Delhi Meet: 2010 Indian GP confirmed originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fans had been looking forward to it for years, and now it's come to a close. For 2007, Formula One stepped out of the dominating shadow of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, the first season since his retirement, and came to today's final race of the season in a close three-way battle between Ferrari's "iceman" Kimi Raikonnen and McLaren's feuding fraternity of defending champion Fernando Alonso and amazing rookie Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's brave Brazilian Felipe Massa having fell out of contention earlier in the season.

The 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix was a thrilling end to a thrilling season and a gripping race in its own rite. SPOILER ALERT: Follow the jump to find out who won the race, who took the title and how it all went down.

Continue reading Three-Way Title Race comes to a close at Brazilian Grand Prix

Three-Way Title Race comes to a close at Brazilian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With plans on the drawing board to potentially move the defunct USGP from Indianapolis to Las Vegas, BMW is ostensibly testing the waters by staging one of its popular Pit Lane Park demonstrations in Sin City this coming January.

BMW stages the public demonstrations at various grands prix and events around the world. The park features demonstrations of the team's F1 cars, a live pit lane display and a variety of hands-on experiences for racing fans. At the recent event staged at the British Grand Prix, the team brought in Nigel Mansell and Johnny Herbert who returned to the wheel of an F1 car for the fans' enjoyment.

The Vegas event, which will be located on the Gold Lot by the corner of Paradise Road and Convention Center Drive, will be held during the Consumer Electronics Show, held from January 7 to 10, 2008. At the same time as CES, Vegas is also usually host to a pornographers' convention, which, notwithstanding the wealth of electronic technology packed into a modern F1 car, may actually come closer to the obscenely ecstatic sight of the formula race cars pulling donuts and smokey burn-outs at close range.

[Source: Autosport.com]

BMW F1 Pit Lane Park coming to Vegas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spectators, commentators and fans all feared the worst when BMW Sauber's star driver Robert Kubica hit the wall at the end of the hairpin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on St. Helen's Island in Montreal during this year's Canadian Grand Prix. But as we all know, the Polish driver suffered only a concussion and a sprained ankle, despite the high speeds, high G's and hard impact of the crash. Now he's back in the cockpit, sticking it to everyone this side of Ferrari and McLaren, defending champions Renault included. (Thank God for carbon fiber, eh Robbie?)

The techies over at RTL, the German network that broadcasts the Formula One events, put together this three-dimensional re-creation of the crash, complete with some Matrix-style viewing-angle sweeps. The action is slowed down so you can better see what happened, which makes it all too easy to forget the enormous speeds at which the crash occurred.

Unfortunately, whoever posted it up on YouTube decided to mix in a typically poor soundtrack, but since the original was without sound anyway, offended parties can feel free to turn down the volume completely.

• Kubica survives crash at 75 G
• New view of Kubica crash as F1 goes after YouTube clips
• VIDEO: Kubica crashes Canadian GP

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the info!
Video after the jump.

[Source: RTL via YouTube]

Continue reading Kubica's Kanadian Krash -- Now in 3-D

Kubica's Kanadian Krash -- Now in 3-D originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The UK is a pretty good place to be an F1 fan, as a number of F1 teams are headquartered in Great Britain. Four current F1 racing drivers are British, including the incredible Lewis Hamilton, with several more test drivers as well. Brits have their own race every year, no matter how poor the facilities and the attendance. And they're within driving distance of a handful more on the Continent. In short, the British Isles are F1-land, and more British companies are getting in on the action every year.

The latest to offer their services to race fans is Vue Cinemas, a rapidly-expanding chain of movie theaters that currently counts 59 multiplexes encompassing over 570 screens in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The chain has announced it will be screening a live feed of the British Grand Prix, directly from Silverstone, with no commercial interruptions. Vue Cinemas is calling it a "larger-than-life-experience" that will be offered at 30 of its locations in the UK.

You can expect tickets to be considerably less expensive than race tickets, and while it won't feature the same "right-there" experience, you'll probably get a better Vue.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Grand Prix, Great Britain, Big Screen originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the United States, racing fans get one chance a year to see F1 cars in action at the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Those willing to trek over the border get another shot at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, each pitting a couple dozen current Formula One single-seaters against each other in pursuit of the world championship. British fans, however, are in for an even sweeter treat in the form of GPLive, a spectacular display of over 200 historic grand prix racers that will take place at Donington Park later this month.

Running over the course of the weekend from May 18-20, GPLive will feature what promises to be the largest single gathering of F1 cars, spanning decades of the sport, in one fast-paced, high-octane retrospective. Dozens will be on display from the famous Donington Park collection, in addition to others from private collections. More than a hundred, meanwhile, will take to the track again to relive their glory days, including several former world champions' rides.

One of the highlights will undoubtedly be the four cars taking part from the private collection of 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter, including his championship-winning Ferrari 312 T4. Joining Scheckter's cars will be cars driven by past champions including James Hunt, Alan Jones, Jim Clark and Mario Andretti. Ayrton Senna's 1986 Lotus-Renault 98T, in full JPS livery and 1000-horsepower spec, as well as dozens more, will also be on hand for the enjoyment of the crowd of motoring enthusiasts, for whom this is shaping up to be the event of a lifetime.

Follow the link for more details of the historic racing machines to be included in the GPLive show.

[Source: Gizmag]

200 historic F1 cars head to Donington for GPLive originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2007 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seems that the FIA wanted it to go un-noticed, but the motorsport governing authority has let Turkey get away without even paying the slap on the wrist they imposed in the first place.

For those who may not recall, at last year's Turkish Grand Prix, the leader of Turkish-occupied Cyprus was introduced to give the trophy to race winner Felipe Massa in a deliberate politicization of the motorsport competition. Turkey's dominion over Cyprus is not internationally recognized, and the FIA warned of fire and brimstone. Threatening to take away not only the Turkish Grand Prix but also possibly to revoke Turkey's WRC rally stage and blacklisting the entire country from holding any FIA-sanctioned races, the sanctioning body declared that motor racing was not to be manipulated towards political ends. Following a tribunal that considered the issue, the FIA instead imposed a relatively minor $5 million fine and let Turkey keep its races.

Half the fine was paid by the race promoters, who were subsequently dismissed from responsibility for organizing the grand prix, which passed into the hands of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management. The remaining $2.5 million was to be paid by the Turkish motor sports federation TOSFED, but after pleading with the FIA and explaining that the fine would send them into bankruptcy, the governing body let them off without paying.

Mercy is a laudable attribute, but by failing to hold TOSFED to any punishment whatsoever, the FIA is leaving the door open to further manipulation of motor racing by others in the future.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Surprise! Turkey gets away without paying full fine originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite all the ongoing rumors of this country and that preparing bids for F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone, few of them are anywhere near that stage. As track designer Hermann Tilke has pointed out, many of the speculative locations lack circuits that would be ready to host grands prix.

Tilke has to his credit the designs of most of the new F1-spec race tracks around the world, including Malaysia, Bahrain, Istanbul and Shanghai.In addition to those, he's working on Abu Dhabi's. The overwhelming likelihood is that Tilke Engineering would be commissioned to draw up the plans for any new track if prospective organizers are serious about their F1 bids.

In an interview with British publication Autosport, Tilke said that Mexico, India, Russia, South Africa and Greece are a long way from making their Formula One dreams realities. Mexico, he says, is stalled with political problems, India and Russia are merely topics for discussion, plans for a return to South Africa are "dormant" and the Greek bid has "fizzled out." That leaves plenty of room for progress on each front, but then again, there are a lot of countries vying for Tilke's talents...and for Bernie's attention.

[Source: F1i]

Not so fast: new F1 circuits aren't happening yet, says Tilke originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Feb 2007 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The venture had gotten what looked to be a decent rolling start several years ago with several promising leads. Bernie Ecclestone visited Russia a couple times with an eye towards getting a Russian Grand Prix off the ground in either Moscow or St. Petersburg. Russian businessman Alex Shnaider had brought Formula One to the capital when his Midland F1 team unveiled its car outside the Kremlin in 2005, and fellow businessman Alexander Berezhnoy had put forward a plan in 2001 to build a new circuit to be called the Pulkovo Ring near the St. Petersburg airport. Since then, however, the proposal seemed to have fallen by the wayside.

Continues after the jump

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Continue reading Formula Onovich: Russian Grand Prix gears up again

Formula Onovich: Russian Grand Prix gears up again originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Feb 2007 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view more pictures from the event.

As promised, organizers put on quite the spectacle on Saturday when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was officially announced. Tens of thousands of people reportedly turned out for an F1 demonstration on the streets of the gulf emirate that featured all the big-name drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. No big surprise that Ferrari sent both its driving aces to the event, but Spyker's absence seems conspicuous. Abu Dhabi crown corporation Mubadala Development is a minority shareholder in both teams.

Related posts:

• Bahrain is still in the race, and the race is still in Bahrain
• Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1
• F1 circuit to join Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
• Abu Dhabi to build Ferrari World theme park
• Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi

[Source: AbuDhabiGP.com]

Gallery: Abu Dhabi GP street event

Continue reading Abu Dhabi event draws big crowd - Bernie wants more

Abu Dhabi event draws big crowd - Bernie wants more originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The small Gulf state has hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix since 2004 with an exclusive contract for the only F1 race in the entire Middle East & North Africa region, and though nobody outside the organization knows the precise terms of the contract - namely, when the exclusivity clause expires - insiders estimate that it runs out in 2008, leaving the door open for Abu Dhabi to host its own race as early as 2009. But that doesn't mean the Bahrain Grand Prix is history - they spent $150 million to build the Sakhir track and have yet to recuperate all the costs. Casting a shadow over the impending festivities in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain has announced its extending its contract with Bernie Ecclestone, possibly all the way through 2019.

The question remains over how many F1 races the region can support. With a small population, Bahrain was banking on attracting spectators (read: tourists) from all over the Middle East, but the grandstands have been conspicuously empty. And though the geo-political debate continues over Turkey's situation in Europe or the Middle East, either way it's not far away, bordering Syria, Iran and Iraq. Abu Dhabi is banking on its grand prix becoming just one part of the Yas Island development, but with that many races in a region where F1 is still an emerging field, it may be too much too fast. Then again, that's what F1 is all about.

Related posts:

• F1 circuit to join Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
• Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1
  

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Bahrain is still in the race, and the race is still in Bahrain originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Feb 2007 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looks like the oil-rich sheiks of Abu Dhabi are getting more serious about the prospect of hosting a Formula One grand prix than we thought. Last week we reported that they're adding an FIA-regulation race track to the Yas Island project that will also host the Ferrari World theme park, and with big question marks rounding off the one main restriction, they could be planning on hosting a grand prix very soon.

Continue reading Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1

Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It just doesn't stop - now every country and their neighbor seems to want to host a grand prix, and lucky Bernie Ecclestone gets to decide who gets one and who doesn't. Following recent reports of Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi and Portugal all seeking to bring Formula One to their countries, the latest to join the fray is Greece, where the government has pledged its support to seeking the establishment of a Greek Grand Prix.

This past Saturday, Greek President Karolos Papoulias signed a directive opening the door for race organizers to solicit funding from the Ministry of Development. The track would be built on a site at Orchomenos on the Greek mainland 75 miles northwest of Athens, earmarked for a racing track since 1992.

Last year Turkey struck a blow to Greek national pride with the Cyprus debacle at the Turkish Grand Prix, and got away with barely a slap on the wrist while being allowed to keep its race. Aside from the obvious boost to tourism that every grand prix hopeful nation seeks, last year's escalation in the Greek-Turkish détente might have added a little extra motivation for the government to finally support the bid and help get the project off the ground.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Greece gears up for Hellenic Grand Prix bid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the oldest surviving grand prix racing drivers has left us for the Big Pit-Stop in the Sky. Baron Emmanuel "Toulo" de Graffenried - yes, he was an actual Swiss baron - has died at the ripe old age of 92.

De Graffenried raced before and after the Second World War, achieving notable success and victories in the earliest days of Formula One. In 1948, the Baron won the first British Grand Prix, crowning his numerous podium finishes at races from Monaco to Zandvoort and from Geneva to Interlagos, competing mostly in Alfa Romeo and Maserati racing cars. He stood in for Kirk Douglas in The Racers (1955), and retired from racing at 42 to focus on his garage in Lausanne where he sold Alfas, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces. In the 70's he was back in the paddock as longtime racing sponsor Marlboro's F1 ambassador, its parent company Philip Morris being based in Lausanne.

Toulo was born in Paris in 1914 and grew up in Switzerland, where the de Graffenried family was one of the most prominent families, tracing all the way back to circa 1270. With him dies a simpler, more majestic age of motor racing long since lost to the commercialization and regulation of grand prix racing.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

RIP: Baron Emmanuel Toulo de Graffenried (1914-2007) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's claimed numerous lives and Niki Lauda's ears. It snakes through 22 kilometers of German countryside. It's been updated, modernized, even replaced. But the Nordschleife course of the formidable Nürburgring circuit in Germany is still the most famous - and infamous - track in the world. F1 have abandoned it years ago for a more modern track nearby, but the old Nordschleife is still used by enthusiasts driving anything with two wheels or four, and by manufacturers who aim to put their test mules through the paces.

This 22-minute wild ride covers the track's history while blitzing through each of its loops, bends, dips and straights. Along the way we get to visit with our old friend Sabine Schmitz, Queen on the Ring, and get an inside glimpse at a few options available for visitors looking to get the most out of the experience, including driving schools and the Ring Taxi.

We owe our thanks to BMW for producing this video, the first manufacturer to begin testing its road cars on the Ring and the only one that still tests every new model there.

[Source: BMW]

Autoblog Night Watch: Der Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been almost four years since the Champ Car series has raced in Europe, but organizers are planning on bringing it back. 2003 was the last season the declining American open-wheel series raced in Europe, when French ace Sebastien Bourdais - now three-time Champ champ - won both the races at Brands Hatch in England and the Lausitzring EuroSpeedway in Germany.

The latest reports suggest that the 2007 season will include two new races in Europe, though not at the same venues as previous seasons. On September 2, Champ Cars will be racing around Holland's Assen circuit, a former road track that has since been developed into a full facility. A week later, the second European race will be competing with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza when Champ Cars race at Zolder, once the site of the Belgian Grand Prix.

The two new European venues bring the Champ Car calendar up to a very full 17 races around the world, joined by events in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and China. By comparison, the competing IndyCar series also has seventeen races scheduled for 2007, though the Motegi race in Japan stands alone as the IRL's only race abroad. If you were a driver aiming to climb up the ladder to Formula One, which would you choose?

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Champ Cars return to Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Asian push in F1 keeps growing stronger. After reports of Singapore edging closer to signing a deal with Bernie Ecclestone, and South Korea set to join the calendar for 2010, efforts to establish an Indian Grand Prix are firming up.

The plans for an F1 race in India hadn't been getting off the back-burner as potential organizers couldn't agree on a site on the subcontinent, not unlike the deadlock that kept F1 out of the US until its return at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now Ecclestone seems confident that Delhi is the right place.

The new Asian grands prix in India, Singapore and Korea would be joining Turkey, Bahrain, Malaysia, Japan and China, bringing the number of races in Asia up to eight, the same as the number of European races on the 2007 calendar. That'd be a radical departure for a race series that has been heavily Euro-centric for decades, but Ecclestone is keen to bring F1 to new markets and Asia's where it's at.

[Source: F1i.com]

Delhi likely to host Indian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The venues just keep on lining up for grands prix. After bringing you news of Singapore's impending bid and progress on India's plans, the next contender is Portugal, which had a grand prix at Estoril from 1984 to 1997 but withdrew from the F1 calendar after that due to prohibitively high costs to get the track up to spec. Rather than sinking more money into an old track, the coastal town of Portimao is moving ahead with plans to build a brand new facility.

The project has a reported budget of a staggering $250 million and includes a five-star hotel, apartment complex and trackside technology center in addition to the track itself and other supporting facilities. Parkalgar, a private contractor, is getting support from local and national governments who see the project as a priority for the Portuguese tourism industry and who are granting the contractors a 10-year tax break together with low rental fees for the 800 acres of land dedicated for the facility. Parkalgar aims to finish the facility by September 2008, after which they intend to bid for a Formula One grand prix.

The bid for a Portuguese Grand Prix is a bit of an uphill battle, set against the context of a general decrease in the number of European races. Germany and Italy have each had a race cut from the calendar; Belgium is alternating every other year; even France and England might have to alternate; while nearby Spain is bidding for a second race. It might be a tough sell with an already overcrowded race schedule, but it may just come down to how much they can afford to pay Bernie Ecclestone, who as always holds the lucrative commercial rights to the series.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Return to Portugal: Portimao building F1 track originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Singapore is reportedly getting serious about the prospect of being the next Asian city to host a grand prix, and they're talking as early as the 2008 season. Reports indicate that F1 head-honcho Bernie Ecclestone is in negotiations with not one, but two Singaporean groups about getting a Formula One race in their small city-state.

One group has already commissioned a design for a unique racing circuit from Hermann Tilke, the same architect who penned the newest tracks in Malaysia, Bahrain, Istanbul and Shanghai. The second group is apparently pitching a grand prix on city streets, following on comments made last year by FIA President Max Mosley that Singapore's streets are wide enough to have the race running through the city, Monaco-style (only presumably with increased safety standards).

Calendaring in a grand prix in Singapore would in all likelihood mean cutting out another race in Europe, following the contemporary trend of de-Europeanizing and globalizing F1. Although that carries certain benefits, with the squads based almost exclusively in Europe, that means increased costs for the teams.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Singapore gearing up for a grand prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jan 2007 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Overtaking is the best part of F1. When you see a great overtaking maneuver while watching a grand prix live, it stays with you. When there's not enough overtaking, fans and pundits call for rule changes. Overtaking wins races and shames champions. It's the sweetest plum, the cherry atop the race sunday.

Some passing maneuvers are so great that they stay inscribed in the annals of F1 history and in the minds of F1 fans even decades later. This video compiles the best of them, the top overtaking moves in the history of televised motorsports, set to a rather fittingly dramatic and aptly penned musical score.

Enjoy these passing moments.

[Directed by nickbrennan2004 for TBK]

VIDEO: The Best F1 Overtaking Moves originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.