F1 Madness

Tag: rubens barichello

  • Kamui Kobayashi confirmed for Caterham at Abu Dhabi GP

    Kamui Kobayashi confirmed for Caterham at Abu Dhabi GP

    The Caterham F1 Team has announced that Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will race for the team in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This follows confirmation last week that the Caterham F1 team will be racing at the Yas Marina circuit following a desperate crowd funding campaign to help race funds to keep them on the grid.

    Kobayashi returns to the grid to fill the seat of Marcus Ericsson who announced that he has cut ties with the Caterham team with immediate effect and us such will not be racing in Abu Dhabi. Le Mans champ, Andre Lotter turned down the chance to return to F1 with the team saying that, “It was nice to do Formula 1 but I want to do it in better conditions, in terms of track position”.

    Caterham are yet to confirm who will drive alongside Kobayashi. It’s likely to be one of three candidates – Roberto Mehri, Max Chilton or even Rubens Barrichello. The team have said that they will announce Kobayashi’s team mate for the race “in due course”.

    Kobayashi is looking forward to being back on the grid again and had this to say: “I am happy to be racing with the team in Abu Dhabi. It hasn’t been an easy last few weeks, so it will be nice to be back to in the car and work together with the Caterham F1 team members.

    “I would like to thank the fans for supporting the team like they have.  This team is working hard and never gives up. We deserve to be racing in Abu Dhabi and I am very glad we can race again thanks to the crowdfunding project.

    “Now it is our turn to show what we can do – we will all try our best during the weekend ahead and hopefully we can end the season with a positive result for the future of this team.”

    Finbarr O’Connell of Smith & Williamson, joint administrator of Caterham Sports Limited: “The team are delighted to have Kamui on board for the race weekend in Abu Dhabi. The Team commented that Kamui is a highly talented racing driver and he should be in a race car – that’s where he belongs.

    “After the recent period of uncertainty for CaterhamF1, the Team are delighted, as part of its Restructuring Plan, to be able to showcase the cars again and what better way than with world renowned drivers like Kamui.”

    Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team

  • Video: Hockenheim memories – First lap crash, 2003

    Video: Hockenheim memories – First lap crash, 2003

    The start of the 2003 German Formula One Grand Prix at Hockenheim, which saw a huge first corner crash for Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barichello and Ralph Firman, amongst others. Also awesome hearing the V10 engines roaring off the start line!

  • F1 engine builder Brian Hart dies

    F1 engine builder Brian Hart dies

    Former Formula One racing driver and engineer, Brian Hart, has died at the age of 77 after a long battle with illness.

    Hart is well known for having built engines for the likes of Jordan and Toleman.

    Starting his racing career in 1957, Brian Hart enjoyed great success in single seater racing even and qualified for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in 1967 – his sole outing in F1. He retired from racing in 1971 after starting his own company, originally preparing Ford engines for F2 cars before developing his own engine for Toleman’s F2 team.

    Following a one-two in the 1980 European F2 championship, Toleman graduated – along with Hart – in to Formula One. With their limited budget the opening seasons were a struggle, but by 1984 Hart was also supplying engines to Spirit and RAM.

    Their engine secured its first podium finish at the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix when Ayrton Senna finished second for Toleman.

    More podiums followed and 1985 saw Toleman’s Teo Fabi take the first pole position for the pairing, but a year later Hart dropped out of Formula One, not able to compete with the large budgets available to the likes of larger engine manufacturers like Honda and Renault.

    In 1993 Hart returned to F1 with Jordan and enjoyed a podium a year later at the Pacific Grand Prix with Ruben Barichello while the Brazilian driver also claimed a pole position in Belgium.

    When Jordan then opted for Peugeot engines, Hart supplied Footwork – yielding a podium at Adelaide in 1995. Tom Walkinshaw Racing bought the engine company in 1997 and Brian Hart left TWR in 1999 after deciding to quit F1.

     

  • Barrichello back in action

    Remember this guy? Rubens Barrichello returns to the F1 paddock.
    Remember this guy? Rubens Barrichello returns to the F1 paddock

    A familiar face graced the Formula 1 paddock today as Rubens Barrichello returned to his old stomping ground. This time around the ever-popular Brazilian wasn’t in the cockpit but instead behind the microphone for Brazilian broadcasting giant, Globo TV. Barrichello will share the commentating duties with former F1 driver Luciano Burti and Reginaldo Leme.

    As opposed to several cheeky ex-drivers-turned-pundits Barrichello said that he would err on the side caution. “That’s not my style, never was,” Rubens stated. But don’t expect him to gloss over anything either he says.

    Barrichello’s record-breaking Formula 1 career of 19 seasons came to an end at the conclusion of the 2011 as Williams announced that they would not be extending the Brazilian’s contract.Determined to keep on racing Barrichello opted to compete stateside in the IndyCar Series for 2012 with the KV Racing Technology team. He completed fifteen IRL races but with no drive for 2013 made good on his promise to race ‘at home.’ That translates into a full time driver for Full Time Sports in the 2013 Stock Car Brasil season.

    Commentator, racer, pundit. Whichever role Rubinho takes he is certainly very welcome in the F1 paddock.