Ferrari F150 unveiled

Scuderia Ferrari has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal its 2011 car.


Unveiled at Maranello, Italy, Ferrari’s new challenger is named F150 to honour the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Continuing the patriotic theme, it also sports a prominent Italian Tricolore on the rear wing.

Changes to the 2011 car, which has an internal code name of 662, have primarily been made to comply with this season’s revised FIA regulations. That means no double diffuser or blown rear wing, but KERS makes a return and the rear wing is now hydraulically adjustable. Other modifications are courtesy of stricter safety rules regarding cockpit protection, wheel retention and crash testing.


A continued ban on development means the Ferrari’s engine is largely unaltered, although work has been done to improve reliability. The team has also taken the opportunity to completely redesign the rear suspension and tweak that at the front, while the Brembo braking system has been totally revamped too.

But it’s not just those changes that need evaluating ahead of the first race in Bahrain, because there’s also the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tyres to factor in, plus Ferrari is saying that the aerodynamic package isn’t yet final. With only fifteen days of pre-season testing allowed, it should all make for a packed schedule.


Ferrari is expecting great things from the F150, especially after Fernando Alonso managed to lose the 2010 drivers’ championship to Sebastian Vettel by just four points, and the team ended up in third spot on the constructors’ table behind Red Bull and McLaren. Both team boss Stefano Domenicali and company president Luca Di Montezemolo are making it very clear that victory in 2011 is the only objective.


And finally, if you’re privileged to drive for one of the top-ranking teams in Formula 1 and you get invited to a nice event to launch a new car, then showing a bit of enthusiasm might be appropriate. Obviously not if your name is Alonso, who - judging by the pictures - was in full miserable git mode. Again.

Somewhere else you'd rather be, Fernando? Check out that body language.

Go on, give us a smile...

BMW to contest ILMC

BMW has confirmed its plans to compete in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup with the M3 GT2.

Following the withdrawal from the World Touring Car Championship by the BMW works entries at the end of last season, drivers Andy Prixaulx and Augusto Farfus have been redeployed to the ILMC programme and will contest all seven rounds.

For the European races and the Chinese event, where two cars will be run by BMW Team Schnitzer, they will be joined by Jörg Müller as the third regular driver.

Meanwhile, in North America, BMW Team RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) will be fielding a pair of BMW M3 GT2s in every round of the American Le Mans Series.

At the two ALMS races that also form part of the ILMC - Sebring and Road Atlanta - regular BMW Team RLL works drivers Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner will be supported by Prixaulx and Farfus, plus American drivers Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand.

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011
Round	Event	Country	Date
1	Sebring 12 Hours	USA	19th March
2	Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours	Belgium	8th May
3	Le Mans 24 Hours	France	11th - 12th June
4	Imola 6 Hours	Italy	3rd July
5	Silverstone 6 Hours	UK	11th September
6	Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta)	USA	1st October
7	(Circuit TBC) 6 Hours	China	12th November

Citroën WRC 2011 entries

Citroën has confirmed its entries for the 2011 World Rally Championship, ahead of the first round which takes place in Sweden between the 10th and 13th of February.



Following major changes to the regulations for this season, the venerable C4 WRC is no more and so all will be driving the brand new DS3 WRC with its 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.

In the lead car of the Citroën Total World Rally Team will once again be Frenchman Sébastien Loeb, who is aiming for an incredible eighth successive world drivers’ title. Sat alongside him will be co-driver Daniel Elena, from Monaco.



Joining them as team mates will be the French pairing of driver Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia, their promotion to full-time duty in the works outfit undoubtedly helped by victories in 2010’s Rally de Portugal and Rally Japan.



Although the Citroën Junior Team has ceased to exist, Citroën Racing Technologies will be running three additional cars for private crews.



Petter Solberg / Chris Patterson, competing for the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, are going to enter all thirteen rallies. Kimi Räikkönen / Kaj Lindström will contest at least ten rounds under the Ice 1 Racing banner, while the Van Merksteijn Motorsport entry of Peter van Merksteijn / Eddy Chevaillier is expected to begin its season at March’s Portuguese event.



Related post:

Citroën DS3 WRC 2011

Honda WSB team launch

Honda has unveiled its works team for the 2011 World Superbike championship.

The announcement of Castrol as title sponsor means the return to a very familiar colour scheme for the pair of CBR1000RR Fireblade bikes, which will be ridden by Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus.



As in recent years, Honda has entrusted Dutch concern Ten Kate Racing with running the factory WSB team. First thing on the Castrol Honda agenda is a two day testing session at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain later this week.



The 2011 WSB season comprises thirteen rounds with Phillip Island, Australia hosting the opening race on 27 February.

Caterham-Lola SP/300.R

A previous attempt by Caterham to expand its range beyond the iconic Seven was not a great success. Only forty-eight examples of the 21, launched in 1994, were ever built.



Now it’s having another go with the SP/300.R, a shrunken Le Mans Prototype in the style of cars such as the Westfield XTR and Radical SR series.

The project has been developed in collaboration with Lola Cars, which was involved in engineering the aluminium tub chassis and perfecting the aerodynamics.



As with the current Seven line-up, power is provided by Ford. In the case of the SP/300.R it’s a two-litre Duratec motor which, thanks to the addition of a supercharger, produces 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS). Drive to the rear transaxle is via a Hewland semi-automatic FTR gearbox.

With the Caterham-Lola weighing less than 600 kg (1,322 lbs), that set up is enough for a zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) time of about 2.5 seconds. Top speed should be in the region of 170 mph (273 km/h).



Keeping the SP/300.R on the tarmac is race-derived suspension. There are dual wishbones front and rear, pushrod dampers and an adjustable ride height, all of which is assisted by down force from the front splitter and rear wing.

Although a road-legal version might appear later, for now the SP/300.R is destined for the circuits only. There’ll be a UK-based one-make series from 2012, although the Caterham-Lola will probably find its way into other championships as well as numerous trackdays, too.



The price of the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R is £60,000 (about €71,600 at today’s exchange rate) excluding local taxes. Annual production volume is anticipated to be twenty-five units.

Ducati unveils GP11

Ducati has revealed its new MotoGP contender, which will be ridden by Nicky Hayden and new team-mate Valentino Rossi.

Named the GP11, it features an engine that’s an evolution of the one used last year. The main objective for this season has been to get a flatter torque curve.



As far as the aerodynamics are concerned, the revised design is meant to increase top speed, reduce fuel consumption and minimise front-end lift. To help with that final item, the GP11 sports a development of the fairing-mounted winglets that were first seen during 2010.



Other significant changes from the GP10 include smaller front forks (42 mm, down from 48 mm), while the carbon fibre chassis has more flex for improved feel when the bike is leaned over.



The testing schedule for the GP11 commences at Jerez, Spain on January 17, 18 and 19 with riders Franco Battaini and Vito Guareschi on board. The programme then moves to Sepang, Malaysia, where Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden are due to put the new bike through its paces on February 1, 2 and 3.



The 2011 MotoGP championship, which consists of 18 rounds, starts with the Grand Prix of Qatar on March 20.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren has announced plans to take its MP4-12C racing.

The MP4-12C GT3, which will compete against cars such as the BMW Z4 GT3, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and the ubiquitous Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S, is being built primarily for privateer entrants in Europe.



McLaren has been working in collaboration with Leicestershire-based CRS Racing who will build, sell and provide support to owners. The plan is for a small production run of cars for the 2012 European FIA GT3 Series, although before that there will be a limited race programme during 2011 as part of the development process.



Related post:

Spec a McLaren MP4-12C

Audi unveils R18 race car

Audi has revealed the car it hopes will add to the marque’s tally of Le Mans 24 Hours wins.

The new R18 TDI will, like its R15 TDI predecessor, compete in the LMP1 class and it does run on diesel. But there are a couple of significant differences compared to the old car.

Firstly, the R18 is a closed coupé. This change in configuration has come about because Audi believes that, compared to an open-cockpit car, benefits from improved aerodynamics will outweigh any time lost through slower driver change-overs.

Secondly, the 5.5 litre V10 engine of the R15 has been dropped in favour of a 3.7 litre V6, which is coupled to a specially modified six-speed transmission. Such a radical down-sizing is due to revised regulations that are being introduced for the 2011 season. Their purpose is to erode the recent dominance of diesel-powered cars at Le Mans, with the last petrol car to take overall victory in the French 24 hours race being an Audi R8 back in 2005.

Although the R18 completed its first test runs last month, a competition debut is not scheduled until next May’s Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours. The Belgian event is the second round of the expanded-for-2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, which will comprise seven races including the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time.

Audi Sport Team Joest will be contending all rounds of the ILMC, although for the series-opener at Sebring in March it will be using a pair of R15 ‘plus plus’ cars.

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011
Round	Event	Country	Date
1	Sebring 12 Hours	USA	19th March
2	Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours	Belgium	8th May
3	Le Mans 24 Hours	France	11th - 12th June
4	Imola 6 Hours	Italy	3rd July
5	Silverstone 6 Hours	UK	11th September
6	Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta)	USA	1st October
7	(Circuit TBC) 6 Hours	China	12th November

Two Lotus teams in F1?

The 2011 Formula 1 season could see the bizarre sight of two Lotus-branded teams on the grid.



Group Lotus - the Proton-owned manufacturer of Lotus road cars - has just bought a stake in the former Renault F1 Team, also becoming title sponsor in the process. The move coincides with Renault selling its share in the outfit, although the French firm will continue to supply engines to the newly renamed Lotus Renault GP Team.

Lotus Renault GP Team - 2011 Livery

A black and gold livery has been revealed too, which harks back to the cigarette-sponsored Lotus F1 cars of the 1970s and 1980s. It might look striking, but why the team would want to give free subliminal advertising to a tobacco company is anyone’s guess.



Confusingly Lotus Racing, which competed for the first time during 2010 but is nothing to do with Group Lotus, has already announced a couple of significant changes for next season: not only will it be switching from Cosworth to Renault power, but it will also be painting its cars black and gold. What a coincidence.



To make matters even more complicated Lotus Racing has, according to the official FIA 2011 Formula 1 entry list, now rebranded itself as Team Lotus and intends to race under the Lotus Renault name.



However, Group Lotus is claiming that Lotus Racing / Team Lotus / Lotus Renault (take your pick) was only using the Lotus moniker under licence this year, but that licence has now been revoked.



Consequently Team Lotus and Group Lotus are now involved in an escalating battle for the right to continue using the name. But with neither side looking likely to back down, the dispute will probably end up being resolved by the UK High Court sometime in the new year.

Audi TT GT4 race car

Audi has announced a GT4 version of its TT RS, which has been developed with input from quattro GmbH and is aimed at customer race teams. Last weekend saw its unveiling in concept form, during the final round of the 2010 DTM series in Shanghai.

GT4 racing is designed to be less expensive than other categories such as GT3. So, while braking, transmission and some suspension parts can be modified for competition use, other components - including the engine - are left as standard as possible.



That means that the TT GT4’s TFSI motor has an output of around 335 bhp (250 kW / 340 PS), which is the same as for the production TT RS. The race car does come with S tronic transmission and a differential lock, though.



To further help keep costs down, GT4 regulations don’t allow for any additional aerodynamic aids. Therefore the aprons, side skirts and rear spoiler on the race car are all based on those usually seen on the road-going TT RS.



However, the TT GT4 does come equipped with plastic windows, while the bonnet, boot lid and doors are all made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Naturally, it also gets essential safety equipment including a full roll cage and replacement fuel tank.



Audi is keen to target customers in both Europe and Asia with the TT GT4, and it will have a selling price of around €120,000 (roughly £101,100 / US$157,250).



When the TT GT4 appears in championships such as the GT4 European Cup, its competition will include cars like the Ginetta G50, Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24, Porsche Cayman and Chevrolet Corvette C6.

Ginetta previews G55

The Ginetta GT Supercup is set to replace the Ginetta G50 Cup as a BTCC support series in 2011.



Both the existing G50 - which is powered by a 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS) 3.5 litre Ford engine - and the new G55 will be eligible to compete in the Supercup, but they’ll run in separate classes.

Ginetta will be unveiling the G55 at January’s Autosport International exhibition in Birmingham. The main differences compared to the G50 are a 370 bhp (275 kW / 375 PS) 3.7 litre Ford engine, new exhaust system, upgraded brakes and new bodywork that promises improved aerodynamics.



Interested race teams will have to part with £75,000 to buy a G55, while existing G50 owners can have their cars converted to G55 specification for £25,000. Entry fees for the 2011 Ginetta GT Supercup have been confirmed as £9,750 (plus VAT) for the G50, or £11,750 (plus VAT) for the G55.



At the moment it seems doubtful whether there’ll be a road-going version of the Ginetta G55. Although the company has previously shown the street legal G50 R and all-electric G50 EV, its road car efforts now appear focussed on the Ginetta F400. That model is basically a rebadged Farbio GTS, and follows Ginetta’s acquisition of Farbio Sports Cars earlier this year.

2010 South Korean GP

Following his victory at the Yeongam construction site, venue of the inaugural South Korean Formula 1 Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso is now set to win the 2010 drivers’ championship.

That’s if the odds currently being offered by UK online bookmakers are anything to go by. They all seem to have the moaning Spaniard as favourite.

Driver	Betfred	Paddy Power	Ladbrokes	888 Sport
Fernando Alonso	1/2	4/6	4/6	8/13
Mark Webber	9/4	2/1	2/1	15/8
Lewis Hamilton	12/1	10/1	8/1	10/1
Sebastian Vettel	16/1	11/1	12/1	12/1
Jenson Button	500/1	N/A	250/1	250/1

Indeed, Alonso could secure the title at the next round, which is in Brazil, if he wins that race and nearest challenger Mark Webber finishes fifth or lower. Otherwise, the fight will go to the season’s final event in Abu Dhabi.



2010 Championship standings after the South Korean Formula 1 Grand Prix:

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	231
2	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	220
3	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	210
4	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	206
5	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	189
6	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	143
7	Robert Kubica	Renault	124
8	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes GP	122
9	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes GP	66
10	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	47
11	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	47
12	Kamui Kobayashi	BMW Sauber-Ferrari	31
13	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Force India-Mercedes	21
14	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	19
15	Nico Hulkenberg	Williams-Cosworth	18
16	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	8
18	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber-Ferrari	6
19	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	3
20	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Cosworth	0
21	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Cosworth	0
22	Bruno Senna	Hispania-Cosworth	0
23	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin-Cosworth	0
24	Karun Chandhok	Hispania-Cosworth	0
25	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth	0
26	Sakon Yamamoto	Hispania-Cosworth	0
27	Christian Klien	Hispania-Cosworth	0

New Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Premieres

A successful weekend for Porsche at the start of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring season: At its racing premiere, the new Porsche 911 GT3 R scored an overall victory, the innovative 911 GT3 R Hybrid finished sixth at its debut and Walter Röhrl celebrated a successful racing comeback after 17 years.

The 911 uses an electro-mechanical flywheel energy storage system to drive a pair of electric motors attached to the front wheels. When braking, those motors generate electricity that spins up an integrated flywheel-motor-generator. Spinning at 40,000 rpm, the flywheel can release the electrical energy back to front motors on demand. The system was developed by the Williams Formula One team and licensed to Porsche.

A promising debut had also the new Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: Porsche works drivers Jörg Bergmeister , Richard Lietz and former Porsche junior Martin Ragginger brought the white orange race car, the combustion engine of which is completed by two electric motors with 60 kilowatt each at the front axle, on sixth place after a perfect race.




Press Release

Three successful Porsche premieres

Stuttgart. A successful weekend for Porsche at the season-opener of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship: At its race premiere, the new Porsche 911 GT3 R claimed victory, the innovative 911 GT3 R Hybrid debuted with sixth place and Walter Röhrl made his much celebrated comeback after 17 years.

Timo Bernhard (Germany), Marc Lieb (Germany) and Marcel Tiemann (Monaco) are the winners of the first race of the season on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. With the new, 480 hp Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by the Manthey Racing team, the trio drove a trouble-free race. "It is extraordinary to climb to the top of the podium at the first race ever of a new race car," said a pleased Bernhard. His works driver teammate Lieb added: "It seems the new 911 GT3 R has inherited the reliability of all racing 911." With 14.5 and 3.6 seconds respectively, the three Porsche pilots relegated the best Audi RS and the BMW M3 to finish second and third.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid also gave a promising debut: Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Richard Lietz and the former Porsche Junior Martin Ragginger (both Austria) brought home the white/orange racer with its combustion engine supplemented by two electric motors delivering 60 kW each to the front axle in sixth place after a trouble-free race. "I'm positively surprised how well this car performed already at its first race," said Bergmeister. "We tried many things out during the race and will be busy further developing the hybrid drive for the 24 hour race in May. Our aim is to use less fuel than our competitors without compromising performance," explains Lietz.

Double world rally champion Walter Röhrl (Germany) made his much applauded racing comeback after 17 years. Sharing driving duties with Horst von Saurma-Jeltsch (Germany) and Chris Harris (Great Britain) he put the standard 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 R through a test under race conditions. "The car exceeded my highest expectations and I had a great time at the wheel," enthused Röhrl. "We were able to match the pace of thoroughbred race cars. The 911 GT3 RS was particularly sensational in fast corners and under braking. And the best thing is, if it wasn't so far tonight I could just put our number plate on the car and drive back to Bavaria without a problem."

Round two of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship takes off on 10 April at midday with a duration of four hours.