Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Next Stop, Le Mans: FIA reportedly puts the brakes on Sebastien Loeb's grand prix debut]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/next-stop-le-mans-fia-puts-the-brakes-on-sebastien-loebs-gran/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/next-stop-le-mans-fia-puts-the-brakes-on-sebastien-loebs-gran/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/27/next-stop-le-mans-fia-puts-the-brakes-on-sebastien-loebs-gran/#commentsFiled under: ,


What do you do after making it to the pinnacle of rallying and winning a record-shattering six consecutive world championships? Anything you want - or so you'd think - but Sebastien Loeb is running into some roadblocks that appear to have derailed his plans to try his hand at Formula One.

The French rally ace who recently secured his sixth WRC title in a row was tipped to potentially drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the upcoming F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Considering that the team is owned by the same company that sponsors Loeb's Citroën rally car, and that the outfit seems to almost exclusively employ drivers named Sebastien (to say nothing of the championship already having concluded), it all seemed entirely likely. But despite having participated in a number of test sessions, the FIA has reportedly deemed the 35-year-old driver unsuitable for F1 racing, refusing to grant him the Superlicense needed to compete.

So what's next on Loeb's plate? Although he's recently been linked with a drive for USF1, Loeb realizes he probably won't get another shot at F1 at this point in his career. But he isn't done with circuit racing altogether. Having scored an impressive podium finish at Le Mans in 2006 for the Pescarolo team and tested the Peugeot 908 LMP1 (run by the same automaker as his rally team) a couple of times already, the champ is looking at potentially joining the Peugeot Le Mans team again in the near future.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty/Red Bull Racing]

Next Stop, Le Mans: FIA reportedly puts the brakes on Sebastien Loeb's grand prix debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought the series of driver changes in the middle of this ongoing Formula One season was something, it's nothing compared to the grand game of musical chairs expected to ensue as the season draws to a close. With BMW closing up shop, several new teams joining the grid and at least a couple of former world champions switching teams for next year's championship, we're shaping up for the biggest jumble the F1 circus has seen in years. Follow the jump to see how it's unfolding so far.

[Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Continue reading End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010

End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The rules of text messaging seem to keep on sliding to the point where what was once unacceptable is now common practice - but there's got to be a line drawn somewhere. Take Sebastien Bourdais, for example, who claims that he was fired via SMS.

The French racer, who dominated the Champ Car series in its final four years, didn't have as much luck in Formula One and was recently canned by Toro Rosso after failing to perform over the last two years. Bourdais sued Toro Rosso for breach of contract and reportedly settled out of court for remaining salary plus $2 million in damages, but he's not done lashing out at the team for how they handled his termination. According to Bourdais, he received the official kiss-off by a simple text message. Call us old-fashioned if you like, but we think that being fired warrants a face-to-face, or at least a phone call.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Peter Fox/Getty]

Don't Text and Drive: Bourdais reportedly fired by Toro Rosso via SMS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sour grapes much? Both of Italy's Formula One teams had to switch drivers mid-season during the year: Scuderia Toro Rosso (because Sebastien Bourdais wasn't working out) and Scuderia Ferrari (due to Felipe Massa injury). However, due to the comprehensive ban on in-season testing, neither could put their replacements into the cockpits of their F1 cars until the following grand prix weekend. So STR's newcomer Jaime Alguersuari was thrown straight into the deep end to sink or swim, while Ferrari, for its part, has been unable to give a returning Michael Schumacher any seat time in the new car. Not that the Maranello squad didn't try - their request for a one-time exemption was opposed by Williams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso. Now a message has appeared on the Ferrari website lashing out at the junior Toro Rosso team.

The statement calls out STR - which, it's worth noting, has used Ferrari customer engines for these past three seasons - as a "team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play", while noting that Ferrari had given its consent for an exceptional test for Alguersuari. Ouch. (For the record, though, Toro Rosso won the Italian Grand Prix last year.) We would have to assume the message was somehow posted by a rogue with access to the Ferrari website, but that only begs the question as to why, several days later, it still hasn't been taken down. Follow the link to read the message in full on the Ferrari website.

[Source: Ferrari | Image: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty]

Statement on Ferrari website lashes out against Toro Rosso "indiscretion" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those who bemoan modern Formula One settling its rivalries in the courtroom instead of on the race track have another set of examples to bring up at the pub as news emerges of the settlement of two lawsuits related to the top-tier racing series have emerged over the course of the weekend.

In one case, Scuderia Toro Rosso and its dejected driver Sebastien Bourdais reportedly settled a dispute of the premature termination of the contract between the two parties. When the team fired Bourdais in favor of Jamie Alguersuari, Bourdais proclaimed that he was looking into legal recourse against the team. Reports now indicate that the two parties settled out of court, with STR reportedly paying Bourdais salary plus damages in the amount of $2.1 million. Speculation is rising that the French driver will return to racing in the U.S., where he racked up an unprecedented four consecutive Champ Car titles before his ill-fated move to Formula One.

Meanwhile, departing FIA president Max Mosley has reportedly settled his case against German newspaper Bild over the publication of his sordid sex scandal for which he sued the publisher for $2.35 million. According to reports, Mosley and Bild settled for $290,000 which will be distributed to two charities, as well as the publication of an interview to clear the record. The settlement follows the $100,000 in damages and $760,000 in legal fees awarded last year to Mosley from the News of the World, the British tabloid which originally broke the story.

[Sources: F1-Live and GrandPrix.com | Image: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty]

Max Mosley, Sebastien Bourdais settle individual lawsuits originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's official, Ladies and Gentlemen: Sebastien Bourdais' career in Formula One is finished. In his place will be the youngest driver ever to race in F1, Spanish pilot Jamie Alguersuari. Scuderia Toro Rosso, out from whose cockpit Bourdais has evidently climbed for the last time and which Alguersuari will now call home, says it's taking the opportunity to promote one of its top protégés and doesn't expect the young Spaniard to begin yielding results immediately - especially since he has barely had the opportunity to even test the car away from the limelight of a Grand Prix weekend. Leg-up opportunities aside, it can't be ignored that with Alguersuari comes sponsorship cash from two major companies backing their countryman's career: Oil giant Repsol and savings bank La Caixa.

Alguersuari will be driving alongside Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi, both of whom will be wringing out a significantly updated car at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. Missing out on the new package only served to further irritate the departing Bourdais, who, far from taking the dismissal lying down, has announced that he's looking into legal repercussions for STR's premature termination of his contract. Meanwhile, veteran test driver and close confident Marc Géné says that the timing of Alguersuari's race debut could make his the most challenging in F1 history.

But Jamie and the Red Bull Junior development program that brought him up through the ranks aren't about to take it easy - while racing in F1 for Toro Rosso, Alguersuari will continue to compete in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship in which he was already racing, making his one heck of a learning curve. Official announcement in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Scuderia Toro Rosso | Image: Peter Fox/Getty]

Continue reading Officially Official: Toro Rosso confirms Alguersuari to replace Bourdais

Officially Official: Toro Rosso confirms Alguersuari to replace Bourdais originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those pulling for Sebastien Bourdais will undoubtedly be disappointed by the latest reports emanating from the Formula One paddock. After winning the now-defunct Champ Car title four times in a row, the French driver switched to Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso last season, but while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel scored race wins, Bourdais never managed to do better than a couple of seventh-place finishes. Now, after his third early retirement this season at the German Grand Prix this past weekend, reports indicate that he's been given the axe.

Taking Bourdais' seat at STR for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix will be Jamie Alguersuari, a Red Bull prodigy, recently promoted reserve/test driver for both Red Bull Racing and reigning champion in the British Formula 3 championship. Reports suggest that Alguersuari's promotion to the race seat serves as preparation for his full-time campaign next season and was fueled, so to speak, by a pending sponsorship deal with Spanish oil company Repsol, which supports Alguersuari's career. If the reports are confirmed and the 19-year-old racer starts the Hugarian GP for STR, he'll be the youngest ever to race in F1.

While the news undoubtedly comes as a disappointment for Bourdais and his fans, it surely disappoints another French multiple-champion as well. As rumors have escalated over the past few days about Bourdais' departure, five-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb publicly threw his hat into the ring to replace his countryman. Loeb previously tested an F1 car for sister team Red Bull Racing, and has long contemplated a switch of disciplines. But while Loeb's declaration infuriated Bourdais, but it looks like his move from WRC to F1 will have to wait a little longer.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Peter Fox/Getty]

Toro Rosso reportedly replaces Sebastien Bourdais with 19-year-old Jamie Alguersuari originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sebastian Vettel en route to receive the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy - Click above for a high-res image gallery

It's not every day that we get to see an F1 car out on city streets, but then again, we don't live in Italy. That's the racing-crazed country that recently allowed Sebastian Vettel to drive a grand prix racer across 12 kilometers of public roads to receive the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy.

The award is presented annually in the Italian village of Brisighella, where Lorenzo Bandini lived until his tragic death at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix. Every year since, the Bandini family presents the trophy to a F1 driver, and it's become a bit of a tradition that the recipient drive his F1 car to pick it up in person. So with police escorts (note the Polizia-spec Lamborghini Gallardo in the background of the pictures in the gallery below), Vettel drove the dozen clicks from the home base of the Scuderia Toro Rosso - with whom he won the Italian Grand Prix last season - in an STR F1 car to Brisighella, where he joined the ranks of such recent recipients as Felipe Massa, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve and Robert Kubica in accepting the citation.


Gallery: Sebastian Vettel receives Lorenzo Bandini Trophy

Sebastian Vettel drives his Toro Rosso on public streets to pick up award originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday, we brought you news that Toyota could quit Formula One if FIA president Max Mosley's proposal for a two-tiered budget system is put in place. But the Japanese team based in Germany - currently enjoying its best season so far - isn't the only one making noise. Ferrari has hinted it could jump ship and put its energy into Le Mans, instead. Mercedes-Benz has said it could cancel its F1 program, and BMW has reportedly done the same. Now, three more teams are joining the call for the proposed regulations to be annulled, or else.

Next up to the plate is Red Bull, which owns and operates both the Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams. Owner Dietrich Mateschitz has joined the ranks of disgruntled team owners, saying he will not field his two teams next season under the proposed regulations.

Renault has not quite gone that far, but team principal Flavio Briatore has said that the rules need to be changed, the fashion king comparing the FIA's proposal to opening discount stores on trendy streets. The FIA has set May 29 as the deadline for teams to sign up and pay their fees to race in 2010, but with Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, BMW Sauber, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Renault threatening boycott, that leaves only Williams, Force India and Brawn GP lining up on the grid next year. Those three are expected to go ahead regardless, because as independent F1 teams, if they withdrew or sat a season out, they would have no other obvious places to race.

Even with several new teams lining up to join the field next year, Mosley can't seriously hold his ground against all the sport's biggest teams... can he? It's a high-speed game of chicken, and somebody's going to flinch.

[Sources: Autosport and F1-Live | Image: Diego Tuson/AFP/Getty]

More F1 teams joins boycott call for 2010 regulation changes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above for a hi-res gallery of the 2009 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4

Scuderia Toro Rosso has emerged as one of the last teams on the Formula One grid to unveil their new challenger for the 2009 season. After undergoing its initial shake-down run in Italy last week, the new STR4 is now participating in the last group test session in Barcelona before the start of the season. As in years past, Toro Rosso's car looks virtually identical to that of its senior team Red Bull Racing. However, while the design was carried out by Red Bull's Adrian Newey, Toro Rosso was quick to point out that the car itself has been, for the first time, constructed at STR's headquarters in Faenza, Italy. The team's move towards independent manufacturing (instead of joint development with Red Bull Racing) promises to help the team adapt to the ban on customer cars that takes effect next year, while simultaneously making it a more attractive stand-alone unit for a future buyer.

The STR4 employs a Ferrari customer engine instead of the RB5's Renault unit, resulting in a different fuel tank and employing Ferrari's KERS regenerative braking system, which, when joined by the fine-tuning towards STR's drivers, makes for a vastly different car than its Red Bull counterpart, according to Toro Rosso. With Sebastian Vettel - who took the team's first victory last year at Monza - starting for Red Bull Racing this season, the STR4 will be piloted by Sebastien Bourdais and newcomer Sebastian Buemi. Follow the jump to read more about Toro Rosso's 2009 campaign and click on the images below to view in our high-resolution photo gallery.


Gallery: 2009 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR4



[Source: Scuderia Toro Rosso]

Continue reading More Bull: Scuderia Toro Rosso unveils the 2009 STR4

More Bull: Scuderia Toro Rosso unveils the 2009 STR4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With fellow Red Bull protégé Scott Speed back in stock cars and the USF1 initiative still at least a year away, the closest Americans have to representation in Formula One is Sebastien Bourdais. Sure, he's French, but after dominating Champ Cars for several years on this side of the Atlantic we can almost claim him as our own. Having won four successive titles in Champ Cars, Bourdais had nothing left to prove in the United States and signed a European management contract with Nicolas Todt, who pulled some family connections and signed Bourdais to drive at Le Mans with Peugeot (whose racing department was run by his father Jean Todt before he moved to Ferrari) and then in Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso (whose engines are supplied by Ferrari).

After a disappointing debut season, Bourdais' future in F1 remained in doubt as his overshadowing team-mate Sebastian Vettel was called up to the Red Bull team and STR refused to confirm who would drive for them this coming season, but he's now been confirmed in the game of musical Sebastians to drive alongside newcomer Buemi. Bourdais, who was actually born in Le Mans, will have a lot on his hands to prove his mettle in F1 this season, but if that weren't enough, the French driver is stepping up his activities with Peugeot as well. Not only will he be driving the new 908 HDi at his famous home race, but he'll be making the trip back over to American shores to drive at Sebring as well. We'll look forward to watching our Franco-American homeboy take 'em all on this season.

Racing Home: Bourdais returns to F1 with Toro Rosso, Le Mans & Sebring with Peugeot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Sebastian Vettel moving up to the Red Bull senior squad to fill the vacancy left by David Coulthard's, the motor racing community has been held in suspense, waiting for the junior Scuderia Toro Rosso team to announce their drivers for 2009. The team has now confirmed that 20-year-old Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi - part of Red Bull's driver development program, who drove in GP2 last season while acting as test driver for Red Bull Racing - will take Vettel's seat for the coming season. Buemi, whose cousin Natacha Gachnang is to headline the new Formula 2 series, actually signed before the holidays, but the news wasn't revealed until recently.

The last remaining piece of the puzzle, however, remains who will drive alongside Buemi in the new season. With the exception of the former Honda team, the second Toro Rosso seat is the only one left unconfirmed. Incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and veteran Takuma Sato are both reportedly in the running, but STR is apparently in no rush to decide, leaving the filing deadline on the Thursday before the season opener in Australia as their only parameter.

[Source: F1-Live]

Musical Sebastiens: Toro Rosso confirms Buemi for 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buemiscuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossosebastien buemisebastien toro rossoSebastienBuemiSebastienToroRossostrtoro rossoToroRossoThu, 15 Jan 2009 07:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Wait, What? Red Bull buys back full stake in Toro Rosso]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/25/wait-what-red-bull-buys-back-full-stake-in-toro-rosso/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/25/wait-what-red-bull-buys-back-full-stake-in-toro-rosso/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/25/wait-what-red-bull-buys-back-full-stake-in-toro-rosso/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for a high-res image

We wish we could understand how Dietrich Mateschitz thinks, but we just can't. After years of sponsoring F1 teams, the Red Bull chief decides to buy one outright. That wasn't enough, so he buys a second one. Then he sells half of that team to former F1 driver (and fellow Austrian) Gerhard Berger. Then he says he wants to sell it off altogether, but instead he buys it back.

And so comes the announcement today that Mateschitz has re-acquired full stake in his B-squad, Scuderia Toro Rosso, which proved itself better than the A-squad by outperforming it all year and even winning a race. For next season, STR's wunderkind Sebastian Vettel is moving up to the Red Bull Racing main squad to replace the retired David Coulthard. The announcement for Sebastien Buemi to join STR in Vettel's seat is expected soon. Unless Mateschitz decides to buy something else.

[Source: Autosport]

Wait, What? Red Bull buys back full stake in Toro Rosso originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bergerdietrich mateschitzDietrichMateschitzgerhard bergerGerhardBergermateschitzrbrred bullred bull racingRedBullRedBullRacingscuderiascuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossotoro rossoToroRossoTue, 25 Nov 2008 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Red Bull to shut down <i>the Red Bulletin</i>]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/report-red-bull-to-shut-down-i-the-red-bulletin-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/report-red-bull-to-shut-down-i-the-red-bulletin-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/21/report-red-bull-to-shut-down-i-the-red-bulletin-i/#commentsFiled under:

Formula One fans and team members alike will be disappointed by reports that the Red Bulletin may be cancelled. The magazine is put out by Red Bull, owners of the Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams, in four daily editions at each grand prix on the Formula One calendar. It has become a fixture of the paddock and grandstands since its introduction at Monaco in 2005.

The self-proclaimed "almost independent F1 newspaper" incorporates current news, interviews and feature articles in a humorous tone, and is distributed at the races free of charge in editions of up to 10,000 copies each. Unfortunately, it reportedly costs millions for Red Bull to produce, with a multilingual staff of 25 working out of a mobile publishing office with a Heidelberg 7.5t printing press. Although Red Bull will reportedly fund other publications, its grandiose parties and other expensive marketing initiatives are also tipped to be cut from the erstwhile seemingly endless cash-flow. We guess once they came down from their Taurine high, the bean-counters finally got their way.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

REPORT: Red Bull to shut down the Red Bulletin originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you think you've got what it takes to be an F1 driver, you might want to grab a flight to Jerez, Spain, on the double, as Scuderia Toro Rosso bosses Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost have just landed there to evaluate new drivers for next year. Although they're clearly happy with the performance of Sebastian Vettel, who took a landmark victory at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix, the young German driver is being called up to the Red Bull senior team, leaving a vacant seat at STR.

Among the drivers Berger and Tost are evaluating are Honda-supported on-again-off-again F1 pilot Takuma Sato and the team's own reserve driver Sebastien Buemi, who just placed sixth in the GP2 Series. However Berger, himself a ten-time grand prix winner, says they won't make a final decision until November or December. With two-time world champion Fernando Alonso's future still up in the air, BMW's Nick Heidfeld, Honda's veteran Rubens Barrichello and Renault's Nelsinho Piquet could be up for grabs next season, making for enticing prospects to fill Vettel's vacancy after the team has shown considerable promise with last weekend's performance.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by Peter Fox/Getty]

F1 hopefuls head to Jerez, Spain for Vettel's seat at STR originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alonsoalonso strAlonsoStrberger tost strBergerTostStrbuemi toro rossoBuemiToroRossofernando alonsofernando alonso wildcardFernandoAlonsoFernandoAlonsoWildcardsato toro rossoSatoToroRossoscuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossosebastian vettelSebastianVettelsebastien buemi strSebastienBuemiStrstrstr jerezStrJereztakuma sato strTakumaSatoStrtoro rossotoro rosso jerezToroRossoToroRossoJerezvettel toro rossoVettelToroRossoThu, 18 Sep 2008 19:02:00 EST<![CDATA[No Fair! F1 teams lobby for engine parity]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/18/no-fair-f1-teams-lobby-for-engine-parity/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/18/no-fair-f1-teams-lobby-for-engine-parity/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/18/no-fair-f1-teams-lobby-for-engine-parity/#commentsFiled under:

You'd think that the teams in Formula One would all be striving to eek out every little performance advantage they can, right? Well, not quite. It turns out that some of the teams are lobbying behind closed doors to equalize engine performance across the series.

The development has been prompted by Sebastian Vettel's landmark domination at this past weekend's Italian Grand Prix. The young German drives for Scuderia Toro Rosso, which essentially - and controversially - runs the same cars as the senior Red Bull Racing team, only with one major difference: the engine. While RBR uses Renault engines, STR is powered by Ferrari. And according to Red Bull chief Christian Horner, the performance advantage which Ferrari has cultivated over Renault is what allowed Vettel to beat out the Renault-powered Red Bull cars, to say nothing of the rest of the field. Horner insists that Renault has obeyed the engine development freeze currently in place, while Ferrari, BMW and McLaren partner Mercedes-Benz have taken advantage of loopholes that has allowed them to find as much as 30 extra horsepower. "We don't need an engine formula to completely open up," said Horner, "but there should be a parity as much as possible among the engine suppliers - otherwise we will all end up with one engine at the end of the day."

[Source: Autosport]

No Fair! F1 teams lobby for engine parity originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>engine freezeEngineFreezef1f1 enginef1 engine freezeF1EngineF1EngineFreezeferrari powerFerrariPowerformula 1formula one engine banFormula1FormulaOneEngineBanscuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossostr-ferrariThu, 18 Sep 2008 17:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Rain Supreme: Big surprises at soaked Italian Grand Prix (SPOILER ALERT)]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/rain-supreme-big-surprises-at-soaked-italian-grand-prix-spoile/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/rain-supreme-big-surprises-at-soaked-italian-grand-prix-spoile/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/rain-supreme-big-surprises-at-soaked-italian-grand-prix-spoile/#commentsFiled under:


Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Italian Grand Prix

Racing fans are used to tuning in on the Saturday of a grand prix weekend to find the words "Scuderia" and "Ferrari" at the top of the qualifying list. But interrupted by the words "Toro Rosso"? Never. But that was only the first of many surprises at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel shockingly secured his first pole position thanks to some exceedingly brilliant driving joined with good strategy on the part of his Ferrari-powered Scuderia Toro Rosso team, which wisely stuck with the extreme wet tires on the rain-soaked Monza circuit while others experimented with intermediate treads. The young German's unprecedented qualifying performance put him in the record books as the youngest driver ever to secure a pole position, supplanting Fernando Alonso's previous record. But with so many other drivers with more experience and backed by teams with immensely bigger budgets, surely Vettel's lead would quickly be stolen by an established front-runner. Wouldn't it? Follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: 2008 Italian Grand Prix

Continue reading Rain Supreme: Big surprises at soaked Italian Grand Prix (SPOILER ALERT)

Rain Supreme: Big surprises at soaked Italian Grand Prix (SPOILER ALERT) originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f onef1FOneformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOneitalian gpitalian grand prixItalianGpItalianGrandPrixmonzamonza f1monza gpMonzaF1MonzaGpscuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossosebastian vettelSebastianVettelMon, 15 Sep 2008 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Scuderia Shuffle: Sebastian Vettel rumored to drive for Ferrari]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/scuderia-shuffle-sebastian-vettel-rumored-to-drive-for-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/scuderia-shuffle-sebastian-vettel-rumored-to-drive-for-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/21/scuderia-shuffle-sebastian-vettel-rumored-to-drive-for-ferrari/#commentsFiled under: ,


What a tangled web we weave. Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel is one of the only drivers in Formula One who doesn't have a manager, and the rookie has no plans to change that despite an increasingly complicated entanglement of contracts between several teams now being reported in the motorsport media.

Vettel was a test driver for BMW Sauber the past two seasons before moving in to replace Scott Speed at the Red Bull b-squad last year, coming in an impressive fourth place at the Chinese Grand Prix. Reports suggest that Vettel is still contracted to both BMW and Red Bull, but that's not the end of it. Rumors are now circulating that he could be called up to Ferrari -Toro Rosso's engines supplier - next season. Although most reports are indicating Vettel could replace Felipe Massa, the more likely scenario could see Vettel move to Maranello as a third driver, sharing testing duties with Ferrari's two race drivers and acting as a back-up. Such an arrangement would be similar to the one that brought Massa to the team from Sauber, which was powered by Ferrari before BMW came into the picture. Meanwhile, Ferrari is tipped to have a clause that could put Vettel in a Ferrari in case either Raikkonen or Massa has to sit out a race this season, which in turn would leave Toro Rosso scrambling for a driver to fill Vettel's seat. If you're not thoroughly confused by now, you weren't paying attention.

[Sources: GrandPrix.com and F1-Live, Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty]

Scuderia Shuffle: Sebastian Vettel rumored to drive for Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>scuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossosebastian vettel ferrarisebastian-vettelSebastianVettelFerraristr ferrariStrFerraritoro rossotoro rosso ferrariToroRossoToroRossoFerrariFri, 21 Mar 2008 11:34:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Super Aguri on sale for $1]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/report-super-aguri-on-sale-for-1/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/report-super-aguri-on-sale-for-1/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/report-super-aguri-on-sale-for-1/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Super Aguri undergoing testing at Jerez

Well that didn't take long. After only two years on the grid, Super Aguri is up for sale. Unlike most of the other "new" teams that took over and rebranded themselves from previous teams, Super Aguri actually put up the bond to join the 2006 Formula One championship as an additional entry. Since then, however, the team has had difficulty putting together the enormous budget required of a modern F1 team, falling into debt to the tune of $47 million, despite getting support from Honda and running old cars.

Now, following the emergence of Force India and the confirmation of an Indian Grand Prix in two years, another Indian business consortium is looking at buying its way into the sport. The Spice Group telecommunications company, which already sponsors Indian former F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan's Team India A1GP car, is reported to be negotiating to acquire Super Aguri. Tata, which is inching closer to its acquisition of Land Rover and Jaguar (which itself once had its own F1 team), is reported to be possibly supporting the bid. The price: $1, plus the coverage of the team's debts. The deal hasn't been finalized, but would involve bringing Karthikeyan back to the grid, and leaving Aguri Suzuki in charge. Spice confirms that it is talking with Aguri and a second team. In related news, Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has reiterated that Scuderia Toro Rosso is not for sale.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty]

REPORT: Super Aguri on sale for $1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aguri for saleaguri suzukiAguriForSaleAguriSuzukiforce indiaForceIndiaindiascuderia toro rossoScuderiaToroRossospice groupSpiceGroupstrsuper aguriSuperAguritataWed, 30 Jan 2008 18:35:00 EST