Saturday, February 28, 2009
PaddockSpy Headline
| Having spent the winter testing in a dark blue livery, Williams have unveiled the blue and white colour scheme in which their cars will contest the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. source: www.formula1.com |   |
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Formula 1
Friday, 27 February 2009
The 2009 MotoGP field head to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend to commence their second test since the winter break, with three evening sessions awaiting them under the floodlights at the desert track from 1st-3rd March.
World Champion Valentino Rossi will be hoping to further familiarise himself with his 2009 Yamaha M1 machine and the new-generation Bridgestone tyres at a circuit where he found the going tough last year, during MotoGP’s first ever night time Grand Prix.
Rossi qualified seventh and finished fifth in last year’s season-opening Losail race, just one of two non-podium finishes for the Italian in 2008, and is therefore keen to increase his competitiveness around the Middle Eastern circuit. The MotoGP title-holder started 2009 in good form at Malaysia despite stitches in his left hand and foot following a domestic accident.
The man who got closest to Rossi in 2008 and the fastest rider at the aforementioned first test of 2009 at Sepang, Casey Stoner, will be testing the condition of his left wrist which was operated on last November and which caused him discomfort in Malaysia, preventing him from undertaking long runs on the Desmosedici GP9. Stoner is a top performer at Qatar having won the last two MotoGP races there.
Another rider looking to increase test his stamina levels at Losail is Dani Pedrosa, the former 250cc and 125cc World Champion, who left Sepang on the second of the three days of the test, due to pain in his left knee which he hurt in Australia late last season and had surgery on in December.
Pedrosa’s compatriot Jorge Lorenzo aims to up his game too having made improvements on the last day of the Malaysia test. Last season in Qatar Lorenzo sensationally took pole at his very first MotoGP event and rode a brilliant race to finish second, so he will be looking forward to making further improvements to his Fiat Yamaha M1 package there as of Sunday.
Andrea Dovizioso was also impressive in Qatar last year, finishing fourth on his MotoGP debut, and he anticipates the second test of 2009 as a chance to further evolve his new factory Honda RC212V package.
Having impressed in his first two tests with Ducati Marlboro at the end of 2008 in Valencia and Jerez, Stoner’s new team-mate Nicky Hayden was off the pace in Malaysia and will hope for an improved rhythm this time out.
Colin Edwards, meanwhile, was highly satisfied with the test results at Sepang as he finished the last day in fourth place, just 0.370s off pace-setter Stoner’s best, as the Tech 3 Yamaha squad got their first experience of the new M1 prototype. Edwards was more than 2.5 seconds quicker than his colleague James Toseland who had a heavy crash on the first day in Malaysia and now looks to rebuild his confidence.
The opening test of the year was considered a positive outing for Rizla Suzuki colleagues Loris Capirossi (fastest on the first day) and Chris Vermeulen, who now strive to confirm the apparent increased competitiveness of the GSV-R800 at a second track.
Although veteran rider Sete Gibernau misses the test due to a recurrence of a shoulder injury his fellow satellite Ducati riders Mika Kallio and Niccolo Canepa will be present, alongside San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Toni Elias (the fastest Honda rider at Sepang) and Alex de Angelis, LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet and Scot Racing Team rookie Yuki Takahashi.
In addition, Marco Melandri gets back on Kawasaki machinery for the first time since his Valencia and Phillip Island practice runs at the end of 2008, as he returns to MotoGP testing. Although Kawasaki announced the withdrawal of their factory team from the World Championship early in January, they will nonetheless provide material for Melandri to run in MotoGP this season and the Italian star will therefore test the 2009 bike which Olivier Jacque recently debuted in a private test at Eastern Creek.
The 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship will commence in Qatar with the first GP of the year on 10th-12th Aprilsource: www.motogp.com
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MotoGP
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A1GP’s maiden visit to the Gold Coast of Australia in October will mean the annual event gets a new event name – the SuperGP.
Late last year it was announced that A1GP World Cup of Motorsport would take over from the IRL IndyCar series as the leading single-seater race series at the world-famous street circuit from October 2009.
The event, formally known as the Gold Coast Indy 300, will now be known as the SuperGP, which is a combination of the A1GP and V8Supercars – the two main racing events on the event programme.
Sport Minister, Judy Spence, officially announced the new name, logo and website in Brisbane for the event which will be one of the highlights of Queensland’s 150th birthday celebrations.
“2009 is a significant turning point in both the history of Queensland and for this fantastic event,” said Ms Spence.
“The Queensland Government continues to support this iconic event and we know that not only is the SuperGP a fantastic spectacle of the world’s best drivers but it also attracts crowds of 300,000 people each year and provides a $60 million boost to the state’s economy.”
This year’s SuperGP will take place on from October 22-25 and will be one of the first few rounds of the 2009/10 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport series, and round 11 of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. The event is produced through a partnership between the Queensland Government and IMG.
Ms Spence added: “The SuperGP will provide fans with the best of both worlds with more than countries racing for glory in the A1GP event while V8 Supercar teams battle it out in an event which has traditionally had a huge influence on their championship outcome. This year’s event will offer so many things that are fresh and we look forward to a new-look off-track calendar of events being rolled out over the coming months.”
Tickets will officially go on sale on March 23 through Ticketek and through the event’s new website, www.SuperGP.com.
source: www.a1gp.com
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A1GP
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Switzerland’s Neel Jani claimed victory in this afternoon’s Go-GP.Org A1GP Gauteng, South Africa Feature race with what his seat holder, Max Welti, would most likely call a ‘gorgeous’ drive from fifth on the grid.
The victory means Neel Jani equals the all-time win record for a driver, Nico Hulkenberg’s record of nine wins for Germany.
Jani finished 13.176 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Felipe Guimarães, the 17-year-old putting in a mature drive to record the team’s best result of the year at the Kyalami circuit despite crashing heavily at the end of yesterday’s qualifying.
Pole-sitter Clivio Piccione finished in third for Monaco after losing the lead to Switzerland in the first round of pit stops and then dropping behind Brazil after making a mistake.
Pole-sitter Clivio Piccione finished in third for Monaco after losing the lead to Switzerland in the first round of pit stops and then dropping behind Brazil after making a mistake.
As it happened:
As the Feature race got underway, Switzerland made a fantastic start to move from fifth to second into turn one. A1 Team Ireland’s Adam Carroll was making a move around the outside of Malaysia for fourth when the pair touched resulting in the championship leader being beached in the gravel and out of the race.
Brazil made a good start, running in sixth by the end of the first lap, while the battle for third was on as Malaysia began putting pressure on New Zealand’s Earl Bamber. Bamber’s defensive driving kept Malaysia at bay until lap four when Malaysia touched the rear wheel of New Zealand with Bamber spinning into the gravel.
On the same lap, Mexico and France also came together at the same corner ending both their races.
Fauzy was then forced to pit with a suspected slow puncture from the incident and after changing a front tyre, he returned to the track, although now back in 16th place. A few laps later Fauzy returned to the pits for his mandatory stop and with four new tyres returned to the race track.
On the same lap, Mexico and France also came together at the same corner ending both their races.
Fauzy was then forced to pit with a suspected slow puncture from the incident and after changing a front tyre, he returned to the track, although now back in 16th place. A few laps later Fauzy returned to the pits for his mandatory stop and with four new tyres returned to the race track.
On lap nine the first mandatory pit stops began with race-leader Monaco not having the quickest of stops. Switzerland’s slick team-work enabled Jani to leap-frog Piccione and take the lead in Kyalami. Despite having a good stop, Australia had a disaster in the pit lane when John Martin stalled as another car came across in front of him when he was about to leave his pit box. He eventually got going but dropped down from third to 15th as a result.
USA’s Marco Andretti was the last to pit, but on rejoining lost four positions as South Africa, Germany, Lebanon and Indonesia all found their way passed the American car.
Local A1 Team South Africa’s Adrian Zaugg was looking strong, having moved up from 15th to ninth, but on lap 17 coasted back to the pits and out of the race with gearbox problems.
Daniel Morad was putting in a good performance in the A1 Team Lebanon car to get passed Germany for seventh. Morad made his move around the outside of Michael Ammermüller through turn one before taking the inside line through turn two and the position.
On lap 19 the order was now Switzerland from Monaco, Brazil, Netherlands, Great Britain, Portugal, Lebanon, Germany, Indonesia and China.
As the race reached half distance, Brazil began closing the gap to Monaco. The Brazilian car was only 0.466-seconds adrift on lap 24 with the 17-year-old finally capitalising on a mistake by Piccione to take second position.
In the second round of pit stops Switzerland had a ten-second lead and another clean stop brought Jani out with a comfortable advantage.
After the second pit stops, Malaysia continued to struggle with the handling of the car and was finally forced to go back to the team garage. The team worked quickly to resolve the problems and were finally able to send Fauzy back on track. With no hope of finishing in the top ten to score points, the team took the decision to use the PowerBoost and set the fastest race lap to score one point and Fauzy quickly accomplished this recording a 1m28.306s.
In the final stages of the race India put pressure on Italy’s Edoardo Piscopo for tenth. Narain Karthikeyan tried on a number of occasions to pass the 21-year-old Italian but to no avail.
Lebanon’s Morad was now chasing Great Britain’s Danny Watts for sixth and, with three laps to go, made a fantastic move on Watts to record Lebanon’s best ever A1GP finish.
Switzerland’s Neel Jani took the chequered flag 13.075-seconds ahead of a delighted Felipe Guimarães, who recorded the team’s best result of the season. Clivio Piccione finished third getting Monaco’s first ever podium in its debut season.
Switzerland is now top of the 2008/09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport standings with A1 Team Ireland crashing out on lap one after an incident with Malaysia.
Reaction
Switzerland’s Neel Jani was elated at equaling the record for the most number of wins for a driver.
He said: “It was a little bit of a replay start from Taupo, from fifth to second. I was a bit worried starting from fifth, because I knew the first two turns would be very close and you could get knocked off easily, so my strategy was to just try the outside and it really worked and was a fantastic start. I then tried to follow Clivio (Piccione) and I struggled a bit. But then we had a great pit stop and I had good pace. I think Monaco had a bit of bad luck in the pit stop so that helped us too. But after it I could really keep up my pace.”
He said: “It was a little bit of a replay start from Taupo, from fifth to second. I was a bit worried starting from fifth, because I knew the first two turns would be very close and you could get knocked off easily, so my strategy was to just try the outside and it really worked and was a fantastic start. I then tried to follow Clivio (Piccione) and I struggled a bit. But then we had a great pit stop and I had good pace. I think Monaco had a bit of bad luck in the pit stop so that helped us too. But after it I could really keep up my pace.”
Brazil’s Felipe Guimarães became the youngest driver to ever finish on the podium. He said: “I am so happy as it’s the first time I have been on the podium. Yesterday I had the big crash in qualifying and I didn’t think that today I would finish on the podium!
"But I had a great start then during the race the car was good. It was a bit worrying at the end because the engine was losing power, but we managed to keep going to the finish thankfully. I was pushing hard but not taking any risks and we brought it home in second. I really wanted to do a good job today and I have.”
Third-placed Clivio Piccione was over the moon with his first medal for Monaco. “At first we got in the lead and I kept a distance from Switzerland. The car felt pretty good as well. We got into our first stints and then comes the tricky bit – the pit stop.
"For now, we’re not the quickest team in the pit stops and we know it. But the team did the best they could and we know we’re going to work it out. Our second stint was a bit of a struggle as I suffered with a lot of understeer and I think my tyres were not at their best.
"I made a slight mistake and Brazil got through. Then we went for our last pit stop where we knew we had new tyres. We had a problem on the back wheel but got out in third. From there on I could push pretty hard and we were catching Brazil because they struggled as well. Still overall it’s a good result – I’m pleased with the final ending.”
source: www.a1gp.com
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A1GP
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Flag Switzerland now leads the championship after scoring 15 points today.
Flag Second was Brazil, then Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Lebanon, Great Britain, USA, Indonesia and Italy.
Flag Switzerland wins! Neel Jani matches Nico Hulkenberg's record of all time victories in A1GP with his ninth career victory.
Lap 40 Final lap. Switzerland are nearly there.
Lap 38 Three laps to go. Lebanon's Daniel Morad gets past Great Britain's Danny Watts for sixth.
Lap 37 There is just one second between Portugal and the Netherlands in the fight for fourth. Filipe Albuquerque has got to be thinking about the championship with Ireland already out of the race.
Lap 35 He does. It could give Malaysia a point after a nightmare race.
Lap 34 Australia currenly has the fastest lap, but Malaysia is back out on track and is using PowerBoost to try and get it.
Lap 33 India's Narain Karthikeyan dives down the inside of Italy's Edoardo Piscopo, but overcooks it and is immediately relapped.
Lap 31 India and Italy are battling for the final point in tenth place. India is not giving up.
Lap 30 Jani's lead is nearly 10 seconds. With Ireland out, it looks like Switzerland will move into the championship lead if they can stay in the lead of this race.
Lap 29 All the major runners have made their stops now. Switzerland, Brazil, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Great Britain, Lebanon is the order at the front.
Lap 28 Now the USA has set the fastest lap. Marco Andretti has had a poor weekend, looks like he's finally finding some speed at last.
Lap 28 China retire.
Lap 28 Danny Watts sets the fastest lap for Great Britain now. He's finally showing speed.
Lap 27 No. It retains third place.
Lap 26 Monaco comes in to make its stop. Can it beat Brazil back out?
Lap 26 Portugal makes its stop. Another good one.
Lap 26 Switzerland makes its stop - it's good and clean, and they will retain the lead.
Lap 25 India has a slow stop.
Lap 25 After taking second place, Brazil's Felipe Guimaraes pulls the car into the pits for its second mandatory pit stop. It's clean.
Lap 23 Brazil is gifted second place after pressuring Monaco's Clivio Piccione into a mistake.
Lap 22 Germany's Michael Ammermuller has gone off into the gravel, but manages to get back going.
Lap 22 China is going slowly all of a sudden.
Lap 21 The gap between them is 0.5 seconds. These two collided twice in Monaco - they can't seem to keep away from each other!
Lap 20 Monaco and Brazil are having a good battle for second.
Lap 19 As we get to half distance, the order is Switzerland, Monaco, Brazil, Netherlands, Great Britain, Portugal, Lebanon, Germany, Indonesia (in Zahir Ali's first race!).
Lap 18 Daniel Morad is having a great race in the Lebanese car. He passes Germany's Michael Ammermuller. He's up to seventh from 19th on the grid.
Lap 17 Oh no! You can almost hear the hearts brake as Adrain Zaugg slows in the South Africa car. He pulls into the pits into retirement.
Lap 16 Something now seems wrong with the USA. Marco Andretti has dropped from seventh to 11th in one lap with cars passing him around the track.
Lap 15 Malaysia are in the pits again. Something is broken with the team's car.
Lap 14 So the order is Switzerland, USA, Monaco, Brazil, Netherlands, Great Britain, Portugal.
Lap 12 Switzerland's Neel Jani uses PowerBoost to sweep past the USA on the start/finish straight.
Lap 12 Switzerland is losing time behind the USA car of Marco Andretti, who has yet to pit.
Lap 11 Monaco doesn't have a great stop, but it's a disaster for Australia. It's a good stop but then Martin stuggles to get past the car infront, and then the car stalls and can't going again. And it looked like they were in with a chance of getting a medal too.
Lap 10 People start coming in the pits.
Lap 9 Malaysia spins at Turn 4. It's not a good day for the yellow team.
Lap 8 Pit stop window is about to open.
Lap 6 Malaysia limps into the pits.
Lap 6 Monaco has a 2.8-second lead over Switzerland.
Lap 6 TV replays show Mexico and France collided, which is why they both retired.
Lap 6 Malaysia, New Zealand, Ireland, Mexico and France are under investigation. No surprise there they were going to look into all that!
Lap 6 Malaysia are coming into the pits.
Lap 5 Mexico are retiring and so are France. It's all happening in Kyalami!
Lap 4 Contact! Malasyia and New Zealand collide and Earl Bamber spins into the gravel. New Zealand retires, but Malaysia keeps going.
Lap 2 New Zealand and Malaysia are having a great battle for third place, Fairuz Fauzy is all over the back of Malaysia.
Lap 1 So the order is Monaco, Swtizerland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Great Britain.
Lap 1 Ireland has spun! The championship leader's Feature race is already over with Adam Carroll beached in the gravel.
Lap 1 Switzerland has made a great start and is up to second!
Lap 1 Potugal has a terrible start and drops to the back.
Lap 1 Monaco makes a great start and takes the lead.
15:00 Here we go. The cars are on their formation lap ready for the feature race.
14:47 It's still really hot out there... but there are clouds in the distance. Is there rain in the air?
14:46 It's going to be very exciting this afternoon. With yesterday's qualifying, we've quite a different grid today for the Feature race. Expect drama!
14:45 Welcome back to a hot and steamy South Africa. We had a great Sprint race this morning, with A1 Team Netherlands taking its first win in 45 races.
source: www.a1gp.com
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A1GP
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A1 Team Indonesia celebrated their first points of the season in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport event at Kyalami circuit, South Africa, today. Zahir Ali, on his debut for the team, produced a superb drive to finish ninth in the Feature race after an 18th place in the earlier Sprint race.
Zahir lined up on the grid of the Sprint race for his debut in A1GP. The young Indonesian was at the back of the field after a disastrous day yesterday when they were unable to take part in the qualifying session. A problem with the car was identified as a faulty part and the team did not have the time to make the changes needed before the qualifying session.
The team put their day behind them and Zahir, although not having had a chance to run on new tyres or practice a pitstop, was ready for the Sprint race. The 21 year old driver made a good start and was running well, gaining valuable race experience, but initially struggled to select gear. There was also a fuel pump problem for us, which slowed Indonesia’s pace. In his first A1GP race Zahir finished in 18th position, a commendable effort, especially considering the lack of running he had prior to the race.
“It was a nightmare in the Sprint”, said Zahir. “In the first few laps I couldn’t select the gear. Then there was a fuel pump problem and this slowed me down, I just had to continue on so that we could finish the race and gain the experience.”
The Feature race was only the second A1GP start for Zahir. He was off the line well from the ninth row of the grid and moved up to 17th by the end of the opening lap. Over the next few laps he moved up to 13th place and then further forward as other cars pitted. Zahir made a clean pitstop and rejoined the race, lying in tenth place after all the cars had completed their stops. He was up to ninth when China slowed, a position he would keep until the chequered flag. The team worked quickly in the second pitstop to maintain position and the team’s first A1GP World Cup of Motorsport points of this season were welcome reward for their efforts. Zahir’s performance was even more impressive as he battled intermittent fuel pump problems throughout the race.
Zahir said after the Feature race, “The first few laps were good, I was on the pace and I was quite happy. I passed the USA car through the hairpin but then the fuel pump problems returned and I was fighting it throughout the race. I thought I would stop on two occasions but I kept going. I’m delighted to get points for the team and I loved racing for my country. I’m very happy.”
Team Manager, Bobby Issazadhe added, “I’m overjoyed. It was such a difficult start to the weekend, but when you get results like this you forget about all these problems. I have to dedicate this to the boys who have been working flat out with all the problems. Never give up – it doesn’t matter where you start on the grid you could be in the points. Zahir drove exceptionally well. He’d had so little track time, he’d never done a pitstop, never entered the pits at full speed, never run on new tyres – it was such a steep learning curve for him yet he didn’t make any mistakes.”
Bagoes Hermanto “I’m very relieved after all the problems we’ve had that we have our best result of the season. Zahir showed that he is a very talented driver, not making any mistakes, coping very well with the pitstops and the pressure. He has become a world class driver from Indonesia.”
The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will visit the Algarve for the sixth round of racing, with the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve hosting the series for the first time.
source: www.a1gp.com
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A1GP
Saturday, February 21, 2009
| BMW Sauber are in a confident mood for the season ahead after enjoying a productive test in Bahrain this week. Driver Nick Heidfeld and tester Christian Klien completed over 2,300 kilometres in the F1.09 during the four-day session at the Sakhir track. source: www.formula1.com |    |
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Formula 1
Friday, 20 February 2009
Fans of the 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden are excited about seeing him make his race debut with Ducati in Qatar in April and the Stateside roadracing media are fully aware of the significance of the move for both Ducati and the rider himself.
Since the switch to 800cc machinery in the premier class at the beginning of the 2007 season Nicky Hayden’s legion of supporters across the globe have been frustrated to see him struggling for consistency in MotoGP, the American finishing eighth that year and sixth last season as he failed to repeat his 2006 success.
However, towards the end of his sixth season in MotoGP with Honda the Kentucky Kid was offered the chance to switch manufacturers and enjoy a change of scene at Ducati, causing considerable excitement for his band of fans and for Ducatisti in the U.S. and beyond.
Hayden is a popular figure in the MotoGP paddock, thanks to his courteous style, charming smile and hard-working attitude, with his new team-mate at Ducati, Casey Stoner, being one of his biggest admirers.
The significance of Hayden’s signing for Ducati, in terms of marketability for the Italian brand and the opportunity it gives the 27 year-old to be truly competitive once again, is not lost on the media in his native U.S. where he is cherished as the latest in a long line of American World Champions.
Chris Jonnum, the editor of Road Racer X magazine and the author of the biography on the Hayden brothers, ‘The Haydens: Nicky, Tommy, & Roger, From OWB to MotoGP’, picks up the story, stating, “Nicky’s new deal is an exciting development for Ducati North America and for U.S. Ducatisti. This market is extremely important for the Italian brand, and it enjoys a special status among American motorcycle enthusiasts.”
“Road racing isn’t as big in the U.S. as it is in Europe, but the people who are fans are very dedicated and passionate, and a large percentage of them love both Ducati and Nicky. They’re each popular on their own, but the pairing has the potential to increase that popularity exponentially, sort of like when two moviestars get together. Now that Nicky and Ducati have joined forces, there is a groundswell of excitement in the U.S. racing world.”
Jonnum also points out, however, that Hayden is not guaranteed a Hollywood style happy ending to his Ducati move, underlining the pressure that the rider is under. The journalist explains, “It will help considerably if Nicky enjoys success at Ducati, and American fans are eager to see how he gets along with the Desmosedici. They’re fully aware that no rider other than Casey Stoner has enjoyed consistent success with the bike, and they’re hoping that Nicky will be an exception. Perhaps his aggressive style and dirt track background have prepared him well for this challenge.”
Meanwhile, Matthew Miles, Managing Editor of Cycle World magazine, adds, “My personal take on Nicky Hayden is that he may not have the most talent in the MotoGP paddock, but no one can argue with his determination. The past two seasons with Honda were difficult for Hayden. He struggled in 2007 and, once again, in 2008 on the tiny RC212V, but when Honda finally – and grudgingly – delivered the pneumatic-valve version of the V-Four engine, he finished strong, running at or near the front and never placing worse than fifth in the final five races.”
Miles continues, “Hayden will need everything in his personal arsenal to achieve success with Ducati. It won’t be easy to catch front-running teammate Casey Stoner, even if the Aussie’s wrist isn’t fully functional, as Marco Melandri learned this past season. There are other potential hurdles, too, such as a largely Italian-speaking crew, new electronics and the series-spec Bridgestones. None of this will be made easier with the recently announced rule changes, namely shortened practice sessions.”
On Hayden’s task of helping Ducati sell more bikes Miles also comments, “If he is able to win another title, Hayden will greatly boost awareness of the Ducati brand in the U.S. If his infectious smile and escalating popularity can bring more potential buyers into Ducati dealerships, he will have done his job both on and off the racetrack.”
Hayden’s marketing value to the Italian factory is also highlighted by Henny Ray Abrams, of Cycle News, who states, “Nicky instantly raises Ducati’s image in the U.S., where they’ve been without a public face since pulling out of American Superbike racing at the end of 2006. Ducati has survived the economic downturn in the U.S. better than almost any other brand. Despite a weak fourth quarter, their 2008 sales were nearly equal to 2007’s, which was a record year.”
source: www.motogp.com
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MotoGP
Friday, February 20, 2009
They may have missed the first four rounds of the fourth season of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, but A1 Team Germany ’s return to A1GP competition was a remarkably successful one, with Michael Ammermuller ranked second fastest after the two practice sessions.
“It has been a rush,” the former race winner told A1GP.com, “because I had my seat fitting yesterday and drove the new car for the first time today after the mechanics did a fantastic job to get the car ready.
“And the new A1GP Powered by Ferrari car, is a lot, lot better than the first generation car. It’s a great deal more fun to drive, especially through fast corners as it has so much more downforce.
“The one thing that did cause me trouble to start with was braking, but as much as anything this is down to not having driven a single-seater for five or six months.”
Rival teams will point out that Ammermuller’s best lap of 1m 31.312 seconds was set on a new set of tyres, while they made do without, but Michael said this first day of the Kylami meeting has boosted his confidence for Germany ’s first race back:
“Sure I had new tyres, but I actually hit traffic on my fastest lap, so there’s a lot more to come on Saturday, when I also hope to become 100 per cent confident in the car.”
source: www.a1gp.com
Labels:
A1GP
Thursday, February 19, 2009
| Toyota’s Timo Glock was the driver to beat on Wednesday, as this week’s four-day Bahrain test session continued. In windy conditions, Glock’s best lap of 1m 32.492s put him over four tenths of a second clear of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. source: www.formula1.com |     |
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Formula 1
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Details of the changes to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations for the 2009 season as announced by the FIM on Wednesday.
The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Hervé Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Messrs Vito Ippolito (FIM President), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Sport Director), Javier Alonso (Dorna) and M. Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held on 18th February 2009 at the FIM Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, unanimously decided to introduce the following amendments to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations – with immediate application.
1. Standard time schedule
Friday
13:05-13:45 125cc Free Practice 1
14:05-14:50 MotoGP Free Practice 1
15:05-15:50 250cc Free Practice 1
Saturday
09:05-09:45 125cc Free Practice 2
10:05-10:50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
11:05-11:50 250cc Free Practice 2
13:05-13:45 125cc Qualifying Practice
14:05-14:50 MotoGP Qualifying Practice
15:05-15:50 250cc Qualifying Practice
Sunday
08:40-09:00 125cc Warm Up
09:10-09:30 250cc Warm Up
09:40-10:00 MotoGP Warm Up
11:00 125cc Race
12:15 250cc Race
14:00 MotoGP Race
2. From Czech GP, maximum 5 engines can be used in 8 races. No changing of parts will be permitted except daily maintenance.
3. Ceramic composite materials are not permitted for brakes disc or pads.
4. Launch control system is not permitted.
5. Electronic controlled suspension is not permitted.
6. Only 2 post race tests at Catalunya and Czech GP for development purposes using test riders only are permitted.source: www.motogp.com
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MotoGP
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A1 Team Indonesia has announced a change of lead driver for the first time in nearly two years.
Zahir Ali’s performances in the last three rookie sessions have been enough to convince team bosses to give him the chance to be the squad’s main race driver, replacing Satrio Hermanto, this weekend.
“The change in driver line up is a part of the A1 team Indonesia vision to support and improve the careers of young Indonesian drivers,” said A1 Team Indonesia team principal Bagoes Hermanto.
“We are aware it will be a tough weekend for Zahir in Gauteng, but he has already shown natural speed and ability in the A1GP car so far this season. We are constantly striving to improve the team and achieve stronger results for the fans.”
source: www.a1gp.com
Zahir impressed from his very first A1GP outing, finishing eighth in the rookie session in Chengdu, China.
“I am very proud to be given the honour of representing my nation in A1GP, I will give my best efforts to the team and my aim will be to achieve two solid finishes in the races,” he said. “I have limited experience of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car in comparison to some of the other drivers, but I hope to get to grips with the car and the new circuit as quick as possible.”
Satrio Hermanto, capped 28 times for his nation, said he respected the team’s decision.
“I will aim to keep myself fit and in good shape so I will be ready if the team call me to national duty again in the future,” he added.
Labels:
A1GP
Sunday, February 15, 2009
| With the guessing games regarding the empty Toro Rosso seat now over, Sebastien Bourdais is looking a lot more relaxed. And with the early pace of Red Bull’s RB5 boding well for the forthcoming STR4, he awaits the new season with relish. The ever-frank Frenchman reveals how hard work, cost cuts and Dietrich Mateschitz helped him retain his drive, and shares his thoughts on KERS, the 2009 changes and his fellow drivers… source: www.formula1.com |      |
Labels:
Interviews
| After spending two days dodging sandstorms, Ferrari, Toyota and BMW Sauber were finally able to carry out some productive running as their four-day Bahrain test concluded on Friday. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was the fastest man around the Sakhir circuit, clocking a best time of 1m 33.325s. source: www.formula1.com |    |
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Formula 1
Friday, 13 February 2009
Spaniard dedicating year to preparing for new Grand Prix class
Former 250cc World Championship runner-up Fonsi Nieto has given further weight to the future Moto2 category, with the announcement that he is dedicating his immediate future to preparing a title challenge in the class. The Spaniard has signed with the L’Oreal LaGlisse team to test their 600cc bike, and possibly ride it in the 2009 CEV Spanish Championship.
Testing with a machine produced in Eskil Sutter’s Swiss workshop, Nieto is likely to have his first on-track encounter with the four-stroke at the Jarama circuit in Madrid. The intention will be to verify the functionality of the bike. A public test in Valencia will follow.
L’Oreal LaGlisse Principal Jaime Fernandez-Aviles expressed his delight with the addition of Nieto to his team to MotoGP.com, stating that “Fonsi is a very strong rider and will be fundamental to the development of our bike, and we aren’t ruling out the idea of running him in the entire CEV season this year.”
Nieto has been racing in superbike competition since 2005, in addition to a ride with Kawasaki in the 2007 French Grand Prix as a stand-in for Olivier Jacque. His intention will now be to become the first ever Moto2 World Champion when the new class is introduced.
source: www.motogp.com
Labels:
MotoGP
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A1 Team Great Britain has recalled Danny Watts for next weekend’s races in at the new-to-A1GP circuit in Gauteng, South Africa.
Watts made himself unavailable for selection at the last round in Taupo, due to his partner giving birth to their baby son. Former Champ Car driver Dan Clarke stood in for Watts.
However, the 29-year-old, who scored two podiums on the last new-to-A1GP track in Chengdu, will return to race for the team.
“I am delighted to welcome back Danny and I am very much looking forward to the new challenges that A1GP Gauteng will present,” said team principal Katie Clements.
“The team has always had the ability to adapt to a new circuit quickly, and I know the same is true of Danny. We know the team and Danny collectively have the talent and pace to be running up the front. While it is true that we are not where we wanted to be at this stage of the season, there are a lot of points available over the weekend and as always we will be putting in 110 per cent effort to score as high as possible to be in the fight at the front of the championship.”
The team rests in 10th place in the championship, with just the 16 points that Watts scored in Chengdu on the board. “We’re sort of struggling in the points department at the moment so next weekend we’ve got to go out and get a really good result,” said Watts. “A couple of podiums would be good. We’ll all be putting in our best efforts as normal.”
source: www.a1gp.com
source: www.a1gp.com
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, 06 February 2009
Focusing on the electronics of his new M1 and enjoying some friendly competitiveness with his old friend Loris Capirossi in testing at Sepang, Valentino Rossi was in a typically good mood at the end of Friday’s session.
Despite the nagging pain caused by the stitches in his left hand and foot – a result of his domestic mishap earlier this week in Italy – Valentino Rossi enjoyed Friday’s testing session in Malaysia, finishing third on the timesheet just behind Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi.
Working hard on the continual adaptation of his 2009 prototype M1 the MotoGP World Champion tested a new electronic setting to assist with acceleration and was able to produce a best time of 2’01.626, inside the existing lap record and just 0.143s off pace-setter Stoner’s Friday best.
At the end of his 40-lap workout Rossi explained, “Today we tested some new electronic solutions in order to allow me to open the throttle earlier and they were not bad at all, but we still need to work to improve it even more. This afternoon the stitches hurt me a bit, but my pace was still very good so I am happy.”
Having raced around the 5.542km Sepang circuit with his compatriot and friend Capirossi late in the session, the Fiat Yamaha star joked, “At the end of the day I had some fun with Loris; we did a couple of laps together and I think that he enjoyed it a lot, because he beat me! I had fun, a lot of fun; it was like the good old times!”
Further detailing the thinking behind his work schedule the 29 year-old added, “I did not do the long run; I will do it tomorrow if my physical condition allows it. I may have to do it in two parts, so that it won’t put too much stress on my stitches. It will be interesting to do the long run with the new tyres, but I am not expecting it to be so much slower than last year.”
Click here for the MotoGP Sepang Test Results so far.
source: www.motogp.com
Friday, February 06, 2009
“It can’t be far away now. It’s got to happen sooner or later.”
Those are the words of A1 Team Australia’s John Martin, talking about his chances of finally scoring a medal.
Since being promoted from impressive rookie to full-time race driver at Taupo last season, Martin has steadily grown in confidence and stature as he attempts to turn Jackaroo back into a regular podium finisher.
Australia still holds the record for the team with most medal finishers by different drivers – five in all – yet 24-year-old Martin has yet to wear any A1GP metal round his neck, despite being the team’s most capped driver.
But the numbers indicate, he’s close. And getting ever closer. A quick browse through A1GP.com’s Stats Zone shows Martin’s improving performances, particularly in the new A1GP Powered by Ferrari car, a vehicle that appears to suit him better than the last machine.
He has finished in the top six positions four times this season, giving Australia 30 points, which puts it in eighth place in the current rankings. It is just that while he has driven every Feature race this season well enough to trouble the points scorers, it hasn’t been enough to trouble the engravers.
Only one driver in the history of A1GP has as many fourth place finishes without going onto scoring a medal place – Switzerland’s Sebastien Buemi (now in Formula 1).
But Taupo may prove to have been the breakthrough race for Martin. Visiting the first track he has raced previously in A1GP, he scored his best two qualifying performances – lining up seventh and fourth for the Sprint and Feature races respectively.
“It’s good to finally be inside the top five in qualifying,” Martin told A1GP.com. “So hopefully from now we can keep going and prove we’re sort of around third or fourth fastest [all the time.]
“If we can keep doing that, then we can hang with guys at the front. Life is a lot easier at the front, let me tell you. We ran well in Malaysia and then in Taupo, so that medal can’t be far away now. It’s got to happen sooner or later. We’ll go to South Africa and see what happens.”
Martin believes that qualifying well is the key that could unlock an elusive medal place, and better yet, Australia’s first gold.
“We had pace in qualifying in Malaysia too, and we should have third of fourth on the grid but unfortunately we got held up by Monaco at the crucial point. In Taupo, we were able to get some clear runs.
“We could have been third in the Sprint race in Taupo, looking at how close we were in the pit stops and seeing how everyone else struggled, but I had a bit of an issue in my pit stop.
“I then got frustrated and tried to make up time and clipped the tyres and that was my race over.
“But I didn’t make any mistakes in the Feature. I could have been close to Portugal after the seconds round of stops but when I came back out on track I got stuck behind South Africa for four laps and that was it.
“We’re close, you know.”
By the time A1GP makes its debut on the Gold Coast of Australia in October, who would bet against the home team having scored a medal of the same colour?source: www.a1gp.com
Thursday, February 5, 2009
| After watching his BMW Sauber team mate, Robert Kubica, score a first win at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, you would be forgiven for thinking Nick Heidfeld’s goal for 2009 would be to match his Polish counterpart. But Heidfeld has a far more ambitious target and is hoping to challenge for the title, if the F1.09 proves to be a worthy enough charge. |      |
Source: www.formula1.com
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A1 Team Lebanon’s Daniel Morad has grudgingly put his visit to New Zealand down to experience, as the impressive speed that he displayed in practice at Taupo Motorsport Park failed to result in a single point.
“I think I just need some luck,” the 18-year-old told A1GP.com. “We started so well on Friday and found a really good race set-up on Saturday.
“But then it started going wrong in qualifying and I was caught out in all four sessions, either by getting caught behind slower traffic or caught out by a spinning car. Monaco’s Clivio Piccione blocked me at Turn 4 in Sprint race qualifying then, when Congfu Cheng of China spun in front of me at Turn 11 in Q4, I reckon that cost me 0.8 seconds and without that I could have qualified third and that would have led to a very different race for me.”
Then came the races, with Morad starting 10th for the Sprint race.
“I was looking to keep it clean in the Sprint and go for points, because I knew that I had the pace,” he explained, “but the steering wheel started to be mis-aligned to the right and slid round more and more. By the time I came in for my first pit stop, it was angled at 45 degrees when it should have been central.
“Then, after the stop, within half a lap, it was right round at 90 degrees and I pulled out with a rear suspension arm having pulled right out of the differential casing.”
Starting ninth for the Feature race, Daniel was again confident of points. In fact, he was confident of securing far more than that.
“I truly believed that I might even be able to go for a medal,” said Morad. “For once, we’d had a chance to practice our pit stops and I was optimistic. Then, off the line, the anti-stall cut in. I did everything I’d done before, but the engine kept cutting out.
“Once I got going, I passed Italy through Turn 6, then at Turn 7 New Zealand ran wide. But then he started coming across on me as I went to the inside and kept coming, taking off my nose. So that was the end of my weekend and I will have to put this behind me and start again in South Africa in four weeks time.”
source: www.a1gp.com
The Blusens BQR team provided a vision of the future in the Spanish capital this week, when they unveiled a prototype Moto2 machine which will run in the World Championship as of 2011.
With the 250cc class set to be replaced by the new Moto2 category in the World Championship as of 2011, Blusens BQR demonstrated that they are ahead of the game on Tuesday in Madrid as they unveiled the Honda-BQR Moto2 machine they intend to use in Grand Prix racing in two years’ time.
A crowd of eager media representatives attended the special event at the Hotel Puerta America as Blusens BQR presented the four-stroke 600cc Honda-BQR machine, meeting the specifications of the Moto2 class - which will replace the racing currently undertaken in the intermediary category on two-stroke 250cc bikes.
The bike is scheduled to be used this year in the Spanish National Championship (CEV).
During Tuesday’s presentation, hosted by Spanish MotoGP commentator Ernest Riveras (TVE), the likes of Raul Romero (Blusens BQR team owner), Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna CEO), Joan Moreta (President of the Royal Spanish Motorcycle Federation and FIM Vice President) and Jose Ramon Garcia (President of Blusens) all spoke to the media, alongside Daniel Rivas, who will ride the Honda-BQR Moto2 in the CEV.
source: www.motogp.com
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News
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