Thursday, 30 June 2011

Fernando Alonso: ?I?m sure Lewis will be aggressive??

Fernando Alonso was in upbeat mood after qualifying in Valencia, despite being unable to match the front row spot he earned last time out in Canada. The local hero insists that he?s happy to start fourth, behind the Red Bulls … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/25/fernando-alonso-im-sure-lewis-will-be-aggressive/

Ian Burgess Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button

Nico Rosberg - classic F1 2011

Nico Rosberg is the latest grand prix driver to select his five favourite all-time races for our classic Formula 1 series.

As regular readers will know, BBC Sport is serialising the F1 drivers' choices before every race this season to whet your appetites for the action to come. Highlights will be shown on this website and the red button on BBC television in the UK.

Rosberg, who is for the second season in a row putting F1 legend Michael Schumacher firmly in the shade at Mercedes, is the first driver so far this season to choose races only because of their status as all-time classics, with not one of his own making the list. Although the German took part in one of his selected events, he has chosen it for reasons that have nothing to do with himself.

In chronological order, Rosberg's choices are as follows:

The 1985 South African Grand Prix, which featured a memorable performance from Rosberg's father Keke. He finished second to Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell, but was at least as impressive as the Englishman on the day.

The 1987 British Grand Prix and Mansell's famous fightback to win, when he made up 30 seconds on team-mate Nelson Piquet and pulled off one of the great passing moves to overtake the Brazilian and win the race.

The 1997 European Grand Prix, when Schumacher notoriously - and unsuccessfully - tried to take out Jacques Villeneuve's Williams as they were battling for the world title at the final race of the season.

The 2000 Belgian Grand Prix, featuring the famous all-time classic overtaking move by McLaren's Mika Hakkinen on Schumacher.

The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton, a former team-mate of Rosberg in the lower categories, snatched the world title with an overtaking move on the final corner of the final lap.

Regular readers of this feature will know that we pick one of the driver's choices to offer special treatment, and in this case we have plumped for the 1985 South African Grand Prix.

This choice was made partly because it an excellent race that has been somewhat overlooked, and also because the tape we were given of the 1997 European Grand Prix, which was covered by ITV, has a significant proportion of the race missing, so we are unable to provide highlights of that event.

I was intrigued as to why Rosberg chose the 1985 race at the brilliant original Kyalami circuit. After all, his father had many career highlights and this was a race he did not win - whereas he took stunning victories in Monaco 1983 and Dallas 1984 and starred in many other superb grands prix.

Clearly Nico was not old enough to have watched any of his dad's races live and remember them - he was just coming up for four months old at the time Keke was racing in Kyalami, and the elder Rosberg retired from F1 for good at the end of the following season, when Nico was a year and a half old.

So I asked Nico why he had plumped for that race above all.

"Because it was fun to see my dad beyond all limits," he said, pointing out that he had watched it on a video.

Keke in extremis, you mean, I said.

"Yeah. Fun, eh?"

Indeed it was. And Nico is right - it was one of Keke Rosberg's greatest drives.

Fresh from being beaten by Mansell at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, Rosberg qualified third in South Africa behind the Englishman and Piquet's Brabham-BMW, paying generous tribute to his team-mate's lap afterwards.

"I wonder if McLaren are beginning to think they've signed the wrong Williams driver," he joked.

Rosberg dropped to sixth at the end of the first lap, but quickly climbed through the field and took the lead from Mansell heading into lap nine, after the Englishman waved him through on the pit straight because the Finn was at that stage of the race using more turbo boost pressure than his team-mate.

Unfortunately for Rosberg, he had chosen the wrong moment to lead the race. It meant that on the very next lap he was the first to come across an oil slick dropped by the Toleman of Piercarlo Ghinzani. With no warning from the marshals that the track was slippery, Rosberg spun into the sandy outfield.

Mansell, not far behind his team-mate, had just enough warning to slow down and he managed to stay on the track. He survived his own scary moment and skated into the lead, leaving Rosberg to rejoin in sixth place in his sand-covered car.

As Mansell cruised off to a comfortable win, his second in succession following his breakthrough maiden victory at the previous race, Rosberg fought superbly back through the field to finish second.

You will find the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme from the day of the race embedded below. Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's European Grand Prix in Valencia, which featured Mark Webber's terrifying somersault, from which the Australian was fortunate to escape unscathed.

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CLICK HERE FOR SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX

On the subject of the BBC broadcast of the 1985 South African race, there is an interesting story to tell.

As usual, the commentary team was Murray Walker and James Hunt. They were calling the race from a studio in London - and although this was quite common back then at far-flung races, it was not communicated to the audience. Practices were very different 26 years ago.

Hunt had very strong views on apartheid, which was still nine years away from ending in South Africa, and during the live broadcast he suddenly launched into a withering attack on the evils of the system and the South African government.

As I'm sure you are aware, the BBC is very careful not to stray into political comment in a sports broadcast, however commonplace and justifiable the views expressed might be. So the producer Mark Wilkin - now the BBC's F1 editor - handed Hunt a note which read: "Talk about the race!"

At which point, Hunt said: "Anyway, thank goodness we are not actually there."

The arrangements for these races on the BBC red button in the UK are as follows:

Extended highlights of South Africa '85, short highlights of Britain '87, Belgium 2000 and Brazil 2008 and extended highlights of the 2010 European Grand Prix will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 2000 BST on Wednesday 22 June until 1145 BST on Thursday 23 June, and again from 2000 BST on Thursday 23 June until 0845 BST on Friday 24 June.

Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of Wimbledon means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.

UPDATE, 1700 BST:

We have managed to free up some space on Freeview to show classic F1. It will now be shown on the BBC red button between first and second practice on Friday 24 June, ie from 1035 to 1200 BST.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/nico_rosberg_-_classic_f1_2011.html

Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi

Could Hamilton join Red Bull?

As Lewis Hamilton ponders the fall-out from his controversial performance in Canada, he has more on his mind than a few lost points in the world championship.

Formula 1's most exciting driver is pondering his future as he watches Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel canter to a second consecutive world title.

As Mark Hughes explained in his column, Hamilton's frustration is down to the fact that he believes he is the fastest driver in the world, that he would beat any of his rivals if they were all driving the same car. It is a belief largely shared within Formula 1.

Most would probably say Fernando Alonso was the best driver - by which they mean the most complete - but they would agree that Hamilton is certainly the quickest. Although Vettel is gaining increasing support in both categories.

For Hamilton, it is proving increasingly hard to cope with the fact that he has won the world title just once, in 2008, and that he is facing a third consecutive year in a car that is arguably not really fast enough to allow him to compete for another.

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Hamilton collides with Button during Canadian Grand Prix

McLaren's race pace - far superior to its qualifying speed - is clouding the issue slightly, but it's hard to argue with Vettel's five wins and two second places in seven races.

Given these circumstances, it is easy to see why the 26-year-old Englishman might be beginning to wonder whether McLaren is the team to satisfy his burning ambitions.

Not for the first time, the concept of Hamilton joining Red Bull raised its head again in Montreal - and that was even before Autosport revealed on Monday that he had spent 15 minutes in a private meeting with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on Saturday evening at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

According to Autosport, the meeting was described by a Red Bull "source" as a "social visit". That "source" may or may not be Horner himself.

Hamilton has played down the idea of leaving McLaren, saying the team have a car capable of winning races and that there is no reason to leave while they remain competitive. He also says it is not unusual for him to talk to rival team bosses.

But that is not an outright denial, so the issue of his future will continue to remain a source of speculation.

Could the meeting with Horner be the start of serious negotiations about a move to Red Bull? Certain sections of the media suggest it is wrong to attach too much significance to Saturday's chat, claiming it would be foolish for a driver to walk over to a rival team's HQ in full view of the F1 paddock with the express intention of discussing his future.

But people have either got short memories or do not pay close enough attention.
When Alonso joined McLaren for 2007, it was the culmination of a process that began in 2005. Ron Dennis, who was the team boss of McLaren at the time, mooted the idea to the Spaniard in a chance conversation as both men waited to go out on to the podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso having just won his first world title for Renault.

Likewise, in Belgium in 2007, with his relationship with McLaren in pieces, Alonso strolled over to the Red Bull motorhome, where he discussed the chances of joining the team with Horner as they sat on the open top deck. I know, because I watched them from the upper level of the paddock.

And so the 2011 F1 driver market 'silly season' starts in earnest.

Alonso has just signed up with Ferrari until 2016, the double world champion is not going anywhere. The same goes for Vettel, who is under contract to Red Bull until 2014. So, of F1's big three, that leaves Hamilton.

Theoretically, he is contracted to McLaren until next year, the result of a five-year deal that was signed in the wake of his stunning debut season alongside Alonso in 2007.

That has always been assumed to be a firm five-year contract, which means any move Hamilton makes - to Red Bull, for example - would have to wait until 2013.

However, it would be very unusual for a driver to sign away his future to a team for that length of time without any opt-out clauses, even if - as in the case of Hamilton and McLaren - that team had groomed him for success since he was 11 years old.

And even if the contract is solid, it does not mean Hamilton cannot move. As one veteran driver manager said: "I don't know the details of Hamilton's contract but if the team-driver relationship gets to an irreconcilable point then it won't matter what the contract says."

So a Hamilton move to Red Bull for next year cannot be ruled out, especially in light of the mixed messages coming out of Red Bull about the future of Mark Webber.

On Thursday, Horner said Webber had made it clear he would like to drive for the team next year, adding that he felt the Australian still had the "motivation and desire" and that Red Bull were "very happy with him in the team".

But 24 hours later, Webber did not sound so sure. "We'll see how we go," he said. "There's a bit to go yet in the summer. Keep thinking."

So what is going on?

Horner shrugged his shoulders when I asked why Webber would say that if he had told him he wanted to continue. But when I explained the situation to a man with long experience of the driver market, he said: "I think you can read that as Horner trying to tease another driver out, getting him to make up his mind."

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Vettel misses out on victory in Canada as Button makes last-lap move

Could that driver be Hamilton? Is it a coincidence that the Englishman went to speak to Horner two days after the Red Bull boss made those comments to the media?

On the face of it, you might wonder why Red Bull would want Hamilton. They already have Vettel. Putting Hamilton alongside the German would be a wonderful proposition for F1's audience but it would be a massive headache for those inside the team. And such a move would be guaranteed to infuriate Vettel, the company's blue-eyed boy wonder.

But from a global marketing perspective, what could be better? Red Bull have long made a point of letting their drivers race. What better scenario for a company wishing to project an exciting, dynamic, youthful image, than two of F1's three most exciting drivers going at it head-to-head in the same team?

It would be a tricky situation for Horner to handle, as he has already admitted himself, but why would that be a concern for Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz?

Equally, while Vettel would probably be furious at having Hamilton alongside him to start with, he might well come round to the idea. He already has an advantage as the incumbent and, while he may not be as fast as Hamilton, he is, by reputation, better at working with his engineers to get the best out of his car.

If Hamilton did go to Red Bull, it would be in place of Webber. The Australian will not be drawn on the apparent disconnect between his words in Montreal and Horner's but many believe he will leave the team at the end of the year - either into retirement or to another team for one last hurrah.

That team could be Ferrari, where Felipe Massa's future is in question. The Brazilian has a contract for 2012 but he is an inconsistent performer. He is pretty close to Alonso at some races but nowhere near at others.

Massa, I'm told, will keep his seat if he puts in a strong showing at the next race, the European Grand Prix at Valencia on 26 June. If not, Webber is one of the drivers on Ferrari's list of candidates.

Ferrari are, I understand, also interested in Jenson Button and have had some contact with him. When Button joined McLaren in 2010, it was said that he had a three-year contract. But I am told he is a free agent at the end of this year if he wants to be. The prospect - however slim - of losing both his drivers must be giving McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh sleepless nights.

Ferrari are also interested in Nico Rosberg, who has impressed since joining Michael Schumacher at Mercedes last year. However, the rumours are Rosberg has been offered a big pay packet to stick with the German team.

That is not surprising given the uncertain form of Schumacher, whose excellent performance in Montreal will not bury memories of less convincing races elsewhere.

Schumacher is on a three-year deal but will he continue beyond 2011 if he cannot retain the speed he showed in Canada? If he doesn't, Paul di Resta, who has impressed enormously in his debut season with Force India, must be a strong candidate to replace him, as a Mercedes prot�g�.

How many of these prospective moves actually happen remains to be seen but it certainly promises to be an interesting summer.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/could_hamilton_join_red_bull.html

Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson

Fifth Gear pits McLaren MP4-12C against Ferrari 458 Italia

TV show Fifth Gear maestroes Tiff Needel and Jason Plato put the McLarena MP4-12C and the Ferrary 458 Italia through their paces coming away with some profound results.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/oZMccHsJW4A/fifth-gear-pits-mclaren-mp4-12c-against-ferrari-458-italia

Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison Fernando Alonso

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Circuits weigh into engine row

UPDATED AT 1925 BST

After months of drawn-out and occasionally bitter wrangling, Formula 1's switch to 1.6-litre turbo engines for 2014 was rubber-stamped on Wednesday by the FIA world council, the sport's legislature. In theory, that should be the end of the matter.

But it may not be that simple. It has emerged in the last few days that many of F1's circuits share F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's concerns about the new engines.

He believes the ear-splitting screech of the current 2.4-litre V8s is a critical part of the spectacle of F1 and that the introduction of the new engines, which will have a different and probably more muted sound, will reduce the sport's appeal.

Those with long memories in F1 have raised an eyebrow about Ecclestone's new concern for trackside spectators. This is a man who, until this latest political battle, appeared to some observers to have an eye only for the TV audience, from where much of the sport's income comes.

The circuits, though, are a different matter. Because of their contracts with Ecclestone's companies, the only way they can raise revenue out of F1 is through paying spectators. Costs are high and margins are tight. So if numbers will fall, they have a problem.

The circuits had already expressed their concerns privately to the F1 teams and the FIA but their worries became public courtesy of an article in a Sunday newspaper.

It claimed all the tracks apart from China and Korea had signed a letter to the FIA saying they would consider dropping F1 in favour of IndyCars if the new engines were adopted.

The story appeared in a newspaper to which Ecclestone often speaks, was written by a journalist who has close links with him and featured quotes from Ron Walker, chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, who, you guessed it, is close to Ecclestone.

Neil England - the non-executive chairman of Silverstone, who deals with Ecclestone regarding the British Grand Prix - described the report as "a slight misrepresentation of the situation". Silverstone had not, he said, been signatories of any letter but they had made clear their discomfort about the new engine rules.

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Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey on 2014 engine rules

England does, he says, see the "media value" of the new engine - Ecclestone himself has described it to me as "PR" - but says he would prefer to focus on the "things that make a difference".

He agrees that the noise is a large part of F1's spectacle and, while Silverstone support attempts to reduce F1's carbon footprint, they feel a bigger impact could be made in other ways, such as producing co-ordinated travel plans for spectators and teams.

England denies he has been lobbied or manipulated by Ecclestone. "He's concerned and has an awareness that it's a potential issue," England says. "I don't feel manipulated and I don't think that's what happened."

Someone on the other side of the argument had a succinct response to that. "Of course they've been pressured by Bernie!" he said. "They've read all his nonsense about engine noise for weeks and weeks and weeks!"

As I said, the argument has got a bit heated.

The new engines were the brainchild of the F1 teams and they have been enthusiastically embraced by FIA president Jean Todt - with whom, incidentally, Ecclestone does not see eye to eye.

The idea behind them was two-fold:

- to popularise and make 'sexy' a direction road-car manufacturers were already heading with their engines

- and to insulate F1, in a world of diminishing fossil fuels and climate change, from charges that it was wasteful by playing a role in the increased development and sales of more efficient road cars.

The idea is that, by using these engines in F1, the public will increasingly understand that an exciting car can have an efficient, small capacity engine and regenerate as much energy as possible. In addition, it will speed up the development of the technology by exposing it to the white-heat of F1 competition.

Those in favour of the engines, then, say that to dismiss the new rules as having only "media value" somewhat misses the point.

It may be true that persuading spectators to get more buses and trains to a grand prix rather than driving their private cars would reduce carbon emissions more effectively than changing the engines in the F1 cars themselves. But it could also be said that if a significant proportion of the world's car users switched to more efficient vehicles, the effect of that would be exponentially larger again.

Those backing the new engines counter the arguments about noise as follows:

- F1 previously used turbo engines of almost exactly the same size as those being introduced in 2014 back in the 1980s (1.5-litre turbos as opposed to 1.6-litre turbos). No-one complained about the noise then. In fact, that time is remembered as a golden era.

- Audi and Peugeot use turbo-diesel engines at the Le Mans 24 Hours sports car race and have done for several years. These sound infinitely less dramatic than the new F1 engines will do - they are diesel, for a start, and they rev much lower - but spectator numbers at Le Mans haven't reduced. The event still attracts around 250,000 people.

- Many of the 'rebels' are old romantics who hark back to the glory years of the 1970s and the sounds of some of the engines used then. But they forget that the supposedly evocative Matra V12 and Ferrari flat 12 revved to no more than 12,000rpm, exactly what had been the initial limit imposed on the new turbos.

- No one knows whether spectators will object to the sound of the new engines because no one knows what they will sound like. That's because they haven't been in a car yet.

Following the intervention of the circuits, the rev limit of the new engines has been raised from 12,000rpm to 15,000rpm.

According to someone intimately involved with the negotiations over the new engines from the very beginning, this was done in response to the concerns about the noise, "even though we were quite confident that the sound was not going to be anything like as bad as most people feared".

It remains to be seen whether this will assuage the concerns of both the circuits and Ecclestone, although the fact England called for a "period of consultation" suggests not.

But there are many in F1 who believe Ecclestone is devoting his energies and concerns in the wrong direction.

As Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn put it: "There are many considerations we have to make when we are changing the power-plant in F1. Obviously the technology in the automotive field is changing and the big question is how relevant do we need to be and how relevant do we want to be?

"The technology we're working on with these new engines is the technology that is going to become commonplace in road car engines in the future: small capacity, turbocharged engine, direct injection, special Kers systems.

"We don't want to end up as a dinosaur in five or 10 years."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/circuits_weigh_into_engine_row.html

Hans Binder Clemente Biondetti Pablo Birger Art Bisch

AMC NASCAR Matador

I have an AMC '70 Rebel "The Machine" - I searched out AMC and NASCAR and found the Matadors that were raced, Penske and Donohue is what came up and a number 16 car.

Upon examining the structure of the "The Machine" kit all the chassis stuff is molded in, and of course it was a unitized construction; the last AMT NASCAR Matador kit shows a different frame work that is all all together not of the unitized type structure, but much like that of the Chevelle. So what was the frame work like in the earlier NASCAR Matador's, was it sub frame in the front, or was it built around a perimeter frame. If it does work out this '70 Rebel "The Machine" might make a good dirt track stocker.

I need a few more frame details before I take to the idea of turning this '70 Rebel "the Machine" into a NASCAR project.

 

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/964933.aspx

Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford

Rolls-Royce Phantom TB Gold Edition Design Study


In the world of high-end luxury, very few automakers can match the esteem and reverence attached to the Rolls-Royce brand. So when you’re on the drawing board for a design study of a Rolls, the first thing that immediately pops in your head is how you can take the luxury to a whole new level.

Turkish designer, Timur Bozca, understands that and his latest study all but confirms the route to take when dressing up a Rolls-Royce Phantom: add as many expensive materials - like say, gold, for example - on the car to drive up the extravagance. The first thing he did was use the aforementioned gold material to cover some of the car’s exterior, including the grille, the rims, the outline on the lights, the badging, and even the plate casing.

Even the Phantom’s interior wasn’t spared from the luxury overload with plenty of gold to go around, showering the occupants with enough bling to make Mr. T blush with envy. Nothing looks better in gold than a dressed up Rolls-Royce Phantom, right?

The car is definitely a call to luxury, whether some people think it’s excessive or not. The only downside to having all this gold on your car is that it immediately becomes a target for those with kleptic hands.

Rolls-Royce Phantom TB Gold Edition Design Study originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:00 EST.

read more




Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/rolls-royce/2011-rolls-royce-phantom-tb-gold-edition-design-study-ar111901.html

Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow

Toyota Mark II (MX41)

I am starting this one very soon.

I will try to post updates as I progress.

 

Nigel

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/958617.aspx

Tony Brooks Alan Brown Walt Brown Warwick Brown

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Toyota Mark II (MX41)

I am starting this one very soon.

I will try to post updates as I progress.

 

Nigel

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/958617.aspx

Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman

Send me your questions about F1 2011

Hello all,

I am filming the next entries for this video blog on Monday and that means I need your help.

As you know, we answer a selection of your questions as well as reviewing the last few races and looking forward to the next stage of the year.

So if you have any questions about F1 2011, please do post them below. We will pick a selection of the best and I will answer them here next week.

Thanks

Murray

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2011/06/send_me_your_questions_about_f.html

Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer

kenworth w900 motorhome

This is going to pull an 38' foot tri axle trailer.

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/965137.aspx

Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne

Lexus IS 250C Limited Edition


Lexus is offering its British customers a limited edition IS 250C for this summer. It will be limited to only 50 units and is now on sale at a price of �39,990 on the road (around $64,000 at the current exchange rates).

The new IS 250C Limited Edition will be distinguished by black and red semi-aniline fine leather interior, perfect for cutting a dash when driving with the top down. Each unit will get a numbered badge fixed inside the glovebox in order to denote its special status. The model is equipped with a quick and quiet deploying electric folding roof that goes up and down in just a few seconds after the touch of a button.

The list of standard equipments will include 18" alloy wheels, eight-way electrically adjustable front seats with built-in ventilation and heating, cruise control, electric one-touch easy access to the rear seats, climate control that automatically adjusts temperature settings when the roof is down, and cruise control.

Lexus IS 250C Limited Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 27 June 2011 22:00 EST.

read more




Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/lexus/2011-lexus-is-250c-limited-edition-ar111873.html

Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly

Monday, 27 June 2011

Why Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship

Michael Schumacher?s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive.� The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion.� He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career.� So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It?s [...]

Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/why-michael-schumacher-could-win-the-2011-world-championship/

Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa

Send me your questions about F1 2011

Hello all,

I am filming the next entries for this video blog on Monday and that means I need your help.

As you know, we answer a selection of your questions as well as reviewing the last few races and looking forward to the next stage of the year.

So if you have any questions about F1 2011, please do post them below. We will pick a selection of the best and I will answer them here next week.

Thanks

Murray

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2011/06/send_me_your_questions_about_f.html

Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies Colin Davis

Paul di Resta - classic F1 2011

Scotland's Paul di Resta, who has made such an impressive start to his grand prix career with Force India this season, is the latest driver to feature in our revised classic Formula 1 series.

Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the 25-year-old has picked his five favourite all-time F1 races. We will broadcast highlights of each of his choices in this blog and on the BBC red button to whet your appetites for the action to come in Montreal this weekend.

Di Resta follows in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso and Nick Heidfeld so far this season.

The drivers have all taken a different approach to this task. Vettel, for example, picked only races from his own career, while the others drivers we have showcased so far have all to one degree or another chosen a mix of races in which they featured and ones from before their own time in the sport.

Di Resta has raced in only seven grands prix so far, so it is no surprise that four of his five choices are from the archive.

His first is this year's Australian Grand Prix - after all, a driver will always remember his F1 debut fondly.

The rest are as follows:

The 1968 German Grand Prix, which has gone down in history as one of the great Jackie Stewart's most extraordinary victories, and one of the greatest of all time.

Di Resta says he "read about it in Jackie's autobiography - sounded exciting". The race, memorably described by Stewart himself, was held in teeming rain and dense fog, and Stewart was in a league of his own, winning by four minutes in his Matra.

The next choice is the 1979 French Grand Prix, famous for the thrilling duel over second place between Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve and Renault's Rene Arnoux in the final three laps, the two men passing and re-passing, banging wheels in lurid, thrilling fashion, until Villeneuve finally prevailed.

It was one of the iconic Villeneuve's landmark performances, a man of sublime talent transcending the limitations of his machinery and taking on faster cars.

A similar description can be applied to Di Resta's next choice, the 1993 European Grand Prix at Donington Park, which has entered F1 folklore as one of the late Ayrton Senna's greatest wins.

In a race of constantly changing conditions, Senna moved from fifth to first in the course of a stunning first lap and raced off into a league of his own. Such was his superiority that at one point he had lapped the entire field.

Finally, Di Resta has chosen the climax to the 2008 world title fight at the Brazilian Grand Prix, when, as he puts it, "the championship went to the last corner".

Many will recall that Ferrari's Felipe Massa would overhaul McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and take the title if the Brazilian could win, with Hamilton finishing lower than fifth.

Massa completed his part of the bargain and, as he crossed the line to take the chequered flag, Hamilton was down in sixth place, having recently been passed by Toro Rosso's Vettel.

In the Ferrari pit they celebrated, but with rain falling all was not lost for Hamilton. Ahead of him the Toyotas, which had decided not to stop for wet-weather tyres, were struggling, and the Englishman passed the gripless Timo Glock at the last corner of the race to sneak the place he needed.

As regular readers will know, we pick one of the driver's choices to highlight and I have to admit that the initial inclination was to run Di Resta's choices ahead of the German Grand Prix and show the '68 race at the Nurburgring.

Highlights of that race do not exist in the BBC archive, though, so instead we have moved Di Resta to Canada and chosen the '79 French race because of Villeneuve, after whom Canada's F1 track is named.

So the full 'Grand Prix' highlights programme broadcast on the evening of that race is embedded below - it has never been shown since that day 32 years ago.

Beneath it are links to long and short highlights of last year's Canadian Grand Prix. It was arguably the best race of the season last year, featuring a thrilling battle between all five of the men who fought out the championship - Hamilton, his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, Alonso's Ferrari and the Red Bull drivers Vettel and Mark Webber.

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH SHORT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE TO WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

The details for the BBC red button on digital television in the UK are as follows:

Long highlights from France 1979, short highlights of Europe 1993, Brazil 2008 and Australia 2011 plus extended highlights of the Canadian Grand Prix 2010 will be broadcast on satellite and cable from 1500 BST on Wednesday 8 June until 1700 BST on Sunday 12 June.

Unfortunately, a lack of bandwidth because of the Queens tennis tournament means we are unable to broadcast these highlights on Freeview.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/paul_di_resta_-_classic_f1.html

David Brabham Gary Brabham Jack Brabham† Bill Brack

Ferrari Launch Their 2011 Car The F150

Ferrari have become the first team to launch their 2011 Formula One car – named the F150. Thw F150 name comes from the fact it is 150 years since Italian unification, the flag bearer for the nation decided it was important to increase exposure of the major event in the country’s long history. �The cars [...]

Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/ferrari-launch-their-2011-car-the-f150/

Felice Bonetto Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi Juan Manuel Bordeu

Frost/Nixon team to make Hunt/Lauda movie

Plans for a movie about the 1976 F1 season and the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt appear to have taken a step forward with the news that two of the biggest names in the field of true life … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/23/frostnixon-team-to-make-huntlauda-movie/

Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle Gianmaria Bruni

Sunday, 26 June 2011

Revells 2010 Mustang is now out!!!

HI again,

                  Well it is now out I just picked one up today I'll post pics of it tonight!!!!

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/960610.aspx

Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg

Championship hopes almost finished, says Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton was able to put on a brave face after the European GP, but it was clear that he wasn?t very happy with the outcome of the weekend. He eventually finished fourth and a massive 46 seconds off winner … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/26/championship-hopes-almost-finished-says-hamilton/

Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto

Alonso on top

Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the second session in Valencia on Friday afternoon. Lewis Hamilton was second fastest for McLaren, two-tenths slower than his longtime rival, while Sebastian Vettel was third quickest in his Red Bull. Michael Schumacher was fourth fastest ahead of Felipe Massa, Jenson Button and Mark Webber, with Nico Rosberg [...]

Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/alonso-on-top-2/

Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus

looking for some ideas

after being absent from modeling for a few years, im looking to get back into it. im a vdubber all day long, so like low,  poke, and wide wheels. haha. if there are any places that you recommend me looking for the items to do such things, please feel free to help me out.

anything would be greatly appreciated. i really want to get into this whole stance model game. =]

 

the sites i have been looking at so far are: 

http://www.modelexpress.net

http://www.hlj.com

both of which have a good selection of wheels and tires. but most of them are all sold out/back ordered/discontinued. 

 

again. thank you for any help. 

Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/964889.aspx

Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus

Sebastian Vettel: ?We have nothing to be afraid of??

Sebastian Vettel was unperturbed after being only third fastest on Friday afternoon in Valencia, behind Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. In the morning Vettel experimented with a car in ?Silverstone legal? spec, and he was only16th. Although the consensus is … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/24/sebastian-vettel-we-have-nothing-to-be-afraid-of/

Gianmaria Bruni Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum

Saturday, 25 June 2011

The MINI John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance racer [videos]

The MINI racer comes with a 1.6 liter turbocharged unit delivering approximately 184 kW / 250 PS / 247 bhp and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft ) of torque.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/dhqNl2Gc5YA/the-mini-john-cooper-works-coup-endurance-racer-videos

Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne

Frost/Nixon team to make Hunt/Lauda movie

Plans for a movie about the 1976 F1 season and the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt appear to have taken a step forward with the news that two of the biggest names in the field of true life … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/23/frostnixon-team-to-make-huntlauda-movie/

Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra

Lawsuit filed over $25m Austin Bernie payment

A lawsuit filed by three Austin citizens could disrupt preparations for the US GP. The suit claims that it seeks to prevent “the unlawful plunder of public funds for promoters of a Formula One race at a time when the … Continue reading

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/22/lawsuit-filed-over-25m-austin-bernie-payment/

Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk

Chrome McLaren MP4-12C revealed at UK dealer launch [video]

McLaren has quietly confirmed that three new models or derivatives are currently under development and will go into production by mid-decade.

Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/4uTG3vimnBM/chrome-mclaren-mp4-12c-revealed-at-uk-dealer-launch-video

Jimmy Davies Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz