2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

QinetiQ extends partnership with the WilliamsF1 Team

WilliamsF1 today announced their extended technical partnership with QinetiQ, the leading defence and technology solutions company.

The existing relationship will now continue into 2006, with the QinetiQ identity remaining in its established location on the drivers’ helmets.

WilliamsF1’s alliance with QinetiQ commenced in May of last season, with the intention of injecting ground-breaking technologies into the design and development of the team’s racing cars, drawing on the best of British expertise.

Over the year, the team has benefited from the advice and consultation from QinetiQ’s scientists, engineers and specialists, notably in the areas of predictive aerodynamic disciplines, materials science and the application of GPS technology for data acquisition at test sessions.

For QinetiQ, Formula One has proved to be an important platform to communicate its standing as a world leader in the provision of ground-breaking technologies and the depth of its scientific skill base.

The renewal will afford further opportunities for QinetiQ to showcase its core disciplines to a global audience, while the team will continue to benefit from a mutual sharing of technological competencies and innovation.

Of the partnership extension, Sir John Chisholm, QinetiQ’s Executive Chairman, commented, “There is an important link between QinetiQ, its aerospace heritage and the F1 motor racing industry. The aerospace business is a powerful vehicle for pulling through numerous technologies which in turn feed into other industries. It would be difficult, for example, to imagine the existence Formula One in this country without the innovative influence of aerospace technology, so it is entirely appropriate that QinetiQ should be working so closely with the Williams team.”

The WilliamsF1 Team’s Team Principal, Frank Williams, confirmed, “To date, QinetiQ have opened the door to several interesting technologies which may be of help to us in the future, so I’m delighted that they have decided to extend their association with the team and look forward to our continued partnership.”

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Max Biaggi to test for MidlandF1

Reports are doing the rounds that MotoGP rider Max Biaggi is on the verge of doing a deal with the Midland F1 team, the Italian rider said to be undergoing a test with the Silverstone based squad this week when they take to their local track for a private session.

"MotoGP star Max Biaggi will test a MF1 -Toyota Formula 1 car at Silverstone later today" MF1 confirmed. "The flamboyant Italian, known in bike circles as "The Roman Emperor", has been invited to have this Formula 1 experience at the 3.1-mile British Grand Prix and World Superbike venue by MF1 Racing, the Formula One team owned and operated by the Midland Group."

Biaggi had a seat-fitting with the Silverstone-based team yesterday and he will take over driving duties from regular MidlandF1 driver Christijan Albers, who is testing for the team this morning.

"I am really excited about driving the Midland F1 car," said Biaggi, who is 34 years old. "I must thank everyone in the team for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to comparing the thrills of MotoGP and F1."

While some say he may be in line for the role Tiago Monteiro has already signed on for, or the position of third driver, already taken by Nicky Pastorelli, it is thought that this is just a one off for the team while he awaits confirmation of a new role in the Superbike Championship with Suzuki.

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Blue Jeans for MF1 Racing

MF1 Racing , the Formula One team owned and operated by Midland Group, is pleased to announce a partnership agreement with Garcia Jeanswear, one of Europe's trendiest and most successful casual clothing brands. The Garcia logo will appear on all of the team's race cars, transporters and official stationery.

Colin Kolles, MF1 Racing's Managing Director "MF1 Racing's partnership with Garcia Jeanswear is important to the team for many reasons. It demonstrates Garcia's confidence in our approach to Formula One and affirms the marketing value to be derived through involvement in the sport. It also associates the team with a stylish brand that is on the rise - an image that meshes well with the way we are positioning ourselves and generates momentum for us commercially and enables the team to achieve its goal of continuous improvement, both on and off the track."

Paul Burema, Managing Director of Garcia Jeanswear "In 2005 we entered Formula One for the first time with the aim of building brand recognition and extending our distribution in Europe. The impact of that sponsorship exceeded our expectations.In markets where we were traditionally strong, the demand increased. Furthermore, we were also able to add some nice Garcia countries to our map. It was not a difficult decision for us to follow Christijan Albers to his new team, MF1 Racing. It is ambitious, professional and it aims to be fashionable. This positioning fits us perfectly. Hopefully, it will add even more color to our jeans brand."

Garcia Jeanswear founded in 1977, is a successful, innovative jeans and casual clothing brand that is developed and produced under the Dutch company, Eurobrooks b.v. The roots of the company lie in Italy, but production is now undertaken in various locations worldwide. Garcia Jeanswear has sales offices in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Greece and Portugal and exports to 10 other European countries. As a trendy brand name, Garcia Jeanswear has firmly established its place in the European market. Originally known for the diversity of its range of blue denim that it offered, Garcia Jeanswear has continued to build on this strength while expanding its extensive line of denim. With trendy collections and a clear vision toward the future, Garcia Jeanswear is striving to meet the needs anddesires of its customers worldwide.

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More Confidence That Teams and F1 Will Reach Agreement

Mario Theissen has added to a growing feeling in formula one circles that doubts about the future of the sport are nearing an end.

The BMW F1 boss, whose employer is one of five carmakers threatening to quit and race in a rival championship in 2008, says he thinks the dispute 'will be settled'.

''I am quite confident that we will reach agreement to continue in formula one,'' Germany's Theissen said in Spain.

Ferrari, Red Bull's two teams, Midland and Williams - that is, every non-manufacturer outfit - have already signed up to Bernie Ecclestone's 2008 Concorde Agreement, while Japan's Toyota and Honda are reportedly adamant that the sport should not split.

BMW board member Burkhard Goeschel, meanwhile, indicated that the Munich based carmaker is unlikely to ultimately threaten the success of the race series.

He said: ''F1 seems tailor made for BMW's brand values, and there's no other sporting event that generates so much attention on such a regular basis worldwide.''

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Discovering the wind tunnel

“Aerodynamics account for around two thirds of a modern Formula One car’s performance”, says Willy Rampf. It is therefore important to give this area the priority it deserves. In its drive to shave off those extra tenths of a second, the BMW Sauber F1 Team can rely on the services of one of Formula One’s most advanced wind tunnels. This facility represents the state of the art in terms of the wind speed it can generate, the size of the test section and models, the dimensions of its rolling road, the model motion system and its data collection capability.

The wind tunnel has a closed-circuit design, a total length of 141 metres and a maximum tube diameter of 9.4 metres. The total weight of the steel elements, including the fan housing, stands at 480 tonnes. The single-stage axial fan with carbon rotor blades, including the motor and housing, weighs in at 66 tonnes. When operating under full load, the main fan uses 3,000 kW of power, enabling wind speeds of up to 300 km/h. In order to eliminate the transmission of vibrations to the building, the axial fan is mounted on vibration dampers fixed to a solid concrete base.

The core element of any wind tunnel is the test section, where the models are exposed to air flow. The extremely generous cross-section and length of the rolling road create optimum conditions for achieving precise results. The tests are carried out with 60-percent models.

The entire rolling road platform can be rotated in order to simulate not only frontal but also side-slip conditions at an angle of up to ten degrees. It is fitted with a steel belt which simulates the relative motion between the vehicle and the road. The moving steel belt reaches the same velocity as the air stream, i.e. up to 300 km/h. Located underneath the moving belt are load cells, which are used to measure wheel lift during the tests.

As a rule, wind tunnels are not the easiest buildings on the eye when viewed from the outside. Things are rather different at Hinwil, through, where the designers also focused on enhancing the exterior qualities of the facility. The building leaves quite an impression, and not just in terms of its dimensions (length 65 m, width 50 m, height 17 m). Indeed, the glass-clad façades ensure that the facility wears its unique character – as a combination of industrial installation and event venue – proudly on its sleeve.

From the outside, the building appears to be one homogeneous hall, but it actually consists of two clearly detached elements: the wind tunnel itself and a multistorey wing with working areas and an event platform. The two sections are separated by a glass wall, preserving the optical connection yet forming an effective barrier against the noise from the wind tunnel.

In the interests of achieving a strong visual impact, the central axis of the wind tunnel tube is positioned more than eight metres above ground. With the exception of the test section, which is embedded in a concrete construction, the steel elements of the circuit appear to be “floating” inside the hall.

The second part of the building, with a total of four storeys, is also designed to offer ample space. The first-floor gallery, which accommodates 150 people, provides a very special setting for marketing and customer relations events and seminars.

Located on the floors immediately above are the working areas for the aerodynamic experts, model* designers, model builders, CFD specialists and other members of the aerodynamics team.

In terms of its overall concept, this wind tunnel is truly unique.

BMW Sauber

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F1 Teams Discussing 2006 Testing Limits

F1 teams are still discussing a new gentleman's agreement to limit in-season track testing in '06, Mario Theissen said on Tuesday.

The sport's newest team principal, in Spain for the launch and roll-out of BMW's first works F1 car, agrees with those who reckon testing is one of the biggest scourges on spending at the pinnacle of motor sport.

In 2005, every team except Ferrari signed up and adhered to a voluntary test agreement, which basically limited running to 30-days between the first and last grand prix, and two team cars per test day.

''We have to look at the costs,'' Germany's Theissen explained at Valencia.

But most of the carmakers on the grid are mindful of the need to keep F1 as a technology arena, Mario added, hinting that this caveat would be considered in any accord.

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rpstewart said:

Three days offline and I miss a page of posts!

Blank Ferrari huh? Can't run 'baccy branding in the EU but no Vodafone logos either - everything is pointing to Vodafone McLaren in 2006.

Looks like they've stuck with that daft extra front wing element that no one else seems to need, have they not learned from last year?

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Red Bull not discouraged

Red Bull did not have exactly a trouble free test of it new RB2 chassis at Jerez last week with an electrical problem, an engine failure, and a gearbox glitch. However, according to the team the teething troubles were nothing too serious and they were able get valuable mileage on the new car.

Christian Horner, Sporting Director
“By the end of the test, we had completed some valuable mileage with RB2 and after some initial teething problems were pleased with the initial feedback The car is very much an interim machine in terms of its aerodynamic package. The whole point of getting our new car out so early was to learn as much as possible about running with a V8 engine well before the start of the season. On that front, we are very pleased with the job that Ferrari is doing. We always knew that the lessons learnt by running the car early would be worth a bit of pain and overall I’d say it’s looking very encouraging.”

Red Bull gets back on track next Tuesday in Barcelona before moving back to Jerez in February.

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Keith Duckworth Memorial

The following is a press release from Cosworth in which they pay tribute to Keith Duckworth who passed away in December and announced details of his Memorial service.

The Memorial Service for the late Keith Duckworth O.B.E. will be held on Thursday 23rd February 2006 in Northampton.

Along with his life-long colleague and friend, Mike Costin, Keith had set up Cosworth Engineering in 1958, and guided it to unprecedented success in the field of high-performance automotive engineering.

It was Keith who personally designed the legendary Cosworth DFV V8 Formula One engine which, with 155 GP victories, is the most successful engine ever to be used in the sport. Keith was an inspiration to everyone and he will be missed very dearly by everyone at Cosworth.

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Biaggi thrilled with Midland experience at wet Silverstone

MotoGP star Max Biaggi tested a Midland-MF1 Toyota Formula 1 car at a rain- drenched Silverstone today. The 34-year-old Italian completed nine trouble- free laps of the 3.1-mile British Grand Prix venue.

“It was an amazing experience,” declared Max afterwards. “The weather made it quite difficult and I had one moment on opposite lock when I put down the power too early, but the overall grip and power of the car was very impressive.”

Max’s test was split into three segments: an installation lap, followed by runs of three laps and five laps. Between the second and third runs he was given a new set of Bridgestone wet weather tyres.

“The car is a big toy,” said Max. “It’s like a big go kart. I didn’t get anywhere near its limit today, but I went fast enough to appreciate what level of performance can be reached.”

Max, known as the “Roman Emperor” in bike circles, wouldn’t make any comparisons between MotoGP and F1.

“I love both,” he said. “You can’t compare them because on a bike I am free, it’s like I am dancing on it to make it go fast. In an F1 car you are strapped in very tight, which is a weird sensation for me.”

Biaggi has no further tests planned with MF1 Racing, but he made his intentions clear to the team.

“I would love another test, preferably when it’s dry!”

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The Minardi name could make racing return

The famous Minardi name could return to the race track in the near future.

The former Grand Prix team's founder, Giancarlo Minardi, revealed in an interview that he was currently in the process of re-gaining control of the brand, after selling it to Paul Stoddart in late 2000.

"This brand could be rented to various teams," Italy's Minardi told f1grandprix.it, "so a Minardi F3000 team could soon be born."

Giancarlo Minardi also mused as to how his little Faenza-based team survived at the pinnacle of motor sport, while so many other privateers went under.

He said the secret was to stick to a staff of 100.

"Other teams, growing to 250-300 employees, made a mistake," Minardi explained, "because in tough moments they didn't have enough money and had to give up."

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Frentzen heads for forced retirement

Whether he likes it or not, former grand prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen, of Germany, looks set to bow out of racing.

The 38-year-old, who won grands prix for Williams in 1997 and Jordan in 1999, has not secured a new drive in the German 'DTM' category after his team, Opel, vowed to quit.

Worse still, he had a huge shunt at the series' Hockenheim finale, leaving him unable to train for two months and, now, unemployed.

'For it to end like this was not my plan,' Frentzen told the Auto Bild Motorsport magazine.

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Toyota men could be jailed

Austrian newspaper 'Kleine Zeitung' claims that former Toyota boss Ove Andersson and two colleagues could be jailed for up to three years.

The highly respected Swede, as well as ousted designer Gustav Brunner and aero chief Rene Hilhorst, were all charged this week in connection with the Ferrari-Toyota spy saga.

In proclaiming his innocence, Austria's Brunner told the media that he actually found out about the accusation by reading a newspaper.

But court spokesman Hubertus Nolte rejected this defence by telling the 'Express' publication that Brunner's home address had simply changed, meaning that official notification went elsewhere.

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Brunner perplexed by espionage charges

It was reported recently that three former Toyota employees have been charged for offences related to industrial espionage after allegedly using a stolen data analysis program that was supplied by a former Ferrari technician and used to help improve the TF103 and 104’s aerodynamics.

Gustav Brunner, former chief designer, who was dismissed from the team last December, even though he is still officially under contract, is perplexed by the current situation and ahs denied any knowledge of the charge at hand.

"I don't really understand how and why this is all coming out now, and this is something that annoys me greatly," he told SportAutoMoto.

"I've never copied anything in my life. This issue will be cleared. I have experienced some deep feelings in my formula one career before, but this totally perplexes me.”

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GP Masters announces 2006 calendar

Following on from the success of the inaugural Grand Prix Masters race in Kyalami (South Africa) just over eight weeks ago, the series organisers are today delighted to announce the 2006 race calendar. The series will kick-off at the Losail International Raceway Circuit in Qatar – the first time ever a racing car event has ever been held in the country! Hosting the Grand Prix Masters series alongside the state-of-the-art Losail circuit are a collection of motor racing's more traditional and classic circuits including Monza (Italy), Silverstone (UK), Kyalami (South Africa) plus a fifth venue which will be announced very shortly.

Scott Poulter (CEO, Grand Prix Masters)
"Following the success of our inaugural event in South Africa last November, the public demand for 'more' has been simply fantastic! This is testament to the tireless efforts of everyone involved in the series and it gives us all great pleasure today in announcing a calendar which will see the series visit some spectacular racing venues across the world. With the exception of the recently-opened Losail International Raceway in Qatar, the other circuits have provided the setting for so many of Grand Prix racing's historic moments and with the likes of Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and many other legends, re-creating that magic is what Grand Prix Masters is all about. Our ambition for this year is to build upon the success of our debut event and to ensure the highest level of satisfaction for both trackside and TV viewing race fans."

Nigel Mansell O.B.E.
"To add more chapters to the history we made at our sell-out event in South Africa is sensational news and I for one cannot wait to get back into action! For me personally, the special one will of course be Silverstone. Racing a thoroughbred grand prix car in-front of a home crowd at Silverstone will be a surreal and mighty experience. My last grand prix race there was back in 1992 and was one of many victories that season that culminated in both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championship. Racing in front of the Italian 'tifosi' will also be very special for me and if we can deliver anything like the spectacle we succeeded in doing in South Africa, the fan's will absolutely love it."

Losail, (Qatar) - 29th April
Monza, (Italy) - 18th June
Silverstone, (UK) - 13th August
To be announced - 1st October
Kyalami (South Africa) - 12th November

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McLaren planning Barcelona debut

McLaren will give its new MP4-21 challenger a first run at Barcelona some time next week.

The team is scheduled to have an official livery launch in February, and although McLaren could not confirm the exact date of the car's debut or which of its drivers would give the MP4-21 its initial run, a run-out will take place at the Spanish Grand Prix venue.

According to Autosport magazine the new car has been designed to maximise the aerodynamic advantages of the smaller 2.4-litre V8 Mercedes engine.

"The V8 engine opened up opportunities for the repackaging of the rear of the new car," the team's chief aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou told the magazine.

"We had the MP4-21 in the wind tunnel at the beginning of last July and since then we have completed thousands of hours of wind tunnel testing."

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Major revamp planned for Imola
The Imola circuit, host of the San Marino Grand Prix, could soon become much faster thanks to a proposed straightening of its Variante Bassa chicane, yielding to an estimated one-kilometre straight from the second Rivazza curve to the Tamburello chicane.

The modification will be necessary in order to move the pit building towards Rivazza and thus having much larger paddock and facilities, which is one of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's requirements in order to consider renewing the contract with the autodrome in the future.

The project, funded with 10 million euro allocated by the Italian government at the end of last year, is likely to go ahead and will involve moving the pit building further away from the Santerno river and expanding it to become 280 metres in length and 18 in width, also allowing for larger and more numerous team garages.

With works at the circuit predicted to start around next October and to be completed before the 2007 GP, Imola mayor Massimo Marchignoli hopes the project will be approved by the end of March.

"We are trying to speed up proceedings as much as possible while evaluating the realization of the project," Marchignoli told Autosprint. "We count on approving it as soon as possible, I'd say at most within a couple of months' time.

"For our town, F1 is an important economic resource. It's an incredible worldwide promotional tool, and losing it would be inexcusable."

Federico Bendinelli, president of Sagis, the group which operates the circuit, is not willing to guarantee whether the proposed project will get the go ahead, however.

"We'll have to see whether the town of Imola will approve our project proposal," said Bendinelli. "We can't rule out the possibility that Mayor Marchignoli will decide to commission a brand new project.

"What we are putting at the town's disposal is a part of our project, in particular the structure of the new pits. This includes new race control, a press room with space for 600-650 journalists, a photographers' room, a new and much larger hospitality area and, obviously, new garages, with two more than what's there at the moment."

Imola, a historically fast circuit, went through major changes which made it slower and safer following the death of triple World Champion Ayrton Senna, who was killed at the sweeping Tamburello curve on May 1st, 1994.

"Getting rid of Variante Bassa is an old idea of ours," Bendinelli revealed to Autosprint. "Already in 1994, having made the Tamburello section safer following Senna's accident, the circuit became substantially slower and we thought of eliminating Variante Bassa. In the end we didn't do it because we made [the chicane] a little faster. Now we can reset the right parameters."

Bendinelli pointed out that works on the pit building are needed in order to retain the place on the F1 calendar rather than for safety reasons, but also admitted that the existing building isn't up to current antiseismic legislations.

"I want to point out that Imola's current pits are neither crumbling nor unsafe, only narrow," commented Bendinelli. "If we want our circuit to have a future we must get in line with what Bernie Ecclestone indicates to us, otherwise there's the risk that in two year's time there won't be a Grand Prix here anymore. Besides, it's also necessary to create a new building structure which is within current antiseismic legislations."

A project devised in 2001, which involves moving the pit building and paddock on the other side of the straight on the inside of the circuit, is considered too expensive to implement.

While Marchignoli said in 2004 that the autodrome's current contract with Bernie Ecclestone expires after the 2009 San Marino Grand Prix, Imola's presence in the Grand Prix calendar is often put in doubt partly because of the fact that it's in Italy, which already stages the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

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