Renault R31 launch pictures (31st of January)

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Lotus Renault GP unveiled their much-discussed 2011 challenger, the R31, in the pit lane of Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit on 31st Jan'11.

Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov revealed the R31, with reserves Romain Grosjean, Bruno Senna, Jan Charouz and Fairuz Fauzy.

Technical specifications

Chassis Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, with engine incorporated as a fully-stressed member
Suspension (front) Carbon fibre double wishbone, operating inboard torsion bar and damper units via a pushrod system
Suspension (rear) As front except via a pullrod system
Engine Renault RS27-2011 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM with KERS naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission Seven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with reverse gear "Quickshift" system
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Total
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Links

Renault R31 ? Launch Details and Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"What was formerly the Renault F1 Team and now Lotus Renault GP (I?ll use the term LRGP for this article) have unveiled their new car the R31. It seems some critical details are not fitted to the car for its unveiling, indeed the car was shown only briefly to the press before it was covered back up and returned to the garage. Despite the mystery surrounding the cars exhaust exit location, its clear this is a very new design for the team. In creating this the team were given a mandate to take risks, which probably explains the very different front and rear end treatments."

Renault R31 Front Exit Exhausts (FEE) ? Explained (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"Renault have found a new solution to the blown diffuser concept. In fact they?ve turned it on its head. With an exhaust that exits at the front of the sidepods.

Last years teams reintroduced the blown diffuser concept, either by blowing exhaust gasses over the top of the diffuser, or by creating an opening into the diffuser to blow inside the diffuser. Both solutions created more downforce. With the latter solution now banned, it seemed the less effective over-blown solutions are all that?s left to race."

Renault R31 launch pictures






Photos © Renault/LAT

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/7EFQv-5Iy78/renault-r31-launch-pictures-31st-of.html

Richmond Menards Ford Mark Green Ryan Newman Jeremy Clements

Renault R31 launch pictures (31st of January)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOEV96Eget0/TWCB2lnrcXI/AAAAAAAAG9M/S2e6Gog7cnM/s1600/q0c2449.jpg

Lotus Renault GP unveiled their much-discussed 2011 challenger, the R31, in the pit lane of Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit on 31st Jan'11.

Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov revealed the R31, with reserves Romain Grosjean, Bruno Senna, Jan Charouz and Fairuz Fauzy.

Technical specifications

Chassis Moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb composite monocoque, with engine incorporated as a fully-stressed member
Suspension (front) Carbon fibre double wishbone, operating inboard torsion bar and damper units via a pushrod system
Suspension (rear) As front except via a pullrod system
Engine Renault RS27-2011 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM with KERS naturally aspirated mid-mounted
Transmission Seven-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox with reverse gear "Quickshift" system
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Total
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Links

Renault R31 ? Launch Details and Analysis (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"What was formerly the Renault F1 Team and now Lotus Renault GP (I?ll use the term LRGP for this article) have unveiled their new car the R31. It seems some critical details are not fitted to the car for its unveiling, indeed the car was shown only briefly to the press before it was covered back up and returned to the garage. Despite the mystery surrounding the cars exhaust exit location, its clear this is a very new design for the team. In creating this the team were given a mandate to take risks, which probably explains the very different front and rear end treatments."

Renault R31 Front Exit Exhausts (FEE) ? Explained (Scarbsf1's Blog)
"Renault have found a new solution to the blown diffuser concept. In fact they?ve turned it on its head. With an exhaust that exits at the front of the sidepods.

Last years teams reintroduced the blown diffuser concept, either by blowing exhaust gasses over the top of the diffuser, or by creating an opening into the diffuser to blow inside the diffuser. Both solutions created more downforce. With the latter solution now banned, it seemed the less effective over-blown solutions are all that?s left to race."

Renault R31 launch pictures






Photos © Renault/LAT

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/7EFQv-5Iy78/renault-r31-launch-pictures-31st-of.html

Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland

Williams FW33 2011 Livery pictures (24th of February)

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Williams F1 Team on Thursday, revealed the livery for its 2011 car, the FW33 during an event broadcasted online. Their interim livery had made its debut at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, on 1 February.

The Williams FW33 2011 livery was released on 24 February, adding white, silver and red to the existing dark blue in a design directly inspired by the Rothmans livery used from 1994 to 1997.

Reigning GP2 champion and rookie driver Pastor Maldonado joined Sam Michael at the event. Maldonado's co-driver, veteran Rubens Barrichello was not present at the event as he was celebrating his 14th wedding anniversary with wife Silvana.

The most visible name on the car is that of energy company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which joined the Williams F1 boat after the British squad signed Pastor Maldonado for the 2011 season. In addition, the new livery also comprises the name of temporary employment company Randstad.

Williams has also announced a new partnership for the 2011 season of Formula 1 with one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs Michael Caines (who will join the team with responsibilities in the hospitality area).

The British chef, who received 2 Michelin stars some 12 years ago and has retained them ever since, said,

"I am thrilled to be involved with the AT&T Williams team as an official partner and to help them develop their already high standards of hospitality.

(...) It is a prestigious relationship and something we are very excited about and proud of. I am a petrolhead at heart and I?m passionate about Formula One. I have followed Williams over many years so for me this involvement is just brilliant"


A touch of nostalgia!
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Williams FW33
Williams FW18 Renault

Links

Williams unveil definitive 2011 race livery (The Official F1)
"Williams? technical director Sam Michael was in attendance at the unveiling and spoke to the assembled media about the theory behind the technicalities of the car?s design. Michael drew particular attention to the compact nature of the FW33?s rear end."


Williams FW33 2011 Livery pictures









Sponsor logos on the Williams FW33






Photos © Williams/LAT

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/VDQ--D6KqpU/williams-fw33-2011-livery-pictures-24th.html

Derrike Cope Kevin Harvick Brad Keselowski Ruby Tuesday Dodge

NASCAR Tickets -Patrick Mania Seeps into NASCAR

Neither the NASCAR nor IndyCar Series seasons are close to the end of their respective schedules for the year, but for whatever reason a spark has recently exploded concerning Danica Patrick and her almost inevitable crossover from IndyCar to NASCAR. Lured by far more lucrative contracts, exposure and promotional opportunities, Patrick could be looking to make the jump to NASCAR as soon as this season (along with her contract with Andretti-Green Racing) ends, and this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for NASCAR, either.

Patrick's status as a racecar driver has been boosted this year in the IndyCar Series with several top five finishes and even a third-place landing at May's Indy 500, but it is Danica Patrick's noteworthy marketability that keeps her in the running as one of the leading contestants for a sponsor and team in the 2010 racing season with NASCAR.
In a time where the economy has put enormous pressure on the racing circuit, Danica Patrick is still about as close to signing a deal with NASCAR as several of stock car racing's best drivers. GM's recent announcement to cut ties with the Nationwide Series is troubling, and it is predictable that more cuts are coming for next year's Sprint Cup Series, as well.

That said, the Danica factor could help pour money into the league to keep the racing circuit alive, as the racing queen garners more attention than almost any other driver in either NASCAR or the IRL. Still, Patrick acknowledges that winning races is the most important aspect of her career, saying, "I think the most important thing for me is to put myself in a situation where I can win as many races as possible and run up front and be in that competitive situation, because at the end of the day, usually the best press comes when I'm doing things on the track. That's really the most important thing for me as a driver.

So that's where the ultimate focus is going to go." The IndyCar princess didn't deny her marketability, however, going on to say, "Then aside from that and after that there has to be thoughts to the brand side of the situation, and being able to make the most of myself as an athlete and as an endorser of products and gaining exposure so that in due time I'm able to explore other things outside of racing. So, all of that comes afterwards. The most important thing is kicking butt out there."

The very fact that Danica Patrick is willing to publicly announce that she's thinking about the lure of NASCAR could either mean that she is indeed seriously considering an upcoming career with NASCAR or that she's trying to get more money out of Andretti-Green Racing, as her contract with the team is up at the end of this season. No matter if she ends up with NASCAR or IndyCar next season, the one thing for sure is that her price tag will be expensive.

Does any NASCAR team have the funds to cut a deal with Patrick? And does Danica Patrick even want to make the switch to NASCAR? Time is sure to tell, but NASCAR tickets will always be available, with or without racing's golden girl in the mix. To get tickets to an upcoming race, go online today.

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets -Patrick Mania Seeps into NASCAR

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/301051/nascar-tickets-patrick-mania-seeps-into-nascar

Hermie Sadler III Brian Scott Carl Long Willie Allen

Vettel shines as troubled Hamilton toils

In Singapore

In more ways than one, the Singapore Grand Prix was a microcosm of the 2011 Formula 1 season as a whole.

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull produced another immaculate weekend, exploiting their blistering pace to take pole position and then quickly extend an advantage in the opening laps that they could then defend for the rest of the race, pacing themselves to their closest 'rivals'.

The victory, the German's ninth of the season, has effectively won him a second consecutive world title. Vettel has been either first or second in all the races bar one, in which he was fourth. To clinch the title, he needs to score only one more point in the remaining five races - and that's only if Jenson Button wins them all.

As he admitted himself with a wry grin after the race: "Obviously, it should not be a problem."

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It has been a quite stunning season from Vettel and his team - almost completely flawless while operating at a level no one else has generally been able to match.

He has won all the races he should have won, as well as the odd one that he perhaps should not. As every single one of his rivals was all too happy to admit this weekend, he fully deserves this title.

Vettel and Red Bull's superiority has had an interesting effect on his rivals.

McLaren's Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso have knuckled down, accepted that they generally have not had the car to challenge Vettel, and concentrated on doing the best they can with what they have.

The result is they lie second and third in the championship - ahead of Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber.

By contrast, Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton seems to be battling inner demons, the exact nature of which perhaps even those closest to him do not understand.

Not for the first time this year, Hamilton wrecked his race with an avoidable collision with a rival. In Singapore, it was Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Hamilton was trying to make up ground after losing places at the start when he was forced to back out of an attempt to pass Webber, who was slow off the line for the third race in a row.

The move on Massa was never on. Hamilton was on the outside and behind the Ferrari, and he simply made an error of judgment as they turned into the left-hander at Turn Seven.

He clipped the Ferrari's rear wheel with his front wing, and both their races were ruined there and then. Massa's right-rear tyre was punctured, and Hamilton's front wing damaged - and the stewards added insult to injury by giving him a drive-through penalty.

As he battled to climb back through the field from 16th place, Hamilton's frustration at the situation became clear in his communications with his team - again, not for the first time this season.

"Would you please give me some info on how I'm doing," he said, "what I'm racing for?"

Most people interpreted that as effectively saying, "Is it really worth me continuing with this?" Which is a surprising thing, to say the least, to hear from F1's most aggressive, attacking racing driver.

His team responded by reassuring him that he was fighting for a points finish, adding that there would definitely be a safety car that would further aid his cause - correctly as it turned out, although they were not to know it at the time.

Having been told that, Hamilton got his head down and produced what his team principal Martin Whitmarsh was "a great drive".

Whitmarsh added: "He did some of the best overtaking, some fantastic driving, to get back up into the points, so I think he should be given credit for that."

In that, Whitmarsh was absolutely right, but so, too, was he when he said: "He's a driver who wants to overtake in a hurry. Afterwards he'll regret that and maybe he could have waited another few corners."

Whitmarsh initially bristled after the race when he started to be questioned by the media about Hamilton's race, and his season.

When it was pointed out that this was not the first avoidable accident Hamilton had been involved in, and asked how McLaren and Hamilton could prevent such incidents from recurring, he replied: "If you stay in the garage, any accident is avoidable. Any serious questions?"

But as he was pressed on the same issue again and again, he finally admitted that the race "went badly", adding: "Undeniably this has not been a good year for Lewis Hamilton."

Indeed not. On the one hand, he has delivered two of the greatest wins of the season - his victories in China and Germany rank with any of Vettel's.

But the same driver was over-aggressive and incautious in Monaco - a fact Hamilton has admitted himself; collided with his team-mate in Canada; crashed out of the Belgian race after misjudging an overtaking move; and got into two altercations in two days with Massa in Singapore.

The one in the race followed him barging his way past the Ferrari at the start of final qualifying on Saturday, a move that prompted Massa to say: "I think he didn't use his mind. Again."

After their altercation in the TV interview area post-race in Singapore, Massa implied that if Hamilton kept driving this way, he would find it difficult to win any more world championships.

To which Whitmarsh countered: "I think he's wrong. Lewis is still a young guy, he's learning all the time. He'll win races and I'm sure he'll win more world championships."

Hamilton may indeed be young - but he is two and a half years older than Vettel, who is driving with a maturity way beyond his years. And many people in the F1 paddock feel that if Hamilton is to compete with Vettel in the future, he needs a change of approach.

No one wants to see him abandon the aggressive, charging driving style that makes him the most exciting driver in F1.

But there is no doubt he needs to find a better balance than he has done this year - or indeed in any of his seasons in F1 bar perhaps the first one. A better way, too, of coping with the frustration of not having the best car - which is what seems to be at the root of some of his behaviour this year.

Nor is it just Hamilton who has committed costly errors this season. McLaren have racked up a fair few as well.

"None of us are perfect," Whitmarsh said in mitigation. "The team has made some mistakes; we'll make more mistakes. We don't want to, but that's life. We're pretty open and honest about that. We have to try to get better, Lewis has to try to get better as a race driver."

The honesty and openness is admirable. The fact is, though, that Vettel and Red Bull have raised the bar this season to a level beyond their rivals' capabilities.

Such has been their superiority that even a flawless year from Hamilton and McLaren would almost certainly not have prevented Vettel winning the title - although it would have been a lot closer than it has been.

But however quick McLaren's car is in 2012, they are going to find it hard to beat Vettel and Red Bull if they and Hamilton keep performing like this.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/09/vettel_shines_as_troubled_hami.html

Trevor Bayne Ricky Stenhouse Jr Citifinancial Ford Reed Sorenson

NASCAR Tickets - Brotherly Duo Is Double Trouble for Sprint Cup Series

23-year-old racecar driving prodigy Kyle Busch has been all the talk of the NASCAR world so far this season, but after the Kobalt Tools 500 race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, the spotlight shifted to the other Busch - 30-year-old Kurt. The Busch brothers have attracted flocks of fans and undying attention over the past several years as they have proven their place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the elder Busch's recent Atlanta victory has sparked speculation that Kurt and Kyle Busch are the next brotherly duo to dominate the NASCAR realm, perhaps even being one the best sibling pairs of all time to conquer the racing circuit together.

When it comes to Cup Series victories, the Busch brothers stack up as the sixth overall sibling combo with the most wins in NASCAR history, coming in behind some of the best family names in the history of racing. Kurt and Kyle Busch have collectively accumulated 32 wins in their racing careers, but there are still a handful of siblings who beat this remarkable record. The winningest family name in all of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is still the Allisons, as brothers Bobby and Donnie racked up an outrageous 94 combined wins during their reign over stock car racing.

Coming in as the second most winning sibling combination is the Waltrips, as Darrell and Michael have accumulated 88 wins in their joint careers. The Flock brothers (Tim, Fonty and Bob) are third on this list with 62, and Herb and Donald Thomas rank fourth with 49. Rounding out the top five are the Labontes, as Terry and Bobby have 43 victories under their belts. The Buschs are currently at sixth place, but because this brotherly duo is so young, Kurt and Kyle Busch have plenty of time to rack up several more wins on the NASCAR circuit before they retire from the sport, perhaps already making them the best brotherly duo to ever grace the racing scene.

As of the Atlanta race on March 8, the name Busch has taken the title of a Cup race for two out of the season's four races, with Matt Kenseth sweeping the first two races of the year. Kyle Busch was the victor of the Las Vegas race on March 1 (competing at his hometown track) and brother Kurt followed up the win with a March 8 victory at Atlanta. The Busch brothers are both currently in the Top 12 of the 2009 Sprint Cup standings, with Kurt Busch in third place while Kyle Busch is in seventh, the latter working his way up the totem pole after suffering an early race-ending crash triggered by Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Daytona.

While Kyle Busch is largely considered the favorite of the two Busch brothers, Kurt has proven in the last couple weeks that while he is proud of his brother he certainly won't give up without a fight. With NASCAR tickets you can see both Busch brothers battle for the 2009 Sprint Cup title in person, so browse your favorite online ticket reseller and make your way to the grandstands today to catch these young stock car drivers spin circles around their competitors.

This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Brotherly Duo Is Double Trouble for Sprint Cup Series

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/247683/nascar-tickets-brotherly-duo-is-double-trouble-for-sprint-cup-series

Nicola Larini Oscar Larrauri Gérard Larrousse Jud Larson

Vettel wins the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

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Sebastian Vettel won his second consecutive race this year after another dominant performance on the Sepang International Circuit, making it two out of two for both him and his Red Bull Racing team in 2011.

Although the winning margin wasn?t as big as in Australia two weekends ago, the reigning world champion did not look in trouble at any time while in the lead, crossing the finish line a little over 3 seconds ahead of McLaren?s Jenson Button. And just as it happened at Albert Park, the last step of the podium was taken by a Lotus Renault driver, only this time it was Nick Heidfeld who got to enjoy that position.

Vettel kept 1st place from pole position early on and built a comfortable time margin ahead, while Heidfeld started off great and jumped from 6th to 2nd by the first corner, ahead of McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Renault enjoyed a great race start, as Vitaly Petrov also jumped a few positions to 5th place, ahead of Ferrari duo Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.

Mark Webber?s nightmare was again the race start, as he lost no more than 5 positions and dropped to 8th overall.

While Vettel did his race undisturbed in the front, positions in the back changed after the first round of pit stops, where Heidfeld and Massa lost a huge amount of time and returned to the track in 6th and 7th respectively. The two McLarens and Fernando Alonso were easily the beneficiaries going into their 2nd stint, as the trio started putting in fast lap times and threaten Vettel?s leading position.

Alonso moved quickly to pass Jenson Button for 3rd place, before the second round of pit stops messed with the leading pack once more. The Spaniard lost plenty of time in the pits ? while staying more on the track and pitting last ? and returned to the track behind Hamilton and Button.

Again, while finally closing down on the two McLarens, the field began their 3rd pit stop entries, causing Alonso to further lose some positions to Petrov and Webber, while Button and Hamilton switched positions behind Vettel.

Once Petrov and Red Bull?s Webber pitted (the latter for the 4th time on Sunday), Alonso began closing down on Hamilton and, with some 10 laps to go, set up the stage for the most exciting duel of the afternoon. It didn?t last for too long however, as the Spaniard ? whose rear wing stopped working after his 3rd pit stop ? clipped the rear of Hamilton?s car when trying to overtake him and damaged his front wing.

As he was forced to pit for the 4th time, he returned to the track in 7th place, behind teammate Felipe Massa. Hamilton, however, also hit trouble late in the race and, after losing two positions to Heidfeld and Webber, decided to pit and take on a new set of tires.

While Vettel and Button ran undisturbed for 1st and 2nd, Heidfeld had to really struggle to keep his position ahead of Webber, despite having the advantage of using KERS (which neither of the two RBR drivers used on Sunday).

Felipe Massa finished in 5th place, ahead of his teammate Alonso, while Hamilton returned to the track in 7th place after his 4th stop. Sauber?s Kamui Kobayashi scored a great 8th place, at the end of a race that say him overtake Michael Schumacher a handful of times, while the German had to settle for 9th place.

Rookie Paul di Resta (Force India) managed his second point-scoring performance in F1 in 2 races and finished in 10th place, ahead of his much more experienced teammate Adrian Sutil.

-By Ovidiu Panzariu


The Race as it happened via f1livetweets

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2011 Malaysian Grand Prix Race times

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time Grid Pts
1 1 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 56 Winner 1 25
2 4 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 56 +3.2 secs 4 18
3 9 Nick Heidfeld Renault 56 +25.0 secs 6 15
4 2 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 56 +26.3 secs 3 12
5 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 56 +36.9 secs 7 10
6 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 56 +37.2 secs 5 8
7 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 56 +49.9 secs 2 6
8 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 56 +66.4 secs 10 4
9 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 56 +84.8 secs 11 2
10 15 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 56 +91.5 secs 14 1
11 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
+ 1 Lap 17
12 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes
+1 Lap 9
13 18 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
+1 Lap 12
14 19 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
+1 Lap 13
15 20 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
+1 Lap 19
16 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
+2 Lap 21
17 10 Vitaly Petrov Renault
+4 Lap 8
Ret 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth
+10 Lap 23
Ret 25 Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
+14 Lap 22
Ret 21 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
+25 Laps 20
Ret 17 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari
+33 Laps 16
Ret 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
+34 Laps 15
Ret 22 Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth
+42 Laps 24
Ret 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth
+48 Laps 18

Fastest lap:
Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1m 40.571s lap 46

Championship points:

Drivers? championship
Constructors? championship
Pos Driver Points
Pos Team Points
1 Sebastian Vettel 50
1 Red Bull 72
2 Jenson Button 26
2 McLaren 50
3 Lewis Hamilton 24
3 Ferrari 36
4 Mark Webber 22
4 Renault 30
5 Fernando Alonso 20
5 Toro Rosso 4
6 Felipe Massa 16
6 Sauber 4
7 Nick Heidfeld 15
7 Force India 4
8 Vitaly Petrov 15
8 Mercedes 2
9 Sebastien Buemi 4
9 Lotus 0
10 Kamui Kobayashi 4
10 Virgin 0
11 Adrian Sutil 2
11 Williams 0
12 Michael Schumacher 2
12 HRT 0
13 Paul di Resta 2



14 Jaime Alguersuari 0



15 Nico Rosberg 0



16 Jarno Trulli 0



17 Jerome d?Ambrosio 0



18 Heikki Kovalainen 0



19 Timo Glock 0



20 Rubens Barrichello 0



21 Sergio Perez 0



22 Narain Karthikeyan 0



23 Vitantonio Liuzzi 0



24 Pastor Maldonado 0




Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/FUAjwPrWw8E/vettel-wins-2011-malaysian-grand-prix.html

Mark Martin GoDaddy com Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Shell Pennzoil Chevrolet

The Vintage Mercury-Lincoln Cougar - A Nascar Legend

Many have thought of the Mercury Cougar a simply nothing more than a luxo-bloated version of a Ford Thunderbird. It may well surprise many Ford, Mercury as well as Ford Mustang and Mercury Cougar enthusiasts that 35 years ago that the Cougar “Pony” Car was kicking butt on the Trans-Am circuit.

In its origins, the Cougar was an idea that Lincoln-Mercury had been tossing around, for some time, with the idea of a smaller sporty car. As early as February 1963 this idea of a smaller as well as sporty Lincoln-Mercury vehicle, to be introduced to the North American market, came to emerge within the corporate head office, marketing and design staff.

The success of the Ford Mustang was all that was needed to put the wheels in motion. Indeed the famous marketing reference in regards to the product market popularity and sales of the Ford Mustang ‘Pony” Car was a sign in a donut shop that “Or donuts sell as fast as Mustangs”. Nothing drives the automobile industry more than the potential and promise of fast car sales figures. It is noteworthy that even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” can be said to be family line generated. After the name Cougar is not only six letters but is another member of a line of fast creatures. Both the names of Mustang and Cougar evoke an image of sleekness and fast speed as well as agility.

Built on a 111 inch wheelbase, the Cougar was three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheetmetal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the more dour 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. It seemed that Lincoln-Mercury was never quite sure on how to market the Cougar. 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: The Vintage Mercury-Lincoln Cougar - A Nascar Legend

Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/129872/the-vintage-mercury-lincoln-cougar-a-nascar-legend

Russell William Wallace Jr Michael Curtis Waltrip Scott Alan Wimmer Jonathan Edward Wood

F1? 2011 Timing App is out

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Soft Pauer, the maker of the official F1? 2011 Timing and Track Positioning App, is delighted to confirm that it has shipped the latest app to the App Store and Android Market.

The award winning and phenomenally successful App is universally agreed to be the perfect companion to your Grand Prix viewing, and the only way to keep track no matter where you are in the world.

The App is available in the App Store and Android Market at the unbeatable rate of £17.99 for the whole of the 2011 championship. This price is for a limited time only, so buy now to get the best value from 2011.

Purchasers of the App will receive over 120 hrs of racing action. Live information from every lap of every session downloaded directly and in perpetuity to your smartphone and/or tablet computer.

This application gives access to live timing and track positioning for all sessions - PRACTICE 1, PRACTICE 2, PRACTICE 3, QUALIFYING and RACE for the 2011 Championship.

This is the only official F1 application with unique data and features.

LIVE TRACK POSITIONS
Displayed on our dynamic 3D map. Zoom in on the action or pull back to see the whole field, see gaps as never before!

LIVE TIMING DATA
Watch the session like the F1 engineers with the full timing screen including sectors and gaps.

FOLLOW YOUR FAVOURITE DRIVER
Pick your favourite driver and follow their progress. Watch as they battle for position!

UNIQUE REPLAY FEATURE
Replay any session at any time you choose. Perfect for tape delayed broadcast!

LIVE COMMENTARY
Lap by lap live commentary.

STANDINGS
Results and news for the 2011 Season.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Information and history on all drivers, teams, and race tracks.

COMPLETE SEASON ACCESS
Experience all sessions via the live timing feed from the track to the palm of your hand using iPhone or iPod touch.

You can download your application now by visiting the Android Market and search for F1, visit the App Store or visit www.softpauer.com

Screenshots:





Images(C) iappphone

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/JEuw2yU5CIY/f1-2011-timing-app-is-out.html

Yves Giraud Cabantous Ignazio Giunti Timo Glock Helm Glöckler

Force India VJM04 Launch pictures ( 8th of February)

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Force India became the last Formula 1 team to unveil its 2011-spec car, the VJM04, during an online event on Tuesday 8 February 2011.

The first pics of the VJM04 were courtesy of a Force India photo shoot, so not many details have been ?inspected? by the media. However, one could clearly see that, like the majority of its rivals in 2011, the car features a high nose design, along with a reworked sidepod area and a new rear section. In addition, the car comes with a blade-style roll hoop design and a new front wing concept.

Technical specifications

Chassis Carbon fibre composite monocoque with Zylon legality side anti-intrusion panels
Suspension (front) Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard chassis mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly
Suspension (rear) as front, except for trackrod and pullrod, and gearbox mounted torsion springs.
Engine Mercedes-Benz FO 108Y 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) 90° V8, limited to 18,000 RPM, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted
Transmission McLaren Seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox with reverse gear, Electronic shift system
Weight 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver)
Fuel Mobil
Tyres Pirelli P Zero

BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13"

Force India VJM04 Launch pictures




Photos © Force India F1 Team

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/SqxTd3BYrII/force-india-vjm04-launch-pictures-8th.html

Shelby Howard Kelly Bires Raybestos Ford Elliott Sadler