Autoblog

REPORT: Red Bull to place Raikkonen, Loeb and Coulthard in Peugeot 908 HDi at Le Mans

Noah Joseph — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST

Peugeot 908 HDi - Click above for high-res image gallery

Motorsports of late have been gripped by the crossover of racing drivers from one discipline to another, but one of the most established migrations in motor racing has always been between Formula One and Le Mans. The great (but unrelated) Hills - Phil and Graham - both won the F1 championship and Le Mans, but none have done so since Jochen Rindt in 1970. Lately, Peugeot especially has been seeking F1 drivers to pilot its 908 HDi against the venerable Audis at the famous 24-hour race, but that could step up a notch if the latest rumors from France hold any Evian.

Peugeot has registered three factory works cars to challenge Le Mans next year, plus one mystery car that has only been listed as a privateer entry. According to the latest reports, that entry could be fielded by Red Bull. The energy drink company has one of the most comprehensive networks of racing talent under its wings, but what's catching the most attention is three of its most prominent drivers.

Six-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, whose Citroen C4 rally car is sponsored by Red Bull, has raced Le Mans previously, and has been linked to a return to the endurance race. 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen will likewise be driving next year in a Red Bull-sponsored C4 fielded by Citroen (Peugeot's sister company). Finally, David Coulthard was largely responsible for Red Bull's foray into F1, and though retired from actively racing, remains an advisor and test driver for the team.

While these rumors could prove nothing more than exactly that, if Red Bull were to bring these three talents to La Sarthe, they would surely be a force to be reckoned with.

Gallery: Peugeot 908 HDi

[Source: AUTOhebdo via Le Blog Auto and Axis of Oversteer]

REPORT: Red Bull to place Raikkonen, Loeb and Coulthard in Peugeot 908 HDi at Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Race of Champions heads to Beijing

Noah Joseph — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, China, Celebrities

2008 Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium - Click above for high-res image gallery

Most of this year's major motorsport series are winding to a close. Champions are being crowned. Teams are preparing for next year. You know what that means: it's time for the Race of Champions.

The international event has been held for the past twenty years, and it always offers a real spectacle as some of the world's best drivers compete for top honors. And this year figures to be no different. Held for the first time outside of Europe at the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing, the 2009 Race of Champions is set to take place next week, packed with an all-star roster.

Among those taking part this year will be newly-crowned Formula One World Champion Jenson Button, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, recently retired F1 stalwart David Coulthard and rising star Sebastian Vettel. Although six-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb - who won the RoC last year and twice before that - has apparently opted to sit this one out, perennial runner-up Mikko Hirvonen will be competing, along with Audi's multiple Le Mans winners Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro; touring car champions Andy Priaulx, Mattias Ekstrom, Jamie Whincup and Yvan Muller; Dakar winner Giniel deVilliers, Monegasque single-seat racer Clivio Piccione and Australian bike racer Mick Doohan. And finally, these United States will be represented by two of our very finest showmen, Travis Pastrana and Tanner Foust.

This year, the champions will be competing for bragging rights behind the wheels of such varied machinery as the Ford Focus WRC, Volkswagen Scirocco, KTM X-Bow, Solution F Prototype Opel touring car and three different specially-equipped sprint cars. Tune in on Tuesday, November 3 - just two days after the 2009 Formula One World Championship wraps up in Abu Dhabi - for the results.

Gallery: 2008 Race of Champions

[Source: Race of Champions | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

2009 Race of Champions heads to Beijing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tanner Foust headed back to the 2009 Race of Champions, now at Beijing's Bird's Nest

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Michael Schumacher and Tanner Foust at the 2008 Race of Champions

There's our buddy and rally/drift/stunt maestro Tanner Foust (on the right), arm in arm with ~~some guy~~ Michael Schumacher at the 2008 Race of Champions (ROC) held in Wembley Stadium, London. Tanner went as a last minute substitute after Travis Pastrana broke his hip (and ankle) trying to flip a truck. However, in a supposedly backup roll, Foust went on to beat current F1 Champ Jenson Button in front of 80,000 fans before being knocked out of the competition by 2008 ROC runner-up David Coulthard. The 2008 ROC overall winner was none other than Sebastian Loeb.

If you don't know, the Race of Champions was founded in 1988 by former Group B legend Michèle Mouton and is the only race where drivers from different disciplines get the chance to compete against each other in a variety of events utilizing a whole bunch of different cars. The driver skill sets include F1, NASCAR, touring cars, and more recently rally and drift. Last year's cars included everything from a KTM X-Bow to a WRC Ford Focus to special ROC dune buggy. This year should be about the same. 2009 marks a big change for ROC as it leaves jolly old England and heads to China. Bejing specifically and the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium designed by Herzod and de Meuron.

This year both Foust and Pastrana will be representing Old Glory as the sole American competitors. "I'm very honored to receive the re-invite to the Race of Champions," says Foust. "Pastrana will be the perfect teammate. He's good under pressure, undeniably fast and never misses a side bet." In addition to the ROC, Foust will be participating in daily drift events against a "top Chinese drifter." Having done a bit of dorifto with Mr. Foust ourselves, this Chinese cat had better be good. Like, real good. Best of luck to both Tanner and Travis, as they're going to need it against guys like Schumacher and Pirro. The Race of Champions takes place November 3-4.

[Source: Race of Champions]

Tanner Foust headed back to the 2009 Race of Champions, now at Beijing's Bird's Nest originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: David Coulthard gets a speeding ticket. In an F1 car.

Noah Joseph — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, India

David Coulthard demonstrates for Red Bull Racing in Mumbai, India - Click above for high-res image gallery

You can't blame an F1 driver from driving fast. That's what they're supposed to do. Evidently authorities in India feel differently, however, as they've slapped David Coulthard with an enormous £20,000 (approx $33k) ticket for breaking the speed limit. The kicker? It was for a Formula 1 demonstration on a closed-off section of roadway.

The winner of thirteen grands prix (and one of the top points scorers of all time) retired from active racing at the end of last season, but remains a consultant and test driver for the Red Bull Racing team which he helped form. The team recently held a demonstration run in Mumbai, India, drawing a crowd of some 50,000 racing fans.

Part of the route took Coulthard across the Rajiv Ghandi Sea Link. The bridge has a maximum speed limit of 62 miles per hour, and even drops to 31 MPH in some parts. DC, however, was clocked at 162 MPH. As a result, the local authorities are reportedly withholding the £20,000 deposit which the team put down for the event, making for one mammoth speeding ticket. But at least Coulthard isn't stuck paying out of pocket.

Gallery: Red Bull Racing demonstration in Mumbai, India

[Source: Autosport]

REPORT: David Coulthard gets a speeding ticket. In an F1 car. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPOILER: 2008 Race of Champions crowns new king among motorsport's best

John Neff — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Click above for high-res gallery from the 2008 Race of Champions

Yesterday marked the running of the 2008 Race of Champions, an annual event that hosts the world's best drivers from NASCAR, F1, WRCC, LeMans racing and every other legitimate form of four-wheeled competition in the world. The purpose is to race these pilots against each other on an identical track in identical vehicles to find out both which country produces the fastest drivers and which driver is the fastest them of all. This year's arsenal of autos included the KTM X-Bow, Abarth 500 Assetto Corso, 2008 Ford WRC Focus, RX 150 and purpose-built RoC buggy.

Follow the jump for a rundown of the winners and losers as well as video highlights, and check out some great pics of yesterday's action in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2008 Race of Champions

Continue reading SPOILER: 2008 Race of Champions crowns new king among motorsport's best

SPOILER: 2008 Race of Champions crowns new king among motorsport's best originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dream Team: Coulthard, Jordan join BBC F1 coverage

Noah Joseph — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK

Remember how excited we got when rumors started flying about the short-list of candidates to host NBC's version of Top Gear? Well, the BBC's original version isn't about to change any time soon, but another motor-related program is coming to the Beeb, and racing fans over on the British Isles have been getting all hot and bothered as the BBC has won the contract to broadcast Formula One grands prix. And it's sure to be a star-studded cast.

For starters, David Coulthard won't be staying in retirement long. After having ended his long racing career at the end of this past season, Coulthard will be joining the BBC coverage team. He'll be joined by former team owner Eddie Jordan, alongside sports anchor Jake Humphrey. BBC's radio coverage of the races will be handled by former driver and longtime commentator Martin Brundle along with Jonathan Legard, while Ted Kravitz and Lee McKenzie report from the pitlanes. Veteran commentator Murray Walker will stay on through the BBC Sport website, leaving the actual coverage to the new crop of talent. Hopefully we'll be able to understand half of what they're all saying.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

Dream Team: Coulthard, Jordan join BBC F1 coverage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: David Coulthard will leave F1 at season's end

Noah Joseph — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK

Click above for a stunning high-res gallery of D.C.'s 2008 highlights.

The end of an era. That's what we called it when rumors began intensifying just a couple of days ago that David Coulthard might retire from Formula One racing. Those rumors were confirmed today - at the Silverstone track, one day before the start of his home race - when the elder statesman of grand prix racing announced his retirement.

To get an idea of just how long Coulthard has been racing, remember that his first race was to fill the late Ayrton Senna's seat at Williams after the famed Brazilian's fatal crash 14 years ago. Since that fateful start, Coulthard has competed in 236 grands prix to date, winning 13 of them, taking pole position 12 times and setting the fastest lap 18 times. DC spent nine seasons with McLaren, and was instrumental in brokering the purchase of the defunct Jaguar team from Ford by Red Bull, with whom he has raced for the past few seasons, scoring the team's first point and first podium. This weekend's British Grand Prix will be David's last home race, having won the event twice in his career.

So what's next for the flying Scotsman? For starters, he will remain as a consultant to Red Bull Racing, pitching in for development driving, much like his contemporaries Schumacher and Hakkinen still do for Ferrari and McLaren respectively. Despite earlier assertions, however, Coulthard says he will remain open-minded about racing in other leagues, and we could very well see him back in the race seat for the Race of Champions at London's Wembley Stadium in December, however it remains to be seen if Coulthard will try his hand at Le Mans, DTM or some other form of motor racing or rallying. Meanwhile, the vacation of his seat at Red Bull leaves the door open for Sebastian Vettel's promotion from the Toro Rosso B-squad, so sit tight for that announcement. In the meantime we wish David all the best of luck for the remainder of his last season and for life after F1. Follow the jump to read David Coulthard's official statement.

Gallery: David Coulthard - 2008

[Source: Formula 1]

Continue reading Official: David Coulthard will leave F1 at season's end

Official: David Coulthard will leave F1 at season's end originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The End of an Era: David Coulthard to retire?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Now campaigning his 15th consecutive season at 37 years old, David Coulthard is Formula One's elder statesman. His 236 grands prix contested to date is second only to Rubens Barrichello's 261, and the Scotsman has elevated his suffering of the latest batch of rookies each season to an art form. But that may be winding to a close, as DC looks into the future.

With rumors of Red Bull promoting its young driver Sebastian Vettel out of the Toro Rosso junior team and into Coulthard's seat, the veteran driver is admitting it might be time to hang up the helmet and move on. And what does he think of the proposition? "Boo hoo.... There are a lot of worse things that can happen to you. You just move on to the next challenge."

The next obvious question is what the next challenge will be for the perennial fixture of the F1 grid. He's already discounted the notion of moving to another team. Rumors suggest he could move into a management role in the Red Bull team he helped establish. Others suggest he could buy out Toro Rosso with the cash he's liquidating from the sale of his five-star Columbus hotel in Monaco (realizing what was previously just a joke). A third possibility pegs him as a commentator for BBC's Formula One coverage. What he's committed to avoid, however, is following his longtime friend Jacques Villeneuve in pursuit of a NASCAR seat, or reverting to any other racing series for that matter. "After F1, everything else is a step down."

[Sources: autosport and F1-Live; photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images for Puma]

The End of an Era: David Coulthard to retire? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Foolery: Coulthard buys Toro Rosso

Noah Joseph — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

David Coulthard is getting older, but his driving doesn't seem to be getting any better. The Scottish driver does, however, have an innate ability for survival, remaining the oldest driver on the F1 grid after having just celebrated his 37th birthday days ago.

It was Coulthard who pitched the failing Jaguar Racing team to Dietrich Mateschitz, convincing the Red Bull chief to become a team owner. Now that Mateschitz has announced his intention to sell his 50% stake in the Italian team, a report has surfaced indicating that Coulthard is going to buy out his current boss and switch over to the new team starting in 2010. According to the unsubstantiated report, the deal would secure Coulthard a race seat for many, many years to come, while fellow F1 driving veteran Gerhard Berger would retain his half and stay on as team principal. Coulthard also indicated that the team could switch from Ferrari to Mercedes power and be renamed Coulthard Power Racing (CPR), which raises the distinct possibility that, it being April 1st, this entire story could be hoax. Sigh... is this day over yet?

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty]

April Foolery: Coulthard buys Toro Rosso originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed: Formula One

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:09:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics

Goodwood has been an incredible experience and we hope you have enjoyed the coverage as much as we've enjoyed providing it. One of the numerous highlights for us was undoubtedly the Formula 1 cars; from those outrageous beasts of the '30s and '40s, through the mid-engine revolution, and on up to the technically-packed computers on wheels we have today. Friday and Saturday they had a relatively dry track to play with, and most of them seemed to be taking advantage of the conditions. Sunday's rains meant it was a bit trickier to put together a quick time, but it provided a chance for many drivers to just put on a good show for the fans.

And the drivers themselves were a big part of the show. From Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Sir Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill, and Emerson Fittipaldi, to Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson, it was a pretty impressive list. And sometimes the pairings were just magical, as when Damon Hill found himself behind the wheel of one of his father Graham's old single-seaters. As cool as it was to see the older legends in action, the real thrill comes from having so many current drivers and cars on hand.

Davidson drove the 1987 Williams-Honda FW11B that Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet won the championship with. Ferrari had cars from 1960, '68, '93, '98, 2000 and 2006. Honda brought their latest car, the Earth-decorated RA107, in which Christien Klien took on the driving duties until Jenson Button showed up. McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull, Toyota, and Williams-Toyota all brought out '06 or '07 cars as well. Because the competition was getting a little beyond the safety measures at the event, these cars weren't timed, but drivers like Coulthard and Hamilton really showed what the cars could do. Long burnouts while waving seemed to warm the hearts of the soaked crowd. Some drivers stayed for autographs, but with a race next week and all that rain still coming down, it was understandable that most could only be there for a short time.

Gallery: Goodwood Festival of Speed: Formula One

2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed: Formula One originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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F1 drivers split on traction control ban

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Ferrari, Renault

For those who think this is shaping up to be an exciting F1 season, next year should be a stunner. The FIA has confirmed that traction control will not be allowed in 2008. With traction control about to be banned from F1, Formula One Drivers are split on the decision. Most have said they support the move, but most racers will usually say they prefer fewer electronic aids getting in the way of pure mechanical feel and control of the vehicle. At this level of performance, however, the drivers often like to talk a good game and downplay the significance of the devices. It's more driver skill, they'll tell you. But for some of today's drivers, electronics have been fitted to every car they have raced at this level of competition. The aids themselves have been used since 2001.

Follow the jump to see how some of the top drivers feel about this issue.

[Source: PaddockTalk]

Continue reading F1 drivers split on traction control ban

F1 drivers split on traction control ban originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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