Video: Button and Hamilton make a surprise visit to the world's greatest garage


First, McLaren Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were left alone to assemble one of their cars. Now, in a new Web video, the teammates wander through the McLaren racing-car collection and get up-close with a major historical milestone : Ayrton Senna's 1988 McLaren MP4/4http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TDJNWev7R1I/AAAAAAAAGb4/AJeWZMwlHJg/s1600/Button+and+Hamilton+make+a+surprise+visit+to+the+world%27s+greatest+garage.jpg


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2010 European Grand Prix weekend review

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July 5 '10

It's good to be back!!

Well..First of all, let me apologize to all the F1Insighters for the lack of posts this race weekend. My job took me to a remote location in India where I was unable to access neither the internet nor a Television!! Anyways, now that I'm back I think I'll post some insights on what happened during the Grand Prix weekend in Valencia before the start of the British Grand Prix this weekend.

Practice

European Grand Prix, Valencia - Friday free practice (1)

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Nico Rosberg headed the opening practice in Valencia.

European Grand Prix free practice 1 times
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 41.175s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 41.339s
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 41.383s
4. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 41.715s
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 42.182s
6. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 42.216s
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 42.275s
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 42.312s
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 42.421s
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 42.463s
11. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 42.707s
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 42.962s
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 43.310s
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 43.380s
15. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 43.397s
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m 43.437s
17. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 43.729s
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 44.183s
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 44.491s
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 45.653s
21. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 47.123s
22. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 47.285s
23. Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth 1m 47.343s
24. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 47.356s

European Grand Prix, Valencia - Friday free practice (2)

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Fernando Alonso topped second practice in Valencia, closely followed by Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

European Grand Prix free practice 2 times
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 39.283s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 39.339s
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 39.427s
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 39.650s
5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 39.749s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 39.880s
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 39.947s
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 40.020s
9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 40.029s
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 40.174s
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 40.287s
12. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 40.387s
13. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 40.618s
14. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 40.906s
15. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 40.945s
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 41.115s
17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 41.371s
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 41.457s
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 42.467s
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 42.993s
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 43.811s
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 43.854s
23. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 44.095s
24. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1m 44.566s

European Grand Prix, Valencia ? Saturday free practice
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Sebastian Vettel headed a Red Bull 1-3 in final practice for the European Grand Prix, with Robert Kubica in between.

European Grand Prix free practice 3 times
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 38.052s
2. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 38.154s
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 38.313s
4. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 38.500s
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 38.513s
6 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 38.623s
7. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 38.676s
8. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 38.686s
9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 38.769s
10. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 38.816s
11. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 38.822s
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 39.050s
13. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 39.105s
14. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 39.113s
15. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 39.222s
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 39.392s
17. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.527s
18. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.699s
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 41.303s
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 41.428s
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 41.955s
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 42.354s
23. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 42.611s
24. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1m 42.622s


Qualifying

Sebastian Vettel headed a Red Bull Racing 1-2 in qualifying for the European GP

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Sebastian Vettel scored his 4th pole position of the 2010 season with a wonderful performance on Saturday (June 26) afternoon in Valencia.

Although the Austrian team predicted it would struggle to get its cars to speed on the Valencia street circuit, both Vettel and teammate Mark Webber scored consistently good results in the second part of qualifying, emerging in 1st and 2nd respectively at the end of Q3. Vettel clocked his fastest lap in 1:37.587, while Webber had to settle for 2nd some 0.075 seconds behind.

Third place went to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who made a few mistakes in his last flying lap to lose his initial front row position. However, he did manage to out-qualify the two Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa who, despite the overall improvements brought to Valencia, were unable to keep the pace with the front-runners in the last few minutes of qualify.

Renault?s Robert Kubica finished Q1 in 1st place but had to settle for 6th overall in the end, while in front of the second McLaren MP4-25 driven by Jenson Button. Williams F1?s improvements for the weekend got both their cars inside the Top 10, with Nico Hulkenberg topping his much older teammate Rubens Barrichello for 8th place. The Top 10 was completed by the second Renault driver Vitaly Petrov.

Mercedes GP had a Saturday to forget, with Nico Rosberg barely making the 12th slot on the grid, behind Scuderia Toro Rosso?s Sebastien Buemi, but ahead of Force India duo Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi. After almost failing to make it out of Q1 with a steering problem at his W01, Michael Schumacher scored the 15th best time of Q2, ahead of BMW Sauber?s Pedro de la Rosa and STR?s Jaime Alguersuari.

Top ten drivers in Q3
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 37.587s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 37.662s
3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 37.969s
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 38.075s
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 38.127s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 38.137s
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 38.210s
8 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 38.428s
9. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 38.428s
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 38.523s

Drivers eliminated in Q2
11. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 38.586s
12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 38.627s
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 38.851s
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 38.884s
15. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 39.234s
16. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.264s
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 39.458s

Drivers eliminated in Q1
18. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 39.343s
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 40.658s
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 40.882s
21. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 42.086s
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 42.140s
23. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1m 42.600s
24. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 42.851s


Race

Sebastian Vettel scored his second win of 2010 in the European Grand Prix.
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Sebastian Vettel cruised to his second win of the 2010 Formula One season on Sunday (June 27), as the Red Bull racer drove mistake-free from beginning to end in this weekend?s European Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, the German maintained his lead at the first corner, despite an early charge from McLaren?s Lewis Hamilton, after which he never let go of his 1st place.

His teammate Mark Webber started off poorly in Valencia and lost no less than 7 positions in the first lap, being the first to pit from the entire F1 field on Lap 8. Dropping down to 18th overall, the Australian started his recuperation race behind Lotus? Heikki Kovalainen, but it all lasted for a single lap.

While trying to overtake the Finn, Webber?s car touched the rear of Kovalainen?s Lotus and was practically lifted into the air and projected upside down onto the track, after which it flipped back the right way and smashed into the tyre barriers. Luckily, the Red Bull racer did not sustain any injuries in the accident.

Video:



That caused the first and only safety car of the race, meaning all the drivers visited the pits for tyre change. When deployed, the SC joined the field just ahead of the two Ferraris driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, causing some major time damage for the two drivers.

After the pit stops, Vettel remained in 1st place, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi, who decided not to change his tyres early on. Alonso dropped to 10th place, while Massa rejoined the field in 15th place.

Shortly after the safety car went in, Alonso attacked Williams? Nico Hulkenberg and went into 9th place, a position which he held until 3 laps to the finish line, when Kobayashi finally made his tyre change stop. In the front of the field, Hamilton made huge efforts to catch Vettel, but was given a drive-through penalty for passing the SC on track and lost approximately 15 seconds in the process.

However, despite the drive-through penalty, Hamilton retained his 2nd place and went on to finish in the runner-up spot, ahead of his McLaren teammate Jenson Button. Fourth place went to Williams? Rubens Barrichello, who finished ahead of Renault?s Robert Kubica and Force India?s Adrian Sutil.

Going in for a new set of tyres 3 laps to the finish line, Kobayashi managed a spectacular surge from 9th to 7th in only one lap, passing both Alonso and STR?s Sebastien Buemi in the last few kilometers of the race. Buemi had to settle for 8th, ahead of Alonso, while the Top 10 was completed by the second BMW Sauber driver Pedro de la Rosa.

As the chequered flag was waved, uncertainty is the word of the day in Valencia, as a bunch of cars were announced to be investigated for their pit stop under SC rules.

Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi received 5-second penalties for "failing to stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU when the Safety Car was deployed."

In the overall classification of the race, Alonso was lifted up one spot to 8th place, while Buemi dropped to 9th. Pedro de la Rosa lost his 10th place in favor of Nico Rosberg.

European Grand Prix Race times
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 57 laps 1hr 40m 29.571s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +5.0s
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +12.6s*
4. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth +25.6s*
5. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault +27.1s*
6. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +30.1s*
7. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari +30.9s
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari +32.8s
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari +36.2s*
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes +44.3s

11. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari +46.6s
12. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari +47.4s*
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari +48.2s*
14. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault +48.2s*
15. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes +48.8s
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes +50.8s*
17. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth +1 lap
18. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth +2 laps
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth +2 laps**
20. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth +2 laps
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth +4 laps

Rtd. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 49 laps completed mechanical*
Rtd. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 8 laps completed accident
Rtd. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 8 laps completed accident


Fastest lap:
Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 38.766s

* denotes handed 5-second penalty for speeding under safety car conditions
** denotes handed 20-second penalty for ignoring blue flags


Links to websites related to the 2010 European Grand Prix


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From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

You may well have thought that the Mercury Cougar auto that the origins of the Mercury Cougar auto were nothing more than a whale sized version of simple Ford Thunderbird car. Yet many are surprised that the history and development of this classic American sportscar rather was that of the NASCAR legendary Mercury “Pony Car” , which kicked nothing but but “Butt” on the Trans-Am Automobile racing circuit.

Originally Lincoln- Mercury (considered at the time to be the luxury end of Ford Motor Corporation), had devised the idea of developing, designing and marketing a small sized sports car. The germ of this idea had started as early as February 1963 with the idea in the works of this smaller sports type vehicle to be sold within the North American automobile market.

But it was the success of the Ford Mustang product that finally put the pedal to the metal (or the design and marketing staff’s ok and budgeting of departmental project funding). It is said that nothing drives a project the automobile industry than the potential of excellent sales figures and profitability’s. Even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” is not totally unique. Cougar is in the same vein as “Mustang” – both being sleek fast racing animals.

Although the Cougar was also built on a 111 inch

wheelbase similar to the mustang auto sports car, the Cougar was rather three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheet metal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the dourer family vehicle - the Ford Falcon (which was also known in the Canadian market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Ford Mustang had the greatest fortune of being born from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustang enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a so called compact “Family” car. The Ford Falcon allowed both the Mustang car project as well as the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheap to produce as well as a proven and durable base platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs was a direct copy of the Falcons.

Underneath all of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal the Cougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same Falcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with four-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made 200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the guise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp. A GT option included a performance handling package and power disc brakes that replaced more standard front brake drums. Finally special GT wheels rounded out the package.

It has been said that Lincoln Mercury’s chief designer had envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European sports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2. How was it that the Cougar went racing?

In 1967 Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the point man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. Team Cougar made up of drivers, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter Revson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came in second in Ford Mustang’s team. In 1968 then under the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne “Tiny” Lund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand Touring Championship.

So where and how did the Cougar go wrong and in the end become a rather non defined wishy washy bloated luxo sort of sports car by the end of its automobile production lifetime? What proved to be this product and projects undoing was the lack of true comprehension from the direct Mercury as well as Ford staff and executives as to what this car’s clear and distinct market was. It may be said that at the best they were disinterested and at the worst clueless and greedy. This lack of market focus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the needs and desires of the potential Cougar customer market proved to be the Cougar’s undoing.

By the 1969 product introduction the Cougar was a little longer and a little wider. From then on it was only a short decent into landau roofs as well as the opera window type styling and options of the day. Once started this downward trend and spiral of the Cougar was inevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar - specifically the early Cougar model years of 1967 – 70 remain a time when the Cougar’s roar boomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a car that had some bite to it.

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Article Source: From Nascar "Pony" Car Fame - The Lincoln - Mercury Cougar

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/140282/from-nascar-pony-car-fame-the-lincoln-mercury-cougar

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Official F1 2010 game by Codemasters arrives in September

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July 7 '10

"F1 2010" is an upcoming official game of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and will include all of the official 12 teams, 24 drivers and 19 circuits from the 2010 season. It will be released in September 2010 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows platforms. Before the opening race of the South Korean Grand Prix in October, players can drive the new Korean International Circuit!

Some of the features of the game have been revealed in the F1 2010 developer videos (below) by Codemasters Studios.

Tracks and Cars


The new video takes viewers behind the scenes at F1 2010 developers, Codemasters Birmingham, and shows how all of the cars and circuits from the exhilarating 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? have been painstakingly recreated in the game.

To deliver fans the most authentic FORMULA ONE? experience, CAD (Computer Aided Design) data and extensive reference photography has been used to accurately simulate the 19 circuits that will host the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Once tracks are created, former FORMULA ONE driver Anthony Davidson, who is working as Technical Consultant on F1 2010, gives his feedback from a driver?s perspective about the look and feel of each circuit in-game.

?Driving the real world circuits enables me to give that impression to the guys creating the game,? said Davidson. ?There?s all these details that only a driver would know about. For instance, turn eight in Spa; I know straight away any car I have ever driven there always understeers and it?s knowing that kind of detail as a driver that you can get over into the game. The circuits feel really spot on.?
- www.formula1-game.com


Weather


In the video, the wide ranging effects of weather and their impact in the game are revealed. FORMULA ONE test driver Anthony Davidson explains that although you have some information about the weather at your disposal, how you use that information is crucial: ?The teams know by the radar where the weather is coming from and how long it?s going to last. You?ll be aware of what the weather?s doing roughly, and then you can make your call, just like you would in real life.?

In career mode, F1 2010?s weather system is fully dynamic, mirroring real life conditions which change at any time, whether between sessions or during a session itself. The weather authentically reflects the conditions at each of the 19 GRAND PRIX? locations, meaning rain is unlikely at Abu Dhabi but conditions can be unpredictable at Spa and Silverstone. Presenting a further challenge, players can set the weather conditions and experience the dramatic affect they have on racing in GRAND PRIX, Time Trial and Multiplayer modes.
- www.formula1-game.com


Handling


Anthony Davidson, who has been embedded into the team, explains the unique ?twitchy? way in which FORMULA ONE cars handle and how this is translated into authentic gameplay. His experience, combined with real world data and feedback from the teams, drivers and tyre manufacturers is enabling the F1 2010 team to bring alive the sensation of being an F1 racing driver like never before. As in real life, aerodynamics plays a pivotal role in racing, and players will feel how cars can corner at extremely high speed yet perform very differently at lower speeds.
- www.formula1-game.com

Thanks to www.formula1-game.com. Video credit: eurogamer

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So far so good in Korea

Formula 1 is entering the unknown at this weekend's inaugural Korean Grand Prix and in recent weeks fears have been multiplying over just what lay ahead.

The fact that the Korean International Circuit was given the green light to host the event just nine days ago, after the top layer of asphalt had been laid, only added to those concerns.

But now the F1 community is actually here most of the worries are proving unfounded.

As one member of Team BBC succinctly said: "It's not as bad as we feared - but not as good as we'd hoped for."

The circuit may not be complete - and there will be more on that later - but our first sojourn to South Korea has definitely been a case of so far, so good.

Workers are still busy at the Korean International Circuit

Workers are still busy at the Korean International Circuit (Photo credit: Getty Images)

After an 11-hour flight from London to South Korea's Seoul capital, the thick fog that enveloped the airport in its claustrophobic grasp made first impressions difficult to draw.

The white haze kept us company as we wound our way from the capital to the south-west coastal city of Mokpo.

For four-and-a-half hours, the bus motored past muddy flats, rice fields and industrial towns.

Mokpo, the nearest city to the circuit, greeted us with welcome signs among oddball shops such as 'Romantic PC' and a grocery store promising it was 'fresh, friendly and fun'.

Home for most of the F1 fraternity - including Team BBC - was found in one of the skyscraper city's 'Love Hotels' where rooms are usually rented by the hour.

It is not as seedy as it sounds. These short-stay, budget hotels are common in Japan and Korea. I am a little sad, however, that I didn't get the room with the stars and moon revolving on the ceiling as one lucky colleague did.

At the circuit, there was much less frivolity and fun to be found.

Bulldozers, cranes and construction staff were working on the outer rim of the track; rolls of turf and boxes of flowers sat waiting to be dug in, the bridge linking the main grandstand and TV compound to the paddock is frantically being finished and the taste of concrete dust hung in the air.

The immaculate finish associated with F1's new circuits - just think of the polished gleam of Abu Dhabi - is still a long, long way off.

"It is a building site," circuit designer Hermann Tilke told BBC Sport. "Yes, that is the situation here.

"We were much behind schedule and the last months and weeks were very tough for everybody.

"In the beginning, it was very swampy land and it needed more than a year to drain. Then the monsoons in the last few years were really long and unexpected and it was not possible to work."

A group of five of us walked the three-and-a-half mile track as dusk fell on Wednesday evening.

Silhouetted under floodlights, teams of workers, including military personnel in fatigues, were working hard to finish grandstands around the circuit.

"They will continue improving it until Sunday," added Tilke, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's designated track architect, who is in the process of planning new circuits in India, the USA and Russia.

"Around 1,000 people are working all over the circuit. They have to because there are some important parts for the spectators that they must finish."

There has, however, been plenty of positive progress since construction began three years ago.

The creamy-grey main grandstand, which can seat up to 15,000 fans, stands proudly along the pit straight.

The square pit and paddock buildings are huge - so big that most teams are only paying to use one floor of the two storeys on offer - and the media centre is spacious and clean with very friendly staff.

And the all-important track? Well, the final layer of asphalt went down two weeks ago and Tilke agreed the newness of the circuit could have real consequences for Sunday's race.

"Yes, it will have," said the German designer. "It will be very slippery, there won't be much grip and it will change a lot during the weekend.

"The racing line will be fine but normally it needs traffic and more time to find the right grip."

The circuit may be unfinished and untested but this maiden voyage to South Korea is an adventure which the F1 community and fans are all sharing in - and there is still plenty to look forward to.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2010/10/so_far_so_good_in_korea.html

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Canadian GP: Hamilton all set for qualifying as he goes fastest in P3

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June 12 '10

Lewis Hamilton was the fastest driver in his McLaren in the final practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix with his best time of 1m16.058s which was 0.3 of a second faster than the Red Bull of Mark Webber in second position.

As if the track wasn't slippery enough, overnight showers made track conditions even worse at the beginning of the session. Halfway through the session the track became almost dry and Hamilton set his fastest time of the weekend on the super-soft tyres that nobody could match.

According to iTV, "In the middle part of the session Button had briefly traded fastest times with his McLaren team-mate Hamilton, before the younger Briton took command with a 1m16.259s lap at the 40-minute mark.

"Even though it was set on the harder prime tyre, that time remained unbeaten when the field switched to the super-soft options in the closing stages ? except by Hamilton himself, who moved the benchmark to 1m16.058s."

Sebastian Vettel was fifth quickest in the second Red Bull and was on target to improve when Lucas di Grassi spun his Virgin at the Casino hairpin with just a minute left on the clocks and brought out the yellow flags.

Apart from Grassi, there were few others who also had a close shave. Felipe Massa brushed the wall at the exit of turn seven and sparks flew from the front side of his Ferrari with no major damage. Hamilton also brushed the barriers coming out of turn four after setting the quickest time of the session.

Nico Rosberg managed just 4 laps during the dying stages of the practice session as his Mercedes was being tended by the pit crew with a clutch problem. Hispania's Karun Chandhok missed the entire session as his car stopped at the pit exit due to gearbox problem.

Canadian Grand Prix free practice 3 times

1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.058s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m 16.340s
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 16.495s
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 16.536s
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m 16.582s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault 1m 16.653s
7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m 16.673s
8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m 16.699s
9. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m 16.814s
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault 1m 16.982s
11. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m 17.121s
12. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 17.231s
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 17.331s
14. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 17.548s
15. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 1m 17.609s
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m 17.633s
17 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m 17.789s
18. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 17.979s
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m 19.013s
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m 19.447s
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m 19.536s
22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m 19.844s
23. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 1m 20.325s
24. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth No time

Image(C) f1aldia

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/c7eo4uMhjVg/canadian-gp-hamilton-all-set-for.html

Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier

Jamie McMurray Wins Bank of America 500 at Charlotte

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CONCORD, N.C. -- Jamie McMurray battled past Kyle Busch on the final restart of the Bank of America 500 Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won his third race of the year, stealing the thunder of the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

McMurray added the Charlotte fall race to his impressive non-Chase record of 2010, which also includes victories in the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400.

Busch finished second after dominating the race and leading 217 of the 334 laps. But Busch had to hold off a determined challenge in the final laps from Jimmie Johnson, who finished third.

Johnson's finish gave him a 41-point lead over Denny Hamlin at the halfway point in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Denny Hamlin finished fourth, followed by Greg Biffle.

"As I was catching Kyle at the end of the race, when the caution came out, I really wasn't sure whether we had enough speed to outrun him the last 25 or 30 laps," McMurray said. "But the car was unbelievable those last 25 or 30 laps, it was effortless to drive and it had a lot of speed."

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/10/16/jamie-mcmurray-wins-sprint-cup-race-at-charlotte/

Masami Kuwashima Robert La Caze Jacques Laffite Franck Lagorce

Turkish GP: Hamilton gains victory by Red Bull collision

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May 30 '10

Lewis Hamilton won today's Turkish Grand Prix with a bit of a luck from the collision of the Red Bull mates, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's first win of the season. His team mate Jenson Button finished second and Mark Webber who was leading the race before the incident, finished third.

The McLaren duo of Hamilton and Button, who were running first and second after the incident between the Red Bull drivers, were racing against each other despite warnings from their crew about ?critical? fuel shortages.

According to F1Fanatic, The McLaren drivers could scarcely believe their fortune but Button, now up to second, fancied his chances of a third win. He drew alongside his team mate on the outside of turn 12 and scrambled past.

That left Button on the outside of the last corner and Hamilton used his momentum to get back alongside. The pair touched wheels as they dived into turn one side-by-side and Hamilton seized the lead back."

Details of the race below, thanks to the Formula 1 broadcaster and journalist, James Allen's tweets.

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Video of the incident between Webber and Vettel

According to iTV, "Winning this race would be about seizing the precious moment. Vettel felt his had come when he got a run on Webber exiting ?Faux Rouge?, the right-hand kink in the back straight.

It was a squeeze but he got alongside and had the inside line for turn 12. He was slightly ahead too, and clearly felt he had earned the right to drift over for a slightly less compromised line.

Webber didn?t see it that way. Perhaps hoping to pinch his team-mate in order to get a run on him through the second part or even the exit of the left-right-left combination, he held his line.

The Red Bulls touched and Vettel spun down the road, almost collecting Webber in the run-off area before marching away from his wreck while giving the universally accepted hand signal for ?crazy?."

Michael Schumacher finished a strong fourth in his Mercedes ahead of his team mate Nico Rosberg in fifth. Kamui Kobayashi scored his first points of the season and also his team's. Both the Saubers finished the race for the first time this season.

Hamilton?s first win of the season moves him up to third place in the driver's standings (84 pts), Webber retains the lead (93 pts). Button moves to second (88 pts). Vettel, who jointly led the championship heading into this race, falls to fifth (78 pts). McLaren lead the constructor's championship, ahead of Red Bull and Ferrari.

Turkish Grand Prix Race times

1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 58 laps 1hr 28m 47.620s
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +00m 02.6s
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +00m 24.2s
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes-Mercedes +00m 31.1s
5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes-Mercedes +00m 32.2s
6. Robert Kubica Renault-Renault +00m 32.8s
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 36.6s
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 46.5s
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +00m 49.0s
10. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari +01m 05.6s

11. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari +01m 05.9s
12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari +01m 07.8s
13. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth +1 lap
15. Vitaly Petrov Renault-Renault +1 lap
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth +1 lap
18. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth +3 laps
19 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth +3 laps
20. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth +6 laps

Rtd Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 46 laps completed
Rtd Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 39 laps completed
Rtd Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 33 laps completed
Rtd Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 32 laps completed


Fastest lap:

Vitaly Petrov Renault -Renault 1m 29.165s lap 57

Images (C) Daylife, F1Fanatic

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/ro5uN5uROP0/turkish-gp-hamilton-gains-victory-by.html

Mike Bliss Shelby Howard Kelly Bires Raybestos Ford

GT: Loeb and Sordo to race in GT Open

Loeb and Sordo to race in GT Open By David Evans Thursday, October 21st 2010, 10:49 GMT Sebastien Loeb and Dani Sordo will contest the final round of the International GT Open series at Barcelona next weekend. Citroen's works World Rally Championship pair will share a Porsche 911 GT3 prepared by French specialist Almeras at the event. Related posts:
  1. WRC: Loeb not planning to hand Sordo win Loeb not planning to hand Sordo win By David Evans...
  2. WRC: Sordo leads as Loeb hits trouble Sordo leads as Loeb hits trouble By Matt Beer Thursday,...
  3. WRC: Sordo says he can go quicker Sordo says he can go quicker By David Evans Friday,...
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Source: http://doxcar.com/gt-loeb-and-sordo-to-race-in-gt-open/

Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg

NASCAR The Drivers Physical Conditioning

So does NASCAR driver physical conditioning matter. Some would debate that drivers are not athletes but one must consider the conditions inside of a stock car race vehicle. The interiors of these cars are not designed for driver comfort with air conditioning and surround sound. Everything about a stock car is focused on speed not on comfort. So NASCAR driver physical conditioning must be such that it builds a drivers endurance to withstand some harsh conditions and Gforces. And, the NASCAR driver physical conditioning is very similar to athletes in other sports except different areas are built up.

The temperatures in the drives cockpit of a race car can reach around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine this temperature with a 500 lap race at 200 mph along with lack of air flow and you will see that NASCAR driver physical conditioning to build in endurance is critical. Plus, a NASCAR driver will need to steer and maneuver a 3,400 pound vehicle around curves, other cars, and over bumps. This can cause a lot of impacting against the driver plus just the strain of controlling the steering wheel. Then there are the G forces that will result from banking turns at speeds close to 200 mph causing pressure on the drivers torso as it presses against the side of the vehicle.

Oxygen is a problem too. Since the cars are very aerodynamic so as to increase speed, the air is guided around the car but does not reach the inside. The drivers cockpit is not pressurized like an aircraft. So, the driver has to be able to process what oxygen he gets very efficiently. Therefore, NASCAR driver physical conditioning will include aerobic exercises so as to optimize the processing of oxygen by the body.

Part of any good physical athletic training is the proper amount of nutrition and rest and NASCAR driver physical conditioning is no exception to this. By including the proper amount of nutrition and rest in NASCAR driver physical conditioning, the driver can maintaining alertness and quick reflexes which are crucial to a safe drive. Not getting the proper amount of rest can cause a driver to make mistakes which at 200 mph could be dangerous and even fatal.

Without the proper nutrition and rest in the drivers physical conditioning, a driver can become confused and disoriented during the race. This is especially true when combining the lack of air in the cockpit mixed with carbon monoxide fumes and tremendous G forces which cause disorientation as well. G forces can also affect vision but proper nutrition and vitamins combat against their effects.

NASCAR driver physical conditioning also includes weight training but not in order to build mass. The weight training performed by a driver is to build up strength for steering and breaking. It is also so that the drivers body can withstand the abuse from bouncing around and getting slammed from excessive Gforces.

NASCAR driver physical conditioning separates those who can make it for an entire racing event and those who would wear out during the qualification races. It is very important and the sport should be taken just as serious as any other professional sport.

For the largest selection of Nascar Merchandise along with up to the minute News, NASCARsupershop.com offers this and more. We carry everything NASCAR including Nascar Car Flags and Nascar Baby Pajamas all at the best prices everyday!

Article Source: NASCAR The Drivers Physical Conditioning

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/102519/nascar-the-drivers-physical-conditioning

Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones