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27 Sept 2013
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Once again I feel compelled to write about a matter that's circulating around several sites about Red Bull and moreover the use of Traction Control.  The sudden re-ignition of interest in this topic is mainly because of the percieved margin of pace that Red Bull had over the rest of the field at Singapore.  Following on from that, Minardi also threw their ring in the hat not saying it but insinuating that something wasn't quite right and the pace must be indicative of the team doing something that's prohibited.

A traffic spike to the piece I wrote back after the Montreal GP reminded me of the a similar furore we had when fans pointed at the staggered lines that Webber's car produced as he exited the chicane at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

I think there are several things we must consider rather than just taking a blinkered look at the difference in pace from Sebastian to the rest of the field
  • Singapore is a street circuit and thus high downforce, we know that Red Bull excel when they visit this type of circuit
  • Vettel was only 0.091 quicker than Rosberg in qualifying, of course we have to factor in a small percentage of track evolution whilst Vettel bit his finger nails in the garage and not going for another run.
  • By not doing two runs in Q3 Vettel saved a set of fresh Option tyres, this for me is the biggest reason we see the disparity in times at the end of the GP when the track was at it's best and he had a fresh set of tyres.
  • Clear air running is a massive factor in any drivers victory, this is heightened at street circuits as not only is it more difficult to pass, which will inevitably lead to tyre graining and/or increased degredation. You also have the issue of heat/inefficient air, running in the wake of another car means that not only does the car ahead disturb the aerodynamics of the trailing car but it effects performance.  The engine must breath in order to create power and should you be following another car not only is the engine and it's components receiving a reduced quantity of airflow it's also agitated and pre-heated.
  • Post Safety Car Rosberg was struggling with Front Wing issues (Tyre marbles stuck in between the flaps) this causes understeer and although some of it can be dialed out by changing diff settings this of course compromises corner entry, apex speed and corner exit.
  • In terms of upgrades for Singapore the team didn't have anything monumental that would suggest such a huge differential in pace but the team ran their Rear Wing DDRS for the first time at Marina Bay in 2012 that went un noticed until the following races.
Discounting the small raw pace difference to Rosberg in Qualifying and the issues faced by the drivers of following others around a street circuit what makes the Red Bull intrinsically faster than the rest?

Firstly I think we would do well to look at some of my past articles (and links to others) in which I and others have talked about Red Bull's dominance:

Cylinder Deactivation: Not a phenomenon that's unique to Red Bull or indeed Renault but it is something that is believed to be of greater potential to those using Renault power.  Put simply it is the reduction in use of cylinders, this can be used to best effect in the braking and turning in phase as it will allow the engine to act as an air pump as the car reduces speed.  It will of course also allow for the engine to recover quicker as the driver picks up the throttle again on corner exit.  By allowing the engine to deactivate cylinders during the off throttle moments it means the exhaust is still feeding energy to the car and therefore the Floor and Diffuser.

Change of Pirelli's tyre construction back to 2012 specification:  The change of tyre construction from Silverstone saw a return to the specification used by the Italian tyre manufacturer in 2012.  The obvious area this has effected has been the midfield with both McLaren and Sauber able to make ground on Force India.  The change came at a pivotal time in the season as decisions were being made up and down the paddock as to whether the teams start to shift focus to their 2014 challengers.  These decisions were not exclusive to 2014 though with 11 races left the development programme for the rest of the season must also be set out.  From Round 13 onwards we are in the 'fly away' zone and so the pre planning of upgrade/track specific upgrades are mapped out by the teams well in advance.  (A team can only chase so many avenues of development otherswise they lose focus)
Red Bull were one of the teams chasing the FIA for the changes to the Pirelli tyres and for obvious reasons, I don't feel they wholeheartedly dropped the development aspect of the 2012 tyre model and with them possessing one of the quickest cars at the tail end of 2012 they clearly understood how to best extract performance from it.  The RB8 and RB9 are incredibly similar vehicles whereas Ferrari, Lotus and moreover McLaren made changes in order to make large leaps in performance.

German GP 2012 Torque Map Clarification: The torque map used by Red Bull at the German GP was so drastically different to those used in the preceding GP's that it came to the attention of the FIA's race stewards.  From then the teams had to decide on a map from the first 5 races they wanted to use as a baseline, +/- 2% of this map would be acceptable by the FIA for changes at each GP.  At the start of the 2013 season Renault (and perhaps others) believed there would be a reset on the baseline map helping teams to make the necessary changes they required to increase performance for their car.  The rule clarification made after Germany has in my opinion had an impact on the development of the 2012/13 cars. Although the the torque map is totally different to the engine map they are intrinsically linked, migrating too far from the bodywork a team ran in the opening 5 rounds of 2012 has to be done with compromise.

Exhausts and moreover the Red Bull Cross Under Tunnel: With all teams now utilising a Coanda styled exhaust, be it a ramped design or Semi-Coanda design it's clear that during this regulation set gaining performance from the Diffuser is pivotal in increasing the downforce yield.  As I mention above it is a rob Peter to pay Paul scenario where you must give up something in one area in order to make further gains in others.  If we take Red Bull's 3 closest protagonists Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus all three weren't using Coanda style exhaust systems in the first races of 2012 with Ferrari introducing their Semi-Coanda arrangement at Round 5 in Barcelona.  Even Red Bull had tried various exhaust configurations throughout the early stages of the season as all the teams grappled with over heating the inner shoulders of the rear tyres.
Even though Red Bull struggled to correlate what was being seen in the Wind Tunnel/CFD with on track results with the cross-under tunnel their main stay however was the adoption of the downwash ramp.  Now used by Lotus and Sauber too the cross-under acts much like the Semi-Coanda's counterpart but uses the surface of the bodywork to guide the exhaust plume.  The tunnel allows for the airflow to migrate inbound and exit the car more centrally allowing for a cleaner distribution of the exhaust gases into the gap between the floor and the tyres edge.  Furthermore it also allows for a much tidier flow into the svelt Coke Bottle region.
Moving back briefly to 2012 and we know that both Lotus and Mercedes ran most of their early campaign with the exhausts in more neutral positions maximising engine performance rather then aero performance.  When they made the switch later in the season to Semi-Coanda exhausts they did so with a compromise, as their torque maps (and therefore their correlation to their engine maps) were most likely less efficient than that of Red Bull.
Ferrari's 2012 exhaust carried the nickname the 'Acer Duct' due to the sponsorship displayed in that region, although it utilised a layout akin to the Semi-Coanda configuration they now use it also provided the Sidepod's cooling outlet aft of the exhaust position.

Taking both the torque map and exhaust solutions being used in combination, I'd suggest that although the FIA and teams believed they were curtailing an advantage that Red Bull were creating (in Germany 2012) what they actually did was cut off their nose to spite their face.

Helmholtz / Resonator Chambers: Not an item exclusively used by Red Bull, Helmholtz chambers are used in Formula One in order to change the way in which the exhaust produces power and also aid in smoothing the exhaust plume transition.

Ride Height / Rake: We have seen for years now that Red Bull run with a more extreme rake than most of it's competitors.  As explained in the links ride height and rake form an important role in the increase of downforce extracted from the Diffuser.  Get it wrong and the Diffuser will lose performance and is predominantly why teams have progressively chased the use of interlinked suspensions over the last few seasons. The floor on the RB9 has seen significant revisions from it's predecessor with tyre squirt slots on the outer periphery and the use of 2 vertical floor strakes just off from the centre-line of the exhaust.  These are being used in combination with the plume itself to strengthen the Vortex that curls up and under the outer portion of the Diffuser. Feeding airflow into the gap between the Diffusers edge and the tyres sidewall is what we call 'sealing the diffuser' this helps create a low pressure region at the diffusers edge and increases the downforce yield.

You cannot take what I have mentioned here in isolation and must look at the whole package of the RB9, all of the components create the perfect storm and even more so when allied to Sebastian Vettel's driving style.  Mark Webber prefers a car that moves around allowing him to feel his way in and around corners, Vettel however is able to apply a counter-intuitive style that allows him to commit to the corner when most would back out.  This is done by feeding the Diffuser with exhaust gases which in turn creates the downforce required to pull the car through the corner.

Lastly IF (and thats a BIG IF) we were to seriously consider that Red Bull were using a form of Traction Control they would be in clear breach of article 9.3

9.3 Traction control :
No car may be equipped with a system or device which is capable of preventing the driven wheels from spinning under power or of compensating for excessive throttle torque demand by the driver.
Any device or system which notifies the driver of the onset of wheel spin is not permitted. 
In my opinion the only possible form of TC that could viably be utilized would be via KERS. 
The problem for most people is that when we talk about KERS they only think about the discharge of power (ie the roughly 80bhp for a maximum of 6.67 seconds) but that energy must first be captured. (That's because to the average viewer they see the charge refilled in the on screen graphic at the end of each lap and don't think about where it came from).
In its first year (09) many teams/drivers struggled initially as recovering the energy altered the balance of the car.  
Harvesting to use its correct terminology is done in the same way as the release of energy via the unit attached to the crankshaft. Nothing in the regulations stipulates that this energy has to be recovered under braking but it is the most obvious time you would do so. This is because harvesting intrinsically slows the engine speed and aids in the slowing of the car. I'd suggest it is plausible you could modulate harvesting throughout the acceleration phase in a way that could simulate traction control but I'm quite sure all of the teams already do this to some extent.

In Summary

Let's not get carried away with what appeared to be dominating pace around Marina Bay.  The circuit likely provided the opportunity for a perfect storm, whereby Vettel's driving style accentuated the RB9's high downforce configuration and some if not all of the traits I've mentioned above.
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25 Sept 2013
24 Sept 2013
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Sebastian Vettel already commands 3 driver's championships and is well on his way to a 4th consecutive title, however if the actions heard at recent podium celebrations of fans are to believed he has also become a driver that is dis liked.

Opinion amongst fans about who is the best driver will always be swayed by the fact that most people follow a specific team or driver.  What however is clear is that some drivers can transcend this trait as either they have moved between teams and therefore carry support from past endeavors, they drive for a team that bears a different Nationality to their own or they are media savvy.  The latter is a difficult one for some drivers as perhaps 75% of the media that follow the F1 circus are British, this therefore tends to skew the representation of the facts in a certain way. 

Those countries that have their own media that follow the F1 circus, like Italy and Germany obviously favour their own too, with Ferrari sharing most of the limelight in Italy and (currently) Mercedes in Germany.  Vettel should therefore be able to command a good media presence and therefore a good standing in the fans eyes by virtue of him driving for a British team and being of German Nationality. 

The problem however is how he comes across (at least in the British media), his confidence often borders on arrogance whilst his 1 finger salute to winning grinds many fans gears.  Whenever we see him he is in PR mode, wearing his racesuit in a FIA post session interview or in the pit huddle with one of the reporters.  We rarely see the relaxed Vettel doing a feature the likes of Jenson, Lewis etc partake in for Sky or the BBC which represents their lighter side.  He also has the problem of following and very much cast in the footsteps of Michael Schumacher, of the same Nationality and with the same win at all costs mentality he doesn't ingratiate himself into the mind of Brits.  That however is another debate that see's the British at their best when supporting an under dog (usually one of our own) and is akin to small man (Island) syndrome.

Aware of the 'boo boys' that have taken to booing his performances as he stands on the podium to receive the trophy he deservedly been awarded, Sebastian doesn't seem overly concerned by it, nor should he.  Booing is essentially a signal of disdain but then can we assume that these people are unhappy with the best driver on that given day, or indeed most days during the GP weekend's this season? Or are they unhappy with their own driver and feel this is the best way to shame their performance?

If we draw parallels with other sports and in this instance football (or Soccer dependent on where you are reading this) then you boo your own team when you are upset by the performance they have given in that match or a string of matches that preceded it.  As Sebastien is achieving the best result possible then we can only surmise that the 'boo boys' are people that support other drivers/teams.  Whilst it would appear they are booing Vettel essentially they are lauding him and pouring scorn on their own driver(s).

I constantly hear the phrase 'Yes, but he has the best car' well that may all be well and true but it is only the best because it is married to his talents.  Mark Webber is a fantastic driver but prefers a car that can only be described as less aerodynamically dependent, wielding the same car as Vettel during his 3 championship years he has yet to best the German...

The same can be said for other Championship winning drivers, on their day their team mate will take victory but when it comes down to a sustained challenge the cream always rises to the top.  Drawing parallels once more, we could look at the dominance of Michael Schumacher taking 5 titles from 2000-2004.
Had BrawnGP not have made the grid in 2009 and/or utilised the Double Decker Diffusers that dominated the performance of that years cars Sebastian could be looking at taking his 5th consecutive title this year not his 4th and drawing level with Schumacher's consecutive dominance.

So having the best car does win you Championships? Well of course, Formula One is a team sport that requires not only the best driver, but the best strategists, engineers, pit crew, facilities, car and of course the driver.  To those that say Sebastian is not a good driver I'd suggest you cast your mind back to Monza 2008 when he took victory for Toro Rosso or many of his drives through adversity that required a calm and presence of mind that many don't possess.  (Abu Dhabi and Interlagos 2012 are two of the most recent examples where he was forced to recover from earlier mistakes)


The question remains with a widesweeping regulation change in 2014 will his dominance remain?  The regulations that were introduced in 2009 are undoubtedly one of the contributors to Red Bull / Vettel's dominance over the last 5 seasons (once they installed the DDD in 2009 they really were the team to beat).  The switch from in race refuelling, slick tyres and heavy dependance on the use of aero suit the Milton Keynes based squad.  The problem for Sebastian is momentum, the upheaval in regulations for next season may dilute some of the areas he finds advantages, namely commitment as their current crop of cars have had such amazing aero balance, Pirelli will undoubtedly scale back the level of performance/grip their tyres give and lastly we see a return to the power units making a difference between the teams.  In the short term then, he may find himself on the back foot or could be even more dominant than ever.

World Champions are not made by mistake, they are the best of the best over a season long campaign that requires the utmost dedication from them both on and off the track, Sebastian has proved this for 3 years running putting him amongst some of the greatest names that have graced F1.

At 26 he finds himself in the company of Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda, Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.  Whilst at the end of the season he could join the ranks of 4 times winner Alain Prost, leaving him every chance of eclipsing Fangio's 5 and Schumacher's 7 world drivers titles.
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This article is sponsored by http://www.expressinsurance.co.uk/ who've been providing car, van and bike insurance for over 30 years. 

Kimi Raikkonen is first and foremost an enigma and often seen by the media as an introvert, the Finn (at least to the media) prefers to be speak when spoken to and then at best keep his responses to a minimum.  His media savvy however is not what interests teams, it's his ability behind the wheel.  Since impressing as a rookie at the wheel of a Sauber he has gone on to build a reputation for being both fast and consistent.  Having spent time at both McLaren, Ferrari and most recently Lotus his career has seen him drive for some of the best teams.  He is what I would classify an old skool racer able to transcend categories having had success outside of F1.

Financial issues have dogged the relationship between himself and Lotus throughout his tenure, with the team reportedly paying the Finn at the end of each season rather than throughout it.  This with a lack of contract in place for 2014 it became clear that the Finn would become hot property.  Openly courted by Red Bull Racing to replace the outgoing Mark Webber it seemed for a short time that the driver would see out the rest of his career with the Milton Keynes based squad.  At the same time though many of us talked about the potential for him to return to Ferrari and partner Fernando Alonso, a mouth watering partnership that has 3 driver's championships between it. 

With Kimi choosing Ferrari the question remains, was it a gamble for Ferrari to re-hire a driver that they had previously bought out of their contract?

There are two ways we can look at the prospect of this driver lineup but from Ferrari's perspective their reasoning is sound.  Rather than chase the drivers Championship with a defacto number one driver they will now chase it with two.  If we were to combine Alonso & Raikkonen's points for this season, Ferrari would still be in the hunt for the Constructors title on 336 points, only 41 points behind Red Bull (Upto and including Singapore).  Whereas we currently find Alonso and Massa's tally much shorter (274 points) leaving the team trailing the Bull's by 103 points.  Of course it's like comparing Apples and Oranges as Kimi may not have collated as many points as he has at Lotus but it just goes to show the potential of pairing these 2 great drivers.

Kimi's previous stint at Ferrari saw him take the drivers Championship so the team know only too well he has the ability.  As mentioned above Ferrari must have also considered the factor that they want to regain the Constructor's Championship and the most efficient way to do this is to not only have a great car but great drivers too.  Their focus over the last few years seems to have been heavily skewed in Fernando's favour and although Felipe Massa has done a decent job since their partnership began in 2010 it hasn't been enough to challenge Red Bull Racing.  The team want a driver that is consistent and scoring good points but also pushing their other driver, I fear Felipe was no longer doing the latter.  Fernando has spoken out over the Singapore GP weekend insisting he was kept in the loop by Ferrari in regard to the change of driver.  He fully understands the implications of having another world champion alongside him and will more than likely relishes the challenge.

Many ex drivers, corners of the media and fans have talked about the driver pairing as a mistake and will lead to an explosive battle between the two, but age and experience is another weapon in terms of racing each other on the track. After all the biggest faux pas in racing is to encumber your team mate.  Taking a younger driver like the touted move for Nico Hulkenberg could have led to the team needing to manage their drivers more, this task therefore should be lessened.  However lest we forget former team mates that let their rivalry overtake the needs of the team include Prost/Senna and Alonso/Hamilton amongst others so it's not beyond the realms of possibility it could happen once more at Ferrari.

Kimi is often criticized because he appears to lack motivation but one thing is for sure, as soon as he puts the helmet on he is 100% focused.  The criticism stems from his lack of off track testing, whilst other drivers spend hours in the simulator Kimi prefers not to.  He doesn't partake in track walks before the GP weekend either and cites both as an unnecessary waste of his time, saying he knows the track and the best way to find the differences is behind the wheel.  His feedback whilst in the car is second to none and this is probably one of the largest factors behind Ferrari re-aligning themselves with him.  With the huge rule changes coming in 2014 having experienced drivers like Kimi and Fernando able to give feedback and develop the car will be crucial.

At nearly 2 years older than the man in the opposite side of the garage it must be said that Kimi is in the twilight of his career and so the 2 year contract he has signed with Ferrari will probably be his last for a competitive F1 team.  This will therefore make him motivated to best both his team mate and the rest of the field should he be given a competitive car.  The other perhaps coincidental aspect of the signing of Kimi for 2 years is that Sebastian Vettel will also be coming to the end of his Red Bull contract should Ferrari want to sign the German.

Alonso's future with the team has also been questioned over the last few months with rumours as absurd as him taking a years sabbatical top of my list.  Of course during the Singapore GP weekend we have had 'no comments' from the likes of Martin Whitmarsh as the media try to ignite rumours of a swoop by McLaren.  This only fuels the fire of speculation and so Alonso swiftly denied any intent to leave the team he now feels is his own and molded around him.

Ferrari remain the team that all drivers aspire to race for and I see no reason for Fernando to deviate from his desire to stay there.  He has made rousing speeches of late which have perhaps annoyed certain corners within the team/fan base but you cannot fault his commitment to the cause.  Leaving Ferrari would mean finding a seat in another top team and at his age settling in and making the team his own once more may be more of a task than he is willing to undertake.

2014 brings with it a plethora of technical changes so the psychological fight between the two champions that will drive for Ferrari may have to wait, it won't however stop the media writing about a battle between the two whether it exists of not.

But what are your thoughts? Has Kimi made a mistake moving back to Ferrari when he was so ceremonially dispatched of in 2009? Have Ferrari made a shrewd move to lure Kimi back in order to win the Constructor's title? Will Fernando stay at Ferrari or do you think he feels threatened enough to make a move away? 
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22 Sept 2013
20 Sept 2013
19 Sept 2013
18 Sept 2013
13 Sept 2013
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My latest article covering the upgrades used by the teams at Monza can be found here: http://pitpass.com/49872/Italian-Grand-Prix-Technical-Analysis

Meanwhile my latest episode of the #TechF1 Show is now available


I have made some amendments to the lighting and general setting of the show based on the feedback from the demo I did for Spa.  I'm still not happy but feel it's a much better job than before, please bear with me throughout the next few shows whilst I continue to try and improve things.  Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated and I'd ask you to leave a comment either here or over on YouTube.
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10 Sept 2013
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Formula One's driver market is always a hive of activity but with 2014 looming its never been more crucial to get the right balance.

Felipe Massa has started the domino effect that could see the Brazilian driver without a decent drive next year. So let's look at what we know and speculate a little on what we don't.

Red Bull have once again made a shrewd decision and locked in their line up early on. Ricciardo was the obvious choice, as installing a driver from outside their young driver academy would be like admitting defeat. 

This of course paves the way for another of their young drivers to fill the vacant spot at Toro Rosso with JEV already continuing with the Italian branch of the junior team.  Powered by Renault and now under the watchful eye of James Key the team could make an advancement up the field next season.  Choosing their next driver will be crucial not only for the longevity of the 'B' team and young driver programme but with 14 representing such a huge challenge Vettel could suddenly find himself with 3 'wing men' rather than just Daniel.

Da Costa, Sainz Jnr and Kyvat are all in the frame for the second seat. Da Costa is perhaps the obvious choice but I'm left wondering is it a year too early for all of these drivers? Especially with the challenge the new powerplants represent, another year doing simulation work focused on the changed characteristics might not be such a bad thing?

But where does that leave Toro Rosso? As budget doesn't seem to be an issue for them they could tease someone like Kovaleinen to take the seat for a year with a performance clause that he gets to stay on for 15..

Ferrari of course have Alonso and although their relationship has been strained throughout this campaign the two were made for one another.  Massa's announcement of course paves the way for what many (including myself) have been saying some time now: Kimi Raikonnen will return to Ferrari.

I'd expect a rather rapid announcement from Ferrari now Felipe has let the cat out the bag. The question now is, is it Kimi or will the team sign someone like Hulkenberg or Di Resta?

The logical choice you'd think would be Nico or Paul as they offer longevity but Kimi offers more experience and is a known quantity. Taking Kimi would also represent less future commitment paving the way for Jules Bianchi who will also use Ferrari power next season for Marussia.

Ferrari will realise that whatever their choice they must choose the strongest driver even if it means confrontation from Fernando. This is because they need to stop the stranglehold that Red Bull have on the Constructors championship, returning their team to former glory.

Mercedes & McLaren will both retain their line up as all drivers are either under contract or will have their options taken up.  This provides both teams with great continuity going into a difficult season technically.

Lotus have already of course made their intentions clear and are trying to retain Kimi. The problem is that both financial issues and a question mark over their technical team going forward have cast doubt over whether they can appease Kimi.
I'd suggest Grosjean is a safe bet to retain his seat with his connection to Total and the money that brings. Furthermore he is managed by Boullier and so he will be championed by the Frenchman.

Hulkenberg is perhaps the strongest candidate should they be unable to retain the services of Kimi but the news of Massa's severance from Ferrari may sway their decision too.

A rank outsider for the potential spare Lotus seat could be Charles Pic, championed by Renault he too has ties to Total so could bring a welcomed financial boost along with a firm re alignment to Renault.

Force India have yet to confirm their line up but the team have gone as far to say that should Di Resta get a favourable offer they wouldn't stand in his way.  This  very public admission suggests that they have either grown weary of Paul's vocal damnation or they've been approached by other teams to speak to him.

If Di Resta were to make way I'd suggest Massa would be their best choice as a replacement.

Sauber show all the signs of a team requiring the financial support of 'pay drivers'. The team have already said they are willing to field Sergey Sirotkin should he be able to gain a super license. The Russian money he brings to the team should be enough to secure the teams future but the question remains, do they need Esteban's money too?
Massa could return to the Sauber fold either alongside Esteban or Sergey with either of them taking the reserve drivers role now vacated by Robert Frijns.

Williams will likely retain their 2013 lineup of Maldonado and Bottas with the former bringing plenty of money to a team that will now use Mercedes power.  With Pat Symonds now leading the technical team we wait to see if they can rekindle the glory of years gone by.

Caterham and Marussia are of course left at the tail end and will once again rely heavily on the technical partnerships they are trying to forge.  Marussia's lineup will remain unchanged but their aspirations could get a boost with the team using the Ferrari powertrain.
Meanwhile Caterham obviously have their links with Renault through the Alpine connection. The placement of Pic with the team was supposed to be a stepping stone and I've already alluded to a potential option for him at Lotus. Should they lose Pic the team will likely need a driver that brings further funding essentially ruling out a return for Heikki.

On the fringes:

Heikki Kovaleinen, testing with Caterham, has spent time with Renault and McLaren before trying to propel Caterham up the grid. The Finn doesn't have financial backing and so now struggles to convince teams on his talent alone.

Kamui Kobayshi, AF Corse WEC driver has often been touted as the next big thing as he burst onto the scene in 09. Another driver that has to rely solely on his talent it now seems he must work outside F1 for a while.

Vitaly Petrov, ex Renault/Caterham driver does have some financial backing and with F1 going to Russia in 2014 could be used as a mule to further that agenda.

Sam Bird, Mercedes test driver has impressed many this season at the wheel of his Russian Time GP2 car but can he get an F1 drive?

Robert Frijns, ex Sauber test driver has also impressed in all the categories he has raced in. His problem like many though is he lacks funding and remains the key reason why he has been dropped by Sauber.

There are of course many other drivers that could be considered worthy (think of the drivers that have been lost over the last few years or sit on the sidelines: Di Grassi, Senna, Piquet Jnr, D'Ambrosio, Heidfeld, Glock, etc etc but with only 22 slots on the grid it's not always about talent...




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6 Sept 2013
5 Sept 2013
4 Sept 2013
Rush: The Movie - Review

 
Ron Howard is a director that gets involved with projects you can't help getting excited about, however when I heard he was making a film about the 1976 Formula One World Championship battle between Hunt & Lauda the skeptic in me became aroused. Motorsport films have been somewhat of a damp squib in the past as the excitement that builds from the sport itself is often more engaging than a re-creation. One film/documentary that has been able to transcend this recently was Asif Kapadia's Senna, this however used old footage cleverly cut together to tell the story of the late great Brazilian in a quite unique way.

In contrast Rush is a typically Howard stylised feature film breathing life into a script that bears a significant resemblance to the actual events that unfolded in 1976. Obvious liberties have been taken in order to embellish on the already tempestuous relationship that surround James and Niki but this doesn't detract from the raw feel of the film. Finding a balance between the story telling element and the on track action is always an issue for motorsport films and that's why their rivalry works. I'm left impressed though that Howard et al managed to engage in other build up relationships like James' with Lord Hesketh and Niki with BRM / Clay Regazzoni rather than just engaging in the all killer no filler approach of the '76 season.

In terms of the racing some great scenes / footage is presented throughout the film that will not only engage the race fans amongst us but the general movie goer too. The battle between the heart and the mind is a strong element running through the core of the film with references made to the dangers of motosport. None more so than the scene of the decimated Tyrell and that of Niki's Ferrari 312T2 on fire having ruptured it's fuel tank in the crash at the Nurburgring (having replaced the high airbox 312T at the Spanish GP). From here on in the film strives to show the battle between triumph over adversity with Niki recovering to pilot the 312T2 at Monza.

Technically the film covers aspects of the sport beautifully like the problems encountered by McLaren when their car was deemed to be too wide following Hunt's win in Jarama. Of course the eagle eyed fans will probably note that certain aspects aren't right to which I tried to shut off and just watch the film rather than do my usual anorak level of car deciphering. After writing this review though I find myself pondering whether the Ferrari shown on screen was always a 312T2 as I don't recall seeing the taller airbox of the 312T in the early race scenes. (I guess when I watch it again in 10 or so days time I'll be looking out for these foibles)

Formula One remains a difficult sport to portray on the silver screen for the reasons I've mentioned above but I applaud what has been done with Rush and encourage motosport fans or otherwise to give this film a look.
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3 Sept 2013
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Ten lucky competition winners got the chance to win the entire GEOX A/W’13 shoe collection by experiencing an adrenaline-fueled lap with either Vettel or Buemi, who pushed their passengers to the limit with their incredible driving skills. However, the catch was that each contestant had to ride it out without screaming, as each scream resulted in the loss of one pair of shoes.

Some succeeded in stifling their screams, but most lost their cool, letting out scream after scream. As a result, there was a broad spectrum of success: some competitors went home empty-handed, whilst a few fearless entrants went home with the entire collection. But, I don’t want to spoil it for you, just prepare yourself for the occasional vomit pit stop!

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2 Sept 2013
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Infiniti Red Bull Racing confirms that Daniel Ricciardo will drive for the Team in 2014, as part of a multi-year agreement between the two. As Sebastian Vettel is already confirmed for next year, this concludes the Team’s 2014 driver line-up.
 
Christian Horner: “It’s fantastic to confirm Daniel as the team’s race driver for 2014. He’s a very talented youngster, he’s committed, he’s got a great attitude and in the end it was a very logical choice for us to choose Daniel. He joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2008 and we’ve seen in his junior career in Formula 3 and Renault World Series that he’s capable of winning races and championships. He’s stood out in each of these categories and we’ve followed his progress with great interest. He’s got all the attributes that are required to drive for our team: he’s got a great natural ability, he’s a good personality and a great guy to work with. Daniel knows what the team expects from him; he’ll learn quickly and it’s very much a medium to long term view that we’re taking in developing him. The seat within the team is a wonderful opportunity and I think he’s going to be a big star of the future.”
 
Adrian Newey: “Since Mark announced his retirement, Christian and I have been looking carefully at the driver market, along with Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz. We could have taken an experienced driver, somebody guaranteed to deliver to a relatively known level, or equally we could take on a much younger driver in the hope that they’ll develop to a very high level. We looked at the latter option and concluded that of the younger drivers, Daniel is the most promising. From Red Bull’s point of view that also fits well because the driver that Christian and I feel is the most promising is part of the Red Bull young driver programme. The decision actually reminded me a little bit of a similar situation we had when I was at Williams. Nigel Mansell was leaving and we needed someone alongside Alain Prost. We could stick with Riccardo Patrese or take a punt on a young driver called Damon Hill who was our test driver at the time. I think it’s good to bring young blood in and give promising drivers a chance.”
 
Daniel Ricciardo: “I feel very, very good at the moment and obviously there's a lot of excitement running through me. Since joining F1 in 2011, I hoped this would happen and over time the belief in me has grown; I had some good results and Red Bull has decided that this is it, so it's a good time. Next year I’ll be with a Championship-winning team, arguably the best team, and will be expected to deliver. I’m ready for that. I'm not here to run around in tenth place, I want to get the best results for myself and the team. I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do. I know the team quite well already since being its reserve driver in 2010, which should make the transition easier. It will be a great challenge to be up against Sebastian Vettel, I’m looking forward to that. My aim is to finish this season as strong as possible, for myself and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Then, once the off-season is here, I’ll be fully focussed on next year and the next stage of my career.”
 

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