Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/06/30/1312361/ochocinco-gets-150-mph-ride-with.html
Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ricciardo to make F1 debut for HRT at Silverstone | 2011 British Grand Prix
Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo will make his F1 debut at the British Grand Prix.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/WYWvqjygiwE/
Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels Edgar Barth Giorgio Bassi
Porsche 911 / 991
The 911 is the most successful model in Porsche’s history. It started its long history back in 1963 and since then Porsche has offered five distinct generations: 911 classic, 964 Series, 993 Series, 996 Series, and 997 Series. Moreover, the sixth one is already under intense testings and will make its official debut in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
It may be a little unorthodox for Porsche to be bringing out a new generation 911 despite the fact they just revealed a facelift version, but the requests keep changing and Porsche must answer the call of duty. Their latest target is improving both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The sixth generation 911, or the 998, will be a completely new vehicle, even though everyone will recognize it as a 911 model. Shortly after the launch of the 998 911, Porsche will also be releasing the Turbo, GT2, and GT3 in 2012.
UPDATE 06/01/2011: According to new details offered by Car And Driver, the next generation Porsche 911 will drop the current 6-speed manual gearbox and replace it with a seven-speed manual that will help to improve fuel-economy and reduce engine noise. The new gearbox will be derived from Porsche?s seven-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic and will deliver the same shifting experience as the current tranny.
More details on the 2012 Porsche 998 911 after the jump.
Porsche 911 / 991 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 20:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/porsche/2013-porsche-911-991-ar99572.html
Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber
Why the Monaco GP still packs a punch
Once a year Formula 1 absolutely lives up to its billing as the most glamorous sport in the world and that time comes at the Monaco Grand Prix.
On Friday morning, I had to gingerly step aboard a tender and then climb a rope ladder dangling from the side of a yacht to interview Renault's Nick Heidfeld on deck. Yes, this really could only happen in Monaco.
Without a doubt, the glamour and prestige of the tiny principality, where residents are required to have a significant sum in the bank, inflates F1's wow factor.
"I love it here, it is fantastic," crooned Lewis Hamilton, a Monaco race-winner in 2008 for McLaren. "Wow, this is such a beautiful place to be."
Monaco's street circuit provides a unique thrill for spectators (Getty)
After a muted showing in recent years, the harbour is once again crammed with multi-million pound yachts. Force India owner Vijay Mallya held a Bollywood-themed party on the Indian Empress while the imposing Force Blue made its return with flamboyant owner and former Renault boss Flavio Briatore on board.
Red Bull and Toro Rosso have also taken to water in their floating motorhome - complete with its own swimming pool - while Ferrari have gone one better by putting up their personnel on a yacht.
With such exotic playthings at hand it's hardly surprising the guest list includes Hollywood A-listers Scarlett Johansson and Leonardo di Caprio.
But for all the privilege and status on show, the Monaco Grand Prix also provides unrivalled access for fans.
The more affluent spectator can fork out up to �3,800 for Sunday's race but the cheapest seat is �65 and offers amazing trackside views and a party atmosphere from the Rochers hill along the side of the royal palace.
It's also the only paddock where fans can walk along the waterfront and peer into the teams' inner sanctums before posing for photos with their heroes as they emerge from the motorhomes.
And when the racing is over and dusk falls, the party begins on the track as fans sip a biere or two at the Rascasse bar.
Glitzy promotional events are par for the course in Monaco (Getty)
When Stirling Moss raced here during the Sixties he developed a habit of waving at female fans sunning themselves along the harbour.
Moss said he even used it as a ploy in the 1961 grand prix when he was under pressure from Richie Ginther's chasing Ferrari. Moss took his hand off the wheel to salute a girl and prove he wasn't feeling under pressure.
But can McLaren driver Jenson Button, a Monaco playboy turned triathlete, still have a sneaky glimpse at an average speed of 100mph? "No," he answered sternly.
Whatever you think of Monaco's champagne and celebrity, the yachts and those who pose upon them, Button is spot on - none of it detracts from the racing through the streets.
The miniature land, stacked on a rocky lip of land between France's Mont Angel mountain and the Mediterranean, is just made for the fastest cars in the world to hurtle around.
First comes the noise, the hum hidden among the biscuit-coloured buildings that gathers to a roar as the cars flash past.
Watching the cars fly by the grand Casino, weave nose-to-tail round the hairpin, thunder through the tunnel and then out again in a blink of light past the water and back round to Rascasse is mesmerising, and often nail-biting.
The late Ayrton Senna, who won in Monaco a record six times, spoke of an out of body experience as he glided between the barriers and round the twisting curves.
Driving precision is everything here and there is virtually no let-up, no straights to clear the head over 78 laps.
Two-time Monaco winner turned BBC pundit David Coulthard commented: "For me there's no better challenge for the driver than Monte Carlo and no more glamorous grand prix. For me it's still a thrill."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/05/once_a_year_formula_1.html
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
It?s never safe being a Formula 1 Marshal ? Some videos to show you why
On occasion here at Formula1Fancast we have shown you incidents where Marshal’s have put themselves in danger trying to get the job done. It is a high-risk job in many ways and this, combined with the competitive nature of the sport, mean that Marshal’s are often involved in a regrettable or near regrettable incidents. They [...]
Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
1971 hemi cuda
here is my 71 cuda i finished up a month ago, its painted hok titanium and hok black with ppg clear. the bumpers are done in krylon semi gloss black. the only part of the decal used is the word hemi the rest is painted black and faded. the wheels are from a 69 super bee kit and tire letters are shabo...slusher
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/965833.aspx
Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla
Five ways to improve F1
 Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader
Austin City Council endorses GP plans
After a lengthy debate this afternoon the Austin City Council has endorsed the US GP and approved plans to address the environmental impact of the event. The motion was passed by 5:2. The result is good news for Circuit of … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/29/austin-city-council-endorses-gp-plans/
Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams
Supernatural Impala Conversion - Finished 6/23!
I started this as a part of the recent TV/Movie CBP, but it ended up extending way past the deadline. So I figured I'd start a new thread to post my progress. The base kit is AMT's '67 Impala 2-door HT, and my first step was to modify the body to the 4-door HT configuration:
I used the rear corners from a '68 Camaro to get the basic shape, and did a lot of filling and reshaping to flatten the trunk and blend the old and new roof components together. I also rescribed the door lines, filled in the old door break, and removed the original trim.
I used the stock 427 from the kit, mated to the automatic transmission from AMT's '76 Impala:
Show-accurate wheels came from Fujimi's Suzuki Jimny kit, and parts box tires provided the correct stance:
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/741761.aspx
Georges Berger Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia
Hamilton decision-making under the microscope
 Lewis Hamilton has come in for criticism |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/hamilton_decisionmaking_under_1.php
Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks
White Road Boss wrecker
Here's the latest wrecker to the collection. I used the Matchbox/AMT kit of the Road Boss. I stretched the frame 1-1/2" and added resin rear two hole rims. I used Tamiya brilliant blue, Testors white and red for the colors. I made a lot of the decals for it. The wrecker body and all related Holmes equipment was built from scratch from Evergreen and Plastruc sheet and shapes. It was built in several sub assemblies and then assembled. I used model ship line for the rigging.
Cheers:
Bill
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/938444.aspx
Gino Bianco Hans Binder Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sebastian Vettel dashes hopes of reining in Red Bull
Perhaps the most telling image of the European Grand Prix weekend did not even happen on race day.
After qualifying third and fourth behind the Red Bulls, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso briefly stood side by side as they took in the fact that, for all the pre-event talk, they were just as far behind as before.
The two finest racing drivers in the world didn't speak, nor even exchange a glance. But their drained, haunted faces told you all you needed to know about what Sebastian Vettel's rivals are up against for the remaining 11 races of this season.
Twenty-four hours later, both men effectively admitted that the fight for the world championship is already over.
Valencia was something of a reality check for anyone who retained even the slightest hope that Vettel and Red Bull's relentless march towards a second consecutive world title might be halted.
There were a number of reasons behind the optimism. But in the end they all evaporated as the German drove another controlled, measured race, perfectly judging his car and tyres and keeping just far enough out of reach of his pursuers on his way to a sixth win in eight races.
It looked relatively close for a while, but the suspicion remains that Vettel is going only as fast as he needs to a lot of the time, with one eye on the deliberately high wear of the Pirelli tyres.
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Afterwards, Vettel pretty much admitted this was what was going on. "There's no big secret," he said. "It's a just a question of going fast without giving the tyres too hard a time."
The telling part of the race was leading up to the final pit stops. Until then, Vettel's lead - whether over team-mate Mark Webber or Alonso's Ferrari - had been around two or three seconds, but suddenly he turned on the speed.
A succession of fastest laps followed until his stop on lap 47, after which his advantage was more than eight seconds. If it had not been game over already, it certainly was then.
In a situation such as he faced in Valencia, Vettel is nigh-on unbeatable. If he is going to show a vulnerability, it is when he is under pressure, needs to make up or defend a place - as Jenson Button proved in the Canadian Grand Prix. And on Sunday he knew he had enough of a performance cushion that he didn't really feel any.
Vettel will surely be beaten again from time to time in 2011, but more and more this season is beginning to feel like 1992, when Nigel Mansell swept all before him in the Williams-Renault FW14B.
Vettel's 77-point advantage over his closest pursuers - Webber and Button - is more than three clear wins after just eight races. And his position is further strengthened by the fact that the men who are most likely to be able to pose a consistent threat over the rest of the season - Hamilton and Alonso - are even further behind.
"They're dominant in this championship," Alonso said this weekend, summing up the problem for Ferrari and McLaren. "Probably the most dominant in years."
The Williams FW14B has gone down in history as one of the great F1 cars, and there is no doubt that this year's Red Bull, the RB7, will do the same.
Adrian Newey - also responsible for the FW14B among other defining cars - and his team have done a fantastic job creating a machine that is simply a level above anything else on the grid.
There is no one secret to the Red Bull's pace. As Newey so often says, it is "down to the overall package". Every part of the car designed to perfection, each giving a small gain, all of them adding up to a big advantage in lap time. Removing the reliability niggles that led to a stuttering start last year has been the final piece of the jigsaw.
That's why hopes that Red Bull would be slowed by a new ruling ahead of Valencia restricting changes to engine maps between qualifying and race were always likely to be misguided.
And it emerged over the weekend that a second ruling to come into force at the next race, the British Grand Prix, may well also not have the effect Red Bull's rivals initially hoped.
That is the banning of off-throttle blowing of diffusers - a practice whereby teams blow exhaust gases over the back of the car's floor even when the driver is not pressing the accelerator, significantly increasing downforce and therefore grip.
Initially, the belief among some of Red Bull's rivals was that because the world champions had been the first in exploiting this technology, they must be more advanced with it, and therefore would be hardest hit by any ban.
But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said over the course of the weekend in Spain that they had tried 'hot blowing' and abandoned it because it was burning the bodywork - so had stuck with the less influential 'cold-blowing', where the throttles are kept open but fuel is not burnt. This produces significantly less energy and so is less effective than hot blowing.
That means that far from the Silverstone ruling hurting Red Bull, it could actually help them - as their closest rivals, Ferrari and McLaren, are both using hot-blowing.
It was already difficult to imagine Red Bull being beaten at Silverstone - a track that abounds with the sort of long-duration corners of varying speeds that bring out the car's strengths. With these latest revelations, their advantage in Northamptonshire could be even bigger.
The Red Bull's superiority was summed up by Webber in typically succinct fashion after the race in Valencia on Sunday.
"This is probably our weakest track of the year," the Australian said after finishing third. "We have a different regulation for Silverstone but we're expecting to still be pretty competitive again. So if we can keep Valencia as one of our top three weakest tracks then we didn't do too badly today."
Good as the car is, so far only Vettel is able to exploit its full strengths, and there is no doubt he is having a superb season that will inevitably end with him becoming, at 24, the youngest double world champion.
Webber is far less at home with the car on this year's Pirelli tyres, as was proved again in Valencia, where he fought a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful battle to keep an inspired Alonso - at his relentless best - behind him.
Alonso, who believes he is driving better this season than ever before, was all smiles after the race and well he might have been. For this result - splitting the Red Bulls - will have felt like a victory, so untouchable does Vettel appear barring the sort of wild-card circumstances that led to his only defeats so far this season.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/sebasitan_vettel_dashes_hopes.html
Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr
F1 2011 Race Calendar
The most prestigious event in global motorsport racing is back, and the new season is set to be more entertaining than ever, with a variety of new drivers and teams that will make the playing field more exciting than it has been in years. There are also two new tracks in China and India that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/Fl75eRNiaF4/
George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson
1968 Plymouth Hemi Road Runner
I have long been a fan of the Plymouth Road Runner. I loved the bare-bones muscle this car represents and, of course, the beep-beep horn! I built a 383 Road Runner a few years ago and have been wanting to build another since. Then I found my inspiration, listed on eBay last year at $99,000! It never sold and the seller, a dealership, still has the car and is for sale at $88,500. This car is not perfect and IMHO, not worth the asking price. But, that is just me.
I've been planning this build for some time now and I have gotten all the items I need to start building. I am starting with the AMT/Ertl '68 Road Runner kit.
My paint is MCW #6853 Electric Blue Metallic and the decals are from Keith Marks.
I am using the steel wheels and hub caps from Scale Equipment Limited. I also plan on correcting the mis-shaped rear fender openings.
More to come.....
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/947050.aspx
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader
Best Babes in Formula One (F1) Grand Prix: Pictures, Photos
Women have always been one of the major attractions of Formula 1. The glamour that women bring to this motor sport is wilder than most of the things that you can imagine.
credit: jiazi
When you go to watch any In. These sexy women make the sport popular and far more interesting than any other sport that [...]
credit: jiazi
When you go to watch any In. These sexy women make the sport popular and far more interesting than any other sport that [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/formula-f1/~3/JtNj8l_88d4/
Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
AUTOS: Nissan Unveils Bold New Plan
Six-year program includes 66 new models, eight percent growth in both market share and profits.
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-nissan-unveils-bold-new-plan/
Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot
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
Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison
Cannonball Run 2011
Okay folks it's that time again. Lets kick the tires and light the fires.
As I've mentioned in the announcement thread, this is the thirtieth anniversary of the film, The Cannonball Run. For me and a lot of others, it helped forge the love of cars and more specificly car movies. It still puts a smile on my face.
The rules.
Your car MUST represent a car that "could" have appeared in the 1981 film. It must be a 1981 or older vehicle, and must use the technology and stylings of the day. If you plan on using some tech or items that someone finds in question it is up to the BUILDER to provide proof that it was in use back in the day. So rule of thumb, if in doubt, do your research. * I'm no auto expert, so I'm relying on the SA community to help keep us honest on this rule.*
The car must represent a car that you would like to race across country. Remember huge horsepower is great quarter mile, but you should be thinking reliability to drive from NY to LA.
Any scale.
No diecast.
The race is open to vehicles of any origin, foreign or domestic. It does not have to be a car that was commercially available in the U.S.. If you wanna race a Holden, by all means do so.
A started kit are allowed as long as you are NOT more than 25% along.
A parts box build or a tear down & rebuild are fine also.
We'd like to see an unstarted kit or whatever mess-o-parts you are starting from.
Wheels are gonna be a bear on this build. Remember 1 millimeter is roughly 1 scale inch if the kit is 1/25. So if your wheels are much larger than 16 millimeters across, they are gonna be too big . Mixing scales is gonna be a pain too, a 1/24 scale rim is 17-18 millimeters across so on a 1/25 scale body they are going to look too large.
The last day of this CBP is going to be December 1st 2011. A bout two weeks prior I'll open a thread for you to post pics of your completed builds. On Dec 2 I'll close that thread and open a poll for our peers here to vote on their favorite.
You may build as many models for this CBP as you have time for, HOWEVER, you may only enter ONE car for the poll in December. So pick your best one. After all you can't drive more than one car at a time can you?
Anyone can enter this CBP AT ANY TIME. As long as we see the beginning, a build progression and an end result, I don't care if you knock one out on the weekend before the race.
Let's get to it.
The 2011 Cannonball Rogue's Gallery - so far that is.
Slantasaurus - Mercury Capri II (a what?)
MillerMeteor - 77 Pontiac Ventura
Alex_bman33 - 69 Chevy Nova
Ace-Motorsport - 79 Mustang II (aka "Shortshot")
Wagonmaster - 69 Plymouth
Wraith - (treating us like mushrooms)
Dingo - Ford Falcon XY 350 GTHO (eventually)
Crazyhorse - Farrah's 76 Mustang Cobra II
Bloodyjaws (aka TheDogAteMyCobra)- 70 Chevelle SS
Zenrat - That 70's Chevy Van (sheesh another van)
Highway76 - Lambo Countach LP500S (very discreet entry)
Jantrix - 53 Studebaker Coupe (bringing some Leowy style)
Bugace - VW Scirocco (challenging all Porsches!)
001Slick001 - 67 Chevelle
Redmountain - 81 Grand Prix 1/16
74F150 - 56 Chevy Bel Air
Jonnogtv - Fiat 500F
Lunajammer - 1968 VW Beetle street machine
Mopardude001 - 1976 Dodge Adventurer 150
Matt21726 - 1970 Monte Carlo
Hvymtl74 - 68 Charger
A.R.C. - 62 Bel Air
VWDave92 - another VW Scirocco - who 'da thunk it, eh?
Pyreman - NJ State Police car.
Generaltso - 79 Bronco
Crzycanuck34 - 79 Camaro
Mamps - Ferrari 308 GTS
Razor 68 - Lotus Super 7 Series II
NewZealand - 67 Chevelle
BKcustoms - 70.5 Camaro
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/940157.aspx
Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian
Marauder armored vehicle featured in Top Gear [video]
Top Gear episode 1 of season 17 aired last night on the BBC featuring a high-mobility armoured personnel carrier called the Marauder.George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader
Monday, June 27, 2011
Massa threatened with jail over team orders
 |
?A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa?s apparent lack of ambition.?
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/massa_threatened_with_jail_ove.php
Red Amick Chris Amon Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti
It?s never safe being a Formula 1 Marshal ? Some videos to show you why
On occasion here at Formula1Fancast we have shown you incidents where Marshal’s have put themselves in danger trying to get the job done. It is a high-risk job in many ways and this, combined with the competitive nature of the sport, mean that Marshal’s are often involved in a regrettable or near regrettable incidents. They [...]
Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell
Mark Webber Top Gear Interview and Lap ? Worth Watching! (Video)
We at Formula1Fancast like Mark Webber. He seems like a good guy and one who is always up for a laugh. We also love Top Gear. So a combination of the two? Perfect for a Friday afternoon! [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the [...]
Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball
Porsche 550 coming in 2014 - report
Enthusiasts have been longing for an entry-level Porsche roadster and a new report is indicating the wait could soon be over.Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi
McLaren: Only third-fastest in Valencia | 2011 European GP team review
McLaren lost their race pace advantage in Valencia.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/TIIuHi-SQ6E/
Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon
Team Lotus Launch Their 2011 Machine The T128
Team Lotus (the one who raced last year) have become the second team to officially pull the covers off their new 2011 car. The green and yellow liveried machine will start be raced by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen this season under the name of Team Lotus as the management’s row with Group Lotus, now [...]
Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-launch-their-2011-machine-the-t128/
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader
Massa on top
Felipe Massa set the pace in the Q1 session in Valencia, putting his Ferrari fastest, seven-tenths ahead of the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton was fourth for McLaren, ahead of Nico Rosberg and Adrian Sutil’s Force India. The times may not be that significant as some teams used more [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/massa-on-top/
Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla
Video: Utah Highway Patrol wows with 900-horsepower burnout
To anybody who’s ever thought that Utah was a boring state, you may want to retract it after watching this video.
This, dear folks, is a Dodge Charger patrol car. But while most police vehicles of this stature are already more powerful than their standard variants, this particular Charger patrol car is unlike any of its brethren either. Why, you ask? Because it has an output of 900 horsepower.
In a world of don’t-ask-don’t-tell, we’ll spare the questions of why the Utah Highway Patrol has a car this powerful in the first place. What’s important to us is that this Dodge Charger is absolutely and insanely packed with ponies. And as the video will show you, it can do a pretty mean burnout, too. On top of that, it was done for the Coats for Kids charity event, which makes sense because charity benefits like this could always use a spectacle that includes a 900-horsepower burnout from, of all things, a highway patrol car.
Video: Utah Highway Patrol wows with 900-horsepower burnout originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 26 June 2011 06:00 EST.
Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg
Sunday, June 26, 2011
2012 BMW 7-Series facelift rendered
Rendering shows changes to the front fascia and new turn signals on the side mirrors.Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti
Going to Silverstone?
The British Grand Prix will be the big annual gathering of Formula 1 in Britain, with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 10. Marussia Virgin Racing is once again hosting its Racing Weekend event from July 7-10. Set close to Silverstone within the spectacular grounds of Stowe School ? the stunning stately home [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/going-to-silverstone/
Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini
Lewis Hamilton outburst overshadows Monaco thriller
As if the Monaco Grand Prix had not already been dramatic enough, Lewis Hamilton's controversial comments afterwards will ensure it makes even bigger headlines across the world.
The McLaren driver quoted Ali G, the original spoof character dreamt up by Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen, as he railed against the decision by race stewards to call him to explain his part in two separate incidents during Sunday's event.
Hamilton pointed out to BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Lee McKenzie that it was the fifth time in six races this year he had been called to account for his actions, and she asked him why he thought that was.
"Maybe it's because I'm black," he said, laughing. "That's what Ali G said. I dunno."
"People want to see overtaking and racing and you get done for trying to put on a show and make a move," he continued. "Fair play. If I really feel I've gone too late and hit someone, I'll put my hand up and say I've caused the incident and been the stupid one."
Hamilton described his being called to account for incidents for which he felt was blameless as "a joke", and described the rivals in question - Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Williams novice Pastor Maldonado - as "stupid".
What was he going to do about the situation? "I'll just try and keep my mouth shut," he said.
It is too late for that, though, even though McLaren went into damage-limitation mode after the race.
"Immediately after the race he was very down," team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, "and during a post-race TV interview he made a poor joke about his penalties that referenced Ali G. However, I'm pleased to say that he chose to return to the track a little while later to speak to the stewards about the joke. They accepted his explanation."
Hamilton's remarks came at the end of a weekend when nothing seemed to go right for him.
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A wrong call to do only one run in qualifying led to him starting the race from ninth place, after he made a mistake and cut a chicane on his flying lap.
Trying to make up ground in the race, a brilliant early pass on Michael Schumacher was followed by the two collisions with Massa and Maldonado.
Sir Jackie Stewart talks about the importance of ridding yourself of emotion before stepping into a grand prix car, but it looked as if Hamilton had not taken the great man's advice on Sunday.
Hamilton has made himself one of global sport's highest profile figures thanks to his inspirational driving, and cool, youthful image. And he has established himself in the four and a half years of his career as unquestionably the greatest overtaker in F1, as well as arguably its out-and-out fastest driver.
But he did not earn that reputation with performances like that in Monaco on Sunday. BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle described his late lunge down the inside of Massa as "clumsy" and his attempt to pass Maldonado later on was similarly optimistic.
When Hamilton watches the incidents back, I suspect he might agree, as he may well regret his post-race comments when he calms down after what was admittedly an intensely frustrating weekend. It remains to be seen whether they will get him into hot water with governing body the FIA.
In the days of the former president Max Mosley, there is no question Hamilton would have been called up to answer a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute. His successor Jean Todt has taken a less antagonistic approach, but has not yet had to deal with a similar incident.
Brundle said he thought Hamilton had let frustration creep into his driving, and it certainly looked that way.
He entered Monaco expecting to fight for victory and was quick throughout practice on a circuit he adores and on which he excels, only for it all to slip agonisingly through his fingers.
That frustration will be heightened by the fact that Vettel is now in what has to be considered a virtually unassailable position in the championship.
Hamilton is well aware of how good he is. He aches to add more crowns to the one he won in 2008, and even before Monaco it was obvious that the fact this season is likely to be another barren year was already bubbling provocatively inside him.
But the sooner he realises that his quest to win the multiple titles he feels he deserves will not be helped by this sort of reaction, the better it will be for him.
While luck appeared to desert Hamilton in Monaco, the angels are truly smiling on Vettel this season. And it is not even as if he needs them.
Time after time, circumstance has intervened to make the German's path to victory easier than it should have been, and Vettel has taken full advantage.
Vettel's victory in Monaco on Sunday, his first in the principality, was his fifth in six grands prix so far this season. Only Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell, Schumacher and Jenson Button have achieved that and all of them ended the season in question as champions.
Vettel now leads the championship by 58 points - that means Hamilton, his closest pursuer, would have to take two wins and a sixth place with the Red Bull driver not scoring just to draw level.
It is the sort of margin that can be closed only by a driver in the best car. The problem is that it is Vettel himself who enjoys that luxury and, boy, is he capitalising on it.
His and Red Bull's domination is being founded on their blistering superiority in qualifying. In races, as Sunday demonstrated yet again, the Red Bull is far more vulnerable.
This time, a mix-up at Vettel's first pit stop meant he rejoined on the harder of the two tyre choices, the softs, when Red Bull had been intending to put him on the super-softs, which his closest pursuer Button chose to fit at his first stop.
The mistake made, Red Bull altered their strategy, in light of a mid-race safety car period, and decided to try to make it to the end of the race on those tyres.
That meant Vettel entered the final 30 laps of the race with tyres that were already 32 laps old and with two of F1's finest drivers closing in fast on fresher rubber.
The tyres on Fernando Alonso's Ferrari were 17 laps younger than Vettel's, Button's a full 31; and with a little less than 20 laps to go the three of them were running nose to tail.
Vettel, driving brilliantly as he has all year, had held them off relatively comfortably until a big crash involving Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Adrian Sutil brought out the safety car again and subsequently the red flag.
The 20-minute stoppage before the race was resumed robbed millions of viewers around the world of what promised to be a spectacular climax to the race - it meant all the drivers could fit fresh tyres and Vettel survived the last eight laps of the re-started race without incident.
It will never be known whether he could have held off Alonso and Button had the race not been stopped.
But McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale told BBC pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz that by their calculations Vettel's tyres had no more than three more laps before they "dropped off the cliff", as F1 teams have taken to describing the moment the Pirellis that have done so much for the racing this year finally lose all their grip.
If Neale was right, even at Monaco Vettel would surely not have been able to hold Alonso and Button back.
Even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted luck had shone on his team, saying the red flag was a "reprieve".
It was just the latest example of a recurring phenomenon this year. For all Vettel's searing qualifying pace, he is vulnerable in races, but events are transpiring to give him the breathing space he needs to keep winning.
Monaco followed Australia, Malaysia and Turkey this year as a race in which he might have faced a more serious challenge but didn't.
The championship may already appear to be a formality but the races themselves are making up for it with a combination of action and unpredictability that F1 has never seen before.
Next up is the Canadian Grand Prix, on one of the least favourable tracks for Red Bull, the long straights at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve favouring the extra power of McLaren's Mercedes engine and Ferrari over the Renault in the Red Bull.
Last year, Red Bull could manage only fourth and fifth in Montreal, behind Hamilton, Button and Alonso, in a race that prompted the decision to ask new supplier Pirelli to produce tyres that degraded rapidly.
The unique track surface there made the super-durable Bridgestones used last year behave like the Pirellis are doing at every race this season, and prompted the most exciting grand prix of the year.
If that happened when the racing was sometimes processional, even if the title fight was thrilling, the mind boggles at what could happen there in 2011.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/05/hamilton.html
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Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/team-lotus-launch-their-2011-machine-the-t128/
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