Autoblog

Ken Blocked: Rally driver too big for F1 car

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:31:00 EST

Ken Block was prepared to suit up for some seat time in Pirelli's Toyota TF109 Formula One test car. Problem is, the car wasn't prepared to suit Block. The man is too large for the seat, which typically holds diminutive F1 pilots. No, he's not too fat, Block is just too tall to fit inside the car.

According to Autosport, Block was able to wrangle his Gymkhana-built body into the cockpit of the slim racer, but once team members tried to attach the steering wheel, fit issues became clear. Those who helped organize the test are looking into alternative vehicles for Block to drive. His test date was scheduled for August 5 at Monza's Italian Grand Prix. No word on whether the test has been pushed to a later date pending further modifications to the car or.... umm... Block.

Ken Blocked: Rally driver too big for F1 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Block set for F1 test at Monza

Noah Joseph — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Event Alert

Even with a skill set as specific as vehicular control, there are polar opposites. At one end you have F1 drivers, who position what essentially amount to fighter jets on wheels with pin-point precision. At the other end sits the likes of Ken Block, the Gymkhana master who has wowed us all time and again by drifting his rally car sideways through the tightest of spots and in the grandest of fashion. The two may seem entirely irreconcilable, but they're about to come together for what promises to be an interesting crossover.

While visiting Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, it was announced that Block is headed for his first drive in an F1 car this August. But rather than test, as many others have, for a specific team, Block will be the invited guest of Pirelli - the company that supplies the tires both for his rally car and for the entire F1 grid.

The drive will take place at Monza - the legendary home of the Italian Grand Prix - on August 5th. There, Block will take to the wheel of the TF109, the car which Toyota fielded in the 2009 championship before withdrawing from the series altogether, and which Pirelli now uses to test its various F1 rubber compounds.

Block says this test will "take hooning to a whole new level." Are we smelling an F1 Gymkhana video in the making? Too early to say, but we can certainly dream. Official announcement after the jump.

Continue reading Ken Block set for F1 test at Monza

Ken Block set for F1 test at Monza originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Contender: Toyota reveals new TF109

Noah Joseph — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

Click above to view high-res image gallery of the Toyota TF109

Following Ferrari's unveiling of its new F60, Toyota is the second team to release its new challenger for the 2009 Formula One season. Called the TF109, it's the only car unveiled exclusively online without a public reveal. Of course, looking at it, you could paint the remaining white panels red (and move the wing mirrors to the sidepods) and it would look pretty much like Ferrari's. That's because all the cars have to conform to the same set of new rules, so it was back to the drawing board for all the teams. Naturally that means it'll be hard to predict which teams and which drivers will have adapted to the new rules and new cars the best, but Toyota's veteran driver Jarno Trulli is confident that the team is due for its first victory this season.

Wait, what? Yeah, despite pouring unprecedented heaps of cash at its Cologne, Germany-based team, Toyota has yet to win a grand prix. They came the closest last season, finishing a respectable fifth place in the constructors' championship just behind the former champions at Renault, but together with his team-mate Timo Glock, the 2007 GP2 champion, Trulli hopes this year will change the team's fortunes and translate its vast resources into trophies. And this is the car with which they hope to do it. Press release after the jump and images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Toyota TF109

[Source: Panasonic Toyota Racing]

Continue reading The Contender: Toyota reveals new TF109

The Contender: Toyota reveals new TF109 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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