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[Mercedes Grand Prix searches for drivers while dispelling board's concerns]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/mercedes-grand-prix-searches-for-drivers-while-dispelling-board/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/mercedes-grand-prix-searches-for-drivers-while-dispelling-board/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/mercedes-grand-prix-searches-for-drivers-while-dispelling-board/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The new Mercedes GP car rendered - Click above to view in high-resolution

With two manufacturers leaving the series, four new teams joining the grid and a giant game of musical chairs amongst the drivers ensuing, the off-season between the 2009 and 2010 Formula One World Championships is packing in as much action as the racing itself. But few developments have garnered as much attention as the coup orchestrated by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, withdrawing from McLaren after fifteen years as its active partner in favor of a more conventional engine supplier role, while buying over 75% of the Brawn GP outfit to enter the sport as a full manufacturer team under the Mercedes Grand Prix banner.

The acquisition has drawn public criticism from Erich Klemm, employee representative on the Daimler board and chairman of its Corporate Works Council, who decried the move as an unnecessary cost when money is tight and other automakers are withdrawing from the series. Chairman Dieter Zetsche responded that the acquisition of the Brawn team will give the company more exposure for less cash: The deal reportedly cost the German automaker some $336 million, but its operating costs are expected to drop to about $74 million annually by 2011, analyzed as far less than what Mercedes was contributing annually to the McLaren budget.

Zetsche might have more trouble, however, explaining to the board how their star driver slipped through their fingers and defected to the team they just ditched. McLaren just announced the recruitment of Jenson Button to team up with Lewis Hamilton for a twin-champ "super team," and Rubens Barrichello is off to Williams next season, leaving the new Mercedes GP team looking for new drivers. Considering they're the reigning champions suddenly flush with cash, they shouldn't have much trouble, though.

Zetsche and Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug are reportedly keen to capitalize with an all-German line-up, fueling speculation that Michael Schumacher could rejoin Mercedes (whose junior driving program gave him his start) and Brawn (who orchestrated all seven of his world championships). Nico Rosberg is thought to already have signed on to switch places with Barrichello, while Nick Heidfeld has been linked with a switch from the departing BMW to its arch-rival Mercedes. Toyota's Timo Glock was also reportedly in the running, but the young German driver signed with newcomer Manor GP instead. Haug has indicated an announcement will come within the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

[Source: F1 Live]

Mercedes Grand Prix searches for drivers while dispelling board's concerns originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barrichellobuttonbutton mclarenButtonMclarendaimlerDieter ZetscheDieterZetscheerich klemmErichKlemmglockhamiltonhaugheidfeldheikki kovalainenHeikkiKovalainenjenson buttonJensonButtonlewis hamiltonLewisHamiltonmclarenmercedesmercedes gpmercedes grand prixmercedes-benzMercedesGpMercedesGrandPrixnick heidfeldNickHeidfeldnorbert haugNorbertHaugrubens barrichelloRubensBarrichellotimo glockTimoGlockzetscheWed, 18 Nov 2009 18:31:00 EST<![CDATA[End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/end-of-year-shuffle-14-formula-one-teams-swap-drivers-for-2010/#commentsFiled under: ,


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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Nick Heidfeld at the launch of the BMW Sauber F1.09 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Nick Heidfeld and the BMW Sauber F1 team he drives for may not be having the best season thus far, but one thing you can give them credit for is consistency. And as anyone who knows racing can tell you, finishing the race is the most fundamental element of success. So it shouldn't fall on deaf ears that Heidfeld set a not insignificant record last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, where - after 25 successive grands prix - the German driver took the record for the most races completely consecutively.

The record was previously held by fellow countryman Michael Schumacher, and came on Heidfeld's 32nd birthday. The last time Nick didn't finish a race was way back at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway, where technical difficulties sidelined him two laps before the finish line. Since then Heidfeld has started and finished every grand prix, through the remainder of 2007, all of 2008 and every race this year so far.


Gallery: BMW Sauber F1.09



[Source: F1-Live]

BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld takes completed-races record from Schumacher originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 May 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmw sauberbmw sauber f1BmwSauberBmwSauberF1consecutive recordConsecutiveRecordf1f1 recordF1Recordformula 1formula oneformula one recordFormula1FormulaOneFormulaOneRecordmichael schumacherMichaelSchumachernick heidfeldnick heidfeld recordNickHeidfeldNickHeidfeldRecordMon, 18 May 2009 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Nick Heidfeld breaks BMW Sauber F1 car while showing off]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/video-nick-heidfeld-breaks-bmw-sauber-f1-car-while-showing-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/video-nick-heidfeld-breaks-bmw-sauber-f1-car-while-showing-off/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/06/video-nick-heidfeld-breaks-bmw-sauber-f1-car-while-showing-off/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Not that BMW's Sauber F1 car has anything more than three letters in common with cars that bear the propeller logo on public streets, but who's going to argue with the opportunity to lay down the tools early? Hotshoe Nick Heidfeld recently treated a crowd of laborer's at BMW's Munich factory to the spectacle of a big-dollar race car being treated like a hand-me-down Reliant, complete with a body-damaging finale. The shriek of a high-strung F1 racer while it slides around doing lurid donuts is a thing to behold, but the smile quickly fades when the front splitter gets tangled up in the curbing and ripped off the nose. Whoops. Video after the jump - Thanks for the tip, Ovidiu!


[Source: YouTube via Zercustoms]



Continue reading VIDEO: Nick Heidfeld breaks BMW Sauber F1 car while showing off

VIDEO: Nick Heidfeld breaks BMW Sauber F1 car while showing off originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 May 2008 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmw f1 donutsbmw f1 sauber donutsbmw sauberbmw sauber f1bmw sauber f1 teambmw videoBmwF1DonutsBmwF1SauberDonutsBmwSauberBmwSauberF1BmwSauberF1TeamBmwVideonick heidfeldnick heidfeld crashnick heidfieldNickHeidfeldNickHeidfeldCrashNickHeidfieldsauber f1SauberF1videoTue, 06 May 2008 17:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Drivers get wet at Nurburgring F1]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/drivers-get-wet-at-nurburgring-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/drivers-get-wet-at-nurburgring-f1/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/23/drivers-get-wet-at-nurburgring-f1/#commentsFiled under:



Last weekend's rain soaked European Grand Prix at Germany's Nurburgring saw many of the drivers aquaplaning out of control early on in the event. Rain started in just the second lap of the race and it had to be restarted by the fourth lap due to dangerous conditions. By the time the race restarted the rain had stopped and the track dried up quickly.

Fernando Alonso managed to take the top spot on a day where it seemed that anyone could win, but even he suffered a hitch during the closing laps as he tried to overtake Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was in first place. Massa's front wheel grazed the side of Alonso's McLaren and this led to a heated argument between the two post-race.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton was one of the drivers who slid off the track in the beginning, but he was given a lifeline when his car was lifted by crane back onto the track. A poor decision to switch to dry tires too early after the rain had stopped saw him spin out again. This left him out of contention of a podium finish, and at the end the rookie came at in 9th place.

The major disappointment was pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen being forced to retire because of mechanical problems with his Ferrari. This allowed the competent Mark Webber to cruise into the third spot to gain his first podium finish at Red Bull racing. Another disappointment were the BMW boys, with sixth placed Nick Heidfeld hitting the side of team-mate Robert Kubica and then doing the same again with Ralf Schumacher.

Drivers get wet at Nurburgring F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UPDATE: Video of the event can be found after the jump.

Once upon a time, fragile little grand prix cars raced on circuits that had no huge run-off areas, no enormous corporate hospitality suites, and lots of blind corners. Then the 70s happened.. Drivers like Jim Clark had already died at the wheel of their racecars and three time former champion Jackie Stewart was pushing to improve safety in all forms of racing, particularly Formula One. In August of 1976, defending champ Niki Lauda had a near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring in Germany. The Green Hell, as the 14 mile long track was called, would never again experience the shriek of a modern Formula One car. Until yesterday, that is.

The Nordshleife (North Loop) would be relegated to lower classes of racing, while a new, modern, antiseptic Sudschleife would play host to the European Grand Prix in the nineties and into the twenty-first century. On April 28, BMW Motorsport held a special event at the 'Ring and brought out several race cars including an M3 GTR and and one of last years F1 cars. BMW-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld did three laps in the F1.06 which was stock aside from having the ground clearance maximized to survive the bumpy surface of the old course. He managed a best lap of 8:34 and a top speed of 275 km/h on the long straight.

If you are ever in the vicinity of Cologne Germany, on a weekend when the weather is good, it's worth €19 to take a lap of the track, just to get a taste of what it was like in the "good old days" of racing.

[Source: F1-Live]

Continue reading Nick Heidfeld tackles the Nordschleife in a BMW F1.06

Nick Heidfeld tackles the Nordschleife in a BMW F1.06 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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