Thursday, March 31, 2011

Kivek䳠King of Zandvoort

David E. Davis, Jr., A Retrospective

As a tribute to the wit and wisdom of David E., we’ve selected a number of his best columns and stories. It’s a brief look back at his life in his own words. David E.’s seminal BMW 2002 review brought the brand to the attention of American enthusiasts. His Driver’s Seat columns reflect his love [...]

Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien

F1: Time Capsule - Aussie Flashback (Con?t)

Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez Oscar Gonzбlez Aldo Gordini Horace Gould

Saab-Spyker to Spin-off Spyker Cars...

Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

BIKES: 2011 Yamaha FZ8 First Ride

The FZ8 is a fun-to-ride and versatile new middleweight.

Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller Joe Kelly

Speed Street moves stage near NASCAR Hall

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Spied with Less Camo and a Peek at the Interior

The next generation of Mercedes-Benz?s wonderful SL-class roadster has been running around for over a year now. First caught wearing camouflage that resembled vinyl siding, the car is beginning to lose its plastic disguise as it progresses toward launch. Now we?ve even caught a glimpse of the interior. These new pictures reveal an SL that [...]

Tom Jones Juan Jover Oswald Karch Narain Karthikeyan

Bourdais crashes heavily in warm-up

Sebastien Bourdais faces a race against time to make the start of his first race back in the IndyCar Series after crashing heavily in the morning warm-up in St Petersburg. Although the Frenchman was unhurt, his Dale Coyne Racing Dallara-Honda sustained heavy damage in the accident at the track's fast chicane, which ended with the car on fire. "I just nipped the wall on the inside of the fast chicane's right-hander and it broke the right-front suspension straight away and from there I was just a passenger," Bourdais told IMS Radio .

Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

2012 Mercedes SL spied near the Nürburgring

Our spies have caught the redesigned Mercedes SL undergoing testing near the Nurburgring. See the pictures inside

Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks

Latvala problem lets Ogier pull away

Sebastien Ogier now leads the Rally of Portugal by half a minute after Jari-Matti Latvala suffered a driveshaft breakage on the penultimate stage of day two.

Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard Bobby Grim

Sauber will not appeal race exclusion

The Sauber team has decided not to go ahead with its appeal against the decision to be excluded from the Australian Grand Prix. Both Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi - seventh and eighth in the race - were disqualified from the Melbourne event for infringements relating to the rear wings of their cars. A radius on the upper rear wing element on the cars contravened the regulations by a few millimetres.

Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

2011 Winter launch and Test schedule

Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler

McLaren conjure up surprise speed

In Melbourne

McLaren are renowned for their ability to get themselves out of trouble with feverish car development but the Formula 1 community are wondering if they can pull off their biggest Houdini act yet at the Australian Grand Prix.

After three winter tests where they struggled for reliability and pace, McLaren marched to the top of the timesheets as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times on the opening day of practice at the first race of the season.

McLaren personnel were seen arriving at Melbourne airport laden with boxes and boxes of new parts as the English team instigated a major overhaul of the lagging MP4-26.

The team decided to abandon their innovative but unreliable 'octopus' exhaust system - where the idea was to blow air across the floor with multiple exhaust exits - and install a regular exhaust with a new floor and front wing.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh described the modifications as "risky" but predicted the gamble could garner a second in pace to help close the gap on pre-season front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari.

As twilight fell on the first day of 2011 season, the McLarens held sway at the top of the timings, with leader Button bettering Fernando Alonso's Ferrari by 0.147 seconds and Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel by 0.160secs.

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There was every sign - not to mention a ripple of surprise in the paddock - that McLaren's gamble had paid off.

"It's encouraging and a step in the right direction," a tired but pleased Whitmarsh told BBC Sport.

"The truth is we had a variety of creative exhaust systems and we got some good performance. But we didn't have something that was sufficiently durable in my view, which is why I said to the engineers: 'Let's get something that can be solid and can deliver.' And that's what we chose to do. We needed something reliable that would perform here at the race.

"Everyone has worked hard to get the package here in 10 days flat."

Button also pointed to another encouraging first for McLaren - a car that was capable of completing a race distance, something the team were not able to achieve in testing.

"We've got reliability, which is something we haven't had all winter," Button, who is chasing a third straight win in Melbourne, explained.

"To have a car that can run for as many laps as we want to is great.

"Whatever we'd have done in testing we still wouldn't have been running quickest even if other cars had run on high fuel so I'm very happy with the step we've made."

Top times may be one thing but they do not tell the whole story in F1 - especially in practice when it is not known how much fuel each team has on board. The fact that the teams are still feeling their way with the new Pirelli tyres in the environment of a race weekend adds a further layer of uncertainty.

Tyre management and strategy will be crucial to determining the outcome of races this season as the Pirellis are not only degrading quickly but there is a great performance differential between the compounds.

But McLaren felt they could draw on another positive here, saying they were comfortable with the tyre performance even on Melbourne's bumpy and dusty temporary track.

Ferrari also said they had experienced "less obvious tyre degradation" while in contrast Red Bull's hard tyres were visibly worn during six-lap stints in first practice.

"I've got to say our guys really held the tyres together and exceeded expectations in durability and performance over long runs," added Whitmarsh.

While there are smiles all round at McLaren - even from former boss Ron Dennis, who is keeping his watchful eyes on proceedings - no one is getting carried away.

"It was an encouraging day," commented Whitmarsh. "All we are trying to do is keep our feet on the ground."

Many F1 insiders believe that neither Red Bull nor Ferrari have yet to unleash their true pace in qualifying trim.

Like the great white sharks lurking in Australian water, last season's top predators could well be circling their prey before launching an attack in qualifying.

But if McLaren have sharpened their teeth and taken a genuine step forward in time for the first grand prix then any already hotly-anticipated F1 opener has now got even hotter.

Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther Yves Giraud Cabantous

TV Schedule March 25-27

Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart

AMT Nova SS

Hello Guys,

This is one of my older builds. AMT's Nova with the bad body and front fenders that were seperate, that didn't fit. this was done with a finger polish mix. With Tamiya clear from rattle can.  I added a bench seat  with modified head rest from bucket seats. Scratch built side pipes, mud flaps. I used aliminum tubing and rod to make hood hinge,  the Nova script on front fender was done by applying bare metal foil to emblem before paint. then sprayed over with the finger nail polish. then when I rubbed out the paint, the BMF was exposed. Tires and rims are from Revell's '29 Ford pick up. 

 

Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard

Campaign launched to save Team Lotus


© Save Team Lotus
One side of the Lotus naming dispute has been put forward on a new and in-depth webpage called www.saveteamlotus.com. The basic background is that the Lotus Racing F1 team had its naming rights revoked for next season by Group Lotus and, in order to keep racing under the Lotus name, bought the Team Lotus brand off David Hunt, who had owned it since the original team?s last race in 1994. Group Lotus has now taken Lotus Racing to court to try and stop it using the historic name in Formula One next year. The issue has been a source of constant confusion for many fans and the new webpage offers a breakdown of David Hunt?s and Team Lotus? side of the argument.

Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Red Bull under the spotlight


Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel celebrate with Red Bull boss Christian Horner on the podium © Getty Images
Sections of the international media have questioned Red Bull's strategic approach to the world championship. After Sebastian Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix from the team's points leader Mark Webber at Interlagos, Der Spiegel noted: "Red Bull gives (Fernando) Alonso wings". Not switching the places means that Spaniard Alonso can take his Ferrari to just second place this weekend in Abu Dhabi and be champion, whereas the alternative strategy would have set up Webber for a straight fight. "It is not easy for Webber to drive in a team that considers him a burden to be up against Vettel," said La Gazzetta dello Sport. Tuttosport noted that it seems "the Austrian team would be happier to lose than to see Webber beat Vettel". "No team orders at Red Bull. Another own goal," headlined La Repubblica. Joan Villadelprat wrote in his El Pais column: "Had Red Bull opted for Webber a few races ago, the Australian would probably now be champion." Red Bull, however, is unrepentant. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper that "second under proper conditions can often be more valuable than a first". But there is a feeling that the team is not simply giving up the fight for the drivers' title. One columnist in Brazil's Globo wondered if Vettel's radio message in Abu Dhabi might sound something like 'So ... Mark is faster than you'. "I'm always in favour of leaving the fight on the track with equal chances for both sides," said Rubens Barrichello. "But I wonder if they would do that if the situation was in reverse. ?Mark has done a great job this year and he has been told by his team what position he is in," said Lewis Hamilton. "Against adversity he has kept at it. I want to see Mark win." Webber believes that, if a strategy is deployed, it will only be on the "last lap" of the season this weekend. "Sebastian is part of a team," said Niki Lauda, who believes Webber should be backed fully by Red Bull. "If he does anything it should be helping Webber and not just on the last lap." Webber is quoted by Bild newspaper: "It makes sense. Otherwise it would mean that Ferrari's team orders would have paid off for Fernando." Red Bull team boss Christian Horner hints that sense will ultimately prevail. "We have already given too many presents to Fernando this year," he is quoted by Autosprint.

Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki

Latvala problem lets Ogier pull away

Sebastien Ogier now leads the Rally of Portugal by half a minute after Jari-Matti Latvala suffered a driveshaft breakage on the penultimate stage of day two.

Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi

Vettel cruises to Australian GP win

Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet

2012 Audi S8 ? Feature

25 Cars Worth Waiting For. What it is: The sportiest version of the Audi A8. While the previous S8 had a Lamborghini-based 5.2-liter V-10, the new S8 has a twin-turbo V-8. Keep Reading: 2012 Audi S8 – Feature

Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick

Marc VDS takes first GT1 victory

The Marc VDS Ford team notched up its first FIA GT1 World Championship victory in the qualifying race in Abu Dhabi today. The Ford GT driven Frederic Makowiecki and Maxime Martin just edged out the best of the four Nissans, the JR Motorsports entry shared by Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck.

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

Sauber duo disqualified from Australia

Sauber drivers Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix over a technical infringement. Perez, making his grand prix debut, had finished in a strong seventh position, one place ahead of his Japanese team-mate Kobayashi.

Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling

Rivals believe Red Bull still beatable

Red Bull Racing's rivals still believe they are in the hunt to topple Australian Grand Prix pole position man Sebastian Vettel in the first race of the season - despite admitting surprise at the speed the German showed as he grabbed pole position. Vettel has been in scintillating form throughout the Melbourne weekend, and edged the rest of the field by eight tenths of a second in qualifying - despite not using his KERS during the battle for grid positions. But even though that kind of advantage makes Vettel the clear favourite for victory, main opposition McLaren and Ferrari both think that the race itself may well prove to be a different story

Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen

Paul Menard: Finally a contender after move to RCR

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

Monday, March 28, 2011

Team order rule needs a re-think

Name That Shifter, No. 16: Ford Mustang GT

On Monday we presented this week?s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. It didn’t take too long for many of you to identify the car as a 1983 Ford Mustang GT. The first commenter to correctly identify it was e30og, who will receive a [...]

Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gбlvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Williams FW33 2011 Livery pictures (24th of February)

Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani

Ford Crown Victoria Lounge Lizard ? Archived Project Car

Can a car named after a stuffy 19th-century matriarch be modified into a hot rod for the redoubtable Kress Lounge? We try. We Succeed. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it? well, maybe I have only said it once: Anything weighing two tons and casting a 17.7-foot shadow ought to be a national monument. [...]

Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins

Toro Rosso STR6 Launch pictures ( 1st of February)

Oscar Alfredo Gбlvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner

2013 Lotus Esprit ? Feature

25 Cars Worth Waiting For. What it is: A mid-engine, aluminum-bodied supercar designed to take on Ferrari and Lamborghini. Keep Reading: 2013 Lotus Esprit – Feature

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

The Continental: Maserati?s SUV and Smaller Sedan Plans, Nissan Trims its Euro Lineup, and Rent-A-Bimmer Begins

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Driving the Euro-spec Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale last week, the quality of the single-clutch, automated manual [...]

Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson

F1: Time Capsule - Aussie Flashback

Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Ogier leads as disasters hit Ford

Citroen is set for a commanding one-two with Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb in the Rally of Portugal after a series of dramas for Ford at the end of day two. Mikko Hirvonen had already dropped two minutes with a puncture this morning, but Jari-Matti Latvala remained close behind leader Ogier. A broken driveshaft then slowed Latvala on SS12 Vascao, and it was followed by a puncture on the subsequent Loule stage, which left Latvala over four minutes away from the lead as he finished the loop.

Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje

Hamilton, Schumacher get warnings

Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have escaped grid penalties despite being found guilty of impeding other cars during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. The FIA stewards, including three-time grand prix winner Johnny Herbert, opted only to warn the trio despite having the power to demote them on the grid for Sunday's race after viewing video evidence and hearing evidence from the drivers themselves

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire

Pole Report: Auto Club 400 Qualifying After Little Practice

Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick

Chandhok accepts blame for crash

Karun Chandhok admitted he was totally to blame for his crash right at the start of opening practice in Melbourne this morning.

Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

VW Beetle makes a bold bet on Skins [w/video]

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vw black beetle
Volkswagen's Black Beetle Commercial - Click above to watch video after the jump

Companies prefer spending ad dollars on TV shows that people are actually going to watch. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of buzz; if a lot of good or bad things are being said about a program, people are likely to tune in out of curiosity. Volkswagen is aware of this, and the automaker is betting that folks are going to tune into watch MTV's controversial new show Skins.

Declared too racy by some critics, Skins was a high-school drama that showed drug use and sex amongst teenagers. It was also apparently quite terrible, judging from the reviews found around the Internet.The show aired its season (and possibly series) finale this past Monday, and VW was on board with some advertising airtime.

The initial backlash against Skins was enough to send some top-tier advertisers running. Volkswagen was willing to gamble that enough hype had been generated and people would tune in to the season-ender. Able to grab more airtime than usual, the automaker double-dipped on its new Black Beatle commercial, which was first seen during Super Bowl XLV. Smart move for VW? Well, the Skins finale drew 1.2 million viewers, the most the show had since February 7, for whatever that's worth.

Click past the jump to watch Volkswagen's Black Beetle commercial, and you don't even have to sit through an episode of Skins beforehand.

[Sources: The New York Times, YouTube]

Continue reading VW Beetle makes a bold bet on Skins [w/video]

VW Beetle makes a bold bet on Skins [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota

Button frustrated after drive-through penalty | 2011 Australian Grand Prix

Jenson Button said Felipe Massa forced him off the track during their battle in the Australian Grand Prix.

Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

Hamilton: ?That?s the longest the car?s lasted!? | 2011 Australian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton said finishing the race was the longest his MP4-26 has lasted without breaking down.

Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy

Fisker Begins Production of the $88,000 Karma Plug-In Hybrid

Androids may dream of electric sheep, but as of today, another electric car is actually in production. Fisker’s Finnish contractor began assembling production examples of the $88,000 Karma plug-in hybrid today. It should trickle into showrooms in the U.S. and Europe within the next month. Fisker claims the 402-hp Karma will run for 50 miles [...]

Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne

Saturday, March 26, 2011

F1 2011 Launch Catch Up ? McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Sauber, Toro Rosso, Renault?

Q and A: Di Resta on his F1 debut

Paul di Resta got his first season in a Formula 1 race seat off to a strong start with 14th on the grid in Melbourne - two places ahead of his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil after the German's wild spin. AUTOSPORT heard di Resta's thoughts afterwards as he built up to the biggest race of his life so far.

Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV

Petrov says more to come from Renault

Vitaly Petrov is confident that there is more performance to come from Renault tomorrow after setting 12th fastest time in free practice for the Australian Grand Prix. The Russian was eight-thousandths of a second faster than team-mate Nick Heidfeld and was upbeat about the progress that Renault had made during the day

Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld

Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model

American Medical News reports hospitals in at least a dozen countries are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronisation of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care.
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."

Al Herman Hans Herrmann Franзois Hesnault Hans Heyer

TV Schedule March 25-27

Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani

Racing Toward a Cause: The Denny Hamlin Foundation Brings a Showdown to Richmond

Geki Olivier Gendebien Marc Genй Elmer George

Paul Menard: Finally a contender after move to RCR

John James Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson

Michael Schumacher: ?We are well prepared?

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg say that Mercedes is in good shape going into the first race in Australia, following the recent test in Barcelona. Mercedes has appeared to be struggling in February testing, but Ross Brawn always maintained that … Continue reading

Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones

Friday, March 25, 2011

Porsche Pajun under development - report

With the Panamera proving to be a resounding sales success, a new report is indicating Porsche is developing a smaller model to target the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class.

Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan

Ringing the changes for 2011

Well, here we go then, my first blog of a new year - and it will take me a while to type it. I've just returned from a skiing trip to France and used so many muscles that even my fingers ache. Mind you, I've promised my wife Harriet a six-pack as a New Year's resolution for the past few years so maybe it's actually the perfect start to 2011!

It may only be January but another F1 season will be upon us before we know it - and judging by the tweets I've been receiving it can't come soon enough for lots of you! There's a lot going on and you might have read about changes to the BBC team - I'll come onto those in a bit.

But there is no doubt that since taking this job it feels as though my life has has entered a warp-speed stage. I look at the calendar ahead of the season and feel rather daunted by the travel, the hours of live television, the garish Eddie Jordan outfits and the drama that awaits us... but before I know it, we'll be at the final race of the year with the champion crowned.

The winter break is the same. Knowing when the season starts meant that even before we signed off in Abu Dhabi we had already announced how many weeks it was until the 2011 season. So I've spent most of the winter (in between sore throats/colds/flu) ticking off the weeks until we're back in Bahrain.

I can't believe it's time to turn our attention towards Sebastian Vettel's defence of his crown already.

Eddie Jordan, Jake Humphrey and David Coulthard

Coulthard (right) will dove-tail his pundit's role with his new commentating duties. Photo: Getty

I vividly remember coming off air in November, having signed off from the final F1 Forum of 2010, and immediately feeling really down. I mentioned it to Martin Brundle, who told me that it's par for the course. After giving so much both mentally and physically to a gruelling nine-month schedule, it's natural that you experience a dip the moment the adrenalin leaves your body and the slog is over.

Mind you, my dip wasn't quite as big as Ferrari's, was it? I'm sure over the winter you've read the revelations that team principal Stefano Domenicali considered walking away after the Scuderia's strategy calls contributed to Red Bull's double success. Well, to understand what Domenicali must have been feeling, you need to realise how much emotion is involved in a sport more famed for its technical element.

Many of the Red Bull engineers and mechanics have worked for that team throughout all the name changes, back-of-the-field struggles and double retirements they have experienced in less successful years, so you can imagine the outpouring of joy that greeted Vettel's title in Abu Dhabi. And from men who spend their days in the macho world of racing there were plenty of tears as the best partiers in the paddock lived up to their reputation of working hard and playing hard, too.

As I left them to their celebrations, I walked into the pit lane and looked along the garages, where I was met with the clearest example of what suspect calls on the pit wall can lead to.

Right next door to the loud music and joy emanating from the Red Bull garage, there was just one lonely mechanic standing and talking on the phone in a still, silent Ferrari garage.

The money they'd spent, the car they'd devoted thousands of hours to, the flights they'd taken and the dreams they'd had eventually came to nothing. The car was now obsolete, the season over and all because of one split-second decision on the pit wall. That is what makes this such a fascinating sport.

I think we all felt a bit odd at the end of the season. Imagine how it was for our own former Red Bull driver David Coulthard, seeing the team you raced for achieving the ultimate success. He must have had all sorts of emotions.

You'll get the chance to hear for yourself next season just how emotional grand prix racing makes David because, as well as chasing around the paddock with Eddie and me, he is stepping up into the commentary box.

I'm really excited about a 13-time winner sharing his knowledge in the race with you. Remember, David has raced most of the guys on the grid, has first-hand experience of the inner workings of current champions Red Bull and, most importantly, has driven contemporary F1 machinery.

There is no doubt that it is a daunting prospect for him but I think he will fly once he settles in. I always tell him that the pre- and post-race "waffle", as I jokingly refer to it, is important and an interesting way of adding depth to a race weekend. However, we don't directly affect people's enjoyment of the actual racing.

In my mind, the commentary is a somewhat more responsible role for that reason and is also the trickiest job going. I wouldn't swap the pit lane for the commentary box for all the sand in Bahrain!

Although David is moving to the commentary box, the 'three-o' of myself, DC and EJ will remain. We love working together and, when you get an on-screen chemistry that people seem to enjoy, it would be foolish to break it up.

However, David will need to hustle his white jeans to the commentary box a little earlier so immediately pre- and post-race will be a chance for EJ to get on his soap box and share his views at a time when the audience is joining us in their droves for the racing.

The most fascinating part of any race weekend for me has always been settling down to watch the grand prix with Eddie and David as they discuss the race unfolding while regaling me with anecdotes of their first-hand experience. Well, I won't get that anymore but my loss is certainly your gain and I think we've a really strong team in place for 2011.

And who will be alongside David in the box? His long-time friend, one-time business partner and full-time expert on the sport - Martin Brundle.

Martin has had more races behind the microphone than behind the wheel - and what better qualifications can you have than to have taken part in the sport for so long, commentating on almost every race for the past 14 years? I thought in 2010 his instincts, ability to read the race and general enthusiasm for the sport he has dedicated his life to were as prevalent as ever.

I don't envy the work that lies ahead for Martin, though. It might seem like a small change on paper but, in reality, while DC will be sharing his views on drivers, strategy and taking us as close to the cockpit as possible, Martin will need to be aware of every little story, political development and technical development as he calls the action. Racing drivers only exist to be the best, so expect to see him giving it his all to make it a huge success.

Clearly, however, the changes I've talked about mean that Jonathan Legard will no longer be part of our team - I know I'm going to really miss him.

I first met 'Ledgy', as we affectionately call him, at Craven Cottage, where we were both covering football. It was November 2008 and we had both been lined up for the new F1 season. We got talking and were both brimming with excitement and anticipation about the adventure ahead.

I remember before the 2009 season started and we were both incredibly nervous about taking on something as important and prestigious as F1 and I told him how worried I was about the challenge ahead. His instant reply was: "We can both either have an easy life or an exciting life and I know which one I want!"

That is typical Jonathan - always encouraging, incredibly enthusiastic, a good friend to us all, and without doubt the hardest working member of the BBC's F1 team, doing an incredibly difficult job. I know I speak for every member of the production when I say we're all going to miss his entertaining company and his absolute dedication to the job. All the best for the future Jonathan!

One thing you may well also miss is standard-definition coverage. Finally, we are delighted to bring you F1 in high definition, which I think will make the sport even more dramatic and addictive than ever.

So why will you miss SD? Well, mainly because in HD I think Eddie's shirts might be un-viewable. I've warned him, but I'm still expecting something outrageous come March!

So, the clock is ticking for the new season and March will be here in a flash. We have a new Indian driver, a new Indian Grand Prix, the prospect of three British drivers battling it out if Scottish DTM champ Paul di Resta gets the nod at Force India, six world champions on the grid... and once again the whole season will be live and uninterrupted of the BBC.

I can't wait to share the 2011 season with you all. Feel free to leave comments below about the kind of stuff you would like to see in our coverage this year and remember that throughout the season I post plenty of exclusive pictures and other juicy stuff on my Twitter page.

Eight weeks and counting...

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota

Lowe?s to Jimmie Johnson, ?Can You Win??

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 23, 2011) – What started with the simple question, “Can you win?” has turned into one of the most successful partnerships in all of sports. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson along with crew chief Chad Knaus and Hendrick Motorsports are celebrating 10 years together with sponsor, Lowe’s. The longest running [...]

Andrй Guelfi Miguel Бngel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurнcio Gugelmin

Buckeye Scale Auto Club

 Buckeye Scale Auto Club is having a contest on March 27th in Columbus Ohio.  There is information at our web site.  Hope to see ya there.  Dan

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott

On the subject of Staten Island

Everyone in the blogosphere is now talking about F1 and Staten Island and whether Bernie Ecclestone has gone to meet New York mayor Michael Bloomberg or not. It all seems to have come from Ron Walker in Melbourne who has now twice mentioned Staten Island as a possible F1 venue. No-one else as far as [...]

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Hдkkinen Bruce Halford

Roush Rewind: Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City

Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

2012 Honda Civic / Civic Si / Civic Hybrid ? Feature

25 Cars Worth Waiting For. What it is: The ninth generation of Honda?s compact Civic. Keep Reading: 2012 Honda Civic / Civic Si / Civic Hybrid – Feature

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

Gale Brewer Introduces Bill to Make Central Park, Prospect Park Car-Free

City Council Member Gale Brewer reenergized the fight for car-free Central and Prospect Parks by introducing a bill in the City Council today. Image: nyc.gov.
Upper West Side City Council Member Gale Brewer introduced legislation today that would restore Central and Prospect Parks to their original car-free status.
Brewer’s bill would ban private vehicles from using the [...]

Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill Peter Hirt

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Marussia Virgin MVR-02 Launch pictures (7th of February)

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett

The Secrets to Success for Transit-Oriented Development

Proximity to downtown and employment centers, and the availability of developable land, are what lead to big real estate impacts from transit expansion. Source: CTOD

?Transit alone is insufficient to make a real estate market,? said Dena Belzer, the president of Strategic Economics, an urban design consulting firm. Her group is a partner in the Center [...]

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

Corolla-based F430 replica not the worst Ferrari copy we've seen, sadly

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ferrari replicar

Let's say you wanted to create a replica Ferrari. Your first move would undoubtedly be to acquire a Pontiac Fiero, but what if you lived in an area where Fieros are actually mythical beasts? Executive Modcar Trendz of India turned to one of the best-selling cars on the planet; the Toyota Corolla to create the one-off F430 you see here.

That's right folks, underneath this Rosso Fakeo paint job lies the beating heart of a Japanese compact car. The entire interior has been reworked so it more closely resembles the Ferrari F430 on which it's based.

What does it cost to go from gas-drinker to faux-corner-devourer? Around 10 Lakh, which translates to approximately $22,242 USD based on current conversion rates. Head over to IndianAutosBlog for a closer look at this Ferroyta Cor30.

[Source: IndianAutosBlog.com]

Corolla-based F430 replica not the worst Ferrari copy we've seen, sadly originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

Chevy Won?t Offer a Cruze SS, But More Powerful Engine is a Possibility

Chevrolet is not planning to offer an SS version of its Cruze sedan, despite recent rumors to the contrary. We’ve learned that the company is holding its line on not deploying the SS branding to every model?in fact, at this point the only Chevy so badged is the Camaro?and as such, there won’t be a [...]

Paul Goldsmith Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez Oscar Gonzбlez Aldo Gordini

AUTOS: 'Speedmakers' Gets Armored Up

Go behind the scenes as the new SPEED program looks at the construction and performance of extreme armored vehicles.

Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James

Deuces Wild: Jeff Byrd 500

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

Five ways to improve F1


Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday © Sutton Images
In an interview in the Times, former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi?s outlined his five-point plan to enhance Formula One. Cut costs ?They spend a fortune in wind-tunnel testing alone. Reduce costs and the slowest teams would catch up and make it more even.? Limit downforce ?They need to reduce enormously the downforce in the cars, the only way to bring back overtaking. We need more mechanical grip so that you have longer braking areas, can set up the car coming out of a corner, get in the slipstream and then overtake.? Close the pitlane ?When the safety car goes out they should close the pitlane. Now it?s just a lottery.? Lift ban on team orders ?It is a very stupid rule. It?s why they are called teams, it?s why they have two cars. If a driver is leading in the championship, everything has to go in his favour. What is wrong with that? It?s so easy for teams to camouflage their orders anyway. All they need to do is tell one guy on the radio he has a problem with his brakes. They can bend the rules very easily. In the old days they would even swap cars, so why do we have this ban now?? Retain traditional grands prix ?These places are the soul of racing. The Americas are under-represented. We have Canada back, but there is no USA, no Argentina, no Mexico. We need to stay in the heartlands.?

Maurнcio Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood

Bahrain Grand Prix likely to face axe in the F1 2011 Season.

The political unrest that turned Egypt on its head recently arrived at Bahrain, with numerous anti-Government protests rising up across the Middle Eastern nation. The death toll in Bahrain stands at 6 already. Consequentially, the instability of the region is a severe detriment to what would have been a banging opener to the Formula 1 [...]

Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Formula One - Qantas Australian Grand Prix Preview

Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez Oscar Gonzбlez

BMW claims one-two in Sebring and kicks of 2011 season in style.

2011 Ford F-150 6.2 V8 ? Short Take Road Test

We test out an F-150 with Ford?s new ?Boss? 6.2-liter V8?and Harley-Davidson livery. Ford?s F-series has been the pickup-sales king since the late ?70s, but in recent years, the F-150 has felt like it was powered by a circa-1978 powertrain. Up until 2011, its top engine was a 5.4-liter V-8 making a wimpy 310 horsepower [...]

Marc Genй Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini

Reed Sorenson, No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet Impala Auto Club Speedway Preview

REED SORENSON QUICK FACTS No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet Impala Royal Purple 300 Auto Club Speedway March 26, 2011 No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet News and Notes Team Swap… This weekend, Sorenson is set to make his second start in the No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet. In his debut event in the No. 30 machine at Las Vegas...more»

Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard

Pretty Little Liars - For Whom the Bell Tolls

The Pretty Little Liars decide to put an end to ``A's'' game.

Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.22.11

Review: 2011 Hyundai Equus Ultimate

What Hyundai has done here is create a truly bona-fide luxury car capable of standing toe-to-toe with its Japanese competition and coming pretty darn close to the likes of its lofty German rivals.

VW Beetle to debut in China; powerful Audi-engined model in the cards?

The next Volkswagen Beetle will debut in April at the Shanghai Motor Show. Even better news: we may get a 335-horsepower version in the States.

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.22.11 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin

McLaren MP4-26 Launch pictures ( 4th of February)

Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

Audi A9 to come with two doors before four?

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Audi A9 design by Daniel Garcia
Audi A9 design by Daniel Garcia - Click above for high-res image gallery

With every number from A1 to A8 having already been assigned, Audi is rumored to be working on an A9 to top its ever-expanding range.

Earlier reports indicated that the A9 would arrive as a four-door coupe to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. But while a four-door model may be in the cars, the latest word from Autobild is that the A9 will arrive first as a two-door coupe and convertible.

Platform underpinnings are still tipped to be shared with the upcoming Lamborghini Estoque, as well as the next-generation Porsche Panamera, Audi A8 and possibly the next Bentley Continental GT as well. If a four-door model follows, the A9 could follow a similar derivative rollout scheme as the A5, which came first as a coupe before being turned into the five-door Sportback version. Either way, we suspect it won't look anything like the rakish A9 concept conceived of by independent designer Daniel Garcia shown above.



[Source: AutoBild]

Audi A9 to come with two doors before four? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Bernie Ecclestone - No plans to put the brakes on


© Getty Images
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian as his 80th birthday approaches, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone speak out about a variety of subjects, from the future of the sport to Margaret Thatcher, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, democracy, football and what continues to drive him.
The way I feel at the moment, why stop? I do it because I enjoy it. And yesterday is gone. I don't care what happened yesterday. What else would I do? People retire to die. I don't get any individual pleasure because we don't win races or titles in this job. I'm like most business people. You look back at the end of the year and you see what you've achieved by working out how much money the company has made. That's it.

Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle

ORECA takes surprise Sebring win

The ORECA Peugeot squad beat the factory cars to claim victory in the Sebring 12 Hours on Saturday.

Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin

2012 Bentley Continental GTC ? Feature

25 Cars Worth Waiting For. What it is: The convertible version of the refreshed Continental GT. The restyling is subtle, but no body panels are shared with the previous generation. Keep Reading: 2012 Bentley Continental GTC – Feature

Franзois Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill

Yamaha unveils Power Beam damper to control motorcycle frame flex

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Yamaha Power Beam

Yamaha has introduced a new product aimed at dampening frame flex in motorcycles and scooters. All two-wheeled machines experience varying levels of deflection under hard riding, and while excess flex can give the impression of an unsettled machine, too little can numb the bike's handing at the limit. In order to find that Goldilocks sweet spot between the two extremes, Yamaha has introduced the Power Beam. The device soaks up energy from frame flex and converts it into heat energy, which is then dissipated. The company says that the device serves up a more comfortable, stable ride.

While you'd think that that the new tech would debut on the latest and greatest street rocket from Yamaha, the company says at first, the Power Beam will only be available on the company's T-Max scooter. From what we hear, the T-Max enjoys a fairly substantial tuning following and owners are quick to snap up the latest and greatest piece of kit from the Japanese manufacturer. There is some indication that the Power Beam may make its way to other products in the near future, however.

[Source: Visordown, Asphalt & Rubber]

Yamaha unveils Power Beam damper to control motorcycle frame flex originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

Wood Brothers optimistic, sticking to plan

Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire Sam Hanks

BMW i8 spied sliding on ice [video]

Spy video shows the i8 slippin' an' a-slidin' in the snows of northern Europe...and the test driver taking a leak.

Timo Glock Helm Glцckler Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort

Why are the FIA bringing out their toolkits?

Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling

Nissan Returns to Sebring with LMP2 Car, Wants to Further Expand Motorsports Activities

Spoiler Alert: If you don’t know how this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring turned out, this post may not be for you. Yet. Once you’ve had your fix, come on back and dive in. This year’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup season opener at Sebring had March Madness written all over it. Specifically, the upsets?including an [...]

Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler

Monday, March 21, 2011

Virgin expect tough time in opening races | 2011 Australian Grand Prix

Virgin team principal John Booth admits his team face a difficult start to 2011.

Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gбlvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Busch?s Bristol roll continues with Cup victory (NASCAR.com)

Buschs Bristol roll continues with Cup victory

Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen Danny Kladis Hans Klenk

AUTOS: Porsche 918 Spyder Sales Readied

Hybrid supercar, based on concept that debuted at Geneva Motor Show, is priced at a stunning $845,000 with delivery starting in November 2013.

Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby Andrй Guelfi Miguel Бngel Guerra

NASCAR star Jeff Gorvette will compete in CARS 2

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Jeff Gordon as voice of Jeff Gorvette in Pixar's CARS 2
Jeff Gorvette from Pixar's CARS 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Our onslaught of CARS 2 character debuts continues this week with an exclusive reveal just for Autoblog readers. Pixar is letting us announce that NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon will make an appearance in the film as Jeff Gorvette, an up-and-coming Chevrolet Corvette C6.R that's "turning hoods wherever he competes."

More than just a cameo, Gordon's character will compete as a "respected competitor - and legitimate threat - at the World Grand Prix." Pixar makes no obvious connection to Gordon's actual roots in NASCAR, but the character of Jeff Gorvette is a Chevrolet and will wear #24 like Gordon's actual racecar, although obviously it isn't an Impala. We're not sure how the Corvette Racing team that just finished 3rd and 4th in this past weekend's season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring feels about having an oval racer portray its beloved C6.R GT2 car on film, but Pixar needed an accomplished road-racing car and probably wasn't interested in a character named Jeff Gimpala.

Darrell Cartrip from Pixar's CARS 2We're also privileged to announce that Darrell Waltrip will be returning as a character in CARS 2, reprising his role as racing announcer Darrell Cartrip, the "Kentucky-born #17 Chevrolet Monte Carlo known for his wild color commentary." He's graduated from being a Piston Cup announcer and will be on-hand to call the World Grand Prix in the sequel.

Check out both characters after the jump, including a video turntable of Jeff Gorvette. You can also view all of the new CARS 2 characters in our high-res gallery below that we continually update as new characters are announced.



[Source: Pixar]

Continue reading NASCAR star Jeff Gorvette will compete in CARS 2

NASCAR star Jeff Gorvette will compete in CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nico Hьlkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise

2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI ? First Drive Review

Audi?s diesel V-6 proves a terrific match for its delicious new mid-sizer. In our first drive of the 2012 Audi A6, we did something a bit unusual. We said the A6 is ?approaching perfection.? We don?t drop the P-bomb too often, because there is no such thing as the perfect car. A perfected car, on [...]

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

2011 Mazda 2 Touring ? Long-Term Road Test Intro

We add Mazda?s cheapest Zoom-Zoom product to our stable of long-termers. Date: March 2011 Months in Fleet: 3 months Current Mileage: 4550 miles Average Fuel Economy: 29 mpg Range: 328 miles Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0 The 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V wagon we just added to our fleet is one of the most powerful [...]

Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier

The Ricky Gervais Show - Clive Warren

Karl describes his recent pitch to a movie studio; entries from Karl's diary including the reasons why he would not want to travel to Australia, the story of his last camping trip and a recent visit with his girlfriend's parents.

Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther Yves Giraud Cabantous

Busch gets another weekend sweep at Bristol

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Another Bristol Stomp for Busch

Z-Line Designs Driver Dominates En Route to 45th Career Nationwide Series Win Kyle Busch climbs out of the No.18 Z-Line Designs Toyota in victory lane after winning the Scotts EZ Seed 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway - Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty ImagesDate: March 19, 2011 Event: Scotts EZ Seed 300 (Round 4 of 34) Series:...more»

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett