Autoblog

Bring the Noise: Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe... for now

Noah Joseph — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Government/Legal

Following earlier news that the Donington track, which was supposed to take over the British Grand Prix in lieu of Silverstone, had to declare bankruptcy comes a reversal of fortune for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The longtime host of the Belgian Grand Prix looked to be in serious trouble with local authorities when nearby residents got fed up with the noise emanating from the track. Government officials threatened to shut down the circuit if the situation wasn't addressed, but now they appear to be singing a different tune.

According to the latest reports, the regional environment ministry has given Spa an exemption from noise regulations in light of the economic benefits the Belgian Grand Prix brings to the region. There are a few conditions, though. First of all, while they're willing to overlook the noise issue for the F1 race (and possibly a few other events), authorities will crack down at other times, even shutting down the track completely during parts of the summer. Beyond that, they've appointed a third party to monitor the noise levels, warning the track owners that their exemption will be up for review again within two years. So, while race organizers and fans can breathe a sigh of relief, it'll be a short breath, proving once again that racing and bureaucrats don't mix.

[Source: Autocar | Image: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty]

Bring the Noise: Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe... for now originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Spa-Francorchamps circuit nearly has racing revoked license until 2026

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

Seems like every day brings something new in Formula 1, and lately none of it's been good. Now we hear that our absolute favorite track on the calendar, Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit, is on the brink of having its license stripped for - get this - 17 years.

Why? Because residents didn't appreciate that high-octane wailing brought on by the F1 circus, so the local Council of State instructed the circuit to conduct an environmental impact study. From the sounds of it, someone tried to get the study done the night before it was due, because the Council found it "seriously inadequate and incomplete." Instead of issuing a simple detention, the Council said "No race for you!" until, *gulp,* 2026.

Thankfully, Spa's director, Pierre-Alain Thibault, now says that "the situation has changed" since the original noise complaint was filed, that the circuit has worked with residents and lowered the decibels. Next year's race is provisionally scheduled for August 29, which gives Thibault a fair bit of time to talk to residents and challenge the Council's actions. A day's wrangling has given the circuit some breathing room to address all of the legal issues before it is officially closed, but it looks like they gotta lotta 'splainin' to do before they can guarantee a 2010 race. For the sake of F1 race fans everywhere, we hope Eau Rouge isn't taken from us. Hat tip to Ryan.

[Source: Crash.net | Image: nmajoros via CC 2.0]

REPORT: Spa-Francorchamps circuit nearly has racing revoked license until 2026 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Safety

Serious injuries to the head temporarily left a mechanic in the GP2 series in a medically-induced coma following a pit-lane incident at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this past weekend during a support race for the Belgian Grand Prix. The GP2 series is the second rung on the ladder below Formula One, and shares its calendar with F1's European races.

According to reports, an air gun left out of place in pit lane was caught by the wheel of Trident Racing's Ricardo Teixeira, tugging at the hose which toppled a metal beam onto the head of team mechanic Vasco Rossi. The mechanic was evacuated with serious - but not life-threatening - injuries to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically-induced coma, from which he has since reportedly emerged. We wish Vasco a full recovery.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Trident Racing]

REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

Noah Joseph — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

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

You asked for it, you got it, racing fans. For decades, Formula One has been dominated by a handful of teams. The world titles have been shared between Ferrari, McLaren, Renault (formerly known as Benetton) and Williams since 1984. And the fans complained: Not enough competition. The small teams stand no chance of winning. Bigger budgets mean bigger trophy cases. And so on and so forth. Well this season has certainly shaken things up. Teams that were once relegated to the back of the field have been winning races, while that quartet of formerly elite teams has been scrambling to keep up. But while Jenson Button and Brawn GP's dominance at the start of the season came as a huge, almost entirely unprecedented surprise to everyone inside or outside the world of grand prix racing, nobody could have anticipated what happened this weekend.

Those who tuned in on Saturday for the qualifying sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix were shocked to find Giancarlo Fisichella and his Force India car sitting on pole. Yes, Force India. The team that never scored a single point, never crossed under the checkered flag in any position better than ninth, and seems to retire from as many races as it finishes. Behind him on the starting grid came fellow Italian Jarno Trulli in his Toyota, followed by BMW's Nick Heidfeld. The big names, meanwhile, were scattered down the order: Rubens Barrichello, fresh off his victory in Valencia, qualified fourth. Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, sixth. Red Bull's pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber - the main challengers to Brawn's title lead - placed eighth and ninth, while defending champion Lewis Hamilton, two-time world champ Fernando Alonso and title leader Jenson Button qualified twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth, respectively. That's one heck of a messed-up starting grid, especially on a circuit as universally loved by the drivers as Spa Francorchamps. But how the race would unfold would prove just as surprising. Follow the jump to read on.

Gallery: 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FOLLOW-UP: Jacques Villeneuve to race at Spa 24 Hours

Noah Joseph — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:42:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Jacques Villeneuve may have his eyes set on a return to Formula One, but he isn't about to sit around waiting for it. The former world champion has announced plans to contest the upcoming Spa 24 Hours in Belgium later this month.

In preparation, Villeneuve raced touring cars at the Spa 12 Hours, sharing a WTCC-spec Seat Leon with Jordi Gene and Pierre Yves Corthals, placing 28th overall. At the full round-the-clock event, however, the Canadian driver will be behind the wheel of a Mosler MT900R fielded by Gravity Racing International.

With the Speedcar Series mothballed, Villeneuve also announced he'll be coming home late next month for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the circuit named for his father. A far cry from F1, but a driver's got to work, right?

[Source: Autosport | Image: Marc Serota/Getty]

FOLLOW-UP: Jacques Villeneuve to race at Spa 24 Hours originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPOILER ALERT: McLaren and Ferrari embroiled in more controversy at the Belgian GP

Noah Joseph — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix

Upsets, upsets and more upsets. The Formula One racing world thought it had put the politics between Ferrari and McLaren to rest, but the controversy between the two front-running teams reared its ugly head once more at this past weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Follow the jump to read how the weekend's events unfolded, and how the race results were turned on its head once again.

Gallery: 2008 F1 Belgian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: McLaren and Ferrari embroiled in more controversy at the Belgian GP

SPOILER ALERT: McLaren and Ferrari embroiled in more controversy at the Belgian GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat puts the Auto in Autonomy

Noah Joseph — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Earnings/Financials

Changes are coming to the family as the Fiat automotive empire alters its structure to give several of its divisions more autonomy. While the Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat auto and Fiat light commercial vehicles have all been divisions within the same corporate hierarchy (not unlike the structure at its one-time potential partners at General Motors), each of those brands is now being spun off and individually incorporated.

The result is the creation of four new companies: Lancia Automobiles SpA, Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA, Fiat Automobiles SpA and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles SpA. This also means that the executives who were simply brand managers before are getting promoted to chief executive officer of their new corporations. All four will still be fully owned by the parent company, which is changing its name from Fiat Auto to Fiat Group Automobiles SpA. For those Tifosi left wondering, Fiat's precious baby Ferrari remains unaffected by the restructuring since it was already separately incorporated and is partially owned by Fiat with some shares owned by other interests.

What practical implication does this have? None to the American market where, until Alfa Romeo returns to the US, none of these brands are sold. Meanwhile, Fiat insists the restructuring will actually enable each unit to cooperate with the others more effectively. We'd bet this gives each of the brands the freedom to make independent strategic decisions, including the Fiat brand itself. The move comes shortly after Fiat Group head Sergio Marchionne stepped down as chief of the Fiat brand to concentrate on managing the group. With sales up and its financial health looking better than ever, the Fiat empire -- or whatever you want to call it -- looks poised to continue its climb upward.

[Source: Fiat via Italiaspeed]

Fiat puts the Auto in Autonomy originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Speed and Cocaine don't mix

Noah Joseph — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

When we say that racing drivers are "speed addicts", we're referring to the intoxicating exhilaration of velocity, not the chemical narcotic. Cocaine is another story, as Luca Moro is finding out...the hard way. The 33-year-old Italian GT driver tested positive for cocaine in a routine drug test at the Spa 24 Hours race in Belgium this past year. The driver has the recourse to appeal the revocation, but he's already tested positive twice.

As an international sports governing body, the FIA adheres to the policies and rules of the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA), and cocaine falls squarely in the category of their prohibited substances. The question we'd like to ask is, if cocaine isn't a performance-enhancing drug (like steroids, for example), and motor-racing isn't an athletic sport, what effect does Moro's cocaine use have on his competition?

Do you think the use of drugs should be prohibited in motorsports, or are the two completely unrelated? Leave your opinion in our comments section.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Speed and Cocaine don't mix originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: On-board the Murcielago R-GT at Spa

Noah Joseph — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini

Standing in stark contrast to its rivals in Maranello, Lamborghini does not breed its supercars in motorsports. The Raging Bull does sometime wander onto the track, albeit without direct involvement from the factory in Sant' Agata Bolognese. Reiter Engineering is the German specialty firm that preps Lamborghinis for competition and races them, including the monstrous Murcielago R-GT, which, as we reported recently, is set to take on Le Mans next year, following its regular participation in FIA GT and Japanese Super GT events.

As dramatic as the pictures look, all angular, pumping with testosterone and foaming at the mouth, they don't do it justice. We can imagine seeing one in action up close must be a tremendously visceral experience, but this video, recorded in-car and trackside while lapping the Spa-Francorchamps, goes a long way in communicating the Raging Bull's unbridled potency and sheer speed.

Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: German Car Blog]

Continue reading VIDEO: On-board the Murcielago R-GT at Spa

VIDEO: On-board the Murcielago R-GT at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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