Vodafone rewards its customers as Jenson performs in Manchester ( Photos)

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Vodafone rewards its customers as Jenson Button drives through the streets of Manchester in
his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1? car

Vodafone VIP brought a taste of Formula 1? to the heart of Manchester city centre this weekend, with F1? driver Jenson Button and the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team staging a celebration of the sport.

Crowds lined Deansgate on Monday (29th Aug) afternoon for the highlight of the Bank Holiday, as Jenson Button revved up his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1? car and drove it through one of Manchester?s busiest streets. Button also treated two lucky Vodafone customers to a thrilling drive through Manchester city centre in a McLaren MP4-12C sports car, before ending the day with an on-stage, public Q&A appearance.

Jenson enjoyed the day enormously, commenting:

?I think Vodafone VIP has done a brilliant job to make this happen ? it can?t have been easy ? but to see the looks on people?s faces when I opened up the throttle, was a fantastic moment. It is all about giving something back to the fans and just unleashing the awesome power of a Formula 1 car. It was a lot of fun.?

Jenson?s appearance was just one part of a three day event. From Saturday 27 to Monday 29 of August, Vodafone customers and friends enjoyed the Vodafone VIP Fanzone in Albert Square. The Fanzone contained a bespoke Go Kart Track, and a number of interactive F1? experiences, including a pit stop challenge, a sit in Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car, an F1? simulator and an exhibition of race suits and helmets. Throughout the weekend there was also a pit garage on the forecourt of the Hilton Deansgate in which Vodafone customers had the opportunity to go behind the scenes in the team?s garage.

The celebration was part of Vodafone?s drive to reward as many of its customers as possible. Previous Vodafone VIP events have been based in London and the South East so by bringing F1 to the North West, Vodafone VIP are aiming to reach a wider audience and thank even more of their customers.

Councillor Pat Karney, of Manchester City Council, said:

?Vodafone VIP Live is a great example of the sort of unmissable events which Manchester stages and a great way show what our city has to offer. We are extremely grateful to Vodafone who provided the opportunity to have the I Love MCR logo printed on the side of the car. Word of the campaign has spread fast, so it's entirely fitting that an F1 car bearing the campaign logo should be seen racing down Deansgate?

The F1? event in Manchester is just one element of Vodafone VIP, which gives customers access to the best of British festival, fashion and Formula 1? events. Vodafone VIP provides customers with the hottest tickets and money can?t buy experiences. All Vodafone customers can register for Vodafone VIP by going online.

Visit www.vodafone.co.uk/VIPManchester to find out more.

I Love MCR Campaign
In partnership with Marketing Manchester and Manchester Arndale, Manchester City Council have launched the 'I Love MCR' campaign to show the world that the people of Manchester are proud of their city. Become a fan on the ?I Love MCR? Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeLoveMCR.
Follow the conversation on Twitter using #IloveMCR








Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/fZCTZ2PLJXY/vodafone-rewards-its-customers-as.html

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My Japanese Grand Prix preview

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel looks set to clinch his second successive title and become F1's youngest-ever double world champion. Watch my preview to this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix to see why I think there's still plenty to look forward to this season.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.


If you are outside the UK, you can watch the video here.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/murraywalker/2011/10/my_japanese_grand_prix_preview_1.html

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Is NASCAR Racing Boring?

It seems like the most common complaint, at least the most common one that I have heard from family and friends, is the NASCAR is boring. They complain that all it is a bunch of guys in their cars driving around in circles. Well, I guess these people just do not et it like a true NASCAR fan would. A true NASCAR fan sees all the excitement that is in that round track and all the cool things that happen during a NASCAR race.

The main problem could be that they are watching racings on intermediate tracks. What happens most of the time on an intermediate track NASCAR race is that all the cars for the most part end up driving in a single lane and only pass from time to time. All the requirements that a driver is looking for in order to pass the car in front of them can take a very long time to reach. The time needed to gain enough momentum to pass the person in front of the driver can drive a non NASCAR fan crazy enough to want to just stop watching.

Some of this could be at the fault of the NASCAR planninger and organizers themselves. Maybe, they should be looking at ways to make the racing more exciting for the viewers. This may even cause some changing of the rules.

Maybe racers need to get more aggressive on the track and bring out more of a wild personality. Heck, they may even want to so the same thing as wrestling and make a whole story behind the whole thing -- well, maybe not, that might be pushing it a bit!

I think that as the racing keeps going this way, you will slowly see even the most die hard NASCAR racing fans looking for more exciting things because they can only look at a car going in circles for so long. However, get these cars drifting, bumping bumbers and doing the like could cause for some great excitement as long as the excitement is not at the expense or to increase the risk of some kind of harm coming to the driver.

So, if you ask if NASCAR racing is boring, I am sure a lot of people would agree to say yes it is. However, just a few minor tweaks and bends and things could turn around and get really exciting for both drivers and the people on the sidelines and watching from home on television.

Corey Palmer is a race fan of all types. Check out NASCAR diecast cars, coffee mug nascar and NASCAR jackets.

Article Source: Is NASCAR Racing Boring?

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/246993/is-nascar-racing-boring

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F1 2011 : Technical Regulations

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The FIA's publication of the details of the 2011 technical regulations points out to the effective ban of double diffusers, F-ducts and slotted rear wings. Newly introduced are the adjustable rear wings, tyres and mandated weight distribution.

Link


F1 2011: Tyres, adjustable rear wings, 640 kg and...


Craig Scarborough of scarbsf1 gives us the detailed explanation of the F1 2011 Technical regulations with amazing illustrations.


Ban on connected shark fins

Another route to banning F-ducts, as well as a move to limit the ever expanding rear fin, the rule prevents any bodywork reaching the rear wing.


?3.9.1 No bodywork situated between 50mm and 330mm forward of the rear wheel centre line may be more than 730mm above the reference plane.?

Ban on slots in the rear wing

As with the beam wing, the upper rear wing is prevented from having slots extending beyond the central 15cm. This prevent F-ducts or other blown slots, the latter which have been exploited for several years.

?3.10.2 Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 50mm forward of the rear wheel centre line which is more than 730mm above the reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel centre line and a point 350mm behind it.
With the exception of minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the section in accordance with Article 3.18 :
  • when viewed from the side of the car, no longitudinal cross section may have more than two sections in this area, each of which must be closed.
  • no part of these longitudinal cross sections in contact with the external air stream may have a local concave radius of curvature smaller than 100mm.
Once the rearmost and uppermost section is defined, ?gurney? type trim tabs may be fitted to the trailing edge. When measured in any longitudinal cross section no dimension of any such trim tab may exceed 20mm.
The chord of the rearmost and uppermost closed section must always be smaller than the chord of the lowermost section at the same lateral station.?

Clarification of the starter motor hole


After some teams were exploiting oversized starter motor holes in the diffuser to create a slotted effect, the FIA clamped down with a clarification. This has now been written into the rule book.


?3.12.7 No bodywork which is visible from beneath the car and which lies between the rear wheel centre line and a point 350mm rearward of it may be more than 125mm above the reference plane. With the exception of the aperture described below, any intersection of the surfaces in this area with a lateral or longitudinal vertical plane should form one continuous line which is visible from beneath the car.
An aperture for the purpose of allowing access for the device referred to in Article 5.16 is permitted in this surface. However, no such aperture may have an area greater than 3500mm2 when projected onto the surface itself and no point on the aperture may be more than 100mm from any other point on the aperture.?

Ban on Double Diffusers (DDD) and Open Exhaust Blown Diffusers (EBD)


Due to a previous weakness in the rules defining the underfloor, teams were able to exploit this to create the double diffuser. Double diffusers were only possible as an opening could be created in the gap been the reference plane, step plane and the diffuser. Now the rules close this avenue off.

Additionally this opening allowed teams to open up the front of the diffuser to blow the exhaust through for an even greater blown diffuser effect. This rule also prevents this opening in all but the outer 50mm of the split between the diffuser and the floor.
One additional clarification is that the suspension must not form any of the measured point for the under floor. Previously the minimum height was exploited by some teams placing wishbones or Toe-Control arms across the top an opening in the diffuser.

?3.12.9 In an area lying 450mm or less from the car centre line, and from 450mm forward of the rear face of the cockpit entry template to 350mm rearward of the rear wheel centre line, any intersection of any bodywork visible from beneath the car with a lateral or longitudinal vertical plane should form one continuous line which is visible from beneath the car. When assessing the compliance of bodywork surfaces in this area the aperture referred to in Article 3.12.7 need not be considered.

3.12.10 In an area lying 650mm or less from the car centre line, and from 450mm forward of the rear face of the cockpit entry template to 350mm forward of the rear wheel centre line, any intersection of any bodywork visible from beneath the car with a lateral or longitudinal vertical plane should form one continuous line which is visible from beneath the car.

3.12.11 Compliance with Article 3.12 must be demonstrated with the panels referred to in Articles 15.4.7 and 15.4.8 and all unsprung parts of the car removed.?

Driver operated F-duct


Even though the loop holes in the rear wing regulations have been closed, this additional new regulation prevents the driver influencing aerodynamics. So that other driver controlled F-duct type devices cannot be exploited other areas, such as: front wings, sidepods or diffuser.


?3.15 With the exception of the parts necessary for the adjustment described in Article 3.18, any car system, device or procedure which uses, or is suspected of using, driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited.?

Driver adjustable rear wing


The driver adjustable front wing is now deleted from the rules and instead the rear wing is now driver adjustable. This is because the expected benefit of greater front wing angle never provided the driver with more grip when following another car. The front flap adjustment was much more a solution to tune the cars handling in between pitstops. The TWG found that the loss of drag from the rear wing was a more effective solution to allow the following to overtake. Now the rear wing flap can pivot near its rear most point and open the slot gap from 10-15mm to up to 50mm. Opening this gap unloads the flap and reduced both downforce and drag.

This being controlled by the timing gap to the car ahead and managed by the FIA. So there?s two ways the driver can use the system. Firstly in free practice and qualifying the rear wing is solely at the control of the driver. They can adjust the wing at any point on the track and any number of times per lap. So for the ideal lap time, as soon as the car is no longer downforce dependant (straights and fast curves) the driver can operate the wing, just as they did with the F-duct. Although a small complication to the driving process, at least their hands remain on the wheel and not on a duct to the side of the cockpit.

Then in the race the wing cannot be adjusted for two laps, then race control will send signals to the driver via the steering wheel, such that when they?re 1s or less behind another car at a designated point on the circuit, the rear wing can be trimmed out. The wing returns to the original setting as soon as the brakes are touched.

?Furthermore, the distance between adjacent sections at any longitudinal plane must lie between 10mm and 15mm at their closest position, except, in accordance with Article 3.18, when this distance must lie between 10mm and 50mm.?

3.18.1 The incidence of the rearmost and uppermost closed section described in Article 3.10.2 may be varied whilst the car is in motion provided :
- It comprises only one component that must be symmetrically arranged about the car centre line with a minimum width of 708mm.
- With the exception of minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the section, no parts of the section in contact with the external airstream may be located any more than 355mm from of the car centre line.
- With the exception of any minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the rearmost and uppermost section, two closed sections are used in the area described in Article 3.10.2.
- Any such variation of incidence maintains compliance with all of the bodywork regulations.
- When viewed from the side of the car at any longitudinal vertical cross section, the physical point of rotation of the rearmost and uppermost closed section must be fixed and located no more than 20mm below the upper extremity and no more than 20mm forward of the rear extremity of the area described in Article 3.10.2 at all times.
- The design is such that failure of the system will result in the uppermost closed section returning to the normal high incidence position.
- Any alteration of the incidence of the uppermost closed section may only be commanded by direct driver input and controlled using the control electronics specified in Article 8.2.
3.18.2 The adjustable bodywork may be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and, for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race, after the driver has completed a minimum of two laps after the race start or following a safety car period.
The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been notified via the control electronics (see Article 8.2) that it is enabled. It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around each circuit. The system will be disabled by the control electronics the first time the driver uses the brakes after he has activated the system.
The FIA may, after consulting all competitors, adjust the above time proximity in order to ensure the stated purpose of the adjustable bodywork is met.?

Mandated weight distribution


Along with the supply of Pirelli control tyres they will be matched to a mandatory weight distribution. Now the cars minimum weight is 640Kg, the specified minimum axle weights, equate to a weight distribution ranging between 45.5-46.7% on the front axle. This is a few percent behind the typical 2010 loadings.

?4.2 Weight distribution :
For 2011 only, the weight applied on the front and rear wheels must not be less than 291kg and 342kg respectively at all times during the qualifying practice session.
If, when required for checking, a car is not already fitted with dry-weather tyres, it will be weighed on a set of dry-weather tyres selected by the FIA technical delegate.?

Double wheel tethers


For safety a doubling of the wheel tethers has been regulated. Each tether needs to pass through a different suspension member and have its own mounting points on the upright and the chassis. There?s not expected to be any performance impact with this. But the tethers are somewhat heavier, so they and the side intrusion panel are part of the reason for the greater minimum weight limit.

?10.3.6 In order to help prevent a wheel becoming separated in the event of all suspension members connecting it to the car failing provision must be made to accommodate flexible tethers, each with a cross sectional area greater than 110mm˛. The sole purpose of the tethers is to prevent a wheel becoming separated from the car, they should perform no other function.
The tethers and their attachments must also be designed in order to help prevent a wheel making contact with the driver?s head during an accident.
Each wheel must be fitted with two tethers each of which exceed the requirements of 3.1.1 of Test Procedure 03/07.
Each tether must have its own separate attachments at both ends which :
- are able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN in any direction within a cone of 45° (included angle) measured from the load line of the relevant suspension member ;
- on the survival cell or gearbox are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- on each wheel/upright assembly are located on opposite sides of the vertical and horizontal wheel centre lines and are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- are able to accommodate tether end fittings with a minimum inside diameter of 15mm.
Furthermore, no suspension member may contain more than one tether.
Each tether must exceed 450mm in length and must utilise end fittings which result in a tether bend radius greater than 7.5mm.?

No more shaped wheel spokes


After the static front wheel fairings that abounded in 2009, were banned and the wheel design homologated, there must have been some surprise that Ferrari managed to create an aerodynamic wheel shape in 2010. This is partly limited now by the restriction on surface area for spokes and shaping. The limited only allows 13% of the wheel centre to be spoked, meaning that a ten spoke wheel has to have spokes just 16mm wide.

?12.4.6 When viewed perpendicular to the plane formed by the outer face of the wheel and between the diameters of 120mm and 270mm the wheel may have an area of no greater than 24,000mm2.?

Clarification of mirror positions


Again when the FIA clarify a rule or make a change for safety reasons, we don?t get to see the detail of this change until its put into the regulations. The removal of outboard mirrors was brought in early last year and now the mirrors can effectively be no more than 27.5cm from the cockpit opening


?14.3.3 All parts of the rear view mirrors, including their housings and mountings, must be situated between 250mm and 500mm from the car centre line and between 550mm and 750mm from the rear edge of the cockpit entry template.?

Ban on blade roll structures


Mercedes surprised many with their blade-like roll structure, reducing the obstruction to the rear wing and allowing for a much shorter inlet tract for the engine, the solution was likely to be copied. A minimum cross section forced teams to have a wider section above the drivers head, negating the fundamental benefit of the solution


?15.2.4 The principal roll structure must have a minimum enclosed structural cross section of 10000mm˛, in vertical projection, across a horizontal plane 50mm below its highest point. The area thus established must not exceed 200mm in length or width and may not be less than 10000mm2 below this point.?

Dash roll structure point maximum height


With the cockpit opening fixed at 550mm, teams have often raised the front of the chassis around the dash bulkhead to create a raised nose. In the first of several limits for both 2011 and 2013, with even more stringent plans for 2013, the height of the front of the chassis is now being controlled. The limit for this point is now 670mm, still some 120mm above the cockpit opening.


?15.2.3 The highest point of the second structure may not be more than 670mm above the reference plane and must pass a static load test details of which may be found in Article 17.3.?

Limit on front chassis height


As already explained teams raise the position of the front (AA) and dash (BB) bulkheads to create space under the nose for airflow to pass in between the front wheels and reach the rear of the car. The trend for ?V? sections noses, introduced on the Red Bull RB5 in 2009, makes the front of the chassis even higher, often being visible above the height of the front tyres (~660mm). Now both these bulkheads need to be at 625mm, some 75mm above the cockpit opening.

?15.4.4 The maximum height of the survival cell between the lines A-A and B-B is 625mm above the reference plane.?

Limit on shaped Rear Impact Structures


Since the 2009 aero rules, teams have been shaping the rear impact structures into ever more curved shapes to lift it clear of the diffuser and pass it underneath the beam wing. The tail of this structure must be centred at 300mm high, to prevent extreme banana shaped structures, this rule forces the structure to vary by no more 275mm.

?Furthermore, when viewed from the side, the lowest and highest points of the impact absorbing structure between its rear face and 50mm aft of the rear wheel centre line may not be separated vertically by more than 275 mm.?


Craig Scarborough is a journalist/illustrator who focuses solely on the technology of F1. His technical illustrations have appeared in AtlasF1, Autosport and print magazines.

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How To Turn A Child's Room Into A NASCAR Pit

If you have a little NASCAR fan in your home, a great surprise for him or her is to redecorate his or her room in NASCAR items. There is a variety of NASCAR bedding products available for kids of all ages.

If the child you are decorating for is a younger child you can even find toddler size bedding for the sport. Although it may be easier to get at least twin size bedding so your child will not outgrow the room to quickly.

Licensed Nascar bedding coordinates are available in many different styles. If you have a certain driver in mind, chances are there is a bedding set with their name and number on it. You can then match sheets sets, pillows, valances and window coverings and wallpaper border.

If you were thinking about NASCAR in general, you can find that also. The racecars on the bedding make great coordinating room scenes for small children, while the logo bedding is appropriate for older children.

In a small child's room you can get more creative with decorating. Once you have all the NASCAR bedding coordinates you can use some washable paint to paint a racetrack all around the room on the walls. Of course a racetrack wouldn't be complete without cars, so make some car cutouts from sturdy craft foam. These will not harm the walls and the kids can race cars all around the room. If you put some Velcro tabs on the back and a few dots on the track, when the kids are finished driving the cars around the room they can find a spot of Velcro on the track and stick the cars up for later use.

For an older child or teenager there is a great selection of NASCAR Bedding that will show off their favorite sport yet will still look grown up. With the matching NASCAR accessories and coordinates they can have a room where their favorite sport lives on. Wall borders are easy to hang, most using only water and a sponge, yet look as though they were made for the room.

If you have a bathroom in need of a quick makeover you can also get shower curtains, towels, and other bathroom accessories. Painting the bathroom a neutral color then the NASCAR licensed coordinates will add a bit of flair to a previously boring room.

So whether you are an old or new NASCAR fan, you can bring new life to your bedroom or bathroom by adding some NASCAR licensed accessories and coordinates. The prices are no pricier than a traditional bedding set. So go ahead and indulge your child or your self by being the next NASCAR driver if only in your dreams!

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as sports memorabila at http://www.sportscollectiblesandmemorabilia.com

Article Source: How To Turn A Child's Room Into A NASCAR Pit

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/3857/how-to-turn-a-child-s-room-into-a-nascar-pit

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Sauber C30 launch pictures (31st of January)

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Sauber F1 Team launched their 2011 challenger, the C30 at Valencia on 31st Jan'11.

As compared to its C29 predecessor, the new racer comes with more aggressive sidepods and a single mounting for its rear-wing (rather than double mounting), while also incorporating a blown diffuser. In addition, it has been confirmed that the car will be fitted with a Ferrari-developed Kinetic Energy Recovery System starting with the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

?We want to finish in the points regularly and clearly improve our position in the FIA Formula 1 constructors' world championship,? stated his intentions the very owner of the team Peter Sauber. ?2010 marked the 41st year of our company history and one of the most difficult.?

He insisted that after a difficult campaign in 2010, the team is now committed to progress.

?Never before had we faced such reliability problems, but we managed to overcome them in the second half of the season. We implemented some well-considered structural changes. The appointment of James Key as Technical Director already bore fruit last season, and he is now in charge of development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari.?

Technical specifications

Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque
Suspension (front) Upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and dampers, actuated by Sachs pushrods
Suspension (rear) as front
Engine Ferrari Type 056 2,398 cc (146.3 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM with optional 60 kW (80 hp) KERS naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission Seven-speed semi-automatic carbon-fibre sequential gearbox with reverse gear electronically-controlled, quick-shift Limited-slip differential
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Shell
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Link
Sauber C30 ? Launch Detail and Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"Development was held back last year as the team focussed its resources on the new car, which first hit the wing tunnel in May. This switch in resource was partly the reason the exhaust blown diffuser was not developed in 2010. Their new car sports just such a device, with an interesting twist. Otherwise the car is largely a logical evolution of the already quite advance concept of the C29. With Key having sorted the Ferrari engine installation problems and the cars ride height sensitivity which blighted the teams early season last year, Now the team can expect a strong run in the midfield for 2011."

Sauber C30 launch pictures







Photos © Sauber ag

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/_KoeazpVhdM/sauber-c30-launch-pictures-31st-of.html

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Ferrari launch their new 2011 car, F150 ( Launch Pictures)

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Ferrari launched their 2011 spec challenger during a media event that took place at Maranello yesterday (28th Jan'11) ahead of a track debut at nearby Fiorano. The wraps came off the F150 ? a tribute to Italian unification and featuring an Italian flag on the rearward-facing rear wing. The team?s new Scuderia Ferrari logo features prominently on the engine cover. The F150 is the first F1 car of 2011 to be revealed.

?As far as the looks are concerned the rules keep them quite unaltered. The cars look like the ones from last year, but from a technical point of view they will be really different,? said technical director Aldo Costa.

?The car?s evolution has been planned with two big stages: one during the winter tests, where we will mainly develop the area of the mechanics, which means that the car?s structure, the chassis, the gearbox and the suspension will remain the same for the first couple of races. The aerodynamics is simplified and temporary for the first tests, waiting for the real aerodynamic development for the first race,?
further explained Costa.

Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo also attended the media event, and wanted to congratulate Fernando Alonso publicly for his wonderful campaign with the Prancing Horse last year. As far as Felipe Massa is concerned, di Montezemolo called him "our little child" and insisted that it was his brother who drove a Ferrari in these past couple of years, only now the true Massa is back.

Chassis Specification

  • Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
  • Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
  • Limited-slip differential
  • Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox ? quick shift
  • Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
  • Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
  • Independent suspension, push-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
  • Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 640 kg
  • BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13?

Engine Specification
  • Type: 056
  • Number of cylinders: 8
  • Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium V 90°
  • Number of valves: 32
  • Pneumatic distribution
  • Total displacement: 2398 cm3
  • Piston bore: 98 mm
  • Weight > 95 kg
  • Electronic injection and ignition
  • Fuel: Shell V-Power
  • Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra

Link

Ferrari F150 ? Launch detail & Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)

"Firstly the front wing is last years; it even has the driver adjustable mechanism which is no longer allowed in 2011. However the nose cone will be fairly definitive, as it needs to match the front of the chassis and being a homologated part, cannot be structurally changed during the season. This front wing may be on the car for the opening test runs, but we will soon see an interim 2011 wing before a final version appears for Bahrain."

Ferrari F150 Launch Pictures



Images © Ferrari, toilef1.com, daylife.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/EQF18QdnxF4/ferrari-launch-their-new-2011-car-f150.html

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Sauber C30 launch pictures (31st of January)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w9GVTZGFuLM/TWCRprBHn2I/AAAAAAAAG_U/PyW-luDGng4/s1600/sam31012011002794.jpg

Sauber F1 Team launched their 2011 challenger, the C30 at Valencia on 31st Jan'11.

As compared to its C29 predecessor, the new racer comes with more aggressive sidepods and a single mounting for its rear-wing (rather than double mounting), while also incorporating a blown diffuser. In addition, it has been confirmed that the car will be fitted with a Ferrari-developed Kinetic Energy Recovery System starting with the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

?We want to finish in the points regularly and clearly improve our position in the FIA Formula 1 constructors' world championship,? stated his intentions the very owner of the team Peter Sauber. ?2010 marked the 41st year of our company history and one of the most difficult.?

He insisted that after a difficult campaign in 2010, the team is now committed to progress.

?Never before had we faced such reliability problems, but we managed to overcome them in the second half of the season. We implemented some well-considered structural changes. The appointment of James Key as Technical Director already bore fruit last season, and he is now in charge of development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari.?

Technical specifications

Chassis carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite monocoque
Suspension (front) Upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and dampers, actuated by Sachs pushrods
Suspension (rear) as front
Engine Ferrari Type 056 2,398 cc (146.3 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM with optional 60 kW (80 hp) KERS naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission Seven-speed semi-automatic carbon-fibre sequential gearbox with reverse gear electronically-controlled, quick-shift Limited-slip differential
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Shell
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Link
Sauber C30 ? Launch Detail and Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"Development was held back last year as the team focussed its resources on the new car, which first hit the wing tunnel in May. This switch in resource was partly the reason the exhaust blown diffuser was not developed in 2010. Their new car sports just such a device, with an interesting twist. Otherwise the car is largely a logical evolution of the already quite advance concept of the C29. With Key having sorted the Ferrari engine installation problems and the cars ride height sensitivity which blighted the teams early season last year, Now the team can expect a strong run in the midfield for 2011."

Sauber C30 launch pictures







Photos © Sauber ag

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/_KoeazpVhdM/sauber-c30-launch-pictures-31st-of.html

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Pastor Maldonado - classic F1

Pastor Maldonado is the latest driver to choose his five favourite all-time grands prix for BBC Sport's classic Formula 1 series.

The Venzuelan has made quite an impression one way or another in his first season in F1.

On the plus side, he has out-qualified his team-mate, the veteran Rubens Barrichello, an impressive six times in 14 races so far this season.

Not so positively, he has yet to shed a reputation for occasional wildness that followed him from the junior categories, and was on full public display when he drove into Lewis Hamilton's McLaren in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. The incident earned Maldonado a five-place grid penalty.

Pastor Maldonado

Maldonado not only came to F1 with the backing of President Hugo Chavez and his country's state oil company, he also came to the sport relatively late in life.

He is 26, relatively old compared to the age many drivers make their debut these days. That almost certainly explains his selections for this blog - which span the last 30 or so years and would be classed as all-time greats in anyone's book.

The 1979 French Grand Prix

This race is famous for two reasons: the thrilling duel over second place in the final three laps between Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve and Renault's Rene Arnoux; and for being the first win for a turbo-charged car.

That second landmark, achieved courtesy of Renault's Jean-Pierre Jabouille, has been rather overshadowed by the first.

"This race was before I was born but I have seen it many times," Maldonado says. "It was so great because they were racing wheel-to-wheel, overtaking each other and switching positions. It was amazing. You don't see action like that very often!"

The 1984 Monaco Grand Prix

Another event famous for many reasons: a controversial win by Alain Prost; Nigel Mansell crashing out of the lead; and two stunning drives in the wet by rising stars Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof.

Prost led from the start in heavy rain but was passed early on by Mansell, who crashed six laps later, blaming the embarrassing incident on his rear wheel losing grip on one of the white lines on the track.

Senna, whose natural talent more than made up for the deficiencies of his Toleman car, then began catching Prost, with Bellof, driving a Tyrrell and, like Senna, in his first season of F1, making inroads into both.

As the weather worsened, Prost, driving a McLaren, began gesticulating for the race to be stopped, which it was as he completed lap 32, just as Senna caught and passed him on the pit straight.

The decision to stop the race was controversial because the man who made it, clerk of the course and former F1 driver Jacky Ickx, was employed to drive Le Mans cars by Porsche, which made McLaren's TAG-badged engine. Ickx has always denied he was influence in any way.

"It was an amazing race to watch, as Senna came from the very back in just a few laps to catch race leader Prost," says Maldonado. "He was overtaking everyone which was even more impressive being in Monaco where it is difficult to overtake anyway. He was amazing in the rain."

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix

A favourite among many of the grand prix drivers this season, this was the first of two consecutive Japanese races in which a crash between McLaren drivers Prost and Senna decided the world championship. It was, as Maldonado points out, "the end of a difficult two-year rivalry for the team-mates".

Prost led much of the race but was eventually caught by Senna. As the Brazilian tried to pass at the chicane in the closing stages, Prost turned in on him and they collided. Prost climbed out of his car but Senna rejoined the race, pitting for a new nose cone before catching and passing Benetton's Alessandro Nannini.

However, that was not the end of the drama. Senna's win would have kept the title battle going until the final race of the season but he was controversially disqualified for missing the chicane and Prost declared champion.

The 1993 European Grand Prix

This race at Donington Park has gone down in history as one of Senna's greatest drives and is another favourite among the current crop of F1 drivers.

"There are so many great races from Senna it is hard to single any one out," Maldonado says. "He was always amazing in difficult situations, with incredible instincts, and this was a perfect example.

"From fourth on the grid, he read the changing conditions perfectly, unlike anyone else on the grid, as the race went from dry to wet and back again. He ended up winning by over a minute by the chequered flag! It is like magic watching him."

The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix

Relatively recent it might be but already another all-time classic. McLaren's Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa went into the race, the last in the season, contesting the world championship.

Massa survived a late shower of rain to win the race but, as the Ferrari pit celebrated, Hamilton slipped past the struggling Toyota of Timo Glock at the final corner to take fifth and the title.

"It was so great so see a race go right down to the wire like that and then change at the very last second," Maldonado recalls.

"With so much at stake, it was great as a viewer but not so great for Massa. It was so close I never forget seeing both teams celebrating at the same time not realising what had happened."

As always, we pick one race to highlight in the blog and, ahead of the street race at Singapore this weekend, we have chosen the 1984 Monaco event.

The full grand prix programme of the time is embedded below. Underneath it, to whet your appetites for the action to come this weekend, are short and extended highlights of Fernando Alonso's superb victory for Ferrari in last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.


CLICK HERE FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

Short highlights from France 1979, Japan 1989, Europe 1993 and Brazil 2008, plus extended highlights from Monaco 1984 and Singapore 2010 will be broadcast on the BBC red button on digital television in the UK.

On satellite and cable, the classic races will be available from 1500 BST on Wednesday 21 September until 1055 BST on Friday 23 September, then from 1235 BST until 1425 BST on Friday 23 September.

On Freeview, they will be shown from 1235 BST until 1425 BST on Friday 23 September.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/09/pastor_maldonado_-_classic_f1.html

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Freebies A NASCAR Fan Can Get

A NASCAR fan will cherish many items that represent NASCAR throughout the year but the items they cherish the most will be ones that did not cost them anything. A fan enjoys the freebies offered by NASCAR because they are provided as a token of appreciation and not centered on making a profit in any way. Most fans are unaware that freebies exist until they visit a friend's house and see them for themselves.

Most fans have established a haven in their home that is totally devoted to their favorite NASCAR team. They might make it a point to visit a certain retailer each year because they know that company is a NASCAR sponsor and is willing to provide fans with free tee shirts that bear the NASCAR emblem or the emblem of the sponsor. In one visit to these sponsors, fans know that they can walk out with tee shirts for the entire family.

Fans relish finding information about their favorite driver and racing team. NASCAR has put out a lot of effort to produce photo quality biographies of drivers that fans can print out on the home computer or transfer to a disk and take to a printer where it is printed out in full color. The cost of the printing is considerably less than if the fan had purchased the driver's history from a retailer at the racetrack. Some fans keep this information handy so that they can use it as backdrops for a shadow box that holds tickets to all the races the fan attended.

Fans do not have to rely on luck to get a photograph of their favorite NASCAR racing star. The internet is filled with numerous photographs that capture the racing action performed during a certain race and they come complete with captions already in place. A fan can select which photographs they want for their collection and save them to the appropriate file on their home computer. Of course, these photographs can never be sold but a true NASCAR fans will cherish having them to look at.

Many fans have been entertained for hours by the free games offered at the NASCAR website. Fans have the chance to become a part of the action by playing games, at no charge, that allow them to track their celebrity racing teams through sponsor events, and become a team owner by buying low priced teams and selling them for a profit. Some games allow fans to see what they can do with a racing team that they designed themselves. This type of fun is suitable for anyone that is a NASCAR fan.

Fans can also find a wide assortment of NASCAR freebie items that are centered on home entertainment but must own a home computer to obtain them all. There are many related screensavers that can be downloaded to the personal computer and changed out regularly throughout the racing season. Fans can get quite inspired by the scenes they view throughout the day and some might even help them to remember when the next race will be so that they can buy tickets before they are sold out.

James Brown writes about Mitchell & Ness bargains, Fathead deals and Final Score key code

Article Source: Freebies A NASCAR Fan Can Get

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/65106/freebies-a-nascar-fan-can-get

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