tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12299894954752122052024-03-12T19:32:01.476-04:00Formula One AmericaF1A is dedicated to the sharing of opinion in an informative way. We are here to discuss the business, technology, politics, and on track performances of those participating in what is regarded as the pinnacle of motorsports. F1A wishes to engage new fans and connect with the seasoned F1 observer.Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-32292615219788403982011-10-23T10:12:00.000-04:002011-10-23T10:12:16.387-04:00Death and Modern Day MotorsportI awoke this morning to sad news. MotoGP rider, Marco Simoncelli died from injuries sustained in a crash at the Malaysian Grand Prix, a week after Indycar champion Dan Wheldon died in an accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I have followed most forms of motorsport for over 25 years and something that I came to understand as a youngster was that motorsport is a dangerous business. I also recognized that motorsport was far more dangerous in 50's, 60's and 70's and it took racers like Jackie Stewart standing up for safety standards where death in racing was a fact of life. <br />
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My first experience with on-track related death was the passing of NASCAR independent JD McDuffie at Watkins Glen in 1991. Subsequently, I have had the misfortune of having seen the passing of Ayrton Senna, Roland Ratzenberger, Jeff Krosnoff, Greg Moore, Dale Earnhardt and Daijiro Katoh. If these accidents happened in the current motorsports climate, in my opinion they would not have resulted in a fatality. That is an opinion. However, what I can say for certain is that each of these tragedies led to specific safety changes that have saved lives; whether it is better track design, better driver/rider equipment, choosing to race elsewhere or being able to have the open discussion on safety. As a consequence we have been fortunate to see drivers walk away from serious accidents. We saw at this year's 24 Hours of LeMans, Allan McNish and Mike
Rockenfeller cheat death and basically walk away from savage accidents. We saw Carl Edwards
and Ryan Newman escape injury after Edwards flew into the catch fencing at Talladega in 2009. We saw David Reutimann and David Ragan escape serious injury after plowing into multiple barriers at
Watkins Glen earlier this year.<br />
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Safety advancements like improved track design, "soft" walls, head and neck restraints and energy dissipating car construction has left us with a far more safer sport than what was the standard in the 1990's let alone the 1970's. However, it has also left us with a sanitized reality of motorsports. These sorts of improvements have allowed racers to take more risks and in some cases forgo on track ethics. Back in the day drivers used to police themselves and drive with care because someone can get killed. Now the idea of self-policing (particularly in series like NASCAR) is about getting retaliation and evening the score if you have been wronged. In plain English, it means to you wreck someone. Improved safety has allowed this to become part of the show; an expectation of the viewing public and TV executives. It is commonplace to see a series promote the sport through these savage accidents on commercials. TV executives and the series sell you the prospects of injury and death with the prospects of it actually happening being very low. However, I am not looking for blame as the drivers and riders that have the most to lose are apart of that machine. They choose to accept the risks or race in a risky fashion. The recent deaths of Indycar driver Dan Wheldon and MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli are concrete examples of measuring of risk. In the case of Wheldon, do you choose to race in a set of conditions that were a concern? In the case of Simoncelli, a notable and controversially aggressive rider, do you continue to ride on the very edge 24/7? <br />
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As the hours, days and weeks pass there will be many that will analyze and dissect the state of motorsports, past accidents and these accidents. However, when I think about the risks I don't think about why do they do it? I don't think about auto racing being too dangerous and I don't take seriously calls for the banning of it.<br />
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Why do we do anything in life? Why do miners go 300 feet underground to dig for rocks? Why do people get a in car and fiddle around with a cell phone instead of drive? Why do people climb Mount Everest? Why do people literally scramble other people's brains for the sake of advancing a leather oblong ball past a white line on the ground? Why people pay to watch others plays games or race around a track? I would say it is because they choose to. The people that choose to participate are well aware of the risks and have a better incentive than the viewing public to make it to the next day. However, that does not mean they don't receive external pressure to take on more risk, but it still means they are the ones that have a choice to make in the matter. It has been a tragic week for motorsports and my condolences all around. However, there are far more serious life and death matters in the world in which people do not have a choice in the matter.Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-28306393610754423892011-10-08T15:54:00.000-04:002011-10-08T15:54:47.562-04:00Genii Capital double down on F1 presence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig56u7hijrJYxngTfkp24AYmP_1dHmK6Ni78HdXTX-d8iD0iRobPRunbTTqD2zEk0iVdNRyzME2IzmIw6gAPljCk7x4crY5fJsVIh6EaVqPRKHFpjhW3qVb0vYOcJvhLB_Iwp2eoS_YYwb/s1600/Lotus-Renault-GP-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig56u7hijrJYxngTfkp24AYmP_1dHmK6Ni78HdXTX-d8iD0iRobPRunbTTqD2zEk0iVdNRyzME2IzmIw6gAPljCk7x4crY5fJsVIh6EaVqPRKHFpjhW3qVb0vYOcJvhLB_Iwp2eoS_YYwb/s320/Lotus-Renault-GP-logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
It appears that Genii Capital (Lotus Renault Grand Prix team owners) are moving to demonstrate that they are real serious about F1. Reports in the media are that Genii Capital are set to acquire a majority stake in Group Lotus whom currently have a sponsorship arrangement with the team. Genii's position and participation in F1 was discussed in August <a href="http://formulaoneamerica.blogspot.com/2011/08/will-genii-capital-sell-renault-f1-team.html">(HERE)</a> if they would sell a stake in the F1 to Group Lotus. This was seen as not entirely plausible given Group Lotus's financial position. However, it has turned out that Genii are the ones buying in.<br />
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There is no doubt in my mind the joint venture of World Wide Investments Group (WWI) and Genii managing $10
billion USD in investments allows for more strategic thinking as it relates to the automotive sector; an area that has been identified as a target area in this joint venture. Genii's money definitely gives the spend happy CEO of Group Lotus, Dany Bahar the ability to continue the branding exercise he has engaged across multiple motorsport categories across the globe.<br />
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With Team Lotus looking to have the team re-branded as
Caterham, it stand to reason that Bahar is going to be very happy as he will be able to properly link the Team Lotus name with the Group Lotus motorsport and manufacturing activities. I am also sure that Team Lotus owner, Tony Fernandes will be happy as he gets to cash in on selling the Team Lotus name to Group Lotus after beating them in court for the right to use the name. Fernandes can
focus on promoting the recently acquired Caterham brand and build off
of his other companies. Moreover, the proposed deal will most likely get Proton out from under Group Lotus which makes things work more harmoniously if you are talking about the whole concept of 1Malaysia. All the way around, this arrangement is definitely is more synergistic. If the deal comes off as it is expected to it will be curious to see how the final details
shake out.<br />
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Nevertheless, one of the sticking points on the F1 side of things is this issue of re-branding Team Lotus as Caterham and LRGP as Team Lotus. For the name changes to be approved, 18 of
the 26 members of the F1 Commission must support the move. The commission consists of the teams,
Ecclestone, Jean Todt, representatives for sponsors,
engine manufacturers and circuits. Nothing is easy in F1 particularly if it is something political. So, Ferrari, Sauber and HRT want to have a formal meeting on the subject. However, this is an example where I think it is just a matter of wanting to deal with future attempted name changes as everyone in the sport is ready to put the Team Lotus vs. Group Lotus name dispute in the past. <br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-50895113546647637152011-10-06T14:00:00.000-04:002011-10-08T10:59:29.721-04:00What to watch at the Japanese Grand PrixThis weekend brings us to one of my favorite races on the calendar, the Japanese Grand Prix at the fabled Suzuka Circuit, and it is all but certain that Sebastian Vettel secures his second world title in as many years at this race. All Vettel needs is a single point and the title is his; he can roll out of bed with a hangover from the pre-party he should be having for winning the title and get that needed point. So what else is there to look at for this race? There are a couple points of interest for me. One is the scrum between Button, Alonso and Webber and the other are the performances of Sauber, Renault and Mercedes.<br />
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The battle for the best of the rest is ultra close; Button, Alonso and Webber are separated by only three points with five races remaining. What are their motivations? Button will definitely have an emotional high of having been contractually secured for the near future by McLaren, Alonso has publicly indicated several times that second place in the championship is worth fighting for, and Webber is intent on winning a grand prix after watching his teammate in similar equipment blitz the field this season. Add to that, being at a circuit that many drivers consider to be their favorite and one of the more challenging should make it doubly fun for them and viewing public. <br />
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In terms of Sauber, Renault and Mercedes, they are at different levels of the championship table so the interest lies in several other details. Both Sauber and Renault have admitted that they have made mistakes revolving around exhausts that have entombed them for the rest of season: Sauber expected the FIA to change the rules around exhausts and blown diffusers, which ultimately did not happen and Renault in the radical design choice of forward exiting exhausts (FEE). I want to see how these teams perform knowing that there is not much they can do to develop the cars while they are still engaged in a constructors fight with each other and Force India. Also, I want to see how Kamui Kobayashi and Bruno Senna perform. Kobayashi is at his home race so I will be interested in seeing how he bounces back after stumbling the last few races. Senna has admitted he feels that he is not fully up to speed after replacing Nick Heidfeld. So, it will be interesting to see how he goes at a real tough track while Renault continue their evaluation of him. <br />
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In regards to Mercedes, they had issues with their exhausts and cooling but I am interested in the emotional level of the team. Do they receive an emotional boost from the very recent acquisitions of Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis as the drivers profess? Moreover, given that Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug have stated Suzuka should be more suited to the Mercedes package and that they are looking for similar performance to that of Spa and Monza, I will be interested in seeing if the drivers can deliver on that. Their performance at Spa and Monza was pretty good: two 5th place finishes for Schumacher, a 6th and retirement for Rosberg. Do they steal a podium? <br />
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So, whether you are watching the front, the midfield or tail-enders, enjoy qualy and the race. <br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-79117078746759519122011-10-05T09:10:00.000-04:002011-10-05T09:10:29.966-04:00McLaren lock up Jenson Button<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uy8wBvDUZksqrXpTLy2aSgYa3Yk0yahri_NW4-8Htnv_FsMEn4zBCs_fZbeJacsTidNYVvjpJ13eolU5EFhSnk5lOiCMN1H_BS8XXaVv-cW2wPYy7Ls1z5qmk7CWY9AFJ4NRwyTxuyLz/s1600/jenson-button-at-mclaren-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uy8wBvDUZksqrXpTLy2aSgYa3Yk0yahri_NW4-8Htnv_FsMEn4zBCs_fZbeJacsTidNYVvjpJ13eolU5EFhSnk5lOiCMN1H_BS8XXaVv-cW2wPYy7Ls1z5qmk7CWY9AFJ4NRwyTxuyLz/s320/jenson-button-at-mclaren-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
McLaren have made the long awaited smart choice in re-signing 2009 World Champion Jenson Button to a multi-year contract. Button has certainly earned his spot in the McLaren team after initially making a curious move to the squad in 2010. Many saw the move as a reputation destroyer because he was moving in on Lewis Hamilton's turf. Well safe to say now, Button made complete liars out of those people. <br />
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Button was nominally beaten by Hamilton in 2010, but in 2011 he sits second in the title fight behind runaway leader Vettel. Button has shown his true value with the three C's: He has been calm, cool, and consistent. With a smooth, Sade-like style, he has maximized his tires and his results while his teammate Lewis Hamilton has struggled mightily this year in the three C's area and failing to capitalize on his speed. What is most notable is that Button has been able to complete many overtakes this season without trouble, where as Hamilton has had some high profile struggles in this area. <br />
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According to McLaren, they view Button as crucial to their future development. For me, most of it is the niceties of complementing a driver that you just signed however certainly there is something to be said about Technical Director, Paddy Lowe's view on Formula1.com, “having a good driver with good feedback is still essential in Formula
One. Even
though these days we have far more tools to work with offline - more
simulation, etc. - we’re still very reliant on the driver’s feedback."<br />
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"Having Jenson on board for the years to come is a great step for us as
it gives us a very solid base in terms of a driver that we can rely on
for feedback through that phases that you described. And Jenson was
obviously very experienced for many years before he came to McLaren, so
that all contributes.”<br />
Read into that what you will about his opinion on Hamilton's ability in this area, but given the rules package and what Pirelli is being asked to do in terms of tire degradation, you can not have much better than Jenson. He might not be the fastest, he might not be the most talented or naturally gifted, but he will certainly get the most out of the car while bringing it home in one piece.<br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-53284681438096420362011-09-29T09:47:00.003-04:002011-09-29T09:53:53.011-04:00OT: Petit Le Mans this weekend<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtmLIcr9r3ucDsro-cFA6tcGECh9WWOskb7j1uxmaW5fLNBtWU8bwApFpCZvJ-sOtl26rKC9XGer_QOZrIRh_zwAeLJSmi0ZaLgpzkZ2rOw4Hqpi095zWDWnjygQwocYNiJflc5ExXuPJ/s1600/l_dsc_7417-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtmLIcr9r3ucDsro-cFA6tcGECh9WWOskb7j1uxmaW5fLNBtWU8bwApFpCZvJ-sOtl26rKC9XGer_QOZrIRh_zwAeLJSmi0ZaLgpzkZ2rOw4Hqpi095zWDWnjygQwocYNiJflc5ExXuPJ/s320/l_dsc_7417-2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audi and Peugeot at the Le Mans 24 hours battling, photo by LAT</td></tr>
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This weekend brings us the 14th edition of the Petit Le Mans at the very fast Road Atlanta. Race preparations are already underway with the race taking place on Saturday. The race format is 10 hours or 1,000 miles which ever comes first. <br />
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If you watching endurance racing in addition to F1 like I do then you are probably a fan of the technical diversity. You have different engines, more robust hybrid systems, different fuels, different tires and multiple classes. Also, you know about the dominance of the diesels and the Audi and Peugeot diesels are back running in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) as a part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC). This is great because the ALMS has struggled to have entrants in prototype class and has effectively made the series a GT series (but those GT battles have been pretty good this season). This has led to questions over the viability of the ALMS given the competition squeeze it gets from it's domestic rival, Grand Am Road Racing series and its international big brother ILMC. However, all that is a different discussion for a different day; its about the race this day.<br />
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In early testing for the race this past Sunday, the two factory Peugeot 908's were 1-2, but the pair of Audi R18's were in hot pursuit with ALMS regular, Dyson Racing in 5th. In recent years, the Peugeot has had the outright speed advantage, but when the big money races are on the table, Audi knows how to close the deal. In terms of the GT class, it is going to be a free for all. BMW, Ferrari, Corvette and Porsche. The Corvette Racing team are also big money guys. If you have a few bucks, you might drop a few on them. So, with a F1 off week this weekend I will be kicking back to watch this race.<br />
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If you are in the Atlanta metro area (which feels bigger than the state Rhode Island) some tickets are still available. At $90 for a four-day pass plus paddock access, it is a good buy. Especially if you have seen F1 ticket prices. <br />
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Links:<br />
<a href="http://roadatlanta.com/ev_petit.lasso">Petit Le Mans</a><br />
<a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/index.php">American Le Mans Series</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lemans.org/en/races/intercontinental-le-mans-cup/updates.html">Intercontinental Le Mans Cup</a><br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-85550034007018475472011-09-28T12:18:00.002-04:002011-09-28T20:43:34.698-04:00The Risk of Innovation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju98hkvRawKpB3JpPGxjm4TlQONNz4hYBFIGh5AeBCPMIv2qfg8WrviUfyta8CbtnVuTfsMisYoMTfb3iAmt0wm4-_vOohqH0SNBq7roeb7Jew7KeiwcK5kwXzt4C9AEYoPUOihZ6Hwqgb/s1600/picture.php.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju98hkvRawKpB3JpPGxjm4TlQONNz4hYBFIGh5AeBCPMIv2qfg8WrviUfyta8CbtnVuTfsMisYoMTfb3iAmt0wm4-_vOohqH0SNBq7roeb7Jew7KeiwcK5kwXzt4C9AEYoPUOihZ6Hwqgb/s200/picture.php.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrrell 019, photo by Sibo</td></tr>
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F1 has a lot of nuance to it whether you are talking strategies, driving styles, off track politics, or technical development; and that technical development is mind blowing ; it is an arms race for gaining time. More and more the technical side of F1 has been about aerodynamics. Teams spend vast sums of money to improve car performance in this area. Even items that are not logically geared towards the aerodynamic performance, are in fact geared towards the aerodynamic performance of the car.<br />
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Since work on other components like engine development have virtually been eliminated, aerodynamic performance is the be all-end all of F1 performance. Hence, a very large factor in Red Bull's current dominance has been their iconoclast designer and renown aerodynamist, Adrian Newey. With engine development frozen, DRS and KERS still in their infancy, spec tires, you have to have top notch aero. This chase has lead to some teams to some interesting concepts, some successful, others not so successful. However, it is the price of looking to be innovative and chase those ever elusive tenths of seconds. We have seen these innovations take root, or be banned from competition or just flop. <br />
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Innovation can pay off or it can cost you. When we think of the most recent noteworthy technical innovation, the exhaust blown diffuser, it is not widely talked about that this innovation was pioneered in 1983 by Renault and Jean Claude Migeot. It became the standard in F1, then fell out of favor completely a decade ago with the advent and development of periscope exhausts, before being revived by Adrian Newey in an effort to maximize the downforce generated under the car; the place where most downforce is generated. A huge payoff for Red Bull. <br />
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Then there is the story of Tyrrell (the genesis of the current Mercedes team), a championship winning team with a history of innovation. Tyrrell is probably most remembered for their 6-wheeled F1 car, the P34. However, they had several innovations that have carried over to contemporary F1. Generally speaking, they were all aimed at aerodynamic performance because they were lacking in the areas where the bigger teams dominated: engines and horsepower.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2YaDG10lZ3qJpQARsRvPpAaxN9qQD0NsL6qYYLWhpsqAGUHouTyY0WpQ9h5khOMdQehnS-sWjMMVtb_A63P4GsrUSD5u0jnubmaeKNd-cJu4RLapLg2nW8GPJiMyMPXS1o7eS3u_KP_P/s1600/1picture.php.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2YaDG10lZ3qJpQARsRvPpAaxN9qQD0NsL6qYYLWhpsqAGUHouTyY0WpQ9h5khOMdQehnS-sWjMMVtb_A63P4GsrUSD5u0jnubmaeKNd-cJu4RLapLg2nW8GPJiMyMPXS1o7eS3u_KP_P/s200/1picture.php.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrrell 025, photo by Rainer Nyberg</td></tr>
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Before the days of engine freezes and standard engine designs you could overcome some aerodynamic deficiencies via horsepower, and you could be rather competitive this way. However if you did not have a good engine, you had to look towards other avenues to increase your performance...i.e. aerodynamics. In 1990, Tyrell and legendary Harvey Postlethwaite (whom Newey worked for) and Jean Claude Migeot introduce the world of F1 to raised noses, a concept that has been the standard design to varying degrees since 1996. Some of the other innovations from Tyrrell: aerodynamically shaped wishbones (again the concept is standard) in 1996. the notoriously ugly yet effective X wings in 1997 (banned by the FIA in 1998). The payoff was for other teams following the innovations. The Tyrrell name disappeared from F1 after they were purchased by British American Tobacco. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3tiLb1jSdsQD61VmJ18SEAChBVTD-iA-8JRWIKggKTREe9P3d4ycCJw7HViCGai0Kl0tIdWPfZscUpY3aw6tAlaoRDcCbrbLrdg8j4LZrmWXx6-tt_9U8627ylxa04cgxyDA7fnAbpCr/s1600/2picture.php.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3tiLb1jSdsQD61VmJ18SEAChBVTD-iA-8JRWIKggKTREe9P3d4ycCJw7HViCGai0Kl0tIdWPfZscUpY3aw6tAlaoRDcCbrbLrdg8j4LZrmWXx6-tt_9U8627ylxa04cgxyDA7fnAbpCr/s200/2picture.php.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Williams FW26, photo by BMW AG </td></tr>
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In 2004, Williams introduced a walrus-nose shaped F1 car, the FW26. This was a different and radical take on the raise nosed concept. The car was an acquired taste visually, but the aim was the same: achieve more airflow to the underside of the car to gain that aerodynamic advantage. However, Williams had what teams like Tyrell did not have, one of the best engines of the V10 era, the P84. Williams and driver Juan Pablo Montoya were favorites for the title. However, the design turned out to be a flop. The concept proved to be more heavy then anticipated, which led to instability and to car setup issues. They went with a more conventional design later in the 2004 which culminated in the team's sole victory at the end of the season. Williams took a risk with a innovative design after nearing winning the driver's championship with Montoya in 2003 and they failed. Williams have never been the same since. <br />
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In late 2005, Renault introduced the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), a movable weight in the car that helped the car perform better over bumps and keep a consistent contact with the track, improving grip and aerodynamic performance. The development of this technology helped them secure the 2005 title as well as being an important component to their 2006 championship winning car the R26. This technology was banned in controversial fashion in 2006. However it's performance was subsequently replicated by the J damper, a standard arrangement in F1 introduced by McLaren. <br />
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In 2010, McLaren introduced the "F-Duct" on their MP4-25. The design used a small snorkel mounted in front of the
driver that channeled air through a duct in the cockpit and towards the
rear wing. Changes in the pressure in the duct reduced the aerodynamic drag of the wing allowing for an extra 6 mph on a straight away, a poor man's but very ingenious DRS. Although a legal component, it was banned for 2011. McLaren had a very competitive package but could not capitalize to a win the title. <br />
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Now to go full circle with exhaust blown diffusers. In 2011, Renault introduced a radical front exit exhaust (FFE) on their R31. Instead of a "traditional" periscope or exiting into the diffuser, the exhaust exited below the sidepod inlets. The aim was to blow exhaust gases under the floor and around the sidepods.Where Red Bull got it right, Renault admits they go it wrong. They admit they could not really develop it as the season progressed and it was too complicated for them to consistently generate downforce at all the tracks. Renault even experimented with going to a more traditional layout (like Williams in 2004) but they could not make that work either. After a very promising 2010 season, they put a lot of effort in 2011 and came up snake eyes from a design point of view. <br />
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Nevertheless all of this gets us to the point. Sometimes you get it right and it changes the way the sport operates and moves it forward. Sometimes you innovations get banned because it is too clever or just plain illegal. Sometimes you just get it wrong and you have a terrible and useless design. However, in it's purist form, isn't that what innovation is all about; taking risks, trying to be quicker, advance the technology? I much rather see teams try something innovative and bump up against the rules or truly make an technological advancement than the push towards standardization. <br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-65766588063118266992011-09-22T20:27:00.000-04:002011-09-22T20:27:02.386-04:00Did Red Bull cheat?There is growing pressure coming down on the soon to be double world constructor champions, Red Bull Racing. The issue, a recent audit by a company called Capgemini found "discrepancies" in relation to Red
Bull's 2010 budget as it related to the Resources Restriction Agreement (RRA). What is the RRA? It restricts the Formula One teams in terms of staffing levels, the
aerodynamic development allowed in-house,
the amount of time allowed for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) work and
the amount of money for sub-contractors; all aimed at reducing cost in F1. There are a number of stories dedicated to the issue <a href="http://www.motorsport.com/#/F1/news/f1-audit-shows-discrepancies-in-red-bull-f1-budget/?v=2&s=1&i=28">(Here)</a> and <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94717">(Here)</a>.<br />
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F1 had been talking about capping budgets for several years and in 2009
under the Mosley administration the RRA came into force for implementation from 2010-2012 (restructured to run until 2017); and as soon
as it did teams were looking to close loopholes, renegotiating what is
covered and understand what the penalties would be if the agreement was
broken. So, did they cheat? Did they break the agreement? No. It boils down to these basic elements. The same auditors that found discrepancies certified the budget of Red Bull and the 2010 budget was submitted to FOTA, something done on a monthly basis until the close of the fiscal year for the teams (according to Stefano Domenicali is the end of February 2011 for FY2010). That is it.<br />
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However, there is something more. Just as everything in F1, you push the limits. The boundaries are defined and you push where there are gray areas. When those gray areas are exposed, you clarify the boundaries. Then you push a little further into more gray areas. That is the way it works whether you are talking about double-decker diffusers, F-ducts, flexi-wings/body parts or resource agreements. F1 is quite rare these days in that the teams make the rules in concert with the FIA. So, if a team crafts a rule or agreement with the other teams and it benefits that team, so be it. Teams knew about the gray area the double diffusers posed before the 2009 season, yet some went forward with the design, others did not. This is different only in the fact that one battle is on the car design side, this one is a battle of team management. <br />
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Moreover, this is not a new story. Mosley in December 2010 remarked to <i>Auto Motor Und Sport,</i> "Red Bull
asked for an [overspending] exception. If that's true, that can only mean they spent
more than they were allowed, and now they're asking for the [other]
teams' approval. I am interested to know how their opponents are going
to react." Some would say, where there is smoke there is fire. In this instance, it is where there is smoke there is smoke. I do not expect to have a "Crash-gate" type revelation or a Worldcom accounting scandal after almost a full
season and a certified Red Bull budget. Again, these teams are dealing with a gray and ever evolving agreement. For example, something not yet completely understood and covered is how to handle the use of outside suppliers and spending on future
KERS/power train development; especially as KERS and other future, more efficient powertrains come on-line. This will be the new battleground for F1 supremacy that will yield future race team customers to who can get it right.<br />
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All the teams are looking for that extra advantage that comes with being able to draw up the rules. So, keep fighting ladies and gentlemen. <br />
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Link: <br />
<a href="http://formulaoneamerica.blogspot.com/2008/09/will-budget-cap-work.html">Will a Budget Cap work? </a><br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-62078703627859627612011-09-18T08:41:00.000-04:002011-09-18T08:41:15.173-04:00Nostalgia: Jackie Stewart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A true motorsports icon, 3 times F1 World Champion (1969, 1971, 1973), retired having the most grand prix victories, a pioneering advocate for racing safety and a legend that survived his era to make it to the other side. Even if you never saw him race, you are sure to know his voice and his post racing career activities as a racing commentator, TV show host and team owner. <br />
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Just as follow Scotsman Jim Clark, Stewart's name is scattered through the record books. His win percentage is better than both Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. He is one of the most smoothest and effortless drivers in the history of F1. His ability to convey the complex subject of motor racing into a very detailed, clear, yet simple analogy is unmatched. <br />
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Here are a few Jackie Stewart videos including a musical tribute, Jackie demonstrating his teaching ability, Jackie on safety and Jackie in one of his finest drives. Enjoy:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ihZn9F_suQ">Jackie Stewart Tribute Video</a><br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-7851158098008279512011-09-16T10:28:00.003-04:002011-09-16T10:32:26.042-04:00Perez and Bianchi battle for future Ferrari seat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sauber rookie, Sergio Perez tested for Ferrari yesterday at the team's Fiorano track in the so called duel with current Ferrari reserve driver Jules Bianchi. Both drivers piloted a 2009 Ferrari F60 as per testing restrictions. In going straight to the lap times, Perez did 46 laps with a best time of 1:00.650, but Bianchi was four tenths quicker clocking 70 laps with a best of 1:00.213. Admittedly the testing times in and of themselves do not matter as the drivers can be on different programs, using different fuel loads or different compound tires. Moreover, what was consistency level of a particular stint. <br />
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Ferrari had some nice things to say about Perez's performance which should be expected even if he was terrible: "Sergio proved to be aggressive and quick right from the start and was
able to adapt to the car in a very short space of time," said Ferrari Driver Academy
chief Luca Baldisserri. "He is very mature for his age, displaying an understanding that goes beyond the time he has spent driving single seaters."<br />
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However, Bianchi is certainly going to put up a fight to remain in the mix for a future F1 race seat. He was pleased with his performance and looks forward to the young drivers test in November where he will drive contemporary cars with DRS and KERS. Nevertheless, Bianchi can set the world on fire but he does not get that second seat. Ferrari are simply paving the way for Perez to be the number two in 2013. Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali is on record about his ideal line-up being an experienced driver (Alonso) paired with
a talented young driver. Well, Perez is talented, he is young plus he has F1 experience not only with the cars but with work levels. Bianchi will have to look elsewhere for a F1 seat. With the likely return of Romain Grosjean to a race seat, Bianchi's ability to play "F1 needs a French driver" card will be reduced. This week Grosjean tested a two year old Renault in preparation for Singapore GP and official reserve driver duties. <br />
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Short of having a Mexican Grand Prix back on the calendar, but with the US Grand Prix on the horizon in the American southwest what kind of marketing opportunity would it be to have a talented Mexican driver with the most iconic motorsport brand/manufacturer in the cockpit? Clearly, Perez has the goods, but drivers need not only to go fast, they need to have money or be very marketable. More opportunities rest with Perez in my opinion than with Bianchi on that side of the equation. Perez is slated to be with Sauber in 2012 when USGP rolls around and I think that is going to produce a lot buzz. Imagine the buzz in 2013 when he comes with Ferrari and follows in the steps of the iconic "Hermanos Rodriguez". It may pave the way for a future return of a Mexican Grand Prix, something currently be worked on by Carlos Slim Domit, son of THE Carlos Slim. The same Carlos Slim that sponsors Sauber via Telmex for which Perez drivers for. <br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-5006835684685737302011-09-08T08:24:00.000-04:002011-09-08T08:24:27.077-04:00Pirelli remains true to formPirelli, true to form in being very proactive in their return to the sport has made another call for changes. Their lastest proposal is a change in the tire regulations to reduce the waste that is generated by having to destroy unused hard compound race tires.<br />
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The proposal from Motorsport Director, Paul Hembrey to eliminate tire hoarding and not have extra unused hard sets was simple:Invert the allocation to six soft sets and five hard sets. After first free practice, take away one of the hard sets, so there were four hard sets. Then if everything played out as it has in 2011, teams did
qualifying and the race with four sets of the soft tyre and then two of
the hard (two of the other hard sets being used in other practices). Teams did not accept this proposal, but the drivers support the idea and Pirelli is ready to bypass it all and go straight to the FIA to impose a change. <br />
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Pirelli is very much in the right to ask for a rules change in a sport where cost reduction has been king and in a sport where they are pushing for hybrid technology, smaller capacity engines, lessening the sport's carbon footprint and so on. It seems nonsensical that Pirelli produces tires, brings them to the race, mounts the tires, and destroys unused tires after the race. Hembrey has been strong and succinct in his statements. "Clearly if we do nothing it is slightly absurd, if I am perfectly
honest, to go ahead another year and just carry tyres around the world
we know we are not going to use."<br />
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With the amount of technology, simulation work, supercomputing power I got an idea that puts added dimension and pressure to the teams. Just as Pirelli submits what tire compounds they are bringing to the race weeks in advance, teams should be required to preselect compounds for the race on similar notification schedule. However, teams can choose what their compound allocation was for those races. For example, Team A can choose to have five soft sets and five hard sets, Team B can choose seven soft sets and three hard sets. This way, teams can plan their qualication strategy, eliminate tire hoarding, Pirelli reduces waste as it produces tires that have been specifically requested by the teams.<br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-8710083688351099532011-09-04T11:04:00.000-04:002011-09-04T11:04:10.258-04:00Nostalgia: Jim Clark, One of the Best if not The Best<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">mage LAT Photographic</span></td></tr>
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There are many drivers that F1 observers think are great, but there are few in which there is near universal agreement on, Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark. Driving in an era where death was common place Clark demonstrated his utter worldly speed and natural ability to drive all things mechanical; Indycars, NASCAR, Sportscars, Rallying, farm tractors (okay, not really but he would have). He boasts 2 World Championships (1963, 1965) and one of the highest win percentages in history (.342) only outdone by Fangio and the great Alberto Ascari. You will still find his name near the top of other F1 records: wins, win % in a season, consecutive wins, pole positions, pole position %, front row start %, fast laps, consecutive podium finishes, most lap led, pole-win-fast lap in the same race, and you get the picture. <br />
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Tragically and common of the era, Clark was killed in a F2 race at Hockenheim in 1968. He was 32 and easily still in his prime. In his last F1 race, he took the pole, set the fastest lap and won the race; a feat he achieved 11 times and only bettered by Michael Schumacher. He participated in 73 grand prix which by contemporary F1 standards would be a little more than 4 seasons. So, when you think about his statistical achievements and factor in his passing, and the lack of safety in this era, it is truly staggering. Of course, stats are not even the half of it. There is the famous quote of fellow racer, Chris Amon, "If this can happen to Jimmy, what chance do the rest of us have?" which speaks to the magnitude of the respect and level of his skill in an era with drivers like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, and Dan Gurney.<br />
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Clark had many great drives. I have uploaded a few videos of the grand prix legend; some of which are considered some of his very best performances in a race car. <br />
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-76787568518933090742011-09-03T10:40:00.005-04:002011-09-03T10:43:04.928-04:00Can F1 Helmet Technology help the NFL?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA6MGeGHjiTRUsAWdHWst3p9LLCDZGOfRMTxCu7zuL6a4n3khPmOhr0ljBMYtmAwHXF_BA8xGq2HzGZqwFQD_yjxB3Jpe6AL4sVcD5Dcx1CZ0-ESEPb3W1OvQAYd7djr-WjK77dTvzcbV/s1600/4385070294_2b8552db62_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA6MGeGHjiTRUsAWdHWst3p9LLCDZGOfRMTxCu7zuL6a4n3khPmOhr0ljBMYtmAwHXF_BA8xGq2HzGZqwFQD_yjxB3Jpe6AL4sVcD5Dcx1CZ0-ESEPb3W1OvQAYd7djr-WjK77dTvzcbV/s1600/4385070294_2b8552db62_m.jpg" /></a></div>Yes, I watch the National Football League and I like the hometown team, the New England Patriots. I know, those bastards. If you have followed the sport of American Football you know that there has been a heightened awareness around the issue of player concussions. Players have gotten bigger, stronger., faster and as a consequence hit harder. There have been a number of rules changes, points of emphasis in regards to hitting/tackling technique and levying of fines for "illegal" hits to address the issue. What does this have to do with F1? Well, they both make a lot of money but I am talking about helmets. The NFL helmet suppliers are making efforts to make helmets more impact resistant and help reduce concussions, but can they go further? I think there is a lot that NFL can learn from the world of motorsport, the FIA and F1.<br />
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When looking at the common impacts involved with F1, football and the brain, we are usually talking about blunt force hits whether it is crashing into a tire barrier or being stopped in your tracks by a 250 lbs linebacker. Your brain is going to bounce around in your skull cavity if your equipment is not absorbing a lot of the energy. The NFL estimates that 75% of helmets used in 2010 were made by Riddell, 23% by Schutt, 1-2% by Xenith, a few by Adams USA and Rawlings returns this season. The current safety standard for helmets used in the NFL are set by the The National Organizing Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). They are currently in the process of reviewing the standards for youth football helmets and have considered motorsport standards set forth by SNELL, non-profit organization and a leader in helmet safety both in the United States and around the world. However, having these NOCSAE standards should not stop the helmet suppliers from exceeding industry standard in they are trying to truly address the issue of concussions.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpIJgyXQH61n43ryFDiTQekXxRh7xPzx-Bk-AshaHxqsRQFS2CHySfJX6OtuJcM4NGp5IUepjpwmEI4VvtT2trPuNIJzzijgVfLbR8BbrFUNPz-4JEWtRkLgCwQzm8VltC_biSHx_t_VP/s1600/7-22-2011-Riddell-helmet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpIJgyXQH61n43ryFDiTQekXxRh7xPzx-Bk-AshaHxqsRQFS2CHySfJX6OtuJcM4NGp5IUepjpwmEI4VvtT2trPuNIJzzijgVfLbR8BbrFUNPz-4JEWtRkLgCwQzm8VltC_biSHx_t_VP/s1600/7-22-2011-Riddell-helmet.jpg" /></a></div>There are a number of studies and initiatives in both motorsport and the NFL around the issue of brain injury and acquiring good data. Dr. Steve Olvey, a fellow of the FIA Institute of Motor Sport Safety, Circuit of the Americas Director of Medical Services and former Director of Medical Affairs for the defunct CART World Series among other things medical, advocates that NFL helmets have accelerometers implanted in earpieces so forces to the head can be measured, collected and cataloged during violent impacts; it is already mandated for use in F1. The goal would be to eventually have enough data in various sports to establish some sort of threshold for brain injury. In looking at Riddell, as they are the official helmet of the league, their new top of the line 360 helmet contains data acquisition system they call Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) and Concussion Reduction Technology. This is embedded in the helmet and is a variation of the earpiece accelerometers. However, this has not been adapted by all the helmet suppliers and is not mandated. Nevertheless, even if a supplier is doing data acquisition now, what about we already know about materials and weight? What can they do in terms of advancements in helmet construction and testing given the standards that exist in motorsports and F1? <br />
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In both sports strong neck and shoulders muscles are important as they help improve performance and prevent injury, but clearly the athlete's strength needs to be supplemented. NFL helmets generally weight 6 lbs while the typical F1 helmet weights less than 3 lbs; that is additional weight that can cause injury to the neck or help accelerate the head to where a concussion occurs. NFL helmets are made of specially molded polycarbonate plastic construction and high-tech cushioning systems consisting of "energy managing" foam and inflatable bladders inside the helmet with an energy absorbing face mask. F1 helmets are made of a carbon fiber outershell, 3 layer foam inner shell, and bulletproof polycarbonate visor and in some models can withstand the force of a 55-ton tank; again weighing less than a NFL helmet. Should the NFL consider carbon fiber shells? When looking at the NOCSAE's drop testing parameters for 2012, the impact speed for the drop test will be 7.73 mph . The impact speed for F1 helmets (FIA 8860 standard) is 21.3 mph. I think the NFL could raise their threshold. You can say F1 should too, but racing drivers protection is supplemented by the use of a HANS device, cockpit surrounds and the chassis itself. In the NFL there is not much; the neck roll may supplement helmet protection but it is virtually unused at this level of football these days.<br />
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Obviously the severity of the impacts are different. Players are not travelling at 190 mph, but they are running up to 20 mph apply forces directly to the body and doing it 50 times a game. When you consider the cumulative effects of these collisions with players like Ted Johnson or Andre Waters retiring early, beset with emotional problems brought on by brain injuries, or early onset dementia or Alzheimer's disease, clearly there is room for the use of stronger, lighter materials and more rigorous standards for football helmets. The NFL is certainly moving in that direction but it should not take this long.<br />
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Interested in F1 and NFL helmets, here are some links:<br />
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<a href="http://www.fiainstitute.com/media-centre/features/Pages/feature-12.aspx">FIA- Setting the Standard</a><br />
<a href="http://www.schuberth.com/fileadmin/downloads/Fact_Sheet_SF1_EN.pdf">Schuberth SF1 helmet fact sheet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nocsae.org/">National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment </a><br />
<a href="http://www.riddell.com/shop-riddell/helmet/riddell-360-helmet/">Riddell Helmets</a><br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-5393623023277850112011-09-01T05:30:00.000-04:002011-09-01T06:57:14.914-04:00Remembering September 2001As we get close to the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the United States, there is a lot to say and think about; what is remembered, what is forgotten, what has changed, the sorrow, the anger, the pride. Since this is a space dedicated to F1 and motorsports, I will only share some of my thoughts as each of us has their own personal experience with the event American or not. There were many in F1 that took it on the chin. A number of sponsors had offices at the World Trade Center, Michael Schumacher seriously contemplated retirement and drivers considered not racing. However, there were numerous acts of solidarity with the United States from F1. <br />
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I recall watching the two grand prix that were held that month, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I fortunately did not lose any loved ones on that day, but it was a period of time that can only be described as a melancholic fog; a collection of incoherent mental images that left me feeling like I received a couple of knockout punches. Another kick in the teeth was the fact that two of the hijacked aircraft came out of out my hometown of Boston, MA.<br />
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As far as the racing went, there were three things I can distinctly recall about that race weekend. One, the Italian GP was already under a pall as the 2000 race was marred by the death of fire marshal, Paolo Ghislimberti. Two, I was preparing to get news that then CART racer and ex-F1 driver Alex Zanardi was going to die after losing both his legs in a horrible crash in Germany. Three, remembering then Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya winning the race and thinking what a shitty race and time to get your first F1 win. Thankfully, Zanardi survived his accident and to this day proves to be an enduring testament to the power of human will. As it relates to the USGP, I honestly could not tell you who one the race without having to look it up. I was a bit more caught up in the acts of solidarity. An interesting bit of numerology is that 10 years after those tragic events, this year's Italian Grand Prix will be on September 11th. I wonder if there will be remembrances given the very classy way Ferrari acted. <br />
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Below you will find a collection of some quotes and news story excerpts in the F1 community in regards to those events:<br />
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<i>"In mid August, having won our third consecutive Constructors' Championship, we decided to meet the international Formula One press. At the time, we could not have predicted the events of yesterday. I was at the Frankfurt Motor Show and was deeply affected. Personally, I feel very close to the USA, as I was at university in New York. I admire the democracy in the USA."</i> <b>Luca di Montezemolo, Atlas F1 News Service, 9/12/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"The Jaguar Racing team may withdraw from the Italian Grand Prix this weekend following the terrorist attacks in the United States on Tuesday. 'We are reviewing the situation all the time,' a Jaguar spokesperson was quoted as saying by </i><i>The Times. 'We want to do what is best.' ...Two of Jaguar's main sponsors, HSBC and AT&T, had offices within the World Trade Center, which collapsed after two planes crashed into both towers."</i> <b>Jaguar Considering Pulling Out of Italian GP, Atlas F1 New Service, 9/13/01 </b></blockquote>
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<i>"It's pretty difficult to find the right expression for what has happened there and what we feel. I think in all of us it is pretty much the same... the sympathy is naturally all with them and the support as much as we can support. It's going to be a tough time."</i> <b>Michael Schumacher, 9/13/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"Grand Prix racing is to observe a European-wide three-minute silence on Friday to honor the thousands who died in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington earlier this week. The sport is joining in the European Union's designated official period of silence. The morning's free practice session is to start early and end early to allow the silence to be observed at midday local time. F1 team bosses have also decided that no engines will be run for 10 minutes."</i> <b>F1 to pay its respects in Monza, Autosport.com, 9/13/01 </b></blockquote>
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<i>"It (USGP for 9/30) should go ahead, I believe it. What happened there is crazy, absolutely mental but I think the worse thing they could do is to try to stop the country...if they do that it would be more joy to whoever did it. It is a tough thing but they should try to keep going and it could help take the mind off (things) for a lot of people."</i> <b>Juan Pablo Montoya, Atlas F1 News Service, 9/13/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"The Ferrari team have announced their decision to run their cars without any logos from their sponsors and suppliers as a mark of respect to the American people following Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington."</i> <b>Ferrari Strip Cars of Advertising for Monza, Atlas F1 News Service, 9/13/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"Daimler-Chrysler, parent of team partners Mercedes, have started a $10 million fund and McLaren said they would donate heavily. 'There is extensive communication through to all the members of the organization throughout the world and many of them are already pledging either personal income or funding,' said McLaren team boss Ron Dennis at the Italian Grand Prix. 'That will be supplemented by the TAG McLaren Group. There are going to be a lot of kids without parents...The aftermath of this is going to be very much felt by young people.' "</i> <b>Alan Baldwin, F1 Mourns Terror Victims, Atlas F1 News Service, 9/14/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"I think it is the whole world's tragedy. We have to look at what is happening and the feeling in the paddock is not the best. No one is happy. Normally F1 is a celebration but there's nothing to celebrate here when we see what is happening around the world. There is stress, everybody is concerned and the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is to turn the television on to see if there is any news. We still have to carry on, we have to take care of what is happening but we can't stop otherwise the people that attacked the USA will have won their battle and we cannot let this happen." </i><b>Jarno Trulli, 9/14/01</b></blockquote>
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<i>"A variety of tributes were paid to those killed in the terrorism attacks on New York and Washington during Friday's opening free practice session for the United States Grand Prix. Jaguar Racing, who have large backing from America, led the marks of respect as they donned black nose cones similar to the one used by Ferrari at Monza two weeks ago. Ferrari reverted back to their all-red car at Indianapolis, but sported an American flag on the side of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello's cars. Jordan also ran with the Stars and Stripes emblem on their EJ11, while driver Jarno Trulli's helmet included a statement which read: "God Bless America"."</i> <b>Teams Pay Tributes to US Causalities in Free Practice, Atlas F1 News Service, 9/28/01 </b></blockquote>
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Sport is a curious thing. In a lot of cases it can divide. The opposition is the enemy to be hated and reviled. Yet, it can bring people together like nothing else. You have the shared knowledge that where ever your allegiances lay, there is the common denominator of having the passion and interest of that sport. We experience or witness this in our everyday lives whether we are talking about different countries, races or religions/spirituality. Then there are moments when the world "stops" and everyone takes in the idea that there are common denominators to be celebrated and there are things that are bigger than squabbling over the differences. <br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-84407200384565088552011-08-30T12:52:00.000-04:002011-08-30T12:57:30.747-04:00Will Genii Capital sell the Renault F1 team?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoA6EG7hunwLMqUeC7QuqECiElwORn7EXI5QcqOoprQdbUUWXN7oZf9TGHs_7G_HnlIA1X8UzDHCfAJRKuT8Nee4hGGAdVgvta8YQ2xQ0Cx18dIAY85vArSOJkP29GmXxKqDHarxMeHqd/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoA6EG7hunwLMqUeC7QuqECiElwORn7EXI5QcqOoprQdbUUWXN7oZf9TGHs_7G_HnlIA1X8UzDHCfAJRKuT8Nee4hGGAdVgvta8YQ2xQ0Cx18dIAY85vArSOJkP29GmXxKqDHarxMeHqd/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It has been a star crossed year at Lotus Renault Grand Prix. High hopes were basically dashed when Robert Kubica was injured in a near fatal accident, their innovative forward facing exhaust apparently has not yielded the performance they hoped for, speculation about the team's financial problems and their cars catching fire like kindling. Now the battle with their current or limbo-driver Nick Heidfeld, who was demoted for Bruno Senna, is taking the team to court to keep his seat. The team is in a bit of turmoil but say they have been buoyed by the performance of the newly installed Senna for Belgian and Italian Grand Prix. Well, at least while legal issues around Heidfeld's demotion are sorted. <br />
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Even with this statement of boosted morale in the team, do Genii Capital sell a stake in the Renault team or do they sell it outright? Currently, Genii is the 100% owners in the F1 team and plan to be for "the foreseeable future" in their words. Which to me is "until the right deal comes along". The obvious question is who would be the buyers in a still recovering global economy? The obvious answer would be Group Lotus, who currently have a sponsorship arrangement with the Genii-owned Renault team and an option to purchase a stake in the team by 2012. However, there are questions about Group Lotus's spending habits in terms of new product lines, plastering their name in just about every race series, even though they report they are meeting financial targets. Group Lotus is not in the best financial shape so you must question how much borrowing is going on to finance such activities. Also, will <b>their </b>owners, Malaysian auto-maker Proton, fork over more money for them to have any stake worthwhile. Moreover, a maybe not so major aspect is Proton have to navigate the 1Malaysia program. A participant in that program is Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus F1 program. To what extent do they ignore Fernandes to support Group Lotus in direct F1 competition? The whole Group Lotus vs. Team Lotus naming issue is a completely another story. I think Group Lotus to spread too thin to make and real investment into LRGP. <br />
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Does Renault buy back into the team? They just sold the remaining 25% share in the team to Genii last year and the current arrangement of Renault only providing engines and technical support while reaping the benefits of their name still on the car without incurring the huge costs of running the team is rather advantageous for Renault. It also frees them to focus more in-depth on the technical partnership with other teams, like Red Bull, Team Lotus, and soon Williams in addition to LRGP. So no.I think they are gone for good as full fledged team owners. <br />
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Does Brazilian money enter the equation to buy a stake in the team? World Wide Investments Group (WWI) may have some money to play with it. Earlier this month, Genii announced a joint venture with WWI in which the two companies will manage an investment portfolio totaling $10 billion USD. The joint venture's focus: private equity investments in energy, renewables, real estate, information technology, telecommunications, oil, gas and the automotive sector; most of which WWI already engages in.<br />
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Why would WWI bother? F1 is a global championship with huge opportunities for branding, investment, cross collaborations in a number of industries: communications, defense, info tech, manufacturing, green technology. Sounds like some synergies right off the top. Also, it creates more competition with Apex-Brasil, an trade and investment agency that views motorsport favorably and currently works with Indycar through 2012. <br />
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Moreover, a F1 tie up with Genii will also allow WWI to have an opportunity to create a connection with one of the most famous names in motorsports and one that holds saintly status in Brazil, Senna. With Bruno Senna now in the race seat for LRGP for the time being and potentially for the future with a promising performance in his first grand prix in about a year it makes sense. However, the complication is of course Robert Kubica. There is some mystery as to whether he will be fit enough to ever come back. If he doesn't, then a Vitaly Petrov/Bruno Senna line up works. If he is able to return do they ditch Petrov's sponsorship portfolio or keep themselves out of the F1 ownership business if Senna has no seats? Maybe, as there is still plenty of investment opportunity without a near term Brazilian driver. <br />
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If anything is to happen, you won't hear about it until there is some certainty around Robert Kubica's ability to return to F1. Regardless, I think there is going to be some interesting business deals coming down before 2012 season. <br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-18705111138245837642011-08-24T09:07:00.001-04:002011-08-24T22:26:12.746-04:00Women, Racing and Formula One<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aDkv28AssqxgOhdquYnOCGe1371i_WQEyol2TdqHItz4eslAh7TpFVWK5B4Tr8CehLUz9_6xLXU5Uuu199Jz_sdhf09syQOv8ejAJLCPVRBc1Uu6mF36pfpg3Vd2aH5W_jIlYpaAvx40/s1600/662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aDkv28AssqxgOhdquYnOCGe1371i_WQEyol2TdqHItz4eslAh7TpFVWK5B4Tr8CehLUz9_6xLXU5Uuu199Jz_sdhf09syQOv8ejAJLCPVRBc1Uu6mF36pfpg3Vd2aH5W_jIlYpaAvx40/s320/662.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giovanna Amati, last woman in F1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Women racing drivers are not really a new phenomenon even though our current age of marketing and search for the "next best thing" thinking would make you believe that. It did not begin with Danica Patrick or Sarah Fisher. In motorsport in general there are a number of female drivers that have been very successful on track and not just as individual market firms. <br />
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You can look to drag racing to see the likes of Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey; first class championship winners. There are plenty of people familiar with Janet Guthrie, the first woman to compete in the Indy 500 and Daytona 500; Louise Smith, one of the pioneers of early stock car racing; and sportscar ace, Lyn St. James who is tireless when talking about getting women into motorsports. Muldowney, Gutherie and Smith are the only women in the International Motorsport Hall of Fame (no doubt that Sampey will find her way there soon). <br />
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When we talk about modern era F1 (1950 on), we can look to Maria Teresa De Filippis in 1958 as the first female racer. From there we have Lella Lombardi (1974-76) Divina Galica (1976-78) Desiré Wilson (1980) and last woman driver in F1, Giovanna Amati in 1992. Sarah Fisher had a demonstration run in a McLaren in 2002. Danica Patrick over the course of her career has had some interest in testing F1, but ended any chance of it in 2009 stating she had explored Europe before and it was not in her heart. British racer and former Champcar driver, Katherine Legge tested a Minardi (predecessor of the current Toro Rosso squad) and put in very nice times. <br />
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This brings us to the present. Last week Lotus Renault Grand Prix (LRGP) tested Spanish racer Maria de Villota at Paul Ricard Circuit in France. As there is an in-season testing ban, she used a two-year old R29 putting in reasonable lap times according to Renault. She is looking to secure a test driver with a team. However at 32, it puts her on the wrong side of the curve whether she was a man or woman. Also, there is plenty of opinion that this is just being a PR stunt to get the team in the press; there are certainly better women racers with a better resume and her results are rather poor. It is a shame that a woman race driver is still seen as a novelty to boost one's profile. <br />
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So there is a couple of questions; will we ever see women racing in F1 again? Why isn't there more women? One, if societal evolution and marketing is any guide, then yes we will see a woman in F1 again. Especially if she has the desire and the sponsorship, which is not any different when talking about male counterparts. Two, the pool of women drivers is just simply smaller than the men's pool. It is harder to find gems in a pool of 20, then it is to find in a pool of 100. And there is no guarantee that those numbers will ever be equal because women as a group might not want to go racing at the same rates men do. Our culture is still in a gender role paradigm; you do not see men being hired as professional nannies and you don't see "grid guys" standing in front of the cars on the starting grid. <br />
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Moreover, there probably still some bias against women. In the world of Internet, you still have the discussions of women are not strong enough or do not have the endurance when there is plenty of information out there that shows the opposite. Also, there are chivalrous opinions people have of wanting to "protect" women. It would not surprise me if these attitudes carry over to people in decision making capacities. <br />
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It is not that great on the engineering side or in the upper echelon of team management as well. For example, in an interview Red Bull Racing Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey did with <i>F1 in Schools</i>, the global engineering challenge for school children, he stated there were 6 female engineers of the 140 on staff. However, program like <i>F1 in Schools</i> is pushing towards more female engineers. It has a 35% ratio of female competitors. So, there is a larger pool being created to choose from for the future. On the management or "key personnel" side, Peter Sauber's (Sauber F1 Team) number two is CEO is Monisha Kaltenborn, HRT's Communications and Marketing Director is Maria Serrat and Stephane Samson is Head of Communications for LRGP; not that many when you scan the faces of F1 teams. However, Bernie Ecclestone is on the record that FOM could be run by a woman within the next five years; presumably after he steps down. Now that be something coming from a man that has had some chauvinistic comments over the years.<br />
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In Indycar, there are a number of female drivers on the current grid, Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro, Pippa Mann, Ana Beatriz. Each of these woman have demonstrated skill that makes their spot in the series a deserved one. With the exception of Patrick, these women are all within their first couple of years in the series and de Silvestro showing some race winning talent. The test is will we see similar or increased numbers in the future. <br />
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In addition to the efforts of women like Lyn St. James, last year the FIA established The Women & Motor Sport Commission (WMC) to promote more participation by women in all aspects of motorsport under the direction of former world rally-winning driver Michele Mouton. Earlier this year, the council and CIK-FIA launched a new initiative that will provide a young female kart Driver with the opportunity to compete in the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy that will ultimately reward one girl (aged 13-15) with a funded drive in the low-cost educational formula.<br />
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Also, if there are to be more women, teams needs to get them in their driver development programs. Teams are signing up pre-teen boys and building them up over many years. One can look to the development paths of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel as recent examples. If women participation and success rates are to increase, the same investments need to made, not just after you find out that they are eye candy you can market. We will see what the latest efforts will bring over the next several years and whether the landscape changes. Indycar has made some strides; let us see what F1 does. <br />
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Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-14341375197832808132011-08-23T09:47:00.015-04:002011-08-24T21:33:23.267-04:00Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder ReduxLooks like the USGP Austin people are not a messing around when it comes to the build up for next year's United States Grand Prix. Red Bull Racing has been in Texas doing some promotional events and certainly giving people the taste of F1 that has been missing for years. They have run a F1 car through the streets during a filming session, drove a F1 car on the newly graded yet unpaved Circuit of the Americas and today released news that <strike>Cole Trickle</strike>, excuse me, Tom Cruise secretly tested a Red Bull F1 car at Willow Springs Raceway in California reminiscent of a certain test in a Rowdy Burns's NASCAR Chevy Lumina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. <br />
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According to <i>Autosport.com,</i> the test was overseen by former F1 driver and Red Bull ambassador David Coulthard and he was left as impressed with Tom Cruise as Harry Hogge. "Tom's the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver. His recall was incredible considering how complicated driving an F1 car is. He's a guy who really pushes the envelope in real life. This day was not green screened. He thoroughly impressed me." He obviously isn't getting a race seat, but impressive nonetheless with the lap time improvement of 11 seconds throughout the day. I would certainly would have liked to know the lap time. <br />
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Cruise is no stranger to motorsports, driving and pushing the limit. Most conspicuously he starred in the movie <i>Days of Thunder</i> but he has been on the wildly popular <i>Top Gear (UK)</i> discussing automobiles and thrashing around the show's "reasonably priced car".<br />
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We know about the marketing experts at Red Bull that have their brand on just about everything motorsport but I think you can expect a lot of Hollywood types getting in the mix. Cameron Diaz, another automotive buff and friend of Tom Cruise will surely be drafted in, hey maybe even George Lucas. Also, we can not forget Jay Leno who is an absolute car nut with a car collection that rivals museums just to name a couple. Moreover, there have been no shortage of Hollywood types at Grand Prix in Canada and around the world. As I mentioned earlier this month, <a href="http://formulaoneamerica.blogspot.com/2011/08/excited-for-2012-usgp-and-circuit-of.html">(Click Here)</a> I can not wait. <br />
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Links: <br />
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<a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/93891">Tom Cruise tests F1 car</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qexo0eI3eE4">Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz Top Gear</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siTO0IhAZvs">Red Bull F1 car in Austin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/">Jay Leno's Garage</a>Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-18354023368690403522011-08-22T14:50:00.004-04:002011-08-24T22:13:05.705-04:00Can we expect 3 car teams in the future?There are a lot of things to talk about in F1. Sometimes the same topic keeps cropping up from time to time usually because there is someone pushing the agenda whether it is a team, the FIA or FOM (Bernie). Something that has received off and on talk for several years is whether if teams should be allowed to race with three cars. Although the issue is quiet right now, we know that things are always in play. I think the main question is, with the sport in cost control mode, will there be a point in which budgets come to a level where having three cars is not cost prohibitive? I think that we are not to far from it.<br />
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Teams running third cars during grand prix weekends is not really new. From 2004 to 2006 teams were allowed to use a third car during the grand prix weekend as long they did not finish in the top four of the previous year's constructor's championship. Although they were not allowed to race it had advantages. Teams were able to evaluate younger talent during the pressure of a grand prix weekend, acquire additional data for race preparation and free test experimental parts. Then as easily as it came into effect, it went away for the 2007 season. <br />
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Almost five full season later, the talk is still around about third cars. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is on record that he will continue to push for the top teams be allowed to run three cars. He is also a strong advocate of a return to in season testing; something FIA president, Jean Todt is very much on the same page on. I guess we will see if di Montezemolo keeps the lobbying pressure on. <br />
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I will certainly like to see teams have the option to run a third car. In addition to the potential return of in-season testing, having a third car allows for more young driver development, more practical testing opportunities and of course more data for GP's. Also, it is benefit to Pirelli as it will allow them to collect more data. However, that might not be as big a need in the next couple of years. Moreover, the afore mentioned Ferrari seems to be willing to run a third car, McLaren is more than likely to be in a position to run third car, Red Bull Racing own and run four cars (RBR and Toro Rosso). Bigger grids certainly add another dimension and increasing the number of good cars ups the level of competition.<br />
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One may ask how does this effect the championship? If third cars return, teams do not have to race a third car every race; they can essentially be wild card entries eligible for driver points only. F1 can utilize a system that was previously used in the World Rally Championship in which teams can nominate two cars for constructor points if they have a third car entered. <br />
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One of the cases against three car teams would be that it would push smaller teams out. I do not agree with this as there would be no reason to force teams to run a third car if they were not able to. Their constructor position in the championship is not effected as three car teams would only be able to nominate two cars for constructor points. A smaller team may get into an arms race with another small team, but that is competition. Another point to consider is that there still would be how to deal with potential cost issues. How do teams go about securing extra engines and tires and is there enough space in the garage area? Do tracks need some modifications? <br />
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Keep an eye on Jean Todt. As he pushes through some of FIA environmental initiatives and the global economy recovers, we will see third cars make a comeback to the front burner of F1 discussion, and I think its eventual reinstatement. Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-30079281976975040352011-08-19T18:40:00.003-04:002011-08-24T22:14:14.645-04:00The Senna Movie Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcUindinPqtDexsjz9Edbbtm6aHTY7uvmJiP9VNEuZzUIC0R7cgCSOu-1AqsybJ5ybcghIVXydiyAb84LWyghMl3tCq4_QneYdEPurgEIipmcxjE9klnn4OTMmJ0WnnKZxqx5-gtsfliV/s1600/Ayrton-Senna-feature-length-documentary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcUindinPqtDexsjz9Edbbtm6aHTY7uvmJiP9VNEuZzUIC0R7cgCSOu-1AqsybJ5ybcghIVXydiyAb84LWyghMl3tCq4_QneYdEPurgEIipmcxjE9klnn4OTMmJ0WnnKZxqx5-gtsfliV/s320/Ayrton-Senna-feature-length-documentary.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>The Senna documentary was finally released in the Boston area and of course I had to go see it. What kind of F1 person would I be if I did not? It was a good crowd for a Friday matinee and oddly enough I was one of the younger people in the audience. There were a lot of couples and from what I can tell from the conversations a lot of supportive women coming with their significant others to take in the experience and get to know the person their partners have been blabbing about for all these years. I even briefly met a trio that drove up from Connecticut to view the film. <br />
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I will just say upfront that I really enjoyed the film. From a storytelling point of view, I liked that there was minimal narration; there was no "outside observer" telling you what was going on. The talking was mostly done by the characters through the commentary that is captured. I definitely love hearing the Senna philosophy and the use of the term "real racing". Also, I liked how Senna and Alain Prost's careers were juxtaposed when each was an older driver. Prost is seen as losing control of the situation over Senna at McLaren and complaining about it. Senna can be seen in a similar position after he moves to Williams for 1994 as he complains about the comfort level he has with the car and the certainty in which he feels Michael Schumacher and his team are using banned driver aids. Also, there was the narrative presented that Prost was the political driver and Senna was the true racer. There was a moment in the film in which Prost talks about expressly not wanting Senna at Williams in 1993 in blunt terms, but Senna giving the political answers of why he was not at Williams; a small but I think interesting observation as story telling goes.<br />
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From an artistic point of view, the archival footage in the film is epic. There were some new things I have never seen. For the most part it was TV coverage that in some instances was grainy and gritty. This made it akin to watching newsreels of the 1930's which to me is a romantic component of the film and it's historical value. Also, there was beautiful film footage that just brings you back to that era as if you are on the pit wall. Even with the quality of digital images today, I wish F1 would have something like NFL Films. It would certainly give F1 a different visual touch. <br />
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What I did not like about the film was they tended to gloss over or not mention some of his flaws and therefore it is not a balance view of the man and the story; particularly his rivalry with Alain Prost. Addressing this more clearly would have shown Senna in a more balanced light. Also, there were moments in the film that came across as victimology. Were there cases in which the FIA (at the time FISA) had questionable motives in going after Senna? Yes. Was that all the time? No. For instance, the lead up to Suzuka 1990 was basically portrayed as a conspiracy to put Senna on the dirty side of the track after winning pole position. But the reality was that the pole was on the dirty side of the track from at least 1987. I bring this example up because the issue with the pole position brought some gasps from the audience of Senna being cheated. This clouds the story and the subsquent actions Senna took in that race.<br />
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However, it must be said that writer and an executive producer Manish Pandey in an interview with F1 Fanatic, admitted error in not showing a little more of Senna's questionable moves in his rivalry with Prost and for legitimate movie making reasons, it was not completely depicted. So, although it lacked a balanced view of the rivalry it is acknowledged as such. In any case, I can accept it as it is a Senna film not a Prost film. <br />
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The film does leave the viewer with a clear sense of Senna's essence if you did not know who he was. He was one of the world's finest racing drivers and a master of rainy race conditions. Also, he was a god fearing man that was a humanitarian and Brazil's biggest advocate. It just could have been a more complete depiction that would have taken the complexity level up a notch for the causal observer. Nevertheless, seeing him and F1 of that era on the big screen is a treat even if you are not a racing fan. It is just a damn good story with complex and charasmatic characters. <br />
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The most fitting part of the experience was when the movie was over and I was leaving the theatre. I was in the midst of a thunderstorm in which the rain was coming down in buckets. I chuckled and did a double take to check for that iconic yellow helmet. Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-75287327466851531622011-08-16T08:11:00.008-04:002011-08-24T22:00:30.230-04:00F1 Young Driver Test, an American prospect<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwrZTs-tucv4KhGCzwD6WBgcx3zcUdlUpIoXqifH5XrNC-O2h-glZl3F6xeKKmMi2xAtW6u_ZOXFLEX42zUk_H-sHmVM6SOWH8VpEVJ_CviMMDPX91MrT_BY0WW00x8PsgoH9L5806PSO/s1600/riddell_rossi_lotus_cnn_576x324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwrZTs-tucv4KhGCzwD6WBgcx3zcUdlUpIoXqifH5XrNC-O2h-glZl3F6xeKKmMi2xAtW6u_ZOXFLEX42zUk_H-sHmVM6SOWH8VpEVJ_CviMMDPX91MrT_BY0WW00x8PsgoH9L5806PSO/s200/riddell_rossi_lotus_cnn_576x324.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander Rossi</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Young Driver Test will take place at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit beginning on November 15 and last four days. This test is generally where up and coming drivers get a chance to sample F1 machinery and teams get to evaluate the speed and how these young drivers work. Last year's test had current F1 rookies Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Perez, Jerome d'Ambrosio, Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo participating and it must be said that these guys have performed well this season. </div><br />
Now, this is where I will engage in some nationality bias. I will be very interested to see Alexander Rossi in this test and shocked if he does not get the chance. Rossi, 19, from the good ol' US of A, is currently competing the World Series by Renault and is in 4th place in the standings with a chance at the title. Rossi has tested F1 machinery back in 2009 with BMW-Sauber as an award for winning the 2008 Formula BMW World Championship and was to be a part of the failed disaster that was USF1. He is in the Team Lotus driver development program and has been in a Lotus T128 in a demonstration run. I really like his potential and unlike ex-F1 driver, Scott Speed who was under the white hot lights as the "Great American Hope" with the Red Bull Driver search and driver development program, Rossi seems to be going under the radar gaining experience in relative quiet. <br />
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The fact that he is affiliated with Team Lotus is also a bonus in my opinion because I believe Team Principal, Tony Fernandes is a first rate businessman and has definitely made decisions and partnerships that says he wants to run a first rate F1 operation. Also, there is more than likely seats to be available in the coming near future as the team continues to grow up. <br />
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In regards to some other drivers, Sam Bird is in line to get another look by Mercedes GP and Ferrari need to really look closely at Jules Bianchi. He is going up against current Sauber driver Sergio Perez in September in a "testing duel" but I am of the opinion Perez is definitely in the seat at Ferrari for 2013. So they need to see what Bianchi is all about. Nevertheless, there should be some interesting performances to watch and it will be interesting to see who's profile raises. Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-32216257055905242402011-08-15T20:53:00.003-04:002011-08-24T21:26:33.059-04:00A Return to In-Season Testing is close<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dkQTEkIEgm3_41FYGmtJnrKbfdq511Seuz77p53v2npZKHxjTXM40ptYKtY7pFPcdGLI5pU2tFd0mBRtL6xol8dzdcM-xyiUKNd87lfNtQLkxvoGXMOO-kNgjm5GKQjz7mpP9PGbSxMP/s1600/f1_car_mclaren_garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dkQTEkIEgm3_41FYGmtJnrKbfdq511Seuz77p53v2npZKHxjTXM40ptYKtY7pFPcdGLI5pU2tFd0mBRtL6xol8dzdcM-xyiUKNd87lfNtQLkxvoGXMOO-kNgjm5GKQjz7mpP9PGbSxMP/s200/f1_car_mclaren_garage.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I love testing in Formula One. In it's most elemental form it is just practice, but given the level of technology and connections teams have to aerospace companies it is akin to NASA doing research and development projects. I guess only complete nerds would get satisfaction of looking at test times, test programs, analyzing test photos looking for new components on the car. When F1 became more standardized with restriction on designs, engine development being frozen and continuation of a single tire supplier, they also saw the need to put mileage restrictions for on-track testing in an effort for reduce cost. <br />
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In 2009, there was an in-season testing ban put into effect. Gone were the days of teams doing 40,000 miles of testing. Since then teams are only allowed to test before and after the season during designated test sessions(6 tests in 2010 and 5 in 2011). In response, teams moved more aggressively to highly advanced simulators to supplement the development work they do with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), wind tunnels and shaker rigs. The teams seem pretty content with the current arrangement as it did reduce cost and freed up resources. Teams no longer have designated test squads and working conditions are more reasonable relatively speaking. <br />
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However, there are side effects of no in season testing. Young drivers have no way of building up F1 experience other than simulator work, reserve drivers young and old could not stay sharp and teams could properly evaluate drivers. Luca Badoer in 2009 subbing for an injured Felipe Massa gave embarrassing performances not in line with his ability, but he hadn't been in the racecar in 10 months. It was the same for Michael Schumacher when he could not test current machinery to see if he could be Massa's substitute. In 2011, drivers like Bruno Senna, Jules Bianchi, Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg deserve a good evaluation. <br />
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This year there seems to be a real effort and possibility that in-season testing returns to F1 as FIA president, Jean Todt and Pirelli are very much in favor of the idea. Todt thinks the ban has been a failure and silly that teams can not run during the season and for the side effects mentioned above. Pirelli are keen to have it return because they are feeling the tire development squeeze in that they only gain data and experiment at the Grand Prix and essentially use a 2 year old ex-Toyota F1 chassis to carry out further development work. <br />
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Proposals on the table are a good compromise for allowing young drivers to gain experience and teams in general to get data to improve their cars; and it is safe to say that Pirelli will take any opportunity to run current cars. The proposal that appears to be most workable for teams is the idea of a single three-day test that will take place after the "fly-away" races, late April/early May 2012. But if the FIA and teams can not agree on the terms for 2012, Todt is on record saying that he will push through a provision for in-season testing for 2013 regardless, but clearly is looking for consensus. <br />
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In any case, it certainly will be nice for F1 nerds everywhere to pullout their spreadsheets, go to their live timing websites and chronicle test programs during the season. Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-84525540453568739372011-08-13T09:40:00.002-04:002011-08-24T22:26:47.690-04:00Excited for 2012 USGP and Circuit of the Americas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvtiFi3lUApTBALp6-6SPdOiqFfsShJMpzPnaI0-NTbklYrUYAWVf-q4Lu4K1iLL-UgeIR1LYTOZcp7BGbO7Q0jW8jDVLlEu1zE3nazKfg4_iyc__BGuPrJfN6jr7T4OmuYtxPm9TERuQ/s1600/Formula-1-USGP-Austin-Texas-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvtiFi3lUApTBALp6-6SPdOiqFfsShJMpzPnaI0-NTbklYrUYAWVf-q4Lu4K1iLL-UgeIR1LYTOZcp7BGbO7Q0jW8jDVLlEu1zE3nazKfg4_iyc__BGuPrJfN6jr7T4OmuYtxPm9TERuQ/s400/Formula-1-USGP-Austin-Texas-2012.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
If everything goes according to plan, in little over a year F1 will make it's return to the United States after a 4 year absence; and I am sure it will make a big return where they do everything big, Texas. Currently there is a purpose-built circuit under construction outside of Austin, Texas and if you look at the design details, simulations, and some construction photos, it appears the track is going to be something to behold. The 3.4 mile circuit clearly pays respect and takes some cues from Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel sequence, Hockenheim's arena bends and Istanbul's multiple apex Turn 8. In addition, the uphill section into Turn 1 gives me some visions of the old Osterreichring. In addition to F1, the circuit will have international events like MotoGP (a real home grand prix for Colin Edwards and Ben Spies) and Australian V8 Supercars.<br />
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Although I have not gotten over the failure that was USF1, this has all the makings of a well organized and well supported grand prix and will go a long way in helping me forget USF1. The people involved from the American side of things are people of the right caliber, Founding Partners of the circuit, Red McCombs and Tavo Hellmund. Simply put these two are well positioned to help make the race a success for two reasons. One, McCombs's money and connections with media and two Hellmund's organizational experience and connections to F1 through the man himself, Bernie Ecclestone. Add it together you have money, exposure, leadership and passion for F1. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFZ9e9iDiyt0OfduLAVEXQ5R4z4GzXyTzfsbxxUiYdeFSKInXvIgzCOzNJbAKu0ZNX2qGh6Jmj-T_dgJLU3IAuN24MSJ3Xda2lg-7JamOaoVwNqQ49MGCMVZMaX7P8qcBSU-b4iCAKkig/s1600/tilke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFZ9e9iDiyt0OfduLAVEXQ5R4z4GzXyTzfsbxxUiYdeFSKInXvIgzCOzNJbAKu0ZNX2qGh6Jmj-T_dgJLU3IAuN24MSJ3Xda2lg-7JamOaoVwNqQ49MGCMVZMaX7P8qcBSU-b4iCAKkig/s320/tilke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Moreover, Texas seems to be a very appropreiate venue as Austin is a youngish city with a growing economy with high technology sectors and very much into green construction; right in sync with the F1 and the FIA. Also, F1 is not short of latin drivers; according to US census info, 38% of people in Texas are of latino decent and Mexico is right next door. The Champcar/NASCAR races in the recent past in Mexico (Fundidora Park and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez) were well supported races as was the Grand Prix of Houston in 2007 (Champcar) with a race weekend attendance of 168,000. <br />
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More than likely there will not be an American driver in F1 for 2012 but there is a Mexican, Sauber rookie Sergio Perez, who has impressed with his performances in which he has driven as if he has seen it all before; very poised, mature and quick. With Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim backing the Sauber team, there is no doubt much will be made of Perez racing just over the border in 2012. <br />
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In addition, if Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is to be believed about his ideal line-up being an experienced driver paired with a talented young driver, it stands to reason that Perez (a member of Ferrari's driver development program) ends up with the legendary F1 team in 2013 when current "number 2" driver Felipe Massa's contract expires. The other Mexican F1 drivers to hold such distinction...you got it, Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez. <br />
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<a href="http://circuitoftheamericas.com/">Circuit of the Americas</a><br />
<a href="http://www.formula1unitedstates.com/">2012 United States Grand Prix </a>Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-91531397398708834342011-08-12T17:45:00.000-04:002011-08-24T21:26:33.060-04:00No need for qualifying tires in 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6cXQcCv0pM2c83mnfCt2CBc0PeBIEIvjZdNCXIwrR6iOZA7FJrr-Yyo9Aaej_cQe5en_8eGwhDRaNmXUSLUxBjQo22TQJERSnybUVXqW3HaIcgVT59X69uVFIzBuJL-V8gRFRsDhp6ws/s1600/pirelli.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6cXQcCv0pM2c83mnfCt2CBc0PeBIEIvjZdNCXIwrR6iOZA7FJrr-Yyo9Aaej_cQe5en_8eGwhDRaNmXUSLUxBjQo22TQJERSnybUVXqW3HaIcgVT59X69uVFIzBuJL-V8gRFRsDhp6ws/s200/pirelli.bmp" /></a></div><br />
Pirelli has proposed that in 2012 teams can utilize a special qualifying tire. Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hembery told AUTOSPORT that they have offered the teams to bring the special tires and was waiting to hear back. "We've put the idea of qualifying tires to the teams and we will get their feedback; if they don't want to do it, we won't do it." <br />
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It must be said Pirelli have done a good job so far. Also, it has been very active/vocal as a tire supplier in their return to F1 this year. They have previous advocated for qualifying changes, had to reaffirm that their tire choices would be neutral and not advantage any one team, advocate the return of in-season testing, and actively sought feedback from teams. <br />
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All well and good, but this latest proposal for qualifying tires is unnecessary. Parc Ferme restrictions, where teams can not change the car after qualifying starts, is at odds on the whole concept of outright qualifying pace. Teams obviously need to have race setups and not qualifying setups. Sure teams can get the qualifying glory, but they would just ruin their races. I doubt the FIA would like that as it leads to the slippery slope of other qualifying only parts which will only escalate costs. This was the case in the past. <br />
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I think if Pirelli want to produce more tires, they should advocate that teams just get more sets then they do now. This year teams are restricted to 11 sets of tires whereas in recent years they were allocated 14 sets per team. This reduction in sets has led to "tire hoarding" for strategic purposes but some teams. <br />
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Obviously a benefit of the qualifying tires are that they would be faster over a single lap; the downside they will only be any good for that single lap. Rather wasteful and can lead to more complaints from drivers about being impeded on their qualifying lap by traffic; no one wants that. I would say that if Pirelli wants them to go faster, advocate that the minimum weight goes back to 605 kgs or something similar from the current 640 kgs. <br />
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They have done a good job, but lets keep the tinkering to a minimum for the time being as F1 currently has a decent on track show going. Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-45365308596589735372011-08-12T09:22:00.007-04:002011-08-24T22:16:27.413-04:00Disillusioned...but not for that longOver the past year plus I grew disillusioned with the path that the sport was taking. However, I continued to watch and follow the sport. What can I say, racing is like a drug. I grew further pushed away as the rules for 2011 came into force and I thought F1 has lost its true meaning; but again I can not completely get away.
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<br />As we are currently in the summer break before F1 goes to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit little more than 2 weeks away, I must stop denying the reality. F1 has been pretty entertaining this year even with the domination of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
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<br />The 3 biggest changes in the sport were:
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<br />1. The addition of Pirelli as the sole tire supplier in F1 replacing the bulletproof Bridgestone product.
<br />2. Drag Reduction System or DRS, an adjustable wing flap system that reduces drag, increases straight line speed and encourages overtaking.
<br />3. Reuse of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems or KERS. A system in which energy is recovered during braking and stored. Think of regenerative braking that you might find on a Toyota Prius.
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<br />I always like the KERS system but poorly implemented by the FIA, I was in different to Pirelli, and thought DRS was heresy. Well, Pirelli did exactly what was asked of them by the FIA in producing a product that would wear out and have bigger difference between tire compound and DRS has allowed drivers to be in a better position to overtake, although there is room for improvement on implementation. For example, multiple DRS use zones.
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<br />These changes have allowed for more overtaking opportunities (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93181)and hence more excitement. Although I still bristle a bit at the changes F1 has made in the past few years there is no denying that it is a better viewing product.
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<br />Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-51525021224734430462010-01-27T19:55:00.003-05:002011-08-24T22:12:42.206-04:00Toyota recalls and F1 plans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gadw4r6KkJw9YRH_hE-eS1a2kq66XsS8IMYu-joEPipKY37d-8Nlja5XNtKv0cibFarJbqaJUPTxRdJ17rpEU0RukXjnCXjhf-NHdur-xdGJcIdZ9r2IsB8kbRq-N7BBtH7dyPDrhhbg/s1600-h/TOYOTA%2520F1%2520LOGO.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gadw4r6KkJw9YRH_hE-eS1a2kq66XsS8IMYu-joEPipKY37d-8Nlja5XNtKv0cibFarJbqaJUPTxRdJ17rpEU0RukXjnCXjhf-NHdur-xdGJcIdZ9r2IsB8kbRq-N7BBtH7dyPDrhhbg/s200/TOYOTA%2520F1%2520LOGO.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431588725900364866" /></a><br />I know they are out of F1 now but I want to raise a point in regards to the following news. Toyota told its U.S. dealers Tuesday to immediately quit selling the new and used cars and trucks that it recalled on Jan. 21 because their throttles could stick open. Moreover, it will quit building 2010 versions of the models effected until it finds a solution for the throttle problem. <br /><br />It has suspended U.S. sales of eight models. These models are: 2005-10 Avalaon, 2007-10 Camry, 2009-10 Corolla, 2010 Highlander, 2009-10 Matrix, 2009-10 RAV4, 2008-10 Sequoia and 2007-10 Tundra. Toyota has had 2 recalls related to throttle issues affecting over 6 million cars. This problem may also impact 2 million more European model Toyotas. <br /><br />It makes you wonder how long they knew of the problem or whether the scope of the issue was not realized until much later. Toyota had made strong commitments to F1 going forward before their eventual pull out in November. As late as early September there was strong support for the program. Perhaps these events give us a little more insight to why Toyota chose not to engage in a series where expenses are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. When they announced their pull out they cited "current severe economic realities". Wonder if that meant that in an economic recession could they afford F1 and a large scale vehicle recall? At the time Toyota was verbally re-pledging its commitment in F1, it was looking to slash the F1 budget by at 40%. Their first recall was in late September dealing with floor mats supposedly hitting the throttle. Again, something to consider. <br /><br />Coincidentally, Toyota offers a virtual good bye this week to F1 via its website. <br /><br /><a href="http://ms.toyota.co.jp/en/">http://ms.toyota.co.jp/en/</a>Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229989495475212205.post-55106109164847538742010-01-26T19:49:00.002-05:002011-08-24T21:37:36.879-04:00It is officially, official: Lopez USF1's first driver<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmGWiM6AnI3om974rswHUD1S9qffArVtopkzvWx57ZDxpw2FCZ4fMwCYaabMlmC-Um3gtYsHfrjHzBapqZErnIKX_ueB0nSfIVN-FaIG8h6QiFC_vQeJ72_zlK3MukL1tzqD62hNUnHho/s1600-h/Jos--Mar-a-L-pez-F1-drive-001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmGWiM6AnI3om974rswHUD1S9qffArVtopkzvWx57ZDxpw2FCZ4fMwCYaabMlmC-Um3gtYsHfrjHzBapqZErnIKX_ueB0nSfIVN-FaIG8h6QiFC_vQeJ72_zlK3MukL1tzqD62hNUnHho/s200/Jos--Mar-a-L-pez-F1-drive-001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431214267002565186" /></a> USF1 has formally announced former Renault test driver Jose Maria Lopez for its debut season in F1. It is has been a move months in the making, but the team can finally confirm their choice. The second seat is still open with talk of former Honda tester James Rossiter filling that role as Windsor has hinted at 2 young drivers for the seats at USF1. <br /><br />Although Windsor may be impressed by his new choice, I do not share his enthusiasm. Lopez is a seat warmer with money that will help USF1 as they build their operations. However, what should have been expected? Given the circumstances of a tough global economy and a new start-up team, you have to maximize your resources. USF1 have certainly done that given Lopez is backed by the Argentine government. So, perhaps I had a bit of wishful thinking that it would a more exciting pick. <br /><br />With that said, he was a tester for Renault and member of their development program and with a very different rules package in 2010 then in 2006 who knows how he will perform. If Renault can overlook Kubica a few years ago, who is to say they did not overlook Lopez with the prospects of Kovalainen, Piquet Jr., and di Grassi in the pipeline at the time. Also, who thought that Kamui Kobayashi was anything exciting until he got his shot to drive in F1. So now that the choice is made I will be excited to see what he has to offer behind the wheel. <br /><br /><a href="http://formulaoneamerica.blogspot.com/2010/01/usf1-launches-in-alabama-rookies-driver.html">http://formulaoneamerica.blogspot.com/2010/01/usf1-launches-in-alabama-rookies-driver.html</a>Pete DaSilvahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16860115191743349049noreply@blogger.com1