Tag: 2014 grid

Ferrari unveils the F14-T

Ferrari has unveiled their 2014 challenger, the F14 T.

The F14-T which was named by a fan vote and will be raced by what is arguably the strongest driver line-up on the 2014 grid – Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, and features a far wider nose tip than we’ve seen in the cars launched so far.

The F14-T will be debuted by Raikkonen at Jerez on Tuesday and Wednesday, before he hands over testing duties to Fernando Alonso for the remaining two days.

The rear of the car seems very tightly packaged around the new turbo engine but due to the ‘anteater’, ‘bull’ and ‘tusk’ noses that have preceded the launch of the F14-T, all eyes are on the nose of the new Ferrari which features a far flatter design than those preceding it.

Ferrari said in a statement that the new regulations presented designers with a real challenge to repackage the front suspension into a much lower monocoque.

“The front wing is regulated to be 75mm narrower per side in order to make it less vulnerable to collisions with other cars and with the barriers,” their launch statement said. “This change, perhaps one of the less noticeable visual differences to the 2013 cars, has a profound effect on the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

“The front wings used since 2009 have all featured elaborate measures to encourage the wake of the front wing endplates to pass around the outside of the front tyres in order to maximize the downforce on the car. An innocent change of just 75mm to the position of the wing tip has required us to reinvent completely the front wing aerodynamics for 2014.”

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said that the new additions to the technical team and the upgrades to the wind tunnel – which is now operational at Maranello – have been crucial for Ferrari to make a step forward.

“In the last couple of years the changes and investment we have made in Formula One has been very important and significant,” Domenicali said. “Some have been spectacular in terms of names that were in the Formula One world and some others less, but nevertheless the changes were very important.

“Not only the organisation of the people, but also investment in the new windtunnel and tools of the simulation that are really important to make sure all the group of engineers can make the difference.”

The F14-T retains Ferrari’s pullrod front suspension concept in the new design and the new car is the first that will have been influenced by Ferrari’s new technical chief James Allison, who arrived late last season after switching from Lotus.

Ferrari is clearly hoping that the F14-T will have what it takes to finally bring home the championship that has been snatched away by Red Bull for the last few years. The 2013 season saw Fernando Alonso coming super close to clinching the title but just not having the car to make it happen. He compared his experience of not winning the title in his first four seasons with Ferrari to that of Michael Schumacher, who finally won his first championship with the Scuderia in his fifth season with the team.

Alonso said, “I think Schumacher won in the fifth year with Ferrari. I’m in the fifth year now so hopefully I can repeat some of the success that he had. Obviously in the last four years we had some opportunities, especially in 2010, 2012, we were very, very close to winning the championship. So this year we’ll try again and hopefully this time will be the good one.”

Alonso also believes that his partnership with incoming Kimi Raikkonen will be formidable saying, “I think [with] Kimi and me as a team we should be quite strong because we’ve had some success in the past in our Formula 1 career.”

Coincidentally, Raikkonen is the last driver to have won a title for Ferrari, in 2007 but he was sent packing to make way for Alonso.

Raikkonen is very positive about the F14-T and his return to Ferrari. “It is nice to come back to Ferrari, the place I won my championship,” he said. “The aim is the same. We want to do the best I can, try to win races and championships.”

January 25, 2014
McLaren unveil the MP4-29 – Full details

McLaren today unveiled their the MP4-29 ahead of the first pre-season test at Jerez, via an online launch today on their website and Twitter feed.

The launch felt slightly overshadowed by Lotus’ announcement of Eric Boullier’s departure and the rumours that he’ll be announced as the new McLaren team principal amidst Ron Dennis’ efforts to turn the team’s recent bad performance around.

The MP4-29 will be the last McLaren to be powered by Mercedes ahead of the team switching to Honda power from 2015 onward.

The car was revealed with a clean, menacing silver livery with MP4-29 branding and little else. Two vodafone swooshes are seen on top ends of the sidepods, but the rocket red look is out the window as the team launched with no title sponsor.

Twitter fans went wild as images started appearing and the overall reaction has been a good one. Most were worried about the nose following the Williams team’s reveal of a rendering of their 2014 car but it seems feel that McLaren has done a far better job of working with the new nose tip height regulations.

“We’ve never had such significant new regulations before; reacting to them, and managing those changes, while still pushing the performance limits, has been an extremely tough job,” said managing director Jonathan Neale.

“We’ve been relatively pragmatic about it. We know that the need for consistency initially outweighs the need for performance – the winter tests won’t be about chasing set-up or refining the car; the envelope of performance is likely to be so wide, and so relatively unknown, that the winter – and to some extent the opening races – will be about understanding the operational boundaries of the car as best we can.”

“To achieve this, we need a consistent platform – one that responds positively to changes. Moreover, the work of the engineers and designers to understand and interpret trackside data will be more important than before.”

“That’s because this year, more than ever, will come down to a development race: I don’t necessarily think you can expect the car that wins the opening race to be the car that leads the championship charge, something we’ve often seen in the past.”

Jenson Button has said that the regulation changes make for an exciting time for drivers as he looked ahead at the 2014 season.

“I’ve spent my whole career jumping from different specification cars – I’ve driven V10s, V8s, I’ve raced on grooved tyres, on slicks, with KERS, with DRS, with traction control, without it, with refueling, without it. I’m still here!”

“Obviously, there’s a period of adaption, but the way I drive – working upwards to find the grip level, rather than working downwards – has always made it quite a seamless transition.”

“As a driver, it’s just an exciting time. I’m really looking forward to it – I love the mental challenge of tackling such a complex task; there’s so much to get your teeth into, and the prospect of problem-solving, and pulling apart difficult concepts and drilling down to find the best solution – that really motivates me.”

Team-mate Kevin Magnussen is also excited about his debut and is hoping that the regulation changes will aid his transition into the sport.

“In a way, the regulation changes makes things a little easier: at that first test in Jerez, everybody will be easing themselves into something new, rather than just getting in the car and driving away, so I’ll really be no different from any other driver,” he said.

“It’ll be how we react during the season that will define how successful we are. I know the engineers are working on new things all the time, but I think there’s still plenty of scope to move forward.”

The new MP4-29 will have its first outing at Jerez on Tuesday piloted by Jenson Button.

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of McLaren.com

January 24, 2014
Video: Jenson Button: How I’ll Tackle 2014

McLaren mercedes driver Jenson Button shares his thoughts on the MP4-29, changes in the race regulations and how he plans to tackle the 2014 F1 season.

January 24, 2014
Video: Raikkonen talks about the Ferrari team

While getting re-acquainted with life at Ferrari, Raikkonen took some time to chat about how he’s adjusting to the changes and getting to know the new team members. And yes, the man had quite a bit to say 😉

January 24, 2014
The Williams F1 Team’s FW36

The Williams F1 team revealed the first images of their 2014 contender, the FW36 on Thursday via its website and Twitter.

The images released are a digital rendering of the car which is shown in an interim all-navy blue livery. The released images were met with much skepticism and criticism from fans on the social networks – specifically around the narrow nose which features on the FW36. The nose is far narrower and has even been reported to resemble that of an anteater but is necessary according to the team to meet FIA regulations while allowing for as much airflow as possible under the car. Most teams are expected to adopt similar solutions to meet the 2014 regulations.

According to the team, the FW36 is one of the “most technologically advanced Formula One cars produced by Williams” and is the culmination of more than two years’ research and development by the team’s technical departments. It is also incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz.

The FW36 will be the first Williams powered by a Mercedes engine, with the all new V6 turbo and Energy Recovery Systems. “This is the first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1 and we’ve been very impressed,” says Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds. “Their professionalism and commitment have been notable and we’re as confident as we can be that the power unit will be competitive.”

“There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year,” he continued. “We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1 before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid power unit with novel technology at its heart.

“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year. The demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires a substantial intercooler.”

According to the team, the FW36’s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s also the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.

Symonds explained, “We finished the gearbox relatively early. It’s completed a lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new ‘box and it has to cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”

The team also explained on their website that the weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent crash tests, has been another big challenge for them. But they’re proud of the fact that the FW36 was one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.

“The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” said Symonds. “But it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier than the outgoing V8.”

Most fans will be waiting to see the aerodynamic impact of the changes made on the FW36 which we’ll only get to see at testing next week but Symonds is confident that the team have made great strides forward and are closer to competing with the cars up front. “I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we were last year,” he said. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a strong 2014 season.”

January 24, 2014
Force India’s 2014 VJM07

Sahara Force India were the first to unveil their new 2014 contender the VJM07, as the team released an image of the car on Wednesday morning.

The team said on their website that “paint schemes are the skins and souls of Formula One cars” and they’ve worked hard to maintain a distinctive look but have brought a fresh “aggressive” look to the grid this year introducing black alongside the traditional colours of saffron, white and green.

Vijay Mallya is very pleased with the new look VJM07 saying, “The VJM07 looks stunning and the new livery reflects the way Sahara Force India is evolving. I’ve always believed our cars have been the most eye-catching, but adding black as a main colour gives us a fierce new look.”

A number of new commercial partners have been introduced including telecommunications brand, Claro, signalling the start of a multi-year deal with the team. Their logo is displayed on the engine cover and there will be prominent Claro branding on the drivers’ race suits and kit.

Other new sponsor branding on the VJM07 include lubricant oils specialists, Roshfrans who have also inked a multi-year partnership with the team and Astana, a foundation supporting sporting and promoting the capital city of Kazakhstan.

Mallya went on to explain, ““It’s been a busy winter for us on the technical and commercial front. “When I founded the team my first ambition was to launch the first Indian team on the grid, but the next stage in our evolution is to develop a global brand. I think that ambition is reflected in the partners we are working with and our world class driver line-up. It certainly feels as though there is the potential for 2014 to be our strongest season yet.”

The team said on their website, “As we enter our seventh season, this new fresh, dynamic look signals the team’s renewed ambition – the next step in our shareholders’ bold vision. Having achieved the objective to have an Indian team on the grid and having signed world-class drivers, our sights now turn towards the next target.

Sahara Force India’s contemporary new look heralds the evolution into a global brand, supported by passionate fans the world over, ready to pounce on the higher echelons of the grid.”

There are also a number of technical improvements and changes to the VJM07. “The new rules have presented us with a huge challenge, but I’m very proud of the approach we have taken and the direction of the technical team,” said Mallya. “It will be fascinating to see how different teams have interpreted the rules and at this stage it’s impossible to predict who has done the best job.”

Technical Director, Andrew Green, explained just how different the VJM07 is compared to the VJM06, “Almost every single part is a new design, from the front wing right back to the diffuser. The genetics of the VJM07 still lie in the 2013 car, but we’ve had to achieve the same results in a slightly different way.”

Green said that accommodating the power unit was the biggest challenge for the team, “It’s been a massive job to accommodate all the changes to the power unit – it’s the biggest change I’ve witnessed in the sport since I started in 1990. Cooling has been the biggest challenge with most of last summer taken up trying to understand the cooling requirements of the power unit, and how best to optimise it in the chassis.”

January 24, 2014
Martin Brundle expecting “total calamity” for F1 in 2014

Formula One driver turned commentator Martin Brundle has warned that F1 will experience “total calamity” in the early part of the 2014 season.

F1 will adopt new 1.6-litre turbo-charged engines next year, while teams will also need to make greater use of energy recovery systems.

“I’m expecting total calamity in the early stages of 2014 and it remains to be seen if that’s entertaining or confusing, but I have no doubt that these brilliant engineers and designers will master the issues sooner than later” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.

He did however agree with Jenson Button that certain revisions in the new 2014 regulations and technical changes like those to aerodynamics could dent Red Bull’s supremacy and make for a more level playing field.

Button recently said that he’s expecting the 2014 cars to be more difficult to drive due to increased torque and less downforce, something he doesn’t seem to excited about but he expressed his views that we should be looking at a more level playing field next season.

“I agree with Jenson Button, big changes can only hurt Red Bull given they have such an advantage, but no doubt the usual suspects with the biggest resource will get there first. I’m hoping that we won’t have a three-tier Ferrari – Renault – Mercedes championship in whichever order for both power and efficiency, but it’s possible,” Brundle wrote.

Brundle added that teams have a lot of work ahead of them saying, “I’ve asked my trusted sources in the paddock and they just roll their eyes and throw their arms up in the air. There’s a huge amount of work to do in a very short space of time.”

The Briton seemed most concerned about a crisis in the sport around the current financial state some teams are finding themselves in. He added that, “The midfield driver market should settle down in the next week or so,” just prior to the confirmations that Pastor Maldonado will move to Lotus in 2014 and Nico Hulkenberg will head to Force India.

Brundle added, “I’ve never seen anything like it frankly, and it doesn’t bode well when the only team – Lotus – to consistently take the fight to Red Bull can’t afford to chose its own driver line-up and take the best available.”“My alarm bells are going off for the general health of F1 and it needs urgent action, if not then a crisis, before it’s back on track,” Brundle said in closing.

Photo Credit: By greenmashup (Martin Brundle) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

December 5, 2013
Hulkenberg Returns to Force India for 2014

Nico Hulkenberg has been confirmed at Force India for the 2014 season on a multi year deal.

Hulkenberg raced with the Silverstone based team in the 2011 and 2012 season and now returns to Force India after a season at Sauber. The announcement comes just a few days after Lotus announced that Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado will drive for them in 2014. Hulkenberg was the front runner for the Lotus team, but after the Quantum deal that was on the verge of being completed didn’t materialize, Lotus had to go with Maldonado and the money that he brings in.

“I am happy to come back to Sahara Force India. The team is aiming high for next year and I believe that the experience I have gained over the years will help us achieve those goals,” said Hulkenberg.

“I genuinely believe we can have a competitive package in 2014. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about the Mercedes engine as well, so I think there is a lot to be excited about for next year.”

“I know this team and I can see their determination; it’s a great bunch of people and we all share the same hunger for success.”

Force India Team Principal, Vijay Mallya expressed his delight at having Hulkenberg back at Force India.

“Having Nico in our line-up is a real statement of intent and a huge boost for everyone associated with the team. We have high hopes and expectations for 2014 and by signing Nico we have put ourselves in the best position to achieve those objectives and enjoy what could be our most competitive season yet,” said Mallya

Force India are still to confirm who their second driver will be. Many people are saying that Sergio Perez is a strong contender for that seat. Kudos to Vijay Mallya for taking on a driver who is clearly a good driver and not choosing a driver based on how much money he is able to bring to a team.

December 3, 2013
Updated F1 2014 driver line-up

Following Lotus’ announcement that Pastor Maldonado will race alongside Romain Grosjean and the news that Nico Hulkenberg will drive for Force India next season, 16 drivers have now been announced for the 2014 season, with six more seats up for grabs.

In terms of the 2014 driver line-up only one team – Mercedes – have confirmed that they will be retaining both of their drivers. Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, Williams and Toro Rosso have all replaced one of their drivers.

We have two teams – Sauber and Caterham – who still need to announce any drivers, and the sixth and final ‘available’ seat is at Marussia, alongside Jules Bianchi.

We have two rookies included in the 2014 driver line-up so far – Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen who will replace Sergio Perez at McLaren and Russia’s Daniil Kvyat who’ll take over Daniel Ricciardo’s seat at Toro Rosso.

The current 2014 driver line-up stands as follows:

Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel
Daniel Ricciardo

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
Nico Rosberg

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Raikkonen

Lotus
Romain Grosjean
Pastor Maldonado

McLaren
Jenson Button
Kevin Magnussen

Force India
Nico Hulkenberg
TBC

Sauber
TBC
TBC

Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne
Daniil Kvyat

Williams
Felipe Massa
Valtteri Bottas

Marussia
Jules Bianchi
TBC

Caterham
TBC
TBC

December 3, 2013
McLaren confirm Kevin Magnussen for 2014

McLaren have confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will partner Jenson Button in 2014.

This follows Sergio Perez’s announcement that he will be leaving the team at the end of the 2013 season.

The 21 year old Magnussen won the Formula Renault 3.5 Series this season and tested for McLaren in Abu Dhabi last year and at Silverstone earlier this season.

“I’m absolutely overjoyed to be making my Formula 1 debut with McLaren,” said Magnussen.

“I’ll put it simply: this team is the best. It’s been my dream to drive for McLaren ever since I was a small kid, and it’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve dedicated almost every day of my life to achieving the goal of becoming a McLaren Formula 1 driver.”

“I have an enormous amount of respect for everyone at McLaren, and I want to say a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone, but most of all to Martin [Whitmarsh] and his senior colleagues, for giving me this chance. I won’t let you down, guys!”

Magnussen also said that Jenson Button would be the ideal team mate for him, “Equally, in Jenson, I have absolutely the ideal team-mate. He’s extremely quick, obviously, but he’s also very experienced and superbly capable from a technical perspective. He’s a Formula 1 world champion, which is what one day I also hope to become, and I’m determined to learn as much as I can from him.”

Martin Whitmarsh added that McLaren were delighted to have Magnussen on board for 2014. “We’re delighted that Kevin will be joining Jenson as a McLaren Formula 1 race driver for 2014,” he said.

“Their confirmation is an important step for us as we continue to strengthen our organisation ahead of the 2014 season. Next year, we’ll witness the biggest raft of technical changes to Formula 1 in many years, and every team and manufacturer will be pushed to the limit as they try their best to adapt to those new challenges.”

“Jenson’s race-winning speed, intelligence and racecraft have long been a crucial advantage to McLaren, but it’s his skill as a development driver and his peerless technical feedback that will be equally valuable as we make the transition into a new and complex technical formula during the winter and new year.”

He also sang Magnussen’s praises saying, “Kevin, too, is clearly very talented and very determined, and we therefore have high hopes for him. Moreover, every time he’s tested our Formula 1 car, he’s been very quick and very methodical, and his feedback has been first-class.”

“Furthermore, the manner in which he won this year’s World Series by Renault 3.5 Championship was truly outstanding, showcasing as it did not only his impressive natural pace but also his increasing maturity and ability to structure and manage a championship campaign.”

Whitmarsh also thanked Perez for his contribution to the team in 2013.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Checo, who has developed well during a difficult season, as his recent run of points-scoring finishes underlines. He’s a lovely guy and a fine driver – fast and combative – and I’m sure he’ll build on that firm foundation in 2014. All at McLaren wish him well for the future.”

Perez’s future remains uncertain at this point in time. He has said that he had no idea that McLaren would not be keeping him on and as such it’s going to be difficult for him to now secure a drive at this late point in the season.

November 14, 2013