Ferrari have adopted an exhaust and diffuser solution similar to Red Bull’s.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Ecco la Ferrari 150 “Evo” nel test segreto! (Autosprint)
Pictures of the latest aerodynamic update to the Ferrari 150?é?? Italia show they are running a Red Bull-style exhaust/diffuser combination.
“Force India vs Lotus intellectual property infringement hearing set for January 16th 2012 in High Court.”
Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app
F1-related group raises $12.5 million from investors (Austin American Statesman)
“The $12.5 million comes from 10 investors and is part of a $20 million funding push by Austin Formula 1 Racing and Entertainment LLC, documents show.”
“Prize for the first UK cinema to confirm they are showing Senna goes to Duke of Yorks in Brighton.”
Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app
UK website launched ahead of the film’s opening here on June 3rd.
“Lotus are going to be testing at Duxford (http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/) on April 27th. They’re allowed to do a maximum of 180 runs up and down the runway during the day.”
Via the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app
McLaren pair get Noses in front (The Sun)
“Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have lent their support to Red Nose Day by taking the vrooming great Monster Car Nose for a spin.”
Follow F1 news as it breaks using the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app.
Comment of the day
Will we see HRT’s new car at Barcelona today? Oliver puts in a good word for the team:
Four teams were given en entry into F1. The most promising of them all, US F1, didn’t even make it to the grid.
Lotus had sound financing and structure. Manor/Virgin had good funding and structure.
HRT on the other hand were already in shambles a few weeks before the start of last season. [Colin] Kolles rescued the team at the very last minute and gave it a structure, or at the very least, semblance of one.
Since that very moment, they have been putting out little fires at every next turn. It is nothing but will power that is keeping HRT in existence, and I very much appreciate that from he little team.
Where many lesser men will have long since thrown in the towel, Kolles is still battling to succeed at not failing. A noteworthy lesson many should heed.
For that he has earned my admiration.
Oliver
From the forum
WelshF1 asks Will McLaren ever make their own engines?
Site updates
During the test today we’ll be running F1 Fanatic Live, our new live commenting system for F1 sessions, for the first time.
F1 Fanatic Live which will be running during all the remaining F1 sessions this year including practice, qualifying and Grands Prix.
We’re taking the first steps with an excellent new system designed by Jamie Atkinson – the brains behind the F1 Fanatic live Twitter app. As it’s the first time it’s been used publicly there may be some problems, in which case please bear with us.
Keep an eye out for the new system making its debut on the site later today.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Icthyes, who I met at the Rainier Schlegelmilch exhibition in London last year, and Les!
On this day in F1
Controversy in Melbourne on this day in 1998 as David Coulthard handed victory in the Australian Grand Prix to team mate Mika Hakkinen after Hakkinen accidentally made an extra pit stop.
Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
8th March 2011, 0:12
I agree with the comment of the day. Very well put!
Does anyone know anything more about the Senna movie and whether it’s coming to Australia? I’m almost 100% sure it won’t be coming to a cinema anywhere near me, so I want to know if there will be a special screening in Melbourne during the Grand Prix weekend. I really want to see this in a cinema first! :)
Scottie (@scottie)
8th March 2011, 0:36
+1!!! almost flew to adelaide to see it, but turns out i double booked the w/e :(
keenly scanning for any info!
Julian
8th March 2011, 0:51
it was on in adelaide last month, there were only 2 screenings and i couldn’t make it to either :(
Calum
8th March 2011, 7:57
Selected Grand Prix were shown in Odeon in 2008 – maybe they will do 2011 too?
ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
8th March 2011, 15:15
Damon; check out this tweet from Manish Pandey a couple of weeks ago
ed24f1 (@ed24f1)
8th March 2011, 15:16
So that means the next chance for Australians to see it will be the Sydney Film Festival in June.
Bien
8th March 2011, 0:13
Thank you for implementing a new Twitter for live updates, Keith! I think I emailed in to you for this and am really happy to see it come out!
Spud (@)
8th March 2011, 0:15
Just a little message for you Keith.
You are to be commended for the work you do. You probably get this a lot, but, this is the best site on the web for F1, even better than the official one.
I look forward to the updates mate.
You guys are doing a great job. :)
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 0:21
Hear hear!
Fixy (@)
8th March 2011, 15:57
I think no one disagrees…
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 0:20
It’ll be interesting to see how Ferrari and Red Bull stack up against each other in Melbourne now that they have similar exhausts…
Julian
8th March 2011, 0:55
Lotus sure are doing a good job of making lawyers just that lil’ bit wealthier aren’t they
SeattleChris
8th March 2011, 1:18
I am not sure if anyone noticed anything in the Ferrari photo, but I sure didn’t. These are pretty distant and grainy photos to make such claims; seems like a headline grabber to me.
Besides, we already knew where the Ferrari exhausts are exiting and it was in a similar place to the RBR design as well; a few tweaks and they could have the same solution.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 3:01
Honestly I haven’t been able to see the exhaust exits on the RB7 either. I know what I’m looking for, from the RB7 write up on Scarbs’ blog, but I’ve yet to see a good pic of the RB7 which really showed the exits well, like the nice pics we’ve seen of the Renault exhausts.
Even in this pic of the RB7 from the rear at Jerez, I can’t see the exits. Maybe that was with the old configuration, but I think they were running the newer configuration by the end of the Valencia tests…
bosyber
8th March 2011, 9:55
I have seen pics from when the RB7 enters the pits, taken from above, that show the exhausts: they flattened tubes that go over the floor, and that end just inside of the rear wheels, with the floor cut away (with some interestingly shaped cut, no doubt to play with the air); this RB7 on F1technical.net forum page shows quite well.
In the 2nd pic of the Ferrari you can see a similar thick band running along the floor from the sidepod (starting where the arrow points) to the back. It seems the Ferrari exhausts end a bit earlier than those on the RB7, but it’s a similar principle.
bobo
8th March 2011, 9:55
Isn’t it them peeking over the top of the diffuser? I think the one on the left of the pic is more visible.
Ned Flanders (@ned-flanders)
8th March 2011, 1:19
Happy birthday Icthyes :) And well said Oliver
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 1:46
Yes, happy Birthday to Icthyes and Les!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 3:51
Thanks guys!
sw6569 (@sw6569)
8th March 2011, 8:22
happy birthday!
ajokay (@)
8th March 2011, 16:31
Happy birthday dude!
BasCB (@bascb)
8th March 2011, 7:41
Happy birthday to the both of you Icthyes and Les!
bosyber (@bosyber)
8th March 2011, 9:57
Agreed, wishing a very happy birthday to Icthyes and Les!
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
9th March 2011, 11:57
Sorry I didn’t post this on the day – but happy birthday! :)
Ollie (@olz21)
8th March 2011, 1:26
Looks like a slightly different front wing as well.
I think Ferrari are secretly very confident at the moment, and if this exhaust system comes good then I would suggest that they will be the ones to beat in the early part of the season. Very excited for the last test.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 1:47
I doubt they’ll be faster than Red Bull, but quite possibly evenly matched, with Vettel and Alonso battling for the front row and Massa fighting Webber on the second row. I can’t wait for Melbourne.
Todfod (@todfod)
8th March 2011, 6:52
True.. I think these two teams are going to be the class of the field for the flyaway races. And I expect Alonso and Vettel to be fighting for pole with Webber and Massa just a few tenths behind. I just cant see any other driver breaking into the top four yet, but I expect Heidfeld and Hamilton to be the closest threats.
BasCB (@bascb)
8th March 2011, 7:42
Defenitely looks like the trend will be Vettel on pole with Alonso and Webber having a go at beating him to it for the first races.
sato113
8th March 2011, 1:26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-fRGTTRA88
nice little vid to get our blood pumping!
check out liuzzi twitching coming onto the back straight.
funny that with all this testing, car designs and political gossip, i’d forgot what really matters! racing!
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 1:52
I forgot how chaotic that first lap was. Alonso must have been fuming stuck behind Liuzzi, he was clearly faster but just didn’t have a chance to sneak by.
sato113 (@sato113)
8th March 2011, 2:28
i doubt he was fuming then, it was only lap 1. but yeah great race.
Rob Wilson
8th March 2011, 1:51
That dude’s white helmet looks awesome with the Ferrari!
LAK
8th March 2011, 2:41
Happy Birthday Icthyes and Les! Hope you enjoy your day :)
I’m so excited about the new F1F Live Commenting system, sounds very interesting! Looking forward to seeing it :D
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 3:52
Thanks LAK! I second that, can’t wait to see the new system.
Mach1
8th March 2011, 2:54
I really should go to bed
I really should not be up waiting for this round up
I should not be experiencing F1 news withdrawal after reading said round up.
Damn you Keith!!!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 3:53
Interesting stuff from Ferrari. McLaren should be taking note!
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 3:54
Oh and Happy Birthday birthday buddy Les!
AG
8th March 2011, 4:12
Anybody in Barcelona seen any sign of HRT pull into the facility yet? I have been feeling all week that we aren’t going to see them. Maybe management is waiting till the last minute to pull out so they can delay the huge penalties from Bernie when they do. Why haven’t they chose a single driver? That part I don’t understand. Are they trying to say that they are weighing the limited options of drivers at their disposal? Why haven’t we at least seen some new livery instead of just a computerized image of a car. There suits surely have been made by now.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
8th March 2011, 6:59
They have… Narain Karthikeyan. He’ll drive both cars. One lap in one car, then he’ll stop and get in the other car, take it for a lap, repeating the process throughout each race.
It is a bit worrying that there’s been no news of their testing plans for the final test, where they had initially planned to launch their new car.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
8th March 2011, 5:03
Fingers crossed that it provides about as much downforce as wet paper towel.
Dane
8th March 2011, 5:09
Or an MP4-26
Julian
8th March 2011, 6:30
Zing!
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
8th March 2011, 9:17
You make the mistake of presuming that I am a McLaren fan. I’m not. The only reason I show any support for a McLaren is because I’m a Jenson Button fan. Otherwise, I don’t show any support for a team – though I do keep an eye on Renault and Marussia Virgin.
Patrickl
9th March 2011, 19:56
I can see where you are coming from then. Jenson Button often reminds me of a wet paper towel too ;)
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
8th March 2011, 12:44
You say that, but a perfectly flat wet paper towel actually sticks to a kitchen work surface pretty well – better than a dry one at least.
Ralph Schumacher
8th March 2011, 6:10
haha. Good 1 dane! Hope the McLaren surprises all the pessimists
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
8th March 2011, 7:25
To an extent I agree with the COTD…but there is such a thing as bowing out gracefully. But i’ll give them a second chance this year.
Meander
8th March 2011, 7:27
This is why I was mostly bummed about the first race being cancelled (even though it was rightly so)..
I don’t WANT the teams to be too well prepared. In the past I thought the best season openings were the ones in which one or more top teams were struggling with speed or reliabilty and smaller teams who’d done their homework had a shot at points or even podiums.
After two or three races you can always count on the battle being McLaren vs. Ferrari and Benetton/Renault, Williams (remember them?) or recently Brawn and Red Bull. Once everybody settles in most teams will have lost their chances at success, because they can never beat the frontrunners at the development-race.
I think losing the first race of the year has robbed us of a very interesting weekend.
Snow Donkey
8th March 2011, 8:16
Interesting like last year? You’re right, last year melbourne was a great race what with the rain and butto…. oh wait that wasn’t the first race, the first race was that horribly boring spectacle of cars driving around in some corrupt desert sheiks featureless parking lot. Good riddance and bring on Melbourne.
Alex Bkk (@alex-bkk)
8th March 2011, 8:52
Yep… I agree. Every F1 season should start at Melbourne and end at Brazil.
Mike
8th March 2011, 9:49
Agree 100%
BasCB (@bascb)
8th March 2011, 9:24
You can be forgiven for not remembering the very forgettable race in Bahrain last year!
Meander
8th March 2011, 10:14
OK guys, I get it, so last year was probably not a very good example.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 20:01
Like I said a few days ago, ban pre-season testing and replace them with Monday sessions, that would be interesting ;-)
Steph (@)
8th March 2011, 9:12
Happy birthday Les and Icthyes (one of my very favourite fanatics). Hope you both have a wonderful day.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
8th March 2011, 11:44
Thank you Steph!
I still remember that 1998 race all these years on, I was given a television for my birthday, thought it was the best thing ever but I insisted I had it the night before so I could watch the GP in the early morning!
Vale
8th March 2011, 10:35
Its good news about the Duke of York Cinema. My house is literally about 5 doors down from the cinema. I will definitely be renting a sofa on the balcony and buying a few beers to watch it. :D
Roll on June!!
Matt S
8th March 2011, 12:28
Interesting that the picture shows the Ferrari going round a bend yesterday when they were supposed to be doing a straight line aero test……
Cacarella
8th March 2011, 13:58
As far as I know, the FIA has not made it mandatory for a team to have two cranes on either end of the straight to lift and turn the cars so they can do a second test in the opposite direction.