In the round-up: Red Bull are set to reveal a series of upgrades for their RB8 as pre-season testing draws to a close.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Red Bull flying out ‘new car’ (Sky)
Ted Kravitz: “It’s not only parts, it’s a whole new car that’s being flown out from the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes.”
Q&A with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (F1)
“We get some new bits and pieces for the next two days and then we should know more. If you look up and down the pit lane my guess is that everybody else is more or less in the same situation. Of course the last couple of days are quite significant as you get the car closer and closer to what you will be racing. So let’s wait and see if we have the right bits and pieces.”
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton ninth in F1 testing but says car is ‘strong’ (The Guardian)
“The car is strong. Stronger than it was last year. I think we are relatively strong compared to the others. I am not saying we are the fastest – we will find out when we get to Melbourne. But I definitely think we have a competitive car and should be fighting for a podium.”
Schumacher: Degradation needs work (Autosport)
“The best is if you have [no degradation]. Everybody has some. I don’t know where we are compared to the others, but I have seen some can do better. So, certainly, we can improve.”
Pat Fry: Ferrari “in reasonable shape” (Adam Cooper)
“We started off with an exhaust system configuration that was particularly aggressive, but after last week’s test, it was clear this solution still required a lot of development before it could be used in a race. We opted for a more conventional configuration. Obviously, having developed the car to suit this innovative exhaust concept, now we must re-optimise everything in just the few days left before Australia.”
“Feeling better today, lost 3kg in a day though, engineers happy but piling it back up now when appetite is back!”
Bahrain delays U.N. investigator, limits rights group visits (Reuters)
“The U.N. human rights office in Geneva said Bahrain formally requested postponing until July the visit by the special rapporteur on torture, which had been scheduled for March 8-17.”
Alan Jones on the modern F1 driver (MotorSport)
“They’re all a bit precious now, aren’t they? I mean, if they get brought up in front of the stewards, they bring along their barristers and their technicians, crying and all that carry-on. When I was racing, if someone did the wrong thing by you, then you’d put his name in your little book and get even later on.”
Comment of the day
Bigbadderboom on Frank Williams reducing his responsibilities at Williams:
Although it’s sad to see the process of Franks withdrawal beginning, it does seem to be perfectly timed with all of the other restructuring that has been done at Williams.
Frank has always been a hero of mine, he has overcome adversity both professionally and personally, and is a real example of what a “Never say die” attitude can achieve.
But I think he and Patrick Head realised that the team needs new blood and recent appointments, I think Williams will be one to watch in a couple of seasons, I would love to see them return to their former glories.
Bigbadderboom
From the forum
- Ferrari dismiss rumours that Felipe Massa has been sacked
- It’s the 2012 Clipsal 500 this weekend
- robk23 asks what is the future of touring car racing?
Happy birthday!
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On this day in F1
The 2002 season got off to a spectacular start in Melbourne as a huge crash eliminated several drivers at the start.
That paved the way for Mark Webber to score a memorable fifth place on his debut for Minardi.
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
Mach1 (@mach1)
3rd March 2012, 0:11
Sounds like Ferarri have done a McLaren octopus…..
Jake (@jleigh)
3rd March 2012, 0:15
I think Sky are making quite a big deal out of this “new Red Bull”. Nobody made a big fuss when Lotus brought their new chassis to Barcelona last week. In fact that didn’t go well at all did it. I don’t think this is any more of a big deal than Mclaren’s updates being added tomorrow. In fact if anything I think Mclaren’s are more likely to be the revolutionary if either are. Jenson said last week they were not “simply adding downforce”, and Mclaren are the ones holding the updates back when they could have ran them earlier. Red Bull on the other hand have only held them back because they’ve only just finished.
Ofcourse, I could be entirely wrong and Red Bull will come out tomorrow with another world beater. I guess we’ll find out in a few hours!
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
3rd March 2012, 0:34
Autosport did.
Banburyhammer1
3rd March 2012, 1:35
Let it go. You’ll live longer.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
3rd March 2012, 2:17
That’s really none of your business. If I – as you predict – die sooner because of it, it won’t be your fault. I’d much rather you comment on the content of posts, rather than the person posting it.
zicasso (@zicasso)
3rd March 2012, 10:20
So it must be…
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
3rd March 2012, 4:18
lmao
Ttete
3rd March 2012, 2:57
Ferr will put major updates. Tomorrow and this Sunday. So they will also have a quite different car. Not just redbull and mclaren.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2012, 13:12
A station with a whole channel to fill with content making a fuss about something, nah ..
I think its only natural that they try to get the most coverage out of any theme to get content that is worth watching. And Red Bull bringing a big upgrad like that would be big news if others did so as well.
ShaneB457 (@shaneb12345678910)
3rd March 2012, 0:15
You never know..the upgrades might be a step backwards as far as red bull are concerned.
One thing for sure though..its getting really exciting :D
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2012, 13:15
Or they felt they missed a trick with their current exhausts (or those might have been giving troubles so needed redoing).
Snafu (@snafu)
3rd March 2012, 14:36
Red bull’s new exhaust looks like mclaren’s solution to me…
they both have a curved part on exit
here
Snafu (@snafu)
3rd March 2012, 14:38
OK, seems like I can’t make a link!
here is the picture
http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/13291168
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2012, 15:57
They are more or less the same Idea (but further refined) from what Sauber did with their exhausts.
Here’s a detailed shot of the RBR and the Sauber in its latest guise to compare how similar they are.
And a bit of explanation what air goes where http://f.cl.ly/items/0A3n0S2m473H0A3Y090j/RB8.png and http://twitpic.com/8rhs62 from @Khan_F1 on twitter
Snafu (@snafu)
3rd March 2012, 18:19
now i see…
thanks for pics!
Daniel Thomas (@iamdanthomas)
3rd March 2012, 0:16
I haven’t been into F1 long enough to remember Frank Williams enjoying success, but despite that, I have nothing but respect for the man.
It would be nice if he had at least one more win before he eventually steps down – I’m sure everyone would appreciate that.
Unfortunately, such sentiment counts for little.
mike-e (@mike-e)
3rd March 2012, 1:01
back when i was starting my F1 affair (1990), senna was dominating in the mclaren, then williams became essentially what redbull are now, a completely dominant force, infact so much so that everyone wanted in, including senna. Amidst a bit of tragedy, williams lost their star driver in 1994, gifting schumacher the title, but it was hard fought till the end, and without a bit of controversy, a much lesser skilled driver (IMO) by the name of Damon Hill would have clinched the title in the other williams. From 1992-end of 1997 williams was the car to beat, Jacques Villeneuve nearly winning the title in his rookie season. They had newey onboard untill the rule changes of 98, at which point things would never be the same.
But for arguments sake, just imagine redbull were called williams, that is what it was like.
Its sad to see them up the creek with a tiny wooden spoon as a paddel, but hopefully this young muscle will be enough to paddel them out of said creek.
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
3rd March 2012, 4:22
Williams success = Adrian Newey, hence why RedBull are the team dominating the last few years.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
3rd March 2012, 6:35
Wrong. Williams had won 3 drivers and 4 constructors titles before Newey came aboard.
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
3rd March 2012, 13:11
Not wrong, maybe just not convincing enough. I was stating that the era mentioned above was when Adrian Newey was at the team. From the FW14B to the FW19, 5 titles in 6 years before leaving for Mclaren.
bienc (@bienc)
3rd March 2012, 0:47
Good to hear Heikki’s doing good! His tweet about going out “both ends” sounded terrible. Love his candidness with Twitter!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
3rd March 2012, 16:23
@bienc I missed that, ouch!
Brad R
3rd March 2012, 4:41
Maybe Red Bull have panicked and had to make real big changes to match Mclaren. Or God forbid, Newey may have had to copy the Mclaren exhaust.
Time will tell.
Colossal Squid (@colossal-squid)
3rd March 2012, 5:14
It’s so interesting seeing the comments coming out of some teams. Red Bull are being quietly cautious, McLaren appear confident, Ferrari seem to be lowering expectations and Mercedes are talking of podiums – maybe more. We’ll know who is right soon enough!
montreal95 (@montreal95)
3rd March 2012, 6:52
IMO it will be an end of an era when Sir Frank finally steps down( I hope for a few more years).
For almost 20 years now, since I’ve started watching F1, through good times and bad times, Sir Frank was for me an epitome of the great F1 boss, a real inspirational figure.
My only regret is that I never got to see my favourite driver of all times(Alesi) drive for my favourite team(Williams). Also, discounting Senna’s 3 races, there were only 2 Williams drivers that I really rooted for in all those years(Montoya & Webber). Strange, isn’t it?
MahavirShah (@mahavirshah)
3rd March 2012, 7:18
Flying out a completely different car, sounds a bit desperate to me rather than ominous. While Red Bull are quite efficient would they be able to test all aspects of the car while giving both drivers an equal opportunity to test it out, in 2 days? Alternatively it could also be a decision by them to go for the kill so to speak early in the season, something like what Brawn did in 2009 and thus commit majorly to the first part of the season.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2012, 13:24
Surely does not feel like they have been satisfied with their car after the first test, does it. Deciding to make a rather big overhaul last minute feels more like McLaren bringing something new, only they manage it a tad earlier.
alexf1man (@alexf1man)
3rd March 2012, 7:58
I still can’t believe it’s ten years since THAT Australian GP, will never forget it.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
3rd March 2012, 8:40
I think that all this talk of a brand-new car from Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari is hot air. The media are treating it like they’ve gone and introduced an entirely new concept – Autosport‘s latest story on the subject reads “Formula 1’s pre-season testing moved up a notch of intensity on Saturday” – when the drivers are mostly talking about making small steps in terms of progress. It’s like the media is trying to hype everything up into a battle royale.
Diogenes
3rd March 2012, 9:03
Red Bull seems to have done much more than a small step, from Sky:
BBT (@bbt)
3rd March 2012, 13:01
This is the same Ted Kravitz that said that this years Mclaren was identical to last years at the Mclaren at the launch, he is full of …..
He should of gone to specsavers…
Take what he says with a pinch of salt.
They have a new exhaust layout, it IS blowing the same area they have already tested, it a step yes, but not worthy of the OMG, crumbs Ted you muppet take a deep breathe.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
3rd March 2012, 16:25
That’s their job though, surely @prisoner-monkeys
We all know that testing is pretty much inconclusive. But that wouldn’t sell anywhere near as many newspapers or magazines.
Shimks (@shimks)
3rd March 2012, 9:00
Ted Kravitz talking to Sky Sports:
I never was before… but I’m pretty excited to see what Mr. Raikkonen is going to do in the opening races!
BBT (@bbt)
3rd March 2012, 13:06
Oh surprise, Teds talking more rubbish, no foundation to this statement.
Near all the top teams can go 2 seconds faster, what if Lotus are within 1% of how fast they can go.
Oh, look what has happen this morning they are all in the 1:22s, where is Lotus? No better than the previous days…. and bottom today.
He might be correct but I doubt it.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
3rd March 2012, 9:21
Here’s a funny little coincidence: while Bernie Ecclestone is busy telling Melbourne that they need to have a night race from 2015, Tony Cochrane – V8 Supercars’ version of Mr. E – is telling the organisers of the Clipsal 500 that they should consider becoming a night event from 2013. And nobody suggested it in Adelaide until Bernie told Melbourne that they needed to do it. With the Clipsal 500 being a hugely-popular event and the Australian Grand Prix facing another barrage of criticism over costs, I wonder if Adelaidians might be open to stealing the Grand Prix back from Melbourne. At 3.78km, the old circuit is perhaps a little short for Formula 1, but, by extending it out beyond the old outer loop, we can get it up to the more Formula 1-friendly 4.24km …
Jarv027
3rd March 2012, 10:18
I’d love to see F1 return to Adelaide, think it was a better circuit than Melbourne.
SouthAussie94 (@mpj1994)
3rd March 2012, 13:13
@prisoner-monkeys I think we would be more likely to see the Wagga Wagga Grand Prix before the Adelaide street circuit is extended as you’ve suggested.
The Adelaide CBD has four main roads that conect it to the Eastern Suburbs. The current 3.22km V8 circuit uses 2 of these roads, the F1 track used 3. Yours would use all 4… It would be utter transport chaos..
If Adelaide ever gets the Grand Prix back it would either have to be on the 3.78km circuit, or the circuit could potentially be extended to the South, although the Parklands Preservation Society would likely have a few words to say about it if it was ever proposed…
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
4th March 2012, 1:21
@mpj1994
I’ve thought of that – Monaco has this down to a fine art. FP1 and FP2 are traditionally held on the Thursday before race day (ostensibly so that the Prince could enjoy Friday lunch in peace and quiet), and the roads are opened up to traffic on Friday. They can take the barriers down and set them back up very quickly. Adelaide could probably do the same.
Alternatively, they could hold the Grand Prix on a long weekend, when nobody is ever in much of a mood to do anything.
steve
3rd March 2012, 10:18
I just hope mercades get ontop of there tyre deg problem they seem to have betta pace and car is def step frwd but 2-3 secs a lap drop of in tyres is gonna kill there season this is a major problem suspension or setup wrong lots of wrk ahead for them they are gonna struggle u can say podiums are def outa window:(???
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2012, 14:25
Looks like Bahrain is acting exactly like some of my collegues used to do when they had a mess on their hands and were awaiting an audit. Try to postpone it so news doesn’t get out.
That doesn’t do anything to take away my bad feelings it’s not going to be an easy ride in Bahrain in a couple of weeks.
Paxter
3rd March 2012, 16:47
Well from the number of laps Mercedes has been doing I am very sure they have solve their tyre degradation problem
LoneFanMX
3rd March 2012, 19:47
I was looking at the photos of the RB8 and suddenly it dawned on me that the exhaust actually curls and flows beneath a ridge on the side pod and exits through a hole near the floor. It’s such a clever solution! (if my interpretation is correct) the exhaust flow may even be variable and go over the top of the sidepod depending on speed. Here’s a link to the annotated photo of my interpretation
LoneFanMX
3rd March 2012, 19:52
Link didn’t show on my comment, dont know why, sorry