Autoblog

Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition

Noah Joseph — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:57:00 EST

Lance Stroll in the Ferrari karting challenge, Montreal - Click above or below for high-res image gallery

Montreal has some great karting tracks. The French-Canadian metropolis, after all, is a veritable motorsport mecca, playing host to Formula One (among other series) on a more regular basis than any other city in North America. So it should come as no surprise that, while Ferrari was in town for the Canadian Grand Prix last week, they took the whole team out to one such facility for some suitable R&R.

Among those participating were the team's star drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, along with Lance Stroll, the 11-year-old kid the team had signed to a driver development program the day before. So how did the young prodigy fare against the seasoned veterans? Well, after beating out the rest of the team personnel (including, we'd assume, at least one of the Scuderia's many test drivers), Stroll finished second in the ranks, beating out one of the grand prix drivers.

Ferrari, somewhat understandably, isn't saying which - Alonso or Massa - Stroll defeated in the friendly competition, but given that Massa is still an avid karter, we'd suspect it was Alonso. It's worth noting that with his more relevant experience and lower body weight, the young Stroll had a bit of an advantage. But any way you cut it, that's some fine work. Official announcement after the jump.

Gallery: Ferrari karting challenge, Montreal, June 2010

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition

Ferrari's 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Canadian Grand Prix was exactly what we've been waiting for [SPOILERS]

Noah Joseph — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2010 Canadian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

What would Formula One be without Montreal? Not so fun, as we learned last season when the Canadian Grand Prix was excluded from the calendar, much to the disappointment of racing fans worldwide. In the wake of the demise of the United States Grand Prix at the Indy in 2007, the cancellation of the round in the French-Canadian metropolis left North America outside the premier racing series entirely. But following the announcement of the American round's planned comeback - in Austin, Texas, of all places - F1 triumphantly returned to the Gilles Villeneuve circuit this weekend. And it couldn't have been a more exciting race. Follow the jump to read how it went.

Gallery: 2010 Canadian Grand Prix

Continue reading 2010 Canadian Grand Prix was exactly what we've been waiting for [SPOILERS]

2010 Canadian Grand Prix was exactly what we've been waiting for [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Return of the Prix: F1 confirmed back in Canada for 2010

Noah Joseph — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Canada

Felipe Massa passes the casino on Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

It's only been a year, but it's been a long one for Formula One fans in North America. Last year Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA canceled the Canadian Grand Prix - a regular fixture of the F1 calendar and the only stop the circus makes in North America - when race organizers and local governments rejected demands for increased fees. Negotiations failed to bring the race back, but following purported pressure from the remaining manufacturers in the series and renewed contact with officials on the ground, the race has been confirmed to return for next season.

According to previous reports, Ecclestone's demand of $175 million to secure the race for several years was reduced to just $75 million, a price which supporting parties are apparently willing and able to pay in order to bring the grand prix back to the Gilles Villeneuve circuit.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Paul Gilham/Getty]

Return of the Prix: F1 confirmed back in Canada for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ecclestone cuts rates to bring Grand Prix back to Montreal

Noah Joseph — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Canada

This year was the first in Formula One history that had absolutely no presence in North America. But that could change for next year if the latest reports from Canada are any indication, as insiders suggest that a new deal between race organizers and government officials on the one hand and Bernie Ecclestone on the other is in the closing rounds of negotiations.

Ecclestone pulled the plug on the Canadian Grand Prix - the only F1 race in North America and a longstanding fixture of the F1 calendar - last year after municipal, provincial and federal government officials refused to pay his exorbitant fees. But after a year without the race in Montreal, Ecclestone has reportedly changed his tune and agreed to a substantially reduced (though still highly lucrative) deal with local officials that would cut his fees by a reported $100 million, down from his previous demanded guarantee of $175 million to the governments' counter-offer of $75 million.

The F1 chief's actions are suspected to be influenced by the new Concorde Agreement - F1's secretive profit-sharing deal - with the teams eager to return to North America and Ecclestone weary of losing more manufacturers from the series following the departure of Honda and BMW. Thanks to everyone who sent in tips!

[Source: The Globe and Mail via F1-Live | Image: Paul Gilham/Getty]

REPORT: Ecclestone cuts rates to bring Grand Prix back to Montreal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Little Nürburgring: Ferraris in their Natural Habitat at Mont Tremblant

Noah Joseph — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Ferrari, Canada

2009 Ferrari Challenge at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've always found the idea of going on safari or a diving expedition rather intriguing. But while we can appreciate those willing to spend their precious vacation time and hard-earned cash to see nature's most beautiful creatures in their natural habitats, most of us here at Autoblog aren't exactly the nature-adventure types. We're car guys. The Ferrari Challenge... now that's more like it.

Like a lion in the Sahara or a bear in the forest, Ferraris belong on the race track. But the unfortunate reality is most end up sitting in tiled garages adjoining big mansions in prestigious locations. We get to see more than most, but more often than not they're perched on an auto show stand under floodlights and flash bulbs. So when Ferrari invited us to join them at the legendary Circuit Mont Tremblant for a round of wheel-to-wheel racing, we could hardly resist. Follow the jump for more.

Gallery: 2009 Ferrari F430 Challenge at Mont Tremblant

Gallery: 2009 Ferrari Historic Challenge at Mont Tremblant

Continue reading The Little Nürburgring: Ferraris in their Natural Habitat at Mont Tremblant

The Little Nürburgring: Ferraris in their Natural Habitat at Mont Tremblant originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montreal, Niagara Falls, New York City: F1 looks to return to North America

Noah Joseph — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Since the Canadian Grand Prix was canceled for this season, Formula One has been entirely absent from North America. But participating automakers, investors and organizers alike know that the North American market is vital and can't be overlooked, and to that end several new developments are said to be underway to bring F1 back over to the western shores of the Atlantic.

First up, and probably the most straightforward, would be the reinstatement of the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. The event was long a mainstay of the F1 calendar and a prominent event both for locals and for racing fans from across Canada and the United States. Quebec provincial government minister Raymond Bachand confirmed in a recent radio interview that the local governments are motivated to bring the race back to Montreal, and that talks are ongoing with Bernie Ecclestone. A five-year deal at a more reasonable rate than what Ecclestone previously demanded is what local governments are seeking.

Meanwhile, reports are surfacing of several new circuits being built up the St. Lawrence River near Niagara Falls, Ontario. With the backing of Jeff Gordon and others, Kuwaiti investment firm Bayt Al Mal is reportedly building a new $200 million motorsports park in Niagara to include a one-mile oval track for NASCAR races and a 2.5-mile road course that could attract the Canadian Grand Prix to the site. The facility being built boasts seating capacity for 100,000, plus hotels and other accommodations on a 623 acre site. Several other projects are also reportedly under way in the region, close to upstate New York and not far from Detroit, including a 3.5-mile road course for the IRL.

Enough about Canada, what about the United States, you ask? Ecclestone's latest tirade precludes a return to Indy, while in his view none of the hundreds of existing race tracks in the United States would be suitable. Following his previous indications that a new track could be made near Las Vegas, Bernie's now suggesting that only New York would make a viable location for Formula One to return to the U.S. We wonder, meanwhile, what he'll come up with next.

[Sources: F1-Live and GrandPrix.com | Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Montreal, Niagara Falls, New York City: F1 looks to return to North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Show Me The Money: Attempts to rescue Canadian GP failed

Noah Joseph — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

Organizers, fans and media alike were shocked when the news broke that Formula One Management and the FIA had canceled the perennial Canadian Grand Prix, but the prospect remained open for local officials to renegotiate the contract. We're disappointed to report, however, that those prospects have now all but completely dissipated, as negotiations between the sport's commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone and representatives from the Canadian federal, Quebec provincial and Montreal municipal governments have broken down. And everyone's fingers are pointing at Bernie.

According to Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay, Ecclestone put forward an outrageous proposal extorting exorbitant multi-million-dollar fees from the race organizers, who receive backing from the three levels of government. The Canadian representatives then began considering levying a new tax over local hotels to cover the cost and planning to establish a non-profit organization to come up with a fiscally sound counter-offer, but even those prospects were completely shut down when Ecclestone stated his refusal to budge from his terms whatsoever. And so, with the US Grand Prix still out of the running - for the time being, at least - the top level of motor racing has completely abandoned North America altogether.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Lluis Gene/Getty]

Show Me The Money: Attempts to rescue Canadian GP failed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Au revoir, Montr�al: FIA cancels Canadian GP for 2009

Noah Joseph — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Event Alert

Everyone's surprised as the FIA has announced it is canceling the Canadian Grand Prix. Those in the world of F1 racing have come to know the event as a staple of the F1 calendar. Racing fans in Montreal, this writer's home town that has hosted the race for the past three decades, are shocked to lose the event. And that includes the race organizers, who apparently learned of the news the same way the rest of us have.

The cancellation of the race leaves a month-long gap in the race calendar in August of next season, and with the U.S. Grand Prix off the schedule the past few years, means F1 will stay completely out of North America. And save for the Brazilian Grand Prix, out of the Western Hemisphere altogether. But the trip across the Atlantic for the one race cost the teams dearly, and the sport's organizers have been on a crusade to cut costs. No doubt the officials at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be burning up the phone lines to Formula One Management and the FIA, and organizers in far-flung Rio de Janeiro and Melbourne will be waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Thanks to everyone who sent in the tip.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP/Getty]

Au revoir, Montr�al: FIA cancels Canadian GP for 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2008 Canadian Grand Prix: Pit Stops & Potholes (and Spoilers -- Beware)

Noah Joseph — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Collisions are a common occurrence on Montreal streets. If you don't run into another erratically-driving motorist running a red light, you're likely to experience a near-crash thanks to the crater-sized potholes blemishing the city's tarmac. Although motor racing events carry some of the charm and character of the venue in which they're held, we wouldn't have expected Montreal's treacherous street driving to translate onto the race track. But then the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a road course of sorts. So the hundred-thousand-plus racing fans who turned up at the track for the 30th running of the Canadian Grand Prix, the driving was a familiar site.

As we reported previously, the race officials didn't deem our readership worthy of in-depth, up-close coverage of the race, but we think otherwise and have a breakdown of the race results after the jump, so click on to read on. (If you've TiVo'd the race and don't want to spoil the results, go no further.) Click on the image or on the thumbnails below to view our images from Friday's practice session in our high-resolution image gallery.

Gallery: 2008 Canadian Grand Prix - Friday practice

Continue reading 2008 Canadian Grand Prix: Pit Stops & Potholes (and Spoilers -- Beware)

2008 Canadian Grand Prix: Pit Stops & Potholes (and Spoilers -- Beware) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog crashes the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix

Noah Joseph — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Click for photos from the Canadian GP in our hi-res gallery

Formula One racing is one hell of a spectacle. Although other forms of motorsport, like NASCAR and Le Mans-style endurance racing, hold large fan bases, F1 - at times in spite of itself - remains the favorite for racing fans around the world. Since the cancelation of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis, there remains just one Formula One race in North America: the perrenial Canadian Grand Prix, held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. That's why when the opportunity arose to visit Montreal in the summer, we timed our visit around the grand prix weekend.

Much to our continued frustration, however, the various powers that be in charge of F1 racing deemed us unworthy of a solitary press pass to cover the race weekend for you, our growing readership that numbers over 5 million monthly. After three months of jumping through hoops of red tape (and every loophole we could find) with the FIA, Formula One Management and the race organizer's office, our application was unceremoniously rejected. With our flight out set for after race weekend and stranded without a ticket, our friends at Ferrari North America were kind enough to give us a ticket at least for the Friday practice session. So we packed up the camera - and an umbrella - and headed out to rain-soaked Isle St Helene to check out the action. What we came away with, from our brief foray into motorsport photography, is a deep reverance for skill. Not just on part of the drivers, engineers and strategists that comprise the teams - theirs we already knew to be as unfathomably atmospheric as the compression inside their 20,000 rpm masterpieces. But for professional motorsport photographers, who manage to capture the breakneck fast-paced action in still frames. Of course it helps when you have one of those spiffy FIA-issued vests that gives you access to the best vantage points, but just the same, we'll contemplate those skills a little longer next time before turning the page of our favorite racing mag. As for our modest attempts at joining their ranks, you can see the results in the high-resolution gallery by clicking the thumbnails below, and stay tuned for our recap of the race.

Gallery: 2008 Canadian Grand Prix - Friday practice

Autoblog crashes the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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