Official F1/Motorsport thread

[Alastair]

Wheel cover things:

http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s85/st103148.htm

sound pretty illegal to me.

[Paulos G]

Regarding the Wheel Covers

I've done a little digging and found a couple of interesting reports:

1) The Bling Factor

2) It's part of the brake duct system

[Alastair]

Just beat you to the article Paulos :P

I seem to remember very similar wheel devices being used on BTCC BMW's back in the day, sure they were banned back then too.

[Alastair]

Searching for the wheel cover info led me to an interesting motorsport forum:

http://insider.speedtv.com/index.php

Seems to be full of knowledgeable people, have only looked through the F1 section so far though.

[Paulos G]

Just beat you to the article Paulos :P

Yes, but your post has been ruled illegal as you infringed the rules by not using the "Insert Link" function. So therefore I win! Besides, I think the bling explanation is more likely anyway.

The Speed Forums look like they might be worth keeping an eye on.

[Alastair]

In other (more interesting and important really) news Torro Rosso (not Red Bull ) get the Renault engines next season. I'm shocked, surely the Newey car in the A-team would have been a better bet, seems that Todt has had his say in stopping that though!

[Bada Bing!]

In other (more interesting and important really) news Torro Rosso (not Red Bull ) get the Renault engines next season. I'm shocked, surely the Newey car in the A-team would have been a better bet, seems that Todt has had his say in stopping that though!

The Ferrari engine has had packaging problems (relating to cooling) since day one, and Ferrari have been less than helpful regarding the matter. Newey got pissed off with the whole thing, and was adamant that they switched to Renault engines next year, but Ferrari threatened legal action.

I can see their point if a high profile customer willingly ditches your engines in favour of those from your title-rival, then gives your engines to their munky team. But if I were Red Bull I'd be doing the very same. In a custom designed Ferrari, the Ferrari engine is fine. Slotted into a car not designed for it, with limited information on how to cool it, it's a liability. AFAIK they're having to run it detuned to keep it reliable.

[NW2013]

In other (more interesting and important really) news Torro Rosso (not Red Bull ) get the Renault engines next season. I'm shocked, surely the Newey car in the A-team would have been a better bet, seems that Todt has had his say in stopping that though!

Will Red Bull and Toro Rosso not have the same car, just different engines? I'm confused by your post.

[Alastair]

The Ferrari engine has had packaging problems (relating to cooling) since day one, and Ferrari have been less than helpful regarding the matter. Newey got pissed off with the whole thing, and was adamant that they switched to Renault engines next year, but Ferrari threatened legal action.

I can see their point if a high profile customer willingly ditches your engines in favour of those from your title-rival, then gives your engines to their munky team. But if I were Red Bull I'd be doing the very same. In a custom designed Ferrari, the Ferrari engine is fine. Slotted into a car not designed for it, with limited information on how to cool it, it's a liability. AFAIK they're having to run it detuned to keep it reliable.

Where'd you get all your info from Mr Bing? Not having a go, I'm interested to know how you are so clued up. Sounds like you work for RBR or something! You don't, do you?

Will Red Bull and Toro Rosso not have the same car, just different engines? I'm confused by your post.

As I understand it the B-Team wont be running the same chassis but it's just a guess really, I've not read that they are or are not.

[Alastair]

This had dropped a long way down! Some pics for you:

Lewis Hamilton in the McL (he says he's concentrating on a race seat in 2007 and not looking for a ride this year):


And the new look (hardly) Midland, now officially Spyker:

[VR46]

Don't know if the figure Midland were sold for was ever disclosed but wondered the other day if the guy sold the team for more/less than he paid for them.

[Alastair]

I don't think it ever was disclosed. Maybe they got them for a fiver and a bag of M&M's

Actually, they've been doing alright recently (as back of the grid teams go). Would like to know what the money situ was.

[Alastair]

You think that F1 cars are super rigid and barely move their suspension? Check this out, one of the best F1 pics I've ever seen. Shows exactly what happens to an F1 car cornering at full whack ~180mph, WOW.



From this weeks Silverstone testing at Copse by the way.

[Alastair]

oh yeah, young Lewis didn't have it all good either, a little problem at Luffield:



Hmmm - why can't I embed that??

[NW2013]

And the new look (hardly) Midland, now officially Spyker:

Should be easier to tell apart, at a glance, from the McLarens!!