Articles tagged with "F1"
German F1 GP: Alonso's sixth win, Renault's seventh
July 24, 2005 Fernando Alonso took his sixth win of the season and the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team took its seventh win of the season at this afternoon’s 2005 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. Fernando Alonso converted his third position on the grid into a comfortable victory after another McLaren DNF led to Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement from the lead halfway through the race. The Spaniard’s run to the chequered flag was uneventful, and he controlled his pace throughout the final stint. Any doubts about Alonso not becoming the youngest F1 champ in history were dispelled with the win – he now leads the drivers’ championship by 36 points with seven races to go. At 10 points for a win and six points for a second place, he could conceivably win the title if he didn’t turn up for the remainder of the season given the unreliability of his main adversary’s car. McLaren has had the fastest car at the last half a dozen races, but has failed to take advantage of its speed. (read more...)
British F1 GP: McLaren 1st and 3rd but Alonso/Renault extend lead
July 10, 2005 McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya took his fifth career win here at Silverstone, but the real story played out on the lower podium steps where Renault’s Fernando Alonso took second place and extended his championship lead over third placed Kimi Raikkonen. For Montoya, it was his first ever win for West McLaren Mercedes (indeed his first ever podium with the team) since he joined at the start of this season. Kimi Raikkonen put in another gritty drive, overcoming a ten place penalty on the grid due to an engine change after qualifying, fighting his way up from 12th on the grid to third at the flag. (read more...)
French F1 GP: first French victory for a Renault car in 22 years.
July 4, 2005 Fernando Alonso took a dominant victory for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team in yesterday’s French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours. The Spaniard took pole position and led every lap of the race to take his fifth victory of the season from ten starts, and the first for a 100% Renault car in the French Grand Prix since 1983. In winning he extended his lead in the drivers championship by two points, and now has 69 points, 24 ahead of nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen. All three of the main contenders for the drivers title finished on the podium with Raikkonen scond, Michael Schumacher third and Jenson Button finished fourth, giving the BAR Honda team its first points of the year. (read more...)
How Renault F1 uses Advanced Digital Manufacturing to enhance competitiveness
July 3, 2005 Renault’s Formula 1 team has made massive headway in recent years, coming from a distant third place in the 2004 Formula 1 constructors title to dominate the 2005 title to date. Now before you skip over this story thinking it’s about motor racing, it’s not – it’s about Advanced Digital Manufacturing. Renault’s F1 budget is considerably less than Ferrari or Toyota yet it has won six of ten races this year. Earlier this week it was revealed that the team had installed a Sinterstation Pro SLS rapid 3-D printing, prototyping and manufacturing system at its Advanced Digital Manufacturing (ADM) Centre in Enstone, England. This is the first of these systems to be installed in Europe and Renault has found that it has reduced the time taken to manufacture a part for the F1 car by an incredible 90% - quite an advantage in a world where a tenth of a second a lap can make the difference between winners and losers. (read more...)
BMW to compete in Formula 1 from 2006
June 23 2005 BMW is striking out on a new path in Formula One. After acquiring a majority shareholding in the Swiss Sauber team, a BMW managed team will be contesting the Formula One World Championship as early as 2006. This was decided by the BMW Board of Management on Tuesday. It means that, for the first time in company history, BMW will be competing independently in Formula One. The principle BMW association in Formula 1 in recent years has been since 1997 with the Williams BMW team with the BMW engines among the fastest, though no championship has been forthcoming. BMW formerly supplied engines to F1 constructors in the mid-eighties, winning nine Grands Prix and a championship with their road-car based turbo engine in Nelson Piquet's Brabham. BMW's participation will strengthen the Formula 1 grid. (read more...)
Farcical United States Formula 1 Grand Prix
June 20, 2005 The United States Grand Prix has been run and won with 14 drivers retiring on the sighting lap, thanks to a tyre safety issue with Michelin tyres. The farcical event was contested by the only three teams which choose Bridgestone tyres, giving Ferrari a one-two victory, handing Michael Schumacher his first win of the season and ironically, putting him back into contention for the title that looked lost just eight days ago. Leading drivers Alonso and Raikkonen and their teams Renault and McLaren all lost substantial points leads in the championship, but the biggest loser was Formula 1 which is fast gaining an image problem akin to that of boxing. The problems surfaced when tyres caused accidents for Ralf Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta in Friday's practice session causing the major supplier of Formula 1 tyres, Michelin, to advise that it could not guarantee that such incidents would not reoccur in race conditions blaming the high speed track configuration, particularly turn 13. (read more...)
F1 - Canadian GP: Raikkonen & McLaren again
June 12, 2005 McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen won today's Canadian Grand Prix to gain ten important Championship points and move back into contention for the World Championship with 37 points as points leader (63) Fernando Alonso failed to finish. Raikkonen’s win brought McLaren to 63 points in the Constructors' ranking just 13 points behind Renault. It was also a day of the resurgent Ferrari team, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello scoring strong second and third places and bringing Ferrari into a five way fight for the Constructors championship. (read more...)
European F1: last lap heartbreak for Raikkonen
May 29, 2005 West McLaren Mercedes’ Kimi Raikkonen looked set to take his third consecutive win of the season at the Nurburgring today, until a mechanical failure saw him crash out on the very last lap when in the lead. With the principal challenger eliminated and the win inherited by championship leader, Fernando Alonso of Renault, Alonso now holds a 32 point lead with one third of the season gone and the championship looks safely in his keeping. Williams’ Nick Heidfeld scored his second podium in a row and Ferrari returned to the podium with Rubens Barrichello third and Michael Schumacher fifth. (read more...)
Monte Carlo Formula 1: McLaren and Raikkonen win and bring title back to life
May 22, 2005 MAJOR PICTORIAL COVERAGE OF RACE & FESTIVITIES: McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen drove an impeccable race to completely dominate the World’s most famous motor race, the Monaco Grand prix today, and in so doing, breathed life into the championship race and gave hope to McLaren that it could catch the early season form team of Renault and Fernando Alonso. The Williams of Heidfeld and Webber finished second and third bringing to five the constructors with a realistic hope of winning the constructor’s title though bookies installed McLaren as favourites following the race. Though both Ferrari’s finished in the points, Michael Schumacher’s chances of winning the title for a fifth straight time now look completely gone. (read more...)
The Star Wars Red Bull F1 Promotion
May 22, 2005 When it comes to doing things on a grand scale, a strategic alliance between George Lucas and Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz always threatened to be a bit over the top. And so it came to pass. Lucas and Mateschitz partnered for a week of global promotional hype on the Cote d’Azur with stunning success. The tie-up between Red Bull Racing and the latest Star Wars movie finally reached its conclusion on Saturday night in Monaco when the last (and first) film in the series, “Revenge of the Sith” was screened for the benefit of guests from the world of Formula 1. The screening, which took place in the Grimaldi Forum was followed by a party, attended by several stars of the film and its director, George Lucas. There were plenty of sore heads in the Monaco paddock this morning, after a crowd of around five hundred F1 movers and shakers attended the biggest bash of the weekend in the Grimaldi Forum last night. Then the Red Bull pit crew did its stuff decked out as Star wars characters and around 500 million people around the world were reminded about the film’s premier. (read more...)
Spanish GP Formula 1 Round 5: Raikkonen/McLaren dominant, Schumacher/Ferrari retire, Alonso /Renault closer to title
May 8, 2005 McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen dominated the Spanish Grand Prix today, ending Renault’s domination of the 2005 season and replacing Michael Schumacher as the man most likely to prevent Renault’s Fernando Alonso from taking the drivers’ title. Michael Schumacher retired from the event, effectively ending his chances of retaining the title and with both Schumacher and team-mate Rubens Barrichello out of the points at the Circuit de Catalunya, Ferrari is now also likely to lose its constructors title with McLaren looming as Renault’s biggest threat. (read more...)
San Marino F1 GP - Fantastic duel between Schumacher and Alonso
April 24, 2005 Fernando Alonso made it three wins in a row when he won the 62 lap San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on Sunday, but the real excitement came from his fantastic duel with Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari over the last 11 laps of the race, the pair being just 0.2s apart at the end. BAR Honda’s Jenson Button completed the top three to open his score in the championship. Though the RS25 V10 fitted to Fernando Alonso’s car became the first engine in the modern era of Formula 1 to win two consecutive races, the real message from San Marino was that Ferrari is back and that Ferrari and Michael Schumacher now have the speed to fight to retain the title. McLaren Mercedes and BAR Honda have also caught up to the speed of the Renault and the season looks set to be a pearler! (read more...)
Lago Talbot Formula One Grand Prix Works Racer for sale
You know the story - only ever driven on Sundays. Original condition. Only four owners. Except this one has all the paperwork including letters from Tony lago verifying its history. Very rare Formula One racing cars don’t come up that often and completely original, never damaged Formula One race cars are much rarer, so it’s astonishing that a car such as this exists. This 4.5 litre 1952 Lago Talbot Formula One Grand Prix Works Racer has never been damaged, was rebuilt at the factory to 1953 specs and sports the 270bhp “twin” plug motor which gives it a top speed of around 175 mph. Prior to being sold by Tony Lago to Australian champion driver Doug Whiteford in 1954 the car was driven by champion French drivers Louis Rosier and Pierre Levegh. The car is beautifully presented and is considered to be the most original Lago Talbot Formula One vehicle in existence. Asking price – US$1.25 million (read more...)
Formula 1 Round 3 – Alonso/Renault win, Schumacher DNF
April 4, 2005 Fernando Alonso dominated the Bahraini Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday, winning his second race in a row and looking set to end Michael Schumacher’s reign as the King of Formula One. In many ways, there has been a significant changing of the guard, with Toyota’s second and fourth places netting the company’s best points finish ever and putting it in a clear second place in the constructors championship. Ferrari meanwhile is languishing in sixth place behind the increasingly consistent Red Bull. The ever-astute bookmakers now consider Michael Schumacher only 3/1 chance of retaining his title, with Alonso at long odds-on for the title. The stage is now set for an epic battle. Ferrari showed enough with the speed of the 2005 car’s first showing to suggest that it will have the speed to contest the remainder of the season fiercely. It’s now down to Bridgestone to provide competitive tyres for the less extreme temperatures of Europe. (read more...)
Malaysian F1 - Renault wins again, Toyota shines through
March 20, 2005 A second win in two races for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team at the Malaysian Grand Prix was the major news, but close behind Renault’s win at Sepang was the performance of Toyota, which finally appears to have arrived as a force in Formula One. Panasonic Toyota Racing scored its debut podium position after a "Trulli" outstanding drive from Jarno ensured he comfortably ended the grueling 56-lap race in 2nd position. A determined drive from Ralf Schumacher made it two cars in the top five for toyota, a total of 12 world championship points and second place in the constructors' championship. (read more...)
Vanwall name lives again in a 1950s F1 replica roadster
March 11, 2005 One of the most famous names in motor racing history is to be reborn in the form of a roadgoing 1950s Formula One racing car replica. The famous Vanwall marque was in existence for just four years during the 1950s but in that time it won nine F1 victories, the F1 Constructors title in 1958 and was driven by the likes of Stirling Moss. Now the name will resurface as a high performance V12, aluminium bodied single seat racing car for the road. And a twin-seater is planned for later in the year. (read more...)
Australian F1 Grand Prix
March 7, 2005 The Australian Grand Prix marked the beginning of the Formula One season and once again offered intrigue at almost every turn of the wheel. In the end, the Mild Seven Renault Team had its best result since returning to F1 three years ago and clearly has the speed to be a challenger to Ferrari this season. Renault won the weekend from a team viewpoint, with Fisichella first and Alonso third, though most of the leading contenders could take some heart from the weekend’s proceedings. McLaren is clearly a contender again, Ferrari’s 2004 car was competitive (the 2005 car won’t be ready for several races yet) and Red Bull proved that small budgets and a good driver can get results with two point-scoring finishes using last year’s Jaguars as a basis. (read more...)
Extraordinary Formula 1 promotional event in Sydney
February 28, 2005 With the Australian Formula One Grand prix just seven days away, Australian F1 driver Mark Webber was part of one of the most spectacular promotions ever staged for the sport yesterday when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was closed exclusively for his 2004 model BMW WilliamsF1 FW26B. Webber’s five laps of the international landmark closed it to traffic for five hours while a full scale operation was put in place to create a safe and secure ‘field of play’. Webber drove across the bridge ten times, making ten U-turns, a major feat in itself given the car’s extra large turning circle. (read more...)
Formula 1 drive up for grabs?
February 19, 2005 Fancy a drive at the Australian Grand Prix next year? BMW has a car waiting for you if you fit the bill. All you need is an international profile and a week spare next March. Each year at the opening Formula One race of the season in Melbourne, BMW puts 26 cars on the grid for the Celebrity Challenge, and each year the line-up puts on a show like no other. In 1986, Dire Straits guitar virtuoso Mark Knopfler hit the concrete retaining wall in this race and the whole world held its breath. Most years at least one celebrity has thrilled the crowd with a spectacular crash after driving beyond their ability and experience. (read more...)
The most successful F1 car in history?
Ferrari's domination of F1 this year is not without its equal in history. After 11 wins from 12 races, Ferrari is on track to equal the 1988 feat of the McLaren F1 team which won 15 of 16 races. McLaren's drivers were the late Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, who between them took 15 of 16 poles and led for 1003 of the 1031 race laps that season. The pair also scored the most one-two finishes in a season with ten from 16 starts. The F2004 Ferrari just may become the most successful F1 car in history. (read more...)
Formula One star revs-up for Terminator 3 premiere
Thursday July 24, 2003: Rising Australia F1 star Mark Webber joined Arnold Schwarzenegger at the London premiere of "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" yesterday in spectacular fashion, driving his Jaguar F1 car through Leicester Square in front of 8,000 fans. "There wasn't the space to go too fast but I couldn't resist spinning the wheels... " (read more...)
Formula 1 Baby Racer
The BMW Baby Racer II Formula Junior offers even the youngest fans of Williams BMW drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya the chance to emulate their F1 heroes. (read more...)
19,000 RPM BMW Formula One engine
Though Ferrari dominated the F1 in 2002, the engine with the most horses was the Williams V10 BMW. (read more...)
Electric-engineered Formula One Ferrari replica
How come they didn't have toys like this when we were kids? These are not pedal cars. The Italian-made Freester has a 28cc two-stroke master, centrifugal clutch a top speed of 20kmh and a price of $4000. (read more...)
F1 2002 Links
All the Formula One official sites for drivers, teams, engine suppliers, tyre manufacturers and lubricants, all on one chart for easy reference. (read more...)
