Pirelli intend to spice up Formula 1 in 2012

Pirelli motorsport chief Paul Hembery spoke to the BBC about the changes the company has made to the F1 tyres this year. He said: 'At the end of last year, if anything, we were being slightly criticised for being a bit conservative, which was strange after the start we had. So we had to make some changes to the slick tyre in particular. We've got three new compounds, new hard, medium and soft tyres, much more aggressive, softer in the direction of performance, a new profile, which gives a larger footprint. That means putting a lot more rubber on the track and allows us to use those softer compounds and hopefully (re)create some of that excitement from earlier in the season.' Hembery said the idea was to spice up the racing even more than in 2011. 'I think we'd all like to see closer racing at the front. The midfield battle was fascinating. If that could transform itself to the front, we're in for an exciting season because then the differences in tyres can come through in a much more determining fashion. They've got to work with the strategies, the drivers can have a big impact on the performance of the tyres, the degradation and the wear life.'"

Force India VJM05 Launched - Caution may make you wince

Paul Di Resta Force India VJM05 - Silverstone

On Friday the 3rd February 2012 Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenburg launched the all-new Force india VJM05 in front of a selection of journalists and invited guests (click the title of this article to see video footage of the car from Silverstone).

The VJM05 (designated after Force India owner ViJay Mallya) is the latest car launched to follow the 'Platypus' nose trend, but this one looks quite cute fetching a rolled up carbon fibre newspaper in it's mouth - awww sweet. The sidepods look to have a more tightly curved lower edge and seem to be slightly shorter too, other than that the car is visually similar to last years VJM04.


Once again the Sahara Force India cars will be powered by the Mercedes 2.4 litre V8 engines with gearbox supplied by McLaren Applied Technologies. This will be the second season with the Mercedes KERS. Here's what the key team members had to say at the launch.

Paul Di Resta
“Seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment. It’s when you realise that all the waiting is finally over and the season is beginning for real. I’ve had a good winter and I’ve recharged my batteries, but now I’m fully focussed on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing. There’s a really positive feeling in the team, good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year.”

Nico Hulkenberg
“I saw the new car in the wind tunnel a few times and followed its progress during the winter. It looks aggressive and fast, but we won’t know where we stand until we get out there and compete against the others. Preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training. I feel ready to get back to racing and I’m excited to find out what the new car feels like next week.”

Otmar Szafnauer - Chief Operating Officer
“The new car has come together nicely over the winter. We don’t know what our competitors have done, but we’ve made some gains over the winter and believe we’re in reasonable shape. It’s going to be difficult in the midfield, but our focus is on starting strongly and improving our position from last season.”

Dr. Vijay Mallya - Team Principal and Managing Director
“We have set our sights on challenging for fifth place. To do so we will need to begin the new campaign by delivering the kind of form we showed in the second half of 2011. I believe this is a realistic goal and that we have the talent and determination to realise these ambitions.”

A Duck-billed platypus delivering it's carbon newspaper

Ferrari F2012 launched - Another hideous nose job!

2012 Ferrari F2012

Ferrari's launch was cancelled due to snow at Maranello, so instead they published these shots on their website. 

Personally, what with the Caterham being launched in F1 Racing magazine and now the Ferrari being launched on their website, I'm beginning to think that no want wants to see these cars in the flesh.... errr Carbon! Maybe I'm getting overexcited, perhaps these are the post-crash test photos? Even Ferrari are un-complimentary about their own car -  

"The nose has a step in it that is not aesthetically pleasing: with the requirement from the regulations to lower the front part, this was a way of raising the bottom part of the chassis as much as possible for aerodynamic reasons".

  Ok, they're here, they're (very) queer, we're going to have to get used to them, I guess.

Ferrari, say the F2012 is redesigned in virtually every area, with the front & rear wings and the engine being the components least changed. Visually, the rear of the car appears to taper less dramatically initially, then seems to be much more tightly packaged around the gearbox, and the side-pods have undergone a redesign. Ferrari aim to be at the first tests with the F2012, and then we will get some idea of the relative performance of all the challengers.

Who 'nose' what the 2012 season will bring, let's hope they all run into each other at the first corner and wipe off their ugly front ends! 

Mclaren unveil 2012 Formula 1 car - It's still red & silver!

2012 Mclaren MP4-27

After last year's car arrived quite late and was then assembled in front of a live online and street audience in Berlin, Mclaren chose their own Mclaren Technology centre to reveal the MP4-27 to the world, and thankfully it doesn't have the hideous nose that Mike Gascoyne predicted we would see on all this years contenders!

The teams work hard every year trying to create the best performance package, and whilst it will be some time before we know who has done the best job on track this year, Mclaren seem to have once again created a good looking car. The rear bodywork is more tightly waisted around the engine and gearbox and the distinctive L-shaped sidepods from last year have gone, to be replaced with a flatter creation and the nose from certain angles seems to have a mini 'ski-slope' !

Mercedes-Benz 95kg 32 valve, 2.4 litre V8 will once again push the Mclaren forward. The car will make it's debut on the track at Jerez in spain for the first of the winter tests with Jenson Button behind the wheel on Tuesday the 7th February, with Lewis Hamilton getting his first taste of the new car on Thursday the 9th.

So does the lack of hideous carbuncle nose mean the Mclaren is going to be woefully off the pace? Are we going to see the two Caterhams fly off into the distance leaving the prettier, but ultimately nose-hampered Mclaren trailing? Let's wait and see what everybody else has come up with shall we?

 

Caterham CT01 becomes first 2012 F1 car launched.....

2012 Caterham CT01

The first of the new seasons Formula 1 cars to burst into the limelight, the Caterham CT01 isn't a very pretty baby, maybe the Doctor slapped it's nose instead of it's arse and broke it ?  Worse still, if designer Mike Gascoyne is correct, they're all going to look similar in the nose department....... oh dear! 

Team owner Tony Fernandes wants to be regularly pushing the midfield runners this year, and would like to grab the occasional point or two, the team is eager to see it's 2012 challenger hit the track, when it will find out what sort of pace can be expected, Tony said of the launch :

" Yes, it's been a pretty good week. I am thrilled that we broke cover first and that the CT01 is the first example anyone has seen of a 2012 car. I think I am riding on some very good energy at the moment!

 

I am pleased that we were able to release pictures of our new car so soon. Riad, Mike, Mark and the whole team did a fantastic job getting all the homologation and crash tests out of the way early, and keeping on track with the car's build schedule. I am very proud that we are able to take the covers off first and I think it looks fantastic.

 

This car represents another step forward for us. The detail right across the whole package is light years ahead of where we were when we first started out, and we are all excited about seeing what it can do when we get on track. I'm also very pleased that we were able to show our fans the car so soon".

All the 'must have' components are present Renault RS27-2012 V8, Red Bull Technology gearbox, AP Racing Clutch, Mike Gascoyne designed chassis, so it would be good to see the team progress further into the midfield, the Tony & Mike show has been refreshing in their approach to the media, and I can't help liking Tony Fernandes, but it's such a hideous looking car, I really don't want to see it at the front....sorry chaps! 

Ferrari and Lotus have new F1 ride height control system banned

Smoking OK  Dipping not Ok!

Ride-height control systems which were in development by Lotus and Ferrari have been outlawed by Formula 1's governing body, the FIA.

The two teams had previously been told the device, which aims to keep the car stable during braking, was ok, but the FIA has had a change of heart after investigations.

The new system has been designed to keep the car's ride-height constant during braking stabilising the airflow over and under the car and affecting its aerodynamic performance.

The ride-height of an F1 car moves only a few millimetres, but the more it can be kept level, the better the car's aerodynamic efficiency.

The device is operated via a front suspension mounted hydraulic cylinder which reacts to the braking forces.

It controls the length of the push-rod - the suspension arm that stretches from the springs and dampers on the top of the car's chassis to the bottom of the wheel upright - in response to braking forces. The brake caliper also moves, this system limits the amount the front of the car dips during braking.

The FIA has banned similar devices that control the movement of a car's chassis over the years. But the governing body initially felt the device in question was a part of the suspension and did not contravene that area of the rules.

F1 insiders say that, once it became clear its main role was to improve aerodynamics, banning it was inevitable.

An FIA insider said Lotus and Ferrari seemed unconcerned at the decision to ban the device.

BBC stays silent on channel four F1 deal

F1 takes off in OZ

It's bad form to criticize the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and it kinda rankles me to do it. I mean the BBC produces a lot, an immense amount of top quality programming (both Radio & TV), news and information, via it's numerous channels, websites and information services, and I, for one, am a big fan.

As an avid follower of Formula 1, I was really pleased when the sport came back to the BBC in 2009, and the quality of the coverage, in fact the whole package, was really excellent. Then in July 2011, the BBC announced that it was breaking it's expensive Formula 1 contract - scheduled to run until 2013 - to share coverage with Sky.

Now, meaning no disrespect to Sky, who have dedicated a whole channel to F1 (I'm sure they will do a great job), this means that F1 fans will now have to pay £10 extra on top of their existing Sky subscription (assuming they have one!) if they wish to watch all the races live (BBC will show 10 Races live, Starting with the Chinese GP and including Monaco, Silverstone and the season-ending Brazilian GP). Here is what BBC Sports Editor Ben Gallop had to say about the deal when it was announced:




"The speculation is now over. This new arrangement extends the BBC's commitment to F1 by a further five years - our existing contract, which gave us exclusive rights in the UK, was due to expire in 2013. But of course it does mean our coverage will not be as comprehensive as it has been in recent years.

So why are we sharing the coverage with Sky when up to now it had just been us?

Ultimately, of course, decisions about which media organisations get the chance to broadcast F1 are taken by Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Management (FOM). But from the BBC's perspective the new set-up provided us with an opportunity to continue our association with this gripping sport, which has captured the imagination of our audiences since it returned to BBC screens in 2009, with viewing figures at a 10-year high this season.


And while our coverage from 2012 may not be as extensive as it has been up to now, the bare facts are that the BBC needs to save money. Given the financial circumstances in which we find ourselves, we believe this new deal offers the best outcome for licence-fee payers."




The F1 forums have been ablaze with comments and when news came through that Channel 4 had put in a bid to share F1 coverage with the BBC comments on the BBC's own website were vitriolic, and that's being polite! The BBC was silent, maybe ashamed, that it had to cut it's award-winning F1 coverage and hasn't answered the Channel 4 question, some commentators have speculated that it didn't want a rival terrestrial broadcaster involved with f1 - who knows?


A selection of Comments from the Daily Mail website:

Dear Duncan,

Have you watched the telly in the last week. I do not think that a lot of people have 4200 pounds lying around to pay for the next 7 years of F1 on PPV. The sports will suffer. And you sound a bit biased when you say that "Sky Sports deliver a stellar service for football, cricket and golf". More is not always better.


Posted by: Piet Boon | 08/11/2011 at 04:26 PM


The way the BBC went about this deal is a disgrace. They actively sought out Sky to ensure that F1 went to pay tv so that there wouldn't be direct competition from another FTA channel.

They then had the cheek to tell us fans that they were "absolutely delighted" with the deal, and that it is "in the interest of the license payer".

Ben Gallop get your head out of the sand and give us answers.


Posted by: Corbo | 08/11/2011 at 04:27 PM


The BBC spent licence payers' money when Channel 4 would and could have done F1 justice. Well done Ecclestone & Co winning more cash for F1 for a year or two, but the sport and the vast UK high tech industry that supports it will suffer. The BBC though appears to be hiding the upswell of anger that's been triggered by this change; if not 'hiding' the anger they are certainly not addressing it.


Posted by: Pedro | 08/11/2011 at 05:10 PM


So, it's just a sport, so what? well that's true, however Formula 1 is also an entire industry in this country particularly - Mclaren alone employ 1100 people!! and this innovative technological tour-de-force has been responsible for inspiring many brilliant engineers. Many of the advances in automotive safety & technology have been conceived, nutured and made viable, through F1. It impacts all our lives because the majority of us drive and those who don't will at some point be driven.

Where to now then?

Many of us don't wish to line Mr Murdoch's grubby pockets with our hard-earned cash, and it's unlikely that the sport will hit it's peak viewing figures any time in the near future. It's also feasible that young enthusiasts will not have the inspiration to seek out the technical challenges posed by F1, because they are unable to follow the sport. Personally, I will miss the BBC coverage, I think it hit a high note in 2011.

Time for the Racy ladies to show their F1 class?

Maria DeVillotta

It's been nearly 20 years since we last saw a female competitor in Formula 1, and that's a great big fat shame, although with a little bit of luck, all that may soon be about to change! Maria De Villota, daughter of former F1 driver Emelio De Villota is rumoured to be close to signing a deal with Renault... errr...Lotus....Renault as one of their reserve drivers for 2012. Maria recently completed the necessary 300km required in an F1 car to qualify for her superlicence and the indications are that she will be having a further run in a 2009 spec Renault F1 car at the Circuit de Catalunya on the 4th December.

So why has it taken so long???? Formula 1 is a sport which not only requires a driver to have great skill behind the wheel, there is also the grubby matter of financing. Even despite the RRA (Resource Restriction Agreement), Formula 1 is still hugely expensive and the teams, particularly at the lower end of the grid, have to generate as much income as possible in order that staff get their wages, materials can be purchased and the wheels can keep turning. For a talented driver making their way through the sport, the costs are still massively expensive and out of the reach of most. A friend who works for a top Formula Renault team, told me a couple of years ago, that for the privilege of making his teams car look good for a season, the driver would be required to bring €680,000. Considering that this is just one year in what will probably (if lady luck is kind!) be a 5 year (give or take) apprenticeship through the lower Formulae, the financial obstacles to success become more apparent. And with Karting being the usual feeder for car racing these days, it's normal for parents to find themselves funding these early years, at anywhere from £6,000 - £10,000 per season. And I've heard talk of people spending a great deal more.

So, the point is that, motorsport tends to appeal more to boys than girls in the first instance and wealth (or relative wealth!) is a factor in the families decision to compete, and a bit like the proverbial sausage machine, the more that goes in the top, the more that comes out of the bottom! So, with less girls taking part in the first rungs of the ladder, there are less who are competing alongside the boys in cars, and fewer still who are going to have the opportunity to progress to the very top of the sport, with only 24 drivers on the Formula 1 grid at any one time, space is severely limited!

One of the very best ladies to come through UK karting is Tiff Chittenden, daughter of tin top and sports car racer Mike Chittenden, Tiff and her talented sister Tamsin competed at the top level of UK Karting for many years. Tiff had already run a few races in Formula Renault in 2006, when she won a second British Karting title with the 2007 Rotax Max DD2 championship. Her Formula Renault season was a difficult one, with a limited budget, and a poorly funded team, it was a steeply uphill challenge. Her true class as a driver and competitor, came to the fore in 2007 with that Rotax championship, but lack of funds has meant that the opportunity her talent deserves has been sadly lacking. Outings in the Porsche supercup and Aston Martin GT4 challenge, have allowed Tiff to show her class on occasion, but what Tiff really needs is a Vijay Mallya or Ron Dennis to guide her to the big time Tiffany Chittenden.com click here if that's you!

Tiff Chittenden

Kimi Raikonnen Joins Renault... err Lotus.. Renault for 2012

Kimi Raikonen with nice new jacket

Fooled me, all the rumour suggested that Kimi Raikkonen would be joining Williams for the 2012 season, but then fooling me is not really sport!

After a couple of years competing in the WRC (World Rally Championship), Kimi is coming back to formula 1, and the noises he is making suggest he's hungry again! I truly hope so, because a motivated Kimi is a very fast Kimi, and even in a car which might not be the best, he is capable of pulling off some truly stunning drives.

Kimi started mucking around on a pedal kart at the age of 3 and later graduated to motorbikes and Karts, winning the Finnish championship twice in Formula ICA and Formula A respectively among other notable results. Moving into car racing in 1999 and competing in Formula Ford and Formula Renault, he bagan to make teams owners sit up and notice at the end of his first season racing cars when he won the Formula Renault winter series with the Manor motor sport team (now competing as Virgin or Marussia in F1 for 2012). Manor have an impressive pedigree in Formula Renault, stretching back to 1991 with a win for Jason Plato and including Lewis Hamilton and Antonio Pizzonia amongst it's many other champions. Kimi was the winner of the Full Renault season the following year and became a Sauber test driver along the way, graduating to a race seat with Sauber in 2001 and finishing 10th in the drivers championship with 9 points. Mclaren snapped him up for 2002 and that's when his raw speed was unleashed. Highlights of his career include winning his first Grand Prix in Malaysia 2003, a season in which he became a genuine title contender and finished 2nd in the championship, as he did in 2005. These were campaigns he may well have won had his cars been more reliable. His sole title came by a single point from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in 2007. He suffered what might be termed a 'brewers droop', given his love of partying, in the next two seasons and left for the WRC. His F1 career stands at 18 wins, 16 pole positions and 1 championship.

Kimi is known as the ice-man for his cool exterior under all conditions, but stories abound of his love of wild parties, letting his hair down and extreme sports. Apparantly he checks himself in for events as 'James Hunt' to avoid attention, and also showing his admiration for the suave,good looking, womanising, jammy b*gger, party animal, budgie breeder (yes, really!) Hunt. I think we'll have to look at James's wild character another time! But back to Kimi, his web-site is well worth a look, if only for the background picture in his Rally car (you'll see what I mean when you get there!)

So, as things stand we will have an unprecedented SIX World Champions on the grid come Melbourne in March, Raikkonen is going to need time to get up to speed, tyres, aerodynamics and loads more changes to the cars plus two years rallying, will mean he has some catching up to do......

It's going to be an interesting season.