Autoblog

American racer Michael Lewis earns Ferrari test on back of F3 victory

Noah Joseph — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:18:00 EST

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

When this year's Formula 1 young driver test kicks off in Abu Dhabi, Alexander Rossi may be the only American there, but he's not the only young Yank with his eyes on grand prix racing. And he's not the only one set for an F1 test, either.

Rossi is joined in his aspirations by fellow Californian driver Michael Lewis, who is scheduled to test for no less prestigious a team than Scuderia Ferrari. The opportunity is Lewis' reward - arranged between Ferrari and the Italian racing body CSAI - for his achievements in the Italian F3 Championship, where he emerged as rookie of the year. He also placed second in the overall standings behind series champion Sergio Campana, who will be driving the 2009-spec Ferrari F60 alongside him at the Vallelunga circuit outside Rome.

Prior to Formula 3, Lewis competed in Formula BMW both on this side of the Atlantic and the other. All the while, he's been working towards a business degree at the Fullerton campus of California State University - a rarity in a demanding field that often precludes aspiring racers from furthering their education. Press release after the jump.

Continue reading American racer Michael Lewis earns Ferrari test on back of F3 victory

American racer Michael Lewis earns Ferrari test on back of F3 victory originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA fomulates new F3 International Trophy

Noah Joseph — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

It seems like new feeder series on the ladder up to Formula One are popping with increased frequency. GP2 kicked off in 2005, which then gave birth to GP3. Formula 2 was re-inaugurated in 2009, while other series like A1GP, Superleague Formula and Auto GP come and go. All the while, Formula 3 has remained a fragmented category with no cohesive international championship. That is, until now.

The FIA has announced a new international level of Formula 3 racing that promises to draw the best up-and-coming talents from the open-wheel racing world. Instead of superseding or replacing any of the national or regional series currently in place, the F3 International Trophy will string together several events from existing series along with some others to crown a world champion.

The six-round calendar for the inaugural championship is set to include the Macau Grand Prix in China (pictured above), the Zandvoort Masters in the Netherlands, and a support race (currently part of the British F3 series) for the Spa 24 Hours in Belgium, while reviving the erstwhile dormant Pau Grand Prix in France and kicking off new races at Hockenheim (date TBA) and Yeongam (in support of the Korean Grand Prix). The top three drivers at season's end will qualify for an F1 superlicense, giving them a much-coveted shot at the big leagues.

[Source: Autosport | TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty]

FIA fomulates new F3 International Trophy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan GT-R pitted against F3 racer... in the wet

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:16:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan, Racing

Nissan GT-R vs. Formula 3 racer - Click above to watch video after the jump

People love running the Nissan GT-R against anything else they can think of... as long as it has four wheels, it must be compared to the Japanese coupe. We've read countless stories of Godzilla taking on cars far above its power grade and price range, yet the stories and videos keep popping up. To be honest, we would compare the turbocharged Nissan to a Wal-Mart shopping cart if it meant we could score some more heavily-bolstered seat time. Autocar seems to agree with this notion, because they lined up a Nissan GT-R, a Formula 3 racecar and a rain-soaked racetrack.

Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar managed to talk himself behind the wheel of a Red Bull Formula 3 racer, and he ran it for a few laps around a wet track. He set his best time, then jumped into the GT-R. Did he manage to better his time in the purpose-built racer? See for yourself by checking out the video after the jump.

[Source: Autocar via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Nissan GT-R pitted against F3 racer... in the wet

Video: Nissan GT-R pitted against F3 racer... in the wet originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: John Surtees' son, Henry, dead after freak accident at Brands Hatch Formula 2 race

Chris Paukert — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Henry Surtees, son of Formula 1 World Champion and motorcycle champion John Surtees has died after a freak accident during a weekend race at Brands Hatch. The 18-year-old was competing in a Formula 2 race on the U.K. track on Sunday when racer Jack Clarke crashed into a tire barrier ahead of him on the track. Debris from the shunt was sent back onto the racing surface, and one of the rear wheels of Clarke's racer flew off, bouncing off the helmet of Surtees and apparently knocking him unconscious. Surtees car then went straight off the track and into a barrier.

The race was red flagged while Surtees was airlifted from Brands Hatch, but doctors were apparently unable to save him at the Royal London Hospital.

Surtees, who had competed in Formula Renault and Formula 3 last year, had just claimed his first-ever F2 podium finish the day prior at the first race of the weekend at Brands Hatch. Thanks to all of you who sent in tips.

[Source: BBC News | Image: johnsurtees.com]

REPORT: John Surtees' son, Henry, dead after freak accident at Brands Hatch Formula 2 race originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars

GTA Concept supercar - Click above for image gallery

Between Ferrari and upcoming new projects from McLaren, there is no shortage of supercars developed by F1 teams. But now, even some Formula 3 teams want to get in on the action, as evidenced by the new GTA Concept. The mid-engined supercar on which we initially reported a little over a year ago is the brainchild of Spanish racing outfit GTA, and while we hadn't heard much out of them for a while now, the car now reportedly finished its testing regimen in preparation for its official launch by the end of this month.

In anticipation, GTA has released some mouthwatering details on the supercar, whose official name will be revealed along with the car itself at an unveiling event in a few weeks. A mid-mounted V10 provides a quoted 780 horsepower and 678 lb-ft of torque, with power rolling through a seven-speed sequential gearbox with optional paddle shifters. All that juice is said to be enough to propel the supercar to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than three seconds, en route to a top speed in excess of 350 km/h (217 mph). Custom wheels measuring 255/35-19 at the front and 335/35-20 at the rear are to be shod shod with Pirelli Pzero tires, beneath which figures to be a set of 380mm carbon-ceramic ventilated discs with six-piston AP Racing calipers and ABS modulation.

GTA says it will only produce 99 examples of the titanium, carbon-fiber and Kevlar supercar, and it says that the advanced design yielded five international patents, including one for the tinting glass roof panel. We'll keep an eye out for the vehicle's debut, so watch this space. In the meantime, we've added a pair of shots of the GTA undergoing testing to the gallery of renderings below, so check 'em out along with the details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: GTA Motor supercar concept

[Source: GTA]

Continue reading GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month

GTA Concept supercar finishing testing, launching next month originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer

Noah Joseph — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology

Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Dallara Formulino

Typically, race cars - especially formula single-seaters - are designed and built for a specific series. Nobody knows that better than Dallara. The Italian motorsports engineering firm designed and fabricates the chassis for GP2, the World Series by Renault, practically the entire Formula 3 grid and the Indy Racing League, to say nothing of its occasional dabbling in Formula 1, sportscar and Grand Am racing. But now they've decided to shake things up a bit by building the Formulino.

Italian for "little formula", the idea behind the Formulino project is to give aspiring racing drivers a point of entry into the world of formula racing with a straightforward and affordable Dallara racer, similar to the ones they'd be driving in the big leagues, only smaller. Three different levels of Formulino spec are available - Base, Plus and Pro - each with different suspension and aero packages. The chassis is a carbon monocoque, outfitted with a Hewland FTR gearbox capable of handling a range of engine options up to 260 horsepower. Prices start at 38,500 euros (about $51,600 USD) for the Base model (not far off from the Formula Vee car we drove) and range up to 65k euros ($87k) for the full-on Pro model, a chassis that already approaches F3 spec. Follow the jump for the press release, and don't forget to check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Dallara Formulino

[Source: Dallara]

Continue reading Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer

Training Wheels: Dallara rolls out Formulino racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ecclestone moves to establish new GP3 series

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

While Formula One has been a relative constant for the past several decades, the various feeder series running up the ladder to the pinnacle of international motorsport seems to always be in flux. The FIA recently announced plans to revive the old Formula 2 series with a new low-cost format to compete with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's contemporary GP2 championship, but Bernie isn't about to let himself be dominated by Max Mosley without putting up a good fight.

To that end, Ecclestone is now reported to be working on launching a new GP3 series. The new feeder series would sit one step below GP2, which itself has supplied a crop of new talent - including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Timo Glock - to the F1 grid every year since its inception in 2005. GP3 would compete directly with the fractioned Formula 3 - under which separate series operate around the world without a single united championship - and swallow the International Formula Master's series established last year. While Mosley's discredited vision of a low-cost Formula 2 would cap annual budgets at 200,000 euros per car (compared to the 800,000 euro cost of the F3 Euroseries), GP3 could keep things down to the more realistic 450,000 euro budget required in the aforementioned IFM.

Bottom line: there's a war of racing series going on between Mosley and Ecclestone, and racing fans could stand to benefit from the competition.

[Source: F1-Live]

Ecclestone moves to establish new GP3 series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Martinelli unveils Fiat's new Formula 3 engine

Noah Joseph — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Misc. Auto Shows, Fiat

Paolo Martinelli is a name familiar to anyone who follows the technical side of Formula 1 racing. He joined Ferrari's powertrain department after graduating college in 1978, and has been in charge of the Scuderia's engine development program since 1994. Last year, however, Martinelli left Maranello for an executive role at Ferrari's parent company Fiat. The racing world has been waiting ever since to see what the motorsport-powertrain legend would produce next, and now they have their answer.

Next to a giant model of the Fiat 500 at the Bologna auto show last week, Martinelli, now Vice-President of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, took the wraps off of 420F3. Like sister-company Ferrari, which is working on the development of an engine for the A1GP racing series, Fiat will be offering the 420F3 engine to competitors in the Italian Formula 3 championship.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Continue reading Martinelli unveils Fiat's new Formula 3 engine

Martinelli unveils Fiat's new Formula 3 engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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