. 99 GAINSCO / Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, underwent surgical procedures on both his left arm and left leg at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Florida. Gidley also has an unstable fracture in his back which will require additional surgery before he can be released from the hospital. He continues to be evaluated.

Matteo Malucelli, driver of the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, remained at Halifax Health overnight for further evaluation. He continues to rest comfortably. An update on his condition will be provided later today."

How many Ferrari technicians does it take to sticker an F14-T?

Not really sure, it's kinda blurry but, quite a few.

Podium finish for Axis in the first 2014 Ferrari Challenge race at Daytona

2014 Ferrari Challenge at Daytona.  Photo: Ferrari 

Driving the #26 Axis of Oversteer Ferrari 458 Challenge,  Carlos Gomez  scored a third place finish in the first race of the the 2014 Ferrari Challenge North America Series at Daytona on Friday.  The race was won by Scott Tucker/  In second place, it was Mexican driver Ricardo Perez.

Race 2 will start this morning at 9:45ET

Carlos Gomez in the Axis of Oversteer Ferrari 458 Challenge. Daytona 2014. Photo;Ferrari

Meanwhile, at Daytona...

Gary Grant/ Flickr

2014 Lotus E22 and Mclaren MP4-29 explained.

At least a preliminary look with Peter Windsor and Craig Scarborough.  

About now everyone should be tired of genitals / monkey nose memes and curious about what is going on.  
Are Lotus being too clever for their own good wight that asymmetrical split nose?  Did Mclaren get it right this time.   Windsor and Scarbs discuss.

One thing I'm surprised Scarbs left out is a mention of the winglets created on the rear pull rod suspension/brake ducts area of the MP4-29.

190 mph in the Axis Ferrari 458 Challenge at Daytona.

Carlos Gomez, Axis of Oversteer 458 Challenge at Daytona. Photo: Halston Pitman.

Carlos Gomez,  qualified fourth for the 2014 Ferrari Challenge season opener at Daytona International Speedway

Gomez's lap of 1:48.689 assured him a spot on row two of the grid along with  Ryan Ockey and just  behind  Ricardo Perez and pole sitter  Harry Cheung.

The race will start Friday morning at 10:30 AM ET.  Live timing and scoring is available at Livetiming.net/fc  Race two will take place Saturday morning.

Having no wing is a big help on the long straights at Daytona but it makes the braking zones..a bit hairy!

#clusterfu*k: Lotus falling apart .

Eric Bouillier

Incredible, Lotus team principal Eric Boullier quits Team Lotus and, according to most of the British press, will go to Mclaren to take Martin Whitmarsh's job.   CEO Gerard Lopez will do double duty as team principal at Lotus despite having no experience at it.

Gerard Lopez

That Whitmarsh would get canned (or promoted out) was expected but Boullier's move to Woking, if confirmed, takes everyone by surprise.  Especially so as this was announced within hours of the 2014 car presentation and that, usually, personnel take a six month sabbatical  between teams.

Lotus, one of the top four team last season, is left decimated: lead designer James Allison and Kimi Raikkonen  left for Ferrari,  it failed to pay many on its staff, failed to complete their 2014 car in time for the Jerez test next week, had to hire Pastor Maldonado.  

A fall from grace Lotus will be hard pressed to put a cute hashtag to.

Williams first to give F1 the finger with the FW36

The Williams FW36 looks normal from the side...

The dreaded "finger nose", long predicted as being the most obvious solution to comply with 2014 nose height regs while maximizing flow to the bottom of the car, here it is.

not crazy about this "virtual" reveal trend this year, but I suppose its a way for the smaller teams to make a bit of a splash ahead if the pack.

Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds:

"The launch-spec aerodynamic package that you see here was finalised in the first week of December, with an upgrade package for Melbourne’s season-opener signed off in early January.
“F1 is still going to be an aerodynamic formula in 2014,”

“There are some significant changes: the nose is lower than last year and the front wing is narrower, which means the end plates are now more shrouded by the front tyre. The rear wing isn’t as deep as last year and the beam wing below it is no longer permitted, and we’ve also lost the ability to use the exhaust to enhance aero performance.”


“I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” says Symonds. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

Well, certainly, without Pastor, there will be less finger noses to make.

Now we should be worried about Schumacher's prospects

Forget sensationalistic, click grabbing headlines from  the tabloids,  reading what Gary Hartstein had to say today, even with all the appropriate caveats, was beyond chilling.

...First off let me say that it is EXTREMELY unlikely (I’d honestly say virtually impossible) that the Michael we knew prior to this fall will ever be back. 

I think that it will have to be considered to be a triumph of human physical resiliency, and of modern neurointensive care, if Michael is able to walk, feed himself, dress himself, and if he retains significant elements of his previous personality. If recovery proceeds to this point (which is totally POSSIBLE, if perhaps rather improbable), it is an open question as to how well the “higher functions” (memory, concentration, reading, planning, etc) will recover. Please note, I would love to be proven wrong about this! 

 Tragic.

Please read the complete article HERE

Meanwhile, at Daytona....

Group photo: Halston Pitman/MotorSportMedia

Still confused about new IMSA championship rules after the GrandAm/ALMS merger?  Be sure to check out Marshall Pruett's guide on Racer Magazine.

The Force India VJM07 is the first 2014 F1 car to break cover

Sort of,  obviously a rendering so don't expect this to be the final configuration but this is the new look for the Indian team.  More black and the addition of Mexican sponsors brought by Checo Perez.

The nose is not clearly visible but looks fairly traditional (and attractive) in this "launch" guise.

Driving a simulator has a strange effect on Kimi?

After Sports Illustrated's  epic "Juan Pablo Montoya returning to F1 for "Chap" Ganassi"  headline,  it's worth noting news of Raikkonen being "forced to drive a simulator" by Ferrari.

Amazingly, as per Great Britain's quality tabloid The Daily Star,  Raikkonen has come out of this harrowing experience looking a lot like Heikki Kovalainen.   

Oh well, I guess all Finns look the same.  Perkele!

F1 Tech: push and pull in 2014.

In 2012, Ferrari used a pullrod front suspension, gambling the cleaner airflow it allows would overcome the disadvantages in higher loads and difficulty in setup.  Results were mixed but Ferrari stuck with it last season.  Mclaren inexplicably went the same route in 2013 and had their worst season in decades.

There was some logic to that choice with the previous regulations but, with the new lower nose, the aero advantage of a pull rod in the front is negated.   Oddly there have been rumors Ferrari might still choose the pull route in front.

While (ex Ferrari and Williams designer) Enrique Scalabroni may not be the most concise explainer there is, the man can draw and don't  you wish you could be there in the room with him ogling the schematics and discussing roll centers over a couple of bottles of Malbec?

Perhaps, after a few bottles of red, Scalabroni might even tell you why he though it would be a great idea to design an F1 car with the wheels in a rhomboid configuration...

Thanks Peter Windsor.  Part 2 after the break

Kimi speaks!

Yes, this is the picture they chose to release...

Ferrari released the first video interview with Kimi Raikkonen on his return to the Scuderia.  The Finn is filmed driving a Ferrari FF though the winter fog of Emilia-Romagna and yeah, it's pretty much classic Kimi:

"It's exciting... (yawn).  I have no idea where we are".



The FF is "quite nice... my friend's dad, Marrku Alén has one".



Kimi is bad at names but "some day I will remember some of them".   Classic!



Kimi is not stressed by new rules and technical changes in 2014.



and the fans? "having fans is a bonus".

Kubica Monte Carlo hopes end up in a ditch as Ogier comes back to the lead.

Robert Kubica Monte Carlo podium dreams ended in a ditch she he lost a battle against the evil Axis of Understeer on Friday's Stage 9.

Meanwhile current World Champion Sebastien Ogier took the lead of the rally after Bryan Bouffier slid off into a field.

Today was much better than yesterday,” said Ogier “Tomorrow will be difficult with some snow expected on the Col de Turini. But for now I can be happy.”

1.  Sebastien Ogier      VW                3h14m51.3s
 2.  Bryan Bouffier       M-Sport Ford          +51.1s
 3.  Kris Meeke           Citroen             +1m38.6s
 4.  Mads Ostberg         Citroen             +2m48.9s
 5.  Jari-Matti Latvala   VW                  +6m04.4s
 6.  Elfyn Evans          M-Sport Ford        +6m14.5s
 7.  Mikko Hirvonen       M-Sport Ford        +6m43.7s
 8.  Andreas Mikkelsen    VW                 +10m16.9s
 9.  Jaroslav Melicharek  Slovakia Ford      +16m00.8s
10.  Matteo Gamba         Balbosca Peugeot   +20m01.4s

First 2014 Formula 1 news and rumor roundup

Game of Thrones: Ron Dennis is back.

Ron is back after the most disastrous season Mclaren has ever had, it probably will not be pretty at the Woking Death Star Technology Centre over the next few weeks.  
Martin Whitmarsh is not officially out yet but someone has to fall on the proverbial sword (or get passed though by it)  to make sure everything is in tip top shape for Honda's arrival in 2015.  


Don't bet against Bernie.

Ecclestone stepping down from F1's board was a move long anticipated and planned if the case went to trial.  It's a pro forma move, he's still in charge.    Bernie is 86 years old so he's not going to jail but yes, at some point he will either retire or keel over in mid-deal.   Frankly I hope for him it's the latter.  

It's not that F1 cannot run without him but it's unseemly to see how many are ready to kick Mr. E when he's down.   Of course part of it is Ecclestone's own fault,  he has not designated a successor though he has "groomed" Red Bull's Christian Horner,  someone sure to be vetoed by every other team.

Bernie is a man who lives for all those politics and deals, dirty and not, which have made fortunes for investors and teams over the years.   Despite all he has going on at his age, Bernie still finds time to flip G6's for a few million profit.
He's a born shark, don't bet against him,  you don't think headlines about a US based F1 team (CVC )  and a Nürburgring buyout (Germany) happened by chance do you?

Lotus has a radical new nose?

Some were saying the real reason Lotus is skipping testing at Jerez next week is not (just)  because of lack of funds or because they find testing at colder temperatures not very helpful but because they had come up with an innovative solution for their nose which did not fly with the tech bosses at the FIA when it showed up for crash testing.  However latest is that, whatever they finally came up with is all kosher with Charlie Whiting.

Pirelli here to stay for the next three seasons

Pirelli got a lot of stick for making performance limiting tires as they were asked.   s part of the deal, Pirelli will get limited testing opportunities with current cars.


Ricciardo banned from surfing.

There is some irony in Red Bull, of all teams, banning Daniel Ricciardo from surfing in the wake of poor Schumacher's accident while Ferrari put out a statement to the effect of "our drivers are grown ups, we trust they can decide what is dangerous and what is not"

Ford leads the 2014 Monte Carlo Rally after Day 1.

Surprises on the first 6 stages of the 2014 Monte Carlo Rally, opening round of the 2014 WRC season:

VW's Sebastian Ogier, the defending champion, finds himself over 47 seconds from the lead  after  having a close encounter with a wall on an unexpectedly snow covered Stage 1.

Robert Kubica, on his Monte debut in Ford Fiesta RS WRC, won the first two snow covered stages with his usual maximum attack style despite being on slicks like Ogier .  He toned it down in the later stages, concentrating on getting to the end in one piece.  He sits in third place, 0.7s behind Citroen's Kris Meeke.

"I will settle for third place, but I can assure you that the most important thing for me is to finish and to feel like I've done a good job," Kubica told reporters "I didn't take any risks in the afternoon. It was less (difficult) in the afternoon, but it was still tricky, with a lot of mud on the road."

Leading the Monte after the first day is M-Sport Ford's Bryan Bouffier, Kubica's teammate. Bouffier used local knowledge and experience (he had won a non WRC edition of the monty) to end the fist day with a massive 38.8 second lead.
 The Frenchman used a mix of snow and tarmac tires, mounted diagonally front and back and found the best compromise on the mixed conditions of the French mountain roads though he too had a close call:

"It’s fantastic to be leading but we are very lucky to be here," Bouffier explained. "We hit a bridge on the very first corner of the first stage. I thought our race was over."

Don't count Ogier out though, he won the last two stages of the day and improved his position from ninth to fourth.

Pos  Driver                Car            Time/Gap
 1.  Bryan Bouffier        M-Sport Ford   1h25m36.6s
 2.  Kris Meeke            Citroen        +38.8s
 3.  Robert Kubica         M-Sport Ford   +39.5s
 4.  Sebastien Ogier       VW             +47.3s
 5.  Mads Ostberg          Citroen        +1m20.7s
 6.  Elfyn Evans           M-Sport Ford   +1m38.6s
 7.  Jari-Matti Latvala    VW             +2m20.8s
 8.  Mikko Hirvonen        M-Sport Ford   +2m46.9s
 9.  Andreas Mikkelsen     VW             +4m06.2s
10.  Olivier Burri         Burri Ford     +4m47.4s *

* WRC2 spec car

Ferrari wants your help naming the next F1 car.

before you get too excited: exif says it's the F2001....

One could argue they need it:  Ferrari is giving fans a choice among five pre-approved selections:

F14 T
F14 Maranello
F14 Scuderia
F166 Turbo
F616

While all sound very serious and more or less in line with past naming schemes, I'm sure left to their own devices, the internets could have come up with something a bit more exciting.

What would you have chosen,    Kimi's F14 Tomcat?

You can vote on Ferrari.com, on Twitter and on Facebook, up until January 24th, the day before the official reveal.

Felipe Massa's annual charity kart race paid tribute to Schumacher

While the ninth edition of Felipe Massa's charity kart race did not have quite as many international stars as it has had in the past, it was a good show none the less.

Current and former F1 drivers joined Massa in a tribute to Michael Schumacher. Among them, Jules Bianchi, Rubens Barrichello, Vito Liuzzi, Sebastian Buemi, Nelson Piquet Jr., Bruno Senna, Lucas De Grassi, Ricardo Zonta, Luciano Burti all of them, along with a bunch of touring car drivers, had at it without giving each other much quarter.

Put a bunch pro racers in karts and it's bound to be fun. Pro tip for F1, want more "show"? Rather than the idiotic double point rule, try putting everyone in streamlined karts an let them have at it for points!  



Final results can be found here

Axis of Oversteer, drifting and smoking edition.

Felice Bonetto , ultimate cool in a 1946 Cisitalia D46 F2.

(h/t: El Solitario)

Robert Kubica drove his Ford like a man possessed.

Photo via Racingist.com

Robert Kubica's first rally as a Ford driver had not gone entirely to plan as he lined up for the start of the final stage at the European Rally Championship's Jännerrallye-Oberösterreich ,   a tarmac event in Austria.

The polish ace was over 11 seconds behind the leader and road conditions were awful, a mixture of black ice and mud making the final stage treacherous.   Kubica, running up against his tire allotment, had to use two studded tires and two of the more preferable snows, mixed diagonally.

After just a few of the 25 km of the stage he slips off an nails one of the snow markers...

The impact knocked loose one of his auxiliary lights which, still attached to its harness, shines back into the cabin...

...which is not ideal when you are driving in the woods...

and the road starts to get shrouded in fog...

Better to shut them off and drive blind then...  except Kubica misses a note while looking for the switch and nearly collects a couple of poles and a house.

Despite all that, Kubica won the stage by 34 seconds over his main rival taking the overall win by almost 20 seconds,  a miracle.     But then Kubica knows miracles well.    

Gratulacje Robert!