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[REPORT: Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/15/massa-charges-that-alonso-knew-about-piquet-crash-plan/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/15/massa-charges-that-alonso-knew-about-piquet-crash-plan/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/15/massa-charges-that-alonso-knew-about-piquet-crash-plan/#commentsFiled under: ,


From his brief tenure at McLaren, we know that Fernando Alonso has a bit of trouble getting along with his teammates. Especially when he doesn't get the clear preferential treatment as the team's #1 driver. After all, as has often been said, a driver's teammate is his chief rival. So after Ferrari confirmed that Alonso and Felipe Massa would be put on equal footing, we smelled some trouble a-brewin'. But we didn't expect it to start at least until the beginning of next season. Turns out, that was a bit premature, as some cracks in the relationship between the two teammates-to-be have already started to show.

Speaking with a group of journalists in his native Brazil where the F1 circus is preparing for this weekend's grand prix, Felipe Massa said with "absolute certainty" that Alonso knew about the plan to have wingman Nelson Piquet crash to hand him the controversial victory. That's a pretty hefty charge levied by his future teammate, and Ferrari naturally scrambled to issue a clarification (which you can read after the jump) but you can't take back what's already been said.

Massa was suitably - and vocally - upset when the Crashgate story broke, because without Alonso's ill-earned victory, Massa would have won the championship last year, instead of losing to Lewis Hamilton by one point at the last corner of the last lap of the last race of the season. Better luck next year, gents.

[Sources: Autosport; Ferrari | Image: Vanderlei Almeida/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading REPORT: Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan

REPORT: Massa charges that Alonso knew about Piquet crash plan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alonsocrashgatef1felipe massaFelipeMassafernando alonsoFernandoAlonsoferrariformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnemassascuderia ferrariScuderiaFerrarisingaporeThu, 15 Oct 2009 16:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Race Results: F1 action lights up at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/race-results-f1-action-lights-up-at-the-2009-singapore-grand-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/race-results-f1-action-lights-up-at-the-2009-singapore-grand-pr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/28/race-results-f1-action-lights-up-at-the-2009-singapore-grand-pr/#commentsFiled under:


2009 Singapore Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

As the Formula One circus headed toward its only night race of the season in Singapore, several compelling storylines were developing. The championship-leading Brawn GP team seemed to be righting themselves from their mid-season struggles with teammates Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello solidifying their one-two position in the Championship standings; the consistently quick Red Bull team looked to be keeping the pressure on when they weren't crashing or breaking down; former champions McLaren Mercedes and Scuderia Ferrari appeared to have finally made up some of their early season lethargy with recent wins for both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton that put them in fifth and sixth place respectively, and the resurgent Renault team suddenly facing the possibility of being excluded from the results altogether in the wake of the Nelson Piquet, Jr. Crashgate scandal. Throw in the fact that everyone from BMW Sauber to Force India to Toyota were showing signs of incredible pace and the spotlights of Singapore couldn't have been shown on a more compelling race.

So, how would the drivers and cars handle the street circuit in Singapore? The bumps, the dust, the artificial lights? Follow the jump to read how the race unfolded.


Gallery: 2009 Singapore Grand Prix


Continue reading Race Results: F1 action lights up at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix

Race Results: F1 action lights up at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 formula one world championship2009FormulaOneWorldChampionshipf1featuredfia formula one world championshipFiaFormulaOneWorldChampionshipformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnegrand prixGrandPrixsingaporesingapore grand prixSingaporeGrandPrixMon, 28 Sep 2009 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Carb Control: Asian chefs create unreal life-size F1 car from bread]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/27/carb-control-asian-chefs-create-unreal-life-size-f1-car-from-br/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/27/carb-control-asian-chefs-create-unreal-life-size-f1-car-from-br/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/27/carb-control-asian-chefs-create-unreal-life-size-f1-car-from-br/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Asia's Largest race car made from bread - Click above for high-res image gallery

We know what you're thinking, and we agree - if there's one thing that we just can't seem to accept in modern Formula One racing, it's the distinct lack of edible race cars. Fortunately, that minor niggle is currently being remedied by the Culinary Executive Chef from the Royal Plaza On Scotts in Singapore, who led a team of six chefs, two artists, two technicians, two culinary staff members and five young volunteers from Metta Welfare Association to create bake the machine you see in the gallery below: Asia's Largest Race Car Made From Bread. We wonder... is there some other bread-based race car vying for the world record?

According to Klik.tv, there are a thousand individual loaves and 22 different types of bread in the life-size F1 car. More numbers: it took 33 pounds of yeast, 14 liters of water, 4.4 pounds of salt and nearly three gallons of varnish to finish this delightful creation. We bet it's the best smelling race car ever.


Gallery: Asia's Largest race car made from bread


[Source: Klik.tv | Images used with permission]

Carb Control: Asian chefs create unreal life-size F1 car from bread originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiaasia bread race carAsiaBreadRaceCarbakerbakersbakerybakingbreadbread carbread f1bread f1 carbread race carBreadCarBreadF1BreadF1CarBreadRaceCarroyal plaza on scottsRoyalPlazaOnScottssingaporeThu, 27 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST<![CDATA[Singapore gets special Volkswagen GTI V50 ]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/singapore-gets-special-volkswagen-gti-v50/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/singapore-gets-special-volkswagen-gti-v50/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/singapore-gets-special-volkswagen-gti-v50/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for a gallery of the Volkswagen Golf GTI V50

Singapore has been singled out to receive a hotted up version of their Mark V Volkswagen GTI dubbed GTI V50. This gift to the island nation gets upgrades from APR including a Stage 1 ECU tune that adds 36 more horsepower and an additional 74 lb-ft of torque. Also underneath are a VW R32 brakes and calipers and a VW Performance exhaust. Together they'll turn your 0-to-60 run into a 5.6-second affair, which takes more than a second off the standard GTI.

Outside, the body is adorned with go-fast cosmetics like a VW Performance body kit, white turn signals, blue-tinted glass, along with some bespoke 18-inch VW wheels and Pirelli rubber to round the whole thing out. The paint job is one we'd describe as "novel." The GTI V50 will be a limited run, so expect a commensurate premium as another added feature. Check out the gallery of photos below, and the press release and tech specs after the jump.


Gallery: Volkswagen Golf GTI V50


[Source: VW Asia]

Continue reading Singapore gets special Volkswagen GTI V50

Singapore gets special Volkswagen GTI V50 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aftermarketasiagolf gti v50GolfGtiV50gti v50GtiV50hatchbacklimited editionLimitedEditionsingaporespecial editionSpecialEditiontunervolkswagenvolkswagen golfvolkswagen golf gtivolkswagen golf gti v50VolkswagenGolfVolkswagenGolfGtiVolkswagenGolfGtiV50vwvw golfvw golf gtivw golf gti v50VwGolfVwGolfGtiVwGolfGtiV50Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Opening Night Jitters at Singapore GP [SPOILER ALERT]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/opening-night-jitters-at-singapore-gp-spoiler-alert/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/opening-night-jitters-at-singapore-gp-spoiler-alert/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/opening-night-jitters-at-singapore-gp-spoiler-alert/#commentsFiled under:


Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Singapore GP

Opening night can be the worst time to see a new production. But it can also be the most painfully entertaining, watching all the actors trip over their toes and forget their lines with the pressure to perform bearing down and the bright lights glaring in their eyes.

This weekend's Singapore Grand Prix wasn't just the first race on a new track and in a new host country. It was also the very first Formula One race held at night. No problem, you might figure, for these are the most professional drivers in the world. Well, not quite. But opening night was still highly entertaining; probably more so as a result. If you've recorded the race and haven't watched it yet, move along. But if you haven't, or even watched part and skipped out before the end, you'll want to follow the jump to see how Formula One's foray into the nocturnal panned out for this year's crop of championship hopefuls.

Gallery: 2008 F1 Singapore GP

Continue reading Opening Night Jitters at Singapore GP [SPOILER ALERT]

Opening Night Jitters at Singapore GP [SPOILER ALERT] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alonsof1f1 nightF1Nightfernando alonsoFernandoAlonsoformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnenight raceNightRacesingaporesingapore grand prixSingaporeGrandPrixMon, 29 Sep 2008 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/video-singapore-gp-preview/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/video-singapore-gp-preview/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/19/video-singapore-gp-preview/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above image to watch the video

This weekend Singapore will host Formula 1's first night race, and SPEED TV has created a computerized lap of the course narrated by Mark Webber taking you through the 24 corners. Perhaps the best part of this brand new track in a brand new host country at a brand new time of day night is the knowledge that there are three spots for overtaking, which hopefully means this will be more than just a two-hour parade lap. If nothing else, McLaren might be packing a surprise. Follow the jump to check out the video. Thanks for the tip, Andy!

[Source: Speed TV via MotorWorldHype]

Continue reading VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview

VIDEO: Singapore GP Preview originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click either image for a gallery.

When the Singapore F1 Grand Prix begins on September 28th, it will feature the first application of Digiflags, 35 large screens that can display the different flag colors, making it easier for racers to know what's going on while speeding down the track. The system will be used in conjunction with traditional flags, but separate track marshals posted through the circuit will control the electronic boards as the race hums wails along. But fear not, the checkered flag remains, and will be waved from a podium on high when the Singapore F1 race ends.

The full press release is posted below the fold.

Gallery: Digiflag

Continue reading Singapore's F1 night race to use electronic flags

Singapore's F1 night race to use electronic flags originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digiflagsf1formula oneFormulaOnegrand prixGrandPrixsingaporesingapore f1singapore f1 digiflagsSingaporeF1SingaporeF1DigiflagsThu, 17 Apr 2008 16:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Night Light: Illuminating the Singapore GP night race]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/night-light-illuminating-the-singapore-gp-night-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/night-light-illuminating-the-singapore-gp-night-race/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/09/night-light-illuminating-the-singapore-gp-night-race/#commentsFiled under: ,

Racing fans were excited at the announcement that Singapore would join the 2008 Formula One calendar as the series' first night race. But it's one thing to make the announcement, quite another to actually pull it off.

Lighting up a road circuit in the middle of a bustling city is not like lighting up an outdoor stadium or even an oval speedway. The track snakes along over three miles through downtown Singapore, and needs to be lit up enough to provide sufficient visibility for the drivers, spectators and television cameras, all the while minimizing glare off potentially wet surfaces. To execute the illumination, the organizers turned to Italian lighting specialists Valerio Maioli SpA, who worked up a custom lighting system just for the Singapore Grand Prix.

The system devised for the event will consist of some 1600 lighting projectors, hanging in clusters 10 meters above the surface on 240 steel pilings placed 32 meters apart from each other around the circuit and connected by over 100,000 meters of cable. The system will draw 3.18 Megawatts of electricity from 12 pairs of generators encased in sound-proof containers, each with its own engineer on standby in case anything should go wrong. Although the run-off areas will be illuminated as well, the lighting will be dimmer than the track surface to avoid confusion for the drivers. That's a pretty impressive system, which all in all will be four times brighter than the lighting in an ordinary stadium.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Night Light: Illuminating the Singapore GP night race originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand prixGrandPrixlightingnight raceNightRacesingaporesystemWed, 09 Jan 2008 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Singapore night race joins 2008 F1 Calendar]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/singapore-night-race-joins-2008-f1-calendar/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/singapore-night-race-joins-2008-f1-calendar/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/25/singapore-night-race-joins-2008-f1-calendar/#commentsFiled under:

Singapore is getting ready to host the first night race in Formula One history after the FIA approved the proposed calendar for next year's championship. Race promoters in Singapore got the clearance from the FIA to build the Monaco-style street circuit in May, and things are reportedly moving along well. The spectacle of the flood-lit road race in the Pacific city-state promises to inject some more excitement into what is already held as the pinnacle of international motorsport.

As we had reported earlier, there were a few proposed grands prix that were up in the air, but the motorsport governing body has approved them all. (Yay!) In addition to Singapore, the new event in Valencia, Spain, was awaiting approval. The French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours was under threat, as well. Even the perennial Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal wasn't for sure, as the economies of scale in schlepping the whole F1 circus to North America were eliminated with the cancellation of the race at Indianapolis. In the end all were confirmed, alongside the usual suspects in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain, Turkey, Monaco, Britain, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Japan, China and Brazil. Only a few dates were changed around by the FIA in the process. Altogether it makes for a full eighteen races, and we're looking forward already.

Follow the jump for the full 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar.

[Source: Autosport]

Continue reading Singapore night race joins 2008 F1 Calendar

Singapore night race joins 2008 F1 Calendar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008calendarcanadachampionshipcoursfiaformulafrancemagnymontrealonesingaporevalenciaworldThu, 25 Oct 2007 17:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy Shots: Jet-ified Camo Lambo spotted ... somewhere]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click image for photo gallery

Nobody knows what this Lamborghini is, other than "really, really, hot." It's an LP640 with a fighter jet-style camo paint job, complete with rivets and warnings like an arrow reading "HEAT" that points to the exhaust. There's also a red star painted on the hood, which is intriguing because that was used to signify the Russian "Migs" way back when in Top Gun.

A VW Vortex poster claims it's a one-off paint job done on a Lambo in Singapore. The car is right-hand-drive, has a license plate that could be from Singapore, and looks to be sitting in a garage with a couple of Lotuses. Unfortunately, whoever took the pictures seems to have had full access to the car yet neglected to take one pic of the interior. The car even has a call sign written just above its rocker panels. It is, of course: LP640. Can anyone fill in the blanks?

[Source: VW Vortex]

Gallery: Jet-themed Camo Lamborghini LP640


Spy Shots: Jet-ified Camo Lambo spotted ... somewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f22lamborghinilp640paint jobPaintJobsingaporeTue, 11 Sep 2007 19:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Singapore gets first F1 race in 2008, and it's at night!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/14/singapore-gets-f1-race-in-2008-but-night-or-day/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/14/singapore-gets-f1-race-in-2008-but-night-or-day/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/14/singapore-gets-f1-race-in-2008-but-night-or-day/#commentsFiled under:

Next year's Formula 1 calendar could contain an unprecedented 20 races. One of those races will be held for the first time on the island state of Singapore, and according to Bernie Ecclestone, it will be held at night. Both IRL and NASCAR have night races, so why not Formula 1? The reasons aren't just for spectacle, either: a night race in Asia will be more convenient for viewers in Europe and the US, and after all, for Bernie this is all about television revenue.


A few drivers, most notably current F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, are against night racing. Alonso apparently imagines a number of horrors happening at the same time: "What if it rains? All those painted lines. What if the lights go out?" However, Singapore is a notoriously fastidious state that will work overtime to make sure its first F1 race and the first ever night race come off safely. It has also indicated that the race will be held at night only so long as everyone has faith in the safety of the event. Ecclestone, as usual, doesn't appear to be worried -- he's sure the race will happen after dark, saying "I think that we can stop discussion about the possibility of holding this race during the day."

[Source: Fox Sports]

Singapore gets first F1 race in 2008, and it's at night! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1bernieecclestonef1formulanightracesingaporeMon, 14 May 2007 17:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Singapore gearing up for a grand prix]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/14/singapore-gearing-up-for-a-grand-prix/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/14/singapore-gearing-up-for-a-grand-prix/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/14/singapore-gearing-up-for-a-grand-prix/#commentsFiled under:

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.

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