F1 Madness

Tag: Formula 1

  • Simona De Silvestro Joins Sauber

    Simona De Silvestro Joins Sauber

    Simona de Silvestro has moved one step closer to becoming a Formula 1 driver.  

    Women drivers in Formula 1 has long been a topic of discussion. The Swiss race car driver was recently announced as an “affiliate” driver for the Sauber F1 team. The 25 year old Swiss was named the 2010 rookie of the year in IZOD IndyCars and became the first woman to finish on the podium on a street circuit in the American racing series.

    “This is a major step towards me achieving a life-long dream and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to take this step with such a great team,” de Silvestro said. Sauber is a team with a legacy and the only Swiss team in Formula 1, which I think makes this even more exciting. I can’t thank Monisha Kaltenborn and Peter Sauber enough for their support and belief in my abilities and for giving me this chance,” de Silvestro told AUTOSPORT.  “I’m thrilled to have this extremely unique platform on which to prepare myself to take on the challenge.”

    de Silvestro has spent four years in the IndyCar series and says becoming a Formula 1 driver is a “life-long dream.” In 2014 her duties for Sauber will include track and simulator testing and working towards her goal of obtaining a superlicence in the hopes of securing a full race seat in 2015.

  • What is wrong with F1 at the Moment?

    What is wrong with F1 at the Moment?

    The short answer is not much. Apart from the hideous looking noses on the 2014 cars. I can’t really see much wrong with the sport at the moment.

    Some would say the changes to the sporting regulations, are a welcome change. Others think it’s the spawn of the devil himself. Personally, I feel that these changes can only benefit the sport in the long run. The change to smaller, lighter engines for example, is a natural progression from preceding years. Especially considering the fact that car manufacturers are becoming every more environmentally aware and are on this whole ‘reduce carbon emissions because it’s bad for the climate’ thing. A lot of pressure was being placed on Formula One to make the sport more environmentally friendly. But it was inevitable.

    Mercedes V6 EngineIf you ask any of my friends or colleagues here at F1 Madness, they’l tell you that I hated the idea of 1.6l V6 engines. No one liked the idea. There was nothing wrong with the previous roaring V8 engines (which were already limited to 18 000rpm). But that is old technology. Yet KERS was there from 2010? Yes it was, and it was a small a technological jump, a platform for the engines we have for this season.

    This season we have a lot more electrically assisted power in F1. It’s called ERS. The engine is smaller, but it has a turbo. But wait, that means that F1 is turning into a hybrid racing formula. In fact, that is exactly what it is now. Formula Hybrid. But is that such a bad thing?

    Again. No. If you look at some of the top hyper cars that we’re getting from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche, you’ll see that their flagship hyper cars are all hybrids. The LaFerrari from Ferrari, the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918, all hybrids. All those cars have similar DNA to the F1 cars we are seeing now. Battery power to supplement the power from the engine, brake energy recovery etc. All from Formule One. And that is what F1 is meant to do. It’s meant to bring the technology used on the track to the cars that we drive.

    Upon hearing the cars in testing I was admittedly a bit surprised. I was expecting the sound to be much louder. But I quite liked the sound. It was very raw and hoarse and there was the turbo whistle on gearing down. I knew this would be different in the race when the full field of 22 cars are going around at full chat.

    2013 Australian GP startOn race day, I’ll admit  I was slightly disappointed at the sound of all the cars on the starting grid. For the first time we could hear tyre lock ups. I don’t think that has happened before.

    Good old uncle Bernie himself doesn’t like the sound of the new cars and the Australian Grand Prix organisers reportedly threatened to sue due to the fact that it was less of a spectacle than previous years. I don’t blame them. One of the big marketing draw cards of F1 is the sound of the cars.

    The thing is though that everything is still very new. It will take a while to get used to the sound of the new cars as well as the new regulations. Remember how weird it was back in 2009 when the cars suddenly had very narrow rear wings? We got used to it. The same with the new noses. It will just take time. It’s only been the first race of the season. I don’t think we need to make snap judgements and decisions. There are going to be some purists out there that love the sound of the old V12’s or even the V10’s. I’ll be the first to admit that if they went back to the V10’s I’ll be the happiest guy in the world.

    But let’s give this new era a chance, before we all jump on the band wagon and slam it. The first race of the season was after all, spectacular, to say the very least!

     

  • Video: The Sound of the 2014 Formula 1 Cars in Action

    Video: The Sound of the 2014 Formula 1 Cars in Action

    Not the high pitched scream of the V10’s or the throaty growl of the V8’s. But a rather pleasant V6 with a rather pleasant turbo whistle

  • Complete Test Schedule

    Complete Test Schedule

    First Test Session*:

    28 Jan Circuito Permanente de Jerez

    29 Jan Circuito Permanente de Jerez

    30 Jan Circuito Permanente de Jerez

    31 Jan Circuito Permanente de Jerez

    Second Test Session:

    19 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    20 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    21 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    22 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    Third Test Session:

    27 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    28 Feb Bahrain International Circuit

    Fourth Test Session:

    1 Mar Bahrain International Circuit

    2 Mar Bahrain International Circuit

    *The Lotus F1 Team has announced that it will not attend the first test session.

  • Caterham Announce Kobayashi & Ericsson

    Caterham Announce Kobayashi & Ericsson

    Caterham CEO Tony Fernandes announced earlier today that Kamui Kobayashi and rookie Marcus Ericsson will complete their driver line-up in 2014.

    Japan’s Kobayashi returns to Formula 1 after a year’s racing for Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship. Kobayashi made a sensational Formula 1 debut as a stand-in driver for Toyota during the 2009 season which followed with a stint of racing with Sauber from 2010-12.

    Kobayashi was quoted as saying that it “was great” to be back in Formula 1 with the Caterham team. “Throughout all our discussions I’ve been very impressed with where they want to take the team, and how much investment has been made already to help them achieve their goals,” Kobayashi told AUTOSPORT.

    Marcus Ericsson graduates from GP2 to partner Kobayashi at Caterham for 2014.

    “This is a very proud day for me and everyone has helped make my F1 dream come true. I’ll be making the step up to F1 with Caterham in 2014 and I’m already excited about the season ahead, and the first race in Australia in particular,” Ericsson shared with AUTOSPORT.

    2013 Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde has inked a deal with Sauber as the team’s test and reserve driver.

    Image courtesy of @tedkravitz via Twitter

  • What’s in a number?

    What’s in a number?

    The FIA announced late last year that drivers would be issued with permanent numbers to be carried throughout their Formula 1 careers. All drivers were asked to nominate two numbers between #2 and #99 as Sebastian Vettel has an automatic hold on #1 as the current F1 champion.

    The complete list of numbers that the drivers will carry, starting in 2014, was recently announced by the FIA with many of the choices revealing the nostalgic sentimentality of several drivers.

    Current world champion Sebastian Vettel will race with the #1 while he has reserved #5 not so much as an homage to former British champ Nigel Mansell but rather as a return to the number he used as a child in karting. Should Vettel not make it five world titles in 2014 he will run with the #5 in 2015. Red Bull Racing teammate Daniel Ricciardo has also chosen his first number in karting but tweeted that #3 is also a result of being a fan of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.

    nigeLewis Hamilton continued the trend of karting numbers and the 2008 champion will race with #44 emblazoned on both his helmet and car. Nico Rosberg has chosen his number as a tribute to his father Keke Rosberg who carried #6 during his championship winning year in 1982. However, the number six seems to run in the Rosberg family as Nico also secured the 2002 Formula BMW title while carrying the same number.

    Fernando Alonso carried the nostalgic trend further as he too reminisced about his karting days with the choice to race #14. Believe it or not Fernando Alonso is the only driver on the grid to have won the Karting World Cup and he did so using kart #14 when he was 14 years old.

    While sentimentality overflowed Kimi Raikkonen delivered his trademark, unaffected reasoning for his choice. “It was my number the previous year so I saw no reason to change it,” he said. Raikkonen will race with #7.

    Romain Grosjean has similarly elected to retain his 2013 number. However, the Frenchman revealed that his choice to retain #8 is based on the fact that he had experienced his best ever season last year. Newly signed teammate Pastor Maldonado has brought back #13 to Formula 1 which is considered to be unlucky in many circles. However, Maldonado’s choice could be down to the fact that this particular number in considered lucky for Venezuelans. Several Venezuelan Baseball players all carry #13.

    Jenson Button has returned to his championship winning season of 2009 with the choice of #22 while rookie teammate Kevin Magnussen is continuing the trend of karting numbers with #20.

    Nico Hulkenberg’s choice of #27 hasn’t been given much clarification as yet but the romantics amongst the F1 fans would like to think that German’s choice is in honour of the great Gilles Villeneuve. Coincidentally, Ayrton800px-Ferrari_126_CK Senna clinched the 1990 world driver’s championship with #27. Mexican Sergio Perez has picked #11 as the second Force India driver. “Ever since I was a kid I always wore the 11, in karting. Actually my email has 11 in it as well,” he grinned. “A lot of things have to do with 11 so I identified myself with that number,” said Perez.

    Adrian Sutil, a Sauber driver for 2014, will run #99 which was the highest possible number up for grabs. Esteban Gutierrez will race #21. Jean-Eric Vergne hand-picked his karting number 25 while rookie teammate Danniil Kvyat has confirmed #26.

    Williams driver Felipe Massa has selected #19 which could be in honour of Ayrton Senna as this was the Brazilian’s first number in Formula 1. Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas has seen the marketing potential in his choice of #77 as it resembles the letter ‘T’ in his name. Marussia driver Jules Bianchi had to be content with his third choice of number 17. The FIA has confirmed Max Chilton as the second driver at Marussia for 2014 but the Brit is yet to select a number. Caterham are still to announce their driver pairing for the upcoming season.

    The issuing of permanent numbers is a great homage to the history of Formula 1. Gilles Villeneuve will always be as synonymous with #27 as Nigel Mansell will be with #5. Now it is the chance of a different era of drivers to breathe new life into these legendary numbers.

  • ‘Pole Trophy’ For 2014

    ‘Pole Trophy’ For 2014

    In addition to the DHL Fastest Lap trophy F1 will award a trophy for the most poles of the year, starting in 2014.

    The driver who racks up the most pole positions during the season will be awarded with a special Pole Position Trophy after its addition to the sporting regulations.

    In the event of a tie a countback to the most second places will be done in order to determine a winner. Should this final to identify a clear winner this new regulation states that “the FIA will nominate the winner according to such criteria as it thinks fit”.

    Sebastian Vettel, with 45 pole positions to his name, would have been the recipient of the trophy for four of last five years.

  • Driver Announcement: Sutil to Sauber

    Driver Announcement: Sutil to Sauber

    The Sauber F1 Team has confirmed that Adrian Sutil will form part of its driver line-up for the 2014 season.

    The German driver has 109 grand prix starts in his F1 career and all of them has been with the Sahara Force India team. Force India have signed Nico Hulkenberg, from Sauber, and Sergio Perez from McLaren.

    “I am very happy that we found common ground,” said Sutil. “Although I have known for a while where I wanted to go, in the end the negotiations took a bit longer than planned. However, now I will have all the more reason to celebrate during the Christmas season.

    “After six good years driving for Force India, with a lot of highlights, it’s now time to embark on a new challenge. I am determined to do my part in order to have a successful future together with the Sauber F1 team.”

    The 2014 move to Sauber will be the first time that Sutil has raced for a different team in Formula 1. He joined the Midland team in 2007 which would later transform to its current guise of Force India.

    Sutil’s best result in Formula 1 remains a fourth place at the 2009 Italian grand prix.

  • Sergio Perez to Join Hulkenberg at Force India

    Sergio Perez to Join Hulkenberg at Force India

    Sergio Perez was confirmed at Force India today on a multi-year deal.

    Perez joins Force India after just one season at McLaren after they decided to go with Kevin Magnussen for their 2014 campaign. Perez will race alongside Nico Hulkenberg who was confirmed at Force India a few weeks ago.

    “It’s great to announce my new team as Sahara Force India. Coming here was always my first choice and I’m really happy everything has now been confirmed,” said Perez.

    “I want to say thank you to Vijay and the whole team for giving me the opportunity. This is a young team with a lot of determination and they’ve produced competitive cars for the last few years. It’s all change for next season with the new regulations, but I already have a good feeling about 2014. My plan now is to visit the factory and get to know everyone in the team,” he added.

    Team Principal, Vijay Mallya had this to say about Checo: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Sergio to the team. He brings a healthy mix of youth and experience, and I’ve been very impressed with his recent performances.”

    “By pairing Sergio alongside Nico, we enter the new season with an extremely competitive line-up, which will go toward helping us achieve our goals for the new season,” Mallya added.

    According to AUTOSPORT, Perez brings a cool 15 million Euros to the team.

    With Perez now confirmed, the two Force India drivers for 2013 will be searching for new teams. It is very likely that Adrian Sutil will get the nod at Sauber. As for Paul Di Resta, it looks like his time in F1 has come to an end and will look to Indy Car racing

  • FIA finalises 2014 calendar

    FIA finalises 2014 calendar

    The FIA World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that the 2014 Formula 1 season will be held over 19 races.

    The Korea, Mexico and New Jersey grand prix have dropped off the provisional 22 race calendar. The Korean GP has disappeared from the calendar after four years with financial problems while the future of the New Jersey race has become increasingly uncertain after being dropped from the calendar for a second time.

    Along with the streamlined calendar the running order of the races has undergone some changes. The Abu Dhabi grand prix will be held at the end of the season on November 23. While Brazil, the original season finale, will move to November 9.