Rediscover Formula One

Karun Chandhok confirmed for Campos Meta HRT F1 Team

Formula One Addict — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:12:41 +0000

In what is surely going to make the day of any Indian Karun Chandhok has been chosen to represent the Campos Meta F1 team or the newly rechristened name HRT F1 team. Karun Chandhok will be racing besides Bruno Senna nephew of the great Ayrton Senna.

We will be able to see him racing in Bahrain !

It is interesting to note that it is Colin Kolles who is giving Karun Chandhok this chance of a lifetime. He was formerly associated with the Kingfisher Force India F1 team, earlier also he had given the Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan a chance with the Russian Midland formula one team. It looks like he has a certain fancy for Indian drivers. He replaces Adrian Campos in the Campos F1 outfit.

It may be noted that HRT F1 team is not really expected to do well in F1 , they are cash strapped at this point.

Fernando Alonso calls the Ferrari F10 the ‘best car ever’

Formula One Addict — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:31:16 +0000

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, there is no one who seems to understand this better than Fernando Alonso, its probably due that that that our two time world champion in a Renault car has called the Ferrari F10 the best car he has ever driven.

This ‘epiphany’ came to him after testing at the Jerez tracks with other teams and being able to score the sixth quickest and second quickest times in testing. He had also set the best time in the first session of testing at Valencia.

“As of today, this is the best car I’ve ever had,” Fernando Alonso told the media.

“The two days that I tested it was sunny and the track was dry and I could work more than I thought so I’m very happy. We have done a good job in terms of reliability and long runs.”

Photo : Ferrari Spa

Heiki Kovalainen repeats history, crashes Lotus Cosworth T127

Formula One Addict — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:06:56 +0000

One may remember the blonde (nothing except hair colour intended, I swear) Finn Heikki Kovalainen crashing his Renault car at the Sakhir circuit in 2007 during testing at Bahrain.

It seems history had to repeat itself with the Finn crashing his Lotus Cosworth T127 at the Jerez testing and throwing the Lotus testing schedule out of gear as the car could not be repaired.

Mike Gascoyne wasn’t very angry though, he decided to play down the incident and his comments were full of euphemisms, see and observe the official comments from the Lotus website :

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne reasons to be positive.

“Unfortunately a small off and a lack of spare parts curtailed the amount of laps we were able to do today, but fortunately we’ve got spare parts arriving this evening. Up to that point we’d got on top of some reliability issues from the previous day and the car was running very smoothly. Although we have lost some track time, the changing conditions made it very difficult, so we haven’t lost too much and we’ll be ready to continue with Heikki in the morning.”

Heikki Kovalainen added his thoughts, saying:

“My initial feeling from the car is good – it fundamentally feels right. I’m disappointed the day came to an early end, but feel good about the team and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car tomorrow.”

Whatever be the reasons, we hope that the Lotus team resumes soon and keeps its reputation

Helmet Designs of Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenburg

Formula One Addict — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:43:51 +0000

Here are the 2010 helmet designs from the Williams F1 team :

Rubens Barrichello’s helmet :

Nico Hulkenberg:

The starry red helmet in a silver arrows : Michael Schumacher

Formula One Addict — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:50:05 +0000

Here is a photo feature, Michael Schumacher and his trademark red helmet with the stars , but this time in a Mercedes GP car. The helmet does look kind of odd in the grey car, but provides a beautiful sight nonetheless:

Jerez, Spain. 17th February 2010.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP W01.
Portrait.
World Copyright: Drew Gibson/LAT Photographic
ref: Digital Image _Y8P8457
" border="0" alt="2010 Formula 1 Testing.
Jerez, Spain. 17th February 2010.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP W01.
Portrait.
World Copyright: Drew Gibson/LAT Photographic
ref: Digital Image _Y8P8457
" src="http://f1chronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/5342980212129141722010.jpg" width="500" height="333">

Jerez, Spain. 17th February 2010.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP W01.
Portrait.
World Copyright: Drew Gibson/LAT Photographic
ref: Digital Image _Y8P8478
" border="0" alt="2010 Formula 1 Testing.
Jerez, Spain. 17th February 2010.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP W01.
Portrait.
World Copyright: Drew Gibson/LAT Photographic
ref: Digital Image _Y8P8478
" src="http://f1chronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/5342980214723141722010.jpg" width="500" height="333">

Lotus F1 racing unveil the Lotus COSWORTH T127 2010 challenger

Formula One Addict — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:48:27 +0000

The Lotus formula one team today unveiled its 2010 challenger , draped in yellow and green the ride was unveiled at London’s Royal Horticultural Museum (Though nothing Horticultural about it , except the colour ) the Lotus F1 team has experienced drivers Jarno Trulli and Heiki Kovalainen driving for them this season and Mike Gascoyne is heading the team as CTO.

Does anyone know the reason for the Outer Green Stripes on the tyres of various teams ? I have seen inner Green grooves, or am I forgetting something from last season.

Are the Green Stripes on the cars’ tyres are for the Make Cars Green initiative ?

The press release from Lotus F1 follows, sorry but didn’t see the launch :

Lotus Racing today unveiled its 2010 challenger, the Lotus Cosworth T127, at a glittering event in London’s Royal Horticultural Hall. Team Principal Tony Fernandes was joined on stage by Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and drivers Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy to take the wraps off the car in front of a 500 strong live audience.

As the lights came up the car’s stunning green and yellow livery was seen for the first time, striking an emotional chord with both young and old alike and evoking memories of some of motor racing’s most iconic moments in an entirely contemporary fashion.

Tony Fernandes gave his thoughts on the astonishing achievement the Lotus Racing team has accomplished in launching the car just five short months since the team was granted its entry to the FIA Formula One World Championships, saying: “I am extremely proud to be here today and to be able to show the world the fruits of the team’s hard work over the last five months. It’s humbling for me and my fellow shareholders, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin to see how a team that five months ago didn’t even exist is now a thriving workforce, full of enthusiasm and passion for Lotus Racing and the challenges ahead and capable of producing such a beautiful machine in such a short time.

“Now we’ve achieved two major milestones; confirming our entry and unveiling our car, but now the real work starts. Next we move on to testing and the season ahead and I’m confident that the team will exceed expectations wherever we go, and will do so on a wave of support around the world that has been growing daily since we first unleashed Lotus Racing back in September ’09.”

Mike Gascoyne added his thoughts, saying “The last few months have been some of the most challenging of my career, but it’s been a challenge the whole team and I have thrived on since we first started work on the car up in Norfolk. I’m delighted that we’ve reached this point, and now we have a beautiful car that gives us a great base to work from for the season ahead and a fighting chance of going racing in the right way, with a winning mentality. The hard part starts now, and I know everyone in the team and I are up for whatever lies ahead.”

The Lotus Racing T127 is powered by Cosworth and will use an Xtrac gearbox and, in line with all 2010 teams, will be running on Bridgestone tyres.

Force India F1 team unveil the VJM 03 2010 Challenger

Formula One Addict — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:35:50 +0000

The Force India formula one team unveiled their 2010 Challenger today named after Vijay Mallya the VJM3. The car is as usual in the colours of the Indian tri-colour. The car has a shark fin and also a sophisticated front wing. Looks like a good amount of aerodynamics went into this car.

The FORCE India team would be participating in the next stage of formula one tests. It would be interesting to see where they lie compared to the other teams.

VJM03 Technical Specifications (From the Force India Team ):

Chassis:	Carbon fibre composite monocoque with Zylon legality side anti-intrusion panels.
Front suspension:	Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard chassis mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly.
Rear suspension:	Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard gearbox mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly.
Wheel base:	3500mm
Front track:	1480mm
Rear track:	1420mm
Overall height:	950mm
Overall length:	4900mm
Overall weight:	620kg (with driver, by regulations)
Wheels:	BBS forged wheels to Force India specification
Engine supplier:	Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines V8 2.4-litre
Transmission:	McLaren Racing 7-speed, semi-automatic, ‘e-shift’
Lubricants:	Mobil 1 products
Spark plugs:	NGK
Clutch:	AP Racing carbon clutch
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
Brake system:	AP Racing
Brake material:	Carbone Industrie
Dampers:	Penske

Eddie Jordan backs Lewis Hamilton for the 2010 formula one title

Formula One Addict — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:06:22 +0000

Former formula one team owner Eddie Jordan seems to have picked Lewis Hamilton as his favourite driver for the 2010 formula one season. The prediction is important because last year’s formula one champion Jenson Button will be driving the same car as Lewis Hamilton disregarding the fact that McLaren has had Lewis Hamilton with them for a long long time and in the past there have been some pretty strong accusations of favouritism within the team.

“I can’t get my head away from Lewis Hamilton,” said Eddie Jordan.
“He’s sharp. He’s got talent and the return to the sport of Michael Schumacher will only add to that aggression for him to succeed.
“It is perfect for him. My money wouldn’t be anywhere but on Hamilton.”

But more interestingly Eddie Jordan seemed to be hinting that the testing times at Valencia didnt matter where Felipe Massa proved to be the fastest. Eddie insisted that the McLaren team would eventually come through. One may remember that he had called Hamilton’s chances slim in the 2007 season when Hamilton was new to the grid. The fact that he is praising Lewis Hamilton now does seem to be a pretty strong backing for formula one’s young Brit sensation.

“If anybody understands about trying to fool the bookies into a false sense of security, then this is what’s happening.
“I wouldn’t put any credence at all on what’s going on at the moment. What matters is what happens in Bahrain on that first Sunday.
“We saw how bad McLaren were in the first half of last season. I went on record saying it was the worst car ever and they still came back.
“I think the momentum is with McLaren and Hamilton is a class act.”

New Photos from the Mercedes Petronas 2010 Challenger launch

Formula One Addict — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:24:50 +0000

Mercedes GP revealed their new challenger on 25th January 2010. Stupid me thought that a new media ID was needed to access the site, turns out the BrawnGp era ID works on the media site, so we have the new photos of their challenger and ofcourse of Michael Schumacher who looks 30 and not 41 and also Nico Rosberg who looks 16

First a look at the all German lineup of the team, and also the young and old combo which is being adopted by a lot of teams. Michael Schumacher ofcourse got the say in getting the number allotted for his car. He has the odd-numbered number 3 car which he wanted. Rosberg gets the number 4 car.

Both drivers as well as Ross Brawn were excited about the launch. Schumacher looks set to end his career in the Mercedes GP team as is apparent by his comments.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER:
“Finally the 2010 Formula One season is firing up! I have to say that I am totally committed to this new challenge. This season feels like a re-start for me and I am so motivated. We have a very exciting combination at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS. We have a World Champion team in every sense of the word and I cannot wait to get into the car for the first time in Valencia. I am convinced that MERCEDES GP PETRONAS will be in a very good position to fight for the championships this season and I will definitely give it a go. Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet. This is another reason why I cannot wait for the competition to get underway.”

NICO ROSBERG:
“You can really feel the successful motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz here at the Museum in Stuttgart and to be part of the new Silver Arrows team and that racing heritage makes me feel extremely proud and motivated. Since joining the team in November, I have spent a lot of time at the factory in Brackley, at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth and here in Stuttgart, which has given me the opportunity to settle in and get to know everyone. I have seen how hard the team is working on the new car and I really can’t wait for the opportunity to drive it for the first time in Valencia next week. I am looking forward to working with everyone at MERCEDES GP PETRONAS and will give it my all to reward their fantastic efforts with good on-track results this season.”

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS:
“It is a privilege to be here at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart today for the official presentation of the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team. With your first look around the Museum, you realise the fantastic racing heritage of Mercedes-Benz and we hope to be able to contribute to those successes going forward. Our team have been working extremely hard throughout last year and over the winter on the development of the MGP W01 and everyone at the team is looking forward to the start of testing in Valencia next week. We have two excellent drivers in Nico and Michael, who will form one of the most exciting and one of the best partnerships on the grid, and with the support of Mercedes-Benz, Aabar, our new title partner PETRONAS and all of our team partners, everyone is looking forward to the 2010 Formula One season with anticipation.”

Now a look at the new silver arrows, a very standard chassis with a curved carbon fibre nose as is the tradition with the Mercedes team. The major team sponsor is Petronas which is also a name sponsor. We will come to know about the car performance only when the team gets down to business

Narain Karthikeyan awarded Padma Shree (Indian Civilian Honour)

Formula One Addict — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:42:29 +0000

Just got the following press release from Narain’s camp :

“The Fastest Indian in The World”, Narain Karthikeyan has been honoured by the Government of India by bestowing upon him the Padma Shri Award in recognition of his distinguished contribution in the sphere of sports. This is a great honour, not only for Narain himself, but also recognizes Indian Motorsport for the first time in history. Up to 2009, only 2,255 people have been granted this distinct honour.

Upon learning of his award, Narain said, “I am deeply honoured and humbled by the Government of India in receiving this award. It is truly a great day, not only in my life, but also in the life of Indian Motorsport. I have countless people to thank and credit for this achievement – first and foremost of which is my family, without whose unrelenting support, my career would not have taken the path it has. My sponsors, the Tata Group, Bharat Petroleum, JK Tyres and Amaron, who have supported me for so many years, as well as MRF Tyres, with whom I have recently entered into a partnership, have also been crucial to my success as a racing driver. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person at all of these companies who have supported and believed in me for so many years. Last, but not least, I owe a huge debt of thanks to all of my fans, who have cheered me on through all of my successes. I dedicate this award to all of them.”

The Castrol Motorsport Rankings powered by Autosport, the world’s leading publication on motorsport, were recently launched at the Autosport International Exhibition in Birmingham, UK. In these first ever definitive motorsport ranking system, Narain Karthikeyan has been rated as the top Indian racing driver in the world, ranking 126^th out of 2,000 drivers in the overall world classifications, a massive 1,353 points, and 75 places ahead of his nearest Indian rival.