Road Rage @ Speed

Pulsar Modified

2007-04-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

FIA Rules & Regulations Sporting Regulations 2007

2007-03-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

2007 Season Changes
A number of changes to both the Sporting and Technical Regulations have been made by the FIA for the 2007 Formula One season.

Engines
Engines homologated and used during the last two races of 2006 must now be used during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons. Although this move, designed to cut development costs, has been widely described as an 'engine freeze', some limited development work will be allowed. This will, however, be strictly controlled by the FIA.

The two-race engine rule will no longer apply to Friday practice sessions. This means any driver starting a meeting with a fresh engine will not be penalised for an early failure. It also means drivers may opt to use alternative engines on Fridays and save their race engines for the remainder of the weekend.

Weekend schedule
In a slight change to the Grand Prix weekend format, Friday's two practice sessions have been extended from 60 to 90 minutes each.

Tyres
With Bridgestone becoming Formula One racing's sole supplier for 2007, each team will receive only two specifications of tyre per event. However, they will get more sets - four per driver on the Friday and ten for the remainder of the weekend. Each driver must use both specifications during the race.

Safety car
In 2007, safety car regulations have been modified to prevent drivers diving for the pits the minute the safety car comes onto the circuit, and to stop backmarkers interfering with the leaders during a race restart. No car is allowed to enter the pits until the field is bunched up behind the safety car and before the safety car returns to the pit any lapped car running between cars on the lead lap must overtake those cars and the safety car before taking up their correct position at the back.

Friday Practice
Third cars will no longer be allowed, but all teams are now permitted to run one alternative test driver in each Friday session. The alternative driver must be nominated beforehand and may use either of the team's race cars.

Safety
A GPS marshalling system, involving a cockpit light display of flag signals in each driver's car, is being introduced. This will allow Race Control to alert drivers to potential hazards more effectively.

All cars must also now be fitted with a medical warning light just ahead of the driver's cockpit. This is to provide rescue crews with an immediate indication of the severity of the accident and is connected to the FIA data logger.

The crash tests that Formula One cars must pass have been made more stringent. The velocity used in the frontal impact test has been increased from 14m/s to 15m/s, while the minimum size for the impact-absorbing structure has also been raised. In addition, the driver’s cockpit must now be clad in special anti-penetration panels made of Zylon. An additional five kilograms has been added to the car’s minimum weight requirement to offset the weight of the panels.

From http://www.formula1.com

Malaysia Grand Prix

2007-03-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

Circuit Name:	Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang

	Lap Distance:	5.543km (3.444m)

	No. of Laps:	56

	Race Distance:	310.41km (194mi)

	Fastest Lap Record:	Montoya 1:34:223

	Fastest Pole Record:	M.Schumacher 1:33:074

	2006 Race Winner:	Giancarlo Fisichella 1:30:40.529

	No Of Grand Prix Held:	8

	Located in the southern corridor of Malaysia, Sepang played host to its ninth Malaysian Grand Prix this season. The Sepang circuit is fairly wide by modern Grand Prix standards, allowing varying lines into corners and offering drivers significant spaces for overtaking. 15 turns and 8 straights make up the challenge of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Fisichella led a Renault one-two in 2006, virtually dominating the race from Pole Position.

Stats from http://www.espnstar.com

Australian Grand Prix

2007-03-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

Circuit Name:	ING Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne

	Lap Distance:	5.303km (3.295m)

	No. of Laps:	58

	Race Distance:	307.57km (192.23mi)

	Fastest Lap Record:	M.Schumacher 1:24:215

	Fastest Pole Record:	M.Schumacher 1:24:408

	2006 Race Winner:	Fernando Alonso 1:34:27.870

	No Of Grand Prix Held:	11

	Located in the city centre of Melbourne, the attractive setting of Albert Park, will once again play host to the season-opener in 2007 after it was shifted to the middle of the calendar last year as a result of the Commonwealth Games. During the Australian Grand Prix, drivers have 58 long laps around Albert Park, made up of an interesting combination of fast, flowing corners, and a tight hairpin styled bend that leads back on to the start-finish straight. Albert Park staged racing in the 1950s, including two events called the Australian Grand Prix; however, they did not count towards the World Championship. Albert Park celebrated its eleventh running of an Official Grand Prix in 2006; a race which was won by World Champion, Fernando Alonso!

Stats from http://www.espnstar.com

2007 Formula 1 Race Calendar

2007-03-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

1. Australia Grand Prix
18 March

2. Malaysia Grand Prix
8 April

3. Bahrain Grand Prix
15 April

4. Spain Grand Prix
13 May

5. Monaco Grand Prix
27 MAy

6. canada Grand Prix
10 June

7. USA Grand Prix
17 June

8. France Grand Prix
1 July

9. Britain Grand Prix
8 july

10. Germany Grand Prix
22 july

11. Hungary Grand Prix
5 August

12. Turkey Grand Prix
26 August

13. Italy Grand Prix
9 September

14. Belgium Grand Prix
16 September

15. Japan Grand Prix
30 September

16. China Grand Prix
7 October

17. Brazil Grand Prix
21 October

Michael Schumacher

2007-03-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

Michael Schumacher

2007-03-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Country: GER
World Champion - 1994-1995, 2000-2004
Grand Prix Starts: 250
Grand Prix Wins: 91
Pole Positions: 68

Since the Formula One World Championship began in 1950 the title has been won by 28 different drivers, 14 of whom won more than one championship. Of the previous multiple champions the most prolific was Juan Manuel Fangio, whose record of five titles stood for five decades until it was eclipsed by the most dominant driver in the history of the sport. By the time he retired, still the man to beat after 16 seasons at the top, Michael Schumacher had seven driving titles and held nearly every record in the book by a considerable margin. Though his ethics were sometimes questionable, his sheer brilliance behind the wheel was never in dispute.

The most extraordinary driver's origins were most ordinary. He was born on 3 January, 1969, near Cologne, Germany, six years before his brother Ralf, who would also become a Formula One driver. Their father, a bricklayer, ran the local kart track, at Kerpen, where Mrs Schumacher operated the canteen. As a four-year old Michael enjoyed playing on a pedal kart, though when his father fitted it with a small motorcycle engine the future superstar promptly crashed into a lamppost. But Michael soon mastered his machine and won his first kart championship at six, following which his far from affluent parents arranged sponsorship from wealthy enthusiasts that enabled Michael to make rapid progress. By 1987 he was German and European kart champion and had left school to work as an apprentice car mechanic, a job that was soon replaced by full-time employment as a race driver. In 1990 he won the German F3 championship and was hired by Mercedes to drive sportscars. The next year he made a stunning Formula One debut, qualifying an astonishing seventh in a Jordan for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, whereupon he was immediately snapped up by Benetton, where in 1992 he won his first Formula One race, again at Spa, the most demanding circuit of them all.

Over the next four seasons with Benetton he won a further 18 races and two world championships. His first, in 1994, was somewhat tainted in that Benetton was suspected of technical irregularities and in their championship showdown race in Adelaide Schumacher collided (deliberately, some thought) with his closest challenger, the Williams of Damon Hill. But Germany's first world champion was unquestionably worthy of the 1995 driving title, following which he moved to Ferrari, then a team in disarray and without a champion since Jody Scheckter in 1979. The Schumacher-Ferrari combination began promisingly with three wins in 1996 and five more in 1997, though that season ended in infamy when in the final race, at Jerez in Spain, Schumacher tried unsuccessfully to ram the Williams of his title rival Jacques Villeneuve off the road. As punishment for his misdemeanour Schumacher's second place in the championship was stricken from the record books he would thereafter begin to rewrite.

After finishing second overall in 1998, Schumacher's 1999 season was interrupted by a broken leg (the only injury of his career) incurred in crash at the British Grand Prix. From then on there was no stopping 'Schumi' - who in 2000 became Ferrari's first champion in 21 years, then went on to win the driving title for the next four seasons in succession. In 2002 he won 11 times and finished on the podium in all 17 races. In 2003 he broke Fangio's record by winning his sixth driving title. In 2004 he won 13 of the 18 races to secure his seventh championship by a massive margin. Disadvantaged by an off-the-pace Ferrari in 2005 he still managed third overall in the standings. In 2006 he finished his career with a flourish (though at Monaco he was found guilty of deliberately parking his Ferrari to prevent anyone from beating his qualifying time): extending his pole position record to 68 (Ayrton Senna had 65), scoring seven victories to bring his total to 91 (40 more than his nearest rival, Alain Prost) and nearly winning yet another driving title.

Like all the great drivers Schumacher had exceptional ambition, confidence, intelligence, motivation, dedication and determination. What set him apart and helped account for his unprecedented length of time at the top of his profession was a pure passion for racing and an endless quest for improvement. Blessed with a supreme natural talent, he had a racing brain to match, possessing spare mental capacity that enabled him to make split-second decisions, adapt to changing circumstances and plan ahead while driving on the limit, which with his superb state of fitness (he trained harder than any driver) he was easily able to do for lap after lap. The smoothly swift and mechanically-aware driver operated with a keen sensitivity for the limits of his car and himself (he made comparatively few mistakes) and his feedback to his engineers (led by technical director Ross Brawn who worked with him throughout his career) was exceptionally astute.

No Ferrari driver worked harder for the team, nor were any of them more appreciated than the German who led the famous Italian Scuderia to six successive Constructors' Championships. He led by example, frequently visiting the factory at Maranello, talking to the personnel, thanking them, encouraging them, never criticising and invariably inspiring everyone with his optimism, high energy level and huge work ethic. The team was totally devoted to the driver who often said he loved the Ferrari ‘family’.

Life with his own family - wife Corinna and their children Gina-Maria and Mick - was deliberately kept as normal as possible (the children never came to the races) and held sacred by the essentially shy and private man who reluctantly became one of the most famous sportsmen in the world. Rich beyond his wildest dreams (he reportedly earned as much as US$100 million a year), he generously supported charities, especially those for underprivileged children, and to help victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster he made a personal donation of US$10 million.

In his last season the 37-year-old driver who had made Formula One racing his personal playground was still at the peak of his powers. No champion had been so excellent for so long, but Michael Schumacher finally grew tired of the effort necessary to continue to excel and decided to quit while he was still ahead - so far ahead that his achievements are unlikely to ever be surpassed.

Fernando Alonso

2007-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

World Champion - 2005-2006
Country: (ESP)
Grand Prix Starts: 88
Grand Prix Wins: 15
Pole Positions: 15

The 28th Formula One World Drivers' Champion was the youngest ever. Just 24 years old, Fernando Alonso also led the Renault team to the 2005 Constructors' Championship, thus ending the reign of the Michael Schumacher-Ferrari combination that had dominated for the whole of the 21st century. The precocious and personable youngster who made so much history so soon comfortably wore the crown - a bright, polished, perfectly poised new star. Confirmation of his brilliance came in 2006 when he successfully defended his title against strong opposition from Schumacher, whose subsequent retirement from the sport left Alonso well-placed to succeed him as Formula One racing's resident superstar.

Fernando Alonso Diaz (his full name includes his mother's maiden name, according to the Spanish custom) was born on 29 July, 1981, in Oviedo, a city in the Asturias region of northern Spain, where his mother worked in a department store and his father was employed in the mining industry as an explosive expert. The Alonsos and their two children lived comfortably but were by no means a wealthy family. Luis Alonso, a keen amateur kart racer, wished to share his passion with his children and built them a pedal kart in the form of a realistic-looking miniature Formula One car. It was originally intended for eight-year-old Lorena but she soon grew tired of it, whereupon her three-year-old brother eagerly climbed into the tiny cockpit and immediately felt at home. From the beginning little Fernando was not content to simply pedal around. He wanted to compete and to win.

Shortly after his seventh birthday he entered his first proper kart race and won, and before he was ten Fernando Alonso's name was engraved on several kart championship trophies. However, further progress would require more funding than his family's limited resources could provide. While his parents fully supported their son's increasingly successful pastime - with his father acting as his mechanic at the races and his mother making sure he also got good marks at school - Fernando knew the only way forward was to get sponsored drives by winning races - which he continued to do. Age proved to be no barrier - he was invariably the youngest driver in every category, and more often than not, the best. By his mid-teens his collection of kart titles included a world championship.

Onward and upward he sped, easily winning a 1999 Spanish-based championship for single-seater racing cars, parlaying his prize of a tryout in a Minardi Formula One car into a drive in 2000 with a Minardi-backed F3000 team and a testing contract with Minardi's Formula One team, in which he made an impressive debut the following season. His obvious potential prompted Renault (formerly Benetton) to sign him as a test driver for 2002, a valuable experience that would enable him to immediately establish himself as a frontrunner when he joined the French automaker's team in 2003. In Malaysia, only his second race for Renault, the 21-year-old became the youngest ever pole winner. Starting from pole again in Hungary, less than a month after his 22nd birthday, he became the youngest Grand Prix winner in history.

In 2004 the difficult-to-drive Renault R24 kept him out of the winner's circle and he finished fourth in the championship. By now, having slotted seamlessly into the team, further polished his driving skills and honed his racecraft, Alonso was ready to take full advantage of Renault's excellent R25 car, in which he would really come of age.

From the beginning of the 2005 season the man to beat was the upstart Spaniard. Equipment variances were a factor, with Michael Schumacher's Ferrari off the pace for the first time in six years and Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren proving to be fast but fragile. Meanwhile, the Alonso-driven Renault swept serenely through the longest ever Formula One season, scoring points in all but two of the 19 races, finishing in the top three 14 times and winning on seven occasions.

Alonso's nearly flawless performance (his only driving error came in Canada where he crashed while leading) was highlighted by a symbolic defeat of Schumacher at Imola, where he brilliantly fended off the best efforts of the seven-time champion. Schumacher's successor knew when to attack, how to defend, how to control a race - how to win the championship in a car that was usually not as fast as Raikkonen's McLaren. Both drivers had six poles and seven wins, and though the raw racer Raikkonen's challenge was undermined by mechanical misfortune, Alonso's adaptability served him best. His aptitude for adjusting quickly to changing circumstances, his competence at conserving his equipment, his capability of responding immediately to the invariably wise tactical instructions issued by the Renault team, all contributed to his success.

"I'm just a normal guy," insisted Alonso, whose swift ascendancy to superstardom left him somewhat embarrassed. Softly spoken, though fluent and articulate in English, his second language, he eschewed the usual trappings of success, choosing to live quietly in Oxford to be near the British-based Renault team that was totally devoted to their boy wonder.

"My record is going to be in good hands," said Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 championship when he was 25. In his 25th year Alonso held onto his title even more firmly, securing second successive championships for himself and Renault after an epic duel with a resurgent Michael Schumacher.

Faced with a formidable opponent still at the peak of his powers, the cleverly quick Alonso's focus never wavered in the intensity of battle - the scenario that most appealed to his real racer's instincts. Fiercely determined and eagerly aggressive, he relished the cut and thrust, revelled in the thrill of the chase - all the while remaining supernaturally calm with a maturity that belied his youth and would serve him well in defending his title against the sport's most successful exponent.

Alonso began 2006 with a string of wins and podiums that by mid- season gave him a substantial lead over Schumacher, whose faltering Ferrari was subsequently improved to overcome Renault's initial performance advantage. Thus empowered, the German staged a brilliant comeback that made the Spaniard's eventual title triumph all the more memorable. The fact that they were so evenly matched, with seven wins each, substantiated Alonso's status as a worthy successor to the retiring Schumacher. In pursuit of a new challenge, Alonso left Renault at the end of the year and moved to McLaren, bringing with him the coveted number 1 as the reigning World Champion.

Super Aguri

2007-03-03T01:40:00.000-08:00

Base:	Leafield, UK
Drivers:	T Sato A Davidson
Test Drivers:	S Yamamoto
Chassis:	SA07
Engine:	Honda
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	2006
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	10 (x1)
Pole Positions:	0
Fastest Laps:	0

Race History

2006 Japanese team's first season after being granted late entry by FIA. Fronted by former driver Aguri Suzuki, with engines supplied by Honda. Yuji Ide dropped from second race seat alongside Takuma Sato after poor performances in first four rounds. Ide replaced first by ex-Renault tester Franck Montagny, then by third driver Sakon Yamamoto. Contest first 11 rounds with modified 2002 Arrows chassis. Performance improves with introduction of SA06 car, taking Sato to top-ten finish in Japan.
Stats from http://www.formula1.com

Spyker

2007-03-03T01:36:00.000-08:00

Base:	Silverstone, UK
Drivers:	C Albers A Sutil
Test Drivers:	M Winkelhock F Fauzy A Valles
Chassis:	F8-VII
Engine:	Ferrari
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	2006
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	9 (x1)
Pole Positions:	0
Fastest Laps:	0

Race History
2006 Having purchased Jordan at start of 2005 and spent a season in transition, Russian-backed Midland Group rename team MF1 and enter championship with Russian license, a Formula One first. Fail to score a point, despite steady progress. Team sold again in September to Dutch sportscar maker, Spyker, who secure Ferrari engine supply for 2007.

Toro Rosso

2007-03-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

Base:	Faenza, Italy
Drivers:	V Liuzzi S Speed
Test Drivers:	TBC
Chassis:	STR2
Engine:	Ferrari
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	2006
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	8 (x1)
Pole Positions:	0
Fastest Laps:	0

Race History
2006 Positive first season for Red Bull's 'junior' team, born out of the Austrian company's 2005 purchase of Minardi. As only team to retain (restricted) V10 power, increasingly challenge sister RBR cars, with Tonio Liuzzi scoring maiden point at Indianapolis. Former racer Gerhard Berger becomes team principal after buying stake in team.

Williams

2007-03-03T01:27:00.000-08:00

Base:	Grove, UK
Drivers:	N Rosberg A Wurz
Test Drivers:	N Karthikeyan K Nakajima
Chassis:	TBC
Engine:	Toyota
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1975
World Championships:	9
Highest race finish:	1 (x113)
Pole Positions:	125
Fastest Laps:	129

Race History

2006	A terrible season by the team's own admission sees them finish eighth in the standings. Cosworth-powered package shows early promise, including fastest lap for Nico Rosberg at season opener in Bahrain, but challenge quickly runs out of steam. Go on to accumulate 20 DNFs, with two sixth places for Mark Webber their best results.
2005	Difficult season sees the former champions finish fifth in the standings before bidding farewell to engine partners BMW and Nick Heidfeld, who, after scoring maiden pole at the Nurburgring, goes on to miss last five races through illness and injury. Best result at Monaco, where both drivers make the podium. Nico Rosberg signed as Mark Webber's team mate for 2006.
2004	Ralf Schumacher misses six races after fracturing his spine in an accident at Indianapolis. Replaced by Marc Gene for the first two and by Antonio Pizzonia for the other four. Team ditch radical 'walrus' front wing after disappointing start to season. End it on a high with victory in Brazil, but only manage fourth in the standings.
2003	Dramatic improvement in form in the second half of the season with four race wins. Finish second to Ferrari in the standings after losing final-race showdown.
2000	- 2002 Despite winning races, the Williams team does not mount a serious Championship challenge to the dominant Ferrari team.
1997	Jacques Villeneuve takes his first and so far only Drivers' Championship and Williams takes the Constructors' Championship for a ninth time.
1996	Damon Hill wins the Drivers' Championship for Williams and the team takes their eighth Constructors' title.
1994	The season sees the Williams team suffer its first fatality when Ayrton Senna is killed at Imola. In a sombre season the team wins the Constructors' Championship.
1993	Alain Prost wins his fourth Drivers' Championship with Williams and announces his retirement from the sport.
1992	Nigel Mansell wins the first five rounds of the season for Williams, the team goes on to take both Drivers' and Constructors' titles. Mansell leaves the sport to compete in IndyCar.
1986	Team owner Frank Williams is seriously injured in a car accident. In typically determined fashion, he continues to lead the team.
1980	Alan Jones wins the Drivers' Championship and Williams takes the Constructors' Championship.
1979	Clay Regazzoni wins the British Grand Prix to give Williams its first ever victory.
1978	Williams Grand Prix Engineering founded. Alan Jones is signed to drive for the team.
1975	Williams team debut season. Six Constructors' Championship points give it ninth position. Stats from http://www.formula1.com

Red Bull

2007-03-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

Base:	Milton Keynes, UK
Drivers:	D Coulthard M Webber
Test Drivers:	R Doornbos M Ammermuller
Chassis:	RB3
Engine:	Renault RS27
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	2005
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	3 (x1)
Pole Positions:	0
Fastest Laps:	0

Race History

2006	Second season proves more difficult than the first, despite arrival of Ferrari power. David Coulthard scores team's first podium in Monaco, but overall amass 18 points less than in 2005 and face growing challenge from junior sister team, Toro Rosso. Christian Klien replaced by third driver Robert Doornbos for final three rounds.
2005	Austrian-owned team's first campaign, following 2004 purchase of Jaguar squad, proves highly successful. Amass more points in the first two races than Jaguar managed the entire previous season. Go on to finish a clear seventh in the standings, just four points shy of BAR. Switch from Cosworth to Ferrari power for 2006. Stats From http://www.formula1.com

Toyota

2007-03-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

Base:	Koln, Germany
Drivers:	R Schumacher J Trulli
Test Drivers:	F Montagny
Chassis:	TF107
Engine:	RVX-07
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	2002
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	2 (x2)
Pole Positions:	2
Fastest Laps:	1

Race History

2006	Erratic season sees Toyota drop to sixth in the standings with less than half the points they scored in 2005. Struggle to adapt to Bridgestone tyres in early rounds and technical director Mike Gascoyne departs after just three races. Ralf Schumacher's third place in Australia the team's only podium.
2005	Breakthrough season sees team score two poles and five podiums en route to fourth in constructors' championship, just behind Ferrari. High point is Bahrain, where Jarno Trulli second and Ralf Schumacher fourth. Low point is Schumacher's high-speed crash at Indianapolis, ahead of Michelin's race withdrawal.
2004	Team unexpectedly drop Cristiano da Matta from his race seat after Germany, replacing him with Ricardo Zonta. 2005 signing Jarno Trulli races in the final two rounds, replacing Zonta in Japan and Panis in Brazil. Finish a disappointing eighth after scoring points in just three races.
2003	Eighth place in the final standings masks some solid progress by the Japanese team. Lead the British Grand Prix for 18 laps, finish fifth and sixth in Germany and qualify third and fourth at Suzuka.
2002	The team's debut year. The team finishes in tenth position in the Constructors' Championship having scored two points. The team announces that drivers Mika Salo and Allan McNish are to be replaced for the 2003 season.
2001	The test car is launched at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France. An extensive test programme commences.
2000	Creation of the Toyota team. New R&D facility opens in Cologne and the company's first V10 engine is fired up for the first time. Stats from http://www.formula1.com

BMW Sauber

2007-03-03T01:09:00.000-08:00

Base:	Munich, Germany / Hinwil, Switzerland
Drivers:	N Heidfeld R Kubica
Test Drivers:	T Glock S Vettel
Chassis:	F1.07
Engine:	BMW P86/7
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1993
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	3 (x8)
Pole Positions:	0
Fastest Laps:	0

Race History

2006	Recover from early reliability problems to finish a well-deserved fifth in standings in first campaign under BMW control. Part company with Jacques Villeneuve mid season, with replacement Robert Kubica scoring podium in Italy to match that achieved by team mate Nick Heidfeld in Hungary.
2005	In June, Peter Sauber announces he is to step down as team principal after negotatiating takeover by BMW for 2006.
2004	Major wind tunnel investment pays off handsomely with impressively consistent season. Score points in 12 races to finish a lonely sixth in the constructors' table. Sign former champion Jacques Villeneuve for 2005.
2003	Difficult season, scoring points at only five races, usually in wet conditions. Best result at Indianapolis, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen third and Nick Heidfeld fifth. US race also sees team lead a Grand Prix for the first time. Both drivers dropped for 2004. Finish sixth in constructors' championship.
2002	11 points is enough to give Sauber fifth place in the Constructors' Championship. The best result of the season is fourth and fifth in the Spanish Grand Prix.
2001	The team's best ever season with fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.
2000	Sauber finishes eighth in the Constructors' Championship with only six points. The highest finishes were two fifth places in Germany and Monaco. Both cars are withdrawn from the Brazilian Grand Prix after spectacular rear wing failures.
1997	The team's best performance of the season is Herbert's third in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
1996	Johnny Herbert finishes third for the team at the Monaco Grand Prix, team mate Frentzen taking fourth place. The team finishes seventh in the Constructors' Championship.
1995	The team achieves its first podium as Heinz-Harald Frentzen finishes third at Monza.
1993	The Sauber team manages a scoring finish in its first Grand Prix with J. J. Lehto taking fifth in South Africa. The team end the season sixth in the Constructors' Championship with 12 points. Stats from http://www.formula1.com

Honda

2007-03-03T01:03:00.000-08:00

Base:	Brackley, UK
Drivers:	J Button R Barrichello
Test Drivers:	C Klien J Rossiter
Chassis:	RA107
Engine:	RA807E
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1964
World Championships:	0
Highest race finish:	1 (x3)
Pole Positions:	2
Fastest Laps:	2

Race History

2006	Having enjoyed championship success as engine suppliers to Williams and McLaren in 1980s and '90s, Honda return as works team following buyout of British American Racing. Promising start to year, with pole position at round three in Australia. However, race pace fades mid season, prompting staff reshuffle and departure of technical director Geoff Willis. Strong recovery culminates in victory at Hungaroring and fourth place in final standings.
1968	Two further podiums for Surtees in France and US. Also scores Honda's maiden pole in Italy. Team bow out at end of season after Jo Schlesser is killed in innovative RA302 machine during French Grand Prix.
1967	Return to the podium when John Surtees finishes third at season opener in South Africa. Surtees goes on to take debut win for new RA300 car in Italy, helping team to fourth place in constructors' championship.
1966	Appear in just three races, as team work to adapt to new three-litre engine formula. Fourth place in Mexico their best result.
1965	Team base switches from Tokyo to Europe. Two-car entry in latter part of season. Score first Formula One point at Spa and maiden Grand Prix win in Mexico, both courtesy of American Richie Ginther.
1964	Make Formula One debut with a single car in the German, Italian and US Grands Prix.

Stats from http://www.formula1.com

Ferrari

2007-03-03T00:58:00.000-08:00

Base:	Maranello - Italy
Drivers:	F Massa K Räikkönen
Test Drivers:	L Badoer
Chassis:	F2007
Engine:	056
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1950
World Championships:	14
Highest race finish:	1 (x192)
Pole Positions:	186
Fastest Laps:	193

Race History

2006	Initially play second fiddle to Renault, but Michael Schumacher leads fightback with seven victories in his final Formula One season. Team move ahead of Renault with just three rounds to go, but rare reliability issues see them beaten to title by just five points.
2005	Struggle with new regulations, in particular those requiring tyres to last through qualifying and race. Make the podium at seven events, including one victory at Indianapolis, where Michelin withdrawal leaves six-car field. Finish third in constructors' standings.
2004	Lose just three times in 18 races to take the constructors' crown for the sixth year in a row. An incredible 13 victories for Michael Schumacher sees him take championship number seven.
2003	A much tougher season, but still ultimately unbeatable. A record fifth successive constructors' title, with Michael Schumacher the first man to take six drivers' crowns.
2000	Ferrari enter a period of total domination, winning Drivers' and Constructors' titles three years in a row.
1999	Ferrari takes the Constructors' Championship in the last race but Eddie Irvine just falls short of the Drivers' Championship.
1983	Ferrari wins its eighth Constructors' Championship.
1979	Jody Scheckter wins the Drivers' Championship driving a Ferrari. It will be the last Drivers' title for the team for 21 years.
1975	Niki Lauda takes the Drivers' Championship with the team and comes back from his horrific accident in 1976 to grab a second title for the team in 1977.
1964	John Surtees, a former world motorbike champion, takes the Drivers' Championship driving for Ferrari. He remains the only man to achieve both titles.
1961	Phil Hill leads Ferrari to the 'double' of both Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.
1958	Mike Hawthorn becomes the third Ferrari driver to win the Drivers' Championship.
1956	Juan-Manuel Fangio wins the his fourth Drivers' Championship with the Scuderia.
1952	Alberto Ascari wins first of two back to back Drivers' Championships in a Ferrari.
1951	Jose Froilan Gonzalez records Ferrari's first victory at the British Grand Prix.

Stats from

Renault

2007-03-03T00:50:00.000-08:00

Base:	Enstone, UK
Drivers:	G Fisichella H Kovalainen
Test Drivers:	R Zonta N Piquet
Chassis:	R27
Engine:	RS27
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1977
World Championships:	2
Highest race finish:	1 (x33)
Pole Positions:	50
Fastest Laps:	27

Race History

2006	Win seven of the first nine races, but then lose ground to rivals Ferrari in the second half of the season after controversial mass-damper system is declared illegal. Nevertheless hold on to retain both drivers' and constructors' titles, before Fernando Alonso departs for McLaren.
2005	Dominate early part of season and go on to win both titles, despite superior pace of McLaren in later races. Fernando Alonso crowned youngest-ever champion, while Renault become first mainstream automaker to take constructors' honours.
2004	Win the Monaco Grand Prix with Jarno Trulli, but then part company with the Italian with three races to go after a run of poor performances. Draft in Jacques Villeneuve as his replacement. Not enough to prevent BAR edging them for second in the championship.
2003	Emerge as a regular, if not quite constant, threat to the big three teams. Fernando Alonso takes two pole positions, plus victory in Hungary. Finish a lonely fourth in the constructors' championship.
2002	Renault enjoys a strong debut season with a run of points finishes giving it fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.
2000	Benetton announces that it will be renamed Renault from 2002.
1996	Renault decides to withdraw from the sport again, although the company begins negotiations to buy-out an existing team.
1992	Renault engines dominate the Championships of the mid 1990s, powering Williams and Benetton to all Constructors' Championships between 1992 and 1997.
1989	Renault returns as an engine supplier with the Williams team.
1986	Renault withdraws fully from the sport.
1985	The team withdraws from the sport as a manufacturer, but still supplies engines to Lotus.
1983	Prost takes four wins and the team finishes second in the Constructors' Championship.
1982	Renault hire Alain Prost to drive for the team.
1979	Jabouille scores Renault's first win at the French Grand Prix, and team mate Rene Arnoux finishes third. The team finishes the season sixth in the Constructors' Championship.
1978	Jabouille manages fourth place in the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, giving the team its only points of the season.
1977	Renault makes its debut at the British Grand Prix, entering a single car driven by Jean Pierre Jabouille. The team enters another four Grands Prix that season, but scores no points.

Stats from http://www.formula1.com/

McLaren

2007-03-03T00:37:00.000-08:00

Base:	Woking, UK
Drivers:	F Alonso L Hamilton
Test Drivers:	P de la Rosa G Paffett
Chassis:	MP4-22
Engine:	Mercedes-Benz FO 108T
Tyres:	Bridgestone Potenza
First Season:	1966
World Championships:	8
Highest race finish:	1 (x148)
Pole Positions:	125
Fastest Laps:	128

Race History

2006	Finish a distant third in the championship, despite strong race pace in second half of season. Let down by qualifying and reliability issues, and end a campaign winless for the first time in a decade. Kimi Raikkonen the dominant driver, with Juan Pablo Montoya departing mid season to head to NASCAR.
2005	The MP4-20 proves the quickest car on the grid, but poor reliability means they narrowly miss out on constructors' title, despite winning 10 races - two more than champions Renault. Kimi Raikkonen is runner-up in drivers' championship, dominating team mate Juan Pablo Montoya, who finishes fourth in standings after missing two rounds through a shoulder injury.
2004	Worst start to a season in years with just five points from the first seven races. Stage strong recovery, including victory for Kimi Raikkonen in Belgium, to end the year fifth in the table.
2003	Third in the constructors' standings, just behind Williams. Kimi Raikkonen emerges as the team's key contender for the drivers' championship, losing out to Michael Schumacher at the final race in Japan.
2002	McLaren are pushed down to third place in the Constructors' Championship, behind Ferrari and Williams. David Coulthard takes fifth place in the Drivers' Championship.
2000	/ 2001 McLaren finish second in both Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, two years in a row.
1998	/ 1999 McLaren dominate after successfully adapting to rule changes. Mika Hakkinen takes the Drivers' Championship in both seasons with McLaren taking the Constructors' Championship in 1998.
1988	- 1991 A period of total McLaren dominance. In 1988 Ayrton Senna takes the title from his team mate Alain Prost, with honours reversed in 1989. In 1990 Senna takes back the title and retains it in 1991.
1985	/ 1986 Alain Prost takes back to back Drivers' Championships for McLaren.
1984	Niki Lauda, now driving for McLaren, takes the Drivers' Championship by half a point from team mate Alain Prost.
1976	McLaren's James Hunt takes the Drivers' Championship by a single point from Niki Lauda.
1970	Bruce McLaren is killed at the Goodwood circuit while testing a Can-Am sportscar.
1968	Bruce McLaren wins in Belgium, giving his own team its first Grand Prix victory. McLaren finishes second in the Constructors' Championship.
1963	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd founded. Stats from http://www.formula1.com

2006 Constructors Championship

2007-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Position
Constructor
Points
*

1
Renault
206
*
2

Ferrari
201
*
3
McLaren-Mercedes
110
*
4
Honda
86
*
5
Sauber-BMW
36
*
6
Toyota
35
*
7
RBR-Ferrari
16
*
8
Williams-Cosworth
11
*
9
STR-Cosworth
1
*
10
MF1-Toyota
0
*
11
SuperAguri-Honda
0

F1 2006 Drivers Championship

2007-03-02T23:42:00.000-08:00

Position
Driver
Nationality
Team
Points
*

1
Fernando Alonso
Spanish
Renault
134
*

2
Michael Schumacher
German
Ferrari
121
*
3
Felipe Massa
Brazilian
Ferrari
80
*
4
Giancarlo Fisichella
Italian
Renault
72

5
Kimi Räikkönen
Finnish
McLaren-Mercedes
65

6
Jenson Button
British
Honda
56
*
7
Rubens Barrichello
Brazilian
Honda
30
*
8
Juan Pablo Montoya
Colombian
McLaren-Mercedes
26
*
9
Nick Heidfeld
German
Sauber-BMW
23
*
10
Ralf Schumacher
German
Toyota
20
*
11
Pedro de la Rosa
Spanish
McLaren-Mercedes
19
*
12
Jarno Trulli
Italian
Toyota
15
*
13
David Coulthard
British
RBR-Ferrari
14
*
14
Mark Webber
Australian
Williams-Cosworth
7
*
15
Jacques Villeneuve
Canadian
Sauber-BMW
7
*
16
Robert Kubica
Polish
Sauber-BMW
6
*
17
Nico Rosberg
German
Williams-Cosworth
4
*
18
Christian Klien
Austrian
RBR-Ferrari
2
*
19
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Italian
STR-Cosworth
1
*
States From formula1.com

Acura NSX

2007-02-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

When the NSX was introduced back in 1991, Honda was at the peak of its glory days in Formula 1. So everyone could have expected from the engine supplier of the Formula 1 champion a great car. What came, though, was the NSX, a car that is greater than this...

Honda has used the latest edge of technology in the NSX with an all-aluminium body, and a poweful V6 engine that easily revs through to 8000rpm.

The most important thing about the NSX is that it is surely a supercar but, still, it is as friendly to drive as you surely wouldn't expect from a supercar. To make it simpler, the NSX is as exciting and fast as a Ferrari and as friendly as a Civic.

To sum it up, the Acura NSX is the most sensible supercar ever.

Technical Data

Engine Type V6 VTEC

Engine Size 3179 cc

Horsepower 290 bhp@7100 rpm

Torque 304 Nm @5500 rpm

Max. Speed 270 km/h (168 mph)

0-60 mph 4.5 sec

0-100 mph 1/4 mile

13.4 sec @ 106mph

Weight 1281 kg (2660 lb)

Price $80,000

Ferrari F50

2007-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Ferrari F50 was designed to commemorate Ferrari's 50th anniversary in 1996.

Typically low-slung with huge forward air intakes, sleek lines sweeping gracefully up to the rear airfoil and aerodynamic slopes behind both seats, the F50 is part Batmobile, part ballistic missile.

The 12-cylinder, 4.75-liter, rear-mounted engine slams out 520 horsepower, flashing the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and taking the carbon-fiber body to a top speed of 203 mph.

Only 349 F50s were made in Ferrari's factory near Modeno in northern Italy. Ferrari says half already have been reserved before the car was introduced.

"Our studies showed a market for 350 cars like this," says spokesman Antonio Ghini. "But Ferraris are something cultural, a monument. They must be hard to find, so we will produce one less car than the market."

Fifty F50s each were sold in the United States, Germany and Italy, Ferrari's biggest markets. Most of the others were sold in Asia and elsewhere in Europe.

"We have in 50 years of racing won every kind of victory: Formula One, Le Mans, Dayton, Sebring," President Luca di Montezemolo said in an interview. "In this car we put 50 years of know-how."

But he said the F50 is the first and last car Ferrari will build based on a Formula One engine because of tougher emission standards going into effect in the next few years in the United States and elsewhere.

Ford Puma

2007-02-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Most of you haven't seen this car before as it is actually only sold in Europe. So, starting from the basics: it is a Ford, it is a pocket-sized coupe, it is very affordable, very fun to drive and it just looks awesome.

Europe has never been the best market for Ford which in mid-1997 was really looking into how it could change its image in the European market. So what they did is they came up with the Ford Puma. We cannot think of a better thing they could have done!

Powered by a (tiny for American standards) 1.7lt engine which produces 125hp the Puma is fast enough to be a lot of fun. Acceleration to 60mph takes 8.8 seconds but what really counts about this car is the amazing handling characteristics that the Ford team that was responsible for it has managed to give it. Tthis is probably the only front wheel drive car on the site, but it really is very close to being the best handling front wheel drive car ever! Everything just feels so well balanced: The ultra-slick gearshift, the VVT (Variable Valve Timing) engine, the fully responsive wheel.

What else do you get for a very low price of around 20,000$? You get some passenger space in the back seats for small trips only. You get a very cheap to run and cheap to own car. And you get this amazing styling that really resembles a wild cat.

Late 1999 also saw the introduction of the limited, wild Racing Puma. The engine stays the some but it is now tuned to produce 155hp which brings the performance level to 7.9sec for acceleration to 60mph. Again though, what really makes the Racing Puma unique is its absolutely amazing handling. This time Ford engineers only had to keep some basic levels of ride quality so what you get with the Racing Puma is the best handling front wheel drive car ever! Still. at around 30,000$ the Racing may just be too expensive so we would go for the standard 125hp version and appreciate its all-round ability.

To sum it up, sometimes a car does not have to cost $50,000 or 100,000$ to be truly unique. And the Puma, believe it or not, is certainly one of the cars that fall into this category. Congratulations to Ford for producing a FantasyCar that is also affordable to own and run.

Toyota Supra

2007-02-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

It was in 1992 when Toyota introduced the latest Supra model. The car is still in production largely unchanged since then but a new version is rumoured to be prepared for introduction in 2001.

There aren't many things that have to change in this new version though. Because the Supra is a very good car. It is one of the most easy to live with supercars available today.

It is powered by a 3.0lt engine that is enough to propel the Supra to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.